ã€ŠRoad to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypseã€‹


 Chapter 1: Apocalypse Day

    Jack Rust gazed at the mouth of a cave, black like the night and barely wide enough for a grown man to push through. He clicked a button, and the flashlight burned to life, shooting a wide beam of light into the darkness and dispelling it.

    Only rock walls met his sight. This place looked like a shallow slit in the hillside, but he knew that was not the case¡ªanother researcher had stumbled upon it and called on Jack to look.

    Of course, he thought. By all means, have me explore the dark, dirty cave. I love it.

    Jack was an averagely built man. His dark-haired head rose six feet from the ground, but he lacked the musculature to intimidate anyone. At least his younger years of sports had left him with a slim, athletic build, though he didn¡¯t exercise anymore.

    His body shape, along with his green eyes and kind smile, made him slightly handsome if you asked most people, or not at all if you asked girls named Maria, of which he had a particularly nasty streak.

    It also made him quite suitable to investigate narrow rocky crevices, which is why he was here instead of a person of lower seniority. He didn¡¯t like it, but alas¡ªjob called.

    It was still better than spending the entire day in a cramped lab full of smelly undergraduates.

    Grumbling, Jack made sure the pockets of his cargo pants were secured. He surveyed the rocks carefully, mapping out the sharp ones jutting out of the walls, then ventured forth. His body went sideways, and he kept his eyes glued before him, watching out for errant spider webs or multi-legged annoyances.

    Though he could fit pretty easily, the rocks wound tight around him. He felt trapped.

    Fortunately, claustrophobia wasn¡¯t enough to stop Jack. If not, he wouldn¡¯t be here.

    He was aware of the precautions. He had rehearsed them mentally while crossing the nature reserve. If anything felt off, or if the crevice got dangerously narrow, he would go back. He prayed for that, actually; it would make this excursion a paid field trip.

    Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. A few feet ahead, the crevice opened into a cave fifteen feet across and nine to the side. Jack quickly took out a device from his right pocket and let it inspect the air. A moment later, it beeped twice; all clear.

    Damn, he thought, but smiled. At least he¡¯d make headway. If he discovered even a single female viper caterpillar here, they could mate it with the one they already had and create enough specimens to last. Plus, the cave looked pretty clean, as improbable as that sounded.

    He also checked his featureless gray t-shirt. It looked fine; it hadn¡¯t been caught in any rocks, thankfully. Though simple, it was his favorite shirt.

    Jack then looked ahead. His flashlight swung across the walls. If there were carapaced insects skittering around, he didn¡¯t see them. It didn¡¯t matter; he¡¯d only be here for a little while, and poisonous varieties were not indigenous to this area, anyway.

    He placed his flashlight on a rock, letting it illuminate half the cave. He then removed a pair of gloves from his pocket, put them on, kneeled beside a patch of moss, and stuck his hands into it. As he idly ran his fingers over the rock, sensing nothing through the gloves, he released a sigh.

    What am I even doing?

    He was shuffling through moss in a tiny, dark cave in the middle of nowhere, trying so hard for something he didn¡¯t care too much about. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like his job; being a biologist could be fun at times, and he even had a PhD¡ªalmost. He was financially set for life and at a job more interesting than most.

    However, at the end of the day, it was just that¡ªa job¡ªand, if he was being honest, it didn¡¯t fill him. Not at all. It wasn¡¯t the life he dreamed about.

    Jack had followed the yellow brick road in his life. He¡¯d done well at school, done well at university, then proceeded to get a PhD¡ªwell, almost. He¡¯d taken all the expected steps and still ended up trapped. It was such a shame.

    Maybe it was youth¡¯s boiling blood talking¡ªthe one he was wasting every day. The clock was ticking, and it would never go backward.

    He shook his head. Unfortunately, the world was what it was. His thoughts were only pipe dreams brought forth by the novelty of exploring a small cave in the Greenway nature reserve. He had to survive, somehow, and having a job he didn¡¯t dislike was already better than most. There were bright sides. That was reality.

    As the professor would say, everybody had to slave away, so why not do it at something interesting?

    But he couldn¡¯t shake off the fantasy. Was this all life had to offer? Was he doomed to spend forty years of his life doing such tiny things, doomed to constantly suppress his inner desire for¡­something? Anything?

    Jack was just a regular guy, and the brutal reality grained on his soul. It wasn¡¯t the rock walls that trapped him; it was everything else.

    But there was nothing to be done. He understood that, and at the same time, hated it.

    A bump on his fingers shook him awake. Looking down, he saw a little green thing squirming to escape, and like a hawk, he grabbed it. It was helpless in his hand.

    Nice! he exclaimed mentally, raising it to take a better look. A viper caterpillar! Going by the color patterns, it was a female one, too. He¡¯d found it.

    Whistling in joy, he slowly lowered the caterpillar and dropped it in a small jar he¡¯d been carrying, twisting its lid closed before the little insect could escape. He then wiped his gloved hand on a nearby rock. He smiled; the trip here had taken a while, but it was worth it. At least the searching part had been short.

    How long did it take me? Five minutes? Wow. There have to be more of them.

    A conscientious worker would have kept searching. Jack took one look at the upturned moss and shook his head. Maybe it was due to his previous, morose thoughts, but he didn¡¯t feel like doing anything. We¡¯ll just wait a couple days for them to breed.

    He looked at the caterpillar in the jar. It was tiny and trapped. Just like him.

    ¡°What am I even doing¡­¡± he muttered into the darkness, sighing. He didn¡¯t want to look for caterpillars in dark caves, then return to his lab. He wanted to feel alive.

    It was the millionth time he had that thought, and the millionth time he wasn¡¯t going to do anything about it. This time, however, the universe responded.

    Sapience located. Starting Integration¡­

    Branching Immortal System¡­

    Welcome to the New World!

    A shiny blue screen snapped into existence in front of Jack¡¯s face. He backpedaled¡ªthe screen followed him¡ªaccidentally stepping on the glass jar and breaking it under his boot. The caterpillar escaped. Jack¡¯s elbow met a sharp rock. ¡°Woah!¡± he shouted, more surprised than hurt. A blue screen had appeared in the air. That couldn¡¯t be right.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Before he could consider the issue further, the world shook. Rocks rumbled and groaned, the earth moaned underfoot. Jack¡¯s face paled; an earthquake was the worst thing that could happen in a cave. He fell on his knees and huddled around them, covering himself under a seemingly sturdy protrusion of the walls. The shaking intensified instead of stopping, and a bright cyan light blinded him again, making him hug his knees, pray for his life, and hope for the best.

    A few rocks fell from the ceiling, but fortunately, not on him.

    It felt like hours before the shaking stopped, but it couldn¡¯t have been more than a minute. When everything stood still again, as caves were supposed to do, Jack finally opened his eyes and met an impossible sight.

    A small pond now lay where the far cave wall used to stand, along with a short waterfall sprouting from the rocks behind it. The water was so cold he could feel it even from a few steps away, but there was no ice on its surface. His flashlight had tumbled into the water¡ªhe could see it¡ªbut he didn¡¯t need it because the pond itself was shining. And had the cave grown larger?

    Jack gaped. His mind failed to process what he saw. I¡¯m in a dream, he finally concluded. This is where I wake up.

    But he didn¡¯t wake up. Instead, the blue screen kept rolling in his sight, spitting out line after incomprehensible line.

    Terraforming complete.

    Overseers informed.

    Immortal System initiated. Think ¡®Status¡¯ to access your status screen.

    Creating dungeons¡­

    Status?

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: -

    Grade: F

    Level: 1

    Physical: 4

    Mental: 7

    Will: 6

    What¡­the¡­fuck¡­

    Jack was a smart guy, as were most scientists. Unfortunately, no amount of mental muscle could prepare him for what was currently happening.

    He struggled to put things in order.

    I am fully aware. If this was a dream, I should have woken up by now, but I haven¡¯t. What the hell is happening?

    Too many emotions warred inside him. Fear of the unknown; confusion; helplessness; and, finally, an inexplicable relief that he could not deny. He was drifting in a new sea, and, for some odd reason, he suddenly felt alive. He turned his gaze to the blue screen in his face, the one apparently called ¡®status.¡¯

    This is like a videogame, he slowly realized. Did AI finally conquer us?

    He looked at the pond that shouldn¡¯t be there, wondering about a bunch of things. The blue screen obliged.

    Ice Pond (E-Grade)

    A hidden resource of the Forest of the Strong. The piercing cold of the Ice Pond can heal and forge a cultivator¡¯s body. The deeper you go, the more painful the cold, and the more effective the forging.

    There were so many unknown words that Jack¡¯s head spun. The status screen before, the levels, the attributes¡­ Had his world turned into a game?

    One thought pushed all others apart. Am I going to get magic? Fuck yeah!

    Every child dreamed of becoming a wizard. If reality suddenly malfunctioned or was altered by advanced nanobots, why not let him shoot fire, too?

    The relief and excitement flooded him again, even harder than before. He had no idea what was happening, he was completely lost in something that didn¡¯t make sense, but he didn¡¯t reject it. Without even knowing what was going on, Jack instinctively hoped it was true, that the world really had turned into a game, and that nothing made sense anymore.

    Because, if that happened, he would be free.

    The child inside him awoke. A grin spread on his cheeks, and he neither could nor wanted to stop it. Whatever was happening was dangerous, unknown, and something he could thrive in. His escapism fantasies had turned real.

    Assuming this was real, he needed to rush to understand it. Thankfully, he was good with deciphering complex information. All he needed was time.

    Suddenly, the world shook a second time. His vision swam for no reason. Odd smells suffused the space, bringing in mind a clean, strong breeze and fiercely swiping grass. New blue screens sprouted before him, and Jack felt an increasing need for them to fuck off. He¡¯d had enough already.

    Unfortunately, they did not fuck off.

    1,111 dungeons created.

    Monster spawning schema complete.

    Integration complete.

    Welcome to the New World!

    Transmitting message from assigned Overlords, the Animal Kingdom (B-Grade):

    Welcome to the System world. If your planet did not have magic before, it does now. Monsters and dungeons have spawned everywhere. You have been assigned attributes and Levels, and you have the capability to rise in strength by slaying strong creatures or deeply understanding the world.

    We understand you are in a state of shock. Do not worry. Everything will be alright in the end. It is expected that your society will collapse soon, if not already, but you will be fine. We, the Animal Kingdom, will take care of those things.

    For now, you should focus on becoming individually stronger. Hunt monsters, conquer dungeons, sink your mind deep into the world, and you will attain power greater than you can dream of. Embrace the new reality.

    The first step to that power is the Integration Tournament, which will be held in twenty galaxy days (note: fifteen Earth-387 days) from now. Comprehend even the tiniest corner of the world by then, and endless possibilities will open up for you.

    Good luck,

    Animal Kingdom

    You have entered the Forest of the Strong (F-Grade) dungeon.

    Forest of the Strong (F-Grade): A forest where only the strong survive. There are three monster groups, each holding a unique resource and representing a unique challenge. Slay the leader of a group to despawn them.

    This dungeon is in conquer-or-die mode. Defeat the Dungeon Boss to exit or die trying. We applaud your bravery for entering and wish you the best of luck.

    ¡­What? Aliens?

    Jack quickly scanned over the screens, barely understanding half of what he read. He was completely lost, so he grabbed onto the few things he knew. He was familiar with games. He knew how dungeons worked; they were special places teeming with monsters, where players could enter for great risk and accordingly great rewards.

    Apparently, this new state of the world¡ªthe New World, if the blue screens were to be believed¡ªshared many game-like elements, including dungeons. They had probably spawned around the world.

    However¡­

    We applaud for bravery for entering. Motherfucker! A dungeon spawned around me!

    Jack was livid! As if he didn¡¯t have enough on his plate already. He now had to kill some Dungeon Boss or die trying.

    ¡°This is a mistake!¡± he shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t enter on purpose. Let me out!¡±

    Unfortunately, neither the blue screens nor the walls replied. Jack was left staring at the ice pond.

    He crossed the arms. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± he said. ¡°At least give me magic.¡±

    Faint blue light suddenly coalesced out of nowhere by the lake. Jack was relieved¡ªhe might have been sabotaged, but at least, he was given magic!

    As the light expanded and solidified, his hopes were dashed. This wasn¡¯t magic¡ªwell, it was, but not his. A short, green, humanoid creature with long ears appeared out of nowhere. It barely reached his chest and was fully naked, as well as skinny and bald. Jack thought it looked like a child.

    It then turned around to look at him, and he almost screamed. This was no child.

    Its mouth was unnaturally wide and filled with sharp teeth. Its nose was long like a finger, its hands sported short claws, and its yellow eyes were filled with malice. It grinned at him, while Jack could only stare.

    Goblin, Level 2

    Goblins are weak, primal humanoids who move in large groups. They are barely intelligent enough to cook their food, and they often derive pleasure from torturing their victims. Cultivators are advised to kill them on sight.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡± The goblin chuckled in a high-pitched, grating, evil-sounding voice. ¡°Weak, tasty human¡­ I will eat your legs first, kekeke¡­¡±

    A myriad thoughts ran through Jack¡¯s mind, all at once. He was terrified of this creature. It wanted to eat him alive. He had to escape.

    At the same time, a different part of his brain, the analytical one, couldn¡¯t help but notice how this System manipulated him. It spawned a man-eating monster right in his face, made it clear they were enemies, and said it was okay to kill it. Moreover, it gave the monster an ugly, terrifying visage, as well as opening lines that served to squash any doubts in his mind.

    Jack had a PhD¡ªalmost¡ªin biology. He knew how evolution worked. Nature was brutally efficient, not comically evil.

    This creature was not natural. It was engineered. It was fake, a target for him to kill or die trying. He didn¡¯t know why the System acted like this, but he knew these facts because he had spent half his life studying nature and the other half playing video games.

    These thoughts snapped like firecrackers in his battle-addled brain. It took less than a second for all the connections to be made, and then came the realization that they were worthless.

    He could only fight.

    Now would be a good time for magic, he thought, but nothing came. He scanned around, and there was no sharp rock for him to use. He carried no knife. His car key was electronic.

    There was no weapon. There was also no time.

    He got up and clenched his fists. The goblin pounced.

 Chapter 2: Jack vs. Goblin

    The goblin rushed in, and Jack rushed back. It was faster.

    Claws raked against Jack¡¯s forearm, which he raised to defend, drawing three thick lines of blood. He groaned¡ªthe pain shot fire into his nerves, jolting his entire body. The feeling was immediately subdued. Instincts he didn¡¯t even know he had kicked in, dulling the pain, translating it into fuel to push him forward.

    He grabbed the goblin¡¯s wrist with his other hand and tossed the entire creature away like a ragdoll, but it only took a few steps before regaining itself. It jumped right back into the fray.

    Jack gritted his teeth as he surveyed the space around him. Though he had moved, he saw nothing he could use, not with a cursory glance. No rock, branch, or even a stick. Even his flashlight was buried under the pond.

    MAGIC! he screamed to the blue screens. If they could summon a goblin out of thin air, they could certainly give him the ability to shoot fire. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

    The goblin was upon him again. Jack panicked, swinging wildly and missing, only clipping its shoulder. The impact was enough to push the little fucker away, but it returned with renewed force, and this time, its claws raked across his upper chest, barely missing his throat.

    Jack paled. As the goblin jumped at him, sharp teeth open to tear him apart, time slowed down. He could feel himself growing weaker. He could feel his heart shiver and the world closing in on the goblin¡ªthe little green ball of hatred that was going to kill him.

    The realization settled in: I am going to die.

    Suddenly, the world flared. Jack¡¯s entire potential as a human was unleashed and directed towards survival. He could feel his body surge with power, power he was already using but wasn¡¯t conscious of. He had thrown the goblin many feet aside. He was strong, and it was just a little green ball of claws.

    As death approached, something clicked in Jack¡¯s mind, something he didn¡¯t even know he possessed. His primal instincts stepped in and took the wheel. His thoughts rolled by themselves. He didn¡¯t care about injuries. So what if he bled? It was acceptable as long as he killed the goblin and lived to see another day.

    The irrelevant disappeared; Jack got serious. He clenched his fist, and the raw power shocked him. His body outputted strength he couldn¡¯t even fathom. He felt fast, incredibly strong, and inexhaustibly tenacious. His pupils dilated, his fists tightened. His skin tingled. All his muscles buzzed with electricity. The cold terror in his heart became the fuel that drove him. Fear gave way to ecstasy.

    He was ready to fight. Jack became a beast.

    He didn¡¯t know how to punch, but his body did. His fist smashed into the goblin¡¯s face, cracking its long nose and throwing it back before it could reach him¡ªhe had the longer arms, after all.

    Jack realized that his fist was in massive pain. Correction: his body didn¡¯t know how to punch, either. But it didn¡¯t matter.

    Just as the goblin got its footing, he pounced. He would kill it.

    He fell on it like a wild animal. He didn¡¯t care about the scratches he received, the pain, the blood. These all washed away into the back of his mind. He balled his fist and drove it into the goblin¡¯s face again, smashing it hard into a wall. It screamed, but the sound only gave Jack hope. He tried to pin it to the rocks, but it slipped under his grasp and jumped to the side. Claws raked him again, cutting his belt, but he didn¡¯t care.

    He stared at the retreating goblin, whose eyes were filled with hatred and fear, and charged after it. He realized he was grinning. He didn¡¯t know what he felt, but he didn¡¯t need to. Everything was easy. The violence was rising from inside him, and he was just its conduit.

    There was something cathartic about violence, about the silence as every fiber of your being focused on a single task. Jack had never felt so complete, so happily monolithic. There were no worries, no fears, only a body that brimmed with ecstacy and a cold, calculating mind that inspected everything at impossible speed.

    Jack¡¯s shoes tilted to perfectly hug the uneven stone, and his body turned with impeccable balance. The goblin threw a feint, but he saw through it; as it turned, it didn¡¯t find a target, only a fist getting planted hard into its face.

    The goblin flew off its feet and into the wall behind, losing its balance, and Jack was there. He used a hand to pin it to the ground and another to pummel it, channeling the entirety of his newfound strength into driving his fist into the goblin¡¯s face repeatedly and as hard as he possibly could.

    Bones cracked and groaned¡ªsome his, some the goblin¡¯s. His every punch felt heavy, his every strike devastating. The goblin resisted for a while before going still, but Jack punched a couple more times before stopping.

    Absentmindedly, he realized he was out of breath, in terrible pain, and several parts of his body felt wrong. His brain calculated everything with cruel precision. It reviewed his situation, then scanned his environment for solutions. His belt and pockets carried nothing of significance. He had to patch up the big wound on his forearm, where blood was flowing, and he had to do it now.

    He tore his sleeve¡ªhow easy it was¡ªand wrapped the fabric, tightening it so hard it hurt. His shirt was wet with blood at places, so he just removed it. There were more wounds on him, but mostly insignificant¡ªthe goblin had missed all major arteries.

    He was stable, and the enemy was dead. He was fine.

    A single fluttering of relief filled Jack¡¯s heart, and his battle mode receded as quickly as it had come. He was left shivering, cold, and breathless. The pain came in warm waves, and kneeling as he was, he failed to stifle a cry as his leg rubbed against the ground.

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    What the hell just happened?

    The wretched sight of the goblin corpse entered his vision, and suddenly, he realized what he had done. He bent to the side and retched on the stone, the hot bile¡¯s burn accompanying the ones on his limbs and chest.

    He cried.

    ***

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    It took a long time for Jack to regain himself. The pain receded, and the blood stopped flowing. Jack was left sitting on a rock, holding his head between his palms and trying not to stare at the mangled goblin corpse.

    He hated what he had done. No¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure what he felt. Trying to get his thoughts in order was futile.

    So many things had happened, and in such a short timeframe: Blue screens had appeared, magic everywhere, a pond had formed out of nowhere, a magically-spawned goblin tried to kill him, and he punched it to death instead.

    Jack had a steady mind. He could comprehend the blue screens and their magic, or at least accept them. By now, he knew it wasn¡¯t a dream; the world had changed irreparably. Be it aliens, AI, something else, or everything at once, something had happened, and it had altered the course of his life forever.

    He could work with that. He could fit it into the frame, somehow. He could even accept the fact that a dungeon had spawned around him, filled with goblins and who knows what else, and that he had to slay a so-called Dungeon Boss to escape.

    Those were all things he could comprehend.

    However, the version of himself he saw¡­ That wasn¡¯t easy to swallow.

    Those feelings had saved him, but they had come from somewhere deep inside him, a place he couldn¡¯t even perceive. They had flooded him out of nowhere, and he had no control¡ªthey were part of him, and at the same time, they weren¡¯t.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad thing¡ªhe had survived, after all¡ªbut he had never before realized how deep the lightless region inside him was. How much control it could have over him.

    Were those things part of him, or dark passengers?

    Jack did not know. His mind had been ravaged by an unknown companion, and he could still feel its effects. Even as he sat here, away from immediate danger, he remained aware that more goblins could show up at any moment.

    Whatever was happening, he had no time to lose, and the callousness permeated his mind even now. His eyes were hard as he stood. He had to survive.

    He took in everything again. The goblin corpse had stopped upsetting him by now, at least to a degree, and he had things to consider.

    So, no magic. The world has become a video game and I¡¯m trapped in a dungeon. OK. What now?

    An exclamation mark was blinking in the lower left part of his vision, and he finally willed it open.

    Level Up! You have reached Level 2.

    That was it. No acknowledgment of his bitter struggle against the goblin, no words of compassion or comfort, no explanations; only cold information.

    Of course¡­ He frowned, shaking his head before proceeding.

    First Kill Bonus: Fistfighting (I) skill!

    At this, Jack paused to think. Skills were a common element in games, and the System seemed to follow those conventions pretty faithfully so far. Was it a coincidence, or something deeper?

    And, at the end of the day, had the world really turned into a game? Had he been drawn into one? It didn¡¯t make sense, but it was hard to disagree with the goblin corpse in the corner. He couldn¡¯t ask anyone else either¡ªhis cellphone didn¡¯t have signal in the cave, and he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going out there unprepared.

    He could only depend on himself.

    Fistfighting¡­ Curiosity sprang inside Jack. He reviewed his status screen.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: -

    Grade: F

    Level: 2

    Physical: 4 (+)

    Mental: 7 (+)

    Will: 6 (+)

    Free points: 2

    Skills: Fistfighting (I)

    His Level was 2, indeed, and it was clear that the level-up gave him two free points. He could add those in either of his stats, as indicated by the plus marks.

    If this really was like video games, adding those points would make him faster or smarter. Taking a step further, he could make himself a better warrior or an¡­intellectual? Wizard?

    Probably wizard.

    He refused to believe there wasn¡¯t magic¡ªhe just didn¡¯t have it.

    In video games, it was better to focus on one path; better a master of one rather than a jack of all trades, even though his name was Jack. Given his current stats, as well as his knowledge of himself, Jack was clearly more gifted in mental endeavors than physical ones. It also worked with his desire¡ªand childhood dream¡ªto one day wield magic.

    Unfortunately, the fact remained that he currently had no magic or promises of getting it anytime soon. The only thing he had, besides the promise of more goblins, was the ice pond, an E-grade natural resource, whatever that meant:

    Ice Pond (E-Grade)

    A hidden resource of the Forest of the Strong. The piercing cold of the Ice Pond can heal and forge a cultivator¡¯s body. The deeper you go, the more painful the cold, and the more effective the forging.

    However, even this pond only spoke about the body.

    It was quickly dawning on Jack that he couldn¡¯t follow the path of magic. He needed something to defeat the Dungeon Boss and escape, and that something could only be his fists¡ªor, even better, some weapon.

    However, before committing to anything, he focused on his only Skill, Fistfighting. If this really worked like a video game, he could¡ªAha!

    Fistfighting (I): Grants basic knowledge of fistfighting. While fistfighting, slightly enhances the user¡¯s physical attributes, reflexes, and kinetic vision.

    It was promising, as well as ominous. If this skill¡¯s description was true, the System could mess with his entire body and brain¡­ Jack didn¡¯t like that, but, at this point, it felt expected.

    At least the skill was good. He clenched his left fist and already felt more confident¡ªhe understood why he¡¯d almost broken his right one on the goblin¡¯s face. He adopted a fighting stance¡ªanother gift of the skill¡ªand punched the air, boxing against his shadow in the ice pond¡¯s glow.

    He felt different. Stronger. Aware. He was like an amateur boxer¡ªnot really a master, but familiar with the movements and how his body moved. It wasn¡¯t a stunning difference, but if he met the goblin again, he was confident in demolishing it¡ªwell, more easily than before.

    He chuckled darkly. How quickly I adapted¡­

    However, there was no choice. He had to adapt. Something was happening, and even if he didn¡¯t know what, he knew it could kill him. It would, if he let it.

    I must get stronger.

    This new skill was a great boon to his survivability¡ªnot just because it increased his attacking power, but mostly because it gave him better control over his body and awareness of the situation. He could avoid injuries, which was essential to his survival.

    The only downside was that it required fistfighting, which meant he couldn¡¯t use a weapon¡­but he didn¡¯t have one, anyway. He would fight with his fists, for now, and reconsider the issue when he found¡ªor made¡ªa knife. Any inferior weapon was incomparable to the fighting experience the skill offered.

    That done, Jack returned to the issue of his stat points. By now, it was a no-brainer.

    With a sigh, he allocated both points in Physical and felt a cold current rise through his body as a massive shiver. He tensed up, then realized this was his new normal. He felt stronger, faster, and harder than before. He flexed his fist, and it felt steadier than ever.

    It was impressive.

    Being an expert in biology, Jack didn¡¯t have the slightest clue how this could happen. It made no sense. If this improvement was what it promised¡ªor rather, what his video game knowledge promised¡ªit was a feat completely beyond the reach of modern science.

    This System would somehow have to alter both his DNA and body structure, as well as spontaneously create a bunch of extra cells to fill in the gaps. All of these were impossible, as well as extremely worrying, because it meant that the System had complete control over his body and, most probably, his mind.

    It was a grim thought¡ªalmost grimmer than the goblin in the corner.

 Chapter 3: Hello World

    Jack had finally managed to process all the information. Not completely, but enough to proceed. He¡¯d also killed a goblin, though he didn¡¯t like to think about that.

    Gradually, a plan formed in his mind:

    Leave the cave; Explore the natural reserve; Find water, shelter, and food, in that order; Survive until someone found him or kill the Dungeon Boss to escape.

    It was a good plan, assuming that everything really was game-like. The largest doubt he had was about the environment outside.

    Before the Integration, as the blue screens had called it, Jack had been in a small, hidden cave in the middle of the Greenway nature reserve. The System had called the dungeon Forest of the Strong, and given that the natural reserve was a forest, it was reasonable to assume that the entire reserve had been dungeonified.

    On one hand, that was good, because Jack had been to this reserve many times. On the other, it was a dungeon; even the best of dungeons sounded worse than, say, his house.

    Regardless, Jack now had his bearings, a way to fight, a basic awareness of the situation, and a plan. He was ready to survive harder than anyone had ever survived before.

    However, before leaving this cave, there was one last thing to do. He set his sights on the ice pond.

    Ice Pond (E-Grade)

    A hidden resource of the Forest of the Strong. The piercing cold of the Ice Pond can heal and forge a cultivator¡¯s body. The deeper you go, the more painful the cold, and the more effective the forging.

    It promised a forging of his body, which sounded suspiciously nice. If he was going to fight for his life, he couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go. Moreover, it mentioned something about healing, and his entire body was still in pain and sore from the goblin fight. His right fist was also bruised and bloated.

    Jack reached the pond in two steps. It was nine feet wide and stretching around fifteen feet back, by Jack¡¯s estimation. A short waterfall was at its end, supplying cold water from a crack between the rocks.

    From this distance, the cold was staggering. Jack thought he was standing by a glacier. The water was still and extremely clean, letting him easily make out the rock bottom. He could even see his green eyes staring back at him from the surface.

    Jack stood beside the pond and gulped. The smooth incline of its bottom made it seem inviting, but the cold was forbidding.

    What if I get pneumonia? What if this water is full of bacteria?

    Many doubts crossed his mind, but at the end, he was in a game-like situation. Mundane things, like pneumonia, felt distant and inconsequential. The goblins waiting outside were a much more immediate danger, and the pond could help him live through it.

    He took a deep breath and removed his clothes, leaving only his underwear to feel safe. He then stepped into the pond with his right foot.

    He instantly thought he lost it. All feeling disappeared, leaving only a numbness and ten thousand frozen needles. His instinct screamed to remove his foot, which he did, and the cave¡¯s humid air felt heavenly compared to that blitzing cold.

    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡±

    Jack took a few breaths to regain himself, then inspected his foot. It was fine; no, it was more than fine. It felt rejuvenated and sturdy as if brand-new.

    It was an odd feeling, but he could only equate it to taking a comfortably cold shower, except the rejuvenation was much more intense, and so was the cold. A magical equivalent of a cold shower.

    It was clear that the System hadn¡¯t lied¡ªthis was healing and forging¡ªand Jack, having recovered from the cold, decided he had no choice.

    ¡°Fuck me.¡±

    He decisively stepped into the lake, this time enduring the cold. He waited there a moment, and the feeling gradually receded, stabilizing at a level that was cold enough to be painful but not enough to be harmful.

    It was safe.

    Taking another deep, trembling breath, Jack put his other foot inside too. When he got used to the cold again, he even kneeled in the water to submerge more of himself. His teeth were already clattering; he didn¡¯t dare take more steps as he remembered the System¡¯s warning that the cold increased the further he went. He could already feel a freezing current coming from the depths of the pond; a single step would increase the cold substantially, and he was already at his limit.

    Jack¡¯s body was spasming. The cold was so piercing that it caused him physical pain. His body demanded to get away, but his will resisted, holding himself steady. He could tell it was safe, at least for a little bit. It wasn¡¯t too cold.

    The cold spread from his legs to his entire body. He was pale, but he could also sense a new sturdiness seeping in, enhancing him. His skin, flesh, and bones were filled with that cold; they were all shivering in pain and anticipation.

    Finally, the cold settled. He got used to it, and through gritted teeth, he took a deep, deep breath. He couldn¡¯t help grinning. This pain was so self-improving it was almost addictive.

    Almost. He somehow felt that he¡¯d gotten what he ought to, and he should leave or go deeper, but the cold there felt forbidding.

    However, before he left, there was one final thing to do. Gritting his teeth, he stuck his right palm into the water, the one he¡¯d injured against the goblin¡¯s soft bones. He couldn¡¯t stifle his scream. The cold assaulted his injured hand as if alive, surrounding it and submerging it in wave after wave of freeze.

    Jack instantly lost all feeling, and this time, it felt dangerous. He had to pull away now.

    He jumped back outside the lake, losing his footing by the drastic change in temperature and falling on his butt. He looked at his hand; it was slightly blue, but the bloating was already receding. It was much better.

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    Jack let his back meet the ground as he exhaled in relief, closing his eyes. The cave¡¯s relative warmth was massaging his entire body, the feeling so euphoric it almost made up for the pain of the lake.

    Almost.

    As he eyed it again, he shivered at the thought of entering again, but he knew he had to. He briefly considered investing in Will to handle the cold better and decrease the pain but quickly discarded the notion. How far he could go into the lake was dictated by how much cold his body could handle¡ªmeaning, his Physical. No matter how strong his willpower got, it wouldn''t affect his bodily limits. Plus, he didn''t have points to waste¡ªhe''d just have to bear through the pain as he was.

    When his body grew more resilient, mostly through level-ups, he could go deeper into the lake and reap more benefits¡­but, of course, that¡¯s if the lake lived up to its System description.

    Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

    It was a short message of great significance. Jack reviewed his status screen.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: -

    Grade: F

    Level: 2

    Physical: 7

    Mental: 7

    Will: 6

    Skills: Fistfighting (I)

    His Physical had increased by one sixth by simply stepping into a lake. One point didn¡¯t seem like much, but Jack had a mathematical mind and knew it was actually humongous!

    Since his initial stats were 4,7,6 for the three stats respectively, he assumed the average was 5. Now, he was as strong as he was smart, and he was hella smart. He even had a PhD¡ªalmost.

    If I put those free points in Mental, would I be smarter than the Professor? he wondered idly, then chuckled and shelved the thought. No way.

    Then again, my Physical started at 4, but it couldn¡¯t be below average. I¡¯m a healthy young man. Is the average not 5? Or does it include other things besides humans? Or is it not built around averages to begin with, and the human average would be 3.689 or something random like that?

    Jack shook his head. It didn¡¯t really matter.

    He then jumped upright, surprising himself. His body was vastly superior to what it used to be, and he even had the Fistfighting skill to augment him. Compared to when he met that goblin, he was a completely new person.

    He eyed the tunnel leading upwards, towards the surface. The world up there could be filled with monsters, terrors, and nightmares¡­but Jack was ready. He grinned.

    Prepare yourself, world. Here I come!

    ***

    Jack peeked his head out of the cave. ¡°Gah!¡± he said, instantly blinded by the sunlight. He rubbed his eyes and tried again.

    A rocky surface stretched to his left and right¡ªthe hill over the cave. His front was occupied by interspersed trees and bushes, dense enough to be called a forest but sparse enough for people to walk in between. The trees reached from nine to eighteen feet into the air, their trunks a dark brown and their leaves a bright green. The bushes were paler in color, and they were mostly filled with annoying sticks and spikes.

    There was the occasional berry hanging down, maybe the rare fruit, too, but the nature reserve was pretty empty overall.

    That is, unless the System had anything to say. Jack hoped it wouldn¡¯t.

    His current shelter was a crack in the rock, seemingly shallow but actually leading to a hidden cave underneath. It wasn¡¯t easy to find; maybe that¡¯s why the System placed the ice pond inside it. A hidden bonus, of sorts, for those willing to explore¡ªa bonus that would save Jack¡¯s life.

    However, it was time for him to finally see the outside world.

    The first thing he did was take out his cellphone, an old Samsung model, and give it a shot¡ªthere was no signal at all. He shook his head. Yeah, thought so. Like the System would let me call the police. After placing it, his electronic car key, and his wallet in a hidden crevice of the rocks, he looked around.

    Seeing no animal or goblin nearby, Jack took a tentative step outside his cave, then another.

    The air smelled the same as always; wet grass and crisp breeze. The grass parted easily under his feet, and the tree barks were uneven under his hand. Insects buzzed in the air, animals yelped from afar, and leaves fluttered in the wind¡ªone even flew to his chest. Everything was as he remembered.

    Was it all a hallucination? he wondered. Did the earthquake release gasses in the cave?

    A blur shot past his sight, darting from bush to bush as it quickly ran away. Jack caught a glimpse of its bushy, orange tail and triangular snout.

    Fox, Level 1

    Foxes are mostly harmless omnivores that inhabit forest areas.

    Not too talkative now, are we?

    Compared to the goblin¡¯s description, the fox¡¯s was tiny. It was clear that the System either didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t care about them¡ªprobably the latter.

    Regardless, even this bit taught Jack many things.

    His communication with the System was still on. It was aware of the local wildlife. And, most importantly, foxes were Level 1¡ªor somewhere around there. This was interesting, because understanding the Level classification was crucial to Jack¡¯s survival.

    The goblin was Level 2 and could threaten an adult human. The fox was Level 1 and could possibly threaten an adult, but not quite as much as the goblin. Then, were adult humans between Levels 2 and 4, with the average at 3?

    It sounded elegant. Of course, for every problem, there was a solution that was simple, easy, and wrong.

    Jack himself had been Level 1 when he beat the goblin, but that couldn¡¯t be accurate. He had been stronger than it¡ªnot by much, but stronger nonetheless. It didn¡¯t make sense for the goblin to be higher-leveled than him.

    Am I on a different scale than everything else? Is it because I can level up while they can¡¯t? Or, maybe, everything can.

    He shook his head. The more he considered the issue, the more questions he had¡ªwhich was good, because that¡¯s how knowledge was supposed to work. If he could see through the System at a glance, it probably wouldn¡¯t be a good System.

    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t need to know much right now.

    After my power-ups, I can fight Level 3 creatures and should probably run away from Level 4s. I need more samples to understand the power curve, though.

    Insects and a squirrel didn¡¯t trigger the System¡¯s response, giving at least a good estimation about the lower bounds of Level 1. Armed with that knowledge, Jack set out to explore.

    Well, explore was a generous term. He had to find water, shelter, and food. He already had the second. As for water, the reserve had plenty of creeks to choose from. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.

    However, before even that, he wanted to escape the nature reserve¡ªor, at least, confirm that dungeons were as inescapable as they sounded. If he stayed here for a month and then someone came and said, ¡°oh, why didn¡¯t you just walk away,¡± Jack would feel like an idiot.

    Angling himself to the south, which was the closest edge of the nature reserve that probably overlapped with the dungeon, Jack set out. In the process, he kept his eyes open, not only for goblins, but also for everything else. The wildlife was abundant in the reserve, letting him make several observations.

    First, plants didn¡¯t register with the System. The weakest animal he found at Level 1 was a big crow, and the strongest, a boar he saw from afar at Level 4. He was getting a hang for what Levels meant, though it wasn¡¯t easy to set in stone.

    Thankfully, his forest experience came in handy. It allowed him to cross the terrain stealthily, not raising the ire of any creatures. He knew when and where to hide, which animals were aggressive and which weren¡¯t. There weren¡¯t any natural predators in the reserve, at least not for humans, so it was smooth sailing.

    Being a biologist had its perks¡ªJack focused on insects, of course, the testbed of evolution, but he knew a bit about everything.

    That excluded goblins.

    Luckily, he could get to know them quickly, as three were already approaching. He could hear them through the bushes.

 Chapter 4: Big, Aggressive Prison Mates

    Jack held his breath as he kept himself low, hiding in a bush. The grating voices were approaching¡ªthree of them¡ªand he could tell from their wicked cackles that they were up to no good.

    ¡°Kekeke, me bite.¡±

    ¡°Me bite too!¡±

    ¡°The leg is mine!¡±

    ¡°No, mine!¡±

    The goblins weren¡¯t just ugly and in bad taste, they were also exceedingly stupid and stealthy like an elephant. They were crossing the forest like they owned it¡ªwhich they might, for all Jack knew¡ªspeaking freely and paying little to no attention to their surroundings. Said attention was reserved for the bloodied fox carcass they carried, from which they occasionally pinched pieces of meat to devour, fur and all.

    As Jack watched their sharp claws tearing pieces of flesh and their sharp teeth chomping on them with gluttony, his distaste for these goblins only grew. They were repulsive beings, an affront to any possible concept of beauty. His stomach turned, but he held it in until they disappeared, completely oblivious to his presence.

    Poor fox¡­ he thought, shaking his head. Nature had its ways, but nobody deserved to die to such distasteful creatures. The fact that he¡¯d almost suffered the same fate didn¡¯t escape his notice.

    The goblins had been Levels 2, 2, and 3 respectively. He could probably take each of them individually, but not all at once. However, he was slowly coming to understand his plan moving forward¡ªor rather, the rules of the game.

    The goblins were weak, stupid, and hated. They were the perfect grinding stone for someone like him, a lone human trapped in the dungeon. He could hunt them down for Levels relatively easily and without many moral setbacks.

    Jack didn¡¯t for a moment believe this was a coincidence. Everybody had their agenda, which probably included alien Systems or whatever this was¡ªand that¡¯s without even mentioning how blatantly engineered these goblins were. They were the perfect mobs.

    That left Jack with a question. The dungeon description had mentioned three groups of monsters and a Dungeon Boss. If goblins were one group, what about the rest? And what about the Dungeon Boss?

    After a moment¡¯s thoughts, he came to a decision. If I really have to fight this dungeon, I should scout the other groups before making a move on the goblins. Information is power.

    Right now, the goblins didn¡¯t seem on to him¡ªhow could they?¡ªso he had time. Moreover, going by game patterns, the other two groups would be of similar strength. He should research before committing to something.

    Again, information was power.

    Jack¡¯s cave was in the southern part of the Greenway reserve, slightly to the west, too. Since the goblins were heading south with their prey, that was probably their headquarters. Therefore, Jack changed his previous plan and headed west instead of south. Reaching the edge of the reserve that way would take a little more time, but it was better than running through a bunch of green-skinned man-eaters.

    No other goblins appeared as he made his way through thin trees and wide bushes. The only notable thing was the impossibly wide, impressively futuristic, shimmering blue wall that rose from the ground where the reserve ended, stretching to the sky and fading after some point. It extended as far to the right and left as Jack could see, at an almost imperceptible curve, presumably enclosing the entire reserve.

    ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± he said out loud, looking up at the blue thing. It was opaque, too, so he couldn¡¯t see outside. ¡°I really am trapped¡­unless I can go through.¡±

    He grabbed a stone and tossed it at the blue wall. It bounced off. He threw another stone, harder, and it was catapulted backward with such force that Jack barely managed to pull his head out of the way. The stone zoomed past and buried itself in an unlucky bush.

    ¡°No escape, got it.¡±

    However, he then looked up, where the blue wall faded away and only air remained. It must have been at least sixty feet high.

    Can planes go through, then? he wondered. Can birds? Can Superman?

    He did his best to throw another stone that high up. He succeeded on the third try, then watched the stone bounce against a patch of blue that suddenly solidified out of thin air. It fell back down with a small thud, and when Jack grabbed it again, it was hot to the touch.

    ¡°Only looking, no touching,¡± he mused, looking up at the open sky. ¡°No way out, then. Got it.¡±

    He considered touching the wall himself, but the System had already informed him he was stuck here until he got the Dungeon Boss. Calling its bluff sounded like a terrible idea.

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    I am trapped, he realized again. Suddenly, his chest tightened, and he felt panic well up inside him. He forced it down. Deep breaths, he repeated to himself. I¡¯m trapped. I have to fight and level up until I can beat the boss of this place, no matter what it is. Either that or die trying. So, fight now, existential crisis later.

    Jack steeled his resolve and forced himself to focus on the here and now. What were his next steps?

    Right. Scout out the other monster groups. Maybe they¡¯ll be easier than the goblins.

    The goblin headquarters looked to be south, so the other monster groups would be to the north and¡­east? Unless they were all jumbled up, of course, but Jack doubted that. It didn¡¯t mesh with the game mechanics he was familiar with.

    I¡¯ll be on guard, in any case.

    Therefore, Jack turned his back to the wall of his new prison and moved deeper inside the reserve, where he¡¯d come from. He could have followed the wall, of course, but its sight upset him greatly. He wanted nothing to do with it.

    After the blue wall disappeared in the tree branches, he turned north, keeping his eyes and ears open for any change. Crossing the entire reserve would take hours on foot, but there were monsters out there trying to kill him. He would be damned if he let them.

    While traveling, he wondered how he¡¯d adapted so quickly, how he¡¯d accepted magic, goblins, and reality becoming a game. Had the System messed with his mind?

    He didn¡¯t think so, though it clearly had the power. Something inside him had just latched on to the change, a part of him desperately hoping for the smothering reality to crumble. Maybe due to how trapped he¡¯d felt in his life; or, maybe, because of how many times he¡¯d fantasized about similar scenarios as a teenager. The world had just gone to shit, everything he knew was thrown out the window, and though there possibly were dull, realistic explanations refuting magic, deep in his heart, Jack wished this was all real.

    He didn¡¯t fear the danger; he simply felt alive, like this was how things were supposed to be.

    He didn¡¯t have much to lose, anyway; his friends could probably handle themselves, and he had little family. He was only worried about the professor, but¡­she would manage. She was smart. If anybody could find a way to survive in a new world, it would be her, even despite her old age.

    As for himself, there was nothing holding him back. If everything returned to normal, he only had a dull life to look forward to. He would get his PhD, work his ass off as a researcher for thirty-five years, then retire. At least he liked biology, but it didn¡¯t fill him. It wasn¡¯t enough.

    This was. Stalking goblins through a forest.

    Life is so weird¡­ He shook his head again, refocusing. He wasn¡¯t safe here. He couldn¡¯t afford daydreams.

    It was only a moment later that a faint growling sound reached his ears. Jack froze. Nothing in this forest was supposed to growl. His mind went through all possible animals before settling on one.

    Slowly, as quietly as he could, he got on the ground and crawled inside a bush. It scratched him, but he couldn¡¯t care less. Inwardly, he prayed that the creature would move away. He¡¯d made a mistake. The other monster groups weren¡¯t as weak as the goblins. The System had cheated.

    An animal slowly made its way into his field of vision. He could barely make it out through the branches¡ªa brown behemoth, putting tremendous weight on the ground with each step. He also made out yellow flashes on its fur, but he was too far away to discern them. Not that it mattered¡ªa bear didn¡¯t need magical enhancements to maul him.

    Earth Bear, Level 15

    Bears are omnivorous creatures that stand at the apex of most food chains. Earth bears, in particular, are a stronger, highly territorial variant. They can use very limited earth magic, and the rocky parts of their fur can be used to craft F-Grade weapons and armor.

    Earth Bears are most commonly found in the Ursus Forests of planet Ursi.

    It wasn¡¯t heading directly towards Jack, at least, but the mere sight of a bear froze him solid. He couldn¡¯t even shiver or breathe.

    If it sees me, I¡¯m dead.

    That would be the end of it. There was almost no way to escape a bear in the forest. The wise song came to mind:

    If it¡¯s brown, lie down. If it¡¯s black, fight back. If it¡¯s white, goodnight.

    Well, this one is brown, but also magical. I guess, if it¡¯s magic, fucking fantastic.

    Jack¡¯s thoughts screeched to a halt when the bear suddenly stopped. It raised its snout and sniffed the air. He panicked.

    I¡¯m sweaty; can it smell me? Did the bush scratch me? Can it smell my blood? It probably can. Oh, God, I¡¯m so dead.

    He considered bolting away, but again, he couldn¡¯t escape a bear in the forest. They could even climb trees¡ªat least, the non-magical variant could, but he wasn¡¯t willing to test this unless he had to.

    His mind worked at great speed as it developed plan after plan to somehow survive. His entire body trembled with tension.

    However, the bear eventually lowered its head and kept going. Jack couldn¡¯t believe his luck. When it disappeared, and when the sounds of its growling faded away, Jack was left panting, sweaty, and terrified.

    I am trapped in a forest with bears.

    This brought everything under a new perspective. Not only was there great danger, but the bear wasn¡¯t even the Dungeon Boss. The level range of this dungeon had just risen precipitously. There had to be Level 20 creatures at the very least, and that¡¯s assuming this particular bear was the leader of its group, which didn¡¯t seem too likely.

    Plus, there was still a third monster group, which could be even stronger than the bears. It seemed unlikely, but so what? For all Jack knew, the System could have spawned kung-fu tigers in the north-eastern part of the reserve. Even risking a glance at the third group felt idiotic. Could they be better prey then goblins?

    He sweated even further until he drenched the soil beneath him. Escaping this dungeon suddenly seemed impossible, and even surviving until someone rescued him was unlikely. His arrogance was stomped to the ground and shit on.

    I have to survive.

    Jack got up, turned around, and headed back. In this game-like environment, there was a clear path forward. He no longer cared about how premeditated these goblins were, or what the System¡¯s agenda was for guiding his actions like this.

    There was only one way to survive, and it was called ¡°kill a shit-ton of goblins.¡±

 Chapter 5: Beating the Shit out of Stuff

    Jack Rust sat on a branch, waiting. Strips of fabric were wrapped around his fists and knuckles, courtesy of his now-ruined shirt, so they wouldn¡¯t break or bleed.

    He¡¯d considered making a weapon, but the fistfighting skill¡¯s enhancements were too good to pass up. A spear was only nice until you tripped and impaled yourself. Plus, his fists were more than enough for the task.

    Below, his victims approached, unaware of the human predator eyeing them.

    They were green, ugly, and wickedly stupid. As Jack watched them, the three goblins were arguing over a piece of wood¡ªa club, probably, though it looked like a random fallen branch.

    They had no idea what was coming.

    As they passed nine feet below Jack¡¯s branch, he took a deep breath and fell on them.

    The sight of the earth bear and the ramifications it implied had sharpened Jack¡¯s resolve. He was on fire now, in a race against time. He couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate.

    The nine-foot fall was long, but Jack broke it on the back of an unsuspecting goblin. His fists were clenched, and his Fistfighting skill helped him make the landing, though he had to roll once on the ground¡ªthat wasn¡¯t the skill, he could always do it.

    Jack and the goblin collided with a heavy thud, and the poor greenskin was driven into the ground hard enough to break its neck. Jack rolled, stood, and grinned.

    One down, two to go.

    The other two goblins were surprisingly quick on the uptake. Before their comrade had even stopped moving, they were already screaming and pouncing at Jack, claws extended.

    Goblin, Level 2

    Goblin, Level 3

    The goblin he¡¯d just killed had also been Level 3. He grimaced as they approached. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have time to observe them fight beforehand. He assumed the Level 3 goblin would be faster than its brethren, which was true, but he completely underestimated the world of difference.

    The fucker was fast.

    It fell on him almost instantly, claws blitzing out to tear him apart. Jack defended by punching back. His reach was significantly longer, given that the goblins were child-sized, so he should win this exchange.

    Unfortunately, the goblin was slippery. His fistfighting skill only provided basic familiarity with the movements, and the goblin slipped under his punch to enter his guard. Jack panicked. His battle mode activated in full throttle. His veins were filled with steel, and his entire body felt on fire as his mind turned ice-cold. His eyes widened to take in everything. The world slowed down.

    The goblin remained fast.

    A set of claws raked his chest, while another went for his eyes, only narrowly missing. The chest attack hit dead-on, but no blood came out. Instead, with a grin, Jack¡¯s knee rose to meet the goblin¡¯s face and catapulted it backward.

    This time, he was prepared to fight¡ªand, though he couldn¡¯t use a weapon without sacrificing the skill¡¯s bonuses, he could wear armor. A layer of bark decorated the inside of his half-torn shirt, protecting against the goblins¡¯ short claws. They could have seen it if they weren¡¯t stupid.

    The second goblin arrived as soon as the first went flying. It screeched as it dove into Jack¡¯s guard, then grabbed his leg before he could retrieve it. Its claws pierced skin and drew blood, and it refused to let go when Jack pulled his leg back, intent on maiming him. It opened its jaws wide and lunged in for a bite.

    That wasn¡¯t a very good idea.

    Jack¡¯s fist fell onto the goblin¡¯s head like a meteor, smashing its mouth shut. It stumbled, still weakly holding onto Jack¡¯s leg right under the thigh, but a brutal punch to the face threw it back, forcing it to let go as it lost control of its body. Jack felt thin bones bend under his fist. The goblin didn¡¯t stand back up.

    Thankfully, it had missed the major artery in his thigh.

    He turned around with an elbow, trying to hit the other goblin before it surprised him, but it wasn¡¯t there. A hard strike to the back of Jack¡¯s head brought stars to his eyes. He fell forward, only instinctively rolling to the side and avoiding a second attack. He turned around.

    Motherfucker¡­

    The Level 3 goblin, bleeding from where its long nose had been broken, was now wielding the branch-turned-club. It lunged at him again, shouting-crying a grating ¡°Kekekeke!¡±

    Jack, still on the ground, blocked with his forearm and felt it crack under the impact. He growled, seeing red. The world was swimming, he was in pain and deadly danger, yet his heart was filled with rage. He gave in to the beast, letting violence take over.

    The goblin smashed its club down again, and Jack defended with the same arm, sensing it crack further. He then lunged at the goblin before it could retract its heavy weapon, grabbing the top part of its face, turning around with the goblin in hand, putting a leg behind its knees, and smashing its head into the floor. Hard.

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    The club left its hand as the goblin screamed, and Jack screamed back, right in its face. Sharp jaws bit his palm, ripping a piece of flesh, but he didn¡¯t care. He let go, and as the goblin tried to rise, he drove a left punch into its face. Its head bounced off the ground, but its Level wasn¡¯t for show.

    Despite the heavy hits, it was still kicking and clawing. Crimson lines appeared on Jack¡¯s arms, along with a thin one on his cheek, right below his eye. However, he was relentless. If he stopped now, the goblin would stand back up.

    He braced through the claws and kept pummeling. He roared like an animal. His fists rained on the goblin¡¯s face, each punch jolting its head to the left and right. The goblin¡¯s throes weakened¡ªand then, with a tremendous burst of strength, it rolled under his feet and jumped upright beside him.

    It tried to run away, but Jack couldn¡¯t let it. If even one goblin escaped, the entire tribe would learn about him, and he would die.

    Even as it tried to run, Jack grabbed its ankle and pulled it back. He realized it was light¡ªand then, with a massive roar, he raised the entire goblin over his head like a club and smashed it head-first against the ground.

    The head exploded, painting the dirt red and decorating it with brain matter.

    Jack plopped to the ground, staring at the dead goblin with horror. As the battle fever died down, he realized what he¡¯d done. It was necessary but so madly brutal¡­

    I did this.

    He puked. I did this, he kept thinking, spiraling into guilt and disbelief. I did this¡­

    It wasn¡¯t about killing the goblin. It wasn¡¯t even about the brutal way of doing so. These were all necessary, and Jack had already come to terms with it before attacking.

    No, what terrified him was the mad rush of satisfaction he felt while doing it. Fighting these goblins, he was alive. When he let go of everything, the increased brain activity and awareness, as well as the feeling of omnipotence his body gave, were almost ecstatic. When he smashed the goblin like an octopus, he wanted to roar in triumph.

    These were the same feelings he¡¯d experienced against that first goblin in the cave, but back then, they had been overshadowed by the fact that he¡¯d killed something and all the new information he received. Now, these feelings were laid bare, and he had to face them.

    At least, his injuries weren¡¯t too deep, and his enhanced body was quick to stop bleeding.

    Jack stayed there for a while, struggling to get his thoughts in order. He felt increasing panic and a desire to run away but forced himself to calm down. Eventually, he succeeded, at least to the extent where he could think and operate as normal.

    He stumbled away and back to his cave, then sat on the ground near the entrance. He took a few deep breaths.

    Transitioning from a researcher to a forest killer wasn¡¯t easy.

    Thankfully, Jack was in control. The emotions were too many to comb through quickly, but he wasn¡¯t overwhelmed after the initial onslaught. The same drive that pushed him to survive no matter what now helped him put himself in order.

    He¡¯d known this was coming. He could handle it. He just needed a bit of time.

    The minutes ticked by for Jack, turning into hours before he realized it. In his mental self-healing state, time had lost its meaning as recovery took priority. His entire being was focused on digesting the brutal reality that the modern world didn¡¯t let people experience.

    Now, Jack was speed-running it. The experience was harrowing but necessary¡ªand, thankfully, he could handle it.

    No, not just handle it. He would thrive in it. He could feel it in his bones. This was where he belonged. This was him.

    Transitioning wasn¡¯t easy, but he would get there.

    Jack kept comforting himself until night fell. He was finally better, and suddenly, he realized he was terribly thirsty, the back of his head hurt like hell, and his stomach was empty enough to burn.

    Shit! I forgot to find water!

    He had shelter¡ªhis cave¡ªbut water was the single most important resource. Without food, he could survive for weeks. Without water, not even a couple days. It just hadn¡¯t crossed his mind before.

    He knew a creek nearby. The water wasn¡¯t too potable, but it would do¡ªstomach and intestine problems were better than dehydration. He would even drink his own piss if he had to.

    The only thing he wouldn¡¯t drink¡ªbesides saltwater, the only fluid that doesn¡¯t help dehydration¡ªwas the ice pond. He suspected it was something more than simple water¡ªsomething magical¡ªand that its freezing cold would persist inside his stomach, destroying him from the inside out.

    At least, he wouldn¡¯t take the risk unless he had no choice.

    He could always capture a small animal and experiment, but¡­Jack had his bottom lines. Killing man-eating goblins was fine; torturing innocent animals was not, at least while he could help it.

    He stood up to head to the creek, but before that, there was one final thing to do.

    Level Up! You have reached Level 3.

    Another cold announcement, product of an unfeeling system that pitted living creatures against each other. Jack shook his head, then opened his status screen and put both free points into Physical. He intended to invest in Mental as well¡ªit should help with everything, including his unstable mental state¡ªbut not yet. Not when he almost died every time he did battle.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: -

    Grade: F

    Level: 3

    Physical: 9

    Mental: 7

    Will: 6

    Skills: Fist Fighting (I)

    The familiar surge of power passed over his body. He was stronger, faster, healthier. By now, he was already at the level of a professional athlete, if not past that, and all it took was four goblins¡­

    His status screen reminded him of how many things he didn¡¯t know yet. What were factions? Grades? He¡¯d seen F before in the dungeon description, and the Ice Pond was an E-grade resource, but what exactly did that mean?

    More importantly, he saw that his species was referred to as Human, Earth-387. This clearly implied the existence of multiple Earths, possibly multiple intelligent species.

    Was the System really alien? Did it refer to a galactic empire or an inter-dimensional one, where many variations of Earth existed? Maybe that Animal Kingdom? Then again, if intelligent species existed on other planets, why wouldn¡¯t they name their planet Earth? It literally meant dirt. It could be the most common planet name in the galaxy.

    But yes. Water. Then, Jack would revisit the ice pond to try and get extra bonuses¡ªafter his level-up, he might be able to take an extra step¡ªand then, goblin-hunting.

    By the end of it, he would be a superhuman killing machine. The thought should have been terrifying.

    Why did he feel excitement instead?

 Chapter 6: The High Goblins

    The goblin tribe was a bundle of misshapen wooden huts, ugly green forms, and burnt animal carcasses. Just placing it in a forest was an affront to nature.

    Jack squinted from the bush he hid in. After reaching Level 3, healing himself, and satiating his thirst, he had decided to gather more information before launching his anti-goblin campaign. There was some time before nightfall, anyway.

    He located a goblin squad¡ªit wasn¡¯t difficult¡ªand followed it to the tribe. After cresting a hill, the ugly visage greeted his sight, and there were many things to notice.

    First, there were many dozens of goblins. These guys had a full-on village going.

    Second, there weren¡¯t just goblins. Jack spotted a few off-green forms, paler and larger than their goblin brethren. These were the size of short humans, had dark hair¡ªgoblins were bald¡ªand walked with a sharpness that belied intelligence.

    Hobgoblin, Level 6

    Stronger, meaner, and smarter than normal goblins, hobgoblins are an evolved version of the same ugly monster. It is advised to kill them on sight, but they should not be underestimated.

    The System¡¯s description was short as always. Jack could already see all those. The only real information was their Level. After scanning all hobgoblins he could see, Jack determined them to be Level 6 or 7. Normal goblins ranged from Level 1 to 5.

    In Jack¡¯s most recent estimation, he could fight a Level 4 goblin head-on, maybe even a Level 5 if he was lucky. Hobgoblins should be outside his reach for now, so he was glad they weren¡¯t participating in the hunter squads.

    In short, Jack was incredibly weaker than the goblin tribe.

    Moreover, the largest problem wasn¡¯t the hobgoblins, but their leader.

    Goblin Shaman, Level 9

    Goblins aren¡¯t always stupid. Some of them are born intelligent, and when that happens, they often develop shamanic powers. Goblin Shamans can lead small tribes of goblins and hobgoblins, though they¡¯re usually seen as elite soldiers in larger tribes.

    This Goblin Shaman is the group boss.

    The leader of the tribe was not a hobgoblin, but a goblin dressed in ruined robes. It cackled like the rest of them, but even the arrogant hobgoblins made way for it¡ªthe flames that danced on its fingers brewed respect.

    Moreover, its eyes carried a cunning glint that was hard to miss.

    Jack had to admit that fire-slinging enemies challenged his current experience. Goblins were fine. Hobgoblins would also be fine, eventually. However, this shaman would prove to be a pain in the ass; he just knew it.

    ¡°Fire in the forest?¡± he whispered with a tsk. ¡°So much for an omniscient, omnipotent, inter-galactic System. Can I get a refund, please?¡±

    No reply came his way. The System wasn¡¯t the most talkative of partners.

    However, there was one thing that was even more impressive than the shaman. The goblins were high. Not tall; high.

    A wide, short bush stood in the middle of the tribe, sporting thin and long leaves. Some goblins were gathered around it, chatting and cackling without making much sense, while occasionally snapping off a leaf to chew on. They weren¡¯t eating it, just licking it before dropping the dry remainder on a big pile.

    The eyes of these goblins were completely red, they fell whenever they tried to stand, and they wouldn¡¯t stop laughing. On closer inspection, many goblins were carrying a few of those leaves or munching on them, just measuredly. The ones high as kites were probably on their day off.

    High Speed Bush (F-Grade)

    A resource guarded by the goblins of the Forest of the Strong. Commonly found in the wet jungles of planet Peruvian, the leaves of this bush can enhance a person¡¯s reflexes, dexterity, and agility. They can also make you high as a kite.

    The stat increase is a one-time bonus.

    Jack sighed his head. I just knew things couldn¡¯t be simple¡­ Damn you, System. Can¡¯t you at least destroy my planet with decency? Did you need to drag weed-licking goblins into this?

    The System, again, didn¡¯t reply, and Jack could only keep observing the goblin camp. There wasn¡¯t much else to see¡ªhe already had more than enough.

    He slowly made his way back, keeping an eye out for guards¡ªwhich were non-existent as the goblins apparently felt safe. On the way, he processed all the new information, as he often did lately.

    The goblins aren¡¯t just strong, they have intelligent leaders¡­ Which means that, if I keep picking them off, they will catch on. Therefore, I must get as many of them as possible before they¡¯re on to me. I can¡¯t afford to take it slow.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    However, when they do catch on, will I be strong enough to face them? Probably, if it comes to guerilla tactics. If I can reach Level 6 or so, I should be able to handle hobgoblins, especially if I set up an ambush¡­.but they¡¯ll eventually get me.

    This sounded like a pickle, but Jack recalled the dungeon description¡ªany previous blue screen could be willed into reappearing, apparently.

    Forest of the Strong (F-Grade): A forest where only the strong survive. There are three monster groups, each holding a unique resource and representing a unique challenge. Slay the leader of a group to despawn them.

    This dungeon is in conquer-or-die mode. Defeat the Dungeon Boss to exit or die trying. We applaud your bravery for entering and wish you the best of luck.

    The last paragraph¡¯s sarcasm aside, there was one important clue hidden in there.

    Slay the leader of a group to despawn them¡­ So, if I kill the shaman, all the goblins will simply go poof. That¡¯s almost too good to be true.

    On second thought, it wasn¡¯t. It was a double-edged knife. Monsters¡ªin this case, goblins¡ªwere dangerous, but they were also walking bags of Levels. An equilibrium was quickly shaping in Jack¡¯s mind: The later he assassinated the shaman, the more danger he would face, but the more goblins he would be able to kill before they disappeared.

    After all, there was no way the System would reward him for the creatures he despawned. It wasn¡¯t that kind.

    Jack needed the Levels. There were Level 15 magical bears in the forest, along with their group leader and a third group of monsters which could, potentially, be even stronger than the bears. There was also the Dungeon Boss, an existence undoubtedly stronger than anything else.

    If Jack wanted any chance against them, he needed Levels, he needed wits, he needed information, and he needed battle experience¡ªthe only thing he had so far was pants. The goblins could provide most of those. He couldn¡¯t afford to take it easy. He had to gamble.

    Jack would try to drag on the conflict as long as possible, and when things got insufferable, he would assassinate the goblin shaman. It was risky, perhaps too risky, but it was the only long-term plan he could come up with.

    He could also just hide and hope for someone to save him, but he somehow doubted the System would let him escape that easily.

    Therefore, Jack made his decision. He would wage war on the goblins¡ªpossibly a genocide, too. Was he evil for thinking that way? Maybe. Was he justified? Probably, since they clearly wanted to eat him too. Was it necessary? Absolutely fucking yes.

    Jack Rust refused to die.

    But, before waging his war, there was one thing to do: find food.

    ***

    Jack held the rabbit carcass tenderly. It pained him to kill an animal like this, but he had to eat something¡­

    At least, he¡¯d killed it painlessly. He¡¯d found a den under a tree soon after night fell, then dug behind it to scare the occupants. As soon as the rabbits rushed outside, he grabbed one, and before it could understand what was happening, snapped its neck. It was easy, like snapping a twig, and Jack felt forlorn at his new power and the way he used it.

    When he killed the goblins in heated battle, he felt triumphant. This time, he only felt empty¡­but hunting was a part of nature, and it was more ancient than compassion.

    Jack shook his head to clear it. This new reality was grim, but he had to accept it.

    He was currently standing over the ice pond, holding the carcass with both hands. He was going to light a fire and roast it, but before that, he thought that maybe the lake¡¯s body forging properties could be transmitted through food. It was a theory he needed to test, as he couldn¡¯t afford to let anything go to waste.

    Besides, the freezing cold might have a purging effect on harmful microorganisms. It was magical, after all, so why not? He already knew the cold didn¡¯t stick to his body when he left the lake, so it probably wouldn¡¯t stick to the rabbit¡¯s, either. If it did, he¡¯d just have to go hungry.

    He gently dipped the rabbit into the water, feeling the numbness on his fingers. Nothing happened for a moment, except for its fur turning a slightly whiter color, and that was it. When he withdrew it, the rabbit was cold to the touch, but no other difference could be seen.

    He let it sit for a while and confirmed that the cold was slowly seeping out. That was good, because it meant he wouldn¡¯t freeze to death, and bad, because it meant his body wouldn¡¯t be forged. He shrugged.

    Well, good to know.

    He went outside, a bit ways off the cave entrance, and lit a fire under the moon¡ªhe had prepared tinder beforehand. He wasn¡¯t particularly familiar with cooking rabbits on campfires, but he had cooked a lot in his life, so he had some ideas. If he messed up, his 9 Physical would hopefully pull him through.

    In the night, the fire¡¯s smoke couldn¡¯t be seen, so he only had to worry about the firelight itself attracting unwanted visitors. However, he¡¯d already seen that the goblins gathered at their tribe when night fell, and bears weren¡¯t nocturnal either¡ªand, even if they were because of magic, they had no reason to be in this area anyway.

    That left only the final monster group, but Jack didn¡¯t believe they would turn out to be nocturnal wanderers. Nocturnal, maybe, but not wanderers¡ªand, if they were, he¡¯d just face them. He had to cook at some point. Doing it now was certainly better than doing it mid-day, when the goblins could easily spot his smoke and come knocking.

    Jack cooked for a while, enjoying the night sky in silence. It was beautiful. Maybe the System had magically removed all air pollution and shut down the lights, but Jack could see the sky as his ancestors did. Stars shone everywhere, ten thousand sparkling dots, and a long river of light stretched between them¡ªthe galaxy¡ªfarther and larger than the mind could comprehend.

    It wasn¡¯t just beautiful, Jack corrected himself. It was breathtaking. He was sitting under the infinite cosmos.

    Is this what the ancients saw every night¡­ he wondered, and its beauty was so striking that, for a moment, Jack wondered whether the System¡¯s arrival was a good thing.

    He idly realized that, against such a night sky, his smoke was visible, as it hid the starlight behind it. He shrugged. If the goblins made the connection and came over, let them. He needed to eat at some point.

    Time passed, with only the crackling of fire and the sizzling of juices on the burning logs keeping him company. The forest was quiet around him, most nocturnal animals still shivering in fear from the arrival of the monsters, and only some birds dared squawk out loud, undoubtedly in confusion from everything that was happening.

    The smell of cooking meat flooded Jack¡¯s nostrils like a delicacy from another dream.

    He felt like the last person in the entire world, and for a moment, he was crushed by heavy loneliness and despair. He felt primal. In his element. But alone, and scared, and in pain.

    Was he having fun?

    Jack gazed at the stars, the same ones he always saw and a million more, and found no answer. Of course he didn¡¯t. He was alone.

    He closed his eyes and endured the heavy feelings that darkness bred. It wasn¡¯t his first tough night, not even close, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last¡ªunless he died.

    That was a sobering thought, and he chuckled as he pulled the skewer of rabbit meat off the flames. The last man in the world¡­ Take that, Maria. Heh.

    He then bit on the rabbit, savoring the taste. It was disgusting. And, at the same time, it was the most heavenly meal he¡¯d ever had.

 Chapter 7: Challenging the Ice Pond

    The Integration happened on the 19th of September, 2024. A day later, on the 20th, the world was nowhere near adapting. Millions had died, and the rest were busy organizing into small communities that could protect their members. The bravest had already defeated a monster or two.

    On the morning of that day, Jack Rust waged war on a goblin tribe.

    The goblins didn¡¯t know it, of course; he didn¡¯t walk in with a war declaration and his head on a silver plate. All they saw was an increased number of hunters failing to return.

    Jack stalked them from the high branches, hid in bushes, sprang on them from under the dirt. His fists dealt swift death, and where he passed, only broken goblin corpses remained.

    Each kill made him stronger, his fists harder, and his battle experience greater. His fistfighting skill let him fight above his level, but slowly, Jack began to internalize the knowledge. When the margin between success and failure was razor-thin, he realized why his skill made him move in exactly the way it did.

    He knew what did and didn¡¯t work, to an extent, but he gradually understood why. At the same time, his increased Physical attribute gave him better awareness and control over his body.

    His fighting skill kept rising. Unbeknownst to Jack, this constant life-or-death pressure was the perfect grinding stone.

    A goblin squad passed by a bush, yapping about something. The bush suddenly exploded, and a human jumped out, wearing a pair of tattered shorts and nothing else. His shirt had long been torn apart or cut into bandage-like strips, and after a point, he didn¡¯t need shoes.

    In their eyes, he was the monster. Caked blood covered his skin, he smelled, and he was dirty, but his eyes were the hardest, sharpest things they¡¯d ever seen.

    The three goblins screamed. Before they could react, a fist smashed into one¡¯s head and burst it apart. Another fist buried itself in a goblin sternum, breaking bones and sending its entire body flying backward. The last goblin recovered in time and made a mad dash for safety. Before it could take two steps or shout for help, a hand had grasped its throat firmly.

    Jack squeezed and felt a neck snap. He let go, and the goblin¡¯s body collapsed on the forest floor. He stared at his hands silently.

    I am a killer¡­

    For the past two days, he¡¯d been hunting and annihilating the goblins. They couldn¡¯t offer resistance anymore, only stand there and die. The only thing restraining his carnage was the time needed to locate new goblin squads¡ªthere weren¡¯t too many left.

    Am I a monster? he wondered idly. Or am I justified?

    The gruesome sight didn¡¯t bother him anymore. He¡¯d gotten used to corpses, to death, to blood and brutal violence. He¡¯d gotten used to the way his soul fluctuated when he went in for the kill, sparking crimson, to the feeling of breaking bones with his bare hands.

    He had come to peace with his path. This was reality. In this dungeon, it was him or the monsters¡ªthe goblins, in this case¡ªand they would gladly devour any humans they found, they would wreck nature and rampage on innocent people.

    He would kill them first. Between himself and monsters, he chose himself, even if it meant becoming a cold-blooded killer¡ªwhich, in all honesty, wasn¡¯t the worst of things. When the initial social conditioning wore off, he had managed to acclimate. It wasn¡¯t easy or pleasant¡ªbut not too terrible either.

    Jack looked aside, where the notification waited.

    Level Up! You have reached Level 5.

    The leveling difficulty didn¡¯t scale too much. It took him one goblin to reach Level 2, three for Level 3, nine for Level 4, and another nine for Level 5. Of course, these last ones were higher-leveled¡ªeither the goblins had gotten scared, or they were leveling up as well.

    He had tried to keep his numbers low to delay the inevitable. So far, he was okay¡ªthe squads were still made up of three goblins each, and he hadn¡¯t seen a hobgoblin outside the tribe. That was bound to change, eventually, but by then, Jack planned to be strong enough.

    Another factor that kept his number of kills low was injuries. He was steamrolling them now, but at the start, every fight hung at the edge of a knife. Each ambush was a hard-fought battle that left him with heavy injuries. One time, he even almost died.

    He had to crawl back to his cave after each battle, enter the ice pond, and endure the torturous cold that assaulted his injuries. As he grew stronger, he had to go deeper for the healing powers to take effect, and the cold only grew worse, but at least, so did his stat bonuses. The lake had given him another three points in Physical, the equivalent of a level and a half.

    Jack¡¯s life had become a cycle of looking for goblins, killing them, healing at the lake, and repeating. It was a fine life.

    He quickly assigned the free points from his most recent level-up to Physical, then took a look at his current status.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: -

    Grade: F

    Level: 5

    Physical: 16

    Mental: 7

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Will: 6

    Skills: Fistfighting (I)

    By now, his physical prowess was approaching superhuman levels. He possessed three times the strength of a normal pre-System human¡ªor maybe more¡ªalong with a vastly sturdier body, lightning-fast reflexes, crystal-clear kinetic vision, and agility that would put cats to shame¡ªnot that he had any to check.

    He was possibly exaggerating, but the ease with which he dispatched the goblins confirmed his hypotheses. He felt like a martial arts champion.

    The gradual enhancements of level-ups intrigued him. Just how high could they go? Would he eventually become strong enough to break mountains or run faster than cars? Was there an upper limit?

    The F-Grade part of his status screen, along with the E-Grade Ice Pond, implied the existence of D, C, B, and A Grades, but even the earth bear had only been Level 15, and it was in an F-rank dungeon. The Dungeon Boss, which could be Level 25, was also F-Grade, unless Jack had misunderstood something.

    Just how far away were those other grades? What was the limit? Was there one?

    A sense of progression had infiltrated Jack¡¯s psyche and taken over. The feeling of constantly improving yourself by such tremendous amounts was addictive¡ªand familiar, too. He had been addicted to video games once, and this felt similar, though a hundred times better.

    He clenched his fists. He wanted to grow stronger, as strong as he could. Then, he could finally take control of his life and be free.

    Power was the foundation of everything.

    And, luckily, Jack had more than one way to get it.

    The sun was setting already, so he walked back to his cave. He had explored the surrounding territory well by now so he knew exactly where he was.

    The crack on the rocks was still there, untouched, as was the cramped passage that led deeper in. Jack took the familiar steps, weaved around the rocks and stepped into the small cavern he¡¯d come to call home.

    He was welcomed by the ice pond¡¯s familiar glow, a soft white light that now accompanied his sleep. Its cold was condensed, thankfully, so he could rest comfortably on the other side, where he¡¯d taken to sleeping on a patch of flat rock.

    However, Jack didn¡¯t plan on being comfortable tonight. He had met his goblin quota early. Now, he planned to once again challenge the pond.

    He¡¯d already done that a few times, and he understood how things worked.

    From the shore to the small waterfall at the back, the pond was only fifteen feet across. Fifteen short steps. For every step he took, the cold would augment his body by a single point of Physical.

    One point wasn¡¯t much for the current Jack, but, if his calculations were correct, the pond had the potential of fifteen points, which was massive. Moreover, he suspected that the waterfall hid something more.

    Unfortunately, the pond wasn¡¯t a free lunch. Each step was much harder than the last, and even now, Jack had only managed to take four steps. Today, he would go further. He was determined to test his limits.

    He took off his clothes and stepped in the lake with resolve. The cold assaulted him, traveling up his legs and around his body, but he knew the feeling now, and his body was much stronger than it used to be. This cold couldn¡¯t faze him.

    He stepped forth. The temperature dropped further, sending long, sharp pins through his calves, but he persevered. Another step. The freezing current licked his legs. He shivered and clenched his teeth, but he still had a ways to go. If he let the third step stop him, how could he defeat the Dungeon Boss?

    The fourth step. The water level reached his knees by now, and his legs felt encased in ice. It was clearly water, but it was hard, requiring effort to move. By now, the cold was downright painful, and this was his current record, but Jack was resolved to keep going. He had to take at least the fifth step.

    That was easier said than done. His body was stronger than the last time he¡¯d been here, but he still felt crippling fear at the thought of the next step. He took a few moments to get used to the cold before proceeding. He had to be careful.

    Finally, he was ready¡ªas ready as could be. He took a step.

    He instantly lost feeling in his legs. They were completely numb, but the cold that reached his chest was so painfully piercing that it felt like someone was knitting with his bones. For a moment, he was paralyzed from the waist down. Jack was in terrible pain. His skin was turning blue.

    Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

    The bonus came as the cold finished permeating him. It was a slight respite, but nowhere near enough. Jack¡¯s body screamed at him to turn back, but through the cold and crippling pain, his eyes were fierce. He only stared at the waterfall, so close yet so prohibitively far.

    It was mocking him. The waterfall was mocking him. A fire burned in Jack¡¯s heart, fighting against the ice, and his mind was taken over by unbreakable resolve. He knew that moving further would be dangerous, that something bad could happen to his body or he could really lose control of his legs and collapse in the pond forever, but in that moment, he refused to retreat. He would make it. Never again back.

    He took a step.

    He was in a frozen hell. His entire body felt encased in ice now, not just his legs. He lost feeling everywhere. His pale skin turned blue. His legs spasmed, and it took all his concentration to stay standing despite not feeling them.

    His head hurt so bad it was about to break, and his heart struggled to keep beating, almost stopping. Jack¡¯s pain tolerance was swiftly expiring, and he released a muffled roar as he was unable to open his mouth, eyes bulging out like someone was squeezing him to death.

    Jack¡¯s entire body screamed to turn back. This time, he didn¡¯t dare say no. If he stayed here any longer, he would die. He had gone too far.

    But his legs weren¡¯t moving. They were as solid as rocks. Trying to move them felt like trying to fly.

    Jack panicked.

    Is this how I die?

    Suddenly, a blue exclamation mark flashed in the lower part of his vision, and the cold got a tiny bit easier to withstand. Jack¡¯s eyes bulged again with effort. His entire mental capacity was squeezed into making his fucking legs move. They shivered once.

    Jack fell backward. His back splashed into the water that swiftly moved to embrace him. Despite its freezing cold, Jack felt it warm compared to the freezing hell he¡¯d just endured.

    He still couldn¡¯t move, however. He lay completely still under the water, gazing at the clean surface just above his eyes.

    Am I going to drown? he wondered. He felt fear, panic, bitterness, spite. His body caught on fire. With a tremendous pull of will, Jack used his hands to turn around, then slowly crawled forward through the water. Every moment felt torturous. The end was near, both literally and metaphorically.

    He¡¯d only taken six steps into the pond. As he fell back, his head was very close to the edge. He just had to crawl a tiny bit, and do it before his breath ran out. His lungs burned. So did his arms. He kept pushing.

    With a final tug of will, his head got out of the water and rested on the cold rock, which felt heavenly by now. He could breathe¡ªand, as he¡¯d pulled himself away from the center of the pond, the cold was receding. He managed to crawl out completely and lay on the stone, shivering, panting, and thanking every god he knew for making it out alive.

    FUCK! he would have screamed, if not for his incessantly clattering teeth.

    Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

    Feat of Will performed: +1 Will

    He wished he could chuckle.

    He¡¯d almost fucked up real bad...but at least he¡¯d made it. He¡¯d gotten the extra stat point, another one, too, and he¡¯d proved to himself what he was capable of. He could push himself to the very limit. He could make it out of this fucking dungeon.

    He was Jack Rust. And no matter what the world threw at him, he would survive.

    He would thrive.

 Chapter 475: The Beginning of the End

    A group was gathered in space. A dozen white-dressed people, each more brooding than the last. Wreckage surrounded them. Parts of what used to be an Elder-level starship. The distant stars felt cold, and the universe was suddenly much less inviting.

    ¡°This is useless,¡± a man said. ¡°The Hand will find and kill us. We¡¯re just delaying the inevitable.¡±

    ¡°You need to believe, Borg,¡± a woman replied. ¡°The Old Gods will arrive. The Arch Priestess depends on us. We cannot give up.¡±

    The man named Borg raised his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up! I believe in the Old Gods like all of us, and I hate the cruel Immortals with every fiber of my being, but this is just hopeless. We are sheep to the slaughter. We just barely managed to teleport away this time¡ªthe Hand will find us again, and they¡¯ll kill more of us. We¡¯ll die few by few until we¡¯re all gone, and for what? A hope that will never bear fruit? A doomed war? Even if the cause is noble, dying in vain is not.¡±

    ¡°But the Arch Priestess¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about the Arch Priestess. She¡¯s lying to us, Katie! Can¡¯t you see this war is a lost cause? She has us holding the front lines, but the Hand of God is so much fucking stronger. They¡¯ve got double the people. Stick it in your goddamn head, we cannot win! We have already lost!¡±

    ¡°The Old Gods will arrive,¡± an older man said. ¡°The tide will turn. We must stay strong.¡±

    ¡°How can I stay strong, Father? How much longer do we have to wait? I feel scared and alone, and I fear we will all die in the darkness between the stars like we never existed. I¡­ I cannot do this anymore.¡± He paused, all his energy leaving him. ¡°I want to go home.¡±

    The older man frowned but did not speak. A heavy silence spread between the gathered cultivators. It was hard to fight a losing war. Hard to watch your friends die beside you, one by one, as you persisted for an ideal that might or might not come to be.

    The current state of the Second Crusade was worse than advertised. The Black Hole Church was pushed back on every front. They¡¯d split their forces and hidden them in a Systemless galaxy, delaying their inevitable defeat, but it helped little. The Hand of God was searching, finding them piece by piece, killing them slowly. While the Church hid, their disadvantage only grew, and the mental pressure on their people was growing heavier.

    Everyone felt like prisoners on the execution block, waiting for the blade to fall. They knew that any of these days could be their turn. Yes, the Old Gods were en route, or so the Arch Priestess said¡­but would they arrive in time? Or was everyone going to die first?

    The army of the Black Hole Church had started the war by being ambushed, losing their headquarters¡ªthe Cathedral¡ªand forced to flee as many of their hiding spots across System space were discovered. They had suffered serious losses before they could even fight back, and it had all gone downhill from there. They¡¯d managed to delay their defeat by hiding and fighting a semblance of guerilla warfare, but morale was crumbling everywhere.

    The cultivators of the Church were losing faith. They desperately needed a victory, to strike back, something. They needed hope. Except, with the state of war as it was, how could the Church achieve anything?

    The dozen white-robed cultivators still stood silently in the darkness of space, surrounded by the wreckage of their starship. Many were injured. Their moods couldn¡¯t be worse. Suddenly, a younger woman lifted her head. Her voice trembled with excitement.

    ¡°What!?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Are you sure?¡±

    The others threw her questioning glances. Their heads drooped lower. ¡°What is it this time?¡± asked the older man, the leader of this group. ¡°Which of our comrades fell?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Not that at all!¡± the woman exclaimed. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I believe this, but I actually received good news. Great news!¡±

    Their eyes shone. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember Jack Rust? Who was about to break into the B-Grade?¡±

    The cultivators nodded. Jack¡¯s breakthrough hadn¡¯t been broadcasted, for fear of revealing his position, but the Church had spread the news.

    ¡°Well, his breakthrough just finished. And he, he¡­¡± She hesitated, as if struggling to believe her own words.

    ¡°So it went well,¡± the man who¡¯d had a meltdown before, Borg, spoke before she could. ¡°I don¡¯t think that really matters to us. How much did he get? Seven thousand miles? Eight?¡±

    ¡°Not even close!¡± the younger woman exclaimed, her face growing red with excitement. ¡°I am receiving this news from multiple sources. Elders Boatman and Heavenstar have both confirmed this. It cannot be wrong!¡±

    ¡°Out with it, then!¡± the older man exclaimed.

    ¡°His inner world reached ten thousand miles across!¡±

    The news fell like a nuke on a summer day. The other cultivators went silent. The older man¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Is that a joke?¡± he asked. ¡°This is not the time, Matilda.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! I swear it on my mother¡¯s grave! Everyone is saying the same, all my communications are lighting up! Jack Rust rewrote history! Nine thousand wasn¡¯t the limit¡ªit¡¯s ten!¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The older man snorted. ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡±

    ¡°And yet it¡¯s true! Not just that, either¡ªeven his spiritual companion, the brorilla named Brock, reached 8800 miles! They¡¯re an unprecedented duo! Even the Arch Priestess herself congratulates them, and she sent a faction-wide message confirming this. It is absolutely true!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± the older man harrumphed. ¡°Ludicrous. If you¡¯re lying about this, Matilda, we will have a problem. Let me speak to them.¡±

    He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she let him tap into the soul connections they used to communicate. Every squad of the Church had someone with this ability¡ªthat was how they could communicate efficiently even outside System space.

    A moment later, the older man pulled back his hand, his aged eyes growing wide.

    ¡°Well?¡± the others asked him, desperately needing but not daring to believe.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he said slowly. The trembling excitement of Matilda had also invaded his voice now. ¡°I saw the Arch Priestess¡¯s Dao signature. Elders Boatman and Heavenstar, too. This is not a joke. I have no idea how it happened, but Jack Rust really broke through the nine-thousand-mile limit.¡±

    The cultivators exchanged bewildered looks. Their dead hope began to shimmer. They wouldn¡¯t have believed this in regular times, but they were now neck-deep in war. They believed for dear life. It was the first good news they received in a long time¡ªsomeone had achieved an impossible feat, and they were part of the same army!

    It is incredible how much strength a desperate person can derive from a single piece of good news.

    All of them felt like someone had taken a torch, reached into their chests, and lit up something in there. The darkness and despair dissipated.

    Their hearts turned warm. They clenched their fists, shedding tears they didn¡¯t even know they¡¯d been holding back. Somehow, the pride they felt was overwhelming. The Church had achieved something. They hadn¡¯t fought so long in vain. If miracles could still happen, not all was lost. Who knew how powerful Jack could become? This war wasn¡¯t over yet. They had hope!

    ¡°There¡¯s another message,¡± the communicator girl, Matilda, said. She gasped. ¡°It¡¯s another faction-wide message by the Arch Priestess. She says this is proof that fate hasn¡¯t abandoned us. We are still here. We are still fighting. With such a heaven-defying genius amongst us, how could we possibly be destroyed? How could we lose? The enemy is fighting for power, but we are fighting for survival. We are fighting for what is right, for our friends and families and the weak people of the universe who need us. We may be fewer, but our hearts burn brighter. This is our war¡ªand we will win!¡±

    She¡¯d gotten swept by her own words, and the surrounding cultivators, already vulnerable, raised their arms and roared into the void. The surrounding space lit up. The stars were no longer cold, the emptiness no longer scary.

    They¡¯d always believed in the Church, that¡¯s why they were fighting in the first place. All it took to reignite their flames was a single spark.

    Yes, things remained terrible for them. They knew they would probably die. They were scared. But dying meaninglessly and sacrificing yourself for a worthy, attainable cause were two wildly different things. These cultivators had hope again, and while they hoped, they would fight. They would endure the darkness.

    Their battle was not in vain, but for freedom. They carried the hope of the universe on their shoulders. They were heroes.

    ¡°Fuck the Immortals!¡± the older man shouted, and the others echoed, their voices rising through the cosmos.

    ***

    Reality was often negotiable. In war, each army¡¯s commanders claimed they were winning. Each side painted themselves as heroes. The crowds back home were always filled with hope and heroism, while those at the frontlines always felt like they were in hell. They were the ones who came face-to-face with the reality of war. Killing others, fearing for your life, and watching your friends collapse had a way of dragging one to the present, shrouding the mind in darkness through which they could only trudge through, an endless march through the night, hoping for a sun that might never rise.

    The Church could endure for a long time. Their scattered and hidden forces ensured that. The problem was that every month of survival required a blood price, the death of the least capable or the most unlucky. To those who participated in this massacre lottery, the wait was unbearable. Their morale was bottomed out, and many held thoughts of deserting. At the current state of war, the Church¡¯s greatest problem was maintaining their army¡¯s morale until the Old Gods arrived. They needed something to give their people hope. Something to recharge their faith.

    Jack¡¯s ten-thousand-mile, unprecedented breakthrough came like a gift from the gods.

    Once the Church leadership recovered from the shock, they spread the word far and wide. This was proof that fate hadn¡¯t abandoned them. It was hope¡ªexactly what they needed.

    The news spread like wildfire. Everyone in the Church army knew about Jack¡¯s breakthrough within the hour. In the span of a single day, even the most clueless, non-combatant drunkard in the remotest pub of an Elder-level starship had heard the story at least three times. Through various communication channels, it spread even to System space, infiltrating all seventy-three galaxies. Before long, almost everyone in the universe knew about Jack¡¯s breakthrough.

    Such a legendary event had many consequences. The morale of the Church army was uplifted, at least temporarily. The dark despair gave way to burning, warm heroism. People set their jaws, determined to give their lives fighting if necessary. They¡¯d always believed in the Church¡¯s cause, hated the Immortals and their System with a passion¡ªthey just hadn¡¯t thought there was hope. Brave roars and laughter filled the Church starships. The celebration of dying men. Of heroes.

    On the other side, the Immortals posted a sky-high bounty on Jack and Brock¡¯s heads, and they even sent an Archon to personally hunt them down. It was just how things worked.

    The greatest impression, however, was made on the people in and around the Death Boat. They had witnessed everything with their own eyes. They had seen Jack¡¯s inner world blow outward again and again, each time surpassing what they thought possible. They¡¯d seen him charge into a tribulation which could even annihilate A-Grades, and they¡¯d even watched Brock and Elder Boatman stand alongside Jack to face the tribulation together.

    All these sights would forever remain carved in the hearts of everyone watching. They¡¯d branded themselves indefinitely. Jack had become a god in their eyes¡ªa universe-class hero. They desired to see how far he could go. His breakthrough had easily surpassed every Archon¡¯s ever. Could he be the first person to take the final step beyond the A-Grade? Could they have witnessed the birth of an eternal legend?

    Pubs and gathering places everywhere buzzed with discussion about Jack and Brock. It was the Death Boat¡¯s favorite conversation subject.

    As for Jack and Brock themselves, they¡¯d gone into seclusion after their breakthrough to stabilize their cultivation. It was only three days later that they finally opened their eyes.

    Their final¡ªand greatest¡ªadventure was just beginning.

 Chapter 476: Gum Worms

    Stars hung in the distant space. They were above, below, and to the sides of the Death Boat, framing the world. Each was a different color. Blue stars burned the hottest, while red were the largest. Outside a planet¡¯s atmosphere, the different colors could all reach the observer¡¯s eye unfiltered, further amplifying the beauty of the universe.

    Jack couldn¡¯t see that right now. It was just him and Brock in a dark room. All he heard was breathing, following a steady rhythm. In and out. In and out. His own spirit was in his inner world, calmly observing it, harmonizing himself with the changes that had occurred in himself.

    After breaking into the B-Grade, Jack had been reborn. A whole world now existed in place of his soul. A ten thousand mile wide sphere, supported by his Daos. Tiny particles floated about¡ªbarely enough to be called matter. It was empty otherwise.

    Well, almost empty. A large, purple, fist-shaped meteor dominated its midst. The empty Life Drop was plastered on its middle finger like an encrusted gem, and Copy Jack lazily floated about, exploring this newfound space. Jack had tried talking to him, but Copy Jack maintained his non-committal stance like he cared about nothing in the world.

    Jack remembered, however, how the Dao Soul¡¯s eyes had sharpened during the breakthrough. There was something hidden under the surface. Something wrong with Copy Jack. He just had to figure out what.

    He opened his eyes in the real world, releasing a long sigh. He¡¯d finally familiarized himself with his inner world. He wasn¡¯t particularly stronger than he had been right after his breakthrough, but he now understood it more intimately. His cultivation was stabilized.

    Jack gave a sideways glance, finding that Brock was still meditating. No problem, he thought. Take your time, bro.

    Meanwhile, he opened his status screen.

    ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)

    Grade: B

    Class: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)

    Level: 400

    Strength: 8480 (+)

    Dexterity: 8480 (+)

    Constitution: 8480 (+)

    Mental: 1200

    Will: 1200

    Free sub-points: 1

    Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I

    Inner World Size: 10,000 miles

    Matter Condensation: -

    Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror, Planetary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Planet Destroyer, Challenger

    The error warning at the very top remained. It had been there since he first absorbed the Life Drop, which was considered a taboo item to the Immortals. He¡¯d just learned to ignore it.

    Besides that, a lot of things had changed. His Dao Roots and Dao Fruits had disappeared, replaced by the new entries of Inner World Size and Matter Condensation. The meaning of the first was obvious. He had some suspicions about the second, but he¡¯d ask around to make sure.

    Besides those, he¡¯d acquired a new Class and a new title: Challenger.

    Challenger: Most people conform. You fight and struggle to carve your own path. You will either defy the heavens¡­or fall and be forgotten. Efficacy of all stats +10%.

    He liked the sound of that. It was ominous, sure, but it was his path. Plus, that 10% increase was just broken at this point.

    Unlike previous Classes, the legendary-tier Paragon of Cultivation had only given him a single skill: Immortal Commune. It allowed him to directly contact the Immortals for guidance. This was probably something hardwired into the System, assuming that every cultivator sided with the Immortals. It could have been a tremendous boon to others, but to Jack, who was their enemy, it was pretty useless.

    No, not useless, he corrected himself. I can¡¯t use it for guidance, but I¡¯m sure it will come in handy.

    His stat points had shot through the roof. His Physical was at almost eight and a half thousand, or almost twenty thousand after all the efficacy increases from his titles. Considering that the average pre-System human had an average Physical of five, that was a lot. Especially if he used it in conjunction with his Dao.

    After familiarizing himself with his new level of power, Jack was finally ready to cultivate again. In fact, he looked forward to it, but he chose to wait a moment. He¡¯d already been meditating for three days. Who knew what had occurred in the meantime.

    Jack closed his status screen, standing and leaving the room. He paced down a well-lit corridor. His previous cape had burned down during the tribulation, and he hadn¡¯t gotten a new one. His only remaining piece of clothing were his enchanted brown shorts which reached down to his thighs. His bare feet rubbed against the metal floor. His muscular upper body dominated the corridor.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It still felt weird to walk around a futuristic starship half-naked, but he had more important things to worry about. Plus, those shorts could magically enhance his durability, so they weren¡¯t going anywhere. He couldn¡¯t wear anything else either, as the shorts¡¯ Life Dao amplification field couldn¡¯t penetrate fabric. He was, unfortunately, in a perpetual state of commando.

    The corridor led him past a glass window overlooking the top floor of the Death Boat. He saw endless people going about their lives, living, breathing, working. It was an entire world down there. An almost nostalgic sight.

    He walked past the one-way glass unseen, then turned down a bend, finally reaching a meeting room. He¡¯d already received a mental message to come here.

    The door swung open. A twenty by thirty feet meeting room appeared, with a long table in the middle and little else in the way of decoration. A wall-sized window overlooked the Bone Belt, the current hiding place of the Death Boat¡ªan astronomically long strip of astral dust and flying boulders ranging from tiny to moon-sized. The light of a million distant suns augmented the brilliant image.

    Despite Jack¡¯s expectations, only a single person awaited in the room. It was Starhair¡ªa peak B-Grade cultivator with fluorescent hair like galaxy branches. Jack didn¡¯t know how strong this man was, but given he was part of Sovereign Heavenly Spoon¡¯s elite squad, he had to pack a punch.

    The two of them had already met on the way to this galaxy. Starhair seemed to dislike Jack, for whatever reason, but they¡¯d always kept things cordial.

    As Jack entered the room, Starhair turned around. A condescending look was plastered to his face. ¡°Here comes the champion,¡± he said. ¡°Should I kneel in worship?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a dick, Starhair. Keep your mouth shut.¡±

    Starhair froze. Jack grinned.

    When the peak B-Grade had been feisty before, Jack had always kept his composure. He didn¡¯t give ground, but he also didn¡¯t desire to make new, unknown enemies. That was all different now. Jack had achieved a ten thousand mile inner world. He didn¡¯t give a flying fuck about Starhair¡¯s opinion.

    The other man was surprised. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up. Clearly, you¡¯ve got something against me, but I¡¯m in no mood for your silly games. Spit it out or be quiet.¡±

    Starhair puffed up like an angry rooster. ¡°You are seriously overstepping your boundaries, Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off, man. The only boundary I overstepped recently was with your mo¡ª¡±

    A door at the other side of the room slid open before Jack could finish his words. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon walked in, his face covered by a lazy smile, followed by the Sage, Min Ling, and Bottomless.

    ¡°Good morning, guys,¡± the sovereign said. ¡°Had breakfast yet? I brought food.¡± He swiped a hand over his space ring, filling the table with snacks. Jack spotted everything from croissants to bacon sandwiches, along with a menagerie of alien stuff he¡¯d never seen before. There was a bowl of fat, writhing, green worms. There was also tea and coffee.

    Jack raised his gaze from the table, meeting the Sage¡¯s intrigued eyes. Min Ling waved at him. Bottomless remained under his hood. Despite traveling together for a week, Jack still hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of the person¡¯s features. He didn¡¯t even know if they were male or female.

    Starhair remained with his mouth open, ready to spit bile at Jack, but he finally harrumphed and turned back towards the window. Jack shrugged. He walked to the table, grabbing a paper plate from a pile and scanning the snacks.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, pointing at the bowl of worms.

    ¡°Protein!¡± the sovereign exclaimed jovially. He manifested a silver spoon in his hand, then used it to sweep two worms into his plate. ¡°I guess you come from an area where you don¡¯t have something similar, but don¡¯t worry. These are called Gum Worms, a very popular dish across the universe. They may seem disgusting, but you have to remember that the world is a large place, and disgust is only a product of your mind. Keep an open mind. Try some.¡±

    Jack observed the worms. Each was the size of his pinky, slick in shape and not at all oily. They were plump, too. If not for their faces and little legs, he¡¯d have assumed they were fruit.

    He reached out a hand, then gulped. ¡°Maybe later,¡± he said. He picked up a sausage instead. ¡°How did you even store these, anyway? I thought you couldn¡¯t put living creatures into space rings.¡±

    The sovereign gave him a stare. ¡°Come on, Jack. They¡¯re worms. Food. Don¡¯t be that guy.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have souls,¡± Min Ling explained from the side. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but it makes them very convenient to transfer. They¡¯re certainly alive, though.¡±

    Jack shrugged. ¡°Whatever. So, how have you guys been? It feels like ages.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been three days,¡± the Sage replied. ¡°Three eventful, important days. The kind that counts like a hundred dull ones.¡±

    ¡°Who cares about us?¡± Min Ling said, her voice filled with excitement. ¡°How have you been? You broke all records! You are immortalized as a legend! Tell me, how did that feel?¡±

    ¡°Scary,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I really thought I was going to die. But, you know, I¡¯m used to that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t dodge the question. Spit it out. How did you manage to reach ten thousand miles?¡±

    With the exception of Starhair, who was still looking away, and Bottomless, whose expression was hidden by his hood, the others all sported expectant smiles. Their squad should have taken off the day before, but they¡¯d stayed precisely to ask Jack about his experience. They hadn¡¯t had the opportunity after his breakthrough as he¡¯d been exhausted and injured, and he¡¯d quickly run off to meditate.

    Jack rubbed the back of his head. He considered lying, but most of these people had helped him greatly in the past. As for Starhair¡­ Well, fuck that guy. ¡°I developed a tenth fruit mid-breakthrough,¡± he explained. ¡°I thought my nine were perfect, but as I was about to break them up into an inner world, I suddenly realized they were not. I took a risk to form a tenth one. Luckily, it worked out.¡±

    ¡°Just like that?¡± Min Ling asked. ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple. Everyone would have ten fruits.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy. The first nine fruits had felt natural, but this one showed resistance. It was like the laws of cultivation refused to accommodate me. I had to push real hard. I almost failed.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s coming from someone who would have reached close to nine thousand miles even without the tenth fruit,¡± the Sage said. ¡°I suspect that this tenth fruit really does go against the laws of cultivation. Perfection of the nine is the prerequisite of pursuing the ten. Even then, Jack achieved perfection of the ten fruits, reaching exactly ten thousand miles.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I think as well,¡± Jack agreed.

    ¡°Do you think there can be more fruits?¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon asked as he tossed a grape into his mouth. ¡°Beyond the tenth, I mean.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. My Dao system feels pretty perfect right now. Maybe I could have tried to develop an eleventh fruit if I knew beforehand, but I think it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t. The tribulation would have slaughtered me, Elder Boatman or not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point of cultivation,¡± the Sage said. ¡°We pave the way for future generations. Now that we know it¡¯s possible, the apex talents of the universe will try to reach ten fruits. Some will succeed. Maybe they¡¯ll make more breakthroughs later. And the cultivation world marches forward, every generation one step higher.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°Exactly. Even my idea about a tenth fruit didn¡¯t come completely out of nowhere. The inheritance of Archon Green Dragon contained a hint. I think he suspected it was possible, but long after he¡¯d reached the B-Grade.¡±

    ¡°I feel for him,¡± the sovereign said with a sigh. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t already at the B-Grade, I would try to go for a tenth fruit myself. Maybe more. Seventeen is a nice number.¡±

    Jack smiled. In his experience, manifesting a tenth fruit was as difficult as reaching well over eight thousand miles, but he chose not to say anything. No sense discouraging his friends.

    ¡°What are we gathered for, anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°Elder Boatman had told me to come when I was ready, but he didn¡¯t mention a reason.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he knew either,¡± the Sage replied. ¡°Many things happened after your breakthrough. This is the time to find a way forward.¡±

    As if hearing his name, Elder Boatman suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. He didn¡¯t teleport in. It was like part of reality perished, defaulting to him instead of death. ¡°Greetings, everyone,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Are those Gum Worms?¡±

 Chapter 477: Clone

    Elder Boatman grabbed a gum worm between two fingers, slurping it in. Jack cringed. The worm disappeared down the vampire¡¯s throat, dead the moment he touched it.

    ¡°You have achieved great merit, Jack,¡± Elder Boatman said. ¡°News of your breakthrough have spread far and wide. The failing morale of our army has temporarily recovered. You¡¯ve given our cultivators a source of inspiration, and our enemies one of fear. You¡¯ve also made me proud. Good job.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Master,¡± Jack replied, trying to keep his mind away from how the Elder was still eating worms.

    ¡°Of course, everything has consequences,¡± the vampire continued. ¡°The Immortals are aware of your existence, and they¡¯ll do anything they can to exterminate you. Don¡¯t be surprised when they send A-Grades to personally hunt you down.¡±

    Jack stood straight. ¡°I can handle it.¡±

    ¡°I know. But we can¡¯t. My starship houses tens of millions of people, and I¡¯d rather not invite the enemy¡¯s full attention to my doorstep. Besides, if they really do find us, I may not be able to protect you. You will leave the Death Boat in a few hours and head towards the New Cathedral, our current headquarters. The Arch Priestess herself wants to see you. She may accept you as a disciple, so I suggest making a good impression. Maybe even wear a shirt.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jack said. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll be leaving? But I just arrived.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sad too, my disciple,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°However, even if I hadn¡¯t received direct orders, it would be irresponsible of me to keep you here. Protecting you is my duty as your master, but I have to accept I may not be able to. It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°You saved my life,¡± Jack replied. ¡°And Brock¡¯s. We are extremely grateful.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing,¡± he replied, waving a pale hand. ¡°Now, as I said, you¡¯ll be transferring to the New Cathedral for training. Brock will join you, and I will also separate a small part of my soul to follow you and keep instructing you on the Dao of Death.¡±

    ¡°Part of your soul?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called a clone. I believe you¡¯re familiar with the concept. One soul simultaneously inhabiting multiple bodies. It¡¯s the basis of all our communication systems, but that¡¯s besides the point.¡±

    Jack opened his mouth and closed it again. This was a little too much information. Had Elder Boatman mentioned he might be apprenticed to the Arch Priestess? The head of the Black Hole Church, who was most probably an Archon?

    He shook his head to clear it.

    ¡°And I guess,¡± he said, motioning towards the Spoon Squad who were idling nearby, ¡°they¡¯ll be the ones taking me there.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and his squad are needed at the front lines. They¡¯ve already wasted precious time here,¡± Elder Boatman said, striking the sovereign with a glare. The other man didn¡¯t even pause eating. ¡°You will be escorted by a different vessel. We won¡¯t reveal the details until the final moment for security reasons. However, Envoy Starhair has also been recalled to the New Cathedral, so he will be joining you.¡±

    Oh, fuck me.

    Jack and Starhair locked eyes. The Envoy smiled grimly.

    Wait. I¡¯m also an Envoy now. Nice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between you two, nor do I care,¡± the Elder said. ¡°We are fighting a losing war. We cannot afford infighting. I expect you to act as responsible individuals and put your differences aside.¡±

    Jack raised his head. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Starhair replied at the same time. He sounded earnest. Jack didn¡¯t believe him in the slightest.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°Meet me at the throne room in three hours.¡± He reached into his plate, grasping no gum worms. He¡¯d run out. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. Ten of them teleported from the bowl to his paper plate, then he abruptly disappeared. The bowl was now empty.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon hissed. ¡°I wanted those!¡± he said, then sighed in displeasure. He grabbed a large cup of tea and swirled it with the silver spoon which also doubled as his planet-eating weapon.

    Jack swept his gaze over his fellow Envoys. Min Ling was the first to meet him. ¡°We still have a date, cowboy,¡± she said. ¡°You promised to spar with me when you reached the B-Grade. I¡¯m right here.¡±

    He grinned at her. ¡°Do you really think you stand a chance?¡±

    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°Good! I look forward to testing out my powers, too.¡±

    ¡°We can do it now.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Just give me a moment.¡± He turned his gaze to another person. ¡°Hey, Sage. Think I could talk to you alone for a minute?¡±

    The homeless-looking man looked up. Just like every other time, he showed no surprise. The extent and nature of his powers remained a mystery to Jack.

    ***If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Jack and the Sage stood alone in a different room. There was another large window here, but no table, only a set of chairs at the back. The two men stood next to the window, gazing out.

    ¡°Do you remember what you told me once upon a time?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many things.¡±

    ¡°That your soul resonated with Enas. That you could use that connection to share in the god¡¯s Dao and reach the B-Grade with basically no bottleneck. That the whole reason Earth was Integrated was because the Church wanted to find you.¡±

    The Sage nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°But is it the whole truth?¡±

    A pause. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I was stranded at a strange place for a year¡ªa place called the Black Hole World,¡± Jack said. ¡°It was occupied by the descendants of an old Archon, trapped there since the first Crusade a billion years ago. They had a stone tablet about that event. It portrayed the Old Gods and the Immortals, as well as their armies.¡±

    Jack turned towards the Sage, then continued. ¡°There was a person there, in the army following the Old Gods. A person who looked just like you.¡±

    The Sage smiled. ¡°It was a stone tablet. How accurate could they make the face of a small figure?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t dodge the question, Sage. It was carved in great detail. That person had your likeness. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The Sage remained silent for a moment. Finally, he sighed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have seen that,¡± he said. Jack instinctively raised his guard, but there was no attack coming, only words. ¡°This isn¡¯t really a secret. It¡¯s just something we¡¯d rather not share to the common cultivator.¡±

    ¡°Am I a common cultivator?¡±

    ¡°You were, last time we talked about this.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°Keep talking.¡±

    The Sage sighed. ¡°The truth is, I am not just a human whose soul vibrates with that of Enas. When he was trapped in the black hole, he was not content to remain there for eternity. Enas embodies the Dao of Life, whose core tenant is survival. Soon after his imprisonment, Enas split his soul in two, then shattered one half into innumerable tiny pieces. Those pieces were nothing but soul-infused collections of Life Dao particles. Over time, they slowly seeped out of the black hole, making their way through the universe and looking for suitable bodies. Of course, that was an extremely unlikely process, which was why Enas had created so many of them. There needed to be someone with a compatible soul, which was already extremely rare, and then there also needed to be a soul piece very close-by when that person was born. The fusion could only be carried out shortly after birth.

    ¡°A billion years later, those coincidences finally occurred. One of those innumerable tiny soul pieces happened to land on Earth, where it fused into a compatible baby. And thus, I was born. A human with a tiny, tiny part of a god inside me. However, even that part of a god¡¯s soul is stronger than a mortal¡¯s, so the fusion wasn¡¯t perfect. I spent thirty-three years on Earth being insane as the two sides warred inside me. I had flashes and visions of things no mortal could witness. It was only when the Integration happened that an agent of the Church arrived at our planet, helped the divine part of my soul overwhelm the other, and made me into who I am today.¡±

    Jack gave him a suspicious glance. ¡°So you¡¯re, like, a clone of Enas?¡±

    ¡°In the wider sense of the word. I possess my own personality and almost none of the god¡¯s powers. What I do have is random visions, as well as an extreme affinity towards the Dao of Life. Specifically, divination.¡±

    ¡°Extreme affinity? Really? Nobody has mentioned your B-Grade breakthrough as anything outstanding.¡±

    ¡°Dao affinity doesn¡¯t always translate into a deeper cultivation. In any case, it¡¯s a good thing my breakthrough was low-key. It helped me avoid attention. My cultivation and combat strength¡ªwhich has always been shit¡ªare secondary. The real purpose of my existence is to remain alive, so the Church can use me as the key to summon the true soul of Enas outside the black hole.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    The Sage smiled, showing yellow teeth. ¡°I am to be sacrificed. Thanks to me, the remainder of Enas¡¯s soul and body will escape their eternal prison, reclaiming his rightful position as god king of the universe.¡±

    ¡°Wait. So the Second Crusade is happening to stop that?¡±

    ¡°No. The Immortals suspect some things, but they know nothing. The Second Crusade coinciding with my appearance is a humongous, terrible coincidence.¡±

    ¡°...How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Dao works in mysterious ways, my friend,¡± the Sage replied with a sad smile. He put a hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The person in the tablet was another clone of Enas. Before his imprisonment, he was experimenting with infusing his soul into cultivators and controlling them. His fellow gods betrayed him before those experiments bore fruit.¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯t really listening. Various puzzle pieces clicked into place in his mind. ¡°Is that why you wanted the Life Drop in Trial Planet?¡± he asked. ¡°Because it was kind of your blood to begin with?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I would be able to resonate with it and use it much more effectively than anyone else, including you¡­but, as I said, my combat strength is secondary. It was average back then, and it¡¯s even worse now. A fragmented soul like me could never reach the A-Grade. I was supposed to take the Life Drop to the Church and help it find a suitable candidate, but I deemed you good enough.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Jack said. He frowned, saying nothing for a moment. He then changed the subject. ¡°Still, man¡­ You only exist to be sacrificed? That¡¯s fucking sad.¡±

    The Sage shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds. I will reunite with my whole like a tributary flowing into the river. The person I am now will die, but my soul will live on.¡±

    ¡°...Oh.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you wanted to ask me?¡±

    Jack looked at the Sage. This homeless-looking, yellow-toothed, rag-wearing man had always been an enigma. The more he learned, the more questions he had¡ªsome of which he felt were better left unasked.

    Something wasn¡¯t right about the Sage¡¯s story. There was still something missing. He just couldn¡¯t place a finger on what.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Good. Then, let me give you a piece of advice before you go fight that little girl,¡± the Sage said, leaning closer. ¡°Do you know why the Heavenly Dao sent that tribulation for you? During your latest breakthrough?¡±

    Jack was immediately transfixed. ¡°Because it¡¯s an asshole?¡±

    ¡°Because you took a single step outside the lines. That by itself isn¡¯t much, but defiance is a plague. It spreads from person to person, and one step turns into ten, which turn into a stampede. What starts slow can turn exponentially fast, and before the universe knows it, it might lose control of you cultivators. So, remember this, Jack. That was neither your first nor last tribulation. The universe will keep trying to take you down. If you do survive, however, then your defiance will become a superpower. You and Brock can spread that shit and change the world. Even the Gods are afraid. Don¡¯t sleep on it.¡±

    Jack stared into the Sage¡¯s eyes, finding them glowing with a fierce, excited light. The next moment, it was gone. The Sage stood back to his full height, which wasn¡¯t much. ¡°Well, that was my advice, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to elaborate? That was cryptic as fuck.¡±

    ¡°You will understand when the time comes. Now go have fun out there. I believe your date is waiting.¡±

 Chapter 478: Sparring Min Ling

    Jack floated in space. The Death Boat floated to the side, a looming behemoth, while the Bone Belt surrounded them in all directions, partially hiding the stars beyond. On a careful glance, Jack noticed this wasn¡¯t the same part of the Bone Belt they¡¯d been at before. The Death Boat had moved since his breakthrough. It made sense¡ªhe¡¯d raised quite a ruckus.

    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± his opponent called out. She raised her spear, pointing it straight at his nose. Red lightning danced on its tip. She grinned. The crowd cheered.

    Min Ling was a pale-skinned, dark-haired woman Jack had first met while training at the Cathedral. They¡¯d been C-Grades then, with her being at the very top of the rankings. Despite that, she was not an asshole¡ªa stark difference from many other cultivators.

    The two of them had adventured together in the Green Dragon Realm and spent three years meditating in a cave. They were good friends.

    Now, they had both reached the early B-Grade. Their once-uneven cultivations had caught up, and any clash between them would depend entirely on talent. That was what Min Ling wanted. She didn¡¯t think she could win, but she was a warrior. Facing the unprecedented genius of Jack Rust, she wanted to see how she stacked up. Her anticipation was through the roof. She¡¯d never been more excited.

    So was the crowd. They also didn¡¯t doubt the conclusion of this spar, but who would miss the opportunity to see two great talents go head-to-head?

    Who would miss Jack Rust¡¯s first battle since entering the B-Grade?

    Jack smiled. ¡°Prepare yourself, Min Ling. Here I come.¡±

    ¡°No need to warn me! And, just so you know, I will be going all-out. If I accidentally kill you, it¡¯s your fault.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°You can try your¡ª¡±

    The spear point was between his eyes. Power blasted out of Jack, slowing her down just enough to let him duck, dodging the strike. It zipped over his head, unleashing a straight thurst which penetrated the entire Bone Belt for a thousand miles. Rock and dust went flying. Space frothed like water currents.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. That was fast!

    His already clenched fist shot out, faster than Min Ling¡¯s spear. A cage of sparks appeared to block it. Intense lightning snaked into his body through his arm, trying to paralyze him or slow him down, but he easily shook it off. His fist kept going, smashing into Min Ling and sending her flying. She¡¯d barely managed to block with the body of her spear.

    ¡°Again!¡± she shouted. Her body blurred. Three Min Lings spread across space, each moving in a different trajectory. They flew in a complex pattern. Even Jack¡¯s accelerated perception couldn¡¯t differentiate them.

    This wasn¡¯t just an application of Space Dao, but more of her extreme speed. Even Jack had to admit that, on this subject, he was outmatched.

    But speed was just one facet of battle.

    He also blurred. Two Jacks appeared, smashing into the three Min Lings. Spears met fists. By this point, Jack¡¯s knuckles were hard enough to clash directly against the tip of her spear. They were by far the most tempered part of his body.

    Blows rained from either side. The two Jacks and three Min Lings maneuvered around each other. It was a spectacular sight.

    ¡°Look, she¡¯s winning!¡± an audience member cried breathlessly.

    ¡°No, you idiot. Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s pushing her back?¡± another replied.

    Though there were two Jacks and three Min Lings, in truth, it didn¡¯t matter at all. Jack didn¡¯t practice this technique. He was purposely matching her strong attribute with his weak one, but even that wasn¡¯t enough. As the two sides struggled, Min Ling was pushed further and further back. She was faster than Jack, but not enough to secure an advantage. Meanwhile, he was stronger, more durable, with deeper insights into the Dao, and with significantly more energy at his disposal thanks to his larger inner world.

    Jack burst with power. The feeling was almost ecstatic. He no longer needed to use the ambient Dao as he did in the D and C-Grades. It flooded out of him, an exorbitant amount of energy perfectly attuned with his Dao. It filled every spot of his body with firecrackers. This power was so explosive, so potent, that he moved at the speed of thought. His punches cracked out. Starry purple aura flowed outside his limbs, splashing back every time he attacked. To the spectators, he looked like a god.

    Min Ling was a boat in a storm, struggling just to stay afloat. She fell into a defensive position. ¡°Hah!¡± she shouted, her joy evident, as she pulled back to disengage. Her form-fitting leather armor was torn at places¡ªher hair was disheveled, and she was panting, but her eyes remained spirited.

    ¡°You¡¯re good, Jack!¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve never lost to someone at the same cultivation level, and I don¡¯t plan to start now!¡±

    ¡°Then come!¡± Jack replied. He, too, was excited. This battle was the best opportunity to familiarize himself with his new powers. Energy flooded his inner world, an amount incomparable to anything he¡¯d ever wielded before. It was a ten thousand mile wide sphere which answered only to him. He could quite literally blast a planet with pure energy and destroy it.

    Red sparks emerged from Min Ling¡¯s body. Purple flames burned. She was clad in lightning and fire, her two main Daos, and Jack could feel her power rising. Space was quivering by her mere presence. ¡°This is my strongest form,¡± she declared. ¡°I know you possess a similar technique. Bring it out, and let¡¯s fight to our heart¡¯s content!¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Make me.¡±

    She snorted. Space rippled, and she disappeared. Her speed was vastly superior to before, as was her strength.

    Jack leaned forward. A spear appeared over his head, having stabbed at him from his blind spot, then curved down to smack him. He punched its body, sending it off-course. Min Ling stayed on him. She pressed her advantage. Hundreds of stabs and strikes assaulted him. She was like a dancer, twirling and turning, maintaining her spear¡¯s momentum as it pelted him with an increasing number of attacks. The lightning gave her explosiveness, the fire tenacity. She had him cornered and wasn¡¯t going to let go.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Jack twisted and turned. He ducked under a swing, leaned sideways to avoid a stab, then slapped another off-course. As she danced, so did he. Min Ling teleported behind and below him, already mid-thrust. He teleported himself upside-down, punching the tip of her spear. Sparks erupted. Fist and spear both recoiled, but Min Ling twisted around herself, borrowing the momentum of Jack¡¯s attack to maintain her momentum.

    She was good. Very good. Jack¡¯s eyes flashed with appreciation. Her technique was immaculate, her body strong, and her Daos deep. Against any other opponent, she would have seemed unbeatable, as if she had no weakness. It was a shame that the one she fought was Jack, who was also an well-rounded fighter but better. His every attribute except speed was a tier above hers.

    Min Ling pelted Jack with attacks. She was going all-out. This form she was using could pressure Jack, but she was also spending tremendous amounts of energy to maintain it. If he just defended, he could probably endure until she grew exhausted.

    But where was the fun in that?

    Jack homed in. Spacetime warped around him, enhancing his movements while obstructing hers. He was like a fish in water¡ªlike a leaf in the wind, untouchable. No matter how many spear strikes surrounded him, they couldn¡¯t even scratch him. His eyes were focused. Every movement of her spear was clearly reflected there, as Jack gathered his energy and waited for his chance.

    He leaned back, then to the side, then flew up and teleported behind her. She matched the movement, still stabbing. He dodged every attack by a narrow margin, saving enough time to dodge the next one as well. His eyes remained glued on hers, sensing her frustration, her growing sense of impatience.

    A single spear strike went wide. Jack¡¯s eyes flashed. Now!

    Lightning erupted from his body with a boom. Thunder Body activated. His speed and power shot up. To her credit, Min Ling reacted instantly. She abandoned her strike and brought her spear back to defend.

    Jack reached out, grabbed the spear body, and yanked it out of the way to expose her face. His strength was vastly superior. Min Ling had no way of stopping him. In the same movement, his other hand was clenched into a fist, shooting forward. He met her panicked eyes. She saw death.

    Jack¡¯s fist froze an inch before her face. She just remained there, unable to react in time. She was still blown back. He might have stopped his punch, but the momentum remained. Min Ling flew backward like a broken kite, her body warped by the extreme speed, crossing a thousand miles in the blink of an eye. Only then did she manage to stop herself, but the force of the strike kept going. The entire asteroid belt behind her exploded. A wide cone of emptiness cut right through it, sending rocks and dust and everything else flying away. A clear, starry sky was revealed at the far back.

    Min Ling stood frozen. She turned her head around to look, gasping at the sheer amount of destruction Jack had wrought. That was just the escaping energy. If he hadn¡¯t stopped his strike, all that energy would have gone into her face. Her head would disintegrate.

    She turned back to the front and chuckled helplessly, not even registering her disheveled hair or the blood that flowed from her nose. ¡°I lost,¡± she declared. Her voice reached the crowd. Voices rose in cheers, while many others spoke encouraging words.

    ¡°You fought great!¡± they said. ¡°That was awesome!¡±

    ¡°Keep rocking, Min Ling!¡±

    ¡°We love you!¡±

    Jack also received words of congratulations, but he only chuckled in amusement. Back during the Integration Tournament, the cheering audience had been made up of F-Grades, while the D-Grade mentors stood arrogantly at the back. Now, the least of his audience was D-Grades, with even B-Grades thrown in the mix. They were reacting the exact same way the F-Grades once had.

    It had nothing to do with individual power. Once a person joined a crowd, they were all the same¡ªand that was not a bad thing at all. It was a reminder that appearances were made-up. We were all humans at heart¡ªor, well, whatever species each of them belonged to.

    Or, maybe, personality had nothing to do with one¡¯s level. Every level had assholes and good people. Take Starhair, for example¡ªthe man had reached a level of power most people would wet themselves just thinking about, yet all he could do was sit away from the crowd and grumble like a loser.

    Jack turned and gave the man a thumbs-up. Starhair snorted.

    ¡°Good fight,¡± Min Ling said, appearing in front of Jack. ¡°I lost fair and square. It was my honor.¡± She extended a hand.

    Jack looked into her eyes and shook it. ¡°The honor was all mine,¡± he replied. ¡°You fought well. It wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed.¡±

    The crowd erupted in cheers. Unlike most of Jack¡¯s battles, there weren¡¯t any bad feelings involved here. It was just a wholesome show.

    She stuck out a tongue. ¡°Liar. You didn¡¯t use a single skill.¡±

    ¡°Thunder Body is a skill.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you only used it for show.¡±

    He winked. ¡°Really though. It seemed I was just dodging everything back there, but it was pushing me to the limit. You are by far the strongest opponent I have ever faced at the same level.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not as great as you make me out to be,¡± she said. ¡°Spoon once lowered his cultivation level to the early B-Grade and sparred with me. He completely kicked my ass.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack felt a sudden interest.

    ¡°Yeah. But, he already told me he won¡¯t do that for you. He wants to fight you at full power once you reach his level.¡±

    ¡°Who says I haven¡¯t?¡±

    She laughed. ¡°Trust me, Jack. He¡¯s a whole different beast. When he reached eight thousand miles during his breakthrough, it was because he had an accident mid-way. The Elders thought he could have gone higher. Much higher.¡±

    Jack turned his head to the side. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon sat there, calmly sipping on his tea. They crossed eyes. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever, big guy,¡± Jack messaged him. Spoon smiled and ignored him. Jack smiled.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon had been the Head Envoy of the Black Hole Church since he was at the middle B-Grade. That meant he was the strongest B-Grade around. Now that he¡¯d reached the late B-Grade and was approaching the peak level¡­ Just how strong could he be?

    Jack felt a rare hint of excitement rising inside him. He really looked forward to fighting that man. Of course, if Spoon didn¡¯t feel like it, he couldn¡¯t force it.

    ¡°Next time,¡± the sovereign¡¯s reply finally reached Jack¡¯s mind, and he nodded, satisfied.

    ¡°Next time.¡±

    ¡°Jack,¡± a new voice came. It was Elder Boatman¡¯s, though it sounded oddly weakened. ¡°Come to the throne room. It¡¯s almost time for you to go.¡±

    Jack looked around. Besides his master, he didn¡¯t have anything tying him down to the Death Boat. Dorman, who¡¯d arrived here alongside Jack, had already left to join the front lines. Even the Spoon Squad would depart soon. He turned his gaze to the Sage, who was sitting there as if untouched by anything.

    A clone of Enas¡­ Jack thought. He shook his head. Whatever was going on there was beyond his current paygrade. Once the time came for him to be involved, hopefully things would become clear.

    He looked back at Min Ling. ¡°I gotta go,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around?¡±

    She smiled. ¡°You bet.¡±

    The two exchanged a hug, then he teleported away.

 Chapter 479: Cultivating in the B-Grade

    Jack teleported inside the bone throne room. White marble was all around. Black columns supported a high ceiling, while a massive, bone-adorned throne stood at the far back, atop a small flight of stairs. The middle of the room held a table with twelve seats, and at the first of those seats sat Elder Boatman.

    He also sat at the second seat. There were two Elder Boatmans.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Jack, let me introduce you to my clone,¡± the first Elder Boatman said. Both of them stood up.

    ¡°I remain one individual,¡± the second Elder Boatman said. ¡°I just split a small part of my soul to create the low-power clone you see before you. As long as they are in the same dimension, my two bodies can communicate instantly regardless of distance. My clone will accompany you to the New Cathedral.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack replied. Scanning the two Boatmans, he saw that the second was only at the early A-Grade level of power, while the first remained at the late A-Grade but had lost some intensity. ¡°You know, this would have been very useful while I was alone in System space.¡±

    ¡°Creating clones is not easy, Jack. You weren¡¯t worth it at the time. Plus, I didn¡¯t know all this was going to happen.¡±

    The second Boatman wore the same clothes and held the same weapon as the original body. On closer scrutiny, Jack found that his scythe radiated far less power. It felt like a replica.

    ¡°I understand,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Master. I hope this wasn¡¯t too hard on you.¡±

    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about,¡± the first Boatman replied. ¡°We can leave as soon as your¡ª Uh. They¡¯re here.¡±

    A door opened, letting in Brock and Starhair. The two were ignoring each other. Starhair had never shown animosity towards Brock, but he had towards Jack, so Brock naturally followed suit. ¡°Hey bro,¡± the brorilla said with a huge smile. ¡°Hello, Master Grandpa Dead. Hello, uh, twin bro of Master Grandpa Dead.¡±

    ¡°Hey Brock,¡± Jack replied. ¡°That¡¯s a clone. He¡¯s still your Master Grandpa Dead, just in two bodies instead of one.¡±

    Elder Boatman groaned. ¡°If you could stop encouraging this farce, Jack, that would be great. Welcome, Brock, Starhair. I trust you¡¯ve been informed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Starhair replied reverently. ¡°With your clone by our side, we are certain to have an uneventful journey. Thank you for your protection.¡±

    ¡°What an ass-kisser,¡± Jack whispered to Brock, loud enough for Starhair to hear.

    ¡°Ass-kisser Bro indeed.¡±

    ¡°Uneventful journeys are the worst kind,¡± Elder Boatman replied, ignoring Starhair¡¯s flattery. ¡°Since you¡¯re all gathered, there is no need to keep waiting. You can leave immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Starhair said as the space around them died, replaced with a different scenery. They were in a starship floating alone in the Bone Belt. The Death Boat was barely visible in the distance through a window. Jack whistled, impressed once again at the efficiency with which Elder Boatman manipulated space.

    This starship was the sleek, metallic kind designed for security. The windows were small and enhanced, while the walls were extra thick. The entire thing was shaped as a needle. Spreading his perception outside, Jack also discovered that the exterior of the starship felt fuzzy, as if his perception slid right off.

    ¡°Anti-detection,¡± the clone of Elder Boatman said, not explaining further. The starship was empty when they arrived. It was just the four of them.

    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Jack said. ¡°Our crew is one-fourth asshole.¡±

    Starhair turned his head around so hard it could have cracked, while Boatman frowned. ¡°You will be civilized, Jack. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. We cannot afford infighting.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Brock went around and knocked on the walls. They replied with muffled thuds¡ªnot the hollow kind. ¡°Good ship,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±

    ¡°The Iron Maiden,¡± Elder Boatman replied.

    ¡°The hell? That¡¯s an ominous name if I¡¯ve ever seen one, Master!¡± Jack protested.

    ¡°There is a reason for it, Jack. There is always a reason. Now, I will handle the guidance of this thing. I don¡¯t specialize in the Dao of Space, so while I am not slow, I am not as fast as Bottomless, either. Moreover, we¡¯ll be operating in stealth mode. It will take us a few days to reach the New Cathedral. We¡¯ll probably encounter space monsters on the way, as this galaxy is choke-full of them, but they shouldn¡¯t be a problem. You are free to stay in your rooms or walk around during the journey, but no infighting. Am I clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡± Starhair replied, standing at attention. Jack and Brock agreed a moment later.

    ¡°Good. Jack and Brock, I will approach you later to discuss your cultivation in the B-Grade. You are all dismissed.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ***

    Despite Elder Boatman¡¯s assurances, Jack felt that the Iron Maiden was not aptly named at all. There was no way it could be. The real iron maiden was a medieval device which killed the person inside it, and this starship was supposed to do the exact opposite. Sure, Jack could sense an odd Dao current flowing through the walls, but what function it could have and how it correlated to an iron maiden was beyond him.

    The starship didn¡¯t care for his concerns. It flowed smoothly through space like a propelled needle through the ocean. With Elder Boatman at the helm, space constantly warped around them, shooting them forward at tremendous speed. Stars twinkled all around. Despite the Elder¡¯s warning about space monsters, and despite the war raging everywhere, this galaxy seemed oddly empty.

    Jack¡¯s mind was calm. He had his eyes closed, breathing to a steady rhythm. His chest rose and fell.

    He was cultivating.

    An endless expanse comprised his inner world. It was so large he almost couldn¡¯t see its limits, though he knew it was exactly ten thousand miles across, shaped as a perfect sphere. A fist-shaped meteor floated in the very middle, while Jack sat cross-legged on it, meditating.

    His real body was still in the outside world, and always would be, but he could manifest his willpower as a second body inside his inner world. Here, he was a god. Everything bowed to his desires. He wasn¡¯t cultivating either of his bodies, but the world itself.

    The inner world had once been filled with energy, but Jack had expended it all during his breakthrough. Now, the remaining energy was pitifully sparse. That didn¡¯t mean it was little in quantity, but that the area over which it spread was just humongous.

    In fact, the energy density was so low that it couldn¡¯t even condense into matter. It was just lonely, fist-shaped particles floating around.

    Jack focused. He took another deep breath, using his powers to draw in the ambient Dao particles of the real world, filtering them so they were compatible with his Dao. He then poured those particles into his inner world. They immediately dissipated into their surroundings and disappeared. Jack persisted. His real body became a funnel similar to a black hole, relentlessly drawing in the energy of the universe and absorbing it into his inner world. The surrounding space stirred. Vacuum strips trailed behind the quickly-moving starship. Had it been sitting still, Jack would have already sucked dry the surrounding few miles of space.

    The volume of energy entering his inner world felt great. Yet, the moment it actually arrived, it dissipated, not even a drop in the bucket. The inner world was ten thousand miles across, with a volume of over four trillion cubic miles. That was just absurd. It was double the volume of the Earth. It felt like using a teaspoon to fill the ocean.

    Jack sighed, running out of patience. This is pointless, he realized.

    In the B-Grade, the System quantified one¡¯s progress using two metrics: Inner World Size and Matter Condensation. The first was self-explanatory. It indicated the diameter of one¡¯s inner world, with Jack¡¯s being a round ten thousand miles. The second metric, as Jack found out after asking Elder Boatman, was a fancy name for energy density.

    The B-Grade worked as follows:

    A cultivator started with a certain world size and abysmal energy density. To progress from one tier to the next, e.g. from the early to the middle B-Grade, they had to absorb energy into their inner world to increase its density. Once it reached a certain point¡ªwhich was at 100% matter condensation, or double the starting density¡ªthe inner world would be dense enough for the energy to condense into matter. That¡¯s where the fancy name came from.

    After matter appeared, the inner world¡¯s stability would increase. The cultivator then utilized that extra stability to expand the world again, increasing its diameter by one fourth and therefore, due to math, doubling its volume. That had the effect of reducing their energy density, pulling it back to 0%. The cultivator had stepped into the next minor tier, and the process began anew.

    In short, he had to cultivate until Matter Condensation went from 0 to 100%, then break through and double the volume of his inner world, then do it all over again. After completing the third cycle, he would have reached the peak B-Grade, and he could then proceed to break into the A-Grade.

    It was simple in theory. Easy in practice. The problem was that it was damn time-consuming.

    Inner worlds possessed enormous volume. Even the smallest inner world with a thousand-mile diameter had volume counted in the billions of cubic miles. Jack¡¯s volume was a thousand times that. He was extremely powerful for his level, but the drawback was that breaking through each minor realm would be far more difficult for him than for other cultivators. Even with his deep foundation and Dao insights, which allowed for faster accumulation of energy, cultivating was simply pointless.

    Inner World size: 10,000 miles

    Matter Condensation: 0%

    He had spent an entire day cultivating, and all he¡¯d managed was to activate the Matter Condensation metric, turning it from a - to 0%. He wasn¡¯t close to 1%. He wasn¡¯t even close to a thousandth of a percent. The volume he had to fill up with energy was so massive, so endless, that he could spend his entire hundred thousand years of lifespan cultivating and only reach the middle B-Grade.

    He grumbled and sat up. Regular B-Grades often spent tens of thousands of years in cultivation between each minor realm, but he had neither the time nor the patience for that. He was at war. If he wanted to have any sort of impact, he¡¯d have to break through within a few years at the most.

    Cultivating like this is a waste of time, he decided. I will progress by killing others to level up or using treasures. My time is best spent on the Dao.

    That was the real path of cultivation. The Dao. And Jack, having just broken through and surpassed a heavenly tribulation, had a bunch of things to meditate on. He also had a Dao Vision to cash in. First, though, he wanted to get some fresh air.

    He exited his room, finding himself back at the bridge of the starship. Elder Boatman sat cross-legged at the very front, facing a window flashing with the light of teleportation, while Brock stood before another window to the side. He seemed relaxed and casual. He¡¯d even found some peanuts somewhere and was chomping them down.

    ¡°Hey Brock,¡± Jack said, approaching his little brother. ¡°You¡¯re also bummed out, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless,¡± Brock said. ¡°The world is too big. Waste of my time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Peanuts?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please. Where did you even find these?¡±

    ¡°Master Grandpa Dead gave me.¡±

    Jack threw an amused glance at Elder Boatman. Another door slid open, revealing Starhair, who was shaking his head at something. The moment he saw Jack, his face soured. He chose a different window and approached it without a word.

    Jack rolled his eyes and walked over.

 Chapter 480: Dao Talk

    ¡°Hey man,¡± Jack said, stepping to the side of Starhair. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    The other cultivator didn¡¯t turn his head. His voice came aloof, almost dismissing. ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°Why are you being a dick to me? I don¡¯t remember doing anything to offend you.¡±

    Starhair gave Jack a long stare, not replying. Jack scoffed.

    ¡°Not that I particularly care,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fair share of assholes. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re stuck here for a few days, I¡¯m annoyed that my cultivation is slow, and I figured that maybe asking you would ruin your mood.¡±

    Starhair snorted. ¡°Of course it¡¯s slow. The B-Grade is adjusted for difficulty against a cultivator¡¯s potential. With your stupidly large inner world, it won¡¯t surprise me if you remain at the early B-Grade forever. It would suit you just right.¡±

    ¡°We both know that won¡¯t happen. I¡¯ll find a way.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Is that it, then? You¡¯re jealous?¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    ¡°You killed a family friend of mine. A C-Grade from my galaxy. You know who I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    Jack scoffed again. ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest idea. I¡¯ve killed lots of people.¡±

    Starhair turned quickly, his galaxy-like hair whipping around. His eyes shimmered with anger. ¡°Don Cranxiao, you imbecile. A heir of the Iron Fist Empire. He was from the Hammerhead Galaxy, same as me, as you very well know.¡±

    Jack blinked in surprise. The name was familiar, from a long time ago. When he first arrived at the Cathedral, Don Cranxiao had been an obnoxious, low-level bully. He was sheltered by his high-rank cousin, Baron Longform, and he often beat up or stole the Dao Stones of the bottom-rankers. He¡¯d eventually made the mistake of messing with Jack, who executed him in a public duel. It was what kickstarted his whole enmity with the much more dangerous Baron Longform.

    In Jack¡¯s mind, Don Cranxiao was nothing but a throw-away minor villain, one of the dozens he¡¯d faced throughout the years.

    ¡°First of all,¡± he said, ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about which galaxy you come from, let alone Cranxiao. It¡¯s my first time hearing about a Hammerhead galaxy. What stupid name is that, anyway? Second¡­ Really? You were friends with that clown? He was nothing but a little bully. I know you¡¯re an ass, but even you can do better.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t insult the dead. Cranxiao was a family friend. I had the implicit responsibility to protect him,¡± Starhair said, puffing out his chest. ¡°Because you killed him, I received the chastised by my galaxy¡¯s A-Grade overlord.¡±

    Jack couldn¡¯t help it. He laughed.

    ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± Starhair said, frowning deeply.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t,¡± Jack replied, still laughing. It wasn¡¯t out of mockery. This justification was so jarringly soft, so ridiculous, that he¡¯d been ambushed with laughter. ¡°Let me tell you something, Starhair,¡± he said, wiping a tear off his eye. ¡°You and I are not the same kind of people. I¡¯m a warrior, and you are just a spoiled, powerful brat. Do you know what happened between me and my last real enemy? He tried to enslave my planet. I killed his son, his best disciple, humiliated him publicly, cracked his Dao, and got him exiled from his family and home faction. In retaliation, he yet again invaded my home planet, abducted my son and killed him before my very eyes, then orchestrated a massive hunt for me. I had to go through hell and back to recover from my son¡¯s death and gain the power to face that man and his backers. Our conflict was the focal point of a constellation-wide war with casualties numbering in the tens of billions. In the end, not only did I defeat him and kill everyone who supported him, not only did I destroy a B-Grade faction with a million years of history, but I also forced his millions of descendants to change their last name so he would dishonored for eternity.¡±

    Jack had stopped laughing. He wasn¡¯t angry, just amused. Meanwhile, Starhair had gone pale.

    ¡°So you can understair, Starhair,¡± Jack continued calmly, ¡°that when you use your peanut-sized brain to insult me only because you received a scolding from your galaxy¡¯s big daddy, you do not intimidate me. I¡¯m not even offended. You are so refreshingly mild that all you achieve is to amuse me. If you want my advice, give it up, turn your life around, and stop being such a little bitch.¡±

    Starhair took a moment to compose himself. He seemed both mortified and angry. ¡°I don¡¯t need your advice,¡± was all he managed to say.

    Jack laughed. ¡°Just stay out of my damn feet,¡± he said, walking away. ¡°Clown.¡±

    He approached Brock again, ignoring Starhair¡¯s burning glare on his back. Brock, who¡¯d listened to the conversation, shook his head. ¡°What a silly little bro,¡± he said.

    ¡°I heard that!¡± Starhair called out, only to be ignored by both.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s one worry off my head,¡± Jack said, shrugging. ¡°What are you going to do now? Meditate on your Dao?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Time is precious. We must work hard.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°After everything that happened, not having a time limit over our heads feels pretty nice, but we shouldn¡¯t laze about.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Brock gave him a good look. ¡°Are you okay, bro?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all in the past now, but thank you for worrying.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± Brock nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to meditate.¡±

    ¡°See you, bro.¡±

    Brock made to walk away. In the same moment, space warped between them. Elder Boatman appeared¡ªthe clone who was driving their ship. ¡°Disciples,¡± he said in his gravely voice. ¡°I have some time. Let¡¯s talk about your paths.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hi Master,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Hello, Master Grandpa Dead. Thanks for the peanuts. They were very tasty.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Brock, you go first. Tell me about your inner world.¡±

    The brorilla grinned. ¡°Okay! I have the bro world. It is gold and big. All my bros live there.¡±

    ¡°As phantoms, I assume?¡± the Elder asked.

    ¡°Yes. All real bros have phantoms in the central temple. There are also brorilla bros flying around.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so much more than mine,¡± Jack said. ¡°I just have a meteor and empty space.¡±

    ¡°Different Daos manifest differently, but it doesn''t mean much,¡± Elder Boatman explained. ¡°Does your inner world feel stable, Brock?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s an important point. It means you can just focus on gathering energy. Not by yourself, obviously¡ªthe New Cathedral contains many resources which I suspect they¡¯ll let you use.¡±

    Jack and Brock¡¯s faces lit up. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. The Arch Priestess controls these things.¡± Boatman waved a hand. ¡°What Daos do you focus on, Brock?¡±

    ¡°Brohood.¡±

    ¡°Just that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The rest of the Daos are just helpful bros.¡±

    Boatman sighed. ¡°That¡¯s good. I would normally be worried, but since you¡¯ve reached this stage without a problem, brotherhood must be one of the rare Daos which can be cultivated by themselves.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Brotherhood is everything.¡±

    ¡°For the early B-Grade realm,¡± Boatman advised, ¡°you should try to exercise your Dao as much as possible. Make bros. Do things with them. Help them and have them help you. I don¡¯t know if the New Cathedral has any Dao Visions suitable for you, but your path is very simple regardless. Just stay pure and true.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Thanks, Master Grandpa Dead.¡±

    ¡°And stop calling me that.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Master Bro.¡±

    Boatman closed his eyes and released a long, tired sigh. ¡°Never mind. Call me whatever you want. Now, Jack¡ªyour path is significantly more complicated than your brother¡¯s. I understand that you cultivate Life and Death alongside Time and Space. Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The Fist is the core of my Dao, and it represents Life. The rest are built around it. Life and Death are my primary duality, and Spacetime is secondary.¡±

    Boatman nodded. ¡°You understand it is a difficult path. Even most Archons only pursue one or two Daos to the apex. You want to go for four, and you have very little time to do so because of the looming war. Tell me the truth¡ªis there any way I can talk you out of this?¡±

    Jack grinned. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Boatman sighed. ¡°Then, here¡¯s what you need to do. Pursue Life and Death concurrently. Use all the time and resources you can on those two Daos, making sure you reach as far as possible and that they remain balanced. Spacetime will hopefully follow by itself. It¡¯s okay if it lags behind a bit¡ªyou¡¯ll have time to make up for it in the A-Grade.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°As for your cultivation, there is no point wasting your time, as you¡¯ve no doubt realized yourself. The process would take tens of thousands of years for each minor realm. Just look for treasures and other opportunities to advance quickly. I want your Dao to remain as your focus, at least for now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re listening¡ªthat already surpasses my expectations. Tell me about your Class.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something called Paragon of Cultivation,¡± Jack explained. ¡°A Legendary Class.¡±

    ¡°Legendary?¡± Boatman raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s its tier. It¡¯s not King, but Legendary. I think that¡¯s better.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that.¡±

    ¡°The System said it¡¯s because I pushed a new boundary in cultivation, opening the path for future generations.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, yes. That makes sense. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never heard about it.¡±  Boatman raised a hand to scratch his pale head. He seemed intrigued. ¡°Then again, you did reach ten thousand miles during your breakthrough. I guess it¡¯s possible. You wouldn¡¯t lie. Based on your description, such a Class should have been awarded to other cultivators in the past, but I¡¯m not surprised it never reached my ears. People tend to keep their Classes a secret. It can serve as a clue about their strengths and weaknesses.¡±

    Jack shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a big deal or not, but the Class did come with certain benefits. It gives me more stats per level. It also grants me a top-level Dao Vision at every minor realm, and it came with a skill which lets me contact an Immortal directly to receive guidance.¡±

    ¡°Contact an Immortal?¡± Boatman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s important. Immortals possess virtually infinite knowledge and resources, and they almost never accept disciples. Having one of them as your mentor would be a huge deal¡ªand, depending on your allegiance, maybe not something you¡¯d want to share. That would explain why there is no mention of this Class in the Church¡¯s records. It¡¯s an easy path to treason¡ªnobody would reveal this.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Jack scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on actually contacting the Immortals. I¡¯m not a traitor.¡±

    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t. It¡¯s a good thing you let me know¡ªa direct channel of communication to the Immortals could be a strategic advantage, if you don¡¯t mind sharing this with the Arch Priestess as well. But it probably won¡¯t work unless you¡¯re inside System space.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s useless.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. There are some things we can do. Those Dao Visions you mentioned should also need the System to work. They obviously aren¡¯t stored in the little System core inside you¡ªyou will need to be in System space to receive them.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I told you¡ªthere are things we can do, but we¡¯ll need to reach the New Cathedral first. Just focus on your Daos for now. Stabilize your foundation. Get ready to leap forward once you receive those Dao Visions. Each will only be about a single Dao, anyway, so most of the heavy lifting will be done by yourself.¡± He sighed. ¡°See how easy this would be if you focused on just one or two Daos?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but I think I can handle four.¡±

    ¡°What else I can do except believe in you?¡± Boatman shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s all I had to say for now. If there is nothing else¡ª¡±

    The starship shook. The teleportation was cut short. Jack looked out the window and saw the inside of pulsating suckers surrounded by bright pink flesh. Something had grabbed their ship and ripped it directly out of the deep spacetime layers. Something big.

 Chapter 481: Fighting A-Grade

    The Iron Maiden groaned. Metal bent. Jack and Brock took a step to steady themselves while Elder Boatman gazed outside the window. Finally, he relaxed. ¡°What are you sitting around for?¡± he asked Jack. ¡°Go out there and kill that thing.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You heard me. You should hurry, too, or it will damage our ship.¡±

    More sounds of creaking metal. Something gave way. A piece of the hull was torn apart. Jack cursed out loud, then teleported outside the starship, staring at it from a distance. He also stared at the space monster.

    It was a monstrosity. A large, bright pink mass of flesh with eight thrashing limbs, one of which was wrapped around their starship. The monster was significantly larger than the ship, over three hundred feet from end to end, and it used its tentacle to bring the ship closer to its single eye, inspecting it carefully. Jack saw the Elder waving.

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± he muttered. This was an octopus. He had traveled to a different galaxy to fight an octopus.

    Despite its small body compared to other space monsters, the octopus contained a vast amount of energy. It felt more like a natural disaster than a creature. Every inch of its body was saturated, hinting at extreme physical power. The fact that the starship hadn¡¯t instantly imploded in its grasp meant there were Dao protections at play.

    Unlike lower-rank space monsters, which relied solely on their physical superiority to crush their opponents, this octopus comprehended the Dao as well. It had reached into a deep layer of space to pull them out of their teleportation, something Jack hadn¡¯t even known was possible. Spacetime fluctuated around it like the surface of the sea in a storm, creating an area of danger several thousand miles wide. If a C-Grade cultivator was placed in this range, they would be immediately torn apart. Thankfully, Jack also cultivated the Dao of Space, so he could resist with little effort.

    At least, this space monster wasn¡¯t of the intelligent variety. Jack wasn¡¯t sure how that worked, but he knew that starting from the D-Grade, more and more space monsters were intelligent. He guessed some species were more bestial than others.

    This was outside System space, so he couldn¡¯t just inspect the creature. He could, however, use his experience to estimate its strength from the Dao fluctuations it emitted. The result made his heart clench. This octopus creature possessed strength squarely at the early A-Grade.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± he muttered. Elder Boatman had mentioned this galaxy being overrun with powerful space monsters, but randomly bumping into an A-Grade was just too much. Too coincidental. There couldn¡¯t be more than a couple of them across the entire galaxy. Had the Elder driven them here on purpose so Jack could fight the giant octopus?

    The monster opened its beaked mouth¡ªwhat the fuck?¡ªand screamed at the starship. Spacetime rumbled. Jack reinforced the spacetime around him in a bubble so he wouldn¡¯t be affected. The starship shook but held¡ªit was absolutely fine. Elder Boatman was on the case.

    Two flashes arrived beside Jack. One was Brock, calmly floating in space surrounded by a golden sphere. He didn¡¯t comprehend spacetime, but he could use raw power to protect himself. Starhair did comprehend spacetime. His hair formed into six thick strands, each glowing like a river of stars. They swirled above his head like an entire galaxy, and they released a discreet aura which kept the octopus¡¯s area attacks at bay.

    ¡°This is an A-Grade space monster specializing in spacetime,¡± Starhair said quickly, offering no new information. ¡°I know you¡¯re stupid, but follow my instructions. We need to work together.¡±

    Jack and Brock exchanged a glance. Brock brought his hands together, pulling the Goldenwood Staff out of his space ring and twirling it once. A golden aura spread over Jack, enhancing him.

    Jack released his Dao. Power surged from his inner world, filling him to the brim. Every cell in his body activated. Purple aura erupted from his body, almost corporeal, dying the world. It was quickly joined by lightning sparks as he activated Thunder Body. He flashed forward, his aura trailing behind him, and every movement released new strands of purple.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t order you to attack!¡± Starhair exclaimed.

    The octopus had noticed them from the start, but it ignored them. In its eyes, they weren¡¯t worth bothering. Only Elder Boatman¡¯s early A-Grade clone, still inside the starship, was its real opponent. Even when Jack charged at the octopus, it just swiped a tentacle at him without even looking.

    But Jack wasn¡¯t your average early B-Grade.

    He grinned. The octopus used the Dao of Spacetime, but so did he. He charged up a massive punch. The fabric of reality was wrestled from the octopus¡¯s control. Every aspect of the universe and every Dao particle was sucked into Jack¡¯s punch, compressed to the extreme. The world around him turned to void.

    The tentacle swiped, but Jack forcefully bent spacetime and teleported out of the way. He appeared over the octopus¡¯s head, fist already coming down. He grinned. ¡°Supernova!¡±

    It felt like a mortal punching a wooden wall. Jack¡¯s hand barely held. A massive explosion followed, showering the world in white and purple light. The void disintegrated for ten thousand miles. The octopus screamed, sent flying downward as it let go of the starship, which spun away. A powerful shockwave still spread, disturbing the surrounding space. The light persisted for a few moments, and the heat was enough to disintegrate metal.

    When the explosion receded, Jack gazed at his bloodied hand which had already regenerated. He chuckled. ¡°Tough motherfucker.¡±

    The octopus screeched. It had been thrown a long distance away, but it just teleported back. It no longer ignored him. A crater was formed on its head, with milky, almost transparent blood flowing out. The octopus glared at Jack, and space coagulated around him. The pressure intensified. He could no longer move.

    It swept two tentacles at him from different directions. They moved at almost the speed of light. Jack turned towards one of them, clenched his fist, and shot it out. The second tentacle came for his back. Brock appeared at the last moment, holding out a palm. A thousand golden brorillas overlapped with him, copying the motion. The tentacle slapped against his palm, which shone golden. Brock was forced a few feet backward, and his arm creaked ominously, but he held.

    Jack punched his own tentacle away.

    ¡°Now, Ass-Kisser Bro!¡± Brock shouted.

    ¡°What did you call me!?¡± A scream came from above, where Starhair appeared and fell onto the octopus. His six strands of starry hair spun like a saw, each elongating to resemble a blade. They hacked into the octopus¡¯s head where Jack had hit it. The monster screamed in pain.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my fucking name!¡± Starhair shouted as he retreated next to Jack and Brock. ¡°I¡¯m the leader here! You follow my commands! Listen well: Jack and I will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Too late, ass-kisser,¡± Jack interrupted him. ¡°Here it comes.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The monster was utterly enraged now. A pulse emanated from its body, locking down spacetime. Even Jack couldn¡¯t teleport. At the same time, all eight of its tentacles elongated, growing from a hundred feet to several miles long. Only its head remained at its former size, making it resemble a weird-ass kind of jellyfish. It opened its beak mouth to screech¡ªand then all eight tentacles shot forward at once, moving at the speed of light, eviscerating the distance.

    ¡°Brock!¡± Jack shouted.

    The brorilla shone golden. He brought his hands together, facing the storm of tentacles. ¡°Good bros are everywhere!¡± he shouted. A hundred illusory, golden brorillas shot out of his body, spreading in all directions. Their bodies warped. From golden brorillas, they transformed into Brock, Jack, and Starhair, hiding the real ones in a sea of illusions. Even their Dao signatures were almost identical to the originals.

    The octopus didn¡¯t care. Its tentacles slapped forward, tearing through the illusions. A dozen cultivators disappeared every instant. Brock¡¯s defenses would last less than a second¡ªbut that was enough.

    The real Jack swam between the tentacles, flying at extreme speed. He didn¡¯t just have to avoid their tips; the entire length of the tentacles danced wildly, striking from every direction without warning, tearing apart the void. The closer Jack approached to the main body, the tighter they were packed. He shot under a tentacle, dodged the random swipe of another, then pressed against it with his feet and launched off. The locked spacetime shivered as he passed. A river of starry purple was left behind him. Sparks rose from his body, further increasing his power as he sailed closer to the main body of the octopus.

    The illusions were mostly gone by now, and Jack was too eye-catching. He was also too close. The octopus screeched and coiled one of its tentacles, attempting to swipe him out of the air. Jack ignored it. ¡°Starhair!¡± he shouted.

    The other man was attempting a similar plan, but he was being much more discreet about it. He still hadn¡¯t been noticed. Unfortunately for him, he also happened to be right between Jack and the swinging tentacle. His eyes widened. ¡°Goddamnit!¡± he screamed. ¡°I¡¯m not your shield, Jack Rust!¡±

    He could have tried to dodge. To his credit, he went with Jack¡¯s plan and used all six of his hair strands to block the tentacle. There was a wet, slapping sound. Jack rushed through. Starhair remained tangled with that one tentacle, his hair wrapped around it and seething in rage. Brock also rushed through, following Jack and shouting, ¡°Good job, Ass-Kisser Bro!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my fucking name!¡±

    The octopus hadn¡¯t expected its attack to be blocked by someone else. It had no more time to react. Jack was upon it, almost face-to-face with its main body. The single eye of the octopus widened as it saw his fist approach. It abruptly rotated its body, and Jack was now facing not its soft eye, but the beak it had for a mouth, surrounded by the roots of all eight tentacles.

    He rushed into it regardless. He pulled back a fist. The beak opened to bite down on him, revealing a gaping darkness.

    Jack reached the mouth. At the last moment, he abandoned his punch. A new pulse of power erupted from his body. He straightened himself. As the beak clamped down, ready to tear him apart, he stepped on its bottom half and grabbed the top one with his hands. For a single, terrible moment, he thought he¡¯d miscalculated. The beak pushed itself closed with terrible force, and Jack¡¯s body was bending under the pressure. His arms and legs were shaking. He pulled more and more power out of his inner world, flooding his body, using everything he had to keep the beak open.

    Space monsters specialized in physicality, but so did Jack, and he had an effective twenty thousand Strength. It was about damn time he put it to use!

    A moment later, the closing beak slowed. Its momentum faltered, and the pressure reduced. Jack was left in the monster¡¯s beak, holding it open with all his strength. He felt like Atlas holding up the sky. His entire body was on the verge of breaking, but he possessed enough strength, just as he suspected.

    He was stuck. Any moment now, the monster would wrap a tentacle around him and squish him to death. However, he¡¯d temporarily kept the beak open. That was enough.

    ¡°Staff Bro, I choose you!¡± a shout came from behind him. A golden arrow flew by his head¡ªthe Goldenwood Staff, overcharged with the Dao of Brohood. It flew right into the octopus¡¯s open mouth. Golden light illuminated the darkness, revealing a vast emptiness. As it turned out, the octopus¡¯s head was hollow. But not for long.

    The golden aura around the staff erupted. A hundred brorillas appeared, wielding various weapons, and they started attacking the octopus from within. Transparent blood flew everywhere.

    This space monster possessed extreme durability, but so what? Its insides were naturally softer than its outsides, not to mention that the brorillas could attack it freely. Even if the damage they inflicted with each strike was minimal, it quickly added up. The octopus screamed and thrashed, growing more panicked by the second. It even released Jack, who managed to slip out of its mouth, his limbs still trembling by the effort.

    He and Brock remained nearby. Whilst being torn apart from the inside, it couldn¡¯t focus on them. Its attacks were wild and predictable. Both of them could easily dodge, pelting the space monster with their own attacks to expedite its fall. Starhair also assisted¡ªhis strands of starry hair possessed great offensive power.

    The octopus weakened with every passing moment. Soon, it completely lost all power to resist, and then it was over.

    A massive body lay across this ravaged part of space. Spacetime was returning to order as a sea of milky, transparent blood slowly spread out. ¡°Good fight,¡± Brock said, grinning. ¡°Nice teamwork, Ass-Kisser Bro.¡±

    ¡°How many times do I need to tell you? Stop calling me that!¡±

    ¡°Man, fighting in the B-Grade is so fun,¡± Jack said, clenching and unclenching his fist. He had so much power at his disposal. He could sense himself growing stronger. There was an addictive element to this progression¡ªan almost euphoric sense of improvement.

    ¡°That was stupid, by the way,¡± Starhair said. ¡°Going into its beak like that? It¡¯s a space monster. They¡¯re supposed to be strong. You¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡±

    Jack winked at him. ¡°I knew what I was doing. The monster was very fast and extremely durable, but when it struck me at the start, I could tell that its strength was lacking. As for me, I specialize in Physical. I was pretty sure I could overpower its beak. Even if I couldn¡¯t, I¡¯m also durable¡ªI wouldn¡¯t die.¡±

    Starhair snorted, looking away. A flash came between them all. Elder Boatman appeared, calm and collected. ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to help.¡±

    ¡°Did you bring us to this monster on purpose?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Of course. It is known to inhabit this territory of space, so we took a little detour. It was a good opportunity for you to practice fighting together.¡±

    ¡°Why would we need that?¡± Jack asked, eyeing Starhair.

    ¡°Because we¡¯re all part of the same faction. We¡¯re an army at war. All battles are group battles, and the faster you get used to that, the better.¡± He swiped a pale hand. The body of the octopus and its sea of blood disappeared, leaving only Brock¡¯s staff hovering in the middle. There was also a little pink ball. Like a miniature version of the octopus, except fist-sized, perfectly smooth, and without tentacles. Elder Boatman opened his hand, and the ball flew to him.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Jack asked.

    Boatman gave him a look. ¡°Have you never killed a space monster outside System space?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as common as you make it sound.¡±

    The Elder smirked. ¡°This is the monster¡¯s core,¡± he said, raising the ball so Jack and Brock could take a better look. ¡°The condensed energy source of a space monster. Very useful for cultivation. If you kill a space monster in System space, the System automatically disperses this core and grants you its energy as levels. That process, and space monster cores, are what the entire leveling aspect of the System is based on Here, you have to do it manually, but it¡¯s the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack exclaimed.

    ¡°Since Brock delivered most of the damage, this core belongs to him,¡± Boatman said, tossing it over to the brorilla. ¡°It should have enough energy to give you a dozen levels. Use it wisely.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Master Grandpa Dead. I will share with my bros.¡±

    Boatman nodded. ¡°However,¡± he said, ¡°I am not pleased with how you two acted. As the one with the highest cultivation, Starhair is automatically in charge. You should have followed his orders.¡±

    ¡°He would have given dumbass orders,¡± Jack said. ¡°He¡¯s not familiar with us and our fighting styles, plus he¡¯s less intelligent than the octopus.¡±

    ¡°You may have your differences, but Starhair is an elite peak B-Grade with thousands of years of experience. You, on the other hand, have been cultivators for less than a decade. It would do you good to practice some humility.¡±

    Jack and Brock deflated. They made fun of Starhair, but they had to admit Boatman had a point. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Jack said. Next time, he would wait for the stupid orders to actually arrive before disobeying them, so nobody could complain.

    Starhair puffed up. ¡°Serves you right, younglings.¡± He ignored their glares.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get going,¡± Boatman said. ¡°We¡¯re only halfway there, and we don¡¯t want to leave the Arch Priestess waiting.¡±

 Chapter 482: It Awakens

    It¡¯s important to have a way forward. A guiding line, pulling you towards where you need to be. Jack meditated on that as the starship shuttled closer and closer to the New Cathedral.

    What is my path now? he wondered. I¡¯ve saved Earth, destroyed the Animal Kingdom, and avenged my son¡­ Now, where is my fist aimed?

    At the Immortals. That much was easy. In the previous years, Jack had matured greatly and understood many things. The reason he and Earth suffered so much was due to the Immortals. The Animal Kingdom was just a symptom¡ªthe System was the real cause. It sank the galaxies into permanent war, encouraging everyone to kill each other. It rewarded levels for blood. Of course it would create tyrants. In such an environment, any system of government not based on raw power was bound to collapse.

    The Immortals and their System had made the universe suffer for a billion years now, all to create as many warriors as possible. Trillions of lives had fallen for their cause. It didn¡¯t have to be this way. Cultivation was meant to be a slow, peaceful process. There would always be enemies and killing, even war, but the world order should try to prevent that, not actively encourage it.

    Jack had attained his own freedom. He¡¯d liberated his people. Now, he fought to save the world.

    He was certainly against the Immortals. As for whether the Old Gods were a good alternative¡­ That remained to be seen.

    His rumination was interrupted by a constant whisper at the back of his mind. He sighed. Just a little bit ago, he¡¯d made a mistake.

    He¡¯d opened his space ring to find The Stone, a blabbering pebble he¡¯d once picked up from the corpse of Eva Solvig. He hadn¡¯t given it much thought at the time, but The Stone was lonely. The moment he took it out, guilt-ridden into keeping it company for a while, it had launched into a ceaseless barrage of questions.

    ¡°Oh, hi!¡± it had said in its high-pitched voice. ¡°Long time no see. How are you doing? All good? Where are we? Nice room, by the way. I love the window. Is that the Spiral Stair galaxy? You have a little bit of spit on you, by the way. Did you face a Spitting Salamander? Those critters are vicious!¡±

    The Stone had just rattled out of the name of this galaxy, which it should have no way of knowing. It couldn¡¯t overhear from inside the space ring.

    ¡°How do you know this is the Spiral Stair galaxy?¡± Jack asked, wiping his hair.

    ¡°Good question. I wish I knew. So, anyway, how have you been? Tell daddy everything.¡±

    Jack had opened and closed his mouth to no effect. He¡¯d persisted for a bit, but The Stone really seemed to not remember much. It just instinctively recognized this galaxy. Its mystery deepened with the moment. According to Eva¡¯s notes, she¡¯d found it on an asteroid in the Milky Way. What connection did it have to the Spiral Stair galaxy? And how did it get from here to there?

    Unfortunately, he got no new information out of it. After humoring The Stone for a half-hour of ultra-high-speed chatting, he suddenly had an idea. He placed it in his inner world, where it could hang out with Copy Jack, who had nothing better to do anyway. Meanwhile, Jack could ponder on his Dao guilt-free.

    That idea had backfired, since Jack had a constant awareness of his inner world. The Stone¡¯s speech barrage reached his mind like a persistent, distant whisper, frequently breaking him out of his thoughts. It didn¡¯t matter that Copy Jack only replied with grunts and, ¡°Is that so?¡± The Stone just kept going. If there was a competitive talking league, it would have swept the trophies.

    Jack took a break from meditation, massaging his temples. This can¡¯t go on, he decided. I don¡¯t care how lonely it is, it¡¯s going back in the space ring.

    He entered his inner world, finding the Stone flying around the head of Copy Jack. Even he seemed annoyed.

    ¡°Oh, hi real Jack,¡± the Stone said the moment he appeared. ¡°We were just discussing whether you should put on both socks before both shoes, or one at a time. I support that the most organized people¡­¡±

    It just kept going and going. Jack hardened his heart, and he was about to pull it away when a mighty roar blasted throughout his entire inner world. ¡°KID!¡± it screamed. ¡°For the love of Enas, make it stop!¡±

    Jack looked up. His gaze brightened with surprise. ¡°Turtle!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    ¡°My name is Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, and you will make that chattering thing shut up or I will break it to pieces!¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°But you can¡¯t exit the Life Drop.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    A green ray of light emerged from the inactive Life Drop. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell appeared in Jack¡¯s inner world. It was even larger than he remembered¡ªalmost a mile from head to tail. Yet, compared to the size of his inner world, it was nothing. It had a wide shell of interlocking plates, the head of a snapping turtle, and wise, beady little eyes. If not for its power and intelligence, it could have been a magnified snapping turtle.

    As Jack inspected it, he realized he¡¯d now grown to the point where he could estimate its strength. It wasn¡¯t at the B-Grade, as he had assumed, but at the early A-Grade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I can and can¡¯t do, kid!¡± It snorted, satisfied at Jack¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°I am the senior here. If I tell you to shut it up, you will¡­¡± It trailed off. It looked around, its eyes going from annoyance to wonder. ¡°What the hell did you do, kid?¡± it asked in a whisper. ¡°How large is this place?¡±

    ¡°Ten thousand miles,¡± Jack replied with a grin.

    ¡°Hi!¡± The Stone exclaimed. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am The Stone! From what I understand, you are The Turtle?¡±

    ¡°Who¡ª Fuck you. I am Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.¡±

    ¡°That is no way to speak. Politeness is the cornerstone of civilization. Let me recite you a sermon I seem to recall hearing somewhere. It all began when¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ Just stay quiet,¡± the turtle said, deflating. ¡°Jack. Kid. What the hell is going on here? How long was I asleep?¡±

    ¡°Almost five years,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re telling me you went from a middle C-Grade to this in just five years?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The turtle choked. ¡°You damn monster,¡± it said, but Jack could hear the pride in its voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad I exhausted myself to save you.¡±

    ¡°So am I.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°It was okay. Just a little power nap. I can¡¯t believe I was awoken by a prattling stone, of all things.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±

    ¡°Annoying.¡±

    ¡°But besides that?¡±

    ¡°No clue, kid. Do I look like an encyclopedia to you?¡± It snorted at its own joke. ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m glad I woke up. There are many things to talk about, and¡ª Kid! What did you do to the Divine Blood? It¡¯s empty!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. That happened. I used all of its energy in my B-Grade breakthrough.¡±

    The turtle seemed like it would have an aneurysm. ¡°You used it all up?¡± it repeated. ¡°A billion years of accumulation, and you used it all up? You just reached the B-Grade! This is absurd!¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, it was very helpful.¡±

    ¡°Helpful? Ohh kid, I¡¯ll fuck you up!¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The turtle rushed Jack, who just willed it back into the Life Drop. It may be an almighty entity, but it was now inside his inner world. Here, he was a god. It couldn¡¯t do anything to him.

    Not that it really intended to harm him, anyway. It was just playing around.

    ¡°Okay, I give up!¡± the turtle¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Bring me out again, we need to talk!¡±

    ¡°In a moment,¡± Jack said, suppressing his laughter. ¡°Attacking me wasn¡¯t very senior-like of you. Therefore, you should embrace your responsibilities and grace the younger generation with your knowledge. Here¡¯s a perfect candidate.¡±

    With a tug of will, he transported The Stone into the Life Drop.

    ¡°No!¡± the turtle cried out in horror. ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise! Just take this thing out of here!¡±

    Jack could already hear The Stone¡¯s endless chatting. ¡°Have fun!¡± he said, then sealed the Life Drop. He laughed. The turtle liked to act tough, but it had a good heart. It wouldn¡¯t actually harm The Stone. If anything, maybe a few hours of chatting would sap away The Stone¡¯s energy so Jack could have a proper chat with it.

    He also had a few things to talk about with the turtle, but they could wait. Anything for a moment of quiet.

    ***

    The stone was inexhaustible. Even when Jack unsealed the Life Drop several hours later, he found it still chatting away. The turtle had used its own energy to seal The Stone in a bubble, effectively muting it. The Stone didn¡¯t seem to notice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise,¡± the turtle said as Jack pulled it out of the Life Drop. ¡°Just, for the love of Enas, make it stop.¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said. ¡°The Stone is lonely. It needed some company.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also lonely, but I would rather bury myself in an active star than stand its chattering for a single moment longer.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°How much clearer could I make it?¡±

    ¡°Not that. That you¡¯re lonely. I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    The turtle fell silent for a moment. ¡°In any case,¡± it changed the subject, ¡°now that I¡¯m awake, there are a few things to get in order. First, what the hell did you do to become so powerful so quickly?¡±

    Jack smiled. He briefly explained everything that happened since the turtle fell asleep at the Green Dragon Realm.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your son,¡± it replied when Jack was done. For the first time, Jack thought he heard genuine care in its voice. It then sighed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s good that this happened when it happened. Your road had been too smooth. You needed a setback. It builds character.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°Master Boatman said the same thing, but let¡¯s not talk about that. I have some things to ask you. You¡¯ve been alive for a long, long time. Have you been in the Life Drop since after the First Crusade, when Enas was imprisoned?¡±

    The turtle settled down. It rested its huge body on the fist-shaped meteor in the center of Jack¡¯s world, then sighed deeply. ¡°Some things are blurry,¡± it finally explained. Its voice had lowered to a whisper. ¡°I was in intermittent stasis until you awakened the Life Drop. I understood it¡¯s been a billion years, but¡­ Mortal bodies are not meant to last that long. Not even mine. Even asleep, part of my mind has deteriorated.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Jack placed a hand on its shell. ¡°As much you remember. Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Anyway. I wasn¡¯t going to give you this information before, but since you¡¯ve now reached a decent level, it¡¯s best if you know.¡± It took a deep breath. ¡°My name is Venerable Saint Thousand Shell. A space monster. I am¡ªwas¡ªthe spiritual companion of the man you call Archon Black Hole. His real name was Claude.¡±

    Jack nodded. He¡¯d suspected this much. Archon Black Hole wielded great power during the First Crusade and had founded the Black Hole Church. He was also the creator of the Black Hole World, where Jack had spent a year of his life. After all that, Jack had expected him to be somehow related to the Life Drop, though he didn¡¯t expect the turtle to be that man¡¯s spiritual companion. It was to him what Brock was to Jack.

    ¡°Claude,¡± he said, tasting the name. He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s so normal.¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? It¡¯s not like people knew he¡¯d grow up to be an Archon when he was born. Most high-status people have normal names, which is why they prefer to use their titles. It makes them sound cooler. I think that¡¯s stupid.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Is that so, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my real name, kid!¡± the turtle shouted. It proudly raised its head. ¡°It was given to me by Claude.¡±

    ¡°Right. So, you guys were bros?¡±

    ¡°Bros?¡±

    ¡°Friends. Sorry, boomer.¡±

    It gave him a funny look. ¡°We were close, yes. Of course we were. I had left my homeland and was escaping through the cosmos when I ran into Claude at the fringes of a Systemless galaxy. We fought, and he subdued me. However, surprised at my intelligence, he didn¡¯t kill me. We talked, bonded, and decided to travel together since we were both alone in the universe.¡±

    Jack almost thought this was touching before he realized what the turtle had just revealed. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°I know the Archon was an outlaw, or kind of, but what about you? You mentioned you were escaping from your homeland?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. You¡¯ll never get anywhere close to it, anyway. Just know that space monsters are divided into the sapient and beastly types, and the sapient ones have their own world in another galaxy. Back to the point. I met Claude while he still pretended to be allied with the Immortals. I helped him sow the seeds of an uprising, culminating into the organization now known as the Black Hole Church¡ªa group of individuals fed up with the tyrannical and warmongering Immortals. We worshiped Enas, who, if freed from his prison, might possess the power to unite the Old Gods and once again assault the Immortals. That was the only way to bring them down¡ªthey were too powerful otherwise.¡±

    ¡°So you intended to launch a reverse Crusade?¡±

    ¡°Essentially, yes. But rescuing Enas was a long and difficult road. Bluntly put, we had no idea how to do it. All solutions we could come up with required a set of near-impossible coincidences, and the time horizon of our plans was discouragingly long. Finally, some of us couldn¡¯t take it anymore. We broke away from the Immortals and officially formed the Black Hole Church, trying to save as many people as possible. Since we knew the plan would be inherited by our descendants, we set up various contingencies. Claude had secretly installed the Life Drop in one of the Trial Planets, placing me as its guardian spirit. His life was running out, anyway, so he was tying up loose ends. He was also working on the Black Hole World you discovered. I¡¯m glad he succeeded, though it saddens me to hear his descendants have been trapped there ever since.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be free soon,¡± Jack replied. ¡°As for that set of coincidences you mentioned¡­ I believe they¡¯ve finally occurred. The Church is close to rescuing Enas, though I don¡¯t know the specifics.¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡±

    The shout was so loud and so sudden Jack was flung back. The resting turtle broke away from its reminiscence and jumped to its feet, regarding him with almost dog-like excitement. ¡°Start with that next time, kid! That¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s the best news ever!¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Jack replied, holding his ear.

    ¡°It is! I won¡¯t ask if you won¡¯t say, but ohhh kid, how my old bones are tingling for a fight. I¡¯m so glad I slept for a billion years. I get to carry out Claude¡¯s last wish! This is great!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Jack said. The turtle was even wagging its tail. ¡°So, uh, is there anything you want to tell me? Some instructions on how to use the Life Drop? And with less shouting, please.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. If I want to shout, kid, then I will shout. And, oh, now you care about the Life Drop? After you wrung it dry of its billion years of accumulation?¡±

    ¡°What else was I supposed to do? You were asleep.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I seem to recall, kid, that you owed me some life energy from before I fell asleep. You¡¯d borrowed some to create your silly little life stones or whatever and we¡¯d agreed you¡¯d return it.¡±

    ¡°I would, but again, you were asleep.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now. Hand it over. And with proper dues¡ªit¡¯s been four years since your deadline to pay me back, so let¡¯s just say you owe me double.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t have any life treasures at hand,¡± he said. ¡°How about I help you fulfill Claude¡¯s last wish and destroy the Immortals? Would that be payment enough?¡±

    The turtle considered it. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    ¡°There are a few advanced ways to utilize the Divine Blood,¡± the turtle began, instantly launching into an explanation, ¡°but they¡¯re useless when it¡¯s empty. You should try to refill it. It can be very useful, even to B and A-Grades.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The turtle stood to its full height. ¡°It was nice catching up. Now go meditate on your Daos, or play ball, or whatever it is you youngsters do. I will relax. And no matter what you do, kid, don¡¯t ever put that stone in my territory again. I will break it.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He¡¯d actually been planning to leave The Stone with the turtle, given that they were both immortals, lonely existences. But he couldn¡¯t force it. He¡¯d just need to find a better candidate. Copy Jack wasn¡¯t suitable either, as he was in Jack¡¯s inner world, and the endless chattering there reached his ears as an annoying whisper.

    Hmm. If I create a separate place in my inner world, however¡­

    It was an interesting idea, though not for right now. Jack summoned The Stone from inside the Life Drop, cutting it off in the middle of a sentence. ¡°Oh,¡± it said, looking around despite its lack of eyes. All it had was a mouth. ¡°Hi Jack. What¡¯s up? Did you know that embroidery was considered a rebellious act in ancient times?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. Listen. I will need to put you back in my space ring for a few days, but then I promise I¡¯ll find you some company, okay? It¡¯s just that I¡¯m working on something right now and I need some silence.¡±

    ¡°I can be silent.¡±

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    The Stone shook from side to side. ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t. But promise you¡¯ll take me out again, okay? Don¡¯t just throw away the space ring. I don¡¯t want to be alone again. Please?¡±

    His heart was touched. ¡°I promise,¡± he said. The Stone nodded, uncharacteristically quiet. Jack took it out of his inner world and into his space ring.

    I¡¯m carrying so many different dimensions right now.

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± said the turtle. ¡°That talking stone. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I can sense its pain and kindness. You really should find it some company. Just not me.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Jack replied. Copy Jack just watched from the side, silently, like a ghost.

    Jack returned to the real world and meditated, slowly advancing his Dao. The hours turned into days until, without incident, they arrived at the New Cathedral.

 Chapter 483: Arch Priestess

    The New Cathedral was built on a sprawling expanse. A prairie stretched for endless miles. Blades of grass danced, occasionally trampled by the hooves of farm animals. Civilization had slowly started to appear on this beast-inhabited planet, brought about by the Church.

    A brontosaurus head peeked out of a jungle in the distance, calmly chewing on wide leaves. A pterodactyl flew overhead. Deeper in the jungle, a beast roared.

    This planet had no name. It was just one of the many inhabitable planets that dotted this and every galaxy. It had been chosen because of its location deep inside a cluster of stars, and also because, while it possessed life, no intelligent life forms had developed yet. The planet was covered in moist jungles and inhabited by creatures suspiciously similar to Earth¡¯s dinosaurs.

    Asking around, Jack discovered that giant lizards were a common life form in the universe. Unfortunately, them developing sapience was rare. Something to do with their cold blood. Jack would have liked to explore the subject, but he had more pressing problems.

    The New Cathedral was a vast temple surrounded by a city complex. Construction had only begun two years ago, but it was carried out by high-level cultivators, so everything progressed at a rapid pace. Rows of residences already lined the city outside the temple¡ªa mix of fairy-tale and high-tech standards. Construction sites littered the surroundings. There was water, sewage, and electricity, all dependent on a large nearby lake. People crawled around this place, seeming like ants from up-high, while farmers had already began transforming the surrounding prairie into rich farmland.

    The temple itself was made of wood, glowing with life in the sun. Its shape was similar to a set of four joint spheres, with one in the middle and the other three surrounding it.

    The center sphere was the largest. Its domed roof reached several hundred feet in size, while the other three were only half as tall. Balconies were visible at the top of the domes, and the open entrance of each building revealed an austere, powerful interior. Windows were everywhere.

    The temple had smooth walls decorated with statues and paintings of heroes¡ªmaybe past Archons¡ªfighting all sorts of enemies. In one prominent piece, two humanoids and what looked like a centaur faced down five robots. Numbers were painted on each robot head¡ªfrom five to nine. Jack could tell they were Immortals, but the meaning of the numbers was lost on him.

    ¡°This is pretty good work for two years,¡± he commented. Their starship descended towards a landing base sandwiched between a park and a medieval pub.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°The city is just an afterthought. All the real effort goes into the war.¡±

    Brock pointed in the distance. ¡°Look, bro. Big lizards. Girl Bro would be happy here.¡±

    Jack smiled. Nauja¡¯s tribe originally lived in the Barbarian Ring of Trial Planet, a place also inhabited by dinosaurs. This planet would have given her nostalgia. Unfortunately, she was an incalculable distance away, so she would probably never see this.

    ¡°The New Cathedral is a military base, not a sightseeing attraction,¡± Starhair said with a snort.

    Jack laughed. ¡°Keep it in your starry pants. There is always time to sightsee.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    ¡°Hmph to you as well.¡±

    ¡°The Arch Priestess wants to see you, Jack and Brock,¡± Elder Boatman suddenly said. ¡°I will take you to the main temple now. Do you know the way, Starhair?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Elder,¡± Starhair replied. ¡°Thank you for the trip.¡± He vanished.

    ¡°You know, he¡¯s actually not that bad,¡± Jack said, pointing his thumb at Starhair¡¯s previous location. ¡°Just needs to loosen up a little.¡±

    Brock shook his head. ¡°Ass-Kisser bro still needs an ass-kicking. Otherwise, he will backfire.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±

    Their starship changed course. From the landing spot they were aiming at, they were now headed towards the temple. Elder Boatman steered them to the entrance¡ªa thirty feet tall archway depicting a kind, scholarly man at the top. The man was opening his arms as if to hug whoever entered.

    ¡°That¡¯s Enas,¡± Elder Boatman explained. ¡°It is said that life originated from one of his experiments, so he¡¯s often portrayed as a scholar.¡±

    Jack nodded and entered.

    The interior of the temple was as expected. Rows of wooden benches led to an altar featuring another image of Enas. Cultivators of various levels lined the benches, praying, though they didn¡¯t seem too devoted. Some chatted with one another, while a pair of children ran down the aisle. A white-robed priest silently read a book in the back.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the upper floor,¡± Elder Boatman said. He led them to a spiral staircase upward. Just like everything else in this temple, it was made of wood. Flowers sprouted from various places, like the entire temple was a living, still-growing tree. Jack could even sense his Dao of Life invigorated inside this place.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Oh wow,¡± The Stone said from his inner world. ¡°If I had a credit for every time I¡¯ve been inside a living tree building, I would have two credits. Which isn¡¯t a lot, but it¡¯s weird that it happened twice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to a similar place before?¡± Jack asked back.

    ¡°Not similar. I think I was stuck inside a tree hollow once. Nobody came to save me, and I obviously couldn¡¯t dislodge myself, being a stone and all. I eventually just waited until the tree grew older and its hollow wider, and then I just slipped out.¡±

    ¡°You know it¡¯s annoying when you remember random stuff but not the important ones, right?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, my friend. It¡¯s not on purpose. Maybe if I speak enough, the right memories will surface! Okay, let¡¯s see. My favorite food is¡ª¡±

    It couldn¡¯t even eat food. Jack tuned out The Stone as they ascended the staircase. He counted three landings, but they kept going up. The higher they reached, the less noise was in their surroundings, though nobody questioned them being here. Eventually, they reached the top of the stairs, greeted by a door made of twisting tree branches.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple,¡± Jack said. ¡°The Arch Priestess is an overlord of the universe. Surely she has her own dimension instead of sitting behind a wooden door.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t quite tell, but he thought Elder Boatman smiled. The old vampire knocked on the door. A moment later, a voice answered him. ¡°Enter.¡±

    The door swung open, revealing a place Jack could only describe as sacred.

    Flowers grew from the wooden walls. A hole in the ceiling let in a column of light, with dust particles lazily floating about. The world turned quiet the moment Jack entered¡ªhe was surrounded by reverence, piety, the sound of a gentle stream. An earthly scent permeated the room, punctuated by the dirt which made up the floor. There were even ants walking back and forth. The few columns were made of wood and had vines growing around them. Everything was natural and at peace.

    On the dirt floor, a lone path stretched from the entrance to the back of this dome-shaped room, leading to a throne of roots and flowers. A woman sat there¡ªthe only other person in the room. Her presence was ethereal. She was like a goddess of nature, a part of the natural world. White robes covered her entire body, revealing only a pair of smiling golden eyes and tanned, bare feet. Her toenails were unpainted.

    The moment Jack laid eyes on this woman, he knew she was the Arch Priestess, the leader of the Black Hole Church. And he knew that with absolute certainty, not because of the context of his arrival here or because of her commanding position in the room, but because of the sheer amount of power which left her body. It was indescribable. The strongest person Jack had seen so far was Elder Boatman, but even his power paled before hers, a firefly to the moon. She was so powerful that Jack had the momentary illusion that she was the entire world, and he had been pushed outside of it.

    Despite her great strength, however, her aura bore no pressure at all. It was like staring at the sky¡ªbeautiful, vast, but not suppressive.

    Jack was lost for words. The Stone in his inner world, for whatever reason, wasn¡¯t. ¡°Oh wow,¡± it said. ¡°If you and that woman pool your clothes together, you might be able to make two properly dressed people.¡±

    Jack was snapped out of the illusion and had to fight not to laugh. He wore only a pair of shorts; she, robes covering her entire body, and who knows what else underneath.

    The Arch Priestess regarded them kindly, yet without speaking. Elder Boatman fell to a knee. ¡°Boatman greets the Arch Priestess,¡± he said. ¡°May your life be ever blooming.¡±

    Jack and Brock followed, also bowing. ¡°Greetings, Arch Priestess,¡± they said as one. Even Brock spoke with more respect this time.

    She still regarded them silently. Right as Jack was beginning to wonder, her entire being brightened. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but he knew she¡¯d just given a radiant smile. ¡°Hello, Boatman, Jack, Brock,¡± she said. Her voice was exactly as expected. Ethereal, beautiful, yet heavy with authority. Hearing it made Jack feel warm inside, but he would hesitate to interrupt her.

    ¡°I have heard many things,¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is all ours, Arch Priestess,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. Don¡¯t worry about offending me. In private, you may address me freely and speak your mind.¡±

    Jack looked up. He didn¡¯t straighten his back yet because neither had Elder Boatman. ¡°Your temple is beautiful,¡± he blurted out. He wasn¡¯t sure why he said that. To lighten the mood?

    Her smile¡ªwhich he still couldn¡¯t see¡ªgrew wider. The feeling was like every flower in existence blooming at once. ¡°The Immortals live in temples of metal,¡± she replied softly. ¡°They worship themselves and hold no respect for life. I hope we can be better. All life is sacred, even the simplest trees and flowers. When we live in harmony, our hearts are at peace¡ªwith our hearts at peace, we can truly live.¡±

    Jack¡¯s Dao of the Fist resonated with her words. A casual phrase had awoken his Dao of Life. The sign of an Archon.

    ¡°Well-spoken, Beautiful Bro,¡± Brock said, nodding in agreement. Jack¡¯s heart seized. Elder Boatman tensed up.

    ¡°Oh!¡± The Stone said. ¡°Your bro has a crush on the leader lady! Maybe you¡¯ll all become a big family and have half-monkey, half-priest children.¡±

    The Arch Priestess, however, only laughed¡ªa light, cheerful sound.

    ¡°Thank you, Brock,¡± she replied. ¡°Your ancestry resonates with my temple. If we have the time later, I look forward to discussing your view of life and nature. It is rare for a beast-born cultivator to reach such high achievements.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°Time is precious these days,¡± the Arch Priestess said, standing from her throne. She was taller than Jack expected¡ªslightly more than himself. Her white robes cascaded, elegantly covering her whole body. ¡°You may take your leave, Boatman. I will instruct your disciples and ensure they take full advantage of the resources the New Cathedral has to offer. When I¡¯m done, I will return them to you, so you can guide them more consistently.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Arch Priestess,¡± Elder Boatman replied. He bowed again, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Jack suddenly felt vulnerable. The Arch Priestess smiled at them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk business.¡±

 Chapter 484: Being With Oneâ€™s Family

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk business,¡± the Arch Priestess said. At a wave of her hand, roots grew out of the dirt floor, forming into chairs before Jack and Brock. She sat back down, and then they did.

    ¡°Your breakthroughs were sensational,¡± she said, her voice taking on a more hands-on quality. ¡°Especially Jack¡¯s. It came at the perfect time. The war situation is unfortunate right now, and our army was in dire need of good news. We spread the word, giving our cultivators something to believe in, and morale temporarily recovered. Unfortunately, it will not last forever. Sooner or later, new things will happen, and your breakthroughs will become old news. We must ensure there is more to come.¡±

    ¡°What exactly does that mean, Arch Priestess?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°It means that I intend to make you one of the faces of our army. It¡¯s a gamble, of course, but one I am willing to believe in. For that to work, however, we need to keep your progress rolling.¡± She looked deep into his eyes. ¡°If you agree to shoulder our army¡¯s morale, I can give you access to a vast amount of resources you otherwise wouldn¡¯t be able to touch.¡±

    Jack considered it. This sounded too good to be true. ¡°Is it that simple?¡± he asked. ¡°I just cultivate, and you use my progress to maintain army morale?¡±

    ¡°Sort of,¡± she replied. ¡°We have morale experts. They will curate your exploits and publicize them at regular intervals, making you into a celebrity. There is no downside to you besides the fame, which you may or may not welcome, and the fact that being in the spotlight makes it easy to create enemies.¡±

    He just stared for a moment. ¡°You want to turn us into influencers? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°If by that you mean influential people, then yes. It¡¯s a proven technique. But you won¡¯t need to do anything; just focus on your cultivation, and we will handle the rest.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. What the hell. In the end, he chose to laugh. ¡°Whatever. Fame is fine, and I like having enemies. However, I have to ask¡­ Is that all? As arrogant as this sounds, I thought our breakthroughs and potentials were enough for the Church to invest resources into us. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d need to make a show out of it.¡±

    ¡°You are not entirely wrong,¡± she admitted. ¡°Your potential is outstanding, a hope to be cultivated. If you enjoyed your privacy so much that you attempted to refuse my request, we would still invest in you, just not as heavily. There is an entire war happening. Our resources are distributed to thousands of Envoys and dozens of Elders. Meanwhile, you are just an early B-Grade. No matter how talented, your ascent is a very uncertain thing. You are a high-risk, high-return gamble.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°I understand,¡± he said. ¡°So, if I agree to become a public figure, that coupled with my potential will be enough for you to invest a disproportional amount of resources into me. That will, in turn, create enemies in the people who will lack those resources.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Correct. Just to be clear, this offer is extended to both of you. Brock¡¯s breakthrough wasn¡¯t as breathtaking as yours, but it remains extraordinary. Plus, I can sense he has some sort of magnetizing aura, and we can use that.¡±

    Jack and Brock gazed at each other. There wasn¡¯t much to think about. ¡°We accept,¡± Jack said.

    They were already used to being public figures and having a plethora of enemies. As for enjoying an almost unfair amount of resources, well¡­ They¡¯d earned it. If someone wanted more resources than they were given, they could only blame themselves for being weak.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± the Arch Priestess said, clapping her hands.

    ¡°Can we get an overview of these resources you mentioned?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°The most important ones are space monster cores. They will allow you to increase your cultivation much faster than normal. I cannot give you unlimited access to our vault, but I will make sure you¡¯re allocated a very generous amount.¡±

    Jack nodded. Increasing his cultivation was his main problem right now. If the Arch Priestess could help, that would be great.

    ¡°Besides that,¡± she continued, ¡°I can provide you with treasures tailored to your Dao. Is there anything in particular you would like?¡±

    Brock shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, while Jack replied, ¡°I would like a treasure with a lot of life energy.¡± He needed it to both temper his body and partially refill the Life Drop. The turtle had made it clear there were uses he hadn¡¯t discovered yet, but they needed life energy to activate.

    The Arch Priestess nodded. ¡°It is done.¡±

    ¡°Good. Can I also request something related to Death?¡±

    She hesitated. ¡°There is a treasure that would suit you well, but it is borrowed by another cultivator right now. I won¡¯t have it back for thirty days. I can give it to you then if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Also, I have a question. Has Master Boatman informed you of my new Class?¡±

    She gave another smile. ¡°He has.¡±

    ¡°Good. It offers me Dao Visions, but Master Boatman said I need to be in System space to receive them. He said you may be able to help.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯ll just make you a clone.¡±

    ¡°A clone? Like the one Elder Boatman sent to accompany us here?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Better. That¡¯s just a temporary energy clone. Real clones are difficult to manufacture, but thankfully, you¡¯re still only at the B-Grade. We can handle it.¡±

    Jack was intrigued. If he understood this correctly, then maybe, just maybe¡­ He didn¡¯t dare to hope just yet.

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll shoot this clone into System space and have it communicate the Dao Visions?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Correct, though there will be no need for communication. You and your clone will share one soul. You will be one person in two bodies.¡±

    Jack¡¯s heart was pumping. ¡°Does my clone have to stay in System space?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Ideally, we want it somewhere outside System space where it cannot be located by our enemies. You will only pop into System space to receive Dao Visions or carry out other tasks.¡±

    ¡°Then, can my clone reside¡­on Earth?¡±

    His breath caught on his throat. Being away from home had plagued him for so long. When hope suddenly appeared, he didn¡¯t dare to believe.

    The Arch Priestess read his emotions. She smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Jack felt a weight he didn¡¯t know he carried be lifted. Two bodies. One would stay here, cultivate, and fight, while the other would be on Earth, accompanying his family. It was a dream come true. His life had just become ten times better.

    ¡°Thank you. I will remember this favor,¡± he said, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the Arch Priestess replied. ¡°It¡¯s not a favor. Your clone will need to be near System space anyway. If you want to conveniently place it on your home planet, that really doesn¡¯t change much.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said, suddenly worried. ¡°That won¡¯t place my planet in danger, will it?¡±

    ¡°Not if you¡¯re careful. Locating a single planet in a mostly un-Integrated galaxy is too difficult, even for the Immortals. You being there doesn¡¯t change anything. The only way to locate it would be if you were detected in System space and then followed outside, but even then, you can just take a detour and wait on another planet for a few hours. Even if they catch you, you will only lose a clone; they won¡¯t find your Earth.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡­ Thank you, Arch Priestess. My family will be overjoyed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will,¡± she replied. She laughed. ¡°Since you¡¯re so excited about it, we can make creating your clone our first order of business. I won¡¯t oversee this personally, but I¡¯ll send you an expert.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brock said as well. ¡°You help my bro, you help me. You good person, Beautiful Bro. I owe you one.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure,¡± she replied. ¡°It was interesting meeting you, Jack and Brock. You may go now. I have already assigned you a helper and instructed them on what to do. If I find the time, I will drop by your residence and personally guide you through the Dao.¡±

    ¡°We look forward to that. See you, Beautiful Bro,¡± Brock said, then rose to leave. Jack followed him outside, also bidding his goodbyes. He had more things to discuss with her, like the Black Hole World, or the fact that he housed one of the Church¡¯s founding members in his inner world. However, he was too shaken right now. Too happy. These things could wait until next time.

    They left the room and closed the door. Only then did Jack turn to Brock.

    ¡°Do you really have a crush on her?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Her soul is beautiful. Her aura. She knows.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jack replied with a small smile. He¡¯d suspected as much, but he couldn¡¯t help hoping. How funny would it be if Brock got the Arch Priestess, of all people? ¡°By the way,¡± he said, ¡°you could have asked for a clone as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Brock said. ¡°They sound expensive. I don¡¯t need one. I¡¯ve left the pack; they live without me.¡±

    Jack nodded.

    They climbed down the spiral stairs, traveling all the way back to ground floor. On the way, Jack realized they had no idea where they were supposed to go now. He hoped there would be someone waiting for them downstairs.

    And there was. He just didn¡¯t expect who it would be.

    Starhair stood at the entrance of the temple, looking terrible. His face was scrunched up. His arms were crossed. His star-like hair was stuck to his scalp, occasionally spasming in rage. Everyone gave him a wide berth.

    ¡°Sup, Ass-Kisser Bro,¡± Brock said. He made to clasp the other man¡¯s hand. Starhair, very reluctantly, returned the motion.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I was ordered to be your helper,¡± Starhair replied through gritted teeth. His expression was so sour he could have eaten a dozen lemons while waiting.

    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re our helper?¡±

    Starhair was not amused. ¡°I¡¯m as surprised as you are,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not why I came to the New Cathedral. I was supposed to train. I will follow my orders, but I still despise you.¡±

    Jack looked at Brock, then shrugged. ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said. ¡°Lead us to our residence, helper.¡±

    Starhair gave him a glare so scalding that Jack thought his eyebrows would implode. Still, the man turned and walked away. Jack and Brock followed him through the city.

    On the way here, Boatman had employed some magic to hide them from the crowd. That was no longer active. People pointed at them as they walked. A few cultivators¡ªall below the B-Grade¡ªwalked up for a greeting. Jack could tell he and Brock were somehow already celebrities. The only question was, how did everyone know their faces?

    ¡°There was a city-wide projection,¡± Starhair explained when asked. He was even more annoyed¡ªif possible¡ªbecause everyone ignored him to greet Jack and Brock. ¡°They played scenes of your duel in Hell, your battle over the skies of Earth, and your recent extermination of those leonines. They also showed your breakthrough and tribulation¡ªit wasn¡¯t broadcasted live, but someone recorded it and brought it over.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack replied. That projection had happened before they arrived. The Arch Priestess must have been pretty certain they would accept to be the face of their forces¡­ Then again, maybe they never had a choice. She was only asking nicely the first time. If they protested, she could just order them to do it.

    After all the grand visuals and space-rupturing battles Jack had experienced lately, this simple town was an almost relaxing sight. The fact that it was mostly inhabited by D-Grades was a different story.

    Eventually, they made their way out. Starhair led them to a mansion in the suburbs, complete with its own walls and garden. It had three floors, each covering almost a thousand square feet.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big-ass house,¡± said the Stone.

    Jack, being more polite, simply said, ¡°Woah. It this all for us?¡±

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Starhair replied in ultra-salty territory. ¡°There is also some room for me. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like I enjoyed living in my own mansion, which I possessed until a few moments ago. I much prefer being the servant of you two idiots.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Brock said. ¡°You¡¯re Ass-Kisser Bro. You should flatter us. Then, maybe, you¡¯ll get a tip.¡±

    He waltzed forth into the house, followed by Jack. Starhair remained outside for a moment, steaming from the ears. Jack thought he would explode.

 Chapter 485: Celebrity in Training

    ¡°Let¡¯s come up with a catchphrase!¡±

    Jack groaned. Brock groaned. Even The Stone in Jack¡¯s inner world groaned.

    As it turned out, being famous was hard work. Starhair had been assigned as Jack and Brock¡¯s personal assistant, but there was a different person working on their public image. Her name was Sophie, and she was so insufferably full of energy that Jack considered giving her The Stone.

    Sophie was an E-Grade djinn: toddler-sized, blue-skinned, wearing silken robes which sometimes revealed what little she had to hide, and with a pink turban on her head, under which cascaded brown hair. She wasn¡¯t bad; in fact, Jack quite liked her company. It was just that she was so damn excited to get her work done.

    She had arrived to their mansion shortly after they had, and she brought with her a storm. There were a dozen members of staff ranging from photographers and videographers carrying projection stones, to make-up artists and accompanying beautiful models. Before Jack knew it, he was taking pictures and videos with the models¡ªonly one of which was a human¡ªin various poses and attires. Sophie was running around, scheduling Brock¡¯s photo session, maximizing their time together.

    It was so disorientingly before-the-System, that Jack briefly wondered if he was still a PhD student on Earth, dreaming up everything about robots and cultivators and planet-shattering fists. Then again, this wasn¡¯t the life of PhD students, either.

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± he asked as Sophie sat them down at their fluffy couch, eating their gum worms spread over the counter. Jack still didn¡¯t like those.

    ¡°Not necessary, but a very good idea!¡± she replied, taking a bite off the worm in her palm. Due to her small size, she couldn¡¯t slurp them up in one go. She chomped happily. ¡°A catchphrase makes you easier to relate to,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s free real estate in the minds of your fans!¡±

    ¡°...Like what?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°Something simple, yet powerful. Memorable. How about¡­ I¡¯ll punch you up! No, too meh. Prepare to be destroyed? We can also try something corny, like Only my punch is eternal!¡±

    Jack and Brock glanced at each other. ¡°No offense, but those are all terrible,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. It will definitely sound terrible to you, but your fans have a different perspective. Anyway, we¡¯ll figure something out. Brock is easier. I remember something you said in one of the projections¡­ Bro army, assemble!¡±

    Brock gave her an apprehensive glance. ¡°Why do I need a catchphrase? Bro is the celebrity.¡±

    ¡°Both of you are. You¡¯re a duo. We need to prop you both up and make the fans debate who is cooler between you. That way, they will never consider following other celebrities.¡±

    ¡°What other celebrities?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°The Arch Priestess, for example. Or Sovereign Heavenly Spoon.¡± A dreamy look briefly entered her eyes, then disappeared. ¡°Your competition is hard, but you are harder! Oh, maybe that should be your catchphrase, Jack. I¡¯m hard.¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re just messing with me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She laughed. ¡°Anyway, try to come up with something. I¡¯ll also prepare a few alternatives by tomorrow¡ªwe need to get this done as soon as possible to implement it in our campaign.¡±

    ¡°I know I will regret this,¡± Jack said, ¡°but what campaign are we doing, exactly?¡±

    ¡°All sorts of things. There are newsletters, projections, audio broadcasts, paid storytellers and bards¡­ We are even preparing a series of plushies and t-shirts. The audience is receptive to you, so we scale quickly.¡±

    ¡°You are making plushies? And t-shirts?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! The pre-orders for the Brock plushie are through the roof. The Jack one¡­ Well, in any case, we have a lot of things to work on. The galaxy wasn¡¯t built in a day, so if we want to scale up, we need to rush rush rush!¡±

    Jack groaned again, pressing his eyes shut. ¡°Can we just shush shush shush for a moment? My head is about to explode.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just remember to¡ª Oh, hi Starhair. Is the clonemancer here already?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Starhair said, stepping through the door. He was followed by an elderly, green-skinned cultivator whose head split into two like the humps of a camel. Jack vaguely recognized this species as Bactrian, and the only reason he could tell this person¡¯s age was the tell-tale white beard hanging from his chin. He was also a peak B-Grade.

    ¡°Hello,¡± said the bactrian. ¡°My name is Envoy Yoshi. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all ours. I¡¯m Jack, and this is Brock.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m well aware,¡± the bactrian said. He reached into his bag and removed what seemed suspiciously similar to human body parts. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± he said. ¡°Do your business, and I¡¯ll just be over here setting up.¡±

    ¡°Are those¡­¡± Jack trailed, but the bactrian shook his big, green head.

    ¡°Artificial, obviously. Clone parts made of highly-compressed life energy. These materials alone cost an astronomical amount, so let me congratulate you in advance about your new clone.¡±

    Jack¡¯s heart beat faster. ¡°And we can start now?¡±

    ¡°Just a second, let me finish here.¡±

    ¡°My fist is inevitable!¡± Sophie cried out. ¡°What do you think about that, Jack?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but let¡¯s think about it a little more.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°How about You deserve a good fisting?¡± Brock tried.

    Jack gave him a glance. ¡°Et tu, Brute?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±

    ¡°I like that,¡± Sophie said. Jack swiveled at her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I think it can work. The obvious innuendo is a little crass, but maybe it fits with your persona. We want to make you powerful, brutal, but also approachable. A dash of humor would go a long way.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing funny about that catchphrase.¡±

    ¡°There will be when it¡¯s said¡ªrepeat after me¡ªat scale.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Jack said, shaking his head. ¡°I agreed to be a celebrity, not a fool. Let¡¯s find something less idiotic.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just trying to do my job!¡± Sophie replied, seeming a little hurt.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ Ugh. I¡¯ll come up with something, okay?¡±

    ¡°All done,¡± the bactrian said. He¡¯d drawn a red pentagram on the floor and placed the mock body parts at each of the five ends. Jack stared at it.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s not creepy at all.¡±

    ¡°Clonemancy is creepy business. Hop in. The sooner we start, the sooner we¡¯ll finish.¡±

    Jack took a good look at the bactrian, the pentagram, and the clone parts. When he found nothing suspicious, he slowly stepped into the pentagram. Envoy Yoshi did his thing. The red paint went up in smoke. A reddish aura appeared, clinging to Jack¡¯s skin like moisture, and he even felt it seeping through his body to scan his organs. It wasn¡¯t painful, just profoundly uncomfortable. Like receiving a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy at the same time.

    The smoke and red aura finally receded, coagulating with the now-floating clone parts to form a naked copy of Jack. He could see his organs and cardiovascular system appear out of thin air, coupled with endless neurons, then slowly be covered with skin. He fought the urge to look away. The clone parts docked in like the limbs of a transformer.

    ¡°Now, Jack!¡± the bactrian said.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He reached into his inner world and dislodged a tiny piece, barely a hundred feet across. It wouldn¡¯t affect his strength. The pain was terrible, but he endured. He slowly pushed the piece away, into the new body, which felt extremely compatible. The piece of inner world anchored itself near the clone¡¯s heart, disappearing, and just like that, Jack now possessed two bodies.

    The clone blinked as it awakened. Both bodies tumbled to the floor as Jack struggled to deal with the doubling of his senses. ¡°Ugh,¡± he cried out.

    ¡°The process is done,¡± the bactrian said softly. ¡°Adjusting to your new condition can take up to an hour. When you¡¯re done, you will have successfully created a permanent clone. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Sophie echoed. ¡°If this wasn¡¯t a secret, we could publicize it as yet another of your achievements!¡±

    ¡°How do you feel, bro?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack slowly raised his body. He sat on all fours, retched once, then shakily rose to his feet. The clone and real body stared at each other. They then looked around. Their wobbling bodies slowly steadied. ¡°I think I got the trick,¡± Jack said¡ªfrom the real body.

    ¡°Less than a minute,¡± the bactrian muttered, shaking his big head. ¡°Impressive.¡±

    ¡°Can I have some clothes?¡± the clone asked. The bactrian waved his hand, summoning a few sets of garments from his space ring.

    ¡°Take your pick,¡± he said, and the clone body quickly chose a set of elegant purple robes. He put them on, then stared at the real Jack. Jack stared back. This clone was identical to the real thing, with the exception of his aura, which was less steady and significantly weaker. This clone¡¯s cultivation was only around the late C-Grade, compared to Jack¡¯s early B-Grade, and it could never increase. His body was also much weaker than the real Jack¡¯s. Their Dao understandings, however, was the same. Despite the clone¡¯s weaknesses, he could stand his ground against most late B-Grade. More than enough to protect Earth.

    ¡°I am you,¡± said the clone.

    ¡°And you are me,¡± the real body replied. They smiled at each other. ¡°Funky.¡±

    The two Jacks exchanged a fist-bump. ¡°This is actually pretty cool,¡± said the real body. He placed both hands on the clone¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I am entrusting you with a very important task, Jack. Go home and take care of our family. Be there for them. And do that other thing we talked about, too.¡±

    ¡°I will, Jack. Don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±

    ¡°You know we can tell you¡¯re just talking to yourself, right?¡± Starhair asked. ¡°You have one soul. There is literally nothing to discuss.¡±

    The clone nudged his head towards Starhair. ¡°He¡¯s a difficult one, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think his parents dropped him when he was a baby,¡± the original replied.

    Sophie giggled. ¡°Can you repeat this snick with Brock so I can record it? We can make Starhair into the humorous sidekick.¡±

    ¡°I am neither,¡± Starhair replied grumpily.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Sophie corrected him.

    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, please come with me,¡± Envoy Yoshi said to the clone. ¡°There is already a ship waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± the clone said. ¡°By the way, is it possible for the ship to make a small detour on the way to my planet?¡±

    ¡°That is something you will need to discuss with the captain,¡± Envoy Yoshi replied.

    The clone thought about it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Lead the way,¡± he said said. He exchanged a fist-bump with the real Jack and Brock, waved goodbye at Sophie, then followed the bactrian out of the room.

    ¡°Hey, Jack!¡± Jack shouted. ¡°Want a stone?¡±

    ¡°No thanks!¡± the clone shouted back.

    Jack sighed. Of course, he controlled both bodies. This was just an inside joke with himself. Part of the reason he was so exhausted dealing with Sophie was because The Stone remained in his inner world, and it kept spouting one-liners non-stop. It was like having two Sophies, one of which replied to the other and sometimes demanded Jack transfer its jokes.

    The Stone had come up with at least a dozen catchphrases since Sophie mentioned it, the most imaginative of which was It¡¯s Fisting Time! Which wasn¡¯t bad, if Jack was being honest, but he¡¯d be damned if he encouraged The Stone.

    In fact, this whole catchphrase thing was a hit in his inner world.

    ¡°Make it something good, kid!¡± the turtle demanded, having exited the Life Drop to participate. ¡°I have a catchphrase for you. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell is the Best!¡±

    Even Copy Jack had entered the fray. ¡°Fists and stones will certainly break your bones,¡± he offered, which wasn¡¯t very good, but Jack liked seeing him engaged.

    Jack¡¯s inner world residents then got into a fight, because the turtle insisted on being in the catchphrase, The Stone was speaking incessantly, and Copy Jack fanned the flames.

    ¡°Guys, guys, guys,¡± Jack said. ¡°If you all backseat me like this, I cannot focus. Just be quiet for a moment.¡±

    They grumbled but complied. Jack sighed. How did my inner world turn into a bar¡­ he asked himself.

    ¡°Okay guys, my time with you today is up!¡± Sophie exclaimed, looking at her wrist which had no clock. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow at the same time. You come up with possible catchphrases in the meantime, and remember: Rush, rush, rush!¡±

    ¡°And then we¡¯ll crash, crash, crash,¡± Jack replied humorlessly. ¡°See you around, Sophie.¡±

    ¡°See you, TV Bro,¡± Brock said. The djinn left the mansion, dragging together her hosts of models, photographers, and videographers who¡¯d been busy filming something in another room. Jack and Brock were finally left alone. They released a long, long sigh. Jack wanted nothing more than to sleep.

    Instead, he went to his room, grabbed the space monster cores he¡¯d been delivered earlier, and started cultivating.

 Chapter 486: Absorbing Cores

    Jack took a deep breath. He opened his status screen.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)

    Grade: B

    Class: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)

    Level: 403

    Strength: 8730 (+)

    Dexterity: 8730 (+)

    Constitution: 8730 (+)

    Mental: 1200

    Will: 1200

    Free sub-points: 1

    Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I

    Inner World size: 10,000 miles

    Matter Condensation: 6%

    Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror, Planetary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Planet Destroyer, Challenger

    After their fight against the space octopus, Brock had gotten its core, which he shared with both Jack and Starhair. However, Starhair said he was already at the very peak of the B-Grade, so it was just Brock and Jack. They absorbed the core together. Both rose by three levels. The squid¡¯s Dao was more compatible with Jack¡¯s, so his absorption rate was higher, but his inner world was also wider, so his rate of growth was slower.

    Despairingly slow, in fact.

    Half the core of an early A-Grade space monster had given him six percent matter condensation, or three levels. Given that the B-Grade comprised of 150 levels, from 400 all the way to 550, it was bound to be extremely slow-going. Unless, of course, he found a den of A-Grade space monsters to hunt.

    On the bright side, his stat gain per level was insane. He currently received fifty points every level thanks to his Legendary class. Over the course of the entire B-Grade, that would translate to seven thousand five hundred points, which would almost double his already towering Physical. Given the bits of body tempering he planned to sneak in, it really would double. He would become a monster.

    From what he¡¯d heard, most B-Grades received twenty or thirty points per level depending on whether they possessed Common or Elite classes. The super talented ones with King classes, like Min Ling and Sovereign Heavenly Spoon, received forty. His advantage over everyone else would be exponential. And that wasn¡¯t even taking into account the extreme amount of energy he possessed due to his wide inner world.

    By now, Jack really was on the path to greatness¡ªand he planned to take the next step today.

    He sat cross-legged on the floor. An office room surrounded him¡ªhis very own office¡ªbut he preferred the floor. The mahogany chair just felt wrong.

    A large sack lay between Jack¡¯s feet. The sheer energy radiating from it blinded his senses¡ªif not for the energy-proof material used on the sack, he couldn¡¯t just keep it there. This sack contained the greatest resources he¡¯d been given so far.

    Reaching into it, he removed the first item. It was a glowing orb the size of his head, green like mold. Life energy flowed off of it in waves, saturating the room. His Dao resonated, and his inner world yearned to absorb it.

    This was a space monster core. According to the small description attached to it, it had come from a peak B-Grade monster called a Mold Worm¡ªa species which took a planet as its shell, carved mountain-sized troughs through it, and eventually consumed it like a regular worm consumed an apple.

    Jack placed the orb against his chest. Tendrils of energy leaked out, drawn towards his heart, where his inner world resided. Energy flowed into him. The tendrils widened like water drawn to the waterfall, transferring energy at a faster and faster rate.

    Before long, a green vortex hovered before Jack¡¯s chest, rotating so violently it threatened the room¡¯s integrity. Endless energy flowed into his inner world, dispersing without a sign. No matter how vast the energy, his inner world was even vaster. This was just a drop in the sea.

    Six hours later, Jack was done absorbing it¡ªtwo times faster than he¡¯d taken on the octopus core. He opened his eyes from meditation, finding the energy inside him marginally increased.

    Level: 404

    Matter Condensation: 8%

    He groaned. Two percent. That was all he¡¯d gained from a peak B-Grade core, and only because that core was highly compatible with his Dao.

    This will take forever, he groaned inwardly.

    ¡°Not forever!¡± The Stone unhelpfully exclaimed. ¡°Just a really really long time! But don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll be right here keeping you company!¡±

    He groaned again. ¡°Thanks, Stone.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Thankfully, he also had some A-Grade cores in the sack. They would give him more meaningful increases. If not for the full support of the Church, he had no idea how or when he¡¯d reach even the middle B-Grade.

    For now, he would just get a little bit stronger every day.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ***

    The days flowed. Before Jack knew it, he¡¯d lived in the New Cathedral for two weeks, and he¡¯d developed a routine. Sophie came by almost every day to discuss a new marketing approach or take silly pictures and interviews. She, Starhair, and Brock had somehow caught on to the It¡¯s Fisting Time! suggestion for a catchphrase. He rejected it. Yet, it somehow got out, and his fans liked it enough that it had become his unofficial catchphrase.

    Whatever Sophie was doing, it was working. He received more looks every time he left the house. People eyed him in the streets, pointing and speaking in hushed tones. He saw interviews of himself playing on big screens, and he cringed every single time. They¡¯d somehow edited his words to give him a brutal, blood-thirsty, warrior-like feel. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked it, nor did he mind the attention. It was just weird. He couldn¡¯t fathom how this enhanced the army¡¯s morale.

    ¡°Jack! Jack!¡± Two E-Grade human girls rushed up to him in the street. ¡°Can we have an autograph?¡±

    He looked at them and shrugged. ¡°Sure. Where do you want it?¡±

    They raised their shirts all the way. Jack bolted out of there.

    Another time, he was walking by a clothing store and almost jumped when he saw his face, magnified, stuck against the glass. It was on a t-shirt which also featured the words ¡°It¡¯s fisting time!¡± on a large font size. Taking a step back, he saw more shirts¡ªhimself drawn as a bare-chested superhero, Brock posing with sunglasses and surrounded by female models, a coffee mug with a purple meteor fist¡­ There was even a hoodie portraying him spanking a blushing Artus Emberheart.

    ¡°Are people buying those?¡± he wondered aloud, just as a set of youths left the shop wearing their brand new t-shirts. They froze when they caught sight of him. One of them panicked and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s fisting time?¡±

    Jack sighed and walked away.

    But it wasn¡¯t all stupid. Jack caught projections of himself which were actually pretty strong. He slaughtered leonines, standing against entire swathes of enemies with nothing but his bare chest. ¡°This is for freedom,¡± he heard himself say. ¡°I might die, but I will never kneel!¡±

    He didn¡¯t remember saying that, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. He slowly began to see just why the Church had done all this. If the cultivators were suffering on the front lines, struggling to persist and believe in their cause despite the difficulties, then seeing someone do the exact same thing would be encouraging.

    It just made Jack sad that he wasn¡¯t at the front lines alongside them.

    Nevertheless, he understood his place. Right now, the important thing was to grow stronger quickly. That was how he could best help the army. If he succumbed to the pressure and went to fight with them now, he would be throwing their lives away.

    His form in the big screen blurred, revealing Brock clad in golden power. ¡°Bros of the world, lend me your power!¡± he shouted, raising his hands. Inspiring music played. Jack spied multiple people staring at the screen and raising their hands as they laughed. He sighed again.

    ¡°I hate war.¡±

    ***

    Inhabiting two bodies was a disorienting experience. Jack¡¯s way of handling it, which was the same as most people¡¯s, was to isolate the thoughts and perception of each body from the other. It was like closing one of your eyes. Harmless and easy to get used to, while maintaining all the advantages of having a clone. The two bodies could reinstate their communication whenever they wanted and for as long as they wanted.

    Souls, it seemed, were something that stood above the constrains of space. Through Jack¡¯s experimentation, he¡¯d come to realize that any communication between the main body and the clone occurred instantly regardless of the distance separating them.

    It was a great boon, and it also solved one of his long-standing questions, since the System regularly used faster-than-light communications. It must have relied on a similar principle. Maybe a bunch of tiny soul pieces of¡­something¡­scattered across the universe?

    While Jack¡¯s main body remained at the New Cathedral, cultivating as fast as humanly possible, the clone was shuttling through space. This Jack was also meditating. His eyes flashed open, and he looked out the window.

    ¡°Hey, Captain,¡± he said. The small, gray-skin alien piloting their starship turned around.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    It was just the two of them here. To travel as quickly and discreetly as possible, they¡¯d used a starship barely large enough for two people. Jack didn¡¯t even have his own room, sharing the ship¡¯s single communal space with the captain, an alien called Druk-Druk. Despite her odd name, she was actually quite competent¡ªas well as a middle B-Grade.

    ¡°Is that the Heaven¡¯s Egg galaxy?¡± Jack asked.

    The alien glanced outside the window. ¡°Why?¡± she asked back.

    ¡°I¡¯ve left something there. Do you mind if we make a quick stop to pick it up?¡±

    She raised a brow¡ªor rather, the bony ridge over her eye, as this species had no hair whatsoever. ¡°We cannot enter System space here,¡± she replied. ¡°Too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need System space. This galaxy is not fully Integrated. As long as we can get somewhere close to the edge, it will be fine.¡±

    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°Sure,¡± she finally replied. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Oh, just a little separate dimension.¡± He laughed at her surprise.

    Years ago, Jack had entered a hidden realm called the Green Dragon Realm. That was where he received the inheritance of Archon Green Dragon, an ancient dragon specializing in spacetime. He¡¯d also spent three years meditating in the center of the Green Dragon Realm alongside Brock and Min Ling¡ªthat was the single longest meditation session he¡¯d ever had.

    Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance included the realm¡¯s Realm Heart, the core of that place. Once he reached the B-Grade, Jack could use it to absorb the entire realm into his inner world, strengthening himself and protecting it at the same time. That absorption was something he really looked forward to.

    Unfortunately, he¡¯d only reached the B-Grade in the Spiral Stair galaxy, very recently, and he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to come pick up the Green Dragon Realm yet. Now was a good chance¡ªhe knew they¡¯d pass by, so he¡¯d kept an eye on the window.

    Their starship angled to the side. Galaxies surrounded them like islands in the sea, and they dove towards one. With Druk-Druk specializing in spacetime, they were extremely fast. The galaxy grew in their sights.

    Jack actually suspected he could take the starship even faster, but he didn¡¯t want to offend his captain.

    Before long, their entire field of view was occupied by multi-colored stars, arranged as a vast, egg-shaped galaxy. There were no spirals on this one.

    The stars look so small, Jack thought, once again admiring the beauty of the universe. Galaxies comprised of billions of stars. Each was humongous, orbited by several planets, each a different world. Most weren¡¯t inhabitable, but so what? There were hundreds of billions of worlds nestled in each galaxy, seeming so small from afar.

    And there were a trillion galaxies in the universe. With the cultivation world occupying exactly seventy-three.

    Jack would have snickered if he wasn¡¯t so humbled.

    The Heaven Egg galaxy wasn¡¯t fully Integrated. Just like the Milky Way, it was one of the newest additions to System space. Still, around eighty percent of it was occupied by the System, leaving only the fringes on one side. It was precisely there that Jack and Druk-Druk headed.

    Once upon a time, he¡¯d entered the Green Dragon Realm through an entrance portal situated in System space. That portal had closed, but its location remained the realm¡¯s anchoring point to the universe.

    Jack, however, didn¡¯t need to go through there. He possessed the realm heart. If he came anywhere close, meaning anywhere in the entire galaxy, he could just use the heart to create a new connection, accessing the realm directly.

    Of course, the heart remained in the inner world of the main body, not the clone, but the two were connected. Using the aura of the heart to open a portal was possible.

    ¡°Here should be fine,¡± Jack said.

    Druk-Druk brought the starship to a stop. She looked around questioningly. ¡°Right here?¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    A multi-colored portal ripped open ahead of them. It was egg-shaped and pulsing with dimensional energy. Just behind it, Jack could see a thin tunnel twisting through an expanse of colors¡ªthe dimensional sea.

    ¡°Can you wait here?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I¡¯ll need a few hours.¡±

    Druk-Druk just stared. He gave her a thumbs-up, flew into the portal, and disappeared.

 Chapter 487: Visiting the Green Dragon Realm

    Jack¡¯s clone flew through the wormhole, surrounded by dancing colors on all sides. They weren¡¯t really colors¡ªthat was just the best way his human brain could translate the chaos of the dimensional sea. In truth, it was a place where spacetime lost all meaning, a place existing on a higher dimension than Jack could comprehend.

    He imagined that, if a higher-dimensional creature existed, and if it was watching him right now, it might see him as a drawing jumping from one piece of paper to another. It was a mind-twister. He wondered if he¡¯d ever have the power to actually enter the dimensional sea instead of cheating his way through.

    Maybe not. Even the Old Gods of Space and Time couldn¡¯t perform such a feat. Still, Jack could hope. As he¡¯d recently realized, the cultivation world occupied a tiny fraction of a fraction of the universe. They were basically infants at the start of their journey. Who knew how far they could reach given a few billion years.

    One step a generation¡­ he thought, watching the end of the tunnel approach. He popped right through. A familiar sky welcomed him, containing the occasional flying beast. He watched a bird seemingly made of vines cross the air. As soon as it caught sight of him, it swooped in, releasing a low squawk. Jack laughed and petted its head.

    As the master of this realm, the native creatures weren¡¯t aggressive towards him. They felt the same kind of respect and excitement one would feel towards their father. The fluctuations of the Realm Heart rippled out of him, cultivating a sense of camaraderie in their hearts.

    He could sense their souls aligned to his.

    The flying vine creature buried its head in Jack¡¯s chest, rubbing against him like a puppy. Ironically, the creature¡¯s head alone was larger than Jack, but it wasn¡¯t bothered. Neither was he. The hard vines, which would have torn a mortal apart, couldn¡¯t even scratch his skin.

    Looking at the creature confirmed one of Jack¡¯s suspicions, and he was very glad for it. He couldn¡¯t use the System to inspect it.

    The last time he was here, this entire realm had counted as System space. The System had seeped in through the previous portal and claimed it. However, after losing contact with the wider System for so long, whatever constituted System space had faded, returning this realm to the virgin state it had always existed in.

    It also meant nobody could spy on Jack.

    ¡°Wanna go on an adventure, buddy?¡± he asked, rubbing the nose of the vine-dragon thing. It squealed with joy. He flashed, reappearing on its back. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The vine dragon flapped its wings. Though made of vines, they were coated with sticky dense leaves, giving them the aerodynamics necessary to fly through the sky. Not that this monster needed it¡ªas a late D-Grade creature, it could fly even without wings. The wings were most useful before maturity.

    Jack and the vine dragon flew high, crossing the realm and letting Jack take it in. Any flying creatures he met squawked at his appearance, filled with joy and respect. Dense jungle spread below his feet, occupying almost the entirety of the Green Dragon realm. Jack could see hundreds of creatures as they flew by, consisting of an endless variety of life forms, some of which he hadn¡¯t encountered during his last visit.

    There was a hill-sized bush walking around, like a large turtle with dense shrubbery instead of a shell. He caught sight of dragons living above the clouds, their scales glowing green as they absorbed the light of the artificial sun for sustenance. Using his sharp eyesight, Jack even saw a little creature darting from branch to branch¡ªa mouse-sized, wingless dragon.

    The diversity of this realm was staggering. It made Jack proud¡ªand also increased the respect he harbored towards Archon Green Dragon, the progenitor of this place.

    Like the last time he was here, the dense Life aura surrounded him, attempting to cut down his power to a fraction of its usual level. Unlike the last time, he was very familiar with the Dao of Life. The aura couldn''t affect him.

    As master of the realm, Jack had an understanding of where everything was. He could instinctively sense the direction towards the massive temple at the center of the realm. He was moving towards it, but the temple wasn¡¯t his goal. His real destination was the little village he knew existed near it¡ªwhere the remnants of the expedition forces were staying.

    When Jack had first arrived to this place, over four years ago, he was accompanied by elite cultivators from both the Hand of God and the Black Hole Church. When he later left the realm, he hadn¡¯t taken them along, as he wasn¡¯t confident in handling the strongest of them.

    Now that he was, however, he intended to resolve this issue before attaching this realm to his inner world.

    The vine dragon carried him across mountains and endless jungle. It was slow, by Jack¡¯s current measure, but flying on its back was fun. He was pretty close, anyway. Only three hours later, the mountain-sized temple rose in the distance. It looked exactly as it had the last time he was here. To the side, he could even see the volcano in which he¡¯d fought Baron Longform. He¡¯d then escaped through the lava tunnels under it, swimming all the way the temple and almost dying in the process.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    The cultivator village was somewhere between the temple and the volcano. Jack used his Dao of Spacetime to cloak himself and the vine dragon as they approached, ensuring they escaped detection. Thanks to his current understanding, and these people being at most early B-Grades, it was child¡¯s play.

    Soon, a small village appeared below him. He was impressed at what he saw. Elegant buildings spread in a circle, with a wide range of trees cut down around it to offer visibility of any incoming enemies. The houses were small and simple, but with a unique sense of aesthetics. Vines crawled up the walls, which were made of polished wood. Chimneys released tufts of smoke.

    Jack also saw the people. Most had abandoned their previous cultivator guises and now wore green, silken clothing formed of this realm¡¯s native plants. It made them resemble elegant forest people. There was no visible distinction of who came from which faction. Such things became meaningless when they thought they were trapped forever.

    They seemed happy, too.

    Jack saw groups of cultivators gathered in gardens, laughing and playing games. Little animals ran around, domesticated and household versions of the realm¡¯s fauna, while larger animals waited in pens or in a nearby field, taken care of by loving cultivators. Jack even spied a few cultivator couples, which he was certain were not a thing four years ago. There was a single little boy running around, constantly tailed by his mother.

    This little village didn¡¯t need walls, but Jack did see a plaque erected at the entrance, facing the jungle. It proudly declared them as the Green Cultivator Town.

    Life really had moved on. These cultivators had probably had a hard time adjusting, but now they¡¯d created a new life for themselves, one that seemed much more fulfilling than being disciples and Envoys of two warring factions.

    Jack felt a momentary doubt in his heart. These people seemed so happy. Was this how it was meant to be? Was this the future the Immortals were stealing from the inhabitants of the world?

    He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter. Unlike others, he did not go to war because that was all he knew. He did it because he had to. To ensure that his friends, family, and the world would be free to select a more peaceful life than his.

    Jack gazed at the town again, more inquisitively this time. His perception spread out. Thanks to being so much more powerful than everybody at Green Cultivator Town, they couldn¡¯t detect him. The difference in power was especially prominent since they were suppressed by the dense life energy, while he was not.

    He looked inside the buildings. Inside the central one, which was larger than the others, Monk Uruselam was discussing with a few other cultivators¡ªsomething about domesticating an animal called Leaf Sweeper. Jack had no idea what it was. All he cared about was that Monk Uruselam had become the leader of this small community, which wasn¡¯t a terrible idea. The monk wasn¡¯t nearly as kind as he seemed, but since there were no conflicts of interest here, he was a competent leader.

    Jack looked for certain other people, too. Shi Mo, the middle-aged warrior who¡¯d become friends with Jack in the past, had a little house where he cultivated. A pet draconic twig was curled around him, breathing in and out in peaceful sleep. The warrior himself had foregone his sword for a wooden hoe¡ªa touching image.

    The only other people Jack had interacted with were Borkuren Madiba, a frog-like, humanoid Church Envoy who¡¯d helped him a few times on the Cathedral, and Sassa, a talented C-Grade of the Hand of God, whose last name he¡¯d never gotten. That young girl had been a massive bitch during the banquet battles before entering the hidden realm, to the point where Jack had gloriously kicked her ass.

    To his great amusement, however, he discovered that Borkuren and Sassa were now a couple. In fact, they were the sole couple which had children. Sassa was the mother of the boy running around earlier, it was just that she¡¯d changed so much Jack hadn¡¯t recognized her.

    The once aloof, arrogant young girl had transformed into a caring mother. Her entire aura was different. Jack had no idea how that came to be, but he guessed that getting trapped here, presumably for life, had deeply impacted her and completely turned her life around. That was a good thing. Jack had planned on killing her to eliminate future trouble, as he did to all his enemies, but the less blood he had to spill, the better.

    He watched Borkuren step out of a house, kiss her with his frog-like mouth, then wrap her in a big hug. She giggled as she hugged him back.

    Yep. Loving couple alright.

    Jack planned to appear before the town and explain what was going on, but not yet. The final person he looked for was his old enemy¡ªSpacewind. He was the leader of the Church side of the expedition, as well as a massive dick who¡¯d bullied Jack on various occasions and even tried to kill him.

    Jack found him in the only house outside the town. While everyone else lived together and in harmony, Spacewind was alone in a stone building, stubbornly cultivating. It was unclear whether he isolated himself or others did it for him, but Jack thought it was fitting. A sad ending for a sad man.

    ¡°Thanks for the ride, bro,¡± Jack told the vine dragon beneath his feet. He patted it in the back. ¡°Go live a happy life.¡±

    The creature squawked once more, then flew away. Jack was left hovering in the sky. He slowly lowered himself to the ground and flew into Spacewind¡¯s house through the window. His cloaking remained active. The other man, who prided himself in his understanding of space, didn¡¯t have the slightest idea there was someone standing right in front of him. He was meditating. Jack could kill him as easily as blinking.

    He dropped his cloaking. Instantly, Spacewind jumped back, terrified to the ends of his wits. His hair was disheveled, his clothes raggedy, and his eyes bloodshot. Those hadn¡¯t come from Jack scaring him¡ªthey were his natural state now.

    ¡°What?¡± he cried out. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s you! Jack Rust! That¡¯s¡­ What!? I will kill you!¡±

    True to his station, Spacewind recovered quickly. He straightened his palm and slashed it out like a knife. Jack raised a hand and caught it. Spacewind¡¯s strike was frozen mid-air. He paled.

    ¡°What?¡± he muttered.

    Jack gave a sad smile. This clone body wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as the original, and his cultivation was only at a level similar to the late C-Grade, but his Dao understandings remained. Dealing with an early B-Grade like Spacewind was easy. He¡¯d just wrapped space around his palm to easily catch Spacewind¡¯s hand.

    The man seemed like he was about to have a stroke.

 Chapter 488: Ending Spacewind

    Jack held onto Spacewind¡¯s attacking hand, firmly and easily. The man looked like he was having a stroke.

    ¡°You have no idea what¡¯s going on, and that¡¯s okay,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯m Jack Rust. You once mocked me, bullied me, and tried to kill me. I¡¯m here to repay the favor.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Spacewind cried out. ¡°How can you be alive? How can you be so strong!?¡±

    The poor man didn¡¯t even realize he was seeing a clone. In his mind, Jack going from the middle to the late C-Grade in the span of four years was already a great pace.

    Jack didn¡¯t plan to correct his misunderstanding.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a sad life for yourself, Spacewind. As much as you deserve it, it pains me to see you so isolated¡­but it no longer matters, does it?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You hate me. Therefore, you must die.¡±

    He punched out faster than Spacewind could react. A hole was blasted in the other man¡¯s chest. Spacewind fell to his knees. Even as life abandoned him, the look of incomprehension never left his wide eyes.

    He had once sworn to destroy Jack Rust. He remembered his own words clearly:

    Jack Rust, you took my woman, took my treasures, and took my reputation. If I don¡¯t cripple you and feed you to the dogs, I am no man!

    Since then, revenge had been his driving force. He¡¯d cultivated intensely, never resigning himself to remaining trapped in this place. He fantasized escaping and dealing Jack Rust a hard blow. He pictured himself laughing over the corpse of his enemy.

    Yet, things had changed so abruptly. Spacewind was dying. His enemy had appeared out of nowhere, ruthlessly exterminating him. He hadn''t had the slightest chance to fight back. Despair and unwillingness warred inside his heart.

    This is¡­unfair¡­ were his final thoughts before all life left him. His eyes remained glued on Jack, burning with hatred until their light died down.

    Jack waited until Spacewind really was dead. He shook his head and sighed. Did he enjoy this? No. As much as Spacewind had been his enemy before, executing someone was never a happy affair, just a necessity.

    He would never let an enemy get away again. Artus Emberheart had taught him this lesson.

    Then, Jack teleported, appearing right in the middle of the city. He was no longer hiding his presence. Every single cultivator jumped and rushed to surround him, while Sassa took the boy in her arms and prepared to teleport away.

    Monk Uruselam stood at the very front of the gathering, with Shi Mo next to him. His wooden hoe had once again been replaced with a sword. Jack was surprised at their reaction speed.

    ¡°Jack Rust?¡± Uruselam asked, as if recalling the name from the depths of his memory. Unlike Spacewind, he didn¡¯t react immediately. He scouted Jack with his Dao perception, sensing the depths of his aura. That gave him pause.

    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± Jack said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡±

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Shi Mo asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Are you really Jack? You feel different. And where¡¯s Brock?¡±

    ¡°I will explain everything,¡± Jack replied, and that¡¯s exactly what he did. For the next hour, he recounted how he¡¯d gained control of the entire realm and sealed them in¡ªwithout going into details. He informed them about the outside world and the ongoing Crusade.

    They were stunned, of course, asking him all sorts of questions. They struggled to believe him. It was only as the hour passed that they came to terms with the world-altering reality Jack presented them¡ªand only because he demonstrated his prowess, enough to easily overpower everyone here combined.

    ¡°So, you are responsible for trapping us here?¡± Uruselam asked.

    ¡°I am, and I¡¯m sorry about it,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk releasing you without the strength to control things. Now that I do¡­ I have come to give you a choice.¡±

    Before Jack actually saw this place, one of his potential plans had been to exterminate all the Hand of God cultivators and release the others. However, he hadn¡¯t been satisfied with it, because it had felt a bit too brutal. Now, he was glad to see that things had changed. These people had lost their edge¡ªin a good way. He no longer believed any of them deserved killing.

    ¡°I will soon attach this entire realm to my inner world,¡± Jack said. ¡°To those of you who will still be here, you will likely experience no change. You won¡¯t be able to harm me either, as the connection between this place and my inner world will be¡­special. After I do that, releasing you from this realm will be much more difficult, and I may not be able to achieve it for the near future. Therefore, you need to make a decision now.¡±

    They watched with rapt attention.

    ¡°Those of you belonging to the Hand of God, I am sorry to say, but I will not release you. I cannot risk you joining the war and killing any of our cultivators. I will not kill you unless you wish for it, but you can remain here and live out the rest of your lives in peace. When the war is over, then I might let you out.

    ¡°Those of you belonging to the Church¡­ You can make your choice. If you want to leave, I will take you just outside System space and help you reach the Church forces. I cannot escort you, however. Your survival will be up to you. If you prefer to stay here and live in peace, then you may do so, until the day comes that I offer to release you again. What do you choose?¡±

    Jack looked everyone in the eye. He expected the Hand of God people to be angry. Instead, they seemed almost¡­relieved? It was the Church cultivators who showed signs of internal struggle.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°I will stay,¡± said Borkuren. He reached out to hug Sassa and his little son, who was gazing at Jack with wide eyes. ¡°I never had a family, but now I do. I will not abandon them.¡±

    Jack nodded with approval.

    ¡°I will stay as well,¡± Shi Mo said. ¡°I¡¯m approaching the limits of my life, and after sitting around for four years, my blade has lost its edge. I am no longer a warrior. Just an old man.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Are you disappointed, Jack?¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, old friend. I liked you as an honorable warrior, and I like you equally now. There is nothing wrong with change.¡±

    Shi Mo laughed, not saying anything else. Besides him and Borkuren, however, all other members of the Church chose to exit. They all had families and friends on the outside. As happy as they were in this place, hiding here and letting their people fight alone would be wrong. Nobody reached this level by being a coward.

    Jack watched as these people set their jaws and spoke the words, rising to fly beside him. He saw how torn some of them were. He wondered if, perhaps, he should never have said anything. Then, these people wouldn¡¯t have to go to war, and they could continue living here in happiness.

    But that wasn¡¯t the right way. Everyone deserved to make their own choices.

    After some time, everyone had made their decision. Every Church cultivator besides Borkuren and Shi Mo had chosen to go. That included two Envoys.

    Jack gave them some time. There were heartful goodbyes. These people had all bonded with each other, regardless of their faction of origin, and having to completely uproot these new lives in the span of a few hours must have been difficult.

    Unfortunately, Jack couldn¡¯t give them too long. He was also on a mission. Six hours later, after everyone had a huge party, he returned to bid his own goodbyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll visit sometimes,¡± he said, clasping the hands of both Borkuren and Shi Mo. They pulled him into a hug, laughing.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be looking forward to it, old friend,¡± Shi Mo said, still drunk from the party before. They¡¯d managed to make liquor strong enough to affect them.

    ¡°Hey, Jack,¡± Borkuren said with a drunk smile, ¡°do you know what we named our son? Jack. After you. Because we thought you died too early.¡±

    Jack swiveled, his eyes widening. He looked over at Sassa, who waited by the side. She gave him a coy look. ¡°I did think it was a silly name,¡± she replied. ¡°But when Borkuren likes an idea, you just can¡¯t get it out of his mind.¡±

    The frog man laughed. So did she. She did not resemble the arrogant young girl of four years ago at all. If Jack didn¡¯t know it was impossible, he would have thought she¡¯d been replaced by a shapeshifting monster.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. A child was named after him. That hit home hard. He¡¯d even lost his breath.

    The couple laughed again. Their son, too young to speak, waved at Jack and laughed with his little baby face.

    Jack was suddenly emotional. He shook his head to clear it. ¡°See you, guys,¡± he told everyone who remained as he took to the sky. ¡°Enjoy this place. It¡¯s all yours!¡±

    With that, he wrapped the people who were leaving in a spacetime bubble and took them along, teleporting rapidly. It only took him a couple minutes to reach the location of the portal. The cultivators he was dragging along had tears in their eyes. They looked down, memorizing this happy jungle they¡¯d never see again.

    ¡°Heads down,¡± Jack said, flying into the portal. A few minutes later, it snapped close, and the realm was isolated once more.

    They were now floating in space, between the stars. The cultivators he¡¯d brought along were teary-eyed. Druk-Druk was not amused. ¡°Where am I supposed to put all these people?¡± she asked. ¡°Our starship is tiny.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep them in a space bubble,¡± Jack promised. ¡°Once we reach Earth, I¡¯ll give you a larger starship for the way back. Consider it a gift.¡±

    The space bubble would also ensure these people didn¡¯t figure out the location of Earth, but Jack didn¡¯t mention that. Instead, after chatting with the cultivators a bit and introducing them to Druk-Druk, he formed another space bubble, shrank it to the size of a desk, and took it into the starship with him. It was larger on the inside, so the cultivators wouldn¡¯t be crowded.

    Maintaining this for the rest of the trip would be taxing, but as long as they didn¡¯t run into enemies, he would be fine. First, however¡­

    ¡°Take the bubble for a second, please,¡± Jack said. Druk-Druk took over with a grumble¡ªshe specialized in spacetime¡ªwhile Jack turned to regard the open space. He spread his arms, taking a deep breath. The realm heart in the main body¡¯s inner world shuddered. Unique Dao fluctuations passed through their connection and erupted from the clone¡¯s body. He used his Dao to reach into the point where the portal previously hung, the new anchoring point of the Green Dragon Realm to this universe, and pulled.

    The universe was a bubble in the dimensional sea. So was the Green Dragon Realm and all other hidden realms, except much smaller. Interestingly, the inner worlds of B-Grade and above cultivators were also their own dimensional bubbles. They were governed by some unique rules, of course, but that was beside the point right now.

    The important thing was, since they were dimensional bubbles, they could be connected to places outside the cultivator¡¯s body. Technically, one could even form connection points between their inner world and the universe, but that would be dangerous and pointless. Living creatures from the outside couldn¡¯t enter inner worlds¡ªwith exceptions, like Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, who was tied to the Life Drop, which was in turn a part of Jack¡¯s soul.

    He couldn¡¯t actually absorb the Green Dragon Realm in his inner world. Not only was it impossible Dao-wise, but it was also too big. It wouldn¡¯t fit. What he would do instead was form a permanent connection between the two dimensional bubbles. Essentially, instead of the Green Dragon Realm connecting to the universe, it would now connect to Jack¡¯s inner world. That would protect the realm from any harm, and also enhance Jack¡¯s inner world.

    While living creatures couldn¡¯t pass through the portal, energy sure could, especially when you were the master of both sides of the connection.

    Jack pulled at the portal. He sensed it move through space, an invisible anchoring point, then passed it through his body and into his inner world. The sensation was weird, but it succeeded.

    At that point, the main body in the Spiral Stair galaxy paused its cultivation to work with the clone. Their two inner worlds were connected. Together, they moved the portal from one side to the other, planting it firmly in the main body¡¯s inner world. It was just an energy signature, so transferring it between two connected dimensional bubbles was doable, if difficult.

    When it was over, Jack took a deep breath, exhausted. That was harder than he anticipated. But also very rewarding.

    He could feel it already. The portal was open in the main body¡¯s inner world, flooding it with a constant stream of energy. After all, the Green Dragon Realm had existed for a very long time, and it was many times larger than Jack¡¯s inner world. It could supply energy all the way until Jack reached the A-Grade, and the cultivators there would only feel a tiny difference in energy density.

    Of course, that would still take a very long time, because the energy which could pass through the small portal was limited. It was a great increase in cultivation speed regardless. Even without any space monster cores, Jack was confident he could reach the peak B-Grade within a millennium.

    Having your own little realm, created by an Archon and left to grow for a billion years, was overpowered indeed.

    Jack smiled as he rushed back into the ship. Next destination¡­ Earth!

 Chapter 489: Double Trouble

    Jack opened his eyes in the New Cathedral. They flashed. A grin played on his lips, and power surged through his inner world.

    Sitting in his office, Jack laughed with joy.

    ¡°Good job, myself!¡±

    Several galaxies away, his clone had just absorbed the Green Dragon Realm. Working together, they had managed to attach the realm to the main body¡¯s inner world, leading to yet another power-up for Jack.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how exactly this worked, but he was excited to find out. He quickly set to experimentation.

    An egg-shaped portal floated in his mostly empty inner world. Through the vacuum echoed a sound like rushing waves; the sign of energy flowing rapidly from the realm to Jack¡¯s inner world. The portal was only ten feet tall and six wide, but it pumped out energy at full capacity, like a drain at the bottom of the sea. The energy influx was far faster than what Jack could achieve by cultivating.

    Originally, he would have needed hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation to reach the peak B-Grade. With this portal steadily pumping out energy, he could cut that down to a mere thousand. A more than great pace in normal circumstances. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough in the current war state, but it was a great step forward.

    Jack stood in his inner world, gazing at the portal from afar. The other inhabitants of the world floated beside him.

    ¡°What a nice door!¡± The Stone exclaimed. ¡°They forgot the knob, though. Do you have the details of the manufacturer? I¡¯d like to give them a word or two! Speaking of doors, I remember seeing a beautiful one. It was white and marble, with two little flowers growing on it, and it smelled vaguely of lavender. Not that I have a nose, but so I was told. Speaking of lavender¡­¡±

    Jack zoned out The Stone, as he¡¯d gotten used to doing lately. He could now let it hang out in his inner world, speaking at will, and he just didn¡¯t hear it. The human brain was a wonderful thing.

    ¡°Where does that lead, kid?¡± the turtle asked. Its eyes were narrowed. ¡°Why does it feel so¡­homely?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Green Dragon Realm,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The same place where you fell asleep a few years ago. I grafted it to my inner world.¡±

    The turtle¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°I see,¡± it said. ¡°And you connected it here to¡­¡±

    ¡°To absorb its energy, mostly, as well as protect it from the universe,¡± Jack explained. ¡°It has a ton of Life energy, too. I was thinking to use some of that energy to start refilling the Life Drop.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant!¡± The turtle nodded in approval. ¡°You said you would refill it, and now you¡¯re doing it. I like it when you keep your word.¡±

    ¡°I always keep my word.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about emptying it out?¡± the turtle asked, gazing at the portal again. It was releasing energy at a tremendous rate.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°The Green Dragon Realm is shaped as an inverse, wide cone. Just the jungle on its top is a hundred thousand miles wide. The entire thing has a volume hundreds of times larger than my inner realm¡¯s, so all the energy I need is a drop in the bucket.¡±

    Saint Venerable Thousand Shell thought for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± he said, ¡°but how exactly will you refill the Divine Blood?¡±

    ¡°Watch this.¡±

    The Life Drop was currently glued to the middle finger of the fist-shaped meteor which occupied the center of Jack¡¯s world. As he waved a hand, the Life Drop popped off, teleporting beside them. With another wave, it flew towards the portal, anchoring itself right before its entrance. The incoming flood of energy buffeted it, but thanks to Jack¡¯s god-like powers in this world, it remained in place.

    ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°The incoming energy is life-attuned. As it brushes by the Life Drop, some of it will be absorbed.¡±

    The turtle nodded. There was also something else in its beady eyes. A hint of¡­excitement? ¡°Acceptable,¡± it said. ¡°That breeze of life energy looks comfortable indeed. I will go take a nap. Wake me up when it¡¯s one twentieth full.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said. ¡°You mentioned the Life Drop has more applications. Can you teach me before you go?¡±

    The turtle grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s useless now, kid. That¡¯s why I said to wake me up at one twentieth. When it¡¯s time for you to know, naturally you will know.¡±

    With that, the turtle turned into a green ray of light, disappearing into the immobile Life Drop. Jack imagined it ruffling its shell and settling down for a nap. He shrugged.

    The Green Dragon Realm was basically an energy generator for his inner world. Controlling a minor dimension certainly came with other uses¡ªJack fantasized summoning an army of plant dragons to fight for him in the future. For now, however, he was content with this.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he was done. He already had one minor dimension, yes¡ªbut what about a second?If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The real body reached into his space ring, removing an item that quickly appeared inside his inner world. It was a round bead blacker than black, absorbing any and all light that reached it. This was the seed of the Black Hole World, an anchor able to open a portal to that sealed place.

    Jack had already used it once a few days ago. He¡¯d flown far away from the New Cathedral, activated the bead, and passed into the Black Hole World. He¡¯d then explained the current situation to Grand Elder Pasan, the leader of that world, and asked for her opinion.

    Surprisingly, the Grand Elder had refused to leave yet. With the current state of the universe, and her people as pure-hearted and naive as they were, she figured that sending them out now would lead to widespread destruction. They¡¯d already waited a billion years, she said¡ªthey could wait a little more until the Second Crusade ended. Or until they were needed.

    Truth be told, they would be useless outside. Their strongest cultivators were at the D-Grade, and their inheritances, while great treasures to a backwater faction like the Animal Kingdom, were nothing much to the Black Hole Church. Jack disagreed with the Grand Elder¡¯s decision on the principle of freedom, but he could see her reasoning.

    Everything else aside, a minor dimension was an extremely valuable thing, both for hiding and transportation purposes. He could see the Church commandeering the Black Hole World for its forces and forcing the black hole people to relocate to a friendly planet, where they would be vulnerable. The Arch Priestess didn¡¯t seem like an asshole, but it was the natural thing to do. Jack would have done the same if Earth was at stake. Letting such a valuable resource be wasted on low-level cultivators was unwise.

    However, since Jack owed them a favor, he promised to keep the Black Hole World a secret for now.

    The Grand Elder did, however, agree to let him connect their world to his inner world. The purpose of this wasn¡¯t to use it as an energy battery like the Green Dragon Realm. After all, the Black Hole World was tiny, only a hundred miles across. Their energy was too little.

    What they did have, however, was incredibly solid spacetime laws. Such a small dimension should have collapsed long ago by the sheer pressure of the dimensional sea surrounding it. The only reason it hadn¡¯t was Archon Black Hole¡¯s extreme understandings of spacetime. By sacrificing world size, he had achieved extreme stability¡ªthe exact opposite of what Archon Green Dragon had done with his own world, which was slowly deteriorating.

    Jack had to wonder about the justification of Archon Black Hole doing that. The Black Hole World was meant to be a temporary shelter for his descendants. They were supposed to exit after a million years. With his powers, he could have easily crafted a massive world for them where they could live comfortably in sunlit prairies, and that world would still last for ten million years¡ªten times longer than necessary. Instead, the Archon had decided to make a stuffy ball of layered stone just a hundred miles across, sacrificing life quality to greatly extend the world¡¯s lifetime.

    Had the Archon lied to his descendants? Did he intend for them to stay trapped in there for a billion years? Maybe, Jack thought, it was a move of desperation. The Archon had grown so disillusioned with the outside world that he preferred his descendants to live in their own little world forever.

    Jack didn¡¯t know he felt about that. He was scared. Just what could drive a mighty Archon to such extreme despair? Was he right, or was there some other reasoning which Jack just didn¡¯t grasp? Even Grand Elder Pasan revealed she had no idea.

    In any case, that was an old matter, probably unrelated to modern-day events. The important thing was that Jack¡¯s inner world was stable, but of course, it was nothing compared to what a Spacetime Archon could achieve. By connecting the two, he could allow their laws to intermingle, slowly enhancing the stability of his world. It wouldn¡¯t increase his cultivation, but it would help with future breakthroughs.

    A second connection point appeared in his inner world. This one was black, and shaped as a black hole instead of a portal. It didn¡¯t suck in energy; it only circulated, breathing in and out like a living creature. Compared to the energy-flooding portal to the Green Dragon Realm, this second connection point seemed calm and steady, as if it could exist for eternity.

    Looking at the two, Jack felt like he could see the Archons. Green Dragon was a powerful, rowdy individual, using his powers to kick up a storm whenever he went. Black Hole was calm, collected, and calculating. His plans reached deep into the future, a gradual accumulation.

    Jack chuckled. He had a feeling his assumptions were accurate. He still remembered how, at the vision he saw of Green Dragon, the Archon had some¡­choice words for the Space and Time Old Gods. Which he¡¯d said right to their faces.

    ¡°Two minor realms¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°We¡¯re doing pretty well here. Don¡¯t you think so, Stone?¡±

    The Stone, which had been going on about gardening techniques, propped up. ¡°Most certainly!¡± it replied. ¡°You¡¯re standing on the shoulders of giants. That¡¯s why I like you, Jack. You know how to get a good thing going.¡±

    ¡°...Are you trying to flatter me?¡±

    The Stone deflated. ¡°No,¡± it said in a small voice. Jack laughed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. I won¡¯t abandon you, Stone. You¡¯re a friend now. A bro. While I live, you will never be alone again.¡±

    The Stone perked up. ¡°Really?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Yes, really. Isn¡¯t that right, Copy Jack?¡±

    Copy Jack shrugged. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. The Stone beamed.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you! I knew I could count on you! That lion woman was so evil; just when I thought I¡¯d been freed from an endless life of solitude, she threw me right into a space ring and left me there. Can you believe it? At least on my meteor I had something to enjoy. The stars were nice. There were astral winds. But in a ring? That¡¯s goddamn boring.¡±

    ¡°She was a real piece of work,¡± Jack agreed. ¡°How did you even see the stars, anyway? You don¡¯t have eyes.¡±

    ¡°I sure do! Look here, right above my mouth.¡±

    Jack frowned and leaned in. He could see nothing. The Stone had a human-shaped mouth with a stone interior, but above that, it was nothing but¡ª

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said, drawing back.

    ¡°See? I do have eyes!¡± The Stone replied proudly.

    Jack laughed. Right above its mouth, the Stone had two beady eyes so tiny they blended in. He only recognized them because one blinked.

    ¡°You¡¯re a piece of work as well,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, I gotta get back to cultivating. I¡¯ll take you out as soon as I find an opportunity. See you around, Stone, Copy Jack.¡±

    ¡°See you!¡± The Stone replied excitedly, while Copy Jack waved.

    Jack opened his eyes in the real world. Interacting with his friends was nice, but he had work to do. The sack of space monster cores at his feet was only half-empty, but the progress it had given him was nothing short of impressive. He grinned as he opened his status screen.

 Chapter 490: Challenge

    Jack opened his status screen. The space monster cores he¡¯d absorbed so far had given him a bunch of levels.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)

    Grade: B

    Class: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)

    Level: 432

    Strength: 8680 (+)

    Dexterity: 8680 (+)

    Constitution: 8680 (+)

    Mental: 1200

    Will: 1200

    Free points: 1400

    Free sub-points: 1

    Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I

    Inner World size: 10,000 miles

    Matter Condensation: 64%

    Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror, Planetary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Planet Destroyer, Challenger

    From Level 404, he¡¯d risen all the way to 432. The energy density of his inner world had increased significantly, crossing the halfway mark to the middle B-Grade. Most importantly, leveling up gave him a crazy amount of stats thanks to his Legendary Class. Every level gave fifty. After twenty-eight levels, he now had one thousand four hundred points to distribute. That was massive.

    Of course, rising through the levels wasn¡¯t always such an easy process. The only reason he¡¯d advanced this fast was because he was eating high-level space monster cores like candy. The Church had invested greatly in him, but they¡¯d made it clear this was all they could provide. After this sack was empty, their assistance would be limited.

    He hoped these cores would be enough to push him to the middle B-Grade. After that, maybe he¡¯d go hunting for space monster cores himself. He¡¯d heard many times that this galaxy was unnaturally choke-full of space monsters.

    For now, however, he had a ton of stat points to distribute.

    1400¡­ he thought with disbelief. That¡¯s so much¡­

    Once upon a time, every level gave him two points, and those two had been enough to seriously push his strength forward. Now, he needed over a thousand to achieve the same effect.

    His Physical substats were balanced, all at 8680. He could invest everything into them to push them over ten thousand. However, that would leave his Mental and Will too far behind. All the strength in the world would matter little if he was trapped in an illusion.

    Back when he was an F-Grade cultivator, Shol had told him to adopt an 8-1-1 distribution between his stats. As he climbed, nobody had anything to say against that strategy, so it remained the one he followed¡ªwith the sole exception that, when possible, he enjoyed round numbers.

    Jack hardened his heart, investing almost half of his stat points into Mental and Will. Three hundred went into each, raising them both to a round 1500. That was a twenty percent increase. Instantly, he felt his mind sharpen, his understanding deepen, his purpose be filled with utter clarity. He could watch the rain and calculate the path of every individual droplet. He grinned.

    But this wasn¡¯t what he liked most.

    Eight hundred points remained, and he gleefully poured them all into Physical. His body seized. Tremors and cramps spread through him as the System struggled to enhance him further. After all, it wasn¡¯t omnipotent, and his body was already extremely powerful. Every step forward was a hurdle. The once enjoyable sensation of increasing stat points had turned highly unpleasant.

    Jack convulsed on the floor, gritting his teeth through the burning pain. His entire body was on fire. The life particles making it up, which were already densely clustered, were forced to make room for more. It was a slow and difficult process.

    When the initial shock passed, Jack struggled to his feet. He could sense that the enhancement wasn¡¯t over; it had become a constant stream of Life Dao particles into his body, lowering the pain to a threshold he could barely ignore. Jack clenched his fist, easily telling he¡¯d grown a bit stronger, but not too much. From what he estimated, this process would take several weeks to complete. He could sense himself approaching the limits of body tempering.

    In fact, he had the sneaking suspicion that the System points he inserted into his Physical were beginning to lose their efficiency. It wasn¡¯t indicated anywhere on his status screen, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the thought.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Regardless, every increase was a good one. The tempering process would continue for weeks, but the System already indicated all his points as invested.

    Strength: 9480 (+)

    Dexterity: 9480 (+)

    Constitution: 9480 (+)

    Mental: 1500

    Will: 1500

    Free sub-points: 1

    It was decent. Pretty good, actually. Jack was flying!

    He couldn¡¯t help thinking about Brock. His brorilla brother didn¡¯t have the benefit of the System, so his own stats were rising at a slower pace. Compared to Jack, however, he did have another advantage: a smaller inner world, which could fill up with energy much faster.

    Brock had also been given a sack of space monster cores compatible to his Dao. And, just yesterday, he¡¯d broken into the middle B-Grade.

    Jack decided to take a break, pacing out of his room to find Brock sprawled on an inflatable couch, reading the Bro Code. There were many couches in their mansion. There were many of everything, actually. The Church had given them real luxury.

    Of course, the entire mansion was worth nothing compared to a single space monster core.

    ¡°Sup, bro,¡± Jack said, walking into the sunlit garden. A long wall surrounded the entire place. There was a bar, multiple lounges, and a large pool. The couch Brock was currently lounging on was in the middle of the pool, a bright yellow floatie. The brorilla himself wore a pair of pink swim shorts, chilling with one foot in the water. He raised his gaze as Jack walked close.

    ¡°Hey bro,¡± he said. ¡°All good. Meditating. You?¡±

    Jack laughed. Brock wasn¡¯t kidding. He had his Bro Code out¡ªhe really was meditating on his Dao, except he was doing it on a floatie in a pool in the sun. That was the life. Jack himself needed more peace and quiet, so he had to retreat into his dark office to cultivate. He was a little bit jealous, but more so, he was happy for his little brother.

    ¡°Enjoy the good life, bro,¡± he said. ¡°You deserve it.¡±

    Right as Jack was about to jump into the pool, however, a new voice called out. ¡°Hold it,¡± it said. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Jack paused, annoyed. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Starhair?¡±

    The man walked in from the garden entrance, taking in both Jack and Brock with distaste. ¡°I am charged with assisting you,¡± he said. ¡°What you¡¯re doing now is a waste of time. We¡¯re at war. Our army is dying, and you think you¡¯re on vacations?¡±

    Jack reined in his anger. ¡°Relaxing is an important part of cultivation,¡± he explained patiently. ¡°I¡¯ve cultivated non-stop for two weeks. I just achieved a major power-up. If I don¡¯t celebrate a little, I¡¯ll be tense, and my efficiency will drop.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. You¡¯re just spoiled by all the praise you¡¯re receiving.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re out of line, Ass-Kisser Bro,¡± Brock warned him from the pool. Starhair ignored him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how powerful you are or what you¡¯ve been through, Jack. I don¡¯t care about your potential. You¡¯re just a weakling right now, so act with respect.¡±

    Jack smirked. ¡°Respect to whom? You don¡¯t deserve it. Not only is your mind severely untempered, but even on the topic of power, you are weaker than us while at a higher cultivation level. The only thing you have going for you is your age, and that¡¯s only if we count it in years instead of wisdom. If anybody should be showing respect here, it¡¯s you.¡±

    Starhair¡¯s eyes flashed, like he¡¯d heard exactly what he wanted. ¡°Do you seriously think you¡¯re stronger than me?¡± he asked, laughing. ¡°I acknowledge your future potential, but right now, you¡¯re just an early B-Grade. You, defeating me? That¡¯s such a load of crap!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack asked back. ¡°Then how about we find out?¡±

    Starhair¡¯s laughter died down. Suspicion entered his eyes, like this was too easy. ¡°Are you challenging me?¡± he said.

    ¡°You are the challenger, but yes. I don¡¯t mind. Then perhaps you¡¯ll stop your silly little games, like coming here to taunt me and try to steal some of my spotlight by beating me in a public duel. Which is not a bad idea, mind you, just a little simple for your level. Also, highly miscalculated, because you can¡¯t beat me.¡±

    Starhair narrowed his eyes. Jack could see the cogs turning in his head. As for Jack himself, his initial anger was long gone, and he was now calm. This was a simple situation to him. After everything he¡¯d been through, Starhair¡¯s elementary machinations were almost cute.

    ¡°One moment, Ass-Kisser Bro,¡± a voice called out. Brock. He still lay on the floatie couch, reclining casually, but his eyes held a hint of hard amusement. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to challenge Big Bro,¡± he continued. ¡°You fight me instead. I will teach you your place.¡±

    Starhair looked between Jack and Brock. ¡°You want me to fight the sidekick?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There is no sidekick here,¡± Jack said. ¡°Brock is my brother on equal footing. If he says you fight him, then you fight him.¡± Starhair was getting riled up, but Jack held up a hand to stop whatever lame words were coming next. ¡°If you can defeat Brock, then I¡¯ll fight you next,¡± he said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that work better for you? You get to steal not one spotlight, but two.¡±

    Starhair considered it for a second. Finally, he grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into you, but fine. I¡¯ll defeat you both.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Brock said. ¡°Weird. The Bro Code disagrees.¡± He flipped his Bro Code to a certain page and turned it outward. It showed a brorilla spanking a blushing man with long hair. Jack laughed. Starhair frowned in anger.

    ¡°State your terms,¡± he said.

    ¡°Terms?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Time, place, and stakes.¡± He raised his head. ¡°Let nobody say that I, Starhair, bullied you.¡±

    Jack and Brock looked at him as if he was a joke. ¡°The location can be anywhere safe nearby,¡± Brock said. ¡°Time is now. Oh, in a few hours, actually. TV Bro will want to record this. Stakes¡­ If you win, I become your little bro. If I win, you shut up and accept your place.¡±

    ¡°Do you agree with that?¡± Starhair asked Jack. It was obvious he¡¯d expected them to set a date a few months into the future, so Jack and Brock could try to make more breakthroughs. He hadn¡¯t thought Brock would dare fight him right now.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The sooner we¡¯re done with this, the better.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Starhair laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll pay dearly for underestimating me. Summon your manager and let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°How about you go on ahead and find a suitable place?¡± Jack asked. Starhair snorted, still smirking, and took off like a starry rocket.

    Only Jack and Brock remained, and they sighed.

    ¡°He¡¯s lucky he¡¯s so harmless,¡± said Jack. ¡°Otherwise, we might have had to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Brock agreed. ¡°He¡¯s not bad, just arrogant. As I said; Ass-Kisser Bro needs a good ass-kicking to become a proper person.¡±

    ¡°That falls to you, bro. Show him what you got.¡±

    Brock grinned. ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 491: Brock vs. Starhair

    Sophie dropped everything she was doing to arrange the duel. She also informed everyone she knew, apparently, because what seemed like half the New Cathedral arrived with her.

    ¡°Hello, Jack, Brock!¡± she shouted as she flew closer. She wasn¡¯t a D-Grade, so she couldn¡¯t really fly, but she wore what resembled a space mech suit. Jack had never seen that before¡ªit must have been a luxury item for E-Grades.

    ¡°Hi Sophie,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Nice clothes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! It¡¯s new!¡± she exclaimed, doing a little twirl. Her voice came robotic through the suit¡ªwhich apparently utilized some Dao device to spread the sound in the vacuum. ¡°Are they about to start?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Quick! Quick! Set up everything, guys, we must get good shots!¡±

    At her command, her entire crew of photographers, projection stone specialists, and all sorts of media experts fanned out. They established themselves in various positions to ensure they had a good outlook no matter which direction the battle spread in. Of the entire crew, only Sophie was an E-Grade. Out of the entire audience, in fact, she was one of the few people wearing mech suits.

    Thousands of people spread out on a barren, airless celestial body. It was the moon of a large, uninhabitable planet in the New Cathedral¡¯s solar system, on which Brock and Starhair were set to duel.

    This wasn¡¯t the original location of the duel. After all, with two people at roughly the peak B-Grade power level duking it out, any nearby planet was bound to be destroyed. They¡¯d originally selected an empty region of space, but Sophie swooped in, claiming she¡¯d already gotten permission from the Arch Priestess to use a planet. She said it would make for a much more impressive battle. Basically, she wanted to make this duel a public event which would go down in the history books, using it to further increase Jack and Brock¡¯s fame.

    Jack didn¡¯t mind. It wasn¡¯t his planet. If the Church wanted to destroy it, they might as well.

    The crowd was on one of the planet¡¯s two moons. Sophie¡¯s media crew had brought along chairs and set up a stadium, of sorts, where they¡¯d also installed a massive projection screen. After all, the duel would be taking place a tremendous distance away¡ªfrom the moon to the actual planet¡ªand almost nobody could see that far.

    As for the projection itself, a group of B-Grades had been tasked with approaching the battle and recording it from up-close, or as up-close as they could get without risking interference. In Sophie¡¯s words, this was a grand, grand, grand event!

    Jack looked around. Someone had spread their Dao to create a bubble of air and decent temperature. On the small spectator field, there were stands with food and drinks. Everyone was gathered in groups, talking excitedly about the upcoming duel while loading all sorts of delicacies on their plates. It resembled a party. And, while Jack understood the need to keep things that way, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little bitter.

    Duels weren¡¯t supposed to be like this. They weren¡¯t spectacles. They were real battles, of real people, with real stakes. There was nothing fun about them.

    He sighed as he paced towards a familiar figure. ¡°Hello, Master,¡± he called out. ¡°Enjoying the show?¡±

    Elder Boatman turned around. This was the energy clone he¡¯d made to accompany Jack and Brock. They hadn¡¯t had much contact yet because both disciples were too busy cultivating to meditate on the Dao.

    ¡°As much as you are,¡± the Elder replied in his gravely voice. ¡°Jack, this is Elder Soresight. Soresight, this is my disciple, Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure, Elder,¡± Jack said, eyeing the other man. It was an elderly-looking individual draped in dirty monk robes. He seemed close to the end of his life. Yet, his eyes and face glowed with energy, like he¡¯d fallen into the pot of kindness as a child.

    He was a middle A-Grade.

    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Jack,¡± the Elder replied. His voice was soft, yet energetic. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. Seen, too. You make for interesting interviews.¡±

    Jack laughed humorlessly.

    ¡°Have you had anything to eat yet, Jack?¡± Elder Boatman asked. ¡°If I may suggest¡­¡±

    He waved his hand, and a disc teleported to his hands. There was a glass of what looked like orange juice, as well as a plate stuffed with all sorts of delicacies. Well, delicacies for the New Cathedral. Jack found the gum worms and rotten-looking fruit less than appealing.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied, accepting the disk. ¡°How did you teleport so many objects so casually?¡±

    ¡°I have my ways,¡± the Elder replied. A hundred feet to the side, a gray alien who¡¯d just gotten off the food line looked surprised at his now-empty hands. He grumbled something, then walked back to the start of the line.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± Sophie¡¯s voice rose over the crowd, ushering everyone to their seats. Jack sat next to the two Elders at the very first row. There was one more Elder present, sitting far to the side. The Arch Priestess hadn¡¯t attended.

    ¡°That¡¯s your spiritual companion,¡± Elder Soresight noted, looking at the large projection screen. ¡°Are you worried about him?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Brock knows what he¡¯s doing. Since he challenged Starhair, he must have confidence in winning. Besides¡­¡± He grinned. ¡°I really look forward to seeing his current power.¡±

    The Elder nodded, and all three of them turned their sights to the screen.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    There was no atmosphere on this planet. This was one of the solar system¡¯s outer planets, so the rock that made it up was beyond cold. A dark white color made up the entire surface.

    Brock and Starhair stood ten miles apart on a barren plain. They seemed tiny compared to the planet, but their vast auras towered higher than the tallest mountains. They were like two gods in humanoid form.

    Brock was calm. A pair of red shorts was his only garment. He¡¯d shelved the Bro Code and held his Goldwood Staff with both hands, completely unperturbed by the crowd. He¡¯d fought with real stakes before¡ªa little bit of publicity was nothing to him.

    Starhair, on the other hand, was clearly affected by the pressure. He wanted to win this so he could escape his position as personal assistant and return to being the elite he knew he was. He secretly gripped his fists. His aura flickered, making his white robes flutter.

    I will not lose to a monkey, he resolved himself. I¡¯m Starhair. A 6500-mile peak B-Grade. I will win.

    The two just stood there and waited for the signal to start. As the distant crowd settled into their seats, Sophie¡¯s voice washed over the entire planet. ¡°Welcome, everyone, to a battle for the ages!¡± she shouted. Loud cheers followed¡ªclearly pre-recorded.

    ¡°We bring to you a duel between two exceptional cultivators. On the right side we have Envoy Starhair¡ªa peak B-Grade human following the Dao of Stars! However, Starhair is more than just an elite at his level. He sports a colorful streak of war accomplishments as a member of the legendary Spoon Squad!¡±

    More cheers came. Real ones this time. Either Starhair was more known than Jack expected, or the Spoon Squad were war heroes.

    ¡°On the other side,¡± Sophie continued as the cheers died down, ¡°we have Brock the Brorilla! Some of you know him from the recent broadcasts.¡± A new wave of cheers confirmed her words. ¡°He follows the Dao of Brohood, and is the spiritual companion of Jack Rust, the legendary ten-thousand-mile cultivator of the Fist! However, don¡¯t think Brock is any sort of sidekick. With a spectacular 8800-mile breakthrough into the B-Grade, he is a prime genius in his own right, an unprecedented talent for the last hundreds of thousands of years, only surpassed by his own brother. With a cultivation at only the middle B-Grade, he dares to challenge Starhair, a known elite at the peak B-Grade! Give it up for Brock the Brorilla!¡±

    The crowd exploded. Jack was so taken aback by the intensity of these cheers that he forgot to hold his food, letting a bit of his orange juice fall to the ground. The very moon below them shook by the crowd¡¯s passion.

    ¡°The hell?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You might not know, but Brock is a crowd favorite,¡± Elder Boatman explained with mirth. ¡°His plushies, stickers, and shirts have become household items in the New Cathedral. People pride themselves in being part of the so-called Bro Army.¡±

    ¡°What bro army?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Brock said so in a broadcast. Everyone wants to participate, apparently. Who would have thought?¡±

    Jack shook his head, turning back to the screen.

    ¡°I hope everyone is ready,¡± Sophie said, her voice ramping up. ¡°Let¡¯s not keep our fighters waiting any longer. You just know they¡¯re rearing to go at it. The duel is to first blood, as always. Give it up for both our fighters, and here. We. Go. It¡¯s Fisting Time!!¡±

    Jack groaned.

    The moment she spoke the final word, Brock and Starhair launched at each other like twin rockets. They closed the ten-mile distance in the blink of an eye. A staff smashed forth. Three thick hair strands rushed to meet it. The two collided in the middle of the plains, and instantly, the projection zoomed out. The entire plains disappeared. A hundred-mile crater was formed beneath their feet, causing the entire planet to shake and cracks to form everywhere.

    This was just the opening salvo.

    Staff and hair clashed against each other. Every strike was cataclysmic. Entire parts of the planet were shorn off by the shockwaves, peeling it as one would an apple. They exchanged strikes rapidly.

    Starhair threw three hair strands against Brock¡¯s staff, then had the other three attack from the other side. Brock took one hand off his staff, placing his palm against the hair strands. Burning golden light erupted. The hair shrunk back, unable to approach despite their starry might, as Brock¡¯s light pressed on. Starhair teleported away. The light reached him regardless, because it moved at light speed and spread in every direction, and he had to use his hair strands as a shield. All six converged before him, hiding him completely to block the light. Brock flashed right in front of him, smashing a staff into the shield and sending Starhair flying.

    The crowd cheered. Jack took a sip of his orange juice, then spat it on the floor and coughed. This was no orange juice¡ªit tasted like orange-colored blood.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Orow milk. Very nutritious,¡± Elder Boatman explained, not taking his eyes off the screen. Jack grumbled and returned to watching.

    Brock pursued Starhair¡¯s retreat. The two jumped around the planet, easily covering its circumference. As another staff strike landed, rebounding against the shield of bouncy hair, Starhair roared out. All six of his strands spun around like a chainsaw. They turned sharp, too, eviscerating the very space around him. He dove for Brock, who didn¡¯t retreat. He simply raised his staff to defend.

    Gold and blue light spread in two opposite cones, temporarily outshining the sun. Energy erupted at colossal quantities. Jack didn¡¯t even need to watch the screen; he saw the massive shockwave spear through the planet, slicing it cleanly in half, revealing a molten core. Lava spilled into space, chilling instantly and turning into dark rock. Planetary fragments were launched in all directions, all at least the size of mountains. A few headed for the spectators¡¯ moon but were quickly deflected by a couple of B-Grades. Another few crashed into the second moon, taking it off its orbit and resulting in massive explosions. The spectacular fireworks were clearly projected in the screen.

    The duel of Brock and Starhair was still ramping up. Starhair¡¯s entire body was shining. Each strand of hair carried the weight of a star, powered by controlled nuclear fusions. They moved at blinding speed, too. Beneath their titanic strikes, the planetary fragments shattered, showering the universe in specks of frozen rock.

    The power of an elite peak B-Grade was nothing to scoff at. But Brock was strong, too.

    At some point, the Bro Code had appeared in his hands. Hymns filled the world. They reached every ear, every heart. Brock flipped the Bro Code to a page depicting a multi-armed brorilla. Suddenly, ten thousand golden arms erupted from his back, each over a mile long. They shone brilliantly.

    So did Brock¡¯s eyes. He looked straight at Starhair, unperturbed by his hair. ¡°It¡¯s spanking time,¡± he declared. The ten thousand arms rained out, all with their palms straight. They collided with Starhair¡¯s hair. Every strike ended with the hands pushed back, but there were too many of them. Starhair couldn¡¯t block them all, and he could not approach Brock either, as the arms were denser the closer he got. Brock was taking a page off the space octopus¡¯s book¡ªquite literally.

    Palm strikes rained forth. Starhair flashed, teleporting continuously in every direction to dodge Brock¡¯s slaps. Brock mirrored his opponent¡¯s movements to keep himself a mile away, at the very edge of his attack range.

    Starhair was looking for a gap in Brock¡¯s defenses but found none. Enraged, he roared and charged. His hair spun around again. He cut through a hundred arms in an instant, rushing towards Brock. However, for every arm he sliced off, ten took its place. The sliced ones regenerated, too. Brock was like a hydra.

    ¡°No bro dies alone,¡± Brock chanted, his eyes and body golden. ¡°If one bro lives, everyone does. We only fall together.¡±

 Chapter 492: Death of Space

    Brock¡¯s avalanche of palm strikes neutralized Starhair¡¯s momentum just as he charged past the halfway mark. He was then pushed back. The hands kept slapping, a series of strikes so dense Starhair didn¡¯t have time to teleport away. He tried regardless. A portal opened next to him, and just as he was halfway through it, a hand grabbed his robes and pulled him back out. There was no escaping this beating.

    Starhair roared again. He gathered his hair into a soft shield, absorbing all impacts and reflecting them back. Hundreds of arms exploded, but Brock had many more. They kept crashing down. Starhair was smashed into a large planetary fragment and pushed through it until the entire thing shattered in a shower of ice. He kept flying backward until he rammed into the planet¡¯s hard core. This time, because his shield was neutralizing most of the impact, he didn¡¯t have the momentum to break through. He was stuck against the core, slowly forming a larger and larger crater as Brock pummeled him with palm strikes.

    ¡°Check it out!¡± Sophie''s voice echoed. ¡°Brock is going slap-happy on Starhair!¡±

    Her comment must have enraged the peak B-Grade. He detonated a good part of his energy, erupting with enough force to pulverize the planet core below him and send away all of Brock¡¯s golden arms. When the smoke cleared, Starhair sported a new form. He was now a ten-foot-tall humanoid made of starry hair. Jack assumed he¡¯d somehow split his hair strands and turned them into armor.

    ¡°You fought well, but this ends now,¡± Starhair shouted. ¡°Fall!¡± He charged at Brock, moving far faster than before, tearing up space wherever he passed. A few golden arms slapped into him, achieving nothing. He disintegrated them by merely rushing past.

    His new set of armor gave him extreme defense, strength, and speed. He was vastly more powerful than before. It was clear he was going all-out, or at least close to it.

    Facing this charging form, Brock didn¡¯t panic. He brought his hands together. The Bro Code flipped to a new page, too fast for anyone to see, then slapped shut. ¡°You are misbehaving,¡± Brock chanted slowly. ¡°As your big bro, it is my duty to bring you back into line.¡±

    Somehow, despite his slow words and Starhair¡¯s blinding assault, he hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Golden light erupted once again from Brock¡¯s body. The ten thousand arms dissipated. So intense was the new burst of light that space shattered behind him, framing his figure in the void. Everyone looked away.

    When they looked at Brock again, he was surrounded by the form of a golden brorilla. Jack knew it was a phantom because he¡¯d seen this move before, but if he hadn¡¯t, he would have certainly believed it was real. So lifelike and solid was the figure. It was a magnified version of Brock, shining golden from head to toe, radiating light like sort of brotherly buddha. His eyes held not anger, but love and strictness, as if Starhair was just a misbehaving child.

    That comparison was apt size-wise, as well. Compared to Starhair¡¯s ten-foot form, Brock was at least twice as tall.

    It was only after the phantom solidified fully that Starhair reached Brock. Stars erupted within his hair armor. He punched out, carrying the force of detonating strikes. ¡°Begone!¡± he shouted.

    Brock brought his hands together, then raised an open palm. He brought it down on Starhair as one would slap a fly.

    A colossal explosion shook the world. All the power Starhair had amassed was for naught. He was violently diverted from his course and flung away. His speed remained enough to sear space around him. A single large piece remained of the once-solid planet, and Starhair smashed right into it, once again showering the world in specks of ice and stone. He continued through, smashing through several smaller pieces of the planet before finally coming to a stop mid-space.

    The projection zoomed in on him. He seemed enraged, in disbelief, and desperate. His hair-armored form remained whole. Then, suddenly, he reverted it. The hair fell away, turning back into the six strands attached to his head. Intense unwillingness covered his now visible face. He still seemed pissed as hell, but he forced himself to stand down.

    A line of blood flowed from his forehead. He had given first blood. Brock had won the duel.

    The audience cheered. ¡°What a spectacular battle!¡± Sophie exclaimed. ¡°An excellent demonstration from both fighters. Give it up for them, everyone!¡±

    Cheers and claps resounded through the void. Jack cheered too, though the Elders remained calm by his side.

    ¡°That was a good fight,¡± Elder Soresight commented. ¡°It was closer than it seemed.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Boatman replied. He smiled. ¡°But Brock wasn¡¯t going completely all-out, even at the end. He never used the power of his bros to enhance himself. Maybe he considered it cheating.¡±

    ¡°Starhair didn¡¯t go all-out either,¡± the other Elder said. ¡°That boy has a very powerful but dangerous move. I¡¯m glad he had the composure not to use it.¡±

    Jack¡¯s chest swelled with pride beside them. His little brother was so strong now. Once upon a time, he¡¯d been small enough to ride on Jack¡¯s shoulder, and all he did was throw poop at the people he disliked. Thinking back to those days, Jack couldn¡¯t help feeling emotional. How far he¡¯d come. Both of them.

    ¡°Well done, Brock,¡± he said, transmitting his voice directly to the brorilla.

    Brock looked over and smiled. He then turned towards Starhair and flew over. The peak B-Grade hovered in place, steaming with rage, shame, and unwillingness. He looked angrily at Brock as he approached.

    ¡°Good fight, bro,¡± Brock said, extending a hand.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Starhair looked at it. He hesitated. Then, finally, he controlled his emotions and shook it.

    ¡°You won fair and square,¡± he admitted. ¡°Good fight.¡±

    The audience cheered again.

    ***

    Jack¡¯s clone covered distance rapidly. Their little starship, piloted by an Envoy called Druk-Druk, had already reached the Milky Way galaxy. Finding Earth wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡ªJack knew the rough location of Earth in the Systemless part of the galaxy, and also its teleporter frequency.

    Before that, however, there was something else he needed to do.

    The starship hovered just outside System space. It was an invisible line Jack had brushed with his perception.

    ¡°Can you hold them for a moment?¡± he asked Druk-Druk, motioning to the desk-sized, opaque space bubble hovering inside the starship. The captain rolled her eyes and accepted. This bubble housed the Church cultivators Jack had released from the Green Dragon Realm. Once they made it to Earth, the Bare Fist Brotherhood would give Druk-Druk a larger starship so she could carry everyone back to the New Cathedral.

    As she took over maintaining the space bubble, Jack teleported outside the starship. He hovered before the border of System space, taking a deep breath. Then, he flew in.

    You have returned to the New World. Welcome!

    He grinned at the System notification. Quickly pushing it aside, he looked into his Class, trying to summon his newest Dao Vision, the entire reason he¡¯d risked coming here.

    His Paragon of Cultivation class offered him a top-tier Dao Vision at every minor realm, including the early B-Grade. However, as Jack was outside System space, the Dao Visions couldn¡¯t be ¡°downloaded.¡± He hoped that would happen automatically as soon as the clone entered System space. After all, they shared the class.

    Nothing happened for a few moments. Jack only felt a strange emptiness. Are they onto me? he wondered. Should we run?

    And then, the Dao Vision arrived. It struck his mind like a sledgehammer. He shook from the shock. His body escaped his control, as he was already drawn into the vision, but that was fine. They expected it. Druk-Druk would pull him back to the ship and step on the gas to get as far away from this place as possible.

    Therefore, Jack focused on perceiving the Dao Vision. And what a vision it was.

    ***

    The universe was silent. Stars glittered in the far distance like inconsequential dots. But not everywhere. A large part of Jack¡¯s vision was covered by absolute darkness.

    He realized he was facing a black hole. A real one, not the imitation that was the Animal Abyss. He could sense spacetime going haywire, absolutely demolished by a far superior power. It was pulled apart the same way a machine would dismantle a stuffed toy. Slowly, but surely. Inevitably.

    Jack had studied black holes before. He knew some principles from Earth science, had read about them in Archon Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance, had seen one from a distance at the Cathedral, and had experienced a faint version of the real thing in the Animal Abyss. However, those experiences all paled compared to the real thing. He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it. Despite his recent power-ups, he was like an ant before this anomaly. Even the Arch Priestess, whom he¡¯d met recently, would seem weak here.

    Jack knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that black holes existed on a higher realm than cultivators. Even Gods. That¡¯s why Enas, the most powerful Old God and arguably most powerful entity in the universe, had been unable to escape after falling into one.

    Wait. What exactly is this vision about? Jack wondered.

    Every Dao Vision he¡¯d seen so far was based on a cultivator. It showed them doing something. However, he¡¯d floated before the black hole for a few moments now without anything happening. Was there no other cultivator here? Was the vision just about meditating on the black hole?

    He wouldn¡¯t complain if it was.

    As he looked around, however, he discovered that was not the case. There was someone here. A single man, dark of skin and hair, barely visible in the darkness. His aura labeled him as marginally weaker than the Arch Priestess, but he was also an Archon.

    It was not Archon Black Hole, as Jack had initially suspected. He¡¯d never seen this person before.

    The man hovered in space a couple miles away from Jack, unaffected by the terrible spacetime flows surrounding the black hole. No, not exactly unaffected; as Jack took a closer look, he noticed the man was riding what resembled a silver surfboard made of extremely dense material. It could have been fashioned out of an actual neutron star. This surf board alone warped space around it, and the man was using his Dao to enhance that influence, anchoring himself and the surfboard against the pull of the black hole. They weren¡¯t immobile, either; just surfing around the event horizon.

    Jack would be lying if he said he expected to see someone surfing a black hole. Then again, this was probably easier than outright resisting its gravitational pull.

    Jack himself was just a projection here. The gravity didn¡¯t affect him. If it did, he would have been powerless to resist.

    The dark-skinned man muttered something. Jack didn¡¯t quite catch it. He tried to float closer but found himself unable to move. All he could do was strain his ears and try to catch the words, instinctively spread outward by the man¡¯s powerful Dao.

    ¡°The death of space¡­¡± the man muttered. ¡°A downward spiral. A universal end. Everything ends here, but where does it begin?¡±

    He seemed to be in the middle of his meditation. Jack knew Archons could detect the System recording them to make Dao Visions, but this one was apparently too focused on his ruminations and resisting the black hole to notice. Below his surfboard, a torrent of dark energy shot out for endless miles, the aftereffect of the friction between him and the black hole.

    Before Jack could consider those words, the man spread his hands. Space bent and shattered around him. The void appeared; and out of it crawled death. Not the death of living creatures, but the death of space and time, of the Dao itself. The true end.

    Jack shivered at the sight. What emerged from the void manifested as black foam in the physical world, but on a spiritual level, it was beyond his understanding. He had the irrational fear that this encroaching darkness was so deadly it could harm him through the Dao Vision. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t approach him. It merged with the flow, angling towards the black hole. It seeped in gradually, disappearing behind the event horizon.

    Jack couldn¡¯t sense what happened afterwards, but he could see it clearly. This true death energy was similar to the black hole¡¯s. They merged together, not fighting because of their different sources, just agreeing on total death. The event horizon welcomed this energy, and the black hole grew a tiny bit larger.

    Their compatibility wasn¡¯t absolute, however. Though similar energies, the black hole¡¯s was purer. A small part of the man¡¯s foam dissipated as it was purified. That didn¡¯t disappoint him; instead, he smiled, pearly white teeth shining in the darkness. He seemed satisfied.

    ¡°Death born of space,¡± he muttered. ¡°All becomes one.¡±

 Chapter 493: Skill Upgrades

    Jack opened his eyes to find he was drenched in sweat. He was still shaking. Watching a black hole from up-close was not an easy experience. It was like having a first-row table to the greatest forces of the universe¡­which sounded suspiciously like the Second Crusade.

    The clone had been dragged back to the ship by Druk-Druk while the vision was ongoing. They were already far from System space and approaching Earth. The main body of Jack, however, had experienced the vision almost at the same time as the clone.

    Death born of space¡­ he thought, looking at his fist. All becomes one.

    He hadn¡¯t known what to expect from this first vision. What he saw, however, was better than anything he could have hoped for. The System hadn¡¯t lied when it mentioned top-tier visions. It had given him the greatest gift possible. A path to unite his two dualities¡ªLife-Death and Space-Time.

    If I walk down the same path as that surfer¡­ Can I combine all my Daos?

    The thought was too exciting to ignore. He had suspected this was possible but didn¡¯t know where to begin. It was so clear now. Of course it was a black hole. It combined death and space. What starting point could be better?

    Once again, Jack was thankful for the System being so sloppy. It was so spread out that even the Immortals couldn¡¯t control it. Otherwise, they would definitely not help him as they had. They might even try to harm him through it.

    Which would be useless at this point. Jack had long located the mini System core inside him, a small glowing sphere attached to his soul¡ªor inner world¡ªwhich served as a storage and communication device. It could augment him when he leveled-up, but he could easily suppress or destroy it anytime he wanted. That¡¯s what he would do if they ever tried to use it against him. Until then, it could only do good, not harm.

    In fact, amongst the high-ranking Church cultivators, it was customary for people to remove their System core when they reached the A-Grade. That¡¯s when it stopped being useful, as the System no longer awarded stat points in the A-Grade.

    Jack shelved those thoughts to focus on his new Dao Vision. He even paused the absorption of space monster cores. There was so much to unpack.

    Death born of space, he repeated. How can I achieve that?

    In his mind, life and death were clearly connected, as were time and space. That much was obvious. However, despite his extremely deep insights into all of those Daos, he could not see the connection point between the two different sets. Spacetime was one thing. Life and Death were another. One pertained to mass and the fabric of reality, the other to souls and their mysterious interactions. One existed in the physical world, the other in a field of abstraction.

    How could they be united?

    It was clearly possible. The dark-skinned cultivator in the vision had achieved it, at least to some extent. Black holes could serve as a starting point. Jack knew he could also ask Elder Boatman, but he wanted to experiment by himself first. Asking for advice too early could get him on the wrong path.

    He raised his hands and began summoning the power of space before realizing what he was about to do. He was still in his mansion on the New Cathedral. Playing with major forces here could have disastrous consequences.

    ¡°Brock!¡± he called out. ¡°I¡¯ll be going out for a bit, okay? See you soon!¡±

    No reply arrived, but Jack knew Brock must have heard him. Therefore, he teleported over the mansion, then teleported again in quick succession. At his current level, each teleportation could span thousands of miles. Before long, he was so far away from the New Cathedral that the planet resembled a colorful dot. Nothing else was nearby, only emptiness.

    Here should be fine, Jack figured. He resumed what he¡¯d been doing. His hands came together. A ball formed between them, rippling and transparent, a sphere of pure space. Then, pressing his hands together, he tried to condense it. The physical sensation of compressing something between his hands helped. Soon, however, he realized that his hands were touching each other, and the ball of space was nowhere near compressed enough.

    Grumbling, he let it dissipate. He opened his arms, this time manifesting a ball of space several miles wide. He was like a fly hugging a giant. Still, he began compressing it. The task was easy at first. The ball reduced in diameter from several miles, to a single mile, to a hundred feet, to ten feet. He was feeling serious resistance by now. Space was not an easy thing to fold.

    He pressed on regardless. The ball continued to shrink, eventually becoming a sphere three feet across, pulsing with highly condensed power. Jack realized he was basically hugging a bomb, but he hoped it would be fine. He grabbed it with his hands and pushed it in, condensing it further. He moved slowly and methodically. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of having the power to do it, but he had to simultaneously control the Dao so it didn¡¯t break out. After all, the only thing keeping it together was his control, and the ball was growing more volatile as it was pressured.

    It eventually reached the point of a beach ball, and he kept pushing. It became the size of a basketball, then a tennis ball between his palms. By this point, the ball was glowing from all the condensed energy, and Jack could feel the searing heat emitted. This was the same process he followed to unleash his Supernova attack, but pushed to new extremes.

    He knew that the more he condensed the ball, the more it would seek to explode. However, there would come a point where the gravitational pull of the ball towards itself would overpower its ability to expand. It would collapse under its own weight, shrinking unstoppably until it became a single point of infinite density, turning into a black hole.

    Jack had no desire to create an actual black hole this close to the New Cathedral, let alone right in his face. That point of no-return was very far away from the current compression level, anyway. What he was trying to do was sense how space reacted when pushed towards its endpoint. How did the Dao handle the possibility of death? What would happen?

    He hadn¡¯t tried this before, so he frankly had no idea. He just hoped that interesting things would happen as he approached the state of a black hole.

    As Jack pushed down, compressing the ball to the limit of what he could control, a transformation occurred. The empty space inside the ball bubbled. At the very center, where the pressure was greatest, a little bit of foam appeared. Its color was unclear, flickering between various extremes. Jack was terrified. The foam didn¡¯t feel threatening, but it was an unknown power held against his chest. Who knew its properties?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The surfer¡¯s black foam had felt extremely dangerous.

    He stopped compressing. His attention was split between maintaining the space ball and inspecting the foam. He could sense a bunch of properties inside it; it was like the Dao particles were so tightly pressed against each other that they began to merge, forming new, unknown substances that shouldn¡¯t exist in the universe. It was genesis.

    No. It was despair.

    Jack could sense it. At first glance, this foam was a beautiful act of creation, the combination of existing particles into new, exciting forms.

    His Daos of Life and Death, however, warned him that this was not the case. The act of creation was just a byproduct. What really occurred was the Dao particles trying desperately to survive. As they collapsed, they clung to each other, combining forces to resist the massive pressure.

    They didn¡¯t need to combine. Nothing forced them. They could have just broken down into nihility, but they wanted to survive. They feared death.

    Jack struggled to maintain the ball as he focused on this foam. He inspected it thoroughly. He couldn¡¯t read its properties yet, but that was fine because it was just a transitionary state. If he somehow kept pushing, the particles would unite more and more thoroughly until they just couldn¡¯t anymore. They would collapse, and a singularity would be created. The death of the Dao. The end of the universe.

    Calculating all those things while maintaining the highly volatile space ball was challenging. Jack¡¯s concentration finally slipped. A tiny, imperceptible flaw appeared. The compressed energy rushed out of it like the wind escaping a balloon, and even as he tried to patch the hole, the ball had already destabilized. More and more interactions occurred, snowballing out of control.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jack said.

    The ball exploded. There was no time to move away. The impact found him straight in the chest, catapulting him back so powerfully he skidded at almost the speed of light. A visible shockwave spread out, upsetting the surrounding spacetime. There was a dark, deadly void where the ball used to be. Particles rushed in to patch it, then popped out with a second explosion. The surrounding space was ravaged. Jack was glad he¡¯d been pushed away.

    He was also glad he¡¯d thought to move away from the New Cathedral for this experiment.

    If he had let this happen on the planet, the town would be gone. The force of the explosion vastly dwarfed a nuke¡¯s. The only reason he¡¯d survived point-blank was his extreme physicality, but even so, he was severely injured. His chest was a mangled mess of blood and bones. His arms had disintegrated from the elbow down. He groaned as the pain caught up to him, taking his breath away, then did his best to persevere while his regeneration got to work. It was slower now, without the support of the Life Drop. It took him a few minutes to heal completely.

    By this point, the region of space around him had already returned to normal. As for the two shockwaves, they would dissipate harmlessly. By the time they reached the New Cathedral, they would at most feel like strong breezes from the sky. He might knock over someone¡¯s vase.

    Jack flexed his newly regenerated hands, still morphing at the pain. That had been dangerous. He¡¯d known it wouldn¡¯t kill him, but maybe he should put safety measures in place next time. Having his hands blown off was hardly pleasant.

    But that ball was a very potent attack. Its power vastly eclipsed that of his Supernova. If he could weaponize it, it would become a powerful addition to his arsenal. It could evolve further, too¡ªwith enough power, and with enough control of spacetime, creating an actual black hole wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility. Though, doing it quick enough to use in battle was another story altogether.

    There was also the issue of that mysterious foam. His original purpose had been to discover a way to unite life and death with spacetime, and that foam seemed to hold the key. He¡¯d given space particles the fear of death and changed their behavior. It could be considered an initial success.

    The System core inside him seemed to agree.

    Congratulations! Space Mastery III ¡ú Space Mastery IV

    Space Mastery IV: The power of space lies at your fingertips. You can use it freely, and even extreme applications are making themselves clear to you. You are well on the road to mastery.

    Congratulations! Death Mastery III ¡ú Death Mastery IV

    Death Mastery IV: Death is the end. The final, inevitable result of entropy. It is also just another power you control. You can spread this power to everything, even the Dao itself. You are well on the road to mastery.

    Jack patted himself, smiling. After Meteor Punch, these were the first skills to reach the fourth tier, something he felt was long overdue. He was proud at himself.

    The only thing missing was Time Mastery, a skill he guessed he should possess but didn¡¯t. Who knows why. Maybe it fell together with Space Mastery?

    In any case, this experiment had gone great¡ªsave for his exploding hands. If he meditated on the vision again, maybe tried the same thing a few more times, he might gain even more improvements. A new path had opened before him.

    His Dao, which had felt a little stagnant recently, had just found the way forward.

    He still intended to consult Elder Boatman, but for now, a little bit of resting would be nice. He was exhausted. Space parted easily around him, and he soon appeared at the entrance of his mansion, pushing open the door.

    The Arch Priestess stood right in the middle of the entrance hall. She was staring at the door, and therefore, at him. His breath caught to his throat. Fuck, he said. I messed up.

    Instantly, Jack was tense again. He tried to read her face for hints of her intentions, but that was difficult when everything but her eyes was covered by a veil. In those eyes, all he could see was¡­amusement?

    That couldn¡¯t be right.

    She still wore long white robes, hiding everything except her golden eyes and tanned, bare feet. She stared at him, not speaking.

    ¡°Greetings, Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said calmly. He was suddenly very conscious of the fact he only wore shorts. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have you visit me. How can I help you?¡±

    She stared at him for a long moment. Then, she laughed. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you, Jack Rust,¡± she said. There it was again¡ªthat hint of amusement. ¡°Keep up the good work.¡±

    And just like that, she teleported away. Jack remained standing in the hall, still stressing out. What the hell was that about? he wondered. He shook his head. Whatever.

    He walked through the next room, into the living room, intending to reach his office and reset his mind before returning to cultivation. However, he saw Brock in the living room. He lounged on a couch, relaxed, slurping on a bowl of gum worms while reading the Bro Code as one would a comic.

    ¡°Sup bro?¡± the brorilla said as Jack entered.

    ¡°Oh, hey Brock,¡± Jack said. ¡°Did you see the Arch Priestess?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She came to discuss the Dao.¡±

    Jack nodded, not fully comprehending. He recalled her promising to come over and discuss the Dao with Brock when she had the time. Something about being interested in the perspective of a beast-born cultivator. It made sense.

    However¡­

    Something was off. Something about Brock¡¯s relaxed posture, something about his aura. Jack had seen this type of aura before in college, of all places. He suddenly had a very disturbing suspicion.

    ¡°Brock,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Did you sleep with the Arch Priestess?¡±

    Brock swallowed his gum worm. ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

 Chapter 494: Daddy is Here to Stay

    Jack stuttered. ¡°The Arch Priestess?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª She¡¯s¡ª Brock! Good fucking job!¡±

    The brorilla¡¯s frown broke into a smile, and then he laughed. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°How does that even work?¡± Jack asked, sitting down beside his brother. ¡°You¡¯re a brorilla, she¡¯s a human. Aren¡¯t you, you know, incompatible?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a human,¡± Brock replied, closing the Bro Code and putting it away. ¡°Even if she was¡­ Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡±

    ¡°What is she if not a human?¡±

    ¡°A space monster,¡± Brock replied simply. Jack thought back to the original expedition into the Green Dragon Realm. One of the Church¡¯s leading cultivators, the second-ranked C-Grade, had been a humanoid space monster as well. That man, however, had looked like a dragon in human form. He had whiskers and claws and scales. The Arch Priestess seemed¡­fairly normal?

    Then again, she was covered head to toe in robes. Her feet and eyes were similar to a human¡¯s. Everything else was hidden.

    ¡°What does she look like?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help asking.

    Brock thought about it. ¡°Strong. Powerful. Hairy.¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°Very beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy for you, bro. I just never thought that¡­ Wow. You¡¯re going out with one of the most influential and powerful people in the universe. Aren¡¯t you, like, seven years old?¡±

    Brock shrugged. ¡°Brorillas become adults at three.¡±

    Jack laughed again. ¡°We must celebrate!¡± he shouted. ¡°How about this? Today, we take a break from all things cultivation and drink to our heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro, but it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    ¡°Your first girl? Of course it is!¡±

    ¡°Bro. It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t be a teenager.¡±

    Jack caught himself. In Brock¡¯s eyes, sleeping and being with someone was a completely normal thing. He was a big bro. Of course he¡¯d be crazy popular.

    Jack saw this as a rite of passage given his previous Earth culture, but to Brock, it was just another day.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Jack finally agreed. ¡°But we need to have at least a shot.¡±

    Brock smirked. ¡°Okay. A shot.¡±

    Jack rushed to the kitchen, returning with two shot glass filled with an amber liquid. He didn¡¯t remember its name, but it was a hit on the New Cathedral. Even C-Grades could get a buzz.

    Jack and Brock couldn¡¯t, not without consuming prodigious quantities, but that was alright.

    ¡°To the Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said, raising his glass.

    ¡°To the Arch Priestess,¡± Brock agreed. They clinked their glasses and downed them.

    ¡°You did get her name, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a name.¡±

    ¡°Really? Is it a religious thing?¡±

    ¡°No. She never had one.¡± Brock¡¯s eyes took on a sad glint. ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, there is no need to share if it¡¯s her private business. I just hope she¡¯s fine now.¡±

    ¡°She is. And, she wouldn¡¯t mind. There is a large, separate dimension nestled in the center of this galaxy, inhabited fully by space monsters. They have their own society there. She was forced to leave when she was young, then met some roaming cultivators and joined them. She never had a name, only a title¡ªthough that¡¯s something she should share herself.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack replied. ¡°A separate dimension inhabited by space monsters? I didn¡¯t know that existed. Nobody mentioned it before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why this galaxy is so full of space monsters. The bestial ones are often chased out to maintain a working society. That place is called the Space Monster World.¡±

    ¡°KID!¡± a new voice blasted into Jack¡¯s ears, taking him completely by surprise. ¡°That¡¯s my home as well! That¡¯s where I come from! It¡¯s here, you¡¯re actually here!¡±

    Jack recoiled from the sudden shout. The grabbed his head. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell was practically zooming around in Jack¡¯s inner world like an excited puppy.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°You never told me you were in the Spiral Stair galaxy! How was I supposed to know? I¡¯m not some nerd like The Stone to tell from the stars.¡±

    ¡°...Right. So, this Space Monster World?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what Brock said. A world inhabited and run by space monsters.¡±

    ¡°How come it¡¯s not conquered, then? It sounds like a bunch of space monster cores to me.¡±

    The turtle snorted. ¡°We space monsters are not weak, kid. We have a few Archons of our own. The world is also sealed so A-Grades and Archons can only leave, not enter. It¡¯s basically unassailable.¡±

    ¡°Unassailable, you say?¡±

    Jack¡¯s mind was already racing with ideas, but the turtle cut him short. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± it said. ¡°First of all, while leaving is easy, entering is very difficult. Most importantly, cultivators are not welcome there. The Church cannot use it to hide. Even the Arch Priestess, despite her status as a space monster Archon, cannot bargain asylum for her people.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Bro,¡± Brock said, snapping his fingers in Jack¡¯s face. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. The turtle just said it comes from the Space Monster World as well.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s bros with the Arch Priestess.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This turtle is very, very old.¡±

    ¡°Your mother is old. And my name is Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.¡±

    ¡°In any case,¡± Jack continued, ¡°I¡¯m happy for you and her. And this Space Monster World is interesting to know, though I¡¯m not sure how it can help us currently.¡±

    ¡°Probably can¡¯t.¡± Brock shrugged. ¡°Otherwise, we would know already.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Jack gathered the two shot glasses from before, as well as the now-empty gum worm bowl which Brock had been eating from. Ew.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to work now, bro,¡± Jack said. ¡°Happy reading.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. You too.¡±

    And with that, Brock went back to studying the Bro Code, completely unaffected by the fact he was sleeping with one of the greatest cultivators in the universe, as well as his immediate superior.

    ***

    While Jack¡¯s main body was cultivating, pondering the mysteries of space and death, and drinking to celebrate joyous occurrences, the clone was buzzing with excitement. He couldn¡¯t believe this was finally happening.

    After so many years of being away, after only seeing his family once in the span of five years¡­ He was finally returning to Earth. For good. The main body would go off and adventure, but the clone could stay here.

    It was a dream come true. If Jack could snap his fingers and reach the A-Grade, the joy of that would be nothing compared to the happiness of being able to spend his life with his family.

    He remained glued to the starship window as a blue and green planet appeared in the distance, orbiting a new sun. They were far from System space by now. Nobody could touch them here. They¡¯d also waited a few days on an uninhabited planet to make sure they weren¡¯t followed, which only served to enhance Jack¡¯s emotions.

    They approached the jewel of the universe. His breath was cut short. Without waiting for the starship to land, he teleported away.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Druk-Druk shouted. Jack had dumped on her the space bubble containing the released cultivators of the Green Dragon Realm, but it was something she could handle. The starship slowly headed to a landing platform near the Forest of the Strong, where various guards rose into the air to meet it.

    Meanwhile, Jack had teleported directly to his home¡¯s master bedroom. As he appeared in the spacious room, he saw the covers raised and the laughter of two people coming from underneath. His breath caught to his throat. For a split-second, before he even spread his perception, he was lost.

    Then, two female heads popped out of the covers¡ªVivi and Ebele, Jack¡¯s wife and daughter. ¡°Dad?¡± Ebele asked. ¡°Dad!¡± She made to run to him before her eyes narrowed with caution. She paused. ¡°Dad?¡± she asked again, keeping herself at bay.

    However, her caution was short-lived. Vivi burst out of the sheets, rushing towards Jack and practically flying into him. She wore loose red robes which hugged her body, contrasting her dark skin. Her eyes blazed with joy, and she was shaking. Her Dao perception had already recognized this really was him.

    ¡°Jack!¡± she shouted in disbelief, clutching on tightly even as she questioned him. ¡°How!?¡±

    Jack grinned. Since Earth was outside System space, he had no way to communicate with them. His arrival was completely unannounced.

    He hugged Vivi tightly. Now free from his surprise, he could see that the raised sheets were just a pillow fort viewed from the back. Vivi and Ebele had been playing underneath.

    He raised a hand to cup the back of his wife¡¯s head, hugging her tighter. ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± he said. At the same time, he extended his other hand towards Ebele, whose hesitation was quickly melting away. He was proud of her. When he suddenly appeared, she¡¯d held herself back in case he was an illusion or someone else disguised as her father. Unlike Vivi, she couldn¡¯t use her perception to check his aura.

    This was not a level of caution Jack wished on any child, but being a warrior himself, he acknowledged her mental fortitude at such a young age. It just made him sad that she had to be like this.

    Not anymore, he promised himself. I¡¯m here now. I will protect Ebele, so she can live free.

    His daughter dove into his embrace as well. Jack hugged her tightly. For a moment, holding both his wife and daughter, he felt like the happiest man on Earth.

    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± he whispered to them. ¡°And this time, I¡¯m here to stay.¡±

    ***

    The three of them sat on a blanket on the grassy fields outside their house. A basket of food rested between them. Ants occasionally scurried around, trying to get some, but Jack patiently kept them at bay.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Vivi was covering her mouth, joyful tears streaming out of her eyes. ¡°Are you really going to stay? Forever?¡±

    ¡°Forever,¡± Jack promised. Ebele was at his side, stubbornly clutching onto his arm as if afraid he¡¯d disappear if she let go. This, too, saddened Jack, but he knew there was nothing he could say. Time would help them get used to his presence. They wouldn¡¯t need to worry about him leaving ever again.

    It had been three hours since he first arrived. While Druk-Druk was parked far away, waiting patiently, Jack had opted to spend the first few hours with his wife and daughter. There were more people he needed to visit, but these were the most important ones. He needed to know how they were doing¡ªand tell them about his adventures.

    Vivi had been working hard these past few years. She¡¯d taken charge of the planet after the professor stepped down. Under her command, Earth had blossomed with both military power and citizen welfare. She¡¯d done a lot to eliminate hunger and poverty from all parts of the world. Things weren¡¯t perfect yet, but the fact that a large portion of Earth¡¯s inhabitants died during the Integration had freed up a lot of resources she could easily distribute around. Couple that with the prowess of cultivators, as well as being outside the oppression of System space, and Earth was suddenly well-equipped to be a paradise.

    After the recent stabilization of the planet, Vivi had more free time, which she spent with Ebele.

    The little girl herself had recently turned seven years old. She was just a tiny thing, yet bursting with energy. Jack could tell she¡¯d been working hard. She¡¯d been like that the last time he was here as well, and he¡¯d tried to direct her towards a more childish lifestyle. There was no reason to push herself yet. She could go to school and enjoy life.

    She hadn¡¯t heeded his words, apparently, but Vivi was doing her best to pull Ebele back in line. That was one reason why they were playing in a pillow fort before. It felt weird to both wife and daughter, but it also helped ground them in reality. It was nice to forget about one¡¯s burdens for a while.

    In fact, it was currently August, and Ebele was set to start school soon. She would attend Edgar¡¯s academy, which was arguably the most prestigious establishment on the planet right now. The curriculum was a mess, of course, since things were still in a state of constant flux, but Vivi believed it would offer her daughter the best education possible.

    It was free, of course. The Academy accepted students based purely on merits, and Ebele had passed all tests with flying colors.

    ¡°What do you think about school?¡± Jack asked, ruffling his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a cultivator. I¡¯m not scared,¡± she replied stubbornly.

    ¡°She¡¯s totally scared,¡± Vivi said. ¡°She was telling me last night.¡±

    ¡°Mom!!¡±

    Both parents laughed. Jack swept his daughter into an embrace. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about anything,¡± he said. ¡°The world is a beautiful place now, and you¡¯re a beautiful person. You¡¯ll make friends easily. The best friends in the world.¡±

    She looked up at him with her big eyes. ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he replied, kissing her forehead.

    God, he loved being back.

    ***

    The months flowed by. Jack lived in bliss. It was only the clone that was on Earth, but the two could share memories whenever they wanted. Both of them were living the dream.

    The main body cultivated with great intensity, accompanied by his brother as they strived for the peak. The clone lived with his family, spending every day with them, caring about no wars or troubles. It was a free life. For the first time since the Integration, Jack was actually happy on an everyday basis. Not just content¡ªhappy.

    September arrived. Ebele attended Edgar¡¯s Academy, which wasn¡¯t a boarding school. There was a starship which took the kids to and from the academy every day, touring the entire planet in only a couple hours. Ebele lived nearby so she could skip it.

    Of course, the school was just a secondary campus of the Academy. Its main focus was on cultivators, who lived and studied there until they reached the middle E-Grade, or for three years at most. It had only been operational for two years now, but it was already clear that not many people would hit the time limit. While they didn¡¯t have access to the System¡¯s quick leveling, the Academy ensured they had the right resources and guidance to steadily move forward.

    There were battles, as well. The cultivator path couldn¡¯t do without them. The Academy¡¯s disciples made excursions to reasonably difficult dungeons, sometimes accompanied by professors to keep the casualties at a minimum. Accidents always happened¡ªno one could grow without real stakes¡ªbut such was the life of a cultivator.

    Overall, life on the planet had calmed down. There were rules and regulations. It was a cultivator¡¯s world, but a peaceful one.

    Jack spent most of his days with Vivi, helping her run the planet in various ways but not interfering too much. This was her stage now, not his. He was content to stay in the shadows.

    The other half of his days were spent with Ebele. The girl was excited for every moment she had with her father. The two of them meditated together, practiced martial arts, discussed the world and the Dao, played games¡­ By being able to spend more time with her, Jack could keep her away from the extremely hard-working mindset she¡¯d adopted in recent years, which would only harm her in the long term. As the days passed, she was calm and happy. She laughed more often.

    She¡¯d made friends, too. Anay, a boy from India, and Lin Ping, a girl from China. Both were bright kids, and Jack thought they were good people, too. That was the important part. He¡¯d sometimes watch over the three as they explored the Forest of the Strong or other areas neighboring the Academy, not all of which were safe. Of course, with Jack present, there was no danger whatsoever.

    The C-Grade Dungeon of Earth, an underground ocean spanning the entire planet, was also steadily explored by the highest-level cultivators. Nobody had actually reached the C-Grade yet on-planet, but there were enough D-Grades to form large groups and tackle the early areas of the Dungeon. It helped them sharpen their Daos, apparently. Casualties were few and far between.

    Jack would sometimes join these groups, not actively helping them clear the dungeon, just saving them at the last moment if things went wrong. That allowed them to take greater risks, hastening their progress.

    He would also visit his mother often.

    All in all, life was finally good.

 Chapter 495: The Immortals Strike

    The Second Crusade was meant to take a long time. With the Church hiding away and splitting their forces, it would be relatively easy to delay for decades, if not centuries. The Old Gods would have time to arrive from wherever they were in the universe, and then protracted warfare could begin anew for a long, long time.

    As a result, Jack didn¡¯t need to be in a mad rush to cultivate. He could take his time, meditating on the Dao while slowly increasing his cultivation base. It would be a slower, yet much safer path than the one he usually took, spanning centuries of relative calmness. A peaceful break in his path of war.

    However.

    There were two sides to this war. And while the Church was confident they could delay for a long time, the Immortals were also smart. They¡¯d planned for a long time. They were only now beginning to show their hand.

    ***

    Elder Tribulation of the Black Hole Church commanded a powerful war force. His army was one of the most advanced in position, shouldering the responsibility of delaying the enemy army¡¯s initial advances. Essentially, they were in the front lines. A dangerous yet noble duty.

    The Tribulation Battalion hid in a large meteor belt similar to the one around the Death Boat. It was extremely long and daedalus, with colossal celestial bodies flying around freely, oftentimes colliding and breaking into fragments. Due to the overlapping gravitational fields and flying debris, this was a particularly difficult area to search, which was why Elder Tribulation had chosen it as their hiding spot. They could hide away here for years to come.

    One day, however, a blue screen suddenly flashed before the eyes of every cultivator in the Tribulation Battalion.

    You have returned to the New World. Welcome!

    It was sudden and unexpected. Completely out of the blue. Everyone shot to their feet, confirming with each other that they weren¡¯t hallucinating. The perception of Elder Tribulation exploded powerfully outward.

    This was the message everyone received upon re-entering System space. But they were still in the wild galaxy. Even if the Immortals were willing to spend the resources required to spread the System here, it would have taken many years to arrive, and the expansion would have been easily observable. It was impossible for this galaxy to be Integrated.

    Yet, somehow, the Tribulation Battalion had entered System space.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Tribulation barked. He was not an easy-going man. Large and powerfully-built, with hard eyes and muscles cording every inch of his body. His ferocity in battle was unmatched, and his warriors were all hardened veterans.

    Despite their confusion, they did not panic. Everyone exited the starship and formed a battle array. The unknown always meant danger.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the enemy to appear. A colossal starship emerged from the folds of space, dominating the world around it. It was perfectly white, shaped as a mountain-sized needle. Five figures rode its back. All A-Grades.

    Four were Immortals, with two-digit numbers painted on their featureless faces. The fifth was a man in swirling starry robes, clad in a cloud of darkness.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The man laughed. ¡°Did you really think you could hide, Tribulation? All your tricks are useless! Catching you in System space is so damn easy!¡±

    The starship¡¯s teleportation had finished. The moment it emerged fully, flashes erupted around it, revealing hundreds of B-Grade cultivators. All wore the robes of the Hand of God and were arrayed in battle formations.

    Five A-Grades, one of which was at the late A-Grade, and hundreds of B-Grades.

    Facing them were Elder Tribulation at the late A-Grade, another early A-Grade Elder of the Church, and several dozen B-Grades. This was not a battle they could win.

    Elder Tribulation gritted his teeth. They were supposed to be safe here. The meteor belt should have taken many years to search through. Yet, from one moment to the next, they had somehow entered System space, and all their hiding was for naught. Nothing could hide from the Immortals in System space.

    Elder Tribulation did not understand. He had the feeling he¡¯d die in confusion.

    ¡°Scatter,¡± he commanded. He knew his soldiers were brave, but he would not doom them to a lost battle.

    They were also well-trained. The moment he gave the command, the orderly formation completely broke apart, every B-Grade escaping for themselves in every direction. The enemy B-Grades followed, beginning a massive chase. Some would escape, some would get caught¡ªthat was the reality of a wild retreat.

    Only two people hadn¡¯t run. Elder Tribulation, and the other Elder present, an early A-Grade woman with white eyes and blond hair. She was Elder Tribulation¡¯s wife, and the two held hands as they resolved to go down together.

    Neither specialized in speed. They could not escape. Even if they could, that would only expose their soldiers to A-Grade pursuers. All they could do was try to delay as much as possible.

    ¡°How did you do this, Night?¡± Tribulation asked. ¡°Will you tell me before my final battle?¡±

    The man with swirling dark robes¡ªElder Night of the Hand of God¡ªsmiled. ¡°No,¡± he replied.

    Tribulation laughed. ¡°So be it!¡± His aura erupted. Space collapsed everywhere around. Terrible lightning clouds emerged from the void, accompanied by pale white light. He and his wife charged into battle. Darkness filled the world.

    On this day, Elders Tribulation and Blind White of the Black Hole Church fell heroically in battle.

    ***

    The destruction of the Tribulation Battalion rippled outward. News of the ambush and mysterious System message had spread before the battalion even began its retreat. The New Cathedral was immediately notified of the event, and information reached the Arch Priestess herself in moments.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    She stood in a grand meeting room. Accompanying her was Elder Soresight. She paced back and forth.

    ¡°How could this happen?¡± she asked. ¡°The System cannot reach this far. How did they do it?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Soresight admitted. ¡°Should I try to glimpse into the past?¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    Elder Soresight cultivated the Dao of Time. He was not particularly powerful in battle, but his Dao allowed him to deconstruct the river of time and glimpse at past events. It was a powerful information gathering ability, which was why he was stationed on the New Cathedral.

    While Soresight had his eyes closed, the third A-Grade in the room spoke up.

    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble,¡± he said. This was a bald old man with a long beard and heavy eyes, dressed in loose monk robes. Elder Heavencrash, he was called. Save for the Archons, he was one of the strongest Elders of the Church. ¡°We are already outnumbered. We cannot lose more Elders.¡±

    As he finished his words, the meeting room door was pushed open. The Arch Priestess looked over so quickly her robes fluttered. The newly-arrived messenger kept his head low, trembling.

    ¡°I greet the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Report,¡± the Arch Priestess cut him off.

    The messenger gathered his words. ¡°Yes. Two more battalions were attacked. Elder Periphery is currently in battle against overwhelming numbers. Elder Godspeed managed to escape with his battalion. All reported the same System message just before they were attacked: You have returned to the New World.¡±

    A fist smashed into the long meeting table, disintegrating the wood but leaving the floor below untouched. Elder Heavencrash growled, standing above the now-pointless chairs. ¡°What is happening here?¡± he growled.

    ¡°You may retreat,¡± the Arch Priestess instructed the messenger, who disappeared immediately. Afterward, she turned to Heavencrash. ¡°Calm down. I need you focused.¡±

    He took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry, Arch Priestess. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    It was then that Elder Soresight awakened from his meditation. He opened his mouth to speak, then paused as he took in the lack of table.

    ¡°Speak,¡± the Arch Priestess commanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t see anything,¡± the Elder reported. ¡°As I traveled back in space and time, I was rebounded by a powerful force. I believe it was an Archon.¡±

    The Arch Priestess¡¯s eyes darkened. She¡¯d counted on this information. Unfortunately, Soresight was not an Archon, but the Hand¡¯s respective specialist was. ¡°Archon Empire,¡± she growled. ¡°That man must die.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll never get him, Arch Priestess. That coward hides deep in System space.¡±

    ¡°I want all our researchers on the task,¡± she commanded. ¡°And tell all other forward battalions to retreat.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Arch Priestess?¡± Soresight replied. ¡°We¡¯ll be giving away a lot of ground.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather we give away our Elders?¡± Heavencrash asked.

    ¡°Stop fighting and follow my orders,¡± the Arch Priestess said tiredly. ¡°Maintaining our forward positions is important, but until we know how they¡¯re doing this, we¡¯d just be sending our people to die. The risk is too large. Have everyone retreat to the secondary zones.¡±

    The two Elders bowed. ¡°Yes, Arch Priestess.¡±

    She sighed, falling back into her chair as the two Elders distributed her order. She would have leaned against the table if it still existed. Unless they realized what was happening and how to stop it, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If the battalions remained at the front lines, they would be vulnerable. If they kept retreating, they¡¯d eventually find themselves clustered around the New Cathedral, which would make them easily discoverable by the Hand of God scouts.

    Soresight was right. They couldn¡¯t surrender too much ground. But they couldn¡¯t afford to lose more Elders, either.

    What do I do¡­ the Arch Priestess wondered.

    A hesitant knock came on the door. ¡°Enter,¡± she said. A new messenger appeared, this one seeming more confused and less flustered than the previous one. He had her attention immediately.

    ¡°I greet the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Report.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have received a message for the Arch Priestess.¡±

    ¡°A message?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°By whom?¡±

    The messenger gulped. ¡°The Immortals. They¡­ They wish to invite you to something called the Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair.¡±

    She raised a brow. The assault and invitation landing at the same time¡­ This was certainly not a coincidence. ¡°What is that summit? And with whom?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t say. They only said it will be held in one week, on the brightest blue star of the area closest to System space. They said that, if you agree and swear on your Dao to participate, they will cease attacks until then. If not, they will press their assault relentlessly.¡±

    The Arch Priestess frowned. That was almost too good to be true. The Hand had them cornered right now; if they stopped for a week, that would give the Church enough time to figure out what was going on and regroup.

    She didn¡¯t like this. At all. The Immortals had just gotten in a massive surprise attack, and they were going to sacrifice that just to have her participate in some discussions? She didn¡¯t understand anything. She was completely on the back foot, dancing in the palm of their hands. It was like they were playing a completely different game, one where she didn¡¯t even understand the rules. She was at least two steps behind.

    She could guess who else was invited to that summit, but it didn¡¯t explain anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± she asked.

    The messenger gulped. ¡°Respectfully, Arch Priestess. The Immortals didn¡¯t mention this outright in their message, but they gave no method to attend the summit telepathically. They also declared that anyone who approaches, besides you, will be eliminated on sight no matter what. If you desire to participate, you can only do so physically. In an area which, according to recent events, will be System space.¡±

    The implications dawned on everyone at the same time.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Heavencrash shouted. ¡°You must not go, Arch Priestess.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Soresight said. ¡°It is certainly a trap. The Immortals have no sense of honor. If you go, they will ambush and kill you, and our army will be left headless. We will lose half the war.¡±

    The Arch Priestess considered their words. These two were her advisors, and she trusted them. She also agreed that this was a ridiculous proposal. The summit was just an excuse. It was extremely clear that, if she went there, she would die. That would be a much heavier loss than just a few Elders. The Immortals only proposed this to shake her¡ªthey knew she would never agree.

    They also knew that she couldn¡¯t lie. Her Dao wouldn¡¯t allow it. As much as she would have liked to, agreeing to their one week of peace and then just not showing up would ruin her cultivation. It would be the same as dying.

    As for working out ways to not attend physically¡­that was a gamble. There was no time to make a clone. She couldn¡¯t send anyone else carrying a projection stone, since the Immortals had already declared they¡¯d destroy anyone who wasn¡¯t her on sight.

    If she promised to attend and found a way to do it from a distance, that would be fine. But she wouldn¡¯t find a way. The Immortals, in System space, would absolutely shut off all avenues. Then, if she promised to attend, she would have no choice but to do it physically. And that was a death sentence.

    It was a three-way conundrum. If she refused, they would press their assault with whatever new way they¡¯d found to utilize the System. If she accepted, then she would be taking a huge risk. Either she¡¯d find a way to attend telepathically against their wishes¡ªa highly unlikely scenario¡ªor she¡¯d fail and most probably perish.

    They could have specified that I have to attend physically, she realized. They didn¡¯t, to give me a sliver of hope. To make me doubt myself. To even out my options. All of them are equally terrible, and whatever I choose, they win. This is psychological warfare.

    All those were clear in the Arch Priestess¡¯s mind. Yet, she smiled.

    ¡°Arch Priestess!¡± Soresight and Heavencrash exclaimed in unison, for once putting away their mutual dislike. She ignored them.

    ¡°Tell the Immortals I agree,¡± she said. ¡°As long as they hold their forces, then one week from now, I will attend their Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair. I swear it on my Dao.¡±

 Chapter 496: Middle B-Grade

    The powers of life, death, time, and space swam calmly through the air. They turned around each other, entwining and disengaging, forming and deforming. Where Life and Death met, they yearned to unite. The same happened for Time and Space. However, if Time met Life, or any other combination, they simply swam unhindered as if not even noticing each other.

    Jack sat in the center of these four swimming ribbons. His breathing was even, his eyes closed despite the many shapes and colors manifesting around him. He was considering his Daos, marching on the slow path of unifying them. Every question he solved birthed three more. Yet, he was advancing.

    His cultivation was still progressing nicely. In his inner world, energy still erupted from the portal to the Green Dragon Realm, slowly but surely saturating him. From the steady black hole, the portal to the Black Hole World, laws rippled out, subtly enhancing his own.

    Both in quantity and quality, his inner world was progressing. His Daos were advancing. His already formidable power was growing fiercer by the day. He yearned to let it out.

    A knock on the door snapped him out of his reverie. The swimming colors collapsed, folding into themselves before disappearing. The magic hid away. Jack opened his eyes.

    Another knock on the door. ¡°Bro,¡± a voice called from outside.

    ¡°Coming,¡± he replied. As he stood, gazing at the chairs and desk of solid wood outfitting his office, his heart was already filled with trepidation. Brock wouldn¡¯t interrupt his cultivation for no reason. Had something happened?

    He walked to the door and opened it. Brock, who¡¯d been about to knock again, knocked on Jack¡¯s forehead instead. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Hey, bro. Come. We have a guest.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Jack replied, still smiling. The two crossed the empty mansion rooms¡ªthey¡¯d been offered house staff but declined¡ªto arrive at the main living room. There, sitting on a fluffy chair, was the Arch Priestess, wearing her signature white robes which covered everything but her eyes and feet.

    ¡°Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said, nodding respectfully. Why was she here? Well, he could think of a reason why, but what did she want with him? He shot a side glance at Brock, finding him nonplussed.

    ¡°Hello, Jack,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°Sit.¡±

    Jack did as he was told.

    ¡°You may not have heard,¡± she began, ¡°but the Immortals advanced yesterday. They implemented a new stratagem which caught us off guard and managed to kill three Elders while forcing us to recall our forward troops.¡±

    ¡°Three Elders?¡± Jack replied. Since he¡¯d been cultivating, he hadn¡¯t heard about this new development. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°They somehow managed to bring the System to this galaxy. We still don¡¯t know how, or even if that¡¯s actually true. It should have been impossible. Maybe they somehow displaced our troops into System space without their knowledge. Space shenanigans. In any case, the end result is that our troops suddenly found themselves in System space, which resulted in the enemy immediately locating and ambushing them.¡±

    ¡°That sounds terrible,¡± Jack said. ¡°Hiding is our greatest weapon at this point, correct?¡±

    ¡°Very. The situation yesterday was grim. Right afterward, however, the Immortals contacted me. They were willing to halt their advance, giving us time to regroup, in exchange for me joining a ¡°summit¡± they were organizing. Of course, that¡¯s a trap. The only feasible way for me to join their summit is to physically go there, which will result in my certain death.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack said. ¡°So you refused.¡±

    ¡°Of course I accepted.¡±

    He raised a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t follow, Arch Priestess.¡±

    She smiled at him¡ªunder her veil. ¡°You should. After all, you are the reason I don¡¯t have to die.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you. I promised to attend their summit, and I cannot break that promise without ruining my Dao. However, while they are convinced the only way for me to join is my physical presence, there is something they do not know. Something that you, Jack, can help me with.¡±

    He frowned in thought. A moment later, his eyes brightened. ¡°Immortal Commune?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She grinned. ¡°They don¡¯t know about your class. You possess a way to contact the Immortals directly. Six days from now, you will send your clone to System space and have it activate the skill. You will then link up with your main body, and use that to project sound and image between our meeting room and the Immortals¡¯ summit.¡±

    ¡°So you basically want me to be a projector.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°I can do that. Will my clone be safe? If I¡¯m not mistaken, it will need to remain in System space for the entirety of the summit.¡±

    ¡°I have already dispatched Elder Godspeed to your location. His specialization is obvious. If they try anything against your clone, Elder Godspeed will take you and run away, and they cannot blame me for breaking the connection.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±

    ¡°How close are you to the middle B-Grade?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Both close and far. Thanks to all the cores you gave me, I¡¯ve reached 93% matter condensation. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve run out of cores, so I¡¯m stuck there.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I can give you a couple more as a reward for helping us during the summit. That should get you to 100%. Then, while your clone is in System space, you can watch the next Dao Vision before activating your Immortal Commune skill. After the Immortals realize what your class is, they might block you from accessing Dao Visions, so it¡¯s best to do it beforehand.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your care, Arch Priestess.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure.¡± She smiled again. ¡°With all that settled, you are free to go. I have some private business to discuss with your brother.¡±

    Jack opened his mouth and closed it again. He glanced between the Arch Priestess and Brock. Both winked at him.

    He had the feeling they were made for each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go now,¡± he said weakly. ¡°Have fun.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± Brock said as Jack walked away. He couldn¡¯t help shaking his head. This place was getting crazier and crazier¡­and his little brother was growing up so quickly. In fact, the Arch Priestess had been visiting more and more frequently lately, and she and Brock had been going at it like rabbits in heat. There was great sound insulation, of course, so they could be discreet.

    Jack had already communicated the Brock-Arch Priestess situation to Vivi through his clone. She was finding it extremely amusing. Her own little sitcom, she called it.

    ***

    The Arch Priestess had fulfilled her promise. Three more space monster cores had arrived to Jack¡¯s house, all bursting with energy. After quickly absorbing them over a few days, he¡¯d reached 100% Matter Condensation. And that meant it was time for a small breakthrough.

    Jack sat alone in meditation. His breaths came in and out, long like snakes of wind. His body pulsed with power.

    In his inner world, energy ran rampart. The portal to the Green Dragon Realm had temporarily stopped spouting its green torrent. Only the Black Hole World still spun, steadily pumping its advanced laws into Jack¡¯s inner world.

    The energy density had reached a limit. By Jack¡¯s calculations, it was exactly double the starting one. His inner world had gone from feeling empty to decently saturated, permeated by a feeling of contentment. If he didn¡¯t know the proper way to cultivate through the B-Grade, he might have continued doing the same thing.

    But he knew. Therefore, he got to work.

    His palms crashed together, and it was like God¡¯s angry roar. An intense shockwave rang through the entire inner world. The ambient energy, which had been spontaneously coalescing into formations, shattered back into individual particles. The bonds collapsed, and everything came into a state of flux as Jack¡¯s roar smashed into the borders of his world, demolishing them and pushing outward.

    ¡°Expand!¡± he roared.

    The moment the walls fell, they tried to rise again. But the energy was like a flood. Like an overfilled bowl, it spilled outwards, past the borders of Jack¡¯s world, seeking to conquer the dimensional sea. His Daos spread with it, imposing order on the chaos. Entire regions of nothingless were tamed, forced into stable existence as they were flooded with laws and energy.

    From ten thousand miles, Jack¡¯s world reached eleven, then eleven and a half. The expansion slowed as it progressed. He reached twelve thousand miles and kept going, but the dimensional sea was fighting back now, whatever laws were assisting his expansion beginning to recede. Finally, at exactly 12,600 miles, the expansion came to a stop.

    This wasn¡¯t a demonstration of Jack¡¯s potential. It was a process identical for everyone. Generations of cultivators had figured out that 26% was the optimal increase of the width of one¡¯s inner world. After a total of three expansions¡ªone in every minor breakthrough¡ªhe¡¯d have an inner world with exactly double its initial diameter.

    Jack could have pushed it farther if he really wanted to. Most people could. The reason he hadn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t that he had a better place to spend his remaining energy.

    The energy density of his inner world had doubled from the time he first reached the B-Grade. Now, after increasing the inner world¡¯s diameter by 26% and therefore doubling its total volume¡ªsince it was a sphere¡ªthe energy density had fallen to the exact level from which it started. His Matter Condensation was back to 0%.

    However, to expand his inner world, he¡¯d consumed part of the dimensional sea. And that part wasn¡¯t devoid of energy. Multicolored wisps now floated in the borders of Jack¡¯s world, forms of energy still undecided on what they would become. They¡¯d just been dragged from nothingness into a reality governed by hard rules. This was their most malleable state.

    Jack, exactly as generations of cultivators had instructed before him, capitalized on these energies. He grabbed them with his willpower and spread them evenly around his inner world. He then manipulated their composition and turned them into air, water, fire, and earth. The four elements formed the backbone of his world. The air formed a very thin atmosphere which filled the void. The water turned into moisture. Fire coalesced into large spheres, the progenitors of stars, while earth gathered together into free-floating chunks of stone, their respective gravities not powerful enough to form anything larger.

    These chunks of stone were the most important part. They ranged in size from a human fist to a large table, all evenly spread and maintained separate by the current weakness of gravity. After all, gravity was a form of energy, too. Its effectiveness depended on the density of spacetime¡ªthe so-called G factor¡ªwhich would increase along with the overall energy density of this inner world. As that happened, gravity would grow stronger, and the various chunks of stone would gather together into larger ones. That way, Jack could eventually begin creating a planet in his inner world.

    This was all theory. Again, generations of cultivators had experimented with their inner worlds, eventually arriving at the current optimized progression through eons of trial and error. It was not a simple process, nor was it completely intuitive. Who knows what Jack would have done if he reached this step without instructions from his predecessors. However, now that he did have instructions to follow, the end result felt right. Harmonic, even.

    Which didn¡¯t mean it was perfect. Every problem had a solution which was simple, elegant, and wrong. The cultivation world was constantly evolving, one step every generation. They were optimizing their process. Once Jack reached an exceedingly high boundary, perhaps he could use his then-insights to further optimize some previous part of the cultivation path. For now, however, he had no grounds to do such things. The path he¡¯d been shown felt right. Better than anything he could come up with. So he followed it.

    Sometimes, you innovated. But only a fool would choose not to stand on the shoulders of giants.

    Jack¡¯s eyes snapped open. A flash of light erupted, lighting up the room. His aura deepened at that moment. If a low-level cultivator was watching, they would instinctively fall to their knees and worship.

    Jack smiled. He had successfully reached the middle B-Grade.

 Chapter 497: Joining the Summit

    There are times when one feels small. For example, when they¡¯re surrounded by individuals greater than themselves.

    This was partially how Jack felt as he sat in the center of the meeting room. It was small, yet imposing. Frescos filled the walls, depicting Old Gods in their moments of glory. Twelve chairs hugged the round wall, each framed by a carving of a particular Old God, one for each chair. That way, if someone looked at a person sitting in one of those chairs, they would see a stone halo surrounding their head, as if they were saints of that Old God.

    Despite the chairs, there was a suspicious lack of a table.

    The Arch Priestess sat in the chair before the Enas carving. It depicted a kind old man raising a hand, out of which tumbled a thousand peaceful embryos. It was supposed to signify him creating life. Jack found it creepy.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s clone sat before the carving of Axelor, illustrated as a ball of darkness swallowing the world. Elder Soresight sat before the Old God of Time, a rippling pond through which a man was portrayed in various stages of his life. Finally, Elder Heavencrash sat before a carving depicting various balls in the shape of a human. Each ball was supposed to be a planet, though Jack had no idea which Old God this was. He hadn¡¯t asked.

    As for Jack himself, he sat at the very center of the room, where the table would be if there was one. He was cosplaying as a projector. Once his clone reached System space and activated Immortal Commune, the images of the summit would hopefully be projected above the head of Jack¡¯s main body in the center of the room.

    For now, he was just sitting between four silent, A-Grade individuals. The pressure was mounting. It was a good thing his mind was hardened, or he might have made a fool of himself by sweating.

    ¡°How is it going, Jack?¡± the Arch Priestess asked. ¡°The clone was supposed to be in position ten minutes ago. Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°The starship is just flying slower than expected,¡± he replied. ¡°We should be arriving any moment now.¡± His eyes flashed. ¡°Ah. Just did, actually. Now I¡¯ll probably watch the Dao¡ª¡±

    His voice cut off as new light filled his eyes. Not all Dao Visions were tame. Some assaulted his mind, leaving him no choice but to view them immediately. The last one had been like this, and Jack had expected this one to be similar as well.

    However, since they were already delayed, there was no time to carefully perceive this vision. Jack rushed through. He couldn¡¯t accelerate the vision itself, but he could slow down his own perception. Since the vision only played out in his mind, slowing his perception relative to the vision would accelerate it, making it flash over in just a couple of seconds. All he saw was a massive explosion. He would review it again when he had the time.

    A moment later, Jack¡¯s eyes returned to the real world. He and his clone were fully connected¡ªa slightly jarring experience, even now. The clone took a deep breath, then reached into himself and activated Immortal Commune for the first time.

    Immortal Commune I: This skill has no tiers. It allows you to seek council with the designated Immortals through the System¡¯s long-range communication network. Restraint is advised as this skill consumes significant System resources.

    He didn¡¯t know exactly how it worked. No one did. They just assumed, based on the context, a very good chance it could connect him to an Immortal currently in the summit. If not¡­ They might be in trouble.

    Jack activated the skill. He expected something grand. Instead, a new blue screen appeared in his face.

    Hello. You have activated Immortal Commune. Please answer a few questions so we can connect you to the appropriate Immortal. What is the purpose of this commune?

    Jack just stared at the screen. Whatever he expected, it was not this. His main body relayed the information to the Arch Priestess and the Elders, who began offering suggestions all at once.

    ¡°Silence,¡± the Arch Priestess interrupted the cacophony. She turned to Jack. ¡°The only Immortal we know is certainly attending the summit is the Heaven Immortal. Say something that sounds of utmost importance.¡±

    Jack nodded.

    The clone looked at the screen and said, ¡°I would like to discuss an issue of utmost importance with the Heaven Immortal.¡±

    Please provide details.

    ¡°I have information on the Black Hole Church. I know their true plans, but I will only tell the Heaven Immortal.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Please wait.

    Jack waited. The screen floating before him was surreal. As bloodthirsty and brutal as the System usually was, it now resembled a bot from customer support. Jack wondered if he¡¯d ever get this image out of his head.

    The Heaven Immortal has denied communication. Reason for denial was declared as, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Would you like us to transfer your request to the nearest available Immortal?

    Shit.

    Jack tried not to panic. He was at the edge of System space somewhere in the Milky Way galaxy. The summit, from what he knew, took place in the Spiral Stair galaxy. The nearest available Immortal would not be there.

    ¡°Do not transfer the request,¡± he said, going out on a limb. ¡°Inform the Heaven Immortal that this cannot wait. I stole secrets of the Church and am escaping. They will catch me soon, and I will be unable to communicate. I must speak to him right now.¡±

    Please wait.

    Jack¡¯s heart was beating in his throat. If this didn¡¯t work out, and they connected him to some random Immortal in some random galaxy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the summit. The Arch Priestess would have broken her word. According to her, that would have disastrous consequences, both for herself and the army as a whole.

    Would she blame him? Could they recover? Had his inability to convince a bot altered the entire flow of the war?

    His spiral of worries was interrupted by a single word, ringing loud and clear in his mind.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    Jack paused. The voice carried grandeur and power, but also coldness. If the almighty System had a voice, this would be it. Jack knew he was speaking to the Heaven Immortal. The leader of the Immortals, the Hand of God, and the System. One of the most powerful entities in existence.

    And he was thinking instead of replying.

    ¡°I carry the will of the Arch Priestess,¡± he said telepathically. ¡°She is seeking to connect to the summit. Please permit.¡±

    This was a phrase they¡¯d planned beforehand. It needed to be clear and concise. Now that he¡¯d spoken it, the Arch Priestess couldn¡¯t be blamed if the Heaven Immortal denied her access to the summit. It wouldn¡¯t be her fault.

    Silence followed for a moment. Jack imagined the Heaven Immortal realizing it had been played. How would he react?

    ¡°Permission granted.¡±

    There was no anger, no hesitation. The Immortals were emotionless. Instead of feeling rage at being tricked by Jack, or demanding an explanation it already knew, the Heaven Immortal immediately moved on. It was brutally efficient. Terrifying.

    Jack felt the connection between them grow wider. From transferring only sound, it now included image. A metallic face appeared in his mind. It was completely featureless, with only the number 1 drawn on its forehead in red paint. From the back of its head, various little tubes spread out, disappearing beyond the edge of the projection.

    Jack was face-to-face with the Heaven Immortal.

    Without panicking, he transferred the connection to the main body. The main body then projected the scene above his head, while relaying to the Heaven Immortal his own surroundings¡ªthe Arch Priestess and the three Elders. To someone of Jack¡¯s caliber, using his Dao to capture and project his surroundings was a trivial matter.

    Receiving the image of the Arch Priestess, the Heaven Immortal widened its image further. Jack now saw the Heaven Immortal hovering over a flat disk of stone carved with complex, glowing runes. It wasn¡¯t a language he recognized. Each rune was so small it was barely distinguishable, yet all together they covered the massive stone disk.

    The disk floated alone in space, framed by distant stars. Bright blue light came from below, but not enough to be blinding. Five figures stood on the disk. One was the Heaven Immortal, with tubes coming from its back and disappearing into a dark fold of space. There were one more Immortal, sporting the number 6 on its forehead, and a handsome, human-looking cultivator in loose robes. This man gave Jack pause. He carried a heroic aura which was hard to ignore.

    The remaining two people were, unexpectedly, space monsters. One was an extremely muscular humanoid covered in interlocking gray plates. While naked, it possessed no discernible genitalia. It stood at the same height as the Immortals and possessed a thick tail. Its human face betrayed both cunning and confidence.

    As for the final member of this summit, it was a massive silver dragon. Its head rested on the stone disk, larger than all other members, while the rest of its colossal body floated behind it in space.

    Jack couldn¡¯t perceive the auras of these people through the projection, so he could only wonder how many were Archons. The Heaven Immortal certainly was.

    ¡°Arch Priestess,¡± the robot said. ¡°You pulled quite the charade to avoid attending physically. Are you intimidated?¡±

    ¡°Only a fool battles on her opponent¡¯s terms,¡± the Arch Priestess replied, her tone dismissing the Heaven Immortal. ¡°Two overlords of the Space Monster World, it is an honor to finally meet you in person. Or, well, as in person as my projection speaking to your clones can be considered.¡± She chuckled. They didn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ve worshiped your carvings as a child. Meeting you has been a lifetime wish.¡±

    ¡°Always nice to see a fellow space monster doing well,¡± the silver dragon rumbled. Its voice was neither cold nor warm. It sounded neutral.

    The other space monster, however, spoke with daggers. ¡°You have already framed yourself as inferior, Arch Priestess,¡± it said. ¡®Now you¡¯re just nailing your own coffin.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see you attending in your real body either, Overlord,¡± she replied calmly.

    ¡°I was never challenged. If I was, my real body would be here, as would my armies.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool. One who just got lucky.¡±

    Next to this Overlord, a puff of silvery smoke left the dragon¡¯s nostrils. It seemed amused.

    Jack was only now noticing the faint transparency of both space monsters. As the Arch Priestess had mentioned, they were clones, and not strong ones, either. If he had to guess, they didn¡¯t want to leave the safety of the Space Monster World.

    However, if they were the overlords of that world, that made them both Archons. Maybe not even average Archons.

    It was interesting to Jack how outspoken space monsters were. It probably came with their bestial nature. They had started antagonizing and cursing at each other within the first minute of interaction. This would be fun if it didn¡¯t concern the future of the universe.

 Chapter 498: Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair

    ¡°We host this summit on the Space Monster World¡¯s request, to let them openly and clearly determine their allegiance,¡± the Heaven Immortal intoned. ¡°I believe, Overlords, that the truth is clear as day. The Black Hole Church doesn¡¯t even dare to appear in our presence. All they can do is hide¡ªa conduct unbefitting of their space monster leader. It would be foolish to ally with them.¡±

    ¡°Different armies have different advantages,¡± the Arch Priestess replied. ¡°The Old Gods will soon arrive to fight by our side. Eleven extreme Archons. During the First Crusade, ninety-nine Immortals led the entire cultivation world against them and still lost. Now, only thirty-three Immortals remain, and the cultivator world is divided. Their power is inferior to what it used to be. They are bound to fail.¡±

    ¡°Senseless drivel,¡± the Heaven Immortal declared. ¡°We would not launch the Second Crusade without extreme confidence. After all, we had no reason to hurry. We are prepared, we are strong, and we possess more A-Grade cultivators than ever before. Before us, the Church is nothing but fleeting mice. Even the Old Gods will be powerless to reverse the situation¡ªwe naturally have ways to deal with them.¡±

    ¡°There is no way to deal with them,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°They¡¯re bluffing to secure your alliance, Overlords. They cannot do it alone.¡±

    ¡°They do not seek our alliance,¡± the humanoid space monster Overlord corrected, his words cutting her sharply. He took on a slightly more formal tone. ¡°The Immortals have requested only that we abstain from this war. Given everything I¡¯ve seen, I want to agree. The Old Gods are mighty, but their intentions are unknown. The Immortals are clearly the stronger party. Besides, Arch Priestess, I do not appreciate how you retreated your armies to this galaxy in particular, endangering the Space Monster World to force our hand in assisting you.¡±

    ¡°Force your hand?¡± The Arch Priestess chuckled. ¡°It was the Immortals who forced your hand when they created the System. Even if you don¡¯t fight them, do you think they will leave the Space Monster World alone? As soon as the System reaches you, they will use it to cut you off from the Dao of the Universe, either starving you until all powerful monsters die, or outright breaking the entry seal and invading you.¡±

    ¡°We are aware of the Immortals¡¯ desire to conquer. However, they have promised to stay away from this galaxy for one billion years,¡± the humanoid Overlord said. ¡°That is a lot of time. Our children can live and grow. When the future comes, the space monsters of that time ought to be ready, or they deserve to be annihilated.¡±

    ¡°The First Crusade was a billion years ago, and you knew there would be a second. You had a billion years to prepare. Tell me, Overlord, are you ready, or do you deserve to be annihilated?¡±

    Jack saw fury spark in the eyes of the humanoid Overlord. He did not reply immediately. ¡°I will not rob my world of a billion years of freedom for a lost cause,¡± he finally said. ¡°You are forced to fight, Arch Priestess. I am not.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°I expected Overlord Great Silver to preach neutrality. After all, he is a wise, calm monster. But you, Fiend King¡­ I¡¯ve heard so much about your courage growing up. I didn¡¯t think you were a coward.¡±

    His tail smashed into the stone disk without warning. The entire thing shook. Jack saw the projection tilt as part of the disk was smashed to smithereens. The second Immortal present¡ªnot the Heaven Immortal¡ªreacted immediately. It raised its hands and stabilized the disk.

    ¡°Calm yourself, Fiend King,¡± the Heaven Immortal said. ¡°You are our guest. Do not destroy our property.¡±

    The humanoid overlord did not reply. He seethed with anger, doing his best to contain it. The Arch Priestess¡¯s words had gotten to him. Based on what Jack had seen so far, this was indeed an aggressive individual, even for space monsters. Surrendering to the Immortals without a fight was already difficult for him.

    It was not cowardice, of course, but the word struck deep inside the overlord.

    ¡°There is no cowardice in wisdom,¡± the Heaven Immortal spoke up. ¡°The Overlords act correctly. We possess the past, the present, and the future. Moreover, we are not enemies with them. If we can coexist peacefully for a long period of time, why not do so? In the far future, our descendants can choose their own paths.¡±

    ¡°Here is where you make a mistake, Heaven Immortal,¡± the Arch Priestess declared proudly. ¡°You might possess the present, but the future is already out of your hands. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you win this Crusade or not. Our next generation is far superior to yours. Just this year, we had two disciples break into the B-Grades with 8,800 and 10,000 miles respectively. The Second Crusade is not the end of this war. Even if you win, Jack Rust will soar in the future and take revenge. No matter what you do, you will lose.¡±

    She glanced at Jack.

    Jack thought he was just a projector. Suddenly, he was dragged into this whole mess. The eyes of the two space monster Overlords fell on him, only just realizing who he was, and he gulped. A moment later, he straightened his back. If he could help gain an ally for the Church, he would.

    The Heaven Immortal, however, only laughed. A cold, mechanical sound. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that war fosters geniuses, Arch Priestess?¡± it asked. ¡°Your Church is not the only side to experience that effect. Our next generation is also skilled beyond compare.¡±

    It raised a hand to indicate the only human physically present¡ªthe early A-Grade who hadn¡¯t spoken since the start of the summit. Now, said A-Grade raised his gaze, eyes shining with ambition.

    ¡°Our former Head Envoy, Elder Hero, achieved a perfect breakthrough of nine thousand miles in his time. The first in history. Since then, he has enjoyed countless resources and experienced countless adventures, excelling in every single challenge he ever faced. Recently, his breakthrough to the A-Grade approached perfection as well. Your own star cultivator may have used unknown means to achieve a breakthrough beyond nine thousand miles, but that is no guarantee of his future success. Most importantly, he is only a middle B-Grade embroiled in the chaos of war. You know the fragility of geniuses, Arch Priestess. How can you claim your next generation to be superior to ours, when chances are they will perish on the way?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The Arch Priestess¡¯s face spasmed. She was clearly pressured, but her voice remained even. ¡°I could say the same about your genius,¡± she replied. ¡°An early A-Grade is nothing in a war of this scale, especially when targeted. He will never have the chance to mature.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Arch Priestess. He already has.¡± The Heaven Immortal¡¯s voice turned mocking. ¡°Elder Hero, please.¡±

    The early A-Grade, who still hadn¡¯t spoken once, suddenly let his aura erupt. Jack couldn¡¯t sense it, but he could perceive the man¡¯s casually dominating air. The aura of an emperor. Of a man who shouldered the world. An unprecedented, unsurpassable hero.

    Below that aura, Elder Hero was a blond man in loose white robes. He seemed picture perfect. His looks were unblemished, his blue eyes were piercing, and his body was perfectly well-shaped. Jack had no doubt that pristine muscles hid beneath those robes. He carried a greatsword, an antithesis to his lack of armor, and gave a smile which could illuminate an entire world.

    Yet, beneath that perfect exterior, Jack could sense arrogance. In his eyes, this man was less a hero and more a high school bully, except impossibly better in every facet of human existence.

    ¡°I ask the Arch Priestess to let me prove myself,¡± he said with fake humility. The mockery was evident in his voice. ¡°It would be improper to duel this child you praise so high, since my cultivation is far superior to his. However, you are surrounded by three late A-Grades. You may pick any of them. I will challenge them to a fifty-year death duel to prove my undeniable potential. If not, I can challenge any middle A-Grade of your choice right now. Allow me to prove that I already possess the power to stand at the highest level.¡±

    Jack looked around. The two Overlords seemed intrigued. As for the Arch Priestess and her Elders, they all had ugly expressions. Since this Elder Hero and the Heaven Immortal dared to make such a statement, they had supreme confidence. There was a good chance that whichever Elder accepted this challenge would end up dead and humiliated.

    Jack didn¡¯t know about the other two, but his own master, Elder Boatman, was far more hot-headed than he looked. He would one hundred percent step forth to accept the challenge. Which would only enhance Elder Hero¡¯s momentum and leave Jack overshadowed.

    Even if Elder Hero couldn¡¯t really defeat the other Elder in fifty years, that was fine. The most important part was the duel declaration. It would severely weaken the momentum of the Church and practically seal the matter of the space monster neutrality. They¡¯d been check-mated.

    The Arch Priestess knew this. So did the Elders. That¡¯s why no one spoke immediately¡ªthey were desperately looking for a way to turn the tide, finding none.

    But Jack could.

    ¡°What a loser!¡± he claimed, laughing rowdily. Everyone turned to look at him. The pressure was crushing. Yet, he pretended not to notice it. ¡°We are the parties at stake here, Hero. We represent the next generation of our factions. Do you not dare to face me directly?¡±

    Elder Hero frowned at him. ¡°You are a mere middle B-Grade. I¡¯m almost an entire Grade above you. If we were to fight, people would laugh at me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say to fight right now. You challenged our Elders to a duel in fifty years, but that¡¯s the timeline of a coward. I don¡¯t need that much. Thirty years. You and me. To the death. Do you dare?¡±

    Elder Hero just stared for a second. Then, he laughed¡ªa bold, masculine sound. ¡°Leash your dog, Arch Priestess,¡± he said. ¡°I think it went rabid.¡±

    The Arch Priestess did not reply right away. Her eyes were glued on Jack. She scanned his face, his resolve. She didn¡¯t ask him anything. Finally, she turned to Elder Hero. ¡°Our champion issued a challenge,¡± she said. ¡°Do you dare to accept, or not?¡±

    At this, everyone fell quiet. In their eyes, this was suicide. It was just an attempt by the Arch Priestess to sacrifice her most talented cultivator in exchange for marginally impressing the space monster Overlords. However, they wouldn¡¯t really be impressed. Sacrificing a talent was always a detestable action.

    Sure, they¡¯d win the dick-measuring contest right now, but they¡¯d lose a great asset in thirty years.

    Elder Hero must have come to the same conclusion. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Since you insist, I will accept. A duel thirty years from now¡­ I will treat it as a warm-up. Afterward, in fifty years from now, I will also fight Elder Boatman to the death. That is your master, isn¡¯t he, boy?¡±

    ¡°He is,¡± Jack replied calmly. He grinned, showing all teeth. ¡°I look forward to breaking you.¡±

    ¡°Then our decision is easy as well,¡± the Fiend King said, his voice laden with distaste. ¡°Our stance will be decided thirty years from now. If Jack Rust wins, we will ally with the Church. If Elder Hero wins, we will remain neutral. Let no one say that we are cowards.¡±

    Everyone nodded in agreement. Essentially, the result of this negotiation had been placed completely on the outcome of the thirty-year duel. Everyone thought they were the winners here¡ªbut that was only because the Immortals, Elder Hero, and Overlords all believed that Jack¡¯s challenge was pointless. They never thought he could win.

    Yet, even now, Elder Hero wasn¡¯t done. Once he got an advantage, he¡¯d push it to the end.

    ¡°If you believe so much in your disciple, Arch Priestess,¡± he said, ¡°how about we add some additional stakes to the duel?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± she replied.

    ¡°If Jack Rust wins, we can promise to give the Church an Archon-level space monster core.¡±

    The Arch Priestess¡¯s eyes widened. That was an exceedingly precious treasure. Elder Hero didn''t have the authority to bet it. Yet, since the Heaven Immortal didn¡¯t speak up, they¡¯d obviously come to an agreement.

    The two Overlords didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°And if you win?¡± the Arch Priestess asked.

    ¡°Then,¡± he proudly raised his head, ¡°I will take your hand in marriage.¡±

    Silence befell the summit. Everyone was stunned. The Elders of the Church were the first to recover, and they instantly started yelling all at once. ¡°How dare you?¡± Elder Heavencrash roared. ¡°Heaven Immortal! Control that rabid dog of yours!¡±

    The other Elders had similar things to say. This was clearly an attack on their pride. The Arch Priestess would obviously never accept. She, however, raised a hand to stop them all.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said simply. The Elders swiveled to look at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°Arch Priestess!¡± they said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She waved them down. ¡°It is my decision, and I know what I¡¯m doing. Jack will win.¡±

    The Overlords were speechless. Which was natural, in Jack¡¯s opinion, since he, too, had been rendered speechless by this bet. The Arch Priestess bet herself? On his duel? Never mind anything else, she was currently sleeping with Brock. What the hell was up with that?

    And what kind of weirdo was Elder Hero to request such a thing?

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Elder Hero said, only now recovering from his surprise himself. ¡°With my talent and your lineage, I¡¯m sure our children will be exceptional.¡±

    If the Arch Priestess was nervous, she didn¡¯t show it. She looked at him as if he was an idiot¡ªsomething which, judging by his frown, annoyed him greatly. ¡°I believe this summit is over,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve said all there is to be said. Overlords, while our current relationship is not the best, it really was a pleasure meeting you. Heaven Immortal, you can go fuck yourself. Goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 499: Birth of Time

    The summit ended with a bang. Jack¡¯s clone was taken away by Elder Godspeed¡ªa short, effeminate man¡ªand rushed through the universe to escape any pursuers. They would take a wide route before returning to Earth.

    Jack¡¯s main body wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He sat in the middle of the Church¡¯s meeting room, surrounded by three animated Elders.

    ¡°What the hell was that!?¡± Boatman asked. ¡°Jack! Why would you sacrifice yourself like that? You know you cannot win!¡± He turned to the Arch Priestess. ¡°And you. Why did you let him do it? Why did you agree?¡±

    ¡°We might have made a mistake,¡± Soresight said.

    ¡°Not if we win the war before the thirty years are up,¡± Heavencrash added, his face dark. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your plan, Arch Priestess? You would never agree otherwise.¡±

    Facing their tension, she smiled calmly. ¡°If we could win the war within thirty years, that would be great. However, it¡¯s impossible. We don¡¯t even know if the Old Gods will have arrived until then. It is safe to assume the duel will happen.¡±

    ¡°Then what exactly are you planning?¡± Heavencrash asked.

    ¡°Very simple. I plan for Jack to win.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to him. Jack frowned. ¡°I believe in myself, but I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯d never heard of Elder Hero until today.¡±

    Boatman spoke up. ¡°He was the Head Envoy of the Hand until a few years ago. He and Sovereign Heavenly Spoon have clashed a few times, and do you know what happened? Hero won. Every time.¡± He sighed with worry. ¡°What came over you, Jack? You have such a bright future. You¡¯ve already expanded your potential to the limit. Why would you gamble everything on such an impossible task?¡±

    ¡°Because I had to,¡± Jack replied. ¡°We had lost all our momentum. Those space monster Overlords would never take us seriously if I didn¡¯t step up. Besides, if I hadn¡¯t, you would have accepted his challenge, Master. You or another Elder. And regardless of victory or defeat in fifty years, Hero would be the heroic one now, and we would be the losers.¡±

    Boatman opened his mouth to disagree, then thought better. He sighed again.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your place to salvage the situation,¡± the Arch Priestess said softly. ¡°However, as you said, you were forced to. Because we failed. There had been no other way out for our Church. You did the right thing, Jack. Thank you.¡±

    The tones were dying down, but Elder Heavencrash wouldn¡¯t relax so easily. He looked for a table to disintegrate but found none. ¡°The right thing!?¡± he asked. ¡°He just offed himself, Arch Priestess! If we don¡¯t manage to assassinate Elder Hero within thirty years, he will take away our greatest talent and our reputation. It¡¯s not like Jack will be able to run away. Look at him. You just know he has a headstrong Dao.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your confidence, Elder Heavencrash,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mock me, boy! I¡¯m a thousand times your elder, and I only want what¡¯s best for you. You messed up big time!¡±

    ¡°Only if he can¡¯t win,¡± Elder Boatman spoke up.

    ¡°What?¡± Heavencrash turned to him. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible? Are you also insane?¡±

    ¡°I think it will be very, very difficult,¡± Boatman replied. ¡°For anyone else, it would be impossible. But Jack has performed miracles before. More than once. If there is anybody who can carry our flag and win that duel, it¡¯s him. And besides¡­¡± He stood up, walking behind Jack and placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s my disciple. I believe in him.¡±

    ¡°So do I,¡± the Arch Priestess replied.

    Soresight chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have a choice, Heavencrash. The dice has been cast. We can only do our best.¡±

    Heavencrash grumbled. ¡°I know. I still think it was a stupid-ass decision, but at least it was a brave one.¡± He turned to Jack, worry and confusion alternating in his gaze. ¡°I will choose to believe as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elders, Master, Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said. ¡°I know my decision was spontaneous, but there was no choice. I don¡¯t comprehend the heights of my opponent. But I will still work extremely hard, strive for the greatest progress possible, and do my best to win.¡± Jack sensed himself lack confidence. That had to be fixed immediately. ¡°No,¡± he said, correcting his previous words. ¡°I will not do my best. I will win. I swear it on my Dao.¡±

    It felt like a stone slab crashed down from above and landed on his soul, weighing it down. His oath was not something he could break. That was good. He could use that weight, a reminder to never relax. In this battle, he had no choice. He would win.

    Hearing his proclamation, Elder Boatman laughed. He seemed to have recovered his good mood. ¡°Well said, Jack! There is no other way now. You just have to win!¡±

    ¡°The Church will support you with everything we have,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°However, we are already running out of compatible cores¡­ I will give you some more, but really, that is all we have.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jack said. ¡°I have a plan.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°A plan?¡± Everyone looked curiously.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, raising his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Space Monster World.¡±

    ***

    Jack floated in space, an ethereal body. A ghost. Before him hovered a massive bubble, stretching on for a thousand miles. Despite its massive size, however, the bubble contain just a few particles. It was far emptier than the void of space.

    This was the second Dao Vision Jack had gotten from his class, Paragon of Cultivation. It was the one he¡¯d briefly seen just before his clone activated Immortal Commune. Now that Jack had returned to his house, he had the time to watch it more in-depth.

    The bubble floated before him for what seemed like eternity. He knew that the flow of time inside it was vastly accelerated, but it had still been thousands of years in the outside world with nothing happening in the bubble. To Jack, of course, those thousands of years came just as information. He¡¯d only stayed here a few minutes.

    There was another cultivator with him. A green-robed woman, sitting cross-legged with her eyes shut. Just by existing beside her, Jack could sense a tremendous flow of life energy, as if she contained the life of a thousand planets. He guessed she was an Archon.

    If she¡¯d noticed the Dao Vision being recorded from beside her, she did not react. She sat there, motionless, like a statue. She waited.

    The few particles inside the bubble moved at extreme speeds. In the almost complete nothingness, even the constraints of the universe didn¡¯t really apply. The particles were far faster than the speed of light. They zoomed around erratically. At some point, two would collide¡ªbut they were so small that the chances of it happening was abysmal.

    The woman was patient.

    At some point, a few minutes after Jack appeared in the vision and watched the bubble in silence, something finally happened. He saw the woman¡¯s eyes snap open. In the next moment, the world exploded. Two particles had crashed head-on to release a tremendous explosion. It came seemingly out of nowhere.

    As the explosion occurred, Jack¡¯s understanding of the Dao was suddenly and completely upended. His perception caught how the two particles instantly disintegrated. Yet, from the exact point of the explosion, or perhaps from inside the destroyed particles, more emerged. The universe was born anew. There was time and space, matter, all sorts of wild Daos each flaring with the intensity of a thousand suns. Infinite Dao particles were born of nothingness.

    It all happened in an instant. One moment, the two particles clashed. In the next, the entire bubble was awash with energy, a bright, rainbow-colored mixture containing everything. It was only the restraints of the woman beside him who stopped the explosion, preventing it from spreading further. Otherwise, with its speed, Jack was convinced it would have destroyed many nearby stars before it even slowed down.

    Everything had happened so quickly he hadn¡¯t time to process it. In his understanding, the Dao could be neither born nor destroyed. It was just particles moving around or changing their properties. Yet, he¡¯d just witnessed an act of true creation. Parthenogenesis. Something out of nothing.

    How was that even possible?

    He knew that all laws lost their effectiveness as things approached the extremes¡ªtoo fast, slow, large, or small¡ªbut this was another level of discovery altogether. This woman before him, and whatever experiment she was conducting, had taken the most iron-clad rules of the world and used them to wipe her butt. It was ridiculous.

    It also meant there was so much more to learn. In comprehension of the Dao alone, Jack could match most early A-Grades. If there was knowledge so vital to the essence of the Dao, but he hadn¡¯t had the slightest clue about it before, just how high did the Dao go? What was the limit? Did it even exist?

    While he was busy being shell-shocked, the woman had already gotten to work. Her hands formed a myriad seals in a second. The bubble compressed, returning the released energy of the explosion to its previous white-hot state, then holding it there until it ran its course. Slowly, the energy cooled off.

    Jack then watched something even more mysterious. The flow of time within the bubble changed. Before, it had been artificially accelerated by the woman. It had now become something else, something that both moved on its own and was completely different from the universe¡¯s regular flow of time. They were two different rivers. The water droplets which made them up were the same, but the rivers themselves were very different from each other.

    Jack had observed the creation of a completely new Dao of Time.

    The woman also watched with rapt attention. As the new Dao was created, she smiled. ¡°The birth of time,¡± she whispered. ¡°All come from one.¡±

    The two of them remained hovering in space, passive observers, as this new Dao of Time found its bearings inside the bubble. From every Time particle dashing around randomly, they all came into sync. The flow of time stabilized. All the other energies fell into line afterward, wrapping around Time like vines around a column.

    This isn¡¯t just Time, Jack realized. This is a whole new universe! She created a new universe! That explosion before was a Big Bang!

    He was shaking with excitement. The woman, however, didn¡¯t seem interested in watching the growth of this universe any longer. She waved a hand dismissively. The bubble collapsed in on itself and disappeared. The energies inside it hissed and bubbled as they came in contact with the laws of the universe, then slowly melted away, incorporated easily. The new river of time fought back for a moment before falling in line with the time flow of this universe.

    Suddenly, there was nothing. No sign of the previous bubble, explosion, and universe. Jack remained there, frozen in space, until the woman turned to look at him. She raised a smiling brow. ¡°Shoo,¡± she said, waving a hand in his direction. The vision shattered, and Jack was back at his house, still starstruck at what he¡¯d just witnessed.

    This vision was the greatest he¡¯d ever seen. He felt it contained monumental secrets of the universe, secrets he could only slowly begin to unpack. There were so many things he didn¡¯t understand.

    Why had the other Daos wrapped around time, and only then were stabilized? Did Time play a more crucial role than he¡¯d imagined?

    Was it really that easy to create a new universe? Could the woman have kept it on her person to study or use as a weapon? Why did she so wastefully destroy it?

    And, most importantly, what secrets hid in that single moment when the two particles collided? How exactly was that universe born? How was something born from nothing? And anyway, what was inside the Dao particles?

    That single instant of creation was too fast and too blinding for Jack to observe. One moment, there was an explosion. The next, there was everything. He hadn¡¯t managed to perceive the events in between, but he had a suspicion that, if he could, he¡¯d glimpse into extremely primal mysteries.

    He was so damn excited.

    There was still some time before he left for the Space Monster World. Therefore, Jack closed his eyes and returned to the vision, watching it over and over.

 Chapter 500: Flying to the Space Monster World

    The Space Monster World was a realm hidden in the heart of the Spiral Stair galaxy. A realm of space monsters. Due to a seal Jack didn¡¯t quite understand yet, A-Grades and Archons were unable to enter, which was why the space monsters were confident in defending themselves against the Immortals.

    After all, while A-Grades couldn¡¯t enter, they sure could develop inside. The space monster race had several Archons holding down the fort.

    With Jack¡¯s recent declaration of a thirty-year duel, he needed to advance quickly. It was the one-year deadline for Earth all over again. Since the New Cathedral had run out of space cores to give him, there was only one place where he could reasonably expect to find them. A place where the Immortals couldn¡¯t chase him down.

    Of course, adventuring through the Space Monster World wouldn¡¯t be easy. Outsiders were hunted there, and that would be doubly the case for Jack, who planned on hunting A-Grade space monsters himself. In a sense, it was a desperate gamble, the only one with at least a chance of succeeding.

    But Jack wouldn¡¯t just kill himself. He had a plan. As well as a protector.

    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Jack asked. It was a sunny day on the New Cathedral. He and Brock were on their mansion¡¯s rooftop, accompanied by Starhair, Sophie, the energy clone of Elder Boatman, and a new clone¡ªthat of the Arch Priestess herself. A white-clothed woman identical to her main body, except that her aura was at the peak B-Grade level instead of the Archon one.

    The Church had invested heavily on Jack and Brock by now. The Arch Priestess had done so personally as well. Their survival was paramount, so they needed as capable a protector as they could get. Since A-Grades and above couldn¡¯t enter the Space Monster World, an Archon¡¯s peak B-Grade clone was their best bet. After all, while the clone¡¯s energy reserves were pathetically low compared to the real thing, its Dao understandings remained far higher than any real B-Grade¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you guys!¡± Sophie exclaimed, her eyes widened to the brink of tears. ¡°But don¡¯t worry! With all the content we¡¯ve prepared, I¡¯ll make sure your reputation remains as high as ever! You¡¯ll be heroes by the time you come back!¡±

    ¡°They sure will,¡± Elder Boatman¡¯s clone replied. ¡°Let¡¯s board. Arch Priestess, please.¡±

    He took a respectful step back, motioning for the Church¡¯s leader to go first. The Arch Priestess obliged. Her bare feet stepped on the rooftop, approaching the starship parked there. It wasn¡¯t a new vehicle. The Iron Maiden had been the one to bring Jack and Brock to the New Cathedral, and it would be the one to bring them out of it as well. It was perfect for the job: fast, stealthy, and with high defensive properties.

    After the Arch Priestess disappeared through the sliding door, Elder Boatman followed, his clone a hovering shadow. While he couldn¡¯t enter the Space Monster World, he would be the one to drive them there. Jack and Brock went next, finally followed by Starhair, whose grumbling echoed low in the ears of everyone. He had no business going to the Space Monster World. His only job was to take care of Jack and Brock on the way as their personal assistant.

    ¡°Take care of yourselves!¡± Sophie cried again from the rooftop as the door slid closed. ¡°Remember to film good content!¡±

    Jack waved at her, a stone-like thing nestled in his palm. It was a top-grade projection stone. On Sophie¡¯s instructions, they were to use it to record their most striking feats in the Space Monster World so she could spread them later.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good person,¡± Brock said, looking at the shrinking form of Sophie as their starship slowly lifted off. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll ever see her again?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Jack replied, leaning against the window. He suddenly felt emotional. ¡°I hope so. If something happens to a civilian like her, we¡¯ll have already lost.¡±

    Sophie and the mansion grew smaller. The New Cathedral now filled the window, a sprawling city expanding at a prodigious rate. The last stronghold of the Black Hole Church, placed on a tiny planet on a galaxy far, far away. It looked so small from up here. In the distant jungle, a brontosaurus raised its head as if roaring them goodbye.

    Jack turned away from the window as the planet appeared in their sights. There was nothing to see anymore. Their home of few months was now a distant memory.

    ¡°There is nothing for me to even do here,¡± Starhair grumbled. The Arch Priestess had already retreated to one of the starship¡¯s three rooms, letting him speak freely. ¡°I¡¯m literally useless. How can I assist you on an empty starship?¡±

    ¡°By not whining,¡± Jack replied. Starhair sighed.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll cultivate. Which room should I go to, Jack? Yours or Brock¡¯s?¡±

    The Arch Priestess had already occupied one of the starship¡¯s three private rooms. Elder Boatman¡¯s clone didn¡¯t need a room, as he¡¯d be constantly steering the starship, which left only two rooms for Jack, Brock, and Starhair. As the least in status, Starhair didn¡¯t expect to get his own room, though he would in normal circumstances. Jack and Brock would rather stay with each other than with him. Not because he was a dick¡ªhe¡¯d gotten much better since Brock beat him up¡ªbut because they were brothers, and they were used to it.

    This time, however, Starhair¡¯s calculations were incorrect. None of them would need to share a room.

    ¡°Your own,¡± Jack said with a smirk.

    ¡°Really?¡± Starhair replied. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go rest,¡± Brock said, walking to the rooms. He opened the door of the leftmost one, where the Arch Priestess had gone, and disappeared inside. The door closed soundlessly behind him.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Starhair said. ¡°Jack, you must save Brock! He went to the wrong room! The Arch Priestess will disintegrate him for trespassing!¡±

    Jack winked. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fi¡ª What? I mean¡­ What?¡± Starhair looked between Jack and the closed door in complete incomprehension. Finally, it dawned on him. ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­ No. Really? No way. They aren¡¯t¡­ Are they?¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°What can I say? Brock has a special charm.¡± He kept laughing as he paced to his own room¡ªthe middle one. ¡°See you, Starhair. And Master, thanks for all the hard work. I¡¯ll cultivate hard.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°You better,¡± Elder Boatman replied, hand grasping the helm of the ship, while Starhair remained frozen in the middle of the common room.

    ¡°Elder!¡± he exclaimed, turning around. ¡°Is it true? Are they¡­¡±

    Elder Boatman shrugged. ¡°Brock is a very charismatic man. And the Arch Priestess is a very powerful woman. They¡¯re a match made in heaven.¡±

    Starhair opened and closed his mouth, no sound coming out. Finally, he retreated to the final room. His worldview had just gotten upturned.

    Not only had he been defeated by a brorilla two small realms below him¡­but said brorilla now also had a woman far superior to any Starhair could claim. What an unfair world!

    ***

    Jack meditated in his room. Cultivating in the B-Grade was usually a slow, gradual process. But not for him. Not only had he completely blown through the early B-Grade thanks to the New Cathedral¡¯s resources, but he¡¯d also received two extremely high level visions. He could sense his path unfolding in the distance.

    The first vision showed a man unifying Space and Death to create an imitation of a black hole. Jack hadn¡¯t fully explored that vision¡ªhe hadn¡¯t had the time¡ªbut he¡¯d definitely reaped some benefits. Both his Space Mastery and Death Mastery had reached the fourth tier.

    The second vision showed a woman unifying Time and Life in what was probably a Big Bang. An explosion creating a world out of nothing. This vision was far more mystical than anything Jack had witnessed before, and it contained far too many mysteries. He wasn¡¯t even close to unpacking it. He even had the sense that, if he managed to completely understand this vision, he would have climbed to heights surpassing A-Grades. The Dao of an Archon.

    And beyond that, if he could manage to fully unify all four concepts¡­ Who knew what would happen.

    In other words, Jack had many things to meditate on. His plate was as full as ever.

    The second vision was the one he chose to focus on right now. It wasn¡¯t easy to experiment with. Creating an explosion of that caliber would require careful preparation and years of waiting for random particles to collide. Maybe if he built a particle accelerator similar to CERN¡¯s? Then again, if it was that simple, he had no doubt the Archon woman would have done it that way.

    Experimenting was difficult. However, mentally rewatching the vision was free and effortless. He dove into it, striving for just another tiny step forward. He observed the explosion, the creation of a world embryo, and how everything stabilized around a spontaneous flow of time afterward. It seemed, once again, that Time was the cornerstone of world creation, or at least one of them. It was like the main column keeping a building aloft. In this metaphor, maybe Space served as the building¡¯s foundation, keeping both concepts around the same level.

    But then, what about Life and Death? How did they fit in? Both visions had portrayed them in relation to the Dao particles, so maybe Space was the foundation, Time was the column¡ªthe main axis¡ªwhile Life and Death made up the bricks?

    Jack suspected that was not the case. Still, he was currently lost. He knew that Dao particles could ¡°die,¡± or at least they had a tendency to protect themselves from destruction. He also knew that a powerful enough explosion could manifest life seemingly out of nowhere.

    But as to exactly what those meant, he had no idea. It was a work in progress.

    He sighed. At the very least, the System core inside him recognized his efforts:

    Time Mastery IV: Time is a river you have learned to tame. You are diving in its waters, exploring its properties, and interacting with the fish. Before long, the bank itself will be your playground to shape as you wish. You are well on the road to mastery.

    Life Mastery IV: Life is the beginning. The kickoff, the inevitable starting point of creation. It is also just another power you control. You can spread this power to everything, even the Dao itself. You are well on the road to mastery.

    The absence of these two skills had troubled him for a while. Only now they did appear, directly at the fourth tier. Was this some kind of threshold? Were they considered part of the Death and Space Mastery skills until the third tier?

    That was the only explanation Jack could think of, especially with how similar their respective descriptions were. Hell, the Life one was identical to Death¡¯s, except for the first two sentences.

    Additionally, while the skills were fused, were Death and Space the overall name because those were the first he developed, or were they somehow superior to Time and Life? Probably the former. Jack felt that balance was key.

    So many questions, so few answers. The path kept widening. Jack couldn¡¯t wait for the moment when it all snapped together, when his path became singular and all mysteries turned clear.

    Though, of course, such an event was still far away.

    Shaking his head, he got up and left his room, heading for the common space. He felt a little bad for Elder Boatman, who had to constantly steer the ship while everyone else relaxed, so he tried to keep him company as often as possible.

    ¡°How is it going, Master?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Good. Peaceful. We haven¡¯t run into any Hand patrols as I expected, so I can say this has been smooth sailing.¡±

    The hooded figure¡¯s voice held a rare hint of joy. Apparently, he¡¯d half expected them to come under attack. Go figure.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re such a good captain,¡± Jack said.

    Boatman laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me, disciple. You have nothing to gain from it.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°But, can I ask you something, Master? Feel free not to answer if it¡¯s too personal. How high is your Death Mastery skill?¡±

    Boatman fell silent. For a moment, Jack worried he¡¯d overstepped. Such information was generally kept extremely private, as it could give a cultivator¡¯s enemies an advantage.

    Just as Jack was ready to apologize, however, Boatman spoke up. ¡°I no longer possess a System core inside me,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s harmless, but it¡¯s also useless after you reach the A-Grade. Some keep it because they¡¯re addicted to the numbers. Most get rid of it. Anyway, since I don¡¯t possess a System core, there is nothing quantifying my skills. If I had to guess, my Death Mastery would be somewhere between the fourth and fifth tier. At the peak of one or the very start of the other. It¡¯s hard to tell.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Thanks for sharing it with me. I promise to never tell anyone.¡±

    Boatman finally turned around, his pale face giving a hard smile. ¡°I know you won¡¯t. But, if you want my advice, don¡¯t fixate on the numbers. They can take you off track or discourage you. Focus on making progress, one little step at a time. It¡¯s a long road ahead, but if you just keep walking, you¡¯re bound to reach very far. Especially in your case.¡±

    Jack nodded deeply. ¡°I will try. Thanks, Master.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Jack took some time to consider his master¡¯s words. At the same time, he looked backward. They¡¯d been traveling for a few days now, but Brock hadn¡¯t emerged from his room once. Neither had the Arch Priestess. Jack thought it was natural¡ªprivacy would be harder to come by in the Space Monster World.

    ¡°Are we close, Master?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Very,¡± Boatman replied. ¡°In fact¡­¡±

    The light of teleportation cleared around the starship. A vast emptiness was revealed. Stars glittered all around, redder here than in the outer reaches of the galaxy, as well as denser.

    Ahead of them, however, in the distance, a different shape hung. A swirling portal, similar to a mini-galaxy except far smaller. It was only a few miles from end to end. Jack could see it from this distance only because of his superhuman vision.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Boatman replied with a content smile. ¡°Just a few minutes and¡ª¡±

    The starship shook. A tremendous impact rocked the roof, cracking it apart and making the starship spin wildly. Jack almost flew out of it. He just barely managed to grab onto a steel column and remain attached. The void had already infiltrated from the outside, sucking in the air of the starship. Nobody needed it, thankfully, but that was not the point.

    Everybody flashed outside the starship in an instant. Far in the distance, a figure blazed like the sun. Power radiated off of it in waves, searing the surrounding space, burning time so heavily it slowed down. Jack couldn¡¯t even look straight at the figure. His entire body was burning. His Dao perception was going haywire. Whoever this was, they were far, far too powerful. Overwhelmingly so.

    He knew without the shadow of a doubt. His heart reached his throat.

    This was an Archon.

 Chapter 501: Facing an Archon

    A gentle energy wrapped around Jack, protecting him. He finally managed to raise his head. He still had to squint, but he could now vaguely make out the figure who¡¯d smashed their starship.

    It was a man. He wore crimson robes, and his long red hair fluttered upwards as if some wind was blowing from below. His two arms were connected before his chest, his long sleeves invading each other. His skin was tanned, but his eyes were coal-black. His figure was broad, muscular, and masculine, and his visage was fierce, like a master of martial arts. The few wrinkles that marred his hardened face subtracted little from his aggressiveness.

    But more important than the man¡¯s appearance was his aura. It blazed out of him. Jack could see it as a literal sun, spreading for endless miles through space, showering the world in unfiltered heat.

    He was the strongest person Jack had ever seen displaying his power, besides in Dao Visions.

    ¡°Archon Summer Noon,¡± the Arch Priestess said, confirming Jack¡¯s suspicions. The gentle aura protecting Jack originated from her. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Just paying a visit,¡± the other man replied. His voice was loud, brass. Fiery. ¡°I came to fish in a pond, but I found a shrunken whale. Lucky me.¡±

    ¡°So the Immortals are using Archons now?¡± the Arch Priestess replied, her voice hard. ¡°Have you all lost your mind? You know we¡¯ll do it when you do it. The war will escalate.¡±

    ¡°I am not participating in the war yet,¡± Summer Noon said. ¡°In fact, I won¡¯t even kill your little clone or that of the Elder behind you. I only have a single reason for coming today.¡±

    He didn¡¯t specify that reason, but he didn¡¯t need to. Everyone knew.

    ¡°Jack,¡± the Arch Priestess said.

    ¡°Precisely. Hand him over, and I won¡¯t touch any of you. Resist, and I¡¯ll char you all to ashes.¡±

    Jack¡¯s blood had already gone cold. Despite the heat. He was being hunted by an Archon. Before that man, before his massive aura, Jack felt as vulnerable as a newborn baby.

    Is this the day I die? he wondered, gritting his teeth.

    The Arch Priestess snorted. ¡°Once the fight starts,¡± she said in Jack¡¯s mind, ¡°rush into the starship. We have to make it to the Space Monster World before he catches up.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t ask anything. He just prepared to do as instructed. His Dao was circulating just below the surface. He could activate every single power he possessed at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Archon Summer Noon noticed their silence.

    ¡°You better think this through, Arch Priestess,¡± he said. ¡°You and that A-Grade may be just clones, but the brorilla is the future of your Church. Will you throw his life away for stubbornness? You know you cannot escape.¡±

    The Arch Priestess didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Now!¡± she yelled in Jack¡¯s mind. He instantly burst with his full potential. He galvanized Lightning Body, and then used every iota of Life energy in the recharging Life Drop to activate his four-armed form as well. That would empty it again, but it was necessary. They were facing an Archon. This was the single greatest crisis in Jack¡¯s life.

    He became a tall, four-armed, lightning-covered behemoth of a man clad only in a pair of shorts. Everyone around him followed, activating everything at once. Brock radiated golden light. Starhair¡¯s hair shone like a thousand stars, taking on a redder hue than usual. The Arch Priestess¡¯s aura erupted, showering the world in brutality. All four of them rushed into the starship and tried to take off.

    Archon Summer Noon was on them that very instant. He¡¯d been hundreds of miles away before, but that distance vanished, the very essence of space melted. From this close, the heat was suffocating. Jack felt his skin bubble like he was burned alive. It reminded him of that time he swam through lava.

    The Archon wore a calm smile as he drove a finger forward. The fire bent to his will, forming a gargantuan, sun-clad finger which descended on their starship.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s clone roared. ¡°If you want to kill my disciple,¡± he declared in anger, ¡°you¡¯ll need to get through me.¡± A scythe was suddenly in his hands like it had always been there. A terrible dark cloud erupted.

    Spacetime died. Sound died. The void died. Everything died as the Elder swung his scythe forward, the very same attack which had once torn an entire tribulation in half.

    ¡°Even your main body couldn¡¯t face me, Boatman,¡± the Archon said with a hint of ridicule. ¡°Your clone is nothing.¡±

    The sun finger rammed into Boatman¡¯s full-powered strike and barely even paused. It broke through an instant later. Some flame tongues died, reduced to nothingness, but they were only a tiny fraction of the attack. The rest bulldozed through, completely evaporating Boatman¡¯s Death, melting his scythe before even touching it, and crashing heavily against his body.

    The black cloak disintegrated. For a moment, Boatman¡¯s pale and frail-looking body was revealed¡ªjust that of a stubborn old man. Then, he disappeared, turning into energy which immediately melted away as well.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s clone had lasted a single instant.

    However, in a battle of this caliber, every instant was important. Boatman¡¯s sacrifice had given the rest of them time to re-enter the starship. The Arch Priestess¡¯s Dao wrapped around it, hurtling it through space. She was pouring everything she had. The starship was faster than before. In the single instant Boatman had secured for them, they crossed half the distance to the Space Monster World.

    But it was useless. Everything was, before an Archon. He appeared right behind them again, slamming down a palm. Space was meaningless. The very sun descended to burn them whole. Jack felt his body struggling, and he saw the metal walls of the starship give way, dripping drops of molten steel which vaporized before they touched the floor. The Iron Maiden really possessed extreme defensive capabilities¡ªany normal starship would already be gone.

    Jack took in everything at once. An attack he couldn¡¯t even fathom was flying at them. It would hit¡ªthey had no way to dodge. Starhair was shivering. Brock¡¯s eyes were harder than they¡¯d ever been. The Arch Priestess rocketed out of the starship. She didn¡¯t even have time to say anything. She flew at the sun.

    Brock¡¯s entire body shone a brilliant gold. For a moment, Jack thought he¡¯d self-detonated. The horror subsided as he noticed that Brock remained whole, just channeling all the power of his inner world at once, pouring it into the Arch Priestess.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Brock was a powerful fighter. He was also a great support. Right now, as the Arch Priestess¡¯s clone dove into the falling sun, he did his best to keep her alive just a moment longer. Jack could sense his brother¡¯s emotions through their bond¡ªhelplessness, despair, anger at his own weakness. Jack felt for him, he really did. But he knew what they had to do. Both of them knew.

    The Arch Priestess and Elder Boatman were only here in clone form. Losing those clones meant little. The survival of everyone else was the top priority.

    As the Arch Priestess flew into the sun, Jack was already grabbing the ship¡¯s helm, pushing it forward. His new understandings of space erupted. With the Arch Priestess¡¯s assistance, he managed to escape the Archon¡¯s lockdown, teleporting away, rushing towards the Space Monster World, where they would be safe.

    Yet, he saw it, even as he flew away. The Arch Priestess faced a sun. She seemed to grow beneath her white robes. They exploded, revealing a body clad in silver fur. She was half human and half something else. Her mouth held fangs. Her hands ended in sharp claws. The Arch Priestess roared. The void shook by her mere fierceness. It was the most powerful, most shaking, most intimidating roar Jack had ever heard. The roar alone held extreme laws of the Dao. He would have been paralyzed if he was any closer.

    The Arch Priestess was human from the waist down, but from the waist up and excluding her eyes, she was a silver lion. Not a leonine, like the Animal Kingdom overlords, just a lion space monster. And she was a beast.

    Unceremoniously, she pounced and bit at the sun. Her fangs carried more than just a physical touch. The Dao warped around her, as if the universe itself was trying to slaughter the sun. She pierced through the fire. Even at the peak B-Grade, her clone was far stronger than Elder Boatman¡¯s.

    But it was not enough. Even as the Arch Priestess flew through the sun to reach Archon Summer Noon, he laughed and raised his muscular hands. He grabbed both her jaws, easily stopping her bite and momentum, then pulled them apart. Her mouth was torn up and down. It was a cruel sight, but she didn¡¯t show the slightest pain. Instead, her eyes were glued to his.

    ¡°I will remember this!¡± she shouted telepathically, spreading her voice to all who would listen. Archon Summer Noon laughed.

    ¡°I look forward to it!¡±

    Fire enveloped her body, destroying it completely. The Archon then stepped through space to approach their fleeing starship.

    They were close to the Space Monster World now. Very close. The swirling portal almost licked at them. But they wouldn¡¯t make it. The Archon was already upon them, and even if they wanted to sacrifice themselves, all three of them were far too weak.

    Jack looked around, looking for a sliver of hope, an opportunity, anything. That was his instinct after so many years of battles. He wouldn¡¯t give up. But there was nothing. His own strength was unworthy of mention. Even if he sacrificed himself, he couldn¡¯t delay the Archon¡¯s advance. At that moment, he hated himself for being weak.

    Starhair was gazing at the window with wide eyes. He could also do nothing. The sun was falling again. Their skin was melting.

    As for Brock, he had been struck the hardest of the three. Not only had he channeled all of his energy into the Arch Priestess¡ªthe only reason she achieved what she did¡ªleaving him exhausted, but he¡¯d also just watched his woman get torn apart. Even though it was a clone, the mental impact was striking. It briefly disturbed his Dao.

    There was nothing else. Only them and the starship. Jack watched the falling sun and prepared to throw himself into it. Maybe, if he combusted all his energy and self-exploded, that would delay the strike a little, giving Brock and Starhair time to reach the portal.

    Even as he prepared to jump, he could sense that Brock was doing the same thing. The pain hit him hard. His little brother was going to die. There was no time to hesitate or talk it out. Neither would step back. They would both go, and they would sacrifice their lives to save Starhair.

    What a shitty ending.

    Jack pressed against the melting floor, ready to launch himself upward. Right as his feet entered the metal, however, he touched upon something. A current of energy giving him a jolt. A current which remained strong despite the heat.

    It was like a flash through his mind. He¡¯d once noticed a subtle current of energy flowing through the starship. The Iron Maiden possessed weapons¡ªit was just something he never thought he¡¯d have to use. He didn¡¯t even know what it did.

    ¡°Wait, Brock!¡± he shouted as quickly as he could.

    Without thinking, Jack pumped energy into the current below him. It was quickly saturated. The entire ship grew alive around them, the half-melted walls unraveling, turning the entire starship inside-out. Jack, Brock, and Starhair were suddenly floating in space, still flying towards the portal.

    The ship demanded a target. Jack mentally gave it one. The inside-out starship flew backward at incredible speed, erupting with a level of energy only slightly weaker than the Archon¡¯s. The Daos at play were far weaker, of course. Only now did Jack realize that this must have been Elder Boatman¡¯s personal method of transportation. It was enhanced with enough power to stall a peak B-Grade if needed. And the Elder had given it to them.

    Suddenly, Elder Boatman¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem so weak: If you want to kill my disciple, you¡¯ll need to get through me!

    Appreciation once again filled Jack¡¯s heart.

    As the ship made some distance, Jack noticed its new shape. It hadn¡¯t just turned inside out. It had transformed into a flat sheet covered with spikes on one side. The fact that the whole thing was half-melted only made it more intimidating.

    Archon Summer Noon had just released an attack, so he couldn¡¯t react in time. The starship reached him instantly. Despite that, Jack didn¡¯t dare hope. Just an Archon¡¯s passive defenses were not something the weapon of a late A-Grade could hope to pierce.

    Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t just an attack.

    The Archon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No!¡± he shouted.

    As the ship-turned-spiked sheet reached him, it wrapped around him. It formed a perfect sphere with the spikes turned inward, then contracted as if trying to ground him down. Jack had an epiphany¡ªthis was exactly why the ship was called an Iron Maiden.

    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t work. A pulse of power spread from the Archon, stopping the sphere¡¯s contraction. The magically enhanced metal was melting like paper in the fireplace.

    However, for a single instant, it had managed to contain the Archon. He was no longer focusing on the attack heading for the starship. It had lost a significant portion of its power.

    Jack, Brock, and even Starhair worked together. The portal was right behind them. The attack would reach them first. They went all-out to defend.

    Starhair had come to his senses. He knew he couldn¡¯t hold back¡ªor maybe he was too terrified to think. He screamed in frustration as he uprooted three of his six strands of hair, sending them flying towards the attack. Each shone red. Then, as one, they exploded. Jack realized it was actually the stars inside them, going off like miniature supernovas.

    The explosion was powerful, enough to give the attack pause.

    Brock went next. He overdrew his spent powers, manifesting a large golden brorilla around him to smash his staff forward. The golden phantom melted before it even touched the flames. However, the energy it released weakened them further. The strike was now at only a fraction of its original power.

    Jack roared. His Life Form and Lightning Body worked in tandem. His punch shot forward. For a moment, everything came to a standstill¡ªthen erupted all at once. ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡±

    A blinding explosion filled the world. Sun flames met fist-shaped ones. The two attacks ground at each other until they were turned to nothing, leaving only a broken, wounded expanse of space. It regenerated far more slowly than usual.

    Jack and the others were completely burned. But alive. The portal was close now, as the shockwave of the explosion had flung them towards it. Through the shattered void, Jack glimpsed at Archon Summer Noon. He¡¯d just managed to vaporize the iron maiden around him. His hair flew wildly now, and his robes were torn in places. That attack had been stronger than Jack gave it credit for¡ªit had managed to almost injure an Archon.

    No¡ªthere was a wound. It just wasn¡¯t one made by the starship. Through Archon Summer Noon¡¯s torn robes, Jack could make out a fist-sized hole at the center of his chest. It seemed old.

    Before he could consider this further, the Archon roared and released a new attack. ¡°Get back here!¡± he commanded. Endless flames rose against them, but it was too late. Their backs touched the portal, and they were sucked in. The flames crashed against it ineffectively. It shook but held. The Archon roared in frustration.

    As for Jack, Brock, and apparently Starhair¡­ They¡¯d entered the Space Monster World.

 Chapter 502: Space Monster World

    Jack felt like he was getting torn, folded, spun, and wrapped around himself in timespace. He was everywhere and nowhere, all the time and never, all at once. The wormhole leading to the Space Monster World was by far the roughest he¡¯d experienced.

    The pressure would have annihilated any C-Grade who tried to enter. Even weaker B-Grades would struggle. To Jack, Brock, and Starhair, while the sensation was uncomfortable, it wasn¡¯t dangerous. Even in their injured and exhausted state.

    The wormhole spat them out on a field of dry ground. They tumbled, grabbing a hold of themselves. Jack suppressed a groan as his heavily burnt skin rubbed against hard dirt. His focus was immediately whisked away to the fact that he couldn¡¯t breathe. It took him some time to adjust. As he lay face-up on the ground, gazing at a crimson sky, he felt as if the weight of the entire world was placed on his chest.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± he managed to say after a while.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine as well,¡± Starhair said, sounding far less confident. Jack laboriously turned his head over. Starhair once wore pristine blue robes made of the finest silk. Now, that silk had melted against his skin, and whatever blue remained was marred by a river of blood which flowed from the top of his head. Half his hair was missing¡ªor, actually, it was more accurate to say that his scalp had been removed in those places, revealing patches of bone underneath.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Jack said, rushing to stand. ¡°That looks terrible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Starhair repeated through gritted teeth. He ripped whatever remained of his robes and wrapped it around his head like a turban. The gruesome sight was hidden, but his pain remained.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fine, Starhair,¡± Jack said. ¡°You¡¯re seriously injured. We got to help you.¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine,¡± the man stubbornly replied. Jack could see the emotions whirling in his eyes¡ªpain, despair, frustration, and a bone-deep fear. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to be here,¡± Starhair continued, looking around. ¡°This is the Space Monster World. I would have returned with Elder Boatman. I shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    ¡°You are now, and we¡¯ll make the best of it.¡± Jack laid a hand on his shoulder. There was an entire world around them just begging to be explored, but he prioritized ensuring that Starhair was okay. After all, he¡¯d injured himself to save them. To save himself, actually, but Jack and Brock had still benefited from that, so letting him be would be ungrateful.

    Starhair tried to say something but flinched in pain. He groaned. ¡°I¡­ I severed half my cultivation,¡± he said as if only just realizing it. His eyes grew cloudy. ¡°Fuck. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I got scared. Fuck. Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Hey man, it¡¯s gonna be alright,¡± Jack said. ¡°Take deep breaths. You¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re young. You¡¯ll regain it all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, in centuries!¡± Starhair laughed. ¡°We¡¯re going into war and I¡¯m a cripple! In a hostile hidden world! Oh, what an idiot I am. What a cowardly fool!¡±

    Jack turned to Brock, raising a brow. The brorilla was also injured, but nothing too serious. Just burns which were already regenerating and a fading, heavy exhaustion. Brock had already stood and paced over. ¡°It¡¯s okay, bro,¡± he told Starhair. ¡°You relax for now. Turn off your mind. Let us find a safe place first, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    Starhair nodded.

    Only now, as Brock turned his gaze upward, did Jack follow.

    The Space Monster World stretched endlessly all around them. They were on a barren wasteland, like the terrain at the edge of a desert¡ªyellow, dry, infertile ground with only the occasional weed growing. Trees were few and far between. This terrain stretched as far as the eye could see¡ªor their Dao perceptions. Jack noticed no curvature of the ground, indicating they were on some sort of flat world.

    Overhead, crimson skies cast their glow. On closer inspection, they were made up of endless crimson clouds, sparking with similarly crimson lightning as if a storm was constantly underway inside them. The light was low in intensity, similar to a full-moon Earth night, but flashes of red occasionally brightened the world, giving it a dark and bloody feel. There was no rain.

    Most importantly, this world was not hospitable at all. The ambient temperature was enough to boil water. The Dao density was so suffocatingly high that anyone below the D-Grade would exhaust themselves in minutes and then be crushed to the ground. Even Jack felt his powers grow weaker by at least ten times, and that was only because he was a B-Grade. His power came from his inner world. If he was still a D or C-Grade, who harnessed the ambient Dao to exercise their cultivations, he would be similar to a mortal in this place. So wild was the Dao.

    He¡¯d experienced a similar suppression before, at the Green Dragon Realm, but this one was even more intense. He suspected that anyone below the B-Grade would be unable to fly.

    Jack looked around, taking stock of all these things. However, he didn¡¯t see even one living creature.

    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± he asked. ¡°Stay here and recover? Or scout things out?¡±

    ¡°Staying here would be the safest,¡± Brock replied. ¡°Let¡¯s recover a little. Then we can keep going. Resting too much is un-bro-like.¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°You got it, bro.¡± They settled down cross-legged. Starhair did too, though still wearing an expression of pain. There was nothing they could do to help him. He needed time.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Ten minutes later, Jack and Brock¡¯s burns had fully regenerated. Their skin was pink and healthy like a baby¡¯s. It would have happened far faster, too, but these burns were oddly stubborn.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe they sent an Archon after us. That was fucking scary,¡± Jack said, flexing his fingers. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be so decisive.¡±

    ¡°The Immortals are robots. They lack emotions. They wouldn¡¯t underestimate us out of arrogance,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°I know. Still, well played by them¡­ We may have survived, but our protector is gone, and we barely made it.¡±

    ¡°But you know what that means, right bro?¡± Brock smiled. ¡°We survived the attack of an Archon. We¡¯re strong.¡±

    Jack smiled back. They high-fived.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Jack said. ¡°I don¡¯t like how exposed we are. Should I ask our guide?¡±

    ¡°Please do, bro.¡±

    Jack reached into his inner world. ¡°Hey, turtle,¡± he said. ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always awake,¡± Venerable Saint Thousand Shell¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. ¡°That was one hell of a battle, kid. Good job. Very good job.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. We¡¯re in the Space Monster World now. Do you recognize this place?¡± Jack sent it a mental image of their surroundings. The turtle scoffed.

    ¡°What am I, an encyclopedia? The Space Monster World is so humongous that I haven¡¯t even traveled one hundredth of it. Even if I had been through this place, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily recognize it. It¡¯s been a billion years. I bet all the terrain I know has changed by now. You should just go find a local and ask for information.¡±

    ¡°A local?¡± Jack frowned. ¡°I¡¯m a cultivator. Won¡¯t they try to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, man up, kid. You¡¯re strong. No matter how powerful the space monsters, the chances of you randomly running into an A-Grade are practically zero. Just beat the shit out of whatever you find and interrogate them. I¡¯ll translate for you.¡±

    Jack had to admit that made sense. ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Anytime.¡±

    ¡°The turtle says we should just find a local and interrogate them,¡± he told the others, then pointed at a random direction. ¡°Wanna go that way?¡±

    ¡°Lead the way, bro.¡±

    Starhair didn¡¯t say anything, just got up and prepared to follow them. His aura felt far weaker than normal. If Jack had to guess, his power level was now closer to a middle B-Grade than a peak one. It sucked.

    He saved us, Jack thought. If there¡¯s a way to help him, I will.

    He took to the air. The other two followed. They cut through the skies like a trio of missiles, keeping their altitude low and refraining from teleports to avoid being detected.

    Five minutes passed. They couldn¡¯t easily teleport due to the Dao density, but their speed remained great. If they were in America, they would have crossed an entire state by now. In the Space Monster World, the terrain remained identical. Barren wasteland as far as the eye could see. Jack was beginning to wonder if the entire world was like this. Even his Dao perception, which spread far farther than his eyesight, was met with the exact same terrain as well.

    Finally, however, he spotted something different. A pair of horses galloped through the wasteland¡ªthe first living creatures he¡¯d seen. Of course, they were more like horses from hell than regular horses. Their manes were made of dark flames. Fiery prints were left where their hooves met the ground, their eyes were red, and their entire bodies were thickly corded with muscle. Each was seven feet tall.

    Despite their intimidating exterior, the power of these animals was nothing threatening. They were at the D-Grade. Jack was about to ignore them before he realized that this was the Space Monster World¡ªwhy would the locals resemble humans? These horses might well be intelligent creatures.

    He led the others to turn towards the horses, overtake them instantly, and smash into the ground right in front of them. The two horses screeched to a halt and rose on their hind legs. When the dust cleared¡ªfalling faster due to the increased gravity¡ªthe horses saw Jack¡¯s form clearly. The leading one released smoke from its nostrils and opened its mouth to reveal bloodied, flat teeth.

    ¡°OUTSIDERS!¡± it cried out. ¡°DIE!¡±

    Its voice was dark and devilish. It spoke in a strange language Jack didn¡¯t understand¡ªfull of growls and clicks¡ªbut Venerable Saint Thousand Shell did instant translation.

    The horse brought its front hooves right on Jack¡¯s face. He raised two hands to grab them, easily stopping the horse, then raised it over his head and slammed it on the ground behind him. A crater appeared.

    ¡°Are you guys idiots?¡± he said in English. ¡°We fly and do a superhero landing in your faces, and you choose to attack us? Jesus.¡±

    The horses, of course, didn¡¯t understand him. He suspected it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway. The second horse lunged at him, head turned sideways and jaws opened wide to shatter his face. He punched it hard enough to send it flying. As for the first horse, after it recovered, it made the mistake of attacking Brock. The brorilla slapped it so hard that half its teeth went flying, and the entire horse spun three times around itself before landing.

    ¡°Bad bro,¡± he said. ¡°Do not attack your big bros.¡±

    The horse neighed sadly from the ground. It hadn¡¯t received a serious injury, but it now apparently acknowledged its defeat. The other horse galloped over from where Jack had sent it flying, and the two of them sat on the ground, proudly accepting their fates.

    ¡°YOU ARE STRONGER,¡± the leading horse said. ¡°KILL US.¡±

    ¡°What are they saying, bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Should I bro slap them again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They surrender,¡± Jack explained. ¡°But they¡¯re fucking weird. First they attack us without a care in the world. Then they surrender and ask for death. Like, what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°We should find a way to speak to them,¡± Brock suggested.

    Jack nodded. ¡°Hey, turtle,¡± he said. ¡°Can you translate what I¡¯m about to tell them? I¡¯ll tell you, you tell me what sounds I need to make, and I¡¯ll make them.¡±

    ¡°Only if you say my name properly.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Please, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.¡±

    ¡°I accept your apology,¡± the turtle replied triumphantly. ¡°What do you want to tell them?¡±

    ¡°That I need some information, and they¡¯d better give it to me.¡±

 Chapter 503: Double Trouble

    The turtle instructed him on what sounds to make. It was easy with his intelligence, just weird. The space monster language was unique. It involved all sorts of sounds ranging from clicks, to howls, to actual letters. It felt like tongue yoga.

    He made the right sounds anyway¡ªor, at least, the closest he could come to them. It took some practice.

    ¡°WHAT INFORMATION?¡± the horse asked, all business. ¡°WILL YOU NOT KILL US?¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to kill you, you¡¯d already be dead,¡± he replied, still butchering their language.

    The horses glanced at each other. ¡°WE ARE NOT DEAF.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡ª Anyway. Just don¡¯t try anything stupid, okay?¡±

    ¡°OKAY. WE DO HAVE EARS, BY THE WAY. THEY¡¯RE UNDER THE FUR.¡±

    ¡°Cool. Can you stop shouting?¡±

    ¡°I AM NOT SHOUTING.¡±

    Jack suddenly felt the urge to go find other space monsters to interrogate. But maybe they¡¯d all be shouting. Oh god.

    ¡°Tell me about this world,¡± he said. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°THE ASTARION PROVINCE.¡±

    ¡°Okay. How many provinces are there?¡±

    ¡°I DO NOT KNOW. MORE THAN ONE.¡±

    ¡°Very helpful. Who¡¯s the strongest space monster here? Do you have A-Grades?¡±

    ¡°PROVINCE MASTER ASTARION. HE IS VERY STRONG.¡±

    ¡°How strong?¡±

    ¡°VERY. STRONGER THAN US. STRONGER THAN YOU.¡±

    ¡°Would you call him an A-Grade?¡±

    ¡°WHAT IS THAT?¡±

    ¡°Space monsters are not familiar with the System¡¯s Grades,¡± the turtle explained to Jack. ¡°They use different classifications. From D-Grade to Archon, they call themselves dukes, counts, barons, autarchs, and overlords.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fucking stupid. It¡¯s the reverse order of British royalty.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Is your province master an autarch?¡± he asked.

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Does he have, like, a faction of autarchs?¡±

    ¡°NO. THE ASTARION PROVINCE IS AN OUTER PROVINCE. AUTARCHS ONLY COME OUT HERE TO BE PROVINCE MASTERS.¡±

    ¡°So there are outer provinces. That¡¯s good to know. I suppose there are inner ones as well?¡±

    ¡°YES. OUTER PROVINCES, INNER, AND CORE. ONLY TWO CORE PROVINCES. THE OVERLORDS.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense. So the space monster world is separated in provinces, with each province master being an autarch, and the innermost you go, the higher the level of people. Correct?¡±

    The horse thought for a moment. ¡°YES. BUT NOT ALL PROVINCE MASTERS ARE AUTARCHS. SOME ARE BARONS.¡±

    ¡°But not in the inner provinces?¡±

    ¡°NO. ALL AUTARCHS THERE.¡±

    ¡°And why do you call the provinces core, inner, and outer? Is there a center?¡±

    ¡°THE WORLD IS RINGS. THE DARK CANAL IS AT THE CENTER. WORSHIP THE DARK CANAL.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the dark canal?¡±

    ¡°I DO NOT KNOW. BUT IT MUST BE WORSHIPED.¡±

    Jack turned to his friends and relayed the information he¡¯d received.

    ¡°Ask it for directions to that dark canal,¡± Brock suggested. ¡°The inner and core provinces will be located that way as well. If we want to farm space monster cores, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll find the good ones.¡±

    Jack nodded in agreement. He asked the horses, which pointed him in a certain direction¡ªthe exact opposite of the one they¡¯d been following before.

    ¡°Nice guess, bro,¡± Brock said, giving Jack a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Well, we have our directions,¡± Jack said. ¡°Should we leave? I think these horses are pretty stupid, to be honest. We¡¯re better off finding someone smarter on the way.¡±

    ¡°I agree. We should kill them, too, or they might spread information about us being here.¡±

    Jack turned to the horses. He stared at them. ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± he said. ¡°I know they tried attacking us first, and that we have to kill them, but they¡¯ve been pretty obedient since we subdued them.¡± He sighed, raising a fist. The horses neighed sadly and closed their eyes. ¡°I guess if I have to.¡±

    ¡°Space monsters submit completely to the stronger party,¡± the turtle explained lazily as Jack¡¯s fist came crashing down. ¡°If the stronger party isn¡¯t clearly indicated, they fight on sight. However, if you don¡¯t want to kill them, why not take them as your mounts?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Jack¡¯s fist stopped an inch away from the leading horse¡¯s muzzle. The wind ruffled its mane of dark flame.

    ¡°Go on,¡± he said.

    ¡°Space monsters submit completely to the stronger party. If they wish to become your followers, they can spit out their core into your care. That way, you can kill them anytime you wish, meaning they will never betray you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack frowned. ¡°That sounds a bit extreme.¡±

    ¡°You can always ask them, but they¡¯d certainly prefer it to dying. Becoming the mount of a powerful individual is no shame in the Space Monster World. It can even be a kind of honor. Every high-status space monster has a mount.¡±

    ¡°Why would I take them as a mount? I¡¯m way faster.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ride them. If you have their core, you can store the entire monster in your inner world. Just take them out as you reach a city to show your status.¡±

    Jack hesitated. He then spoke out, saying, ¡°Do you guys prefer to die or become our mounts?¡±

    The horses glanced at each other. ¡°YOU ARE OUTSIDERS. WE MUST FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± Brock said, stepping forward. ¡°Just because we come from outside this world doesn¡¯t mean we need to be enemies. We¡¯re not so different, after all. Let¡¯s work together instead of being brainwashed to kill each other. Let¡¯s be bros.¡±

    He extended a hand. The horses visibly shook, their mental barriers evaporating to liberate their free will. They could now think clearly.

    ¡°HE HAS A POINT,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°I AGREE. LET¡¯S BECOME MOUNTS.¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    Both horses turned to Jack. ¡°YOU ARE A STRONG MASTER,¡± they said. ¡°WE WILL SERVE YOU WELL.¡±

    He raised a brow in amusement. ¡°Even though I am an outsider?¡±

    ¡°IT MEANS NOTHING. YOU DEFEATED US. OUR LIVES BELONG TO YOU.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Alright, guys,¡± he said, turning to Brock and Starhair. ¡°We¡¯re now friends with these bad boys.¡±

    Brock looked at him weirdly. ¡°They¡¯re female,¡± he said. Starhair still seemed out of sorts. He just shrugged and nodded.

    ¡°Cool,¡± Jack said.

    The two horses shook as if about to vomit. Then, with a dry heave, a solid gem emerged from each of their throats. They were dark red and with swirling flames inside¡ªpretty, if not particularly powerful. When Jack touched one, he felt a connection to a different being, an entity of chaos. The hell horse.

    The sense of complete control was fascinating.

    ¡°WE BELONG TO YOU, MASTERS,¡± the horses said, bending their front feet to bow.

    Jack laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re friends.¡±

    ¡°FRIENDS?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Friends, bros. As long as you don¡¯t betray us, we¡¯re all in the same team.¡±

    ¡°BUT YOU¡¯RE STRONGER.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±

    The two hellhorses still seemed confused, but they¡¯d get used to it.

    Jack took one core into his inner realm, while Brock did the same to the other.

    ¡°Do you have names?¡± they asked the horses.

    ¡°I AM DOLPARTAZOL THE HARBINGER OF DOOM,¡± the leading horse replied. ¡°AND THIS IS EZAQUIL THE ETERNAL DAWN.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then, I will call you Dolly,¡± Jack told it.

    ¡°And I will call you Eza,¡± Brock said to the other one. There was no third horse for Starhair.

    Suddenly, Jack realized something. He reached into his space ring and removed a carrot. He¡¯d had it there since the last time he visited Earth. In fact, he had entire boxes of vegetables. They didn¡¯t go bad in space rings.

    ¡°Do you want a carrot, Dolly?¡± he asked. ¡°The horses on my planet like it. They¡¯re significantly less infernal than you, but we might as well try.¡±

    Dolpartazol, the self-appointed harbinger of doom, ate the carrot. ¡°IT IS VERY TASTY, MASTER. THIS IS NOW MY FAVORITE FOOD. CAN I HAVE ANOTHER?¡±

    ¡°Just one, okay? No more until we reach¡­whatever destination we¡¯re planning to reach.¡±

    ¡°OKAY MASTER.¡±

    As Dolly enjoyed her second carrot, consuming it in small bites to make it last longer, Jack turned to the others. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing we gotta do,¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t be walking around like this in civilization centers. They¡¯ll attack us on sight.¡±

    He reached into his space ring again and took out a shining blue liquid. It resembled a sea of stars. Even from inside the bottle, this potion radiated power intense enough for Dolly to stop mid-bite and stare at it.

    They had known they¡¯d need disguises. The Arch Priestess had gone to great lengths to secure three transformation potions of the highest caliber. They would remain active no matter how hard they fought or exerted themselves, and the disguise would fool anybody unless they came face-to-face with an Archon.

    They originally had three potions¡ªone for Jack, Brock, and the Arch Priestess¡¯s clone, the people who were supposed to enter the Space Monster World. Unfortunately, the Arch Priestess clone had kept hers on her person, so it was destroyed. Jack now only had two potions for three people and no way to create another.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine without,¡± Brock said. ¡°I¡¯m a brorilla. I can fit in.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°No. But we can try.¡±

    Jack nodded. They had no other choice. He gave one potion to Starhair, but before using them, they had to find suitable forms. Once they ingested the potions, the disguise could not be changed or taken off.

    ¡°Show me the most common race of humanoid space monsters,¡± Jack asked Dolly, connecting his mind to hers. She projected an image to him. Jack ingested his potion.

    He felt his body change. Bones snapped into place. Some shattered while new ones grew. His flesh was torn apart as his entire form was restructured. When the transformation was done, Jack was a hulking humanoid, pale green in color. He stood nine feet tall, with short horns sticking out of his forehead and lines of spikes trailing his spine and limbs. Two bat-like wings spread from his back, though he could easily fold them if he wanted to, and a thick tail extended from his lower back. His hands and feet ended in sharp claws. Thankfully, he could still make them into fists. He¡¯d also changed his facial structure a little bit¡ªafter all, the overlords had seen his face during the summit, so they might recognize him from afar.

    Overall, Jack¡¯s new form looked like a green devil. Completely bad-ass. The only problem was that he, apparently, possessed two sets of male genitalia, one hanging above the other. That change alone felt so damn weird.

    Good thing his magical shorts had changed to fit his new size.

    Brock observed the transformation with interest. Starhair, however, was shaking. ¡°That looked like it hurt,¡± he said.

    ¡°A little bit,¡± Jack confirmed. His voice had gotten deeper and guttural. ¡°But it¡¯s just for a minute. Come on. Drink your potion.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to leave you here. We can¡¯t carry around an outside with us.¡±

    Starhair gulped. He looked at the potion, observing the blue stars inside it, then gulped it down. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s not that¡ª¡± He instantly started convulsing. He fell to the ground and started writhing as he screamed in pain.

    Jack scratched his head. When he said it only hurt a little bit, he hadn¡¯t been lying. It was just that his pain perception was apparently skewed by everything he¡¯d experienced.

    Oh well, he thought. He¡¯ll be fine. A little bit of suffering builds character.

    Two minutes later, Starhair lay on the ground, panting in his new body. It looked exactly like Jack¡¯s, except with a different face. They also had other minor differences, but overall, Jack thought they would easily pass as two members of this space monster species.

    ¡°What are we called, anyway?¡± he asked Dolly.

    ¡°DOUBLE DEVIL,¡± she replied. ¡°AND I HAVE TO SAY, MASTER, YOU LOOK DASHING. YOU WERE HIDEOUS BEFORE. ALL FLESH AND NO ARMOR. NOW YOU¡¯RE A PROPER SPACE MONSTER.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he replied, then turned to the others. ¡°Okay, everyone. We¡¯re ready. Let¡¯s head for the inner provinces¡ªand maybe find someone smarter to interrogate.¡±

 Chapter 504: Crossing the Space Monster World

    The way towards the center of the Space Monster World was as deserted as Jack imagined. At least, at first. The dry ground continued unabated. Even after an hour of flying, covering tens of thousands of miles, it persisted.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Jack asked mentally. ¡°Is the Space Monster World empty?¡±

    ¡°At the outer provinces, yes,¡± Venerable Saint Thousand Shell replied. ¡°The world is huge, but the environment out here is not the best. Most importantly, space monsters suck at coexisting. The constant killing prevents the population from growing.¡±

    Jack took another look around. Emptiness, as far as met the eye. This world really was huge¡ªso much it made him wonder.

    The Green Dragon Realm was the masterpiece of Archon Green Dragon, who specialized in spacetime and had even used a part of his body to create the realm heart. Despite that, the end result was only a hundred thousand miles in diameter. Which Jack had never thought of as small before, but this Space Monster World was significantly larger. If the Green Dragon Realm was placed here, it would just be another province. This world was far more stable, too, almost like the universe.

    ¡°Who even made this place?¡± Jack asked the turtle. ¡°And don¡¯t tell me it occurred naturally.¡±

    ¡°The history of the Space Monster World goes too far back¡­ When I was born, a billion years ago, the truth was already lost in time. We weren¡¯t always sapient. It took millions of years for us space monsters to develop the ability to record history, and by then, whoever created this world was gone. We only know what we see.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. What about the seal outside the world, keeping A-Grades out? What about this Dark Canal Dolly mentioned?¡±

    ¡°There are theories. At the time, the most powerful entities in the universe were the Old Gods, but even they would be hard-pressed to create such a vast world and such a powerful seal around it. Some monsters claim our world was created by Axelor to match Enas¡¯s act of birthing the Ancients. Others say that we, and this entire world, are natural creations of the universe. That nobody would have the power to establish this place artificially. Some even say this is a separate universe which just failed to develop fully.¡±

    ¡°And the Dark Canal?¡±

    ¡°Here, too, there are theories. Some say it contains the secret to immortality. Others that it holds clues to the realm above overlord. They even say it is the resting place of the original creator of the Space Monster World. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve never been there, so I can¡¯t tell you. Besides the two overlord factions who control it, nobody knows what really lies inside.¡±

    That was intriguing.

    ¡°Could there really be someone above Archons?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°No,¡± the turtle replied immediately. ¡°People love to speculate, but it is impossible. There is no realm beyond Archon. Think about it. Even the hardest bottlenecks in cultivation have a success rate of one in a hundred, maybe one in a thousand. There have been thousands of Archons since the start of history. Some have reached that realm with overwhelming momentum, rising head and shoulders above their peers. Yet, of every single Archon in history, nobody has touched the next realm. Nobody has even glimpsed at it. There is no just no way forward. Even the Old Gods themselves are only extreme Archons.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll see.¡±

    The turtle snorted with laughter. ¡°If you really want to find out, kid, just go up there and try yourself. Maybe then you¡¯ll be satisfied. Just don¡¯t hold out hope. I was the spiritual companion of Archon Black Hole, an exceptional man even amongst Archons, and even he had expressed to me how impossible it was to advance further.¡±

    Jack refused to be brought down. ¡°I have devoted my life to pursuing the peak,¡± he replied lightly. ¡°If that peak is the Archon realm, then so be it. If there is more, then I will reach that too.¡±

    ¡°Well said. That¡¯s why I like you, kid. You¡¯re so headstrong you can¡¯t possibly fail.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Brock said, drawing Jack¡¯s attention. ¡°There¡¯s someone over there.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    He saw it, too. A lone humanoid walked in the distance. It was a Double Devil, the species Jack and Starhair had transformed into. It was moving in the same direction as them, just far slower, so overtaking it would be easy.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± Jack asked. They had several things to check.

    ¡°We shall,¡± Brock replied. The three of them accelerated, speeding off into the sky and landing before the double devil shortly after. It froze as it saw them. Then, quickly, it said, ¡°I submit.¡±

    That was a nice change of pace from being attacked on sight. It indicated their disguises were working, and that Brock could pass as a space monster as well. Inwardly, Jack was relieved this thing wasn¡¯t shouting¡ªif everyone was as loud as their two horses, it would get old really fast.

    He then took a better look at the double devil. It was green-skinned and of similar size as him and Starhair. Unlike them, it wore an attire one would find on an Earth desert, with brown robes falling loosely over its body. Red pants reached to its knee, while flaps of fabric wrapped around its head, only revealing its eyes and mouth. Jack guessed that lower-level double devils needed protection from the elements around here. This one was only a peak D-Grade.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Relax,¡± he said, speaking in a similar guttural voice to the other devil. ¡°We don¡¯t care about you. We just want directions. Which way are the inner provinces?¡±

    The devil gave him an odd look. Jack didn¡¯t care if he¡¯d misspoken; at worst, they¡¯d interrogate and kill this guy.

    His intentions must have shown, because the double devil averted its eyes and turned extremely subservient.

    ¡°It¡¯s that way, my Baron,¡± it said respectfully, pointing in the direction it had been following as well. ¡°Right past a small settlement called Bone Ring. I was on my way there as well to trade.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What does a weakling like you have to trade?¡±

    Jack was trying to mimic the crude manner of speaking used by space monsters. The double devil didn¡¯t seem to sense anything off. It revealed an expression of pain as it reached into its pouch and retrieved a pair of gem-inlaid rings.

    ¡°I found these two, my Baron,¡± it said. It stretched its hands out, clearly unwilling. ¡°Please take them.¡±

    Jack glanced at the rings. He didn¡¯t question just how the devil had ¡°found¡± them. ¡°I don¡¯t want your trash,¡± he said. Then, followed by Brock and Starhair, he took to the sky and shattered the sound barrier multiple times on their way out. They¡¯d angled their course in the direction the double devil had indicated.

    ¡°Well done, kid,¡± the turtle said. ¡°You spoke like a true space monster! It seems your disguises work, too. That priestess kid knew what she was doing. As long as Brock doesn¡¯t let anyone probe his soul, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Jack nodded.

    While they¡¯d gotten instructions from Dolly and Aze before, it was easy to get lost in such an expansive, featureless place. Finger-pointing could only get you so far. Until Jack found a reliable way to navigate, stopping every once in a while to ask the locals was the best way to go about it.

    Speaking of Dolly and Aze, the two hellhorses were currently floating in Jack and Brock¡¯s inner world respectively. Jack glanced inward. Dolly was ineffectively wheeling her feet as she slowly traveled through space. Floating beside her was the Stone, explaining just why horses shouldn¡¯t wear metal horseshoes. Dolly was listening with rapt attention.

    ¡°IS THAT SO?¡± she asked. ¡°YOUR WISDOM IS STUNNING. TELL ME MORE.¡±

    ¡°Certainly! So you see, your body has methods to adjust itself. Placing iron below your hoof is a sure-fire way to disrupt your temperature regulation, your grip on the ground, and your natural defenses against wear and tear. It is a crude solution for crude situations. If I was a horse, I would¡ª¡±

    Jack tuned off, letting the two continue their conversation. He¡¯d already figured out how to isolate the sound coming from his inner world. At least The Stone had company now.

    They kept flying. This world¡¯s increased Dao density made everything more tiring, so they stopped every now and then to ensure they remained at peak condition, in case anything happened. On the way, Jack sometimes chatted with Brock or the turtle, while Starhair remained downcast and silent.

    It was another half hour before they passed by the settlement the double devil had mentioned. Aptly named the Bone Ring, this place resembled a desert fort with large bones arranged around it, sticking out of the ground with their tips facing the sky. It was like the entire fort was built inside the palm of an ancient, buried monster.

    They didn¡¯t stop here. Such a small settlement on a far-out location would mean nothing. Jack doubted there were even any B-Grades present. They only swooped down to ask another passing local for directions¡ªa bipedal bison monster¡ªbefore continuing on their way.

    Finally, two hours after the start of their trip, the terrain began to change. The dry ground gave way to mild greenery, and the boiling temperature receded, replaced by an only slightly superhuman heat wave. Instead of weeds, bushes and trees now covered the ground. They weren¡¯t dense by any means, but the area was at least slightly vegetated.

    ¡°This must be the inner province,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Think again, kid,¡± the turtle interjected. ¡°It¡¯s just another outer province. The entrance portal to this world places you somewhere close to the outer edges, so you have to cross at least two or three outer provinces before you approach the inner ones. Unless, of course, things have changed since the last time I was here.¡±

    Jack whistled. ¡°Just how large is this world?¡±

    ¡°Millions upon millions of miles. Even the outer provinces aren¡¯t the end of it. There is another ring behind them simply called the Inhospitable Zone. Its environment is too unstable. Nobody in their right mind would choose to live there, even if they could.¡±

    The entire circumference of the Earth was only twenty five thousand miles. For this world to have a width of millions of miles¡­ It really was large beyond belief. The total area was in the trillions of square miles.

    Refueled by this new knowledge, the three of them soldiered on.

    ¡°Do you know which province this is, Dolly?¡± Jack asked, taking out his hellhorse and holding her aloft.

    ¡°IT IS NOT THE ASTARION PROVINCE,¡± she replied. She kept gazing at the distant ground with suspicion¡ªhorses were not used to flying.

    ¡°And you know because the terrain changed?¡±

    ¡°IT MAKES FOR EASY BORDERS.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thanks, Dolly.¡±

    ¡°NO PROBLEM MASTER.¡±

    He put the horse back into his inner world. They continued flying. Given the only slightly more hospitable terrain, Jack could now see more space monsters around. The vast majority were bestial, grazing upon the rare blade of grass and attacking everything on sight. Each and every one of them had a hellish appearance.

    The intelligent locals were mostly double devils. Jack saw a smattering of other species, all diverse beyond reason, including a humanoid species with four legs, three eyes, and a face which naturally resembled a creepy clown¡¯s. He steered the heck away from those. There were also many sapient species which weren¡¯t humanoid. The two hellhorses were a good example of that.

    The existence of non-humanoid sapients meant that anything they saw could be a cultivator or an animal. Unless Jack memorized the species, it would be difficult to tell from a distance. It went the other way, too. At one point, they came down to ask a humanoid gorilla thing with four arms for directions, but it could only growl and spit at them as it ineffectively tried to attack. Once it realized it was pointless, it transformed into a stone statue, which promptly fell to the ground and shattered by itself.

    Fucking weird.

    So far, the strongest creatures they¡¯d encountered were at the middle C-Grade level. Nothing stronger. They assumed¡ªand the turtle confirmed¡ªthat stronger space monsters would only be present at the inner and core provinces. The outer provinces did have their province master, but usually there wasn¡¯t a capital, so looking for them across an entire province was pointless.

    Therefore, they ignored everything and made a beeline towards the center of this world. Nobody had time to waste on weaklings.

 Chapter 505: Empty Star City

    Inner Provinces, Empty Star Province

    The Dao density had shot up again. Jack, Brock, and Starhair felt even more restricted, like swimming in a mire. The very air itself was made of Dao.

    Lush greenery spread below them. Forests teeming with life, beautiful lakes, snow-capped mountains. Nature spread all around, vitalized by the extreme Dao energies in the atmosphere. Of course, not everything was pleasant. The beasts inhabiting this place were hellish, with horns and dark flames and all sorts of dark signs on their bodies. Jack had tried to feed a squirrel only for it to unhinge its jaw like a snake and try to eat his hand. Brock had befriended the critter anyway.

    Besides hellish, everything here was strong as well¡ªa direct product of the high Dao density. Even the snake-squirrel thing possessed power at the D-Grade, with the various wild animals reaching up to the B-Grade, if rarely. They killed each other at all times as well. The forest floor was strewn with low-level space monster cores, which one could gather if they only had the courage to wade into hellish beast territory. If left untouched for a bit, worm-like creatures emerged from the ground to consume these cores, using their power to transform into stronger monsters. Jack saw a worm absorb a D-Grade core, then grow into an early D-Grade, hippo-like creature.

    His biologist sense was tingling. These things were not, of course, animals. The most plausible scenario was that space monsters were basically bundles of energy, with their bodies being only an instinctive coating of that energy. Kind of like clothes were to humans. As space monsters consumed the cores of others, their own power increased, and they chose more powerful bodies to reflect that. Even the trees were monsters.

    It was a unique ecosystem. One that worked despite being in constant violence.

    These were the inner provinces.

    Jack took a deep breath, letting the ambient Dao purify his lungs. ¡°I like this place,¡± he said.

    ¡°It gives me the creeps,¡± Starhair replied from the side. The two still wore their double devil disguises, which made Starhair¡¯s response seem out-of-place.

    ¡°Where there are bros, everything is okay,¡± Brock said. The squirrel sitting on his shoulder unhinged its mouth and tried to bite Brock¡¯s ear off. The brorilla swatted it away. ¡°Bad bro. No biting bros.¡±

    The squirrel whimpered in disappointment.

    ¡°The city shouldn¡¯t be far,¡± Jack said. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    It had taken them an entire day to cross the outer provinces, even at their speed. At some point, however, the desolate landscape and terrible environmental conditions had disappeared, giving way to a lively world. The Space Monster World wasn¡¯t as uniformly desolate as Jack had originally assumed. It could be beautiful.

    Their destination, Empty Star City, was proof of that beauty. They saw it shortly after.

    A rising of white houses over the water. An entire city built on a rock in a river, with a titanic waterfall cascading just to the side. This waterfall tumbled down a steep cliff, a mountainside which arced out like a ring, placing the river and the city on a flat surface dozens of miles above the ground, the cliff itself stretching beyond where the eye could see.

    The natural environment was on a different scale here. The cliff was taller than Mount Everest. The river was wide like a sea. A single rock island on its path was large enough to host a city.

    It made them feel small.

    As Jack and co. approached Empty Star City, they witnessed more signs of civilization. Space monsters arrived in boats, swimming, or walking on water. Some were climbing the cliff to reach the city, while a few rode flying treasures. Even fewer were the ones who could fly by themselves¡ªB-Grades, or Barons, as they were called in this place. Jack saw hundreds of space monsters moving in and out of the city, the diversity of species striking.

    Besides those who came in groups, everyone basically belonged to a different species than everybody else. Moreover, since these weren¡¯t real bodies but more like placeholders, they didn¡¯t need to make biological sense, leading to a plethora of appearances. Everything was possible, from floating eyeballs to golems of clay.

    Jack remember some creatures back at the original Cathedral who resembled glass panes with limbs. In hindsight, maybe they were space monsters too.

    This was by far the largest city they¡¯d come across in the Space Monster World, and also the first they were going to enter. All the others, they¡¯d just watched from a distance. This was the first time they truly allowed themselves to merge with the coming and going of space monsters. It was an awe-inspiring experience.

    Of course, merging was just a word. The moment they arrived at the city gates flying, indicating they were Barons, the surrounding space monsters fell over each other to give them space. An alligator thing accidentally stepped over a hyena thing¡ªthe two monsters and their groups quickly came to blows. Blood flew.

    Jack looked at the carnage with indifference, just like the rest of the crowd. This was the Space Monster World. Killing was their way. Even the C-Grade guards posted at the city did nothing to stop the battle. Their only job was to guard the buildings. Everyone could enter, exit, and fight as they pleased.

    The hyena group won, triumphantly tearing out the cores of the alligator group and swallowing them whole, blood and all. Jack didn¡¯t pay them too much attention. The rest of the crowd closed again around them, uncaring as well, and the hyenas went on their way.

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair were already busy. Jack and Brock reached into their inner worlds. In the next moment, two hellhorses stumbled into reality, their intense body heat scaring away the nearest space monsters. It took them a moment to orient themselves. When they did, they were overjoyed.

    ¡°I AM HERE, MASTER! LET ME SERVE YOU!¡± Dolly said as Jack jumped on her back. She glared towards the gate. ¡°ANYONE WHO BARS MY MASTER¡¯S PATH IS COURTING DEATH!¡±

    The space monsters all stepped back even farther.

    Jack patted her neck. ¡°Easy, Dolly,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s just walk in.¡±

    ¡°When in space monster land, do as space monsters do,¡± Brock told him telepathically. His own hellhorse, Eza, was already slinging slurs at the nearest space monsters. Or, at least, Jack assumed they were slurs. No space monster would enjoy being called a ¡°MOLD-COVERED SNAKE WORM.¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± he told Dolly. ¡°You can scare them a bit. Just don¡¯t eat anyone.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°BUT I WANT TO EAT THEM.¡±

    ¡°Maybe only the ones who start trouble.¡±

    Dolly neighed sadly but obliged. Starhair jumped on her back, right behind Jack, and the five of them entered the city.

    White buildings surrounded them on all sides. They ranged from one to three floors. The streets snaked in odd directions, clearly built without any care for order, and it went without saying that thieves and murderers waited behind every turn. For a weaker monster, entering those streets was suicide.

    There was, however, a larger, straighter street heading from the entrance to the center of Empty Star City. It was exactly this street that Jack followed. Shops lined its sides, manned by C-Grade space monsters and selling everything the mind could think of. Weapons, armor, fabric, clothes, food, drink, prostitution, building materials, and much more. Everything was thrown haphazardly onto this street, all cobbled together into a huge mess.

    Notably, despite the vast diversity in strength and species between space monsters, there were no children. They didn¡¯t procreate like humans did. New space monsters emerged as the worms Jack had seen in the forests outside the town, and then they slowly developed over time. Sex was a thing, however, so he had to wonder just how space monsters came up with that.

    ¡°What exactly are we doing here?¡± Starhair whispered.

    ¡°Recon, mostly,¡± Jack replied. ¡°This place should have at least one A-Grade or two, but we can¡¯t just hunt them down. Let¡¯s find a place to stay, talk to some locals. If we want to go around hunting A-Grades, we can¡¯t do so blindly. We need to know exactly how things work. We need a plan, and this is the best place to make one.¡±

    Starhair nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°LOOK AWAY, BUTTERCUP. MY MASTER IS THE SUN TO YOU.¡±

    Dolly remained on fire¡ªliterally and metaphorically. As they walked through the streets, she and Eza were cursing at any pedestrian slightly late to walk away, or snapping their jaws in the direction of people they disliked. The horses themselves weren¡¯t particularly powerful, but the towering aura of Jack, Brock, and Starhair kept everyone else at bay. There was clear awe in the eyes of any space monster around them.

    Taking the hellhorses was a nice idea after all. It helped them blend in. The surrounding space monsters seemed to approve of this chaos, and Jack had a tendency to remain low-key. Usually until he spanked someone.

    The crowd thickened as they approached downtown. Jack was forced to slow down a bit, unwilling to let Dolly and Eza stampede the crowd. Eventually, they reached a wide square. Tall buildings surrounded it, looking grander and more orderly than the random assortment closer to the gates.

    The largest building was stadium-like and currently closed. A plaque over its entrance announced the ¡°Bi-Canal Auction.¡± Jack looked at the rest. They looked luxurious, but none indicated its function.

    ¡°Do you know which is a hotel, Dolly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°WHAT IS A HOTEL?¡±

    ¡°A place where we can stay.¡±

    Her neck snapped to the side, stretching more than seemed possible. She grabbed onto the collar of a random passer-by and dragged them close. ¡°POINT THE INN TO MY MASTER, VERMIN,¡± she ordered through closed teeth.

    The person she¡¯d grabbed was a cloaked figure. Dolly¡¯s actions had pulled back its hood, revealing a furred, scarred face¡ªa sort of humanoid rat person. The moment its hood fell back, it looked incensed and ready to slice at Dolly with the dagger which magically appeared in its hand. Jack¡¯s heavy aura, however, forced the monster into inactivity.

    ¡°It is there, my Baron,¡± it said, its voice suddenly subservient. Its previous rage had all but disappeared.

    Jack nodded. Dolly spat away the ratman¡¯s collar. ¡°FUCK OFF,¡± she told him, and the ratman disappeared in the crowd.

    Jack kept his eyes on it for a little longer. He wouldn''t normally be so overbearing, but this was space monster society. It worked on a foundation of personal strength and bullying. He couldn¡¯t afford to seem different.

    At least, nobody seemed to suspect their double devil disguises¡ªor Brock.

    ¡°Be a little careful, Dolly,¡± he whispered to her. ¡°The Empty Star faction¡¯s headquarters are in this city, and their leader is an autarch. We don¡¯t want to accidentally start a feud with them.¡±

    The horse¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°YES, MASTER.¡±

    Jack fed her a carrot. He knew that the faction¡¯s headquarters were in the back of the city, far away from here, but there was always the chance of some disciple wandering out.

    The ratman had pointed them to one of the most luxurious buildings in the square. It was four stories tall and built entirely of green jade. Each floor had its own roof spreading outward like a pagoda, while the entrance was guarded by two C-Grade monsters. They bowed as Jack and the rest walked through. Since this place was built to accommodate a wide variety of space monster species, they didn¡¯t need to dismount.

    Tables covered the floor, some with chairs, some not. Various space monsters huddled around them, all at the peak D-Grade and above, while a lone C-Grade snake sat behind a bar at the back.

    Dolly approached a random space monster¡ªa floating eyeball wearing a comically long cloak. ¡°ARE YOU WITH THE EMPTY STAR FACTION?¡± she asked.

    The eyeball turned around. ¡°No,¡± it replied suspiciously. Jack didn¡¯t know how it produced sound.

    Dolly bit at its cloak. ¡°POINT US AT THE INNKEEPER!¡± she commanded.

    ¡°Easy, Dolly,¡± Jack said, placing a hand on her neck. ¡°The reception is right there. Stay quiet for a bit.¡±

    ¡°YES MASTER.¡±

    She let go of the mortified eyeball, then walked Jack to the reception at the other side of the room. The snake looked up. It was an actual, little green snake, though it possessed power at the late C-Grade.

    ¡°Three rooms,¡± Jack said, tossing an item over the counter. They¡¯d run into an early B-Grade space monster on the way. Killing it was easy, but Jack hadn¡¯t absorbed the core. It worked as currency around the space monster world. Brutal.

    The snake gazed at the early B-Grade core and nodded appreciatively. ¡°Yesss, my Baron,¡± it said, coiling its tail around the core before pulling it away. From the way everyone around the inn stopped to stare at them, Jack suspected he¡¯d overpaid, but it didn¡¯t matter. He wanted to connect with big-shots, and the best way to do that was to act like a big-shot himself.

    Besides, getting B-Grade cores wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.

    ¡°Our top floor is almossst full,¡± the snake continued. ¡°Would it be okay if one of you resided in the sssecond floor from the top?¡±

    Jack considered it. The top floor sounded like a sign of status. ¡°No,¡± he said.

    ¡°Very well. Give me a moment.¡±

    The snake stood there, sending telepathic instructions to someone. A few moments later, it said, ¡°A third room has been opened asss well. Please follow me.¡±

    Jack and Brock finally dismounted, absorbing the hellhorses back into their inner worlds as they climbed a set of spiral stairs. Even the railing was opulent. This inn was no joke.

    They climbed three flights of stairs. On the fourth, they ran into an early B-Grade, humanoid space monster with skin the color of sand and equally dry. It glared at them angrily but didn¡¯t dare speak. It was carrying its things as it moved from the top floor to the one below. Jack assumed he¡¯d kicked it out, but he didn¡¯t care¡ªthis was how space monster society worked. The other monster could only blame itself for being weaker.

    As they entered the top floor, however, Jack saw there were over twenty rooms. Heavy auras emanated through the doors. If all these rooms were occupied, and the one who¡¯d been kicked out was an early B-Grade, didn¡¯t that mean there were over twenty B-Grade space monsters staying at this inn alone?

    ¡°Is it normal to have such high clientele?¡± he asked the snake.

    ¡°Our inn hasss quite a reputation,¡± it replied. ¡°Of course, our current guest list is grander than usual. The bi-canal Empty Star Auction is held in three days. Every powerful space monster in the surrounding provinces wants to attend, just like you do, my Baron.¡± At this point, the snake¡¯s voice took on some excitement. ¡°I hear that even several autarchs will be present! They would never grace our inn, of course, but it¡¯s ssstill an event.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jack asked. ¡°And where would they stay?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re guests of the Empty Star Faction, of courssse. Rumor has it that during this auction, the faction will offer several items worthy of being bid on by autarchs. That¡¯s why the Empty Star Autarch personally invited them.¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes shone. An auction with valuable enough items to tempt A-Grades? Several of them in attendance, alongside who knew how many B-Grades? This was just dreamy!

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± he said with a smile.

 Chapter 506: Item Presentation

    Empty Star City was abuzz with activity. Jack surveyed the crowded space around him, the main square of the city¡ªunimaginably called the Empty Star Square. Everything here was named like that. He assumed creative space monsters were shunned.

    Speaking of creative space monsters.

    ¡°GET OUT OF MY MASTER¡¯S WAY, YOU CONSTIPATED TURDS, OR I WILL DEVOUR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!¡± Dolly bellowed into the crowd, sending terrified space monsters fleeing left and right. They were creating a huge scene. Jack wanted to cringe and tell her to take it easy, but this was how dignified space monsters acted¡ªwhat would be distasteful in human society was the norm here, and vice versa.

    It wasn¡¯t just them. Several mounts of important individuals were loudly announcing their presence across the square, forcing the less powerful space monsters to huddle in the space between them like packed sardines. Of course, they didn¡¯t enjoy that. Jack saw multiple fights break out and end with the death of one party. The square floor was already awash with blood.

    Tomorrow was the day of the Empty Star Auction, a centennial event held in Empty Star City. Several A-Grades had gathered, according to Jack¡¯s information, so the entire city was in a festive mood. To further this excitement, the city officials had decided to publish a list with some of the auction¡¯s high-end items a day early. That was right now.

    A space monster which looked like a floating human mouth appeared over the central stage. It licked its lips. Then, its voice echoed over the square, passing over everything like a thunderclap.

    ¡°Greetings, everyone! Welcome to the Empty Star Auction¡¯s item presentation!¡±

    Its voice was terrifyingly loud. Some weaker space monsters bled from the ears and had to flee the square. The earth shook like an earthquake. Thankfully, all the buildings were constructed of sturdy materials, so they held¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t a coincidence.

    Jack resisted the urge to clasp his ears. As annoying as the voice was, he was a space monster now¡ªhe couldn¡¯t show a single scrap of weakness. He only made his tail swish loudly¡ªhe remained transformed into a Double Devil¡ªto express his irritation.

    ¡°The Empty Star faction would like to especially welcome two esteemed guests,¡± the floating mouth continued. ¡°Elder Puerto of the Great Silver faction, and Elder Crownbeast of the Fiend King faction. Hosting you is our great honor.¡±

    The crowd went quiet. Everyone turned towards two godzilla-like monsters. Jack had noticed them before¡ªthey easily towered over everything else in the crowd¡ªbut hadn¡¯t realized who rode them. Now, he knew. Two Elders, each from one of the Space Monster World¡¯s overlord factions.

    Elder Puerto was a humanoid, old-looking woman with a wrinkled face and long red hair. She stood quietly on top of her godzilla monster, which nobody dared to approach. Her aura blazed with the power of an early A-Grade.

    Jack struggled to find Elder Crownbeast at first. It took him a moment to realize that the head of the massive beast had no one standing on it because the Elder was the godzilla-like beast. It easily towered a hundred feet into the sky, covered in hard gray scales and with a line of spikes cascading its back. Vertical irises split its eyes, which surveyed the crowd with cold indifference.

    ¡°These bros are crazy,¡± Brock whispered. Jack and Starhair nodded in agreement. The two Elders belonged to opposing factions, and one¡¯s mount was from the same species as the other Elder. Basically, one was riding the other. If this wasn¡¯t a deadly insult, Jack didn¡¯t know what it could be.

    Yet, Elder Crownbeast seemed unbothered.

    ¡°I will now proceed with naming some of our most precious items,¡± the floating mouth continued. ¡°First up is a Crimson Orchid, tempered in the blood of hundreds of thousands of monsters!¡±

    The crowd cheered. Jack had no idea what that was, and given that the floating mouth wasn¡¯t using any props, he remained clueless. He cheered regardless.

    ¡°Next is the tail scale of a Cretan Fay.¡±

    The crowd cheered again.

    ¡°The third item is¡­¡±

    It kept going, Jack not recognizing any of the items. They sounded precious, but not too much, since none of the higher-level monsters seemed to be responding. The only exception was Jack, who¡¯d tried to fit in during the cheers for the first item. Whoops.

    It wasn¡¯t until the sixth item that he recognized something.

    ¡°Our next item will be a late Autarch core,¡± the floating mouth said. It was the simplest name so far, yet the one which drew the most violent response. The square rocked from excitement. Even the two Elders of the overlord factions raised their heads.

    Jack had to admit he was intrigued. The best core he¡¯d consumed so far had been at the early A-Grade. A late A-Grade core¡­ If it was compatible with him, just how many levels would it give him? Could it push him straight to the late B-Grade?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He only had thirty years before his duel with Elder Hero. Any items which could increase his strength in a short time were extremely important. He had to get this core.

    As Jack considered that, however, he came to a sad realization. He had no money. The Space Monster World used monster cores as currency, and while he did have a couple from the journey here, there was no way he could compete with any of the high-rollers in such a massive auction.

    ¡°Feels like we¡¯re back in the D-Grade,¡± Jack muttered. Brock laughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro. There is more to life than money.¡±

    ¡°But I need money.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get the joke,¡± Starhair said, his voice warped by his Double Devil transformation. ¡°D-Grade resources are well-priced for their level.¡±

    Jack and Brock glanced at each other, then smirked and didn¡¯t respond. If they used level-appropriate resources, they¡¯d still be E-Grades. The D-Grade was when Jack had started his Life Stone business in the Cathedral to earn infinite money and accelerate his cultivation.

    The floating mouth was still going. In the time it took Jack¡¯s group to make some quippy remarks, it had already rattled off several items, none of which seemed particularly interesting or recognizable.

    ¡°For our nineteenth item,¡± the mouth continued, ¡°we offer an incomplete Dao Manual recovered from Entropy Mountain. Its name is fractured, but it seems to contain the worlds ¡°black hole.¡± Our experts believe it is an ancient, peak A-Grade, Space-Death Dao manual.¡±

    Mild excitement came from the crowd. Incomplete Dao manuals weren¡¯t an new concept. In the long history of the Space Monster World, there had been many outstanding monsters, most of which passed down their legacy in the form of Dao manuals¡ªa device similar to the snow-globe items Jack had seen in the Black Hole World.

    However, the Space Monster World was nowhere as peaceful. Inheritances and legacies were constantly lost. An incomplete manual was a manual damaged by the shockwaves of some battle, and their contents were often far too fractured to form any meaningful conclusions. Acquiring one and studying it was a gamble. They weren¡¯t considered too valuable¡ªthe only reason this one made the cut for a high-end item was its possible peak A-Grade level, but that also meant it was thoroughly incomplete. Otherwise, only an idiot would sell it.

    The two Elders of the overlord factions didn¡¯t react to the name of this item. They had complete peak A-Grade inheritances at their factions¡ªwhy would they waste time on an incomplete one? The rest of the crowd was equally uninterested.

    But not Jack.

    Black hole¡­ Space-Death¡­ he thought, eyes shining. This is¡­an opportunity!

    Incomplete Dao manuals were generally useless. However, Jack already cultivated a very similar Dao. One of his two main pursuits at the moment was exactly the workings of a black hole. Even if the manual as a whole was unreadable, there had to be some intact parts. With a little bit of luck, he could use them to glean insights into the questions which troubled him!

    Even better, this wouldn¡¯t be too expensive an item. He might be able to get it!

    The mouth kept naming items, but Jack wasn¡¯t too interested. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, using his understanding of gravity to pull a random space monster from the crowd into his open hand. It was humanoid, D-Grade, and scared shitless.

    ¡°Y-yes, Master,¡± it said.

    ¡°What prices do you think these items are going to fetch?¡± Jack asked it. He also isolated sound around them.

    ¡°I¡­ I am not sure, Master.¡± The monster tried to gulp, but Jack¡¯s grip around its throat made that difficult. Its voice came gargled. ¡°For the cheapest of these items, maybe a few B-Grade cores would be enough¡­ But for the most expensive, even a dozen early A-Grade cores might not make the cut!¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes darkened. He let the monster drop, and it hastily scurried away through the crowd.

    A few B-Grade cores¡­ I¡¯m poorer than I thought.

    He didn¡¯t even possess one of them. B-Grade monsters were rare, let alone A-Grade ones. It appeared that even the black hole-related incomplete manual would be hard to get¡­ Especially since he only had one day.

    How do I go about it? he wondered. He cupped his chin, looking over the rest of the crowd. Stealing it would be difficult with all these A-Grades. Could I kill a few B-Grades and take their cores?

    This was the Space Monster World. Such things happened often, but not necessarily amongst high-level people. If he created too much trouble, he might get kicked out of the city¡ªor accidentally start a war. He definitely didn¡¯t need an overlord on his ass right now.

    ¡°And now, the last high-end item we present today,¡± the mouth said. ¡°Something truly special¡­¡± Jack paused his train of thought and looked over¡ªif this item had an intro, it was probably something interesting. The two Elders of the overlord faction perked up as well.

    The mouth coughed once. ¡°Two months ago, one of our Elders was exploring a hidden realm at the edge of the Inhospitable Zone. They almost lost their lives several times. Finally, however¡­ They chanced into an incredible treasure. Something left behind for eons, the item which had inadvertently birthed that entire danger site. It was a corpse. The body had long degraded, but its core remained strong. It is this core we offer today. An Overlord-level core.¡±

    The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, all at once, they erupted. The square shook. It was pandaemonium. Even the two Elders were animated, laughing into the sky.

    ¡°This core will belong to the Fiend King faction!¡± Elder Crownbeast roared, his voice overwhelming the square. Elder Puerto, however, coldly laughed back.

    ¡°This is my faction¡¯s territory, Crownbeast. If you think you can come here and run wild, think again!¡±

    ¡°This is an auction, Puerto. Only cores speak here. Let¡¯s clash tomorrow, and see if you or I brought more!¡±

    The red-haired old woman smiled. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    Jack was also shocked. Overlords were the space monster equivalent of Archons. It was the highest level of existence. The core of such a space monster was an unbelievably rare and precious commodity. If he got it, it would accelerate his cultivation by a hundred times!

    Unfortunately, he was doomed to only watch, never touch it. He could never raise enough money by tomorrow. As for taking it by force, that was also impossible. Maybe he could take one of these Elders, but he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to think he could overpower every A-Grade in Empty Star City at once. Even if he did, one of the two Overlords might come after him over such an item¡­ And, after barely escaping Archon Summer Noon, Jack had deeply realized how inadequate his current strength was against an Archon. He wouldn¡¯t make such enemies until he was ready to face them.

    But he still wanted that damn core.

 Chapter 507: Challenge

    The crowd¡¯s roar took some time to abate. The announcement was just too stunning. Overlord-level cores were never, ever available. There couldn¡¯t have been more than a few hundred of them across the entire history of the Space Monster World, not to mention that cores were consumables.

    If someone got their hands on that core, they could use it as infinite currency, but nobody would be that stupid. The greatest currency was one¡¯s own strength. They¡¯d just absorb it and grow massively more powerful.

    ¡°No wonder the Overlord factions sent Elders here,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°They¡¯re buying the core for their big bros,¡± Brock replied. ¡°Big bros, big money.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Would be sweet if we had that much.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need Archon cores,¡± Starhair said. ¡°You¡¯re a B-Grade. Even A-Grade cores would be great.¡±

    ¡°Not if I have a duel with a late A-Grade in thirty years.¡±

    Starhair thought about it. ¡°Yeah. Not in that case.¡±

    The mouth had finished its announcement, but the crowd remained. Many discussed what had happened with those around them. Some space monsters, however, were looking at the sky. As if waiting for something.

    It didn¡¯t take long to figure out what.

    A large form took to the air. It looked like Elder Crownbeast, except much smaller. Basically a mini godzilla. It must have been standing behind the Elder before, which was why Jack hadn¡¯t seen it.

    As soon as this new monster reached a high point in the sky, it stopped and laughed out loud. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about the Empty Star faction, but this is even grander than I anticipated!¡± it shouted. Peak B-Grade undulations followed its rough voice. And, though its words were pleasant, its tone was not. ¡°My name is Crownbeast Saturnstar. Chief disciple of Elder Crownbeast. I am not considered too strong in the Field King faction, but I sure love a good battle! Since I¡¯ve come all the way here, it would be a shame not to experience the young talents of Empty Star. Who dares to spar with me?¡±

    This monster had wasted no time in provoking everyone. The crowd below chilled¡ªJack saw even Elder Puerto narrow her eyes at him Meanwhile, Elder Crownbeast remained perfectly calm, as if completely unrelated to the matter.

    Jack had seen his fair share of rivalries, so it wasn¡¯t hard for him to understand what was happening. The Great Silver and Fiend King factions weren¡¯t at war, but as the only two overlord factions of the Space Monster World, they were constantly competing with each other. Each looked for an opportunity to one-up the other.

    In this case, it was clear that Elder Crownbeast had brought his disciple here to humiliate the Empty Star faction. All that talk about not being too strong was bullshit. Jack could feel the monster¡¯s towering aura, standing at the very top of the peak B-Grade. Even if this wasn¡¯t the chief disciple of the Fiend King faction, he remained a spectacular talent.

    Nobody responded to the beast¡¯s provocation for a while. Who would? A-Grades couldn¡¯t lower themselves to face him, and all the B-Grades present couldn¡¯t defeat him.

    The silence emboldened Crownbeast Saturnstar. ¡°I have long heard that the Great Silver monsters are not too strong, but they are brave. Was I mistaken? How come nobody dares to face me?¡±

    Jack could feel the crowd¡¯s shimmering anger. This guy had just come into their territory and insulted them all. How could they take this lying down?

    Finally, one space monster couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°I will face you!¡± it roared, shooting into the sky. This was a flying red fish with golden hair. Jack found it almost comical. It didn¡¯t even have limbs!

    Behind the fish trailed a cloak displaying a sun¡¯s periphery with its insides undrawn. The insignia of Empty Star.

    ¡°Fishborn Averel, second disciple of the Empty Star faction!¡± the fish declared. It spoke normally, through its mouth, though bubbles appeared with every word.

    The godzilla guy laughed again. ¡°Please give me your guidance.¡±

    He then shot forth. Even in the Space Monster World¡¯s dense Dao, the sky shattered below him. Every step was cataclysm. The monster took three of them, crossing half the sky and arriving before the fish, pouncing out to bite it.

    The fish monster was the size of a car. It looked comically small before the godzilla cosplayer, but what it lacked in stature it made up for with unlimited power. Energy erupted from its body. The sky around it was painted a deeper blue, an ocean blinking into existence over the entire Empty Star City. There were fish inside it, of many species Jack had never encountered before. There were reefs, rocks, and strange materials. His eyesight couldn¡¯t penetrate too deep into the blue waters, but his Dao perception could, and he spotted a seabed running across the top of this ocean.

    The fish had summoned it upside-down, probably to let the audience watch the battle.

    The godzilla monster suddenly found himself surrounded by water. Rocks fell towards him from all directions. Somehow, he had become the center of gravity in this ocean. The water pressure he endured must have been immense. At the same time, swordfish flew at him, each crossing the ocean far faster than any fish had the right to.

    Crownbeast Saturnstar was unconcerned. Facing this new ocean around him, he only resumed his previous movement, trying to trade hit for hit. The swordfish pierced into his body, penetrating it with their entire noses and stopping there. Thanks to the monster¡¯s size, it wasn¡¯t a debilitating injury. As for the water pressure, while it had certainly slowed down the monster, that was the most it could achieve.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Seeing the godzilla¡¯s jaws still approaching, the fish monster narrowed its eyes.

    An entire reef dislodged from the seabed above. It crossed the water so fast it resembled teleportation, instantly reaching the godzilla and slamming hard into him. Tons of rock flying at extreme speed contained terrifying momentum. The shockwave crossed the ocean and reached the surface below, where it spurt an entire lake¡¯s worth of water into the sky. As soon as this water left the ocean, it was freed from whatever gravity magic held it in place and rained towards the square.

    However, even the entire reef hadn¡¯t been enough to stop the godzilla monster. An aura of savagery surrounded him, manifesting as angry red light. He endured the hit through sheer anger. The damage was done, but his jaw attack continued. The fish monster no longer had time to defend. It found itself between the jaws of the godzilla, and as they clasped down, the fish released a terrifying shriek which pierced the ocean to echo in everyone¡¯s ears. It was the most grating sound Jack had ever heard. Many D-Grade monsters fell unconscious.

    The two monsters held still for a moment. Finally, the ocean disappeared like it was never there, revealing the two locked in place. The godzilla¡¯s jaws had closed around the fish, penetrating it with sharp teeth. Blue blood flew everywhere. If he just slammed his mouth shut right now, he could probably rip his opponent in two.

    But he didn¡¯t. This battle was over, and high-level space monsters, no matter how wild, wouldn¡¯t kill each other for no reason. Otherwise, their entire civilization would have collapsed.

    ¡°I admit defeat,¡± the fish muttered. The godzilla opened his mouth slowly, and the fish pierced through space to teleport away, too humiliated to stay. Its injuries were also heavy. Maybe they required immediate treatment.

    The godzilla monster was slightly injured, but nothing serious. Even the swordfish holes in its body were slowly regenerating. The power difference between them hadn¡¯t been small.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Saturnstar shouted. ¡°A nice appetizer! Now, come on. Bring me a real fighter. You can¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the best you got!¡±

    The crowd seethed with anger and humiliation. That fish fighter, indeed, was the best they had. It was just that the godzilla guy was too freakishly strong. Even if the Empty Star faction¡¯s chief disciple was present, nobody knew whether she could defeat Saturnstar or not.

    Silence reigned for a moment. Finally, it was Elder Crownbeast, the larger version of his disciple, who spoke up. ¡°Come down, Saturnstar,¡± it said. ¡°There is clearly no one here who can face you. No need to humiliate these good people further.¡±

    The Elder¡¯s words were also scathing. The representative of the other overlord faction, Elder Puerto, seemed ready to explore in anger, but there was nothing she could say. Her disciples either weren¡¯t here or they couldn¡¯t match up to Saturnstar. If she opened her mouth, she would only invite more humiliation upon herself. At least, in this case, it wasn¡¯t the Great Silver faction which had been humiliated, but only Empty Star City.

    As the godzilla beast slowly floated down, however, lazily passing its gloating gaze over the crowd, a new voice rose to the sky. It was laughter, raucous and unprompted. Everyone looked for the source and found it as a Double Devil mounted on a hellhorse.

    ¡°What a joker!¡± this Double Devil shouted. ¡°When you said you were the chief disciple of an Elder, I almost believed you for a second. Too bad your talent is mediocre. In my village, someone like you could only work as a potato-chopper at the local tavern, let alone becoming the disciple of a powerful Autarch!¡±

    The square fell silent again, all eyes trained on this raucous individual. They began to hope. As they looked him over, however, their hope turned into confusion. This was only a middle B-Grade space monster. What exactly was it trying to do?

    Elder Puerto looked at him and shook her head, while Elder Crownbeast only grinned.

    Crownbeast Saturnstar stopped his descent and glared at Jack. ¡°I do believe that you come from a small village,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Only a country bumpkin would come up with such a stupid scheme. You know you don¡¯t possess the strength to be challenged by me, so you hope to retrieve some of your lost honor by mocking me. That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m not even angry at you. Everyone understands you¡¯re nothing but a dancing clown. Fuck off back to your village before I destroy you, trash.¡±

    The Double Devil¡ªwho was obviously Jack¡ªgrinned at these words.

    ¡°Who said I only intend to mock you?¡± he asked back. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re nothing but a barking dog, and thus you should be put down. Even the trash collectors of this city don¡¯t want to dirty their hands on you, so I will reluctantly lend them a hand.¡±

    Saturnstar narrowed his eyes at Jack. ¡°Are you trying to challenge me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh wow. I knew you were weak, but are you deaf as well? Yes, my slow friend. I am challenging you to a duel.¡±

    The crowd laughed. They didn¡¯t understand what exactly was going on, or why Jack was apparently trying to suicide, but his verbal prowess at least was nothing to scoff at. Saturnstar grunted. He originally hadn¡¯t placed Jack in his eyes, but he did not enjoy losing a verbal exchange like this before the entire city.

    ¡°Are you really insane?¡± he asked. ¡°Does the Empty Star City hire rabid dogs to speak for them? Your words are nothing but noise in my ears. If you want to kill yourself regardless, I¡¯ll be glad to help you.¡±

    ¡°The only noise in my ears was your mother last night,¡± Jack replied. ¡°And I got to say, it was a little bit annoying. Can you tell her to shout less next time?¡±

    The crowd froze. So what if it was immature? Laughter erupted everywhere, and Saturnstar¡¯s gray scales turned red around his face¡ªfrom both anger and humiliation. He¡¯d always held confidence in his verbal abilities, but only now did he realize that engaging Jack was a mistake.

    And, of course it was. Saturnstar couldn¡¯t have known, but Jack had humiliated numerous powerful people in his lifetime, many mocked to the point of dishonor. His victims included E-Grade Lords, various deacons and Elders of the Animal Kingdom, envoys of the Hand of God, and even Elder Ocean of that same faction, who¡¯d flown into a rage and almost assaulted Jack after being verbally humiliated.

    Jack¡¯s talent was legendary in the outside universe, but so were his boldness and sharp tongue. Compared to all his previous opponents, Saturnstar was laughable.

    The godzilla-like monster grew red with anger. Even Elder Crownbeast was animated.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Saturnstar spat out. ¡°If you wish to die so much, then come up here. Don¡¯t make me come down to get you!¡±

    The crowd around Jack instantly and urgently ran away. The only ones left were Brock and Starhair, as well as the two hellhorses, who hadn¡¯t experienced Jack¡¯s true strength and so believed their master was suiciding.

    ¡°I WILL DIE WITH YOU, MASTER,¡± Dolly said. ¡°YOU ARE DUMB BUT I LIKE IT. ASSHOLES SHOULD BE PUT IN THEIR PLACE.¡±

    The fact that her normal voice was shouting didn¡¯t help Saturnstar¡¯s mood. He made to fly down, but Jack raised a hand to indicate there was no need.

    ¡°Keep your regal ass in the sky, godzilla,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m coming over to kick it. Or, better yet¡­¡± Purple light gathered in his hand, forming the shape of a flip-flop. Jack grinned manically. ¡°I¡¯m gonna spank it.¡±

 Chapter 508: Beating Saturnstar

    Jack took to the air. He remained in his Double Devil transformation. His middle B-Grade aura roiled, just a fraction of his opponent¡¯s. Crownbeast Saturnstar cracked a grin.

    ¡°You really can¡¯t wait to die,¡± he said.

    ¡°The opposite,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I look forward to teaching you a lesson.¡±

    The godzilla-like beast no longer seemed as angry. He had absolute certainty in destroying Jack. In his mind, he had already won.

    ¡°And what gives you such confidence, Double Devil?¡± he asked playfully. ¡°You know you are about to die, yet you still fly towards me. Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t spank your ass without coming closer.¡±

    The crowd laughed again¡ªthe confused yet entertained kind¡ªwhile Saturnstar lowered his head. Red light shone over his body. Savagery crackled, dying the sky a bloody red. Facing this light, Jack simply raised his Dao-made flip-flop.

    ¡°Prepare your scaly butt,¡± he said.

    Saturnstar smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick.¡±

    He lashed forward. Air cracked where he passed, the extreme Dao density doing little to stop him. A set of powerful jaws closed around Jack¡ªexcept he was no longer there. Jack had delicately stepped through space to appear behind Saturnstar. ¡°Too slow!¡± he said. ¡°Great Spanking Arts: Latin Mother Cracking Down!¡±

    The flip-flop loudly slapped against godzilla¡¯s ass, carrying with it a miniature version of Meteor Punch. Saturnstar growled. As he was still in his charging motion, the strike easily sent him flying forward, tumbling head-over-heels. The scales on his lower back had reddened by the heat of the impact¡ªbut, to the onlookers, they looked red from spanking.

    The audience froze. Their jestering cheers echoed through the air a little before dissipating. Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued on Jack, this unknown Double Devil who¡¯d just jumped two small realms to fight one of the Fiend King faction¡¯s greatest disciples.

    ¡°What exquisite space manipulation¡­¡± Elder Puerto said, her eyes shining. She beckoned to one of her assistants. ¡°Record this battle!¡±

    Similar exclamations rang all over the square. The floating mouth was licking its lips. Elder Crownbeast¡¯s features had hardened. Brock was scratching his ear. As for Crownbeast Saturnstar, Jack¡¯s opponent, he wore an expression of utter disbelief.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± he asked.

    Jack smiled. ¡°Simple. You¡¯re an unruly beast, so I used the power of discipline to get an advantage.¡±

    ¡°...Are you hiding your cultivation?¡±

    Jack¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Does it look like I am?¡±

    Hiding one¡¯s cultivation was possible. However, the amount of energy one expended in combat could not be hidden. Everyone had clearly seen that Jack only used a middle B-Grade¡¯s energy just now, it was just that the quality of his energy and his level of Dao understanding were far superior to his opponent¡¯s. There were only two possibilities: either Jack was a once-in-a-lifetime talent, or he was an extremely powerful person at the late A-Grade or above hiding his cultivation. Would someone at that level fool around with juniors?

    ¡°Saturnstar!¡± Elder Crownbeast roared. ¡°Kill him!¡±

    Saturnstar¡¯s gaze sharpened. He¡¯d reached the same conclusion as his elder. This person was extremely talented and had a bone to pick with them, but he wasn¡¯t allied with the Great Silver faction or they would know about him. At least, he wasn¡¯t allied yet. They had to kill him right now.

    Saturnstar pounced. He was no longer holding back. Savage light swam around him, spreading with extreme luminosity like he was a crimson sun shooting through the sky. The lower-level space monsters had to avert their eyes. The higher-level ones watched with rapt attention.

    Jack felt space constrict around him. His opponent¡¯s Dao of Savagery commanded the world, forcing Jack to fight him head-on through sheer untainted battle lust.

    Of course, to Jack, such a rudimentary space lock might as well not exist. He possessed the inheritance of two space-related Archons, had studied black holes, and had mastered space to a higher degree than even most A-Grades. In comparison, Saturnstar didn¡¯t even focus on Space¡ªand the Space Monster World¡¯s inheritances were generally inferior to the outside universe¡¯s to begin with.

    Jack ignored the space lock and teleported to the side. Saturnstar passed by like an angry freight train, receiving another firm smack on his buttocks. He roared. Red light erupted, sending the air particles into a frenzy and having them fight each other. A billion tiny cyclones filled the sky. A weaker space monster would have been torn to shreds, but Jack didn¡¯t even defend. The rampaging particles bounced off his highly-tempered body.

    Because Saturnstar was going all-out, he couldn¡¯t efficiently control his powers. Some of the tiny cyclones escaped outward. The ones that fell towards the city were stopped by a flickering blue shield, but the rest were not. The environment around the city exploded. Dozens of wandering space monsters lost their lives, the massive river was sent into a frenzy, and many large rock islands disappeared, torn to pieces. The surrounding forest, whose every tree was equal to a D-Grade existence, was eviscerated for several miles.

    In the outside universe, peak B-Grades possessed the power to destroy planets. The Space Monster World sported a far higher Dao density, making everything much sturdier and reducing every cultivator¡¯s powers. Still, peak B-Grades could cause widespread destruction. They were walking apocalypses.

    Jack overlooked the massive area of devastation around Empty Star City. He tsked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very responsible of you,¡± he said. ¡°Little children should be environmentally friendly!¡±

    The godzilla roared and turned to attack Jack again. His fighting style was simple: all he did was charge. It usually worked because of his great speed and space lock. Unfortunately, Jack outclassed him in both aspects.

    It was like a bull trying to catch a fly. Jack easily dodged every attack, making Saturnstar seem comically slow. He also interjected his own flip-flop strikes, shouting clearly made-up bullshit like, ¡°Third Spanking Art: Divine Fatherly Love!¡± and ¡°Belt Buckle Instills Discipline!¡±

    Despite Jack¡¯s small size, his strikes were intense. Eruptions occurred with each of them. Dull thuds echoed alongside Saturnstar¡¯s frustrated screams, while every flip-flop strike unleashed a conic shockwave which painted the sky purple.

    ¡°All you can do is run!¡± Saturnstar shouted in frustration, already panting and bleeding. ¡°Face me like a true monster!¡±

    Jack ignored him.

    Saturnstar finally lowered his head, releasing a deep, guttural growl. ¡°This is my strongest attack!¡± he bellowed. ¡°If you survive it, I will admit defeat! World Domination!¡±

    He charged forward, far faster than before. It was clear this move consumed tremendous amounts of energy. His massive body turned into a straight line, a red missile flying head-first. The sky shattered where he passed like a bullet tearing through fabric. If he struck a mountain, the mountain would instantly and violently disintegrate.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Jack watched the approaching monster. It was like a bullet train from hell. The space lock returned around him, slightly strengthened, but still nothing concerning. He could easily dodge. However¡­

    ¡°All I can do is run, huh?¡± Jack asked, his lips curving into a grin. He stretched an arm forward, his open palm facing the incoming attack. He turned his body sideways and bent his legs, planting himself firmly into the sky. As Saturnstar approached, Jack held.

    The massive red missile, powered by the full force of a peak B-Grade, hill-sized space monster crashed right into Jack¡¯s palm.

    The sound was like ten thousand thunderclaps, or like a mountain-sized gong.

    GONG!

    The shockwave swept the sky for a hundred miles behind Jack, ripping it off the background and leaving a dark gaping hole. A sphere of devastation spread outward.

    Yet, Jack had held. He had not budged in the slightest. His hand remained outstretched, having firmly grabbed onto the top of Saturnstar¡¯s head and stopped him. The monster¡¯s body was already beginning to fall¡ªhe¡¯d lost consciousness by the impact.

    The crowd had gone deathly silent. They could not believe what they¡¯d witnessed. Even Elders Puerto and Crownbeast were frozen for a moment, which gave Jack time to act. Because he wasn¡¯t done. The whole reason he stepped up for this charade was to earn some coin¡ªin the Space Monster World, the killer could take all the belongings of his victim.

    Actually, that was not entirely true. It wasn¡¯t the only reason Jack did this. He¡¯d seen such a godzilla-like monster before. Back during the Integration, in his first Dao Vision, he¡¯d seen a C-Grade man vanquish one such beast with a single punch. That moment had been branded into Jack¡¯s memory. It had been the inspiration on which he¡¯d built his entire cultivation path.

    It was time to pay tribute.

    Jack flickered, appearing below the falling beast. He pulled back his fist, the flip-flop nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°JUNIOR, STOP!¡± a voice boomed from below.

    Jack¡¯s fist blurred forth. It exploded on Saturnstar. The energy drilled its way through, creating a smooth hole through the center of the monster¡¯s chest, obliterating his organs. He died instantly.

    Jack smirked. ¡°Still not enough¡­¡± he muttered, the same words that one-punch man had said, a meaning only he would understand.

    A deep roar came from below. Jack sensed an angry A-Grade barreling towards him, but he did not panic. With a swift movement, he took off Saturnstar¡¯s space ring¡ªit had been worn on one of his smaller scales¡ªand took it into his robes. He also pocketed the dead monster¡¯s core. Only then did he turn around to find Elder Crownbeast, a larger and stronger version of Saturnstar, charging over with murder in his eyes.

    Jack prepared to run. He didn¡¯t know if he could beat this monster, but he knew he could escape. He¡¯d just never fought an A-Grade before, so he lacked a frame of reference.

    Even if he could win, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to showcase his full strength here. The part he¡¯d already shown was nothing compared to a true A-Grade. That kind of talent might be too shocking.

    However, he hoped all those thoughts would be unnecessary, and his expectations were correct. Another red figure flashed between them, raising a hand to stop Elder Crownbeast. He stopped instantly in mid-air, his momentum mysteriously extinguished.

    ¡°Puerto!¡± he shouted. ¡°This devil killed my disciple! Will you really try to stop me from exacting revenge!?¡±

    ¡°Your disciple started this battle. The double devil behind me only answered the challenge. Killing him was reasonable,¡± Elder Puerto replied calmly. She looked like a red-haired grandmother with a body of iron.

    Elder Crownbeast foamed from the mouth. ¡°This is absurd! My disciple showed mercy against that fish, so he could be shown mercy in return!¡± The other Elder did not respond, which only infuriated Crownbeast more. ¡°Puerto!¡± he shouted. ¡°Will you really defend this person from me? He is not even your disciple!¡±

    ¡°I am not defending him,¡± Puerto replied. ¡°I am simply standing up for what is right. If I let Elders of another faction waltz into our territory and slaughter our talented youth, I would really be worthy of ridicule.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast was only getting angrier. Still, he did not attack. ¡°You!¡± he said, turning towards Jack. ¡°Explain yourself!¡±

    The full brunt of his aura weighed down on Jack, who did not seem to notice. Both Elders were taken aback. ¡°What is there to explain?¡± he replied calmly. ¡°Your disciple challenged and disrespected me. I defeated him in a fair duel. Isn¡¯t that the rule of the world?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kill him!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to show mercy either. Honestly, your disciple should have seen it coming. Don¡¯t tell me he thought he could mock an entire city and get away with it just because he has a moderately strong master.¡±

    ¡°MODERATELY STRONG!?¡± Elder Crownbeast looked ready to explode. At this rate, Jack wouldn¡¯t even have to fight him¡ªhe¡¯d just die of a heart attack. ¡°Puerto! Step aside and let me kill this little asshole!¡±

    ¡°I cannot do that,¡± Puerto replied.

    ¡°Do you really think you can stop me!?¡±

    ¡°I believe I¡¯m qualified to try. And, if push really comes to shove, I¡¯m sure the Empty Star Autarch will stand on my side.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast had never been angrier in his life. He was a space monster Autarch. When had he ever been publicly disrespected like this?

    But, the truth was, he really couldn¡¯t do anything. As much as he wanted to lash out, his only option right now was to cut his losses and keep a grudge.

    ¡°Whatever! Just because you can hide behind others now, kid, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to do it forever!¡± he declared to save some face. ¡°Give me my disciple¡¯s space ring. I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°Brat!¡±

    ¡°What? I defeated and killed your disciple in fair combat. By the rules of our world, all his items are mine now.¡±

    Crownbeast opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was shivering in rage. ¡°Oh yeah!?¡± he replied. ¡°Then do you dare meet me in fair combat, brat!?¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°I would rather not.¡±

    By now, murmurs were spreading through the crowd below. Jack¡¯s actions were just too flashy, and his talent was undeniable. As if those weren¡¯t enough, he¡¯d just publicly torn apart the face of a Fiend King Elder. This was a legend in the making!

    Crownbeast was on the verge of launching himself against Puerto and damned be the consequences. However, even space monsters didn¡¯t reach the A-Grade by being impulsive. No matter how angry he got, he¡¯d never lose control.

    ¡°Remember this day, kid,¡± he growled. ¡°Because this is the day you fucked up. I¡¯ll be back for the auction.¡±

    Without another word, Elder Crownbeast tore through space and disappeared. The square fell into silence for a moment. Then, as one, everyone erupted in cheers. Jack had done so many incredible things, and most importantly, he¡¯d defended their honor! They didn¡¯t know his name, but they still worshiped him!

    ¡°MASTER IS AMAZING! HE¡¯S NOT STUPID AT ALL!¡± Dolly said, drooling at the mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s my big bro!¡± Brock exclaimed, laughing. He then looked around. So many people adoring his big bro¡­ This sure looked the perfect place to spread some brohood!

    As for Starhair¡­ He was drenched in cold sweat. Jack¡¯s actions complicated things, and he did not like complications.

    Jack bowed slightly at Elder Puerto. ¡°Thank you for protecting me,¡± he said.

    The Elder looked him up and down. ¡°Are you really not hiding your cultivation?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I am not.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re already enemies with the Fiend King. Once this auction is over, I will take you with me to the Great Silver faction. The Canal Delve is approaching¡ªwe could use a talent like yours.¡±

    Jack considered it for a moment. Joining an overlord faction and securing their protection sounded like a great deal¡­but it wasn¡¯t necessarily so. His disguise wasn¡¯t perfect. If he ever actually met the overlord, it was possible he¡¯d be discovered. Plus, entering a faction was not necessarily the fastest way for him to increase his strength.

    That Canal Delve though¡­ Could it be about the Dark Canal? The sacred center of the Space Monster World?

    He¡¯d planned to this point before he even spoke up against Saturnstar. He intended to refuse¡ªhowever, this gave him pause. The Dark Canal was a place he definitely wanted to visit. If his previous experience told him anything, that was where the greatest treasures and inheritances would be¡ªalong with the greatest dangers.

    ¡°Is it okay if I think about it a little?¡± he asked.

    Elder Puerto raised a brow. She seemed surprised. If Jack was reading her face right, she was even a little offended. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, then immediately teleported away.

    Jack sighed. The cheers from below were still deafening. He¡¯d opposed one overlord faction and been invited to join the other, complicating his situation massively¡­but, at least, he¡¯d earned what he came for.

    He looked at his robes, where a gray space ring floated. A smile spread across his lips. The auction was tomorrow¡­and he had money!

 Chapter 509: World of Heroes

    After the two overlord faction Elders left, Jack remained as today¡¯s greatest winner.

    He had defended Empty Star¡¯s and Great Silver¡¯s honor. He¡¯d won a valiant duel before tens of thousands of monsters. He¡¯d jumped two small realms to fight a genius.

    Each of those would be enough to mark his name. Combined¡­ They made him a hero!

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, guys, it¡¯s fine, thank you,¡± Jack muttered as he returned to his inn. Monsters crowded him from all sides, trying to congratulate him or shake his hand. Many offered to buy him a drink. Female monsters poured from every direction. Even Dolly¡¯s shouts¡ªand occasional bite¡ªcouldn¡¯t stop them.

    Brock and Starhair followed from a distance, laughing all the while. It was only several minutes later that they managed to cross the inn¡¯s entrance, where the guards stopped the overflowing crowd. Jack stumbled into the tavern space, finally able to breathe. He looked around. A dozen eyes fell on him¡ªall radiating respect.

    ¡°Hey,¡± an ogre said from the side. ¡°Good job out there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You really showed that guy who¡¯s boss!¡± another creature¡ªa five-legged octopus¡ªagreed. Maybe it should be called an quintopus? A cthulhian monstrosity? Jack wanted to ask, but he wasn¡¯t ready to start a conversation.

    He waved thanks to all of them, then made his way to the back, where the stairs upwards were located. He could have teleported to his room, but he didn¡¯t want to be rude by breaking the inn¡¯s spatial seals. Besides, he knew something most people did not. If you wanted to be a hero, you had to let people see you. Even chasing you around built prestige.

    ¡°Congratulationsss,¡± the snake innkeeper whispered in Jack¡¯s ears, startling him.

    ¡°Can you not do that?¡± he replied.

    ¡°My apologiesss. On behalf of Empty Star City, I will waive your accommodation fee. Pleassse. Proceed.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Thanks.¡±

    Brock and Starhair had caught up by now. The three of them climbed the spiral staircase, soon reaching the top floor, where their rooms were located.

    ¡°Jack?¡± Starhair asked. Even in Double Devil form, he still wore his bandana, covering the injuries left by him sacrificing half his hair to delay Archon Summer Noon.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Good job out there¡­but, please, be careful. We were safe before. Now that we¡¯re involved with A-Grades, there¡¯s no telling what will happen.¡±

    Jack paused. He looked at Starhair with a faint smile. ¡°Have you adventured before, Starhair?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°What was the chance of death?¡±

    Starhair thought about it for a second. ¡°Up to ten percent.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°There are three possible paths in life, Starhair. You risk it all and thrive, you risk it all and die, or you persist in mediocrity. Of the three, there is only one I fear. What about you?¡±

    The other man stopped, his face filled with confusion. Brock smirked to the side. As for Jack, he turned and entered his room. Brock followed.

    ¡°Well done, bro,¡± he said after the doors closed. ¡°What¡¯s the harvest?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Jack reached into his robes, removing the space ring he¡¯d taken from Saturnstar. It was gray and regular-sized¡ªthe godzilla-like monster had worn it on the tip of one of his scales. Jack connected his mind to the ring and inspected its contents.

    ¡°Well?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack frowned. ¡°It¡¯s¡­decent. But far less than I¡¯d hoped for.¡±

    With a wave of his hand, a small pile of cores appeared. The room was instantly saturated by their rich energy¡ªJack had to seal it to prevent others from noticing. Brock reached for the pile and picked one up.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he said.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°But not good either,¡± Jack replied.

    Before them lay ten peak B-Grade cores followed by thirty late B-Grade ones. There was also a single early A-Grade core. Their elements were varied and random. Clearly, these weren¡¯t meant to be used as cultivation resources, but as currency.

    This was undoubtedly massive wealth. Even the late B-Grade cores were each very difficult to acquire, let alone the A-Grade one. It was just that, as rich as this was, Jack had a feeling it was nothing but change compared to an overlord Elder¡¯s space ring. He couldn¡¯t compete for the truly high-level items.

    In the space monster world, one core was roughly equivalent to three of the previous small realm. For example, one late C-Grade core would be worth as much as three middle C-Grade ones. The difference in large realms, like a peak C-Grade and an early B-Grade core, came with a tenfold increase in value.

    It was a crude and clanky system, more complex than it needed to be, and it was made even worse by the fact that these ratios weren¡¯t set in stone. Different places used different exchange rates. If someone wanted to buy a specific core to advance their cultivation, they might need to fork up much more than the core¡¯s monetary value. The higher one went, the more fuzzy the lines¡ªfor A-Grade cores, these rules basically didn¡¯t apply, and the economy reverted fully to exchange-based transactions.

    Roughly speaking, the single early A-Grade core Jack had was worth as much as the ten peak B-Grade ones combined, which were worth as much as the thirty late B-Grades. He also had Saturnstar¡¯s core, which he¡¯d ripped out of the monster¡¯s body with his killing blow.

    Overall, Jack had the rough equivalent of three early A-Grade cores and change. It was a great amount of wealth. But not enough. The late A-Grade core offered in the auction had a plain monetary value of nine early ones, three times Jack¡¯s wealth. The Archon core was simply pointless to think about. The only item he might have a chance at acquiring was the black hole-related incomplete manual¡­but, thinking about it, Jack released a sigh.

    Elder Crownbeast would be present, no doubt carrying a stupid amount of riches. Once Jack bid on something, the Elder would surely outbid him just to be a jerk.

    He sighed again. This auction¡­would be difficult.

    ¡°What do you think, big bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Can we do it?¡±

    ¡°Honestly? No.¡±

    The brorilla laughed. ¡°A bro should always keep a level head. That Elder has anger in his heart, which makes him weak. We can work around it.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Damn right!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s late,¡± Brock said as he stood. ¡°Rest, bro. Cultivate. I will see you in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. See you, bro.¡±

    Brock left the room, leaving Jack alone. However, he didn¡¯t go to his own room. He took the stairs and returned to the ground-floor tavern, then calmly walked out of the inn. A smile of anticipation was plastered on his face.

    Jack had rallied the crowds. If Brock didn¡¯t use this opportunity to spread some brohood, he was no big bro!

    ***

    Centrum Nightsky was a member of the Featherwell battalion of the Black Hole Church. He was a soldier¡ªat this stage, that was all an early B-Grade qualified for.

    The war was still escalating. Their forces had figured out how to counter the Immortals¡¯ System Cannons, but that didn¡¯t mean the war was over. It only meant they¡¯d be slaughtered slowly.

    If this was a few months ago, Centrum would have been demoralized and on the verge of deserting. But things weren¡¯t the same as back then. Now, the army had hope. It had heroes.

    Centrum clutched a small doll. It was a Brock plushie, the kind that had sold over a million pieces by now. This one had been given to him by his daughter, and he held it very dear. The alarm still blared over his head, but Centrum took a moment.

    ¡°I believe in you, bro,¡± he whispered, chuckling at his own words. ¡°Take care of my daughter. Build a nice world for her.¡±

    Centrum took the plushie into his space ring, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then teleported outside. Energy attacks flew left and right. The void shattered, revealing a gaping darkness leading into the interdimensional sea. Whoever was sucked inside was never seen again.

    In the distance, Elder Featherwell was fighting another A-Grade. Their battle was incredible to watch. Feathers covered the sky, violently ripped apart by all sorts of spectral ghosts. It was a level of power Centrum couldn¡¯t even hope to reach. His potential was already wrung dry.

    But he could still fight.

    ¡°Centrum!¡± a voice reached him. A panicked squad commander. ¡°We need you here!¡± he said as a blast of green energy slammed into his protective shield, corroding it. The commander barely managed to dodge in time.

    Centrum rushed over. He took stock of the battlefield. They were outnumbered. The enemies were more and stronger. This was a losing battle.

    But there was nothing he could do about it right now. His only options were to stand and fight, or flee by himself. If he fled, there was a small chance he would survive, but that would only urge more of his comrades to flee as well. If he stayed, his death was certain, but at least he could take a couple enemies with him. He could help the war effort.

    Another green energy blast flew at him. Centrum waved his sword, cutting it up, but a single droplet fell on his forearm. It immediately began to sizzle. Intense pain assaulted Centrum as his arm melted. With a decisive motion, he chopped it off at the shoulder, preventing the effect from spreading. He used his Dao to seal the wound.

    As he joined with his comrades and charged the enemy, his mind traveled to the plushie he kept in his space ring. It traveled to the recording he¡¯d seen, of one C-Grade man challenging an entire B-Grade faction.

    Create a safe world for my daughter¡­ he thought again as he dived head-first into the fray.

    Centrum Nightsky slew two enemy soldiers and saved the life of a comrade before he finally fell. He died a hero. They all did.

 Chapter 510: Empty Star Auction

    The Empty Star Square was even more crowded than the previous day. This was no longer just an announcement of the auction items; today was the actual auction, and due to the number of people wanting to attend, the square had been chosen as the official venue!

    A packed crowd spread all over the square and into the surrounding streets. The C-Grades and above could no longer fit, so they¡¯d climbed onto the rooftops. B-Grades were standing in the air. As for the two A-Grades present, Elder Puerto and Elder Crownbeast, they hovered even higher than the B-Grades, occupying a height no one dared to infringe upon.

    The floating mouth of yesterday, the official auctioneer of the Empty Star faction, floated over a raised platform. Every eye was glued on it. A long row of boxes waited at the back of the platform.

    The auction¡­was beginning!

    ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the Empty Star Auction!¡± the mouth declared, its voice magically booming across the entire city. Cheers rose in response. Some monsters growled. The mouth waited for the crowd to calm down before continuing. ¡°It is our honor to have all of you in attendance. Many prestigious monsters have graced us with their presence today, especially Elder Puerto of the Great Silver faction and Elder Crownbeast of the Fiend King faction. Please enjoy our hospitality!¡±

    More cheers from the crowd. Elder Puerto waved at them, while Crownbeast remained stationary, dark, and gloomy. He hadn¡¯t forgotten yesterday¡¯s humiliation, and neither had the crowd.

    Jack, who stood alongside Brock and Starhair amongst the other B-Grades, rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Think he holds a grudge?¡± he asked Brock.

    ¡°Absolutely, bro.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Allow me to set some ground rules,¡± the mouth said. ¡°Between monster cores, every minor realm will bring a threefold increase in value, and every large realm a tenfold increase. The Dao attunement of the core will not be taken into account. The winner of each item is expected to receive it and pay up immediately. If they are not able to pay, they will be executed, and the item may or may not be re-auctioned at the Empty Star faction¡¯s discretion. Finally, as the auction takes responsibility for the safety of our attendees, fighting is prohibited in the square for the duration. Any offenders will be executed and their space rings seized.¡±

    He paused for a moment, letting the rules sink in for everyone. It was nothing outrageous, actually. Standard stuff. Jack was surprised the no-fighting rule needed to be mentioned, but then again, this was the Space Monster World.

    ¡°Let us proceed with the first item!¡± the mouth declared. Two Double Devil attendants pushed the first box forward on a cart. ¡°Salvaged from the northern wastes of the Waist Blood Province, this item is the crystallization of the area¡¯s carnage! Our sages estimate it has fed on the blood of hundreds of thousands of monsters. We lost three B-Grades experts to capture it, so its strength and value are beyond doubt! I present to you, the Crimson Orchid!¡±

    One of the attendants pulled a stick out of the box, letting the whole thing collapse around its contents. The Crimson Orchid was revealed to the world. It was a flower the size of a human¡¯s torso, with thick, tall petals covering it completely. It reminded Jack of a pitcher plant. Of course, it was entirely red, and the moment it appeared, the entire square was filled with the thick scent of blood.

    Boy, I¡¯d hate living in this area, Jack thought.

    ¡°The initial bidding price is one late B-Grade core, and you may bid in increments of at least one early B-Grade core,¡± the mouth declared. ¡°Let the Empty Star Auction¡­begin!¡±

    Before it even finished its words, people were shouting prices.

    ¡°One late B-Grade core and one early B-Grade!¡±

    ¡°One and three!¡±

    ¡°One and seven!¡±

    ¡°Two late B-Grades!¡±

    ¡°Three late B-Grades!¡±

    ¡°Four late and two early B-Grades!¡±

    The price hitched up rapidly. Jack struggled a bit to follow the pricing¡ªeveryone else was much more familiar with this world¡¯s currency exchanges.

    ¡°The first item is so expensive¡­¡± Brock muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s customary for auctions to start with a heavy-hitter to get the audience going,¡± Starhair explained. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Not everything will be as pricey.¡±

    The bidders competed for a while before the price stabilized. Bids were rarer and at smaller increments. Eventually, the item was sold for one early A-Grade core and three peak B-Grades. In a rare gesture of kindness, the real bidders of this item had let the audience shout low prices for a while to make them feel good.

    The final winner was a late B-Grade octopus with five legs, which Jack recognized from his inn¡¯s tavern.

    ¡°Congratulations!¡± the floating mouth said. The octopus teleported on-stage, passed a space ring to an attendant, and once its contents were verified, took the Crimson Orchid and teleported away. Jack didn¡¯t see where it reappeared. It was probably running away in fear of someone killing it for the orchid after the auction.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    And, it was correct. Jack spotted several shadowy figures teleport away at the same time as the octopus. It wasn¡¯t his business.

    ¡°Next up!¡± the mouth declared. ¡°From the glaciers of the southern Hex Province, we have¡­¡±

    A few more items passed. All were precious, but none matched the price of the Blood Orchid, at most reaching eight peak B-Grade cores. Jack noticed that not all of the items had been part of yesterday¡¯s announcement. Apparently, that had included only the highest-valued ones.

    Four items after the orchid, another high-value item appeared. It was a stone wheel containing mysterious inscriptions. According to the auctioneer, it was a broken manual pertaining to the Dao of Momentum. After a few price calls, it came down to two individuals who really, really wanted that item. Their fierce bidding war ended with one taking home the wheel for a whooping one early A-Grade and five peak B-Grades cores.

    Like the octopus, this monster wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect this treasure, so it ran away immediately. And, like the octopus, it was followed. Whether it escaped or not would depend on its speed.

    This wasn¡¯t a phenomenon limited to the Space Monster World. Even in the outside universe, auctions were both about securing the item you wanted and escaping with it. Savory individuals were everywhere¡ªand too much wealth could lead to one¡¯s downfall.

    So far, the two Elders above hadn¡¯t spoken a single time. Neither had Jack. Nothing had caught his interest enough.

    Finally, twenty-one items into the auction, something did. ¡°Found by one of our Elders in a vast underground labyrinth,¡± the mouth declared somberly, ¡°we present something which needs no introduction. A late A-Grade core!¡±

    An attendant walked on stage and placed a silk-covered item on a pedestal. She then lifted the silk. A sphere was revealed to the audience, the size of Jack¡¯s waist and emanating a terrible aura of power. Green swirls filled it, moving as if alive. Life energy emanated from it in waves, making those closest to the stage take deep breaths in hopes of ingesting just a little of the core¡¯s energy.

    Jack¡¯s eyes shone. A late A-Grade core would be useless to him if it was incompatible¡­but this one carried the Dao of Life! Had it been made for him?

    He made a split-second decision. The black hole manual was important, but it was a big gamble. This core could help him rapidly increase his powers in a short time-span. It was exactly what he needed. He decided to get it.

    Well, if he could. The core¡¯s monetary value was nine early A-Grade ones, so three times Jack¡¯s current wealth, but very few people possessed that kind of money. With a little bit of luck¡­

    ¡°The starting price will be one early A-Grade core, and bids can be made in increments of one peak B-Grade core,¡± the mouth instructed. ¡°May the bidding begin!¡±

    ¡°One early A-Grade core and three peak B-Grade ones!¡± someone shouted immediately.

    ¡°One and seven.¡±

    ¡°Two early A-Grade cores!¡±

    The price was quickly approaching Jack¡¯s limit. Too quickly.

    ¡°Two early A-Grade and three peak B-Grade cores!¡± he shouted, hoping for a miracle.

    ¡°Four early A-Grade cores!¡±

    The response had been sharp and instant. Jack looked up, where a huge godzilla-like beast gazed at him with mockery. He almost cursed. Of course. Elder Crownbeast would never let him get anything unless he really, really hitched up the price.

    Fuck this guy, Jack thought. Two can play this game.

    ¡°Five early A-Grade cores!¡± he shouted. He didn¡¯t have this much. If the auction ended now, he would be in trouble, but he was confident Elder Crownbeast would take the bait.

    He had to risk it. If he didn¡¯t, then the Elder would certainly bid on the black hole manual as well, or any other item Jack was interested in. His only chance was to milk the Elder¡¯s reserves a little¡ªafter all, while he certainly carried an immense amount of wealth, he had to save most of it to bid against Elder Puerto for the Overlord core.

    Elder Crownbeast narrowed his eyes. ¡°Two middle A-Grade cores!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°Two and two!¡± Jack shouted back.

    ¡°Two and four!¡±

    By now, everyone else had stopped bidding. Not only was this too much money, but they wouldn¡¯t be idiots to bet against an A-Grade.

    Jack bit his lips, pretending to hesitate. ¡°Two middle A-Grade cores and seven early ones!¡± he shouted.

    The Elder laughed. ¡°Three middle A-Grade cores! Let¡¯s see how high you can go, boy!¡±

    Jack pretended to throw a fit. Finally, he crossed his arms and sullenly sat on Dolly¡¯s back. ¡°IT¡¯S OKAY, MASTER,¡± the hellhorse said. ¡°YOU¡¯LL GET HIM NEXT TIME!¡±

    Jack pretended to grumble. Inwardly, he was happy. He¡¯d managed to make Elder Crownbeast waste three middle A-Grade cores on an item he could have gotten with almost half of that. In fact, he¡¯d have liked to get the price even higher, but even Jack couldn¡¯t take on too much risk. Any A-Grade was extremely intelligent. Up to this point was fine, because the Elder knew that Jack had gotten three early A-Grade cores from Saturnsun, so it was reasonable he had a few more. But, going any higher might raise suspicions.

    ¡°That was good, bro,¡± Brock said. ¡°We lost the item, but it¡¯s okay. At least he paid through the nose. What a loser.¡±

    Jack laughed. They hadn¡¯t bothered to keep their voices down, so several people from the audience looked up nervously. Elder Crownbeast remained still like a statue. The late A-Grade core he¡¯d just won was received by one of his assistants.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that again,¡± Starhair said telepathically. Jack looked over to find him looking perfectly composed, but there was no hiding the panic in his voice.

    ¡°Sorry I scared you,¡± he replied. ¡°¦©t worked out.¡±

    ¡°Luckily.¡±

    ¡°Worth the risk.¡±

    Starhair did not reply, and neither did Jack. He turned to watch the rest of the auction. He¡¯d done everything he could so far. Hopefully, he¡¯d win the black hole manual or something else.

    The floating mouth presented a few more items, but the Elders did not speak again. They were both saving their resources for the final and far most precious item, the overlord core. Jack hoped he¡¯d at least made a dent on Crownbeast¡¯s wallet.

    On the thirty-third item, a ginseng root emitting extreme life energy was presented. The auctioneer called it Star Root. Jack bid on it, but Elder Crownbeast eventually won it with one middle A-Grade core and two early ones. Jack didn¡¯t dare go too high this time. The item¡¯s actual value was far lower.

    On the fiftieth item, the auctioneer presented a case containing ink and pencils. They had the mystical power to connect two individuals through matching tattoos. Brock wanted this item, and Jack bid on it, but it was eventually won by a straw-hatted peak B-Grade monster at two early A-Grade cores¡ªa price far above the item¡¯s actual worth. He must have wanted it very badly. Even Brock only had a passing interest in it¡ªblowing their entire wallet on it just wasn¡¯t worth it.

    Finally, on the sixty-ninth item, came the one Jack had been waiting for. The incomplete black hole manual. The one he wanted to win no matter what.

 Chapter 511: Betting Frenzy

    ¡°My wild monsters!¡± the announcer shouted, commanding everyone¡¯s attention. He was great at his job. The entire square¡ªthe entire city¡ªwas riled up and hanging from his lips. He continued, ¡°I present to you this auction¡¯s sixty-ninth item. A broken Dao manual uncovered by one of our disciples in an abandoned ruin. According to our estimations, this manual was created by someone at least at the late Autarch level. However, due to its state of great disrepair, a more accurate judgment is impossible. While this manual cannot be used to construct a Dao path, it might be able to provide insights into the Daos of Space and Death. Bidding starts at one late B-Grade core, with a minimum increment of one middle B-Grade core.¡±

    With an exaggerated flourish, one of the attendants revealed a black sphere with blue motes of light lazily swimming inside.

    The crowd¡¯s reaction was lukewarm. Space monsters were more gifted in the physical aspect than cultivators, but their Dao talent was relatively lower. Not many cultivated double Daos. Of those, the ones that happened to cultivate specifically Space and Death and also be at a high enough level to deconstruct this manual and salvage insights from the ruins¡­ Well, suffice to say they were very few.

    Jack, however, perked up. He¡¯d been aiming for this item but hadn¡¯t held much hope. Now, it turned out this was one of the cheapest high-end items in the auction. What was just one late B-Grade core? He had plenty! He¡¯d even offer thirty times that price!

    ¡°Hey, bro,¡± Brock said, coming up to whisper in Jack¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m whispering now so that Crownbeast sees us. He knows you cultivate Space but not Death. In his eyes, this item is useful to you, but not ridiculously so. If he also suspects you¡¯re just trying to make him waste money, he won¡¯t bid too high.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°That was my plan as well,¡± he whispered back.

    Rare bids came from across the crowd. While space monsters who cultivated black hole-related Daos were rare, the plaza was packed. There were bound to be some present.

    ¡°Three late B-Grade cores!¡± someone shouted.

    ¡°Four!¡±

    ¡°Four and two middle ones!¡±

    ¡°Two peak B-Grade cores!¡± Jack shouted. Silence came momentarily as all the bidders eyed the new arrival. Most hovered in the sky at the same level as him¡ªB-Grades¡ªbut they¡¯d witnessed his strength the previous day. Many grimaced and gave up. A few, however, persisted.

    ¡°Two peak and two late cores!¡± came a thin voice. Tracing the figure, Jack found a thin woman hidden under a massive straw hat. Magical shadows cascaded over her face, with only her pale jaw revealed. She seemed humanoid.

    ¡°Three peak ones,¡± Jack shot back.

    ¡°Three and two.¡±

    ¡°Four peak ones.¡±

    ¡°Four and two!¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°Six peak ones!¡± he shouted.

    Space cores multiplied in value threefold for every small realm and tenfold for every large one. There were three late B-Grade cores to a peak one, but ten peak ones to an early A-Grade core.

    The woman paused. Jack saw her jaw tighten. Just as she was about to respond, a new voice washed over the crowd, stunning everyone into silence.

    ¡°One early A-Grade core.¡±

    It was calm, yet resolute. It carried absolute belief in victory. Everyone looked up to find Elder Crownbeast hovering there, his yellow glare glued on Jack. ¡°Well?¡± the Elder asked. ¡°Are you going to keep betting, kid?¡±

    ¡°What a thoughtful way to spend your faction¡¯s resources,¡± Jack shot back without missing a beat. ¡°One A-Grade core, one Elder¡¯s life, just to bully a junior. I¡¯m sure your overlord would be pleased if he saw you right now.¡±

    Crownbeast¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°You may not refer to Overlord Fiend King.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and you may not waste faction resources for personal benefit, but I guess we¡¯re both at fault.¡±

    ¡°If you must know, this is my private wealth,¡± Crownbeast replied, rearing up his head. The entire crowd was watching. ¡°I am saving the faction¡¯s for when it is needed.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that¡¯s not true. But, whatever. If you want to go bankrupt over this, I¡¯ll accompany you. One early A-Grade and three peak B-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Crownbeast replied. ¡°We both know it¡¯s not worth that much. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s more wasteful. One and six.¡±

    ¡°See what you did!? Now neither of us is getting the manual!¡± a voice reached Jack¡¯s mind. Surprised, he turned around to find the woman from before glaring at him. Green eyes glowed under her hat.

    ¡°Stay in your lane,¡± he replied, then spoke aloud. ¡°Two early A-Grade cores!¡±

    ¡°Two and five,¡± Crownbeast replied.

    ¡°Three early A-Grade cores!¡± Jack gave Crownbeast a relaxed smile. ¡°I can do this all day.¡±

    This was actually the full extent of his wealth. He was bluffing.

    Crownbeast opened his huge mouth which could fit a bus and laughed, shaking the earth¡¯s foundations. ¡°What a fool!¡± he shouted. ¡°Only an idiot would spend three A-Grade cores on a broken manual. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re strong, otherwise I fear you¡¯d have died back when you were still a pupa worm! Hahaha! Have your manual, stupid brat. That price was my disciple¡¯s wealth. I hope you consider it well-spent!¡±

    Speaking to that point, Crownbeast gave Jack an ugly smile. Jack tried hard to compose himself¡ªit was hard not to react when you were actually the winner.

    ¡°It¡¯s free money,¡± he replied. ¡°If I can make you eat a small public loss, it¡¯s worth it.¡±

    Crownbeast laughed again. To him, this bidding war wasn¡¯t a matter of resources. He certainly had more than Jack. However, if he spent a fortune to win a worthless item, he would be ridiculed. Even worse, Jack could keep betting blind after he ran out of wealth, and there was nothing Crownbeast could do about it.

    He wasn¡¯t as rash as his words made him sound. Stopping here was a calculated decision; a certain victory, compared to the risk of betting even more. Crownbeast would never suspect that Jack was actually perfectly suited for this manual, nor that he really didn¡¯t care about this world¡¯s currency.

    Making him pay ten times the price was good enough.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    One¡¯s man trash is another¡¯s treasure, Jack thought. He barely held his smile as he flashed to the stage, exchanged the cores for the broken manual, then returned to his friends.

    He couldn¡¯t participate in the auction any longer. All he had left was Saturnsun¡¯s peak B-Grade core. By any reasoning, this was the perfect time to flee the city, as Crownbeast¡ªwho might want to chase him¡ªwas still pinned down by the auction. Jack, however¡­had a plan.

    He ignored the crowd¡¯s confused looks as he settled onto the back of Dolly¡ªwho was only flying because he held her aloft. ¡°See?¡± he told the straw-hat woman. ¡°I did get it.¡±

    Her head snapped over so fast it cracked. ¡°It¡¯s not worth that much, you idiot!¡±

    He did not respond.

    The rest of the auction flowed smoothly. Another thirty items passed, some more valuable than others. Fierce bidding wars erupted for each of them. The entire city was aflame with excitement. Even the common folk were perched on rooftops, eyeing the commotion. It was rare to see so many masters gathered in one place.

    Merchants crossed the crowd, selling what looked suspiciously like gummy worms. The monsters above were risking their lives to escape with precious items, but the atmosphere below was one of celebration. Most D and C-Grades had come to watch the show rather than bid on items.

    For the past few hours, however, the crowd had been slowly increasing. Even more people of all Grades had arrived. This province-wide celebration was reaching its crescendo.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± the mouth said. For the first time, it floated forward, reaching the edge of the stage. ¡°So far, this Empty Star Auction has gone on for fourteen hours. We have sold ninety-nine mystical items to the highest bidders, accumulating a total wealth of three middle A-Grade, eighteen early A-Grade, fifty-one peak B-Grade, two hundred and thirty-six late B-Grade, five-hundred and forty-four middle B-Grade, and eleven hundred early B-Grade cores. Overall, that is the rough equivalent of two peak A-Grade cores. It is a tremendous amount of purchases, and we thank you all for your patronage.¡±

    The crowd cheered wildly.

    ¡°However!¡± the mouth shouted, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°As you all know, every Empty Star Auction sells exactly one hundred items. They are the hundred rarest, most valuable objects our faction has been able to acquire. So far, we have presented ninety-nine. That means there is one left. The crown of this auction. I present to you¡ªthe Overlord core!¡±

    The crowd erupted. Shouts echoed over the buildings, washing over the city and the river around it. The water shook. Leviathans surfaced, offering deep roars to the sky before receding underwater.

    Jack looked up. The two Elders were both standing at attention now. Neither looked at the other, but the tension was palpable. The air around them was shivering as if coming from an open oven.

    The mouth raised its voice even higher. ¡°The starting price is one late A-Grade core,¡± it said, ¡°and the minimum increment is one middle A-Grade core. Let the bidding begin!¡±

    Jack blinked in surprise. The most expensive item so far had been sold for a middle A-Grade core and two early ones¡ªat its final price. The Overlord core¡¯s starting price was almost double that. How precious was it!?

    Elder Puerto laughed, a sharp but calm sound. ¡°The Overlord has sent me here to acquire this item,¡± she said. ¡°Since this is our territory, I hope Elder Crownbeast will show us some face.¡±

    ¡°Elder Puerto is surely joking. This is an auction. How could I not earnestly participate?¡± Crownbeast laughed as well. ¡°Besides¡ªwhat a coincidence. My Overlord also sent here to acquire this item. Shall we have a friendly competition, Elder Puerto?¡±

    Both Elders smiled, but the smiles didn¡¯t reach their ears. There was nothing friendly about this. They would financially grapple and try to rip each other apart.

    ¡°Allow me to begin, since we are the hosts here,¡± Elder Puerto said. ¡°One late A-Grade core. The starting price.¡±

    ¡°Two late A-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°Three.¡±

    ¡°Two peak ones.¡±

    The bids had instantly escalated to peak A-Grade cores. Crownbeast¡¯s current bid, which he nonchalantly made, was worth more than everything else in the auction combined. And this was just the start.

    ¡°I see you came prepared,¡± Puerto said. ¡°Three peak A-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°I offer four.¡±

    ¡°Then I offer five.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re prepared to bleed for this, Puerto, but so am I! Six peak A-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who has more blood to give. Seven.¡±

    ¡°Obviously me¡ªI¡¯m so much larger! Eight.¡±

    ¡°Nine.¡±

    ¡°Ten!¡±

    The crowd burst into waves of cheers. Jack felt his eardrums shake. The entire city rumbled as if caught in an earthquake. Ten peak A-Grade cores! What kind of concept was that!

    Only now did Jack understand the true level of wealth in this world. The true difference. There were thousands of high-level monsters present, each able to rule their own corner of the world. Yet, none of them were able to produce a single late A-Grade core. All they could do was watch from below, like ants at giants, as the two Elders threw around obscene quantities of wealth.

    Jack fantasized how, if he had all those cores, he could just hole up somewhere and reach the late B-Grade realm, maybe even the peak. He thought to the broken black hole manual in his space ring¡ªit would be invaluable to his future progress, but right now, he couldn¡¯t help but feel it was a bit cheap.

    Ten peak A-Grade cores was already the monetary value of the Overlord core. Since Overlords weren¡¯t truly in the next Grade, but only a half-step above the peak of the A-Grade, Jack suspected its value was even lower. However, that didn¡¯t matter. A core¡¯s actual worth depended on many more things, including rarity. Peak A-Grades cycled through the world¡ªbut how often was an Overlord born?

    ¡°Eleven peak A-Grade cores,¡± Elder Puerto shouted.

    ¡°Twelve peak A-Grade cores!¡± Crownbeast insisted. Both Elders seemed a bit strained by now. Clearly, this amount of wealth was too much for them. They were only early A-Grades. They¡¯d probably never seen such money in their lives.

    Why didn¡¯t they send someone stronger to deal with these prices? Jack wondered.

    ¡°Thirteen cores!¡± Puerto declared. The moment she said it, she released a deep breath, as if she¡¯d given everything she had.

    Crownbeast didn¡¯t reply immediately. He remained still and expressionless like a statue, struggling inwardly. Jack thought there was only one reason why he¡¯d hesitate¡ªthe funds given by his faction had run out, and anything he said from here on out would weigh against his personal wealth.

    ¡°Fourteen cores!¡± he finally declared. ¡°If you can go at fifteen, I¡¯ll give up! This is just not worth it!¡±

    Which meant, I don¡¯t have that much.

    Puerto smiled bitterly. ¡°You were only given thirteen by your faction, Crownbeast. Did you really use your personal fortune as well?¡±

    ¡°For the glory of my Overlord, there is nothing I¡¯d hold back. His favor is worth more than any core.¡± He turned his body completely, giving her a full glare. ¡°What is it going to be, Puerto? Are you going to bid more or not?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± she said, then disappeared in a puff of red smoke. Her aura completely dissipated as well¡ªthough Jack could sense it holing up in an estate at the far north of the city.

    Crownbeast laughed in relief. The crowd roared and cheered for him. Jack, who had been absorbed by the excitement, resisted the urge to clap.

    ¡°Congratulations, Elder Crownbeast,¡± the mouth said. With the oaken box beside it, it slowly floated to the sky, coming to hover right before the Elder. It bent its body forward as the box floated over. ¡°The Overlord core couldn¡¯t have a better owner.¡±

    Crownbeast laughed again. He seemed to be in a great mood. ¡°There you go!¡± he said, flicking a finger and tossing out a space ring. ¡°I included a small tip as well. Enjoy it!¡±

    The ring stopped by the mouth, which shivered in surprise a moment later. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± it said, true emotion sipping into its voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the city for a bit,¡± Crownbeast said. ¡°Can your estate accommodate me?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! Please, this way, sir.¡± The mouth respectfully led the way to the same estate Puerto had disappeared in, at the far north, and Crownbeast followed. The crowd was left hanging, still cheering and shouting.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Jack said. ¡°No closing speech?¡±

    ¡°Mouth bro gave the closing speech before the final item,¡± Brock said. ¡°Maybe it thought there¡¯d be a battle.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. In any case¡­ Shall we return to our rooms? So many things happened, and we need to work out how to leave the city. I bet Crownbeast will try to follow us.¡±

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jack turned Dolly towards their inn and set off while most of the crowd was busy celebrating. Absent-mindedly, he spared a glance for the straw-hat woman from before¡­but she was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 512: Black Hole

    After the auction was over, the crowd didn¡¯t disperse right away. They couldn¡¯t if they wanted to. The streets were so packed that people formed long lines, many monsters fighting each other in the confusion.

    As everyone was struggling to leave the square, however, some people noticed a peculiarity. There seemed to a gathering on the now-empty auction stage. Several people sat on it cross-legged, exchanging cups of wine and laughing. Their pleasant conversation spread throughout the square.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± a monster asked its friend.

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    Whispers spread. As more people turned towards the drinking group, the square began to quiet down.

    One monster decided to go for it. ¡°Hey,¡± it asked. ¡°Can I join you guys? It¡¯s better than waiting down here.¡±

    A double devil on the stage grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m here,¡± he muttered, but another wine-drinker spoke over him¡ªa gorilla-looking monster, who turned and raised his cup.

    ¡°Sure thing, bro,¡± he said. ¡°The more the merrier. There¡¯s enough wine for everyone.¡±

    The asking monster laughed as it jumped to the stage, receiving a cup the brorilla removed from his space ring. The joy was infectious. In some odd way, everyone relaxed as they eyed the gathering on the square, and even the occasional fighting stopped. They wanted to be up there as well. They wanted to belong in that group.

    The brorilla laughed again, then turned to address the square. ¡°There¡¯s enough wine for everyone,¡± he repeated. ¡°Come up here, bros!¡±

    ***

    Brock and Starhair had said they¡¯d remain for a while, but Jack had things to do, so he returned alone. He now sat cross-legged in the middle of his room. His bare thighs rubbed against the polished floor, while the faint scent of wood permeated the room. It was much more spacious than he was used to, containing an entire kitchen and bar alongside a king-sized bed, but those didn¡¯t concern him. Comfort was temporary. Power was forever.

    The broken Dao manual rested on Jack¡¯s legs¡ªa dark sphere inlaid with motes of blue light. It was like seeing a small universe from the outside, with all its million stars.

    Those stars were swimming constantly. Some followed set trajectories. Others jumped around erratically, while a few shimmered in and out of existence as if about to die. Those movements visually clashed against each other, giving any watcher a jarring feeling.

    The auctioneer was right. This Dao manual was thoroughly broken. Moreover, because of its innate complexity, it was impossible to tell which stars were intact and which were faulty. Attempting to study this was like reading a book whose words had been randomly scrambled.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean it was useless. Jack calmed his mind, sinking into a meditation state. He then pierced his perception into the sphere, carefully combing through it. He was slow and thorough. An hour later, he hadn¡¯t even gone through a tenth of it.

    While the sphere was broken and jumbled up, that didn¡¯t necessarily apply to all of it. There could be sections which were relatively intact, and though they offered little to the untrained eye, they could benefit someone already familiar with the basics. It was exactly those sections Jack was looking for. The reason he¡¯d spent so much to acquire this sphere.

    Yet, even after a few hours and combing over half the sphere, he¡¯d come up with nothing. A rueful smile was forming on his lips.

    Some risks don¡¯t pay off, he thought. That is part of the road to mastery.

    Suddenly, he noticed something. A tiny section where the jarring feeling was missing. Eleven stars in a circle, falling together and narrowly missing each other before spreading out again. It was a mystical sight¡ªand it spoke of mastery. All thoughts were wiped off Jack¡¯s brain as he focused, bringing his full attention on that tiny part of the sphere.

    He observed and studied the movement of the stars. Soon, he realized it wasn¡¯t just them that were moving, but also the darkness between them. Space was weaving through itself, and there was also something more, something heavy and dark which wasn¡¯t space. It reminded Jack of death, but not quite that either.

    Dark matter? he wondered. The thought was quickly banished. Dark matter, or dark energy, was what Earth scientists used to call the extra energy they measured in the universe, but which they could not find. It had stumbled them for decades. After the Integration, it had become apparent that dark matter was just the ambient Dao particles swimming through the universe.

    But that wasn¡¯t it. The dark energy swimming between these stars wasn¡¯t just Dao particles. It took Jack a few moments to realize where he¡¯d seen it before.

    Right! The dark surfer!

    His second-to-last Dao Vision had depicted a man on a black surfboard riding the currents of a black hole. He¡¯d been trying to copy it. In his attempts, he¡¯d summoned the exact same type of energy¡ªa foamy, encroaching crystallization of space death. A form of hungry nothingness.

    This realization gave Jack hope. That black foam represented the dark surfer¡¯s greatest insights, and he was an Archon. If the same kind of energy was present here, tightly controlled, it meant the creator of this Dao manual had reached the same level. This wasn¡¯t a peak A-Grade inheritance, but an Archon inheritance! Maybe it was even connected to the same dark surfer!

    But, he was getting ahead of himself. Jack refocused, diving into the stars with renewed vigor. He didn¡¯t dare keep his hopes up¡ªfor all he knew, this section of stars was a minor part of the inheritance, or even worse, part of a fractured whole.

    Time flowed ceaselessly. At some point, Jack¡¯s surroundings began to fade. The stars became his whole world, and through it, he saw another image. It was colorless and vague¡ªnowhere near the clarity of a Dao Vision. In this image, he saw a red-scaled lizard man standing in an undistinguishable environment. The man bent his knees, lowering his center of mass as he swung a halberd behind his back, ready to unleash it forward.

    A bodiless roar echoed in Jack¡¯s ears. On the halberd¡¯s head, a dark sphere appeared. It floated right along the blade, swallowing its middle part, and it only kept growing darker. Deeper. Heavier. The bricks making up the floor were sucked into the sphere. So was air. Every Dao particle in the surrounding space was absorbed, further enhancing the sphere¡¯s terrifying weight until the entire world seemed to be falling into it.

    The man¡¯s face flashed with surprise, joy, and panic. He teleported, reaching a region of emptiness, then swung his halberd. The sphere flew out. Where it hit the ground, everything was sucked into it, forming a lake-sized crater into the earth. The man laughed.

    ¡°The center falls, the world helps, the hole forms!¡± he shouted. Though the visuals were fuzzy, his voice was crystal-clear in Jack¡¯s ears.

    The vision dissipated then. Jack was back in his room, panting on the ground. He didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d fallen. He didn¡¯t care. The vision had inspired him¡ªbecause, in creating a miniature black hole, the man had only used the power of a peak A-Grade!

    Of course, it was a weak imitation of a black hole. Even B-Grades had ways to form that lake-sized crater. However, that didn¡¯t matter, because it proved something important which Jack had been missing. It was possible to create imitations of a black hole at lower levels!

    So far, he¡¯d been trying to recreate the real thing. The death of space, the end of time. True nothingness. Such a concept stood at the very peak of the universe, only approachable by Archons. Jack had experimented just for the insights. However, if there could be weaker versions¡­This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    His mind was already roaring with possibilities. The man in the vision had used a peak A-Grade¡¯s power, but his space and death Daos were exquisite. Superior to Jack¡¯s, though not by much. Maybe he couldn¡¯t recreate the feat, but could he pursue the principle?

    Jack returned to his meditating position and temporarily put away the Dao manual. Closing his eyes, he entered his inner world, a mostly empty universe littered with floating pieces of earth. Somewhere in the center, a large figure was hunched over a chessboard made of the planetary fragments flying around.

    Venerable Saint Thousand Shell was deep in thought. He pointed his head at a piece, which floated and slowly moved towards another position.

    ¡°You picked it up! Now you have to play it!¡± the Stone gloated from its position at the other side of the board. ¡°This was a mistake! You should have taken my knight. Queen takes knight, then I would be forced into a long sequence! Still winning, of course, but longer! Or you could have moved your a2 pawn¡ªalways a good choice.¡±

    ¡°Will you shut up?¡± the turtle groaned. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think.¡±

    Wrinkles creased its reptilian face, as every road it saw ended in defeat. Finally, it placed down its queen in a square surrounded by enemy pieces, none of which could actually touch her.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d do that! You miscalculated!¡± the Stone exclaimed. ¡°Bishop at e4, check. I can use this tempo to ensure a winning endgame!¡±

    The Stone had no limbs to move the pieces, but Copy Jack was there. At its command, he ran over and grabbed a bishop-looking piece, then moved it to the indicated position. He nodded in approval all the while.

    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Jack said. Nobody had noticed his arrival, so all three jumped. The turtle accidentally kicked over the chessboard.

    ¡°Whoops,¡± he said. ¡°Guess it¡¯s game over.¡±

    ¡°No worries!¡± the Stone replied. ¡°I remember the position. We can recreate it!¡±

    The turtle gave it a death stare before turning to Jack. ¡°How¡¯s it going, kid? You can¡¯t be having a worse day than me.¡±

    ¡°Pretty good, actually. Listen, I¡¯ll be experimenting a bit over on that side. Try not to get killed by the energy ripples.¡±

    ¡°...Okay.¡±

    ¡°Hi Jack!¡± the Stone said, hopping in place. ¡°Do you want to play some chess? It helps you work on your Dao!¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°Thank you, Stone, but I¡¯m a little busy. You already got a gaming partner.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please,¡± the turtle grumbled. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Jack said, ¡°for how long you¡¯ve been alive, I thought you¡¯d be good at chess. You had a lot of time to practice.¡±

    ¡°I did practice, and I am good. That¡¯s why it¡¯s ridiculous. I hate losing.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Jack threw a glance at the Stone, which was currently spinning around itself in joy. ¡°Well, have fun. I¡¯ll be a few thousand miles that way if you need me.¡±

    Leaving the three to their fun, Jack teleported away, quickly reaching the fringes of his inner world. Walls of starry dust indicated the borders, while the terrifying emptiness inside was his to command.

    Experimenting in his inner world wasn¡¯t ideal because it had small differences to the outside one. However, he didn¡¯t want to leave the city right now, and even if he did, he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the Space Monster World to wantonly destroy the wilderness. As for experimenting inside Empty Star City, that was far too reckless.

    For now, the inner world would do.

    Jack spread his arms wide, summoning the power of space. He quickly created a large bubble of sealed space. He then used his Dao and willpower to compress it, shrinking it from a mile in diameter to roughly three feet. This wasn¡¯t his limit, but it was good enough to stop and think. The space particles were going wild inside it.

    Last time, he¡¯d tried compressing this sphere to the limit, hoping to achieve a gravitational singularity. All sorts of weird phenomena had occurred, including an elementary form of the space death foam. In the end, however, he hadn¡¯t even come close to creating a true black hole. Though he¡¯d gotten a bit stronger since then, he was still way, way off.

    Which made perfect sense. Black holes were some of the most powerful forces in the universe. Even Enas, the leader of the Old Gods, had been trapped inside one for a billion years. If Jack could create it, that would be almost unfair.

    What did the red man do? Jack asked himself, thinking back to the vision. That man had created something like a black hole, though far weaker than the original. Unfortunately, the vision was too fuzzy to make out how he did it.

    What clues do I have?

    Jack revisited everything he¡¯d seen, the entire sequence. The black hole-like thing had formed on the blade of the man¡¯s halberd. That didn¡¯t necessarily matter. Maybe it was the focal point he was most familiar with. Soon after forming, it had begun sucking in its surroundings, so it really did work like a black hole.

    Afterwards, the man had taken this black hole and teleported away. That was the first clue. If he could teleport it away, it was under his direct control. A real black hole could never move that way because it couldn¡¯t interact with space in any way other than consuming it.

    What happened next? Jack¡¯s eyes flashed. The man had thrown his black hole against the ground, where it created a massive crater before disappearing.

    It disappeared! Black holes didn¡¯t do that! If it was a real black hole, it would have just kept growing until it swallowed the entire Space Monster World.

    So it really isn¡¯t the real thing, Jack deduced. It has to be some sort of artificial creation which mirrors some qualities of the black hole¡­ But how?

    How is a black hole created?

    Too much matter gathers in one place. Its gravitational pull becomes more and more intense until even its atoms can¡¯t bear it. They collapse, gathering into one spot of endless density. Since its radius is zero, the gravity very close to it is infinite, absorbing even light and timespace. The more it absorbs, the greater the radius in which gravity is so powerful where nothing can escape. That is the event horizon. That¡¯s how black holes are created.

    How could I imitate it?

    Jack looked down at his own hand. A realization popped up in his mind.

    He used his halberd because it has mass! The black hole needs actual matter as its core, not just space particles like I¡¯ve been doing!

    He let the bubble dissipate. Space particles erupted outward, but Jack paid them no mind. He created a new mile-wide bubble, this time centering it around his own fist. He took a deep breath, then compressed it.

    The pressure ballooned quickly. He wasn¡¯t sure how powerful it was, but he knew a regular B-Grade would have been crushed. He compressed the bubble until his torso was outside of it, then kept compressing, the edge of the bubble sliding across his forearm. The pressure was staggering by now. Even his durable body found it hard to endure. He was thankful he¡¯d spent so much time tempering it, otherwise there was no way he¡¯d able to do this.

    Finally, the sphere compressed enough that it encapsulated just his fist. The space particles were going crazy in there, zooming around frantically as they tried to escape. His hand was feeling the pressure. The bones were slowly giving way. The pain was horrific.

    Jack clenched his teeth and focused his willpower into compressing further. His hand shattered with a sickening crunch. Bones and flesh were pulverized, becoming a pressurized mass which rushed to the very center of the bubble and hovered there. The space particles already behaved differently, gravitating towards that mass and struggling to escape. A few fell into it, sticking to the mass, increasing its gravity. Hints of black foam appeared as the space particles began dying despite their best efforts. The pressure was more than Jack could handle. The bubble was destabilizing.

    It went better than last time, but this was still far from a true black hole.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jack said, throwing the bubble with all his might. It flew towards the center of his inner world and exploded before it traveled a mile. Intense fluctuations of space and death flooded the world. Thankfully, this was his world, so Jack neutralized most of the impact. He was mostly unhurt.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± he said, clutching onto the stump of his wrist. This wasn¡¯t his real body, but the pain was real. ¡°Still not enough¡­¡±

    His eyes flashed with calculations. This had gone far better than last time. Indeed, it was better to use some matter as the center of the black hole, and preferably his fist, which he was most familiar with. He¡¯d learned that much. But he still hadn¡¯t achieved the level of the red man who created the incomplete Dao manual.

    He knew he could do it. His understandings weren¡¯t too far off from that man¡¯s. He could create at least a weaker variant of a black hole, he just had to figure out how. There was still something missing.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get it,¡± he promised himself. ¡°Already, this can almost work as a weapon. I just need time to charge it.¡±

    The explosion of the compressed sphere wasn¡¯t a black hole, but it contained the black foam, a terrifying force of nature. Even Jack wasn¡¯t sure he could survive a direct hit. This was a very powerful skill he was cooking up¡ªhe just needed to solve a few more problems. Mostly the charging time, which right now was too long.

    If he figured out how to actually summon a black hole, like the red man had done, his battle power would skyrocket. He had a feeling the potential of this move was far above Supernova¡¯s.

    While Jack was absorbed in his inner world, that didn¡¯t mean his real body was defenseless. He always left part of his consciousness on lookout. At this point, as he pondered on the mysteries of the universe, that part of his consciousness registered a knock on the door.

    Jack returned fully to the real world. He stood up, stretching his limbs. ¡°Come in,¡± he said.

    The door opened, and in came Elder Puerto.

 Chapter 513: Invitation

    Jack shot to his feet faster than a startled deer. ¡°Elder Puerto!¡± he said. ¡°Welcome!¡±

    She waved him off. ¡°I see you¡¯re meditating. Good. A talented monster like yourself shouldn¡¯t slack off.¡±

    ¡°You flatter me.¡±

    ¡°I will get to the point, Mr¡­ You never gave me your name, actually.¡±

    ¡°Jack Monstrous, Elder.¡±

    She sat on a random chair and crossed her legs. Though Elder Puerto seemed like a buff red-haired old lady, she was much heavier. The steel chair creaked under her weight. The legs bent ominously.

    ¡°Well, Jack Monstrous, I will be leaving Empty Star City today. Have you considered my offer?¡±

    ¡°Your invitation to the Great Silver?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. If you agree, I can take you with me. I will guarantee your safety and help you get access to the main faction.¡±

    Jack thought about it. ¡°That¡¯s a generous offer, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Please, speak plainly. With your talent, we¡¯ll be peers soon enough.¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°I did think about it. I¡¯m willing to join your faction, on two terms.¡±

    Puerto raised a brow. ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°My first term is that you let me join the next Canal Delve. The second is that you support me fully despite not originally being from your faction. The third is that I won¡¯t come with you right away¡ªI have some things to do, so I¡¯ll make my own way to the faction.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± She leaned forward, her eyes flashing with calculations. ¡°Getting invited to the Delve is not something I can promise, but I can say it depends entirely on you. If you can show a good enough performance, you¡¯ll naturally be invited. As for not being originally from the faction¡­ Who cares? The only thing that matters in the Great Silver is strength. You¡¯ll receive all the support you deserve. Are my answers satisfactory to you, Jack Monstrous?¡±

    There was a hint of threat in her voice. The Great Silver was one of the Space Monster World¡¯s two great overlord factions. Most monsters would kill their best friend for a chance to join, even as a janitor. Jack was personally invited by an Elder, and he still dared to put forth terms, as if he was the catch here.

    Fortunately, Jack possessed the qualifications to be arrogant, and Elder Puerto knew it.

    ¡°They¡¯re satisfactory,¡± he replied. ¡°And my third term?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all. I didn¡¯t want to babysit you to begin with. If you say you¡¯ll make your own way, feel free, just make sure to arrive within three years.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The Canal Delve is at four, and we can¡¯t have a stranger join us.¡±

    ¡°Okay, yeah, I¡¯ll be there in time.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as naive, Jack Monstrous. Could you be unaware of Elder Crownbeast aiming for you? He can wait here for at least a year, and the moment you leave Empty Star City, he¡¯ll come for you. It¡¯s hard to avoid an A-Grade¡¯s perception. That¡¯s why I offered to escort you.¡±

    Jack smiled enigmatically. ¡°I know about Elder Crownbeast. I angered him, so he¡¯ll do anything he can to get me¡­ But I have my ways. I¡¯m confident I can escape safely.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Good.¡± She sized him up once more. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, she was impressed. ¡°Are you maybe looking for a sex partner?¡±

    Jack was taken aback. ¡°Uh. I, uh, I¡¯m very flattered, Elder, and I would accept in a heartbeat, but I already have a dedicated partner.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Very well then. I probably won¡¯t catch you later, so I expect to welcome you in Great Silver faction within three years. Don¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. Thank you, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    Elder Puerto opened the door and walked out. Jack imagined she did it for the show, because there¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t just teleport away the moment she was out of vision. Regardless, he couldn¡¯t sense her. His perception was foiled. Both coming and going, Elder Puerto was like a ghost¡ªlike she was never there.

    Wait. Did she have any aura at all?

    Maybe it was a projection.

    He shook his head and sat back down. Elder Puerto would leave today, but he didn¡¯t have to. Three years was a long time.

    First I¡¯ll get a basic grip on this black hole thing, and then I¡¯ll go.

    ***

    Six months later,

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair walked towards the city gates, always riding their hellhorses.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°GET OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE I DEVOUR YOUR LOVED ONES!¡± Dolly shouted, snapping her teeth at the passers-by.

    ¡°Hey, bro, chill,¡± one space monster said.

    ¡°Yeah bro. Take it easy. I don¡¯t have any loved ones.¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± a third replied.

    ¡°I DO NOT POSSESS LOVED ONES EITHER, BESIDES MY MASTER. I¡¯M SORRY IF I BROUGHT UP BAD MEMORIES. AND I¡¯M SORRY FOR CHEWING ON YOUR TAIL THAT ONE TIME.¡±

    ¡°No worries, it grew right back!¡±

    ¡°See you around, bro!¡±

    Jack was silent on Dolly¡¯s back. ¡°You know, Brock,¡± he said, ¡°I know I didn¡¯t leave my room for six months, but I¡¯d swear this city has changed a little.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Brock asked back. He walked next to the hellhorses, constantly clasping hands, fist-bumping, and hugging random monsters. Some of them were crying.

    ¡°We¡¯ll miss you, big bro!¡± they shouted, falling into Brock¡¯s arms like flies.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, bros,¡± Brock replied sagely. ¡°We may be apart, but we¡¯ll always be connected by our brohood.¡±

    ¡°Yes, big bro!¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Jack leaned towards Starhair. ¡°How long do you think he¡¯d need to convert this entire world?¡±

    ¡°Who cares? Seeing all these monsters obsessed with stupid bro love twists my guts.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be grumpy, Starhair. It¡¯s fun. You like fun.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like fun. I prefer cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re doing pretty terrible I guess.¡±

    Starhair threw Jack an astonished look, but he only laughed and shook it off. This was his first time out of meditation in six months, so Brock¡¯s antics were refreshing. Even Starhair was. They remained in their double devil disguise, but the other cultivator had raised his bandana a little bit. His hair, half of which he¡¯d sacrificed to let them escape Archon Summer Noon, was slowly growing back.

    A contingent of bros was waiting for them by the gates. Jack didn¡¯t know how many monsters Brock had converted, but it had to be a lot. They¡¯d brought fireworks and gongs. It was a sad occasion they were determined to make the best out of.

    ¡°Little bros,¡± Brock said, hijacking the guard¡¯s raised stage. ¡°Separations always come, but saying goodbye is part of the art of life. I hope you keep brohood in your hearts. Farewell!¡±

    ¡°Farewell, big bro!¡± the crowd of monsters shouted, some shedding tears. The three cultivators flew away, riding their hellhorses into the sunset, while gongs and fireworks waved their goodbyes. It was the end of an era for these city bros, but also the start of a new one. And that was worthy of celebration.

    ¡°Seriously, how do you do that?¡± Jack asked.

    Brock gave him a earnest look. ¡°Everybody needs brohood. Even Starhair. They just don¡¯t know it until I show them.¡±

    ¡°I only need one thing, and that¡¯s my hair back,¡± Starhair replied. Brock smiled at him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    A few minutes passed. The three of them dismounted the hellhorses, placed them in their inner worlds¡ª¡°BYE MASTERS¡±¡ªand accelerated into the distance. Sonic booms trailed their flight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s following us,¡± Brock said, glancing behind his shoulder.

    ¡°I hope he isn¡¯t,¡± Starhair added worriedly.

    ¡°He certainly is,¡± Jack replied. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s hiding, but I can sense him. He¡¯s just biding his time.¡±

    They were flying in the direction of Great Silver faction, which was very, very far away. The lush jungles below them changed into an arid desert. However, even an hour into flying, their pursuer still hadn¡¯t shown himself.

    ¡°You know,¡± Jack said, ¡°this is getting a bit nerve-wracking.¡±

    ¡°You think!?¡± Starhair replied.

    Jack stopped in mid-air. He turned around, eyeing the cloudy sky above. This curtain of clouds covered the entire Space Monster World, hiding the real sky. Even now, Jack had no idea what it looked like.

    ¡°You¡¯ve followed us long enough,¡± he said, enhancing his voice so it boomed over the land. ¡°Show yourself!¡±

    A moment of silence followed. Then another. As Jack was about to shout again, loud laughter filled the air.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    The clouds broke apart as if ripped by a giant hand. A second layer was revealed far above them¡ªin between stood a giant, godzilla-like form, a massive monster with vertical irises and spikes running down its spine. Its eyes were warped with malice and triumph.

    ¡°What a fool you are, Jack Monstrous!¡± Elder Crownbeast shouted. ¡°If you had left with Puerto, I wouldn¡¯t be able to touch you. If you waited a couple years, I¡¯d be forced to leave. But you just couldn¡¯t hold it, could you? You threw yourself right in the monster¡¯s mouth!¡±

    ¡°You are the fool,¡± Jack replied with a smile. ¡°You know we¡¯re prepared for you, and you still came.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also prepared.¡±

    The Elder¡¯s massive form descended slowly. As it did, Jack noticed he¡¯d grown even larger. He¡¯d only been three hundred feet in the city, but now he¡¯d risen to three thousand. Maybe this was his real size, and he¡¯d just shrunk himself to avoid accidentally breaking things.

    In fact, he looked exactly like the giant monster that one-punch man had fought in Jack¡¯s first vision, except much stronger.

    ¡°What¡¯s your trump card, brat?¡± the Elder said, narrowing his eyes. His aura roiled. ¡°Bring it out, and let me crush it!¡±

    ¡°There is no trump card,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Only my fist.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast hesitated for a moment. His aura spread far but found nobody.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t call your master?¡± Crownbeast asked. ¡°Not Puerto? Not anybody?¡±

    ¡°Nobody,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I don¡¯t need help.¡±

    ¡°Could you really be an idiot?¡±

    ¡°You know¡­¡± Jack grinned, clenching his fist. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed an Autarch before.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast started laughing, both in disbelief and ridicule, but he was cut short. Jack¡¯s aura erupted. A potent combination of life, death, space, and time washed over the world, destroying the empty land beneath. The quantity of his energy wasn¡¯t too great, but the Daos it carried were vast. Miniature fists floated through the air, while a larger fist phantom spontaneously formed around Jack, each finger a different color¡ªgreen, black, blue, white, and purple, the color of the Fist.

    Elder Crownbeast was shut up. ¡°What¡¯s that aura?¡± he asked, looking around. His eyes grew wider. ¡°You¡¯re so strong¡­ How is this possible? How can you possess such power at the middle Baron level!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll never find out,¡± Jack replied calmly. He clenched his fists, and all the phantoms disappeared. The world held its breath. Brock and Starhair had already retreated.

    ¡°Do you really intend to fight me?¡± the Elder asked. ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯m almost a large realm above you!¡±

    ¡°I told you,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed an Autarch before. I want to find out how it feels¡ªI want to step on that stage.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast finally took Jack seriously. He considered his immense talent. Slowly, his wildly rolling aura condensed around his body, cladding him in wild red light.

    ¡°Even the brightest disciple I ever mentored cannot match up to your little toe,¡± Crownbeast admitted in a low growl. ¡°I was planning on dragging you back to the faction, but I changed my mind. You cannot be allowed to grow. You must die now.¡±

    ¡°Bring it on, lizard,¡± Jack said, and he did not wait. He charged.

 Chapter 514: Fighting A-Grade

    Jack charged into Elder Crownbeast, piercing through multiple layers of space. His speed was far superior to what he¡¯d showed in the duel against Saturnstar. He reached Crownbeast in an instant and punched out sideways, smashing his fist against the Elder¡¯s aura like a comet from the heavens.

    The sky behind him distorted. Tendrils of purple energy spread out, flashing to the horizon, but the Elder¡¯s crimson aura held.

    ¡°Fool!¡± Crownbeast laughed. ¡°Us crownbeasts specialize in defense! Even if I stood here and let you hit me for an hour, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to injure me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just warming up,¡± Jack replied. ¡°How about you sit still and wait if you¡¯re so sure?¡±

    ¡°As if!¡±

    The beast¡¯s jaws flashed with extreme speed. One moment he was upright, the next his fangs were around Jack, ready to eviscerate him. Space warped, and the jaws snapped on empty air.

    ¡°Too slow!¡± Jack shouted from above the Elder¡¯s head. He smashed a fist down, trailing it with stars. ¡°Meteor Punch!¡±

    The meteor smashed into the top of the godzilla¡¯s head and pushed it down. The entire monster shook as it dropped, righting itself in mid-air. A ten-mile-wide crater formed on the desert below. Sand rose to the heavens.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give you that!¡± Crownbeast shouted. ¡°The greatest talent I¡¯ve ever seen. However, you¡¯re just too arrogant! It¡¯s impossible to jump a large realm to fight me! You just don¡¯t have the power! And what¡¯s more, I came prepared! I thought your master would arrive to fight me, so I practiced discipline and manners for the past six months. Your Great Spanking Arts gain no advantage against me!¡±

    Jack paused, his fist drawn back. ¡°Did you actually believe that?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°...Maybe I overdid it. In any case, shut your mouth and fight me like a monster!¡±

    ¡°As you wish!¡±

    Elder Crownbeast closed his mouth, hiding his fangs as he launched himself head-first at Jack like a torpedo. This was the same move Saturnstar used as a finisher, but to the Elder, it was just another move. A three-thousand-feet monster barreled towards Jack at speeds far surpassing that of sound. At the same time, a mighty space lock came over him, along with a mighty feeling of bloodlust produced by savagery. Twin restraints prevented Jack from dodging. He broke both at the same time, narrowly disappearing into space as Crownbeast pulverized his previous position.

    Jack reappeared nearby, charging immediately. He shouldn¡¯t give the Elder any time to breathe. In melee, Crownbeast couldn¡¯t charge up any big attacks, and the small ones would be easier to dodge.

    Jack rushed into Crownbeast. His fists flared. Punch after punch smashed into hard scales, while Brutalizing Aura assaulted the Elder¡¯s mind. Winds of savagery attempted to immobilize Jack, but he resisted them with pure willpower.

    However, while Jack could protect himself, his strikes were ineffective. His fists broke against the crimson aura and hard scales. Progress was slow. It was like poking a giant to death.

    ¡°Hahahah!¡± Crownbeast laughed. ¡°Dance around, fool! You¡¯ll run out of energy eventually, and then I¡¯ll catch you!¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut the fuck up!¡±

    Jack stuck close. He pelted the godzilla with many small attacks, infusing them with the power of death. Scales cracked and rotted, but it was too little. They barely counted as scratches.

    A thick tail rose for Jack, but he expertly curved space around him so it missed. He nailed a straight punch into the monster¡¯s chest, then flashed behind it and smashed another at the back of the neck. He teleported unpredictably. Arms, legs, torso, head. The monster was assaulted by a flurry of blows which only scratched it.

    As Elder Crownbeast reared up for another attack, Jack dodged it preemptively, securing a few instants for himself. The world was sucked into his fist. More and more Dao particles were absorbed, making his hand glow. Right as it reached critical mass, Jack let it rip.

    ¡°Supernova!¡±

    A star exploded on the Elder¡¯s back. Purple light filled the world, the shockwave rolling onto the earth below and demolishing it completely. The desert had transformed into a blackened crater.

    Jack had flown back from the impact. His fractured hand bones quickly set into place. As he looked towards the monster, however, he frowned. The scales and red aura, which he¡¯d broken through for the first time, were quickly regenerating. The wound below them remained, but it was nowhere near debilitating. He¡¯d need to stack a dozen of them to actually harm the giant monster, and he¡¯d run low on energy by then.

    Elder Crownbeast was surprised for a different reason. ¡°You actually managed to injure me?¡± he uttered in disbelief. ¡°How can you be so strong?¡±

    ¡°Still not enough¡­¡± Jack muttered. ¡°No choice then.¡±

    Green light covered his skin. Suddenly, he grew a foot taller and sprouted two extra arms from his armpits. His only article of clothing¡ªthe magical pair of shorts which enhanced his defense¡ªgrew with him. Thankfully, the transformation didn¡¯t affect his Double Devil disguise.

    This was the second time Jack used his battle form since reaching the B-Grade. The Life Drop had been emptied out during his breakthrough, and recharging it was slow, even with the entire Green Dragon Realm fueling it. Six months after its last use against Archon Summer Noon, it had only recovered enough energy to maintain this transformation for a few minutes. A time which would be cut even shorter if forced to regenerate any injuries.

    Jack had to make it count.

    ¡°You grew even stronger!?¡± Elder Crownbeast shouted, sensing Jack¡¯s burst of energy. ¡°What kind of monster are you!?¡±

    ¡°The last you¡¯ll ever see,¡± Jack growled as he charged. His physical strength had skyrocketed. He needed it to actually injure the Elder. He teleported in, easily dodging an attack and smashing an empowered Supernova into the monster¡¯s chest.

    This explosion was even stronger than the last. A new sun appeared. Purple light illuminated the world, while the boom traveled for a thousand miles. Another layer of rock was pushed into the ground, deepening the crater, and all those happened with the vast majority of energy focused on breaking Crownbeast¡¯s defense.

    Another hole appeared on the monster¡¯s chest. Broken scales flew into the sky, while cracked ones surrounded a crater of blood and bones. The corner of a lung was revealed before the Elder¡¯s flesh regrew. He seemed stunned, but not grievously injured. It wasn¡¯t just his defense that was great, but also his endurance.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°How can you injure me so?¡± he muttered, fear seeping into his voice for the first time. ¡°How is this possible!?¡±

    By now, it was beginning to dawn on Crownbeast that he¡¯d made a mistake. Jack¡¯s speed was far superior to any other B-Grade¡¯s, and also superior to Crownbeast¡¯s. If Jack wanted to run, the Elder couldn¡¯t stop him. The best outcome here was a draw.

    But, if Crownbeast wanted to run, he couldn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t fast enough. And now, for the first time, he was beginning to suspect he might lose¡ªunless he took this seriously.

    ¡°Will I really be defeated by a middle Baron!?¡± he shouted, infuriated by his own words. ¡°I will destroy you, Jack Monstrous! Assault form!¡±

    His body shrunk. From three thousand feet tall, he became just thirty. His defense and power were greatly reduced, but his speed rose tremendously. He flashed out, instantly catching up to Jack. He turned and swung his own scaly fist forward. Jack caught it with his two right forearms, both of which shattered like matches. He was sent flying backward, blood trailing his path.

    Crownbeast reappeared over him, smashing Jack with his tail mid-flight. Jack punched it but was overpowered. He crashed into the ground and dug himself a mile deep.

    Crownbeast didn¡¯t let up. He charged into the hole, and the ground erupted, showering the crater with pieces of rocks. Two bloodied forms flew out. Jack¡¯s body was riddled with constantly regenerating wounds.

    Unfortunately, his cultivation base was just too low. He was far outclassed in strength and defense. In this new form, he only slightly surpassed Crownbeast in speed, and that¡¯s because the monster really suffered in that area. Jack¡¯s only path to victory was his extreme understanding of the Dao.

    How arrogant was it for a youth to challenge a millennia-old elder in world comprehension? How bold? Yet, it was true¡ªthe Dao grew with experience more than it did with time, and in this regard, Jack held the definitive advantage.

    Crownbeast also sported some injuries, but they were superficial. The two traded blow for blow, but Jack¡¯s attacks only inflicted scratches, while the Elder¡¯s were devastating. Only the Life Drop¡¯s regeneration kept Jack in the fight¡ªwhen it ran out of energy, he¡¯d have to escape. It¡¯s also worth noting that all this occurred on Jack¡¯s highly tempered body¡ªany other B-Grade would have been smashed to smithereens.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡± Jack shouted, meeting the Elder¡¯s fist with his own. A new explosion shook the world. Jack flew back, his hand shattered and his shoulder cracked, while Crownbeast grunted and pursued. His scaly hand was also fractured.

    I must do something! Jack thought. I¡¯ll never win like this!

    He did have his newest weapon, but it took time to charge, and Crownbeast would never give it to him. He needed to earn it.

    The two clashed again. Strikes flew. Fists met scales. Scales met flesh. The sky shattered and was washed away, the clouds ripped apart to reveal more layers above. The earth had long given way to a field of devastation. Blood rained from the sky¡ªmostly Jack¡¯s.

    Between their various exchanges, Jack saw his opening. He braced himself. A set of jaws flew at his shoulder, and he let them land. Bones shattered¡ªflesh was rent. Crownbeast didn¡¯t expect this attack to work. Before he could recover, Jack used the time earned by not defending to charge up his own strike.

    ¡°Supernova!¡± he shouted. His fist smashed into the opponent¡¯s chest. The explosion burned Jack as well. Crownbeast flew down like a rocket, his still-closed jaws ripping out Jack¡¯s shoulder and arm. He was nailed into the earth, but flew back out a moment later. His mangled chest was already regenerating.

    ¡°Fool!¡± he said, panting. ¡°You can¡¯t trade hits like this! I¡¯ll just outsustain¡ª¡±

    He did not finish his words.

    Jack hovered in the middle of the sky. One of his four arms was still missing, the open wound dripping blood. His chest was burned, yet his face didn¡¯t betray the slightest hint of pain. His eyes were razor-focused. His mouth was hard.

    A bubble of sealed space spread around Jack¡¯s fist. It compressed in pulses, raising the pressure to terrifying degrees. The moment Crownbeast resurfaced, the bubble was reduced to encapsulate only Jack¡¯s fist, which shattered. Bones and flesh warped together, collapsing into a singular point. The power of space raged.

    As the bubble compressed even further, becoming a nail-sized singularity, black foam filled it. A terrible suction force erupted outward, sucking the air into a spiral, a whirlpool given life and giving death. The now-black sphere grew larger as it absorbed the world. From the size of a nail, it grew to the size of Jack¡¯s hand.

    He brandished his arm. In place of a fist, he now wielded a black hole of death which swallowed the world. Dark ribbons of energy spread outward. The horizon curved around Jack. The swirling energy warped his image.

    Crownbeast was not in time to stop this. As soon as he surfaced, he watched Jack finish preparing his attack, then charge at him. He never thought he¡¯d feel terror at a middle Baron, a person almost an entire large realm below him.

    Yet, he did. He was frozen. His every instinct screamed to get away from that black sphere, yet he could not. It sucked everything, even spacetime. Coupled with Jack¡¯s originally superior insights into Space, Crownbeast was locked in place, unable to dodge. All he could do was take the blow.

    ¡°Shell mode!¡± he shouted. His body regrew to its original size of three thousand feet, maximizing his defense. The crimson aura roared and thickened. He even crossed his arms before his chest and leaned forward, bracing himself as best as he could. Defense was his specialty. In this state, he could withstand even the all-out attack of a middle Autarch.

    Jack and his black hole sailed forth. They seemed slow, yet were deceptively fast. They reached Crownbeast in an instant.

    Jack¡¯s strongest attacking skill up to this point, Supernova, was not that complex. It had come from a mere B-Grade faction, and he¡¯d already learned it at the D-Grade. He¡¯d polished it a little since then, but the sad truth was it was inadequate for his current level. His powers had been missing a proper vessel.

    This black hole skill was far superior. It used concepts at the level of an Archon. Even now, Jack could barely comprehend and use it, but it allowed him to utilize his previously blocked insights to their full potential. It was, without exaggeration, an attack insanely stronger than anything he¡¯d shown before.

    The black hole remained at the stump of his wrist, and he shoved it in. It met Crownbeast¡¯s crossed arms and kept going. The crimson aura, the scales, the bones, the hard flesh¡­ All of those were completely incapable of stopping a black hole. It pierced right through, absorbing everything and turning it into its own power, growing constantly stronger.

    Jack dislodged it from his wrist and shot it out while he retreated. It penetrated Crownbeast¡¯s arms and sank into his chest, right under his disbelieving gaze. It flew deep. Organs and bones were warped and turned into mush, which collapsed into the fake singularity. A growing hole appeared on the monster¡¯s chest. Its dense body only worked against it¡ªthe more matter the black hole absorbed, the faster it grew. A terrible ripping sound echoed as the monster¡¯s body was torn apart.

    However, at the end of the day, this wasn¡¯t a real black hole. It was only supported by Jack¡¯s Dao, and he was moving farther away by the minute. It also could only withstand a certain amount of mass. At some point, a black spark flew out¡ªand the black hole, without any other warning, erupted.

    It was like a supernova exploding inside Crownbeast¡¯s chest. His already dislodged innards scattered into the sky. Blood flew everywhere. The explosion was almost entirely contained in his body, which made it more destructive. Crownbeast¡¯s chest disappeared. Only the sides of his torso remained, with the rest burned into a massive, thousand-foot-wide, completely see-through hole. Black energy flew into the sky, carving holes in the ground and clouds.

    Alongside the explosion, the space-death foam produced in the black hole was released. It stuck onto Crownbeast¡¯s body and consumed it from the inside, killing it so thoroughly that not even the space it occupied remained. By the time the foam was exhausted, the monster¡¯s body was so eaten up that only two halves remained¡ªbelow his waist, and above his shoulders. Everything else was just gone.

    The two halves of Crownbeast smashed into the ground below. The beast¡¯s vitality was impressive¡ªeven now, it remained alive, but even it couldn¡¯t recover from such a wound.

    As life slowly left his body, Crownbeast turned a pair of terrified eyes on Jack. ¡°Monster,¡± he whispered. ¡°Monster¡­¡±

    Jack was also badly injured. Some of the explosion had gotten him as well, and he¡¯d almost been struck by a beam of deathly foam. An entire arm remained missing from when Crownbeast had bitten it off, one of his wrists was a stump, and the last of the Life Drop¡¯s energies worked overdrive to repair his mangled body. He fell to the ground panting¡ªbut landed on his feet. He looked at his empty wrist in awe.

    He¡¯d just killed an A-Grade. And the black hole attack¡­ was the most powerful skill he¡¯d ever utilized. By far.

    Jack cracked a smile. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡±

 Chapter 515: Resolve

    Brock and Starhair flew over a blackened and ruined patch of earth. Since they¡¯d retreated so far away before, it took them some time to find Jack. Once they did, Brock rushed over.

    ¡°Bro!¡± he said, stars filling his eyes. ¡°That was so cool!¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°Thanks, Brock. I tried my best.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± Starhair muttered dazedly. ¡°A middle B-Grade killed an early A-Grade¡­ I¡¯m numb. Like it¡¯s all a dream.¡±

    ¡°You are in a dream,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Except it¡¯s mine.¡±

    The two pieces of Crownbeast¡¯s body lay on the ground, a marker of Jack¡¯s triumph. They contained his space ring and core¡ªthankfully placed near his brain, not his chest. Before that, however, Jack wanted to inspect something else.

    Congratulations! New Dao Skill unlocked:

    Black Hole III: By harnessing the fundamental properties of matter and space, you can force them into a state of collapse. You create a weaponized, artificial black hole. When outside your control, it erupts, releasing all the mass it has absorbed in one massive explosion.

    Jack couldn¡¯t help the grin on his face. He¡¯d finally done it. After studying several Archon inheritances and Dao Visions, as well as the incomplete black hole manual, he¡¯d finally managed to create this skill. It wasn¡¯t just a weapon¡ªit felt like the culmination of his entire path of cultivation so far. After all, most of his core experiences combined led here.

    It was also the very first skill he created which belonged entirely to him. Meteor Punch was inspired by the fist-wielder in Jack¡¯s first vision, while Supernova was derived from the Exploding Sun¡¯s inheritance. All his other skills were more auxiliary, so they didn¡¯t really count.

    Black Hole, while containing bits and pieces of many different inheritances, was something uniquely created by Jack. His version even had many differences from the red lizard man¡¯s who made the incomplete Dao manual.

    It was technique he understood in depth, since he was its creator, and also one perfectly suited for his exact cultivation path. Those factors contributed to its terrifying strength.

    If Jack ever created his own inheritance, this would be the first real technique he inscribed.

    Of course, the current Black Hole was far from complete. It was a high-level skill, so it had began at tier III, but he¡¯d only just embarked on the way of mastering it. Plus, there were other targets to hit. His single greatest Dao Vision so far had been about a woman engineering a Big Bang, the controlled creation of a universe. Unlike the black hole, which combined Space and Death, this woman had demonstrated a fusion of Time and Life, the other of Jack¡¯s dualities. He had a feeling that mastering this Dao Vision as well would be the next big step on his path.

    Most people¡¯s potentials tapered off at the B-Grade because they¡¯d chosen a narrow path. Jack had done the opposite. His potential was endless¡ªbut realizing it meant he had to constantly struggle with the highest-level concepts of the universe. He had to show up at the top level uninvited and play ball.

    That was the true Road to Mastery.

    Unfortunately, Jack was outside System space, so his victory against Elder Crownbeast didn¡¯t grant him any levels. Fortunately, the Elder had a core, and absorbing it would be kind of the same thing. Even more fortunately, the core was located in the Elder¡¯s brain, so it hadn¡¯t been destroyed by the black hole.

    Jack rummaged through the colossal skull and emerged holding a crimson, pulsing orb. It radiated intense power. The earth around them flaked off.

    And this was just the start. Killing Crownbeast at this point was the greatest lucky chance Jack could have had. He ran over to the fallen beast¡¯s hand, cut off at the wrist, where a space ring was nestled between broken scales. He peeled it off to peek inside. Immediately, his face brightened.

    Crownbeast¡¯s space ring contained Dao manuals, weapons, pills, and a wealth of monster cores ranging from the early to the peak B-Grade. It was essentially a treasure trove. Most importantly, however, it contained the items Crownbeast had won in the auction.

    The late A-Grade core¡­and the Overlord core!

    Jack started laughing, holding the space ring to his chest. The coffers of an overlord faction had bled to secure these objects. Now, because of Crownbeast¡¯s miscalculations, it all belonged to Jack!

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he said. ¡°If any A-Grades were nearby, they might be rushing over.¡±

    He disintegrated Crownbeast¡¯s remains with the flick of a hand¡ªthey were vulnerable now that his Dao was gone¡ªand launched into the sky, creating a new crater behind him. The wind whooshed in his ears. Jack laughed into it, shooting straight into the clouds, emerging above them and under another layer of clouds. For a moment, he debated going up to see what lay at the top of the sky. Was this really the time?

    Why not? he asked himself. If anyone was going to come, they¡¯d be here by now. Plus, this can¡¯t take more than a couple moments.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯ll check things above a moment.¡±

    He dashed up without waiting for a reply. He flew into the second layer of clouds and emerged into a similar scenery. A third layer waited above him. He also noticed that the ambient pressure had doubled¡ªa curious sign, though nowhere near enough to affect him.

    He kept shooting upwards. The third layer, the fourth, the fifth¡­ Every layer was separated from the next by roughly a thousand miles, but that distance mattered little to Jack.

    By the time he reached the seventh layer, he was beginning to notice differences. The colors were slowly growing darker, starting from their original gray color and approaching black. The pressure was mounting aggressively, too. Only B-Grades could fly at the ground level, but now, even Jack was struggling.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The hell? he wondered. I¡¯m as powerful as an A-Grade, but I can¡¯t reach the sky!?

    He kept going. The eighth layer strained him further¡ªby the time he reached the ninth, he could no longer proceed. Every mile he soared upwards exhausted him¡ªusing teleportation was no different. At this rate, he¡¯d run out of energy, and that might be dangerous.

    He let himself drop.

    What lies up there? Jack wondered, gazing at the not-quite-black clouds above. He had a sense he wasn¡¯t even close to the top. When I have the power, I¡¯ll find out. I can also just ask someone.

    He chuckled. Why did that feel like admitting defeat?

    He fell through a layer of clouds, then another. The pressure quickly lessened as he descended, and before long, he¡¯d once again reached just above the first layer, where Brock and Starhair waited.

    ¡°Well?¡± Starhair asked.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°I have no idea. I couldn¡¯t make it. I suspect that¡­only Overlords have that privilege¡­¡±

    ¡°All will come at their time,¡± Brock said. ¡°Shall we, bro?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jack shook the issue away from now¡ªthough he promised to revisit later.

    The three of them traveled in the gap between the first two cloud layers, flying away at max speed. They kept their perceptions spread out to avoid any surprises, but none came.

    A few hours passed. From above the clouds, the three of them crossed several provinces, flying for hundreds of thousands of miles. Jack had chosen a direction that led to neither the Great Silver nor the Fiend King faction. His first priority was absorbing the cores he¡¯d acquired, and that required secrecy. Their current target was the barren outer provinces.

    Half a day later, they decided they were finally far enough. Jack shot through the clouds, facing an endless red expanse. Blue weeds grew intermittently, and green foxes shuttled between them. There was no powerful space monster in sight.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± he said.

    A hill protruded from the expanse like a pimple. Jack dove into it, carving a thin tunnel deep into the earth. Stone and dirt parted before his might. He waved his arms around, and soon, he¡¯d opened up a small cave for all of them. There were various stone rooms, each able to isolate from the others using large boulders as doors.

    ¡°Nice build, bro,¡± Brock said as he and Starhair flew in.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we have to stay here¡­¡± Starhair said. ¡°There isn¡¯t even a bathroom.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll manage,¡± Jack replied with a laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s get to business.¡±

    He waved a hand and three items appeared. It was the three cores¡ªCrownbeast¡¯s early A-Grade one, the late A-Grade from the auction, and the overlord core.

    The early and late A-Grade cores exuded a great aura, but they paled before the overlord one. It was like a black sun. The moment Jack took it out, the entire cave swam with dark light, and illusions of death swung scythes at their heads. This core alone was more intense than the living Elder Boatman.

    Starhair backpedaled, an expression of horror on his face. Only when Jack sealed the core¡¯s aura did he recover, but even Jack could only do so much. Black steam escaped his restraints, lazily drifting about the cave.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think it would be this powerful.¡±

    ¡°Very cool,¡± Brock admitted, leaning closer to the core to study it. The black steam tickled his nose, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°It¡¯s almost alive.¡±

    ¡°It is alive,¡± Starhair muttered. He leaned against a wall, grabbing his heart. He gulped. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a powerful core before, but I¡¯ve read about them. Overlords are different. Their inner world is so rich with life that, even after death, it retains a degree of intelligence. It¡¯s like an animal. If you try to absorb it, it will resist with all its might, unleashing its energies to wreck your body.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack cupped his chin. ¡°Sounds dangerous.¡±

    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve heard about a late A-Grade Elder who managed to find one such core. He diluted it in a vat of water, then rested inside it until all the raw energy had been absorbed. You should do the same¡ªjust with a lot more water.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that wasteful?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°Some of the core¡¯s energies escape,¡± Starhair agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s not much, only around twenty percent, and it makes the process much safer.¡±

    ¡°How long does it take?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°If I recall correctly, it took that Elder seven years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°I cannot waste that much time on a single core.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Starhair snapped. ¡°You cannot waste seven years on an Overlord core? God. If anyone else heard you, they¡¯d have a heart attack! That¡¯s the most arrogant phrase I¡¯ve ever heard!¡±

    Jack stared at him. ¡°Raise your eyes, man. Don¡¯t settle for the dumpster fire you call cultivation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª Whatever. I suggest you dilute the core in water. It¡¯s better than dying.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±

    Jack eyed the core. Even sealed in a purple net of his Dao, it radiated intense destruction. He pictured how, if he tried to absorb a wisp of this energy, it would recklessly rush about his body to ruin him. But, he did have a highly tempered body. If he absorbed it one wisp of energy at a time, he was over ninety percent certain he could handle it. It would take much less than seven years, too.

    But it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant.

    Jack made up his mind. ¡°I will go into seclusion,¡± he said, pulling the overlord core into his space ring. ¡°Here.¡± With a flick of his wrist, the other two cores flew at Brock and Starhair respectively. Brock got the late A-Grade, while Starhair would enjoy Crownbeast¡¯s early A-Grade core. They were properly compatible with the two of them.

    Starhair grabbed the core reflexively. He looked at it, stunned. ¡°For me?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t even do anything. I can¡¯t accept this.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re a team,¡± Jack said. ¡°We have to share at least a bit. Plus, that core is not compatible with me. You should use it to regrow your hair more quickly.¡±

    Starhair looked between the core and Jack. An early A-Grade core didn¡¯t sound like much right now, but in truth, it was an astoundingly precious resource! Starhair¡¯s net worth in the outside universe couldn¡¯t buy such a core, and he ruled an entire constellation.

    Of course, space monster cores were rarer in the universe than here.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Starhair said, accepting the core. As for Brock, he smirked at Jack.

    ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± he said. ¡°Appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°No worries. We¡¯re bros. Supporting each other is what we do.¡±

    Jack walked towards one of the smaller caverns. Thinking better about it, he created a hundred foot corridor leading to a cavern with thick rock walls.

    ¡°I won¡¯t come out until I¡¯ve fully digested the core,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take. Stay safe until then. See you, bros.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, bro.¡±

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Starhair shouted as Jack rolled a huge boulder in front of the opening. It smashed into place with a loud thud. He was now alone, in darkness, in a roughly ten by ten feet cavern deep underground.

    Jack took a deep breath and pulled the overlord core out of his space ring. Instantly, the entire cavern was submerged in the black mist of death, so dense it was suffocating. Any low-level cultivator placed here would die instantly. Jack¡¯s Life and Death Daos protected him, but he still felt a chill creep down his spine.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± he whispered to himself, then mustered his courage and probed the core.

 Chapter 516: Absorbing the Overlord Core

    The overlord core contained a large, stormy black ocean. As Jack focused on it, he saw himself growing smaller and smaller, rapped by the winds of this storm.

    In the huge sphere which dominated his perception, dark lightning flashed, shedding the light of death on the water. Figures were revealed inside it¡ªsome smaller, some larger, all bloodthirsty creatures with terrifying visages. It was like every creature the overlord had ever killed was trapped in this core. They were many, they were powerful, and they were mad with anger.

    Jack gulped. Facing this huge sphere of water, he felt small. He could overpower this unruly ocean¡ªbut absorbing it felt impossible.

    ¡°One step at a time,¡± he told himself. He could sit here and stare at it in fear for days, but that wouldn¡¯t change what he had to do.

    The reason such an ocean of power could fit inside the torso-sized core was because it was highly condensed. Jack gently extracted a string of energy, sensing it fight madly to escape his control. It was like holding onto an angry snake. He brought it to his chest and pushed it in.

    The snake went wild. It hissed and snapped its jaws, rushing through Jack¡¯s body in the most destructive rampage it could achieve. He gasped. Blood spurted out. His veins broke, his muscles and tendons tore, his bones were pierced. Thankfully, his body was extremely durable, and his regeneration effective even without the Life Drop. The snake couldn¡¯t kill him¡ªbut it could break him and make him suffer.

    Jack couldn¡¯t hold it in¡ªhe screamed.

    The overlord¡¯s Dao of Death was different than Jack¡¯s. Jack pursued the concept of death, its finality. This overlord had focused on the savagery which caused death, on destruction. Their energy embodied this concept. As the tiny black snake wreaked desperate havoc inside Jack¡¯s body, its sole purpose to damage him as much as possible, all Jack could do was seal his pores so it couldn¡¯t escape. He caged in the beast.

    Flashes of burning pain. It was like he¡¯d swallowed a maggot trying to eat him alive. Yet, he gritted his teeth and persisted. Screams left his mouth. The pain was maddening.

    Even worse, there was nothing he could do¡ªunless he diluted the core, wasting part of its essence, the only way he could harness this energy was to let it exhaust itself inside his body. Only this way could he ensure maximum effectiveness.

    The snake was rampaging, but its energy was slowly depleting. A few minutes later, it finally slowed down. Its damage lessened, letting Jack¡¯s regeneration catch up. Finally, it stilled. The destructive Dao embedded in the wisp had been exhausted, leaving only the pure, raw energy of death.

    Jack absorbed it into his inner world. He sensed the difference¡ªthis core¡¯s energy was so pure and compressed, that even one wisp produced a noticeable improvement in his inner world. Not enough to advance his Matter Condensation by even one percent¡ªbut noticeable nonetheless.

    As soon as the energy was absorbed, Jack collapsed to the ground. He was dry heaving. Intense pain still wreaked his body from all the wounds the snake had left behind, and the memory of its rampage shadowed Jack¡¯s mind, trying to shake him. That was torture. Had it really only been two minutes?

    Jack gritted his teeth. That was just one wisp of the core¡¯s energy. A tiny part. There were hundreds of thousands of shadowy creatures waiting for him in there, maybe millions. Would he really have to do this for each of them? Maybe he should dilute the core in water like Starhair had suggested. This was impossible.

    I cannot waste the efficacy, he thought through gritted teeth. He planted a fist on the ground and used it to raise himself. Sweat dripped down his forehead¡ªhe was panting but resolute. I cannot afford to delay. The only way out is through.

    His regeneration was only now finishing up the repairs, and Jack waited until it was done to keep going. As it finished, however, he raised a brow. His body felt¡­slightly stronger than before. Denser. More durable. The parts ravaged by the snake had been almost imperceptibly enhanced.

    He wondered for a moment, then started laughing. ¡°Life from death!¡± he shouted. ¡°Thank you, senior Overlord, whoever you were! You have done me a great favor through the ages!¡±

    The more Jack interacted with this overlord core, the more benefits he discovered. He was sure that, if he could fully absorb it, it would transform him completely and greatly increase his powers. It wouldn¡¯t be a small difference¡ªbut a whole new world!

    The only problem was, absorbing this core would be a battle¡­but Jack had nothing if not willpower.

    He pulled another wisp from the core, forced it into his chest, and screamed.

    ***

    Starhair stood nervously in the main cavern of their underground cave. He hadn¡¯t gone to absorb his core yet¡ªhe was concerned about Jack, who¡¯d chosen to try something obviously impossible. The man was suicidal. He only prayed he stopped this madness early.

    ¡°Stop pacing around,¡± Brock said. ¡°Big bro will be fine.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so calm?¡± Starhair asked. ¡°He¡¯s killing himself.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not. You must believe.¡±

    ¡°Believe in what? It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    On cue, a miserable scream cut through the cave. It sounded like someone being eaten alive. Starhair jumped and rushed towards Jack¡¯s cave, but Brock flashed in front of him. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Believe.¡±

    ¡°Are you insane? Your brother is dying in there!¡±

    Another scream echoed, sharper than the previous one. Brock didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Believe,¡± he repeated.

    Starhair cursed. He paced back and forth. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± he spat out.

    ¡°I am. Stay put and absorb your core. Big bro knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Just do as I say.¡±

    Starhair wanted to lash out and destroy the cavern. He barely held himself in check. Instead of absorbing his core, he just sat there, waiting for Jack¡¯s inevitable cry for help. But it never arrived. The screams continued for a whole two minutes before abruptly cutting off.

    Starhair shot to his feet. ¡°He¡¯s unconscious,¡± he said. ¡°Or dead. I¡¯m impressed he lasted that long. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Go where?¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°To save Jack, of course!¡±

    The brorilla shook his head. He did not respond.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Starhair shouted, slowly getting angry. ¡°Your brother just passed out mid-scream and you won¡¯t even check on him? Do you not care!?¡±

    ¡°I care more than you think,¡± Brock replied calmly. ¡°But I believe in him. You don¡¯t understand yet. You will. Just wait.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    The screaming restarted. It had barely been half a minute since they stopped¡ªhad Jack just taken a break? What was going on?

    ¡°Absorbing the core will take a long time,¡± Starhair said. ¡°He¡¯s already suffering. There is no way he can last that long.¡±

    Brock smiled.

    Time passed. Every few minutes, Jack¡¯s screaming would pause, only to restart seconds later. His voice grew hoarser. After an hour, Starhair had gone numb. He just listened on. ¡°How can he last this long?¡± he whispered, eyes shaking in horror. ¡°How is he even alive?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to start,¡± Brock said. He waved a hand, creating a soundproof barrier around Jack¡¯s cavern to isolate the screams. Their cave grew deathly quiet.

    ¡°What if something happens to him?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°Big bro is competent. If it¡¯s too dangerous, he will stop. He cannot die.¡±

    Brock took out the peak A-Grade core. It was a violent torrent of extremely high-level energy¡ªyet, compared to Jack¡¯s overlord core, it was sadly lacking. The brorilla retreated to another small cave to absorb it, and Starhair reluctantly did the same. He remained concerned, but he did his best to focus.

    Three days later, Starhair emerged from his seclusion. Two of his three uprooted strands of hair had reformed¡ªonly one remained. He sat alone in the empty cave, watching the boulder shutting Jack¡¯s cave. The sound isolation barrier remained. Deep in worry, Starhair undid it for a moment, only for the sound of hoarse screams to instantly fill the cave.

    He was stunned. Disbelief and horror warred on his face. Finally, he numbly reinstated the barrier and sat in meditation. ¡°How¡­¡± he whispered.

    It took another five months before Brock emerged as well. He seemed reborn. His aura pulsed in waves, both stable and vastly strengthened. He had steadily stepped into the late B-Grade.

    Starhair eyed Brock with despair. In the time it took him to repair his broken cultivation, Brock had climbed an entire small realm. That cultivation speed was unreal. Starhair¡­was already far surpassed.

    He chuckled in resignation.

    ¡°How¡¯s big bro doing?¡± was the first thing Brock asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine. I¡¯m removing the sound barrier every few days to check in on him, but he never stops screaming. He doesn¡¯t even take breaks anymore. It¡¯s just one constant, neverending torture. I have no idea how he hangs on.¡±

    ¡°Because he knows he has to,¡± Brock replied calmly. He sat down cross-legged. ¡°Meditate. Big bro might be a while.¡±

    Time flowed on. Due to the inherent difficulties, Jack¡¯s process of absorbing the core was much slower than Brock¡¯s. He also had much more energy to absorb. The months turned into years. Brock and Starhair remained in the cave, still like statues, pondering on the truths of the world. They occasionally opened their eyes to discuss something which perplexed them. Starhair was the one explaining at first, but as time passed, he found himself more and more on the receiving end of wisdom.

    He was stubbornly resisting the bro plague, but little by little, a crack had formed in the corner of his heart¡­

    Starhair¡¯s checks on Jack turned from daily, into weekly, into monthly. One year in, his screams grew so hoarse they were barely audible. Starhair had never found him not screaming.

    Three and a half years passed. In the blink of an eye, they¡¯d been in the Space Monster World for four years. It was unknown how the war outside progressed, if the Church was still persisting, or whether the Old Gods had arrived from their far corner of the universe. All Starhair knew was this cave.

    His injuries had healed within the first two years of seclusion. Now, he was pondering on his Daos and absorbing the ambient energies, making slow but steady progress. He no longer bothered to lift the sound barrier. Whatever was going on inside that cave had surpassed his understanding.

    Jack¡¯s deadline to visit the Great Silver faction had also passed, but¡­ Oh well¡­

    Finally, one day which seemed no different than the others, the boulder sealing Jack¡¯s cave moved. The man himself left seclusion, stepping into the light for the first time in almost four years.

    As soon as Jack appeared, Brock¡¯s eyes shot open, and Starhair rushed to welcome him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, but he abruptly paused ten feet before Jack. It wasn¡¯t by choice. He just couldn¡¯t move forward.

    Something had changed in this man. Visually, Jack looked the same as before¡ªbare chest, calm eyes, relaxed yet confident posture¡ªbut his aura was vastly different. Darker. More savage. His eyes hid pain so deep it put the oceans to shame. It wasn¡¯t some Dao which made Starhair pause¡ªjust a profound sense of inferiority.

    This was not a man. It was a dark angel. Someone¡­unfathomable.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jack replied, and all the darkness disappeared, leaving just a simple man. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ In there¡­ You were screaming the whole time!¡± Starhair shouted.

    ¡°Just a little bit of pain,¡± Jack replied calmly. His smile didn¡¯t reach his ears. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Oh, hey bro. Got any food? I¡¯m famished.¡±

    Jack walked past Starhair, reaching the cave proper where Brock welcomed him with open arms. They took out a table full of Earth delicacies and tore into it, chatting and laughing like nothing was wrong.

    For Starhair, reality was jarring. He couldn¡¯t reconcile the two facts he faced. Jack had been screaming in a dark room for three and a half years¡ªnow he came out unaffected? How was this possible? Was it all some elaborate prank?

    He couldn¡¯t help himself. He walked forward, crossing the corridor and approaching Jack¡¯s cave. The stench hit him before he even arrived. Dark, damp metal. Blood. Rot.

    Starhair braved the smell. It turned his stomach, but he had to know. He had to see.

    He reached the opening. He froze where he stood. His legs were rooted to the ground, and all his cultivation left him, leaving him a mortal.

    This was a room of gore. The walls, the floor, the ceiling¡­ Every square inch was covered in layers and layers of dried blood and rotten flesh. The smell was intolerable. The sight, revolting.

    Starhair¡¯s eyes were shaking. He forced himself to turn around, away from this hellish sight, to gaze at the man eating and laughing so nonchalantly. How had he done this? That was more blood than he carried in his body. Endless ounces. How many times had he run out and forced new blood to form? How many times had he died in that room? How much had he suffered?

    Three and a half years of constant torture¡­ The mental fortitude required to withstand this was something Starhair couldn¡¯t fathom. He¡¯d always wondered how he, a rare genius with a faint hope of reaching the A-Grade, could be so inferior to Jack. Only now did he realize the gulf which lay between them. The true difference. How could he ever compare? How could anyone?

    Jack was simply inhuman. Unfathomable. Eternal.

    ¡°Hey, Starhair!¡± Jack shouted, biting into a piece of meat. ¡°Come eat with us! This is beef from my planet¡ªit¡¯s really tasty!¡±

    What have you been through? Starhair wondered, not daring to voice the question. His legs were shaking. His eyes were fuzzy. How did you become like this? What have you seen, Jack Rust?

    He is¡­ A monster¡­ An impossible monster¡­

 Chapter 517: Elder Divine

    Jack finished eating, then took a well-deserved 36-hour nap. Finally, he awoke, still in the cave and rearing to go.

    For the first time in three and a half years, he opened his status screen.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)

    Grade: B

    Class: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)

    Level: 503

    Strength: 10,380 (+)

    Dexterity: 10,380 (+)

    Constitution: 10,380 (+)

    Mental: 1500 (+)

    Will: 1500 (+)

    Free points: 2650

    Free sub-points: 1

    Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Space Mastery IV, Death Mastery IV, Neutron Star Body IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Supernova III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt III, Black Hole III, Immortal Commune I

    Inner World size: 16,000 miles

    Matter Condensation: 6%

    Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror, Planetary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Planet Destroyer, Challenger

    Absorbing the overlord core had been hell, but the benefits it brought him were appropriately immense. He¡¯d jumped straight into the late B-Grade and even progressed a little into it. His inner world had grown from 12,600 to 16,000 thousand miles¡ªover doubling his overall energy capacity¡ªand its density had increased as well. That brought an increase in gravity, which made many of the floating earth chunks stick together. They looked more and more like planets.

    Jack was still far away, but he was slowly approaching the A-Grade.

    However, his cultivation increase was far from the only benefit. The repeated destruction and regeneration of his body had inadvertently strengthened it. The overlord¡¯s energy wisps had sought out every weakness in Jack¡¯s body to exploit it, pointing them out for his regeneration.

    Throughout his life, Jack had fought many battles and received many injuries. Some left hidden marks behind, which slightly lowered his combat efficiency. Now, after his body had been destroyed and remade thousands of times, all those hidden injuries had disappeared. His Dao cycled unobstructed, in perfect harmony with every inch of his body. He was in his best state ever¡ªand his overall body tempering had advanced by miles, too, even if it wasn¡¯t reflected in his Physical stats, which hadn¡¯t budged.

    Something else had.

    Neutron Star Body IV: Your body has reached a frightening density. You can manipulate it at will, alternating between the weight of a feather and a mountain. Though inferior to a real neutron star, you¡¯re well on your way¡­

    The skill upgrade brought with it a terrifying increase in Jack¡¯s battle power. His defense, offense, and speed all shot up. His regeneration would be much more energy-costly, but it was a cheap price to pay, especially since he had the Life Drop.

    If he fought Crownstar again now, he could easily destroy him without using the four-armed battle form. In fact, Jack suspected his current level of durability rivaled the dead Elder¡¯s.

    Thanks to all of his level-ups, he also had a large number of stat points to distribute. The highest ever.

    Strength: 10,380 (+)

    Dexterity: 10,380 (+)

    Constitution: 10,380 (+)

    Mental: 1500 (+)

    Will: 1500 (+)

    Free points: 2650

    Free sub-points: 1

    How do I go about this? he considered. The 8-1-1 distribution he¡¯d stuck with throughout the years had yet to fail him, so he decided to believe in it. At the same time, he enjoyed round numbers.

    Jack split a thousand points equally between Mental and Will, raising them both to two thousand. He then poured the rest into Physical. That one sub-stat point remained, but it was too little to be worth ruining the symmetry of his Physical substats.

    When he was done, Jack gazed proudly at the fruits of his labor.

    Strength: 12,030 (+)

    Dexterity: 12,030 (+)

    Constitution: 12,030 (+)

    Mental: 2000

    Will: 2000Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Free sub-points: 1

    Wow, he thought to himself. I once had five points.

    He was four hundred times smarter¡ªto generalize the term¡ªthan a pre-System human, and over a thousand times stronger. Those numbers did not account for his many hidden stat increases¡ªlike the recent purifying he received from the overlord core¡ªhis skills, the synergy between his different stats, or his Dao.

    Right now, Jack was confident in fighting a middle A-Grade. If faced with a late A-Grade, maybe he couldn¡¯t win, but he could probably run away. A peak A-Grade would ruin him.

    And he was still far from an Archon.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Brock said, stepping into the main cavern. ¡°You ready, bro?¡±

    ¡°Always.¡± Jack rose to his feet, cracking his knuckles. The ocean of power in his body hid deep. He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We missed the three-year deadline with Elder Puerto, but if we hurry, we can still catch them before they begin the Canal Delve. Maybe we can join.¡±

    ¡°What if the overlord is there too, and he sees through your disguise?¡±

    ¡°A risk we have to take. I must visit the Dark Canal, and going with an experienced faction is the best scenario. Besides, even if the overlord is there, my disguise can hold up to even close scrutiny. He¡¯ll only see through me if he suspects I¡¯m really a human, which he has no reason to.¡±

    Brock nodded. ¡°Alright. Hair bro! You coming?¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± a third voice rose to meet them as Starhair rushed into the cave. ¡°I¡¯m fed up of this place. Please tell me we¡¯re leaving.¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to somewhere you¡¯ll hate even more.¡±

    The three of them flew through the earth, emerging in the red wasteland they¡¯d last seen. This was their first time leaving the underground in almost four years. Jack couldn¡¯t help the joy in his heart.

    ¡°The Dark Canal is that way,¡± Brock said, pointing to their left.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°The bros in Empty Star City taught me to navigate.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The three turned into rays of light, and then they were gone. Next stop¡­ The Dark Canal!

    ***

    Elder Divine of the Black Hole Church was one of the strongest forces in the current war. His cross-legged form emanated divine light for thousands of miles. Everywhere that light reached, the void became hospitable, while flowers bloomed and wilted. His power was legendary.

    However, even legends can fall.

    Elder Divine had been tasked with destroying the System Cannons. These were the newest weapons of the Immortals¡ªmachines capable of shooting bubbles of System space into the vast cosmos. It was how they¡¯d managed to ambush the Church army a few years ago, the event which led to the Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair.

    Thanks to the temporary ceasefire, the Church Elders had figured out a way to protect themselves from total destruction. The cannons were large, so easy to locate, and could be destroyed. Unfortunately, the Church was overall weaker than the Hand of God, so every such assault usually required the Church agents to sacrifice themselves and blow up their inner worlds. It was a constant price in blood they¡¯d been forced to pay.

    The Arch Priestess had decided to see if she could avoid that by throwing overwhelming power at the cannons. On Elder Divine¡¯s insistence, he¡¯d been chosen to lead a top-level elite force, and he¡¯d successfully destroyed one. They thought they¡¯d escaped.

    Space rippled ahead of Elder Divine. Two forms appeared¡ªa man and a woman, each holding one half of a blade. The man was dressed in black and the woman in white¡ªboth were ethereal in aura.

    ¡°Yin Yang¡­¡± Elder Divine whispered. He was a bald, bearded old man dressed in simple clothes. His skin was wrinkled and full of dark spots, yet bright blue light emanated all over his body. As he opened his eyes, that blue light intensified and focused on the new arrivals.

    ¡°Elder Divine,¡± the man replied respectfully. ¡°I have long admired you. It is my honor to face you in combat.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Divine did not reply. He was a peak A-Grade, and a powerful one, too. More than most. However, the people before him were also peak A-Grades, and they were experts at combining their powers. Even with the assistance of his team, this was not a battle he could win.

    He looked behind him. Three cultivators waited. Elder Malefic, middle A-Grade. Elder Godspeed, middle A-Grade. And, finally¡­

    ¡°We can take them,¡± Elder Heavenly Spoon said, always with that aloof smile. He was the Church¡¯s youngest Elder, who only recently reached the A-Grade. A bright talent. He could fight one small realm above himself.

    Elders Yin and Yang of the Hand of God flew close to each other, then rotated their two half blades in a common swing. The floodgates of the universe opened behind them¡ªa yin yang diagram overlapped with their bodies, holding infinite truths.

    Elder Divine looked at his team and smiled. ¡°Godspeed,¡± he commanded. ¡°Take the others and run away. I will handle this.¡±

    ¡°Elder!¡± Godspeed exclaimed. He was a slim, young-looking man whose features were currently clouded by despair.

    ¡°We can fight them!¡± Heavenly Spoon insisted. His aloof facade cracked. ¡°We¡¯re strong, Elder. So are you. There is no guarantee we¡¯ll lose!¡±

    Elder Malefic didn¡¯t speak, but she bit her lips until they bled.

    ¡°Their reinforcements will arrive before ours,¡± Elder Divine explained calmly. ¡°We could fight, but our chances of survival would be slim. If I hold them back, you three can escape. You have Godspeed. He¡¯ll lead you to safety.¡±

    ¡°No, Elder! We cannot let you do this!¡± Heavenly Spoon insisted. He took out his silver teaspoon, manifesting a green phantom behind him. His face darkened and glowed at the same time. ¡°I am not afraid of death, only starvation,¡± he said. ¡°And abandoning you would starve my soul, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Godspeed agreed. ¡°It won¡¯t be too late to escape afterwards. Let¡¯s show them the power of cornered cultivators!¡±

    Elder Malefic also prepared herself. A pink aura surrounded her, stinking sweetly of silent death.

    As the three were preparing to fight, Elder Divine struck without warning. His palm gathered the world¡¯s power and shot it out. It seemed slow, yet was impossibly fast. The two enemies attacked at the same time. However, Divine had not been aiming at them.

    Before Godspeed, Heavenly Spoon, and Malefic knew it, they¡¯d been struck backward, flying with a momentum they could not contain. Space parted and they crossed light years in an instant. A terrifying black and white sword landed on Elder Divine¡¯s back at the same time, breaking his blue aura and making him spit blood.

    ¡°Elder Divine!¡± Godspeed screamed, still flying away.

    ¡°Do not deny the elderly their honor,¡± a faint voice reached all of their ears. It was calm¡ªthere was no fear in that voice, only kindness. ¡°This world does not belong to us, but to you. Only you can save it. The three of you, Jack Rust¡­ You are all magnificent talents. All of you can reach the Archon realm. I will not let you die on my watch. Leave¡­ Grow stronger¡­ And let this old man complete his final duty. Let me light my dying embers one more time, and lay down my life to protect the next generation.¡±

    As tears welled up in their eyes, the three thought they saw Elder Divine¡¯s smile¡ªold, toothless, yet bright like the sun.

    ¡°Make me proud. I entrust everything to you,¡± he said. ¡°Create a sunny world for my descendants.¡±

    Then, they were too far away to hear. Flashes of light erupted in the distant void. A blue sun was born, shaped as a massive, hundred-armed old man, struggling against a black and white sword which slowly tore him to shreds.

    Only now did the three Elders manage to stop themselves. ¡°We have to go back!¡± Heavenly Spoon shouted. ¡°There is still time!¡±

    ¡°Spoon,¡± Godspeed placed a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, and as Spoon turned around, he saw the tears glinting in the other Elder¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too late. Don¡¯t waste his sacrifice. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Heavenly Spoon¡¯s aloof facade shattered completely. ¡°Damn it!¡± he roared to the heavens, shaking the universe. Godspeed formed a white bubble, encapsulating all three of them and retreating at terrifying speed. They were gone in the blink of an eye.

    Elder Divine fought with everything he had, unleashing his full powers for the first time in several hundred thousand years. This was the first peak A-Grade casualty of the war. He died a hero.

 Chapter 518: Seeing the Dark Canal

    Jack zoomed over the landscape. Lush jungles had given way to an endless blue ocean filled with all sorts of wondrous creatures. They¡¯d caught glimpses. Mermaids, telepathic fish selling corals, snakes as thin as a finger and a mile long. Jack had even witnessed a monster as large as a mountain skip over the water like a carp. This was certainly not a low-level area.

    But it wasn¡¯t at Jack¡¯s level, either. The three easily flew over the ocean, enjoying the breeze while occasionally fending off attacks.

    ¡°I wonder how a canal exists in the ocean,¡± Starhair said. ¡°I thought they connected bodies of water across land.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be something equally majestic and stupid,¡± Jack replied, calmly zooming over the water.

    Their destination wasn¡¯t hard to find. After Brock pointed it out, they¡¯d developed a feel for the Space Monster World¡¯s energy circulation. There was a faint current of energy coming from the core of this world¡ªthe Dark Canal. This current was strongest here, but it could be felt everywhere, even in the outer provinces and the inhospitable zone.

    What could create such a phenomenon, Jack had no idea.

    The more they followed the energy current to its source, the denser the ambient Dao became. By now, it was multiple times denser than when they first entered this world. Even some weaker B-Grades would have trouble flying here.

    The monsters present were accordingly strong. Plenty were at the middle B-Grade, with the occasional late or peak B-Grade. They hadn¡¯t run into an A-Grade monster yet, thankfully, but this explained why B-Grade cores had been so common at the auction. Maybe the strongest space monsters came to this area to hunt.

    It also made Jack wonder. If the monsters here were so strong, what about the ones in the Dark Canal?

    Finally, something appeared in the horizon. A flat and barren island, cracked by the years, standing proudly in the middle of the ocean. The sound of rushing water filled their ears from hundreds of miles away.

    Suddenly, space split apart before them. An owl-headed humanoid monster stepped out, wearing only a skirt which left its muscular chest bare. It stared at them with unblinking eyes.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Jack said. This guy was at the middle A-Grade. What the hell was going on?

    Instead of attacking them, however, the monster opened its mouth to speak. ¡°You are not allowed here,¡± it said. ¡°Return.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Hi,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m Jack Monstrous. We were invited by Elder Puerto of the Great Silver faction to join the Canal Delve.¡±

    The monster pieced him with its glare. ¡°Wait,¡± it said.

    A few moments passed. Jack nervously wondered whether he¡¯d be allowed in. After all, Elder Puerto had told him to come to the faction a year before the delve¡ªit was just that he was too busy cultivating.

    ¡°Nice head, bro,¡± Brock said, to no response.

    It took one hour for the owl monster to speak again. ¡°Follow me,¡± it said, then turned and stepped on the wind. Its speed was great. Starhair had to sprint to keep up.

    ¡°I¡¯m Elder Owlhead of the Great Silver,¡± the monster introduced itself. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you ran into me. If you¡¯d met the Fiend King¡¯s patrolling Elder on the other side of the island, he might have killed you.¡±

    ¡°Was it really luck?¡± Jack shouted to be heard over the wind. ¡°You guard the direction of your faction¡¯s territory. Since we came from Empty Star City, we would have run into you no matter what!¡±

    The owl monster smiled. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually here,¡± a voice reached Jack¡¯s mind. It was Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, speaking from inside his inner world.

    ¡°Is this place important to you?¡± he asked back.

    ¡°Of course! This is the holy place of the entire Space Monster World. Every monster would give up a limb to visit, but it¡¯s not easy! The wild monsters around here are fierce. Only Autarchs can approach safely¡ªeven peak Barons might struggle.¡±

    ¡°What level are you, exactly?¡±

    ¡°I was a peak Autarch once, but that was a long time ago¡­ My slumber in the Supreme Blood has diminished my powers. Now, I barely qualify as an early Autarch, maybe a peak Baron.¡±

    ¡°So why haven¡¯t you come here before?¡±

    ¡°I only became an Autarch long after leaving the Space Monster World, and by that time, the entrance seal wouldn¡¯t let me return.¡± The turtle¡¯s voice took on a reminiscing tone, as if narrating the stories it¡¯d heard as a child. ¡°They say that the truth of the Space Monster World is hidden on the island of the Dark Canal. Who made us? Who made this world? Who enforced the entry seal?¡±

    ¡°Well, my friend, I look forward to finding out.¡±

    As they approached the island, Jack could make out more of it. It rose a hundred miles above the water, its sides steep cliffs. It was also cut in half. Right in the middle of the island, a massive canal ran through, at least a thousand miles wide and dark like the night. The ocean water foamed as it rushed in, then was lost in darkness forever. Only the canal walls rose from the darkness, reaching up to the island¡¯s ground level.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Jack paused in mid-air.

    A heavy sense of time covered this beyond ancient place. The real age of the Space Monster World was unknown, but it was certainly more than a billion years. It hid innumerable secrets, and this massive canal held the truth to them all, a hidden part of the history of the universe.

    Even Jack was overwhelmed by awe.

    ¡°Oh wow, this place looks like shit,¡± another voice reached his mind¡ªthe Stone.

    ¡°Says the talking stone,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°Hey, at least I¡¯m whole!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°This place is a mess. All the statues are gone, there¡¯s a huge crack in the middle, and the crown is nowhere to be seen. Pity, huh?¡±

    ¡°Wait. You¡¯ve been here before!?¡±

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re right! I have! Shame I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    Jack paused in mid-air. ¡°Don¡¯t joke now. You mentioned statues. A crown. What the hell, Stone?¡±

    ¡°...Sorry, Jack. I¡¯m trying, but I really can¡¯t remember anything. Even the statues were only a flash of memory¡ªI cannot recall what they looked like, only that there were three of them, each tall like the sky. Maybe I really am broken¡­¡±

    Jack tried to reconcile his intense urge to know more and his desire to make the Stone feel better. At least the turtle hadn¡¯t heard this message, or Jack would never get them to shut up again.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he finally said. ¡°However, if you remember anything else, you must let me know immediately. Alright?¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± the Stone replied.

    Jack let the conversation drop as he sighed. He¡¯d obtained the Stone so long ago, yet he still knew nothing about it. If it really was from this place, and it remembered things looking very different¡­ Just how old was it? And how did it end up riding a random asteroid in the Milky Way galaxy? What was its true identity?

    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Elder Owlhead said, noticing how Jack had paused.

    Soon after, they left the ocean and entered the island. They weren¡¯t flying over the canal. Instead, they crossed barren rock to reach a small camp, perched right on the canal edge. Before they even approached, Jack was overwhelmed by its vast aura. It looked like something one would find in the outer provinces¡ªbut its occupants were the elites of the entire Space Monster World.

    They landed by the edge of the camp, where another person was waiting.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous,¡± Elder Puerto said, her long red hair and wrinkles failing to hide the irritation in her face. ¡°I thought I told you to come to the faction within three years.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elder,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I was unable to. I rushed over as soon as I could.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Do you understand how important this Canal Delve is? It only happens once every thousand years, and the earlier in their life one can enter it, the more benefits they reap. Our B-Grade disciples underwent a crazy tournament for the right to one of the very limited spots! Do you expect us to push away a disciple who already traveled here to make space for you?¡±

    ¡°Us space monsters value personal strength the most. That is true justice,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Since the spots were decided by a tournament, I¡¯ll be happy to face anyone Elder Puerto deems suitable. If I lose, I¡¯ll have nothing to say. If I win, well, they can only blame their own weakness.¡±

    Puerto¡¯s face spasmed, but then she sighed. ¡°Well said. That is the way of the world. Since you¡¯re here, and since you intend to enter our faction¡±¡ªshe gave him a sharp glance, to which he nodded¡ª¡°I¡¯ll get you a spot.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder! However, as greedy as I may seem, I have another thing to ask. Can you give my companions the opportunity to earn a spot as well?¡±

    Her face instantly scrunched up. ¡°Canal Delve spots are not candy, Jack. You don¡¯t get to bring in your followers.¡±

    ¡°They are not my followers. They¡¯re powerful monsters in their own right. I¡¯m confident they can both earn their spot fair and square¡ªas long as you give them the opportunity.¡±

    She looked the two of them up and down. Brock calmly met her glare. Starhair began sweating.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make this decision on my own,¡± she finally said. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder Puerto.¡±

    They waited. Three minutes later, after the Elder telepathically contacted someone, she finally sighed in irritation. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°The Grand Elder has accepted your request. You three will officially join our faction. Then, tomorrow, you will fight against the three weakest winners of the tournament. If you win, you may take their spots. If you lose, you will immediately head back to the faction and go through the proper initiation rites.¡±

    Jack beamed up. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Elder,¡± Starhair added.

    ¡°Thanks, Grandma Bro.¡±

    She whipped her head at Brock, who calmly met her stare again. ¡°No problem¡­¡± she finally replied after a while. ¡°Follow me. Thank you, Elder Owlhead.¡±

    The other Elder, who hadn¡¯t spoken at all during the conversation, nodded and flew away.

    Elder Puerto led them into the camp. It wasn¡¯t large. Nineteen comfortable-looking tents were spread out widely, giving everyone their personal space. While nobody was emitting their aura on purpose, all of them together created a heavy pressure. Jack could sense that the weakest people here were at the peak B-Grade, and there were several Elders present, a few of which sported auras above the middle A-Grade.

    There was also a single cabin at the very edge of the camp closest to the Dark Canal. Jack glanced at it and didn¡¯t dare look again. The aura emitted from inside it was absolutely terrifying. That was an Archon. Overlord Great Silver in the flesh.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the esteemed overlords would participate as well,¡± he commented in a low voice.

    ¡°The Canal Delve concerns the entire faction.,¡± Elder Puerto replied. ¡°While the disciples are here to secure inheritances for themselves, the Elders come to gather resources. There are many precious items which only appear here, nowhere else. Our success in this delve directly affects our faction¡¯s wealth for the next thousand years.¡±

    She paused at this point, as if uncertain whether she should say the next part or not. Finally, she decided to speak.

    ¡°Actually¡­ The Overlords are not supposed to personally join the delve,¡± she whispered. ¡°This is the first time it happens. I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± was Jack¡¯s only response. He had a guess. With the Crusade going on outside, the Overlords wanted to strengthen their factions as much as possible. It made sense they¡¯d join.

    However, it seemed that while the Overlords were aware of the Second Crusade¡ªthey¡¯d participated in the Immortal Summit, after all¡ªthey hadn¡¯t let anyone else know. At least, not their low-level Elders.

    Why? Jack wondered but had no answer. He wasn¡¯t going to spill the beans anyway.

    ¡°Tomorrow, the Grand Elder will formally invite you to the faction, and then you¡¯ll fight,¡± Elder Puerto said, motioning towards an empty patch of ground. ¡°You may set up your tents here.¡±

    ¡°And if we don¡¯t have tents?¡±

    She gave them a smile, all teeth. ¡°Then you sleep on the ground. Rest well¡ªyou¡¯ll need it.¡±

 Chapter 519: Taking Spots

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair stood before a peak A-Grade space monster. It was a Double Devil, just like Jack and Starhair, dressed in black ceremonial robes which fluttered behind it. Its gaze was strict. This was a man who lived and breathed battle.

    Grand Elder Sanzuki.

    ¡°Welcome to the Great Silver faction,¡± he finished, having recited a war poem in a language Jack didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Thank you, Grand Elder!¡± the three of them replied at the same time. The crowd surrounding them did not clap, expressing their disapproval¡ªthe silence was almost deafening.

    Each faction was only allowed to bring nine B-Grade disciples into the Dark Canal. The competition for those spots was heated, and it grew even more so by the fact that most spots were taken by older and stronger disciples who¡¯d visited the Canal before. The ones who¡¯d never come here before¡ªand so would receive the greatest benefits¡ªhad to struggle for just a handful of spots.

    At present, only five of the Great Silver disciples were first-timers. They¡¯d struggled valiantly to reach this moment, and now three of them were in danger of losing their spot just a day before the delve. It was obvious why the crowd remained silent. Even Jack was feeling a bit like an asshole.

    Unfortunately, he carried too much on his shoulders. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste opportunities, even if that meant taking them away from someone else. In the end, this was the cultivation world. The losers could only blame their own weakness.

    ¡°Prepare yourselves. We reconvene in two minutes for the end of the tournament,¡± the Grand Elder announced, much to the dismay of the B-Grades present. They walked away grumpily.

    One moved towards Jack¡¯s group. ¡°First you take away my manual, then you steal the spots of my little brothers and sisters,¡± she said, green eyes shining in the darkness under her straw hat. ¡°You are despicable, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    Jack had been surprised when he ran into this person here. It was the same straw-hatted woman he met during the Empty Star Auction, the one who¡¯d competed with him over the incomplete black hole manual. She wore the same red clothes, and her straw hat still emitted the magical darkness obscuring her face. Only her eyes were visible, and they did not seem happy.

    This was the head disciple of the Great Silver faction, Strawpin. An acclaimed genius who hailed from Empty Star City¡ªhence her presence there. She¡¯d left for the Great Silver early in her cultivation journey, though, which explained why people didn¡¯t recognize her.

    ¡°Sorry things turned out this way,¡± Jack said. ¡°I can lend you the manual if you want. I¡¯m done studying it.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s the least you can do,¡± she replied, holding out a pale, humanoid arm. Jack raised a brow in amusement. He stretched his own hand, summoning the broken manual from his space ring and handing it over. She made it disappear with a flick of her wrist.

    ¡°Up!¡± the Grand Elder¡¯s voice filled the camp. Everyone rose into the sky, where they formed a large circle. The energy ripples of a battle would spread to a far larger radius, even in such Dao density, but the people present could handle them. In fact, they wanted to dissipate the ripples so as not to alert the Fiend King camp on the other side of the canal.

    Great Silver had not left his cabin.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous and Edithland, you may begin,¡± the Grand Elder said.

    A fierce, wolf humanoid jumped out of the disciple ranks, glaring at Jack. ¡°I fought hard for this spot,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take it.¡±

    Jack sighed.

    Of course, as much as the wolf woman wanted to hold on to her spot, it was impossible. She was only on the level of Saturnstar, whom Jack had easily defeated before his breakthrough. They tussled a bit, Jack pretending it wasn¡¯t too easy, before he finally won through Meteor Punch.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, approaching the fallen wolf woman and offering a hand to raise her up.

    She snorted and refused to take his hand. After rising on her own, she limped away. Jack gave her one last glance before flying up.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The air had changed by now. Most of the Great Silver group, Elders and disciples alike, had originally disdained Jack and the rest. They were outsiders who came to steal the benefits of faction disciples. How could they like them?

    Jack¡¯s battle, however, had changed their outlook. He was strong¡ªextremely so. Everyone could tell he hadn¡¯t been going all-out in this battle. While faction camaraderie was important, the Canal Delve was even more so¡ªand a powerful ally could greatly benefit everyone.

    As a result, most people now gazed at Jack and co. lukewarmly, waiting to see how the other two would perform. The only ones still with bitter eyes were the two disciples who¡¯d yet to fight.

    Brock¡¯s opponent was a rock golem man. His strength and defense were admirable, but his speed was lacking. None of that mattered. Brock was often overshadowed by Jack¡¯s extreme talent, so it was easy to forget he was a great genius in his own right. He¡¯d been the first in multiple million years to reach an inner world of 8,800 miles. If not for Jack, Brock would be a strong contender for the title of the universe¡¯s greatest genius, having a ton of adventures and spearheading the new era.

    He tussled with the golem man a bit before driving him into the ground, then calmly returned to his spot beside Jack.

    All the Elders¡¯ eyes had changed by now. They¡¯d heard about Jack¡¯s strength, but to see Brock so powerful as well was a surprise. These weren¡¯t random cabbages they were fighting. They were some of the most gifted disciples of an Overlord-level faction. Each was a world-class talent, yet Jack and Brock were dispatching them like random goons¡ªfrom jumping a small realm to do so, no less.

    Everyone looked at Starhair, excited to see his performance. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as flashy.

    Starhair¡¯s opponent was another double devil utilizing the power of flames. He was actually the third least powerful disciple from Great Silver¡ªthe Grand Elder had arranged for Jack to fight the weakest disciple, Brock the second weakest, and Starhair the third weakest in an attempt to let at least one of his disciples remain.

    Unfortunately, while Starhair wasn¡¯t a super genius like Jack and Brock, he remained a star disciple of the Black Hole Church, a faction much larger than the Great Silver.

    The two clashed for a long time. Eventually, Starhair gained the upper hand and secured victory. The battle hadn¡¯t been easy, but not super close either.

    Everyone stared at the three of them. Who are these guys? Where did they come from? were the questions plaguing everyone¡¯s mind. Even Strawpin, who disliked Jack, was chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

    ¡°On behalf of the faction, I apologize for what happened,¡± the Grand Elder told the three loser disciples. ¡°However, you know the rules. Power trumps all. Bringing the strongest line-up available into the canal is important for the future of our faction. Your loss here, while surely frustrating, is the only scenario. Elder Owlhead will guide you outside the Donut Sea, at which point you are to head back to the faction. I¡¯ve arranged some compensation for the three of you.¡±

    They didn¡¯t perk up at the mention of compensation. They were clearly extremely frustrated, but what could they do? Starhair¡¯s opponent almost said something before the wolf woman dragged him back. ¡°We understand, Grand Elder.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now go.¡±

    The three flew off without a second glance. Jack allowed himself to experience the emotions. He hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but he still felt bad.

    Strength is all that matters, he told himself, then decisively looked away.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he told Strawpin, who wasn¡¯t standing too far away. ¡°When does the delve begin?¡±

    She glared at him. ¡°My name is not hey,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Head Disciple Strawpin, and you will refer to me as such, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Sure, what?¡±

    ¡°...I won¡¯t say it.¡±

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t reply.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask someone else.¡±

    ¡°And create a rift in our relationship? Pretty bold of you, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°When does the delve begin, Head Disciple Strawpin?¡± he asked, and she finally smiled.

    ¡°There you go! Was it that hard? Nevermind, don¡¯t reply¡ªbad question to ask a double devil. We¡¯re set to begin in two weeks. You really cut it close.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do that sometimes. Not a great idea, but it ends to work out.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± She raised a brow at him. ¡°See you, Jack.¡± And then she flew away, disappearing into one of the smaller tents. Her straw hat and red robes were the last to go.

    Jack shook his head as he returned to his friends. ¡°We got two weeks,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll probably just meditate. I need to polish my new cultivation a little.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just chill,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll do the same,¡± Starhair added, throwing Brock a glance. ¡°Though I hate being paired up with you. It always goes the same way.¡±

    ¡°And what way is that?¡±

    ¡°We befriend new people all the time.¡±

    ¡°First, it¡¯s not befriend, it¡¯s bebro,¡± Brock said, his grin wide. ¡°And second, all good. These are strong people, right? If brohood is fake, they won¡¯t fall for it.¡±

    Starhair grumbled something. Jack left the two alone as he headed for his tent. A smile was on his face the whole time. He¡¯d love to stay out here and have fun, but he really did need to meditate. His cultivation had advanced too quickly. Two weeks of meditation now would bring him noticeable benefits¡ªand, if the Canal Delve was as dangerous as he imagined, he¡¯d need them.

 Chapter 520: Entering the Dark Canal

    Two weeks later, Jack¡¯s eyes slowly opened. He sensed the restlessness in the camp surrounding him. He smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    He got up and opened the tent flap¡ªthey¡¯d occupied the tents of the defeated disciples¡ªto witness a camp in the middle of deconstruction. Disciples and Elders alike walked with grim faces as if going to war. They waved their hands, sucking the tents into their space rings, then wiping the ground clean of all disturbance.

    That last act took Jack by surprise. The space monsters, who cared only about themselves, would wipe the ground after them? Was it manners, or just respect for the Dark Canal?

    ¡°What are you looking around for?¡± Strawpin¡¯s voice reached Jack¡¯s ears. He looked up to find her floating over him. ¡°Gather your tent. We¡¯re departing!¡±

    He smiled, sucking it into his ring like everyone else was doing. Nearby, Brock and Starhair did the same. The three of them took to the air, not forgetting to wipe the ground behind them, and joined the growing lineup of the Great Silver faction.

    More so than when they fought the other disciples, Jack had a chance to observe everyone. Besides the three of them, there were six more disciples, all at the peak B-Grade. Ten Elders accompanied them¡ªthe peak A-Grade Grand Elder, two late A-Grades, three middle A-Grades, and four early A-Grades. Nineteen people in total. In any other part of the world, their combined auras alone would have devastated the landscape. Here, they only summoned a strong breeze.

    The camp was completely recovered in a matter of seconds. The ground was pristine, like they were never there¡ªwith the sole exception of the wooden cabin, which even now remained unmoved. Just as everyone gathered in the sky, the cabin door opened. A lone figure stepped out.

    It looked similar to the last time Jack had seen it, except smaller. Silver scales, flexible whiskers, deep eyes, sharp teeth and claws. This was Great Silver¡ªa silver dragon, one of the two Overlords of the Space Monster World. His aura was deep like the world. His Dao resonated in a deep bass. He was¡­irreproachable.

    Probably stronger than Archon Summer Noon.

    He was also far smaller than last time. His avatar in the Immortal Summit had been huge¡ªright now, he was small enough to fit through the cabin¡¯s door.

    Crownbeast could also change his size, Jack realized. Is it an ability of all space monsters? Or just a few?

    Great Silver flew to the head of his faction, growing in size to become like a truck. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he rumbled, not sparing anyone a second look. He shot into the distance¡ªeveryone followed.

    Their camp had been situated at the edge of the Dark Canal. A vertical cliff awaited just to the side, descending a hundred miles into the darkness. They flew over it. As soon as they passed the edge, Jack felt a cold current flowing from below, infiltrating even his extreme physique. He caught some of the weakest disciples shivering.

    Great Silver led the way at a speed that was neither fast nor slow, letting them savor the experience. Endless darkness spread below their feet. Not even Jack¡¯s perception could penetrate it¡ªfor the first time since reaching the D-Grade, he felt fear of the dark, as part of the nearby world was hidden from him. The Dark Canal seemed like the place nightmares crawled out of¡ªeverything children imagined hid in the dark, it existed in the Dark Canal.

    ¡°Spooky,¡± Brock said in a low voice.

    ¡°Damn right,¡± another disciple replied. ¡°And we haven¡¯t even entered.¡±

    A third disciple piped up. ¡°You should be careful down there, bros. Almost every threat is Autarch-level.¡±

    ¡°Then why are we going in?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We have the Elders. They¡¯ll keep us safe.¡±

    Jack smirked. Brock hadn¡¯t been idle these past two weeks. Every other disciple and even a couple of low-level Elders had been initiated into brohood. The only disciples still resisting were Starhair and Strawpin, who considered brohood distasteful.

    ¡°Cringe,¡± was all Strawpin said.

    The Dark Canal was over a thousand miles wide, but they were fast. Only a few minutes later, Jack sensed another group heading their way. He saw them soon after¡ªtwenty monsters, just like them, headed by a heavily muscular, gray-skinned humanoid with fierce claws, sharp teeth, and a thick tail swishing behind his back. The lovechild of Predator and Frieza. If devils had a king, this would be him¡ªand he was aptly called the Fiend King.

    ¡°Great Silver,¡± Fiend King called out.

    ¡°Fiend King.¡±

    As the two Overlords neared each other, their auras clashed¡ªnot aggressively, they were just too great not to rub against each other. The sky was split in two, one half silver and the other dark red, before nature rebalanced itself.

    Each Overlord swept his gaze over the other¡¯s disciples.

    Jack held his breath. Unless one of the Overlords decided to really scrutinize him, his disguise should hold¡ªbut, if it didn¡¯t, he¡¯d die here.

    Thankfully, nothing happened. Fiend King¡¯s gaze only stopped on him briefly before moving on.

    ¡°New faces,¡± he said in his dark, sharp voice.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°We had quite a few talents recently,¡± Great Silver replied.

    ¡°I hope they perform well in the Hall of Trials.¡±

    ¡°So do I, Fiend King.¡±

    As the two Overlords stood face-to-face, their Daos warring routinely in mid-air, the differences between them were sharp. Great Silver was old, wise, and thoughtful. The Fiend King was aggressive, deadly, brutal. So was the group following him. Contrary to the Great Silver faction, the Fiend King elites were made up of devilish monsters, most sporting sharp claws or deadly, drooling fangs. In comparison, Great Silver¡¯s group looked random and mismatched¡ªthough they didn¡¯t lose out in actual strength.

    The two people Jack paid special attention to were a yellow-eyed, hellhound-looking monster¡ªthe Fiend King¡¯s Grand Elder¡ªas well as a humanoid devil similar to Fiend King in appearance, except instead of demonic he was extraordinarily handsome.

    ¡°Listen up,¡± Strawpin said, arriving to Jack¡¯s side. ¡°That guy over there is Fiend Prince, their head disciple. His father is Fiend King, and he¡¯s said to be the future of the faction. His talent is extreme. People say his battle power is already at the early Autarch level, though I don¡¯t believe that. Be careful of him. His schemes run deep.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Jack replied. If this guy was at the early A-Grade level at most, he wasn¡¯t a threat. Since Strawpin found that level of strength hard to believe, neither was she. His real opponents would be the Elders.

    Strawpin kept giving him a rundown of the enemy forces, but nothing he paid attention to. The disciples were unremarkable, besides the Fiend Prince, and there was no one too special among the Elders either.

    He did appreciate her advice, though. Maybe she was less of a bitch than he thought.

    As long as I don¡¯t run into the Overlords or Grand Elders, I have room to struggle, he planned. For the late A-Grades, I¡¯ll have to judge case-by-case. I can probably escape some of them, but not all. As for the middle A-Grades, even if I can¡¯t beat them, I can still run away. Just need to take care of Brock and Starhair.

    I¡¯ve come a long way, haven¡¯t I?

    Fiend King and Great Silver had exchanged a few more words before returning to their respective factions. It was a good reminder that they weren¡¯t really enemies, only rivals¡ªat least, while the Second Crusade roamed outside their world.

    ¡°Listen up,¡± Great Silver said. Watching a dragon speak was more surreal than Jack expected. ¡°We will descend into the Dark Canal now. I want everyone to remember their missions. Elders, travel in your assigned teams and gather as many resources as possible. For this particular delve, I expect you to take more calculated risks than usual. Disciples, remember that even the weakest creatures down there can threaten your lives. Remain close to your accompanying Elders at all times and be extremely careful until you reach the Hall of Trials. After that, your fate will depend on you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord!¡± everyone shouted at once.

    ¡°Finally, leaving the Canal alone is dangerous, so we¡¯ll meet up at the entrance location in ten years. I¡¯ll escort you all out. If you miss that appointment, you¡¯re on your own.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The dragon¡¯s face warped in an ancient smile. ¡°I wish you all luck, and a bountiful harvest.¡±

    The Fiend King was already done talking to his faction. Whatever he¡¯d said to them¡ªhis words had been isolated by a sound barrier¡ªthe devils looked ready to go.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Great Silver said, and both factions dove into the darkness.

    ***

    After all those descriptions and warnings, Jack expected the Dark Canal to be a zone of death, a monster-infested world where only A-Grades could survive.

    Yet, reality betrayed expectations. As they descended lower and lower into the darkness, they came upon a scene of desolation. The ocean cut through the canal like a raging river. The water was black and frothing, shooting into the sky every time it met rock. Stone islands rose from the water, stubbornly standing against the river flow, but they were empty. There were no creatures, no plants, no buildings, no monsters in sight besides themselves.

    The deeper they went, the denser the darkness. By the time they landed on the very first stone island, Jack¡¯s mighty perception couldn¡¯t spread further than a mile from his body. He was practically blind. As for the Dao pressure, it had shot up tremendously. Anyone below the peak B-Grade would simply be unable to fly, and even a less talented peak B-Grade might struggle.

    In a Dao thousands of times denser than normal, any lower level cultivators would either implode or be completely immobilized. The air here was harder than regular concrete.

    Jack turned to the woman beside him. ¡°I have so many questions.¡±

    ¡°Shoot,¡± Strawpin said, looking around warily.

    ¡°Why did we all enter from the same spot? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer for us disciples to go directly to that Hall of Trials?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t. The rules governing the Dark Canal are mysterious and strict. All we know is that this island below us is the starting point¡ªthe people who attempt to enter from anywhere else simply disappear. Even the two ends of the canal, where the water goes in and out, are dead zones. Don¡¯t go that way. And, this goes without saying, but don¡¯t enter the water either. It¡¯s much more dangerous than the islands. Also pointless¡ªthere¡¯s nothing down there.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack replied. He was glad he ran into the once-in-a-thousand-years Canal Delve. Otherwise, he would have arrived here by himself at some point, and he might have had an accident trying to enter.

    Then again, maybe not. He¡¯d be prudent enough to gather information first.

    ¡°Just how powerful is this place?¡± he asked. ¡°Autarchs stand at the top of the world, but I feel like they¡¯re considered normal here.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Canal is the origin and core of our entire world,¡± Strawpin replied, the reverence evident in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s only natural for this place to be made for Autarchs, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­ What about that Hall of Trials?¡± he asked the burning question. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Strawpin gave him a piercing look. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°It never came up.¡±

    Calculations shone in her eyes, She stared for a few moments before looking away and replying, ¡°The Hall of Trials is the world¡¯s greatest cultivation haven. Every monster who knows about it yearns to enter, but almost nobody can. According to legend, it was established by the creator of our world, and it contains inheritances at the absolute highest level. Everyone who enters is transformed. It is no exaggeration to say that a monster¡¯s level of success in the Hall of Trials shapes their entire future.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, it¡¯s kind of a big deal.¡±

    She once again glared at him. ¡°Yes, Jack. It¡¯s kind of a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Jack!¡± Venerable Saint Thousand Shell screamed in his mind. ¡°She mentioned the creator of this world! Ask her more!¡±

    ¡°I was planning to,¡± he replied, then turned back to Strawpin. ¡°You mentioned the creator of this world,¡± he said. ¡°So, it really was created by someone?¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the legend. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not. All I can tell you is that, while our world and its entrance seal could be natural, the Hall of Trials is definitely not. Someone made it¡ªand they were far stronger than even the current Overlords.¡±

 Chapter 521: Exploring the Dark Canal

    Soon after they landed in the Dark Canal, everyone broke off. The Elders of both factions rushed in all directions¡ªstepping on the wind, teleporting, or running on four legs¡ªwhile even the Overlords parted space and disappeared. Soon, the only ones left were the B-Grade disciples¡ªeighteen people in total¡ªand their accompanying Elders.

    Jack inspected these Elders. Each faction had sent one middle A-Grade and two low A-Grades. It was a considerable force, enough to deal with most threats the Dark Canal could throw their way¡ªassuming they didn¡¯t push their luck. To Jack¡¯s disappointment, Elder Puerto wasn¡¯t present. Elder Owlhead was. He stood with his muscular arms crossed and face looking straight ahead as if cosplaying some ancient Egyptian god.

    Besides Elder Owlhead, who was the leader of their faction¡¯s side at the middle A-Grade, Great Silver had sent two early A-Grade Elders: a shapeless brown blob with limbs and eyes swimming over its surface, and a scantily-clad, female double devil. Jack wondered if she also possessed two sets of genitals, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.

    On the other side was a four-legged beast wrought of shadow. Darkness made up its body, dancing over it like flames, while wicked red eyes shone from within. It was the middle A-Grade Elder of the Fiend King faction, flanked by two early A-Grade Elders resembling the classical devil of Earth mythology¡ªcurved horns, bat wings, triangular-tipped tail, trident in hand. Their body was bulky, red, and covered in black fur. Surprisingly, one of the two was short and chubby.

    These six Elders came together to oversee the eighteen disciples headed by Strawpin and Fiend Prince.

    ¡°We will now head towards the Hall of Trials,¡± Owlhead said in a neutral voice. Jack liked this guy. He seemed impassive but fair. ¡°As you all know, its location changes every delve. We will wander in its general direction until we Elders sense the Dao ripples it gives off, then we¡¯ll make a beeline for it. This is not a resource-gathering trip¡ªthe Dark Canal is too dangerous for Barons. Just follow us, stay in line, and pray we don¡¯t run into anything too strong.¡±

    Jack raised a brow at that. He leaned towards the nearby Strawpin, whispering, ¡°Does that really happen?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Even late and peak Autarchs can disappear in the Dark Canal. It¡¯s not unheard of for the entire disciple group to go missing¡ªthough it¡¯s certainly rare.¡±

    ¡°I wish something was easy for once.¡±

    ¡°Relax. The Elders are powerful¡ªthey¡¯ll keep us safe as long as we just stick close.¡±

    How could she know that Jack was planning to do the exact opposite? Playing it safe wasn¡¯t his style. The Dark Canal was filled with other opportunities, and he had the power of a middle A-Grade. He could look for them. If he stuck with this group, sure he¡¯d reach the Hall of Trials, but he¡¯d miss everything else on the way.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving these guys. Will you follow?¡± he asked Brock and Starhair telepathically.

    Starhair hesitated. ¡°I¡¯d rather follow you than strangers,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°I go where my big bro goes,¡± Brock replied. ¡°And if we want to rejoin the group later, I can track them down.¡±

    ¡°You can?¡±

    ¡°Some of these disciples are my bros. I¡¯m aware of their general direction.¡±

    ¡°Really!? How long have you had this skill for?¡±

    ¡°Since forever. Why?¡±

    ¡°...Nevermind.¡±

    Owlhead and the shadow beast¡ªapparently called Elder Shadowhound¡ªwere giving a set of careful instructions to the group, but Jack didn¡¯t care much. ¡°Can we leave the group if we think we see an opportunity?¡± he asked.

    Elder Owlhead struck him with a stare. ¡°If you break off, we won¡¯t save you,¡± he replied.

    Jack nodded. Then, without another word, he turned into a streak of purple light which vanished in the distance. Brock and Starhair followed a beat later.

    The rest of the group was left stunned. Elder Shadowhound laughed, the sound like a malefic hyena. ¡°What arrogant disciples you have, Owlhead,¡± it said. ¡°Your faction sure enjoys humiliating itself!¡±

    Its voice was gravely, much unlike its laughter. Owlhead remained silent, his gaze stuck where Jack and the others had disappeared. Strawpin was looking in the same direction¡ªher eyes filled with shame and anger.

    Good riddance, she thought to herself. It¡¯s bad enough that you took three of our spots¡­but you did it just to suicide immediately!?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± was all Owlhead said, leading their group into the darkness.

    ***

    The Dark Canal was a massive, frothing mass of water. Stone islands floated on its surface, their positions haphazard.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    The first thing Jack realized was that these stones weren¡¯t really islands. Nothing connected them to the bottom of the ocean. They simply floated on the surface, slowly moving in random directions and tipping over when pressure was applied on their sides. Yet, for all intents and purposes, they felt exactly like stone.

    Jack had no idea what magic kept them afloat¡ªor why their speed and direction seemed completely irrelevant to the frantic water below.

    Each stone island was only a few miles across¡ªa normally insignificant distance to people of their level, yet proportions changed under the massive pressure. In the Dark Canal, where the Dao was suffocatingly dense, Jack needed a few seconds to fly over each island. Teleporting was out of the question. Not only did the dense Dao prevent him from moving long distances and make the process exhausting, but he also had no intention of teleporting outside his perception range. That would be blindingly stupid.

    The three of them resembled rays of light as they flew over the dark ocean. Each stone island was small, but the distances between them were random. Some were almost touching each other. Others were tens of miles apart. Given that the Dark Canal was a thousand miles wide and several thousand long, the area they had to cover was tremendously large.

    Even half an hour into flying, they¡¯d run into neither opportunities nor monsters. Starhair was the first to break the silence.

    ¡°Maybe we should¡ª¡±

    Before he finished his words, a dark pink tentacle burst out of the water below, intercepting him and wrapping around his body. He made a sharp shriek as it pulled him downward.

    Jack reacted instantly. Before the tentacle could retract, a Meteor Punch erupted on its middle part, cutting it clean off and releasing Starhair. The explosion was far weaker than usual¡ªit was more like a grenade than a meteor, and the energy ripples only spread for a few miles before getting suppressed by the ambient Dao.

    ¡°Behind me!¡± Jack shouted. Eleven more tentacles emerged from the water, surrounding him¡ªwhich meant that the monster¡¯s body was directly below him. He readied his punch and smashed it down. Supernova exploded against the ocean. Dark water shot in all directions, revealing the shrieking mouth of a creature straight out of a nightmare. While it possessed twelve tentacles¡ªnow eleven¡ªits body was that of a manta ray, hiding flat right below the water surface. Most of it was just a wide, gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth. Starhair had been instants away from getting devoured.

    Jack¡¯s punch had smashed right into the monster¡¯s mouth, piercing it and exploding out the other side. The monster rocked in angry panic, smashing down on him with each of its eleven remaining tentacles. A golden brorilla appeared for each of them.

    ¡°We got you, bro!¡± they said in unison, using their bare arms to wrestle the tentacles. Jack used this time, when the monster couldn¡¯t move, to unleash a barrage of punches at it. Holes appeared on its thin body. Black blood merged with the water.

    Jack¡¯s strikes hadn¡¯t been random. They traced a line of holes across the monster¡¯s midsection. Finally, it couldn¡¯t take it any more, and it ripped in two, spilling multi-colored juices on the water. Jack could sense they were radioactive, though that didn¡¯t affect him. The tentacles seized before losing their power, and the monster¡¯s entire body crumbled, crushed by the immense pressure the moment its Dao dissipated.

    Soon, only a core remained, alongside a frightened Starhair. ¡°I almost died,¡± he kept muttering. ¡°That thing almost killed me. In an instant!¡±

    Jack made a grasping motion, pulling the monster¡¯s core out of the water and into his hand. ¡°Early A-Grade,¡± he said. ¡°Not particularly strong though. Can any of you use a chaos-attuned core?¡±

    ¡°Not me,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t either,¡± Starhair replied, snapping out of his fright. ¡°Did you guys see that? The thing almost killed me! It came without warning!¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯t compatible with the core either. He pocketed it, replying, ¡°You should be careful.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do much. I¡¯m not a monster like you two¡ªan A-Grade enemy can instantly destroy me!¡±

    ¡°I know. Just stay close to us, and we¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    Starhair muttered something under his breath, the sound unintelligible, then scuttered closer to Jack like a wet cat. A rancid smell hit Jack the moment Starhair approached¡ªthe octopus monster had covered him in some foul liquid when it grabbed him.

    Brock was still staring at the water below them. ¡°So strong¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied, his face stony. They weren¡¯t referring to the octopus. An A-Grade monster had randomly attacked them in the middle of nowhere. That was the very apex of power, enough to become an Elder in the greatest factions of the universe, yet here it was only the level of common mobs.

    Just what kind of place was this Dark Canal? How powerful was it? How high-level?

    Like a peak A-Grade dungeon¡­ Jack realized with a shiver. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t feel as confident anymore. Early A-Grade monsters were fine. They¡¯d probably be able to defeat middle A-Grades as well, since they were slightly weaker than cultivators of the same level. However, if they ran into a late A-Grade or peak A-Grade monster¡­ They might die.

    ¡°Should we join back with the group?¡± Starhair suggested, following Jack¡¯s reasoning.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°If a late A-Grade monster appears, being with the group won¡¯t save us. The strongest Elder was only middle A-Grade. If anything, the group is larger, so it draws more attention. Traveling by ourselves is the safest option.¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯re unlucky?¡±

    ¡°Then we can only blame our bad fortune,¡± Jack replied, shrugging. ¡°You cannot escape chance. Sometimes, all you can do is hope.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡± Starhair said, but there was nothing anyone could do. Jack was right. The safest way forward was alone.

    The next hour was peaceful. They¡¯d kept moving deeper into the Canal, though at an odd angle. It wasn¡¯t the fastest way forward, but it meant they had less chances of running into other cultivators. After all, in this perception-isolating darkness, allied and enemy Elders could be just as dangerous as the native monsters.

    They did run into another early A-Grade monster. It was an amorphous mass of eyes and twisting limbs¡ªas if the monster was trying to imitate human arms but wasn¡¯t sure what they looked like. Jack and Brock took out this monster as well.

    They were beginning to see a pattern now. The mindless monsters infesting this place were much closer to the universe¡¯s space monsters than the usual residents of this world. Was there a point to this comparison? Or was it coincidence?

    In fact, as they traveled, Jack realized this entire place was very similar to the Space Ring of Trial Planet. A large darkness filled with bubbles of safety, between which prowled chaotic space monsters. Was it possible that Archon Black Hole, who¡¯d participated in creating Trial Planet, had heard of this place?

    No¡ªif that was the case, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell would have known as well. This was either a convergence of laws or a coincidence. Jack withheld his judgment for now¡ªhe had a feeling it would become clear later on.

    Three hours into their exploration¡­something finally changed.

 Chapter 522: Fighting for Treasure

    Roots spread over the stone island. Gnarly, twisting things, colored a bright green which stood in contrast with the dark waters below. The roots wrapped around the island surface and dove into the water, from which they absorbed energy. Massive bulges came from the parts steeped in the ocean, then traveled the length of the root backward until they reached the thing in its center.

    And what a thing it was. A massive vine, all green and no flowers. Its slender body wrapped tightly around itself, climbing three hundred feet into the sky, made of multiple smaller vines coiling and uncoiling around each other as if strangling something at the very center.

    Intense life energy radiated from the vine. Jack had sensed it from a dozen stone islands away¡ªwhatever this was, it had to be extremely precious!

    ¡°What do you think, bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Worth it?¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The vine itself doesn¡¯t seem sentient. The problem is that guy.¡±

    A huge snake was wrapped around the base of the vine. Its massive scaly body rose and fell with each breath, the snake obviously asleep. They couldn¡¯t see its head, but its body was a hundred feet in width, the same gray color as the stone beneath. If it wasn¡¯t coiled around the green vine, it might as well have been invisible. Even now, Jack could see it with his perception, but he couldn¡¯t detect any energy coming from it.

    An ambush predator. A terrifying one. Unlike the tentacle creature they fought before, this snake had solidly stepped into the middle A-Grade.

    ¡°This monster is strong enough to rule its own galaxy,¡± Starhair said. ¡°Yet, here it is, guarding a plant.¡±

    ¡°This place is blown out of proportion,¡± Jack agreed, slowly standing. ¡°I have no idea why, but I hope to find out. For now, let¡¯s kill this thing.¡±

    ¡°How about you kill it and I watch?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I meant. Let¡¯s go, Brock!¡±

    The two of them shot out. Water rippled under them. Jack¡¯s body flashed with green and purple, activating the Life Drop Transformation even as the power of the Fist coursed through his body.

    Brock glowed, a massive golden brorilla manifesting around him like a monkey buddha. Chanting flowed from its mouth. The words were unintelligible, but as they spread through the air, the sound turned into more brorillas, which gained sentience and rushed to surround the snake.

    Its eyes snapped open. Vertical irises split a red gaze as the snake opened its massive mouth to hiss at them. However, at such a small distance, getting caught off-guard was nasty. Jack¡¯s Supernova smashed into the snake¡¯s midsection, bending its entire body¡ªhowever, its flexibility absorbed the impact. As its mouth snapped open, all air in its body escaping due to Jack¡¯s strike, a host of brorillas flew into it. They started kicking and punching at the snake¡¯s gums, a particular trio wrestling its forked tongue. They were more annoyances than threats¡ªBrock didn¡¯t yet possess the power to harm a middle A-Grade opponent. His brorillas dealt the same damage as a mosquito to a human.

    The snake honed its glare on Brock. He wobbled¡ªthe massive brorilla phantom around him shuddered, almost dissipating before solidifying its form. An instant of surprise passed through the snake¡¯s gaze before it lunged, fangs open wide to swallow. It snapped them at Brock¡ªand came up short. It couldn¡¯t reach.

    Jack was standing on the snake¡¯s body, pinning it to the ground under his immense weight. After fully activating Neuron Star Body, even he didn¡¯t know how much he weighed, but it had to be at least several thousand tons. Given the Dark Canal¡¯s extreme Dao density, which amplified gravity, he was like a mountain range. The snake needed a moment to shake him off¡ªa moment it wouldn¡¯t have.

    Jack wasn¡¯t just standing. He¡¯d been charging up a massive strike. A transparent bubble of space spread around his fist, compressing in pulses. The sound spread through the air, an ominous ¡°pong, pong, pong.¡± As the snake turned back to look, it found the bubble reduced to the size of Jack¡¯s fist, which had long collapsed under the pressure of space. Dark foam was slowly emerging¡ªa power which gave even the snake pause.

    Its enormous body whipped up. When it was actually trying, even Jack¡¯s immense weight mattered little. He flew off, but not before completing his strike. ¡°Black Hole!¡± he screamed, jamming the newborn black hole into the snake¡¯s slithering body. A hissing, melting sound followed.

    The strike had burrowed deep, sucking in the snake¡¯s scales, flesh, and blood. Jack glimpsed at a pulsing red interior, every inch of flesh moving independently to avoid the black hole. Green blood shot out. Some of it flew towards Jack, who punched it away. The rest landed on the stone beneath them, corroding it instantly and reaching the ocean below, where endless steam arose.

    Brock was lucky the snake¡¯s bite hadn¡¯t landed.

    As Jack was retreating at top speed, the black hole reached its limit and exploded. Dark foam escaped in all directions. The snake hissed in pain, the sound almost human, as an entire section of its body disappeared. It was split in two. Even the stone island below them vanished for a mile radius, including part of the vine¡¯s roots.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Jack grinned at the destruction. This was a hastily made black hole, not one he¡¯d fully charged¡ªyet it had grievously injured a middle A-Grade opponent.

    Of course, this mindless snake might possess the powers of a middle A-Grade, but that didn¡¯t make it equivalent to a cultivator of that level. A proper cultivator would possess a vast wealth of battle experience, wisdom, tactics, and strategy. They would optimize their powers to the limit of possibility. For example, they¡¯d never ignore Jack and let him charge up such a powerful strike.

    Just as he gloated over the snake¡¯s idiocy, however, Jack realized he¡¯d made a mistake himself: the battle was not over. Intense energy erupted from both halves of the snake. They were both alive. The head part extended to once again lash at Brock, fangs poised to bite down on him. Meanwhile, the snake¡¯s bottom half flew at Jack¡ªgreen blood shot from its open wound like a geyser, melting anything it touched.

    This time, the snake¡¯s head succeeded in reaching Brock. He had little time to react. Sharp fangs wrapped around the golden brorilla, thankfully not wide enough to swallow it. They still pierced into the golden glow. Green liquid poured out, corroding the gold. Brock roared, veins bulging out on his forehead. ¡°Bros, lend me your power!¡± he shouted.

    The many smaller brorillas he¡¯d conjured before turned into rays of golden light which shot into the massive brorilla phantom. Its brightness intensified, yet there was nothing Brock could do to escape. He was grappled, and the snake¡¯s sharp gaze somehow magically rooted him in place. All he could do was defend, and hope the acid never reached him.

    He gritted his teeth and held on.

    As the snake¡¯s back half fell onto Jack, green blood sprouting from the open wound, he realized they were both in danger.

    ¡°Supernova!¡± he shouted, smashing out a punch. The strike pushed away the acid and burrowed into the beast¡¯s open body, causing massive damage but not slowing it down. It didn¡¯t care. It knew it was already dead¡ªall it wanted now was to take them with it.

    Jack¡¯s goal hadn¡¯t been to push the beast away. Facing the charging open wound, all he needed was to repel the acid. He utilized the few instants he earned to warp space, spending a massive amount of energy to teleport out of the way. He reappeared behind it.

    The snake¡¯s tail was also enormous, over a hundred feet in width. It wasn¡¯t something a human could grab onto, but Jack was no ordinary human. Arms of the Dao appeared around it. Jack grabbed the space before him, the purple arms mimicking the option. He could feel the massive strength between his hands, the snake struggling to escape. However, he was also strong. His twelve thousand Strength was not for show.

    Veins bulged. His muscles went taut, and tendons threatened to rip. Jack ignored all those to grasp firmly onto the snake¡¯s tail and spin his body around, pulling it forcefully through the air. The open wound on the other side spilled acid everywhere. The island was riddled with holes. Half the roots had melted.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Jack shouted. He endured the tension and focused all his power on flinging the snake, sending it flying towards its front half, which had almost penetrated Brock¡¯s defenses. The two halves of the snake reunited in unexpected fashion, wrapping around each other and attacking itself in blind panic. The momentum threw the snake¡¯s head off Brock, letting him escape.

    A supernova erupted where the two halves met. A massive explosion followed. An entire half of the stone island collapsed into the water, unable to endure the impact, while the snake¡¯s two halves squirmed and hissed, their energy depleted. They flopped on what remained of the ground, then lay lifeless. The back half sank into the dark waters.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Brock said, panting on the stone. The massive phantom around him had dissipated¡ªdefending against the acid for a few instants had sucked his energy dry.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Jack replied, wiping the sweat off his brow. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Starhair flew their way from the distance. ¡°Well done!¡± he shouted. ¡°You guys were awesome!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jack gave a tired smile. ¡°Let¡¯s check our spoils.¡±

    Warily, he approached the vine. He half-expected it to come alive and swing its roots at him, but nothing happened. Instead, as he walked closer, he noticed that the battle just now, while brief, had dealt a lot of damage to the environment. Half the vine¡¯s roots had melted or been destroyed, and so had part of its main body. Green juices flowed freely onto the stone. Through a hole in the vine, a heart formed of twisted roots could be seen in its middle, beating frantically in its attempt to save the plant.

    Jack sighed. Why do I feel bad about a vine? he asked himself as he reached into the plant and removed the heart. Despite the vine¡¯s size, the heart was only the size of Jack¡¯s torso¡ªhe inspected it, sensing the rich life energy it contained, then put it away.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he muttered.

    By his estimations, this heart contained about as much power as a middle A-Grade core. Speaking of which¡­

    He turned back towards the snake, only to find that Brock had already fished out its core¡ªa dark green thing reeking of death and poison. Jack smiled. ¡°Well done, Brock! The core is useless to all three us, but the heart could be useful. You can have it. It wouldn¡¯t matter much to me anywa¡ª¡±

    The ocean ahead of them exploded before he could finish his words. A giant shark shot out of the water, making a tight curve in the air and falling towards their island mouth-first. It was easily large enough to swallow what remained of the stone island. It was also a late A-Grade monster. The snake¡¯s tail from before hung out the side of its mouth, the powerful acid not even tickling the shark¡¯s interior.

    Jack entered battle mode instantly. This was too powerful a creature, and it was approaching too fast. It would eat them up. He had to take the others and¡ª

    The darkness above their heads parted. A massive shape swooped down, grabbing the shark in its even larger jaws and crunching. The late A-Grade creature released a pained roar¡ªa torrent of energy, whose attunement Jack couldn¡¯t identify, pushed through the shark¡¯s body and tore it apart. The now-dead shark turned into silver motes of light which disappeared into the larger creature¡¯s mouth.

    As the creature landed on their stone island, tipping it over by its sheer weight, Jack was frozen. This was an Archon-level existence. An Overlord.

    It was a silver dragon.

 Chapter 523: Starhairâ€™s Shake Up

    Jack stood frozen. All three of them did. The giant silver dragon opposite them didn¡¯t leave them much choice.

    It was a creature beyond large. In the dense Dao of the Dark Canal, he couldn¡¯t even wrap his perception around it. He quickly tried to calculate its size¡ªit had eaten the shark, which had eaten the snake, which was several miles long.

    God¡­

    If this thing wanted to harm them, there was nothing they¡¯d be able to do. It was an Archon-level existence. Jack¡¯s current power was woefully inadequate to even think about escaping.

    However, he had a feeling things wouldn¡¯t go that way.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous,¡± the creature¡¯s voice boomed, echoing for miles. There was a hint of amusement to it. ¡°Or, should I say¡­ Jack Rust.¡±

    Its body began to shrink. From countless miles tall, it grew shorter and shorter, until it was the size of a horse. Its power remained, however¡ªit could still squash them like flies.

    Jack was surprised at being seen through so easily. He leaned forward, giving the creature a respectful bow. ¡°Overlord Great Silver,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡±

    Starhair bowed as well, and so did Brock, though not as deeply.

    Now that it had shrunk, the Overlord¡¯s form was clearer. It was a silver dragon radiating moonlight. Leathery wings spread from its back, while all four of its legs ended in sharp claws¡ªlike a tiger given wings. Its face was aged, yet its eyes held more wisdom than ferocity. A sturdy gaze landed on Jack¡ªits weight pressing him down.

    ¡°What are you doing in my world, young human?¡± the Overlord asked. ¡°And why did you not present yourself to me, as you ought to?¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Overlord,¡± Jack said, scrambling to come up with a good response. If he didn¡¯t play his cards right here, they might all die. ¡°I made a mistake when I tried to sneak around. I was too afraid of you, and I ended up becoming disrespectful. Please accept my apologies.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The dragon rumbled, shaking the island below them. Jack noticed that, while he¡¯d grown smaller in size, the island remained tipped.

    ¡°You did not answer my first question,¡± the overlord insisted. ¡°What are you doing in my world?¡±

    ¡°I came here to gather experience.¡±

    ¡°And steal my faction¡¯s resources.¡±

    ¡°...I admit that was my intention as well. I bear no ill will against space monsters, but I have a duel to the death in twenty-five years, as well as a looming war threatening my entire universe. I will not lie to you¡ªmy mindset was to grasp as many benefits as possible and grow my cultivation in the shortest timespan.¡±

    ¡°You are wise not to lie,¡± Great Silver said.

    ¡°Would lying be any use?¡±

    The Overlord laughed. ¡°No, not at all.¡± He took a few steps forward, the stone groaning under his feet, and slowly approached Jack. ¡°That is a good disguise you have. It fooled me outside the Canal. A gift from your Arch Priestess?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That the cultivators of the universe have access to such means worries me, but it is not the present subject. The question now is¡­ Should I kill you?¡±

    Jack gulped. The face of the overlord loomed closer¡ªa pattern of old scales, some dark by the years, yet interspersed with sharp teeth and deep, knowledgeable eyes. While the real threat of Great Silver came from his cultivation, Jack¡¯s instincts responded to these superficial signs: the teeth, the eyes, the size, the silver steam escaping his mouth.

    Before Jack knew it, the overlord stood before him. He could be killed in an instant.

    Yet, Jack raised his head. ¡°We have infringed on your territory, Overlord. It would be reasonable to kill us.¡±

    The dragon face had no hair, yet the scales over his eyes moved like he was raising a brow. ¡°You sing the wrong tune, human. You should convince me to spare you, not eat you.¡±

    ¡°You should spare us. Not because you can¡¯t or shouldn¡¯t eat us, but because there is no benefit to you doing so.¡±

    ¡°And what benefit is there in sparing you?¡±

    ¡°We can help you. Your faction and the Fiend King¡¯s are contesting for resources, yes? With my status as a disciple, I could clear out several of the Fiend King¡¯s Barons and low-level Autarchs. Something that you, for all your power, cannot do without enraging the other Overlord.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Hmm. That is true. However, if the Immortals ever reach our world, we¡¯ll need every competent monster available. Fiend King and I are on the same page. We want to limit killing.¡±

    Jack felt his arguments grow distant. ¡°I can still secure resources for your faction, Overlord!¡±

    ¡°You probably can, but I don¡¯t want to get involved in your war. Neutrality suits us. If word got out that I¡¯m letting you grow stronger in my domain, our already precarious peace with the Immortals might be affected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be discreet. Let me participate in this Canal Delve, Overlord. If the Church grows stronger, you benefit as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourself. Before letting you participate, I should first decide not to eat you.¡±

    ¡°I believe big dragon bro has already made his mind,¡± Brock said, stepping forward to join the conversation. ¡°We will fight for you and be discreet. Nobody will know we were here. As big bro said, you benefit when the Church grows stronger. At the end of the day, only one faction in the universe seeks to conquer, and that is the Immortals.¡±

    The dragon regarded Brock with interest. ¡°You are a special one,¡± he said. ¡°Bold, both of you. How come your friend over there has pissed himself? Perhaps I should eat him so he doesn¡¯t slow you down?¡±

    Jack and Brock turned around, finding Starhair shivering, his face pale. He had never come face-to-face with death like this¡ªand this led to him shaming himself a little.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t eat him, overlord,¡± Jack pleaded. ¡°He is a good man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten my share of good people,¡± Great Silver rumbled. ¡°Regardless¡­ It is as you say. I prefer you getting stronger, if only to hope for a miracle. I know that we live on borrowed time. If the Immortals win, we might survive, but only while they show us mercy¡­¡±

    The Overlord¡¯s voice had fallen by the end, betraying sadness and aged helplessness.

    ¡°I want you to keep acting as my faction¡¯s disciples,¡± he said, adopting a commanding tone. ¡°Forget your greed and rejoin the group. You don¡¯t want to draw too much attention to yourself. Any treasure you earn, either from my faction or the other, will belong to you¡ªspace monsters believe in personal strength. Just limit the killing whenever possible. Remember this: the treasures of the Dark Canal are great, but they pale in comparison to the Hall of Trials. Your priority should be to survive until then. Don¡¯t take stupid risks.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord,¡± Jack and Brock replied as one.

    ¡°Mm, good. And, one more thing. If anybody realizes who you are, especially Fiend King¡­ I will end you immediately. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal, Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Your group is that way,¡± Great Silver spread a wing to indicate a direction. ¡°Make haste. When you reach them¡­¡± His voice lowered, as if giving them some secret. ¡°Don¡¯t rush to the Hall. Follow the Elders. This Delve will be¡­special.¡±

    ¡°Special, Overlord?¡±

    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±

    The dragon didn¡¯t wait for an answer. He shot into the sky, rapidly growing in size until he was larger than a mountain, then disappearing in the darkness far faster than Jack could achieve. In an instant, he was gone.

    Only then did Jack release his breath.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± he said, clutching his chest. ¡°I thought we were goners.¡±

    ¡°Did you really piss yourself, bro?¡± Brock asked Starhair, who was only now recovering from the shock.

    ¡°I¡­¡± He trailed off, his face becoming beet-red. He then clenched his jaw and said. ¡°So what? You got a problem?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Brock replied, smiling.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s still here?¡± Starhair turned to Jack, demonstrating commendable adaptability.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Jack responded. He looked around. ¡°He¡¯s an Overlord. If he wanted to hide, I couldn¡¯t find him¡­but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d stick around. His time is precious, and we have no reason to disobey his orders.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Starhair¡¯s body relaxed, and he slumped into a sitting position. ¡°By the Gods¡­¡± he muttered, holding his head. ¡°I was not ready for this. I¡¯m supposed to be back at our universe, fighting other B-Grades for the Church, not¡­whatever cross-Grade abomination this is.¡±

    Jack smiled at him. He walked closer, sitting beside the other man. ¡°Welcome to my world, Starhair,¡± he said. Despite the warmth of his smile, his gaze was distant, lost in past pain. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t easy. Since the start of my cultivation journey, over ten years ago, I¡¯ve been in a constant state of struggle. I¡¯ve made enemies far above my level and surpassed them. I¡¯ve braved countless dangers, risked my life like it meant nothing. The rewards made me who I am¡ªbut the price was high. Too much struggle can pollute the soul. Too much pain warps the individual.¡±

    Starhair listened attentively. Jack sighed, leaning back with his arms outstretched. His eyes saw past the ruined stone island around him, into the past.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my son, you know,¡± he said. ¡°Murdered, right in front of me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. His loss will never leave my heart, but I¡¯ve made peace with it. It was the greatest pain I¡¯ve ever experienced, far beyond a mere three years of absorbing the overlord core. Yet, though it was undoubtedly the greatest, there were many other great pains, all of which pushed me beyond my limits and scarred my heart. Insights don¡¯t come cheap.¡±

    He smiled ruefully.

    ¡°What I mean to say,¡± he continued, pulling himself away from reminiscing, ¡°is that the road to mastery is fraught with risk and suffering. It is not a path to be tread lightly. Yet, here you are now, and you have no choice but to walk down the same road Brock and I have. I wish things were different, but they aren¡¯t. You¡¯re already too deep¡ªyou will either swim or drown.¡±

    Jack ceased speaking, having said all he had to say. Starhair remained silent. His eyes were lost in thought, his heart beating like a drum. Getting thrust into a world of death would unsettle anybody.

    ¡°You are not alone though,¡± Brock added from the side. ¡°You have us. Your bros. If the entire world seems like it¡¯s abandoning you, you can always rely on us.¡±

    Starhair¡¯s eyes flickered. A spark was born inside them¡ªa cog turned, and his worldview shifted. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, shaking his head. He rose to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a group to catch up to.¡±

    Without waiting for a response, he turned into a ray of light and flew into the distance, the wind wiping his tears. His hair waved behind him¡ªsix strands of star-heavy power. Jack and Brock exchanged a smiling glance before following.

    In moments, the trio was gone, the ruined stone island left to its ruin.

 Chapter 524: Hidden Colors

    ¡°This way,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The three of them turned slightly, angling their flight path. They cut through the omnipresent darkness like arrows, the extremely dense Dao powerless to hinder their progress.

    Through Brock¡¯s Dao of Brohood, he could track the position of people who¡¯d become his bros¡ªto an extent. Thanks to the two weeks they spent in the camp before the Canal Delve, several of the other B-Grade disciples had been bebro¡¯d, which was how the trio planned to rejoin the disciple group heading for the Hall of Trials.

    ¡°How far away do you think the actual Hall is?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only traveled ten percent into the Dark Canal,¡± Jack calculated. ¡°However, we were traveling diagonally and also fighting sometimes. If the group flew straight ahead at the speed of the slowest disciple, they must have crossed double that distance by now. I suspect we¡¯ll catch up in an hour, at around thirty percent of the way to the end of the Dark Canal.¡±

    The Canal was a thousand miles wide and several thousand long. With their perceptions and speed greatly limited by the extreme Dao density, exploring its entire area was close to impossible. Traveling down to its end, however, was simpler. All they had to do was fly straight ahead. Barring the various monsters blocking the path, it would take less than a day.

    ¡°Not that easy,¡± Brock said, furrowing his brows. ¡°The location of our bros jumps left and right¡ªspace is warped.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack said in surprise. He focused his perception into the folds of space. At this point, he could be considered an expert on par with A-Grade space cultivators. Few people in the universe could claim to surpass him in this regard. However, even when actively looking for distortions, he came up with nothing. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°Space looks fine to me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s warped up ahead, between us and them,¡± Brock replied. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Be careful.¡±

    The three fell silent, tirelessly shooting forward. The occasional monster attacked them, but, with the exception of a middle A-Grade one, they were all at the early A-Grade and easily disposed of. Besides the many cores, they ran into no treasure.

    The more they flew, however, the more Brock¡¯s suspicions seemed true. They¡¯d been flying for several hours. According to Jack¡¯s calculations, they should have already caught up, yet the group remained far away.

    ¡°How?¡± Jack asked, struggling to wrap his mind around it. ¡°Even an Archon specializing in Space would struggle to set up such an elaborate distortion. It covers such a great area, and I can¡¯t detect it? Wow.¡±

    Another thirty minutes later, Jack creased his brow. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. They instantly came to a stop. The darkness around them looked exactly the same as before, as did the frothing waters below.

    ¡°What?¡± Starhair asked. ¡°Did you find the space distortion?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jack replied. ¡°But I sense something else. A calling. Like a very faint stream of Dao emitted from far up ahead.¡± He paused. ¡°It¡¯s the most powerful Dao I¡¯ve ever felt.¡±

    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°Maybe the Hall of Trials? Elder Owlhead did mention he could sense it when close-by.¡±

    The power of one¡¯s Dao perception relied primarily on their cultivation level, as well as their specific Dao specialties and overall power. Jack cultivated Space, amongst other stuff, so his perception was more sensitive than most. Coupled with his overwhelming power for his Grade, he was probably sharper than any other B-Grade.

    Brock and Starhair focused but got nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Jack said. ¡°If it comes from the Hall of Trials, we¡¯ll catch up with the others anyway.¡±

    Shortly afterwards, however, they paused again. The location of Brock¡¯s disciple bros had originally been aligned with the Dao stream Jack was sensing, but as time passed, they began to diverge.

    ¡°They turned,¡± Brock said, cupping his chin. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Strange. Since they were headed in this direction, the Dao stream really must be the Hall of Trials. Why would they turn away now? If I can sense it, the Elders guiding the group definitely can as well.¡±

    The three glanced at each other, but there was nothing else to deduce.

    ¡°What do we do, big bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Do we go after your sense or the disciple group?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for the group,¡± Jack decided. ¡°Whatever this Dao stream is, we have to prioritize finding them. Great Silver was clear¡ªwe disobey, we die. Even if it is the Hall of Trials, maybe the Elders just know a safer way forward.¡±

    Brock and Starhair nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    The disciple group kept diverging from the path to the suspected Hall of Trials. At first, Jack thought they were just choosing another direction to approach from, but as time passed it became clear that was not the case. They were circling it at a radius. Why?

    ¡°Everything will be answered once we find them,¡± Jack said, accelerating. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    Their distance to the group shortened rapidly. At some point, however, an odd change took place.

    The stone islands gave way to dirt ones. It was fascinating. Stepping on them felt like standing on actual land, yet they floated undisturbed in the aggressive waters of the Canal.

    Jack tapped the ground a few times with his foot. ¡°Not giving way,¡± he noticed. ¡°Think it¡¯s normal?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s normal here, bro,¡± Brock replied. He scooped a handful of dirt from the ground and placed it in his mouth. ¡°Mhm,¡± he said, spitting it out. ¡°Tastes like dirt.¡±

    ¡°...Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°How else would I know its taste?¡±

    ¡°You know what? Nevermind. What do you think, guys? Should we return to the stone islands or keep going?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡­¡± Starhair said, gazing at the ground with suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be stone islands. The Elders made it clear.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a treasure,¡± Jack ventured a guess.

    ¡°Or a monster. I say we turn back and find another way.¡±

    ¡°We can fight monsters, but we shouldn¡¯t miss treasures,¡± Brock said. ¡°I say we continue.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Brock,¡± Jack said. ¡°In any case, the group went this way, so how dangerous could it be?¡±

    ¡°I can sense they¡¯re very close,¡± Brock added.

    Starhair sighed. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The three took to the air again. They were no longer attacked by monsters. Instead, their path took them deeper into the dirt island region, where a faint musty smell hung in the air.

    They were on high alert. Clearly, something was wrong here¡ªbut what?

    ***

    Strawpin accelerated, pushing her way to the front of the group, next to Elder Owlhead. The wind threatened to steal her straw hat, but who was she to let it?

    ¡°Elder!¡± she called out. ¡°Excuse me for my bluntness, but are you sure this is the right way?¡±

    Elder Owlhead turned his head ninety degrees. His still gaze was unnerving. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve read the records on previous delves. There has never been a different biome before the Hall.¡± She gestured below them, where endless dirt islands stretched out. ¡°I fear this is either the lair of a powerful monster or the birthplace of some great treasure. In either case¡­ It is not something we should be approaching.¡±

    Owlhead remained silent. Just when Strawpin thought he¡¯d never reply, he did. ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°Just¡­ I want to make sure we¡¯re on the right track.¡±

    ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Thank you for your time, Elder.¡±

    Owlhead watched Strawpin return to her place at the back of the line, near the Fiend Prince. They didn¡¯t look at each other. The Elder kept his gaze on them for a while before turning his head a hundred and eighty degrees to face the front.

    ¡°They¡¯re beginning to suspect,¡± he said telepathically.

    ¡°Hehehe. And so what? They¡¯re disciples¡ªtheir opinion weighs little. It was the Overlords who asked us to delay reaching the Hall, so we¡¯ll be fine no matter what.¡± Elder Shadowhound¡¯s voice echoed in Owlhead¡¯s mind, dark and shady.

    ¡°I know,¡± he replied, ¡°but their unrest can backfire. Maybe we should leave this biome.¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid? Dirt islands over such a large area¡­ This is unheard of! Who knows what treasure lies at its core? With our means, we¡¯ll be safe against pretty much anything. We might as well use this chance to get rich!¡±

    ¡°And the disciples?¡± Owlhead asked.

    ¡°The disciples will obey us. If they become a problem¡­¡± Under its shadows, Elder Shadowhound¡¯s mouth curved into a sinister grin. ¡°The strong will prey on the weak. That is the way of our world, and blasted be the faction rules. No witnesses, no crime.¡±

    Owlhead considered it. ¡°Alright,¡± he replied, and the group carried on, deeper and deeper into the dirt island area.

    ***

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair zoomed through the Dark Canal.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Brock said suddenly. The darkness split before them¡ªtwenty-some figures were revealed in the distance, calmly flying forward. As Jack laid eyes on them, they paused, the leading Elders turning to regard the new arrivals.

    ¡°You survived,¡± Elder Owlhead said.

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Jack replied. Sorry for worrying you.¡±

    ¡°Worrying? We laughed at your misfortune!¡± Elder Shadowhound added, chuckling darkly. ¡°You sure are arrogant. First you ditch the group to go hunting for treasures alone, then when you fail, you return with your tail between your legs and expect to be taken back in. What do you think we are, for you to come and go as you like!?¡±

    Facing the Elder¡¯s chiding, Jack frowned. He had no intention of being meek¡ªdoing so before Overlord Great Silver was already testing the limits of his patience. To someone of similar strength to himself, Jack wouldn¡¯t necessarily start a conflict, but he¡¯d certainly bite back if challenged.

    ¡°I thought I could come and go as I like,¡± he said. ¡°If we are welcome, let us join you. If not, let us know so we can move on. Why waste everyone¡¯s time on pointless drivel?¡±

    ¡°Drivel!? Good, good, good, Jack Monstrous! You got guts!¡±

    The Elder¡¯s aura blazed forth. It wasn¡¯t just a warning¡ªhe aimed to push Jack into the water, a truly dangerous notion. Jack frowned and was about to defend, but another aura rose to shield him, Elder Owlhead appearing right in front of him.

    ¡°Please calm down, Elder Shadowhound,¡± he said. ¡°These disciples made a mistake. It is good enough that they survived to rejoin us. Let the issue rest.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re too calm, Owlhead! You should vent a little every once in a while!¡±

    ¡°I follow my faction¡¯s command,¡± Owlhead replied calmly. Shadowhound snorted and turned around, leading the group onward.

    Jack turned to Elder Owlhead. ¡°Thank you for protecting me, Elder,¡± he said.

    ¡°You are a disciple of my faction. Of course I would protect you,¡± the Elder replied, his inquisitive eyes not leaving Jack¡¯s. ¡°You were lucky enough to miss all monsters, but that won¡¯t happen again. Stay with us from now on.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Owlhead nodded, then teleported back to the front of the group, leading everyone alongside Elder Shadowhound. The two flew close together despite their heated exchange.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this person,¡± Brock said telepathically.

    ¡°Why?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°His aura is wrong. Something about it. My bro sense is tingling.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Alright. I don¡¯t see it, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out.¡±

    They quickly caught up to the tail end of the group and slowed down to match their pace. Coincidentally, Strawpin was at the tail end as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky,¡± she said. ¡°When I saw you leave, I thought you¡¯d just wasted three of the faction¡¯s spots to suicide. Only blind luck saved you. To be honest, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m happy or disappointed you survived.¡±

    ¡°Sweet words,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Come now, Strawpin. Don¡¯t be a bitch.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me!?¡±

    Snorting laughter came from the side. ¡°Suits you right,¡± Fiend Prince said, his commanding voice spreading easily. ¡°That¡¯s no way to speak to your fellow disciples.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not¡ª Screw you, Prince. Shut your mouth. And you, Jack Monstrous¡ªnext time you do something stupid like that, the native monsters won¡¯t even need to lift a finger. I¡¯ll deal with you myself for wasting sect resources.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jack replied disinterestedly, then ignored her as he flew forward. He had a certain tolerance for bad manners, especially when it came to maintaining decorum, but it wasn¡¯t infinite.

    Maybe I¡¯ll need to use my flip-flops again, he mused as the group tore through the darkness.

 Chapter 525: Overlord Treasure

    The dirt islands looked like they stretched infinitely. They didn¡¯t. At a certain point, the ambient energy changed. No longer was it uniform across all Daos¡ªit now contained heavy elements of earth, dirt, and rock. The air smelled of wet soil. The darkness thinned.

    ¡°We¡¯re approaching the core of this area,¡± Owlhead warned everyone. ¡°Keep your guard up. Disciples, fall back.¡±

    The disciples obeyed, and so did Jack. While he could stand side-by-side with the two middle A-Grade Elders, he didn¡¯t want to reveal his power yet. The more cards in his sleeve, the better.

    As the eighteen disciples of both factions slowed down, the Elders advanced. There were four early A-Grades besides Owlhead and Shadowhound. The Great Silver faction had sent a female double devil and a brown blob of¡­mud? As for the Fiend King faction, they¡¯d sent a pair of devils, one tall and imposing and the other short and chubby.

    All together, they made a formidable force. They delved deep into the dark mist and disappeared.

    Jack clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t want to reveal his strength, but he wanted to see what was going on!

    ¡°Let¡¯s approach,¡± he told Strawpin and Fiend Prince. ¡°I want to see.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Strawpin replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re goddamn right!¡± Fiend Prince said, laughing. ¡°What are we, cowards? Onward!¡±

    He shot forth, followed by his faction¡¯s disciples and a grinning Jack. Brock and Starhair came a moment later, while Strawpin, grumbling, took her faction disciples and advanced as well.

    The darkness parted before them. Everyone scanned the space ahead with their perceptions, not their eyes, which gave Jack a definitive advantage. He saw it before anyone else. A massive, ten-mile-wide dirt island. It was so packed with dirt that it constantly poured off the sides, some sticking to the island and slowly but surely expanding it.

    Jack wondered what created this overabundance of dirt, and he didn¡¯t have to look far to figure it out. A golden lotus bloomed in the middle of the island. Its energy undulations were staggering. Endless waves of golden brown energy, spreading as far as met the eye, invading the darkness and maintaining a stalemate with it. This energy was so potent that parts of it spontaneously materialized as dirt, overfilling the island and enhancing the elemental aura of this place.

    Jack scanned the environment again. The area had smelled faintly of dirt and earth, of moist soil, but the lotus itself contained something more. Holiness. Divinity. It was like the Goddess of Earth herself had descended on this place, creating a land so irreproachable that even the energies of the Dark Canal had to give way.

    Strawpin gasped. ¡°Golden Earth Lotus!¡± she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe. ¡°An Overlord-level treasure!¡±

    Jack looked around. Every disciple¡¯s gaze was tainted with greed, as well as helplessness. They knew this was not their stage. With all the Elders present, it would never be their turn to even touch it. Jack himself wasn¡¯t too interested¡ªas high-level as this lotus was, he cultivated neither earth nor divinity.

    A moment later, however, he realized he¡¯d forgotten something. He was extremely interested in this treasure, because he knew someone who cultivated those exact elements! Jack swished around to look at Brock.

    The brorilla was transfixed. His hands were closing and opening, reaching for a staff that was not there. His breaths came deep and rugged.

    Jack thought back to Brock¡¯s Dao. The brohood he cultivated was a form of religious divinity, one of the elements exuded by the lotus. Additionally, he was a beast cultivator who used the staff¡ªmany of his battle tactics and early techniques revolved around the earth.

    Brock was a perfect match for this treasure, and Jack instantly resolved to help him get it. He had been the one to benefit most from their various travels¡ªhelping out his brother was long overdue.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting that,¡± he told Starhair, then turned a calculating gaze towards the treasure. While he¡¯d been blinded by the lotus, there was more in sight.

    The Elders floated a little ahead, too absorbed by the treasure to care about the disciples disobeying orders. Their energies were in disarray. They, of everyone present, understood how precious an Overlord treasure was. Every single one of them was steeped in greed, including Owlhead and Shadowhound, the two middle A-Grade leaders. Their previous harmony was all but gone. Jack even thought they¡¯d start fighting immediately.

    When cultivators ran into treasure, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for a fight to the death to occur. It was one of the cultivation world¡¯s unspoken laws, and it was doubly the case for the aggressive space monsters. Friendships broke down before riches. For a treasure of this grade, everything was fair play¡ªbackstabbing, treachery, underhanded tricks. Everyone was instantly on guard against everyone else.

    ¡°...How do we handle this?¡± Owlhead asked, the first to speak.

    ¡°I want this treasure, and I¡¯ll fight you for it,¡± Shadowhound said. ¡°However¡­ Let¡¯s not be hasty. The dirt island area was so widespread that there¡¯s no way it went unnoticed. Since the native monsters aren¡¯t swarming here, there is only one explanation¡ªsomething very dangerous guards this treasure.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Owlhead replied. ¡°I can¡¯t sense anything. It¡¯s either underwater or perfectly harmonized with the lotus¡¯s energy signature.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t reacted to us yet. It can¡¯t sense us. That¡¯s good, it means we have time to plan.¡±

    ¡°Uh, excuse me,¡± Strawpin said, interrupting the two Elders¡¯ tense conversation. They turned stern gazes at her. She pressed on regardless. ¡°I thought the goal was to take us to the Hall of Trials¡­ Since this place looks dangerous, could you escort us there first and then return to fight for the lotus?¡±

    Shadowhound snorted. ¡°Shut up, disciple.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been assigned as your caretakers, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll waste a great opportunity for you,¡± Owlhead added. ¡°Running into this lotus was fate. We will pursue it. Frankly speaking, it¡¯s worth more to either faction than a mere handful of disciples¡­and, there are also some things you don¡¯t know. In any case, you disciples can stay back and wait or move out on your own. Just don¡¯t bother us.¡±

    With that, both Elders turned to the front, speaking amongst each other to formulate a plan. Strawpin¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously, but she held her tongue.

    Fiend Prince laughed. ¡°We can only blame our own weakness. I will wait farther away. If things go wrong, I¡¯ll take the rest of my faction¡¯s disciples and try to reach the Hall of Trials anyway.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Strawpin said, still boiling with anger.

    Jack didn¡¯t say anything. He kept his gaze on the six Elders¡ªtwo middle and four early A-Grades¡ªas well as the dirt island housing the golden earth lotus.

    ¡°What about you, Jack Monstrous?¡± Fiend Prince asked. ¡°What will you do?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay and watch,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m not one to miss a good show.¡±

    Fiend Prince and Strawpin exchanged a glance. Nobody reached their level without decent intuition.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay as well,¡± Strawpin decided.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Fiend Prince agreed. The other disciples remained as well, not wanting to be far from the head disciples.

    Jack didn¡¯t particularly care about them. No matter what happened, they wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with him. His true opponents here were the Elders, especially Owlhead and Shadowhound, as well as the mysterious monster guarding the lotus. To acquire it, he¡¯d need to get through them all¡ªa needle-sharp path.

    He favored his chances, however, because he possessed the greatest weapon of all¡ªthe element of surprise.

    He turned his attention back to the Elders, who were treating all disciples as if made of air.

    ¡°We need information to formulate a plan,¡± Owlhead said.

    Shadowhound nodded. ¡°Agreed. You four¡ªdraw lots. The loser goes to scout.¡±

    The other six Elders jumped and looked at each other with terror. They were only early A-Grades¡ªgoing near the den of whatever guarded this place meant almost certain death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of deserting,¡± Owlhead warned them. ¡°This is your duty to the Space Monster World. Now¡­ Draw!¡±

    With a swish of his hand, four straws materialized inside it, only their top ends visible. They seemed identical. The four Elders hesitated, then one by one drew their straws. The loser was the third one¡ªa short and chubby devil of the Fiend King faction, gazing with horror at the short stick in its hand.

    ¡°Were you really impartial?¡± Shadowhound asked. ¡°Those straws were made of your Dao. Who is to tell us you didn¡¯t just give the short stick to whoever you wanted?¡±

    ¡°I swear it was fair. Do you have a better way of drawing lots? Besides, I think most of our fellow Elders would agree.¡±

    Shadowhound glanced behind him. Of his two Elders, the one who¡¯d drew the short stick exclaimed this was clearly cheating. The other one, however, only stood there silently. He didn¡¯t care whether the lots were rigged or not¡ªhe was safe right now, while any repeat would put him at risk.

    Seeing that Elder¡¯s reaction, Shadowhound tsked. ¡°Fine. You win this one. Shortplum: go and pluck that lotus.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The short Elder hesitated.

    ¡°If you go, you may survive. If you don¡¯t, I promise you¡¯ll die a most horrible death,¡± Shadowhound threatened, his eyes shining redder under the shadows.

    ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll go.¡±

    The short and chubby devil took a deep breath, then distanced himself as he flew forth. Every eye was trained on him, including Jack¡¯s¡ªthe other disciples couldn¡¯t see all the way to the lotus. Silence reigned.

    The short devil Elder advanced carefully. She moved at a slow pace, repeatedly scanning her environment for any threats. Her job was only to scout. The moment she sensed anything amiss, she would retreat immediately.

    Even as she flew halfway over the island, however, nothing happened. Could I be so lucky? the devil wondered. Could there be no monster? Or maybe it¡¯s absent right now. If I do pluck the lotus¡­ Could I run away and actually keep it!?

    Greed flashed in her eyes. Of course, she was an experienced Autarch¡ªshe¡¯d never drop her guard. That¡¯s how she saw the strike coming.

    The dirt below her moved imperceptibly as if blown by a gentle breeze. The devil shot backward, but it was too late¡ªa massive hand of dirt appeared, phasing out of thin air. It grabbed at Elder Shortplum. Despite the strike¡¯s slow movement, the Elder seemed completely helpless to dodge it. As the massive hand wrapped around her, she shrieked.

    ¡°Elder Shadowhound, save me!¡±

    Her plight fell on deaf ears. Nobody came to her rescue. Within moments, the hand crushed her body, and all moisture left her, leaving her a broken, dry husk. Her body dissipated a moment later, becoming nothing but dirt which fell to the ground. The hand retreated towards the lotus, disappearing through the air like it was never there.

    ¡°A dirt monster,¡± Owlhead commented, watching from afar. ¡°Maybe an earth elemental?¡±

    ¡°Probably. But, its power¡­ It was at least a late Autarch. Maybe close to a peak one,¡± Shadowhound intoned. He licked his lips, a crimson tongue passing over shadows. ¡°I think we can take it.¡±

    ¡°Right. We have the weapons the Overlords gave us. Even if it¡¯s a peak Autarch, we can struggle with it¡ªand, if we lose, we might be able to escape. It relies on the dirt below, so its power will be greatly diminished outside its domain. Maybe that¡¯s why it hasn¡¯t attacked us yet.¡±

    ¡°Right. It doesn¡¯t perceive us as threats.¡±

    ¡°But it should.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. We¡¯ll show it.¡±

    Avarice played on the eyes of both Owlhead and Shadowhound. As for the rest of the Elders, their greed had slowly morphed into fear. They¡¯d realized that, at this point, they were just expendable pawns. The chances of them getting the treasure were minimal, but their risk was immense. Unfortunately, the two leaders wouldn¡¯t let them leave even if they wanted to.

    Jack shook his head. These people had just sent an Elder to sacrifice herself as a scout, and they hadn¡¯t even batted an eye at her death. Not one consoling word. They were so ruthless it was scary¡­

    But, again, this was the cultivation world. There was no compassion, only benefits.

 Chapter 526: The Hunter Stalks

    The Elders floated forward slowly. Owlhead and Shadowhound took the lead this time, putting their lives on the line for treasure. The remaining three Elders followed. Jack watched from a distance.

    As their feet treaded on air, they cautiously surveyed the space ahead of them. The lotus bloomed¡ªthe dirt remained still, lifeless if not for their knowledge that it wasn¡¯t.

    The attack came without warning. A hand phased into reality, already formed and present, and dug for Owlhead. He crossed his arms to defend¡ªa blast of psychic energy erupted, shaking the other monster. Its strike remained devastating. Owlhead flew back, through the other Elders, and barely managed to steady himself after a mile. A thin trail of blood flowed on his forehead¡ªyet, he was okay.

    ¡°Lure it out!¡± he shouted.

    The Elders fanned out, approaching the monster from different directions. A torrent of fire launched into it, followed by a claw swipe and what seemed like brown vomit. Shadowhound leapt at the enemy, blasting it with solid darkness.

    All these attacks approached the lotus and disappeared as if crossing into a different reality. Energy rippled out. A bodiless moan echoed through space, an injured giant, as space around the lotus warped and collapsed. A new sight was revealed.

    A whirlwind of dirt, floating around the pristine lotus and protecting it. It had been hidden in a space distortion before, its energy undetectable next to the treasure it protected, but it now lay bare for all to see. The many attacks had disturbed the monster, yet not broken it.

    A second moan arose. The dirt covering the island took to the air, drawn towards the center of the whirlwind by an invisible force. More and more of it gathered, slowly coalescing into a humanoid shape.

    The Elders wouldn¡¯t let it finish transforming. They attacked again, blowing up the dirt as it began to gather. They couldn¡¯t disperse it entirely though. A second hand appeared, slowly trailed by a forming arm, and joined the battle.

    The original dirt hand¡ªwhich they now saw was connected to the whirlwind by a thin stream of dirt¡ªshot sideways, slapping one of the Great Silver¡¯s early A-Grades. The second hand matched the strike from the other side. They closed around the female double devil like twin mountains, slamming shut.

    She got splattered, dying a horrible death.

    Owlhead held a piece of silver paper, yellowed by age. His teeth were gnashed, and his grip tight around the paper. His eyes frantically searched the forming elemental. ¡°We must find the nucleus!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°I know!¡± Shadowhound replied.

    Perhaps shocked by the death of the female double devil, the two remaining early A-Grades¡ªone from each faction¡ªhad slowed their attacks. The dirt gathered faster. It formed a giant torso, supported by two great legs and ending in a featureless head. As the final bits spun into two arms, connecting to the floating hands, the elemental roared without a mouth, shaking space and the minds of all who heard it. A few of the watching disciples cried out, leaking blood from their orifices.

    ¡°Fall back!¡± Strawpin commanded. ¡°It¡¯s too strong for us!¡±

    The elemental towered a mile into the sky. It raised its leg and kicked at Shadowhound. There was no time to dodge¡ªthe strike obliterated him, making him dissipate into a cluster of tiny shadows. ¡°Shadow Clone!¡± a voice came from the void, and a second Shadowhound appeared near the dead one, having barely dodged the strike. He was panting, his shadows flickering¡ªthat was not an easy technique to use, yet he¡¯d had no choice.

    The elemental roared again.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. With the elemental fully formed, its aura was clear for all to see. It was situated somewhere between the late and peak A-Grade¡ªfacing a handful of middle and early A-Grades, this should be a slaughter.

    ¡°We need to run!¡± Strawpin shouted, but Jack ignored her.

    Come on, he thought, staring intently at the battle. You knew it would be strong. Surely, you have some trump cards. You can¡¯t be this stupid!

    ¡°Shadowhound!¡± Owlhead shouted. His hand still gripped the piece of paper, his eyes frantically searching the elemental¡¯s body. ¡°I can¡¯t see its nucleus!¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± the other Elder replied. ¡°We need to strike hard!¡±

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Jack asked.

    Fiend Prince arrived beside him, calmly watching the battle. ¡°Elementals are regenerating creatures. The only way to stop them is to strike their nucleus. Typically, you just keep hitting it until the nucleus reveals itself, then you deliver a powerful strike there. That is impossible in this case. The Elders have their trump cards, given to them by the Overlords to protect us, but there is no point using them if they can¡¯t find the nucleus. And, without those powerful attacks, they can¡¯t inflict enough damage to reveal it. This monster being an elemental really fucked them over.¡±

    Jack fell into thought. He needed this treasure. If the Elders couldn¡¯t win this battle, he¡¯d need to help them¡ªmaybe sneak in and use Black Hole, his most powerful strike, to expose the nucleus and let them destroy it with their trump cards.

    However, if that happened, he¡¯d have revealed his power. They¡¯d also be wary of his black hole, not letting him charge it. If he fell into a brawl with them in that state, there would be no guarantee of victory¡­but what choice did he have?

    At worst, I¡¯ll just escape, he concluded, gritting his teeth. ¡°Brock! Take Starhair and go¡ª¡±

    He didn¡¯t have time to finish his telepathic words.

    The Elders didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been about to help. As they saw this lifetime opportunity fade before their eyes, they grew desperate. A new darkness covered Shadowhound¡¯s form. It shone with black light so intense it surpassed the physical realm, shining directly on people¡¯s souls. Blood dripped from within the shadows, yet the elemental seemed entirely unaffected.

    Because it wasn¡¯t the target.

    The Great Silver faction¡¯s remaining early A-Grade Elder, a brown blob with multiple eyes and limbs floating over its form, staggered. All those eyes blinked, then shone dark. The Elder threw itself forward, heedless of caution or danger.

    ¡°Shadowhound!¡± Owlhead shouted in outrage.

    The brown blob Elder approached the elemental in a straight line. It was predictable. A hand fell from above, aiming to squash it.

    The Elder exploded.

    Brown flesh flew everywhere, then was immediately disintegrated by the greatest explosion Jack had ever witnessed. Even in the suppression of the Dark Canal, a new sun appeared. Everyone averted their eyes. Heat and light traveled together, destroying the world in one massive shockwave. The island below rumbled, parts of it collapsing into the sea, while the elemental, who¡¯d been the closest to the explosion, released a low moan of pain.

    When the light receded, Jack saw a crater burned into the island¡¯s surface, as well as a large hole where the elemental¡¯s waist used to be.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Incredible!¡± Fiend Prince shouted. ¡°He controlled the other Elder and forced it to detonate its inner world! What admirable ruthlessness!¡±

    ¡°Elder Blob!¡± Strawpin yelled.

    ¡°How dare you, Shadowhound!¡±

    Owlhead¡¯s face was warped with fury. Shadowhound hadn¡¯t chosen his own Elder for this suicide tactic, but Great Silver¡¯s¡ªthis was clearly deliberate.

    Shadowhound staggered¡ªmove after move had taken a toll on him, but he could still fight. ¡°What are you yelling for, you idiot!?¡± he shouted back. ¡°There is no other way! We need to find the nucleus!¡±

    ¡°You should have used your Elder, not mine!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use mine as well!¡±

    ¡°You better!¡±

    The only remaining early A-Grade Elder, a burly, biblical devil-looking individual, paled as he heard this. He immediately turned and ran. Owlhead was already behind him. A palm strike landed squarely on the Elder, launching him straight towards Shadowhound, who teleported and bit the devil¡¯s head off. A shadowy version of its head appeared in place of the original.

    The devil went rigid. A moment later, it launched itself at the elemental, forgoing all notions of safety.

    The elemental now missed its waist, but as the attack hadn¡¯t hit its nucleus, it wasn¡¯t really injured. Its legs and torso still stood as normal. More dirt was rising from below, reforming the missing waist. As its attention was focused there, however, it delayed its reaction to the devil Elder¡¯s advance.

    A second explosion rocked the world. The reforming waist was blown away completely, and so was the elemental¡¯s chest, the dirt disintegrating and scattering everywhere. Only its head and limbs remained, its middle section once again reforming. But it still stood.

    ¡°Elementals can¡¯t store the nucleus in their limbs!¡± Fiend Prince shouted excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s in its head! They can do it!¡±

    ¡°Now, Shadowhound,¡± Owlhead shouted, charging at the elemental. He tore the silver paper in half, unleashing a burst of powerful Dao. It eclipsed the two self-detonations from before¡ªthis was a part of an Overlord¡¯s strike, the strongest force in the universe.

    A silver dragon head appeared in the sky, ephemeral yet real. It opened its mouth to release a beam of silver energy, right at the elemental¡¯s head. Space shattered where the beam passed.

    At the same time, Shadowhound¡¯s form flashed, activating some talisman himself. A massive leg appeared, gray and covered in scales. It was as tall as the elemental¡¯s, yet moved with far sharper intent. The leg cleaved upward in a fierce kick, aiming for the head, as was the silver beam.

    The elemental saw the threat. It stopped reforming, investing all of its power into defense. Barrier after barrier of dirt manifested, shielding the elemental twelve times. The silver beam crashed into them. The first barrier was pierced through without resistance. So were the second and third. It took nine barriers to waste the beam¡¯s energy, and the tenth even cracked a little.

    The elemental moaned. There was another attack.

    The massive kick smashed right through the remaining barriers. All they achieved was to slow it down a little. The leg then crashed into the elemental¡¯s head, shattering it completely, dispersing and disintegrating the dirt. A massive canyon was cut into the darkness above, extending for miles.

    As the elemental¡¯s head dissipated, there was a sound like breaking glass. All the dirt seized for a moment, then collapsed to the ground, no longer held aloft by magic. A single brown core fell as well.

    The elemental was no more.

    But the battle wasn¡¯t over. Jack suddenly appeared behind Elder Owlhead, stepping out of the space crack he¡¯d been hiding in. He had four arms and was taller than before, while one of his fists was replaced by a spinning black hole sucking in the ambient Dao.

    Owlhead turned around, too late to react.

    Jack had chosen his moment carefully. He¡¯d waited for the exact do-or-die moment in the Elders¡¯ fight against the elemental, when everyone¡¯s attention was completely focused on the clash between the overlord talismans and the dirt barriers. He¡¯d used this moment to slip into a space crack and charge his black hole attack, then teleported right behind Owlhead and struck him instantly.

    Owlhead had only been paying attention to the elemental and Shadowhound¡ªhe registered no other threat. Coupled with the fact that Jack had chosen the single best moment to attack¡­he was caught off-guard. He didn¡¯t have time to dodge or defend. A well-timed black hole struck him in the chest, sucking in his innards and exploding, killing him instantly. Not even his core remained. A middle A-Grade Elder had died, just like that!

    Everyone froze, their victory celebrations cut short. It wasn¡¯t just Owlhead. Nobody had seen Jack move. Nobody expected such a stunning turn of events.

    ¡°What did you do!?¡± Shadowhound shouted, instinctively rushing away from Jack. A moment later, however, he realized who it was who killed Owlhead. He started laughing. ¡°Thank you!¡± he yelled. ¡°I was afraid Owlhead would best me, but you just went and killed him! What a nice young monster you are. You secured me the lotus! If you desert your faction and join mine right now, I can take you as a personal disciple¡ªI like your style!¡±

    Strawpin was at a loss for words. Rage and indignation bubbled up inside her. Jack had stolen the spots of her fellow disciples, ran off by himself, then returned only to betray her faction and assassinate a middle Autarch Elder. At this moment, she hated him more than anyone else in the world!

    Fiend Prince, on the other hand, laughed. ¡°That¡¯s the Fiend King way of doing things!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I knew I liked you, Jack Monstrous!¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, Jack!¡± Strawpin shouted.

    Jack, however, ignored them all. He turned his body to face Elder Shadowhound, aiming a fist at him.

    The Elder frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I did not betray any faction,¡± Jack intoned slowly. ¡°I killed Owlhead because he was despicable, and also in my way. I will kill you for the same reasons. That lotus is mine.¡±

    Shadowhound paused for a moment. Then, he laughed again. ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you insane? You can¡¯t possibly think you can take me!¡±

    Jack smiled coldly. ¡°You specialize in Will attacks. Since your element is darkness, you have an affinity for space and chaos, as well as absorption. You are also an expert in suppressing groups of weaker enemies through soul domination. Amongst middle Autarchs, you rank somewhere in the middle of the pack¡ªneither strong nor weak¡ªand, most importantly, you don¡¯t favor direct battles but ones of subterfuge. Right now, injured and exhausted, you¡¯re about as weak as a middle Autarch can be. Am I correct in my assumptions, Elder Shadowhound?¡±

    The Elder had fallen silent. A moment later, he snorted. ¡°You planned this all beforehand,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°Fine. Have it your way, young monster. I applaud your spirit, but no amount of preparation can surpass an absolute difference in cultivation. Whatever attack you used on Owlhead will not work on me. All your elaborate plans will fail. You have been blinded by greed, and you failed to realize that against someone like me, you are just not worthy.¡±

    Jack¡¯s smile remained. ¡°Let¡¯s find out, shall we?¡±

    Throughout his cultivation journey, Jack had explored treasure-filled locations more than once. Trial Planet, Green Dragon Realm, Black Hole Church¡­ He was no longer the greenhorn he used to be. Now, he was an experienced cultivator who could be as ruthless and calculating as needed to always emerge on top.

    Choosing Owlhead as his first target had been deliberate. He¡¯d kept his cards hidden and was relatively uninjured, marking him as the most dangerous opponent in one-on-one combat. Shadowhound, on the other hand, had exerted himself multiple times, had revealed his strengths and trump cards, and was also injured. Jack had confidence he could take him.

    From the start of the battle till now, everything had played right into his hands¡ªincluding what was about to happen.

    ¡°Shadow Realm!¡± Shadowhound shouted. A flash of darkness spread from his body to cover the entire world. Everything else disappeared¡ªit was only him and Jack in an endless, featureless, black expanse. The Elder laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve spent endless millennia perfecting my shadow arts. Defend against them if you can, boy!¡±

    The shadows morphed into countless beasts and weapons, all charging towards Jack. He smiled. His body became a missile which crashed against them. The battle began.

    ***

    In the outside world, the other disciples saw Shadowhound and Jack exchange threats, then suddenly go still. Both were frozen in mid-air.

    ¡°They¡¯re trapped in a battle of wills,¡± Strawpin said. Her eyes flashed cautiously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear?¡± Fiend Prince replied. He spread his fingers to reveal sharp claws. ¡°We kill them both, then fight between ourselves for the lotus. I have to say, this Jack Monstrous did us a huge favor. No idea what he expected to happen.¡±

    ¡°Mm. I agree,¡± Strawpin said. She believed in her faction, but she was also an experienced monster¡ªin the face of a treasure like the golden earth lotus, assassinating an enemy Elder and a sort-of traitor was nothing much.

    The other disciples rallied behind these two and made to fly onward. However, a person suddenly flashed before them. It was a humble-looking brorilla, standing straight with his hands behind his back.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fiend Prince asked.

    ¡°Nobody will interfere in my big bro¡¯s fight,¡± the brorilla replied, calmly facing the two peak disciples of the entire Space Monster World, as well as thirteen of their peers.

    The disciples frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Do you really think you can stop all of us by yourself?¡±

    Brock cracked a confident smile. ¡°I might.¡±

 Chapter 527: Bro Supremacy

    Jack smashed into the many weapons and monsters summoned by Elder Shadowhound. Each was wrought of darkness and pain, their sharp edges glinting without light. They seemed deadly. Yet, they were nothing but figments of the imagination, parts of Shadowhound¡¯s will.

    They could only harm Jack if he let them.

    ¡°Fool!¡± Shadowhound shouted, gloating already. ¡°You should have never let me trap you here! I¡¯ve trained my Will for untold millennia, while you only recently evolved from a worm. Prepare to die!¡±

    Jack smiled. He rushed into the onslaught. His fists flashed purple, obliterating any darkness they fell upon, but there were more enemies than he could manage. They cut into him. Blades cleaved off his limbs, monsters chomped at his shoulders. Yet, he remained calm throughout. Every piece of damage they inflicted regenerated instantly. His fists slammed out, continuously obliterating monsters, knowing full well that Shadowhound experienced each fatal blow his summons received.

    Groans of pain left the Elder¡¯s mouth, but he remained confident. ¡°Fool!¡± he repeated. ¡°This is my domain! There is no way you can defeat me!¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    Battles of wills were won by the person with the strongest will. Jack specialized in Physical and didn¡¯t possess many Will attacks, so if Shadowhound just stood still, Jack would be unable to touch him. Defense, however, didn¡¯t rely on techniques. Jack¡¯s willpower had been forged through endless pain and suffering, endless struggle, endless loss. In this aspect alone, he was confident in facing anyone, even Archons and Overlords. It didn¡¯t matter how strong they were¡ªtheir willpower would always be inferior to his, as was evident by their inferior talent.

    Jack endured the assault, not even changing his expression. ¡°Keep coming at me, Shadowhound,¡± he said. ¡°Throw me everything you got, but remember this: I will not budge. No matter what attacks you¡¯ve prepared, I¡¯ve been through worse. When you finally grow tired, I¡¯ll still be here¡ªand then, it will be my turn.¡±

    Shadowhound roared, unleashing more attacks. Jack defended calmly. No matter how many strikes hit him or how much pain he experienced, it was all fake. He waited patiently. As for what would happen in the real world until then¡­ He was not worried. His bro had it covered.

    ***

    Hearing Brock¡¯s arrogant words, Fiend Prince snorted. ¡°Get out of here,¡± he said. He flew forward, smashing a fist onto Brock. This looked like a casual strike, but it contained more than eighty percent of his full strength. It was enough to destroy any other B-Grade besides Strawpin.

    Brock raised his palm and caught the fist. A dull thud echoed. Brock¡¯s monkey grin was revealed behind his hand. ¡°Nice try, bro,¡± he said, ¡°but you need to try harder.¡±

    Golden energy erupted. Fiend Prince frowned and yanked his hand free, retreating as quickly as possible. He gazed at his fist¡ªhis fingers had been singed by golden fire. He looked up to find Brock¡¯s aura materializing into a golden brorilla shadow overlapping with his body. He tsked. ¡°This guy is serious,¡± he told Strawpin. ¡°There is no time to delay. Let¡¯s get him together, so we can reach the Elder before he kills Jack Monstrous and leaves the shadow realm.¡±

    Strawpin looked behind Brock. Some of them could probably bypass him, but Starhair waited right next to Jack Monstrous, guarding him¡ªand the aura he revealed was no less than that of Strawpin¡¯s. She tsked. They had to get the monkey.

    ¡°Disciples¡ªattack!¡± she shouted, then shot out first. A long needle appeared in her hands. Her hat flew into the air, revealing long dark hair and breaking apart into multiple different strands of straw which hovered around her needle. With a mighty stab, she flung them forward.

    Fiend Prince attacked at the same time. There were no fancy moves¡ªhe just charged. As for the other thirteen disciples, they fanned out and unleashed their moves on Brock, much like the Elders had done against the elemental.

    Or, at least, they tried. The Great Silver disciples waved their hands but nothing happened. To their horror, they realized they¡¯d lost their connection to the Dao.

    ¡°You may not rally against your big bro,¡± Brock¡¯s voice struck them like divine decree. ¡°Retreat and consider what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± the disciples screamed. Intense pain erupted from their inner worlds, making them lose the ability to fly and crash into the dirt island below. Five people were gone, ten remained.

    Strawpin clicked her tongue. ¡°Fools. I told you not to trust him!¡± she exclaimed as he continued her strike.

    Facing their combined attacks, Brock clasped his hands together. ¡°To interrupt a duel is un-bro-like. So is to gang up on someone,¡± he declared. ¡°You will be punished.¡±

    Golden energy flared. It was like some ancient Dao resonated with Brock, echoing from inside his body. Scriptures appeared everywhere¡ªchanting filled the air, unintelligible but carrying distinct power. All other disciples felt the Dao tighten around them, restricting their movements.

    At the same time, the scriptures materialized into golden bodies. Brorillas appeared, a dozen of them, each carrying a different weapon but radiating the same light. ¡°For big bro!¡± they exclaimed, falling onto the weaker disciples. A melee erupted.

    Fiend Prince and Strawpin were unaffected. They charged directly at Brock, who smiled in welcome.

    ¡°Come.¡±

    The three clashed. A staff appeared in Brock¡¯s hand, as well as in the golden phantom¡¯s surrounding him. Expert twirls met the pair¡¯s advance. Fiend Prince was a fierce melee combatant, but Brock countered him easily, the staff flowing from one stance to the next without pause or pattern. Strawpin¡¯s needle stabbed forward, fast and accurate, but it couldn¡¯t penetrate the golden brorilla. As for the strands of straw, both stabbing and wrapping around Brock¡¯s phantom was ineffective.

    Strawpin gnashed her teeth. ¡°To me!¡± she shouted. The strands wrapped around the needle, losing some flexibility but greatly enhancing its power. She stabbed out again, this time managing to penetrate the golden brorilla. Most of the strike¡¯s power was lost, however, and Brock managed to stop it between his fingers.

    ¡°Well done, straw bro,¡± he said, grinning.

    Meanwhile, Fiend Prince had taken advantage of this opening to unleash a devastating offensive, cutting the golden brorilla to pieces and slowly advancing on Brock. The brorilla¡¯s eyes shone. He let go of Strawpin¡¯s needle, letting her retreat. ¡°You¡¯re good enough!¡± he exclaimed, joy in his voice. ¡°Then, let me try out my newest ability!¡±

    The golden brorilla shone brilliantly. Fiend Prince and Strawpin retreated, fearing an explosion, but that didn¡¯t happen¡ªinstead, the massive brorilla phantom compressed and compressed, eventually plastering itself directly on Brock¡¯s body. He now shone as if wearing golden armor¡ªan awe-inspiring aura emerged from inside him, as if a brorilla irreproachable, unfathomable, unopposable. A little bit of golden light remained after forming the golden armor, and it transformed into two new arms, sticking out below Brock¡¯s armpits.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Brock smiled. ¡°Big Bro Form!¡± he shouted. ¡°Come!¡±

    He didn¡¯t wait. He charged out first, smashing into the pair like a bull. Fiend Prince¡¯s martial arts were broken. The needle stabbed Brock, only barely penetrating his armor and drawing out a hint of blood.

    Brock laughed. He twirled his staff, bringing it down on his opponents. In this form, he possessed significantly higher offense, defense, and speed. He was overall much stronger, enough to pressure both of them by himself. Meanwhile, his dozen golden brorillas from before were fighting the weaker disciples, slowly gaining ground.

    As Strawpin and Fiend Prince desperately resisted Brock¡¯s pounding, they exchanged a glance, recognizing the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. They were supposed to be the strongest B-Grades in the world. Yet, this low-key brorilla, this silly guy who kept drinking wine, could fight both of them while simultaneously defending against nine other top disciples?

    And he was winning?!

    ¡°I refuse to accept this!¡± Fiend Prince roared, his fiery blood getting the best of him. He switched to offense, bravely charging into Brock¡¯s assault. He uses a staff, he deduced. If I get into close quarters, I win!

    Strawpin changed her stance to match him. Her needle shot out, delivering a thousand stabs in the blink of an eye. The strands of straw wrapped around it glowed, slowly burning away to release more power.

    Brock welcomed their attacks. He calmly defended, using his staff and armor to meet each of their strikes. Clangs filled the world. The darkness shook behind them, pierced by shockwaves. In the outside universe, this battle would have shattered planets¡ªhere, it could only raise some wind.

    Brock defended and waited. Eventually, one of Fiend Prince¡¯s attacks went an inch too wide¡ªStrawpin¡¯s stab wasn¡¯t perfectly synchronized either. Brock used his staff to push the devil¡¯s hand aside, striking at his face with the butt of his staff. Fiend Prince went flying. Strawpin¡¯s strike landed, piercing Brock¡¯s skin but stopping against his ribcage. In return, he swung his staff and delivered a full-force strike into her chest, sending her flying as well. She smashed into Fiend Prince, who¡¯d just recovered, stunning them both for an instant.

    ¡°Big Bro Slap!¡± Brock shouted. He charged. The two head disciples braced themselves, ready to block his staff, but it was only a feint. The true strike came from above. A golden palm materialized, larger than Fiend Prince and Strawpin combined, and smashed into their heads. They coughed out blood. The palm kept going, carrying them along through the air until they smashed into the island below, titling it dangerously. Cracks spread all around. Strawpin¡¯s scream echoed.

    The palm remained, pressing down on them. Before they could escape, Brock shot towards the eight weaker disciples, who were already losing against his conjured brorillas. As soon as he joined the fray, the battle became pointless¡ªdisciples smashed into the island below one by one, all injured but alive.

    When Fiend Prince and Strawpin finally managed to push the golden palm away, their hair disheveled and bleeding from various places, they found their fellow disciples groaning on the ground beside them, while Brock and his army of golden brorillas slowly descended from the sky above. His sole injury, a stab inflicted by Strawpin, had already healed.

    ¡°Yield,¡± he commanded. ¡°You cannot defeat me.¡±

    Strawpin bit her lips. ¡°How can you be so strong!?¡± she demanded. ¡°Are you hiding your cultivation?¡±

    ¡°I follow the true path,¡± Brock replied simply. Their inaction indicated their surrender. He let his brorillas disperse, maintaining his golden armor just in case.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Fiend Prince laughed, his voice laden with bitterness. ¡°I admit you¡¯re strong, the strongest Baron I have ever met, but do you really think you can spare the time to fight us? Your friend is trapped in the Elder¡¯s Shadow Realm. While we delay you, he¡¯s dying! It¡¯s a miracle he¡¯s even survived this long!¡±

    Hearing his biting words, Brock only chuckled. He spared a glance for Jack and Shadowhound, both of whom remained immobilized, facing each other. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°My big bro can handle this. He¡¯s far stronger than me.¡±

    ¡°Far stronger?¡± Strawpin recoiled. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    The sound of breaking glass echoed from behind Brock. Jack and Shadowhound moved again. However, while Jack was panting, he was uninjured¡ªElder Shadowhound was bleeding from all orifices, the crimson glow in his eyes fading. ¡°My turn,¡± Jack said. He charged.

    Elder Shadowhound screamed. ¡°This is impossible! Get away from me!¡± he shouted, flying back in retreat.

    Strawpin was stunned. So was Fiend Prince and every other disciple. Brock was already challenging their understanding of the world¡ªhe was much stronger than they ever thought possible. And¡­ If Jack was even stronger than that¡­ If a late Baron could make a middle Autarch scream and run away in fear¡­

    How is that possible? Strawpin asked herself, frozen in place. Her gaze alternated between Jack and Brock¡ªtwo impossible existences. Her eyes shook. Such levels of talent¡­ How is this even possible? Am I actually weak¡­or are they just¡­monsters?

    ***

    The shadow realm shattered. All the wraiths, all the monsters, all the blades had carved up Jack¡¯s body, but he stood tall. He just defended. It was Shadowhound who was spending his energy to release these attacks. Eventually, the Elder got tired. Sweat poured down his body. Blood flowed from his orifices. When he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the world of will withdrew, and Jack was free.

    He glanced to the side, finding the many disciples on the ground while Brock hovered over them¡ªas it should be. He was pleasantly surprised to find they were all alive. Brock had limited the killing, as Great Silver had instructed.

    Good job, bro.

    He turned towards his opponent.

    ¡°This is impossible!¡± Elder Shadowhound shouted. ¡°Get away from me!¡±

    He shot into the distance, but why would Jack let him? He flashed ahead of the Elder, delivering a devastating Meteor Punch. Shadowhound¡¯s eyes flashed with glee. ¡°Aha! You really are a fool, you fell for it! I don¡¯t know how you developed such willpower defense, but there is no way you can match a middle Autarch in a direct clash. Die!¡±

    He continued his path, darkness enveloping him like a black meteor. Jack grinned at the similarity. His Meteor Punch changed mid-air into Supernova, a stronger attack, and smashed against Shadowhound. Flesh scattered. The Elder shot backward, blood trailing his path, as even the shadows around him flickered to reveal a dark, hyena-like body.

    Shadowhound specialized in Will attacks, which had already been defeated by Jack, so his physical prowess was lacking. Additionally, he was already injured and exhausted. How could he possibly match up to Jack, who could fight even stronger middle A-Grades on equal footing?

    Jack teleported. He intercepted Shadowhound mid-flight and smashed a flurry of blows onto him, forcibly altering his trajectory. He flashed again and smashed a knee into the Elder¡¯s midsection from below, shooting him upward. With a final teleportation, he reappeared above the Elder, preparing a massive strike and unleashing it downward. ¡°Supernova!¡±

    Elder Shadowhound screamed as his ribcage shattered. Blood erupted like a geyser. He broke the sound barrier as he fell downward, crashing into the edge of the island so heavily he tipped the whole thing, almost upturning it. Now is my chance! he thought. The final vestiges of his Dao of Darkness activated, preparing to hide him in the ever-present dark mist. He was lucky to be in this environment¡ªhere, even a late Autarch couldn¡¯t find him. This was the move he relied on to dare struggle against Owlhead!

    However, he didn¡¯t expect Jack to show no mercy. After he smashed Shadowhound downward, he hadn¡¯t delayed an instant¡ªhe dived after him, preparing another Supernova, even more powerful than the last. The Elder may have lost, but he¡¯d already demonstrated an ability to dominate other people. If he used that move to take control of Starhair, it could mean trouble. Jack wouldn¡¯t let that happen.

    As Shadowhound opened his eyes, ready to blend into the darkness, he found a massive fist descending on him like a falling star. Shit.

    ¡°Supernova!¡±

    The world rumbled. Tall waves splashed out, while an entire half of the island crumbled, upsetting the water below. Shadowhound¡¯s mangled body sank into the sea, but not before Jack snatched his core.

    A middle A-Grade¡­ Dead!

    Jack was panting, but he stood and surveyed the place. All threats were neutralized. They¡¯d won. As for the disciples who remained on the ground, gazing at him with extreme shock¡­ They honestly weren¡¯t much.

    ¡°Good job, Brock,¡± he said. ¡°I hope those guys didn¡¯t give you trouble.¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± the brorilla replied with a shrug and a smile. ¡°They¡¯re actually very well behaved!¡±

 Chapter 528: Ferryman of the Dead

    A battle of tremendous scale was splitting the stars in the Spiral Stair galaxy. Energy blasts shot left and right¡ªsummoned beasts roared, smashing through dozens of cultivators, as powerful fighters went amok behind enemy lines. Magic was everywhere. The Dao was asunder.

    Elder Boatman oversaw the battle from its midst. Besides the leading Archon of each army, who were fighting their own cataclysmic battle far to the side, he was the leader here.

    This was one of the largest scale clashes between them and the Immortals yet¡ªa rare chance where their troops had outmaneuvered their enemy, temporarily earning the right to victory. A triumph here would mean a lot for the Church, both in morale and troop balance.

    They couldn¡¯t fail.

    A squad of veterans charged out of the Church¡¯s lines, impacting heavily on their opponents¡¯. Each possessed a Dao suitable for breaking through a mass of enemies¡ªdifferent Daos were more or less balanced in individual combat, but in large scale battles like this, the Dao configuration of a squad was vital. Most of the battle¡¯s tactics revolved around positioning the right cultivators at the right spots to counter the enemy.

    Long lines of wizard cultivators unleashed energy blasts at the enemy from afar, protected by defense-oriented cultivators. The assault specialists of each army tried to flank the other, while a mass of mostly Physical cultivators duked it out in the middle. Everyone found their place to die.

    Boatman couldn¡¯t help reminiscing. This reminded him of his mortal years¡ªit was infantry, cavalry, and artillery all over again.

    Besides the arrangement of specialized cultivators, however, there were more stratagems at play.

    The previous squad of veterans, which Boatman had been watching, had now broken deep into enemy lines. Hundreds of enemies swarmed them, pelting them with attacks as the veterans¡¯ momentum ran out. They were too deep¡ªthey could not return, and they could not be rescued. The enemy commander must have seen the end goal of this¡ªhe¡¯d already ordered his soldiers to retreat, no doubt, but it was difficult for the people in the melee to react in time.

    Boatman closed his eyes in respect.

    The veterans detonated their inner worlds. A massive explosion split the universe, cracking open a huge hole to the void beneath existence. A shockwave of pure energy erupted, obliterating dozens of enemy cultivators and injuring hundreds. The entire battlefield paused momentarily. Boatman reopened his eyes, gazing upon the distant cloud of raw, destructive energy.

    ¡°Farewell,¡± he whispered, spreading his perception to bless those warriors¡¯ death. It didn¡¯t really do anything, but it comforted him, and he liked to think it comforted their ruined souls as well.

    The Church faced many disadvantages in this war. However, they had a single advantage¡ªthey fought for survival. For their lives, for their childrens¡¯ lives, and for the future. The resolve they could muster far outweighed the enemy¡¯s, who fought only to fuel the Immortals¡¯ thirst for conquest.

    The Hand of God could not utilize suicide bombers. The Church could. A harsh, if noble sacrifice.

    As the energy ripples dissipated and space repaired itself, the battle resumed. Hundreds fell from either side. These were the brightest talents of the universe, each having risen above the endless masses only to eliminate each other like this. It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t pretty. It was war.

    Boatman composed himself. He had work to do.

    From the wall of warships behind the enemy army, a stream of monsters ran out. They were rabid, snapping at each other as well as every cultivator near them. A stream of Space Dao led them towards the Church army, where they would serve as the Hand¡¯s lesser version of suicide forces.

    Boatman flashed to appear in their midst, between the armies. His black cloak billowed. He drew his scythe. ¡°Guillotine,¡± he muttered, then slashed at the void. A thin black slice shot out, spreading in three directions, turning into a sharp cone which flew at the enemy space monsters.

    Hundreds fell in an instant. No matter how the Immortals searched the galaxies under their control, A-Grade space monsters were almost impossible to find. They would all fall before Boatman¡¯s scythe.

    Suddenly, golden light erupted. The darkness receded, broken by the light, and the remaining half of space monsters sailed over Boatman, impacting their army. He hoped they¡¯d be handled before causing too much trouble¡ªbecause he certainly couldn¡¯t bother with them any longer.

    A man faced Boatman through the void. He wore shiny plate armor without a helmet, letting golden hair glint in the wounded starlight. A face chiseled from marble smiled at him. ¡°Elder Boatman,¡± said the other man. ¡°Despite your disciple¡¯s insistence, we find each other.¡±

    Boatman frowned. ¡°Elder Hero¡­¡± he replied. ¡°Your power has grown yet again.¡±

    Hero laughed. ¡°I had a lucky breakthrough. The middle A-Grade looks good on me, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    A shudder ran through Boatman¡¯s body. This man, Hero, was trouble. His cultivation speed was unheard of, yet his foundation was only growing more solid. He¡¯d gone from the early to the middle A-Grade in less than a decade¡ªBoatman himself had taken millennia. As for his battle power, it was nothing short of terrifying. Different Daos formed halos around him. His sheer aura upset the world, forcing everyone else in the entire battlefield to avoid him.

    Boatman grew serious.

    Having just broken into the middle A-Grade, Elder Hero had the power to contest with Boatman, a particularly powerful late A-Grade. This was unnatural. Ungodly.

    If not for Jack and Brock, this might have been the greatest genius to ever exist, Boatman realized, his red eyes growing darker. I can¡¯t let him grow anymore. Thirty years is just too short¡ªhow could Jack hope to match him in time? Since he stands before me, I have to kill him now¡­no matter what. I must protect my disciple.

    His decision made, Boatman raised his scythe. Hero gave a confident smile. ¡°Are you sure about that, old man?¡± he asked.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Boatman charged. His black cape billowed to the astral winds, raising high behind him to reveal a pale body containing infinite power. The scythe blade went from white to black, and the Dao of Death formed the shape of a skull behind him. With his glowing red eyes, he imagined he made a frightening image¡ªhe always did.

    Yet, Hero only smiled, his teeth pearly white. ¡°What a blatant villain,¡± he shouted, readying his sword. ¡°A perfect target for the blade of a hero!¡±

    Hero cleaved upward, golden white light rising like the tide. It met Boatman¡¯s black scythe and devoured it, the black and golden white strangling each other for endless miles.

    Boatman sensed an almost divine power clash against his. The Death he took such pride in parted, ineffective like the river flowing around a rock¡ªHero¡¯s sword energy persisted, shooting for Boatman, who had to take a step back and swing his scythe again to neutralize it.

    ¡°You are too dangerous,¡± he said in a dark voice. ¡°You cannot be allowed to grow. Even if it costs me my life, I will kill you today.¡±

    ¡°Hah! It will cost you your life alright. Do your worst. In the name of justice, I¡¯ll bring you down!¡±

    ¡°Spare me your rhetoric.¡±

    Boatman gathered energy around him, going all-out for the first time since Jack¡¯s breakthrough. This time, however, he had more space to work with. Dark energy converged, the battle¡¯s dead cultivators enhancing his powers. His form slowly changed. From a pale and old vampire, he became nothing but bones, his face a smileless skull. The shadows of his cloak deepened, shrouding him in mystery, while his scythe elongated.

    ¡°I am the Ferryman of the Dead,¡± he declared, his voice changed to a deeper, more insidious tone. ¡°Nobody can escape death. Not even you. And today, in the name of Death itself, I shall claim you.¡± He readied his scythe. ¡°Bare your soul for me.¡±

    Hero laughed. ¡°And you accuse me of rhetorics! Fine, fine. Let¡¯s see what a million years of cultivation did for you, little villain.¡±

    Golden light erupted from Elder Hero. At that moment, he became more than a man. This light contained the faith of the people, the very concept of heroism draped over his shoulders like a cape. The entire battlefield paused, consciously or unconsciously in awe of his transformation. His jaw suddenly seemed sharper, his eyes kinder, his chest broader¡ªhis sword large enough to encompass the world.

    ¡°I am not a man, Boatman, but a hero, an ideal, a concept,¡± Hero said with booming laughter. ¡°And concepts never die!¡±

    Boatman remained silent. He reached the other man in an instant. The two cultivators clashed, their battle capturing the entire battlefield. Black sparks flew everywhere. The finality of each strike spread outside their battle, threatening to claim the lives of everyone around them. Weaker cultivators fled in droves.

    Hero¡¯s moves were majestic. Every slash carried the determination to save the world¡ªan idea he¡¯d convinced himself he carried. The world folded and crashed against Boatman, refuting Death with every strike. Booming laughter echoed.

    The battle soon became unbalanced. The golden light consumed more and more of the void around them. The power of death shrunk, while Boatman had to retreat, forced into a defensive position.

    Terrifying! he realized. Only a middle A-Grade, yet his power is touching the peak! This man¡­cannot be allowed to live!

    His aura resurged. ¡°In the name of Death, I will claim¡ª¡± He paused mid-word, realizing he¡¯d blundered. The golden light which Hero¡¯s attacks spread everywhere had not dissipated. It had simply laid there, burying itself in the vestiges of space, biding its time. As Boatman focused inward, prepared to unleash a powerful attack, all that golden light converged on Hero¡¯s sword instantaneously, filling it with much more power than ever before. Space itself shuddered at its wake.

    Hero smiled brilliantly. ¡°Now is your time of reckoning, evil-doer. Sword of the People!¡±

    He slashed out, filling the universe with his sword¡¯s brilliance. Every ray of light was a mortal calling out for salvation¡ªevery patch of darkness between them a lost soul Hero was trying to avenge.

    Boatman watched that golden light flood and destroy his defenses. Death gave way, then collapsed completely, leaving Boatman defenseless. Half the flood remained. An endless golden wall was approaching. This was not an attack he could survive.

    I¡¯m sorry, disciple, Boatman thought to himself with bitterness. In the end¡­ I was not enough.

    As the light approached him, however, it shuddered¡ªand, in a single instant, collapsed. The rays of light became naught but harmless twinkles. Boatman gazed around him in surprise, finding that it wasn¡¯t just him. The entire battlefield had come to an abrupt pause. A terrible dark energy covered every inch, hindering Boatman¡¯s perception, not letting it spread past a few thousand miles.

    It didn¡¯t need to. He could sense them. Almighty, colossal existences, the cornerstones of this universe¡¯s reality. The darkness had been released by just the first amongst them¡ªbut there were ten more trailing behind, all powerful beyond belief.

    A black ball the size of the sun appeared to the side of the battlefield. Tendrils of darkness swept from its surface, whipping space around it. It radiated entropy in its purest form¡ªa level of energy Boatman had never experienced before, not even from the Arch Priestess. Even the two fighting Archons stopped, one¡¯s face filled with joy and the other¡¯s with fear.

    The moment it appeared, the black sphere unleashed its tendrils, each wide like a planet. They swept through the B-Grades of the Hand of God, killing them as one would ants. They didn¡¯t even have time to cry out.

    Elder Hero¡¯s face changed seven different colors. Boatman laughed. ¡°How¡¯s that for a villain?¡± he asked, stabbing his thumb towards the black sphere. ¡°Go test your blade against it, like a true hero.¡±

    He knew what that was. Everyone knew. Their entire army rose with cheers, both from the massacre of the enemy forces as well as the arrival of their saviors.

    The sun-sized black sphere was Axelor, the current leader of the Old Gods, the God of Entropy. A creature at the very limit of Archons. Possibly the strongest entity in the universe.

    Two more colossal shapes appeared behind Axelor, sailing smoothly through space. They were humanoid and made of ripples¡ªone¡¯s spread everywhere chaotically, the other¡¯s moved smoothly in one direction, like a calm river. They were the Old Gods of Space and Time. In the flesh.

    Hero ignored Boatman¡¯s jeers. The moment the Old Gods made their appearance, having finally arrived from the far end of the universe, he abandoned his already destroyed attack against Boatman and rushed full-speed towards his army¡¯s Archon. The Archon did the same. The two met in the middle. Instantly, the Archon crushed something in his hand, and a tremendous surge of Space Dao enveloped them both, teleporting them away just before one of Axelor¡¯s dark tendrils smashed through their location.

    ¡°No!¡± Boatman cried out, hating himself for failing to react in time.

    The Space God turned into a ray of blue light, instantly arriving at the previous location of Hero and the Archon and diving into the folds of space after them. Presumably, it followed them to the endpoint of their teleportation¡ªBoatman wished the Space God could at least kill Hero, giving Jack time to grow. Otherwise, his odds of winning that duel would be extremely slim. Boatman didn¡¯t want to underestimate his disciple, but even he realized that, for Jack to win, he would need nothing short of miraculous growth.

    If you do fight¡­ No matter how impossible it seems¡­ I believe in you, my disciple!

    Boatman had lost and almost died, but it was hard to maintain a bad mood. Intense relief swarmed his heart as he watched the remaining troops of the Immortals surrender, a part of their entire army just gone. They¡¯d spent years waiting for the Old Gods, sacrificing their numbers to hold on against overwhelming forces. They¡¯d been pushed to the brink.

    Now, the Gods had arrived. There was hope. They could finally go on the offensive.

    Boatman laughed, unable to hold it in. ¡°Welcome back, Gods! Let the true war begin!¡±

 Chapter 529: Absorbing the Lotus

    Jack surveyed the crowd of disciples. All were sitting on their knees on the partially destroyed, centermost dirt island.

    ¡°So,¡± he said, tossing the middle A-Grade core in his hand up and down, ¡°I guess we¡¯re all that¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°You were amazing!¡± Fiend Prince exclaimed, his eyes filled with stars. ¡°How can you be so strong?¡±

    ¡°Luck, skill, and hard work, I guess¡­¡± Jack replied, a faint smirk on his lips.

    ¡°You are the strongest Baron I have ever seen. Stronger than I ever thought possible. Will you teach me?¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t take disciples, but thank you for the kind words.¡±

    ¡°I can pay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of cores. I want to avoid unnecessary connections.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Strawpin snorted. ¡°Of course he wouldn¡¯t teach you. You¡¯re nothing to him.¡± Receiving Jack¡¯s glare, however, she brightened up. ¡°I want to apologize for insulting you before. I thought you were disrespecting my faction and wasting our resources, but you clearly knew what you were doing. It was I who was blind. Please don¡¯t take offense.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°And here I thought I¡¯d need to use my flip-flops. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± she asked. ¡°The Elders are all dead, but we are still not at the Hall of Trials¡­¡±

    She let her words hang, her intention clear. Jack swept his gaze over everyone. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you there,¡± he said. ¡°With me, Brock, and Starhair, you have little to fear. Well, I guess you¡¯ll all die if we¡¯re unlucky and run into a late Autarch monster, but hopefully that won¡¯t happen.¡±

    Fiend Prince laughed. ¡°That¡¯s the monster life! Thank you, Jack Monstrous. And you too, Brock. Your power is astounding.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro.¡±

    ¡°No problem, bro,¡± Prince replied, quickly picking it up.

    Jack grinned. ¡°Before we leave, however, Brock and I must absorb some treasures and enhance our power. It could take a few weeks. You guys will need to either wait here or go off on your own, whatever you prefer. This area is safe though¡ªthe elemental¡¯s aura is still rich, and it will keep other monsters at bay for years.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait, of course!¡± Fiend Prince replied. ¡°Going alone is suicide. Besides¡­ You¡¯re so cool! We¡¯ll follow you anywhere!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait as well,¡± Strawpin added, notably less excited than her counterpart.

    ¡°Alright. Then, you¡¯re all free to meditate. I suggest remaining close so we can protect yourselves if more monsters arrive.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Done speaking, Jack turned around with Brock. He couldn¡¯t deny he enjoyed the starry eyes of those super talented monsters as they looked at him. At the same time, they made him uncomfortable.

    ¡°What do you think, big bro?¡± Brock asked with a monkey grin. ¡°Enjoying it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why me. You beat them all up at once. They should be admiring you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my big bro, and also very impressive. They admire both of us.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s right.¡±

    Having walked away from the other disciples, who¡¯d all switched to meditating positions suitable for their monstrous bodies, Jack retrieved some items from his space ring.

    ¡°We have one late A-Grade core, three middle A-Grade cores, and several early A-Grade ones. There is also the golden earth lotus over there.¡±

    The lotus still stood, though defenseless. It was the single greatest harvest¡ªan Archon-level treasure. Jack turned to Brock.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the biggest winner here, Brock. The elemental¡¯s late A-Grade core and the lotus are both suitable for you, and I have to say, you absolutely deserve them. Have fun.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± Brock said, receiving the late A-Grade core. Jack had picked it up after the battle, alongside the various Elders¡¯ space rings, which had been disappointingly empty.

    The brorilla didn¡¯t wait to hear the distribution of the rest of the cores. He neither wanted anything else nor was interested in giving his opinion. Instead, he flew to the top of the lotus, whose hard stem created a seating position at the very top. As Brock sat down with the late A-Grade core in hand and began to meditate, the lotus¡¯s energies rushed up towards him, while the core also melted slowly.

    Absorbing them wouldn¡¯t be a quick process, but it would be a lavish one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at the rest,¡± Jack said, turning his proud gaze away from Brock. ¡°Come here, Starhair. These cores are compatible with you, and these with me. The rest can be divided amongst the disciples.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Starhair accepted the cores he was offered, also raising a brow. ¡°Are you taking them under your wing?¡±

    ¡°I promised Great Silver to take care of them. Since these cores are useless to us, giving them to the disciples makes sense¡ªafter all, it¡¯s their world¡¯s resources that we¡¯re taking. Giving back a little is fair.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s meditate and absorb these. I suspect Brock will take weeks or months to finish, so I¡¯ll keep guard after I finish absorbing mine. What will you do?¡±

    ¡°Meditate,¡± Starhair replied with a shrug. ¡°What else?¡±

    They retreated to different positions on the broad dirt island. Jack, Starhair, and the various disciples all sank into silent meditation, while Brock oversaw them from the top of the golden earth lotus.

    Time passed. Over the following days, everyone except Brock finished absorbing their cores. Most switched to meditating on the Dao¡ªa cultivator¡¯s pastime¡ªwhile Jack split his attention between meditating and keeping watch. After all, a native monster jumping out of the water to eat a disciple wouldn¡¯t be too out of place.

    Thankfully, nothing happened. The elemental¡¯s aura persisted, just as Jack had suspected¡ªthe other native monsters had probably sensed the battle, but they had no way of knowing the powerful elemental had perished. Even if they came to investigate, it wouldn¡¯t be anytime soon.

    In contrast to the elemental¡¯s lingering aura, the lotus¡¯s energies were quickly drying up. Its roots were withering, and the golden color of its leaves had lost its luster. Brock was growing stronger. His aura surged every day, approaching the peak B-Grade. His Daos were growing more refined as well.

    Jack didn¡¯t mind waiting. As much as he was on the clock, he would never burden his bro with that. A few weeks were nothing, anyway¡ªhe enjoyed watching Brock¡¯s rise to power.

    Two weeks later, someone approached him. ¡°Hey,¡± Strawpin said.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jack replied. He noticed that her hair were tidy under her straw hat, while her pale skin shone with a certain luster. She smelled differently, too¡ªwilder?

    ¡°I was wondering,¡± Strawpin began, ¡°are you looking for a sex partner?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°What did you not¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I got it. I already have a partner, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Strawpin said, inching closer. Her smell filled Jack¡¯s ears. It probably passed as attractive to space monsters, but he wasn¡¯t really one, so he found it was off-putting. His thoughts must have shown because Strawpin backpedaled, a surprised look on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I thought we¡¯d be a good match¡­ There are many monsters pining for me, you know.¡±

    Jack gathered himself. ¡°I can imagine. You¡¯re talented and beautiful. Unfortunately, I¡¯m in an exclusive relationship with another monster, so I can¡¯t return your affection. Thank you, though.¡±

    ¡°Are they better than me?¡± Strawpin asked with a pout.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not a comparison I¡¯d want to make.¡±

    ¡°I see. Okay. You don¡¯t need to lie, though¡ªI know that no powerful monster has exclusive partners.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m different. I¡¯m not lying to you.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. Alright.¡± Her disappointed gaze was hard to hide. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore, then. If you ever change your mind, let me know, alright?¡±

    Jack gave a wry smile. ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    She turned and headed back to her fellow disciples, her walk now carrying more swagger than strictly necessary. Jack didn¡¯t see the point. Her long robes revealed nothing.

    ¡°What¡¯s the issue with these people?¡± he asked Starhair telepathically. ¡°One head disciple wants me to take them as my disciple, the other wants me to just take them.¡±

    ¡°The price of power,¡± Starhair replied, doing a mockery of Jack¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m so powerful and handsome that all the most influential people want me! What am I gonna do?¡±

    ¡°Very funny. I don¡¯t speak through my nose.¡±

    ¡°You do sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I do not!¡±

    Both laughed¡ªwithout a change in expression.

    With nothing to do, Jack also checked his new stats, enhanced by the single middle A-Grade and various early A-Grades core he¡¯d absorbed¡ªthe only ones compatible with him.

    Level: 513

    Strength: 12,530 (+)

    Dexterity: 12,530 (+)

    Constitution: 12,530 (+)

    Mental: 2000

    Will: 2000

    Free sub-points: 1

    Matter Condensation: 26%

    He was taking steady steps towards the peak B-Grade realm. The cores had given him another ten levels, as well as five hundred stat points which he¡¯d poured into the Physical substats. He¡¯d also worked on his black hole skill a bit, achieving tiny improvements, and experimented with the Life-Time Dao Vision to no avail. That concept of creation, whatever it was, remained tantalizingly out of reach.

    I¡¯ll get there, he promised himself. One step at a time.

    It took another two weeks for Brock to finish absorbing the lotus and core. Finally, one day, the withered lotus cracked and collapsed like old stone. Brock floated down from his previous position, golden light spontaneously flickering around him. There was a certain air to him¡ªas if he¡¯d grown one step closer to being the entire universe¡¯s big bro.

    ¡°Sup,¡± he said as his feet touched dirt. Over the next hundred years, all of it would wash away, and the surrounding islands would go back to being bare stone.

    ¡°Hey bro.¡± Jack welcomed him with a smile. ¡°You look great.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I work out.¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°I see you reached the peak Baron realm?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Brock smiled back. ¡°Only one step from being an Autarch¡­ Though it won¡¯t come anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°This is the first time you¡¯re a small realm above me, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But not for long.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully.¡±

    While Starhair greeted Brock as well, Jack turned towards the monster disciples. ¡°Are you guys ready?¡±

    ¡°We were born ready!¡± Fiend Prince replied, raising a fist to the sky. ¡°Welcome back, big bro! Thanks for protecting us, other big bro! Is it time to test our fates?¡±

    A grin played on Jack¡¯s lips. This guy¡¯s energy was infectious. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call it.¡±

    ¡°I do!¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Then, yeah, it¡¯s time. Let¡¯s go, bros. The Hall of Trials awaits!¡±

    The monsters cheered, then took to the sky after Jack, Brock, and Starhair, following the trio into the darkness. The dirt island hosting the lotus¡¯s husk remained behind them, a relic forever lost in time.

    It was time to see the Hall of Trials.

 Chapter 530: Reaching the Hall

    The disciple group exited the dirt island area very different from when they entered. Brock¡¯s strength had surged upward. All six Elders were gone, their cores long absorbed. In their place, Jack and Brock now led the group, with everyone else flying behind them.

    Starhair, of course, also enjoyed everyone¡¯s respect. His strength was enough to rival Strawpin and Fiend Prince¡¯s, while his friendship with Jack and Brock earned people¡¯s envy.

    In just a short few weeks, Jack and Brock had secured the disciples¡¯ admiration. Their level of talent was unfathomable, but it wasn¡¯t just that. Any other monster might have left these disciples to fend for themselves¡ªJack and Brock had taken responsibility for killing the Elders and promised to protect the disciples all the way to the Hall of Trials.

    As for the disciples¡­ Being escorted and protected by Elders was one thing, but experiencing the same from people of your own class¡­ That was a different emotion altogether.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want a disciple, Jack Monstrous?¡± Fiend Prince asked, flying beside Jack. ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise. I can wipe and mop your floors if you want. I¡¯ll work hard!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Prince, thank you¡± Jack replied with a laugh. He¡¯d interacted with the other disciples over the previous weeks, and Fiend Prince was one of the people he enjoyed. He was straight-forward to the point of being funny. As for Strawpin, while she was somewhat stuck-up, her heart was kind. She¡¯d only acted aggressive to defend the disciples whose spots Jack¡¯s group had taken.

    Of course, now that she knew they more than deserved those spots, she¡¯d completely switched her tune.

    ¡°How do you even know the way?¡± she asked, flying on Jack¡¯s other side, between him and Brock.

    ¡°I can sense the Dao released by the Hall of Trials. At least, I think I can,¡± he replied. ¡°If I¡¯m right, the Elders were leading you in circles before.¡±

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡±

    Fiend Prince frowned. ¡°That¡¯s weird. I understand that they¡¯d want to explore the dirt area once they discovered it, but are you saying they were already moving in circles before that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d have an idea.¡±

    ¡°No clue.¡± Strawpin shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve read the records on previous delves. Unless all previous generations deliberately obfuscated something, there was never a reason to delay. After all, the faster the Elders can drop us off at the Hall of Trials, the faster they can go treasure hunting.¡±

    ¡°Owlhead did mention something weird,¡± Fiend Prince added. ¡°When Strawpin asked them to take us to the Hall and then return for the lotus, he said there are some things we don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I thought he told me to go fuck myself.¡±

    ¡°That too.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they were afraid to go treasure hunting and wanted to delay so they had an excuse to take things slow?¡± Strawpin ventured a guess. It wasn¡¯t too likely, but nobody had a better idea.

    Jack didn¡¯t participate in the brainstorming. He was aware of more things than the rest. The Second Crusade had just erupted outside the Space Monster World¡ªwith the Overlords desperate to strengthen their factions, this delve was very different from all previous ones. Great Silver himself had hinted at this. Using the records as reference points was meaningless.

    The Overlord had also mentioned something else. After urging Jack¡¯s group to meet up with the other disciples, he¡¯d said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to the Hall of Trials.¡± Maybe the Elders had received similar orders. The problem was, Jack had no idea why.

    He was as lost as the rest of them.

    In any case, thinking about that wasn¡¯t something Jack could afford right now. The Dark Canal was a dangerous place. Just by himself and Brock, they couldn¡¯t protect all these disciples forever. Rushing or not, they had to reach the Hall of Trials.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Hall like?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know!?¡± Strawpin¡¯s face glowed. ¡°The Hall is where the world¡¯s creator left his legacy¡ªor so the legends say. There are several tests there, and the better you perform, the higher the floor you¡¯re allowed to enter!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack said, his voice intrigued. ¡°How many floors are there?¡±

    ¡°Six, but don¡¯t underestimate their difficulty! Even Fiend Prince and I, the head disciples of the Overlord factions, can only reach the fifth floor at most.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stroking your own cock!¡± Fiend Prince laughed. ¡°The fifth floor is a dream. It means we have a decent chance of becoming Overlords in the future¡ªand, not to piss on myself, but I know my chances are small. The fourth floor is more realistic.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about you, but I can reach the fifth!¡± Strawpin replied, her face red. ¡°The Overlord says I¡¯m the greatest talent he¡¯s seen in a million years, superior to even Grand Elder Sanzuki! Since he reached the fifth floor, I can as well.¡±

    Fiend Prince gave a wry smile. ¡°Traditionally, the fifth level is for characters like Overlords or Grand Elders. People with the potential to reach at least the peak Autarch level. The fourth level is for talented disciples with great hopes of becoming Autarchs, and anything below that¡­ Well, it¡¯s for less talented ones. They¡¯re still not easy to reach though.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Since only peak B-Grades are entering, everyone should be able to reach the third or fourth level, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. But, that¡¯s only because we¡¯re sending peak B-Grades in there. The Hall of Trials can accommodate people of lower cultivations as well¡ªit tests talent, not cultivation level. It¡¯s just that weaker people can¡¯t cross the Canal to reach it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of stupid?¡±

    ¡°Seems so! I have no idea, honestly. The Hall and Dark Canal are far more ancient than anyone can remember. Maybe things were different in the past. Maybe the Canal wasn¡¯t as dangerous.¡±

    ¡°What about the sixth floor?¡± Brock asked.

    At this, the two head disciples fell silent. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for people to reach it,¡± Strawpin finally replied. ¡°Over the history of our world, there have been three such cases. All of them became not just Overlords in the future, but exceptional Overlords. The most recent one was Overlord Rainbow a hundred million years ago. There were three Overlords at the time, and it¡¯s said that she fought the other two by herself and still won.¡±

    ¡°Impressive!¡± Jack exclaimed, his eyes flashing. The Overlord or Archon realm had no internal classifications of power, but some people were stronger than others. The Arch Priestess, for example, was a particularly powerful Archon. The Old Gods were all at the peak of power, and Axelor with Enas were yet another step higher, able to dominate regular Overlords. Jack thought it was similar to how talented cultivators could steamroll anyone in their cultivation boundary.

    In most cases, however, that only applied to young cultivators who¡¯d yet to grow into their full potential. When it came to mature cultivators, everyone at the same cultivation level was more or less the same, because anyone more talented would have already reached the next realm. Only the Archon realm was an exception, because no matter how talented one was, they just couldn¡¯t ascend higher. That was why there were great differences in power between Archons.

    In fact, the existence of extreme Archons was the main reason why people believed there was no higher realm.

    ¡°You can probably reach the sixth floor though,¡± Fiend Prince said, glancing at Jack and Brock. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but you¡¯re unbelievably strong. In fact, I¡¯d be surprised if you didn¡¯t reach it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Jack replied with a smirk. ¡°Isn¡¯t six floors such an ugly number though? Why not five or seven?¡±

    ¡°Beats me.¡±

    Jack disagreed, but he elected to continue the conversation only with Brock, through telepathy. Some of the things he was going to say might reveal they came from outside the Space Monster Realm.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s important,¡± he said. ¡°Whoever created the Hall of Trials was such an exceptional individual that there¡¯s no way they randomly chose to have six floors. There has to be a meaning to it. Maybe because it¡¯s half the number of the Old Gods, for some reason? Or because it¡¯s the number of Grades, from F to A?¡±

    ¡°I agree it¡¯s important, bro, but I have no idea. Let¡¯s figure it out when we get there.¡±

    Jack nodded.

    A few native monsters attacked them on the way, but thankfully, nothing above the middle A-Grade. Jack and Brock handled them all¡ªevery battle only enhancing the awe in the disciples¡¯ eyes.

    Eventually, the scenery changed again. The Dao stream Jack had been following turned more and more intense until everyone could sense it. It then kept growing until it was a brewing storm, a current of power simply waiting to erupt. It gave him goosebumps.

    Finally, they emerged into an area where the black mist was thicker than ever. A stone island spread under their feet, far wider than any other, stretching into the darkness. Jack paused and strained his perception to the limit. What he saw made him gasp.

    From the edge of the stone island, his perception could barely reach its center. He saw there a pyramid stretching into the sky, faint lines denoting six floors each an entire mile tall. Its base was seven miles wide, but it grew narrower the higher one looked. At the very top, it was flat, as if part of it had been shorn off. Tremendous power fell from up there¡ªJack wasn¡¯t eager to visit.

    The black mist hugging the pyramid was so dense it almost turned solid. It rolled off the walls as moisture. The walls themselves were the brown of sand, easy to make out in the mist, while their surface was bare. The front of the pyramid sported a massive double door, half a mile tall, carved with the striking image of a monster tearing apart what looked like a human.

    It gave Jack the chills. This world and the outside universe didn¡¯t communicate much. Why would there be the image of a human here, in this world¡¯s cradle? Why was that human getting torn apart?

    Not a human, actually, Jack corrected himself. An Ancient. They were genetically similar to humans, and with this world¡¯s timeframe, it could only be one of them. Were the Ancients and the first space monsters at war or something? Did the monsters create this entire world as a fortress?

    The more he saw, the more questions he had, and nothing seemed to make much sense.

    Jack looked away from the pyramid, surveying the space around it, and was once again shocked. Before, when he simply brushed by its surroundings to reach the pyramid, he¡¯d assumed it was surrounded by hills. Now, he realized they were statues. Three large ones formed a triangle around the pagoda, while another eight¡ªsmaller and farther away¡ªcreated a diamond-like shape to encapsulate the triangle.

    Eleven statues in total. Another weird number. What the hell was going on?

    ¡°What do you see?¡± Starhair asked, his perception not reaching the statues.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There is no danger here.¡±

    He knew that instinctively. The place carried such a heavy air of holiness that, even if there were native monsters present, Jack suspected they¡¯d hesitate to disturb the peace.

    Their group floated forward. Gasps echoed every once in a while as more and more people perceived the statues and pagoda. Some of the older disciples, who¡¯d visited this place before, wore wry smiles. This was the same reaction they¡¯d had the first time. The same reaction everyone had.

    ¡°Who are these bros?¡± Brock asked.

    The larger statues were two miles tall, while the smaller ones were one mile. They really were mountains, completely made of stone. Any paint on them had long washed away, but the stone itself persisted, magically enhanced to endure billions of years of erosion.

    As they approached, Jack could make out more details. The large three statues were the first he surveyed. One depicted a massive, tentacled sphere. The other two were humanoid, except their faces were featureless and the texture of their bodies odd, as if their skin was rippling.

    ¡°We have no idea who these are,¡± Strawpin explained, unable to hide the awe in her voice. ¡°The records speculate they¡¯re strong ancient monsters who helped build this place, but in truth, we don¡¯t know.¡±

    Jack cupped his chin. ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°I have no idea either.¡±

 Chapter 531: Hall of Trials

    Great Silver and Fiend King hovered on two sides of the pyramid. Powerful enchantments kept them hidden, intricate enough that even Jack had failed to detect them. Of course, the Overlords didn¡¯t care about some disciples¡ªthe enchantments were meant to hide them from wandering native monsters, which, contrary to Jack¡¯s assumptions about the sanctity of this place, could and did pass by.

    The Overlords weren¡¯t just standing around. A massive ring of power circled the pyramid, passing through them and getting amplified. The dark mist above them roiled¡ªa faint light came from the flat top of the pyramid, very slowly getting brighter. Thanks to the hiding enchantment, all these were invisible unless someone flew high up.

    ¡°Did you notice?¡± Fiend King asked. ¡°That new disciple of yours almost noticed the enchantment.¡±

    ¡°He specializes in Space,¡± Great Silver replied casually. ¡°A faint intuition is to be expected.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. All the Elders were missing. How did they get caught, while the disciples escaped?¡±

    ¡°Bad luck. Do you want to focus on this or that?¡±

    Fiend King snorted. ¡°I thought you could meditate and talk at the same time?¡±

    ¡°We cannot afford any distractions. Doing this without a third Overlord is hard¡ªif we don¡¯t devote our full attention, the ritual could go awry, and fifty million years of preparation will amount to nothing.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Fiend King exclaimed, closing his eyes and focusing entirely on the ongoing ritual. Great Silver did the same. To them, the disciples entering the pyramid were entirely inconsequential¡ªwhat they were working on was far grander than a few hopeful upstarts. The only reason they¡¯d asked the Elders to delay the disciples¡¯ arrival was to protect them in case the pyramid ended up exploding¡ªbut interrupting the ritual to warn them now was not a price they could afford to pay.

    Only Great Silver spared an extra thought for the disciples. Jack Rust did something¡­ he deduced. He somehow killed the Elders. Maybe swooped in while they were fighting over some treasure? That would explain why the other disciples defer to him so much¡­but, in the end, it doesn¡¯t really matter. At least he escorted them here. Good boy. It¡¯s a shame the Immortals are going to kill him and everyone he knows.

    The two Overlords hovered before two of the pyramid¡¯s three sides. The third was taken up by a twelve-foot-tall totem pole, containing twelve rings depicting various monsters. Each exuded the faint aura of an Overlord. The ring of power passed through the totem as it did through the Elders, slowly sapping its energy. The light from the pyramid¡¯s top grew ever brighter.

    ***

    Three large statues formed a triangle around the pyramid. One depicted a massive, tentacled sphere. The other two were humanoid, except their faces were featureless and the texture of their bodies odd, as if their skin was rippling.

    Another eight statues, smaller in size, surrounded them in an octagon shape. Most were humanoid, with distinctive features¡ªone was made of spheres, another also of spheres but smaller, a third was made of what seemed like fire¡­

    After the first few statues, Jack didn¡¯t need to look anymore. The space monsters may not have known what these statues depicted, but he certainly did. The Old Gods. Eleven of them, with the exception of Enas.

    He looked down, where the statues met the stone island. They were one and the same, the stone simply extending upward. That indicated the statues had never moved. They¡¯d been created like this, in perfect harmony, which meant there was never a statue of Enas here. The statues had been made after the Old God of Life had been tossed into a black hole.

    What¡¯s the meaning of this? Jack wondered. Did the other Old Gods create space monsters after the First Crusade? That makes no sense. This world and the Dark Canal are older than a billion years¡ªboth were created before Enas¡¯s imprisonment. Why is there no statue of him?

    Could there have been a statue, but after his imprisonment, the other Old Gods came here, took down all the previous statues, and recreated eleven of them anew? That¡¯s just too tedious.

    Why would the Old Gods create the Space Monster World, anyway?

    He could begrudgingly accept that. The creation of the Space Monster World, as well as its entrance seal which prevented A-Grades from entering, was too grand a project. People suspected its creator had surpassed the Archon realm, but if it was multiple Old Gods working together, then it could be explained.

    But why? And why did the pyramid door portray a monster feasting on an Ancient?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± Strawpin said, too excited to wait. She was basically skipping from foot to foot.

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack replied, snapping out of his thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And everything should be clear by the time we exit.

    The large group put the statues behind them and gathered before the pyramid door¡ªlooking tiny in comparison.

    ¡°How do we open it?¡± Jack asked, looking up.

    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± an older disciple replied. ¡°We just go in, like this.¡± He put a palm against the door and immediately disappeared. Jack perceived the familiar ripple of energy¡ªthis was short-range teleportation. He shook his head, then followed the disciple. Everyone did.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    They reappeared in a towering hall. Thick columns of brown stone held up the mile-high ceiling, while engraved on them were the visages of fierce monsters preying on Ancients¡ªor, more rarely, each other. There was a certain timeless air to this place¡ªthe weight of endless years pressing down on Jack¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Is this the first floor?¡± he asked. The others nodded.

    ¡°The first floor is the minimum result one can achieve,¡± Strawpin explained. While she hadn¡¯t come here before, she¡¯d read about the Hall of Trials extensively. ¡°It is also where we receive the tests to judge our potential. After this, everyone can visit their respective floors to enjoy the rewards.¡±

    Jack nodded. There was no door to this hall, only walls, but he supposed teleportation served a pyramid well. After all, forcing peak B-Grades to walk up stairs felt a bit too humbling. Flying up, on the other hand, would be too easy.

    ¡°And what exactly are these tests?¡± he asked.

    She smiled at him. ¡°Come and see.¡±

    The large hall they were in was devoid of furniture. It wasn¡¯t completely empty, however. In the very middle stood a bronze steele. It rose twenty feet into the air¡ªso not particularly high¡ªand its surface was covered in tiny inscriptions. At the very top of the steele, three names were written in a larger font, each containing the writing style of its holder.

    ¡°Eternal Radiance, Progenitor, Rainbow¡­¡± Jack read aloud. ¡°Who are these people?¡±

    ¡°The only three monsters to ever reach the sixth floor,¡± Fiend Prince replied, his usual recklessness replaced with reverence. ¡°As for the names below them, they belong to people who reached the fifth floor.¡±

    Jack gazed at the steele again. It reminded him of the old Cathedral¡¯s ranking obelisk, yet impossibly grander in meaning. It was possible that, from the people who populated the ranking obelisk, only the very apex geniuses like Min Ling would have the qualifications to even appear on this steele, let alone reaching the top tier.

    It was the entire history of excellence of the Space Monster World, compressed to a space only twenty feet across.

    Jack looked up again. The three larger names dominated the top of the steele, their superiority evident.

    Eternal Radiance, Progenitor, Rainbow¡­ Jack repeated in his head, committing the names to memory. Their font wasn¡¯t the same neutral one as in the names below. It appeared that each of these people had earned the right to personally inscribe their names, thus demonstrating their writing style for the future generations.

    Eternal Radiance wrote in confident, straight, deep swipes. An absolute sovereign. Progenitor wrote in jagged, short lines, as if too busy doing other things to inscribe on the stele properly, while Rainbow¡¯s letters were elegant and pretty, yet containing undeniable momentum.

    Just glancing at the names, Jack felt he had a good idea of the people they represented. He yearned to inscribe his own¡ªwhat would it look like?

    ¡°How often does someone reach the fifth floor?¡± Starhair asked, focusing on the host of smaller names below.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking to gauge the length of time this stele has existed based on the number of names,¡± Fiend Prince said. ¡°A good idea, though you¡¯re barely the first. Delves happen once every thousand years, but nobody reaches the fifth floor usually. Maybe once every ten delves?¡±

    ¡°I thought you and Strawpin both aimed for the fifth floor?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re exceptions. It¡¯s uncommon for two geniuses this great to be born close together. Strawpin and I both stand head and shoulders above our peers.¡±

    Said peers stood right next to him, but he didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°I count tens of thousands of names,¡± Jack said, quickly skimming the stele. There were only three names at the very top, each comfortably resting in its own space, yet the smaller names below were tiny and nestled tightly against each other. Three versus tens of thousands¡ªthe disparity between the fifth and sixth floor was staggering.

    ¡°It¡¯s close to a hundred thousand,¡± Strawpin said.

    Starhair did the calculations. ¡°With an average of one person every ten thousand years, this means the stele has stood for a billion years. That can¡¯t be right. I thought it was longer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The names are automatically wiped off the stele one billion years after they were first inscribed. Your calculation is pointless.¡±

    ¡°...You could have led with this.¡±

    ¡°But where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Strawpin replied, her previous stricter attitude having melted away. It only appeared when she was in charge.

    ¡°Does the same happen for the sixth floor names?¡± Jack asked.

    Fiend Prince shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not sure. We do know that they last more than a billion years¡ªOverlord Eternal Radiance, for example, was a legendary figure from two billion years ago. However, it¡¯s possible those names are also wiped, just on a longer cycle. We¡¯ve never seen one disappear yet.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack muttered. The disparity was even greater than he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d been certain he could reach the sixth floor easily, but now it was beginning to look like a bit of a challenge.

    He suddenly realized something. If this stele recorded the names of everyone who¡¯d reached the top floors, it was possible that their results in the so-called tests were also recorded. Jack could test himself against not just the geniuses of the present, but also the greatest geniuses in history¡ªan entirely different level.

    The fire of competition burned in his belly. He couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°How do we enter the tests?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Simple,¡± Strawpin said. ¡°You touch that other stele over there.¡±

    She circled the large bronze stele, stepping behind it. Jack followed her to find a second stele, originally hidden by the first. This one was made of silver and much smaller¡ªonly reaching nine feet in height and three in width. It was empty.

    ¡°The tests all take place in a separate space, so we cannot observe others directly,¡± Fiend Prince took over explaining. ¡°However, everyone¡¯s results for each test will appear on this stele. It is also the entry point¡ªjust touch it and you¡¯ll be teleported over.¡±

    Jack observed the stele again. While empty, he did notice two vertical lines on it, splitting it into three identical sections. Three tests, then? He grinned. Bring it on.

    He looked behind him, searching for the eyes of his brother. He found them easily. The same fire burned in them as it did in his. ¡°See you at the top, brother,¡± he said, unable to contain his grin.

    ¡°Damn right, big bro,¡± Brock said. He walked beside Jack, and, at the same time, the two reached out to touch the stele and disappeared. Jack noticed he could have resisted the spatial pull, but he obviously chose not to.

    Half of the other disciples, including Starhair, Strawpin, and Fiend Prince, did the same. The only ones left were those who¡¯d been here before. Each person could only attempt the test once in their lifetimes, and the result was locked in forever. These monsters were only here to reenter the same floor as last time and continue reaping the benefits.

    However, there was no rush in that. The Canal Delve would continue for many years, and this test only took a few hours.

    The remaining disciples sat on the ground, eagerly discussing the others¡¯ expected results. First they¡¯d watch, then they¡¯d cultivate¡ªotherwise, they would be no fun.

 Chapter 532: Test of Dao

    Jack materialized in a different hall. This one was also made of stone, but was noticeably far smaller. Barely a hundred feet separated the floor from the ceiling, while another hundred spanned between the right to left and front to back walls. The entire room was a box a hundred feet to each side, giving no indication of its position inside the pyramid.

    Jack¡¯s perception failed to penetrate the walls, while his ears caught no sound. Wherever he was, it was completely isolated. This was probably a separate fold in space, yet the flow of spacetime around him indicated no such thing. An exquisite application. His mind returned to the statues of the Space and Time Gods outside the pyramid¡ªcould they have participated in the creation of the Hall of Trials?

    ¡°Greetings, young monster,¡± a voice welcomed him. Jack turned to its source¡ªthe single other thing in the room besides himself. An entity of stone stood against the back wall, patiently waiting. Jack took the time to inspect it as he walked over¡ªit seemed like a living creature yet wasn¡¯t. In fact, it reminded him of Sparman, the sparring robot he¡¯d interacted with during the Integration Tournament. Sparman had later become an important guardian of the Forest of the Strong.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he replied, stepping up to the automaton. ¡°How do you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± the thing replied. It was humanoid and made of black stone, enchanted to endure the infinite flow of time. It wore no clothes and had no facial features, except for a single white eye in the middle of its face. Its voice was produced through vibrations¡ªoddly smooth and pleasant to the ear.

    ¡°The name¡¯s Jack. Who are you?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I am the automaton assigned to this hall. I will be the overseer and conductor of your aptitude tests. Are you ready to begin?¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said quickly. ¡°Can you give me some information first? Who created this place? For what reason? What exactly will I be tested on, and how?¡±

    ¡°I am not allowed to divulge information on the tests before you face them,¡± the robot explained in an even voice. ¡°All I can tell you is that this is the Hall of Trials: a training place for the new generation of soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Soldiers? Against what?¡±

    ¡°More information will become available based on your results. Are you ready to begin?¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Sure,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good. The first test concerns your understanding of the Dao, and will be adjusted based on your current cultivation level. Please stand in the middle of the room and release your Dao aura.¡±

    Jack followed the instructions. He took position in the very center and released his aura to the maximum¡ªa powerful gust blew out, smashing against the walls and shaking them. The entire hall was suffused with the aura of power, of Life and Death, of Space and Time. The robot, though carrying no aura itself, didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    Jack waited. A moment later, a strange feeling came over him¡ªit was like the hall itself fell silent to listen, exploring his aura. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came, and shadows manifested in front of Jack, quickly coalescing into a humanoid shape. Nothing was visible of it except its white eyes. Jack looked at it expectantly.

    The shadow raised its hands. Jack braced himself, waiting for an attack, yet none came. Instead, the shadow deftly moved its fingers, dragging them through the air and leaving trails behind them to form what resembled ancient runes.

    The moment Jack¡¯s eyes met the runes, he was transfixed. To the untrained eye, these would be nothing more than squiggly lines¡ªto Jack, however, they were something far greater. A manifestation of concepts, ideas given form as lines. He¡¯d seen this before while inheriting Green Dragon¡¯s legacy. They were Dao runes.

    The particular set of runes before him spoke of spacetime. They portrayed a steady ripple of time traveling through flat space, then a massive celestial object appearing to warp them both. Every measurement was exact in the rune¡¯s intricacies. The test was clear¡ªa beginning state and an alteration were given, and he was to calculate the precise warping of spacetime induced by the celestial object.

    Jack snorted. This was not a simple task, but to him, it was far too easy. He quickly waved his hands without much thought, easily copying the runes and adding in his own insights. The final state of the system became clear¡ªhe depicted the exact warping which could occur in both space and time.

    The shadow observed his runes for a moment, then nodded in approval. If it was impressed by his speed, it didn¡¯t show it.

    All runes collapsed as the shadow started drawing a second set. This one was more complex, representing a person¡¯s journey through life, all their formative experiences and important checkpoints. The shadow¡¯s finger suddenly paused, having drawn the line until the person¡¯s start of middle age. It dropped its hand and looked at Jack expectantly, the runes hovering incomplete.

    Jack focused as he perceived these runes. They reminded him of the death and life cubes he¡¯d previously meditated on, but at the same time, more than even the cubes, they reminded him of the time he¡¯d spent in the Mortality Dao Chamber of the old Cathedral. In there, he¡¯d watched the lives of a thousand mortals advance and shape each other. He¡¯d learned to read a life. This rune was no different.

    Slowly¡ªrespectfully¡ªhe raised his finger to the end of the rune and continued it. Unlike before, he took his time. This test wasn¡¯t particularly difficult either, but there was a certain inherent complexity when it came to Life and Death. It wasn¡¯t like spacetime, where everything was clear-cut and the final state was a result of precise calculations. Life contained a great element of chance, as well as hints of each cultivator¡¯s personality, because the same reality seemed different to different people. The truth was subjective, to an extent¡ªthat¡¯s why Jack took it slow, pondering on these truths as he drew them out, taking the time to fully insert his understandings into the runes.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    His lines were subtly different from the shadow¡¯s. When he was finally done, having portrayed this hypothetical person¡¯s emotional changes all the way to their inevitable death, he slowly removed his finger. The end result was two separate sets of runes, with clear differences between them, combining together to form a harmonic whole. Jack hadn¡¯t just taken over, he¡¯d made sure to incorporate and validate as many of the shadow¡¯s insights as possible.

    The shadow looked over the runes for a long time, then nodded deeply. Its white eyes flashed with what could be appreciation. Jack smiled¡ªhaving your life¡¯s work validated was always a pleasant feeling.

    The runes collapsed, and another test began.

    The shadow¡¯s challenges grew exponentially more complex. Its next test depicted an entire solar system, with its sun and planets and moons and meteors and all sorts of little things. Jack had to accurately chart all their interactions with spacetime and each other. It took some time, but he succeeded¡ªnot quite a challenging task, but far more difficult than the first one. Thankfully, his foundation was solid, so failing here was impossible.

    The fourth challenge concerned Life and Death. The shadow drew out an entire village of people, their lives and deaths plain for all to see, if they knew where to look. Jack used the presented lives of these people to draw out their future generations, assuming the village unaffected by outside factors. He chose to draw one of the brightest possible futures. The next generations slowly washed away the mental burdens passed down to them by their elders, eventually creating a stable and expanding, happy village.

    By the time he was done, he didn¡¯t know how long it had been. He¡¯d lost track of time while drawing. The complexity of these runes had increased massively, from the starting set of three to the village encompassing hundreds of runes, so the time it took to complete them had also increased. Jack assumed it had been several hours.

    At the fifth test, the shadow changed its tune. The darkness crept away from its face to reveal a faint smile, sharp teeth glinting through. It raised both hands and drew spacetime runes faster. They didn¡¯t just hang there this time¡ªas soon as they were drawn, they flew at Jack like attacks.

    He could obviously use his cultivation to destroy them, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Instead, excitement rising inside him, he raised his hands and drew runes in return. They clashed against the incoming ones. Lines met loose ends, completing them. The runes fizzled out of existence, neutralized.

    The shadow accelerated, but so did Jack. Their runes turned faster and more complex¡ªyet, every attack of the shadow was perfectly neutralized, Jack matching it in speed and grace. Its smile widened.

    Life and Death runes crept into the battle. A mess of concepts now launched itself at Jack, each attack a question, each defense a perfect answer. Jack realized he was grinning. This was exhilarating. To meet someone who could match him and battle them in such a way¡­ It was like meeting a soulmate. Someone who walked the exact same path as him. He wanted to keep going until he dropped, no longer caring about tests and floors.

    His hands accelerated. His Fist shone through, igniting his fighting spirit. Jack could sense the creeping difficulty, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He accelerated further, going all-out against the shadow. Facing its barrage of questions, not only did he draw perfect answers, but he incorporated his own testing questions and shot them back. The moment the first such rune reached the shadow, it paused for a second, stunned¡ªand then its smile turned into a full-on grin. Its hands blurred as it accelerated to match Jack¡¯s pace, the previous slow scaling all but forgotten. It accepted his challenge.

    The stream of attacks turned two-way, Jack actively fighting back against the shadow. Questions and answers clashed in mid-air, the runes turning constantly more complex, constantly more complete. They were operating not on a surface level, but in deep concepts wrapped around each other, testing their opponent on the most hidden nuances. Jack was feeling genuinely challenged by this level, but all he knew was that he loved it.

    Adjusted to my cultivation level my ass, he thought. No other B-Grade could do this. But fine. Let¡¯s see what you got!

    As the shadow jumped to a new level of complexity, Jack had to really zone in. Everything else disappeared as he went completely all-out, pulling from his arsenal concepts he didn¡¯t fully grasp. A question about Death headed his way. His fingers flashed, drawing a perfect answer and a question furthering the subject, then shooting it right back. There wasn¡¯t only Death in his question¡ªhe¡¯d included an aspect of Space, gradually combining the two concepts, using his understanding of black holes to foil the shadow.

    The shadow opened its mouth and laughed out loud¡ªthe first sound it made. Death and Space entwined, jumped from its fingers. They met Jack¡¯s question, answered it, and pushed through. The shadow kept going, fusing Life and Time in the next question. They were now discussing the deepest secrets of the universe, an area where Jack wasn¡¯t fully knowledgeable, but neither was the shadow. Both were struggling now, reaching for more than they could grasp. Jack felt his genuine joy mirrored in his opponent, and he could sense his understandings skyrocket through this battle, missing pieces falling into place.

    Their answers turned imperfect. Light washed over Jack every time he failed to defend, and the same happened to the shadow, the shockwaves of Dao pushing back its darkness to reveal a pale face, featureless except for its eyes and mouth, which sported a creepy, abnormally wide grin.

    Runes flew back and forth. Time, Space, Life, Death, all combined into an imperfect mess glued together by Jack¡¯s understanding of the Fist. He charged through any problems he couldn¡¯t solve, while his own attacks pierced deep, threatening just like a fist. Their runes were so many and so complex that they spread from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall, every rune a soldier in a massive battle. Ethereal blue light filled the entire hall.

    The shadow finally showed signs of exhaustion, its finger light sputtering as if attempting to draw concepts more complex than it could muster.

    Jack saw his opening¡ªand knew he was also reaching the end of his rope. He forced his hands to move faster. Exquisite runes appeared, the crystallization of Jack¡¯s understanding into black holes. The shadow¡¯s runes began to collapse. The two-way battle turned into a single-sided barrage of runes, against which the shadow desperately tried to defend, but most punched through its resistance. Flashes of light now covered it constantly. Jack had gained the definitive advantage.

    Finally, the shadow raised a hand, using raw energy to disperse the runes. Everything came to an abrupt pause. ¡°I yield,¡± said a voice, tinged with both joy and frustration. ¡°Good job.¡±

    ¡°Well fought,¡± Jack replied, nodding deeply at the shadow. It may have lost, but it had provided Jack¡¯s most enjoyable battle ever. His Dao and heart were soaring.

    A chuckle escaped the shadow¡¯s lips as it dissipated, turning into thin air, leaving the room as empty as it once was. The flying runes might as well have been a dream. Jack struggled to cope with the sudden lapse in action. He fell to his knees, panting, the tension still not completely out of his System.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± the automaton at the far wall said. Its voice was slightly deeper than before. ¡°Dao test result¡­ Eternal!¡±

 Chapter 533: Test of Will

    Jack struggled to find his breath. Across from him, the automaton waited. ¡°Are you ready to proceed?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Jack said. ¡°You called my test result Eternal. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It is the highest possible classification. Congratulations!¡±

    ¡°When was the last time someone got that result?¡±

    ¡°I cannot divulge that.¡±

    ¡°...Fine.¡± Jack stood up, his regeneration already working wonders for his stamina. The hall, though small, seemed to have infinite ambient Dao. His perception caught it streaming in from the corners. ¡°Before this test began, you said there were some things you couldn¡¯t reveal unless I got the appropriate results.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me now. Who built this place? Was it the Old Gods depicted in the statues outside?¡±

    The robot hesitated for a moment. ¡°I do not understand the question,¡± it finally said. ¡°The Hall of Trials was constructed by our Gods. They are the ones depicted outside. However, while they have certainly existed for a long time, calling them old is unsuitable.¡±

    ¡°Why did they make this place?¡±

    ¡°The Gods constructed the Hall of Trials to assist the future generations of monsters. Their intention was to establish a cultivation civilization able to expand with each generation, so it could stand firm against the enemy when the time came.¡±

    ¡°The enemy?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What enemy?¡±

    The automaton paused. ¡°It is time for the next test,¡± it said in a more mechanical tone.

    Jack dusted himself off. He cracked his neck and flexed his fingers, taking in the wide room around him. His previous Dao battle against the shadow had been ephemeral, yet had still created physical shockwaves. The hall, however, remained pristine.

    With a better idea of the tests¡¯ difficulty, Jack wondered if death was possible. Strawpin and Fiend Prince hadn¡¯t mentioned anything of the sort, but maybe it was completely natural to them, death being such a core part of the Space Monster World.

    Jack took a deep breath. I wonder how Brock is doing¡­ he thought wistfully. Can he reach my results? Can I reach his?

    In a sense, this was the first time the two bros were in direct competition. Jack really looked forward to the result.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good,¡± the automaton replied. ¡°The second test concerns your willpower and resolve to pursue the peak. It is not adjusted to your cultivation. It is also endless, so please give up whenever you feel you¡¯ve had enough. To begin, please stand in the middle of the room.¡±

    ***

    The first test could be shorter or longer depending on the participant¡¯s attainments in the Dao. As a result, in the time it took Jack to finish battling the shadow, some weaker monsters had already proceeded past even the second test.

    The monsters seated outside the tests, the ones who¡¯d come here before, discussed excitedly as they surveyed the silver stele.

    ¡°Look!¡± one of them cried out. ¡°Another person finished the second test; another Talented assessment.¡±

    ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t Average!¡± another monster said, leading to a wide chorus of laughter.

    Names already littered the stele. It was split into three columns, where the results of each participants would appear, one test per column. The first already contained eight names¡ªeveryone except Brock and Jack Monstrous had finished. Most had achieved the Talented classification, while a poor two people only got Average. These last ones were the target of the other monsters¡¯ ridicule. It didn¡¯t mean their final results would be inferior to others¡ªafter all, this was just one of three tests¡ªbut, amongst elites, every hint of weakness was worth some ridicule.

    There were also some pleasant surprises. Strawpin and Starhair had both achieved the Genius classification. If they could maintain that result for the other two tests as well, they¡¯d be able to enter the fifth floor of the Hall of Trials¡ªa feat usually seen once every ten thousand years. For two people to enter the fifth floor at the same time was an extremely rare occasion, not to mention that Fiend Prince was still in the game¡ªthe Dao was his weak point, so it was expected he¡¯d only achieved a Talented assessment on the first test. He only needed two Genius assessments to reach the fifth floor.

    However, even that wasn¡¯t enough to occupy the spectating monsters¡¯ minds. They looked forward to two things only. Jack Monstrous and Brock, those impossibly extreme talents¡­ Could they really achieve the legendary sixth floor? The one which had opened only three times in the entire history of the world?

    They chatted to pass the time, but everyone snuck glances at the stele, eager to watch history being made.

    ¡°Look!¡± someone cried out, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Brock¡¯s results are out!¡±

    Every monster turned to the stele. At the very top of the first column, burning golden and pushing every other name down a position, was the name of Brock along with his classification.

    ¡°Eternal?¡± a monster said with puzzlement. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be Prime Genius?¡± another asked, rubbing its chin.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is the stele broken?¡±

    ¡°You idiots!¡± another monster cried out, shivering with excitement. This was a disciple of the Great Silver faction, a monster who¡¯d been bebro¡¯d by Brock before. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize what this means? Big bro Brock surpassed the Prime Genius classification! He reached another level above iyt which we didn¡¯t even know existed!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The remaining three bro monsters agreed. The others, however, only glanced at each other. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± one of them said. ¡°There is no higher classification. Prime Genius corresponds to the sixth and final floor, everyone knows that. It¡¯s more likely that the Hall of Trials changed the name, or that it was miscommunicated by our ancestors. After all, it¡¯s been a hundred million years since the last time¡ªthe language changes, so it¡¯s not impossible for some words to have changed their meaning.¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± the first bro monster argued. ¡°Prime Genius and Eternal don¡¯t even sound alike. Do you think the Hall of Trials is a place where names can change randomly?

    ¡°Mind your tongue, friend, or you might find it severed,¡± the insulted monster replied, quick to get feisty.

    ¡°Oh yeah!?¡± the bro monster stepped up, puffing its chest. The two began to approach each other but were caught off by another excited shout.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous¡¯s result is out too! Wait¡­ Who¡¯s Jack Rust? Are they the same person?¡±

    Every monster turned to look at the stele. A second name of burning gold had appeared, overtaking Brock¡¯s to occupy the very top of the column: Jack Rust, Eternal!

    ¡°Probably an alias,¡± some monster muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine it matters. The important part is, he surpassed Brock!¡±

    ¡°The two results appeared almost together,¡± a bro monster said. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have been too far apart. Look¡ªboth got this Eternal classification.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± the insulted monster from before said smugly, the previous fight all but forgotten. ¡°If Eternal was a higher classification never before achieved, do you think it could appear twice?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Both those monsters were awesome.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see,¡± said a slightly older monster, eyes trained on the stele. Its eyes were shaking. ¡°I suspect that, no matter what¡­ We¡¯re about to experience history!¡±

    ***

    Jack stood in the middle of the hall, taking deep but even breaths. ¡°Well?¡± he asked. ¡°When is the second test starting?¡±

    ¡°In three,¡± the automaton replied.

    ¡°Three what?¡±

    ¡°Two. One. Begin.¡±

    Jack wanted to cry out at the absurdity but didn¡¯t have the time. A massive weight landed squarely on his head. He suffered a headache stronger than anything he¡¯d imagined possible, a giant with spiked shoes jumping up and down on the soft matter of his brain.

    He yelled and almost tumbled to the ground but kept his balance. His eyes were bloodshot.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± he muttered. ¡°This is nothing.¡±

    The pain intensified. Through it, he could barely sense the ambient Dao converging from across the hall, stuffing itself through his ears. His body¡¯s balancing functions weren¡¯t working. He was overdosing on Dao.

    The stomping giant was joined by a second, then a third. Spikes drove themselves through Jack¡¯s brain. He could feel himself hemorrhaging. Is this killing me? he wondered.

    However, after the initial shock passed, this tremendous pain wasn¡¯t unbeatable. He¡¯d been through worse. Even the absorption of the overlord core, which he¡¯d endured for three years, had been worse than this.

    Some time later, a new sensation joined the party. As Jack¡¯s brain was still slowly cracking apart¡ªor so he thought, but couldn¡¯t be sure it wasn¡¯t an illusion¡ªhis body caught on fire. Literally. He saw flames jumping out of his skin, purple and white, singing him from the inside out. He felt them consume his tempered body slowly, like he was aged wood, letting him experience the burning for a longer time.

    This is fake, he realized. I can¡¯t be burning. It¡¯s an illusion.

    There were tiny signs. The dance of the flames was off, the heat pulsing at slightly irregular intervals. These were imperfections made on purpose. Whoever crafted this illusion wanted Jack to figure out it was fake¡ªbut only if he could maintain his composure through the extreme pain. Otherwise, the rising panic and suffering would quickly culminate in him failing.

    Now that he knew the damage wasn¡¯t real, Jack was no longer afraid. ¡°Bring it on!¡± he roared.

    The pain spread to his soul. He could feel it cracking, like an apple which someone grabbed and slowly tore in half. His life¡¯s work sputtered out like fruit juices¡ªall the connections he¡¯d made were ripped apart one by one. This was agony on another level. Jack could endure mental and physical pain because those were limited by the constraints of reality, but the pain of the soul was a different beast, expanding to fill its container. It was potentially infinite in intensity, and this test was set to prove it, slowly but surely ramping up.

    Jack clenched his teeth so hard they hurt. Even now, this wasn¡¯t nearly the worst he¡¯d ever experienced. When he¡¯d absorbed the Life Drop, it had forcibly ripped apart his soul to enter and knitted it back together. That pain still haunted him.

    He wouldn¡¯t give up. This trial would help him save himself, his family, his planet, and his universe. He was determined to win.

    Jack had lost track of time. After a while, the pain spiked again. He fell to his knees, unable to hold it in. Minutes passed. It felt like hell. This really was similar to the Life Drop¡¯s suffering¡ªa pain hard to put into words, one which even Jack could barely handle. He suspected that, if it shot up again, he might fail. His weakness surprised him¡ªthough any sane person would have long given up. He¡¯d even lost the ability to think clearly.

    All that kept Jack going was sheer, instinctive stubbornness.

    At the next spike of difficulty, the pain didn¡¯t change. Instead, a new dimension was added in. Jack found himself suffering alongside his family. They were in burning vats of oil¡ªno matter how he reminded himself it was fake, his heart was in agony. His splitting soul dripped blood.

    Jack didn¡¯t know how long that stage lasted, nor how he made it through. By the end, he was mentally and psychologically wrung out. Nobody could persist forever. Not him. Not anyone.

    When the world blinked again to enter the next level of this twisted trial, Jack was almost relieved to find that only the extreme pain remained. The images of his family were gone. To his horror, however, he found Eric standing in front of him¡ªhis son, who had died because of Jack¡¯s weakness. Had been murdered right in front of him.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Jack muttered. He had already been on his knees¡ªnow, he leaned his head forward until his forehead touched the floor. He couldn¡¯t bear to look. Eric was just standing there, but whatever came next would no doubt be terrible.

    This trial was infinite, the automaton had said so. Jack hoped he¡¯d already won. ¡°Enough¡­¡± he groaned, his voice raspy and tired.

    Everything winked out. The pain, the fire, his splitting soul. In one disorienting instant, he was just himself, resting on the floor in memory of his agony. He collapsed, quivering on the floor. He¡¯d always prided himself in his willpower, but this had been too much. Everyone had a limit. Even Jack. He didn¡¯t know what his result was yet, but he felt he¡¯d aged by at least a hundred years. This was yet another scar which would never go away.

    Power came at a price. Always.

    An indeterminate amount of time later, Jack finally forced himself to his feet, pushing a fist against the floor. He looked straight at the robot and walked over. ¡°How did I do?¡± he asked, his voice hard.

    ¡°Whatever your result, please give yourself time to rest,¡± the automaton replied, clearly parroting a speech it had been given long ago. ¡°This test was designed to push you to your limit. It was infinite. At whichever point you gave up, don¡¯t consider it a personal failure¡ªand, most importantly, don¡¯t let it scar you.¡±

    ¡°How did I do?¡± Jack repeated, his tone even harder.

    The automaton paused, gears whirring from some unseen place. ¡°Willpower test result¡­ Eternal!¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Jack said, smashing his fist into its chest. He didn¡¯t hold back. An explosion occurred, blasting a crater into the wall while the automaton itself exploded, shattered in pieces of cogs, gears, and wayward flesh. Jack eyed the destruction. ¡°Fuck you,¡± he said. ¡°That was not necessary. Fuck you.¡±

    The hall shook. Jack looked around, his hard gaze scanning every corner, every column. ¡°What are you angry for?¡± he shouted at the walls. ¡°Did you not expect this after pushing me to my limit? I know the pattern anyway. The last trial is always combat. Bring it on!¡±

    He did not wait, smashing a Meteor Punch against another wall. The entire room shook. Jack had too much anger inside him which needed venting. He roared again, ¡°Bring it on!¡±

 Chapter 534: Test of Combat

    On the first floor of the Hall of Trials, the watching monsters were still debating what Eternal could mean. Most participants had already finished and been spat out by the stele, with only Strawpin, Fiend Prince, and Starhair remaining. The presence of more monsters only intensified the debate.

    ¡°Look, they¡¯re done with the second test!¡± someone cried out. Everyone turned to look at the stele¡ªtwo names dominated the very top of the second column, both burning with golden letters. Both had achieved an Eternal classification, but one was clearly placed above the other. After all, the stele ranked all test participants, even if they had achieved the same overall classification.

    The second name spelled Jack Rust. And the first, the one at the very top, was Brock!

    Of course, this didn¡¯t necessarily mean Brock¡¯s willpower was sturdier than Jack¡¯s. The trial had exploited Jack¡¯s greatest mental scars¡ªhis family and son. Brock possessed fewer such weaknesses, so it was hard to tell who would prevail in a different kind of test, especially since Brock hadn¡¯t been through as much suffering as his bro.

    But those didn¡¯t matter. Both had classified as Eternal talents in willpower¡ªand, in this test, Brock had emerged superior, solidifying his place as a true and worthy bro.

    Intense conversation erupted as soon as the monsters spotted the names. ¡°I knew big bro could do it!¡± a monster cried out. ¡°Who do you think is going to do better in the combat test? Jack or Brock?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Brock only defeated us disciples, while Jack Monstrous, or Rust, or whatever he¡¯s called, killed two middle Autarch Elders!¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything. Big bro Brock clearly wasn¡¯t going all-out.¡±

    ¡°But neither was Jack!¡±

    ¡°I bet an early Autarch core on Jack.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°I bet it on Brock!¡±

    Sometime during the conversation, Strawpin had been spat out of the trial, ignored by everyone. Her eyes searched the stele. Shock ran through her core. Having great insights into the Dao was one thing, but in the willpower trial, she¡¯d barely achieved the Genius level. No matter how high Eternal was, whether it was one or multiple levels above her¡­ How could anyone reach it? How could they not go insane? The agony she¡¯d experienced was way more than she ever thought possible.

    Jack Monstrous¡­ Brock¡­ she thought, her eyes quivering. What the hell are you!?

    ***

    A shadow materialized in the middle of Jack¡¯s hall. It resembled the one he¡¯d fought during the first test but was clearly different. The darkness hiding it was thinner, and it held a sword¡ªmost importantly, its aura was only around the early B-Grade, though the way it held itself told Jack it was decently talented.

    He didn¡¯t care. He flashed over and smashed a fist into it, obliterating the shadow in a single strike.

    Another formed almost immediately. This one was at the middle B-Grade, and it suffered the exact same fate as its predecessor. So did the two next shadows, sitting at the late and peak B-Grade each.

    Four shadows had already passed, four parts of the test, but Jack hadn¡¯t even started venting.

    A fifth shadow materialized. This one was a cut above the rest¡ªan early A-Grade, power emanating from it in ripples, painting the air around it gray. Suddenly, the hundred-foot cube seemed too small for an A-Grade fight. It was a distance Jack could cross in instants.

    He did not wait for the shadow to attack. As soon as it formed, he charged, smashing his knuckles into its face. For the first time, he didn¡¯t win on the spot. The shadow raised an arm to defend, getting blown backward but remaining whole. Jack pursued. An almost animalistic rage consumed him. He did not activate the Life Drop, instead opting to pummel the shadow to death. Meteor Punches rained. The floor and walls were cratered, the shadow desperately defending until it no longer could. Jack¡¯s fist broke through its arms, burying itself in the shadow¡¯s chest, then exploded. Fragments of darkness rained.

    He panted, more from rage than exhaustion. ¡°Again!¡± he shouted.

    The sixth shadow was at the middle A-Grade. This was the first real challenge¡ªthe difference in their cultivations was similar to when Jack fought Elder Crownbeast, though his relative power had increased since then. Absorbing the Overlord core had brought many more benefits than simply increasing his cultivation.

    He was confident he could beat this shadow, no matter what Dao it used. It would just take a while.

    Before he could attack, however, the room shook. The shadow flickered, then dissipated, its face betraying unwillingness. A new shape formed in its place. A bald young man, dark-skinned like the night, donned in white ceremonial robes. He held no weapon. His eyes betrayed hunger¡ªand, unlike all previous opponents, there was nothing shadow-like about him.

    Jack paused. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. Something about this youth¡¯s gaze differentiated him from the lifeless shadows before. This was a person, not a construct. And, though his aura was only at the peak B-Grade, Jack could sense its tremendous depths. He was suddenly on guard¡ªwhoever this entity was, it was unmistakably the greatest genius Jack had ever fought.

    ¡°I thought I¡¯d accelerate things,¡± the other man said. His youthful voice held a hint of amusement¡ªor was it mockery? As if he knew the world¡¯s greatest joke but wouldn¡¯t reveal it.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Accelerate?¡±

    ¡°You would defeat the Prime Genius shadow, but it would take some effort. I want to fight you at your best. After all, you¡¯re the first challenger to stand a chance against me. I yearn for a good fight.¡±

    Jack narrowed his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Who are you?¡±

    The figure chuckled. ¡°Defeat me, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±

    Jack could sense the extreme power radiating from his opponent. Though only at the peak B-Grade, he was vastly superior to the middle A-Grade shadow from before. An almost Jack-level talent.

    This made Jack not completely confident in victory, but then again, he didn¡¯t need to be. He only needed to fight. The Life Drop transformation was already complete.

    A punch shot out, trailing purple stars. The dark man raised a palm, catching Jack¡¯s fist. The shockwave shook the hall. Dao met extreme Dao, two fundamental forces of the universe clashing against each other.

    Jack¡¯s punch carried tremendous power. Though it was only a Meteor Punch, it had previously sent an early A-Grade shadow flying. This man, whoever he was, had stopped it with little effort.

    Jack narrowed his eyes and jumped back. When they clashed just now, he¡¯d clearly experienced the other¡¯s Dao¡ªhis punch¡¯s momentum had been wasted, exhausted until it became nothing. It was a great deteriorating force reminding Jack of death, yet not quite. This was something greater. A wider concept.

    His rage began to abate, replaced by intrigue. He was, at the depths of his heart, a cultivator. Such a Dao, such an opponent, couldn¡¯t help but interest him.

    The other man caught Jack¡¯s eye and grinned. ¡°Let me tell you a secret, Jack,¡± he said, spreading his arms to the side. Black spheres appeared in each¡ªnot black holes, but carrying similar finality. One was purely physical, the other mental. As for the man¡¯s aura, it carried the essence of a soul¡ªa great Dao stretching over all three fields.

    The man continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t accelerate our fight just to keep you rested. My siblings and I take turns fighting the challengers of the Eternal floor. The next challenger would have been mine. However, I didn¡¯t want to risk your brorilla friend reaching this stage first. I wanted to fight you¡ªour Daos match well. Even if you fail to defeat me, just facing me will have been a great boon to your future strength.¡±

    Jack snorted. ¡°Should I be honored?¡±

    ¡°You should be angry. I am the strongest of my siblings. Facing me means your chances of victory are low, and the Eternal floor is not like the rest. To reach it, you require an Eternal classification in all three tests instead of just two. By appearing before you, I placed a great obstacle in your way, one you may have otherwise dodged.¡±

    Jack smiled toothily. ¡°You talk a lot,¡± he said. ¡°Just fight me. I don¡¯t care who you are¡ªI¡¯ll beat you all the same.¡±

    The other man laughed. ¡°Give it a shot! Just, one moment. This arena is a bit small.¡± He snapped his fingers. The hall around them disassembled, revealing patches of colorful void. More walls materialized, forming a new hall with walls a mile wide each. ¡°There we go,¡± the man said, cracking his shoulders. He seemed really eager. ¡°Are you ready? I know I am.¡±

    ¡°Come at me, bitch.¡±

    The two charged at each other. They clashed in the center, Jack¡¯s fists sailing to meet his opponent¡¯s open palms. The dark spheres from before had manifested as darkness, which covered the mysterious man head-to-toe like some sort of malicious aura, forming a stark contrast against his white robes. To Jack, he looked like an ancient beast.

    Fist met palm. Dark and purple lightning shot out, impacting against the walls, shattering and destroying. They fought inside a large box in a different dimension¡ªas cagey as could be. Only one of the two would walk out alive. Jack was pumped up, his previous anger vented and forgotten.

    ¡°Come!¡± he shouted. Lightning arced over his body, further enhancing his already ridiculous physicality. This was the Thunderbody technique he¡¯d taken from the Animal Kingdom¡¯s Emberheart family¡ªa very useful enhancement. He hadn¡¯t been able to use it against Crownbeast, as the concentration required would mess with his then-amateur use of Black Hole. Now that he¡¯d practiced it more, however, he could go completely all-out.

    The dark man¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Good technique!¡± he said. ¡°Hit me!¡±

    Jack dove in. He became a streak of purple and green lightning flickering across the room like an angry dragon. Space bent in his wake, even its million-fold density unable to support his power. He shot a hundred punches in an instant. The dark man was beset in all directions.

    With a shout, darkness erupted from his body. It spread outward, not fast but unavoidable. Every punch that fell into it disappeared, its momentum sapped completely, its energies deteriorating as if by the passage of a million years. This was entropy at work¡ªeverything that could end, ended.

    Jack grinned at the challenge. He already suspected whom he was facing, but he didn¡¯t say the name¡ªno need to honor his opponent before defeating him. Instead, he charged.

    And instantly retreated.

    A dark palm had appeared before Jack, almost grabbing his face. The other man had slipped his hand through space and clad it in foreboding darkness. Jack knew that, if that hand touched him, he¡¯d age rapidly. Perhaps even reach the end of his life.

    ¡°I thought this was only a test,¡± he said, licking his lips.

    ¡°A test with stakes,¡± the other man replied. ¡°Beat me, and you earn the world. Lose, and you pay the price. Why do you think my previous challenger adopted the title Eternal Radiance? You can always forfeit now if you want.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t reply. His eyes scanned the opponent, looking for an opening. There is no way his defense is omnipotent, he thought. If all attacks deteriorate before reaching him, there is hardly a point in fighting. There has to be a way out. But what?

    This wasn¡¯t an opponent who could be defeated by mere strength. The Daos he utilized stood at the peak. Without similar mastery, Jack knew he¡¯d never be able to touch him.

    This pleased Jack. He sank into his laws, letting them circulate his body, letting them fill his heart. Everything else disappeared to leave only the battle¡ªheart of fire, mind of ice.

    Jack shot out again. He sealed space in a radius around him, so the other man couldn¡¯t sneak in any attacks, and imbued his fists with the essence of Time. He reached his opponent and punched out¡ªnot with a powerful fist, but one designed to last through endless time, to shoot through the universe unendingly until it hit a target. For the first time, Jack utilized the concept of Infinity, an abstract part of the Daos of Time and Space.

    The opponent smiled. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re getting somewhere!¡± Darkness spun around his palm in a spiral as he reached out and caught Jack¡¯s fist. The two concepts warred. Infinity stretched on, while Entropy tested its limits. The punch¡¯s momentum began to wane¡ªnothing was truly infinite, only converging to it. Entropy held a definitive advantage.

    Black ribbons shot at Jack. He flew back, desperately trying to avoid them, then had to teleport to save himself. In a place with such dense Dao, piercing space was a tall task¡ªJack could do it, but it took a lot out of him.

    He panted, staring down his opponent.

    ¡°You¡¯re good, Jack Rust,¡± the other man said slowly. His smile remained. ¡°The strongest mortal I¡¯ve ever seen. However, are you good enough? My Entropy isn¡¯t something you can punch out of the way. Without deep enough Daos, you¡¯re doomed to lose!¡±

 Chapter 535: Fighting Entropy

    Jack didn¡¯t panic. His punches couldn¡¯t reach the enemy, but that was fine¡ªthroughout his many years of fighting, he¡¯d developed some versatility. He had more ways to harm opponents than ramming his knuckles up their nose.

    Think, he told himself.

    The opponent wasn¡¯t omnipotent. If he could just spread out his aura of entropy to cover the entire room, Jack would age and die. The only reason he hadn¡¯t done it yet was that he couldn¡¯t¡ªhis power wasn¡¯t infinite, so that powerful darkness could only cover a small area. If this man was the scheming kind, which he probably was, the area he could cover with his darkness was larger than what he¡¯d shown so far, preparing a trap for Jack. He should be careful.

    Jack had several ideas he could try. Each had a low chance of success, but when put together, he was confident at least one would work. He just hoped it wasn¡¯t the suicidal one.

    The other man didn¡¯t just sit there. He charged, falling onto Jack like black death. Jack drew back. His four-armed battle form and Thunderbody worked in tandem to vastly increase his speed, making him way faster than his opponent. Dodging was easy for now, at the price of consuming a lot of energy. He couldn¡¯t go on forever.

    Jack ducked, dodging a claw-shaped palm of darkness, then jabbed out of his own. Darkness appeared over his opponent¡¯s chest to cover the strike¡ªyet, a green shadow carried on, penetrating the darkness to strike the heart. The opponent paused¡ªhis eyes stirring.

    The Fist of Mortality was a soul attack Jack had created back at the Old Cathedral, after experiencing a thousand mortal lifetimes in the Mortality Chamber. It was a mental attack, meant to steep the target in rich emotions and stun them. He hadn¡¯t used this move a lot in recent years, but it evolved in pace with his Dao of Life, maintaining a decent level. Most importantly, as it wasn¡¯t physical, it couldn¡¯t be stopped by entropy.

    While the dark man was stunned, Jack didn¡¯t lose time. He released a quick Meteor Punch right at his face¡ªaiming to finish this in one strike. The opponent¡¯s eyes flashed with mirth. Darkness materialized before his face to stop Jack¡¯s fist, then he reached out with his other hand, attempting to grab Jack¡¯s arm. He succeeded¡ªa terrible sense of weakness filled Jack for a moment before he could retreat. By the time he yanked his arm free¡ªhe was the stronger party, after all¡ªhe could sense that several decades of his lifespan had evaporated. It didn¡¯t really matter, his current lifespan measured tens of millennia, but it was a terrifying concept. If the other man could grab onto him for more than an instant¡­ What would happen?

    ¡°Nice try,¡± the dark man said, ¡°but, unfortunately for you, Entropy is mostly a concept of the soul. If your physical attacks can¡¯t touch me, soul ones definitely won¡¯t.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°I thought as much. But it couldn¡¯t hurt to try, right?¡±

    ¡°Not unless you wanted those decades.¡±

    ¡°I can spare a few.¡±

    ¡°Good, cause I¡¯m about to take them.¡±

    Jack found himself smiling. This was a difficult battle with the possibility of long-term damage¡ªso why did he enjoy it so much? It was nice to face a decent opponent, for once, instead of fools with weak Daos who just happened to possess tremendous cultivation.

    Spacetime warped around Jack¡ªnot teleporting, just accelerating him. He reached the opponent and locked space around them both so none could move. He pulled his fist back. Intense suction erupted. The dense Dao flew into his fist, compacting further and further like a brewing bomb. Purple light erupted. A sharp whistling sound filled their ears.

    ¡°Fool!¡± the dark man exclaimed, gathering layers upon layers of darkness before him.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t sneak past your Dao,¡± Jack said, charging this move to the limit, ¡°I¡¯ll just overpower it. Supernova!¡±

    He shot it forward. The world exploded. Jack flew back, smashing into the far wall and forming a massive crater. The cracks spread all the way to the other side, letting glimpses of the colorful void slip in.

    He forced his eyes open. Did I get him? he wondered.

    A dark hand appeared before him. There was no time to dodge. It smashed into the center of his chest, dark lines spreading across his body, the rest of the dark man appearing after his hand. ¡°Another nice try,¡± he said with a wicked grin, ¡°and one that might have worked, were we at the same boundary. Unfortunately, I¡¯m one higher. You cannot overpower me.¡±

    Jack tried to move but couldn¡¯t. He tried to breathe but couldn¡¯t. The potent life force suffusing his soul was snuffed out like an army of candles under a cold breeze. He summoned his Dao, exploding a smaller Supernova before his chest. The dark man easily dodged it by jumping backward, while Jack spat blood by the impact. He immediately teleported away without even stabilizing his wounds¡ªthe dark man flew in, piercing his leg into the wall and creating a massive hole overlooking the void beyond.

    Jack clutched his chest, wheezing for breath. Ten thousand years of his life were just gone. They were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, especially since his lifespan would become millions of years in the future, but it was still a shock. Most of all, he worried it would influence his potential. The younger a cultivator was, the more vibrant their fires of life, and the easier it was for them to progress. He didn¡¯t have a problem there yet, but another strike or two like that and he might begin to notice changes.

    I have to finish this fast, he realized, regaining his composure. My durability is useless. This guy¡­is not playing around!

    The dark man attacked again. Jack dodged, analyzing the situation with a calmness only the heat of battle would bring. He ducked and weaved between strikes, used bursts of his Dao to disrupt the opponent¡¯s attacks. All the while, his eyes were sharp.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    He¡¯s not fast or strong, and his attacks, while insidious, are not that powerful either, Jack calculated. All he has is extreme defense, which he relies on until his opponent is exhausted. His fighting style is oddly similar to his Dao¡ªslow, but will eventually get you.

    Can I endure longer than him? he wondered before quickly shelving the idea. The only reason Jack could defend so calmly was his dual use of the Life Drop battle form and Thunderbody, both of which consumed tremendous amounts of energy. He¡¯d run out long before his opponent.

    It was irritating. Jack had mastered four or five different Daos to a great level and possessed a dozen different skills, yet here he was, losing to a guy who used a single Dao masterfully. It emphasized the importance of mastery¡ªand why everyone suggested focusing on just one or two Daos. It wasn¡¯t a problem Jack had faced before, given his Dao superiority over all his opponents, but it quickly became apparent when facing an opponent of similar caliber.

    Alas, that was the price he paid for striving for the peak.

    What else can I do? Jack wondered, calmly dodging attack after attack. He was rapidly running out of ideas. Only a single one remained, one he was decently confident would succeed but was very risky. There was a chance it would backfire hard enough to kill him.

    No choice, he concluded. Let¡¯s do this.

    ¡°You want to fight in the Dao? I¡¯ll show you some Dao!¡± he declared, clenching his fist. A bubble of space appeared around it, compressing in pulses. ¡°You think your Dao of Entropy is so great, but I possess something on that level as well!¡±

    The dark man frowned. ¡°Arrogant!¡± he shouted. He intensified his attacks, using some arcane art to deteriorate part of himself for greater energy right now. His strikes sharpened. The dark aura of entropy flushed outward, flooding the space, leaving little room for Jack to dodge. He had to teleport all over the place, rapidly exhausting his energy reserves. Doing this while maintaining focus on the brewing black hole was difficult.

    After a while, he couldn¡¯t. The black hole had compressed enough that holding it in place required his full concentration. He dashed left and right, dodging as well as he could, but the dark winds touched him. His lifespan evaporated by the century. All he could do at this point was grit his teeth and hang on.

    The dark man had realized what was going on, but there was nothing he could do besides attack with everything he had. Jack struggled to maintain concentration, struggled to endure the onslaught. Every pulse came morbidly slow. Space compressed around his fist. The Dao of Entropy sought to disrupt him, to break his technique and end it prematurely, but he used his body to shield it, enduring the consequences.

    His fist crumbled in the sphere of compressed space. All the crushed flesh and bones gathered in the middle, a tiny core of mass, while black foam spontaneously manifested around it. The dark man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No!¡± he shouted.

    Jack allowed for one last compression pulse, then turned around and jabbed the Black Hole at his opponent. The dark man had teleported to the other side of the room but it didn¡¯t matter. Space was limited¡ªand the black hole sucked it in. It reached him faster than should be possible, a fist of swirling darkness threatening the master of darkness himself.

    The dark man gritted his teeth. With all of space sucked into the black hole, dodging it was impossible. He knew that. If he didn¡¯t defend and let it hit him, he would be torn apart and then exploded¡ªhis defenses depended on his Dao, not the robustness of his body. His only choice was to use his Dao of Entropy on the black hole, and both men knew it.

    As they knew what would happen once he did it.

    A black hole was the combination of Space and Death. Entropy was Time and Death. The two Daos were similar in composition, and also in power. Of course, the dark man¡¯s expertise was significantly higher, but it didn¡¯t matter. As he pushed his entropy into the black hole, destabilizing it, there was only one possible outcome.

    A black hole didn¡¯t wane with time. It expanded.

    Jack chuckled, blood dripping from his lips. ¡°Checkmate,¡± he said.

    The black hole in place of his fist grew rapidly. It quickly became much larger than he¡¯d ever seen it before, even larger than the one which had destroyed Crownbeast¡¯s sturdy body. At that size, he couldn''t control it. He dislodged it and flew back, crossing his four arms before himself. The dark man retreated as well, summoning walls of darkness to defend. Both created new space in their attempts to escape.

    Their speeds were great, but this close to a mature black hole, they seemed slow.

    Space and Time fell into the black hole, finding certain death. Black foam spread outward. The artificial black hole, only stabilized by Jack¡¯s Dao, quickly spun out of control. It sucked in everything except for the two cultivators and exploded.

    The impact was cataclysmic. Far, far exceeding the Supernova from before. The walls of the room blew outwards as if made of straws. The colorful void shuddered, this entire part of the interdimensional sea warping around itself like stormy waters. Jack was struck by a tremendous shockwave and blown backward, into a region where time and space were meaningless, where his physical form was maintained through willpower alone. His bones snapped like matches. His lungs bled. He struggled to maintain consciousness¡ªto lose himself here meant certain death.

    The black foam had invaded Jack¡¯s body. It crushed his bones into dust, wrecking his flesh, tearing through his organs. Even his brain was assaulted. The Life Drop released all its remaining energy in an attempt to save him, guided by the desperate efforts of Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, but it was a losing battle. The lack of reality didn¡¯t help.

    Jack snapped into focus. With a single feat of willpower, he forced the interdimensional sea into three-dimensional existence, then took a step to cross it all. Since spacetime held no sway here, one step was the same as many. He reappeared on a piece of brown stone floating through the colors, a leftover of the previous hall, its enchantments giving it a semblance of spacetime on which Jack could survive. He collapsed against it, barely large enough to accommodate his body, as his body battled to remain alive. The black foam exhausted itself and was purged, but many injuries remained. Slowly, regeneration took the upper hand¡ªJack would survive, though he¡¯d come closer to death than he¡¯d wanted. He was also exhausted.

    A set of dark feet settled on the same stone. ¡°I died,¡± said the other man with a smile. He looked pristine, even his white robes immaculate. ¡°The enchantments of the Hall can reconstruct this body, but the previous one died. It fell to the chaotic spacetime flows of the dimensional sea. I didn¡¯t think it was possible, but you won.¡±

    Jack chuckled, turning around to lay on his back, arms extended on either side, almost grabbing the other man¡¯s ankle¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much space here. ¡°Well fought,¡± he replied.

    The man¡¯s smile remained. ¡°The Hall wouldn¡¯t let you die, you know that. The battle would end if I depleted half your lifeforce. Yet, you still destroyed it, risking true death for a shot at victory. Was it worth it?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°What if you hadn¡¯t made it?¡±

    ¡°That would be fine. I exist to strive for the peak¡ªdying in the process is an acceptable result.¡±

    The dark man chuckled. ¡°Have you figured out who I am?¡±

    ¡°From the very start. You¡¯re Axelor, the Old God of Entropy¡ªor, should I say, just God. You don¡¯t look very old. I assume a fragment of your real self given a mortal mind and placed in the Hall of Trials to test challengers?¡±

    The God chuckled. He took a seat beside Jack, legs crossed beneath him. ¡°Let¡¯s have a little chat,¡± he said. ¡°There are some things you should know.¡±

 Chapter 536: Speaking with God

    Jack and Axelor rested on a piece of stone floating through the endless, colorful void. The Hall of Trials could teleport them back anytime, but Axelor had temporarily suppressed its functions. The dark man gazed at Jack, who lay sprawled on his back, a triumphant grin spread across his face.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s uncouth to lay down in the presence of a God,¡± he said.

    ¡°I just kicked your ass¡ªI can lay however I want. Besides, you¡¯re not a God, just a part of one.¡±

    Axelor chuckled. ¡°Indeed.¡±

    The silence stretched for a while. While the interdimensional sea didn¡¯t possess the concept of time, the stone¡¯s enchantments and the two cultivators¡¯ aura forced it into being.

    ¡°I have questions,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°And so do I,¡± replied the God of Entropy. ¡°How about we take turns?¡±

    ¡°Fine by me, just know I won¡¯t reply to everything.¡±

    ¡°As won¡¯t I.¡±

    Jack cracked a grin. ¡°You¡¯re an annoying one, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been given a mortal mind. I find banter a core part of your reality.¡±

    ¡°I guess. So, what are you doing here? What do the Gods want with the Space Monster World?¡±

    ¡°We created it,¡± Axelor replied. ¡°The world, its inhabitants, and the Hall of Trials. Long, long ago.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°My turn. What happened to the outside universe after the Immortal Crusade?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°No challenger to the Hall has left the Space Monster World. They tend to do it after, much to my annoyance.¡±

    Jack chuckled. He wasn¡¯t going to say everything¡ªafter all, while this version of Axelor seemed friendly, he did possess the power to vanquish Jack if he really wanted to. Letting him know he was trying to liberate Enas would be a bad idea.

    ¡°The Gods lost the Crusade,¡± Jack explained. ¡°They retreated to the far ends of the universe, doing I don¡¯t know what, while the Immortals enslaved all cultivators and pit them against each other. The plan was to create warriors strong enough to completely annihilate you Gods.¡±

    ¡°A sound plan,¡± Axelor said, nodding. ¡°This mortal shell has many horrible disadvantages, but it adapts to change much better than our divine selves. I have no doubt that, while the Immortals mustered their armies, the Gods did nothing to enhance their power. Their omnipotence is so deeply entrenched in their minds that even defeat couldn¡¯t shake it.¡±

    ¡°My turn,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Axelor interrupted. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish answering my question.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you want to play it like that? Cool. A billion years after the First Crusade¡ªthat is, now¡ªthe Immortals launched a second one. Their goal is to purge all their opposition in and out of System space¡ªwhich is the name of their territory. This Second Crusade is still ongoing. I came here to look for the power to stop them. From what I know, you Gods are rushing to join us.¡±

    ¡°Why would we do that?¡±

    ¡°Not so fast. It¡¯s my turn now. Why did you create the Space Monster World, its inhabitants, and the Hall of Trials?¡±

    Axelor mused. He raised his gaze, piercing through the interdimensional sea to gaze at the distant past. ¡°We needed to fight back,¡± he finally said. ¡°The mortal creations of Enas were an affront to our divinity. We feared he was raising them as warriors against us¡ªto suppress us, devour our power, and force us to reunite as one.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Reunite as one?¡±

    ¡°We were one being originally. One split into three, then three into twelve. That is how the Gods came into being.¡±

    ¡°...Alright,¡± Jack replied, his eyes flashing with possibilities. He hadn¡¯t known that. He suspected no one did.

    ¡°After we realized Enas¡¯s intentions,¡± Axelor continued, ¡°we decided to create our own toy soldiers. While our ability to craft mortality paled in comparison to him¡ªit was, after all, his domain¡ªwe combined our powers to tame the spontaneous Dao manifestations wandering the universe. We blessed their minds and turned them from mindless into civilized, creating the Space Monster World as a place for them to prosper and slowly develop civilization. The Hall of Trials was meant to enhance the strongest of them, creating a force that could rival Enas¡¯s.¡±

    His gaze darkened then.

    ¡°There was a war, long ago,¡± he continued. ¡°We lost.¡±

    ¡°So the Ancients proved themselves superior to your creations.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily. All mortal lifeforms are equally inferior. The creations of Enas just had more time to develop. They were already delving into the Dao by the time we discovered them, while the monster races were mindless abominations roaming the stars.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack said. This was all new information, and it brought even more questions to mind. Of course, there was no guarantee this was all true, but Jack suspected it was¡ªat the very least, it explained why there was no statue of Enas outside the pyramid. ¡°Your turn,¡± he said.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Why do you carry the aura of Enas?¡±

    That question was asked with no lack of suspicion. Jack prepared his answer carefully.

    ¡°I once absorbed a legacy,¡± he explained. ¡°A processed drop of Enas¡¯s blood. It helped me a lot in earlier years, and still does.¡±

    ¡°That makes you his supporter.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. I do owe Enas a favor, but that doesn¡¯t make me his devotee. My current goal is to protect my people from the Immortals, nothing more and nothing less.¡±

    Axelor¡¯s gaze was sharp. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Your story contradicts what I thought I knew,¡± Jack began his next question. ¡°People say that Enas created the Ancients, gave them life and Dao, and treated them like a loving father. They say that you, Axelor, corrupted them. That you led them to creating the Immortals, who later genocided the Ancients, fought the Gods, and enslaved the universe. On the other hand, you mentioned that Enas planned to utilize them as soldiers¡­¡±

    ¡°The version you¡¯ve heard is a mix of truth and lies,¡± Axelor replied. ¡°Enas did create the Ancients, and he did give them access to the world¡¯s Dao, but there was nothing loving about that. It was merely an experiment¡ªa game, a way to explore his powers. He never really cared. Enas, in general, is not a loving God, no more than any other. He is cold, calculating, and selfish. The Ancients liked to say his domain was Life, but a more apt name would be Survival.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they the same thing?¡±

    ¡°In a way. However, they carry different connotations in the mortal language.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    That brought all sorts of implications. The Black Hole Church was trying to revive Enas because he was the God who loved and supported mortals¡ªif that was not the case, was reviving him the right choice? Was there even a choice?

    Of course, Jack wouldn¡¯t take Axelor¡¯s claims at face value.

    Come to think of it, he realized, the Sage is kind of an Enas clone, and I don¡¯t remember him ever being kind to anyone for no benefit of his own. He doesn¡¯t strike me as a loving father. Calculating, sure. Uncaring. Possibly selfish.

    Fuck.

    ¡°As for my own involvement in the development of the Immortals,¡± Axelor continued, ¡°it was overstated. I did interact with the Ancients, but not to nudge them in any particular direction, simply to investigate. They rejected me, on Enas¡¯s suggestion, and spun all sorts of tales about me. The creation of the Immortals was a result of natural civilization entropy¡ªsomething all too easy to relate to me, given my domain.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not the bad guy,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°I¡¯m neither good nor evil. I¡¯m a God. Mortal affairs are beneath me¡ªwell, not beneath this version of me, but certainly so for my real self. Any influence I might have had on the Ancients was unintended¡ªI did not want to sabotage Enas¡¯s creations, but rather send my own to meet them in the field of battle.¡±

    ¡°Why not just kill them?¡±

    ¡°We never really believed the mortals would be a threat. Enas threw the gauntlet¡ªto use one of your expressions¡ªby creating them. We simply picked it up. Using overwhelming force would ruin the meaning of his challenge and declare him the obvious winner.¡±

    ¡°You know, the more you talk, the more you sound like a God. Not in the good sense.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noticed. I can¡¯t help it¡ªeven in a mortal shell, my thoughts and experience are those of a God.¡±

    Jack laughed¡ªnot out of joy, but at the sudden realization he was conversing with a literal God of the universe.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± he asked. ¡°Did I earn the qualifications to enter the sixth floor?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°You earned the qualifications for the seventh. The Eternal floor.¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°There is a seventh floor?¡±

    ¡°Of course. What kind of silly number is six?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡±

    It was Axelor¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°There was a great battle around two billion years ago. The Trial Island split in half, forming what you now call the Dark Canal, and the Hall fell into it. The seventh floor broke off and shot upward in the process. It now lays at the center of the sky, unapproachable by all, though I can give you access.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean the center of the sky?¡±

    ¡°This world is shaped as a sphere, but on the inside. The ground is the inner side of its periphery, while the sky is the innermost part. The seventh floor currently lies at the very center of the sphere¡ªthe center of the sky, after twelve layers of clouds, where the pressure is so intense not even Overlords can approach. Not usually, anyway.¡±

    ¡°So nobody has been there since that battle?¡±

    ¡°Nobody has earned the right. I must admit, I did not expect two worthy challengers to show up at the same time¡­¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Brock.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s there? At the seventh floor?¡±

    ¡°The greatest inheritance eleven Gods could create. You may access it, though not a monster yourself.¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯t surprised his disguise had been seen through. ¡°The other disciples will be shocked,¡± he said.

    ¡°You have no idea. However, I have to warn you, Jack. The current two Overlords have been pushed to their limits by the ongoing Crusade. They intend to use a long-forged treasure to forcefully activate the connection to the seventh floor and plunder it. I cannot stop them. All I can do is give you and your brorilla companion access as well, but what you and the Overlords do is up to you. You could die.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°That makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°Overlords don¡¯t usually participate in the Delve. I thought something was up when Great Silver told me to delay reaching the Hall.¡±

    ¡°What will you do?¡± the God asked. ¡°Will you go or not go?¡±

    ¡°...I want to go, but not if it¡¯s certain death. You¡¯re trying to set me up against two Overlords. Can you give me any advantage over them? A tiny fighting chance?¡±

    ¡°I can adjust the seventh floor¡¯s energy ripples to hide you. However, it is a temporary solution. If you want to claim any advantages, you¡¯ll need to make yourself seen.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°What if I want to escape? Can you help me do that?¡±

    ¡°It depends on the circumstances. I can hide you from here, but my connection to the seventh floor has been cut off. I cannot join. Helping you escape is difficult. All I can promise you is that coming down will be a lot easier than going up. However¡­ I never said you should fight the Overlords. If you can just convince them to let you join the floor¡¯s plunder, that will be good enough. Even if you can¡¯t, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d outright kill you. You can help them against the Immortals.¡±

    Jack had to admit that made sense. He weighed the odds. If he did visit this seventh floor, he would need to negotiate with two Overlords¡ªtwo entities far beyond his current power. It was risky. On the other hand, if he settled for the sixth floor, he¡¯d lose out. And there was always a chance the Overlords would kill each other, creating a situation where he could reap all the benefits.

    No, scratch that. They¡¯re monster and cultivators. They will certainly fight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± he decided. ¡°Brock too. This is not an opportunity we can afford to waste.¡±

    Axelor nodded. ¡°I thought so. Very well. I will activate the teleporter now and pull us back to the Hall of Trials, then I¡¯ll give you and the brorilla access to the seventh floor. Only, Jack¡­ Can I ask for a favor?¡±

    He raised a brow. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°If you become strong enough in the future, can you return to liberate us? Me and my two siblings. We¡¯ve spent too long trapped in this pyramid. We yearn to see the world.¡±

    Jack gave a stunned smile. ¡°I promise.¡±

 Chapter 537: Ascending to the Seventh Floor

    The energy over the pyramid had reached a crescendo. Great Silver and Fiend King chanted into the sky, the darkness above them roiling in huge waves, powerful Daos surging. The hiding enchantment had long been broken. If any disciples had remained outside the pyramid, they would easily be able to see what was happening at this point¡ªand they¡¯d probably run far away.

    In fact, the energy undulations were so massive that the entire Dark Canal was upset. All the various Elders and native monsters ran away from the Hall of Trials. The ocean surged with angry waves which devoured entire islands. Strong breezes sliced through the Canal, killing anything in their path, while the Elders were in panic¡ªthey had no idea what was going on, but only fools would approach at this point. Even the strongest native monsters steered clear.

    It was natural. This ritual used the cumulative energy of over twelve previous Overlords, as well as two living ones, to forcefully override the defense mechanisms established by three Old Gods working together. The clash of energy was nothing short of mythical.

    The only place spared from the uproar was the interior of the Hall of Trials, where the disciples had no clue anything was happening.

    ***

    The silver stele flickered. Its surface rippled like water, letting two people step through¡ªJack and Brock, each carrying an aura of victory. The two glanced at each other on the way out.

    ¡°Sup, bro,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°Hey Brock. Had fun?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The shouts alerted them to their surroundings. Every other disciple had already exited the trial, and they swarmed Jack and Brock, adoration evident in their gazes. ¡°You guys are so cool!¡± Fiend Prince shouted. ¡°You¡¯re my idols!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly very impressive,¡± Strawpin admitted, her excitement more contained. ¡°Eternal¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of such a qualification before. What does it even mean?¡±

    Jack nodded at them, then turned to observe the stele. Fiend Prince, Starhair, and Strawpin had achieved two Genius and one Talented results each¡ªlacking in the Dao, willpower, and combat tests respectively. Based on what they¡¯d said before, Jack assumed this qualified them for the fifth floor. All other disciples had a mix of Talented and Average assessments, almost all qualifying for the fourth floor.

    At the top of all three columns were the names of Jack and Brock, glowing golden. The qualification of Eternal was stamped next to them for all three tests. To his surprise, Jack found he¡¯d ranked above Brock in Dao and combat, but below him in willpower. He threw a surprised glance.

    ¡°What?¡± Brock said. He was trying to be calm, but there was no hiding the pride in his monkeyish grin. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, bro!¡±

    ¡°I never did,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Brock.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you too. You beat me in two tests. I¡¯m glad. Otherwise, we¡¯d need to discuss who is the real big bro here!¡±

    They laughed.

    ¡°Most importantly, bro,¡± Brock said, ¡°did you notice?¡±

    ¡°Notice what?¡±

    The brorilla motioned at the stele, and Jack took another glance. He saw it now. His name was written as Jack Rust, not Jack Monstrous.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t know how the stele knew, nor did he care right now. The important thing was that, once this reached the ears of Fiend King, he¡¯d know the truth. Great Silver had made it clear that wasn¡¯t allowed to happen. Jack would soon have not one, but two Overlords trying to kill him.

    ¡°This is a huge problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied, no longer bothering to hide the truth from the monster disciples.

    ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°We risk it all. Brock and I will enter the seventh floor. In the worst case, I think we can take shelter in the Hall. I have my connections.¡±

    ¡°The what floor!?¡± Strawpin exclaimed. ¡°You mean the sixth, right?¡±

    ¡°No. The seventh,¡± he replied, winking at her.

    She gasped. The disciples behind her shivered from excitement. As for Fiend Prince, he was unable to hold himself. He jumped up and down, pumping a fist into the air. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this, I can¡¯t believe this!¡± he said. ¡°This is so great, so fucking great! Take me as a disciple, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±

    Jack laughed. He really liked this guy. His excitement was infectious.

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± he said. ¡°If we survive this, I¡¯ll consider making you my first disciple.¡±

    ¡°Yes!!! Wait¡ªsurvive this?¡±

    On cue, the entire Hall shook. The disciples almost lost their footing before remembering they could fly. Dust fell off the ceiling, while several of the huge columns holding it up cracked. The shaking abated after a while, turning into a constant low rumbling.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Strawpin asked. ¡°Jack! What is going on?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our call,¡± Jack said, ignoring her as he looked at the ceiling. A golden portal had formed up there¡ªone bearing the exact same color as his and Brock¡¯s names on the stele. He turned to the brorilla. ¡°Wanna risk your life with me, bro?¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Brock smiled. ¡°Always.¡±

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go. Starhair, stay with the disciples and keep them safe. Don¡¯t leave the Hall unless you have to¡ªI suspect the Canal is more dangerous than usual right now.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We got to fight some Overlords.¡±

    With those words, and with the disciples¡¯ eyes filled with confusion, Jack and Brock flew towards the golden portal.

    ¡°Should you have revealed that?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Hall is isolated, and I think the seventh floor will be as well. Nobody will be able to contact them.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Good.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so cool!¡± Fiend Prince¡¯s yell echoed from below as the two bros rushed into the portal, which closed behind them. Brilliance surrounded them in all directions. They popped out of the top of the pyramid, finding an unexpected scene.

    The top of the pyramid was shorn off as if by a sword. A smaller golden pyramid stood in its center, filled with all sorts of swimming arcane runes. It was cracked. The runes steadily streamed out, weakening its power, while a wide beam of golden light speared upward from the smaller pyramid, penetrating the darkness and rising into the sky. The light was unsteady, as if whatever had created it had barely succeeded.

    Jack and Brock were inside that beam of golden light, having popped out of the smaller golden pyramid. Jack quickly looked around, finding no Overlord in sight. All he saw was the Dark Canal¡¯s energies being in complete disarray, as well as a twelve-layer totem lying broken on the pyramid¡¯s top.

    ¡°They must have already gone up,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, bro?¡± Brock asked. Jack explained quickly.

    ¡°We must hurry,¡± he concluded. ¡°Whatever is going on, we can¡¯t afford to be late!¡±

    The golden beam tried to pull them up, but they maintained control of themselves. On Jack¡¯s cue, they turned into rays of light, racing upward. The pyramid soon disappeared. All that remained was a vertical road of golden light crossing the endless darkness.

    Jack and Brock followed it. The darkness was pushed away by this light¡ªthe pressure was thinner, and any hidden dangers non-existent. Strawpin had mentioned that anyone trying to enter or leave the Dark Canal through anywhere other than the entrance point disappeared. Jack hoped the golden light would stave off that effect.

    It did.

    After rising for a while, maintaining a decently low speed to be wary of danger, the darkness around them faded. Expansive stone stretched on either side, split down the middle by the Dark Canal¡ªwhat Axelor had said was the result of an ancient battle. The darkness now lay below them, while the light speared into the clouds above.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like we spent that long in the Canal,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± Jack replied, looking down. ¡°Besides your months of absorbing the lotus, it was only a few days.¡±

    ¡°Dark days.¡±

    ¡°Only figuratively.¡±

    They ascended higher. There was no Overlord in sight still. They followed the beam of light into the first layer of clouds, rushing past them to find themselves facing the second. The clouds were gray, occasionally illuminated by the crimson lightning trapped inside.

    The light rose endlessly. Following it, they passed the second layer of clouds, then the third, then the fourth. Jack had tried to fly up here once but had been stopped after the eighth layer by the exponentially increasing pressure. They weren¡¯t facing that issue now. The corridor of golden light rebuffed whatever Dao pressure existed up here, letting them just breeze through. They kept their guard up regardless.

    Half an hour later, Jack and Brock were approaching the twelfth and final layer of clouds. The pressure up here must have been staggering, enough to stop even Overlords, but they weren¡¯t feeling it.

    ¡°I think I know where the pressure comes from,¡± Jack said. ¡°Axelor said the entire Space Monster World covers the inside of a sphere, and we¡¯re headed at its center. That doesn¡¯t make sense from a space point of view. The sphere¡¯s dimensions to encompass the entire world would be huge, so the center of the sky should be much farther away from the surface compared to what we¡¯ve traveled so far. My guess is that there¡¯s space shenanigans at play, with the price of bringing the sky closer being this pressure. Endless cubic miles of highly dense volume are compressed to a mere hundred miles¡ªof course the pressure is ungodly.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Brock replied.

    They broke through the twelfth layer to find a different scene ahead of them. They were inside a huge sphere of clouds, maybe a dozen miles in diameter. Space itself shivered by the Dao density. The light speared upwards to the very center of this sphere, where a small pyramidic structure floated, rotating slowly.

    This was clearly the broken-off top of the Hall of Trials. The seventh level. Its walls were the same color, while its base looked rough, evidence it had been broken off¡ªand not as cleanly as the pyramid down below seemed to indicate. The beam of light stopped at the center of its base, though it didn¡¯t seem to penetrate the stone.

    Jack and Brock glanced at each other. ¡°We need to either teleport inside or go find an entrance,¡± said the brorilla.

    ¡°It¡¯s risky to teleport with the Overlords present. The energy ripples of the pyramid will hide us, according to Axelor, but not if we appear in front of their noses.¡±

    ¡°So we need an entrance. Will we be okay if we step out of the light? Or die instantly?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be safe,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Let me try.¡±

    He activated both the Life Drop transformation and Thunderbody, pushing his defensive capabilities to the peak. He then took a tentative step outside the beam of light.

    Nothing happened. The Dao around them was extremely dense, but the pressure he experienced was somehow no higher than the average of the Dark Canal.

    ¡°All good,¡± he called out, letting his enhancements dissipate.

    Brock followed him outside the light. ¡°Now what?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Can you feel this?¡± Jack asked back. ¡°The Dao is aligning with us, somehow. Like we¡¯re part of it. This must be what Axelor promised¡ªthe Dao signature of this place will hide us from the Overlords.¡±

    ¡°So we can die after delivering an ambush.¡±

    ¡°Well, hopefully there¡¯ll be a smarter way. Come. We can¡¯t break through the floor, obviously, so let¡¯s look for an entrance.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take them long. One side of this small pyramid¡ªonly a mile tall¡ªheld a set of golden double doors. Those doors were broken, only hanging on by their bottom hinges. In front of them lay the shattered remains of a golden statue. It still emanated hints of its aura¡ªplacing it at the peak of the A-Grade.

    ¡°Even Gods can¡¯t afford Archon guards,¡± Jack noticed.

    ¡°This happened recently,¡± Brock said. ¡°Maybe a few moments ago. The two Overlords came here, defeated the guardian, broke the doors, and invaded. How are they handling the pressure?¡±

    ¡°I think they forcefully rode the same light we did,¡± Jack said, ¡°though I can¡¯t imagine it came without a price.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we want to do this, bro? They easily destroyed the peak A-Grade statue. They¡¯re too powerful.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°The rewards hidden inside are things we¡¯ve earned. These guys are stealing them from us. We don¡¯t need to fight¡ªhidden by the Dao as we are, we can maybe take some things under their noses and escape undetected. Or negotiate. Or just leave.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m with you. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 538: Overlords in Action

    After passing through the broken doors, Jack and Brock entered the final floor of the Hall of Trials. It was the reward they¡¯d justly earned, now usurped by others.

    A scene of pillage welcomed them. The room behind the gate must have once been grand and majestic. Murals used to cover the walls, painted with colors of the Dao itself and punctuated with gems. Golden statues stood at the back, depicting the eleven Old Gods besides Enas, while a massive empty throne rose against a sidewall to the right, another doorway below it.

    Now, the colors had been scraped off the walls, the gems pulled out. The golden statues had been cracked open to get to whatever was inside them¡ªif there was anything¡ªand the throne¡¯s velvet had been peeled off, leaving behind ugly tears and bare stone. The room had been ransacked. The only reason Jack and Brock knew the missing materials was their still-lingering aura¡ªeverything was constructed of the highest possible quality materials.

    The scene sparked Jack¡¯s anger. ¡°Overlords, the highest under the heavens, and they behave like common bandits,¡± he spat out. ¡°Shameful.¡±

    ¡°This is not the bro way,¡± Brock agreed with a dark gaze. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough to break into the shrine of your ancestors. To take the decorations? That¡¯s going too far.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless, too. They don¡¯t lack gold or jewels. Why do this?¡±

    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to ask them,¡± Brock replied, pacing into the room. It was depressing. This hall was meant to welcome the greatest talents of history, the people with the potential to reach or surpass the Old Gods. Perhaps the walls told stories about the creation of the universe or depicted epic heroic feats. Now, they¡¯d been done so dirty even the murals were indistinguishable.

    The two bros crossed the room quickly. The next one was similar¡ªa grand show of wealth and knowledge, all stripped clean. Even the various pieces of furniture were missing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle they left the bricks behind,¡± Brock said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll smack them in the head with one.¡±

    The doorways led down a single path hugging the seventh level¡¯s outer wall. Following it, Jack and Brock reached the third room, which was also the same. Stripped down, pillaged, destroyed. For three similar rooms to be placed in a row like this, and more to come, Jack assumed they were telling a story or shared a theme. They were meant to create in young monsters a feeling of awe and context before they received the inheritance of the Old Gods. Probably detail their mission of destroying the Ancients.

    At the fifth room, however, Jack paused and stuck to the wall. He motioned for Brock to be quiet. The line of rooms hugged the outer walls, and they¡¯d approached the corner now, so the next door was on the left wall instead of the back one. They couldn¡¯t see behind it, but they could hear faint noises. It sounded like stone cracked in half, metal being wrenched free.

    Jack felt the ripples of someone¡¯s perception pass over him without stopping. The Dao signature of the pyramid hid them, just like Axelor had promised. Jack looked at Brock, who nodded. Carefully, he peeked through the corner, gazing into the next room over.

    It was also pillaged. The next one, however, was in the process of getting destroyed. The two Overlords stood inside, Great Silver and Fiend King. The former stood with arms crossed¡ªthe latter dashed from wall to wall, taking everything he could into his space ring.

    Jack quickly drew back, but he spread his perception over the corner, draping it over the Overlords as thinly as possible so it would go unnoticed. He saw Fiend King arrive before a golden statue¡ªsome six-armed humanoid monster¡ªand crack it in half. He took a peek inside, snorted, then left it and proceeded.

    ¡°Can you not do that?¡± Great Silver asked with the tone of someone who¡¯d already said it a dozen times.

    ¡°No. These statues are hollow for a reason. One will contain something inside it, I guarantee it, and when I find it you won¡¯t be so smug.¡± Fiend King was completely unapologetic as he tore the room apart.

    ¡°Is it so bad to leave a treasure or two behind?¡± Great Silver pleaded. ¡°These rooms are our legacy. They¡¯ve stood undisturbed for billions of years. We¡¯ll take the real treasures, of course, but these are just decorations. What you¡¯re doing is completely unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°Weak thinking like that is why your faction is in decline.¡± Fiend King snorted. ¡°Even the metals and paint on the walls are precious. Nobody will ever come here, anyway. We might as well take them. Maybe we can trade with the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Trade. The path to our enslavement.¡±

    ¡°Better than being conquered.¡±

    While they conversed, the room had already been stripped clean, and Fiend King kicked down the doors to the next one. He charged in and continued ransacking.

    ¡°This guy is unbelievable,¡± Jack said after relaying everything to Brock. ¡°The pettiest cultivator I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°He deserves the slap of justice,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°Yeah. A shame he¡¯s too strong for my flip-flop.¡±

    Through his perception, Jack had gauged the strengths of the Overlords. Having forced their way here without the Hall¡¯s permission, they were under constant pressure. Part of their energy went into staving it off. Their energy levels had fallen from the Archon level to the peak A-Grade, but their Daos remained. Jack and Brock together might be able to fight one of the Overlords if they went completely all-out, but there was no way to struggle against two.

    Moreover, the Fiend King¡¯s despicable means were working against them. He left nothing behind. Following the Overlords, there was no benefit for Jack and Brock to get, and there never would be. Since they¡¯d reached this point, however, all they could do was keep going.

    The rooms kept coming. Jack had no idea what they signified¡ªhis thin perception over the Overlords wasn¡¯t enough to read the murals¡ªbut it didn¡¯t really matter, either. Finally, at the tenth room, the path turned again. Jack caught the Overlords pausing. They stared at the door against the right wall for a moment, then turned to each other with somber gazes.

    ¡°Time to kill,¡± said Fiend King.

    ¡°Looks like it.¡±

    Great Silver was the one to open the door this time. They burst into the next space, and Jack¡¯s perception with them. This room was clearly different than before. It was short and wide, spreading roughly a mile from left to right, its side walls angling upward like it had been built directly onto the pyramid¡¯s outer walls.

    Three heavy golden doors stood at the back. A word was written over each, in a language Jack didn¡¯t recognize but could instinctively understand: Dao, Will, and Cultivation. Besides those and the red carpet which stretched from the left to the right wall, the room was almost empty.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    A lone automaton sat behind a paper-filled, stone desk at the back of the room. It was far more refined than most¡ªit wore elaborate robes which covered it like real ones, though they were made of stone, just like its skin. Its unmoving face exuded wisdom. A long beard hung from its chin.

    ¡°Oh!¡± the Stone exclaimed in Jack¡¯s mind. ¡°That¡¯s my dad! Hi daddy!¡±

    ¡°Your what!?¡±

    As the two Overlords entered the room, the automaton put its pen aside and stood from its chair. ¡°I am the Stone Scholar, the guardian and groundskeeper of this floor,¡± it said, its raspy voice growing clearer by the word. ¡°You come without permission. You trespass. Begone.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if we intended to be gone,¡± the Fiend King said with wicked laughter.

    The automaton was still awakening from its neutral state. Only now did its perception spread properly to cover the long line of rooms. If it spotted Jack and Brock, it didn¡¯t show it¡ªits stone face contorted in an expression of fury. ¡°You defiled the halls!¡± it roared. ¡°Insolence!¡±

    The walls shook. The pyramid paused its rotation, standing still as if all of reality held its breath alongside the automaton. It glowed with seething aura as it roared, ¡°Die!¡±

    ¡°This entire world is in great peril,¡± Great Silver said quickly. ¡°We need the inheritances here. We could use your help in defending.¡±

    ¡°SHUT YOUR VILE MOUTH! YOU DEFILED THE HALLS! YOU DIE NOW!¡±

    The Overlords exchanged a glance. Fiend King laughed. ¡°How could I have known?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Guess we have to kill it now.¡±

    ¡°No other choice,¡± Great Silver said heavily as both of them released their aura.

    The automaton was at the peak A-Grade level of power, and Jack could sense it was stronger than most, radiating intense energy in tune with the structure around it. The Overlords had also been pushed to the peak A-Grade level by the pressure of this place, but their insights remained those of Overlords, and there were two of them.

    The clash of energies was uneven. The real clash, even more so.

    The automaton attacked first, abandoning the three doors it stood in front of. Its stone sleeves swung like made of fabric, channeling the energy of the world in its strike. A rainbow of Daos coalesced¡ªeleven different streams, each bearing the signature of an Old God. They formed a white sun behind it, whose light covered the automaton and made it seem angelic.

    The Overlords rushed to the left and right respectively. Fiend King unleashed a crimson aura, becoming brutality incarnate, his devilish body radiating violence. Great Silver opened his draconic mouth, silver energy converging¡ªit was raw power, yet almost sentient. Jack instinctively felt that Great Silver¡¯s Dao was something close to Wisdom. Like wise, white fire.

    Jack waited behind the corner, his attention fully focused on the battle. He relayed everything to Brock behind him. The Stone¡¯s stunning revelation wasn¡¯t something they could bother with right now.

    The automaton released white energies with each swipe, like divine brushstrokes through the air. Everywhere they passed, the void was incinerated, purified until nothing was left. As the white light approached Fiend King, he roared and raked his claws against it. Crimson met white. The two energies twisted around each other, the white coming out slightly on top.

    From the other side, Great Silver opened his maw and released a beam of silver. Space itself melted before it, letting it reach its target instantly. The automaton conjured a shield to block, but it was broken through, the silver light flooding it and pushing it out of balance. Fiend King appeared to its side¡ªhe smashed his tail against it, sending the automaton flying, then teleported over it and smashed it heavily into the ground. The tiles cratered.

    The automaton wasn¡¯t done. It teleported away just in time to dodge a slash of Great Silver¡¯s claws, which hit the ground at that spot and broke it further. The automaton reappeared behind Fiend King, wide sleeves rising against the devil, the white light stopped by sheer muscle mass. Fiend King turned around, grabbed the automaton, spun thrice around himself and slammed it against the ground. Coincidentally, it crashed into the same spot as before, further deepening the crater.

    Of course, grabbing your opponent was a Dao clash in and of itself. The Fiend King had used his Dao to penetrate the other¡¯s barriers, releasing shockwaves which crashed against the walls, shaking the pyramid and threatening its structural intensity. Dust fell from the ceiling.

    Jack hesitated. This stone automaton¡ªthe Stone¡¯s father?¡ªwas in a tough spot. If he and Brock joined in, there was a chance they could help it turn things around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit,¡± Brock whispered. ¡°We¡¯re hidden. We can ambush them at the critical moment.¡±

    Jack nodded. That was the best way to win here.

    ¡°What sorry excuses you are for monsters!¡± the automaton roared. ¡°You¡¯re Overlords, yet you couldn¡¯t match me alone! You amount to nothing! You have less talent than the rabid dogs whose behavior you so shamefully copy!¡±

    ¡°Shut your stone mouth!¡± Fiend King roared, appearing over the fallen automaton and punching down. White light formed a barrier¡ªit held against his punch, but not against the beam of dragon silver which came right after. Great Silver rammed bodily into the automaton, pushing it hard into the ground, the cracks expanding widely.

    At that precise moment, something changed. The dragon Overlord couldn¡¯t have seen it, so tightly pressed against the automaton, but Jack did. Fiend King¡¯s face warped into a fiendish grin. His hands blurred. He reached inside his robes, pulling out a miniature of the twelve-layer totem and snapping it in half. In the same motion, his other hand aimed downward, unleashing a torrent of energy he must have been building for a while. Crimson power buried both the automaton and Great Silver, not harming them, but using a momentum-adjacent Dao to heavily push them downward.

    Great Silver roared. ¡°Fiend King! What are you doing!?¡±

    The floor below them had already suffered multiple strikes. Even the pyramid¡¯s precious materials couldn¡¯t handle such impacts forever¡ªthe bricks split, then cracked, then shattered, revealing a hole to the sky below. Great Silver and the automaton were both right above it, momentarily immobilized by Fiend King¡¯s attack.

    Normally, this would have meant nothing. As Great Silver realized to his horror, however, the spot they occupied was located precisely above the beam of golden light from before. A beam which was rapidly destabilizing¡ªFiend King had crushed the control totem, and the forceful override of the Hall¡¯s security was deteriorating. The golden beam shuddered, then roared out in fury, the process reversing in an angry lashing of the Hall of Trial¡¯s energies.

    The smooth golden light leading upward turned into a siphon, pulling everything down. It wasn¡¯t particularly powerful, certainly not enough to threaten an Overlord¡ªunless, say, one was floating right above it, with another Overlord¡¯s power pushing down on them.

    ¡°No!¡± Great Silver roared.

    ¡°I counted our steps since entering this place, Silver!¡± the Fiend King shouted, roaring with laughter. ¡°I aimed for that spot in particular, and you helped me break it like the fool you are!¡±

    ¡°I trusted you!¡± Great Silver roared again, his draconic fury bursting forth. ¡°This concerns the survival of our species!¡±

    ¡°There is no compassion amongst monsters, Silver. Only winners and losers¡ªand you are the latter.¡±

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡± the automaton roared in turn. ¡°IN THE NAME OF THE GODS, I WILL VANQUISH YOU!¡±

    Great Silver and the automaton released their energies together, pushing upwards, but they couldn¡¯t overcome the sum of Fiend King¡¯s pressure and the golden beam¡¯s pull. Not when they were right over it. With a series of frustrated roars, Great Silver and the automaton were both sucked into the golden beam, falling downward at extreme speed. Their anger was so great that they kept tearing at each other as they fell past the layer of clouds, their future unknown.

    Jack and Brock still waited in hiding, this turn of events too sudden for them to react. They were waiting for the final cataclysmic clash between the automaton and the overlords, when nobody would bother with defense. This¡­was a bit too unexpected!

    Suddenly, everything was quiet. Fiend King stood alone in the room¡ªthe golden beam remained, but its suction power wasn¡¯t enough to threaten him unless he stood right next to it.

    ¡°Fuck off, loser,¡± he said, dusting himself as he turned towards the three golden doors. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see¡­ Where do I begin?¡±

    ¡°How about you begin by dying?¡±

    Fiend King jumped, then whipped around. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± he roared out. As he took in the new arrivals, however, he paused. ¡°Jack Monstrous?¡± he said in disbelief. ¡°Brock the brorilla? What are you doing here? How can you even stand in this pressure?¡±

    ¡°We stand for what is right,¡± Brock said, angrily cracking his knuckles.

    Jack smiled. ¡°And we¡¯re here to destroy you.¡±

 Chapter 539: Fighting Overlord

    Jack and Brock faced Overlord Fiend King in a pyramid floating in the middle of the sky. It would have been shocking if it wasn¡¯t as dangerous.

    Fiend King laughed. ¡°You and what army?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got here, but this is where your journey ends. Go back. Don¡¯t throw your lives away.¡±

    ¡°We got here the right way. By earning the qualifications,¡± Jack said.

    Fiend King¡¯s laughter was cut short. ¡°You were classified as Eternal?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Both of you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest excuse I¡¯ve ever heard. We¡¯ve never had a single Eternal talent¡ªtwo at a time is impossible.¡±

    There was envy in the Overlord¡¯s voice, clear as day. He was one of the two rulers of this entire world, yet the Hall of Trials was a consistent reminder of his inadequacy. He¡¯d only reached the fifth floor as a youth¡ªanyone able to reach the sixth or the impossible seventh would only humiliate him indirectly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡± Jack asked. His aura slowly rose out of his body, cascading in ever taller waves. The dense ambient Dao was pushed back, the shattered bricks and tiles beginning to float. Even the suction force of the golden light abated momentarily. Brock followed a moment later, releasing his own golden aura, the air filled with chants and sparkles.

    Fiend King narrowed his eyes. ¡°You are not suppressed. And this aura, so high above your level¡­ Did you really qualify as Eternal talents?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± Jack said, entering a battle stance, arms raised before his face like a boxer. He couldn¡¯t hide his grin. He roared, ¡°Show us the strength of an Overlord, Fiend King!¡±

    The Overlord frowned for a while, then his face warped into a snarl. His own crimson aura erupted, meeting Jack and Brock¡¯s in the middle of the hall, shattering the tiles further. Winds picked up, whipping their hair. The Fiend King¡¯s tail swished through the air, carrying muscle and violence, capable of demolishing planets with a single touch¡ªhis claws and teeth were bared, sharp edges glinting in the light, while the muscles under his gray skin expanded. He became a creature of nightmare¡ªa being made to slaughter.

    ¡°Just die,¡± he spat out. Crimson erupted between sweeping claws. The light raked the floor and walls, drawing thin lines, sending more bricks and tiles flying. Jack leaned to the side, dodging the strike, and used his own Dao to suppress the other¡¯s brutality. As for Brock, he only raised a palm, blocking the claw energies head-on.

    Jack smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we fought side by side, bro.¡±

    ¡°My favorite kind of battle. Together, we are unbeatable.¡±

    ¡°You think too highly of yourselves!¡± Fiend King roared. He moved so fast he disappeared. Jack narrowed his eyes, then instinctively raised an arm to defend. He activated the four-armed battle form and Thunderbody instantly. A gray shoulder smashed into him from the side, sending him flying, nailing him into the far wall.

    ¡°Bro!¡± Brock shouted, but the gray tail was already before him. A giant golden brorilla manifested¡ªthe same one which had easily defended against Fiend Prince and Strawpin. The gray tail smashed into it, warped the golden light, and shattered it, carrying on to strike Brock in the chest and blow him backward.

    ¡°How dare you challenge me!¡± Fiend King shouted. ¡°I am the King of Carnage. I¡¯m invincible!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Go fight the Immortals then,¡± Jack said, having already escaped the pile of rubble. He charged the Fiend King and punched out, purple trailing his fist, a meteor crossing space. The Overlord grabbed it in his palm, the meteor fizzling out. His skin was tougher than the hardest steel¡ªand his eyes, as he held Jack by the fist, murderous.

    A claw came slashing down. Jack was about to decisively sever his hand to escape when a golden palm smashed into the Overlord from the side, shaking him. Jack put all his strength into escaping¡ªa massive yank ripped his hand free from the Fiend King¡¯s grip, long bloody lines drawn against his skin.

    The Overlord wasn¡¯t injured by Brock¡¯s hasty attack. If anything, he was more surprised at Jack escaping. ¡°You¡¯re this strong!?¡± he asked in disbelief. His eyes flashed. ¡°All the more reason for you to die.¡±

    He pursued Jack. Jack struck, still retreating. ¡°Supernova!¡± Fist met tail, purple explosion against crimson aura, and a shockwave erupted which battered the entire pyramid. Even Supernova couldn¡¯t resist the Overlord. Jack¡¯s hand shattered, all bones inside snapped, as the tail carried through and found him in the waist. He turned into a missile flying backward. If not for the pyramid¡¯s hard walls, he would have flown for endless miles. In this case, he didn¡¯t, but it was even worse. The materials making up the pyramid were extraordinarily tough. Jack smashed into them, losing all the air in his lungs, breaking his back.

    The entire hall was a mile wide and only a few hundred feet long. It was an extremely tiny space for hosting a peak A-Grade battle, with the hard walls making any impact even more punishing. They couldn¡¯t leave, either¡ªthe only two exits were barred by a golden suction force and a long series of rooms respectively.

    Jack opened his eyes to find Fiend King tearing into Brock. A dozen golden brorillas were completely failing to stop him, their bodies destroyed as mere afterthoughts, while Brock¡¯s defenses crumbled faster than he could put them up. Jack rushed out, charging up a Black Hole while the Overlord was busy elsewhere.

    Claws raked Brock¡¯s body, drawing long red lines which stretched from his shoulder to his waist. Red blood with hints of gold flew out. Brown fur littered the air. Brock coughed, more blood escaping his mouth, as he twirled his staff and smashed it into the Overlord¡¯s shoulder. The impact was minimal. Fiend King gave a monstrous grin as he stabbed his tail into Brock¡¯s stomach, not penetrating his body, but pushing him back again. He then turned to face Jack.Stolen story; please report.

    A black hole flew at the Overlord. A hint of horror crossed his face¡ªhe shot out his tail, striking the black hole at the maximum possible distance. The hard skin and tough flesh were warped, but the black hole also struggled. It was, after all, just an artificial one crafted by Jack¡¯s Dao. It had its limits. The Overlord might have been suppressed to the level of a peak A-Grade, but his body remained beyond sturdy.

    The black hole imploded. An intense shockwave struck the walls, shaking several bricks out of position and disintegrating the closest broken floor tiles. Jack was once again smashed against the wall by the impact. So was Fiend King, but besides the tip of his tail disappearing and some blood dripping down the corner of his lips, he seemed fine.

    ¡°You injured me,¡± he said, surprised at his own words. ¡°I¡¯ll make you suffer. I¡¯ll tear you limb from limb!¡±

    Jack frowned deeply. This had been his strongest attack, which had finished off every opponent so far. Even the fragment of Axelor had been no exception. That the Fiend King could resist it didn¡¯t bode well.

    ¡°Are you okay, bro?¡± Brock asked, dusting himself off. He was injured, blood marring the fur on his chest, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Good enough,¡± Jack replied, wiping the blood from his lips. ¡°We can¡¯t beat him as two individual fighters. We need to work together.¡±

    ¡°Right. He just split us before.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The two fell into a common pace. A new aura suffused the hall. Fiend King snorted, then charged. ¡°Useless!¡± he cried out. His claws sliced the air. Jack moved back to weaken the blow. A golden shield appeared before him, in time with his own Meteor Punch, meeting the strike and neutralizing it.

    Fiend King took this time to smash the body of his tail against Brock, but a Supernova explosion sent it off course. Brock simply ducked under the strike, then smashed his staff at Fiend King, pushing him backward. His large golden brorilla compacted, turning into a sheet of armor over Brock¡¯s body, as well as two extra golden arms.

    ¡°Big Bro Form!¡± Brock shouted.

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Is that supposed to be me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my big bro. Of course you inspire me.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit are you spouting!?¡± Fiend King roared, charging again. His power and speed were overwhelming. He was the perfect killing machine, possessing extraordinary aspects across the board. By themselves, Jack and Brock couldn¡¯t hope to match him. Even a normal peak A-Grade would be above their powers.

    When working together, however, their combined battle prowess was more than the sum of its parts. They hadn¡¯t fought side by side often, but they were spiritual companions, each sharing a part of the other¡¯s soul. Their connection was deeper than any other. They could read each other¡¯s intentions, react before they even moved, perfectly coordinate their strengths.

    Moreover, they were bros. Brock¡¯s Dao circulated between their souls, empowering them in a constant cycle.

    Fiend King charged, but Jack and Brock fell on either side of him. They moved in perfect sync. When the Fiend King focused on one opponent, the other struck back. Their attacks were perfectly timed, forcing him to only defend against one. Their defense was a combination of two outstanding Daos. Jack was the stronger party, but they even accounted for that, balancing their contributions to achieve a perfect fusion.

    They received injuries at first. One gash here, one tail smash there. Yet, the more they worked together, the better they flowed around each other. Their souls were singing in harmony. Fighting became instinctive, requiring no effort, as if they slowly merged into a single being with two bodies. Their efficiency rose. The Fiend King had held a slight advantage at first, but he was pushed back now, his strikes ineffective. The attacks he did receive weren¡¯t too threatening, but the damage added up.

    The Fiend King roared. He balled his claws into a fist and struck at Brock, but a purple and golden shield blocked him. It was like hitting a wall. A punch struck the back of his knee, bending it, as a staff strike landed on his now-exposed chest. Before he could recover, a second punch exploded against the back of his head. The strikes accelerated as they kept coming. The Fiend King tried madly to defend but was unable to, fists and staffs pummeling his body from all sides. Bones cracked. Bruises appeared. The skin he took such pride in tore, letting hints of gray blood leak out, while his regeneration failed to keep up with the onslaught of attacks. They came from everywhere all the time.

    He tried to strike back, to break the chain, but it was like they knew the future. His attacks were predicted and blocked before he even made them, the lapse in defense causing him more damage from the ongoing pummeling.

    The Fiend King lost control completely. He was confused by the many strikes, unable to tell up from down or left from right. He was helpless. For the first time in millions of years, he felt he fear of death.

    He roared, finally snapping, his crimson aura exploding out of him and wrecking his own body in the process. His eyes madly scanned the hall for the golden beam of light¡ªit was there, in a now wide region of destroyed floor. He feigned an attack, then dashed sideways, letting more strikes land on him to escape.

    A strong hand grabbed his tail. Fiend King felt his momentum evaporate, and true horror rose in his heart. He pushed forward with all his power. A second pair of hands grabbed onto his tail, yanking him backward, and the Fiend King saw to his horror the beam of light grow farther away. True panic took him over¡ªhis survival instinct overriding every other function.

    He severed his own tail¡ªa function of his body he¡¯d never used before, nor did he think he¡¯d ever have to. The severing pushed him forward with extreme momentum, reaching the golden beam in an instant. He dove for it. Great Silver could be waiting below, but the dragon was compassionate. It wouldn¡¯t kill him. Fiend King could live.

    A massive fist smashed into his backside. His already great momentum grew to unstoppable heights. Even the golden beam was unable to capture him, and Fiend King was forced to watch as he overshot it, flying straight through the suction force and impacting the wall on the other side.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    He roared, blood escaping his mouth. He turned around to try again, but his pursuers had already caught up, and he had no more tails to sever. A golden staff stabbed into his abdomen, bending the Fiend King over and releasing all air from his lungs. A black hole was pushed into his open mouth, guided by a green-tinged arm.

    Fiend King looked up, sensing his skull collapse, to find a pair of cold eyes locked onto his. This had all happened too fast. A few moments ago, he was the ultimate winner, earning the entire seventh floor for himself. He was going to reach new heights. And now, he, an Overlord of the Space Monster World¡­was dead. Dead to some low-level brats.

    Fiend King roared in impotent fury and denial as the black hole warped his head, sucking it all in, then exploded. Bits and pieces of gray flesh flew everywhere. The Fiend King¡¯s body collapsed, a headless thing, while Jack and Brock watched it coldly to make sure there were no surprises coming.

    When they were finally sure it was dead, they both collapsed. It hadn¡¯t been as easy on them as the Fiend King had thought. His attacks had found purchase multiple times, sending streams of carnage through their veins, and the constant high-speed attacking had pushed them to their limits. Jack¡¯s Life Drop had almost ran out of energy¡ªit hadn¡¯t had much remaining after his battle with Axelor. It was a good thing the battle lasted so little.

    But they had won.

    They looked at each other. ¡°Good job, bro,¡± Brock said, giving a bloody smile.

    ¡°You too,¡± Jack replied, unable to hold his laughter. ¡°Do you realize it, Brock? We killed an Overlord. We secured ourselves the seventh floor rewards. We finally¡­won!¡±

 Chapter 540: Spoils of Battle

    The seventh floor of the Hall of Trials was silent, as if paying homage to the victory just struck.

    Jack and Brock were panting, yet smiling. They¡¯d just worked together to beat an Overlord. A suppressed Overlord, sure, but an Overlord regardless. They had, for a moment, stepped into the highest stage of the universe.

    Jack¡¯s grin touched his ears. ¡°Can you believe how far we¡¯ve come, Brock?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There is still a lot to go, bro. But¡­ We did good. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Right back at you.¡± Jack raised his gaze, taking in the main features of the room. The desk of the Stone Scholar had been blown away from the battle, the parchments on it disintegrating the moment they left the desk¡¯s area. The three doors at the back, however, remained pristine. Each had a sign over it: Dao, Will, Cultivation.

    ¡°One more thing before that,¡± Jack said, reaching into his inner world. ¡°Hey, Stone¡­ Can you explain what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can!¡± the Stone replied. Its mental voice was angry, like it was fuming, and Jack quickly connected Brock to their telepathy so he could participate as well. He would have taken the Stone out, but he suspected the pressure would crush it instantly.

    Seeing it had everyone¡¯s attention, the Stone continued. ¡°That was my daddy! They attacked my daddy!¡±

    ¡°Jack pinched his nose. ¡°Can you not call him that? How does father sound?¡±

    ¡°Why? It¡¯s the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Tell us about your¡­daddy.¡±

    ¡°He made me!¡± the Stone exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten all about it¡ªit¡¯s been a while¡ªbut he made me a long time ago. It was right there, on that desk. I was lying down while daddy inserted all sorts of magical devices into me, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stone. Please. Don¡¯t phrase it like that.¡±

    ¡°Well anyway, he created me! I remember everything now. He wanted to see the outside world but couldn¡¯t leave, so he made me instead. After I grew up, the idea was for me to go down there, check out the world, then fly back up to tell him.¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t work out as planned.¡±

    ¡°Not really, no. I, uh, I got lost a bit, and then I couldn¡¯t go back up. My meteor shuttle broke by the pressure, no longer able to receive my mental commands, so then I just sort of¡­drifted.¡±

    ¡°All the way to the Milky Way galaxy?¡±

    ¡°It was a good drift.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°How did you not remember this until now, Stone?¡±

    ¡°Memory is a delicate thing. Do you remember being a baby?¡±

    ¡°I would if nothing else happened for literally hundreds of millions of years.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s mean!¡±

    Again, Jack sighed. ¡°Sorry. So, uh¡­ Is that how you knew chess? The Stone Scholar taught you?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, that and all the other arts. We spent a few thousand years together.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned he couldn¡¯t leave,¡± Brock intervened, glancing at the hole in the ground where the golden light still tried to suck them in. ¡°He¡¯s gone now. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t leave. He just didn¡¯t want to. His job was to guard this place, so abandoning his post would be kind of sad. Now that he¡¯s down there, I don¡¯t even know if he can get back up. He¡¯s probably super pissed.¡±

    Jack and Brock exchanged a glance. ¡°So, an apocalyptic force has just been unleashed on the Space Monster World,¡± Jack said.

    Brock shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Great Silver can probably take him down there. I just hope the Stone daddy doesn¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°You too, Brock? You¡¯re one of them?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Jack rolled his eyes, then switched to telepathy. ¡°Do you think the Stone Scholar can return if he beats Great Silver?¡±

    ¡°No. Daddy once said that he could stay here, but even he couldn¡¯t battle the ascension cascade.¡±

    ¡°Ascension cascade?¡±

    ¡°The magic stopping other people from coming up here. Without the assistance of the golden light, I suspect no one will return for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I see.¡±

    Jack looked around again. He paced to Fiend King¡¯s corpse and took his space ring, then tossed it up and down in his hand. ¡°Our spoils,¡± he told Brock. ¡°Wanna have a look?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Jack threw it over, and Brock caught it easily. He focused for a moment as his perception looked inside. ¡°This bro was a hoarder,¡± he finally said. ¡°There¡¯s useful stuff in there, but also tons of valuable trash.¡±

    ¡°Valuable trash?¡±

    ¡°See for yourself.¡±

    Jack took back the ring and checked it out. To his surprise, Brock hadn¡¯t been exaggerating. This was the spaciest space ring he¡¯d ever seen, and it was filled with piles of what seemed like garbage but was actually treasures. It wasn¡¯t just the decorations of the previous room. There were low-level monster cores, precious ores, trinkets, weapons, armor, cultivation manuals¡­ All rising in messy, hundred-foot-tall piles.

    They say that one person¡¯s trash is the other¡¯s treasure, but this guy went too far! He¡¯s a true hoarder! Jack thought. He took the time to look at these things carefully. All of them were precious, but most were useless to the current him. All the wealth of the Space Monster World mattered little right now. Even the core cultivation manuals of the Fiend King were kind of low-level. He guessed all of these could be treasures valuable to a faction, so he quickly drew them into his own space ring, filling it to the brim.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    All that remained were a few A-Grade monster cores and the decorations of the previous rooms. Statuettes, flaked paint, golden goblets, paintings, torn velvet, even a few statues of monsters killing Ancients. Not all of these could be easily restored.

    Jack took out the decorations and placed them in a neat pile at a side of the room. He then bowed at them. No matter what, the creators of this place had helped him and Brock, and they would soon do it again. Respect was due.

    ¡°When we return to the Canal, let¡¯s help Stone Daddy Bro come up here,¡± Brock said. ¡°He¡¯ll want to redecorate.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack replied. He then looked at the remainder of Fiend King¡¯s treasure: a small pile of A-Grade cores, including two at the peak A-Grade and five at the late A-Grade. Great cultivation resources. Jack left them in the space ring and tossed it at Brock.

    ¡°What?¡± asked the brorilla.

    ¡°I know you took the lotus, but I¡¯ve reaped way more harvests than you across our adventures,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Take this. You deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Besides¡­¡± Jack turned to the three rooms. ¡°I suspect that the Fiend King¡¯s wealth will pale compared to what the Old Gods have left us. That¡¯s the real prize.¡±

    Brock also turned to look at the doors, eagerness clear in his gaze. Jack spoke to the Stone again.

    ¡°You mentioned the Stone Scholar was both the guard and caretaker of this place,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s obviously not here to direct us, but since he raised you, do you happen to know how we¡¯re supposed to accept this reward?¡±

    ¡°Most certainly!¡± the Stone replied. ¡°It¡¯s all coming back now. Oh my gods, I¡¯d forgotten about Franky!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Franky?¡±

    ¡°My favorite stone buddy! He used to laugh at all my jokes. Oh, the times we had together, lying down on that stone desk while daddy trained us.¡±

    Jack and Brock exchanged another glance. ¡°Did Franky seem like a ticklish pebble?¡± Jack asked. He¡¯d seen such a thing long ago, at Trial Planet. It was a silly pebble which ended up saving his life when he swapped it for the greatest treasure there. Presumably, Lord Longsword still had it.

    ¡°He was very ticklish, yes, but that¡¯s not all he did. He spoke, too!¡±

    ¡°Okay, not the same guy then. We¡¯ve run into a pebble which could do nothing but giggle. After the Crusade is over, we should go fetch it.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice. For now though, we should find Franky! Maybe he¡¯s just behind those doors!¡±

    Jack gave a sad smile. ¡°Sure, buddy.¡± It went without saying that, if Franky was still in this place, he¡¯d have been on the stone desk. Perhaps one of the items which disintegrated during the battle. Jack didn¡¯t have the heart to break the news.

    ¡°So?¡± Brock asked, motioning at the doors.

    ¡°Right,¡± the Stone replied. ¡°Ahem.¡± Its voice turned deeper. ¡°Oh, brave young monsters, you finally arrived at my abode! Accept my congratulations. It has been over a hundred million¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can we cut to the chase?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Ah, yes, sure. The point is, you may choose one of those doors each. Only one.¡±

    ¡°Right. And I guess the rest will become magically locked once we choose one?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just the rule. I always thought Daddy was enough to enforce them.¡±

    ¡°But he isn¡¯t here now.¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡±

    Jack turned at Brock and winked. Rules were important, but with the Second Crusade raging and this place already ransacked, Jack wasn¡¯t going to follow them. ¡°Which door are you interested in, Brock?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dao and Cultivation. They¡¯re what we need right now.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Cultivation is my first priority, with the duel and the Crusade and all, but the Dao is also important. Hmm. Do you want to choose a door each first, just in case the rules are magically enforced?¡±

    ¡°We survive here thanks to the assistance of this place¡¯s Dao,¡± Brock said. ¡°Let¡¯s not die stupidly.¡±

    ¡°Very correct, brother.¡±

    The two walked forward, standing before the two doors. ¡°I take Cultivation, you take Dao?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°You first.¡±

    Brock walked to the first door¡ªthe Dao one. It had no handle. Placing his hand onto it, he pushed, and the door creaked open as if for the first time in a billion years¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t far from the truth. A rectangular room was revealed beyond. The pyramid didn¡¯t use space magic here¡ªfrom the way this room stretched to the left, it was apparent the three of them shared the remaining surface of the seventh floor.

    No space magic meant the rooms would be possible to break into, if risky. As Brock had said, it wasn¡¯t a good idea to infuriate the place keeping you alive. But it was an option.

    Brock didn¡¯t enter the Dao room immediately. He peeked in¡ªthe inside was empty, save for a meditation mat in the center and shelves covering the walls, hosting no less than a hundred crystal spheres. Some danced with colors inside¡ªothers were dark, while yet more exuded a feeling which reached the soul.

    Jack, who was also peeking in, gasped. He could sense that each of these spheres contained a Dao Vision, as well as precise instructions on how to comprehend them¡ªsimilar to the incomplete black hole manual, but undamaged. They represented an incredible wealth of knowledge and power.

    ¡°Try opening another door,¡± he said, containing his excitement. Brock walked to the third door, the Cultivation one, and pushed. Nothing happened.

    ¡°Locked,¡± he said.

    ¡°Let me try.¡±

    Jack placed his hand against the third door, pushing it open effortlessly. The two bros glanced at each other and grinned. ¡°Bingo,¡± Jack said. ¡°Let me try something.¡± He stepped into the room, then exited, then walked to the Dao room. He entered it easily. His grin couldn¡¯t have been wider.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Brock said. He tried to enter the same room as Jack but failed, his entry stopped by an invisible wall. Jack exited, and then Brock could enter without a problem.

    ¡°We can¡¯t open more than one door each, and there cannot be two people in the same room, but we can open both doors and take turns,¡± Jack deduced. ¡°The Gods didn¡¯t expect two challengers to arrive here at once. We hit the jackpot.¡±

    Brock laughed. ¡°Fine by me. Where do you want to start, bro?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Dao room first. I feel I¡¯m on the cusp of discovering something great. Do you mind?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m peak B-Grade. With the resources of this room, I can break through.¡±

    ¡°To the A-Grade?!¡±

    ¡°To the A-Grade.¡±

    The cultivation room also had walls covered in shelves, except, instead of crystal spheres, it contained all sorts of cultivation resources. There were several overlord cores, their vast auras only blocked by the glass cases surrounding them. Even different kinds of treasures, like body tempering ones, weren¡¯t lacking in that room. It was, without any exaggeration, a treasure trove. Jack suspected both he and Brock could break into the A-Grade here, given enough time.

    ¡°What about the Dark Canal?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about that,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Whether Great Silver can beat the Stone Scholar, whether he¡¯ll pursue Starhair next¡­ If we go down there now, we¡¯ll achieve nothing. We don¡¯t have the power. Axelor can probably keep Starhair and the rest of the disciples safe, so we should focus on earning as much power as possible before we return. I¡¯m thinking to stay here for a long time. Maybe until right before my duel with Elder Hero. There¡¯s around twenty-five years remaining.¡±

    ¡°Twenty-five years is a long time.¡±

    ¡°or us, yes. For every other cultivator? It¡¯s nothing. Just the blink of an eye.¡±

    ¡°What about the war?¡±F

    ¡°We can¡¯t impact the war as B-Grades. If we want to help the Church, we should stay here until we¡¯re strong enough, then go out there and beat Elder Hero to a pulp. If things go downhill before then¡­ It is unfortunate, but there¡¯s nothing we could have done anyway. In the grand scheme of things, our current power is a drop in the ocean.¡±

    Brock considered it for a long moment, then nodded deeply. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°This is the quickest path to power. It is the best we can do to help. To return now because we can¡¯t handle some risk would be un-bro-like.¡±

    Jack turned towards the three doors¡ªtwo open, one closed¡ªand took a deep breath. He missed his family. Ever since entering the Space Monster World four years ago, he¡¯d lost contact with his clone on Earth, so he had no idea how they were doing. He imagined Ebele was steadily growing. By the time he returned, she¡¯d be a true woman. Losing that time pained him.

    However, he had left a clone behind. He missed them, yet they had him, and they could be happy. He¡¯d enjoy the memories too, after he returned, and then hopefully he¡¯d be able to spend endless years with his family without a looming crisis in the horizon.

    He stepped into the Dao room, while Brock entered the Cultivation one. Their greatest cultivation session began.

 Chapter 541: Improving Skills

    Jack walked into the Dao chamber of the Hall of Trials¡¯ seventh floor. He could scarcely believe it. He¡¯d come all the way here, to a foreign world filled with monsters, and earned the right to their top inheritances. The kind that no one in history had ever seen before.

    His steps through the room were slow, reverent even. Over a hundred crystal spheres lined the shelves on the wall. Each contained insights to one or several Daos¡ªit was a tremendous wealth of knowledge.

    Of course, Jack wasn¡¯t interested in collecting them. His own path had already been set. He only looked for crystal spheres relevant to the exact Daos he followed.

    Over the years, his Dao had gone through several transformations. First, it was just the Fist. It was later enriched with several other Daos, including Power, Weakness, Indomitable Will¡­ Those were all concepts which formed his foundation and the basis of his own, personal Dao, which he developed at the D-Grade.

    Some time later, as the Daos he followed rose to new heights, they were diluted to some of the most primal and powerful concepts in existence. Space, Time, Life, Death. His spectrum of Dao had narrowed back down to four, all spearheaded by the Fist. It was these fundamental powers of the universe that he now pondered¡ªtheir secrets held the path to the peak of mastery, he knew that, but they were also unbelievably difficult. Even with all his experiences, even with the many top-level inheritances he¡¯d received from several Archons, Jack was only now scratching the surface of what was possible.

    Black Hole was the combination of Space and Death¡ªa potent force which had evolved into his killer move. He still hadn¡¯t mastered it. Every time he used it, he put himself in as much danger as his opponent, the black hole merely a bomb he held with the business end pointed outwards. Refining his understanding of it was one of his main goals.

    The other was exploring his other Dao Vision¡ªthat of a woman creating a universe. A combination of Time and Life, a power at least on par with a black hole, if not at an higher level.

    Then came Entropy, which he¡¯d only recently experienced. It was the fusion of Time and Death, similar yet different to a black hole. He knew precious little about it, but having felt its effects in his battle against Axelor, he was confident it was something inside his purview. Whether it would become a skill of its own or just an amplification of another, he had no idea.

    Following the theme of his four main Daos combining into pairs, the only combination remaining was Space and Life. Jack had no idea what that could look like. A white hole, maybe¡ªthe theorized endpoint of a black hole in another universe? Or, perhaps, the white hole wasn¡¯t a separate combination but part of the Life and Time thing the woman in the Dao Vision had going on?

    Jack had many things to consider. Thankfully, he finally had time and resources. He¡¯d get to the bottom of at least some of those.

    He crossed his legs on the meditation mat at the center of the room. It had a mind-amplifying effect, a small but appreciated addition to his efforts. His perception spread to cover the crystal spheres, then, with a swish of his hand, three of them floated at him. They contained various spacetime-related inheritances, none higher-level than those he¡¯d already comprehended. With all three at hand, as well as his own insights and previous Dao Visions, he got to work.

    The first order of business was perfecting his black hole technique. As his battle against Axelor had proven, it contained plenty of power but lacked control. If he could manipulate it better, utilizing its apex of destructive capabilities and aiming them all at his opponent rather than a wild explosion, its overall effectiveness would rise to a different level. That¡¯s why he¡¯d chosen all the spacetime inheritances first.

    Time lost its meaning as Jack meditated. He didn¡¯t know if it had been hours or months. At some point, he opened his eyes, dissatisfaction evident. His experiments had been failures. The power of a black hole was now slightly easier to control, but nowhere near the level he desired. In fact, he suspected that even after reaching the A-Grade, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to control it. It wasn¡¯t a matter of energy. He was missing something.

    ¡°The problem is, it¡¯s too wild,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Once it appears, it absorbs everything and quickly gets out of hand. If I could control its energy levels, I could control the black hole¡­ But how do I do that?¡±

    He fell into thought. Some time later, he spoke again.

    ¡°Entropy could help. When fighting Axelor, he used it on my black hole, which increased its rate of energy absorption and accelerated its growth. What if there was no energy to absorb, however? I could cover my black hole in a bubble of entropy to nullify all incoming forms of energy. That would temporarily pause its growth, but then what? Maintaining two such high-level concepts would be too draining, and it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I can¡¯t control the eruption of the black hole once I send it flying. Hmm.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    He decided to test it. Diving into his inner world, he moved to an empty corner of his universe and formed a black hole around his hand. The process felt natural now¡ªhe¡¯d gotten used to it. After he compressed space enough for the death foam and a singularity to form, it began absorbing matter and energy from its surroundings at a rapidly increasing pace.

    Jack creased his brows. While maintaining the black hole, he split part of his awareness to invoke Time and Death. It was straining, but he managed. Combining them with what his body understood after suffering Axelor¡¯s Dao, he formed an elementary version of Entropy, which he wrapped around the black hole like a bubble.

    The hole¡¯s growth stopped. It stabilized, maintaining its volume. Jack would have celebrated if not for the limited applications of this technique. So what if he could pause its growth? At most, he could maintain it for longer before using it, but that didn¡¯t help much. He¡¯d still eventually lose control.

    As he pondered on this, however, his eyes suddenly snapped open. What!?

    He¡¯d kept most of his attention on the black hole and bubble of entropy. That was how he¡¯d suddenly sensed something new¡ªwith the black hole no longer growing, he could detect an almost imperceptible trickle of power leaving it. It was extremely faint, yet clearly there. How could energy leave a black hole? That made no sense.

    Wait. Didn¡¯t I read about this once?

    Astrophysicists on Earth had theorized that a black hole very slowly deteriorated, expelling its energy in tiny streams of particles. Jack could barely recall that¡ªhe never had more than a passing interest in astronomy¡ªand didn¡¯t even know if the theory had been proven or not, but did it really matter? He¡¯d proven it now.

    This added a whole new avenue of controlling it. Very slow deterioration was vastly different from no deterioration at all, especially when one controlled the flow of time.

    Suppressing his rising excitement, Jack manipulated the barrier of Entropy. He poured part of it over the black hole, greatly accelerating its demise. This was exactly what Axelor had done, except he hadn¡¯t had a barrier around it, which ended up with the black hole absorbing too much energy and exploding. After all, its rate of absorption far outstripped its rate of decay. With the barrier in place, the hole had nothing to absorb, so its decay was the only factor at play. Under the massive time acceleration, he watched it slowly grow smaller in size, as the departing particles were crushed by Entropy.

    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. This is it! he realized. I can control the black hole!

    It was nowhere near ready to be used in battle, but the seeds were there. Jack moved his arm around, the black hole still stuck on the stump of his wrist, and slowly manipulated its size. He shrunk it by pouring some Entropy over it, then enlarged it by creating gaps in the barrier. In fact, he realized that by adjusting the size of the gaps in his entropy barrier, he could control the black hole¡¯s rate of growth.

    The technique needed a lot of refining still, but it worked!

    ¡°I figured out the secret!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°A black hole is a hungry beast, and entropy is the control mechanism! By adjusting its environment, I can control the black hole. It is perfect!¡±

    His mind raced with possibilities. If he shot the black hole at someone, like he usually did, he could wrap it in a precisely calculated barrier of Entropy which was much easier to control remotely than the black hole itself. That way, he could control it even inside someone else¡¯s body, grinding their bones to mush and then willing the black hole to either explode or wink off. He could even make it fly around by controlling the shape of the Entropy barrier.

    If the previous technique was the equivalent of gunpowder and bullets held in Jack¡¯s hand, he¡¯d now made a gun. Its effectiveness had increased exponentially.

    Of course, it would take a lot of practice to make this usable in battle¡ªthe mental demands were insane¡ªbut he was confident he¡¯d manage given time. And he had plenty of time right now.

    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since the start of his meditation session, but it couldn¡¯t be more than a year, right?

    He opened his eyes to check for status screens.

    Congratulations! Black Hole III ¡ú Black Hole IV

    Black Hole IV: By draping Entropy as a layer around the black hole, you¡¯ve managed to regulate its growth and decay. A truly formidable power lies under your control.

    He laughed. It had been a while since his skills moved, so to see them rising again was a good feeling.

    Jack refocused. He¡¯d already mastered how to combine Death with the complete spectrum of timespace to create an extremely effective combat technique. He could stop here¡ªhe was already more than satisfied¡ªbut what if he could go further?

    His mind raced to the Dao Vision he hadn¡¯t been able to figure out yet, the one where that woman created a universe.

    ¡°If I add space in there, can I stabilize it? Maybe it wasn¡¯t about time to begin with?¡± he wondered. With the winds of triumph on his sails, he settled down again. He had a feeling that, when he emerged from meditation, his strength would have increased¡­by leaps and bounds!

 Chapter 542: Peak B-Grade

    The world creation Dao Vision remained hard to untangle. Jack was stumped. He was convinced that the level of his Dao understanding rivaled that of most Archons by now. Yet, even after seeing the Vision a thousand times, even after comprehending the individual Daos it relied on, he was unable to crack its secrets.

    How? he thought, gritting his teeth.

    He dove back into the vision. A green-robed woman sat patiently in space, overlooking a bubble of empty space. Only a handful of particles filled it, crossing the massive space haphazardly at great speed. This had been happening for a long, long time.

    Suddenly, two particles crashed, and a new world was born. Reality unraveled. The particles exploded, and a million different Daos sprang into existence as if each of them had contained a world. The massive, empty bubble was consumed by a large explosion which left in its wake liquid matter. The Dao of Time inside it wobbled and realigned itself on a new axis, forming a timeline perpendicular to the one of the universe around it, yet one which moved at a different frequency.

    The rest of the elements stabilized then, attuned to that particular frequency, and a new universe was born in the bubble, one whose every particle differed from those of the previous universe on a level Jack wouldn¡¯t even realize was possible without seeing it. It was like discovering a new color. Reality and the physical laws quickly diverged from what Jack knew, all their transformations based on that universe¡¯s Dao of Time.

    This whole sequence happened instantaneously. Even Jack, with his sharp senses and perception, could only get glimpses. He understood the basic principles of what occurred¡ªa new universe had been created, defined by the unique frequency of its Dao of Time¡ªbut the actual process was far too vast and complex. There were so many moving pieces that understanding them all would take an eternity.

    He even suspected this was a concept on a higher level than Entropy or the black hole, though he really had no way of knowing. It was certainly more complex.

    With a sigh, Jack left the Dao Vision for the thousandth time. ¡°This is too difficult,¡± he muttered. ¡°Either I¡¯m missing something or my current state of being is not enough. Probably both.¡±

    With a decisive tug of will, he forced the problem away, out of his mind. He would revisit it when better able to. Jack then rolled his shoulders, standing up after a long period of meditation. The stone room around him remained the same¡ªshelves over shelves were filled with crystal spheres.

    ¡°How long has it been, Stone?¡± he asked telepathically.

    ¡°Hmm. Probably several hundred million years.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I meant from the time I started meditating in this room.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Then, like, five years. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell has gotten better at chess.¡±

    ¡°I was ALWAYS good at it,¡± the turtle¡¯s voice rumbled. ¡°Anyway, nice job comprehending that black hole thing, kid. I got good news as well. The Divine Blood is almost fully charged.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± The Divine Blood was the official name of the Life Drop.

    Five years¡­ he thought, instinctively raising his gaze to the sky, only to meet a stone ceiling. I wonder how the rest of the universe is doing. I¡¯ve been gone for a long time already¡­

    The Dao room had already given him everything it could. He stepped out to reach the ruined chamber on the other side and sat down to relax. The golden beam from five years ago had already disappeared, but neither Great Silver nor the Stone Scholar had returned. They probably couldn¡¯t.

    Through the open door of the cultivation chamber, Jack caught sight of Brock. He instantly shot to his feet again. The brorilla radiated pure, unadulterated power, as if he was the cradle of all life, the center of the universe. His cultivation had gone through a qualitative change, completely incomparable to what it used to be.

    ¡°Brock!¡± Jack exclaimed with joy. ¡°You¡¯ve reached the A-Grade!¡±

    The brorilla opened his eyes and smiled. ¡°A year ago,¡± he said, slowly rising to his feet. ¡°I was just stabilizing.¡±

    ¡°How did you manage to break through so quickly?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Come on¡ªit¡¯s your turn, big bro.¡±

    ¡°My turn?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Right. Your turn to break through.¡±

    Jack was stunned. He eyed the room, its vast reserves of cultivation resources barely dwindled. Brock stepped out, exuding vast power, and suddenly Jack yearned for it as well. He desired to step into the highest realm. To claim the power he deserved.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the Dao room,¡± Brock said with a smile. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re ready to go.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t reply. He walked into the Cultivation room as if in a trance, spinning around slowly to survey the walls, covered in shelves hosting all sorts of wondrous materials. There were Overlord cores, extreme treasures of various kinds, body tempering resources¡­ Everything was at the Overlord level. The golden earth lotus Brock had enjoyed before would fit right in with the contents of this room, and it wouldn¡¯t be a particularly impressive one either. In fact, Jack noticed the compressed essence of another golden earth lotus just sitting on a shelf. The treasure so many A-Grades had risked their lives for wasn¡¯t considered anything special here.

    ¡°The seventh floor lives up to his reputation,¡± he whispered, licking his lips. ¡°Can I break through here?¡±

    He was aware of the method to reach the A-Grade.

    At the start of the B-Grade, the cultivator formed an inner world inside themselves, the larger the better. Then, throughout that Grade, they gradually purified that world, instilling it with matter and higher Dao workings. They made it realer. The threshold to entering the A-Grade was to generate life and cultivators inside their inner world.

    Of course, that was as hard as it sounded. It didn¡¯t necessarily require insights into the Dao of Life, just an understanding of the Dao so extreme that the inner world worked by itself, life produced as a result of various natural processes. In a way, it was similar to the creation of life in the actual universe, with the cultivator helping the process in a similar way Enas had.

    Finding himself cross-legged, Jack reached inside himself, manifesting in his inner world. ¡°Guys,¡± he said, glancing at the turtle, the Stone, and Copy Jack. ¡°Can you hide in the Life Drop for a bit? I¡¯ll try to break through.¡±

    The three had been in the process of building a garden made purely of Dao. Hearing Jack, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell laughed, flicking a claw and instantly wiping the garden out of existence.

    ¡°Hey!¡± the Stone protested.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The turtle laughed. ¡°I knew it! Isn¡¯t the shrine of my ancestors brilliant, kid!?¡±

    ¡°It certainly is,¡± Jack replied with a smile.

    Copy Jack gave Jack a deep glance, then turned into a ray of light which sank into the Life Drop. The turtle and Stone soon followed. The Life Drop contained its own inner world, though tiny in comparison to Jack¡¯s, and having these three there ensured they wouldn¡¯t somehow complicate the breakthrough.

    Jack now floated alone in his inner world. He surveyed it. A sixteen-thousand-mile wide, mostly empty expanse. Newborn stars flickered here and there, while continent-sized planetary fragments floated through the void.

    At the very center stood a large purple fist, the core of Jack¡¯s Dao. The Life Drop hovered to the side¡ªa green droplet of Enas¡¯s blood¡ªwhile the portal to the Green Dragon Realm yawned right behind it, constantly feeding its excess of life energy into the blood.

    Far to the other side, a black hole spun slowly, every pulse infusing the inner world with advanced spacetime laws. Through it lay the Black Hole World, the masterpiece of Archon Black Hole.

    Jack took a moment to appreciate what he had. He¡¯d worked harder and risked more than anyone, but he also possessed access to an unbelievable amount of resources. Archons would go to war over any of these treasures¡ªthe Life Drop, the Green Dragon Realm, and the Black Hole World¡ªand he had three of them. It was part of the reason why he stood so much higher than anyone else at his level¡ªwith the exception of Brock, who somehow kept up despite lacking a similar level of resources.

    Jack opened his eyes in the real world. He took a deep breath, then flexed his fingers, making several items float his way: a green ginseng root emanating dense energy of Life, a rippling glass shard containing the power of spacetime, and a pitch-black drop of liquid suffused with a thick aura of Death. These were all top level treasures, yet here, he could use them freely.

    Thank you, Gods, he said, absorbing all three into his inner world. He then settled into cultivation.

    Jack was Level 513. As the three treasures orbited around each other near the center of his inner world, their energies spreading outward, he felt the density of his world¡¯s Dao steadily increasing. He helped the process along, investing all his attention into it. An unknown amount of time later, he realized that the three treasures had dissolved fully, their energies spread across his inner world and pushing its density to the peak. It almost felt like the world was groaning by all the energy it had to contain.

    With a pop, its boundaries expanded, the energy density rapidly falling. From sixteen thousand miles, it grew to twenty, achieving the final doubling of its original width. The Dao density returned to normal levels, but the sheer volume of energy present outscaled the original one by hundreds of times.

    Jack smiled. He spread his perception to find that the massive amounts of Dao had increased the efficiency of all forces, including gravity. The various continental-sized pieces of earth had grouped together, forming spherical clusters¡ªplanets. They were rough and misshapen, early in their development, but Jack meticulously covered them in the Daos of Life and Time to push them along. He watched these planets fall into orbit around the purple fist which hovered in the middle of the world, then smash into each other until their final sizes and positions were solidified. Several sported their own moons. Water appeared between the volcanoes and wastelands covering their surfaces.

    Jack¡¯s inner world had started at ten thousand miles wide. After expanding at the middle, late, and peak B-Grade, it had doubled in diameter, reaching twenty thousand miles. Its volume, and therefore its energy, had increased by hundreds of times.

    Even at twenty thousand miles wide, this should be nowhere near enough to sustain a solar system. However, Jack found that everything in his inner world was shrunken compared to the outside one, or perhaps it would be more apt to say space was larger. While energy couldn¡¯t shrink or enlarge, stars and planets could, leading to a single solar system being born inside Jack¡¯s inner world. His purple fist acted as the sun, while seven planets orbited it. To the people who would eventually be born there, he assumed the Black Hole World and Life Drop-Green Dragon Realm would be nighttime curios.

    Jack had already reached the peak B-Grade realm and refined his cultivation as much as possible. He had everything he needed. With a fierce concentrated expression, he sat down on top of the sun.

    It was time to reach the A-Grade.

 Chapter 543: Universe of the Body

    Jack surveyed his inner world. The matter previously created had forged a solar system, with his fist as the sun and various planets circling it. In the accelerated time of his inner world, Jack had already seen these planets go through a series of geological changes to settle on a somewhat more stable state.

    Of course, these changes weren¡¯t the exact same as what Earth had gone through. His Dao and the universe¡¯s were subtly different¡ªand that was expressed in everything that occurred inside them, whether big or small. Jack looked forward to discovering what the lifeforms he created would look like.

    With the planets no longer erupting or getting smashed by a hail of meteors, Jack thought it was time to move to the next step. He manipulated their growth. Slowly, an atmosphere appeared around most of them¡ªbarring the ones too far or too close to the sun¡ªfollowed by oceans. Millions of years passed in the blink of an eye, Jack manipulating the flow of time freely.

    After the first oceans appeared, Jack descended on each of these worlds. His body was the size of a continent. He bent down, taking a deep breath and blowing into the oceans. The wind of his breath made them overflow, temporarily flooding the newly created continents¡ªbut it also contained the very first hints of life, a wealth of living cells placed in a safe haven. Jack moved from planet to planet, breathing life into each of them, then calmly stepped back to watch.

    The bacteria began multiplying erratically. He saw, through his omniscient gaze, single-celled organisms adapt and thrive in their new environments. At the same time this happened, Jack himself experienced several changes. The flow of time, which he¡¯d freely manipulated so far, now felt heavier, as if anchored in place by the very life he¡¯d infused into his world.

    To his surprise, even single-celled organisms possessed souls, their unique life signatures, and pulling the fabric of time under their feet was like tugging at a piece of cloth carrying multiple sharp stones. It was still possible, but it risked getting torn, and it was certainly heavier than it used to be.

    Seeing that bacteria had souls, Jack laughed. At the very start of his cultivation journey, he¡¯d been told that only cultivators had souls, while monsters did not. That was a load of crap. If amoebas could have a soul, then so could a three-meter-tall wolf.

    Soon, however, his laughter was replaced by a frown. As life populated his world, he was beginning to get a distinct sense of wrongness.

    Why?

    He inspected everything, passing his gaze from the tiniest pebble to the sun itself, through every single creature in his world. There was nothing wrong. Why did he feel that way?

    The more creatures that appeared, the slower time got. At the start, even a billion years could pass in seconds, but the resistance had increased now. Jack saw the single-celled organisms evolve into more complex structures and eventually step out of the oceans. He watched as they developed limbs and sentience, ecosystems forming. He was their God¡ªa unique feeling.

    Yet, that feeling was undermined by the constant, growing sense of wrongness. Like this wasn¡¯t the proper way to do things. Some instinct, deep in his heart, insisted he was making a mistake.

    Jack took a deep breath. By now, it had been over a year in the outside world. A year in which Ebele grew and the Church fought a bitter war. This was precious time. He took another breath, pressing his eyes shut, then snapped them open. He waved his hands¡ªfleets of meteors appeared in his world, large and shaped like fists, then came crashing down on the planets.

    Animals ran around in panic. Jack saw the flames reflected in their eyes. He let the meteors crash, eradicating all life, changing his planets¡¯ trajectories, resetting his inner world to the empty, timeless state it had originally existed in.

    He felt weary¡ªan angry god, one of slaughter.

    Jack had interrupted his own breakthrough. He clutched his chest, bringing a hand to his mouth to catch the coughing blood. Yet, when the pain abated, his eyes remained sharp.

    This wasn¡¯t the right way, he knew it with certainty. It was the breakthrough method every text and A-Grade had described, yet, for him, it was wrong. His heart told him so¡ªas if he was choosing a lesser path, one which didn¡¯t express his true potential. Eradicating all life and wasting a year of real time was an acceptable sacrifice to retrace his steps.

    Jack didn¡¯t begin recreating life immediately¡ªif he did, it would only end the same way. Instead, he sat down cross-legged on top of his purple fist sun, meditating on the feeling of wrongness which remained warm in his heart.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± he asked aloud. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡±

    No answer came. Jack relaxed, taking his time. He sank into meditation. His senses turned off, letting the feeling of wrongness expand naturally in his heart until it became clear. He could see its desire. A larger universe¡ªno, a more thorough one.

    ¡°Is my inner world incomplete?¡± Jack wondered. No one answered. No one could. This was his path to forge. All he could rely on was himself.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°No, not incomplete,¡± he replied. ¡°Just¡­not whole?¡±

    It was a confusing feeling. The sense of wrongness in his heart didn¡¯t judge anything in his inner world, but it still viewed the entire world with contempt. A sense of disjunction was prevalent. There wasn¡¯t something wrong, it just was. Somehow.

    Jack opened his eyes again. Rising panic threatened to swell his heart¡ªhe knew there was no breaking through if he didn¡¯t resolve that feeling, and the more he waited, the more time he wasted. His family and people needed him. Across the universe, millions were dying for his incompetence.

    Yet, he gently put that feeling down. It wouldn¡¯t help, only make things more difficult. His road was simple¡ªto solve this problem¡ªand he would do it because he simply had no other choice. If he failed¡­ Then, with a heavy heart, he¡¯d have to settle for an incomplete breakthrough. He could still help the war like that. He wouldn¡¯t sacrifice everyone for a revelation which might never come.

    ¡°Ten more years,¡± he promised himself. ¡°Well within the deadline of my duel. If I don¡¯t succeed until then, I will settle.¡±

    Since his thirty-year declaration of a duel with Elder Hero, he¡¯d spent four absorbing the Overlord core, five fusing Entropy into his black hole, one in his failed breakthrough just now, and several months here and there. It was over ten years in total. His adventures were like sharp flashes¡ªthe vast majority of his life was occupied by uneventful meditation. He could see now how cultivators could live for hundreds of thousands of years without going mad. If he wasn¡¯t on the clock, he would have liked to settle down somewhere for a few millennia and ponder on the Dao.

    Less than twenty years remained until his duel, but that was plenty of time. Jack returned to the problem at hand. He fell into deep meditation, tuning off everything else, focusing on the seed of wrongness which he now acknowledged in his heart. His overall cultivation was in disarray¡ªbut why?

    ¡°What is my path?¡± Jack asked himself, speaking with eyes closed as if in a dream, listening to his own voice. ¡°My fist, which I follow. My Dao, which I discover. My body, which I temper. My inner world, which I cultivate.¡± Silence fell for months. Jack pondered silently. Finally, he spoke again. ¡°That is incorrect. My fist, my Dao, and my inner world are connected now. They are three parts of a whole. Only my body is separate. I use it as a physical medium to my strength¡ªsooner or later, no matter how I cultivate it, it will fall behind my other aspects. My four aspects will become three, one wasted. My path will be lesser, a fourth of it wasted.¡±

    His eyes snapped open. A green light shone inside them¡ªthe Dao of Life, which made up the bodies of people.

    ¡°I must combine my body with the rest of my cultivation,¡± he realized. The moment he perceived this notion, he knew it was correct. Why had he never heard of it? He¡¯d asked various A-Grades and read many texts about breaking into the A-Grade, yet nobody mentioned such a thing. Was it relevant to Jack¡¯s specific combination of Daos? Was it about his extreme understanding into the Dao giving him insights the others lacked? Or did it have to do with his tenth Dao Fruit and ten thousand miles breakthrough, which no one else possessed, granting him a perfect inner world?

    He did not know, but at this point, it didn¡¯t matter. He had a job to do.

    Jack rose to his feet. The world around him, which had waited silently for a long time, suddenly flared to life. Dao and energy erupted. Green sparks of life emerged from the void, drawn out of the folds of reality they¡¯d been hidden in. Jack made a grasping motion at the Life Drop, which dislodged itself from the portal to the Green Dragon Realm and flew into his hands. It was potent, radiating intense Life energy.

    Jack smiled, then squeezed it between his fingers. This divine object, which had once been impregnable to even his mightiest efforts, crumbled like a popped balloon.

    ¡°YOU DID WHAT!?¡± the turtle screamed from inside, but Jack only laughed. The Life Drop and its current inhabitants would be fine. He¡¯d just emptied it rapidly, not truly broken it.

    Unimaginable quantities of Life energy flooded the world, taking it over. The purple sun was tinged green¡ªthe planets spontaneously burst with trees and animals which quickly died to the lack of living conditions.

    Combined with the constant stream of Life energy pouring out of the Green Dragon Realm¡¯s portal, Jack found that his inner world was completely suffused with the energy of Life, even pushing his other Daos aside. It was a temporary imbalance he could accept, because his body was also made of Life Dao. This was the best way to connect them.

    ¡°Brock,¡± his voice echoed in the real world. ¡°Close the door. Now.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know if the brorilla had heard or responded. He was too deeply entrenched in meditation. He just hoped for the best.

    Jack pictured himself. A human body, tempered to the extreme, hiding in its center the gateway to his inner world. Both inside and outside were filled with the Dao of Life¡ªthe most potent life force. Jack knew what he had to do. He also realized this was a very risky procedure, but there was no going back. He didn¡¯t want to. His path was the pursuit of mastery, and now, for the first time, he felt so close to it. As if, more than his breakthrough to the B-Grade, this would firmly set him on a path far surpassing any other.

    Or it would kill him. But that risk was a small price to pay for eternity.

    Jack focused as deeply as he could. His inner world was an island in the dimensional sea, a bubble of its own universe connected to his body through his Dao and willpower. He pictured them as a portal. With a deep breath, he grabbed his entire inner world and pulled it through the connection to make it physically enter his body. The entire solar system and the laws which regulated it were warped and sucked through a tiny hole. They reappeared in Jack¡¯s physical body.

    For a moment, he was stunned. The reality of this state was staggering. Planets coexisted with his organs, each pushing against the other. Twenty thousand miles had been compressed into six feet of human. The spacetime laws which served as the borders of Jack¡¯s inner world were rapidly unraveling, unsupported by the stricter laws pertaining this universe compared to the lax dimensional sea, and Jack felt his body on the verge of exploding.

    For a moment, the irony of all this crossed his mind. What would Brock think if an entire solar system suddenly spilled out the door?

    He wiped that thought, focusing fully. His spacetime laws rushed to the fore¡ªall his expertise came into play, skillfully weaving the broken laws back together, creating new seals and warps to replace the quickly waning ones. His inner world, which had begun to unravel, slowly restabilized.

    Jack could make a universe fit inside his body, but that didn¡¯t refute the fact that he still needed organs and flesh inside him. He needed to quickly find a way to reconcile the two warring realities¡ªand master the Dao to make it happen.

 Chapter 544: A-Grade

    As his inner world and his flesh body tried to coexist, Jack felt himself strained. For a moment, he thought he¡¯d die. Understanding arrived then.

    He had an idea. In an instant, amidst the warring realities of his body and inner world, he knew what to do. And, to achieve it, he needed tremendous amounts of energy.

    The inner world and his body were fiercely attacking each other¡ªboth of which were tempered to the extreme. Their cataclysmic clashes were suppressed by Jack¡¯s Dao, but he let that go for a moment. Intense ripples spread outside his body, like he¡¯d swallowed a blacksmith hammering an anvil. They crashed into the walls, shaking the entire pyramid. The various treasures lining the shelves of this room were also sucked into the ripples. They burst apart, unable to endure the impacts. There were dozens of them, many being Overlords cores or items on the same level. All their power erupted at once, filling the chamber with a completely terrifying amount of energy. Jack was suffocating. This was more than enough for multiple people to break into the A-Grade, and the pyramid¡¯s enchantments kept it from dispersing.

    He realized Brock had closed the door. Good bro.

    Jack felt his body cracking under the pressure and quickly got to work. His Daos burst into action, sucking in the energy like vacuums, forming several colored whirlpools around Jack. The massive amount of energy came under his control, if temporarily. He immediately put it to use.

    His body and inner world, which were fiercely clashing, were forced to fuse. Energy was funneled into them, ironing out their differences. Jack¡¯s Daos worked at full force. The fusing proceeded, all problems solved by his Daos or hammered down by his fist, the two realities slowly becoming one.

    His organs turned into planets. His stomach, lungs, spleen, those and all else were now covered in tiny continents. His flesh dissolved into energy, turning into the starry vacuum of space, with its properties dictated by the Dao of Life to operate the same way flesh did. The purple fist sun took the place of his heart, and his bones absorbed its radiance before exuding it, turning into mini suns themselves. His blood turned into rivers of stars which brightened the cosmos. Only his skin remained the same, turning dark and starry from the inside to resemble the endless horizon of space.

    Jack opened his eyes to find he was no longer human. He had transcended. His new reality was hard to come to grip with, but he knew it would happen. For now, he remained in breakthrough. The tons of energy he¡¯d unleashed before had been partly consumed to fuel the fusion of a small universe into his body, but parts of it still remained, and Jack intended to use them to make his breakthrough as perfect as possible.

    The portals to the Black Hole World and Green Dragon Realm had been pulled into his body alongside his inner world. They now hovered aimlessly, sticking out like sore thumbs. Jack knew they could be better.

    With a tug of will, he reached through the portal to the Green Dragon Realm and pulled it in. The entire realm disappeared from the dimensional sea and reappeared inside Jack¡¯s body. Its intense Life energy spread out, helping Jack adapt to the change¡ªand, at the same time, the stability of his laws reinforced the realm, which had been slowly deteriorating for millions of years.

    The Green Dragon Realm wasn¡¯t empty. It contained many animals and a few cultivators¡ªJack had let them live there a long time ago. His body didn¡¯t reject them, which was good. Their power was too low to be a problem anyway.

    On their side, the beasts and cultivators of the Green Dragon Realm witnessed the change. The ground shook under their feet. They saw the sky above them distort, then get ripped away like cloth to reveal an odd starry dome. A purple sun hung in the distance¡ªvaguely shaped like a fist. Long celestial bodies hovered in various directions, some glowing more than others, all reflecting the light of the sun like moons. Rivers of stars crossed the cosmos, while the far distance was also littered with stars, sparkling in various intensities and colors¡ªthis was the inside of Jack¡¯s skin, where different areas simulated the glittering stars of the universe.

    On the surface of the Green Dragon Realm, a frog-eyed man and a human girl watched the sky with a mix of terror and marvel. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Borkuren Madiba muttered.

    Sassa gazed upward, her mouth hanging open, the stars reflected in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± she said.

    Between them, their teenager child balled its fists, excitement rising inside it as it sensed the laws of the world subtly change.

    Jack didn¡¯t contact them. He repeated the process for the Black Hole World, ripping it out of the dimensional sea and embedding it into his body. The people sitting in benches at the top of the world witnessed the colorful void warp and be replaced by a starry sky. For the first time in a billion years, they saw stars. Their eyes widened. They hugged each other, a feeling of anticipation overcoming them.

    Mia and Grand Elder Pasan, who also happened to be there, were stunned. Tears fell from the elder¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is¡­a new era¡­¡± she muttered, falling to her knees. ¡°We didn¡¯t disappoint you, Ancestor¡­ We survived¡­ Our children, your children, will be free!¡±

    Meanwhile, Mia clutched her hands before her chest, worship rising in her heart. ¡°Thank you, Jack Rust¡­¡± she whispered.

    Jack sensed the changes inside his body and was satisfied. He had perfectly combined his inner world and the two small realms into himself. He was now more than a man. Deep in his heart, the feeling of wrongness was gone. He¡¯d stepped onto the right path. He suspected this wasn¡¯t the only way to achieve this level, but it was the way for him.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Universe of the body¡­¡± he muttered, chuckling. ¡°Cultivation never stops, does it? It¡¯s just a gift that keeps on giving. I wonder what lies at the top. Does it even exist?¡±

    As far as he knew, he was the first person in history to achieve this Universe of the Body realm¡ªas he decided to call it. He had already diverged from the cultivation path everyone else followed. Suddenly, he understood why everyone was stuck at the Archon realm, why it even existed. Archon was just a name for those who surpassed the A-Grade without having set the foundation to proceed to the next realm.

    Jack knew, with absolute certainty, that he could progress further. The A-Grade was just another stepping stone for him. He would become the first S-Grade, and he would create a path to let others follow him in the future, to let the cultivation world overcome its bottleneck and take a major step forward. After all, cultivators as a whole were still in their infancy. They had colonized seventy-three out of billions of galaxies. Jack would become the pioneer to a brighter future.

    If he survived this war.

    He smiled with anticipation. Achieving this Universe of the Body boundary had massively increased his powers to an extent he couldn¡¯t even calculate right now. His physicality had grown multiple times more robust, while his ability to perceive the Dao had shot upward, inscribed onto his very bones. However, he wasn¡¯t done. He still needed to break into the A-Grade.

    Sinking back into his body, Jack gazed at the wrung out Life Drop in his hand. With a grin, he tossed it out, burying it deep into the Green Dragon Realm and letting it drink from its energy.

    He then gazed at his organs. Each had been made into a planet, temporarily bare. That would change soon. The strength of an A-Grade cultivator depended on the strength of the cultivators living inside their inner world, so Jack needed to create some. Technically, he already possessed powerful cultivators in the Black Hole World and Green Dragon Realm, but as they were mere visitors instead of being born of his Dao, their power didn¡¯t add to his.

    Waving his hands, Jack temporarily isolated the two realms from the rest of his body¡ªan invisible curtain, one they wouldn¡¯t even perceive but which would protect them from the time acceleration he was about to use.

    The barren planets of his organs began to move and shake, going through a series of geological changes. Meteors crossed the starry void which used to be his flesh, crashing into the planets to shape them. Eventually, the universe stabilized. The planets didn¡¯t spin around themselves or orbit the sun¡ªthey were, after all, his organs¡ªbut Jack¡¯s Dao created the right laws to make them work.

    His mental image descended again. He stood over the oceans and blew into them, upsetting the waters. Tiny organisms were infused. He stepped back and let them grow, watching them multiply and evolve as they populated his planets. Amoebas turned into fish, which turned into amphibians, which turned into land animals. Birds appeared. The worlds of his organs grew richer, the lifeforms on them sporting great diversity.

    His stomach held large, dinosaur-looking lizards. His spleen was a world of poison, its creatures colorful and deadly, while his lungs became windy realms populated mostly by flying creatures. His intestines sported long worms. It was interesting how the nature of each organ affected the growth of its inhabitants. At the same time, the influence of Jack¡¯s Dao of the Fist was prevalent, his every planet favoring the birth of fist-wielding animals. Most species were barbaric and warmongering, but they also enjoyed their lives, living fairly and straightforwardly.

    Jack found himself loving them like a father.

    His ability to accelerate time lessened again, burdened by the many souls he now contained, while the creatures inside him kept evolving. He saw the first sapient beings appear, not all of them humanoid. They multiplied and developed. The moment they acquired true sapience, his time-accelerating abilities fell out hard. He could still do it, to an extent, but the flow of time inside him now approximated the real world. It was perhaps only ten or twenty times faster. He assumed it would accelerate again as he delved deeper into his Daos, but the creatures inside him would also grow stronger and more populous, restraining him further.

    The growth of an A-Grade cultivator depended on two things¡ªresources and time. The more resources one had, the more treasures would be created inside them, and the thicker the Dao would be, letting their newborn cultivators grow faster. The more time they let pass, the more their inner cultivators would progress, growing their overall strength and therefore the A-Grade cultivator¡¯s.

    In time, he pictured his organ-planets covered by sprawling civilizations, using the rivers of stars which were his blood to travel from one organ to the next, spreading and exchanging insights. It would be glorious. He really looked forward to it.

    Jack possessed incredibly rich Dao. He was certain his inner world would develop far more efficiently than most, but there was nothing he could do to lessen the restraints of time. His next breakthrough wouldn¡¯t happen for a while. Probably until long after the Crusade had ended. This was the highest realm he would reach for now, any further gains limited to his Dao and techniques¡­but he didn¡¯t mind. He had a feeling this would be enough. His current strength was unfathomable¡ªcertainly near the very top of the universe.

    Elder Hero wouldn¡¯t know what hit him.

    As Jack thought about these things, his inner world had kept growing. The Dao was so rich that it practically begged the native creatures to discover it. Jack found a host of gorilla sapients. With a smile, he descended to them invisibly, nudging their minds in the right direction.

    A golden-furred gorilla going through a life-or-death struggle suddenly grasped something majestic. Its entire aura changed. It used these fledgling powers to defeat the beasts attacking it, then gazed at its fist.

    This was the first creature in Jack¡¯s universe to touch the Dao. More would come, their overall strength quickly rising. The moment the first appeared, the Dao in Jack¡¯s body began to circulate subtly, propelled by the insights and utilization of its cultivators. A self-contained system.

    At the same time, the moment that golden-furred gorilla touched the Dao, Jack knew he¡¯d truly broken into the A-Grade. His inner universe had stabilized. He opened his eyes, gazing at the dark and destroyed room around him, sensing the massive changes inside his body. Everything felt different¡ªnow that he no longer needed to guide the development of his inner universe, he could take some time to get used to his new body.

    For now, however, he couldn¡¯t stop grinning.

    He had ascended. He had transformed. And he was ready to kick some Immortal ass.

 Chapter 545: Exiting Seclusion

    Fourteen years ago, soon after Jack entered the Space Monster World¡­

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon lay sprawled over a soft chair. His mouth was a hard line. Calculations flashed through his eyes. All across the windows surrounding him, endless stars twinkled, the heralds of tiny days in endless night. Their colors could awe any mortal mind. Yet, the Sovereign was lost in thought, the starry view all too familiar. The darkness in his mind was greater than that outside the starship.

    ¡°Hey, Spoon,¡± a voice interrupted his musings. He rose to his feet, fighting hard to regain his usual jovialty.

    ¡°Min Ling,¡± he said, looking at the door. ¡°How many times must I ask you to address me as Elder?¡±

    ¡°Not doing it.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine too. Any good news?¡±

    ¡°I wish.¡±

    She plopped down on a chair, her leather armor sinking against the cushion. Her appearance and aura had changed over the past few years¡ªshe¡¯d cut her long dark hair short, barely reaching her shoulders, while her body was covered in scars beneath the armor. She could mend them anytime she wished, but had vowed to only do it after the war was over. In her brown eyes, lightning played, oftentimes wrapped in fire.

    She didn¡¯t speak for a while, and neither did Spoon. They were comfortable in the silence. It let their facades wash away.

    The Sovereign¡¯s shoulders slumped, until he eventually collapsed back in his chair as well. ¡°What happened this time?¡± he asked tiredly.

    ¡°The Gods came back.¡±

    ¡°They did!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They barged into the battlefield, instantly destroying the opposition and saving Elder Boatman.¡±

    Spoon chuckled. ¡°Eleven Gods is hardly what you want to see mid-battle. Did the enemy receive heavy casualties?¡±

    ¡°If you want to call it that. They lost a few low-level Elders and an army of B-Grades. Hero was there too, but he managed to escape.¡±

    ¡°Of course he did. The man is a cockroach.¡±

    Min Ling scratched her scalp. ¡°I was thinking. You know how we keep sending assassins after him and he keeps narrowly surviving?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯re just training him?¡±

    Spoon considered it. ¡°I guess we are. But, all it takes is one mistake, and then bam, no hero.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She fell silent for a moment. ¡°Anyway. After wrapping up that battle, the Gods did not visit the New Cathedral. They charged straight into System space. Right at the Immortals.¡±

    Spoon perked up. ¡°And?¡± he asked.

    ¡°And came back a few hours later. Injured.¡±

    ¡°They injured the Gods?!¡±

    ¡°They did worse. Only ten Gods returned. The one of Mass didn¡¯t. We intercepted some enemy communications; they call Elder Hero the God Killer.¡±

    Spoon fell silent. Min Ling waited patiently until he was ready to speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know Gods could die,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Everyone can. Apparently.¡±

    ¡°This is terrible.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How did they lose? You can¡¯t expect me to believe Hero dueled one of them and won.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know the specifics. The Gods aren¡¯t saying, at least as far as I can tell. My guess is they simply got swarmed. The Immortals command a bunch of Archons¡ªrushing in after announcing their presence was just arrogant.¡±

    ¡°An arrogance they paid for.¡±

    ¡°Even Gods commit hubris.¡±

    ¡°And now what?¡±

    ¡°Now, we wait. Word is that the Gods retreated somewhere to tend to their wounds. When they¡¯re ready, they¡¯ll attack alongside the Church. A battle to judge the fate of the universe.¡±

    Spoon nodded. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    ¡°That we should get some food?¡±

    ¡°That the Gods were humbled. One of them dying may have been good for us. They were arrogant and thoughtless before, uninvested. They thought they could come and go as they like. That¡¯s not true anymore. They¡¯ve tasted fear. They¡¯ve seen one of them perish. They know the Immortals are worthy enemies, so they¡¯ll work alongside us, even if they disparage us as mortals. In fact, I don¡¯t even think they¡¯ll retreat this time, as they did in the First Crusade. They¡¯ll fight to the death.¡±

    Min Ling considered it. ¡°I disagree,¡± she said. ¡°Those things were born divine. They¡¯ve never tasted struggle. The moment things go south, they¡¯ll run away, hiding at the edge of the universe and hoping the Immortals self-implode.¡±

    ¡°...Which isn¡¯t that unreasonable, actually.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Another round of silence passed. ¡°Think they¡¯re actually licking their wounds?¡± Min Ling asked, letting her head drop back in resignation. Her real feelings, those of fear and muted hope, resurfaced. ¡°Or did they already escape?¡±

    ¡°I have no way to tell. I suppose they¡¯re considering it. What did our communications say?¡±

    ¡°That the Gods gave a decree. They will recuperate for a few years. Then, we strike, and we destroy the Immortals once and for all.¡±

    ¡°...Is it weird that I got hyped up?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°No. I got too.¡±

    ¡°Now I only have one more question.¡±

    ¡°Shoot.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m here, and you¡¯re here¡­ Who¡¯s steering the damn starship?¡±

    She burst out with laughter. ¡°The Sage¡¯s routes are accurate. But, alright, I¡¯ll go. Can you cook up something?¡±

    ¡°I could just conjure it.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I want you to work for it.¡±

    ¡°Fine. How¡¯s pasta and tea?¡±

    ¡°Can we not have tea for once?¡±

    ¡°Tea is the quintessence of life.¡±

    Min Ling sighed. ¡°I knew we should have gotten more people.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Spoon replied sharply. ¡°More people means more liabilities. It¡¯s better this way. If we fail this mission, only we die.¡±

    She gave him a long stare but didn¡¯t say anything. She slipped into the helm room, guiding their ship while Sovereign Heavenly Spoon busied himself in the kitchen.

    The small starship crossed the emptiness between galaxies.

    ***

    Brock had been meditating in the Dao room. As soon as he sensed the commotion of the next room settle down, however, he quickly rushed out. The main chamber remained messy¡ªthe door to the cultivation chamber was firmly shut.

    The brorilla had heard¡¯s Jack request to close the door. He¡¯d been in shallow meditation at the time, thankfully. What happened afterward left him stumped. A tremendous storm of energy whipped up in Jack¡¯s room, so intense that even the seventh floor¡¯s protection mechanisms failed to contain it completely. Beams of pure energy radiated from where the door met the wall, creating a unique kind of light show, while Jack¡¯s Dao seemed so miniscule compared to the overall energy it was barely detectable. Brock had almost rushed in to save his bro.

    However, while Jack¡¯s Dao seemed tiny, it was stable. It was not waning with time. Instead, the rampant energy was slowly dying down, as if something was absorbing it.

    A day after the incident, Brock returned to the Dao room, keeping his perception spread in case Jack needed him. A year later, the energy storm fell to a constant low level. Another three years, and Brock sensed the door of the room open, at which point he bolted out.

    ¡°Bro!¡± he exclaimed. As he saw Jack, however, he paused.

    ¡°Hey Brock,¡± Jack said, a calm smile on his face. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    Brock did not respond, eyes glued on his brother. His appearance had reverted to the human one, his Double Devil disguise wiped off. He¡¯d also broken into the A-Grade, just like Brock, which was expected.

    However, his aura¡­ Brock couldn¡¯t comprehend it. Staring at Jack, it felt like looking at the open sky, the endless stars of a starry night. There was an almost metaphysical tingle to it, something which even Brock, with his A-Grade cultivation, couldn¡¯t quite grasp. A deep sense of reverence rose from his soul, filling him with so much awe he could barely speak.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, am I releasing my aura?¡± Jack said, noticing Brock¡¯s stare. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to this. How about now?¡±

    Before Brock could respond, Jack¡¯s aura had completely disappeared. If he wasn¡¯t looking at his big brother, he would have thought he left the room. His aura was completely restrained inside his body, just like a common mortal, yet a faint sense of awe persisted, existing at the back of Brock¡¯s mind as a whisper only the most attentive would notice.

    ¡°What?¡± was all Brock could ask. For the first time, the big bro in front of him was completely unfathomable. Unreadable. His strength reached unknown depths, and Brock had no idea how this was even possible. It was like Jack had completely transformed.

    All Brock knew was that, whatever had happened to his big bro, he¡¯d grown massively stronger. It was an increase far greater than what breaking into the A-Grade would justify. Brock could feel it in his bones¡ªif they tried to spar right now, he wouldn¡¯t even pose a challenge. A dozen Brocks at a time would still lose. The strength hiding in Jack¡¯s body was apocalyptic.

    Or divine, he realized.

    Jack laughed with joy at Brock¡¯s reaction, but he wasn¡¯t one to leave his bro hanging. He explained everything, about his Universe of the Body, his breakthrough, how he¡¯d almost misstepped before utilizing all those resources at once.

    ¡°How strong are you now?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack frowned in thought. He opened his status screen again, taking in the new changes.

    Error! Inner World undetected. Unforeseen physical changes detected. Calculating.

    Error! Calculations impossible. Using faulty stat translation protocol. Approximation mode activated.

    Approximation results: Physical stats doubled. Further increases impossible.

    Congratulations! B-Grade ¡ú A-Grade

    Congratulations! You have successfully developed cultivators in your inner world, firmly stepping onto the path of godhood.

    All stats +400

    Free stat points per Level Up: 50 ¡ú 0. The Immortal System can no longer fuel your growth.

    Level Up! You have reached Level 550.

    Congratulations! The Bare Fist Brotherhood faction has reached the A-Grade. New functions unlocked in the faction screen.

    Jack smiled again. No matter how times he read it, his joy didn¡¯t change.

    During his meditation session, he¡¯d first risen from Level 513 to 549, investing all stat points into Physical. The result was a total of 14,330 points. Then, when he fused his inner world into his physical body, the System¡¯s best approximation of what happened was a doubling of his Physical stats. He reached a staggering 28,660. After the extra points of the A-Grade breakthrough, he settled on 29,060 points. His Mental and Will stats, both at 2000, now looked puny in comparison.

    Given that his body already had approached most Archons¡¯ in intensity before, claiming the title of the physically strongest cultivator in existence right now wasn¡¯t necessarily a stretch. He possessed the physical prowess of a small universe. His relative power to others was difficult to estimate.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: ???

    Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (A)

    Grade: A

    Class: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)

    Level: 550

    Strength: 29,060

    Dexterity: 29,060

    Constitution: 29,060

    Mental: 2000

    Will: 2000

    Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Space Mastery IV, Death Mastery IV, Neutron Star Body IV, Black Hole IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Supernova III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I

    Inner World size: ??? miles

    Inner Cultivator Boundaries:

    Highest: F-Grade

    Average: F-Grade

    Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror, Planetary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Planet Destroyer, Challenger

    Interestingly, his Class hadn¡¯t changed. He had no idea why. Instead, his species had gone from human to question marks. Makes sense. Am I even human anymore?

    He sighed, looking over his numbers again.

    ¡°Well?¡± Brock asked. ¡°How strong are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure,¡± he replied. ¡°I think I¡¯m at least on par with anyone I¡¯ve ever seen fight¡ªGreat Silver, Fiend King, Summer Noon. It¡¯s hard to tell until I actually battle an Archon or two.¡±

    Brock nodded. ¡°I¡¯m proud. I think my power is late to peak A-Grade.¡±

    ¡°Which is great. We¡¯re both amazing, bro.¡±

    ¡°Damn right!¡± Brock replied, pumping a fist.

    ¡°How many years did I spend in there?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Around ten since we arrived at this seventh floor. Fifteen since your duel declaration to Elder Hero, so another fifteen until you need to fight. We have time.¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Jack replied, shaking his head. ¡°We do have time, but our cultivations have risen sharply. We have the power to fight at the highest level now. I think we should leave this place early and go find the Church. We can still cultivate until the war¡¯s climax if we¡¯re there, but it would be a shame to miss it.¡±

    ¡°I had the same thought,¡± Brock agreed. ¡°With your power, bro, we don¡¯t need to be afraid of anything. Only the Gods are above you now.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think there are many Archons more powerful than me as well, but sure. In any case, leaving this world will not be a problem. Do you want to check out the final room before we go?¡±

    ¡°The Will one?¡± Brock asked, looking at the middle door they¡¯d never opened. ¡°But we can¡¯t go in.¡±

    Jack smiled. He touched his palm on the door¡ªa flash of purple light spread out, illuminating so-far invisible runes and erasing them. The door creaked open. ¡°We¡¯re powerful now, Brock,¡± he said. ¡°We can do anything we want.¡±

    Brock laughed. ¡°With you here, bro, I fear nothing. Let¡¯s check it out.¡±

 Chapter 546: Nothing Creepy About a Stone Daddy

    They walked into the third room, more out of curiosity than anything. To their surprise, it was almost empty. The only feature was a pedestal in the middle, around which was drawn an intricate magic circle. A single pebble stood on the pedestal. The moment they entered, the pebble cracked open to reveal a mouth, and its booming voice washed over them.

    ¡°Welcome, monsters! Experience my three trials of Will to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Franky?¡± the Stone¡¯s voice echoed in Jack¡¯s mind. A moment later, surprise turned into joy. ¡°Franky!! It¡¯s you!¡±

    Jack laughed. He summoned the Stone from his inner world, covering it in a bubble of stable space to save it from the pressure. ¡°Franky!!¡± the Stone exclaimed again as it appeared, falling to the ground and rolling towards the pedestal.

    The pebble paused. ¡°Stone?¡± it muttered, then again, ¡°Stone!¡±

    The pebble fell off its pedestal, and it too rolled on the ground, crashing into the Stone in what could charitably be described as a hug. All sense of awe was cut short as the two pebbles rolled around each other, talking excitedly and enjoying their reunion.

    ¡°And that¡¯s how I graduated Daddy¡¯s teachings! I then spent the last three hundred million years guarding this chamber,¡± Franky said. His voice was slightly deeper than the Stone¡¯s. ¡°It was a bit boring. I started talking to myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh my gods, me too!¡± the Stone exclaimed. ¡°I was riding that broken meteor shuttle for like a billion years!¡±

    ¡°At least you had a view,¡± Franky said, spinning towards the brown walls around him.

    ¡°Yeah, well, all views grow tiring after a while,¡± the Stone replied. ¡°Oh! These are my friends, Jack and Brock. There¡¯s a turtle and a second Jack, too, but they¡¯re inside the first Jack.¡±

    ¡°Like when Daddy inserted those devices into us to measure our properties?¡±

    ¡°Kind of!¡±

    ¡°It really isn¡¯t,¡± Jack said. ¡°Hi, Franky. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Very nice to meet you too! Thank you for taking care of my brother.¡±

    ¡°It was mostly me taking care of them,¡± the Stone said, then lowered its voice to a whisper¡ªwhich Jack could still hear. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how stupid kids can be. They¡¯d have died a hundred times over if not for me. They don¡¯t even know the arts, can you believe that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, the folly of youth,¡± Franky replied all too sagely.

    ¡°We¡¯re still here,¡± Jack reminded them. Both stones hopped in surprise, rising a few inches off the ground. Franky cried out as if suddenly remembering something.

    ¡°Oh no, my speech!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing for half a billion years, I must get it right!¡± He quickly rolled back to his pedestal, then hopped up on it. ¡°Ahem.¡± He cleared his non-existent throat. ¡°Welcome, monsters! Experience my three trials of Will to¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re kind of getting ready to go,¡± Jack tried to interrupt politely. ¡°We were thinking if you wanted to come with us?¡±

    ¡°I have prepared this speech for half a billion years. Nobody goes anywhere until I say it at least once.¡±

    ¡°...Fine,¡± Jack replied. Franky¡¯s voice boomed again.

    ¡°Welcome, monsters! Experience my three trials of Will to sharpen your willpower and earn the qualifications to pursue the peak of Dao. These trials have been meticulously forged by our creators and ancestors, the Gods of the universe, so first you must kowtow eleven times in respect!¡±

    ¡°Very nice speech, Franky,¡± Jack said, clapping.

    Brock agreed. ¡°I can tell you practiced it. Sent shivers down my spine.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Franky exclaimed. ¡°Wait, I mean, you must kowtow eleven times to receive my trials!¡±

    ¡°How long do these trials take?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°A hundred years each.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have time for that unfortunately.¡±

    Franky¡¯s mood dropped like a sailor who couldn¡¯t swim.

    ¡°But we can return later!¡± Jack continued, and the pebble perked up again.

    ¡°You promise?¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Yay! I mean, that¡¯s excellent, young monster. You have permission to postpone the three trials of Will.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± the Stone said, hopping up and down in excitement. ¡°I told you they¡¯re great!¡±

    ¡°They do seem¡­delectable,¡± Franky answered, trying really hard to maintain his imposing facade. ¡°So, um, you mentioned following you somewhere?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jack said. ¡°We¡¯re about to leave this place and the Space Monster World to join a war going on outside. We¡¯ll also check on your father in the Canal below. Last we saw of him, he was fighting an Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Daddy is also an Overlord,¡± Franky replied with pride. ¡°He will win, I know it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to hope so as well, though the other guy wasn¡¯t bad either.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± Franky exclaimed. He fell down, rolled next to the Stone, then both of them turned into rays of light which shot into Jack¡¯s abdomen.

    ¡°...That was weird,¡± Jack said. ¡°I didn¡¯t let them in.¡±

    Brock shrugged. ¡°Talking stones. Anyway. We¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    They left the now-empty Will chamber behind. All treasures in the Cultivation chamber had been used up by Jack¡¯s back-to-back breakthroughs, but the manuals of the Dao room remained. ¡°We should borrow these,¡± Jack said. ¡°After the Crusade, we can return them.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Brock agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll ask for Stone Daddy Bro¡¯s permission as well, if he¡¯s still alive. They¡¯re his.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But please, can you not call him that?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s creepy.¡±

    ¡°Nothing creepy about a stone daddy.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The two stocked up on top-level cultivation manuals, finally emptying the third room as well. Only the decorations were left behind, forming a neat pile in a corner of the room. They could have rearranged them, but the Stone Scholar would probably want to do that himself, if he still lived.

    Then, Jack and Brock dove into the hole in the ground and let themselves fall. Gravity took the reins immediately. They accelerated far faster than normal, becoming a pair of meteors which crashed through the twelve layers of clouds. Finally, darkness appeared below them, and they seared right through. Nothing showed up to obstruct them. In moments, they¡¯d reached the Dark Canal again, and both stopped their ascent right on the pyramid¡¯s top, a shockwave spreading widely from their halted momentum.

    It wasn¡¯t empty.

    Two people sat cross-legged, meditating side-by-side. Great Silver and the Stone Scholar, both looking healthy. Their eyes snapped open as Jack and Brock appeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re reckless,¡± Great Silver said slowly. ¡°Your disguise broke, yet you still came here instead of trying to run away.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to call it daring,¡± Jack replied with a smile. He landed smoothly on the pyramid¡¯s ceiling, Brock right behind him.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Two voices rang out as the Stone and Franky leapt out of Jack¡¯s body and into the Stone Scholar¡¯s embrace. He caught them both in confusion. ¡°Franky? What are you doing here?¡± he exclaimed. ¡°And¡­Stone! You returned!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Jack and Brock are my friends, they brought me here.¡±

    The Stone Scholar looked at Jack again, his motionless stone eyes betraying nothing. He rose to his feet, placing both stones in his pocket. They screamed like children going down the slide. ¡°Change of plans, Overlord,¡± he said. ¡°I will not stay neutral. These people brought back my wayward child¡ªif you decide to kill them, I will battle you to the death.¡±

    Great Silver didn¡¯t reply immediately. His draconic eyes were glued on Jack¡¯s abdomen, from where the two stones had jumped out. He clearly sensed something was wrong, yet couldn¡¯t quite place it.

    Finally, he withdrew his gaze, turning it to the Stone Scholar. ¡°These people took advantage of Fiend King¡¯s moment of weakness to ruin him. As this world¡¯s sole remaining Overlord, I hold the right to judge their fate. If you stand against me, Scholar, then you may also suffer. You can fight me, but not my army.¡±

    Jack frowned, then spread his perception much farther than he¡¯d previously been able to. A dozen Autarchs were arrayed on the stone island beyond the pyramid. The Grand Elders of both Overlord factions were present, both at the peak A-Grade, flanked by a gathering of Elders of various levels. They were an imposing force. Clearly, they had ways to know Fiend King had perished, and they expected Jack and Brock¡¯s arrival. The dead Overlord¡¯s underlings now followed Great Silver.

    If Jack had only broken into the A-Grade, he couldn¡¯t have handled this gathering of enemies. Even if the Stone Scholar held back Great Silver, they¡¯d still be hard-pressed to escape. Now, however, things were different. Jack hadn¡¯t just reached the A-Grade¡ªhe¡¯d stepped into a whole new realm.

    He smiled.

    The Stone Scholar snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve already stated my intentions, Great Silver. Do you really want to make me your enemy?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. If I do want to kill them, however, you cannot stop me.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess we have to find out.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Jack said, suddenly appearing between the two Overlords. They recoiled, eyes wide open in surprise. They hadn¡¯t sensed his teleportation despite being an entire large realm over him. This should have been impossible.

    Jack took in the stunned, wary looks of both Overlords. He smiled. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Stone Scholar, but your assistance isn¡¯t needed.¡± He then turned to Great Silver, speaking from barely a few feet away. ¡°You, all those Elders, all the forces of the Space Monster World¡­ I don¡¯t need any help. I can kill all of you by myself.¡±

    A wind of darkness blew, gently crossing the silence. No one spoke for a moment. I can kill all of you by myself. Jack¡¯s words were too stunning, his proclamation too great, his challenge too arrogant. Great Silver locked eyes with him. Jack saw the changes in his gaze. The dragon realized he couldn¡¯t read Jack¡¯s aura, realized he couldn¡¯t measure his true depth.

    Great Silver¡¯s gaze softened, and for a moment, he seemed so old.

    ¡°Are you really as powerful as you say?¡± he asked.

    Jack smiled. The Overlords, the Elders, the disciples, every single eye was glued on him. ¡°See for yourself,¡± he said, releasing his aura. For a moment, he became the center of the world. A gentle ripple spread from him, not oppressive in the slightest, but awe-inspiring as if gazing at a God. Everyone froze in shock.

    It wasn¡¯t only Jack¡¯s aura, which overwhelmed even Great Silver¡¯s. His body became momentarily transparent. An entire universe was revealed within¡ªplanets of organs, a sun for a heart, rivers of stars as blood, and bones of glowing light. The darkness of the Dark Canal parted, receding from Jack as if touching anathema, and a wave of worship spread around him, extending for untold miles.

    Jack recovered his aura, hiding it completely again. He didn¡¯t need it anymore. His calm smile had never faltered, yet everyone around him was stunned. Great Silver shivered. In the face of Jack¡¯s divinity, the draconic majesty he took such pride in was nothing but a party trick.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jack Rust,¡± Jack replied. ¡°My body is a universe, and I am a fist.¡± He walked right up to Great Silver, who took a step backward instinctively. ¡°You were looking for the power to contest the Immortals, a hope to rise against them,¡± Jack declared calmly. ¡°I am that hope. You have seen what I am, what I can do. Stand by my side, Great Silver, and lead all monsters to war for me. The Immortals will destroy all of us sooner or later. Only together can we resist. Join the battle.¡±

    Monsters respected strength. Great Silver didn¡¯t know how his own power measured against Jack¡¯s, only that Jack had stepped into a cultivation realm nobody had heard about before. He felt like an idiot. The doors to the realm above A-Grade, the ones he¡¯d been trying to break open for millions of years, simply lay on a different path. They were on a junction he¡¯d already walked past. He understood now why he¡¯d never succeeded, and that it was impossible for an Archon, any Archon, to advance ever again.

    But not to Jack Rust. His road¡­was limitless.

    Great Silver bent his front legs, bowing to Jack. The Elders all around were shocked, but they understood. They bowed in turn. So did the Stone Scholar, motivated by instincts deeper than he thought he possessed. For a moment, every head besides Brock¡¯s was bowed at Jack.

    ¡°You are not a monster like us, but we revere strength above all,¡± Great Silver said, evidently emotional. ¡°Please, allow this old dragon to pledge his life to you. I will follow you to the end of the world, and so will all the monsters under my command. As the sole Overlord of the Space Monster World, I offer you our complete and unquestionable allegiance.¡±

    Jack smiled. He reached down to raise Great Silver from his bow. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s allegiance,¡± he said. ¡°How about we become allies?¡±

    The dragon shivered. ¡°I could do that,¡± he replied. Then, as if struck by some ancient instinct, he turned to the sky and roared, spreading his wings to create gales. All monsters around him roared as well, their voices joined in one, unified cry which parted the darkness and reached the heavens.

    ¡°To war!¡± Great Silver roared.

    ¡°To war!¡± everyone else replied, and for a moment, it felt like the entire Space Monster World was with them.

    Jack smiled as he turned to the Stone Scholar. His question went unspoken.

    ¡°I cannot join,¡± the Scholar said. ¡°My mission is to guard the Hall of Trials¡¯ seventh floor. I cannot leave. Besides, I would be useless¡ªmy power deteriorates the farther away I get from the Hall.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can take you back up there in a bit. The Fiend King tore down all decorations, but I¡¯ve left them all back so you can rearrange them. It could be a nice pastime.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± the Stone Scholar exclaimed. ¡°And, if I may ask for one more thing¡­¡± He reached into his pockets, removing both the Stone and Franky. ¡°Can you take my children along? I cannot leave, but they can¡­and a life following you will be much more fulfilling than anything I could offer them.¡±

    Jack smiled sadly. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± the Scholar said, his voice breaking despite being made of stone. The two stones protested, but he took them aside to speak to them.

    ¡°Oh my Gods, oh my Gods!¡± Fiend Prince exclaimed from the side¡ªthe disciple group was also present, just insignificant compared to all those Elders. ¡°We¡¯re going into the outside world, this is so exciting! Hey, Jack¡ªdoes this mean I can become your disciple?¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you mind that I killed your father?¡±

    ¡°He died because he was weak. I¡¯m sad about it, of course, but there wasn¡¯t much love between us. It¡¯ll pass.¡±

    Jack nodded, then shook his head in disbelief. In truth, Fiend Prince had negligible chances to follow in Jack¡¯s footsteps. His talent was not high enough, at least not right now.

    However, he liked this guy. He could help him along. And, besides, he might have a chance if they found a way to perfect his inner world despite lacking a tenth Dao Fruit. He¡¯d look for such an alternative anyway to help Brock, who certainly possessed the potential to walk the same road as Jack.

    Actually, Brock would be fine either way. Reverting one¡¯s cultivation to the B-Grade and re-trying the breakthrough was possible. Older cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, as their potential had already run out, but it would be easy for Brock. Once they had a few spare years, Jack was confident Brock would achieve his own special realm, equal to Jack¡¯s Universe of the Body.

    Fiend Prince would struggle in comparison, but he looked so damn eager.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Yeah, sure. You can become my first disciple.¡±

    The monster shone like a beacon of joy. He jumped into the air and pumped his fist. ¡°Alright!¡±

 Chapter 547: Safe Time to Fail

    A woman stalked through the grass. She looked to be in her early twenties, with dark skin, darker hair, and eyes the color of amber. Her lithe body was covered in green leather armor, painted with yellow splashes to fit into the terrain, while her hands held a flexible spear.

    Ebele¡¯s ears twitched. She fell to the ground, crawling the last few feet. A thick tree stood in front of her. She grabbed the bark and peeked from its side, her eyes catching the glint of metal. Vertical bars sandwiched by wood. Cages. Inside which, a collection of pink boars oinked in distress.

    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Damn,¡± she spat a whisper.

    The creatures of this forest were highly desired as both pets and materials. However, since this was Academy territory, no outsiders could enter. Stealing animals was illegal even if they could. The Academy strived to maintain a healthy ecosystem, promotion of biodiversity, and smooth allocation of differently-powered beasts to facilitate the safe and timely training of its students, who could wander this forest freely.

    Some of these students were assholes. The ones Ebele faced now, laughing with greed as they counted the number of cages over and over, were one such group of people. Poachers.

    Three, four¡­ she counted. I can probably take them.

    She stepped out from behind the cage. The others spotted her instantly, shooting to alertness. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± they asked.

    ¡°The forest,¡± she replied. ¡°Coming to reclaim its own.¡±

    As she stepped into a column of light piercing the foliage, she saw the students¡¯ face go from panic, to relief, to wariness. ¡°Ebele Rust,¡± one of them said with a frown. ¡°We want no trouble with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I do. Poaching is a serious offense¡ªyou face anywhere from disciplinary action to direct expulsion and imprisonment. Release the pinkoars and follow me to the Enforcement Hall immediately.¡±

    The students glanced at each other, realizing they outnumbered her four to one. ¡°No,¡± they said.

    ¡°Yeah. Thought as much.¡± She flourished her spear, the tip cutting a smooth path through the air. ¡°Prepare to suffer.¡±

    Her opponents were full of tension, but they didn¡¯t panic. No student of the Academy was a weakling. They fanned out, each brandishing their own weapon as they slowly surrounded her. The pink boars watched with hope.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Foundation cultivator, just like us,¡± one of the four disciples said. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll beat us just because you carry your father¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll beat you because you¡¯re honorless, low-life thieves, and I¡¯m this year¡¯s first-ranked disciple.¡±

    Another student snorted, his features contorted in rage. The blue cloak he wore¡ªstandard student uniform¡ªrose to an unseen gale, the stars painted on it almost dancing. ¡°Get off your high horse,¡± he spat out. ¡°I need this money.¡±

    ¡°Sure you do. To fuel your coredust addiction?¡±

    ¡°To take my family out of the Evergrove slums.¡±

    Ebele shook her head. ¡°I sympathize, I really do. However, torturing and killing innocent creatures is never okay. Surrender, and I swear I¡¯ll give you the money to help your family¡ªafter I turn you in.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Someone like you has no place speaking here!¡± the student shouted, lunging. His rapier stabbed straight towards Ebele¡¯s abdomen. Her brows narrowed dangerously. No student would dare kill another¡ªespecially inside Academy grounds¡ªbut a serious injury here would cost her weeks of cultivation.

    She twirled, letting the rapier scratch her armor to make some distance. Her spear stabbed out. It broke through the opponent¡¯s guard in a single strike.

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t alone. The other three disciples coordinated well, and their flurry of blows fell on Ebele, forcing her back. She stabbed and dodged. The tip of her spear entered someone¡¯s forearm, while its body broke a knee¡ªboth injuries could be easily healed.

    She ducked under a club and jumped back to avoid a spray of poison. A nunchaku crashed into her head from behind. All her body tempering couldn¡¯t save her from such a blow¡ªshe recoiled, almost falling forward, and was beset by four people at once. Her Dao of Heroism erupted, pushing them back and giving her a moment¡¯s respite to reposition, but they still snuck a hit at her lower back. She gritted her teeth.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± a voice asked. Ebele glanced over, suddenly filled with hope, only to have it instantly demolished. The new arrivals were two students holding a squealing pinkoar upside down. As they scanned the situation, they let the pinkoar drop and escape to pull their own weapons. They turned them to Ebele.

    ¡°There were more of you,¡± she said sourly. ¡°Of course.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Should have done your research, Ebele,¡± a disciple said. ¡°Now get fucked.¡±

    Six people attacked her at once. All were close to the late F-Grade. That was how the old-timers¡ªthose who had been adults when the System arrived¡ªcalled the first realm. The younger generation of cultivators, who started their journey outside System space, preferred to call this realm Foundation Establishment.

    Ebele was slightly higher-leveled than them. She was far stronger than each, but against six talented people, there was little she could do. Even her newfound Dao was of limited use. They left her sprawled on the forest floor, groaning and bleeding, with a healing potion placed far enough away that she¡¯d need some time to reach it.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky your father is who he is,¡± one of the disciples said as he spat on her. ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t even get the potion.¡±

    Killing other disciples was an absolute taboo in the Academy¡ªthe enforcers had ways to know. Dying by yourself in the forest was a different story, but not when it came to the daughter of Jack Rust. If anything happened to her, D-Grades would get involved, and the truth would come out instantly. These disciples couldn¡¯t afford to cause any real damage even if they knew she¡¯d tell on them.

    The group ran away with the cages in tow, the squeals of pinkoars reaching Ebele for some time still. It took her a while to be able to move. When she finally reached the healing potion and gulped it down, the poacher students were long gone. She smashed a fist against a tree, breaking her hand. She relished in the pain. In her opinion, it was well deserved.

    ¡°I must get stronger,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°And smarter. I should have waited to see if they had more people. If this was a real battle, I¡¯d be dead.¡±

    Retrospection didn¡¯t lighten her self-blame. She stayed on the forest floor for a while, lamenting her failure, apologizing to the creatures she¡¯d failed to save. She¡¯d inform the Enforcement Hall, of course, but without proof, all these students would get was monitoring from the school authorities. It would stop them from poaching, but they wouldn¡¯t get expelled.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± she said, bruising her other hand against the ground. Tears left her eyes. ¡°Damn!¡±

    If one looked at this forest from above, they¡¯d find it fist-shaped. Thin clouds interspersed the blue sky. Currently, far higher than where Ebele could see, two people stood on a pair of little clouds. One was a woman in flowing red robes, her eyes shimmering with rage. The other was a shirtless man with his aura fully withdrawn¡ªyet, even like this, he commanded the respect of the elements.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Vivi said. ¡°Those guys just beat up your daughter. Are you really just going to stand there!?¡±

    ¡°Ebele needs tempering,¡± Jack¡¯s clone replied calmly. ¡°A little bit of bruising is nothing. If I take away this lesson from her, she might make the same mistakes in the future, when I¡¯m not there to watch over her, and then she¡¯ll suffer for real.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a child!¡±

    ¡°Which is the perfect time to fail and learn.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lying on the floor! She¡¯s crying!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jack insisted. ¡°Look at her eyes. See how they¡¯re clear? She¡¯s healthily frustrated, that¡¯s all. All that bothers her is her failure, not the pain. She experienced far worse when she insisted on diving into the Ice Pond as a child. This is nothing to her.¡±

    Vivi crossed her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°This is necessary. Trust me. The world is harsh, so we must be as well. That said¡­¡± His eyes turned towards the ground again, looking slightly to the side of Ebele, where six disciples were hurrying through the forest with cages in tow. A few of them were injured.

    Jack snapped his fingers, and the squealing pinkoars disappeared, teleported back to their nests. The disciples took a few moments to notice. When they did, their eyes went wide, and they fell to their knees, looking around and at the sky. Jack ignored them completely. A few moments later, the disciples stood and bolted away at top speed, letting the few injured ones fall behind.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t play gods, Vivi. If we smother the world below us, it will grow weak, and weakness brings pain and sin. The same goes for our children. Since Ebele is determined on entering the cultivation world, we should encourage safe failures like this one, because only they can give her the lessons she needs to survive later in life. I could tell her to plan for hidden enemies a thousand times, but this single day will teach her the lesson far better than I ever could. If it seems harsh, blame her, not me¡ªI¡¯m just preparing her for the road she chose.¡±

    Vivi snorted. ¡°Then why did you save the pinkoars, if we can¡¯t play gods?¡±

    ¡°That was just payment. I prevented some enforcers from reaching the area before, so I had to make up for it.¡±

    Vivi tried to remain angry. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Do you promise you love her?¡±

    ¡°More than anything in the world,¡± Jack replied, his gaze growing distant. ¡°I would destroy the galaxy before I let anything happen to my daughter. However, I won¡¯t always be by her side. That¡¯s not how life works. She needs to become strong.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just want her to be happy¡­¡±

    Vivi smiled, hugging him tightly. Her anger was gone. She was a cultivator, too¡ªshe realized the importance of personal strength, as well as the fact that a little bit of pain was nothing to the tempered mind. ¡°For the ruler of a galaxy, you¡¯re pretty soft,¡± she whispered softly.

    ¡°Really? I thought you said I was mean.¡±

    ¡°That, too.¡±

    He laughed, then looked down. ¡°Ebele is reaching the Academy gates,¡± he said. ¡°The danger is over. Wanna go prepare dinner?¡±

    ¡°No. I want to pay her a visit and see how she¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°You know she doesn¡¯t like us appearing uninvited.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m her mother, I just saw her receive a painful lesson, and I want to make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Fine. Just send her a message we¡¯ll be visiting in an hour, if she¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°...I can do that.¡±

    ¡°You know I love parenting with you, right?¡±

    ¡°I love it too. But you can be so stubborn sometimes.¡±

    ¡°That makes two of us.¡±

    They kissed. ¡°What about your other body, anyway?¡± Vivi asked. ¡°It¡¯s been gone for fifteen years now. Any news?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I get a vague sensation from my inner world, however. Something happened. Something major. I suspect we¡¯ll be returning to this world soon, and then I get to beat the crap out of Elder Hero. Can¡¯t let him be a bad role model for Ebele. They do share a Dao¡ªfor now.¡±

    Vivi laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to hear this.¡±

    The two teleported away, and the sky remained peaceful, as it always was.

 Chapter 548: Return With a Bang

    Bobo leaned over his starship¡¯s door to peek at the portal to the Space Monster World. It had been a while since lightning stopped falling. The portal was slowly repairing itself¡ªits defenses had held¡ªbut the surrounding space was much worse off. All ambient Dao had been sucked dry for endless light years around it. The heavenly tribulation must have been cataclysmic.

    Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t anything Bobo needed to worry about. He was just a little B-Grade scout of the Church, sent here to make sure the portal was alright.

    It is, he confirmed. Time to return. Good job, Bobo.

    ¡°Halt!¡± a voice crossed space. ¡°In the name of the Immortals, put your weapons down and walk over slowly!¡±

    Bobo froze mid-step. He turned to find a bulky man hovering behind him. An early A-Grade.

    I¡¯m so dead.

    Bobo had no backup. It was just him in one of the lightest starships available. If he could get inside and close the door, he¡¯d be safe, but would the enemy A-Grade give him the chance?

    Cutting costs my ass, he fumed inwardly. The Immortals can afford A-Grade scouts, so why did the Church send me!?

    He debated surrendering. Couldn¡¯t be worse than instant death. Before he could reply, however, a purple missile smashed into the side of the enemy A-Grade¡¯s head, taking it clean off his shoulders. Body and head exploded, leaving only a streaking purple line which raced for the end of the universe. Bobo gasped, then turned to look at its source.

    The portal? he wondered. No. Is someone there? What¡¯s that?

    The slowly-rotating portal to the Space Monster World flared to life. A majestic silver dragon rode out, opening its giant jaws to roar at the heavens. The sound whisked Bobo¡¯s soul out of his body, spun it around a couple times, then hastily crammed it back in.

    Heavens! he thought, clutching his chest. An Archon!!

    Before he could comprehend what he saw, more people emerged from the portal. An entire army headed by A-Grades, with every soldier a B-Grade. The weakest of them were at Bobo¡¯s level, and there were even peak A-Grades in the mix. Before long, hundreds of space monsters had exited the portal, forming a small but elite army which could easily conquer galaxies.

    The monsters are invading! Bobo thought with terror, but he didn¡¯t dare move. Even from a distance, that silver dragon could kill him instantly. He had no way to let the Church know either.

    Just before he fell into despair, however, he spied two more forms. He hadn¡¯t noticed them at first, too small compared to the dragon they stood beside. A man and a brorilla, but not just any man, not just any brorilla. Those were Jack Rust and Brock! The heroes of the Church!

    Jack Rust glanced over, then reappeared in front of Bobo in a mockery of the distance between them. ¡°Hi,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Jack. You¡¯re with the Church, yes?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Bobo replied as if in a dream.

    ¡°Perfect. Can you let them know Jack and Brock returned? The space monsters will fight on our side from now on.¡± He glanced behind Bobo. His face brightened. ¡°Is that snacks I see in your ship? Nice! I hope you don¡¯t mind if I enjoy a couple while you tell me what happened in the last fifteen years.¡±

    ***

    News of Jack¡¯s return, as well as the monsters joining the war, spread like wildfire. All across the scattered Church forces, A-Grades rejoiced, B-Grades celebrated. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon laughed as he heard the news. ¡°I knew it!¡± he shouted. ¡°That guy¡¯s a cockroach¡ªhe can¡¯t be killed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy they¡¯re back,¡± Min Ling said with a warm smile. ¡°We need every help we can get. I wonder how they convinced the space monsters.¡±

    ¡°Knowing them, they probably bebro¡¯d them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a word.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±

    In another part of the galaxy, Elder Hero clutched a transmission stone, crumbling it to dust in his grip. ¡°You dare return¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Fine. Come. No matter how they worship you, no matter what allies you find, you are nothing but a stepping stone on my path to glory. Your reputation will feed into mine.¡±

    He then glanced in front of him, where a massive sphere floated, filled with endless divine power. He grinned. ¡°Now more than ever, your chances of victory¡­are zero!¡±

    As for the New Cathedral, they accepted the news with all the joy one would expect. People took to the streets dancing. The celebrity campaign of Jack and Brock had died down in the last few years, but people still remembered him standing against an entire faction by himself, defying the heavens, rising above expectations. That was a true warrior, a true hero. The hope he¡¯d carved in their hearts was reignited, memories of years past resurfacing.

    The face of the Church was back, with new allies, and he was stronger than ever!

    The Arch Priestess smiled as she read the piece of paper passed to her. ¡°It¡¯s your disciple again, Boatman,¡± she said below her veil. ¡°He somehow convinced the monsters to fight for us.¡±

    Elder Boatman smiled under his hood. ¡°Jack¡¯s progress has always been staggering. After fifteen years and such a grand show of his return, I suspect that his strength¡­will surprise us all!¡±

    ¡°Convene the Archon Council,¡± the Arch Priestess commanded. ¡°The arrival of the monsters changes our plans. We need to strategize.¡±

    Several A-Grades present rushed off to convey her orders.

    ¡°Should we invite Jack Rust as well?¡± a man asked. He sat leisurely on a chair, wearing a form-fitting yellow uniform with a red cape. His bald head reflected the lamplight.

    The Arch Priestess thought about. She smiled with amusement. ¡°As great as his contributions, he¡¯s not an Archon yet.¡±

    The bald man and Boatman exchanged glances.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ***

    As Jack descended towards the New Cathedral, the scene was vastly different than the last time he¡¯d been here. He¡¯d left in secrecy but arrived in full public view.

    People crowded the streets. Most shouted. Some held banners spelling out ¡°Welcome home, big bro!¡±, ¡°We believe in you!¡± and other similar slogans. A few people even raised Brock plushies into the air. Seeing that, Jack did a double take, finding many people wearing his and Brock¡¯s shirts amongst the crowd.

    ¡°Those things lasted fifteen years. Looks like they didn¡¯t skimp on the materials,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯re famous,¡± Brock said, eyeing the crowds as their starship landed. ¡°So many little bros.¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯re counted in the millions by now, Brock. Not just here, but everywhere in the universe.¡±

    ¡°Not millions. Billions.¡±

    Jack turned around, shocked, but Brock had already walked ahead. He exited the starship with a hand held high, waving at the crowds, and Jack followed quickly. The cheers were deafening. He consciously restrained his aura, lest these people actually considered him a god.

    Which I am, actually. Sort of.

    A person waited for them a few steps ahead. Their body was covered by a long cloak, while a scythe hung behind their back. Jack smiled and bowed. ¡°Master,¡± he said.

    ¡°No need for honorifics,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°I suspect you¡¯ve already surpassed me, or close. A-Grade, huh? Must have been quite a trip.¡±

    ¡°You could call it that. The monsters are almost recreationally murderous.¡±

    ¡°Sup, Grandpa Dead,¡± Brock said.

    A smile tugged at Boatman¡¯s lips. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said. ¡°I know you want to sit here and enjoy the crowds, but we have things to talk about.¡±

    ¡°What things?¡±

    ¡°Mostly about the space monsters. The Arch Priestess is hosting an Archon Council in a bit, where I represent you, so I¡¯d like to know everything I can about them.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Why can¡¯t we represent ourselves?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Archons.¡±

    ¡°Neither are you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m old and prestigious. It comes with perks.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Brock and I will be there,¡± he said. Boatman gave him a deep glance but didn¡¯t disagree.

    ¡°In that case,¡± he said, ¡°just tell me about your trip.¡±

    ¡°It was fun. Somewhat risky, too, but nothing we couldn¡¯t handle.¡±

    They didn¡¯t rush through the city. Crowds still hollered around them. Jack told Boatman all about their trip, minus the most shocking details, while Brock talked about the propensity of space monsters towards brohood.

    ¡°Their aggressiveness is misguided,¡± he claimed. ¡°Brohood can fill the gap just as well.¡±

    ¡°What about your side, Master?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What happened while we were gone?¡±

    ¡°Not too many things, but all of great importance. The Old Gods returned, did you hear that?¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°The scout who brought us over mentioned something, but he didn¡¯t know the details.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. They arrived shortly after you left, but they¡ª¡±

    He paused as they passed under a particularly crowded bridge. The shouts of the crowd were deafening. Jack and Brock smiled and waved.

    ¡°They arrived in the midst of a decisive battle,¡± Boatman continued. ¡°I was there too, actually. Fighting Elder Hero. He would have killed me if the Gods were even a little late.¡±

    ¡°Hero would have killed you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Boatman replied, turning to Jack with a worried gaze. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop him, disciple. I¡¯m sorry. He was already that strong over ten years ago. I shudder to think what he¡¯ll be like when you duel him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°He dared touch you, my master and benefactor. I will make sure to crush him before I kill him.¡±

    Boatman paused, turning around to look at Jack. He kept his aura hidden, only revealing he¡¯d reached the A-Grade, but his confidence was not something which could be mistaken.

    ¡°I hope you do,¡± Elder Boatman finally replied, resuming walking. ¡°After that battle¡ªin which Hero escaped, by the way¡ªthe Gods ignored everything and charged at the Immortal section of this galaxy. Our armies didn¡¯t have time to follow. There was no preparation, no plan, just an attempt to stampede.¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Jack said. ¡°I did run into some clones of them in the Space Monster World, and they seemed decent, but they told me the real bodies are super arrogant.¡±

    ¡°You met their clones? Where are they?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t free them yet, sadly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°What about the Gods attack on the Immortals?¡±

    ¡°They went in carelessly and paid for it. They returned injured, and with a casualty. The God of Mass has died.¡±

    That gave Jack pause. ¡°A God died?¡±

    ¡°Nobody expected it. We didn¡¯t even know Gods could be killed.¡±

    ¡°Who got him?¡± Jack asked. ¡°The Heaven Immortal?¡±

    ¡°Probably. We don¡¯t know what happened exactly¡ªthe Gods won¡¯t say¡ªbut word amongst the Immortal armies is that Hero delivered the final blow. He¡¯s called the God Killer now. If he got any benefits from that, I dread to think about his current power level.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. How did the rest of the Gods take it?¡±

    ¡°Better than expected. They holed up somewhere to recover and told us to prepare for a final battle in a few years¡ªcurrently, that day is almost upon us. With the Church¡¯s assistance, they¡¯re confident they can defeat the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°Right. And we believe that?¡±

    Boatman smiled. ¡°No.¡±

    They¡¯d reached the doors of the main temple. The wooden building towered over them, a smooth fusion of nature and architecture, vines crawling up its walls, the wood still alive. Boatman parted the doors just enough to pass, then shut them behind him. The crowd¡¯s cheers echoed muffled.

    ¡°Jack! Brock!¡± came a familiar voice. They turned over to find Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling sitting on the pews.

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Jack replied, smile wide. Seeing them brought back memories. He was also pleasantly surprised to find they¡¯d gotten stronger¡ªSpoon was at the early A-Grade, while Min Ling had reached the peak B-Grade.

    The woman jumped off the pew, rushing over to hug both of them. ¡°You sure took your time,¡± she complained sweetly. ¡°We were worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Some things can¡¯t be rushed.¡± Jack laughed. ¡°Have you been well?¡±

    ¡°Better than I want to admit. War is a terrible place, but it¡¯s the perfect training ground for us. I¡¯m ashamed to admit I don¡¯t hate it.¡±

    ¡°But you hate its consequences.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Jack nodded at her words. Brock stepped up, inspecting Min Ling and Heavenly Spoon with narrowed eyes. ¡°Nice Daos,¡± he said. ¡°You bros are strong.¡±

    ¡°Comes with the constant battling,¡± Spoon replied. ¡°We were actually on a mission, but they recalled us at the news of your arrival. I don¡¯t know why. Most importantly, now that you¡¯re here¡­ How about a little sparring?¡±

    Jack gazed at the sovereign. His aura had changed. From an aloof young man, he¡¯d transitioned to a more somber presence. Something had happened to him¡­but, alas, that was the nature of war. Bad things happened to a lot of people.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that ship had sailed,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say it, but you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against either of us.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I can fight a small realm above my own.¡±

    ¡°We can fight several. Trust me. Not a chance.¡±

    Spoon didn¡¯t seem too disappointed. ¡°I kind of expected that,¡± he said. ¡°There was probably a time when we¡¯d be a good match, but, as you said, that ship has sailed. Happens.¡±

    Boatman coughed discreetly. Jack smiled at his friends. ¡°Brock and I must go,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯d love to catch up. How about we gather everyone and drink some wine tonight? I have some other friends to introduce to you guys.¡±

    ¡°The monsters?¡± Min Ling replied, her gaze fiery. ¡°Sure thing, Jack. It¡¯s a date.¡±

    He smiled at her, then he and Brock followed Boatman up the spiral stairs. Their ascent was silent. Soon after, they reached the top of the cathedral, where Boatman opened a set of wooden doors. A set of heavy presences blew over Jack and Brock. There were several people inside, all radiating the aura of Archons. It was the most oppressive room they¡¯d ever entered.

    ¡°Hey, everybody,¡± Jack said, calmly walking into their pressure. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

 Chapter 549: Final War Council

    The gathered people each reacted differently to his and Brock¡¯s calmness. The Arch Priestess raised a brow. A bald man in a tight yellow uniform gave an intrigued half-smile¡ªhe seemed oddly familiar¡ªwhile a completely naked, stunningly beautiful woman nodded in appreciation. Little clouds covered her private areas. In a corner, Great Silver gave them a deep nod¡ªthe monster Overlord had teleported in instead of parading to avoid spooking the crowds.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°I thought I instructed for Elder Boatman to represent you in this council.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°You did, but given it was a stupid instruction, I chose to ignore it.¡±

    ¡°Oho. You¡¯re confident. Think you have the right to participate in a council of Archons?¡±

    She and Jack were only lightly jesting. Great Silver, however, growled with displeasure. ¡°We follow Jack Rust, not the church,¡± he said. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t participate, neither do I.¡±

    Every other Archon present raised a brow. The meaning of Great Silver¡¯s words was clear¡ªhe placed Jack above himself. For an Archon to do that was unheard of.

    The bald man sitting in the corner laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t mind this,¡± he said. ¡°However, if you want a seat at the table of Archons, you must prove yourself worthy.¡±

    Before Jack could respond, a heavy aura fell on him. The tiles cracked underfoot. It was clear this Archon was going all-out to suppress Jack with his aura¡ªany weaker A-Grade would have already collapsed. Elder Boatman gasped before realizing Jack was unbothered.

    Jack, under the pressure of this aura cascade, remained perfectly calm, his hands crossed in front of his chest and his face sporting a slight smile. ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked.

    The bald man was aghast, leaning forward to inspect Jack more closely. ¡°I guess I am,¡± he said, ready to retrieve his aura. Jack wouldn¡¯t let him.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°My turn.¡±

    The world went still. Every Archon in the room froze, as if stared at by a giant, ancient beast. Jack¡¯s aura came as a subtle but steady breeze, blowing everyone into a new world of possibilities. For a moment, they saw through his body¡ªplanets for organs, a sun for a heart, rivers of stars for blood. Divine majesty filled the room, and everyone felt an instinctive urge to bow and worship. Yet, his aura was gentle, pushing everyone up instead of suppressing them.

    Except for the man who¡¯d tested Jack. He didn¡¯t experience it as a gentle breeze, but as a cascading waterfall. Jack¡¯s aura completely blew back his own, flipping it as easily as one would a cup, then descended on the man and smashed him into the floor. As he¡¯d been leaning forward, he was pressed face-down, his nose shattering the tiles.

    ¡°One Fist!¡± the Arch Priestess shouted.

    Jack smiled. ¡°I apologize for the disrespect, senior, but I believe you started it.¡±

    As everyone was stunned, muffled sounds escaped the face buried in the floor. Jack withdrew his aura¡ªpressing him down like that was a matter of surprise, not force¡ªand the Archon stood. Only now did everyone realize he was laughing. ¡°Good, very good!¡± he said jovially. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Jack! It was my fault for testing you. I really shouldn¡¯t have, but I couldn¡¯t help wanting to experience the power of the Church¡¯s hero!¡±

    Jack¡¯s smile turned genuine. He bowed slightly, withdrawing his aura completely. ¡°It was no problem at all, senior. I went too far myself. Please accept my apology.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If you want to apologize, why don¡¯t you tell us about that thing you got going on?¡± the man replied, gesturing all over Jack¡¯s body. ¡°I must admit I¡¯m shocked!¡±

    So was everyone else. Jack¡¯s aura matched theirs in quantity but far overwhelmed them in quality. Suddenly, the auras they subtly exuded before were nothing but jokes. They were saints flexing before a God. Jack¡¯s cultivation was one unified realm, and in comparison, theirs was just unremarkable.

    Boatman was the most shocked of all. Jack had completely restrained his aura on the way, so this was the first time he sensed it. ¡°How?¡± he croaked out. The energy which came from his disciple eclipsed his own so hard it wasn¡¯t even funny.

    ¡°I was lucky enough to achieve a complete breakthrough,¡± Jack explained calmly. ¡°I call this state the Universe of the Body. I believe it will let me break past the A-Grade in the future.¡±

    He didn¡¯t need to say it. Every Archon in the room knew instinctively that Jack had conquered the boundary they¡¯d struggled their whole lives to reach. It was the same reaction Great Silver had shown¡ªan instinctive sense of inferiority. The dragon himself hid a smug smile as he saw the other Archons¡¯ reactions.

    ¡°You don¡¯t see this every day,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Can I ask,¡± said the naked woman, her voice hesitant, ¡°how did you achieve such a thing?¡±

    It was the question burning everyone¡¯s mind. If Jack held the secret to advancing beyond the Archon realm, who cared about the war? This was the greatest revelation of the universe!

    However, he only shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,¡± he said. ¡°The Universe of the Body is meant for Physical cultivators. There could be other paths besides it, but for this one, the cultivator must start preparing from the C-Grade to achieve it. B-Grade at the very minimum. Anyone at the A-Grade has already lost their chance unless they reverse their cultivation, but even then, it¡¯s a long shot. For Archons already advanced in age, I¡¯m afraid it is impossible¡­¡±

    The Archons exchanged disappointed glances. Some of them may have had the talent to pursue a higher realm in their youth, but since they didn¡¯t know how, they¡¯d lost their only chance. Jack saw the dream crushed in their eyes, but there was nothing he could do to help.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    At least, they recovered admirably.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± the bald man said. ¡°We were born just a little too early¡­ At least, this lets us sacrifice our lives in this war without regrets. Congratulations, Jack Rust. You have opened a whole new avenue for the cultivation world.¡±

    Jack nodded in thanks.

    ¡°The two of us share a common origin, by the way,¡± the man continued, a smile forming to cover his sadness. ¡°My title is Archon One Fist. I also come from the Milky Way galaxy. I was one of the founders of the Exploding Sun¡ªI¡¯ve been told you studied in my faction?¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes flashed with understanding. That was why this man seemed familiar! How could he not realize it earlier?

    He laughed out loud. ¡°Not just that!¡± he said. ¡°You were in my very first Dao Vision! I¡¯ve followed your footsteps for a good part of my cultivation journey!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± One Fist raised a brow. ¡°It¡¯s my great honor¡ªone you repaid in full by protecting my little faction. I wanted to rush over as soon as I heard what the Hand of God had done to them, but Church matters kept me occupied. It¡¯s a good thing you were there.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing. I owed them a debt of gratitude. They¡¯re nice people, even long after you left the galaxy.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re all in agreement that Jack and Brock are fully qualified to join this council,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°In fact, they¡¯re probably more qualified than all of us. Boatman, you may sit in as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Arch Priestess,¡± Boatman said, still sneaking glances at Jack as he moved for an empty seat. Jack and Brock did the same. The seven of them sat in a circle.

    ¡°Shall we begin?¡± the Arch Priestess asked, her mood growing somber. ¡°The Gods are almost fully recovered. We need to prepare for the final battle.¡±

    Everyone sobered up alongside her. ¡°How close to recovery are we talking about?¡± the naked woman asked before turning to Jack and Brock. ¡°I¡¯m Archon Truth, by the way. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°Likewise.¡±

    ¡°A week at most,¡± the Arch Priestess replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been contacted. They want us to be ready to march when they are.¡±

    One Fist snorted. ¡°Do they think we¡¯re their pawns?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re my ancestors,¡± Great Silver said.

    ¡°They certainly look down on us,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°To them, we¡¯re just weak mortals. It¡¯s a pity they¡¯re right. They¡¯re ten extreme Archons, while we only possess four in total, and not all at that level. We also have the A and B-Grades with their formations, but overall, our war force is less than that of the Gods.¡±

    ¡°That doesn''t make us expendable,¡± Jack said. ¡°Or pawns.¡±

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. In fact, I suspect the Gods know about our plans to eventually revive Enas, and they plan on turning against us the moment we defeat the Immortals.¡±

    The revelation fell on the room like an anvil dropped from a mountaintop. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Great Silver asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re Gods. They¡¯re so arrogant they don¡¯t bother hiding their intentions. I can sense their disdain every time I speak to them¡ªtheir plans leak out between their arrogant words.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Truth asked.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then, what can we do?¡±

    ¡°Only one thing,¡± she replied, ¡°which is also why I convened this council. We must blindside them and secretly revive Enas. He will protect us after the war is done.¡±

    ¡°Revive Enas!?¡± One Fist shouted. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s easy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible now,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°As you know, the Sage possesses the power to wake him up, and he just reached the A-Grade. He can use the entropy runic columns left by the Archons of previous generations. Provided no one messes with us, I estimate we have an over ninety percent chance of rescuing Enas from the black hole he¡¯s trapped in.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯ll certainly stop us,¡± Jack said. ¡°Both the Gods and the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°Right. Unless they¡¯re busy fighting each other.¡±

    Boatman laughed. ¡°There we go,¡± he said.

    The Arch Priestess smiled back. ¡°Here¡¯s my plan. We orchestrate what seems like the final battle. All the Gods and Immortals, as well as every eye in the universe, will swarm there. Then, secretly, we send a small elite force to revive Enas while they¡¯re busy.¡±

    ¡°Say we can revive him,¡± Truth said. ¡°How do we make sure everyone gathers where we want them?¡±

    ¡°Jack can help us,¡± the Arch Priestess said. All eyes turned to Jack.

    ¡°Me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, you. Your duel against Hero was scheduled to be in another fifteen years, but with the power you currently possess, I don¡¯t imagine fighting him now will be a problem. If you put out your challenge and we arrange the duel, the Immortals will certainly send over their armies to guard him¡ªafter all, Hero is their greatest rising star, a moral support of the army. If we and the Gods also arrive, they¡¯ll summon everyone. Then, it¡¯s just a matter of someone making the first move. The final battle will erupt by itself.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°I could do that,¡± he said. ¡°What if the Gods suspect something is up? Or the Immortals? They¡¯re not stupid.¡±

    ¡°They have no idea we can revive Enas. The Sage¡¯s existence and identity is one of our most tightly kept secrets. Without him, it would have been impossible. They won¡¯t suspect a thing.¡±

    The people present glanced at each other. ¡°There is something I should say,¡± Jack broke the silence. He told them about his encounter with Axelor¡¯s clone in the Hall of Trials, outlining what the God of Entropy had said about Enas.

    ¡°I hear that,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Axelor would speak the complete truth, but I never believed Enas was completely innocent either. He is the God of Life, not Love. However, I do believe that our teachings hold more truth than falsehoods. If we revive Enas, maybe he won¡¯t be utterly benevolent, but he¡¯ll still protect us.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°You know better. I just said what I had to.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain this plan will work?¡± One Fist asked.

    ¡°Reasonably so,¡± the Arch Priestess replied. ¡°We have a decent chance of succeeding. Enough to give it a go. Even if it doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s not like we lose anything¡ªthe battle would happen anyway.¡±

    The people present looked at each other again. ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Great Silver said. ¡°I have read the scriptures of my people. The Gods who created us saw us as nothing more than toys¡ªI wouldn¡¯t find it strange if they decided to wipe us out.¡±

    ¡°I agree as well,¡± said One Fist.

    ¡°And so do I,¡± said Truth.

    ¡°This will definitely not go as planned,¡± Brock said, ¡°but it¡¯s a good start. I¡¯m in, my bros.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in as well,¡± Jack said. ¡°I look forward to beating up Hero.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my opinion matters, but I agree as well,¡± Boatman said.

    ¡°Then everyone is in agreement,¡± the Arch Priestess said. She smiled. ¡°Good. I have already recalled our important personnel and sent a secret elite team towards Enas¡¯s prison. They¡¯ll be ready, and so should you. Once the Gods are almost done with their recovery, we set the plan in motion. It all ends in a few days. Until then¡­ I wish you all a good rest.¡±

 Chapter 550: Wine Night

    Jack, Vivi, and Ebele were having a picnic on a lush hill. This wasn¡¯t Jack main body, of course, but they shared a soul. He knew that the main body had just reentered the universe.

    ¡°How¡¯s school going, Ebele?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect!¡± she replied, stuffing herself with brioche bread. Crumbs rained on the blanket below. ¡°My friends are all doing as great as I am, so we can be in the same classes. Norton got into coredust, however¡ªI can see how it gives him energy, but relying on that it feels wrong.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Back in my day, we used coffee,¡± he said.

    ¡°Not everyone has the expensive coffee you use, dad. The regular kind just doesn¡¯t affect cultivators.¡±

    ¡°It does if you drink enough.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage bad behaviors in your daughter!¡± Vivi said, her mood vibrant. ¡°Focus on your studies, Ebele, but don¡¯t forget to have fun. It¡¯s equally important.¡±

    ¡°If not more,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°If not more,¡± Vivi agreed. ¡°Forging a great self is better than excelling in your studies. It¡¯s the foundation of everything.¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve only told me, like, a thousand times,¡± Ebele complained.

    Jack smiled. Since he shared memories with his main body, he could easily feel the difference between a warmongering, power-thirsting life and this simpler one. Both filled him equally. Of course, having memories and living them out wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but he was so glad he¡¯d made this clone.

    Being with his wife and daughter every day¡ªor whenever she took a break from the Academy¡ªwas a blessing in and of itself.

    I just hope, he thought, looking at the blue sky, the dream doesn¡¯t shatter tomorrow¡­

    ¡°Hey, Vivi, Ebele,¡± he said. Both women turned to look at him. ¡°I love you.¡±

    They blinked in surprise, then smiled sweetly. ¡°I love you too, Jack,¡± Vivi said. ¡°Both of you.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Ebele said. Thankfully, she was past being a teenager, so associating with her parents came easy. Jack smiled at their affirmations. He opened his arms wide, embracing them both.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Ebele asked as she hugged him back.

    ¡°Nothing happened and nothing will,¡± he replied. ¡°While I¡¯m here, you¡¯ll always be safe.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Ebele said. ¡°Thanks?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He smiled. They didn¡¯t know about the final battle happening tomorrow. They didn¡¯t need to. He would protect them¡­ No matter what.

    ***

    The night was breezy. Stars shone over the New Cathedral, shedding their light onto the top of the main temple, which the Arch Priestess had graciously offered to Jack and his friends. They could have drunk their wine between the clouds or in orbit, but there was a different joy to occupying the top of a tall building.

    ¡°To friendship,¡± Jack said, raising his cup. ¡°The only constant of the cultivation world.¡±

    ¡°I thought the only constant was benefits,¡± Min Ling said.

    ¡°Only if you suck.¡±

    Everyone laughed, cheering and then downing their cups.

    ¡°I like your universe,¡± Strawpin said, looking up at the stars. ¡°Our sky is just gray and red. Not¡­this.¡±

    Starhair wrapped his arm under her, Strawpin leaning in. ¡°Every world is beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°For example, your world had you. All the stars in the sky couldn¡¯t compete with that.¡±

    She giggled, while Fiend Prince snorted in laughter. ¡°Can you believe this guy?¡± he said. ¡°He was just a nobody before, and the moment he found a girl, bam! Prince Charming.¡±

    ¡°At least I¡¯m trying. You were an average dude, then you didn¡¯t find a girl, and bam! Still an average dude.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m a genius, you know! The first disciple of Jack Rust!¡± Everyone laughed over his words. ¡°Why are you laughing? Ohhh, is it sparring time yet?¡±

    ¡°No sparring this time,¡± Jack said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of fighting tomorrow. Tonight is for relaxing and enjoying life.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Brock said. ¡°Let me change the subject, bros. How¡¯s everyone feeling?¡±

    They looked at each other. ¡°Right now?¡± Min Ling asked.

    ¡°Now and always.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m apprehensive,¡± Starhair said, his arm going slack around Strawpin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I feel we¡¯re on the cusp of a massive breakthrough. If we can just survive this war, everything will be great¡­but can we? A single battle will judge the universe¡¯s doom or endless prosperity. I know I won¡¯t play much of a part, but after spending time with all of you, I can¡¯t help feeling involved¡­and it scares me.¡±

    Jack gazed softly over his cup. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot,¡± he said.

    ¡°I had to. Can¡¯t keep pissing myself every time an Overlord looks at me the wrong way.¡±

    They laughed again.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a single deciding battle,¡± Heavenly Spoon said. He had broken the back of his chair and reattached it in a laid-back position, letting him lounge. A small silver spoon stuck out of his cup. ¡°It¡¯s the accumulation of all our efforts over the years. Every choice we¡¯ve made, every danger we¡¯ve overcome, and every opportunity we¡¯ve grasped with our two hands. We didn¡¯t know at the time, but everything led to this deciding moment. It¡¯s a relief, in a way. Compared to everything we¡¯ve already done, our performance in tomorrow¡¯s battle matters little. The result is almost predetermined. We just have to play it out.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way,¡± Fiend Prince said. ¡°I understand you¡¯re trying to compose yourself, but that is not the way of my Dao. Everything in the past only prepared me for this moment. I was sharpening my claws, and now is the time to use them. My performance matters.¡±

    ¡°I side with Fiend Prince,¡± Min Ling said.

    ¡°And I with Spoon,¡± Starhair said. ¡°What about you, Jack and Brock? You¡¯re the most accomplished individuals here. What do you think?¡±

    Brock raised his cup and took a big sip. ¡°I disagree with all of you,¡± he said. ¡°The performance of any individual is unimportant. It is our cumulative bro experience that matters.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Everyone gawked for a moment, then laughed. ¡°That¡¯s so Brock,¡± Min Ling said. As if drawn by an invisible power, all eyes slowly turned to Jack.

    He¡¯d been content to sit in his corner and listen to his friends speak. Sensing the attention on him, however, he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be here,¡± he said. ¡°Sure, I relish the opportunity to fight at the highest level. I¡¯ll try my hardest and break myself to protect the world and my daughter. However¡­ I can¡¯t help becoming emotional. Less than thirty years ago, I¡¯d never even heard of the Dao, and I spent my days studying biology and teaching undergraduates in a lab.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s undergraduates?¡± Min Ling asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s a lab?¡± said Fiend Prince.

    Jack laughed. ¡°The point is,¡± he said, ¡°back then, my world was so deceptively small. I could only see the tiniest corner of the tiniest corner of the universe. Even after the Integration, I remained a frog in a well for a long time. D-Grades were gods to me. I¡¯d sworn enmity against C-Grades, whom I couldn¡¯t even fathom defeating at the time. But I kept adventuring, and my power kept rising, and eventually I stand here, at the top of the world, drinking wine with people who could have made all my past problems disappear with the wave of a hand. I stand side by side with Archons, and tomorrow I¡¯ll fight a war that the Animal Kingdom, my former nemesis, didn¡¯t even qualify to participate in.¡±

    He shook his head, wetting his lips with wine before he spoke again. Everyone waited.

    ¡°It feels surreal,¡± he finally said. ¡°Like it¡¯s all a dream. Me, just taking a stroll through the different power levels, living one fantastical adventure after another. I get emotional every time I think about how far I¡¯ve come. I feel like it¡¯s taken such a long time, but it¡¯s only been, what¡­ Thirty years?¡± He thought about it. ¡°Okay, nevermind. That is a long time.¡±

    ¡°Only to you,¡± Starhair said, winking at Jack.

    ¡°How do you convince yourself it¡¯s real?¡± Spoon asked. ¡°If everything feels like a dream, how do you know it¡¯s not?¡±

    ¡°Because of the pain. Pain and loss. They make it real.¡±

    ¡°Welp, that took a dark turn,¡± Strawpin said. Next to her, Starhair shrugged.

    ¡°I liked it. Jack for Arch Priest.¡±

    They laughed again. So did Jack, the weight over his shoulders slowly dissolving.

    ¡°So, tell us about that,¡± Min Ling said, leaning forward and wagging a finger between Starhair and Strawpin. Her eyes held a tipsy light. ¡°How did that happen?¡±

    Starhair began. ¡°Well, you know how bees fly from flower to flower? Sometimes, they¡ª¡±

    Strawpin slapped his shoulder. ¡°We stayed in the Dark Canal for fifteen years,¡± she said. ¡°One day, I asked Dave here¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your real name is Dave!?¡± Jack interrupted.

    ¡°What about it?¡± Starhair asked back.

    ¡°I expected something better. Destructus or Gorgon or something. Dave the Long Hair Archon sounds silly.¡±

    ¡°Everyone has a normal name beneath their titles,¡± Spoon said, laughing. ¡°Mine is Jonas¡ªI think I¡¯ve told you before. It¡¯s not like we know we¡¯ll become great when we¡¯re born, and we can¡¯t have everyone going around with epic-sounding names. You don¡¯t want your coffee served by Ostenslor, the Destroyer of Worlds. Better Jeff, or Tiffany, or Sop. Part of the reason why we all use titles is that Sovereign Jonas does sound silly.¡±

    ¡°...Why am I still Jack?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry bro. I also use my real name,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°You can make your own titles whenever you want,¡± Starhair said. ¡°Of course, they¡¯re usually created for you by everyone else, but I guess you haven¡¯t lived long enough. Archon Fist sounds great.¡±

    ¡°Too similar to Archon One Fist.¡±

    ¡°Then Archon Punch. Or force him to change titles¡ªyou¡¯re better.¡±

    ¡°Can I be Elder Big Bro?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°Sure. Who I am, the title police?¡±

    ¡°I also use my real name,¡± Min Ling said. ¡°And I still want to hear the story of Starhair and Strawpin, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Strawpin said. ¡°Well, as we were just sitting there for fifteen years, I asked Starhair if he wanted to be my sex partner.¡±

    ¡°So romantic,¡± Spoon said with a laugh.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over!¡± she complained. ¡°He said no at first because, in his opinion, being straightforward was ¡°weird¡± and ¡°creepy.¡± So then we had a silly courting dance where we went on dates and stuff. He kissed me behind the Hall of Trial¡¯s silver stele. That¡¯s also where we¡ª¡±

    Starhair coughed, growing slightly redder in the face.

    Strawpin continued. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how it went. Everyone else really looked forward to us becoming a thing, for some reason, but I think it¡¯s just because our names start with the same letter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the reason!¡± Fiend Prince said. ¡°We wanted you to become a thing because you¡¯re the hair duo.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to do with hair,¡± she complained.

    ¡°Your straw looks like hair.¡±

    ¡°I like your hair,¡± Starhair said.

    ¡°And I like yours, sweety.¡±

    Brock tilted his head. ¡°Weird mating rituals,¡± he said.

    ¡°What can you do? Cultivators are weird like that,¡± Strawpin said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame the Arch Priestess couldn¡¯t join us,¡± Jack said with a sigh. ¡°Too busy.¡±

    ¡°Where did that come from?¡± Spoon asked. ¡°You fancy her?¡±

    Jack realized nobody knew about Brock and the Arch Priestess. ¡°She¡¯s just young, like us,¡± he lied. ¡°She would have fit in.¡±

    ¡°She and I do the sex sometimes,¡± Brock said, oblivious to everyone¡¯s shocked glances. He looked around. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You and the Arch Priestess!?¡± everyone said at roughly the same time.

    ¡°Yes. Why? Am I too handsome?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!!¡±

    ¡°Should you just be saying that?¡± Jack asked.

    Brock shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret. Besides, these are our bros.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±

    Everyone still reeled from the revelation. Jack started pouring more wine into their cups.

    ¡°We should take care not to get too drunk,¡± Spoon cautioned. ¡°It¡¯s a big day tomorrow, remember? Jack has to beat up the rival genius, and then we go to war. I wonder if Hero¡¯s having wine with his friends right now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he has any,¡± Jack said, still refilling the cups. ¡°Didn¡¯t strike me as the type.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But every hero has a sidekick, right?¡±

    ¡°Not if you can¡¯t stomach sharing the spotlight sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Jack¡¯s right,¡± Min Ling said. ¡°I was talking with some of our subterfuge experts the other day. They regularly tap into the Immortal army¡¯s off-the-records communications. Apparently, Elder Hero is a mega dick.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Some guy from the other side put it nicely. He said, and I quote, ¡®Hard to live with a hero-complex princess.¡¯¡±

    ¡°What does that mean? I¡¯m a princess,¡± Strawpin said.

    ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. My father runs a small kingdom in the Outer Provinces of our world.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Then excuse my indiscretion, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Now what¡¯s that supposed to mean!? I¡¯m as monster as the rest of you!¡±

    Everyone laughed again.

    The wine cups emptied, then were refilled. The pitcher kept going down. This was the highest grade of liquor, with such potency that one drop could intoxicate all fish in a lake. Even these high-level cultivators were affected, their conversation bouncing around all kinds of topics, ranging from funny, to ridiculous, to inappropriate. Brock regaled them with details on how he and the Arch Priestess courted each other. In return, Strawpin was all too eager to discuss her and Starhair¡¯s love life, which made the man go beet-red.

    ¡°Some things never change,¡± Jack said with a chuckle.

    Only now did he realize how desperately he¡¯d needed this. Even the most dedicated cultivator remained a person. Without unwinding, he¡¯d eventually break like a string left taut for too long. This simple break, a night chatting and drinking with friends, completely unknotted and upgraded his psyche. He was ready to face the world tomorrow¡ªquite literally.

    They still had a battle to prepare for, however. A few hours later, after everyone had relaxed and enjoyed themselves, Brock was the first to stand. ¡°We should go,¡± he said. ¡°Going into battle unprepared would be a shame.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re usually the one who starts the drinking,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m responsible.¡±

    Jack laughed, then stood as well. ¡°Brock¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°This was fun. Let¡¯s do it again tomorrow night?¡±

    Everyone smiled as they followed. ¡°You got a deal,¡± Min Ling said, swiping the table, chairs, wine, and cups into her space ring. Everyone bade goodbye with smiles and promised to repeat this outing tomorrow. No one mentioned the alternative.

    That night, for the first time in untold years, Jack slept. He¡¯d never woken up more refreshed.

    ¡°Are you ready, bro?¡± Brock asked as they finished breakfast. The armies were assembling outside. The air smelled of war.

    ¡°I am,¡± Jack said, walking out the door. ¡°It¡¯s time to finish this.¡±

 Chapter 551: Going to War

    The Sage hovered in pitch-black darkness. He¡¯d been here for several months, preparing the ritual to free Enas¡ªhis sole equipment being twelve columns, each twelve-sided and inscribed with runic symbols. Despite their simplicity, their every rune had been carved by past Archons, containing enough total power to contest the laws around a real black hole.

    They didn¡¯t need to destroy it, anyway.

    Having placed the columns and connected them with green Dao tethers, the Sage stood in space, inspecting his work. ¡°Just a little bit more¡­¡± he muttered, voice hoarse with desire. ¡°A little bit more, and I¡¯ll be free¡­¡±

    ***

    Jack slowly floated upward. Brock was beside him as they left the New Cathedral, rising into the space beyond. They were welcomed by a sea of cultivators¡ªthousands of them, the weakest being B-Grades. The antithesis to Jack¡¯s earlier days was striking.

    All eyes were on him and Brock as they ascended¡ªtheir entrance had been delayed on purpose. The other four Archons waited above the army, four dots emitting intense power. They were all releasing parts of their aura in preparation for war. Amongst them, the Arch Priestess shone like a brilliant sun, her aura easily eclipsing the others¡¯. Jack still wasn¡¯t sure of his current level, but he knew she overpowered him as well.

    As he rose, he also took in their army. Excluding himself and Brock, there were four Archons, thirty-something A-Grades, and then around a thousand B-Grades. It was much too small a force to contest the end of the world, but every single participant was a powerhouse, someone able to dominate their corner of a galaxy.

    Jack¡¯s friends were also there. Fiend Prince waved excitedly¡ªhe hadn¡¯t received any benefits as Jack¡¯s disciple yet, but Jack had explained to him and the others how he¡¯d achieved the Universe of the Body. Further instruction would come after the battle, provided they survived.

    ¡°Welcome, Jack Rust and Brock,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°Welcome, our champions!¡± She¡¯d ditched her robes for white armor, hugging her body and accentuating her curves¡ªthe last thing anyone cared about right now. A veil still covered her tiger-featured face, while gloves and boots hid her hands and feet. She¡¯d no doubt remove them before the battle.

    The army cheered at her words, Great Silver¡¯s roar echoing through the void.

    ¡°Jack and Brock are more than just today¡¯s stars,¡± the Arch Priestess continued. ¡°In the Church¡¯s time of need, they rushed into the Space Monster World and secured an important alliance for us. Monsters, you made the right decision. Thank you for being here.¡±

    ¡°How could we not?¡± Great Silver replied. ¡°This concerns our future as well. If there is a chance, we fight!¡±

    The monsters in the army¡ªover a third of it¡ªcheered. The Arch Priestess smiled under her veil.

    ¡°However, that is not the end of good news,¡± she said. ¡°Jack Rust has managed to achieve a realm no one has seen before. While not above Archons, he¡¯s set the foundation to getting there. After we win this battle, he will spread his knowledge across the universe, heralding a new era for everyone. All of you, whether at the B or A-Grade, will have a chance to pursue the realms beyond!¡±

    At this, every single cultivator present cheered with passion. They¡¯d devoted their lives to pursuing the peak. There could be nothing more exciting than new frontiers. The void shook by their roars.

    ¡°To do that, we need to win the war today,¡± the Arch Priestess continued, her voice dropping an octave. ¡°The Immortals have ruled the universe for a billion years. They are tyrants, slave-drivers, sick, soulless automatons who pit us against each other to raise soldiers. Today is the day we end them. Our people will suffer no more. I know you all left your disciples and descendants behind to be here. We are the cream of the crop, the masters, the elites of the universe. We shall face an equal force and prevail, because they fight for conquest, but we fight for our lives.¡±

    The people were enlivened, masters growing emotional. Many were elders. There was something primal about their spirited eyes, something which tugged at Jack¡¯s soul. Today, they would win, no matter what.

    ¡°We are a force for good!¡± the Arch Priestess shouted. ¡°I believe I speak for everyone when I say that, even if we are slaughtered on the battlefield, none of us will think about retreat. This is where we make our final stand. The world will rise or fall according to our powers, so everyone, please¡­ Give it your all!¡±

    The cheers kept rising until they reached a crescendo. This entire part of the universe shook by their sheer power. Finally, the sounds abated, replaced by a pregnant silence.

    Jack could sense it. A grim determination swept over the gathered cultivators. It was as the Arch Priestess had said¡ªthese were absolute masters of their generation, who came here fully intending on giving up their lives for the universe. Each could have run away, but none did. They showed up.

    In truth, they didn¡¯t need any encouragement. Their hearts burned hotter than the brightest fire, their minds devoted to a single purpose. The Arch Priestess¡¯s rallying speech wasn¡¯t meant to inspire them, but to instill meaning in their deaths.

    The priestess sensed the resolve of her warriors. She knew they were ready.

    ¡°Before we go,¡± she said, ¡°I want all of you who still possess System cores to remove them. We know the Immortals can use them against us.¡±

    Cries of assent came from throughout the crowd. Jack gave a bittersweet smile as he looked inside himself, his perception landing on a tiny, isolated part of his body. A sphere of ephemeral cogs lay there¡ªthe System mini-core planted in each cultivator. It was what gave him access to the status screen, the Inspection, the Skills, the level power-ups, and various other benefits. He¡¯d always known this day would come, as he knew that the System was an enemy, but he couldn¡¯t help becoming emotional.

    The System had been his oldest companion since the Integration, the raft on which he tightly held onto to stay afloat. The stats had been a constant relief throughout his adventures. However, everything ended. He opened his status screen a final time, knowing he¡¯d never see it again. He was long past needing it, anyway. Once he destroyed it, all enhancements it had already given him would remain, including stats and titles.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.

    Name: Jack Rust

    Species: Human, Earth-387

    Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (A)

    Grade: A

    Class: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)

    Level: 550

    Strength: 29,060

    Dexterity: 29,060

    Constitution: 29,060

    Mental: 2000

    Will: 2000

    Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Space Mastery IV, Death Mastery IV, Neutron Star Body IV, Black Hole IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Supernova III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I

    Inner World size: ??? miles

    Inner Cultivator Boundaries:

    Highest: F-Grade

    Average: F-Grade

    Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror, Planetary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Planet Destroyer, Challenger

    Even the error message at the start, which he usually ignored, chimed pleasantly in his mind. Embracing the sentimentalism of the moment, Jack reached for the System mini-core inside him and crushed it, watching the broken cogs dissipate into energy. He felt nothing different.

    Status screen, he thought. When nothing happened, he smiled sadly. Goodbye, System. I know I¡¯m coming to kill you, but you were a damn good companion.

    Maybe I¡¯ll create a better version of you in the future.

    He refocused. Silence had fallen over the army as the last people were finishing up. Loss was in many eyes.

    From above them, the Arch Priestess spoke. ¡°It¡¯s time. Jack Rust, as the one with the highest Space laws here, would you do us the honor?¡±

    Many of the Envoys and Elders, who didn¡¯t comprehend Jack¡¯s strength, were taken aback by this statement. He calmly floated upward, coming to rest on the same level as the Archons. An intricate device hovered between them. It looked similar to the teleportation cores of starships, except larger and vastly more powerful. As he connected his Dao to it, he could sense that a destination had already been set, and that its reserves were filled with an extreme amount of energy.

    He willed it to activate. A blinding flash enveloped the entire army. The void sundered under them, and then they were gone, surrounded by swimming colors as they were dragged through a tunnel in the dimensional sea. They reemerged half a galaxy away, near the center of the galaxy, in a wide area devoid of stars and planets. Not devoid of people, though.

    The Immortal army had arrived first. There were thousands of them, hovering through the void like almighty flies. Their B-Grades numbered in the thousands, their A-Grades and Archons almost doubling those of the Church. In addition, thirty-three A-Grade robots stood at the forefront, led by a single robot trailing void-ended wires. The Heaven Immortal, the current leader of the universe. They would have made for an unfair fight if not for the ten hulking behemoths dominating the void.

    It was the first time Jack met the Gods in person. He¡¯d fought a clone of Axelor and seen Enas in a vision or two, but their auras were a far cry from the real thing. Standing in the presence of Gods felt like a mortal gazing up a mountain, an ant looking at a dragon.

    The ten gods were arrayed in a line, silently facing the army of the Immortals, their auras pressing down like veils of steel. Each was an extreme Archon, with Axelor rising even higher. The God of Entropy himself was a planet-sized ball of darkness covered in lashing tentacles¡ªvery different to the handsome young man Jack fought in the Hall of Trials.

    The other nine gods were also titanic in size, though smaller than Axelor, and vaguely humanoid.

    One was made of fire. Another, of stars. A third seemed normal, but everything around it was warped, as if it were drawing them in. The fourth creature was made of lightning, the fifth of blue and red sparks, the sixth and seventh of explosions, though the latter depicted fewer yet larger ones. Finally, there were two creatures that only appeared as bodies of water, one resembling a rippling pond and the other a steady current.

    As the Black Hole Church army appeared, Jack sensed the auras of the Gods clamp tight around him. His own aura reacted instinctively, fighting back, pushing against the Gods with a divinity similar to their own. All ten of them whipped around at the same time, their gazes landing on Jack, trying to see right through him.

    He smiled. ¡°Hi,¡± he said, his voice crossing the endless miles. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    The Gods didn¡¯t respond. Unlike Axelor¡¯s clone, they felt impassive and inhuman, impossible to converse with. They probably could, if they wanted to, but their bubbling derision towards mortals clarified that wouldn¡¯t happen.

    Jack, however, sensed something more. Their eyes had contained wariness against him, an emotion on the verge of turning into killing intent. Him, of all mortals, they acknowledged as a possible threat.

    ¡°AFTER THIS, WE TALK,¡± a powerful voice smashed into his mind. Axelor¡¯s.

    Jack grinned. The God hadn¡¯t held back, but Jack endured the pressure as easily as a summer breeze. ¡°Sure,¡± he replied, then turned back to the front.

    Their three armies were arrayed in a triangle, with the Gods and the Church closer together. Technically, they hadn¡¯t come here to battle, but everyone knew how it would end.

    A late A-Grade man stepped out of the Immortal army, captivating everyone¡¯s attention. The Gods shimmered with fury. Jack raised his brows¡ªthis aura was much greater than he anticipated. It also contained a hint of divinity, though it was pale, like a color which had already been washed off.

    ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the spectacle of my victory,¡± Elder Hero said. His golden hair flowed behind his helmetless head, while shiny plate armor covered the rest of his body. He was almost unfairly handsome, with blue eyes, broad features, and a perfectly square chin as if chiseled from marble. He could give Superman a run for his money. Or Spongebob.

    Hero took out his broadsword, aiming it at the Church army. ¡°Jack Rust!¡± he declared. ¡°Come out to die, if you dare!¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± The answer arrived easily, riding the currents of space. Jack appeared before his army, stepping into the massive empty space between the three forces. It was way too large, clearly meant for a much grander battle than this duel.

    Hero laughed. ¡°I heard you¡¯d grown in power, and I must admit, your aura is quite impressive! However, don¡¯t think you stand a chance. Nevermind that it¡¯s only been sixteen years since our duel agreement. Even if you¡¯d waited the full thirty, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to surpass me. For every talented genius of evil, the forces of good have a better one.¡±

    A smile tugged at the ends of Jack¡¯s lips. ¡°You know, I¡¯m impressed as well,¡± he said. ¡°I thought this would be a walk in the park, but you¡¯re actually pretty strong. I still haven¡¯t fought seriously since my last breakthrough. I look forward to exerting myself a little.¡±

    ¡°Exerting yourself?¡± Hero laughed. ¡°Those are big words for a cultist trying to revive an evil God. I should let your ploy foster, just so I can foil it more majestically later on, but since we¡¯re in the middle of something here, I guess killing you now will do.¡±

    ¡°You speak a lot, but all you say is bullshit,¡± Jack replied, cracking his knuckles. His aura spread out, upturning the void, shaking the world. Gasps rose from the two armies. ¡°I heard you insulted my master,¡± he said, assuming a boxing stance. ¡°This fight is for his honor.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Bring it, scum!¡±

    The two greatest geniuses in the history of the universe clashed.

 Chapter 552: Jack vs. Hero

    Rory Pickleman was a late B-Grade Envoy of the Black Hole Church. His strength wasn¡¯t anything special, but he cultivated the Dao of Simple Honesty, making him perfect for carrying out top-secret missions. That was why he, alone, had been chosen to accompany the Sage into the old Ancient galaxy where Enas was imprisoned. A huge honor, as well as a huge responsibility.

    I have to admit it¡¯s going pretty well so far, Rory thought, sitting on the tea table they had prepared beforehand as he watched the Sage begin the ritual. A black hole was surrounded by twelve runic columns, each possessing twelve sides. The Sage stood before the black hole and chanted, an unintelligible sound which filled even Rory with energy. His body was rejuvenated.

    The twelve columns connected to each other in a green polygon around the black hole. Its sides swayed as if the hole¡¯s rotation rubbed against them. While Rory couldn¡¯t see the black hole, he could perceive it, and he noticed its rotation gradually slow down. A green light appeared in its midst, growing ever brighter as if approaching from an endless distance away. The same green light radiated from the Sage¡¯s body.

    Rory couldn¡¯t contain his excitement. Of all the people in the universe, would he, a random Envoy, be the one to witness the return of Enas?

    ***

    As Jack and Hero hyped themselves up, the Arch Priestess took something out of her space ring.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Recording stone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve already spread word, and this duel will be broadcast across the universe. The Immortals will also broadcast it in every corner of System space.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because each side thinks their champion will win.¡±

    She tossed the stone up. It automatically activated and zoomed in, capturing Jack and Hero, who were about to clash. At the same time, large screens flashed on the gathering fields of all high-grade factions across System space, including the Milky Way galaxy¡ªafter everything that happened with Jack, the existence of other galaxies and higher Grade organizations was no longer a secret.

    The duel was broadcasted to every important eye in the world¡ªexcept Earth, which was uncontactable to all.

    Jack didn¡¯t know about the broadcast, nor did he care. He rushed Hero. Thanks to his new powers, charging through space at near light-speed felt like strolling through the park. He arrived and casually shot a punch. Hero swung his sword against it.

    Purple energy blasted Hero¡¯s defenses, carving a beam through space. The other man recoiled, blown away, retreating thousands of miles before stabilizing. He wiped his chin with a gauging expression.

    ¡°You have power,¡± he said. ¡°Good. It wouldn¡¯t be interesting otherwise.¡±

    Contrary to the strike he¡¯d just received, he seemed in a good mood. Jack ignored his words and charged again. The budding universe inside him roiled with power. The astral rivers serving as his blood accelerated, the purple-sun heart pulsing with power. The laws of his universe circulated, feeding their essence into his, letting his fist command a field of power surpassing the physical domain.

    As he punched out, it was like endless natural laws crashing down. A massive starry fist appeared to ram into Hero.

    Hero fought back this time. A silver aura radiated from his body, encapsulating the space around him, changing its properties and making it uniquely his. As Jack¡¯s fist entered that space, he sensed it lose power as its Daos were no longer supported. It was like reality itself pushed against him.

    ¡°With the power vested in me by the people,¡± Hero chanted, ¡°I cast judgment!¡±

    Jack had fought late A-Grades before. The power unleashed by Hero was far above them, a terrible torrent of reality-consuming silver. The greatsword rose above him and cracked down like thunder. It met Jack¡¯s fist, both attacks warping around and consuming each other.

    ¡°You¡¯re good!¡± Jack laughed, even as Hero¡¯s gaze turned ghastly.

    ¡°You can resist my named attacks!?¡± he asked. ¡°Splendid! This makes my victory even worthier!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bite your tongue!¡±

    Jack shot out, a missile crossing space. He reached Hero instantly. A fist smashed into the other man¡¯s abdomen, ringing his armor like a bell. Another aimed for his head, blocked by a greatsword, which then turned and tried to cleave down Jack. He dodged it, pelting his opponent with Meteor Punches which broke against his armor in a breathtaking light show. Light sparkled everywhere. The spectators¡¯ eyes reflected the glint.

    When two men exchanged strikes, they glimpsed into each other¡¯s psyche. All barriers fell during a physical confrontation. Jack could sense Hero¡¯s soul¡ªa haughty thing, arrogance fueled by true competence. All his life, he¡¯d been the best, a lonely peak looking down on the world. His moral superiority against ¡°evil-doers¡± shared its foundation with his skill superiority over his struggling competitors¡ªand it was exactly that superiority which Jack threatened.

    At first, Hero¡¯s every strike felt disinterested, as if expecting to swat Jack away like a fly¡ªa habit forged over a lifetime of excellence and a Dao built around it. Over time, however, Hero grew angry. Every strike was sharp now. His cold, handsome face turned fiercer, his mouth hardening into a straight line. It was imperceptible to most, but Jack, being so close and intimate, could see it clearly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he taunted. ¡°Is it hard to play hero when the other guy fights back?¡±

    ¡°What do you know about heroism?¡±

    ¡°Take a wild fucking guess.¡±

    The greatsword fell from the sky, orbited by a thousand angry stars. Jack punched up. A purple storm erupted, the stars extinguished one-by-one with metallic sounds as his middle knuckle met blade.

    Hero¡¯s sword could cleave apart planets. If it touched a sun, the sun would be sliced in two. Jack¡¯s knuckle, however, was something much harder. It was part of a universe, part of a whole, the apex of a fist clad in the highest natural laws. Unless Jack¡¯s fist broke, his knuckle never would.

    A terrible shockwave spread down, covering a wide astral area below Jack. At the same time, the aftermath of his fist flew up, sliced in two by Hero¡¯s blade. The Archons of each army galvanized their powers to protect the onlookers as the Gods calmly watched on. Across the Spiral Stair galaxy, the clashes of Jack and Hero could be seen as pretty lights in the night sky.

    But the battle ramped up still. Hero was an immovable mountain, armor and sword both standing at the peak. Jack was a force of nature, a fist calmly but firmly navigating the storm to strike the enemy.

    With his cultivation fused into his body, teleporting was as natural as moving aside, the lines between the two blurred.

    Attacking was the same. He¡¯d fully digested his understandings, each strike flowing as a simple punch yet containing profound truths of the universe. He was a purple boxer in a river of silver, fighting against the current. Hero¡¯s aura cascaded over Jack but did nothing, its level decidedly inferior to Jack¡¯s established divinity. As for the greatsword, it was even more ineffective¡ªall strikes had been blocked or dodged. So far, Hero had received hits, but Jack hadn¡¯t. This infuriated the other man.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The greatsword flew over Jack¡¯s head, cutting a line in space. The void sundered for thousands of miles behind it. As Jack reared up to attack, one of Hero¡¯s hands left the sword handle, following his own momentum to pivot into a fist which struck Jack¡¯s chin. He flew back, somersaulting in mid-air.

    ¡°You punched me?¡± he asked with a grin, feeling his chin. ¡°It would be funny to swap, but I don¡¯t have a greatsword.¡±

    ¡°Silence, villain. No matter how strong you become, justice will always prevail. I must protect the people. If that means using less noble means than my sword, then so be it.¡±

    Jack arched a brow. ¡°You talk a lot, and you sure love spouting bullshit. Does it help ramp up your powers?¡±

    ¡°Poking for weaknesses? How suitable for someone like you.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack said, cracking a smile. ¡°Your Dao is based on belief. You spin the narrative in your favor, then grow stronger the more you frame yourself as the hero.¡±

    ¡°I am the hero, little villain. You conspire with deranged cultists and dark gods. I work with the people of the universe, seventy-three galaxies standing behind my back. Tell me¡ªwho fights for the greater cause?¡±

    ¡°Your people of the universe are oppressed and enslaved,¡± Jack reminded him. ¡°The Immortals and their System force them to kill each other, disregarding life to create soldiers.¡±

    Hero snorted. ¡°The world is always rife with struggle. People would kill each other regardless. Funneling that into creating soldiers is a necessary sacrifice to save the world from these false Gods you worship.¡±

    A hint of anger radiated from the Gods sitting to the side, rattling the space between Jack and Hero. Neither seemed to care.

    ¡°You¡¯re merely preying on the weak,¡± Jack said. ¡°Your Immortals cannot even conceive the value of mortal life. We do. When your armies purged the Church from System space, how many innocent people did you kill? How many planets did you smite?¡±

    Hero snorted again, a sound of clear derision. ¡°You understand nothing,¡± he said. ¡°Let justice prevail.¡±

    ***

    Lord Longsword sat with his arms crossed and watched a broadcast playing on the big screen of his home faction. It had been a few decades since his foray into Trial Planet¡ªhis build had grown more mature and muscular, new scars decorating his face. His sword was even longer, hanging horizontal against his back and scaring the junior disciples to his sides.

    After losing to Jack Rust, he¡¯d worked harder than anyone and managed to reach the middle D-Grade after only a couple decades. He was even approaching the late D-Grade. The Elders hailed him as a genius and prepared him to be the new Faction Leader of the Wide Swirls faction.

    All those achievements, however, felt like nothing. He saw, on the big screen, Jack Rust fighting for the title of the world¡¯s greatest genius. They¡¯d been on the same level twenty years ago, but now Longsword was nothing but an ant compared to Jack. The most humbling experience of his life.

    Longsword, however, had matured over the past years. Instead of bursting with the anger of hurt pride, he smiled in self-deprecation. His fingers rubbed something in his pocket, from where a tiny giggle emerged.

    ¡°I¡¯m just too inferior,¡± he muttered. ¡°I hope you win, Jack Rust.¡±

    ***

    Grand Elder Huali had arranged a viewing party. The entirety of the reborn Exploding Sun faction had gathered to watch Jack¡¯s duel, and they¡¯d even invited all neighboring factions, the Sun disciples not losing any opportunity to brag about how Jack had studied with them for a bit in the past. There were even a few people who¡¯d met Jack personally, or even sparred with him!

    Huali watched, her gaze glued to the large screen, her eyes moist with tears. ¡°Show me the power of Supernova¡­¡± she whispered. Shol was beside her, deep in his proud drinking. He constantly laughed for no reason.

    ***

    Back on Earth, there was no viewing screen to Jack¡¯s duel. There couldn¡¯t be, since they were outside System space. That didn¡¯t mean they did nothing.

    Jack had arranged a banquet with all his old friends. Only Vivi knew the true reason: if the main body perished, so would the clone, and he wanted it to be amongst true friends. Ebele was there too, as were Gan Salin, Nauja, Edgar, Harambe, Captain Dordok, Brother Tao... Even his mother was present¡ªMargaret Rust, the professor, deep in her waning years. She must have suspected that something was going on, because she¡¯d dragged herself out of her house for the first time in months to attend.

    Wine and food were aplenty. They talked freely, exchanging stories, sharing their lives. Edgar talked about the development of his Academy¡ªhe¡¯d grown a mustache and a beard, and had overall shifted into a look much more fitting for a Headmaster than his previous one. His voice now contained command and dignity.

    Jack sat back and enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere. He knew there was a decent chance he¡¯d collapse before the end of this banquet. He might as well enjoy it.

    And, if the unfortunate truly happened, he¡¯d make sure to teleport away in time. Wouldn¡¯t want to traumatize Ebele.

    ***

    Hero charged, but Jack took a moment to grin before retaliating. His perception was sharp now, and he sensed the small but noticeable shudder in Hero¡¯s aura. That was a weakness of belief-based Daos¡ªwhen founded on unsteady ground, all it took to shake them was a bit of Dao debate. It was the same trick he¡¯d sometimes used against the leonines of the Animal Kingdom¡ªand, if Hero had bothered to research Jack¡¯s background, he¡¯d know that to engage in mid-battle trash-talk with him was suicide.

    Or maybe he had, and he was just overconfident.

    Seeing Hero¡¯s approach, trailing the silver metallic aura of justice, Jack clenched his fist. Sparks rose from across his body. The Thunderbody technique was unusable now that he¡¯d changed the fundamental nature of his body, but he¡¯d been able to derive a new version based on the old one. Every spark that rose from his skin contained tiny stars, the essences of Jack¡¯s inner astral space. It would temporarily lower the energy density of his inner universe, delaying the progress of its cultivators, but it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d make up for it later. This war was the convergence of everything, and he had to win.

    He could have also used the Life Drop, but its energy reserves were still low, so he wanted to save it for when truly necessary.

    Hero flashed above Jack, sword raised and poised to strike. His red cape fluttered. He brought the blade down hard. ¡°Divine Justice!¡± he shouted.

    Jack was done playing. His aura erupted as he drove up a fist, the world compressed inside it to the point of eruption. ¡°Supernova!¡±

    Hero¡¯s sword was washed away. A terrifying explosion filled the world, somewhat comparable to a real supernova, forcing the onlookers to turn away. For a moment, a new star appeared in the galaxy, brighter than any other.

    By the time the spectators could look at the battle again, they found Hero flung away, his silver armor blackened at the front. Terrible wrath filled his face, while his flowing golden hair was singed at the ends. Before he could re-engage, Jack appeared in front of him, clad in purple lightning. His fist rolled forth. Hero¡¯s armor cracked as he flew back again, bright blood trailing his open mouth.

    Jack used the overwhelming speed granted by his version of Thunderbody to flash around Hero, mercilessly pummeling him. He cracked a knee at the back of his armor, sending him flying upward, then smashed a fist into his chest from above. More punches landed, Hero¡¯s trajectory turning erratic. He was spinning in space, having lost all sense of direction, his mind shaking from the impacts. As he guarded his head and looked around, he saw a storm of meteors heading at him from all directions. He screamed as they landed.

    The Heaven Immortal and the Gods looked on, transfixed. Hero was one of the greatest geniuses in the history of the cultivation world, assisted by every resource the Immortals could muster. Yet, here he was, losing to someone two small realms below him. This was historic.

    ¡°What a shame,¡± the Heaven Immortal muttered. His voice was electric. ¡°If only we¡¯d found him first, the Crusade would be over. Now he must die.¡±

    The Gods didn¡¯t make a sound, though they rapidly discussed amongst themselves. As for the Church army, they clenched their fists, inspired by the sight before them. Their champion was winning. They were no longer forced to hide in the shadows¡ªthanks to Jack, they were able to step in the open, brazenly facing the Immortals with their heads held high.

    Heavenly Spoon, Min Ling, Starhair, Strawpin, and Fiend Prince all had looks of admiration on their faces. Only Brock remained calm, used to his brother¡¯s feats of overwhelming strength. As for Boatman, he slowly shook his head. ¡°The new overcomes the old¡­¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Your disciple has surpassed you, Boatman, but that is cause for celebration,¡± the Arch Priestess replied, unable to hide her pride. ¡°In fact, he might have even surpassed me. He still hasn¡¯t activated his four-armed battle form, but he can fight at the level of a weaker Archon.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. As far as I can tell, the influence of his battle form should have decreased after Jack¡¯s recent breakthroughs. It wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡±

    On the Immortals¡¯ side, an Archon leaned close to the Heaven Immortal¡¯s head. The robot possessed no ears, but whispering was a universal gesture. ¡°Should we attack, sir?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± the Heaven Immortal replied. ¡°Hero is not done yet.¡±

 Chapter 553: What it Means to Be a Hero

    The black hole¡¯s rotation had massively decelerated, and it was slowly unraveling under its own weight. Rory watched as the green light grew brighter in its depths. Guided by the Sage¡¯s chanting and the twelve runic columns, the light seemed to form a portal in the middle of the black hole, out of which came a hand. It was perfectly human, yet grossly oversized¡ªbarely smaller than the black hole itself. Some of its nails were sharp, other trimmed.

    Oh boy, Rory thought. If Enas is that big, he must have been super cramped in there.

    The hand grabbed the edge of the black hole and started pulling. More of the arm was revealed at an agonizingly slow pace. The Sage started laughing.

    ***

    In the midst of the three armies, the flashes were settling down. Hero was revealed¡ªthough he still stood, he was clearly hurt. His hair was burned and disheveled, his handsome face bruised and bloody. Cracks ran down his armor, while his aura was unsteady as if someone had poked holes into it. He breathed heavily as he glared down Jack.

    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t end you?¡± Jack asked, hovering calmly some distance away. Even now, he was barely injured. ¡°It¡¯s because I want the world to watch your downfall. A few years ago, you tried to kill my master. That was unacceptable. I promised to crush you before I killed you.¡±

    Off to the side, Boatman swelled with pride.

    Hero snorted. ¡°You will pay for your arrogance.¡±

    Jack gave a hard smile. His statement hadn¡¯t been the whole truth. He did want to humiliate Hero a bit, but he was far too experienced to let an enemy recover. The real reason he stopped attacking was that he sensed something inside Hero¡ªan extremely pure and potent power buried into his body, on the verge of erupting. It filled even him with fear. If Hero decided to use whatever that was and Jack was too close, he might not be able to react in time.

    Now, however, Hero couldn¡¯t mount a sneak attack. His pride wouldn¡¯t let him hold back after being manhandled so heavily. He¡¯d be forced to activate that core of power, and, as long as he wasn¡¯t taken by surprise, Jack was confident in dealing with whatever Hero could throw at him.

    The two crossed gazes, reading each other¡¯s calculations. Hero tsked. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°I hoped I wouldn¡¯t need to use this here, but so be it. Let me show you the true power of a hero.¡±

    ¡°Sure, and I¡¯ll show you the true power of an ass-kicking,¡± Jack replied, but his mirth was cut short. The new power streaming out of Hero was no joke. Dark tendrils filled the void, spreading far and wide, carrying a weight too heavy for the mortal world. Jack could sense it like a bonfire in Hero¡¯s belly, something great in there burning itself to achieve new heights of power. Jack suddenly had an odd sensation, as if Hero grew denser, weighing millions of tons.

    ¡°INSOLENCE!¡±

    Angry divine Daos assaulted them from another side. The Gods stepped in. The Heaven Immortal teleported at the same time, appearing before them like he¡¯d always been there, and the Gods froze mid-step.

    Jack¡¯s eyes widened, as did every other onlooker¡¯s. One robot blocked the path of ten Gods, wires trailing from behind it into rifts of space. It would have been impressive if this wasn¡¯t an enemy.

    ¡°HEAVEN IMMORTAL! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING?¡± Axelor shouted out, his divine voice shaking the fabric of reality. Yet, as imposing as he looked, there was no hiding the fact that he¡¯d chosen to speak instead of attack.

    The Archons watching narrowed their eyes. ¡°Are they afraid of him?¡± the Arch Priestess wondered. ¡°That can¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡°This duel was agreed upon,¡± the Heaven Immortal replied calmly. ¡°No one shall interfere.¡±

    ¡°HE BURNS THE SOUL OF OUR SIBLING.¡±

    ¡°The core was spoils of battle. Elder Hero can do with it whatever he likes.¡±

    The Gods¡¯ aura churned like an angry fire in which someone had thrown a vat of oil.

    ¡°DO NOT THINK WE FEAR YOU, IMMORTAL. WE ARE HERE TO DESTROY YOU. WE WERE WILLING TO WAIT FOR THIS MORTAL CHARADE TO FINISH, BUT SUCH DISRESPECT WILL NOT PASS.¡±

    It was clear they did fear him. Jack didn¡¯t know why¡ªthe Heaven Immortal¡¯s aura was no stronger than most Archons, noticeably below even the weakest of Gods.

    In any case, even if they did fear him for some reason, Axelor was right. Since they¡¯d fight anyway, they had little reason to endure such disrespect. A thousand calculations ran through Jack¡¯s mind, and he knew he had to act fast.

    ¡°Let me fight him,¡± he telepathically told Axelor.

    ¡°WHY?¡±

    Jack explained his plan. The Gods, who were ready to attack, suddenly teleported back to their original positions. ¡°FINISH THIS BATTLE,¡± Axelor commanded the world. ¡°AND THEN IT¡¯S WAR.¡±

    The Heaven Immortal hesitated for a moment, as if surprised by this development, then also teleported away. Jack and Hero remained alone in the middle of this vast starry field.

    ¡°You were saying?¡± Jack said, turning to his opponent.

    Hero flashed with power. ¡°In my name as a hero, I will end you.¡±

    The core of the deceased Mass God burned inside him, infusing his body with endless mass and his Dao with divine providence. It was a pale imitation of Jack¡¯s divinity. At the same time, Jack knew that for every moment they spent fighting in this state, part of the Mass God¡¯s essence burned away forever. He had to end this fast. However, carrying out his plan wasn¡¯t simple.

    The two flashed, then met in the center of the void. Supernova met heavy sword. The clash between them was far more balanced than before, Hero¡¯s strength sharply increased by burning the core. ¡°Divine Justice!¡± he kept shouting. Fists met blade. Their strikes continued, painting the world silver and purple, shedding new light in the galaxy¡¯s night sky. Stars were born and died. The belief of Hero¡¯s perceived people clamped around Jack like a vise, threatening to suffocate him.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± Jack said between all-out strikes. ¡°Your divinity is a pale imitation of the real thing, achieved through a shortcut, the same way your heroism is nothing compared to mine.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Jack pressed the attack, not letting Hero act out his shock. Brilliant purple and silver rivers illuminated the void. ¡°You are not a true hero,¡± he said between punches. He paused to dodge the greatsword, then continued. ¡°Your achievements were all given to you. Your masters are the world¡¯s tyrants. How could a true hero work for them?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°You know nothing about me!¡± Hero cried out.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re mistaken,¡± Jack replied. Despite their frantic battle, he spared a hint of his power to make their voices echo undisturbed through the void, reaching everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m too experienced to underestimate any opponent. I had people research you before this. You were born as royalty to a B-Grade faction. Your early achievements came in the form of stomping the rebellions of starved farmers. You labeled yourself a hero as you committed endless atrocities against your enemies, who were nothing but oppressed people fighting for the future of their children. You pushed them into the ground and laughed upon their corpses.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± Hero roared.

    ¡°Are they? Because that¡¯s what I heard about you. Your heroic achievements were always against the wrong people¡ªas they still are. When you helped your family eradicate the space pirates of the Gentle Sun constellation, who were those space pirates attacking? Innocent people, or slave traders working for your father¡¯s interests? When you saved the plantations of planet Eresol from local bandits, were they really bandits, or were they people your family had starved, desperately trying to feed their families and escape your oppression?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°The Immortals helped you frame yourself as the hero, but all you¡¯re doing is patting your own back!¡± Jack declared, laughing. ¡°What hero? You¡¯re nothing but an enforcer!¡±

    A tremendous wave of energy blasted Jack, headed by the heavy blade of a greatsword. He blocked the strike, flying back a bit to dissipate the blow.

    ¡°What do you know about me?¡± Hero asked, panting, his body still wreathed in the dead god¡¯s flames. ¡°What do you know about being a hero!?¡±

    The flames dancing around him made a stark contrast against his white armor. They framed his bloodshot eyes in a scary light, making him resemble a hero less and less.

    ¡°I told you, I am a hero,¡± Jack replied. ¡°A true one, unlike you. I overcame terrible odds to save my planet from the B-Grade Animal Kingdom. I fought tyrants and stood up for the right thing. I almost doomed myself defending my values. Unlike you, who only ever fought balanced battles, I had to struggle for every advantage I ever received. In fact, you could say my current standing and power are the results of true heroism. I don¡¯t usually tout my own horn like this, but if we¡¯re talking heroes, I¡¯m far more qualified than you to possess that title!¡±

    Hero¡¯s gaze flared dangerously, but Jack only laughed and pressed on. ¡°You were unlucky to face me, Hero. Against anyone else, you might have had a chance, but when daring to use your frail Dao before me, only matching my power because of desperately burning massive resources, you are completely inadequate. I am the living proof of your Dao¡¯s failures. A true hero stands before you, and that makes you feel so small.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Hero roared, finally pushed past the limits of his patience. He barreled forward, sword poised to strike even as his aura slowly wilted. All around Jack, space suddenly erupted with light. Silver beams emerged from hidden crevices in space, placed there during Hero¡¯s previous attacks, and lunged at Jack. A terrible mass of power besieged him, all of Hero¡¯s potential erupting in one calculated strike. A shocked expression emerged on Jack¡¯s face. Hero grinned manically.

    ¡°Die in the name of heroism!¡± he shouted. ¡°Sword of the People!¡±

    Silver swords fell on Jack from all directions. Hero¡¯s sword pierced in, carrying a dead god¡¯s power. Jack raised his gaze¡ªand, suddenly, his shocked expression was wiped by a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said. Sparks and green light erupted together as Jack grew taller, with two extra arms. The silver swords fell on an invisible barrier around him, suddenly deteriorating like they¡¯d weathered the endless passage of time. The silver sword pierced into that same barrier, but Hero desperately burned his own lifeforce to forcefully penetrate.

    Jack¡¯s barrier of entropy shattered, but it had already dealt with all the silver swords and delayed Hero¡¯s main strike. In that moment of delay, a black sphere had formed in place of Jack¡¯s fist, sitting eerily still. He pushed it into the tip of the sword. Hero¡¯s silver greatsword pierced into the darkness and kept going, its length gradually consumed by the black hole. Horror finally appeared in his eyes, but it was too late. Jack pushed the hole deeper, fully consuming Hero¡¯s sword and arm, then punching it into his abdomen, where it tore and swallowed his armor like paper.

    The black hole pierced into Hero¡¯s body, but it wasn¡¯t as wild as it used to be. A thin barrier of entropy was draped around it, letting Jack control what it ate and what it didn¡¯t.

    When the lunging Hero came to a stand-still, his expression frozen into horror and disbelief, Jack¡¯s hand was in his stomach. He slowly pulled it back, revealing that in place of the black hole he possessed a regenerated fist, and in it he held a dark, burning spherical core. He extinguished its flames with his own divinity.

    Everyone rose to their feet. The Heaven Immortal teleported beside Jack, reaching out to grab him, but a dark tentacle slapped the hand away even as Jack dodged it. The Heaven Immortal grabbed Hero¡¯s body and teleported back to the safety of its army.

    ¡°This is impossible,¡± he said. ¡°You extracted the god core. Give it back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my spoils of battle,¡± Jack said, brazenly inspecting the core. ¡°I can do with it whatever I like. Right?¡±

    These were the exact same words the Heaven Immortal had used to defend Hero¡¯s actions before. Now, Jack threw them right back in its face, a crisp slap which echoed throughout the universe.

    Axelor gazed at Jack with appreciation, while the Heaven Immortal considered its next words. ¡°Taunting me is pointless. I possess no emotions,¡± it said. ¡°In return for sparing Hero¡¯s life, I will not kill you immediately. Return me the core, and I promise not to execute you after the battle either.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you see, Heaven Immortal, you¡¯re wrong about two things,¡± Jack said, lazily flicking the god core up and down in his hand. ¡°First, taunting you very much has a point. You may be emotionless, but I enjoy it. Second¡­ While I did technically spare Hero¡¯s life, you killed him when you took him over there. You see, I can¡¯t control entropy that well yet. Whoops.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Hero muttered through gritted teeth, still folded in on himself, when his eyes shone with new horror. ¡°NO!¡± he shouted. The Heaven Immortal sensed it at the same time and pushed Hero into the empty space ahead of them, far from the army.

    When Jack had pierced the black hole into Hero¡¯s body and retrieved the core, he didn¡¯t dissipate it. He just left it in Hero¡¯s stomach, perfectly covered in an entropy barrier which prevented it from eating him up. That same barrier absorbed all perception, effectively hiding the black hole so no one could notice it without careful scanning.

    When the Heaven Immortal dragged Hero away, however, Jack lost the ability to control that entropy barrier. A hole formed, the barrier shattered, and Hero found himself with an active black hole in his stomach. What¡¯s worse, his body had regenerated, closing the wound. The black hole was sealed inside¡ªand all it had to eat was Hero.

    ¡°NO!¡± he screamed again as his body warped. Bones snapped, flesh tore. His horrified face was distorted as it got sucked in alongside his armor, and all that was left of him was a black hole absorbing its surroundings like a whirlpool. It exploded a moment later, sending a dark shockwave through the void.

    Everyone watched silently. The Heaven Immortal tilted its head. ¡°I rescind my words,¡± it said. ¡°You will be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Try it, bitch,¡± Jack replied, giving it the middle finger.

    The Immortal army moved behind its leader. A-Grades flew in, led by Archons and followed by B-Grades. ¡°Protect Jack!¡± the Arch Priestess shouted, and her army charged right back, all of them converging on Jack¡¯s location. The Gods had already appeared there, and Jack suddenly found himself surrounded by dozens of Archons, all ready to fight each other. Warcries echoed. The first blasts of energy were launched. The Arch Priestess and Heaven Immortal were flying at each other.

    ¡°GIVE ME THE CORE,¡± Axelor commanded.

    Jack hesitated. Before he could reply, however, something changed. The Time God rippled, and all the Gods shuddered with rage.

    ¡°YOU ARE AWAKENING ENAS!¡± Axelor shouted, his voice echoing so hard it paused the battlefield. Jack didn¡¯t even have time to panic. The Space God snapped its fingers, and a large portal suddenly appeared over the battlefield, falling over everyone and forcefully teleporting them. It wasn¡¯t a particularly powerful spell for a God. All Archons could have resisted, but they chose not to. The entire battlefield was sucked into the portal, leaving a large empty portion of space in the Spiral Stair galaxy.

    At the same time, in a different galaxy far, far away, a portal appeared out of nowhere, spitting out two armies and ten Gods. A black hole in the middle of unraveling towered in the distance.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Rory said.

    Axelor waved a tentacle, and all the runic columns shattered, consumed by entropy. The black hole resumed its rotation, while a muted cry of frustration echoed through space. Jack was stunned. The Arch Priestess was stunned. The Heaven Immortal hesitated for a moment before resuming its attack, and the two armies clashed in a cataclysmic explosion which illuminated that entire corner of the universe.

 Chapter 554: High-Level Chaos

    Rory looked askance at the two armies and ten Gods who¡¯d just popped into existence. He glanced back at the black hole, where the twelve runic pillars had been destroyed. The Sage appeared beside him.

    ¡°Elder Sage,¡± Rory said in a shaky voice, ¡°what do we do?¡±

    The Sage carried a calm smile. ¡°This is unfortunate,¡± he said, ¡°but I have a feeling everything will work out. How about you go join our army while I wait here?¡±

    Rory looked at the Sage¡¯s confident face, then at the army of the Black Hole Church which had spawned nearby. ¡°Yes sir!¡± he cried out as he flew over.

    ***

    Jack looked at the new astral field around them. He didn¡¯t recognize the place¡ªstrange stars littered the void, not quite a galaxy, but clustered in large or smaller groups with vast swathes of void between them. There were also a few isolated ones, lazily drifting through the darkness. Through the gaps between clusters, other galaxies were visible. Jack couldn¡¯t make out the Milky Way¡ªfrom afar, all spiral galaxies looked alike.

    ¡°I thought your universe only had galaxies. What is this place?¡± Fiend Prince said. Jack had retreated to the front of his army after the duel, where the eager monster was also waiting.

    ¡°The former Ancient galaxy,¡± he replied. ¡°The cradle of all life¡ªexcept space monsters¡ªwhich was destroyed during the First Crusade. Enas was trapped in a black hole near it.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Fiend Prince said, gazing at the large black hole hovering nearby. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The black hole you see holds Enas, the God of Life, and those funky rods were trying to rescue him.¡±

    Fiend Prince stared agape. The plan of rescuing Enas was top secret¡ªbesides Jack, Brock, Boatman, and the Archons, almost nobody knew. To them, they¡¯d just randomly teleported to a different point in space. Nothing much seemed to have changed, but those in the know were devastated. With the Gods and Immortals here, saving Enas was impossible. They¡¯d just have to fight and hope the Gods didn¡¯t turn on them afterward.

    With the sudden teleportation putting a lull on the battle, Axelor turned to the Arch Priestess. ¡°WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?¡± he asked, his voice shaking the void. Hints of his aura rolled over the Church army, giving the cultivators a sinking feeling.

    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± the Arch Priestess said, rising over her soldiers. Her expression was bitter. ¡°It¡¯s over now, anyway. Let¡¯s just fight the war.¡±

    ¡°ENAS MUST NOT BE FREED.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it will be as you say.¡±

    ¡°That was an interesting plot you orchestrated, Arch Priestess,¡± the Heaven Immortal¡¯s voice echoed, ¡°but you failed. We will end this now.¡±

    The Immortal army washed over the cosmos again. They descended on their enemies like a swarm of unfathomably powerful locusts, blasting the void open with endless surges of power.

    World-destroying attacks flew everywhere, annihilating the ambient Dao, ripping it apart as everyone wrestled for control over it. In moments, the ambient Dao was gone, replaced with the wild energy of thousands of inner worlds. Almost every master of the universe was present, whether they had to leave seclusion to make it or withdraw from their retirement. This battle would be remembered for billions of years.

    The Church army, while fewer in number than their opponents, was equally imposing. B-Grades fell into formation led by A-Grades. Massive runic circles appeared, powered by clusters of inner worlds, to spray death upon the enemy. Jack watched lances the size of planets spear through the void, launched forward like they weighed nothing. He saw several A-Grade wizards combining their powers to form sun-like fireballs, which they hurtled forward, and he saw a storm of Space Dao slice apart an area the size of a solar system. Summons sprang into existence¡ª colossal angels and monsters, twelve-headed hydras, ogres the size of planets.

    The usually tame fabric of reality now pulsed rapidly, every tiny touch causing it to tear and open to the void beyond. Even that void was weaponized, certain high-level cultivators pulling it out in batches and firing it at their opponents.

    In this chaotic melee, the worst were Time cultivators. Fighting in three dimensions was bad enough¡ªthey spread the battle into the fourth as well, creating glimpses of reality which had yet to be or already had been. Every B-Grade¡¯s Dao perception was short-circuited by the almighty chaos, forcing them to rely just on their sight to gauge the battlefield. In such a high-level conflict, they were little more than pawns. Only the strongest of them could fight freely. The rest remained close to their assigned A-Grades, adding their powers into formations.

    Whenever a formation shattered, its members spread into the battlefield, fighting not to win, but to survive. Jack glimpsed many B-Grades getting sucked into dimensional gaps and disappear, or simply get torn apart at the aftermath of a more powerful cultivator¡¯s battle.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Many A-Grade cultivators were working by themselves, going head-to-head against the enemy masters. Dozens of these once elite confrontations now covered the entire battlefield. Jack spied Elder Boatman lead a squad of three A-Grades into battle, right under where Archon One Fist faced an enemy Archon clad in a mantle of chaos. Space around them was empty and desolate for endless miles, the tiny bodies of cultivators barely noticeable before the massive halos of their powers.

    Jack saw Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling dash into an enemy squad: a planet-sized green phantom tried to scoop up some cultivators and eat them, but an equally massive hammer smashed into it, eliciting a pained moan. Red lightning escaped a crack in the void to assault the hammer, melting it, while purple flames electrified its caster. The green phantom escaped the hammer¡¯s suppression, reaching out and scooping the enemy cultivator directly into its mouth. It burped before roaming deeper into the battlefield.

    There was another part of the battlefield, however. A part which Jack wanted to rush, but which he¡¯d been advised not to. In a distant region of the void, the ten Gods and the most powerful Archons of each side struggled together. They were far less people than in the main battlefield, but their battle easily overwhelmed anything else.

    Jack was momentarily transfixed. The Gods battled in a rough group, throwing around their colossal powers like it meant nothing. A lesser cultivator wouldn¡¯t have noticed, but Jack saw in their Dao manipulations the signs of amateurs. They possessed great power but didn¡¯t know to wield it properly¡ªprobably because they never had to. A significant measure of their power was wasted. They weren¡¯t really amateurs, of course, just nowhere close to possessing the average Archon¡¯s wealth of battle experience. Despite that, they could match the mightiest of mortal Archons.

    Jack briefly wondered whether the Gods had actually reached the S-Grade and just didn¡¯t know how to control their power. A wave of aura dispelled that notion. The Gods were clearly Archons, just deeper into that realm than any mortal had been able to reach.

    Axelor himself was on a different level. His dark tentacles lashed around wildly, each carrying the power of a normal Archon. They were made of Entropy so dense it turned solid, and he had an entire planet¡¯s worth of the thing. If he desired to destroy a place like Earth, it would take nothing more than an afterthought, similar to a human flicking a switch.

    Right now, that massive behemoth of a God had clashed repeatedly against the Heaven Immortal and the other thirty-two Immortals. They had arrayed themselves into a seamless formation to hold their own against the God of Entropy, forcing him to a standstill.

    The other nine Gods and the Arch Priestess¡ªthe only representative of Church forces in that battlefield¡ªfaced the elite forces of the Immortal army. They didn¡¯t possess ten extreme Archons to match all of them¡ªin fact, they barely possessed ten Archons total¡ªbut they were backed by dozens of A-Grades, all contributing their power to establish a wide array of formations. In a wild display of skill, they managed to stall the nine Gods and the Arch Priestess, who was an extreme Archon herself. Jack wondered what exactly their plan was, because both their extreme Archon front and the thirty-three Immortals seemed to struggle.

    Because the Immortals needed to spend most of their forces on the Gods, only a few Archons and A-Grades were left in the main battlefield, but they were enough to match the Church army.

    Jack and Brock had already been rushing to join the battle. They were equal to an Archon and a peak A-Grade respectively¡ªtheir arrival could massively impact the main battlefield, which split in their wake. Jack shot a straight punch. It tunneled through the battlefield, dragging along many enemy A and B-Grades, swirling them along its path. It pierced through several formations before an Archon dove in its path, blocking it between crossed arms.

    ¡°Jack Rust!¡± she shouted, an Amazonian goddess somewhat similar to Vivi in appearance. ¡°Your duel made my blood boil. Do you dare to face me, Archon Three Lives?¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± he shouted back, registering that her title had little to do with her imposing physique. ¡°Will you be alright, Brock?¡± he asked, turning to the side, only to find that Brock was already gone. A massive golden brorilla rampaged through another corner of the battlefield, cladding all allies it came near in a thin golden aura. The aura persisted as the brorilla moved, slowly conquering the battlefield.

    Jack laughed, locked his stare onto Archon Three Lives, and charged.

    ***

    Elder Boatman summoned a flood of death energy and sent it swooping forward, finally overwhelming his opponent¡¯s Chaos. He sighed as he looked around. Back in my day, an A-Grade battle was the talk of the millennium, he thought, taking in the dozens of A-Grade battles happening simultaneously. He sighed again. Youngsters.

    Yet, he couldn¡¯t deny his excitement. It¡¯d been a long time since he grew too powerful to fight often, and this war brought back all the passion his life had been missing for the last half a million years. He loathed all the deaths which came from it, but no cultivator could resist the allure of a good battle.

    At least, most of us dying are old folk, he thought, gazing over the battlefield again. The majority of cultivators were past their prime. It made sense for a high-level battlefield, yet it still struck him as a pleasant sight. He was in good company.

    His vision fell on the youngsters. The geniuses of the Church, packed into one tight squad and sent to pursue their luck. He and many others had agreed to keep an eye on them, step in if necessary, but that hadn¡¯t been the case so far. The geniuses performed admirably. He watched as a giant spoon slipped under an enemy formation and raised it all up. Red lightning and purple flames crackled around it, frying enemy cultivators, while an array of deep but weak Daos enhanced them both. Starhair, Strawpin, and Fiend Prince had been sent to support Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling¡ªthe future pillars of the Church fighting together.

    He turned his gaze to another part of the battlefield, where Brock led a hundred low-level cultivators into a rampage and Jack faced off against an Archon.

    I¡¯ll be able to retire peacefully in a few years, Boatman thought, provided we win. He spotted an enemy late A-Grade glancing over the genius squad and moving over. Boatman rushed to intercept her¡ªfar enough away that the geniuses wouldn¡¯t notice.

 Chapter 555: Praise the Immortals

    Strawpin creased her brows as she fed energy into the formation core, a five-sided diamond crafted specifically for this purpose. Their squad¡¯s victories were nowhere near as easy as they seemed. They were constantly besieged by shockwaves erupting all over, not even aimed at them. Her Dao perception was so overwhelmed she¡¯d shut it off, relying completely on eyesight to navigate the battle, which meant she couldn¡¯t see in every direction at once for the first time in many years. It stressed her out.

    A powerful tug slipped into her soul, requesting more power than she was putting out. She complied, also wiping her Dao off the energy she sent away, gritting her teeth as some of the straw floating around her dissipated. Overhead, Min Ling unleashed a powerful attack fueled by the energy she¡¯d just received. An enemy A-Grade fell screaming.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Starhair asked, close beside her.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she lied. ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± he lied back.

    ¡°I¡¯m better than both of you,¡± Fiend Prince declared through gritted teeth. A constant stream of crimson energy left his body to sink into the diamond. Strawpin would have laughed if she wasn¡¯t exhausted.

    A powerful aura fell over them. Strawpin looked up in fear to find a peak A-Grade cultivator hovering above their formation, cold eyes glancing down. It was a species she¡¯d never seen before¡ªsome sort of gray, taut-skinned humanoid. The cultivator aimed its palm downward to release a hail of needles. Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling turned towards them, galvanizing their powers with a painful tug at the three peak B-Grades¡¯ inner worlds. A spoon-wielding green phantom, red lightning, and purple flames surged upward, wrapping around the needles in a colorful showdown. It would only delay the inevitable, however¡ªthey did not possess the power to fight a peak A-Grade.

    ¡°Leave my friends alone.¡±

    A powerful aura appeared nearby. Strawpin turned to find Jack, his body covered in shallow wounds and purple sparks, holding the lifeless body of an amazonian-looking Archon in one hand. He was panting, but not overly hurt. The moment he appeared, the enemy cultivator¡¯s eyes turned from cold and merciless to terrified¡ªit tried to teleport away but found space around it sealed. Jack punched out, a river of purple power which crashed into the enemy and shattered their body, throwing away all needles just by passing by. The energy flow continued deeper into the battlefield, turning smoothly to avoid allies and only strike at enemies. One punch took down over a dozen enemies¡ªmost of them B-Grades.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jack asked, looking over his friends.

    ¡°We are now,¡± Min Ling replied, flashing him a warm smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    He let the Archon¡¯s body drop and teleported away, escaping Strawpin¡¯s vision. As Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling looked for the next opponent, unperturbed by their near-demise, a golden aura flooded their surroundings. ¡°Join the bro train,¡± said a majestic, familiar voice. Brock smiled at them. ¡°We¡¯re riding to victory.¡±

    Strawpin found herself assenting, sensing the golden aura wrap around her body and subtly tie her powers into everyone else¡¯s. Their previous formation collapsed, the diamond running it shattering into dust, as all five of them joined a massive golden formation centered by Brock and containing dozens of other cultivators.They formed the outline of a massive golden brorilla, with each cultivator¡¯s power not annexed, but contributing to the formation¡¯s uniqueness. Different energy signatures merged harmonically. Strawpin felt useful.

    ¡°Choo choo,¡± said the massive golden brorilla, diving deeper into the battlefield, trailing behind it a majestic golden aura. The enemies in its path were swatted away like bowling pins.

    ***

    Jack was rushing through the battlefield, searching for a weak Archon to fight, when an imposing voice slammed into his mind.

    ¡°BRING ME THE CORE,¡± Axelor commanded.

    The God hovered in the distance, clashing repeatedly against the thirty-three-pointed polygon created by the Immortals. His dark tentacles found little purchase, and his attacks were growing wilder by the moment.

    Jack paused mid-stride, hesitating. ¡°If I bring you the core of the God of Mass, will you promise to let us all live afterward?¡±

    ¡°NO.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you know how negotiations work.¡±

    ¡°I AM A GOD. I DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH MORTALS.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m kind of a god too, and I¡¯m known to be quite stubborn sometimes, so you might want to reconsider.¡±

    ¡°WE ARE ALLIES. BRING ME THE CORE OR WE RISK DEFEAT. MY ENDURANCE WON¡¯T LAST FOREVER.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t promise to let us all live afterwards, I¡¯m not giving you shit. Not yet, at least. I¡¯d rather get both you and the Immortals exhausted so the Church can finish the job.¡±

    The God did a long pause. ¡°I SWEAR,¡± he said. ¡°NOW BRING ME THE CORE.¡±

    ¡°There you go! That wasn¡¯t difficult, was it?¡±

    Jack had recently realized he was strong enough to defeat weaker Archons without a prolonged battle. That didn¡¯t mean he should approach the highly volatile clash of Axelor against thirty-three Immortals. He took out the core of the God of Mass¡ªa dark, spherical thing the size of his fist, which he suddenly found himself wishing he had the System to identify. The void before him parted like a curtain into which Jack slid the core. Sensing the incoming teleportation, Axelor briefly let the space lock surrounding his body fall to receive it. He then quickly re-teleported it somewhere else.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The other Gods reacted immediately. They disengaged from the Archons and A-Grades they¡¯d been fighting, a God made of stars reaching out to grab the core which materialized out of thin air in front of it.

    ¡°MY FELLOW GODS,¡± it said, ¡°LET US UNITE.¡±

    A bright light blinded the battlefield. Besides Axelor, the other nine Gods melted into bright liquid, then gathered together in two large groups. One contained five Gods, while the other four and the dead god¡¯s core. In front of everyone¡¯s stunned gazes, the two large masses of reality-making liquid solidified into new shapes¡ªtwo new behemoths superior to even Axelor in size and aura.

    One was perfectly solid, containing the essence of matter and physical energy. Even from afar, Jack felt such intense ripples of strength that he knew his nascent Universe of the Body couldn¡¯t hold a candle to this God¡¯s physicality. He realized, without a doubt, that this was the God of Physical, the God of Matter. Everything physical fell under his purview.

    As for the second form, it was an ethereal and formless, vaguely humanoid figure which seemed to contain every kind of energy. Its aura was equally imposing. This was the God of Energy.

    Jack and everyone else were stunned as they watched the transformation occur. Thinking back to the different Gods, there were indeed five embodying physical properties or states and five pertaining to energy, if one decided to be loose with their interpretation, but he didn¡¯t think they¡¯d actually combine like this.

    Their reasoning was immediately obvious. The power of each of these new Gods was greater than the sum of their parts. They were even greater than Axelor, each of them emanating an aura twice as powerful as his. They remained Archons, however.

    Floating between the two greater Gods, the Arch Priestess looked tiny. Her aura was a breeze to their storm. ¡°You didn¡¯t do this in the First Crusade,¡± she managed to say.

    ¡°WE DID NOT KNOW HOW, NOR HAD WE FELT THE NEED TO LEARN,¡± one of the two new Gods replied, its voice pulsing with five different undertones.

    ¡°NOW WE DO,¡± added the other God, four undertones to its voice, ¡°AND WE CAME TO WIN.¡±

    They charged into the battlefield. The collection of Archons and A-Grades holding them back before gathered their powers, forming a massive, multi-colored shield. Jack knew he could be slamming that thing for hours and not even crack it. The God of Matter slammed into the shield, shattering it like glass. The God of Energy raised its hands and a reality-bending beam flowed out of them, smashing the gathered cultivators and sending them flying. Several died on the spot.

    With the nine lesser Gods combining into two greater ones, their powers had increased massively. Watching the devastation they wrought, Jack wondered whether he¡¯d messed up by giving away the core. If these two Gods and Axelor decided to turn against him or the Church afterward, there would be no resisting them. The Immortals and their army couldn¡¯t stop them either.

    The two greater Gods, however, didn¡¯t share that thought. After blasting away the weaker enemies, they turned towards the Immortals instead of barreling into the main battlefield. Two powerful gazes, along with Axelor¡¯s, landed on the Heaven Immortal.

    ¡°BRING OUT THE FORM WHICH KILLED OUR SIBLING,¡± they said at the same time. ¡°LET US CLEANSE ENAS¡¯S SIN WITH THE APEX OF DIVINE POWER.¡±

    Facing such overwhelming might, the Heaven Immortal didn¡¯t seem flustered¡ªif it even could be. It tilted its head. ¡°Very well,¡± it said. ¡°Your divine power is impressive, but this will go no different than last time.¡±

    The Immortal formation shattered. Thirty-three robots went flying in different directions, and Jack, watching from afar, realized that thirty-two of them were lifeless. Only the Heaven Immortal remained, its form shrouded with ethereal cogs, a vision similar to the mini-System core which had existed inside Jack¡¯s body but much grander.

    The wires which extended from the back of the Heaven Immortal¡¯s head into spatial rifts were retracted, more of their length revealed as they pulled something out of the void. Complex machinery came into view. Jack felt a tug in his soul as he saw a sphere of polished cogs and gears completely suffused with magic. The energy contained in that sphere was the greatest amount he¡¯d ever sensed, and that included the two greater Gods before him. He could tell that the sphere, only a few feet in diameter, was a marvel of magical mechanics¡ªit contained compressed, endless miles of machinery interspersed with the Dao of multiple Archons¡ªperhaps more of them than on the entire battlefield combined.

    ¡°By the System born, and by the System cometh,¡± the Heaven Immortal chanted. Every cultivator fighting for the Immortals shuddered. Some clutched at their chests and others screamed as energy rose from their open mouths, corporeal gears tearing through their throats. Each cultivator spat out a smaller sphere of magic machinery, which all flew into a side-door of the Heaven Immortal¡¯s larger one. With every small sphere it absorbed, its power increased, as did the diversity and depth of its Daos. Even the Archons weren¡¯t spared, and their cog spheres had the greatest impact. Every cultivator who released a sphere was left drained, their innards riddled with wounds and their energy siphoned.

    This sounded slow, but it took place in the blink of an eye. Jack didn¡¯t have much time to react. Everyone who tried to grab a sphere before it flew or teleported over were shocked, their bodies flung away by a burst of power.

    ¡°Arrogant flesh,¡± the Heaven Immortal intoned. ¡°You may not interact with my power.¡±

    Jack suppressed a shiver of fear. Those were the mini-System cores, he realized. I didn¡¯t know they could be ripped out in such a manner. They basically stole the cultivators¡¯ energy and copied their Dao understandings! If I hadn¡¯t removed my System core before coming here, would I be like them?

    He suspected that his Universe of the Body would interfere with the process, but he was glad he didn¡¯t need to find out. He wasn¡¯t glad for the massive amount of power now hovering behind the Heaven Immortal.

    The large sphere throbbed, shrinking into itself with every pulse. In a moment, it went from several feet wide to just a few inches, at which point the Heaven Immortal grabbed it and swallowed it¡ªa mouth was the only facial feature the robot possessed. The wires connecting the back of its head to the ball persisted, now crawling into his throat like futuristic worms.

    The power radiating from his body suddenly spiked. It reached the level of Axelor before easily overtaking him. Even the two greater Gods paled before it. They frowned. ¡°THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN LAST TIME,¡± they said. ¡°YOU TRICKED US.¡±

    The Heaven Immortal wiped its mouth, from which some green liquid had leaked, then smiled. Its mouth extended in a creepily wide grin which would have reached its ears if it had any. The wires and tubes still stretched into it, making for a grotesque sight. Jack realized he¡¯d been holding his breath. Shivers ran down his spine¡ªnot from shock, but from pure terror. The current Heaven Immortal was seriously pushing against the boundaries of the Archon realm. Jack was confident nothing could get stronger without a breakthrough.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± he whispered. ¡°Giving them the core was the right call. There¡¯s no way they could have handled this monster before. They barely can now.¡±

    ¡°Behold the peak of mortal power,¡± the Heaven Immortal declared over a frozen battlefield, ¡°and behold the start of a new age. The Old Gods fall as the New Gods rise. Praise the Immortal System. Praise the New World.¡±

 Chapter 556: The Spirit of Cultivators

    The war had slammed on its brakes. Two Greater Gods and Axelor stared down the Heaven Immortal¡¯s enhanced form¡ªa bunch of titans about to clash. Compared to their overwhelming auras, even A-Grades felt inconsequential, and Archons couldn¡¯t help a deep sense of inferiority.

    Jack shook his head as he spectated from a distance. Even if he went all-out, he couldn''t even come close to these beings. He couldn¡¯t even beat one of the extreme Archon lesser gods from before. Axelor was a step above them, the greater gods were a step above him, and the current Heaven Immortal was yet another step higher. Meanwhile, Jack was an early A-Grade. That was a gap no amount of talent could bridge.

    Even the strongest Archons of either side were only at the level of lesser gods. When the big guns came out, all they could do was sit to the side and hope. As for the B-Grades and A-Grades fighting each other, that was just a joke.

    The Arch Priestess shook her head in self-deprecation. She realized now that the only reason the Gods had summoned the Church was to hold back the Immortals¡¯ army from creating formations to assist the Heaven Immortal.

    The two armies came to a stalemate, warily glancing at each other as they both surveyed the battle. The Immortal army had originally held the advantage, but the Heaven Immortal¡¯s transformation had sucked enough energy out of them that the two armies were now roughly evenly matched. There was no reason to fight. If one army tried to create formations and participate in the greater battle, the other army would just stop them, shedding blood on both sides for no reason. They might as well watch.

    Even Jack was in the same position. The only one still moving was Brock, slowly spreading his golden aura over more and more of the Church forces.

    ¡°MORTAL CANNOT OVERCOME DIVINE,¡± one of the two Greater Gods said, its voice echoing with five undertones. It was slightly stronger than the other.

    ¡°My calculations indicate it can. I will prove it soon enough,¡± the Heaven Immortal replied. Its aura erupted, a clinical white expanse carrying extreme efficiency but little spirit. It charged into the Gods and blew them up in an explosion which filled the world.

    Everyone in the two armies rushed away. Even the aftermath of such a battle wasn¡¯t something they could withstand. They made significant distance before turning around to watch again.

    The Heaven Immortal was nestled between the three Gods. Its white powers contained blue streaks in the exact same color as System screens. At the same time, its moves seemed to contain every single Dao, changing properties automatically to counter the Gods.

    Axelor moved first. He conjured tentacles of darkness, swinging them at the Heaven Immortal, who conjured white shields to block them. Entropy was blocked by the concept of Infinity¡ªit stood at a slightly lower level than Axelor¡¯s laws, but a little extra energy made them evenly matched. The tentacles clashed into the shields and were repelled.

    The two greater gods attacked right after. One unleashed what looked like a solar beam, while the other charged and straight-forwardly tried to punch the Heaven Immortal. The robot used a far too complex combination of Physical daos to block the beam, then twisted space to make the punch miss. In the same move, it unleashed a soul attack on both of them, sending them staggering.

    ¡°You are powerful yet incomplete,¡± it informed them. ¡°I possess all Daos in existence. You do not. The victor is obvious.¡±

    The Gods tried to fuse their powers, but there was something missing. In the end, the best the two greater gods and Axelor could achieve was to synchronize their attacks, but the Heaven Immortal conjured over a hundred different Daos in the blink of an eye and countered everything. Each of those Daos was demonstrated at the Archon level. Several clashes later, the Gods had been pushed into a definitive disadvantage.

    ¡°You cannot escape,¡± the robot said. ¡°I am faster and stronger. You should surrender your cores. Persisting is pointless.¡±

    The Gods roared. A massive energy beam as wide as a star crashed into the robot, which blocked it with a flat energy shield. The beam spread in all directions, impacting distant stars and shattering them, carving deep scars in the fabric of reality which took a long time to regenerate. The Archons of each army were working together to shield their people from the shockwaves¡ªthe Immortals¡¯ army was retreating even farther away, cheering for their leader.

    ¡°Arch Priestess!¡± Archon Truth shouted. ¡°We should run as well! It¡¯s not safe here!¡±

    The Arch Priestess did not reply. Her gaze was glued to the battle¡ªspecifically, Axelor.

    Another exchange ended badly for the Gods. Jack, who spectated the battle, knew that nothing could change. These three Gods possessed great power but little to no variations. All they could do was use the same attacks over and over. The Heaven Immortal had copied the Daos of every B-Grade and above in its forces, as well as every powerful cultivator¡¯s who had ever existed within the System¡ªit possessed nearly infinite Daos and great control over them. Countering everything the Gods could throw at it was simple. The only way for them to win was to overpower it, but that was clearly impossible, as its strength was above theirs.

    Jack¡¯s stomach dropped. This is a losing battle, he realized. We lost. Nobody can beat that thing. Even I¡­ I¡¯m not even close!

    He was currently at the early A-Grade, and consequent breakthroughs would take very long as his inner cultivators needed time to develop. By his estimations, he¡¯d need to reach at least the peak A-Grade to be able to contend with the Heaven Immortal, and that would require centuries in the least.

    Should I run away? he thought, hating the idea. If he escaped¡ªwhich he wasn¡¯t certain he could do¡ªhe would be leaving everyone else to die. So many good people who believed in him. It would be a betrayal of his Dao, and would it ever recover?

    He didn¡¯t need to consider it. Soon after he had the thought, he felt a tremendous pressure fall on him. His blood ran cold. The pressure wasn¡¯t suppressing him, just stalking him like a predator. He had the feeling that, if he moved, he¡¯d die.

    The Heaven Immortal is watching me, he realized bitterly. It¡¯s not stupid. It can let anyone else escape, but not me and Brock. We have the power to overcome it in the future¡ªwe must die today. If we try to leave, it will ignore the Gods and rush over here, killing our entire army in the process.

    Is there nothing I can do?

    He¡¯d cultivated for such a long time, sacrificed so much. Yet, when it really mattered, all he could do was sit on the sidelines. He hated that feeling. Hated it so much. His mind spun with ideas, but all were fruitless.

    ***

    The Arch Priestess ignored her subordinate¡¯s pleas as she focused on the single strand of survival she could see. ¡°You must do it,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? If you don¡¯t, everyone dies!¡±

    ¡°MORTAL LIVES DO NOT CONCERN ME,¡± Axelor replied. He was conversing with her mid-battle. His growing exhaustion and desperation echoed in his voice, making him sound like an old, sad whale. ¡°ENAS HAS SINNED. HE MUST NOT RETURN.¡±

    ¡°Let him fix the problem he created!¡± the Arch Priestess pleaded. ¡°If the two of you combine as well, you¡¯ll be strong enough to take on the Heaven Immortal!¡±

    ¡°YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SPEAK OF.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Are you stupid!? You are about to die! Everyone is! How can you be so stuck-up that you don¡¯t see there is no other choice!?¡±

    ¡°MIND YOUR WORDS, MORTAL.¡±

    ¡°Or what? You¡¯re going to kill me? You¡¯re already doing that!¡±

    ¡°I AM CONVERSING WITH MY SIBLINGS. WE WILL DECIDE.¡±

    ¡°Conversing? How stubborn can you possibly be?¡±

    A beam of clinical white light cut into Axelor. A third of his body was shaved off, turning him from a sphere into a thick half-moon. His pained moan echoed through the universe. The stars flickered in mourning.

    ¡°WE HAVE DECIDED,¡± he said in the Arch Priestess¡¯s mind. ¡°WE WILL FREE ENAS. USE YOUR MORTALS TO DELAY THE HEAVEN IMMORTAL. DO NOT HESITATE TO SACRIFICE THEM.¡±

    The three gods moved as one. The Energy God snapped its fingers, teleporting Axelor beside the black hole. It also locked down space around the Heaven Immortal. The Physical God stood between it and the black hole.

    ¡°Your last resort will fail,¡± the Heaven Immortal said. ¡°It has been calculated.¡±

    It turned into a ray of light which rammed into the Physical God. Tremendous powers clashed. The impact dislodged the void, momentarily robbing spacetime of meaning. The Heaven Immortal remained locked in place by the Energy God, but every distant cultivator felt their senses lurch.

    Axelor waved his dark tentacles around the black hole. From a distance, Jack could perceive a forming barrier of entropy at a far larger scale than what he could accomplish. He instantly understood what was happening. Axelor was destroying the black hole, but he¡¯d need some time.

    ¡°Cultivators of the Black Hole Church,¡± the Arch Priestess shouted. ¡°Heed my command. Protect Axelor with your lives!¡±

    Jack shot her a glance. He understood her meaning, which was why he could see the pain hidden in her expression. She was commanding them to throw away their lives, and she hated herself for it. Maybe that was why she was the first to charge towards the Heaven Immortal. A yellow-clothed arm blocked her way.

    ¡°We still need a leader,¡± Archon One Fist said, his back to her, his cape fluttering heroically. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arch Priestess. We came here prepared to lay down our lives for the future, for our disciples and descendants, for the cultivation world. This is what must be done, so each and every one of us will gladly lay down our lives. Isn¡¯t that right, cultivators?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± the entire army shouted at once, Jack included. He looked around to find brave faces consigned to their deaths, wide smiles and fiery eyes. The sense of community which rose in him was hard to describe. These people were heroes, each and every one of them. He was proud to be here. His chest rose, and he released a battle cry, echoing everyone¡¯s sentiments.

    ¡°CHARGE!¡± he roared, and the entire army sprinted towards the cataclysmic battle. Everyone operated at their best¡ªformations formed unerringly, cultivators scraped for every hint of power left in them. Archons Great Silver and Truth were at the forefront, radiating their Daos in all their majesty.

    ¡°We need you still, Arch Priestess,¡± One Fist said. He turned around and gave her a dashing smile, alongside a thumbs-up. ¡°Let us go first, okay?¡±

    She did not respond. She¡¯d loathed her mask, but today, she was glad for it. It hid her tears.

    Thankfully, the Immortal army didn¡¯t seem to willing to intervene. They knew that to approach meant suicide, and they did not possess the Church army¡¯s resolve. Their side was winning, anyway¡ªthey watched from a distance.

    The Gods stepped back to recover some power as the Church cultivators approached. The Heaven Immortal turned to them. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± it asked. ¡°It will certainly end in your demise. You are miscalcula¡ª¡±

    He didn¡¯t have time to finish. Great Silver and Truth got in its face and detonated their inner worlds. The explosion was as powerful as the all-out attacks of the greater gods, if not more, flinging the Heaven Immortal backward.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent my life pursuing the peak¡­¡± a voice drifted through the void. ¡°At the bitter end, am I finally enough?¡±

    Archon One Fist appeared before the Heaven Immortal, red cape fluttering, bald head and yellow suit looking out of place. He looked tiny as he shot out a punch. Space shattered in a deep groove, the undulations stretching out for light years. A fist physically met the Heaven Immortal¡¯s chest and was cut short by a combination of Daos uniquely crafted to counter him. His fist went flying, cut off at the wrist. He chuckled. ¡°Still not enough¡­¡± he muttered as a white hand backslapped him, sending him careening across the void.

    ¡°Foolish cultivators,¡± the Heaven Immortal said. ¡°You¡¯re miscalculating. You should run away.¡±

    They ignored it. Dozens of cultivators flew at it, dozens of inner worlds detonating. It was fireworks. The entire galaxy lit up, the Church cultivators going out in a glorious blaze. Even the Heaven Immortal was pushed back, unable to deal with these explosions fully.

    The people who¡¯d detonated their inner worlds so far were a minority. Most cultivators arrayed themselves in solid formations between the Heaven Immortal and the black hole, a glowing golden aura pulsating over them and helping them fuse their powers. Jack and Brock were amongst them, as were the other young geniuses. For once, all of them stood side-by-side, ready to give their lives for the greater good.

    ¡°The young ones should stand at the back,¡± an elderly A-Grade said, stepping in front of Jack and the others.

    ¡°Senior!¡± he replied, but the old man just gave him a warm smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush to throw your lives away,¡± he said. ¡°Wait your turn. If you can survive, our sacrifice will have been worth it.¡±

    Jack wanted to reply, but the words wouldn¡¯t rise through his throat. He watched the old man fly into the second wave of attack and detonate his inner world alongside another hundred cultivators, all in their waning years. Everyone else watched impatiently¡ªnot to escape, but to give their lives in turn. Jack got emotional.

    ¡°Even if we fail here,¡± he said aloud, ¡°I want you all to know that fighting alongside you is my life¡¯s greatest blessing.¡±

    A woman laughed. ¡°Those should be our words, Jack Rust!¡± Her words were followed by more cultivators speaking up.

    ¡°Right! Dying alongside you is a great honor!¡±

    ¡°Stand back, younglings. Some of us have waited our whole lives for this. Let us have our moment!¡±

    Brock slapped a fist against his chest. ¡°Bros¡­¡± he shouted, brorillian eyes getting teary. ¡°I swear I will never forget you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough for us!¡± the cultivators in the third wave replied as they, too, flew at the Heaven Immortal.

    ¡°Make me proud, disciple¡­¡± A familiar voice echoed in Jack¡¯s mind. His eyes widened.

    ¡°Master Boatman!¡±

    He glimpsed a dark-cloaked form hidden in the third wave of cultivators. A scythe teleported next to Jack even as the form under the cloak bloated, ready to explode alongside everyone else. ¡°If you survive this, take my scythe to my descendants. Consider it payment for my tutoring,¡± were Boatman¡¯s final words. He looked at Jack through his hood and warped his wrinkled face into a genuine, youthful smile.

    More fireworks filled space. Jack forced himself to look, enduring the searing of his eyelids which would quickly heal. ¡°I swear, Master!¡± he shouted, taking the scythe into his space ring.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± the Heaven Immortal¡¯s voice came distorted through the explosions. It didn¡¯t sound hurt, only frustrated. ¡°You are sacrificing yourselves! It is a bad move!¡±

    A white hand parted spacetime, bypassing the explosions to appear before the army. Archon One Fist was waiting right there, his bloodied body overshadowed by a wide smile. ¡°It¡¯s because we are people, you idiot,¡± he said. ¡°Now fuck off.¡±

    He erupted in an explosion greater than even Great Silver¡¯s and Truth¡¯s. The Heaven Immortal was once again pushed back, releasing a roar of impotent fury.

    ¡°This makes no sense! I miscalculated nothing!¡± it roared out.

    As the fourth wave of cultivators prepared itself, Jack looked back. The two greater gods were quickly recovering their powers. Dying before them felt undeserved, but he knew they¡¯d need to be at their best to stand a chance against the Heaven Immortal, even after Enas returned. Even farther behind them, Axelor was done creating a barrier around the black hole. It was clearly straining him, the barrier so large even he struggled to keep it up. But it was working.

    In the exact same process Jack used, the black hole had nothing to absorb as entropy flooded it. Infinite time passed. It grew smaller and smaller until a giant human hand emerged from it and grabbed its side. The hole warped under the strength of its grip.

    ¡°I miscalculated!¡± the Heaven Immortal shouted with almost self-hatred. It sent a rainbow-colored beam of energy towards the Church army, but the fourth wave of self-detonating cultivators blocked it successfully. By now, almost a third of the entire army had sacrificed themselves. Whoever remained swore to make their sacrifice worth it.

    The black hole bent dangerously, then shattered like a pane of glass. Everyone held their breaths¡ªthe Gods opened their eyes from meditation, and even the Heaven Immortal paused to calculate the new arrival.

    Enas was not a giant like the other Gods. Despite the hand which had appeared to crush the black hole, he was just a large, formless mass of green energy exuding deep exhaustion. It hovered there in the void.

    ¡°ASSUME A PHYSICAL FORM AND MERGE WITH ME, BROTHER,¡± Axelor said, his voice also tinted with exhaustion. ¡°THE TIME TO RIGHT YOUR WRONGS IS NIGH.¡±

    ¡°INDEED IT IS,¡± Enas responded. Jack never had a strict father, but this is what he imagined it would sound like. It made Jack¡ªand everyone else¡ªwant to stand on attention. It demanded obedience.

 Chapter 557: A Monster for Another

    The green light pulsed. It turned into a beam and drove itself into the chest of a human standing nearby, too small for anyone to notice so far. He wore dirty clothes and had yellowed teeth, his hair disheveled. As the light entered him, his aura grew, quickly expanding from the early A-Grade all the way to the Archon level, rising still until it was similar in power to Axelor¡¯s.

    The Sage laughed. ¡°After a billion years, I¡¯m finally free!¡± he shouted in his normal voice. ¡°Come, brother. Let¡¯s end this.¡±

    Axelor and Enas¡ªwho now occupied the Sage¡¯s body¡ªmelted into a black and green pool of light respectively, then mixed together, forming a yin-yang shape in space. ¡°You too, my siblings. Let us be reborn,¡± the Sage¡¯s voice echoed. The two greater gods glanced at each other. Then, they too melted into pools of ethereal light which dove into the yin-yang diagram. An intense concentration of power shook the universe, once again dislodging space and time. The combined aura of twelve Gods rose through the Archon realm, advancing higher and higher until it slowed down. Then, with a pop, it burst through, its quantity lessening but its quality skyrocketing.

    The Church army erupted into cheers. People shook in suppressed fury and joy, while others hugged the cultivators next to them and celebrated. ¡°We did it!¡± they shouted. ¡°There is hope!¡±

    ¡°All those sacrifices weren¡¯t in vain!¡± a man shouted, raising his fists to the sky.

    Jack held his breath. ¡°They broke through!¡± he said, eyes shaking. ¡°They reached the S-Grade!¡±

    ¡°Bro,¡± Brock said from the side, not sharing Jack¡¯s excitement. ¡°Did you notice?¡±

    ¡°Notice what?¡±

    ¡°When Life Bro and Entropy Bro fused, they only spoke in Life Bro¡¯s voice. Not both, like the other fusions.¡±

    Jack took a moment to digest this. His eyes widened. ¡°No way.¡±

    The pool of light shone in all colors of the rainbow, then settled on green. The Sage reformed, his aura completely transformed, having risen to a quality similar to Jack¡¯s except far grander. This was the true S-Grade.

    ¡°And so the God of All is reborn,¡± said the Sage, in his regular voice, ¡°except it is me. Goodbye, my foolish siblings.¡±

    ¡°They miscalculated,¡± the Heaven Immortal said. ¡°You did not merge with them. You consumed them. How did that¡ª¡±

    ¡°No spoilers,¡± the Sage said, reappearing next to the Heaven Immortal and hitting it with a palm strike. A thousand different Daos formed a complex shield which was then completely overpowered and destroyed. The Sage¡¯s palm smashed into the Heaven Immortal¡¯s chest, and its entire robotic body exploded, its head and limbs flying in different directions. It was deader than dead.

    Jack looked on, stunned. So did everyone else. Their cheers were cut abruptly. The Heaven Immortal, whom the Church cultivators had sacrificed themselves by the hundreds to delay, had been destroyed, just like that. The difference between Archons and S-Grades was tremendous. Unbridgeable.

    The Church should have been celebrating, yet none of them moved. Sudden fear left them frozen. An instinctive understanding that something was very, very wrong.

    Enas turned slowly to regard them. A silent astral breeze lifted his robes. His green aura was tinged with hints of darkness, falling over him and obstructing his image, leaving only cold eyes and a hard, predatory smile. As his aura submerged the Church cultivators in frozen water, their relief turned empty, their joy was dashed. They all felt a sinking feeling at the pit of their stomachs as despair, slow and steady, creeped over them.

    The Church¡¯s teachings spoke of Enas as a loving father, but there was nothing loving about this figure. He was cold and calculating, while they were defenseless cattle. His gaze hounded their souls.

    Silence stretched for a while. Far away, the remnants of the Immortals¡¯ army scrambled into a wild retreat, but Enas paid them no heed, only observing the Church cultivators. They instinctively grouped closer together like mortals in the winter.

    Jack remembered the words of Axelor¡¯s clone. Enas is no loving father, he¡¯d said. All he cares about is himself.

    ¡°We¡­ We won, right?¡± someone asked, gulping.

    ¡°I think so,¡± another replied.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this feel like winning?¡±

    The Arch Priestess was completely silent. Jack and Brock glanced at each other, then back at Enas.

    ¡°He¡¯s considering whether to kill us or not,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°We made a mistake,¡± Jack said through gritted teeth. He thought back to all those brave cultivators who gave their lives to let Enas be revived. Master Boatman, too. The scythe in his space ring suddenly felt accusatory, a token of Jack¡¯s failure. His gaze grew dark. He clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into tempered flesh. ¡°We exchanged a monster for another,¡± he spat out. ¡°Robots, Gods¡­ None of them care about us. Nobody¡¯s coming to save us. We messed up so fucking hard. All those sacrifices were for nothing.¡±

    His emotions warred between terror, regret, and grief. He and all other Church cultivators had fallen from the highest heavens to the pits of hell in a single moment. The God standing before them was something they could never, ever defeat, and they were completely at his mercy.

    Enas¡ªstill looking like Sage¡ªmoved his gaze slightly. It landed on Jack. Just the pressure of being stared at was so intense he could barely breathe.

    ¡°What are your intentions?¡± he managed to say.

    Enas smiled coldly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Mortals have proven themselves too dangerous. To ensure my continued survival, I will purge all life from the universe except my own.¡±

    Jack expected something like this, but it still burned his heart. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± he cried out, finding more of his strength. ¡°You created us! We saved you!¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Enas said, shaking his head. ¡°If you created a bomb, would you let it sit in your living room until it destroyed you? Would you love it?¡±

    ¡°We are not objects.¡±

    ¡°You are toys. A little experiment I designed to test my powers. It went pretty well, but it¡¯s time to end it. You will no longer be a threat after today, but others may follow in your footsteps. I cannot allow that.¡±

    Jack felt helpless. And stupid. So many of his fellow cultivators had given their lives, and he had been about to as well, just to create a monster even more unbeatable than the Heaven Immortal. He could see no way out. There was nothing in the universe which could stop an S-Grade.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    He wanted to roar in fury, but the Arch Priestess had gone silent from shame. Everyone looked at him to speak. He had to at least try.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to us,¡± he pleaded. ¡°We don¡¯t want to kill you. We don¡¯t want anything from you¡ªwe just want to live!¡±

    ¡°For now, maybe,¡± Enas replied condescendingly. ¡°But not forever. You do not understand the nature of your own consciousness. Mortality is an expanding inevitability, and sooner or later, someone will appear with both the will and power to threaten me.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll kill us all, just for that?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, Jack. How silly would you feel if your throne was usurped by a bunch of toys you made?¡±

    ¡°We are not toys, we¡¯re people!¡±

    ¡°To you, maybe. To me, you¡¯re just a bunch of stardust formed into shapes which make it move in patterns. You¡¯re not even alive, not in the same way I am. You¡¯re slightly more complex objects. Breaking you means nothing.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t think that!¡± Jack shouted, anger rising inside him. ¡°What are you even saying? You think we¡¯re not alive? My sacrifices and effort meant nothing? My son¡¯s life was nothing? All the brave people who sacrificed themselves for you today were nothing?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the God replied.

    Jack was about to erupt. He would have, if he didn¡¯t know it would be useless. ¡°You can¡¯t actually believe that! You are the God of Life, for God¡¯s sake! You need to respect life.¡±

    ¡°No, Jack. I am the God of Survival. My survival,¡± Enas said. ¡°I do want to thank you for freeing me, though. My imprisonment turned out to be a fortunate event, but it would mean little if I was never released.¡±

    ¡°Fortunate?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Existing away from the other Gods allowed me to develop a stronger individuality and be able to absorb them instead of merely fusing. My presence near System space let me distribute clones like the Sage you know, guiding the world¡¯s development to where the other Gods would need to fuse with me, so I could absorb and annex them. Delaying the Crusade until you were ready was challenging, but I succeeded. Now, your efforts are mine to reap.¡±

    ¡°You make no sense.¡±

    Enas smiled coldly. ¡°That¡¯s a really nice body, Jack. Better than mine. It would be a shame not to acquire it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jack asked again, but the God did not reply. He turned into a green meteor which charged towards Jack, completely disregarding the gathered Church army.

    They were flooded with the same dark feelings as Jack. Seeing the God approach, these brave cultivators snorted and raised their weapons.

    ¡°Jack is the future,¡± a peak A-Grade said, leveling a blade at God. ¡°If you want to harm him, you¡¯ll need to get through us.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± the reply lazily drifted over.

    A single green meteor flew into hundreds of the universe¡¯s strongest cultivators. Not one person retreated. A thousand different Daos rose to meet Enas, each glowing the power to sunder planets. The green meteor crashed into them like a bowling ball against glass, shattering them all, opening the void wide, eradicating the meaning of timespace.

    Energy offsets flew everywhere as Enas appeared amidst the army. He waved his hands, conducting a symphony of death. Streaks of intense life energy followed them. Every time those streaks approached a cultivator, they pierced straight through his defenses, then infiltrated his body and overfilled it with life. It didn¡¯t matter if they were B-Grade or A-Grade. Everyone was the same in the face of absolute power. Bodies exploded like flesh balloons filled with blood. The explosions came close together, resembling firecrackers, and blood rained through the void.

    Entire squads flew towards Enas, passing through the gaps in his attacks. They unleashed their own attacks, only to have them split ineffectively against his body. It was like his mere physicality superceded all natural laws. Even their self-detonations were useless. The Arch Priestess flashed beside Enas. She was slapped away before she even made her move, instantly rendered unconscious and near-death. A bunch of healers rushed after her as Enas kept tearing at the army.

    It was a massacre.

    Finally, some cultivators got cold feet. Heroism collapsed before desperation. They tried to run away, only to discover that a green sphere had surrounded their army at some point, its walls webbed. Anyone who touched it exploded in a shower of flesh and blood. In desperation, people tried shrinking to pass through its gaps, teleporting through it, or attacking it. Everyone exploded all the same. The green web was as holistic as Enas¡¯s body, superceding and countering all individual Daos. It remained based on the Dao of Life, but the sheer quality and quantity trumped everyone else¡¯s to the point where individual Daos did not matter. Even the Daos directly opposite that of Life were useless. God-killer swords were useless when wielded by ants.

    A brave soul self-detonated against the web to save her people, but this attack was as ineffective as the rest of them.

    Enas snorted again. ¡°Bunch of ants,¡± he said. As people turned to look at him again, they found he¡¯d at some point teleported right next to Jack. Jack punched out a black hole, only for Enas¡¯s palm to grab his fist and snuff out the hole. Brock smashed his staff against Enas¡¯s head, but the God didn¡¯t even bother defending. The staff snapped on impact, and Brock¡¯s palm split as he was sent flying backward.

    A green web appeared around Enas and Jack, forcing everyone to make some distance or die. The outer net remained as well, trapping the cultivators between two concentric spheres. After their comrades¡¯ gruesome fate, they didn¡¯t dare touch either.

    Only Jack and Enas were left inside the inner web. Jack tried to pull out his fist but couldn¡¯t even budge it. Resolve filled his gaze. Before he could self-detonate, an unstoppable force shrouded his body, freezing him completely. Even the energy of his inner world ground to a stop. He was completely immobilized and defenseless.

    His only bright thought was the fact that Enas apparently wanted to steal his body, which Jack knew was impossible. There was no way. As great as the difference between them was, it was nowhere near enough to achieve something as complex. Jack¡¯s soul was imprinted into every cell of his body, every strand of energy. He was one with his Dao. Stealing it away was impossible.

    But Enas seemed confident, and that scared Jack.

    The God grinned devilishly. ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking I can¡¯t do it,¡± he said, ¡°but you¡¯ve been dancing in my palm for longer than you think. Awaken.¡±

    Deep in Jack¡¯s body, Copy Jack opened his eyes. Green energy flooded out, far more than he should possess, and connected with the Life Drop to raise a storm of life energy which whipped against every single cell of Jack¡¯s body. His inner world was unaffected¡ªit was his soul, vested into every inch of this world, that came under attack.

    Venerable Saint Thousand Shell roared under the onslaught. It could barely shield itself against such power. It grabbed the Stone and Franky and retreated into the Life Drop, which was now completely empty. Its inside was the calm eye of the storm, granting them temporary safety, but the turtle realized to its horror that any control it had over the Supreme Blood was gone.

    ¡°Copy Jack!¡± it roared in angry disbelief. ¡°What are you doing!?¡±

    Copy Jack, still outside the Life Drop, ignored them completely.

    ¡°Harboring nascent souls is a risky endeavor,¡± Enas said slowly as the storm of energy in Jack¡¯s body grew stronger. ¡°I remember how this one contained the will to travel and see the outside world. It was growing nicely, and it quite liked you, too. Too bad it was naive¡ªonce it touched my drop of blood, so many years go, I destroyed its will and occupied its mind. How do you think the Sage could always find you and knew so much about you? I was watching, Jack. Always watching.¡±

    Even Copy Jack¡­ I couldn''t protect¡­ Jack thought, but he didn¡¯t reply. He couldn¡¯t. He remained immobilized, and as the attack on his soul ramped up, so did the pain. Copy Jack had existed inside him for so long he was completely harmonized with Jack, allowing him to access every tiny bit of his soul.

    It was like a grater passing over Jack¡¯s soul, again and again, striving to destroy his sense of self. A terrible force sought to delete him, wrestle away control of every fiber of being he possessed, to steal his body, power, and identity. Everything that he was would be gone.

    Jack felt a pain greater than anything he¡¯d ever endured before. Even the Trial of Will in the Hall of Trials paled in comparison. He would have screamed if his mouth wasn¡¯t immobilized as well.

    ¡°Surrender, and the pain will go away,¡± Enas said. Jack shook in his grip, his body convulsing to the pain. The cultivators around them watched in mute despair, blocked by the inapproachable green web, while Brock had closed his eyes in fierce meditation. The golden aura around him undulated. Everyone else could only wait for the inevitable.

    A few moments later, however, Enas frowned. Jack was still thrashing, but nothing else was happening.

    ¡°Why do you not yield?¡± he asked, a measure of strain in his voice. ¡°You know it is impossible for you to resist. I saw your performance in the Hall of Trials¡ªyou¡¯ll never outlast me.¡±

    Jack was indeed in extreme pain. Anyone else would have yielded instantly¡ªonly his experience in withstanding pain let him last this long. He could sense that, the moment his will wavered, his soul would lose its support, and it would be wiped away forever. He would well and truly die.

    No! he screamed through the pain, sensing his grip on reality lessen. No!

 Chapter 558: The Power of Brohood

    Back on Earth, Jack¡¯s clone had suddenly fallen to the banquet floor, convulsing and screaming in pain.

    ¡°Jack!¡± everyone shouted.

    Vivi wore a dark expression. She knew about the war, but this was unexpected. What could be happening? She directed people to assist, but the healers weren¡¯t even close to the level where they could help him. She sensed his aura growing weaker, infused with a hint of wicked green. She had no idea what was going on.

    Jack¡­ she thought, eyes watering in powerlessness.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Ebele screamed, falling over her father. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad? Talk to me! Talk to me!¡±

    Jack¡¯s pain came from the soul, so his clone suffered the same as his main body. He couldn¡¯t speak. He could, however, think through a blurred veil. If Enas took over his body, he would simultaneously take over his clone as well, and then wiping all life off Earth would be trivial. That included his wife, daughter, and friends, whom he¡¯d foolishly gathered together.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Ebele screamed.

    The clone looked up, seeing the teary eyes of his daughter. His grip on reality recovered because he simply couldn¡¯t afford to lose it. I will not fail again, he swore. I will protect you, Ebele. No matter what.

    ***

    Enas was flustered. This attack was not easy on him, so he needed Jack to capitulate before he grew exhausted. He¡¯d thought it was certain¡ªhow could a mortal mind withstand such pressure?

    ¡°Why are you persisting?¡± he asked. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°My¡­body¡­¡± Jack said telepathically, staring at Enas through frozen, bloodshot eyes. ¡°My¡­family¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Are¡­not¡­for you¡­fucker.¡±

    Enas¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You cannot possibly withstand this!¡± he shouted. Jack fell silent. His entire body vibrated in pain and unheard screams, but his eyes remained wide open and glaring right into Enas¡¯s, branding his resolve into the heart of God.

    ¡°I refuse to believe you can outlast me!¡± Enas shouted.

    Another few minutes passed. The Church army stared at Jack and Enas helplessly, but with hope slowly growing in their hearts. Brock was still meditating. His golden aura grew stronger. To the side, the Arch Priestess had recovered consciousness, her expression hidden under her mask.

    In the inner web, Jack persisted. He and Enas had locked gazes, fighting with their willpower. Jack¡¯s burden was much greater, but so was his responsibility to endure. The immobilizing effect on him had long since worn off as Enas poured all his power into torturing his soul. Jack flashed Enas a bloodied, closed-toothed smile.

    ¡°What kind of father¡­¡± he muttered, insanity entering his gaze, ¡°would let his daughter get harmed?¡±

    Enas¡¯s eyes widened. His own exhaustion was kicking in. He suddenly interrupted his attack to teleport away. Despite his exertion just now, he recovered to the peak of his power near-instantly.

    The inner web disappeared alongside his teleportation. People rushed in to support Jack, who stumbled with a pained but triumphant expression. Contrary to expectations, Brock was still meditating. The golden aura around him and every other cultivator was growing steadily stronger, but it was nowhere near the level where it could threaten Enas.

    Enas hovered in the distance, staring at the army. The outer web remained, trapping them in with him. His gaze was dark. ¡°Don¡¯t think you have escaped, Jack,¡± he said. ¡°We will resume after I crush these bugs. When I kill your family and everyone you know, then we¡¯ll see how well you can resist.¡±

    Jack¡¯s exhausted eyes regained a hint of life. He struggled to his feet, pushing away the other cultivators to stand by himself in the void. ¡°Fuck you,¡± he said. He tried to detonate his inner world, only to realize he couldn¡¯t. It was extremely stable to begin with, and Enas had enhanced that stability further¡ªin his current exhausted state, he simply couldn¡¯t detonate it.

    The God smiled. ¡°Let me feed you some despair,¡± he said, then waved his hands condescendingly. The outer web disappeared. ¡°Run, little mice. ry to escape me as I crush you one by one.¡±

    The gathered cultivators glanced between themselves. They saw the despair in each other¡¯s eyes. Some people prepared to run when a new voice appeared.

    ¡°No,¡± it said.

    Jack laboriously looked over to find that the speaker was¡­some guy? He¡¯d never seen this person before. It wasn¡¯t even a A-Grade, just a peak B-Grade. Yet, this random cultivator, with his unassuming face and short red hair, dared to stand up to God.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± he said, crossing his arms. ¡°I think I¡¯m the only one who didn¡¯t expect to die today, but fuck you, God. I won¡¯t give you the satisfaction. If you want to kill me, come over here and I¡¯ll do my damn best to give you the slap that you deserve.¡±

    The cultivators about to run didn¡¯t. They knew there was no point¡ªthey could never escape. One by one, they turned towards Enas, galvanizing their Daos.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Jack asked the guy who¡¯d spoken.

    ¡°Rory, sir. Rory Pickleman. My title is Envoy Shattersun.¡±

    ¡°Shattersun¡­ That¡¯s a good title. You are a fine cultivator, Rory Pickleman. May I have the honor of fighting by your side?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, you should just detonate your inner world to spite him.¡±

    ¡°I would if I could, Rory, but I like your enthusiasm. My self-detonation ability is sealed. Best I can do is fight to exhaustion, then suffer a fate worse than death.¡±

    Rory considered it. ¡°I can accept that,¡± he said. ¡°Alright, sir Jack Rust. We might die, but at least we¡¯ll go down swinging.¡±

    ¡°Damn right!¡± another cultivator shouted.

    ¡°Fuck you, God!¡± another said. ¡°We may be weak compared to you, but at least we aren¡¯t assholes!¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s die together, brothers and sisters! Show that God the honor he can never have!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all fired up!¡±

    The cultivators all shouted, one after another, as both armies rose against an impossible opponent. Enas gazed at them ludicrously. ¡°You¡¯re idiots,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯re the best kind of idiots,¡± Jack said, moving to the fore of the army. ¡°Let us show you the best thing about being mortal. Everyone, CHAR¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± a voice cut him off. Everyone turned to find that Brock, still meditating, had opened his eyes. His expression was strained, but a huge smile dominated his face.

    Jack had seen him meditating before but had forgotten about it in everything that happened.

    ¡°Brock?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You guys are the best bros I could ask for,¡± the brorilla said, ¡°and that matters.¡±

    Jack looked around, finally noticing the golden aura which had at some point spread over everyone¡ªa form of ultimate camaraderie based on the resolve to live and die together.

    It was brohood.

    Fueled by everyone¡¯s selflessness and unity as the end approached, it had spread rapidly, its strength rising to new heights. Jack didn¡¯t think there was any point to it anymore, but he watched as the aura glowed brighter, tinging the void golden.

    People noticed, too. Everyone looked around in wonder, feeling their heartbeats combine into one. Enas also realized something was happening. He frowned.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± a voice said, ringing clearly in the ears of every cultivator. ¡°Not all is lost yet. True brohood never dies. If you are willing to trust me with everything you have, we still have a shot at victory.¡±

    Everyone stared at the golden brorilla hovering in the middle of the army, his body shining like a beacon of hope. The aura of golden light had turned into bright tethers connecting him to every other cultivator except Jack. The warm light spread into their hearts, and they suddenly believed.

    ¡°We all share a heart,¡± Rory Pickleman declared, surprised by whatever was going on. ¡°Go for it, Brock. We believe in you.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The brorilla raised his arms slowly, panting as if the task was laborious. As he did so, everyone felt a power streaming into their souls, forcibly tearing open a portal. They suppressed pained grunts. The sensation was invasive, entering what was a cultivator¡¯s innermost sanctum, but nobody tried to resist. This might well be their only chance at survival. Moreover, bonded by their common emotions, everyone trusted Brock. He stood amongst them like a beam of sincerity, channeling all positive emotions into one potent brew.

    The cultivators embraced the tether sticking into their souls, pouring all their remaining power into it. Many stumbled, driven to exhaustion. The tethers glowed brightly, and Brock lit up like a Christmas tree, all sorts of colored lights swimming around his body. His arms finally extended fully upwards, and all the colors streamed above them, mixing and forming a sphere of pure gold.

    While the process was ongoing, Enas snorted. ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± he said with annoyance. He stepped through the void, appearing right in front of Brock, and slapped the air to release a burst of green energy. It rivaled the golden flood in intensity¡ªmost importantly, Brock was too busy controlling the energy to defend. Green tendrils spread out of Enas, immobilizing everyone nearby.

    ¡°Just die,¡± said the God.

    Jack flashed between Enas and Brock. The God¡¯s attack was massive¡ªhe had no hope in defending. There was a chance Enas would stop his attack to avoid killing Jack, but he didn¡¯t count on that. Enas was the god of his own survival. If they had even the tiniest hope of turning things around, he would squash it at any cost.

    This was a great place to die, anyway.

    ¡°Keep your filthy hands off my bro,¡± Jack said. The attack didn¡¯t lessen at all as it hurtled towards him. He had no hope of surviving it. He looked back, giving a warm smile. ¡°Give him hell, Brock.¡±

    The green beam approached Jack, and he was confident his extremely tempered body would divert it before being destroyed. He could secure Brock enough time to finish whatever he was doing. His life was a small price to pay for that. At the last moment, however, he was forcefully shoved aside. His energy fell into disarray. His eyes widened.

    ¡°Arch Priestess!¡±

    The white-clad space monster stood in his place, facing the approaching green beam. White light streamed out of cracks all over her body. She reached up and tore her mask away, revealing the tiger-like face she¡¯d always hidden. She turned it to Jack and gave a pained smile. ¡°Save them for me¡­¡± she whispered as her inner world detonated. The world was washed white. A tremendous explosion threw Jack away. The void was seared clean as white met green, bravely standing in the face of God¡¯s attack, carrying all of the Arch Priestess¡¯s shame, honor, and courage. A monkeyish scream echoed before the powers even finished clashing, and Jack spied Brock¡¯s face twisted in rage¡ªshe¡¯d diverted some of her power specifically to protect him.

    Dozens of cultivators had been tossed away, some gravely injured. The world was in chaos for a moment. It was then that Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, who¡¯d been quiet all this time inside Jack, chose to speak.

    ¡°She was young,¡± he said in a heavy voice, ¡°but she carried the responsibility of a leader. Don¡¯t blame yourself, Jack. Giving her life was the right choice.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t reply, too shaken. The green light was finally swallowed up by white. Enas moved to attack again, his expression warped in annoyance, but it was too late. The golden sphere over Brock¡¯s head finished forming. It shone brighter than any star. Even Enas had to look away at its might.

    ¡°BROS!¡± Brock shouted, his voice ravaged by pain. ¡°LEND ME YOUR POWER!¡±

    The sphere brightened again. It conquered the world, filling it with brohood, momentarily refuting even Enas¡¯s Dao of Life. Jack couldn¡¯t look that way, but he suddenly felt a tremendous surge of power entering his body. He couldn¡¯t breathe. His inner world was filled with so much energy it almost cracked. His mind cleared. His soul lightened. His wounds and exhaustion disappeared. At that moment, he was absolutely certain that he possessed enough strength to turn over the world, a wave of his hand shattering galaxies. He felt reborn.

    As his perception blitzed out, instantly capturing everything, he understood. Brock had borrowed everyone¡¯s power and given it to him. It wasn¡¯t just the cultivators present¡ªBrock¡¯s call had crossed time and space to reach all the bros he¡¯d ever made, as well as the infinite low-level cultivators of the Church who believed in him and Jack from the celebrity campaign so long ago.

    All that near-infinite power had been funneled into Jack. He had no idea how strong he was right now. He didn¡¯t need to know.

    Everyone around him faltered as if completely drained. They couldn¡¯t even self-detonate. Brock was suspended mid-air, frozen by the infinite power coursing through him to reach Jack, frozen in place by the need to act like a medium for all this power. Only his mouth could move, and it cracked open in a grieving, desperate cry which echoed throughout the universe, through every small and large creature he¡¯d borrowed energy from.

    ¡°SAVE US, BIG BRO!¡±

    Enas teleported before Brock. Finally out of patience, his hand pulled back in a fist, ready to unleash the full power of an S-Grade God. The universe shuddered. Brock was defenseless. Jack appeared suddenly, moving even faster than Enas, his hand grabbing God by the face and arresting his momentum.

    ¡°Keep your filthy hands off my bro,¡± he growled, launching the God backward. Enas flew so fast he practically disappeared. The void shattered everywhere he passed, deep gouges carved in reality for endless light years. Drops of green blood trailed Enas¡¯s path. He slowly came to a stop, staring at Jack in disbelief as he cradled his broken nose. Distance meant nothing to him, but his eyes contained wariness¡ªeveryone else¡¯s were suddenly awash with hope.

    ¡°How?¡± said Enas.

    Jack raised his fist at God. ¡°These bros let me borrow their power. They put their lives in my hands,¡± he said. ¡°You no longer get to touch them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a God, you lowly creature. You don¡¯t dictate what I do.¡±

    Jack smiled. He punched out, and space lost all meaning as his fist met the God¡¯s stomach. S-Grade powers clashed. A massive explosion echoed, a supernova in the middle of empty space, shaking the entire galaxy and releasing a vast cone of purple energy. Enas bent over. He wiped a hint of blood from his lips, eyes shaking.

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± he said. ¡°How can you match my power? You¡¯re just a bunch of ants. You¡¯re far too weak!¡±

    ¡°But we are many,¡± Jack said. ¡°It was you who created us with this potential, Enas. You could have been a father, but you chose to be a tyrant. This is the day you pay for it.¡±

 Chapter 559: Jack vs. God

    Enas¡¯s face turned furious. Green aura emanated in waves, his S-Grade power finally fully activating. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got so strong,¡± he said, ¡°but you¡¯re delusional if you think you can defeat me.¡±

    Jack smiled. A torrent of purple and gold erupted from under his feet, making his magic trunks flap lightly, the two colors merging in the air like lightning strikes. Under the light, his eyes were sharp and confident. The pressure of merely releasing his aura was so strong that the distant cultivators turned wobbly, almost losing their ability to fly. The weaker ones vomited, but it did nothing to curb their enthusiasm.

    Their eyes were full of hope. ¡°Go, Jack Rust!¡± they screamed until their throats tore. ¡°Save us!!!¡±

    Spacetime between the two fighters wavered, shimmering like hot air. Their auras clashed, green against gold and purple, creating a river of power which spread to the left and right, stretching far enough to be visible from some nearby galaxies. Reality was already flaking. Withstanding this clash of auras was already straining it, so the actual battle might well break the universe.

    Jack glanced at the gathering cultivators in the distance. They weren¡¯t nearly far away. ¡°Let¡¯s take this elsewhere,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Enas laughed. ¡°You think I care about¡ª¡±

    Jack raised a hand and jabbed space. It shattered for several light years around them. The universe crumbled around him and Enas, leaving them in a sea of swimming colors where they had nothing to break.

    Enas looked around warily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of going back,¡± Jack said. ¡°Opening a portal to the universe would take long enough for me to stop you.¡±

    Enas finally rested his gaze on Jack. ¡°You also can¡¯t go back,¡± he said. ¡°You really want to kill me or die trying.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°When did you ever doubt it?¡±

    ***

    As this tremendous power surged through Jack, forcibly pushing him to the S-Grade, he¡¯d seen the path clearly.

    The S-Grade was a completely new realm compared to everything before it. The breakthrough to reach it would be incredibly difficult, and the increase in power was vast to the point where even Archons were ants before a true S-Grade. That was why Enas had been able to so easily overpower the entire army. He simply existed at a higher level. He was transcendent. Mere cultivators could do nothing against him, be they F-Grades or Archons.

    To reach the S-Grade was to raise the self to the level of a true universe. It was incomparable to an inner world, which was a tiny, mock universe. This was a true one, containing galaxies, heavenly Daos, and sprawling civilizations. Jack had only reached this level temporarily by combining his seed of transcendence¡ªthe Universe of the Body¡ªwith a tremendous influx of energy. He¡¯d revert to his normal level when this was over, but he knew he¡¯d return here in the future. He¡¯d achieve it the right way. It was only a matter of time.

    Since being S-Grade meant being a complete universe, the actual universe itself could technically be an S-Grade cultivator, though Jack doubted it was so. If it was sentient, it would have interfered by now. That did bring interesting questions to the fore, however¡ªcould the universe be the corpse of a dead S-Grade cultivator, with the twelve gods being remnants of their will? Could there be more worlds out there, or S-Grade beings traversing the infinite dimensional sea in search of new places to conquer? Was it a whole new frontier, or just an empty infinity?

    Jack didn¡¯t know, but now was not the time to consider these things.

    His own Universe of the Body was a real universe. It was newborn, far too weak to attain the S-Grade by itself, but it contained the seeds to that path. That was how he¡¯d been able to absorb and utilize all the power Brock gave him. They used extreme amounts of energy to simulate a more active universe, letting Jack command power at the S-Grade. In fact, the energy he¡¯d been given was so much he could only partly utilize it. Even at the S-Grade level of power, he could fight for a long time.

    At the same time, Enas was a true S-Grade. He was the fused form of twelve Gods, each representing one corner of the world. Together, they formed a complete being¡ªa true God¡ªwho stood at the peak of Dao. His body was not a universe like Jack¡¯s, but he kind of served as the spirit of their universe, letting him borrow its power to confidently stand on the same level.

    Jack gazed at Enas. ¡°Can you answer some questions before we fight?¡± he asked, burning with curiosity.

    Enas smiled. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll figure out all the answers myself. I¡¯ll have time after I kill you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re confident.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m powerful.¡±

    ¡°So you think. Let me show you true power.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Their auras reemerged, swooping out and combining to enforce reality onto a part of the dimensional sea. The natural laws were a tug of war dictated by the two of them. It formed a mini universe, not enough to truly separate from the dimensional sea, but enough to serve as a tangible battlefield.

    They charged. Jack pulled back a fist, then shot it forward.

    ¡°Supernova!¡±

    ¡°Well of Life!¡±

    Their energies clashed in the middle. Jack¡¯s punch unleashed more power than an actual supernova, obliterating the hastily-created spacetime in all directions. Part of their energy went to rebuilding it. Enas¡¯s attack was a green beam containing infinitely regenerating life force. It was easily destroyed by Jack¡¯s attack, but it regrew as it forcibly entered his body. Jack braced himself but felt nothing. He snorted.

    ¡°Have this back,¡± he said. The Life Drop appeared in his hand¡ªhe¡¯d already withdrawn the turtle and stones into his inner universe¡ªand tossed it over. It turned into an Archon-level monster the moment it left his hand¡ªa green, lumbering giant with sharp fangs and angry insanity. Jack punched and eradicated it. The Life Drop was gone forever.

    ¡°Is that how you treat my gift?¡± Enas asked. ¡°After all the times it saved you?¡±

    ¡°I respect the Life Drop,¡± Jack said, ¡°just not you.¡±

    They clashed again. Enas was the God of Life¡ªthough technically in the realm of the soul, he favored physical attacks, just like Jack. The soul components of their attacks neutralized each other. Their punches met each other in world-shattering explosions. The mini-universe they¡¯d conjured broke and reformed all over. None of the two rushed things. They were both new to the S-Grade. As time passed, they grew increasingly familiar with their powers, their clashes becoming sharper and fiercer.

    Jack no longer possessed the four-armed battle form, and even Thunder Body was far too low in level to enhance his current power. His speed and strength were transcendent, both sundering expanses the length of galaxies. He and Enas were two rays of light clashing repeatedly in space, as well as every other frontier. Their auras warred throughout the newly-created cosmos¡ªDaos clashed and were annihilated, Archon-level manifestations appeared and vanished, minor Gods blinked in and out of existence.

    Those were all inconsequential. Jack gathered his powers into his body, focusing on the only real opponent¡ªEnas.

    ¡°Black Hole!¡± he shouted. His fist crumbled, replaced by a swirling black orb. With his laws and power risen to new heights, this was no longer an imitation but the real thing. If shot into a universe, it would absorb matter and keep growing forever. He pushed it forward. Enas brought his hands together, wrestling control of the nearby universe and enforcing his own Dao of Entropy over the black hole, destabilizing it and forcing it to disappear.

    ¡°I have absorbed Axelor, boy!¡± Enas laughed. ¡°You cannot use his tricks on me!¡±

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Jack said. A swarm of black holes appeared around him, orbiting his head before flying at Enas. The God brought his palms together again, combining them in esoteric seals which changed the Dao. Entropy formed precise counters which rushed at each black hole and neutralized it.

    Enas possessed all the Daos of his siblings, it was just that he favored Life.

    Jack mixed in a punch. It met Enas¡¯s forearm, blocked, while the shockwave destroyed half the universe behind them. Enas struck back, his hand formed into a claw. Jack parried. They each launched into a flurry of blows, two titans clashing physically. The world around them was peeled away by the violence. Jack¡¯s inner universe faced apocalypse. Planets were ruptured every time his organs took damage, and the sky above their heads was torn apart as his skin broke. Intense energy currents rushed everywhere, obliterating anything in their path. Jack felt the loss. These were living creatures he¡¯d birthed¡ªin a way, they were his children¡ªbut they would suffer every time he took losses. Every fight meant their sacrifice.

    This was the responsibility of a God.

    His creatures died by the thousands each time he clashed, entire planets scoured of life, their development pushed back to the single-celled age. He split off a tiny part of his power to protect the cultivators of his inner world, but that was all he could afford. The grief fueled his resolve to win.

    Their clashes were cataclysmic, and they were not ineffective. Jack was seemingly winning. His every punch drilled into the God¡¯s defenses, pushing him back, inflicting minor wounds. In return, subtle undercurrents of malevolent life energy entered Jack¡¯s body. They didn¡¯t cause any immediate changes, but Jack was no amateur¡ªhe kept his perception on the look-out, and before long, he noticed something. His face went white.

    ¡°Fool!¡± Enas cried out. ¡°You dare engage in a melee with me? Watch as I destroy you from the inside!¡±

    Jack¡¯s organs had turned into planets, but they also remained organs. They were made of his cells and were part of his body. Now, he could sense malevolent tumors growing rapidly inside him, expanding and conquering him.

    ¡°You gave me cancer?¡± he asked incredulously.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The overwhelming, uncontrolled power of life! Now die!¡±

    Enas pressed the attack, not giving Jack the time to deal with his inner problems. Jack snorted. Even as he fell on the back foot, his perception drilled deep into his body, reaching every good and bad cell. He saw their inner workings clearly. Then, he quickly purged the tumors, letting healthy cells regrow in their place. He couldn¡¯t do it very accurately, given the chaotic battle, so he ended up using more energy than required.

    It was a constant balancing act. As they clashed, more energy sipped into Jack¡¯s body, and more tumors appeared, which he had to purge before they expanded too much. That process demanded part of his attention, hindering his fighting and letting Enas take the upper hand.

    The Sage had always fought from the back, at least in Jack¡¯s knowledge. Enas, on the other hand, was a fierce pugilist. His dirty robes fluttered as he landed strike after strike on Jack, slowly boxing him in. Knees and elbows and fists rained alongside insidious blows. Jack dodged the fingers heading for his eyes and smashed aside a fist, then ducked under a wide blow only to be met with a knee to the face. He jerked back, but Enas was already there, smashing a palm into the small of his back and dislocating his spine. Jack willed it to reattach but suffered a kick to the back of the head for doing so. He flew away, the world spinning around him.

    In that moment of weakness, another insidious power took hold of his body. Jack sensed the power of life infiltrating him, fusing into his own to push it in a certain direction. Still recoiling, he didn¡¯t manage to stop it. His body started evolving in terrible ways. His organs were failing, his limbs twisting, his brain breaking. Ugly protrusions grew out of his skin, while his bones turned spongy. He was killing himself.

    ¡°Fear the power of life and evolution!¡± Enas shouted, green rivers emerging from him and diving into Jack¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯re already dead!¡±

 Chapter 560: This is Our Era

    Jack gritted his teeth. The tumors he had to constantly purge were one thing, but this situation was even harder to resolve. A simple purging wouldn¡¯t work. Every evolution was spurred on by his own body, responding to the expertly designed fake stimuli provided by Enas¡ªhe was, after all, the original creator of human bodies. Moreover, the foreign life energy which had invaded his body was sneaky¡ªit assimilated with his, polluting it. He had no way to purge it before it exhausted itself, but if this continued, he¡¯d die long before that. His own regeneration now worked against him. His body was self-destructing through misguided evolution.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to use evolution against me?¡± Jack asked, calm despite the deadly threat. ¡°Did you forget who I am, Enas?¡±

    ¡°I know exactly who you are. An arrogant pugilist, a fake god soon to be dead!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m something much better,¡± Jack declared. ¡°A biologist!¡±

    Jack¡¯s life energy turned into tiny streams, drilling into every part of his body, coming face-to-face with the evolutionary transformations. ¡°Two can play this game, Enas!¡± He created fake stimuli of his own. His body¡¯s evolutions were held back, slowly reversed as Jack rapidly analyzed the situation and provided the perfect stimuli to counter Enas¡¯s.

    The God frowned. ¡°You dare compete in understanding life against the God of Life?¡±

    ¡°So what if I do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll suffer!¡±

    The foreign energy went wild inside Jack. It produced all sorts of evolutions, various odd and intricate interactions to challenge Jack¡¯s understanding. Yet, even the most esoteric of those were countered by Jack. After years of meditations, he understood his body perfectly, and analyzed all changes to figure out how to reverse them. As the foreign energy inside him slowly exhausted itself, Jack¡¯s body returned to normal, stronger than ever. Since Enas¡¯s energy had wanted to assimilate into his, he obliged, using it to recover some of his spent energy.

    Enas¡¯s eyes looked about to pop out. ¡°How did you do that?¡± he shouted. ¡°I created the human body. No matter what Daos you have, I understand it better than you. How can you match me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something, Enas,¡± Jack said with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m a biologist with almost a PhD, and I¡¯ve studied a ton of books which I can now recall with photographic memory. I also possess the Dao of Life to round out any errors. I may not be able to compete with you in general understanding of the human body, but when it comes to my body, nobody can surpass me!¡±

    Enas hesitated for a moment before his anger fanned hotter. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous. Go die,¡± he said, falling back into the melee. Jack met him fearlessly. Over time, the differences in their fighting styles became clear.

    Jack was a fist fighter. That was where his strongest attacks lay. Enas, on the other hand, used all of his body and every insidious attack he could manage. Fist met knee. Jack pushed away an elbow, then met Enas¡¯s headbutt with his own. They both staggered back and reengaged.

    Jack was growing used to his powers by now. He felt much more efficient than earlier in the battle, but of course, this improvement wouldn¡¯t last forever. It had slowed down. Enas, on the other hand, just kept rising. He¡¯d started off completely unused to the extreme powers he possessed, and even now, his combat efficiency was lower than Jack¡¯s. He compensated with raw power. As time passed, he became better and better, continuing even after Jack approached a plateau.

    ¡°A fake god cannot stand against me!¡± Enas shouted, diving head-first into their erratic melee. ¡°I created mortals billions of years ago! I gave you life and Dao! I have always existed above you! Your powers are only borrowed, and you will lose!¡±

    Jack gritted his teeth. The more they fought, the worse his situation became. He wasn¡¯t really an S-Grade, just fighting with the powers of one, so he couldn¡¯t quite match Enas. The more time that passed, the stronger the God would become, while Jack had already reached his peak.

    I need to do something, he thought frantically. But what? He is the twelve gods. He possesses the origin of every single Dao in the universe. I cannot overpower him in sheer force, and I cannot defeat him in the Dao.

    How ignoble would that be. After everything that happened, all the sacrifices and hope thrust onto his person, Jack might fail to defeat Enas. Everyone would die. His friends, his bros, his family¡­ He shouldered the hopes of an entire universe and was falling short. What¡¯s worse, he couldn¡¯t even see a way out. His entire cultivation was based around his body, which Enas could match and soon overpower. As for his energy attacks, those relied on his Dao, and Enas had reached the peak in all of them. As for soul attacks, they were never really his thing.

    Defeat was inevitable.

    Is there nothing I can do!? Jack screamed inwardly.

    Faces passed through his mind in flashes. Brock, Vivi, Ebele, his mother¡­ His son, Eric¡­ Even further back, he saw all the people who¡¯d been important to him in his journey. Harambe, Edgar, Shol, Gan Salin, Dordok, Nauja, Huali, Heavenly Spoon, Min Ling, Boatman, Starhair, the Arch Priestess, Great Silver, Fiend Prince¡­ These people and many others passed through Jack¡¯s mind. All of them were enjoying their lives or had sacrificed themselves somewhere down the road. He shouldered the responsibility of protecting them or carrying their legacy.

    He even thought about the brave cultivators of the Black Hole Church who hadn¡¯t hesitated to detonate their inner worlds for a shot at victory. His shot at victory. All the people who¡¯d stood by his side and declared they¡¯d rather die fighting than running, and who later placed all their hopes on him.

    And now, he¡¯d fail? Just like that? He¡¯d let everyone he¡¯d ever met, everyone he¡¯d shared life and death with, get squashed by an unfeeling, selfish god?

    At the final deciding moment, would he let everybody down?

    Am I so fucking useless!?

    Jack shouted in outrage. This is so unfair! I did everything right. I took on every opportunity, every risk, every bit of pain. My road was perfect. How can I be so close to victory yet fail at the final moment?If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Jack roared in fury, punching out. Enas blocked easily, now content to defend more than he attacked. He knew that time was on his side.

    ¡°Tick tock, little mortal,¡± he mocked. ¡°Your time is coming.¡±

    The shockwave of Jack¡¯s strike spread into their mini universe, shattering part of its foundation, which their combined auras forced to reconstruct. Jack looked around him.

    Constructing a universe¡­ he thought, his eyes growing wide. Wait! I didn¡¯t utilize every opportunity! There is still one¡­ The universe-creating woman!!

    There was one Dao Vision Jack still hadn¡¯t figured out. The highest-level one he¡¯d seen. A woman sat in space, orchestrating a high-speed collision of particles which ended up creating a new universe. Too many interactions happened in a short time, and Jack hadn¡¯t possessed the mental energy to decipher them at the time.

    Now, he did.

    His mind looked back into the vision, rewatching it as he fought. The particles collided, shattering to unleash an entirely new world as if they¡¯d always contained it. Time spread into a new axis, pulsing at its own frequency, and all other Daos spun around it to fall in line. They merged into one complete whole. One explosion, one world. Infinite interactions happening simultaneously, so many that even Jack¡¯s currently enhanced mind was strained almost to the point of breaking.

    And then, his perception shifted, and everything made sense. It clicked. The infinite interactions outlined the underlying structure of the Dao itself. He glanced at it, the image turning crystal-clear by his current S-Grade level, and suddenly all the mysteries of the universe were unlocked. He saw the Dao for the first time, the true Dao, how everything worked together brilliantly. It all fell together. The destruction and creation of worlds were his to command because he understood them.

    Jack lost his breath, overtaken by sheer wonder.

    ¡°Birth of time¡­¡± he whispered, eyes growing distant. ¡°All becomes one¡­ I finally understand.¡±

    Mid-battle wasn¡¯t the best place to ponder on the Dao. As Jack¡¯s concentration lapsed, he¡¯d received several good hits by Enas. A few bones had snapped and even his organs were wounded. Blood trailed out of him like stardust, painting his death in ethereal colors.

    Enas smashed a backhand into Jack¡¯s mouth, sending him reeling, while even the tumors constantly growing inside his body threatened to escape control.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the God laughed. ¡°Overcome by despair? Realized you¡¯re losing no matter what?¡±

    Jack looked up, his eyes suddenly focused. ¡°The exact opposite,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m about to punch you into a new world.¡±

    ¡°Still with the bravado! Very well, mortal. Come and show me the¡ª¡±

    Enas¡¯s words were cut short. His eyes lingered on Jack¡¯s fist, then grew wide. There was a Dao there he didn¡¯t recognize. Something which spoke to him in a deep, primal level, a memory from before he could remember.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked in horror. ¡°I understand all Daos. How can I not recognize it?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand all Daos,¡± Jack said. ¡°You understand all Daos in the universe, but the universe didn¡¯t create itself. This is something which has never appeared before. A concept just beyond your reach, which you could have easily grasped if you tried, but you never did.¡±

    Jack stepped forward. His fist glowed with a white light. In the space around it, all particles had disappeared, leaving only two, rushing around at speeds vastly eclipsing that of light. The woman in the vision had only been an extreme Archon¡ªJack was currently far stronger than that, so where she¡¯d been forced to wait for the particles to collide naturally, he could control their trajectories. The imminent explosion was under his control. So were its consequences.

    ¡°This is impossible!¡± Enas raved. ¡°You¡¯re my creation. You cannot rise higher than me!¡±

    ¡°You think we mortals are nothing but toys,¡± Jack said, letting the particles build up even more speed. ¡°That our progress is a joke, that we can never challenge you, that we will always be inferior. Well, I have news for you, God. We are neither toys nor objects. We are alive, as much as you are, if not more. You may have created us, but you do not control us. We can and will surpass you. We are the future¡ªand the future is now. Your age is past.¡±

    Enas stepped back in fright, eyes glued on Jack¡¯s fist. Jack suddenly teleported before him, fist pulled back. He shot it out. Enas conjured every Dao shield he could, hoping at least one of them would counter this unknown Dao. None did. Jack¡¯s fist pierced through.

    The particles collided, exploding to birth a new Dao of Time pulsing at its own frequency, a blooming new world held in Jack¡¯s grasp. He directed all its energy forward, guiding it alongside his fist. All of Enas¡¯s shields shattered like glass.

    Jack punched God in the face. ¡°THIS IS OUR ERA!¡± he shouted. ¡°BIG BANG!¡±

    An entire world smashed into Enas¡¯s nose. His defenses were useless. He was blown away, shattering their mini universe. A bloody tooth flew out, falling into the dimensional sea, containing enough divine energy to spontaneously form its own world before collapsing.

    God held his face, only a bleeding eye revealed. He shook in shock. ¡°Impossible,¡± he muttered. The power he felt from Jack¡¯s newest attack was enough to make him shiver. It rendered every Dao he knew useless. It stood at a higher level than anything he¡¯d ever met, save for the universe itself. But how could he fight a universe? How could he rise beyond his origin?

    Enas turned tail and ran. ¡°I am the God of Survival!¡± he shouted. ¡°You cannot kill me! I will survive, and when I return, I¡ª¡±

    Jack appeared ahead of him. Their previous mini-universe had shattered, but the one created by Jack¡¯s Big Bang was still there, letting him move faster through it than Enas could through the dimensional sea.

    Seeing Jack¡¯s sudden appearance, Enas¡¯s eyes went wide with panic. ¡°I will survive!¡± he screamed.

    Jack didn¡¯t reply. His eyes were cold. Two objects orbited his fist: one was a pair of accelerating particles, the seed of a new world. The other was a black hole, which had just consumed the entire universe he¡¯d previously created, reaching new heights of power. The apexes of creation and destruction fused. Jack¡¯s single fist held the secret of the universe, the underlying principles of the Dao. He punched. God screamed, releasing all of his remaining power in one universe-annihilating green burst. ¡°I WILL SURVIVE!¡± he shouted.

    Jack ignored defense to keep attacking with everything he had.

    The green energy seared his body in and out, demolishing his organs and all life on them, breaking his body, mangling his limbs. From one moment to the next, he was on the verge of death. But his fist kept going. It easily penetrated everything, enforcing order on the dimensional sea, to strike at Enas¡¯s face. Their eyes met, one holding confidence and the other unwillingness. Time slowed to a crawl.

    ¡°This is the end of my road to mastery¡­¡± Jack said. ¡°Fist of the Universe.¡±

    There was a sound like a ringing gong. Creation and destruction intermingled. Two universe-level concepts fused, then unleashed the mightiest attack ever witnessed since the creation of the universe.

    Jack flew away. New Daos and concepts erupted everywhere, flooding the dimensional sea, warring to instill order amidst its chaos. A world took shape and collapsed. A black hole turned white. The colors of the dimensional sea parted, momentarily revealing a white expanse behind them before merging back together. All of existence moaned in pain and fury as it was forced to endure Jack¡¯s mightiest strike, and Enas¡¯s body was right in the middle of it, shattering in infinite tiny particles which melted into the chaos. Not a single piece of him remained. The twelve Gods were destroyed.

    Jack floated through the swirling colors, grievously injured, but alive. His ravaged inner universe had turned unstable, no longer able to support his S-Grade power. He opened a portal to the universe and let himself fly through it, arriving back where the gathered cultivators eagerly awaited news. It felt like home.

    ¡®He finally let the borrowed power slip away, returning to his normal level, and chuckled through bloodied teeth. He¡¯d done it. He¡¯d saved everyone. He¡¯d shouldered their hopes and succeeded. His gathered fear and pressure culminated into one, massive roar.

    ¡°FUCK YEAH!¡±

    God was dead. Jack was victorious. The war was over.

 Epilogue: Thank You for Everything

    A man rested on a lush hill, arms crossed behind his head. He enjoyed the wind, the sun, the grass blades caressing his back. His eyes were closed in happiness¡ªor, more probably, he was asleep.

    ¡°Hey Dad,¡± a woman said, manifesting beside him. She seemed in her late twenties, but that was definitely not the case.

    The man cracked open an eye and smiled. ¡°Ebele,¡± he said.

    ¡°Mom says dinner is ready,¡± the woman said, ¡°but you don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not often that my adventuring daughter comes to visit,¡± he said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world.¡±

    ¡°Shall we?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. Lie down, Ebele. It¡¯s important to appreciate the little joys of life every once in a while.¡±

    Ebele hesitated, but finally joined Jack in lounging on the grass. He sensed her fidgeting but let the minutes pass in silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± she finally said when she¡¯d adjusted. She took a deep breath. ¡°I should do this more often.¡±

    Jack smiled. He looked up at the sun. The real sun. He¡¯d long moved Earth back to its original place in the solar system, no longer wary of hidden enemies. His mind ran back to the end of the Crusade fifty years ago, when he earned true freedom for himself and the universe.

    The cultivators of the Immortal army surrendered after news of his victory spread. Even their five remaining Archons did so. Of those, a couple later chose to escape in distant parts of the universe, but Jack put them out of his mind. They¡¯d never dare to return.

    All the surrendered cultivators were imprisoned and their backgrounds looked into. They were fairly judged. Those who committed atrocities under the Immortals were executed, but their families were spared¡ªthat was the term of their surrender. As for the innocent ones, they were simply let go. No need to foster more hatred.

    This incited a shift in cultivator culture across the universe. With many bad apples gone and good ones remaining, the world became a better place, at least temporarily. Corruption had a way of sneaking into every house, but Jack wasn¡¯t going to chase it endlessly. Some things were meant to happen.

    The war had also created a vast power vacuum, as many high-level cultivators had perished, including the majority of Archons in the universe. The new generation had risen to the task. They hadn¡¯t reached the level of their predecessors yet, but following Jack¡¯s instructions, they¡¯d soon usher the cultivation world into an unprecedented era of prosperity. A handful of people had already achieved a fusion of their cultivation similar to Jack¡¯s Universe of the Body. They were Brock, Heavenly Spoon, and, surprisingly, Fiend Prince. Jack¡¯s teachings had made a difference.

    All of them had the potential to reach the S-Grade in the future, but, of course, that breakthrough would be no easy task.

    As for Jack, after cultivating for fifty years, he¡¯d reached the late A-Grade and become the undeniable strongest person in the universe. That gave him the power to enact several changes.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    He¡¯d restructured the Bare Fist Brotherhood with the purpose of enforcing justice around the universe, making it as corruption-proof as possible. Thanks to his presence, it had attracted many young talents, becoming the foremost faction of the cultivation world.

    Besides that, Jack had reconstituted the System, which had collapsed along with the Heaven Immortal, into a form similar to its previous one but no longer rewarding the killing of others or monsters. That slowed down progression, but it was a price he was more than willing to pay.

    He¡¯d also visited the Space Monster World, releasing the clones of Axelor and the Space and Time Gods from the Hall of Trials. They were devastated at the destruction of their main bodies, but eventually adjusted. They stayed in the monster world and dedicated themselves to training up the young generations. Jack still visited Axelor¡¯s clone from time to time¡ªhe was a decent guy.

    His comrades in the final war had spread to all corners of the universe, living their own adventures. After dealing with all other issues, the main bodies of Jack and Brock flew deep into the uncharted universe, pioneering new galaxies for the cultivation world and heralding its expansion. Their entire world was still in its infancy, after all¡ªoccupying less than a hundred galaxies out of billions, the future was vast.

    Jack also wanted to explore the dimensional sea and uncover its secrets, but that could wait until he and Brock formally stepped into the S-Grade. Until then, pioneering and helping the world prosper was the best he could do. He¡¯d also crafted a few more clones which took over teaching the new generations of cultivators. People everywhere venerated him as an all-knowing sage, though he knew he wasn¡¯t perfect.

    His clone on Earth was the happiest one. He spent most of his time with Vivi, enjoying their long lives. Ebele visited occasionally, in breaks between her various adventures, and they also had many friends on Earth to keep them company.

    He often relaxed by himself and mused about everything he¡¯d been through. His entire cultivation journey up to defeating Enas had lasted only thirty years, but it felt like several lifetimes compressed into one. The Integration, the tournament, Trial Planet, his guerilla warfare on Hell, the Cathedral, the Green Dragon Realm, losing his son and finding himself, the war against the Animal Kingdom, the Space Monster World, the Second Crusade¡­ His life still felt like a dream.

    I should write a book, he mused sometimes. An autobiography. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry, however. His life was far from over.

    Of all the people who were part of his adventures, from beginning to end, he remembered them all. Maybe they would no longer walk together, but they would forever be part of each other. He¡¯d never forget them, and he hoped they wouldn¡¯t either.

    ¡°Thank you for everything¡­¡± he whispered in the air occasionally, even when no one could hear him.

    The professor had passed away ten years after the final war¡ªwhile Jack had the power to reverse death, to a degree, he viewed it as deeply disrespectful to a life well lived. He let his mother rest, visiting her grave regularly.

    ¡°We die to live,¡± he¡¯d say when people asked him about that, refusing to elaborate.

    He still looked at the sky sometimes, pondering the true secrets of the universe. Were there more universes out there, scattered in the dimensional sea? S-Grade existences roaming the true berth of the cosmos? Were there realms beyond the S-Grade?

    He did not know the answers, nor did the God clones in the Space Monster World, but he knew he¡¯d find out. When the time came, his main body would break into the S-Grade and leave this universe behind. As for what would happen afterward¡­ Jack really looked forward to finding out. Worst case, if there weren¡¯t any more universes, he¡¯d make them.

    But not in haste. Jack had been through a lot, and in the end, he emerged victorious. He¡¯d earned his rest. He would enjoy it.

    And the future would always come.

    THE END

 Authors Afterword

    I just typed in the final words of the series. Bros¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s over. Road to Mastery has been my project for the past two years, my continued obsession and companion. It not only pushed my skills to a new level, but also my life, financially and in a bunch of other fields.

    Throughout these two years, despite the success and reader satisfaction that Road to Mastery received, I never allowed myself to experience it fully. It was incomplete. Anything could go wrong. That is no longer the case. The completion of Road to Mastery means I can finally stop obsessing over it, and it will always be there, never becoming worse no matter what. I cannot describe the relief that brings me. It also marks me as a true author, in my mind, in a more impactful way than anything so far. I feel so proud of what I have accomplished. So satisfied with myself. The positive feelings inside me are so many they fight to come out first.

    That doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t miss Road to Mastery. I realize now, as I¡¯m writing these words, that I will never write about Jack and Brock again. All the characters of this series are people I¡¯ll leave behind, despite everything I¡¯ve shared with them. It is almost grief. However, life is change, and embracing it is the secret to happiness. Good and bad. This is the good kind of loss, and I hope that, after sharing this adventure with me and Jack¡ªas well as our excellent narrator, Jeremy Frazier, who has my heartfelt thanks¡ªyou will embrace the ending of this series as a maturing opportunity. I know I do.

    I might be getting emotional now.

    Anyway. The series might be over, but my journey as an author¡ªmy own Road to Mastery¡ªis just beginning. I know different people have different tastes, but I hope each of you enjoys at least one of my future stories, so our paths can cross again. Let¡¯s stay in touch¡ªwe¡¯re bros now!This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    By the way, to answer your question preemptively, yes, I might write another series in the same universe in the future¡ªa cultivator in Jack¡¯s Universe of the Body, or maybe someone in Edgar¡¯s academy. No promises though. What I can promise is that there''s a lot of stuff in development for Road to Mastery. A webcomic is coming, a print light novel version, and a video game (!!!) produced by yours truly. Keep this story in your follows so you can be notified when they''re live, or join my Discord channel for more updates.

    My next series is going to be Good Guy Necromancer¡ªa story about a wholesome necromancer and his army of undead friends trying to save the world. In fact, since I''m writing this long before you see it, I''ve probably already started posting that story. Go read it! It''s less xianxia-style than Road to Mastery, and a little more slice-of-death (hehe) but still with a lot of adventure.

    That¡¯s about all for now. Thank you very, very much for being part of this journey for the past two years. Your presence and comments meant the world to me. You gave me a bunch of great ideas and feedback, as well as motivation to keep going when things got rough¡ªthat goes especially for the people who messaged me about how my story helped them improve their lives, or gave them something to rely on during hard times. Writing is a tough gig, but you guys are the reason it¡¯s worth it.

    See you soon, bros.

    To new words, to new worlds,

    With love,

    Valerios

 Chapter 95: Defying a God

    Chapter 95: Defying a God

    <em>The previous night,</em>

    Rufus Emberheart sat alone in his house.

    There werent many moments when he could think freely. Around others, he had to show the face of a king. Only now, in his privacy, could he let his mind roam free.

    And he needed that, because his Dao was struggling.

    <em>Settle down, </em>hemanded it, furrowing his brows, but it was difficult. Supremacy was fleeting.

    His Dao was already strained bying to this. It whispered that a truly supreme person wouldnt need to lie or cheat. However, he knew that was the way of the world; the rules only applied to the weak, which he was not. It was power guiding him, not fear.

    He could control that doubt.

    But now, his vest had been stained by a <em>monkey</em>. Moreover, he had been unable to avenge that insult on the spot, even though he tried.

    Argh! Rufus roared, releasing his frustration freely. He raised a paw and smashed one of the mundane instruments to pieces.

    Additionally, the owner of that monkey had <em>defeated </em>him in a bidding war. That was the hardest to stomach. Rufus had miscalcted, yed his cards wrong, and because of that, he had lost.

    All those incidentsbined into a heavy pressure in his soul. Cultivating the Dao of Supremacy was like walking on a swords edge. It gave the cultivator tremendous power, but its requirements were overwhelming. Every step had to be perfect, or you would tumble into the abyss. Missteps could not be tolerated. It was a Dao that would either take you to the heavens or nowhere at all.

    Thankfully, he was still low in Grade; the Dao Tree of Supremacy would never stand for these insults. It would crumble like a tower of cards.

    <em>I need to regain my momentum, </em>Rufus thought, narrowing his eyes. <em>I must turn adversity into opportunity and triumph with the majesty of a king.</em>

    There was nothing he could do about his Daos protests to cheating, but as for the other two They both converged on one enemy.

    <em>Jack Rust.</em>

    Rufus Emberheart would never lower himself to antagonize a monkey. The real culprit was Jack Rust, who had also taken away his Rainbow Dao Pill and dared meet his blow without shattering.

    There were many paths to regaining the upper hand, but only one of them was truly supreme.

    <em>I will break through to the E-Grade right now, proving I do not need the pill. I will make it in time. Then, I will destroy him in fair battle, I will y his monkey before his face, and I will dominate his allies. In one fell swoop, my Dao will be justified.</em>

    He needed that resolve. If not, his Dao would be unstable, and his breakthrough to the E-Grade would not be perfect.

    The pill was only an extra assurance. He was confident in seeding regardless. His masterwho was also his grandfatheradvised against it, but to follow that advice was cowardice, and Rufus could no longer afford it.

    For his path to be perfect, he had to follow it with all his heart.

    As this resolve filled him, it resonated with his Dao. The crown in his soul invited him, as it had been doing for thest few months. This time, Rufus obliged. The world faded away until only the supreme crown and himself remained. He had unshakable confidence in himself.

    He would reign supreme.

    ***

    A minute passed. Jack waited, scanning the stands and arena entrances with confusion, but Rufus never appeared. He even suspected that the leonine was hidden under the sand tounch a sneak attack, but if so, he had had ample time to attack already.

    So where was he?

    The audience shared the same question. Everyone whispered at each other, filling the arena with noise. Edgar spoke to the people around him, then looked at Jack and shrugged.

    Hey! the guy with strong lungs and a tendency to meddle shouted. How long does he have to arrive?

    The head judge took a moment to respond. Even she seemed to be doubting her own words. For the final battle, the waiting time is one hour. If Rufus Emberheart fails to show up by then, he will automatically forfeit the fight

    More whispers spread through the audience.

    Surprisingly, even the ghosts and Vocrich seemed confused. The C-Grade lioness showed no reaction. Suddenly, the ghosts and Vocrich turned to look at her, all at once. Jack felt something brush against his soul so softly that he would have missed it if he wasnt battle-ready.

    <em>Is she scanning us? Is she scanning the town to look for Rufus?</em>

    He stared at the lioness, then remembered she was a literal goddess and looked away.

    Suddenly, a voice rang in his mind, carrying the majesty and authority of a queen. Resign.

    Jack shed another look towards the lioness. He recognized her voice. Why was she speaking to him?

    Rufus got dyed. He wille in a few minutes, but my time is too precious to waste here. You cannot win. Resign.

    Jack was so shocked he couldnt think straight. She wanted him to resign the most important battle of his lifejust because she couldnt wait two minutes!?

    There was no pressure in her words, but he could feel it looming right behind them. The threat wasnt even veiled; to disobey a C-Grades words, especially a hostile C-Grades, was tant suicide.

    Jack gritted his teeth. What was happening? This wasnt part of the n, but when a god asked

    He didnt want to resign. Could he survive making his position even worse? Offending the scions was one thing, but a C-Grade immortal was infinitely greater.

    However, if he resigned now, the C-Grade master of his master wouldnt take him as a disciple. There really wasnt a choice.

    He didnt know how to reply through his thoughts, nor did he dare look at the lioness, so he simply clenched his jaw and remained silent. Suddenly, he was more aware of the pressure. He was standing alone in the middle of a vast arena, bearing the honor of his and watched by everyone on Earth. Eight billion sets of eyes watched him simply stand there, including several immortals and a godlike being.

    He had never been more aware of his breath, his blinking, or the way he stood.

    Do you dare disobey my words? The voice rang in his mind again, and this time, it wasnt alone. A heavy pressure descended on him, covering him from head to toe, so strong it made him sweat. If the threat had been implicit before, it was now clear as day.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He looked at her, and found the lioness leaning back with her eyes closed, as if nothing here was worth watching. She was hiding the fact that she spoke to him. Why?

    He maintained his silence.

    Something foreign infiltrated his mind and soul. His Dao Roots shivered and crumbled, squeezed into tiny dots on the verge of shattering like ss beads. Suddenly, he was in the presence of something greater than he couldprehend. A giant was staring at him, a mountain-sized beast. Hecked the means toprehend the sensation or put it into words, but it was simr to the awe as you watched a gigantic tsunami crashing on your face, exceptsting more an instant.

    Or, more urately, like beingpletely tied up and between the jaws of a hungry lion just before it devoured you.

    Primal fear welled up from everywhere inside him. His soul screamed at him to surrender, and his Dao Roots couldnt make a peep in the presence of something so superior to them.

    The world disappeared around Jack. His senses were cut off as if his mind didnt dare perceive anything in the face of this beast.

    Resign, the voice exploded inside his mind, shaking him to the very core like hed swallowed an industrial-strength speaker.

    But Jack retained control of his mind, and hidden behind his fear, his thoughts still worked. Why was the lioness threatening him? Why did she care so much? And, most importantly, why she was pretending that nothing was happening?

    Jacks mind raced. Vocrich, a representative of the Hand of God, was right beside her. The Hand of God were the enforcers of the Star Pact, the gcticw, and interfering with the Integration Tournament went directly against thatw. If she went to the trouble of hiding, then it meant that Vocrich could and would punish her if he knew.

    Which meant she couldnt be too obvious. He was between the jaws of a lion, but it wouldnt dare chew.

    He also considered speaking up to expose her, but only an idiot would pit his word against a C-Grades. She was bullying him, and all he could do was endure.

    <em>No</em>, he replied weakly, speaking in his thoughts. He didnt even know if she could hear him. It was a wild gamble, but it was the only thing he could do. To save his people, he had to beat Rufus Emberheart. In any other case, most if not all of them would die, and Jack didnt mind dying with them. It would be his fault, anyway.

    The Dao brimmed with rage in his mind. The lioness could end him with a thought, but she didnt. She considered her next move in silence, and Jack knew his prediction had been right.

    She couldnt harm him. Her next words, still spoken in his mind, served as confirmation.

    I will not lower myself to kill a mortal, but know that your insult will be repaid tenfold. Every second you disobey me, you will regret it enough for a lifetime.

    Jack didnt care about her threat. The only thing he minded was, <em>Why the hell does she care so much!?</em>

    Was it a matter of pride? Because shed given an order and he refused, she would go all the way to threatening him? Just to save a few minutes of her time? And where the hell was Rufus?

    Something was fishy here.

    Jacks eyes swiveled to meet his masters, who was looking straight at him.

    I dont know either, Master Shols voice rang in Jacks mind. He shrugged; he didnt seem to have noticed the lionesss actions.

    A third voice reached his mind, then. It was the Sage. He is noting, Jack heard, and he had to try not to raise his brows. <em>Why is everyone suddenly telepathic? </em>he wondered. <em>Is my mind so much fun?</em>

    The Sage continued, Rufus Emberheart made a mistake. He was cultivating before the match, and he identally reached the final insight he needed to break into the E-Grade. The process cannot be stopped, and if it is interrupted, it would harm his Dao so severely he might never recover. It will probably not finish within the hour.

    Jack was filled with astonishment.

    <em>Wow, </em>he thought.

    Wow, indeed. Not even I expected that.

    <em>Wait. You can hear me?</em>

    We are conversing. Of course I can, as long as you will your thoughts to be transmitted.

    Jacks astonishment transformed into tion. <em>The lioness is trying to make me surrender. She knows Rufus is noting. If I just persist, will I win the fight?</em>

    Who is speaking to you, mortal? The lionesss voice rang again. Jacks eyes widened, and he felt a need to swear, but he didnt even do it in his thoughts.

    You cannot hidemunication from a C-Grade. Everything you say to me, she hears too, the Sages voice rang again, sounding flustered, but she cannot hear my voice. She doesnt know who I am. Dont even look at me.

    Jack kept his gaze on the ground. What was he even supposed to do? If he spoke to the Sage, the lioness could hear, too. At least he had the privacy of his own thoughts.

    Resign, shemanded again. It doesnt matter if Rufus ising or not. I can guarantee you that disobeying me here is far worse than losing the tournament.

    Jack hesitated.

    What is happening, disciple? Master Shols mental voice rang again. Why is Galicia Lonihor telling me nonsense?

    <em>I cant fucking reply! </em>Jack thought to himself. <em>And also, stop speaking to me all at once. Ugh! </em>After speaking with the Sage, too, he could instinctively understand which thoughts he was sharing and which he wasnt. It was pretty easy, actually, though not something he consciously understood yet.

    He did not reply to his master. That was response enough. On the stands, Master Shol narrowed his eyes but didntmunicate further.

    Jack couldnt pay him much mind right now. What should he do? He doubted that the lionesss threat was empty. Should he really resign? But he couldnt! Should he speak up and tell Vocrich what was happening? And then what? She would refuse it, and if it was his words against hers, only one of them was a literal god.

    Listen to me, Jack, the Sages voice came again. No matter what she says, you must not resign this fight. My master can protect you. Just persevere. And dont reveal what is happening. The Hand of God will not side with you without proof.

    <em>Can everyone stop using my head as a telephone pole? </em>Jackmentednot sharing the thought, of course. Nobody else contacted him for some time, everyone waiting to see what he would do.

    What was he supposed to do?

    Suddenly, Master Shol spoke again. I know what is going on, he said. I was contacted by your friend. That bitch sure has balls to interfere like that. If her cub identally broke through, thats his problem. Do not resign.

    <em>Why? Will you protect me? </em>Jack wanted to respond, though he didnt dare.

    The crowd was only getting louder as time passed, but Jack had no mind to pay to them. He took stock of his situation.

    Rufus Emberheart was noting. If he just waited an hour, he would win the tournament, and then Master Shols master would protect him. The Sages master, too, unless he was lying. Even if Jack faced the lionesss wrath, it would be fineright?

    If he did resign, nothing would change, and he would still be doomed. Especially since Rufus Emberheart was now breaking through to the E-Grade. That was a tremendous leap in power. If Jack had a chance before, he would now bepletely helpless. He would be ughtered the moment Rufus finished his breakthrough.

    It didnt sound like he had much choice. He was still between the lions jaws, but they didnt dare close on him. Let the lioness shout all she wanted. All he could do was wait.

    Moreoverhe would win!

    A few more minutes passed. Nobody was speaking to him now, and he had made his decision, so he was again open to perceiving all the attention on him. He was conscious of the lionesss intense pressure, of every eye on the glued on him, of the many lives he carried on his shoulders. Sweat dripped down his brows. Was he just supposed to stand in front of everyone for an hour without doing anything?

    His Dao Roots couldnt help, suppressed as they were by the lioness, and only now did he understand how much they helped him withstand the insane social pressure. This really was quite a feeling. No wonder most of his opponents had seemed so nervous.

    Five minutes finally passed. Jack felt like invisible hands were poking at his brain. Not only was everyone staring at him, but the lioness was still pressuring him from the inside, and the feeling had now escted to severe difort. He would never resign for that, but it was difficult to bear. His body itched to move nervously, and without his Daos, only his strong will kept him from awkwardly shuffling around.

    He was not having fun.

    It reminded him of the time he fought Harambe, actually. Back then, the crowd of broris and gymonkeys had also pressured him in a simr way, though nowhere near in intensity. He focused on the memory to lessen the pressure. It was only a minor distraction, but as he thought about it, an idea shed in his mind.

    Back then, this pressure had given him some insight on the Dao of the Fist. He had broken through the pressure exactly like that, a fist. Could he do the same now?

    Now that Jack thought about it, this pressure felt inviting. Something in his soul resonated with his desire to withstand it, something that wasnt part of his Dao yet, but that could be.

    Wordlessly, Jack sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

 Chapter 96: Facing the Fist

    Chapter 96: Facing the Fist

    The moment Jack sat down, everyone knew they were in for a wait. Some peopleined, but most simply settled down. Before the most exciting battle on the, one hour was nothing.

    The C-Grade lioness was furious. She sent wave after wave of mental pressure at Jack, whose only reaction was a set of furrowed brows. Even she couldnt hurt him like that, at least not covertly; the soul was invible.

    His eyes were closed, but he remained acutely aware of his situation. Every eye on earth was directed at him, including several immortals, a representative of the Hand of God, and even the C-Gradeary overseer. Of course, the professor was also watching, as were Jacks friends and every single person he had ever metexcept for the ones who died. And he was still shirtless.

    Overnight, he had be Earths greatest superstar. That kind of attention was hard to bear. Moreover, his decisions now, made in the spur of the moment, impacted the fates of thousands.

    He focused on his senses, preparing to enter meditation. He could sense the slow breeze on his face, the fluctuations of <em>his </em>crowds noise as it reached his ears, the sand shuffling under his bottom. The C-Grade Dao loomed over him, breathing in his face. His Dao Roots remained suppressed, forcing him to rely only on himself. For the first time in a while, he was struggling to concentrate.

    Jack was in a crucible, squeezed from every side. It should have been torture. And yet, something inside him whispered that this was exactly what he needed. His mind and will felt energetic, like muscles during a work-out. Against himself, he realized he was smiling.

    The mental pressure of the lioness,bined with the social pressure of the crowd and the looming threat of death, forced Jack into a corner. They were pressing down on his mind, but he refused to bend.

    The forces formed a kind of tense equilibrium, where Jack endure significant but not back-breaking amounts of pressure for a long time. As he was forced to sit there and withstand it, he realized it was sharpening his resolve, and by extension, his Dao.

    For a person of the fist, this was the perfect training to forge their mind!

    Jack had been struggling to concentrate, but he slid into a trance without even realizing it. This meditation was even deeper than when he used the meditation mat. He was hanging in an empty, endless void. Darkness surrounded him from every direction except the front, which was upied by a massive fist pointed at him.

    He couldnt tell how big it was. Maybe it was the size of a boulder and right in his face, or maybe it was as big as the sun and infinitely far away. It was surrounded by wild purple light, dancing and flickering, highlighting every line and corner of the fist, every tense muscle.

    That was a fist about to punch, but it simply hovered in the void, unmoving. It wouldnt punch anyone. It was simply clenched because that was its nature; to possess strength even when there was no need, to radiate its intention without fear. To be proud and unyielding.

    This resembled a Dao Vision, but not exactly. It also resembled the giant fist that Jack had briefly nced at whenprehending the Dao Root of the Fist, only infinitely lesser.

    It was his Dao Root. And as it was isted from the rest of his body, as he was pressed into himself by terrible weights, they met midway. For the first time, he could really see it for what it was, and it filled him with such awe that he lost himself in worship.

    Jack was captivated. It tugged at the strings of his soul. It inspired him, and as he observed it intently, filled with a desire to understand and embrace it, he lost track of time. The edges of his mind remained tense from the pressure, allowing him to maintain this state.

    As he sank ever deeper, he forgot where he was. Only the fist remained.

    ***

    Thirty minutes after the start of the fight, Rufus had yet to show up, and the crowd had gotten more noisy. They were talking amongst themselves by now, half in annoyance and half in excitement. This was such a monumental event, and they could watch it with their own eyes.

    What was going to happen? Nobody knew!

    Even the immortals had abandoned their aloof facade and were quietly conversing amongst themselves. Only the lioness and Vocrich remained silent, each for their own reasons.

    What is your disciple doing, Shol? the lizard archmage asked. Is he really cultivating under these circumstances?

    Hes an odd boy. Master Shol shrugged, but his voice contained hidden pride. With such resolve to train, hes gonna go far.

    The most difficult step to take is the first one. A third voice came, and everyone turned to regard the ascetic immortal from Barren High. He was thin as a stick and dressed in rags, looking like a beggar. However, when he spoke, every other immortal paid attention.

    Are you referring to his battle against Rufus Emberheart, honored seer? Shol asked carefully. The seers of Barren High always spoke cryptically, but with the right questions, it was possible to squeeze out some more information.

    This time, either Shol had asked the right question, or the seer felt like talking. Yes, and also no, he replied. Your disciples path stretches far, but it is filled with danger. Such is his fate. He will always be faced with insurmountable odds, but as long as he survives, he will never stop advancing.

    Shol turned the words around in his head. Thank you, he replied, nodding in respect. The ascetic smiled.

    If I may, the lizard archmage cut in, you mentioned the first step being the most difficult one.

    Nobody expected the seer to respond. Getting so much out of him was already great. However, he spoke again.

    If Jack Rust can survive until tonight, he will truly embark on his path, and the sky will be his limit. But surviving until then He shook his head. It will be difficult. Layers of threats will stand in his path, and he cannot make it alone. So I suggest, immortal Shol, he turned to look at Shol, his milky eyes filled with depth, that you bet on him.

    Shol raised both brows. The seer had advised him directly. This wasntmon. Did the Barren High have a horse in this race? Did they care about Jack? But how? Why?

    It didnt matter. Shol didnt quite understand, but only a fool would ignore the advice of Barren High.

    I understand, honored seer. I will do my best.

    The seer nodded and spoke no more. Shol settled down in his seat, too, but he was secretly rushing to contact his master.

    In another ce of the stands, the Sage leaned to Vivi and whispered, I know that the tournaments rules prohibit all violence until tomorrow, but I suggest you prepare your people for battle. Gather our allies.

    She shot him a nce, then turned and whispered something to Sadaka, who nodded and departed discreetly. Across the arena from them, Elena Richter was also nowhere to be seen. The four scions sat side by side, visible for the first time, and each had crossed arms and sharp gazes.

    While most people were enjoying the show and having fun, all powers were moving. An hour was neither short nor long. Many things could happen.

    Suddenly, a sharp, metallic note cut through the mor. Everyone quietened and looked around, searching for the source of the noise, only for their eyes tond on a long-haired young man dressed in ck leather.

    Excuse me, Kane Vanderdecken shouted at the head judge. Can I entertain the crowd while we wait? They do it for Superbowl.

    She frowned and shouted something at him, but he happened to scratch his guitar loudly right then, covering up her voice. He smiled and replied nheless.

    I can? Thank you, head judge! I knew the Animal Kingdom took care of its people!

    With a somersault, Vanderdeckennded in the stage, close to Jack. Alright! he shouted, filled with genuine excitement. He had just secured a performance in front of the entire. He was set for life. Are you ready to metal, Jack Rust!?

    Jack ignored his shouts, remaining cross-legged with his eyes closed. Vanderdecken wasnt discouraged.

    The power of the strong! he yelled at the audience. What a man! What brutal arrogance! Everyone, lets give it up for Jack Rust, the man of the fist!

    The crowd cheered, and Vanderdecken struck a chord. Heunched into a short guitar solo, then abruptly stopped and started singing, Wake up! Grab a brush

    The crowd went wild at his performance. The head judge nced at theary overseer, then sighed and shook her head. Theary overseer herself didnt give a shit about a singing mortal or the crowds approval. She had other problems. If Rufus somehow lost, and if they were forced to give the tournament rewards to a humanshe would have to take responsibility. Those things werent cheap.

    She frowned, intensifying her Dao pressure to the limit of what she estimated Jack Rust could bear. She couldnt see inside his soulthe soul was inviblebut even if he tried to meditate, he could onlyst for so long. The level of pressure she exerted was torturous.

    ***

    Jack couldnt hear, see, or feel anything from the outside world.

    His entire being was focused on therger than life fist inside his soul. He inspected every nook and cranny of it with fanatical devotion. Everything about this fist spoke to him, be it the strength that clenched it, the intent it signified, or the towering, meteor-like purple aura surrounding it.

    There was something here, but what?

    After a while, he had noticed that the fist wasnt alone in the void. A second existence stood beside it, though it seemed far less real.

    It was an amalgamation of stars that shone with metallic light, like a barbed iron wire wrapped orderly around itself. There was profoundness there, too. It was the Dao Root of Indomitable Will, but Jack didnt look much at it now. He focused on the fist. <em>That </em>was what really spoke to him, the core of his existence.

    So why did it stand beside the wire like they were equals?

    And why was he so far away?

    Jack felt on the precipice of some big discovery, and he let instinct guide him. This was his soul; he was in control. The distance he perceived was only true in his imagination.

    The next instant, he was standing right before the fist. It towered over him like a small hill; he only reached a third up its curled fingers. He reached out a hand and touched it. The feeling was unlike anything hed ever experienced before.

    It felt like home, like his perfect destination.

    He let that feeling expand in his mind until it swallowed him whole. He dropped all defenses, all doubts, all hesitation. Nothing remained except for the fist. Every fiber of his being yearned for it. He inhaled, and the purple aura that danced around the fist was sucked into his body, little by little, filling him up.

    It tasted like stars.

    But it was heavy. Demanding. Unyielding. To fill himself with the aura, Jack had to forgo everything else. As it entered his body, he felt himself washing away. Gradually, bits and pieces of himself dove into the aura, into the power of the fist, disappearing forever. Jack didnt even remember what he had lost.

    This wasnt right.

    The fist sought to im him. It was unyielding and proud. It demanded his total submission, pressing down on his soul harder than the lioness ever could. It was wiping him away.

    But every drop of aura that entered his body made him stronger. He didnt want to stop.

 Chapter 97: Breaking Through

    Chapter 97: Breaking Through

    Im begging you, Master. Shol gritted his teeth, conversing mentally with his master. The boy is worth it. Even the Barren High advised that we take him in.

    His reputation is stained, Shol, a womans voice echoed into his mind, filled with age and majesty. Her will was absolute. I cannot provoke the Animal Kingdom for a baby. The risk is too big, the cost too high. I requested a victory, and this is no victory.

    But Master, he

    Shols words trailed off as something odd brushed against his perception. His head snapped up. His eyes went wide, and he shot to his feet. So did the rest of the immortals around him, all at the same time.

    Is he breaking through to the E-Grade? the lizard archmage asked in disbelief.

    How bold, a female-sounding voice rang out. It was the cloud worm, who had raised her head to stare at Jack, despite theck of any face whatsoever. Her words sounded like apliment, but they really werent. Shol agreed.

    Idiot disciple! he muttered in panic, gritting his teeth. The next moment, he shed to the center of the stage, right next to Jack.

    The mortal called Vanderdecken was still ying, riling up the crowds without paying attention to Jack. SHUT UP! Shol barked, unleashing the full power of his Dao. Everyone in the audience fell dead silent. So did Vanderdecken, who jumped and turned to look with horror in his eyes.

    Im sorry he started saying, but Shol wasnt paying attention. His hand was on Jacks shoulder, and his soul was scanning inside his disciple. Jacks body was getting infused by the Dao, bit by bit, filling up like a drop-fed bottle.

    But this was still too fast. The breakthrough to the E-Grade wasnt supposed to go like this. There were security procedures to follow, but Jack didnt know them. Shol had never told him.

    <em>He really is breaking through </em>he realized, shuddering. <em>This is my fault. I didnt warn him. I never thought it woulde this fast! How!?</em>

    But the how and why didnt matter. The process had already started. Jack would either seed or fand if he failed, Shol would have failed as a master, as he hadnt warned Jack about the dangers of breaking through too early.

    In truth, any of the scions could try to break through anytime they wanted. It just wasnt worth it without certainty of sess.

    However, Shol had his reasons for withholding this information. Jack had asked once, but hed brushed the question away, saying it wasnt the time for him to know yet.

    He didnt expect Jack to umte insight this quickly. He was also afraid that, had he said anything, Jack would have been tempted to make a hasty breakthrough just to beat Rufus, crippling his future. It would have certainly increased his chances.

    But Jack didnt understand anything. He was a child. He could not understand the weight of immortality like Shol did.

    After Shol reached the D-Grade, he had seen his entire family wither and die while he remained young. That was why immortals rarely took disciples, and why nobody bonded with people of a different Grade. Anyone below you was simply wasted effort, and to anyone above, <em>you </em>were wasted effort.

    If Jack had the means, he would cripple himself to beat Rufus and extend his factions survival. However, Shol had toured the gxy for six centuries now. Compared to Jacks potential, his faction was nothing but sand in the wind, a handful of mortals in an endless cycle of death.

    Crippling himself for them was a decision that Shol, as his master, couldnt let him make. Such was the weight of immortality, and it was crushing. He regretted nothing.

    But what was done was done.

    Shols soul focused intently on his disciples body. The breakthrough to the E-Grade was all about infusing the body with the Dao Root that you nned to advance. When the infusion wasplete, the breakthrough was a sess, and the Dao Root became a Dao Seed, taking root deep inside your soul.

    But if you couldnt infuse your entire body, your foundation would be cracked, and you would be stuck between the peak of the F-Grade and the start of the E-Grade for your entire life. That was why everyone only attempted the breakthrough when they had certainty of sess.

    The System and the Dao never offered second chances.

    Jack simply went at it the moment he found the opportunity. He probably didnt even realize what he was doing. He also didnt know how to stop the process when he reached his limit; after all, the Dao Root wasnt meant to be absorbed in full. He just had to absorb as much as he could, hope it was enough to infuse his entire body, then forcefully stop the process and let the rest of the Dao Root dissipate.

    Shol had never heard of someone going into the breakthrough without this knowledge, but he hoped it woulde instinctively. If not

    His eyes narrowed. This wasnt his real body, just a spiritual projection, but since push came to shove, he would do everything in his power to help.

    He looked up, where the metal mortal had already scrambled off the stage, leaving the audience in a stunned, expectant silence. The sharpest among them were realizing what was happening and couldnt contain their shock. Shols eyes scanned the stands, quickly finding Jacks friends.

    Edgar! he barked out. Grab Jacks bag ande over.

    The wizardling jumped and panicked. He grabbed Jacks backpack. A blue cloud appeared under his feet as he shot to the stage, approaching Shol.

    Retrieve the fruit, Shol said before even Edgar hadnded, his tone brooking no disobedience. The wizard dropped everything to hurry. He quickly riffled through the backpack and retrieved a pear-shaped fruit that seemed wrapped around itself like a clenched fist.

    Mighty immortal, he said quickly, what is happ

    No time. Feed him the fruit.

    Feed him? Edgar adapted quickly. But hes not moving.

    Just shove it into his mouth. Its crystallized Dao. He doesnt need to chew.

    Edgarplied. He opened Jacks mouth and pushed the fruit inside, hesitantly at first and then harder. As it touched his tongue, the fruit dissolved into orange streams that quickly turned to purple and vanished down Jacks throat.

    When the fruit disappeared entirely from his hand, Edgar looked around and realized he had just force-fed a fruit to an unconscious man in front of the entire and multiple immortals. His stomach turned from nervousness, but Shol didnt care. He wasnt done yet.

    Dig into that bag again and retrieve the Rainbow Dao Pill, hemanded. Thankfully, Jack carried everything with him. He said it felt safer that way.

    Edgars shaky hands went through the backpack again and retrieved a sphere wrapped in white fabric. He pulled the cover away to reveal a knuckle-sized pill shining brilliantly with all colors of the rainbow.

    Feed him, Sholmanded, and Edgarplied. Unlike the fruit, it was perfectly corporeal, and it didnt melt when it touched his tongue. Edgar froze, not sure what to do. Shove it down his throat if you have to, Shol barked. He must swallow it no matter what. Hurry!

    Edgar panicked. Shol wished he had a body to do it himself. Left without options, the wizardling pushed the pill down Jacks throat with a finger, eliciting a few cries from the audience. Jack almost gagged, his eyelids shaking a bit before instinct took over and he swallowed.

    Good, Shol exhaled in relief. There was a chance they would interrupt Jacks breakthrough by force-feeding him the pill so brutally, but he would certainly fail without it.

    What is happening? Edgar asked again, panic tinging his voice. Is Jack breaking through?

    Yes.

    Can he make it?

    I dont know. Shols eyes darkened. He has the perfect fruit and an excellent pill. He is also highlypatible with his Dao, as far as I can tell. There are chances. Now, its up to him. He then raised his voice. Listen up, mortals! Anyone who approaches the stage or even looks at my disciple the wrong way will immediately be the enemy of I, deacon Shol Pesna of the Exploding Sun faction! Moreover, you will be infringing on the dignity of the Animal Kingdom, who safeguards this tournament!

    Thisst sentence would hopefully stop the scions and agents of the Kingdom, who would be dying to interrupt Jacks breakthrough. At least, they wouldnt attempt anything openly.

    His voice echoed over the arena. Almost instantly, a blur flew down from the stands. Shol cursed inwardly and prepared to st the intruder with the full force of his Daoeven in this weak form, he could incapacitate most F-Grades.

    He held himself back at thest moment. The blurnded on the sand and rushed beside Jack. It was Brock, who stood before his big bro, spread his hands, and red unflinchingly at the audience. Even the immortals present didnt escape his threat.

    Nobody would touch his big bro.

    Shol nodded. This little brori was much to his liking. <em>Jack has found a good partner. If only he can survive</em>

    Immortal, please give us permission toe over and guard Jack as well, Vivi Eragorn stood up from the audience and cupped her fists.

    Denied, he replied immediately. He had seen too many backstabbers in his day. Even calling Edgar here had been a gamble, but he was fairly certain that the wizardling was loyal.

    The only one he truly trusted was Brock.

    Edgar stepped behind Jack, also ready to protect him against anything. He conjured a transparent blue shield around the four of them.

    Vivi obeyed Sholsmand, but she didnt back downpletely. On her orders, the members of me River fanned around the arena, each ring at a section of the crowd. Dorman, the Sage, Li Xiang, Brother Tao, and even Vanderdecken also rose and stood on the arena lip, gazing towards the crowd.

    Shol narrowed his eyes. His threats wouldnt be enough to stop the Animal Kingdoms agents from interfering, but he was ready to st the first unlucky attacker with the full power of his Dao, killing him on the spot. That should be enough to intimidate most of them into inaction. These humans would hopefully be able to deal with the rest, because Shol would be out of juice after that first strike.

    He could already spot various people in the audience exchanging shady looks with each other. The scions were whispering between themselves.

    However, before anything could happen, a new voice cut through the mor.

    Anyone who interrupts that mans breakthrough will answer to the Hand of God.

    It was Vocrich, whose faction didnt care about the Animal Kingdom. They just wanted to raise strong cultivators.

    The vampire was only at the peak of the E-Grade, but his one sentence was enough to stop everyone. Not even theary overseer would dare act wildly now.

    Nobody opposed the Hand of God. Anyone who tried didnt live long enough to regret it.

    This calmed Shol down somewhat, though he still maintained full vignce. He nced at Jack, who still sat cross-legged and unaware of his surroundings. The Dao was slowly seeping into his body, but it still had a way to go. Hopefully, the pill and fruit would pull him through the most difficult parts, and he could handle the rest. If not

    If not, then that was fate.

    In the meantime, Shol had something very important to do. Sorry for interrupting my words, Master, he spoke again mentally. I must tell you something that will surely change your mind!

    ***

    Jack was lost in an ocean of purple. The aura of the giant fist was seeping into his body bit by bit. Wherever it passed, he was disappearing. The fist was the master, and he was only a tool to wield it.

    Jack didnt want this. It was <em>his </em>fist. <em>He </em>was the one in charge. He didnt want to sacrifice himself to it.

    He tried to stop the aura, but it was like trying to hold back a river with your bare hands. He tried to close the floodgates, but there werent any. The giant fist was an emptying container. It would all flood into him, and whatever happened, happened.

    Jack panicked.

    Suddenly, warmth filled his entire body, starting from his tongue. In the next moment, it was like his eyes opened for the first time. He was in touch with the Dao of the Fist. Revtions came to him, from simple toplicated things. A series of visions shed into his mind, presenting the core aspects of the fist.

    Some, he knew. Some, he did not, but they became clear from the visions. His understanding of the Dao of the Fist shot up.

    He could see now. The purple aura wasnt drowning him. It was challenging him. It represented the Dao Roots understanding into the fist, the understanding <em>he </em>had originally created. Now, he was called to contend with it.

    There were two simultaneous challenges to ovee. The first was to prove that he and this Dao Root werepatible. This challenge came from within. The second was to prove that he had mastered it. This challenge came from without. From the Dao of the Fist in the universe beyond, whose acknowledgement he sought.

    Jacks eyes opened as he saw what he had to do. The purple aura was made up of exactly nine hundred and ny nine tiny dropshe was sure of this, for some reasonand each drop carried a riddle. If he beat the riddle, the drop would submit. If he didnt, the speck would drop him to the death.

    Visions filled his mind. He was thrust into a diators fight, a school room, a back-alley brawl, a knife fight, a gunfight, the trenches of a war, shouting arguments against all sorts of people. Each vision came at once, and all asked him the same question: What would you do? How would you feel?

    However, it wasnt as tangible as that. The visions all urred inside his soul simultaneously. Jack didnt really find himself in those situations; instead, they were forced into his soul, and then the answer flowed out by itself, uninhibited. Everything coalesced into a phantom deep inside him which slowly took the form of a fist borne of his very soul.

    Unfortunately, he was just a watcher. This battle of visions didnt seem his, but he knew it was. Maybe not now, but to answer the riddles, his soul just used everything hed fed it over his entire life. He had shaped himself; that was his part in the battle, and it was over. Now, all he could do was watch and hope.

    Instinct told him that the more simr this phantom got to the giant fist, the more perfect his union with the Dao Root he was internalizing.

    Only now did he understand he was breaking through to the E-Grade. He was confused and worried, but the ball was rolling. He buckled down and prepared for a fight.

    Hope turned to despair. The phantom was still vague, but he could see it wasnt exactly like the giant fist before. There were differencesmalformities. The shape wasnt quite right. The fist in his soul wasnt as clear as it should have been. Slowly but surely, it was drifting into a travesty of a fist, and he was powerless to stop it.

    Suddenly, warmth filled his stomach, and colors invaded his world. The ck void was painted in rainbows. Jack drew a deep breath as his spirit expanded. Suddenly, his mind was clearer than it had ever been. Way, way clearer.

    It was like a meditation in a meditation. A trance in a trance. Everyplex thought dissolved into simple parts, and all that was difficult became easy.

    Jack felt likeughing. Why had he even struggled?

    A watcher? Your mothers a watcher!

    He dove into his soul, brimming with confidence. The Dao of the Fist was strewn wide before him. He now floated between dozens of visions, each resolving at the same time, but he knew the truth.

    The visions were illusions. Only one thing was realthe fistand as long as he kept the fist in his soul unpolluted, he would always prevail.

    The visions unraveled easily. They were foundational questions, nothing more than childs y. Jack realized that hispatibility with the fist was perfect. From his toes to the deepest recesses of his soul, he was willing to embrace the path of the fist until the very end.

    After that, the visions were simple. All he had to was project his soulthe fistand they would have their answer.

    They melted like snow in the oven. The purple aura vanished as it entered his body, gathering obediently in his soul and bing one with him. The shape of a fist became clearer and clearer in the very core of his being, and the deformities were lessening.

    Jack was disgusted by them. He grabbed the phantom and twisted it into shape, using his strength to force it to obey. He ironed it out. A fist formed inside him, and the giant fist outside wasnt giant anymore. It was shrinking as he took its aura, from a hill, to a tree, to a boulder. Finally, it reached the size of his own fist, and he realized they were indistinguishable.

    The Dao asked him one question: Will you give me everything?

    Yes, Jack replied. But <em>you </em>will serve <em>me</em>.

    It was the right answer.

    His soul hugged the phantom of a fist inside it and they became one. The Dao coursed through his body, empowering and transforming it. It was only a tiny part of the true Dao of the Fist and all its transformations, but it was a part that Jack had thoroughly conquered. It belonged to him.

    His turmoil was over. His soul and the Dao Root of the Fist had fused perfectly, bing one thing: the Dao Seed of the Fist.

    Or, at least, so Jack hoped.

    He looked at the rainbow-colored void around him. The Dao Root of Indomitable Will now orbited around him like a satellite, admitting its inferiority to the fist inside him. From now on, Indomitable Will was a weapon, but the fist was himself.

    He felt perfect. Whole. For the first time in his life, even more than when the Integration happened, he was sure that he was exactly where he belonged. This was his world.

    Jack roared inughter, venting all the pent-up frustration of his life, and punched out. The void cracked and shattered like ss. Jack opened his eyes, finding himself in a blue bubble, surrounded by Edgar, Brock, and Master Shol, whose eyes were wide as saucers.

    Around him, thousands of people watched his every move, but so what?

    Thank you for waiting, everyone, he said, standing slowly. The power that coursed through his veins was euphoric, and the notifications were zing in his vision, begging to be opened. He felt like he had ascended...and this was only the E-Grade. He grinned. I am back.

 Chapter 98: Class Selection

    Chapter 98: ss Selection

    The arena had fallen silent. Most humans didnt understand why, but they could tell that something was wrong.

    All the aliens were gaping at Jack like he was a monster. So were the most knowledgeable of humans, and even the immortals. The C-Grade lioness was gripping her thrones armrest tightly, but no one noticed. Vocrichs dark eyes were zing. Only the ascetic of Barren High seemed to maintain his cool, though even he was surprised.

    A perfect Seed he muttered, sighing. Why this?

    No, she cut him off. This man is a possible threat to my faction. He must be ended here and now.

    He frowned. A momentter, he said, The Hand of God wants him.

    This is our territory.

    You would refuse our request?

    We can pay the price. She finally tore her eyes off Jack to stare at Vocrich. This boy will die today. If you interfere and break the Star Pact, so will I.

    Vocrich hesitated. Finally, he slicked back his dark hair, shed her a charming smile, and said, Lets not argue. There are other perfect Seeds. We could forget about him, but He trailed.

    I have no time for games. Name your price.

    A hundred spots into Trial, and a hundred promising recruits over the next ten gctic years, he offered confidently. New generation for new generation.

    She frowned. I will add another hundred of both, but you must guarantee that the Exploding Sun will stay out of this.

    Vocrich smiled. Deal.

    Both satisfied, they turned to look at the arena. In the blink of an eye, Jacks fate had been sold and bought.

    Meanwhile, right next to Jack, Master Shol seemed about to have an aneurysm. My boy, he said with a tremble, you

    Thank you for your protection, Master, Jack responded, bowing deeply. You fed me the Rainbow Dao Pill and the Dao Fruit of the Fist, right? You saved me.

    Nonsense, nonsense. Shol quickly waved it away. Quick! Check your notifications and tell me what they say.

    Jack frowned at the enthusiasm, but<em></em>heplied regardless. He, too, was extremely curious to see what the System had to say. The lionesss soul influence had disappeared, for whatever reason, making him breathe a sigh of relief.

    <strong>Congrattions! Dao Root of the Fist  Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early)</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! F-Grade  E-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Your body has been infused with your Dao, taking on its attributes. </strong>

    <strong>All stats +10</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level up: 2  5</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 50.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! The Bare Fist Brotherhood faction has reached the E-Grade. New functions unlocked in the faction screen.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! For being the first cultivator on your to develop a Dao Seed, you are awarded the Title:ary Torchbearer (1).</strong>

    <strongary Torchbearer (1): A Title awarded to the first cultivator to develop a Dao Seed in an Integrated. A sign of great potential, marking the owner as a person worthy of the Immortal Systems assistance.</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats +15%.</strong>

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    There was a long blue screen after that, detailing his ss choices, but he put it aside for now. As much as he couldnt wait to choose, it sounded like something that would take time, and he didnt know if he had time.

    He was already plenty excited, anyway. All other benefits aside, theary Torchbearer (1) title It was humongous! Coupled with theary Frontrunner (10), he now had a 25% increase in the efficacy of all his statsassuming the effects was additive. That would put him head and shoulders above everyone else at his Level.

    The truly strong people in the gxy would doubtlessly have some titles of their own, like Rufus, but Jack could get more in the future, too. For now, he was definitely way ahead of the curve.

    Finally, he opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Pugilist (Elite) (Upgrade pending)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 50</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 129 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 129 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 129 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 23</strong>

    <strong>Will: 23</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 5</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Fistfighting (III), Drill (III), Pugilist Body (III), Parkour (III)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    It was glorious.

    It says a lot of things, Master, he replied.

    Your Dao Seed, boy. Tell me what that says.

    Master Shol seemed pretty flustered, making Jack worried. Had he done something wrong? He felt that everything had gone smoothly. Maybe breaking through now was a mistake?

    It says I got the Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist, and then the word early in parentheses.

    Just when he thought Master Shols eyes couldnt widen further, they did. His mouth trembled as he spoke. Perfect? Are you sure?

    Yes, Master. I can read.

    This is This is wonderful! Excellent! Good job, my boy! Incredible job! And you were so fast, too; thats marvelous!

    Jack hadnt seen his master express joy like that before, but he had no context. He hadnt even known that Dao Seeds were split into tiers.

    Is a perfect Seed so rare, Master? he asked.

    Extremely! Even in the Exploding Sun, we only get a handful of those per generation!

    Oh! Jacks eyes brightened. That sounded pretty good.

    With this, Im sure my master will take you in. You will be safe! Master Shol continued excitedly. He hadpletely forgotten they were watched by billions of people and several other immortals. At least, Edgars bubble blocked sound.

    Mhm, that great, Jack said, nodding. In one fell swoop, he had advanced to the E-Grade, gotten a perfect Dao Seedwhich apparently was very rareand secured the protection of the Exploding Sun, which meant that the Animal Kingdom couldnt touch his faction. As long as he took care of Rufus Emberheart, who now counted as a native, all his problems would be solved. How long do we have until the tournament is over? he asked.

    Five minutes, Master Shol replied quickly. You go choose your ss. No need to consult me, I trust you will make a good selection. I will speak to my Master.

    Jack raised a brow. He didnt know it was possible tomunicate in real-time over such distancesthey were in different constetionsbut then again, Master Shol was an immortal. He had his tricks.

    Jack then turned to the side, smiling at Edgar and Brock. The little monkey took this as its cue and flexed at Jack, then reached out for a congrattory handshake. He was brimming with joy for his big bro. Jack felt so d to have him.

    Edgar was wide-eyed, too, and he let out a soft whistle. Shit, man, he said. I cant see your Level.

    Im fifty, Jack replied,ughing. Thank you for protecting me. Did people try anything weird while I was out of it?

    No. Your master and that Hand of God vampire scared everyone away. He looked like he wanted to say something more but didnt know what. He scratched his head. In the end, he simply said, You are amazing.

    Jack smiled. Dont undersell yourself. You havent broken through yet, have you? Where do you know? Maybe youll get a perfect Dao Seed, too!

    You never know, Edgar replied with a small smile. Well, what are you waiting for? Dont you want a new ss?

    Right. Jack nodded. He immediately opened his screens again. He was dying to choose.

    The very first ss didnt disappoint.

    <strong>Bare-Knuckled Berserker (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>Berserkers are warriors who draw energy from rage. They lose themselves in battle, gaining extraordinary power in return. Additionally, the more damage they receive, the stronger they be.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Bare-Knuckled Berserkers are rare variants, usually appearing in barbaric tribes of destes. They plow through enemies with their bare fists, standing tall and proud on a mountain of corpses.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Punch until there is nothing left.</em></strong>

    This ss sounded pretty cool, though with a with a major drawback. Losing himself in battle didnt sound practical. He could understand why the System offered that ss, however; more than once, Jack had let fury drive him mid-fight.

    But the fist included control; it wasnt just a weapon.

    <strong>Juggernaut (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>A warrior who does not falter. Juggernauts dive into the thick of battle, using their extraordinary resilience to trade blows with anyone in their path. Their offensive capabilities are only adequate, but they will be thest ones standing.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>A juggernaut is a one-man army.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Never fall.</em></strong>

    This also sounded intriguing, if a bit simple. It focused on defense rather than offense, which wasnt Jacks preference, but it would do. After all, defense was the foundation of a good offense.

    His only doubt was that the fist wasnt specifically mentioned anywhere, as it was in his Pugilist ss and the Bare-Knuckled Berserker one. Did that mean anything?

    Regardless, Jack filed this ss away as a good option and proceeded to the next.

    <strong>Lightning Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>A martial artist that uses superior speed to whittle down their opponents. They can use lightning to strike from a distance, as well as imbue their bodies with it.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Lightning Fists slip through the battlefield like fish in water, striking precisely when and where they should.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Strike like lightning, hit like thunder.</em></strong>

    This reminded Jack of Dorman. It sounded practical, but he knew it was not the path he wanted. His Dao had just formed, and it was based on power, not speed. After all, fist meant power.

    The bald man in his first Dao Vision hadnt needed speed to destroy the titanic beast.

    So far, he was torn between the previous two options. Being a one-man army suited him, though he would prefer to focus on offense rather than defense. The other option was the berserker variant, but he was wary of it. Losing himself in battle was dangerous, and not the way of his fist.

    Both were good, but neither was perfect.

    There was one final ss to inspect, though, and Jack hoped it would be something better.

    <strong>Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>A solitary, unstoppable warrior. A conqueror who crushes all opposition with an iron fist.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>A Fiend of the Iron Fist is a bnced fighter who focuses on delivering devastating punches. While this ss contains no inherent morality, most previous wielders went down in history as heavy-handed tyrants, hence its name.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This ss hails from the Iron Fist Empire.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Power rules the world.</em></strong>

    This wasintriguing, but it was nowhere near the clean choice Jack hoped for.

    Thisst ss raised quite a few red gs: It had the word fiend in its name, which sounded ominous; most previous Fiends were tyrantsthat couldnt be a coincidence, right?

    On the other hand, the ss was about a bnced fighter who focuses on delivering devastating strikes. That was Jacks current fighting style, and he liked it. It suited him and his path perfectly.

    But then again, so did the bare-knuckled barbarian. One had the clear drawback of losing his mind in battle, and the other wasominous?

    <em>Lets see, </em>he considered, narrowing his eyes. Time was running out, but they still had a few minutes, and if there was anything worth considering, that was his ss selection. He decided to dissect the issue.

    <em>While this ss contains no inherent morality, most previous wielders went down in history as heavy-handed tyrants, hence its name. </em>That was the core sentence. If Jack read it correctly, it seemed like a coincidence, or maybe a result of the ss originating in the Iron Fist Empirewhich didnt sound like the happiest ce.

    At the very least, the no inherent morality part was an explicit assurance that the System wouldnt mess with his mind, right? If anything, it implied that either brain-washing or stupid skills like this Skill automatically kills the people who enrage you were possible, and Jack wanted none of that. His mind was his final bastion, and he would defend it no matter what.

    On second thought, the barbarian ss also implied mind control. He had assumed that lose himself in battle was a mild side-effect, but what if it wasnt? <em>Fuck that.</em> He bid the ss goodbye on the spot.

    Nobody would control him. He was the master of himself.

    Back to the Fiend of the Iron Fist. If one got past the fiend part, it sounded perfect. A solitary, unstoppable warrior: that was him. Crush all opposition with an iron fist: that was his Daofist meant power. A bnced fighter who focuses on delivering devastating punches: that was his exact fighting style, as well as the direction he wanted to take going forward.

    Suddenly, Jack realized that, of all his ss choices, the Fiend was by far the most specific one, and it was perfect for himtoo perfect to let go.

    If anything went wrong down the line, he would deal with it then. Besides, how hard could it be? As long as he remained himself, things would work out.

    He braced himself and locked in the selection, already giddy with excitement.

    <strong>Congrattions! You are now a Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite).</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Pugilist Body (III) upgraded into Iron Fiend Body (II).</strong>

    <strong>ss Skill unlocked: Ghost Step (I).</strong>

 Chapter 99: Abandoned

    Chapter 99: Abandoned

    Molten iron flowed through Jacks veins. No, it wasnt iron; it was his blood. He screamed and seized as his entire body tensed at once. From his skin to his intestines, even the muscles he couldnt control cramped up, tightening to their hardest.

    They didnt rx again. However, over the following seconds, Jack slowly felt the rigidity leaving his body. In just a moment, he was fine, and his body was flooded with more strength than he had ever dared hope for. His muscles felt like steel cords, and his entire body had gotten at least twice as durable.

    He clenched a hand in wonder. The movement of his fingers felt unstoppable. He stomped on the ground, and the rock below shook like hed dropped a piano on it. Moreover, he could sense that his reflexes and kic vision had evolved with his strength.

    He was frozen for a few moments, unable to believe it. He was drunk, euphoric with power. He felt like a God.

    He had never experienced such a leap in power before. Even when he got ten Levels at once, or when his skills all rose a tier after the fight against the ck wolf, it hadnt been such a total, overwhelming upgrade as this.

    He estimated that he was now fast enough to give Dorman a run for his money, even with the teens Lightning Form activated. And speed was traditionally his weakest aspect. His current strength Even he didnt know how strong he was.

    Just what would a Meteor Punch look like if fired with this body?

    Jack quickly opened the blue screens and kept reading, eager to see where all these changes came from. After all, his new ss hadnt given him any stat points!

    <strong>Congrattions! You are now a Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite).</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Pugilist Body (III) upgraded into Iron Fiend Body (II).</strong>

    <strong>ss Skill unlocked: Ghost Step (I).</strong>

    He opened the Iron Fiend Body first.

    <strong>Iron Fiend Body (II): Your have iron knuckles. Your muscles resemble iron cords, possessing explosive strength and great tenacity. You have significant durability, slight regenerative powers, and heightened control over your body, including its natural limiters. Additionally, your mind is fast enough to keep up.</strong>

    <em>The massive strengthening of my body must have been due to this Skill </em>Jack thought. <em>But boy, the description doesnt do it justice. This skill is incredible!</em>

    He willed the description of Pugilist Body III to appear. Iron Fiend Body was the upgraded version, and it read pretty simr.

    <strong>Pugilist Body (III): Your body has adapted to your fighting style. You gain significant flexibility, reflexes, and durability, as well as increased hardness on your knuckles. You have heightened control over your body, including its natural limiters, and slight regenerative powers.</strong><strong>Additionally, you have the ability to harden every surface of your body at will, significantly increasing your defensive properties.</strong>

    Basically, Jack had gone from a pugilists body to one made of iron. It was certainly an upgrade, even though the skill had lost a proficiency tier. And it wasnt even a Dao Skill!

    Of course, there were many reasons working in tandem for his massive strengthening. Reaching the E-Grade was a big hat, by itself, was a tremendous change. His body had been imbued with his Dao. Since he had the Dao Seed of the Fist, that made him stronger and harder than before. Add the iron body to that, and he was at least twice as durable as he used to be.

    He had also gotten ten points in all stats, and if his math was correct, he had also leveled up once,ting him another five pointsthe level-up bonus had increased massively as well. He invested them in physical. At this rate, his stats would rise exponentially as he climbed through the Grades. The seventy-five Levels in the E-Grade alone would give himalmost four hundred stat points.

    <em>Dear mother of God How strong is an immortal? </em>he asked himself, ncing at his master, who still seemed intently focused on his thoughts. <em>Five hundred?</em>

    He wanted to test his new power properly, but before that, he read through his other new Skill, Ghost Step.

    <strong>Ghost Step (I): Active skill. Step like a ghost, moving quickly and silently to anywhere within nine feet of you.</strong>

    The description was deceptively simple, but the skill itself sounded useful. A movement skill had been exactly what Jack missed. He did have Parkour, but it wasinsufficient.

    None of these two new Skills were Dao Skills, but that was okay. With time, they would be.

    Finally, Jack inspected his status screen, filled with pride.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 50</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 134</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 134</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 134</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 23</strong>

    <strong>Will: 23</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Fistfighting (III), Drill (III), Parkour (III), Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    When he closed it, he was filled with pride. The first E-Grade of his, and a perfect one, too How far hede.

    But now, it was time for the truly fun stuff. Hey, Edgar, he said, turning to the wizard a few feet away. Check this out.

    Wha

    Before Edgar could reply, Jack took a step. His form blurred like a ghost as he soundlessly hurtled through space, appearing right in front of Edgar almost instantly. Ah! Edgar shouted, jumping back. The shield flickered. Jesus, Jack. You scared the crap out of me.

    Heh. Jack chuckled, panting a bit. Ghost Step had practically teleported him, but it was tiring. It had felt like wading through mud.

    But it was extremely fast. Jack was no longer slow. He waswell, he didnt know the E-Grades standards, but he was at least decent.

    Check out how fast I am, he told Edgar, then sidestepped in circles around the wizard. His movement was so rapid it raised a cloud of sand.

    Hey, stop that! Edgarined, forming a second blue barrier around his face. No need to

    Jack punched the ground. His hard-as-iron knuckles slid through the sand like it wasnt even there and rammed into the stone. The entire arena shook. Some people on the stands lost their footing. When Jack pulled his hand back, the stone had a bowl-sized craterand his knuckles werepletely unhurt.

    He grinned. I think Im going to like this, he said. He couldnt test his durability right now, but surely some random scion would help him soon.

    Holy shit. Whats your new ss? Edgar finally asked. You chose already, right?

    Yep. Fiend of the Iron Fist.

    Fiend of the Iron Fist Edgar mouthed the name, testing it. Why fiend?

    Because Im suppo

    The world fell away. Jack suddenly found himself in an overcast world, hovering high over a field of broken bodies. Blood and weapons littered the barren dirt. Jack himself was only a ghost,cking a material form.

    He grimaced. He had forgotten about this part, but he had to admit that he really looked forward to it. His eyes swiveled, looking for the caped bald man of his first Dao Vision, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, a new person had taken his ce.

    It was a big-bodied human. He was bare-chested, with wide shoulders and bulging muscles. His hands were sped behind his back, and he stood straight like a ramrod. Three long gray lines were tattooed on the right side of his chest, like a wound left over by an animals ws.

    He did not look like a kind person. His long gray hair fluttered in the bloody breeze, while his gray eyes were harsh and narrowed into slits. His skin was bronze. His face was hard. In Jacks eyes, this man resembled a merciless, brutal master.

    <strong>Gedritch, Level ??? (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Iron Fist Empire (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Leviathan yer</strong>

    Facing him was a fortress. Colossal dark walls stretched three hundred feet into the air and many miles on either side. Squinting at their top, Jack could make out a host of people preparing to defend. They sported all sorts of weapons, as well as magic. With a few random scans, he discovered that they were also gedritch, the same human-like species as the bare-chested man, and they were all in the E-Grade.

    He also spotted dozens of figures assembled into battle formations, flying over the wallsimmortals.

    A single woman stood on the wall ledge. She was d in golden te armor from head to toe, and she radiated bright power. When Jack scanned her, she was also at the C-Gradethough the fact that she stood on the town walls indicated she was at a lower Level than the bare-chested man.

    In contrast, the man stoodpletely alone, facing down a fortress of immortals.

    We are willing to pledge our allegiance, Baron Longform, the woman shouted. Her voice echoed to the nearby mountains, easily reaching everyones ears. Promise the safety of our descendants and disciples, and we will serve the empire without a word of protest.

    The bare-chested man shook his head. Once a traitor, always a traitor, he replied. His voice was deep and harsh, sharp enough to cut through stone, and that wasnt a metaphor. The walls and ground shook. The E-Grade defenders atop the walls screamed before a wide curtain of golden light spread over the entire length of the wall, shielding them. Jack was d he had no body in this vision.

    The womans eyes were hard now.

    Very well, she respondedmandingly. Her entire body erupted with a column of golden light that reached all the way to the sky, splitting the dense clouds, and ethereal wings spread from her back. Then, let the emperors dog die here.

    Thundering shouts came from the immortals in the sky, joined by the still-reeling E-Grade defenders on the walls. Jack couldnt see behind them, but he thought he heard many more voices rising from inside the fortresseither civilians or back-up forces.

    The bare-chested man smiled grimly. He did not move a muscle. Suddenly, a wave rolled out of him.

    It was invisible and formless. Jack only sensed it when it washed over him, and he was instantly flooded with unease. The mans form had changed, but not visibly. He had somehow gotten sharper, stronger, more intimidating; like he was a bomb of violence ready to explode. Like a killer, a tyrant, a monster, a devil.

    Or a fiend.

    An aura of palpable violence spread in all directions, drowning the town in fear. Screams rose from all directions. The immortals in the air dropped like flies. Only a few were able to resist, but even they were unable to advance on the man.

    Jack felt true terror grip his heart. This man would grab him and tear him limb from limb, bringing unimaginable pain. There was nothing he could do to resist, only despair.

    He lost all power. His Dao Roots were suppressed, his soul shivered, and he couldnt stop shaking. If not for the protection of the System letting him experience this vision, he was sure he would have crumbled on the spot.

    Jack could not see beyond the wall, but he sensed that people were dying in droves, their souls and wills crushed beyond redemption, overwhelmed by terror.

    And the more people that fell, the stronger the bare-chested man grew. He fed on their terror until his body overflowed with power, and the ck-and-red aura around him grew so thick that it seemed to form horns over his head and leathery ck wings on his back.

    This all happened in an instant. The womans golden light did nothing to stop this aura. A secondter, her face contorted in fury and despair. She charged forward, screaming, Have you no honor?! No shame?! at the top of her lungs, so hard it tore her throat.

    Ance of pure light materialized in her hand, filling the entire world with heat. The man clenched his fist and stepped forward. Then, abruptly, the vision cut off. It had shown what it wanted. The rest of the battle did not concern it.

    Jack was back in the arena, reeling and losing his footing. Only a moment had passed in the real world, but he was shaken, like the terror of the bare-chested man had seeped deep into his bones.

    It receded a momentter, like it had all been a bad dream, but Jack remained stunned. That Dao Vision had beenrming. Perhaps the new ss woulde with someplications after allbut a weapon was a weapon. Even if the aura targeted his allies as well, which he doubted, he would just have to use it carefully.

    Or, even better, twist it to his path. His Meteor Punch had also deviated from what the bald man had used, ording to Master Shol. He could do the same with this aura. And then, it would be an incredible weapon. Feeding on the enemies fear How cool was that?

    Jack? Edgars voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Are you okay? You were saying something, and you just cut off.

    Jack shook, realizing he was still in the middle of the arena.

    Sorry, the Dao Vision came. It was He trailed. As soon as he had the chance, he would meditate on that Dao Vision intensely. He looked forward to what he would learn.

    Promising?

    Terrifying. But yeah, very promising. I think I made a great choice.

    Im d to hear that. Edgar smiled widely. Now, you were saying something about your ss name. The reason it included the word fiend.

    Oh, yeah. Well, its mostly a historical thing, as the previous wielders of this ss were tyrannical, and I suspect that some Skills will be pretty fiend-like. I am supposed to oppress others with an iron fist.

    And youll do that?

    Only if they deserve it. Im a pretty good guy, Jack replied with a sardonic smile that wasnt at all reassuring.

    Brock was hopping in ce in front of Jack. He seemed as excited as his big bro, which made Jack even <em>more </em>excited. Finally, someone he could brag to.

    Check this out, Brock! he said, flexing a bicep. Brock raised a hand to grab it, but no matter how he pushed, the bicep didnt budge. His monkey mouth formed into an O, and then he started yelling congrattions in monkey.

    Jack wished he had a bananarm to give him.

    Disciple, Master Shols voice came from behind him, and Jack turned excitedly, eager to share everything.

    Master, I

    Please wait.

    Jack paused. Master Shols voice sounded raspy, tired. His eyes were sunken and helpless. He seemed like a man who had lost a battle.

    Whats the matter, Master? What happened? Jack asked in worry.

    I dont fucking know. It was the first time he heard Master Shol curse like this. Listen, boy. There are only a few minutes remaining until the one-hour deadline, and we muste up with a n quickly. My master abandoned you. She will not take you in.

    What? Jacks eyes opened wide. But I

    I know. Master Shol seemed furious. She promised that shed ept you if you won, but she ims this is not a proper victory. However, you broke through so quickly, and with a perfect Dao Seed, too! This marks you as a talent worth nurturing! Even C-Grades should take you seriously now.

    So what happened?

    Thats the problem: I dont know! My master just told me she received a direct order from the factions Grand Elder. And do you know what it said? Leave Jack Rust and Earth-387 alone.

    I What?

    How would the Grand Elder know about Jack? Edgar asked, stepping up beside them.

    There is only one exnation: the Animal Kingdom. Master Shols eyes were dark. Do you understand what this means, Jack?

    His heart sank. Of course I do he muttered. Right when he thought everything was going great, he was once again plunged into despair, and deeper than ever.

    If the Animal Kingdom went so far as to ask the Exploding Sun to stay out of this, doubtlessly paying some sort ofpensation, that could only mean one thing: they considered him toorge of a threat to let live. He was already their enemy. If they believed he had the potential to grow into a threat to their faction, they would nip this problem in the bud.

    But why would they go so far? he asked. Im only at the E-Grade!

    You formed a perfect Dao Seed, Jack. Master Shol shook his head. You should know that over half of those who have a perfect Dao Seed be immortals, provided they can survive until then. They even have a chance at reaching the C-Grade! Moreover, you have repeatedly insulted their scions and targeted the entire faction, and you are part of an alliance against them on this. Most importantly, you defied theary overseer just now, too.

    Jack gritted his teeth. His master was right.

    Even the Animal Kingdom has a bottom line, Jack. And it appears you just crossed it. Master Shols eyes were tinged with sadness. You are marked for death, my boyand nobody will help you. Only I can try, but my power is very limited in this state.

    Doesnt the Grand Elders order extend to you, Master?

    It does, but fuck the orders. Im here already, and youre my disciple. As long as it doesnt expose my faction to trouble, I will help you.

    Master Jacks eyes went wide.

 Chapter 100: Carving a Way Out

    Chapter 100: Carving a Way Out

    There is no time for sentimentality! Master Shol seemed to regain himself. We must find a way out of this or youll die at the stake. The tournament will be over in a few minutes, and the Animal Kingdom will surely find an excuse to attack you as soon as possible.

    I see.

    Luckily, it seems you are going to win the tournament. One of the rewards for first ce is a D-Grade robot bodyguard. That should be enough to protect you unless theary overseer acts herself, but if thates to pass, nobody can save you, anyway.

    Do you think she will? Jack asked hesitantly.

    No. Regardless, there is no point in worrying about that. If she acts, youre dead. If she doesnt, every scion and agent of the Animal Kingdom will be after you soon after you walk out of this arena. They wont be able to touch you or your people while you have the robot bodyguard, but that will only dy the inevitable. In one year, the Animal Kingdoms true forces will arrive, and the very first thing they will do on this is execute you and anyone you care about.

    I see. Jack didnt let fear cloud his judgment. Now was the time for action, not worry. So we return to the n where I must take my people and flee. It pained his heart to say it. He would take a bunch of mortals into shark-filled waters. Even if he found some way for them to escape without teleportation, the chances of them surviving were slim.

    There is no other choice. Master Shol sighed.

    But Jack refused to ept this. He put his mind to work. Simple and direct solutions had worked for him so faror they hadntbut the time hade to use the intelligence that had almostted him a PhD pre-apocalypsea PhD that now seemed as far away as a distant dream. He would neverplete those few missing details.

    At the same time, anger and stubbornness boiled up inside Jack. These aliens made rules and broke them. Rules were nothing to the strong.

    But that was fine. If rules meant nothing, then Jack would make his own. If power was all that mattered, then Jack would reach for power.

    If he wanted things to go his way, he had to take charge. Suddenly, he felt like his eyes had been half-closed but were now finally open. <em>This </em>was how things worked in the gxy.

    So what if there was no way out? He would find one.

    Jack grinned.

    He poured through every bit of knowledge he had. Even if Master Shol seemed resigned, Jack refused to give up. That was not the way of the fist. He would find a path to survival, to victory. It didnt matter how difficult it was. If there was a path, he would walk it, and if there wasnt, he would make it.

    And as he thought of that, an idea sprung in his mind. An idea that was undoubtedly insane, but which might be his only chance.

    Master, he said, what are the chances of me reaching the C-Grade in a year?

    What? Master Shol gave him an odd look. None. Why do you ask?

    Is it really impossible? Or is it just highly improbable?

    Dont use my words against me, kid. The ghost forced himself to smile. Highly improbable is an underestimation. You have the same chances as randomly choosing the correct grain of sand out of an entire beach.

    But it is a chance.

    Whats in your mind, boy? The things you are saying are impossible.

    Nothing is impossible, Jack replied. He was aware that his abrupt increase in power was skewing his perception, but he was also confident that he made at least some sense. How about this? I leave the D-Grade robot bodyguard to guard my faction, and I leave the right away. Today. As soon as the tournament ends, before they can make a move on me.

    Master Shol widened his eyes in disbelief but let him continue.

    Think about it, Jack insisted. Everyone will be protected here. Even the me River, Dorman, and all of them can hide in my faction if they want. They will be safe for a year. Nobody will reach the D-Grade by then.

    Rufus Emberheart might, but its highly improbable, Master Shol muttered. He didnt agree with Jacks n yet, but his enthusiasm was clearly getting to him.

    Exactly, Jack said. At the same time, I will be alone in the gxy. It will be tough out there, but you said it yourself: the greatest growthes with the greatest danger. I will hunt opportunities with everything I have, and if I survive, my power should rise meteorically. Its the same principle as the Integration: arge meat grinder that heavily rewards the survivors.

    That is suicide, Master Shol disagreed. With your potential, risking your life like that is idiotic. There is no need.

    Do you have a better suggestion?

    Master Shol stayed silent for a moment. Even if you do that, he finally said, there is no way you will reach the C-Grade in a year. I suppose you mean to fight theary overseer?

    Exactly. The Animal Kingdom cannot send reinforcements. If I can beat her and destroy their teleporters before the grace period is up, we will be cut off from theirwork. They will need to reach us physically, which will take at least several months. And if I can beat theary overseer, who exactly will they send against us? A B-Grade? The gxys strongest for one out of millions?

    Master Shol muttered something to himself. That is incorrect. If you insult their honor like that, a dozen C-Grades will be on the within a week. There are ways to elerate space travel, theyre just expensive. He paused, watching Jacks tight frown. However

    At this, Jack perked up.

    However, Master Shol continued, what you describe has a name: poaching. It has happened before, though not by as natives. It is a method used between B-Grade factions during silent war. If you defeat theary overseer, you can im the entire for your faction. Then, if you are close to the border, you can choose to join another constetion, provided the other B-Grade faction allows it.

    Jacks eyes lit up. I could join your constetion?

    Theoretically, yes. If you really manage to defeat a C-Grade in a year, there is no way my faction will ignore you. But as I said, thats simply impossible.

    You said its not impossible.

    Almost impossible.

    All I hear is that its doable. Jack smiled. And even if not, there might be other opportunities for me out there. Maybe I can find another C-Grade willing to help me take over this, or maybe I can find some way to transport all my people out of here. In any case, all answers lie in one ce: the gxy.

    Master Shol pursed his lips. And you would leave the D-Grade bodyguard here? You must know that an early E-Grade is nothing out there. Barely an ant. Half the people you meet will be able to crush you under their boots.

    Thats fine. I will find a way to survive. I am not a coward.

    Protection isnt cowardice.

    It is, if it means sacrificing others.

    Master Shol fell silent at this. Jack didnt speak, either; he could see his master mulling over the information, trying to convince himself to believe it.

    I agree with Jack, Edgar spoke up. Sweat shone on his forehead from holding up the shield all this time, but he couldnt let it go now. We are all marked for death. As difficult as it sounds, what he proposes is our only chance at survivalI mean, obviously defeating the C-Grade is impossible, but he can find some other way. Hes strong enough to garner attention.

    Brock beat his chest and released a battle cry. Jack smiled sadly at him. Im sorry, buddy, butyou cannot join me. Teleportation doesnt work on F-Grades.

    Brocks eyes went wide as saucers. Tears welled up in their depths.

    He could, actually, Master Shol intervened. The System obviously recognizes your spiritual bond, since it teleported him to the tournament with you. It will let you bear the pressure for him. It will be tough, but given your strength, I think you can handle it.

    Really? Jacks face showed a massive, bright smile. He had been prepared to part ways with Brock. His spirit soared. Brock, too, jumped up and down in joy. Jack turned to him. What do you say, little bro? Will you join me?

    Brock nodded instantly.

    Are you sure? It means you wont see your family for a whileand, to be honest, we will probably both die.

    This time, Brock considered it for a moment, but he still nodded in the end. What kind of bro would say no?

    Jacks eyes moistened, and he blinked it away. For the first time, he noticed that Brock had grown rather big. Where he used to sit on Jacks shoulder, he now reached above his knees.

    <strong>Brori, Level 21 (Elite)</strong>

    Oh, wow. Youre growing so fast, Brock!

    The brori cheered.

    Fine, Master Shols voice came from the side. Jack turned. Fine, you crazy disciple, fine. You have the mind of a true cultivator; if you perish, that will only be fate.

    Jack smiled widely. Thank you, Master!

    Can we hurry, please? Edgar said, his voice strained. Were running out of time.

    Yes. Listen closely. Master Shol leaned in. The teleporter is right behind the arena. Youve seen it, havent you? The big, furnace-like building. As soon as you receive your tournament rewards, rush there and teleport to a random ce so they cant follow you. As a newly-Integrated native, the first teleportation will be free for you. After that, dont ck on your training; find strong opponents to hone yourself against. Maybe strong masters to guide you, too. Dont rely too much on experience balls; they will get you through the E-Grade fast, but they will stump your growthter on.

    Master Shols advice was rapid-fire, but it was also golden. Jack kept every word in mind. Understood, Master.

    And most importantly, find a way to reach the Trial. It is the single most important ce for you right now; there is no shortage of opportunity there, only of strength. Youll either make it big or be torn apart by King monstersthe next step after Elites. The easiest way to reach the Trial is through the Brian Outpost, the trade center of this constetion, but any ce with advanced teleporters will do. You have a token, if I remember correctly, so youve already cleared the tallest hurdle. Also, while youre out there, look for a beast master. Brock is a brave young brori, and he will be of great help to you if trained properly.

    Jack nodded, as did Brock.

    As for you, Edgar, Master Shol turned to the wizard, you must let your allies know about the situation. The safest option for them would be to move in with you under the protection of the D-Grade bodyguard. It will protect you from the most important threats until Jack returns, but arge number of other problems will undoubtedly arise, and someone needs to take charge and deal with them. When you unlock the factions long-distancemunication function, you will be able to contact Jack and n ahead. Am I clear?

    Yes, sir! Edgar responded.

    Thank you, Master, Jack said from his heart, stepping in front of his master.

    He had understood some things in the post-breakthrough rity. Master Shol had obviously withheld some information, mostly that he could have elerated his breakthrough in return for an inferior Seed, as well as the Dao Fruits usefulness outside breakthroughs, which Master Shol had severely outstated. After experiencing the process himself, these realizations came easy.

    He could have been angry. Maybe he should; Master Shols teachings had been partial, even intentionally skewed.

    However, after all was said and done, Jack realized that his master had been right. If he knew he could elerate his breakthrough, he would have done it, and the results would have been much worse than now. If he knew the Dao Fruit would be effective even earlier on, he would have used it and wasted most of its potential.

    He was angry that the decision had been taken from his hands, but at the end of the day, Master Shol had been right.

    Moreover, their rtionship was one of mutual benefits, as he had made clear multiple times. Master Shol had never pretended to be a saint. He wasnt made of kindness and selflessness, but he was a pretty damn good man.

    In the end, though Jack begrudged his master for some things, he had to admit that he owed him way, way more. Master Shol was the best master he could ask for.

    Jack reached out a hand. I dont know if this is considered rude in your factionbut on my, this is how we express respect. And gratitude.

    Master Shol stared at the hand for a long moment. Then, he grabbed it, spending some of his power to make his hand corporeal and shing Jack a big smile. Give them hell, kid, he said. I believe in you. And Im sorry for being unable to help you more.

    Its alright, Master. Jack smiled. The next time we meet, I might even be stronger than you.

    Heh. Id like to see that.

    Sorry to interrupt, but its almost time, Edgar cut in.

    He had long made the sphere opaque so people couldnt see what was happening, and sound was blocked, but they were keeping track of time. They wouldnt want to remain isted after the tournament was over.

    Yes. Jack let go of his masters hand, nodding. Anyst words, anyone?

    Master Shol stayed silent.

    Edgar stayed silent.

    Brock said, B.

    What? Jack looked at the brori by his feet.

    B, Brock repeated. His face was strained from the effort. B.

    Jacks eyes went wide. Brock? he asked. Are youtrying to speak?

    He picked the goddamn worst time to say his first word, Edgar cursed. The deadline is over already!

    Jack didnt reply. His eyes were glued on Brock.

    B B The little brori tried to say, furrowing his brows in deep concentration. His throat wasnt made to speak, but he was flexing his voice muscles. B Br Bro!

    He looked up in pride, shing a monkey-ish grin.

    Woah! Jack cried out, throwing his hands in the air. Brock! You said your first word!

    Bro! Brock repeated, thenughed in monkey, full of glee. His voice was rough and his pronunciation terrible, but it was clearly a word! He threw his hands in the air, jumping from side to side. Bro! Bro!

    Well done, Brock! I didnt even know you could speak! Jack celebrated.

    Guys, please get serious. Everybodys waiting for us, Edgar pleaded. Master Shol coughed in his palm.

    Jack recovered. He coughed once, too, then said, Right. I believe we have said everything. I got massively stronger. We have a n. Brock said his first word. Everything will work out. He took a deep breath. Lower the shield, Edgar.

    At hismand, the blue dome disappeared, exposing Jack to the pressure of immortals and a billion set of eyes. This time, however, <em>he </em>pressured <em>them</em>. In danger, he smiled. Walking the razors edge, he thrived.

    Facing impossible odds and the threat of imminent death, this was Jack Rust at his best. The tension sharpened his gaze until it could stab through stone.

    The arena went silent as if people could sense that something was different. All four scions that were present narrowed their eyes. The immortals and Vocrich leaned forward in their chairs with interest. Even the C-Grade lioness nced at Jack, but this time, she didnt invade his mind.

    As if on cue, the head judgended in front of them the moment the shield went down. Her white feathered wings were like an angels, and her blue skin glistened in the morning sun. She had dark hair made in a braid and was dressed in white silken robes.

    Jack scanned her.

    <strong>Djinn, Level 101</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Merchant Union (C-Grade)</strong>

    He grinned widely. He could finally see her Level. He also nced at the stands, where Vocrich stood.

    <strong>Vampire, Level 124</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Hand of God (B-Grade)</strong>

    <em>Peak of the E-Grade Yeah, I saw thating.</em>

    The one hour is up, the head judge said. Rufus Emberheart failed to appear. If you have nothing to say, I will announce this battle as your victory.

    She let the silence drag for a long moment, obviously waiting for Jack to resign. He shed her his brightest smile. His bare chest puffed out, proud and strong.

    Eventually, boos came from the crowd, and the head judge was helpless. With a heavy heart, she announced, Rufus Emberheart failed to show up, forfeiting the fight. As a result She hesitated for a moment. Jack Rust wins the final. He is the winner of Earth-387s Integration Tournament.

    Her voice was impassionate, and so were the crowds cheers. Only Jacks allies cheered hard. The rest of the people were expectedly half-hearted about it. After all, they came to see a spectacle, and they waited an hour only for nothing to happen.

    However, sess isnt measured in ps. Jack had won. He raised a fist into the air, filled with glee.

    There is supposed to be a closing ceremony, but since the second ce isnt here, I will distribute your rewards now, the head judge announced. She was clearly bending the rules again, but Jack didnt care. The faster this went, the better for him. Dorman Whistles, Alexander Petrovic, pleasee to the stage. Everyone unrted, please leave.

 Chapter 101: Challenge

    Chapter 101: Challenge

    Master Shol had already shed back to his seat, hiding his excitement and nervousness as well as he could, and Edgar hurried to pick up Brock and fly back to his seat. The moment hended, he began conversing with their allies in hushed tones.

    Dorman and Alexander Petrovded next to Jack. He gave Dorman a smile and a nod, which the young man returned.

    Fourth and third ce receive a Trial Token, the head judge dered, fishing out two golden coins from her robes. They were the size of Jacks palm and looked old and faded; exact replicas of the one he had. Congrattions!

    Dorman and Alexander Petrovic received their coins, thanked her, then jumped back to their seats. Only Jack was left in the arena now, facing the head judge directly. He nced at the stands and saw many people whispering darkly, including the scions, the Ice Peak, his own allies

    Everyone important was mobilizing. He had no idea what the Animal Kingdom would try to do, but it wasing.

    <em>Hurry up </em>he urged her mentally.

    Fortunately, the head judge showed no intention to dy things.

    The first ce winner receives several rewards, she announced. The first is a Trial Token. She handed him another coin, which he quickly slid into his front right pocket. He now had two of thosethe other was safely kept in a secret pocket on the inside of his pants. After the fruit and the Rainbow Dao Pill had been used up, it was his only important possession.

    The second reward is an Immortality Serum, the head judge announced, revealing a teardrop-shaped bottle filled with sparking green liquid. The bottle itself was only the size of two fingers, and it could barely hold a few drops. Everyone still gasped. The Immortality Serum can rejuvenate the body, granting an extra hundred years of longevity. Moreover, it greatly enhances the Physical attributes of whomever drinks it, and the process is quick and painless.

    While the audience gasped in admiration, Jack epted the bottle, popped off the intricate cork, and gulped the liquid down. No sense in waiting.

    He felt its effects instantly. It was like hed had the best nights sleep of his life ten times in a row. He had never felt fresher.

    <strong>Immortality Serum bonus acquired! Physical +50</strong>

    <em>Plus what!?</em>

    Jack almost shouted before his body convulsed. He dropped to a knee, unable to control himself. His muscles were twisting and expanding, threatening to rip out of his skin. His heart pumped blood with such force it made him dizzy, and his body was filled with such vitality that he felt like running a marathon every day for the rest of his life. His reflexes and dexterity spiked so hard that it took him a few moments to regain control of his body, and even then, his movements were jagged and clumsy.

    He groaned. This was so strange, but at least he would get used to it in a few minutes, unlike the changes brought by Skills.

    <em>Still, fifty Physical Wow. Thats liketons. Wow.</em>

    When he came to, the judge was ring at him in annoyance, while some people in the audience wereughing. <em>Let them, </em>Jack thought with a smile. <em>I am in danger. Why would I dy?</em>

    He had considered saving it for the professor, actually, after hearing about the hundred years of longevity, but surviving the first year was more important.

    The third reward, the head judge said, raising her voice over the crowds, is a Dao Soul.

    She pulled an item out of her robes. It was a purple gem that could easily fit in Jacks hand. It seemed normal at first nce. At the second, it was anything but. Two thick lines swam inside it like eels, one ck and the other white, cutting circles around each other. It reminded him of the yin-yang sign.

    The Dao Soul is a mystical item said to split ones soul into two, the head judge exined, raising the gem high. It can help a cultivator practice their Dao against themselves, rising their cultivation speed tremendously.

    Many people gasped again. She handed it to Jack, who looked at it oddly.

    And how does one use this, oh great judge? he asked.

    Ingesting it takes time, she answered with a tight smile.

    Jack nodded, then stuck it inside his secret pocket, which he no longer cared about keeping secret. It was on the inside of his left thigh, a ce that would both protect his major artery and shield the item from would-be thieves.

    Finally, there is a D-Grade automaton, she eximed, turning behind her. Two djinns carried a robot into the stage through the back entrance. It was humanoid, with bulky limbs and squarish proportions. It was entirely made of a shiny gray metal Jack didnt recognize, but even he could sense that it was extremely hard. Enough that he could <em>sense </em>it.

    Even as he was, he doubted he could dent that metal. It was only a feeling, but he trusted it.

    This robot was forged by the famous Horrificus Egen as a bodyguard for one of his disciples, the head judge exined. When that disciple passed away, the Animal Kingdom bought the robot, and now, it will be used to protect one of this generations shining stars. The Animal Kingdom takes care of its geniuses.

    Even she didnt believe her words, but she said them nheless.

    The weird thing about the robot was that it seemed deactivated. The two djinns had carried it over like an unconscious human, one holding it from the armpits and the other from the legs, both clearly straining from the effort despite their E-Grade bodies. They arrived next to Jack and the head judge, then struggled to lift the robot upright.

    <strong>Robot Bodyguard (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>A robot designed to guard and fight for its user. This particr specimen has been tempered with the Dao of Fire and forged by a master cksmith, achieving extreme hardiness. It can fight even an early D-Grade cultivator to a standstill. What iscks in mobility, it makes up with sapience-level intelligence.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Manufactured by Horrificus Egen.</em></strong>

    We also offer three personality capsules to choose from, the head judge said, fishing three small gems out of her robe. They were only the size of Jacks thumbnail; one was white, the other ck, and the third blue. The first is

    Excuse me, honored judge, Jack suddenly cut her off. He hadnt known that robot personalities came in capsules. Now that he did, he suddenly had an ideaperhaps he could fix his only regret from this tournament. If I may ask, do all robot personalitiese in capsules?

    Where else? she replied, looking at him like he was an idiot. Jack didnt mind.

    In that case, I have a small request. I am sure that you wouldnt mind, since the Animal Kingdom takes such good care of its geniuses. Her face stayed perfectly still. During the tournament, I came to like the training robot in my house. Would it be possible to use that personality capsule, and you can keep these three in return?

    The head judge looked at him like hed said something stupid. You came to like a robot? she asked.

    It is pleasant. We became good friends, he replied, nonplussed.

    She hesitated for a moment. After ncing towards theary overseer, who hadnt even looked at them once while the rewards were handed out, she said, We can arrange for that. However, be warned that an already calibrated capsule will need a short period of adjustment in a new body. The bodyguard wont be usable for approximately one hour.

    Jack frowned. <em>Thats a bummer. </em>He had been nning to have the bodyguard protect him while he made a run for the teleporter, just in case the Animal Kingdom tried anything, but he was confident he could make it, anyway. Especially after that monstrous +50.

    He liked Sparman. After training together for weeks, he just couldnt bear to leave the poor robot behind.

    Even if it was annoying at times.

    Thats fine, he said. Please make the swap.

    The head judge looked at him like he was stupidagainbut nodded. Then, she made him wait.

    A few momentster, a djinn raced into the arena, then walked thest few steps slowly. He carried a slimy green capsule in his hand, a little gem that Jack <em>knew </em>was the color of sarcasm.

    The head judge grabbed the gem, thanked the runner, and inserted it into a small opening in the back of the robots skull. A metal te rose from below immediately after, covering the opening and making it indistinguishable from the rest of its metal skin.

    Slowly, the robot opened its eyes. The two djinn handlers let it go. The robot wobbled.

    Ohhh, it said in a metallic voice before copsing to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Its legs and arms jutted around, but it was unable to stand. The audience burst outughing. The head judges face was a frozen mask of irritation. She clearly hadnt intended for the award ceremony to be funny.

    The robot iled helplessly for a moment before, as it rotated in ce, it caught sight of Jack. Oh, Master! it eximed. I sense bodyguard functions in my wiring. Very well. I suppose that serving you for the rest of my life is a fitting punishment for my poor performance earlier. It is my fault for reminding you that you had to <em>hit </em>the targets, not <em>miss </em>them.

    The audience remained silent, and even the head judge seemed visibly confused.

    Its okay, everyone, hes just kidding, Jack said, raising a hand. This guy has a <em>special</em> sense of humor.

    Handlers, please move the robot outside the arena, the head judge said, finally unable to take this any longer. The two djinns grabbed it by the arms and legs again, and heaving, picked it up.

    One moment, please, Jack said. He approached the robot and quickly whispered a fewmands in its ears: To guard the Bare Fist Brotherhood with all its strength.

    Sparman nodded. For once, its voice didnt sound mocking. Rest assured, Master. I will follow your order to myst breathmetaphorically speaking, since I do not breathe.

    I believe in you, Sparman. Good luck.

    Jack then rose, muttered a quick apology to the two handlerswho had held the robot high while Jack whispered at itthen turned back to the head judge.

    The final reward, she said, is entry into the Animal Kingdom faction and apprenticeship by a C-Grade Elder. Unfortunatelyshe paused for dramatic effect due to the nature of your final victory, no elder was willing to ept you as a disciple. As a result, this final reward will have to be rescinded, but a person of your talents will certainly find a worthy destination.

    Thats okay. Im sure some wise person will eventually ept me as their disciple, Jack replied, smiling. That was a jab towards the Animal Kingdom, half-implying they werent wise, but the head judge showed no signs of picking it upthough she probably did.

    Therefore, the reward ceremony and the tournament are over. Congrattions to everyone who participated, especially the winners, and we wish your prosperity for the rest of the Integration Year. May your days in the New World be bright!

    The crowd cheered. However, before anyone could rx, a sharp voice broke though.

    One moment, please.

    Everyone craned their heads to look. Fesh Wui was standing on the railing before his seat, on the highest end of the stands. His arms were crossed, his wings were spread wide, and his eyes were as sharp as his voice.

    The four of us have grown on this together with brother Rufus, he dered proudly, gesturing at the other three scions. All evidence pointed at him being stronger than Jack Rust. However, when an ident happened and brother Rufus was unable to attend, Jack Rust did not resign. He grasped this dishonorable victory that belonged to our brother.

    Whispers once again spread through the crowd. The smartest ones were already streaming outside the arena, and many others noticed them and followed suit. Before long, the arena was emptying quickly.

    Only a few people stayed in their seats: The me River, Edgar, Brock, Dorman Whistles, the Sage, Li Xiang, Brother Tao, the scions, the Ice Peak, as well as around thirty other people scattered throughout the audience. Some of those were in groups, while others were alone, and all of them red at Jack.

    As a result, Fesh Wui raised his voice, we wish to take revenge for our brother and challenge Jack Rust. Esteemedary overseerhe turned to the lioness, bowing deeply we know that the rules forbid violence until tomorrow, but would it be possible to let us defend our honor against this vile thief?

    The immortals had also stayed in ce, of course, as had Vocrich and theary overseer. She rose, adopting a face of righteousness. Honor is a cultivators most important possession, she dered in a voice that left no doubt. Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Master Shol sighed in his seat.

    Indeed, Jack Rust not resigning was a cowardice action, she continued. Your words are proper, Fesh Wui. Very well. By my orderher voice suddenly boomed out extremely loudly, spreading over the entirety of Integration City the rule forbidding violence is lifted immediately. Additionally, the-wide transmission will remain active, so that the world can see honor trample viiny.

    We thank you for granting our request, esteemed overseer. All four scions fell on their knees. Theary overseer nodded. Then, a white cloud appeared under her feet as if oozing out of the arena below, carrying her, Vocrich, and the immortals high in the sky. The head judge had already flown out of the arena, and all other djinn officials were retreating, too.

    Every other alien had already left.

    Jack bumped his fists together, unleashing a metallic sound that echoed in the now-empty arena. He was done waiting. Their theatrics had taken long enough, but now, they could advance to the main course.

    It didnt matter what tricks the Animal Kingdom used. Even if Rufus Emberheart arrived in time, nothing would change. With his new stats, Jack didnt believe he would lose to anyone.

    And, since they served him this opportunity on a silver tter, he might as well clean house before teleporting away.

    He inspected his status screen onest time, eager to see all the changes.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 50</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 184</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 184</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 184</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 23</strong>

    <strong>Will: 23</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Fistfighting (III), Drill (III), Parkour (III), Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    Very well, he said, turning to re at all four scions at once. He grinned wildly, and the full force of his perfect Dao Seed rolled out. Come at me, losers.

 Chapter 102: Earth vs. Scions

    Chapter 102: Earth vs. Scions

    WHAT!? Professor Margaret Rust grabbed both armrests of her chair and squeezed, making them creak.

    Next to her, her assistants stopped celebrating and looked mutedly at a television screen, where the arena was disyed. Just a moment ago, they had seen Jack Rust, the leader of their faction, be the strongest person on Earth and receive tremendous rewards. Everything had been going perfect.

    But now, things had suddenly gone wildly off the rails. The scions wanted to fight Jack? And theary overseer let them?

    What is happening?! the professor cried out. All sorts of scenarios went through her head, filtering themselves until she was left with only one possibility: the Animal Kingdom, those impossibly strong alien overlords, wanted Jack dead. No she muttered breathlessly.

    A heavy hand steadied her shoulder. It was Harambe. They were currently gathered at their new headquarters in the Forest of the Strong, and the broris had joined the factions top brass to watch the final.

    Are you worried too, Harambe? the professor asked, looking behind her. The brori nodded slowly. He could see his son right there, standing next to the strongest person of this world, their ultimate Big Bro.

    He had never been prouder.

    What do you think, Professor? her assistant, Emily, called out in worry. Can Jack escape?

    I dont know. Even if hes reached the E-Grade now, how strong can he

    Jack disappeared from the screen. A momentter, he appeared before the four scions, all by himself. Another moment after that, a massive meteor was hurtling at their faces, and it crashed with a great explosion. Smoke and debris filled the screen.

    The professor was left staring, and then sheughed. You know what? she replied. I think hes going to be fine.

    ***

    Jack shed on the railing before the four scions, reaching them in the blink of an eye. Fesh Wui was the first to respond. He waved his wings, sending des of wind at Jack, but he onlyughed. His fists shot out faster than the eye could see, smashing into each de and breaking it apart.

    Before, this attack would have stretched his reaction speed to the limit. Now, it was easy.

    A sh at the edge of his vision showed Shard Presht closing in. Both triangr des turned, catching the suns glint, as he aimed to nk Jack.

    Jack stepped directly into the attack. The des swung in slow motion. He raised his hands and simply caught them, then held them still. They came to an instant halt, and it took all of Shards mastery over momentum to avoid breaking his wrists.

    Holding the des felt effortless to Jack. Not only were his palms unharmed, but no matter how Shard pushed and pulled, Jacks grip remained firm. It was like wrestling a five-year-old. Shards sharky smile fell, reced by dread.

    In one fluid motion, Jack turned andunched the sharken into the iing wind des. Fesh withdrew his Dao as fast as he could, but the attack still scored several red lines on Shards bare back.

    <em>Its so easy </em>Jack realized, losing his breath. <em>So, this is the E-Grade. </em>An hour ago, these people would have been his opponents. Now, they were nothing but scrambling children. It begged the age-old question: How many kindergarteners can a grown man defeat?

    More than two.

    Jack punched out. The air screamed as his fist tore it apart, heading directly for Shard Presht and Fesh Wui behind him. He would get them both in one strike. Since his enmity with the Animal Kingdom was irreconcble, there was no need to hold back. He struck to kill. Colors and sounds disappeared, leaving only a purple meteor hurtling through a dark sky.

    A massive steel shield appeared at thest moment to block his fist, denting heavily but remaining solid. The explosion shook the arena and raised a small cloud of dust.

    When it settled, a humanoid robot stood before the two scions, having appeared out of nowhere. It was jet-ck, wielding a sword and a shield which had barely managed to block Jacks strike.

    <strong>Robot Bodyguard (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>A robot designed to guard and fight for its user. This particr specimen has been enchanted with the Dao of Hardness, resulting in a defense that can resist even the middle of the E-Grade. It also sports high mobility, allowing it to cover its user from all attacks.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Manufactured by Horrificus Egen.</em></strong>

    This Horrificus Egen was getting on Jacks nerves. However, before he could think further, ck light shed, and three more robots appeared, looking simr to the first. Each stood before a scion.

    <em>The fuckers have back-up, </em>Jack thought, gritting his teeth. No wonder they had dared attack him despite his breakthrough.

    Each of these robots was roughly equivalent to Sparmans sixth level, though focused on defense. Before today, he couldnt beat that level. Now, he had to fight four of those at the same time, plus the four scions.

    Jack weed the challenge.

    Bring it on! he shouted. Iron ran in his veins, firing him up. He settled into a fighting stance. He pushed against the railing, and his form blurred as he appeared behind Gan Salin.

    The canine froze. Hey chill, it was just a jok he tried to say. Jacks fist smashed out, but a robot stood between them, stopping the attack with itsrge tower shield. It then shed out at Jack, who was already gone.

    This time, he feinted moving at Shard Presht before using Ghost Step again and appearing above the elef. She was their healer, and Jack knew the golden rule: always attack the healer.

    Unfortunately, the scions also knew the golden rule. A robot intercepted him the moment he appeared, pushing him to the side and forcing him to retreat. The other three tried to surround him, each brandishing a one-handed sword. Their metallic heads, which had no hint of a face, were all turned towards him.

    Jack was irritated. He could easily beat one of these robots, but he couldnt afford to try. The moment one of them locked him down, the other three would be upon him in an instant, and he doubted that even his new durability could fully block those razor-sharp des.

    At least he had Ghost Step now. It was a bit tiring to use, but it greatly broadened his spectrum of options. Feinting to the right, he Ghost Stepped twice in zig-zag to escape the robots. Thankfully, though they were fast, they were not particrly agile.

    The rest of the people in the arena had been waiting for the result of this sh. Seeing Jack back off and the scions unharmed, the morale of their allies shot up.

    Listen up! Fesh Wui raised his voice, spreading it even outside the arena. Seeing the robots intercept Jack, his confidence had been rekindled. One million credits to anyone who injures Jack Rust, and ten million to whoever brings me his head!

    Jack cursed. The Animal Kingdom wasnt even pretending anymore. There was no way the scions had that kind of money by themselves.

    Regardless, it was enough motivation. Those who had remained on the stands turned towards Jack, avarice in their eyes, and people started trickling in through the entrances. They werent many, only around twenty, but that was twenty more than Jack had. Including the ones who had never left the arena, there were now fifty people ready to lunge at him, most of whom had participated in the tournament themselves.

    Jack had powered up significantly, but even he couldnt survive these numbers.

    nk him! a rough voice came from behind him. Jack felt the cold before he saw it; arge spike of ice flew over. He raised a hand to block, but it was unnecessary.

    A me whip hit the spike mid-flight and changed its course, sending it veering off Jack.

    Thankfully, he had allies.

    Vivi stood behind him, her form d in mes and holding a burning blue whip. Attack the traitors. For Earth! she cried out. Her voice filled the arena. The members of me River roared and charged, each turning into a human torch.

    The Ice Peak moved to meet them. They spread into a rhombus and moved with perfect coordination, each covering the others weakness. They shot out ice bullets from their fingers.

    The me River also showed excellent coordination. Theybined their mes into walls, meshing them perfectly and stopping the bullets.

    The Ice Peak was made up of highly-trained special agents. The me River had the elite soldiers of an entire country, and they had sessfully staged a revolution just weeks prior. Four on four, these two squads of professional killers shed, demanding a part of the arena stands for themselves.

    The Animal Kingdom didnt care for its arenas fate.

    Wood burned and flew, seats froze and turned into weapons. Fire mixed with ice into a chaotic battle that only they could navigate. In the air above, Vivi shed against Alexander, each brandishing their element to the maximum.

    Jack was attacked by the four robots and unable to help. They couldnt touch him, but they didnt let him go, either. They matched his speed, shielding the scions from his attacks.

    Said scions didnt attack Jack. They knew they would achieve nothing. Instead, they turned their gazes at his allies and charged at them, with only the elef remaining behind to heal whoever got injured. Two figures shed before them.

    Dorman and Li Xiang stood side by side, one wielding daggers and the other straight palms. On the stair-shaped arena stands, these two stood a few steps below the three attacking scions, showing no intentions of letting them pass.

    We are enemies. You will die, Li Xiang said.

    Beside him, Dorman chuckled. We already beat you once. We can do it again.

    Id like to see you try, Fesh Wui replied with narrowed eyes. His voice was filled with rage. You almost took my wing, the pride of an eagler. I will pay you back or die trying.

    Sure.

    They shed, three against two. des and wings flew as everyone used their Dao to the maximum. Li Xiang moved faster than ever before, blocking attacks from all directions. Shard Presht focused on him, but all his momentum-changing attacks could achieve was dy the old man. Gan Salin circled behind him, but Dorman fell on the canine, buzzing with electricity, and it took only two exchanges for Salin to be covered in deep red lines.

    Fesh Wui arrived then to block Dorman, and the two shed at a speed that nobody else could follow. They werent trying to overpower or outmaneuver the other. They simply shed again and again, and whoever could strike more times would win.

    Nice! Gan Salin raised a thumb. Green energy washed over him from higher in the stands, closing his wounds. He turned his thumb at the elef, too. Thanks! he eximed. You rock!

    Focus on the fight, Salin, she instructed in a low voice, her brows furrowed. Green light shone from her eyes and the end of her trunk, and she was slightly crouched as if ready to jump in any direction. Her robot returned to her side and remained there, making sure it could stop any surprise attack from Jack so she could focus on healing.

    Kane, Tao, Sage! Edgar called out, having jumped to the middle of the arena. Take the crowd!

    The three people hed named were already positioned between Jack and the fifty people that wanted his head. They were strong, but so were their opponents, and one side had seventeen times more people than the other.

    I will defend my monasterys honor to thest breath, Brother Tao said calmly, raising his thousand-pound ck staff. Come. I will not allow you to defile my. If I am to die, I will take some of you with me.

    This is not ALRIGHT! Vanderdecken shouted, stringing his guitarhed gotten a new one after Fesh Wui broke his previous one. Those assholes broke my guitar, man. Dont help them. Credits are temporary. Metal is forever!

    Their opponents were not impressed. There were archers, swordsmen, gunmen, people with sniper rifles or machine guns, as well as people holding all sorts of melee weapons. They took a step forward together, like a well-oiled army squad.

    Hey, Sage, Kane said, lowering his voice, are you sure this is a good idea?

    Oh, yes, the Sage replied calmly, as if this all didnt concern him. Hey, you guys! he shouted at the approaching enemies. This is really not a good idea. I suggest you turn back right now, or you will be killed!

    You cant even touch us, fuckface, a burly man holding a thick iron pipe called out.

    But he can.

    A form crashed between the two parties. When the crowd saw who it was, they went limp. It was Jack Rust.

    The robots were always ced between him and the scions. Since the crowd was in the opposite direction, he had a moment before the robots caught up. And a moment was enough.

    The truth was, Jack could escape the robots temporarily and help in these battles if he really wanted to. He didnt choose to do so for two reasons:

    One, it would exhaust him. Rufus might appear at any moment, and if that happened, only he could stop him.

    Two, this was a great opportunity for their allied forces to show off their might. They needed the world to side with them. And if they seemed to be losing, Jack could step in before the losses got too heavy. It was harsh, but then again, so was war.

    But fifty against three was hardly fair.

    Sto a man tried to say, but he didnt make it in time.

    Jacks eyes narrowed. These people wanted to kill him for money. He had no reason to show mercy. He was too strong to be stupid.

    A meteor punch flew into the middle of the crowd and exploded. The first two men it met were annihted, flying off in pieces. The crowd below was thrown back, many sporting broken limbs or deep burns. People screamed. Jack didnt care.

    Fuck off, he said. His perfect Dao Seed unleashed its pressure, nketing them in thick, bloody violence. They knew what he was capable of, and they knew he wouldnt hesitate to do it.

    Most people turned their backs and ran, realizing this was not worth it. Three robots descended on Jack; he had to dash out of the way. As he did, he took one more nce around the arena, but he still couldnt find Brock.

    <em>Where the hell did he go!? </em>he wondered, sick with worry, but there wasnt much he could do about it right now. <em>I hope he hid somewhere.</em>

    When everything was said and done, only seven people remained against Brother Tao, Vanderdecken, and the Sage. These seven were content to make it big or die trying.

    See? Not <em>alright!</em> Vanderdecken cried out, raising his hand with the index finger and pinky extended. But <em>alright! </em>Lets form a pit! Fight, fight, fight<em>and dance with the devil!</em>

    They roared and charged. ck, jagged notes erupted from the guitar, which shone with red lightit was a Dao weapon. The faint outline of a blood-stained brown gate appeared above his head. It opened a crack and released small quantities of ck mist that seethed towards the fight.

    Brother Tao roared as he spun his heavy staff, then crashed it down. It got a man in the leg, breaking itpletely, and also cracking the wood and stone beneath. The once-pristine arena was gradually getting torn down from all the fighting.

    As for the Sage, he simply pointed at people every once in a while, making them dazed for the fraction of a second that Brother Tao needed to smack them. He also called out instructions to Vanderdecken, who moved his mist and notes to the right ce <em>before </em>the enemies even got there.

    The seven bounty hunters didnt back down easily. Each of them was strong in their own right, and lights shed as all sorts of abilities were activated. An iron pipe met the staff and broke in two, but that only gave its wielder two new weapons to use. Arrows flew from a crossbow, meeting each note mid-air and breaking it apart.

    Edgar watched their fight from the center of the arena and nodded. He would assist whoever needed him, but they seemed fine for now. He turned his gaze to Dorman and Li Xiang, who were embroiled in fiercebat against two scions

    <em>Wait. Two? Where is Gan Salin?</em>

    Excuse me, do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Dogod?

    Edgar barely had time to conjure a shield behind him and jump away. Gan Salins wolverine-like steel ws shed against it, breaking it apart in two strikes. He grinned. I guess not. Oh, well.

    What the hell are you on? Edgar asked. Sandstorms rose before him, and birds of wind flew around him. This was a scion. And Edgar was alone.

    He no longer had time to help others. Now, someone needed to help <em>him, </em>or hed be dog food!

    Gan Salins eyes grew bloodshot, and foam bubbled at the edges of his mouth. Here Ie! he screamed and shot forward. Edgar flooded him with sandstorms. It was the same technique hed used against Jackhopefully, it would work better this time.

 Chapter 103: For the Alliance!

    Chapter 103: For the Alliance!

    Vivi and Alexander shed mid-air, each flying around the other as they exchanged attacks. You got better, Alexander noted.

    I practiced! she shouted back between strikes. Her whip was sharp and unpredictable, rapping the air with a series of fiery booms. A ring of liquid fire surrounded her, blocking Alexander every time he approached.

    So what? You are just a girl, a child. You are useless. Your achievements are due to luck, and your subordinates all doubt you, he berated her. Since he was the one attacking, he had the time to speak. You are a fake leader, an imposter. You are bound to crash eventually, as the world realizes your fake status. You were nothing before, and the apocalypse cannot change that.

    Silence! I am not a fool, Alexander. I will not fall for such tant mental warfare!

    But she did. Being aware of what was happening didnt change much. Alexander had struck her most painful chords, and a portion of her attention was snapped away. It was enough for him to gain the upper hand.

    She screamed and shot a torrent of me at him, but he easily dodged out of the way.

    Youre weak! he shouted.

    No, Vivi replied, smiling. Youre just stupid.

    His eyes narrowed, then widened. He didnt look behind him, but he knew. The torrent of fire flew through the air andnded on the arena stands, exploding like a water bomb.

    Coincidentally, the moment itnded, the seven bounty hunters happened to move right in front of the explosion. They screamed as the fire burned through their clothes and clung to their backs. Brother Taos staff broke ones chest, and a note shed anothers throat.

    The Sage smiled. Whoops, he said. How lucky. He had messaged Vivi mentally and told her exactly where to aim.

    The other bounty hunters recovered, but only four of them were left nowone had fallen during the battleand the opponents remained three, though Tao and Vanderdecken were injured.

    Their eyes glimpsed with hesitation. Right then, green energy showered them, filling them with energy. They were brand new men and women. Even the one whose chest had been broken stood up, ready to fight again.

    Vanderdecken cursed. Not <em>alright!</em> he shouted, then dropped out of his persona for a moment. Somebody needs to handle the fucking healer!

    ***

    Edgar was floating on a blue cloud and flying back as fast as he could. His sandstorms clung to Gan Salins legs, ying the skin off them, but the canine didnt seem to care. He had gone so insane that he probably didnt even feel the pain.

    Come back here! he shouted, slicing through wind birds like they were nothing. I just wanna talk!

    Hell no! Edgar screamed back, rushing to escape. The distance between them was shortening, and his mana was running out fast. Would hest more than the maniac who felt neither pain nor exhaustion? Probably not. He had to do something.

    Unfortunately, as he nced around, nobody seemed about to help him. Dorman and Li Xiang were locked down by Fesh Wui and Shard Presht, Vivi was fighting Alexander, the me River was busy with the Ice Peak, the other three were fighting a bunch of greedy assholes, and Jack was trying to punch through three E-Grade robots.

    Edgar was alone.

    At least, he wasnt doomed to lose. He was strong. If he yed his cards right, he would win. Gan Salins legs were already close to crippled.

    Green light washed over the canine, restoring the yed skin and torn muscles. Edgar cursed out loud. Someone get the fucking healer! he screamed, elerating his retreat. The difficulty of healing rose exponentially when people reached the E-Grade and got Dao-infused bodies, but in the F-Grade, healers were kings!

    ***

    Jack was punching robots. His body was durable, easily shaking off any ncing hits. His new Skill, Ghost Step, was enough to outmaneuver them, and he was smarter, too. His knuckles were hard and his muscles strong, sending the robots flying with every strike.

    The problem was that they never stayed down. The most he had achieved was denting them a bit!

    Fuck me, he muttered. All he could do was wait for his allies to winhopefully.

    Somebody get the damn healer! Edgars voice reached him. Looking down at the sandhe was on the top of the spectator standshe saw Edgar locked inbat with Gan Salin.

    Fuck me, Jack muttered again, but this time, it was decisive. They couldnt win like this. The sky went dark and all sounds disappeared. A purple meteor formed around his fist, carrying tremendous powereven he didnt know how much.

    The disappearance of colors and sounds was an effect that was usually countered by other Daos. Now that he had a Dao Seed, however, his Dao eclipsed the Dao Roots of everyone present, making the effect persist.

    He smashed a robot. It raised a shield to defend, but Jack didnt care. He struck so hard that the explosion rocked everyone else, disturbing their fights, and the robot smashed into the stands behind it hard enough to crack the stone. Jack struck again. After getting strengthened so much, he could now throw a few Meteor Punches in quick session.

    A second Meteor Punch struck the stands where the robot was embedded. The arena exploded under his fist. Chairs and broken wood flew everywhere, and arge crack appeared in the stone as the arena split. He had cracked it open like an eggshell, a thin line exposing the city beyond.

    Idly, he wondered if breaking the arena was customary for Integration Tournaments.

    The robot was still there, but it was so deeply embedded in stone that it would need some time to extricate itself. That left Jack with only two robots, which wasnt enough to stop him.

    He Ghost Stepped multiple times in session, out-maneuvering and escaping them. He rushed for the elef. Her personal robot shed before him, but Jack had expected this and unleashed another Meteor Punch without stopping. This one came from below and to the side, smashing into the robots shield and sending it flying away, over the top of the arena. It wasnt hurt, but of course, it couldnt fly; it needed some time to return.

    Until then, the healer was exposed. Jack hadnt stopped running, taking a deep cut in his outer thigh for the trouble, but this was more important. The elef didnt hesitate in the slightest. She took out a wooden-looking badge with weird lines on it. Jack recognized the deviceit was the same thing Gan Salin had used to escape him back in Valville.

    He prepared a Meteor Punch, but it wouldnt reach in time.

    She squeezed it. Light gathered around her.

    In that instant, Jack Ghost Stepped mid-strike. His Meteor Punch left a long purple tail as it was dragged alongside him, appearing before the elef in an instant. The explosion happened at the same moment that she teleported away. Jack only managed to see her expression of pain before she disappeared.

    He looked around but didnt see her anywhere. However, he did spot her robotnding atop the arena and then jumping away, heading for the town at full speed. Either it was a risky bluff, or the elef wasnt here anymore.

    Jack chose to believe the former.

    The two robots fell on him again, soon joined by the third, but he returned to conserving energy and watching how the others did. After all, there was no telling when Rufus would emerge from his breakthrough. He had to remain at his best.

    ***

    The me River and Ice Peak were shing furiously, each faction employing their own team tactics. Sadaka led the effort on the me Rivers side, and Elena Richter did the same for the Ice Peak. mes danced and melted ice, which froze again on the spot. Complex geometrical shapes were formed on the stone where the spectator stands used to be, the wood long sheared off.

    Eventually, training outdid experience. Elena drove an arm-sized ice spike through Sadakas chest. His eyes grew wide. Then, their light faded, and Sadaka was gone. The surrounding mes destabilized, letting the Ice Peak advance.

    ***

    Li Xiang and Dorman were a fearsome duo. The old man yed around the teenagers moves, covering every hole. After Gan Salin had left, this dual battle was slowly tipping in their favor. The only thing keeping the scions in the game had been the elefs healing powers.

    Damn! Fesh Wui cried out. We lost our healer! Shard, we must retreat!

    He backed away, but Shard Presht was a beat toote to follow. Dorman and Li Xiang fell on him at the same time. He was unable to defend. They tore him to pieces.

    ***

    Vivi shed repeatedly against Alexander, but she was pushed back. They used to be equals, but he had gotten the lotus of fire and ice. His Dao was slightly more advanced, and that small advantage was enough to secure his victory.

    She more felt than saw the mes wavering far under her feet, where her faction fought. They were unstable, which meant they had lost their core. That could only mean one thing.

    No! she screamed,unching out her defensive rings of me as a jet heading directly downward. She had to at least secure her people some time to escape.

    Unfortunately, that took away her greatest defense. Alexander shed inside her guard instantly, striking with his twin swords without leaving her a moment to reorient herself. Her whip was shed in half, a wing was shorn off. Vivis throat bulged as it prepared to unleash fire, but Alexander had seen this trick before.

    He shed behind her. Nobody will save you this time, he said, then stabbed.

    ***

    Without disturbances, Brother Tao, Vanderdecken, and the Sage tore into the five remaining bounty hunters, who were already trying to retreat. This battle wasnt going their way.

    Scatter! one of them said.

    They did. Vanderdeckens notes rushed after the one with the crossbow, catching up to her and cutting her to pieces. Brother Tao hunted another, but he was too slow. Suddenly, the running bounty hunter missed a step, his eyes going nk for a moment.

    It was the Sages interference.

    Brother Taos heavy staff smashed into the fallen mans body and pulverized it. Before he had time to rejoice, the Sages warning out in his mind: Careful!

    He barely turned in time. A sharp machete came from behind, shining with the power of an active Skill and aimed at his neck. He dodged it, taking the hit to his left arm. It was lopped clean off.

    Brother Tao screamed as his staff took the offending womans head off.

    ***

    Edgar was cornered. Healing energy had stopped streaming into Gan Salin, but he remained insane and resolute, shrugging away all damage. He was bleeding from many ces, his clothes were torn, one arm hung limp, and he sported heavy burns, but he remained as wild as ever.

    Got you, he said, pouncing at Edgar. DIE!

    Gan Salins Dao Roots gave him the power to run through Edgars magical salvos. They also made him stupid. If not, he would have recognized the pattern.

    Quintus Convergius! Edgar shouted, siphoning out the final bits of his mana. His staffy broken at his feet, but the gem at its top still worked. The elements nearby shook as the gem unleashed a white light of pure magic at Gan Salin, who took it right in the chest.

    He was catapulted backward, leaving a trail of blood from his mouth. Hended hard against the back wall and stayed down. Edgar chuckled. <em>I beat a scion, </em>he thought. <em>Whos the loser now, mom?</em>

    He didnt dare let himself lose consciousness, but he waspletely spent. Any random attack could end him. Slowly, he used hisst bits of strength to crawl under some nearby debris, hiding himself as best as he could, and only then did he let himself faint.

    ***

    Nobody will save you this time, Alexander said, stabbing at Vivis back. Suddenly, all color disappeared around him. He folded his wings without the slightest hesitation, letting himself fall, and the meteor that exploded above his head sent him flying diagonally towards the stands below, where Dorman and Li Xiang had just killed Shard Presht.

    The moment Presht had died, his robot had gone stiff, then turned away and flown towards the town. Gan Salins robot had also retreated beside its unconscious owner, guarding his body. That left Jack with only one robot, which allowed him to interfere in other battles more easily. Alexander and Vivis fight was climaxing just then, and he shot out a meteor at them, trying to stop Alexander. He seeded, albeit barely.

    Alexander fell out of the air towards where Dorman and Li Xiang were pursuing Fesh Wui. The eagler didnt even have time to pull out his escape talisman. He was covered in wounds and only barely surviving by running away at top speed.

    Alexanders one wing was broken by the meteor, so he couldnt right himself, but he knew an opportunity when he saw it. As he rotated in mid-air, heunched two sessive ice spikes at Dorman, who was too busy hunting Fesh to notice the attack. It came for his head.

    Li Xiang jumped in between. He smashed one ice spike aside with his palm but didnt have time to stop the second one. Left without a choice, he took it with his body. The ice spike pierced clean through his belly, nailing him to the stands belowhe had slowed it for an instant, and that was enough for Dorman and Fesh Wuis fight to move a step away.

    As the old master was nailed into the stone, Dorman looked at him with wide eyes. Fesh Wui instantly grabbed the opportunity to crush his escape talisman, disappearing, but Dorman didnt care.

    No, he muttered, then screamed, NO!

    Li Xiang smiled. Be brave, he said, coughing out blood. Strong. Honorable.

    And then, without another word, he passed away. His blood oozed from his belly like a fountain and painted the stone red under his feet.

    Dorman turned towards Alexander, face warped in rage. Jack beat him to the punch. He appeared next to the falling Alexander like a ghost.

    Jack had expected people to die. He had seen many suffer that fate since the Integration, and he had killed people himself. But they had been all been strangers. When Li Xiang passed away, someone who was just an acquaintance, the flood of emotions hit Jack like a solid wall. They frothed up from somewhere deep inside him with intensity he never expected, tinging his vision red and filling his heart with mute despair.

    If he felt like this on an acquaintances death, what would happen if someone important to him died? The professors smiling face shed in his mind, and the fear that overtook him fueled his rage further.

    Fuck you, he spat out, readying a full-force Meteor Punch. Alexander wrapped his remaining wing around himself, but there was no way he could take the strike head-on. He braced himself for death.

    The attack never arrived.

    Careful! the Sages voice rang in Jacks mind, but it was toote. A tremendous powernded on his back, shooting him into the stands so hard that he dug into the stone. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he looked up.

    Rufus Emberheart slowlynded across him. His mane was fluttering in the wind, and his face was a begrudging scowl. The aura of a perfect Dao Seed spread outside his body, contesting Jacks, and everyone who looked at them felt like they were looking at two mountains crashing into each other.

    <strong>Leonine, Level 50</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title:ary Torchbearer (10)</strong>

    Rufus clenched his paws, then said, You owe me a battle, Jack Rust. Stand up.

 Chapter 104: Boss Fight

    Chapter 104: Boss Fight

    Jack stood slowly. Though he had been smacked hard, it was nothing but a scratch to his new, iron-like body. The true loss was the energy hed expended so far. Going into the boss fight weakened was a terrible idea, but what could he do?

    Sure, he replied, dusting himself off. Are you sure youre ready, though? I can wait another hour.

    Silence, weakling. Rufus paused for a moment before continuing. I admit I miscalcted. I thought I could finish the breakthrough in time, even without the Rainbow Dao Pillbut in the end, I underestimated my own superiority. Something truly perfect takes time.

    Is that what you tell yourself to feel better? I dont know, man. I started my breakthrough after you and still finished first.

    That has nothing to do with your strength. Rufus frowned. You simply ignored all security guidelines. You went at it like a monkey, heedless of failures consequences.

    I did not intend to fail. If you needed failsafes, maybe you just arent as superior as you like to think.

    We will see about that. Rufuss eyes sharpened at every word that left Jacks mouth. His heavy aura circled his body, striking Jack with its majesty. Perhaps taunting an angry lion was not a good idea.

    Our battle will prove who is superior, the leonine dered loudly, speaking to the world. We have both just broken through to the E-Grade. We are at the same Level, both with perfect Dao Seeds. Our titles give us the exact same benefits. We have both drunk the Immortality Serum. The victor between us will be decided by pure skill.

    Jack actually counted the +50 from the Immortality Serum as a huge advantage. He had forgotten that, as the second ce winner of the tournament, Rufus also got one of those.

    <em>Who am I kidding? He would have gotten it anyway. Who knows what else he has.</em>

    Enough talking, Rufus. Lets fight, he said, bumping his fists together. Over thest month, this had slowly developed into his pre-fight ritual.

    He couldnt deny his excitement. Despite all the stakes riding on his back, he had been really looking forward to this battle ever since the tournament began. Rufus Emberheart was the biggest, baddest guy aroundand Jack was about to punch his face in.

    Of course, Rufus replied. Shall we give our battle the attention it deserves by moving to the main stage?

    Jack gazed at the sands. The stage was filled with debris, as well as Gan Salins unconscious body and his guardian robot. He also spotted Edgars legs peeking out from under a bunch of fallen seats. Worry gripped his heart, but he didnt have that luxury right now.

    No need, he said, turning back to Rufus. Here is good enough.

    The leonine frowned. Then prepare yourself. I shall let the whole world see the consequences of challenging a king.

    The only king here is your mo

    Before Jack could finish his words, Rufus appeared before him. There was no warning, no sound, no time to respond. One moment, he stood twenty feet away, and the next he was right up Jacks nose, an open paw already hurtling at his chest. Jack clenched on reflex.

    The paw smacked him head-on, sending him flying into the stage. He smashed hard into the sand and the rock below, skipping over the ground twice before rolling to a stop. His head was wobbly as he stood, and he had trouble breathing for a moment.

    Whats the matter? Rufus asked,nding softly in the stage. I thought you wanted to stay in the stands.

    You didnt give me a choice, dipshit.

    That wasnt the right response, apparently. Rufus disappeared again. This time, Jack saw how he did it. He caught a glimpse of his foot tapping the ground right before he teleported. It was a movement Skill, like Jacks, except he wasnt used to the speed of E-Grade fighting. It was simply on a whole new level.

    Unfortunately, glimpsing at something and stopping it were two entirely different concepts. Jack ducked by pure instinct, but the paw still smashed the top of his head and sent him flying. He crashed into the wall, forming a web of cracks behind him, thennded on his feet and stumbled.

    Perhaps all that waiting got you rusty, Rufus said,ughing. Let me bring you up to speed.

    The guy was a sucker for posturing. Be it against Li Xiang, Dorman, or Jack, he always tried to win in the most overbearing fashion.

    That made Jack angry. Rufus could be as fast as he wanted, but Jack would be damned if he just stood there and let himself take a beating.

    He had a movement skill, too.

    He shot out. His fists clenched. Rufus disappeared, moving with that incredible speed again, but Jack activated Ghost Step to the side, too. When Rufus appeared, he was facing empty air. When Jack appeared, he was facing Rufus.

    Think again, dickhead, he said, smashing out a punch. A blue shield appeared around Rufus, but it didnt affect Jack much. It was like punching through slightly denser air. Their Daos were on the same level.

    His fistnded clean on Rufuss cheek, sending the leonine tumbling away. He shot back to his feet. His eyes were filled with indignation as if Jack touching him was some sort of sphemy.

    Jack, meanwhile, just stood there and looked at Rufus in iprehension.

    <em>Igot him? </em>he wondered, ncing at his own fist. <em>It was that easy?</em>

    Throughout the tournament and during their fight so far, Rufus had been an untouchable existence. He had asserted his dominance so many times that, unconsciously, Jack regarded him very highly. He intended to fight, he even yearned for it, but his heart was always clenched by deep fear.

    And nowhe had just struck Rufus.

    Jack looked between his fist and the leonine. He saw the truth. Rufus wasnt invincible; he wasnt always ten moves ahead. He was just a dude with a knack for posturing. A dude who could mess up like everyone else, who could get hit and feel anger or pain.

    The only difference between Rufus and all of Jacks previous opponents was that Rufus was slightly stronger. Thats it. He just yed it cool.

    Jack raised his gaze. He met the leonines eyes, bursting with confidence and arrogance, but he knew that this confidence was only a prop. Rufus was just a guy.

    He grinned. Once again, he smashed his fists together, and this time, he was full of spirit.

    You fucking liar, he said. What king? Youre just a dude; a dude whos about to get his face caved in.

    Rufuss eyes flickered. He roared, and he charged.

    The sand flew under his feet. The distance evaporated. He stood before Jack in the next instant, but this time, Jack was ready. He ghost-stepped to the side, dodging a blow and striking his own. Rufus turned and met it.

    Fist and paw shed in mid-air, one carrying brutal violence and the other unyielding supremacy. The air exploded around them. Sand flew away from the point of impact. Jack and Rufus withdrew their hands at the same timeneither had been pushed backand struck again.

    They fell into a melee. Blue phantom paws disintegrated into hard fists. Meteors smashed into a golden mane. Jack roared and Rufus growled as they tore into each other, neither giving up. Blood drops sttered everywhere, dying the sand red.

    Jack clenched his fist. A purple aura surrounded it, transforming it into a falling meteor. Rufus drew his paw back. A blue phantom of itself superimposed the paw, dding it in undeniable supremacy. The air shook as both blows flew forward, and they collided frontally at full force.

    Jack and Rufus were both pushed back, tumbling and rising to their feet. Jacks fist was trembling. Even with the Iron Fiend Body and all his new stats, this had fucking hurt.

    Rufuss paw was not trembling.

    Inevitable Charge! Rufus roared. His feet kicked against the hard ground, and he flickered to a new positionnot close to Jack. He did it again, and again, and again, and Jacks surroundings were filled with afterimages of a pissed super-warrior.

    Jack wasnt an idiot to put himself on the back foot. He used Ghost Step as well, flickering unpredictably along the sand. He no longer cared about conserving energy. His eyes caught a glimpse of Rufuss.

    At the next moment, both stopped simultaneously and punched at each other. A phantom paw flew out of Rufus, and a meteor wasunched by Jack, impacting between them with an explosion that neutralized both attacks. Rufus charged again, and Jack met him fist-first, once again moving into a brawl.

    However, Jacks mind wasnt entirely there. He kept an eye on their positioning, making sure they wouldnt identally throw an attack where Edgary. At this point, a stray punch could kill the wizard.

    His worries left him open. Attempting to face Rufus without his full attention was a fools errand.

    A paw snuck past his guard, smashing into his abdomen. Jack bent, and a phantom tore up into his nose, sending him flying. Jack opened his eyes mid-air and saw Rufus disappeared. Reflexively, he shot a Meteor Punch to the right, using the momentum to push himself out of the way as Rufus fell from above andnded with enough force to crack the arena.

    Jack somersaulted andnded on his feet. He still struggled to breathe, and his nose was broken. His regeneration had slowed to a snails pace. That was expected; starting at the E-Grade, when the body was infused with the Dao, all sorts of healing got exponentially harder. Before that, it was easy as pie. That was why the djinn healers had been able to heal practically anything the F-Grade tournament participants suffered.

    You surprise me, Rufus dered. Though Jack had gotten a couple hits in, Rufus looked no worse for wear. His back was straight, his chain mail armor unblemished, and his eyes still held that arrogant spark inside them. Only his nose was bloodied. If you hadnt picked the wrong side, you would have made a fine ally. It is a shame.

    Jack, on the contrary, sported several shallow cuts, as well as an equally broken nose. Is it toote? he asked. He was trying to buy some time so he could think of a way to draw the battle outside the arena. Could he run?

    However, Rufus only smiled sadly. Yes, he replied. He charged again.

    Jack barely managed to react in time. He took a punch and flew back, thennded, turned, and charged back in. All the while, his mind whirled. What was the best way to disengage?

    ***

    Dorman roared like an animal as he charged forth, daggers held at the ready. Right, a voice rang in his mind, and he sidestepped just as an ice spike flew past.

    He, the Sage, brother Tao, Vanderdecken, along with Vivi and what remained of the me Riveronly half their original numberwere shing against Alexander Petrovic and his four Ice Peak members. Jack Rust was battling Rufus Emberheart in the arena below, but that wasnt their battle. This was.

    Dorman charged again. Lightning flew over his skin as he tore through the Ice Peak defenses, but a new wall of ice appeared to block his path. He cursed as he jumped backward.

    Though they were more, the fighters of Ice Peak could work together to block them. Especially Dormanfor the second timetely, he found himself countered by his opponents. It was even more infuriating this time because he was sure he could beat Alexander if they fought one-on-one.

    Vivi was injured, but she stood behind the front line and did what she could to help.

    The battle was bnced for now. Dorman was confident they would win eventuallyas long as Jack didnt lose to Rufus.

    Lightning crawled over his skin again. He charged.

    ***

    Ooh Gan Salin grabbed his head. What happened?

    His ears were filled with explosions. His eyes snapped open, taking in a field of destruction. Two forms flickered in and out of his sight, fiercely tearing into each other: Rufus Emberheart and Jack Rust.

    Gan Salin had lost to both of them before, but now, they werent even on the same level as him. Their arms moved so fast he couldnt track them. Their forms blurred in his eyes. They seemed to exchange more than one hit at the same time, and every punch or pawnded with a colossal impact that could easily st Gan Salin apart. And these madmen were throwing dozens of these hits like it was nothing.

    Like berserk immortals.

    <em>I must be dreaming, </em>Gan Salin concluded. He closed his eyes, counted to four, then opened them again. <em>Crap. I am not dreaming.</em>

    A stray meteor flew his way. Before Gan could even consider fleeing, his robot bodyguard got in the way, bracing its shield. It was instantly sent flying, darting past Salin tond on the wall behind him. It recovered, but its shield was now dented.

    Gan Salin couldnt dent that shield if he struck it for a day and a night.

    <em>Alrighty, </em>he thought, standing and dusting himself off. <em>Time to go.</em>

    His entire body was in pain, his clothes were so tattered they barely protected his dignity, and he bled from several ces, including a shallow, bloody hole in his chest where at least one bone was broken. At least, he had a regeneration Skill.

    He was lucky to be alive.

    The pain was terrible, but hed gone through worse. The Dao of Insanity was a bitch to cultivate.

    While Rufus and Jack went at it, trying to smash each other into paste, Gan Salin tiptoed to the arena exit and passed through, his robot in tow.

    He then climbed the stairs and reached the stands, from where he could watch the fight in rtive safety. There was another fight going on, but he didnt care about it; only Rufuss was important. He was very curious to see who would win. No, that wasnt entirely true; he knew that Rufus would win. He hadnt even used his King Form yet.

    The question was, how far would Jack Rust push him?

    If Gan Salin was being honest, he kinda liked Jack. He made fun things happen. <em>Too bad hell die today, but oh well. Enemies get stitches. No, waitwas it graves? Frenemies? </em>

    Heughed. It didnt really matter. Most things didnt.

 Chapter 105: Overpowered

    Chapter 105: Overpowered

    Jack smashed his fist into Rufuss paw, then flickered to the side and ducked under a backhand swipe. The leonine stood in ce, tall and proud, unleashing hits like an avnche. He was a force of nature.

    Jack met him hit for hit, but he was slowly pushed back. He was losing.

    And he still had to get out of this fucking arena. But he didnt want to <em>run</em>. That would be like retreating. And what kind of fist would retreat from a frontal, winnable fight?

    Maybe he should go all-in, instead. Crush Rufus with an iron fist.

    <em>No, </em>he stopped himself. This was the Dao talking, but <em>he </em>was in control. <em>I must get out of here. I must protect Edgar.</em>

    When their fists shed again and Jack was pushed back, he turned a set of angry eyes at Rufus. Fine! he said. Have it your way. Fist Radiance!

    He crossed his arms while jumping backward,nding on the arena lip. Rufus snorted with amusement and prepared himself. Are we finally going all-out? he shouted. Perfect! I will block your ultimate attack with my Hmm?

    Jack had jumped backward on the arena lip as if about to unleash a long-range attack, but he just kept jumping. Before Rufus had finished his words, Jack had reached the top of the stands. He then turned around and leaped atop the arena. The tall white tower framed his retreating back.

    Rufuss eyes widened with anger. Get back here! he ordered. Jack flipped him off, then jumped outside the arena.

    He fell through the air. Suddenly, free-falling seemed slow, but there wasnt much he could do about it now. Stone statues three times his height passed by him, each intricately carved and carrying a wide array of weapons. Some held spears, others hammers, sickles, knives, ives, bows, whips Practically everything could be found on these statues.

    They were all kinds of species, too. Some were animal-shaped warriors, like the scions of the Animal Kingdom, but many were humans, and there were also a bunch he hadnt seen before. There were also many empty grooves, where statues had yet to be added.

    These were the previous winners of the Animal Kingdoms Integration Tournaments. Now, Jack would get his statue as wellunless the arena crumbled, of course. Or unless they simply didnt make him one. It was a tribute of honor, and he was an enemy.

    Hended on the street, ignored the panicking crowd, and jumped on a rooftop. Hended an inch before a dog guardian. He froze; he had forgotten that they hid on rooftops. The guardian looked straight into his eyes, red dots ring behind its sunsses, but it didnt move.

    Jack got over his surprise and moved on. He was now stronger than one of these guardians, anyway. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, heading deeper into the town.

    He wasnt just trying to draw Rufus away from Edgar. He had to escape through the teleporter as quickly as he could, or there was no telling what weapons the Animal Kingdom would unleash. He had to take care of Rufus first, of course, or he would turn back and massacre everyone.

    He caught sight of the za he was heading for. It wasrge and empty, usually saved for a bazaar that was now getting packed up as fast as the E-Grade merchants could manage. Jack caught himself on the television screens that lined the streets. His fight was still being broadcasted, and the invisible cameras followed him even here, outside the arena.

    For most people, it was their first time seeing the Integration City.

    Hended in the za. It was lined with tiles of white marble, and it was square with a length of at least a hundred feet in every direction. At the back of the za stood a building shaped like a chimney-topped furnace, with a closed wooden door blocking its entrance and no windows.

    It was the teleporter leading out of here. To the gxy. Having it operate was part of the Star Pact, so even theary overseer couldnt deactivate it without reason.

    Thest of the merchants were packing up and running away, none sparing Jack a nce. The dog guardians, however, did. They arranged themselves around the za, not stepping in, but ready to intervene if anyone overstepped a line. They were allowed to fight each other, but not to attack the merchants or damage the buildings beyond a reasonable degree.

    The moment Jacknded, he turned to look backward. He didnt see Rufus. Even when he looked at the arenas top, he still failed to spot anyone.

    The arena was a third of a mile away. No matter how fast Jack was, Rufus should have at least scaled the arena by now. Where was he?

    Suddenly, Jack felt like an idiot. He had assumed that Rufus would follow because of his pride, his need to act in the most supreme waybut what if he didnt? What if he wasnt as prideful as Jack had imagined, or if his pride worked in a different way, and he chose to ughter everyone in the arena instead?

    Jack looked at the screens around the za, seeing himself alone and lost, surrounded by dog guardians in the distance. Suddenly, the screens cut to Rufus, who thankfully didnt seem to be in the arena. The camera looked at him from below, with the blue sky as a backdrop. He had his hands in the air, his legs bent, his face hardened, and he seemed to be fall

    Jack Ghost Stepped away right as Rufusnded on his previous location. The marble under their feet was much harder than the arenas stone, but even it cracked under the impact. Rufus looked unhurt.

    He unraveled himself, standing straight. Jack frowned. Something was different.

    The leonines golden mane was raised like he had been electrocuted. He carried an air of power around him. Most importantly, he was surrounded by a faint blue and yellow aura.

    Jack gaped. He had seen something simr before, but it couldnt possibly be

    Disgraceful, Rufus spat out. You cannot escape, Jack Rust. You have insulted a king, and you will pay for it. However, in recognition of your strength, and to honor the people of Integration City, I will fight you at my strongest.

    Jack was still gaping.

    Prepare to face my King Form, Rufus dered. Suddenly, the winds picked up. His aura towered to the sky. Rufus lowered his head and growled, a fierce, drawn-out lion roar that echoed throughout the Integration City and gradually picked up in volume. He seemed filled with absolute rage as he shouted at the top of his lungs. The surrounding merchants hurried to get away, and Jack could only watch as Rufuss power climbed unendingly. His aura was so strong that it tore a nearby piece of paper with the number nine thousand on itprobably the price of something in the bazaar.

    His golden mane had somehow gotten longer. Sparks flew inside the blue and yellow aura around him. When he stopped shouting, he raised his head, and even his blue eyes had turned yellow.

    Jack couldnt believe what he was seeing. What King Form? he shouted. Thats a Super Sai

    Rufuss knee met his abdomen. He flew back like a rocket and crashed into a building, demolishing it in the blink of an eye. The dog guards around the square got restless, but they did not move.

    Stand up, Rufus said. I know that wasnt enough to kill you.

    Jack crawled out of the debris, then forced himself to stand. He was hurt. That knee hade with tremendous force. Most importantly, Rufus had just powered up, and Jack Jack had nothing of the sort.

    Whats the matter? Rufus asked, raising his chin. Didnt you want to fight me? Im right here. Waiting for you.

    Jack spat on the ground. This was unfair. He had done everything correctly. He had gotten stronger than anyone ever expected. He had been able to face Rufus, even if slightly on the back footbut now Rufus had more cards up his sleeve.

    <em>How the hell am I supposed to win!? </em>Jack asked himself, heart burning with rage. He clenched his fists. This was clearly impossible.

    He looked around. The dog guardians, the merchants, the screens where this fight was televised, the teleporter

    If he escaped, he would be fine, and so would his factionbut all his allies here would die. Rufus would ughter them.

    Edgar, the me River, Dorman, the Sage, even Vanderdecken and Brother Tao.

    But there were ways. If he gave them enough time, maybe they could use the Sages starship to escape and hide at the Forest of the Strong, where Sparman would protect them. He was a D-Grade bodyguard now, and Rufus had just broken through to the E-Grade. They would earn some time. Maybe they could break through themselves, or maybe Jack would return stronger

    But those were empty hopes.

    The war would end before it even started, overwhelmed by Rufuss impossible strength. They would be trapped like mice, simply dying the inevitable. The Animal Kingdom would have achieved its goal, televising their scions victory over the entire while the strongest human turned tail and ran for his life, leaving them all to die.

    And Rufus would be the king.

    Jack didnt want that. He desperately yearned to raise his fists and fight to the death, like a fist.

    But he had a responsibility to his people. He was shacked. If he fell, they would all inevitably die. If he escapedthen, though his Dao would inevitably be damaged, there would still be hope. Perhaps he could find a way to save them in the future.

    His Dao Seed screamed in protest. It had be one with his body, one with his soul, and this was not what he had promised it. He felt its pain deep inside him. He shared it.

    But he was in control. <em>He </em>wielded his fist, and <em>he </em>chose how to use it.

    Jack eyed the teleporter, then turned back to Rufus, who stood between them. If he wanted to escape, he had to be smart about it. He raised his fists.

    Fine, he said bravely. Lets see if your paws or my face will break first.

    Rufusughed. Who are you trying to trick, human? I can sense the turmoil in your Dao. You are nning to run. Jacks face darkened. Unfortunately, that is impossible. I stand in your way, and I am inevitable. You can try to escape, if you want; Ill show you the futility of your efforts.

    Jack believed him, but what choice did he have? He charged, Ghost Stepped into Rufuss guard, then shot out a Meteor Punch. Rufus blocked it with his forearm. The impact rolled around him, split like a river by a rock. Rufus grinned. Jack despaired.

    But he still fought. His fists flew out. He used all his skills in tandem to rain blows on Rufus, who blocked and dodged everything. Eventually, Rufus struck back, sending Jack flying into the rubble of the same building hed crashed into before.

    Jack stood again, bleeding from his forehead.

    <em>This is unfair.</em>

    He charged again, roaring his defiance. Punches fell like hail, but Rufus took them all in stride,ughing.

    In truth, his King Form skill hadnt increased his powers by too much. It was a noticeable increase, but not a world-shaking one. The problem was that Rufus had already been slightly stronger than Jack before. Now, he was clearly superiorjust as his Dao indicated.

    Jack roared as he tore into the fight. His bitterness fueled him. The world had set him up with an impossible fight. He had surpassed all expectations, and he still couldnt win. It was unfair.

    But he resolved to give Rufus at least one good hit. Maybe then, he could escape.

    This time, there was no Edgar to distract him. He embraced his Dao and gave everything to the fight. He got sharper. His Dao Root of Indomitable Will squeezed his brain dry, pouring everything into this moment. This was Jack at his absolute best.

    Rufus punched out with a paw, and Jack dodged out of the way.

    Now, he could barely match Rufus. Winning remained impossible, but at least, he could stand his ground for a bit. Rufus wasnt even fighting seriously. He was smiling, treating Jack like an exhibition target.

    Which was exactly what he was. This was a battle to demonstrate the Animal Kingdoms and Rufuss superiority, and Jack was just a prop.

    He refused to go down like that. His bare chest stuck out. He struck at Rufus with everything he had. His brain worked at maximum capacity, analyzing Rufuss patterns and desperately trying to adjust.

    Rufus was a frontal fighter, just like Jack, but stronger. He fought at a speed and strength that was just above what Jack could manage. Jack was forced to pull out everything he had. He couldnt make his body faster, but he could make his moves sharper, his transitions more refined, his dodges smoother.

    He mixed in feints, using his perfect control over his body granted by Parkour to make them realistic. He dodged by a hairs breadth, sometimes taking ncing blows, but slowly improving. He calcted his Drills precisely, making them explode just before or behind Rufuss guard to spread at least some of the shockwave on his body.

    Jack forgot himself. The world faded away. He was simply fighting with everything he had, pouring out the entirety of himself. His skills were sharpened. They mixed better. Slowly, he was getting better at fighting.

    Rufus hadnt hit him in a while. The leonine noticed at the same time Jack did, and he struck out a real blow, faster than before. Jack didnt see the moveing. His body dodged on pure instinct, surprising even him, then struck out with a vicious counter.

    His fist met Rufuss regal face, making him take a step back.

    It all happened so fast, so instinctively, that Jack felt like there was someone else fighting in his body. Someone with the power to match even Rufus. Someone invincible and unstoppable. Someone terrifying; a fiend with iron fists.

    And finally, everything clicked.

    <strong>Congrattions! Skills Fistfighting III, Parkour III, and Drill IIIbined into Dao Skill Iron Fist Style I.</strong>

    <strong>Iron Fist Style I: You have mastered the mortal forms ofbat, but that is only the beginning. Your body is infused with the Dao of the Fist, and you can use that to reach realms previously unfathomable. Reality bends before the Dao.</strong>

    Jack blinked in disbelief, then grinned.

    Fuck you, Rufus Emberheart, he whispered. Rufus roared and charged. His blue and yellow aura red. He could sense that something was different. He was no longer going easy.

    But Jack could meet him. They shed strike for strike again, like back in the arena. Jack channeled every scrap of power he had. His fists came down hard and true. His moves were unpredictable and infused with the Dao.

    A mortal body fought with mortal martial arts. A Dao-infused body had its own weapons, even if the Skill description itself was vague and cryptic.

    Jacks Dao was an active participant in the battle. It enhanced his movements. Whether he sought to strike or dodge, he was unstoppable, like a fist. When he defended, he was immovable, like a fist.

    Magic dove into his muscles. His will gave them strength, pulling and pushing his body in unnatural ways. He missed on purpose sometimes, knowing that his Dao would help him hit anyway. He redirected strikes he shouldnt because his Dao wouldnt allow him to be defied.

    Causality itself bended to let his fist strike Rufuss face.

    It was a kind of battle he had never experienced before. It looked simple from the outside, but from the inside, it was anything but.

    Now that Jack had a Dao Skill fighting style, he could tell that Rufuss King Form was something simr. That was why he had gotten so much stronger. His stats hadnt gone up; he simply channeled supremacy with every movement, making them invible.

    Now that Jacks own Dao had joined the mix, he could match the leonine. The Daos were of simr strength and canceled each other out. The fight had returned to a brawl, and in a brawl, the fist was king.

    Jack roared as he took a punch to the gut, making him keel over, but his Dao enhanced his body to prevent further damage. His fist struck out at once as if pulled by an invisible cord, meeting Rufuss face, which stayed still and refused to jump by the recoil.

    Rufus snarled. Jack growled.

    They tore into each other at the apex of their power. Rufus was no longer a king. He was a man locked in heatedbat, fighting for every scrap of victory he could get. Jack matched him in power and ferocity. Suddenly, the battle wasnt so doomed after all.

 Chapter 106: A Crescendo of Violence

    Chapter 106: A Crescendo of Violence

    Jack ducked under a strike, then pivoted and smashed out his own. Rufus took it to the chest and whimpered, but his elbow came crashing down on Jacks head, whose hair were now wet with blood. Jack barely pulled himself aside to evade the strike, right into a knee that crunched his nose further. He endured the pain to nt his iron knuckles in Rufuss eyes.

    Every hit was brutal and meant to kill. They fought like rabid beasts, neither backing down an inch.

    The merchants had fallen silent. By now, more people had shown up around the za, and even the immortals had arrived, riding on their cloud. They watched as two supreme geniuses engaged in a battle that only one of them could win. The other would be broken forever.

    Jack and Rufus traded blow for blow. They were no longer bothering with defense; both bled from many ces, and they sported various injuries. Jacks bare chest was covered in cuts and bruises, while Rufuss chain mail had been broken. His once pristine golden mane was now marred with blood.

    The only part of Jack that remained unhurt was his knuckles, which he rammed into Rufus with every opportunity. Rufus snarled back and growled, sending phantom paws into Jacks body, each with the power to destroy buildings.

    Jacks mind was in a state of serenity. He was wholly invested in the battle. Nothing else existed. He knew that this was the strongest he could get. His soul simply had nothing else to give.

    And he could feel that it wasnt enough. Rufus was stronger and more durable, just by a tiny bit, but enough to reign supreme. Despite Jacks advancements over and over again, it still wasnt enough.

    But he fought regardless. Fleeing was no longer in his mind. It was no longer strategic, just cowardly. In this battle, he would triumph or die trying.

    His limbs were losing strength. His arms were heavy,den with lead. His breath was shallow, his lungs cramping up. His legs buckled, barely keeping him upright.

    He hadnt felt like this in a long time. Ever since he beat the ck wolf, no battle had truly pushed him to the limit, scraped him dry of potential. He felt ready to quit.

    But Jack had been forged in that dungeon. Back then, this state was normal, an everyday urrence, and he regrly pushed past his limits. Now, everything returned at once. The man retreated to let the beast out. Jack was back in the dungeon.

    He faced the first goblin. He remembered how he walked through fire to destroy the goblin shaman. How he fought the rock bear to the point where he fainted mid-swing. How he challenged Harambe, how the ice pond made him want to die in pain, and how everything in him screamed not to touch the waterfall but he did it anyway.

    Those memories werent gone. They were inside him, hiding just below the surface. They were his past, his true birth.

    This was the true Jack Rust.

    And once again, he was there. He was trapped and desperate with no way out. But no matter how death loomed, he refused to give up. No matter how heavy his limbs got, Jack kept punching, over and over again. It didnt matter that his attacks no longer connected, that his Dao was running dry, that Rufus clearly had more to give. He refused to slow down or cower. He would go down swinging.

    And then, as if a miracle, his fistnded on Rufuss face.

    ***

    To the people watching, Jack had lost all sanity. He was bleeding from head to toe. Bones cracked with every hit he received. He should have fallen long ago.

    But he still stood. His fists were iron; his form nted terror in the minds of everyone who saw him. He was not a man, but a beast; a fiend. People scrambled to get away, intimidated by Jacks visage. Others held their mouths open, unable to believe what they saw. Beyond terror, some people had eyes filled with respect.

    This man was the hero of Earth. His shoulders carried their honor, and though he was weaker than his opponent, he simply refused to fall. This image, where Jack was covered in blood and pain but still fighting, would forever remain engraved in everyones memories.

    On the other hand, Rufuss eyes were filled with horror. Just die already! he shouted, though Jack couldnt hear him. His pawsnded cleanly. He could feel the bones cracking under Jacks skin, he could feel the impact he delivered.

    But Jack simply refused to fall. To Rufus, it was like facing a monsterand he was running out of power. His limbs were heavy from striking. His Dao was running dry. He was close to the end of the line, too.

    And, for the first time in this fight, he wondered, <em>What if I fall first?</em>

    He had never considered the possibility of defeat before. Of death. Rufus had not been forged in a dungeon, he had never been forced to pit his life against another. He hadnt experienced the things that made Jack a monster. He had been raised as a prince, and he had only been sent here to squash some backward natives who could never stand up to him.

    Rufus had never truly fought for his life before. Even if some battles had seemed dangerous, he knew they never were. There was always an immortal waiting to save him if things went wrong. Except now, there wasnt. His aunt might not openly vite the Star Pact for him.

    And as the possibility of death loomed over himhe flinched. He felt fear. His Dao weakened like chalk in the rain, shivering in doubt.

    Jacks fist met his face, sending him flying back. Rufus was stronger, but he was not a true warrior.

    Jack was.

    Rufus flew back, turning tond on his feet, but Jack was already there. A meteor smashed into his abdomen, making him buckle. Another hit his face, bending him backward, and then Jack jumped and nted a third meteor into his chest, nailing Rufuss back against the floor.

    Rufus spat out blood.

    This was too fast, too sudden. He only gave Jack one opening, but Jack grabbed it and didnt let go.

    When Rufus had the upper hand, he had stood and gloated. When Jack got it, he simply never stopped. He showed no mercy, no hesitation, he didnt give Rufus the slightest opportunity to recover. He was a hardened warrior, and this was a fight to the death. This realization dawned on Rufus for the first time. It was his fault.

    His Dao cracked down the middle.

    ***

    Jack hovered two feet above Rufus, who had just been nailed to the floor. He sensed something in his opponent give in, something in his soul break. He didnt pause. This was battle, and there was only victory or death.

    Though Rufus had dropped his defenses, Jack prepared a meteor and struck down. It met Rufuss chest, digging him deeper into the ground. White marble chips whipped up. Jack struck again. He hit Rufus in the head, the chest, the abdomen, the legs.

    One meteor followed another until they became a fierce rain. Jack could no longer feel his arms, but he knew he had to keep punching. He screamed until he tore his throat, but his arms never stopped. Purple lit up the white za, and it kept going, faster and faster.

    The impacts of his Meteor Punches kept him afloat over his opponent, counteracting gravity. Rufus had stopped defending, but the meteors kept falling. A dozen blows, two dozens. They shoved him deep in the marble, burying him under a rain of violence.

    Jack realized Rufus had lost consciousness. He could stop attacking; he had won. But if he did stop, Rufus would recover. He would return to kill Jack, his people, and his allies. Jack couldnt let that happen.

    He would kill Rufus Emberheart. Right here, right now.

    He elerated further, screaming out his soul. The people around them only saw a flurry of meteors m down, shaking the entire ind. Slowly, they realized what was happening. Their faces went pale as they ran away.

    Stop! a shout came from the skies. Theary overseer had realized Jacks resolve a beat toote, but she still had time to save Rufus. Her Dao came crashing down.

    Wait! a second voice thundered. Master Shol appeared in the sky above Jack, arms spread apart. His Dao poured out until his form was so transparent it was barely visible.

    The lionesss Dao tore through his. It drowned his spectral body, ripping it apart in an instant.

    Hold! a third voice came as another figure appeared to block her Dao. It was the ascetic of Barren High, and though he didnt release his Dao, his gaze was aimed deep into her eyes. In the name of Barren High, stop!

    The lioness gritted her teeth. Her Dao screeched to a halt just before his face like a storm of daggers, but every second was precious.

    What are you doing? she roared, unleashing her full majesty. This wasnt part of the deal! Get out of the way!

    I cannot do that, the ascetic replied, not moving an inch. The lionesss eyes widened like saucers. She had to save Rufus; but no matter what, she could not afford to offend the Barren High.

    She was forced to watch helplessly as Jack pulverized her nephew before her very eyes. She engraved this memory deep into her heart. In her long life, she had never been so humiliated.

    Jack smashed down Meteor Punch after Meteor Punch. He could sense Rufuss body giving in, his bones breaking, his skull caving, his organs puncturing and breaking apart.

    He kept going, using everything he had to make sure Rufus never stood up again. The meteors kept falling. This was the strongest attack he had ever unleashed. Meteor Shower! he screamed. It wasnt a Skill; it was just the name that bubbled out of him. He screamed again, this time incoherently.

    There was beauty in his violence. Each meteor had a purple tail filled with tiny stars, making his meteor shower a lightshow second to none. It was like fireworks aimed at the ground and filling the sky with their splendor; it almost made the watchers forget that there was someone buried under the meteors.

    Even Dao-infused bodies had their limits.

    Jack ran out of steam. Rufus was an unrecognizable puddle of blood and grime buried deep into the marble. Even his chain mail had been ground down to nothing.

    Jack had obliterated a favored scion of the Animal Kingdom. Publicly. In front of the entire. This was a p to the face unlike any other, and even theary overseer had been forced to watch.

    He copsed to the ground next to therge crater hed made,pletely spent. Maintaining consciousness was the most he could do,ying face-up on the marble.

    For a moment, everyone watched mutedly. Then, a lone figure pushed its way through the crowd. It was bleeding and panting, heavily injured, but its hand was topped by four wolverine-like ws.

    Hey bud, Gan Salin said, approaching Jack. Nice fight. I wish I didnt have to kill you. But I do. So, yeah, goodbye.

    He was so hurt that his movements were slow and weak, but Jack couldnt even move. All he could do was watch as the ws came for his throat

    and a brown shape flew in out of nowhere, pping them off-course.

    What? Gan Salin eximed, looking to the side. Coincidentally, that was where Jacks eyes were directed, too.

    He saw a pack of dogs emerge from the alleys, running full-tilt. There were dozens of them. And at the very front, riding a ck dogrger than any other, was Brock, holding another piece of poop and hurtling it at Gan Salin.

    Wha Salin jumped back to defend, but by then, the dogs had reached him. They growled and snarled as they jumped on him. Ordinarily, he could have easily cut this pack apart, but he was currently heavily injured.

    Whaaa! he shouted, raising his hands and struggling to defend against the dogs. One jumped and chomped down on his forearm. Another got his leg. The teeth of dogs shouldnt have been able to pierce his body, but somehow, they managed.

    The dogs ignored Jack, who simply watched from the ground. He noticed they all seemedmuscr, forck of a better word.

    <em>I must be dreaming, </em>he concluded.

    Brock arrived then. He jumped off his dog, flew over the pack, and punched Gan Salin in the cheek with all his power, sending the canine on the floor, where the dogs piled on him.

    Shoo, shoo! The smarter merchants were already rushing over, trying to kick the dogs away. They could never have saved Rufus Emberheart, but if they simply watched a heavily injured scion get torn apart by a pack of wild dogs, they would be summarily executed!

    Jack didnt watch that little fight. Two strong arms grabbed him under the shoulders. Brock slinged him on his back like a sack of potatoes and ran through the za. Jack wanted to tell him to go to the teleporter, but he couldnt even open his mouth.

    Through the crowd, he thought he saw the Sage winking.

    <em>Happy travels, my friend, </em>the Sages voice rang inside his head. <em>We will meet again soon.</em>

    Jack tried to respond. He already owed the Sage so much. <em>Thank you </em>he thought back.

    <em>No need! </em>the Sages voice rang again, oddly cheery. <em>If you want to thank anyone, thank the ck Hole Church! And remember your favors!</em>

    Before Jack could consider the implications of those words, Brock mmed a door open, and they were inside a building. The walls were dark and with painted stars like the night sky. Brock carried him inside a column of cyan light.

    Jack could barely think anymore. <em>System, hide my Titles </em>he managed to order, taking a final precaution.

    He then watched as Brock squinted, probably at a System screen detailing several destinations. Finally, the brori made an annoyed face and jammed a finger into the air, picking a choice at random.

    <em>Thats now how you </em>Jack thought. In the next moment, the room around him disappeared, and he was hurtling through space. Rivers of stars filled his vision. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seenand it was filled with the promise of adventure.

    He was in the gxy.

 Book 2 Prologue

    Book 2 Prologue

    <strong>Book 2 Prologue</strong>

    He was your grandson! the lioness growled into the air, pacing alone in an empty room at the very top of the Integration City white tower. She was Galicia Lonihor, Earth-387s assigned overseer. Her voice was deafening, but her Dao prevented the slightest whisper from exiting the room. She was supreme, and sound was not.

    <em>He was your charge, </em>a male voice replied calmly, seemingly out of nowhere. It came distorted, like a telephone transmission from across the. <em>His death is your responsibility. So is losing the tournament rewards.</em>

    The Barren High blocked me! she argued. What was I supposed to do, break their prophets spiritual projection?

    <em>You were supposed to handle things. The cost of the treasures is yours to bear. And know that the Grand Elder awaits your exnation the moment you return.</em>

    She gritted her teeth. The power to level the entire Integration City sparked in her eyes, then disappeared. Fine, she relented. Let the Grand Elder know that I will subdue thispletely the moment the grace period is lifted. Then, I will rush back to report.

    <em>And the offender? </em>the voice pushed. <em>The boy who took your treasures, killed the disciple you were supposed to raise with all your strength, and spat on our factions face?</em>

    His emphasis was clear, but how could she retort? Both of them knew he was right. She was just fishing for any support she could get.

    I have people tracking him down as we speak. He was heavily injured, and the teleporter had low range; only a hundred destinations. Moreover, he knows nothing of the gxy. How far could he have gone?

    <em>Hes only an untrained native. How could he beat Rufus? And yet, he did. Do not underestimate our enemies like the low factions do. We will not suffer the fate of the cial Pole.</em>

    She gritted her teeth harder. This man was an elder with simr status to hers, but his power was greater. She could bargain and argue, but in the end, his authority prevailed.

    I will not, she replied.

    <em>Good. Announce a bounty on his head. Something that will entice even D-Grades to actively search for him.</em>

    That was easy for him to say, because it wasnt his money. The burden of paying the bounty would naturally fall on Galicia, who had let Jack reap all benefits and escape. Moreover, if someone got Jack Rust before them, they would never return the Dao Soul, and its value would obviously bepensated from her credit card.

    She could afford that, but she didnt want to.

    That would harm our reputation, she argued. The other B-Grade factions will say we cant even take care of an E-Grade ourselves.

    <em>Then let them nag. Little criminals like this boy can grow up before you know it, especially with all the resources you gifted him. The cial Pole faction took their chances, and you saw what happened.</em>

    They were only C-Grade.

    <em>And the Sword Emperor was E-Grade three years ago. They ignored him and paid the price. Do not make me repeat myself. Announce a heavy bounty.</em>

    She gave in. Can you at least foot part of the cost? This boy killed your grandson.

    <em>Rufuss death saddens me, but such is life. He only died because he was weakand for another reason, of course.</em>

    Because Galicia had failed to protect him. He didnt say the wordsshe wouldnt take an insult like that from someone of the same rankbut they both knew what he meant. Galicia wanted to break something.

    Very well. Be ever strong, she said, then abruptly cut the connection.

    The three ceramic vases that decorated her new office exploded. They were nothing to a C-Grade, but it was the intention that counted.

    It didnt make her feel better. Perhaps crushing Jack Rusts faction would; she only had to wait a bit. There was no way he would grow strong enough to match her in less than a yeareven if they didnt capture him within the day, as would probably happenand she wouldnt let anyone just swoop in and rescue his faction. They were cattle waiting for ughter.

    With a few thoughts, she navigated the System screens to contact a deacon in the nearby border fortress. Post a bounty on the head of Jack Rust, a low E-Grade human from Earth-387 who leads the Bare Fist Brotherhood. He uses the Dao Seed of the Fist and the Dao Root of Indomitable Will. She also sent a mental picture of Jack Rusts appearance.

    <em>Understood, Elder, </em>an obedient voice came from the other side. <em>And the amount?</em>

    Galicia greeted her teeth, consoling herself with the thought that her hunters would catch him before the bounty even made it to whatever random he had teleported to. One billion credits alive, a hundred million dead.

    The Immortality Serum was gone, but the Dao Soul could be salvaged from his corpse, and it was by far the most expensive reward of the tournament. She could at least cut her losses.

    ***

    The professor looked at the System screen before her, showing her choices from the faction shop. In the short few weeks since Jack went to the tournament, she had managed to gather a million credits, including the ones he sent her.

    Now, most of that was going to vanish in a heartbeat. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then epted. The ground shook under her feet. The trees swayed. She grabbed her armrest out of reflex, but of course, it was shaking too.

    Thankfully, nobody in the Bare Fist Brotherhood was weak enough to be toppled by a mere earthquake.

    The professor ran to the windowthanking the System for invigorating her old bodyand looked outside. Energy walls rose around the forest: tall, shimmering blue energy fields like the ones the System used to enclose dungeons. However, these were transparent, and people could easily walk through.

    As if on cue, someone crossed a wall, releasing small fireworks. Her heart hurt. Every time someone activated the wall, one more credit was removed from her credit card. She had already instructed everyone to stay away, but some confusion was expected at the start.

    The walls left a gate for people to enter or leave the forest, of course, and it was guarded by the second strongest being on Earth: Sparman, the D-Grade robot bodyguard. Too bad he could only be used to defend.

    She directed her gaze lower, towards the base of her house, where a small starship had just materialized out of thin air. It was shaped as an elongated pyramid hovering sideways and looked like it could barely fit a few people, but it remained a vehicle faster than a ne. With the Sage and his starship gone, this one would serve them well.

    It was yellow, too. She hadnt chosen that, but she liked the color.

    The rest of the credits had gone to strengthening the faction. A pool of hot water nowy hidden in the ice ponds cave. That was the reason for the earthquake, actually.

    It had taken half a million credits, but she had managed to summon an additional E-Grade body strengthening resource. With that, the members of the Bare Fist Brotherhood would have a higher chance of survival against whatever the world threw at them.

    That would nevere to pass, hopefully. There was Sparman, and before the grace period was over, Jack would be back with salvationhopefully.

    But Professor Margaret Rust was always ready for the worst.

    ***

    Edgar and Vivi stood facing each other on the edge of the Integration City. Are you sure? Edgar asked.

    Very, Vivi replied. We cannot let them have all the firepower of Earth. Many factions decided to join us after the battle in the arena, and even more went neutral. We have enough power to keep the Ice Peak from actingat least openly.

    Edgar gave her a sad smile. This will be the Cold War all over again.

    But we have a nuke called Jack Rust. We will win, Edgar. And if we dontwere dead anyway.

    Yeah.

    They stood for a moment, considering each others words and the situation. Then, side by side, they boarded the private jet that the me River had managed to secure. It would drop Edgar off at Valville, then head for Burkina Faso.

    After Jack and Rufus had left the arena, the Ice Peak was left facing the me River, Dorman, the Sage, an injured brother Tao, and Vanderdecken. Even though Vivi was injured too, the Ice Peak couldnt possibly win that battle. Dorman alone could sear through them.

    In the end, victory had gone to the me River alliance. Of the five Ice Peak members that hade to the tournament, only their leader, Alexander Petrovic, had managed to escape, and only because Dorman couldnt fly. Coupled with Jack ying Rufus, it had been an overwhelming victorybut not without sacrifices.

    Li Xiang, the honorable elderly master, had fallen. Brother Tao had lost an arm. Sadaka, the second-inmand of me River, had also fallen in battle.

    Casualties had been expected. The important thing was that they had won overwhelmingly, and that the battle had been broadcasted to the entire. Many factions that had previously sided with the Ice Peak, terrified of the Animal Kingdom, now chose to stay neutral or join the me River instead. Many governments did the same, especially those close to Burkina Faso, where Vivi and the me River originated.

    Fesh Wui and the elef scion had both survived, and they had left the shortly after the tournaments conclusion. There was an inner division between their two families and the other three, so they had no reason to risk their lives for Earth. Plus, with Dorman here, there was no guarantee of victory.

    Gan Salins whereabouts remained a mystery.

    However, Dorman and the Sage had also secretly left the. Nobody knew where theyd gone, only that they had promised to return when Jack did. In fact, the only ones who knew that they had left were Edgar, Vivi, and the professor back at the Forest of the Strong.

    In light of all those, there was no reason to go to war anymore. Jack and the scions were gone. Nobody would benefit from millions of dead. One way or the other, everything would be settled in eleven monthsthe Integration and the tournament had already taken one.

    But this didnt mean that the would be unified. With the implicit support of the Animal Kingdom, the Ice Peak and their allies took control of around half the world. The me River and Bare Fist Brotherhood, along with their allies, controlled the other half. Many ces remained neutral.

    These tworge alliances had already begun scheming at one another, nning discreet strikes, assassinations, and all sorts of shadowy war. Theypeted at everything, from the Level of their strongest cultivators to the number of starships they could buy, but the hottestpetition was the amount of dungeons they could im. After all, there were 1,111 dungeons on Eartha thousand F-Grade, a hundred E-Grade, ten D-Grade, and one C-Gradeand only a few had been conquered already. Wherever they met, the forces of the two alliances secretly tried to ughter each other.

    The Systems arrival had altered the nature of war, both open and in the shadows, and everyone would need some time to adjust, but they would manage.

    Maybe they had no nuclear weapons anymorethe Star Pact forbade them, and the System had deactivated them upon arrivalbut they would soon have cultivators with the strength to achieve simr destruction. In such a tense situation, any spark would be enough to set the ame.

    Nobody could contact Jack Rust. And while he was missing, a second Cold War settled over Earth.

 Chapter 107: Meet the Galaxy

    Chapter 107: Meet the Gxy

    Stars filled the sky, the ground, and everything in between. Brock was hurtling through space, feeling nothing but seeing everything. Meteors drifted by him, followed by long tailsbut only when they were close to stars. Some meteors didnt have their tails behind them, but rather in front, and Brock stared in wonder until they disappeared.

    He saw rocks,s, stars. He saw a giant purple squid surrounded by small fish made of dust. He even saw a small iron thing with a te on its top,zily drifting through an endless void.

    All the while, Brock desperately gripped the arm of his big brother, afraid that if he let go for even a second, Jack would be lost forever.

    The trip could have taken ages, or it could have taken the blink of an eye. Brock wasnt certain. All he knew was that, when the world shed and all was still again, he was no longer home.

    Brock found himself in a room painted ck with yellow dots. The floor was white, however, and an open door poured daylight inside the room. Across him stood a woman dressed in gray armor without a helmet, revealing deep purple eyes and sapphire hair.

    She looked at him with question, alternating her gaze between Brock and his big brother. Brock didnt know what the woman wanted, or who she was, but he didnt care. His Big Bro was injured; he had to get him to safety. Hide him somewhere.

    Once again slinging Jack over his backwith his feet dragging across the floor due to the height differenceBrock walked towards the door.

    Wait, the woman said. Brock froze. His instincts told him that she was much stronger than he wassimr to his Big Bro. She stepped before him, blocking the way. Name and affiliation, please.

    Brock understood the words, but he had no means to reply. He only knew one word!

    Bro! he replied, pointing at Jack with urgency. Bro! Bro!

    You cannot speak? the guard asked, frowning. She swept her gaze over Jack. Can you understand me?

    Brock nodded. He wanted to run away, but he learned from his mistakes. Impulsiveness did not suit a bro. Composure did.

    Are you his spiritualpanion? she asked again.

    Brock wasnt sure, but he nodded.

    Who injured him?

    Brock hesitated.

    Its okay; no need to tell me, then. The guard quickly waved her hands from side to side. Brock wondered why she had even asked if she didnt want to know, but it was tough to judge someone who could break you like a ripe banana.

    I wont meddle in your affairs. If anybody is after you, I dont want to be involved, the guard spoke quickly. I will note down your faction, species, and Level. However, please promise to return and give me your name when your friend heals. Okay?

    Brock nodded without hesitation. He had zero intention to return. Bros should keep their word, but there was a fine line between dishonor and deception.

    The woman stepped aside. Go, she said.

    Brock nodded excitedly to thank her and walked outside the door, still dragging Jack behind him. He was blinded by the light for a moment, but he flexed his eye muscles and recovered immediately. Then, his brain was blinded by information.

    There were so many oddly-shaped Big Brothers and Big Sisters here. Their nests were colorless and ugly, the sky was green, and a big metal bird hovered in the sky.

    Weird looks were directed at them, but Brock sensed no overt hostility. Therefore, he ignored everyone and turned to the side. Exactly fifteen stepster, he stood at the mouth of a dark alley. It smelled horribly, making him wrinkle his nose, but it seemed empty.

    Brock was very clear about what he should do. When his little dog bros had been weak, they hid in dark alleys. Therefore, while his Big Bro was sleeping, Brock should do the same.

    <em>I hope my little bros are okay </em>he thought wistfully, then refocused.

    Still ignoring the many eyes on them, Brock stepped into the alley, blending into the darkness. He found arge garbage bin and tucked Jack behind it. Then, he stood before his big bro, crossing his arms and ring at the stream of people that moved outside the alley.

    His Big Bro was sleeping, and Brock would die before letting anyone near.

    ***

    Jack awoke with a groan. His consciousness drifted back from a hazy dream, and his eyes fluttered open.

    The first thing he noticed was the unbelievable stench that flooded his nose. The second was the city noises that surrounded him. The third was that he was crammed, unable to move freely. Trapped.

    <em>What is happening!? </em>he barely managed to think, panic already rising. His groggy consciousness recovered in a heartbeat, and he pushed harder. Somethingrge and green to his side gave way, sliding over stone for a moment before tipping over with arge crashing sound. Jack had no idea what was going on.

    Bro!

    A happy cry from the side reined in his growing panic. Brock fell on him immediately, embracing him in a big hug.

    Brock, Jack said raspily, realizing how dry his throat was. What the

    Brock hurriedly let go, stepping back and looking at Jack with a big smile. He patted his chest and said proudly, Bro!

    Jack allowed himself a smile before looking around. Tall stone walls stretched high on either side, enclosing them in an alley that was barely six feet wide. A strip of sky was visible above, except it was green.

    <em>Why green? </em>his schrs mind wondered, but he had better things to ponder.

    On either side of him, Jack could see moving streams of people outside the alley, talking with each other and pacing fast. At first nce, they seemed human. At second, none of them were. Something was a little off about everyone. Purple eyes here, gray skin there

    He turned his gaze away before confusing himself any further. He focused on his immediate vicinity.

    Nobody was there besides himself and Brock, which was good. The green thing hed pushed away was arge, brick-shaped garbage bin that nowy at its side, garbage spilling from its mouth. There was rotting food in there, smelling horribly, and Jack thought he saw a small dark shape dart away.

    It could have been a rat. Or anything else, really, given the aliens outside.

    <em>Where are we? </em>Jack wondered, thoroughly confused. This ce reminded him of nothing. <em>What happened? </em>With a thought, he summoned what always grounded him: his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 50</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 184</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 184</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 184</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 23</strong>

    <strong>Will: 23</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Iron Fist Style (I)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    The assurance of those numbers allowed him to refocus on the present.

    He squeezed his brain to remember. Memories came in a trickle. He remembered the Integration, as well as the dungeon that had spawned around him. All his struggle to escape and the strength hed obtained in the process. The friends hed made: Harambe, the gym-obsessed broris, and the cheerful, poop-throwing gymonkeys. He remembered Valville, Henrys Fang, Gan Salin, Edgar, and his foster motherthe professor. The Bare Fist Brotherhood.

    He recalled the tournament and the people hed met thereVivi, Sadaka, Dorman, the Sage, Li Xiang, Master Shol, Brother Tao, even Vanderdecken and his Dao of Metal. He also remembered the enemies hed made: the Animal Kingdom, the C-Gradeary overseer, as well as Rufus Emberheart, whom hed pummeled to death after winning the tournament.

    He patted the secret pocket behind his left thigh, where hed stashed the two Trial Tokensshaped as old gold coinsand the final tournament reward, the Dao So purple, mystical disc whose use was still unclear.

    <em>Right, </em>he thought as the memories washed over him. <em>Thats it. I killed Rufus Emberheart, then some dogs appeared, and thenwe teleported. </em>He looked at Brock, then at the alley surrounding them. This was not a teleporter. Brock had somehow gotten him out and hidden him here until he could recover. Now, he felt fully healthy, ifpletely exhausted. His regeneration came at a priceor maybe it was just the fight before. His entire body yearned for food, but he could move.

    He turned a gaze of fondness at the brori, who still waited with his brown-furred chest puffed out. Thank you, Brock, he said. You took care of me. I am very proud of you.

    Bro! Brock replied, as if that exined everything. His toothy grin was so wide that it almost split his face.

    Jack smiled for a moment longer, then looked around again. His previous wariness returned, though controlled this time, not spiraling into blind panic. He took stock of the situation.

    <em>We are in a foreign. Alone. We know nothing about the world around us, and the Animal Kingdom is probably hunting us right now. There is no way they will let me be after all thatunless Im being paranoid. Hmm. But they have shown how petty they can be. They are after us. Better paranoid than dead.</em>

    <em>Most importantly, we are now outside Earth, and there is no Star Pact or grace period protecting us. The moment an immortal shows up, were dead.</em>

    The situation was grim. Jack was thrust into an unknown world with zero information, and he was hunted.

    <em>We must move, </em>he realized with growing fear. <em>Even if they dont know where exactly the teleporter took us, how many injured E-Grade cultivators with a small gori teleport every day? They will track us down soon, if they havent already.</em>

    Jack jumped to his feet, eyeing the overturned garbage bin again. It had been loud as it fell. There could be people approaching already, and thest thing he needed was an alien policeman detaining him.

    Come on, Brock, he said, pacing to the end of the alley. Further thinking could wait. For now, they needed to change hiding spots.

    Brock followed obediently. As he only reached up to Jacks thigh, he had to take multiple steps for each of Jacks, lending him a silliness that didnt fit the grim situation. Jack walked out of the alley, momentarily blinded by light, and ran straight into someone. The collision pushed him back.

    Hey! a rough voice came from above. Watch it.

    Jack was staring at a bare gray chest. Tilting his head back, he finally found the face as well. This was a hardened-looking man with gray skin and red eyes, and his features were much too angr to be human. His chin was almostpletely square, his skin was taut over his bones, and even his armscked the smoothness they should have. He only wore a set of short brown pants and ck boots.

    Jack realized what he was looking at. This was like a human, except with barely enough flesh to cover his bones. If someone found a human skeleton and recreated it like humans did with dinosaurs, this is what the result would look like.

    Except this guy was seven feet tall and gray.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 84</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Gray Mercenaries</strong>

    What are you looking at? the feshkur growled in Jacks faceor rather, above itand Jack hurried to step back. He raised his open palms.

    Sorry, he said. My bad.

    The mercenary shot Jack another re, then snorted and walked away. Jack noticed he was carrying a big-ass saber on his back.

    Brock pulled his wrist, and Jack realized with satisfaction that the brori hadnt made a peep despite the other mans provocations. He was certainly angry, but he kept it in.

    <em>My little bro is growing, </em>he thought with pride before refocusing on the task at hand: getting away from here.

    He looked around again. The street was dirty, browned in the corners and with the asional trash on the ground. There were no vehicles that he could see. They were surrounded by tall, gray buildings that seemed empty of life. Some had broken windows. They seemed simr to Earths, and Jack had the feeling that bad neighborhoods looked alike no matter the or culture.

    Above the buildings, metal ships asionally flickered by, moving at great speeds but making no sound whatsoever. He couldnt make out their shape from down here, but they must have been starships.

    Jack pulled Brock through the crowd. He tried toe up with a n, but he was overwhelmed by all the different alien species.

    There were humanoids with sapphire hair and purple eyes called Saphiras. Who knew what other differences they had with humans. The Saphiras and the Feshkursthe gray giantswere by far the most populous here, as far as Jack could see. Maybe they were the natives of this.

    But there were many more. He saw djinnslike ArTazul or ArKarvahnd ifrits, who looked like desert santa uses. There was a group of what looked like snakemenhumans from the waist up and snakes from the waist down. There was a unicorn walking in the middle of the streetand its species was aptly named Unicorns.

    That goes to say, Jack was the only human around. Moreover, he suddenly realized that though his body had recovered, his attire had not. He was still covered in blood, he reeked of sweat, his pants were torn in ces, and he was shirtless and barefoot. Even the unicorn received fewer stares than him.

    At least, they didnt seem too surprised by the presence of a small gori in their midst, though nobody else had apanion. As far as Jack knew, he could be out here with three heads and seven noses and nobody would care. At least their clothing sense seemed simr to Earths.

    Jack reorganized his priorities. <em>There is no way we can hide like this. I must find food, clean clothes, and a shower. And then, I must get the hell away from this. Or maybe I should teleport away first. How long do I have?</em>

    It was hard to make an estimation. The Animal Kingdom could already be here, tracking him down, or they might need a day to scout out all the teleporters destinations. How many were there? He didnt know, and Brock only shrugged when asked.

    Then again, even if he teleported again, he wouldnt be any harder to locate. A blood-stained human with a brown brori stood out anywhere.

    <em>I could return to Earth</em>

    He let the sweet thought linger for a bit before squashing it. Returning to Earth would save him from the pursuit, as there was nobody strong enough to harm him there, but there was no telling what tricks the Animal Kingdom would employ. They had already shown how much they cared about rules andws. Maybe theary overseer would just find an excuse to end him herself.

    Plus, he had left Earth to gain the strength to protect it. He couldnt go back now.

    <em>I must reach the Brian Outpost, then teleport to Trial.</em>

    That was what Master Shol had instructed. Jacks first destination in the gxy was Trial, where the strongest E-Grade cultivators found their fortune. It was perilous, but Jack was confident in his abilities. All he had to do was reach it, and ording to Master Shol, the easiest way to do that was through the ce called Brian Outpost.

    <em>Can I just teleport to this Outpost? </em>he considered. <em>I can try. Maybe the Animal Kingdom is watching the teleporters exit there, or maybe they have already located me here and have people stationed at this teleporterbut what choice do I have? How long was I unconscious?</em>

    The sun was just setting, dying the green sky redder, but that meant nothing.

    Hey, Brock, Jack asked, how high was the sun when you arrived?

    Brock thought for a moment, then pointed at a spot roughly in the middle of the sky.

    An entire afternoon, then Jack grumbled. But theres no reason for thiss day to be twenty-four hours long, like on Earth. Still, how different can it be?

    Unfortunately, Jack had no clue about the rotation speed ofs. Fortunately, he had an easy way of finding out.

    Excuse me, he said, stopping a random saphira passer-by. Of all the species here, they looked the least intimidating, and this one was F-Grade. She shrunk back as Jack approached. Dont be afraid. I would just like to know, how long is a day on this?

    She looked at him for a moment, then repled, Half a gctic day.

    And how many gctic hours is that?

    A gctic hour was thankfully the same as an Earth-387 hour. It was sixty-one minutes, to be exact.

    Around nine.

    Oh.

    Nine hours. That was a short day. With quick calctions, it meant that Jack had only been unconscious for a couple hours. <em>Not bad! Though, as I grow stronger, my regeneration will get less and less effective unless I upgrade it.</em>

    Thank you, he told the saphira, who mumbled a response and slipped away in relief.

    Jack fell in thought, ignoring the few people around him. The crowd was getting sparser by the minute.

    <em>A few hours Will the Animal Kingdom be prepared yet? Maybe. If I dont take the teleporter, what other choice do I have?</em>

    As if in response to his thoughts, a muffled boom shook the sky. Jack looked up. Arge metallic shape tore through the clouds, disappearing in a single second as if space had swallowed it. His eyes widened. Such speed should be impossible.

    <em>A space-warping starship</em>

    Master Shol had mentioned these a few times, but it was the first time he saw one with his own eyes. They were used for space travel, though Jack couldnt imagine why anyone would choose that method over teleportation.

    <em>Its less controlled, </em>he realized. <em>Perfect for anyone hunted by the constetions overlords. Wait. Could I have left the Animal Kingdom constetion?</em>

    It was unlikely. Why would the Animal Kingdom connect Earth to another constetion, given a teleporters limited range?

    <em>So starships are an option, if I can board one, </em>Jack thought. <em>But that means all sorts of trouble. Maybe I should bet on teleportation. Hmm. Possible death on one hand, a long journey between the stars on the otherand possible death by a ton of different things.</em>

    If he sessfully teleported from here to the Brian Outpost, he would reach his target in moments. After all, Master Shol had said that, if he just arrived at the Brian Outpost teleporters, he could use his Trial Token to teleport directly to Trial, where only E-Grade cultivators could enter.

    But what if the Animal Kingdom sent peak E-Grades after him? Strong as he was, Jack had no illusions of beating anyone at Level 124. The E-Grade got five stat points per Level.

    Jack was unsure, but he had to choose fast. Every moment increased the chances of Animal Kingdom lookouts standing beside the teleporters.

    You look troubled. A voice came from behind him. Jack turned to find a feshkurone of those gray giantstowering over him.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 61</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    I am, he replied, looking up to meet the other mans eyes. They were not kind. Suddenly, Jack realized that the crowd had thinned so much around him that it wasnt a crowd anymore, just the asional passer-by, most of whom were feshkurs. And they were pointedly not staring in his direction any longer.

    The gray giant smiled. He drew a dagger. Youre about to be poor, too. Hand over your credit card.

 Chapter 108: Night-time Mugging

    Chapter 108: Night-time Mugging

    The feshkur brandished his dagger, seeming eager to use it. Did you hear me, brightskin? he asked. Credit card. Now.

    Jack blinked. <em>Half an hour into the gxy and Im getting robbed </em>He frowned. <em>No, wait. Three hours, if we count the time I was unconscious.</em>

    The feshkur took his silence as resistance. A hand rose to p Jack. Jack leaned back, letting it sail before his face. The feshkur frowned. You dont want to do this, he warned, suddenly looking grim. His dagger tip rose as his grip tightened. Jack got the distinct feeling that this man would use the dagger if he had to.

    <em>Level 61 </em>he considered. <em>Eleven over me. But I drank the immortality serum, which gave me fifty stat points, the equivalent of ten Levels. And I have +25% efficacy to all my stats from my titles, which this grunt probably doesnt. Plus, a perfect Dao Seed.</em>

    Jack looked around. Everyone was dodging his gaze, assuming he was pleading for assistance. But he wasnt. He was looking for the muggers allies, of which he saw none. There was just this one desperate guy in a back alley.

    And Jack was the champion of his entire. He was the Fiend of the Iron Fist. A hint of rage entered his psyche. He was exhausted, starving, and dehydrated, and he wanted to stay low-key, but he would be damned if he let himself be robbed by someone weaker.

    Brock stepped back, sensing what was going to happen.

    Fine. I can Before the feshkur could finish his words, a hard fist smashed into his face. He couldnt react in time. His bony nose broke under Jacks iron knuckles, and his entire body was flung backward into a wall. The dagger dropped to the ground, useless, as the would-be robber slumped against the wall, looking at Jack in terror.

    Sorry! he cried out. I made a mistake! I made a mistake!

    Jack didnt reply. He only looked at his fist. A Level 61 opponent had fallen just like that? The feshkur hadnt even had the chance to show off his Dao, whatever it was.

    <em>How strong am I? </em>Jack wondered. The Dao Seed at the center of his soul seethed.

    <em>Plenty, </em>it whispered back. Jack raised his gaze to look at the quivering feshkur. He used to be aggressive and arrogant; now, he could only lie there, weak and terrified. Worthless. Suddenly, a thirst for blood rose inside Jack, an urge to crush this bug and assert his dominance.

    He quenched that urge as it appeared. He was neither a beast nor a fiend. He was simply Jack.

    But though he quenched his thirst for blood, a hint of it showed in his aura, making the robber shiver harder. Jack squatted beside him, keeping an eye out for surprise attacks.

    How about this? he said sternly. I have some questions. If you answer them, we can pretend this never happened.

    Yes, sir. The alien nodded intensely. The surrounding crowd had already dispersed, leaving thempletely alone in this side street.

    Good. Whats the fastest way to get to the Brian Outpost?

    Teleportation, sir, the robber replied. From here, you can reach the Outpost in six leaps.

    Leaps?

    Teleportation leaps, the robber replied, braving an odd look at Jack.

    Jack nodded slowly. He had imagined this. Teleporters didnt have infinite range; depending on how far away the Brian Outpost was, he might need to teleport several times to reach it.

    He then took a moment to consider how much information he was willing to give this guy. Finally, he asked, Can I perform these leaps in quick session? The robber looked at him in confusion. Jacks eyes narrowed. This is the first time outside my. I dont know how things work. Look at me like that again, and Ill break your chin.

    Yes, sir, the robber replied. Some light entered his eyesJack didnt like that. To use a teleporter, you must register yourself to the presiding guard and pay a fee. It is easy here, but there is usually a line forrger teleporters, and not even peak E-Grades are allowed to cut in line.

    Jack suspected that anyone could cut in line with arge enough bribe. How much is the fee? he asked. A moment of thoughtter, he added, And where is here?

    Pearl Bay, the feshkur exined. A thousand thoughts passed behind his eyes as he tried to piece together the information Jack revealed. The fee is ten thousand credits, t.

    Jack grimaced. He reached inside the secret pocket behind his left thigh, not caring whether this guy saw him or not, and retrieved his credit card, habitually turning it so the robber couldnt see the amount. The number 3096 shone softly on its surface.

    <em>Not even enough for one teleportation Fuck.</em>

    How easy would it be to hijack the teleportation and keep leaping all the way to the Brian Outpost?

    He was just shooting blindly now, but there was a chance. Once inside the teleporter, maybe he could just teleport again before the guards stopped him. The robber dashed his hopes.

    You would have to neutralize the high E-Grade guards, sir. They have a device to interrupt outgoing teleportation, and more than enough time to use it.

    I see.

    Teleporting to the Outpost seemed more and more impossible. At least, hed found this perfectly willing local to answer all his questions.

    He remembered the starships hovering overhead. Is that why they use these ships? he asked. To avoid paying for teleportation?

    Yes, sir.

    And how long would it take to reach the Brian Outpost by starship?

    Three months, sir, the robber replied immediately. Clearly, this was a number he knew by heart. Jack frowned.

    What about space-warping starships?

    That number was for space-warping starships, sir.

    Jacks frown deepened. Is there no faster way?

    This time, the robber hesitated. Eventually, he said, That is the best I know of, sir.

    Jack cursed inwardly. He had one year to reach the C-Grade and defeat theary overseer. That was already near-impossible, but now he had to spend three months just traveling!?

    Is there a faster way to reach the Trial besides the Brian Outpost? he finally asked.

    The robbers eyes widened imperceptibly. There is one, he replied. The Animal Kingdom has a border station a month away from hereon space-warping starships. Their teleporter should be fully upgraded, letting you reach Trial.

    Jack wanted to drive his fist into the wall. He couldnt go there. The ce would be teeming with hostile immortals. He also couldnt teleport to the Outpost, and he didnt want to spend three months traveling.

    <em>But what choice do I have?</em>

    If he stayed here, he could probably find a way to earn the required money in less than three months. But after what hed done, the Animal Kingdom was surely after him. They would track him down within days, at thetest. He had to keep moving.

    At least, even if his travels took some time, he could use it to train, meditate, and stabilize his strength. He had just broken through to the E-Grade, after all. Everything was new.

    In the training cycle of expansion and stabilization, Trial was sure to give him plenty of expansionmeaning battles and opportunities. If he handled some stabilization beforehand, he could maybe save some time. He would also get to see how the world worked outside his home. Plus, who knows? There might be interesting adventures on the way.

    Trial was choke-full of danger, and doing well there was extremely important. Perhaps taking some time to prepare himself beforehand was a better idea than rushing in blindly.

    Of course, traveling by starship also meant high chances of getting captured by the Animal Kingdom, butit was the best he could do. And it would be fun. Who knows what amazing sights he would see and what adventures he would have on the way. It wouldnt take long, either. Trial was already within sight.

    Jacks mind was made, and so he finally let himself rx, forgetting about the titanic weight on his shoulders for a moment.

    His eyes swiveled upward, taking in the still forms of the hovering starships. As he looked closer, he noticed that they werent hovering randomly. They were mostly gathered around a metallic building that rose in the near distance.

    It was a straight tower with a wide disk as its top. It reached at least three hundred feet into the sky, and it was circled byrge, open windows that led to nothing except a steep drop down.

    But they werent windows. They were docks. Jack could see some starships hovering right next to the openings, connected to the building with wooden ramps while people moved crates back and forth.

    Is that the dock? Jack asked, remembering that this ce was named Pearl Bay.

    Yes, sir, the robber replied immediately. By now, he had rxed slightly, but he still seemed on guard. Thissrgest starship dock. With a bit of luck, you will find a ship headed to the Outpostit is the trade center of the constetion.

    Jack looked at the guy, who suddenly seemed somewhat intelligent. Not only was his stance appropriately respectful and submissive, but he had also adapted to what Jack had revealed. Now, his information was fine-tuned just for Jack.

    Jack feared that. If this guy was smart, maybe telling him so much was a mistake. He could have split his questions between strangers.

    <em>A mistake Im toote to correct.</em>

    Will they take me? he asked.

    Most ships carry merchandise, but a few are meant for travelers. They usually ask for five thousand credits a head.

    That was ten thousand, if Brock counted as a head. Jack had three. The robber must have noticed his frown, because he added, Sometimes, they give discounts to people who promise to help with security or menialbor. Sir is only a low E-Grade, but with your strength, I am confident you could be of use.

    This was good news, but it raised another important question.

    Why are E-Grades so weak? he asked curiously. I thought only one in a hundred people reached the E-Grade, so they ought to be important. But you are just a thug. Are low E-Grades really so useless that they cant even serve as crew on a starship?

    If the feshkur was insulted, he didnt show it.

    F-Grades cannot do much, sir, he replied. They mostly deal with mundane professions. For space travel, low E-Grades are the weakest around. And as for me He chuckled helplessly. This is Pearl Bay. Its crawling with E-Grades.

    Jack nodded. When he had observed the crowd earlier, about one in four people was at the E-Grade, though very few were above Level 75the line between low E-Grade and middle E-Grade.

    I see. Thank you, random thug.

    No prob

    Before the robber could reply, Jacks fist met his skull so hard that it bounced against the concrete below. He lost consciousness immediately.

    Jack couldnt have this guy spewing his secrets left and right. Better let him sleep for a few hours. By the time he woke up, Jack would hopefully be out of this. The concept managed to rise his mood a little. <em>Im a space traveler, </em>he thought. <em>And a fist wizard.</em>

    Dragging the unconscious body to a nearby alley and throwing the knife away, Jack made to leave, followed by an excited Brock.

    Two more feshkurs rounded the corner. They were Levels 58 and 59 respectively, and they wore blue vests over brown pants. Their eyes did not hold the malevolence of the robber. Instead, they channeled their roughness and intimidating looks into what resembled authority.

    Hold still, human, the Level 59 said, looking between the blood-covered Jack and the unconscious body thaty just behind him. What happened here?

    Jack frowned in worry. The alien policemen he dreaded had arrived. This man tried to rob me, he exined. I knocked him out in self-defense. I apologize for any disturbance I may have caused.

    The policemen looked at him and the body, then exchanged a nce. Did you beat him yourself, human? one asked.

    Is that your blood? the other added. They seemed in tune, like long-time partners.

    I did beat him, yes. But this blood is from another battlenot in Pearl Bay. He smiled and raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. Beside him, Brock did the same.

    The policemen exchanged a nce full of meaning. You can go, the Level 59 said, turning to Jack. But no more trouble. Okay?

    Yes, sir, Jack replied. Dipping his head, he hurried to leave before they changed his mind. This could have gone much worse. If they insisted on detaining him, he might have had to fight them.

    In fact, he couldnt help but wonder why theyd let him go. Was it his intimidating visage? His apparent strength, since hed easily beaten someone ten levels above him? Or had the Animal Kingdom publicized his appearance, and they recognized him but were afraid to engage?

    <em>I need to hurry, </em>Jack told himself. He rushed towards the docks, thinking he saw eyes in every alley and dark corner.

 Chapter 109: Pearl Bay Docks

    Chapter 109: Pearl Bay Docks

    The docks reminded Jack of a rising waterdrop, like the ones that try to jump up when you throw a rock but dont manage to dislodge themselves from the neck of water that ties them to the sea.

    Jack thought it was close-by. It wasnt. The building rose even higher than he had estimated, and its size dwarfed practically everything around. It was like the entire city was built as an afterthought to this behemoth.

    On the bright side, he found a pleasant surprise on the way there. Someone had left a bucket of water on the street, under a leaking pipe. Jack had no idea why anyone would do that, but the water smelled okay, and he needed it.

    Quickly rising the half-filled bucket over his head, he drenched himself. Despite the cold water and the night chill, it was barely an annoyance to his System-enhanced body. He shook his head to get the water out. Brock yelped as some dropsnded on him.

    Now, Jack still wasnt clean, but at least the blood all over him was mostly gone. He would no longer seem like a mad murderer on the loose.

    He ced the bucket back in its position, silently thanking and apologizing to whomever put it there in the first ce. This was a disadvantage to using only credits as currency; he couldnt leave a coin as a token of his gratitude.

    Rising his head, Jack kept walking.

    When he reached the base of the building, he was already covered in its great shadow. Craning his head back, all he saw wasrge, interlocking tes of metal rising up and behind him. The waterdrop-shaped curve seemed smooth from a distance, but it really wasnt; it was just a long series of tiny angles.

    Idly, he wondered just how they built this thing. Could it stand on its own, or was it just magic? That would surely take away from the wonder of architecture. He also wondered <em>why </em>they would do this. However, when he spoke, all he managed to say was, Wow.

    Brock nodded, panting with his tongue out. Theyd run here to save time.

    The tower that supported the docksthe neck of water that tied the waterdrop to the seawas a massive gray column erected in the middle of Pearl Bay. It was surrounded by people and riddled with entrances. A dozen different lines of people stretched out in different directions, stumping Jack for a moment.

    He then noticed that, of those entrances, most wererge, meant for cargo. Only one was the height of humansslightlyrger, actually, to amodate the many species of the gxyand it also had the shortest line. Presumably, there was another entrance just like it on the other side of the tower, but Jack couldnt see.

    He hurriedly made his way there. People gave him odd looks and a wide berth, but nobody spoke up about his bloodstained clothes and body. However, there were at least fifty people standing in line, all waiting patiently, and Jack felt rising urgency. He had to board a starship and get out of here <em>fast. </em>He couldnt wait for this entire line to finish.

    Just as he was considering asking people to let him pass, the door at the front of the line slid open. Behind it was a rectangr empty space, much wider and deeper than it was tall. A mirror covered the back wall, reminding Jack of an elevator.

    No, scratch that; of course it was an elevator. They had to get up the tower somehow. He didnt know what he expected.

    People streamed in, and the line advanced quickly. When forty people had entered, slightly cramped but not much, thest person held out a hand, and the line stopped. A woman inside pressed a button, the doors slid closed, andpresumablythe elevator went up without a sound.

    Jack was satisfied. He was now twelfth in line, which meant that he and Brock could easily get into the next elevator. He just had to wait a bit.

    More doors slid open to the left and right, revealingrge spaces filled with crates of all sizes. The task of carrying them seemed daunting until Jack saw two feshkurs grab a cube-shaped crate ten feet to a side and lift it easily, then move it through a wide empty corridor in the crowd.

    He shook his head. <em>Right. The System. Very helpful for menialbor. </em>Those two feshkurs werent even at the E-Grade.

    As they waited, Jack took a moment to admire the scenery again, this time with peace of mind. Pearl Bay was a tapestry of species and a hub of buzzing activity. There were simrities to Earth, but also many differences, and Jack found this contrast aesthetically pleasing. He took a deep breath, enjoying the clean breezethere were no factories or cars to pollute it, and the starships moved with the Dao, not fuel.

    If the town wasnt entirely painted in shades of gray, it could have been beautiful.

    A ruckus from further behind grabbed Jacks attention. He turned to find three rough-looking feshkurs walking next to the line of people, approaching the front of the line like it was nothing. They didnt even give anyone a nce. Jack inspected them.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 102</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Gray Mercenaries</strong>

    They were Levels 100, 102, and 105. High E-Grade. Each of them would have hundreds of stats on Jack. They could probably wipe the floor with him; and they were three.

    Seeing them cut in line, anger rose inside him, which he quenched at once. The Dao Seed of the Fist demanded to war against this injustice, but he held it down with iron will. That sort of mindset could work on Earth, but he was no longer the biggest fish in the pond. Now, he was just a random guy. He had to act with cautionat least for now.

    Brock grumbled a bit but kept his voice down. Though he burned with anger, he trusted his Big Bro. Sometimes, the best way forward was peace.

    But not everyone understood that. The ruckus that Jack had heard came from a feshkur in a sleeveless shirt further back the line. Without counting, Jack suspected the man was around the forty-people mark. If these feshkurs cut in line, he would have to wait for the next elevator.

    As they passed by him, the sleeveless-shirt man grumbled something with restrained anger. The gray mercenaries ignored him. When his eyes sparked, two of his friends grabbed him, while another quickly pped his mouth shut. The angry man resisted for a second before calming down and angrily waving at them to let him go. He then stayed in ce with folded arms, ring at the backs of the mercenaries, who didnt turn to look back once. They simply walked to the very front of the line and waited, as if their strength was all the proof of their dignity they needed.

    Jack didnt appreciate their cutting in line, but he acknowledged that they didnt start a fight against a weaker party.

    See that, Brock? he said, nudging the little monkey. That is how the strong should act. No need to brag or prove your strength.

    They just dont want to get in trouble. A voice came from behind him. Turning, Jack found a Saphira smiling at him. Her eyes were purple, her hair sapphire, and her smile radiant. If they get into a fight here, the guards will show up, and they will have to wait in line like everyone else. Otherwise, they would beat that guy to a pulp!

    <strong>Saphira, Level 67</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    I see, he responded. Were not from around here.

    Oh, I can tell.

    What gave it away? The blood on me, my species, or Brock here?

    She smiled. Blood is not umon around here. Pearl Bay is not the kindest neighborhood in the gxy, and everyone is okay with that. Being drenched from hair to toe is more surprisingand youre dripping, by the way. She extended a hand. My name is Vlossana.

    Jack. Her hand felthuman. What were the differences that made them different species? Hair and eye color hardly qualified. And this is Brock. He cant speak a lot yet, but hes a brave warrior.

    Brock nodded, then shook her hand as well.

    Nice to meet you, she said. The doors to the elevator opened then, and the three of them were squeezed inside along with everyone else. People gave the gray mercenaries a wide berth, but they also gave that to Jack, which made the thirty-four remaining people crowded. Brock counted as a person for this elevator, much to the dismay of the next person in line.

    The doors slid closed, and with the sound of rolling gears, they began their ascent.

    What brings you to Pearl Bay, Jack? Vlossana asked cheerfully. Her attempt to make conversation could have been annoying in such a crowded space, but to Jack, who was filled with enthusiasm at the alien city and fear at getting hunted down, it was a godsend.

    Coincidence, he replied. In fact, I cant wait to get out of here.

    Thats delightful!

    She didnt ask where he was headed. Jack noticed that and reminded himself not to ask either. He was neck-deep in a new culture now, or rather multiple, and he had to absorb knowledge like a sponge, lest he identally find himself in trouble.

    What about you? he asked. Since she had asked him why he was here, he could ask the same.

    Im just passing through, she replied. My ship made a short stop, so I came down to see the sights. It was She looked around, at all the natives listening to her every word. Though they were almost whispering, nobody else was speaking. ...intriguing.

    Tell me about it, Jack replied, nodding. Now, he knew why this girl seemed so excited to chat. She had tourist syndrome. And what made you approach a blood-stained stranger?

    She shrugged. Curiosity. I enjoy meeting interesting people!

    Of course. Jack nodded again.

    The rest of the ride went by in silence. The elevator stopped, the doors slid open, and Jack found himself in an eight-year-olds fondest dreams. Starships hovered everywhere, ranging from the size of a gond to arge yachts. Thergest ones remained outside, though they could fit through therge openings in the wall. The smallest ones hovered anywhere they wanted, crowding the empty wooden floor that stretched for hundreds of feet in every direction.

    Aliensmostly feshkursmoved cargo, while others streamed in and out of ships on wooden ramps. There were a million different clothing styles. Hundreds of voices shouted at each other, struggling to be heard over the chaos. The passengers of Jacks elevator dissipated among the starships, leaving him and Brock gaping just outside the doors.

    The starships were fascinating themselves. They were shaped as elongated pyramids and painted in various colorsmostly dark ones, though Jack did spot a small pink starship. They had round windows on their sides and one or two doors at the back, where the base of the pyramid would be if they werent hovering sideways. The first door of each ship was roughly human-sized, and through an open one, Jack caught sight of a sleek interior. Thergest ships had a second one as well, which wasrge enough to amodate the transportation of cargo.

    If teleporting a person cost ten thousand credits, Jack could only imagine how muchrge crates would cost. The Animal Kingdomwho probably ran the teleporterswas fleecing people for all they were worth.

    Gape all you want, just move away from the door before the next elevator arrives, Vlossana said from the side,ughing merrily. She waved at them. It was nice meeting you, Jack and Brock. I wish you the best of luck in any endeavor you pursue!

    Jack refocused. Thank you, Vlossana. Best of luck to you, too.

    She waved, then disappeared into the crowd.

    <em>Right. We must move, </em>Jack thought, tearing his sight from the starships and aliens to inspect the docks themselves.

    The floor was wooden, wide, and empty of furniture or buildings. The tower in the middle continued behind Jacks back, stretching another fifty feet up to support the ceiling, a dome-shaped construction of wood filled with little arcs. It spread from the highest point in the very center, where the tower met it, to end in wooden walls that reached the floor between the openings for the starships.

    Everything looked wooden, but Jack suspected that was only for decor. There had to be metal underneathat the very least, the exterior was metallic.

    Though it was currently night, the docks were filled with light. Squat chandeliers hung from the ceiling, emitting what felt like sunlight to Jacks skin. Outside the openings, dots of light shone from the city below.

    Brock grabbed Jacks forearm and pulled him towards an opening. Unable to resist the temptation, Jack followed, quickly reaching the edge, just before a two-foot-tall protective fence. The opening was a half-circle rising from the floor, with a radius of around fifteen feet. There was no starship on this particr opening, which gave Jack and Brock an unobstructed view.

    And it was beautiful.

    They were hundreds of feet into the air. From this height, they could see Pearl Bay stretching before their eyes, illuminated by discreet lightingless than an Earthen city would have. The buildings reached halfway to the horizon, whereupon they were reced by rolling green hills filled with purple trees. Water glimmered at the very ends of their vision, somehow radiating faint light, while two moonsone whole and one halffilled the dark night sky. At least night was the same color as it was on Earth. Without any pollution to hide them, stars shone in the thousands, and Jack could only recognize a few of the constetions he was familiar with.

    He was captivated by wonder. A momentter, he shook himself awake.

    Come on, Brock. We must find a ship to get us out of here.

    Looking around, one side of the dock area was upied by what seemed like an open bar between two openings. People of all kinds sat on stools around tall tables, discussing animatedly or in hushed tones. Most drank what looked like beer. A counter was at the very back, and a metal sign above it spelled, Morning Star.

    A bar at the docks Jack chuckled. I guess some things never change, right, Brock?

    Brock gave an excited cry, and together, they headed for the bar.

 Chapter 110: Captain Dordok

    Chapter 110: Captain Dordok

    The Morningstar bar was precariously ced. Surrounded by five-hundred-foot falls on either side, it only had a flimsy fence protecting its patrons. Coupled with the cityscape stretching under it, it gave the impression of a bar in the skywhich it was, in a way.

    In fact, the bar hadmandeered one of the openings on the wall,ying out tall tables before it for people to enjoy the view.

    As Jack approached, he was assaulted by raucousughter and strong winds. The patrons clothes pped furiously in the night wing. Their drinks threatened to spill outside their sses. The patrons themselves remained steady; even the least of them was an E-Grade.

    Most people were dressed simrly to the humans of Earth. Of course, their bodys resistance to both heat and cold gave them more fashion options. Some people wore shorts and t-shirts, showcasing tattoo-sleeved arms. Others donned cloaks that covered them top-to-bottom, and another few were garbed in long veils that pped in the wind.

    Most of the patrons were feshkurs. Jack also saw a few saphiras, as well as Kovans, the spinning-top-like merchant species that had also been present in the Integration Tournament. There were also lone representatives of other speciesJack saw an orange-skinned ogre drinking alonebut in all honesty, his mind was already overwhelmed by new sights. If he paid attention to every peculiarity, he would never walk a step.

    With Brock following closely, he approached the counter, where a Level 110 feshkur woman was chatting with a couple of saphiras. Excuse me, Jack said. The barwoman turned to him, while the saphiras kept speaking by themselves.

    Yes? the barwoman asked, scanning him up and down. Her gaze was hard, but not aggressive. Her thin arms were covered by a white apron.

    I am looking for a ride to the Brian Outpost, Jack exined politely. Do you know if any starship is heading that way?

    Hearing his question, she smirked. Take it easy, honey, she said. First things first: Would you like to buy a beer?

    Jack wasnt sure whether this was bargaining or simple hospitality, but he suddenly remembered he was dehydrated and starving. The food could wait until he was done finding a ship, but the beer Yes, please, he replied.

    Okay.

    Nobody here seemed to mind Jacks appearance, which was a relief. He was shirtless, with ripped-up pants and hints of blood on his chest, but the most he received was odd stares. Back on Earthor rather, before the Integrationpeople would be running away screaming.

    The bartender grabbed a thick ss from the wall behind her and ced it under a tap, filling it until the foam licked the edge. There, she said, handing it to him along with a green credit card that showed no numbersa merchants staple. Thats five credits.

    <em>Simr to the dor price Does a credit in the gxy equate a dor on Earth?</em>

    Jack reached for his card and touched it to hers, waiting until the -5 sign appeared on its surface. The cards could hide or show their bnce at the owners discretion, and Jack had naturally chosen to hide his. It wasnt much, but it wasnt nothing, either.

    He took a sip. It was heavenly. Wanna try, Brock? he asked, letting the brori have a sip as well.

    Of ships heading to the Outpost, the barwoman said, returning to Jacks questions, we have plenty. There is a departure every three days, roughly. If you just wait a bit, youll find a ride.

    When is the next one? Im in somewhat of a hurry.

    In two days, I believe. Seeing Jacks deep frown, she added, There is also a starship leaving for the Outpost in an hour from now, but I believe they are full. You could ask, since youre in a hurry. Maybe theyll take you along.

    I will do that, Jack replied quickly. Could you direct me?

    She jabbed her head to the side. See that big orange guy? Thats the captain.

    She was referring to the orange ogre that Jack had spotted on his way in. Good. Thank you.

    No problem. Safe travels.

    The barwoman returned to her saphira friends, while Jack took his beer and walked towards the ogre. It wasnt difficult; the bar tables spread out in a sixty-foot wide semi-circle around the counter, so there was plenty of space despite the crowd. And, in any case, the orange man was sitting just further down the long counter. Jack reached him in a heartbeat.

    Excuse me, he said politely. I heard youre the captain of a starship heading towards the Brian Outpost. Is that true?

    The ogre turned to look at him.

    It was suspicious how close Earths mythology fell to the actual aliens. Not only were some gxy names intin, like Ursus Mountain and its bears, but djinns and efreetis were also real.

    Now, as Jack looked at this person, he found another familiar creature.

    The ogre wasrge, orange, and hairless, with a potty belly and only a dirty cloak, ck pants, and ck boots for clothes. Though he was seated, Jack thought he must have been tall; certainly taller than himself. His face was rough-cut, with a wide nose and square teeth. There was also a metallic greatclub resting against the counter nearby.

    Most importantly, the ogre only had a single, blue eye.

    <strong>Cyclops, Level ??? (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Far Traveler</strong>

    Jacks thoughts about aliens and mythological connections were abruptly cut off as he realized he was face-to-face with an immortal.

    On second thought, he should have imagined it. He knew that space-warping starships could only be operated by immortals. He had just forgotten that little detail.

    I am, the cyclops replied in a gruff voice. His disinterest was obvious, but he still humored Jack. Friends call me Dordok. You can call me Captain.

    I Yes, Captain. Jack regained his bearings. He had to remember that he was in a civilized ce. This immortal wouldnt just kill him for wasting his timeright? My name is Jared, and this is Monk. Since they were on the run, they obviously needed fake namesthough hed identally given his real one to the girl in the elevator line. We are also headed to the Outpost. If theres any space in your ship, could we

    We are full, Dordok cut him off.

    We dont even need a room, Captain! Any random corner will do. We are just in a real hurry.

    The cyclops considered it for a moment. His eye narrowed as he scanned Jack and Brock from top to bottom. Fine. If youin even once about your living conditions, I will drop you off at the next stop. And I will charge you extra for all the trouble your hurry might bring to me and my ship.

    He didnt seem bothered to ask just who was after them; who knows what he assumedand Jack wasnt an idiot to give more information. He had even been prepared to lie about it. After all, if this person knew they were hunted by the Animal Kingdom, he would probably deny them boarding on the spot.

    Thank you, Captain, Jack replied, nodding deeply. Then, gritting his teeth, he continued. I was also hoping to offset some of the cost by serving as a guard for the ship.

    Out of the question. A low E-Grade is only qualified to scrub the floors on my ship, and I already have a crew for that. His one brow fell lower. You <em>can </em>pay, right?

    If I may, Captain, Jack insisted, suddenly painfully aware that he was speaking with an immortal, I may be only a low E-Grade in Level, but my strength reaches the middle E-Grade. He wasnt sure about this, but he had to risk it.

    At this, the cyclops finally showed a hint of interest. Are you certain? he asked.

    Yes, Jack replied. He wasnt, but only a fool would say no.

    Hmm. Earth-387 Thats the newly-integrated, isnt it? About a month ago?

    Two months, captain, Jack lied. The cyclops could see his species listed as Human (Earth-387), so he never expected to hide that. However, since he was given the opportunity, he increased the timespan to make him reaching the E-Grade less notable. The Integration had actually happened around a month and a week ago. I ranked in the top 16 of the Integration Tournament. Then I met a scion of the Animal Kingdom, and, well Not much I could do.

    A hint of rage burned in the captains eye. Jack almost blurted out everything.

    Theyre still doing that, then. Dishonorable cretins, the captain said. If you are lying to me, boy, you will regret it. Jack remained silent. After a moment, the captain continued. My ship always has space for talented young cultivators. If you really possess the strength you im, I will slot you in and even give you a bed to sleep in at half the normal pricetwo thousand five hundred credits a head. So five thousand for you and your monkey.

    We Jack gritted his teeth even harder than before, looking down. We only have three thousand, Captain. I know this is too much to ask, but could we pay you the remaining two thousand at ater date? We We are in need.

    The cyclops didnt reply immediately, but Jack didnt dare raise his gaze. Finally, the voice that replied to him was both surprised and annoyed. Do you not have a shred of fear, boy?

    I do, Captain. I am shaking in my boots.

    At this, the cyclops finally chuckled a bit, the sound of two rocks grinding. Wait a moment, he said, turning back to the counter.

    Jack obliged. However, Captain Dordok seemed to be ignoring him,zily sipping on his beer as if waiting for something. Without a choice, and hoping it wasnt consider disrespectful, Jack did the same.

    After an entire minute, someone approached them from behind. You called, Captain?

    Jack turned to find a lean feshkur staring at him oddly. He was tall, at least two heads above Jack, with scars on his bare chest and a red bandana wrapped around his forehead. A mace hung from his belt.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 85</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    This boy ims to have the power of a middle E-Grade, the cyclops said, motioning at Jack. Interesting, isnt it?

    Very, the feshkur replied, understanding his captains meaning in a heartbeat. My name is Vashter. What say you, boy? Wanna prove your words?

    Always, Jack responded. But how?

    Whats your Dao? Vashter asked. Jack didnt reply immediately. Ones Dao and skills were highly personal information.

    Answer him, boy, Captain Dordok chimed in. If you want to join my crew, revealing is your Dao is the very least you can do.

    The Dao of the Fist, Jack finally replied.

    Vashter smiled. That makes things simple. He drew his mace. If you canst a few strikes against me, you pass.

    Wha Here? Now?

    Yes. And remember; the loser pays for the damages.

    I

    Before Jack could finish his words, an orange hand grabbed his neck from behind and flung him out. Jack was drowned in overwhelming strength. Even if he was ten times as strong, he would still be like a baby faced with that hand.

    Hended on the wooden floor with a roll and quickly jumped upright. He had flown over some tables to reach an empty area fifteen feet in diameter, surrounded by bar patrons on all sides. Seeing him, they looked confused for a moment before erupting into cheers. Vashter appeared across him like a blur. The crowd cheered harder.

    With only fifteen feet to move, this ce was extremely cramped for a battle between E-Grades. It was only suitable for a brawl.

    Come on, boy, Vashter taunted, twirling his mace. Show me the power of a genius.

    Mid-twirl, his maceshed out in a stab. It was faster than a whip or an arrow. Jack barely caught a glimpse before his fighting skillthe Iron Fist Styleactivated, pulling his head to the side. The air exploded next to his ear.

    Not bad, Vashter said, already back in his previous position, twirling the mace with nonchnce. However, his eyes held a hint of intrigue now. But lets see how you deal with a <em>real </em>attack.

    Jack clenched his fist, desperately trying to enter his battle mode faster. That was a weakness of his; most of his battles so far had been either him ambushing someone else or a tournament fight, so he always had time to prepare himself. Now, he was thrust into full-onbat out of nowhere.

    The mace blurred. Jack barely had time to raise his forearm. The impact sounded like steel on steel, and Jacks arm barely held. If not for his regeneration, he would have a purple bruise spanning from wrist to elbow the next day.

    But Vashter didnt retreat. He flowed into more attacks, swinging his mace like a hurricane. Jack dodged one strike and redirected the next, no longer daring to block, but defending was all he could do. There was no time to counter-attack.

    <em>Ghost Step, </em>he thought, shing behind Vashter in a heartbeat and striking out.

    Oho! Were using Skills, then! Vashter shouted, then disappeared. Jack jumped aside before the mace crushed down from above, halting its momentum just before it broke the floor. Jack punched again. Vashter blocked one strike, then swept his mace widely. Jack stepped back

    and reached the edge of the tiny arena. A pair of firm hands pushed his back, making him stumble right into the attack. It was toote to defend. The mace struck his ribs at the same time that Jack used his forward momentum to unleash a Meteor Punch right at Vashters face. There was no time for his punch to actually connect, so all he could do was shoot it out as a projectile and hope for the best. Blinding pain enveloped him.

    The world tumbled as Jack flew away, crashing through two tables before a tall and wide feshkur caught him. The same feshkur screamed obscenities in his ear, but jokes on himthat ear had been deafened earlier.

    Jack stumbled upright, struggling and regaining his bnce. His entire body was in pain. Maybe he still wasnt fully healed from his battle with Rufus.

    A path of broken wood and ss was strewn before him, leading all the way to the brawl circle. A dozen E-Grade eyes red at him. In the brawl circle, Vashter was just standing upJacks meteor had taken him to the ground.

    However, the feshkurs eyes werent disappointed or triumphant. Instead, they gazed at Jack with what seemed likesurprise? Respect?

    Jack lost sight of Vashter as a crowd of angry feshkurs gathered around him, but an orange giant blocked their path. The moment the feshkurs saw him, they all stepped back and shut up. Seeing the captain standing for the first time, Jack realized he was shorter than the feshkurs, only a head taller than Jack himself, but double as wide in all dimensions.

    Dont worry, everyone, captain Dordok said,ughing. The boy will buy your next two rounds of drinks.

    Will he also pay for my damages? the barwoman said, having suddenly appeared just behind the captain. Her fingertips glowed with green light, and the wood splinters floated and rbined into whole tables and chairs. It was like nothing had happened.

    Of course, the captain responded. This young man enjoys taking responsibility. He will repay you in full.

    Good. Thank you, Captain, she replied, turning to stare at Jack and extending her credit card. That will be two thousand credits.

    Jack failed to see why he needed to pay that much; the barwoman had clearly restored everything with a moments effort. Her losses were zero. He also failed to see why <em>he </em>should be the one to pay, even though he had been forced into this battle.

    Because the loser pays, always, captain Dordok said as if reading his thoughts. Consider it the fee for having us test you.

    Jack couldnt retort to that. He touched his credit card to the barwomans. So

    Dordok stepped forward and held out arge, orange hand that made Jacks seem tiny. That was impressive, Jared. The crew of the Trampling Ram can use someone of your talents. Wee aboard.

 Chapter 111: The Trampling Ram

    Chapter 111: The Trampling Ram

    The Trampling Ram was thergest starship in the docksor rather, outside of them. It floated before one of the openings in the wall, five hundred feet over the city. Any random item dropped from this height could incapacitate the weaker people below.

    However, the starship didnt bob with the wind as one would expect. Instead, it waspletely still, as if anchored to space itself. Despite this stability, thick chains extended from the edge of the docks to the starship ten feet away, holding it in ce should anything go wrong.

    The Trampling Ram had a simr shape to the other starships: like an elongated pyramid hovering sideways. However, it dwarfed most of them in size. It was about a hundred feet long and fifty wide at its basethe back part.

    It also had some differencespared to other starships. First, it was covered in windows, especially around the middle, making its exterior walls seem like they were made half of ss and half of metal. The other starships only had small, circr windows. Second, it did not end in a sharp tip, but rather in arge goat head made of solid steel; hence its name.

    The Trampling Ram, captain Dordok dered proudly, puffing his chest as he gestured at his ship. Her top aerial speed is ten thousand miles an hour. Weighs only ten tons, made of void steel, and can warp twice a day.

    It looksintimidating, Jack said.

    Sure does. Imagine her running into a at full speed; they wont live to tell the tale. We ran through arge pack of space monsters with her prow once. Tell me; do you think those boring tip-prowed ships can do the same?

    No, Captain.

    The captain looked genuinely happy to see his starship, as well as very proud to show it off. Jack had the feeling that, if he let him be, he would go on and on about previous adventures without actually showing him anything. They were here so he could take a look at the ship before it was crowded with people.

    Does the inside look as good as the outside, Captain?

    Good? Of course it looks good! But remember, kid; the important beauty is in the inside. The outside is only a bonusthe Trampling Ram just happens to have both.

    I will remember it, Captain. And after this introduction, I cant wait to see what the inside looks like.

    Well then, let me show you!

    Captain Dordok waved a hand, and a door on the back of the shipthe t part that was the pyramids bottomslid open. ce the ramp.

    The ramp?

    Yes. Lesson one: Open your eyes and look around before you ask stupid questions.

    Jack looked around. Indeed, a wooden ramp about twenty feet in length and five in widthy strewn to the side. He grabbed one side, Brock grabbed the otherboth were at the same end, just on opposite sidesand together, they ced it down to connect the starship to the docks.

    After you, Captain, Jack said. The captain nodded and went ahead, walking the narrow ramp like hed been born on it. His wide feet, d in old ck boots, found easy purchase on the wood. A tattered cloak fluttered behind him, held in ce by the massive steel greatclub that hung diagonally down his back: the handle was at the side of his neck, and the fat end reached down to his thighs.

    There wasnt much more clothing on the captains body. Short dark pants with clipped edges covered from his waist to just above his knees, leaving his muscr legs bare, while there was nothing on his chest. He only wore boots, shorts, and a cloak.

    Jack walked the nk after him. His footing was steady, of course, as was Brocks, but he still felt a moment of unease when he was suddenly five hundred feet above the ground, suspended only on a flimsy wooden ramp. A momentter, fear turned to awe as he saw the city stretching in all directions, illuminated by a myriad tiny lights. The wind rapped his face, making the whole sight even more real.

    Brock shared the awe, skipping the fear part. He was a brori. High ces didnt scare him.

    Then, they were in the ship.

    A cube-shaped room nine feet at a side surrounded them. The walls were made of gray metal, withmps of yellow, natural light illuminating the room from the corners.

    Thats the cargo hold, the captain said, pointing at a closed door to the right. Its empty now. It will be your room.

    The doors inside the ship werent sliding, but old-fashioned, made of metal and with a handle that you had to push or pull. The captain reached for a door straight ahead of themthe only other door in the roomand pulled it open, revealing a corridor.

    It stretched both upwith adderand to the right. The part heading right had one door to the right and two to the left, then ended in anotherdder headed up.

    This is the main corridor, the captain exined, and we are at the third deckthe lowest floor, if you will. There are two identical corridors above us, connected by thedders you see, each housing one floor of the ship. You can imagine these three corridorswhich we collectively refer to as the main corridoras parallel to the stern of the shipstern is what we call the back part.

    Im familiar with the word.

    Good. Now, I wont show you everything at once, but I will describe the general idea. Picture the stern in your mindthe t part of the pyramid. Imagine three floors just inside it, all connected by the corridor in front of you, the two above you, and thedders. The lower deckat the very bottomhouses storage and utility rooms, as well as the cargo hold and the peoples exit. The upper deckat the very topis living quarters, both for the crew and for passengers. The main deck is in the middle, and it leads to the core parts of the ship: the bridge, the escape shuttles, the secondary exit, and the main room.

    Okay, Jack said, struggling to visualize all those. He pictured the pyramid-shaped ship hovering sideways, then he imagined two lines splitting it horizontally into three floors. The top and bottom ones couldnt stretch far due to the ships shape. The middle was the only floor that continued deeper, upying the entire ship after some point.

    Working as a guard means you rarely work. You will only be needed if trouble presents itself. At other times, you will either bezing about or cleaning, captain Dordok exined. But when there <em>is </em>trouble, you will need to get your ass to the main room immediately no matter what youre doing. Follow me.

    They climbed thedder to the next floorthe main deckthen walked to the only door of the corridor and opened it. Arge room stretched before Jackasrge as it could be, in any case. Its ceiling, walls, and floor were all diagonalprobably the ships outer wallsand its far side was upied by three doors leading deeper.

    The room itself was spacious. There were couches, tables, a kitchen, a walled-off bathroom, even a mostly empty library. essories of all kinds filled the bottom of that library, from dice to cards.

    However, the rooms most striking feature were its surroundings. The floor, the walls, the ceiling All of them were made of ss, looking out into the city and the dark sky above.

    The view is amazing when were in space, captain Dordok said with a hint of longing. Youll see. In any case, this is where we spend most of our time when not cultivating in our rooms. It is also where you will need to be if the rm sounds.

    Who would attack us in space?

    Space monsters and pirates, of course, the captain said as if it made perfect sense. Now, from left to right, those three doors lead to the secondary exitfrom where you can go fight space monsters, if need bethe bridge, from where we power and navigate the ship, and the escape shuttles. Pray that we never have to open thatst door.

    Having said that, the third door seemed in perfect condition, as did the others. The captain clearly didnt skimp on maintenance.

    Any questions? he asked.

    It is beautiful, Captain, Jack replied. But arent these ss panels dangerous? I mean, if people orspace monstersattack us, wouldnt they break easily?

    Thats three feet of tempered ss youre talking about, boy, the captain replied proudly. It isnt exactly as sturdy as steel, but its close. And much, much more beautiful. The only issue is that theyre expensivecost almost as much as the rest of the shipbinedbut I couldnt give her anything less than the best.

    They are indeed beautiful, Captain Jack said, looking around. Though the ss floor was disorienting at the moment, he had no doubt that it would be amazing when he got used to it. If I may, how much does a good starship cost?

    The Sage had gotten one for a few hundred thousand credits. If a credit here was simr to a dor back on Earth, Jack suspected that the Sage had gotten himself quite the deal.

    Captain Dordok turned to Jack and gave him a look full of meaning. You cannot buy a good starship, boy. You can buy a starship. It only bes good after you have sailed the gxy together for centuries, when you know its every inch like the back of your hand, when you have seen its every screw and bolt reced so that nothing remains of the original. Then, and only then, does a starship be <em>good.</em>

    I see, Jack said. Though captain Dordok hadnt really answered his question, he didnt press.

    Dont view ships as objects, boy, the captain continued in an earnest tone. They are more than just a collection of parts. They have a soul. They are one with the captain and the crew; just another old friend. A ship will never abandon you in your time of need, and you should treat it the same way. That is all they ask of you: loyalty. And that is also the very essence of our crew.

    Jack looked around with new eyes. I see, Captain, he said, though he really didnt. Perhaps he would in time. Earthen sailors used to say simr things. Indeed, the gift you gave your shipthe ss walls of the main roomlook great. Much better than the tiny windows of other ships.

    They do, dont they? Dordok puffed up, full of pride. Well, it was also a gift to myself, if Im being honest. I grew up as a sailor in my home. Ive transitioned from the seas to space now, but I still couldnt handle being locked up in a box for months on end. What I love about traveling is the wind and sand on my face, the sea breeze and salt. I want to keep my ship as close to that as possible, though most things are certainlydifferent.

    Why did you leave, then? Jack asked. If you preferred the sea, why be a starship captain?

    There isnt much for an immortal to do at sea. Dordok shrugged. Bing an immortal is my greatest regret. I was forced to move to arger ocean, that of space, which iscking in many partsthough it does offer sights that I would never see on any.

    Like what?

    Youll see. Surprise is part of the experience. Dordok smiled, revealing a set of square teeth. Now then. This will be all for now. It is time to meet your shipmates. They should be here in a moment.

    How do you

    The door behind them opened slowly, revealing three people. Two were feshkurs. Thest was a hulking, brown-furred minotaur.

    Vashter was one of the feshkurs; the weakest one.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 85</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 99</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Minotaur, Level 111</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    Before Jack could introduce himself, two more people entered the main room. One was a chubby, overdressed male saphira. The other was Vlossana.

    Oh! she said, seeing him. Hi!

 Chapter 112: A Sky Full of Stars

    Chapter 112: A Sky Full of Stars

    Gan Salin understood the concept.

    Yes, hed fucked up. Yes, he had lost in singlebat against Jack Rust, Vivi Eragorn, Li Xiang, and Edgar Ano. Yes, three of those fights had been broadcasted across Earth-387 and the Animal Kingdom home world. And yes, he had even been assaulted by a pack of oddly muscr dogs.

    But those things could happen to everyone, right? So why was he getting bullied now?

    <em>Not fun, man </em>he thought as space around him stabilized. They had reached their destination.

    The three Hounds stepped off the teleporter. When Salin followed a momentter, they were already interrogating the guard, who imed to know nothing. Salin looked above the door, where a sign dered their current location. <em>Pearl Bay </em>he thought to himself, biting into the six-sided orange bar he held and tearing off a chunk. Earth-387 had some rather tasty snacks. <em>Another dud</em>

    They had been on the search for several hours already. Earth-387s teleporter could reach a hundred and twelve destinations, and they had to check them all. Salin was dragged along because he knew Jackand also as punishment for losing so many times in what was supposed to be an easy Integration Tournament.

    <em>But it wasnt my fault </em>He sighed. <em>Okay, maybe it was. But how could I know all that those guys were monsters?</em>

    He didnt even care about finding Jack Rust. In fact, if he was being honest with himself, he kinda liked the guy. Jack was fun and unpredictable, always finding a way to make things amusing.

    Too bad he had angered an Elder.

    Gan Salin bit off another chunk of the dog food in his hand. At least, he didnt have to do much. The three Hounds would handle everything. The guard seemed to know nothing about Jack Rust, but they would also go out and ask the pedestrians, scout out for his Dao signature, speak to some important people, and generally make inquiries. They had to do this in every possible destination, lest they miss him and have to start over.

    Not that Jack could escape. A bounty on his head was already beginning to circte. Nobody could hide from the Animal Kingdom in their constetion; not for long.

    Suddenly, a pale feshkurone of Pearl Bays two native sapient speciesarrived in front of the open door. He waited nervously. Excuse me he muttered.

    One of the hounds turned to him, covering him in the aura that all D-Grades had. The feshkur shivered again. I heard you asking about someone with a pet monkey he muttered.

    The rest of the Hounds turned to him as well. The aura pressing down on his body tripled in intensity. The feshkur sweated.

    If you lie to us, one of the Hounds said, her face covered by a dark veil, we will devour you.

    I wouldnt dare, the feshkur said slowly. I met that person. In fact, he even told me a few things, and I waited here in case someone was hunting him.

    Tell us everything, another Hound said, his voice raspy. Having caught sight of his prey, he was barely holding back his excitement. All Hounds were like that. Gan Salin rolled his eyes.

    Unless Jack Rust grew wings, there was no way he could escape.

    ***

    Hey, Jack responded numbly, watching these five people stream into the main room. Even with seven of them present, it didnt feel crowded, just full.

    I didnt expect you to join the Rams crew! she continued, full of excitement.

    Neither did I.

    Or I, for that matter, the captain spoke up,ughing. But here we are. Jared, these are Count Plomer and his daughter, Vlossana. They are our passengers for this trip.

    Oh, weve already met! Vlossana spoke up, then narrowed her eyes at him. Jack wouldnt notice it if he wasnt paying attention.

    When he met her in the elevator line, hed given her his real name, Jack. Now, the captain had introduced him as Jared.

    <em>Ugh This will be trouble, I can feel it. At least she isnt saying anything.</em>

    A pleasure, Vlossanas father replied, not sounding very pleased. But I thought, Captain, that we had booked the entire ship for ourselves

    You have. Jared here is a member of crew, not a passenger.

    Count Plomer nodded. He had sapphire hair and purple eyes, like the rest of the saphira, as well as an otherwise normal human body. There were slight wrinkles on his face, however, caused by years of stress, and his purple hair was fainter than his daughters, slowly inching towards white.

    He donned a full suit,plete with a tie, but the air he radiated was unusual. He did possess the confidence that came with being an authority figure, but he was also steeped in exhaustion.

    He reminded Jack of a professor hed met briefly, once; a man with prestigious academic achievements but failure in every other part of his life.

    More importantly

    <strong>Saphira, Level 49 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    he was only F-Grade.

    That said, Captain Dordok continued, this is the rest of the crew. Jared, youve already met Vashter. This is Achilleshe pointed at the other feshkur, then the minotaur and this is Bomn. Everyone, this is Jared, our newest member. I believe you all saw his brawl against Vashter in the bar, so you understand his potential. In time, and with a little bit of luck, he might even surpass mesomething I expect from all of you. Also, this little guy is Monk, Jaredspanion.

    The three crew members nodded and greeted Jack, who responded politely. Brock shook their hands and nodded in a manly way.

    Achilles looked like a slightly older version of Vashter; he had more scars and carried a heavy saber instead of a mace. Bomn was the silent, serious type, and he carried arge greataxe.

    A greatclub, a mace, a saber, and a greataxe. Jack realized that everyone in this crew were strength-based; just like him.

    Now, the captain said, pping hisrge orange hands, we are done with introductions. Our break is over; lets get started. Bomn, handle our ascent. Achilles and Vashter, make sure nothing goes wrong. And Jared He winkedor blinked. It was tough to tell when he only had one eye, but it felt like a wink. Watch the view.

    Yes, Captain! Vashter and Achilles cried out, followed by Jack a momentter. Bomn simply nodded and went to the middle door at the far end of the main room. Before it closed, Jack caught a glimpse of sparkling machinery, a small goat head, and a glowing circle on a table.

    Jack remained in the main room, along with Brock, the captain, Vlossana, and her fathercount Plomer.

    Have you ever been to space before? Vlossana asked, already pouring excitement over his head. She seemed to have forgotten about his fake namemaybe she thought shed heard wrong the first time. Jack prayed for that. Oh, youre going to love it! The stars, the swirls, the gxy Its amazing!

    Let the man rest, Vlossana, her father responded tiredly.

    Children are great, the captain said. Hisughter was loud and booming, filling every nook and cranny of the room.

    Suddenly, Jack felt space click around him. It was like he got detached and reattached from the world. He looked around wildly, but everyone seemed calm. Only Brock stared at him with wide eyes.

    Before they could ask anything, the ship rumbled under their feet.

    Goodbye, Pearl Bay! Vlossana shouted, waving backward. Then, they shot out.

    Jack felt disoriented. His senses didnt match. They elerated from nothing to top speed in an instant. He barely got a glimpse of the town under their feet before it disappeared, the entire shrinking at mind-numbing speed.

    And yet, despite the massive eleration, he felt nothing. No force pulling him back, no urge to puke. In fact, the entire ship felt steady under his feet like they were still hovering next to the docks. He even thought they were joking, and the windows were just ying an illusion.

    What the? was all he managed to blurt out.

    Spatial independence, the captain exined with pride. Space-warping starships exist in their own, independent spatial bubble. If space was a sheet, you can imagine us floating just an inch above it, unbothered by things such as gravity or inertia. Otherwise, only immortals could bear the pressure of elerationand certainly not any furniture.

    Jack exhaled. He was trembling. Excitement was soaring through him. He looked outside the windows, and he saw everything.

    It was beautiful.

    He was surrounded on all sides by the great nothingness. Empty darkness deeper than his mortal mind couldprehend. Multicolored dots of light were spread out in the darkwhite, blue, red, yellowlike christmas lights. Where they were many, they formed rivers, floating through nothingness for unfathomable distances.

    Everywhere around him was packed with stars, and cold darkness filled the void in between. In Jacks mind, their starship shrunk until it was invisible. Everything around them was so unimaginablyrge, even the void. His mind tried toprehend the scale and was overwhelmed, both by it and by beauty.

    Soon after the Integration, Jack had seen the night sky for the first timethe true night sky, unblocked by pollution and artificial lights. It had been one of the prettiest sights of his life, and it had been burned into his mind. Its difference with the sky he was used to seeing was tremendous.

    Now, he experienced that feeling again. This was on apletely different level than the sky he could see from earth. He was surrounded by the pure, untouched beauty of the universe, and it felt like looking at a canvas that God himself had filled with all the beauty and skill He could muster.

    Jack lost himself in the sight. A handnded on his shoulder and shook him awake.

    This is how we all felt on our first time, captain Dordok said. But dont worry. The stars arent going anywhere. You will have the time to enjoy them all you want as we travel.

    Tearing his sight away was a challenge, but Jack managed it. Yes, Captain, he replied, whispering without intending to. The cyclops had a wide smile on his face.

    A voice came from somewhere on the ceiling. Jack recognized it as Bomns. It said, Warping.

    About damn time, captain Dordok said, still sporting his smile. He turned to Jack. We dont usuallye this far from the to warp. Bomn took things slow for you. He may not speak much, but his heart is made of gold.

    Jack tried to respond, but his voice caught in his throat. The entire ship shook once. Then, his stomach lurched, space rippled around them, and they pierced into it like a stone falling in the sea.

    Stars andets flew around them, darting backward like trees at the side of the road. Jack vaguely remembered such a scene from when Brock and he had teleported, just before he fainted.

    Teleportation! he cried out.

    Exactly, the captain replied.

    But But how?!

    I asked a wizard once, Dordok exined, looking into the stars above them. He said that space is a sheet, and ck holes weigh it down so hard that the entire sheet creates folds, one for each ck hole. Instead of traveling along the surface of space, we can simply drill through the folds, crossing impossible distances at the blink of an eye. Imagine trying to get past a giant wave at sea. Drilling through the base of the wave is much faster than swimming all the way up, then all the way down at the other side.

    Jack simply stared at him.

    Of course, I am not too clear on <em>how </em>this is done, Dordok continued, but I know it works. Teleporters operate by the same principle, except theyre much stronger than what can be mounted on a ship.

    Brock whistled. Jack nodded absently. Vlossanaughed. Her father looked at the captain and nodded. Dordok himself gave Jack a wide smile just as space around them solidified again.

    Ive said it before, boy, but wee to the Trampling Ram. You are going to love this.

 Chapter 113: E-Grade Cultivation

    Chapter 113: E-Grade Cultivation

    Jack felt space solidify around him. Another sessful warp had just ended. With a deep breath of relief, he looked inside himself.

    It had already been a week since he boarded the Trampling Ram. In that time, they had met no other starships,s, or any sort of civilization. They were alone in an endless void, light years away from anything else that could speak, with only each other aspany.

    Jack did not dislike it. He had used this time to finally rx and inspect everything new about him. There was plenty.

    He had transformed a Dao Root into a Dao Seed. He had broken through to the E-Grade. He had gotten a new Dao Vision. He had finally achieved his fighting style Dao Skill. His body had been enhanced tremendously, and he had overall ascended to an entirely new level.

    The Dao Seed was the most intimate change. Before, his Dao Rootsthe Fist and Indomitable Willhad been two dots of power hovering inside his soul. He pictured them as small collections of mist floating through an otherwise empty jar.

    Now, one of them had spread to epass the entire jar. In evolving, the Dao of the Fist had seeped into every nook and cranny of Jacks soul, bing a perfect whole with him. This greatly increased his aptitude with that particr Dao, and it also enhanced the power of the Dao Seed itself.

    However, Jack remained himself. He and the Fist were one, but the Fist had no mind of its own, only power. Power that Jack could harness.

    Or, at least, it <em>usually </em>didnt have a mind. Jack felt like hed struck a bargain with a devil. The power stayed inside him, perfectly dormant, but it started bing upset the farther he strayed from its path. If he suddenly started acting as a weakling, not keeping the promise he had made to the Fist during the breakthrough, his Dao would weaken.

    On the other hand, while he remained loyal to the Dao of the Fist, its power felt easy and malleable, and further breakthroughs were just outside his reach.

    The Dao Root of Indomitable Will still hovered inside his soul. Now that he had fused with the Dao Root of the Fist, he could sense that the Indomitable Will was used ineffectively. He was just calling upon it when needed, but the connection between them could be far more intimate, far more efficient.

    Jack was certain that he could truly connect with the Dao Root of Indomitable Will, but only if he found the perfect way in which it fit with the Fist. Once that perfect fusion was achieved, the Dao Root of Indomitable Will would be a part of the Dao Seed of the Fist, and his power would rise yet again.

    That was the way through the E-Grade. One had to forge as many Dao Roots as they desired, then connect them all to their Dao Seed. Only when the seed and roots were fully connected could the Dao Tree sprout.

    Of course, the more Dao Roots one had, the stronger they would be. But power came with a price. Even if you reached the peak of the E-GradeLevel 124you couldnt advance to the D-Grade unless you connected all Dao Roots to your Dao Seed. And connecting them was difficult. Therefore, one had to choose the perfect number of Dao Roots.

    One root was the minimum, of course.

    Moreover, every Dao Root carried a tremendous risk. Not all Dao Roots could connect with all Dao Seeds. In fact, most couldnt. A cultivator had to be extremely careful in what Dao Roots they chose to cultivate, as very few could achieve a perfect fusion with the Dao Seed, and a single unfusable one would doom them to forever remain at the E-Grade.

    For that reason, most D-Grades only had one Dao Rootand their Dao Seed, of course. Those with two were considered elites even amongst immortals. Those with three were hailed as prodigies. And in the gxys million-year history, there had only been a handful of people who advanced to the D-Grade with four Dao Roots.

    Nobody had ever achieved five.

    Thepatibility between a Dao Seed and the various Dao Roots was the most important reason why factions and masters were crucial. Every persons Dao was unique, but if you walked a well-documented path, you would have a measure of knowledge in what Dao Roots were and werent suitable for you.

    For example, Rufus Emberheart cultivated the same Dao of Supremacy that his entire family did. Their Dao Roots were recorded in secret archives. By perusing them, he could see what Dao Roots worked for other holders of the same Daothey would have a good chance of working for him, too.

    Jack didnt have that luxury. The Exploding Sun must have had records on previous holders of the Dao of the Fist, since that bald man from his first Dao Vision was Master Shols ancestor, but he had no way to contact them. Apparently, neither did they.

    Therefore, Jack was alone in uncharted waters, and he had to carve a perfect route on the first try. One mistake would be enough topletely sever his future. He had to be very careful.

    Which was bad news, because he was also in a terrible hurry. He only had one year to fight the C-Gradeary Overseer.

    Of course, he could also find some other way to rescue his people, but there was no guarantee it would work. As nice as Captain Dordok seemed, Jack doubted he would risk himself, his ship, and his entire crew to oppose the Animal Kingdom just for Jacks sake.

    Not to mention that Dordok visiting Earth would break the Star Pact, which would give theary Overseer an excuse to act herself.

    Therefore, Jacks best bet was to be as strong as possible while keeping an eye out for other opportunities. And, since he already had the Dao Root of Indomitable Will, he figured that he might as well start with that.

    The second thing he really itched to do was explore his new Dao Vision, but he figured that could wait a bit. It would teach him things, and he wanted to stabilize before expanding.

    However, he had been working on connecting his Dao Root for the past week, to little effect. This time was no different. He had let his thoughts wander instead of concentrating.

    If cultivating was easy, everyone would do it.

    Jack opened his eyes, sighing. <em>Perhaps it is time </em>he thought, touching the back of his left thigh. His secret pocket was there, where he kept the Dao Soul, among other things. He took it out and stared at it.

    It was a purple, te-shaped gem that could easily fit in Jacks hand. It seemed normal at first nce. At the second, it was anything but. Two thick lines swam inside it like eels, one ck and the other white, cutting circles around each other. It reminded him of the yin-yang sign.

    And it was damn frustrating.

    The Dao Soul was one of Jacks rewards for winning the Integration Tournament. He was sure that it was precious. However, he still hadnt found a way to use it. The head judges description had been vague, and the System description wasnt helping either.

    <strong>Dao Soul</strong>

    <strong><em>The crystallized essence of the Dao. Dao Souls are formed in ces where the presence of the Dao is so thick that it congeals. Over millions of years, it forms a rudimentary conscience that is extremely sensitive to the Dao.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>They are very precious.</em></strong>

    He sighed. That was nice, but it didnt tell him how to use it. For the millionth time, he recalled the head judges description:

    <em>The Dao Soul is a mystical item said to split ones soul into two. It can help a cultivator practice their Dao against themselves, rising their cultivation speed tremendously. Ingesting it takes time.</em>

    That was all she had said. Ingesting it takes time.

    <em>But how much? </em>Jack asked himself, exasperated. <em>And how am I supposed to know!?</em>

    He had half a mind to smash it, hoping that would work, but what if it didnt? He didnt want to waste such a valuable resource. Plus, if smashing it was the answer, the head judge wouldnt say it needed time.

    <em>Then again, nothing changes the more I wait. Maybe I should smash the gem and be done with it.</em>

    He toyed with the idea. He wouldnt actually do it, but thinking about it was fun.

    With a sigh, he slid the Dao Soul back into his pocket and closed his eyes to cultivate again. A ring siren howling over his head made him jump so fast that his head met the ceiling.

    Son of a he eximed. What the hell!?

    Jared. Can you hear me? Come to the main room immediately, captain Dordoks voice reached his ears.

    Grumbling, Jack stood up. He was alone in the cargo hold; arge, mostly empty room that served as his. He had fashioned a hammock at the back with some rope Bomn had given him.

    All thoughts of cultivation put aside, Jack opened his door to reach the exit room, then another to enter the main corridor. He climbed the stairs and opened a third door that led to the main room. He hurried through them allhe was a part of the crew now, and when the captain called, he should not tarry.

    Captain Dordok was waiting for him alone in the middle of the main room, surrounded by stars in all directions. The scenery still awed Jack, but he snapped out of it. So did Brock, who had followed Jack.

    Theres another monster approaching us, the captain said with a smile, and this time, its a weak one. A baby, lets say; perfect for our weakest member.

    Which is me.

    Which is you.

    Space monsters were prettymon, apparently. It was already the third they met in a week.

    They were amalgamations of the Dao formed spontaneously in space. They came in various colors, and their forms werent always steady. Most were barely conscious blobs of power. The best they could do was summon tentacle-like appendages and try to consume anything that came near them radiating the power of the Dao.

    ording to captain Dordok, these monsters grew in stability and intelligence the stronger they goteither by time or by consuming Dao sources. D-Grade space monsters had a stable physical form. C-Grade ones were allegedly able tomunicate.

    Of course, higher Grade monsters were exceedingly rare in System space. All the ones theyd met were E-Grade, and naturally, they could never threaten the Trampling Ram. Captain Dordok alone could dispatch them easily.

    But he didnt.

    Every time, he would gauge the monsters strength and send out the most appropriate crewmember to face it. imed it was good practice.

    Of the previous three monsters, Vashter had taken two. The third was pretty strong, forcing Bomn the minotaur to face it. It hadnt even been a battle. Bomn roared as he rose his greataxe, its edge shining with a piercing red light, and then he shed it down. The monster had been seared into two equal halves.

    Now, the fourth monster showed up, and it was finally Jacks turn.

    Itsing fast from below. We have half a minute. Wear this and go through the exit, captain Dordok said, tossing Jack arge helmet. It resembled a fish bowl. It wasnt airtight, but it had been enchanted to protect its wearer from space for a short period of time. ording to the captain, it was standard equipment for all starships, space-warping or not.

    Wizards could do amazing things.

    Jack put it on, sensing the thin film that spread to cover his whole body. Brock cheered. Captain Dordokughed. Vlossana burst through the door, eager to watch the fight and shing him a bright smile.

    Jack opened the leftmost door at the end of the main room and came face-to-face with a window looking into space. There was no ss; all that protected the ship was a thin film stretched over the opening, simr to the one produced by Jacks helmet.

    He took a deep breath and jumped out. It was his first time in bare space.

    Before he could admire the sensation, a Dao-powered shriek crossed space to fill his ears, and three tentacles swept at him from below.

 Chapter 114: Space Monster

    Chapter 114: Space Monster

    Jack was in space. He was floating and covered in a thin film that protected him from theck of pressure and heat, as well as the radiation. The Trampling Ram awaited behind him, several faces watching through the main rooms ss walls. The ship was standing still, of course; theyd stopped their flight to let the space monster approach.

    Jack had never been outside the ship before. He didnt know what to expect besides the obvious.

    The moment he stepped into space, even the obvious fled from his mind. He immediately lost his bnce and started rotating head over heels. He had nothing to grab onto, nothing to give him leverage. He was simply floating in spaceand mid-rotation, he could see shes of a purple bubble approaching, waving three tentacle-like appendages and shrieking.

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 53</strong>

    <strong><em>Experts specte that, whenrge quantities of the Dao are left undisturbed for a long time, they can spontaneously coalesce into a Space Monster. While this is a very rare asion, the vastness of the void lends itself to the phenomenon. Space is filled with such monsters, especially outside System space.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>However, due to the phenomenons rtive rarity and the requirement of long-time undisturbed Dao, it has never been observed in controlled environments. The exact procedure of a Space Monsters birth has never been documented in the Immortal Archives.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Space Monsters are mostly mindless existences that seek only to feed on sources of the Dao, like natural treasures or cultivators. They growrger and more intelligent in proportion to their strength.</em></strong>

    Jack skimmed over the description, then grimaced as the monsters shriek somehow crossed the void to reach his ears. In the same way, the captains voice rang in his mind.

    <em>Fighting in space is different than anything else,</em> he exined leisurely, as if there wasnt a purple monstrosity hurling at Jack. <em>Even moving is difficult at first, until you get the trick.</em>

    Whats the trick!?<em></em>Jack shouted, but the sound was confined inside the thin, multi-colored film covering his body.

    The space monster reached him. It was roughly spherical in shape. It towered over him, the size of a small hill. Each of its appendages was many feet long and partially transparent.

    When one of them tried to p him, he didnt wait to find out what would happen. He smashed out a Meteor Punch, hurling a beautiful line of purple that exploded on the tentacle. The recoil of his punch sent him spinning backward into space.

    Ahhh! Jack shouted.

    <em>Theres the trick!</em> the captains voice reached him again. <em>Good job. Now go beat it up.</em>

    Jack thought he saw peopleughing from the window. The space monster ignored the starship, perhaps sensing the immortal inside, and lunged for Jack instead. Its three tentacles iled wildly.

    Jack fired a weak Meteor Punch to steady himself, but he miscalcted, and now he was spinning forward instead. Son of a A tentacle smashed into him, sending him flying back. To his horror, Jack realized he wasnt decelerating. He quickly sent a Meteor Punch backward to stop his flight, then another to shoot forward. He was spinning the whole time, but at least now, he was doing it slowly enough to focus. His fighting style could help incorporate the rotation into his moves.

    Jack eyed the purple monster again and gritted his teeth. Its tentacle was singed where hed hit it before, but still swinging. Not for long.

    With a roar, Jack smashed out a Meteor Punch, then a second, then a third. At the same time, he used his Dao to counterbnce the recoil. Having reached the E-Grade, he now had fine enough control over his Dao to send small bursts out of anywhere in his body. It was like using Meteor Punch to shoot meteors, but way too ineffective and unfocused to be used in battle.

    Those bursts left his body like small clouds and dissipated almost immediately, but it was the act of leaving his body that mattered. If Meteor Punch could propel him backward, then using the Dao of the Fist through his butt, feet, or elbows was enough to propel him forward.

    He also jumped in random directions, as this was too difficult to control at once, but at least he wasnt flying into the stars anymore.

    Even mid-battle, he realized he was farting Dao. He chuckled.

    The three meteors crashed into the purple blob, making it shriek wildly yet again. There were dents in its form now. It reached Jack. The three tentacles fell on him at the same time.

    Two tried to p him. He met them with both with Meteor Punches, ricocheting them backward, but the third tentacle had time to coil around his waist. It grabbed him and tried to crush him like a constrictor snake.

    Jack felt the pressure. His face paled, his ribs tightenedbut they didnt break. The Iron Fiend Body held strong.

    There were a few different ways to escape this grasp, but only one was suited to the Dao of the Fist, to the Field of the Iron Fist.

    Jack reached for the tentacle with both his arms, grabbed it, and ripped it apart. It felt like jelly. He roared. The space monster shrieked, waving its stump of a tentacle and the two whole ones, but Jack was slowly limating to battle in space, and he was far stronger than this monster.

    <em>Ghost Step.</em>

    Suddenly, he disappeared. His form darted sideways at tremendous speed, and of course, didnt stop decelerating. He flew off into space again.

    Cursing, Jack used Ghost Step again in the opposite direction. He elerated explosively. This time, when he arrived behind the confused space monster, he used a Meteor Punch to stop himself, then unleashed a barrage of attacks. Meteor Punches fell into the monster like rain. Its bubble-like form was covered in deep dents, parts of it dissipating into nothing.

    It turned around and whipped its tentacles at Jack again. This time, he knew what to expect. The Iron Fist Style activated at full throttle. Jack leaned past a tentacle, then grabbed the second mid-swing and used it to swing the monster around. It shrieked again.

    As they were spinning in space, he roared and punched the tentacle twice in the same spot until his fist prated itpletely, sending the tentacle monster careening in a random direction. He decided to call it down.

    A burst of Dao shot him downward, dodging the tentacle stump that tried to take his head off, and he shot up again to dodge another tentacle. Suddenly, he was above the creature. A hail of Meteor Punches fell again, a Meteor Shower, and how could this little space monster resist? Even Rufus Emberheart had been felled by this attack.

    Its top bulged inwards, about to pop like a bubble. Suddenly, a hole appeared under Jack, revealing a hollow interior. The monster shot up, swallowing him. The hole closed.

    For a moment, the monster stayed still. Then, its body bulged outward from multiple spots. Jack was going berserk. It did its best to remain steady, it even used its tentacles to keep thergest bulges down, but it was useless. Its form warped as Jack tried to break it from the inside, attacking recklessly in all directions.

    In the end,here was only so much punishment the space monster could take. The force inside it became too great. With a loud popping sound, the monster broke apart. Its skin was rags floating in space, quickly dissipating, as were the remains of its tentacles.

    Jack was left hovering where the space monster used to be, covered in a purple substance that resembled chewing gumwhich was also dissipating, thankfully. He was panting, and the protective film covering his body was flickering.

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 51.</strong>

    <em>Finally! </em>he thought, grinning despite the disturbing bodily fluids all over him. The battle with Rufus had given him a lot of experience, and one weak space monster was apparently all he needed to advance.

    Well, weakpared to him. They were around the same level.

    Still grinning, Jack used bursts of Dao to reach the starships secondary exit, then passed through. He immediately stumbled. Gravity had returned, and that took him a second to process.

    At least the remains of the monster hadpletely evaporated. He was clean again.

    He took off his helmet, cing it on one of the glowing pedestals that would recharge it, then opened the door to return to the main room. Brock and Vlossana were pping. Bravo! she shouted.

    That was ashowy fight, captain Dordok said.

    Thank you, Captain.

    It wasnt apliment. Getting swallowed by space monsters is not a good idea. If this one wasnt much weaker than you, you might have been in trouble. Their insides are highly corrosive.

    Jack cringed. Yeah, I felt that. I will be careful.

    Good. Then, the captains expression melted into a smile. Other than that, good job. It was like watching an experienced space wrestler. Not bad for a first time.

    You mean, when I wasnt flying around like a kite? Jack replied,ughing.

    That happens to everyone, but not everyone wins. Achilles here, for example, needed me to rescue him on his first space battle.

    Captain! Achilles, the second feshkur after Vashter, cried out. Dordok onlyughed in return.

    So, at least you werent the worst. But dont forget the feeling. This was just a weak opponent to get you used to the movements. Next time, youll have to fight for real.

    Yes, Captain! Jack said, sticking out his chest. Can I practice on our downtime? Without space monsters, I mean.

    The captain shook his head. We cannot stop the ship for you to practice. Best save the time for when space monsters appear. Its more effective then.

    And more dangerous.

    So what? Are you afraid of danger?

    No.

    Good. Thats the least I expect from my crew.

    Captain Dordok then turned around. The show is over, everyone. Get back to workor cultivating, or whatever it is you were doing.

    Somehow, everyone had gathered to watch Jack fight, from Vlossana and her father, to the two feshkurs, to Bomn the minotaur. As everyone was dispersing, Bomn approached Jack and pped a heavy hand on his shoulder. Jack had to look upBomn was as tall as the feshkurs. Truly, in this crew, he felt like a dwarf.

    Despite therge greataxe on Bomns shoulder, his horns, or hisrge physique, he didnt seem intimidating. There was a sense of calmness radiating off him that put Jack at peace.

    Bomn looked into Jacks eyes and said only one word: Good.

    Then, he kept walking, disappearing into the bridge. Jack still hadnt been to that room, but he tried to sneak peeks whenever anyone opened the door. This time, he spotted a glowing circle on the ground, as well as something radiating green light from outside his vision.

    Thanks! he shouted behind the minotaurs back as the door closed.

    He then looked around. Even the captain had left, perhaps going to cultivate in his cabin or to read a book, leaving only Brock beside Jack.

    Whew, Jack said. That was quite something, bro. When you reach the E-Grade, you will be able to step into space yourself.

    Bro! Brock shouted. Jack inspected him out of habit.

    <strong>Brori, Level 37 (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>A gori variant from Green. Broris usually live with Gymonkeys and train them in the ways of working out. It is due to the Broris unmatched pecks that Gymonkeys use poop to fightthey consider themselves too weak for anything else.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Broris are usually calm, measured animals. However, if anyone harms their little cousins or invades their territory, they go bananas.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr brori is a variant that visually resembles a gymonkey. Though not weaker than other broris, the members of this variant are often shunned due to theirck of bulging muscles.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>That is not the case for this specimen. Through intense determination, it has achieved greater strength than its species norm, as well as a Dao Root. Despite that, it remains an adolescent. Due to this specimens potential, taming or ying it are advised.</em></strong>

    A new paragraph had, at some point, appeared at the end of Brocks description. Jack didnt enjoy it. Brock was his friend, but the System was treating him likean object.

    Besides that, Brock kept growing in size. He now reached up to Jacks waist. If he kept at it, he might soon resemble his dad, Harambe.

    <em>I wonder what everyone is doing on Earth </em>Jack thought, letting his mind wander. <em>Are they still alive? Are they fighting, or is Sparman protecting them? Is the me River still standing? Is there a war?</em>

    He had no way to find out, at least for now. Master Shol had mentioned a telepathy System function for people of the same faction, and Jack could only hope the Professor would find a way to buy it, because he sure couldnt. When hed checked the faction shop, it cost ten million credits. A whopping number.

    But the professor was smart, and she had Edgar, too. Perhaps theyd find a way.

    In the meantime, all he could do was cultivate, train, and get stronger as fast as possible. If he wanted to save them, there was no time to waste.

    Besides, if he dyed, even Brock might catch up to him. He was already a Level 37 Elite, growing at a prodigious rate. Soon, he would be as strong as the ck wolves that guarded the Forest of the Strong, and then

    Well, who knows how far Brock would reach.

    With that thought in mind, Jack took Brock and headed back to his room. If he wanted to reach the C-Grade in less than a year, he only had a couple months to spend at the E-Grade at the most. He should fuse the Dao Root of Indomitable Will into his Dao Seed as soon as possible, then decide how many and which Dao Roots he was going to pursue.

    There was no time to waste.

    However, the moment he stepped out of the main room and headed right, to thedder leading to the lower deck, a whisper came from behind him.

    Psst.

    Jack paused.

    Pssst! the whisper insisted. Jared. Over here!

    He finally turned around to find Vlossana waiting at the other side of the door, sticking to the wall. Psss Oh, you saw me! Finally.

    Hey, Vlossana, Jack replied tiredly. What is it?

    Not much. I just wanna talk. What do you say, Ja She paused for a moment. ...red.

    Jack sighed. <em>So, she </em>does <em>remember my real name. Crap. </em>He looked back at her, who was wiggling her eyebrows in a sketchy manner.

    Okay, he said with resignation. Mi casa, su casa.

    What?

    Nevermind. Lets go to my room. I suspect what you have to say wont be fit for the main room.

    She grinned. Now youre talking!

 Chapter 115: The Plight of the Fair Way

    Chapter 115: The Plight of the Fair Way

    Well? Vlossana asked, jumping on a crate thaty by the side. Jacks room, the currently unused cargo hold, didnt have much in the way of furniture; just the hammock hed made in the back, a chair and table that Vashter had brought him on the second day, and some old crates by the side. It was on one of those crates that Vlossana had jumped, staring at him with bright eyes. Her shirt was the same color as her eyessapphireand her long skirt the same as her hairpurple.

    Well, what?

    Well, why did you give the captain a fake name?

    Hey!

    As an immortal, captain Dordok could stretch his senses farther than should be possible. He could spy on everyone in the ship if he wanted to. And, though he had assured Jack that he wasnt going to do that Well, if he did, how would anyone know?

    Vlossanaughed. Dont worry. Ive been traveling on the Ram for a month now. Dordok isnt the sort of person who would eavesdrop on others. He may look tough, but hes actually a big softie!

    Jack wasnt sure if he would ssify the hulking cyclops captain as a softie.

    Fine, he said, epting that Vlossana wouldnt drop the subject. How do you know I didnt give <em>you </em>a fake name?

    Because I was a random girl in the elevator line.

    So? Do you never lie to strangers?

    Oh,e on, Jack, she said, letting herself drop to a seated position. I could understand lying to the captain and me both. But only to me? Thats so far-fetched. Any reason that would make you lie to me would apply tenfold to the crew of the Trampling Ram.

    Jack sighed inwardly. Vlossana may be childishly excited, but she was not an idiot. Maybe I lie to strangers for fun, he tried weakly, but not even he believed himself. Vlossana raised a brow.

    Really? Then I should let the captain know. Im sure hed love to know your hobbies.

    Jack looked at her, then sighed. Dont call me Jack, even in private, he said. It might slip out in public.

    Oh, dont worry. Im good with secrets. She leaned forward, her eyes full of expectation. So? What are you hiding? Are there people after you? Are you a criminal? Are people hunting you out of jealousy? Dad told me you were integrated very recently, and youre already E-Grade. Oh, I know! Did you steal from someone important in Pearl Bay and are now trying to abscond with the treasure? Or did youkill someone?

    Her eyes widened in fear. She took a step back.

    Of course not. What are you thinking? Jack replied out of reflex. Hmm. Well, actually, I did kill someone, but its not what it sounds like. I had no choice.

    Thats what they always say.

    No, really! I There was a person who was my enemy, and I had to kill him or he would do terrible things to the people I care about.

    I see. And then?

    Well, his family wasnt too happy about it.

    Really? Who would have thought?

    Hey, no sass here. Im telling a story.

    Ill try! she replied,ughing. Jack shot her a re before continuing. That also gave him time to think. He had to phrase things in a way that wouldnt sound too vague, but which also wouldnt give her enough clues to connect him with the Animal Kingdoms scions.

    So, I had to run away from them. Though Im strong, there are some real monsters on my, and the guy I killed just happened to be their rtive. An ally promised to keep my family safe for a while, but He shook his head for dramatic effect. ...that protection will notst long. That is why I am touring the gxy now. I must get strong enough to face my enemies, and fast, or everyone I know will die.

    Oh, wow. Vlossana gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. Wait. You arent lying to me again, are you?

    Everything I said was the truth. Not theplete truth, but the truth regardless.

    Hmm She hummed, inspecting him. She then turned her gaze to Brock, who crossed his arms and stared back at her.

    Okay, I believe you, she finally said, bubbling with energy. You have quite the weight on your shoulders. How are you holding up? Are you stressed? Afraid? Anxious?

    Heughed at her ill-timed excitement, then took a moment to think about it. His expression sombered.

    I am not sure, honestly, he finally replied. I suppose I should feel all those things, but I dont; not really. Im already doing my best. I guess worrying about it will change nothing.

    I see. Were you always like that?

    He thought about it. No, not always.

    Then, what changed?

    <em>The System did. My entire world. My perspective.</em>

    My Dao, I guess, he replied, looking at his hands. He clenched them. A fist does not worry. It only advances. It conquers.

    Sounds like quite a fist.

    It is mine. He shrugged. And the farther I go, the stronger it bes.

    Hmm. Cryptic. I like that. She jumped upright, leaping to the next crate and bncing on its edge. So, whats your n? To get stronger fast, I mean.

    Travel the gxy. Try to get a Trial token, if possible. He shrugged. Of course, he already had two Trial tokens. He just wasnt willing to share the information. Otherwise, I can just throw myself in dangerous situations and hope I survive. Opportunityes with danger.

    You know what elsees with danger? Death.

    Ive been through worse. He shrugged again. What about you? What are <em>you </em>doing?

    Thats a personal question, isnt it? He red at her until sheughed. Okay, okay, I was just joking. Im Well, I guess Im just being my fathers daughter. Following him around on business.

    Howe? Youre already E-Grade. You can do whatever you like.

    I <em>can</em>, but this is a good opportunity to see the world outside my home, she replied, sitting back down and propping her chin in both her palms. Traveling off is very dangerous. All sorts of things could happen. Now that my father has to report to the Animal Kingdom office in the Brian Outpost, its a good chance for me to follow and see what the gxy looks like under his protection.

    His protection? Hes only F-Grade.

    Hes a Count. Captain Dordok has sworn to protect us with his life.

    I see, Jack replied, eyes widening in realization. And you cant teleport because hes only F-Grade. Thats why you have to ride a starship.

    Exactly, she replied sadly. My father is the only F-Grade high noble on the continent, but the Animal Kingdom requested him personally. They did it to shame us. To make the Fair Way continent look weak.

    Thats not very nice.

    It isnt, no. She shook her head. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with joy again. On the bright side, it means I can travel with safety,fort, and for free! The Viceroys paying for our trip, obviously.

    A silver lining.

    Exactly!

    Jack stayed quiet for a moment. Whats your Dao? he finally asked.

    Excuse me?

    I told you my Dao. Isnt it fair that you do the same?

    No you didnt.

    Its the fist. I thought that much was clear.

    She mumbled something. Yeah, okay, it was, she replied, then looked up. She seemed apprehensive. Why do you want to know?

    Im simply curious. How did a girl full of joy and excitement like you manage to reach Level 49, let alone form a Dao Seed?

    He really was curious. Back on Earth, reaching Level 49 took the apex of skill and sacrifice. There was a difference between Earth and the gxy, sure, but seeing such a seemingly immature girl reach such heights It contrasted hard with what he knew.

    Vlossana looked at him like he was an idiot. I reached Level 49 with experience balls, of course.

    Yeah, but do you mean to tell me you fought <em>nothing</em>? No monsters, no enemies, absolutely nothing?

    I mean I do have a Physical instructor, she muttered. But my Dao is notbat-oriented. Why would I fight anyone?

    Jack nodded. Of course, he replied. We dont have many of those on my. Integration favorsbat.

    Oh, I can imagine! Goblins jumping out of bushes, meteors raining from the sky, dragons roaring from volcanoes It must have been really scary!

    Well, it wasnt exactly like that, but yes. It was scary.

    Ohhh Well, nonbat sses advance differently. We just have to apply our Dao to its field. Someone with the Dao of Management, for example, just needs to manage people effectively and grow their skills, and then bam, they level up.

    Thats handy. So no danger of death everyday.

    Nobut in return, progress is slower. She shrugged. Her eyes suddenly glimmered like shed gotten a puppy and was <em>dying </em>to show it to someone. Well, since you ask, I follow the Dao of Joy! You may see me as too excited right now, childish even, but thats only because Im missing some Dao Roots. When my set isplete, I will be the greatest Countess ever!

    A set of Dao Roots!? Jacks eyes widened. How will you form a Dao Tree like that!? I thought anything above one was very risky.

    My Dao is not intended to reach the D-Grade. She shook her head with a sad smile. In our entire continent, only the Viceroy has reached that level. Theres no way I could do it. Collecting a few Dao Roots and bing a fine Countess would be more than enough for me. I will make all my people happy!

    If you want to make people happy, why not the Dao of Happiness?

    Vlossanas face soured. Jack felt that hed said something wrong. He hurried to change the subject.

    Anyway, um Is that all you wanted?

    Yeah! She shed him a bright smile, recovering instantly from the previous sourness. Information and a chat. Cultivating alone can be so boring sometimes We should chat more often, if you dont mind. Which you dont. Right?

    Sure, Jack replied. He meant it. Though he had to be careful not to expose his connection with Earth, he had to admit that cultivating alone for a week had beentiresome. Even the asional chores he had to do were beginning to seem like fun breaks.

    Plus, Vlossana was fun. Her joy was contagiousas was apt, given her Dao. Even Brock seemed happy, and his number of thrown poops so far was zero.

    Ill be going now, Vlossana said, hopping off her crate. See youter, Jack.

    Can you please call me Jared?

    No. Sheughed and left. Purple hair drifting behind her was thest thing he saw before she closed the door, and Jack was once again alone with Brock, closed in a barely illuminated room with no windowsonly a fool would expose their cargo hold to potential thieves, and crates had no need to see the view.

    <em>Hmm. Should I try meditating in the main room? </em>he asked himself, but left that thought forter. He had something more important to consider now.

    His conversation with Vlossana had reminded him that, outside this isted starship, the world was still turning. The Animal Kingdoms machinations were reaching beyond Earth. Who knows what was happening on that.

    He <em>needed </em>to get strong fast.

    <em>Ive stabilized enough, </em>he decided, face tightening in seriousness. It was time to explore his new Dao Vision.

    ***

    Harambe watched the little humans training in front of his bananarm tree with disinterest. Their forms were perfect, their stances bnced. He had already shown them everything once. There was nothing more he could

    One human bent a bit, making the push-ups easier. Harambe growled instantly, scaring the offender back in line. He snorted, crossing hisrge, burly arms and throwing a bananarm at her head as punishment. It bounced off into the grass.

    Why couldnt these humans follow instructions?

    Times wereconfusing for Harambe. He was the Big Bro around here, but even he didnt understand everything. Humans came asionally to take bananarms. Others joined his forest gym, begging him to train them. There was a terrifying metal human wandering the woods, and a weak little human ordering others around. There was also a magic human asionallying to the forest to talk by himself.

    Harambe didnt understand much of that. He let them be, anyway. He could sense that they meant good. And, most importantly, he trusted Jack Rust, the human Big Bro.

    Enough to entrust his only son to him. Compared to that, letting these human little bros into his forest was nothing.

    A void appeared in Harambes heart, and his eyes were suddenly tinged with sadness. He had given away his own son to another man. He missed him so much. But it had to be done. Broris must be strong, and Jack Rust could make Harambes son stronger than Harambe ever could.

    So why did he feel so sad?

    He was worried, too. There had been no news of Jack Rust or his son for a long time. The magic human and the frail human hade to Harambe some days ago, saying that Jack and Brock went on a trip and would be back eventuallybut what if something went wrong? What if he had sent his own son to die alone?

    <em>It had to be done,</em> he reassured himself. <em>Broris are strong. Son will surpass father, and father will be proud. Strength then is more important than sadness now Even if Aya worries. Even if I, Harambe, worry.</em>

    <em>No. Brock will return. He is strong. And Jack Rust is strong. We are bros. Bros must believe in bros.</em>

    There was something gradually developing inside Harambe. It felt like a thought that kepting back, stronger every time. Stronger than any other. Moreplete.

    A Big Thought.

    But every time he tried to focus on it, it escaped again.

    <em>No matter, </em>Harambe thought. <em>I, Harambe, will Big Think it. Eventually.</em>

 Chapter 116: Entering the Dao Vision

    Chapter 116: Entering the Dao Vision

    Jack made himselffortable. He patted the floor before he sat, straightened his pants, shook his upper body once. There was great urgency, yes; but a few seconds of calmness before the storm could mean the world.

    Beside him, Brock gave him a supportive pat on the back. Jack nodded. He closed his eyes, and the world changed around him.

    It was finally time to explore his new Dao Vision.

    The spotless starship walls gave way to a desert. Jack suddenly found himself in an overcast world, hovering high over a field of broken bodies. Blood and weapons littered the barren dirt. Jack himself was only a ghost,cking a material form.

    He had seen this before. He knew where to lookwho the main character was.

    His eyes reached a big-bodied human standing alone in the field of battle. He was bare-chested, with wide shoulders and bulging muscles. His hands were sped behind his back, and he stood straight like a ramrod. Three long, gray lines were tattooed on the right side of his chest, like a wound left over by an animals ws.

    He did not look like a kind person. His long gray hair fluttered in the bloody breeze, while his gray eyes were harsh and narrowed into slits. His skin was bronze. His face was hard. In Jacks eyes, this man resembled a merciless, brutal master.

    <strong>Gedritch, Level ??? (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Iron Fist Empire (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Leviathan yer</strong>

    Facing him was a fortress. Colossal dark walls stretched three hundred feet into the air and many miles on either side. Squinting at their top, Jack could make out a host of people preparing to defend. They sported all sorts of weapons, as well as magic. With a few random scans, he confirmed that they were also gedritch, the same human-like species as the bare-chested man, and they were all in the E-Grade.

    He also spotted dozens of figures assembled into battle formations, flying over the wallsimmortals.

    A single woman stood on the wall ledge. She was d in golden te armor from head to toe, and she radiated bright power. She was also at the C-Gradethough the fact that she stood on the town walls indicated she was weaker than the bare-chested man.

    In contrast, the man stoodpletely alone, facing down a fortress of immortals.

    We are willing to pledge our allegiance, Baron Longform, the woman shouted. Her voice echoed to the nearby mountains, easily reaching everyones ears. Promise the safety of our descendants and disciples, and we will swear a soul oath here and now. We will serve the empire without a word of protest.

    The bare-chested man shook his head. Once a traitor, always a traitor, he replied. His voice was deep and harsh, sharp enough to cut through stone, and that wasnt a metaphor. The walls and ground shook. The E-Grade defenders atop the walls screamed before a wide curtain of golden light spread over the entire length of the wall, shielding them. Jack was d he had no body in this vision.

    The womans eyes were hard now.

    Very well, she respondedmandingly. Her entire body erupted with a column of golden light that reached all the way to the sky, splitting the dense clouds, and ethereal wings spread from her back. Then, let the emperors dog die here.

    Thundering shouts came from the immortals in the sky, joined by the still-reeling E-Grade defenders on the walls. Jack couldnt see behind them, but he thought he heard many more voices rising from inside the fortresseither civilians or back-up forces.

    He prepared himself. The main part wasing.

    The bare-chested man smiled grimly. He did not move a muscle. Suddenly, a wave rolled out of him.

    It was invisible and formless. Jack only sensed it when it washed over him, and he was instantly flooded with unease. The mans form had changed, but not visibly. He had somehow gotten sharper, stronger, more intimidating; like he was a bomb of violence ready to explode. Like a killer, a tyrant, a monster, a devil.

    A fiend.

    An aura of palpable violence spread in all directions, drowning the town in fear. Screams rose all over. The immortals in the air dropped like flies. Only a few were able to resist, but they were unable to advance on the man.

    Jack felt true terror grip his heart. This man would grab him and tear him limb from limb, bringing unimaginable pain. There was nothing he could do to resist, only despair.

    He lost all power. His Dao was suppressed, his soul shivered, and he couldnt stop shaking. If not for the protection of the System letting him experience this vision, he was sure he would have crumbled on the spot.

    Jack could not see beyond the wall, but he sensed that people were dying in droves, their souls and wills crushed beyond redemption, overwhelmed by terror.

    And the more people that fell, the stronger the bare-chested man grew. He fed on their death until his body overflowed with power, and the ck-and-red aura around him grew so thick that it seemed to form horns over his head and leathery ck wings on his back.

    This all happened in an instant. The womans golden light did nothing to stop this aura. A secondter, her face contorted in fury and despair. She charged forward, screaming, Have you no honor?! No shame?! at the top of her lungs, so hard it tore her throat and shook the heavens.

    Ance of pure light materialized in her hand, filling the entire world with heat. The man clenched his fist and stepped forward. Then, abruptly, the vision cut off. It had shown what it wanted. The rest of the battle did not concern it.

    Jacks eyes snapped open. He realized he was sweating.

    Damn he muttered. Id forgotten how terrible it was.

    This was the Dao Vision hed acquired after upgrading his ss. There were a few key differences and one simritypared to his first, the one with the bald, caped man.

    The simrity were that both visions showcased the same level of power. Both the bald man and the bare-chested man were at the C-Grade. Idly, Jack wondered who of the two was stronger. Logically, it should be the bare-chested man, since he had appeared at ater Dao Visionbut even his terror failed to overshadow the bald mans sense of unfathomable power.

    Jack shook his head and let the thought go. It was like seeing two mountains from below and wondering which was taller. Perhaps, when he was stronger, he would understand.

    Besides the power level, the two visions were different in everything else.

    The bald man had taught Jack the Dao of the Fist, along with a hint of a skill that he transformed into Meteor Punch. The bare-chested mans vision seemed entirely dedicated to the aura he used. It was a Dao Skill of extremely high caliber, and one that Jack couldnt wait to get his hands on.

    Feeding on the enemies terror and death. How cool was that?

    Another difference was that this more recent vision gave a lot of context. Jack now knew that the Iron Fist Empire existedor used to existand was a C-Grade faction at the time of the vision. He knew the bare-chested mans identityBaron Longformand the circumstances surrounding the battle.

    Was there a reason for these differences, or were all Dao Visions random? Were there different kinds? And, if so, which was better? A vision focused on the Dao, or one focused on a skill? Or was the skill just a stepping stone to a Dao Root?

    The third and final difference was the intimacy of the vision. When the bald man punched, Jack was only a watcher. When the bare-chested man unleashed his aura, Jack was affected. He felt it deep in his soul. He experienced the terror of violence that the aura brought. Perhaps the nature of the Dao Vision had shielded him from the auras full effectseven immortals had fallen like fliesbut he had still experienced it himself.

    Presumably, that would make understanding it easier. But it would also make watching the vision harder. The aura was a deeply unpleasant feeling, like sinking into a nightmare you had no control over.

    Jack wouldnt be stopped by mere fear. But he wouldnt rush into the vision more than necessary, either. Not unless he had to.

    <em>Lets see, </em>he considered, closing his eyes to concentrate. He tried to remember the feeling of the aura. <em>Terror. Violence. Like being held down by a butcher you cannot overpower, like being trapped between a hungry lions jaws. Being at the mercy of someone else. Running from a nightmare, but no matter how hard you try, you remain at the same spot, and the monster approaches from behind.</em>

    <em>And then what?</em>

    He came up short.

    <em>Man, I wish I had a coffee.</em>

    The Dao had a hint of magic in it. It transformed feelings, thoughts, and emotions into reality. Jacks Dao of the Fist was the physical incarnation of his resolve to fight, his belief in his power, his determination to survive and triumph, his love for violence. By simply channeling those thoughts, Jack gained ess to the power of the Dao of the Fist, which he then utilized by staying true to its path.

    In a way, pursuing the Dao was a long process of understanding the world, understanding yourself, then angling yourself to look at the world through a specific perspective.

    Dao Skills, in turn, were an application of ones Dao, a particr train of thoughts and emotions that resonated with the Dao. They were like miniature Dao Roots.

    Jacks Meteor Punch was an explosion of power and violence, his determination to break the enemy. The Iron Fist Style was a Dao Skill that epassed all physicalponents of his Dao.

    Therefore, toprehend what the Dao Vision was trying to teach him, he needed more than just a superficial understanding. It was extreme terror in the enemy leading to increased power for the wielder, yes. But how, exactly, did that work? What triggers were pulled in their minds?

    Jack decided to break it into two parts. Part one was projecting his intention to unleash violence and causing terror so extreme that the weaker enemies died outright. Part two was harnessing that terror for himself.

    <em>It feelsevil, somehow, </em>Jack realized. <em>Fiendlike. </em>There was a love for violence hidden deep in his soul. It was part of his Dao. Now, this new skill struck a chord close to that, which Jack usually kept hidden. He felt apprehensive.

    <em>But why? I am neither ashamed or afraid. I am simply myself.</em>

    There was no space for doubts in the path of the fist.

    Jack dived into the first part of the vision. It actually felt like the easy part, because he could already do something simr.

    More than once during the tournament, he had released an air of brutality around him. It was when he really wanted to beat up someone, like when he fought Shard Presht after realizing how fucked up things were, or when he decided to murder Rufus Emberheart.

    Shard Presht had flinched, and the spectators had seemed terrified both times. Even Rufus Emberhearts final mistake could be attributed to his fear, which was partly a result of Jacks unwavering determination to kill him or die trying.

    In other words, this skill would be great for eliminating arge number of weaker opponents or weakening strong ones. Being able to activate it at will would certainlye in handy.

    In fact, people didnt need the Dao to achieve this. When someone was enraged, the minds of everyone in the vicinity rang with rm bells. It was a survival instinct developed through evolution.

    <em>Is the skill building on top of that? </em>Jack wondered. <em>Hmm. How, exactly, do people broadcast their rage? Tense bodies? Wide eyes? Gnashed teeth? Shouting?</em>

    <em>No. Those are mundane things. They can maybe lead me to a skill, but not a Dao skill. I need something deeper.</em>

    <em>Is it the feeling? Do I need to embrace my intent to maul the enemy?</em>

    <em>Okay. Lets take another look at the vision.</em>

    Jacks world faded away

    Jared, a voice came from the ceiling. Jared. Are you there?

    Jack opened his eyes, letting the vision dissipate before it could begin. He sighed. Yes, Captain?

    Dordok couldnt hear himthough he could, if he wanted to. He also didnt need a speaker to reach Jack. He just didnt spread his senses to this room to respect Jacks personal space.

    Well, I hope you can hear me. Come to my cabin. We have to talk.

 Chapter 117: Horde

    Chapter 117: Horde

    Captain? Jack said, knocking on the door. As the captain had only called him, hed left Brock behind. Its Jared.

    I know. Come in.

    Jack pulled the handle, opening the door. The captains cabin was a tidy mess of color. The walls were built to resemble polished wood, as were the floor and ceiling. A small window was at the side, circr and made to look like a fenester.

    The floor was covered by a sideways, oblong carpet of concentric rings. Finally, an oldmp hung from the ceiling, flickering with yellow light.

    Trophies mounted the walls, most of them parts of monsters the captain had personally in. There was also a cupboard with souvenirs whose significance eluded Jacka snow ball, a rusty gear, a miniature of a ship, a little doll, and many others.

    At the back of the office stood a solid, heavy-looking, wooden desk, and behind it sat Captain Dordok, lounging on a wide chair and scribbling on a parchment with a feathered quill. He raised his gaze as Jack walked in.

    Jack took this in all at once. You asked to see me, captain?

    Yes. Take a seat.

    The captain seemed to be in an excellent mood. His square teeth shed a smile, his orange skin was shiny, and his one eye glimmered with joy.

    <em>Oh no. Did Vlossana get to him, too?</em>

    Jack grabbed one of the two chairs before the desk and made himselffortable.

    Are you enjoying the trip, Jared? the captain asked.

    As much as I can, Jack replied cautiously. The view still awes me, thepany is pleasant, and cultivation is a good way to pass the time.

    Im surprised to hear that. Not many enjoy cultivation. They find it a tedious, boring, exhausting experience that sucks them dry for little to no benefit.

    Is the strength to crush mountains a little to no benefit?

    The captain smirked. It can seem so. Most people have to spend decades on a single insight, going over the same thoughts again and again to find one tiny mistake. It drives them us crazy.

    Jack pictured that. It was not pretty.

    You see, Jared, the captain continued, not everybody advances at breakneck speed. Bless your lucky stars. And dont waste your talents. He blink-winked.

    Yes, captain, Jack replied, puffing out his chest. He made a mental note to show off less. He didnt want to attract any more attention than necessary.

    Good. But I did not call you here for that. I am happy that youre enjoying your time on the Trampling Ram. I also find you satisfactory as a crew member, at least for now. Therefore, it is time to discuss your payment.

    Payment? I thought taking me to the Brian Outpost was payment enough. Thats what wed discussed, no?

    The captainughed. It was a deep, rumbling sound, like rocks rolling down a hill. It filled the little room and Jacks heart all the same..

    I only said that to send you away, boy, Dordok finally said, wiping away arge tear. I did find it strange that you werent put off. Then again, youre newly-Integrated; how could you know how things work?

    I dock experience, captain, Jack replied, nodding.

    For a middle E-Grade guard, the normal fee is five thousand credits a month, the captain exined. His eye shone with that glimmer of fierce intelligence again, the one that was usually hidden under carefree, simple-minded conduct. I could give you more. However, given the circumstances of your arrival and the secrecy you carry, I believe that sticking to the five thousand is the fair choice.

    Jack considered denying the secrecy part, but there was no point. Plus, he really didnt want to. His responsibility to his people might be stronger than his guilt, but the nicer the captain became, the harder it was for Jack.

    Absolutely, captain. In fact, we could even go lower. Truth is, I am in such a rush to reach the Brian Outpost that I wouldnt mind traveling for free.

    The captain shook his head. We cant have that. I take pride in being generous, and I cant let a rut whos still wet behind the ears spoil that. Five thousand it is.

    Then, thank you, Captain, Jack said, lowering his head in gratitude. A new pang of guilt seared his heart. The captain and everyone in the ship were being so good to him, and he was putting them all in danger to save himself.

    But what choice did he have?

    No big deal, Dordok replied, reclining in his chair. Besides, youre going to need that money soon.

    I will?

    You will. Its been almost two weeks now, and were approaching our next stop: the Amethyst Mountain. Ever heard of it?

    Jacks eyes shone. No.

    Its a dock built at the top of a lush mountain. Pretty practical if you ask me, since starshipse from the sky. Its on Earth-321. And the town can be quite novel for young people such as yourself, so Id rmend taking Vashter and Achilles and going for a stride. Maybe Vlossana, toothe girl could use somepany.

    Has she been pestering you too, captain?

    Like you cannot imagine. They exchanged a pain-filled gaze. Thank the System you came along. At least I get some moments of peace now. Jacks gaze turned to one stunned by utter betrayal.

    The captainughed again, then continued. As I was saying, you could use some fresh air after being cooped up in here for weeks. Well only stay for three hours, so I expect you to make the most of it.

    Yes, Captain.

    Dordok must have seen the disappointment in his face. I would normally dock for a couple days at least, but were booked for a fast trip. Theres no time to waste. I believe that coincides with your interests, as well?

    It does, Jack replied. I can handle some istion. Reaching the Outpost quickly is more important. I can just cultivate to pass the time. Besides, traveling in space isnt that bad.

    Of course it isnt. In any case, our stop will be short and hopefully uneventful. If nothing goes wrong, well be there in two hours.

    Dont say that, captain, Jack replied,ughing. What could possibly go wrong?

    A knock on the door interrupted whatever the captain was going to say next. Bomn, a voice came from outside.

    Come in, Dordok replied.

    Bomn entered the room. He looked evenrger here. His horns scraped the ceiling, almost carving trenches in the captains woody paint, and his width almost matched the doors. However, despite his size, the aura he exuded was one of calmness, like a still pond. Jack felt at peace.

    It was the exact opposite of the bloodthirsty beast he became during battle.

    Bomn nodded at Jack and the captain both, then took a seat opposite Jack. Unarmed, of course.

    Wee, Bomn, the captain said. Jared here was just telling me he wants to see the mines under the dock on Amethyst Mountain. If youre interested, you could take him, Achilles, Vashter, and Vlossana for a tour. The mines are too dangerous for just them.

    Bomn thought about it for a moment. Okay.

    Not a man of many words, Bomn. But he was strong and kind-hearted. Jack still remembered how, on their departure from Pearl Bay, Bomn had traveled farther away than necessary before warping. It was to give Jack a chance to enjoy the scenery.

    After traveling on the Trampling Ram for a while, Jack had realized there were two groups of people. The seniors, which included the captain, Bomn, andmore reluctantlyCount Plomer, and then were the rest of them. In theory, Bomn should be hanging out with the captain when theynded, not with the kids.

    However, Jack had once been a PhD studentstill was, technicallyso he realized why the captain was putting Bomn in this position. He was training him to be the next captainthe first mate. If anything happened to Captain Dordok, Bomn would take over, and he ought to have the crews trust and loyalty by then.

    Since he didnt talk much, protecting and leading them through dangerous areas ought to do the trick. It was a bonding exercise.

    Very well, Dordok said joyfully, pping his hands. Thats all. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed.

    Actually, Jack cut in, drawing both their gazes, there is something Ive been nning to ask you, Bomn. If you dont mind.

    The minotaur inclined his head, giving Jack the go-ahead.

    Well, Ive been struggling with a new skill recently, and I thought you could maybe weigh in a bit. Its about inciting terror in your enemies, and well Ive seen you fight.

    The captain beamed at the suggestion. Since he was looking for ways to assert Bomn over the crew, this fit like a good shoe.

    Bomn himself considered it for a moment, then nodded. Come, he said.

    He stood and headed for the door. Jack threw the captain a hasty nce and a nod before following. Surprisingly, Dordok himself was behind them. Perhaps he was curious. Or bored.

    They followed Bomn to the main room, seeing stars all around. Vashter was reclining on a chair, dozing off, but he jumped to his feet the moment everyone entered.

    Easy, Vashter, the captain said,ughing. Bomn has some things to show Jack.

    Vashter hesitated for a moment.

    I dont mind you staying, Jack said quickly. Bomn nodded too, and Vashter rxed a bit, though he remained upright in his seat.

    What is this about? he asked curiously.

    Surprisingly, Bomn was the first to respond. Bloodlust.

    Suddenly, gone was the calm Bomn. A beast stood before Jack, a minotaur drenched in the blood of his enemies and desperately thirsting for more. He was a monster of muscle and violence, a relentless yer of men, a gigantic, bipedal, red-eyed bull. From the side, Vashter gasped, and the sound of a tumbling chair followed soon.

    Jack didnt expect the change toe so abruptly. Bomns pressure washed over him, a Dao far stronger than Jacks, and he backpedaled for two steps before steadying himself.

    His fists balled on reflex. His eyes widened. Power coursed through his veins, pumping him up. Though his heart shook like a leaf, he stood defiantly against Bomns presence like a tree to a storm.

    A momentter, he caught himself. Bomn reverted to his normal self. This? he asked.

    Jack had to blink a few times. His body was filled with tension like he was about to enter a battle. Bomns aura had been simr to the bare-chested mans, but only to a degree. It was infinitely weaker. Jack could stand against itthough his heart was flooded by primitive fear, he hadnt copsed like the people did in the vision.

    And there was also another difference, one that Jack couldnt quite put his finger on, but he knew was important.

    Yes, kind of like this, he finally replied. But I was hoping to ask you some questions about the specifics, actually. You see, I have a Dao Vision about this skill, and

    Something changed in the air. Jacks skin stung with pinpricks. He turned around to find that Captain Dordoks smile had been wiped off, and his eyes were dangerously narrow. The power of a D-Grade immortal rolled out of his body, most of it contained, but even the barest hints were enough to make Jack sweat.

    For a moment, Jack thought the captain was participating in their demonstration. Then, he realized that his eyes were lost in the distant stars.

    Every hand on deck. Grab your weapons, the captain said. His voice was projected over the entire starship. We face a horde.

 Chapter 118: Facing the Horde

    Chapter 118: Facing the Horde

    Horde? Jack asked, starting to get worried. Whats that?

    The captain didnt reply. His eye increasingly wide, he rushed to the bridge, mming the door open and not bothering to close it. Jack got a good look for the first time.

    A ram-headed rod upied the middle of the room, rising from the floor in the center of a circle of glowing runes. Arge screen in front of it showed a three-dimensionalpass, a map folded in on itself multiple times, and several buttons and switches with no indication of their purpose. The only thing Jack recognized was arge sonar that took up an entire walltwo sonars, in fact, which showed slightly different things. The details werent important right now.

    What <em>was </em>important were the dozen red dots heading their way. Fast.

    Jack got a glimpse of everything before the captain fell on the ram-head, pushing it forward all the way. Its eyes red blue. The ships space stabilization flickered a bit. Jack felt the floor shaking under his feet. They elerated hard. All hands on deck! the captain called again, his strained voice echoing throughout the ship.

    Achilles shed in the main room, holding the handle of his saber. Captain! he shouted.

    We have a horde! Dordok roared back. Heed mymands. Bomn, take the helm and get us the hell out of here. Achilles, Vashter, take the helmets and be ready to defend the ship. Jared, youre the backup. Be ready to rece whoever gets injured.

    Yes, Captain! Achilles, Vashter, and Jack roared at the same time, while Bomn raised his head and released a mighty bellow. Brock arrived then, rushing beside Jack and waiting to help however he could. Vlossana and her father camest, entering the main room just as Vashter and Achilles charged the secondary exit room. They could put on their helmets and rush out at a moments notice.

    Whats happening!? Count Plomer asked in a tired yetmanding voice.

    A horde, sir, Jack replied, looking out the windows, though he couldnt help but wonder: A horde of <em>what?</em>

    The stars answered. Suddenly, purple dots appeared in the star-lit darkness, growingrger quickly. A green dot was in their middle. Jack gasped.

    But they had the captain. An immortal. No matter how many space monsters appeared, he could handle them, right?

    Captain Dordok stepped into the main room just as Bomn reached the bridge, still keeping the door open. He kept the ram-head at its farthest position, the equivalent of stepping on the gas, and nced between the screens and indications with utmost focus. asionally, he flicked a switch or pressed a button.

    No need to panic, the captains authoritative voice reached everyone. He spoke to Count Plomer. Bomn is an outstanding pilot. If anyone can outrun the monsters, its him.

    And what if he cant? the count asked.

    Then, we fight.

    Jack looked around. The flurry of activity had died down, at least temporarilythe purple dots were still growing in his vision. Whats a horde? he braved a question.

    Space monsters are solitary, the captain replied quickly. But when a D-Grade monster appears, it tends to form a horde and rove space in search of food.

    A D-Grade monster!?

    Exactly. The captain nodded somberly. I should be able to handle it, but D-Grade battles are not simple. I will need some time to beat it. Until then, the four of you are responsible for protecting us against the thirteen E-Grade monsters. Who knew your practice would pay off so soon.

    But

    Pray that you dont need to fight. None of us should, actually; there is only half an hour until were ready to warp. They shouldnt catch up by then

    But?

    But they might. His one eye darkened. So prepare yourself forbat.

    Jack nodded. He wasnt unfamiliar with the concept. However, for the first time, he wasnt the strongest of the group, but the weakest. The backup. He chuckled darkly.

    The captain nced at him, visibly surprised by hisposure, but said nothing.

    Brock crossed his arms and waited. Vlossana hopped from foot to foot. Count Plomer looked exhausted. By the Immortals he muttered. Are the gods determined to destroy me?

    Tense silence fell in the ship. Everyone waited with bated breath, watching the purple dots growing steadily. Jack could now make out iling tentacles, but not on the middle-most dotthe green one. That one looked to be of simr size to the others, but an extra flicker of green asionally shed at its sides, something that Jack couldnt quite make out.

    Ten minutes passed. Fifteen minutes.

    The dots were close enough to make out clearly. They were faster than the ship, and their leader was especially so. It seemed muchrger than the others, not because it actually wasrger, but because it was closer.

    Captain Dordoks gaze got grimmer by the second.

    Twenty minutes.

    The leading space monster had approached enough that Jack could make out its shape. It wasnt a blob. It resembled a green crocodile. The extra flicker of green that Jack had noticed was its tail, moving from side to side as the crocodile swam through space at a speed that would put Earths spacecrafts to shame.

    It opened its mouth to roar, and the entire ship shook, though no sound reached them.

    In position! the captain roared.

    Jack gulped. This crocodile pressured him by merely approaching. He understood that, the moment it reached them, the captain would have to go out and dobat. The ship would have to stop or decelerate significantlythey couldnt abandon himand the rest of the space monsters would catch up quickly.

    They hadnt been able to outrun the monsters. They would have to fight.

    Twenty-five minutes.

    The crocodile had almost reached them by now. Jack could make out the gaps between its teeth, the depths of its throat as it opened wide to bite on them, the glimmer of hunger in its reptilian eyes.

    <em>CULTIVATORS! </em>a voice that shouldnt exist rang in their heads. Count Plomer screamed and cupped his ears. He was only F-Grade. Vlossana was at his side, but there was nothing she could do. <em>GIVE ME YOUR DAO!</em>

    Captain Dordok drew his steel greatclub. The air sparked around him. A sense of oppression filled the ship, like being in the presence of a God. An immortal. Jack held his breath.

    The moment the captain drew his weapon, he was out for blood. We only need tost five minutes, he said calmly, but his voice permeated the space, alleviating Count Plomers pain. I believe in you, everyone. Make me proud.

    His form blurred. Jacks eyes barely caught him rushing through the film of the secondary exitwithout a helmet. He was facing space with his bare body.

    The crocodiles jaws mped shut, and a steel greatclub met them head-on. The entire ship shook and tumbled through space by the force of the collision, sending the chairs and books of the library to the ground.

    Jack felt invincible power wash over him. He felt the urge to kneel. Immortals he whispered, breathless. This is what a battle between immortals looks like

    Next to him, Brock had eyes as wide as saucers, fully captivated by the power in disy.

    <em>GIVE ME YOUR DAO! </em>the crocodile screamed in their minds again, but it was muted this time. There was no pain. The captain was keeping them safe.

    <em>The only thing youll get,</em> his voice filled everyones head like arge wave about to crash, <em>is death.</em>

    The crocodile roared and darted forward, its tail propelling it through the void. The captain stood tall, his body bursting with incredible power. Compared to the massive crocodile, he was like an ant. He swung. Greatclub met teeth. Space dipped and rippled between them, straining to handle the aftermath of the collision. The explosion of Dao made Jack feel like a shaky boat in a storm.

    The captain represented Strength. His every swing was unstoppable, his every attack irrefutable. His tattered cloak fluttered behind him. As he stood there, hemanded space itself.

    The crocodile was an amalgamation of different Daos without any rhyme or reason. Jack thought he sensed speed in there, along with a sharp sense of hunger. It was difficult to distinguish. But whatever its Dao was, the crocodile held its own. It bit down again and again, shrugging off hits that could have leveled mountains. Its tail swung faster than Jack could see, and it surrounded the captain as a shark would circle a bloodied swimmer at sea.

    Their every collision carried incredible force, like hundreds of Meteor Punches exploding at once. Jack was d they were thousands of feet away. Even the aftermath of their attacks made the ship feel unsteady.

    Wow! Vlossana cried out, her face stuck to the window. Jack wondered if she had any sense of self-preservation at all. No wonder that crocodile caught up to us! Its a high D-Grade!

    High D-Grade? Jack raised both brows. How do you know?

    Easy, silly. Dordok is high D-Grade as well!

    Jack turned back to the battle. They werent just immortals; they were <em>strong </em>immortals. No wonder they felt sogodly.

    <em>Wow The captain was a high D-Grade all along</em>

    Jack believed her, but he couldnt help but wonder. Immortals were highly revered across the gxy. Every step further signified a tremendous change. The captain should have exponentially higher status than most immortals, who were already sky-high So why was he riding a starship in the middle of nowhere, hanging out in dock bars and ferrying passengers across the constetion?

    <em>Does he love sailing that much?</em>

    Wait! he suddenly yelled, realizing something. If the crocodile is that strong How strong must its horde be?

    Vlossanas eyes widened in terror. As the ship had slowed to a crawl, the other space monsters had almost reached them already. Jack inspected thergest ones.

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 121</strong>

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 113</strong>

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 107</strong>

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 91</strong>

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 78</strong>

    There were three high E-Grade monsters, two middle E-Grade, and eight low E-Grade. Thirteen in total. The Trampling Ram had one high E-Grade and two middle E-Grade, along with Jack as a backup.

    Theparison didnt look good.

    Everyone else must havee to the same conclusion. The ship came to a stop as Bomn barreled out of the room. Jared! he bellowed. When the red light turns green, press the big green button!

    It was the most words Jack had ever heard him speak, but the situation had no room for dys. Understood! he shouted back. Bomn rushed to the secondary exit room. Jack looked outside the window, seeing Achilles and Vashter floating side by side. They faced the iing horde with bravery, just a hundred feet away from the ship.

    Wait. Theres no third helmet! he shouted at Bomn, but the minotaur ignored him and jumped through the protective film anyway. He reached space, enduring it with his bare body, but it was clearly a struggle. His eyes widened for a moment before he pushed through, appearing just in front of the two feshkurs.

    He can do that!? Jack asked in shock.

    Wow! Vlossana cried out.

    He cant, Count Plomers grim voice reached them. They turned to look at his resigned face. Bomn is only at the high E-Grade. Even if hes stronger than most of his level, its not enough to survive in space. Every second out there is harming him But what choice does he have?

    Jacks heart reached his throat. Bomn had been nice to him on multiple asions. He swiveled to look outside, but he had to admit that the count was right. Even with those three protecting the ship, it was a herculean task. With only twoit would be downright impossible.

    Jack clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms. He hadnt been with these people for a long time, but he desperately wanted to be out there and fight as well. They were protecting him, risking their lives for him without a moments hesitation.

    And he had lied to them. He had dragged them into danger without their knowledge. If the Animal Kingdom discovered he was on board, which they might, who knows what they would do to the Trampling Ram and its crew.

    Jack had never felt shittier. If they made it out alive, he swore to tell them everything, and damned be the consequences. They deserved to know. And if Earth wanted his protection, then he would make the decision on Earths behalf. They would not survive like this.

    A life built on corpses was not worth living.

    However, as he saw it, they wouldnt even get there. Just how were Bomn, Achilles, and Vashter supposed to face thirteen space monsters by themselves?

    Bomn bellowed. His entire body burned blood-red, and the edge of his greataxe seemed so sharp and brutal that Jack instinctively wanted to look away. Achilles drew his saber, ready to fight to the death. Vashter gripped his mace, whose head glowed with silver light.

    The space monsters arrived, a screeching mass of writhing tentacles. The two sides collided. Combat ensued.

 Chapter 119: Trampling Ram vs. Space Monsters

    Chapter 119: Trampling Ram vs. Space Monsters

    The Trampling Ram flew forward as the three defenders stood on top of it. Bomn, Achilles, and Vashter stared down a horde of space monsters. To the side, Captain Dordok was desperately fighting to prevent the D-Grade monster from approaching the ship.

    As they needed to stay close to the fighting captain, the ships speed had decreased significantly, letting the other monsters reach them. They were purple blobs of power, and each was surrounded by an arbitrary number of tentacle-like appendages.

    Bomn bellowed. Blood-red light swimmed over his body, and the edge of his greataxe seemed so sharp and brutal that Jack instinctively wanted to look away. Achilles drew his saber, ready to fight to the death. Vashter gripped his mace, whose head glowed with silver light.

    The space monsters fell on them. The defenders jumped off. They shed. The impact shook the ship, making Brock grab a wall to steady himself.

    Jack watched the battle from the bridge with wide eyes.

    Bomn was a menace. He swung his greataxe in wide swings, using unstoppable force to cleave through space monsters like butter. Two were pushed away, and anothera low E-Grade onewas cleanly shed in half. Bomn roared harder, the Dao carrying his voice where space could not. As he stood there, a tall, steady form above a writhing mass of tentacles, he filled Jacks sight.

    Three monstersthe high E-Grade onessplit off from the horde to rise and face him. They had sensed his power. They hungered for it. Each had at least six tentacles, and they shot out at Bomn like hail.

    He did not falter. His dodges were few. The brunt of his defense came in the form of his greataxe, which he swung at the forest of tentacles with a massive bellow. Blood-red, sharp light shone around its edge, making Jacks eyes sting just from watching.

    Technically, each of these monsters should be able to fight Bomn one-on-one. However, when all three of them attacked at once, he held them back. His greataxe cleaved through their tentacles, sending the tips flying. He shed down, hacking off five tentacles, then changed his grip and shed upward, slicing another three. The monsters screamed and screeched as they dove for him, but he flew backward, keeping them at bay with sheer strength.

    Clearly, Bomn was not a normal high E-Grade. But even he could not face three opponents at the same time. The monsters roared. Their tentacles regenerated. Their onught intensified.

    A third bellow left Bomns mouth, and this time, his entire body shone red. Jack was looking at a butcher. An executioner. Rage and violence oozed out of him so abundantly they were almost physical, and even the mindless space monsters didnt dare approach too much. They kept their distance and pummeled him with tentacles, slowly but surely whittling him down.

    After all, not only was Bomn fighting the three of them by himself, but he also didnt have a helmet. He had to use part of his Dao to keep the void at bay.

    Achilles was facing the two middle E-Grade monsters. His saber carried deadly sharpness and great strength. His swings were violent. He dodged some tentacles and shed at others, cutting them clean from the root. However, no matter how many he severed, more appeared, and he did not possess the strength to dive in and inflict meaningful damage.

    Regardless, he persisted. He couldnt beat the two monsters, but he wouldnt lose, either. All they had to do was protect the ship for five minutes. Then, the warp would be ready, and they would be out of here.

    With three monsters upied by Bomn, two by Achilles, and one killed at the start by Bomn, that left seven of them, all low E-Grade.

    And they were all stopped by Vashter.

    Individually, he was stronger than each of his opponents. But he was one, and they were seven. Their tentacles blotted the stars, and their gaping maws sought to devour him.

    Vashter danced among the tentacles, using his mace to break through any openings he could find. Unfortunately, the tentacles were simply too many. He was surrounded. Attacks rained on him, each small in power, but they added up. More importantly, every hit sent him off bnce, leading to even more attacksnding.

    The seven monsters had surrounded Vashter and pelted him with all their power. They resembled a pack of wolves that had managed to iste a particrly durable bison. Vashter did his best, and he remained whole for now, but he was surrounded by predators, and even defending was a tall task.

    His mace danced regardless. Silver light filled red on every hit. Tentacles were smacked aside, his weapon blurring. He was ying whack-a-mole, except on all sides at once, and the moles were too many.

    He managed to break off a few tentaclesthe low E-Grade monsters couldnt regeneratebut for every tentacle he broke, five pped his body, tossing him around like a ragdoll.

    Getting overwhelmed was a matter of time. The question was, was that time longer than five minutes?

    Inside the ship, Jacks teeth-gritting intensified. He had half a mind to jump out and shield his body as Bomn was doing, but he knew that was impossible. He simply didnt have the power. Theck of pressure would twist him into a dead strawman in a heartbeat, and the cold would freeze the blood in his veins.

    But he wanted to help so fucking much. These guys were putting their lives on the line to protect him, and he could only watch from the sidelines like some weakling.

    Hey. A soft hand touched his shoulder. Turning, he met Vlossanas earnest, sapphire eyes. Its okay.

    Jack wrestled down the urge to shake her off. Im fine, he responded, turning to watch the battle. She didnt reply. Her hand didnt leave his shoulder, and Jack slowly felt his weight lessening, eptanceing faster than it should.

    He turned back to Vlossana. Is that a skill? he demanded.

    She smiled. Emotional Daos have many uses.

    I appreciate it, but please stop. I can control myself. I wont disrespect their battle by turning my eyes away.

    She seemed hurt at this. I know you can control yourself, she said. Im simply reducing the pain.

    Jack shook his head. Dont. Thank you, but this is enough.

    She hesitated for a moment, then lifted her hand. Jacks mental turmoil returned in full, his helplessness, but he stood tall through it. Emotions were the crucible on which the mind grew, and weakness was the way to strength.

    Master Shol had taught him that.

    Jack simply remained still, keeping one eye on the battle, another on the red warp light, and his hands on the ram head, tilting it slightly forward so the ship didnt stop advancing.

    It was a good thing the E-Grade space monsters were mindless. Otherwise, they could have split up and destroyed the ship as well. All of them would die.

    Vashter was struggling. One of his legs was bent oddly, and his entire body must have been covered in bruises under his clothes. Who knew how many bones were broken or fractured.

    But he continued to fight. At least, he had protected his helmet. His mace drew silver lines around himself, exploding on any tentacle that came close. More tentacles pushed through, but he persisted, his eyes filled with a wild, unyielding look.

    <em>Holy shit, </em>Jack realized. <em>He just might die.</em>

    The n was for anyone too injured to retreat so Jack could take over. He was a backupbut that was a lie. If he had to fill in for either of the feshkurs, let alone Bomn, he would die in seconds. He was the weakest member of the crew. If they couldnt handle it, neither could he, and his helplessness was enraging.

    He yearned to fight. Purple light red on his fists as his fighting spirit rose, and he noticed that Vlossana had taken several steps back as if afraid.

    He looked back outside. Besides Vashter, Bomn was struggling, too. The three high-level monsters were gaining on him, forcing him to basically fight while retreating. His sleeves were torn, he was panting, and blood oozed from every orifice on his facethe result of staying in space too long without a helmet.

    His greataxe swings came slower, but each remained equally dominating, keeping the monsters back at all costs. He was losing, but he did not let them advance. Perhaps he couldst until the warp.

    Only Achilles was in a better situation. He could fight the monsters equally, but he could not push them back, though he unleashedrge attacks at every opportunity. His grip was white around his sabers handle. He knew he had to help Vashter, but he couldnt.

    Two minutes remained until the warp.

    Captain Dordok was still fighting the crocodile in the distance. He only had one opponent, but it was no joke. The crocodile was simr to him in strength. They exchanged titanic strikes that made Bomns greataxe seem like a toy. Space rippled in waves around them, the stars behind them lost their luster.

    Captain Dordok was only lightly injured, smashing his steel greatclub into the crocodile as many times as he could. Every strike was strong enough to make Jack flinch. The crocodile itself was in a worse state, green Dao leaking from several wounds on its body, but its eyes hadnt lost their hunger.

    It could speak, but it remained a mostly mindless beast. It would not retreat. It would either feast or die.

    The captain was infuriated. His face was warped into an expression of pure rage, and he leaned his entire body into each attack he made. His crew needed him, but if he drew the crocodile to them, everyone would die. He had to kill it first, and he was not fast enough.

    But maybe they couldst.

    One minute remained until the warp.

    Jack watched the battles with rapt attention. He always kept one eye on the warp light, too, and his hand was ready to smack the button at a moments notice. The warping wouldnt be instantaneous. Bomn and the captain would have time to return, though barely, and the two feshkurs were connected to the ship through their helmets. The warp would drag them along.

    Suddenly, silver light red in the middle of the melee. Vashter shot out like a cannonball, flying for the ship at full speed. He was bleeding from several ces, and his face was warped by pain.

    His eyes scanned the windows to find Jack.

    Brock! Jack shouted. You heard the instructions. Take over!

    He dashed away as Brock grabbed the ram-shaped helm and stared at the persistent red light.

    Jack reached the secondary exit room just as Vashter flew in, crashing against the far wall. There was no time to lose. Jack ripped the helmet from the feshkurs head, pped it on his, and jumped out. The protective film barely had time to manifest. The familiar disorientation of space hit him in an instant, but his adrenaline-filled mind pulled through.

    Seven space monsters were hot on Vashters heels. Seeing them screaming and charging, endless tentacles iling, Jack understood why the feshkur had been in such a bad shape. There was no way he could keep track of so many attacks.

    Jack grimaced, but he was ready. He only had tost for a few moments. He could do this.

    He roared and dived into the beasts. Meteor Shower! he screamed. The sound remained in his helmet, ringing in his ears. His fists red purple as they smashed into the void, again and again, over and over, sending a rain of meteors at the monsters.

    They were barely slowed. No matter how fast Jack punched, the monsters had over twenty tentacles in total. His meteors were pped aside or endured. Some missed. One was dodged.

    Fear gripped his heart as he watched their advance, but survival instinct prevailed.

    The monsters fanned around Jack, trying to surround him. If that happened, he was dead. He quickly flew to the side, using Meteor Punches to propel himself faster. He triedand seededto draw the monsters away from the ship. If it got damaged, they were all dead.

    As he ran, his Meteor Punches still flew at the monsters, slowing them down a littleenough, hopefully. But they were gaining ground. They were far more proficient at moving through space, and much faster, even though Jack was individually stronger than any of them.

    He lost track of time. His entire being focused on survival. Everything else faded away. The seconds stretched into eons.

    His existence became a constant check around him for tentacles, punching, and retreating. He didnt have the stamina to shoot out endless Meteor Punches. He was already getting tired, and it had only been a few seconds. His arms had slowed imperceptibly, and that allowed the monsters to close the distance at twice the speed.

    <em>I wont make it, </em>he realized. Perhaps it had only been ten seconds. Perhaps it had been thirty. He had no idea, and not knowing brought a greater fear than the space monsters themselves. They towered over him, their tentacles swinging wildly and their bulbous bodies ripping open to swallow him whole.

    Their tentacles were almost on him.

    In the corner of his eye, Jack saw one of the monsters break off. It flew to the side, screeching and waving its tentacles through space. Relief flooded him before a thought urred.

    <em>Where is it going?</em>

    He braved a nce. He saw Achilles, absorbed in his fight against the two middle E-Grade monsters, not noticing the low E-Grade that now creeped towards him. The purple bastard had slowed down and wasnt screeching any longerit instinctively understood the concept of stealth.

    Jack felt so angry at this.

    ACHILLES! he screamed, but all he achieved was to bleed his own ears. He couldnt transmit his voice through space. He didnt know how.

    In that momentary pause, the space monsters had caught up. Their tentacles reached for him, slimy appendages of pure power. The ship still wasnt warping. There was no guarantee he would survive this, even if he focusedpletely on the battle.

    <em>Fuck me.</em>

    Jacks entire body red with the power of his Dao. This was his fault. He would save Achilles or die trying. And if the space monsters got in his way, he would destroy them.

    A formless ripple emanated from his body. The monsters paused. It was momentary, barely a blinks worth. But it was enough.

    Jack shot through their tentacles, dashing to the side. They followed immediately. Tentacles pped the space around him, passing inches by his skin. He swerved to the left and right, dodging desperately. Two attacksnded. They were heavy, like punches to the gut, but he grunted through the pain.

    He was looking backward, shooting out meteor punches to propel himself faster. Since he was in space, his speed kept mounting. He was elerating, but no force worked against him. There was no wind to indicate his speed, but he could see the ship flying sideways like an arrow. If this was Earth, he would have broken the sound barrier.

    He was so fast that he momentarily felt terrified, but he kept punching. He couldn''t be too fast, only too slow. He risked a nce behind him, where he was headed. The tentacle monster was right there. It raised a tentacle to ambush Achilles.

    Jack shot out a final meteor punch, then turned his body around, directly at the space monster. He no longer cared about his pursuershe couldnt afford it. A tentacle clipped his ankle, jolting him downward and bending his foot the wrong way. Another fell past his ear, missing him by sheer luck.

    Achilles sensed something and turned around. He saw a tentacle descending on his face at full force. He had no time to dodge. His eyes widened with terror.

    Jack screamed. The distance between him and the space monster evaporated. He was too fast.

    He mmed into it with his fists extended, channeling his Dao to make a meteor out of himself. The poor space monster couldnt even respond. He tore through it, breaking it like a bubble and disintegrating its tentacles, then rammed into one of the middle E-Grade monsters, destroying that one as well.

    Jack wasnt unhurt from the collision. His entire body was in pain, multiple bones were fractured or dislocated, and his mind was in disarray. It was like mming into water at five hundred miles per hour. Even his fists, which were augmented by several skills, had been twisted beyond recognition, the bones showing.

    The low E-Grade space monsters that hunted him fell on Achilles, who was suddenly in between. He shouted somethingJack could only see his lips movingand turned to face them.

    The second middle E-Grade monster towered over Jack. It would be a hard opponent if he had his full power. As he was, even F-Grades could defeat him. He was no match.

    The space monster screeched and brought a tentacle down on him. Jack moved his maimed hand, throwing out whatever little power he had left as a desperate means of escape, but he wasnt nearly fast enough.

    Space rippled around him. It tore. The tentacle fell on him, but a colossal power swept by, picking up Jack and carrying him towards the ship. He barely caught a glimpse of Captain Dordok, whose chest sported a long, bleeding wound.

    A second colossal power appeared immediately afterward. Large jaws snapped shut around Jack, each tooth the size of a hill.

    Space rippled, and Jack was no longer there. Neither was Captain Dordok. They had warped.

 Chapter 120: Revelation

    Chapter 120: Revtion

    Space cracked as the Trampling Ram pierced through it, sinking between its folds. Jacks helmet pulled him along. The crocodiles teeth snapped at nothing, and the tentacles of lower-level space monsters iled ineffectively.

    A frustrated roar was thest thing Jack heard before the darkness around them warped into a kaleidoscope, and they were hurtling through space from the outside.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 52.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 53.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 54.</strong>

    He had killed a low E-Grade monster and a middle E-Grade one,ting him three levels. It was a wee benefit, though it didnt pacify Jacks worries. He quickly invested the points in Physical and took in his status screen, which always gave him a sense of anchoring.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 54</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 204</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 204</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 204</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 23</strong>

    <strong>Will: 23</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Iron Fist Style (I)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    Jack took a trembling breath.

    He was still heavily injured, but he maintained enough rity to feel terrified. He was warping while <em>outside </em>the starship. That couldnt be good.

    Thankfully, Captain Dordok was right next to him. He grabbed Jack under his arm and flew to the Trampling Rams secondary exit, pushing him through first before entering himself.

    Jack fell to the floor and had to suppress a scream. His foot was broken, his fists were maimed, and he sported various cracked or dislocated bones. Truly, he was quite shit. At least his enhanced body kept him from losing consciousness.

    Captain Dordok appeared next to Jack in a sh and used the power of the Dao to levitate him. They stepped into the main room, which was filled with groans, moans, and the smell of blood. Brock rushed to Jack immediately, making concerned monkey sounds.

    A cupboard on the side had been opened to reveal three soft mattresses, which were now unrolled on the floor. Vashtery on one of them, groaning intermittently. He was worse than Jack thought. One of his arms hung limp at the side, the shoulderde jutting out of his back and wetting his shirt with blood. One of his legs was blue and bloated at the kneedespite the feshkurs gaunt bodyand his breaths came in short rasps. With every inhale, a low moan escaped his lips, and his chest trembledsomething was broken there.

    That he had fought with such injuries was beyondmendable.

    Bomn was sprawled on the next bed. His face was covered in frozen blood that stretched out of his nose and mouth. Even his eyes were marred by bloody tears. He was pale and shivering, and he looked so weak that Jack wondered how hed even made it back.

    It was thanks to these two that they had managed to survive, if barely. Had the warp been ten secondste, there was a good chance all of them would be dead.

    I am proud of you, Captain Dordok said. All of you. Though he was clearly strained, his injuries were light, same as Achilles. They didnt take a bed and instead stayed standing, attending to the injured. Vlossana was helping too, and so was Count Plomer.

    These injuries wont heal themselves, but dont worry. We escaped the horde. When the warp ends, well be less than an hour away from Earth-321 and Amethyst Mountain. We will find you medical assistance immediately.

    Vashter made pained noises of gratitude before Vlossana pushed him back down. No talking! she said cheerfully, pping his good shoulder. Only resting! Ill get you some chocteter.

    Jack had no idea where she would find that, but it was good to know that chocte was a thing outside Earth. Anything to keep his mind away from the pain.

    His broken foot was a pain he could handle. His minor injuries were just blips in the radar. But his hands Oh, that was pain. It felt like they were frozen and electrocuted at the same time. Continuously. He was pretty sure that enhancing his body had given him some pain resistance, because he could <em>sense </em>his nerves close to fraying from the constant, high-volume output.

    Not screaming was a struggle. But if Vashter could handle it, so could he.

    Achilles approached from the side. Jared, he said, looking Jack in the eye. They hadnt spoken much, but the honesty in his gaze was soothing. Thank you. You saved me back there.

    Itwasmyfault, Jack managed to grit out. Achilles shook his head.

    It was a battlefield. There was no guarantee the enemies would stick to their targets. I should have been more careful. He nced at the captain, who nodded in approval. A feshkur never forgets his favors. I owe you my life. One day, I will repay you.

    Jack tried to speak, but Captain Dordok beat him to the punch.

    Dont deny your bravery, he said. You couldnt even guarantee your own life, but you took a risk to save a friend. In my eye, this is loyaltythe most important quality of a crewmember.

    Without warning, Achilles stabbed a needle in Jacks thigh. Jack grunted in surprise. Next thing he knew, the pain was receding. It didnt disappear, but at least he could speak now. Captain Dordoks powers levitated Jack to the third mattress and let him down gently, sending a muted jolt of pain through his body.

    I had my doubts about you, Jared, the captain continued. Our crew is tight-knit because we do not ept others easily. We are strong, and we would all die for each other without a second thought. The Trampling Ram is our home and cradle. I only took you in because you showed promise, and you, my boy, proved me right at the very first opportunity you got. You saved Achilles; that means a lot.

    His face split into arge grin, uncaring about the grim situation they were in.

    From today onward, Jared, you really are a member of the crew. Wherever you go in your life, whatever happens, know that the Trampling Ram will always be a home for you. For anything you need, we will be there. And we hope you feel the same way.

    Jack pushed his lips against each other.

    I do not deserve such kind words he muttered.

    Of course you do! The captain roared inughter. Take pride in yourself, Jared. You did the right thing!

    Every word of the captain was a jab at Jacks heart. These people had been nothing but kind to him. They had epted him with open arms, respected him, been polite and friendly. They had risked their lives to protect him, and he had done the same.

    But he had been lying all along. The guillotine over his head was too massive. Anyone near him was at risk of getting cut, and he had thrown the Trampling Ram and its crew into danger to save himself and his.

    Perhaps it was the sedative, but the pain in Jacks heart eclipsed that of his hands.

    Captain he said in a trembling voice. He decided to open his heart. They deserved to know. I am sorry, Captain I have lied to you.

    Captain Dordok stopped in confusion. His celebratory smile faltered. What?

    I My name is not Jared. Its Jack. Jack Rust. I am hunted by some people, as you have suspected, but they arent weak. They are I dont know who they are, exactly, but theyre strong. Its the Animal Kingdom. I am hunted down by the Animal Kingdomor at least, there is a good chance I am.

    Everyone else had fallen silent. Captain Dordok didnt respond immediately. His one eye narrowed, filled with the glint of fierce intelligence that usually remained hidden.

    Tell me everything, he said in the end.

    Jack nced at Brock, who nodded, and started speaking. He told them everything. From the dungeon he spawned in, to Gan Salin in Valville, to the faction he had created, to the Integration Tournament. He spoke about the scions and how they treated the natives. How his conflict with them had started, and how it had escted. The times he had insulted them.

    The conclusion of the tournament, where he defied the C-Gradeary overseer and took what the Animal Kingdom had prepared for Rufus. How they dropped all pretense to kill him, but he killed them back. He murdered Rufus in front of the entire world, dragging the Animal Kingdoms face through the mud. That even theary overseer had acted against him at the very end, but had been blocked.

    How he was hiss greatest hope.

    His story took some time to tell. Space had stabilized around them, revealing new constetions in the distance, and Achilles had wordlessly gone to direct the ship towards Earth-321.

    Nobody interrupted Jack. Brock stayed by his side throughout, listening calmly. The captain kept a sharp stare on him, asionally nodding or tightening his jaw.

    By the end, the captains expression was grim.

    Thats all, Jack finished his story, filled with shame. He looked away, not daring to meet the captains eye.

    A few moments of silence went by as the captain considered his response. Nobody else spoke up. Eventually, Dordok said, So you plunged us all into danger.

    Yes, Jack admitted, not attempting to defend himself.

    Do you regret it?

    Jack didnt respond immediately. Finally, he said, I knew I was tricking you. I will not make excuses. I came here intending to sacrifice strangers to save my people. That was my choice, and I still believe it was reasonable at the time. But if I could go back now, with what I know about you I would tell you everything before we set off. I would let you make the call.

    And I would decline without a second thought, the captain replied.

    As you should. But thats fine. Everything is my fault, to begin with. I am the one who exposed my people to danger. I am the reason why they need saving. But despite that, if I am to save them, I simply cannot do it like this. I cannot backstab good people like you. I will walk my path, and I will either seed or die trying. The people I protect will fall or rise with me. He chuckled darkly, lost in regrets. I put them in danger, but I am ready to sacrifice them a second time in the name of morality. How fucked up is that?

    It is not, the captain replied, looking Jack straight in the eyes, though he did not look back. In deciding to ept you as their leader, those people agreed to follow you wherever you go and embrace your decisions, even if those decisions led to their death. They tied themselves to your carriage, epting that the carriage moves wherever it wants. If you want to antagonize the Animal Kingdom, they are in it with you. If you want to sacrifice some of them, they have already agreed to it.

    But I cant do that! Jack protested. I have a responsibility to them!

    You have many responsibilities, Dordok retorted, his voice steely. You cannot do everything at the same time. Sometimes, you have to let things go. You respect them and try to help them, but epting someone as your leader has consequences. These are the consequences. Followers are there to help you and be helped, not to shackle you. You have the responsibility to protect and help them rise, but they have the responsibility to ept your decisions and follow you wherever you go, even into death. If your path is honor or death, they will follow it without a word of protest. And if they didnt know what they were signing up for, or if they werent strong enough to make decisions for themselves, that is their fault.

    Thats Jack gritted his teeth. This was just too harsh. How can you think like that, captain?

    Because I am a leader, the cyclops said, standing slowly. And when you have been traveling the gxy for as long as I have, you will see the same truth. The world isnt soft or easy. Hard decisions need to be made all the time. And these hard decisions must often be shouldered by the people who believe in you.

    It was like a massive weight had appeared on the captains shoulders. His one eye was hazy, looking off into the distance, and his posture was slightly hunched. For a moment, he did not resemble a strong immortal, but a weary old man.

    The feeling disappeared as quickly as it hade, and Dordok was bursting with the steely authority of a captain. Watch me, Jack, he said, then turned around.

    Crew of the Trampling Ram, heed my words, he dered in a tone that brooked no disobedience. Jack lied to us, used us, and shoved us into danger. That will not go unpunished. However, he also fought with us, risked his life for us as we did for him, and saved one of us. We epted him as a member of this crew. We will remember his mistake, and we will punish him for it, but we will not abandon him to the tyrants of the constetion. He never had malice. He simply had no choice. And when he became one of us, he told us everything, putting himself at risk. He betrayed strangers, but he stayed loyal to the crew of the Trampling Ram. We will not be disloyal in return. As the captain, and as the eldest here by far, I say we let him stay.

    He swept the crew with his eyes. Bomns trembling voice was the first to answer. He pushed himself to sit up, then said, I trust you, captain.

    Achilles threw Jack aplex nce, then said, I trust you, captain.

    Vashter hesitated for a moment, gritting his teeth. The captains gaze lingered. Finally, he said, I trust you, captain.

    Jack couldnt believe what was happening. He expected to be berated, beaten up, and abandoned at the nearest. Maybe even surrendered to the Animal Kingdom. He had epted that his journey might end here.

    He never expected such a good conclusion. He almost couldnt believe thisand the guilt in his heart burned even hotter. Did he deserve this kindness?

    Good, Dordok replied, turning to Jack. This time, his eye was angry. You are a member of the crew. We will not abandon you or turn you in to save ourselves. However, know that our protection will be limited. Loyalty is important, but you have brought this upon yourself. If a C-Gradees here and asks for you, we will notmit suicide. Is that understood?

    Jack almost choked. The gxy was full of dictators, scions, and arrogant, power-driven overlordsbut it also hid people like Captain Dordok or Master Shol. People whose hearts were filled with genuine kindness.

    The world hadnt been nice to Jack since the Integration. Sometimes, it seemed like everyone was out to get him, and impossible obstacles filled his path But when it came to people like these, he felt so grateful that he had met them. They were his benefactors. He owed them everything.

    The Trampling Ram was a beautiful oasis in a harsh world.

    Thank you, he replied from the bottom of his heart. Through his pain, he bowed hos head. I will not drag you down. Even if they torture me, I swear that I will tell them nothing about you.

    Good. The captain nodded. Remember the kindness we have shown you. We will discuss this more after we provide medical care to Bomn and Vashteryou dont seem to need any.

    Jack blinked in surprise, then looked down. His foot had at some point righted itself, and the twisted bones in his hands were slowly setting themselves right. His chest wasnt in as much pain anymore. He wasnt in fighting condition yet, but he could walk. His regeneration was no joke.

    Wow, he said breathlessly.

    Thats an impressive skill, the captainmented. If you want to progress fast, it will be invaluablebut enough talk. Earth-321 is right there.

    Jack looked to the side, stillbing through his emotions. A blue shone in the distance, quickly increasing in size. The green strips on its surface unraveled into continents. It looked just like Earthhis Earthbut with even more water. It was rotating slowly, lending a new sense of majesty to the sight.

    Jack had seen a disappearing in the distance, but it was the first time he saw one approaching.

    Slow us down, Captain Dordok told Achilles, who was at the helm. One tenth of rtive speed. Amethyst Mountain is at the northern hemisphere, right where those two conti

    Whatever he said next was lost. A new voice flooded the starship, echoing in everyones ears with almost the same intensity as the crocodiles roar.

    Pilot of the Trampling Ram!

    It was a harsh,manding voice. Jack couldnt tell its gender.

    Stop the ship! the captain shouted, and the Trampling Ram stilled. Jack looked out of the window. Three figures appeared, quickly closing the distance from the. Each of them was garbed in ck, with a cape stretching behind them. Their faces were covered by green, opaque veils that fell from their foreheads.

    And all three of them were floating in space.

    They came to a stop a hundred feet away from the prow of the Trampling Ram. In the name of the Animal Kingdom, one of them spoke, surrender Jack Rust.

 Chapter 121: Piloting is Difficult

    Chapter 121: Piloting is Difficult

    In the name of the Animal Kingdom, surrender Jack Rust!

    The voice echoed through the starship,manding authority and arrogance. But who could me them? There were three immortals hovering before the Trampling Ram. Three!

    Inside the starship, everyone swiveled to look at Jack, then at the captain.

    Sons of bitches, Dordok cursed. They sent out Hounds to hunt a mere child!

    Hounds? Vlossana asked, her eyes forming into wide circles. Woooow.

    Hounds, Captain? Jack risked a question.

    The hunters of the Kingdom. The terror of the constetion. Captain Dordok gritted his teeth. But they only wear green veils. They have to show me respect.

    Captain, Bomn said in a warning voice, but Dordok raised an orange palm.

    Dont worry, he said. My strength matches theirs, and we done nothing wrong yet. They will not attack.

    Jack watched their exchange with wide eyes. Just a moment ago, hed revealed the truth to everyone, and he was so d about it. If he hadnt, there was no way he could survive this.

    However, also a moment ago, the captain had said they wouldntmit suicide for him. And contradicting the Animal Kingdom sounded a little too much like suicide.

    Thankfully, it seemed the captain had a way out of this.

    We have no idea who that is, the captain spoke in normal volume, yet his voice crossed the void to reach the Hounds, carrying the full force of a high D-Grade immortal.

    Come out immediately! the voice responded.

    One moment.

    The captain then turned to everyone inside, speaking quickly. The ss windows have obscuring properties when in space. They cannot see us. Listen closely. I will go out there and dy them for as long as I can. I will pretend to be angry and stubborn, as people often use cyclops of being, and I will also block their spiritual perception. Jack, you grab Brock, take one of the escape shuttles, and run to the.

    But they will see me.

    No. You will drive the shuttle away from the first, in such a direction that the Ram is always between you and them, so they cannot see you. Once far enough, you circle around and approach from a distance. The Amethyst Mountain is where the two continent cross. You cant miss it.

    Unprompted, Achilles stabbed another syringe into Jacks thigh. Jack felt the pain recede even further. He was still injured, and he sure as hell couldnt fight, but he could walk.

    His heart was filled with warmth. He had tricked and lied to these people, he had used them, and they were still willing to help him. His gratitude for them was so suffocating that he felt the need to hug them all one by one.

    That feeling was immediately overshadowed by guilt. Even if he escaped

    Focus, boy, Captain Dordok said with increasing urgency. Well be fine. Even if they catch you, well say we knew nothing. You were Jared and Monk to us. They cannot prove anything if you dont speak, and gcticw protects us until were proven guilty. Even if

    ss moaned. The entire starship jolted to the side. Everyone looked towards the Hounds, and they saw that the massive, thick ss walls had been dented by a powerful strike, almost breaking. The entire wall was so fractured they could barely see outside.

    The Hounds had attacked the Trampling Ram.

    Dordok went silent. As he stared at the fractured ss in disbelief, Jack felt something give way inside the captain. He had fought a battle and almost lost a crew member. Two more had been injured. One had been injured <em>and </em>confessed to lying to them all along.

    Throughout all that, the captain had been calm and reasonable. He was the strong person. Even under increasing strain, he had kept a level head and made good decisions one after the other.

    But every mans patience had a limit. And Captain Dordoks had just been reached.

    They touched my ship, he muttered, still unable to believe his eyes. The Trampling Ram They

    His wide eye narrowed slowly. Hisrge fists balled. His entire body arched and tensed, his mouth forming into a vicious snarl. He reached out, and the steel greatclub flew to his hand, shaking the air where it passed. He held it in a death-grip.

    HOW DARE YOU! he roared. He disappeared. In the next moment, he was outside, facing the three Hounds from thirty feet awaybarely an inch to an immortal. What the hell do you think youre doing? he screamed in their faces.

    Show respect to the Hounds, the middle Houndmanded. These three didnt have an apparent leader.

    Show respect to my ship! Dordok retorted. He sounded furious, as if his anger was barely kept at bay. Jack didnt know how much of that was fake, nor did he have time to ponder. Thank you for everything, he said quickly, swiping his gaze around the room. Bomn and Achilles met it, nodding. Vashter looked the other way. Vlossana smiled and waved. Count Plomer red at him.

    Grabbing Brock, Jack quickly ran to the far right door and smashed it open. He had never been here before. He never expected toe alone.

    Two small, oblongs shaped waited for him; the escape shuttles, each waiting in front of a sliding door that led directly to space. They were also pretty tiny; he could barely fit in them without ducking, and they were made to host two people. He opened the door of one of them and barged in.

    And there came the problem. He had no idea how to drive this thing. He looked around in haste, cataloging everything. The shuttle was only a few square feet in size, its walls reinforced and with one small window on each side. The front was upied by a control panel, where Jack rushed.

    A small helmsimr to the starships but without the ram-shaped headdominated the panel. There was a lever, a big green button, a big red button, as well as an inactive sonar. There were also a dozen other buttons, flicks, switches, disys, and light bulbs, all inactive.

    Fuck my life, Jack muttered, pping the green button. Green means go.

    The shuttle came to life. The control panel lit up like a christmas tree. The light bulbs switched on in random colors, the disys showed graphs and statistics that Jack couldnt understand, and a low hum came from under his feet.

    The top of the helm glowed green. There was an item embedded there; a transparent, veined stone. Jack had no idea what it was. A power source? Was there a simr one in the bridge of the Trampling Ram, just hidden under the helms ram-shaped head?

    He had no time to care.

    Mechanical sounds came from all around as the doors in front of the shuttle opened, revealing a dark, empty nothing. Okay, Jack said, but how do I activate this thing? If you have any ideas, Brock, now is the time.

    He had only been to the bridge for a few moments, and it was mid-battle. He didnt remember much besides the helm. Thinking up to there, he grabbed the helm and inched it forward. The shuttle tilted downward an inch, but it didnt budge.

    Goddammit! he cursed.

    Brock made monkey noises, grabbed the lever next to the helm, and gave it a good push. The shuttle bounded forward like a wild horse. Jack flew backward, still holding onto the helm, and the shuttles nose turned upward so hard that they began spinning over themselves. Thankfully, Brock had been drawn back too, releasing the lever and stopping the ship.

    SHIT! Jack shouted. They had only traveled a few feet, still hidden behind the Trampling Ram, and they were spinning in ce. There was no inertia in space to stop them.

    He pushed through the centrifugal force, reaching the helm and tilting it forward. The shuttles rotation decelerated, leaving them facing away from the Trampling Ram. Meanwhile, a terrifying sh reached their ears and shook their shuttle. He knew this feeling. Captain Dordok was fighting. That wasnt part of the n.

    The captain had said the Hounds would not attack. Something had gone wrong. But no matter what, the greatest help Jack could offer was not getting captured.

    Brock! he shouted. Grab the lever. You control speed, I control direction. Ready? Go!

    Brock bounded forth, grabbing the lever and titling it gently. The shuttle barely moved. He tilted it harder, and they shot forward so hard that they almost revealed themselves from behind the Trampling Ram. Thankfully, the starship covered a lot of space.

    Jack was struggling with the helm. It wasnt as simple as pointing it where they wanted to go. The helm controlled the shuttles rotation speed, so if he tilted to the right and then let it rest dead-center, they would keep spinning right for eternity. He had to control it very carefully, struggling to cancel out their rotation so they wouldnt overextend. Moreover, the helm was very, very delicate. Every tiny movement had great effect.

    It was like ying a badly-designed video game, and having a second person control the speed wasnt helping, but it was the best they could do right now. Jack couldnt spare the concentration to control both things at once. Thank God they were two.

    Brock was struggling in his own right. The ship had been designed to achieve great speeds, so keeping it slow enough for Jack to maintain control was nearly impossible. He had to minimally nudge the lever every time, and just the slightest overextension would send them bounding forth like rockets.

    FUCK WHOEVER MADE THIS SHIP! Jack shouted, d for once that sound couldnt travel in spacenot his sound, in any case.

    They were darting left and right like a drunk fly. Their speed was increasing and decreasing randomly, and they were turning in all directions at once. They barely managed to remain in the shadow of the Trampling Ram. They must have looked ridiculous.

    Moreover, Jacks hands were still seriously injured. The only reason he could operate the helm at all were the two shots of anesthetic Achilles had jutted in his thigh. The regeneration brought by Iron Fiend Body was superb, if the captains surprise was anything to go by, but E-Grade bodies were difficult to repair. Even after almost an hour of rest, he was only barely functional.

    Very slowly, even moving as haphazardly as they were, they managed to make some distance. The shuttle didnt have outside lightsJack had checked before boardingand the interior was dimly lit, so from this distance, they would seem like a star unless someone paid attention for long enough to notice them moving.

    Hopefully, even immortals couldnt stargaze mid-battle.

    Lets circle around, Brock! Jack shouted. Im turning right!

    Bro! Brock responded. He did his best to maintain their speed constant, but it was a struggle. Jack suspected that the lever was as unwieldy as the helm.

    Why in the world would they make such terrible ships!? he wondered out loud. He turned bit by bit, not daring to make anyrge movements lest they find themselves spinning again. Space turned in his eyes until the corner of a blue appeared in his vision.

    Thats it! he shouted in joy.

    He couldnt see the battle from the front windowit was fairly limited in widthbut he could still feel the shockwaves. <em>Captain Dordok will be fine, right?</em>

    The captain had said hed y it stubborn. Perhaps a few warning shots, a demonstration of his power, was part of the show. Besides, hed said it himself. Unless Jack gave them away, nobody could prove that the crew of the Trampling Ram knew anything.

    Jack shook the thoughts away. He couldnt afford distractions with this sted helm. They had to reach the as fast as possible while circling far around the battle. Then, they could

    A knock on the ss drew him out of his thoughts. Jack turned to the side in mounting horror.

    Gan Salin was floating right outside the window, wearing a protective helmet. He was holding onto the shuttle and drifting along. He waved cheerfully.

 Chapter 122: The Return of Gan Salin

    Chapter 122: The Return of Gan Salin

    Captain Dordok faced the three Hounds in space. A blue and green hovered behind them, humongous beyond imagination. Dordok himself was only framed by stars and the Trampling Ram.

    We have no Jack on board, he said furiously. He really was angry, but he was ying it up even more. Nobody became an immortal by losing their temper. All we have is people in need of immediate medical assistance. We were just attacked by a horde of space monsters. Let us through at once!

    Not happening. The middle Hound shook his head. You will not move an inch until we inspect your ship.

    My crew is <em>dying! </em>the captain roared. He jabbed a finger at them. You are overstepping your authority. I demand passage. You can inspect the ship after wend.

    No.

    Dordok frowned. His aura red, covering his body in a sun of strength. Conveniently, it also blocked the Hounds spiritual perception, shielding the starship behind him.

    I am a high immortal, he growled, his voice steadily growing in volume. You damaged my starship. You are harming my crew. Get out of my way.

    No, the rightmost Hound replied,ughing. Her voice was raspy and harsh. High or low immortal, we dont care. The Animal Kingdom rules this constetion. You will do what we say.

    Captain Dordoks anger rosefor real this time. His chest felt hot and stuffed with rage. They were disrespecting him.

    This is preposterous, he said with barely contained rage. I demand fair treatment. I will report you.

    At the same time, his mind turned quickly. <em>Why are they so stubborn? </em>he insisted. <em>Will they really break decorum with a high immortal over an E-Grade brat?</em>

    <strong>Canine, Level 175</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Third Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <strong>Canine, Level 178</strong>

    <strong>Canine, Level 171</strong>

    They were all affiliated with the Animal Kingdom and showed the same Title: Third Ring Conqueror, which should increase the efficacy of their attributes by 15%, enough to shoot their strength into the middle D-Grade.

    On the other hand, Dordok was injured and exhausted. These three may be low D-Grades, but they had all the titles, enhancements, and Dao skills that a B-Grade faction could give them. If things really came down tobat, he struggled to predict the victor.

    At times like this, Dordok regretted not visiting Trial when he was younger.

    Report us? the leftmost Houndughed. To whom? Kneel to your superiors, ve! His voice was tinged with frenzied bloodlust. Dordok finally understood why these three were so heavy-handed. They didnt care aboutws or fairness. They were just itching for a fight. They were maniacs, and he was only an unaffiliated D-Grade; even if they killed him here, the Animal Kingdom wouldnt care.

    Dordok paled. Fear and rage warred inside him as he gripped his greatclub tighter. It had been long enough. Jack might have reached the by now. He had to protect his crew and the Trampling Ram.

    But that didnt mean he would let himself be pushed around by low D-Grades. He was the captain.

    If you think I will let you touch my crew, youre sorely mistaken, he told them. His one brow fell low. I will let youe close and inspect the ship with your spiritual perception. You will not board.

    We will do whatever we want, the leftmost Hound, the most battle-crazed one, spoke again. And you better step aside, ve, or we will touch you as well. I dont see you kneeling.

    Dordoks grip tightened. His pride raised its head. He followed the Dao of Strength, not the Dao of Weakness.

    It wasnt even about Jack anymore. This was personal.

    And I never will, he growled. Things had gotten out of hand, but it didnt matter. This was a battle. He just had to win.

    All three Houndsughed at the same time. Their Daos emanated from their bodies, casting a nket of insanity on him. His reason crumbled bit by bit. He tried to fight back, but Strength was not a good match against them. His blood went cold.

    With a battle cry, Captain Dordok raised his greatclub overhead and swung. The three Hounds dodged, fanning out to surround them. All of them wereughing hysterically.

    ***

    Jack looked at the escape shuttles window. He looked away, wiped his eyes, then looked again. Gan Salin was still there, waving with a big smile on his face.

    Brock, he said, are you seeing what Im seeing?

    He turned around, only to find Brock looking at the same window like hed seen a ghost. Reality finally settled in. Gan Salin, a scion of the Animal Kingdom, was here. He was wearing a protective helmet. All he had to do was strike the shuttle, or somehow alert the Hounds, and Jack would be dead beyond the shadow of a doubt.

    So why wasnt he doing that?

    <strong>Canine, Level 51</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    Jacks control of the shuttle faltered a bit as he directed most of his attention to Gan Salin. The canine gave Jack a thumbs-up, then pointed at the back of the ship. Jack turned to look.

    <em>The door?</em>

    He looked back at the window, but Gan Salin had disappeared. The knocking sound came again, this time from the door. Jack and Brock exchanged an incredulous gaze.

    He cant be serious, Jack said.

    Bro Brock replied hesitantly. The ship wobbled a bit, but they quickly put it back on track. The knocking sound came again.

    We We have no choice, Jack muttered in disbelief. We have to open the door.

    Brock looked at him, then gave a slow, determined nod. Jack took a deep breath. He turned to the door and pressed the button at its side. The door slid open, revealing nothing but space and an excited canine. A terrible whooshing power drew Jack and Brock towards the outside. They lost control of the helm and lever, letting the shuttle spin endlessly in the void.

    Let me iiiiin! Gan Salin shouted, shooting inside as fast as he could. Jack almost punched him. Instead, he jabbed the button again, closing the door as fast as he could. The sucking power had almost gotten the best of them. The shuttle was still spinning, and they hurried to rebnce it.

    At least there was no gravity.

    What the fuck is going on? Jack asked, staring at Salin from an inch away. The escape shuttle was not designed for three people. They could barely fit.

    We havent met in so long, and thats the first thing you say? Whats going on? Gan Salinined. How are you doing, Salin? Are you alright, Salin? I missed you, Salin. But did you say any of that? No. Some friends you are.

    I Jack wondered if he was having a stroke. We arent friends.

    But we can be! Salin replied excitedly.

    Jack blinked a few times, then shook his head. It urred to him that if he killed Gan Salin quickly, he couldnt alert the Hounds. If he wasnt so heavily injured, he might have tried.

    Whats happening? Jack asked again. Why are you here?

    Oh, that. Well, you made a lot of people angry. The overseer, especially, and she can be a bitch sometimesbut dont tell her I said that. Anyway, the Hounds were tasked with hunting you down, and they dragged me along because I knew your facesupposedly. The real reason is that Im punished for sucking in the tournament. Also, I suspect they dont like me.

    What?

    I know. How is that possible? So yeah, they dragged me along, but I dont like that, man. Theyre reaaaally treating me like shit, and I thought, you know what? If we find Jacko, I could join him instead. Travel the gxy while outsmarting our pursuers. Have wacky adventures. Go to Trial with the two tokens he hopefully still has. Those kinds of things.

    What?

    I said, lets travel together. I will use my status to get us through the teleporter, and you will use your extra token to let me into Trial. I was supposed to get one after the tournament, but uh, thats not really happening anymore. Good thing you have a spare one, right?

    What?

    What this, what that. Did the suction from before steal your brain? Am I not speaking clearly? I can repeat everything slower if you want. Weeee haaaveeent meeeeet in soooo looo

    Jack, again, thought he was having a stroke. This was too much to process.

    Wait, he said, cutting off Salins rapid-fire bullshit. Wait wait wait. You want to join me and go to Trial?

    Salin reverted to normal speaking. My phrasing was better, but yeah.

    And you can get us through the teleporters?

    Yep.

    And you will betray the Animal Kingdom.

    Oh, we canines betray the Kingdom all the time, dont worry about it. Comes with the territory. Were their crazy front-liners, so some extra initiative here or there is nothing odd.

    Jack was struggling toprehend. By his side, Brock hadpletely quit this conversation and was focused in the distance. They were approaching the now, and they could see the immortals fight in the side window, exchanging herculean attacks like it was nothing. Despite being injured and exhausted, the captain was holding his own, though he was clearly defending more than attacking.

    Wait, Jack said.

    Yeah?

    This is alltoo sudden. You are an enemy. You tried to kill me and my friends, and you set a terrorist loose in my hometown. I kicked your ass.

    Hey, no need to brag, Salin replied, pouting. His long canines stuck out a bit. You werent even the only one to kick my ass.

    But I mean How did you even catch up to us?

    He raised a brow. With that driving? Are you kidding me?

    I

    So, um, not to pressure you or anything, but were kind of in a hurry here. The Hounds will notice us eventually if we keep moving like turtles. Do you mind? He gestured at the helm and speed lever.

    You can drive this? Jack asked. Brock gave Gan Salin a suspicious look.

    Of course! What kind of scion would I be if I couldnt even drive a little escape shuttle?

    He moved to the front, gently pushing Brock to the side. The brori struck him with the most insulted re Jack had ever seen.

    Gan Salin grabbed the lever and pushed it forward, keeping his other hand on the helm. Their flight elerated somewhat. He then flicked a switch, making their ship jump. Jack and Brock both crashed into the ceiling. Brocks tail pped Gan Salin. It was certainly idental.

    Whoops, Salin said. Wrong switch.

    Are you sure you can drive this? Jack shouted.

    Yes, dont worry about it! My middle name is pilot. He flicked a different switch. The shuttle calmed down, its flight stabilizing. There you go. You sillies forgot to turn off the race setting.

    The what?

    Everyone was thrown backward as Salin elerated massively. This time, the shuttle wasnt jumping in random directions every time someone touched the helm. It almost resembled smooth sailing. The was quickly growing in their sight.

    All set! Gan Salin said. And it only took me two tries!

    Jack and Brock exchanged a look. For the record, Jack said, I still hate your guts.

    No problem! Im sure youlle around in no time at all.

    The was still growing, and Salin rockily turned the tip towards a point where two green stripstwo continentscrossed. Evidently, he also knew about Amethyst Mountain.

    Can yound this thing? Jack asked.

    Jacko, Jacko, Jacko, Gan Salin replied, shaking his head.

    Dont call me that.

    Of course I cannd this thing! I mean, I have never <em>done </em>it before, but how tough can it be? He gave them a bright smile. He elerated. Jack and Brock braced themselves.

 Chapter 123: The Captainâ€™s Burden

    Chapter 123: The Captain¡¯s Burden

    The people of Amethyst Mountain were stony,posed individuals. When immortals started fighting near their, leading to an explosion of fireworks, they only looked up to admire the view.

    However, when a space shuttle barreled through thes atmosphere, heading directly for the town, even they had to frown. The shuttle was burning red like aet. Its surface was ignited by friction with the atmosphere, and its course was jagged, rigidly shifting to one side or the other. The two metallic surfaces that were supposed to slow its descent were somehow facing the wrong way.

    It was out of control.

    People screamed and ran away, using F- and E-Grade powers to jump down from the skyscraper docks, leap over food carts and slower people, or jump to the rooftops and keep running there.

    Jack saw all that from a tiny window. They were falling from outer space like a rock, without parachutes or anything of the sort. The one slowing device they had, Gan Salin had managed to fumble it so hard that it spun the wrong way and wouldnte around.

    You said you knew how to drive! Jack screamed to be heard over the wind.

    I do! I just never practiced! Gan shouted back, wrestling with the helm.

    The metal walls of the shuttle were made to diffuse the heat, so they werent boiling, but the temperature still resembled a mid-summer heat wave, and the cramped, stuffy space didnt help. Due to his fur, Brock was especially hot. He was sweating buckets.

    Do something! Jack shouted with rising panic. The ground was fast approaching, and they werent slowing down.

    Im trying! With a final pull, Gan Salin ripped the helm from its base. He stared at it, then at the ground, then back at it. Whoops.

    ILL FUCKING KILL YOU!

    Ha, jokes on you. Looks like Ill kill us first.

    A hard poop sshed into Salins face, making him retch. Brock waved his fist through the air, screaming obscenities in monkey. Jack gritted his teeth.

    <em>I refuse to go down like this, </em>he thought. <em>I refuse!</em>

    He had survived the Forest of the Strong. He had triumphed in the Integration Tournament. He had escaped the pursuit of a constetion-spanning space kingdom. He had ovee insurmountable odds again and again. If he died because of an amateurish crashnding, that would be the worlds stupidest joke.

    He wrung his brain dry, but nothing came to mind. If he went out right now, he would burn to death in seconds. The shuttles helm had broken. They had already tried all the buttons, but nothing happened.

    I hate you, Gan Salin! Jack screamed in the canines ears.

    The town was now so close they could easily make out the running people. Suddenly, green clouds rose from below. They formed into shiny green tforms in front of the shuttlethey looked like ss.

    The shuttle rammed into a tform and shattered it, only to find another behind. It shattered that one as well. A long series of tforms stretched between the shuttle and the town below, with every collision slowing it down a bit, cushioning the fall. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin were smacked up and down with every crush. They felt like ragdolls. The shuttle was now spinning, too.

    In the middle of all this movement, Jack caught a glimpse of a furious-looking, half-dressed, green woman floating in the middle of the sky.

    When he looked ahead again, he saw the ground. Brock! he screamed, grabbing the brori and hugging him tight. He pulled in his limbs. Then, they crashed.

    Everything in the shuttle shattered. Buttons and broken ss flew everywhere. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin were stered to the front as the shuttle dug a trench through the soil and two buildingsempty ones, thankfully.

    When everything came to a stop, Jack was alive. His chest felt like hed been hit by a cannonball, his head swam, and he felt like puking, but Brock looked fine. Jack heaved a huge sigh of relief. He was so d.

    All things considered, Gan Salin said, standing and dusting himself off, Id say this went pretty well!

    Ill fucking murder you.

    WHAT DO YOU THINK YOURE DOING!? A furious voice washed over them, shaking Jack to his core. He thought back to the floating woman. An immortal.

    Oh, crap. Quick! Gan Salin said. Put these on!

    He fished a pair of steel manacles from his jacketa neat, dark blue leatherand tossed them to Jack. Jack looked between the manacles and the canine.

    You must think Im stupid.

    Come on! Well pretend that I captured you, okay? Thats our only chance.

    Were enemies. Youll just turn me in.

    If I wanted to turn you in, I would have pointed the Hounds in your direction, Salin pleaded quickly. If you dont put them on, Ill have to surrender you to the Amethyst Mountain, who will deliver you to the Kingdom in a heartbeat. Theres a bounty on your headarge one.

    Jack felt like explodingbut what choice did he have?

    Hurry! She could scan us anytime! Salin urged him.

    Jack punched him in the face. Thats for before! he shouted, snapping the manacles shut around his wrists. If this was all part of the canines n, Jack had been outsmarted. But then again, if Gan Salin was lying, Jack had already lost the moment his shuttle was spotted.

    Ow! Gan said, holding his nose. Why did you do that?

    Because you almost killed us!

    Hey, youre the one that flew a space shuttle without knowing how to drive! They should revoke your license!

    I DONT HAVE A LICENSE!

    And whose fault is that?

    Jack bit back a response. Gan Salin made so little sense that arguing with him was like speaking to a toddler. He was insanehopefully in a good way.

    <em>This guy is a headache, </em>Jack realized, deeply irritated. <em>What did I get myself into At least its better than dying.</em>

    Lets go! We must hurry! Gan Salin said, pressing the button next to the door. When nothing happened, he scratched his head. The door was ripped off its hinges and tossed aside as a green-skinned woman hovered before them, her brown eyes glinting furiously. She looked in her thirties, though she was certainly older.

    She wore a blue skirt that didnt sit well on her waist, a white shirt with only one sleeve down, and her hairalso green, just palerwas disheveled. Whatever she was doing before, she hade to stop them in a terrible hurry.

    <strong>Dryad, Level ??? (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Amethyst Mountain (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Fifth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    What is the meaning of this? she demanded in a voice that could have been pleasant if it wasnt angry.

    Apologies, Mountain Lord, Gan Salin said, bowing deeply. This criminal brought allies and tried to escape, but we apprehended him. The Hounds are still fighting. I must get him through the teleporter as soon as possible.

    Jack stared at her with the hatred a captured criminal should have. She only threw him a cold nce.

    You damaged my town, she said.

    The Animal Kingdom will pay you back. But please, Mountain Lord, help us reach the teleporter as soon as possible. And, if possible, you should help the Hounds. Theyre fighting a high immortal! Im afraid for their lives!

    Gan Salins voice was filled with urgency and honesty. If Jack didnt know he was lying, he would have spotted nothing out-of-ce. The dryad red for a moment. Her brows furrowed. However, in the end, she didnt dare risk the Kingdoms rage.

    For once, Jack was happy that the Animal Kingdom was a heavy-handed dictator.

    Fine, she said. Run to the teleporter. Ill assist the Hounds.

    She turned into a sh of green that took to the sky. Jack realized that the captain was about to be in even bigger trouble. His worry redoubled. There were still fireworks in the sky.

    Captain Dordok had said things would be fine, and he had seemed pretty confident Was he wrong?

    Regardless, Jack couldnt help. All he could do was not get captured. He just had to believe in the captain.

    Gan Salin turned to him, his face a cold mask of wrathful arrogance. Come, you worthless scum, he ordered, grabbing the chain that hung from Jacks manacles and pulling. Brock followed from the side, shooting Gan Salin a re of hatred.

    Jack let the chain drag him forward, wearing a look of impotent anger. They hopped off the space shuttle. A crowd had formed around them, full of angry faces, but nobody dared speak to Gan Salin.

    The canine may have failed thending, but at least hed set them on the right course. They hadnded only two blocks away from the teleporter.

    Gan Salin started running, dragging Jack along. He pretended to resist for a bit. Two bulky humansboth at the high E-Gradestepped out of the crowd and picked him up, running after Gan Salin. One punched Jack in the face. A third man joined, grabbing Brock in a headlock.

    Jack saw houses made of gems and rainbow windows, but he wasnt in the mood to sightsee.

    They crossed the street in a sh, reaching the teleporter. It was an oven-like building simr to Earths, except constructed entirely out of transparent, green ss. They stepped in, and the three men dropped Jack and Brock on the empty, circr tform that served as the actual teleporter.

    Twoets hurtled down from the atmosphere at breakneck speed, one green and the other brown. It was the dryad and a Hound. They were onto them.

    The three man nced up at the approaching immortals, then at the teleporters guard. They exchanged a look full of meaning. The guard turned to Gan Salin. Wai

    He didnt have time to finish his words. Gan Salin attacked out of nowhere and shed the guards throat open. In the same moment, he activated the teleporter. Green motes of light rose around them, forming swirling ribbons.

    The three E-Grade humans stood frozen for a moment. A cry of utter rage flooded the town from above as the Hound swiped a w, sending a gray column of power directly at the teleporter. It had the width of an entire building and the speed of a bullet. It crossed the sky like lightning. A second cry followed as the dryad tried to stop the attack, but she wasnt in time.

    The Hounds attack struck the teleporter, evaporating the building and demolishing an entire neighborhood, killing hundreds. Unfortunately, it was toote. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin were no longer there.

    Stars swirled around a tunnel of warping space. Gan Salin tossed a key to Jack. Untie yourself, quick! This teleport will be fast! he said. Jack didnt dare tarry. The manacles fell to his feet, and before he could rub his wrists, space stabilized around them. The air was filled with voices.

    They were in arge hub, with a dozen teleporters arrayed around them. Guards were everywhere, supervised by a chubby D-Grade woman, and a long line of E-Grades of all species waited for their turn to teleport.

    The moment the three of them materialized, Salin pocketed the manacles and the key, then decisively stepped out of the teleporter.

    Jack looked around and noticed more things. They were in arge building that resembled a buzzing, cathedral-shaped train station. Besides the teleporters, there were small starships where people boarded or disembarked. Beyond the stations open door, he could make out throngs of people walking.

    Gan Salin didnt look around. He headed for the only teleporter that had no line. It was thergest of them all, with its tform encrusted by diamonds and a D-Grade feshkur guard stationed before it. Jack scanned him; he belonged to the Hand of God.

    Before they could reach, a level 124 human guard stopped Gan Salin. Apologies, sir, but the man behind you matches the description of a wanted criminal, he said, hand at his weapons hilt. Said weapon looked like a revolver.

    Youre the tenth person to tell me so, Gan Salin replied with annoyance. There are more E-Grades with pet monkeys out there. He is my assistant, and I am a canine of the Animal Kingdom. Let me pass.

    But his faction

    Your head is full of shit. Let me pass, or Ill make sure you rot in Hell.

    The guard hesitated for a single second before stepping aside. He stared at Jack all the way.

    They reached therge teleporter, where the D-Grade stretched a hand to stop them. He didnt say anything, just looked. Salin turned to Jack. The tokens, he said.

    Jack reached into his secret pocketinconveniently located behind his left thighand fished the two golden coins. One had been with him since he beat the ck wolves in the Forest of the Strong, which seemed like so long ago. The other was one of the tournament rewards.

    The guard received the coins, stared at them for a moment, then nodded. Brace yourselves, he said, and good luck. The Hand of God awaits your sess.

    Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin stepped into the teleporter. Purple ribbons formed around them, far thicker than the ones in the previous teleporter. Jack felt a lurching sensation, like he was falling. And then, the world erupted in sh so blinding that he yelled.

    The gxy was warping around them. Space parted where they passed. Stars only appeared as blinks before disappearing again.

    Next to him, hovering in the empty void, Gan Salin took a deep breath and sat down on nothing. Cant believe that worked, he said, smiling. Feel free to rx. This will take a moment.

    ***

    Bomns heart was filled with helplessness as he looked through the Trampling Rams cracked window.

    Captain Dordok was floating in the void, unconscious. All three of the Hounds had been injured, but only lightly. The captain had tried his best, but with his exhaustion and injuries of the previous battle against the crocodile, he simply couldnt beat them.

    One of the Hounds held his steel greatclub, admiring the workmanship. The other two approached the ship, still shivering from the tension of battle. Bomn could see their wide grins.

    There should have been no reason to fight. The Hounds had no proof, and the captain was a reasonable man. He wouldnt instigate anything.

    They only came to blows because the Hounds were itching for a fight. Because they were insane andpletely unfit for any job. But the Animal Kingdom let them be. It wanted the terror they caused.

    Bomns hatred burned hotter and bitterer.

    The Hounds paused. Their faces went from excitement to rage. They must have scanned the starship with their immortal perceptions and noticed the missing escape shuttle.

    Of the two, one shot off in a burst of speed, heading for the behind them. Bomn could only hope that Jack had managed to escape in time, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

    You colluded with criminals! the other Hound dered. Her voice was filled with rage and excitement, like she couldnt wait to punish them, though she should have no right to. Bomn knew thew. They were innocent until proven guilty. As long as they denied everything, they should be fine.

    But the Hounds were insane.

    As punishment, your captain will be dragged to Hell, and the Fair Way continent will pay. As for you You are all guilty. You will be executed on the spot! the Hound dered. She stretched a w-like palm, her fingertips glistening like five diamonds of death.

    Achilles rushed before her, already wearing his protective helmet. His saber was sheathed, his palms stretched and open. Bomn could see his lips moving without sound. Achilles couldnt project his voice through space, but the Hound could use her Dao to hear him. He was asking for mercy, dering their surrender, saying they had injured on board and that they knew nothing. That thew clearly protected them.

    His head left his body. Bomn watched it fly away, saw the Hounds body rock withughter as Achilless froze and shattered in space, leaving nothing behind. A brave man had died, just like that.

    The onlyw in this constetion, the Hound dered, is the Animal Kingdom!

    Bomns mind was buried in grief. He had never felt so useless before. This was unfair. He bellowed deeply, with despair, but a scrap of his mind remained. Vlossana! he yelled. Grab the helm. Take us away!

    He couldnt see her through his tears, but the ship jerked away, elerating in the spasmodic way that only newbies achieved. The Hound sent a column of gray force at them, tipped with five diamond-like points. The entire ship shook from the impact, but it remained whole.

    They darted away at top speed. They couldnt charge a warp without an immortal on board, but the Trampling Ram was fast. It could outrun most D-Grades.

    Bomn looked outside the window again. He saw the captains body wrapped in red ribbons. He would be taken to Hell.

    Leaving him behind drove a stake of pain through Bomns heart, but he knew this was the right call. The captain had exined this long ago. Suicide wasnt loyalty. Against an impossible fight, it was better to retreat, regroup, and return. Where there was life, there was a way. They would rescue the captain or die trying, but not now. Now, they had to escape.

    But it hurt so much.

    Bomn bellowed again, shaking everyone in the ship. They were two heavily injured sailors, a nonbat E-Grade, and a nonbat F-Grade. The situation was grim, but they would pull through. He would make sure of that. It was his responsibility now.

    From the side, Vashter looked at Bomn. His eyes were full of pain. He said, I believe in you Captain.

    Bomn hesitated. He nodded, but his heart was full of grief. The word had never been heavier.

 Chapter 124: Trial Planet

    Chapter 124: Trial

    Stars flew by Jack. There were hundreds of them, thousands. He saw gxies swirling in the distance, their spires barely discernible even with his new senses. He saw something shing periodically in the distance, and he saw a column of light stretching up and down from the center of a far-off gxy.

    They traveled through the Milky Way gxy. There were blue, yellow, and red stars. Somerge, and some so titanic that his mind couldntprehend their scale. They crossed a dust cloud so immense that it made even those astral giants seem like fish to an ocean.

    Their speed was unnatural. They floated through space not at the speed of light, but the speed of thought, untouched by anything. The fabric of space itself was their vehicle.

    Jack lost track of time, but it couldnt have been more than a few hours.

    When the world stabilized, Jack found himself on a moon. He stood on arge teleportation tform, like the one hed departed from, except his surroundings were mostly empty.

    Before anything else, he fell to his knees and violently emptied his stomach. Next to him, Gan Salin did the same. Brock seemed unaffected. The vomit disintegrated as it touched the tform. Only after a good minute did Jack look up.

    A dome of ss surrounded them like an Inuits igloo, about a hundred feet in height and another hundred in diameter. Outside its walls, he could see gray dirt lined with craters. There was no sky; space was directly observable from here, like the pictures Jack had seen of Earths moon.

    <em>Perhaps I could go to the moon now, </em>he thought, before realizing he was much farther than any Earth-387 human had ever been in the entire history of their. He was a pioneer.

    In the horizon, arge sphere rose over the moon they stood on. It did not look like Earth. Jack didnt know what he expected, but it was certainly not this. This lookeddead.

    Step off the teleporter, amanding voice reached their ears, cutting off Jacks train of thought. He looked around, then followed themand to step away. The person who had called out to them was a human of Earth-199, dressed in a silver uniform with the Hand of Gods emblem at the frontan open palm facing the observer, with an open eye in the center.

    He was at the D-Grade, as were the other two guards nking him: one ant-like humanoidan antfolkand one that looked like a djinn but was even smaller in size, barely reaching Jacks waist. Thisst one was also floating on a tiny cloud. Its species was apparently called vonanan.

    Are you expecting more people? the human guard asked. Gan Salin shook his head.

    Nope. Just us.

    Good. He took out two pieces of paper. Name, affiliation, and Dao, please.

    Gan Salin, Animal Kingdom, Dao of Insanity, Gan Salin replied. And my friend here is Jack Rust, Bare Fist Brotherhood of the Animal Kingdom constetion, Dao of the Fist.

    Jack red at him. Salin leaned in, whispering, Dont worry. The Hand of God doesnt care about the B-Grade faction grudges.

    You told them my Dao. That was personal information.

    We have to tell them, Salin replied, shrugging. Everybody does it. And lying to the Hand of God is a terrible idea.

    Jack grumbled. Speak for me like this again, and we go separate ways. Understood?

    Gan Salin smiled. Perfectly so.

    And the brori? the guard asked. Gan Salin didnt reply, shooting Jack a nce.

    Hes my spiritualpanion, Jack replied.

    Okay. The guard scribbled down some things. Does he have a name and Dao?

    Jack hesitated for a moment. He nced at Brock, who frowned but nodded. Brock, Jack replied honestly. Dao of Muscles.

    The guard nodded, still writing down stuff. Unless he was describing their physical appearance in text, Jack had no idea how an immortal could be this slow at transcribing.

    All done, the guard finally said. You may proceed.

    Another guard stepped forththe antfolk. Follow me, please, it asked them in an odd voice, like it came through a series of long pipes. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin followed it to the side, where three sleek, dark starships awaited. They were shaped as needlesas were most of thembut these were more elongated, giving Jack an impression of great speed.

    Seeing the starships reminded him of Captain Dordok and the crew of the Trampling Ram. He hoped they were okay. They had saved his life.

    He wouldn''t forget that.

    The antfolk reached the first starship, and its door slid open by itself. After you, it said. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin entered a cramped space with two line of seats facing each other. It could fit ten people in total, which gave them some space to move. The antfolk walked to the front, ced its ant-like hand on a glowing blue helm, and the starship slowly rose off the ground. It passed through the entrance of the buildinga tunnel-like space covered by transparent, protective film on both endsand sped towards the dead.

    Is that Trial? Jack couldnt help but ask. It looks

    Destroyed? Gan Salin said.

    Yeah.

    It is. Well, its surface. I hear that the inside is pretty colorful. The canine shuffled in his seat. Everybody got only one chance to visit Trial, and unlike Jack, Gan Salin had been waiting for it his whole life. He was beyond excited. His exnation poured out. Trial is made up of nine ringshence its other name, the Hollow. Imagine nine hollows of increasing size that encapste each other.

    Jack raised both brows. Are you telling me that has mores inside it? Like a babushka?

    I dont know what that is, but yes. And they are all hollow. Its like nine worlds nested in each other. The nine rings. As you descend into deeper rings, the danger rises exponentially, but so do the rewards. Trial is filled with all sorts of opportunities, from natural treasures to Dao inheritances.

    Jack drew a sharp breath. From a physics standpoint, this nested thing shouldnt be possiblebut then again, after everything he had experienced, he was beginning to suspect that the physics he knew were a tad iplete.

    Even Brock leaned in, listening to the description with rapt attention. The antfolk didnt seem to care about their discussion.

    What you see now, Gan Salin continued, pointing at the approachings surface, is actually the first ring. But not really. Research shows that there used to cities and civilizations there, but now, its just an empty, ravaged hellscape.

    Are you saying someone destroyed that ring? Who would do such a thing? And why?

    Nobody knows! Salin shrugged. Trial actually precedes our gxy. When the System arrived a million years ago, this came with it, and it already looked like this. There has been much research, of course. The most prevalent theory is that this used to belong to the Ancients, the fabled race that created the System, but that its surface was ravaged during the crusade against the Old Ones.

    Jack listened intently.

    But that doesnt matter, at least not to us, Salin concluded. Nobody is allowed on the surface anymore. We will start our delve in specific entrance points that lead directly to the second ring. The first is out of order.

    But the rest of the rings are still okay? They arent destroyed like this surface world?

    Exactly. Trial is protected by the System itself. Anyone above the E-Grade cannot descend below the surface. Perhaps this is why the lower rings were spared.

    Hmm. What can you tell me about those rings? What do they look like?

    They are all unique! The second ring, for example, is the Giant Ringthough I wont spoil any surprises by telling you why. The point of that ringlike most of themis just to find an exit heading to the next. They are underrge, monster-infestedndmarks and oddities, so if you see one, head directly there and get to searching. There are very few rewards on the upper rings, so just try to get through them as fast as possible. Thats what everyone does.

    The third ringthe Barbarian Ringis simr, though its environment is more hostile, and the monsters stronger. At the fourth ring, the Vige Ring, just try to find the vige. Things get moreplicated deeper downbut you dont need to worry about that for now. Besides, well meet again in the vige of the fourth ring, so we can talk about it then.

    Meet again?

    Oh. I didnt mention we would be separated, did I?

    No. No, you didnt.

    Well, people obviouslye here in teams, but the Hand of God doesnt want weaklings to delve far just because of their connections. Everyone is scattered before they enter the second ring. The fourth ring is small enough and open enough that teams can reconvene, though. With your strength, you should be able to make it there. Me too, I hope. Unless Im unlucky. Then, Ill just die. Heughed.

    Jack looked at Brock with worry.

    Oh, dont worry. Spiritualpanions arent split, Gan Salin hurried to add. You and little Brock will be just fine.

    Brock punched his shoulder.

    Big Brock, I meant big Brock, Salin corrected himself,ughing.

    So Trial is only forbat sses? Jack asked.

    Well Partly. Nonbat sses can also delve, and they often do, but they have to go through the trouble of reconvening with their teammates at the second ringwhich can take months. For us, its better to just go solo until the fourth ring.

    I see

    Jack looked outside the window. They had reached the by now and were sailing over its surface. The ground below was ravaged. There were razor-sharp ravines kilometers in length, like theyd been shed open by swords. There were craters the size of cities, one of which was shaped exactly like a palm print.

    Jack even saw areas covered in multicolored mist, as well as ruins where the shadows seemed to flicker wrong.

    <em>Who could have done all this? </em>he couldnt help but wonder.

    So, thats the n, Gan Salin repeated, drawing Jacks attention. We meet at the fourth rings vige. If one of us hasnt made it there in two monthsthe other just keeps going. Okay?

    Okay.

    And by the way, if you see anything resembling a trial ground, go for it!

    What? What do trial grounds look like?

    Youll know it when you see it.

    Jack rolled his eyes. The starship slowed down. Suddenly, he noticed a massive hole dug into the earth under them. It was circr, with a diameter of a few hundred feet, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. It was like a deep dark maw carved into the earthor just a reallyrge and deep well.

    The starship touched down on thend right next to the hole. Jack Rust and Brock, please descend, the antfolk said. Jack and Brock stood up.

    Gan Salin, Jack said, throwing the canine aplex gaze. I have no idea what youre thinking, but you saved me. I appreciate that. We are no longer enemies.

    Of course not. Were friends!

    I dont know about that yet, but not enemies. Probably. Jack hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Be careful down there.

    Same to you! Gan Salin shed back his own smile. Jack caught the antfolks gaze and decided not to dy any longer. He and Brock walked away. The moment they stepped onto the ground, the door behind them slid closed, and the starship took off. Gan Salin kept waving from the little window until he disappeared in the distance.

    Jack looked at the sky for a moment. It was red and hazy. The air was stingy, like he was breathing through a lemon. His eyes were watering. So, this is Trial, he said. What do you think, bro?

    Brock gave him a thumbs-up and a monkey grin. Jack grinned back. Thats what I thought. Lets go! For Earth! For us!

    The hole behind them resembled a gate to hell. They found stairs swirling its edge and climbed down, one man and one brori.

    They didnt even have a backpack.

 Chapter 125: Giant Ring

    Chapter 125: Giant Ring

    Oof, Jack said, panting. He and Brock had just climbed down a staircase that felt like it reached from the heavens to the earth. He didnt even know how many miles down theyd traveled. Maybe a hundred.

    Even for an E-Grade cultivator with almost two hundred Physical, it had not been easy. To save time, they had been jumping from one side of the massive, stair-ridden hole to the other. As if that wasnt enough, his anesthetic had run out half-way, and his self-healing still wasnt done repairing the damage. His hands burned with every jump. Hed had to grit his teeth through the final two hours of their descent.

    At least, those two hours had given his regeneration time to work. He was mostly fine now, though starving.

    Well, Brock, Jack said, looking around, I guess were here.

    Now he knew why the first ring was called the Giant Ring. They were surrounded by a forest of gigantic proportions. The trees stretched hundreds and thousands of feet into the sky, with barks the width of apartment buildings. The grass des reached up to Jacks thigh and Brocks neck, making the brori look funny.

    Jack felt tiny. It was like he had been shrunk to the size of arge bug and shoved into a forest. At least his gray pants and dark blue t-shirt didnt stick out too much, and his ck boots were sturdy enough to protect him from anything sharp on the ground. Brocks only garment, a red pair of shorts, werent nearly as protective, but forests and jungles were his natural environment. Hed manage.

    A deep roar washed over them, shaking every molecule in their bodies. Jack couldnt tell what animal might be making that sound, but he sure as hell wouldnt like to find out.

    Brock looked around with wide eyes. The two of them were currently at the base of a long column that stretched from the ground all the way to the skyor, at least, what passed as the sky here. This ring was a massive cave, with its roof being the underside of thes surface, a rockyer of unknown width. It was so high up that it really did resemble the skythere were even a few clouds drifting about.

    Based on how long theyd been descending the stairs, the cave ceiling could be a hundred miles tall. The sheer enormity of this space was enough to blow his mind. For a few moments, he was consumed by awe.

    <em>What god could have made this </em>he thought, his gaze lost above.

    Enormous mushrooms hung from the ceiling. Each was clearly titanic in size, and they shone like miniature suns. With one of them every few miles, the forest below was illuminated as bright as day. The cave ceiling between the mushrooms was a bright gray covered in still shadows. Jack wondered if there was night here.

    Finally, the air itself was odd. Jack didnt notice it at first, panting as he was, but he eventually caught on. Every breath seemed to fill him with life and energy. His heart beat faster, his thoughts rolled quickeralmost too quick.

    <em>Am I hyperventting? </em>he realized, consciously slowing himself down. <em>I see! The oxygen here is thick. Thats why everything is sorge.</em>

    Hed once read a novel by Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth, which described a giant forest in a deeperyer of the. Many subsequent storytellers had been inspired by that, and the deep-earth gigantic forest caught on. Funny how that ended up having a hint of truth.

    Only the dinosaurs were missingfor now.

    <em>Wait. </em>Jacks eyes widened. <em>Will there be dinosaurs!?</em>

    He reined in his inner child and biologist. He wasnt here for fun. He was here to punch stuff, meditate on punching stuff, and get stronger.

    A second roar echoed through the thick trees. Was that closer? Jack asked. Brock shrugged. Okay, bro. You know what they say: the first step to getting stronger is not dying. Lets move.

    Brock cheeredtogether, they left the column behind and delved deeper into the forest.

    It was nostalgic, in a way. Being lost in a forest teeming with dangerous, unknown creatures. It reminded him of the first days after the apocalypse. Back then, the Forest of the Strong had been a hive of danger. Before hed conquered it.

    Funny how the world moved in circles sometimes. Jack had grown stronger, but so had his environment. Suddenly, he was back to the start. He didnt dislike the feeling. Here, there were no scions with strong daddies, noary overseers, noplex diplomacy and rules.

    He was just a man in a forest. A predator amongst many. He felt life spread through his limbs; the satisfaction of the hunt. He was buzzing with anticipation. His soul, his Dao Seed of the Fist, was shivering. His fists itched. He couldnt help grinning.

    He had conquered the Forest of the Strong. He had triumphed. It had been his first step onto the path of the strong. The tournament had been the second.

    This oversized forest would be the third.

    However, he wasnt alone this time. Jack smiled at Brock, who grinned back. There was excitement in that grin. Brock mirrored Jacks thoughts. For the thousandth time, Jack felt d to have him. He was the best little bro ever.

    But this wasnt the time to ruminate. Jack turned back to the front, on the lookout for the danger that was sure to appear.

    He didnt know what to expect. Gan Salin had said this ring wouldnt be too dangerous for someone of his strength. That gave Jack courage, but he still kept his eyes peeled for danger. He crouched through the tall undergrowth, parting grass des with his hands to pass. His gaze scanned therge branches above, the inconspicuous tree barks, the towering, thick bushes.

    He almost didnt see the enemy.

    As he pushed a grass de aside, a hint of ck was the only indication he got. He froze, ready to fight or flee. Brock froze beside him.

    The ants before him turned to look. They were the size of small dogs, each reaching his knee in height. They were ck with hints of brown, along with six thin legs and fierce mandibles that clicked and cked as they inspected him. Antennas rose from where their eyes should be.

    Jack saw three ants at a nce, one behind the other. Looking closer, there were more; far more. Theyd stumbled upon a long ant line.

    <strong>Conqueror Ant, Level 28 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>Conqueror Ants are invasive species that can survive in most environments. Their colonies typically contain hundreds of workers, withrger colonies rising up to tens of thousands, along with multiple queens. If left alone, they will expand at great speed, annihting anything in their path despite their rtively low individual Levels.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>A Conqueror Ant colony is considered a peak E-Level threat. Immediate extermination is advised.</em></strong>

    Jacks first reaction was to back up a bit. He was a biologist focusing on evolution, with insects being one of the most fascinating sub-topics. He knew a lot of things about them, and everything came back to him at once. Ants were terrifying.

    He did <em>not </em>want to mess with dog-sized variants.

    The ants paused for a moment to inspect him. Their antennas waved, probably spreading pheromonestheir preferred way ofmunication. Jack held his breath.

    Eventually, the ants seemed to reach a consensus. One broke off the line to watch Jack and Brock, while the rest carried on, heading to wherever.

    Jack took slow steps backward, followed by a confused Brock, until they were out of sight. Then, he kept going for a bit.

    Brock made questioning sounds.

    Because theyre ants, Brock, Jack replied. Trust me. I dont care what their level is; theyll mark us, hunt us down, and overwhelm us by sheer numbers. Plus, ants have incredible strength for their size. If they bite us, goodbye. He shook his head. No. Better to avoid them at all costs and just find the way down. Gan Salin said so, too: up here, there are few benefits to get. The lower rings are our targets.

    But where could the entrance to the next tunnel be? Gan Salin had also mentioned that there were many of them, each usually indicated by somendmark.

    Knowing the System, Id bet my right arm these ants have built their nest right on top of a tunnel, Jack said. But it doesnt matter. My biologist sense is tingling; attacking them is too dangerous.

    Brock nodded. Whether because he agreed or because he trusted Jack, that was hard to say.

    Lets find a way across the ant line, Jack suggested. Perhaps we could go over it?

    He looked up. Their ears were suddenly filled with buzzing. A dragonfly zoomed high over their heads, as long as Jack was tall. It was painted in bright colors, almost like a rainbow.

    <strong>Agathan Dragonfly, Level 56</strong>

    <strong><em>Contrary to what their name suggests, dragonflies have no rtion to dragons. Agathans range in length from 3 to 15 feet. Despite their beautiful appearance, they are deadly hunters. They are carnivorous, fast flyers, highly perceptive, and require arge amount of sustenance to survive. Caution is advised.</em></strong>

    This particr dragonfly didnt seem to have noticed them. It darted down from between a trees branches and flew into a bush, hiding itself from sight. Jack heaved a sigh of relief.

    Suddenly, he was torn. The biologist inside him screamed that every single creature here was a walking dissertation. However, his more prudent parts yelled that insects were fucking dangerous. Hed take dinosaurs over them any day of the week.

    Trial was no joke.

    Lets go, Brock, he said quietly. We should climb a tree and see whats around us. ording to Gan Salin, the tunnels are in obvious locations. Perhaps well find a few.

    Bro! Brock said. Then, he frowned. Jack raised a brow.

    What is it?

    Brocks frown intensified. He opened his mouth and closed it again. A momentter, he said, ...Yes.

    Jacks eyes widened. Brock! he yelled in joy. You said another word! Yes! Thats amaz

    Buzzing filled their ears. The dragonfly shot out of the bushes next to them like a bullet, mandibles wide open and ready to rip. It was on them instantly.

    ***

    Edgar sat in the safety of his study. His desk was filled with orderly stacks of paper, each covered in detailed notes. The window was open, letting in a light breeze and the sight of the far-off mountainsthe view from the top floor of the Bare Fist Brotherhoods new headquarters.

    However, Edgars eyes were on the brown ceiling. He was slumped in his chair, neck resting on its back.

    He was sad.

    Magic was beautiful. It was everything hed ever dreamed about. When the opportunity appeared, he grasped it with both hands, forcing the world to make him a powerful wizard. He seeded.

    So why were things not as he expected?

    Where was the joy of discovery and exploration that apanied magic? Where were his faithful wizardpanions, with whom he would forge a new life? Where were the grizzled professors that would teach him their ways, and where was the childlike wonder of bending the world with the power of will and imagination?

    Edgar chased his dream and caught up, but all he found was ugliness. Selfishness. Competition. Hatred, death, and war.

    He did not want that. His notes were theories on how to best weaponize his abilities, but his heart wasnt there. He wanted to make butterflies. To host light shows and recreate the nice little spells of his favorite books. He wanted to be a wizard, not a warrior that happened to use magic.

    He had tried his best since the Integration, all the way from Valville to the tournament, and he seeded in getting stronger, but that didnt meant he <em>enjoyed </em>it.

    His notes and research were guided by duty, but his mind simply traveled other paths. There wasnt much he could do about it. Every minute that he forced himself to focus was pain. The little moments of peace like right now, when he allowed himself to simply rx, were his final haven.

    <em>I hate this world, </em>he realized in a moment of rity, <em>but I love magic.</em>

    How could dreams and reality be reconciled? That was supposed to be precisely a wizards job. He didnt want to fight. He wanted to research magic and explore its applications, lose himself in the bright world of possibilities. He wanted to master magic and spread the gift to everyone, so that gifted little children would no longer have to suffer in a mundane world that didnt fit them.

    Was war the only path to peace? Did he have to live through hell <em>again </em>to protect others? When would that end? When would he finally be free?

    Edgar did not know, and that scared him. <em>Help me, </em>he thought out, but no God answered his prayer.

    He sighed as he sat up. He would weaponize magic as he was told, but here, where it was calm and safe.

    The Forest of the Strong would be safe with or without him, thanks to Sparman, the D-Grade robot guard that Jack got for them. In truth, Edgar should have been in Burkina Faso with Vivi and the rest of me River. He could bolster their defenses.

    But the me River headquarters were at war. Nobody had time for research. He would be reduced to a weapon, called to the front lines all the time, having to risk his life to kill his fellow men and waste his time in underleveled dungeons instead of progressing his research. He would have to live in an environment he hated.

    He wasnt in Burkina Faso. For once, he had a choice, and he would stay in the Forest of the Strong until he was needed. He was working on his magic every waking second to be as strong as possible and help everyone. He deserved some calmness.

    And more than that, safety. Because there was only one thing that truly scared Edgar.

    He could live through the current crucible. He could tten and exhaust himself on the altar of war. He could do the right thing. He could endure years of being at the wrong ce because he was powered by the anticipation of the good years toe. When everything was over, he would be a strong wizard and build a wizarding school. It was the dream of his life.

    Which was why he feared death. If he endured years of despair only to die before he was rewarded, all would have been for naught. He would have wasted everything.

    So he would remain at the Forest of the Strong for as long as possible. While the me River and their allies exhausted themselves to conquer as many dungeons as possible, fighting the Ice Peaks forces at every turn, he would study, achieving strength in his rooms peace, so he could fight well at the time of need.

    Because he deserved it. And if his decision brought casualties, so be it.

 Chapter 126: The Lay of the Land

    Chapter 126: The Lay of the Land

    The dragonfly shot at Jack like an arrow the size of an adult human. He turned around as fast as he could, but not fast enough. A set of sharp mandibles snapped at his arm, ripping off a good chunk of skin on the way.

    Holy shit! Jack shouted, both in pain and surprise. He tried to grab its tail, but it was long gone. It flew behind a tree and disappeared. His ears were still buzzing, and he didnt know if it was due to actual buzzing or because its wings had passed right next to his head.

    Brock pointed at Jacks arm, making worried noises. Jack took a nce. Im fine, he said. Tis just a scratch.

    It really was. A long red line crossed his forearm, but it was shallow. His regeneration would handle it. It wouldnt cure Jacks anger.

    The fucker! he shouted through gritted teeth, inspecting the surroundings. It was such a happy moment, Brock. You said a second word! Thats worthy of celebr

    The buzzing intensified. The dragonfly shot at them from above, this time aiming at Brock. Perhaps it realized Jack was tough prey. But Jack was ready. He pivoted and smashed his knuckles into its face, hitting it so hard that the insect burst into a shower of gore around his arm. Only half its body remained, a broken, bleeding husk that fell to the ground.

    Thats what you get, he told it, ring. Nobody touches my little bro.

    Thankfully, the dragonfly had been pretty light, so his hand remained whole. It just bruised a bit. Compared to the maiming from fist-crashing into the space monsters a few hours ago, this was nothing.

    Yes! Brock cried out, raising his arms in celebration. He pointed at Jacks biceps and made faces of admiration.

    Of course I am, Jack replied smugly.

    Hints of movement interrupted them. The grass des were swaying without wind. Jack and Brock backpedaled.

    Brown-ck shapes slowly came into view. It was the conqueror ants from beforefive of them. They had probably noticed something and came to check.

    The moment they found the dragonflys corpse, the leading ants antennas waved frantically. A light, stinging smell, like the remains of lemon juice, assaulted the noses of Jack and Brock, who watched from the distance. It was slightly unpleasant.

    The other ants apparently thought otherwise because they crowded the first like there was no tomorrow. One of them grabbed what remained of the dragonfly between its mandibles, easily carrying it despite the size difference, and started walking backprobably heading to its nest.

    The rest of the ants fanned out and started searching the area. One of them stared at Brock. He and Jack didnt wait to see what would happen. They bolted away.

    The ants searched around for a bit more. Then, not finding anything else, they returned to their lines. Jack watched them from behind a leaf the size of his torso. Even the waterdrops wererger here. He saw one the size of his closed fist.

    Are there only insects around here? he asked. No, it cannot be. We heard a deep roar before. That wasnt an insect.

    Brock nodded in eptance, then pointed upward. Jack followed Brocks finger with his eyes.

    The treetops, he said. Good idea. We can survey our surroundings from there. Lets go.

    Defeating the dragonfly easily had curbed his fear a bit. Gan Salin had also mentioned that this ring shouldnt be too difficult for him, as long as he was careful. The ants were only F-Grade, too; he could take them by the dozens if needed. Hed avoided them just for the sake of caution.

    No other insects or animals appeared as Jack and Brock made their way to the nearest tree. It was a monumental column of wood and bark reaching higher than trees had any right to. Jack had to tilt his head all the way back, and he still couldnt see its top.

    The prospect of climbing this tree reminded him of the endless stairs just before.

    Well, he said, lifting his sleeves, no time like the present.

    And so began the climb.

    Jack wasnt a climber before the Integration. He still wasnt. However, his physical strength was way greater than his body weight would indicate, letting him move easily on the almost vertical trunk.

    Thankfully, there was no shortage of outcroppings or handholds. The bark was rough, reminding Jack less of a tree and more of a climbing wall.

    It still wasnt easy. His first goal was the trees lowest branch, a highway of wood stretching over his head, but even that was far away. He kept his body close to the trunk to defend from the wind gusts. Halfway up the climb, he even saw a termitean F-Grade insect that thankfully ignored them.

    Brock, on the other hand, was right at home. He dangled from outcroppings with one hand, jumped from one handhold to the other, and generally ran circles around Jack. He seemed d to be the better party for once. Jack had the strength to do those things, too, but not the skill. He re-appreciated just how useful his Fistfighting skind the subsequent Iron Fist Stylewas, for giving him the skill to go with his ever-increasing stats.

    When he took a nce behind him, he saw an endless forest stretching to the distance. The trees were enormous, and they were many. He also saw multiple insects going about their business, including ants, beetles, and bees.

    <em>If this ce has wasps, </em>he thought, <em>Im fucked.</em>

    Regardless, he kept climbing. When he finally reached the first branch, he was panting. It must have been a thousand feet in height.

    <em>Not bad for an amateur climber, </em>he thought with pride. <em>Perhaps I should get a skill about this. Then again, immortals can fly.</em>

    Are you okay, Brock? he asked, wiping the sweat off his brow as he looked at the brori.

    Brock looked back and raised a brow. Bro. he said, as if he meant, <em>you cant be serious.</em>

    Yeah, yeah. I know. Jack looked up. He wasnt slow in climbing, but Brock was at least twice as fast. The problem was, Brock wasnt nearly as strong as Jack. A random dragonfly here could be a mortal opponent. They had to stick together. Two minutes of rest? he asked.

    Yes, Brock replied, eager to use his shiny new word. Jack noticed that his ent was a bit hard, like he was saying every word with a frown.

    Nothing attacked them on the branch, which was a wee change of pace. Two minutester, they set back out.

    The branches were more densely arrayed now. Jack took his second break on what he estimated was two thirds of the way upalready so high that there might have been clouds if this was Earth. But there werent any clouds here, only moisture.

    <em>Where does ite from? </em>he wondered. <em>If not above Could it be from below?</em>

    The higher they went, their view broadened, but they remained under the forests canopy. Then, they entered it, and were enclosed in the trees foliage. All they could see was leaves.

    The climb went on. After the first half an hour, Jack had fallen into a rhythm: reach, grab, pull, repeat. He didnt need to think as much now, besides keeping an ear out for any suspicious buzzing.

    He used the time to consider this forest. This ring, really.

    Everything was erged here. By a lot. His inner scientist yearned to explore the inner workings of this. Jack recalled the knowledge stored in his brain after years of study.

    <em>Higher oxygen ratio leads torger species, </em>he remembered. <em>Most animals cant handle this, but insects can. Arachnids, scorpions, and all their rtives too. But notrger animals. A magnified elephant would just copse under its own weight. So would a dog, probably.</em>

    That exined why he had seen only insects so far, though the roar from before remained a mystery. Insects had highly durable bodies and could handle an upscale. Mostrger animals, not so much.

    <em>Am I in the insect kingdom? </em>he wondered. <em>I bet I could outline ten publications in a day if I wanted to.</em>

    He wouldnt do that, of course. Bing a superhuman immortal sounded more important than getting a slightly higher h-index.

    However, one thing kept bugging himpun intended. Earth, by itself, had endless diversity when it came to insects. Ants alone had ten thousand recorded species, including many exotic variants. So why did all four insect kinds hed observed so farants, dragonflies, bees, and termitesresemble their Earth versions so closely?

    Had they managed to converge? Were insects, the hallmarks of evolution, just moving in circles? Were they adapting too much, but only the most resilient variations would survive the eons?

    Or were they moved here from somewhere else?

    The gxys history went back a million years, and Trial preceded it. A million was a lot by human standards, but it was nothingpared to the endless eons that Earth had weathered. Just the dinosaurs were eradicated sixty-five million years ago, and life had existed on the for billions of years. If Trial had been established a few million years back, at what evolutionary stage had its original inhabitants been?

    <em>Or, </em>a less scientific theory entered Jacks mind, <em>is there magic at y?</em>

    This nested was absolutely not natural. It was artificial, and there had to be some sort of magic holding it steady, or it would just copse in on itself. What if there was also magic that kept the rings rtively unchanged over the eons?

    If Trial was an ancient testing ground, as Jack assumed, this would make sense.

    His ruminations were cut short when he entered a new, thickeryer of leaves. Climbing became more difficult. Brock let out an exmation from somewhere above. Jack elerated, eager to see what made Brock so excited

    and broke through the leaves. He was in the sky. And he lost his breath.

    The tree theyd chosen to climb had been one of the tallest ones. He could see the forest stretching around him, a canvas of fluttering green. Leaves swayed in the moist wind, while winged creatures he couldnt identifyeither birds or insectsswirled in the distance.

    The ceiling stretched over his head, still impossibly high. It was the underside of thes surfaceyer, stretching endlessly in all directions. He <em>knew </em>there was a curve, but he couldnt see it. From where he looked, it was perfectly straight, its ends lost in mist.

    The shiny mushrooms hung from the cave ceiling like a host of miniature suns, and brown stone columns rose intermittently from earth to heaven, like toothpicks supporting a mountain. Jack could see dozens of them. Across the, there must have been tens of thousands, if not more.

    Just Just who could create such a thing? he asked aloud. The wind grabbed his hair and pulled it back, exposing his full face to the view. Jack took a deep breath. His lungs filled to the point of almost bursting. He felt so energized.

    He then paced himself, remembering that too much oxygen was not good.

    Brock was by his side, and he pointed in one direction. Jack turned his gaze over.

    A few miles away, a massive mound of upturned dirt rose between the trees. It was shorter than them, of course, but it still resembled arge hill in size. It was an anthill. Its surface was teeming with ck workers, rushing everywhere in semi-orderly lines. There must have been hundreds of them, possibly thousands, and even more inside the nest.

    It seemed extremely dangerous.

    ording to Gan Salin,rgendmarkslike this ant hillindicated the position of tunnels heading down to the next ring. But Jack didnt want to infiltrate an oversized ant colony. Hed just have to find anotherndmark.

    He looked around. He found none. He looked back at the ant hill.

    Oh, fuck me.

 Chapter 127: Spotting Opportunities

    Chapter 127: Spotting Opportunities

    The massive ant hill dominated the scenery. It rose between the titanic trees, shorter but thicker than all of them. It was built on a bed of dirt, and its nted sides were teeming with conqueror ants. There were hundreds of them, possibly thousands.

    Jack had no illusions of being able to rush the ce. So what if the ants were only level 30 or so? There were so many of them that they could simply body-pile him and bury him under their corpses. Moreover, he understood by now that the world didnt y nice. There were bound to be stronger variants inside the ant hill, conveniently waiting out of sight until he attacked.

    Unfortunately, it didnt seem like he had a choice. Gan Salin had mentioned that the tunnels to the next ring hid under specialndmarks, and the ant hill was the only such thing he saw.

    <em>Should I wander the forest until I find another? </em>he wondered. It was certainly a possibility. The issue was, there was no guarantee that the next tunnel would be easier to ess. And testing would take time.

    What do you think, Brock? Jack asked, leaning on one of the trees higher branches. Do we stay, or do we go?

    Brock hung from a nearby leaf. One of his hands held onto the leafs stem, bending it to support his weight, while the other scratched his armpit. He considered it for a moment. Then, he let go of the leaf,nding on the wide branch underneath. He smashed his fists together.

    We fight? Jack asked.

    Yes! Brock replied. His throat still wasnt used to speaking human, but he was getting more proficient as time passed. Jack was optimistic. If Brock could say two words, he could say all of them. Eventually.

    Alright. He nodded. We can scout the ants a bit. Outside the nest, I dont think they can do much to us, even if they attack.

    It was funny. Once upon a time, he had to risk his life to take down the level 15 earth bears, facing each of them in drawn-outbat where the tiniest misstep could lead to death. Now, the prospect of facing a swarm of level 30 monsters didnt even bother him.

    Heck. Even his little monkey bro could easily beat up any earth bear, or even their leader, the rock bear. After all, Brock was now a level 37 Elite. He was even stronger than his own father.

    Going down the tree was harder than going up. When they made it, Jacks entire body was sore. Brock seemed fresh as a daisy.

    Bro! he said, jumping up and down in excitement.

    Bro, Jack replied,ughing. He looked up. The light of the mushrooms hadnt dimmed at all during the few hours theyd spent climbing. Was there no night here? Or was the day just longer than Earths?

    He hoped for the former, as he couldnt see in the dark. The faster they got out of here, the fewer chances they would sink into a long night. Just one more reason to hurry.

    Jack and Brock crouched into the underbrush. They moved around leaves the size of cars, hid themselves in waist-high grass. The ground was wet, even muddy at ces, and the air smelled of moisture. It was also filled with extra oxygen, but Jack and Brock kept their breaths slow.

    Intermittent buzzing reached their ears. They couldnt tell where it came from, or what sort of bug produced it. They were trapped in an ocean of green. Predators could hide anywherehundred-foot centipedes crawling along the grass, praying mantises hiding between leaves, wasps descending from above. All sorts of creatures, known and unknown, could be lying in wait.

    The only thought keeping them inside the greenery was that, as soon as they were out of it, they would be visible to all would-be predators. But was one enemy in the dark really better than ten in the light?

    Lets go in the open, Jack whispered. I can fight off these things, but only if I see theming.

    Brock quickly agreed, and they exited the bushes into a more open part of the forest. Besides the grass around their legs, they had good visibility of their surroundings.

    Jack instantly felt much better. Now were talking, he said. Keep your eyes peeled for surprises, Brock.

    The brori saluted like a soldier. <em>Where did he learn that? </em>Jack wondered.

    Fortunately, no threats appeared on the way, though they did see three bees fly overhead, all around level 60.

    They eventually made it back to where theyd first seen the ants. They werent there, but after a bit of looking around, they found them. They quickly retreated. This was a lot of ants.

    ck and brown ants the size ofrge dogs formed a long line, partly concealed by the tall grass. As they approached the root of a tree, the grass stopped, revealing the ants in full disy. They had six legs, fierce mandibles, a few short hairs all over their body, and two antennas rising from above their eyes. Their bodies were lean and wiry, with a thin torso and a thick behind.

    They resembled Earth ants, just magnified a thousand times.

    Their target was a hole in the base of therge tree. The ants streamed in endlessly, antennas raised and mandibles poised to strike. There were dozens of them, but they disappeared into the hole like stones dropped into the sea.

    Jack narrowed his eyes and focused on his hearing. Thuds and low hissing screams came from inside the tree. The ants were attacking something, but what?

    The answer became apparent soon. A conqueror ant emerged from the hole, carrying the corpse of a different ant. This one had heavier mandibles and was many timesrger than the conqueror ants. Jack couldnt inspect it, as it was dead, but it sure as hell seemed to be a different species.

    <em>Theyre attacking other ants! </em>Jack realized. <em>Then, could it be</em>

    He turned his gaze to the back of the conqueror ant line. A massive form lumbered in the distance, slowly approaching. It was twicerger than most other conqueror ants and had a pair of wings at its back.

    <em>A queen!</em>

    <strong>Conqueror Ant Queen, Level 39 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>Conqueror Ants are invasive species that can survive in most environments. Their colonies typically contain hundreds of workers, withrger colonies rising up to tens of thousands, along with multiple queens. If left alone, they will expand at great speed, annihting anything in their path despite their rtively low individual Levels.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>A Conqueror Ant colony is considered a peak E-Level threat. Immediate extermination is advised. Queens are the core of a colony, with eachying hundreds of eggs per mating season.</em></strong>

    Jack didnt need the Systems confirmation. Once upon a time, he had been a PhD candidate in biology. He was also focused on evolution. As a result, insects were his area of expertise. Hed studied them for years.

    That goes to say, he knew what was happening. Some ant species were hostile against their fellow ants, especially if they were a different species. If they located another colony in their territory, they would attack and destroy it.

    However, some species were even crueler. They didnt just destroy an enemy colony. They invaded it, culled its numbers, and stole their eggs. They would take the eggs back to their own colony, and when they hatched, they would use pheromones to brainwash the captured hatchlings into ves.

    Additionally, they might not destroy the colony, but conquer it instead. In that case, they would send one of their own queens into the enemy colony mid-battle. The queen would take advantage of the chaos to reach the chamber of the enemy queen and murder it in heatedbat. If it seeded, it would then coat itself in the pheromones of the dead enemy queen, essentially taking her ce as the ruler of the colony.

    The enemy ants would tend to her and her brood, unaware that their real queen was long dead, until she and her children killed them all.

    The animal kingdom was brutalor, as some would say, nature was metal. No wonder the Animal Kingdom faction was so tyrannical.

    Jack and Brock watched the invasion from behind some leaves, unable to tear their eyes away. Soon after the conqueror queen entered the enemy nest, a few conqueror ants emerged, carrying green, pulsating sacksthe enemy brood. They skittered back towards their own nest.

    The attack died down soon after. The conqueror ants stoppeding, and a few emerged from the nest to retreat. Some of the opposing ants chased them for a while, giving Jack a chance to inspect them.

    <strong>Carpenter Ant, Level 37 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>Carpenter Ants usually make their colonies inside trees. Their heavy-set mandibles can be used to dig through wood, hence their name. They arent particrly aggressive, but their bite can easily cut off limbs.</em></strong>

    He barely suppressed an exmation. He knew carpenter ants! They were one of the most wide-spread variants on Earth. Did the System trante their true name to something he would recognize, or did many sapient species individually settle on the same name for these ants?

    Thetter made sense. Carpenter ant wasnt the most difficult of names toe up with.

    <em>But in that case, </em>Jack wondered, <em>could conqueror ants exist on Earth as well, just with a different name?</em>

    He thought back to everything he had seen. He inspected the ants behavior and appearance with a biologists eye. There were many details he noticed but didnt care about beforetheir multi-segmented antennas, their uneven thorax Coupled with their highly invasive behavior and other patterns, he quickly narrowed it down to one species.

    <em>Argentine ants! </em>he eximed mentally.

    They were one of Earths most invasive ant species. In fact, human traveling had identally spread them around the world, and they were currently at war against pretty much all other ants. The various argentine ant colonies didnt fight each other. Instead, they used superior, cruel tactics and stratagems to kill any other ants they came across, slowly but steadily conquering the insect world.

    They were assholes.

    But Jack knew about them. Hed studied them. New excitement bubbled in his heartthe equivalent of <em>finally </em>using the pythagorean theorem outside school. He could put his theoretical knowledge to good use!

    <em>Take that, society! Whos a nerd now? </em>he thought with a smug smile.

    Ants were scary, but less so if he knew their ins and outs. In fact, Jack was half-certain they could sneak through without much trouble. He knew some tricks.

    However, even with a n, infiltrating an ant colony was a terrifying prospect. Things would be much easier if they took the time to pick off the ants, hunting and killing them by the dozens outside the colony. That would make infiltrating much easier.

    But did they have time? Gan Salin had said they should hurry, that these higher rings had no opportunities, only danger.

    Hmm, Jack muttered, cupping his thin. What do you think, Brock? Should we risk hurrying, as Gan Salin advised, or take our time whittling them down so its safer?

    Brock considered it for a moment. He then gave Jack a doubtful look.

    What? You disagree with something?

    Brock nodded.

    Why?

    This was trickier to respond. Brock pretended to run in ce, then trip on something and fall on his face. He then wagged a finger from side to side.

    Jack frowned. Hurrying is no good? But Gan Salin said He stopped. His eyes shed. Wait. Brock! Youre a genius!

    Brock stuck out his chestthough he seemed a bit confused, too. Jack continued.

    Why should we hurry? Gan Salin said what he said, but there has to be a reason for this rings existence. If I was the creator of Trial, I wouldnt go through all this trouble just to test the survival skills of people. I could easily do that <em>before </em>sending them to Trial. No, this ring cant be useless. Even if there arent any treasures here, there has to be <em>something. </em>And I think I see it. Look around you, Brock.

    Brock looked around, seeing nothing. He scratched his head.

    Exactly! Jack said excitedly. Mindless enemies ranging from the middle of the F-Grade to the low E-Grade. Doesnt this remind you of something? Its goblins!

    Brock looked at Jack. He reached out to touch the humans shoulder. He twisted a finger around his temple, then gave a gentle smile. He seemed to say, Youre crazy, but thats okay.

    No, Brock. Jackughed. What were goblins? Weak enemies, stupid, andcking humanity. Level up material. Thats why they were somon during the Integration, and <em>thats </em>why this ring exists. Its a sharpening stone! Its so weaker E-Grades can gather levels and battle experience, using their superior minds to outsmart and overpower the insects. That way, they level up fast, and they practice realbat at the same time. The creators of Trial tried to mimic the Integrations mechanisms!

    Finally, Brocks eyes lit up a little. Jack grinned.

    Why should we hurry? This ring may have no treasures, but its a treasure trove by itself. Master Shol warned us against using experience balls in the E-Grade, and the deeper rings of Trial will no doubt require us to have extraordinary strength. Where else will we find such a perfect hunting ground? Moreover, a hunting ground where <em>I know all enemies by heart.</em>

    He smashed his fists together, eyeing the far-off conqueror ants. Lets go, Brock. Its time to fight to our hearts content. He grinned savagely. Its time to level up.

 Chapter 128: Brock the Warrior

    Chapter 128: Brock the Warrior

    It had been a while since Jack stalked prey from a branch. Some things remained the same. The thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rush of watching without being watched, the tension that came from the possibility of battle erupting at any moment.

    But, of course, most things werepletely different thanst time.

    Jacks wasnt stalking goblins or earth bears, but giant conqueror ants the size ofrge dogs. He wasnt hiding on an actual branch, but on the stem of some gigantic nt. A torso-sized leaf hung in front of him.

    He was also much, much stronger than he used to be. His preynot so much.

    And he had a friend this time. Brock sat next to him, keeping his body close to the branch and his breathing deep and slow. Soundless.

    Brocks body, now reaching up to Jacks waist, was already toned with muscles that his Dao of Muscles made all the more apparent. Broris were made for strength, not stealth.

    Still, he tried. He watched Jacks movements and copied them, learning the basics of stealth from his big brother.

    A line of conqueror ants marched thirty feet under them. The ants were five in total, all between level 25 and 30, and the reason why Jack and Brock were stalking them was to make sure they werepletely detached from the rest of the colony. That way, they could fight without worrying about enemy reinforcements.

    Five ants werent many, but this was just a first experiment. Jack would attack these ants and fight them a bit, scout out their patterns and tacticsand see what surprises they hid.

    Go, Jack whispered. They crawled off the stem and onto the nts main body, then slid it down like firefighters on a pole. The only sound was the gentle rubbing of their fingers against the stalk. Their fingers were sticky, but that was only a minor inconvenience.

    They followed the ants in stealth, then circled around them. Jack looked to the left and right, making sure they werent watched. He made to step in the open.

    A hand grabbed his arm. He turned to find Brock, standing there with a hard gaze. He pointed at himself, then the ants.

    You want to fight?

    Brock nodded.

    In truth, the brori was more than strong enough for these ants. He was a level 37 Elite. He should be able to handle at least two or three of them.

    However, Jack frowned. Brock had never seen realbat before. He was strong, yes, but not enough to steamroll the opposition. And if something went wrong, he didnt have the regeneration that Jack had.

    Jack couldnt help but worry.

    Are you sure? he asked. This could get dangerous. We dont know what they can do. Why not let me fight first, and you can participate next time?

    However, Brock shook his head. Nu, he saidprobably trying to say no. He pointed to his heart, then his head, then down.

    You must fight now? Jack tranted. You are tired of watching?

    Brock nodded. He flexed his biceps, then shook his head sadly.

    I see, Jack said. You are strong, but you want to be more than that. A warrior. You want to take risks because a coward could never rise?

    Brock nodded again. Jack thought about it for another moment, then nodded back.

    Okay, he said. I understand how you feel. If I scout them out first, that is not real battle, it is target practice. You arent wrong However, you must learn to walk before you can run. Your attitude ismendable, but five ants is too much for your first real battle. I will take three of them. How does that sound?

    Brock shook his head, then raised two fingers.

    ...Fine. But your dad will kill me if anything happens to you, so be careful, okay? Do you promise?

    Brocks face split into a monkey grin. Yes.

    Okay Jack threw him a final look, then took a deep breath. Suddenly, this easy battle was full of tension. He was worried sick. However, if he didnt let Brock face real danger, he would never mature. Jack couldnt protect him forever. Be careful, he repeated, then stepped into the open.

    ***

    Brock was flooded by excitement. His body was shivering. His fur was rising.

    He stepped after his big brother, feeling every muscle in his body flex in anticipation. His first real battle. It was finally time for him to be an adult.

    The only other opponents hed fought were his little dog bros in Integration City, but they were too weak to count. Only now could he feel it. The thrill of battle. The fear that made him grin. The sharpening of the world, the total rity and thirst for battle that came with risking his life.

    What his Big Bro always felt.

    Now, it was Brocks turn.

    Big Bro released a mighty cry. The ants stopped and turned to look. Brock sensed the power that flooded Big Bros body, so great that it filled Brocks mind with terror. It was strength. <em>Power.</em>

    Big Bro shot out, falling on the ants like a rock from the sky. A set of mandibles wrapped around his arm, but they could barely pierce the skin. Two punches shot out in an instant. Two ants fell to the ground, their heads cracked open.

    The three remaining ants shuffled around a bit, then opened their mouths and released a shrill sound that made Brock frown. The smell of ash filled the forestthe smell of the ants fear.

    They turned and tried to run. Big Bro didnt pursuit them. It was time for Brock to act.

    He stood in the ants way. He saw the enemy barreling towards him, mandibles snapping through the air. His heart shookbut his mind muscles were too strong, and they overpowered the fear. They turned it into power. His limbs burst with strength, and his mouth released a cry that contained his resolve to fight to the death.

    Brock would no longer be weak. He would no longer be abandoned by his familyeven if Father imed it was for his own good. Brock knew better. They had discarded him because of his weakness, because Father was ashamed of him.

    But no more.

    The ants arrived. Brocks world changed. Everything slowed down, bing less detailed. He became faster.

    The ants arrived. They reached up to his chest. He stretched out both arms and jumped at them.

    They bit at him. Mandibles snapped, barely missing his face or fingers. They werent fast enough. Brock pped one ant so hard it spun around, then caught the second in a headlock. It struggled, but he was stronger. He swung it around from its neck and crashed it into the third ant, sending them both tumbling.

    The first ant returned to the fight, but the other two were gone for the moment. Brock let it snap once, then grabbed its mandibles in one hand and held them shut. He bent under it, grabbing the ants underbelly with his other arm. He ced his shoulder under it, and he <em>pushed.</em>

    The ant wrestled. Its face moved from side to side, desperately trying to dislodge his hand, but he kept it tightly wrapped over the ants mandibles. It tried to squirm out of his grasp, tried to bend its legs to stay on the ground, but Brock was stronger. His core and leg muscles flexed with power. He felt them straining and pushed harder. He yelled. The ant gave way.

    Brock rose to his full height, flipping the ant on its back. He also let go of its mandibles. The ant squirmed on the ground, snapping left and right as it struggled to right itself.

    Brock brought his hands together, then raised them over his head. His entire body pulsed with power. His muscles tensed, clearly visible under his short brown fur. With a mighty cry, he brought his hands down with all his power, smashing them into the ants thin abdomen.

    It exploded.

    With a sickening crunch, the ant broke in two. Its thin torso was snapped like a twig. Yellow blood erupted from the point of impact. The ant only made a low sound before dying, and immediately, it smelled like dirt.

    Brock didnt have time to celebrate. He jumped forward, sensing the burst of air as a set of mandibles snapped behind his back, then whirled around. The other two ants had recovered and were pursuing him, desperately trying to catch him in their mandibles.

    Brock wasnt a fool to let them. His mind spun,ing up with a n.

    As they came at him from the left and right, he unexpectedly stepped forward. They both missed, snapping on either side of him, and he wrapped his arms around them. Now, he held the mandibles of both ants shut under his armpits. The ants struggled, but they failed to escape in time.

    Brock fell back. The ants rose. Their mandibles dug into the soft soil, getting lodged there, while Brock rolled upright. He instantly began smashing his fists into one ants underbelly, cracking its spine with every hit. The ant snapped. It fell to the ground, lifeless.

    The final ant managed to extricate itself from the soil and turned to face Brock. However, it was now alone, and Brock was a menace. It tried regardless.

    The mandibles shot forward, but Brock sidestepped, letting them pass him harmlessly. He grabbed the ant by the spine and raised it into the air. It squirmed helplessly. With Brock holding it from the middle of its back, it couldnt reach him at all.

    Brock bared his fangs. He brought a second hand to the ants spine, holding it steady. Then, he gritted his teeth. His muscles flexed. His entire body tensed. His grip was iron. Hundreds of pounds of force pulled the ants spine towards either side until, with a massive, ripping sound, the entire ant was pulled apart.

    Brock let the two pieces fall to the ground. He looked around. He stood on the remains of his enemies, uninjured. He had achieved victory. Honor. He was a warrior. A true brori.

    He raised his face to the sky and unleashed a loud holler of triumph, shaking the nearby leaves as he beat on his chest. The excitement was more than hed ever felt. He had triumphed! He felt alive!

    Brock looked aside, searching for Big Bro, who was staring with a mix of satisfaction and wonder.

    That was pretty brutal, he said. Then, before Brocks heart had time to drop, he continued, But you won. Im so proud of you, Brock. I knew you could do it. You are a true warrior!

    Brock cheered harder. Big Bro cheered with him, and for a moment, the forest echoed with their joy.

    Then, it echoed with the sounds of marching. They both looked in the same direction: towards the anthill. An army of ants were streaming their way, and they weremore than Brock could count on his hands and feet.

    Good, Big Bro said, stepping forth. He cracked his knuckles. My turn. Stand back, Brock!

    Brock obliged. He took a few steps back, ready to admire his Big Bros strength, and he wasnt disappointed.

    Big Bro yelled, then ran into the ant army. His strength and speed were overwhelming. The few mandibles that managed to bite him could only inflict superficial wounds. He was a maelstrom of violence, destroying ants left and right. They tried to pile on him, but they werent enough.

    He ripped through them. For a short while, the forest rained yellow blood. It was carnage.

 Chapter 129: The Beast that Roars

    Chapter 129: The Beast that Roars

    Jack stood over a field of broken corpses. Ant corpses. He raised his gaze, going from their drying yellow blood to the dirt mound that dominated the distance. He tightened his fist.

    After the pent-up frustrations of getting cheated and chased by the Animal Kingdom, letting loose was nice. This wasnt even his first ant swarm. Or the second.

    <em>System, </em>he thought, <em>show me my progress.</em>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 60</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 204 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 204 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 204 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 23 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 23 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 30</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Iron Fist Style (I)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    For most people, leveling through the E-Grade took years. Decades. They had to find monsters at the right level andrge quantities, which was made more difficult by the fact that everyone else was searching too. As a result, most E-Grade cultivators took high-paying jobs, hunting the odd monster wherever they found it, slowly trudging through the levels. Eventually, most got the money to buy E-Grade experience balls, but by that point, they were so used to the peaceful life that giving up everything to advance was difficult.

    Jack, on the other hand, was surrounded by abundant prey at all the right levels. He had hordes of middle and high F-Grade enemies, as well as E-Grade ones under every second stone. Moreover, his power helped him y them quickly and effortlessly.

    He had risen by six levels in one day. Hed also made slight progress in his fear aura skill, though he was currently prioritizing levels.

    Not bad for a days work. He smiled. Right, Brock?

    The brori yelled a cheer in monkey. After defeating those ants at the start, Brock had been beside himself with joy. He kept flexing his muscles and pointing at himself with pride. Jack shared in the joy.

    <em>Harambe would be proud </em>he thought with a gentle smile.

    Brock couldnt level up, as the System still considered him a monster, but he could gain battle experience and Dao insights. Fighting allowed him to use his muscles in new ways, sharpening his Dao of Muscles. Jack could see him pondering at times, taking breaks to sit on rocks with his fist under his chin.

    He couldnt stop wondering how Brocks Dao would progress in the future.

    They had also discovered arge stream with clear water, as well as a tree with apples the size of living rooms. Sustenance wouldnt be a problem no matter how long they stayed here.

    After that, they had spent most of the day fighting conqueror ants and scouting out their patterns. Small parties of five to nine ants would leave the colony at random intervals, spreading out in random directions to find food. If they seeded, they would bring it back to the colony. If the food was too much to be carried by a few ants, they would summon a host of a dozen workers toe help them.

    On the other hand, if they didnt find food, they would keep searching until they died.

    When one of those raiding parties ran into strong predatorsJack and Brock, for examplethey would scream as loudly as possible. They would also release a flood of pheromones. The sound would alert other ants toe in the general direction of the battle, while the pheromones had shorter range but guided the reinforcements to the exact point ofbat.

    These reinforcements usually contained around two dozen antsthere was no soldier caste in argentine/conqueror ants, so they were all the same. It was a numberrge enough to overpower most low E-Grade insects, but not enough to defeat Jack. To him, they were just walking bags of levels.

    Fifteen such hunting groupster, he had in hundreds of ants, and he had managed to reach level 60. Unfortunately, his leveling speed had begun to stagnate. F-Grade opponents could only take him so far.

    Brock had also practiced and was now able to face five ants at the same time, but he, too, had reached his limit. He had even gotten injured in thest fight, and he now sported a gash on his right upper arm. Jack had tied it with a strip of his dark blue shirt, which was now so dirty he chose to take it off, returning to the bare-chested look hed sported in the Forest of the Strong.

    It brought back memories.

    Thirty stat points Jack muttered. Thats a lot. What do you think, Brock? Time to allocate them?

    The brori cheered. Jack smiled.

    Okay. Now, lets see. Master Shol said I should keep my Physical bnced until I have a reason not to, so all Physical points are split evenly between the three substats. He also said I should keep an 8-1-1 distribution between my main statPhysd the auxiliary onesMental and Will. I have 30 points. To maintain that distribution, I should allocate Hmm He frowned. Oh boy, this is calculus all over again. You dont happen to have pen and paper, do you, Brock?

    The brori didnt respond, too busy ying with a t stone hed found. Jack didnt me him.

    Okay then. Lets approximate. Physical should be eight times more than the others. If I raise Mental and Will to 30 points each, then Physical should be around 240. Hmm. I dont have enough points for that, but its close, and putting them at 28 or 29 points is just Ugh. Okay. Lets do that. Ill just put the next few levels into Physical as well.

    Before he could change his mind, he allocated the points.

    <strong>Strength: 220</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 220</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 220</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 30</strong>

    <strong>Will: 30</strong>

    Ohh! Brock! Check this out! Round numbers everywhere!

    Brock cheered in the ttest way Jack had ever heard.

    Hmph, spoilsport. If you ever be a cultivator, well see whos excited about numbers then.

    Brock snorted as if to say, That is never happening, bro.

    Two striped yellow shapes shot down from the sky. Buzzing filled the air. Jack looked up only to find a stinger right above his face.

    He stepped back. The stinger almost scratched his nose as it descended at the speed of a bullet and buried itself in the soil. Jack came face to face with a terrifying, ck-and-yellow creature.

    He ignored it for now.

    The second wasp came at him from the side. He turned. His hand grabbed the thin stinger mid-air and yanked, turning the entire creature mid-flight and mming it into the first one. They rolled on the ground. He didnt let them stand.

    The forest sounds disappeared. The lush greenery lost its vibrancy. Purple swirls gathered around Jacks fist, and it smashed down on them both.

    <em>Meteor Punch, </em>he thought.

    The world exploded on impact. The wasps screeched as they were torn apart, sending pieces of flesh and yellow blood flying everywhere. One stinger clinked on a nearby stone.

    Where the wasps used to be, only a ckened crater was left.

    Fuckers, Jack said with irritation, shaking his hand. You just dont learn, do you?

    Ants werent his only opponents in the forest. Throughout the day, theyd been ambushed by dragonflies, wasps, beetles, even a horse-sized praying mantis. Thankfully, they were low-level, which let Jack handle them easily as long as he kept his guard up at all times. Only the praying mantis had been a slight challenge, at level 70 and with wicked scythe arms, but even those arms couldnt resist a Meteor Punch at point nk. After it was disarmed, the rest was history. At least, they all attacked Jack first, as he represented arger target than Brock.

    Those ambushes had contributed significantly to Jacks leveling speed. In fact, he was actively looking for more of those praying mantises, but hadnt managed to find any.

    As for the wasps, he just hated them on principle.

    What do you say, Brock? he asked again. Wanna travel a bit farther away? The ants are no longer leveling me.

    Yes.

    Excellent. Lets go!

    They walked away, leaving the pile of dead ants and two wasps on the soil.

    The forest was gigantic, but they were fast. Even with Jack matching Brocks pace, they were zooming through the titanic trees, jumping from root to root or running on the leaf-covered soil.

    Jack ran at the front, keeping an eye out for danger. He was actively resisting the level-up arrogance that gnawed at his caution. He knew that, despite his strength, he was not the apex predator here. Not even close.

    For example, there was arge beehive hanging from a tree branch near the anthill. A massive, yellow hub of death and honey. If those bees wanted to, they could skewer him easily. And, of course, there was still the

    A deep roar echoed throughout the forest. Leaves shook, the ground shook. <em>Speak of the devil. </em>Jack clicked his tongue. <em>The big guy.</em>

    These roars came in random intervals. He still hadnt managed to figure out what beast produced them, but he also didnt <em>want </em>to find out. Even insects were E-Grade here. A beast that could make the ground shake It was probably beyond Jacks abilities.

    Unfortunately, the forest made it difficult to discern the direction of the roar. For all Jack knew, they could be heading right into it. And was it louder than normal?

    Thinking to that point, he signaled Brock to slow down. They came to a stop. I think this is the wrong direction, Jack said. The roar got louder.

    Yes, Brock agreed.

    We should head the other way.

    Yes.

    They were in agreement. However, before they could move, the roar came again. It was different this time. Less a deration of supremacy and more a cry of war. Jack jumped and looked around, but he saw nothing.

    What the

    A third roar came. This time, it was followed by stomps that shook the ground, along with crashing sounds. A pained growl came shortly afterward.

    Jack looked around, but again, saw nothing.

    The beast is fighting, he realized, eyes widening. What could stand against it?

    The roars and crashing sounds kepting. Brock perked his ears, then looked to the right. Its that way? Jack asked. Okay. Lets go.

    Brock nodded.

    Going to witness the battle of a massive beast sounded dangerousand it was. But they werent here to take the easy way out. Opportunities and danger came hand-in-hand. If they didnt dare to take risks, they could never defeat theary overseer anyway.

    Jack and Brock darted through bushes the size of buildings. The ground was soft, with the asional leaf under their feet, but they were too light to make them crunch. Green parted before them as they made haste.

    Two minutester, the roars intensified further. The air was shaking now, and many insects were running the opposite way. A trio of wasps even ignored them to escape faster.

    Jack stepped forward. They were inside a bush, but they had slowed down. They shouldnt be spotted. Carefully, he parted a leaf to witness the battle beyond.

    His breath caught in his throat.

    <em>Thats Thats not a beast!</em>

    A green-skinned giant stood between the trees. It held arge club and must have been at least fifty feet tall, if not more. It was hairless, only wearing a loincloth around its waist, and its eyes held no glimmer of intelligence. It resembled a wild animal. When it opened its mouth, yellow teeth were revealed, and buckets of saliva flew out. The roar that escaped was the same one theyd been hearing all the while.

    <strong>Forest Giant, Level 118</strong>

    <strong><em>Forest Giants are bestial humanoids that inhabit forest biomes. Their main habitat is the Giant Ring of Trial. They can reach up to a hundred feet in height, are fast, resilient, and extremely strong. Moreover, their sense of smell is heightened, able to pick out prey from a mile away.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Many aspiring cultivators have found their end under the clubs of Forest Giants. They find you before you find them.</em></strong>

    Jacks blood went cold. If they had tried to approach this creature when it wasnt fighting, it would have smelled theming, and they would have had to outrun ithopefully. There was no way he could match a level 118 creature inbat.

    Fortunately, it was currently too preupied to notice them. Red blood streamed from where its left ear used to be, its bare chest was covered in shallow cuts, and it was limping. Oddly, hints of frost surrounded its chest wounds.

    Three cultivators stood against it, fully focused on the giant. They didnt seem to have noticed Jack.

    One was a man with long, dark hair and wielding an extremely long, sharp sword. The second was a young-looking woman in a white robe, whose silver hair fluttered in a non-existent breeze. Her outstretched arms were covered in frost to the elbow, while snowkes danced around her open palms. The third and final cultivator was a towering minotaur in full te armor, who was currently standing in front of the forest giant, seeming tiny, and roared back.

    Jack inspected them with bated breath.

    <strong>Human (Earth-74), Level 104</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Wide Swirls (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Gifted</strong>

    <strong>Human (Earth-74), Level 121</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Wide Swirls (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Wide Swirls Prodigy</strong>

    <strong>Minotaur, Level 109</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Resilient</strong>

 Chapter 130: True Cultivators

    Chapter 130: True Cultivators

    Holy shit! Jack whispered. Brock!

    A second face emerged from the leaves, right next to his. Nobody would notice them in such a heated battle, anyway.

    The giant roared again, shaking the entire forest. It raised its club high, then brought it down on the minotaur, who raised a tower shield.

    The sh was cataclysmic. The earth moaned. The wind stirred. Even the titanic trunks around groaned a bit as the force of the giant crashed down. Jack was horrified; even at this distance, over a hundred feet away, the ground shook under his feet, and his ears rang from the sound.

    <em>Holy shit.</em>

    The minotaurs allies were unbothered. As soon as the giantmitted to the attack, the swordsman burst into motion. He was a human with long, dark hair and a narrow de longer than he was tall. He wore a dark cloak with jagged edges, as if battle-tattered.

    His feet pounded the ground. Instantly, he was next to the giant, and he shed out. His de slid over green skin like a razor whip. Blood spurt out. A long red line was carved into the giants exposed ribs, and the creature screamed in pain, a sound even harsher than its previous roars.

    The moment it opened its mouth, the witch acted as well. Ice extended from her fingertips, forming thin, smooth lines that materialized through the air like snakes revealing themselves. They reached the giants open mouth in a heartbeat and dove inside. Its eyes widened in pain and terror. It tried to scream again, but only blood rose from its throat. Jack didnt even want to imagine what was happening in there.

    At the same time, the giants club rose from the ground. The minotaur was revealed under it; crouched, panting, and clearly battered, but still in good shape. His shield remained steady, ready to defend against any attacks.

    Jack couldnt believe his eyes. That giant had attacked with the power of <em>at least </em>a peak E-Grade. It had struck hard enough to break a hind this minotaur defender justtook the blow.

    Despite the hits it had received, the giant wasnt dead yet. It snapped its mouth shut, breaking the lines of ice, and whirled its club around to hit the swordsman, but he easily jumped past the blow. The three cultivators returned to their original positions, facing the giant with no injuries.

    The giant tried to growl, but it winced and stopped immediately. Whatever those ice lines had done to its throat, it wasnt good. It looked ready to keep fighting, but the result was already clear. They would just keep torturing this humanoid beast until it dropped dead. This wasnt a battle. It was a cold-blooded execution.

    In fact, Jack suspected that any one of these three could fight the giant by themselves. They were high E-Grades, and additionally, they came from B-Grade factions and had earned the right to enter Trial. They were undoubtedly stronger than normal high E-Grades. Way stronger than Jack himself.

    And they were cold-blooded hunters. Merciless and efficient. They showed zero emotion or hesitation as they slowly whittled this poor giant to death.

    Jack felt growing terror. He only just realized hed been frozen, watching this battle like he wasnt in danger. But he was. He needed to get the hell out of here before these people noticed him. Not only were they strong and ruthless, but one of them came from Animal Kingdom, Jacks enemy.

    The giant swung its club overhead again. Jack didnt stay to watch. He silently slid the leaves back to their original positions, then grabbed Brock under his armpit and made a madbut silentdash towards the anthill. Brock didntin. If Jack had to guess, his blood was also frozen solid.

    Even as the ground shook under his feet and the giants desperate whimpering was cut short, Jack didnt look back. He kept running.

    High E-Grade beasts that could smell him from a mile away. Ruthless, mighty cultivators. And who knows what else.

    This forest was dangerous. He had to get the hell out of here.

    <em>And go where? </em>he asked himself. <em>The next rings will be even more dangerous. The monsters will be stronger, and so will the cultivators</em>

    Even if he grew strong enough to fight strong people like them, he couldnt handle three at once.

    <em>I need to find allies, </em>he realized. <em>Gan Salin and whoever else I wontst long by myself. By ourselves, </em>he corrected himself, looking at Brock. Brock, still held under Jacks armpit, gave a thumbs-up.

    They had already crossed several miles, approaching the anthill. The sounds ofbat had disappeared by now, but Jack still didnt feel safe. Those people hadnte from the direction of the anthill, that was for sure. So could they be headed there?

    <em>I need to hide and wait, </em>Jack concluded. He looked around, then up. His eyes shone. Brock, he said firmly. Were climbing!

    They were close to the anthill, next to a tree shorter than mostbut still a thousand feet tall. Jack rushed there, threw Brock on the hard bark, then started climbing himself. He even went at the opposite side of the tree, so if those three were approaching, they wouldnt see him.

    This time, he was trying to be fast. The bark flew under his feet, one handhold giving way to another in an endless cycle of reach, grab, pull, and repeat. Soon, Jack made it to the first branch, only to find Brock waiting there. Both were panting hard. It couldnt have been more than two minutes. Last time, it had taken thirty.

    But they were safe now. Up here, they could hide until the three cultivators went away. Even if they passed right underneath, it was virtually impossible to find Jack and Brock.

    Unless the cultivators had some sort of detection magic, but in that case, what could Jack do? Hed just die.

    He raised his head and came face to face with a bee. He almost shouted. Its low buzzing was clearly present now that he paid attentionhed only missed it due to the volume of his thoughts.

    Brock must have missed it too, because he jumped and yelled the moment he turned around. Quiet! Jack hissed. Dont worry. Its just a bee.

    The bee stared at them from a few feet away. Jack inspected it.

    <strong>Silent Bee, Level 59</strong>

    <strong><em>Silent Bees live in tree hives, usually in forest biomes. They are neither aggressive nor territorial. Their only battle instinct is self-defense, which makes them ideal for raising in captivity. Their honey is considered a delicacy in many cultures.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>The buzzing of their wings is much more discreet than other bees, hence their name.</em></strong>

    Jack had seen this description before. There were many such bees in the forest. He just hadnt fought them before for two reasons. One, they were pretty friendly, ording to their descriptions, and biologists loved bees anyway.

    Two, he had spotted a big-ass nest on a tree close to the anthill. Who knows how many bees lived here. If he harmed one, maybe a hundred woulde to kick his ass, and he wasnt about to risk it.

    However, the bees never approached him either. This was the first he saw from up-close. So why was it here?

    Jack looked at the bee suspiciously. It looked back at him with exactly the impassiveness one expects from an insect. It didnt attack. It onlynded on the branch near them, deciding to rest, presumably.

    When the beended, the buzzing sound didnt stop. Jack did a double take. Its wings had stopped moving. So where was the buzzinging from?

    He thought back to the giant hive hanging from a tree near the anthill. He remembered he was on a tree near the anthill. He had only been looking at the bark while climbing.

    Oh, hell no he muttered. He reached the edge of the branch in three steps, then looked down. And there was the beehive. Right below him. Dozens of bees flew around it, all around level 60. They were so many that the usually low humming of their wings was audible as a droning buzz.

    Jack really wanted to break something. Un-fucking-believable, he cursed. I Fuck. What sort of terrible luck is this?

    Hed almost ran into a predator, then escaped three others, and now he suddenly found himself basically sitting on a giant beehive that could fill him with more holes than swiss cheese. The only thing keeping him alive was their friendliness, but who knows what kind of misfortune would break that?

    Sitting on a bomb was highly stressful.

    Brock was scared too, but Jack watched his eyes slowly calm down. He seemed to have found inner peaceperhaps his bravery muscles were hard at work.

    Jack took a deep breath, too. <em>Im panicking, </em>he realized. <em>Calm down, Jack.</em>

    He took another deep breath. Then a second. A third.

    When he opened his eyes, the bee was still there, not attacking them. The giant was dead. Even if the cultivators came in this direction, he was well-hidden. They couldnt spot him up here.

    And the bees were not hostile.

    He took a final deep breath, then rxed. The situation was tense, but he was safe. And, if things went south, he would just have to find a way out.

    Heres the n, Brock, he told the brori, more to gather his own thoughts. We wait here for an hour. If the cultivators dont show up, we climb down and sneak through the anthill to reach the second ring. This forest is too dangerous to stay anymore. Is that fine with you?

    Brock considered it. Yes, bro.

    Okay. Then we Oh! You connected two words to form a sentence! Nice going, Brock!

    The brori smiled widely. Jack smiled back, finding his worries swiftly evaporating.

    Okay then. Lets just wait a bit.

    And so they did. Jack sat down, keeping one eye on the bee and the other on the tree trunk, just in case something tried to sneak up on them. He also kept his ears open.

    Brock sat next to Jack and sank into meditation. Jack wished he could do the same.

    And so they waited, not daring to look below but with Jacks senses on guard. The minutes ticked by. Half an hour passed. Jack had calmed downpletely by now, embracing the fists resolve that things would either work out or they wouldnt. Brock must have found a simr truth, because he was calm, too.

    Do you think its safe? Jack asked.

    A deep, loud roar answered him. Jack seized, but this wasnt the cultivators. It was the giant. <em>But I thought it died! </em>he wondered, then chided himself. <em>Idiot. Of course theres more than one. Maybe the cultivators are fighting it, too.</em>

    A few minutes went by. No more roars came, indicating that there wasnt a battle going on.

    The giants roar came again, then descended into an oddly intense growl before going silent. <em>Poor guy, </em>Jack thought. <em>The cultivators must have found you. That sucks. Best of luck.</em>

    However, as another minute passed, no more roars came. Jack began to wonder if the giants odd growl was because it <em>smelled </em>the cultivators. <em>Poor guys walking to his death, </em>he thought, shaking his head with pity.

    Another roar came. However, unlike the rest, this one was pretty fucking loud, like the giant was screaming in his ear. And it hid a sense of triumph.

    Jack got goosebumps. Oh, he said in realization. These giants could smell prey from a mile away, and he wasnt that high. Come on. You have got to be kidding me.

    He walked to the edge of the branch and looked down. And there, staring at him triumphantly, was a green, club-wielding giant.

 Chapter 131: Threading the Needle

    Chapter 131: Threading the Needle

    You have got to be kidding me, Jack said in disbelief.

    A hundred feet below him, the giant grinned, revealing a set of sharp, yellow teeth. Its eyes stared into Jacks, and there was no emotion there, only malice.

    <strong>Forest Giant, Level 122</strong>

    Great. And its even stronger than thest one! Jack cursed out loud, still unable to believe what was happening.

    Brock, on the other hand, was very much up-to-speed. He shot to his feet and looked at Jack for instructions. He seemed ready to go down fighting.

    Jack bit his inner lip. The giant still stared from below, and he knew that he couldnt defeat it. Its level was simply too high. One hit from that club would tten him like a fist pancake.

    Bro, Brock said, his gaze serious. He mimicked running. Jack shook his head.

    Its description says its fast, he replied. I think staying up here is our best shot. Maybe it cant climb.

    <em>But thats not safe either, </em>he realized immediately. <em>Even if it cant climb, what are we supposed to do? Wait here until it grows tired? Will it ever? And what if the cultivatorse here to investigate, then wonder what the giant was hunting? Theyll tear us apart. That Animal Kingdom minotaur will eat me alive.</em>

    <em>Does the giant want to eat me alive?</em>

    He looked back down. The giants teeth were sharp like a carnivores. It was even salivating. Jack gulped. <em>It wants to eat me alive. Fuck whoever decided to put giants in an insect forest.</em>

    <em>Oh. Thats why its called the Giant Ring.</em>

    Unfortunately, trivia about Trial werent very helpful right now.

    <em>We must escape, </em>he realized. <em>But how? We can try to run, but it will catch us as we climb down. Maybe I can fall on it like a meteor? Or will it baseball-club me into the cave ceiling?</em>

    <em>At least it cant climb, so we have time.</em>

    <em>Come on, Jack, think. What do we have? A guy who fists a lot, a buff brori who can say two words, the height advantage What else?</em>

    He looked around. The bee stared back at him. Jack felt like a lightbulb just shone over his head.

    The bees wings shook a bit like itd read his thoughts. But that was impossible. Right?

    Brock, Jack said quietly, trying to act nonchnt, I have an idea. Prepare to run, okay? I will count to

    The tree shook a bit. Jack looked down. The giant had abandoned its club and was hugging the tree trunk with both arms, slowly but surely making its way up. In scale, it was like a human baby climbing a normal-sized tree, except they were both a hundred timesrger.

    Jack cursed. If you can climb, why wait until now!?

    The giant growled, its face stuck to the tree as it struggled to climb. It wasnt good at it, but it was trying.

    Wow, fuck that guy, Jack said in anger. And fuck this forest. We go at three. Ready? Three.

    He turned and smashed a Meteor Punch into the unsuspecting bee, tossing it down from the branch. He mentally apologizedat least hed taken care not to kill it. The droning buzz from the beehive at the end of the branch intensified. Jack didnt have a moment to waste.

    Both his fists shone purple. Meteor Shower! he shouted, feeling stupid for calling his move out-loud, but tension called for tension. Meteors rained horizontally. The giant stopped, looking at Jack with iprehension. The few bees hovering around their hive darted for him, but his meteors were already on the way.

    The beehive was only attached to the branch by a thick column of wax. Jacks Meteor Punches exploded into it, cutting deep into the material. It broke on the second meteor. The beehive fell.

    Jack held his breath. Brocks eyes widened. The giant followed the falling beehive with its eyes, then watched as it crashed and shattered against the ground. Tons of wax and honey fell into a pile. An army of a hundred bees buzzed out of it, ready to give their lives to annihte the offenders.

    Some noticed the bees attacking Jack on top of the branch, but that scene was far away. The giant was closer andrger. Their many eyes fell on him. The giant stared back for a moment. Its skin tightened.

    They lunged at the same moment that the giant let go of the tree, falling back to the ground and picking up its club. It roared and swung. Just like its description said, it was fast. Its club whistled through the air despite its size, carving a line through the cloud of bees and injuring dozens, but they were too many.

    They fell on him like a new coat. They covered him from legs to neck, each stinging him and injecting their venom, along with their life. Bees died after stinging. The giant roared in pain, smashing the club into his own body in a vain attempt to escape.

    Meanwhile, Jack was fighting eight bees by himself. They were almost too many. Each was the size of a desk and zoomed around like it weighed nothing. He could keep up with their speed, but not if they came from every direction at once.

    These bees were all at the same level as he was. He couldnt afford to hold back. For the first time since arriving at Trial, he was going all-out. Meteor Punches exploded everywhere. His fists shot out even faster than the bees, and they struck like ogre-wielded sledgehammers. The Iron Fiend Body helped him twist and bend his body to difficult angles, and his perfect Dao Seed imposed his will onto the world, skewing reality in his favor a tiny bit.

    The Iron Fist Style guided his movements, wlessly transitioning from parries, to punches, to dodges. He danced amidst the stingers.

    He grabbed one mid-air and turned it into another, forcing a bee to impale one of its own. Both bees went down. He ducked under a stinger and turned to avoid a second, shooting an uppercut into the abdomen of a bee and making its innards explode from the other sideDrill had been absorbed into Iron Fist Style, but its principle remained.

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 61.</strong>

    As he drew back his hand, a bee shed to his right and another to his left. He elbowed one of them. The other impaled his leg at the thigh. He screamed out in pain. It wasnt just the injury. A hint of venom flowed into his blood, causing searing pain all over his leg. At least, the stinger had run clean through it, causing most of the poison to drip from its tip to the bark below.

    The bee dislodged itself with a sickening sound, but the stinger remained, sticking out of both ends of his leg. It was like a sword.

    Jacks eyes went bloodshot. Iron Fiend Body was already working to restore the wound, but it would take time. He let the stinger in his leg to contain the bleeding. He kept fighting.

    His fist smashed into a bee mid-flight, exploding into it like a meteor and clipping its wings. It tumbled down to the forest floor. Meanwhile, in the corner of his eye, Jack saw Brock dancing with a bee. Hed somehow managed to dodge its initial sting and grab onto the stinger with all his strength. He was now holding on to it and iling wildly as the bee flew around and tried to shake him off, easily carrying his weight.

    It flew away from the branch. The only thing separating Brock from the ground was a hundred feet. He let out a monkey cry and held on even tighter, straining all his muscles to not fall off. His fingers were slipping off the stinger. It was only a matter of time.

    Seeing that, Jacks mind was filled with urgency. He ghost-stepped to the front, slipping behind the remaining bees. He struck one in the same movement, prating it with his fist, then turned around and back-fisted another. A weaker version of Meteor Punch appeared around his hand, exploding onto the bee and blowing its head off.

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 62.</strong>

    He panted. That was thest bee. The stinger was still in his leg, limiting his movements, but Brock was struggling. He was only level 37though elitefighting off a level 60 monster. And he was dangling over a deadly fall.

    Jack didnt think much. There was no time. He ran to the edge of the branch and jumped. The air screamed in his ears. Suddenly, he was a long way from the ground, and the only thing holding him aloft was his rapidly dwindling momentum.

    He kept his eyes focused on Brock and thest bee. He was on the right course. Brock saw him, and his gaze was equal parts glee and terror.

    The bee saw him too. Suddenly, its flight shifted. It jerked to the right to avoid him. Jack could no longer reach. Even if he struck it with a Meteor Punch, Brock might not survive the fall, and Jack couldnt fly.

    Or could he?

    GHOST STEP! he shouted. The world obeyed. His body moved contrary to physics, changing directions mid-air and dashing to the right. Unlike when he used the skill onnd, the strain this time was immense. He immediately felt out of breath. He couldnt do this again.

    But he didnt need to.

    He fell on the bee, grabbing on to its wings and fighting to stay there. It tried to shake him off, but his fist smashed into its face, obliterating it. Its wings stilled as it fell from the sky.

    Brock! Jack shouted, reaching out. Brock reached out, too, and managed to grab his arm. Jack pulled him in a hug. Hang on! he shouted.

    They smashed against the forest floor like a cannon ball. Leaves went flying, and a dull thud echoed in their ears. Jacks Iron Fist Style told him to roll, but he couldnt do that while holding Brock. Hended on his feet. His knees creaked but thankfully held. Brock was ripped off his arms, tumbling on the soft soil with a pained grunt, but he looked fine.

    Oh, thank God, Jack said. He quickly grabbed Brock under his armpit and bolted off. Behind him, the floor was littered with dead bees, some ttened and some simply crawling without their stingers, but the giant wasnt in better condition. Its skin was bloated and red. Bees covered it still, walking all over it without stingers and trying to bite, determined to do everything they could to save the hive.

    The giant opened its mouth and screamed. It couldnt walk anymore. Its club was on the ground, covered in the blood of its cracked palm. Its eyes met Jack, and they were full of hatred. Then, the giant copsed.

    Jack didnt look back anymore, either. He ran into the trees, determined to open as much distance as possible. Not only was he afraid of the bees seeking him for revenge, but the battle had been extremely loud. The cultivators would certainlye to check, and more giants might arrive, toothey were probably attracted to sound, which would exin why this giant had arrived in Jacks territory so soon after its predecessor died.

    Jacks leg throbbed. The stinger was still there, burning him on every step, but he powered through the pain.

    They had to get the hell away.

    He ran until the sounds disappeared beside him. On the way, he met a bunch of conqueror ants but ignored them. He was injured and exhausted. He needed a moment to rest and recover.

    Suddenly, more notifications appeared.

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 63.</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 64.</strong>

    Was it due to the giants death? That was interesting. Jack quickly willed all twenty pointshed leveled up four times in totalinto Physical. A little bit of extra energy entered his body, giving him the power to reach his destination.

    There was a spot rtively near the anthill that hed marked for future rest, back when he thought theyd stay here for days. It was a little cave carved in the base of arge tree trunk. It seemed natural. And, most importantly, empty.

    The moment he made it there, he let Brock down and sat on the ground, leaning his head back and panting hard.

    Fuck, he said. He fished his pockets for the strips that remained of his old shirt. When he grabbed a handful, he pulled the stinger out, gnashing his teeth to avoid screaming. He tossed it aside.

    Idly, he wondered how hed managed to run this far with a wrist-thick hole through his leg. Had the stinger missed all vital spots, or was it somehow due to Iron Fiend Body and his Dao Seed?

    The sight of his streaming blood drew him back to the present. He wrapped the cloth strips around both ends of the wound and tightened them to slow the bleeding. The Iron Fiend Bodys regeneration would do the rest. Hed be fine in a few hours as long as no cultivators, giants, or mega-insects attacked them in the meantime.

    I fucking hate this ce, he muttered. Listen up, Brock. The moment I recover, we trick the fucking ants, and then were out of here.

 Chapter 132: Walking Oneâ€™s Path

    Chapter 132: Walking One¡¯s Path

    The hours ticked by. Jack and Brock remained in their little cave between the tree roots, waiting out the consequences of their battle. They had blocked the entrance with a big rock, casting them in near-total darkness.

    This time, Brock was the one on guard duty. He sat on the soil with his ears perked up, ready to act at the first hint of danger. They had to be ready for anything. There could be colossal worms digging under them, or the tree roots coulde alive, or another giant could smell them ande running.

    Fortunately, it seemed that the two dead giants were the only ones in the vicinity. No others roars hade in hours. Nothing had moved.

    The reason Brock was on guard duty wasnt because Jack was injured. It was because he wanted to meditate.

    There was something about killing monsters. Pushing yourself to the absolute edge to survive, facing an enemy knowing that one of you has to die, tasting the dread of death when all seems lost and the triumph when youe up with a way to turn things around.

    Even the simple act of butchering the conqueror ants gave Jack insights. They bubbled into his soul, pulled to the surface by the here-and-now, the total rification of battle, and inflicting death.

    Exterminating ants in directbat, even if easy, was a world of difference from using experience balls. Jack was even beginning to suspect that these insights werent all natural. Perhaps he absorbed more than levels when he killed things. Or maybe it was psychological.

    Whatever the case, the fact remained that the days fights had given him things to consider. There were thoughts flitting in the back of his mind, just waiting for him to give them proper attention so they could unravel.

    Currently, he had nothing else to do while healing. Now was the time.

    He recalled his battles against the ant armies. Well, not really armies. More like batches. Each was made up of around thirty ants, including the scouting parties he attacked until they called for reinforcements.

    He had taken down fifteen of those batches. Almost five hundred ants, each stronger than anything in the Forest of the Strong besides the ck wolves. Back then, every battle had been an uphill struggle. Hed only briefly experienced superiority at times. Most battles involved him outsmarting stronger opponents. The goblin tribe, the earth and rock bears, the wolves Even if things ended up in heatedbat most of the time, Jack was always the underdog.

    Not this time, though. He was the hunter now. The conqueror ants were prey, and he was picking them off by the dozens. The battles against them were trivial matters. He was simply on a whole different level.

    And there was something about those battles. His soul, the Dao Seed of the Fist, called out to him. Something was off, a tickling sensation at the back of his mind, but what?

    He sank into the feeling.

    What was the fist? The fist represented a path. Power. War. The carrier of his will. The unyielding resolve to grab the world and bend it to his wishes. To not ept things as they are, but rather change them. To not step back. To choose a path and fight for it until his knuckles bleed. To stand in the center of the world, bare and vulnerable, and demand that his voice be heard. To struggle.

    And yet, what struggle was there in stomping ants?

    Jack was stumped. The dichotomy was clear. The fist, or at least his fist, didnt include bullying weaker opponents. Had he misstepped?

    But no. He had not. The conqueror ants were simply on his path, and he had no reason to show them kindness. They were unfeeling, cruel, murderous machines. Stepping on them to advance further wasnt the most gracious thing to do, but it was part of his path. The Dao of the Fist agreed. He could feel that.

    So, why was there a contrast? Why was this hunt clearly part of his path, but it somehow didnt fit into its current definition?

    Jack got excited. He had the feeling that, if he solved this riddle, he would be one step closer to mastering his Dao.

    He acknowledged the excitement, then suppressed it to keep going. Meditation required a focused mind.

    He thought back to what his fist signified. In one word, it was struggle, and there was no struggle in defeating the ants.

    But there was overwhelming power.

    He was on to something. Suddenly, Jacks mind spun in a whole new direction. Hed had simr thoughts in the past, and he always felt he was close to something but never reached the end of that thought process.

    Power was at the core of his Dao. How did it rte to the ants?

    He had destroyed them because he was powerful. He had the power to do it. Against him, it didnt matter if they were tiny or dog-sized, they remained ants. It was their weakness that defined them. Theirck of power.

    They had no mind of their own. They acted cruelly, but that was just their instinct. They were neither good nor badthey were furniture. However, even if they did have a mind, so what? They were too weak. They would have no choice but to bow to Jacks will, hope and beg for his mercy.

    When those cultivators butchered the forest giant, did it not want to live? Of course it did. But its opinion didnt matter, because the weight of opinion is power, and it didnt have any.

    Power makes the world go round. Morality, desire, decision, emotions Everything is supported by power. Only when one has power do they really exist. A powerless person can be a saint or a devil at heart, but it doesnt matter, because they arepletely unable to affect the world, because they are powerless. Anyone with superior power can easily overwrite them.

    Only when two creatures are on the same level of power does anything else matter.

    Power is the foundation of everything.

    The moment Jack had that thought, his soul pulsed. His eyes snapped open. He was ejected from his own thoughts, and his realizations swirled andbined inside his soul, coalescing into the shape of a dark fist that moved in tandem with the other one, the dark blue Dao Root of Indomitable Will.

    Oh, man, he said, suddenly fully aware. I messed up.

    He opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 64</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 240</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 240</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 240</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 30</strong>

    <strong>Will: 30</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Iron Fist Style (I)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will, Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    The stat points of hisst four levels were also there, invested in Physical, but the most important change was in the Daos line: Dao Root of Power.

    Another screen popped up by itself.

    <strong>Congrattions! You have developed the Dao Root of Power.</strong>

    <strong><em>To see through the veils of the world. To reach its deepest secrets. To understand that power is the foundation of all, the only truth of the universe. That is the one true path.</em></strong>

    Noo! Jack groaned. I didnt want another Dao Root.

    Brock walked up beside him and made monkey sounds. Though the darkness was deep, their eyes had adjusted somewhat.

    Because its dangerous! Jack replied. I wanted to connect my previous Dao Root to my Dao Seed. Then, I would carefully n on which extra Dao Roots to getand how many.

    Brock cupped his chin in question. He raised one brow and half a thumb.

    Yes, it is nice, and it feels pretty suitable to my Dao, but I have two now! Dont you remember? Very few people manage to break through with two Dao Roots. Three is an incredible achievement. Four is the stuff of legends. He sighed. I now have two I was nning on either this or three, to be honest, but I wanted to research on them first. Maybe find someone with an adjacent Dao to mine, or even a B-Grade faction with records on the Dao of Fistlike the Exploding Sun, which surely has people in Trial. Now, I have to be reaaally careful not to identally develop a third Dao Root.

    Brock shrugged.

    First world problem, I know. Jack smiled weakly. But its a problem nheless. I dont want to be careful. Too bad sess takes temperance.

    At this, Brock finally agreed. He nodded, then pointed to his flexed biceps and Jacks head.

    Practice my brain muscles? Yeah, I can do that. Theyre pretty strong, you know! I almost have a Ph Brock threw him a handful of dirt. Jack was startled for a moment, thenughed. Ive been saying that a lot, havent I? Okay, okay. In any case, I suppose you arent that wrong. He scratched the back of his head. More powerhehis always a good thing. I have a feeling this Dao Root will fit nicely with my Dao of the Fist, so its as good a bet as any. Plus, I can probably use it offensively, somehow. I just have to be a little careful not to get a third one by ident.

    Brock smiled. This time, he gave a double thumbs-up.

    Thanks, bro! Jack smiled back. You sure have your way with words. How did you turn me around so fast?

    Brock shrugged smugly. They exchanged a fist-bump.

    Okay, Jack said, putting the new Dao Root aside for the moment. He noticed he was almost fully healed. They would be ready to move soon. Lets go over the n again to make sure its fool-proofthough we are no fools, right bro?

    Brock gave a big thumbs-up.

    Good. Now, remember all those ants we killed? Nobody came to pick up the corpses, at least until a few hours ago, so many of them will probably still be around. All we have to do is

    ***

    Professor Margaret Rust opened her eyes. She stayed in bed for exactly one minute, finding peace in counting down the seconds before getting up. These days, even her dreams were full of tension.

    She got dressed, opened her bedroom door, and entered the bathroom. Three minutester, with her face still dripping cold water, she descended to the living room. A hot cup of coffee waited on the table, poured by an assistant exactly two minutes agoshe didnt have time to brew it herself.

    She took a sip, then sat on the couch. The clock on the wall indicated it was five minutes after six oclock. Right on schedule.

    Good morning. Progress report, were her first words of the day.

    Morning, professor, the woman sitting across herEmilyreplied. We got one dungeon during the night. The Ice Peak alliance also got one. However, they annihted our team in that dungeonthe Stinky Marsh in China.

    I see. Survivors?

    None.

    Was there anyone important?

    No, professor. It was a dungeon of lesser significance. Our team was a group of ex-special forces from Egypt.

    I see. Send my condolences to Emir, and promise that Egypt will undertake more favorable assignments from now on.

    Understood, professor.

    The professor sipped her coffee again. Its warmth did little to alleviate the pain in her heart. She was talking about dead people like they were nothing more than assets But what choice did she have? The survival of many hinged on her efficiency. Between failing her alliance and numbing her heart, she would always choose thetter.

    Any news from the other major factions? she asked.

    Emily hesitated. The professor raised a brow but waited. Yes, the brown-haired assistant finally replied. Our two contacts in Ice Peak reported the presence of high-ranking lycan merchants in their headquarters. Both reports were made independently; we believe they are urate.

    Lycan merchants means the Animal Kingdom.

    Yes. We believe they arrived to negotiate a further alliance with Petrovic.

    Bad news.

    They were already losing the cold war. If the Animal Kingdom chose to assist the Ice Peak, they might as well pack up and retreat their entire alliance to the Forest of the Strong, where Sparman held the fort.

    The Animal Kingdom couldnt interfere formally, but they had already shown how much they cared about the Star Pact. They could pressure the Merchant Alliance to raise prices for the me River and decrease them for the Ice Peak. They could send Fesh Wui and the elef scion back to Earthsince there were no E-Grades on the presently, just those two would steamroll anything Vivi and the professor threw at them.

    However, there are no further indications yet, Emily hurried to add. We believe their negotiations aregging.

    All the better for us. We must develop at least twobat E-Grades before the Animal Kingdom steps in, preferably three. I dont suppose Edgar broke throughst night?

    He did not. He says hes almost there, buthes been saying that for a week now.

    Okay. Not much that can be done. If pushes to shove, perhaps the pressure will tip him over the line. Another sip. Inform Vivi to send her elites into the fray. Since Petrovic is willing to sell out our, we cannot afford to dy.

    She willin.

    We will also send out the Rattlesnakes.

    Emily looked up from her notes. Were pulling them out of training so soon? After investing so much in them?

    We knew our deadline. It has arrived. Now, we must increase the pressure and hope our cultivators bloom rather than die. But make sure they keep up theirbat training until deployment.

    Very well. She scribbled down a few lines.

    Instruct everyone that we must overtake the Ice Peak in dungeons within two days, the professor continued. Activate half our sleeper agents to disrupt their forces in dungeon boss battles. No doubt they will do the same. Thats why the Stinky Marsh squad got eliminated, right?

    We are unable to confirm that. But we suspect so, yes.

    We can only fight fire with fire. Or rather, ice with fire. The professor allowed herself a chuckle. If theres nothing else, lets move to resource allocation. With the Rattlesnakes entering the fray, we have some open slots. Allocate one high-end dungeon to Emir. He will ask for more, but we cannot risk that if his forces had spies. Spread half the remaining allocations to our most loyal allies and the rest to those who hesitate. Ask our allies if anyone has soldiers ready for battlemore resources must have run out in the night, anyway.

    Dungeon resources, like the High Speed Bush or the Ice Pond, werent endless. They eventually ran out and needed time to restore themselves. This was why the Forest of the Strong had been closed off to outsiders. It was also why they raced so hard to conquer more dungeons than their enemies. Not only was each dungeon a victory, but it also offered useful resources that could tip the scales of battle.

    Very few dungeons had E-Grade resources, though, and it wasnt easy to know beforehand. Whenever they discovered one, entire armies moved to battle. In this cold war situation, dungeons were the only ces where open warfare took ce.

    Of the E-Grade resources discovered after the Integration Tournament, the Ice Peak had gotten two out of three. Things were looking grim.

    And advise Vivi to tighten her defenses, the professor added in a moment of inspiration. The alliance between the Ice Peak and the Animal Kingdom is almost certainly happeningbut theres always a chance those lycans are a feint to make us allocate forces from defense to attack. Petrovic is a selfish sell-out, but a devious one.

    Yes, professor.

    Good. Now, walk me throughst nights dungeonsin detail.

 Chapter 133: Sneaking into an Anthill

    Chapter 133: Sneaking into an Anthill

    Jack and Brock peeked from behind a boulder. The anthilly right before their eyes, a hundred-foot-tall mound of dirt smelling vaguely of metal. There were ck ants running on the sides of the anthill, but far fewer than before. Jacks hunting had seriously lowered their numbers.

    Besides the ants carrying food to the colony, leaving to go search, or adding more dirt to the mound, there were also guards. These were shaped exactly like the other antsargentine ants had no soldier castebut waited around the colony, antennas extended outward to detect any invaders.

    Ready? Jack asked, gulping. Brock nodded. Lets go.

    He dropped to all fours and started walking towards the colony. Brock followed right behind.

    The moment they appeared, the nearest guard noticed them instantly. It turned its head towards them, staring intently. Its antennas flickered in hesitation. Jack and Brock kept walking on all fours like nothing was wrong.

    The guard approached them to take a sniff. It tilted its head. Eventuallyit let them pass, watching as they went ahead.

    Jack grinned widely. <em>Sess!</em>

    They were dressed as ants.

    Antsmunicated mainly through a system of pheromones. They trusted those smells even more than their eyes, which is how a conqueror queen could infiltrate and take over the anthill of another species, pretending to be their queen. Even though she was obviously different in appearance, she was covered in the right pheromones, which was enough to trick the other ants.

    Jack thought they could use the same trick.

    For the past half hour, they had traveled between groups of dead ants to find the right ones. When Jack had been hunting them before, hed made sure to ambush one or two in each group, killing them before they could know what was happening. That way, they didnt release the danger pheromones that would alert nearby ants.

    He and Brock had rummaged through the corpses to scavenge the most intact partsbe they legs, carapaces, or antennas. Then, they used thest cloth strips remaining of Jacks shirt to tie those ant parts on them, basically dressing themselves as conqueror ants.

    Each of them had two antennas sticking out of their head. Their back and ribs were covered in pieces of ant carapace, their limbs had ant legs attached to their outer side, and they had an extra pair of ant legs dangling between their arms and legs.

    It was heavily ridiculous, to the degree that both of them couldnt stopughing for five minutes. But it might work.

    They resembled ants just enough for the guards to not attack immediately. Moreover, their disguise still carried the right ant pheromones. Since ants believed more in pheromones than their eyes, it might work.

    If it didnt, they would just have to retreat ande up with a new n. At worst, they could try fighting their way through.

    The current idea was to infiltrate the anthill, then head directly downward, where the tunnel to the next floor should be. Gan Salin had been very clear that anythingrge, striking, and monster-infested hid an exit underneath. This anthill hit the mark perfectly. If there was no exit, Jack would be severely pissed.

    If this n worked, they coulde and go from the colony as they wished.

    And it was working so far! The ant guard stared a bit, but it eventually let them pass. If even the guards didnt stop them, there was no reason for the workers to do it.

    Jack and Brock walked on all fours, slowly climbing the dirt mound toward the very top, where the hole leading downwardy. There werent many ants around. After all, they had already killed around five hundred of them, and there were also many scouts outside the colony.

    When they brushed against the asional ant, it ignored them, too focused on its own tasks.

    They eventually made it to the top of the hill and looked down. Just as Jack suspected, the tunnel leading into the nest was nted. It would have been vertical in a real anthill, but the dirt here couldnt support the gigantic ants.

    Without a wordJack wasnt clear on the auditory senses of antsthey walked in. Darkness swallowed them.

    There was little light in ant tunnels. The ants navigated using the senses of smell and touch. Jack and Brock werent as skilled in those, and they could only barely detect the pheromonesthey smelled like metal, lemon juice, ash, or dirt. Thankfully, though it was dark, the soil here was thin and porous, letting some light through. Coupled with their System-enhanced senses, they could see a bit after their eyes adjusted to the dark.

    Jack considered simply lighting a torch. Ants were animals; they might be scared away and let them pass. However, he had the sneaky suspicion that whoever made Trial wouldnt make things so easy. No one yed fair in the System world. If he lit a fire, he suspected that the entire forest would suddenly want to murder him, including ants.

    He did carry an unlit torch, though. Just in case.

    The tunnel they were in was long and rough, extending deep down in a steep angle. It was also wide enough for Jack to stand, if needed, letting ants walk on the walls without colliding with the ones on the floor.

    They followed the tunnel, with Brock ahead this time. He had the superior senses.

    Chittering sounds came from all around. The darkness smelled vaguely of metal. Jack could see ants walk past them asionally, sticking to the walls, and he could hear the little tapping sounds of their feet on dirt. He kept looking behind him, seeing the light grow smaller and smaller before they rounded a turn and it disappeared.

    It was horrifying. If he died in here

    He didnt even want to think about it.

    Brock was brave, too. If he was afraid, he didnt show it. His eyes remained glued ahead, squinting to pierce the darkness as he led them through turns and twists, heading ever downward. When crossroads appeared, he chose the steepest path down. The exit would be at the bottom of the anthill.

    <em>I wonder how many people fail here, </em>Jack thought. <em>Come to think of it, everyone I saw with Trial titles had made it past the third ring. Is this second ring really so easy?</em>

    <em>Or is it just so deadly that people dont have time to escape?</em>

    It was a sobering realization. Gan Salin had mentioned that Trial hid dangersbut hed never mentioned a survival rate, had he?

    Jack gulped.

    The darkness grew heavier as they walked. The ants were more numerous. Jack spotted smaller tunnels branching off from the main ones, but Brock wisely chose not to follow any of them.

    It urred to Jack that his life was in Brocks hands. He felt proud.

    They briefly stepped into arge room. Jack felt the air open up around them, but he couldnt see well enough to distinguish where exactly they were. Brock paused for a moment, then turned left and entered another tunnel heading even lower. As Jack followed, he caught a glimpse of dark, oblong shapes stuck to the walls, with ants tending to them.

    <em>The brood.</em>

    By now, the ants were so numerous that Brock couldnt give them a wide margin. One of them came too close. It stopped and stared at Brock, wiggling its antennas. This was how ants recognized each other. They smelled each others antennas to detect the colonys specific pheromone.

    Brocks antennas had it, since hed taken them from ants of this colony, but it was weakened. They also had the death pheromone that was released when an ant died. However, Brock was clearly alive. The ant would hopefully be more confused than wary.

    Brock lowered his head, touching his antennas to the ants. They stayed there for a second. Jack held his breath.

    Then, the ant went on its way. So did they.

    Soon after, the tunnel opened up into a chamber again. Jack still couldnt make out the far walls, but Brock paused for longer this time. He paced to a corner. Jack followed.

    It was tough to make out Brock in the darkness, but he mimed some things. Jack frowned in contemtion. The exit is here? he whispered as low as he could. He barely heard himself, but it was enough.

    Yes.

    And let me guess. So is the queen.

    Yes.

    Jack nodded. This was within expectations. At least, they had confirmed that the exit to the next ring really was herethough Jack couldnt help but wonder how Brock knew.

    Now that they stood still, Jack could tell there were many ants in this room. He could see patches of slightly deeper darkness move in the distance. The soft tapping of feet against dirt came from all around, echoing on the walls. Mandibles chittered calmly.

    And the sound of ripping was dominant.

    Something was tearing into something else. Jack assumed it was the queen feasting.

    There were also oblong shapes stuck to the walls. A couple were close to their current corner, so Jack could make out that they really were ant brood. Transparent, pulsing sacks containing killers. They sent a chill down his spine.

    Okay, Jack whispered again. Lets head to the exit?

    However, Brock wasnt done miming. There was something else he wanted to say, but Jack couldnt understand it.

    Bro! Brock whispered in exasperation. He then mimed for Jack to follow.

    They stuck to the walls, passing right by the brood sacks. Jack felt the urge to reach out and break them, but held himself still. As they advanced through the chamberwhich wasrger than he expectedhe began to make out arge shape lumbering in the darkness. He had seen a queen outside the colony, when the conqueror ants attacked some other ants, but this one wasrger still. It was far bigger than the other ants, reaching at about Jacks height, and its mouth moved a lot. That must have been the source of the ripping sounds.

    He was d he couldnt see the details.

    They circled far around the queen, eventuallying to a stop near an oddly t section of the walls. Jack touched it. It was stone, and though its surface was slightly uneven, it was too t to be natural.

    It was a door.

    Jack felt excitement flood him. They had made it! Nothing had detected them! The n had worked!

    So why was Brock still hesitating? What was he trying to say?

    The brori touched Jacks shoulder and pulled lightly. They kept walking past the door. They circled around the walls until they began approaching the queen. Brock didnt stop. They were close now. Her shape was clear in Jacks eyes through the darkness. She was stuck against a wall, leaning her behind against it. They came very close.

    Jack wondered if Brock was <em>too </em>brave.

    Finally, they stopped. They were so close to the queen that Jack could touch her if he took another two steps. Thankfully, she was too preupied eating to notice them.

    He didnt dare ask Brock what was happening. However, the brori pointed down. Jack followed his finger.

    Something stuck out in the darkness. He couldnt see it clearly. Brock held Jacks hand and pushed it against the thing, letting him feel cloth. The shape suddenly registered in Jacks eyes.

    <em>A corpse! </em>he realized. The head was missing, but the rest was still there. <em>The ants got someone But why did Brocke here? Does he want to loot it? I guess it has a credit card, probably, but</em>

    Before he could think further, Brock took another short step towards the queen and pointed somewhere under her. Jack cursedinwardlybefore even looking.

    Something was on the ground next to the queen, partially buried under her foot. It was long enough that Jack could feel its tip without approaching within three feet of the queen.

    The item was surprisingly warm to the touch. It also felt hard, like stone, and it must have been engraved with something because Jack felt slight grooves under his fingers. He felt tempted to touch down its sides, but he didnt dare go further. If he moved it even a bit, the queen might notice. It was under her leg, after all.

    <em>Is that a staff? </em>Jack wondered. Its shapelong, straight, and somewhat thinmatched. <em>Come on, Brock If you want a weapon, well find you one. We dont have to take the one that is right under an ant queen.</em>

    Brock didnt move. His intention was clear now. He waited for his big bro to decide.

    Jack mulled it over. He couldnt understand Brocks obsession with this particr staff, but there had to be a reason. He trusted his little bro. Maybe there was something Jack couldnt see yet.

    <em>We could take it and run to the door, </em>he thought. <em>Get past it and shut it in their face, or use it as a choke point to hold them back. Or just run. Were faster than F-Grade ants.</em>

    Getting surrounded inside the colony was dangerous, but they had an easy way out right behind them. How badly could it go?

    Jack looked at Brock. He nodded. The brori gave a slow nod back.

    Jack grabbed his unlit torch and passed it to Brock. He then raised three fingers. He took them down one by one, grabbed the edge of the staff, and yanked it out.

 Chapter 134: Breaking through the Gates

    Chapter 134: Breaking through the Gates

    Jack yanked at the staff. Hard.

    The chamber erupted into chaos instantly. The queen screecheda harsh, grating sound, the likes of which hed never heard before. Chittering came from all around, feet stomping on dirt as the ants frantically darted for the entrance of the chamber, assuming there was an enemying. The stale air suddenly smelled of ash.

    However, the staff in Jacks hands only budged a little before remaining still.

    <em>Fuck.</em>

    He couldnt see the queen well in the darkness, but he felt it stirring. He ducked. A set of mandibles snapped hard over his head. Much harder than the low-level ants he was used to. Much harder than it should be.

    Brock! he shouted, abandoning stealth. The rest of the ants would quickly realize what was happening, anyway.

    A sharp sound came from behind him as Brock rubbed his hands around the torch head, creating friction. The cloththest remains of Jacks shirtwas torn, but what remained caught on fire.

    Jack was blinded for a moment. He ghost-stepped away, feeling the familiar pull through space as arge body copsed where he used to stand. His eyes recovered a momentter. Now, a tremendous ant stood before him.

    A chitinous body the size of a horse. A thick, sturdy torso and a bulging behind. Two long antennae, each scraping the nine-foot-high chamber ceiling, and two membrane wings that shivered in anticipation. A hellish face with heavy-set mandibles dripping yellow saliva and exuding the worst smell Jack had ever experienced. It was like bug-infested meat left in the sun for far too long.

    He almost puked on the spot. Only the battle tension saved him, but he still wrinkled his nose and felt his eyes watering. He had seen a queen outside the nest, when the conqueror ants attacked another colony. This was far bigger.

    <strong>Conqueror Broodmother, Level 69</strong>

    <strong><em>The leader of a conqueror ant mega-colony. Broodmothers hide in the heart of massive nests containing thousands of conqueror ants. Each mega-colony can span many square miles ofnd, with the broodmother being the leader of all nests in its territory.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>They are breeding machines that can output hundreds of eggs a day. They have the strength of a hundred ants. If one is spotted outside its nest, exterminate it immediately.</em></strong>

    Jack had found the queen of queens. The mother of all ants. And she was <em>hideous.</em>

    The broodmother vibrated her wings, but the ceiling was too low to take flight. She turned and hissed in Jacks direction, unleashing another wave of stench.

    <em>Level 69 </em>he realized, paling. <em>Shit.</em>

    He couldnt fight seriously down here, or the entire nest might copse on their heads. He couldnt even use Meteor Punch. Thankfully, they wouldnt need to fight. The n was to run.

    Meanwhile, the rest of the ants had realized what was happening. They were charging back from the chambers entrance, and the dirt shook under the marching stomps of every ant in the colony rushing here at top speed. The broodmothers description had mentioned thousands of ants. What they had explored was likely only a fraction of the nest. They would be overwhelmed.

    There was no time to go treasure-hunting.

    Brock! Jack shouted, keeping his eyes on the broodmother. The door!

    The light and shadows moved as Brock dashed for the door, dropping the torch beside it. Jack wasnt looking that way, but he heard Brocks fists pounding on stone, then a cry of frustration. He risked a nce.

    The passage leading to the next ring was hidden behind a double stone door. Carvings of insects and giants covered it, as well as other creatures that Jack didnt recognize. And, no matter how Brock pushed, it remained stubbornly shut.

    Jack felt his world sharpen to a point. They were trapped here. He forced himself to look ahead, where the broodmother was already rushing him. Her mandibles snapped next to his head, strong enough to cut through trees. Her massive body kept going, striking him in the chest and threatening to tip him over, but he turned under her legs and found himself at her side.

    He unleashed three punches in quick session. One struck her where a leg met her torso, and the leg snapped off with a crunch. The other two struck her thick torso and rebounded.

    Jack looked around, taking stock of everything in slow motion. The ants had almost reached him. Brock was pushing at the door, but it wasnt even budging. There was no lock, either. Hed have to break through, but it would take time.

    Change of n, he said quickly, dodging another bite from the broodmother. Hold back the ants! Ill y the queen and demolish the tunnel!

    Demolishing anything down here was dangerous, but not as dangerous as an army of a thousand ants in an enclosed space. They had to take risks or die. If this seeded, he would Meteor Punch the door until it brokehopefully before the ants dug a new tunnel in.

    Brock yelled back in monkey and jumped at the ants. Jack only caught a glimpse of his arms and legs carving the ants apart before the broodmother blocked his sight. She was a hulking behemoth.

    Jack met her head to head. His adrenaline and terror had long eclipsed any stench in his nostrils. She bit and tried to bulldoze him. Jack struck her in the face and mouth, flowing around her attacks with Iron Fist Style and Ghost Step.

    He shed left and right, jumping from one end of the chamber to the other before she could react. Egg sacks were crushed under his boots, enraging the broodmother further. Her wings vibrated so furiously that their razor tips were cutting lines into the dirt above.

    His fist met her chin, shooting her face up. He capitalized, smashing four more into her throat, then sneaking under her and striking the thorax from below. She tried to fall on him, but he ghost-stepped out of the way. He grabbed a leg and yanked at it, trying to rip it away. He failed, but at least he ruined her bnce enough to make her fallpletely, giving him time to punch another leg off. Breaking the contact point between the legs and the thorax was easier than breaking the actual leg.

    The broodmother screeched, summoning her children for assistance. They wereing in the thousands. Two had already entered the chamber to assist their brethren in taking down Brock, who was struggling to hold seven of them at bay. It was more than he could handle. Jack had to hurry.

    But the broodmother wasnt dying fast enough. Even with two legs missing, she unleashed a flurry of blows, trying to kick Jack. She realized her bite wouldnt work, so she switched tactics. She was intelligent.

    But that changed nothing.

    Jack tore into her, flowing between her legs and striking the contact points. She was twisting and protecting them, dying his work. She knew she couldnt beat him. She was simply stalling, and it was working. Brock would fall before she did, and Jack wouldntst long afterward.

    He gritted his teeth. What could he do? If he went all-out and used Meteor Punch, there was a high chance the chamber would copse. After all, Meteor Punch created explosions. If he tried to help Brock, the broodmother would catch up, and Brock wouldnt survive the sandwich. If he rushed for the door, the broodmother would have a chance to turn to Brock. If he kept fighting as he was, Brock would lose before Jack won.

    What other choice was there? <em>None. I have to use Mete</em>

    His leg bumped against something. He nced down. It was the corpse hed seen beforea naked human missing a legand next to ity the staff Brock wanted, what started this whole thing. Hed forgotten about it.

    Now that there was light, he could see that the staff was gray. It was made of ancient, moss-covered stone, with the forms of various animals carved into its entire length, along with glyphs whose meaning escaped him.

    <strong>Staff of Stone, Life Weapon (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>An Ancient weapon that utilizes the Dao of Density to</em></strong>

    Jack didnt expect a screen to appear. It blocked his vision for a second, letting the broodmothernd a heavy kick into his ribs that sent him flying into a wall. She tried to bite him immediately, but he rolled out of the way and punched her eyes. She retreated, screeching.

    <em>A weapon with stats!? </em>Jack thought, reeling. He didnt expect that. Never seen it before. The gxy was full of surprises. <em>Ghost Step.</em>

    He arrived next to the weapon instantly. Brock! he shouted. He grabbed it and tossed it to the brori, who took a step back, disengaging momentarily to nce over and catch it mid-air.

    Jack didnt know what the staff didthere was no time for readingbut it was a weapon. It could help Brock survive.

    Or, at least, that was the idea. In the short moment when he grabbed it, Jack realized that the staff was very handy to wield, neither too light nor too heavy. But he was much stronger than Brock. To the brori, it might as well weigh a ton.

    Brock grabbed the staff, twirled it, and smashed it into an ants face in one fluid motion. It was like he had used a staff his entire life. The extra weight didnt seem to bother him one bit.

    Jack didnt have time to ponder on that. He was just d Brock wouldnt die instantly. Now, he just had to hurry. The mysterious staff wouldnt help against the approaching army. Time was running out.

    Jack roared,ying into the broodmother with all his strength. He let a kicknd, taking it with Iron Fiend Body. There was no time to dodge. His fists dove into her body, breaking off leg after leg. She snapped at him, but he ghost-stepped to the other side and kept pummeling. She was squirming and thrashing, making his job more difficult, but he simply attacked faster. If one punch missed, he would hit ten times. If ten missed, he would hit a hundred.

    Yellow blood spurted out and flowed over the dirt, seeping into the soil. Jacks roars filled his ears. One leg broke after the other. Suddenly, the broodmother fell to the ground. She only had one leg remaining on the far side of her body. She couldnt move. She couldnt even stand.

    She snapped at him, but he ghost-stepped backward. He had won, but there was no time to celebrate. He had to copse the tunnel <em>now</em>. Maybe he was already toote.

    As he turned around, he froze. He didnt want to believe his eyes. He <em>was </em>toote.

    Ants streamed out of the opening, painting the walls and floor ck. Dozens of them, with no end in sight. They were like a flood.

    It was the most terrifying sight he had ever seen. It was death between the mandibles of ants, deep beneath the earth at some far-off corner of the gxy. His limbs lost strength. He felt despair.

    In the face of death, only two people came to mind. The professorand Brock.

    <em>Im sorry, </em>he thought as ants filled the room.

    Brock was fighting bravely just in front. He was twirling his staff without much mastery, but simply with the power of a strong brori using a stick to keep weaker enemies at bay. He was holding on, but he couldnt stop a flood. Even Jack couldnt. He could reach the door before them, but he couldnt open it. If he unleashed a meteor shower, he wouldnt get all the ants, and the chamber would copse on his head, burying them all.

    But perhaps that was a better fate than death by a thousand mandibles.

    Serenity filled Jack. He would die. But he would kill as many as he could. His rage dissipated, leaving only cold, dark resolve. A mixture of bitter hatred and pure, untainted will to kill. All questions disappeared from his mind. The ants would die.

    His head lowered a bit. His veins swam in dark fire. His eyes were shining dots in the darkness, and his soul burned with all the power it could unleash.

    His body was wreathed in violence. Strength and brutality flew out of him in waves, submerging the chamber. He felt like a dark god at the end of his life, facing a crowd of mortals.

    He would kill the ants, but at thisst moment, he felt no hatred towards them, only towards his own weakness. He understood. They were just insects. He would kill them regardless, because he could.

    There were dozens of ants in the room, with hundreds more arriving in an endless stream. At that moment, Jack felt his vision rise above his body, like he was staring every single ant in the eyes simultaneously. The full brunt of his overwhelming strength and irrefutable decision to kill fell on them.

    And the ants shuddered. They slowed a bit, as if pushing against an invisible force. Jacks mind was already set, but he was also fully present. He watched their reaction coldly.

    They were scared. It was understandable. After all, they were facing an overwhelmingly strong enemy who would kill them with cold indifference. Even if hecked bloodlust, that made it all the more terrifying because the only thing left behind was death.

    So what if they would win in the end? So what if they would willinglyy down their lives for the colony? Even ants were afraid of death. Everyone was.

    The image of the three cultivators from before popped into his mind. Why had he been so afraid of them that his blood ran cold? It wasnt because they threatened him. They hadnt even seen him. No, it was because he, too, was afraid of death. And, when all else disappeared, when there was no heat of the moment or any sort of stubbornness to counterbnce the fear, the coldness of death gripped ones soul and squeezed it so hard they might die.

    Another image popped into his mind. The bare-chested man in the vision, facing an army by himself. His cold indifference promised them death, and it wasnt one they could refute with courage or self-sacrifice. It was simply the end.

    This was true, heart-gripping terror.

    <em>Oh.</em>

    Everything came together.

    <strong>Congrattions! ss Skill unlocked: Brutalizing Aura I.</strong>

    <strong>Brutalizing Aura I: The fear of death is one of the most primal instincts of all living creatures. You have learned to project your Dao and intent in a way that targets this fear, amplifying it and paralyzing all weaker targets in a wide range around you.</strong>

    <em>Now I see.</em>

    Jack used the skill. His chest was filled with dark ice, and the finality of death, stripped of everything that might sweeten it, spread outside his body. It was an invisible aura that pulled at the souls of his enemies. A bare terror that froze them.

    Brock screamed and jumped back. He almost dropped his weapon in surprise, but no attacks came at him.

    The ants stopped. From the first to thest, all the way down the tunnels, they froze. The army came to a halt, shivering. They lived for the colony, but even they had a hint of identity in their core, and that hint was currently paralyzed by the fear of death.

    They were too weakpared to him.

    Jack turned around. Even the queen was whimpering on the ground, not daring to look at him. She was stronger than her children and should have been able to resist the aura, but perhaps the fact that hed broken off her legs helped.

    Brock, Jack said slowly, go to the fucking door.

    The brori looked around, at the still flood of ants waiting to swallow him, and rushed for the door. He fell on it with all his weight, even screamed as his shoulder was smashed against it, but the door refused to budge.

    The ants followed him with their eyes and antennas. Jack was sweating. This aura was a burst, not a constant effect. It weakened with time. They only had a few seconds at most before the ants were free again. There was no time to lose.

    Step aside, he ordered. He walked up to the door and charged a massive Meteor Punch, infusing it with all his desire to get through that doorand, thanks to their fast-approaching deaths, that desire was massive.

    The chamber fell back into darkness. Even the torchlight was drawn into his fist, a shining purple aura, and all sounds disappeared as only Jack, his fist, and the double door remained in the world. The door came into focus, its every detail pristinely clear.

    OPEN! he screamed. He smashed out with all his strength. The world was swallowed by an explosion that blew both halves of the door off their hinges, sending them crashing against some far wall. The entire chamber shook. Dirt fell from the ceiling, slowly at first but quickly growing faster.

    Jack and Brock dashed through the door as the chamber ceiling copsed behind them, burying the army of ants under a forests worth of dirt. Thankfully, the gate led to a stone passage, which saved them from the copse.

    Jack looked behind him, where only a dirt-blocked gate waited. Turns out we couldnt avoid battle, he said. I believe our approach was a bit unorthodoxbut hey, it worked.

    He then looked around. The remains of the gatey on the wall in front of them, while a smooth corridor carved into the rock spiraled down into the darkness. There was a lit torch on a wall, illuminating the space and just waiting to be picked up. A bunch of unlit torches waited in a basket underneath. There was no oil, though, and Jack would bet that the torches were enchanted to burn forever.

    Well, the path is clear, he said, picking up the torch. But I have to say, that was an oddly designed exit. Why have multiple torches if the gates can only be opened once?

    Brock shrugged. Jack looked at the broken double doors again. This time, when there was no death breathing on his neck, he could take a closer look, and he noticed two small openings. They were near the spot where the two doors connected, mirroring each other, and just the right size for a human to grab them.

    Hoarseughter escaped Jacks throat. We just had to fucking pull, not push!

    Brock looked confused for a second, then became extremely embarrassed. Jack, stillughing, patted his head.

    Dont fret, little bro. Look at how the openings are hidden between the engravings. I think it was meant to be a riddle, but we took the fist way out. He grinned, turning towards the corridor heading down. Come on, Brock. The next ring awaits.

 Chapter 135: Barbarian Ring

    Chapter 135: Barbarian Ring

    The passage leading to the next ring was a rough tunnel carved into the earth. It was bereft of sound. A single torch illuminated the darkness, creating a small bubble of light that spiraled every downward, with no end in sight.

    Jack held the torch and swung it left and right, looking for dangers or hidden passages. After the first few minutes, he got bored.

    Show me the staff again, Brock, he said, his voice echoing oddly in the seemingly infinite tunnel. Brock handed it over. The moment Jack grabbed the staff, he once again appreciated how handy it felt. It had the perfect weight and form to swing around; the perfect toy to any child, or the perfect weapon to any staff-wielding warrior. Brother Tao back on Earth would love it.

    That it felt perfectly limated to Jacks current strength was impressive, given he was fifty times stronger than the average pre-System human. However, after reading the items description, he knew that it wasnt as simple as it seemed.

    <strong>Staff of Stone, Life Weapon (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>An Ancient weapon that utilizes the Dao of Density to adjust its weight, matching the wielders strength perfectly. Its max density is suitable for anyone with up to 1000 attribute points in Strength.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Carved and enchanted by Bozdom the Crafty.</em></strong>

    Jack didnt know what a life weapon was, but it sounded awfully convenient. With how quickly peoples strength rose in the System, a cultivator would need to change weapons every few levels to maintain their peak fighting strength, which sounded like a massive pain in the ass. Only a weapon that could adjust to its user, like this Staff of Stone, could apany someone for a long timemaybe even their entire lives. Perhaps this was why it was called a life weapon.

    Thankfully, Jack didnt use weapons, so he never had to consider this. But it did make him wonder. Were life weaponsmon? If so, why had he never heard about them before?

    Brock made a small sound. Jack snapped out of his thoughts, handing him back the staff. The brori cheered and spun it in a circle.

    <em>My little bro got a weapon </em>Jack thought. <em>How time flies. It feels like yesterday that he was sitting on my shoulder and trying to lift dumbbells.</em>

    It was a good weapon. Hopefully, it would help Brock get stronger quickly Though Jack did worry. His own strength would rise tremendously in the near future, but Brock wasnt in the System. He couldnt level up. His current strength came simply from training and growing up, but he was bound to hit a ceiling soon.

    Then, what would happen? Could Brock still follow him, weak as he would be? Or would it be too dangerous?

    Jack shook his head, chasing those thoughts away. They werent pleasant, so he would consider them when the time came, not sooner. Why burden himself for no reason?

    Instead, he sent his thoughts in a different direction. They had just finished crossing the second ringthe first ring was the ruined surfaceand his gains had been nothing short of tremendous.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 64</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 240</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 240</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 240</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 30</strong>

    <strong>Will: 30</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Iron Fist Style (I), Brutalizing Aura (I)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will, Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1)</strong>

    He had risen by thirteen levels, reaching level 64. He had forged a new Dao Root, the Dao Root of Power. He had developed Brutalizing Aura, a new Dao Skill. And Brock had found a life weapon for himself.

    That progress was vastly greater than everything Jack had achieved since breaking through to the E-Grade two weeks ago. And he had only spent one day at the second ring. There were seven of them remaining.

    <em>Just how strong will Trial make me? </em>he couldnt help but wonder.

    As more time passed, his thoughts lost discipline. He let them roam free, jumping from one subject to the next to restore his mental energy. He remembered incidents from before and after the Integration. He wondered how his friends on Earth were doinghed never found time to visit them. He hoped the professor, at least, was okay, and that Sparman was holding the fort in Forest of the Strong.

    The minutes bled into each other. Jack and Brock were running at superhuman speeds by now, eager to reach the next ring, but the tunnel seemed never-ending. They also didnt have a clockhed left his mobile phone in his house in Integration City.

    After what felt like hours, they began to sense a change. The stuffy air of the tunnel warmed up. It was imperceptible at first, but the feeling grew as they headed down.

    We must be close! Jack said, speeding up. Brock cheered and followed.

    However, the tunnel kept going. The air was warm now, and it was also humid, making Jacks hair stick to his head. What is this? he asked. Is the next level a sauna?

    It wasnt a sauna. Just as he thought the heat and humidity were getting seriously annoying, light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

    They burst out into a lush jungle. Light blinded them. Wha Jack said, squinting and looking around. He had never been to a tropical rainforest, but they probably looked like this.

    Trees rose sparsely around them, tall and sleek. Bushes were everywhere. Branches, sticks, and wide leaves blocked the visibility. However, the vegetation here wasnt gigantic, like in the previous ring. It felt normal-sized.

    Animal cries filled his ears,ing from everywhere. There were chirps, roars, squeaks, and many other sounds he couldnt quite name. The air was hot and humid, and looking up, Jack saw that the ceiling was closer than in the previous ring, and the sunlight mushrooms were much more densely nted. Perhaps this exined the heat.

    However, Jack couldnt shake the feeling that something was wrong. Everything felt <em>slightly </em>off. The roars he heard did note from lions; they were harsher. The chirps were not by birds he knew. He saw a few of them flying far overhead. They sported bright colors, with long tails and bony wings. They reminded him of colorful, show-offish bats.

    The vegetation was also wrong. He recognized some of it, but not all. He saw a slim, tall tree with thin, yellow leaves that drooped downward. They glistened with moisture. He also spotted a bush that seemed ancient, like something hed see in animated documentaries. Come to think of it, many things felt ancient here.

    <em>It cant be, </em>he thought, eyes gradually widening.

    He looked behind him, where a wide brown column stretched all the way to the cave ceilingas impossibly high as in the previous ring. A new sky. He looked in front, where vegetation blocked his way. It wasnt too dense, however, easily letting them pass. Evenrge animals could walk around without a problem.

    Suddenly, a screen popped in his face.

    <strong>Congrattions! For descending past the second ring of Trial, you are awarded the Title: Second Ring Conqueror. Trial Quest Interface unlocked.</strong>

    <strong>Second Ring Conqueror: A title awarded to those who made it past Trials second ring. Efficacy of all stats +10%.</strong>

    Woah! Jack said, looking at the screen. Hed almost forgotten about this. So these titlese as soon as Iplete each ring, not at the end Interesting. 10% is a lot, though. Its as much as myary Frontrunner (10) title. I can see why Trial tokens are so valuable.

    He could already feel his body tightening, his muscles growing stronger, his eyes sharper, his reflexes faster. Ten percent was no small deal. Coupled with his previous titles, he now had an extra 35% efficacy in all stats. That was pretty massive.

    <em>Hmm. But whats that interface thing? System?</em>

    <strong>The Trial Quest Interface details the achievements needed to acquire each rings title.</strong>

    <em>Okay. So, just going through isnt enough?</em>

    No response.

    <em>What is this rings quest?</em>

    Yes response.

    <strong>Barbarian Ring Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Defeat an opponent of Level 115 or above in a team of at most three individuals.</strong></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Make your way to the Vige Ring.</strong></li></ul>

    <em>Ohh An actual quest. Not tooplicated, but it might be hard. Can I even take down a Level 115 enemy? Probably not. And does Brock count as an individual?</em>

    He looked at the brori, who was still toying with his new staff. He tried to spin it behind his back, dropped it, and gave a sad monkey cry.

    <em>Probably yes.</em>

    <em>Well, theres no time limit. I can fight whatever is on this ring, level up, and somehow defeat a Level 115 enemy But I must hurry. There could be more strong cultivators here, or peak E-Grad monsters out for me.</em>

    He looked around, finding nothing. This changed his n a bithe couldnt simply rush to the Vige Ring to find Gan Salinbut he could adapt. He simply had to increase his leveling speed.

    <em>Hmm. I wonder if there will be moreplicated quests in the next rings.</em>

    Eventually, he shrugged, filing the information away for now and focusing on the present. Brock, who had watched Jacks interaction with great confusion, tapped him on the shoulder with his new staff. Jack turned around, remembering where he was and what he might discover here. As he looked at Brock, his gaze was filled with excitement.

    Lets go! he said.

    Yes, Brock agreed.

    They stepped into the jungle. The heat wasnt as terrible as Jack had originally imagined; it was simply the moisture worsening the feeling. The animal sounds around them intensified, coupled with the asional shifting of leaves and rustling inside bushes. Brock looked around, on full alert. He was walking at the front so Jack could keep an eye out and protect him if need be. There was no guarantee the enemies here would prioritize Jack as the insects had done.

    However, no animal showed itself. The bushes slowly opened up, revealing a more expansive path that led into a clearing. Arge creature waited there, spotting them as they spotted it.

    It stood on two w-tipped legs, using its long, thick tail as a counterweight. It reached around nine feet in height and twelve in length, with short arms that ended in sharp talons. Most importantly, it had arge mouth bursting with needle-like teeth. It roared as it caught sight of them.

    Jacks mouth opened wide in childlike wonder.

    <strong>Allosaurus, Level 84</strong>

    <strong><em>A carnivorous dinosaur boasting great speed and ferocity. Allosauruses infest the subtropical biomes of manys, huntingrge prey. While not particrly social, different allosauruses often feed on the same corpse that one of them, or somerger predator, killed.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr specimen is juvenile.</em></strong>

    A dinosaur! Jack eximed, unable to help himself.

    The dinosaur wasnt as happy to see him. It opened its mouth terribly wide, like a snake unhinging its jaw, and charged at them. The jungle parted in its wakethe sparse vegetation wasnt much of an obstacle.

    The danger snapped Jack out of his wonder. Suddenly, he realized they were charged by a level 84 predator. The thought of fighting a dinosaur lit him on fire. He clenched his fist.

    Stand back, Brock, he said, stepping forward to meet the allosaurus. It roared. He roared back.

    A shape darted out of the jungle. An arrowhead glinted in the mushroom light before impaling the allosaurus, piercing into itsrge throat from the side. Its eyes bulged. With the thick, wooden arrow still stuck inside it, the dinosaur slowed down before toppling to the side, convulsing on the ground as it quickly bled out.

    Jack was caught off-guard. He eyed the new arrival.

    A woman stood there, gazing back at him. A longbow was in her hands, while two quivers hung from her back. Her skin was pale, standing out in the bright jungle, and she only wore fur strips around her private areas and chest, revealing a highly toned body. Her features were slim, her hair was blond and done in a ponytail. Her eyes were blue pools of suspicion as she gazed at Jack.

    <strong>Human (Trial), Level 99</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Direct Descendant</strong>

    He gaped at her, who had just killed arge dinosaur in one blow.

    She frowned. What are you looking at, delver?

 Chapter 136: Nauja

    Chapter 136: Nauja

    Jack was doubly stunned.

    One, he had just seen and <em>been attacked by </em>a fucking dinosaur. In the flesh. If he ever made it back to Earth with one of these, he could publish half a library of research papers and win a bucketload of Nobel Prizes. It had no feathers!

    Two, said dinosaur had been skewered by a woman dressed like a barbarian, who was pale white in the middle of a Jurasic jungle. Everything else aside, dinosaurs and humans shouldnt coexist!

    She red at him. What are you looking at, delver?

    Youre in the wrong age, was all he could muster in reply. Her frown deepened over her inquisitive stare. Jack examined her back.

    First of all, she was ripped. A six-pack dominated her abdomen, and her limbs were clearly lined with muscles, though not overly so. Under her blond hair, her eyes were deep blue, and she even had a few freckles. If one got past her barbaric exterior, she could be prettythough Jack realized that, with his chest bare for all to see and roaring at dinosaurs, he seemed pretty barbaric himself.

    She looked young, too. Couldnt be more than twenty-five. Perhaps twenty.

    However, the main thing about this woman was that she looked so out-of-ce in a dinosaur jungle. First of all, again, dinosaurs and humans never coexisted in the same age. Second, her skin was paper white, but she lived in a tropical rainforest. Her people should have developedrge quantities of mnin, though perhaps that was exined by the artificial nature of the light here. The mushroom light resembled sunlight, but they probably didnt exude the same radiation a star did, which would exin why the inhabitants of this ring didnt develop mnin.

    Which brought Jack to the main question. This woman was a native here. Even the System called her race Human (Trial).

    He didnt know there were natives!

    <em>In hindsight, this ring is called Barbarian Ring. I should have seen iting.</em>

    The woman watched Jack warily, while he stared back, wondering how to approach her. Should he be friendly or wary? How should he follow up to youre in the wrong age?

    Before Jack could decide, Brock acted first. He approached the woman, undeterred by her cautionary gaze, and reached out for a handshake.

    Jack stared. The woman looked at Brock like he was an alienwhich he was, to herand ignored his outstretched hand. Brock persisted, waiting. She alternated her gaze between him and Jack.

    Jack finally decided to just be honest. Sorry for staring, he said. I just didnt expect to find people here. Please dont take offense.

    She seemed slightly taken aback by hisment.

    My bros hand is still hanging, by the way, Jack advised. Its rude to keep him waiting.

    The woman snorted. She grabbed Brocks hand in a quick shakebut firm enough to make his face twitchthen took a few steps back. Keep your willy words to yourself, delver, she said with clear distaste. Her voice was clear and strong. I know how your kind treats us. I will not fall for your schemes.

    I have no schemes, Jack tried to pacify her. He showed his palms in a peace gesture. I didnt even know you existed until just now. Thank you for saving us, by the way.

    He could probably take that allosaurus, but no use in revealing his strength now.

    Hmph. She snorted. A barbarian saved your life. Next time your kin bad-mouths us, remember that. Remember how people should act, andpare that against your heartless malice.

    Okay. I can sense some misguided hatred here. Perhaps youre mistaking me for someone else?

    Mistaking you? She snorted again, intensifying her re. Despite being a young woman, there was nothing even remotely cute about her anger. Her eyes were hard, the kind that had seen life and death, and the sharp arrow waiting on her half-drawn bow could pierce his skin as easily as it had the allosauruss. I dont know what you are trying to achieve, but youre either stupid or a fool. I have the Systems eyes. I know who you are.

    And who am I?

    A delver.

    Is that the name for people who descend through this?

    Of course.

    And these delvers are mean to you?

    Mean? Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Hed touched a sensitive subject. You exploit us like monsters. You suck ournd dry, burn it to the ground, kill our cattle, ruin the jungles bnce, andugh about it. Your heart holds no respect, only greed.

    Jack didnt mind her aggressionwhich was misguided, anyway. In fact, unexpectedly, her words struck a chord inside him. He could sympathize.

    The way she spoke and the things she said reminded him of other people. The native Americans. The age of colonialism on Earth. The way the Animal Kingdom stomped on their, treating them like garbage by the side of the road.

    All of a sudden, her plights were familiar.

    That sounds awful, he said honestly. I dont know what others do, but I have nothing to do with those people. Ie from a newly-Integratedif you know what that isand Im just trying to get stronger so I can protect my home from the same tyrants who are after yours.

    His words did not have the desired effect. Her anger red, and she pulled on her bowstring, holding it taut and aimed at the ground. Of course I know what the Integration is, she spat back. Spare me your mockery, delver. We barbarians are people, not animals. We arent stupid.

    I I apologize. I did not intend to mock you. I simply know nothing about this world, or any world. I am lost. A month ago, I thought we were alone in the universe. I didnt even know the System existed. Then, the Integration happened, and my world was broken under the heel of some tyrannic gctic overlords, and everything I knew was turned upside down, and I suddenly had to fight for my life, and then everyone started relying on me. I have been thrust into a world I do not understand, my enemies are overwhelmingly stronger than me, everyone is after me, and yet I must somehow seed or everyone else will die! Trust me, I couldnt give a second shit about mocking you.

    He had started venting at some point during that small speech, giving voice to theints he had about his fate so far. But he didnt care.

    This girl had it bad, but so did he! His people andnd were also disrespected and ruined!

    The barbarian seemed surprised at his outburst. She stared at him for a moment, biting her lip in thoughtprobably unconsciously. When she finally spoke, her voice was lower, but also calmer.

    Those were words of the heart, she said. I can tell. I apologize for my assumptions. I thought I thought you were someone else.

    Jack didnt expect such a quick change of mind. Not that he was going toin, of course, but he now understood better why these barbarians were preyed upon by the cultivators of the gxy. They were naive. And the cultivators, if everyone thought like the Animal Kingdom, were cutthroat opportunists.

    Listen, Jack said, taking a careful step forward. I understand we got off on the wrong foot here. How about we start over? Im Jack, and this is Brock. We are simply passing through, and we have no intention of harming anyone who doesnt mean us harm.

    <em>Or who isnt a killer ant, </em>he added mentally, but no need toplicate things.

    My given name is Nauja, of the Tri Lake tribe, the girl replied after a moment of hesitation.

    Okay, Nauja, Jack said, thank you. Now, can you please tell me about this ring? We are on our way down, but it looks like I must kill something strong first, which means I have to level up. I will be respectful in doing so. I will direct my fists where you tell me to, and maybe I can even help your tribe in the process. Especially if theres anyone from the Animal Kingdom bothering you.

    There are, sometimes, she replied, squinting at him. Ive never heard of anyone from theBare Fist Brotherhood? Thats a good thing. Perhaps you are not lying.

    Of course not. I said words of the heart before, right?

    That wasnt the right time to joke. He could practically see her guarding back up.

    Wait, wait, he added quickly. Bad time to be funny. My bad. Now, if you can help us by exining what the hell is going on, we would be very grateful. If not, thats fine too. Just point us away from your tribe and well be on our way.

    She examined him for another long moment.

    Barbarians are kind to strangers, she finally replied, still hesitant. Kind delvers are rare. If you really are one of them, we would be happy to offer you our hospitality. But if you arent My father will run his spear through your heart. Trust me. We have people who can detect lies. If you dont mean your words, you will not survive.

    Thats fine, Jack replied with relief. If they could just confirm he was telling the truth, things would go a lot smoother. Being your guest would be my honor.

    He was in a rush. Taking down a Level 115 beast would take time, but the quest had mentioned a party of three, right? Maybe these people could help him.

    Very well, Nauja replied, turning around and presenting a clear target. If he was lying, she would be dead. Probably. Follow me. I will take you to the Tri Lake tribe. Oh, and beware of dinosaurs. They bite.

    ***

    Vivi was buried under endless decisions and the weight of her position.

    Send out our elites? she said, frowning at her advisor. Thats risky.

    The professor advised it pretty strongly,mander, the advisor, a middle-aged, hard-faced man, replied. She said we must increase the pressure and hope our soldiers rise to the asion. A harsh but appropriate decision, if you ask me.

    Vivi wasnt going to ask him, but she let thement slide.

    Fine. Deploy the Fire Snakes. Do we have a high-tier dungeon for them to conquer?

    Negative,mander. Our seers sensed one in India, but the three weve checked so far were duds.

    Yeah, well, India is huge. It doesnt take a seer to know theres a high-tier dungeon. She sighed, slumping in her chair. The advisor frowned slightly, but she had no energy to care about him, too. We should reallocate the resources of the Fire Snakes. Do we have any elites waiting, allies to secure, or suggestions by the professor?

    She gave one entire dungeon to Emir of Egypt, since his squad got annihted in the Stinky Marsh, but no instructions to us.

    Okay She massaged her brows. Give him another half. Hes a valuable ally, and Egypt has performed splendidly, besides the recent hup in Stinky Marsh. As for the restone fire- or water-rted dungeon to our most promising recruits, and one to Babua. Hes reliable.

    Yes,mander.

    Vivi took a moment to breathe. Unlike the professor, she had abat ss. Keeping all variables in mind and makingplex split-second decisions was taxing. When those decisions affected the course of war and millions of lives in the long runshe felt overwhelmed.

    She pushed through. She didnt show it. But every once in a while, she needed a breather.

    The only reason she was still in charge was because of her strength and because people trusted her. But deep down, she felt inferior to the professor and Alexander Petrovic Perhaps she was why they were losing.

    On the plus side, she had strength. She was a warrior queen. And, in some cases, this more than made up for her other, slightlycking qualities.

    She looked up, suddenly realizing that the advisor was still here. Dismissed, she said. Actually, no. Prepare a small squad. Ill go conquer a dungeon myself.

    Being a warrior queen had its perks.

    Actually,mander, the professor advised us to tighten our defenses, the man said. It would be more prudent for you to stay here.

    Vivi looked him in the eye. She didnt disregard his advice. The man was an experienced army general. However, there was little she could do. Her strength was the only thing that made up for herck in experience. If she stayed cooped up in her pce, she would just be a clearly inferior leaderpared to the other major factions.

    The odds are against us. We will never win by ying safe, she decided. Im going. Prepare a squad.

    The man hesitated for a split-second. As you wish,mander.

 Chapter 137: The Tri Lake Tribe

    Chapter 137: The Tri Lake Tribe

    Nauja led Jack and Brock through the jungle, ducking under long leaves and parting bushes. The path was easy to follow. After some point, Brock abandoned the ground and began swinging across branches, making excited monkey cries all the while.

    Hes cute, Nauja said, a smile ying at the ends of her lips.

    Yes, but dont let him hear that or hell be grumpy forever, Jack replied,ughing. Hes a big, strong warrior!

    Naujaughed back. Perhaps it was a trait of all barbarians, or just her, but her mood could change in a heartbeat. Her original distrust had already faded. Now, sheughed and joked with him like they were old friends. Once again, Jack wondered if this was why her people were exploited by cultivators. Were they too pure-hearted?

    Allosauruses are handy prey, she exined as they walked. They are loners, easy to ambush. We usually send our lower-leveled hunters to train against them.

    And what if they die? Jack wondered.

    They dont. Not often, in any case. The inexperienced ones have someone looking out for them, and the experienced ones Well, theyre just good.

    So youre one of the experienced ones? Jack asked, looking around for a grisly barbarian veteran.

    Hah! Of course! She shed him a bright smile, revealing perfect white teeth. I am the chiefs daughter! Of course Im good!

    Really? That sounds awesome.

    I know, right? I once hunted an adult allosaurus all by myself! Theyre much bigger than the one you saw, and almost level 100. We usually send peak Hill Breakers to handle them.

    Hill Breakers?

    Yes. She gave him an odd look. You know. Between levels 50 and 125.

    Oh. The E-Grade.

    Thats what the System says, but we just call them Hill Breakers. Because they can break hills. Well, the strongest ones, in any case. E-Grade is just words. It means nothing.

    I suppose. Jack scratched his head. This was an interesting naming scheme. Could he break hills?

    <em>If I Meteor Showered them, probably, </em>he concluded.

    What do you call the other Grades? he asked, suddenly intrigued. Hed never had a good frame of reference for the strength of immortals.

    Nauja seemed all too happy to exin. Well, theres Tree Snapper and Hill Breaker, she said, lowering her fingers one-by-one. Thene Mountain Cutters. They are extremely strong, so much that they can even destroy entire mountains!

    Entire mountains? Mountains wererge. They dominatedndscapes and weighed millions or billions of tons. D-Grades could break those!?

    Of course. She puffed out her chest in pride. My dad is a Mountain Cutter. I once saw him topple a small mountain peak with one swing of his spear.

    <em>So, there is a D-Grade in her tribe. I should be careful.</em>

    And <em>then</em>, theres Continent Crushers, Nauja continued, losing some of her enthusiasm, though we never had one of those.

    So how do you know they can crush entire continents?

    Its a legend. Supposedly, long, long ago, there were Continent Crushers and Mountain Cutters all over the ce. Even Crackers. The sky used to be blue, not gray, and our people lived in harmony with nature, creating new life everywhere they went She shook her head. But thats just legends. I know the sky is blue outside this, but I believe the rest is just made-up. I mean, continents ands are enormous things, right? It could take months to walk across them. Theres no way anyone can crack such a thing.

    I guess. Jack nodded. He certainly hoped that was the case. If theary overseer could just vanquish North America, he would be in for a treat. Say, if you dont mind me asking, what is life like here? In the Barbarian Ring?

    Its nice. Beautiful. We have our tribe, our family, our friends, our animals We give to thend, and thend gives back. It is a blessed life, barring the asional delver, she replied quickly. Then, she hesitated for a moment. It looked like she wanted to add something, but in the end, she stayed silent.

    But? Jack helped her out.

    But, if I wanted to say something more, I would say it myself.

    She shed him a re, taking him aback. She looked ready to go. Jack had to remind himself that this girl was level 99, a full thirty-five levels above him. That was almost two hundred stat points.

    Woah, sorry, he said, I was just making conversation.

    Yes, not a problem. I just made sure you knew my limit.

    She returned to her jovial mood. She named a couple trees as they were walking, then started talking about triceratopses. Jack hated himself for not listening intently, but his thoughts were talking amongst themselves.

    <em>Not exactly naive, </em>he corrected his previous assessment of Nauja. <em>Just wearing her heart on her sleeve. Erratic. Like she only has oneyer of thoughts. What an odd way to live.</em>

    And yet, he found himself nodding along. This way of thinking fit his Dao of the Fist. He suspected he would like these barbarians.

    Just as he got himself to focus on the undoubtedly priceless information she was dumping on him, the trees began to open up. Ah! Nauja shouted. Weve arrived! Look!

    She rushed forward, followed by Jack and a confused Brock swinging from vines overhead. Soon after, they crossed some bushes, and a small valley presented itself.

    Palm treestheir ancestors, to be precisedotted a shallow, bowl-shaped dent on the jungle ground. Lush grass reached down from the edges of the jungle, making it all the way to the shores of a crystal clear, blueke. The mushroom light shimmered on its surface, making its waters glitter. The heat of this ring made theke seem all the more appealing.

    A small vige rested by the waters. They had rough huts of wood and mud, a few dozens of them, each was decorated with an abundance of colored feathers.

    Pale-skinned people wearing only the barest garments of fur lounged on the grass or bathed in theke. Some were practicing with weapons at the side of the vige. Jack spotted a small group on the opposite side of theke, tending to a pen containing roughly eleven triceratopses. A kid had climbed on the horns of one,ughing as the dinosaurs head under its butt dived into a basket of herbs. Everyone else seemed unconcerned.

    The valley itself must have been only a few thousand feet long, roughly circr, while theke was the size of an olympic pool back on Earth, except wider. Colorful birdsdinosaurs, Jack corrected himselfflew overhead, shining in all colors of the rainbow.

    It was like seeing a patch of heaven dropped in the middle of jurassic nothingness.

    Its beautiful, Jack said, losing his breath. Next to him, Brock gaped too.

    Naujaughed. Of course it is. I told you. Its a blessed life. Follow me!

    The jungle ended where the valley started. They walked out of the trees and into the grass, immediately feeling the heat and humidity lessening. The valleys shape protected them, somehow.

    As soon as they started walking downthe descent wasnt too steepthe tribespeople noticed them. A few waved, but most stared warily. Jack felt unwanted.

    Im back, everyone! Nauja shouted as she reached the base of the valley, near the start of the vige. And I brought a friend!

    Thats a delver, Nauja, a man replied, stepping out of the small crowd. He was tall, broad, andpletely bald.

    I am not blind, she retorted with a smile. Dont worry. His heart is louder than his thoughts.

    At this, most of the tribespeople eased up, as if shed said something profoundly calming.

    Hello, Jack said, approaching them. My name is Jack Rust, and this is Brock. We have no ill intent towards anyone. In fact, your tribe looks beautiful.

    Wee, Jack and Brock. The same man replied. If Nauja vouches for you, we have nothing else to say. My name is Muka, a veteran hunter of the tribe. I look forward to hunting alongside you, my new friends.

    Jack smiled. The pleasure is all ours.

    At the same time, he scanned most people present. None belonged to a faction, and they all shared Naujas Direct Descendant title. He was very curious about it, actually, but titles were personal information, so he hadnt asked.

    Most of the people he scanned were at the low E-Grade. A few were at the high F-Grade or middle E-Grade. Only Muka and an older woman were at the high E-Gradeat levels 124 and 119 respectively. The children were all in the F-Grade.

    Half the people here could steamroll anyone on Earth.

    Take your friend for a stroll, Nauja, Muka said. Show him around the tribe. Your father will meet him at night.

    Yes, Muka, she replied, turning to Jack. Come. You will meet everyone elseter.

    There is a night here? I thought the mushrooms never went off.

    Of course they do. It just takes a while.

    Suddenly, Jack was very happy hed left the giant insect forest. Who knows what horrors would infest it in the darkness.

    Nauja led him and Brock around theke, pointing things out all the while. Our tribe is called Tri Lake because of two things: thiske, and the triceratopses we raise. They are wonderful animals.

    I can imagine, Jack said, staring at the swiftly approaching pen. Im so d they dont have feathers.

    Why would they? They arent birds.

    I have some colleagues whod tear their hair out at this.

    Okay Well, triceratopses are our friends. If you meet a stray one in the jungle, <em>never </em>attack it. And I mean never. Well have to kill you if you do.

    Jack nced at her, expecting to find her smiling, but she wasnt. She looked dead serious. The contrast between her enthusiasm and deeply nested violence was impressive. If Master Shol and Vlossana made a baby, this is what it would feel like.

    <em>Like a happy maniac </em>he thought, realizing he was of simr make.

    And this is the pen, the happy maniac exined as they reached it. A sturdy-looking wooden fence surrounded arge area that included part of theke. Eleven triceratopses of various sizes were currently gathered next to the fencerhino-like creatures with stocky bodies, three horns, and a hard crest around their headswhere two tribespeople had emptied fiverge buckets of herbs. They nodded as Jack approached, and he returned the gesture.

    They eat a lot, Nauja said, gesturing at the triceratops. Thankfully, the jungle has plenty of food. We offer them food, water, and protection, and they offer us their milk and meat.

    Protection from what? Jack asked. And what do you mean milk? Theyre reptiles.

    Yes? She looked at him weird.

    Reptiles dont make milk.

    Sure they do. Look. She pointed at a nearby bucket filled to the brim with a white liquid.

    Thats Jack wanted to retort, but found himself unable to. With a sigh of resignation, he waved the issue away. Nevermind I guess professor Else was right. Ugh. You mentioned that you offer them protection.

    They need it, she exined. Triceratopses are strong, but there are manyrger predators in the jungle. Tyrannosauruses, gorillodinosaurs, pteranodons The strongest dinosaurs are at the very peak of Hill Breakers, and there are even some Mountain Crushers deeper in the jungle Not that Ive ever seen one. They would tten me with a single breath.

    Really? I didnt expect D-Grade monsters in Trial, Jack replied, still observing the triceratopses andmitting everything about them to memory. Earths biologists had gotten them right, impressively. Though I guess we arent expected to fight them.

    Well

    He nced over in surprise. Well?

    There are rumors of delvers fighting the strongest dinosaurs, Nauja said hesitantly. I dont know how that could be true, since all delvers are Hill Breakers, but we can sometimes sense the ground shudder and hear the echo of faraway battles. Father says its delvers. Such fights are very rare, but there are many delvers around these days, so

    Jack remained glued to the first part of her words. Every cultivator that reached Trial was highly talented. However, the gap between Grades was enormous. If there were people around who could even fight D-Grades

    <em>Nah. They probably attacked inrge numbers, </em>he pacified himself. <em>If there were ten cultivators like those three I saw in the insect forest, maybe they could deal with a D-Grade.</em>

    Then again, Jack could already fight people one stage above him. When he reached the middle E-Grade, he could fight monsters at the high E-Grade. If he also developed more Dao Skills and connected his Dao Roots to his Dao Seed, his strength would rise even further. If he then reached the peak of the E-Grade

    <em>Just howrge could the gap be? </em>he wondered.

    Suddenly, Jack noticed the colors of the world changing. He looked up. The mushrooms were slightly dimmer now, and their light was slowly but steadily fading.

    Night is approaching, he said.

    Yes, Nauja agreed. But dont worry about it. With Father here, you are safe. Everyone is. Come on! Its time to meet him. I hope he doesnt kill you.

    You hope he what? Jack asked, but Nauja was already walking towards the tribe. She looked over her shoulder at him. Well? Are youing?

 Chapter 138: The Night Flames Dance

    Chapter 138: The Night mes Dance

    Jack followed Nauja back as the ceiling mushrooms dimmed. Their light lessened slowly at first, then faster, until night arrived in a matter of minutes. By the time they made it back to the tribe, darkness had fallen everywhere.

    But notpletely. Though the mushrooms had gone dark, their roots still pulsed with soft blue light. It wasnt enough to illuminate the entire ring, not even close, but it still shed a hint of light on the jungle beneath, like a moonless night on Earth.

    As soon as darkness fell, the sounds around Jack changed. The animals of day went to sleep, letting their nocturnal counterparts take over. Their cries were sparser now, chillier. If he was in the jungleor in the insect foresthe would be terrified.

    And yet, the valley of the Tri Lake felt safe. Peaceful, even. The leaves rustled in the night breeze, but their sound was calming music to his ears, not a sign of danger. Fireflies danced around the lip of the valley.

    It was almost mystical.

    Brocks excited yells drew Jacks attention back to the front. Arge bonfire had been lit in the middle of the tribe, right next to theke. Bare-chested men had dragged entire logs from the jungle and stacked them into a pyramid, then set the dry grass beneath it aze.

    Now, the crimson fingers of a pyre reached for the stony sky. The tribespeople were gathered around it, forming a circle at a moderate distance, their pale faces shining red from the mes. They waved at Nauja as she approached.

    This is our night, she whispered to Jack, pulling him forward. We work hard during the day. At night, we dance, drink, celebrate, and sleep.

    What do you celebrate? he asked, breathless.

    Everything.

    His gaze opened up, taking in the new faces. Two dozen people sat around the fire, all staring at him. The previous crowd he met were amongst them.

    Jack wanted to say something, but held himself back. Nauja hadnt spoken yet. Nobody had, like they were all waiting for something.

    The door of a hut creaked open. A man walked out, so tall that he needed to duck through the door. His chest was bare, and his head proud under a mane of red hair. His face was hard, with low cheekbones, and he wore only a skirt-like garment made of thin wood strips, like all other men of the tribe.

    <strong>Human (Trial), Level ??? (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Direct Descendant</strong>

    Father, Neuja said respectfully, inclining her head, and everyone else followed suit. They werent bowing, just expressing their respect.

    Hmm, the man replied, caressing his long red beard. Jack felt deep exhaustion in that voice. He wasnt old; he looked in his forties, but he exuded the air of a man who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

    Jack suddenly remembered that immortals lived for centuries. This man looked forty, but he could easily be seven hundred years old.

    <em>So much time in the same corner of the world </em>he thought, shaking his head. <em>No wonder he looks so tired.</em>

    Father, this is Jack and Brock, Nauja introduced them again. Friends who seek our hospitality.

    Delvers, her father replied, letting the word hang. A bit of tension seeped into the air. Jack had no doubt that, if this man gave the word, the tribesmen would chase them into the jungle instantly.

    Yes, Nauja replied, but they know respect. This man speaks from his heart, Father. I could sense the bitterness in his words, the fire in his chest. He faces the same threat we do. He may havee from above, but he is more barbarian than delver.

    Jack couldnt resist throwing her a surprised nce. They barely even knew each other. Not even an hour ago, she was cursing at him, and now she was vouching for him. Just how confident was she in her evaluation?

    Mm. The chiefs hum rang heavy in Jacks ears, rocking his entire body, but he remained still. My daughter praises you. Are her words true?

    They are, Jack replied as respectfully as he could, not sure how to address the man. Chief? Sir? Nauja told me you have ways to detect lies. I am perfectly willing to ept such examination, if it helps alleviate your suspicions.

    A hint of amusement entered the chiefs eyes. We have no such thing, he said, but neither do we need it. The heart cannot lie.

    Before Jack could respond, a heavy gaze bore deep inside him. He shook, almost stumbling. It felt like the chief was staring directly into his chest. He felt naked.

    A momentter, the chief withdrew his skillbecause it had to be oneand turned to Brock. Can this young brori speak yet? he asked.

    He

    Yes. Brock cut off Jack.

    Good. Are you pure-hearted?

    Yes.

    Should we ept you among us?

    Yes.

    Do you possess any sort of ill will?

    No.

    Brock had used two thirds of his vocabry, but his answers seemed to satisfy the chief, for whatever reason. A tired smile crept on his face, one that he probably forced himself to wear. In that case, wee to the Tri Lake tribe. You can be our guests for tonight, but we expect you to depart tomorrow.

    Jack resisted the urge to raise his brows. He hadnt realized the invitation would be so short-lived, but it didnt really matter. It aligned with their purposes, anyway. They werent here for tourism. They hade to level, rise in power, and descend through the rings. This Barbarian Ring was only one stop on their way.

    Thank you, Jack replied, inclining his head, and Brock did the same.

    Mm. The chief hummed again. His smile turned a tad more genuine as he said, Now, lets drink.

    The tribespeople cheered. Someone brought over a sturdy barrel, pulled open its cork, and started filling stone goblets. The people sat around the fire, chatting the night away, as even the chief sat alone on a log and rxed, letting his thick legs rest so close to the fire they were almost inside it.

    Here! Nauja said, passing two goblets to Jack and Brock. They were filled with an amber liquid that smelled vaguely of milk.

    You lied to me, Jack said with a smirk. You have no lie detectors.

    Telling you that <em>was </em>the lie detector. She winked.

    Heughed. By the way, should Brock be drinking this?

    Why wouldnt he?

    I dont know. Hes a child brori. Where Ie from, dogs dont eat chocte, so I dont know what a brori eats.

    Brock gave him an insulted stare, while Nauja scowled. Dont be a wuss, Jack. Let the man drink.

    If they were the same species, Brock would have instantly fallen in love. As it was, he simplyughed, gave her a high-fiveafter Jack exined how she should respond to his raised handand then downed his goblet. Jack,ughing, did the same.

    It wasnt strong alcohol. It felt like beer, only thicker and less bubbly.

    They made their way to the barrel and refilled, learning that the person whod brought it over was called Mayon. He made this drink with wheat theyd bought from another tribe, a particr fruit Jack didnt recognizea Juiceberryand triceratops milk, which apparently wasnt really milk, but a milk-like substance they secreted from their mouths.

    The surrounding people wereughing, chatting, and drinking in small groups. Nauja had gone off to speak with a friend of hers, a young man with blond hair.

    Jack thought it was a good time to socialize. He looked around, but most people looked busy in their tight-knit groups. He assumed theyd open up as the night advanced. Therefore, he approached the one person who sat alone.

    Excuse me, he said, can I sit?

    The chief raised his head, stared at Jack for a second, then motioned at the open spot next to him on the log. Despite not speaking, his gaze seemed inviting, even approving.

    Jack took a seat. This close to the fire, the heat was scalding, but his enhanced body only perceived it as moderate warmth. Brock didnt agree, so he took off to hang out with other people. Jack caught him miming at people and replying with yes, no, or bro. He quickly became the center of attention.

    It must be tough being immortal, said Jack, sipping from his goblet. Next to him, the chief hadnt touched his.

    When the tree stops growing, it sags, he replied in a slow, deliberate voice. This was an odd mixture of a man. He sat slouched, uncaring, not even trying. But Jack could feel the fire burning him, an enormous reservoir of power simply waiting to be unleashed on the world. His voice was tired, but it remained rich and powerful, used tomanding and being heard. There was no weakness in this man. He was merely tired.

    Why would it stop growing? Jack asked. He tried to detect if the chief was bored of conversing, but it didnt seem so. His short answers were preference, not rejection. A tiny smile yed on the chiefs lips, so small that Jack would easily miss it if he wasnt paying attention.

    Everything does, the chief replied. The apple tree stops quickly. The pine takes long, and the eucalyptus longer, but nothing is born without a limit. Even people. Even you and me.

    I intend to rise far, Jack said. There is someone I must beat. If I do not reach the C-Grade in ten months, the Continent Cracker level, my enemies will strike down my people and my.

    It was a pretty blunt thing to say to someone who had remained a D-Grade for centuries, but Jack suspected the chief was in no mood for anything but direct truth. Indeed, the chief frowned but showed no sign of anger. He scanned Jack with his gaze, seeing through his plight in an instant.

    The world is unfair, he said slowly. The strong oppress the weak. They will never let them rise. It is all a ruse, a false hope to keep the ves obedient so they can rule by words and not by force.

    Jack considered those words. He took his time. A few momentster, he asked, Do you mean that I am doomed?

    Nothing is absolute But the bnce is enforced. Change is forbidden. The faster you rise, the harder they will strike, and their power is insurmountable. To survive ascension, you must either yield and be one of them, bearing the cloak of the oppressor, or rise faster and stronger than anyone ever has, suppressing the entire world with your power alone.

    The chiefs words sounded like a retelling of thoughts buried deep inside him, ones that existed at the very core of his soul. They were weary, like the chief himself, but powerful. Jack wondered what his Dao was.

    He felt the truth of these words vibrate in his own heart. Defeating theary overseer was an almost impossible task, but then what? The Animal Kingdom wouldnt let him get away with it. They would throw B-Grades at him, and if the Gctic Alliance was corrupt, the entire gxy mighte down on his head for upsetting the bnce and inspiring others to do the same.

    Could he really triumph over everyone?

    Strangely, the thought only raised his mood. It sounded despairingly difficult, but also simple. Straightforward. The perfect path for a fist to follow.

    You are wise, chief, Jack said with a sigh.

    For the first time, the chief chuckled, a deep sound that made many heads turn in surprise. Not wise. I am simply old.

    How old?

    Five hundred gctic years. Roughly.

    Wow Im twenty-eight.

    The chief smirked a bit but didnt reply. He sipped from his goblet, and Jack did the same. Just as it emptied and he was about to refill it, excusing himself in the process, the chief spoke again.

    You are far from home.

    Jack paused. I am.

    You are brave. To achieve your goals, the only way is to conquer Trial. All of it. And you will need power. Tomorrow, you and Nauja will hunt a beast near the Forbidden Cave, close to the delver camp. Fate will take its course. That is all the help I can offer.

    Jack looked over in discreet confusion. Thank you, chief.

    May the will of our ancestors be with you.

    Jack nodded, more thoughtful than he was a moment ago, and moved to refill his goblet.

    Jack. The chiefs voice came again before he could make two steps. He turned around.

    Yes, chief?

    A strange light yed in the chiefs eyes. It was almost threatening. Do not trust the System.

    ***

    Alcohol flowed freely, and conversation slowly gave way to bare excitement. A man and a woman drew out small bongos, beating them to a rhythm that danced with the mes. Jack found his body moving to the tune. Beside him, Brock did the same.

    One by one, the tribespeople stood up and gathered around the crackling bonfire, dancing in a way Jack hadnt seen before. They shook their limbs wildly, rocking their bodies from side to side. In any club on Earth, they would be mocked. But here, Jack felt their movements strangely fitting. He grinned along, mustering the courage to dance himself.

    What are you waiting for? Naujas voice came from behind him. Her hand grabbed his wrist. Come on!

    She dragged him into the dance, where two dozen people were shaking themselves and having fun. Not many were young. Besides Nauja, another girl, and a blond man, everyone else was either over forty or under twelve.

    Their bodies moved before the mes, casting long, dancing shadows. The music seeped into every pore of Jacks body. He moved to the tune, without thinking, only dancing. It was liberating. He hadnt cut loose in so long. Hed never been good at dancing.

    Nauja danced with him, helping him feel less awkward. It was unnecessary. After everything hed been through, a little dance felt so insignificant. He couldnt be better.

    A mass of rapidly writhing bodies surrounded him, shielding him in their midst. Hed lost Nauja at some point. A nearby woman danced with him for a bit, then a man whose moves reminded Jack of standing break dancing. Nauja reappeared by his side, and he grabbed her by the hand to spin her around. Sheughed, holding his hand and spinning more. The mass of bodies packed tighter. Everyone came closer, a feeling of unity. The heat of fire became one with the warmth of people.

    Jack found himselfughing. He realized he was drunk. He didnt care. This was nice.

    And the night went on.

 Chapter 139: The Day of the Hunt

    Chapter 139: The Day of the Hunt

    Jack awoke to a pair of strong hands shaking him.

    Orgh, he said groggily, rolling over.

    Bro. Amanding voice reached his ears.

    Ugh Five more minutes?

    No.

    Damn, man. A yawn. Is it really time to go?

    Yes.

    Jack yawned again, then rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. He was in the guest hut of the Tri Lake tribelittle more than a walled-off circle on the soil. There was a fur bed on the floor, made from the same material as the clothes of the tribespeople, and one window that was covered by a piece of wood. Jack could remove it to look outside or keep it there for privacy. Hed kept it on during the night.

    Now, thin rays of sunlight slipped in through the cracks of the door and shut window, yellow and syrupy. Dust particles danced in the light, disappearing the moment they crossed its edge.

    How long was I asleep? Jack asked, slowlying up to speed.

    Brock shrugged. They had no clock. How was he supposed to tell time?

    Last nights events returned to Jacks mind. Theyd danced and drunk, and he had a cryptic but important-sounding conversation with Neujas dad. Near the end of it, the tribe chief had mentioned Jack would be hunting a beast with Neuja tomorrow. Today.

    Jack bolted up.

    He was already dressedck boots, white pants, and nothing elseso there wasnt much to do. He opened the door and strode out. Brock followed a step behind, still wearing his red shorts and holding the ancient-looking Staff of Stone in his right hand.

    The tribe was already active. Jack had no way of knowing how long ago the day began, but he saw people tending to the triceratopses like yesterday, children fetching water from theke, and a few groups of men and women heading into the jungle with big, woven baskets.

    Jack!

    Turning, he found Nauja walking his way. Morning, Nauja.

    It is. Took you a while. Its already one hour after dawn!

    What can I say? Multiple deadlybats in a row made me sleepy. Sorry.

    Oh, dont be cranky. Her smile widened as she squatted. And good morning to you too, Brock. Did you sleep well?

    Yes, the brori replied, nodding somberly.

    Thats great!

    Were you waiting for us, Nauja? Jack asked.

    Father called for you, she replied, raising her gaze from Brock. She was petting his fursomething that Brock only allowed women to do, for whatever reason. Said I should bring you to him the moment you woke up.

    I dont suppose theres breakfast on the way?

    No. Youll have to bear with it. Come on!

    Under Naujas lead, they crossed the small tribe to arrive at thergest and center-most hut. She knocked on the door.

    Who is it? A tired, imposing voice came from inside.

    Its Nauja! I brought Jack and Brock.

    Come in.

    There was no doorknob or lock. Nauja simply pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit, sparsely furnished interior. A pile of fur on the floor served as the bed, while there was also a small table, a chair, and a knee-high bookcase containing five leather-bound tomes.

    The chief sat in the wooden chair, somehow fitting hisrge body into it, and sipped from a y mug. Mura, the veteran hunter Jack had met on his arrival to the tribe, was also here, standing by the chiefs table and staring at them oddly. It looked like theyd just interrupted a conversation.

    Good morning, Father, Nauja said, and Jack hurried to say the same.

    Good morning, chief.

    Hmm, he replied, while the three of themJack, Nauja, and Brockalso exchanged respectful nods with Mura.

    Nauja cleared her throat. Since I brought them over, Father, I will take my

    He cut her off with a gentle shake of his head. Stay, hemanded. This involves you too.

    Me? she asked in surprise.

    As you know, Jack must defeat an enemy of level 115, the chief said slowly. Nobody interrupted him. By himself, that will be a dangerous and time-consuming task. I fear that the nearby delver camp will not let him be. Therefore, he should expedite.

    He took a deep sip before continuing. His voice remained solid as a stone. You, my daughter, must also defeat an enemy of that level to be a true hunter of the tribe. You will team up today. There is a tyrannosaurus picking off our animal friends near the Forbidden Cave. You shall head there, y it, and return victorious.

    As he spoke, Naujas face showed increasing horror. Father! she cried out. I I apologize for my weakness, but I cannot defeat a tyrannosaurus! Much less while protecting a lesser Hill Breaker.

    I suspect he does not need your protection, the chief replied calmly. My instructions are final.

    Then, what about the third member of our team? She nced at the nearby Mura. It should be someone strong enough to protect us.

    However, the chief only shook his head. The third member of your team will be Brock, the brave brori.

    Father! Nauja cried again, her voice rising slightly higher. What are you saying? This is suicide! I cannot fight a tyrannosaurus! It will kill us all. Mura, say something! Mura gave her a helpless smile, then shook his head. That helplessness only fueled her frustration. Father, I implo

    The chief raised a hand. Despite her agitation, Nauja paused mid-word. His authority was absolute. Do not doubt me, he said. Jack felt his heart speed upfor no apparent reason. You will go, and you will return victorious or not at all. This is mymand.

    Naujas mouth moved without sound. She seemed to be struggling with herself. Jack watched her silently from the side, as did everyone. He knew his own strength. Even if he was weaker than her, it wasnt by muchbut how could she know?

    Regardless, he did not speak. This was not his ce. Brock remainedposed on Jacks side as well, face as stony as his staff.

    I do not understand, Father, Nauja finally said, her voice weak. I will obey your will, butcan you at least help me understand? I I do not see it. This is all too sudden.

    When fate knocks, there is no time to prepare. However, the chief must have been satisfied with her words, because he finally revealed a small, sad, tender smile. You must fight today, my daughter. Prove that you have the power to ride the wave of fate, should it manifest. I know you do not understand. Perhaps, one day, you will.

    He hesitated for a momentand, from Muras raised brow, Jack got the impression that this wasntmon. There will be no one guarding you this time, the chief continued. All the veterans will remain in the tribe Very well. I remedy my word. You may return alive. But you must fight first, and give it your all. If defeat is certain, you may retreat, and the will of our ancestors will judge your life or death.

    Nauja looked like shed seen a ghost. Her eyes contained betrayal, pain, and fear, as well as massive iprehension.

    I do not understand, Father she muttered, lost.

    Its okay, my child. He looked her in the eye. This pains me as it pains you, but I have consulted with our ancestors, and I have thought about it deeply. This is the way. Go. And, if you die, remember that I love you. My heart will break with yours.

    Father She took a half-step forward, then caught herself. She took a deep, trembling breath. Jack felt her heart fluttering, then settling. She still did not understand, but she would obey. Very well, she finally said. I shall do as you ask. Look forward to my victory, Father. When I return, even Mura will have to treat me as an equal.

    Muras expression changed into pained amusement. May the ancestors be with you, child, he said.

    Farewell, daughter, the chief said, and this time, his determined voice hid more than just tiredness. May the ancestors be with you. You too, Jack Rust. You too, Brock the brori.

    We will not disappoint you, chief, Jack said, inclining his head. Brock did the same without speaking. Then, they turned and followed Nauja out of the hut. She walked silently for a few steps, her stormy expression scaring away an approaching child.

    I dont understand. What is happening? she finally erupted, whirling around to re at Jack. What did you tell him yesterday?

    Not much, Jack replied calmly. Just some things about myself, but nothing rted to this tyrannosaurus hunt.

    You will tell me everything, she told him in a tone that brooked no disobedience, her blue gaze boring into his. Give me some time to say my goodbyes. Wait behind the triceratops pen.

    Her eyes indicated she had a slew of things to tell him, a storm of emotions to vent, but she chose to think things through by herself first. That wasmore reasonable than Jack had expected.

    Im stronger than I look, he couldnt resist saying.

    I sure hope so, she replied darkly. Because the beast were hunting is a killer.

    And then, she took off, leaving them alone. Out of respect, Jack didnt follow her with his gaze.

    Is there anything you want to do, Brock? he asked. The brori shook his head. Me neither. Lets go wait.

    He could quench his thirst by theke. He was hungry, too, but he felt such guilt that he couldnt bear to take the tribes food.

    He was unsure what was going on. What did the chiefs words mean? Why did he suddenly send his daughter on a near-suicide mission with a total stranger? Had Jack said anything yesterday that might have triggered this reaction?

    As they made their way around theke and towards the triceratops pen, his mind swam in doubts.

    <em>I didnt say anything. I just told the chief who I am What did he see in my words? In me? Could he be insane? But he didnt look the part. He was odd, yes, but in a wise way. Like Master Shol.</em>

    When this connection was made, he quickly drew a few more lines of simrity. This chief handled things in a way that reminded Jack of Master Shol. Cryptic and concise. He didnt exin his reasoning, as if Jack wouldnt understand, but there was something behind his words that made Jack trust that the chief knew better.

    He hated this feeling. Once again, he was swept into the ns of another, unable to set his own course.

    He could always run away. Nobody was holding him, and he doubted that the chief woulde out and chase him personally. But Jack wouldnt run away. He believed he could trust this mystical man, so he would go and hunt the tyrannosaurus with Nauja. This was his n, anyway. Make it through this ring quickly to find Gan Salinand other allies, if possiblein Vige Ring.

    <em>I wish I was stronger </em>Jack wished with every fiber of his heart. Only strength would allow him to choose his own path. If he was an immortal, the chief would have discussed things with him instead of simply spout instructions.

    Only strength mattered. Jacks resolve reaffirmed itself.

    He bent down by theke, cupping some water into his hands and sipping greedily. It was perfectly clear. Tasty, even. He could see the bottom of theke as if the water was ss. There wasnt the tiniest wave obstructing his sight. The only indication that theke even existed were the gentle ripples caused by his cupping hands, along with the glint of mushroom light deeper in.

    He raised his eyes, taking in the lush grass that filled the bowl-shaped valley, the smiling people whoy on it or tended to the dinosaur cattle, the jungle beyond.

    It urred to him, for the first time, that this valley was shaped as a crater. He liked that mental image. Life and peace in a former spot of intense violence.

    He reached the back of the pen and waited, looking into the jungle ahead, not wanting to spoil Naujas goodbyes with his stare. Brocky on the soft grass, rxing with his hands behind his head.

    Eventually, soft footsteps approached. Nauja stood behind them, wearing the same, simple clothes as yesterdayfur strips around her privates and chest. A bow was slung on her back, along with two quivers: one containing normal-sized arrows, and the otherrge ones, the size of small spears.

    However, her gaze carried an intensity that Jack recognized. It was the same gaze everyone had adopted towards the end of the Integration Tournament. A warrior ready to battle.

    I am ready, she said. On the way, you owe me an exnation.

    Sure. But you also need to exin all the things your father mentioned. What is that Forbidden Cave? How dangerous is that delver camp? And, most importantly, whats the deal with your title and ancestors?

    Her face cramped. You ask a lot for a weakling.

    I risk my life alongside yours. I deserve to know.

    Her face-cramping intensified before easing into a wary nce. Fine. But only if we survive.

 Chapter 140: The Balance of the Jungle

    Chapter 140: The Bnce of the Jungle

    Jack and Nauja paced through the jungle. The vegetation was dense enough to limit their sight but sparse enough to allow easy passage, while the cave ceiling a hundred miles in the air remained filled with enormous, glowing, yellow mushrooms.

    The soil was soft and porous, caving easily under Jacks feet, and the incessant sounds all around themfrom chirps, to buzzing, to rustling, to faraway roaringindicated that the jungle didnt care much about their presence.

    Brock jumped from branch to branch overhead. This ce reminded him of home, the Forest of the Strong. Jack felt the same.

    So, he said, staying next to Nauja, thats all from me. More or less.

    As promised, hed spent thest half an hour telling her his story, all the way from the first goblin to Trial.

    Sounds infuriating, Nauja replied, shaking her head. All those Animal Kingdom people on your Theyre very simr to the ones I know. Birds of a feather flock together.

    How do you know that expression? Shouldnt it be, pterodactyls of a feather flock together?

    Pterodactyls dont have feathers. She gave him a curious look. Youre an odd man, Jack Rust. Sometimes I wonder if youre actually stupid.

    Wow. Wheres the enthusiasm you had when heading to the tribe?

    That was before you messed with my life. Now, youre suspicious again. I dont believe thats everything you told my father. There is no reason for She gestured around. ...all this.

    I know. He shrugged. But hey, I dont make the rules. He does. Go be angry at him if you dare. She red at him. Jack smiled back. Now, I told you everything. What about you?

    What about me?

    You promised to give me all the information you knew. About this ce, the delvers, your Forbidden Cave, triceratops milk, your title

    I said Id tell you <em>after </em>we survive.

    Come on. I gave you a lot of information. Reciprocate a bit.

    She held her re on him. Jack endured it calmly.

    Ungratefulness breaks the heart, she finally relented. Fine. But nothing sensitive.

    Sure.

    What do you want to know first?

    Jack considered it for a moment. Lets start from the other delvers, he decided. How strong are they? How many? What do they do here?

    Plenty strong, Neuja replied. She bent down to inspect an animal track, then continued. Truthfully, following the tyrannosaurus wasnt difficult. It left footprints the size of a dining table. Trial isnt exactly packed with delvers, but there are usually hundreds of them in our ring. Even worse, most of them are stronger than us at the same level. Theye from the B-Grade factions in the outside gxy, who stuff their students full of resources and send them here like velociraptors on steroids.

    How the hell do you know about steroids?

    We have contact with the outside world. We hear stories. Anyway, the point is that many delvers stop here to rest, recuperate, train, or gather allies. The terrain is much more hospitable than the ring aboveor so I hear.

    It is. Jack agreed without a second thought. Insects are terrifying.

    I dont understand that, but okay. However, our ring also has a quest: y a level 115 enemy.

    Which wasnt the exact phrasing. It said, defeat.

    Same thing. That is not an easy task. Most delvers enter Trial around the middle of the Hill Breaker range, around level 80 or 90. It is the level their factions judge as optimal. They also enter alone. As a result, even if theyre a few levels stronger than they seem, hunting a level 115 dinosaur is risky. They have no reason to do it alone. To facilitate this, the factions have formed camps all around the ring, where delvers can find other people to team up with.

    Wait a moment, Jack said. In the previous ring, I saw three delvers. They werent alone, obviously, and all of them were high E-Grades.

    Nauja paused momentarily to raise a brow. Thats unusual.

    So it seems. What do you think about them?

    She kept walking. They approached another tyrannosaurus track and angled their path to follow it. Its not unheard of. Remember what I said about the optimal level being around 80 or 90? Thats because their factions dont want to invest more yet. Trial has a high death rate, so theyre basically sending them in at the minimum level of preparedness, and only seriously invest in those who make it back with decent achievements.

    A high death rate? How high?

    Seven out of ten delvers never return. Or so I heard.

    Spooky.

    Its because of arrogance. Starting at the Vige Ring, everyone can choose to leave through teleporters. Even here, they can choose to backtrack to the surface if things get too difficult. But theyre greedy and arrogant. They press on until they either die or almost die, at which point they finally retreat.

    But if they return early, they wont be deemed worthy, and their faction will sideline them.

    Exactly, Nauja replied with a hard smile. Its what they deserve. They oppress us, but their factions oppress them. The world is merciless out there.

    And in here.

    It doesnt have to be that way here. They are the ones making everyones life difficult.

    Jack nodded thoughtfully. So the ones I saw were precious members of their faction.

    Exactly. They raised them to a higher level before sending them in, which means their faction already invested in them. They dont do that for everyone. Its very rare, actually. Anding in as a team is even rarer. They would have to bribe someone at the outside to make that happen.

    Why am I not surprised that the Hand of God epts bribes? Jack replied cuttingly, thinking back to how Vocrich had just stood by and watched the Animal Kingdom gang up on him in the tournament. Fucking fuckers.

    Everyone does. Nauja shrugged. There are no good people out there, only less bad ones.

    Theres me.

    Give it time. Her crooked smile turned more twisted. So, you ran into big-shots. That is not goodbut it is somewhat expected.

    Why?

    There is an important event happening this time every year in the deeper rings. This is always when the big-shotse. Thats also why were hunting this tyrannosaurus now. The beasts of the jungle know not to touch our pens, but delvers grow more numerous this time of the year, so they kill a lot more prey. Therge predators get hungry, and they either go after the delverswhich ends badly for themor after our penswhich also ends badly for them. It is a shame. The delversmit the same atrocities every year, ruining the bnce we have to spend an entire cycle restoring. Why not respect nature just a bit?

    Because theyre assholes.

    Are you saying that because you mean it, or to tten me?

    Both. He gave her his best smile. She rolled her eyes, then squatted next to a tyrannosaurus footprint and inspected it. Why are you looking at these so intently, anyway? Theyre sorge you could probably see them from the sky.

    Yes, but their size and depth hide information about the beast, she replied slowly, still inspecting the massive footprint. And more than that We arent the only ones who can track a tyrannosaurus. With footprints thisrge, everyone can, so Im searching for humanoid footprints near it. If there are delvers already hunting it, we shouldnt approach.

    Oh, Jack said. Thats actually pretty smart.

    Of course it is. Why? Did you think I was stupid?

    She wasnt looking at him, but Jack still felt a chill. Not at all. I just admired your knowledge. So, is there anyone else hunting it?

    Not that I can see, she finally replied, standing up. Lets keep going. Were getting close.

    Mhm. They walked on. So Jack spoke again after a minute. About that Forbidden Cave of yours

    What about it?

    Well, what is it?

    Forbidden.

    I know that.

    Silence fell again. Jack considered his next words before speaking. Is there a particr reason why its forbidden?

    Why? So you can go ransack it?

    I would never even consider that. He had considered it. Besides, if there was anything to find there, Im sure some delver would have gotten it already.

    She stopped and red at him, harder this time. Jack met her eyes calmly. He didnt re back, but he also didnt look away, weathering her stare like a stone wall. Eventually, Nauja diverted her gaze sideways, then kept walking.

    Its nothing too important, she exined. We have stories passed down by our ancestors. They mention that the cave should remain hidden and serenebut, as humiliating as this is to say, the delvers got wind of it long ago. They captured and tortured a few of us until someone spoke, more to protect the rest of the tribe than herself. There wasnt much to say. We know nothing else.

    The delvers have investigated it many times, but theres nothing. Its just a deep, empty caveplex. Some of them disappear sometimes, but theyre delvers. Theyre probably killing each other to steal their belongings, then ming it on the cave.

    Sounds like something they would do.

    The point is, its just an old story. We dont go into the cave for the sake of tradition. Thats all there is to it.

    Mhm.

    You want to go inside and search for your luck. It wasnt a question, but a statement. And, in truth, that was exactly what was going through Jacks mind. An empty, forbidden cave where people asionally disappeared This sounded too fishy. At worst, it would be empty. At best, he might discover something that everyone else had overlooked. It was a long shot, but it was a cave. How long could it take to explore?

    Of course not, he lied. Then, after hesitating for a moment, he added honestly, It does sound intriguing, but your tribe took care of me yesterday. I will respect your wishes.

    Really? This time, her gaze was earnest, like she believed him. Jack cursed. The girl was a truth detector.

    Really, he assured her. It was true. Not being a dick was more important than betting on the one-in-a-million chance hed find something.

    A wide smile blossomed on her face. Thank you, Jack! she said. This is basic propriety, but I know that even this much is challenging for delvers. I appreciate your sacrifice.

    He wasnt sure if she was mocking him or not. Perhaps it was better not to know.

    How do you do that? he asked instead. How do you always know when Im speaking the truth?

    I told you. Words of the heart.

    That made little sense. Either she was lying and had a relevant skill, or she had simply gotten lucky so far. To be fair, Jack hadnt really lied about anything, so getting him right wasnt hard.

    Sure, he said. Then, final question before we get to reptile milk. Whats the deal with your title, the Direc

    Shh! She suddenly stopped, putting a finger on her lips. Jack froze instantly. Above, Brock remained glued to his branch, frozen mid-movement. Nothing happened for a while.

    Then, Jack heard it. A faint, deep, rhythmic sound. The subtle shaking of the earth under his feet.

    Were close, Nauja whispered, falling into a crouch and nocking an arrow on her bowstring. Follow me.

    Jack obliged. He did his best to remain stealthy, though he had no relevant skill. Nauja obviously did. Her movements left the environmentpletely undisturbed and made no noise at all, making Jack wonder whether shed turned into an illusion. Inparison, his slow footsteps echoed in his ears like war drums.

    <em>There are more animals in the jungle, </em>he consoled himself. <em>Theres no way it can hear me. It stomps like an elephant.</em>

    Following Naujas lead, they slowly crept closer. The small animals that used to sh on the canopy had disappeared now, and the bird cries had lessened, giving way to rtive silence.

    In it, the tyrannosauruss heavy steps were even more audible.

    Five minutester, they entered a sparser part of the jungle. The trees werent as thick here, and the bushes clung to their roots, not spreading up to block visibility. Jack could easily make out the lumbering beast that prowled through the woods, head scratching the canopy.

    It was enormous. Long like an intercity bus and easily ten feet tall, with a thick tail, an oversized head, and a maw full of wicked teeth. Its two legs were thick and muscr, pressing heavily against the earth with every step, while its front limbs were short and stubby, ending in sharp talons that probably didnt find much practicality.

    It was just like Jurassic Park, but far lessical. And also magically enhanced, probably. No normal beast had the power to smash hills.

    <strong>Tyrannosaurus Rex, Level 121</strong>

    <strong><em>The Tyrannosaurus Rex is one of the strongest dinosaur species. They are bipedal carnivores reaching up to forty feet in length and twelve high at the hips, with tails strong enough to act as weapons. Though solitary animals, they are not to be underestimated. Elite specimens have been observed using passive Physical Daos.</em></strong>

    <em>Perfect. Daos. Just what a t-rex needed, because it wasnt deadly enough.</em>

    At least this one wasnt an elite specimen.

    The massive beast was currently walking to the side and away from them, probably looking for prey in some deeper section of the jungle. A small, rocky hill was visible in the distance, standing out of the jungle like a bald head, and a dark cave mouth hung open on its side.

    Is that your cave? Jack asked, but Nauja brought a finger to her lips again, signaling silence.

    He had detailed his strength on the way. Now, she saw him as an equal hunterthough she pridefully refused to treat him as suchwhich made this battle not as suicidal as it could have been.

    Watching the tyrannosaurus, Nauja gulped. Jack saw her eyes harden. She was ready.

    And he He had been born ready.

 Chapter 141: Fighting Rex

    Chapter 141: Fighting Rex

    With a few hand signals from Nauja, Jack crept towards a fern. Brock hid in the faraway canopy, ready to assist when and if he could. The barbarian herself climbed on a tree branch. She would start shooting the t-rex from afar to weaken it, and then Jack would ambush it as it approached. That was the extent of their n. After that, they would improvise and hope to survive.

    Jack crouched between the ferns, letting the ancient nt caress his skin. The wind slipped through the trees, calm and peaceful, unaware or uncaring of the violence about to ensue. The soil crunched softly under his boots, framing the intermittent animal cries that reached his ears.

    The t-rex was a majestic creature. It awoke in Jack a childish wonder that only magic had matched so far. He had seen so much about this beast, read so much, studied and theorized on it.

    He expected a hint of hesitation at the thought of hunting it. Some unwillingness, a subtle feeling of desecration, like a child about to fight their hero. But he felt none of that. His wonder and fond memories manifested as an intense desire to fight. He yearned to test his might against this majestic beast, to face it inbat. It was a sort of self-realization, along with the implicit understanding thatbat was a mutually respectful experience, not manic ughter.

    Despite himself, he grinned.

    An arrow was loosed between the trees. Its shaft was three fingers thick and long like Jacks arm, especially devised for use againstrge creatures. It flew through the branches, heading for the tyrannosauruss head so straight and unerringly that it simply couldnt miss.

    It slipped into one of the dinosaurs eyes.

    The bowstrings twang reached Jack right then. It was a crisp, deep sound, like an iron whip striking a mountain. It spoke of tremendous strength.

    The jungle went quiet. The t-rex only then realized what had happened, filling the silence with a deep, pained, furious roar. It turned towards their direction and charged.

    It was an apex predator. When a surprise attack urred, it didnt think to run, only to fight back.

    Jack watched the dinosaur crash through the trees as it made for him. Its two legs moved in long leaps, shaking the ground with each stomp. He saw its mouth,rge enough to eat him whole and filled with long, sharp teeth. Saw its hulking body barrel forward. Saw it growrger andrger as it approached, heading almost straight towards Jack, though he was hidden.

    Jacks world sharpened. All unnecessary thoughts and considerations fell away, leaving only the charging dinosaur, his allies, and the terrain. The entirety of his mind focused onbat. His body shivered in anticipation, mouth drew into a grinning snarl, fingers dug into his palm.

    His being was fully aligned on the hunt.

    The t-rex was far away, but it closed the distance in the blink of an eye. It wasnt just arge dinosaur. It was a peak E-Grade beast, enhanced by System, magic, or the Dao. Its physical capabilities were miles beyond its Earth equivalent.

    But so was Jack.

    Arge foot stomped on the earth before his fern, imprinting it with a deep w print. Jack jumped out. He flew into the air, right into the t-rexs path, right in front of its chest. He was like a fly.

    But he stung.

    Still mid-air, as therge chest barrelled towards him, he reared a fist back, stretching his entire body. Purple light glowed. The world lost a hint of color, the dinosaurs roars lessened subtly. Jacks fist became the focal point, drawing the worlds essence inside it until it shone brilliantly like a meteor about to fall.

    He shot it forth.

    The t-rex hadnt noticed him before. It had no time to stop or turn. It fell into Jack, who used its momentum to drive his fist deep into its innards.

    The explosion rocked the jungle. Jacks fist broke through smooth skin and scales, meeting a bone and snapping it. The t-rex roared in response to the blinding light and booming sound. Its body couldnt stop, however, and it crashed into Jack, sending him flying away like a ragdoll. His back smashed into a tree. All air was pushed out of his chest. He gasped silently, seeing stars as he slid down the bark.

    A momentter, he recovered. His torso was in pain. His right fist sported cracked knuckles, having unleashed its strongest Meteor Punch yet. But he remainedbative.

    His eyes flicked to the t-rex. Besides the arrow stuck in its eye, it now sported a deep wound at the center of its chest. Blood flowed out, and Jack could even spot the edge of a bone digging into the flesh underneath. Its gait was unsteady now, every step clearly bringing it pain.

    Unfortunately, the t-rex was arge, System-enhanced beast. There was still plenty of fight inside it.

    It was already charging towards Jack. When his eyes cleared, it was almost before him.

    He rolled to the side, hearing a massive maw uproot the tree hed been leaning against. It barely missed him. He turned and pivoted, not sparing the time to even look back. A massive foot smashed the ground where he used to lie.

    The tail got him. It whipped from the side and crashed into his chest, sending him flying again. Thankfully, he had been close to the t-rex, so he only got hit by the part near its base, which couldnt gather too much momentum.

    He still felt the impact like a massive sledgehammer. His ribcage groaned, and his entire body was bent backward like a bow. When he mmed into a tree back-first, he bounced off to fall on the soil. By a herculean effort of will, hended on his feet, stumbling but standing. He couldnt afford to fall prone again.

    The t-rex was upon him instantly, a massive maelstrom of incredible strength. Even the weakest of hits threatened to maim him, and Jacks greatest attack had only managed to injure the beast, not kill it. It was at the peak of the E-Grade, and he was only at the early stage. No matter how overpowered he was, there was a limit to his strength.

    Now, even surviving was a tall task.

    An arrow drilled into the t-rexs head from behind, but its thick skull stopped it short. The beast ignored the arrow and lunged for Jack. He crouched, ready to defend.

    The jaws came first again. Despite its size, the t-rex was fast, its movements a blur. He barely managed to jump aside and dodge the snapping teeth. Then, expecting another attack, he ghost-stepped another few feet to the side. The massive tail whipped through the air where he used to standa debilitating strike, if it hit.

    He kept moving. If he stayed still, he was dead. The sky darkened as a foot fell on him. He ghost-stepped again, using the Systems power to ignore the limitations of space, then turned and rolled. His boots dug into the soil, he felt gravel slide against his shoulder and ribs. The world was dirt before he saw trees again.

    He more felt than saw the next attacking. He ghost-stepped, using the skill for the third time, sensing the air shudder where the jaws snapped shut around his previous position. He heard the twang of a bowstring and an arrow meeting flesh, but he couldnt see it. He was too slow. The t-rex was rotating through attacks faster than he could react. His dodges took more time than its attacks.

    His only saving grace was that the tyrannosaurus was a beast, and its attack pattern somewhat predictable.

    A shadow on the ground was all the indication he had. He jumped to the side, unable to even breathe. The ground shook next to his head. He fell t against it, letting the tail sail inches over him, then pushed against the dirt with all of his strength to fly aside. When no attack came to his previous position, he ghost-stepped blindly. Again, no attack hade.

    It came the moment his skill ended. The t-rex kicked at him. Its wed foot met Jacks ribs, digging under him and shooting him upward with tremendous force. He barely even realized what had happened before he smashed into the canopy, breaking through three branches, then starting to fall back down.

    The pain was everywhere, but he was too deep into battle to feel it. He managed to orient himself, catching a glimpse of a massive maw rushing up to get him. He ghost-stepped away. Activating the skill mid-air took a lot out of him. He felt stitches in his ribs, his breathing short.

    He stumbled onto the ground, white stars swimming in his vision. He caught another glimpse of the dinosaurs massive body. Its hide was peppered with arrows now, three of them sticking out of its head. A few were lodged deeper than others. Not only was the t-rex attacking him frantically, it was also moving its body to make Naujas aiming harder.

    Its multiple wounds had to have an influence. An arrow was embedded in its eye. Its chest showed broken bones. And it still had the power to hunt Jack at such speed.

    <em>This cant go on, </em>Jack realized. <em>Ill die first.</em>

    The tail swiped at him. He jumped over it, sailing towards the t-rexs chest. Its head whipped around to bite at him. He ghost-stepped, again in mid-air, sensing the energy leave his body. He felt wrung out, empty, utterly exhausted.

    Thankfully, survival was one hell of a motive.

    He appeared on the dinosaurs back. He instantly fell on it and hugged its huge neck just as an arrow pierced the skin a few inches over his head. The t-rex growled and shook like a bull. Jack sensed the muscles below him tighten like steel cords, felt the power hidden in the dinosaurs body. Challenging it was a fools errand.

    It shook, moving fast in all directions. Jack held on for dear life, his fingers digging into its skin. He was almost dislodged several times, but he grasped the dinosaur with all his strength. His jaw was clenched tightly to avoid biting his tongue. The t-rexs skin was hard and rough, scratching his chest as he held on tight. Its movements were erratic, unreadable, full of rage and desperation.

    Arrows rained. Jack heard them pierce all around him, but Nauja wasnt aiming too close to him to avoid idents. Unfortunately, he was clinging on to a vital area, but he couldnt move now. She would just have to find a way. Jack ced all his faith into her, praying she would seed.

    <em>How many arrows does she have? </em>The thought passed through his head, filling him with terror. Her quiver wasnt thatrge.

    Regardless, she kept shooting. Three seconds felt like a lifetime. The t-rex resembled a pincushion by now. Its life was bleeding out from all the wounds, especially the one in its eye. Jack felt it slow down. His grasp was getting numb and weaker. He couldnt hold on too long.

    The t-rex finally epted that the archer was the priority. It stopped shaking and charged in the direction from where the arrows came, carrying Jack along as an unwilling passenger.

    He was riding a dinosaur. If he wasnt dying, he would be ted.

    The t-rex smashed head-first into a tree, breaking it down. Jack couldnt see, but he felt the arrows stoping. The dinosaur kept going, smashing into trees in quick session, leveling this part of the forest, but Nauja must have been dodging, because he didnt hear her pained cries, nor did the t-rexs efforts abate.

    It slowed down further. There was a dy in its muscles now, Jack could sense it under him. They movedboriously, like pulling heavy weights instead of the limitless strength they used to exude. It was probably dyingbut would it fall in time?

    Finally came a great boom. The t-rex smashed into a tree thicker than most, still cracking it but not with ease. Its entire body shook from the impact, and Jack was dislodged, sent flying back-first into the falling canopy. Naujas scream came from somewhere under him.

    His gaze scanned the ground below, spotting Nauja dancing under the t-rexs body. Its jaws couldnt reach her there, but its legs could. She was faster than Jack, yes, but not as fast as the dinosaur. She could barely dodge. Her death was a matter of time.

    Pain came from all around Jacks body, but it was numb, distant. Riding the t-rex had allowed him to catch his breath, summon thest dregs of his energy. He knew he had to act. Even as the canopy tumbled away from the fight, Jack pressed his feet against a branchs side and kicked against it so hard that it snapped.

    He flew straight as if untethered by gravity. He came at the dinosaur from the side and above. His fist gathered energy, shining purple, sucking in the world. Just as the t-rex noticed him and turned to look, Jack roared in its face, then fell on it like a meteor, fist-first.

    His middle knuckle met the back of the arrow embedded in the t-rexs eye. The explosion splintered the wood, pushing the arrowtip even deeper inside. The t-rexs face erupted in a shower of blood and brain matter, and it opened its mouth to make a chilling sound that was neither a roar nor a cry.

    The explosion also arrested Jacks momentum, letting him fall straight down. Hended on his feet, almost dropping to his knees. Nauja was right behind him, face pale, eyes grim, and half-kneeling on the ground. The t-rex, somehow still alive, raised its head and released a final death rattle.

    Then, it copsed. Right on them.

    Its body wasrge. Nauja inched away, but Jacks feet werent working properly. He remained there, rooted. The t-rex wouldnt kill him if it fell on him, but it wouldnt be pleasant, either.

    <em>You have the power, </em>a force inside him utteredthe Dao Root of Power. <em>Use it. Achieve dominance.</em>

    Jack snarled. His fist shone purple again, glowing as he crouched and shot it upward, enhanced by his new Dao Root as well, made unstoppable and dominating. A fierce uppercut connected into the falling t-rexs chest. The explosion threw Jack on his butt, and his knuckle bones cracked, but the massive body was flung back and swung to the other side like a pendulum. Without the t-rex consciously controlling its strength, its weight wasnt too great.

    Itnded on its back with a crash, then tumbled to the side and remained still, unmoving. A pool of gore slowly formed under its head, and smaller ones around its body.

    The tyrannosaurus rex was dead.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 65.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 66.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 67.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 68.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 69.</strong>

    Through his exhaustion, one thought urred to Jack. <em>Huh. Nice.</em>

    He quickly invested everything in Physical, feeling some strength return to his body. He could have waited a bit, but he didnt want to be vulnerable in the jungle.

    Next to him, Nauja sat on the ground, panting, but her face was covered in a ruddy glow. Jacky on his back.

    In hindsight, he said, panting himself, this was stupid.

    Told you, she replied. Father went crazy.

    But we won. It wasnt even my toughest battle.

    Thats stupid. If you keep going like that, youll die. She nced at him from her sitting position. A small smile yed on her lips. Dont die.

    He chuckled. Ill try. You fought well.

    You too. I didnt expect you to survive.

    But you still sent me out to fight it. Thanks.

    No problem.

    Brock came then, falling from a branch right next to Jack, making concerned monkey sounds, with some guilt mixed in. Im fine, Jack reassured him. And dont worry about it. If push really came to shove, I know youd save me.

    That was more constion than truth, but Brock seemed happy to hear it. Jack smiled, then willed the quest interface open.

    <strong>Barbarian Ring Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Defeat an opponent of Level 115 or above in a team of at most three individuals. (Completed)</strong></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Make your way to the Vige Ring.</strong></li></ul>

    So, what now? he asked, eyeing the stony sky above. Since part of the canopy had copsed, he had a view.

    Now, we get the hell out of here, Nauja said. The battle was heard for miles around. Any delvers will be rushing here, and the scavengers of the forest as well. We arent fit to face either of them.

    I could handle a scavenger.

    Allosauruses are scavengers, Jack. Think you could take one of them now?

    He thought back to the beast shed in the first time they met. Even as a juvenile, it was nine feet tall. Lets get out of here.

    Thats what I thought. Half a minute of rest and were going.

    Got it.

 Chapter 142: The Dao Soul Awakens

    Chapter 142: The Dao Soul Awakens

    The next few minutes passed quietly. Jack and Nauja were resting on the ground next to the dead t-rex, chests rising and falling withborious breaths, while Brock kept watch from a high branch.

    Nothing disturbed their rest until Nauja stood up. Lets go, she said. Can you walk?

    Jack groaned. Letting our bodies go cold was a terrible idea.

    He struggled to stand. When he eventually seeded, everything hurt. His ribs had cracked from the impacts. His back bled from a fewcerations where hed smashed into trees, his legs wobbled, and he still felt like hed run a marathon from the consecutive uses of Ghost Step.

    But can you walk? Nauja insisted. She was in better shape, though also not fine. Whatever skill she used to dodge the dinosaurs attacks had taken its toll.

    Slowly.

    Good enough. We must get away from here.

    What about our trail?

    Nobody will bother following. The scavengers will be more than happy with the tyrannosaurus itself, and delvers have no reason toe after us.

    Jack nodded. Brock fell from the tree, and they started walking, leaving the corpse behind. He hadnt realized how pungent the smell was until they were a good twenty feet away. Then, he turned and gazed at the beast onest time. Sprawled on the ground like that, it resembled an overturned truck, just slightlyrger. That theyd defeated such a beast was incredible.

    To just leave its corpse untouched was more upsetting. They didnt need its meat, bones, or anything like that. It never harbored malice towards themprobably because it hadnt seen them. But Jack pacified himself with the thought that it was eating the cattle of the Tri Lake tribe. They didnt kill it out of malice or arrogance; it had initiated a conflict, and it died because it was the weaker party.

    Sometimes, there was no kind solution.

    Dont we need to take proof back? he asked. How will your tribe believe us?

    They will believe me, Nauja replied confidently. Only delvers lie. Barbarians, never.

    Hmm. Big words.

    She did not reply.

    They crossed the jungle again, slower this time. Jack winced with every step, but he kept his mouth shut. The Iron Fiend Body was already working to patch him up, but it would take time. An hour at the least.

    Nauja led them towards the Forbidden Cave. It was a cavernous opening in the side of a hill, wide enough to fit a bus and stretching down into the darkness. Rocky outcroppings surrounded its entrance, and the grass stopped growing a few feet away from it.

    ording to Nauja, its inside wasrge andplex, akin to a maze. Going in without a map was a fools errand. It was alsopletely empty.

    They didnt enter. There was a cabin built next to the entrance, empty and dusty, but enough to shield them from any eyes. It shielded the tribes guards, once upon a time. Its inside was simple: a rectangr space with one beda pile of furson either end and no windows. There was also a table with two chairs, a stool, and two thick paravans that could be drawn to iste either bed.

    Seeing those paravans, Jack barely resisted the urge to sigh in relief. He was in need of secrecy, and not because he was modest. In the half-minute of rest after the fight, something had happened. Something big. A pleasant warmth came from the secret pocket behind his left thigh, seeping into his skin. It felt familiar, somehow, though Jack had never experienced such a thing before. He knew what it was.

    The Dao Soul. It was finally awake.

    Do you mind? he asked, motioning with his head towards the paravan. If Nauja was surprised, she didnt show it.

    Of course not, she replied, moving to one of the beds. How long do you think you need?

    ...An hour. Even if Im not fully healed, Ill be ready to walk back to the tribe.

    <em>Now </em>she was surprised. She raised both brows. Are you serious?

    Yeah.

    Those wounds would take me two days to heal, and I have a regeneration skill.

    Well, we cant all be awesome.

    She red at him. Fine, awesome one. One hour. Then, well be on our way.

    You got it.

    She walked to her bed and pulled the paravan on the far wall. Jack noticed with satisfaction that he couldnt see anything past it. It was so heavy that it even muffled sound. He did the same, isting himself on the small bedding of fur that decorated the other side of the building, then sat cross-legged.

    Brock was with him. Unlike Nauja, he understood that something was up. He threw Jack a questioning nce, but Jack said nothing. He simply reached into his hidden pocket and pulled out the Dao Soul.

    The purple gem was glowing now. Jack had no idea why. Hed kept it for two weeks already, and nothing had ever changed.

    But the why didnt matter. Somehow, the Dao Soul had awoken. Jack was giddy.

    Not only was the gem glowing purple, but the ck and white lines inside had changed their rotating pattern. Before, they were simply turning in circles. Now, they had stabilized into a particr shape.

    What the Jack said, cutting himself short.

    The shape was a fist. Half of it was white and the other ck, split roughly between the middle and ring fingers. As Jack stared at it mutedly, and as Brock watched with wide eyes from behind his shoulder, he suddenly realized that not only was this a fist, it was <em>his </em>fist.

    Not his physical one, but his Dao. This fist looked exactly like the vision hed seen when breaking through to the E-Grade. The only difference was the colors. It resonated with him deeply, pulsing to the beat of his heart and soul.

    What the fuck Jack said again, holding the gem with both hands. It was warm to the touch. Do you see what I see, Brock?

    The brori nodded.

    One part of Jack wanted to consume this immediately. He didnt know how, but he was certain there was a way. It looked like his soul; he <em>had </em>to have it.

    However, another part of him was suspicious. He had already been tricked and lied to many times. The world was not on his side. Was this gem really a reward, or was it maybe a hidden device nted by the Animal Kingdom to control him? It couldnt activate by itself, right? Someone had to give the signal.

    <em>Im being paranoid, </em>he scolded himself. <em>Thats too much. If the Dao Soul was fake, Master Shol would have noticed it. Perhaps it was just attuning to my Dao all this time, and now it is finally readythank God I kept it on me.</em>

    In any case, he had to take every advantage he could. He couldnt afford to waste opportunities on vague suspicions. If the Animal Kingdom had somehow snuck in a fake Dao Soul, so be it.

    With that final thought, he let himself truly desire this object. It felt vital to him, like a long lost part of his soul. He touched it to his cheston instinct. The Dao Soul melted, entering his body like a stream of pure power that ignored his skin.

    Jack felt a prick of panic. The Dao Soul reached his sond wrapped around it. It tightened its grip. The pain was excruciating.

    His entire body convulsed. He lost control. He tried to scream, but Brocks hand mped his mouth shut and held his head still so he wouldnt injure it from all the thrashing.

    The Dao Soul was a secret. Brock understood that. If Jack screamed, Nauja woulde running, and they would have no choice but to reveal some of their secrets. As honest and peaceful as she seemed, there was no guarantee she wouldnt be tempted at the knowledge of the Dao Soul.

    No, she couldnt find out. Better safe than sorry.

    Therefore, Brock held Jacks mouth shut, muffling his screams despite his own panic. Their souls were connected. He could sense that Jacks pain was necessary, that the Dao Soul wasnt harming him, but he was still filled with worry.

    It onlysted for a few moments.

    Half a minuteter, Jack was sprawled on the floor, panting and sweaty. His eyes were exhausted but clear. Fuck, he said. That hurt. Brock nodded, giving Jack a double thumbs-up. He chuckled. Heh. Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, brother.

    Still on the ground, Jack shut his eyes and looked inward. Where his soul hovered, a fist-shaped container in the middle of arge void, there was now a second soul hovering just beside it. The two souls were identical, except for their sizethe new soul was only a fraction of the original.

    Would you look at that Jack muttered tiredly, opening his eyes. I have two souls.

    Brock cheered, then looked at Jack questioningly.

    I dont know either, Jack responded. But I suspect

    He sat up, forcing himself into a sitting position despite the lingering phantom pain. He closed his eyes, settling into meditation.

    <em>What is the fist? </em>he asked himself.

    The moment he began pondering on the Dao, he realized that his mindscape was somehow different. His thoughts flowed oddly. The Dao Soul hadnt changed him, but it had enhanced him. As he considered the meaning of his fist, it felt like he had a second brain analyzing the thoughts of the first. He saw his own thoughts from outside, which easily revealed ws he might have otherwise needed hours to uncover.

    It was like discussing an idea with someone who knew exactly what you were talking about. Naturally, the results of this method would be vastly superior to thinking alone. His cultivation speed had just multiplied.

    Jacks excitement threatened to overwhelm him, but he held it at bay. He could sense that there were still things to discover. He honed in on the feeling of a second brain, diving deep inside himself.

    The next moment, he stood in the void of his soul, the same space hed visited during hisst breakthrough.

    This time, however, the experience was much more disorienting. He could simultaneously sense himself standing here and sitting still in the jungle cabin. He moved his arms and legs. The him that was sitting remained still, but the him in the soulspace moved as he indicated. And yet, somehow, he remained a single person.

    It was like using one brain to control two bodies. Complicated.

    <em>What is this? </em>Jack thought, focusing on the version of himself inside his soul. Now that he wasnt mid-breakthrough, he could investigate this ce with his full mental awareness.

    It felt just like space. He was hovering in seemingly endless nothingness, with only the Dao Root of Indomitable Will and the Dao Root of Power floating around randomly. Jack struggled to make them out, two colored fistszily crossing the void.

    He couldnt see the Dao Seed of the Fist because it had already be one with his soul. He was inside it. He could sense the fist in every inch of the surrounding space. Any rainbow-colored hints of the Rainbow Dao Pill had long dissipated.

    <em>Okay, </em>he thought, looking around. <em>And now what?</em>

    Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of his soul. It was a very peculiar feeling. Jack was baffled. Come in? he said.

    A head poked out of nothing, looking around the infinite ckness until it spotted him. It was his head. Except it wasnt. It moved on its own.

    The head smiled. A hand appeared next to it, waving at him, and then the entire body appeared as well.

    Jack was looking at a copy of himself, down to his dark shorts and ck boots. He tilted his head. His copy smiled cheerfully and waved again. Jack, cautiously, waved back.

    The copy looked around. There was only darkness as far as the eye could see. It turned its gaze back at Jack, and he could see a hint of questioning inside it.

    What? he asked. I didnt choose to make my soul ck.

    The copy shook its head, indicating around it.

    Can you not speak? Jack asked. The copy kept pointing circles around it. Do you mean I canchange the background? he asked slowly. The copy nodded. But how?

    The copy shrugged. Jack frowned, picturing a grasnd

    and suddenly, they were in a grasnd. The sky was bright blue over their heads, illuminated by a shining sun. The breeze caressed his skin, making his shorts p. His hair moved as well, dancing to the tune, as did the grass des under his feet. Jack wished he was barefoot to feel them, and next thing he knew, he was! The grass now tickled his toes.

    Around him, the grass stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see, and there was absolutely nothing else in the world except for himself, the copy, the sun, and two colored moons floatingzily through the skyhis Dao Roots, one metallic silver and the other dark blue.

    What the heck? he asked again, looking back up at the copy. It smileda smile so bright and wide it reminded Jack of Vlossana. It was full of pure bliss.

    Wow, he said. I know! Are you a child?

    The copy looked at him in confusion, then tilted its head and shrugged. Jack took that as, I guess?

    Wow. No wonder you seem so happy. Hey, look. Eager to test out his new powers, he willed arge toy box into existence. It was filled with all sorts of goods. The copy gave it one look, then nced back at Jack. It balled its fists.

    Jack frowned. What? You wanna fight?

    The copyughed without sounda creepy sightand shook its head. It pointed at its heart, then the floating lights in the sky.

    Oh! Jack said. You are the Dao Soul. You want to y with the Dao!

    The copy nodded excitedly. This time, Jackughed, too. Very well. Have at it!

    His fist red with purple light. He charged, and the copy,ughing, did the same. Their fists shed.

 Chapter 143: Consecutive Breakthroughs

    Chapter 143: Consecutive Breakthroughs

    The two fists shed in a terrifying explosion. Both bore the Dao of the Fist. They were strong, unrelenting, indomitable. None backed down. Jacks knuckles ground against the copys, and all the amassed power erupted in a ring-shaped shockwave that sted into the ground.

    The grass disintegrated under their feet, leaving a ckened crater the size of a bathtub.

    Jack turned and smashed a hook into the copy, which stepped into his guard and shot a straight right into his face. Jack took it head-on, flying backward, rolling midair, and skidding on his feet. He rubbed his lipa hint of blood was left on his fingers.

    Heh. He chuckled. You can fight.

    The copy smiled brightly. Of course it could fight. It was him.

    Jack noticed that he couldnt use skills in here. What he just shot wasnt a Meteor Punch, just a punch infused with his Dao.

    What he <em>could </em>use was the Dao, and its power was far greater than in the real world. Here, the Dao was part of everything. It existed in the air, the ground, the grass, the sky. He was simply utilizing the power that was freely avable.

    In the real world, trying to push his Dao outside his body felt like wedging it into something that was already full. The world was flooded with its own Dao, one that included everything, and imposing his will on that was hard. So hard, in fact, that Jack couldnt do it. His Dao could only affect his own body, or at best influence the world in tiny manners. Every skill he used came from his own body or the Systems assistance.

    Even Brutalizing Aura, his newest skill, only interfered with the minds of other people, not the Dao or the world itself. That was the domain of D-Grade cultivators.

    Here, however, Jacks Dao was one with the worlds. They were in his soul, after all.

    He took another moment to consider the implications of this. The copy gave him time.

    What did it mean that he couldnt use his skills? Why? <em>Because the System cant reach me here, </em>he realized. <em>The soul is invible. Even the System cannot ess it.</em>

    He tried to bring up his status screen as an experiment. Nothing happened. His theory was right. Was this a good or a bad thing? Jack didnt know, but the tribe chief had warned him not to trust the System. Did Jack trust that guy? Probably. Did he know what this meant? No. But a System-free space inside his soul couldnt be a bad thing, right? At worst, he just wouldnt use it.

    He returned his gaze to the copy, standing across a ckened crater on the grass. A thoughtter, the crater disappeared, leaving the ground pristine. Jacks torn lip recovered instantly.

    <em>I cannot practice skills, </em>Jack considered, <em>but I can use the Dao and amplify its effects. </em>

    He tested that theory. The Dao of the Fist flooded his body and seeped out, forming a purple halo around him. He could sense the world changing. There was no tangible difference, but the fabric of reality was now under the influence of the Fist. It was like coloring the air purple. Everyone would be able to see it, but it wouldnt really change anything. There was no conduit.

    Dao Skills were that conduit. And, though the System wasnt here How much did it help with those skills, really?

    Jack clenched his fist, imagining a meteor around it. The Dao of the Fist rushed to it, dding his fist in bright purple, and the world shuddered lightly around it, but nothing else happened. The sounds and colors werent drawn in, and the power that Jack had gathered felt like a pale imitation of the real thing.

    <em>Why? </em>he considered. <em>Is the System amplifying my power when I use skills?</em>

    But his Dao itself wasnt weakened. The power he poured into his fist was the same. It was just the effect that was severely lessened.

    <em>Its because I cant guide it, </em>he realized, eyes shining. <em>Thats where the System helps. It doesnt empower. It facilitates.</em>

    On closer inspection, he could sense the Dao straining under his control. The skill he was using wasnt less powerful than the outside worlds Meteor Punch, it was just much cruder. Power leaked out. It felt like a bunch of tiny people pulling in different directions instead of the disciplined army that the System helped him form.

    <em>Can I get better? </em>Jack wondered. A crazy thought entered his mind. <em>What happens if I perfect the skill by myself? What will the System do, then?</em>

    He focused on the fist. Maintaining the skill was draining, but he mped on with indomitable will. He focused every scrap of his mind into it. In the sky, the metallic silver light that was the Dao Root of Indomitable Will shone brighter, but Jack couldnt see it.

    Controlling his Dao manually was a pain in the ass. It rebelled constantly. The fist was more than just a weapon; it was a concept, a will to go forward. It contained hints of defiance. Every time Jack willed it into his fist, a part of the Dao refused to follow his orders.

    He could force it if he pushed harder, but it took a lot of power, and it wasnt as effective. A rebellious army was far less useful than one which believed in your cause.

    <em>Could I convince it?</em>

    It felt a bit like his breakthrough into the E-Grade. The Dao was mindless, but it spoke in feelings and ideas. It told him why it refused to follow his orders. It was like a stubborn child. Jack could debate it, constantly adjusting his outlook to perfectly match the Daos. He exined why flowing into his fists and striking out was perfectly in line with the nature of the Dao of the Fist, why he deserved to wield it, why they were a perfect match.

    It didnt work, of course. His control and understanding of his own Dao was too shallow to debate the Dao itself. His control slipped, letting most of the gathered power escapebut some remained. A small part of the power yielded to his control. He felt his fist strengthen, forming a barely usable form of Meteor Punch. It was still a far cry from the System-assisted one in the outside world, but it proved an important point.

    Jack could get better at it. Here, with no distractions, where the power of his Dao was amplified enough to let him sense the tiniest changes, he could practice. And the skills were simply sharpening stones. The real target was the Dao. In the process of mastering his Meteor Punch skill, his ws were made apparent. He was sharpening his own understanding, which brought him closer and closer to the Dao of the Fist itself.

    Jack couldnt help grinning. Dao skills had five tiers, like normal skills, but were very hard to upgrade. None of them was at the third tier. Now, though Now, he had a way forward.

    This Dao Soul was an incredible treasure. It stabilized and enhanced his soul, letting him open up this space, and that was only half of the benefits.

    Jack looked up. Not only did he have the perfect ce to practice his Dao, but he also had a training buddy.

    The copy grinned and clenched his fist. Jack did the same. This was like Sparman all over again, except less mockingat least for now.

    He shot forward again. The Dao roared over his fist, mustering a bit more power than his previous attack. When he met the copys fist, he overpowered it. Copy Jack flew away, back-flipping andnding on its feet. Its eyes narrowed. Jack felt the Dao flicker around the copy, changing subtly. Heughed.

    The copy was also working on its Dao.

    But that was good. It gave him yet another sharpening stone.

    The copys Dao gathered around its fist, imitating Jacks understanding but not exactly. There were subtle changes. Tiny insights that were more polished than Jacks, and others that were less.

    That was interesting. The copy followed his path, but it had its own mind. It could show him things he couldnt see himself. Maybe point out his ws.

    Come on! Jack shouted. The copy charged him. Their fists collided. Their auras ground against each other, both pulsing with the power of the fist. They exchanged a flurry of strikes, meeting each other punch for punch before moving to more advancedbat.

    This time, Jack didnt underestimate the copy. It had his fistfighting skills, toothough they were far cruder without the Systems assistance. Still, he had experience fighting now, and the copy had inherited it.

    Jack ducked under a hook, stepping in with a straight. The copy saw thating and pped the strike away, retreating. Jack unleashed two jabs in a row, which the copy dodged barely. The three jab was a feint. Right as the copy dodged, a heavy uppercut met its jaw, shooting it upward before it crashed hard into the ground and stayed there, its head bent at an odd angle.

    Jack grimaced, panicked, and willed the copy to reform. Thankfully, it did, and it seemed just as gleeful as before.

    That was a good point to remember. In this soul space, their bodies had the strength of a pre-System Jack. They alsocked his defensive skills, but they had his offensive Dao, so any attack thatnded would be devastating. That was a pretty unbnced way to fight.

    However

    Jacks eyes narrowed. The Dao of Indomitable Will above shone bright. Once upon a time, hed used it to augment his defense. As his will was indomitable, so was his body.

    Perhaps he could do the same now.

    When the copy attacked again, Jack crossed his arms and took the blow, channeling the Dao Root. He was indomitable. The attack shook him, but he had defended against a weak Meteor Punch. The copy raised its brows. Jack grinned behind his guard, then smashed a fist into the copys teeth.

    The copy fell back, then quickly stood again. It squinted at Jack, considered his defenses, then copied it. The Dao Root above shone even brighter. Jack and the copy each had fists shining purple and bodies shining metallic silverthe color of Indomitable Will. They charged each other.

    Jacks soul became a battlefield.

    Fists carved the ground and shook the air. Small explosionsnded on bare chests, shooting the recipient away. Though Jack was progressing in both attack and defense, one was fueled by a Dao Seed and the other by a Dao Root. There was a clear difference there.

    However, this also meant that the ws of his defense were exposed faster. Jacks Dao of the Fist was qualitatively stronger than his Dao of Indomitable Will. As he and the copy fought, pitting themselves against each other, not only did they practice their fistfighting skills without the Systems assistance, but every attack thatnded pitted the two Daos against each other.

    The attacker always won, but their defense was slowly getting sturdier. They werent pushed back as far anymore.

    Jack lost himself in the fighting. Like the dance hed experienced in the Tri Lake tribe, it was liberating. He lovedbat. This time, he didnt have to worry about killing someone, dying himself, or holding back his power. He could let loosepletely. The pain still existed, and every time he lost was agony, but it only fueled his resolve to get stronger.

    Battle was an art. Punches whistled past heads. Jack and the copy targeted each others weakness, learning the patterns of the enemy and changing their own. Every time they shed, someone was sent flying. As time passed, their bouts became longer. They could attack and dodge better. They knew how the other moved. Though they shared the same experiences, they were two different entities, so they each acted slightly differently.

    Time flowed freely. Jack was engrossed in the fighting, like a particrly intense video game. He got slightly sharper with every sh. It was the first time he trained like this, so his improvement was fast, and so was the copys.

    The annoying thing was that they still couldnt block. They were forced to always dodge. Every time an attack connected, the defender was blown back, and the defense of Indomitable Will only weakened the blow, not negated it. That greatly limited their options.

    And, worst of all, there was nothing Jack could do about it. The world around them was his soul, which was one with the Dao Seed of the Fist. The Dao surrounding them was that of the Fist. Even though Indomitable Will waspatible, and even though Jack felt he had a pretty good understanding of it, that Dao simply had far less of a pool to draw from.

    <em>Unless I can use the fist to defend, </em>Jack thought. <em>But the Dao of the Fist is offensive. Hmm</em>

    When they shed again, Jack didnt use the Dao of Indomitable Will to defend. He used the Dao of the Fist, drawing it around him like a mantle.

    It failed. He was thrown backward. The copy scoffed at him.

    Ill show you when I get it, Jack thought, narrowing his eyes. Again!

    They shed. Jack tried different things. He made the Dao of the Fist into a shield, armor, or even a series of tiny fists that protected him. Every time, it failed.

    <em>Damn it! </em>he thought, panting on the grass. <em>The fist is attacking!</em>

    No matter how he used his understanding to rouse the Daos power, its nature by itself was offensive. He could convince it to fight with him, but he couldnt talk it into changing its nature. It had to be the Dao of Indomitable Will.

    <em>Oh!</em>

    But those two Daos werepatible. What if he convinced the power of the Dao of the Fist surrounding him to transform into the Dao of Indomitable Will? If one was part of the other, it should be possible.

    He stood back up. He and the copy shed another dozen times. Jack kept failing, but he sensed he was on to something here. The Dao resisted, but every time, he found new ways to counter it. When it imed that the fist was meant to crush through anything, he showed how indomitability was a part of that. When it imed the fist was power, he proved that indomitability was included. When it asked why indomitability was present in every aspect of the fist, he simply exined that indomitability was a part of the fist. The two Daos were interlinked, doubly nested.

    He kept pushing. The Dao challenged every part of his understanding. It demanded that he fuse every aspect of the fist with indomitability. It was difficult, but his understanding of both was sharp enough. Eventually, he seeded.

    And the Daoplied. When he used the Dao of Indomitable Will to defend himself, it was powered by the same Dao of the Fist that fueled his Meteor Punch. Metallic, silver armor appeared on him. The copys punch exploded on it, and Jack had to take a step backbut he remained standing.

    The entire soul space shook. Jack looked up. The silver star that was the Dao Root of Indomitable Will stirred. Its color washed out, no longer stopping at its boundaries, and spilled into the air. In return, the air flowed in. The Dao Root shone purple for a moment, then turned colorless, bing one with the soul world. Root-like lines stretched out of the Dao Root and into the air, fading as they went further out until they eventually disappeared. They stilled. Now, the Dao Root was colorless and anchored to the soul world, fused into it.

    Suddenly, everything turned more solid. More real. Jack felt like the entire world had gotten denser, containing more power in every molecule. The grass was greener.

    The copy looked at him in astonishment, and even he was surprised. He hadnt expected such a change. However, he realized what hed done, and he smiled. He also realized he was exhausted.

    <em>How long was I in here?</em>

    Thats enough for today, Copy Jack, he told the copy. Thank you. See you soon.

    The copy waved at him.

    Jack opened his eyes to find himself still cross-legged in the real world. He had no idea how long it had been, but since nobody had disturbed him, probably less than the agreed-upon hour. Brock was nowhere to be seenprobably standing guard outside.

    Whatever the case, Jack couldnt stop a wide grin from spreading on his face. He perused the screens waiting for him.

    <strong>Congrattions! The Dao Root of Indomitable Will had been sessfully fused with your Dao Seed.</strong>

    <strong>Constitution +30</strong>

    <strong>Will +30</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Skill Iron Fiend Body (II) upgraded into Dao Skill, Indomitable Body (II).</strong>

    <strong>Indomitable Body (II): You possess more than mere physicality. The Dao of the Fist reinforces your entire body, making it indomitable. You have significant durability, quick regenerative powers, and heightened control over your body, including its natural limiters. Additionally, your mind is fast enough to keep up.</strong>

    Trial was a gift that kept on giving Though, the Dao Soul came from earlier. This was his dyed reward for winning the Integration Tournament, and Jack could now understand why the Animal Kingdom would put such a huge bounty on his head. This thing was extremely precious. They probably hoped to recover it before he used it, but now

    Now, the tiger had been given wings. Even just todays benefits were incredible. He wouldnt have such explosive gains all the time, but it was as the head judge had said. This Dao Soul would increase his cultivation speed by a lot.

    He grinned. <em>Trial, here Ie!</em>

 Chapter 144: Direct Descendants

    Chapter 144: Direct Descendants

    Done! Jack shouted, pulling open the curtain. The same little cabin waited for him, but he was not the same.

    He had fused a Dao Root. He had advanced a skill into a Dao skill. Hed gotten sixty stat pointsthe equivalent of twelve levels, though only half of those went into his main stats.

    Still, the increase in Will was significant. It had practically doubled, and Jack felt so unfettered. It was like he hadplete control over his mind, like themp light that illuminated his ind of conscious in the sea of subconscious had expanded. All errant thoughts had seized. The noise that always filled his mind went silent, and only now did he realize just how strong its impact was. Hed just learned to ignore it so far in his life, but doing so was surprisingly tiring. Suddenly, many mental resources were justavable.

    He felt like he could do anything.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 69</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 260</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 260</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 290</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 30</strong>

    <strong>Will: 60</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch II, Indomitable Body II, Iron Fist Style I, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (middle), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Second Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <em>Perhaps I should invest in Mental, too, </em>he considered. <em>This feels so nice.</em>

    His Dao Seed had also advanced to the middle stage. Jack didnt know what that meant. Was it because hed fused one Dao Root?

    Do you need to shout? Naujas irritated voice came as her curtain slid open too. The barbarian girl revealed herself sitting on the bed with her back against the wall, resting.

    Jack smiled at her. His excitement was hard to contain. I dont need to be quiet either.

    How are you done already? she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. I thought you needed an hour.

    My wounds were lighter than I thought.

    Jack had no idea how long hed spent training in his soul. It had felt like hours, but perhaps the time inside and outside wasnt the same? In any case, his upgraded body skill and the extra thirty points in Constitution had worked wonders for healing. Besides some soreness in his muscles and a lingering sense of exhaustion, he felt fine.

    Nauja watched him for a moment, then shrugged. Well, whatever. Im d youre okay. In that case, we can head back.

    Right, Jack said slowly. Now that he wasnt in pain, he could think clearly again. In fact, he could think clearer than ever. Out of momentary curiosity, he scanned her to see how much shed leveled up from the tyrannosaurus.

    <strong>Human (Trial), Level 101</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Direct Descendant</strong>

    <em>Two levels Seems about right.</em>

    He then spoke again. Dont get me wrong, but Im in a hurry. Since Ipleted the requirement of the Ring Quest, theres no need toe back and impose on your tribe further.

    A hint of something went through her eyes. Jack saw it, but failed to decipher it. It wasnt ill-intentioned, nor was it polite hesitation. She hadnt fallen for him, either. It was concern, in a way. Worry. But it wasnt for him.

    Before he could consider it further, Nauja replied, You arent imposing at all. We are d to have guests.

    But I must still hurry. I have a friendkind ofwaiting for me at the Vige Ring, and I must find allies to descend the tower. Plus, you know my deadline now. A year is very short. I have no time to waste.

    Nauja bit her lip. You are leaving too quickly, she said.

    Too quickly for what?

    I She bit her lip. Nevermind. Staying longer would give me more time to deal with a personal decision, but I cannot hold you back for my own weakness.

    What weakness?

    I said, nevermind. She red at him. He could see the flickering light in her eyes. She wasnt really looking at him. Her mind was busy, whirling aroundsomething.

    <em>But what? </em>he considered, letting her re slide over him. <em>She doesnt seem to have fallen for me. Could it be she needs me as an excuse to stay away from her tribe? But no, she just said we could go back. Then, what could it possibly be?</em>

    <em>Oh.</em>

    Say, he asked leisurely, can barbarians descend through the?

    Her gaze hardened, betraying nothing. We can. But we have to fulfill the same requirements as you.

    Which you just fulfilled.

    What are you implying?

    Im just wondering Are you consideringing with me?

    Absolutely not. Hard rejection, emphasized. It is something I could consider in the future, but its still too early for me.

    Oh? Howe? Jack asked again, not fully convinced. He remembered how she described her tribe. <em>It is a blessed life, but </em>That but was neverpleted. She wasnt fulfilled here. She was missing something, which could only be adventure. He knew because hed felt the same way, back before the System arrived on Earth.

    Then again, barbarians never lied, ording to her.

    Because youre a delver, she replied, and a stranger. I dont know you. I admit that I am intrigued by the deeper rings and the universe outside, and I struggle to wait now that I am a veteran hunter, but I cannot just tie my life with yours. I just met you yesterday. That isnt how we do things. She took a deep breath, calming down somewhat. When we choose to delve, we form a carefully designed team of our own. Barbarians only. Only we are trustworthy. Everyone else is treacherous, greedy, prone to temptation, and unreliable. Just because you seem like a better person than everyone else doesnt mean youre one of us. My father would never trust you with my life.

    Hmm. Jack nodded somberly. Thats very reasonable. Sorry for pushing you.

    Its okay. If I didnt want to speak my thoughts, I wouldnt speak them. She shrugged. I can wait a couple years. I just toyed with the idea a bit, tasting the temptation, but that is weakness.

    He smiled. Well, for what it matters, fighting the tyrannosaurus with you was a fun experience. I havent fought alongside others in a long time.

    Same there! She smiled back, seeming as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Now that shed shared the thoughts she kept hidden, hints of her enthusiasm started resurfacing. We make a good team!

    Hardly. Were both muscleheads. He roared inughter. She pouted. Im kidding, he hurried to add. We did fight well. Thank you for not skewering me on the back of the tyrannosaurus.

    I was aiming at you, I just kept missing. Her smile widened. Jack once again noticed how her pale face made a stark contrast against the jungle environment and the huts dark walls, giving an out-of-ce impression. So. Since youre leaving, I suppose you need instructions to the nearest exit down.

    Yes please.

    Listen closely. There is one exit right under the nearby delver camp, but you want to avoid that one. If you show up alone, you will probably get in trouble.

    Jack nodded.

    The second nearest is in the bowels of a close-by mountain. Its five days awaymaybe more for you, since youre unused to the jungle. Just walk straight east until you spot the mountain. There is a ravine by its base, mostly empty save for the asional delver. The exit is at the far end. There are pteranodons inhabiting the ravine, though, so be careful.

    I will. But how do I tell east here? There is no sun.

    Ive heard of that. Her eyes took on a dreamy look. A giant ball of light that travels through the sky How incredible is that?

    To each their own. I find the light mushrooms here equally amazing.

    I guess. Well, we may not have a sun, but we do havepasses. They work just fine. I dont have one with me, but she pointed to a direction east is that way.

    Wow. Did you swallow apass when you were a kid?

    Im a hunter. Comes with the territory. She gave him a toothy grin. You are always wee to rest in our tribe before going. We can give you a properpass, too.

    Thank you, but its fine. Yesterdays rest was plenty.

    Very well. In that case, I suggest you leave quickly. You are healed, as I understand, so the faster you get going, the better. This ce is notpletely safe.

    Neither is the jungle.

    More than here. Delvers sometimese to the forbidden cave, and if they find you here

    Trouble, I know. He grinned. Are you trying to get rid of me? I thought you enjoyed mypany.

    Hesitation is unbefitting of a barbarian. We know to let go.

    A great quality. Took me many years to learn.

    It does make life simpler.

    Nauja paced toward the door, and Jack followed suit. There was nothing in here besides dust. His mind was already filled with thoughts about his next trip.

    <em>Five days in the jungle </em>he considered. <em>Provisions wont be a problem, but what about predators? I would see a tyrannosaurusing from a mile away, but Hmm.</em>

    Are there strong, stealthy predators in the jungle? he asked.

    There are. They range between levels 60 and 100, so you should be careful.

    I might be able to take them, actually.

    A level 100 predator while youre still level 69? She looked back and raised a brow. You were pretty good at not dying against the tyrannosaurus, but dont get overconfident. Needless risks lead to death.

    Yeah, youre right, Jack lied. He still believed he could fight a level 100 creature. His titles gave him a cumtive +35% efficacy on all his stats, plus the Immortality Serum that was the equivalent of ten levels, plus his perfect Dao Seed, the fused Dao Root, the unfused one

    He had his chances. He just had to not get ambushedwhich he had zero skills for.

    <em>Whoops.</em>

    Can I ask you a final thing, Nauja? he said.

    Sure! she said, hand on the doorknob. What is it?

    Whys your title Direct Descendant? Im just curious. You said youd exin to me after the tyrannosaurus fight.

    Oh, that? She smiled awkwardly. Everyone knows by now, so I guess its no harm telling you. Its because we are direct descendants of the Ancients, the species that created the System.

    What!? He gaped. Really?

    Or so the title says. She shrugged. We dont know anything about it, really. Weve been in here for countless generations.

    Wow What does it give you?

    Im not telling you that. She stuck out her tongue.

    Hah, fair enough.

    Is your curiosity sated?

    Its reignited.

    She chuckled. Delvers, she said, pushing the door open. A clearing was revealed, looking into the greenery with the forbidden cave to their back. Jack had considered circling around anding back to explore it, but the barbarians had been nice to him, and he didnt want to disrespect their wishes. Maybe another time.

    Brock, surprisingly, was right in front of the door. He seemed frantic. In fact, they opened the door just as he was about to dash into it, making him crash into Nauja before he could stop himself.

    Oof, she said, grabbing him. Her gaze was already scanning the perimeter, her bow drawn. What is it?

    Whats going on, Brock? Jack asked, feeling the broris tension. Brock tried to mime something. He was indicating that four cultivators were approaching, led by the Animal Kingdom minotaur that Jack had witnessed fighting a giant in the Giant Ring. Said minotaur had also leveled up rapidly since then, rising from level 109 to 115.

    Of course, Brocks miming wasnt <em>that </em>good. Jack understood everything because the four cultivators had just stepped through the ferns and into the clearing. They were an odd assortment. One was a walking tree and another a walkingferret? There was also a human with a shaved head and a purple robe covering her body.

    Leading them was the te-armored, hulking minotaur that Jack remembered clearly. He was part of the team that had butchered that poor giant. The other two were missing, thankfully, and the three that had reced them were of a lower level, each hovering in the mid-nies.

    Can we help you? Nauja asked.

    Jack tried to pace his thoughts. Perhaps this minotaur had never seen Jacks bounty, never received his information. Those hopes were dashed as the minotaur instantly locked eyes with him.

    You cant, but he will, the minotaur replied leisurely, seeming inplete control, mouth forming into a triumphant grin. His voice was deep and sure. Commanding. You caused a lot of waves, Jack Rust.

 Chapter 145: Cornered

    Chapter 145: Cornered

    Four people emerged from the trees; four cultivators led by the Animal Kingdom minotaur. The jungle went quiet as if the animals understood what was about to go down. A breeze came from behind the cultivators, making their long robes flutter, and pulling Jack and Naujas hair back.

    Can we help you? Nauja asked coldly.

    <em>Maybe he doesnt know me, </em>Jack hoped.

    You cant, but he will, the minotaur replied leisurely, seeming inplete control, mouth forming into a triumphant grin. You caused a lot of waves, Jack Rust.

    Shit, Jack said. He inspected them.

    <strong>Minotaur, Level 115</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom</strong>

    <strong>Title: Resilient</strong>

    <strong>Treant, Level 96</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Star Garden</strong>

    <strong>Title: Second Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <strong>Human (Earth-302), Level 93</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Second Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <strong>Ferretfolk, Level 93</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom</strong>

    <strong>Title: Second Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Of the three cultivators surrounding the minotaur, only one was humana tall,nky woman with shaved hair.

    The second cultivators was a treant, apparentlyan actual walking tree. Its skin was made of twisting bark, its arms were branches that split into thin, finger-like sticks at the end, and it walked on two sturdy roots. It stood a head shorter than Jack, but the crown of branches above it put them on the same height. However, all its branches were dry, and its bark was gray, gnarly, giving the impression of an old, withering tree. Its face had features that were little more than slits in the bark, with only the eyes exuding a menacing red light.

    The final cultivator was a ferretfolk. It was short and lithe, with a ck eyepatch covering its left eye and dark fur all over its body. Its hands held two daggers, and its mouth was drawn into a predatory snarl.

    They were very interesting, academically. Unfortunately, they were also enemies, which kind of extinguished Jacks interest.

    What is the meaning of this? Nauja asked again, staring at the minotaur. She knew Jack was hunted by the Animal Kingdom. She was just trying to earn time.

    The man beside you is wanted by my faction, the minotaur exined with confidence. His voice was deep and booming. He reminded Jack of Bomn, but less like a berserker and more like an army officer. His entire being exuded authority and unshakable confidence. Surrender him or perish together. Your choice.

    He is a guest of my tribe, Nauja tried, but the minotaur onlyughed.

    I couldnt care less about your tribe. I gave you a choice. Make it.

    How did you find me? Jack asked, stepping forward. He could see no way out besides running, but they had the cabin to their back. He had to buy some time.

    You never tried to hide. Someone killed a forest giant and upset the conqueror ant colony a few hours before we went through. Yet, when we arrived at the nearest camp, there was no new arrival. Instead, our scouts reported a cultivator staying with the barbarian tribea bare-chested man with an apepanion. He grinned sharply. It wasnt hard to connect the dots. Getting Lord Longsword to let mee was more difficult, buta billion-credit bounty is worth wasting a few hours.

    Jack was getting severely irritated. There were scouts around the Tri Lake. The Animal Kingdom was everywhere, and everyone knew of his bounty. They were hunting him at every step.

    <em>Is the entire world against me? </em>Jack thought, anger mounting. <em>Will I not get a moment of peace? One opportunity to rest? Is it too much to ask for!?</em>

    Surrender, the minotaurmanded, apparently tired of speaking. I have to bring you back alive, but I can either do it peacefully or break all your limbs in the process. Your choice. And you, barbarian girlyour time is running out. I swear on my name, Bocor Aximar, that I will kill you if you help him. He grinned, like hed just cornered her. So, what will it be? Surrender or death?

    Jack had seen how the Animal Kingdom acted. Even if he surrendered quietly, they would break all his limbs anyway so he couldnt escape. No. He had to get out of here. His eyes scanned the surroundings as Brock approached, clutching his Staff of Stone tightly.

    An extra pang of worry pierced Jacks heart. If he surrendered, would they let Brock go?

    The three cultivators had fanned out by now, surrounding them on three sides, while the minotaur waited in front of them, only thirty feet away. To an E-Grade, that distance was nothing.

    Jack could probably take any of the three weaker cultivators, but only by themselves. Even if Nauja helped himshe was still gritting her teeth and considering her optionsthey could at most take on the three cultivators, but definitely not the minotaur.

    Jacks mind raced. Bocor was level 115, but he could definitely fight above his level. He had to be as strong as the tyrannosaurus. However, Jack had seen him inbat. He focused on defense. Given his heavy armor, he might not be able to catch up to them if they started running.

    But, to do that, hed have to get past one of the three weaker cultivators. The minotaur was too close. Just a moments dy would end up with Jack captured and bound before he could say, Whoops.

    Nauja would help him, probably. She struck him as that kind. If they worked together, could they ensure the escape of all three of them, including Brock? If she was capturedcould Jack run away, knowing she had sacrificed herself for him?

    He gritted his teeth, wrestling with that possibility. <em>Probably not, </em>he concluded.

    Fine, Naujas voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked over in shock. She was packed with tightly-controlled fury and frustration, but also resignation. I know where barbarians stand. He is a stranger. You can have him, just let me go.

    Jack chuckled bitterly. Of course, he said. The entire world is against me. I am alone.

    She turned to nce at him, her gaze pained, but he didnt care if his words hurt her. He was stuck in his own hell. The weight of his obstacles had never been so vivid. He had opposed a B-Grade faction. Its influence and power were beyond his wildest dreams. They would always find him, everywhere. And they would stomp on him until he died.

    The world was dark and hostile, and he was alone.

    A tug at his wrist shook him awake. Brock was there, clenching his jaw and staff. Bro, he said, his voice rich with emotion.

    Jack felt a hint of sweetness in the sea of bitterness. <em>Right, </em>he realized. <em>I am not alone. The world might oppose mebut I have Brock.</em>

    Bro, Jack replied softly. His eyes whirled around. He didnt even look at Naujanot because he med her, but because he couldnt spare the attention. His mind set to work, his resolve renewed. He would make it out. He would not yield.

    And, one day, he would destroy the Animal Kingdom.

    Four enemies. The minotaur, excelling in defense but hopefully slow. The ferretfolk with the daggers; a fast, sharp attacker. The treant had no visible weapons, but it didnt look particrly mobile, what with being a tree. And the human Jack couldnt read her. She also didnt hold a weapon, and she gave no indication of her powers.

    <em>The ferretfolk must go, </em>he decided. It could definitely catch up to him if he ran. He had to assassinate or cripple it, and <em>then </em>escape. With any luck, he could outrun the rest of them and get lost in the jungle. He would have to carry Brock, too, as the brori couldnt run fast enough by himself.

    Personally, I prefer you run, the minotaur said, reading his thoughts. Its more fun that way. He walked forward.

    As he approached, Bocors form seemed to erge in Jacks eyes. He knew it was his fear acting up, but he couldnt stop it. The minotaur became a force of nature, a brutal torturer. Jack envisioned his limbs snapping, his Dao breaking, the world abandoning him, his body left to rot with nobody caring.

    His despair was magnified, filling himpletely, leaving him no room to think of anything else. His Dao rose instinctively to meet it, to calm it down, but this fear was solid, stubborn. It refused to die down, striking back at Jacks Dao with increasing intensity that threatened to swallow him.

    His Dao roared in frustration.

    <em>This is not right. Its too strong, </em>Jack realized, barely holding the terror at bay. <em>I I just reaffirmed my resolve. I beat my despair. Why is it back? What is happening to me?</em>

    With a tremendous effort of will, his perfect Dao Seed erupted with power. The Dao Root of Indomitable Will, only recently fused, enhanced the Seeds effects, grabbing Jacks heart and asserting its control. He felt some resistance, but a momentter, it was ripped apart, receding like a torn veil.

    Jack blinked, suddenly recovering from the terror, and found the bald womans eyes locked with his. A hint of surprise crossed his gaze.

    <em>When did I look that way? </em>he wondered. <em>What is</em>

    Panic welled up inside him. That woman had controlled his emotions, magnified his fear, and blinded him to reality. The minotaur was looking on with sadistic mirth. He wasnt approaching anymore, content to watch Jacks struggles.

    A furred hand grabbed Jacks wrist and pulled it behind his back.

    Wait! Hes awake! the womans shout crossed the air, her voice crisp, but it was toote. Jack roared, turned, and punched. The ferretfolk was behind him, ready to chain his wrists together. His reaction surprised it, but it still managed to react in time, leaning back to dodge the blow.

    As it did, an arrowtip emerged from the front of its throat. Nauja had stabbed it from behind, her hand manifesting an arrow out of thin air. She met Jacks eyes. Run! she shouted.

    The world exploded into motion. A green torrent appeared around Jack, filled with leaves that blocked his visibility and stuck on his body as if glued. They itched him terribly, and they were heavy, each limiting his movements.

    A bellow was all the warning Jack got. A silver form shed before him, a hulking minotaur d in te armor and smashing down a huge tower shield. Jack had no time to think. He roared and smashed out a Meteor Punch.

    The world exploded before him. His fist met the shield, pain shooting all the way to his shoulder. He stumbled backward, stifling a cry. His hand was cracked again, bleeding from the knuckles. Bocor, on the other hand, hadnt moved a step. Hed tanked the Meteor Punch like it was nothing, smiling at Jack from above the shield. But he had stopped his attack to defend, earning Jack a precious second. Like hed assumed, the minotaur was slow.

    Jack sensed more than saw the human and treant close in from both sides. He turned around and shot a blind Meteor Punch. The cabin behind him exploded. Wood flew everywhere, a splinter barely missing his eye. Brock screamed, covering his head with his arms. The cultivators ignored the shrapnel, charing through them, but Jack had demolished the cabin. He grabbed Brock and pulled him along as he dashed through the debris, frantically trying to escape the encirclement. Nauja was by his side, her feet stomping on the ground and her face twisted by tension.

    Stop him! came the minotaurs cry. Leaves flew at Jack, magical in nature, blocking his sight and forming a wall before him. He shouted and ghost-stepped through it, carrying Brock along. The strain was tremendous. Jack felt his breath cut short, but hed escaped the treants attack. The leaves closed behind him, wrapping around empty air.

    Armored boots thundered on soil as Bocor joined the chase, howling like a red-eyed bull. Brocks eyes widened under Jacks arm. Risking a nce, he saw that the minotaur was running on all fours. Thankfully, he wasnt too fastthe distance between them remained the same.

    Another bellow came, rocking Jack''s ears. He felt fury rise inside him. He wanted to attack that minotaur, kill him even if it meant

    His Dao Seed roared to life, neutralizing the taunt. A second influence in his heart appeared right after. He sensed the taunt re back to life, stronger than ever, but he knew the sensation now. His Dao Seed shone with the metallic silver color of Indomitable Will, nipping the influence in its root.

    He heard a roar. He has a heart Dao! the bald womans voice echoed through the woods, followed by another bellow. Jack looked to the front. It had only been a second since he started running. The caves mouth opened before him, and he had to avoid it, because he would be trapped in there.

    The jungle waited on either side. Nauja ran beside him. Just as he was about to turn, more shapes surfaced through the trees. One cultivator on either side, a staff-wielding woman and a fire-haired man nking him. The fire-haired one was especially livid with anger. You took Fermek! he roared, stretching out his hands and unleashing a torrent of mes at Jack.

    The staff-wielding woman rushed him from the side, trying to cut off his path, and Jack suddenly saw the air shaking by her side, like there was another, invisible enemy there.

    The jungle was no longer an option. They were surrounded. Cave! Jack shouted, angling for the opening, but it was tough. They wouldnt make it.

    A torrent of fire at the front, a staff-wielder at the side, and a roaring minotaur behind him. Three more people waiting to attack as soon as they had an opening. Jack didnt have many options. If he stopped or turned, he would be captured by someone. If he kept running, the staff-wielder and invisible enemy would catch up before he could run past them.

    Only one choice left.

    Jacks features warped into a scowl. The full brunt of his hatred came to bear, along with bitterness and resolve. His Brutalizing Aura red to life. It spread out like an invisible wave around him, and where it passed, the world turned grim, like deaths scythe was arriving.

    He had imbued the aura with a simple thought, one that the skill amplified and rified beyond any doubt: If you stop me, I will kill you first. He meant it.

    There was no rage, no emotion. He was simply stating a fact, which the aura injected deep into the hearts of his pursuers.

    Jack had seen hard times. He had survived the Forest of the Strong. He had antagonized an impossible enemy. He was chased, cheated, and burdened, and he was constantly putting his life on the line since the Integration. Every step he took was painted by his blood.

    In that regard, these scions were far toocking. Whoever was afraid of death had no power against Jack Rust.

    All the enemies reacted differently. The bald woman resisted the skillpletely, as did the minotaur, but they was too far back to stop him. The me-man gasped but pulled through, his desire for revenge overpowering the terror. The treant stumbled for a moment, then pressed the assault.

    But the staff-wielding woman and the invisible enemy were closer. As Jacks aura roared out, they slowed, eyes going wide. The staff woman almost turned around and ran away in fear. She recovered a momentter, too strong for the aura to hold her, but she had lost a precious second.

    In that second, Jack and Nauja burst through, heading for the cave opening.

    The me wizards attack had persisted. The torrent of fire came from the front, cutting off their advance. Jack jumped right through it.

    The pain was hellish. It felt like diving into a burning oven. Jack resisted the urge to scream, keeping his mouth and eyes closed as he ran as fast as he could. It reminded him of the time hed charged the goblin shaman, back in the Forest of the Strong, and pushed through a wall of mes.

    The painsted but a second. Jack emerged from the mes with his entire skin red and ready to blister. His hair was on fire, but the wind of his dash put it out quickly, and even the insides of his nose were burning with pain. When he drew in a breath, the hot air reached his lungs, making him miss a step.

    Thankfully, Brock was fine. Jack had held him in a tight embrace, trying to protect him as much as possible. Some of his fur was burned off, but it had served as protection. Nauja was still by his side, having jumped over the mes without losing any momentum. She screamed as shended in a run. The air above the mes was also hot.

    The mes winked out in the next second. The minotaur barreled forth, barely twenty feet behind Jack. The staff woman came at them diagonally from behind, the shuddering air was just a step in front of her, and the me man readied another strike. A green aura surrounded the cave mouth, leaves spawning around it and forming a swiftly closing barricade, while Jack still felt errant thoughts attempt to invade his mindthe bald womans influence.

    There was no time to think. They reached the cave mouth and dove in, barely making it before the leaf barrier blocked their path. The minotaur tore through the leaves right away, hot on their heels, and the rest of the cultivators flooded in right after, joining the hunt.

    Firebolts flew at Jack and Nauja, some hitting them and causing first-degree burns, and some missing and illuminating the dark, winding path ahead.

    Nauja had said this caveplex wasrge andbyrinthic. Jack dearly hoped she was right.

 Chapter 146: The Cave Marathon

    Chapter 146: The Cave Marathon

    Jacks feet thundered on solid rock. The light had disappeared by now, letting only his weak darkvision steer him away from walls and outcroppings. Nauja was a step in front, running withrge strides as she led him deeper in. Jack really hoped she knew the wayand that she could see.

    A host of pursuers came after them.

    The minotaur, Bocor, was at the front, charging on all fours like a bull. Smoke rose from his nostrils, the ground shook and moaned under his hooves and arms, and he boasted enough strength to run at the same speed as Jack and Nauja while wearing full te armor and carrying a big-ass tower shield on his back.

    Level 115 wasnt for show.

    The rest of his team followed. Five people in all: a treant, three humans, and what looked like shimmering air but was actually an invisible person.

    The cave angled downward. Jack felt the slope under his feet, sensed his momentum threatening to tip him forward. With his limited vision, all he could do was follow Naujas swaying back, her pale skin standing out just a bit in the darkness.

    Sounds came asionally from the left and right as if the wind was stopped by something. Jack imagined peculiar rock formations, but they could be dinosaurs stered against the wall for all he knew.

    Excluding Jack and Brockwho was carried by Jackeveryone else was over level 90. Their feet swallowed the distance at tremendous speed. It was like they were all racing motorcycles through the cave, which appeared endless.

    They had crossed miles already. More than once, forks appeared in the path, Jack barely distinguishing the hints of lighter darkness that signified openings. Nauja always picked the one heading further down, and he didnt dare disagree.

    By now, it was clear they were in an enormous, underground caveplex. Its sheer scale was stunning. Endless miles of caves stretching in all directions, twisting and bending around each other, crossing at a thousand different intersections. Cold fear gripped Jacks heart.

    <em>Even if we escape them, will we find the way out?</em>

    With his sight impaired, other senses red up. He could hear the rasping of Naujas breath, the subtle change in his footsteps as they ran over different kinds of stone. His nose caught the moisture that suffused the caves, detected the slight hints of moss and rot in the air.

    His breath was catching in his throat. His ribcage felt cramped. There was a limit to how far he could run.

    Do you know the way? he finally asked Nauja, trying to keep his voice a whisper, but that was hard to do while running.

    Down! she replied, without turning her head, nor giving any further exnation.

    I thought youd give me up!

    She snorted. I am no coward!

    But you said barbarians never lie!

    Deception is not lying. Theres a difference!

    How is Nauja took a sharp right, and Jack almost slid ahead before barely managing to turn. How is there a difference?

    Is this really the time!? She growled backward.

    Why not? We have nothing else to do!

    They did have something else to do: run. However, a chase was a battle of minds as much as it was of bodies. Their pursuers didnt know how tired Jack was. If he made them believe theyd exhaust themselves first, they might be demoralized, even stop chasing altogether.

    Nauja growled again, not indicating whether she understood or not, while the minotaurs voice came from behind, washing over them in the narrow tunnels.

    I am a minotaur! he roared. You will never outrun me!

    If he was using the same trick as Jack, it was working. He heard the thunderous hooves behind hime faster, the entire party elerating. They had fallen a bit behind since the start of the hunt five minutes ago, but they had remained within eyesight.

    Brock! Jack yelled, keeping his eyes on Naujas back. Are they all there?

    Having climbed on Jacks back, Brock snuck a peek, then raised three barely visible fingers in front of Jacks face. Three are left? Good. Which ones?

    Incoherent monkey noises by his ear.

    The minotaur? he tried. The staff? The invisible?

    Yes. Yes. Yes.

    Good!

    The other three focused on Mental or Will. They couldnt follow everyone else in this mad rush. That left only the minotaur, the staff-wielder, and the invisible one.

    Which was more than enough to destroy Jack and Nauja, if they caught up.

    Their only choice was to keep on running. Unfortunately, the main reason Jack could match higher-level cultivators inbat was his perfect Dao Seed. Stat-wise, he was weaker, which hurt him in an all-out marathon. The only reason he could keep up was his Indomitable Body and Dao Root of Indomitable Will, which ensured he would die before giving up.

    They kept heading down. The temperature dropped steadily, reaching the freezing point, and the moisture dampened. Jacks every breath wasborious now. He drew the cold in every time he inhaled, like icicles stabbing his lungs. His throat was parched. He was sweating all over, his vision was bleary, and his legs were made of lead.

    But he couldnt stop.

    He could feel Naujas exhaustion, too. Her strides had shortened. Her breath came in shallow rasps, her form wobbled in his eyes.

    He had no way of telling whether their pursuers were as tired. The footsteps remained on their heels, gnawing at the distance every time Nauja tried to slow down. It was incredible that the minotaur had persisted so far while carrying massive weights. He wasnt fast for his level, but he was extremely durable.

    <em>Will we get captured? </em>Jack wondered. <em>Should we split up?</em>

    It could take him days to find the way back without Nauja. Weeks, even, and thats assuming he wasnt captured. But if they didnt have a choice

    The tunnel opened up around them. Jack sensed himself entering a cavern, felt the open space surrounding them. For a moment, hope surged in his heart. This cavern signified change. Opportunity. Salvation.

    Nauja kept running straight, not slowing down in the slightest. A few momentster, they were back in a tunnel, always running.

    Jack wanted to ask what that cavern was about, but he no longer had the energy to spare. His focus sharpened to a point. The world fell apart, bing a series of ragged breaths. Only keeping track of Nauja and cing one foot before the other mattered now. His heart was drumming in his temples, his ribs stitching, his every breath simultaneously burning and freezing his throat.

    He kept hoping for something to happen, anything. Their pursuers to let up. Some monster to appear.

    But nothing. All this ce had was empty stone tunnels. It really was empty.

    The minutes slogged on. Every step was a new torture. Many times, Jack considered turning around and just fighting, even if it meant death, but his heart was made of fist, and it pushed him ever onward. Every time they turned, he thought he would fall over, barely staying on track.

    His mind was swimming now. Running was his entire existence, his purpose. The reason had stopped mattering, all directions were fused into one. He no longer felt pain. He simply moved his legs and kept going.

    Suddenly, his exhaustion disappeared. It felt like he was flying on clouds. His heart surged with joy. His steps got sturdier and stronger, his stride widened, and before long, he was flying through the tunnels, rxed and free like a bird, euphoric. He was a gust of wind flowing through, a fist in trajectory to meet the next face.

    Nauja must have felt the same, because she elerated. They darted through the tunnels, making sharp turns, opening the distance. The encroaching footsteps were softer now, farther away. They were escaping. They had done it.

    The minotaurs bellows went from a voice next to their ears to a far-away, forgotten sound. The tunnels echoed it, but it was nothing but a memory. The footsteps softened in their ears, slowly disappearing. Jackughed, a carefree, exalted peal. Naujaughed with him. They were birds, wind, the Dao itself.

    And then, as suddenly as it hade, their energy disappeared. They returned to reality so hard that Jack almost lost his steps. Everything was pain. His chest was shaven from the inside, his throat was filled with razors. His legs were numb. His muscles were no longer responding. He had the will to bear through the pain, but his body simply had nothing else to give.

    He could no longer run. He slowed to a walking pace, his legs moving shakily by themselves, like they were no longer his. Nauja saw him and slowed down as well. Instantly she groaned with pain. She paused for a moment before forcing herself to keep going, but it was a slog.

    Every step, they almost copsed. Jacks eyes were bulging out. He yearned for release, to stop, but kept himself going. When Nauja faltered and tripped, he grabbed her waist, put her on his shoulder, and kept walking, for he could no longer run. They had to escape.

    The footsteps that had almost disappeared were returning now. Slowly, steadily, they were getting louder. Approaching. They went from whispers, to thumps, to stomps. Jack felt despair creep in. He couldnt fight in this condition. He had to escape.

    His mind released all unnecessary functions. All that mattered was to keep walking.

    The footsteps drew closer. The stomps became crashes, then peals of thunder. Jack maintained a simile of hope, a tiny prayer that, even at thest moment, the pursuers would copse. He kept going.

    The thunderous footsteps paused. He heard a faint gasp. A flicker of hope welled up inside him. It had happened. They had experienced the same euphoria he had, then crashed down hard. Maybe this would make them stop. He just had to walk a little bit more. A little bit more.

    He took another step and ran into a dead-end.

    Brock started screaming, dropping down and dragging Jack backward. He barely stopped as a draft reached him from below. He forced his bleary eyes to focus. A lighter darkness was in front of his feet, a hole going down. He wanted to jump, but Brock was pulling at the back of his pants.

    Deep? he managed to croak out.

    Yes! Brock shouted. Yes!

    At this state, a fall would leave thempletely mangled. Easy pickings.

    Jack wanted tough. This was it. He had tried so hard, pushed himself to the limit, endured this torture only toe within reach of escapebut be cursed with bad luck.

    Now, even if the hole disappeared, his legs wouldnt carry him anymore.

    This world hates me, he muttered, throat scratched with every word. It hates me!

    A bestial, guttural scream tore through what remained of his throat, crashing into the stones only to disappear. Jack copsed into a heap. His arms had some power still, but he couldnt stand. Nauja fell with him, and she tried to draw her bow, tried to nock an arrow. It manifested half-way, out of thin air, then winked out of existence. Her arms fell to the ground, defeated.

    The footsteps approached. A shape rounded the corner. A bull. Noa minotaur. A hulking beast on all fours that slowly stood up as it saw him on the ground, releasing a triumphant roar.

    A final hint of hope blossomed inside Jack. The minotaur was alone and exhausted, like them. Maybe they could take him.

    But even that bit of hope was dashed as he saw the darkness flickering. The invisible one was here, too. And, a momentter, the shadow of a staff peeked through the opening.

    I told you, the minotaurs rough voice filled the tunnel. He sounded exhausted but satisfied. You cannotescape.

    Stubbornness welled up inside Jack. He wasnt going to just wait for death. There was a hole behind him. What was the worst that could happen? Smash his head on a rock?

    If the minotaur wanted to take him, he had to jump exhausted into a hole.

    Fuck you, Jack said, tilting back. He let his body topple, falling over the edge. Time slowed down. The shimmering darkness flickered. A dagger crossed the air, its familiar whistle echoing in Jacks ears like the calling of death.

    Gravity was pulling him, but at their level, everything was happening too fast. Gravity was slow. He could see the darkness deepening as the dagger approaching his face, and he struggled to raise a hand to defend.

    A staff smacked it out of the air. Brock stood before him, screaming in defiance and bitterness. He had been carried all the wayhe was fresh, but also too weak to help. These people were so far above him that he could do absolutely nothing.

    Still, he tried.

    The dagger veered off its path, only grazing Jacks ear instead of stabbing his eye. The minotaur roared. Somehow, he found the strength to lunge forward, raising his tower shield from its edge to bring it down like a club. However, Jack could see that the strike wouldnt be on time. He would fall before the shield did.

    Brock, turned the other way, couldnt see that. He tried to smack the minotaurs side. The Staff of Stone whirled through the air, but in the end, he was just far too weak. Bocor let itnd, not even bothering to defend, then took a hand off his falling shield and pped Brock across the face. The strike wasnt strong, but it was fast, faster than the shield could fall. Simply an insult.

    Brock was thrown aside by the strike, his cheek red, gaze frozen in surprise and rage. In that moment, the shield crashed down.

    The little brori recovered, but he still didnt retreat. He thought Jack was behind him, defenseless. He roared in anger and threw himself forward, ready to give his life to defend his big bro. Jack grabbed his tail just in time. He dragged Brock along, pulling him just an inch away from the falling wall of metal that almost broke his head. The shield pped against the rock floor, barely missing Jack and Brock as they were tumbling down the hole.

    Brock hollered, throwing a poop at the minotaur as he fell. Bocors cry of rage followed them down the hole.

    And they fell.

 Chapter 147: Rock Bottom

    Chapter 147: Rock Bottom

    Jack remembered falling. He tumbled through the air, struggling to control his descent through waves of crippling exhaustion, but it was difficult. His body was malfunctioning. His Dao, in disarray.

    He elerated for several seconds. By the end, he thought he was a goner.

    Then, he crashed into icy water, and all went ck.

    ***

    Jack awoke with a groan, his eyes fluttering open. The darkness was all-consuming, imprable. As hed already opened his eyes, a hint of panic threatened to consume him, thinking he was blind.

    Then, someone leaned over him. Jack almost exploded with power before a calming voice said, Bro.

    Everything came back at once. The hunt, the chase, the fall Bocor pping Brock. He would pay for that.

    But, for now, Jack let his body sag against cold stone, indifferent about the gravel massaging his waist. He realized now that he was exhausted. Every breath took effort, and just leaning against the ground was heaven.

    He also realized he was wet. His pants stuck to his skin, and his hair was one with his scalp.

    What happened? he croaked out. His voice was coarse, like sandpaper, but understandable.

    We fell into a pond, a womans voice came from the side. Nauja. That was lucky. I think I broke my arm.

    What? Jack asked back, not standing. Are you sure?

    Its numb and unresponsive. I think its bent wrong.

    Shit.

    Nauja sounded calm, like it wasnt her arm she was talking about. <em>We need light, </em>Jack realized. He didnt know how long hed been unconscious for, but it had to be several minutes. His regeneration had worked a bit. He was still exhausted, but not crippled.

    And, most importantly, the minotaur hadnt chased them.

    Brock, he said, is that torch tip still in your pocket?

    When they crossed the gate below the ant hill, there was a pile of torches waiting for them. They hadnt taken just one; besides the one they used to go down the spiraling tunnel, they had also broken off the tips of two torches and stashed them in Brocks pockets.

    Now, that decision was proven wise.

    Brock stayed silent for a moment, making sure he had them. Yes, he finally replied.

    Okay. Can you try to light one up?

    Yes.

    Sounds filled the room. Fur rubbing furiously against fur and fabric. A few momentster, the sounds ceased, but there was still no light.

    Jack tsked. Not only had they plunged into a pond, wetting the torch tip, but the air down here was cold and damp. Setting it on fire was going to be difficult. Can I try? he asked, forcing himself to a seated position. It felt like pushing away his nkets on a cold winter morning.

    Brock handed him somethinga short piece of wood whose tip was wrapped in slippery cloth. Jack shook his hands once, then grabbed the cloth by both sides and started rubbing it between his hands. He was careful, going as fast as he could without ripping it.

    It was hard without sight. He started off slowly, then gradually picked up the pace. His hands applied pressure and friction, creating heat. The cloth gradually dried up. The hotter it was, the faster Jack could go without tearing it.

    It took the better part of five minutes. Eventually, Jack felt serious heat building up under his hands.

    Careful, Nauja said. It might be steeped in oil.

    I know.

    When he felt it was close, he pulled his hands away and dragged them against the stone to clear them of oil. It urred to him that there was a pond nearby. After feeling around a bit, he found it just behind his feet, and cleaned the oil off as well as he could.

    He then approached his fingers to the torch tip and snapped them, hard. Once, twice, a small spark flew off, blinding in the darkness, illuminating hints of ragged skin and dark stone.

    The sparksnded on the torch tip to no effect. He kept going for a while. Eventually, one of them took hold. The entire torch tip lit up, suddenly shedding bright light in a short radius. Jack closed his eyesthey were so adjusted to the darkness that the light hurt.

    Your fingers! Nauja warned him.

    Cranking up an eyelid, he saw that his palm was on fire. It was the leftover oil he hadnt managed to clean up. He shook his hand until the fire went off, and then was left with a brilliantly lit, short torch. There was only an inch of wood under the burning cloth, just enough that he grabbed it from below.

    Lets see, he muttered, carefully swinging the fire around. His light illuminated Brocks awed face, excited to finally see properly again and full of admiration for his crafty big bro. He kept going, revealing a small expanse of dark gray stone. Blue glimmers came asionally, hints of an unknown ore. A pond was behind him, about ten feet across, and a tunnel extended vertically over it. The wall ended just behind the pond.

    He paused there for a moment, the light shining at the very end of the vertical hole. He remembered them falling for seconds. That meant the hole was very deep, and since they hadnt crashed into its sides, it had to be straight, too.

    Why would there be a perfectly vertical, five-hundred-foot-long hole right above a small pond in the bowels of an expansive caveplex?

    <em>Could it be man-made? </em>he wondered. The edges of the hole were surprisingly smooth. <em>But who would make this here? And why?</em>

    At least, the minotaur and his friends hadnt followed them down here. They probably feared injuries after knowing the holes depthmaybe the sshing sound hadnt even reached them, and if it did, it must have taken a long time.

    Whichever the case, Jack was d. He didnt know how long he was out for, or which of hisrades had dragged him out of the pond, but if the minotaur hade down, they sure as hell would all be dead.

    Since the pond was directly adjacent to the back wall, he directed the torch at the front. Naujay there, her moist skin reflecting the torchlight and her hair forming wet lines on the stone floor. Her face was calm, steady, and pointedly not looking at her twisted arm.

    Jack shivered as he saw it. It was bent the wrong way at the elbow.

    Is it bad? she asked, still not looking.

    Could be worse, he replied. Keep your eyes on me. You said you had a regenerative skill, right?

    Its weak. Just part of my body-enhancing skill. I doubt it can fix a broken arm within a week.

    Jack nodded. Inwardly, he was shocked. His own regeneration could patch up his wounds within a few hours. What was that about?

    <em>Because Im meant to fight body-to-body and get injured a lot? </em>he theorized. <em>Because I have a perfect Dao Seed? Because I have an elite ss, so better skills? Then again, maybe shes an elite, too.</em>

    <em>Maybe all thosebined.</em>

    Okay, he replied after a moment of thought. Thankfully, he knew some things about how bones work. Focus on me. Look into my eyes.

    She kept her gaze locked with his as he stepped around and reached for her arm. He admired her bravery. He grabbed her elbow and forearm, and with a sharp movement, twisted it to the right direction. Bone snapped. Nauja lost her breath for a moment, then gritted her teeth not to scream.

    Its okay, its alright, he said softly. Were done. That was the hard part.

    She was shivering still, wanting to scream but her pride not letting her. Her eyes remained glued to his, and he could see them widening until the vessels burst. With swift, confident movements, Jack reached for his shorts and tore off the parts below his thigh. That also destroyed his hidden pocket, which only contained his emerald credit card by now, but there was no other fabric left. His shirt was long used up.

    Tearing the cloth into strips, he used them to tie Naujas arm at the right position. Though he wasnt a paramedic, he was confident that it wouldst.

    He tried his best to be gentle, but Nauja still had to hold back screams every time he touched her. Her arm was shivering under his touch, surprisingly soft and silken. Thankfully, he felt no bones sticking out under her skin, besides the one at the elbow.

    When he was finished, he took a deep breath and said, Done. You were very brave. Not one scream.

    Of course I was, she replied, her voice weak. Can I look now?

    Yes.

    She threw her arm a nce. Her elbow stuck out sideways. She groaned and turned her head the other way.

    I set the bone right, Jack said. Now, we just have to wait for your regeneration to run its course.

    My tribes healer could fix this in moments, she replied weakly.

    Well, Im not a healer. This is the best I can do.

    Thats not She bit her lip. I was just talking to myself. Thank you. I appreciate what you did.

    He cracked a smile. Youre wee. Now, lets go see whats down here, okay?

    The back wall was taken up by the pond, but their tunnel still extended forward, farther than the torch could illuminate. After resting for a bit, he could move again, though his legs were sore to the point of numbness. And he was starving.

    Unfortunately, no restaurant delivered to Trial. He had to go find food.

    Helping Nauja up to her feetshe wobbled but stoodand making sure Brock was ready, he held the torch in front of him and began walking into the tunnel.

    They only got ten feet in.

    The tunnel came to an abrupt dead-end. However, it didnt end in stone. A door was embedded in the far wall, taking up the entirely of the tunnel. It was eight feet high and wide enough for two people to fit side by side, and it looked positively ancient. Dust had umted on its surface, almost hiding it from sight.

    What is this? Jack asked, reaching out to wipe some dust. Light gray metal was revealed underneath. He didnt recognize the material, but it felt hard, smooth, and cold. Steel?

    Whats a door doing down here? he asked again, filled with disbelief. When he looked back, Nauja seemed equally confused.

    I have no idea, she finally replied. I have never heard of anything manmade in the Forbidden Cave.

    I thought these tunnels were fully explored.

    They are. She frowned. Father said so.

    Do you think they missed this?

    Idont think so. The delvers are sted people, but pretty thorough when ites to treasures. Someone must have discovered this before.

    Hmm. Are you saying they kept it secret?

    Either that, or whoever found the door never made it back. She stared at its surface. Faint engravings were just barely distinguishable under the alighted dust.

    Jack swiped his torch around, looking more carefully at the cavern, scanning it with his eyes. There, he said, pointing at a corner. People.

    The barest hints were left there. Food wrappings, a broken arrow without its tip, a credit card. They didnt look nearly as ancient as the door. Someone has been here before us, Jack concluded. But they kept it secretor, at least, didnt tell many people.

    Why would they leave their credit card behind? Nauja asked. If they returned to their camp to report the doors existence, they would take it along.

    Jacks eyes widened in realization. Something happened to them. They never made it back.

    Exactly.

    They stayed still for a moment. Jack held up his credit cardhe no longer had a pocket to put it inand touched it to the dropped one. Numbers shone on the surface. Nine hundred thousand! he eximed, drawing in a sharp breath. This guy was rich.

    Nauja raised a brow. It isnt much. Most delvers carry that kind of money, if not more.

    Hah. Correction: Im poor. But not anymore. The credits moved to his card. There we go.

    Congrattions. Im sure the tunnels will be full of merchants.

    That reminded Jack of a grim reality. Can you find the way back? he asked. We ran for a long time, made so many turns.

    Nauja hesitated. Maybe. I mostly kept heading deeper hoping they would let us go, butthey were really persistent. One of them must have a navigation skill.

    Which you dont have.

    No. I just know some tricks to find my way around caves.

    Great. So were trapped here.

    I wouldnt say trapped. More liketemporarily stranded.

    Jack grimaced. Without food and water.

    There is water, she said, pointing back to the pond. Our bodies can take it unless its extremely poisonous.

    So the sooner we start, the faster well be out of here, Jack said. However, his eyes stayed glued to the door. So did Naujas.

    What do you think is behind it? she asked in a low voice.

    Something dangerous. It took out whoever left that credit card.

    But there was only one card. One person.

    Perhaps we could take it, he finished her thought.

    It didnt get any more intriguing than this. An ancient door in the bottom of a supposedly empty, enormous caveplex. Maybe your tribe knows about this. Thats why they call it the Forbidden Cave. Because they dont want anyone to find out.

    But why? Nauja asked. Jack had no answer.

    Brock pointed at the door, then mimed pulling it open.

    It might be dangerous, Jack said.

    For sure it is, Nauja replied.

    But were here already. And this is Trial, thend of opportunities. We might as well take a look, right? And if its too dangerous, we retreat.

    Brock said, Yes.

    We really shouldnt, Nauja said, biting her lip. Her pale skin, blue eyes, and blond hair all shone in the torchlight. But we could.

    But we could. There is a saying on my; curiosity killed the cat.

    We have a simr one. The curious velociraptor springs the trap.

    But satisfaction brought it back.

    What?

    Thats the full saying. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Though people dont say that second bit. The first sounds better.

    Nauja narrowed her eyes. Are you saying we should open it?

    I know we will. Im just demonstrating my knowledge.

    Unable to hold back, she chuckled. Youre right, she admitted, cradling her broken arm. Were already here. We might as well open it. Retreating now would be cowardly.

    Or cautious.

    Cowardly, she insisted. Fear is the worst guide to follow.

    Jack considered that for a moment, then chuckled. Fine, he said. Enough bantering. Lets go.

    He reached the door in two steps and pushed. Nothing happened. Then, learning from past mistakes, he tried to find a handle to pull, but there was nothing. He groaned.

    Just one, I want something to be simple. Is that too much to ask?

 Chapter 148: The Ancients

    Chapter 148: The Ancients

    The ancient door remained stubbornly shut, its exposed metal glittering in the dwindling torchlight. Jack tried pushing, pulling, even sliding the door. Nothing worked.

    Guess I have to break it, he concluded after a five-second analysis.

    Oh, give me a rest, Nauja intervened. Raising her good hand, she wiped off some of the dust that had alighted on the door, revealing a line on the metal underneath it. See? she asked. Its engraved.

    She then drove her open palm into the middle of the door. A gust of wind spread from ita skillclearing the doorpletely. The result was a dust cloud that enveloped them, making all three cough for a few moments. When it finally settled, Jack took another look.

    Huh, he said.

    Something had engraved the hard metal as smoothly as sculptors engraved y. The door illustrated a battle. Humans, along with smatterings of other species, filled one side of the door. They rode crab-shaped starships, were surrounded by colorless aurasthere was no color in these engravingsand were drawn in a way that indicated both Dao and technology. There were hundreds of them, each the size of Jacks palm, filling up half of therge door.

    The other half was upied byrger creatures. Twelve of them in total, eachpletely different from the others. There was a smiling human at the very top, his body shackled by dark chains. A creature of pure darkness was in the middle, slightlyrger than the rest. The other ten were all presented as featureless humanoid shapes, but their forms werent as solid as the topmost, shackled mans. They were fainter, expertly carved as to appear translucent. Each had differencespared to normal humans.

    One was made of fire. Another, of stars. A thirdprised of many small spheres tightly assembled into a humanoid shape, and a fourth seemed normal, but everything around it was warped, as if it was drawing them in. The fifth creature was made of lightning, the sixth of blue and red sparks, the seventh of explosions, and so was the eight, except fewer butrger ones. Finally, there were two creatures that only appeared as bodies of water, one resembling a rippling pond and the other a steady current.

    Twelverge creatures. An army of humans and other species using the Dao and technology to fight against them. Gxies as the background.

    Wait, Jack said, taking a step back. Incredulousness creeped into his voice. This rings a bell.

    Twelve gods Nauja said, voice shaking with awe, eyes scanning the engraving. The Old Ones

    Then, these ones, Jack raised a hand to gently touch the army, are the Immortals?

    Master Shol had talked about this once. The Immortals, the makers of the System, had waged the Immortal Crusade against the Old Ones.

    I Nauja narrowed her eyes. I am not sure. The Immortals led the Crusade, yes, but they are supposed to be machines, not humans. These are probably the Ancients. She took a trembling breath. My ancestors.

    Jack frowned. He thought hed heard something about the Ancients before, but he wasnt sure. So the Ancients were soldiers of the Immortals?

    No! Nauja jerked away as if Jack had sphemed. A momentter, she caught herself. No she continued, her voice lower. The Ancients were the first people to ever exist in the universe. They flourished and spread across the universe, spreading life to other gxies as well. Every species you know came from the Ancients.

    Jack frowned. He was pretty sure everything on Earth evolved from amoebas, but he let her go on. It took only one sentence for his attention to be rewarded.

    Until they discovered the Old Ones, Nauja said.

    Jack instantly homed in on her words.

    The Old Ones feared the Ancients growing power. Using their divine powers, they eradicated them. She took a breath. But it didnt end there. The Old Ones turned their gaze away, but though the Ancients were gone, they had left a heritage. Descendant species across the universe. And, most importantly, the Immortals.

    Jack listened with rapt attention.

    The Immortals were machines dedicated to the Ancients. Their first children, before they discovered how to create true life. When the Old Ones destroyed the Ancients, the Immortals swore revenge. They forged the System, an existence based on the Dao, meant to facilitate the development of sapient species. The System quantifies and streamlines the Dao, serving as a guide for everyone who wishes to attain true strength. It makes the path far more essible, creating a host of warriors to fill in the Immortals armies against the Old Ones. That was the primary directive.

    When enough soldiers were ready, the ny-nine Immortals went to righteous war, each wielding godlike powers. They were nked by the strongest cultivators of all the gxies, and that gave them the power to challenge the Old Ones. The war raged on for a millennium, destroying the Primordial Gxy in the process. In the end, the Immortals pushed back the Old Ones, but couldnt kill them. Not a single God had fallen. But they had the System. The Old Ones were forced outside System space, and the Immortal Crusade remained inside, where their powers were greatest, and where the Old Ones didnt dare touch them. After that She bit her lip, frowning as if trying to remember. Bnce returned, but the promise of eternal revenge still stands. In time, the Second Immortal Crusade wille, and the Old Ones will be shorn off the face of the universe.

    Wow Jack said, eyes wide. I had no idea.

    Maybe its not urate, Nauja said, suddenly bashful. The legend has been in our tribe for countless generations.

    Does everyone know this? Jack asked. The version I heard from my master mentioned nothing about the Ancients.

    She shrugged. Probably. We dont freely share our culture with delvers, but they have gotten more valuable things out of us. Surely some people know.

    I see

    More secrets. More lies. More hidden knowledge.

    He returned his gaze to the engraving. He had context now. He saw the Ancients and their children speciesthough that part was debatablestanding against the twelve Old Ones.

    To be precise, it wasnt a battle. There were no attacks flying. This was the stand-off before the battle, where each side showed off their powertheir godlike power. A concept that made him and his struggles, even the entire Animal Kingdom, feel insignificant.

    What level had the soldiers and generals of the Immortal Crusade reached, to be qualified to stand against Gods? C-Grade? B-Grade? Or, perhapseven stronger?

    Jack turned his gaze to the twelve Old Ones. He had never been a religious man, but the System and magic existed. Gods belonged to the same domain. Suddenly, the awe and wonder that flooded him were strong enough to bring him to his knees, a sense of purpose shing in his chest as some ancestral instinct urged him to devote his entire life to worship.

    And yet, they were enemies. Jack wasnt a follower of the Gods. He was their opponent, walking the path of divinity himself, because how else could man stand up to God?

    So these are the Gods he muttered, observing them, taking in their every detail and memorizing their individual shapes. He began drawing connections to things he knew. I recognize some of their powers, he said, narrowing his eyes. This one is electricity, this is fire, obviously, this ismaism? he tried, staring at the creature made of pairs of blue and red sparks.

    The Old Ones represent the foundational forces of the universe, Nauja exined, still lost in disbelief. Everything else is abination of these twelve powers. I know some of them, but not all See that one? She pointed to the topmost man, the one that had a clear humanoid shape but was shackled by darkness. That is Enas. He used to be the King of the Old Ones, but the others teamed up and cast him into a bottomless pit of darkness at the end of the world, where he will remain trapped for eternity. Nobody knows why. That oneshe pointed at the creature wrought of darknessis Axelor, the new King of the Old Ones after Enas. Im afraid I do not know the rest.

    There is always something greater Jack thought. These unfathomable heights of power should bring him a sense of fear, of futility, like all his struggles were for naught.

    Instead, they gave him hope.

    For the first time, he saw the Animal Kingdom not as an unsurpassable mountain, but as one force amongst many. The Kingdom and all their allies, the entire Gctic Alliance, only had B-Grades as their peak. If A-Grades existed, even Gods, that meant there was a way out. Jack just had to reach that level of power. Then, nobody would bother him.

    <em>Just bing a God </em>he thought, chuckling in amusement.

    It was an impossible goal, but even that was better than total despair. There was a way out. The moment Jack realized this, he felt his entire being realign. Even if he would never reach those heights, he had a clear target now, a destination at which to orient himself. He would just head there, try his best, and if he died or failed in the process, so be it.

    His heart instantly felt lighter.

    Well, history is great and all, he said, but we still need to get through this door. I could try breaki

    Naujas re was sharp enough to cut through stone.

    I was kidding, he added quickly. This is clearly a precious artifact. There has to be another way in.

    ...Right. But what?

    They both stood there, inspecting the door. Brock made monkey noises, pointing at something. Jack squinted to see it.

    In the bottom left corner, behind the army of the Ancients, were more people. They were angr humanoids, their faces and bodies square. <em>Robots, </em>he realized with surprise. They were rushing at the army of Ancients from behind, probably to assist them in battle.

    Those must be the Immortals, he said.

    Yes, Nauja agreed. But how does that help us open the door?

    Nobody knew, but Brock was happy to have spotted something they didnt. He raised a hand and high-fived Jack, while Nauja watched on with mild amusement. Men she said.

    They then returned to observing the door. Having discovered the Immortals, stuffed as they were in a corner, they thought there could be more hidden details. Their eyes scanned the engraving, looking for something, anything, but even after a few minutes, theyde up short.

    Nauja shook her head, taking a step back. I think theres nothing. The engravings are just thatengravings. The answer must be hidden somewhere else.

    Hmm. Maybe theres a hidden button? Jack tried.

    He drew his hand across the door, gently pushing it all the while. He felt every line under his skin, steady and straight, as if whoever made this was carving y, not steel. He kept going from down to up, side to side, slowly exploring the doors surface.

    When he was a fifth of the way up, he felt something. The metal hadnt given way. But there was <em>something.</em>

    Hmm?

    His gaze sharpened, moving his hand back to where hed had the feeling. It was the bottom-most Old One, the one that resembled a rippling pond. When Jacks hand touched it, he felt a strange sense of emptiness, though the metal was clearly there. It took him a moment to ce the feeling.

    It was like a mental emptiness. Like some core aspect of the metal was justnot there.

    In fact, it felt oddly simr to his fists when he was about to imbue them with his Dao.

    Hey, check this out, he said, pointing at the Old Ones. I think I can push my Dao into this one.

    What? Nauja approached, cing her good palm over the engraving and closing her eyes. A momentter, they snapped open. Youre right! she eximed. I feel the same.

    Should we do it?

    Hold on a second. Her fingers rose to the next Old he one that looked like a steady water current. This one is empty too. She proceeded to the one, made of many small explosions. And so is this.

    After a quick inspection, all twelve of the Old Ones felt empty of Dao.

    The world was filled with the Dao, every nook and cranny of it, making it impossible for an E-Grade to push their Dao into reality. But these spots were vacuums.

    Jack and Nauja also confirmed that there were no other such vacuums.

    Are we supposed to fill them all up? Nauja asked. Doesnt feel too difficult.

    Hmm. Thats almost too easy. Jack narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, they shed with understanding. Wait! Notice how each Old One ispletely different from the others? You said they each represent the foundational forces of the universe. That everything else is just abination of these twelve forces.

    Yes?

    What if we have to fill up just the one that is mostpatible with our Dao? he exined excitedly. Like, this one is fire, and thats electricity. I dont know what most of them are, to be honest, but maybe I just have to find the one most adjacent to the fist.

    Hmm. I dont know. I still think we have to fill them all up.

    Then let me go first. If I fill one up and nothing happens, we just fill the rest as well. We dont lose anything.

    She considered it for a moment. Okay, she finally agreed. Lets do that.

    Jack grinned and turned to the door. <em>The fist, </em>he said, tuning out everything else to focus. With his recent increase in Will, it wasnt difficult. <em>Lets see</em>

    There were twelve Old Ones. A shackled manthough the shackles didnt seem like part of his powera creature of death, then fire, electricity, maism, two creatures of explosions, stars, small spheresmass, maybe?one that warped everything around it, and the two water-like ones.

    Channeling his Dao of the Fist, a few of those were immediately discarded.

    The watery ones were a no-go. They feltpletely unrted to the fist. Electricity, fire, and maism were also out. That left seven.

    What about the warping one? That could be gravity, or something simr, which didnt have much inmon with the fist. Discarded.

    The stars? He failed to see the connection. The small spheres? He didnt know what that was, but it felt unrted, so also a no-go.

    Eight down, four to go: the man, death, and the two explosions.

    The explosions were the first he considered, actually. His Meteor Punch was the closest skill he had to the Dao of the Fist, and it was an explosion. However, why were there two of them? One was made up of many small explosions, and the other of fewer butrger ones.

    Jack didnt know what fundamental forces of the universe those represented, or why they were so simr. Did the explosion match with the Fist?

    <em>To a degree, </em>he admitted. But it wasnt the core. There was more to the fistor rather, his fistthan just exploding stuff. It wasnt just a weapon. It was a deration of will, a way of life. It was the nature of his soul, and, as contradicting as it sounded, it involved way more than breaking things.

    Reluctantly, he ced the two explosion Old Ones as a maybe.

    Which left just death and the man.

    <em>Death</em> he considered it. <em>Death is a result ofbat, but I dont think I aim at that. Its even farther than the explosions.</em>

    A no, then.

    Which left only the human. If he could discard that as well, he would know that one of the explosions was the answer.

    But the human Jack frowned. What exactly did it signify?

    There was no discernible characteristic. Nothing supernatural about him. Just a human, a man, standing in space. His details werent clear, but he seemed to have a calm, steady smile, like he saw through everything and simply enjoyed reality.

    <em>Could he signify people? </em>he thought. <em>Simplicity? Life? Intelligence?</em>

    All those could be true. However, this concept was moreplicated than the others. For everything else, he could imagine fitting Daos. But what Daos would fit the image of a human?

    It felt like the door was cheating, throwing in a wildcard like that. So Jack ignored it. Instead, he focused inwardly, sinking into his Dao and all the insights hed gathered so far.

    What was the fist? It was a path. It was freedom. It was battle. How could it connect towhatever this human signified?

    <em>Well, my path is the natural one, </em>he thought, <em>though everyone probably feels the same about theirs. I embrace my instincts without losing track of myself. I stand,ugh, and fight when I have to, and die when I lose. Thats how life should be. I feelplete in this path, happy.</em>

    <em>Its how everyone should live, in my humble opinion.</em>

    But what did that have to do with being human?

    <em>Maybe this is all there is to it, </em>he considered. <em>I am simply who I am. This is what it means to be a human.</em>

    However, even he felt that this was slightly off the mark. A bit naive and overstated, even.

    <em>Hmm. What else? What is my fist?</em>

    <em>Its all the things I mentioned before. However, if I abstract it, is it closer to explosions, or closer to being human?</em>

    When he thought of it like that, the answer came easy. Violence and battle was part of his Dao, but just that, a part, a manifestation. The true core of his Dao was the nature of the fist. He strived to make himself behave and think like a fist; steadfast, reliable, strong, honest.

    In the end, the Dao was far more than just a weapon. It was a state of being, a way of life. The man he yearned to be.

    Jack opened his eyes, gazing at the shackled human at the top of the door, and reached out to touch him. His Dao flowed in, barely a trickle before the vacuum was filled.

    Nothing happened.

    Told you, Nauja bragged. Now, lets

    The cavern shook. The door shone, all twelve Old Ones glowedstarting from the human Jack had chosenuntil the glow illuminated the entire engraving from behind. Colors appeared. Suddenly, it was a work of art, one of mesmerizing beauty thatsted a mere moment.

    And then, soundlessly, but with the tunnel still shaking, it swung open inward, revealing a patch of imprable darkness.

    Nauja was left staring. So were Brock and Jack, but Jack was the first to recover.

    Jack one, Nauja zero, he said, full of pride. Nowe on. Lets go see whats behind it!

 Chapter 149: Proving Your Ancestry

    Chapter 149: Proving Your Ancestry

    The space behind the door was a deep, thick darkness. At first, Jacks enhanced senses didnt pick up the slightest hint of lighting from beyond.

    Thankfully, they had a torch. Jack waved it before the door, revealing a new corridor, but it was nothing like the tunnels theyd been traversing so far. This one was smooth. Sharp. Carved by tools. There was a slight slope downward but no steps.

    Jack gulped. So, he said, are youing?

    We cant just turn back now Right? Nauja asked. Her voice and rising chest betrayed a mix of exhration and fear. A hidden passage connected to her ancestors under the Forbidden Cave It didnt get much more adventurous than that.

    Brock was unbothered. He raised a fist and cheered, then impatiently motioned for Jack to get going.

    Heughed and obliged.

    The tunnel was deeper than his torchlight could reach. As he took three steps in, nothing happened. He kept walking, at any point expecting a monster to leap from the shadows. He couldnt shake the feeling that he was walking into the innards of some leviathan.

    Brock followed him, making ooh and ahh sounds at the corridor, and Nauja brought up the rear. The moment she stepped through, the door behind them smashed shut with a terrible boom that made them all jump.

    What the fuck? Jack eximed.

    That The door closed, Nauja said in shock.

    I can see that. You didnt close it?

    No, it justclosed.

    They exchanged a look, seeing the fear in each others faces. When Nauja tried to push, nothing happened, and there was no engraving or Dao vacuum on this side.

    What a good omen, Jack said bitterly.

    Do you think this is what happened to the delvers who found this ce? Nauja asked, looking around warily. They were trapped here forever?

    Jack looked around again. Now, he understood why the walls were made of metal. He could have punched his way through rock, given time. But through this He knocked on a wall, feeling sturdiness beneath. The door was equally impregnable.

    I think were stuck, he said.

    However, Brock shook his head. No, he replied. He pointed down into the darkness.

    Oh, how could I forget about that, Jack replied sarcastically, pping his forehead, while Brock nodded sagely.

    Not much choice, Nauja said. We were heading down, anyway.

    I guess. Well, no point waiting. Lets go.

    With that, they turned and walked further in. Jack was at the front, Nauja at the back, and Brock in the middle. The door soon disappeared behind them, leaving them nked by darkness. There were no side passages to follow, only one straight line heading downward at an angle.

    Where do you think this leads? Jack asked, his voice low by instinct.

    Honestly? No idea, Nauja replied in the same near-whisper.

    A few minutester, the tunnel opened up. They couldnt see where it led, only that their torchlight reached no walls. It could be a chamber stretching for miles in every direction, or just ten feet.

    Suddenly, the world red with light. They had to cover their eyes, used as they were to the darkness. Jack grabbed Brock and jumped to the side, dodging whatever attack might being. Nauja jumped the other way, stifling a cry as shended on her broken arm.

    There was no attack, however. When their eyes adjusted a momentter, all they met was a wide, empty room.

    It looked like a fancy Earth basement. t, electrical lights were stered in equal rows on the ceiling, illuminating the room, while the marble floor was gray, t, and strikingly clean. The walls were made of some dark metal that looked light to the touch, almost like stic, and they were curved, shaping the room as a rectangle that someone had pulled air into until it almost burst.

    It looked so much like something he may find on Earth, that Jack was momentarily stunned. Going from the primordial environment of Trial to this was a leap that took him some time to process.

    Next to him, Nauja was also stunned, but for different reasons.

    What is this magic? she said, gawking at the ceiling lights. The torches They do not dance. And they have the wrong color.

    Its called electricity, Jack exined. What you see is ss with a thin iron cord behind it, through which courses power with enough intensity to make it glow without burning.

    Wow, she repeated, observing the lights for a moment longer before turning to the floor and walls.

    Jacks attention, however, was arrested by something else. The room was empty, roughly a hundred feet long, fifty wide, and twenty tall. However, there was writing on the back wall. It wasnt carved into the metal. It resembled projectedputer text, though there was no projector in sight.

    All it said was, Scan nothing.

    Whats that supposed to mean? he asked. Suddenly, a new row of text appeared under the first one, as if the letters were surfacing from behind the wall.

    <em>Prove yourselves or die.</em>

    How nice, he said. More things trying to kill us.

    What? Only now did Nauja notice the writing. What does that say?

    What?

    I cant read. What does that say?

    She didnt seem bashful about it, so Jack didnt react, either. It made sense. Why would she need to read in the jungle?

    It says to scan nothing, and to prove ourselves or die.

    Her eyes narrowed. What does that mean?

    Its when you stop living.

    She threw him a cold stare. Jackughed.

    I have no idea either, he said. The scan nothing part could only mean the System scan we can do at things. Thats all I can think of. Either that, or it expects us to carry around scanners, which we do not.

    Why not scan things?

    How am I supposed to know?

    And what about that second part? To prove ourselves?

    Well, I also dont know He looked around, licking his lips. But I suppose were about to find out.

    He expected something to happen at the cue of his words. Disappointingly, nothing did. No enemies jumping at them, no traps springing, no suspicious sounds. Nothing.

    Btedly, he noticed there was no other door in the room.

    Do we have to find a way out or die of thirst? Or asphyxiation? he wondered incredulously. Okay, I take it back. Send in the things that want to kill us. Just underestimate us, so we kill them instead.

    What are you talking about?

    Nothing. Im just bantering against a wall.

    At least there were no corpses here, so if delvers had made it past the door, they had made it past this room as well.

    Maybe the way out has something to do with that thing? Nauja suddenly said.

    What thing? He followed her pointing finger. Oh! Right under the letters was something he hadnt noticed before. A device, of sorts, embedded in the wall.

    Lets take a look, Nauja said.

    Just be careful.

    I know.

    They inched their way across the room, keeping an eye out for any trap or ambush. Tripwires, pressure tes, poisoned darts, illusions They looked out for anything but found nothing. The room was as empty as it appeared.

    Eventually, they made it to the back, right under the letters. Jack could now see that each of them was the length of his arm.

    Embedded in the wall under them was a Well, a disappointingly primitive contraption. A short metal protrusion extended from the wall, with a small groove at its end, facing up. Directly above it was another protrusion, this one ending in a sharp needlepoint.

    Whats that? Jack asked. Perhaps I should break it.

    Nauja red.

    Ill keep making the same joke until you stop ring, he warned her.

    Its like we have to put something in that groove, she said, ignoring him. But what? And why the needle?

    Jack reached out to touch the groove, but there was no Dao vacuum. He shook his head.

    You know, Nauja said slowly, deliberating her words, this reminds me of something that exists deeper inside Trial: trials.

    Trials?

    Yes The delvers talk about them a lot. They start appearing from the fifth ring down: testing grounds that reward those whoplete them. Supposedly, they are the main allure of Trial, besides the conqueror titles.

    Really? Jack raised a brow. This is interesting.

    It is. Trial rewards are supposed to range from impressive to world-shattering. If this is a trial, that would be great for usbut, as I said, trials arent supposed to exist before the fifth ring. She threw him a quick nce. And they have nothing to do with the Ancients.

    Hmm. Are you saying we discovered a hidden trial?

    I dont know She shook her head, hesitation all over her face. The door, this riddle, the instructions on the wall It all seems to match, but the ring and Ancients dont. It should be impossible. I dont know. If this is a trial, there could be something extremely valuable at the end. But maybe its somethingpletely different.

    Extremely valuable, Jack repeated. His chest burst with hope. His goaldefeating theary overseer within a yearwas almost impossible. Extremely valuable treasures were exactly what he needed. Well, only one way to find out. But how do we solve thisneedle-groove thingy?

    He gazed at the two protrusions in thought, as did Nauja.

    Suddenly, Brock tapped Jacks waist. When he turned to look, the brori pointed at the needle and mimed pricking his finger.

    Oh! Jack said, eyes shing with understanding. Brocks right. It does look like a finger-pricking device. A drop of bloodes out, then falls into the groove. Ive seen that before.

    Really? Where? Nauja asked curiously.

    TV.

    She looked on nkly.

    Delver stuff, he corrected, to which she nodded.

    But why would this machine want our blood?

    Good question. It said we have to prove ourselves Hmm.

    Maybe that we are humans? Nauja tried. Not robots?

    Why would it care about that?

    I dont know. What else could it want?

    Hmm. Maybe it will test our blood for something. He thought back to hisb, where they liked to put liquids in testing tubes and examined them thoroughly. This groove didnt look like a tube, but they also used small bowls to collect liquids. Then, they just had to use a dropper or needle to move it wherever. Maybe it really wants to see if we are humans?

    That was strangely speciesist, and it also didnt make much sense.

    I know! Nauja eximed, raising a finger. It wants to see if we are Ancient!

    What?

    Think about it. The door depicted the Ancients. Trial was constructed and used by the Ancients for millions of years before somehow appearing in your gxy. If this ce was a secret, it makes sense that theyd only want their people essing it. Right?

    Hmm. Right. That makes sense. And you are a direct descendant!

    She smiled widely, ear to ear. She seemed very excited to contribute to something other than hunting and killing dinosaurs.

    Wait, Jack said. Does this mean that, if I wasnt here with a barbarian, I couldnt get past? That cant be right.

    It would exin why no delver ever made it back.

    I guess. A shiver went down his spine. So you should prick your finger there, he continued, pointing at the needle. Go for it.

    Okay, she said, cing her finger by the needle. She paused. But what if thats not it?

    I dont see what else it could be. That thing is out for blood, and there is nothing in mine thats better than yours.

    Youre right, I guess.

    Brock gave her a big thumbs-up, encouraging her. Taking a deep breath, Nauja pushed her finger against the needle.

    Despite her enhanced skin, it broke through without any resistance whatsoever. A thick, red droplet tumbled down as Nauja retracted her finger.

    The bloodnded on the groove with a soft plop. Nothing happened for a moment. Then, it drained down, absorbed into the metal until it all disappeared.

    Wow, Jack said. I have no idea if this is technology or magic. Maybe both.

    The letters above them flickered and changed. They were sucked back into the wall, and when they returned, the second line was different. A third one had appeared, too. It now said,

    <em>Scan nothing.</em>

    <em>Ancient blood confirmed.</em>

    <em>Initiating test.</em>

    Initiating? But we just finished it.

    What does it say, what does it say? Nauja asked excitedly. Jack tranted quickly while looking around. Nothing happened for a moment.

    Then, blue light gathered, and a creature appeared in the middle of the room. It was a goblin.

    Kekekeke, itughed, licking its long, wed fingers. Humans. I bity! I eaty!

 Chapter 150: The Ancient Ruins

    Chapter 150: The Ancient Ruins

    A goblin stood in the middle of the high-tech room. The contrast was almost jarring.

    Its bare green feet were nted on the immacte marble floor. It was green, child-sized, and covered in brown rags. Its teeth were sharp, like a dogs, its eyes were dark beads of hatred, while it rubbed its short ws together, enjoying the prospect of devouring them without the slightest idea of how massive the gap between them was.

    Kekekeke, itughed, licking its long, wed fingers. Humans. I bity! I eaty!

    Jack did a double-take. Is that a goblin? he asked. Why would a goblin

    He almost scanned it. Almost. The move was an ingrained reflex by now, but his surprise was such that he waited an extra moment, and that saved him. The words on the wall came to mind: Scan nothing.

    His thoughts were firecrackers. All connections were made instantly, and he dived in front of Nauja, shouting, NO! Dont scan it! Hended in a somersault, rising to his feet at once.

    What are you doing? she asked, raising a brow. She ignored the goblinpletely.

    Dont scan it! he said again, speaking quickly. The wall said not to scan anything. This is what it meant. Dont scan the goblin. Thats the only reason it would appear; its too weak to test us inbat.

    Nauja raised the other brow, too. Okay, she said, turning back to the little creature, which was now approaching them with an astonishing unawareness of danger. So, what should we do with it?

    Let me handle it.

    Jack stood before her, facing the goblin. It suddenly broke into a sprint, covering the room as quickly as its little legs could take it. It waspainfully slow.

    Kekekekeke!

    I dont think its a threat, Nauja said from behind him.

    Lets not risk it, Jack retorted. Since we cant scan it, it could be hiding its power.

    The goblin finally reached them. Even Brock looked disinterested, but Jack had experienced the Systems shenanigans before, and he was determined to y it safe. He shot a Meteor Punch as the goblin came within ten feet.

    Keke It exploded without even seeing the strike. In fact, the explosion was so strong that the goblin was torn into a million tiny pieces, covering the floor behind it in a red paste that spread across half the room.

    They remained silent for a moment.

    I think its dead, Nauja finally said, but you can hit it again if you want. Just to be sure.

    Caution is important, he retorted, rubbing the back of his head. But, man I remember how one of them almost killed me once. Tough times to be a goblin.

    Eh. Theyre goblins. She shrugged. Little sacks of hatred and sadism. Theyre better off dead.

    I thought you loved nature.

    I do. But not goblins.

    He shrugged back. Well, its dead now, anyway. I wonder if we seeded this trial thingy already.

    Maybe there will be a kobold next. You should hit it even harder.

    Youre wee for my figuring out the trick, by the way.

    Just so you know, I figured it out myself, too.

    I didnt hear you shouting, Dont scan it!

    I trusted you.

    I call bullshit.

    In any case, Nauja looked around, scanning the walls, what now?

    This time, the room took her cue. Just as her words finished ringing, a sliding sound made them turn towards a wall. A door had opened therea door that had been indistinguishable before.

    At the same time, the goblins remains were absorbed into the floor, walls, and ceiling, leaving the room as spotless as when they entered.

    Jack raised a brow. Maybe thats what happened to the previous delvers, he said. They died of dehydration, then were sucked into the floor.

    What a way to go, huh?

    Yeah.

    There was light beyond the door, so they didnt bother keeping their torch. It had almost burned out, anyway. Jack let it fall, and the floor absorbed it after a moment. Think it can absorb us too?

    Not so far. Lets hurry before it changes its mind.

    They reached the door with quick steps and peered through.

    What the fuck? Jack said.

    This is Naujas eyes went wide. This is impossible!

    A civilization stretched before them.

    The cave ceiling rose a mile above them, but not as high as the sky. Mushrooms hung from it, illuminating rolling fields of wheat and vegetables. These stretched on for miles, all the way to the far wall, a rising cliff of stone that connected the ground with the ceiling.

    There was cattle, too. Cows and pigs, sheep and goats, all grazing on a hill that rose to the right. To the left stood a smallke, its edges bordering the wall.

    People dotted thendscape. Some tended to animals; others, to the fields. There were many of them, easily dozens, maybe hundreds, and they looked like humans.

    The entire thing looked like Earth, actually. The cattle was the same. The crops, too. There was even a temple at the back, resembling a buddhist shrine. The only differences were the houses, little picturesque huts with no roofs, and the subtle hints of advanced technology. Everywhere Jack looked, he saw high-tech contraptions integrated into the seemingly simplistic lifestyle.

    Here, a farmer tilled the field with a hoe that had a vibrating head. There, the cows were tied to a wooden stake that slowly moved around the fields on tiny legs, regting their feeding. Farther back, a watermill scooped up thekewater, pouring it into an ingenious irrigation system that spanned the fields.

    And everyone wore a smile. Nobody seemed tired. These were happy people. Simple. At peace.

    Jack was left staring.

    What? he asked.

    Thats Nauja could barely hold back her excitement. She stepped through the door, into therge cave beyond

    and everything faded.

    It was like a veil was pulled from their eyes. The vibrant farms were reced by weeds and t, barren soil. The cattle disappeared, their pens fading away a momentter. The houses stood the test of time, changing from homes to ruins. The smiling people were the final thing to go, turning to look at Jack and Nauja as they did. Their bodies became dust, from their legs to their heads, leaving their smiles forst.

    A momentter, everything was gone. Thousands of years had passed in the blink of an eye. The flourishing civilization had turned into a wastnd, with only the ruins of a few houses standing out here and there like memories of a time long past.

    No! Nauja said. I I thought

    An illusion, Jack said, stepping up beside her. The past, maybe? Buthow? And why?

    I think these were my ancestors, Nauja muttered, tears welling up in her eyes. I thinkthe Ancients used to live here.

    Really? Jack thought back to their human forms, their Earth-like environment. Were Ancients really like that?

    I really do. She turned to look at him. But now, theyre all gone.

    Yeah, I guess they are.

    The ruins were lifeless, save for weeds. Whatever lived here, it had been a long, long time ago.

    However, there was one thing that remained unchanged. The temple at the back, the buddhist shrine, was exactly as the illusion had shown it, as if time had no grip on it. It stood guard over the barren fields, lifeless, still, but exuding the same holiness it always did.

    What is this ce? Jack asked, looking around. Whats the point of it? All the tests, the door, the blood, the goblin Why scan nothing? Why such secrecy? Why would Ancientsif they really were thatbe living in Trial, and why would they not want to be found?

    They were Ancients, I know it, Nauja said strongly. We have stories about them. How they lived as one with nature, how they reached the apex of technology, saw its futility, then returned to the roots. Its exactly what we saw in the illusion.

    It is, Jack admitted. But still, why?

    At this, Nauja paused. I dont know, she finally said. Maybe Maybe they disliked the delvers. They wanted to hide from them, escape the incessant conflict, the greed.

    Hmm. Jacks eyes narrowed, then widened. Wait! The Ancients were exterminated by the Old Ones, right? In your story. Maybe these ones escaped, somehow, and hid here to escape the wrath of gods.

    You think? But why would they still hide? The Old Ones cante here.

    Maybe they justnever knew. Jack looked around again, taking in the ever-sealed stone. Maybe they were here for a looong time.

    Her face soured. They arent stupid. They would know.

    How?

    I dont know. But they would have a way.

    Maybe that ce has answers, Jack suggested, pointing at the temple. What do you say? Wanna take a look?

    I absolutely do! Despite her broken and bandaged hand, Nauja was brimming with energy. Her eyes sparked, her face glowing. Lets go.

    Brock?

    The brori was nearby, watching over the ruins with them. He idly twirled the Staff of Stone around himself, lost in thought. When Jack called, he snapped out of it and pointed at the ruins. Strong, he said.

    Jack raised a brow. A new word? Congrats, bro!

    Brock gave him a toothy grin.

    But strong Jack repeated, looking over the ruins. What do you mean by that, my friend?

    The brori thought for a moment, then shrugged. He didnt even bother miming. Strong, he said again, pointing to his heart.

    Hmm. Yeah. I understand.

    Nauja puffed up in pride. Of course my ancestors were awesome!

    They paced into the ruins. They didnt take a straight line to the templethey explored a bit. From up-close, the contrast between past and present was even more striking. They passed by the watermills remains, only finding rotten wooden foundations where it used to stand. The irrigation system, all those wooden pipes, had been absorbed into the ground. The fields were overgrown with weeds, rugged patches of ground flowing over one another. The ruined houses still stood, and Jack realized that the wood in them didnt look quite right. It shimmered oddly. Perhaps that was why itsted so longfrom what he knew, Trial had been in their gxy for a million years.

    In fact, the wood didnt just shimmer. There was a hint of something to it, an itch at the back of his mind, urging him to focus his will and scan it. Jack refused. Though curiosity burned him, he remembered the instruction not to scan anything. It didnt make any sensebut his heart chose to follow the will of these people.

    The System-induced urge to scan growed the more he resisted. It went from an itch to an ufortable whisper at the back of his mind, like an odd addiction acting up. It was like being offered a cup of coffee after not having drunk any in three days. In fact, it was even worse, because all it would take to activate the scan was a moment of weakness, one misstep of intention.

    Together, the three of them walked through the ruins like time had lost all meaning. When they reached the temple, they stopped and gawked at it.

    It was smaller than it looked from afar. A small wooden fence, barely enough to stop livestock from walking over, enclosed a courtyard the size of the goblin room from before. At its back, attached to the stone wall of the cave, was a small shrine, its gates open.

    They approached. Jack, feeling wary, took to the front. A small stone tablet was half-buried in the soil before the shrines open entrance. Warily, he leaned down and wiped its dusty surface, revealing ancient words carved into the stone.

    <em>May they who think themselves worthy enter. May they save us from the evil we have inflicted on the world.</em>

    It was promising.

    The inside of the shrine was as simple as its exterior. A room twenty by twenty feet, with a human-sized stone statue in its middle depicting a smiling man, thin and dressed in light robes, with long silken hair tumbling down his back. His smile, however It was one filled with calmness and peace, but hiding under it all the vicissitudes of life, like this man had already seen through everything.

    Unlike the buddhist-like shrine, this man didnt look like Earths depictions of Buddha. However, he still reminded something to Jack. It took him a moment to ce the feeling. Last time hed seen this man, there was no hair, no robes, and his features were indiscernible. But the smile was exactly the same. Jacks eyes widened at the same time that Naujas did.

    Thats Enas! they eximed at the same time.

    Why is a shrine of an Old One here? Jack said. I thought they eradicated the Ancients. They were enemies.

    This doesnt make any sense, Nauja muttered, frowning. The Old Ones supposedly destroyed the Ancients shortly after making contact. There shouldnt be any time for worship to ur.

    It is odd, Jack agreed, but his attention was drawn to something else. First, the statue created in him the same urge to scan it as the wood outsidelike the Staff of Stone, the Dao Soul, and other scannable items.

    Second, the statue wasnt the only thing in the room. As he took a step inside, a glimmer of white in a corner caught his eye. It wasnt visible from outside, as it was stuck to the entrance wall, but there was a skeleton there. It was humanoid and in a cross-legged position, back pressed to the wall. Despite the ages it had been since this person died, their skeleton remained whole and pristine, and not just that. The bones exuded a sense of awe and wonder, like they radiated the power of the Dao even centuries or millennia after death. They were also scannable, as Jacks gut feeling hurried to inform him.

    Whats the meaning of all this? he asked. A shrine to an Old One, a hidden pocket of Ancients, a corpse brimming with power after all this time, a testing room that still operates perfectly, themand to not scan anything He shook his head. What the hells wrong with this ce?

    Nauja ignored his words. She touched her forehead to the ground before the corpse, struggling to bow with one hand tied-up. Ancestor she said reverently. Nauja is here. May you rest in peace.

    Seeing her, Jack inclined his head as well. You have my respect, ancestor. Apologies for disturbing your rest.

    Brock nodded, too. Strong, he said, using his shiny new word again.

    A moment of somberness went by. Then, Jack asked, Should we bury it?

    Can you not feel its power, Jack? Nauja asked from the ground. If such a powerful person wanted to be buried, they would be. No. This ancestor chose to die here, to keep an eye on this shrine even after death. Lets leave it be.

    Alright, he whispered.

    Then, while Nauja remained bowed, muttering a prayer to her ancestors, Jack looked about the room again. He felt small in this ce. Insignificant. He couldnt shake this feeling that theyd intruded on a secretrger than they could handle, something they should never have found. There was a sense of power everywhere, of awe. Everything in this cefrom the engraved door to the corpsespoke of forces far stronger than Jack couldprehend right now.

    This was a ce meant for people far, far stronger than Jack and Nauja.

    And there was a hint of wonder in that. Of achievement. That, by some stroke of blind luck, Jack was here, taking in the sights that his meager strength could never afford. Who knows what tremendous powersy in wait here, what secrets to uncover?

    Even ruined as this ce was, he refused to believe it was empty. There had to be something. Nauja had mentioned trials with life-changing rewards. This could be such a ce. And, secret as it was, the rewards would be ever greater. Something rted to the Ancients and the Old Ones could only be unimaginable in importance.

    His treasure hunting sense was going off. Something was here. Something tremendous. An opportunity that could make his impossible goal slightly more doable. But where?

    If only he could scan things

    His gaze returned to the statue. It stood in the middle of the room, unbothered by their presence, stony gaze directed at the front, one hand extended with its palm facing forward.

    Jack approached it, circled it, observed it. The craftsmanship was uncanny, as expected from people who could carve even steel. It made him curious. What secrets could it hide?

    He snuck a nce at Nauja. She was still bowed, not looking over. Brock was looking, but he was a bro. He wouldnt speak.

    Unable to resist, Jack raised a hand and touched the statue, meaning to feel its surface, to experience its age and meaning.

    The moment he touched it, an ancient voice rang out, booming from every direction at the same time. Let the trial begin.

    And he teleported.

 Chapter 151: Trials of the Divine

    Chapter 151: Trials of the Divine

    The moment the voice boomed out, ancient and resounding, Jacks world changed. He felt the familiar lurch of teleportation for an instant before everything stabilized again.

    He wasnt in a shrine anymore. He stood alone in the middle of arge, dome-shaped room, like an upturned bowl. Stone surrounded him on all sides, with a single sun mushroom hanging from the top of the ceiling, around fifty feet above his head, showering the room in still, yellow light.

    Jack looked around with wide eyes, realization dawning. Shit, he said. He couldnt stop a chuckle. Curiosity killed the cat, I guess.

    He didnt lose heart at the sudden teleportation. The voice had mentioned a trind Nauja had said that trials were tests, hiding danger and opportunity. There would be a way through; he just had to find it.

    However, the more he observed the room, the more his frown deepened. There was no door. No wall with letters, no windows, no enemy, no nothing. Only cold stone surrounded himentombed him.

    <em>If I die here, will anyone ever find me? </em>he wondered, but even he didnt know where he was, let alone Nauja and Brock.

    Thankfully, the trial didnt leave him waiting long. The same voice as before boomed throughout the room, so loud that Jack felt an urge to p his ears.

    A divine gift lies in wait, looking for its sessor. Five trials stand between you and great power. Prove yourself worthy of wielding and protecting it, or die. The trials will be adjusted to your level.

    Simple and sinct. Strangely, Jack wasnt pacified.

    Excuse me, he shouted back, can you tell me where this is?

    The voice did not reply. Jack was left alone with his thoughts, running the previous words over and over in his mind until he realized something. <em>Wait. It said level. This ce is aware of the System, the eradication, the Immortals. It wasnt simply forgotten. They chose to remain hidden even after the Old Ones were forced awaybut why?</em>

    He had no more time to ponder. Suddenly, mist filled the room, manifesting out of thin air. Jack braced himself for battle, looking around warily, but no enemy came. The silence was as crisp as ever, broken only by his breath, the beating of his heart, the blood drumming on his temples.

    A song cut through the mist. It was ephemeral and light, the voice carried on clouds, each note sung with unparalleled beauty and depth. So rxing, it was, that Jack felt his entire body loosen, the knots in his back untying, his muscles turning into jelly, and euphoria coursing through his heart. If there was a heaven, this is how angels would sing.

    Hey down, so engrossed in the music he couldnt think. The mists receded around him, revealing a pce of pleasure. Heavenly delicacies sat on golden tes, fruit soft enough to melt in his mouth, meat that couldce his entire body with energy, youth, and virility.

    He wasnt alone. People surrounded him on all sides. Their names eluded him, as did their past, but he remembered they were bosom friends, people hed been through thick and thin together. He loved them almost more than himself.

    Jacky on cushions, stretched out and leaning to the side, where a tter of apples awaited him. He grabbed one and bit into it. The taste was heavenly. After this, how could he bear to consume anything else? Even the water he tried, from a blue bottle made of clouds, was made of liquid crystal, so pure that he felt all negative feelings wash out of his heart.

    The song was still there, sung by a striking woman on a different set of cushions. She was one of his bosom friends, but she was also more.

    She was beauty itself. Her hair fell down her shoulders to reach her waist. Her expression moved with the song, fully absorbed as she was, and her voice lit a fire inside him that made even the heavenly apples seem inconsequential.

    This was love. Deep, true love. He felt something inside him resist, deny the feeling, but he couldnt refuse his heart.

    The woman poured her soul into singing. Jack couldnt quite catch the lyrics, but they spoke directly to his heart, recounting beauty, passion, breezy days, and hot nights. Each part of the song took a chord in Jacks heart and explored it, caressed it, massaged it, kissed it. The most wonderful feelings in life were presented, expanded, and fulfilled. Every verse a story, so true that no other story could ever reach their height, and sung in a voice and way that could never be surpassed.

    It was perfect.

    Jacks eyes welled with tears, such was the beauty of her song, and his heart opened wide, reveling in the music, expanding until it could fit the entire world.

    He lost track of time. Or, rather, time lost its meaning. Before this song, nothing else mattered. The world was born and developed only to reach this moment in time, for this song to flow out of this womans lips.

    When the music came to an end, Jack was melted into a puddle of emotions. He felt every emotion there could be, overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of life, its ups and down, its struggles and rewards, the gems that hid in rainy nights and gave them meaning.

    His friends felt the same, and their happiness bounced off each other until it could increase no more.

    The woman turned to Jack, regarding him alone. Did you like it? she asked, sliding a strand of hair behind her ear.

    I loved it. The words left his lips of their own, true beyond the shadow of a doubt.

    She smiled beautifully. He didnt know his heart could melt any more, but it did. I have something for you, she said, removing a small, golden sphere from her dress. A triangle with a dot in its center was painted on its surface. I made it especially for you. A gift as precious as my song.

    What is it? he asked, receiving the sphere with tender care.

    Why dont you scan it and find out? she replied, smiling.

    Jack regarded the sphere. Indeed, why wouldnt he scan it? The song was still inside him, his love all-epassing. Nothing could be wrong in the world. Everything ugly was simply another facet of beauty undiscovered. In this pce, surrounded by the warmest emotions known to man, he had nothing to fear.

    So why didnt he scan it?

    He had this awareness that he wasnt supposed to. It seeped out from inside him, making him hesitate until he was certain it was wrong. He shouldnt do it.

    But how much did it matter? Her song had filled his heart. She had given him the greatest gift there was, and here was another. Even if it was wrong, could he really refuse her this little favor?

    But it was wrong.

    What is the matter, my love? she said, inching closer. Her perfume reached Jacks nostrils. His brain turned pink. His every cell shivered with joy.

    I

    Shh, dont talk, she said again,ughing. Just scan it. I made it with so much effort. Please?

    To refuse would be to break her heart. However, to refuse himself would be the same. Cant I just open it? he asked weakly, his voiceing out a low whisper.

    No, you silly! Sheughed again. How can you open it without scanning it first?

    <em>Shes right, </em>he realized. <em>I should scan it.</em>

    <em>But it is wrong.</em>

    The insistence of wrongness was so deeply nted inside him that it persisted, rearing its head again and again, refusing to be side-tracked.

    On one hand, he knew with absolute certainty that scanning this sphere was wrong. On the otherhow bad could it be? Didnt she deserve for her gift to be appreciated?

    Should he betray what he knew was right, or should he betray her feelings?

    Come on, Jack! his friends shouted from the side, more voices joining in. Some were jesting, otherughing, all filled with joy. Let us see! Scan it and open it up!

    It looks so pretty!

    Dont keep her waiting or shell go away!

    They all burst outughing at thisst, well-intendedment, while the woman by his side blushed.

    Jack felt so much momentum around him directed at scanning the sphere. To refuse would be to break the flow, to shatter such a beautiful moment, to endure his friends and lovers disapproving stare.

    But to scan it would be wrong.

    He He should scan it. He couldnt possibly ruin this moment for everyone.

    That was not right. He had a path. A way. His friends would be fine. But to betray his path would be to break both it and himself. To lose everything.

    Im sorry, everyone, Jack said, raising his head andughing. You know I cant do this. He returned the gift to the woman, whose gaze was deeply hurt. Im sorry if Im ruining some surprise. If you can open it for me, I will love it all the same.

    He smiled widely. And, before anyone could reply, the forms around him turned into mist, the apples, the water, the friends, the lover. The golden sphere with the dotted triangle remainedst, and as it disintegrated, Jack caught glimpse of a live scorpion inside before it, too, disappeared.

    He was left alone in the mist, mind struggling toprehend what had urred. That had been an illusion. He had remained himself, but reality had been bent to present him with a dilemma.

    He suppressed the growl that threatened to rise from his chest.

    But the song was real. It echoed inside him still. He couldnt remember the lyrics, or the voice, or the music, but the soul of the song was etched into his heart, the perfect stories, the full emotions he was capable of experiencing.

    Nothing would ever top it. Everything else he ever felt would be inferior to that one song, to the absolute peak of life. But that was okay. A bittersweetness enveloped him then, an appreciation of what he had experienced, nostalgia for what had irreversibly passed.

    Without Jack knowing it, at that moment, his smile resembled the one of the statue in the shrine.

    Will trial, passed, the voice boomed out again, drawing Jack back to the present. Then, it took a more educating tone. Good intentions and the will to uphold them are the foundation of a full heart. But choosing the right path is meaningless if you cannot see it.

    The mists changed again. They swam and coiled around him, shing through a thousand shapes before settling on one.

    An expansive maze stretched out before him. He viewed it from above, like he was hovering on the ceiling, but he could also see himself standing at the entrance. Twisting paths led outward, merging and branching, ending in dead-ends or circling around themselves. A light glistened in the very center of the mazethe exitbut Jack was nowhere near it. The sheerplexity of the shape before him was more than he could handle.

    <em>I have to solve this maze, </em>he realized, looking at it from above. He set to following the paths with his eyes, crossing out mentally the ones that didnt work, but they were simply too many, their branching endless. His brain wasnt capable of tracking them all.

    An hourss appeared by the maze, blue and made of crystal. It turned, as if by an invisible hand, and the sand tumbled down, siphoning through the tiny gap. Slowly but surely, it was diminishing.

    Jack fervently set to work. He sent the mini version of himself exploring, hoping to stumble onto a good path by luck. He tried extending outward from the exit or inward from the entrance. He followed paths that were going in the right direction and ones that went directly opposite. Many times, he came close. Once, only one wall separated the path hed chosen from one that led to the exit, but that one wall had no openings, no way to cross.

    The sand tumbled down, and Jack had found no solution. Arge part of the maze remained unexplored. He stared, eyes wide, brain feverish with activity, devoting the entirety of his being to the puzzle, but no matter how he searched, he couldnt find the solution.

    The hourss was almost empty by now, thest grains of sand tumbling down slower.

    Jack epted his failure. He had not found the path.

    There is no solution! he shouted as thest grain tumbled down, a final gamble that he had no choice but to make.

    The maze and hourss disappeared. The mists returned, as enigmatic as ever, and Jack was gripped by the suffocating awareness of his failure.

    Mental trial, passed barely. Combat trial difficulty will be adjusted ordingly, the voice came. Jack heaved a huge sigh of relief before processing thest words.

    <em>Adjusted? Will thatbat trial get harder because I almost failed this one? Hmm. At least, I did pass. Was there really no solution?</em>

    He had no way to know, nor was there time.

    Recognizing the right path and choosing to follow it are the prerequisites to a full heart. However, one weakness is enough for doom. The mind means nothing if the body is weak.

    Jack braced himself. However, the mists remained empty. A few momentster, the voice came again.

    Physical trial, passed by virtue of specialization.

    <em>Oh, </em>Jack thought. <em>Well, not that Illin. I wonder if someone with bnced stats could easily pass all three trialsthe ones Ive seen, anyway.</em>

    The voice came again.

    The absence of weakness is the first step. However, the road to mastery is fraught with conflict. Without power, ones impact on life is insignificant. All is for naught.

 Chapter 152: Trial by Combat

    Chapter 152: Trial by Combat

    As the voice finished ringing, the mists recededpletely, vanishing back into the nothingness they came from. The cavern was left empty again, stone the shape of an upturned bowl.

    <em>Without power, ones impact on life is insignificant. All is for naught. </em>Thest words of the mysterious voice still rang in Jacks mind. He mulled them over and over, considering them.

    <em>Without power Thats actually simr to my Dao of Power, isnt it? </em>he pondered, analyzing the trials structure. He had passed the Will, Mental, and Physical trials, proving he had no ring weakness. Now, he had to prove he had power, too. It made sense.

    <em>Whats the purpose of all this? </em>he wondered again. This Ancient spaceif it really was onewas so out of the ordinary. <em>The voice mentioned a divine gift The statue of an Old One Could I be fighting for the direct blessing of a God?</em>

    The thought sent shivers down his spine, excitement that rattled his bones and opened his pores. <em>No way, </em>he concluded. <em>It wouldnt be this easyright?</em>

    A blue light in the center of the cavern interrupted his thoughts. A creature now stood there, facing him. It was humanoid, except with green skin, sharp ears, and beady eyes. Simr to a goblin, but with a few key differences: this creature was the same size as him, and its gaze wascking the telltale malevolence of goblins. In its ce was neutrality, an absence of feeling, like this creature was more machine than person.

    The urge to scan it was overwhelming, coupled with his own curiosity, but he held it at bay. Perhaps hed knowter what this thing was.

    Most importantly, he didnt know its level. It stood there, d in leather armor and holding a curved sword, scanning him up and down. Jack assumed his battle stance, raising both fists in front of his face and turning to show it a three-quarters profile. This creature was thebat trial. It couldnt be weak.

    It charged him without warning. Its bare feet kicked against the ground, its curved sword drawing a wicked arc as it aimed for his midsection.

    It wasnt particrly fast.

    Jack could see its movements clearly. Read them, even. Still watching out for any surprises, he smoothly stepped aside, letting the de sail over his shoulder, and smashed out a straight punch into the creatures face, catching it in a textbook counter.

    With a sh of purple, its head exploded.

    Its body flopped to the ground, dropping the sword. As Jack watched warily, the body and dropped sword then dispersed into motes of blue light.

    Huh, he said. That was easy.

    More light shone in the center of the cavern. This time, two creatures appeared, each identical to the previous one except for their weapon. One held a shortbow, and the other a short rod with a bejeweled top.

    Jack nched, then leaped aside. A bolt whistled through the air where he used to stand, impaling itself on the stone behind him with a <em>swish</em>, then an icicle shot at him from the outstretched rod, materializing out of nowhere.

    Jack ducked under it, already dashing for the two creatures in a zig-zagging pattern. More projectiles flew at him. Crossbow bolts screamed past at the speed of bullets, while icicles rushed past his exposed skin.

    Mid-run, Jack shot out two Meteor Punches, both aimed at the crossbow creature. One of them met a bolt mid-flight and exploded, hiding Jack from their eyes. The second shot past the projectiles, arcing through the air like a purple, fist-shaped meteor, faint starlight trailing behind it, to crash into the creatures sternum.

    It flew back, the crossbow thrown aside as the explosion took half its chest away. The creature disintegrated before it evennded.

    The icicle one looked at its dying partner and disyed no emotion. It kept shooting at the explosion caused by the previous Meteor Punch, but when it cleared, Jack was no longer there. A fist met its neck from behind and destroyed it.

    Jack was left alone again, panting slightly. These creatures werent too strongthey were low E-Grades. Maybe level 60? He could take them easily. However, he suspected the trial wasnt over yet.

    More light shed in the center of the cavern. Jack was already there, since hed approached to kill the ice wizard, so he simply watched the light manifest around him. When it settled into four more of those creatures, he instantly shot out two punches, decimating them. A il wielder and an unarmed creature disintegrated, leaving only two. One swung twin daggers at Jack; the other tried to aim a longbow at his chest.

    Jack sidestepped so that the dagger wielder was between him and the longbow. He dodged one dagger, pped away the wrist holding the other, and closed in on the creature to nt a fierce uppercut in its gut. He didnt use Meteor Punch this time; it wasnt necessary, and if this turned into a battle of attrition, better to conserve his power.

    His fist still carried his Dao, along with almost three hundred points of Strength. It dug into the creatures gut like a mallet, lifting it off its feet and sending it flying over itsrade, blue blood leaking from its lips, both daggers dropping.

    The longbow wielder was revealed as the dagger creature flew away. An arrow flew at Jack, its speed such that he couldnt dodge in time. However, he had already moved aside before the attack came, causing the arrow to miss. He stepped in and threw two punches. The creature dodged the first, but the second caved its face in, and it copsed in a heap.

    Jack frowned. Well, this is getting

    The light came faster this time, and more blinding than ever. Eight opponents now surrounded him, wielding all sorts of weapons. Jack twisted and attacked wildly. The good thing about being surrounded was that he didnt need to aim. Three creatures fell before they could gather their bearings, but the other five pounced on him.

    Fire covered him in a cone, a mace and longsword aimed for his chest and legs, while a great tower shield rose before him, blocking his line of sight.

    Jack could no longer hold back.

    Beforeing to Trial, this attack would have been overwhelming. However, he had progressed tremendously since then. He had leveled up a lot, gotten new skills and Daos.

    The problem with such rapid increases in power was that limating took time. He had barely even used his Dao of Power and Brutalizing Aura. The Indomitable Bodys limitations were a mystery. He was bing stronger fast, but stabilization was a core part of the process, and he hadnt had the time to do that yet. He felt lost, his reflexes biased, his body off beat, his skills underutilized.

    On the bright side, realbat was the best practice.

    As four attacks flew at himalong with one he couldnt seeJack let the Brutalizing Aura erupt from his body. The uing deaths of these creatures spread out of him with finality, irrefutable. They could not resist, plead, or beg. They would die by power overwhelming.

    They stumbled. Whether by ident or design, the aura got to them despite their apparentck of emotions. The mace missed, drawn back at thest second, and the longsword lost its power, easily pped away. The fire guttered then went out, while the tower shield shook, the creature behind it momentarily losing the will to fight. An attack inside his mind, one that had been in the process of forming, copsed by itself.

    Brutalizing Aura was perfect forrge groups of weaker enemies.

    The moment his opponents weakened, Jack became a force of nature. His fists tore through their bodies, pulverizing heads and smashing torsos. Their weapons flew away, useless, and they all disintegrated in quick session. Theirck of pain was unnerving, but their death was timely.

    Jack looked around warily. The trial gave him no time to catch his breath. Sixteen opponents shed into existence around him, each holding a different weapon or not at all, and this time, he really felt fear.

    Brutalizing Aura erupted again, stunning them just as they spawned. His fists tore into their ranks with prejudice, exploding in their midst and sending them flying, disorganizing them. His eyes flicked from side to side, taking in everything, but he wasnt omnipotent, and neither was Brutalizing Aura.

    When hed gotten half of them, the rest recovered. Weapons and magic flooded him. He did his best. A mace clipped the back of his thigh, making him stumble. A sword grazed his forehead, a mallet met his forearm head-on, fire creeped up his back, and frost glued his feet to the ground.

    With a massive bellow, Jack shook his feet free and ghost-stepped away, narrowly dodging another onught. He appeared outside the encirclement. The moment he did, intense fear clouded his mind, making him forget what he nned to do next. His Dao roared, grabbing the fear and crushing it. Two empty-handed creatures at the back groaned.

    The melee fighters were almost upon him by then, but Jack was awake. With a roar, he punched the air before him in quick session, sending a dozen punches flying at them.

    <em>Meteor Shower!</em>

    The creatures exploded like balloons of blood, skin, and flesh, revealing a fire mage and the two Will-oriented attackers. Jack dodged the fire, dove in, and destroyed them.

    Amidst heavy panting, he clutched his forearm, where a mallet had struck him hard. It was bruising already, every movement of his fingers painful.

    Thirty-two creatures flickered into existence around him. Jack felt a cold spear run through his heart. They would never stoping. They would keep multiplying until he died.

    He had thought himself strong, much stronger than most, almost unmatched at his level. When the trial said it was adjusted based on that, he thought it would be easy. How wrong he was.

    <em>Just who is this trial intended for!? </em>was all he managed to think before a small army fell on him. He ghost-stepped away, enveloping them all in Brutalizing Aura, then rained meteors. Bodies exploded, weapons went flying, creatures were tossed to the far walls. Again, not a single cry of pain.

    But he couldnt defeat thirty-two opponents like that.

    They recovered and came for him. Most had fallen already, tightly-clustered as they spawned, but they remained more than he could handle. He fell back, shooting out more meteors, then was forced to stop and start dodging when the enemy backline fired back. Arrows, magic of all kinds, disorienting mind attacks, even illusory opponents sprung up out of nowhere.

    This was an onught.

    Jack roared, charging at the melee so the backliners couldnt easily get him. He ducked into them and punched out furiously, each fist carrying the power to break a body. He swatted a warhammer, took a shortsword to the back, a spear butt to the ribs.

    His fists tore through the assants, destroying them inside and out. When the bodies around him thinned, he was left panting and injured, bleeding from several cuts. But the trial had no mercy. As the frontliners dispersed into blue motes, they revealed a back row of mages and ranged fighters that immediately showered him with attacks. Jack ghost-stepped again, dodging most of them, but an arrow had embedded itself in his thigh, the bloody tip sticking out on the other side.

    He sent out Meteor Punches again, aiming at each of them. Some attacks missed, others were dodged, and a few were shot mid-air and exploded, but some hit home. The backline erupted into gore and violence, and Jack ghost-stepped in their midst, taking care of what his meteors missed. His fists dispersed quick death, stabbing through guts, rupturing chests, caving in ribcages, cracking skulls.

    The Will attacks were constantly gnawing at his attention, distracting him. He took care of those creatures first.

    When all was said and done, Jack stood alone in a sea of blue motes, like a flock of fireflies. He was panting hard and sported several wounds, the most serious of which was the arrow sticking through his thigh. He grabbed its back and snapped it, then pulled it from the tip and tossed it to the ground. Blood flowed from both sides of the wound, but Jack felt the iron grip his will had on his body, felt the influence he could exert.

    He refused to let this wound stand. The blood slowed, graduallying to a stop, and the skin began to slowly knit itself back together.

    He didnt know he could do this.

    <em>I survived </em>he thought. <em>There is no way more enemies areing. Still, this trial was more difficult than I expe</em>

    Blue light shed again.

    Jacks eyes widened in terror as sixty-four assants appeared around him, all staring with cold, murderous eyes. <em>Are you fucking kidding me? This is too much!</em>

 Chapter 153: Pushing Oneself

    Chapter 153: Pushing Oneself

    He burst with power. His frustration became a deep roar, echoing through the stone walls of the cavern. Suddenly, the previously spacious battlefield seemed cramped, not leaving him much room to dodge. There were sixty-four enemies. Even if all of them were weaker than him, how was he supposed to handle them!?

    But even as the doubts were forming in his mind, Jackshed out with attacks. Attice of explosions surrounded him, borne of his own Meteor Punches, filling the air with torn limbs. He was going all-out now, striking with little concern for conserving power. Brutalizing Aura was wreaking havoc through their numbers.

    He didnt stay there long. He ghost-stepped away right as ranged attacks burst through the explosion, piercing the air where he stood. Missing him, the attacks flew to the other side of the encirclement, iming the lives of their allies.

    Jack ghost-stepped once more to appear outside the mass of enemies, who were so spread out they almost reached the walls. Luckily, he appeared behind a group of mages. Brutalizing Aura erupted from his body again, stunning all the creatures as he set to work on the mages, brutalizing them himself.

    Nine mages fell. He ghost-stepped twice in rapid session to reach the other side, where archersy in wait, and tore into them as well, like a wild beast, like a raging lion. His every punch imed a life. He was covered in blood and gore by now, some his own, but most blue and rapidly disintegrating.

    The creatures snapped out of the auras effects, but Jack had dealt with most of the ranged attackers by now. Without Brutalizing Aura, he would have been a goner. Only the melee fighters were left now, a whole crowd of them, with a few Will wielders barraging his mind with attacks.

    But those couldnt hurt him, only disturb him, and his fused Dao Root of Indomitable Will allowed him to brute force his way through. He ducked low and oriented himself on the crowd of melee fighters who wereing at him like a tide, a flood of metal.

    His fists clenched tighter, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Brutalizing Aura swept out again, but its effects were greatly reduced the second time. He met the melee head-on.

    Weapons flew everywhere. His fists shot out rapidly, not bothering with aiming, just dodging and striking as fast as possible. He was surrounded by metal. He weaved on instinct, letting his experience guide him through the. Weapons raked weakly against his skin, leaving shallow gashes. His fists struck out with such intensity that the creatures had no time to charge up strong attacks, blown apart the moment they approached.

    His arms were heavy now, the Meteor Punchesing with strain. He was running out of stamina. Gritting his teeth, Jack changed tactics. He stopped Meteor Punching. The Dao of Power filled him, fueling his attacks with the domination of superior power.

    His knuckles met torsos, sending the creatures flying back into their own. He kept his back to a wall and worked to disrupt their formation, so that only a few of them could attack him at a time. The drawback was that his punches were weaker now. Not all of them maimed the enemy. Some creatures returned, weak and battered, but alive still.

    Jack didnt feel it mattered. They were a never-ending stream of enemies. For every creature he destroyed, another was there to take its ce. His injuries were light, but they piled up. Scratches and bruises covered his body. A few, like the hole through his thigh or a persistent pain in his left shoulder, were more serious.

    He sank into a red battle haze, equal parts ferocity, exhaustion, and pain.

    The enemies kepting, unending, until they werent. The final creature fell, revealing an empty room filled with blue motes of light, all struggling to disappear but taking time. Only the five Will wielders were left, and Jack quickly took care of them, breaking them apart more brutally than strictly necessary.

    He was alone again. Some part of him expected more enemies to appear, a hundred and twenty-eight of them. If that happened, he would die. He couldnt handle them.

    But there was a limit to the trials cruelty.

    <em>How was this adjusted to my level? </em>he wondered, panting hard. <em>Even with Brutalizing Aura and Indomitable Will, which were both perfectly suited for this battle, I only barely made it. Just how high are the standards of this trial? Just how precious the reward?</em>

    And then, to Jacks utter horror, the blue light shed again. He froze. However, the light was more condensed now. It took more time to manifest the creatures, and it only covered the center of the cavern.

    When it faded, four enemies appeared. They werent the creatures from before. These ones had skin of metal and smooth, almost mesmerizing curves. Their faces were featureless ovals, their limbs long and lithe, their bodies bare, revealing them to be made of a single piece of metal, like humans of steel.

    Their hands held curved swords, so long that they looked more like spears. Jack felt relief that there were only four enemies instead of over a hundred, but that relief was soon overshadowed by worry. These four were far stronger than the previous creatures. Their stance was solid, their movements drawing perfect lines through the air, their bodies exuding a sense of strength.

    They werent stronger than him, but they werent too far off, either.

    He instinctively erupted with Brutalizing Aura, but he felt it slide off the robots with minimal effect. It only influenced them for a fraction of a second. If he wanted to use the aura against them, hed have to time it just right.

    The robots kicked against the ground and reached him in a heartbeat, moving in perfect silence and sync, their weapons reflecting the mushroom light as they shed at his throat. They were arrayed in two rows of two.

    The attacks were fast. Jack couldnt retreat. If he stepped back, they would beat him through longer reach. Instead, he dove under the criss-crossing attacks and into their guard, where they couldnt reach him easily.

    However, as hed stepped closer to the first line of robots, he was at the perfect distance for the ones at the back. The front robots stepped aside. Two more swords came at him, each blinding in speed, their des glinting with sharpness. There would be no tanking these blows, as hed done for the previous creatures. Every attack that hit would be a grievous wound.

    Jack jumped and turned his body sideways. One de passed above and the other below him, while the two front robots took a step back and raised their des to crash them down on him. Jumping had been a bad idea, because at the speed they were fighting, gravity would be too slow to bring him back down. He was a sitting duck.

    As the two swords rose, he went into overdrive. Only the Iron Fist Style, that had been supporting him throughout the battle, let him survive. He sank into it, bing a fist-ended force of nature.

    He grabbed one de and held it still. It cut into his palm, the pain stinging, but there was no momentum behind it, as it was moving backward. He then pulled the de down to lift himself higher, his weight negligiblepared to his strength, and pushed against it to turn his body in mid-air, letting the other de scream past.

    He turned around, still airborne, using the momentum to sweep a fist into a robotic head. The metal was hard under his knuckles, shaking his entire arm, but his fist was stronger. The purple glow on its surface pulsed for a moment, sucking in the colors and sounds of the world before exploding in a rupture of light.

    Jack flew back,nding on his feet and reorienting on the robots as one of them tumbled to the ground, its head a dented mass of darkened metal. It dispersed into blue motes shortly after.

    Three robots were left now. Without any regard for their fallenrade, they charged Jack again.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He estimated each of them to be close to a middle E-Grade cultivatorperhaps level 70? He was lower than that. Moreover, these robots possessed excellent coordination. How exactly was this adjusting to his level? Just what did the trial creators take him to be?

    The enemies were already upon him. One pale de glinted in the mushroom light, a razor-sharp edge that could bisect him if it hit head-on.

    But there was only one. After he killed a robot, their formation weakened. The two at the back remained as strong as they used to be, but the front one

    Jack ducked and sidestepped, letting the de sail over his shoulder, then stepped in to deliver a straight Meteor Punch into the robots head. Unfortunately, its reach was long, giving it time to respond as Jack approached, and it was fast. It managed to duck in time, dodging his attack and turning the curved sword to smash its butt into Jacks ribs from below.

    He gasped, taking a step back and fighting the urge to double over, as the other two robots swung at him, their sword tips arcing quickly. He took another step back, dodging the attacks, wondering how he could approach.

    Brutalizing Aura erupted again, but it was the second time they faced it, so it had no effect. The robots stepped back, creating distance, and the front one swiped its de at him. Jack charged in to meet it with his chest

    and ghost-stepped behind them, shooting out a Meteor Punch at one of the back robots. It swung to meet him faster than he thought possible. It blocked his fist with the t of its de, the explosion lifting it off its feet and into the front robot.

    For a precious second, the two robots were flying, unable to control themselves in the air. Gravity was slow. Jack was alone with one robot, which faced him squarely and backpedaled to approach the safety of its teammates. Their tactical awareness was annoying. These robots were no fodder.

    But neither was Jack. He chased after the robot, closing in with Ghost Step. He appeared in front of its chest. Expecting it, the robot raised a leg to meet him, but Jack endured the attack. A spike of pain burned though his calf, which took the blow.

    The other two robots were still mid-air, but they didnt just wait for gravity to do its job. As one, they stuck their swords into the stone, piercing it like cheese, then pushed against the side of the ground with the t parts of their des, reversing their momentum and shooting back toward Jack.

    It was a maneuver he never even thought possible. He was momentarily awed by the level he had reached, where he fought multiple enemies with such capabilities, but also irritated that these robots were so adept in battle.

    Unfortunately, even with mid-air maneuvers, they just werent fast enough. Jack had stepped into the guard of the retreating robot and took its hit. He had a fraction of a second to attack.

    He smashed out a Meteor Punch, imbuing it with the Dao of Power. It exploded as an uppercut into the robots waist, storming into it with such power that its entire body flew off in a straight line, crashing into the cavern ceiling and getting embedded in the stone. Its midsection was broken. Its sword flew away, spinning through the air, to slide into the stone like it was nothing. Both sword and robot burst into blue light.

    The other two robots reached him. In an act of unspokenmunication, they broke their previous formation and faced him as two individuals instead of a team. They rushed to nk him, but Jack wouldnt let them. He used Meteor Shower as they approached, enduring the increasing weight of his arms, forcing one of them to stop and defend.

    The other screeched to a halt, but Jack was already upon it. He rained blows. The robots de shed, blocking everything, but Jack persisted, keeping it on the back foot. Even as the second robot joined in, he didnt stop his attacks, understanding that he couldnt afford to waste this opportunity.

 Chapter 154: Reaching the Limit

    Chapter 154: Reaching the Limit

    His arms was leaden, his body coal. Weakness suffused him, but his Indomitable Body pressed on, guided forward like a precise de. He was only fighting two robots nowone attacking, one buried under his onught of strikes.

    He feinted an attack to the right. The defending robot didnt fall for it, but the attacking one did, swinging where he pretended to go. He moved the other way, dodging the attack, and keptying on the defender.

    His fists erupted with the power of falling meteors, every hit shaking the entire cavern. The robot resisted, its metal feet digging trenches into the stone, but it was forced back, struggling to defend. Its grip faltered with every block, and Jacks strikes kepting, roaring forth with overwhelming intensity.

    The other robots curved sword was imbued with rising panic. It swung widely, rushing to save itsrade and exploit Jacks insistence on attacking

    and Jack ghost-stepped behind it. The bending of space was exhausting, his temples drumming with blood, his own heartbeat thundering like the hooves of a horse, but he was in a good position. The robot had alreadymitted to an attack, and its sword was too long, too slow to retreat.

    It twisted blindly to the side, again dodging one of Jacks strikes, but he simply threw another, his fist shing against hard metal and denting it, venting power inside it, rummaging its interior, and cracking the robot sideways down the middle.

    It disintegrated.

    The final robot fell on him, exploiting his exhaustion to push on with a fierce offensive. Strikes rained faster than Jack could counterattack, the robot pushed into a frenzy by the loss of all itsrades. Jack struggled to fight back, his body and mind heavy, but his will pushed through.

    For all the robots tactical understanding and brilliant maneuvering, its actual skill with the de wascking. Finally, one strike went wide. Jack spotted it in a haze of gray, stepped into the missed attack and pped the de near the handle, sending itpletely off-position.

    His pping arm then formed a fist and backfisted the robot in the side, making it bend, while Jack followed his momentum to smash his other fist into the side of the robots head. A Meteor Punch erupted. The head flew back, the metal neck groaning under the strain, and Jack nted another fist straight into its chest, just to be sure.

    The robot flew back, exploding mid-flight and bursting into blue light before it even reached the wall.

    Jack put his hands on his knees, panting. His previous wounds had reopened. He was losing blood quickly, he was exhausted, his eyes were wavering, and his head was ringing.

    But he had seeded. Fierce joy flooded his heart, overshadowing the pain, filling him with the satisfaction of a hard-earned victory.

    He would have cheered if he wasnt trying to catch his breath, still afraid that more enemies woulde, that an even harder battle would rear its head, that the trial would be cruel to the point of disgust.

    A few moments passed, enough to make him think it was over.

    Then, the voice said, Adjusting difficulty due to barely passing the mental trial, and light shed again, revealing eight robots holding wicked curved swords.

    Jack felt despair wash through him. He couldnt handle this battle. It was beyond his skills.

    At the same time, intense resolve apanied the uing death. His world sharpened to a point. Time slowed down. All thoughts disappeared, leaving only the bitter desire to take as many enemies as he could with him. He didnt even care that the robots were clearly not living beings. He just wanted to destroy them.

    As the blue light receded, Jack flowed into the robots that had just spawned. They raised their swords, already ready to meet him. Brutalizing Aura swept out, fueled by Jacks awareness of his own death. The robots froze for just a second.

    In that time, Jack smashed one in the midsection, and another in the head. Both robots dispersed, leaving him with six. More than enough to destroy him.

    He didnt think about that. His only thought was to optimize his battle, to survive for as long as possible, to deal as much damage as he could. The robots fell on him, one formation of four and one of two. He whirled around them, cing one formation before the other so they couldnt all attack him at the same time.

    In his mind, damp exhaustion and intense resolve went hand in hand.

    <em>I have to disrupt the formations. </em>He registered the thought like it was not his own. <em>I have to save my power, use my skills sparingly.</em>

    His wounds were leaking blood, but he no longer felt the pain or numbness. He pressed on. The swords turned into blurs. He moved more on instinct than decision, surrendering himself to his Iron Fist Style and fighting experience. He ducked, sidestepped, bobbed, and weaved. He let the wicked des sunder the air around him, carve and toil it like a fertile field, while he remained unhurt in the very center.

    The Dao of the Fist roared inside him, lending him all its power. His two Dao Roots did the same.

    There was no sudden power-up, no miraculous breakthrough at thest moment. He could only depend on himself. His strength was what it was. So were his skills. In this sealed-off cavern, nobody would arrive to save him. There was no way out.

    At this moment of death, all Jack discovered was a profound sense of going all-out. There was nothing to conserve anymore, no thoughts to make. Regrets woulde at his final moment. Now, all he could do, all he wanted to do, was devote his entire being to battle, punch with every iota of his soul.

    He dodged the des, punched back. His brain was filled with calctions. He could see the swings before they came, move around them, punch in the gaps. His entire brain wasid bare, revealing depths that the conscious mind could never touch, and it was all devoted to battle. He even thought that his heart would forget to beat. Perhaps it did.

    Metal crumpled under his knuckles. The distant sound of an explosion reached his ears, and its ring heat seared his eyes. He pped a strike away, the movement almost impossibly precise, and let another flow before his eyes as he stepped in to punch a robot with all his strength. The impact was distant, dull as it traveled up his arm and down his torso. The robot still exploded.

    But there were more. There were always more.

    He danced with the des, no longer clear on his position, riding the swings as a leaf would ride the wind. He felt pain. His blood was lessening, he knew. He felt burn, cold, and the air touching ces in his body that it shouldnt be able to. He wasnt clear what had happened, but he knew his injuries were deadly.

    So what?

    In one fluid motion, he ducked under a de, leaned past another, and drove his fist into a robots jaw. He ghost-stepped behind himself, blindlyand luckilydodging two attacks, then buried his knuckles in a metal armpit, tearing an arm free.

    He turned around, swinging his other fist in a wide arc, only to realize there was no fist there. No hand. No arm.

    <em>Huh.</em>

    He followed the momentum, spinning low and then high, jumping and somersaulting to crash his one remaining fist into a robot, smashing its head into the ground. Something caressed his chest like a light, stinging veil. He saw more blood fly out. His vision was bleary, unfocused.

    The attacks came slower now, but he was already dead. Even as hended, he pressed on, ignoring the rapidly growing weakness in his limbs, the soreness of breath in his punctured lungs.

    He fought and fought, dodged and attacked. The battle was a stream of indecipherable colors, his moves only on instinct. If not for his Indomitable Body, he would already be lying on the ground, unable to move. He could no longer use any skills, nor did his mind work enough to remember he had them.

    Only the Dao remained, a burning, roaring lump in his chest, a core of power that fueled him to keep going, like a clenched fist, like a punch shot out, like the force of life carving through the world.

    Everything became one, until he realized he had stopped punching. He could no longer move his body. He was alive in dead flesh, only his will persisting, a guttering me whose candle had expired.

    He used thest of his tenacity to look around, to admire the devastation he had wreaked, his parting tribute to the world. He saw blue motes of light, robotic parts twitching on the ground, disintegrating swords glinting in the light, a human arm lying in a puddle of red blood.

    He saw no standing robots.

    At some point, he had won. Too bad he died in the process.

    Pressure reached his ears. A faraway voice, like someone was speaking to him. He couldnt remember who it was. It didnt matter.

    At least, hed fought well.

 Chapter 155: And Pushing Past

    Chapter 155: And Pushing Past

    As thest of Jacks me whisked away with a final spark of infinite sadness, gentle warmth filled his entire being, suffocating him,pleting him, burying him under power the likes of which he couldnt even begin to imagine.

    His world turned green, a in of infinite vitality, a pond of life from which he was allowed to drink. His ruined body sucked in the life like a cracked desert absorbs the rain, drinking greedily, desperately. His numbness became infinite pain, filling his every corner. His stump of a shoulder sprouted new flesh, coiling around itself and tightening into an arm. His wounds closed, the skin regrowing and knitting itself shut.

    And Jack Rust was made anew.

    Suddenly, he snapped back into total lucidity. As the healing powers faded away, he was left bbergasted.

    His body, broken and mangled beyond recognition, had beenpletely restored. New, rosy skin had appeared over his wounds. His veins and arteries were filled with blood again. His heart was beating, strong as an ox, and his lungs were blissfully empty of liquids.

    Even his cut-off arm had regrown. He flexed its fingers; they felt good as new, like they had always been there. Like the battle had been a dream. However, the sight of his previous arm in a puddle of blood served as a grim reminder of just how close to death he hade.

    But he had pushed through.

    He had survived. Seeded.

    Combat trial, passed, the voice said again, and this time, Jack imagined he heard a hint of approval in its tone. Withheld rewards presented.

    Suddenly, a slew of notifications clustered Jacks vision.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 70.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 71.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 72.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 73.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 74.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 75.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 76.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 77.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 78.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 79.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 80.</strong>

    He lost his breath. Hed never seen so many level-ups at the same time.

    <em>No wonder! </em>he thought. <em>No wonder I didnt get any level-ups during the battle The trial was holding them back, somehow. I didnt even know that was possible.</em>

    Despite his surprise and near-death experience, Jack didnt lose any time. He remembered that the voice had mentioned five trials; hed only been through four so far.

    In the few seconds of peace, he quickly checked his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 80</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 260 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 260 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 290 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 30 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 60 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 55</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step (I)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Indomitable Body (II), Iron Fist Style (I)</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Second Ring Conqueror</strong>

    This time, allocating them wasnt as simple as usual.

    First, he decided to pour twenty points into Mental. This trial had emphasized that having no weaknesses was important, as had his previous run-ins with Mental and Will cultivators. He would have liked to raise it to 60, like Will, but this was about survival. Twenty points was already plenty.

    Following Master Shols 8-1-1 distribution, he wouldnt need to reinvest in Mental until he reached four hundred points in the Physical attributes.

    The remaining thirty-five points would go into Physical. However, would he allocate them uniformly, or would he emphasize Strength and Dexterity to bnce Constitution?

    He decided to bnce.

    These three were the Physical sub-stats, which meant that each attribute point counted as three sub-points when split between them. The math was slightlyplex, but it was nothing to the current Jack.

    He invested twenty of his remaining points into Physical. They became sixty sub-points, enough to raise Strength and Dexterity to 290, just like Constitution. Then, with a satisfied grin, he split the remaining fifteen points evenly.

    <strong>Strength: 305</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 305</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 305</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 60</strong>

    Over three hundred Physical. The average pre-System human had five. Jack felt strong like an elephant, dexterous like a snake, and durable like a steel wallbut without the intelligence of one.

    The familiar surge of power coursed through his limbs, making the near-death experience fall away, recing the dread with anticipation. He couldnt wait to test his new power against someonepreferably that minotaur whod dared p Brock.

    The voice chose this moment to ring again, drawing Jack back to the present.

    You have proven the absence of weakness. You have proven strength. You have proven tenacity, intelligence, and a strong heart. You are worthy.

    Suddenly, space fissured. Verdant green now floated before him, shaped as a droplet, but its small size waspletely unable to hide its majesty. Jack was looking at an ocean of life, a well of inexhaustible energy, a Dao at a level far beyond anything hed ever seen. Even the Dao of the C-Gradeary overseer, as hed experienced it when she suppressed him in the arena, was tinypared to this drop.

    At the start of the trial, the voice had mentioned a divine gift. Jack didnt know what this was, but if someone told him it was the power of gods, he would believe them.

    Before he could think further, the drop flew inside him with tremendous speed. It crossed his skin like it was non-existent, diving into his body, his spirit. For the first time, he felt something approach his soul.

    However, the voice boomed out again, grim in its tone, all those are nothing without an undying ambition, a will eternal, unbroken, unsatisfiable. You have seeded in four of the trials, but the divine gift itself is the final crucible. If you cannot endure it, the powers of this ce will heal your soul. You may exit and keep the benefits you have already received, but know that they are nothingpared to the true reward. Best of luck.

    It was the first time the impassive voice gave him encouragement. Somehow, this scared Jack more than cold impassiveness.

    The moment the voice finished ringing, he was plunged into hell.

    The drop, whatever it was, finished seeping into his body. It spread across him from head to toes. It even invaded his mind. And then, it started pushing.

    His entire body was covered in riveting pain. The drop was pushing into him from every direction, notpressing him, but sinking into his body like an iron anvil might sink into particrly thick quicksand. It made him feel stic, impossibly bent. His every cell refused this invasion, but the drop persisted, slowly but surely demolishing his resistance.

    Of course, the process was extremely painful. Jack felt like his body was disintegrating, slowly, from the outside inward.

    His first reaction was to fight back. He gathered his focus and pushed against the drop, finding with surprise that he could easily resist it. He could even expel it. The pain abated as he pushed out, and Jack wanted nothing more than to keep pushing.

    But with the absence of pain came lucidity. He remembered the voices words. If he epted this gift, he would gain extreme power.

    But was that worth the pain?

    Jack closed his mouth, only now realizing he was screaming. Everything outside his body had long fallen away. He gnashed his teeth, wrestling against himself. The Dao Root of Indomitable Will came to his assistance, reinforcing his efforts, helping him control his impulses.

    He stopped resisting. The drop started sinking again, as slowly as ever, its sweep though his body absolute. Not a single cell escaped. The hellish pain returned, consuming him, rupturing him.

    His mouth flew open as he screamed, alone in a sealed stone cavern deep beneath the earth.

    Jack felt despair. The pain was so great that he had to escape it, to do something <em>right now</em>. And the worst part is, he could. He could push the drop away. Escape the pain.

    But if he did, he would fail. He would not have the power. He needed that.

    It felt like he had split into two people. One was screaming and thrashing, enduring hellish torture. The other was holding the first Jack captive, pinning him to the ground and forcing him to endure the pain, keeping his entire body glued to an ovens burning iron no matter how the first Jack screamed.

    Jack was his own torturer. His sense of self ruptured. Inflicting such misery on oneself made no sense. Why not release it? Why not escape?

    And yet, he persisted. Blind stubbornness, indomitable will, a burning, unquenchable thirst for the power this pain would bring.

    <em>Why do you persist? </em>he asked himself, screaming. <em>Why do you do this to me?</em>

    The answer was not clear. It was inside him, however, and Jack pushed.

    <em>You are insane! We do not deserve this! Let me go!</em>

    <em>NO!</em>

    <em>Why!?</em>

    Jack screamed again, the sound not even registering. Every nerve in his body was firing off like firecrackers. Every synapse in his brain was ring.

    The drop was sinking through his body slowly. It was like a bubble closing around him, with his heart as the center. But even after all this time, it was nowhere near done.

    <em>Why!? </em>One Jack demanded to know, while the other held his hands in a deathgrip around the neck of the first.

    His thoughts were loose. His body was jelly. His sense of self was torn, and he struggled to make even the slightest of thoughts. All he knew was that he had to push through, he had to endure, and this was a desire that stemmed from somewhere deep inside him, from the very core of what made him Jack Rust. It came without thought, without consideration.

    <em>Why!? </em>Jack screamed again, the voice echoing inside his own mind. <em>Why!?</em>

    He did not know. He could not see that far inside him. Why did he fight? Why did he progress? Why did he force himself forward when all thaty between him and triumph was pain?

    Why had he fought in the dungeon instead of lying down to die? Why had he joined the Tournament? Why had he stood up for what was right, refusing to be enved? Why had he cornered himself, running out to a hostile gxy to fight against insurmountable odds?

    Why could he not just yield and be happy?

    <em>Thats not happiness! </em>the torturer Jack screamed back. <em>Thats fake! Lies! Weakness! It is not my path!</em>

    That was the core, wasnt it? The path hed chosen, what hed forged himself into, the filter through which he saw the world. His desires were set. His soul was settled. He wanted to be this Jack Rust, not any other. The Jack who fought.

    <em>Why!? </em>the tortured Jack insisted, desperate to know why he had to endure such pain.

    Jack felt like it had been a century already, but the drop was only halfway through his body. His nerves were frayed, existing in an eternal state of pain. Could he persist all the way? He did not know. But he would try. His outer self was shed away, revealing his deepest core underneath.

    He had almost run out of power. He wanted to resist, but he simply couldnt any longer. The drop was approachingpletion, but could hest that much? He needed something to fuel him, to support him. Why did he fight? He dug deep inside himself, striving to find the core-most reason and grab on to it like a drowning man on a floating log.

    <em>Why!? </em>his thoughts screamed again, his fear, his despair, his weakness.

    At the end of his rope, he found the reason.

    <em>Becausepared to the pain of being weak, this is nothing.</em>

    When all else was shed away, this was all that remained. This was Jack Rust. A man who would never yield, never give up, never stop striving for greatness. A man who had seen through the lies he told himself. And he knew.

    Without strength, without freedom, life was meaningless.

    He remembered the times before the Integration. He was leading a dull life, simply floating along without power, without initiative, without control over his life. He always smiled and nodded, ying by the rules, seeking societys approval, burying himself deeper into the hurtful facade. The Integration had hurt, but it had shown him a way outa way that always existed, even before the Integration, but he was too weak of heart to pursue it.

    Now that he saw the truth, he could never go back. He did not want to return to those days. He was afraid of them, and of the person he used to be.

    He wanted power. Freedom. Without those, he might as well die.

    And the world had listened to his wishes. It had provided him the opportunity. If he gave up now, if he betrayed himself at this critical juncture, he would never recover. His will would be shattered. He would forever remain weak.

    He anchored himself to this truth, holding on with tooth and nail, using his despair as fuel to grab on harder.

    The pain did not abate, but the tortured Jack stopped resisting, epting his fate and why it had to be so. Torturer and tortured became the same. He was one again, a unity of will and pain centered around one axis: Strength. Freedom. True life.

    The pain came in crashing waves. Jack felt it all, but he no longer suffered as much. He knew he would not relent. He would persist until he died. That resolve took a weight off his chest, turning him into a rock at sea, always battered by waves but never budging, never relenting. His screams became a natural part of the world as his mind receded in a shell of eptance, watching his own pain as if from afar.

    It could have been a second or a year. Jack had no way to tell.

    Until everything came to an end.

    The pain disappeared. Jack was no longer in a stone cavern. In fact, he no longer had a body. He was in a vision simr to those he got from his sses, but the scenery was on a whole other level.

    He wasnt on a anymore. He was in space, surrounded by broken stars and swirling vortexes.

    And, right in front of him, the entire world was dark, like someone had stuck a ck sticker in the center of his vision.

 Chapter 156: Growing Stronger

    Chapter 156: Growing Stronger

    A huge circle of darkness was superimposed on Jacks vision. It was close and far away at the same time. He could sense it just before his eyes, a threat of cosmic scale, but he could also see stars orbiting it in the distance, their shapes twisting and warping, elongated.

    In this moment, Jack didnt have a mind to observe the universe around him. His gaze and soul were captivated by the darkness. He felt something in there, waiting, calling to him. It was gargantuan beyond belief.

    He knew it was there. And yet, the darkness showed nothing. It was a circle darker than ck, a void so imprable that not even light could escape, a ce where even time and space seemed to lose their meaning.

    A ce that could trap even Old Ones.

    Despite the absence of any clues, Jack could feel it beyond the shadow of a doubt. Something was hiding in the darkness. A deity shielded by an imprable veil. An existence on such a high level that it felt as sacred as the Dao itself, as therge fist hed glimpsed when he first touched upon his Dao of the Fist. It radiated life with such intensity that it overwhelmed everything else. It made death seem childish.

    Jack was humbled. The incalcble physical distance between himself and that force of life seemed like a fitting metaphor for the immeasurable difference between them.

    His mind ground to a halt, frozen in iprehension, paralyzed by being in the presence of something so superior. It was a self-defense mechanism. If not, he would go insane.

    The God in the ck hole spoke, but Jack couldnt understand the words. Each buffeted him like a tsunami, and blocking off reality was all he could do to shield his sanity.

    Eventually, a tired sigh resounded through the stars, and the vision faded away, returning Jack to reality. He instantly remembered the cruel, unending pain, a now inseparable part of his existence. He braced himselfbut it never came.

    From one moment to the next, the pain was simply not there. The feeling was jarring. It took him some time to adapt. The environment began to creep into his mind again, slowly, hesitantly.

    Jack was on the the stone cavern, lying on the floor. His entire body felt sore. Wounds brushed against the crude stone, but that pain was almost funny by now.

    He simplyy there for a while. Not moving, not thinking, just waiting for reality to settle over him, for his brain to forget about hell and start operating again.

    Many minutester, Jack forced himself to stand. Slowly, tentatively, he rose to his feet. Nothing bad happened. No assault, no pain. Finally able to think again, he finally wondered, <em>What the hell happened?</em>

    He first thought about the vision, but the mere memory filled him with horror. The visions intensity was such that even considering it stretched his soul. However, Jack wouldnt be stopped by mere horror.

    <em>A God in bottomless darkness </em>he thought, suppressing a shiver. <em>Enas. The Old One that was trapped in a ck hole by his peers, for reasons unknown. It was his statue I touched toe here. The voice spoke about a divine gift.</em>

    <em>Does this trial really have a direct connection to an Old One?</em>

    The thought was enough to fill him with anticipation. Just what would such an entity consider valuable enough to call a gift?

    However, Jack had to admit that this trial was no joke either. He was extremely strong for his level, and also well-suited to fighting crowds of weaker enemies, but thebat trial had still almost doomed him. And the pain of that drop entering his body

    Only his steel resolve, cultivated through many life-or-death situations, had pulled him through. How many people could boast the same decisiveness?

    Who was this trial designed to find?

    The rewards could only be suitable. Jack turned his gaze inward, afraid of what he might find.

    There, inside his soul, was a new entity. A drop of liquid, vibrant green, floating around in his Dao Seedhis solongside his two Dao Roots. No; it wasnt just floating around. It was connected to him, fused. Little roots spread from its core to dive into the nearby space, resembling the Dao Root of Indomitable Will he had only recently fused.

    Besides that, the drop looked nothing like a Dao Root. Apparently, the System disagreed.

    <strong>Congrattions! The Dao Root of Life had been sessfully fused with your Dao Seed.</strong>

    <strong>Strength +20</strong>

    <strong>Constitution +20</strong>

    <strong>Will +20</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Indomitable Body II  Indomitable Body III.</strong>

    <strong>Indomitable Body III: You possess more than mere physicality. The Dao of the Fist reinforces your entire body, making it indomitable. You have significant durability, </strong><strong><em>extreme </em></strong><strong>regenerative powers, and heightened control over your body, including its natural limiters. Additionally, your mind is fast enough to keep up.</strong>

    Conveniently, the System italicized the differences from the previous tier of the skill. This time, it was only one word: his regenerative powers had be extreme.

    <em>What? </em>Jack opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 80</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 325</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 305</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 325</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 80</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch II, Iron Fist Style I, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist te), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Second Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <em>What? </em>he asked again. This didnt make any sense. The drop was the Dao Root of Life? And it had fused with him? When? What did he know about life? He had never even pondered the issue.

    It didnt even look like a Dao Root at all.

    Something was wrong here.

    <em>Either there are many things I dont understandor the System misinterpreted something, </em>Jack thought. <em>Still, I thought the Dao could only be understood, not transferred. Is this the power of a God? What happened? And how?</em>

    <em>And how do I get out of here?</em>

    He waited a moment. The sun mushroom above still covered the cavern in still light, and the absolute silence was like heaven after all the trials intensity. Since the voice didnt seem eager to speak up, Jack focused inward again, taking a better look at his new Dao Root.

    No matter how he looked at it, it still didnt look like one. The System could say whatever it wanted, but Jack knew that this wasnt a Dao Root. Or maybe it was, but it was also much more.

    It was a reservoir of unlimited energy, a well of infinite vitality, like an ocean of lifepressed to the size of a droplet. It made sense that his regeneration would be ramped up so hard that his Indomitable Body rose an entire tier.

    But there was more. He gazed into the drop, focusing more and more on it. As he did, its details sharpened, its ocean of life growing ever deeper. His current spiritual perception wasnt even enough to reach the bottom.

    <em>Just what is this thing? </em>he wondered for the hundredth time in one minute. His thoughts immediately whirled in a new direction. <em>And what else can I do with it?</em>

    He sensed the endless vitality, the power. There were roots connecting this drop to the rest of his soul, but they now seemed tiny. The amount of power they could transmit to him was nothing inparison to the drops reserves, a tiny fraction of a fraction.

    <em>What happens if I draw more?</em>

    He tried. The drop was in his soul, after all, so he had good control over it. He sensed the thin barrier keeping the power of life contained, and he very gently parted it, letting a tiny part of the drops energy seep out, infiltrating his soul through osmosis and quickly reaching a point of bnce. Something clicked.

    The change was instantaneous. He was filled with such power that his body was about to burst. He quickly let the barrier drop again, releasing a cry of surprise, but the energy that had already been released flooded him, coursing aggressively to his every nook and cranny. It pushed at him from the inside like a flood, demanding that his body expand or explode.

    He really was afraid that he would burst. Instead, somehow, he expanded.

    Jacks eyes snapped open, observing the changes in his body. He couldnt believe it.

    He grew taller and wider. His body was magnifiedeven his pants. He instantly grew a whole foot in height, all his proportions remaining constant. He sensed power course through his body like when he leveled up. His overall power had just increased by a significant margin, though no System notification apanied the change.

    Before he could digest what happened, staring at his own hands with wonder, he realized that the life energy wasnt done yet. It circled around his body, frustrated that hed stopped growing, and focused under his armpits.

    There was a momentary spike of pain as his skin ruptured. Then, to Jacks absolute shock, two more arms grew out under his regr ones, flesh and muscles entwining to form elbows, forearms, hands, and fingers. It resembled the way his cut-off arm had regrown after thebat trial.

    Jack had four arms.

    Only now was the life energy satisfied, content to course around his body and continuously support its changes.

    Jack was left as a four-armed giant. He was stupefied. He flexed his fingers in disbeliefall twenty of themoverawed by how he hadplete and easy control over his two new arms like they had always been there. Instinctively, he clenched one into a fist and punched out. A purple meteor unfurled, its starry line crossing the room tond on the floor ten feet to the side with an explosion.

    What the fuck? he couldnt resist saying. He couldnt stop looking over himself, conflicted between shock and glee.

    He had suddenly grown massively stronger. The life drop was a tremendous boon to hisbat abilities. It also gave him extra arms. He could punch much faster. But he had four arms.

    <em>What?</em>

    He checked his status screen, but nothing had changed. His stats remained as they were, as did his titles and dao roots. There was no indication that his body had just changedpletely.

    <em>Will I stay like this forever? </em>he thought with a spike of horror. It wouldnt be too bad. He would be strong. But everyone would look at him weird. Did he really care?

    However, he soon realized that was not the case. He hadnt noticed it before due to the shock, but the life energy coursing through his body was under his control. With an effort of will, he pushed it back inside the drop, where it remained easily.

    The changes reverted. His two new arms shrunk back, the skin closing without a trace where they used to be, and he shrunk until he regained his normal size.

    It was like nothing had changed.

    Jack wasnt sure he could process this.

    Congrattions, the booming voice came again, fanning Jacks hopes of an exnation. This time, the voice carried emotion. Deep, trembling joy. You have seeded in inheriting the divine gift, the Life Drop, a drop of blood from the Old God of Life himself. This is an unfathomable honor, as well as a great duty.

    You will notice that the Life Drop has joined your body as an already fused Dao Root. The System will say so, if it still exists, but that is false. It simply cannotprehend the powers of an Old God. That is also a gift. If the System recognized the Life Drop for what it was, a sign of the Old Gods, its forces would descend on you and this ce, demanding to take it away or destroy it.

    Fear not. The soul is invible. Neither the System nor anyone else can discover the Life Drop inside you without special means. However, there is more power in this divine gift. Look deep into it, let its power seep out to fill you, and you will assume a form that vastly increases your powers.

    I did that already, Jack replied. The voice either couldnt hear him or ignored himprobably the former, given how talkative it now was. Sess really did change everyones attitude.

    It waited a few moments, expecting Jack to realize and experiment with the Life Drops powers.

    That form is a great weapon that requires utmost secrecy, the voice finally continued. If word of it gets around to the ones in power, they will know what it means. That will be your end. Therefore, that form should only be used as a final resort, when you are certain there is nobody watching, or when you are certain that those watching will not report your powers.

    I see, Jack replied, nodding. An ace in my sleeve.

    Giving you ess to that power is a gamble, the voice admitted, suddenly sounding a bit hesitant. But, if you are to achieve the feats we require of you, trusting your judgment is essential. You have attained great power today, young mortal. Use it wisely. Your path is endless, your potential limitless. Make us proud. Right our wrongs. Undo the evil we have created.

    I, uh Thank you. Ill do my best, Jack replied. Could you perhaps tell me more about this evil? I, uh, have no idea what youre talking about.

    You will exit this hall shortly. We ask that you use your power rightly, with the Dao as your guide, and with utmost secrecy. Tell no one about it, not even your closest allies, for it is always them who tempt betrayal. If you stand out sufficiently, as you doubtlessly will, the great forces of the universe will stop at nothing to get your secrets.

    Okay, that sounds dangerous. I noticed you keep talking about important things, like great forces and such, but not saying names. Could you maybe

    Goodbye, chosen one. May you scale the peak we failed to master.

    I

    And just like that, Jack teleported away.

 Chapter 157: Pulling the Trigger

    Chapter 157: Pulling the Trigger

    Jack appeared in the middle of the shrine with a stumble. The moment reality finished ying around, he scanned his surroundings.

    Destruction. The skeleton by the corner was the only thing left untouched. The rest of the shrine was carnage, like someone took a sledgehammer and went to town on it. The thin walls were torn and battered. The floor was upturned. The ceiling had copsed in ces, showering the room with debris.

    Not even the statue of Enas had escaped. Ity on the ground with tiny dents on its face, surrounded by chips of stone. Someone had tried and failed to break it.

    Jack was seized by anxiety. He had just received a divine gift by Enas. Now, someone had tried to break his statue? Was that considered sphemy? Was Jack supposed to do something about it? Not that hed ever agreed to such a thing, but still, it felt right to help those who helped you.

    <em>If the statue was destroyed, would I be stuck in that cavern? </em>he wondered with rising brows.

    Jack! A cry reached him, filled with tion. He looked outside the shrine, finding Nauja approaching, and walked to meet her.

    Outside the little room, the wave of destruction continued unabated. The flimsy fence was tattered, the soil carved, the nearby ruins of a house copsed.

    Thank the System youre here! Nauja said, rushing over. She seemed relieved. Brock was worried sick. He tore the ce up to find you.

    Brock did all that? Jack asked, looking around again.

    He went berserk! I managed to stop him from destroying my ancestors skeleton, but the rest of it She gestured widely at the disaster. Well, lets just say its a good thing the Ancients here are long, long gone.

    My little bro

    Jack heart fluttered. Brock had been so worried that he started searching everywhere He wasnt even gone that long. The brori must have been frantic.

    As if on cue, Brock spilled out from behind a hut at full tilthed heard Jack and Naujas voices. The moment he saw Jack, his little eyes widened, and Jack could see the tension leaving the little broris shoulders.

    His fur was matted, covered in chips of wood and stone. His staff was dusty, his pants torn at the hems, his gaze filled with tion. He rushed to Jack like a cannonball of fur and mmed on him, sending them both to the ground.

    Oof! Jack said, falling on his back. I missed you too, bro.

    Yes! Bro! Yes! Brock stood on Jacks chest, drumming on his chest and cheering to the heavens before realizing what he was doing. He quickly stepped back and helped Jack stand, then dutifully dusted off his big bros pants.

    Jackughed. Its alright, Brock. Im d to see you were worried about me.

    Bro! Brock eximed, almost insulted. He pointed at Jack, then himself. Bros.

    Oh, you even know the plural now? How long was I gone for?

    A few hours, Nauja replied. She gave him a pointed look. Enough for Brock to wreck the ruins of my ancestors.

    Jack paused. That didnt sound quite right. Should he scold Brock?

    Then again, Brock had seen his big bro touch a statue and disappear. He didnt know how the world worked. In fairness, Jack might have acted the same way. He really couldnt me his little bro.

    But he <em>had </em>destroyed the ruins of Naujas ancestors. <em>Why didnt she stop him? Could she be worried, too?</em>

    I understand your reaction, bro. It came from the heart, he dered, raising his hands in a peace gesture. Still, we apologize for disrespecting your ancestors, Nauja. At least it all worked out.

    Yeah, she epted the half-apology after hesitating for a moment. Where were you, anyway?

    So, Jack told them. Not everythingjust most things. He detailed the simple stone cavern, the voices instructions, and the trials he went through. In the end, he even told them about his reward. The only things he withheld were the vision, the battle form offered by the Life Drop, and its true identity as a drop of blood from Enas himself. He said it was simply the Dao Root of Life.

    It pained him to lie, especially to Brock, but he remembered the voices instructions. Closest friends were the ones whose betrayal stang the bitterest.

    A momentter, he felt ashamed by his own thoughts.

    No, you know what? I said some inuracies. Let me fix that.

    And he told them the rest as well. In the end, he hid nothing. Such was the path of the fist. Perhaps there were mind-readers somewhere in the universe, but Nauja had journeyed here with him and risked her life to help him when the minotaur came knocking.

    As for Brock Well, Brocks importance and loyalty went without saying. They were brothers.

    Wow, Nauja said breathlessly when Jack was done talking. An Old One? Really?

    The voice called him an Old God, but yes. He nodded. So, basically, Im super strong, but nobody must find out.

    Brock gave him a thumbs-up.

    You should test out that form, Nauja said. I look forward to seeing four-armed, big Jack.

    What, here?

    Why not? This could be the most secretive ce in Trial.

    Jack hesitated. He didnt fear discovery if he used his new power here, but the truth was, he felt a bit ufortable. He had already ignored the voices instructions by sharing the secretfairly, in his opinion. If he now demonstrated his powers for no reason, even if it was safe Wouldnt he be a little too carefree? Almost disrespectful of the power hed received?

    Maybeter, he finally said. When the timees, you will see it.

    Nauja pouted but said nothing. Brock nodded calmly. He was obviously consumed by curiosity but acted like nothing was wrong.

    So, Jack said, looking around, how do we get out of here?

    There is an exit tunnel leading to the next ring. We discovered it while searching before.

    He raised a brow. We?

    Obviously, I was searching too. Nauja crossed her arms. What did you expect, that Id just sit back and let Brock wreck this ce alone?

    Good point. But what about you? You dont want toe to the next ring. Is the way back open?

    She bit her lip. I took a look, but the door remains sealed. I think I think there is no way back. Or, if there is, I dont know where.

    Jack fell silent for a moment. I could try breaking the door.

    I dont think thats wise.

    Then, what are you going to do?

    She raised her head. Come along, obviously. At least for a bit. I can backtrack when we reach the next ring and climb back up through another tunnel.

    Hmm. Jack took a close look at her, not believing her hard attitude. If youre there already, you coulde to the vige with us. Meet Gan Salin. See the world a bit. And you backtrackter.

    Her head remained raised, her gaze somber, but Jack saw the redness creep up her neck. I have considered that, yes. Maybe I will.

    He smiled gently. Your father will be worried sick, you know.

    At this, she finally lowered her head. I knowbut he sent me on a suicide mission. He even told me to win or die trying. I I didnt like that. I didnt deserve it. He always acts like he knows everything just because hes five hundred years old and an immortal, but I dont think thats right. So, its okay. Let him worry. He could use some heartache.

    And the rest of your tribe?

    They can handle it. Besides, we barbarians hate holding each other back. Theyll understand. And if I never make it back Her gaze darkened. Then I died in the Forbidden Cave, hunted by delvers for protecting a guest of the tribe.

    Jack nodded, his appreciation of her rising. If nothing else, Nauja was clear-cut and decisive. Very well. In that case, we should get going. I suppose we already searched the ruins, in our own, special way.

    Nauja looked around. I suspect this kind of searching will be our staple.

    Heh. You know what? Our team has a brori, a barbarian, and a musclehead. Sounds like a recipe for fun.

    And death.

    Not if we can hit it hard enough. Heughed.

    What about that friend of yours? That Gan Salin?

    Oh, hes the worst of us all. Hes insane.

    Great. She rolled her eyes. Maybe we should try breaking that door after all.

    Jackughed again, apanied by Brock.

    So, lets get going, he said again.

    Right.

    They only took a few steps before Nauja froze. Her eyes widened. Wait! she said. Oh, by the System, I cant believe I forgot to tell you.

    Tell me what?

    While searching for you, I scanned some things. The statue, the wood in the ruins. And, well

    She sounded equal parts worried and guilty, like it was a big deal.

    Well, what? Jack asked.

    You might want to take a look for yourself.

    But the rules

    Trust me. It no longer matters. Just inspect it.

    Jack was already worried, but he trusted her. He directed his gaze at a copsed house and finally gave in to the urge of scanning.

    <strong>Ancient Wood</strong>

    <strong><em>A kind of wood only found in</em></strong>

    The screen suddenly crumbled, reced by another.

    <strong><em>WARNING!</em></strong>

    <strong><em>ANCIENT ACTIVITY DETECTED. EXTERMINATION PROTOCOL INITIATED. THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. EXTERMINATORS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY. VISIT ANY HAND OF GOD HEADQUARTERS TO RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE BOUNTY. YOUR DISCOVERY CODE IS DT3759FGD937RN.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>ALL DETAILS OF THIS MATTER ARE NOW CLASSIFIED. SHARING ANY INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN YOUR SWIFT EXTERMINATION.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEW WORLD.</em></strong>

    Jack recoiled. The intensity of this System message was unlike anything hed ever read before.

    What? he said, reeling. Red, capital letters? Extermination? Bounty? Hand of God? What the hell is going on?

    I have no idea, Nauja replied quickly. I dont know many things about the outside world. It almost sounds like there is a bounty on Ancientsbut that should be impossible. The System was created by the Immortals to avenge them. It should be overjoyed at any sign of surviving Ancients. Why would it want to exterminate them instead?

    The Hand of God is acknowledged by the System? Jack asked, focusing on that part of the message. He shook his head. I really have no idea whats going on anymore.

    We should go.

    Absolutely. I dont like this. The farther away we are from whatever is happening, the better And lets not tell anyone about this. Just to be safe.

    Agreed. The tunnel is just behind that hill. Lets go.

    Rushing over, they quickly reached a stone door engraved with images of dinosaurs and fur-d people, along with colossal sea creatures, dragons, and all sorts ofrge monsters.

    Not every part of this Ring has dinosaurs, Nauja exined. Jack grabbed the door and pulled itBrock took notesrevealing a dark tunnel sloping downward. After you.

    Charming.

    There were no torches here, but Brock grabbed some wood from the ruins behind themnot the scannable kindand lit it up. He went first, followed by Nauja and Jack. The door mmed shut behind them, leaving the ruins undisturbed, silent, alone. Sacred. As they had been for eons.

    ***

    Trial was alone in a sea of nothingness, unattached to any stars, simply floating through the vastness of space. The only signs of life around it were two moons in orbit, each housing one station of the Hand of God. Nothing changed here. Ever.

    On this day, space was ripped apart like a torn sheet. A small fleet of starships flew in through the rift. Ten of them were dark and needle-shaped, each an order of magnituderger than the Trampling Ram. Thest was white and evenrger, shaped as the curve of a ma.

    These ships housed a flurry of activity. People dashed back and forth, all of them immortals. Each of the ten needle ships wasmanded by a person d in long white robes, to whom all nearby immortals showed great deference.

    On the bridge of thergest ship stood a woman whose mere presence bent space. She was tall and lithe, middle-aged in appearance. White hair framed her pale face, and a white robe stretched from her shoulders to her ankles, but her physicality belied the gargantuan force that hid inside her.

    The Dao flowed around this woman like a river around a rock. Reality shuddered where she looked, and all nearby immortals avoided her gaze, unworthy of even meeting her eyes. She exuded a feeling of purity, like everything was made cleaner just by being near her, but it was the kind of purity that could smother and extinguish everything else. Her eyes were narrowed at Trial, clear, yet intense.

    We have arrived, Head Enforcer, a white-robed man said, falling to his knees behind her. He was her lieutenant, and he, too, was someone that the nearby immortals greatly deferred to.

    Trial the woman said slowly, her voice clear like river water. What an inconvenient ce. Why am I here?

    Head enforcer, the protocol dictates that a B-Grade is always to lead the ext

    But I cannot enter that, can I? She swiveled around to look at him, her eyes boring holes through his heart. So my time is wasted.

    The man hesitated. Protocol is

    I am aware, she said with a sigh, turning back to Trial. Already, the leaders of each satellite station were rushing over to meet her, but she was in no mood. Unfortunately, even B-Grades couldnt openly oppose protocol. She hid her difort, asking, Do we have more information?

    We only know theyre somewhere inside the. Not too close to the surface, so we can rule out the second ring.

    Okay. Inform every Hand of God initiate inside Trial to be on lookout. Detecting the Ancient remnants is now our top priority. They are to scour their respective rings exhaustively. If they find anything, they are to back away and inform us without taking action. They should also ask around for unusual events within thest day or couple of days. Additionally, assemble a team of a hundred E-Grade initiates, give them the proper equipment, and send them in Trial within three days. They are to search everything and not return until they find the Ancients.

    Do you mean we should spend a hundred tokens, Head Enforcer?

    Did I stutter?

    The lieutenant remained silent, sweat forming on his forehead. I hear and obey, Head Enforcer.

    As you should. Conveniently, the Animal Kingdom gave us those tokens just recently.

    Should we withdraw our members from the Garden Assault, Head Enforcer?

    She took a moment to calcte. Keep our head team in the Assault, but withdraw everyone else. The extermination takes precedence, she finally decided. She sighed again. We will remain here until the remnants are confirmed exterminated, as protocol dictates. Arrange for one of the two moons to be evacuated and made into my meditation chamber.

    Yes, Head Enforcer, the lieutenant said, bowing deeply.

    The woman with the Dao of Purity gazed at the again, scowling deeply. A waste of my damn time. She shook her head, then looked to the side as if remembering something. Oh, and obviously, surround Trial and get the proper equipment to deep-scan anyone who exits. The Ancients liked to leave power behind for their sessors. If anyone got it, they wont escape our.

 Chapter 158: Village Ring

    Chapter 158: Vige Ring

    Jack emerged from the tunnel with a full breath of fresh air.

    Ahh, he said in mock relief. Nothing beats a good old desert.

    The Vige Ring, unlike what its name indicated, was not a vige. It was a scorching desert striped with red and brown sand,plete with arge amount of sun mushrooms a hundred miles overhead, an arid climate, and a whole menagerie of fearsome monsters.

    The rings name came from the nine viges spread around its surface, each in its own oasis. These nine were, in fact, the only oases of the entire ring, and they were the main meeting points of cultivator teams throughout Trial. People entered by themselves, crossed the second and third ring, and reconvened here, where they could interact with other cultivators or recruit them to fill in their missing team spotsin case someone died on the way.

    This practice was so fundamental to Trial that, even though the Hand of God spread the members of teams across multiple entrances to the second ring, they didnt separate them by too much, allowing them to reach the same vige in the Vige Ring. Hence why Gan Salin had been so confident they would reassemble here.

    Of course, Jack and Brock didnt know all that. Nauja had informed them as they crossed the long tunnel.

    I always dreamt of the day I left my ring, she said, stepping out of the tunnel entrance behind Jack. This isalmost dreamy.

    Wait till you see the good parts, Jack replied,ughing. This desert is a poor introduction. Dont you think so, Brock?

    The brori carried his Staff of Stone in one hand and wiped his forehead with the other. Though his short fur was well-suited for a desert climate, he was simply too low-level. The temperature here was far higher than in any desert of Earth. The sand burned like coal, and the air shimmered from the heat. Moreover, the sun mushrooms red from above, arge crowd of little suns, and there wasnt even a hint of a cloud to protect the poor cultivators below.

    From what Ive heard, Nauja said, stepping to the front, this ring isnt too dangerous. We should be fine as long as were careful.

    Jack nodded. Fine by me. Any idea where that vige is? The sooner we reach it, the better.

    Simple. See the columns?

    Yeah. He looked up. As in every other ring, the entrance tunnels wererge stone columns that extended from the floor to the ceiling a hundred miles overhead. Obviously, they were visible from arge distance away. Jack could see them towering in all directions, sparse but clearly present. The closest onebesides theirsmust have been a days walk away.

    Since this was the fourth ring already, its surface area was much smaller than the entires. As a result, not only were nine viges enough to cover the entire desert without anyone needing to walk too long, but the rings curvature was easily visible. Jack caught the ceiling arcing in the horizon, the stone columns rising diagonally through the air.

    There is no entrance near the viges, Nauja exined. If we find the ce where the columns are sparser, thats where the vige will be. Cant miss it.

    Hmm. There were stone columns as far as the eye could see, stretching intermittently like middle fingers to the heavens. Looking more carefully, Jack did spot a suspicious absence of them around a spot to their front and left. On the bright side, I think I got it, he said. But its far away.

    Yeah, Nauja confirmed, shielding her eyes. Must be a weeks worth? Maybe closer. I cant calcte distance well here.

    Neither can I. Dont worry about it.

    Shall we?

    We shall.

    And so, without any sort of ceremony, they left their stone column behind and marched on.

    You know, Jack said as an afterthought, isnt the column we came from suspicious? If anybody maps these entrances to the exits above, they will notice that our column doesnt lead to any known exit. With a bit more research, theyll trace it to the Forbidden Cave.

    I guess. Nauja shrugged. But its not that easy. Mapping entrances to exits requires precise coordination between two teams, one in each ring, and nobody has the time for that. Besides, its not like theyd earn anything.

    What if anyone tries to climb up from here?

    Not all entrances are essible from below. If I had to guess, this one isnt, and nobody wants to climb up for a day only to reach a locked door and have to go all the way back.

    Thats how long it took them. The tunnel from the surface to the second ring was hollow, allowing Jack to cross it quickly with leaps. The rest of them were not, forcing them to walk a hundred miles downmuch more, if one calcted the slope. Even at a brisk jogthe equivalent of a pre-System humans runit had taken them a day to reach this ring from the Ancient ruins.

    As a bonus side effect, not only were they in a desert, they were also winded.

    Very well. Lets hope nobody takes a closer look, Jack said, throwing the column a final nce.

    Yeah Nauja agreed. Lets hope so.

    Yes, Brock added his two cents.

    And so, they cast into the desert. It wasdull. There was no terrain besides the endless sand dunes. Moreover, the sand itself was annoying, as it had the bad habit of sometimes caving under their feet and forcing them to exert more effort than seemed necessary. Other times, it was hard as a rock, throwing off their rhythm.

    It was easy for ones attention to drift in the desert. To doze off. Thankfully, Jack had indomitable will, letting him remain razor-sharp even in this dull terrainat the expanse of boredom.

    He also took the time to go through the screens hed received upon entering the desert.

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Second Ring Conqueror upgraded to Third Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +10%  +15%</strong>

    <strong>Vige Ring Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Make your way to the Space Ring in a team of at least three and at most five individuals.</strong></li></ul>

    The 5% increase was a wee bonus. Jacks strength was already pretty high, what with all the level-ups from the Enas trial and the extra, fused Dao Rootor what the System assumed was a Dao Rootwith its sixty stat points. Add to that the now-fused Indomitable Will, which also gave sixty stat points, the Immortal Serum hed consumed on Earth, which gave another fifty, and his perfect Dao Seed, which was a qualitative advantage, and his strength was beginning to snowball well outside the reach of a normal level 80 cultivator. Or, at least, so he hoped.

    With any luck, he could now fightte E-Grade monsters equally, perhaps even peak ones.

    Amusingly, that also made him stronger than Nauja. Probably.

    She caught his weighing nce. What are you looking at?

    Nothing. Just admiring the only thing that moves in this damn desert.

    How can you be bored already? Weve been here for, like, twenty minutes.

    Thats neen minutes too much, if you ask me.

    Sheughed, more out of good mood than amusement. Whatever, desert hater. This ce may seem uninteresting to you, but its the first time I see anything other than my jungle. Arent you simply overwhelmed by all this? She gestured wildly.

    All this what?

    All this empty space! She spun in a circle. Look! There are no trees, no bushes, no dinosaurs. My eyes can see far away without climbing on the canopy! I have perfect awareness of my surroundings! It is so empty!<em></em>So<em>different!</em>

    Her voice almost culminated in an excited squeal before she pushed it back down, but Jack could sense her enthusiasm bubbling over. She was like a kid in an amusement park. It could have been adorable if not for her ripped body and big-ass longbow hanging on her back.

    Still, he cracked a smile. <em>This could have been me when the System came, </em>Jack thought.<em> If everything wasnt trying to kill me. Must be nice.</em>

    Then again, hadnt he felt this way when watching the stars from the bridge of the Trampling Ram? When he woke up in Pearl Bay, was teleported to the Brian Outpost, or crossed half a gxy to reach Trial, with its ruined surface and multiyered innards? When he met the giant forest and its insects, when he hunted dinosaurs and drank alcohol with barbarians in a picturesque valley in the middle of a lush jungle? When he stood in front of a God?

    <em>What a big world</em>

    He drew in a deep breath, uncaring of the burning wind, letting it fill his lungs and expel the sadness. He was free, unfettered, adventurous. He was an explorer, a pioneer. Even the constant danger was more of a pleasant inconvenience than a terrible fate. His path was one of violence, now. In conflict, he felt alive.

    And what a great feeling that was.

    You know, Nauja, he said, sliding up besides her, the world is such a vast, wonderful ce. There are oceans, mountains, deserts, jungles, forests, ins, cities. There are starsgiant balls of fire that can easily fit a thousand Trials inside thes of all kinds, people of a million different species, all distinctly different, and yet equally mesmerizing. Have you heard of kovans? Theyre shaped like spinning tops, with four arms and one leg they hop on. Theirs atmosphere is so dense that they can fly, and they feed on gas.

    Her eyes widened. Really?

    For sure!

    Ive seen kovans before, but I never knew Her gaze darkened a bit. Those are all cultivators though, arent they? Delvers. Greedy, disrespectful, hical bastards.

    Im a cultivator too, arent I? Jack shot back, his smile gentle. The world is full of assholes, but there are nice people, too. On the way here, I met a captain and a crew who toured the stars with only camaraderie in their hearts. They epted me as one of their own even though I lied to themeven though I had to. His gaze grew distant for a moment. He still didnt know what happened to the Trampling Ram. I hope theyre okay.

    And how do you find people like that? she asked, letting her curiosity take the better of her. All the delvers Ive seen are She didnt finish her words, but her grimace was crystal clear.

    I dont know about delvers, Jack admitted. Theye from B-Grade factions, so theyre a different breed But there are all sorts of people out there. You just have to sift through the bad apples and keep looking until you find a good one. Bond with them, then keep going until you are surrounded by trustworthy, loyal, wonderful people.

    She shrunk back. That doesnt sound easy.

    It is not. But with a little bit of courage, a little bit of practice, and a little bit of patience, you can make your world a beautiful ce.

    I I dont think I can.

    Everyone can.

    No, you dont understand, I She cut off, biting her lip and shaking her head. Nevermind.

    She then stormed on ahead. Jack followed her with his gaze, surprised at her sudden change of mood, but didnt press the issue.

    Brock, sensing Naujas suddenly foul mood, walked up to her and grabbed her hand. She froze for a moment, staring at him, but then resumed walking, one barbarian and one brori, each drinking in thepany of the other. Naujas steps regained her spring shortly afterward, though a hint of bitterness remained deep in her eyes.

    Minutes turned into hours. The terrain flowed on, one sand dune giving way to another. Everything looked the same. There were nondmarks besides the stone columns, but they were so big and so far away that they seemed unchanging, as if they were walking but staying in the same spot.

    It could be disheartening. The harsh environment also didnt help. Thankfully, Jack had been through worse, Nauja was busy being excited, and Brock didnt care too much, though he did asionally ask to ride on Jacks shoulders. His bare feet didnt handle the hot sand too well.

    Unfortunately, they had neither an umbre nor the spare fabric to make one, so they were forced to endure the scorching sun mushrooms.

    asionally, they did spot monsters. They were rare but strong. Jack was the one to spot an oddly shivering sand dune, which they made a wide circle around. Once, they were attacked by a level 80 giant scorpion which simply burst out of the sand. Due to its ambush, the threat was farrger than its level would indicate, but Nauja saw iting just in time and jumped away. After that, the battle was swift, bloodlessfor themand, unfortunately, level-less.

    There were horse-sized scaled lizards hiding just under the sand, snakes slithering between the dunes, as well as round, brown ticks that camouged seamlessly into the desert. The weakest monster around was level 80, with the strongestthe snakesranging up to 124.

    However, by far the biggest threat they saw was a colossal sand worm.

 Chapter 159: Viviâ€™s Strength

    Chapter 159: Vivi¡¯s Strength

    Vivi soared through the sky. Her me wings beat back the clouds as she rushed forward at top speed.

    Usually, this kind of energy expenditure would be considered reckless and putting her at risk. Now, she had no time to care. Smoke rose in the horizon. The smoke of Ouagadougouthe capital of Burkina Faso. Her headquarters.

    She sped through the air and over the walls. The people below shouted at her, but the wind stole their words. Her wings took her to the presidential pce courtyard, where a battle had taken ce. Corpses were strewn all over the ground. Men and women who used to be her most promising recruits nowy cold and lifeless.

    She dropped to the ground, letting her wings dissipate as she took in the destruction. Her rage shimmered and burned, but she held it down.

    What happened? she demanded to know.

    A man approached her through the rubble. It was the lieutenant general who served as her advisor. He was limping. The Ice Peak executives, he said slowly. They attacked while you were gone. We tried to fight back, but they were too strong.

    Pain flooded her heart. Disappointment, regret, guilt.

    The professor of the Bare Fist Brotherhood had advised her to tighten her defenses, fearing an imminent strike. Vivi, however, was unsettled. Shepared herself to the other two leadersthe professor and Petrovicand found herselfcking. Her people believed in her, wanted her to lead, but she didnt have the calcting skills that her opponent and ally did. She was a warrior queen.

    She had decided to y to her strengths instead of fighting a losing battle. Shed taken to the front lines, leading an elite squad, and had conquered two dungeons in the span of a day. Her insecurities had abated, filling her with confidence and satisfaction. Finally, she was doing something right. She was winning.

    But she was not. She had left her capital weakened. The Ice Peak had been nning a strike, just as the professor warned, and Vivi just made it easier for them. They had taken advantage of her absence tounch a sharp offensive on her presidential pce, ying some of the elites she had poured so many resources into before running away.

    Nobody would admit it was the Ice Peak. They were in cold war, after all. This attack would be framed as terrorism, but everyone knew what happened. There were even icicles still melting on the ground.

    The red and green gpole at the top of her pce was snapped in half, only a in pole remaining. The g itself was missing, no doubt taken as a war trophy.

    Vivi wanted to scream.

    Instead, she reined in her emotions. She was a leader. Managing this disaster took precedence. Her own peace wouldeter.

    Whats the number of casualties? she asked her lieutenant.

    It was an inside job, he replied. His words were calm, steely, but his eyes let a hint of usation show. Vivi didnt have the heart to confront him about it. We lost thirteen elites, fifty high F-Grades, and a hundred middle ones. The enemy lost nine in total. Additionally, some people in Ouagadougou died by the fires and wide-scale attacks of the offenders, while many were injured. We have managed to put out the fires now, but a small portion of the city is temporarily inhospitable. However, thergest loss we received was in prestige. Our people are in shambles. They are filled with doubt. When I announced we were recruiting, not many showed up.

    He gestured to a small kiosk by the side, where a battle-hardened woman sat on a chair with her arms crossed. People came to her in a trickle. Nothing like the rush that usually followed an enlistment opportunity in the prestigious me River.

    <em>I caused this, </em>Vivi thought. She struggled to keep a straight face as the earth swam beneath her feet. <em>I am ruining my faction and my country.</em>

    What should we do,mander? the lieutenant asked, throwing her a level stare. Challenging her. She had to reply and reestablish her authoritybut say what? What was the best course of action right now? How to recover from this disaster? The lieutenant had clearly handled most things already. The wounded were tended to, the corpses slowly removed, and recruitment efforts were already taking ce to restock their numbers.

    Was she even necessary?

    <em>I am not a leader, </em>she thought again, heart swimming in darkness. <em>The people want me, but they are fools. I Why would they even want me? What do they see in me? I am not as smart as the professor or as experienced as Petrovic. All I can do is fight. I truly want to help them, I wouldy my life down for them all, but every decision I make is wrong. All I cause them is pain.</em>

    <em>I am useless.</em>

    A ruckus came from the front gates as Vivi was doubting herself. Btedly, she turned to look, finding arge crowd rushing her with tion in their eyes. Her guilt intensified.

    <em>Dont look at me like that. I did this. I do not deserve your love.</em>

    Commander! the first people cried out. Youre back!

    Were safe now!

    Themander is here!

    Their cheers were iron spikes in Vivis heart. <em>Why? </em>she wondered bitterly. <em>Why do you cheer? Stop. me me. Curse me. Just dont Dont look at me like that</em>

    For the first time in recent memory, tears threatened toe to her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. A small contingent of guards was blocking the crowd, politely yet firmly stopping them from approaching too much. But they were close enough that Vivi could see their souls through their eyes, see the appreciation and belief they held in her, how they adored her.

    It wasnt just her performance in the Tournament. Since her return, she had ruled close to the people. She went to the market often, listened to their problems, and worked on solutions alongside them. She helped where she could. She personally apprehended the biggest troublemakers. She roused the spirits of the people, pacified them, and reassured them that everything would be okay.

    She led from the front, and the people loved her for that.

    <em>But I dont deserve it, </em>she told herself. <em>All I can do is be there for you. I am doing everything I can, but my best is not enough. Why do you still believe in me? Youre dying!</em>

    Some of these people had lost friends and lost ones in this attack. She could see the rage in their eyes, the barely chained hatred, but it wasnt directed at her. It aimed for the people who had attacked them. The enemy.

    The people are expecting a speech,mander, her lieutenant whispered, stepping beside her. From you.

    There it was again. That challenging tone.

    Lieutenant general Shemarke wasnt a bad man. After Sadakas passing, Vivi had chosen him as her closest assistant because of his principles. He was a strict but deeply kind, integral person. They were on the same page.

    His challenge now wasnt because he yearned for power. He didnt want the seat ofmander for himself. He just genuinely doubted her ability, wanted to see how she would face this challenge. If she didnt rise up to the asion, she would lose his support, fair and square.

    Vivi had half a mind to tell him to give a speech. Just that small thing would be enough to relinquish her authority. She really wanted to give up. What could she even say?

    But she saw the fire in the eyes of those people. They had just received an attack. They had seen their city burned and their protectors killed. They were in pain. If she left them too, if she betrayed their trust, they would truly lose all their hope in the world.

    No, she couldnt let that happen. She had to be there for them. She knew these people. Now was not the time to cower. It was time to act. She <em>had </em>to help them.

    Vivi stepped forth and raised a hand. The people quieted in a wave that started from the front rows and headed to the back. She cleared her throat. She had no idea what to say, but she had to say <em>something.</em>

    A thousand things crossed her mind. In the end, she just decided to address the elephant in the room.

    We received a loss today, she began, her System-enhanced lungs carrying her voice over the entire courtyard. She was surprised by themanding tone she heard in the echo. Detestable people infiltrated and assaulted us. I wont say names, but everyone knows who they are. They killed our warriors, set our homes ame, and terrorized our families.

    Sounds of agreement came from the crowd.

    Vivi felt like she was torn in two. She was inside her mind, numb, hearing the wordsing out of her mouth like it was someone else talking.

    They only got away with it because I wasnt here. They didnt dare attack in my presence. They are cowards, backstabbers, calcting dicks.

    More sounds of agreement, along with a bit of roaringughter. She wanted nothing more than to admit her fault and take the me for everything, but that wasnt what these people needed to hear now. They needed support. Encouragement. Something to believe in.

    The details were better saved for her advisors.

    I know you are all pained by what happened today. So am I. In fact, I am burning with rage and sadness. I knew every single one of the people who fell. I have chatted with them, walked with them, trained with them, listened to their problems like I listen to yours. My grief is terrible, and trust me, it will not abate until I make things right.

    She was swept up by her emotions now. Her guilt was reced by righteous rage, by the deep desire to pay back the Ice Peak, to stop them from harming her people again. She might step down after today, she might be shamed, but that changed nothing. Even as the lowliest of soldiers, she would still fight.

    Vivi flowed to the forefront of her mind again, bing one with the person who gave this rousing speech, sinking into the moment.

    They will not get away with this, she thundered, full of fury. She projected confidence and leadership. The peoples pain disappeared. Smiles blossomed on their faces, their spirits repaired. We are me River. We are Burkina Faso. When disaster strikes, we will not break. We will fight, we will rise, and we will strike back. Nobody can oppress us. Make no mistake; justice <em>will </em>be served, sooner orter, and I will be at the very front, fighting Alexander Petrovic for all of you, all of us. Death is nothing before our fire.

    More roars. Vivis voice turned louder.

    March beside me, warriors! Take up arms and fight. Tell your families that a life fought is a life well lived. You are all heroes, every single one of you. Rise with me and roar, fight for our lives, for what we believe in. We are Burkina Faso. We are me River. We are heroes. And we. Will. Not. Fall!

    The crowds roar swept her like a fierce gale, blowing back her robes and hair. Vivi stepped against the wind and roared with them, her mes rising like a torch, flowing like a river. She threw her head back and unleashed a wildfire into the sky, a beacon visible across Ouagadougou, rousing the spirits of every soul who could hear theirbined roar.

    No attack could hold them down. They fell, but they rose again. They were warriors. Heroes.

    The crowd streamed into the recruitment kiosk, so fierce they almost overwhelmed the woman presiding over it. The ones who remained met Vivis eyes, nodding excitedly and stepping off with renewed vigor. Suddenly, the injured city was only a backdrop that made them stronger.

    Send more people to the recruitment, Shemarke, Vivi said, turning to the lieutenant general. She realized she was out of breath and sweating a bit, but that was fine. Her heart was on fire. She was so fucking happy that shed helped her people.

    The lieutenant stared at her, his gazeplex. Finally, he lowered his head. Yes,mander.

    Vivi was taken aback. He had relented? Where was the challenging tone from before? All shed given was a rousing speech. She remained partly at fault for what happened. Why did he

    <em>Oh.</em>

    Suddenly, it was clear. The guilt clouding her mind receded like a pulled curtain, revealing reality for what it was.

    She was not useless. The professor and Alexander Petrovic may be smarter and more skilled than her, but she had something they didnt: warmth. Fire. She led from the front, her back a beacon of courage to the people. Her army was made of lions.

    That was why the lieutenant relented. This was her power. The love she shared with her people, the fire she transmitted to them. Something that Petrovic, cold and calcting as he was, would never have.

    There was a reason she led the revolution that overthrew Burkina Fasos dictatorship. There was a reason she led me River. There was a reason everyone believed in her.

    <em>The professor and I each have our own strengths, </em>she realized.

    Shemarke, she called out. Let the professor know that I will listen to her instructions from now on, okay? I will handle battle, she will handle everything else. Actually, you know what? Nevermind. Ill head there myself.

    Yourself? He hesitated, his newly found faith shaken. Thats

    Trust me, Shemarke. I know what Im doing. There are some things I must discuss with the professor alone. And not just her. Her brows fell. Now that she realized where her strengthy, she knew what she had to do. There was one weapon that their alliance wasnt utilizing, a strong card that, if avable, could have averted this disaster <em>and </em>let her lead the army like the warrior queen she was.

    Edgar.

    Who refused to participate in the war and cultivated alone. Who let their people drop like flies when he could save them. What hecked was fire in his heart.

    And Vivi would give him just that.

 Chapter 160: Desert Nights

    Chapter 160: Desert Nights

    The sand worm was wide enough to swallow a house, and long enough that they never saw its tail. It burst out from under the sand without any warning whatsoever, biting down on and swallowing a scaled lizard that lounged on top of a dune. Thankfully, it didnt attack them.

    <strong>Giant Sand Worm, Level 124 (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>Giant sand worms infest the deserts of manys. They use the Dao of Stone to swim through the desert floor, then burst up to devour their target before dissolving it in one of their many hyper-acidic stomachs. They detect prey through the sands surface disturbances, so try to avoid stomping.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>They are also rare encounters. On Dune, immortals saddle and ride them, while their fighting pits are one of thes most profitable enterprises.</em></strong>

    The worm snapped up the lizard and dived back down, raising a huge wave of sand.

    Rare encounters, it says, Jack said dryly. Arent we lucky.

    Extremely, Nauja added. So. Light steps. Brock, sorry to say this, but youll have to walk on your own for a bit. If that thing attacks us Well, as we say in my tribe, nastek.

    The worm did not attack them. It didnt even appear again, probably traveling to some other area of the desert, and night found the three of them huddled in a small valley between the sand dunes.

    ***

    Night in the Vige Ring reminded Jack of Earth.

    As the sun mushrooms dimmed, each was left a silver glowing core, a fraction of what they used to be, and they were so tightly clustered that they resembled stars in the night sky.

    On the ground below reigned silence. Nothing moved in the dim light. Only the wind remained alive, twisting and turning over the sand dunes, picking up sand to depositter or lure upward to swirl it endlessly in the high currents.

    The temperature had dropped sharply. In the span of an hour, it tumbled down from scorching to freezing, making poor Brock shiver so hard they had no choice but to seek shelter. The desert didnt offer much in the way of that, but they did find a group of sand dunes clustered together. Before long, the three of them were huddled in the small valley in their midst, covering themselves in the cool sand to resemble bedding.

    They had no tents, nothing to light a fire with, and no supplies. When they left the Tri Lake tribe, they expected only a short trip in the jungle.

    Thankfully, the desert wasntpletely empty. Cacti rose intermittently. Jack knew how to get water from them, so at least they had that covered. As for food, they had no choice but to starve for now. If it got too much, they could try eating the unknown desert creatures.

    This was an inhospitable desert, as were all of them.

    The three of them alternated guard duty, starting from Brock, then Jack, then Nauja. The middle of the night was Jacks shift, and it found him perched on the tallest sand dune nearby, looking over the endless desert that stretched in all directions. Everywhere he looked, all he saw was sand and distant stone columns.

    Yet, he couldnt suppress his excitement. Theyd reached the fourth ring already. Just how far could they go? How strong could he get?

    Could they conquer Trial?

    Hey, a low voice greeted him. Hed noticed Nauja approaching, of course, hed just chosen to keep his eyes in the distance, unwilling to break his spell of awe.

    Hey, he replied, finally turning around. I didnt think it was your shift yet.

    We have no clocks. Your guess is as good as mine, she said with a wry smile.

    They stayed there for a while, sitting next to each other atop a sand dune in the middle of a desert in the bowels of a hollow.

    You can go back to sleep if you want, Jack said. Im not tired.

    Neither am I. How could I sleep when Imhere?

    Heh. Being E-Grade has its perks.

    It sure does.

    Another moment of silence passed between them. They hadnt known each other for long, but going through life and death together brought people closer.

    About before Jack started saying, but Nauja cut him off.

    Its alright. You said nothing wrong. It was my fault. She took a deep, trembling breath, looking into the distance. For a moment, as Jack observed her pale, strong profile, she seemed almost vulnerable. Scared. I have my own troubles. I dont want to talk about them yet, but there is no need for you to feel ufortable.

    Thats fine. Were a team now. If you ever want to share anything, Id be d to listen. If you dont, I will stay by your side and support you anyway.

    She threw him a surprised nce, as if taken aback by his words. Thanks, she said after a moment. That means a lot.

    Its only natural. The least we can do is be there for each other.

    Now, it was her turn to gaze at his profile. You are not like other delvers, she said, her tone questioning. You are kind, straightforward, principled. When we were running in the cave, you didnt throw me at the pursuers to dy them. I have to admit I was surprised.

    Jack raised his brows. That possibility hadnt even crossed his mind. Had it crossed hers? Had she considered throwing him away to save herself?

    I wouldnt do that. Honestly, it didnt even ur to me.

    I know. Her gaze was piercing. Thats what surprises me the most. You have clearly seen your fair share ofbat and deception, and you are clearly a hardened man, but at the same time, you are almost pure-hearted. How do you do that?

    I guess I just know who I am. I will not discount myself. I will break through all obstacles in pursuit of my path, as a fist, until I either die or seed. If I betrayed who I am, then I would be miserable. Its a fate worse than death. Honestly, I dont understand how everybody else can act like a dick. Do they not see that they are killing themselves?

    Nauja considered his words for a long moment. Not everyone can think that way. Do you know what my tribe has noticed about delvers, Jack? They lie to themselves. A lot. They cling on to life with tooth and nail, and they double down on their weaknesses instead of fighting to surpass them. They do not understand the value of a good life, simply because theyve never experienced it. They fear death and failure with all their heart, and in their attempts to avoid those, they end up hollow. They dont even realize that what they fear is already happening. They live through the very nightmare they sacrifice everything to avoid.

    Life is simple, Jack agreed, perfectly in tune. Justlive. Be free. Stop living in fear, stop constraining yourself, unclench your heart, and dive into the world head-first. So what if you fail? There are literally no consequences.

    Nauja narrowed her eyes. Are you still talking about delvers?

    I dont know, Jack admitted with a sigh. Sometimes, it feels like Im the only sane person in the world, like everyone else is blind. Its so fucking simple. Why cant they see it?

    Hmm Everything seems simple from up ahead. But, from behind, the tiniest of steps can be wide gulfs. Dont begrudge the world, Jack. Give it time.

    I guess

    They sat in silence for a while longer. The cold night wind brushed their barely-clothed bodies, but they were too strong to mind.

    Maybe this is why you have a perfect Seed, Nauja finally said. You see things so simply, so clearly A chuckle. Truly, you are like a fist. You dont even understand the extent of your gift.

    Maybe, he responded, gaze lost in the distance again before he turned to her. Whats your Dao, anyway? You never told me.

    The Dao of Wind.

    Really?

    Yes. What did you think?

    Archery, maybe. Or the bow. Or dinosaur-hunting.

    She chuckled. I did follow the Dao of the Arrow in the F-Grade, but I eventually made my second Dao Root, Wind, into a Seed. It wasnt even on purpose. It just happened one dayand I think it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

    She raised a hand, and the sand around them rose with it. Like gripped by a gale, it swirled around them, forming symmetrical spires that spun in all directions at once. It was a show of beauty that left Jack gaping.

    Why did you never do that before!?

    Sheughed. I didnt trust you at first. And then Her smile took on a mischievous hint. I saved it for the perfect moment.

    Jack turned to look at her. Is this your perfect moment, then?

    She met his gaze. To reveal my powers? Yes, it is.

    He held it for a bit, then leaned back on the sand. Nauja smiled. Tell me about the wind, he asked, closing his eyes.

    It is wild and free, Nauja said. Her fingers danced above her palm, twisting the sand into ever more borate patterns. It didnt matter that Jack had his eyes shut. She was doing this for herself, losing her heart in the simple-minded beauty. Without knowing it, her voice had dropped to a reverent whisper, pulsing with warmth. It is unfettered, unblocked. It goes everywhere it wants. The wind is freedom, from the tallest peaks to the deepest valleys, and it is joy as it springs from the clouds and tours the sky. It is found in

    She went on, forgetting herself as the sand danced around her, on a lonely sand dune in the middle of a desert. The silver starlight of the mushrooms struck her pale skin, making her seem glow like a goddess of the night. The me in her heart was so strong and bright it illuminated even the darkest corners.

    Jack lounged with his eyes closed, savoring the moment. His heart unclenched fully, releasing all the fear and worries it held inside, reveling in the here and now. His joy was pure and whole.

    Like the wind, he was free.

    ***

    Time in the desert passed quietly, serenely. By the second day, they had learned to spot the hiding monsters and avoid them. They fought asionally, too. Scorpions, lizards, snakes All fell without much difficulty. During the journey, Jack got another three levels, while Nauja got one. Brock couldnt participate in the battles, but he also practiced, closing his eyes and walking on auto-pilot as he focused on expanding and deepening his Dao.

    His level kept rising as he grew, both in strength and size. By now, Brock was level 45and, thanks to his Dao, an elite.

    By the fifth day, they were approaching the area where the stone columns disappeared, where the vigey. However, they were also starving. They had avoided food so far, but even E-Grades felt hunger after five days, let alone Brockwho never said anything on the subject. Jack caught him frowning and grabbing his belly at times; he was a brave brori, a true bro.

    Jack started keeping an eye out for edible creatures.

    On the same day, they ran into something theyd never seen before. It was only spotted by Brock, who suddenly raised his arms and stopped them for seemingly no reason.

    What is it, Brock? Nauja asked. Brock pointed at the next sand dune in their path, making low warning sounds.

    Jack frowned and narrowed his eyes, seeing nothing. Suddenly, he found it. His eyes widened. Nauja saw it even before she did and whistled.

    A chameleon was stered on the sand, its color altered to blend in almost seamlessly. It took careful observation to notice that the ever-present lines in the sand formed the outline of its body, but when you did, its shape was clear.

    <strong>Giant Desert Chameleon, Level 123</strong>

    <strong><em>Giant Desert Chameleons are solitary ambush predators. They blend into the sand and lie in wait, often spending weeks without any movement whatsoever. When preyes close, they strike hard and fast, using their tongues as their main weapon.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Despite their ambushing tendencies, they are also formidable fighters.</em></strong>

    It looks dangerous, Nauja said.

    And plump, Jack added.

    What?

    I say we eat it.

    What!?

    What do you mean, what!? Were all starving. We can give it a shot. I wont have any at first, so I can carry the two of you if something goes wrong.

    Bro Brock said, his voice filled with gratitude.

    Nauja shed Brock a look of understanding. Okay. Want to do the tyrannosaurus trick again? Where you hide in ambush and I shoot it from afar?

    I actually have a better idea, Jack replied, smashing his fists together. He hadnt fought in a while. He was getting itchyand he was far stronger than he used to be. Let me handle it.

    Alone?

    Yes. A wild, expectant smile crept on his lips. Can you scout around a bit, make sure were alone? I think this is a good chance to finally test my Life Drop.

 BOOK 1 LAUNCH + BONUS CHAPTERS

    BOOK 1 LAUNCH + BONUS CHAPTERS

    Sup!

    I have a great announcement to make. <strong>Road to Mastery Book 1 justunched on Kindle, KU, and Audible!</strong> It contains everything from the very start of the story, when Jack is trapped in the Forest of the Strong, to the conclusion of the Integration Tournament. Nostalgic, huh?

    In addition to nostalgia, you can now listen to the story as a <strong>30-hour audiobook</strong> narrated by the amazing <strong>Jeremy Frazier</strong>! And dont forget to check out the BANGER NEW COVER!

    <strong>Thisunch is extremely important for me.</strong> It basically dictates my professional and financial future for the next year or two. Unfortunately, the world is unfair, and Im ying with a handicap today  the Amazon sales rankings, a great way to get organic visibility, are frozen again.

    So, if you enjoyed the story so far, <strong>please give me a hand.</strong> Spread the word in your reader groups. Gift a copy to that friend who hasnt read RtM yet, so you can discuss it afterward. Even easier, KU downloads are free, as are <strong>ratings and reviews </strong>on the critical first day. Any of those help <em>massively</em>, and just for today, I could use some help

    Of course, kindness should always be reciprocated. Over the past week, I have worked hard to prepare <strong>three extra chapters</strong> that I will publish as we cross some target rankings on Kindleprovided they unfreeze, or well just have to estimate. The first extra chapter wille at #1000, then at #700, and then at #500. If all goes well, we can meet all of those targets, which means three back-to-back chapters for you guys to enjoy!

    Here are the links:

    Kindle/KU: /amazon/B0BW9X6H59

    Audible: /pd/Road-to-Mastery-Audiobook/B0C2VW2YNR

    Go open them!

    Thank you!

    Valerios

 Chapter 161: More Arms, More Fun

    Chapter 161: More Arms, More Fun

    Jack cracked his knuckles. He was suddenly eager to fight, eager to unleash his pent-up energy on this clueless monster.

    Nauja and Brock stepped away, leaving him alone against the monstrous chameleon, which still hid in the sand, unaware theyd noticed it. Unfortunately, Jack wanted a fight.

    Come out! he ordered, shooting a Meteor Punch from afar. The purple blownded on the chameleons back with an explosion that leveled the nearby sand dune, sending showers of sand flying tens of feet into the sky.

    The chameleon instantly sprang into motion. Yellow eyes snapped open, each with two green irises in their midst, and each moving independently of the other. Its skin was green now, there was a ridge of spikes running down its back, and webbing was between its fingers, probably to help it glide through the sand.

    It was the size of two horses put together, and it crawled over at a speed that would put any camel to shame. It reached Jack near-instantly.

    Jack braced himself. He was going to test the Life Drops powerhis four-armed formbut first, he wanted to try out his bare self. The Ancient trial had given him eleven levels and a fused Dao Root. He wanted to see how he stacked up against this chameleon, a peak E-Grade monster.

    The chameleon attacked. When it reached a hundred feet away from Jack, its mouth cracked open, a pink tongue shooting out like a missile. It was the width of Jacks torso and long enough to reach him at this distance.

    Thankfully, the monsters description had warned him of the tongue attack. It still came too fast, too early. He crossed his arms before his chest and felt like he was struck by a cannonball. He was sent flying back, piercing through a sand dune to stop at the second, t against the sand.

    The chameleon hadnt stopped. It was on him again, crawling over the tumbling sand dune with its tongue hovering in the air, waiting to strike like a scorpions stinger.

    Jack rolled aside, letting the tongue bury itself in the sand. It retracted like a spring before he could hit it. <em>This tongue is trouble, </em>he realized with a grimace.

    He jumped up and faced the chameleon. He charged forth. He had no advantage at range.

    The monster didnt acknowledge his power. As he charged, so did it, its tongue whipping all the while. It came at him from all directions, moving at blinding speed and with great force. Jack dodged valiantly. He ducked, side-stepped, or, for the more urate attacks, ghost-stepped away. Having tasted the power of this tongue, he didnt dare block.

    The sand caved under his feet, but he simply pushed harder, letting the grains scratch his shins.

    He was upon the chameleon in a blink, fists blurring as they shot out a flurry of blows. Theynded on slick scales, denting them or sliding off. The chameleon tried to headbutt him. Jack leaped over the strike, shooting two Meteor Punches into the chameleons neck and one behind himselfso that the explosions wouldnt push him into the air.

    Hended in a crawl, jumped aside, then rolled under a tongue blow. He ducked low and sprang up with force, burying his fist into the chameleons guts, raising the beast an inch off the ground. Jack felt his elbow creak.

    For the first time, the chameleon felt pain. The moment itnded, it regarded Jack as an opponent rather than prey, adjusting its tactics. It stepped back and let its tongue take over, wielding it like a long mace.

    The control it had over its tongue was frustrating. It could twist and bend in mid-air, form into angles, and keep chasing Jack as he escaped.

    At a distance, Jack was losing. He couldnt let the chameleon get away.

    He ghost-stepped twice in rapid session, closing the distance. His fist smashed into its nose, breaking it with a sickening crunch and burying its head into the ground. Just as he pulled back to strike again, the body of the tongue shot sideways and hit him in the ribs, sending him flying.

    Jack suppressed a groan. Something was cracked again, as it often was. That tongue was no joke.

    But he kept his cool. Meteor Punching the air to shoot back at the ground at a sharp angle, he turned andnded on his feet, then dashed for the chameleon again. The tongue shot out, a maelstrom of pink violence, but he had a sense of its patterns now. Like the tyrannosaurus, the chameleon was stupid.

    He ducked under an attack and jumped over another aimed at his feet. He kept going, ignoring a feint, then took a grazing blow to the arm when that wasnt a feint after all. Cursing, he charged again, ghost-stepping to the chameleons face and ghost-stepping again to arrive at its back.

    He smashed a Meteor Punch down, making the monster croak and arc its back downward. He punched again and again, charging up each strike to make it a purple meteor. The explosions shook the sand, cracked the denser ground underneath, sank the chameleon in.

    Its tail came from behind to swat Jack in the same ribs the tongue had cracked before. He flew away, already grimacing in anticipation of the pain soon toe But it didnt. There was no feeling of cracked ribs straining to remaining whole or digging into his innards. It was like his ribs hadnt been attacked before.

    <em>What?</em>

    He remembered the skill upgrade he got when the Life Drop fused with his soul. The Dao of Life had increased his Indomitable Bodys regenerative properties to extreme.

    He skidded into anding and grinned. His cracked ribs had healed in a matter of seconds. Granted, the injury had been small, but such a speed of recovery

    It could make him unstoppable.

    The chameleon slithered opposite him, pulling itself free of the sand where Jack had buried it. It seemed angry now, its eyes and tongue darting around rapidly. Despite taking three Meteor Punches head-on, it wasnt too injured.

    Neither was Jack, but he was getting tired. Keeping up with the tongue required multiple uses of Ghost Step, which tired him out quickly. He had to admit that, if he fought the chameleon like this, he would probably lose.

    However, this was still arge step-up from when hed beenpletely overwhelmed by the tyrannosaurus. Now, he could keep up. He could protect himself. Fight it as an equal.

    And he had more to give.

    Nauja! Jack shouted. Is it clear?

    Theres nobody around! A voice carried over from a nearby sand dune, the tallest one around, and Jack grinned. Reaching into his soul, he lifted the barrier around the Life Drops core, letting its energy flood him until it reached an equilibrium.

    His form shifted, growing taller and wider. He saw the chameleon shrink as he was erged. The bare skin under his armpits itched, then ruptured to reveal two tubes of flesh and writhing muscle that quickly entwined around each other to form two extra, fully functioning arms.

    The chameleon had frozen, inspecting him with confusion. It was considering fighting or fleeing. Jack felt the power course through his body, felt his strength rise rapidly. He could barely control his anticipation as he charged, each stomp shaking the desert.

    It chose to fight.

    The tongue blurred through the air again,ing from his right. Jack raised two hands to block. The strike met his forearms next to his ears. It was heavy. He felt the impact shake his body, pushing him to the side and forcing him to take a side-step to maintain his bnce. He felt his two right forearms protest under the pressure.

    But that was all. One step. Before transforming, a head-on collision had sent him flying.

    He grinned.

    The tongue circled around and came at him again, this time from the left. Jack saw it. It was no longer blurring through the air. It was simply fast.

    He leaned back, letting the tip of the tongue sail past his face, then reached out to hook its body under his elbow. It pulled at him, but he held. The two bottom arms grabbed the tongue,rge fingers closing around them, as Jacks upper arms grabbed it farther back and pulled.

    The chameleon did not expect that. It stumbled, yanked forward by its own tongue, then hurriedly nted its feet deep into the sand and pulled back. It was frantic now, trying to escape.

    But would Jack let it?

    His two arms held on tight, their veins sticking out. His muscles were iron cords filled with power, his fingers were iron pliers, his body a boiling furnace. He pulled against the chameleon, dragging it into a tug of war around its own tongue. The tip pped in the air and tried to strike him, but he used an extra handhe had so many!to trap it under his armpit, where it could do no harm.

    He pulled, and the chameleon pulled back. There was no Dao involved here, no skills. It was pure strength versus strength.

    Obviously, Jack was losing. His greatest advantage against this beast was his Dao. His feet dragged through the sand, his fingersxing and threatening to lose purchase.

    However, no matter how strong the chameleon was, there was only so much force its tongue could handle. It cried out in pain. Jack felt the tissue under his hands begin to rip as the tongue was stretched beyond its natural limits.

    The chameleon had to give way. It dug its feet out of the sand and rushed at Jack, hoping to surprise him. It failed, of course.

    The moment it stopped pulling, Jack got to work. He had so much tongue to y with. His four hands blurred through the air, tying it into tighter and tighter knots until he formed arge pink mass that only stretched thirty feet out of the chameleons mouth instead of a hundred.

    The chameleon reached him then, but Jack only let go of the tongue and charged forth. Two meteors zed on his right, and two on his left. All four struck the chameleons face, sending it flying backward. The explosions wererger than usual. Sorge, in fact, that Jack was almost blinded and deafened.

    He reached the fallen chameleon in a blink and pummeled it. His every fist carried tremendous power. Even without using Meteor Punch, their force was enough to rupture scales, rip skin, and bruise tendons. The poor chameleon tried to resist, but its tongue was so tied up that it couldnt control it, and its limbs were far from strong enough to face Jack in his current form.

    All it could do wasy there and take a beating.

    Which made Jack feel bad. He stopped his next punch an inch away from the chameleons face, then jumped back to observe the damage. The monster was sprawled on the ground, limbs stillshing out blindly. It was bleeding from a wound on its forehead, and its belly was bruised, but it wasnt too injured overall. In the final pummeling, Jack had only been using brute force, not Meteor Punch.

    Its greatest injury was the tied-up tongue, which now resembled arge mace.

    Jack couldnt help but admire his power. Before using the Life Drop, he was slightly weaker than the chameleon. Afterward He almost toyed with it. He was stronger by an entire tier.

    <em>Just how strong am I? </em>he couldnt help but wonder.

    Hey, Nauja said, arriving next to him. Im d you stopped.

    Yeah, he agreed. There was no point maintaining this form further; he let it dissipate, returning to his normal size with the extra arms shrinking and disappearing.

    Wow, Nauja said, eyes glued so hard to his body that he felt almost ufortable. That was

    Impressive?

    I would say brutal, but yes. Ive seen people augment their bodies during battle, but nothing like that.

    Right? he replied, smiling. He flexed his hands. And that power Oh, boy. That was something else.

    How long do you think you can keep it up? Indefinitely?

    A few minutes, I think. The Life Drops resistance was growing stronger as time passed.

    Wow By the way, the chameleon is still here.

    Jack looked up to find the monster. It had just managed to regain a semnce of control over its tongue, pulling it back into its mouth. The upper part of its snout bulged out slightly now.

    Nauja gave him a look.

    I think we shouldnt eat it after all, Jack finally said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked back towards Brock, who was still approaching from a distant sand due. Sorry, bro, but well have to find you something else. I already bullied this poor chameleon enough. It didnt even attack us first.

    It would, if given the chance, Nauja intervened.

    But it didnt.

    That doesnt change anything. Anyway, I agree we should it let it go. Besides, look at it. Its kind of cute.

    The chameleontherge beast with a hundred-foot weaponized tongue, natural camouge, and two irises in each eyewas looking at them, its bulging eyes ying to either side of its head. It was half turned away as if ready to flee.

    Hear that, big guy? Were letting you go. Now, let me untie that

    The chameleon rushed away before he could even finish his sentence. It crossed the sand dunes at profound speed and disappeared in a matter of seconds, leaving Jack with his hands outstretched.

    Only his bellys growling dragged him back to the present. Btedly, he realized that using the Life Dropand fighting in generalwas exhausting.

    Well, maybe it will untie by itself, he said, shrugging. Now, lets go find something else to eat, shall we? Im starving.

    We should, Nauja agreed. We are already approaching the vige. We dont know what awaits us there, so we should probably be at our peaks when we arrive.

    Right. Jack nodded. Do you think that minotaur will be there as well? His mind was still on his new powersspecifically, how hed like to bury all four of his fists into the face of the minotaur who dared p Brock.

    Probably. She shrugged. Only one way to find out.

 Chapter 162: The Village

    Chapter 162: The Vige

    Throughout Jacks week-long journey through the desert, he didnt forget about the Dao Soul.

    Every second night, he entered his soul world instead of sleeping. The Dao Soul waited there, a mute copy of Jack that took childlike joy in fighting.

    Here, the Dao came easy, but the System was cut-off. He had changed the terrain from a grasnd to a desert, to better resemble his current environment. The only other difference fromst time was the shining green beacon in the skythe Life Dropthough Jack discovered he couldnt draw on its four-armed power here.

    Every time he arrived in this soul world, he found himself enjoying it even more. His soul yearned for battle. For the thrill of the fight. He itched to pit himself against someone who could match him, to punch against a skilled opponent.

    Copy-Jack used the real Jacks Dao and fighting skills, but gave its own twist to them. Sometimes, it uncorkedbinations that Jack had never considered. It utilized the Dao in novel ways.

    There was inventiveness in the way it thought. The Dao Soul wasnt a machine, but a nascent soul, a real living being. It wasnt asplete as an actual person, which was why it needed to leech off Jack, but the seed was there.

    There was a time, far into the pre-System days, when Jack would y fighting videogames with a friend from high school. That was exactly how this felt. He pitted himself against the copy again and again, each trying to sharpen their skills while learning the others patterns. They had to mix things up, try new maneuvers, newbinations. Most of the time, it failed horribly. But, sometimes, it worked, and Jack learned something new.

    Of course, the greatest benefits hade from the very first time Jack arrived here, when many of his then-weaknesses were revealed. In the week through the desert, no skill notification arose from this training, but Jack felt his strength increase noticeably. Since he was unable to rely on the System in his soul world, he gradually developed his own understanding of fistfighting, which he then confirmed with the Systems assistance in the outside world.

    Many of his skills felt on the cusp of evolving once more.

    His Dao was also improving by the day. Unlike the outside world, his soul allowed him to use the Dao freely. He could even manipte it outside his body, which was usually a domain reserved for D-Grades. As a result, he came into contact with insights that most people of his level never had ess to. Through constant battling against the copy, he discovered new, more efficient ways to implement his Dao, slowly but surely approaching the skill with which the System guided his Dao when using Dao skills. He was still very, very far away, of coursebut he was moving in the right direction.

    This process, too, put many of his skills on the cusp of evolving.

    The Dao Soul wasnt the best tool to expand ones abilities, since it included no real danger or pressure, but it was perfect for stabilizing what he already knew. It could greatly elerate the twin cycle of cultivationexpansion and stabilization.

    Given Jacks deadline of one year, it was the best thing he could ask for. After the third night, he stopped sleeping altogether and spent every resting moment in his soul world, practicing against the Dao Soul. Copy-Jack weed the challenge.

    As a result, Jack was tired towards the end of the trip. His eyes had ck bags under them, his body felt sore, and only his indomitable will kept him from dozing off. He was slowly turning into a training maniac.

    But he was improving fast.

    Only at thest night, just before they reached the vige, did Nauja convince him to sleep. They didnt know what theyd meet there; they had to be at their peak.

    ***

    The oasis colored the heart of the desert, a ssh of life in a wastnd.

    Palm trees rose from verdant grass, swaying in the breeze. A smallke was in the middle, its waters crystal clear and inviting. Birds and little animals darted around between the trees, and cultivators, for once, werent trying to kill each other.

    The vige itself was sprawled around theke, surrounding it, roughly fifty little houses, all picturesque and identical. They were made of light wood and resembled forest cabins, with logs sticking out at the end of walls and a t roof aboveunlike normal forest cabins, these ones didnt have to fear the rain.

    People of all species walked or rested in their midst. There were roughly forty of them, each moving with the confidence of an elite. None of these people were simple. They had the status and strength to be granted a Trial Token, and they had made it through the second and third rings, crossed the desert, and reached to the vige.

    Each of them was a prodigy of a B-Grade faction, on the level of the Integration Tournaments scionsor higher.

    Jack saw feshkurs, a kovan, lycans, treants, insectoid people, creatures made of stone, others of wood. Some had wings, skin in all colors of the rainbow, or random assortments of limbs. They carried halberds, spears, swords, bows, maces, mallets, daggers, knives, machetes, staves, even guns. Many didnt wield weapons but instead radiated peculiar auras, like their mere visage struck Jacks brain oddly. Others wore odd garments and held artifacts that screamed magic. One person waspletely naked.

    Their levels ranged from thete seventies all the way to 119. Undoubtedly, they had the strength to match.

    Jack, Nauja, and Brock watched all that from a distant sand dune, crouching on its surface so as to not be seen.

    Look at all those people, Jack said. Theyre so different.

    All delvers, Nauja replied with distaste. Their exterior doesnt matter if theyre rotten on the inside.

    Look. Our friends are there, too.

    One of the people walking around was an easily distinguishable treant, like the one theyd been chased by in the Forbidden Cave. There was no way to tell if it was the same treant from this distance, since all of them looked simr to Jack, but the woman who walked beside it sealed the deal. She was bald and d in purple robes.

    The minotaurs forces were here.

    We cant enter the vige, Nauja said. Theyd chase us again.

    Im stronger now.

    Stronger than all of them? <em>And </em>their allies? Nauja raised a brow. The minotaur wasnt even the top of the pack. He mentioned that he worked under someone, remember? A Lord Longsword. If they spot us, were done foror, at least, I am.

    Jack grumbled. She was right, of course, but they were tired and starving after a week in the desert. Poor Brock was the worst; he was wobbling and had trouble concentrating. Jack had carried him for thest half a day. Even the hat theyd fashioned out of a dead scaled lizard wasnt enough to spare him the scorching sun. Moreover, they sadly discovered that these lizards werent edible.

    Brock might have been a level 45 elite beast, but even he had his limits, and they were fast approaching.

    We have to get some food, Jack said. For Brock, and for us. Who knows what will be in the next ring?

    Well, its the Space Ring. I know some things, butnot if it has food. She narrowed her brows. I never thought to ask.

    You know who has food? That ce. He pointed at a specific building in the vige. It was a cabinrger than the others, with smoke wafting off a little chimney. Tables were arranged at the front for cultivators to eat, with two lycan waiters shuffling between them and the kitchen, where a single kovan used its four arms to cook three meals at once.

    Many groups of cultivators were clustered around the tables, chatting merrily and gorging themselves on drinks and food that looked delicious even from this distance.

    Then again, everything looked delicious after a week in the desert.

    Theres still your friend, right? Nauja asked. That Gan Salin person. We cant enter the vige, but he can. Maybe he can buy food for everyone.

    Not a bad idea, Jack replied. The problem is, I dont see him.

    Despite the colorful assortment of cultivators, Gan Salin was missing. Jack hoped he was just inside a cabin, out of sight.

    We are well ahead of schedule, he said. Wed agreed on a two-month deadline to reach here. It has only been like, what, two weeks? Hes probably still touring the second ring.

    Or dead.

    Not helping.

    Not trying.

    Jack chuckled. Lets wait a bit. Maybe hell show up from one of the houses. If not Well, good luck, Gan Salin.

    Nastek.

    Whats that?

    An expression my tribe uses. Its ng for goodbye. Simr to the sound a triceratops makes when sad.

    Arent you guys too few to have ng?

    She gave him a weird look. What does our poption have to do with anything?

    Well, size matt You know what? Nevermind.

    Can we get back to our starving?

    Sure. So, if Salin doesnt show up soon, we could try other things. Maybe disguises? No, that wouldnt work. We could steal some food in the night, I guess, or pay someone to buy it for us.

    Thatst one sounds like a good idea. Even if the minotaurs told people to look out for us, I doubt any delver will care if we pay them enough.

    Okay. Lets wait a bit, and then we proceed with that n. Afterwards Wheres the exit again?

    Inside the vige. She pointed at a small ind in the middle of theke, where a stone shrine stood out.

    Right. Perfect.

    We can try sneaking through. If we get as close as possible and then make a run for it, I doubt anyone will be able to stop us in time.

    Jack nodded thoughtfully. Okay. So, we wait a bit for Salin to appear from inside a cabin, then get someone to buy food for us, then try to reach the exit tunnel.

    Brock counted as an individual, thankfullyas had been revealed in the Barbarian Ringso they matched the at least three individuals requirement for the Ring Quest.

    What are all these people waiting for, anyway? Jack wondered. Why arent they going to the next ring?

    Theres an annual event sometime soon. The Garden Assault, when everyone works together to reach the depths of Trial. I think theyre waiting for that.

    Hmm I guess none of them are in a hurry.

    Jack looked at the vige again. Those were a lot of people. A lot of potential enemies.

    Of course, they could also try another vige, but There was no time for that. Jack was on the clock. Even with his recent bonuses, his goal of defeating the C-Gradeary overseer within a year remained near-impossible.

    The Integration had taken a month, his space trip two weeks, and his Trial run so far another two weeks. Ten months remained until Earths grace period was overand Jack was still in the E-Grade. There were plenty of letters left to go.

    <em>Damn the alphabet.</em>

    At least, they had a n now. Wait, pay, run. Simple and clean.

    From between Jack and Nauja, Brock made monkey sounds and pointed at something.

    Hmm? Whats that, bro? Jack said, squinting.

    A trio of cultivators had just thrown the scraps of their food at something behind the tavern. It wasnt visible from where Jack watched. <em>A stray? </em>he thought, then considered it better. <em>No. Those people areughing. Why would they beughing? Are they making fun of strays?</em>

    Brock made monkey sounds again.

    Jack shrugged. We can take a look.

    The three of them slid down the sand dune and made a wide circle around the tribe, taking in everything from a second viewpoint. A few minutester, the area where the cultivators hadughingly thrown scraps at was slowly revealed.

    Thick iron bars. A metal cage in the mud. And, inside it, munching on the bone of a chicken, was Gan Salin.

    Jack groaned. Oh,e on. You have got to be kidding me.

    Is that your friend? Nauja asked, eyes wide.

    Yeah.

    Why is he in there?

    I dont know, Jack replied, frowning. He was getting angry now. He and Gan Salin had their differences once, but the canine had helped him escape the Animal Kingdom bounty hunters. Theyd entered Trial together. Maybe they werent exactly friends, but they were a team.

    And somebody was treating Gan Salin like trash.

    Perhaps the canine had done something stupid and brought this upon himselfJack wouldnt be surprised. But something told him this wasnt the case. Gan Salin was slightly insane, but he didnt feel suicidal. So, why?

    Why was Gan Salin trapped in a cage and fed scraps while peopleughed at him? Who did it? Why?

    And what could Jack do about it?

    Change of ns, he said, frowning. Night is falling soon. Well sneak in and talk to Gan Salin. Rescue him if hes bullied. In the process, maybe well steal some food, too. I doubt the big guns wille after us over a couple of cold meals.

    Rescue him, how?

    I can break the cage.

    She raised a brow.

    What? Jack replied. Ill be quick. Then, we can run to the next ring before they have time to respond.

    ...Youre lucky to have me. Nauja sighed. One of my Dao Skills can harden air in a bubble. Its nothing impressive in battle, but it stops sound. If I cast that around the cage, you can break it soundlessly. Then, we run.

    You can really do that!?

    She shrugged. It never came up before.

    Okay. Perfect. Then, thats the n.

    Nauja smiled. She hated the delvers on principle. Seeing them mistreat someone, she instantly identified with that person. Gan Salin being her potential ally only fanned the mes.

    Theyy on the sand as time passed. Eventually, the sun mushrooms above dimmed. They went from suns to stars, showering the desert in silver light. Day gave way to night.

    Most of the cultivators withdrew to their cabins. They didnt need to sleep every night, but they had no need to stay awake, either. A few remained outside, positioning themselves in key spots and scanning the desert. They were careless, though. Some even sipped drinks from y mugs. They werent guarding against an assault from other cultivators, only the rare desert monster stupid enough to attack an oasis.

    Jack, Brock, and Nauja slipped in like shadows. They crossed the sand dunes, not climbing over them, but following the valleys in between. The cold sand was their ally now, muffling their steps.

    Before long, they were walking on grass, and the cabins loomed before them. Some were illuminated from the inside, firelight spilling from open windows. The palm trees rustled above them, their leaves whistling slightly in the night wind, while the birds and little animals had returned to their nests to hide from the cold. Impressively, thekes surface was gradually freezing over.

    The tavern was still open, but only a couple of tables were upied. They werent serving food now, just drinks, and the raucousughter of drunk cultivators filled the front of the building. They tried to keep it low, though; might made right in the cultivator world. If their noise annoyed someone strong, they could end up beaten, or, even worse, like Gan Salin.

    The three of them crossed the cabins silently, darting from one to the other, always staying out of sight of the few look-outs. Before long, they made it behind the tavern, spying on the hardworking kovan bartender through a window. From there, Gan Salin was only a few steps away.

    <strong>Canine, Level 61</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom</strong>

    <strong>Title:ary Frontrunner (10)</strong>

    Up close, he looked bad. His hair was messy and soiled, his clothes were dirty, torn in ces. The remains of foody at the side of his cage, stripped of every scrap of nutrition they ever had, while the mud under his wooden cage stank of piss. He was thinner than Jack remembered, looking weak and tired, and he was huddled against a corner of his cage, tucking his head into his chest and trying to sleep.

    The sight struck a chord in Jacks chest.

    Psst, he said, crawling close to avoid being seen. Nauja and Brock remained behind, in the shadows. Salin didnt respond.

    Psst! Jack tried again, and this time, the canine raised his head. The hardness of his eyes gave way to confusion when he saw nobody. Down here. On the ground, Jack whispered.

    Gan Salin looked down. His eyes shone. Oh, hey Jackie, he whispered back with a smile. Long time no see, huh?

 Chapter 163: To The Rescue!

    Chapter 163: To The Rescue!

    Gan Salin smiled and waved at Jack. Despite his tattered appearance, he behaved like everything was normal. He wasnt even deterred by the wrist-thick iron bars that separated the two of them.

    Salin, Jack whispered, what the hell is going on?

    Im trapped, Gan Salin whispered back.

    I can see that, but why? What happened?

    Oh, lots of things! He got excited. I somehow lucked out and survived through the second and third ringsby the way, did I mention that was almost a suicide mission for me? There is a reason nobody enters here at level 51. On the bright side, I got ten levels! Though you obviously did better. A shame. Anyway, my second ring was an icy tundra with roving packs of wild penguins, so I

    Salin! Jack hissed, still keeping his voice low. Im not here to catch up. Get to the point.

    Gan Salin crossed his arms.

    Wow. Thats so rude. We havent seen each other in two entire weeks, and you dont even wanna learn what Ive been up to. Nice best friend you are.

    Im not your He bit his tongue, starting over. I cant believe Im saying this, but Im here to get you out. Im risking my life. Just tell me the important things, please!

    Risking your life? Oh! Salins eyes shed. Thats right. I seem to remember there is a big bad minotaur in this vige whos seriously pissed at you.

    How do you know that?

    Guess who put me in here.

    A moment of silence passed between them. The soundsing from the front side of the tavern, theughter and conversation, only reminded Jack to hurry.

    Im sorry, he finally said. I guess this is my fault.

    Partially. Salin shrugged. Apparently, the Animal Kingdom wasnt happy I ditched the Hounds to team up with you. News got around and, ah, lets just say Bocor was not excited to see me.

    Bocor was the minotaurs name.

    You guys know each other? Jack asked.

    Weve met a few times. Hes also a prodigy of the faction, but he belongs to an outside family, so he wasnt invited to Animal much. Anyway, I came right to him the moment I reached the vige. I thought, you know what? Hes Animal Kingdom, Im Animal Kingdom. In this foreign ce, we should set our differences aside and work together! But no. He just threw me in a cage, like an animal, without batting an eye. Can you believe that?

    I think I can. The minotaur hadnt struck Jack as the kind kind. Did he mistreat you?

    A bit. Salins eyes suddenly zed over, his smile taking on a bitter hue. He was always bitter at the noble families. I cant me him. He had the talent, but no matter how he tried, he was constantly ignored just because he didnt carry noble blood.

    Jacks heart clenched a beat. I can imagine.

    Yeah. When he had the opportunity to take it out on me, he was all too eager, you know? He even had an excuse: Since you and I came here together, I might know your whereabouts.

    A stupid excuse. We obviously werent traveling together.

    Salin shrugged. It doesnt really matter, does it? Point is, youre here to rescue me. Can we get to it, please?

    Something in his eagerness to escape triggered Jacks perception. It felt like a momentary drop of Salins jovialty, letting the desperation seep out from beneath. Jack frowned.

    Did he torture you? he asked.

    Salin hesitated. Theres a limit to what he can do to me. Even as a criminal, I remain a member of the noble families.

    But?

    ...He did have a lightning wizard y with my cage a bit. The other cultivators found it hrious. Nothing to worry about, though. He gave a wide, hurt smile. Im strong enough.

    I see. Jack was growing angry now. Even reluctantly, Gan Salin was his friend now. Did they feed you?

    Isnt rescuing me more important?

    No.

    The canine hesitated again, but faced with Jacks resolve, he had little choice. The tavern patrons sometimes throw scraps at me. Enough to keep me going. I didnt have much to eat in the desert, as you can imagine.

    He didnt give you a single meal?

    No.

    And for water?

    I dip my finger in the mud below and lick it. Sometimes. Its not pleasant for the stomach. On the bright side, Bocor made sure I had a good view of the pond, so I could fantasize about it a lot.

    And you can smell the taverns meals all the time. And hear everyone else as they eat and drink andugh.

    Its a privileged location for a cage.

    Gan Salin was trying to joke, but Jack could clearly sense the pain underneath. The anger, the humiliation, the bitterness.

    Jack clenched his fists and took a deep breath, beating down the fire inside him so it didnt spill out. Not yet, at least.

    Dont worry about me, Jack, Salin said. For once, his voice was earnest. Im fine. Just get me out of here, please.

    He was ying it strong. Jack appreciated the gesture, but it did little to alleviate his fury. Wait a moment, he said, making a gesture backward.

    Do you have more Salin kept speaking, but his voice was no longer audible. His eyes widened.

    From the shadows, Nauja had activated her silence skill.

    Being literally enveloped in silence was an odd feeling for Jack. He opened his mouth, but no voice came out. It was eerie, almost disturbing. His ears picked up aplete absence of sound, not even his own heart beating, though he could feel his body vibrating to the tune of his blood. Just like Nauja had promised, the sensation was deeply unpleasant.

    In fact, it wasnt exactly silence. More like the air was resisting the urge to vibrate, like they were stuck inside a ball of effective sound instion.

    Salin frowned but gave Jack a thumbs up. Jack wrapped his fingers around the iron bars of the cage, brought them to his chest, and pulled. His muscles instantly went taut. The metal bent slightly under his grip, but no sound came. Jack pulled harder.

    His veins were popping all over his arms. His eyes were bloodshot. He was pulling with the strength of fifty grown men, but the metal kept resisting. These were thick bars, after all. They were designed so Gan Salin couldnt affect them.

    But Jack wasnt Gan Salin. His veins throbbed as he pulled harder, refusing to be defeated, absolutely intent on bending these bars out of shape. His Dao of Power seeped into his Indomitable Body, fortifying and enhancing his muscles. His pulling intensified.

    Gan Salin also tried to help, but his Strength attribute wascking. Still, the effort wasmendable.

    Jack opened his mouth and roared soundlessly. Slowly, the metal bent under his fingers. Inch by inch, the two iron bars were pulled away from each other. Jack kept pulling. At some point, the metal was bent so badly that its resistance waned, letting Jack elerate and part the barspletely.

    When he stopped, he could feel his entire body shaking from overexertion, but he still heard nothing. It was even more disorienting than before.

    He had seeded. A small hole was open in the bars, which Salin was already struggling to cross. He was wiggling through it, pushing his shoulders to fit. It was just slightly too tight. His face was red, and his skin was grating strongly against the metal.

    Jack wanted to help, but he was afraid hed break something.

    Eventually, Salin epted that he just barely didnt fit. His eyes momentarily sharpened, his jaw set. His Dao Root of Resolve red. With an abrupt motion, he smashed one shoulder into the metal, mouthing a silent cry of pain. The bone was dislocated, bent oddly through the cage, and he finally managed to slide through.

    The moment he was out, he took a deep, trembling breath, then snapped the bone back into ce. His grimace was harsh, sweat marred his forehead, but he was out and safe.

    Jack felt the silence skill disappear. Sound returned, from the raucousughter at the front of the tavern to the cries of nocturnal animals.

    Are you okay? Jack asked, looking deeply at Salin.

    Better than ever. The canine forced a smile. Thank you, Jack. Really. I appreciate it.

    Jack smiled back. Dont mention it. Now, lets

    He froze. A person had just rounded the tavern, probably heading home to get some sleep. Unfortunately, they were in the way. This man was staring directly at them.

    As if that wasnt enough, Jack recognized him. It was the fire mage who had chased them in the Forbidden Cave, the one whod screamed at Jack and Nauja about killing the ferretfolk.

    Jack watched the mans eyes go wide in confusion, then widen even further with anger. He quickly put two and two together. Salins broken cage and the canine himself were clearly visible.

    <em>So much for stealth, </em>Jack thought.

    The bald woman stepped out behind the fire mage a momentter, her expression mirroring his.

    Hey, Gan Salin said, raising his hands. This isnt what it looks like. Were, um, eloping.

    The fire mage took a deep breath, shouted, Intruders! and charged at Jack.

    Which was a stupid decision. The man was level 72, one of the weakest cultivators in the vige. He probably still thought of Jack as the weakling hed chased in Forbidden Cave, but even then, Jack had only ran because there were a bunch of pursuers.

    Even if the fire mage had inspected Jack now, he only saw a level 84 cultivatorJack had gained a couple levels in the desert. The mage probably thought he could dy Jack until reinforcements arrived.

    But Jack was not the average level 84 cultivator. Seeing the fire mage shout and charge, Jacks brows lowered dangerously. They had to run. This person was an enemy.

    He charged too, using Ghost Step. His feet stomped on cobblestone. Suddenly, he was right before the enemy. The mes that had just started pouring out broke against Jacks bare chest. The bald woman, having arrived to the scene a momentter than the fire wizard, was too slow to react.

    Jacks fist red purple. Colors and sounds were sucked in. Jacks fist made contact with the fire mages chest like a hurtling meteor.

    The ensuing explosion rocked the entire vige. A loud boom and a blinding sh covered the night as the mans body exploded, dying instantly. The strike was so strong that it carried behind the fire mage, striking the tavern wall and shattering it.

    Wood exploded. Splinters flew everywhere. Pipes on the inside were bent oddly, pots and pans flew all over the ce, fire spilled out from kitchens to the ground, and the entire building creaked before starting to copse.

    Jack stood before the ruined corpse of the fire mage, fist still outstretched. The bald woman, who had been ready to cast some spell, froze mid-action. She lowered her gaze, raised her hands, and slowly stepped back. The lycan waiter and two human cultivatorsall under Level 100who had just rounded the corner, startled by the mages shout, also froze on the spot. They didnt dare approach. One of the twoapletely naked maneven started shivering.

    Mercy, said the lycan waiter, showing his open palms and arcing his back to push his belly forwarda habit deep in his genes.

    Gan Salin gaped at the destruction, as did the kovan that was working inside the kitchen, his apron suddenly showered with splinters and dust. At least, this expedited Jacks n of getting food.

    There were more discreet ways to enter the kitchen than blowing up the wall. The n was to sneak through the window, neutralize the cook-bartender, and steal anything they could get their hands on.

    But things had taken another direction now, and Jack didnt regret it. These people were all aplices in Gan Salins plight. They were the ones whoughed when the lightning wizard electrocuted him. They were the ones who threw over scraps to humiliate him.

    Yet, Gan Salin didntin. He simply endured the insults, sucking the bones dry to get nutrition, dipping his finger into the mud and licking it to quench his thirst, smiling in the face of horrible mistreatment.

    Jack was furious. He was burning with rage. Since every n would end up at a chase anyway, he might as well go scorched earth on this vige. These assholes didnt deserve a tavern and nice food. Let them eat raw meat.

    Besides, after the mages previous shout, their infiltration had already failed. Now, it was a hunt.

    Of course, the explosion resounded across the vige. Urgent cries came from all directions, including the front of the tavern. Reaching the nearby exit tunnel was no longer an option.

    Jack ignored the terrified crowd and rushed to the kitchen benches. Gan Salin followed a beatter. The ingredientsmeat, vegetables, spices, and morewere neatly arranged in piles, and grabbing a sack, Jack filled it to the brim with anything he could get his hands on. Salin was grabbing water sacks from across the tables. He also found a small pile of credit cards, which he instantly pocketed. At this moment, his excitement genuinely suppressed the signs of mistreatment on his face and body.

    The bartender snapped out of his shock and ran for the door, screaming, at the same moment that the chimney copsed. The walls followed a beat afterward. Jack and Gan Salin were already outside, each carrying a bunch of sacks over their shoulders and running at the desert full-tilt.

    What the hell did you do!? Naujas voice reached him as she jumped out of the shadows, already sprinting.

    Jack picked up Brock and hoisted him under his armpit, one arm carrying the brori and the other the sacks of food. Brock didnt make a single sound in protest. What they fucking deserved! he shouted back. Less talking, more running!

    They broke into the desert, flying over sand dunes like they had wings. Thankfully, Gan Salin specialized in speed, so he could follow themat least for a bit. Then, Jack would have to carry him, too.

    Jack nced back. From the moment he broke the tavern to now, only a few seconds had passed. With any luck, it would take time for the strongest people of the vige to realize what had happened ande after them. By then, they could be miles away, far from anyones ability to chase.

    Getting to the next ring would be a problem. They could either circle back to this vige and try to sneak through on the next night, or they could walk half a month to the next one. They had food and water now. It would dy Jacks timeline, of course, but he had the Dao Soul now. He could just spend that extra time stabilizing his recent gains.

    Not like he had a choice, anyway.

    The most he could wish for right now was escaping. With any luck, it would be doable. What kind of cultivator mastermind personally goes after vandals?

    Unfortunately, luck had its days. As Jack looked back, he saw three figures leap over a sand dune, still far away but clearly on the chase.

    One of them was the Animal Kingdom minotaur, Bocor. The other was a cold-looking woman in white robes who floated many feet off the ground, flying over the sand dunes without needing to follow the deserts terrain. And the third was a dark-haired man in tattered robes, whose sheathed sword was easily nine feet long.

    This particr man was closing the distance so fast that he made the minotaur seem sluggish. It didnt take a genius to know that this was the Lord Longsword that Bocor served.

    Jack cursed his luck.

 Chapter 164: Facing Lord Longsword

    Chapter 164: Facing Lord Longsword

    Jack, Nauja, Gan Salin, and Brock ran over the sand dunes, heading as far away from the vige as possible. They thought they would be fast enough. Turns out, they werent.

    Lord Longswords team was the first to crest the tall sand dune between the vige and the desert, sprinting after them. Jack could see them clearly under the silver starlight. Longsword himself was at the frontor, at least, the person Jack assumed was Longswordfollowed by the icy witch and the dickhead minotaur, Bocor.

    Following them was a vast array of cultivators. In a brief nce, Jack spotted a blue-haired guy showered in lightning sparks, anky, pale-faced teenager riding a desert scaled lizard, a woman d in a dark robe with a deep hood

    He turned back to the front. There were easily a dozen people there. No point observing them.

    <em>How the hell did Longsword move so fast? </em>Jack wondered, gritting his teeth. If it was Rufus Emberheart in his ce, he would lounge back and have an underling handle the chasing.

    Turns out, not all young masters were simr.

    To be fair, you could have seen thising, Gan Salin added helpfully, running side by side with Jack. That was their favorite tavern in the entire vige.

    It was the <em>only </em>tavern in the vige.

    Did I say otherwise?

    Less talking, more running, Nauja said, making Gan Salin turn to her.

    Im Gan, by the way. Gan Salin. Though everyone calls me Salin recently. I dont know why.

    Nauja, she replied. She nced at his outstretched hand, hesitated slightly, then shook it quickly.

    Brock, said Brock, eager to participate in the conversation.

    Do you think theyll catch up? Jack asked, still running. He braved another nce backward. Lord Longsword himself was far ahead of the pack, gaining on them every second.

    Absolutely, Gan Salin replied. I dont even know why we keep running. Perhaps we should hide in the sand and pretend to be lizardsthough, really, Im a canine.

    Jack gritted his teeth. What if I beat him off?

    Thats Lord Longsword. You cant even slow him down. Gan Salin focused on speed, not endurance, which was one reason why he could speak so casually while running. The other was his certainty of getting caught.

    You dont know how strong Ive gotten.

    I know how strong that guy is. There is no way you can fight him.

    Oh yeah? Jack struggled inwardly. Watch me.

    Dont do this! Nauja yelled at him.

    Its a terrible idea, Salin agreed.

    Bro, said Brock, his intent indecipherable.

    What choice do I have? Hes almost here!

    Lord Longsword was gliding over the sand dunes, his feet blurring under him, each step carrying him arge distance forward. His tattered robes fluttered in the wind as his long dark hair was pulled back, revealing a sharp, clean-shaven, expressionless face.

    Nowas that a smirk of amusement?

    There was no way they could escape. From everyone else, maybe, but not this guy. Jack made his decision. Ill hold him off. Its me theyre after, anyway. You guys keep running.

    He stomped into the sand, arresting his momentum and turning around.

    Jack! The sounds of feet dragging against the ground came from behind him, where hispanions were running, but Jack couldnt spare the attention. He just hoped they kept going.

    Lord Longsword was almost upon them. Seeing Jack stop, the hint of smile on his face grew an inch. Hended in the sand fifty feet away from Jack, then dusted his robes. The nine-foot-long sheath trailed behind him, its tip almost grazing the deserts surface.

    From up close, Jack could take a better look. There was a sense of yful arrogance to this man. The underlying assumption that he was far better than everyone else, and that he viewed them as a grown-up would view a bunch of kids. In this arrogance, at least, he resembled Rufus.

    <strong>Human (Earth-74), Level 122</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Wide Swirls (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Wide Swirls Prodigy</strong>

    Imend you for he began, but Jack had no time to waste. If he could defeat this guy fast enough, maybe he could outrun the other delvers. They were a few seconds behind.

    He charged in. A purple meteor zed on his fist, ready to explode on that yfully arrogant face. He even considered using the Life Drop for a second but quickly changed his mind. The Ancient voice had instructed him to keep it an absolute secret.

    He flew within nine feet of Lord Longsword. The smirk on the mans lips flickered. His eyes narrowed like unsheathed swords.

    Jack barely registered the movement. One moment, the nine-foot-long sword was in its sheath. The next, it was hurtling at Jacks face,ing sideways at tremendous speed. Before he even realized what was happening, his every instinct screamed to dodge.

    Jack leaned back hard. The de sailed over him, barely missing his nose, as he lost his bnce and tumbled back-first into the sand.

    Your weight was too forward, Longsword said, shaking his head in mock admonishment. Dont just charge like that.

    Jacks heart was beating like a wardrum. He jumped to his feet. Longsword held the de at his side, nine feet of sharp steel, not in a hurry to swing again. But Jack had no time. If he didnt escape fast, a dozen other cultivators would catch up.

    He rushed again. This time, he kept his body low. If the de came again, he nned to leap over it, catching his opponent by surprisethat was the only way he could win.

    The sword cracked like a whip. Longsword simply turned his wrist, and the tip of the nine-foot de hissed through the air like a baleful gale, reaching Jack near-instantly. Not only was Longsword fast, but the length of his swordand its apparent weightlessnessfurther enhanced that. Jack already felt cornered.

    He followed the n. He leaped over the de and somersaulted, noting how the metal curved by the air resistance under him. It was made of soft, flexible materials. Unfortunately, this knowledge was of little help right now.

    With another flick of Longswords wrist, the sword changed directions and leaped at Jack, aiming to bisect him. It was too fast. No sword should be able to move like that. The longer the sword, the harder it should be to wield it. Longsword used his as quickly as one might a dagger.

    Jack ghost-stepped diagonally and forward through the strike,nding on the sand and leaping off to punch Longsword. His fist zed purple, drawing a narrow, fast arc.

    At thest moment, Longswords hand blurred. He pped the strike away. The explosion burst to the side, leveling a nearby sand dune from the shockwave, as Jack found cold steel pressed into his neck.

    He froze. He had lost? Just like that?

    A growl escaped Jacks throat, brutal and guttural.

    Eloquent. I like that, Longsword said, nodding his head. Listen, little guy. Im going to pull back my sword. Dont try to resist, okay?

    He did pull back. Even at this range, he didnt seem particrly afraid of Jack. A dozen cultivatorsnded around them.

    Meanwhile, Jack was reeling. His mind was going through a thousand thoughts at once, trying to understand everything about this battle.

    Longsword was a sword fighter. He used no extraneous Daos, or, at least, hadnt used any in this fight. He could manipte the long de with just a flick of his wrist, giving its tip extreme speed, like a whip. At the same level, how could anyone keep up with that? Jacks dodges had been more prediction than observation.

    <em>Did the others escape?</em>

    He looked back, only to find Nauja, Gan Salin, and Brock fifty feet behind him. They all had their weapons drawn as if ready to assist Jack, but they stood still. Lines of smooth ice stretched through the sky, above Jacks head, and around his friends, ending in sharp tips aimed at their throats.

    Jack realized what happened and groaned. They hadnt kept running. They turned around to help him, but that was all the opening the ice witch needed for her magic to reach.

    You must be wondering, Longsword said, drawing Jacks attention to the front. He caressed the handle of his weapon, already sheathed. This is Featherlong. An Ancient artifact forged of extremely light, yet wickedly sharp metal alloys. One flick of my wrist is enough to sever a hill.

    When? Jack growled back.

    When was it made?

    When did I ask?

    Longswords smile faltered momentarily, then returned. From this distance, his brown eyes were like deep pools of brown, and that sense of yful arrogance was even stronger. It didnt escape Jack that the dozen cultivators around them, each a prodigy in their own right, stayed silent in deference.

    To be honest, Longsword said, I didnt expect you to survive a single strike. Your strength is admirable for your levelyou might even be Elite. Tell me: did you know who I was when you chose to fight me?

    I had my suspicions, Jack replied. He was already captured. The best he could do was see where this guy was going. I know that assholehe jutted his thumb at Bocor, who snarled by the sideworks for a Lord Longsword. Youre he strong and have a long sword. It didnt take a genius.

    Hmm. Longsword cupped his chin, ignoring Jacks jab at Bocor. Your personality is as Ive heard. I have to admit Im intrigued, Jack Rust. Your fighting skills areckluster

    <em>Your mom isckluster, </em>Jack almost said before catching himself.

    but you certainly have potential. Ill tell you what we can do. You have a little bounty with the Animal Kingdom, but my Wide Swirls are also a presence in the gxyand, unlike the Animal Kingdom, we ept outside disciples. Join my team. Swear an oath and devote your life to me for this Garden Assault. If you can impress me sufficiently, I might negotiate your protection in exchange for joining my faction.

    The crowd did not expect this. Brows were raised, eyes widened. Bocor the minotaur was the most shocked of all. He quickly said, My Lord, the Animal Kingdom

    I am aware, Bocor, Longsword cut him off. But subordinates are part of ones strength. I wont weaken myself to cate your faction. If this man impresses me, the Wide Swirls and Animal Kingdom might work something out.

    But

    Are you doubting me?

    His tone was calm. Yet, Bocor shut up instantly, bottling up his rage. Never, my Lord.

    Good. Now, what do you say, Jack Rust? Your strength has earned you a second shot at life.

    Jack, too, was shocked. This hadepletely out of the blue. <em>Join him? </em>he wondered. <em>Join a B-Grade faction?</em>

    Honestly, he didnt really have a reason to refuse. There was no bad blood between him and Lord Longswordthough he instinctively disliked the man.

    You mentioned protection, he asked carefully. If I may ask, would that extend to my, as well? We were recently Integrated, and I believe we rubbed the Animal Kingdom the wrong way.

    Jacks heart clenched. <em>Five people </em>He almost started counting before realizing that the people he had to protect were far, far more than five.

    And mypanions here? He motioned at Nauja, Gan Salin, and Brock.

    Longsword cupped his chin. The pet can be spared, but well kill the other two. The kovan whose tavern you ruined is my associate. I cant let this go unpunished.

    Jack looked back, meeting Naujas trembling stare. A momentter, she steadied. She was a barbarian. If she had to die, she would face death with honor.

    I would prefer not to Gan Salin tried to speak, but the smooth ice line that extended to his throat grew a bit, the tip drawing a drop of blood.

    All this time, the ice witch stood a step behind Longsword and hadnt batted an eye.

    This is not a negotiation, Longsword said, noticing Jacks hesitation. It is an opportunity for you. Many would give up their entire families to be part of a Lords team. ept quickly, or I will hand you over to Bocor here, to treat you as he sees fit. I assure you; that is not a future you want to face.

    Jack nced at Bocor. The minotaur waited by the side, face torn between brutal glee and impotent fury. This was the same guy whod pped Brock in the Forbidden Cave. Part of the Animal Kingdom which bullied Earth.

    <em>What do I do? </em>Jack thought desperately. <em>If I decline, he will kill me and the others.</em>

    <em>If I ept, I will survive for a little longer, and I may be able to save more of my people down the linebut I cant surrender my friends. Plus, this guy is off. Everything he does feels a bittoo cold.</em>

    <em>Goddammit. How am I supposed to make a choice like that? Is there really nothing else!? What would a fist do?</em>

    Unfortunately, the essence of the fist was predicated on not losing. Since hed already lost, all the fist could help him do was die. There was no way to fight his way out of this one.

    But he was more than just a fist. Jack squeezed his brain dry to find a solution, anything that could save him and his friends. He could feel their stares into his back. They relied on him.

    And, as his brain was squeezed to the limit, it started spitting out random ideas. Most were stupid. But a few things made sense. Suddenly, the inklings of a n were forming in Jacks brain. A delicate maniption that had a small chance of working, if executed properly.

 Chapter 165: One Path to Survival, a Thousand to Death

    Chapter 165: One Path to Survival, a Thousand to Death

    Your offer is tempting, Lord Longsword, Jack said, consciously rxing his body and mouth. He even forced a small smile. The first step was to give Lord Longsword his respect in front of everyone. How could anyone refuse? You are an unmatched prodigy. Honestly, after fighting you once, my respect for you is through the roof.

    Longsword nodded. He assumed Jack was justplimenting him to make up for his earlier disrespect. Before he could say anything, Jack continued.

    Besides, I would have to be an idiot to let myself be handed over to that guy, he said, jutting a thumb at Bocor andughing loudly. Not only is he an asshole, hes also a weak asshole. Dying to him would make for an ugly tombstone.

    Longsword frowned. I acknowledge your intention, but you shouldnt insult my other subordinates. It is ungainly.

    Oh? I apologize, Lord. I wasnt trying to insult anyone. I was just stating the facts. That person is, indeed, weaker than me. There is no shame in that, right?

    I could destroy you with one finger! Bocor bellowed from the side. He was a minotaur, and bulls werent known for theirposure. Just as Jack had hoped, he was outraged.

    Of course you couldnt. Jackughed again,tching on to this opening. We both know youre the weaker party here. Wouldnt you agree, Lord Longsword?

    Longsword didnt reply immediately. Instead, his frown deepened. He wasnt an idiot. He could sense Jack was up to something; he just didnt know what. Bocor is obviously stronger than you, he said carefully. Whats your point?

    To an outsider, Bocor absolutely looked stronger than Jack. Not only was there a difference of thirty-one levels between them, but the minotaur was also talented enough to be ced in Lord Longswords team. He was far stronger than most people at his level.

    In fact, Jack also suspected he was the weakest of the two, but he didnt have many options.

    He? Stronger than me? Jack said, feigning surprise, even iprehension. My Lord, I understand you have to speak up for your subordinates, but this really isnt proper. I have seen this minotaur fight. He is extremely weak for his level. In fact, his being part of your team is an affront to your great strength.

    His hesitant words threatened to take back the respect hed already given to Lord Longswordin front of everyone. That would be awkward for the Lord.

    Bocor is obviously not weak, Longsword responded. He was starting to get impatient, so Jack cut to the chase.

    I see. Well, I happen to disagree, and I wonder; do you enjoy gambling, Lord Longsword? The cat was out of the bag, so he spoke quickly, not leaving time for anyone to interrupt his carefully crafted speech. You mentioned before that subordinates are part of ones strength. However, that minotaur really is too weak. How about you let me test this part of your strength, my Lord? Lets make a bet. I will duel the asshole and prove his ipetence. If I lose, I will dly die for my disrespect, or join your team, or whatever you desire of me. But, if I win, you will let me and my friends go for now. You can hunt us down again in the next ring.

    Brows rose all around. Even Jacks friends were surprised by this turn of events. Lord Longswords eyes were narrowed now, suspicious. What are you trying to achieve? he asked. Obviously, he didnt think Jack had a shot against Bocor, so he assumed there was something else at y.

    Nothing, my Lord, Jack assured him. No ns, tricks, or ploys. I am simply confident in my strength. If you are confident in your strength, too, and the minotaur is part of your strength, let me duel him. His expression hardened. I refuse your previous offer. Go ahead and hand me over to the Animal Kingdom; but, in the process, why not offer a spectacle for everyone present, humiliate me, and showcase your subordinates strengthif there is anything to show?

    Jack seemed confident on the outside. Inside, he was gnawing at all his fingernails at once. This was the only n he coulde up with: take advantage of Lord Longswords yful arrogance to lure him into a seemingly impossible bet. Could Jack really beat the minotaur? He didnt know. But he believed his chances to be above zero. He had grown a lot stronger since theyst met. He had faced a peak E-Grade beast almost equallyand grown a bit since then, too.

    Of course, that all hinged on Lord Longsword epting this bet. Jack had already done his best. He had even used the lords previous words to trap him. His only deficiency was that he had nothing to bet besides his own death, but there was nothing he could do about that. Revealing the existence of any secretslike the Life Dropwould be the same thing as revealing the secrets themselves.

    Lord Longsword cupped his chin. He still looked at Jack suspiciously, like he suspected there were more tricks lying in wait, but he couldnt find thembecause they didnt exist.

    However, his eyes held a hint of intrigue. Jacks heart lightened as he saw it.

    Very well, he finally responded. Form a wide circle, everyone. Bocor, show no mercy.

    The minotaur had the most bloodthirsty, sadistic smile Jack had ever seen. Yes, my Lord.

    The cultivators quickly made some distance, leaving a wide, empty circle in the sand for Jack and the minotaur to face off. Bocor remained as everyone receded around him, solid as a boulder, staring down Jack while slowly grabbing his tower shield.

    I dont know what got into you, he said, but I will enjoy this.

    Jack wasnt paying attention to the minotaur; not yet. His eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the cultivators. Lord Longsword stood at one end of the circle, apanied by the icy witchwho still hadnt expressed emotion or said a single word. Nauja, Gan Salin, and Brock were by her side, surrounded by smooth ice lines ending in sharp tips.

    They watched Jack with hope. Gan Salin, with amusement.

    Hey, Jackie, he said, ignoring the ice that almost bore into his throat, I dont know what youre nning, but go for it! Im sure it will be fun.

    Im nning nothing, Jack replied honestly. Ill just kick his ass.

    Somehow, Salin believed him. His face dropped. He turned his eyeshe would be impaled if he moved anything elseto Longsword. Say, Lord, normal battles are sost millennium. Could we consider something else instead? Perhaps a dance-off?

    Shut him up, Longsword ordered. The ice lines wound so thick around Gan Salins throat that even breathing was a struggle. When he swallowed, two shallowcerations were drawn on his Adams apple. He didnt speak anymore.

    Jack drew his eyes from Salin to Nauja, who simply nodded at him, and then to Brock, whose eyes burned with passion. It warmed Jacks heart. The little brori didnt have the slightest of doubts about Jacks victory.

    Around them, people were getting ready to watch the show. Jack spotted the bald woman from before. She was ring daggers at himprobably still pissed hed killed her two teammates, the ferretfolk and the fire mage.

    The wizened treant was also there, the one with leaf magic, apanied by a club-wielding woman and a robed individual Jack hadnt seen beforeperhaps the invisible enemy from the Forbidden Cave?

    Besides those, there were plenty of cultivators in attendance. More had arrived after Jack and Longsword started talking. A human with blue hair, white at the tips, through which ran blue sparks. Anky, pale-faced teenager who rode a scaled lizard with a sneer on his face. Apletely naked man. A kovan with a dirty apron and the most professional re Jack had ever seen.

    Not everyones powers were easily discernible. There were plenty more who just stood there, d in robes or armor, carrying sheathed weapons or odd trinkets. For a moment, Jack let his mind wander. What Daos could these people be following? The Dao of Victory? Of the Drunken Fist? Of Love, War, Sand, or Sky?

    Maybe the Dao of Bad Breath? The Dao of No Clothes?

    He couldnt wait to find out.

    Then, relishing in this small respite, he took a deep breath and fortified his mind, focusing on one person: Bocor, the Animal Kingdom minotaur.

    Jack had a bone to pick with this guy. Not only had he tried to kill Jack on multiple asions, but hed also mistreated Gan Salin badly. He had even pped Brock during the Forbidden Cave chase. Jack still remembered the sound, crisp and clear. He was determined to get revenge, thenhe just didnt imagine the time woulde so soon.

    Bocor stood opposite Jack, weighing him with his gaze. Are you done sightseeing? he asked, but Jack ignored him.

    <strong>Minotaur, Level 115</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom</strong>

    <strong>Title: Resilient</strong>

    Meanwhile, Jack himself was thirty-one levels below.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 84</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 325</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 325</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 325</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 80</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch II, Iron Fist Style I, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist te), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Third Ring Conqueror</strong>

    He had gained four levels while touring the desert, which all went to evening out his Dexterity against the other Physical stats. Now, they all sat at a not-so-round 325, sixty-five times the average pre-System human. With all three working together, he would seem like a God to anyone in the pre-System era.

    Unfortunately, his training with the Dao Soul through the desert trip hadnt yielded any tangible benefits, but he felt himself sharper, more aware of his surroundings and how the System channeled his Dao to use his Dao Skills.

    Compared to other people of his level, he had two fused Dao Roots, a perfect Dao Seed, the Immortality Serum, an Elite ss, a third-tier Dao Skill in Indomitable Body, and the old reliable, Meteor Punch. The Life Drop was unfortunately off-limits for this fight. If he used it, he still wouldnt escape, and he would have revealed himself to the great forces the Ancient voice had warned him about.

    He would have to win this purely on his own power.

    The minotaur, on the other hand, no doubt had his own advantages. Elixirs, resources, fused Dao Roots, maybe an Elite ss or a perfect Dao Seed. Undoubtedly high-ss training, all sorts of top-tier resources, and who knows what kind of equipment.

    But more than anything else, Jack had his fist and the resolve that, if he lost, he would die.

    <em>Simple and clean</em>

    He licked his lips, finding them dry, and settled into a fighting stance. The minotaurs hulking body was eight feet tall, crowned with sharp, twin horns, covered in bulging muscles, and hidden under a full set of te armor that only left his face exposed. His face had thick, masculine features, his fur was a light brown, and his eyes were hateful little slits clouded with rage.

    Arge tower shield was in his hands, easily the size of a door and undoubtedly weighing ten times as much. When he stuck it in the sand before him, it sank down easily until it hit the stone below with a hollow thud.

    In the name of the Animal Kingdom, are you ready to die? the minotaur asked, reveling in his soon-toe glory.

    Are you? Jack replied, clenching his fists. The Dao coursed through him, filling him with power. His body tingled, his pores opened, his hair stood on end, a wild grin appeared on his lips.

    He was ready.

    Bocor bellowed and charged.

 Chapter 166: Jack vs. Bocor

    Chapter 166: Jack vs. Bocor

    Jacks world sharpened to a point: the minotaur. Everything else fell away. He enteredbat. A battle he couldnt afford to lose.

    Bocor closed the distance in less than a blink. His hooved legs carved the sand under them, parting it like air. He was fast, too.

    But Jack was also fast.

    The sharp butt of a tower shield crashed where Jack used to stand. Hed jumped away, turning in mid-air and smashing a Meteor Punch into the minotaurs side. The ensuing explosion could fell a hill. Sand flew away in all directions, whipping the bodies and eyes of those watching.

    When it settled, Jack was cradling his hand. A sharp pain ran from his middle knuckle to his shoulder, the result of the hard impact. The minotaurs te armor was slightly dented but had easily withstood the strike. Fool, Bocor said. Someone like you could never break this armor.

    Jack grimaced. Technically, blunt weaponslike his fistwere the best weapons against heavily armored opponents. But this was te armor, and his hand was made of flesh. Until he broke the armorwhich was nigh-impossibleit would distribute a good amount of his impacts across the minotaurs body, reducing the power of his strikes.

    There was no way around it. He had to either strike the minotaurs face through his open helmet, or keep pounding away at the armor. His hurt knuckle was already recovering, his Indomitable Bodys magnificent healing properties set to work. While Jacks will remained whole, so would his body.

    I dont need to break the armor, he retorted. I need to break you.

    He charged.

    Bocor was strong, hard, but not too fast. Moreover, he wielded arge tower shield. Jack had to fight in close quarters.

    As he charged, Bocor brought the shield before his body. He bashed Jack, who sidestepped the attack, then swung the shields sharp bottom. Jack rolled under the strike, finding himself before the minotaur, and punched out. He didnt use Meteor Punch, this timeit hurt him more than the opponent.

    His regr punches werent anything to scoff at, either. They came densely, one punch following the other in a dance of violence. Jack smashed a straight into the minotaurs chest, a hook to his ribs, an uppercut into his jaw. Bocors hands tried to p Jacks ears, but he ducked, letting them p each other, and charged up a fierce strike into his opponents armpit.

    Bocor grunted. It was the first sign of damage.

    The shield came crashing down from above, forcing Jack to ghost step behind the minotaur and keep pummeling. His strikes bled into each other, but their effect was limited. It felt like punching a boulder. No matter how long you kept at it, all you achieved was to injure your own hands.

    However, hed made a great observation. He had the stats to face the minotaur. He wouldnt be steamrolled.

    Suddenly, the air hardened around Jack. It became thick and slimy, like water, limiting his speed and strength. Every movement was now a battle against the pressure.

    Bocor turned to face him, his re ugly. Wee to the swamp, kid. He then let go of his shield with one hand and pped Jack, sending him flying to the edge of the circle. The lightning wizard there grabbed Jackthe grip sent a jolt of pain into himand threw him back inside.

    There is no escape, Bocor said again, taking slow, purposeful steps at Jack. You cannot harm me. You can run, but you are going down.

    Jack raised his eyes. His teeth was gritted. His body tense. This guy was so frustrating to fight against. His entire being was designed to endure damage.

    <em>I have to strike his face, </em>he realized. It was the only ce where the te armor wouldnt get in the waythough, undoubtedly, the minotaur had more skills to protect himself. But the face was a difficult target to hit.

    <em>What are my advantages?</em>

    The minotaur was a cultivator. A scion of a B-Grade faction, like Rufus Emberheart. He had trained throughout his life, but how many real, life-or-death battles could he have experienced? Not many. And how many of them were against skilled, humanoid opponents? Probably very few.

    Jack, on the other hand, had a wealth of experience. The Dao Soul by itself had made him adept inbat.

    Brute strength wouldnt triumph here. He had to use skill. His hand closed around a handful of sand.

    Jack felt the Iron Fist Style rev up inside him. The relevant knowledge came to the forefront. He was a fistfighter, an expert. All his other skills were just tools.

    With a roar, he stood and charged.

    Bocorughed and stood his ground. The air liquified around him again, making every move a struggle. Jack dived into it anyway. His ranged Meteor Punches could be easily blocked by the shield.

    He dived, dodged, sidestepped, and rolled. It was harder now. The thick, slimy air inhibited him, but he pushed through. One punch under the elbow, another behind the thigh. He dodged a shield swipe, followed Bocors backstep, and feigned an uppercut. In reality, he just opened his hand, shooting the sand hed gathered into the minotaurs face.

    Bocor released a cry of surprise. Jack had already jumped, dodging a blind strike to screw his fist directly into the minotaurs face from above. He felt bone groan under his knuckle, the collision of his fist against the ridge of his opponents wide nose.

    At the same time, it was like hed punched granite. His knuckle ruptured. The minotaurs skin was even harder than his te armor. At least it couldnt spread the damage everywhere.

    Jack let the impact take him high, then twisted his body in mid-air and punched down again, a Meteor Punch with his entire weight behind it. Bocor had already raised his shield to block. Jacks hand met it with a crack. The shield waspletely unmoved as he flew back, quickly shooting a Meteor Punch into the air to elerate hisnding.

    In this fight, mobility was his weapon. He couldnt afford to be stranded mid-air.

    The minotaur had recovered. His eyes were red now, steaming with rage, and blood trickled down his nose. YOU! he shouted, unable to muster more coherent words, and barreled forward like a loose train. Jack weed the charge. He feigned to the left, letting the shield sail there without a target, then sidestepped to the right and nted a fierce punch right into Bocors face.

    Despite all the hardness and endurance his knuckles possessed, they were still fractured. The minotaur staggered back, seeing stars for a moment, as Jack pressed the attack. The Iron Fist Style flowed in his veins. He was one with it. His movements were fluid, smooth, clean, even in the minotaurs aura skill. He dodged strikes and hammered away.

    His attacks werent many now, but they were persistent. Each went after the minotaurs face, pursuing odd angles and timing. He mixed things up, adding feints, body ms, ghost steps. He was a machine of violence, a dance of mayhem, tuned to the very edges of his skill.

    Bocor avoided most of the attacks. His face was a difficult target to hit, but thanks to Jacks persistence, a couple of strikes got through. To Bocor, it was like a nightmare, like fighting a bee that was intent on stinging your eyes. His nose had gone from dripping to flowing blood, his lips were split, and his cheekbones were steadily getting caved in.

    This was like fighting the rock bear all over again.

    Bocor was rage personified. He was getting publicly beaten up. In front of his lord. The attacks didnt hurt him too much, but they wounded his pride. Yet, the more he gave in to rage, the more predictable he became. Jack was using all sorts of tricks, like a wild animal instead of a principled fighter. His moves werent necessarily optimal, but they were unpredictable. Bocor wasnt trained to handle this.

    As a result, his movements werent practiced. They had clear patterns. Every time something worked, he tried it again, only to find himself brutally countered. Jack had practiced against Copy-Jack a lot. He knew how to read patterns and adapt on the fly.

    Of course, throughout the battle, Jack was regrly receiving hits. An armored gauntlet dug into his guts. A backfist met his face, the side of the shield crashed into his ribs, a headbutt broke his nose, a sharp horn shed his shoulder.

    Every time, Jack would fly back, slow down for a while. But his Indomitable Body would quickly heal him. Moreover, every time Jacknded a hit on the minotaurs face, his knuckles cracked. The pain was sharp, but Jack was beyond caring. His Indomitable Body only needed seconds to recover the damage.

    Bocor may have been a tank, but so was Jack!

    Nobody had expected this. They saw Jacks attacking power and assumed he focused on Strength and Dexterity, that he was a strong but frail fighter. The first time he was struck hard, everyone thought it was over, only for Jack to stand up and keep fighting. The same thing urred the next three times, until they got used to it.

    The look of growing horror on Bocors face fueled Jack, made him forget his aching stomach, his burning muscles, his leaden limbs. He was exhausted, but he was indomitable. His body would give up before his mind did.

    Lord Longswords expression hardened as the fight went on.

    Stat-wise, Bocor was slightly superior. The same went for training and resources. Their Daos wereparable in power.

    The deciding factor in this battle was skill. In this realm, Jack was clearly superior. Everyone could see it. It wasnt just the tiers of his Dao skills, either. Dao skills were mere guidelines. Jack was inventive. Experienced. He went above and beyond the skills limitations, improvising constantly.

    Strikes came and went, punches shed everywhere, roars, bellows, rising sand, and the dull thud of skin on bone. Jacks skill in battle gave him the advantage, and his incredible tenacity helped him capitalize.

    No matter how hardy he was, Bocor couldnt take a beating forever. He began to slow. His eyes were blurry, his mouth drawn into a permanent, enraged scowl, his moves subconsciously more defensive than before.

    Of course, Jack also couldnt keep going forever. He was exhausted. At some point, his body would just give out on him. The trick was, falling <em>after </em>Bocor. He had tond a good strike.

    Throughout the fight, he couldnt use Meteor Punch on Bocors face. Using the skill slowed down his strike, and the openings he had werent wide enough for that. He needed to find a better one.

    So he stalked. Waiting.

    The scales of battle tipped in his favor. He went from the underdog to an enigma. Nobody knew how long he could keep going, but they could all see his strength, his speed, his tenacity, his experience, his excellent use of skills. Even Longswords eyes held new light inside them now.

    Until, at a certain point, Bocor crossed an invisible threshold. In the deepest recesses of his soul, he started believing he would lose. Jack sensed that change with his entire body. He saw it in the minotaurs eyes, his posture, his movements.

    And, in that precise moment of hesitation, he <em>finally </em>used Brutalizing Aura.

    It escaped his body with force. It shimmered into the air around him and mmed into Bocor. The minotaurs eyes widened. The effect was immediate.

    Brutalizing Aura worked by projecting the certainty of death into the targets mind. The feeling it invoked was like facing a natural disaster. Jack would kill them. There was no rage there, nothing to negotiate with; it was a natural disaster that could only end in one way. It invoked a primal fear inside the target, something deep, ancestral, and uncontroble.

    Normally, it wouldnt work on someone as strong as Bocor. It was intended for use against crowds of weaker opponents.

    However, throughout the fight, Jack had acted like a machine of death. He came for Bocor, fighting with overwhelming, inevitable skill. He persistently aimed for the face, a difficult target, and kept hitting it. No matter how many times he was struck, he always got back up and returned to the fight, like he would never stop. He hid his exhaustion.

    Bocor <em>knew </em>he was fighting a person, another cultivator, but Jack acted like a machine. Slowly but surely, he had cast a shadow on Bocors mind. A shadow of terror, of inevitability, of powerlessness, like he was trying to stop the sea waves.

    Brutalizing Aura stepped precisely on that shadow, magnifying its effects. Everything Jack had done in the fight before culminated now. For a single moment, Bocor was stunned.

    A purple meteor red around Jacks fist, imbued with all the resolve he could pour into it. He couldnt afford to lose. This was the only good opening he would get.

    A ding rang into his ears.

    <strong>Congrattions! Iron Fist Style I  Iron Fist Style II</strong>

    Jack smiled. This is for Brock, he whispered, just low enough for Bocor to hear.

    Color and light was sucked into his fist. The world went mute and dark, leaving only a purple meteor shining in the darkness, beautiful in its deadliness. Jack swung it with surgical uracy. It went under Bocors shield, between his outstretched arms, and right into the gap of his helmet,nding square against his face. The entire force of the strike focused on Jacks middle knuckle, which shattered on collision.

    So did Bocors face. It had already taken a thorough beating. This meteor was the straw that broke the camels back.

    A ring explosion was followed by a sickening crunch. Sand flew everywhere, obstructing the stars above. The dune under their feet was leveled. A strong wind pped the clothes of everyone watching, making them cover their eyes as Bocors entire body flew back head-first, passing right by Longsword to skid on the sand behind him.

    Jack waited, arm outstretched. His shattered knuckles sent waves of pain into his body, but he ignored themafter the Life Drops torture, this was nothing. He watched, eyes glued on Bocors fallen body. His brain was still inbat mode. He was prepared to keep fighting until he copsed. He didnt dare believe in victory. He couldnt afford to lose.

    But Bocor didnt stand up. He remained on his back, hands sprawled to the sides, shield on the ground next to Jackwhere it had fallenface bleeding into the ground. He wasnt dead, but he was unconscious.

    For a few moments, there was silence. Everyone was digesting the impossibility they had just watched. Someone had crossed a thirty-one-level gap to fight, and won. Moreover, against an opponent that could also jump ranks to defeat those stronger than himself.

    Everyone knew Bocors strength. He was highly capable. How could he be defeated by someone at level 84?

    The spectating cultivators all had their own thoughts. Suddenly, in perfect unison, everyone turned to Lord Longsword, including Jack and his captured friends.

    Longsword hesitated for a moment. His eyes were glued on Jack, shining with fervor. There was desire there, like an enthusiast watching the newest sports car. It made Jacks skin crawl.

    Very impressive, Longsword finally said. Even I didnt imagine you hid such strength. My interest in you is rekindled. What do you say, Jack Rust? Would you like to join my team? If you say yes, Im willing to kick out Bocor. And, if you survive Trial, I guarantee that I will ask my master to save you from the Animal Kingdom. I can even spare your friends here.

    Jack took a moment to gather himself. He had just escaped fiercebat. He was exhausted and tense. How long had thatsted?

    He snuck a nce at Gan Salin, Nauja, and Brock, finding them standing in a corner. The ice lines around them had already retreated.

    I appreciate your offer, Lord Longsword, he said. Since I defeated the minotaur, I believe it is time to honor our agreement?

    Of course! A bet is a bet, Longsword replied, seemingly unbothered by Jacks refusal. His eyes still glinted with excitement. You and your team are free to go. Starting from the next ring, well be enemies again. You have until the morning before my team climbs down. However I will be watching your progress with great interest. If you ever change your mind, just find me. I will make sure to save you something good from the Garden Ring.

    Thank you, Lord Longsword, Jack replied. He had already released all his frustration in the battle. He didnt feel like being rude.

    He also had zero intentions of ever joining this Lord Longsword. Not only had his offer been shitty before Jack revealed his strength, but the way he treated his subordinates was terrible. He had publicly offered to kick out Bocor. Clearly, people were just pawns to him.

    Jack wanted nothing to do with that sort of person.

    As a token of my appreciation, let me give you some tips before you go, Longsword said, his smile casual. Your understanding of tactics is decent, but your movements are a tad unrefined. I would suggest working on your fighting style Dao Skill. Moreover, you might want to do something about that movement skill. Its good for now, but it doesnt mesh with the rest of your skills. I suspect it isnt even a Dao Skill yet. If you dont find a way to evolve it soon, it will bottleneck your growth.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. What Longsword said made sensebut they were enemies. Kind of. Even if he couldnt fight the other man right now, he refused to believe he still couldnt fight once he reached the peak E-Grade himself.

    He couldnt just let Longsword lecture him.

    Thank you for your tips, Lord Longsword, he replied. Allow me to reciprocate with a tip of my own. You might want to watch that wrist.

    Longswords eyes narrowed dangerously. My wrist?

    You move your entire sword with a flick of the wrist. If someone were to block the strike urately, your wrist might snap. So watch it.

    My sword is too fast for a perfect block. In any case, I know what Im doing. You are in no position to lecture me. Longswords eyes held a storm for a moment before calming, his casual smile returning. I look forward to someone trying to snap this wrist of mine. Now, perhaps youve dallied long enough, Jack Rust. The Space Ring awaits you.

    Right. Come on, guys. Lets go, Jack told his friends. Well be heading to the next ring immediately. And well be keeping the food and water we got from the tavern. I dont suppose anyone disagrees?

    His eyes scanned the crowd, but nobody stepped up. Even the kovan tavern-keeper, whose food and water Jack was now publicly taking after destroying the tavern, stayed quiet. He didnt dare meet Jacks gaze.

    Oh, and Jack, Lord Longsword said, almost as an afterthought. If you decide to join the forces of any other lord after receiving my offer, I will be terribly offended. Okay?

    There was steel in those words. Jack kept them in the back of his mind but didnt pay too much attention right now. He didnt even know what it meant to be a lord. Was it a nobility title? A euphemism for very strong delvers? A moniker for people with long swords?

    In any case, if the other lords were as rotten as this one, he didnt n to ally with anybody.

    Thank you, Lord Longsword, he said again, turning towards the vige.

    With nobody stopping them, and nothing left to settle on this ring, reaching the center of the littleke and walking down to the next ring was as good as done.

    Next stop Space Ring!

 Chapter 167: Directional Shenanigans

    Chapter 167: Directional Shenanigans

    That was amazing! Nauja said, walking excitedly next to Jack. The way you tricked them Genius! And here I thought you were a dumb meathead!

    You are literally a barbarian, Jack replied, but he wasnt annoyed. He was exuberant. Just now, hed earned a great victory and secured the safety of himself and hispanions.

    Plus, hed punished the asshole who pped Brock.

    That was for you, little bro, he said, turning to the brori, who was walking with his back almost perfectly straight.

    Bro! he replied, giving Jack a big thumbs-up. Good!

    Ohh! Youre learning new words by the day now, arent you? I cant wait until you speak to everyone.

    Brock somehow stood even straighter.

    I have to say, youvee a long way, Jackie, Gan Salin added, walking on Jacks other side. Once upon a time, you struggled to beat even me. Now Well, Bocor is a known prodigy in the Animal Kingdom. This victory of yours will make waves.

    Eh. They are already after me. How much worse could it get?

    If your bounty gets any higher, even I may be tempted.

    Jack nced at him sideways. You wouldnt do that. I just saved you.

    Im insane. I can do anything.

    Jack wasnt sure whether Gan Salin was kidding or not. In the end, it didnt really matter. If you ever want a crack at me, just let me know, he said. Now, can someone finally tell me whats the deal with that lord guy?

    The vige was before them. It was mostly emptyeveryone had rushed to witness Jack and Bocors fight, and theyd stayed behind to honor Longswords words.

    It was a surreal sight. These t-roofed forest cabins stood in the middle of an oasis, taking in the breeze. But nothing was as normal as it seemed. Did the delvers build these cabins, or had they always been here, like the barbarians, the Forbidden Cave, and the Ancient ruins?

    To think that most of the gxys strongest immortals once passed by this normal-looking ce

    Lords, Gan Salin began exining, is the name we give to the strongest scions of Trial. They are the movers and shakers. The literal lords of the rings.

    I see, Jack replied. Thats why Longsword was so strong.

    Yes. Youve heard about Elite and King monsters, right?

    Jack raised a brow. I dont think I have.

    Theyre power ssifications. Elite beasts are a tier stronger than regr beasts of their level. A low E-Grade Elite monster can battle middle E-Grade monsters.

    I know those, yeah.

    Well, King monsters are another tier higher. Kings are to Elites what Elites are to everyone else.

    Okay And what does that have to do with anything?

    The B-Grade factions use a simr system to assess the strength of their members. An Elite cultivator is one who can fight a tier above his strength. A King cultivator can fight two tiers above. Right?

    Jacks eyes narrowed. And I suppose Lord Longsword is a King cultivator?

    Exactly. Not just him; all lords are. Of course, there are differences between them, but the King level is generally the strongest that cultivators can get. After that, the difference in attribute points bes too much.

    Hmm.

    They passed by the ruined tavern, admiring the destruction theyd wroughtwithout consequences. Jack even considered taking some extra food, but they already had plenty. Brock was munching on a pack of bananas.

    Then, am I a King? Jack asked. I think Im about as strong as a peak E-Grade beast, but my level is only 84.

    Technically, yes. Thats why Longsword tried so hard to recruit you. Just keep in mind that things get a bit weird around the peak of each Grade. Since there is arge difference between a normal peak E-Grade and an Elite peak E-Grade, a normal beast could technically fall anywhere within that spectrum of power. So, if you see a beast at Level 124, dont just go running. It could be much stronger than it seems.

    Ill keep that in mind, Jack said, nodding thoughtfully. So, how many lords are there?

    Right now? Three. Theyre gathered for the annual Garden Assault, where every strong cultivator works together to defeat the seventh rings guardian.

    Cultivators work together? Without killing each other? Naujaughed. Ill believe it when I see it.

    Oh, they kill each other, alright. They just pause for a moment to defeat the guardian.

    Is it that strong? Jack asked. I thought each lord was a King at the peak E-Grade. What could stop them?

    A D-Grade guardian, Gan Salin replied seriously. Jacks smile faltered.

    Oh.

    Yep. Think of it like this: Elite is one tier above normal monstersand cultivators. King is two tiers above. And the next Grade is three tiers above.

    Thatswait. So, the breakthrough to the D-Grade will increase my power as much as my entire rise through the E-Grade?

    Salin did some quick calctions. Finally, he beamed a smile. Yeah! Theres a reason we call those people immortals.

    Because they live long.

    That, too.

    Man... Jack whistled. Theres a long way to go How will I ever make C-Grade in a year?

    Oh, is that your n? Salin asked. You wont. Okay? Its absolutely impossible. People take centuries to be C-Grades, and only one in a billion seeds.

    Jack frowned. I have done impossible things before. Dont dash my hopes.

    Whatever you say, boss. Lets just focus on reaching the next ring for now.

    The Space Ring, right?

    The Space Ring.

    Anything you can tell me about that?

    Oh, many things.

    Jack waited, but Salin didnt speak anymore. He simply kept walking like everything was said and done. So? Jack finally asked.

    I can tell you things, Salin replied, but I wont. Come on! Wheres your sense of adventure? It will be a surprise!

    From the side, Nauja frowned. The Space Ring is

    Shh! Salin jumped in front of her, bringing a finger to his lips. Dont tell him! Hell just see it in a bit, anyway.

    She frowned.

    Ill see it tomorrow, Jack corrected him. The tunnels between rings are fucking long.

    Not for the Space Ring. Salin winked. Trust me. Its better as a surprise.

    Jack and Nauja rolled their eyes. By the side, Brock was nodding in agreement with the canine. After all, he liked surprises.

    They had reached theke in the center of the oasis by now. Due to the low night temperature, it was frozen over, letting them simply walk over to reach the little ind in its midst.

    There, they found a small shrine. It was a simple circle made of stone, with an obelisk rising thirty feet into the sky. A stone door blocked their way, carved with images of scorpions, sand worms, lizards, even creatures that looked like sand sharks. There were also many humanoid figures carved into the stone, depicted as living in houses simr to the ones in the vige.

    This is the mystery of the Vige Ring, Nauja whispered, approaching the door and tenderly touching one of the figures. These people are depicted everywhere in the desert. Yet, nobody has ever found them. The viges were empty when the first delvers arrived. What happened to them? Nobody knows.

    Thats intriguing and all, Jack said, but why is the door on the floor?

    He was right. This door wasnt ced on a vertical surface, as all doors should be. It was t on the ground in the middle of the stone circle. It could have been a trapdoor, but its shape was like a normal door.

    Oh, this is part of the surprise, Gan Salin replied, giggling. Come on, open it.

    Jack frowned. Im not opening it.

    It will be fun.

    Nope, not doing it. You open it.

    But I know whats going to happen!

    Can you stop acting like children? Nauja said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed the doors handle and pulled it open. A passage was revealed beneath, simr to the previous tunnels, exceptvertical? It was like this tunnel was meant for people to walk on the walls, like ants.

    Before Jack could say anything, an odd feeling came over him. He was disoriented for a second. Felt like he was tipping over. When he came to, he was standing on the tunnel inside the door like nothing was wrong.

    He blinked. What? Looking back, the door was right behind him, ced against the wall, except he could only see sky through it. The path under his feet was ced properly, not vertically, as hed seen before. As he peeked outside the door, he saw that the entire Vige Ring had been tilted sideways. What used to be a door t on the ground was now a door on a cliffside. What? he repeated.

    Surprise! Gan Salin cried out, raising his hands. Ta-dah! I present you, gravity!

    Gravity?

    Jack looked around. His feet were steady on the tunnel that had seemed vertical from outside the door. From inside, where he stood, what seemed vertical was the Vige Rings ground.

    This tunnel warps gravity, Nauja exined. Instead of pulling you down, toward the center of the, it pulls you sideways.

    It doesnt feel like Im sideways, Jack said.

    Its all rtive. She shrugged. Get used to the feeling. Theres a bunch of this in Space Ringor so Ive heard.

    There is indeed, Salin agreed with a grin. The Space Ring is very fun.

    Really? Jack raised a brow. Is that the word people use to describe it, or is it just you?

    Well, just me, but Im plenty. The others just call it impressive.

    No kidding. Jack nced outside again, at the Vige Ring that had turned sideways. Im looking forward to it.

    Like in every tunnel so far, there was a basket of torches at the entrance. Brock grabbed one, lit it with a snap of his fingers, and led the way. The rest of them followed.

    Jack prepared himself for a long trek. Btedly, he realized hed forgotten to check the new skill hed received after his fight with Bocor.

    <strong>Iron Fist Style II: You have surpassed the limitations of mortal forms ofbat. Your body is infused with the Dao of the Fist. Reality bends before the Dao.</strong>

    <strong><em>The Iron Fist Style is the spine of its user. It allows you tobine all your skills, weapons, and resources, integrating them seamlessly into one fighting style.</em></strong>

    The first paragraph had just been condensed a bit. As always, the real changepared to the previous tier of the skill was italicized.

    <em>Would you look at that, </em>Jack thought. <em>So it better integrates the rest of my skills. Is it because I used all of my skills while fighting Bocor? Or because I finally developed enough of them for Iron Fist Style to utilize?</em>

    <em>I wonder what the next tiers will be.</em>

    In any case, it was a wee improvement, the fruit of his hard training against Copy-Jack. More strength was always good. Especially when he was hunted by Longsword.

    The rest of the trip went by in silence, spiraling down and down the tunnel. It was the same as always. However, the trip didntst long. Only some minutes of joggingter, light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

    What? Jack said in surprise. But we just came here. He squinted to see past the open door at the other side. Before he could manage, Salin pushed him from behind.

    Jack tumbled into the door. He was assaulted by the same disorienting feeling as before. Gravity changed directions again, and suddenly, he found himself standing on gray stone, surrounded by colossal sun mushrooms that threatened to blind him. The door hed just passed through was t on the ground next to his feet. He saw Gan Salin, Brock, and Nauja walk on the wall like it was nothing, then stumble and rotate sideways as they crossed the door.

    Were on the ceiling of the Space Ring, Nauja exined after reorienting herself. It feels like were standing on the ground, but were actually upside down. Thats why the tunnel was so short. It only had to cross the few miles of stone between the two rings, not go all the way to the floor.

    However, Jack wasnt listening. He was captivated by the majesty of the Space Ring. It was absolutely surreal.

 Chapter 168: Space Ring

    Chapter 168: Space Ring

    The Space Ring put all physics Jack knew to shame.

    It was a vast expanse of space, stretching so far he couldnt see the end. The sun mushrooms around him pierced the darkness, illuminating little colorful bubbles, tinypared to the vastness surrounding them, slowly floating through.

    Jack could see a forest, a valley, an icy tundra, even an active volcano surrounded by an archipgo of stone inds. It was like someone had uprooted pieces of the terrain, put them in bubbles of air, and sent them floating through Space Ring. The outline of each bubble was visible as a transparent, yellow-greenish veil, like a soap bubble reflecting the sunlight.

    What am I looking at? Jack asked, lost in wonder.

    Behold, the Space Ring! Gan Salin said proudly, stepping beside Jack and putting an arm over his shoulders. The other arm motioned widely at the view before them. The only ce in the gxy where space is <em>inside </em>a!

    But How? And why? And what are those?

    Those, my friend, are bubbles.

    Jack red, so Nauja took over exining. The Space Ring is the most fascinating ce in Trial. Every bubble you see contains a small biome, anywhere from a few feet to many miles in diameter. The bubble-ish border you see around them separates them from the void. Furthermore, each bubble has its own gravity, as do the ceiling and floor of this ring.

    Jacks eyes widened. How could someone make this? he wondered aloud.

    Nauja shrugged. Nobody knows. Even B-Grades dont have this kind of power. And for whatever magic maintains this ce to remain intact for a million years

    She didnt finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear. Jack turned his eyes back to the floating bubbles. He could see dozens of them. Each was tilted at a random angle, making it seem like there were a dozen different worlds floating through this space. Perhaps there were.

    It was awe-inspiring.

    On cue, blue screens shed before Jacks eyes.

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Third Ring Conqueror upgraded to Fourth Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +15%  +20%</strong>

    <strong>Space Ring (1) Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>im an Inheritance for any member of your team.</strong></li></ul>

    <strong>Space Ring (2) Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Complete the Space Ring (1) Quest.</strong></li></ul><ul><li><strong>y an Elite space monster.</strong></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Make your way to Labyrinth Ring.</strong></li></ul>

    Jack felt the familiar surge of strength through his body, using it to ground himself.

    Why do I have two quests? he asked.

    Space Ring is actually two rings, Salin exined. Dont ask me why. Maybe its because of the size. In any case, the first quest will give you the Fifth Ring Conqueror title, and the second will give you the Sixth Ring Conqueror.

    Really?

    But in exchange, Space Ring is twice wider than all others, Nauja added. Two hundred miles of space and biome bubbles.

    And space monsters, he replied,ughing. The quest said so.

    Yep, its teeming. Salin nodded. Anything from middle E-Grade to elite and king monsters. There are D-Grade ones, too, though they never emerge from the dark areas.

    Terrific. Jack licked his lips, finding them dry. So, the first step is to get one of those inheritances. I suppose theyre the same things as the trials youve mentioned before, Nauja.

    Right. Inheritances are the rewards of trials.

    Then, what are we waiting for? Longsword coulde after us anytime noweven if he said hed wait till morning. The deeper we are by the time he arrives, the better. And Nauja I assume youreing with us, right?

    She blushed, the red striking on her naturally pale face. When they arrived at the Vige Ring, she was still entertaining thoughts of returning to her tribe. She hadnt mentioned that since.

    Yes, she finally admitted. This may not be the wisest decisionbut I believe the will of my ancestors brought us together. I wille with you as deep as I can.

    A shadow passed through her eyes. Jack saw it, but chose not toment.

    Im d, was all he said, smiling warmly. He then turned to the bubbles again. There was arge stretch of space separating them from the first one. Any idea how we can get there? Last I heard, E-Grades couldnt survive space for long. <em>And Brock is still F-Grade, </em>he added in his thoughts.

    He hadnt seen it at first, but there was also a bubble around them and the entrance tunnel. It wasnt big, just a few tens of feet across, but enough to let them breathe and walk freely.

    Are you blind?

    Salin pointed behind them, where a small basket was ced by the entrance tunnel. It contained familiar helmets; simr to the one hed used on the Trampling Ram. Jack walked up and grabbed one, turning it in his hands, thinking back to the couple weeks hed spent touring the stars with Captain Dordok and his crew. The helmet resembled a head-sized fishbowl.

    <em>I hope theyre okay </em>he thought again. He still didnt know how the Trampling Rams face-off against the Hounds had turned out. All he could do was hope.

    This is very handy, he said, referring to the helmets. Trial has it all figured out.

    Not Trial, Gan Salin corrected. The Hand of God. Theyre the ones supplying the torch baskets at every exit tunnel, as well as the helmets here.

    Really? How nice of them.

    Yeah Otherwise, this ring would be ten times as difficult to cross.

    Say that again.

    Jack put on his helmet, securing the sp under his chin, and felt the familiar bubble-ish barrier surround his body, isting him from the outside. Around him, the others did the same. Brock couldnt find a helmet small enough to fit him. The best he got was one that made him look like a child wearing his fathers clothes, but at least the barrier worked just fine.

    Brock was extremely excited. Hed never had a chance to enter space while on the Trampling Ram.

    They leaped.

    Jack pushed through the bubble head-first, feeling only the slightest resistance. It was like surfacing from the sea. The next moment, he felt the subtle but distinct influence of space around him.

    Some things could be felt even through the helmets barrier. It was cold. Either whoever made this ce had purposely imitated the cold of interster space, or low temperature was a characteristic of the extremely low-density void.

    Jacks education made him bet on thetter.

    Gravity had disappeared, too. Looking downor where down used to be a moment agoJack saw the groundwhich was actually the rings ceilingstretching far around him, its curvature discreet but clearly distinguishable. It was covered in sun mushrooms, only half of which were currently lit, radiating light so intense it made him look away.

    On the other side stretched vast, deep darkness. Only the asional bubble reflected the mushroom light, making them resemble small stars. No light came from the depths, where the inner side of the ringy.

    Brock was fumbling to Jacks side, slowly rotating around himself with growing panic. He had no way to control his flight.

    Jackughedonly he could hear the sound inside his barrierand flew over, using small explosions of Dao to propel himself. He grabbed Brock and set him straight. The broris grateful look was priceless.

    <em>Come to think of it, Brock cant expel Dao at the F-Grade, </em>Jack realized. <em>Ill have to carry him.</em>

    With a few quick hand gestures, he got Brock to hold onto his back.

    Gan Salin was familiar with moving in space. He performed a couple somersaults before pointing andughing at Nauja, who was iling around ineffectively. Her face hardened at Salins mocking, and she pouted, but was still unable to control her flight.

    Then, her eyes noticed Jack flying over to save Brock. After a moment of experimenting, she got it, and managed to straighten herself. She then waved a fist at Gan Salin and angrily shouted something, but Jack couldnt hear her.

    Despite her apparent anger, her eyes were filled with excitement. It was easy to forget that this confident, easygoing barbarian girl had never been outside her tribe beforeand she went almost directly to the Space Ring, one of the most impressive sights in the gxy. If she didnt short-circuit out of sheer awe, she woulde to love traveling even more than she currently did.

    On Jacks side, seeing her half-clothed bodyshe only wore fur around her privates and chestfloating in space was a contrasting feeling. His mental image was still that of Earths astronauts, covered head-to-toe in bulky uniforms.

    After some minutes of orienting themselves, the group set out towards the nearest bubble. Nauja turned out to be the fastest, followed by Jack, and then Gan Salin. Her DaoWindwas the most suitable for moving in space. Jack could make do with small explosions, and Gan Salin

    Jack actually had no idea how the canine was moving. He had to remember to ask.

    Even the nearest bubble was several miles away, but that was not a problem. In space, there was no force slowing them down. As long as they managed to eleratewhich they could easily dothe distance would evaporate quickly.

    ***

    Vlossana fell to her knees. Her mouth hung open in abject horror. Her eyes widened and forgot to blink. Her face went pale.

    The smoking ruins of her homey in front of her, at the base of the hill. The manor was broken. The horses, dead. The servants bodies piled up and still smoking from the fire. The garden was upturned and destroyed.

    And all this, why? Because Jack Rust had boarded their starship. Because the Animal Kingdom found out. They didnt care if Vlossanas father was an aplice or not. Their semnce of proof was enough to conduct atrocities. To set an example.

    This example was the destruction of everything Vlossana had ever known. She had rushed over the second the Trampling Ram made it to the next port, but she was toote. Of course she was. All she managed was to witness the fatality with her own eyes, the heads of her rtives stuck on wooden stakes, the remains of the ce she used to call home.

    All her dreams, of leading her people to joyful, happy lives, turned into smoke and flew away, disappearing forever. Her life was ruined. So was her mind.

    Not a soul was in sight to share her agony.

    Vlossana raised her head to the sky and screamed. Her voice tore her own throat, but she couldnt feel it. She was lost in grief.

    The Dao Seed of Joy inside her tried to lift her spirits. To feed her joy, as it always did. But there was no joy to be found here. No happiness. No warmth. Only death and ashes.

    In anger, Vlossana turned to the only target she hadher own, persistent Daoand cracked it down the middle, forsaking her path. It went quiet, but she remained full of sorrow, not even close to having vented.

    All that dark energy amassed inside her, wound into a tighter and tighter ball, spreading over therge crack shed just inflicted on her Dao Seedher sond filling it in. Drowned in darkness, Vlossana missed the notification sound, but she sensed the change.

    In a mere moment, she developed and fused the Dao Root of Sorrow. It contrasted her Dao Seed of Joy, filling in its nks. Together, the two formed a new entity, one she couldnt yet decipher, but one that was far more powerful than she used to be.

    She surrendered everything to it. Anything to escape this feeling.

    Vlossanas emotions fell into ce. The darkness didnt disappear. It receded into her soul, bing a dark presence that poisoned her thoughts and waited to be unleashed. Her joy covered it up, concealing it, her Dao Seed reduced to a thin, fake veil of jovialty.

    Vlossana wiped her eyes and stood. Her overwhelming sorrow had been transformed into a steady trickle she could endurea trickle that would not heal with time. She then turned around and walked away. There was nothing here for her anymore.

    She didnt know what to do next. She would think about it. The nearest teleporter, where shed juste from, was a days walk away. She had time.

    All she knew what that she had two enemies. The Animal Kingdom

    and Jack Rust.

 Chapter 169: Bubble Terrain

    Chapter 169: Bubble Terrain

    Jack, Nauja, Gan Salin, and Brock hurtled through open space, approaching arge number of biome bubbles. The curved, sun mushroom-filled ceiling was on their backs. It felt like a descent into darkness.

    There were three bubbles near them. One was a wide grasnd, maybe a mile in diameter. The second was a valley,plete with cliff walls on either side, while the third was a barren mountain peak, also a mile across.

    Jack raised a hand, pointed at the three bubbles, and gestured which? They couldnt speak in space.

    Gan Salin shrugged. Nauja, thinking for a moment, also shrugged. Jack turned back to the three bubbles and chose the mountain peaksimply because it looked cool.

    As they approached, more details became apparent. The mountain peak was a cone of bare stone, with rock fragments trailing under and behind it. There were weeds growing between the rocks, along with a single, stubby tree on the very top. Jack spotted no animals or other points of interest.

    The mountain peak floatedzily through space, heading to the direction Jack perceived as right, and it was smaller than hed originally assumed. Only a few hundred feet across.

    As they drew near, no space monster attacked them. There was no hint of movement in the dark nooks of space, no sudden tentacle reaching up to grab Jacks ankle.

    They slid into the bubble with a popping feeling. The membrane bent by their pressure, then opened and let them pass before closing behind them. The four of them fell ten feet to the rock below, and Jack quickly removed his helmet to take a deep breath.

    Fascinating, he said, breathing out. Were on a mountain hovering in space.

    Not really a mountain, not really space, Salin was quick to point out, but fascinating, yes.

    Are you kidding? Nauja spun around herself, greedily devouring the sight. This is fantastic! I Its the happiest day of my life!

    Salin stared at her, then turned to Jack. Did she hit her head on the way?

    Shes just happy. Jack smiled. She always dreamed of escaping her ring. For her, every new sight is an adventure.

    I see. Salin walked up and ced a hand on her bare shoulder. Dont worry about it. Im crazy, too.

    She gave him a confused look. Im not crazy.

    Sure.

    Whats that supposed to mean?

    Is there anything here? Jack asked, approaching them. His eyes scanned the half of the mountain visible from where he stood. Maybe there is a trial.

    This close to the entrance? No way. Salin shook his head. This ce gets visited often. I bet we wont find a single natural treasure, let alone a trial.

    Natural treasure?

    You know, like Dao Fruits, or like that Fire Ice Lotus in the Integration Auction. Those things grow in most biomes, but the easiest to reachand the most valuableare already picked clean by cultivators. Youll have to go pretty deep to find anything.

    Oh Then, are these early bubbles useless?

    Pretty much. He shrugged. But we can take a look. Who knows? Maybe everyone else missed something.

    The four of them spread out to inspect the mountain peak. There wasnt much. It took them less than five minutes to search the entire bubble. Jack even broke the surface of the stone to look for hidden rooms underneath, while Nauja flew under the mountain peak to survey its bottom.

    They came up with nothing.

    The only point of interest was the stubby tree at the very top. It did radiate an aura of the Dao, but no apparent way to use it.

    Perhaps we should cut it down? Jack asked.

    Oh, wow, and people call me insane. Salin shook his head. Its a tree. If you take a closer look, the aura of the Dao is focused on its branches. It probably produces fruits that hold special properties, but these things take time. We would need ridiculous luck to chance upon its blooming moment. Cutting down the tree would just ruin the treasure for everyone.

    Sounds exactly like something delvers would do, Nauja said.

    Not for zero benefit. What would you even do with its wood? Make an oar?

    What if someone cultivates the Dao of Wood? Jack asked.

    It doesnt work like that. If I pour my Dao into my fist, could you study it?

    Jack considered it. Salins metaphor made an odd amount of sense.

    Well find nothing out here, the canine exined. The aura of treasures is so thin that even space monsters are rare. If we want anything good, well have to head deeper.

    Why would cultivators leave the deeper treasures be? Jack asked.

    Not on purpose. Each bubble you choose neighbors many deeper ones. As a result, the deeper you go into the ring, the more possible paths there are for you to take. The middle of Space Ring has thousands of bubbles, probably tens of thousands, and it is teeming with space monsters. Even after a million years, this ce isnt fully explored. And, even if it was, natural treasures regrow. He pointed to the tree. If a bubble hasnt been visited in a few years, it usually has something interesting.

    Jack nodded. What about trials? he asked, putting his helmet back on and securing the sp underneath. Do they regrow, too?

    No. Salin smiled aggressively. And thats the catch. Most of the weakest trials never closethey are open to as many people as are interested, always. They dont offer anything too valuable, you see. But the good trials Those have finite resources. Only one or a few people can benefit from them before they copse forever. Its why everyone pushes forward, deep into the darkness, looking for those elusive bubbles that promise greatness. Its also why Space Ring has the second highest mortality rate in all of Trial. Cultivators are prone to greed, which gets them killed.

    Nauja snorted. Sounds about right.

    But We <em>should </em>be greedy, right? Jack asked. If the best trials are dangerous to reach, we have to risk it. Whye all the way out here to chicken out at thest minute?

    Well, it depends. For people like you, its ambition. For people like me, its greed. Salin smiled sadly. Honestly, I am already overperforming by reaching Space Ring. Someone like me should have died at the Barbarian Ring, or even the Giant Ring. At best, I should have taken the Vige Rings teleporter and returned to the surface. I dont belong here.

    Come on, man. Jack pped his shoulder. Dont be like that. Youre a scion of the Animal Kingdom, remember? You were so promising they even sent you to Earth.

    Where I failed horrifically, and Ive kept failing since But I appreciate the cheering. He returned a bright smile, then put on his helmet. Lead the way, boss.

    Jack wanted to say more things. He wanted to encourage Gan Salin, talk him up a bit. But he also didnt want to lie. Salin was Level 61. From what Jack had seen in the Vige Ring, Salin may well be the weakest person in the entire Space Ring.

    Luck always ys a part, he finally said. You are here now. And the opportunities well find will propel you to glory. Just keep your head up and dont die.

    Ill try.

    Whether Gan Salin was cheered up or notor even if he needed cheering up in the first ceJack couldnt tell. His own helmet was already on. He grabbed Brock, who couldnt move through space by himself, ran to the edge of the mountain peak, and jumped out. The bubble easily gave way, breaking around him to reveal empty space.

    Gan Salin and Nauja followed right after.

    As Salin had mentioned, they now had another few bubbles to choose from, each taking them farther and farther away from the ring entrance. The horizon beyond was pitch-ck darkness, an endless void where no stars were visible. It could stretch on forever.

    The only source of light were the sun mushrooms behind them, whose glow steadily dimmed the farther one reached into the darkness, as well as the bubbles, which reflected the mushrooms light like a series of small moons.

    Jacks group headed ever deeper. The hours bled into each other. They crossed a number of bubblesa grasnd, a marsh, an odd, gas-filledndscape, and othersall invariably empty. The deeper into the ring they went, the dimmer the illumination grew, and they werent even halfway to the other sideor so Salin said. Jack himself had no way to judge, as he couldnt see the other side, only darkness.

    In fact, with all the bubbles floating randomly in this three-dimensional space, and with each having its own gravity, it was easy to lose ones way. If someone wasnt careful, they could end up making circles around the circumference of the ring instead of heading deeper. The only anchoring point was the wall of light at the far back, away from which they kept heading.

    They didnt discover any active trials. The only one they found was a ruined cabin in the woods that exhibited an aura of the Dao so strong Jack could almost identify it. It felt like a lumberjack working away at a forest, one tree at a time.

    The cabin was copsed, though, signifying that it had already blessed as many people as it could. They had no choice but to move on.

    Who had created these trials? Who had gathered all these biome bubbles and put them into Trial? How? Why?

    Jack, of course, didnt know. Nauja didnt either, and even Gan Salin had no idea. In fact, he admitted that even the B-Grade factions didnt know much about Trialor, if they did, they didnt tell their junior members.

    Regardless, every bubble they visited only served to enhance Jacks awe. The Space Ring was a masterpiece of unfathomable proportions. It was difficult to even imagine who could make such a thing. Even a God might have trouble creating this ce.

    On and on they trudged. From bubble to bubble, from the light into gradual, imprable darkness. They didnt meet any other people.

    Space monsters began appearing after some point. They attacked with increasing frequency, but only one monster at a time. Nothing that Jack couldnt handle. Thete E-Grade monsters were manageable with a bit of effort, especially with Naujas assistance, whose arrows crossed space even faster than they did the air.

    Whenever a middle E-Grade monster appearedwhich was usually the caseJack had Gan Salin go at it. The canine was strong for his level, as was every scion, so he could handle most of them. In the end, he even got a few levels for his trouble, rising to Level 64.

    Poor Brock was the only one who couldnt fight. Not only did heck the strength to do so, but without a Dao Seed, he alsocked the means to propulse himself through space. If he tried, the most he could achieve was il ineffectively as he slowly floated through the void.

    The moss-covered, ancient-looking Staff of Stone remained unused. Brock didntinhow could he?but Jack felt growing sadness. His monkey bro hadnt been able to do much in Trial. He must be feeling frustrateduseless, even.

    Jack swore to help him as much as he could. Perhaps some natural treasures could increase his strength, at least by a bit.

    All he could do was hope.

    They lost track of time as they ventured deeper and deeper. At some point, as they stood inside a cial biome, Nauja nced back and raised her brows. Look! she said, pointing in the distance.

    Looking back was hard due to the brightness of the sun mushrooms, but the distance dimmed the light. Jack obliged. As he did, he could barely make out a few small shapes in the distance, fighting in the backdrop of another bubble.

    Whats that? he asked, squinting.

    I cant make them out either, said Gan Salin.

    Yes, Brock agreed.

    Nauja, whose senses were by far the sharpest, shielded her eyes with a hand and stared attentively. Its Longsword, she said. I can see him, the witch, and Bocor Theyre fightingI mean, annihtinga horde of space monsters.

    Theyre here? Jack asked worriedly. Is it morning already? The lord had promised his team would wait until morning to enter Space Ring.

    It probably has been for a while. Theyre way past the first bubble.

    I hope they dont follow us.

    I doubt they will. Were pretty far away by now. Longsword must have better things to do.

    I dont know I did insult him a fair bit. Jack scratched his head.

    Well, at least they arent on the same path as us. We didnt pass by that bubble. And we certainly didnt meet that horde. There are probably a dozen monsters there.

    I didnt even know there were hordes here, Jack said. When they were attacked, it was always just a single monster.

    There can be, Gan Salin exined. Space monsters are agitated by cultivators. If many of them enter the ring at once, monsters will gather like sharks to blood. In fact, hordes can get super-massive sometimes, to the point where even lords have to hide in bubbles and wait for them to pass.

    They can?

    Totally. Well, not often, but Ill exinter. For now, the point is that there are many cultivators here.

    Jack looked back to the figures in the distance. Seems like three to me.

    Longsword probably brought his allies over, Nauja exined. Its the Garden Assault. It wasnt supposed to happen for a few days more, actually, but he probably grew impatient after everything that happened. If thats the case, there must be dozens of cultivators following Longsword, and the other lords could be here as well.

    The other lords?

    Two of them, from what Ive heard, Gan Salin said. The five of usme, Rufus, and the otherswere supposed to participate in this Garden Assault if <em>someone</em> didnt destroy us.

    Hey, youre the ones who invaded my.

    Does one of the other lords look like a young, tanned girl with the sun in her palms? Nauja suddenly asked, looking into another ce in the distance. And is she friends with a super fat guy?

    Hmm? Yes! Salin cried out in surprise. How do you know?

    Because theyre right there.

    Oh. Well, we probably dont have to worry about them. Thats Lady Priya, from

    He trailed off, mouth gaping. The people Nauja had been talking about entered battle against another horde of space monsters. A massive golden palm appeared, sorge that even Jack could see it clearly, to plow through the monsters. The fat man Nauja had mentioned wasughing.

    And, in the wake of his attack, the girl struck. A terrifying explosion tore through the entire horde. A new sun was born.

 Chapter 170: Meet The Lords

    Chapter 170: Meet The Lords

    Jack and hispanions couldnt sense the aftermath of the girl and the fat guys attack, but it must have been tremendous. The space monster horde had all but evaporated before them, sent flying by the giant palm or burned to cinders by the sun that erupted in their midst.

    Thankfully, those people were so far away they were barely visible.

    As I was saying, Gan Salin continued, thats Lady Priya of the Exploding Sun faction. One of the three Lords.

    Exploding Sun? Jacks ears perked up.

    Your master was part of them, correct? Salin asked. Then, I suppose these people are possible allies. Were in dire need of some.

    Right.

    The Exploding Sun areless oppressive than the rest of them, Nauja added, hesitantly. I could work with them.

    Or you could die, Salin probed her.

    Im a proud barbarian. I am not afraid of death. Whats that?

    Her finger was pointed in the distance. Far to the right of the Exploding Sundy, something odd was going on. Jack had to squint to make it out. Are the monsters fighting each other?

    I dont think so, Nauja replied, staring intently. Her senses were the sharpest of the team. Its like the space monsters are fighting a horde ofbeasts? I think I see a bear. And a bird. Maybe an eagle?

    Maybe theyre animal-shaped space monsters.

    Or summoned beasts, Gan Salin intervened. Everyone turned to look at him. He continued, If two of the Lords are pushing into Space Ring, chances are, so is the third. And shes a summoner. This could be her.

    A summoner? Jack asked, eyes wide.

    Did you notice a guy riding a scaled lizard back in Vige Ring? An annoying-looking guy? That was a summoner, too. They use beasts to fight.

    It isntmon, but not too rare, either, Nauja added, her eyes hardening. Ive seen plenty in my ring. They like capturing dinosaurs.

    I can imagine Jacks voice trailed off. His eyes were still on the far-away battle between beasts and space monsters. In fact, calling it a battle was far-fetched. More like a ughter.

    The space monsters, their forms multicolored and easily visible, were ripped apart by the beasts. Before long, nothing was left.

    What faction is she from? Jack asked. This summoner Lord.

    There was a sinking feeling in his stomach. If she used animals to fight, could she belong to

    Its not what you think, Salin said, chuckling. The Animal Kingdom <em>is </em>animals. We actually despise summoners.

    Oh, thank God.

    However, the faction shees from is even more terrifying. Thats Lady Minerva from the Hand of God.

    The Hand of God? Jack raised a brow. I didnt know they raised their own disciples.

    Of course they do. They were formed to enforce the Star Pact, but that doesn''t mean they arent a real faction. They have businesses, headquarters, trainings, disciples, elders All the good stuff.

    Then, are they the strongest B-Grade faction?

    Salin thought about it for a moment. Yes and no, he finally replied. Technically, they possess the greatest military power, influence, and legal authority of all the factions. However, its not like they can ever mobilize fully. To create the Hand of God, every other faction offered some people and resources. As a result, they all have influence on the Hand of Gods internal processes, and the faction itself is a patchwork of several groups vying for dominance. If it ever went to war, there would be chaos.

    But its already at war. Against the ck Hole Church.

    Thats not the same. The Church is not part of the Gctic Alliance. Just a bunch of strong lunatics.

    I see.

    As Jack was leaving Earth, the Sage had revealed he belonged to the ck Hole Church. Hed also helped Jack a lot during the Tournament. Were they really lunatics?

    Plus, Master Shol had told Jack that the Church worshiped the Old Onesor something like that. The Ancient ruins where hed found the Life Drop also had hints of peoplethe Ancients?worshiping the Old Ones, which made little sense.

    Could things be moreplex than they seemed?

    Jack almostughed at himself. Of course they were. The ck Hole Church was one of the strongest organizations in the gxy. They couldnt be just lunaticsits just that, up there, everyone utilized propaganda.

    Thinking of those matters reminded Jack that, at the very end of the Tournament, the Hand of God had turned a blind eye as the Animal Kingdom bullied him. Technically, they were his enemyt.

    He returned his gaze to the beasts, which were just finishing up the space monster horde. As arge monster tried to nk them, a burst of darkness swallowed it whole. When it receded, the monster was just iling, shivering by itself in the darkness. The bear-shaped beast disposed of it easily.

    What was that? Jack asked, referring to the darkness. It felt familiar, somehow.

    I can see the summoner. She isnt alone, Nauja said. There are two people behind her. One of them unleashed that darkness we just saw.

    Pale skin, dark hair? Jack asked.

    Yes. How did you know?

    Well, Ill be damned. Jack pped his forehead. Is that Vocrich?

    Vocrich? Salin quickly squinted in their direction, but they were too far to make out. Are you sure

    Of course not. I cant even see the guy.

    Then

    Fear-oriented darkness magic. Peak E-Gradesince hes with a Lord. Pale skin and dark hair. Jack shrugged. And that darkness felt familiar.

    Salin cupped his chin. You know what? That might make sense. Vocrich was at the peak of the E-Grade, so he can join Trial. He never disyed a Ring Conqueror title, either. And now that Earths Tournament is over, hes probably relieved from his duties there. If he had any meaningful contributions to the faction You know, it actually makes sense for him to be here.

    Were just theory-crafting now. It could be anyone, Jack said, but his heart was clenched. Vocrich had personally sold him out. If that really was him, this Hand of God Lady would probably turn out to be trouble.

    Then again, maybe not. Jack didnt know exactly what happened between Galicia and Vocrich, and in any case, his enmity with the Hand of God was nothing before the hatred he shared with the Animal Kingdom. If fate made it so, allying may not be impossible.

    Maybe he should look for a way to smoothen things between them. Having many powerful enemies at the same time was unwise.

    Im surprised shes even here, actually, Gan Salin said, cupping his chin. I thought she would go bananas like the other Hand of God members.

    Bananas?

    Little yellow fruits. Brock would love them.

    Jack gave him an empty stare.

    Oh, maybe you meant, why do you say they went bananas, Gan Salin? A few extra words wouldnt hurt you, would they?

    Just get on with it.

    Ugh. Salin grabbed his heart. Whatever you say, boss. The Hand of God went haywire about a week ago. They spread all over the rings, asking strange questions and looking for something. Its the first time I hear that happening.

    Jacks heart clenched. Strange questions?

    Yeah. They asked if anyone had seen anything unusual in thest few days, if there were any suspicious people, things like that. He shrugged. Nothing that concerns us, right?

    That wasnt a rhetorical question. Salin may be partly insane, but he wasnt dumb.

    Of course not, Jack lied. Its just odd. I wonder whats going on. He turned his gaze back to the distant battles, hiding his thoughts.

    <em>Are they looking for the Ancient ruins? </em>he wondered. <em>Probably. The System gave all sorts of red warnings. Goddammit. At least they dont know about me. And the voice in the trial said nobody can sense the Life Drop without special equipment.</em>

    <em>This means Im not in dangerright?</em>

    By the way, not that I dislike peeping, but are we going to stay here long? Gan Salin asked. All of those Lords are heading deeper as we speak. They mighte this way.

    Right. Jack snapped out of it. Lets run.

    <em>Ill just keep an eye out.</em>

    They left the cial biome behind, jumping into the darkness. Space enveloped them. Jack carried Brock as they headed ever deeper. With every bubble they crossed, the light of the sun mushrooms dimmed until it was more twilight than blinding.

    The Space Ring was two rings fused into one, so it was enormous. Even in a straight line, they had to cross two hundred miles of monster-infested darkness. Despite that, the group wasnt beset by any hordes. Cultivators drew space monsters like moths to the me, but Jacks group alone was too small a presence.

    In that sense, they were lucky. Since most delvers had waited for the Lords to start advancingthe annual Garden AssaultJacks group was moving at the front by itself, almost stealthily. The other cultivators came as a stampede, raising the ire of every monster in this section of Space Ring.

    It wasnt just the Lords, of course. Each of them was followed by many teams, dozens of cultivators, who sought to participate in the Garden Assault.

    As a result, Jacks team didnt have to worry about space monsters. The ones they met were few and far between, all handled easily by their team of foureffectively threeeven if they were at thete E-Grade.

    On the darker side, this meant fewer levels.

    Over their first fifteen hours in Space Ringthankfully, they had little need for sleepJack rose by four levels, to Level 88. Salin got ten, stopping at Level 74, and Nauja got two, reaching Level 103. By that point, they were halfway through.

    Space Ring was a tricky ce. With all its bubbles, biomes, and trials spread around, it sounded like something that would take a long time to explore. In reality, the first half was picked clean. There were no natural treasures to find, no trials toplete. Any trial still avable was either low-quality or extremely niche.

    Compatibility was a big concern when it came to trials. They altered the cultivator, offering insights or assistance on a specific path. To someone cultivating a different path, this could actually be harmful. Even if you were on apatible path, a low-quality inheritance could give you benefits that elerated your current growth but became problemster on.

    Therefore, just finding a trial meant nothing. You had to grasp its contents beforehand and decide whether it was suitable for you.

    This was all insight that Gan Salin gave them on the way. Apparently, the first Ring Quest of Space Ring,pleting a trial for any member of your team, was not easy.

    Throughout their trip so far, the group had stumbled upon several trials, none suitable for any of them. Most were empty, too, already imed by someone else.

    However, there were tens of thousands of bubbles. By now, the group had traversed dozens, carving out a path through space that was uniquely theirs. As they passed the halfway mark of Space Ring, they finally chanced upon a bubble that hadnt been visited in ages.

    The air was dense here, rich in oxygen. A small hill rested in the middle of a grasnd, with vines crawling all over its surface. Jack spotted a small rabbit chewing on the roots.

    Incredible, he said, staring at the little animal. A rabbit. Here. How many centuries, how many millennia has its family spent in the darkness, in this mile-wide bubble?

    Come here, little buddy, Gan Salin said, stepping forward. The rabbit approached and sniffed them. Indeed, its family line hadnt seen cultivators for a thousand generations. They did not know to be afraid.

    Thankfully for the rabbit, Gan Salin didnt intend to harm it. He picked it up and hugged it, petting it between the ears. The rabbit seemed shocked. A momentter, it kicked its way out of his arms and rushed into a hole in the base of the hill.

    That was cute, Nauja admitted.

    Salin smiled. Animals indicate a healthy biome. Healthy means untampered. And untampered means riches for us. Hurray!

    He threw his hands in the air.

    Hurray, Jack followed half-heartedly. Brock did, too, but with great excitement. Nauja simply stared.

    Can we focus? she asked. Those Lords are dyed by the hordes, but theyre still after us.

    No worries. This deep in the ring, stumbling upon others is unlikely. If we run into a Lord here, thats just bad luck. The next ring is where everyone will converge.

    Since the bubbles were safespace monsters couldnt enter, and there were no dangers insidesearching was quick and easy. It took the group only a few minutes to realize that the natural treasure here was the fruits of the vine. There were two of them, one on each side of the hill, radiating a strong, metallic life force.

    They were red and pumped full of juices.

    Blood Dao, Nauja said, inspecting them. She plucked one off, holding it between her thumb and index finger. Too bad none of us cultivates it.

    Look at the bright side, Salin said. We can sell them off. I dont think theyre strong enough for immortals, but they should fetch a good price.

    These berries were simr to the Fire Ice Lotus that everyone had fought for during the Integration Auction. Perhaps not of the same quality, but still very useful. They contained naturally grown hints of the Dao.

    Theres two of them, Jack said.

    Can I have one? Nauja asked. A tribe close to mine has someone with blood Dao. This could help them.

    Sure. Jack nodded. Salin, want the other one?

    Okay, the canine quickly agreed. You get first dibs on the next one. Well probably start finding things from now on.

    I hope so Jack said, turning to the darkness beyond. The light of the sun mushrooms had already dimmed to the point of moonlight on Earth. Even deeper into the ring, it gradually dimmed even further, to the point where the deepest reaches werepletely dark.

    The far side of Space Ringthe inner sidewasnt covered in sun mushrooms, as the outer side was. As a result, the deepest reaches of the ring were pitch-ck. It was where the greatest trials and treasures waited, as well as the greatest dangers. ording to Gan Salin, the darkness hid even D-Grade monsters.

    The only exceptions to the darkness were a few distinct columns of lightthe exits to the next ring. Each exit was surrounded by a small amount of sun mushrooms that projected a wide beam of light through the darkness, like a beacon. That way, anyone wanting to reach the next ring could do it without braving the total darkness.

    But that would mean losing out. And Jack didnt feel like losing out.

 Chapter 171: The Darkness and the Flare

    Chapter 171: The Darkness and the re

    The outer half of Space Ring was brightly lit by the sun mushrooms that covered the outer wall. That light dimmed as it traveled. By the middle of the ring, the lighting was like a starry night.

    And the final one-fourth of the ring was pitch-ck. Fifty miles of darkness crowding with the strongest, meanest space monsters around, but also treasures that nobody had essed yet.

    Jack, Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin were currently edging the darkness, skirting around just outside its border. This area had biome bubbles that not many approached due to the danger. From this close up, Jack and his team asionally caught glimpses of bubbles just inside the darkness, quickly assessing them to see whether any were worth risking for.

    They had been exploring for two days now. They jumped from bubble to bubble, quickly making distance from the Lords and their forces. ording to Gan Salin, it was customary for a Garden Assault to spend five days in this ring, letting everyone reap the benefits they could discover, before progressing deeper.

    However, exploring the Space Ring was more a measure of luck than skill or strength. The bubbles were simply too many. Their constant floating around made mapping impossible. One had to go as deeply as they dared to increase their chances, then just keep searching.

    The radius where Jacks team was currently searching was the optimal one. They were just outside the edge of the darkness. Naujas gaze caught all bubbles within a radius of ten miles, and they also kept an eye on the darkness itself, where the best treasures and trials might appear.

    Of course, this area was highly dangerous, too. Late E-Grade space monsters patrolled everywhere, asionally forming into hordesor breaking up into individuals. Every movement from a bubble to the next was a dash, taking care of any attacking monsters as soon as possible to prevent them from piling up.

    The darkness itself was even more dangerous. They caught glimpses of monsters in there, asionally. Some were elites. The weakest were peak E-Grade. ording to Gan Salin, even meeting King monsters wasnt impossible. At least the D-Grade ones were so few and far between that running into them was highly improbable.

    The monsters of Space Ring had their own hierarchy. The stronger a monster became, the deeper inside it moved. The reason why was unknownmaybe they just preferred the darkness. Or maybe they were somehow trained to do so by whoever created them. After all, the density of space monsters here was far, far, <em>far </em>greater than in actual interster space.

    The trip so far had been fruitful. Though they hadnt found a suitable trial for any of them yetthose things were stupidly rarethey had collected an assortment of minor treasures: berries with the Dao of Blood, herbs with the Dao of Lifethat Jack kept for usetera suspiciously sturdy rock, and even a little pebble that had a mouth andughed whenever someone touched it.

    The most precious treasures, like theughing pebble, were even acknowledged by the System, letting Jack inspect them:

    <strong>Ticklish Pebble</strong>

    <strong><em>A pebble thatughs when touched. While possessing only minimal sentience, it is useful for cultivators pursuing the Daos of Laughter, Joy, or simr, as well as cultivators pursuing the opposite Daos, like Grief or Sadness.</em></strong>

    Jack had kept this one, too, intending to gift it to Vlossana wheneverand ifthey met again.

    <em>Shes going to love it, </em>he thought smilingly.

    However, these treasures werent too important right now. The greatest benefit was all the levels they rued by fighting the space monsters.

    Once again, Jack marveled at the efficiency of Trial. Outside, people were willing to travel manys away to find ate E-Grade monster. Here, they weremon as dirt, letting everyone progress at unfathomable speed.

    Jack was now Level 89, Nauja was 106, and Gan Salin was 78. Their teams strength had taken a massive leap forwardand it had only been two days.

    Of course, most of that was due to Jack being way stronger than his level indicated. In team fights, the other two benefitted as well.

    The only problem was that hed stopped training much with the Dao Soul for now. After fighting constantly, he just didnt have the energy. Or the need. The Dao Souls utility would shine when things slowed down.

    On the third day, in one inconspicuous bubblea forest biome that was unfortunately empty of treasuresJack suddenly noticed something odd.

    Hey, he said, is the light going down?

    Gan Salins eyes widened. He had been lounging on a log and singing, but he now shot to his feet. Quick! he said. The re ising! He then bolted off towards the side of the bubble facing the darkness.

    The what? Jack asked, already running after him. Nauja and Brock were a step behind, equally confused.

    The re! Salin exined while running. There are two sets of sun mushrooms. When one dims, the other lights up, and there is a short moment in between when both are lit. We must catch it!

    Catch it for what?

    Jack remembered how, when he first entered Space Ring, only half of the sun mushrooms were lit. In hindsight, it made sense. Sun mushrooms had their cycle of day and night, as the previous rings had shown, and even the creators of Trial didnt want to sink Space Ring in total darkness.

    Though theyd been here for two days, those were standard gctic days. The mushrooms cyclested more than thataround three days.

    The darkness! Salin shouted, reaching the edge of the bubble and stopping. In the dim illumination that reached this bubble, the canines outline was the only thing visible. The space beyond waspletely darkthat was the border of darkness.

    Jacks eyes widened in realization as he approached. The light kept dimming, down to half its usual intensity. By now, all of them were submerged in darkness. Jack could see nothing.

    And then, in a bright sh, it was day. The second set of mushrooms red to life before the first was done dimming. For a moment, every single mushroom on the ring ceiling was lit, pushing back the darkness and illuminating ces that usually remained hidden.

    The light washed over Jack, extending beyond. He caught a glimpse of whaty in the darkness.

    Dozens of bubbles, each reflecting the light like stars. Humongous shapes floating around them like schools of squid, space monsters at the peak and Elite levels. Jack even caught a massive, serpentine creaturezily drifting back and forth. A King.

    However, he only spared a nce for the monsters. His eyes were glued to the bubbles. This was the real prize. They had a moment of visibility. They could see far more of the dark area than ever before.

    He quickly inspected the dozen bubbles as the light dimmed. He caught a volcano, a cloud, ake. His heart skipped a beat with each, quickly assessing them and deciding if any were suitable for him or his team. Most of the bubbles spotted at least some degree of human activityruins, towers, housesthe telltale sign of trials. Moreover, these bubbles were close enough to the edge that they could make a run for them, if the rewards were worth it.

    However, as he scoured them, his stomach dropped. Not a single one felt suitable. There was nothing visibly pertaining to insanityor anything to do with the mindthe wind, archery, working-out, or fistfighting. The light was receding quickly. One by one, the bubbles were swallowed by darkness again.

    Jack hardened his heart and decided that the cloud one might be okay. They could give it a shot. Clouds were close to wind, right?

    Then, the light shed again. Not all mushrooms hade on at the same time. A small percentage were out of sync, and as they activated, they overpowered the dimming ones to push the light a little bit farther than its previous limit.

    It was momentary.

    But enough for Jack to glimpse one more bubble. A stone pce floating in the darkness. Ancient-looking. Covered in moss and vines. With engravings on its side,rge enough that he could make them out from here. Various animals were depicted, along with glyphs whose meaning eluded him.

    The light receded quickly. The border of darkness returned to its previous radius, but just that glimpse had been enough.

    Brock gripped Jacks wrist. Hed noticed it, too. Jack looked down, but he wasnt looking at the brori. He was looking at the Staff of Stone, tightly gripped in Brocks hand. The staff made of ancient, moss-covered stone, with animals and glyphs engraved on it.

    Even the feeling they gave off was simr.

    Brock, Jack said, I think we found your trial.

    Yes, bro, Brock responded.

    Which one, which one? Salin asked excitedly, and Nauja stepped in to exin. Her sharp eyes had naturally caught the resemnce, too.

    Are you sure we should go? she asked after exining to Salin. I know this seems like fate, but its just a random staff. Just because they happen to look simr doesnt mean theyre rted.

    A random staff? What do you mean? Jack asked. Have you never inspected it before?

    I No. Its inspectable?

    Of course. How could you not know?

    Brock is using it. We cant scan things used by others. Quick, Brock, put it down and let us see.

    Huh. Jack didnt know that. He tried inspecting the staff while Brock still held it, and indeed, he got nothing. It made sense in hindsight.

    Brock quietly put his weapon down and took a step back, letting them have a look.

    <strong>Staff of Stone, Life Weapon (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>An Ancient weapon that utilizes the Dao of Density to adjust its weight, matching the wielders strength perfectly. Its max density is suitable for anyone with up to 1000 attribute points in Strength.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Carved and enchanted by Bozdom the Crafty.</em></strong>

    Woah, an Ancient artifact! Salin cried out. Thats impressive! Where the hell did you find it?

    In a random anthill in Giant Ring, Jack replied absent-mindedly. It was the first time he noticed that the Ancient part of the description was capitalized, indicating the Ancient race instead of just the age of the staff. The previous time hed read this description, he didnt even know about the Ancients, so he naturally ignored the capitalization. Now, it was a wealth of information.

    You lucky bastards, Salin said,ughing. Ancient artifacts are not too rare in Trial, but notmon, either. Im surprised you have one.

    Brock picked up the staff and held it protectively.

    I take that back, Nauja said. I didnt know the staff was an artifact. The two are clearly rted. If the staff contains the Dao of Density, we can assume the pce has a trial rted to a simr Dao. And since Brock is obviously well-suited for it She looked at the brori. I guess we found our trial.

    Jack was beyond ted. Brocks progress had been a thorn in his heart for a long time. Now, with a chance that could potentially skyrocket his little bros power, there was no way theyd let it slip.

    Maybe Brock would even form a Dao Seed.

    We still need to find a way over, Nauja said. That bubble was very deep in. If we just rush it, we might be overwhelmed on the way.

    True. Jack cupped his chin. Then, what do you suggest?

    Thankfully, I also paid attention to the temple. I saw its movement. It was heading slightly deeper and sideways, in that direction. She raised a hand to point. And guess whats there.

    Jack looked over. A pir of light rose in the distance, starting from the inner wall of Space Ring and forming a lit passage into the bright area, bypassing the darkness. It was one of the light beams that led to exit tunnels to the next ring.

    The creators of Space Ring didnt want everyone dying as they blindly crossed the darkness.

    Thats not just a passage, Nauja exined. Its also a way to infiltrate the darkness. I think we can use it for more than just getting to Labyrinth Ring.

    Or, as I like to affectionately call it, Salin added, Labyring.

    Everyone stared nkly.

    What? I found it hrious!

 Chapter 172: Braving the Darkness

    Chapter 172: Braving the Darkness

    Light speared through the darkness, illuminating a long, mile-wide area. A bright path stretching from the middle of Space Ring to an exit tunnel leading to the next ring.

    As Jacks group found themselves flying through the light, he was stunned and speechless. Just a hundred feet away, the darkness was imprable. It could hide the richest treasures or greatest dangers of Space Ring, and nobody would know.

    Bubbles asionally floated through the light, entering from one side to quickly disappear in the other. They werent fast enough to be dangerous, just impressive. Unfortunately, since no one could see theming, and they were pretty rare, being at the right spot to catch one would be very difficult.

    The space monsters never entered this area of light, just like they never entered bubbles.

    There were many light beams like this, scattered around the inner side of Space Ring. Each led to an exit tunnel. Just one more stunning sight of Trial.

    Jack watched the wallswhere bright light met pitch-ck darknessto the left and right as they flew. He imagined monsters lying just beyond. Tentacles shooting out to grab him and recede into the darkness, where space would muffle the screams.

    His enemies screams, that is. Because he would punch them.

    The main reason why he stared at the walls was that looking ahead, towards the base of the light beam, was painful for the eyes. ording to Gan Salin, there were a bunch of sun mushrooms in a bowl-shaped alcove, guiding their collective light into this single column.

    Suddenly, Nauja raised her hand. Jack and Salin slowed down beside her. They couldnt speak in space, so all theirmunication came as hand signals, along with what theyd discussed before leaving thest bubble.

    Nauja pointed down, indicating that this was the ce. Then, her face taut in concentration, she turned to face a wall of darkness. She raised her hand. The moment she dropped it, they would have to dash.

    Into the unknown.

    Jack gulped. He distracted himself by admiring Naujas abilities. He couldnt even tell how far away the pce bubble had been, but she managed to calcte its precise trajectory at a single nce. Thankfully, she had a skill about that. It was supposed to be used in archery, but there was no rule against using it on space-traveling air bubbles.

    Still, it was damn impressive.

    Naujas hand shook a bit. Jack almost started running before catching himself. Between his arms, he felt Brock stiffening.

    Her hand dropped.

    Nauja was the first to run. She expelled air Dao from her back, propelling her fast into the darkness without a single nce back.

    A brave woman.

    Jack and Salin followed immediately. One after the other, they dived out of the light and into the darkness. Jack rushed to avoid thinking about it.

    The feeling was like plunging into dark, cold water. Besides the noticeable change in temperature, Jack immediately lost his sight. He couldnt even see Gan Salin anymore.

    He also couldnt speak. Couldnt hear anything. Couldnt smell. Couldnt touch. He was all alone in infinite, monster-filled darkness, with Brock being his onlypany.

    For a moment, he was petrified before his Dao Root of Indomitable Will protested, propelling him into action. Jack could sense the hints of the Dao of the Fist hed left behind, using them to maintain his sense of direction. He shot forward.

    There could be monsters everywhere. This was a gamble. ording to Nauja, the bubble would be close to them now, just a minutes dashing through the darkness. They just had to hope there werent any monsters in between, but monsters generally avoided the light. It should be fine.

    Jack traveled through the darkness. There was faint light behind him in the form of the light beam, but everything else was ck. Even the light of the sun mushrooms didnt make it here, blocked by some property of space that Jack wasnt sure was magical or scientific. Probably magical. Light was supposed to cross the vacuum without degrading.

    The seconds flowed on. Jacks blood was drumming on his temples, the cold vise of fear tightening around his heart. He was short of breath.

    He thought he saw faint shapes lumbering in the darkness. A tentacle-shaped patch of ck deeper than its surroundings. A giant eye, barely distinguishable and very close-by. A hint of Daoing from his left.

    He didnt know if he was imagining those or if they were true. Darkness had a way to im the mind, to upset and terrify it, make it materialize its fears to fill in the absence of visual input. Jack was aware of how the brain had evolved to work in the darkness, but all that did was enhance what he already felt: the dark was dangerous.

    <em>Has it been a minute already? </em>he asked himself. He didnt have a clock. All he could do was count his own heartbeats, estimating them to be sky-high, but that wasnt urate.

    The n was to find the bubble within a minute. Whoever found it firstthe three were slightly spread outwould unleash a bunch of Dao to inform the other. If no one did, they had to turn around after a minute and dash back to the light.

    At the E-Grade, their ability to sense the Dao was there, but very limited.

    <em>A little bit more, </em>he promised himself, acutely aware that the bubble could be anywhere outside of his path, and he could diving head-first into a bottomless pit. He wouldnt even see it as he approached, just sense the faint Dao that the bubble structure itself exuded.

    For the first time in a long while, Jack wished he hadnt lost his phone. It had a shlight.

    Something wet and elongated pped him out of nowhere. Jack was sent off his path, letting out a scream that only he could hear, spinning head-over-heels in the vacuum of space. He punched out where the hit hade from.

    A purple meteor bloomed in the darkness, illuminating nothing. It flew farther and farther away from Jack, showcasing just how vast the blind void around him was, before it mmed into something. Jack caught a glimpse of a purple shape, a squid with tentacles jutting out all over its body.

    It thrashed as the explosion happened. It must have gotten injured. E-Grade space monsters were barely sentient sacks of Dao, and Jack sensed the Dao escaping, leaking out of the squid where the meteor had struck. He could track it now. In the absence of all light, his Dao sense was clearer than ever.

    He sensed another beacon light up nearby. A twisted knot that screamed of confusion, of persistence, of single-minded ramming into what didnt make sense. Insanity.

    Jack realized that he, too, must be such a beacon. He also realized that, if he could sense them, so could the space monsters sense him. By fighting here, he was summoning everything within several miles, and the first monster was already here. His blood ran cold. They had to hurry. There was no time to search for bubbles. They had to retreat back to the light.

    The Dao of Insanity collided with the squid and lost terribly. The monsters here were at least peak E-Grades. This was a high-level area. And Salin was only level 78.

    The canine had been flung back from the impact, away from the light. Jack hesitated for only an instant before dashing after him. There was no time to think. He simply followed his instinct.

    Was the squid chasing? Definitely. Jack twisted to the left, releasing a meteor that crossed the darkness, barely missing the source of the Dao leakthe squids woundand dissolving into nothingness a few hundreds of feet away. He cursed and tried again. A meteor shower bloomed in the darkness, a shining beacon for anything hungry, and went flying for the squid. It responded toote. Its body got pelted, the meteors smashing into its squishy flesh and ripping it apart, leaving gaping holes and open wounds.

    The squid thrashed, trying to cope with its injuries, as Jack realized he couldnt hold back. He was in total darkness. He reached inside his soul, tearing away the veil that kept the Life Drops powers at bay, and felt himself growrger and stronger, two arms sprouting under his armpits.

    With a loud roar that echoed in his ears, trapped inside the helmets barrier, he exploded through the void and after the still-flying Salin, whose trajectory hadnt changed in the slightest. He must have been unconscious.

    With the power granted by the Life Drop, Jack elerated fast. He reached the canine and grabbed him, then turned to look towards the light. The squid was retreating. It was probably too injured to fight. Jack felt a hint of relief.

    Then again, since when did space monsters retreat?

    Jacks eyes went wide as he nced around, but there was only darkness. Then, something blocked the light in front of him. He hurriedly blocked with three of his armsthe fourth held Brock and Gan Salinbarely enduring the strike. It felt like getting struck by lightning. His entire body shook and jittered. He was sent flying back, barely managing to right himself after a while.

    The void in front of him blossomed with electric blue light. An eel the size of a bus was swimming through space, directly towards him. Its eyes were red slits filled with malice, while lightning arced all over its body.

    Fuck, said Jack.

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 124 (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>Experts specte that, whenrge quantities of the Dao are left undisturbed for a long time, they can spontaneously coalesce into a Space Monster. While this is a very rare asion</em></strong>

    He had no time to read the descriptionhed seen it before, anyway. He focused on the monsters level and its Elite tag.

    Going after the pce had been a calcted risk. But calcted risks sometimes backfired. Now, he had to fight his way through and hope to survive.

    Jacks body erupted with power. His three Dao Roots were brought to the fore, blending with his Dao Seed of the Fist to unleash the greatest strength hed ever revealed. The eel was almost blindingly fast, but his brain was processing things so quickly that he could follow its movements. The world had slowed down.

    He felt the power gathering in his arm, suffusing it. He let it rip. A blinding meteor speared the darkness, exploding on the eels nose and pushing it back. Jacks remaining two fistsone arm was holding his friendsalso smashed out, each hitting the eel at full power.

    It hadnt expected that. In its senses, Jack was weak. It had underestimated him.

    Still, a few surprise strikes werent enough to take down an Elite. This monster was far stronger than Jacksst real opponent, Bocor, had been. It absorbed the recoil and wound around him, seeking to entrap him in lightning. Jack kept punching. One meteor led to another until a shower was formed. The eels slick skin made the strikes slide off, but their real purpose was to achieve momentum. Jack was propelled backward at absurd speed, escaping the eels encirclement and flying into the darkness, towards the light. Hed managed to turn around the first time he hit it.

    The eel pursued. Faster than he could ever be. It was upon him in an instant, opening its jaws wide and biting down. Jack smashed out above his head, altering his trajectory downward and barely escaping its jaws, which mped shut right above him.

    His entire body leaned into an uppercut. Unfortunately, as there was no ground to stand on, its power was limited. His fist dug into slimy, slippery skin. The eels head jutted upward, but it wasnt too injured.

    Right then, wind invaded the void. It was fast and straight, like an arrow. Noit <em>was </em>an arrow.

    An arrow made of wind came out of nowhere to strike the eel, embedded deep in its eye. It raised its head and screamedthough Jack heard nothingthen swiped its tail at Jack, who ghost-stepped out of the way. It took a lot out of him. That skill was best used on solid ground.

    His Dao perception expanded. He tried his best to push it out as far as possible but felt nothing. Still, hed seen the arrows direction. He knew where it came from. It was sideways into the darkness. He kept shooting out punches to head that way.

    Suddenly, he felt it. A hint of the Dao, like a gentle breeze caressing his skin. Nauja was somewhere over there, no doubt unleashing her power as strongly as possible to make him sense her. Jack spared a second to focus.

    She was moving. Slowly, smoothly, andterally to the light beam. Why would she be moving that way?

    Because shed found the bubble.

    That was the n. Since they all moved at different speeds, whoever found the bubble would galvanize their Dao as intensely as possible to let the others sense it and fly over.

    Jack oriented himself at Nauja. However, that moment of focusing on her had given the eel an opening. It jammed its head at him, headbutting him. A strong electrical current flowed through his veins. His entire body seized. All four fists clenched by themselves.

    Thankfully, Jacks momentum was already going, and there was nothing to slow him down in space. He kept flying backward, further propelled by the eels strike. The pain was burning him from the inside out, but hed been through worse. He refused to yield. He frowned deeply and forced his twitching muscles to obey. His Indomitable Body purged the lightning.

    AHHH! Jack roared. His three arms blurred as he shot out another meteor shower, pelting the eel with his full strength. It weaved through the attacks, sliding them off its skin, but some got it. One found it at the nose, another under its chin, one at the side of its tail.

    Jack had his front towards the eel and his back at Naujas presence. He was using the meteor shower to simultaneously keep the eel at bay and elerate backward. Already, his speed was incredible, though he had no way to perceive it in the void.

    Unfortunately, the eel was even faster.

 Chapter 173: Reaching the Bubble

    Chapter 173: Reaching the Bubble

    A second arrow pierced space to uratelynd on the tip of the eels nose. Jack sensed the Dao of Lightning leak out. The eel shook its head and chased him with renewed effort. They exchanged strikes. He was on the losing end, but not by much. His punches caved its flesh almost as much as its lightning charred his, but he had the Indomitable Body and Life Drops regenerative properties, and the eel had nothing. Its greatest weapon, the lightnings lingering effects, was countered by Jacks Indomitable Body.

    Jack was losing, but the situation was slowly growing more manageable.

    Additionally, the more he approached Nauja, the denser the arrows came. They pelted the eel like a second meteor shower, not particrly strong but exceptionally urate. Naujas marksmanship was impableas shed revealed, she could adjust the trajectory of her wind arrows mid-flight.

    Many arrows still missed, but a few hit the mark. They distracted the eel, causing a small but considerable amount of damage. It couldnt slide off the piercing arrows like it could Jacks fists. Moreover, since the eel was physically muchrger than Jack, Nauja could hit it without worrying about hitting her ally.

    Her strength may not have been on par with Jacks or the eels, but this was the perfect situation for an archer to excel.

    Jack was charred and injured. Hed been electrocuted a dozen times already. His regeneration worked overtime tobat the lightning, but the eel wasnt much better, either. It didnt regenerate nearly as fast. Its wounds umted until its attacks slowed down.

    Being an Elite, it had a hint of intelligence. It could choose to retreat when things went south.

    Jack was almost at the bubble now. His body was tattered, but hed managed to protect his helmetwhich was highly durable, anywayas well as Brock and Gan Salin, whom he was carrying. Sensing the eel slow down, he hesitated.

    He could keep going and escape inside the bubble.

    Or.

    Or he could try to kill the eel.

    They had to kill an Elite space monster for the Sixth Ring Conqueror title. These monsters were found almost exclusively in the darkness. The eel was already heavily injured. When would he find a better opportunity than this?

    Plus, this was his chance to gain so many levels.

    Jack found himself letting go of Gan Salin and Brock. The bubble was slow, and his current trajectory towards it was urate. There was obviously no monster in between, or Naujas arrows would have been intercepted, and neither of the two released any Dao right now. To the space monsters, they were invisible. Jack was certain they would reach the pce bubble.

    He let go of them both.

    Then, he turned around and started punching. His momentum lessened until it reversed. He was flying <em>at </em>the eel now, not away from it. Behind his back, the arrows kepting.

    The eel hadnt imagined Jack would return. It hesitated, then charged him.

    There was a difference between letting prey go and cowering from a challenge.

    Jack and the eel got entangled into a violent dance of punches and lightning. Teeth snapped. A tail swiped. Arms blurred in the light of sparks. Meteors blossomed on slick skin, each strong enough to demolish a hill.

    Arrows rained from behind, some missing but a few hitting their mark. The eel was leaking Dao from all over its body now. Jack was exhausted but still regenerating. The crippling lightning had little effect on him.

    As the eel opened its jaws to bite down on Jack, he ghost-stepped under it. When its upper jaw met the lower one, pushing it down, Jack smashed up with all his strength. His fist shone purple. The lightning was sucked in, then exploded. A hole was ripped clean through the beasts underjaw, into its mouth, and up from its snout. Dao streamed out like a broken dam.

    The eel shook once, then its lightning began to dim. Jack felt the void get charged as so much Dao escaped. His skin was tingly. He braced himself for another attack, breathing heavily, but none came. The eel went still.

    Finally, the notifications began to stream in.

    <strong>Congrattions! You have reached Level 90.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have reached Level 91.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have reached Level 92.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have reached Level 93.</strong>

    He allowed himself a smile before reorienting on Nauja and rushing over. She wasnt too far away now.

    He let the Life Drop transformation fade away. He also used Brutalizing Aura on the way, just to be sure, but it was unnecessary. Whether because they gave space to the eel or because of blind luck, there were no other monsters nearby.

    Eventually, Jack made out light in the darkness. A torch illuminated the wall of a pce and the side of a courtyard, surrounded by a shimmering, transparent, green bubble. A pale-skinned archer with fur clothing over her privates stood at the very edge of the bubble, bow drawn and poised to shoot, while a young brori held up a torch and anxiously waved it from side to side. Gan Salin was lying unconscious between them.

    The archer lowered her bow as she saw him. A bright smile blossomed on her face.

    Jack wanted to make a hero entrance. He tried to slow down, but he miscalcted. He flew into the courtyard at high speed and smashed into the wall beyond, copsing a small, stone structure that could have been a garden shack.

    He theny among the debris, sprawled out on the floor. Ow, he said. Nauja burst outughing.

    Hit your head there, warrior? she asked.

    A bit. He rubbed the back of his head. His entire body was banged up after the fight. There was lightning in his veins, he had several deep burns all over, as well as deep purple bruises where the eels tail had hit him.

    His mood, however, was through the roof.

    Did you see that? he asked. We beat an Elite monster!

    Yes! she replied, equally excited. If Father knew, he would be so proud.

    Brock cheered, too. He twirled his staff in the air and hopped up and down, performing a brori celebratory dance.

    However, Naujas voice carried a hint of warning, demanding Jacks attention, you used the Dr That thing, right?

    ...Yeah. Could you tell?

    If I could tell? You <em>erupted </em>with the power of life! If I hadnt seen it before, I would have thought you got swapped with an immortal mid-battle.

    Jack grimaced. Was it that bad?

    Lets just say its good you made it back. This area should be teeming with space monsters any second now. You must have drawn everything in a ten-mile radius.

    They all looked outside. Darkness. Nothing could be seenbut that didnt mean space was empty. For all they knew, they could be surrounded by space monsters.

    Well, not yet, but they soon would be.

    Will they stick around? Jack asked. If yes, that could be a problem.

    The bubbles followed a circr trajectory around Space Ring. It wasntpletely set, but Nauja estimated theirs would approach the border of darkness or a light beam within the next few days. Now that they were <em>in </em>the darkness, they could see the light outside just fine, so they would know.

    That n would be severelyplicated by a bunch of space monsters following them around like hungry sharks.

    How am I supposed to know? she asked back. I hope not. We need a way to find them, if theyre close. We cant sense them unless theyre injured, in battle, or producing light like your eel.

    Jack considered it for a moment. Gradually, his eyes hardened. Well consider thatter. Its not like the monsters can enter the bubble. For now He turned around, towards the pce walls behind him. We have a trial to face.

    From up-close, the pce was even more imposing. Tall stone walls rose a hundred feet high, narrowing near the top to end in sharp-tipped domes. The architecture was angr, with even the curvature of the walls presented as a series of small steps. Moreover, moss covered the surface of the stone, partly obscuring the manyrge engravings. Lions, elephants, cows All sorts of animals were depicted on the walls, a colorless series of lines carved in stone.

    How long do you think its been since this ce was built? Jack asked, losing his breath.

    Millennia, Nauja replied, her gaze wandering over the pce. Maybe more.

    Maybe more, Jack agreed. He turned to Brock. What do you say, little bro? Are you ready to get stronger?

    Brock gave a toothy smile. Yes, he said. His grip was tight on the Staff of Stone, and his short fur was raised with excitement.

    Good. The faster youplete the trial, the faster well be able to leave this ce, once the bubble approaches the edge. And, if it doesnt, well make it.

    There was a second way to escape the darkness. Technically, Jack, Nauja, and Gan Salin could push the bubble towards a direction. It would be slow, and it would attract a whole bunch of monsters, which is why this was only n B.

    I agree, Nauja said. Lets find the trial and get you started as soon as possible.

    What about Gan Salin? Jack asked. The canine was still lying on the ground, unconscious. That first space monster, the squid with too many tentacles, had gotten him good.

    Nauja threw him one look and shrugged. Its safe here, she said. Lets just wait for him to get up. He has a healing skill, anyway.

    Leaving Gan Salin to guard their belongingsmostly food and water, both from Vige Ring and the various bubbles theyd visited on the waythe three of them headed deeper into the pce.

    It wasnt big. The bubble only stretched two hundred feet from one side to the other, making it quite simple to locate the spot of the trial. In fact, the entire pce had a single room inside its walls: a spacious, empty courtyard filled with dead nts. A statue stood tall in its midst. A muscr man, intricately carved, raising a staff towards the sky. His features were hard, his gaze stony. He wore a mantle that reached his calves and a set of heavy armor that reminded Jack of ancient Chinese warlords.

    The only oddity on the man was his mouth, which seemed drawn into what could be a yful smile, but might also not be one.

    Hello, Mona Lisa, Jack said, reverently approaching the statue. Nauja threw him a questioning nce, then ignored him. Brock didnt even listen. His eyes were set on the statues staffan exact replica of the Staff of Stone.

    What are the chances? Nauja said. You say you identally found the weapon that corresponds to this exact trial. Are you hiding something, Jack Rust?

    Bro! Brock said, making an offended what are you saying? gesture at Nauja. She was stunned.

    I swear its all true. We found the staff near a corpse in Giant Ring. This is just arge coincidence. Jack tilted his head. Then again, we wouldnt be here if we didnt have the staff, would we? We would have just ignored the pce and chosen another bubble.

    Hmm.

    But what could he say? To the best of his knowledge, it really was a coincidence. Therefore, he endured Naujas suspicious re to approach the statue. He found himself able to inspect it, and after a moments hesitation, did so.

    <strong>Trial Statue</strong>

    <strong><em>A statue serving as the gateway to a Trial Trial. Touch to enter.</em></strong>

    Fewer words next time, asshole, Jack grumbled. He didnt touch the statue, but he did approach enough to make out a small engraving at its bottom:

    <em>Ermedil Asantra. First General of the Low Sky.</em>

    Well, he said, no time like the present. Are you ready, Brock?

    The brori gathered himself and nodded.

    Let me warn you, Jack continued. This will be difficult. The hardest thing youve ever done. You might die in thereand, if you do, I will be extremely sad. But you can survive, too. The trial will adjust to your strength. Try your hardest, and when you return, we will celebrate your triumph. Get stronger to fight by my side. I believe in you, bro.

    Brock paused for a moment. He reached out to shake Jacks hand, then jumped into a hug. Nauja let them, observing from a distance.

    A momentter, Brock let go. He approached the statue, still holding his staff. He turned around to give a thumbs-up.

    See you, bro, he said, revealing two new words at the same time.

    Jack smiled widely. His heart felt about to break. Why was he this nervous? Good luck, bro, he replied. I believe in you.

    Good luck, Brock! Nauja cried out.

    Brock nodded, touched the statue, and disappeared. His Trial had begun.

 Chapter 174: Brockâ€™s Trial

    Chapter 174: Brock¡¯s Trial

    When the world settled, Brock found himself in a long and narrow underground chamber. Or, at least, it looked underground. There were no windows. He might as well be in arge stone box illuminated by a series of torches on the walls.

    Said walls were covered in moss, like the outside ones, but the rooms main point was the floor. Brock stood on a narrow ledge against one wall. A second ledge was against the far wall, with a closed door in its midstthe only door in the room.

    Between the two ledges, the floor was about ten feet lower. Green, wooden poles rose sparsely from it, standing at about the same height as the ledges. At first nce, Brock got the instinct to jump from pole to pole to reach the other side. But there was no reason. The floor looked fine.

    Of course, he would still jump on the poles, because it was more fun.

    Wee, brave soul, to my Trial, a male voice boomed out. Brock jumped in surprise, almost dropping his staff, but there was no one around. He scratched his head in confusion as the voice continued unabated. My name is Ermedil Asantra, First General of the Low Sky. My Dao is that of Force, but at the E-Grade, which Trial is meant to test, I cultivated the Dao Seed of Density. Therefore, that is the Dao I will pass on to you!

    There was power in that voice. Deep, unshakable confidence, an edge that made Brock apprehensive. At the same time, there was also excitement. The voice spoke with a rush, like energy was bubbling from its throat.

    Brock didnt get all the words. He got the point, though.

    I haveposed a trial of three chambers, the voice bro continued. The first chamber will test your bnce, a necessary skill to master Density. You must make it to the other side by jumping on the tips of the bamboo poles. If you touch the ground, you will be eliminated and teleported out. I wish you luck!

    Then, it went silent. Brock scratched his head, squinting at the room ahead. He was already going to jump, for fun.

    But Big Bro had taught him to be careful. Therefore, Brock decided to scout for traps. Reaching back, he grabbed a piece of poop and sent it hurtling through the room, crossing the hundred feet of space beforending on the other ledge with a dry <em>plop</em>.

    No traps. Brock nodded to himself, deciding it was safe. Big Bro would be proud.

    Therefore, tightening his grip on the staff, Brock jumped on the first bambooas the voice bro had called it. Landing was easy. However, the moment he did, the bamboo bent under his feet, leaning forward before swinging back again.

    Brock made monkey sounds, almost losing his bnce before steadying himself. He intuitively held his staff horizontally, helping him bnce. The bamboo was still swaying, however, and even Brocks Elite F-Grade body couldnt handle this easily.

    He rode the bamboos forward swaying to leap to the next pole, which also began to sway. This time, he was ready. As it fell forward, he leaped again, crossing ten feet tond on the next one. He was prepared for it to sway again, so he leaned back. Unfortunately, this bamboo was treacherous. It remained steady.

    As a result, Brock was falling backward. He windmilled his arms in the air to regain his bnce, releasing worried monkey cries all the while, but he was too far back. As he slowly tipped backward, he pictured his Big Bros disappointed face if he failed.

    No. He was already dead weight. He couldnt fail here.

    Brocks rotating arms moved faster, like a whirlwind. He used them as oars, pushing the air back so fast that his tipping slowed. At the same time, he channeled the Big Thought in his heart. An entire line of muscles, from his heel, to his butt, to his spine and neck, all clenched at the same time. His toes hugged the edge of the bamboo with all their strength, and with massive effort, he pulled himself straight.

    He heaved a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from his forehead. Then, he narrowed his eyes at the rest of the poles.

    This bamboo was crafty. But he refused to fail. He could do it. Like everything else, bnce was a muscle, and he had the Big Thought of Muscle.

    Focusing on his bnce muscle, Brock jumped again, ready to respond to the pole. This one swayed. Brock was using his Big Thought now, controlling his bodys muscles perfectly, so he wasnt fazed in the slightest. He leaped from this pole to the next, which did not sway. Brock took a second to steady himself, but he was okay. Like that, he kept going.

    There were no other tricks to the bamboo poles. Some swayed, and some didnt. Brock reached the far ledge without a problem,nding right next to his thrown poop. He considered taking it with him, to not soil this ce, but it had tricky bamboo. It deserved to be pooped.

    He opened the stone door and entered the next room. This one was narrower, almost a corridor, and only ten feet across. There was nothing wrong with the floor or walls, but instead of a door leading further in, a massive boulder blocked the exit, wide enough that it upied almost the entire width of the corridor.

    Congrattions! Your bnce must be outstanding! And if you flew your way across, well, flying requires bnce, too! the voice bro returned. Brock nodded gracefully, epting the praise.

    Yes, he replied.

    This chamber will test your strengththe opposite end from bnce. Both are required to master density. Starting now, you have one minute to lift the boulder, which is adjusted to your current level, and reach the final chamber. I wish you luck!

    Brock knew how long a minute was. Big Bro had taught him. But it was too little! This voice bro was stupid!

    Frantic, Brock rushed to the massive boulder blocking the exit. It was wider than his two arms stretched to the limit, and it rose above his head. How was he supposed to lift it?

    Thankfully, Brock had practiced at the forest gym with Father and the other bros. He knew how to lift. Holding the Staff of Stone in his mouth, he bent down and slipped his fingers under the rock. Keeping his back straight, he lifted with his knees.

    Instantly, he felt the boulders crushing weight. It was so heavy he could barely raise it a couple inches, and his arms were already burning. So were his thighs.

    Again, the consequences of failure passed through his head. He would be left behind. He would have to abandon his big bro or pull him down. He would be useless. A burden. And his big bro would be disappointed at Brocks failure.

    No. Failure was not an option. He did not want to be discarded.

    Brock channeled the Big Thought again. He believed in the muscles of his arms and thighs, encouraged them to work harder. <em>Help me, muscle bros!</em>

    Inch by inch, the boulder rose. Brock felt his neck muscles tighten, bringing him fear, but he used his bravery muscle to ovee it. He felt exhaustion creep in, tempting him to give up, but he used his resolve muscle to silence it. He felt his vision waver, but he just flexed his eye muscles.

    When his arms went numb, his waist waspressed, and his legs were on the verge of giving in, he reinforced all those muscles with the Big Thought.

    The boulder finally rose to Brocks chest. Now, he had to pass under it.

    With slow, small steps, he inched forward. He ducked his head under the boulder, transitioning its weight from his arms to his shoulders and neck, letting it rest there fully for a moment as he repositioned his arms to push up with his palms.

    Thankfully, the forest gym practiced all sorts of heavy lifting.

    Slowly and carefully, taking good care to maintain proper form, Brock rolled the weight over his shoulders until he was halfway through. Then, he simply let it roll away as he jumped to the other side.

    He escaped the crash. Only the tip of the Saff was caught under the boulder, but Brock simply yanked it out.

    His entire body was burning, but he had made it through.

    Congrattions! Your strength is surely outstanding! And, if you somehow cheated my trial, well, shame on you!

    The voice bro was here, as always, though Brock couldnt see him. Maybe he was hiding in the walls.

    You have proven your bnce and strength, but density is more than its extremes. You must be able to transition between them and use them fluidly. Therefore, the final chamber will test your skill inbat. If you fail this trial, you will die. I wish you luck!

    <em>Die?</em>

    Brock released a sound of protest before realizing it didnt matter. He wouldnt fail. But how sad would Big Bro be if Brock never returned? Would he even know what happened?

    No. That was uneptable. Brock ignored his burning body and channeled the Big Thought fully, ready to go all-out from the very start.

    This chamber was a fifty by twenty feet stone box. There was no exit, and the entrance was blocked by the previous boulder. The only other thing in the room was a stone statue which rigidly moved to face Brocksomething that good stone bros rarely did. It wore a horned helmet and armor that cascaded over its body, simr to the statue on the outside, though the face was different.

    This statue also wielded a massive halberd that took up at least half the rooms width.

    Brock prepared himself forbat. He twirled the Staff of Stone, settling into a stance with the staff behind his back. He charged out first. His Big Thought went into his legs, increasing their strength, pushing him from a run to a gallop.

    The statue swung overhead. Brock raised his staff to block. The strike came hard. Brock shook, his knees buckled, his palms split, and his elbows groaned as they almost gave out. He barely held.

    He twisted the staff to the side, letting the halberd slide its way across, then swiped it at the stone bro. The stone bro stepped back, dodging the strike and retrieving his halberd. It came from the side, this time. Brock jumped over it, focusing on his reflex muscles to grab onto the shaft mid-air, rotate with it, and swipe his staff at the stone bro from above.

    Staff met horned helmet, making the stone bro look down for a second. Brock used that time to somersault through the air, using his strikes recoil to fly over the stone bro andnd behind him. The stone bro swiped his halberd around, but Brock, expecting this, ducked under it. He swung low, swiping the stone bros legs out from under him, then raised his staff and smashed it into the stone bros neck from above mid-fall.

    Brock quickly jumped over the stone bro again, expecting a wild sh from the halberd, but it never came. The stone bros neck had been broken by the previous strike. He nowy on the ground, lifeless, like all good stone bros should.

    Congrattions! the voice bro spoke again. Brock wondered if he would finally exit his wall ande talk face to face like a real bro, but that wasnt meant to happen. You have proven bnce, strength, and skill. You have passed my trial! Again, congrattions!

    Brock nodded, gracefully epting the praise.

    With this, you will now inherit an item that should help you master Density: the Pink Muscle Pill! I made it bybining the insights of my Dao Seed of Density and the Dao Root of Muscles.

    Brocks mouth formed into an o. He released a cry. This was no voice bro. He was a Dao bro!

    Light shed before Brock, and a pink pill the size of his pinky nail appeared in front of his face. He caught it as it fell and swallowed it.

    The change was instantaneous. Brock felt the pill dispersing in his mouth before he even swallowed it. A breeze spread through his body, seeping into his every muscle and making it stronger.

    No, not just stronger; more durable, too. Brock was beyond ted. His entire body had transformed into a better version of itself. His muscles, from his toes to his biceps, had been through ten years of working out all at once.

    He swung his Staff of Stone around, marveling at how precise his control was, how explosive his movements. It felt like he could do anything.

    He couldnt wait to show his Big Bro.

    Red muscles are explosive; they have great strength but can only work in short bursts. White muscles are weak but can work for long periods of time. The Pink Muscle Pill will transform all your muscles into pink muscles, which can release explosive strength momentarily or weaker strength over longer periods, depending on what you need. This happens by altering their interior density to perfectly amodate both statesa feat that is normally achievable by long, grueling training. As a Dao pill, it works on all sorts of physical beings, regardless of body structure. In short, this pill will enhance yourbat strength significantly, making you far more versatile than you currently are. Moreover, by meditating on the new properties of your muscles, you can gain insights into Density.

    The voice suddenly grew downcast.

    Unfortunately, the Pink Muscle Pill is all I can leave you. I do not possess the strength to impart you with a Dao Root or the rank to leave my actual insights in this Trial. Even the weapon I used up to the early D-Grade, my prized Staff of Stone, has been stolen from me by Altazed the Almighty! If you ever run into him or his descendants, you should fight to get it back!

    Brock proudly beat his chest. This Dao bro had nothing to worry about. Brocks strength was so great that he had already retrieved the staff!

    With that, my trial has concluded. I have great hopes for you, brave soul. Perhaps one day you will reach the heights I have, and be able to lead armies of immortals against your enemies, iming glory and power! Laugh and prosper. Never give up. And, most of all, I wish you luck! Farewell.

    Thanks, Brock replied.

    Instantly, space warped around him. Brock felt a lurching in his belly. Suddenly, he stood before the statue again, just in time to see it copsing and dispersing into dust.

    Unfortunately, he only had time to give his Dao bro a hasty nod before looking around. The entire pce was shaking. His friends were shouting.

    Brock scowled. He had only left them alone for five minutes. How had they managed to screw up already?

 Chapter 175: Meet The Kraken

    Chapter 175: Meet The Kraken

    Jack lounged on a rock when Gan Salin woke up. He coughed, then shakily raised his upper body. What happened? he asked.

    Space monsters, Jack replied, but we pulled through. Are you okay?

    Salins eyes were piercing. Did you save me?

    It was nothing.

    He fought off an Elite monster while carrying you and Brock, Nauja said, stepping into the courtyard. Hardly nothing.

    I appreciate that, Gan Salin said. He seemed confused. Perplexed even, like he expected Jack to let him die. But also earnest.

    No problem.

    Where are we?

    The pce, Nauja gestured up and around at the mossy stone walls, then out into the darkness. Brock went into the Trial already. With any luck, hell seed before the bubble approaches a light beam again.

    Are Trials that long? Jack asked, looking for light beams spearing the darkness. He saw them far away.

    Some are. She shrugged. We cant know. Just have to wait.

    I hope hes okay.

    Jack was worried about Brock. Of course he was. Hed seen the brutality of these Trials himself, and now his little bro was in one. All alone.

    He didnt even care if Brock seeded. He just wanted him to return safe. In the three minutes since the brori touched the statue and disappeared, Jacks heart had been filled with doubts. Was it a bad idea? Should he protect his little bro instead of send him at a death battle? Power coulde even without Trials, it would just take longer.

    <em>No, </em>Jack quickly chided himself. <em>Brock has chosen this path himself. He does not want to be left behind, even if there is danger. The way of the bro is to respect that.</em>

    But this didnt abate his worries. To escape them, he turned his mind to other matters.

    How is the darkness, Nauja? he asked the barbarian girl. Shed just made a round around the pce to check for monsters. Did you spot anything?

    She pursed her lips. See for yourself.

    The pce was illuminated by a bright torch, courtesy of whoever made this bubble. They had lit it up and ced it in a central spot. Now, Nauja walked over and picked it up, holding it against the edge of the bubble, illuminating the darkness.

    Tentacles slithered outside the light. Colorful, squirmy bodies.

    Still there, huh? Jack asked.

    Still there. Theyre sticking to us like fleas to a velociraptor.

    So were trapped in a bubble in the darkness, surrounded by hungry space monsters? Gan Salin asked. What a nice morning.

    Maybe theyll go eventually. Jack shrugged. Besides, I doubt theyre hungry. More like curious.

    About us?

    Yeah.

    They had decided not to tell Salin about Jacks Life Drop. He was a tentative ally, not to mention an insane one, and this was a subject that demanded absolute secrecy.

    Makes sense, he replied. Were all theyve seen in who knows how long. If I were a space monster, Id stick my nose to the ss, too.

    Thank God they dont have noses.

    And, for your information, they do get hungry. Not in the same way we do, but they have this urge to consume our Dao and grow strongerbut only if were around the same level. ording to legend, the progression principles of space monsters is where the Immortals based off the leveling of the System.

    Interesting.

    I just wish theyd leave us alone, Nauja said with a sigh. If they decide to stick around permanently, were going to be in trouble.

    Gan Salin stood up. Just watch. I got this.

    He reached down to grab a mossy rockfallen crumb off the wallsand flung it into the darkness. It popped through the bubble and hit a tentacle before ricocheting off into space. The monster didnt seem to register the impact.

    Thats right! Salin shouted, waving his fist. Get the hell out of my yard!

    Jack smiled. Then, to his absolute surprise, the monster shook before bolting away at top speed.

    ...What?

    Uh Told you I got this.

    Nauja moved the torch around, illuminating a small horde of space monsters that were hurriedly running away. What is going on? she asked.

    Im scary.

    I really dont think that was you, Salin, Jack said, standing up. Space monsters have sharper Dao perception than we do. It could be that

    His words trailed off. His eyes widened. Something wasing from below, far under their feet, deeper into the darkness. Something whose Dao shone like a sun. And it was fast.

    Fuck, he said.

    Large, white tentacles rose around their bubble. These were nothing like the previous ones. Each tentacle was the size of a space monster, and they were also solid and lifelike, like actual flesh instead of strung-together Dao. Moreover, they gave off a sense of finality. Of death. Whatever this was, its Dao was well-defined and stable, unlike every other space monster Jack had ever met, with one exception: the green crocodile that Captain Dordok had fought.

    Its a D-Grade! he said with rising panic. No wonder the other monsters had run off. This was the boss of the area!

    Okay, this is bad, Salin said, but maybe it doesnt eat canines?

    Stay calm, Nauja ordered, stretching her hands. Its probably curious to see what drew all those monsters together. It cant reach us here. Were safe. We just have to wait for it to go away.

    They still couldnt see its body, but it must have been enormous. The tentacles rose all around the bubble, twitching through the void like searching for something.

    Were safe, Jack repeated, more to convince himself than reassure the others. The monster below them red in his Dao perception like a sun to the face.

    How is it here, though? Salin asked, perfectly calm. The immortal monsters almost never leave the inner wall of Space Ring.

    No idea, Jack replied, but he was lying. He knew why this monster was here. Because hed used the Life Drop, erupting with Life Dao. It was looking for him.

    He and Nauja exchanged a nce, not saying anything.

    The tentacles looked around a bit more but didnt find anything. Of course they didnt. The power of the Life Drop was now safely withdrawn inside Jacks soul, and even the space monsters D-Grade perception had no way of infiltrating that.

    They could only watch as the tentacles grew increasingly frustrated. Its fury emanated in waves, suffusing the void and stretching outward. Being so close to an upset D-Grade monster was unnerving. It was only the bubbles protection that helped them maintainposure.

    At some point, the monster would realize it had lost its target and move on. It had to. Right?

    A momentter, Jack felt its frustration surge to a peak. He seized up, wondering what was going to happen.

    The tentacles touched the bubble. For a moment, Jack froze, but the bubble held, not budging in the slightest. However, it didnt repel the monster. One tentacle after another wrapped around the bubble, dark suckers sticking on its surface, as the space monster got a good hold over it.

    Then, it started to move. Jack saw the light in the distancethe bright area of the ringrecede. He couldnt believe it. The monster had grabbed their bubble and was pulling it deeper. At the same time, more space monsters were flying away around them. Dark shapes crossed the void, heading in the opposite direction. When the D-Grade monster passed close to them, Jack could see them contort and twitch in fear. Some were even expelling part of their Dao to get away faster, blindly and desperately escaping towards the light. More than once, Jack felt an explosion of random Dao near them, an unlucky monster getting too close to this enraged giant.

    We have to get out of here! Nauja shouted, snapping out of her fear. The darkness around them was deepening by the second. Thankfully, space monsters used their Dao perception to hunt, not their eyes, or the ming torches would have drawn in everything.

    But how!? We

    There is no time! We have to try and leave now, while its distracted by the bubble. It doesnt know were what its searching for. We must run and hope to escape in the other monsters panic. If it drags us even deeper, well never have a chance to escape again! Well never make it back up!

    They arent just panicking, Salin said, still calm. Remember how I mentioned super hordes before? This is how they start. A D-Grade monster rises from the depths, terrorizing the E-Grade space monsters in arge radius, which begin to flee in panic. Other monsters see the fleeing ones and instinctively follow. The panic spreads as a chain reaction until there are thousands of monsters running away towards the outer side of the ring, arge wave that doesnt stop until it hits the far wall.

    What does it matter? Nauja said. We have to go <em>now!</em>

    Jack gritted his teeth. Brock is still in the Trial.

    Nauja didnt reply. She warred on the inside until her mind was made. Then, she crossed her arms, not saying a word more.

    I guess were waiting, Gan Salin said. In the meantime, wanna hear more trivia about space monsters? Did you know some of them can procreate, if they have the right Daos? My faction actually has a Level farm with procreating space monsters. Funky ce. Never been there, but I hear their sex is, uh, disturbing.

    What are the chances Brock wille out quickly? Jack asked.

    No idea, Nauja replied. And Jack, I know you dont want to hear this, but well know if he fails. Either helle out, or the statue will echo like a gong.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He wont fail.

    Then, well just have to wait. Im a barbarian. I would rather die than abandon a friend.

    Space monsters are mostly purple at the E-Grade, but they have all sorts of colors and formster on! Its usually animals, but Ive heard of one shaped as a ship. There is a famous B-Grade space monster that wanders the gxy as a continent-sized whale. People say it has an entire civilization in its stomach.

    Jack tried, but he struggled to enjoy Gan Salins fun facts.

    The void was still flying past them, several times faster than they could achieve by themselves. It had only been half a minute.

    Do you think

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Fourth Ring Conqueror upgraded to Fifth Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +20%  +25%</strong>

    Jack moved instantly. He bolted inside, finding Brock standing by the crumbling statue, perfectly safe and sound. He held his Staff of Stone in one hand and gaped as he looked around, at the many tentacles hugging their bubble. He said something in monkey.

    Jack rushed in, said, Good job! Im proud of you, as fast as he possibly could, then grabbed Brock under an arm, put helmets on both their heads, and ran back outside. It took him exactly three seconds.

    Nauja and Gan Salin didnt waste any time, either. By the time he returned, they were both ready to go.

    You know what we could use? Salin asked, picking up a piece of old but steady rope that held a torch to a wall. Space monster reins. Since were riding the space horde, we might as well do it in style.

    Just go! Nauja shouted.

    The darkness was still receding around them. Panicked space monsters were flying everywhere.

    They jumped out.

 Chapter 176: Surfing a Tsunami of Space Monsters

    Chapter 176: Surfing a Tsunami of Space Monsters

    Space monsters were unique creatures. They were formed by Dao that stuck together, the fundamental properties of the universe given shape and form. When that happened, sentience was developed, but most monsters only remained at the E-Grade, their infancy.

    As a result, they were driven by two primary instincts: progress, and survival. Progress came from devouring other creatures that cultivated the Daousually cultivators, or sometimespatible space monsters. Survival was moreplex, and being barely sentient, what space monsters did was blindly follow what other space monsters were doing. If they saw one moving with purpose, they followed it. That is how monster hordes were formed.

    At the same time, this sort of instinct could have unintended consequences.

    In the densely crowded environment of Space Ring, once enough monsters got to running, there was no stopping them. More monsters took note and automatically started running as well, spreading the panic like a wildfire in dry grass. A massive horde could form swiftly, with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of space monsters all rushing over each other to escapesomething. They didnt know what they were running from, nor did it matter. Everybody else was doing it, so they followed.

    The super horde that formed on this day was the result of an event chain identally started by Jack. When he activated his Life Drop to fight the electric eel, the eruption of Dao was so strong that it caught the attention of a D-Grade space monster slumbering in the bottom of Space Ring. That monster rose to investigate. However, as the Life Dao had disappeared, it focused on the closest special urrence it could sensethe gathering of space monsters around a specific bubble.

    The D-Grade monster didnt know what was happening there, but it had the intelligencealbeit barelyto connect the dots. It concluded that a high-quality, life-rted treasure had matured inside that bubble. Such a treasure could be invaluable to this monster, since it cultivated the Dao of Death. Therefore, it grabbed the bubble and pulled it to itsir in the inner wall of Space Ring, where it could investigate at its leisure.

    However, the monsters arrival and subsequent frustration had terrorized the nearby space monsters, sending them into a frenzied escape. In its retreat, it also squashed some of them to quell its rage, further fueling their panic. Such a monster could createrge waves. It wasnt long before every E-Grade monster in the region, from peak to King, was in motion, heading out of the darkness and into the light, where the poor cultivators had no idea what was about to happen.

    ***

    Jack, Nauja, Gan Salin, and Brock emerged from their fast descending bubble into a void that brimmed with activity. Behind them, the mossy pce floated in a bubble wrapped byrge, white tentacles. They barely caught a glimpse of the massive creature below, dragging the bubble ever deeper.

    It was a white squid the length of a skyscraper. A space kraken. The entire pce was like a toy to it.

    Thankfully, the kraken didnt pay them any attention. It descended at great speed, quickly disappearing in the darkness as the pces torches went off one by one.

    Unfortunately, the kraken wasnt the only monster here. More and more of them surged out of the depths, frightened out of their minds by the krakens appearance and anger. Jack glimpsed dozens of them in the bubbles dying light. The weakest were peak E-Grades, and the strongest was a King monster that resembled a dark blue rhinoceros.

    All those monsters were surging towards Jack, Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin. They barely caught a glimpse of all the monsters before the final torch in the pce went out, and they were sunk in absolute darkness.

    For a moment, there was stillness. Jack hovered in the darkness quietly, like the approaching horde was only a dream.

    Then, something crashed into them, and the group was flung forward. They didnt try to fight back. They let the flood take them, doing their best to align with it and stay alive. Their only saving grace was that the monsters, in their haste to escape, did not try to eat them.

    Jacks world was filled with bursts of all kinds of Dao. He was almost overwhelmed. His mind focused on his friends. Wind, Insanity. Brock, he was carrying.

    There were dozens of Daos erupting out of everywhere around him. Shapes bumped into him in the darkness. The monsters fell an urge toe together, leading to a tightly clustered pack inplete absence of light.

    Jack finally felt a mind-turning burst from the side. He rushed over, hoping to not get tackled by a monster, and found Gan Salin.

    He was struggling. Already, he was in dire straits, his bursts of Dao erratic. Two monsters surrounded him, not trying to kill him but identally swatting him with their tentacles, while he was trying his hardest to survive.

    Jack couldnt see the battle, but he could perceive parts of it.

    He sensed Salin erupt with speed as he dashed at Jack. Suddenly, he was flung asideprobably batted by a loose tentacle. The strike was hard, but Salin wouldnt give up. He forced himself to remain conscious and doubled down on his original trajectory, once again rushing toward Jack.

    He was struck away again, but he persisted. He would try the same thing again and again until it worked.

    Jack arrived. He swept by Gan Salins side, falling in line next to him to protect one side. The canine stopped struggling so much.

    Wind came from another direction. A gale blew through the monsters, finding its way next to Jack. The three of them formed a nucleus surrounded by strong space monsters, pushing against all sides to avoid getting crushed. There were bodies all around them, now. They werent cramped, but the monsters were sorge, fast, and strong that, without sufficient space to dodge, Jacks team would be squeezed into paste.

    It felt like fighting blind-folded. Jacks perception was overwhelmed by Dao eruptions everywhere around him. He swatted away a tentacle and dodged another. A monster rammed into them headfirst while both of Jacks hands were busy, but Salin was there, using his signature move, Five Star Grasp, to p the monster straight in the head and make it curve around them. Nauja was covering their other side, stopping a variety of monsters from assaulting them.

    All the while, the three of them sped forward, in step with the horde. If they slowed down even in the slightest, they would be overrun and stomped to death.

    On all sides, space monsters were sprinting towards the light. More and more of them surged up from the depths of the darkness like an unstoppable tide.

    The monsters deeper in the darkness were generally stronger than those in shallower parts. Therefore, they were also faster. As all monsters began running in the same direction, with the faster ones behind the slower ones, they gradually squeezed together, forming a denseyer of monsters all running together in blind panic.

    It was in the center of thatyer that Jacks team had identally wedged themselves.

    Jacks entire mind was focused on survival. He lost track of time. At some point, he looked back and realized the light was fast approaching.

    To the horror of everyone in Space Ring, the super horde emerged from the darkness and continued unabated. Cultivators pointed in shock and ran away at top speed. Space monsters watched on with confusion before their instincts kicked in and they, too, joined the horde.

    Bubbles and cultivators were swept by the horde, taking them along in their mad rush for the far wall.

    Jack could finally see again. The monsters surrounding them were a snakehe had confused its tail for a tentacle beforeand a gori with tentacles for arms. Both peak E-Grades.

    Now, their group could fight better. They coordinated. Jack flew aside, exploiting a break in the unintended space monster offense to assist Gan Salin. The canine jumped back, taking on the nk he was more suited to covering, letting Jack smash a bunch of meteors into the monsters behind them.

    An arachnoid Elite monster shot out a white substance at him. An arrow of wind pierced and drove it away, pinning it to another space monster. There, the substance hardened and bound to its victim, gluing itself to its appendages until the space monster slowed down so much it was swallowed up by the horde, torn to a dozen pieces as the rest of the monsters wed their way through.

    Jack looked to the side. He saw Gan Salin use all his strength to smack away an errant tentacle. Another was rising behind him, so Jack shot over a meteor. Salin spotted that, cursed in his helmet, and leaned back, letting the meteor sail over him and smash into the tentacle, saving him.

    Right after, Salin pointed behind Jack, letting him twist around another projectilea horn-like appendage? Nauja then arrowed a monster about to reach Salin, and the canine attacked at the same time, pping it away twice.

    Gan Salin was grinning. Though his life was on the line, he was clearly having fun.

    Through a gap in the monsters, Jack took a quick nce around him. It was chaos. The entire ring, everything he could see, was in chaos.

    By the time the first monster had emerged from the darkness, an entire army followed it, dozens of high-level ones. The spread of the super horde didnt stop. More and more monsters joined the dance. Soon, they had created a horde so massive it swallowed bubbles, pulling them along simply by momentum, like forest animals running away from a wildfire.

    This entire side of Space Ring was swept up. Any cultivator unlucky enough to be traveling between bubbles was drawn into the horde, struggling to save their lives. Anyone lucky enough to be in a bubble stayed there, holding on for dear life as the world tumbled and turned around them.

    And at the very head of the super horde was a small team riding the wave. By staying there, instead of buried inside the body of the horde, they could survive. It was like surfing a tsunami.

    They were gradually getting away from the darkness and heading back towards Vige Ring. At the same time, the squeezing around them got more and more intense.

    Trying to escape through the horde would be very difficult; the monsters changed positions all the time, and one mistake would be enough to get them crushed.

    All they could do was ride the tide and try to survive in the ever increasing pressure. Moreover, all these attacks slowed them down, and they had to constantly expel Dao from their Dao Seeds to stay up to speed. Their endurance wasnt infinite. Eventually, they would run out, and they would fall into the horde.

    <em>This cant go on! </em>Jack thought. <em>We must find a way to use less energy.</em>

    It wasnt just the sides and nk. There were monsters above and below them, everywhere the eye could see, pressuring them so hard that they had to give it their all just to stay afloat. Naturally, they wouldntst long like this.

    Jack looked back, trying to find a solution, and crossed eyes with Gan Salin. The canine smiled brightly like hed been waiting for this moment. He reached to his belt and recovered the old, steady rope hed taken from the mossy pce, giving it a couple test tugs.

    At the time, Jack had thought Salin was joking. As it turns out, he might have had a point.

    <em>I cant believe this, </em>Jack thought, reaching out. Salin gave him the rope. Jack let the canine hold off the monsters for a moment as he looked for a suitable target.

    There. Right below them was a rhinoceros-like space monster. A King. However, being a King also meant that the other monsters gave it a wide berth. It was perfect.

    Jack dived down, using a series of Meteor Punches to approach the rhino. He quickly passed the rope around one of its horns.

    It was surreal.

    The rhino ignored him, not even bothering with his small existence. Every other monster was running away, filling the rhino with urgency.

    Jacks rope was now tied around the rhinos horn. He gave it a tug to make sure there was no problem. The rhino, bursting with strength as it was, didnt even slow down. He gestured at his friends, who rushed to join him, letting two monsters sh where they used to float.

    Jack was holding onto the rope for dear life. There was barely enough space for the three of themat least, Brock was holding onto Jacks back.

    Finally, however, they were somewhat safe. No monsters would attack the rhino, even by ident, and there were no other Kings around. Moreover, it didnt seem to mind giving them a ride. For now, they could take a breather.

    Which let Jack gaze ahead, where the horde was headed. He saw poor cultivators rushing to reach a bubble before the wall of space monsters reached them first. He saw a bubble swept to the side, pushed along by all the monsters behind it. Two cultivators were inside, pale-faced and shaking like leavesone was the lizard-riding man from Vige Ring.

    Looking into the distanceand shielding his eyes from the sun mushroomsJack saw another bubble in their immediate path. It was a sandy coast.

    Suddenly, three cultivators jumped up from the coast, voluntarily exiting their bubble. It was like they hadnt noticed the approaching super horde. Jack prayed for their poor, stupid souls.

    Then, those cultivators started running in parallel with the horde, but slightly slower. They let the horde approach them and slowly merged into it, matching the speed of the frontrunners. Coincidentally, they happened to arrive very close to Jacks team. He, Brock, and Gan Salin were staring like theyd seen a ghost.

    One of the new cultivators erupted with lightning, charring a monster in front of him and making room for his team to dash. Another swung a malletrger than her torso, smashing it into the void, expelling Dao from its business end, and propelling the entire team forward. The third member just watched, content to be carried around by the other two.

    In the blink of an eye, this new team of cultivators reached Jacks rhino and flew beside it.

    <em>Long time no see, Jack, </em>said the Sage telepathically, with a full smile that showed off his yellow teeth. <em>Care to share the ride?</em>

 Chapter 177: A Spicy Reunion

    Chapter 177: A Spicy Reunion

    Jack couldnt believe his eyes. Here, hovering in the middle of a super horde in Trials Space Ring, was the Sage.

    What the hell?

    <em>You arent even going to say hello? </em>the Sage said again, with a small smile. His telepathy wasing in handy.

    <em>Hello, </em>Jack responded numbly.

    The Sage looked almost exactly as Jack remembered him. Tattered clothes, dirty hair, and an equally dirty brown backpack on his shoulders.

    However, there was something more this time. A feeling Jack couldnt put into words, like their two souls were faintly resonating. He had never sensed something like this before. It was highly peculiar.

    Judging by the Sages slightly narrowed eyes and discreetly puzzled expression, he must have felt the same. He seemed equally perplexedor, perhaps, it was all in Jacks mind. He looked behind the Sage, to find Dorman Whistles.

    The young man had changed a lot. He held two pitch-ck daggers with bright blue streaks, like theyd been struck by lightning. His nted eyes were focused and serious, piercing, inspecting Jack with mild surprise.

    Jack scanned them both, starting from the Sage.

    <strong>Human (Earth-387), Level 100</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Barren High (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title:ary Torchbearer (10)</strong>

    <strong>Human (Earth-387), Level 107</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Barren High (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title:ary Torchbearer (10)</strong>

    The third member of their team was a djinn. However, she wasnt a merchant, like ArTazul or ArKarvahul. She wielded a mallet whose business end wasrger than her torso, and her dark hair were caught in twin ponytails that highlighted her blue skin and strong, brown eyes.

    <strong>Djinn, Level 124</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Barren High (C-Grade)</strong>

    <em>What are you doing here? </em>Jack asked through the Sages telepathic connection. He didnt even know whether to feel joy or caution. These guys were part of Barren High now? What had they been up to since he left Earth? What was happening back on his home?

    <em>Exploring! </em>the Sage replied, his smile bright. <em>But perhaps our talk should wait until were in a safer ce?</em>

    Jack remembered they were riding a rhino-shaped space monster at the head of a super horde. He looked around, finding Gan Salin stunned, but also amused. If the Sage and Dorman wondered why Jack and Gan Salin were traveling together, they didnt show it.

    Maybe they knew already. The Sage was, well, a sage, whose prophecies hade true multiple times.

    <em>Come to think of it, didnt they jump into</em><em>the horde to find us?</em>

    Jack gave a thumbs-up to Salin and Nauja, informing them that these people were allies, then turned back to the Sage. <em>Lead the way.</em>

    The Sages smile widened. <em>Sharp as ever. Follow me.</em>

    He let the rope go. So did Jack and everyone else. The rhino under their feet immediately began to move away.

    Then, the Sage dove down. Dorman, the djinn, and Jack followed without losing a beat. Salin and Nauja hesitated for a single moment before moving along. Brock was on Jacks back.

    They were heading directly towards the arachnoid monster from before. Just before they arrived, a reindeer-looking monster rammed into the arachnoid from behind, sending them both careening forward. The Sage calmly slipped into the gap like hed expected this to happen.

    For the next few minutes, he led them slowly but steadily out of the horde. To anyone else, this task would be near impossible. The Sage made it seem effortless.

    At times, he would dive into certain death, only for whatever monster was in his way to randomly move aside. Other times, he would stand still like waiting for his bus. Then, when the timing was right, he would dash into the monsters, which miraculously formed a path for him to cross.

    The rest of them followed quickly, afraid of being too far behind.

    The seemingly imprable, stampeding horde of space monsters was nothing before the Sages predictive powers. Before long, they had escaped the dense head of the horde and were at the outskirts, where the space monsters were sparser and individually weaker. The Sage led them through convoluted paths in the void before approaching a bubble. It contained only arge disc of bare stone with a bit of moss on its underside, and it was far enough from the center of the horde that the monsters had time to go around it, not sweeping it along.

    They all dove fluidly into the bubble, reaching safety, then watched the monsters gallop all around them.

    It was a breathtaking spectacle. Hundreds of space monsters ran together, sweeping bubbles and cultivators alike without a care in the world. Not everyone had a Sage to help them. Any cultivators caught in the horde, even at its outskirts, had no choice but to go with the flow, rapidly retreating towards the outer wall of Space Ring, from where they would have to make their way back to the inner wallif they survived. It was a huge setback.

    Even Lords had to give way to the horde. In a bubble far, far away, Longsword was huddled together with his team, letting the storm pass. Priya, the Exploding Sun Lady, was caught mid-space by the hordes outskirts. She took the head-on approach. Suns blossomed on her hands, detonating space monsters by the dozens. The fat man beside her usedrge, golden palms to split the monsters as a rock may split the waves, while the third person in their group, a captivating woman with long hair, simply held up a palm at the approaching monsters, and they wordlessly curved past.

    In a distant ce of Space Ring, the horde was stopped by a group of beasts, each summoned by the Hand of God Lady. A wall of darkness rose next to the beasts, swallowing any space monster stupid enough to enter.

    Gradually, the horde turned from a raging river into a tame stream, then a trickle, before eventually abating. It was past them now. All they could see was the monsters receding backs as they dashed toward the outer wall of Space Ring. Upon reaching that wall, they would break like the tide on a beach. Only then would they realize there was no danger behind them and slowly return to their original spots, signaling the end of the super horde that had upsetted at least a third of Space Ring.

    A breathtaking, unique phenomenon.

    However, Jack had more to consider than the super horde. He turned his gaze away, meeting the Sages calm eyes. Everyone removed their helmets.

    Im a good guy now, Salin said quickly. Please dont try to kill me again.

    Dorman raised a brow. Be quiet, dog. Clearly, he still held a grudge.

    Naujas hand reached for her bow. Careful how you speak to my friends, boy.

    Instantly, the two groups of three were facing off, tension brewing.

    Calm down, everyone, Jack said, raising his hands. Were all friends here. No need to argue.

    Take it easy, Dorman, the Sage added, pointedly ncing at the young man. Dorman nodded, crossing his arms. Its a pleasure to see you again, Jack. Gan Salin.

    Likewise. And thank you for helping us with the horde. What are you doing here?

    Adventuring, of course! We are promising members of Barren High now. How could we miss the Garden Assault?

    Jack, Nauja said, care to introduce us?

    Of course. I was just so surprised I forgot about it. Nauja, these people are the Sage and Dorman, friends from my home. Guys, this is Nauja, an ally from the Barbarian Ring.

    Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nauja, the Sage said softly, beaming at her. We have great respect for the natives of Trial. Meeting you here is an honor.

    She seemed taken aback. Thanks, she replied simply.

    And this is Poppy, the Sage introduced thest member of their team, the djinn. She is the star disciple of Barren High, focusing fully on battle.

    Poppy, blue and barely four feet in height, nodded.

    Introductions done, Jack said again, what have you guys been up to? Last time we met, the Animal Kingdom was trying to kill us all.

    Nothing much. Certainly less than you, the Sage replied,ughing charmingly. We left Earth-387 shortly after you, recruited into Barren High on the rmendation of my master. We trained there for some days before taking the opportunity to join this Garden Assault. What about you?

    I disguised myself, boarded a starship heading to the Brian Outpost, then was assaulted midway by the Animal Kingdoms Hounds. Thanks to Gan Salin, I somehow escaped and made it to Trial. One crazy adventure led to another, and here I am.

    The Sage burst outughing. ssic Jack. I knew wed find you here, of course, but I still feel great joy to see you safe and sound.

    Jack smiled, though it didnt reach his ears. His rtionship with the Sage wasplicated. Not only did he owe the prophet several favors from their time on Earth, but the Sage had also revealed that he belonged to ck Hole Church, the gxy-wide terrorist organization. They wereughing and greeting each other now, but there was an entireyer ofmunication that went unspoken.

    Was Barren High, the highly prestigious prophetic faction that not even the Animal Kingdom dared to offend, involved with the ck Hole Church? Would the Sage try to cash in any of Jacks favors on behalf of the Church?

    Finally, the question Jack chose to ask was this: Do you know whats happening on Earth?

    The professor was there. So were Edgar, Vivi, Harambe, and everyone else. He had no way of knowing anything before he got a hundred million credits to buy the telepathy function for his faction, but he was always worried.

    I dont know much, Im afraid, the Sage replied, shaking his head. The Bare Fist Brotherhood and me River are currently at war against Ice Peak. Everyone is working hard to clear thes F-Grade dungeons and get ahead in power while sabotaging the enemy. The conflict isnt at the point of all-out battle yet, but true war could break out at any moment.

    I see.

    The Forest of the Strong would be safe, no matter what. Sparman was guarding it, and he had the power of the D-Grade. There was no way anyone on Earth couldbat him.

    Jack wanted to know more, but this was all he would get. Therefore, he refocused on the present. The Sage had sought him outfor a reason.

    And what brings you here, Sage? Jack asked directly.

    Ah, straight to the point. Is it alright with you if we speak privately?

    Jack nced behind him. Of course.

    He followed the Sage to the other side of the stone disc that made up this bubble biome. Dorman also came along. So did Brock.

    On the way, Jack still sensed that peculiar resonance with the Sage, something originating from deep inside his soul. It was faint enough to be just his impression, but also solid enough to be real.

    How odd.

    Allow me to be forward with you, Jack, the Sage said, turning around when they reached the other side. He kept his voice low so the ones left behindNauja, Salin, and Poppycouldnt hear. I want to invite you into the ck Hole Church.

 Chapter 178: History

    Chapter 178: History

    Jack didnt respond right away. He savored the words. Invite me into ck Hole Church?

    Yes, the Sage replied. You already know Im part of itthough I hope youve kept this information safe. Dorman is one of us, too, as are many people across the gxy. And we want you.

    To the side, Dorman nodded.

    Isnt the ck Hole Church a terrorist organization? Jack asked, crossing his arms.

    Thats what the Hand of God says. In truth, we are the good side here.

    How so?

    The Sage smiled. Because the gxyand the wider universeis a pce of oppression. The offspring of misunderstanding, built on a foundation of irreversible disaster. We fight against the tyrants, hence we are deemed criminals.

    Thats a lot of words to make no sense.

    The Sage burst outughing. Jack reminded himself that, despite his appearance, this was a deeply charismatic man. He had to keep his guard up.

    What do you know about the Immortals, Jack? the Sage finally asked.

    Not much. I know they made the System and were robots created by the Ancients. Nauja had told him as much in the Forbidden Cave.

    Correct. Why did they create the System?

    To defend against the Old Ones.

    In more detail?

    Jack frowned. He felt like he was tested in school, but gave the Sage the benefit of the doubt. The Old Ones destroyed the Ancients. In revenge, the Immortals created the System to start a crusade and push them off.

    Aha, the Sage said calmly. You do know some things. Thats good; means I dont have to overload you with information. But not everything is as youve heard.

    Jack raised a brow. Oh?

    I will exin. However, I am limited in what I can reveal unless you join us, so please bear with me.

    Ill try.

    History, you see, is written by the victors. Many times, the truth is twisted There were three main groups once: the Old Ones, the Ancients, and the Immortals. After the Ancients were destroyedwhich wasnt as simple as you may thinkthe Immortals indeed created the System and eventuallyunched a crusade against the Old Gods, pushing them to the fringes of the universe, outside System territory. However, the Crusade did not manage to kill a single Old God.

    You must remember, now, that the Immortals were created for the sole purpose of defeating the Old Gods. That was their core directive, and it remains so until today. As a result, their System is a menace to the world. You have felt its malice first-hand; it pits all living creatures against each other, uncaring about the number of sacrifices and mountains of pain. Its only purpose is to create strong soldiers against the Old Godsand damned be everything else. That is quite the terrible ruler, wouldnt you agree?

    Jack considered it for a moment. This makes sense.

    After all, he had seen how the Integration worked. It was a meat grinder that killed a billion people to create one strong immortal. So far, everything the Sage had said was in line with what Jack knew.

    Im d, the Sage continued. For some people, that is fine. But not for us. The ck Hole Church is an organization created to dismantle the System, y the Immortals, and restore peace in the universe. This perpetual war we are embroiled in is a remnant of the Immortals programming, which is stuck now, since the Ancients are gone. Someone needs to put them down.

    Hmm. Jack narrowed his eyes. But the System is meant to protect us from the Old Ones, right? The gods you worship. If the System falls, wont the Old Ones, I dont know, annihte us as they did the Ancients?

    The Sages face wrinkled into a sad, bitter smile. As I said, that was not as simple as you believe. The Immortals have twisted history to their benefit. I cannot reveal much yet, but believe me when I say the Old Gods mean us no harmor, at least, any harm they inadvertently cause us will be far less than what the System does on a daily basis. Between the Immortals and the Old Gods, thetter would be far kinder rulersif they even bothered.

    Hmm. I dont know. You base a lot of things on stuff you dont tell me.

    Thats why I warned you. Unfortunately, I cannot exin fully. I do not expect you to believe me today. I am just nting the seeds of true knowledge in you because I believe you are a man of integrity. If you keep what I told you in mind, you will eventually discover clues that I speak the truth.

    Then, you are considered terrorists because everyone else obeys the System? Why would they do that, if its so evil?

    Because they have power. The harsher a system, the kinder it is to those at the top.

    Hmm. Okay. You still havent exined why you worship the Old Ones. From what you said, even if they arent evil, they are neutral at best, right?

    Right. But we dont worship all Old Gods. We worship Enas. The God trapped in the ck hole. He is the one who views us mortals kindly and helps us. He is the one who harbors deep hatred for the Immortals and what theyve done; if He is ever released from his prison, He will march with us. His power will twist the System and give us the strength to fight the Immortals on equal ground. Without him, our war is a lost cause. Their armies are simply too powerful.

    So you want to release an Old One from his eternal prison.

    Right.

    You know how that sounds. Its sketchy as fuck.

    I am aware. As I said, I do not expect you to simply trust my words. After you leave Trial, travel a bit. Ask around. See what horrors the System has inflicted on all worlds, and try to find proof of the ck Hole Churchs purported evil. They use us of things we have not done to twist the world against us, but all their supposed evidence crumbles before the wise eye. It is only meant to trick the naive and foolish.

    ...Okay. So you guys want to dismantle the System, which is an evil thing imposed on the world by unfeeling robot overlords. And to do so, you want to release a kind god from his eternal prison, where all the other neutral gods unjustly ced him?

    The Sage smiled. Precisely!

    Listen, man. I know you are trying really hard to make sense, but this all sounds very questionable to me. I dont really distrust you, and I wont reveal what you told me to others, but you understand my hesitation, right?

    Of course. Take as much time as you like. If you ever find yourself agreeing with us, our doors will be open.

    Jack nodded. Is that all you had to say?

    More or less. I will be eagerly awaiting your response. In the meantime, we can help each other. Trial is a dangerous ceand the greatest danger is other cultivators. If the opportunity arises, lets save each other.

    Wouldnt you know already, Sage?

    Hah. My eyes are not what you believe, boy.

    Fair enough. Jack chuckled.

    So. Anyst questions before we head over?

    Jack thought about it. He looked to the side, where Dorman stood without a care in the world. He clearly knew about all this beforehand. Brock also waited calmly by Jacks feet, trusting his big bro to parse through all theplex information.

    As for Salin and Nauja, they were conversing with Poppy at the other side of the disc. Salin was gesturing animatedly, probably exining something nonsensical.

    Jack was dying to ask why the System was hunting down all remains of the Ancients, as had been revealed in the Ancient ruins. Even if everything the Sage had just said was true, it still didnt make any sense. Unfortunately, asking that meant revealing his connection to the ruins, and that wasnt a risk he was willing to take.

    At the very least, he <em>knew </em>there were secrets. Things were not as they seemed. Maybe they werent as the Sage said, either, but at least Jack knew there was more than met the eyesomewhere.

    Just one question, he finally said. Whats the deal with you, Sage? You were in cahoots with the Church since very early on, werent you? They were the ones who fed you information about the Integration Auction. Theres no way you prophesied everything at the F-Grade.

    The Sage simply smiled, not revealing anything. Jack continued.

    You never told us about your Integration experience, either. I suppose they helped you. But why? How did you reach themor they reached youso early on? Was it dumb luck? Did their starshipnd next to the bench you were sleeping on? But, if you were a random person off the streets they picked to train, how did you be strong enough to fight on par with the rest of us? Why do you have such an odd, powerful Dao? There are so many coincidences surrounding you, Sage, and I know nothing about you. Not even your real name.

    The Sage smiled like there was a joke only he could see. If I had a name once, it is now void. All I am is the Sage. As for how everything happened He winked. I cannot reveal it yet. If you join us, then I will tell you.

    Heh. Are you saying its a deeper secret than what you already revealed?

    What I revealed was a history lesson. You cannot act on it. On my story, perhaps you could. No need to take chances.

    I guess. Jack chuckled. From the very first time they met, the Sage had been a walking enigma. Now, even after growing tremendously and reaching the Space Ring of Trial, Jack was stunned to realize that this man was even more enigmatic.

    He was very curious to know the truthbut not enough to join an organization he knew next to nothing about based on an oundish conspiracy theory.

    I appreciate the offer, Jack said. I promise to think about it.

    The Sage pped. Good! Now, lets head back. I sense that Poppy is about to turn our canine friend into dog paste.

    They quickly returned to the others. As the Sage had said, Poppythe twin-pigtailed djinn with therge malletwas ring at Gan Salin with her arms crossed. The canine, on the other hand, insisted on exining why painting herself green would be better than blue.

    Its camouge! he protested, opening his arms wide. Picture this: You can hide in forests, in swamps, in the defecations of someone who ate too much spinach. Where can you hide if youre blue? The sky? You are not a bird. The sea? You are not a fish. Clearly, being green is the better choice.

    I will not paint myself. Poppys voice was high-pitched, like a childs.

    But why? If you just

    Salin, Jack cut him off,ughing. Let the poor girl alone. Nobody will paint themselves for you.

    I Bah. Fine. But when youre in a forest and have nowhere to hide, dont say I didnt warn you.

    Poppy narrowed her eyes. I wont say that.

    Are you guys done chatting? Nauja said, stepping up to Jacks approaching group. If so, we have a ring to explore. Trials to find.

    I have a suggestion about that, the Sage said. I sense you already found a Trial forat least one of you. Brock, right?

    Brock nodded before anyone could stop him.

    The fates of the rest of you do not lie in Space Ring. Labyrinth Ring and Garden Ring hold greater trials than here, and I predict that all three of youhe pointed at Jack, Nauja, and Gan Salinwill find something there. Dont waste your time searching the stars. Reaching Labyrinth Ring before the Lords holds far greater value.

    Jack considered it silently. Trials aside, this was a great ce for leveling upbut he couldnt just focus on that. Fighting the same enemies repeatedly would only stunt his growth. He had to keep exploring and delving ever deeper, reaping as many levels as he could in the process without slowing down.

    Ever forward. That was the way of the fist, and the way of cultivation.

    Nauja frowned at the Sage. Are you saying we should forget about all the Trials here?

    To find something betterter. Remember: No Trial at all is better than a bad Trial. You should take the best you can.

    She bit her lip in thoughta habit she probably didnt notice. She turned to Jack. Can we trust him? she asked directly, not caring about insulting the Sage.

    Jack tilted his head to the side. He did just help us. If the horde dragged us to the far wall, wed need several days to make it back here. Pluswere old friends. I trust his prophecies.

    Then, fine. Lets do as he says and go directly to Labyrinth Ring. What do you think, Salin?

    Gan Salin jolted up, surprised she considered him. Sure, he said. Lets go where its most fun.

    Its not like theres much left to see here. Jack shrugged. He turned to the Sage. I presume well travel together in the next ring?

    Not quite.

    Jack raised a brow. No?

    The Sageughed. We can go <em>to </em>the next ring together. But the Labyrinth Ring is a peculiar one. Everyone is split up as we enter, so there is no guarantee we can find each other. Let everyone pursue their own luck, and we can meet again when the Garden Assault fights thebyrinth guardian. And dont worryyou and Brock are considered spiritually bound, so youll probably go together.

    Oh, Jack said. I didnt know that. Then, sure. Have you alsopleted the quests of this ring? To find a Trial and defeat an Elite monster?

    We have.

    Great. Then, lets go. The Labyrinth Ring awaits.

    Labyring, Salin corrected him. Everyone stared. He crossed his arms and said, Well, I still find it hrious!

 Chapter 179: Cracking Oneâ€™s Soul

    Chapter 179: Cracking One¡¯s Soul

    The super horde washed over this side of Space Ring, causing widespread confusion and casualties. Several cultivators were overrun. A few more were swept up by the space monsters but managed to make it out alive. Most were in bubbles when the horde came, or found one in time. Even the Lords mobilized, exerting their fearsome powers to rescue themselves, their teammates, or some of their many followers.

    In the end, the horde broke against the far wall, sending disproportionately strong space monsters flying everywhere. It was chaos for a day. When the monsters realized there was no danger, they receded back to the darkness, officially ending the super horde like nothing had happened. The onlysting evidence of this event would be the many bubbles that were swept by the horde into the outer wall, ripe for the taking and easy to ess.

    As a result, the smartest cultivators spent another day exploring those bubbles, hoping to find something useful. Unfortunately, not many were from the darkness, but there was still treasure to be found.

    All of this was no longer Jacks business. Following the Sage, his team traveled to the nearest light beam and dove into it, piercing the darkness. Given the absence of space monsters and the confused state of cultivators, there was nothing to stop them.

    The source of the light beam was as Gan Salin had described. A bowl-shaped rock formation filled to the brim with mushrooms, focusing their light ahead like a powerful headlight.

    It was so bright, in fact, that they couldnt stare directly. Thest part of their journey was made looking sideways. By the time they reached the base of the light beam, Jack was horrified. The inner wall of Space Ring was just a hundred feet away, behind the light. That was where the strongest monsters of the ring, like the D-Grade kraken, awaited.

    He had never been happier to have light.

    Their group flew into the base of the light beam until theynded in its center. Most of the brightness instantly dissipated. There was a patch of rock twenty feet across that was empty of mushrooms, letting them finally open their eyes.

    Right in the middle of that empty patch stood an iron pedestal.

    Whats that? Jack asked, approaching it.

    The entrance to Labyrinth Ring, the Sage exined.

    Its not a door.

    Its a teleporter.

    A what?

    A teleporter. Like the big ones youre used to, but far smaller and with shorter range.

    Wow

    Jack wasnt even that surprised. After Space Ring, with its bubbles floating in space and the hordes of space monsters, simple teleportation devices sounded almost homely.

    Anyst things to say? Jack asked. You know, something to warn us about, or what we should do in thebyrinth?

    The Sage cupped his chin. Hmm. There are monsters, obviously. Strong ones. This is thest hostile ring of Trial, so the challenge is hard enough that even Lords may fallif they are careless. Besides that, thebyrinth contains dungeons, which contain trials.

    Dungeons, huh? That brings back memories

    Be careful, though. These ones are designed to challenge people who have made it this far. Theyre far nastier than the ones on Earth.

    But they contain great rewards! Gan Salin spoke up. One of my ancestors got his Berserkers Axe here, and I hear that even one of my factions B-Grades once found their luck in Labyrinth Ring.

    With dangeres opportunity. Jack nodded. I know the concept.

    Then, there isnt much else to talk about, the Sage spoke again. We will be split up as soon as we touch that pedestal. Challenge a dungeon if youre up for it, or avoid the monsters if you arent. Ally with anyone you findgetting through thebyrinth alone is dangerous. And remember to follow the colorsthe darker the walls, the deeper in thebyrinth you are. Lets all reconvene at the guardians gate.

    Wait. Jack raised a hand. You said to ally with anyone we found. But before, you said we should hurry to get here before the Garden Assault does. Who are we supposed to ally with? Each other?

    Thebyrinth isrge enough that we probably wont find each other. But dont worry. The Garden Assault isnt as united as you think. There are benefits to entering thebyrinth quickly, so there will be plenty of cultivators already inside. The reason we enter quickly is that, right now, those people will also be desperately looking for allies. If the entire Garden Assault enters, your group will be ostracized.

    Hmm. Okay, then. Lets say our goodbyes and get going.

    Of course. Well go first.

    The Sage, Dorman, and their djinn ally, Poppy, simply walked up to the pedestal and touched it. No goodbyes, no kind words, no nothing. In the next moment, they simply vanished.

    ...I bet they have a way to find each other, Nauja said.

    If they do, good for them. They werent obligated to share.

    Maybe theyre just crazy, Salin tried.

    Jackughed. Then, he gave his friends a warm look. Listen, guys. We are all strong now. We may be split up in there, but I believe well all pull through. Just focus on staying alive. Well meet again at the end of the ring.

    You silly bastard, the canine said with a big smile. Im not strong. Ill probably die.

    Youre inventive and decisive. I believe youll make it.

    Salin giggled. Well, if I was afraid, I would have teleported out at the ring entrance, wouldnt I?

    Space Ring was one of Trials exit points. If one scoured the outer wall, there were many teleporters leading outside the. Many people rushed there as soon as they got the Fourth Ring Conqueror title. Salin, even with his rtive weakness, never even considered it.

    I will try my best. If I die, I die, Nauja said, her head held high. That is the barbarian way.

    Jack chuckled. And so will I.

    I dont worry about you. With your strength, you can easily protect yourselfand Brock, since youll probably be together.

    You heard what the Sage said. Even Lords can fall in this ring, if they arent careful, and Im no Lord. He smashed his fists together. But I sure as hell dont intend to fail. If there are monsters, Ill just get a few more levels.

    Salinughed. Ah, theres the Jack we all know and love. Always ready to punch stuff. Anyway, this sentimental stuff makes me feel awkward. Wanna go?

    The four of them exchanged a look, knowing it was possibly thest time they saw each other. Lets, Jack and Nauja said together.

    Yes, Brock agreed. Bros.

    Jack cracked a bitter smile. Bros, he agreed. Everyone else repeated the word, too. Gan Salin wrapped them all up in a group hug. Theyughed.

    See you, Jack said. All four of them touched their hands to the pedestal at the same time. With a violent tug through space, they disappeared.

    ***

    Jack stumbled from the middle of inter-space void onto a stone floor. It was a corridor of brown, dusty stone, with a height and width of nine feet. It instantly felt ustrophobic.

    The air was stuffy. The corridor turned sharply to the front and back of Jack, at ny-degree angles, and lit torches hung intermittently on the walls, dense enough to illuminate thebyrinth but sparse enough to leave deep shadows between them.

    Jacks eyes surveyed everything instantlymostly because there wasnt much to see. He chuckled. Holy shit, Brock, he said. This ce is

    And then his heart dropped, because Brock wasnt there.

    ***

    Edgar watched Vivi pace through his room with purpose. Her steps were solid, her entire body exuding authority, confidence.

    He, on the other hand, was just sitting on a chair with his arms crossed. I appreciate you giving the leadership of the alliance to the professor, he said, but if you think thats going to change my mind, youre mistaken.

    Its not a bribe, Vivi retorted, frowning. I am fit to lead from the front, and she is fit to lead from the back. Thats all there is to it.

    I understand.

    Then

    No. He shook his head. I am not fighting.

    He expected her to argue fiercely. In truth, his heart had been aching all this time, and his enhanced brain had already ran a hundred scenarios for how this conversation might unfold.

    To his horror, Vivi chose the path he feared most. She sighed.

    I understand how you feel, Edgar. And you are right. You have already contributed greatly to our cause, both during and after the Tournament. If you dont want to fight, I cannot force you. Another sigh. She plopped into a second chair, ignoring the neat stacks of paper piled around her. But Edgar We are dying.

    He wanted to interrupt and say something. The more he let her go on, the more right she would be. He didnt want her to be right. Fighting a war, using his magic to inflict harm on others, would break his heart into a hundred pieces.

    It would be nothing like the Integration Tournament.

    But he found nothing to say. Not fast enough.

    Just yesterday, the Ice Peak assaulted my headquarters in Ouagadougou while I was away. They killed my citizens and soldiers. They decreased our battle power, crumbled our morale, and tore a wound into our flesh.

    Edgar flinched. She didnt have to be so vivid. His high intelligence pictured the scene, the mutted corpses, the stench of war, the screams. It came as natural as visualizing his magic. He couldnt stop it.

    That all happened because I was away, Vivi continued. The Ice Peak has me in a headlock. If I stay in my headquarters, my people will be fighting a losing battle in the dungeons. If I go with them, my headquarters will be vulnerable. There is nothing I can do before one of my lieutenants gets strong enough to hold the fort, and that could take a long, long time. They dont have the titles we do. They arentary frontrunners.

    Edgar gritted his teeth. Evacuate everyone, he said. Bring them here. We have Sparman. He

    You already know thats impossible. Why suggest it? Her gaze was piercing. I could evacuate my elites, but that would mean leaving everyone else to Petrovic and the Animal Kingdoms mercya quality theyck.

    You can

    I can do nothing. She shook her head, and the pain in her voice made him unable to retort. We cannot win this war without you, Edgar. I know how difficult it is for you to fight. I know how desperately you dont want it. I know, because I am also a Mental cultivator. I feel every scrap of pain I cause. I am aware of every mother crying because I killed her son. But Edgar, I cannot let that stop me. If I dont fight, my people will die. It will be <em>their </em>mothers crying. My mother. I am carving up my soul to save the ones who believe in me, and I implore you to do the same. When everything is over, half the people will be dead. You get to choose whether it will be me, you, Margaret, Harambe, everyone youve ever known and lovedor the enemy, who sold out our to the Animal Kingdom to save themselves.

    She stood up, letting her me-painted cape flutter in the small room. Edgar saw she was upset. He saw her tight jaw, her narrowed eyes. Her calm voice was only a facade. On the inside, she was burning.

    Her words came from her soul. How could he possibly retort?

    Vivi approached the open window and grabbed its case. What Im trying to say, Edgar, she said, cing one foot on the window sill, is that you have the choice to protect your friends or let them die. You cannot avoid it. Sitting idle is also a choice. And I expect you to make the right one.

    She jumped out, not looking back. Edgar saw her body fall from the second story, then rise back up, carried by me wings. He watched until she disappeared in the horizon, not speaking to anyone else.

    She left him miserable. His heart was about to break in half. His soul was in deep pain.

    He understood what she was saying. But his Dao It wasnt one of battle. It was magic. Beauty, wonder, dreams. It was supposed to be a breathtaking wow, an escape, what he felt as a child reading his favorite book. Using it to cause harm wouldnt just pain him deeply; it would injure his Dao, dilute it, stain it, refuse it.

    He had only understood this after the Integration Tournament, when he finally had time to look deep inside himself. Back then, he had just been doing what others told him to, even if he hated it. Now, he understood that battle was not his path. And yet

    <em>Why does it have to be me? </em>hemented, burying his face in his palms. <em>Why is the world like this?</em>

    Who knew that so much beauty could bring so much pain?

    He loved magic. If there was no war going on, he would be the happiest man in the world. Its all he ever wanted.

    But there <em>was </em>a war going on. He had to make a choice. And, between the bubbling pressure inside him and the terrifying pressure from outside, Edgar felt crushed.

    But from the pressure came a spark. And the world opened its eyes. And Edgar sunk into his soul, meeting the breathtaking, wonderful, indescribably beautiful essence that was magic.

    His breakthrough began.

 Chapter 180: Labyrinth Ring

    Chapter 180: Labyrinth Ring

    Thebyrinth contained a whole lot of nothing. Torch-lit corridors as far as the eye could see. Turns after turns after twists and bends. Dead ends. Brown stone in all directions. Forks and intersections every two minutes.

    It was driving Jack mad. Even his newest title didnt help.

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Fifth Ring Conqueror upgraded to Sixth Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +25%  +30%</strong>

    <strong>Labyrinth Ring Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Defeat the Guardian.</strong></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Make your way to Garden Ring.</strong></li></ul>

    However, what drove him even madder than thebyrinth itself was worry.

    <em>Brock is somewhere out there Without me. </em>Jacks heart was strangled by ck snakes as he ran, making turns and bends and twists. <em>Please be okay. Please be okay.</em>

    Thebyrinth wasnt supposed to split the two of them. They were bound spiritually. Even teleportation worked on both at the same time. So why?

    Jack didnt know. All he could do was endure his fear and run, hoping to catch a sound, any sound, so he could follow it. s, all he heard was his own footsteps, endlessly stomping against the stone.

    BROCK! he shouted. So what if there were monsters in thebyrinth? By now, he could take most of them. Even if an Elite showed up, he could activate his Life Drop and hope for the best. It might draw even stronger things at him, but nothing he could do about that. If there was a God, thebyrinth monsters wouldck the space monsters acute Dao perception.

    And if a King showed up

    Well, Jack had to risk it. Brock wasnt even at the E-Grade. If any monster noticed him, he was instantly dead.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 93</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 370</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 370</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 370</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 80</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch II, Iron Fist Style II, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist te), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Sixth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Trial had been kind to Jack. Fruitful. His Level had risen meteorically, reaching almost the high E-Grade, and his skills and Dao Roots had vastly increased in potency.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing in that status screen to help him locate Brock.

    <em>How big could the Labyrinth be?</em>

    Surely, not too much. This was the seventh ring already. They had to be pretty close to thes core.

    <em>If every ring is around a hundred miles wide, and there are two rings under me, Im at a radius of two hundred miles. The surface of such a sphere</em>

    Jack did some quick calctions, and the result made him pale. <em>Five hundred thousand square miles!? That cant be right</em>

    From what he understood, there was only one Guardian. Thebyrinth had to be small enough that the cultivators could walk there no matter which entrance they used.

    <em>Maybe the rings get smaller. Maybe Im in a radius of Whats the best case? Ten miles?</em>

    Even ten miles came up to a surface area of over a thousand square miles. There had to be something better. There was no way people were expected to travel a thousand miles through such crampy, winding stone corridors. They would die of thirst before even reaching the guardian.

    Regardless, Jacks result was that thebyrinth wasrge. Perhaps not as unfathomablyrge as he calcted it, but still highly expansive. Finding Brock here would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

    Jacks heart dropped as his steps slowed down. <em>Where even am I? </em>he wondered, looking around. <em>Darker walls lead to the guardian. Got it.</em>

    Maybe Brock would run into other cultivators and manage to ally with them. All Jack could do was travel to the meeting pointthe guardianand hope for the best, while mentally berating himself all the while.

    <em>Harambe trusted me with his own son, and I went and lost him. Idiot.</em>

    Jacks mood was at an all time low. He itched to bury his fist into a wall, and he would have, if he wasnt afraid of the corridor copsing on his head.

    Which is why he was pleasantly surprised to see a monster round the corner.

    It was an abomination. Like two skeletons spun together, a monster of twisting bone and scrawny limbs. It had a vaguely humanoid shape, except its entire body was bleached white and made of bones twisted around each other like a beanstalk.

    <strong>Bone Sentinel, Level 124</strong>

    <strong><em>A creature made to endlessly wander the Labyrinth Rings corridors and fight intruders. It possesses low Mental and Will attributes, as well as low speed, but outstanding strength and durability. When a Bone Sentinel ys an enemy, it either absorbs their skeleton into its own or raises the skeleton as a new Bone Sentinel. Therefore, their numbers are self-replenishing.</em></strong>

    Knowing that defeat would let this monster spin his own skeleton into a monster didnt at all abate Jacks fighting spirit.

    Come here, fucker, he said, cracking his knuckles. I will break all your bones and feed them to you.

    If the Bone Sentinel understood his words, it didnt show it. Instead, it charged forth, raising two hands tipped with sharpened bone ws. A thick white tail followed it around the corner, lined with teeth and ending in a human skull.

    Jack let it approach. After facing Copy Jack and Bocor, its movements seemed telegraphed. When it got within nine feet, he crouched into a stance, ghost-stepped into its guard, and smashed his fist right into its chest, exploding as a Meteor Punch.

    He felt bone shatter under his knuckles. The monsters body caved under the strike. The explosion carried on inside its body, shattering its innards and sending shards of bone flying out of the wound.

    Still, the monster held. As it exploded backward, its tail slithered pastJack and raked his thigh, carving a bone-deep wound with the skulls teeth. Jack grimaced. However, this pain was nothingpared to the Ancient trial.

    He charged, catching up with the monster before it even hit the far wall, and smashed out another Meteor Punch. It tried to block. Its crossed arms protected its chest, a grotesque sight of twisted bone that made Jacks stomach lurch, but it was unable to block his full-power strike.

    Bone shattered. The walls shook as the monster crashed into them, leaving a finger-deep impression on the stone, then copsed in a broken heap.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 94.</strong>

    Jack stood over it, panting. He had received another sh to the ribs as he obliterated the monster, but nothing too deep. He could already sense his regenerative powers stitching his skin together, regrowing his muscles and tendons.

    It was pretty disturbing, actually.

    As he observed the broken monster, his fear for Brock intensified. These things would cut the brori into ribbons. If thebyrinth was filled with them

    <em>I need to keep moving, </em>he thought.

    Endless corridors after endless corridors. Jack didnt know if he was moving in the right direction. The walls were supposed to darken as one approached the guardian, but he couldnt spot any difference. Was he just moving in circles?

    At the next fork, he tried to turn by ny degrees and keep going as straight as possible. After a while, the walls got just a touch darker. Or maybe it was just his impression.

    Hours passed.

    Throughout the journey, Jack discovered a few interesting things. There were crab monsters patrolling the corridorslittle blue things that reached up to his knee. However, they were weak. Far too weak to challenge anyone with the ability to make it here. And they skittered away whenever they saw him.

    Why?

    <strong>Stone-eater Crab, Level 56</strong>

    <strong><em>Crabs that subsist entirely on stone, which their unique digestion system can metabolize into water and nutrition. For that reason, they are often found deep beneath the earth, living inrgemunities that, over centuries, hollow out rock formations.</em></strong>

    Jack failed to see what a stone-eating crab added to thisbyrinth. Eating the walls? On the bright side, he didnt care, either.

    He only ran into one more bone sentinel. The rest of the living creatures he met were all blue crabs, and even those only appeared once every ten minutes, roughly. For the most part, thebyrinth was despondently empty.

    That was a good sign. With a little bit of luck and caution, Brock could maybe avoid everything.

    However, Jack also hadnt met a single cultivator. He hadnt heard or seen signs of intelligent life. It was like he had his own, privatebyrinth.

    After defeating a crabto see if something would happen, but nothing didhe used one of its pincers to carve a capital J on the walls. He then put the crab down and promised not to kill anotherthey hadnt attacked him, and they were so low-leveled they barely even gave him any experience.

    It was one of those times when things randomly came into context. The ck wolf hed fought tooth and nail against at the Forest of the Strong was weaker than these crabs. It was a stunning realization. Sometimes, he just failed to understand how quickly and how far he was progressing.

    To the current him, the ck wolf would be almostically slow. To a normal human, these little blue crabs would be fast as lightning. Maybe their little pincers could snap clean through a limb.

    Jack didnt know how long he spent alone in thebyrinth. It could have been six hours. It could have been two days. His throat was getting parchedBrock had his suppliesand the walls were slowly, discreetly getting darker. By now, he was pretty sure they were several shades darker than when he first started exploring. He was on the right track.

    Wandering became mindless. He simply jogged aheadat the speed of a pre-System humans sprinttaking one turn after another.

    When another cultivator appeared, he almost didnt register them. Then, his eyes widened, and his thoughts screeched to a halt, as did his feet.

    Jack Rust, said the other person. What a coincidence.

    You have got to be kidding me, said Jack.

 Chapter 181: From Pressure Comes the Spark

    Chapter 181: From Pressure Comes the Spark

    Nauja stumbled into a wall. Still reeling from the aftereffects of teleportation, she leaned on it and looked around.

    Deep inside, she was excited. It was finally time to explore alone. To venture on her own power. To prove she was worthy. A primal urge rose inside her, the urge to

    Oh, hey. Fancy seeing you here.

    Naujas excitement deted.

    What? Gan Salin asked again, standing behind her. Are you not happy to see me?

    Do you want the honest answer?

    No. The good one.

    ...

    Jacks friend, the Sage, had mentioned they would probably be split up. This <em>was </em>a split. But it was the most annoying one possible.

    Nauja sighed. Lets set some ground rules, she said. If you speak nonsense, I will cut your tongue off. Okay?

    Salin wasnt even fazed. Oh,e on. Thats clearly a bluff.

    Wanna try me?

    Sure.

    She red at him. He smiled back radiantly. Eventually, Nauja clicked her tongue and turned around. Just keep the crazy to a minimum.

    As always.

    Finally done with the annoying canine, Nauja turned to the front and inspected the ce they were in. Crampy corridors of brown stone. Torches on the walls. No sound besides theirs.

    I think were alone, she said. It finally urred that she should keep her voice low. She groaned inwardly. If Father heard her shouting in hostile territory

    <em>No. Mistakes happen. This is why I am here. To learn and train alone.</em>

    How big do you think this ce is? she asked.

    At least two.

    Two what?

    Two bigs. Square bigs, to be precise. Waitthats called wides! He pped his forehead. Im a genius!

    Nauja shut her eyes and took a deep, trembling breath. This was going to feel like an eternity.

    ***

    Brock found himself in a ce of crampy brown corridors. The bends at his front and back were waiting, yawning maws of death just out of sight.

    The very first thing he noticed was that he was alone. Everyone was gone. Even Big Bro.

    Brock felt a pit in his stomach. He thought he was falling. Next thing he knew, he was leaning on a wall.

    Big Bro was gone.

    He always knew this day woulde. But not now. It couldnt be now. He was trapped in a ce where he really shouldnt be. Everything here could kill him instantly. Big Bro protected him. With Big Bro gone

    What would happen to Brock?

    The little brori gathered himself. He felt the panic rising and extinguished it. He then raised his head and took a long, deep breath, flexing his lung muscles to draw in as much air as possible. It was stuffy and smelled stalelike bad bread.

    Then, he forced a massive exhale, rxing at the same time. His fear remained, but his mind was back.

    The wise bro had said Brock and Big Bro would go together. Clearly, that was a mistake. Therefore, Brock had to make do with what he had.

    He was trapped and alone. There was no way back. He had to find Big Bro before whatever prowled these corridors found him. What was the best way to go about it?

    As a young brori, barely a few months old, Brock wasnt the brightest. However, the brain was a muscle. By flexing his Big Thought, he forced himself to think strong, going beyond his natural limits for a moment.

    When he stopped, the n was made.

    They had agreed to meet at a ce called the guardians gates. To get there, they had to follow the darkest walls. Brock would head over stealthily. Making noise might draw Big Bro, but monsters were far more likely to be near. After all, if this ce was small, it wouldnt be abyrinth.

    If he ran into other people in the meantime, he would join them to protect himself. That was his best shot at staying alive.

    Brock opened his eyes and nodded. He had a n.

    Would it seed? Probably not. Chances were, he would die very quickly. Nobody would ever find his corpse, Big Bro would be very sad, and Father would be disappointed.

    But if that happened, so be it. Brock would just do his best.

    On the bright side, he had food and water. Since he felt useless, he had volunteered to carry everything. Dog bro and girl bro had taken their shares before entering thebyrinth, but Brock still had Big Bros share.

    Thebyrinth was about to face its greatest adversary: a small brori wearing red pants, carrying two bags of food and an Ancient artifact called the Staff of Stone.

    Squaring his jaw, Brock started walking. Slowly, silently, and ever carefully. He could not afford to rx.

    ***

    Nauja peered behind a corner. Nothing.

    She walked around, motioning for Salin to follow. He did. Silently. The only sounds reaching her ears were their muffled footsteps and the asional crack as Gan Salin broke off a chunk of bread to gather the crumbs. He was spreading those on the ground behind him.

    Can you stop? she asked, gritting her teeth.

    I told you, Im a genius, he whispered back. Some good people on Jacks taught me this. If you are lost, just leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind you.

    How is that helping?

    Im not sure, to be honest. He cupped his chin. Perhaps Jack will get the clue and follow us? Its supposed to help us find our way back, but ah, I dont think we want that.

    For the tenth time in half an hour, Nauja resisted the urge to smack him.

    Just break the bread more softly. I almost jump every time.

    Just hear more softly.

    She whirled around. Listen here, you

    She froze. At the end of the corridor behind Gan Salin stood a white creature of terror. Bleached, entwined bones, the skeleton of a human twisted ten times around itself by a forest giant.

    The sense of wrongness brought her to full alert even before the Systems screen did.

    <strong>Bone Sentinel, Level 124</strong>

    <strong><em>A creature made to endlessly wander the Labyrinth Rings corridors and fight intruders. It possesses low Mental and Will attributes, as well as low speed, but outstanding durability. When a Bone Sentinel ys an enemy, it either absorbs their skeleton into its own, or raises the skeleton as a new Bone Sentinel. Therefore, their numbers are self-replenishing.</em></strong>

    The creature was staring at them. Not moving. Just staring.

    Salin, she said quietly, I want you to turn around slowly. Dont panic.

    He obliged. Seeing the high-level terror before them, he said, Holy shit, is this guy ugly.

    Perhaps the thing had ears. Perhaps it was just luck. Whatever the case, the monster chose that exact moment to charge at them, jaws hanging open in a silent roar and bone-tipped ws rending the air.

    RUN! Nauja shouted, bounding away from the creature. The two of them just werent equipped to fight it in such narrow space. They had no one to block its assault. Gan Salin was too low in level, and she was built as a ranged fighter.

    At least, the monster was slow.

    Nauja found herself sprinting through the corridors, making one blind turn after the other. It reminded her of the time in Forbidden Cave, when she and Jack escaped the minotaur.

    Her bare feet stomped against the stone floor, and the wind blew on her back, pushing her forward. It did the same to Salin, helping him keep up. The canine was fast, thankfully, though hecked endurance.

    The monster behind them made no sound. Only its stomps were any indication it was still chasing. Nauja braved a nce back. With a body like that, all turned and twisted, it was a wonder it could even run. Being slow was natural.

    Her nce also revealed Gan Salin breaking the bread and throwing its crumbs on the ground at an elerated pace.

    What the hell are you doing? she thundered.

    Marking our way back!

    Back to <em>what</em>!?

    I dont know yet. To be honest, I didnt even expect to reach this

    They stomped into an intersection of four corridors. Another bone monster spotted them from one of the corridors and charged after them. Nauja grabbed Gan Salins cor and darted sideways, cutting off his words as they rushed into a different corridor and kept running.

    Keep your mouth shut, she hissed through gritted teeth. There are more of them.

    This time, Salinplied without a word.

    Outrunning one monster would not be a problem. They were significantly faster. But if there were more at every corner Well, then they would die.

    And the walls were slowly, slowly getting darker.

    ***

    Despite his best efforts, Brock was troubled.

    He was being stealthy. When approaching a corner, he always peeked out before proceeding. At intersections, he stretched his ears at every possible path before deciding. He didnt make a sound, always keeping an ear out for footsteps.

    Hed heard a few, asionally. But when he hid near an intersection to watch who produced them, he only saw a horror of twisted bones, like a rose that was all thorns.

    He ran away.

    These creatures were easy to avoid. Their footsteps were audible, if one paid close attention, and they werent toomon in these corridors.

    But there were more.

    Brock spotted blue crabs that reached his waist, just roaming the corridors and eating small pieces of stone off the walls. They kept the walls perfectly straight, only taking care of tiny outcroppings or puking liquid stone to fill in little dents on the ground.

    These creatures didnt feel like monsters. However, they still attacked Brock on sight. Since they were vastly stronger than him, he had to run away. At least, they were slow, their movements rough and stony.

    He managed to outrun the first crab that chased him but lost a bag of food in the process. He also lost his waythough that didnt matter too much. He remained equally lost.

    However, he knew that this could not continue. The crabs were too many. Every few minutes, he would discover one of them and have to backtrack. If he was chased and forced to run blindly again, he might end up sandwiched by another crab or, even worse, a bone monster.

    He did not want to be caught by those. He had witnessed one eating a blue crab. The sight was brutal, invasive, and gruesome. When the bone monster was done, not even the crabs shell or blood was left.

    Brock was feeling trapped. Like the walls were closing around him. He kept running into dead-ends or monster-infested corridors. He circumvented all those, but his escape routes were cut off one by one, and soon, there would be no path left to walk. The enemies hed bypassed could arrive behind him at any moment. And he was crossing thergebyrinth with slow, tiny steps.

    At this rate, even if the monsters didnt catch him, he would run out of water and die before he even made it a few miles in.

    Brock was feeling immense pressure. On one hand, his responsibility towards his big bro, Father, Mother, and everyone else. If he died here, he would make many people very sad.

    On the other hand was his responsibility towards himself. He didnt want to die. Not here, alone and trapped in bare corridors. Not to faceless bone monsters. He wanted Big Bro. Mother. Father. Anyone.

    He was scared. The monsters closing in from all directions became a mental bind around his mind, slowly but unstoppably increasing the pressure. He fought to remain sane, to flex his bravery muscles and retain control of himself, but it was difficult. The fear was overwhelming. The helplessness was wearing him down.

    Panic was rising again, the only response his body could muster to the pressure.

    This was all happening because he was weak. He had only ventured this far because of Big Bro. Without his protection, Brock was nothing.

    Why? Why did it have to be like that? Why did he have to be weak?

    He was born weak. He was smaller than the other brori children. His muscles were less defined. That was why Father had kicked him out of the packthough Big Bro insisted that Father had acted out of love.

    He had grown stronger by Big Bros side, but he remained useless. Ever since they came to this weird ce, Brock had achieved nothing. He had always been carried and protected by Big Bro. If this continued, then sooner orter, he would be cast out again. Maybe forced to return to his pack as a loser. Nobody would ept him.

    There was a clear line between survival and death, victory and defeat, triumph and uselessness. It was called strength.

    But his muscles were too small. He had tried his hardest, but it was not enough. The Big Thought had promised him strength, but it, too, abandoned him, betrayed him.

    And yet, if there was one thing that could save him now, it was this Big Thought. It had given him most of his strength. To get even more strength, he just had to make it bigger. A Bigger Thought.

    Brock was surrounded and overwhelmed by pressure. He almost broke but didnt. And from the pressure came a spark. The Big Thought called to him. And Brock dove into it.

    To make it bigger.

 Chapter 182: Making Frenemies

    Chapter 182: Making Frenemies

    Jacks eyes traveled from the tip of the long sword, down its length, to its handle, and up to the sharp brown eyes that hid under dark hair. A tattered cloak drifted behind this man, its edge almost touching the floor, and his brows were raised in amusement.

    <strong>Human (Earth-74), Level 122</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Wide Swirls (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Wide Swirls Prodigy</strong>

    <strong>Minotaur, Level 115</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Resilient</strong>

    Jack Rust, he said. What a coincidence.

    Jack jumped back and clenched his fists. He instantly entered battle mode. His eyes narrowed as they took in Longswords form, as well as Bocor, the minotaur, whose gaze burned with hatred.

    Longsword, he said, ignoring Bocor. Fuck.

    Looks like fate wants you dead, Jack Rust, Long replied,ughing. Bocor took this as a sign of aggression and drew his tower shield, approaching Jack with the intent to battle. His position was expertly chosen; he could easily intercept any of Jacks attacks without inhibiting those of Longsword.

    Not that the Lord needed any help.

    Jacks brain worked quickly. Bocor hated his guts, and he had offended Longswordst time they met. Then, the Lord had dered they would be enemies starting from Space Ring.

    <em>What kind of shitty luck is this!?</em>

    He gritted his teeth, calcting his odds. He had very little confidence in beating Longsword, even though his strength had increased significantly since thest time they fought. Plus, Bocor was here.

    On the other hand, if he ran, he still couldnt escape. Longsword had demonstrated his speed when he hunted Jacks group through the desert of Vige Ring. But Bocor was slow. If Jack ran, he could split up his enemies, forcing Longsword to fight alone. Then, if things went Jacks way, perhaps he could

    Thinking time was over. Bocor was upon him, his horns almost scraping the ceiling and his tower shield blocking most of the corridor. He moved from side to side, revealing openings through which Longsword could thrust his sword.

    Jack crouched and prepared to leap back. Ghost Step was only a thought away.

    Wait a moment, Longsword said. Bocor froze. Unwillingness flickered in his eyes before he stepped aside like a good grunt, making room for Longsword to approach Jack, who could run away at any moment.

    Dont run, Longsword continued. It would change nothing, and lose us all precious time.

    Jacks eyes narrowed further. Arent you going to attack me? he asked.

    I am considering it.

    There was haughtiness in that voice. It was deep and masculine, carrying a sort of brutal tone. At the same time, it hid great intelligence, along with an almost yful edge.

    Longsword was strong, imposing, charming, and intelligent. Coupling that with high-end training since childhood and a natural talent for the Dao, he really did seem to have everything.

    On the other side, Jack was good at punching stuff. Consider it faster, he replied.

    Why the rush?

    Because your witch could be nking me as we speak.

    The ends of Longswords lips rose a bit. She was split up from us. A shame, really, but not even Bone Generals can catch her. Shell be fine.

    Jack waited in silence.

    How about we rx and have a little chat? Longsword asked, raising his hands. We are all lost in here. Fighting each other would be a waste.

    I thought we were enemies.

    We can be, if you want. But our enmity willst very little, and it will end with your head far away from your shoulders.

    Jack crouched deeper, ready to escape at a moments notice. What do you want?

    You.

    Exin.

    Longsword smiled. Have you considered my offer at all, Jack?

    Working under you?

    Yes.

    Jacks mind was spinning again. He hadnt considered it. Joining Longsword seemed like a bad idea after seeing how coldly he treated Bocor, one of his closest followers. Even now, the minotaur was sitting by the side, steaming from all orifices but not daring to speak up. Longsword hadnt spared him a single nce, like he was little more than furniture.

    On the other hand, speaking his thoughts right now might be a deadly mistake. For whatever reason, Longsword still seemed willing to negotiate. If the other choice was death, perhaps Jack could pretend to think about it until he could escape.

    The Dao of the Fist reveled in headfirst collisions, but it had nothing against deception.

    Of course I have thought about itbut I hesitate, Jack said. Tipping his hand too early could only end badly. He wanted to scout Longswords intentions and see where this was headed.

    After all, he followed the Dao of the Fist. Deception was fine, but betrayal and dishonor were entirely different matters. Jack couldnt swear loyalty as a lie, not even to save his life.

    I can see that. I have a proposition for you, Longsword cut directly to the chase. Join me for this ring. Just thebyrinth. Afterward, you can go your own way. We dont even have to be enemiesthough we probably will be.

    Sir! Bocor finally couldnt contain himself. Thats

    Silence, Longsword said without even turning around. Bocor bit his tongue and stopped talking. It must have taken all of his willpower and then some. Jack could see veins popping under his fur.

    Why? Jack asked.

    Because I appreciate your value, Longsword replied. He sounded honest. You possess great strength and titles. If you reach the peak of the E-Grade, you will probably possess the strength of a Lord. Comparable to mine.

    So you want to keep me close.

    Ideally, I want to recruit you. You are a rogue cultivator right now, and youve made powerful enemies. An agreement between us is something we could both benefit from.

    Jack frowned. He was beginning to sense there would be no battle here, but he remained on guard. And if I leave after this ring?

    Nothing ventured, nothing lost. Its a gamble. Your perception of me is probably skewed right now. If we travel together for a few days, if youe to understand how things work in the gxy, I believe you may have a change of heart. That will be a great boon to me and my faction. If not Well, I wont lose much, to be honest. A King-tier rogue cultivator wont matter in the grand scheme of things, especially since the Animal Kingdom will take care of you in short order.

    They can try.

    Bocors head almost exploded from suppressed anger.

    This is the best offer you could ask for, Longsword continued. I could kill you. Instead, I offer you a chance to not only live, but also enjoy my protection for the duration of this ringand I get an extra helper for any trial we find. Any other Lord would demand your absolute loyalty in exchange, but I understand that someone with your Dao would die before yielding. Therefore, all I ask for is a chance to change your mind.

    Jack had to admit this sounded good. Longsword wasnt stupid. He realized Jacks potential and offered a deal that worked for both of them.

    <em>Could he actually be decent? </em>Jack wondered. Whatever the case, he had to respect Longswords adept handling of the situation.

    You got me, Jack said, slowly straightening his body. If Longsword wanted to attack, there was no need to go through all this. I have to admit. I expected you to be more

    Thoughtless? Arrogant? Overbearing?

    Something like that, yes.

    Longswordughed; a deep, booming sound that came directly from his stomach. You will find, Jack Rust, that most people are asplex as you. Nobody reaches the top by being an idiot.

    Jack found mirth rising inside him, but he kept it down. At the end of the day, this man was more an enemy than a friend.

    Another downside here was that Jack had nned to kill as many bone monsters as possible in thebyrinth to level up. The presence of Longsword and Bocor would greatly affect the experience he got from each monsterbut there wasnt much he could do about it. Any way he looked at it, teaming up here was the best way to go about thingsamong other benefits, it was the fastest way to find Brock.

    Besides, leveling was slow by now. A couple extra levels would matter far less than a Treasure Trial, or any other benefits he got this way.

    Not to mention that he waspletely lost by himself.

    So, what now? he asked.

    Now, we keep walking. The darker the walls, the closer we are to the guardian.

    Ive been wondering: just how big is thisbyrinth?

    Oh, very. Hundreds of square miles filled with winding paths. Reaching the guardian from here should take us days. Maybe a week.

    So I have to endure this for a week? Jack asked, motioning at Bocor, who red with every fiber of his being.

    Longsword turned to his follower. I know this is difficult for you, Bocor, but bear with it. At the end of the day, you and Jack have no personal enmityand, if you do, you were the one who started it. Perhaps this is doing your faction a favor.

    Bocor growled. The Animal Kingdom doesnt take losses.

    So it says, but youd be surprised. Now, how about you ept my judgment and rein in your emotions?

    Longswords words were spoken calmly and with a smile, but they contained unshakable confidence. Bocor had no choice but to relent.

    Longsword gave Jack a side nce. He probably expected him to walk forward and extend a handshake to Bocor. Jack didnt do that. Neither did Bocor. In the end, Longsword simply shrugged.

    Do you know the way? Jack asked.

    We have apass, the Lord replied, revealing an intricately carved piece with three needles in three concentric circles.

    Jack rose his brows. Huh. I never considered that.

    You couldnt find one, anyway. Trial is too messed up. Thankfully, being part of a B-Grade factiones with a lot of perks. He winked, then smiled brightly.

    Jack chuckled. Too bad Ill never find out.

    You certainly will, one way or another. Now, lets go. With any luck, well find a Treasure Trial on the way.

    A Treasure Trial?

    Isnt that why you entered thebyrinth early?

    I did that to avoid you.

    Longswordughed again. Well, this ring does contain Trials, like Space Ring, but not all of them are Dao Trials. Some are Treasure Trials, which means they will simply give you treasures that can be useful to anyone. Unlike Dao Trials, you can enter as many of them as you like. Theyre one of the main allures of Labyrinth Ring.

    So, you want to get as many as possible?

    They arent thatmon. Finding even one is considered lucky.

    I see. Because Trial has existed for so long that most of them are taken already?

    Oh, not at all. Labyrinth Ring changes every few months; the paths move around, and new Trials appear in the ce of old ones. They contain highly valuable rewards and are hard to conquer, but they are also very few.

    Jack tilted his head. Then, shouldnt everyone be rushing to get them? I heard that the Garden Assault waits a few days in Space Ring.

    Thats the agreement, yes. But there was a super horde, and many teams rushed to thebyrinth, so I just came along. Let the other Lords take their time. What are they going to do? Tell me off? I will have the rewards of at least one Treasure Trial, and they will have the moral high ground. Guess what wins in a fight.

    Jack couldnt prevent the ends of his lips from rising. I guess thats one way to look at it.

    Of course. As I saidhe pointed at himself andughednot an idiot.

    Do you also have a way to locate other people, not-an-idiot? Jack hadnt forgotten about Brock. Finding his brori remained his number one priority in Labyrinth Ring. Everything else coulde after.

    Longsword shook his head. Sadly not. If I did, Eralda would be here, too. Shes my ice witch, by the way.

    Jack looked down, then up again. I understand, he said.

    He never expected things to go this way. That he would be split up from Brock, then travel and make deals with his enemies. That Longsword would turn out to be terrifyingly enterprising.

    The moment the Lord turned away, Bocor gave Jack a dirty look. Clearly, the grudge between them was nowhere near settled, but Jack didnt care too much right now.

    Hey, Bocor, he said, making the minotaurs dirty look intensify, I know we dont like each other, but it looks like well be traveling together for some time. Keep it in your pants or youll just be annoying to everyone. And, by the way, I beat you when I was Level 84 and you were Level 115. Now, I am at 94, but you are still at 115. Do the math.

    Bocors face split into a predatory grin. But guess who got a Trial in Space Ring, dipshit. If you want me to tear you a new asshole, Im ready anytime.

    Jack frowned and turned to face Bocor squarely.

    No fighting. Longsword raised his arms. The Trials of Labyrinth Ring are noughing matter. We will need to be at full power. If you want to settle your differences, do it in Garden Ring.

    Jack held Bocors stare for another moment. He wasnt going to look away first.

    The minotaur turned his eyes after a moment of inner struggle. Yes, sir, he said darkly. Garden Ring, Jack Rust.

    Jack snorted. Sure. Garden Ring. He didnt know what that ring was, but it sounded almost nice.

 Chapter 183: Edgarâ€™s Breakthrough

    Chapter 183: Edgar¡¯s Breakthrough

    Edgar floated in nothingness, suspended before a massive sapphire sphere. His eyes watered. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

    The sphere was colored light blue, with little stars glistening inside. It was made of a material like starry silk. Its outeryers flowed around the sphere, while the inner ones stayed still. Clouds of colors floated inside, asionally merging with each other or splitting to create newbinations.

    It was magical.

    Edgar tried to draw a deep breath, only to realize he had no body. Or rather, he did, but not a physical one. Though it looked like him, he quickly realized that here, wherever here was, he was a floating orb of light, and the physical form was only a mantle he chose to d himself in.

    He got rid of it at once. His body was part of him, but this glowing orb This was the real Edgar. The closer to the truth he was, the better.

    He knew what was happening. This was the inside of his soul. He was breaking through.

    Excitement flooded him like water puring out of a broken dam. He felt his worries and fears wash away in the stream of power. He was not useless. He had not taken a wrong step. His breakthrough had just been a matter of timeand the right circumstances, as he quickly observed. High pressure was the catalyst to forming a Dao Seed. Perhaps not the only one, but a catalyst nheless.

    His first instinct was to note it down. But, as his attention rose to the sapphire sphere, he was captivated again.

    This was magic. His magic. His dream. He had to seed.

    The Dao Stabilizing Pill hed gotten from ArTazul activated in his stomach, where it had waited for weeks. A warm stream passed through his veins, calming him down.

    He could feel the Dao calling him. The sphere meant to merge with him, be one whole entity of vast, breathtaking power.

    Edgar calmed himself and jumped right in.

    Magic.

    Brilliance surrounded him on all sides. He had no eyes, yet he saw. No ears, yet he heard. Giant mountains of gold. Floating inds over the sea. Animals made of stars and sr gasses. Humans of ss, their heart shining orange, and a giant, benevolent eye with three tentacles trailing behind it.

    Edgar knew not who he was. The essence of magic was distilled into his body, filling his mind with power and wonder.

    One moment, he was a bearded old man. As he gently raised his hand, the sea rose with it, and as he brought his cane down, the waters split as if by heavens sword. Then, he was a winged woman surrounded by light. One smile was all it took for the earth to mend under her feet, wiping away the wounds of war. He was a barefoot child, cradled in an alley between buildings, with the heavy rain cascading over him and making him shiver. Magic erupted from his body, washing away the pain and fear, bringing warmth hed never felt before.

    A sh of pain snapped his attention to the present. The Dao around him was an angry tide, every part rising to seek his attention. With a second sh of pain, a ring of light spread from his body, calming the Dao where the two met.

    Edgar was shaken. He had almost lost himself to the visions. If not for the Dao Stabilization Pill, he would have failed.

    But the first hurdle was past. Edgar was the master of himself now, and he couldnt stop excitement from sparking all around him, a wild exhration rising from the depths of his soul. It was just him and magic now. A private lesson, with the universe itself as the tutor. He would sink into the wells of knowledge that were his deepest dreams.

    He opened his arms and let the Dao flood him. His mind remained whole, an impregnable fortress, but the essence of magic filled his body to the brim. It spoke to him; sought to take him over. Sought to battle him.

    But Edgar corrected it. His magic was not made for battle. It was made to awe, to inspire, to create.

    He could sense the misalignment inside him. This was his magic, but it was not the very essence of his being. He was not perfectly aligned with his Dao.

    Then again, he didnt need to be. Let the rest of his soul wash away, let the impurities forever hide themselves in a treasure chest under the ocean. This was the path he wanted to walk. This was the life he chose to lead.

    This was the Edgar he chose to be.

    His mind shattered into a thousand pieces. It remained whole, but each piece faced a different vision, a different scenario. Edgar saw the three people from before and nine hundred and ny-seven moreone thousand visions, no more and no less.

    In each, he saw a creaturebe they human, animal, or strange beings he knew nothing ofwork their magic. But, this time, he wasnt them. The vision was a script he could tamper with. He could sense how things were going to turn out, and in every vision, he chose to alter the course of history.

    Where the bearded old man split the sea to let his people pass, Edgar forced the waters to bend the knee, saluting the mans effort. Fish danced. A few children behind himughed.

    When the woman smiled and mended the earth, Edgar made flowers rise from the ground. One came up to her nose, blessing her with its fragrance. The angels smile turned warmer.

    Where the child erupted with magic, banishing the cold and fear of rain, Edgar willed the clouds to disperse, letting a brilliant sun dominate the sky, the herald of a new day.

    In every vision, Edgar followed his heart to change the world. He found himselfughing. All the awe, beauty, and childlike wonder he created came back to fill him, suffusing his soul until it was ready to burst.

    The visions went away. Edgar was left with a body of magic, a soul bursting at the seams. Yet, his smile was warm, his eyes sparkling. He let himself stand, taking a deep breath to stabilize his new Dao Seed.

    He then opened his eyes to find a different world. A world where he was one step closer to the person he dreamt of being.

    Edgar waved his hand, and a gentle breeze blew out, escaping from the window and going down to fly around the humans, gymonkeys, and broris working in the forest. Where it passed, flowers bloomed in the grass, and the creatures of the forest were tickled.

    He waved his other hand, and the messy papers and notes across his study rose, arranging themselves into neat piles deposited on the desk.

    Thest hints of excess magic, left behind by his breakthrough, were expelled through a slow exhale, which cleaned the room of dust, polished the walls until they shone, and summoned a little spectral monkey dancing in their midst. A final, small gale met the door, swinging it open just as an olddy was about to knock it from the other side.

    Edgar raised his eyes. Hello, professor.

    Edgar? the professor said, her eyes widening. She took in the changes, then inspected him. She began to shiver. Edgar! she cried out with excitement. You

    I broke through, Edgar said calmly, inspecting his own hand. Physically, nothing had changed. But everything else had.

    Thats incredible! You finally did it! You are the first E-Grade on Earth! The professor was wild with joy. She rushed in to hug him, expressing her deep relief. Theck of an E-Grade had been pressuring them hard. Now, that issue was no more.

    However, Edgar did not respond with the same enthusiasm. Still with a smile, he gently pushed her away. The professor frowned and tilted her head at himbut even her prodigious powers of understanding werent enough to see through his intentions.

    Whats the matter? she finally asked.

    I did break through, Edgar repeated. His smile turned bitter. I hold great power, but it is not as you hope. Magic is not a weapon. Not my magic. It is a tool of beauty, a device of wonder, a medium of joy.

    He could see the professors heart fall. So did his.

    But Edgar, she said, if you dont fight

    I know.

    He pursed his lips. His new Dao Seed was still crying out in joy, relishing in the powers of creation he had been granted. But his heart was crying salty tears, because it knew that things were as the professor said. If he did not fight, the people he loved would die. Beauty would lose, and mediocrity would reign. But what could he do, if he wielded great power that was not a weapon?

    My magic is one of peace, he repeated, every word weighing on his soul, but even roses have thorns. He closed his eyes. The weight of his decision was heavy, too heavy. He was choosing to defile the most beautiful thing in the world. But what choice did he have?

    Just once, he said, rising to his feet. The professors gaze was perplexed. Just once, I will strike out with this power of mine. Just once, will I ruin that which is beautiful. I will tip the equilibrium for your armies. If we fall after that Then, let it be fate. I will die in a field of flowers.

    Edgar

    I will be off, professor, he said. His body levitated, easily pulled by the strands of the elements around him. It was almost effortless. As he reached the window, he turned to her again, smiling warmly through his pain. And when I return, prepare a celebration for me, okay? Bring the children. I will give them a show they will never forget.

    Edgar Her voice trailed. Why did she look so sad?

    Only when his tears touched his lips did Edgar realize he was crying. But so be it. He shook his head, letting the tears fall. Even in sadness, there was beauty.

    I will be quick, he said, turning to the horizon. With a pull of the worlds strands, he flew away, picking up speed as he headed to the other side of the forest, where they had parked their starship. It wasnt anything spectacr, just the cheapest they could find, but it was plenty for inter-continental travel.

    He waved away the guards, entered the shuttle, and took off. Steering this thing was beyond easy. The clouds split around him as he raced to the northeast faster than most nes could.

    There was time until he reached his destination. Hours. Until then, he decided to inspect his System notifications.

    <strong>Congrattions! Dao Root of Magic Dao Seed of Magic (early)</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! F-Grade  E-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Your body has been infused with your Dao, taking on its attributes. </strong>

    <strong>Intelligence +20</strong>

    <strong>Wisdom +20</strong>

    <strong>Charisma +20</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level up: 2  5</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 50.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! For being one of the first ten cultivators on your to develop a Dao Seed, you are awarded the Title:ary Torchbearer (10).</strong>

    <strongary Torchbearer (10): A Title awarded to the first ten cultivators to develop a Dao Seed in an Integrated. A sign of great potential, marking the owner as a person worthy of the Immortal Systems assistance.</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats +10%.</strong>

    Edgar chuckled. He had theorized many things about the E-Grade. Finally, he was about to find out everything. And most importantly, what ss he would get.

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    <strong>Elemental Adept</strong>

    <strong><em>Elemental Adepts are Mental cultivators who specialize in controlling the nine elements. Their greatest strength is their adaptability, and they exceed in battle scenarios where they can use clever tactics to outwit their enemies.</em></strong>

    <strong>Arcane Body (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>Most wizards choose to specialize. Arcane Bodies do not; they maintain an affinity with all types of magic. As a result, their battle power is limited, but they boast great utility and adaptability.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Magic is the very fabric of reality, the driving force of the cosmos. Why limit ourselves to just one corner?</em></strong>

    It saddened Edgar that all the System cared about was battle strength. Was his magic wed? Was he an outcast? A pariah?

    That line of thought evaporated as quickly as it hade. He knew what he felt. Magic <em>was </em>supposed to be used his way. Everyone else eitherpromised, got it wrong, or simply didnt see the world as he did. In any case, his use of magic was the one that fit him best.

    Being offered two sses was pretty normal, from what ArTazul told him. In this case, the choice was clear. The first ss, Elemental Adept, was obviously meant for battle, which put it out of the question.

    Elemental Adept was also the ss his master had encouraged him to pick. In fact, most of his training during the Integration Tournament had been meant to unlock this ss. Unfortunately, Edgar had other priorities now, and any lingering doubts were quickly extinguished by the other ss being Elite.

    Arcane Body, Edgar said aloud, tasting the words. He smiled. Not bad.

    It wasnt perfect, but it was meant for him. Perhaps hed get choices closer to his Dao at the D-Gradeif he ever reached it.

    Edgar chose the Arcane Body ss. Immediately, the ss Selection screen disappeared, reced by a few new ones:

    <strong>Congrattions! You are now an Arcane Body (Elite).</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Mana Maniption (III) upgraded into Spontaneous Magic (II).</strong>

    <strong>ss Skill unlocked: Mana Sight (I).</strong>

    Edgars world was filled with colors. He could see the strands of magic now! They were everywhere!

    He had to stop and take his time parsing through all the new information. Excitement filled him all the while.

    This skill was revolutionary!

    Thankfully, Edgars Mental stat was off the charts. He quickly rearranged his mind to adapt to his new Skill, then went on his way. He could feel a Dao Vision at the back of his mind, eager to jump out and present itself to him, but he kept it at bay for now.

    When his job was done, he would return to learning. Now Now, he had to fight. Once.

    Dark thoughts filled his mind for the rest of the trip, warring against the joy of breaking through and all the possibilities of his new powers.

    Eventually, Edgar reached a world of ice and cold. He hid the starship far away from his destination and flew over the clouds himself for thest few miles. When he finally descended, he found his target.

    Half-buried into a cier were the headquarters of Ice Peak. A ce devoid of E-Grades.

    He was going to destroy it.

 Chapter 184: Besties

    Chapter 184: Besties

    Hey Nauja, check this out! Salin held up a blue crab, moving its pincer from side to side. It says hi.

    Salin, put the poor thing down.

    But its happy. Its waving.

    <em>You </em>are waving.

    Fiiine. Salin reluctantly ced the crab on the floor. It then immediately skittered away, disappearing behind a turn. Goodbye, little one!

    Can you focus for half a second? Nauja sparked. Youll attract the bone monsters. If an Elite shows up, we wont be able to escape.

    Oh, dont worry about it. If worsees to worst, you dont have to run faster than the bone monster, just faster than me. Which you can. He gave her a bright smile. Nauja rolled her eyesthere wasnt much she could retort to that.

    They had only barely managed to escape the two bone monsters previously chasing them. Thankfully, the monsters were very slow for their level. Almost like theyd been designed to be escapeable.

    <em>Of course they were, </em>Salin replied to himself, nodding. <em>It makes sense. Hah.</em>

    What? Nauja asked.

    What what?

    You were nodding.

    To myself. Im thinking smart stuff.

    She red suspiciously. Do I want to know?

    Probably not.

    Thank the System.

    Salin liked this girl. She always responded to his craziness, letting him go on for longer. Maybe she saw silence as a form of weakness.

    In any case, Salin was having great fun. Much better than staying in that silly backwater or, even worse, in the uptight Animal Kingdom.

    <em>Then again, the Animal Kingdom has female canines. Hmm</em>

    Suddenly, Nauja snapped up a hand. He instantly froze. Nauja was stered on the wall, peeking from a corner with sharp eyes. He knew what this meant. A bone monster.

    Which was pretty silly, in Salins humble opinion. Why bone monsters? Were they supposed to be disturbing and birth horror in the minds ofbyrinth delvers? But they were so slow even he could outrun them. Hell, he was pretty certain he could get right past one if he had to.

    These monsters were more like overblown annoyances than lethal predators.

    <em>Couldnt the makers of this ce install, I dont know,rger crabs? Crabs are scary. And cool. They can even wave!</em>

    Nauja, her body still taut like a drawn bow, finally lowered her hand. Its gone, she whispered.

    Good. I was totally paying attention.

    There were times when Salin wondered if she would snap. Nobody was watching here. She could dispatch of him quickly and easily, and leave his body for the crabs to feast on. Maybe his twisted skeleton would rise in the future to haunt these empty corridors, a reminder of his inescapable mortality and sheer fucking stupidity.

    But it wouldnt be stupidity if she didnt snap, right?

    An icy momentter, Nauja turned around and resumed walking. Salin decided to take five minutes of silence. It wouldnt do for her patience to run out. He needed her in top shape to keep ying!

    Not that he couldnt converse by himself, but <em>he </em>wasnt as easily frustrated. Plus, he always expected what hed say next. Speaking with others was much more fun.

    The five minutes of silence turned into ten, then twenty. Salin found himself enjoying the mindless wandering. He imagined himself as a bone monster, haunting thebyrinth in eternity, feeding on blue crabs and careless cultivators.

    Boo, he moaned under his breath. Much to his disappointment, Nauja didnt respond. Boo! he repeated, slightly louder.

    I can hear you, she replied through gritted teeth.

    Oh, okay. Just making sure.

    You know, your stupidity will get you killed one day. For real.

    But will it be this day? Probably not.

    It might if you keep pushing me.

    You wouldnt do that. You love me.

    I barely even like you.

    Aha! So you <em>do </em>like me. In that case, allow me to apologize for my overflowing charisma; as we belong to different species, Im afraid we cannot procreate.

    ...

    Speechless, are you?

    Mercy, please. For the love of the System, just keep your mouth shut.

    Okay.

    Yep, Salin was having a lot of fun. This was his favorite ring yet! Much better than the vige one, where he was mildly tortured.

    At the end of the day, he wasnt a mean individual. He decided to cut back on the insanity, for the sake of Naujas mental health and his physical one.

    The hours flowed. Gan Salin and Nauja kept traveling through thebyrinth, heading ever deeper. The walls around them gradually took on a darker hue of brownwhether by luck or Naujas skill in navigation, they were heading in the right direction. And, as they did, the bleached bone monsters became even more terrifying.

    There was a monotony to the journey. A monotony that exhausted even Salins vast reserves of witty remarks. Hour after hour, day after day, they walked through crampy stone corridors. It felt like they were standing still. Like they were trapped in an endless illusion.

    The only breaks to the monotony came when they stopped to eat and drinkthey had their supplies when they were teleportedas well as when they encountered bone monsters. Those were intense moments. Most of the time, Nauja would hear or see them one corridor in advance, letting them wait the monster out.

    Other times, the monster would round the turn before them, spotting them. Then, it was always a chase backward, through corridors they had already explored, which had the lowest probability of housing more monsters. After they escaped the bone monster after them, they could retrace their steps and keep going.

    In these instances, Salins breadcrumbs were actually of assistance. The twin loaves hed stolen from the vige tavern had long gone bad, but they were still good for marking their path. However, even they didnt have endless crumbs. Salin was slowly running out, so now he was only dropping one in every intersection.

    To alleviate the boredom, he told Nauja stories of the outside world. She absorbed them wide-eyed, like a sponge drank water, and Salin was happy to see his friend excited.

    He told her of the Animal Kingdom constetion, of the ny thousand inhabitables they ruled. He exined how stars worked, the gas clouds in which they were born and the massive explosions in which they diedsome of them. He told her about ck holes, space monsters, the nine B-Grade factions, the Hand of God, and the gxys inner workings. He bragged about the exploits of his ancestorsa part that got her especially excitedand the wars of the Animal Kingdom. The myriad species that made up their constetion.

    In return, Nauja also shared stories of her life in Barbarian Ring. She described their way of life, hunting in the morning and dancing by the fire at night. She exined how the various tribes of Barbarian Ring cooperated to maintain the bnce, how they divided their territories and organized hunting trips deep into the jungle. How they sometimes exchanged members, and how young barbarians were allowed and even encouraged to travel the ring before settling down and getting married.

    She even exined her tribes methods to raise triceratopskeeping the secret parts out.

    It was an interesting trip for both of them. On Salins side, he was impressed by Naujas previous way of life. It felt like someone grabbed his eyes and forced them open. He had spent his entire life in the high-intensity environment of Animal Kingdom, spending most waking hours training and fighting.

    Earth-387 was the first ce where he could rx. Now, Nauja spoke of something simr, yet even better. Salin still wanted to train hard and be strong, but there was an argument to be made for rxing asionally, letting the stress slide off you like water in the shower.

    Nauja was wide-eyed at his stories, as well. However, there was always something holding her back. A shadow behind her eyes. A mental barrier. Salin didnt know what it was, nor did he ask, but he could clearly sense it. It made him wonderand worry.

    Deep down, Salin cared.

    The journey was boring, but somewhat pleasant. As the days passed, however, and the walls got darker, thebyrinth got more dangerous. The bone monsters appeared at increasing frequency. Once, Nauja even spied an Elite monster behind a turn, sping her hand over Salins mouth to prevent him from making the slightest peep.

    <strong>Bone Lieutenant, Level 124 (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>A creature made to endlessly wander the Labyrinth Rings corridors and fight intruders. Originally a Bone Sentinel, this monster has absorbed enough cultivators to fully augment itself by one level, evolving to a Bone Lieutenant.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>It possesses low Mental and Will attributes, as well as low speed, but outstanding strength and durability. When a Bone Lieutenant ys an enemy, it either absorbs their skeleton into its own or raises the skeleton as a new Bone Sentinel. Therefore, their numbers are self-replenishing.</em></strong>

    Compared to the normal bone monstersthe Bone Sentinelsthis one was far bulkier. If the others were like twisted humanoid skeletons, the Lieutenant was more like a heavyweight wrestler turned to bone. Additionally, it had clear facial features, with serrated knife-like canines stretching up from its mouth like a boars tusks.

    Salin didnt see all those, but Nauja described it after. Thankfully for them, the monster didnt spot themthank the System for itsck of noseand went on its merry way to ughter innocents.

    The two of them waited several extra moments to make sure it was far away.

    Shit, Nauja said after the monster was gone. That was scary.

    Were approaching the core of thebyrinth, huh? Salin replied, chuckling. Look at the bright side. Were closer to the end.

    Our end or thebyrinths?

    Both.

    Theyughed. It helped melt the tension.

    Lets go, Nauja said. And, from now on, we stay quiet. For real.

    Yes, boss.

    The hours kept passing, but they were tenser. Any bone monsters they met were striking white against the dark walls. The blue crabs were harder to spot now.

    Until, at some point, the tunnel they were following opened up.

    Is this the guardian? Nauja asked, looking around.

    I dont think so, Salin replied. A Dungeon, maybe. Or a Trial.

    A Trial?

    Gan Salin swept his eyes around the room. It was an ancient-looking temple, longer than it was wide. Light gray stone made up the walls and ceiling, with polished white marble as the floor. Despite this ce being in thebyrinth, there was not a single speck of dust to be seen, as if everything had been cleaned recently.

    mes burned onrge tes across the side walls. Bow-wielding stone statues stood at attention between the fires, evenly spaced, while the space between the entrance and far wall was left empty. This emptiness didnte across as simplisticinstead, it created a sense of awe.

    At the far end was another statue,rger than the others and made of marble. It depicted a woman d in leather armor, with a mantle fluttering behind her. She held a bow, half-drawn, with a thin arrow made of ck crystal bncing on the string.

    However, the most impressive thing about this statue was the motion it was in. Though the marble itself was still, the woman was carved in such a way that she appeared to be mid-fight. Her hair was flying, her mantle fluttered behind her, her legs were bent, and her fingers were in the middle of drawing her bow.

    It was as if someone had taken a female archer, asked her to strike a pose, conjured a strong wind to blow at her, then snapped her into stone. She was beautiful, too; her features were sharp enough to be attractive, but there was a hardness there, a strictness.

    Nauja gasped. Salin shared her sentiment. This was a Trial rted to archery. It was perfect for her.

    Salin she started saying, but he cut her off.

    I know. Go.

    She smiled and rushed into the temple. There were no traps in Trials. Nothing to be afraid of. As they approached, Salin scanned the statue, confirming what he already knew.

    <strong>Trial Statue</strong>

    <strong><em>A statue serving as the gateway to a Trial Trial. Touch to enter.</em></strong>

    Nauja was already reading a small inscription under the statue.

    <em>Veheil Maestro Cir. The sun killer.</em>

    Sun killer she muttered. Her hand rose to touch the inscription, then she lowered it again. I have never even seen a sun.

    Well, what are you waiting for? Salin replied, a smile ying at the ends of his lips. Just go already.

    But you

    Ill be fine. Trial areas are usually safe from monsters. And, even if they arent, I can escape. Unless I get unlucky and an Elite waltzes in here, in which case, nastek.

    She chuckled. This was a phrase of her tribe.

    Ill try to be quick, she said.

    Just dont fail.

    You got it. Thank you, Salin.

    No problem.

    With a final, heartfelt nod, Nauja touched the statue and disappeared. Salin was left alone in the empty temple; the weakest cultivator of their team, and the one who still hadnt found a suitable Trial.

    He looked around, at the still statues, the calm mes, and the silent corridor beyond.

    And now what? he asked. He then sat down and started carving on the marble with his nails.

 Chapter 185: Lord Longsword

    Chapter 185: Lord Longsword

    Jack opened his eyes, ncing at the dancing bonfire before him.

    He was still inside thebyrinth, of course. It was just ridiculous what kind of resources people like Lord Longsword got. He had his own bonfire, fuel-free and foldable enough to fit in his pocket.

    Despite the homely light, there were still dark brown walls around them. Stone under their feet. Monsters lurking just around the corner.

    Jack scowled and stood, eager to stretch his feet. By the side, Bocor was lying on his back, sleeping like a log, while Longsword meditated cross-legged. On the slightest hint of Jacks aggression, he would stand and draw his sword in the blink of an eye.

    Though Jack was technically their ally, they didnt trust him to keep watch alone.

    He paced back and forth, keeping his footsteps light on the stone. The mes illuminated his bare chest and toned muscles, his dark hair, his deep eyes. The deadly fists he carried.

    The torches on the wall were extinguished. Longsword insisted that his bonfire was more atmospheric and brought better results when meditating. It was truethough the bonfires calming effects were induced through the specially crafted incense stick in its center, not the brightness of its mes.

    Jack sighed.

    <em>What am I even doing Is this what they call sleeping with the enemy?</em>

    It was already their second day together. After Jack agreed to join Longsword and Bocor for this ring, they had traveled in light silence. Jack was tense. So was Bocor. Longsword, on the other hand, was cheerful. Despite his rugged exterior and tattered mantle that might indicate a silent person, Longsword was always quick with small talk. He was witty and had his way with words, as well as a smile always tucked away, ready to be released at the first opportunity.

    Lord Longsword wasnt just a strong swordsman. He was a charismatic man; a calcting, approachable genius. Despite his doubts, Jack found himself enjoying his talks with Longsword. The Lord always knew the right thing to say, making awkward silences seem like a distant memory. He had interesting and well-thought opinions on everything under the sun, and his sharpments, humorously phrased, often provoked Jack into deep thought.

    Of course, Jack wasnt an idiot. Throughout their many talksnot like they had much else to dohe kept his cards close, not revealing anything that Longsword could use against him. The Lord, on the other hand, seemed like an open book. He freely shared information about his sect and techniques, and even offered to give Jack battle training, though Jack refused that.

    He still wasnt convinced. As pleasant as Longsword was, he was d in a clear veneer of arrogance. Bocor was ignored. When Longsword addressed him, it was mostly to avoid seeming too distant. Obviously, this grated on the minotaur, who acted calm but boiled inside. Jack could see it clearly. So could Longsword, but he didnt care.

    Jack kept his guard up.

    <em>What I wouldnt give for Brock, Nauja, or Salin</em>

    He sighed again.

    Whats the matter? A cheery voice came from behind him. Fruitless meditation? Or, perhaps, something more private?

    Jack turned to find Longsword still in a meditative position, but with his eyes open and a cocky grin on his lips.

    Something like that, he replied.

    Me too. Bing an immortal is so difficult. Who would have thought?

    Everyone?

    Longswordughed. I guess. But perspective changes when youre high up. For most people, bing an immortal is a pipe dream. For me, its the bare minimum.

    Are all Lords so arrogant?

    We are all so skilled.

    Jack sat down, cing his back against the cold stone wall. Doesnt it ever irk you? he asked, letting his head fall back. That you are so above the world. Most peoplebillions of themwork their whole lives to achieve what you were born with, and still fail. They will never reach your level, no matter how hard they try. Doesnt that seemunfair?

    What is fair, then? Longsword replied. Would it be fair for everyone to have the same things? Would it be fair for everyones efforts to be equally rewarded? Or should they be judged based on their results?

    Its just an uneven fight. You were born with everything. Some people dont even have food, let alone high-end cultivation resources.

    Longsword thought for a moment, then shrugged. There isnt much I can do about that. I could disperse my factions resources to the world to give everyone equal fighting chances, but whats the point? The people with talent and hard work would rise. I cannot distribute my talent to the people, nor my devotion to cultivation, and certainly not the mental fortitude it takes to rise above the masses.

    But doesn''t that irk you? Jack insisted. Exactly that. Rising above the masses. Doesnt that make you feel I dont know, like youre making some sort of mistake? Like youre putting them down by daring to be above them? Doesnt it make you feel bad?

    Not at all. His eyes twinkled, but the hard line of his jaw made it clear that the next words would be spoken seriously. I was not raised with such considerations. Perhaps you were, given your grassroot origins at an un-Integrated, but these are merely feelings left over from when you were weak. As the person below, it is natural to view the ones above you with scorn and identify yourself as against them. Its a coping mechanism.

    Jack narrowed his eyes in thought.

    But again, those are left-over emotions, Longsword finished, leaning back against the wall with a straight back. You are at the top now. In time, you will realize that being better than others is no sinthat you should not be ashamed of having power. Instead, it is something to take pride in, and use it to better ce yourself in the world. He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. He then added, After all, you are the living proof that anyone can rise if the proper conditions are met.

    Not necessarily. I was lucky, too. A person can have all the talent in the world, but if they arent born in the right circumstances, there is nothing they can do.

    I guess. But children are a continuation of their parents lives. It is fair for the children of sessful people to start high, as is the opposite. If you do well in life, you help your children start at a better ce than you didand dont forget that talent is often hereditary. If youre born at the bottom but with great talent, maybe you wont reach the top, but you will certainly give your children a much better starting point.

    Shit, man. You arent holding back at all, are you?

    Am I wrong?

    Maybe. If Im being honest, thats a pretty brutal way to look at the world, not to mention unfair. How about you chill and think about it some more?

    In the face of Jacks cutting words, Longsword simplyughed. He was not the least bit bothered. Thats what I like about you, Jack: your directness. Yes, it is a brutal way to see things, but its how Ive been raised. The world is brutal. And whoever sees that goes farther than the people who dont.

    I dont necessarily disagree with youbut goddamn is that a way to put it, Jack replied. He did not particrly like the way Longsword saw things. It was toocold. Too uncaring.

    Longsword shrugged and smiled. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing, my friend. We are different people; naturally, we have different opinions. But lets stop here for now. Going too far out of ourfort zone can be counterproductive. Change happens one step at a time, be it yours or mine.

    Right, Jack replied. Just so you know, you have some messed-up opinions.

    Its how you know theyre true! Longswordughed rowdilyso rowdily he might have awoken Bocor. I want a break from meditation. Failing consecutively can bedisheartening. How about you join me in bonfire-gazing?

    Fine by me, Jack replied. He didnt feel like speaking with Longsword more, but he, too, wanted to take a break. Thats why he had been stretching his legs before. And he couldnt just sit by Longsword and ignore him. What are you meditating on? Trying to break through? he asked. Youre already at the absolute peak of the E-Grade, right?

    Absolute peak is a bit of a stretch, but yes, I am. Longsword settled down near the bonfire, making himselffortable. His cloak covered the floor behind him, amassing dirt, and his legs were crossed near the edge of the fire. His nine-foot-long sword rested on his knees, ready to be drawn at any moment. I have already fused all my Dao Roots, he exined, but there is still a gap between maturing your Dao Seed and sprouting it as a Dao Tree. A mental leap, if you will, thatbines all of your understandings into a singr entity. Obviously, the more Dao Roots you have fused into your Seed, the more difficult this final step bes.

    And you have fused many? Jack asked, fishing for information.

    A good few. Its the eternal dilemma. The more power you reach for, the more difficult it is to im. Its why many star disciples get stuck at the peak of the E-Grade for decades, or even forever. In fact, there is already a person from my generation in the Wide Swirls that has be an immortal. She only had one Dao Root, of course, but that was a good thing. She knew her limits. Right now, funnily enough, she is stronger than me.

    He chuckled.

    So you are trying tofurther fuse all your insights into one? Jack asked, frowning.

    Longsword threw him a nce. Through narrowed eyes, he undoubtedly spotted Jackspleteck of information, and chose to assist. Not an insight. A system of thought. A philosophy, if you will. A way of life and thought that perfectlybines all your understandings, defining your own, personal path through the Dao. It defines your life henceforth. Forming and cementing a path like this is the path to immortality, but it is also damn difficult.

    He sighed in frustration, lost in his thoughts. That is what we Lords use Trial for. The Garden Ring contains all sorts of wondrous treasures. The best ones can help us form our Dao Treeand it is those treasures we kill each other for. He then snapped out of it. Of course, that doesnt concern you. You are far from the peak of the E-Grade, where those treasures would be used, and you are also far from the power you need to contest for them. Dont worry, though. There are many precious treasures in Garden Ring. With my assistance, you couldy im to some of the best.

    Only if we are still allied in the next ring.

    True. He smirked. But I dont see why not. Its not like Im asking for much, and were getting along just fine, arent we?

    Jack chose to simply shrug in response. The more he observed Longsword, the more conflicted he became. This was clearly a great cultivator and a superficially pleasantpanion. But, under all his gifts, was he actually a decent person?

    Jack was not sure. You keep mentioning Garden Ring, he said, but thats only the eighth ring, right? What about the ninth?

    The Final Ring? Longswordughed. I know what youre thinking, Jack, but get it out of your mind. Conquering that ring ispletely impossibleeven for Lords. The Garden Ring is the best we can get.

    So even you, an ambitious Lord, arent even considering it?

    I told you, its impossible.

    Why?

    Oh, youll see. In fact, its so impossible that many believe its only meant to beat us downa final exercise in humility, if you will. A lesson that no one is infallible.

    Jack scowled. Thats so disappointing <em>But I will still take a look, </em>he added mentally.

    I know, Longsword replied, smiling sadly. Jack didnt say anything more, and Longswords mood must have soured, because he returned to meditation a few momentster. So did Jack.

    Not that he was actually meditating. He was just diving into his soul world and fighting Copy Jack, increasing his battle ability and sharpening his Dao usage at the same time. With all that practice, Meteor Punch already felt on the cusp of evolving again, and Jack had great ns for it.

    Right now, he had fused two of his three Dao Rootsthough one wasnt really a Dao Root, and it had fused itself. That was enough to get a grasp of how the progress worked. Fusing a Dao Root meant integrating its Dao with his Dao Seeds. Essentially, it meant theplete fusion of the Dao Root into one of his Dao Skillsor, at least, thats how it had gone the previous two times.

    So far, both of his fused Dao Roots had gone to enhancing Indomitable Body. That wasnt bad. Thebination yielded an incredible skill. His bodys regeneration was off the charts, and its durability was also impressive.

    However, Jack thought that was enough for defense. His remaining Dao Root was that of Power, and he knew just the skill to fuse it into.

    Good old Meteor Punch.

 Chapter 186: Brockâ€™s Breakthrough

    Chapter 186: Brock¡¯s Breakthrough

    Brock felt like his eyes were open for the first time. He saw his soul. It was beautiful.

    His inner world was a gaping nothingness peppered with floating leaves. It felt crampy and impossibly expansive at the same time, like space had lost all meaning.

    Brock floated in the middle of this world, gawking at the leaves surrounding him.

    Bro he muttered.

    Right in front of him hovered the Big Thought. It was a flexed bicep, an arm that extended from the shoulder down and must have been working out for decades. The skin was missing, allowing Brock to observe its clean muscture. Every muscle was impably defined, bringing a sense of awe that he had never felt before.

    Not even Father had such muscles. Not even Big Bro.

    He felt an urge to bow to this flexed arm. To show his belly, dering subservience. But, at the same time, something held him back. This was <em>his </em>soul. This arm was <em>his </em>Big Thought. Why would he submit to something that was his?

    That would be very un-bro-like.

    Squaring his jaw, Brock adopted a bodybuilder stance, showing off all of his gruesomely worked-out muscles. He brought his arms above his head and flexed them. He then sped his palms behind his back, also flexing. He was challenging the big arm for dominance.

    The big arm epted the challenge. It flexed harderand, in an instant, Brocks entire world was covered in muscles. In power. He released a monkey cry as muscles drowned his world, and out of instinct, he flexed harder. Veins popped all over his body. His eyes went bloodshot.

    The arm wasnt content to just sit there and be challenged. It attacked. Brock felt fear cloud his senses, but he responded with his bravery muscle. Immense pressure surrounded his body. His every physical muscle twitched as it was pulled apart, their tenacity put to the test. Brock was in excruciating pain. He yelled, but by then, it was already over, and Brock remained whole.

    After all, he followed a rigorous work-out routine that spanned his entire body. A good bro didnt leave weaknesses.

    The arm redoubled its efforts. It transported Brock to a world of forests, where several highly-muscled broris were flexing their hardest. He was like a dwarf amongst giants. The broris finished flexing, then stared at him, waiting to see his performance.

    Brock felt the judgment in their gazes. He was smallsmaller than all of them. His muscles, though strong, werent as impressive. It was like being in his pack all over again.

    His bottom lip began to quiver. His arms flopped to the sides. He was too weak to be here. He did not belong. They would mock and cast him out, like Father had done.

    The broris around Brock liquified,bining into one,rge brori.

    Father.

    Harambe.

    Brock shrunk before his fathers gaze. Therge brori, the leader of the pack, stared him down, expecting something. But what? Brock had tried so hard, but he wasnt grown yet. He wasnt as big as the other broris. Perhaps he never would be.

    Brock opened his mouth and almost made submissive monkey noises. Almost.

    At thest moment, he held himself back. Why was Father doing this? He had already kicked Brock out. What more did he want? How could he expect Brock to be even stronger than he currently was? He was trying his very hardest!

    A veil was lifted from Brocks eyes. Indeed, he had tried his hardest since leaving the pack. He had followed the teachings of the broris to work out and act as a bro would. He had dutifully followed his big bro, and though he made a few mistakes, he learned from them and never repeated them. Brock was doing everything he should.

    What more did Father want?

    Whatever it was, Brock couldnt give it. Father, the biggest of broswas wrong to stare. His brain muscles had made a mistake.

    Brock shook from the realization.

    The world blinked before his eyes. His fathers using stare melted along with the big brori himself, revealing therge arm again. It was a broris arm, obviously, just without fur and skin. And perfectly sculpted.

    Brock narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong here. Whatever was happening felt disjointed. The hand was the Big Thought representing Muscle, but his father What did his father have to do with that?

    What was Brock missing?

    The arm flexed again. Pressure showered Brock, enveloping him. The little brori flexed his muscles, but his thoughts were iplete. Yes, he had the strength to resist. But what was he supposed to do? What was the path forward?

    How long did he have to persist for?

    Weights appeared around his wrists and ankles. Dumbbells stuck to his fingers, and a weighted bar fell on his shoulders, urging his knees to bend. Brock maintained himself, instinctivelying into form.

    His entire body was shaking. Every muscle was taut to its limit, but the pressure remained. Nothing was changing. He was doing something wrong.

    No. He was just doing nothing. This was not the bro way. This was weakness. Passivity.

    Brock had made many sounds in his life. He hadughed and mocked others, screamed, yelled, and thumped his chest. Even said human words. But, at this moment, as rage and shame at his own mental weakness flooded Brock, he made a new sound. He roared deeply.

    Brock fueled his muscles with resolve and pushed them further. At the same moment they ruptured, the weights were thrown off, breaking against the walls of his soul and leaving him free.

    The world shattered around him like ss. Father appeared again, his gaze as using as before, but Brock only snorted. He got into a bodybuilding stance and flexed his muscles. They werentrge. But they were strong. That was the purpose of muscles. To have strength. Not to be big.

    Father narrowed his eyes, but Brock was no longer a child. He met his fathers gaze head-on and shook his head.

    <em>You are wrong, </em>he said.

    His fathers eyes shot wide. He prepared to charge. Brock stared him down. When his son stayed his ground, Harambes body lost its strength. Old age passed through its eyes; then, tion. Harambe nodded, and the vision dispersed, leaving behind only darkness with floating leaves and arge arm sculpted with muscles.

    But there was more. Lines were visible around the nothingness, throbbing muscles on the walls of Brocks soul, and he could feel that each of those was his. He was reiming his soul. The big arm was his, too, no matter how much it tried to control Brocks soul.

    The arm noticed Brocks rebellion and was enraged. It clenched its hand into a fist and swung at him. Brock saw Big Bros spirit in this fist, but he did not buckle. He did not cower. His Big Bro was a righteous bro; and what this hand was doing was wrong. It needed to be taught a lesson.

    Therge fist flew at Brocks face like a swinging log. It was asrge as his entire torso.

    Brock raised an open palm. As therge arm approached and he stayed his ground, it gradually shrunk to the size of his own fist. He grabbed it in his palm and wrapped his fingers around it, stopping it.

    Bro, he said, shaking his head. No.

    The fist resisted. It still sought to press on. Brock frowned and clenched his fingers, digging them into the fist and shattering it. With a violent shiver, the arm reformed, watching Brock like a snake in the bush.

    It wasnt an enemy; just an unruly bro. Like a child. And Brock was no longer a child.

    Having overpowered the fist, he approached it boldly. Its pressure now broke against his muscles like a hollow tide. The arm clenched its fist again, ready to fight to the end.

    Brock reached it. With the brightest smile on his face, backed by undeniable strength, he stretched out an open hand. Bro, he said.

    The hand hesitated. A momentter, its fist slowly unclenched, revealing an open palm. Slowly, as if in fear, it grabbed Brocks into a handshake. Brock shook it, reconciling his muscles with his soul. Bro, he said, nodding, and he felt the big arm return the favor.

    He knew the truth now. The hand wasnt his. It wasnt a tool to use, but neither was he a vessel for it to conquer.

    They were bros. And he was the big bro.

    The worlds borders opened before Brocks eyes. Suddenly, his entire soul shivered, and his mind split into a thousand pieces. Each found itself observing a different scene of peopleeither humans or brorisinteracting. In every scene, Brock was both an observer and an actor. It was a peculiar feeling.

    He observed, then took charge. Every situation was borderline un-bro. He slowly but firmly grabbed the scenes and set them straight. Every single one of them. It was a piece of cake. The correct decisions came naturally to him, as if emanating from his heartas if hed swallowed the rulebook that all good bros had to follow.

    He had learned about this rulebook. It was one of the broris most sacred entities, a fountain of knowledge that only the greatest of bros could master.

    The legendary Bro Code.

    Brock felt pride surge inside him. His knowledge and understanding were tested, but he prevailed every time. Before long, the thousand visions were all resolved, and Brock was back in his soul, but everything had changed.

    Therge hand waited quietly by the corner. It wasnt hovering in space anymore; it was now firmly nted into his soul walls, spreading its muscles around his soul and making it stronger. Brock could feel the change. Everything about him was stronger now. Every muscle, both physical and mental, was enhanced like hed been working out for ten hours straight.

    But that wasnt the biggest change. His soul was no longer a dark void. It was now lit with clear, bright light, and on its brown walls were lines and shapes. They werent letters of anynguage. They were representations of the unspoken rules that made up the worlds greatest book of conduct: the Bro Code.

    And Brock could read them.

    The Bro Code had be one with his soul, fused perfectly. No; perhaps that wasnt its real name now. It was the Very Big Thought of Brohood. Through contesting therge armthe Big Thought of MusclesBrock had directly conceived and perfectly merged with his soul the Very Big Thought of Brohood. In the same fell swoop, he had also fused the Big Thought of Muscles into his soul, too.

    Brock allowed himself a moment of unrestrained pride and tion; he could sense that what he had achieved was monumental.

    He opened his eyes in the real world, shocked by the changes in his body. He had just be inconceivably stronger. The Big Thoughts were part of him now, flooding his every nook and cranny, enhancing him way beyond what was physically possible.

    Only the Staff of Stone in his hand remained perfectly weighted. A confusing matter, but Brock couldnt bring himself to care. He was just so happy. He was no longer weak!

    The brown corridors now seemed inviting. He dashed through them, restless to meet an adversary and test his might. It didnt take long; only three corridors down was a blue crab, pinching tiny stone outcroppings off the walls and eating them.

    Brock skidded to a halt, staring down the crab. The crab watched him attentively; it hesitated between attacking or running. Brock smirked and hooked his finger at it, inviting it forward. He had already decided that this crab bro would be his sparring partner.

    The crab made up its mind. It attacked.

    A few moments ago, just this charge would be at the limits of Brocks perception. Now, it seemed almost slow. He didnt even need his Staff.

    Brock let the weapon fall, electing to meet this bro in bare-armedbat. He leaned away from a pincer, letting it clip his rib fur, then smashed a fist into the crabs face. The crustacean flew back,nded feet-first into a wall, and jumped at him again.

    Brock growled. Punching was his big bros area of expertise, but Brock wanted to walk a path of his own, lest he end up trapped in Big Bros shadow. So, what should he do?

    He jumped over the crab, which barely reached his waist. The pincers closed around empty air. Brock nted his palm on the crabs head, following its rotation tond behind it. Before the crab could understand what was happening, Brock had wrapped his hands around its body from behind and raised it above his head, leaning back and nting its head into the floor with all the power he could muster.

    The stone floor shook. The crab made a pained sound, its shell slightly cracked from the impact.

    Brocks face was split by a massive grin. He couldnt wait to show Big Bro how strong hed gotten.

    He jumped upright, ready to go another round, but the little crab had had enough. Deciding that Brock was more than it could handle, it turned sideways and sprinted away.

    Brock let it. After all, it wouldnt do for him to bully this little bro.

    Then again, what other fate awaited this crab? It would keep on eating stone until one of the bone monstersthe monsters that Brock knew how to avoiddevoured it. That was no life for Brocks sparring partner.

    That was no life for anyone, actually. Someone had to step up for the crabs.

    With a few quick steps, Brock caught up to the little crab and stopped it. It didnt fight back; it seemed almost resigned to its fate by now.

    Brock shook his head. <em>We have a lot of work to do, little bro. But dont worry. Big Bro Brock is here!</em>

 Chapter 187: The Treasure Trial

    Chapter 187: The Treasure Trial

    Jack, Longsword, and Bocor stood before a dark cave mouth.

    Well, the Lord said, guess we found something. What do you think, Jack?

    I think its a cave, and I also think that I cannot see in the darkness.

    Bocor snorted. Are you afraid, little man?

    Dont worry, Jack replied with a smirk. I know my way around caves. He wasnt angry. This cave was too nostalgic for that. After all, his entire journey had started in a little cave in the Greenway natural reserve.

    This one, as it seemed, wasnt too different from his. As they transitioned from thebyrinths straight-cut, well-lit corridors into the jagged cave pathways, carrying their own torch that Longsword had fished from his bag, their path was almost immediately cut short.

    Only a few feet into the cave stood a mirror. Or, rather, what looked like a mirror. An oval wooden shape embedded into the wall, as tall as a grown man and as wide as three of them. Its surface was covered in ss, but that was where the simrities to a mirror ended. Through it, Jack could see not himself, but a small cavern filled with treasure.

    There were weapons and sets of armor, all intricately carved and covered in jewels. A mound of gold coins at the back reached up to Jacks knee. There were fist-sized jewels on small pedestals. And, at the very end of the small cavern, a small gray orb rested on a red velvet pillow. The entire arrangement of the room seemed to point at that orb, as if everything else was merely a warm-up before the real treasure.

    Jack tried to scan it, but either he couldnt do so through the mirroror was it a window?or the item wasnt scannable in the first ce.

    But why was there a mirror-like window between them and the treasure?

    Just as Jack had that thought, the mirrors surface flowed and undted. The shapes inside it warped, turning from treasures in a cave into ss apparatuses and round faces, with desks, white robes, and a ckboard at the very end. Jack, to his absolute shock, found himself staring at one of thebs he used to teach in Northeastern University, separated only by a mirror and a few months of extreme change.

    What the hell? he asked.

    Are you seeing what Im seeing? Longsword asked, equally surprised.

    Yeah. But I mean Do you even know what that is?

    The Lord gave him an odd look. Of course I do. Its where I grew up.

    You grew up <em>there!?</em>

    My Lord, Bocor said, forgive my disrespect, but that is impossible. Someone of your stature would never set foot in this gambling den.

    What? Jack asked.

    What? Longsword asked, equally confused. What exactly do you see, Bocor?

    The minotaur frowned. Drunks, card cheaters, and scum of the earth. Bottles, dirty tables, standing beds, smiles, all arrayed under the statue of a grape-holding satyre.

    Jack took a second look. Still, all he saw was theb. <em>Am I hallucinating?</em>

    Oh, Longsword said, squinting at the mirrors top. His eyes brightened. Oh!

    Jack followed the Lords gaze, but all he saw was the mirrors wooden case.

    <strong>Mirror of Origins</strong>

    <strong><em>Unlike conventional mirrors, this one does not show the current self. Instead, it is an borate device that shows the observer a scene of their past, which they can experience and relive as soon as they step through the mirror.</em></strong>

    Oh, Jack repeated.

    We are all seeing different things, Longsword exined. I believe this is a Treasure Trial.

    A Treasure Trial?

    Yes. Not all Trials are tailor-made to their creators Dao. Some simply hold treasures, there for anyone to take. They are rarer, but also easier toplete.

    Oh, Jack said, turning back to the mirror. A Treasure Trial. Okay. I can live with that. So, what do we have to do?

    If I had to guess? Walk through the mirror, resolve whatever vision appears, then step into the treasure room and take everything.

    Hmm, Jack said. Did we all see the same ce before the mirror activated? A small cave with treasures and a prominently ced gray orb?

    I did, Longsword replied. Bocor nodded, too.

    So, thats the real treasure room.

    Most likely.

    Okay

    Jack cracked his neck, staring at theboratory in the mirror. There was a bit of nostalgia there. Surprisingly, only now did he realize that he hadnt thought about his past days at all since the Integration. He hadnt missed them in the slightest.

    <em>Talk about good life choices I guess I really didnt like it that much.</em>

    Should I go first? Jack asked.

    No.

    That was more decisive than expected. Jack turned to look at Longsword, who had just spoken, and raised a brow. Why?

    The Lord frowned at the mirror, considering his options. Finally, he decided, Lets go all at once.

    Jacks brows rose higher. <em>Why? </em>he considered again. It took him a moment to follow Longswords train of thought.

    They didnt know how long this Trial would take. How exactly does one cross a mirror? There was a chance it would be instant, but it could also leave them stranded for unknown periods of time. In other words, any trial-taker might be vulnerable.

    Therefore, Longsword didnt want to go first, in case Jackor Bocortook advantage of his vulnerability and assassinated him. At the same time, he also didnt want to let Jack lead, because whoever went first would also enter the treasure room first. If Jack was that person, he might sweep a few trinkets into his pockets, with nobody being the wiser.

    <em>Then, why not send Bocor first, as a test subject? </em>Jack wondered. There was only one reason: Longsword didnt trust Bocor, either. In that case, the only solution for Longsword would be for everyone to enter the mirror at the same time. Provided hepleted the trial first, he would not be vulnerable or prone to losing treasure.

    For the first time, Jack realized they were three men all on guard against each other.

    Very well, he said, approaching the mirror. It was tall as a man, but wide enough that all three of them could enter its surface side-by-side. Longsword and Bocor were already there, Longsword standing in the middle, head held high and hand hovering around the handle of his sword.

    A small rification, gentlemen, Longsword said before they entered. As the strongest person here, and as the leader of our small group, I get the lions share. Agreed?

    He turned to stare directly at Jack, who met his gaze.

    Jack expected this. He wasnt happy about it, of course, but there was nothing he could do, either. Longsword <em>was </em>the strongest person around. If he wanted the lions share, he could take it.

    Although, if this was Jacks group, they would have shared everything evenly.

    The fact that Longsword was so proactive in demanding more dropped his standing in Jacks opinion.

    Agreed, he replied, making sure to let his dissatisfaction show. The Lord didnt seem to care.

    Of course, Bocor also confirmed from the other side.

    Good! Longsword pped, recovering his jovial self. Then, lets get to it. On three. One, twothree!

    Jack dived into the mirror. Through the corner of his eye, he noticed that Longsword waited an extra half a second to confirm that both Jack and Bocor had entered. Only then did he enter himself.

    In the next moment, Jack found himself in theb he used to teach.

    Ah, Mr. Rust, a few students said, noticing him. Wee, sir.

    Jack nodded at them absent-mindedly. He was busy marveling at his surroundings. Everything was as he remembered. The faint smell of glue, the sunlight streaming in through the windows, the stale air. A picture of histe father, Eric Rust, sitting on a tall shelfthis was Jacksb, mostly, so he had the right to decorate it.

    He looked down at himself, finding the white robe he was so familiar with. The gloves, theb sses around his neck, the hair. Even the students were ones he recognized.

    Most importantly, his body had reverted to his weak, pre-System self. There was no Dao to be found.

    It really was a jump to the past, a punch in the gut. <em>What am I doing here? </em>Jack wondered. Taken back so suddenly, he realized that the difference in life quality was staggering. He was instantly drowned in the feeling of emptiness that pervaded most of his life, the dull routine that slugged his days. He remembered the existence of bills, rent, and loneliness. The weight of being forced into a life where he spent most of himself just to make ends meet.

    It wasnt <em>bad</em>. Not really. Many people had it worse. It just wasnt the kind of life he was meant for.

    Compared to the sheer joy of his post-Integration life, this ce didnt feel like home at all. It wasunfulfilling. Which was odd, really. Here, he had bills. In the System world, he had interster empires after him and the future of Earth on his shoulders.

    Howe he preferred thetter so clearly? Why did danger feel like his natural environment?

    <em>Was I always crazy? </em>he wondered, then smiled. <em>I believe yes.</em>

    Suddenly in hisb, Jack wanted to open the window and jump out onto the grass,y on it and take deep breaths. He wanted to feel the sun on his skin, to rx without having anything to do, to go say hi to his mother.

    Mr. Rust? a student said, interrupting his daydreaming.

    Jack reoriented on the presentor, at least, what the present looked like. Right, he said, walking to the front of theb. Remind me, guys. What are we going to do today?

    Extract banana DNA, sir, one student said.

    Jack nodded. It had only been less than three months since the Integration. He remembered how to do something as simple as that. Right. Lets get started, then.

    He wanted to go out and enjoy a day in this world. But, at the same time, there was something nostalgic to teaching this ss. He didnt want to betray his past like this. Let theb pass.

    Visions like this were about making the right choice, and Jacks instinct hadnt failed him yet.

    Two hours went by slowly, yet quickly at the same time. Jack didnt do much; he simply observed his students, asionally giving them pointers, correcting their technique, or giving out instructions for the next phase of the experiment. For a one-time thing, this wasnt too bad.

    Only towards the end of theb, when he had already spent more than an hour there, did Jack start to get worried. What if this was the real world? What if the System and everything else were just particrly vivid daydreams? What if he really was stuck here forever?

    He suppressed the fear of that thought. Eventually, theb was over. Jack made sure all the equipment was properly cleaned and stored. When thest student left theb, politely wishing him goodbye, he turned off the lights and walked through the door himself.

    And he was in a cave filled with treasure. He almost stumbled from the instant transition before regaining his bearings. He felt the massive strength coiled in his body, ready to be unleashed. The Dao in his soul; a powerful, revving engine.

    He was back.

    Before the smile even formed on his face, he had looked around and realized he was alone in the treasure room. Longsword wasnt there. Neither was Bocor. There was nowhere to hide.

    Jack was the first out.

    His eyes quickly scanned the room, falling on the object that was clearly the most precious. A gray orb on a red, velvet pillow. He could sense that it was scannable, but he didnt read its description. There was no time. Another thought was shing in his mind, an urge so pressing he didnt bother squeezing it.

    <em>Longsword is an enemy. We both know that, and not stealing from the enemy is stupidity, </em>he thought, approaching the velvet pillow. <em>I wouldnt have done this if he trusted me, but since he didnt Well, its a different story.</em>

    Of course, if he took the gray orb, Longsword would know. They had all nced at the treasure room before the mirror activated.

    But Jack had an idea. Because, in the hidden pocket behind his left thigh, rested an outwardly simr gray orb, except far less valuable. One called the Ticklish Pebble.

    With a swift movement, Jack switched the orbs, sliding the new one in his secret pocket and withdrawing his hand.

    What are you doing? a voice came from behind him.

 Chapter 188: Tricking a Lord

    Chapter 188: Tricking a Lord

    What are you doing there?

    The voice came from behind Jack, startling him. He turned around, still standing before the gray orbthe one hed reced with the Ticklish Pebble. Lord Longsword, he said with a nod. You made it out.

    Were you trying to steal that orb, Jack? Longsword did not seem amused, but disappointed. His hands were crossed behind his back, and the nine-foot-long sword dragged behind him and into the mirrors surface. He took the final few steps to dislodge it.

    I wouldnt dare, Jack replied. Plus, Im not stupid. You saw the orb before the mirror activated. If it was missing, youd be suspicious.

    Then, what are you doing there?

    I was curious.

    Curious enough to reach for the orb? Longsword had caught Jack right as he retrieved his hand after swapping the true orb for his pebble. Thankfully, as Jack stood between the orb and the mirror, Longsword hadnt seen his hands trajectory.

    Jack smirked. Oddly enough, yes. Just inspect it, and youll know why I tried to touch it.

    Longsword frowned. He took a couple steps to approach. Jack could feel the Lords entire body tense, only a thought away from drawing his sword and swiping it through Jacks midsection.

    That didnt happen. Instead, Jack only saw the Lords brows crease as he inspected the pebble.

    <strong>Ticklish Pebble</strong>

    <strong><em>A pebble thatughs when touched. While possessing only minimal sentience, it is useful for cultivators pursuing the Daos of Laughter, Joy, or simr, as well as cultivators pursuing the opposite Daos, like Grief or Sadness.</em></strong>

    He had intended to save this for Vlossana, but Obviously, he had to set priorities.

    So, Longsword said tly, you were trying totickle this pebble?

    Precisely.

    The Lord seemed torn between disbelief and ridiculousness. He slowly raised a hand to touch the pebble.

    Hihi, a small voice came from under it. Longsword frowned and pressed his fingers harder. Hihihi! The snickering was louder now, as if someone was desperately trying to hold back theirughter. Visibly hating his life, Longsword grabbed the pebble and raised it, turning it around to reveal a little mouth etched into its bottom,plete with stone lips and a stone tongue.

    The ticklish pebble finally couldnt contain itself and burst outughing, spitting stone flecks on Longswords hand. He tossed it to the ground. The pebble then rolled to a corner, where, untouched by anyone, it quickly stoppedughing.

    Are you toying with me, Jack? Longsword asked, his frows deeply furrowed. If yes, it is a terrible idea.

    I didnt choose the treasure, Lord, Jack replied. Only his impending doom stopped him from bursting out inughter. Its not my fault that whoever made this ce was in the mood for jokes.

    Bocor chose that exact moment to step out of the mirror, panting and looking slightly intoxicated. That intoxication melted away like snow in spring as he met Longswords re. Sir! He snapped to attention, scanning the room with his eyes. He quickly noticed the empty velvet pillow. Thats

    A joke, thats what it is, Longsword rumbled. He must have been very expectant of this treasure. It was the first time Jack saw him break character. A fucking joke by some fucking idiot.

    Thankfully, he wasnt looking at Jack as he said that. He suspected nothing. How could he? No matter how intelligent he was, what kind of madman would assume Jack had a simr gray orb in his pocket and managed to swap them in time?

    <em>Not to mention my poker face was great, </em>Jack thought with pride and arge amount of relief. His split-second decision to take the orb had been a calcted risk, but calcting the danger and tasting it up-close were two very different things.

    Bocor didnt understand what was going on, but he didnt speak again, unwilling to provoke Longswords ire. Instead, his eyes kept scanning the room until theynded on the out-of-ce pebble rolled up against a corner. He bent down to pick it up.

    Dont touch that! Longsword thundered. Bocor froze mid-crouch. He quickly drew back his hand.

    Should we get to splitting the treasure? Jack asked. Theres so much of it. The jewels, the weapons, the gold, the grand Ticklish Pebble

    Longswords rended on him like the smite of thunder. He looked deeply pissed.

    Sorry, Jack quickly apologized, realizing hed gone too far. I was only trying to lighten the mood.

    You find this funny, dont you? Longsword demanded. Jack didnt replyhe didnt want to lie, but nor could he say that he found this hrious. Longsword continued unabated. You rejoice in my frustration, is that it? You know you couldnt get the treasure, so youre happy that its trash.

    That is not the case, Jack replied, frowning. Plus, any treasure this deep in thebyrinth should have a use. The ticklish pebble might hold secrets.

    Is that so? Keep it, then. Let it be your share of the treasure. Im sure that the crown jewel of this trial is more than enough for an underlings share.

    Jacks frown deepened. Longsword was just bullying him now. They were surrounded by actual treasure; giving it up for just a funny pebble was a terrible deal.

    Longsword was in a bad mood, so he was punishing Jacks unruliness and cutting his losses at the same time. That wasnt proper conduct. He was basically cheating Jack out of his share.

    Of course, Jack had already gotten the actual treasure, but Longsword didnt know that. He was just being a dick.

    That is unfair, Jack protested calmly.

    I set the rules here, and I find it fair. You will take your pebble and be happy with it.

    Jacks body tensed up. He was the Fiend of the Iron Fist. The champion of his. Could he stand being treated like this, even if the alternative was death?

    The only thing helping Jacks mood was that he had cheated Longsword first. In truth, he was the winner of this trialhow could gold and jewelspare to a real treasure? Though he didnt have time to inspect the gray orb hed gotten, it had to be something good.

    In that light, Longsword was just throwing a losers tantrum.

    Jack still considered just fighting and dying for this insult. It took a significant portion of his willpower to keep that from happening.

    His Dao didnt control him. <em>He </em>controlled <em>it</em>. And dying like this would be really stupid, especially when he was the real winner here. A fist was an unstoppable force that never looked backbut punching a wall was just stupid. One had to time his punches right.

    Still, Jack promised to himself hed repay this insultterpreferably tenfold.

    Bocor looked at Jack with open mockery. Thankfully, that was an insult he could return immediately.

    What are you looking at, cow? Jack asked, snorting. Jealous that I get to at least exchange words with your master?

    Bocors face soured instantly, going through several shades of red. My Lord, he said through gritted teeth, turning to Longsword, Jack Rust is an unruly fellow. Even after traveling together for this long, he hasnt agreed to join you. How about we take care of him right now? My Animal Kingdom will remember this favor.

    Jack nced at Longsword. On the inside, his Dao was revving up, and he was ready to draw on the Life Drops powers at a moments notice. He couldnt fight Longsword, but with the Life Drop, he had a chance to escape. The mirror was right there, and from this side, it only showed the cave mouth they had originally entered.

    And, if that didnt work, Jack was prepared toy down his life to at least strike Longsword onceand kill Bocor.

    Everyone boiled in tense silence for a moment. Jack was ready to bolt. Bocor was ready to try and stop him. Longsword looked up with his eyes half-closed, calcting.

    I will not intervene in your factions conflicts, he finally said. Jack Rust was disrespectful just now, but he has already paid for it by giving up his share. That is enough.

    My Lord! He is just a wanted mortal, nowhere near the level of a confli

    Shut your trap, Bocor, Longsword barked. You understand nothing. This man has a rtionship with the Lady of the Exploding Sun, and I need her help to stand up to the Hand of God in Garden Ring. I will not involve myself in your faction struggles, and you will stay your hand until we reach Garden Ring, as I said. If you want to die after that, its your business. Am I clear?

    <em>A rtionship with the Lady of the Exploding Sun? </em>Jack thought. He had only ever seen her from afaronce. <em>Does she know Master Shol? And how does Longsword know?</em>

    Silence fell. Bocor was clenching his fists so hard they turned white. Yes, sir, he finally said.

    Good. As for you, he turned to Jack, who still watched from the side. His voice softened. I want you to know that conflicts like these happen all the time when treasure is involved. It is natural for people to get angry andsh out at each otherthough a person of my stature really shouldnt do so. What just happened doesnt make us enemies. It is just the natural way of the world. If you are ever the strongest party, I fully expect you to act with simr authority, and I wont say a word if Im slightly mistreated.

    Jack was conflicted. He didnt expect such a change of heart the moment Longsword regained hisposure. On one hand, what he said made sense. On the other Whenever Jack was the strongest party, he never mistreated anyone, nor did he lose his temper unjustly and act like a spoiled child whod lost his favorite toy. That wasnt natural or the way things worked. It was bullying.

    However, at the very least, he had to acknowledge Longsword extending an olive branch. There was even half an apology included in his words. As time went by, Jack got more and more convinced he didnt want to be this mans ally, let alone underling, but he had to admit that Longsword wasntpletely gone.

    He was a multiyered, intelligent, charismatic man. Too bad he was also a dick in disguise.

    That makes sense, Jack replied nonmittedly, tempering his Dao and urge to argue. It was nice to resolve conflicts nonviolently for a change.

    Good. Lets get to splitting the rest of the treasure. Bocor, I will take two thirds, and you will take one.

    Yes, sir. Bocor didnt seem to mind this split. It was probably what he expectedmaybe even more, judging by his suspiciously narrowed eyes.

    The rest half an hour was spent with Longsword picking out his share and cing it in the bag that hung from his beltwhich, apparently, wasrger on the inside. It easily fit all those weapons, armor, and golden coins despite looking barelyrge enough to fit a water canteen.

    Jack had even seen Longsword retrieve a portable bonfire from in there. It was called a Space Bag. Because it had extra space.

    <em>Scions sure are privileged</em>

    Bocor didnt have such a bag. Thankfully for him, Longsword took all therger items, so the minotaur was able to stuff everything else in his bulging backpack. The thing was the size of a small fridge. It looked almost funny against Bocors rough exterior and full te armor.

    The rest of the trip went by quickly. They were close to the guardians gates, with thebyrinth corridors now almost pitch ck. As a result, not only did traversing them hurt Jacks eyes and threatened his sanity, but the bleached-white bone monsters were exceptionally striking against the walls.

    There were also more of them.

    Thankfully, their group was made up of three strong cultivators, so none of the monsters posed a problem. The one time they ran into a Bone Lieutenant, the Elite version of bone monsters, Longsword personally took to battle and dismantled it. Even the crampy corridors, where his nine-foot-long sword barely fit, didnt seem to bother him.

    His strength was impressive. Jack would need his Life Drop to eke out a victory against this Bone Lieutenant, but Longsword made it seem almost trivial.

    Throughout the journey, the mood of the group was slightly more chilled than before. Longswords jovial banter had died down a bit, and Bocors res towards Jack had be less I want to kill you and more I hate you.

    Jack didnt mind. He had decided not to ally with these people, and he wasnt the type to cozy up to them for future benefits. He responded politely to Longswords chatting, but that was it.

    Truthfully, even peacefully traveling with them was more than he hoped for.

    The worst part was that he still couldnt inspect the gray orb. He didnt have the time to do it before hed gotten it, and now he was too afraid someone would spot it and connect the dots. He didnt even dare sneak a peek when nobody was looking, afraid of any hidden observation skills they may have. All he could do was feel it with his fingers, but it was just a smooth gray orb, cool and soft to the touch.

    The wait was unbearable. It was just in his pocket!

    En route, he kept practicing against Copy Jack whenever he got the opportunity. Every nightor, at least, every time they stopped to resthe could feel his Meteor Punch and Dao Root of Power grow closer to each other. He had alreadyprehended both to a good extent and was working on their fusion. All he needed now was a spark of inspiration.

    Unfortunately, that spark could onlye through battle, so he was forced to wait.

    Two dayster, the sound of voices reached them from deeper in thebyrinth. The corridors opened up to reveal a small za andrge, bronze gates.

    They had reached the Guardian.

 Chapter 189: Naujaâ€™s Trial

    Chapter 189: Nauja¡¯s Trial

    Nauja appeared in a dark corner. She was instantly on guard.

    There was little she could make of the surrounding space. Everything a few feet away from her was darkness. There could be anything out there.

    However, Nauja was a trained warrior. She immediately fell into a crouch and directed her eyes slightly downward, away from the toches above. The better limated to the darkness her sight was, the earlier she would see attacksing. At the same time, she focused on her hearing and made her breathing silent, keeping an ear out for any sign of iing projectiles. Her bow was already drawn, with an arrow of wind gathering on its string.

    <em>How should I proceed? </em>she asked herself.

    As it turned out, she didnt have to. A short moment after she appeared, the room burst with light. Lines of torches lit up on the walls, gradually illuminating a long, narrow chamber. Bare stone walls surrounded her on all sides. She stood on a narrow ledge in one end of the long room. Ahead of her ledgeyplete darknessa seemingly bottomless chasm.

    There was nothing on the other side of the chamber. No ledge, no door. No windows anywhere. Just her, her ledge, the torches, and the abyss. Everything else was bare stone.

    Nauja wasnt used to enclosed spaces. In the Barbarian Ring, she was either in her hut or in the jungle, and this sealed room was even worse than thebyrinth. The stuffy air she only just noticed and the absence of any windows or doors pressured her deeply, making panic rise in her chest.

    She fought to push it down. This was not her home. The outside world was dangerous and alien. She had to keep a level head for as long as she was here. Make her tribe proud.

    <em>And now what? </em>she thought. A second look around the room revealed nothing. <em>What am I supposed to do?</em>

    Wee, trial taker, a voice suddenly boomed. No form appeared; the voice came directly from the walls. It was feminine, spoken with authority and seriousness. My name is Veheil Maestro Cir, a Breaker of the Crimson Cloud faction.

    Naujas body seized. A Breaker. That wasso strong. The equivalent of the B-Grade. An impossibly distant realm.

    <em>Wait. She called herself a Breaker. Thats the name my people use!</em>

    Before she could consider this further, the voice continued.

    On the behest of my Faction Head, I am leaving behind an inheritance for the future generations. I shall transmit upon you my greatest Dao Skill, the Sun Piercing Arrow. This is the technique that earned me my position as Faction Elder and my moniker: Sun Killer.

    A moment of silence. Nauja didnt respond; she understood this was a voice projection, and that the person who made it was probably long dead.

    However, the Sun Piercing Arrow will not be transmitted to the unworthy. To seed in my trial, you have to prove your archery, my skills prerequisite. You will be presented with a series of targets on the far wall. You are to hit them all unerringly. If one arrow hits the wall, you will be expelled from the trial and banned from re-entering. If you use means other than archery, you will be executed for disrespecting me. You may use any archery-rted skills you possess.

    Nauja gulped. This woman, Veheil Maestro Cir, did not seem patient. Yes, Elder, she replied with a slight bow, more topose herself than to cate the voice projection.

    You may begin, the voice finished, then faded away.

    A stone basket shed into existence behind Nauja. It contained exactly thirty-three arrows, each forged of iron, with steel tips and tails of crimson feathers. Before she could stop herself, Nauja walked over to the arrows and picked one up. It was heavyit felt more like a weapon than any arrow shed held before.

    The sound of popping air drew her attention to the far wall. Nine targets had appearedred circles the size of her head, each with a color gradient that started red at the periphery and ended at a white dot in the center.

    The nine targets hung on the far wall, arrayed in three rows of three; a perfect square. This task didnt seem too difficultthe far wall was only a hundred feet away, and Nauja was a high E-Grade archer.

    There was no time limit, either.

    Her gaze returned to the arrows. From what she could tell, she didnt <em>have </em>to use them. Her wind arrows were an archery-rted skill. However, this was an easy shot, and these arrows were too well-made to ignore.

    She nocked one on her bowstring. It was far heavier than her wind arrows, or even her normal, wooden onesnot enough to encumber her, but enough to pull her shot down. Shooting straight would take a lot of strength.

    Thankfully, strength was an archers staple.

    Nauja pulled her bowstring as far back as she could manage. She could feel her bow strain under the tension, but it was made from the heart of an elder treant, able to handle even the full strength of a peak E-Grade archer. The bowstring itself was nine tyrannosaurus hamstrings entwined tightly around each other.

    This bow had taken her father a week to forge.

    Its ends curved a bit inward as Nauja pulled, aimed, and released. She shot a bit higher than usual, just in case. The iron arrow pierced the air, shrieking as it flew. It embedded itself in the middle target almost instantly. Surprisingly, it didnt pierce too deep; the entire tip disappeared, but the body of the arrow was fully visible.

    The target was made of very hard wood.

    Nauja kept this information in mindif she shot too weakly, the arrow might not even stick to the target. Good thing she used these heavy arrows instead of her wind ones.

    Grabbing another eight arrows, she quickly hit all visible targets. Besides the first onewhich she hit halfway between the outer edge and the centerall the rest hit bullseye. It was an easy shot for her; nothing more than a warm-up.

    The moment she struck the ninth target, they all disappeared. A momentter, they reappeared in pristine condition, with the arrows missing. However, they werent stationary now. They hovered just before the far wall and moved around at high speed; some went right and left, others up and down, yet more diagonally or in a circle.

    The trajectory of each target was set, as was its speed, but they were fast. This was a far harder task than the previous one.

    Were getting started, huh? Nauja said, unable to keep a smirk from emerging on her face. She aimed for one of the targets. She took a moment to clearly observe its trajectory. She calcted its position, taking a practice shot with no arrow on the string. She got it right.

    Then, she nocked an arrow and smoothly hit the target.

    She did the same for the other eight. These shots werent easy, but they werent too hard, either. Since she could take her time, she managed all nine without breaking a sweat, though she was no longer hitting dead-center. One of the arrows hit close to the edge, making her curse.

    The nine targets disappeared.

    When they reappeared, again in pristine condition, Nauja frowned. They were still moving in set trajectories, but this time, their speed wasnt constant. They went slower and faster at set intervals, but not at the same ces of their trajectory every time. The periods of their spatial and speed fluctuations werent the same.

    Nauja bit her lip in concentration. This was going to be difficultand, even worse, there were fourteen arrows remaining in the basket. Since she wasnt supposed to miss a shot, it meant this was not the final test.

    But she could do this.

    She pulled the string without an arrow, observing the first target. She took her time. A minuteter, when she felt she had it down, she did a practice shot. The result was unclear; it might have missed. Biting her lip, she tried again and again until she was confident she would seed. Then, nocking the arrow, she observed the target, stilled her breath, and took the shot.

    It hit halfway between the center and the edge.

    Nauja released her breath. She could do this.

    For the rest of the eight targets, she always took her time, between one and ten minutes per shot. She wanted to be sure. Some were harder than others, toothe one moving in a circle was the trickiest of all.

    All the while, she kept imagining the results of a single miss. She would have to go out there and tell Gan Salin she had failed. She would have to tell her father that she squandered the one opportunity she had to get stronger.

    But an archer needed a clear mind. She kept the thoughts away with all the strength of her will, and made the shots.

    Thankfully, she got them allthough she almost missed the circle one.

    Nauja released a deep sigh of relief, but she knew the trial wasnt over. The targets disappeared again; when they reappeared, there were only four of them, but they were ridiculous. Not only was their speed seemingly random, but so was their trajectory. They were crawling along the far wall without rhyme or reason, making random turns at random intervals.

    Nauja was speechless.

    <em>How the hell am I supposed to hit those!? </em>she cried out inwardly, but she didnt dare speak her thoughts aloud. The voice hadnt seemed easygoing; who knew what hidden failsafes she had installed?

    She bit her lip in thought. If the movement of the targets was random, she would have to rely on luck. After all, even though her arrows flew fast, there was still an interval between firing the shot andnding it. If the target just randomly moved away during that interval, if it elerated or slowed down hard, it could cause her to miss. Even her wind-guiding skill, which could slightly alter her arrows trajectory mid-air, could do little at this short distance.

    She really hoped their movements were notpletely random. Therefore, she set her sights on one target and begam observing it.

    A minuteter, it still seemed random.

    Three minutester, still random.

    Only after ten minutes did she get a sense of the targets movements. There wasnt a pattern, per se. It was more likeabination of several patterns. Like the target was an animal; its movements were random, but not <em>too </em>random. Moreover, each target was moving in slightly different ways; one was erratic, like a rabbit, while another was more purposeful, like a triceratops.

    There were two ways to shoot an animal in the jungle. The easiest one was waiting for it to stay still, but these targets never stopped. The second way was to try and identify when the animal was in a set trajectory, then predict and shoot it. For example, an animal running away from a predator was predictableit would just follow the most direct route away.

    Unfortunately, these targets werent animals. They werent going to run away from anything. How could she know when theyd fall into a pattern?

    Nauja bit her lip. Patience was an archers friend.

    She watched the targets for half an hour, trying not to memorize their patterns, but rather get a feel for how they moved. Instinct was a powerful force. One that was often overlooked.

    Nauja opened her mind and watched. When the half hour was past, she kept watchingobserving. She had all the time in the world. No matter how bored or frustrated she got, she wouldnt give up on this opportunity.

    At one random point, it struck her. The targets werentpletely random; they chose their paths <em>in rtion to each other!</em>

    When that clicked, everything began to make more sense. One target was a predator; it usually moved <em>towards </em>the other three targets. The others were prey; they liked to move close to each other, but prioritized escaping the predator when it approached enough.

    Naujas eyes red with realization.

    Of course, her task remained difficult. These patterns were nowhere near easy to see. The targets still moved erratically and almost unpredictably. Even when she focused on just one of them, she couldnt predict its movements. But she could see the driving forces now. She could calcte when the target would change directions because of the predators presence nearbyas well as where it would head: in the exact opposite direction.

    Nauja yed the game for a while. She kept trying to see the patterns. She didnt need to predict everything; just the split-second after she shot, at any moment she wanted. She could do this.

    Keeping her eyes on the target, she reached for an arrow and nocked it. She was holding still inplete concentration. Her eyes were taking in the movements of all four targets, focusing on the one she was aiming for.

    <em>There!</em>

    She released the arrow before realizing what she was doing. Panic overtook her in the split-second when her shot was in the air. Had she rushed it? Should she have waited more?

    Time slowed down. It seemed like she was going to miss. Then, the target abruptly rushed aside, directly into her arrow.

    She hit dead-center.

    Nauja released another deep sigh. This trial brought immense pressurebut it wasnt anywhere near over. She couldnt afford to rx yet.

    She returned her attention to the targets. The arrow sticking out of one of them didnt seem to change their patterns. That was good. Nauja focused on another. Ten minutester, her eyes flickered, and she released her shot.

    It hit the target near the edge.

    One hourter, all four targets were cleanly pierced through, even the predator one, which had been the most difficult. Nauja was sweating all over. There was an element of luck in this trial; if there had been more targets, she might have missed the fifth or sixth shot.

    Thankfully, she had seeded.

    Nauja hadnt mentioned this to Jack or Gan Salin, but she was actually a pretty good archer. She was by far the best in her tribe. Even in the surrounding tribes, it was hard to find someone who could meet her shots. She always came first in all contests.

    Even the arrow-wielding delvers were defeated by her, with the exception of one man two years ago, who was a Lord.

    That this Trial pushed her to her limits spoke volumes about its difficulty.

    However, even after shooting all four targets, Nauja didnt allow herself to rx. There was still one arrow in the basket. The trial wasn''t over.

    She waited for thest target to appear, but none did. After a while, she began to wonder whether the trial waspleted already, but the voice didnt speak.

    <em>What is happening?</em>

    Suddenly, a creeping suspicion entered her mind. She focused on the far wall and squinted, running her eyes over its entire surface.

    There. Right in the center of the wall was a tiny white dot. A target only the size of her fingertip, a hundred feet away.

    The final test.

    <em>Are you kidding me!?</em>

    She wanted to call out the Trials ridiculousness. This was clearly a joke. How was she supposed to hit something like that? She was barely able to see it!

    Even when she hit the other targets dead-center, it wasnt <em>that </em>dead-center.

    And yet, the final arrow waited in the basket, and the voice was not speaking up. Left with no choice, Nauja grabbed the arrow and nocked it. The shot was unfairly hard, but not impossibleafter all, she was nearly an immortal.

    Unfortunately, mock shots wouldnt help with this one. Neither would observation or patience. This was a test of pure archery skill. All she could do was aim and shoot.

    Nauja half-pulled on the string and focused. She let her breath die out. Her world narrowed to a point. The Dao of Archery flooded her mind, making her one with the bow, and the Dao of Wind rose in the space between her and the target, ready to guide the arrow precisely to its destination.

    Nauja took a deep breath. She blinked to clear her vision. Her entire body went taut and still, like a statue, as her eyes pinpointed the dot that was her target.

    She loosed the arrow.

    And missed.

 Chapter 190: Sun Piercing Arrow

    Chapter 190: Sun Piercing Arrow

    The arrowtip hit the stone a few millimeters to the right of the target, embedding itself in the wall. Nauja froze in her stance. Her mind struggled to believe this.

    She didnt actually think she would miss. She had convinced herself she would seed. And yet, reality was merciless. She had missed.

    <em>Wait! </em>she pleaded mentally. <em>The edge of the arrowtip grazed the target. That might be enough.</em>

    Unfortunately, the rules of the trial were clear. Any arrow that touched the wall would mean disqualification.

    Nauja felt such hatred, both towards herself and the creator of this trial, that she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her. How would she look anyone in the eye after this?

    She had tried so hard!

    Thirty-two out of thirty-three, the voice boomed. She sounded dissatisfied. Disappointingbut, since we need <em>someone </em>to seed every few years, it is barely eptable. I will distribute a weaker version of my skill to you, trial taker. If you fail to use it properly, nobody will ridicule me. And, if you somehow rise to the skills level in the future, you may be able to evolve it to its original strength. Farewell.

    Nauja took some time to process what she heard.

    <em>I</em>

    Before she could think any further, her world transformed. She was no longer in a stone chamber in Trial. She now hovered over the tip of a mountain, high above the clouds of an unknown.

    For the first time, Nauja saw the real space. She was paralyzed. The stars felt so immeasurably far away. Two suns burned bright in the sky, and the sheer emptiness around her made her dizzy.

    She had never felt happier in her life.

    Under her feet, a woman stood on the mountaintop. She wore leather armor and had long, flowing, sapphire hair. Her eyes were purple, her skin tanned, and she held a dark purple bow in her hands, as if made of crystal. It had a white bowstring with runes carved all over its length, so tiny Nauja almost couldnt see them.

    <strong>Saphira, Level ??? (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Crimson Cloud (A-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Breaker</strong>

    The woman aimed her bow at one of the two suns and pulled it. An obsidian arrow was nocked on the string, an object so heavy it seemed to draw in Naujas gaze and curve the world around it.

    The woman aimed, still as a statue, and shot.

    The moment her arrow went loose, Nauja felt a terrifying suction at work. The entire world was pulled to the arrow. As it flew, everything, from the air to the clouds, was tugged along. This arrow was ripping off the worlds Dao, absorbing it for itself, using it to d itself in ever greater power.

    It wasnt growing weaker with distance, as normal arrows would. Instead, it was growing stronger, a multi-colored outline manifesting around it like a mantle, until the arrow itself was just the core of a muchrger, ever growing power.

    Nauja saw it disappear into the sky, aet heading upward, directly into one of the two suns. As she took a second look, her eyes widened. That wasnt a sun. It was arge orange bird, d in mes and exuding such extreme light that her eyes had mistakenly took it for a sun at first, not daring to stare at it directly.

    She couldnt even use the System to inspect it.

    The bird cawed, and the world shook. Space trembled. The mountain under the woman crumbled, leaving her floating on thin air. Some of the arrows mantle was ripped away from the birds cawing and intense mes, but over half of it remained, and it stabbed into the bird with cataclysmic force.

    The world exploded in colors. The force didnt impact Nauja, who was only there to watch the vision, but something else did. Suddenly, she was ripped away from the vision and tossed far back, interrupted before she could see the explosions results.

    The voice had mentioned a lesser version of the skill. This must have been it.

    Nauja was sted out of the vision and into her body, finding herself lying on cold stone with an intact statue beside her and the deep sound of a gong in her ears.

    Are you okay? Gan Salin said, kneeling over her. Dont worry about failing. Look! I carved our faces into the stone!

    She took a moment to respond. What?

    Our faces. Under your butt. Look.

    She looked under herself, only to find a surprisingly urate rendition of her face on the stone floor. Salins face was right next to hers, making a grimace. If she wasnt still reeling from the vision, she would have admired his stoneworking skill.

    What? she repeated.

    Salins voice was full of excitement. So, how was it? Difficult, obviously, but was it scary? Inspiring? Did you get anything before failing?

    I I didnt fail. Not exactly.

    Really? Then, why is the statue still standing? Was it not a single-person trial?

    Usually, high-level trials allowed only one person to im them. When that happened, the trial statue would copse to show that the trial was no longer avable, but the one behind Nauja was still standing.

    The barbarian finally recovered enough of her mind to respond properly. I didnt seed, but I didnt fail, either. I got a lesser version of the skill left behind in the statue.

    A skill? Ohh, thats great! What does it do?

    It She frowned. I think it allows me to shoot an arrow that gets stronger as it travels instead of weaker.

    Sounds useful!

    Yeah. I saw the trial creator use it to shoot down the sun.

    The sun!? Salins eyes grew wide as saucers. What Grade were they?

    B-Grade. But it wasnt really the sun. Just a very bright bird.

    Bright as in, smart?

    Bright as in bright.

    So, the sun was a bird.

    No, there was an actual sun too I think. I didnt look at it, to be honest, but it was probably the real sun.

    How do you know that if you didnt check?

    Because I know it, okay?

    Okay. So, the vision taught you that suns are made of bird.

    No.

    Then, birds are made of sun.

    Salin.

    What? Your answers are confusing.

    You are asking confusing questions.

    Im just trying to understand. And why did the trial creator want to take down the sun? That sounds really bad for anyone under it.

    Again, it wasnt the real sunand, I dont know why. I guess they were enemies.

    Thats a stupid enemy to make. Its literally the sun.

    Its literally <em>not </em>the sun. And thats none of your business. Can we focus on this awesome new skill I got?

    Salin opened his mouth to say something more, then seemed to realize something and paused. It sounds amazing! Can I see? he finally asked.

    Nauja smiled. She was so excited. Maybe she didnt have theplete skill, but it was the signature skill of a Breaker!! It was about time someone shared her enthusiasm!

    I cant use it yet, she admitted. But I got the vision! If I just meditate on it, I will get the skill, sooner orter. And then, I will be able to shootrge dinosaurs from far, far away. Father will be so proud. <em>If I ever see him again, </em>she added mentally. Every cultivator could only enter Trial once in their lives. If she left the to see the world She would never be able toe back.

    That was the sad reality that had been chasing her ever since she left her tribe. The dilemma faced by every barbarian who chose to delve. Nauja tore her mind away. She would consider it when the time came. Who knows; maybe shed die in the meantime.

    In any case, this was her moment of triumph. She wouldnt let anything cloud it. Not even the looming, heart-breaking decision.

    Should we get going? she asked, finally standing up. Salin politely extended a hand to help her, which she usedbarbarians had manners, too.

    Yep. We should have a headstart, but if I miss the fight between the Garden Assault and the Guardian, I will regret it for the rest of my life.

    Is it that spectacr?

    Oh, you have no idea. Its probably the only time in your life that youll see E-Grades standing up to a D-Gradeand not losing terribly.

    Her eyes sparkled. The strongest people around She <em>had </em>to see them fight. Then, what are we waiting for?

    Nothing. Lets go!

    Salin jumped and punched the air, with Nauja following after him as they exited the temple. They were back in the crampy corridors now, but she didnt mind. Her mood was at an all-time high. Nothing could ruin it.

    Suddenly, she paused. Wait, she said, raising a hand. Do you hear that?

    Hear what?

    That. She frowned, focusing on her hearing. Its likeandslide?

    Salin raised a brow. Does it sound like something we should get the hell away from?

    Oh, absolutely.

    They bolted. However, there was a limit to how quickly they could cross thebyrinth. There could be bone monsters hiding anywhere; they had to tread cautiously.

    Soon, however, the sound after them intensified so much that even Salin could hear it clearly. It sounded like an avnche of pebbles raining on the stone floorsor like a centipede of bone marching their way. And, if there was a bone centipede, it could only be the bone monster version they had yet to meet: the King one.

    By that point, it was toote to be cautious. Nauja and Gan Salin ran at full-tilt, making some distance from the source of the sound, which was apparently chasing them.

    Generally speaking, Labyrinth Ring didnt have dead-ends. Most of its paths connected to others, making for a confusing terrain where you had no idea if you were moving forward, backward, or in circles. To navigate it, people usually needed either Naujas sharp eyesight, which could detect the miniscule changes in wall coloration, or a device like Lord Longswordspass.

    asionally, however, thebyrinth did house dead-ends. And, as luck would have it, it was exactly such a dead-end that Nauja and Gan Salin ran into as they were escaping the sound.

    They both screeched to a halt.

    Fuck, said Nauja.

    Shit, said Salin.

    They turned and prepared to run again, but the sound was too close now. It was approaching fast. Before they knew it, it sounded like it was just behind the corner, ready to jump at them and tear them apart. They could no longer escape.

    The two of them exchanged a look. I guess this is the end, Nauja said with a small smile, drawing her bow. Traveling with you wasnot terrible. Its an honor to die by your side, Gan Salin.

    Same, Salin replied, putting on his wed gloves. It was about time, to be honest. Ivested more than I thought I would. At least, nobody will miss me back home.

    Dont say that! Naujas eyes went wide. I will miss you. Jack and Brock will. And certainly your family.

    Salin chuckled. You dont know my familybut thanks. I appreciate it.

    That was all they had time to say before the abomination rounded the corner. It was a flood of hard blue, with shells and pincers sticking out haphazardly, and a thousand little legs moving the flood from underneath, while bone shards trailed on the ground behind them.

    Wait. Were there little muscles on the crab arms that held those pincers?

    Between the skittering crabs walked a young brori, reaching just above Naujas waist. Seeing them, his eyes brightened. Stop, hemanded, and the crabs froze. The brori then looked up at Nauja and Gan Salin, who were equally frozen. Hello, bros.

    Brock? they both said at once. Brock nodded.

    Yes. Brock. Little bros, hi.

    The crabs all waved in unison. Nauja gaped. Gan Salin startedughing uncontrobly, until he ended up rolling on the floor.

    Brock! he cried out. I fucking love you, dude!

 Chapter 191: Introductions

    Chapter 191: Introductions

    Brock was pretty proud of himself. He had saved his little crab bros.

    Dying to bone monsters all the time just wasnt good. Therefore, Brock had gathered them up and taught them how to defend themselves.

    First came training. He taught the crabs how to raise their pincers, not to snip pebbles off the walls, but to defend themselves against predators. After all, even though they were far weaker than the bone monsters, they had much room to grow! Since Brock had taken over as their big bro, he couldnt just let them waste their potential.

    Then came grouping up. By themselves, the crabs were too weak. No amount of training would let them defend against the bone monstersat least, not in any reasonable time frame. However, they were also far more than their predators. Just touring the corridors alone was stupid.

    Starting from the first crabthe one he wrestled into little brohoodBrock ventured into the corridors to find more of them. He was followed by an ever rising number of obedient crabs. Every time they met a new one, his little bros would quickly convince the new crab that Brock was their big bro. Brocks little squad grew until it was nowhere near a squad anymore, and was instead hundreds of crabs rushing over each other in their haste to receive the teachings of their big bro.

    Brock held lectures and work-out sessions. He had the crabs lift and spar against each other. He had them run up and down the corridors and walls. He taught them how to fight as a group, separating into smaller squads to surround their predator, burying it under sheer numbers. Even how to send out one crab as bait to lure the bone monsters into ambushes. Finally, he also taught them how to scout for approaching bone monsters.

    They werent bad bros. In fact, they were excellent. Obedient, smart, and thirsty for knowledge. They made him so proud.

    The crab training took one day. When Brock was done with them, the crabs had evolved from harmless crustaceans to hardened veterans. They had scouts, hit squads, and battle formations. They could hatch proper ns, protect their own, recruit and train new crabs, and gradually expand throughout the stone corridors.

    They were set to conquer thebyrinth, forever banishing the bone monsters. Brock had started a war.

    But it was war against oppression, so it was fine.

    After the bro bootcamp was over, the crabs apanied Brock to the guardians gate. They knew where it was, obviously, and took him there by the fastest route.

    En route, they also defeated two bone monsters! Brock was so proud.

    And then,pletely identally, they ran into girl bro and dog bro! Brock had so much to show them. He had gotten much stronger. He had trained all these little bros.

    They seemed surprised, which was odd, but Brock didnt give it much thought. He also noticed they seemed scared when he first found them. They must have been having a terrible time in the crab brobyrinth. Thankfully, Brock was here now. As their big brohe was Big Bros first little bro, so he had seniorityhe would protect them.

    After girl bro and dog bro joined his group, Brock led everyone to the Guardian. Nothing much happened in the meantime. Any bone monsters were quickly assaulted and overrun by crabs, with their bones taken along as war trophies.

    Soon, the walls were pitch ck, and the sound of faraway voices began to reach their ears. Brock raised a hand. Stop, hemanded, and all the crabs came to a halt.

    Big Bro had taught him to think before acting. Now, as much as he wanted to introduce these little bros to their Big Big Bro, he knew it would be a bad idea. There were more people up ahead. Strong people. If anything went wrong, his little bros would be in trouble, and he would have dragged his big bro into it as well.

    That shouldnt happen.

    Brock waved goodbye to his little bros. Manly tears sparkled in his eyes. They had grown so muchthey didnt even need him anymore.

    He shook the pincers of each and every one of them, then wrapped them into a group hug. Finally, he waved as the crabs disappeared around the corner, off to conquer their little corner of the world and manifest their full potential.

    They grew up so fast

    Nauja, Dog Bro said, I think we just witnessed a fate-turning event for Labyrinth Ring

    I dont even know what to say anymore Girl Bro shook her head. Brock knew why Girl Bro was lost for words. She did not understand the concept of bro yet. Neither did Dog Bro. But, as their big bro, Brock would make sure they understood. It was his duty.

    After all, if he could handle a hundred crab bros, why not Dog Bro and Girl Bro?

    ***

    When Jack entered the chamber, it felt like surfacing out of water. He hadnt even realized how confined he felt inside thebyrinths tight corridors.

    The guardians gates were a set of giant bronze doors. Each rose a hundred feet, all the way to the ceiling of this stone chamber, taking up the entire far wall. Torches dotted the other walls in regr intervals, forming a grid that stretched over the entire chamber.

    The chamber itself was round in shapesave for the straight far wall. Twelve exits led back into thebyrinth, leaving a hundred-foot-radius empty circle in the midst, where cultivators gathered in anticipation of the battle.

    There were around a dozen people present in the chamberthough none of the other lords. Jack quickly scanned them all. Most were at or near the peak of the E-Grade. They wore mainly armor or flowing robes that didnt obstruct movement, and they belonged to all sorts of species and factions.

    One of them was the ice witch that belonged to Longswords team. She was speaking to someone else, but quickly broke off when Longsword appeared and came to greet him. Besides her, Jack saw a genderless stone golem, a snakeman, a humanoid woman with draconic features, as well as a man with gills and fins. The rest were all humans.

    Of factions, he finally learned some more B-Grade ones. The stone golem belonged to Titan Mountain. The draconic woman, to Dragon Valley. The merfolk, to Deep Sea Shrine.

    With the Animal Kingdom, Wide Swirls, and Exploding Sun, he now knew six of them. Three to go.

    The moment Jack, Lord Longsword, and Bocor entered the chamber, all conversation hushed, and all eyes turned to them.

    Lord Longsword, a few people said, approaching and nodding deeply.

    My friends, Longsword greeted everyone,ughing and shaking their hands. Im d to see you made it. Did you have any luck?

    A few people had smiles on their faces. Others, presumably the ones who hadnt found a trial, looked disappointed. It seemed that thebyrinth wasnt too generous.

    Suddenly, however, he felt out of his depth. The cultivators who made it here were the gxys cream of the crop. These were talented scions of B-Grade factions, disciples of high-level cultivators, or otherwise privileged prodigies.

    Jack, inparison, was justJack.

    Alone as he was, without Brock, Gan Salin, Nauja, or anyone else, he suddenly felt vulnerable. Like he didnt fit.

    These cultivators all had carefully-crafted upbringing. They socialized like nobles. Longsword quickly joined their dance,ughing and chatting in groups, moving along like a social butterfly. These were all powerful people, and their interactions were an intense, jovial procedure that Jack had trouble following.

    Even Bocor joined them, not forgetting to throw Jack a final re. Longsword, on the other hand, just ignored him. He had realized by now that Jack was never going to be an ally.

    Jack was left alone for a moment. Though he had arrived with Longsword, the others saw how the Lord paid him no attention, so they followed suit.

    Hello. A woman approached him, in direct spite of his previous thoughts. Her smile was bright. My name is Leafborn.

    <strong>Human (Earth-74), Level 119</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Wide Swirls (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Sixth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    She was from the same faction as Longsword, but speaking to Jack meant that she and the Lord were on bad terms. Everyone else took note of that.

    Im Jack Rust. Nice to meet you, Jack replied politely.

    Funnily enough, Jack had been in such settings before. Back when he was a PhD student, he often saw professors interacting with each other, and he engaged in these social settings himself every time he attended a conference. Those times were very simr to what he now sawexcept these people had their PhDs in fighting, not science.

    Though, wizards may qualify for science, too.

    In any case, Jack did not enjoy this very much. There was joy to be found in these social dances, which is why they urred, but he now followed the path of the fist. Convoluted matters didnt fit him.

    Therefore, he simply remained polite and tried to make friends.

    Leafborn, the human woman whod first approached him, introduced him to the stone golem and the snakemanwho seemed like a nice person, in spite of all fantasy stereotypes against his species.

    Jack made polite conversation, keeping some distance. He wanted to make friends, but he didnt want to get swept up in anyones political games. The conversation still taught him a lot of things about the universe and its peculiaritiesalong with how unusual it was for someone so recently Integrated to get this far.

    Thankfully, he didnt stay there for long. Soon after Jacks group, another group arrived at the chamber: the Exploding Sun Ladys.

    Again, everyone paused. Some people went over to greet her, while others returned to their conversations. Jack approached her, too, as did Lord Longsword.

    Priya, Longsword said with a beaming smile. You are fast.

    Not as fast as you, she replied. Getting in early has its benefits. She was a woman in her twenties, with tanned skin and white strips wrapped around her wrists, like those a fighter would wear. She wore a red flowing robe that left her fit arms exposed, and her eyes were sharp as she took in Longsword.

    Beside her was a fat man with arge smile, who instantly created a friendly impression in Jacks mind. There was also a captivating woman with long silver hair, whose eyes pierced Jack like a moon beam. All three were humans of the Exploding Sun faction.

    This is Jack Rust, Longsword introduced Jack, mentioning him directly for the first time since arriving. We met in thebyrinth, and we helped each other make it through.

    Jack Rust? Priyas eyes focused on him. Why is your name familiar?

    During my Integration, a member of your faction became my master. Master Shol. I believe he was a deacon?

    Her eyes lit up. Ah, of course! Brother Shol has spoken about you. Its impressive that you made it here, Jack, but dont worry; I will protect you from here on out.

    Thank you, but I believe I can protect myself, he replied. Her kind eyes turned intrigued, and her smile didnt falter, but grew.

    So be it, then. I look forward to fighting by your side.

    Inwardly, he heaved a sigh of relief. On the outside, he smiled confidently. Likewise.

    And, lets have a chatter, okay? There will be plenty of time.

    His smile widened. Sure. He looked forward to hearing about the Exploding Sunand his master. With any luck, they might even help him save Earth.

    Raucousughter came from the side as the fat man approached. What a brave brother! he shouted, stretching out a hand. Lets get along, brother Jack. The names ChotuChotu Malhotra. And the beauty here is Kareena. He motioned at the long-haired woman, who raised a brow at him.

    I can introduce myself, Chotu.

    me me for wanting to help.

    In any case, Im Kareena. She turned to Jack. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

    The pleasure is all mine, he replied.

    Have you heard anything about Minerva? Longsword asked Priya. Minerva was the Hand of God Lady. If youre here, I assume

    She should be arriving soon, Priya responded. We ran into her in thebyrinth, actually. It should be any moment now.

    On cue, three more forms appeared from the side corridor. All three wore ck, and all were peak E-Grades from the Hand of God, but they belonged to different species.

    At the front walked a tall, slender woman with pale skin, thin features, and dark hair that reached below her shoulders. Her ck gown reached her ankles, and there was a certain gravitas to her steps, like shemanded the very earth she walked on, along with everyones attention.

    Longsword and Priya approached her at once to exchange greetings.

    Following Lady Minerva were two people; one was a tall, slim man with light green skin, who had the ears of a deer. He wore a long, brown robe, while his eyes were slightly farther apart than a humans.

    <strong>Dryad, Level 124</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Hand of God (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Sixth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Jack was intrigued, but his attention was instantly stolen by the second follower of Lady Minerva.

    This was a pale-skinned man with ck eyes, d in a formal ck suit that seemedpletely out of ce in Trial. To Jacks surprise, he knew this man, all the way from Earth.

    He was Vocrich, the Hand of God representative on Earth, the one who hosted the Integration Auction andter turned a blind eye to the Animal Kingdoms excessive bullying.

    Shit, Jack said.

    After the initial surprise, he realized that Vocrich being here made sense. He was at the peak E-Grade, had never revealed a Ring Conqueror title, and had good standing with his faction, since he was sent to oversee Earths Integration. He had probably secured a good reward after selling out Jack, too.

    Come to think of it, Nauja had also mentioned the Hand of God having someone with darkness powers in Space Ring.

    The two of them immediately locked eyes. If anything, Vocrich seemed more surprised than Jack himself, and walked over to meet him.

    Jack Rust, he said, looking him up and down. Seeing you here was thest thing I expected.

    Yeah. Im not dead yet. Surprise.

    It is. Vocrich smirked. And I have to admit, your progress is superb. If we didnt have a rule against epting wanted criminals of any B-Grade faction, I might have invited you into Hand of God.

    I would refuse, Jack replied with a smile of his own. You left me to die at the end of the Tournament. I thought you were supposed to observe the rules.

    Vocrich frowned. That was business. What fool expects the rules to actually be followed?

    Yeah, I know now. Doesnt mean its right. Just to be clear, I dont hold too much of a grudge, but Well, a little bit. I believe an apology would go a long way.

    Vocrichughed. You know, you are actually the reason Im here in the first ce. The business deal I made with the Animal Kingdom gave me the capital to join Lady Minervas teamand, if not for some unforeseen circumstances, we would have a lot more Hand of God members here.

    Jack looked around. Besides the three of them, he actually couldn''t see anyone from the Hand of God.

    He also had a sneaking suspicion that the unforeseen circumstances were him enteringand revealingthe Ancient ruins. Gan Salin had mentioned that the Hand of God members in Trial started asking strange questions right about then. Given the gravity of the Systems announcement, it wouldnt surprise Jack if the Hand of God had pulled most of their people from the Garden Assault to focus on finding the ruins.

    Im d my near-death helped you, Vocrich, he said.

    Me too, my friend. Lets stay out of each others way, okay?

    Well see.

    With a final smile, Vocrich walked away. He actually seemed to be in a good moodthe pr opposite of Jacks.

    <em>Guess Im enemies with two Lords already. Nice. At least the Exploding Sun people seem nice.</em>

    Your attention, everyone, Lady Minerva spoke up, finally done with greetings. Her voice was light, intense, and faintly bored, as if addressing these cultivators was a chore. Since all Lords are present and we have enough people, we will move to fight the Guardian immediately. It will take some days for a new Guardian to be created, so anyone who arrives hereter will have the opportunity to enter Garden Ring as well.

    Everyone murmured in agreement. Jack, however, had a thought.

    Excuse me, he asked, raising his hand, this might be a given for everyone else, but I suppose we will all fight the Guardian together to get the Seventh Ring Conqueror title, right? In that case, will the people who arriveter get it as well?

    Lady Minerva stared at him for a moment before responding. Everyone present will assist in taking down the Guardian. Even we Lords cannot handle it ourselvesthough we will weaken it for you. As for anyone who arrivester, no, they will not get the title. Entering Garden Ring is more than enough for them.

    Jack hesitated. That meant his friends, who werent here yet, would miss out. However, he couldnt exactly ask everyone to wait, could he? Especially since the majority of this group were either neutral towards him or enemies.

    At that moment, however, one more group entered the chamber from behind Lady Minerva. It was Gan Salin, Nauja, andbless the gods and all that was holyBrock.

    Jack felt such relief at seeing his brori safe and sound. Brock gave him a thumbs-up while Gan Salin waved intently.

    Jack turned back to the Lady. Nevermind, he said. All good. Lets fight.

 Chapter 192: Fighting an Immortal

    Chapter 192: Fighting an Immortal

    Three sets of hands were ced on the door. The three Lords were all human, scrawny in size and smooth of skin. The doors, on the other hand, were colossal constructions of bronze, aging back to antiquity and seemingly unmovable.

    They swung open smoothly. After all, opening the door was not the Guardian. The thing behind it was the Guardian.

    Therge double doors opened soundlessly and easily, like they had been pushed by a giant. They crashed against the walls with a loud bang that made everyone jump, flooding the Guardians antechamber before streaming into the many corridors.

    Behind the doors, anotherrge chamber was revealed. This one was not empty.

    A rectangr room, around a hundred feet tall, another hundred wide, and three hundred long. An ancient, dusty air suffused it, like it had been centuries since itst opened. Six thick, stone columns were spread around its length in three rows of two. A wide red line was painted on the floor, leading from the entrance to the far end of the room, where the antechambers light did not yet reach.

    Suddenly, torches lit up on the walls. They started from the entrance and stretched to the far side of the room, arranged in orderly lines, suffusing the room with light. A throne was revealed on the back. And, sitting on it, was the king.

    <strong>Bone King, Level ??? (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>The final evolution of Bone Sentinels. As it defeats its victims and add their skeletons to its own, a Bone Sentinel gradually increases in size and power until it breaks through.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>A Bone King is the apex of that process. It has devoured thousands of E-Grade skeletons, enhancing its body until it lost any resemnce to a person. It possesses extreme strength, durability, and dexterity. It usually cultivates the Dao of Bone.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr Bone King is the Guardian of this Trials Labyrinth Ring.</em></strong>

    The Bone King was a gargantuan monstrosity sitting on a throne of bare stone. From the waist up, it was a humanoid skeleton, but ten times the size. Just its palms were the size of Jacks body, ending in sharp ws another half as long. Its face was humanoid, but red mes burned in its eyes, and its teeth were far sharper than they had any right to be, more like an animal than a human. Its skull was topped by a circle of sharp bone appendagesa crown of bone, befitting its name as Bone King.

    From the waist down, however, the Kings body was that of a snake. Endless bones made up a slithering tail the girth of an ancient tree, long enough that it could wrap around the base of the throne twice.

    The King sat on its throne with its head resting against a palm. As the torches around it red to life, shedding life on its ugly visage, the red mes in its eyes red back. The King raised its head, and the undeniable aura of an immortal spread around the room, easily overpowering the Daos of everyone present.

    Jack stood in a line with everyone else behind the three Lords. Before the force of the Bone Kings Dao, he felt as brittle as a leaf, fighting just to keep the spark of his Dao alive.

    The three Lords were taking the brunt of the pressure. They stood tall before this almighty enemy, weathering its storm with the weight of their souls. They truly were strong, these Lordsthe very best E-Grades the gxy had to offer.

    But their opponent was a D-Grade. There was an undeniable, unbridgeable chasm between them. Thankfully, the Lords were three, and they had the support of more than a dozen other cultivators, each at least at the peak E-Grade level of power.

    The King observed the cultivators. When they didnt copse to its pressure, it slowly stood. Its tail uncoiled under it, half resting on the ground and the other half supporting its massive upper body. Its Dao intensified.

    Jack gulped. There was pressure to that Dao. It wasnt just its depth; its nature itself was pressing against them like the lid of a coffin, burying them under the crushing weight of their own deaths.

    The Dao of Bone.

    It was about death. About the end of everything. At the same time, it was hard and sharp, a truth hidden underyers of lies. Brutal.

    That was all Jack could glimpse of the things Dao. Its finality brought to mind his own Brutalizing Auraa skill that would never work on such a superior opponent. He brought up his status screen, which he hadnt seen in a while, to get courage.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 94</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 375</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 375</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 375</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 80</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch II, Iron Fist Style II, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist te), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Sixth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Level 94.

    ording to what Longsword had told him en route, this creature was at the very bottom of immortals, a fledglingpared to true cultivators. The difference between 94 and 126 seemed smallbut it signified an ocean of power.

    If Jack faced this monster alone, he would perish instantly. Even the Life Drop could only prolong his death by a couple instants. Thankfully, however, he wasnt alone. He wasnt even the frontline.

    Is everyone ready? Lady Minerva, the Lady from Hand of God, shouted. Her simple-looking leather belt shone. Three shapes jumped out of it, materializing from light into creatures. One was a yellow-furred bear the size of a buffalo. Another was an eagle, whose wings ended in sharp tips. The third was an ancient-looking turtle whose shell was wider than a dining table.

    Prepare yourselves! Longsword shouted back, drawing his nine-foot-long sword. He looked tinypared to Minervas beasts, but his towering aura eclipsed theirs. His sword aimed at the ceiling. This is your chance to make history! This is the time when mortals kill immortals!

    The cultivators behind him roared in response. Jack couldnt see Longswords face, but he knew the man was grinning.

    Lady Priya of Exploding Sun didnt speak. Her open palms were suddenly d in fire and light so bright Jack had to look away. Their power was enough to shake the air, coloring it yellow.

    The Bone King stepped off its throne, signaling the start of the battle.

    Priya, Longsword, and the three beasts charged at once. That was the n. They would go first to weaken it, so the other cultivators could attack without dying instantly.

    The Bone King fell low. Its upper body was now parallel to the ground as it slithered forward at great speed, bing a blur like a moving train. Its sharp ws opened wide to tear the Lords apart.

    It fell on them hard. ws shed through the air. Bone glistened in the torchlight. The ng of metal on bone filled the room, along with the beasts roars and cries.

    In that brief instant, Jack caught Longswords sword meeting a w head-on. Priya blocked its other hand, burning like a sun between its fingers. The turtle jumped into the Kings mouth, sharp teeth rending its shell, while the bear and eagle fell on the King, striking with all their might. The bear smashed a paw into its side, cracking ayer of bones. The eagle carved a long line into its back, sending bone shards flying, but the King was made of many, tightly packedyers of bones. These attacks werent enough to bring it down.

    All those things happened in an instant. Time seemed to freeze as Jack observed everything. Then, the world returned to motion.

    Longsword was sent flying. He smashed hard into a column, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Before he could recover, the Bone King came after him. Longsword jumped. He used his sword to climb the column. The King climbed with its tail around it, ws tearing deep grooves into the stone. Longsword reached the top and leaped into the void. The King jumped and bit down on him. The eagle swooped in from the side and picked up Longsword, barely saving him from the Kings jaws, which mped shut just behind him.

    This battle was not easy. Everyone here was risking their lives, including the Lords. But what cultivator wouldnt?

    The Kingnded on the ground and leaped to the side, aiming at Priya. She flew back like an arrow. Suns blossomed on her palms, and she threw them at the King, who took the strikes like they were nothing. To Jack, it looked like she was throwing bombs.

    Longsword descended from above, released by the eagle. He fell with his sword pointed down and pierced clean into the Kings back, eliciting a scream that threatened to burst Jacks eardrums.

    The King turned and swatted behind him. Longsword jumped away, dodging the blow, then pulled back his sword and used it as a lever to pull himself to the ground, dodging yet another swipe.

    The bear rammed into the King, shoving it aside. Both lost their bnce. The King stumbled before its tail coiled around the bear, squeezing it tight and keeping it in ce. It turned and prepared to strike.

    Priya was there. She had arrived at the Kings side like a shadow. Twin suns blossomed in her palms, growing in size until they wererger than her body, then she mmed them into the bone.

    The explosion was deafening. The released heat was enough to burn the skin of any normal person, even where Jack was standing. Bones flew everywhere. An inhuman scream came from the mes as a w of bone tore through them, splitting the fire like it was water. Priya had already dodged.

    A gaping hole nowy open on the Kings side, but it wasnt enough. The wpleted its motion, tearing into the bear and cutting through its rock fur like it was nothing. The Kings palm mmed against the bears back as the five ws tore into its body, destroying its insides.

    The Bone King then grabbed the bear from the inside, raised it into the air, and tossed it at the entrance, where every other cultivator was waiting.

    They scattered like flies. One guy got clipped and flung at a wall. The bearsrge body rolled on the floor through everyone, spraying blood and innards before colliding with the far wall and staying there, unmoving. It was already dead.

    A cry tore through the battle. The eagle and turtle were angry at the loss of theirrade,ying into the King with wild abandon and little regard for their lives. Lady Minervas belt shone again, and a new beast appeared. This one was a white wolf, which instantly jumped into the fray.

    The Bone King roared. The sound shook the stone columns and rocked thebyrinth. Its Dao burst out at full power to sweep everyone, making them falter. In that split-second, its jaws bit at the turtle again, cracking and denting its shell. It wouldntst another blow.

    The Kings ws swiped at the eagle, but it managed to recover from the stun and barely dodge.

    Longsword was there again. His sword cleaved halfway through the Kings body, cutting through bone like it was butter. The King roared, losing some control over its body, but its tail came swinging from the back, mming into Longsword and sending him flying into the stone throne.

    Priya shed next to the wound Longsword had opened. Her palms became suns that mmed into the broken bones, infiltrating the Bone Kings body and incinerating it from the inside. The King roared as it burned.

    Again, it tried to hit her, and again it missed. Priya dodged two strikes, moving in ways that defied gravity andmon sense, then hurriedly retreated and kept her distance, panting.

    The wolf was there. It fell on the Kings back jaws-first, grabbing hold of its spine and refusing to let go. The King squirmed and tried to reach behind its back, but it couldnt. It then crashed back against a column, dislodging the wolf, and backhanded it away right as the eagle swooped by, carving yet another deep line into the Kings short throat.

    The King tried to roar, but its voice came broken.

    Now! Minerva shouted from the entrance.

    Jack and everyone elsewith the exception of Brock, who was too weak to participatehad been waiting for that signal. They rushed in. Jack felt his adrenaline spike. His body was on fire. His skills were at the tips of his fingers, just waiting to be unleashed.

    The King roared again, a caricature of its former, mighty sound. Despite itsrge size, it had been injured.

    Its Dao, however, remained whole. It was like a de hanging over Jacks neck.

    He charged.

 Chapter 193: Felling the Bone King

    Chapter 193: Felling the Bone King

    A w came Jacks way. He barely ghost-stepped away, seeing therge, sharp bones carve the stone floor like it was water. His fist shone purple. He unleashed a Meteor Punch at the arm as it recovered, but all his explosion did was break the surface bones. There were many moreyers underneath.

    <em>How can I be so weak!? </em>he thought, eyes wide. <em>I may not be at the Elite level yet, but Im stronger than peak E-Grade monsters! Is this all I can do?</em>

    Yet, the harsh reality was right in his face. Compared to the Lords and the Bone King, he had a long way to go. He couldnt even use his Life Drop.

    Grab its arms! Minerva shouted from the entrance.

    The other cultivators around Jack sprang into motion. Magic flew everywhere. Explosions filled Jacks ears. Light blinded him.

    Keeping tabs on the Bone King was all he could do. He charged with a roar, channeling a Meteor Punch.

    The fat guy from Exploding SunChotusuddenly turned golden and gigantic. He grabbed one arm of the Bone King, struggling to keep it to the ground. The turtle fell on him as well, as did several other Physical cultivators.

    The King tried to tug its arm free, but the cultivatorsbined pressure stopped it for an instantenough for the eagle to fly in its face, carving it up with its talons. The King roared. The wolf jumped on its back again, tearing bones up with its strong jaws, as Priya shed under the Kings belly and mmed a sun into it. The explosion raised its entire body by an inch.

    Longsword flew back into the battle, holding his ribs with one hand and swinging with the other. His sword cleaved through the upper-left part of the Kings face, cutting it clean off.

    The King, realizing it was losing, went berserk. Its body erupted and thrummed with power. It threw everyone off its arm, then cleaved around wildly. Priya and Longsword dodged. Many others were not as lucky, cut into ribbons or shattered by the Kings attacks. Jack himself had to ghost-step away, narrowly dodging certain death.

    Green power filled the air. The long-haired woman of Exploding SunKareenaand the dryad of Hand of God both raised their hands, releasing life magic. It swam into the injured bodies and healed them, giving them the strength to fight again. Even Longswords ribs were repaired.

    Of course, those who died instantly could not be saved.

    The moment the healing magic was activated, the Bone King snapped its head that way like it smelled anathema. The healers were already running, but the Kings tail mmed into the ground and propelled its upper body forward, ramming through some cultivators and sending them flying.

    Jack was one of them. He felt a colossal impact against his crossed arms, then the world spun until a stone column brought him to an instant halt. He fell to the ground, groaning and unable to stand. His ribs were broken. Through the corner of his eye, he spotted the King rampaging. It was trying to reach the healers while everyone else was taking the opportunity to pummel it.

    A sun smashed into its head and exploded inside. The wolf tore its spine apart. Longsword cleaved at the base of its tail, and the eagle was swooping by quickly, forgoing caution in favor of damage.

    But the King, being a D-Grade monster, was notpletely stupid. It suddenly stopped and raised its hand into the air, grabbing the eagle mid-flight and crushing it. No healing magic could bring it back.

    It threw the eagles body into the healers as if mocking them, causing them to jump aside and give an opening. It then ignored that opening to spin around itself with its arms extended, maiming anyone who didnt react in time.

    That was a lot of people.

    Chuto, the golden giant, had no time to dodge. He used his open palm to block the strikean impossible endeavor. He was sent flying back in a straight line, crashing against a wall hard enough that the crack of his bones was audible over the din of battle. Priya screamed and jumped at the King, her entire body radiating intense light and heat. She smashed into its head like a smite from the heavens, unleashing an inferno that charred its bones ck.

    The King tried to roar again, but its voice was long gone. All it managed to do was open its mouth in a silent cry. A new beast flew in therea sparrow smaller than the previous eagle, but also faster. It lodged itself into the Bone Kings throat and started cutting around wildly with its ws and sharp wind tips. The King tried to chomp on it, but the sparrow was too far back. The King then wed at its mouth, but Longsword cut off its hand before it could reach.

    It then swiped at him with the other hand, ignoring the sparrow, but the turtle and wolf attacked it at the same time, tipping it over and making it crash face-first into the ground.

    In the blink of an eye, everyone was on top of the Bone King. Magic filled the air. Powerful strikes cracked bone. Colors abounded. All the elements had gone haywire. Darkness expanded around the Kings head, cutting off its eyesight.

    Jack realized he had recovered. His prodigious regenerative powers had stitched back his ribs. He jumped into the battle, hovering over everyone else and unleashing a Meteor Shower on the Kings back, digging deeper and deeper even as it squirmed under them.

    With a final push, the King raised its body, throwing them all off. It faced the ceiling and roaredand, in its moment of defiance, Longswords sword cleaved through its neck from behind, severing it.

    A head of bone crashed onto the stone floor, its jaws closing one final time. The red mes went out. Its colossal body copsed slowly, rolling forward onto the floor until ity slumped and motionless.

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 95.</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 96.</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 97.</strong>

    Silence pervaded the chamber. Then, a massive cry of triumph. Everyone yelled at the same time, celebrating their lungs out.

    They had killed an immortal.

    ***

    Jack waded through the battles aftermath. He saw bodies strewn aboutsome of the gxys brightest geniuses, fallen in their quest to glory. The iron stench of blood filled the chamber. Broken bones crunched under his feetall that remained of the D-Grade Bone King.

    Healers toured the bloody chamber, helping the few wounded that remained. It was towards one such healer that Jack paced, slowly, absorbing the destruction around him.

    Violence was ugly. But it was his path.

    His steps brought him to a stone column, against the base of which leaned a man with canine tendencies. Salin, Jack said in greeting. Are you okay?

    HeyJack.

    The canine had received a backhand from the Bone King, which almost shattered his entire body. Only the long-haired womans fast reaction had saved him. Yet, despite the excruciating pain he had undoubtedly experienced, Salin looked ready tough again. His lips were crooked into a smirk with one eye closed. All the pain in the world couldnt touch himor, at least, so it seemed.

    Thank you, Jack said to the healer still tending to thest of Salins wounds. She was Kareena, the woman with long silver hair who was part of Lady Priyas team.

    Dont mention it, she replied, not taking her eyes away from Salin. In battle, we are all brothers and sisters. This is the least I could do.

    Jack nodded. Right then, a small shape dashed before him, then stopped and extended a fist. Jack smiled and bumped it. Whats up, Brock?

    Bro, Brock replied, giving Jack a thumbs-up. That carried all the meaning in the world.

    Jack had seen Brock before the battle began, but he remained overjoyed. His little bro had broken into the E-Grade! That was terrific! Not to mention the army of crabs hed reportedly amassed.

    Nauja followed right behind Brock. As an archer, she had remained near the chamber entrance during the battle, so she was safe. Nice fight, shemented. That move of yours was shy.

    Meteor Shower? Thanks. Its my strongest one.

    She nodded. I am also working on a new skill. I tried to use it during the battle, butI dont quite understand it yet.

    The one you got in the Trial?

    Yes.

    It wille. Ive experienced two Dao Visions so far. One was harder than the other, but both gave me insights. Its just a matter of time.

    I guess. I just cant wait! She smiled radiantly. Jack smirked back. He was stupid to worry.

    What did you say its called? Arrow that Cuts the Sun?

    She scowled. Not even close. Its Sun Piercing Arrow.

    Thats what I said.

    Not even close! What kind of name is Arrow that Cuts the Sun? First of all, it doesnt make sense, and second, it sounds terrible. Arrows dont even cut. Even a child could think of a better name.

    Whereas Sun Piercing Arrow is an artistic masterpiece.

    Whatever, Mr. Meteor Shower.

    Jackughed. From the side, he could practically sense Salins urge to say something stupid. Too bad his chest remained caved in, making every word a struggle.

    The battle against the Bone King had been bloody. Four of the twenty-three participants had perished, along with two of Lady Minervas beasts, and many more had been injuredso many that it took the healers hours to patch up their most grievous wounds. In the meantime, everyone else conversed with theirpanions, took in the battle and its aftermath, and prepared themselves for what was essentially the final ring of Trial: Garden Ring.

    Unlike every other ring, Garden Ring was more a reward than a trial. The cultivators who made it there could just walk around and collect treasures, enter Trials, or pursue other benefits. Of course, there <em>was </em>danger if you wanted the very best rewards, but most people were content with what was freely offered.

    The greatest danger in Garden Ring was other cultivators. When presented with such wealth, disputes arose easily, and nobody stopped people from killing each other. Even the three Lords and their teams would be ughtering each other for the greatest treasureas Longsword had told Jack during their journey.

    Just like the Integration, Trial was designed to be a massive meat grinder. Many people died or failed, but those who proved their worth received enormous benefits.

    In light of the next Rings circumstances, the rapid socialization had dwindled after the battle. Everyone knew they were finally at Garden Ring. The person they befriended today might be the one to kill them tomorrow.

    The bodies of the fallen were buried in a corner of the antechamber. The hard stone that made up the floor was nothing for these strong cultivators. A massive rock was ced over themon grave, announcing the names of the fallen to those who woulde next.

    As Jack learned, thebyrinth cleaned and restored itself between batches of cultivators. Thebyrinth itself was actually a small part of the entirebyrinth Ring, constantly rolling around its surface to reveal new walls, corridors, trials, monsters, and throne rooms. Meanwhile, everything outside the currentbyrinths bounds was magically restored to its original state.

    In other words, this grave would disappear soon. But the action still mattered, for everyone knew it was only luck that they werent the ones in the tomb.

    Then, led by the three Lords, everyone walked to a small passage behind the Bone Kings throne. It was shortonly thirty feet in lengthand leading to an empty pedestal. It was a teleportation device like the one that had transported them to Labyrinth Ring, except made of bronze instead of iron. That meant the teleportation wouldnt be random.

    The Lords and their teams were the first to touch the pedestal and wink away. More groups followed, while Jack was content to take his time. In the end, only he and his group remained.

    Instantly, Jack reached for his hidden pocket and retrieved the gray orb hed taken from thebyrinths Treasure Trial. He hadnt dared inspect it before, even when out of range, afraid of anyone in Longswords team having an advanced perception skill. Now, however, that the Lord had warped away, he had his chance.

    Whats that? Nauja asked.

    Jack snuck a nce at the orb.

    <strong>Repeat Exploding Orb, E-Grade</strong>

    <strong><em>This orb can hold enough power to match the all-out attack of a peak E-Grade cultivator. When thrown with force, it explodes on impact, instantly releasing all the power it has umted. The orb itself is unharmed from the explosion. Its inner formation absorbs power from its surroundings, refilling its reserves over the next thirty System hours. It is then ready to explode again.</em></strong>

    <em>Huh. Thats useful.</em>

    An item I got in thebyrinth, he exined, but keep it a secret, okay? I kind of stole this from Longsword.

    Gan Salin raised both brows, while Nauja nodded. Sure, she replied. Good job.

    Thanks. What do you think about it?

    Thats a very strong item, Salin replied. Explosive orbs are not too umon in the gxy, but they have limited utility because theyre one-use items. I have never heard of one that can be used repeatedly. It is a very cost-effective item in the long run. I bet it can be sold for a stupidlyrge amount of credits.

    Really? Is it worth selling?

    Depends. If you have someone at the F-Grade or early E-Grade that you want to protect, this item is a godsend. It can basically save their lives once a day. If not Then, yeah, just sell it when were out of here.

    Hmm. Do you want it, Brock?

    The brori quickly shook his head. He then mimed that such a strong failsafe would limit his future growthlet alone the un-bro-ness of relying on such an item.

    Jack nodded. Hed expected that. For now, the orb would remain a strong weapon in his possession, and he would reconsider after leaving Trial. He just had to be carefulif Longsword saw this item, he would understand he had been tricked.

    Lets go, he said, re-pocketing the orb. If we take too long, people will get suspicious.

    Holding Brock from the shoulderjust to be sureJackid his hand on the bronze, and space warped around them.

    When he recovered, he quickly looked around. This was the eighth ring of Trial: Garden Ring.

    Where everything would be decided.

 Chapter 194: Garden Ring

    Chapter 194: Garden Ring

    Garden Ring was a peaceful ce. A wee change after the forest, the dinosaurs, the vige, space bubbles, and thebyrinth.

    Grasnds stretched as far the eye could see, interspersed with the asional small tree or bush. Grass des swayed in the wind, dancing to its silent tune, and the faraway fences resembled farms.

    Of course, that was only from afar.

    Garden Ring was a grasnd dotted by gardens. The cave ceiling here was only five miles high, with the now-familiar sun mushrooms growing in regr intervals, and the Ring itself was a sphere so small in radius that its curvature was clearly visible in the distance.

    There was no danger to the grasnd or the gardens. Garden Ring was the reward for everyone who had made it this far. The grasnd was meant to let the cultivators rx and cultivate in peace, while the gardens held rewards that one could im either freely or by passing certain testsbut nothing dangerous.

    Each garden held its own, unique rewards. They were surrounded by tall wooden fences and filled with light mist, not letting the cultivators peek in, but they had gates with the gardens name clearly visible. The closest one to where Jack appeared after teleporting was named Herb Garden. The next was Beast Garden. ording to Gan Salin, there was also a Dao Garden, a Body Garden, a Mind Garden, a Soul Garden, a Magic Garden, a Weapons Garden, a Tools Garden, a Spirit Garden, and a Knowledge Garden. Thest and most precious of them was Trial Garden.

    Twelve gardens in total, each tens of square miles in size. Together, they upied half of Garden Ring.

    Besides the gardens and the grasnd, there were two unique locations. One was where Jacks group appeared after teleporting; a stone circle on the ground with a pedestal in the middle. That pedestal served as both the entrance and the exit of Garden Ring, teleporting everyone outside when they touched it again.

    The second unique location was a closed door that stood a hundred feet away from the stone circle. It was twice as tall as Jack, with a bare wooden surface. Behind it, however,y nothing. It was just a door standing on the grasnd by itself.

    Whats that? Jack asked after looking around.

    The ninth ring, Salin replied from the side. All of them had teleported together this time. The Final Ring.

    And its justthere? Nobyrinth to cross? No trials to pass?

    Salinughed. The Final Ring is easy to ess. However, it is impossible to conquer.

    Oh? Jack raised a brow. Right then, System screens popped up.

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Sixth Ring Conqueror upgraded to Seventh Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +30%  +35%</strong>

    <strong>Garden Ring Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Lay im to the current Top Treasure: Dao Sprouting Pill.</strong></li></ul>

    Oh, Jack repeated. No need to reach the next ring this time.

    There is no point. As I said, the Final Ring is right there.

    Right. And conquering it is impossible?

    Salin nodded. The Final Ring is the smallest of all. Just one room. One battle. Achieve victory, and you will make history in the gxy Too bad its impossible, he added quickly, spotting Jacks interested look. Youll see. Someone will face it soon enough.

    Jack looked around. They werent alone on the stone circle. Everyone had teleported. He could see the three Lords, each standing with their two followers. He also saw several other teams of cultivators talking amongst each other in hushed or excited tones. Only the Sages team was missingeither something had happened to them in thebyrinth, or they just hadnt made it in time to face thebyrinths guardian.

    Everyone present was sneaking nces at the Final Door.

    What is going on? Jack asked.

    This time, it was Nauja who exined. Delvers have a tradition for this ring. When they arrive, one of them will cross the Final Door and face the Final Guardian.

    Really? So they just sacrifice someone?

    There is no danger to their lives. The Final Guardian doesnt kill anyone, as long as theyre respectful.

    I see. Jack looked at the three Lords, wondering which one of them would step forth.

    Not them, Salin intervened. The Final Guardian may not kill the challenger, but getting publicly beaten up is still humiliating. The Lords wont stain their reputation. Traditionally, it is always one of their followers who

    Trial has been a hell of a ride! A voice boomed out among the cultivators. Bocors. He stepped out of the pack, walking directly to the Final Door. My strength may be insufficient to conquer this, but I will never be satisfied unless I give it a shot. Let I, Bocor Aximar of the Animal Kingdom, face the Final Guardian and bring glory to my faction.

    Of course its him, Nauja whispered, rolling her eyes. Like hed lose a chance to humiliate himself.

    Humiliation is temporary, but power is forever, Jack replied. Even if he cant win, fighting that guardian could be a beneficial experience.

    Salin shrugged. Eh. There is a difference between a fight and a stomp.

    Is it really that strong?

    I told you, its impossible even for the Lords. For Bocor Well, youll see.

    As Bocor approached the door, everyone looked over. He stood before it. His horns reached slightly over its halfway mark, and even his wide shoulders seemed smallpared to this doors width.

    Bocor put his hands against the double door and pushed. It opened soundlessly. The terrain behind it wasnt the grasnds. Instead, a throne room was revealed, simr to thebyrinth guardians but far grander. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lit candles were stuck to iron columns, and a warm red carpet stretched from the entrance to the end of the room, where a man sat on a golden throne.

    As Bocor stepped into the room, the man slowly opened his eyes. He looked like an old human, what with his white beard and wrinkled skin. However, there was an edge to him. His beard was sharp and trimmed, his eyes piercing. He donned a set of iron armor, like a medieval knights,plete with a red cape, a helmet that only left his face exposed, and a red cape that stretched behind him and over the top of the golden throne.

    Another challenger, he muttered as he stood. His eyes were fixed on Bocor, but more with criticism than interest. Another unworthy child. Why must you remind me of our descendants weakness?

    Greetings, elder, Bocor said, bowing low. I am here to receive your teachings.

    All you will receive is a good beating.

    Salin leaned to Jacks ear and whispered, The Final Guardian is always like that, even when Lords challenge him. Do you see now why they dont want to face him?

    Jack didnt reply. Even though he was looking at the Final Guardian through the door, it felt odd, like there was a very thin gauze between him and the room. Though the door remained open, Salin had made it clear that only one person could enter at a timeand, as Jack snuck a look around the door, he still only saw grasnd.

    <em>Is it a wormhole? </em>he wondered.

    Additionally, he couldnt scan the Final Guardianor Bocor, now that he was inside the throne room.

    Brock must have felt equally baffled. As everyone had crowded around the door to watch, he raised a hand and gently prodded the opening. Something stopped him, an invisible wall. Intervening in this battle really was impossible.

    Suddenly, the Final Guardian hefted his mace. His cape billowed in an unseen wind. The chandeliers rocked on the ceiling, and the candle mes flickered. An invisible force spread throughout the throne room, suffusing it so hard that a hint even leaked out of the Final Door, showering the world in its might.

    Jack held his breath. That was the power of the D-Grade. The Final Guardian was an immortal.

    And they were supposed to beat him in singlebat!?

    In the span of a single moment, the guardian had gone from a strict old man to an unsurpassable existence. He towered at the far end of the room like a king. Across from him, Bocors legs were shaking. It took all he had just to keep his shield up. The pressure he was facing was undoubtedly far greater than what Jack sensed.

    You challenge me, but you cannot even withstand my presence? the guardian said, his voice dripping with disappointment. Begone, child. Go y with your friends in Garden Ring. Go waste the treasures we left behind.

    Holding up his shield was all Bocor could do. Jack watched with rapt attention, straining his eyes to catch every movement.

    It didnt matter. The Final Guardian stepped before Bocor so fast that it resemble teleportation. Jack only saw afterimages.

    The steel mace sailed into the shield. It looked effortless. The guardian was clearly holding back.

    And yet, Bocors feet left the ground, his shield dented inward until it met his ribs, and then he went flying back through the door, above the crowd, into the grasnd beyond. He rolled for a while before stopping. His tower shield sported a massive dent. So did the front of his te armor, like he was a tin can struck by a train.

    He wasnt dead, but his pained bellows struck home how fierce the guardians attack had been. That was the power of an immortal.

    Jack looked back at the Final Door. It mmed shut, with only the guardians dismissive expression as a parting gift.

    The healers rushed at Bocor, fixing the damage before it killed him. Jack, meanwhile, turned to Gan Salin.

    What the hell was that? he asked. Do we really have to beat an immortal in singlebat?

    If you want the Ninth Ring Conqueror title, yes. But its impossible. The Final Guardian is at the D-Grade, and we cannot be immortals while inside Trial, as thews of this ce actively prevent breakthroughs. Facing him is impossible.

    But then, why have this trial in the first ce? There has to be a way.

    Salin shook his head. There is nothing. The factions have been cracking their heads over this for a million year. They have searched everything there is to search bute up with nothing. The only way to beat the guardian is to be strong enough to fight a D-Grade in the E-Grade.

    Is that even possible?

    Of course not.

    Are you sure?

    Salin hesitated. Look. Lords have strong Titles, three fused Dao Roots, and perfect Dao Seeds. Despite all that, they can only survive for a few seconds against the Final Guardian. Even those legendary existences with four fused Dao Rootsonly a handful of whom have appeared in the gxys historywere unable to beat the guardian. I really dont see how anyone could be stronger than them in the E-Grade. So yes, its impossible.

    ...Thats just cheating.

    Hey, dont me me. I just repeat what Ive been told. Salin shrugged again, then smiled. I know what youre thinking. If you want to face the guardian, you can go at it. He wont kill you. Just keep in mind that everyone gets a single opportunity to challenge him. If I were you, Id save it for when youre about to leave Trial, when youre at your strongest. Who knows? By then, you might be good enough to earn something off this experience.

    Jack looked up. I guess

    Bocor was healed by now. He was currently punching the inside of his armor to straighten it, while his dented shield was strapped to his back again. Everyone else had turned their eyes away from the Final Door and were chatting in groups. Even the Lords were huddled up, pointing in a certain direction.

    Jack threw the Final Door ast nce before turning to Salin again. What are they talking about? he asked, motioning with his head at the Lords.

    The Trial Garden, Salin replied. Remember the Garden Ring Quest? It mentioned a Top Treasure. There is only one of those at any given moment, and it is hidden in Trial Garden. The Lords and their followers will head there soon.

    Hmm. Wait. Can they all get the treasure at the same time?

    Salin winked. Thats the cool part. No, they cant. They will work together to get past the dangers of Trial Garden, then backstab each other towards the end to get the treasure for themselves. Its pretty exciting.

    Really? They seem pretty friendly to me.

    The Lords were currently discussing spiritedly with each other, like old friends hatching a n.

    They are, for now, Salin replied. But they all know theyll be killing each other soon. This is just Lords being Lords.

    Hah. I guess.

    Jacks thoughts, however, refused to leave this be. The three Lords would be fighting each other to gain the Top Treasure of Garden Ring and the title of Eighth Ring Conqueror.

    Those sounded like nice things. He wanted them, too. After all, to defeat theary Overseer of Earth in one year, he had to fight for every scrap of power he could possibly get.

    Could he participate in their battle? Or would he die instantly?

    Salin, he asked, how exactly does this work?

    This?

    The hunt for the Top Treasure.

    Oh. The Lords and their followers will go to Trial Garden. Its a big thing filled with traps and other dangersthe only dangerous ce of Trial Garden. It also contains better treasures than the other gardens, even excluding the Top Treasure. But its trials are difficult. The Lords will work together until the end, when they will fight each other in a big brawl. Other people can join them too, helping the Lords get past the traps in the hopes of getting their scrapsthe other treasures of Trial Garden.

    Hmm Jack still stared at the three Lords, who seemed to havee to an agreement. And everyone else?

    Everyone else will be touring the other eleven gardens of Garden Ring. There is no danger, and everyone has a good chance of getting some treasures. They arent as precious as the ones in Trial Garden, but theyre much saferunless another cultivator kills you, of course, but you know how that goes. It happens to the best of us.

    Right. So, I can either y it safe and get slightly inferior treasures, or risk Trial Garden for a chance to get better ones.

    Pretty much.

    Then, why didnt you lead with that? It isnt even a choice.

    Salinughed. I suspected as much. In any case, Im noting. My current strength is just too weakif I came along, I would just have to ride on your shoulders again, and I dont want that. Plus, your sagely friend said my fortune was deeper than Space Ring, and it wasnt in Labyrinth Ring, so it has to be somewhere around here. I will search and find it!

    He was all smiles. Reaching this deep in Trial was a dreame true for him, especially after the Animal Kingdom hadnt even given him an entrance token.

    Ill stay outside, too, Nauja added. Barbarians are no free-loaders. I will stay here, where I can hunt for treasures with my own strength.

    Jack nodded at them. For the record, I dont see any of you as free-loaders, he replied, but didnt try to persuade them intoing. He could see their point. In their ce, he might have done the same.

    After all, the best growth came not from having the most precious resources, but by fighting for yourself with no one to rely on.

    Very well, he continued. Then, I guess its just me and Bro

    Brock, however, shook his head. No, he said.

    Jack looked on in shock. No?

    No.

    The brori then embarked on a miming journey as he described his intentions to Jack. Jack watched with narrowed eyes.

    Are you saying you want to stay out here and gather resources? he tried.

    Yes.

    That you understand you are the little bro, so you would rather help out here than burden me in Trial Garden?

    Yes.

    You are not a burden, Brock.

    Brock shook his head. He pointed to his bicep, then mimed it being small.

    You may not be strong enough yet, Jack told him, but you will be, soon. Dont underestimate yourself.

    Brock frowned in disapproval. He mimed some more things.

    Oh, Jack said. There is no need to worry because you know exactly what youre doing? That bravery is not the same as stupidity, which would be the case if you came to Trial Garden? That you want to chase your own fortune?

    Brock nodded.

    Jack scratched his head. I see. Okay then, bro. I understand. Sorry for doubting you.

    No problem, Brock replied with a monkey grin.

    Jack wanted to say many more things. If he was in Trial Garden and Brock was alone outside, he wouldnt be able to protect him. What if another cultivator attacked him? What if something bad happened?

    But he understood. If he always protected Brock, the brori would never grow. Sometimes, you had to let others walk by themselves, even at the risk of falling. That was the true path to growth.

    Very well, he said again, extending a handshake to Brock. Then, Ill see you on the way out.

    Yes, bro.

    Brock shook Jacks hand. They exchanged a nce. He waved goodbye to the other two, as well. Then, Jack turned and walked toward the group that was gathering around the Lords.

 Chapter 195: Magic at War

    Chapter 195: Magic at War

    Edgar hovered high above the eternal ciers.

    Below him was a flurry of activity. Buildings were etched in the ice, half-buried into the cier and half-exposed to the freezing air. A snow-covered expanse spread as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by the sea in the distance. Emaciated pr bears sat in a massive steel cage, waiting to be fed or sparred against.

    Between all that walked arge number of people. Some were dressed heavily, like ska''s inuit. Others worexer clothing, just a jacket or coatthese people had high enough stats that the Siberian cold didnt touch them. There were men and women, all humans, either training or meditating.

    The headquarters of Ice Peak resembled a pce dug into the cierit was actually the F-Grade Dungeon, Iceberg Pce, that theyd conquered. Originally upied by mermaids, merfolk, and ice spirits, this ce was now filled with humans, from its wide courtyards, to the several stories dug into the ice, to the impable sculptures that dotted its balconies. Fountains lines the front, with statues of mermaids holding vases from which dripped water.

    It was a scenic ce that struck Edgars chord for beauty. Only the knowledge of its inhabitants cruelty kept his mind in line. After all, the mermaids and merfolk that once upied this ce had been exterminated. It was a hollow memory, a beauty on the shoulders of which rode cruelty.

    Nobody had noticed Edgar yet. Though there were anti-aircraft weapons and radars on top of the cier, he was not an aircraft. He was flying just by himself. At best, he would register as arge bird.

    A particrly destructiverge bird. He had just broken through to the E-Grade. Everybody below him was F-Grade.

    Edgar clenched his jaw. The people far below were humans, just like him. Perhaps they had been coerced into working for the Ice Peak; perhaps they had done nothing wrong yet; perhaps this ce was all they had ever known. Could he fault them for the war currently taking ce? Not necessarily. Not all of them. Did they deserve to be eviscerated?

    Edgar didnt know. But he had to save his own. If left alone, these people would kill his friends. He had to kill them first. Just this once. Just to tilt the bnce, so everyone else could handle it, because Edgar sure couldnt. Even now, his stomach was turning, his vision was fading, and a voice in his head screamed at him to stop.

    All he wanted was to get away. The voice in his head grew louder and more demanding. Leaving this ce was all he could think about. His heart was beating fast. He was panicking.

    But he had promised. Just once. He had to do this.

    Edgar suppressed his rising fear and dove for the cier. The wind screamed around him. A shield of air blocked most of it, keeping Edgar safe, though his control was faltering as his mind was upied by panic.

    Blue sparks appeared on his fingers. They were beautiful; a spectacle to watch, enough to fill ones heart. They carried the power of hopes and dreams and wonder.

    Edgar unleashed them in a beam that struck the ground, melting the ice and upturning the snow. People screamed. Everyone looked up to find a wizard hovering above them, attacking without warning.

    Edgars hands shone again. He took his newfound powers and channeled them into destruction.

    The steel cage shone brilliantly and began to melt. As the bars disappeared, emaciated pr bears stepped outeach at around Level 30, and starving. They growled and fell on the people walking past, tearing them apart and covering the snow in blood.

    Arrows of pure magic formed around Edgar and shot down. Each had unerring aimwith his intelligence, guiding all of them at once was a simple matter. People were skewered. Blood sprayed everywhere. Between the arrows and the bears, the people of Ice Peak had nowhere to escape. Unable to respond appropriately at such short notice, they were swiftly ground down to corpses. Even the strongest amongst them fell.

    But Edgar knew that the bulk of the Ice Peaks forces were inside the pce. It stretched deep into the cier, enough to house thousands.

    There could be children there. There could be innocent people. Civilians. Prisoners.

    Edgar almost hesitated. The horror of what he had already done, and what he was about to do, weighed on him terribly, squeezed his soul so hard he wanted to puke.

    The pr bears, consumed by hatred for their mistreatment, abandoned their victims and rushed into the pce. Edgar heard the screams of confusion mount into horror. He heard the sound of flesh being torn by jaws and metal striking iceor maybe he imagined those, as he was too far away.

    He wanted to leave, but the rampaging pr bears drove home that he had alreadymitted to this destruction. It was happening. He had to see it through.

    Just once.

    His hands shone green. Vines rose from the ground, growing quickly until they dug into the ciers most brittle parts. Chunks of ice began to fall. He used his magic to directly wrestle the ice apart. He showered the front of the pce with cyan orbs of arcane magic that exploded on impact.

    The beautiful shrines and statues shattered. Columns were demolished. Courtyards were marred, balconies broken. Under Edgars bombardment, the air was filled with a heavy cloud of snow and stone shards, and the pce groaned under the pressure. From inside, the screams kept mounting. The people of Ice Peak didnt know what was happeningkiller pr bears rampaged through the halls, and someone bombarded them from outside. They were in hell.

    Edgars vines hadnt stopped advancing. They grew around the cier and into the pce, slowly but steadily strangling it. The ice began to shake. More chunks broke off. Edgar could also see the roof of the cier from where he flew, and he saw parts of it copsing inward, burying whatevery under them.

    It was utter destruction. Mayhem. Lives were lost by the second. And yet, Edgar pressed on. He buried his own mind and heart as he pressed the attack, hurting the Ice Peak as hard as he could. He sent animated ice statues into the pce. He formedrge mallets of arcane power to strike the ciers roof, forcing it to copse in ces and detonating the anti-aircraft weaponry. He sent arrows of magic raining in through every door, every crack, and every window.

    He closed his ears to the screams and kept attacking. Some of those screams were his. But he knew, deep inside, that he did not deserve to scream alongside the people he was ughtering. Their pain was far greater than hisso why did his suffering feel so gargantuan?

    Edgars attack on the Ice Peak headquarterssted for only one minute. By then, his mana reserves were dwindling, and his heart could no longer take it. But it was enough. The pcey broken, half-demolished. Hundreds had been killed. The military force of Ice Peak had been deeply wounded.

    Whenmanding voices spread through the pce, gradually restoring order, Edgar was so happy. He had to leave now. Even as an E-Grade, he couldnt battle the entirety of Ice Peakespecially now, with his mana mostly exhausted.

    People shot out of the debris. Humans faster and stronger than the previous ones. Elites. The sound of gunfire filled the air. Bullets flew past Edgar, a rare few colliding with his arcane shield and bending it. Magic came at him, toospikes of ice that he had to struggle to avoid.

    But he could fly. He gradually rose higher until they couldnt reach him. A man with majestic wings of ice broke out of the ice, filled with righteous furyAlexander Petrovicbut Edgar was already running away.

    A scream came as Alexander rushed after him, his ice wings pping furiously through the air, but he couldnt catch up. Even exhausted, Edgar was an E-Grade now, and not even a weak one. His speed was iparable to Alexanders, who still hadnt broken through.

    The bird of ice stopped chasing after some point, but Edgar kept running. He wasnt even sure he had the right direction. He couldnt be. His vision swam in tears, and his heart was cracked by wrenching pain, digging into it as his vines had dug into the cier.

    <em>What have I done? </em>was all he could think as hills flowed under his feet and ice gave way to sparse greenery. <em>I am a monster.</em>

    He hadmitted ughter. It was in the service of war. In the service of his people. He would be celebrated back home.

    But it was a ughter.

    His magic, a conduit of wonder, had been used for death and destruction. The flowers and vines that brought life had copsed a cier on the heads of its inhabitants. The brilliant arcane orbs had been used as bombs. The thousand forms of his magic had been reduced to arrows, which he shot in through every opening he could find, hoping to im as many lives as possible, cause the maximum amount of pain.

    Edgar screamed, and the sky echoed, but the ice underneath did not respond. Neither did the birds, which only ran away. Edgar was alone with his guilt and crushing pain. Nobody could help. Nobody could understand. The world was cold to him, as he had been cold when he ughtered the Ice Peak.

    Never again! he screamed at the top of his lungs, uncaring about the razor-sharp, icy wind that jammed into his throat. He had dropped his shield. He didnt care about the pain. No; he weed it. He deserved it. After what he had done, this cutting wind was the least he should endure.

    If only war could be solved by one mans suffering.

    Never again!

    He cut through the clouds at full speed, the air booming around him. He had to resummon his shield at some point, or he would be too wounded to return.

    He didnt stop to sightsee. He didnt look back once. He simply darted through the sky, a brilliantet over the snow, as he rushed to the west, where his starship waited. It would take him back to the Forest of the Strong. To Valville. To home.

    There were hours of flying between them. Edgar only wished it couldst longer. He needed the time.

    After all, he was now a hero. The alliances first E-Grade. The one who struck a crucial blow to Ice Peak. He would be celebrated, and he couldnt cry during that. Regardless of how he felthe had to smile.

 Chapter 196: The Exploding Sunâ€™s Offer

    Chapter 196: The Exploding Sun¡¯s Offer

    Garden Ring was the smallest ring of Trial, but it remained hundreds of square miles in size. As a result, the Trial Garden was some ways off the entrance.

    The three Lords, their followers, Jack, and the most ambitious of other cultivators broke into a jog. Of course, at their speed, a jog was about as fast as a pre-System humans sprint. Everyone else remained behind to look for their fortune in other gardens. Brock gave his big bro a thumbs-up from afar, which Jack returned. Salin waved. So did Nauja.

    Jack didnt let himself get swallowed by sentimentality. There was plenty of time before they reached Trial Garden, so he adjusted his jogging to arrive beside Lady Priya and her team.

    Hey, he said.

    Hello, brother! Chotuthe jovial fat man who could turn into a golden giantsmiled widely. Kareena, the silver-haired healer, nodded in his direction.

    Hello, brother Jack, Priya said. Enjoying the jog?

    Jackughed. At this point, Ive had enough working out for my entire life. Thank the System this is easy.

    True. I guess running without being hunted is a rare thing nowadays.

    They shared a smile. I wanted to talk to you about my master, Jack cut to the chase.

    Brother Shol.

    Right. Is he okay? Last time I saw him, his spiritual projection was torn apart by the Dao of a C-Grade. I hope that didnt hurt him.

    Oh, of course not. Dont worry. That kind of spiritual projection is minimally tied to its creator. At most, it gave him a light headache.

    I see. Thats a relief.

    He did speak a lot about you, she added, narrowing her eyes. Said you were a prodigy. A talented man put through the right circumstances. A future prospect of our faction.

    Master Shol said that?

    As far as Jack could remember, Master Shol had been very light onpliments. He just kept pushing Jack as far as possible.

    He did. Im guessing he wasnt as expressive around you, but thats just because he takes being a master very seriously. Hes usually a pretty easygoing man.

    Are you sure were talking about the same person?

    Sheughed. People change depending on the one across from them, Jack. Dont be surprised.

    Ill try.

    A minute of silence followed. Finally, Priya said, Have you considered his offer? About joining our faction.

    Jack almost broke his stride. Youre direct, arent you?

    Of course! Thats the way of the Exploding Sun.

    Mine, too, Jack agreed, saving time to think about it. Had he considered Master Shols offer?

    Actually, did he even have an offer?

    Back in the Integration Tournament, Master Shol had talked with his own master, an Elder of the Exploding Sun. Shehis masterhad promised to take in Jack and help protect Earth from the Animal Kingdom, but only if he won the Tournament.

    Which he didbut then, the Hand of God pressured the Exploding Sun to back off. Shol defied his masters orders to protect Jack, which ultimately ended with his spiritual projection getting destroyed by theary Overseer.

    I didnt think I had an offer, actually, Jack finally replied. Last I heard, it was canceled.

    Really? I dont know the details, but Shol was pretty adamant about it when he spoke to me, and his spiritual projection was already destroyed by then. In fact, he insisted that I should try to recruit you at any cost if we met in Trial.

    He said that!?

    Sure did.

    Still Sorry to insist, but I have to ask. It was my understanding that your faction had received pressure fromhe lowered his voice to a whisperthe Hand of God to let me go.

    She considered it for a moment. Her dark hair pped over her shoulders as she ran. As I said, I dont know the details. Im guessing that the circumstances changed at some point. After all, youre in Garden Ring with the power of a peak E-Grade and still many levels ahead of you. Any faction would go to great lengths to recruit you now. Whatever the Hand of God offered us before, it is probably too little inparison to your current potential.

    I see. So Master Shol meant that, if you find me here, Ill be good enough to recruit.

    Probably. I can always contact the faction to ask. I just have to go through one of themunication Elders to do that, and, ah That wont be fast.

    You can contact your faction from here?

    Of course. Everyone can. Doesnt your faction have telepathy? Seeing Jacks empty look, she continued, Probably not. In any case, faction telepathy allows you tomunicate with others from the same faction. It works on a limited amount of individuals, of course, but I was given a spot as our representative in this Garden Assault.

    I see

    He had almost forgotten about that. In the faction shop, telepathy cost a hundred million credits. He had to buy it and talk with the professor. Find out what was happening on Earth. Give them a hand.

    Was he or was he not the faction head, goddammit?

    So, Priya continued, knowing you have a standing offer, what do you think?

    Jack, being the cautious person he was, considered it for an entire three seconds. If my previous deal with Master Shol still applies, where the Exploding Sun protects my, then sure.

    Great. Priya agreed. And, just like that, Jack had promised to join a faction. Ill have to ask to be sure of that, of course, she added. Im guessing the Elders will want to see your performance in this ring beforemitting to protecting an entire. That would beexpensive. She grimaced. If you want my advice, just keep excelling, and everything will be fine.

    Thats what I n to do.

    Jack didnt know how to feel. Relieved? Hopeful? Overwhelmed? Or doubtful?

    This was not the first time the Exploding Sun promised him protection. Last time, they took it back. Who was to say they would deliver this time? If the Animal Kingdom and Hand of God just offered them more things in return, maybe the Exploding Sun would turn a blind eye to Jacks plightagain.

    At the end of the day, all he could depend on was himself. If the Exploding Sun helped him, it would be because he brought them enough benefits to make it worth their while.

    For now, he should stick to his guns. Grow stronger as fast as possible, still aiming to defeat theary Overseer before the end of Earths grace period. That way of thinking had benefited him thus far, and it would help him in all possible ways going forward.

    All the Exploding Suns offer achieved was to make him less desperate about it. It was a wee breath of fresh air.

    And yet, Jack realized there was something missing. Yes, his first priority was saving Earth and his people, and the Exploding Suns offer was a positive thing in regards to that. So, why did he feel disappointed, deep inside his soul? Why did the thought ofying back, of saving the Earth without personally defeating theary Overseer, leave him unfulfilled?

    With shame, he realized he <em>enjoyed </em>what was happening so far. The mad rush for power. The despair. The danger. The exhration.

    <em>Am I addicted to chasing power? </em>he wondered, gazing deep inside himself. <em>And, if yesis that bad?</em>

    He didnt know, but when was power a bad thing? His mind was set the right way. He wasnt greedy, arrogant, or exploitative of others. He didnt neglect his responsibilities. He just wanted to be stronger. Was that a greedy thing to ask?

    His thoughts returned to their previous conclusion. He would keep the Exploding Suns offer in mind while still trying to be as strong as possible. If things worked out, great. If nothe would return to n A and defeat theary Overseeror die trying.

    Oh, and by the way, Priya said, snapping him out of his thoughts, I dont have the rank to invite you to the sect, obviously. That will have to wait until we exit Trial. There is a deacon with usshe can invite you.

    Oh! Then, is Trial surrounded by immortals?

    Right now, yes.

    Not just any immortals! Chuto added from the side. The Hand of God is going crazy for something. Can you imagine they summoned an entire fleet of starships?

    A fleet of starships? Jack asked, trying to conceal his worry. He knew what the Hand of God was going crazy for. The Ancient ruins. The Life Drop. And, by extension, him.

    Oh, yes. And not just any old fleet, either. They have ships filled with immortals. Theyve ordered all their cultivators inside Trial, except for Lady Minervas team, to scour the rings for something. Otherwise, the Hand of God would outnumber all of us on this ring. I hear theyre even using deep-scanning equipment to search anyone exiting the!

    Chuto, Priya chided him, frowning, but he only snorted.

    What? Everybody knows that. And besides, brother Jack will belong to our faction soon. Whats the harm in sharing a little gossip?

    Theres always harm in sharing gossip, she retorted, motioning with her head towards the Hand of God group. Everyone was in close vicinity, so Chutos words were definitely overheard.

    Hey, you are the one who said we should make friends. What better way than harmless chatting?

    You dont have to be a clown to make friends

    Priya and Chuto must have been good friends, because they embarked into a small argument thatsted for a while. Jack, however, wasnt paying attention. His face was calm, but his mind was racing.

    <em>Deep-scanning equipment They search anyone who exits Trial </em>His heart was beating fast. <em>Can they find the Life Drop?</em>

    The voice had mentioned that nobody could sense the Life Drop without special equipment. Well, someone had special equipment. That sucked. Unless the Hand of God decided they had found everything there was to find, or unless they abandoned the search, Jack was a sitting duck.

    When exiting Trial, everyone teleported to one of many set points in the surface, where Hand of God starships were usually waiting to transfer them to the teleporters leading farther inside the gxy. In other words, there was no way for Jack to escape unseen.

    <em>Can I walk all the way to the surface? </em>he wondered. He had entered from a massive staircase in the surface, and there wasnt anyone waiting there. Not all entrances were exits. <em>What other choice do I have?</em>

    If this deep-scanning could find his Life Drop, teleporting out would be a problem. If it couldnt, and he was caught sneaking through Trial, they would suspect him, which would also be a problem.

    <em>What to do</em>

    It was a worrying dilemma. Thankfully, it was also a future dilemma. For now, Jacks goal was simple: enter Trial Garden with the Lords and secure as many advantages as possible for himself.

    Jack, Priya spoke again. He turned his head, pretending he was focused all along. Factions aside, every Lord has a quota of two followers, and I have fulfilled it already. If you want to join Trial Garden, you will still have to do it as a treasure hunter.

    Right. Of course, I understand. And what exactly does that entail?

    Following us around. You help where you can, and you also take some risks that we and our followers want to avoid. Basically, if something is dangerous, you do it.

    Jack raised a brow. Like a meat shield?

    Exactly.

    That doesnt sound like treasure hunting.

    You get great treasures in return. Wethe Lordsare only interested in the Top Treasure, and our followers will be rewarded by our factions. Treasure hunters get every other treasure found insideand there are a lot of them.

    So, we risk ourselves for treasure.

    Sounds more like treasure hunting now, doesnt it?

    Jack fought to keep the smile from rising on his lips. Got it. So, our rtionship does not extend inside Trial Garden.

    Sadly, yes. If everyone yed favorites amongst the treasure hunters, it would be chaos

    Fine by me. I dont n to die.

    It wasnt just fine. It was perfect. Jack had long set his sights at that Top Treasure. If Priya wasnt going to be his ally, he didnt need to feel bad about taking it from under her noseif he managed.

    Jack grimaced. The truth was, he remained underleveled. Hecked the strength to battle the Lords, and it was highly unlikely that he would level up twenty-fives times inside Trial Garden.

    Given those, emerging victorious and getting the Top Treasure was a tall task Maybe even an impossible one. He also had to survive <em>after </em>taking the Top Treasure, because the Lords wouldnt be happy. Still, he could a take a look at things. If his chances looked too dim, he wouldnt just throw his life away. Suicide by Lord was how he wanted to go.

    However, who knew how things worked in Trial Garden? Maybe the Top Treasure could be imed through more than battle strength. Maybe there would be a sort of contest between them all. That made sense, because Jack could hardly see the factions sending out their top disciples to duke it out until only one remained alive.

    That all goes to say, Jack would be ready. If an opportunity presented itself, he would make sure to be in the perfect situation to utilize it. If there was a chance, he would seize it.

    Moreover, this wouldnt be a simple battle of strength, because he couldnt stand against the Lords yet. He would have to use his brainand all the research hed poured into his almost-PhD might finallye in handy!

    He couldnt be half-hearted about this. While they journeyed in Trial Garden, he would try to identify everyones strengths and weaknesses, their patterns, along with anything they could exploit.

    One might say that this approach didnt fit the Dao of the Fist. But they would be mistaken. The Dao of the Fist had nothing against trying ones best to prevail in a tough situation. Besides, going into battle unprepared was hardlymendable.

    No; Jack couldnt just punch his way out of this one. For the first time since the Integration happened He would need an actual n.

    The prospect made him giddy.

    Look, brother! Chuto called out, pointing in the distance. We have arrived. Thats it: Trial Garden.

 Chapter 197: Trial Garden

    Chapter 197: Trial Garden

    A mist-filled garden stretched in the distance. It was surrounded by a thick metal fence long enough that Jack couldnt see its end on either side, and so tall that it resembled more castle walls than fence. In its midst, right where they were headed, stood a hundred-foot-wide opening with the words Trial Garden written on a que over its top.

    Wow, Jack said. Thats a big garden.

    Unfortunately, there was nobody to reply. Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin had left to explore other gardens. Lady Priya had made it clear they wouldnt be allies inside the garden, so he respected that and didnt walk beside her team. Longsword treated him coldly after thetters rejection, and Bocor was a downright enemy.

    Besides those, Jack knew nobody. Well, he did know a few people from thebyrinth guardian antechamber, but the Wide Swirls woman who had first approached him was missing. The rest of the group were present, but none was particrly responsive to Jacks chatting, so hey the matter to rest.

    He didnt <em>need</em>pany, anyway. It was just pleasant to have.

    Their group jogged the distance to the gardens entrance. It was even more impressive from up-close. Light mist began almost exactly at the gate, spreading inward and denying visibility.

    Attention, everyone, Lady Minerva said, raising a hand. The other Lords had let her posture as a leaderwhether because of her personal strength, backing, or both. Jack didnt know. We will now enter Trial Garden, one of Trials most mystical locations. You are all expected to follow ourmands to the letter and without objection. In return, you take all treasures except the Dao Sprouting Pill. Anyone who disagrees should leave now. You can still find fortune in other gardens.

    The crowd of cultivators nced at each other, but no one moved. Besides the Lords and their followers, there were nine people present, the gxys cream of the crop. Since they hade all the way here, they obviously wouldnt change their mind.

    Good, Minerva said, turning to the gate. Then, we enterand may the System help us.

    Jack fought down a smirk. He expected something moreinspiring. A rousing speech, perhaps.

    Regardless, they entered. One by one, they walked into the mist, letting it slither around them until it swallowed them altogether.

    There was a chill to this mist. It felt dangerous, somehow; almost as if insisting they should exit and pick another garden. At the same time, this mist was rife with energy. Jack could feel it pressing against his skin. Elemental bursts, flourishing life, bone-chilling death, bundles of emotions that passed over him like cold currents.

    All they managed was to rile him up.

    Suddenly, light red from up ahead. Lady Minerva had lit a torch of spectral white me with a body of rune-carved steel. Though this mist was undoubtedly magical, so was the torchlight, forcing it to recede by a few dozen feet in every direction. Their surroundings were still covered in rolling white, but there was now a bubble of visibility wide enough to fit all of them.

    Much better, Lady Minerva said. Guide?

    A person stepped out of the crowd. He was a man with pale blue skin, fins, and gillsa merfolk.

    <strong>Merfolk, Level 123</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Deep Sea Shrine (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Present, mdy, the merfolk said in a dignified, yet oddly soothing voice. Allow me to divine the way forward.

    Please do.

    The merfolk walked at the front of the procession and started advancing slowly. Jack caught a glimpse of his closed eyes and constant murmuring.

    <em>Why do we need a guide? </em>he wondered. <em>Does this garden change every time, like thebyrinth?</em>

    He had no one to ask, so he just stayed silent and kept walking.

    Trial Garden was arge ce. Since they were now walking instead of jogging, it took them a while to reach the first point of interest. Nothing happened in the meantime. They were constantly surrounded by mist, so Jack had no idea what their surroundings looked like. For all he knew, they could be walking on a thin strip ofnd with ocean on either side, or in a perfectly empty garden.

    Suddenly, however, the guide paused. A momentter, he opened his eyes and said, There is a trap ahead, Lords.

    Finally, Longsword replied. Slow trot, everyone. Lets scout.

    Their pace slowed to a crawl. Five minutester, a shape emerged from the mist. It was a wall, blocking the path ahead and extending to either side farther than their light could reach. It also stretched higher than their light. In the middle of the wall, however, there was a ten-foot-wide, ten-foot-tall, and thirty-foot-long tunnel that led directly to the other side.

    A formation, Lady Minerva said. Priya, I believe you have a formation master. This one is for you.

    Kareena. Priya beckoned, and the silver-haired healer stepped forth.

    Of course, my Lady, she replied with a light bow.

    Of course, Jack had no idea what a formation was, let alone a formation master, but a few discreet inquiriester, he found out.

    Formations were basically trap-puzzles. Formation masters, in turn, was just a fancy name for the people good at these puzzles. Apparently, they had to study thick tomes full of solved formations, so they could memorize their patterns and have an idea of what to do when faced with unknown ones. The greatest formation masters could solve every formation ever createdor so insisted the draconic woman who fed Jack this information.

    Kareena was nowhere near a true formation master, but she was good enough for Trial.

    At the behest of her Lady, Kareena approached the opening and began scrutinizing it. Jack, curious to see what a formation looked like, did the same.

    The tunnel wasnt as simple as it appeared. The walls were riddled with irregrly-spaced tiny holesvery suspicious for a tunnel. The floor was a series of stone squares with three-foot-long sides. These squares were arranged in nine rows of three,pletely covering the floor of the tunnel.

    If this was a puzzle, Jack could easily tell what was going on: they had to cross by stepping on the right squares, or they would be riddled withdarts? Indiana Jones often faced dart traps. Why would this be any different?

    There were also shapes drawn on all squares. They resembled animals, but no two of them were identical. On the twenty-seven squares, Jack spotted twenty-seven distinct animals ranging from ants to octopi to lions to things he didnt quite recognize.

    Why cant we just fly over? he asked. Any one of them could easily clear a thirty-foot-long jump. The ceiling was high enough, too.

    Because we arent suicidal, Kareena replied. Formations are meant to be solved, not bypassed. At least, not easily. Teleporting to the other side would be fine, but trying to fly across would probably end with you dead before you even crossed the middle point.

    What if Im fast enough to dodge the darts? Or durable enough that they cant pierce my skin?

    Kareenas frown deepened. Im trying to work. If you have more questions, please bother someone else. She then turned back to the squares.

    That wasnt a very nice thing to say. Then again, Jack had probably insulted her expertise. <em>Whatever, </em>he concluded.

    A few minutes passed. There wasnt much for Jack to do, so he settled for watching the squares. He tried to find patternsand seeded, too. The problem was, he found many of them.

    For example, every line of squares had exactly one bipedal animal. However, every line also had exactly one quadruped animal. There were winged ones every two lines, and fish every three.

    In fact, the more Jack watched, the more patterns he discovered, realizing that the point of the puzzle wasnt to find the patternit was to decide which patterns had priority. He had to admit that he had no idea how to do that. Which was a good thingbing a formation master would mean reading thick tomes, which would take away from his punching time. He liked his punching time.

    Kareena also struggled. Half an hourter, she finally said, I think I got it. Jack couldnt tell whether she was confident or not, but he really didnt mind, either. It wasnt like hed be the one to

    Perfect. How about you volunteer, Jack Rust? Longswords voice came cheerful. You seemed very interested in that formation. Maybe crossing it would give you some insights, the first step to bing a genius formation master!

    Jack was not at all intrigued by the possibility. He didnt want to be a guinea pig. I dont particrly feel like studying formations, he replied.

    Nonsense. Im sure this will do you good, Longsword insisted.

    Next to him, Bocor sported an ugly smile. Jack frowned and was about to respond when Priya spoke up.

    As treasure hunters, taking risks like this is your responsibility. This is what you signed up for. Now, go ahead and walk the tiles. Dont worry; Kareena is a very capable formation master.

    Jack wanted to cry. Priya was supposed to be his ally, and she was sending him into a trap as a guinea pig.

    Then again, hed known what he was getting into. Everybody else seemed to think that this was normal, too.

    Fine, he agreed. His gaze lingered on the tiles. How strong are these traps, anyway?

    Most of them can threaten Kings, Longsword replied. But dont worry. Im sure youre going to be fine. It isnt like formations have one of the highest failure rates between traps.

    Jack red at him. Longsword gave him a dashing smile. What are you waiting for? Go already.

    Jack cursed inwardly. Suddenly, he felt a bit cheated, and not at all ready to brave a formation. However, he was already this far. He could not step back. He just had to trust Kareena.

    Start by stepping on the tiger, she instructed him. Everyone took several steps away. Jack cursed again. At least, his Indomitable Body was very resilient. Even if things went wrong, he might survive.

    He stepped on the tiger. He sensed the tile give slightly under his foot. Nothing happened.

    Then, the pelican, Kareena said. Jack took a breath and stepped over, tightening his body to defend against iing darts. Again, nothing happened. The prislow next, Kareena said.

    Whats a prislow? Jack asked back. There were two animals in the next row that he didnt recognizea seagull with tentacles and a worm with three heads.

    ...The bird with tentacles, Kareena replied, and Jack stepped on it. Nothing happened.

    The rest of the twenty-seven lines went like this. Every time, Jack thought he was a goner, but Kareena had, indeed, found the right pattern. Even after he stepped on the twenty-seventh line and then out of the corridor, he remained safe and with zero darts hanging from his skin.

    Phew, he said, exhaling a massive sigh of relief. The rest of the cultivators started crossing, following the same tiles he hadall cultivators of this stage had excellent memorybut Jacks attention was quickly drawn to an item resting on his side of the corridor, just next to the opening, so it wasnt visible from the other side.

    It resembled a snowball hanging from a vine. He scanned it.

    <strong>Snow White Globe</strong>

    <strong><em>A fruit of the Quasi-Elemental Vine, the Snow White Globe contains intense elements of frost. Consuming it can greatly benefit ice-oriented cultivators.</em></strong>

    Short, sweet, and simple.

    You can take it, a voice said behind his ear. Jack turned to find Priya, who had been the first to cross. She was smiling. Its your just reward for braving the formation. And dont think we were bullying you before. Formations are dangerous, but this is only the first trap we meet, so one of the easiest to solve. And Kareena really is a great formation master.

    Hmm. Alright, Jack replied. Now that hed crossed the corridor safely, it did seem like a good thing that he was chosen. After all, hed gotten a treasure! He quickly hung the fruit on his belt and waited for everyone to cross.

    When all was said and done, the guide took to the front again, and the group continued into the mist, venturing ever deeper.

 Incoming Chapter Dump

    Iing Chapter Dump

    Hey all, I have a bunch of great news for you!

    First of all, I will be at DragonCon! It''s a massive fantasy conference in Anta, Georgia, between the 31st of August and 4th of September. There will be many other litrpg authors as well, and I will also be doing book signings at Aethon''s booth.

    If any of you are there,e say hi!

    The other news is that Road to Mastery 2 wille to Kindle earlier than expected. The release date of November 28 has been moved up by an entire three months, to August 29! Most of you don''t care about this, as you''re already reading Book 2, but if any of your friends are waiting for the Kindle release, be sure to spread the word.

    However, releasing Book 2 on Kindle will mean taking it down from RR two weeks prior to the release. In turn, this will mean that the entire Book 2 will need to be fully uploaded BEFORE it is taken down -- which spells out a massive chapter dump.

    Book 2 ends on Chapter 226. Therefore, I will post almost <strong>thirty chapters</strong> within the next three days, so everyone has time to read them before they are taken down on August 15. I think that''s plenty of time, just make sure to notify your friends who are waiting for more chapters to pile up before they binge. If some people still manage to miss it, I will be here to help them as much as possible.

    After I post these chapters within the next three days, I will go on my regr summer monthly break until around the 10th of September. I hope your binge reading needs will be satisifed with a 30-chapter dump. The only downside is that my number of advanced Patreon chapters will go down to ~25 temporarily, but it wille back up, and it doesn''t affect you guys.

    That''s all from me. See you in a few hours with today''s chapters, and have a nice day!

 Chapter 198: The Seal House

    Chapter 198: The Seal House

    The trek through the mist remained slow. This time, however, Jack didnt mind. Better to be careful than take a wrong step when there were traps everywhere.

    Everyone else had also fallen silent by now. The first trap had driven home just how dangerous this ce was. Jack had survived, but the next person might notand it could be any of them.

    As for the Lords, they were also preparing mentally. Everyone knew they would fight each other soon.

    The merfolk guide stopped and thought for a moment, then turned sharply to the right. Everyone followed wordlessly. Five minutester, a barren hill appeared before them.

    It was small, barely thirty feet in height, but steep, rising from the ground like a dropped boulder. On its front was a cave opening leading into the darkness.

    I believe we should pass through there, the guide said.

    Longsword raised a brow. Through there? I dont see an opening on the other side.

    It should appear after we enter.

    To Jack, the guide didnt sound too confident. Everyone else must have felt the same, because Lady Minerva immediately suggested sending in someone to check. The draconic woman was the unlucky one.

    To her honor, she didnt talk back. One slow step after another, she approached the cave and basically crawled through the opening. A momentter, she was lost in darkness. There must have been magic at y there because, despite everyones heightened senses, they couldnt see inside the cave.

    Are you still alive? Longsword called out.

    Yes, a small voice came from inside. The draconic womanher name was Maylindidnt dare shout, in fear of awakening whatever may be in that cave.

    Longsword snorted. He reached for his space bag, took out a yellow orb, and tossed it into the cave. The moment it touched the ground, it erupted with light, like a sun had been born. The draconic woman screamed in surprise.

    Jack held his breath. The woman in the cave froze, her eyes darting around looking for danger.

    There was none. It was just a cave.

    Couldnt you do that before she entered? Jack asked.

    Someone had to volunteer first. Otherwise, who would get the loot?

    Jack was left speechless. That had to be the dumbest thing hed ever heardeven though no retort came to mind.

    The orb remaining lit, showing a small cave that resembled an abandoned home. The walls were carved into almost straight lines. There was a door-shaped opening on the far wall, though Jack couldnt make out whaty beyond it. The walls curved as the cave stretched to the right, outside their line of sight.

    Do you see any other openings? Longsword asked.

    The woman inside recovered. She seemed a bit braver after nothing jumped at her, and she quickly scanned the surroundings with her eyes, even taking a couple steps away from the entrance.

    This is a house, she shouted. There is an opening to the right, leading to the bathroomI think. The door at the back leads to the bedroom. There is a bedframe rotting in there.

    Well, that exins the smell, Longsword replied, keeping his voice low. He then shouted, So, no exits?

    None! No treasure, either. Oh, waitthere is a lever!

    Pull it.

    No! the guide quickly shouted. Dont pull it yet!

    Everyone looked at him questioningly.

    Some mechanisms can only work once. We have records from previous Garden Assaults, he exined. If she pulls the lever and another opening is revealed, this one might close. Well be stranded here and have to find another way arounda far more dangerous one than this.

    There is a stone b above the entrance, the draconic woman shouted from inside. It can be used to block it, as the guide said.

    The Lords exchanged a nce of a thousand words. So, we should facecheck the trap, Lady Minerva said dryly. That doesnt sound prudent.

    Its all we can do sometimes, the guide exined quickly. He seemed nervous.

    And youre sure its not a trap?

    We can never be surebut I believe thats our way forward.

    The Lords looked at each other again. If we cannot trust our guide, said Priya, who can we trust? I say we go.

    You would gamble your life away like that? Minerva challenged her.

    Everyone else is doing the same. I dont mind taking a risk. And besides, the guide will be there with us. You can bet hes not lying.

    I agree with Lady Priya, Lord Longsword said. Maylin already checked for traps. If thats the way forward, all we can do is follow through.

    Very well, Minerva responded after a moments hesitation. Lets go.

    Nobody asked for the opinion of anyone else. The Lords were the leaders here, and their word wasw. Jack didnt disagree with them, either. They would all go in together. What were the chances of the entire Garden Assault getting exterminated?

    Two by two, the entire group filtered into the cave, all eighteen of them. It was crampy. The smell of rot pervaded Jacks nostrils,ing from the far room, and a quick nce revealed the rotting bed frame that the draconic woman had mentioned.

    He could see that, besides the bedroom and bathroom, there was only the main area of the cave. It was the size of a living room but only had a single, rotting meditation mat as furniturewhich did not trigger the Systems scan, so it was not a treasure. Very suspiciously, a thick b of stone hung above the cave opening as if glued to the ceiling.

    There was no way any E-Grade would miss thatcould a trap be that obvious?

    Besides those, the only point of interest was a lever on the side wall, where you couldnt see it from outside the cave. It wasrge and made of iron, seemingpletely out of ce with the rest of the cave, as if it had been addedter.

    Right, Longsword said, eyeing the stone b. So, we pull the lever.

    Yes, my Lord, the guide replied. Lady Priya, who was closest to the lever, reached up and pulled it down.

    The entire cave shook. The stone b crashed to the ground with a massive bang. Then, everything slowly calmed down as the shaking stopped.

    No new opening appeared.

    ...Did we fall for the most obvious trap ever? Priya wondered aloud. All res turned to the guide.

    I he said, his voice almost a whisper. He was frantically looking around. Still, no opening. We may have made a mistake

    You imbecile! Bocor growled. You doomed us all! My Lord, please allow me to y this disgrace.

    Many others seemed to share his sentiment.

    Calm down, Bocor, Longsword said. We arent dead yet. Maybe theres a way out.

    The lever isnt going back up, Priya said, pushing at it. Im using my full strength, but it isnt budging.

    Lets try to lift the boulder, Minerva suggested. Priya, Longsword,e here. Every Physical cultivator, too. Give it a shot by yourselves before I summon giant beasts in an enclosed space.

    A bunch of people approached the stone b, including Jack. He tried to grab it from below, but it was deeply pressed into the floor, and its edge was so straight that there was no room for his fingers to wiggle in. He tried digging under it, but it was impossiblethe floor here was made of magically enhanced rock, as was the b.

    When even Longswords sword failed to scratch the floor, the b, or the walls, everyone was stumped.

    Lets grab it from the side and try to tilt it upward, Jack suggested. If we can raise it even a bit, we can pop our fingers under it for a better grip.

    They tried what he said. Unfortunately, not only was the stones hardness enhanced by magic, but so was its weight. Even with everyone using their full strength, it didnt budge. A few testster, they realized that even pushing it to the side was impossible. The b waspletely immovable.

    I dont like this, Lady Minerva said, eyeing the cave. Keep searching, everyone. There has to be a way. I refuse to believe this trap would make us die of thirst.

    They set to it. These were eighteen very bright people. They checked everything there was to check. The lever, the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Even the inside of the bathroom and under the bed frame.

    Nothing.

    Jack thought that, if he died like this, he would go to the afterlife feeling extremely stupid.

    Ten minutester, Longsword was about to let Bocor go to town on the guide. The guide himself was shriveled up in a corner, probably feeling terrible.

    Jack refused to give up. He had a to save. He couldnt fail because of a big stone. He returned to the b and kept inspecting it, probing its every side for an opening. How would he deal with an immovable object?

    When was thest time hed faced such a thing?

    The door leading to the Ancient ruins had been simr. It was far heavier and sturdier than its physical appearance indicated. Back then, he had to pour his Dao into it. He tried the same here, scouring the stone with his perception in search of Dao vacuums that even an E-Grade Dao could infiltrate.

    His eyes widened. Hey! he shouted. I got it!

    Everyone turned to him. Speak! Longswordmanded.

    Spread your spiritual perception to the rock. Focus on the center of the side facing away from the opening. Do you feel it?

    A momentter, the eyes of the Lords lit up. Whats that!? Minerva asked.

    I believe it is a Jack almost revealed what it was before realizing that this was dangerous. The Lords were very experienced people. If they didnt know what a Dao vacuum was, maybe it was something very umon. It could draw a connection between him and the Ancient ruins. Ahole, he finally said. I dont know what it is, exactly, but I can push my Dao inside.

    Interesting, Minerva muttered, stepping up. How did you discover this?

    I just got desperate and scanned everything very carefully. Anyone would have found it, given time.

    But you did. Good job.

    Thank you.

    Jack nced at Vocrich. The vampire had obviouslye along in Trial Garden, though Jack made sure to ignore him. This time, however, even the vampire had to nod at him.

    Maybe he hadnt saved their lives, since they would find it eventually, but he had saved them from the fear they felt. The exception was the guide, who sweated profusely as he bowed deeply in Jacks direction.

    The Lords took their time inspecting the rest of the stone b, but there was no vacuum besides the one Jack had discovered.

    I believe we just have to pour in our Dao, Lady Minerva finally said.

    Maybe a specific type of Dao is needed, Jack said quickly. Better safe than sorry. Why not try with earth or stone-oriented Daos first?

    Lady Minerva nodded at him. Very well. Lets do as Jack says.

    Jack felt like he had just been praised by the teacher. He then immediately squashed the feeling; he was an equal to these people. If he just got a few more levels, and a little more insight, he would be a Lord himself.

    Plus, if he wanted to defeat theary Overseer within a year, he couldnt be subservient to E-Grades. Not to mention how the Dao of the Fist was unyielding.

    They tried pouring earth-rted Daos into the stone b. It sucked them up like a sponge would absorb water. Before long, the cultivators with these Daos started sweating.

    Its a bottomless pit, one of themthe stone golemsaid. I get the sense that we arent even filling it up.

    Maybe its an issue of quality rather than quantity, Longsword said, cupping his chin. He poured in a sliver of his Dao. Oh! It absorbs my Dao of the Sword as well, and I can sense it filling up a bit. Its not meant for a specific Dao, then. It looks like we just have to pourrge quantities of high-quality Dao into the b.

    What kind of cruel trap is this? Priya wondered. If youre not a Lord, are you supposed to just wait here and die of thirst?

    Not just a Lord, Longsword retorted. He had kept feeding his Dao into the stone, and by now, he was sweating, too. I cannot fill it up by myself. Can my fellow Lords help?

    Trial Garden is not a game. Minerva sighed, cing a hand on the b. Some traps can threaten even immortals. We need to be careful.

    Priya ced her hand on it, too. Immediately, three streams of energy flooded the cave. Even the little parts that werent absorbed by the boulder were enough to rock the world and make Jack feel dizzy. He had to muster his own Dao to resist. Some others were not as luckyhe caught the draconic woman stumble.

    A momentter, the Lords retrieved their hands. Done, Minerva said, a sheen of perspiration on her pale forehead.

    At once, the cave shook again. The b began to float. Inch by inch, it rose over the ground. Jack, Longsword, Bocor, and every other Physical cultivator quickly reached under it and started pushing up, just in case.

    Whether they helped or not was unclear, but the b rose. Everyone rushed out into the light. Thest person to exit was Longswords ice witch, who picked up the yellow orb Longsword had thrown in at the startthe only source of illumination they had in the cave.

    When they exited, everyone looked back. The cave remained just as they had found it. The stone b hung over the entrance, the lever had been lifted to its original position, and it seemed dark and empty.

    And yet, it was one of the deadliest traps around.

    I saw the back of the b as it rose, Lady Minerva said. There was no vacuum on the outside. It can only be opened from the inside. If Maylin had pulled the lever before everyone entered, she would have been stuck there forever.

    The draconic woman was sweating in terror. She quickly thanked the guide for insisting everyone should go inforgetting hed been the one to lead her there in the first ce.

    There was no reward, someone noticed.

    Indeed. Though theyd resolved the trap, no treasure appeared. That was unusual. Most traps had a reward.

    Could there be another way to solve this? Minerva wondered. Well, if anyone wants to go in and give it another shot, be my guest.

    No one did.

    Sorry about that, Maylin, Longsword said. It happens.

    Its okay, replied the draconic woman, who was excited just to leave this ce with her life.

    Lets keep going, Minerva said,ying a hand on the guides shoulder. And, Farfer Be more careful from now on, okay?

    I will try my absolute best, my Lady, the guide replied, bowing deeply. His fish eyes were wide open.

    Leaving the cave behind, they marched into the mist. This time, they were even slower. The guide was double-checking every decision he made, but nobodyined.

    Ten minutester, they were still walking through the mist when a voice came from behind them. Excuse me, hello.

 Chapter 199: Earthen Unirabbit?

    Chapter 199: Earthen Unirabbit?

    Hello, excuse me, a voice came from the mist behind the cultivators, making everyone jump. Magic was held at the ready. Weapons were drawn.

    Out of the mist walked three people. A middle-aged man with rackety clothes and a wide smile, a young, Asian man with two ck daggers on his belt, and a djinn woman with twin ponytails and arge mallet.

    Sage? Jack said.

    Do you know these people? Lady Minerva asked, not letting up her readiness. The sparrow from before was hovering over her shoulder, ready to attack. If not, they could be illusions or transformed monsters.

    I know them, yes. I met them in Space Ring. Everyone, these people are the Sage, Dorman, and Poppy.

    Pleased to make your acquaintance, the Sage spoke again, smiling broadly. The Lords, followers, and treasure hunters, I presume.

    Slowly, everyone let up. Lady Minerva unsummoned her sparrow, but not before Jack could scan it.

    <strong>Diamond-Winged Sparrow, Level 124 (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>A little bird with the ability to move at supersonic speeds without breaking the sound barrier. Its wings are tipped with diamonds, and its tenacity is superb, giving it great attacking power on top of its speed.</em></strong>

    If all of Lady Minervas beasts shared the sparrows strength, each could defeat Jack by itself, or at least pose a great threat. And she had revealed five already.

    It was a sobering thought.

    The pleasure is all ours, Lady Minerva replied. How did you find us in the mist?

    I dabble in divination myself, honored Lady Minerva. I saw the best path forward and followed it, hoping to run into you. If you dont mind, I could use my paltry skills to assist your current guide, aspensation for joining this Assaultte.

    Wait, Longsword said from the side. This doesnt check out. How did you get past the animal tile tunnel? The cave trap?

    Ah, the tunnel was simple. You left footprints on the correct tiles. As for the cave trap Im afraid we didnt run into anything like that.

    Everyone looked at their feet. The ground of Garden Ring wasnt sterilized; it was a grasnd. Of course they left footprints. Plus, Jack himself remained barefoot. Nobody had offered him shoes that could withstand his explosive strength.

    <em>Wait. If they didnt go to the cave trap </em>Jack resisted the urge to smirk. <em>Paltry skills my ass. The Sage is better than our guide.</em>

    In all honesty, the Sage felt unfathomable. From the very first moment they met, the Sage seemed to have everything under his absolute control, even when D-Grades and C-Grades were involved. If he couldnt guide them perfectly through Trial Garden, Jack would be a bit disappointed.

    Many eyes turned to the merfolk guide, sharing the same suspicion that Jack had. In response, the merfolks eyes tightened. Of course. Any help would be great, he replied simply. With you confirming my calctions, I will be able to guide everyone safely through the mist.

    After all, he was here as the guide. He couldnt just let go of his positionespecially after it had been shaken by the cave trap.

    Of course, of course. I would be happy to lend a hand as needed, the Sage replied, showing no intention to fight for the position of head guide. That pacified the merfolk. A few quick introductionster, the Sages group joined them, and everyone advanced together.

    Where are your friends? Dorman asked, walking next to Jack.

    They went to other gardens. Im the only one here.

    I see. That was probably the right call.

    Yeah.

    Dorman was now Level 117. Since thest time Jack saw him, he had advanced by ten whole levelsall of them in Labyrinth Ring.

    Jack had no clue where Dormans current strengthy. He remembered how they had sparred to a tie during the Integration Tournament. Afterward, Jack had broken through first and defeated Rufus Emberheart, but each had gone their own ways since then. Now, Dorman was higher-leveled.

    <em>Can I still beat him? </em>Jack wondered.

    Its a shame you werent in time to fight the Guardian, he said. The Ring Conqueror titles are no joke.

    Oh, dont worry about it. We have our ways. Dorman seemed nonplussed.

    Jack grinned. Youve taken to the Sages mysteriousness, havent you?

    Hah. Ites with the territory. You know what Im talking about.

    Yeah On the plus side, Jack hadpany now. And old friends were the best kind ofpany. How has life been treating you, Dorman? We didnt really catch up in Space Ring.

    Ive been pretty well, to be honest. The Barren High didnt spare any expense in training me. I met plenty of strong fighterseven my master was invited over to help me. You remember her, right? The cloud worm.

    Hmm, kind of. The worm that moved like lightning and spoke telepathically?

    Thats her. She taught me all sorts of stuffand Trial helped me a lot, too. I got a ton of levels.

    Same here.

    You seem a bit low, though Dorman gave Jack a side-nce. Youre twenty levels behind. If you dont work hard, you wont be able to fight me.

    I can still take you.

    Oho. Wanna try?

    You bet.

    Of course, fighting now would be a terrible idea for many reasons, but Jack kept it in mind. They had to spar again at the first opportunity. It could even give him the final spark of inspiration he needed to fuse his Dao Root of Power.

    And what sort of fist would back down from a challenge?

    The mists of Trial Garden were light and swirling, hiding all sorts of dangers. The next trap they ran into required someone to dive into an empty rabbit barren and pull a bunch of colored levers in the right orderor get buried in that barren forever. This time, a treasure hunter who was also a formation master was sent in, and he thankfully seeded on the first try.

    The hours passed. Their path got more and more jagged as the merfolk guide confidently led them forward, while the Sage was content to follow and nod in agreement.

    At some point, however, the two guides slowed down. They looked from side to side, then at each other. The merfolk made to move to the left.

    Not that way, the Sage said. Something is intervening with your divination. That is the wrong path.

    The merfolk frowned, repeating his calctions. A momentter, he replied, I dont think so.

    I am pretty certain.

    How do you know?

    I can divine it.

    The merfolks frown deepened. If the Sage could divine what he couldnt, then there was a clear gap in ability between themand the merfolk had fought hard to remain in the lead position.

    You are confused, he finally said. Our next destination is to the left. Nothing could intervene with my divination without my knowledgeand, if something could, there is no way you would find it.

    As you prefer, the Sage replied calmly. However, we should be careful. At the first sign of trouble, we stop and send a treasure hunter to investigate.

    Jack was very d not to be the next treasure hunter in line. The merfolk nodded.

    And, on the way there the Sage continued, his face unreadable, let me take us through a roundabout route. I promise that nothing bad will happen.

    The merfolk narrowed his eyes. Why?

    Youll see. Just let me. It will be the same thingwell just walk in circles for a little while. If you feel any danger, just stop me anytime. And, if my caution turns out to be unneeded, I will freely admit that I was wrong.

    Cryptic and mysterious as ever. Still, Jack trusted the Sage. If he wanted to lead them through a roundabout route, he must have his reasons.

    Wouldnt that make us lost? a treasure hunter chimed in. What if we cant find the way backter?

    I guarantee that nothing bad will happen. If it does, you can freely take my life, and I wontin one bit, the Sage replied smilingly. Besides, you always have another guide to find the way back, right?

    Everyone else looked at each other and shrugged. Not trusting your guide was a great way to die. They nced at the merfolk.

    Very well, the merfolk finally replied. He clearly seemed insulted, but also confused. In any case, no matter how convoluted Sage made the path, he could always find his way backand perhaps, deep in his heart, he wasnt as confident in his guidance as he showed.

    Throughout that interaction, the Lords had been silent, watching the guides speak with each other.

    They veered left. As the Sage had said, he led them through a turning, twisting path, constantly changing directions. Jack could sense they werent covering a lot of distance, but he didnt know divinationsurrounded by mist, he quickly lost his sense of direction.

    Half an hours passed. Jack was nowpletely lost. Suddenly, a voice spoke in his mind. <em>Greetings, cultivators.</em>

    Everyone froze. Did you someone began, only for someone else to finish, Yes. We all heard it.

    What is that? Jack asked.

    <em>I am Drevil Kastermonf, a familiar left here for the worthiest of formation masters. Advance andy eyes on my form.</em>

    The group looked at the guides. The Sage nced at the merfolk, who shrugged. Treasure hunter, he said, off you go.

    The stone golem valiantly walked into the mist. A momentter, his voice reached their ears. Its safe.

    Everyone walked up to him. The mist had thinned a lot here, revealing a ten-foot-wide circle. Runes and symbols made up its periphery, their meaning unknown but their forms mystical. A curtain of shimmering wind stretched over the circle, forming a transparent dome.

    A creature stood inside the otherwise empty circle. It resembled a rabbit, except with one horn on its head and vivid green fur. Jack tried to scan it, only toe up with nothing. Whatever this circle was, it blocked the Systems inspection.

    The moment Kareenaid eyes on the rabbit, however, she gasped.

    Do you know what that is? Lady Priya asked her.

    I do, she replied. Thats an Earthen Unirabbit. One of the most sought-after spiritualpanions for formation masters and Mental cultivators. They can grow up to the D-Grade. This must be a baby!

    <em>The silver-haired girl is correct,</em> the rabbits voice rang in everyones minds. It was cheerful and quick,ing in bursts of many words. It really did fit a rabbit.<em></em>A formal-speaking rabbit. <em>I have been trapped here for the worthybut approach with caution. Hear the rules of my trap: the one who releases me will be my master, either tomand or sell me. If you make a mistake, however, hellfire will rise from the magic circle to burn you. Brave my cage at your own risk.</em>

    Spiritualpanions could bring their cultivator many benefits, from stat improvements to insights. But not every animal was fit to be a spiritualpanion. Brock, for example, wasnt, which is why Jack had never seen a tangible increase in his stats.

    He was, however, an excellent bro.

    Actual spiritualpanions were very rare and very valuable. Even Jack could tell that the value of a D-Grade one was astronomicalespecially when you could raise it from a baby.

    A few cultivators, including Kareena, quickly approached the circle and began inspecting it. After all, the rabbit had made the rules clear. Whoever released it would be its master. It was a race.

    Not everyone approached, however. Many people knew they couldnt match Kareena or the others in formation solving speed, so they didnt even bother. The merfolks face beamed with pride.

    See that, Sage? he asked. I discovered such a valuable prize. We would have missed it if we listened to your hesitation. You should not let fear cloud your judgment.

    Indeed, an Earthen Unirabbit is a very valuable creature, the Sage replied, nodding. However, answer me this: are Earthen Unirabbits capable of telepathy?

    The merfolk adopted a confused look. What are you talking about? Yes, they are. All immortals are.

    But look at its horn. The horns of Earthen Unirabbits grow with their Dao understanding. This one only has five spiralsit clearly hasnt reached the D-Grade yet. It shouldnt be able tomunicate telepathically, let alone manipte the threads of fate to lead you here.

    The merfolks face was paling by the minute. What are you saying?

    Im saying that everyone should get away from that thing. Now.

    As the Sage said that, many things happened at once. The rabbit jumped towards the formations edge, transforming into a humanoid with gray skin, bat wings, red horns, spikes on its spine, and long, sharp ears. Its wed arm then erged as it swiped at the cultivators through the circle.

    <strong>Echidna Devil, Level 124 (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>A creature manifested from an extremity of the Dao of Law. It ispelled to always keep its word, but it also gains extreme power against anyone who breaks their word to it. Therefore, it enjoys luring cultivators into craftily-worded contracts and deals that end up with it having the upper hand.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr Echidna Devil has lost most of its power due to the uses of a past contract.</em></strong>

    None of these cultivators were stupid. Hearing the Sages words, they had already jumped back. One of them, however, hesitated for just a moment too long. The devils ws moved impossibly fast, grabbing him from the back of the neck and pulling him face-first at the circle.

    The cultivator rammed into the shimmering air like it was a physical wall. He gasped in pain. The devil screamedits hand was steaming where it came into contact with the shimmering air.

    Stomp on the circle! Stomp on the circle and pour your Dao into it! the devil roared desperately, its voice taking on a magical tone that brooked no disobedience. Jack felt a supernature urge to follow its instructionswhich he quickly suppressed.

    Apparently, the captured cultivator didnt. His leg rose to stomp down. In the same instant, the tip of a long sword pierced into his neck from behind, ending his life instantly. The leg lost power and plopped softly on the ground, not disturbing the circles symbols, let alone pouring any Dao into it.

    Longsword calmly retrieved his sword, having averted a disaster. The devil roared and withdrew its hand, letting the corpse tumble to the ground. It then cradled its hand in his chest, as it still steamed. It was badly burned.

    The devils face, however, remained wicked, even as it warped in pain.

    Smart human,<em></em>it shouted in a rough voice, like its throat was parched. Too smart. Suspiciously smart. Release me quickly, or I may reveal your secret to everyone. I promise to run away without harming any of you.

 Chapter 200: Tempted by a Devil

    Chapter 200: Tempted by a Devil

    Release me quickly, or I may reveal your secret to everyone. I promise to run away without harming any of you.

    The devils words were scary, but intriguing at the same time. While everyone was still reeling from the revtion of the rabbits true identity, the sharpest cultivators turned to the Sage. He only smiled.

    Reveal whatever you want, devil. I have nothing to hide.

    The devil looked him in the eye for a moment. Its wrinkled gray face, with ck eyes and sharp teeth, took on a calcting look. In the end, it didnt reveal any secreteither because it didnt know and was bluffing, or because it chose not to.

    What bad luck is this For Earthen Unirabbits to still exist, and for me to run into someone who knows so much about them, itmented. I have been trapped here for a long time, mortals. A very long time. Release me, and I will assist you in getting the Top Treasure or anything else you want. We can make a contract on your terms entirely, as long as I get my freedom. Im desperate.

    Devil contracts are terrible ideas, the Sage informed everyone. Its best to let this one rot here for eternitybut, of course, this is your decision to make, my Lords. He turned to the three Lords and gave a slight bow.

    For the first time, Jack sensed hostility in the Sages words. Did he have something against devils?

    Suddenly, he realized that he, too, felt hostility. It was a feeling that came from deep inside him, stemming from the Life Drop that had fused with his soul. The devil feltwrong. Appalling. Like it went directly against everything the Life Drop represented.

    He suppressed that feeling. He was the one in control, not the Life Drop. The sense of wrongness remained, but it was weaker now.

    <em>What is a devil? </em>he wondered, keeping in mind to ask the Sageter. <em>And what manner of creature ispelled to always keep their word? How does that even work?</em>

    The Lords looked at the devil, then each other. Its not worth it, Lady Minerva said.

    Agreed.

    Agreed.

    Thankfully, all the Lords were smart, experienced people. None of them wouldplicate things without reason.

    The devil hissed.

    It really must be desperate, Dorman said, cupping his chin. Devils are supposed to beposed, but this one is steaming at the seams.

    Jackughed. I would be desperate, too, if I was trapped in a circle for eternity. Anyway, its as the Lords said. Best to let this one go. I have heard enough stories on Earth to not trust a devil.

    As he said that, however, he realized something. If this devil had been trapped here since the creation of Trial, it must have lived for over a million years. Just how strong was it before losing its powers!?

    How about this?<em></em>the devil tried again. I promise to serve whoever releases me for a thousand years. No hidden uses, no questions asked. Short of harming or imprisoning myself, I will do anything.

    No cultivator responded.

    I could help you get the Top Treasure. Even be your familiar and help you defeat the Final Guardian, the devil tempted them again. Even with my powers sealed, Im far stronger than any mortal of this Grade.

    That definitely tempted people. Even the Lords narrowed their eyes, trying to see through the devil.

    Still a terrible idea, the Sage cautioned. False creatures like this are not to be trusted. A thousand yearster, it will have found a way to restore its powers, and it will kill or enve you and your entire factions. Taking this risk is absolutely not worth it.

    But if you refuse me and someone else releases me, your lives could be forfeit much sooner, the devil insisted. Think about it. Even if you arent tempted by this Trials greatest rewards, you cant possibly take the risk to leave me here. Any one of you could backtrackter and release me, then use me to ughter the rest of you and emerge as a king.

    Jack had to admit this made a bit of sense. Even he was tempted. His n was to scrape up as many resources as he possibly could, then reach the C-Grade within a year. To achieve such an impossible goal, impossible measures would be needed.

    Everyone had their hopes and dreams. Doubtlessly, the devils words tempted many.

    How do we resolve this? Longsword asked, turning to the rest of the Lordsand the Sage. That thing is right. If we just leave it here, anyone can rescue itter. We cannot guarantee that nobody will be tempted.

    Hmm Minerva and Priya seemed deep in thought, but none of them had an idea.

    Its easy, too, the devil continued. Just wiping one of these runes or infusing the formation with your Dao will be enough to release me. Any one of you can do it with the snap of your fingers.

    This is troublesome, indeed. The Sage nodded sagely. How about this? On the way out, I can lead us through a convoluted path, just as I did on the way in. Well end up where we started, on the right path, and nobody will be able to retrace our steps and reach this ce.

    Jack was floored by the Sages foresight. Even the Lords were. He had predicted all this and taken them here through aplex path that nobody could retrace. If he also led them out in another roundabout manner, reaching the spot from where theyd started, nobody would be able to rediscover the devils locationbesides the two guides. If someone felt tempted and ran backter, they couldnt find the devil. Even on the way back, they wouldnt pass by the devils location again, so nobody would have an opportunity to do anything. For all intents and purposes, the devil would be forever lost to everyone besides the Sage and the merfolk guide.

    The Lords looked at each other and nodded. Sounds sensible.

    Fine.

    Excellent! Nice suggestion, Sage, Longsword said with enthusiasm. I have to admit, you have surprised me pleasantly many times already. Is your Barren High open to a disciple exchange?

    The Sageughed. I will have to ask my master, Lord Longsword. In the meantime, Imend you for your wisdom. All three of you were able to resist the temptation. That is no small task.

    Of course! What kind of idiot would let themselves be swooned by a devil?

    Everyone knew that was an exaggeration. Many people would be tempted by power. Mortals, Lords, even immortals Desire could overpower wisdom, and temptation was the downfall of many. Jack didnt for a moment believe that the Lords were as steadfast as they showed. One or more of them were probably temptedand, if not them, some of the other cultivators present. The only thing stopping them was the presence of the other Lords. There was no need to risk everything for uncertain benefits.

    Fine, the devils voice sparked with bitterness and deep hatred. Despair, even. Walk away, little mortals. Soon enough, one of you is going to release me. And then, they will have everything.

    Nobody responded to the devil. They walked away. The Sage led the way, with the three Lords holding the rear, and soon enough, the magic circle was lost in the mist again. Everyone breathed a sigh of reliefbut the disaster that had almost urred remained on their minds.

    For Jack, the presence of the devil took a much longer time to disappear. The sense of wrongness and repulsion still lingered in his heart like a burning coal pointed towards the devil, a primal urge to ughter and destroy it. No, it didnte from his heartit originated from a specific part of his soul. The Life Drop.

    <em>What does this mean? </em>Jack wondered. <em>Does the devil have a special connection to the Dao of Life? Or to this Life Drop specifically?</em>

    Unfortunately, he currently knew too little about these subjects. He couldnt ask anyone either, just in case he revealed something about the Life Drop so he simply filed the issue away for future reference.

    The Sage led them through aplex, winding path, back to where theyd started, where the merfolk had first sensed the devil and advised everyone to head over. They stopped following a roundabout route and kept walking deeper in the garden. Eventually, they were so far away that even Jacks odd feeling dissipated. The devil was now unfindable. They were safe.

    As long as they kept an eye on the Sage and the merfolk, who could definitely return at any time he liked.

    Hey, Sage, Jack asked when they were far away, what exactly are devils?

    Creatures of extremity, thats what they are, the Sage replied with distaste. The natural state of the world is a bnce between chaos and order. Each of us contains a mixture of both these elements, as does every Dao, animal, cultivator, nt, or even space monster in the universethat is the wider path of Life. Devils, however, are unnatural. When a Dao is pushed to the extreme and one of thoseponents vanishes, there appear beings that should never exist. They are anathema to all life and should be exterminated on sight, if the circumstances permit.

    You sound passionate.

    As everyone should be. No good cane from the extremesavoid them at all costs. Just think about that devil. Itcks the fundamental ability to go against its word. Does that sound natural to you?

    Hmm, Jack replied, nodding. There wasnt much else to say on the subject, but he felt this information was important, so he stored it safely inside his mind.

    Over the next couple of days, Jack learned they were treading a narrow path between grave traps. The constant turns the Sage made werent random; they were dodging the areas of highest danger, resolving only the tamest of traps the Garden had to offer.

    Still, they ran into plenty. Some traps were formations, like the first one had been. Others were trickier. One of them involved a walk through a maze of stacked cages. Each cage contained a sleeping animal, and the faintest sound was enough to stir them awake, sending them into a frenzy that quickly awoke every other animal in the mazeincluding a few King ones that were uncaged.

    Thankfully, the maze was small, and the two guides quickly led them through it before anyone was harmed.

    The Sage was at the front, leading them confidently. After failing to recognize the devil and almost dooming everyone, the merfolk guide had retreated behind the Sage and didnt dare make a peep.

    The deeper into Trial Garden they journeyed, the harsher the traps became. Not every treasure hunter emerged unscathed. One lost his arm to a propeller of des. Another died when Kareena failed to solve a formation. Thankfully, she seeded on the second tryand the treasure hunter that tested that one was scared beyond his mind.

    Overall, though, they remained safe. They had journeyed pretty deep by now; they would be arriving to the core of the Garden soon, where the Top Treasure awaited. On the way, they had run into ten trapsenough that Jacks turn hade again. Thankfully, he had emerged unscathed, and with a body-rted treasure to boot.

    It was a small vial containing the Muscle Throbbing Juice. The moment he rubbed it on his arms, he felt his muscles begin to throb as they gradually rose in power. He got thirty points in Strength from that. Not bad at all. Finally, one of his stats rose past four hundred.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 97</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 420</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 390</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 390</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 80</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch II, Iron Fist Style II, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist te), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Suddenly, the mist thickened. It kept increasing in density until the sphere created by Lady Minervas spectral torch was just barely wide enough to fit all the cultivators.

    Be careful, everyone, the Sage said. We must be appro

    Suddenly, the mist disappeared. Jack had to blink a few times to realize what he was seeing. They had stepped out of the mist and into arge dome-shaped space. Mist surrounded it on all directions, but the other side was hundreds of feet away.

    Everyone came to a slow stop. Lady Minerva deactivated her torch, which was no longer necessary. Wee, everyone, she said, to the core of Trial Garden.

    Woah, Jack said, and for good reason. The most impressive thing about the dome of clean air inside the mist wasanother dome, just inside it. Thirty feet ahead of them was a transparent dome of green energy, simr to the one around the devil. Inside that was yet another dome, this one blue and flickering. Five more domes spread between the cultivators and the center of the ce, which housed a single, crooked tree that was only Jacks height.

    That tree seemed small and ancient, as ifpletely devoid of energy and at the end of its life. Yet, from its branches hung a single fruita blood-red apple shining with such intense life energy that Jacks blood boiled even from this distance. He felt like a superhero. Like his chest and mind were both inted, and everything about the world was clear.

    The sensation passed after a moment, but the awe remained.

    Is that he began, but didnt need to finish the thought. That fruit, hidden behind seven separate formations, was the Dao Sprouting Pill. The Top Treasure of Garden Ring.

    The one that, ording to Longsword, could help one reach the D-Grade.

    ***

    The professor walked into the forest, whistling all the while. She was in a great mood. Edgar had broken through and was going to attack Ice Peak. Things were finally looking up.

    They had to celebrate.

    She burst into a clearing. Once upon a time, a goblin tribe used to stand here. Now, there was only the High Speed Bushand a robot.

    Sparmany on the grass, hands behind his head and enjoying the sun. The professor still didnt know <em>how </em>a robot could enjoy the sun, but it was certainly possible.

    Sparman! she called out. The robot raised his head and sighed.

    Get away, he said.

    I need you for a moment. Can you help build a stage? Edgar broke through, and we need to celebrate.

    Sparman scowled. I was ordered to protect the forest, not be a carpenter.

    Its for protection. If we dont have a stage, our morale will drop, we will lose the war, and the forest will <em>die</em>!

    She could see the robot try to go against its directives. She watched its inner struggle as, slowly but surely, it rose from the ground and paced in her direction. I hate you, he said.

    Thank you.

    But I hate my directives even more.

    Thats good to know.

    Sparman gave the clearing a final, longing look.

    Dont be like that, she said, pping its shoulder. It was harder than a diamond. You can be back here tomorrow.

    Whatever. I guess this beats staying deactivated for years between Integrations.

    The two of them headed towards the headquarters together. Sparman wasining all the while, but the professor didnt mind.

    She strongly suspected that Sparman was lying. His core directives didnt force him to help her with chores if she just called it protection and pulled her reasoning from the hair.

    He just didnt want to admit he enjoyed it. But she had seen how his face looked every time he helped build stuff, spar against the broris, or teach the children about the gxy.

    At times, even a steel block of a face could express warmth.

    <em>You big softie, </em>she thought with a smile. <em>Of course you help with chores, because thats what family does.</em>

 Chapter 201: Spreading Brohood

    Chapter 201: Spreading Brohood

    Brock walked into a gardenden with mist. It was thin; thin enough that he could see through it.

    Animals lumbered all around him. He spotted deer drinking from a pond; squirrels jumping from branch to branch and gliding to the ground; arge, gray, scaled beast resting on a hot stone. Each of those animals was at least as strong as him.

    Brock could not read the letters above the entrance, but he had heard others call this ce, Beast Garden. It felt perfect.

    He was alone, too. Dog Bro and Girl Bro had gone in other directions, as had most of the other cultivators. Which, again, suited him perfectly. If there were other people around, they would be envious of the great treasures he would undoubtedly secure.

    The problem was, where could he find those? The garden was expansive in all directions. Searching for treasure would be like searching for a pine tree in the forest.

    Thankfully, the way of the bro had an answer for all cases.

    Brock walked up to the deer and greeted them politely. He then asked for directions to treasure. The deer bros, after staring at him for a moment, angled their heads in a certain direction. One of them mimed something tall, then touched a stone with its horns.

    Brock and the deer didnt share anguage, but bros didnt need to speak tomunicate!

    Thanks, bro, said Brock. He fist-bumped a deer before continuing.

    As it turned out, the garden animals were very friendly. Anytime Brock asked for directions, they showed him the way forward. Some were even polite enough to make small talkin mimenguage. Brock was a good bro, so he was polite and friendly back. Before long, the animals here had be his friends. A squirrel treated him to a nut, and a chimp hanging from a tall branch handed him a fruit with a smooth skin. The moment Brock took a bite, he found it was overflowing with juiceswhich made him dizzy in a pleasant way.

    He also discovered there were plenty of treasures here. Not all animals pointed to the same one. Brock, however, decided to take them one by one. When an animal gave him contrasting directions to the others, he would mime high and stone. The animal would then exim in understanding and point him towherever he was headed.

    A few hourster, Brock finally reached his destination. A tall stone obelisk emerged from the mist. It was surrounded by shorter stone bs, erected to form a ring around it.

    Brock approached slowly. He entered the ring of stone, looking around him in wonder. These stone bs were huge! Who had set them up?

    Then again, Big Bro could probably do it. Soon, so would Brock.

    Wee, young one, a feminine voice rumbled. Brock looked around. A figure walked out of the mistarge beast, three times as tall as Brock and many times as long. It walked on all fours, had the body of a lion, the wings of a bird, and the face of a human woman. Her eyes were clear and deep, so piercing that Brock thought they were cutting right to his soul.

    He didnt mind. His soul had nothing to hide or be ashamed of.

    He could also see a set of fierce fangs lining her mouththe kind of fangs that could easily tear a brori apart. Moreover, he could sense that this creature was far stronger than him. It was simr in strength to the strongest cultivator bros hed met in this ce.

    Hello, Brock replied to its greeting. Me, Brock.

    The creatures sharp fangs warped to resemble a smile. Wee, Brock, to the Misty Stone Ring. I am a sphinx by species and Eterazel by name. You can call me whichever you prefer.

    Okay.

    I am pleased to see you have manners the sphinx said, rxing slightly. She walked to a stone tform before the obelisk andy on it, crossing her front legs before her massive body. You would not believe how many disrespectful cultivators I have to eat every season. They are all give me this and give me that, and all sorts of rudements. Distasteful, dont you think?

    Brock considered it. Going to another persons home and being greedy or rude wasnt nice. Therefore, he nodded.

    Good. Now, Brock, I see you are no cultivator, but you are not a creature of this garden, either. Am I right to assume you havee here for my treasure?

    Yes.

    The sphinxs sharp fangs warped into a smile again. A bone was revealed on the stone before her, like it had always been there but Brock had failed to notice. It smelled very tasty.

    This is the Sphinxs Bone, the lion-eagle-woman bro said. Sucking its marrow enhances your body, mind, and soul. It is most effective on those not already strengthened by the Systemthat is, beasts like you and me.

    Brock nodded. That sounded very good.

    However, if you want this bone, you have to answer three questions of mine first. Do you want to try?

    Brock nodded.

    Be careful, though. If you fail, I might eat you.

    Brock nodded again. If this bro wanted to eat him, she could do it anytime. Therefore, answering her questions came at no cost. Even though he wasnt very smart, he hoped that his Very Big Thought of Brohood would lead him to the right answers.

    Very well. The sphinx rxed further, lowering her body until her jaw touched the stone. The first question: what life do you dream for yourself?

    Brock took his time to ponder. What did he dream about, really? Following his big bro to the ends of the world? Helping all his bros lead better lives? Spread the legendary Bro Code to the clearly clueless cultivators? Rejoining his pack and working out with them?

    It was all of thosepartly.

    Having realized his answer, Brock finally started expressing it. He couldnt say it with words. He resorted to mimingwhich, despite his proficiency and practice, was a particrly hard endeavor. It took him more than a minute just to get it out, let alone all of the sphinxs rifying questions and follow-ups.

    The sphinx, however, did notck patience. The two of them embarked on a conversation thatsted around half an hour, with Brock trying to get his point across as clearly as possible and the sphinx striving to understand every word of it.

    In the end, the answer that Brock settled on was something like, I want to act as bro as possible. Be faithful to my path. Lead a life that is enjoyable and beneficial to the good people around me. Make all the brave choices,ugh a lot, and let the world guide me where I am needed most. That is the life I dream. What about you?

    The sphinx nodded. Excellent. Then, second que Wait. What did you say?

    Brock pointed at her again.

    Me? the sphinxs eyes widened. She pulled her head back a bit. Why are you asking me? I am the one asking the questions.

    Brock shrugged, then mimed that it was the polite thing to do. Besides, she seemed like an interesting person, so he was interested in what she had to say.

    The sphinx was clearly flustered. She lost her words a bit. I Thank you. Um, what life do I dream about This, I guess. What my mother, grandmother, and all my ancestors did before me. I stay here and ask questions to the cultivators, then either eat them or reward them based on Ahem. Nevermind.

    Oh, Brock eximed. He then asked the sphinx if she ever dreamed of leaving this ce and exploring the wide world.

    It never urred to me, she replied. I have a purpose in life. I juststay here and wait, mostly. Its great, if a bit lonely. I dont interact with the other animals much.

    Now, it was Brocks turn to widen his eyes. He asked if she had no friendshe called them bros, actually, but the sphinx understood friends.

    Not really, she responded. Suddenly, she seemed a bit bashful. The other animals are afraid of me because I eat them sometimes. My rtives are all in different ces. I usually just stay here and try toe up with better questionsbut no answers. I handle questions only. Garden policy.

    Brock didnt know what thosest words meant, but he found it sad that the sphinx just wasted away her years here, all alone and broless. He suggested that he could be her bro, if she wanted.

    My friend? Her face reddened visibly. I I have no friends.

    Which was why Brock suggested bing one.

    Okay then Yes, I guess. Yes, we can be friends. I I dont see whats so bad about that. I would like to have a friend. She seemed confused a bit. But I still may eat youter, okay? Rules are rules.

    Brock nodded. Inwardly, he thought that she could benefit from eating fewer potential friends, but preferred not to say that out loud. Or mime it, in any case.

    Then, second question, littl Friend Brock. What is your greatest fear?

    Brock didnt need to consider it, this time. He mimed that his worst nightmare was being weak, alone, and abandoned by all his bros.

    The sphinx nodded. She was starting to get the hang of Brocks miming by now, which mademunication easier.

    Finally, third question: What animal walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?

    Brock was stumped. Unfortunately, this was not something his Bro Code could help with. He thought deeply about the riddle. He considered all animals he knew. Unfortunately, nothing even came closehe had never heard of an animal growing more or fewer legs as it grew.

    Finally, he shook his head.

    You dont know? the sphinx replied, inching closer. Her fangs filled Brocks vision. Are you sure?

    Yes.

    Aha! So you failed a question!

    Brock nodded. He then mimed the question of whether she was going to eat him.

    Well, no, she replied, pulling back. I naturally cannot demand that everyone knows this random riddle. My questions are meant to test peoples integrity. Sphinxes can smell dishonesty. If you tried to trick me at any point, I would eat you. Since you didnt Well, you seeded. Congrattions, Friend Brock! You passed my test. The Sphinx Bone is yours.

    Brock pumped a fist into the air. He had never once doubted his sess. The path of the bro never went wrong.

    Out of curiosity, he asked what the answer to thest riddle was.

    The Egalitarian Tripede, the sphinx replied. I dont expect you to know it. Its a pretty rare animal. Although, many cultivators try to im that the answer is humans, for some reason. It makes no sense. Humans dont grow any extra legs, and if I wanted to mean the phases of the day metaphorically, I would just say so. I think its just a rumor one of them spread after failing my riddle. I know who it was, too; I should have eaten her. Too bad she was respectful. Pretty girl, too. Her hair was nice.

    Brock nodded. He also didnt see how humans had four legs, then two, then three. Cultivators could be coocoo sometimes.

    He then approached the sphinx. She expected him to pick up the bone. Instead, he walked past it to shake her paw.

    I What? she said, absent-mindedly letting her paw be shaken. Are you not afraid that I will eat you?

    Brock was pretty sure she wouldnt eat him.

    But everyone else is.

    Good thing Brock wasnt everyone else. Heughed and indicated that hed enjoyed their conversation. He then asked if she wanted to leave this ce and travel with him, since she was clearly unhappy here. But she would have to promise not to eat everyone.

    The sphinx got even more flustered. I Thank you for your offer, Friend Brock, but I cannot do that. I am happy here. This is how sphinxes live. We guard ces and ask riddles. We really dont enjoy traveling.

    Brock considered it for a moment, then nodded. Everyone had their own preferences. He still mimed that she should try to find friends nearby. Even if she didnt like leaving her Misty Stone Ring, she could invite them here to spend some quality time together. He also suggested that maybe not eating everyone would help her make friends.

    That is not a bad idea, she agreed thoughtfully. I dont know why it never urred to me before. Okay. I will try.

    Brock nodded happily. Another sessful bro intervention. It was incredible how many people needed a good bro to show them the way.

    Thankfully, he was here.

    He then grabbed the bone and inspected it. It was a bone. How was he supposed to suck its marrow? Should he just break it?

    You can twist its top, the sphinx suggested. Brock did as she said and found that, indeed, the top was easily twisted. It popped off like a cork, revealing a thin line of red marrow. He brought it up to his mouth and sucked.

    Instantly, thick liquid filled his mouth, and intense life energy flooded his entire being. Everything, from his toes to his soul, were strengthened. Brock felt his muscles contract and harden, bing like iron cords. He felt his mind sharpen and the worlding into focus. He even felt his soul grow by a bit.

    In just a moment, he had gotten much stronger than before. It reminded him of the pink pill he swallowed in the Trialwhich, in turn, reminded him that he still had to think about the Big Thought of Density.

    Hopefully, he would find some timeter. For now, he had to get as many treasures as possible, both for himself and his other bros.

    Theres something more, the sphinx said, hesitating over something. A momentter, she told him, Wait here! and rushed away into the mist. When she returned, a small pouch hung from her mouth, which she deposited to Brocks feet.

    He made a questioning gesture. This pouch resembled a closed lotus flower, and it was filled with a sort of white powder.

    This is called Beast Growth Powder, the sphinx said. A cultivator of the past tried to bribe me with it after failing my test. I ate him, of course, but I kept the powder. I never discovered how to use it, so it remained in myiruntil now.

    Brock mimed whether she had tried to eat it, as she liked doing to anything else.

    Of course not, the sphinx replied. It is powder. Who eats powder?

    Brock considered it for a moment, then nodded. It made sense. He then asked why she was giving it to him.

    Suddenly, her face reddened a bit. Were friends now, right? Friends are supposed to exchange giftsright?

    What?! Brock quickly mimed that he couldnt ept this. He had no gift to reciprocate!

    Its okay, the sphinx replied, smiling in her particrly carnivorous way. You became my friend and gave me advice. Take this as a token of my gratitude.

    Refusing any longer would be un-bro-like. Brock epted the powder, sticking it in his pocket. Maybe Big Bro would know how to use it.

    Thanks, bro, he told her. She made an awkward happy expressionher mouth was used to poising threateningly, not smiling.

    I thank you, Friend Brock. You were a wee break in my mundane life. I wish you all the best.

    Brock nodded. He shook her paw againa motion as awkward as the first time, but letting that stop him would be un-brothen waved goodbye and turned to leave. He really wished she would find some friendsbut, in the end, it was her choice. Good bros should help people achieve happiness by their own strength, not hand-hold them into it.

    He hadnt taken two steps outside the stone circle when two beastsnded to his right and left. One was a frog the size of a person, with yellow skin and green eyes. The other was a desert lizard reminiscent of the ones hed seen in Vige Ring.

    Brock paused. Each of these beasts was much stronger than him. What was going on?

    I got you, a voice came from up ahead, as a humanoid figure walked out of the mist.

 Chapter 202: To Save Oneâ€™s Bros

    Chapter 202: To Save One¡¯s Bros

    Turning, Brock found a human approaching. He was a tall,nky, young-looking one with an evil glint in his eyes, like a kid about to bully his shortest pack-mate. Brock rummaged through his memory. He had seen this person before. It was the guy that had been present when Big Bro fought the minotaur in the desert, riding the desert lizard that was now on Brocks other side.

    Hello, Brock responded. Can I help you?

    This was an expression he had specifically tried to learn. He found it cool.

    Oh, you can speak, the young man said. Even better, then. Hand over your treasures.

    Brock showed his empty palms, indicating that he had nothing.

    Dont lie to me. Jack Rust has no pockets, and he treats you very well. You must be holding on to <em>something.</em> Hand it over.

    Ah. This was a clever path of thought. It was also wrong, but incidentally, Brock did happen to have some treasure with him. It was the Beast Growth Powder that his newest friend had just gifted him.

    Of course, Brock didnt feel like handing it over, but the alternative was pretty clearly death, which would make many people sad. An interesting dilemma.

    <em>Hmm </em>Brock thought, channeling his inner bro to find the best solution.

    Thankfully, it was unnecessary. The young man suddenly began to float over the ground. The reason was the sharp talon that had hooked his hood. Eterazel the sphinx stood behind the man, ogling him with distaste. The young man, on the other hand, paled like hed seen a ghost. His two beasts froze.

    I The sphinx! he said in a high-pitched voice. You are not supposed to leave the circle!

    Another foolish rumor. Its not that I cant, its that I dont want to, the sphinx replied. But you are threatening Friend Brock. Friends are supposed to help friends She turned to Brock, suddenly with a hint of hesitation in her voice, right?

    Brock nodded. Yes. Thanks.

    No problem, Friend Brock.

    The young man paled even further. What are you going to do me to me? he asked in a squeaky voice.

    Eat you, of course. There is only one destination for people who annoy a sphinx: her stomach.

    The young man screeched. Brock no longer felt particrly scared of him.

    No, he said. The sphinx looked over.

    No?

    No.

    Brock then reminded her that she should try to eat people less.

    Right The sphinx said, clearly dissatisfied. Then, what should I do with him? All I know to do is eat peopleor ask them questions. Should I start asking?

    Brock shook his head, pointing at himself.

    <em>You </em>want to ask the questions? The sphinx raised a brow. Very well. Its quite unorthodox, but Ill allow it.

    Thanks.

    Brock then turned to the young man, who still hung from the sphinx talon. His summoned beasts remained frozen. Brock made a questioning gesture.

    I am Squirrelborn of the Wide Swirls faction, the man said quickly. A high E-Grade tamer. These are my beasts, Long Tongue and Desert Walker.

    Brock nodded. There wasnt much he wanted to learn from this manbut a good bro never let opportunities pass. He fished the lotus-shaped powder pouch from his pocket, pointed at it, then made another questioning gesture.

    What that is? the man said. He inspected the powder with his eyes for a moment, then eximed, D-Grade Beast Growth Powder! Where did you get that?

    Brock shook his hand to indicate that was none of Squirrelborns business, then mimed that he would like to know how to use this item.

    Seeing a sliver of a hope, Squirrelborn hid nothing. We tamers use that on our tools. You can apply it on the business end of a fishing hook, a taming circlet, a bird catcher Anything, really. It attracts beasts and lowers their defenses, letting you capture them easily. Its odor is addictive to most beasts, too, so they are more obedient afterward.

    Brock nodded. He did not quite enjoy what he heard. This person talked like beasts were tools to seduce and manipte. That was not the bro way.

    He askedin mimeif that was all. In that case, he would just bury the powder somewhere so it wasnt a threat to all animals.

    Well The tamer hesitated. A shake from the sphinx evaporated all his doubts. You can also eat it! he added hastily. It can greatly enhance a beasts body, which is why its called Beast Growth Powderbut thats a huge waste! Nobody uses it like that anymore! Its far more efficient as a taming aid. Even if you dont want to tame beasts, you can just sell it and get beast enhancing treasures that are significantly more effective than just eating the powder.

    Brock eximed in glee. That sounded better. Eating the powder would be better than burying it. Plus, selling it was a no-no. Such a thing should just cease to exist.

    He also didnt forget to shoot a raised-brow-smirk at the sphinx. Apparently, she had eaten everything <em>except </em>this powder. She looked away, embarrassed.

    The summoner must have noticed Brocks intentions because he suddenly panicked. Wait! he said. That powder is extremely valuable. If you sell it to me, I promise that my faction will reward you greatly! Ill even give you anything on my person immediately! You can have my beasts if you want, too! This powder can help me reach the peak E-Grade, or even be an Elite! Please dont waste it!

    Brocks dislike of this person grew by the minute. Purposely slowly, and always maintaining eye contact with the unpleasant tamer, he brought the lotus-shaped pouch to his mouth and poured in all of the powder.

    No! the tamer screamed. Please dont waste it! Sell it to me! Ill give you anything!

    Brock ignored him and started chewing. It had a sweet vor. A bit too sweet for his taste, but fine overall.

    The tamer made a wordless cry. His eyes almost popped out, and he was so frustrated that he even coughed up a mouthful of blood that marred his robes.

    Brock ignored the squirming man. In fact, he even purposely slowed down his eating speed so the tamer could enjoy this sight for longer. Then, after Brock finished his meal, he burped to show that he enjoyed it.

    The tamers frustration was so great that he coughed up another mouthful of blood. You You wastrel! How dare you! he cried out. Thats Thats such a waste! A disgrace to all tamers! Do you know how many beasts Ive given away trying to get such a thing!?

    Again, Brock ignored him. The sphinx did nothing, too. She was content letting him handle this.

    A rush of strength flowed through Brocks body. For the second time in a few minutes, his muscles contracted and became stronger. He was pretty sure he could strangle a tree by now.

    But he wasnt done. Having finished the powder, he then turned to the tamers two beasts and raised a brow as if asking, Really? You follow this guy?

    The frog and lizard hesitated. Their eyes went to their tamer in fear. Brock was having none of that. He reached up and pped the young man to disy his dominance, then turned to the two beasts and mimed that they should not follow such a person. They deserved to be free, not ves.

    The two beasts hesitated. They obviously wanted to be free, but something was stopping them. Brock felt his wordswhich contained the Very Big Thought of Brohoodwrestle against something imnted in the beasts minds.

    He turned and pped the tamer againharder, this time.

    The resistance disappeared. Brock let the spirit of brohood seep into the beasts through his words, helping them escape the tamers control. Suddenly, their eyes lit up. They shook their heads and looked over themselves in confusion, then at Brock in gratitude.

    Finally, they red at their summoner with extreme hatred.

    Brock nodded. One more case of brohood helping the world. Really, why couldnt everyone just be good?

    He then pointed at himself. Follow me, he meant. You are clearly distraught. I will show you the true way.

    The two beasts, realizing that Brock was weaker than them, hesitated. But only for a moment. Then, their gratitude and relief won over, and they inclined their heads at him, recognizing him as their big bro.

    Brock nodded. This was good. He had more bros now.

    In fact, looking at how happy these beasts were and how this man only saw them as tools, a new n formed in his mind. He wouldnt just hunt for treasure. First, he would try to find as many tamers as possible and rescue their beasts. He had seen a couple more entering Beast Garden. He could also recruit some native beast bros to helpthe young man whod approached him was one of the weakest cultivators around, so it made sense that the beasts of the others would be even stronger than these ones. He might need some extra muscle.

    After miming his n to his new bros, he found them in perfect agreement. The sphinx, sadly, shook her head.

    I will not join, she said. I appreciate your intentions, Friend Brock, but I am a sphinx. I have no desire to leave my circle.

    Brock nodded. Joining him would be more bro-like, but if the sphinx wanted to stay here, he wouldnt insist.

    Um, excuse me, said the tamer, who had been ignored for thest few minutes as the animalsmunicated through miming. He had mostly recovered from his previous outrage, tooor, more probably, he was just hiding it. Can I go now? he asked. You already took all my beasts and wasted the most valuable treasure I could ever get. There is nothing left for me. Can I please have your mercy, oh great monkey lord?

    Brock considered it. He mimed whether the cultivator had any more beasts.

    What? the young man said. After the sphinx ryed the question, he replied, No. These two were already the most my soul could handle.

    He is speaking the truth, the sphinx confirmed.

    Brock nodded. He considered letting the man go for a moment. He then concluded that being a bro did not mean being stupid. Mercy was good, but too much of it could be harmful.

    Therefore, he suggested to the sphinx that, while eating others was generally not a good practice, this man was not a potential friend. After all, she had to eat <em>something.</em>

    Really? Her voice was full of tion. Thank you, Friend Brock!

    The tamer somehow understood Brocks miming this time. He unleashed a panicked scream that contained hints of a soul attack, but everyone present could easily weather it. Beast tamers were highly specialized. Without their beasts, they were almost harmless.

    In any case, this particr tamers attack was interrupted by the sphinxs sharp jaws snapping shut around his throat. She chewed his head and swallowed it.

    Much better, she said, blood still dripping from her jawsand erupting as a fountain from the headless corpse she was holding. I told you; cultivators can be so disrespectful sometimes. Anyway, thank you for your advice, Friend Brock. I will return now, to recover from all these friendly interactions and lick the blood from my fur. Best of luck with your quest! Just remember that not all tamers are tyrantssome are friends with their beasts. Those ones are not bad.

    Brock nodded, smiled, shook her paw, and walked away. As the sphinx returned to her stone circle, dragging her meal along forter, he went in the opposite direction. The frog and lizard followed him.

    He didnt know where the other tamers had gone, but <em>someone </em>must have seen them. Hed just ask around. Recruit native bros, too. Then, after rescuing all the unlucky beast bros and punishing the ve drivers, he would try to collect as many treasures as possible, both for himself and his bros.

    He had two missions now, and he would see them both through!

 Chapter 203: Realizing True Power

    Chapter 203: Realizing True Power

    Trial had nine rings. Garden Ring had twelve gardens. And Trial Garden, the most dangerous but rewarding of those, had a core guarded by seven different formations, one behind the other.

    In the Systems world, numbers were everywherethough, if these particr numbers had any mystical meaning attached to them, it flew right over Jacks head.

    The entire group paused as they came into sight of the gardens core. A lone tree stood in the middle, with a single, blood-red apple hanging from its branches. Seven concentric domes of color surrounded it, each a formation barrier that shimmered with power. Even the mist had receded from this areaa tribute to the formations power.

    We have arrived, Lady Minerva said breathlessly. Her eyes were glued to the tree in the middle, barely visible through the formations, and the apple on its branches. As were the eyes of the other two Lords.

    They hade a long way to reach here. They had traveled through seven rings of Trial. They had defeated an immortalbyrinth guardian and ovee a series of deadly traps.

    Finally, they were herebut only one of them could im the prize. Only one of them could have the Eighth Ring Conqueror title, and most importantly, the Dao Sprouting Pill. Jack didnt know what exactly that was, but he could see the limitless desire in the Lords eyes.

    He leaned towards Dorman. Hey, he asked in a low voice, what exactly does that apple do?

    The Dao Sprouting Pill? the young man replied in a whisper. Supposedly, it helps a peak E-Grade consolidate their Dao and grow their Dao Tree, reaching the D-Grade.

    Jack nodded. I see. So it speeds up the process?

    Not just that. The more Dao Roots one has, the stronger they are, but the harder it bes to breakthrough. Since the Lords have fused three Dao Roots each, breaking through is not guaranteed at all. Even if they seed, it could take them years or decades, which cuts away at their D-Grade cultivating time. Essentially, theyre in an all-out gamble. Either theyll reach the top of the world, or theyll end up mediocreand this pill is a shortcut over the greatest hurdle.

    I see. So theyll stop at nothing to get it.

    Dorman nodded. The title of this ring is good, of course, but the pill itself is the real reward.

    How does the System know who got the pill, though? Is it the first person to touch it?

    Getting Garden Rings Top Treasure was the prerequisite to getting the Eighth Ring Conqueror title. However, when traveling through thebyrinth previously, Lord Longsword had told Jack that only one person would get it.

    Exactly. Whoever touches it first will get both the pill and the titleand, by agreement between the factions, the battle ends there. Which means that, the moment the final formation falls, or even before that, the Lords will be battling each other. Thats why they are so tense.

    Jack looked around. Each Lord team was gathered aside, talking over their ns. The final bits of jovialty had already evaporated. Now, everyone was at war. Faces were stern, eyes were hard, fingers twitching.

    Jacks mind was also racing. To defeat theary overseer within a year, he had to take the absolute best road to power. Yet, from what he understood, bing an immortal was a long, difficult process.

    He needed a shortcut. And here, in front of his face, was a legendary treasure offering just that. The problem was the existence of three super strong cultivators between him and the treasure.

    He wanted to join the battle for the Top Treasure. He wanted to face off against the Lords and defeat them, gaining the power he needed to save his people.

    But he couldnt.

    Jack had done his homework. Hed carefully observed the Lords and their followers in Trial Gardenand even before that. He had seen how they spoke and acted, dissected their personalities for weaknesses he could exploit.

    There were some. Bocor, for example, hated Jacks guts. He would be easy to bait into action. The ice witch always remained by Longswords side, if possible. Longsword himself was prideful and arrogantand also kind of a dick. He knew that Jack would never join his faction, so he wouldnt mind killing him if the opportunity arose.

    Lady Priya was a direct individual. She would not employ underhanded means. Chuto was eager to battle, so he could be lured into what he thought was singlebat. Kareena used soul attacks, which Jack hoped to resist with his Indomitable Will.

    The Hand of God team was the most difficult to deal with. Lady Minerva was a calcting and cautious individual. Moreover, she didnt really care about her summoned beasts, so they couldnt be used against her. Vocrich knew Jack, and they were already enemies, sort ofbut he was too cold-blooded. Jack didnt feel confident in tricking him in any way. As for the dryad, she usually remained by Minervas side and wasnt particrly strong, but her healing powers were phenomenal. When a treasure hunter got a deep sh on his thigh facing a trap, she cured it almost instantly.

    The point was, Jack knew the Lords and their followers. He had watched and cataloged them. He had cards to y. What infuriated him was that his cards didnt seem enough. Despite having done his homework and actually invested effort in securing as many advantages for himself as possiblehe still came up short.

    <em>Will I really have to give up the Top Treasure? </em>he thought, gritting his teeth.

    He didntck understanding, Dao Skills, or titles. The only thing hecked was levels. He was at 97. The Lords were all around 124. With each level representing five stat points, those were almost a hundred and fifty points of difference. He couldnt ovee that against the most talented people of the gxy.

    He gritted his teeth harder. Throughout Trial, he had struggled to grind levels. He had risen by forty-five since enteringa tremendous amount! But he had been chased out of Giant Ring. He had been ambushed and forced to escape Barbarian Ring after only hunting a tyrannosaurus. The desert of Vige Ring had been rtively empty, and the space monsters of Space Ring had been too few and far betweenor too strong to hunt consistently. Even in Labyrinth Ring, bone monsters had been rare urrences, not letting Jack rise by much. As if those werent enough, he was always on the clock, for one reason or another.

    Finally, Garden Ring wasalmost empty.

    Trial was a treasure trove of experience and levels, and Jack had already gotten a ton of them, but there was a limit to how much he could grind when everyone was after him.

    When all was said and done, he was just too damn underleveled.

    He had good titles, yes, but so did the Lords. They were the prized children of B-Grade factions with a million years of experience in the System. They definitely had a way to feed their disciples the right titles. Against them, Jack was not at all optimistic of his chances.

    Perhaps he could exchange a blow or two with a Lord, but winning would be very difficult without using the Life Dropwhich he absolutely couldnt reveal, especially with the Hand of God snooping around. Given the Exploding Suns standing offer, the risk just wasnt worth iteven if it meant giving up on the Top Treasure.

    <em>Can I sneak through? </em>he wondered. <em>If the Lords are busy fighting each other, maybe I can just rush to the fruit But this requires them being idiots, which is not the casewell, except for Bocor, maybe.</em>

    Dont even think about it, Dorman said with a smirk. Jack looked up.

    Think about what?

    Greed is the downfall of cultivators, Jack. You are strong, but you are missing a few levels. Stay out of this.

    Jack frowned. You handle yourself, and I will handle myself.

    As you wish. I just warned you in good faith. If you die, thats on you.

    Yeah Im just anxious. I appreciate the warning.

    Dorman nodded.

    Jack did appreciate the warning, but he didnt n to heed it. Dorman had just exined how the battle for the Top Treasure worked. The moment someone got it, everybody stopped fighting. Therefore, if Jack made it to the treasure, he would be fine.

    He would keep an eye out during the battle. If he saw an opportunity, he would go for it. If not Well, then, there was nothing he could do. He didnt possess the strength to fight for the pill fair and squareand he had no followers, either. The Lords had two each.

    We are ready to start, everyone. Lady Minervas voice cut through the whispers. Everyone turned to look at her. Formation masters, please gather around me. You are to begin working on the formations immediately. Everyone else, please wait patiently, and do not leave this core area of the garden. Anyone spotted leaving, especially in that devils direction, will be executed.

    A wave of murmurs and nods followed. Jack nodded in agreement. Devils were best left untouched.

    Three people approached Lady Minerva. One was Kareena, the silver-haired healer from Lady Priyas team, who was also a formation master. The other two were the draconic woman and the merfolk guide, who apparently also dabbled in formations.

    The three of them settled down right outside the edge of the outermost formation and began observing it. asionally, one of the three would make some observation aloud, to which the other two would nod or object. They soon sunk into their spirited research.

    Jack admired them. All he could see of the outermost formation was a shimmering barrier of swirling green, emerging from a circle of mystical symbols on the ground.

    <em>What would happen if I wiped at those symbols with my foot? </em>he wondered. Of course, he didnt suggest that. He knew better than to doubt the formation masters by now.

    After the first ten minutes of observing, he grew bored. He looked around. Everyone was still huddled in their teams or alone, cultivating as they waited for time to pass.

    <em>Well, when in Rome</em>

    As even the ck Hole Church people were cultivating, Jack sat down and did the same.

    The world gradually disappeared around him. He was now on a grassy field, with a white sun dominating the sky and three stars orbiting it slowly. The sun was his Dao Seed of the Fist, while each of the stars represented a Dao RootIndomitable Will and Life were fused already, tiny tendrils connecting to the sky around them. Only the Dao Root of Power remained unfused, a dark blue orb hovering in the sky.

    Jack focused on exactly that orb. Since breaking through to the D-Grade was not possible right now, and neither did he want to develop any more Dao Roots, fusing his existing one was all he could do. Well, either that or sparring against Copy Jack.

    As he thought of that, Copy Jack materialized before him. It was an exact replica of himself, down to the hidden pocket under his left thigh, with one ring differenceCopy Jack always sported a wide, excited smile like a child discovering the world.

    Hey, Copy Jack, Jack said. Wanna fight?

    The copy grinned even wider and nodded. Jackughed. He had to admit that even this battle lust was an exact copy of his. He, too, was looking forward to sparring.

    The Dao red around him. A purple aura covered his body, focused around his fists. The powers of Life and Indomitable Will surrounded him, shielding him from harm. Since they were fused into his Dao Seed, they, too, were purple.

    The only chromatic dissonance was the dark blue color shining on his knucklesit was Meteor Punch, which he was using through the Dao Root of Power. He wanted to use this skill as the medium to fuse the Dao Root, making Meteor Punch stronger in the process. These two fit like peas in a pod.

    And he was so damn close. He had been for a while. All he was missing was a final spark of insight. He could feel it brewing just outside his awareness, eluding him constantly.

    Normally, practicing against Copy Jack wouldnt bring about that sh of inspiration. It was the kind of thing that only appeared in actual battle.

    However, the real deciding factor wasnt battle, but pressure. And Jack felt pressure right now. He wanted to go after the Dao Sprouting Pill, but he didnt have the power. Perhaps fusing this Dao Root would make the difference between life and death. He needed to seed before the formation masters were done.

    He hoped that this time pressure, along with the persistent feeling of powerlessness, would be enough to push him over the edge.

    Come, he said. Copy Jack, his Dao aura and colors identical to Jacks, charged.

    They knew each other now. They had fought hundreds, maybe thousands of times. Soon, they fell into a familiar dance. Punches led to blocks, to dodges, to dashing, to punching. Jack jabbed thrice. The third was a feint, leading to an uppercut. Copy Jack saw through it and dodged, leaning aside to throw a cross into Jacks face. Jack let the force of his uppercut carry him forward, parrying the cross with his shoulder and backfisting Copy Jack in the facebackfisting counted as a fist attack.

    Copy Jack flew back but righted himself. He charged. He ducked under Jacks blow and nted a fist in his abdomen. Then, Copy Jack stepped forward and prepared a wild haymaker. Jack expected it to be a feintso it smashed into his nose like a meteor from orbit, ring blue with the Dao Root of Power, and threw Jack back so violently that the soul world warped to help them remain close-by.

    Jack stumbled. His twin fused Dao Roots worked together to repair his nose and face structure. Nice one, he said with a growl. He jumped back into the fray. They kept exchanging blows, with no one really getting the upper hand.

    Jack quickly realized this wasnt working. He wouldnt fuse his Dao Root like this. All he was doing was practicing his battle awareness.

    He had no time to waste. He had to lean into that feeling of powerlessness, somehow. He felt the final understanding locked inside it. But how?

    With a spark of inspiration, he strangled the Dao flow to himself. It was now a trickle rather than a stream. Instantly, his power was reduced.

    Copy Jack raised a brow butplied. He came in with fists zing. Jack tried to fight back, but he was too slow, too weak. Copy Jack was dominating now. His punches struck like mallets, his arms blurred at the limits of Jacks perception, and his defense was unbreakably rock-solid.

    It took everything Jack had to remain standing. Powerlessness creeped into him again. He didnt like this feeling. He hated it. It reminded him of the times before the System. He had no control. He was suffocating.

    Yet, he did not yield. He kept restraining the flow of his Dao. His defense was broken, his attacks were useless, his eyes couldnt follow the copys punches. Jack was toyed with like a toddler.

    And yet, he kept rising. Again and again, he threw himself at Copy Jack, only to fail miserably. Every failure only reminded him of his weakness. Every painful punch he received emphasized his helplessness. The power difference between them was just too much, and Copy Jack was too skilled. There was nothing Jack could do. Absolutely nothing. He even resorted to less dignified tactics, throwing dust at his opponents eyes or distracting him with odd movements. He tried to receive a punch on purpose just to throw a weaker one himself. He just wanted tond one strike.

    Everything failed. Before absolute power, all tricks were useless. Jack could do nothing. His weakness was a purposeless hole, a bottomless abyss in his chest. He felt lost and alone. Small.

    Copy Jack threw a Meteor Punch. Jacks chest caved in, his ribcage shattered, and his body was almost broken in half. He couldnt die in this ce, so he quickly regenerated, but the feeling of weakness was even stronger than before, almost swallowing him entirely.

    His entire existence was predicated on power. If he was weak, he couldnt do battle. He couldnt use his fists or stand up for anything. He was useless. Helpless. Alone. Despondent.

    Only a tiny part of Jack remained now. Everything else was nketed by mute despair. But this small, remaining part was the one focused on progress. It was the part forcing him to throw himself at this inevitable suffering repeatedly, analyzing his feelings.

    He kept at it for hours.

    Weakness seeped deeply into Jacks psyche. After a while, he felt true fear. Was this experience against his Dao? Was he harming himself in the name of progress?

    And yet, he kept at it. He took the risk. Deep despair drove him. The undeniable urge to obtain more power. The reasons why he fought passed through his mindso many faces, so many fears, a deep desireuntil he was just a weak, tired, little man. Another meteor punch came at his face. Finally, he almost gave up. The deep confidence he always felt wavered, and he knew that he couldnt resist Copy Jacks fist. It filled his entire world, a power far greater than anything he could muster.

    The tiny part remaining of Jack shone. <em>Now!</em>

    His Dao returned at full force, flooding him with power. He felt like a god. At the same time, the copys Dao flow was strangled, bing a fraction of what it used to be. The situation was reversed. Copy Jacks meteor punch faltered. Suddenly, it wasughably weak and slow. Jack simply pped it aside.

    Such a punch could never touch him. He held absolute power now.

    For a single moment, the sensation of crushing weakness and overwhelming power coexisted in his mind. He felt the strength brewing in his fist, but he also saw it from the Copys eyes. He saw his strongest punch from the other side.

    He was no longer the one facing an unstoppable god. He <em>was </em>the god, watching himself through the eyes of the weak. And his punch was so undeniably powerful. Only through weakness came true understanding of power.

    Jack smashed out. It was a Meteor Punch stronger than any other, fueled by the mirror image of the helplessness that he knew his opponent was feeling. It was absolute. Jack had never felt more certain that his strike wouldnd and decimate.

    Finally This was true power.

    The copy tried to block but was blown away. The Meteor Punch tore through his crossed arms and chest, drilling a hole straight to the other side. The copys body flew away, spiraling out of control and into the distance.

    Of course, he couldnt die, either. The soul world warped, and the copy was standing before Jack again, safe and sound. But Jack remained in his after-punch stance. He hadnt moved. Understanding was flowing through his brain, filling it. Everything clicked together, and Jackughed at the sky.

    I got it! he shouted. I finally got it! Thank you! Thank you, Copy Jack!

    The copy smiled and nodded. Both were pantingnot from physical exhaustion, which they couldnt feel here, but from spiritual one.

    Jack turned his gaze to the sky. The dark blue star was shivering. Slowly, tendrils extended out of it, connecting to the surrounding sky and pumping its essence out. The star lost its color, but it was stronger than everthe dark blue was just fused with the purple of the sun, the vastness of the sky.

    Jack felt so happy and relieved. He also felt deeply exhausted. He didnt even know how long hed meditated for.

    I have to go, he said with a big smile. Thanks again, Copy Jack. See you soon.

    The copy waved, and Jack opened his eyes in the real world, finding himself surrounded by figures, some sitting, some standing.

    Hey, Dorman said. Took you a while.

    Jack didnt reply. He only had eyes for the screens hovering before his face; especially the very first one.

    <strong>Congrattions! The Dao Root of Power had been sessfully fused with your Dao Seed.</strong>

    <strong>Strength +20</strong>

    <strong>Constitution +20</strong>

    <strong>Will +20</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Meteor Punch II  Meteor Punch III</strong>

 Chapter 204: A Suspicious Gift

    Chapter 204: A Suspicious Gift

    <strong>Congrattions! The Dao Root of Power had been sessfully fused with your Dao Seed.</strong>

    <strong>Strength +20</strong>

    <strong>Constitution +20</strong>

    <strong>Will +20</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Meteor Punch II  Meteor Punch III</strong>

    <strong>Meteor Punch III: When meteors fall from space, they cause exponentially more damage than their size would indicate. Your punches can carry the same effect. Overdraw your bodys potential andbine it with your Dao of the Fist to unleash a devastating attack. Shoot out your punch like a meteor.</strong>

    <em>Thats </em>Jack reviewed the description. He took a second and a third look at it. There were no italics. Did this mean there was no change?

    Pulling up the description of Meteor Punch II, he confirmed they were identical.

    <em>What the fuck?</em>

    Was the upgrade so small that no change were needed? Or, rather

    Jack summoned the power of a Meteor Punch, not throwing it, just holding it in his fist. A few cautious nces were immediately directed his way, but Jack was only paying attention inward.

    He gasped.

    Not only was there a new stream of Dao enhancing his fistthe Dao of Powerbut his conscious control over the Dao had also increased after using it extensively in the soul world. The System didnt need to hand-hold him as much anymore, so it could focus more on empowering him.

    The feeling of the current Meteor Punch reminded him of the very first time he got the skill. Back then, it used to be an overpowering, overwhelming strike that annihted his opponents in exchange for exhausting him and breaking his hand. He had grown a lot since then, until he was eventually able to freely use the skill, but this also meant that its rtive power went down.

    Now, the overwhelming power had returned. Holding the Meteor Punch at the ready felt like holding a live grenade. It was like a demon had infested his fist, struggling to unleash itself. Or like he had strapped a racing car engine to his wrist. The moment he punched out, it was very likely his hand would be mangled.

    The power of his skill had gone way, way up, returning to the one-hit killer it was always meant to be.

    Woah, was all Jack could say. He was beyond pleased. This felt not only appropriate for an evolution of Meteor Punch, but also like a very handyst resort. If he was ever cornered, he could just hail-mary. Additionally, it synergized well with his third-tier Indomitable Body and its extreme regeneration abilities. Even if his wrist was broken, it would recover, as long as it wasntpletely shattered.

    As for the inevitable pain Well, it came hand in hand with power. Jack was used to it by now.

    The only downside was that hed lost the ability to use Meteor Punch for smaller reasons. Meteor Shower was temporarily unavable, too. But it was a trade-off Jack would make any day of the week.

    He couldnt wait to test it out.

    Hey, a voice came from beside him, demanding his attention. Dorman had opened his eyes and was squinting at Jacks closed fist. Are you preparing something?

    Just testing. I upgraded a skill.

    You did? Dormans eyes widened slightly. Congrattions!

    Thank you.

    Just congrattions? a second voice came from somewhere behind Jack. Turning, he found the Sages smiling form approaching. Not many people can reach the third tier of a Dao Skill in the E-Grade. This is stunning work! Well done!

    Jack let his own smile blossom. Thank you, Sage. Im trying my best. Of course, he also had Indomitable Body at the third tier, but there was no need to reveal everything. Instead, his eyes narrowed. Wait. How did you know that?

    Im a sage. Knowing stuff is what I do.

    Jacks eye-narrowing intensified. <em>Did he just trick me? </em>he wondered, but the Sages expression was inscrutable. <em>Well, whatever. Not like I can do anything about it now.</em>

    How long was I meditating for? he asked, turning his gaze towards the center of the area, where the lone tree stood surrounded by seven formations. To his surprise, only three formations remained active. The outer four had disappeared, leaving only circles of ckened symbols on the ground. Kareena and the other two formation masters were currently sitting just outside the edge of the fifth formationa transparent orange barrier. Two of them were inspecting the symbols on the ground, while Kareena was observing the barrier itself.

    A day, roughly, said the Sage. You became kind of an attraction. If you were nning to hide your breakthrough, you should reconsider.

    A day!?

    No wonder he suddenly felt thirsty! Hed spent an entire day meditating! It hadnt felt nearly as long.

    <em>Wait, </em>he realized. <em>Does time flow differently in my soul world? No, I didnt notice any discrepancies the previous times. Then, how did I lose track of time?</em>

    Dont fret, the Sage said again. It happens. The higher you rise, the longer meditation takes, and the more time loses its meaning.

    I guess But were almost at the tree.

    That, we are.

    What if I had meditated all the way until the end? Until someone took the fruit?

    Its a pill, not a fruit, the Sage corrected him, and, yes, that could happen. In that case, we would make sure youre undisturbed. Fusing Dao Roots is not easy.

    But I would have missed the finale.

    You would have missed the waiting, too, Dorman said with an irritated groan. Not everyone can break through at will. And let me tell you, sitting still for an entire day is annoying.

    The Sageughed. Patience is a virtue, Dorman. Look at the bright side. Theyre almost done. Only two formations left.

    Three.

    Two.

    Dorman raised a brow. On cue, one of the formation masters eximed something. The three of them quickly embarked on a spirited conversation while the one that had eximed pointed at a few of the symbols by his feet. A momentter, the other two nodded, and the person who had eximed reached down to touch the base of the formation.

    The barrier dispersed.

    The formation masters stood up, dusted their clothes, congratted each other, and moved to sit by the next formationa curtain of swimming shadows.

    Is there anything you cant predict, Sage? Jack asked.

    The Sage smiled proudly. Many thingsbut I can also predict many. Divination is a powerful practice.

    Maybe I should learn it as well, he joked.

    You could if you wanted to. I can sense a strong affinity to life inside you.

    Jack raised a brow. Does it require studying thick tomes instead of punching stuff?

    It requires studying the world.

    Right. And I suppose being all cryptic and mystical is a trick of the trade?

    Oh, yes. Its rather mandatory.

    Jackughed. Maybe another time, Sage.

    Maybe another time. The Sage smiled back. Suddenly, his line of revealed yellow teeth turned crooked, and his eyes took on a calcting hint. His voice lowered in volume. By the way, Jack I can sense that your Dao understanding is particrly strong. If you dont mind sharing, do you happen to have three fused Dao Roots?

    Jack hesitated. He did have three fused Dao Roots, and he did owe the Sage a few favors, but just revealing his strength like this

    <em>Whatever. I do owe him.</em>

    Yes, he replied.

    Hmm. In that case, youre on the same level as the Lords. Maybe even slightly stronger, given your Integration titles. If not for your low level, you may have been able to contend for the Dao Sprouting Pill, a shortcut that would greatly help you save Earth.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. Why are you rubbing salt on my wound, Sage?

    Thats the wrong question. Reasons are the easiest things to find. Try again.

    Jack did n to contend for the pill, if possible. If he wanted to defeat theary Overseer, he needed all the power he could get. However, the offer of the Exploding Sun still stood. He wasn''t too desperate anymore. If getting the pill was a suicide mission, he wouldnt do it.

    What are you trying to say? he asked. He also noticed that Dormans eyes were narrowed as he looked at the Sage.

    Since we are mostly aligned, the stronger you are, the better for us. Incidentally, I happen to carry a highly condensed experience ball. I could exchange it for that Snow White Globe you got from the animal tile formation at the start of the garden.

    Jack crossed his arms. First of all, how do you know that? You werent even there. And second, why would you do that?

    I told you. Our interests are aligned. As for knowing about that little treasure Well, as I said, Im a sage. Knowing stuff is what I do.

    His yellow-toothed smile was wide and full of meaning.

    Sage, Dormans voice came sharply from the side. What are you doing?

    Trust me, my friend.

    Trust you? Were supposed to Dorman cut his words short, ncing at Jack. Can we have a moment?

    There is no need, the Sage replied, raising an open palm. I will need you to trust my judgment.

    Dormans eyes were spewing fire. His inner struggle was apparent. Eventually, he relented. Fine, he said, crossing his arms, but it was obvious he was still boiling on the inside.

    Jack had no idea what was going on. Was that experience ball valuable to them?

    Why would you offer me that? he asked. If you need the experience ball, I dont want to take it.

    On the contrary, itspletely useless to us now. I was just carrying it in case we didnt level enough in the previous rings, but we did. So, why not exchange it? In fact, I have to warn you that your Snow White Globe would go for a far higher market price than this experience ball.

    Jacks confusion increased. He nced at Dorman, who was still ring suspiciously at the Sage. Then, why

    We have our own thoughts, the Sage replied, still smiling. Helping you here is a small change of ns, thats all. So, what do you say? Wanna exchange?

    Jack almost opened his mouth to ask something again, then stopped himself. Any further questions would get him nothing. Moreover, he clearly knew too little to decipher these peoples intentions. All he could do was consider the Sages suggestion.

    <em>Am I getting tricked, somehow? </em>he wondered. If he suddenly got a bunch of levels, that would put him in the run for the Top Treasure. There were high chances he would battle the Lords, with all the consequences and risks that brought.

    Would the Sage benefit from that?

    No matter how hard Jack thought, he got little. The only possibility he coulde up with was that the Sage nned to contend for the pill himself, and he would benefit from the chaos of an extra challenger added to the mix, but that was far-fetched.

    Another possibility was that the Sage foresaw Jack killing one of the Lords or getting killed himself, and that would somehow further the ck Hole Churchs interests. But, if that was true, there was nothing Jack could do about it. Hed just have to be careful.

    And he <em>did </em>want that experience ball. A lot. It would negate his greatest weakness against the Lords. It would greatly help him further his own goals. All the ns hed made, which were just on the verge of fruition, would suddenly be possible.

    Even if he identally helped the Sage, somehow, that wouldnt be too bad, as long as he didnt harm himself. After all, the Sage had assisted him on plenty of asions. Jack still owed him a bunch of favors.

    <em>What a crafty deal </em>he thought, sweating. <em>Is the Sage a devil?</em>

    Dont think too hard, Jack, the Sage spoke up. There is no ploy. I have nothing against you. I genuinely just want to see you get stronger because I predict that, in the long run, your strength will benefit us as well.

    There was no free lunch in the world. But there were good deals. And, though Jack didnt feel that the Sage waspletely honestor as selfless as he imedhe decided that this was a deal worth taking.

    More power was a good thing. If something bad happened down the linehe could only me himself.

    Deal, he agreed.

    The Sage smiled. Great! Here. Angling his body so that it hid what they were doing, he dug a hand into his robes and pulled out a pinky-sized jewel that radiated soft, multi-colored light. Jack quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into his secret pocket.

    Arent you afraid that one of the others has a skill to detect things without seeing them? he whispered.

    They dont, the Sage replied.

    Jack grimaced. So much for hiding the gray orb even when Longsword wasnt looking. He reached for his belt and unhung the Snow White Globe, then handed it over to the Sage.

    Thank you, the middle-aged man replied, inspecting the globe before sliding it in his robes.

    <em>I should make a visible pocket, </em>Jack realized. <em>The Sage already knows of the secret ones existence, but now I have to either store the experience balljewelon my belt where everyone can see it, use it, which I dont want to do yet, or put it in my secret pocket, revealing that I have one. After all, they will notice my missing Snow White Globe. I wouldnt have given it out for free.</em>

    How many levels will that thing give me? Jack asked.

    Plenty. But use it at thest moment. Surprise is a useful weapon.

    Of course.

    Jacks mind was already spinning. Everything came under new light now. With all the effort hed invested into researching the Lord teams, and this jewel as the final drop

    He could fight for the Top Treasure!

 Chapter 205: The Last Formation Falls

    Chapter 205: The Last Formation Falls

    Jack pocketed the experience balljewel, actuallyand waited.

    Not muchter, Lady Priya approached him. Hello, she said, greeting both Jack and the Barren High people. She smiled. Congrattions, Jack. The Elder has confirmed my previous words. As long as nothing goes wrong, you will be epted at our faction after Trial. However, the protection of your will be decided at the end of its grace period. Is that fine with you?

    Jack nodded somberly. Until the Exploding Sun actually promised to protect Earth, he would treat them as unreliable. Too many things could go wrong in the following months. Besides, there was the problem of leaving Trial. The Hand of God was still scanning everyone that exited. If they discovered his connection to the Ancient ruins, who knew what would happen.

    Sure, he replied. Does that make us allies now?

    Not yet. For the duration of the Garden Assault, we will remain unrted, as the rules dictate. Please dont attempt to help meter, or we will both be put into an awkward spot.

    Understood. Jack nodded again. He wasnt going to help her. The exact opposite, in fact. Since they were unrted, he wouldnt feel bad about going after the Top Treasure himself.

    Priya narrowed her eyes. In any case, I didnt mean to intrude. I will see you after the Assault, Jack. Stay safe.

    I will try my best. He smiled slightly. He didnt mean to be cold; it just happened. Considering they were going to be opponents soon, that wasnt a bad thing. Thank you for your concern, Priya. Ill be sure to repay it after exiting Trial.

    She gazed deep into his eyes. She felt there was something more, but in the end, she didnt manage to see through his words. Sure thing, she replied, then walked away.

    Jack watched her leave with a sad smile. The Exploding Suns administration had sold him out once, but their people had been nice to him. Master Shol, Priya, and her team had all been friendly and helpful. Good people.

    If this was a couple months ago, he would have hesitated to go directly against them for the Top Treasure. Now, however, he understood how things worked in the gxy. Kindness wasnt the foundation of rtionships. Strength was. As long as he didnt kill anyone, going head-on against the Exploding Sun wouldnt lower their opinion of him. If anything, they would pursue him even harder, since he would have proven his strength.

    Youve grown, Jack, the Sagemented from the side. Jack felt the rare emotion in his voice.

    I had to, he replied. Sighing, he dropped his head back, gazing at the swirling mists above. His voice was sad as he spoke. It carried a hard edge. But I guessthis isnt too bad. What better environment than a battlefield for a fist to thrive?

    The Sage smiled without responding. Dorman looked at Jack with new eyes, inspecting him again.

    A few momentster, the formation masters were agitated. They were discussing animatedly while pointing at the magic symbols on the ground. Kareena and another formation masterthe merfolk guideseemed to disagree on something. Finally, she and the third formation master took a few steps back, while the merfolk reached down to touch the symbols.

    A terrifying explosion shook the garden. mes shot high. The heat was scalding. A shockwave rolled over the ground, wiping the previous formations out of existence and impacting the resting cultivators, tossing them back into the mist.

    Jack had no time to react. He was thrown back like everyone else, consumed by the chilling mist that quickly rose in temperature as it absorbed the explosions heat. Thankfully, he was at the edge of the st. He had only been knocked away a hundred feet and felt the mes lick his skin.

    After making sure he was fine, he rushed back to the core area. Most of the mes had already dissipated when he emerged into the mist-less spacethey had nothing to burn. The Sage and Dorman, who had been resting beside him, were also fine. More people were returning, having suffered mild to no injuries.

    There were three exceptions, however. Kareena and the other formation master that had retreated sported heavy burns. Their skin was red and bubbly where the explosion had crashed into them head-on, and their screams reced the previous eerie silence. As for the final formation master, the merfolk that had been right next to the exploding formation Only a pile of ash and burned scales remained where he used to stand. Not even his clothes had survived. He was already dead.

    Kareena red with green power as her wounds began to recover. Slowly, her burnt skin was shed, and new, rosy one grew in its ce. She had survived the worst. She would recover.

    The other formation masterthe draconic womanwas treated by the dryad that apanied Lady Minerva. She, too, would survive.

    What the hell just happened? Jack asked.

    These formations are no joke, the Sage replied from the side. His clothes and hair were disheveled, but he lookedpletely uninjured. At point-nk, even immortals would be burned to death. We are lucky the previous five were resolved sessfully.

    Say that again

    This garden as a whole was no joke. They had started with eighteen people. By now, three had died, and one had lost an arm. Even with the addition of the Barren High team bringing them up to seventeen, they had a fifteen percent death rate, and the Garden Assault wasnt over yet.

    Even for Jack himself, this was the third time he came close to death. First with the animal tile trap, then with the imprisoned devil, and now this explosion. He didnt even count the cave in which they were sealed for a while.

    And all those happened despite him being very close to the apex of power for E-Grades. Trial really pushed people to the limitsit was like a second Integration.

    The remaining cultivators recovered quickly from the shock. One person took the fallen formation masters remains to bury beyond the mist. The others settled back down to meditate, while Kareena and the other formation master, despite their shaking, approached the final formation shielding the scrawny tree and the Dao Sprouting Pill.

    Are deaths somon? Jack wondered aloud, noticing how little people seemed to mind.

    Trial Garden is a very dangerous ce, the Sage exined. Even entire groups like our Garden Assault have disappeared in the past. A few deaths here and there are nothing.

    Jack hadnt known that. After everything hed seen so far, he didnt struggle to believe it, either. If it had been the first formation that exploded, the one that reached almost to the edge of the empty area, their entire group would have been decimated.

    Then again, if all formations were this dangerous, they would have camped farther away.

    Finally, however, only one formation remained. It was a milky white barrier that radiated a Dao of Softnessbut Jack knew better than to underestimate its lethality. The moment that formation fell, an all-out brawl between the three Lords and their teams wouldmence. They would tear each other apart to reach the Top Treasure first. Even killing each other wasnt unexpected.

    Jack inspected them. Longsword was sitting cross-legged with his sword on hisp, but his eyes were open. He was taking deep breaths, sharpening his edge. The ice witch and Bocor nked him, ready to pounce at any moment.

    Priya was standing, closing and opening her hands. Every time she opened them, blue mes would flicker on her palms. Chotu, the jovial fat man, was bouncing from foot to foot beside her with a wild smile on his face. As for Kareena, she was one of the two formation masters working on the formation.

    Lady Minerva had an entire side of the core area for herself. She had already summoned her three beaststhe wolf, the turtle, and the sparroweach of which was an Elite at the peak of the E-Grade. The dryad had finished treating the other formation master and stood beside her Lady, with arms crossed and eyes glowing green. Vocrich also stood by Lady Minerva, his dark suit flickering like it was made of shadows. He caught Jacks gaze and winked with a cocky grin, ever the charmer.

    Every treasure hunter had retreated to the very edge of the area, where they would be safe. They were Jack, the Barren High people, and five other treasure hunters.

    The tension was mounting. Nobody was speaking. The Lords were preparing for battle. Even surrounded by a nket of mist, you could hear a pin drop.

    Jack had his mind on the experience jewel. As soon as the time was ripe, he would crush it and erupt with power, hopefully reaching the level of a Lord or at least close. At the same time, he kept an eye on the ck Hole Church team. Though theyd helped him, they remained unfathomably enigmatic. It wouldnt surprise him if the Sage or Dorman had Lord-level power.

    You arent going to fight, are you? he whispered low enough that only the Sage could hear.

    If we were, we wouldnt have helped you.

    Good. Can I have two of you guys as helpers? The Lords all have some.

    The Sage smiled. No.

    I thought so. Jackughed, drawing a few odd looks, but he was beyond caring.

    Nervous, Longsword? Priya said out loud, eyeing the swordsman. I can see you shaking.

    In your dreams, he replied,ughing freely. The pill is mine. Just make sure your unskilled formation master doesnt die by herself. She already fucked up once.

    On the contraryshe never did.

    Sparks were flying. The three Lords were removing their metaphorical gloves, jousting at each other with words. They no longer cared about etiquette. Any pretense of friendship was gone, leaving only enmity.

    Are you both so scared that you need to talk? Lady Minerva asked.

    Longswordughed again. Are you so scared that you want to shut up?

    She just knows shes too stupid to debate, Priya added.

    Minervaughed. All of them were smiling, actually, doing their best to project confidence. After all, the more confident the lord, the harder their followers would fight. Everybody knows whos the strongest Lord, Minerva said. And if they dont, Ill just prove it.

    You? The strongest? Longsword retorted. Thats a big word for someone who needed two attempts to reach the E-Grade.

    Minervas eyes narrowed. A hint of her fighting spirit leaked out, making her three beasts look up aggressively. Wait and see, failure of the Wide Swirls. Thats what they used to call you, right?

    Longswords brows fell. His hand slowly moved to his sword handle.

    Losing yourposure so early? Priya mocked him. No wonder your mother is so embarrassed of you. I heard she didnt even apany you here herself.

    At least I have two parents.

    Priya went white as a sheet. Her hands snapped open, the mes in them ring. She did not retort, and the other two lords didnt continue speaking, either. Their resolve was clear. They would kill each other, no holds barred.

    Jack watched the exchange with raised brows. The battle hadnt even started yet, but he could sense its brutality. These guys didnt even hold back with wordswhen they fought, someone was bound to get massacred.

    The minutes crawled by. Jack focused on the sound of his breathing.

    At some point, Kareena and the other formation master exchanged a few words. They nodded at each other, seemingly agreeing on something. Then, Kareena stood up and walked to Priyas side, preparing to battle. Her silver hair glowed faintly. Her eyes turned deeper.

    The Lords red at each other, affirming their resolve. Nobody spared a nce for the treasure hunters. They didnt even register anymore. They werent supposed to participate in what was going to happen.

    <em>Then again, why are they so certain? </em>Jack wondered. <em>Anyone else could be nning to steal the Top Treasure, too.</em>

    Before he could advance this thought further, the other formation master stood up. She looked around her, realizing she was standing at what would soon be the epicenter of a massive conflict. She gulped.

    Then, without any fanfare whatsoever, she pointed a finger at the mystical symbols. The formation trembled. For a moment, everyone held their breaths. Would it explode?

    The formation fell. The tree of the Dao Sprouting Pill wasid bare. And the Lords, all at the same time, sprang into action.

 Chapter 206: Lord-Level Slaughter

    Chapter 206: Lord-Level ughter

    The moment the final barrier fell, the Lords sprang into action. Their teams followed a beatter, roaring out war cries.

    Chaos descended instantly.

    Chotu turned into a golden giant and collided with Bocor, who barely held his ground. The ice witch sent vines of ice to grow around Vocrich, whose darkness devoured them. Kareenas silver light extinguished the darkness, however, letting the ice vines prate Vocrichs defenses. He twisted away, suffering several nicks and cuts. The dryads healing powers focused on him in the next moment, healing him.

    After smashing a palm strike into Bocors chest and sending him flying away, Chutoughed. He took a step forward to stand before Longsword, an unmovable golden giant. Before him, Longsword seemed tiny. Yet, when he shed out, the Dao radiating from his sword filled the air.

    Out of my way! he shouted. Magic enhanced the de as it bit into the giants palm, which hed raised to defend. Golden blood spurted out. The sword cut halfway through the palm. It was stopped, however, and Chuto onlyughed as Kareenas silver light healed his wound.

    You arent getting past me! he shouted in defiance. Longsword snorted.

    Behind them, near the crooked tree that held the Dao Sprouting Pill, Priya was shing against Minerva, who was riding her white wolf into battle. Each of the two was giving it their all, not letting the other rush towards the fruit.

    A palm strike that carried the sunnded on the wolfs side. At the same time, the sparrow flew through Priyas defenses, diamond wingtips shing her skin open. Suddenly, Minervas turtle fell from the sky andnded before the Exploding Sun Lady, cutting her off.

    Priyas eyes shone. You can try! She growled. The temperature rose drastically. mes shot out of her orifices, forming a radiant ball of fire around her. me tongues licked Priyas surroundings, focusing on the turtles shell and boiling it alive.

    The turtle screamed. Its stubby legs emerged and quickly carried it away, letting Priya storm through. The sparrow chirped and made a wide circle, no longer daring to approach her.

    A man of shadow, however, stood in her path. Going all out already? he asked. His tuxedo unraveled into countless shadows, hugging his skin tightly and revealing the scale armor underneath. The shadows then expanded into a sphere around him, submerging the world into cold darkness.

    Hmph. So what if I go all out? Priya replied proudly. You cannot stand against me, Vocrich!

    The ball of fire rammed into the darkness. They warred for a moment. Tongues of mes and tendrils of darkness wrapped around each other, snuffing themselves out. Soon, the mes gained the advantage. Vocrich could not beat Priyabut he could hold his ground for a little while. He could dy her.

    Priya shouted. Her mes intensified, but she still needed some time to get through. Minerva was free to advance on the fruit.

    Seeing this, Chuto, the golden giant, stepped aside. Lord Longsword darted past him, swinging his de through the air and shooting out a long ck streak directly where Minerva was headed. A whip of green energy came from the side like an enraged vine, shing with Longswords sh head-on. The vines were sliced in half, but the sh was sent off-course, veering into the ground and carving a wide swath of earth before dissipating.

    Longsword screamed in outrage, but he was still too far away. In such a fast-paced battle, even a hundred feet could seem like an unbridgeable chasm.

    Minervas followers had dyed the other two Lords. She had a clear shot at the tree. Already, she was rushing there atop her wolf, her dark clothes striking a contrast against its white fur.

    The Dao Sprouting Pill was within grasp.

    Stop right there!

    Two different powers merged together and came at Minerva from the front, forcing her to stop and dart aside. Kareena and the ice witch stood side-by-side right in front of the tree, cooperating in the face of amon enemy. Ones eyes shone silver and the others white as both unleashed the full extent of their power on the Lady.

    Even though they were standing right next to the tree, followers were not allowed to touch the fruit. Only Lords had that right.

    Tubes of ice grew from the ice witchs fingertips. They kept growing through the air, pushing their spike tips forward, lengthening while their body remained stationary. Soon, they formed a that closed in on Lady Minerva. Kareenas ponytail began to float as a silver halo materialized around her head, resembling the brilliance of a full moon. Minerva wincedshe was suffering a soul attack.

    The wolf, however, was not. It jumped to the side and ran away, narrowly escaping the ice. The tubes unraveled, each chasing the wolf like they had a mind of their own. They were tipped with sharp spikes and grew rapidly, filling the space where they passed.

    But the wolf was an Elite E-Grade beast. It jumped between the tubes, dodging their sharp ends and forcing them to circle around. It stepped on their bodies, frozen in ce as they were, snaked between them, and leaped over them. The ice witch hurriedly abandoned these tubes, forgoing their floating properties and letting them crash to the ground, as new ones shot out of her shoulders.

    But she was toote. The wolf had leaped into the air, heading directly for the crooked tree.

    A golden giant jumped before it. One palm was wide open and drawn back, shining brilliantly. Stand down! Chuto shouted, and smashed the wolf.

    It had nowhere to dodge. The palm fell on it like a mountain, neutralizing its forward momentum and nailing it to the ground like a spiked volleyball. A pained cry came from the wolf, which struggled to stand back up.

    Minerva, however, was not there. She had recovered from Kareenas soul attack as Chutos palm came crashing down, and she jumped up, over the palm, flying into the air. Chuto looked upward. His entire golden body shone brightly enough to blind her, but she only closed her eyes. Her hands were stretched upward.

    But Minerva could not fly. She was defenseless.

    The ice witchs sharp-tipped tubes arrived then, growing from below her like a bamboo forest.

    The sparrow flew over Lady Minerva. It grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along, clearing the spikes and passing over the golden giant. She was directly above the tree now. The sparrow dove.

    A ck sh carved the ground as it headed her way. A green whip rose againthe dryads powerbut it was not enough. The ck sh cut right through it, maintaining over half of its power as it crashed into Minerva. It was so fast that even the sparrow couldnt help her dodge in time.

    Minerva was flung backward like a ragdoll. She turned three times around herself mid-air and spat out blood, but green healing energy surrounded her, and she instantly regained her bearings.

    Just in time, too. Bocor had taken to the air, attempting to spike her into the ground with his tower shield like the golden giant had spiked the wolf. Minerva sharply turned her head. Before Bocor could look away, they had crossed eyes.

    He almost instantly frothed at the mouth. His Dao crumbled. His shield lost its strength, and his body began to fall without ever striking out.

    To add insult to injury, Lady Minervanded on his chest feet-first and used him as a tform to jump to the ground, sending him flying away.

    Jack didnt see what Minerva did next, because all hell was breaking loose around the scrawny tree. Longswords de shed against Priyas palm mid-air. A sun erupted, sliced in half by a dark line. The point of impact detonated. mes and sword shes flew everywhere, random discharges of energy that could rend the ground and slice the mist.

    None of the two were blown back. They couldnt fly, either. They stayed close to each other and kept exchanging strikes as they fell. Palms fell like boulders, and Longswords sword moved like a snake. Despite its length, which made it inconvenient for closebat, it had a sharp de more threatening that Priyas bare palms.

    Suns blossomed and were diced apart. ck shes melted before the sun. The air shimmered around them. Longswords tattered cloak billowed like it was caught in a hurricane, and his long hair floated behind his face, making him look demonic.

    Priyas entire body was glowing with heat. Her tanned skin had taken on a reddish hue, and her palms were glowing white like hot iron. Every time she shed against Longswords de, sparks flew, and a wave of heat spread in the direction of her attack.

    Lordsword couldnt pierce her bare palms.

    While the two were embroiled inbat, their followers shed below, each wrestling for control of the trees immediate area for when the Lordsnded. The ice witch filled the air with sharp tubes, which wobbled and fell apart where Kareenas silver aura shone. Chutos golden radiance was overshadowed by Vocrichs long mantle of shadows. Since Bocor remained unconscious, the vampire hade to even the ying ground until his Lady arrived. He couldnt let any of the other two Lords im the fruit.

    This all takes a long time to describe, but it happened in the span of three, maybe four seconds. From the time the barrier fell to now, only a tiny amount of time had passed. Jacks jaw threatened to drop at the level of battle he was watching. Everybody here was extremely strong, a genius in their own right, matching Rufus Emberheart in ferocity. They had excellent battle awareness, too. He struggled to find mistakes in any exchange he witnessed, and everyone reacted appropriately to all situations, making it hard for anyone else to find an opening.

    Before he knew it, Jacks blood was boiling. This was it. This was the level he aspired to reach. The highest in he could stand on. The very summit of power. These people were his opponents.

    Battle lust flooded his mind. His fists sang with the Dao, and an oppressive aura billowed out of him, raising dust, upsetting the mist, and drawing everyones nces despite the heated battle at the very front.

    Jack was watching a battle of demi-gods. He didnt know if he could fight against them, but he wanted to try so very badly. His lips wouldnt stop grinning. His skin wouldnt stop shivering.

    He was overwhelmed by desire to battle. To prove himself. To test his might.

    There was no sense waiting anymore. He reached into his pocket and crushed the experience crystal. An aura of power flooded his body harder than hed ever felt before. He felt his state of being rise meteorically. His battle lust was heightened into ecstasy by the many level-ups.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 98.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 99.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 100.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 101.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 102.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 103.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 104.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 105.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 106.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 107.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 108.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 109.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 110.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 111.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 112.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 113.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 114.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 115.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 116.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 117.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 118.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 119.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 120.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 121.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 122.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 123.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 124.</strong>

    A cascade of levels. A cascade of blue screens. A battle of epic proportions before his very eyes, and the ticket to greatness at the tips of his fingers. What better time to be alive? What better way to live?

    In just a moment, Jack had reached the peak of the E-Grade. There was even a bit more energy which dissipated as his body refused to ept it.

    He didnt even know how many stat points he had avable. He didnt care. It didnt matter. With a thought, all of them went to Physical, split equally between Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. There was no time for finer calctions. The battle for the Top Treasure could end at any moment. He had to join now.

    Amidst the battle, everyone nced in his direction. Even the Lords stopped fighting for a moment. Priyas eyes widened. Longswords narrowed. The golden giant, wrapped in shadows as he was,ughed. Come! he shouted, and his voice shook the air.

    Jack blood had been reced by lightning. He had never felt such a surge of power before, except for the time hed absorbed the Life Drop. In a single moment, he had transformed. He spared a look for his screen, simply to admire the numbers.

    Here Ie! he shouted.

    And, with aughing roar, jumped into the fray.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 124</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 575</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 525</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 545</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 50</strong>

    <strong>Will: 100</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Brutalizing Aura I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (peak), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

 Chapter 207: Jack Joins the Fray

    Chapter 207: Jack Joins the Fray

    Jack jumped into the fray with aughing roar. He could finally see the Lords movements clearly. Longswords shes were readable. Priyas suns were no longer instant. The ice witchs tubes were slow.

    He had finally done it. He was strong enough. He could fight these people head-to-head, and he wouldnt give up this opportunity for anything in the world.

    Yes, he was a battle maniac. But so what?

    Priya and Longsword exchanged another strike. Both used the momentum to fly back towards their respective camps.

    Jack Rust! Longsword growled through gritted teeth. I knew I should have stopped you.

    Dont do this, Priya warned.

    Toote! Jack shouted. He was barreling forth like an angry bull. He could no longer be stopped. My apologies, Priya, but lets fight! Let the strongest cultivator win!

    Even battle maniacs had a brain. In this case, Jack had a three-step n to get the Top Treasure.

    One, showcase his battle lust, so nobody would suspect he was holding back. After all, Lords were the apex existences in Trial. Who would imagine that a random punching guy now had the same level of power?

    Two, hide his real strength. Although he suspected he could fight Lords, he would pretend to be just an elite.

    Three, erupt with his full strength the moment he found an opportunity and seize the fruitthe Dao Sprouting Pill.

    Very simple. One-two-three. Couldnt go wrong, right?

    Jack bounded into the fray with fists swinging and a wild smile on his face. The Lords exchanged a nce as Kareena and the ice witch, who had been shing for a while, angled their battle to intercept Jack.

    Bring it on! he shouted.

    Suddenly, his world was filled with ice and purity. Sharp-tipped tubes grew around him like snakes whose bodies never moved, only lengthened. A sickening silver aura crashed down on his head, seeking to purify his mentality and turn him into a vegetable. One was a physical attack, the other a soul one. Moreover, both fought each other for ground as they enveloped Jack, and he was just lost between them.

    Both Kareena and the ice witch were elites. Their strength was nothing to scoff at. A few moments ago, Jack would have been overwhelmed by either of these attacks and been forced to defend with all his might.

    However, the present and the past were two very different things. He was strong now. Very strong. He just had to hide that.

    Ah! he screamed as the ice tubes circled him like vultures. They grew at him, and he barely dodged, letting two nick his sides. He smashed a fist into a tubes body so they couldnt entrap him, watching it crumble from end to end. But there were more. The ice sought to surround him, growing around him and attacking from all directions, as the silver aura melted it in real time. It melted Jacks soul, too. He could feel his strength fading away like snow in the oven.

    It was a very unpleasant feeling, simr to when he suppressed his own strength in the soul world toprehend weakness. For the same reason, he wasnt flustered. He forced his Indomitable Will to stand down, letting the silver erode his soul. He let the weakness creep in. Let himself stumble.

    An ice tube pierced into his thigh. He groaned as he punched its body, shattering it, but a bloody hole was left on his leg. He struggled to walk. His regeneration was hindered by the silver aura, too.

    To all watchers, Jack looked to be in dire straits. Longsword and Priya tsked as they turned back towards each other and rmenced their battle. Both seemed convinced that Jack Rust wasnt a major threat, just an annoyance.

    Of course, tricking them was not that simple. These people were all highly intelligent. Even if they thought him weak, they wouldnt just forget about him.

    But he could work with that. Every step he took was a victory.

    Meanwhile, Lady Minerva returned to the fray. She had abandoned her wolf and now rode a hulking hippopotamusalso an Elite beastwhich stomped through the battlefield to reach the fruit. The sparrow flew over her shoulder, and the turtle was approaching from the side, ready to intercept whoever tried to stop the Lady. The dryad rode the hippo, too, just behind Minerva. She would heal the beasts and make sure they kept fighting.

    The battlefield was a swiftly changing environment. Chuto was locked inbat against Vocrich. The sh between Kareena and the ice witch had reached a climax, not letting either disengage, and Jack was trapped between them. Longsword and Priya were fighting each other near the fruit, unable to approach further without revealing an opening. Sun-d palms met the long de. Suns were torn apart. Dark shes were immted.

    As Minerva charged at the fruit, surrounded by beasts and backed by a healer, the other two Lords exchanged a nce. At the same time, they turned and charged to intercept her.

    The turtle threw itself in the way, blocking Longswords sh with its shell. The sparrow flew at Priya, maneuvering around her palms to strike from behind. Its burnt feathers and the turtles cracked shell were repaired by the dryad as the hippo barreled forth unstoppably.

    A sun and a de crossed before it. The hippo groaned as a deep wound was cauterized on its forehead, and it was forced to slow down, but it remained a formidable threat. The sparrow kept circling Priya at blinding speed. One mistake would end with her throat torn. The turtle stubbornly remained before Longsword, blocking as many of his shes as possible.

    The three Lords were finally embroiled in an all-out battle. Minerva seemed to be the superior one, but the other two were working together to keep her at bay. They were exchanging time for the blood of her beasts, of which she had a lot. Obviously, they were winning. Two Lords against one Lord and an Elite was just too good of a matchup.

    As their battle mounted, and everyone was busy fighting their own opponents, Jack saw his chance.

    Suddenly, he roared, unleashing more of his strength. The silver aura was held at bay for a moment as Brutalizing Aura erupted from his body, sapping the ice tubes of their strength. He put his head down and charged like a bull, smashing punches in front of him to clear the way. He ghost-stepped, too. Amidst a shower of ice shards, he escaped the battle between Kareena and the ice witch, who couldnt follow this time, or they would have to expose themselves to their opponent.

    He remained injured, at least on the surface, so he didnt seem like much of a threat. However, he was now much closer to the fruit. Someone had to stop him.

    Chuto and Vocrich growled at the same time. Chuto smashed a golden palm into the shadows, banishing them and sending them flying towards the central Lord battle, where Vocrich could assist his Lady and bnce out the battle. The golden giant had to stop Jack, so he conceded this advantage.

    He turned and charged at Jack. You caused me a lot of trouble, brother! he roared,ughing. But I just have to beat you fast enough. Let Chuto, the golden giant, measure your strength!

    Jack grinned wildly. All that stood between him and the fruit was this man, who the rest were convinced could stop him for a good while, if not beat him soundly.

    Step two, hiding his strength, wasplete. Nowit was time for step three. Reveal it.

    A golden palm fell towards Jack. For the first time, he felt the pressure. He was standing up to the full might of an Elite. His knees wanted to bulk. His neck tingled, and his hair rose. But all those were remnants of the past. Fears left over from when he was weak.

    The palm wasrge enough to cover the sky, easily as wide as he was tall. It fell on him like a tumbling cloud. Jack clenched his fist and felt the power brewing inside. His Dao was singing. It had been suppressed long enough. Now, it was time to fight. Time to punch. Time to battle!

    The golden palm fell on Jack.

    Its radiance disappeared. Time slowed down. All sound and color was sucked under the massive palm, where a single clenched fist shone purple, a meteor about to crash. It was pulsing with incredible power. Even Jack didnt know how strong this new Meteor Punch was.

    The world held its breath. The giant palm crashed down. Jack stepped hard and smashed out with all his power, forgoing defense. A single purple fist in a world of darkness, illuminating the way forward.

    And the world exploded. Color and sound erupted from the point of impact. Everything shook.

    The golden palm was broken. Chutos gigantic body was sent flying back, blood spurting from his mouth, like hed been struck by a moving train. Jacks feet had formed craters on the ground, but he still stood. His hand was shaking. The knuckles were cracked. He felt exhaustion for a moment before the feeling of overwhelming power returned.

    He stood there, with his fist outstretched, as the golden giant rolled to the ground a hundred feet away. His previous wounds were closing at increased speed until he was good as new.

    Everyone had fallen silent. The battle had paused. Every eye in Trial Garden was aimed at Jack Rust, who had just proven he could stand on this stage. The greatest stage.

    He was a Lord.

    Longswords gaze turned serious. Priyas, ted, but also conflicted. Minervas, calcting. All three of them now viewed Jack as an equal. For the first time, they genuinely took notice of him.

    And Jack couldn''t stop his smile from spreading. His hand regenerated. The cracks closed. His expended stamina didnt return, but he still had plenty. He could easily shoot two or three more Meteor Punches, if needed.

    He raised his head at the sky andughed.

    I am here! he shouted. Fight me, Lords! May the strongest win!

    He didnt know how he stacked up against the other Lords. Their Daos were of a simr caliber as his. So were their titles, probably, but he had no followers, while each of them had two.

    Most importantly, however, he was too close to the fruit. Nobody expected him to get past Chuto so quickly. This was the opening he needed.

    Strength gathered in his legs. He shot out. Ghost Step shed, carrying him forward. Everybody tried to react, but they didnt have time to stop him. The fruit was his.

    In the Lord battle, Longswords eyes suddenly hardened. He stopped defending against the hippo. Instead, he jumped into the air and crossed his arms, letting the pink head smash into him with all its strength. He went flying so fast and so hard that he spat out blood. Yet, mid-air, he rotated and reoriented his body. He was flying at Jack. He had been hit on purpose to make it in time.

    Jack Rust could not be allowed to get the pill.

    Longsword crashnded and jumped up. He was close to the fruit, actually. If he just defeated Jack, he would get it. At the same time, Minerva redoubled her efforts. nked by Vocrich and the dryad, they were swiftly overwhelming Priya, who had fallen at a great disadvantage but didnt even have time to disengage. Chuto spat blood and stood back up, rushing to help his Lady, but even he could only dy the inevitable. They were just outmatched, and Kareena was locked in anotherbat.

    If a winner appeared quickly between Jack and Longsword, that person would get the fruit. If not, Minerva would.

    Jack focused on his opponent. Finally, he could face this Lord on equal ground. Ive been looking forward to this, he said, cracking his knuckles. Come, Longsword. Lets see how you fare without impossible stats.

    See, and die, Longsword retorted. His ck de split the sky. It swung around like a whip and flew at Jack tip-first. Like thest time theyd met, his skill with the de was superb. He was wielding it as naturally as his arms.

    Unlikest time, however, Jack could keep up. And he, too, took pride in his skills.

    He leaned back, letting the de sail over his nose. He ducked and charged. He couldnt fight Longsword at long range. Up-close and personal was the way to go.

    Longsword was no joke. He jumped back, elerating his shes. The world was filled with dark des that reached for Jacks neck. He felt the pressure of a Lord. It was more than he expected. Just like the time he fought Rufus Emberheart, he felt suppressed, his power and skill matched to their very limits.

    There was a certain feeling to fighting like this. It waspletely unlike any other enemies he had faced. Completely different from the many monsters hed in and opponents hed stomped. Rufus then and Longsword now challenged him on equal footing. They were pushing him to the very edge by pure skill. They were striving to prove themselves better than him. More capable.

    If he lost now, it wouldnt be due to ack of stat points or experience. He would simply lose because he was inferior. His pride as a warrior was on the line. The skills in which he had devoted everything were tested on Longswords de.

    And it was exactly this kind of battle that made Jacks blood boil, that filled his veins with steel, that awakened his wildest, most primal instincts.

    He felt time slow to a crawl. His mind elerated to the max. His Indomitable Will cut away all distractions, and his Dao Seed erupted with power, beating to the tune of his heart. Jack was not a human anymore, but a machine made to destroy and triumph. To conquer with his fists.

    He had always wondered about his ss name. Now, he understood. It wasnt random. The System knew exactly what it offered him.

    Because, in this moment, when Jacks barest self was revealed, he was the Fiend of the Iron Fist.

    An aura rolled out of him. It filled both ground and air, making everyone frown. The weakest people present had sweat on their brow. Longsword, however, was unaffected.

    Show me your worst, he called out. His eyes were narrow and calcting. His mind was cold and his heart on fire. Like Jack, he was a born warrior, and the two met chin-to-chin.

    I wont show mercy, Jack replied, charging.

    His fist met the de head-on. Color and sound disappeared. A purple meteor was the only thing left. It exploded against the tip of Longswords de, meeting its tremendous strength directly.

    The earth was blown apart under their sh. Dust and wind flew everywhere. A shockwave erupted, making Longswords hair and cloak billow. Jack, on the other hand, wore nothing but his pants, and his hair was short. There was nothing to billow. He was a mass of pure, ferocious power.

    It was exactly at this moment that Bocor woke up from where hey unconscious. It took him a long while toprehend what he was seeing. When he did, his jaw dropped. He still gathered his shield and rushed forward to rejoin the fight.

    Both fist and de were pushed back. Their powers were roughly equal. If anything, Longsword had gotten the best of the exchange, but only by a tiny bit. It wasnt enough to overpower Jack.

    That lit a fire in the swordsman. If he just beat Jack here, before Minerva could defeat Priya, he would get the fruit. He would win.

    He charged again.

    Jack seemed to panic. He bit his lipa motion hed picked up from Naujaas if desperately trying toe up with something, anything. He reached for his secret pocket and took out a gray orb, flinging it at Longsword to scare him. At the same time, he made a run for the fruit, gambling it all.

    Longsword snorted. <em>Idiot, </em>he thought. <em>In your panic, you forgot that I was there when you took this. Its the Ticklish Pebble. Only an idiot would be scared of it.</em>

    He ignored theing pebble and charged at Jack, ready to sh at his exposed back. After that, he would easily get the pill and the title. Triumph was so close he could taste it.

    Except for one thing: this wasnt the Ticklish Pebble.

    The Repeat Exploding Orb exploded in Longswords face. He had no defenses. The full force of a peak E-Grade explosion struck him head-on, and even as a Lord, he was injured. Blood erupted from his mouth. He was flung backward. He screamed.

    Everyone watching failed toprehend this. It made no sense. Longsword had just ignored aing projectile. Of course hed been hit. What an idiot.

    Most importantly, however, Longsword had been the only thing standing between Jack and the blood-red applethe Dao Sprouting Pill.

    No! Minerva and Priya screamed at the same time. Longsword was on the ground, roaring in impotent fury. This time, he couldnt make it. Everyone else was busy fighting elsewhere. For the second time, Jack had punched through much faster than anyone anticipated, proving his brains in addition to his brawn.

    He dashed the final few feet, reached the tree, wrapped his palm around the apple-looking thing that was the Dao Sprouting Pind cleanly tore it from the branch.

    He had the Top Treasure.

 Chapter 208: Bullied by a Sore Loser

    Chapter 208: Bullied by a Sore Loser

    Jacks hand wrapped steadily around the blood-red applethe Dao Sprouting Pill. It fit in his palm snugly.

    The moment he touched it, the world went silent. Everyone around him paused mid-fight and gaped. Longsword red with intense hatred.

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Seventh Ring Conqueror upgraded to Eighth Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +35%  +40%</strong>

    <strong>Final Ring Quest:</strong><ul><li><strong>Defeat the Final Guardian of Trial. Reach the apex.</strong></li></ul>

    The appearance of the next quest was a bit odd. He wasnt at the final ring yet. Then again, essing it was so easy that he might as well be.

    However, Jack didnt have time to consider titles and rings right now. He was surrounded by arge number of powerful, furious individuals. All battle had stopped, and all eyes were ring at him.

    Jack Rust Longsword said, gritting his teeth. His gaze alternated between Jack and the Dao Sprouting Pill like he couldntprehend what was happening. You

    I yed by the rules and won, Jack said, calmly pocketing the fruit. It barely fit in his secret pocket, which wasnt secret any longer. <em>I really should get a normal pocket. Reaching for the back of my thigh is awkward.</em>

    You did what!?

    I won, he repeated assuredly. He stared right at Longsword. The rules of this battle state that once someone gets the fruit, it is over. The title is already mine, anyway. That said, if you still want to duel meIm right here.

    He expected Longsword to meet his challenge with hard words. Instead, the manughed. Still covered in blood and burns from the Repeat Exploding Ball, he made for a gruesome sight.

    The rules! he shouted. The rules, he says. What do you know about rules?

    Jack got a bad feeling. Is that not the case?

    Oh, it is, absolutely. Its even written in the Star Pact: Once the representative of a B-Grade faction gets the Top Treasure, the battle is over. Everyone will honor that. So tell me, Jack: just which B-Grade faction do you represent?

    Jack pursed his lips. He red at Dorman. The young man had previously exined the rules to him, but neglected to mentionor forgot, or didnt knowthe representative of a B-Grade faction part. Now, he only shrugged.

    It suddenly made sense why all the other treasure hunters were content to simply watch.

    <em>Shit, </em>Jack thought.

    He belongs to my faction, Lady Priya intervened. Her gaze was stormy and conflicted, but her words were steady. He represents the Exploding Sun.

    Bullshit, Longsword retorted immediately. He isnt even part of your faction. And you know damn well that each faction can only have one Lord.

    Priya fell silent..

    This was an honest mistake, Jack exined. I misunderstood.

    Who cares? You got the title. It is gone nowfor all of us. Even if you hand over the pill, it changes little.

    Despite the rough situation, Jack didnt really intend to surrender the pill. He had fought hard for it. Earned it. Listen, he said. I know how little your factions care for the Star Pact. Ive experienced it first-hand. No matter what thew says, this pill was ced here by the creators of Trial for the worthiest to im, and you cannot deny that I won it fair and square. I joined this battle openly. I fought you to a draw and proved my strength. I emerged victorious because I yed my cards better than everyone else. Do you really think, deep in your heart, that I dont deserve this? That you deserve it more than me? He help up the apple.

    He also nced at Minerva, gauging her opinion. She seemed hesitant. After all, this pill didnt belong to one of their factions. It belonged to Trial, a ce open to everyone in the gxy. Even if thew stated that only someone from the B-Grade factions could im the pill, that was aw they hade up with. The truth was, Jack had indeed won this contest. Grouping up against him because he had no backing would be the behavior of a sore loser. A dishonorable thing to do in public.

    On the other hand, he did pretend to be just a treasure hunter before, or he would have never made it here. And, at the end of the day, everyone wanted the fruit. What was honor before power?

    Everyone besides Jack and Longsword were deep in thought. This situation was unclear.

    Longswordughed again. Victory and deservedness has nothing to do with this. You came here like a thief, rode our tails to this core area, and snuck into our battle to emerge with the pill. You ruined our chance to advance quickly. For one of us, you ruined our lives. How are we supposed to split the pill now?

    Jacks brows fell. I earned this. You knew I wasing for the pill, and I beat you fair and square. I have every right to im it.

    Oh yes, fair and square, Longsword said, picking up a gray orb from the ground. He turned it in his hand, inspecting it from all sides. A Repeat Exploding Orb, I see. A fine treasure. This is the real reward of the Treasure Trial we entered together, isnt it? The one I was supposed to get. You swapped it with the Ticklish Pebble before I emerged from the trial.

    So what? Jack replied. He didnt try to deny anything. You were going to get that treasure by bullying me with your higher level. I just used quick thinking to bully you first.

    Spoken like a true thief! Longswordughed. He raised the tip of his sword to the sky. Greedy, honorless scum. You are a fine little parasite, Jack. Your one deception led to another. If not for the trickery you yed around this orb, how could you beat me now? How could you get past me?

    By punching you in the face.

    The temperature seemed to drop. Everyone else, who had been watching this altercation mutely, widened their eyes by a crack. Longsword stared at Jack as if struggling to grasp the height of his confidence.

    Hand over the pill, Jack, he said, and stretch out your neck so I can cut it. Give yourself an honorable death, at least.

    Jack smiled. Finally, Longsword was speaking hisnguage. You are just a bully, Longsword. A sore loser used to getting his way. I joined thispetition openly, and just because I have no big daddy behind my back, you think you can bully me? That I should stretch out my neck for you? Hah! Heughed. A death at the hand of trash like you could never be honorable. Both my head and the pillif you want them,e get them.

    Jack clenched his fists. Brutalizing Aura rolled out of his body in waves, galvanized by his will to fight.

    Faced with Jacks cutting words, Longswordughed back. Oh no, you dont deserve a fair fight! You dont deserve the honor of dying in a duel. You will be in like a dog on the street, crushed and helpless.

    Oh yeah? By you and what army? I dont see any other Lord willing to stoop to your level.

    It was a fine effort. However, Longswords grin widened. He turned towards Minerva. Hand of God! he shouted. This man broke a use of the Star Pact right in front of you. What is the appropriate punishment?

    Lady Minerva hesitated for a moment. Then, she made her decision. When she opened her mouth, she only uttered a single word: Death.

    The moment she said that, her three beasts and Vocrich started pacing around Jack, seeking to entrap him. Bocor and the ice witch were already there, taking up one side each.

    Lady Priya met Jacks eye and shook her head. She wouldnt help. Chuto, releasing his golden giant form, sighed sadly. Kareena looked away. And the Sage, who had given Jack the chance to fight, only shook his head.

    <em>Sorry, Jack, </em>he said telepathically. <em>I didnt know the Star Pacts exact phrasing. We cant fight all these people. Youre on your own.</em>

    Jack gritted his teeth. There wasnt even time to me anyone. If he hesitated for a single moment longer, his escape would be cut off. Suddenly, he realized that he was deep in unknown territory, surrounded by enemies, and hed just earned their ire.

    <em>I must survive. No matter how hard they push me down, I refuse to yield. </em>The thought came unbidden, filling his entire being. He suddenly felt like back in the Forest of the Strong. The time when an Earth Bear had chased him through the forest came vividly to his mind, until he could even remember the smell of its musky breath and the sound of its hooves stomping on the soil.

    This time, there was no bear, but the killing intent surrounding him was almost palpable. These people were going to kill him. He couldnt fight them. He had to escape.

    The world slowed down as he prepared for battle. The time for words was over. The time to act was nigh.

    The other cultivators tensed up as well, sensing Jacks resolve. Everyone blurred into action at once. All these strong people, who had been fighting each other before, now turned towards Jack. Even if he used the Life Drop, which would cause him endless trouble in the future, there was no way he could win here.

    His skin was tingling, his legs were filled with power. Fuck me, he muttered.

    And he ran.

    Stop him! Longsword shouted. Everyone was on him instantly. Shadows flew. Ice tubes grew everywhere. A sparrow flew in faster than sound itself, a hippo charged unstoppably, and a ck de fell from the sky.

    Jack ignored everything. This wasnt about victory or minimizing the damage. It was about making it out of the encirclement alive.

    He focused on the weakest link and charged over. He let the sparrow slice his back like a whip, let the tubes dig into his flesh, let the shadows hug and burn his skin. Only Longswords de he dodged, ghost-stepping to the side at thest moment possible and suffering only a cut to the thigh.

    Still, he kept running. With his three fused Dao Roots, there were two things that Jack was good at. One was durability and regeneration. His body could take the punishment. Skin and tissue already regrew where hed been cut, and his body kept moving despite the many wounds. Thanks to his Indomitable Body and two defensive Dao Roots, he could survive.

    His other strengthwas pure offensive power.

    Jack arrived before Bocor, who had steadied his tower shield and was ready to block anything. If he could stop Jack for just a moment, everyone else would catch up. Unfortunately for Bocor, he was the weakest cultivator present. He wasn''t even an Elite.

    Jack pulled his fist back. All color and sound was sucked in. The world trembled. The air shimmered around his fist. All that remained was a bright purple meteor, heading directly for the minotaurs shield.

    MOVE! Jack roared.

    Bocor bellowed. He dug his shield into the ground and put his shoulder behind it. He doubtlessly activated every defensive skill he possessed as well.

    When the punchnded, the world exploded. A terrible shockwave pushed everyone back and made the sparrow spin. The ground was upturned, the wind rapped their hair. Bocors shield went flying, as did the minotaur himself, spitting out blood. His entire body took to the air, te armor and all, as he instantly lost consciousness. His shoulder, which had been propping up the shield, was dislocated.

    Jack blew through the defenses without slowing in the slightest. Even his broken wrist was only one injury upon many. His back was burning. He could sense blood flowing down his spine. His left leg faltered every few steps.

    He roared and ran. More attacks fell on hima parting gift. Even burned and yed, he made it through. He burst out of the encirclement and sphere of attacks like a train emerging from the mist, and he kept running at top speed, with his head down and his entire being focused on just going faster.

    His path led straight towards the treasure huntersto the path where theyde from.

    Stop him! Longsword shouted, flying after Jack. Now that thetter had increased in level by so much, they were simr in speed.

    Thankfully, none of these treasure hunters were stupid. Most were weaker than Bocor. Who would dare stand in Jacks way after seeing what he did to the minotaur?

    As for Sage, Dorman, and their teammate Poppy, there wasnt even a question.

    <em>I will protect Brock, </em>the Sage told him mentally. It was a wee thought, because Jack didnt know if he could do that in his current state. A wee repentance for pushing Jack into the fire.

    The treasure hunters stepped over each other to get out of Jacks way, who bulldozed through like a hurricane. He dived into the mist head-first, with the Top Treasure in his pocket and the gxys greatest mortal cultivators on his heels.

    In his despair, Jacks n was simple. Retrace his steps through the mist, go through the traps he already knew how to solve, and exit Trial Garden. By then, he would have hopefully left his pursuers in the dust, which would allow him to pick up Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin, and escape Trial altogether.

    If he still hadnt lost his pursuers by thenhe would just turn and fight, and damned be the consequences. These guys were just bullying him. He would rather fall in battle than abandon Brock and run away by himself. Plus, if all went to hell, he could resort to the Life Dropit might give him a tiny chance of victory.

    The mist filled Jacks vision. Even the sounds of footsteps and roars behind him came muffled. Could he outrun them while urately retracing their path through the mist?

    Even with his System-enhanced intelligence and all the titles enhancing its efficacy, he wasnt sure. But he had to try. Because, if he failed at any step, the only viable alternative was death.

 Chapter 209: Making a Deal

    Chapter 209: Making a Deal

    Jack dashed through the mist, hoping he was moving in the right direction. Half his mind was upied with sprinting at full tilt. The other half desperately tried to retrace the path. A third, smaller part was constantly thinking, <em>fuckfuckfuckfuck.</em>

    There were objects in the mist. A boulder here, a nt there, a mound the other way. Little things that had beenpletely insignificant on the way in now served as waymarks for his memory to work off of. His field of sight, however, was pitiful. Barely nine feet ahead of himself. His only saving grace was his Dao perception, which had evolved along with his levels and could now scout the environment up to thirty feet around him, if he kept it constantly active. Which he did, despite its energy consumption, because what choice did he have?

    Angry stomps and roars came from behind. Longsword and the ice witch, along with Vocrich, the dryad, Minerva, and most of her menagerie were after himonly the turtle had been left behind, as it was too slow.

    Longsword could match Jack inbat by himself. Minerva was probably even stronger, and there were also the followers. This wasnt a fight he could handle.

    Jack followed the path of the fist. It meant he was proud and unyielding, not that he enjoyed punching walls. Turning to fight now would just be Lord-assisted suicidebetter to take the pill, run away, breakthrough, then return to pay them back ten times over.

    Besidesthere was no shame in running away from unfair battles. Especially when he had nothing to lose by running.

    <em>Fuck off, you bullies! </em>he screamed inwardly, darting to the left as arge rock entered the range of his perception. His mind worked in overtime, trying toe up with a solution on top of all the other tasks it was currently juggling.

    Many things had worked together to reach this point. He had revealed his previous trickstealing the Repeat Exploding Orbto Longsword. Dorman had omitted a critical part of the rules when exining them. The Sage had given him the experience jewel and mispredicted the result of Jacks actions. When he finally got hold of the fruit, this death hunt was already bound to ur.

    This was all very suspicious. Did the Sage and Dorman n this? It sounded far-fetched, but with the Sages divination abilities, it was more than possible. The more he considered it, the more obvious it seemed that hed been set up. Howeverwhy? Why would they do this? What did they stand to gain?

    Jack wrangled his brain and came up with nothing. He couldnt focus right now, either.

    <em>Fuck those guys, </em>he concluded. <em>If I survive, Ill fucking punch them in the face! At least they promised to protect Brockif that is even true.</em>

    However, survival was a bleak possibility. Just as Jack cut to the left, the dark outline of a de shed through the mist beside him, smashing into the stone and searing it in half. Longsword wasnt holding back at all. Even on Jacks Indomitable Body, those things would hurt.

    The most annoying opponent, however, was Minervas Diamond-Winged Sparrow. It possessed extreme speed, far faster than Jack or any of his pursuers. It had already jumped at him twice, each time trying to tear some tendon or blind him. At least, it was weak, and Jack had the reflexes to punch it if it came from a bad angle. It was forced to lurk at the edges of his perception and wait for an opening.

    A patch of ground before Jacks feet turned slightly darker. He instantly jumped up, dodging the shadow hand that sprouted from the ground to catch his ankle. As he was airborne, the sparrow swooped in, shing a deep line on his cheek. He had turned his head at thest second, barely shielding his eyes.

    Jack cursed under his breath. The sparrow disappeared in the mist, farther than he could perceive, and hended smoothly, not breaking stride. The wound on his cheek closed, and the blood evaporated. His Indomitable Body and Dao Root of Lifethe Life Dropwere a killerbination.

    Unfortunately, everything had a price. His regeneration allowed him to withstand the asional attack, but it sapped at his stamina like crazy. He was panting already, and it hadnt been a minute since he started running. At this pace, hed run out of energy soonlet alone outrunning his pursuers.

    <em>I have to do something, </em>he thought. Tossing the Dao Sprouting Pill into the mist came as an idea. It might distract them. However, that would mean losing the pill, the only reason why he was running to begin with.

    The other idea was to activate the Life Drop and face everyone in epicbat. Unfortunately, even with the Life Drop, he would probably die against two Lords at the same time, let alone their followers. Maybe doing both things at oncethrowing the pill and then activating the Life Drop when fewer people were leftwould workbut it was such an ugly solution.

    He would keep it as ast resort. Maybe they had far less stamina than him, or they would turn back, afraid of losing their way in the mist. In the end, the more he kept running, the more people would run out of stamina and stop chasing, leaving him fewer cultivators to face when he inevitably turned and fought them. With any luck they would already be exhausted from the previous battle.

    Suddenly, two stacks of cages appeared in Jacks perception. His eyes widened. He instantly dived between them,ing across a maze with walls of stacked steel cages. All sorts of beasts slumbered inside them. The moment he set foot in the maze, his stomps woke them up, and they began to rise and howl, awakening their neighbors as a chain reaction that spread across the maze.

    Jack remembered this ce. It was a trap theyd run into on the way. Back then, they had found a way through it by being deathly silent and having the two guides divine the best path forward. Now, neither of those options were avable. Jack had no option but to stomp through.

    On one hand, he remembered the way. The maze wasnt particrlyrge, and it was full of easy waymarksthe caged beasts. On the other, there were King beasts loose in the maze. One of those might appear in his way, since theyd all wake up soon.

    Jack stomped into the maze, darted around the first corner, and instantly heard his pursuers enter as well. The beasts were making a cacophony that had no equal. Howls, chirps, screams, roars, growls; all sorts of animals were contained here. It was a wondrous ceand also one that deeply pained Jacks heart, seeing all these wonderful animals trapped.

    Unfortunately, both the previous time and now, hecked the ability to do anything about it. He promised to return if he ever found the opportunity.

    One corridor gave way to another. The cages bled together. Jack was just running, doing his best to follow the safe path.

    Before he knew it, he was out, thanking all the stars in the sky that no King beast hade to face him. His pursuers werent as lucky. A colossal roar split the mist and threatened to burst Jacks eardrums. Sounds ofbat came from behind him, followed by the screams and shouts of cultivators.

    Jack breathed a sigh of relief. For once, he had gotten lucky. Perhaps the beast would slow them down enough for him to escape.

    Before he even finished the thought, another roar came through the mist, this oneced with deep pain and fear. They had already beaten it.

    Jack set to running again, cursing his luck. At least hed earned a second. His feet thundered against the soil. The surroundings zoomed by. His breath came in uneven rasps. The sparrow stalked him still, attacking whenever it saw a fraction of an opening.

    Once, Jacks backfist clipped its wings, but all he achieved was to make it slightly more careful.

    des still flew at him asionally, shadows tried to entrap him, ice tubes grew at him whenever he made sharp turns. The hippos roar shook the entire garden. Lady Minerva was eerily silent.

    Between dodging all these attacks, remembering the way, and maintaining top speed, Jacks mind was stretched to its limit. Only the Dao Root of Indomitable Will kept him alive, maintaining his focus razor-sharp. In contrast, his pursuers only had to follow him.

    <em>What if I veer off the right path!? </em>Jack wondered in a moment of panic, only to beat down the idea. He had witnessed the deadliness of Trial Garden first-hand. This wasnt a ce for E-Grades. Any random trap might end him before he even had the chance to scream.

    <em>But I have to do something!</em>

    The seconds flowed on. Before he knew it, Jack had already sprinted the distance it had taken them days to walk. Most traps were already resolved, thankfully, so he could just walk right through them. Unfortunately, there wasnt anything he could activate to hinder his pursuers.

    Suddenly, as he charged forth, something new invaded his perception. Nohis psyche. It was a deep distaste, a disgusting, gut-wrenching feeling of wrongness. It was so strong and sudden that it almost made him trip.

    <em>What the hell is that!? </em>he wondered. It took him a second to remember. He knew this feeling. He had experienced it only a couple days ago, when they ran into that trapped devil. Back then, hed noticed that he seemed to be the only person feeling this waywhich made sense, given that it originated from his Life Drop, for some reason. Hed also noticed that the feeling persisted for a long time, serving as a sort ofpass to the devils location.

    After the devil, the Sage had taken them through a path so needlessly convoluted that nobody could retrace it, returning them to the right path. He had done the same as they approached. As a result, nobody besides the two guides could find the devil again, even if they knew he was somewhere nearby.

    But Jack could. For whatever reason, he had a devilpass inside him.

    He eyed the mound before him. The way to the gardens entrancey to the left. However, his devilpass led him to the right.

    He veered right, diving head-first into the mist. Devils were bad news. However, right now, he needed a miracle.

    He sensed the hesitation of his pursuers. They remembered the right path, too, and they knew hed wandered off. They also remembered that theyd met the devil somewhere around here. Undoubtedly, a thousand thoughts went through their minds, but Jack couldnt hear them. If all went well, they would just drop the chase.

    They followed him. He could hear their footsteps and shouts, sense their attacks and evade them. Everyone remained on his tail. They wanted that pill too damn much.

    Jack felt the deep repulsion grow stronger. His strides shortened as he crossed unfamiliar terrain. The path theyd taken to reach the devil had been needlessly convolutedit was actually much closer than anyone might assume. The only risk right now was the possible existence of traps in the straight line between Jack and the devil, but the distance wasnt too great, and the gardens traps werent too densely packed.

    Suddenly, a presence appeared in Jacks mind. It simply hovered there, as if watching him from a distance. Jacks spine tingled. Thankfully, he knew how to speak telepathically, as long as the other person opened the connection. <em>I will release you! In return, help me escape my pursuers, and never try to harm me, my friends, or my family in any way! Im giving you a good deal here, so dont try to cheat!</em>

    Thisst sentence was the best Jack could do. In his present state,ing up with a waterproof contract was simply impossible.

    Manicughter rang in his mind, along with a deep, seething voice. <em>DEAL!</em>

    The mist opened before him. Suddenly, he saw a twenty-foot-wide circle of magical symbols, with the air shimmering above them and a devil trapped in their midst. It remained an ugly, repulsive creature. Spikes ran down its spine, horns grew on its head, and its hands ended in long, sharp ws.

    For a brief moment, Jack wondered whether he was fucking up. Unfortunately, he had no other choice. It was either this or dying to Longsword. He just had to pray.

    He punched the air, shooting a stream of Dao at the magic symbols on the ground. It wasnt a Meteor Punch, just a weak Dao expulsion, like the ones he used to move in space.

    The symbols shook. The shimmering air shone purple, then evaporated like a burnt sheet. The devil stared at Jack like he couldnt believe this. IM FREE! he roared. Dark power rose around him like a tide. Jack felt like he was suffocating. The System may have called the devil a King E-Grade creature, but its power was stronger than anything Jack could currently muster. He realized that, if the devil attacked him, he might not survive more than three hits.

    But it wouldntright?

    The devil jumped at Jack. He ducked, cursed, and prepared to defend. The devils leap turned into flight. It shot over Jacks head, into the mist behind him. Jacks eyes shone as he followed the devil. If it attacked his pursuers, he could help it finish them off.

    Screams rang from the mist before he even came within range. An explosion of energy cleared the surrounding mist. Jack saw Longsword recovering from being sent flying, the hippo lying on the ground with a deep, lethal-looking gash across its belly, and Minerva running away. The ice witch was nowhere to be seenperhaps shed turned back, too exhausted to contribute to the chase.

    Of course, the difference in power between this devil and the Lords wasnt as great as it seemedthey had just been ambushed and too slow to react.

    In the blink of an eye, the devil appeared before Vocrich and cut off his head. There was nothing the vampire could do. He simply died, all his shadows melting into thin air.

    Vocrich! Minerva shouted.

    The devil didnt spare Vocrichs body a second nce. Ut kept going, reaching the dryad that hid behind the vampire. Die, you cursed life-wielder! it shouted, pinning the dryad to the ground. As she screamed, the devil dug both hands into her chest and tore her in half like a pillow. Blood and entrails flew everywhere. The dryad, despite all her healing powers, died instantly.

    Jack froze momentarily at the brutality.

    There, I helped, the devil said, pulling back its hands. Its savagery seemed spent on the dryad, and it now sported a wide smile. Have fun, kids. Thanks for freeing me!

    Then, with a final shout of mad joy, it flew into the mists and disappeared. It was heading in the opposite direction from the garden entrance.

    Jack remained frozen, this time in surprise. He nced at Longsword, who was ring back full of hatred. You are dead, he said, voice dripping hatred.

    Shit, said Jack. <em>So much for freeing the devil.</em>

    Thankfully, this assault had scattered the pursuers, giving Jack a clean view of the way he hade from. Without a second thought, he started running again, and everyone chased with renewed hatred, leaving the bodies of Vocrich and the dryad, along with the hemorrhaging hippo, to rot in the mist.

 Chapter 210: Utterly Humiliated

    Chapter 210: Utterly Humiliated

    After Jack disappeared into the mist, followed by Longsword, Minerva, and a few of their followers who were determined to get the fruit, everyone else was left in an excited silence. They struggled toprehend what had happened. At the same time, however, they were brewing with excitement.

    To these people, what Jack had done was the equivalent of a particrly spectacr suicide.

    As whispers soon spread, debating the how and why of what just happened, only two groups of people remained somber. One was the Exploding Sun team, who were equal parts disappointed and puzzled.

    The other team was the Barren High. Dorman was ring daggers at the Sage and quickly pulled him away from the other treasure hunters, while Poppy remained behind, seemingly nonchnt but actually making sure nobody overheard.

    I trusted you, Dorman whispered, but theyre all gone now. Exin. Why the hell did you give up the Dao Sprouting Pill to Jack Rust?

    The Sage gave Dorman the all-knowing smile he always did. Ever since Space Ring, I have sensed something odd about Jack. He developed a strong affinity to the Dao of Life. That means hes on our side, and though my fate reading is blurry, I predict that securing his friendship will be more important in the long run than getting the pill.

    But its the whole reason we came here! Dorman hissed. You needed that pill. You cant just throw it away on a whim!

    I dont <em>need </em>it. My immortal breakthrough wille regardless. The pill would just facilitate the process, but waiting a few extra months is no big deal.

    What about the Final Ring? You were supposed to challenge the Guardian after getting the eighth ring title. Now what?

    Yes, well have to skip that part. But its all worth it. Most Dao Inheritances are useless to me, and the treasures here are only useful up to the D-Grade at most. If my gamble works out, Jack Rust will be much more beneficial in the long run. Plus, he benefits too, so we sow good karma.

    Dorman grumbled. The greatest treasures of Trial, and all you have to say is, well have to skip that part How is Jack going to escape, anyway? You said not to help him. How are you so sure?

    That part of fate was easy to read. The Sageughed. He will be pushed to his very limits but escape with the pill. He will then wander the gxy for a few months, surviving all sorts of ordeals, and reach the middle orte D-Grade before requesting our help to deal with theary Overseer. It will be a hard few months for him, but he will grow a lot.

    I guess Dormans gaze suddenly darkened. His voice hid doubt. But, Sage, if you didnt need the pill Why not give it to me?

    For the first time, the Sages gaze turned earnest. A bit regretful, even. Divination is all about calction, my friend To be honest, you dont need it either. You have superb talent. Bing an immortal is a hurdle you will surpass sooner orter, just like me.

    Dorman sighed and leaned back. I trust you, Sage

    As you should! In fact, I Suddenly, the Sages words cut off. His head snapped to the side, looking in the direction Jack had escaped in, and his eyes widened. How!? he asked, gasping.

    Dorman tensed up. How what?

    Jack found the devil! Thats How did he do that? There was no fate path leading there!

    The devil? Should we

    We should, and right now! There is no time to waste! We cant let it escape!

    Both dashed in the direction of the mist. Lead the way, Sage! Dorman shouted. Poppy, were running!

    The djinn instantly fell in step. The three darted into the mist, disappearing at a speed that left everyone else stunned. Even Priya, the Exploding Sun Lady, raised a shocked brow.

    How did this happen, Sage!? Dorman asked mid-run. Blue sparks flew where his boots touched the ground.

    His affinity to life must be even stronger than I anticipated! the Sage replied. As he ran, a green aura wrapped around his body, and his feet smashed against the soil like mallets. But thats How? There shouldnt be any treasures that strong in Trial! Did he get one beforeing to this ce? But where? This waspletely outside my predictions!

    So even the great Sage can be stumped at times, Dorman said,ughing.

    This is noughing matter, Dorman! I lost track of fate! I dont know what will happen to Jack now. I dont know how he escaped my sight. And, worst of all, that devil will be released! We must contain it <em>now!</em>

    The mists parted as they crossed through at top speed. The Sage led them in a straighter line back than the one theyd followed on the way in, minimizing their travel distance. They dodged all traps, save for a few they had already solved on the way in.

    They made record speed. Before long, they appeared in an empty area which the mist was slowly reiming, with dim magic symbols etched on the ground. The corpses of Vocrich, the dryad, and Minervas hippoy nearby, but the devil was nowhere to be seen.

    This is bad, the Sage said, lines creasing his brow. He looked around, then closed his eyes. A green halo appeared around his head, a million tiny lines that squirmed around and all fit together in a chaotic pattern that made Dormans head hurt. A momentter, the Sages eyes snapped open, and he dashed in a certain direction. This way! he shouted. Dorman and Poppy followed a step behind.

    The Sages eyes sharpened. Suddenly, gone was the easygoing old man, and born was the warrior. He leaped into the air, galvanizing his Dao to the fullest. The power he exuded blew away the mists, revealing an area several hundred feet in diameter. In its very midst was the devil, sitting cross-legged and meditating. The moment the Sage appeared, its eyes snapped open, full of surprise and urgency.

    Leave me alone! it shouted, jumping to its feet. The Sage was already above it. He raised an open palm. The surroundings burst with life, a green aura nketing everything. As it touched the devil, it screeched like it had been burned. It raised its arms to defend.

    The Sage pped his palm down. Die, you foul beast!

    The impact shook the entire garden.

    ***

    Jack was exhausted. His legs were made of lead. His mind, of slog. Dodging the iing attacks was harder and harder. His Indomitable Will could only handle so much concentration. Even finding the right way was difficult now.

    His pursuers remained on track. Longsword bounded after him, long sword in hand and swinging with abandon. Minerva had summoned a new beast to rece the hippoa boar, which wasnt too suitable for this zigzagging chase. She must have been finally running low on beasts.

    Jack couldnt see her, but he imagined her. Pale-skinned and d in ck clothes, riding the boar with rage in her eyes. Because of him releasing the devil, Minerva had lost both her followers and an Elite beast. She must have been <em>pissed.</em>

    Jack was rapidly running out of options. Running to the devils location and then back to the right path had used up much of his stamina. Already, ck spots covered the edges of his vision. Even if they didnt catch up to him, he couldnt go on much longer.

    He still hoped they would run out of energy first, but he wouldnt bet on it. Minervas boar was brand-new. Longsword only had to focus on running, not finding the way and dodging attacks like Jack. He also didnt have to regenerate his wounds all the fucking time.

    The sparrow was still pestering Jack, shing him open in shallow wounds. It must have been ordered to do so by Minerva. His regeneration could easily handle those, but it cost him stamina.

    Jack could not outrun these people. He could not fight them either, even if he used his Life Drop. He had nowhere to hide.

    Was he a goner? Did he have to hand over the pill and beg for his life?

    He would never do that. At the end of the day, Jack followed the path of the fist. No matter how many people depended on him, he would rather turn and fight to the death than surrender, cripple his path, and hope for mercy.

    He was almost ready to do that, actuallyturn around and fight to the death. There was no salvation in sight. He was already mentally apologizing to Brock for leaving this life early when something familiar entered the range of his perception.

    It was arge boulder, standing up from the ground like a small hill. One of its sides had an opening. It was the cave theyd been sealed in shortly after entering Trial Garden. The one that couldnt be opened from the outside.

    Jacktched on to this ray of hope like a drowning man wouldtch on a floating nk. If he rushed in and pulled the lever, they couldnt get to him. They could guard the entrance, of course, but for how long? He had the fruit now. Supposedly, it could let him breakthrough to the D-Grade. He could cultivate with it inside the cave, thene out once hed broken through and wipe the floor with all the so-called Lords.

    Suddenly, he saw survival.

    The problem was, hed slightly lost the way due to his exhaustion and imperfect memory. The cave was far to his right, at the edge of his perception range. If he tried to dash there, the Lords could catch up and try to stop him.

    But maybe they couldnt. And Jack foundfort in the simplicity of that gamble. If he just punched them hard enough, he would make it to the cave and hopefully survive. If he wouldnt, it would be a battle to the death, anyway.

    That was hisnguage.

    His feet stomped against the ground as he slid to a halt. He darted sideways. The sparrow fell on him but missed. A series of outlines instantly appeared through the mistLongsword, Minerva, and her beasts. The only other pursuer remaining alive was the ice witch, but Jack didnt see her outline.

    He was ready.

    Besides the Life Drop, which he decided to keep as a final resort, he went all-out instantly. The adrenaline returned energy to his body. His pores opened. His breath deepened. His mind sharpened. His clenched fists were wrought in purple aura, pping away the mist as they began to suck in the essence of the world.

    He grinned. This battle would end in a sh. One second of all-out battle.

    What more could he hope for?

    The moment the first shape emerged from the mist, he fired a Meteor Punch. It detonated on the boars face. Flesh and bone shards flew everywhere. The boar roared, then veered to the side and toppled over. It wasnt dead, just seriously injured. So was Jack. His hand bone was cracked down the middle, and his regeneration sucked greedily at his remaining energy to repair it.

    Lady Minerva, who had been riding the beast, jumped. Her body arced through the air. Her belt shone, the boar dispersed into motes of light, and a new creature appeared next to Jack. It was a red, horse-sized octopus sitting steadily on the groundand it red in his Dao perception harder than her other beasts had. Minervanded on its head.

    Surrender! she ordered. That pill is mine.

    <em>This octopus must be her hidden ace, </em>he realized, but there was little time to care. The octopus pped down with three of its tentacles. He ghost-stepped out of the way, closer to the cave entrance, then turned and shot a Meteor Punch on its body.

    The explosion rocked the mist. The wind whipped Jacks face and pulled at his short hair. The shockwave flung pebbles off the ground.

    The octopus made a pained sound. A bloody bruise was clearly visible in the center of its body, but it remained whole. That was fine. Jacks goal wasnt to kill it. He just wanted to unbnce it for a moment. Its tentacles could reach the cave entrance, but he had time to sneak through before it recovered.

    The only problem was that Longsword stood right in front of the cave entrance. He was an intelligent man. He had seen through Jacks n right away and ced himself in the perfect spot to thwart him.

    At least, all this running had managed to exhaust the ice witch, who was nowhere to be seen.

    A malicious grin yed on Longswords lips as he held his sword horizontally, ready to swing. You brought this upon yourself, he said, reveling in Jacks dead-end. You deserve this.

    Sure I do, Jack replied, stepping heavily before Longsword and readying a Meteor Punch, because I will survive.

    He roared. His fist became a beacon of purple in a dark world. A herald of destruction. A carrier of power.

    Longsword shed. His nine-foot-long sword curved through the air like a whip, meeting Jacks fist with its very tip, where it was strongest. Steel and flesh collided. Color and sound returned to the world. A massive explosion cracked the stone and peeled the ground. Jack felt the shockwave on his chest. Longswords tattered cloak billowed so hard it left his shoulders, flying into the cave mouth behind him.

    For a moment, they remained frozen in their stances, neither willing to give ground. They pushed with all their might, pouring all their energy into their strikes. Both roared; a sh of masters.

    Actually, this sh was identical to their previous one, in the battle for the Top Treasure. Back then, it had been a draw, which is why Longsword tried the same thing now, investing fully in the attack. He wasnt afraid of losing the exchange, and he didnt need to win, either. If he just dyed Jack for a moment, Minervas octopus would catch up, and they would overwhelm him.

    However, he missed something. When Jack grabbed the Dao Sprouting Pill, his title had been upgraded to Eighth Ring Conqueror. He had gotten an extra 5% efficacy in all his stats. This made him slightly stronger than in their previous sh.

    And, in a battle between masters, every little thing matters.

    Jacks fist pushed back the sword. An inch led to a mile, and he overwhelmed Longsword, who had invested fully into this strike. With a crack, his wrist snapped. His sword flew back. The remnants of the explosion smashed right into Longswords chest, shooting him backward into the rock, which didnt budge in the slightest. He took the entirety of the impact. He groaned as all air was pushed out of his lungs, stered as he was with his back against the stone, thennded wobbly on his feet.

    Jack hadnt budged. He nced at Longswords broken wrist, then winked and said, I warned you.

    He dashed into the cave. Longsword, however, wasnt done. His eyes bulged like they were about to pop out, both from humiliation and rage. He didnt even register the pain. Jack had cheated him, tricked him, and now overpowered him head-on. He was three to zero. By all ounts, he was simply superior!

    And Longsword couldnt take that. He couldnt lose like this.

    With a massive bellow, he overdrew on his Dao Seed. Cracks spread across it as Longsword forced his body to move before it was ready, his Dao to circte andsh out. He grabbed his sword with his other hand and shed out.

    He just needed to dy Jack for a split-second. Outrunning this blow was impossible. Jack would have to defend, the octopus would catch up, and he would lose.

    Suddenly, Jack flung something at Longsword. It was a gray orb. Longsword instantly recalled the terrifying explosion fromst time. In panic, he hurriedly stopped his strike mid-way, further injuring himself, and pulled back his de to defend.

    The pebble touched his de and harmlessly slid to the ground.

    Hihihi, it snickered. It was the Ticklish Pebble.

    Longsword froze. He couldnt believe this. In his entire life, he had never felt more humiliated than this moment. His entire body erupted with rage until all his previous injuries were aggravated and he spat out blood. He stomped at the pebble, but it was a magical item, and he only managed to hurt his foot.

    He was so furious that he couldnt even speak properly. JACK RUST! was all he managed to scream.

    Jack met his re with a smirk from inside the cave. If Longsword had carried on with his attack, Jack would have been forced to use the Life Drop or die, trapped between two Lords.

    <em>Thank God hes an idiot.</em>

    Jack rose his hand to grab the lever and pull it down. The stone b above the entrance crashed into the ground, sealing the cave. Thest thing he saw was an octopus tentacle rushing his way a fraction of a second toote, along with a Longsword who was frothing at the mouth in anger and humiliation.

    The b crashed down, cutting off the cave from the outside world. And then, darkness.

 Chapter 211: Impossible?

    Chapter 211: Impossible?

    The stone b crashed down, and everything went dark. It wasnt just light. All sound from outside disappeared as well, and all Dao perception was blocked by the walls.

    Jack stayed still in absolute darkness, panting heavily. He remained exhausted from the chase and battle. He still couldnt believe he was safe. Maybe Longsword would barge in at any moment, angrier than anyone had ever been. Jack was ready to unleash his Life Drop and fight to the death.

    Only after a few long moments, when nothing disturbed the silence of the sealed cave, did Jack ept that he was safefor now. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. He had escaped with the Top Treasure. Hed gotten the Eighth Ring Conqueror title. Everything had worked out.

    Except for the fact that he was sealed in a lightless cave, maybe forever, while Brock was out there with his enemies.

    The thought pained Jacks heart. There were times in ones life, however, when you had to make the hard choice. When you had to trust your bros, treat them as equals, and not shield them from everything.

    If he always had to worry about his enemies turning back to retaliate against his friends and family, he would never do anything. In this case, Brock was nowhere even close to the action. He was off doing his own thing. Jacks enemies had no reason to go after Brockif they did, they would just be dishonorable and petty to no benefit.

    Therefore, Jack chose the only path that could lead to victory: seal himself, breakthrough, and then return to take care of things. As for what would happen outside in the meantimehe could only hope.

    The highest expression of brohood was not being afraid to risk each other. That was also the way of the fist. Not simply ahead. But taking the truly strong path.

    Thinking up to that point, Jack put the outside matters out of his mind. All he could do was focus on the present. He was sealed in a cave, with the task of breaking through as soon as possible.

    <em>How long will it take? </em>he wondered. The darkness and silence were crushing. They applied a unique weight on his soul. <em>Is this how prisoners feel in istion?</em>

    It wasnt pretty. Not at all. He could already feel his sanity threatened. How was he supposed to cultivate in these conditions? Could he even break through?

    <em>Wait! I still havent scanned the fruit!</em>

    Amidst the previous, exciting battle between the Lords, hedpletely forgotten about this. Reaching for his secret pocket, he quickly took out the pill and scanned it.

    <strong>Dao Sprouting Pill</strong>

    <strong><em>A pill designed to assist the sprouting of a cultivators Dao Tree. Each bite cleanses the cultivators spirit and heightens their Dao sensitivity, allowing them toprehend it more efficiently than usual. If the cultivator attempts to sprout their Dao Tree under this pills effects, the pills energy remnants ce them in a state of artificial enlightenment, greatly assisting the breakthrough.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Unlike simr pills of lower quality, consuming the Dao Sprouting Pill carries no drawbacks.</em></strong>

    The pill still resembled a blood-red apple. It had even grown from a tree. Jack failed to see how this was a pill, but it wasnt like he cared much. If the System wanted to call it a pill or a shoe, that was its problem. All Jack cared about was breaking throughwhich, it seemed, this pill would help him achieve.

    And then, he would be an immortal. His chest inted with pride.

    <em>But what if I fail? </em>he couldnt help but wonder. <em>Breaking through to the D-Grade is supposed to be much more difficult than to the E-Grade, and I have cultivated for such a short time What if, even with the pills assistance, I am still not ready?</em>

    <em>Will I be trapped here forever?</em>

    He still had a deadline to catch. He had to defeat theary Overseer and reim Earth within a year, or at least find allies who could do it for him. He also had to find Brock and make sure he was okayas well as let him know that he, too, was okay.

    <em>Even if it doesnt work, I have to wait long enough to ensure that Longsword and the others have left But will I even be able to exit?</em>

    The anxiety ate away at him. Three Lords had worked together to unseal this ce before. Could he do it by himself, if he didnt breakthrough?

    Tentatively, he approached the stone b and ced a palm on its surface. It was cool and smooth, as if cut with a single sh. Closing his eyes, he sensed for the Dao vacuum, found it, and slowly poured in his Dao. He didnt want to open it by ident, just check how difficult it was.

    As time passed, however, his brows creased. He poured more and more of his Dao-d energy inside the stone, but not much happened. The vacuum was filling up way too slowly. From the time he started to when he ran out of energy, only a fourth had been filled.

    Granted, he was already tired from the battle and chase before, but he estimated that, even at full power, he could barely fill up half of this vacuum. As if that wasnt enough, the vacuum constantly leaked energy to its surroundings, meaning that he couldnt take his time to recover before continuing. He had to fill it up in one go.

    Which, at his current level, was clearly impossible. Even the Life Drop couldnt assist much hereit would at most let him reach 70% of the vacuums capacity.

    Jack didnt let this realization bring him down. He already nned to break through; by then, he would certainly have enough energy to fill up this thing. If he failed

    <em>Its okay. Pressure helps with breakthroughs, </em>heforted himself, already sweatingand not just from exhaustion. He was trapped in a dark, sealed cave. He didnt even have food and water. If he failed to break through, this ce would be his grave.

    ***

    Longsword mmed the pommel of his sword against the stone b and roared in outrage.

    It wont budge, Minerva said from the side, eyeing the entire small hill. You already tried, Longsword. Calm yourself.

    How can I possibly stay calm? Longsword thundered. Did you not see what he did?

    Minerva gave him a deep look but remained silent. In truth, she didnt need to say anything. Longsword already knew that this was all a result of his own ipetence. Getting tricked by Jack once, through unlucky circumstances and the use of an unknown treasure, was one thing. Getting tricked twice by a treasure he already knew existed That was just his fault.

    <em>If only I hadnt pulled back to defend </em>he thought for the thousandth time, gnashing his teeth. Victory had been in his grasp before hepletely threw it away. Even thinking about it made him feel sick, angry, and humiliated.

    Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret.

    Whats done is done, Minerva said, leaning against the side of her Elite boar. Lets focus on our next steps.

    Right, Longsword agreed. He passed a hand through his long, dark hair, trying to calm himself. Jack Rust is trapped inside. He chose to die with the pill rather than give it to uswhat a frustrating idiot.

    You have to admire his resolve, though. Sealing your own grave is not an easy feat.

    Longsword red at her. Dont rub salt in my wound.

    I wont lie, either. You made a mistake. It happens. Get over it.

    Longsword debated striking her. Perhaps he could get a sneak attack in

    <em>What am I even thinking? </em>he chided himself. <em>Shes right. I need topose myselfbut she doesnt understand how I feel. She has never been humiliated before. Neither had I, until</em>

    Another burning stake through his heart. Another blue pit at the bottom of his stomach. He grimaced.

    Are we sure hes trapped? he asked. He yearned for Jack to get out. If he didnt personally strike him down, he may never recover from this hit to his pride. His confidence would always have a holeand a nicked sword was a poor sword.

    You sensed that Dao storage thing as well as I did, Minerva replied. It takes at least two Lords to fill it up. Even if he has some treasure that can temporarily enhance him, it will never make him double as strong. There is no way he can lift the stone b.

    Hmm Longsword cupped his chin. He thought back to Jacks face as he pulled the lever. His hard eyes as he said, I will survive. Forcing down the hatred that sprang in his soul, he examined those memories. He didnt look like a dead man, he finally said. More like he had a n.

    Could he know another way out of the cave? Hmm. I remember that, when we exited this cave, we found no treasure. No reward. Maybe there is another way to resolve it which we simply didnt find.

    Longsword shook his head. I spoke to the merfolk guide afterward. Traps like these dont usually have a reward. Or, rather, the cave itself is the reward. They are the cultivation chambers of ancient immortals, meant to iste them from the environment. Cultivating in there is more efficient than outside, which I suppose whoever made this ce considered a rewardbut not for us. E-Grades cant even pull the door handle of an immortals cultivation chamber. For the same reason, there is no other way to exit. Why would someone need a backdoor to their cultivation chamber?

    Makes sense. Minerva nodded. Then, if Jack Rust thought there was a way out, what could it be? Did he misunderstand something about the cave?

    Both stayed silent for a moment, considering it. Finally, Longsword had a realization. A realization that made his loss to Jack seem even worse. I think I know, he said with a pale face. He must be nning to use the pill to breakthrough inside the cave.

    Minerva raised both brows. No!

    Think about it. He was just Integrated a few months ago. He doesnt know anything about cultivation. He didnt even know the rules around the Top Treasure.

    But surely, hes not that ignorant, she insisted. Not only is it extremely difficult to be an immortal, but even if he could do it, it is impossible to break through inside Trial. The very essence of this forbids that, in the same way that immortals cannot enter. There is no way nobody told him that.

    I hope youre right. Maybe he hopes to get an extra Dao Root and escape? But thats crippling himself. He will never be an immortal.

    Plus, it still wouldnt be enough. One Dao Root doesnt double ones power.

    Right.

    Again, they fell silent. A few momentster, Minerva said, Nothinges to mind. I think he really did suicide to keep us away from the fruit. What a headstrong man.

    Longsword grumbled. Lets search around the hill. Maybe there is another way to enter or exit, despite what the merfolk told me. We cant rest until were certain that hes trapped forever.

    Very well. Lets do that.

    Over the next hour, the two of them searched every nook and cranny of this rough hill. They scanned every inch for Dao vacuums. They tried to break everything. They even dug under the hill, trying to find a way in, but it was all one big boulder. It was magically enhanced, too, so they couldnt chip a single pebble despite using their strongest attacks. Moreover, the stone b waspletely immovable and imprable.

    When the rest of the group finally arrived, including Priya and the Sage, who looked like hed been through a battle, the two Lords were forced to call it quits. There was no way to enter or exit the cave besides the obvious. They even asked the others if they had any idea, but even the Sage and the formation masters shook their heads.

    The Sage even said, In all honesty, I hadnt predicted this. I really dont see any way he can exit. No matter what line of fate I inspect, all show Jack dying in there.

    Speaking of, Minerva said, you were the one who gave him an experience jewel, werent you?

    He smiled, showcasing a line of yellow teeth. It was an honest exchange. I got a Snow White Globe! If heter used the jewel to harm your interests, that has nothing to do with me.

    She gave him a deep look, then nodded slowly. He kept his smile up throughout. There is one final thing we need to inspect, she finally said, turning away from the Sage. Jack Rust has a pet beast. Perhaps they have a special way tomunicate or transfer energy, which would allow him to exit the cave. Lets take a look at that brori.

    Longsword nodded. Of course, he replied, grasping his swords handle. Just a small, harmless look.

 Chapter 212: Kicking an Iron Wall

    Chapter 212: Kicking an Iron Wall

    Two people were resting outside the entrance of Beast Garden, sitting cross-legged and sipping from a gourd that seemed to never run out. Mist rolled behind them, asionally revealing the shapes of bushes, trees, or resting, lumbering figures. Gan Salin was describing his adventures in Mind Garden, adding quite a bit of ir.

    And thenbam! The snail overlord couldnt handle my impable reasoning and toppled to the ground. There was foam in her mouth, tooI think I gave her insanity.

    Brockughed, sipping from the gourd again. Nice, bro! he said.

    Salin puffed out his chest. Of course it was nice. As if genius couldpare with insanity!

    Each person could only ess one garden in Garden Ring. If they tried to enter a second, they would find themselves blocked by an invisible barrier. Therefore, both done with their gardens, Brock and Salin rested together as they waited for Jack.

    The reason they chose to wait at the entrance of Beast Garden, and not Trial Garden, was that Nauja was still in the nearby Weapons Garden, standing on one hill and shooting arrows at another. From where they sat, they had a good view of her mostly fruitless efforts to master the Sun Piercing Arrow.

    They had already waited for several hours when shapes appeared in the distance. Both their heads instantly snapped over to find a procession of humanoid figures, led by a ck-dressed woman and a man wielding a long sword.

    Wheres Jack? Salin asked, scanning the procession. Brocks face tightened. Before long, the group had approached within shouting range. Hey! Salin yelled at them. Did you guys forget Jack?

    Hello, my canine friend! the Sage shouted from just behind the leaders. You can say that, yes.

    Salin heaved a sigh of relief. Brock only nodded, like this was natural. His big bro couldnt die.

    It was only when the Lord group reached them that they realized they seemed battered. Longsword, who walked at the forefront, had a head of messy hair, blood smears on his face and clothes, and seemed paler than usual. The Sage was unhurt, but his shirt sported a long tear down the middle. Several people were absent, too, including Vocrich and the Hand of God dryad. And Jack, of course.

    All the treasure hunters were gone, as they no longer had a reason to stay.

    The Sage walked ahead to exin the situation.

    Im happy to see you both in good shape, he said with a smile. Our excursion, however, wasnt bloodless. We lost several members. As for ourmon friend, he is currently trapped in a sealed cave of Trial Garden. It is unknown whether he can escape or not.

    How did that happen?

    He was running away from me. Longsword stepped forward. He was in a terrible mood. His usuallyposed eyes hid twin storms, and his posture indicated that he was ready to cause trouble. Jack Rust broke the rules of a Garden Assault to steal the Top Treasure. He then ran away like a coward, released a devil to stop us, and sealed himself in a cave to escape our pursuit.

    Brock snorted as he stood. No, he said. Big Bro was neither a thief nor a coward. If he took the treasure, it was fair. If he ran away, it was not out of cowardice.

    Of course, his miming fell on blind eyes.

    Are you doubting me, monkey? Longsword asked.

    Yes.

    Good. Good! That makes things easier. We know you are his spiritualpanion. Speak! Do you have a way tomunicate with him or transfer him energy?

    Brock snorted and did not respond. He refused to be intimidated by an enemy.

    Well, have it your way. Longsword smirked. We dont actually need your permission. Minerva; could you please use your tamer skills to deep-scan this beast? Then, everything will be made clear.

    Of course, she replied, but I need it immobilized and within arms reach.

    Thats easy. Longsword stepped forward, only for a lean man to stand before him.

    Hey, Salin said, do you think Im invisible?

    Longswords face contorted with disgust, as if a middle E-Grade standing up to him was an insult. He wouldnt even soil his hands by acting personally. Not invisible; weak. Bocor.

    This is not a good idea, the Sage intervened calmly. I would advise you to stop.

    Everyone ignored him. Having been summoned, Bocor stepped threateningly toward Gan Salin. Move, or Ill make you.

    Hah. Give it a try, bitch.

    Bocor growled. He made to attack.

    Suddenly, the mist behind Brock and Gan Salin parted. The two of them had been sitting right in front of Beast Garden, with the mist only a few dozen feet behind them. Now, that same mist contorted and bent like it was blown at by a dozen giants. One shape after another emerged.

    Thergest creatures were a lion with a mane of fire, a giant gori with four arms, and a millepede the height of a horse. These three were Elites at the peak of the E-Grade. Nine more beasts followed them, each at least at the high E-Grade. The desert lizard and frog, that Brock had rescued from that first tamer, were included.

    All were ring at Longsword.

    Everyone in the Lord group gaped. Even Bocor, who had been about to attack, froze mid-step. What the

    Bros! Brock said in tion. He then looked at Longsword sideways and wagged his finger. No. Bad bro.

    Brock is our bro, said the four-armed gori, crossing his arms in two sets of two. His re was hard. You mess with him, you mess with us.

    Longswords face was trembling. Not only had a bunch of beasts appeared out of nowhere to challenge him, but Brock had even wagged his finger! Everything was so damn nonsensical and frustrating when Jack Rust was involved.

    At the next moment, he remembered he was a Lord, and kept hisposure. Minerva? he said. Unfortunately, she was even more troubled than him.

    I have no idea, she said. Not even I couldmand all these beasts. I think they are here of their own volition.

    What are you staring at, pipsqueak? asked the gori. I already told you you cant mess with our bro. Beat it.

    Longsword was incensed. First, Jack Rust had defeated and humiliated him. Now, some random beasts were insulting him, and he was struggling to even touch Jack Rusts monkey, an Elite beast that was only Level 81! He didnt know if he should shout or cry.

    <em>How did I go from the top of the world tothis?</em>

    This Garden Ring had been the worst experience of his life. He refused to take it anymore. His eyes quickly ran over the people behind him. Bocor and Eraldathe ice witchwere with him. Minerva was on his side, but she had no followers left. Priya was against him, but would she actively fight him just to protect a monkey? As for the Sage and his two followers

    There was something about this man that put Longsword on edge. Unconsciously, he already regarded the Sage on the level of the Lords, even though thetter had shown no indication of power besides his outstanding divination.

    The Sages gaze was warning Longsword to be cautious. So was Priyas.

    However, if he stepped back now, what would remain of his honor!?

    Thats right, Gan Salin said, put your tail between your legs and run. Even Lords cannot stand up to the Brotherhood!

    Longsword had considered running away. Not anymore. He met Bocors eyes and nodded slightly. The minotaur instantly bellowed and raised his tower shield to m it down on Gan Salins headthe two of them had a thirty-level difference, so it should be quick.

    Keep my Lord out of your dirty mouth! he bellowed.

    I dont even like men! Salin replied. He jumped to the side, dodging the first attack as Bocor prepared to unleash a second.

    Many things happened at the same time. A sharp sound came from the distanceit was sharp yet drawn-out, like someone was sucking at the entire world with a spiked straw. Before Bocor could react, an arrow was approaching his head at incredible speed, d in a mantle of multi-colored energy. In fact, the more it traveled, the stronger and faster it got!

    On a distant hill, Naujas face glowed with satisfaction. This was the first time she sessfully used a Sun Piercing Arrow. Pressure did help one break through.

    Bocor couldnt react to this arrow, but Longsword could. He made his decision in a split-second. He jumped up and swung his long sword to intercept it. Lightning shed. Blue light washed over him. A young man with slim features stood before Longsword, blocking the strike with his two obsidian daggers. It was Dorman Whistles.

    The arrow kept going. It struck Bocor in the ribs and unleashed a piercing explosion in the direction it was facingtowards the minotaur. His te armor shook, barely saving his life. Waves of piercing energy still ran over him, slicing open his skin. He flew sideways like a ragdoll, rolling on the ground until finally mming down the base of his tower shield to stop himself.

    Longswords eyes narrowed. His sword had been blocked by a random follower of the Sage. That was an insult. He jumped back and swung again, aiming at Dorman properly this time. The sword cracked through the air like a whip. Dormans daggers were even faster. The young man elerated so rapidly it seemed unreal. Lightning coursed through his entire body and raised his hair into spikes. His twin daggers shone with lightning-shaped veins and crashed at Longswords chest from the left and right simultaneously, like a centipedes fangs.

    Longsword had to abandon his strike and fall back, taking only a scratch to the chest, which was still enough to send a lightning burst through his body. He stepped back a second time, losing his breath as he struggled to right himself. What

    Dorman grinned. If you were at your best, you could fight mebut youre injured now. Step back.

    Longsword eyes widened.

    At the same time, a van-sized boar came at Dorman from the side, charging him head-first. It was Minervas summoned beast, an Elite at the peak of the E-Grade. Dorman didnt even look in its direction. The head of a mallet appeared before the boar, meeting its forehead with pure strength. Bone cracked and split. The boars tremendous charge was stopped like it had crashed into a steel wall, and it bounced back, dropping to the ground and not standing again. Poppynded lightly on the ground, holding her mallet like nothing had happened.

    The moment Bocor recovered from the Sun Piercing Arrow, Salin was already on him, five fingertips glistening like diamonds. Five Star Grasp! he shouted. Bocor bellowed and barely managed to reposition his shield in time. He blocked well. But there was no time to block the stone staff that flew at his cheek, pping him so hard that two teeth flew out and his entire body spun around itself once before falling to the ground.

    He didnt lose consciousness, but he was momentarily dazed. Brock put the Staff of Stone back on his shoulder and smiled. Revenge, he said.

    Damn right, Salin agreed, high-fiving the brori. They grinned at each other.

    All these things happened in the span of a single second. Everyone was still reeling when the legion of animal bros moved forward as one, ready to crash into the Lord group.

    The Sage raised his hands. Green energy seeped out to heal both Bocor and Longsword, making all their wounds disappear like they were never there in the first ce.

    Lets not escte, everyone, he said calmly, still smiling. Whats done is done. How about we all go our separate ways?

 Chapter 213: Gan Salinâ€™s Insanity

    Chapter 213: Gan Salin¡¯s Insanity

    The animal bros hesitated, ncing at Brock for his opinion. After thinking for a moment, the brori nodded. Bocor hurriedly stood and walked away, bottling his humiliation as he waited for Longswords instructions.

    However, all three Lords were frozen. Even Longsword had forgotten that hed just been pushed back and humiliated yet again. There were more important matters at hand.

    Both followers of the Barren High team had just demonstrated the strength of Lords out of nowhere. They were two Lords. And they werent even the leaders of their team.

    What the heck!?

    Even Priya, who had stood behind and not participated in this fight,ughed bitterly. Only now did she understand just how doomed this Garden Assault was. Even if Jack Rust didnt emerge out of nowhere to take the Top Treasure, the Barren High team would have. They certainly possessed the strength. All three of the Lords thought they were the main charactersbut, in truth, they never stood a chance.

    Who are you? Minerva asked, staring at the Sage. He smiled.

    Just an old man who likes making friends.

    Of course you are, she replied, giving him a deep look. And you represent the Barren High, yes?

    So it seems.

    Then tell them to hide their allegiances better. The Hand of God does not take well to insults.

    The Sages mouth widened, a yellow-toothed grin full of hidden meaning. I have no idea what youre talking about.

    Of course you dont. Another long lookter, she turned and walked away. I already got everything I can. Im departing Trial. Good luck, everyone.

    Longsword hesitated for a couple moments. When the shock of revtion passed, he realized that he had once again ran into a wall. This Garden Assault was a disaster. He hadnt even found a Dao Inheritance for himself.

    In the span of a few hours, he had been mocked, tricked, outsmarted, defeated, and intimidated. What Lord? He was just a Peasant!

    How would he ever live down this failure?

    And for all those, one way or another, were due to one person. Jack Rust he muttered, gritting his teeth. There was no one he hated more than that man. Everything happened because he chose to spare Jack Rust back in Vige Ring, thinking he could recruit himeven if he didnt, how much could a middle E-Grade affect things?

    Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret. Longsword had lost wholly and decisivelyin everything. At his present state, he couldnt even beat the lightning-dagger-wielder, let alone the Sage, the djinn with the mallet, or the army of beasts.

    The bile rose so high inside him that he almost puked. Only the intense despair to protect hisst shred of dignity allowed him to swallow the bile back down.

    I will remember this, he said, eyeing everyone present. Mercifully, nobody respondedbesides Brock, who gave him the finger. Longsword pretended not to see itthe most painful moment of his life. He turned around, and without another word, walked towards the pedestal that could teleport him out of Trial. Bocor followed him after a moment of hesitation, equally brimming with fury and not daring to look back.

    A shame, Dorman said, sighing. I was looking forward to a good fight Next time, I guess.

    Priya walked up to Gan Salin, Brock, and the Sage, who were standing close together. I wont ask what is going on here, she said with a wry smile. I thought that Jack Rust was gone foreverbut, after everything Ive seen today, I believe hell somehow make it out alive. Take this.

    She tossed a medallion at Brock, who grabbed it out of the air. It was slightlyrger than his palm, made of bronze, and depicted a sun in the middle of exploding.

    If Jack does make it out, she said, give him this. It allows him to contact our faction. If not Well, you can keep it. The Exploding Sun would wee a brori as talented as yourself.

    Brock inspected the medallion for a moment. He tried to bite it, but it proved too hard. Eventually, he shrugged and slipped it in his pocket. Okay, he said, extending a hand.

    Priya shook it with amusement. Im sorry things had to go this way, she said, but I suspect I couldnt change anything even if I tried. I wish you and your, uh, big brother best of luck.

    Me too! Chuto added from the side, roaring inughter. What a man he was! And you too, Brother BrockI look forward to training alongside you in the Exploding Sun courtyards.

    Brock nodded politely.

    If there is nothing else, we will be going now, Priya said, eyeing the Sage. I suspect Ill hear more about you soon.

    You never know, he replied yfully, because youre not a sage. I wish you reach immortality, Lady Priya.

    She seemed taken aback. You too, she replied, then turned around. See you all.

    Chuto and Kareena followed her after bidding their goodbyes. Only Brock, Gan Salin, the Sage, Dorman, and Poppy were leftalong with Brocks bro army and Nauja on the distant hill, who was now shooting Sun Piercing Arrows in a different direction.

    As embarrassing as this is to say, the Sage confessed, I actually have no idea what is going on with Jack. I cannot tell you if he will escape or nothe has already surprised me multiple times. His fate is one that even I cannot readnot yet, in any case.

    He will, Gan Salin said confidently. Imagine if, after all this, he just dies in a random cave somewhere.

    The Sageughed. He then described what had really happened with Jack, along with the specifics of where he was trapped. We wont be sticking around, he finished. There is urgent business in our headquarters, and the road to immortality is too long to wait. What about you?

    Brock pointed at the ground. He was certain that Jack would find a way to survive. He would stay and wait for his big brotherbesides, he had many things to think about, like the Big Thought of Density. Not to mention that staying here would give him more time to spread brohood among the beasts of Beast Garden.

    I will stay, too, Salin said. I am in no rush to return. Plus, I think Im still wanted by my faction. Whoopsie.

    I think theyll forget about it pretty quickly when they see that Seventh Ring Conqueror title you have, the Sage replied smilingly. And I suppose your archer friend will stay, too?

    Probably. Shes never left this. A few days wont make a difference.

    In that case, Imend your friendship. If Im being honest, I would rate Jacks chances of survival pretty low I am familiar with the trap hes in, and I dont see any way he could escape, given his current strength. But who knows? He has already proven himself beyond my sight. Maybe Im wrong.

    For sure you are. Jack wouldnt die in some random cave, Salin insisted. Well then. If youre going, let us walk you to the pedestal.

    It would be our honor.

    After bidding a temporary goodbye to Brocks beast bros, who felt ufortable leaving Beast Garden for extended periods of time, the five of them walked towards the entrance of Garden Ring, making small talk along the way. Everyone who had left earlier had hurried, and they were already behind the horizon of this rings sharp curvature.

    When they arrived, Dorman eyed the giant, solitary gate in the middle of the grasnd but didnt walk over. It was clear that, with his current strength, he didnt think he stood any chance against the Final Guardian.

    Can I have a moment with you, Sage? Salin asked as they reached the pedestal. The Sage, whose hand was already gliding over it, paused.

    Sure, he replied.

    Sage, Dorman said, but the old man only shook his head.

    Ill be fine.

    Dorman stared at Gan Salin for a moment, who only shrugged. Well be waiting outside, he said. Both he and Poppy touched the pedestal and disappeared. Brock, too, walked away to give them privacy after bidding his goodbye to the Sage.

    What is it, my friend? the Sage asked, turning to Gan Salin. They were alone now.

    Gan Salins face was hard. His smile, a fake one. Youre a Sage. Wouldnt you know what I have to say?

    I do.

    Hehbut your predictions are not always correct, are they? Back in Space Ring, you said we shouldnt dally there because all our fatesid deeper inside. Jack found his. So did Nauja. But I No matter how I searched Mind Garden, there was no Dao Inheritance suitable for me. In this trip to Trial, my first andst opportunity to make a difference, I failed to find an inheritancea benefit even greater than the titles. He fell silent for a moment. Seeing that the Sage didnt respond, he added, Tell me, Sage. Did I do something wrong? Did you get it wrong? Or His eyes darkened. Did you lie to me?

    The Sage gave Salin a sad, tight smile. You already know the answer.

    I want to hear it.

    He sighed. I apologize, my friend, although I know that an apology now means little. I did lie to you. My faction has vested interest in Jacks future, so I guided events in a way that would maximize his benefits. I knew that, if you didnt leave Space Ring quickly, he might miss out. In truth, the Trial meant for you was in Space Ring, just a few hours away from where we met.

    I see So you wasted my potential to help Jack.

    I did. And, while it is sad, it was a decision I had to make for therger picture. I had to sacrifice you and betray your trust. I am sorry.

    Salin sighed deeply, throwing his head back. You have balls to say that in my face Arent you afraid that I willsh out at you? You are only a Soul cultivator. At this distance, a surprise attack from me could end you.

    I know you wouldnt. After all, I am a Sagea gift and a curse, somet

    Salins hand emerged from Sages back. It was bloodyand, between its five shining nails, rested a still-beating heart.

    Thats the cool thing about insanity, Sage, he said, pulling his hand back with a wet ssh. Its unpredictable.

    The Sage toppled backward on the ground. His eyes remained open in shock and disbelief. He couldntprehend what had happened.

    Salin stepped back and looked at the body with sadness. You may have been a good man, he said, but you ruined my life.

    Suddenly, green winds filled Salins vision. They radiated a force of life so intense that he had to shield his eyes and move away. He felt his entire body grow alive in a way hed never experienced before. It made no sense.

    Divination is a path of Life, and Life is Bnce wrapped around Chaos, a voice came from inside the green winds, which were tussling and turning like ribbons. When either element is pushed to the extreme, you get Entropy A concept outside the realm of life. How could I forget such a simple rule?

    The winds disappeared, sucked into the body of the Sage, who stood whole like his heart had never been ripped out. A green halo stood over his head, and a heavy pressure bore down on Gan Salins heart. Only the Sages pale face and slight panting indicated any sort of exertion.

    Gan Salin was stunned. He had clearly just killed the Sage. Not even D-Grade healers could repair a torn heart. Jacks regeneration, which everyone hailed as extreme, didnt evene close to this.

    This didnt make any sense. It was insanity.

    How!? Salin asked, more in shock than fear.

    Like everyone, I have my secrets, the Sage replied. There was a hint of strictness in his smile; the threat of a storm just thinly veiled. You tried to kill me. Should that go unpunished?

    I mean, you started it.

    I did. The Sages green halo disappeared, and the pressure in Gan Salins soul melted. The Sage turned away. While your intentions were clear, you caused me no real harm. I, on the other hand, had good intentions but harmed you greatly. All bad karma has been resolved. After this, we are even. Are we not?

    Salin nodded, surprised he wasnt dead yet. That makes sense.

    Good. But, Salin The road of Entropy is not one you want to walk. As you advance, you will grow deranged and disastrous to everyone around you. Eventually, your friends will be enemies, and someone will have to end you. Dont choose that path. Water down your wine. Add a Dao Root of order to your Dao Seed, so you can freely walk the path of insanity without fearing entropy. Add bnce to your chaos. That will be enough.

    Iwill consider it. Thanks.

    The Sage turned and gave a tight smile. No problem, he said. Then, his hand pressed on the pedestal, and he was gone.

    It was right then that Brock arrived, having run over from where he stood the moment he sensed Salins attack and the green winds. What? he asked.

    I have no idea, Salin replied, still reeling. But I think the Sage gave me a good idea. Oh, well. Jack is still in his cave, and who knows how long hell stay there. What do you say we drink some more, then cultivate?

    Brock considered it for a moment. He nced at the ground, where drops of crimson blood glowed unnaturally against the grass, then at Salins smiling face. Sure, he said.

 Chapter 214: Closed Door Cultivation

    Chapter 214: Closed Door Cultivation

    Jack was alone. In the dark.

    There was no source of heat or light in the cave. Nothing mmable, besides his clothes and hair. Even if he snapped his fingers hard enough to create sparks, all he achieved was a momentary respite from the darkness, a hollow light that entuated the walls and floor of his prison.

    He had to escape. He had to reach the D-Grade.

    Jack knew some things about cultivation now. Rushing head-first into his most difficult breakthrough yet would be a fools errand. He needed to prepare as best as possiblework on his Dao until the only thing left to do was break through.

    Thankfully, he had time. He sat down, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

    The first few days passed easily. Though the darkness bore a crushing weight, Jacks heart was as stable as a mountain. He sat cross-legged in the center of the main room, closing his eyes out of habit, and focused on his breathing. The loneliness didnt daunt him. Neither did the stakes. There was only him and the Dao.

    He did make some progress. Sinking into his soul world, he practiced against Copy Jack, funing his new Meteor Punch a little. He got a sense of where the skills limitsy, as well as exactly how much energy it requiredturns out, he could use it up to five times before exhausting himself, provided that he let his hand regenerate in the meantime.

    It was exceptionally strong, too. Not enough to dent the reinforced cave walls, but strong.

    Despite cultivating for days, however, Jack didnt feel his inspiration running dry. Throughout Trial, he was running a lot and meditating little. He had amassed arge amount of experience that he had to slowly piece apart.

    He didnt feel any sort of enlightenment, either. There was no spark of inspiration that would allow him to spontaneously break through like he had for the E-Grade. He just had to work hard, like his life depended on itwhich it did.

    Due to his strong body, thirst wouldnt kill him easily. He could go for a few weeks if needed. Therefore, he resolved himself to wait as long as possible in order to maximize his chances of sess.

    But the darkness was hard to endure. As was loneliness.

    By the second day, Jack had explored every nook and cranny of this ce. There wasnt much to see. The main room waspletely bare, save for a rotten meditation mat in the very center that hed moved aside. The bedroom had a rotten bed frame and an iron stool. Thest room was the bathroomnothing but an alcove in the rock with a three-foot-deep hole leading nowhere. At least this part was blissfully empty.

    Besides those few things, all that existed was smooth rock everywhere, the lever that wouldnt move, and the stone b that also wouldnt move.

    And Jack.

    He didnt feel there was anything more to discover, but he kept trying. No matter how deeply he sank into cultivation, he always awoke eventually, and every time he did, he remembered the darkness. Standing up and walking around became an increasingly frequent habit. Feeling the walls was a reliefit meant there was no danger. He hadnt been magically transported to another darkness. This was <em>his </em>darkness.

    On the fourth day, he discovered one extra thing in the cave: a tattered cape, bunched-up in a corner. It wasnt falling apart like everything else, but Jack knew the reason. He was the one who threw this cape in here. On his final sh with Longsword, when he finally overpowered him, the shockwave had been strong enough to send the swordsmans cape flying. As he had been standing with his back to the cave mouth, it ended up here.

    Jack chuckled to himself. What luck, he muttered, estranged by the sound of his own voice. Its just me and the cape of my enemy. Maybe Ill call it Wilson.

    By the ninth day, he started to feel unwell. Dark thoughts sprang in his mind unbidden. His throat was parched from thirst, and his stomach was protesting from hunger. The cold solitude had seeped deep into his soul, infecting him with a fear he couldnt shake away. Even when he seeded, it always came back, slightly stronger than thest time.

    Of course, this strange fear wasnt that much of a problem by itself. Given his strong Will, he could easily endure it. The problem was that it obstructed his cultivation sessions. At times, he would be deep in meditation when a sudden surge of fear would shoot him awake.

    There were times when he would suddenly shout out and punch the rock. Not due to creeping insanity; just to vent. With nobody watching, Jack could allow himself small respites.

    He even went as far as to prop up the cape against a wall and speak to it at times, to relieve the loneliness.

    As the days passed, Jack felt himself degrading. He was growing dirtier, since there was no water here. Slimmer, too. His hair was disheveled, and his facial hair had grown erratically, but he had no heart to groom it. Not that he could, anywaythere was nothing sharp here, and his hair grew more durable along with his body. Normal razors would dull before he was even halfway done.

    His mental well-being was also suffering. The irrational fear was now permanently nested in his chest. There were many times when he was certain he saw red eyes in the darkness. He sensed a hot, musky breath on his shoulderthe ck wolfs from the Forest of the Strong. Once, he thought he heard the cries of Rufus Emberheart as he pummeled him into paste.

    This sealed chamber is not a nice ce, he told the cape on the wall. By now, most of his thoughts were made aloud. I wonder how strong immortals are, for them to find peace here. Or maybe they dont stay for over a week per session. Will I turn into Gan Salin if this goes on?

    Despite his troubles, the one thing that didnt degrade in the slightest was Jacks resolve to break through. He would not die here. He could not. He would survive.

    Every time he sank into meditation, the Daoy before his eyes, an infinite nket he could traverse with tiny steps. It was woven out of power, and life, and resolve, and the deepest essence of the Fist. It was asrge as a desert, with its dunes and valleys, with every grain of sand being its own star.

    The sheer enormity of this task frightened Jack. It made him despair. And yet, he trudged on, day after day, thought after thought. Hepared his insights and contrasted them. He passed them through a fine-toothedb, looking for the tiniest imperfections and contradictions.

    Just because hed fused his Dao Roots didnt mean he understood them perfectlyjust enough to see where they fit into the greater picture of his Dao Seed. And, if each Dao Root was an enormity,prehending their infinitebinations was an unfathomable task. How was he supposed to find a solution that perfectly satisfied the Fist, Indomitable Will, Life, and Power in every possible scenario?

    There was some inner bnce to be found, but it was so elusive and incorporeal. As he analyzed every insight he had, the tiniest mistakes could cascade into gaping holes. Sometimes, one imperfection could mean that the entire insight had to be scrapped.

    What was the Fist? What did it mean to have Indomitable Will? What was Life? What was Power?

    How did they all fit together?

    Over time, Jack realized why almost every immortal had only one Dao Root. Theplexity rose geometrically with every extra one. It was like adding an entire new axis to the universe.

    As the days passed, he grew more and more uncertain of his sess. His resolve didnt waver, but he understood the height of his task better. It could take him years. No matter how talented someone was, and no matter how many good opportunities they had, some matters simply couldnt be forced.

    His only hope was that, when he ran out of time and used the Dao Sprouting Pill, it would be enough to let him break through, even imperfectly.

    He didnt actually know much about this breakthrough.

    To be an immortal, you had to take your Dao Seed as the basis andbine it with your Dao Roots, forming a system where the roots supplied meaning and energy to the seed to let it grow. If you could form a solid enough understanding, the world would resonate with your Dao, sprouting it into a Dao Tree.

    However, even the tiniest imperfection could have a huge impact on your trees stability, just like one hair-thin crack could ruin an entire sword. Small mistakes could lead to the entire thing crumbling and your Dao remaining stuck forever, with a broken tree piercing its center like a de through the heart. Tiny mistakes could turn the blooming tree into nothing but a little flower, making you the weakest of immortals who could never progress further.

    Jack knew these things because Salin and Nauja had told him while traveling, but he had no real frame of reference. What was a tiny mistake? How high was he supposed to reach? Was his current understanding even remotely close to good enough?

    And, most importantly, would the bare minimum of a Dao Tree satisfy him? He had dreams. He had a to save and the peak of power to pursue. He was far ahead of the pack, a Lord who had reached this height in an incredibly short amount of time. He had the blood of a God in his soul.

    He didnt want to just break through. He wanted to achieve a Dao Tree as robust as possible, so he could continue to dominate and grow stronger like he had so far.

    Yet, would he have the choice? His decisions had led him to this cave, where he had to rush his breakthrough or die.

    Do I regret it? he asked himself. Every time, his eyes shone, and a strong breath filled his chest. No. I followed the path of the fist here, and I will follow it to the end, because it gave me a life worth living. If I die or break my path, so be it. It will just signify that I was never meant to reach higher.

    This sort of resolve was the core of his Dao. He didnt look back. He charged ahead with roaringughter, fighting until he fell.

    As for when that would be Who knew.

    However, as the days passed, Jacks condition worsened. His body slimmed down until he was a husk of his previous self. His throat was so parched he could barely speak. The thirst was strong enough that even he, for all his willpower, teetered on the edge of copse.

    By this point, he was sitting in his own filth. And yet, his eyes were as bright as stars, and a faint purple aura shimmered around him with every breath. If one only took a quick nce at the current Jack, they would not see a man, but a clenched fist.

    He lost track of time. Even his previous estimations had only been based on instinct. It could have been two weeks or threehe couldnt tell.

    And there came a time when his eyes sprang open, and despite his pain, they were filled with unyielding resolve. He had cultivated as much as he couldany longer, and his body would grow so weak that it would impact his breakthrough. His time was up.

    <em>Now.</em>

    A hand reached for the side, where hed ced the Dao Sprouting Pill. He could sense it in his palman apple rife with life, pulsing with the power of the Dao and its infinite permutations.

    Jack closed his eyes, though it made no difference, and bit into the apple. He instantly lost his breath as the vor fired every neuron in his brain at once.

    His breakthrough had begun.

 Chapter 215: What is the Dao?

    Chapter 215: What is the Dao?

    Jack bit into the Dao Sprouting Pill. Its juices ran over his tongue.

    Almost instantly, he felt the world screech to a halt. His eyes opened wide. Colors spread through the darkness until they filled it, then kept going. Shapes and geometric patterns materialized, floating haphazardly through the air, breaking and reforming at random, each bringing Jack new inspiration.

    The small part of his mind that remained sober thought that this resembled the hallucinogenics of Earth. Except, those didnt work for cultivation. If they did, everyone would be an immortal already. They were just random neurons firing. This one, however This was the real deal. What he was seeing wasnt visions. It was the Dao.

    Suddenly, Jack felt himself bing one with the world. The environment around him unraveled, turning from rock and air to currents of the Dao, vibrating and osciting as they wound around each other. The Dao was everywhere. It was the fabric and moving force of the universe, what gave everything meaning.

    And it wasnt just particlesor maybe it was, but also so much more than that.

    For the first time, Jack realized that the Dao was alive.

    It was aughing gale and a stubborn stone. It was carefree water and hungry fire. The Dao was the spirit of the world split into infinite tiny pieces, and each piece took on a form suited to its mentality. That was why understanding mattered. If the Dao was alive and had feelings, even the barest hint of sentience, it made sense that understanding it would allow you to resonate with that part of the Dao, even going as far as to make it cooperate with you.

    Maybe even suck it inside your soul and make it a part of you.

    Jacks eyes were opened. For the first time, he saw the true essence of the world. This was the Dao. Like a million tiny fairies, each capricious in their own way, sentient yet elementary in their intelligence.

    Then, what did it mean to cultivate the Dao? What did it mean to absorb it inside you and form your own understanding of the world?

    It meant to condition your inner world. It meant to invite in the Daos that suited you and teach them how to work together without ws.

    In the F-Grade, you contacted the Dao and resonated with it in small parts, letting tiny quantities inhabit your body and make you stronger, faster, smarter. You let them transform you in ordance with your desireswith your Dao.

    In the E-Grade, you pulled in more. You resonated with more facets of the Dao, broadening the spectrum of the world with which you could interact. You pulled it in and expelled the irrelevant Daos from your body until your inner Daoposition became so attuned to your soul that you could control it with simply your will, the same way an oarsman controls the water.

    And, in the D-Grade, you consolidated the Dao inside you to such a degree that you turned into a beacon of power. In the sea of diverse Dao, which was so sparse and chaotic as to be powerless, you became a dense mass of power guided by the will of a human. By forming aplete system of understanding and assimting your inner forces, you became a part of the Dao. Then, its high concentration inside you allowed you to dominate your surroundings, whichcked a will of their own.

    Jack felt breathless. So <em>this </em>was how the Dao worked. Come to think of it, Master Shol had once exined something simr, but Jack hadnt understood it then. How could he? Without experiencing reality first-hand, as he was doing now, it was like trying to teach a blind man what the color red looked like.

    Hearing about something and actually experiencing it were two different things.

    But now, Jack knew. Now, he realized what it meant to break through to the D-Grade, how and why he could achieve it.

    Then, what were the meanings of roots, seeds, and trees? Where did that imagery fit into therger picture? What Jack saw now looked nothing like nts.

    He didnt ponder that too much. The effects of the Dao Sprouting Pill wouldntst forever. Whether the nt stuff was imagery produced by the System to facilitate understanding, or whether it was some higher concept of the Dao that he was unable to grasp right now, it mattered little.

    The Dao knew how to break through. All he had to do was follow itand hope his understanding was strong enough.

    Good thing this state brought rity.

    Jack dove deep into his own body. He found his soul. Finally, he knew what it was: simply the lump of Dao that subscribed to his own will. The core of his conscious existence. Without it, he was nothing but flesh and bones. With it, he was a persona cultivator.

    No wonder it didnt have a physical substance.

    Jack observed his soul. When hed reached the E-Grade, it had be one with the Dao of the Fist. Now, he was it, and it was him. His entire existence was built around a lump of Fist.

    Throughout his cultivation journey, he had added more Daos to the mix. Indomitable Will and Power were thereparts of the Dao that had been with him since the F-Grade. Life had been addedterthe Life Drop, a sphere that contained titanic quantities of Daopressed to the limit of possibility. Jack gasped. For the first time, it felt like he had a nuclear bomb strapped to his heart.

    Only now did he realize the significance of this Life Drop. It had no will of its own, but its sheer quantity was sorge that it resonated with all the Life Dao around him, letting him control it even without fully understanding it.

    He had no idea how this could be achieved, and he felt it a concept so advanced that considering it right now was simply a waste of time.

    Btedly, Jack realized that he actually hadntprehended any new Dao Roots while in the E-Grade. <em>Huh. </em>Still, he let the thought flow away. He had a job to do. He wasnt here to ruminate.

    <em>Forming aplete system of thought Lets see.</em>

    There were a few Daos inside him. How could he merge them into one homogenous whole, in such a way that they were perfectly aligned with each other?

    The Fist would be the core. The other Daos would simply be feeding into it, refining its edges and turning it from a concept into his own, personal interpretation.

    Jack started preparing. As if in a distant world, he sensed himself take another bite of the Dao Sprouting Pill. Under its effects, everything was made so much clearer, the world returning to its essence.

    He had to break through.

    In a trance, Jack grabbed the Daos with his will and started weaving them together. He ced the Fist in the very center, plugging in the others where they best entuated the Fist. Contradictions spawned almost instantly. Every move he made sent ripples across the board, striking a dozen different spots and weakening them. It was like trying to weave a delicate fabric with fingers as fat as water bottles.

    Jack gritted his teeth and pressed on. He had to find a way. His understanding wasnt perfect, but he had to make it. He had to iron out the imperfections.

    It was difficult. Even with the rity provided by the Dao Sprouting Pill, working with four concepts at once was impossible. There were gaps in his weave. Holes and bumps. ces where something was needed but he had nothing, and ces where he had too much but needed little.

    This clearly wasnt working.

    He switched his mental image. He was no longer weaving the Daos together, but treating them like three-dimensional puzzle pieces. The Fist was his centerpiece, a rod-shaped object with bumps and holes. The other Daos were sheets he could wrap around his centerpiece, each with their own holes and bumps. To achieve a perfect breakthrough, he had to fit them together perfectly to form a smooth shapethe trunk of his Dao Tree.

    Once again, however, the result was imperfect. There were holes he couldnt close. Bumps he couldnt cover. The Daos he had were finite, and there just didnt seem to be a perfectbination. The trunk he was forming was ugly and uneven.

    Jack felt despair creep in. Was his breakthrough doomed to fail? Even if he seeded, would he end up a mediocre immortal destined to stagnate in the D-Grade? This terror gripped his heart like an iron vise. He despised his own weakness. He did not want to be trapped. He did not want to stagnate. He wanted to grasp his own fate and use his strength to obtain freedom.

    A mediocre immortal was still an immortal. He would still be able to fight until he fell, as the Fist and his soul dictated. He could lead a happy, fulfilling life.

    So why did mediocrity feel like a curse? Why did powerlessness scare Jack more than death?

    However, the dice were cast. All he could do now was shoulder on and try his hardest to make this breakthrough work. If any problems cropped upter, he would find a way to deal with them.

    He kept on with his puzzle-solving, fitting the pieces together as well as he could, jamming them in where he could do nothing else.

    Suddenly, out of nowhere, thunder rumbled in his soul; a sound strong enough to reach him even in this pill-induced trance. The Dao around him flew into disarray. His puzzle was broken. Everything was chaos. His breakthrough had been interruptedthankfully, he had still been at the early stages, so no harm was done.

    Jack snapped awake. This didnt feel like a natural phenomenon. Had someone attacked him!?

    However, sweeping his surroundings with his perception revealed nothing. The Dao was slowly recovering from the disarray, but there was no hint of anyone present. Jack still felt suspicious. He knew what hed sensed. Someone or something had deliberately interrupted his breakthrough.

    Who could it be? And why?

    The trance was still in effect. Jack felt his mind drift as he tried to focus on mundane matters, but he forced it to attention. Suddenly, he was cautious.

    <em>Who could do this? </em>he wondered.

    Nobody. There was no way an E-Grade cultivator could mess with the Dao in this way. Some treasure? Possibly, but there was nothing in his vicinity. Even if there was, why would it happen right at that moment? Was it a hellish coincidence?

    <em>The Final Guardian?</em>

    That was an immortal. Jack didnt know the limits of its powerperhaps it could detect his breakthrough and stop it. But why? It was supposed to be just a testing tool of Trial.

    <em>Wait. Did Trial itself interrupt me?</em>

    He quickly ran over his information. Immortals were not allowed in Trial. Lords were considered the apex existences. So, why would the B-Grade factions not send in someone at the very precipice of breaking through? They could enter as E-Grades, break through, then dominate the entire. Even the Final Guardian, who had never been defeated, wouldnt be that difficult.

    There was only one reason why all these didnt happen.

    <em>How could I have missed this? </em>Jack thought, ovee with despair. <em>Trial itself doesnt let us break through. No cultivator can be an immortal here. We are forced to deal with the trials at the E-Grade, or the entire system would break.</em>

    <em>Wait. Then, what about Naujas dad? He was an immortal.</em>

    Jack frowned. Maybe Trial only stopped delvers? Maybe breaking through was possible, just more difficult? Maybe there were other conditions to be met?

    He did not know. The fact was, his breakthrough had just been interrupted, and looking down, half of the Dao Sprouting Pill was already gone. There was no time to waste. He only had enough for one more attempt.

    What if Trial just stopped him again?

    But did he have another choice?

    <em>I do! </em>he realized. <em>In this state, with my powers of understanding through the roof I could try toprehend another Dao Root. Coupled with the Life Drop, maybe it would be enough to let me escape this cave. And then what? Breaking through with four Dao Roots would be even more difficult. My path would be cut short.</em>

    Nothing else came to mind. Jack had two options: attempt to break through again, or try to develop a fourth Dao Root.

    If he tried to break through, Trialor whatevermight stop him again. Then, his Dao Sprouting Pill would be wasted, and he would probably die of thirst soon. Even if he seeded, he could sense that a perfect breakthrough was currently impossible. At most, he would be an average immortal, and he would progress no further.

    On the other hand If he developed a fourth Dao Root, Trial wouldnt stop him, and he would be stronger than Lords. He would dominate the E-Grade. In return, breaking through in the future would be almost impossible. He would be biting off more than he could chew.

    But almost impossible wasnt the same thing as impossible. Indeed! Why not develop a fourth Dao Root? Jack could bite off as much as fit in his mouth. If he couldnt chew it, that would only be the result of his own weakness. If he could, not only would his path not be cut off, but it would instead be even grander.

    After all, there had been people in the history of the gxy who broke through with four Dao Roots. If they could do it, why not him? Why would he not try?

    Aim for the top or die trying. Punch high. Fight until you fall. Was that not the path of the Fist? Was that not what Jack preached?

    Suddenly, he opened his mouth andughed out, letting the harsh sound echo against the cave walls. So what if his throat was torn from the effort and dryness? So what if the air was stale, and ingesting it made him want to puke? So what if he was cornered into a life or death decision?

    So what? He was Jack Rust! He followed the Dao of the Fist! Since when was he scared of a challenge? Since when did he choose the easy road?

    How had breaking through with only three Dao Roots even crossed his mind?

    All thoughts of breakthrough, all weaving and puzzle-solving were tossed out of the window. Jack would double down. He would form a fourth Dao Root. He would aim for the very top. And, in the future, he would just work hard to seed.

    He had made his decision.

    But what Dao Root?

 Chapter 216: Holding Up the Sky

    Chapter 216: Holding Up the Sky

    Jack remained in a trance. A thousand thoughts crossed his mind instantly, each reinforced or repelled by the Dao in and around him.

    What significant insight did he have that was not yet a Dao Root?

    His resolve to reach the top? He had that. His understanding of how power shaped the world and weakness was a curse? He had that, too. An understanding of life? That was also a Dao Root though by a roundabout way.

    What other feeling or concept was deeply rooted inside him?

    Fear.

    The thought came unbidden. But why? How?

    He was trapped in a sealed cave. There was no light. No sound. He was alone, and he might die here without ever seeing another face. His loved ones would never know what happened. Brock might wait outside the cave for who knows how long?

    And the dark solitude It bore heavy on his soul, a crushing weight that would sooner orter drive him to insanity.

    Of course, Jack had the resolve to escape. His Dao wasnt one to sit and ept its fate. He was fighting, not giving up in the slightest.

    But what if it was someone else in this cave, and not him? In fact, there was no cave. The cave didnt matter. What mattered were the feelings of fear, powerlessness, and despair. They could make a man kneel or despairgive up. And he understood these feelings, because he had experienced them for who knows how long already. He was deeply steeped in them.

    <em>Then, for this new Dao Root, is there a skill I could</em>

    His thought process skidded to a halt. His eyes shone. Once again, heughed, uncaring about the pain that tore his throat.

    Of course he had a skill to couple with his new Dao Root! Brutalizing Aura! The one that came from his Fiend of the Iron Fist ss.

    <em>Oh, System! </em>he cried out mentally. <em>You knew. You always knew! Or is this fate?</em>

    <em>So be it. If I am a fiend Then let me be the greatest fiend to ever live!</em>

    He buckled down. His mouth opened wide and took a big bite of the pill in his hand. Once again, he dove into a trance that unraveled the world into the Dao, but it was even more intense than before.

    He had all the emotions. He had the resolve. He had the understanding. He had the perfect pill to help him.

    Perhaps using the Dao Sprouting Pill just to get a Dao Root was overkill, but Jack couldnt care less. He set his mind on these feelings of weakness. He used the awareness provided by the pill to dissect them, inspect them, experience them deeply. He let them invade and pervade his soul. He let himself sink into despair. He let powerlessness flood his being.

    The process reminded him of how he had fused the Dao Root of Power. Back then, he had restrained his power and fought Copy Jack again and again, until heprehended power from the side of the weak. Then, he had reversed the situation and used that understanding to glimpse at his own power through the eyes of a weak opponent, thusprehending how Power could fully augment his Fist.

    But why skip that weakness? Why use it only as a springboard toprehend power? If he could inflict this weakness on his opponents, if he could infect their minds and hearts with it, would his strength not rise inparison?

    Toprehend power, one had toprehend weakness. Jack had already walked this road. He just hadnt realized it then.

    Weakness itself was a concept. One that could enhance his understanding of the own fist. After all, to truly understand his fist, he had to see it from all sidesand weakness was the feeling one got when they faced its business end.

    Jack saw himself from outside his body, and this vision superimposed itself on seeing himself from the inside. All the dark feelings hed suppressed while inside this cave erupted at once. For a moment, he fell into the darkness. He screamed in despair.

    And then, he snapped awake, and he was more lucid than hed ever been. Thest bit of the Dao Sprouting Pill was gone from his palm. Thest bit of darkness had vanished from his soul, contained into a ck orb that hovered orderly around his fist. It was no longer a parasite, but a weapon for him to usea truth of the world he could finally see.

    It felt like he finally acknowledged a missing piece of himself.

    It wasnt just a Dao Root, either. Under the miraculous effects of the Dao Sprouting Pill, Jack had gone one step further. He hadnt just developed it. He had fused it, too.

    <strong>Congrattions! The Dao Root of Weakness had been sessfully fused with your Dao Seed.</strong>

    <strong>Mental +20</strong>

    <strong>Will +40</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Brutalizing Aura I  Brutalizing Aura II</strong>

    <strong>Brutalizing Aura II: The fear of death is one of the most primal instincts of all living creatures</strong><strong><em>, as is crippling weakness. </em></strong><strong>You have learned to project your Dao and intent in a way that targets these fears, amplifying them and paralyzing all weaker targets in a wide range around you.</strong>

    <strong><em>Additionally, the fear of your enemies feeds into your own power, enhancing you as you affect more and stronger enemies with Brutalizing Aura.</em></strong>

    That was an intriguing skill. Jack even had the feeling that it wasnt just the Dao Root of Weakness that participated in this upgrade, but also the Dao Root of Power.

    In any case, pondering this skill wouldeter.

    He drew a deep, trembling breath. His eyes opened to find darkness, but it was no longer an enemy. Just a grim reality. As thest of the trance dissipated, Jack opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: E</strong>

    <strong>ss: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 124</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 575</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 525</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 545</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 70</strong>

    <strong>Will: 140</strong>

    <strong>Skills: Ghost Step I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Indomitable Body III, Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Brutalizing Aura II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (peak+), Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Eighth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    He couldnt help but wonder if there was any other E-Grade in the gxy with stats like his. There probably were. Somewhere. Maybe.

    But, at the very least, he stood at the absolute highest level amongst mortals. He no longer possessed the weakness hed justprehended.

    Jack smiled sadly. He could sense that this Dao Root had changed him, somehow. Grounded him. His path remained the same, but he now understood better his hurdles and impact. His effect on the world.

    His heart was a bit heavier, but his resolve was iparably more corporeal. As was his power.

    Slowly, Jack stood up. His perception ran over the cave, clearer than ever. He could see everything, but nothing new. The walls were as solid as before. Longswords cape remained propped against the far wall. The stone b still stood before the entrance, challenging him.

    And, finally, that was a challenge he would ept.

    Perhaps his body wasnt at its strongest, but his Dao was. Unless he somehow progressed even further, he would never have a better chance of lifting the stone b. And, if the Lords were still waiting outsidehe would just fight them as he was. An extra Dao Root was a great leap in power. He could easily take on Longsword now.

    Btedly, Jack realized that the devil he freed before must have been around this level.

    He took another deep breath. The stale air now felt almost familiar. He mentally bade it goodbye, as he did to the cape. He then walked before the b, reached inside his soul, and tugged at the Life Drop.

    Power flooded him. His bones rumbled as he grew a foot taller. His skin burst open under the armpits as two new arms jutted out, ribbons of flesh that quickly weaved together. An ocean of life coursed through him, enhancing him in body, mind, and soul.

    He was at the absolute strongest he had ever been. It was almost euphoricbut, with his new Dao Root of Weakness acting as grounding, he remained unchanged by this rush.

    Jack ced a hand on the back of the stone b. He sensed the vacuum. Like an army of horses, his Dao galloped in. It felt like a raging river through his veins. It was stunning.

    The power rushed out of him and into the stone b. Its quality increased its effectiveness. Slowly, the Dao vacuum began to fill up. Ten percent. Twenty. Thirty.

    Jack remained there, still as a boulder. The energy was still leaving him. Fifty percent was filled. Seventy. Eighty.

    He was growing exhausted. He tore at every scrap he could find to push even more energy into the b. If he failed now, he would probably die. He had neither another Dao Sprouting Pill nor the insights toprehend a new Dao Root, let alone break through.

    Ny percent. The vacuum was so temptingly close to full, yet a small part of it remained empty. Jack had scrapped up every iota of Dao energy in his body. Some was still running through the connection, but it was too little. It woulde close to filling the vacuum but fall short.

    Despair was born in his heart. <em>No! </em>he thought. <em>I cannot fail here! I must seed!</em>

    With such a strong stream of power between himself and the vacuum, he no longer needed to touch it directly. With a roar, he tried to dig his fingers under the b. It was hard. The floor was unbreakable to the current Jack, as was the b. But the vacuum was the seal that kept it down. With it almost filled, the b could budge a bit.

    Jack roared again. All four of his hands dug under the b, struggling to find purchase. It shook a bit, rising half an inch over the ground. One finger seeded. Then another. The more he got, the easier it became. With better grip, he could lift harder.

    Jack snuck all twenty of his fingers under the stone b. He had lifted it an inch by now. Its back was against the entrance wall, so lifting it from one side lifted the whole thing.

    Veins popped on his forehead. He was running short of breath. His entire body was protesting. His back was cracking. His calves were burning. Even with the vacuum filled at ny-five percent, this stone b was too heavy.

    But he had to lift it.

    He gritted his teeth so hard they almost broke. He didnt care about the pain or burn. All that existed was him and the b.

    A couple more inches. It rose slowly, its speed almost torturing. But Jack pressed on. His fingers got a better grip. The higher he raised the b, the faster it became. Its magical resistance waned. His stance got better.

    Eventually, it was so high that Jack could sneak a shoulder under it. Then another. He felt like As holding up the sky. His entire face was red, his eyes were bulging, his teeth were gritted, his body was screaming at him to give up, but he pressed on.

    The energy hed poured into the vacuum began to dissipate. From ny-five percent, it fell to ny-four. The bs weight increased. Jack had to seed quickly. His shoulders werepressed under the stone, but he rooted his feet in the ground deeply and summoned all his strength, uncaring that, if he failed, the bs unbearable weight would crush him into paste.

    His palms met the stone. He managed to draw in a breath. He could see the light outsideit was almost blinding.

    AHHHH! Jack screamed, pushing at the b with every scrap of power he could muster. His calves buckled. He got cramps everywhere. A couple muscles were torn. He ran out of power.

    But, just for a moment, hed pushed up hard. And that was enough to break the resistance. The b passed an invisible barrier and suddenly lost all magic, bing just a regr b of stoneheavy, but nothing Jack couldnt handle. It suddenly shot up like a missile, smashing into the roof and staying there, hovering over the entrance like it always did. The lever rose as well.

    Jack fell to the ground, his regeneration drawing on thest bits of his energy to repair his broken tendons. He couldnt stand yet, but he couldnt care less. His lips were drawn into a wide smile. He didnt even feel the pain. Fresh air and light were all he could sense.

    He had escaped the cave. He was freeand stronger than ever.

    Jack Rust was back.

 Chapter 217: The Final Challenge

    Chapter 217: The Final Challenge

    Jack walked out of Trial Garden one step at a time. It wasnt easyhe was dehydrated andpletely exhausted.

    The mist parted before his feet. Slowly, he made it to the animal tile formation, which now felt like it was so long ago. He stepped on the right animal tiles, still not knowing how they were deduced.

    From there, it was a straight line. Step after step, the mist thinned, and the towering garden gate appeared before Jack. Only now did he realize that it was over. That he had escaped. It was hard to contain his emotions.

    Many questions hed ignored suddenly returned to his mind. Where were the others? What had Brock, Salin, and Nauja done while he was trapped? Did they know? Had the Lords sought revenge and killed them? Had the Sage kept his promise to protect them?

    All those thoughts whirled around inside Jacks mind, faster than he could process. If needed, he could use his Dao of Indomitable Will to suppress them, but he didnt. He had already done that in the cavenow, it was time to let them be. Let his heart experience the uncertainty of life, which gave everything meaning.

    Before he knew it, he was anxious. The darkest possibilities went through his mind. His heart climbed to his throat. If something had happened to Brock

    The mist cleared. Finally, Jack could see outside Trial Garden. An expansive grasnd filled his gaze, curving out of sight in the distance. The sky was covered in bright sun mushrooms, and a colossal fence rose to the far leftit was the Tools Garden, one of the other gardens of Garden Ring. The air smelled of grass.

    A single brori stood before the entrance of Trial Garden. He was busy doing push-ups with arge boulder on his back, sweat dripping all over his toned body. He was so focused on the exercise that it took him a moment to detect Jack.

    Jacks heart swelled with relief. Brock he muttered as loudly as his parched throat could manage. Only then did the brori realize someone was there. He turned his head, and spotting Jack, his eyes widened, and he froze so abruptly that his arms buckled. The next moment, he jumped up, tossing the boulder away, and rushed towards Jack.

    Broooo! he shouted.

    Jack realized he was swimming in his own filth. It had been several weeks since hest took a shower. Wait, Brock, he said, dont

    Brock didnt care. He fell on Jack and wrapped him in a tight hug, then took a step back, inspected him with care, and stretched out a hand. Bro! he repeated, smiling so widely that Jack thought his jaw would unhinge.

    He smiled back, shaking Brocks hand. Its good to see you, bro. Im so d youre safe.

    ***

    A beast army!? Jack eximed between biting a banana and chewing on a potato. After discovering Brock, he had quickly bathed in ake near the ring entrance, then rushed to where their food pile wasthe beasts of Beast Garden had been very amodating.

    You should have seen Longswords face, Gan Salin replied,ughing. He was so fed up.

    It wasnt just the army! Nauja chimed in, poking Salins side. Tell him about my arrow.

    And Nauja shot an incredible Sun Piercing Arrow! Salinplied. She hit Bocor right in the ribs from How far away was that, again?

    Two miles, she added proudly.

    From two miles away! You should have seen it, Jack. That arrow was stealing the worlds energy as it traveled, like a a a sticky arrow! But it was growing faster and stronger, too. Argence of power had formed around it.

    Its called the Sun Piercing Arrow, Nauja exined proudlythough it wasnt the first time she told Jack about this skill. At its strongest, it can even fly to the sun and pierce it! Of course, <em>my </em>arrows cant even go ten miles before breaking, but uh, its something.

    For sure it is, Jack agreed, nodding. Thats a very impressive skill. Im sure all the dinosaurs in the jungle will be terrified.

    Right, she replied, losing a bit of her enthusiasm.

    Have you guys considered what youre going to do after here? Jack asked, turning to both Nauja and Gan Salin.

    The canine spoke first. I think I will return to my faction. They wont attack me anymore, given my achievements in Trial, and they can help me push my strength to a new level. Now that I have the Seventh Ring Conqueror title, Ill be in favor.

    Jack nodded. I hope it works out for you, Salin. And, if we sh on Earth, I will try to show mercy.

    Hah. Thats only if you get the chance! I wont always be weaker than you, you know.

    I look forward to seeing that.

    Nauja was next to reply. I have thought a lot about it, she said in a heavy voice. Everyone lost their joking mood and focused on her words. Jack even put down his banana and potato. If I leave Trial, I will never be able to returnbut, if I stay, what am I to do? Return to my tribe, get married, and spend the rest of my days tending to triceratopses or hunting in the jungle? Never to experience the real world again? I dont want that. I I want to adventure. To explore. To see the world, and fill my eyes with its sights. To find out what a sun looks like, or space, or the myriads, with their nts and animals and people. To feel the wonder of the universe. To find out what happened to my ancestorsthe Ancients. To pierce the sun.

    She raised her eyes, and they were filled with warm pain. Tears sparkled at the edges, but she hadnt noticed. I dont want to leave my tribe behind, she continued, but this is not how Im meant to live. The Barbarian Ring will kill me slowly, day after day. I have decided to follow my heart and be happy. And, if that means abandoning everyone I know She set her jaw. They can handle it. So can I. We are barbarianswe are strong. If I threw away my happiness just to be with themthey wouldnt want it. Father wouldnt want it.

    Jack smiled warmly. I admire your resolve, Nauja. I think you are doing the right thing. And you can always find someone on the outside to pass a message to your father, let him know youre alive and well. Maybe you can even exchange letters through the delvers.

    Sheughed. Maybe we could. I hadnt considered that.

    Plus, you wont be alone out there! Salin said. I will be your friend. Jack and Brock, too, and who knows who else. You cane with me to the Animal Kingdom, or back to Earth-387, or wherever you want. The world will be an oyster, and you will be its pearl.

    I suppose so. She sniffed, wiping at her eyes with a smile. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I truly, really thank you. If I hadnt joined you in this journeyI fear I would forever remain trapped.

    Having you along was an honor, Jack said, smiling. You were great help.

    Of course I was. She raised her head. Im a barbarian!

    What about you, Jack? Salin asked. What are you going to do?

    He leaned back on the grass, thinking about it. Hmm. I still need to save Earth. I think I will visit the Exploding Sun first, see what they have to say, and if they can help. Pay my respects to Master Shol, as well. Then I dont know. Wage war against the Animal Kingdom? Sounds like a great way to level up.

    Salinughed. Thats the mostidback deration of war Ive ever heard.

    You dont believe me?

    Oh, I absolutely do. If you became an immortal, even the Animal Kingdom would have to take you a bit seriously He grinned. I just look forward to it. One man against a multi empire with several B-Grades holding the fort. And yet, why do I feel that you can make it?

    Because youre crazy. Jackughed.

    Oh, yes. I forgot about that for a second.

    They also had to find a way to escape the Hand of God deep scanning, or at least hope that his Life Drop didnt trigger it. Jack didnt mention anything yet. They would have time to consider this issueter.

    Before doing all those, however, Jack said, his eyes suddenly turning serious, there is onest thing I want to do here.

    Do you mean

    Yes. He turned his gaze to the side. In the distance, a lone wooden door stood alone on the grasnd, seemingly leading nowhere. But Jack knew that wasnt true. Behind that doory the final and hardest challenge of Trial: the Final Guardian. An immortal. The ninth ring, which no one had conquered before.

    When Jack first arrived here, the Final Guardian was an unsurpassable existence. However, he had grown a lot since then. He now had four Dao Roots, the Eighth Ring Conqueror title, and the Life Drop. He was confident that, amongst all the mortals of the universe, he was ranked at or near the very top. If someone stood a chance against the Final Guardian, it was him.

    But could even the strongest mortal beat an immortal?

    You are wee to watch, he said, eyeing the final door with a heated, battle-ready gaze. After all, he had been through thick and thin with these people. They had waited for him for almost a month. He trusted themeven the insane Gan Salin. Showing him the Life Drop was a risk he was willing to take. I will finish eating and rest for a few hours to recover to my peak strength, as well as practice a bit with my new Dao Root. When the sun mushrooms brighten againI will challenge the Final Guardian of Trial.

    Salinughed, biting into a turkey leg. Of course well watch. I can hardly wait. Though, I have to say, I have never heard of a mortal beating an immortal before. Dont get your hopes up.

    If anyone can do it, I believe its Jack, Nauja retorted. I wouldnt miss that fight for the world.

    Bro, said Brock. He gave Jack a thumbs-up and a bright, confident smile. Good luck.

    Youve learned a lot of words recently, havent you? Jack asked.

    Naujaughed. Hes at the E-Grade now. Its only natural that his mind is more advanced. Wait until he reaches the D-Gradehe might be able to speak as well as the rest of us.

    Jack nodded. In fact, Brocks progress was astounding. Even though Jack himself was growing stronger at breakneck speed, Brock wasnt falling behind. If anything, he was slowly but surely closing the gap.

    <em>Will there be a day when we fight side by side? </em>he wondered, pride surging in his chest. <em>You are an excellent bro, Brock.</em>

    Brock winked as if sensing Jacks thoughts.

    The rest of the meal went on with pleasant conversation and exchanging stories. Jacks heart filled as fast as his stomach. The darkness of the cave was now a distant memory.

    As soon as the sun mushrooms dimmed, the groupy on the soft grass under the star-lit dome that served as this rings sky. They kept chatting for a while until falling asleep. Jack couldnt remember thest time he was so rxed. Maybe back in the Integration Tournament? Or even further in the past?

    When he woke up, the mushrooms were still darkthe day and night cycle in Trial was longer than on Earth. Jack spent the next few hours meditating, sharpening his edge against Copy Jack. He practiced with the upgraded version of Brutalizing Aura, finding that its effects were no longer constrained on only weaker opponents. Stronger ones were less affected, of course, but it was a very useful change.

    When Jack opened his eyes, the sun mushrooms had just brightened. He was at the peak of his power, bursting at the seams with so much energy that the Dao curved around him like a tight sheet would curve around a heavy ball. His friends were awake, too, giving him looks of encouragement.

    It is time, he said, standing up. Lets go.

    They bade goodbye to the animals of Beast Garden. They walked to the final door, standing alone on the grasnd. Jack ced both palms on its surface. It was wooden and rough, like an ancient tree turned to door. He took a deep breath, solidified his resolve, and pushed.

    The doors swung open, revealing a bright hall and a knight on a throne. An immortal.

    Jack stepped in.

 Chapter 218: Challenging the Final Guardian

    Chapter 218: Challenging the Final Guardian

    Jack entered the throne room. As he stepped through the door, he felt a breeze pass over his skin, like hed been caressed by a curtain of wind.

    He took a deep breath. The air was fresh herestrong, somehow, almost verdant. Even breathing this air heightened his senses and brought out his bodys full potential. Torches lined the walls, gold-trimmed stone columns were arranged uniformly across the rectangr hall, and a red carpet stretched from the entrance to the throne, where an old knight sat with his eyes closed.

    Soon after Jack entered the room, the knights eyes opened.

    Another challenger, he said with a sigh. Lets see; will it be an unimpressive hatchling, or a slightly less unimpressive weakling?

    How about a proper opponent? Jack replied from across the room. He infused his voice with his Dao, making it echo against the walls like a struck gong.

    The knightid eyes on Jack. He took his time. A momentter, his lips rose slightly, Finally, someone with real skill. Four roots, right? Not bad, not bad at all. You are still too weak to face me, unfortunately, but at least youre not a waste of resources like most of yourpatriots.

    Unlike his previous words, the guardian suddenly seemed amenable. He even smiled at Jack. Seeing this, Jack also took a mental step back and became respectful.

    Notpatriots, senior, he answered. Ie from a that was only recently Integrated. Actually, most of the people who made it to this ring wanted to kill me.

    And I see they failed.

    The guardian rose from his throne. He was like a normal human in size, except d in iron armor like a medieval knight. A simple mace was strapped to his belt, and his helmet was open, revealing a slightly wrinkled, white-bearded face. His brown eyes, however, remained hard and radiating Dao. Meeting them took all of Jacks willpower.

    I outsmarted and defeated them, he replied. A twist of fateter, I developed my fourth Dao Root to escape a trap, and I emerged as the victor of this Garden Assault.

    Garden Assault, eh? said the old man, his lips quirking. I remember a time when young cultivators made it here regrly, not once a year, as you do now. Thebyrinth guardian isnt that strong I no longer see Kings, either, only Lords. Has the world degraded that far?

    Degraded? How long have you been in here, senior?

    The old man waved his hands. It doesnt matter. However An Integration, you say His face revealed sadness, a hint of regret. I suppose it does work. Throw a billion mortals into the meat grinder to create a handful of powerhouses. Such a waste of life.

    Isnt Trial the same, senior? Jack asked. A meat grinder to make the strongest rise?

    Hardlyparable. The people who enter Trial choose to do so, fully aware of the risks involved. An Integration is forced onto ignorant weaklings.

    Jack remained silent for a moment, considering the old mans words. He then said, I am Jack Rust of Earth-387, cultivator of the Dao of the Fist. Can I have your name, senior?

    I care not for your name or Dao. You are an interesting break in my monotony, young mortal, but I only have ears for those capable of defeating me. As for my name Well, defeat me, and youll find out.

    Jackughed. Thats more like it. He smashed his fists together. Then, shall we begin?

    The old man frowned. You dont have the strength to fight me. Four roots and a perfect seed are not enough. Leave now, before I humiliate you and kick you out.

    If you dont try me, how will you know?

    The old man stared into Jacks eyes for a moment, the pressure enough to give him a slight headache. Then, he grabbed his mace and took a step forward. So be it. A beating is a good way to learn.

    He suddenly charged.

    The two of them were separated by several hundred feet of empty space. Yet, the moment the knight dashed, that distance closed almost instantly. Jack barely had time to cross his arms and defend.

    However, this wasnt the casual strike that the knight had once used to strike Bocor. This was a real one.

    Jack was flung away. His bones cracked. The attack was strong enough to be unstoppable, and he flew all the way until he crashed into the wall above the entrancethe still-open door from where Brock, Salin, and Nauja watched him.

    The wall cracked only slightly under his back. Jack took the brunt of the impact, and hended before the entrance, barely keeping his bnce.

    Is that enough? asked the knight.

    Heh, Jack replied. Im just getting started.

    He reached inside himself and tapped into the power of the Life Drop. Suddenly, energy flooded his body. His veins were overrun with molten iron, his bones turned to steel. Jack groaned as he grew a foot in height and two arms under his normal ones.

    He hadnt forgotten to use this form before. He just wanted to feel the power of an immortal head-on. To take a strike with his normal strength, and see just how far apart the two of them were.

    A lot, it turned out. But the Life Drop brought a considerable increase in fighting power. Even if Jack couldnt win, he could at least fight.

    Now four-armed and pulsing with barely contained energy, Jack set his gaze on the knight. He looked at him dead straight. His body radiated intent to battle, and his muscles bulged in anticipation of the destruction they would wreak.

    Come, he growled in a slightly deeper voice. Lets fight!

    The knight, meanwhile, was gaping. His old eyes had gone wide as saucers. Thats You have been chosen! he cried out. You carry His legacy! This is Unbelievable! Its still alive! The torch still burns! He suddenly broke intoughter, loud and clear. Thank you, young man, thank you! Even if you cannot defeat me, the hope you have given me today is the best gift Ive gotten in a million years.

    I want to ask you many things, Jack said, but I want to beat you first.

    Dont think I will go easy on you. If anything, I absolutely wont let you cheat.

    I never dreamt of that. Come, old man. Ill kick your ass.

    Old man? the knights lips rose again, this time wildly. Ill make you eat those words, boy.

    Hah. Try me!

    Jackughed and charged. He fell deep into battle. This was it. The culmination of his journey so far. The greatest opponent he ever challenged. The greatest stage he ever stood on.

    Victory would open the doors to greatness. Defeat would forever consign him to weakness. There had been people in the past who could beat this old man, that much was clear. If Jack couldnt match them now, he would never surpass them, and the top of the world would be forever closed off to him.

    He had to win. For his people, his, his Daoand, most importantly, for himself.

    To grab his fate with his own two hands, he needed power. This was the defining moment. He had to seed.

    Jack balled all four fists. A purple aura trailed him like he was a meteor himselfa manifestation of his overflowing Dao. As he charged, he resembled more a thrown fist than a man.

    Come! the knight shouted. His eyes narrowed; finally, he took Jack seriously. He fell into a stance, with his mace to the side and his body diagonal. Jack didnt recognize the stance, but it didnt matter.

    An immortal had taken him seriously. This wasextraordinary!

    Jack reached the immortal. His fists red like beacons. Color and sound were torn apart as they were sucked in four different directions at once, and the Iron Fist Style filled Jacks body, guiding him to unleash the most of his potential.

    Seeing the four Meteor Punches headed his way, the old man smashed out. His mace swung through the air in a perfect arc, seeking to break all four fists at the same time. Its head smashed into one fist, breaking its bones. For the second, it fractured them. The third stopped the mace in exchange for an injury. The fourth fist remained untouched. It flew through the air and exploded on the old mans face like a meteor, breaking Jacks hand as he sent the knight flying.

    Jack didnt even register the pain of his four injured hands. He had just blown away an immortal. He could do this. He could win. All it took was a perfect Dao Seed, extraordinary titles, four fused Dao Roots, and a gift of the Gods.

    The final shred of doubt inside Jack was extinguished. He had so much powerfor the first time, he realized that maybe he could win. His Dao roared like a revving engine, and all four of his roots operated at full power. He was a boiling furnace about to explode. He was overflowing with energy.

    Life Dao flowed into his hands, healing them. The Life Drops energy in Jacks body decreased by around a thirdthough its actual reserves were near limitless, the energy Jack could draw into himself was not. The more he drew, the harder it became. He had to utilize it effectively.

    <em>No more head-on shes, </em>he thought, still drunk in satisfaction. <em>Lets fight smart.</em>

    The knight stopped himself mid-air. Using the power of flight, which all immortals possessed, he hovered there, looking at Jack from above. Besides a bloody nose that was already healing, his face seemed unhurt from the strike.

    Tremendous power! he acknowledged. But will it be enough?

    Only one way to find out.

    Hah. Of course!

    The knight dove down. His speed remained tremendous, but Jack could glimpse it now, mere shadows and afterimages that indicated where the next strike woulde from. He leaned back, letting the mace sail before his face. The wind pulled his now-longer hair back, threatening to overturn him. Jack steadied himself. The Iron Fist Style guided him, and his experience from fighting Copy Jack helped, too.

    The knight swung again. The mace came diagonally from below. Jack twisted around it, adapting to the wind that he knew woulde, turning to deflect while he threw a punch at the old mans face. The knight, however, was not weak. He followed the momentum of his mace to reposition, turning and smashing a kick into Jacks abdomen, nailing him into a distant column.

    Jack lost all air in his lungs. The knight was on him instantly. Jack barely managed to duck before the mace crushed his head into paste, denting and cracking the entire column.

    He was livid. This old man wasnt ying around. If that attack hadnded, Jack would be absolutely dead!

    Getting cold feet? the knight said, jumping back to avoid Jacks punch. The world is violent, boy, and this is a battle. If you cannot handle it, go home.

    Handle it? I <em>am </em>violence, old man. So what if I die? At least I will have followed my path!

    The old man grinned. As he stared him down, Jack realized that he was loving this. He loved that the old man was really trying to kill him. That he wasnt holding back. That either of them could die at any moment.

    The fear, the adrenaline, the tension They reminded him of the time in the Forest of the Strong. The dungeon that had defined him. The experience that forged him into his present self. That helped him be who he was always meant to be.

    This was Jacks ce in the world. Facing down an enemy with his life on the line. It was perfect.

    His eyes must have conveyed all these thoughts, because the old manughed. I respect your resolve! he said. I will try my hardest to kill you. Come!

    Jack charged. The world became a battle. His vision closed in on his opponent. Time slowed down. His entire body was pumping Dao and power. He was an unstoppable machine of fistfighting.

    He was the Fiend of the Iron Fist, and he would destroy this arrogant old man.

    Brutalizing Aura oozed from every pore of his body. Jack felt the world warp around him as it struggled to amodate his Dao. He felt his resolve and killing intent take on a physical form and smash into the old man, whose only reaction was to narrow his eyes. But Jack saw the momentary conflict in there. He saw the hint of his aura taking root.

    At this moment, he had started a second war with the old man, this one on the level of their willpower. What was more absolute? Jacks intent to kill his opponent, or the old mans confidence?

    After being upgraded, Brutalizing Aura could work on opponents of simr strength to Jack, just to limited extent. That was fine. A few tiny gaps was all he neededgaps he could plug with his fists.

    The old man slowed down by a hair. Faced with Jacks fiendish assault, he actually adopted a defensive stance. Fists rained down. Every strike was enough to level hills and dent steel. Jack became a force of nature as he tore into the old man, who defended with all his power, using the body of his mace to intercept the punches. Clearly, his strength was superb. So was his skill. But so was Jacks. He hadnt spent tens of hours fighting Copy Jack for nothing.

    Jack dug deeper. His four fists flowed out like the waves of the sea, carrying the ferocity of a falling mountain and the sharpness of a gale. The fists rotated in their attacks. When one retreated, another was always there to attack. To his surprise, Jack discovered that the Iron Fist Stylehis fistfighting Dao Skillhad already adapted to the four fists he was currently wielding. His attacks formed a constant stream that gave the old man no room to breathe, let alone fight back.

    Jack could fight an immortal head-on.

    Enough! the knight shouted, letting a punch through. Jack more sensed than saw the iing attack. He abandoned his own strike and ducked right as the mace swung where his head used to be, its strength and speed taken to a whole new level. If you want to fight above your weight, said the old man, his eyes spouting mes, then so be it!

    Suddenly, a storm was born. The air whipped Jacks face. His hair was pulled in all directions. A tremendous pressure fell on his soul, trying to suppress him, and all four Dao Roots had to work in tandem with his perfect Dao Seed to resist.

    This was no longer just a mace-wielding old man. A silver aura erupted from his body, filling the hall like the domain of a god. It was intangible, yet made of steel. The world was dyed silver. Jack almost lost control of his Dao before wrestling it back, but it remained contained in the very edges of his body.

    His body was his domain. Everything else was the old mans. The entire hall was under his control.

    This is the power of an immortal, boy, said the old man, his silver hair floating in an invisible wind and the head of his mace radiating a steely light. You are worthy of facing it. Adapt or die!

 Chapter 219: Mastering Oneâ€™s Dao

    Chapter 219: Mastering One¡¯s Dao

    The old man struck down. Jack jumped to the side. The world resisted his movement, seeking to constrain him, but he used his physical strength to escape.

    The ground where he used to stand was destroyed. The mace headnded like a realet, exploding the stone that made up this halls floor. The red carpet was torn apart. Stone shards flew through the air. The shockwave pushed into Jacks ears and took his breath. His eyes widened.

    <em>What kind of power is this!?</em>

    There was no way he could block that, whether he had four arms or a hundred. Immortals could control the world around them. All the Dao in the hall was under the old mans influence, helping him while obstructing Jack.

    This This was just unfair! How was he supposed to fight with such a disadvantage!?

    The old man didnt give him time to think. The mace fell again, and Jack had to retreat. Every strike brought disaster. The hall was torn apart. Craters formed on the ground, cracks on the walls. One column copsed after being broken in halfthankfully, they seemed unnecessary, as the ceiling could magically support itself.

    Jack escaped with all his power as the old man chased him, smashing out unstoppable strikes with every swing like it was nothing. Evading was all Jack could do. Staying to fight would mean instant death. The old man chased him like an angel of steel, destroying everything in his path to get to Jack.

    As if that wasnt enough, he was flying! Jack had to run around while the immortal could just glide, attacking from all sorts of angles that Jack wasnt used to.

    <em>What can I even do!? </em>he asked in panic, leaping away from a strike that broke the ground under his feet. Hended on the side of a column and pushed away just in time to avoid the mace that shattered it. He tumbled on the ground, pressed against the throne, jumped on the ceiling, then back down.

    The old man was always there, just a step behind. His strength was extreme, but his speed was only on par with Jacks, letting him just barely escape every time.

    Is running all you can do? the old man taunted as he gave chase. The entrance is right there. Escape if you want to live! Give up!

    A fire burned in Jacks heart. He would not escape. He would not give up. He would defeat this immortal and chase the very peak of power.

    But how?

    Mid-running, he wrung his brain dry toe up with a solution. He considered all the information he had. There had to be something he could do, some way tobat this domain of steel that the old man had unraveled.

    Suddenly, a realization lit up in his brain. As he activated the aura, the old man had said, Adapt or die!

    What did that mean? How was Jack supposed to adapt?

    The mace fell next to his head, interrupting Jacks thoughts. The shockwave of the attack flung him into the far wall, but he also expelled part of his Dao mid-flight to elerate himself. After all, he couldnt fly. If the old man caught up mid-air, it was over. The faster he reached a surface, any surface, the safer he would be.

    As Jack expelled his Dao, the domain assimted it. He saw the process clearly. His purple aurathe Dao of the Fistcould only resist for a few seconds as all the surrounding Dao took on a steely hue and bore down at it. In the end, surrounded by enemies on all sides, that small amount of his Dao was defeated and assimted.

    Fireworks went off in Jacks brain. In that fraction of a second, he realized what he had to do.

    The moment hended, a purple aura red around his body. It was nothingpared to the old mans domainjust a candle before the sun. And yet, it was <em>his </em>candle. It defined an area where the Dao of the Mace couldnt reach. A pocket of freedom in the old mans domain.

    An inch of purple now surrounded Jacks skin.

    Of course, this wasnt easy to do. Mortals couldnt control their Dao outside their bodies, just expel it. In contrast, the old man clearly could. His Dao Domain constantly ground against Jacks aura, reducing and destroying it as it tried to reach his body. It was like using snow armor to protect himself in a burning oven.

    Jacks response was to expel even more of his Dao, all around himself. It was a crude solution. A good portion of his energy was wasted every second just to keep the domain at bay. He had to constantly expel more and more Dao. His reserves were rapidly dwindling.

    But, as crude of a solution this was, it remained a solution. The old man was still strengthened from the domain, but Jack was no longer restrained. It was progress.

    All he had to do was win before he ran out of energy.

    Laughable! the immortal cried out. You cannot do it!

    Watch me! Jack roared in response. He stopped running. Instead, he charged. One good strike of the mace could still end him, but what choice did he have? It was either this or run until he lost.

    The old manughed and met Jacks charge head-on. He swung. The moment his mace met Jacks aura, its strength waned slightly, but it remained super-charged. Jack dodged, letting the strike demolish another column behind him. He punched out. A purple meteor red in the silver air flickering for just a moment. It couldnt draw in the colors and sounds, but it didnt need to. All it had to do was explode.

    The punch found the old mans gut. It detonated on his armor, making him gasp as another punch met his chest, sending him backward. Jack followed. He couldnt afford to dy. This aura he had wouldst only a few seconds. He had to end this.

    Besides, if the old man was flung around, he had no time to fly.

    Jack roared as he punched. Four meteors were born on his fists. Four purple stars. The old man pulled up his mace to defend.

    Their shes echoed in the hall. Walls broke. Columns fell. The carpet was torn apart. The throne was shattered. Jack and the knight were two streaks of light, one purple and one silver, chasing each other in the hall at speeds that a normal person couldnt even follow.

    Their every sh ended with someone flung away, and the other always followed. The old man had no intention to draw things out. He wouldn''t exploit his Grade advantage. If he did, he wouldnt deserve to be an immortal.

    By now, both opponents were fully submerged in the fight. One sh followed the other in an endless dance. Time stretched out until each second became an infinity. The room, the watchers, the stakes, everything disappeared, and all that remained was a battle to the death.

    Jack roared as they shed again. Two of his fists met the old mans jaw, throwing his head back and eliciting a groan. The mace met his calf, breaking his leg and tossing him through a column and into a wall. The old man arrived instantly again, ignoring the pain of his broken jaw to strike fast. Jack, whose calf had already regenerated, leapt aside, letting the mace sail an inch from his face to strike back. Two of his fists met the old mans side. The other two, his chest. He flew diagonally backward, passing through the copsing column from before and into the ceiling.

    The old mans regeneration was nowhere close to Jacks. The strikes added up. In the end, it was a contest of endurance. Would Jacks energy run out first, or would the old man sumb to his injuries?

    Jack shed through the air, reaching the ceiling. His fist drew a purple line through the room as it rose like an upward meteor. The old man spat out blood, roared, and ignored Jacks fist to smash the mace into his chest.

    Jack expected that. He expelled some Dao to move sideways,unching his Meteor Punch away from his hand, letting it sail alone through the air to smash into the old mans chest, nailing him deeper into the ceiling. Jack himselfnded to the old mans right, then pushed against the ceiling to throw himself at the ground before gravity took over.

    The old man did the exact same thing, and suddenly, they were falling side by side. Their trajectories intersected in the very middle of the hall. All hell broke loose.

    Jack could sense his energy reserves dwindling. Already, he was running on fumes. There was barely a second before he was exhausted and the old mans domain snuffed him out like a candle.

    The old man, on the other hand, was bloody and injured. Bruises covered his body under the armor, which thankfully wasnt very effective against blunt weapons, and he sported several internal injuries. There was definitely something broken, too. His face was warped in an expression of permanent pain, his movements far slower than before, and his attacks weaker.

    So were Jacks, but not by much. He had his regeneration to hold the fort.

    As they intersected in mid-air, falling sideways into each other, Jack knew this was the moment. There was no more time. He had to end this.

    Meteors red on his fists. A bit of the silver domain was drawn into them, assimted into the purple. He smashed out. So did the old man, but Jack was ready. He released his Brutalizing Aura at full power. He was pulling out all stops. If he failed now, it would be over, but it didnt matter, because he wouldnt fail. He would win.

    The old man grimaced as the aura hit him. For a fraction of a second, his attack grew hesitant. Jack used that opening to p away his mace-holding hand, making the attack miss as he buried two Meteor Punches into the old mans body. One of them fit perfectly into the open helmet.

    The old man was spiked downward, but Jack wouldnt let him escape this time. He used his fourth hand to grab onto the armors edge, pulled along by the power of his own strike. They crossed the room together and smashed hard into the floor, cracking it even further. Jack gasped. His entire body was protesting fromck of energy, but he didnt back down. He had no time to.

    The old man remained conscious. He pushed Jack, flying to stand opposite Jack, roared, and smashed out. Jack used his trump cardGhost Step. This skill wasnt a Dao-imbued one, so it wasnt too usefultely. At Jacks current level, three or nine feet was nothing.

    However, when kept as a hidden ace, it was perfect for exchanges like this.

    The old mans mace sailed through empty air as Jack appeared behind him, smashing a full-power Meteor Punch into the back of his helmet. The old mans head rocked. Somehow, his neck didnt break. He didnt fall unconscious, either. He absorbed the strike and followed the momentum of his previous attack, swinging around himself to attack Jack, who had just struck out and was in no position to dodge. He was forced to meet the strike head-on.

    The old man noticed this. Suddenly, his eyes shone silver. The entire Dao Domain retreated instantly, diving into the mace head, which shone brilliantly like a silver moon. An ocean of power pulsed in that mace. This strike clearly contained all the remaining power of the old man, and Jack had no option but to face it.

    FALLING STAR! the old man shouted, his mustache marred with blood. This was clearly his strongest attack.

    However, even though it was his best attacking skill, his actual power had decreased since the start of the fight. He was heavily injured, and he had just extinguished his own domain. The strength he could channel was limitedat best, this strike reached the ones hed used when he first activated his domain.

    Jack felt time slow down. He realized he had no choice. Dodging was not an option, as he was unbnced. There was only one thing he could do.

    Attack.

    There was relief in that realization. Glee. His entire being was aligned. His soul was one piece.

    Jack readied all four of his punches. Purple red brightly on all of them, more than ever before. He could sense that this would be the final blow. They were both going all-out. He poured every scrap of energy he could muster into his fists, dividing it equally, birthing four meteors that burned through the air and zed through the Dao.

    Since the domain was gone, these meteors werent weakened. Color and sound fell into them like they were ck holes. The air screamed as it was ripped apart. Before this meteor, before this punch, nothing could survive.

    And Jack had four of them.

    All four punches smashed forward at once. His Dao red like a brilliant purple sun.

    In the singr spot between the two opponents, all four punches met the glowing silver mace at the same time. Both Jack and the old man roared in defiance.

    The explosion was blinding and deafening. Jack felt his world burn. His bare chest was seared from the heat. He thought he had died.

    A moment passed in which hed lost all his senses.

    When his vision recovered, he saw a silver mace flying alone through the air tond against the far wall. He saw the old man before him stare incredulously as his entire hand was missing, disintegrated from the massive explosion. Jacks hands were absolutely mangled, too, but he was used to it by now. They would recover.

    Btedly, he realized that the floor was ck under their feet, and arge ck X was seared against the ground, stretching from their location in the middle of the room to each of its cornersit was the outline of the two-pronged explosion. However, the lines were far wider on his opponents side of the room. Most of the energy had been pushed that way. Jack had won the exchange.

    He raised his eyes to see the old man toppling to the ground. Hey there, limbs spread out and head facing the ceiling, unable to move. Only then did the macend on the floor, far away.

    Jack could barely stay standing. The pain was impossible. So was the exhaustion.

    But all those were overshadowed by the realization of one, simple fact: He had won.

 Chapter 220: Thousand Essence Flower

    Chapter 220: Thousand Essence Flower

    Jack stood panting over the Final Guardians body. His legs were wobbling. His mind was swimming. Not falling over was the most he could do, but it didnt matter because he had <em>won!</em>

    YES! he shouted, raising a fist to the sky. That action unbnced him, and he fell on his butt. The Life Drops metamorphosis was already reverting, and he was so devoid of energy that even his regeneration didnt kick into effect. A screen appeared before his eyes:

    <strong>Congrattions! Title Eighth Ring Conqueror upgraded to Ninth Ring Conqueror!</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats: +40%  +50%</strong>

    The rush of stats returned some power to Jack, who barely managed to stand. He first looked at the once glorious throne room around him. Now, it was ruined. Half the columns had been demolished andy in debris. The walls, floor, and ceiling were filled with craters and cracks. Thin stone dust covered the floor. And, of course, part of the room was ckened where the final explosion had spread.

    It was utter mayhem. So utter, in fact, that Jack momentarily marveled at how he had participated in a battle of such ferocity. After all, this room wasnt made of simple stonebefore developing his third Dao Root, he wouldnt have even been able to scratch it.

    He then looked outside. Through the still-open wooden door that had thankfully avoided the explosion, three sets of eyes were staring at him with intense pride and joy. Brock was jumping up and down, unable to contain himself. Gan Salin was bragging about something to Naujaknowing him, it was probably something along the lines of I made that kid. As for the barbarian girl, her eyes were starry and filled with wonder. At that moment, she truly admired Jack as a fellow warrior.

    He smiled and waved at them.

    Finally, he directed his gaze downward, at the old mans still body. <em>Did I kill him? </em>he wondered. The iron armor was undamaged, and his helmet cover had fallen over his face, so Jack couldnt tell. One hand was missing from the wrist, and his mace stilly across the hall.

    Suddenly, motes of silver light rose from the floor. They surrounded the old mans body with blinding brilliance, forcing Jack to avert his gaze. When the light dimmed, he looked back to find the old man standing before him again, whole and well.

    Well done, he said in a voice full of emotion. He didnt seem to mind that he had lost. Well done, child Well done!

    Thank you, senior, Jack replied, bowing with a smile. It was a great battle.

    Indeed! That transformation you used, and expelling your Dao to counteract my domain Superb! I have to admit, losing for the first time in a million years feels much better than I thought it would.

    Jack smirked. Has nobody else defeated you, senior?

    Nobody. There were some people who came close, but

    Through his exertion, Jack forced himself to focus. But how can that be? I know that Im stronger than most, but we are talking about an entire gxys worth of geniuses over a million years. How did I, a random guy who just got Integrated, do something that all those couldnt?

    The winning path seems simple to the winner, but only through the eyes of the losers can you tell the difference, the old man replied. True, there were other people with four Dao Roots and a perfect Dao Seed beforewhat we call perfect mortality, or perfect foundation. But how many of them had titles as good as your Integration ones? How many were as experienced in life-or-death battles? How many had the good fortune of stumbling upon one of the rarest and strongest items in existence?

    Thats true, I guess

    At the end of the day, young man, dont think too hard on it. The old man smiled. You made it. Thats what matters. Celebrate a little!

    Hah. I already shouted out before, you were just too dead to hear me.

    Dead? Please. This is just a proxy body. My real strength is far above the D-Grade. Even if I let you hit me for a thousand years, you couldnt even bruise me.

    Jackughed. When not fighting or condescending, this old man was actually pretty pleasant.

    Anyway, the old man continued, shall we proceed to the Final Ring? You can take your spiritualpanion along, if you want to.

    Jack pointed at the door. What about my other friends?

    They cante, unfortunately, unless they defeat me. But I can notify them when you teleport out of Trial, if you want, so you can all exit at the same time.

    Jack considered it for a moment. That would be great. Thank you, senior.

    Not a problem at all. Now

    The old man raised a hand. Jack felt the air coalesce in a line above his head, and Brock suddenly started floating. Bro! he shouted in panic and tried to punch the air, but Jack onlyughed. The brori floated smoothly through the door and entered the throne room.

    See you soon, guys! Jack shouted at Salin and Nauja. You will be notified when I teleport out, so we can all leave together.

    Okay! Have fun with your friends; just remember to return before bedtime! Gan Salin shouted back as the door swung closed on his face.

    Jack, Brock, and the old man were left alone in the throne room.

    Could we have your name now, senior? Jack asked.

    The old manughed. You did defeat me. I suppose you can.

    Jacks surroundings suddenly melted away like they were just a dream. He found himself on what resembled a tiny in the center of the world. Six sun mushrooms hung on the ring ceiling, around a mile away, each in one cardinal direction. The ground under their feet was a sphere barely a hundred feet in diameter.

    And yet, the power of gravity here was astonishing. Even with over five hundred points in Strength and abined +75% efficacy from his titles, Jack found himself straining to stay on his feet. The dense air deposited Brock on the ground, but a thin silver barrier appeared around him, helping him withstand the increased gravity.

    What is this? Jack asked.

    The Final Ring, the old man replied emotionally. The core of Trial. My home.

    A little wooden cabin was visible in the distancewhich, given the tiny spheres curvature, wasnt more than a few dozen feet away. Besides that, only grass covered the ground, swaying gently like it wasnt under mountain-crushing pressure.

    This is no house, Jack said. Its a prison!

    He couldnt imagine living in such a tiny ce for a million years. However, the old man onlyughed.

    My cabin isrger on the inside. I am also not restrained hereI am actually the spirit of Trial, so I can see and hear everything that happens inside it.

    Really? Then, why were you surprised by my transformation? Jack asked. He remembered that, when he used the Life Drop, the old mans eyes had gone wide as saucers.

    The old man gave a wry smile. Well Almost everything. Some spaces are isted, for both my sake and theirs. Besides that, however, this is my body and world. Saying I am trapped here would be like saying you feel cramped in your own body.

    Jacks eyes brightened. So, you are the spirit of Trial. What does that mean?

    It means that I control this ce. I am responsible for the smooth operation of everything: the resetting of Labyrinth Ring every few months, the reactivation of traps, managing the monster poption, restocking the treasures, keeping immortals out of this Everything. You asked for my name, but I dont have oneif I do, that is Trial. You can also call me spirit, if you want.

    Senior Spirit, then, said Jack, who remembered Master Shols lessons on gctic etiquette.

    Bah, thats too formal. Youre my only guests in forever. Just call me Old Man Spirit.

    Then why Jack took a deep breath. Okay. Old Man Spirit it is.

    There you go. Old Man Spirit smiled. He still wore his iron armor, and his mace had returned to his belt at some point. He turned to Brock. And I suppose this brori is Brock, right?

    Brock nodded and reached out for a handshake. Bemused, Old Man Spiritplied. Watching a knight and a brori shake hands was quite a funny sight.

    Now, before we get to your rewards, do you have any other questions for me?

    Jack considered it. The thought of rewards intrigued himjust what treasures could the Final Ring hide?

    Before that, however, he did have a few things he wanted to ask. Old Man Spirit was a powerful, ancient existence that knew about his Life Drop secret. Finally, he had someone to give him actual information.

    Can you tell me about the Old Ones, senior? he asked.

    Old Man Spirit raised a brow. He seemed cautious. What exactly do you want to know?

    Many things, actually, but the most important iswhat exactly happened between the Old Ones, the Ancients, and the Immortals? I have heard that the Old Ones killed the Ancients, and so the Immortals created the System to defeat them. However, I have also seen evidence that the Ancients worshiped the Old Ones, and that the System itself is hunting down any Ancient remnants. All those things together dont add up. What really happened?

    Old Man Spirit didnt reply immediately. His eyes were narrowed, like he was thinking. Eventually, he said, I am limited in what I can divulge. Even if I wasnt, however, I wouldnt tell you. You are still too weak to partake in those secrets. When you be strong enough, you will naturally know.

    That told Jack nothing.

    Is there nothing you can tell me? he insisted. I may be too weak right now, but I still interact with all those forces. The System wanted me to report something to the Hand of God. The Hand of God is looking for the Life Drop inside me. The ck Hole Church is trying to recruit me, but I know nothing about them. Can you guide me even a little bit?

    No.

    Come on, Old Man Spirit. Please!

    The old man hesitated for a moment. Finally, he said, I am limited in what I can reveal. I have signed a Dao Contract to keep some secrets. However If someone is chasing you, you naturally want to stay away from them, right?

    Jacks eyes narrowed. Right. I want to stay away from the people who are chasing me.

    Of course. Thats a sensible choice to make. Old Man Spirit nodded. And, if somebody wants to be your friend, isnt it rude to decline?

    Jack tried to interpret these words. If he got it correctly, Old Man Spirit was telling him to stay away from the Hand of God and join the ck Hole Church.

    Which made sense, actually. The Hand of God was after him, probably, and the ck Hole Church had helped him on multiple asions. Still, it was nice to get confirmation.

    Okay, he replied. I think I understand, senior. Thank you.

    Not a problem.

    The issue was, Jack still had no idea what was going on with the Old Ones, the Ancients, and the Immortals. He didnt know what connections the Hand of God and ck Hole Church had with those groups.

    On the bright side, he didnt need to bother. He should be friends with the Church and run away from the Hand of Godsimple.

    Speaking of that, he said, if, hypothetically speaking, the people chasing me had surrounded Trial and were deep-scanning anyone who exitedwould they find anything suspicious on me?

    This was the most burning question in his mind. The Ancient voice had warned him that if anyone discovered the Life Drop, terrible things would happen. Since the Hand of God was here, and they had deep-scanning equipment, could he even leave Trial?

    Old Man Spirit seemed to share his concerns. His gaze darkened. Hypothetically speaking, that would be terrible. You would not want those people to find you.

    That was thest thing Jack wanted to hear.

    Is there a way to avoid them?

    Not unless theyre idiots. Trial isnt that big. Even if I teleported you to a random point of the surface or one of the two moons, they would find you easily.

    Shit. Jack gritted his teeth. If there was no way out, what he supposed to do? Die? Couldnt you teleport me farther out? he asked. Even in the middle of space. I could get a helmet and

    And go where? Do you have any idea how long it would take you to reach any from the middle of nowhere? Not to mention that they would still find you. My powers cannot teleport a mortal too far. He sighed. Listen. You carry the inheritance of my creators. I dont want you to be capturedbut there really isnt much I can do.

    Jack wrung his brain for a solution. Dont you have a teleporter? he asked. I was transported across half the gxy before. If you have one, I could go directly back to my constetion.

    I do not. Normal teleporters dont work inside my. The best I could do was use some of the energy of Trial to forcefully teleport you away, but that would put tremendous strain on you. Before bing an immortal, enduring it is impossible.

    What if I did be an immortal? Jack asked. I am close, right? What if I meditated and broke through?

    You are not close at all. Bing an immortal takes years of experience, even for the most talented of cultivatorsbut I guess thats all we can do. I, too, have sensed the hypothetical forces surrounding my. They will certainly catch you if you just teleport outside. The only way is for me to send you far away, and for that, you need to first be an immortal.

    Then

    It is not a problem. Old Man Spirit shook a hand. You can cultivate here. It will be a bit boring for you, but if you work hard, you should be able to break through within a year or two.

    A year or two!? Jack gaped. Senior You may not know this, but I am in a hurry. I must return to my within eight months from now and defeat a C-Gradeary overseer, or at least secure someone who can protect me against them. Otherwise, everyone I know will die. I cannot spend a year here. Isnt there a faster way?

    Old Man Spirit gave him a level look. I was not aware of that. In other words, you have to leave my within seven months at thetest, and the only way to do that is to be an immortal.

    Right. I have used a Dao Sprouting Pill before. If you can give me something simr, I can try to break through faster.

    A Dao Sprouting Pill would not be enough. Even if I had another, it is meant to help someone already on the precipice of breaking through, not someone like you whos still a ways away

    Then, some other treasure. You mentioned I get rewards for defeating you, right? Isnt there anything that can increase cultivation speed?

    The old man hesitated. There is, actuallybut you shouldnt use it.

    Why?

    Because its too dangerous.

    That was music to Jacks ears. Since when was he afraid of a little danger?

    I can handle it, he said quickly.

    You dont even know what Im talking about. Dont get ahead of yourself, the old man said sternly.

    Jack realized hed rushed it a bit. Sorry, he said. Could you tell me more about this treasure?

    Old Man Spirit hesitated for a second, then sighed. I suppose I can. You see, I do have a treasure that can help you break through in time. In fact, let alone eight months, it can let you break through in one day.

    One day!? Jacks eyes went wide.

    Yesbut, of course, that woulde at a price. Take a look.

    The old man waved his hand. Suddenly, an item floated before Jack. It looked like a flower with a yellow core and white leaves, each painted with mystical swirling patterns. Even looking at it made Jack dizzy, like the mere sight of this flower was activating some hidden switch in his brain.

    This is the Thousand Essence Flower, Old Man Spirit exined. It has absorbed the essence of a thousand immortals and their Daos. When consumed, it temporarily links your mind to that essence, greatly expanding your ability toprehend the Dao. It would be like having a thousand immortals debating the Dao with yougiven your perfect and decently solidified foundation, it would allow you to instantly break through and be an immortal.

    Its that powerful!? Jacks eyes widened.

    Yes. In fact, not only will this flower let you break through immediately, it will also ensure that your Dao Tree is as robust as possible, not harming your foundation in the slightest.

    Despite all these strong words, Jacks gaze actually darkened. This flower sounded too good to be true. The catch, whatever it was, had to be equally tremendous.

    And the downside? he asked.

    The old man smiled sadly. With dangeres opportunity, but the reverse is also true. Treasures like this are actually <em>too </em>useful. As a result, the Dao frowns at their usage. Have you ever heard of a tribtion, Jack?

    I have not.

    With the assistance of such a powerful treasure, anyone could reach the D-Gradethat breaks the rules of the Dao, which state that only the worthy may advance. As a result, the Dao will inflict a tribtion on youa test, if you will. If you seed, you will be deemed worthy, and using this treasure to save time will be eptable. If you fail, you die, and your Dao is shattered. However, tribtions are not easy. They are a particrly feared form of deadly torture. If anything, breaking through the normal way is significantly easier.

    Jack raised his head. He ran over his choices, and realized he only had one. As long as it was a test, he was confident he could pass it.

    I can handle it, he said. Give me that flower, senior. If I can save time by just enduring a tribtion, of course Ill do it. In fact, this is exactly what I was looking for.

    I dont think you understand how perilous tribtions are.

    Do I have another choice? I cannot spend a year here, and there is no way to exit safely before bing an immortal.

    It is a great risk. Cheating the Dao is harder than it sounds.

    I understand, senior, but I must do this. Besides, you said that the tribtion is a test. Given my power, do you think I would fail?

    The old man looked him up and down. Not necessarilybut a tribtion tests more than your power. Regardless, this is your choice to make. The Thousand Essence Flower is one of the treasures I would offer youyou can have it.

    The flower floated toward Jack, who grabbed it gently by the stem. From up close, its fragrance was intoxicating. Every whiff activated parts of his brain he didnt even know he had.

    Besides this flower, what other treasures could I have chosen, senior? he asked curiously.

    You can only have one treasure, as per the rules. However, your other choices would have been a starship that can travel at incredible speed and give you insights on the Dao of Space, as well as a one-use weapon with the power to instantly kill anyone below the B-Grade.

    What?

    That weapon could just get rid of theary overseer directly. However, Jack didnt think about it too much. Even if he got the orb, he wouldnt make it back to Earth before the end of the grace periodand, by then, there would be many more immortals present than just theary overseer.

    Besides, the flower could contribute directly to his personal powerthe one thing he could always rely on. External assistance, like weapons, were not trustworthy.

    Since you chose this flower, I would suggest using it to break through immediately, the old man said. Bing an immortal in Trial is forbidden, but that rule doesn''t apply here. There is no need to wait, either. You already have everything in order. Just rest to recover your full strength, meditate for a few minutes, and when you feel ready, eat the flower to break through.

    Jack raised a brow. Eat the flower?

    Of course, the old man replied seriously. How else did you expect to consume it? By sniffing it in?

    I thought Nevermind. Who am I to disagree? Eating the flower, it is.

    Perfect. You can even use my personal meditation spot for your breakthrough. I wouldnt normally allow that, but He smiled widely. I really look forward to the Dao Tree you develop, boy. And I hope you survive.

    So do I, Jack replied honestly.

    The old man led Jack and Brock to a ce on the other side of this tiny. It resembled a park kiosk with only a meditation mat ced in its very center. Sitting down, Jack felt like he was using the meditation mat from back in the Integration Tournament. His mind felt unnaturally excited, like he was in the middle of some grand inspiration.

    With a knight and a brori watching him, Jack sat down, closed his eyes, took a deep breathand meditated.

 Chapter 221: Breakthroughs

    Chapter 221: Breakthroughs

    Gan Salin was breathless as he watched the battle between Jack and the Final Guardian. He struggled to believe he was at the same tier as these guys. Their speed, their strength, their skills, their control over the Dao

    This was a level he could never, ever reach. At this moment, hepletely and utterly submitted.

    The battle carried on, and Salins excitement only grew. He had never heard anything about that four-armed transformation. Plus, expelling ones Dao to counter an immortals Dao Domain Who did that!?

    When Jack won, Salin could no longer restrain himself, and his jaw fell so low it almost hit the floor.

    Wow he muttered breathlessly. A mortal had defeated an immortal. The unbridgeable chasm had been bridged. His friend, Jack Rust, had done the impossible. Wow.

    Nauja recovered from her surprise first. Hey, she told Salin, not a word about his transformation, okay? To nobody. Its a huuuge secret.

    Okay, he agreed absent-mindedly. What the hell was that?

    Damn me if I know. Hes just Jack. How did he be so strong!?

    Soon after, the immortal was reformed, Brock was taken inside the room, and Jack promised they would be notified as he teleported out, so they could join him. Then, the door closed, and Gan Salin with Nauja were left alone in the grasnd.

    However, while the throne room was sealed now, Salins mind was still on the battle. He felt deep pride for his friendand also a hint of envy, which he couldnt deny but could suppress. It was natural. Everybody felt like that when their close people seededthe trick was to let that feeling flow without affecting you. It was a trick hed been forced to learn.

    But now, for the first time, that pride he felt for Jack had awakened something else inside him. A fear. Why?

    He dug deeper into that feeling.

    He really enjoyed spending time with these people. Jack, Nauja, Brock He considered them his friends. Now that Jack advanced into the Final Ring and Salin was left behind, what was he afraid of?

    That he would be abandoned. That his friends would cast him aside due to his weakness. That he would be driven back to the Animal Kingdom, where nobody cared about himand, funnily enough, returning there had been his n all along. Perhaps that was a mistake. Maybe he should stick with these guys. They wouldnt abandon him. Even if they did, it wouldnt be due to his weakness.

    The Sages words jumped to his mind.

    <em>The road of Entropy is not one you want to walk. As you advance, you will grow deranged and disastrous to everyone around you. Eventually, your friends will be enemies, and someone will have to end you. Dont choose that path. Water down your wine. Fuse a Dao Root of order to your Dao Seed, so you can freely walk the path of insanity without fearing entropy. Add bnce to your chaos. That will be enough.</em>

    These words had sounded reasonable then. They still did. The truth was, even the insane had feelings. Gan Salin didnt want to lose his friendsbut what choice did he have? If he kept walking this path of pure insanity, he would sooner orter harm them, or betray them, or act in ways that bothered them. It didnt matter how much he liked them. Insanity was randomness. Maybe he would reveal Jacks secret on a whim, even after receiving thetters trust.

    Was the Sage right? Did Salin have to angle his path in a way that would allow him to remain loyal to his friends?

    The Sage had mentioned a Dao Root of order. That went against Salins teachings from back in the Animal Kingdom, but he now realized there was another path besides being a crazed suicide warrior.

    He would alter his path. Notpletelyafter all, he enjoyed his insanity. Just one Dao Root, as the Sage had suggested. A root that would ensure he never lost track of what mattered most. A guide to hold the reins of his insanity.

    What would it be? What life did he envision?

    Somewhere deep in Gan Salins blood, an ancient instinct awakened, one hailing from the days of his canine ancestors. He remembered Jacks battlethat was a friend whose level he could never reach. A man he admired.

    Salin lowered his head, sinking into cultivation right where he stood. Nauja said something, but he was too engrossed to listen. Insights and understanding flickered inside his mind as a new, blue Dao Root took roots in the insanity.

    He had developed the Dao Root of Loyalty. He would follow Jack and never betray himnor anyone else.

    For the first time, Gan Salin had the sense that things would be alright. The world was finally looking up for him. Everything would go great.

    He opened his eyes, and they were filled with new light. Ignoring the screens that popped up in his vision, he turned to Nauja and said, Fuck the Animal Kingdom. Im going back to Earth.

    ***

    Alexander Petrovic stood in the ruins of the Iceberg Pces left wing. Chunks of icey everywhere. Blood stains were frozen on the ground. A hand stuck out from under a single,rge ice block that had fallen from the iceberg ceiling.

    Alexander grabbed its edge and violently tossed it aside. Under it, the crushed corpse of his son was revealed.

    dimir he muttered, voice trembling. Why?

    Because this is war, a person said from his side. It was an E-Grade lycan merchant, the representative of the Animal Kingdom in Ice Peak. This man was not innocent. He fell in battle.

    He was my son, Alexander rumbled, raising his voice to the lycan. Am I meant to treat him like a normal soldier?

    I didnt mean that,mander, the lycan replied, bowing slightly. War brings casualties. The longer it goes on, the more people will die, and some of them might be dear to you. Choosing to not rely on the Animal Kingdom is a worthy ambitionbut, even if you can win this war without us, this is the price.

    Alexander fought hard not to p this man in the face. Instead, he turned his eyes to the ceiling, where light was streaming from a hole.

    For the duration of this war, he had repeatedly refused the assistance of the Animal Kingdom. It would note cheaply. If he epted, higher tax rates and generally stricter conditions would be applied on Earth as soon as the grace period came to an end. They would strangle the people into poverty.

    Alexander didnt want that to happen. He nned to dominate Earthunder the g of the Animal Kingdomso he wanted its people to be as prosperous as possible.

    However, the war did not end as quickly as he had anticipated. The Bare Fist Brotherhood and me River had yed their cards well. To this day, three months after the start of the war, they were resisting and holding their ground. If this carried on, they would just be dragged into a world war that would decimate the entire.

    And he might lose. After all, his enemies now had an E-Grade cultivator, and he did not.

    He had tried to maintain some semnce of mercy in his soul. Now, he felt the pressure, and it was heavy. He could no longer afford sentimentalism. He had to be cold.

    Clenching his jaw, Alexander looked the representative in the eye. Fine, he said, standing over the corpse of his son. Tell the overseer I ept her conditions. Send us help, and I will oppress the people of Earth for you.

    The lycan nodded so that his smile couldnt be seen.

    Right then, Alexander sensed something. A new strand of ice was born inside his soul, cold and calcting. He had just suppressed his grief to make a callous decision. As soon as he came under pressure, his heart had frozen over, eliminating all emotions to achieve a harder edge.

    The Dao sensed that, and it finally acknowledged him. Finally, he saw the path he would follow. The path of True Ice.

    I will break through immediately, Alexander said, advancing towards his chambers. He didnt wait for the lycans response before continuing, Take care of dimirs body. My previous message remains unchanged, but I will not wait. That man killed my only son. The moment I break throughhis eyes narrowed, his gaze a stormI will destroy him myself.

    ***

    Brock watched his big brother sit cross-legged and close his eyes, preparing for his breakthrough. He noticed that the air felt alive here, brimming with energy and understanding. His head was clear, and his heart felt serene enough toprehend the world.

    Watching his big bros significant moment was important, but a good bro knows to set priorities. And right now, in this ce, he had a great chance to finally tackle a thought that had bothered him for a while: the Big Thought of Density.

    He could already feel its essence in his muscles and the way they clenched. It was just that, every time he tried to consider it, something was always missing. A spark of inspiration, like the final hurrah of strength when you lift a particrly heavy dumbbell. Something to make the whole thing click.

    As he sat here, where the Dao was far denser than normal, that something clicked.

    Therefore, with a joyful cry, he took a seat on the soft grass and used his bro powers toprehend the Big Thought of Density.

 Chapter 222: The Dao of Jack Rust

    Chapter 222: The Dao of Jack Rust

    Jack sat cross-legged and prepared himself. Slowly, the world fell away, leaving behind only him, his resolve, and the Thousand Essence Flower.

    He had to seed. He had to brave the risk and break through. This was it. After this moment, he would either rise to the topor fall to hell.

    A little more time passed. Jacks resolve strengthened to its limit, though there really wasnt much space to gohe was already as hyped as he could be. His mind calmed down like a stillke, giving him a clear view of his soulthe Dao Seed of the Fistand the four Dao Roots that were one with it.

    After today, these would not be inheritances of some greater Dao. It would all be his own, personal interpretation of the worlda Dao that belonged only to him, Jack Rust.

    Deep breaths. His chest rose and fell, filled with the verdant Dao that suffused the air of this ce. He had rested for two hours beforehand, so he had already fully recovered from the battle against Old Man Spirit. He was at his absolute strongest. There was no better time.

    Jack did not open his eyes. Brock and Old Man Spirit were nearby, watching him. The increased gravity bore down on him, agitating his body and drawing out its potential. The breeze was peaceful, and the air filled with power.

    He opened his mouth and swallowed the Thousand Essence Flower.

    It was like an explosion went off in his stomach. He lost his breath and almost toppled from his seating position. Instantly, his mind and soul were overwhelmed by understanding.

    This was nothing like his previous experience with the Dao Sprouting Pill. The pill had given him increased awareness, like a psychedelic medicine that ripped away everything else to expose the purest form of the Dao. It was useful, but at the end of the day, it was something that only enhanced his own power.

    The Thousand Essence Flower waspletely different. It didnt reveal anything new. Instead, it felt like a thousand wise fairies had just been unleashed in his bloodstream, probing and understanding everything. He quickly opened his soul and let them in, at which point they started inspecting his Dao.

    Jack didnt wait for them to finish. He immediately started his breakthrough. He fell into his soul worldit waspletely barren this time, a limitless dark expanse with a single purple sun and four bright stars surrounding it. Motes of light also hovered everywherethe spirits of a thousand immortals, here to assist him.

    Jack took a deep breath. He raised his arms like a godwhich, in this space, he kind of was. The sun shuddered. The stars flickered and changed their trajectories. The motes of light pulsed with excitement, realizing what was happening.

    <em>Who am I? </em>he finally asked the question. His Dao rose to the task. So did his soul. The motes of light helped him, pooling their minds together with his to help him jump to the right conclusions.

    Jack saw a vision of himself before the System. He was moving forward in life but staying at the same spot. There was little sense of progress or fulfillment. The world was a mundane, gray prison, and he was powerless to do anything about itboth in mind and body.

    That powerlessness was expressed in his Dao of Weakness. It was his past, and the future of his enemies.

    When the System arrived, he broke those shackles. He fought for his life, and it was hard. Many times, he almost died. Many more, he almost wished he had, but he always pressed on. He saw every threat as an opportunity to grow, and slowly but surely, he carved out a ce for himself in the Dungeon of the Strong with his indomitable will as the chisel. From then on, no matter what dangers assaulted him or how desperate the situation was, he always relied on that will and never buckled, never hesitated, always charged forward with roaringughter.

    That was his Dao of Indomitable Will. The cornerstone of his strength.

    Through indomitable will, he gained powerand, with it, the ability to direct his fate. After escaping the Forest of the Strong, he was no longer weak. He was qualified to take the reins of his life and the world. To stand at the very front and make everyone else revolve around him. To impose his will. Even after the Integration Tournament, when he arrived at the genius-filled Trial, he still exercised that power and always took the initiative, until he eventually outgrew everyone around him and conquered the previously impossible peak. He dominated the world.

    That was his Dao of Power. The state he would always be in, until the day he died.

    And, around all those, stretched the Dao of Life. It was a nket that framed everything. It was chaos wrapped in order, like the evolutionary race of animals on Earth. The strong won and directed the world, the weak felt pain, and there was no rule beyond survival.

    The world of cultivators was close to that state. Laws and rules mattered little before unsurpassable strength. The weak had no right to speak, only the mercy of the strong. These ideals werent just, by modern standards, nor were they something Jack enjoyed, which is why he avoided bullying the weak. But they remained the purest representation of life, before it was constrained byws. A chaos of struggle, framed by the order of everyones desire to survive. To deny this way of life would be to remain weak.

    That was the Dao of Life. The only Dao that Jack hadnt fullyprehended before, but finally understood after spending countless hours meditating on it in the sealed cave, and with the assistance of the Life Drop. Even if the Dao Root of Life hadnt been forced on him, his current insights would be enough to obtain and fuse it.

    And, of course, at the core of everything stood the Dao of the Fist. The path which he followed, which gave him everything else. He hadnt always known about the other Daosbut the fist had been with him from the very start; his guideline, his weapon, his resolve.

    Jack couldnt see it, but a purple hurricane was slowly rising around his body, a focal point of energy. The more it revolved, therger it grew. Brock was staring with wide eyes. Old Man Spirit was smiling.

    Jack remainedpletely focused inside himself.

    He had always been a fist. Maybe that is why, before the System came, he felt so trapped. Why he thrived now. Why he loved this world, despite its pains and troubles.

    The fist was the center of his existence, the life he aspired to live. When following that path, he was happy beyond the shadow of a doubt. His chest was filled with warmth. There were no doubts in his mind, no lingering regrets, no second thoughts. He was simply happyfulfilled.

    Of course, the Fist didnt apply everywhere. That was where the rest of his Daos came in. Indomitable Will was the very foundation of the fistthe body of the iceberg that always remained below the surface, but without it, the tip could not exist. Power was how his inner fist was expressed in the outer worldthe result of his actions, and what dictated whether his fist or the enemy would break first. Life was the field he yed atthe true, unbreakable rules of the world that gave everything meaning. Finally, weakness was his past, what birthed and entuated his fist, as well as the state of the enemy when he stood before themitpleted his understanding of the world, not just himself.

    These four Dao Roots gathered around his fist and perfected it. Turned it from just a path into aplete understanding of the world, a system of philosophy through which everything could be expressed. It was a viable way to see theplete spectrum of reality. A partial understanding that would never break. A lens that would nevere short. One of the many irrefutable Truths.

    A truth that belongedpletely to Jack.

    He snapped out of his thoughts, returning to his soul space, which was no longer dark. His Dao Seed, that floating fist, shone brilliantly. Purple light now covered every inch of this space. The four Dao Roots, which were previously shaped as stars, were bathed in that light. They began to elongate.

    From dots in space, they turned to lines, then widened. Before long, they were fingers, each a different color. They came together and wrapped around the Dao of the Fist, which had turned into a finger shorter but thicker than the restthe thumb. All together, the five of them formed aplete hand, and then they slowly clenched.

    Five fingers to make a fist.

    The shape solidified. It was the realest thing Jack had ever seen. He could only watch in awe as this spectacr urrence was happening inside his soul. There was no longer a sun or stars. All that existed was a colossal fistit had a purple thumb, and fingers that were each silver, blue, green, and ck, all with a slight purplish hue.

    His Dao Roots had wrapped around his Dao Seed to form aplete understanding, a system that would never add or lose anything. The fingers clenched further, eliminating any gaps. The process wasplete. From now on, if this understanding was even slightly imperfect, there was nothing Jack could doit would forever remain that way. On the other hand, if it was perfect, if it really was aplete understanding of the worldhe would be an immortal.

    The motes of light cheered. Their job was done.

    Suddenly, the giant, multicolored fist thumped. It became real, like it finally came to the foreso real that it couldnt possibly exist just inside his soul.

    A new force suddenly appeared. It was like a door had been opened to let in the infinite wonders of the universe. A stream of power came from nowhere and smashed into the fist. Now, Jack was just a watcher.

    This stream was not the tribtion Old Man Spirit had mentionedit was a natural part of this breakthrough. The universe had sensed that someone was forming their own Dao, but it couldnt permit an iplete Dao to exist. It had to make sure Jacks was up to the task.

    This was a simr situation as the thousand visions he had to resolve when he reached the E-Grade, except far harder. The thousand visions back then had only been a small test, like a professor giving an exam to her students. This one, however, was the real deal, as if every professor in the world was peer-reviewing a students paper.

    There weren''t just a thousand visions. They were infiniteor, at least, far more than Jack could count. The universe summoned its power to pit Jacks new Dao against every possible scenario in existence. If it couldnt properly respond to any of them, if it had the slightest imperfection or inner contradiction, the universe would not ept it, and Jack would never be an immortal.

    Whats worse, Jack could not do anything about it. This was just the highest powers in the universe scrutinizing his Dao. All he could do was watch, with his heart in his throat.

    At least, he had the assistance of a thousand immortals. With their help, he could only hope that the end result was perfect.

    The stream of power intensified. Every Dao out there lent a part of itself, creating its own little test for Jacks Dao. His soul was suddenly awash by every color in existence, and the awe was so strong that Jack barely resisted the urge to kneel. The colors also reached the motes of light and instantly extinguished themas that happened, Jack felt anger building in the colors, as if the existence of these motes of light was an insult. Like he was cheating.

    Time lost its meaning. Jack had no idea how long this process took. Eventually, however, the stream of power began to dim. It went from a torrent to a river, then a trickle, before it was finally extinguished.

    Jack held his breath as he stared at his Dao, looking for the slightest crack.

    But there was none. His Dao remained whole. It had survived the onught. It had passed the test. The universe had acknowledged it as worthy of sitting on the highest thro be apletely new Dao, on par with all the minor Daos of the world. From now on, people could cultivate the Dao of Jack Rust.

    Jack felt extreme joy. He wanted to scream and shout, to cheer, to celebrate, to pump his hands in the air.

    Except, something was wrong. His breakthrough was notplete. He had not reached the D-Grade. A thinyer separated his Dao from fullying into existence, like it was held back by an invisible force. He couldnt even ess its powers anymore.

    Yet, the breakthrough <em>should </em>beplete. The test had already urred. Which could only mean one thing.

    Jack opened his eyes in the real world. He saw the remains of a purple hurricane dissipating around him, as well as the excited eyes of Brock and Old Man Spirit just outside. However, he didnt smile yet; he only looked up, at the ceiling of the Final Ring, where, despite all impossibility, a storm was slowly brewing.

    The tribtion wasing.

 Chapter 223: Enduring Three Strikes

    Chapter 223: Enduring Three Strikes

    Eva Solvig, the B-Grademander of the Hand of Gods fleet around Trial, was meditating. Her white hair were sprawled on the ground around her as she sat on the surface of one of thes two moonsa moon she had imed entirely for herself.

    If one watched closely, they could see the air sparkling and shimmering in her near vicinity. Any impurities had already been eviscerated. Even the tiniest speck of dust could not survive within five miles of where she meditated.

    Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. What? she said. In the next moment, she disappeared.

    She reappeared on the other side of Trial, where a peculiar sight was taking ce. Multi-colored storm clouds were gathering in space, appearing out of nowhere. Lightning arced and brewed between them.

    A tribtion? she asked, frowning. For what reason?

    It didnt take long for a few more figures to appear beside her. They were the captains of each starship under hermandall of them C-Grades. One of them, her personal assistant, floated to stand a step behind her.

    Why would a tribtion appear here,mander? he asked respectfully.

    There are not many things worthy of a tribtion, she responded. Someone using an extremely strong treasure to break through would be one reason. Someone disrespecting the Dao would be another. It could also Wait. Its firing. Back off!

    All of them flew backward, putting a distance of several dozen miles between them and the tribtion. Eva was intrigued. Where would the tribtion fire? Who was its target?

    Lightning cracked and slithered. An explosion came. The clouds were roused. And yet, no lightning bolt flew in any direction.

    The C-Grade captains behind Eva started whispering, but she only narrowed her eyes. She could sense a spatial turbtion in the midst of the clouds. The lightning bolts were fired, but they were teleported somewhere else. And, if that happened so close to Trial, there could only be one exnation.

    It is aiming at something inside the, she exined. But it couldnt be a breakthrough, since that is impossible in Trial. It couldnt be a disrespect of the Dao, eitherhow could mere mortals attract its attention?

    Then, what could it be,mander? her assistant asked.

    The birth of an incredible beastor a supreme treasure. She narrowed her eyes. This has to be connected to the Ancient ruins found inside. Have we discovered anyone suspicious yet?

    No one,mander. However, thetest Garden Assault waspleted a month ago, and our Lady reported two suspicious individuals. A man with extreme divination and unknown power, who was probably affiliated with the ck Hole Church, and a recently Integrated man who developed the power of a Lord and managed to steal the Top Treasure under the noses of all three participating Lords. The two of them seemed to be friends, too.

    Has either of them exited the?

    Not yet,mander. Or, at least, we havent found them.

    Hmm. She frowned. This must be connected to the ck Hole Church representative. Put out a warrant with his details, offering a reward that would tempt even C-Grades. I also want all of you to take shifts and join the squads scanning the, to make sure none of them escape. You know the ck Hole Church has its wayswithout a C-Grade actively watching, they could easily slip by us, if they havent already.

    Since this tribtion is happening, theyre probably still inside.

    Probably. I will also keep my meditation light so I can intervene at a moments notice, if anything happens.

    We appreciate that,mander, the assistant replied, bowing low. Eva returned her gaze to the tribtion, which was still firing away at whatever its target was. Then, she turned around again, as if shed suddenly remembered something.

    Did you say that second man hasnte out either? she asked.

    Yes,mander. However, our Lady reported that he was trapped in an immortal meditation chamber. ording to her, the chances of him escaping are close to nil.

    Hmm. Well, at least he wasnt one of ours. Focus on the ck Hole Church representative. Whatever treasure drew this tribtion, it must be extremely precious. We must not let the ck Hole Church get it. And summon reinforcements from the headquartersif this really is a supreme treasure, the Church might send B-Grades to retrieve it.

    The assistants eyes shone with fear, but he bowed. Yes,mander.

    ***

    Jacks eyes snapped open. He still felt the same as before the breakthrough, but that was only because it was not yetpleted. Soon, he would be a man anew.

    But only if he could survive the tribtion.

    He caught the eye of Brock, who nodded with a smile, and Old Man Spirit, who watched impassionately. He then raised his gaze high.

    There was a power brewing over him. He couldnt see it, but he could feel it; like an eye staring at him from far, far away.

    It wasing.

    The ceiling of the Final Ring cracked. Noit was space itself that had cracked, not the ceiling. Clouds slipped in through the opening, expanding quickly until they filled the entire ring. Darkness covered the tiny as the sun mushrooms were hidden behind the anger of the universe.

    Only shes of light illuminated Jacks surroundings now. Strands of lightning appeared briefly in the clouds above, arcing between them and gathering more power. They came in all colors of the rainbow. If Jack didnt know they sought his death, they would be beautiful.

    As it was, they were nothing short of terrifying.

    He still raised his head to stare at them directly. He followed the path of the fist. Even if the sky fell, his head would remain high.

    Good luck, kid, Old Man Spirit muttered.

    And then, heaven did fall.

    Lightning gathered in the cloud directly above Jacks head. It streamed in from all directions, slowly gathering power. It descended.

    In the instant while it tumbled down, Jack braced himself. The lightning bolt fell straight on his head. He was not prepared for the impact. His mouth screamed without hismand; so strong was the shock. His limbs spasmed, his legs threatened to bend, and he could see stars as everything burned.

    His regeneration acted up. The power of Life coursed through his body, repairing it and smoothening the sharp pain, but the lightning was nowhere near done. One bolt after another crashed down, like an angry giant hammering Jack with his anvil. He screamed. From one moment to the next, the darkness was torn apart by a cascade of lightning, all copsing from the heavens to Jacks head.

    shes burned the world. Light spread everywhere. Jack could see nothing, trapped as he was in a hellish cycle of ruin and rebirth. He heard screamsprobably his own. His body was burned and regenerated constantly, his nerves were frayed and healed, his heart stopped beating multiple times but was resuscitated by the same lightning that crippled it in the first ce.

    When the lightning stopped, Jack stumbled. His entire body was ckened, while smoke rose from his skin. He almost fell to the ground; then, with a titanic force of will, he forced himself to stay upright, not submitting to the test of the heavens.

    Just how was one supposed to survive this without his regeneration!?

    Yes, he had cheated to break through. He had used a treasure to take a shortcut. That was his choice, and he would take the punishment to prove he was worthy. He refused to fall.

    There was no way it was over yet.

    There are three strikes! Old Man Spirit shouted, as if on cue.

    Through the pain, Jack grinned. Of course there were three. Bring them on! he shouted to the sky.

    The clouds rumbled. More of them appeared, as if angered by his sphemy, and another round of lightning rained down. It really was like rain. The bolts were blue, this time, and they fell like bullets from the sky. Each was sharp and small, but their piercing power was great. It wasnt just Jacks skin that took the brunt this time. The lightning drops bore into him, sending their shock directly to his nerves.

    He screamed as he was buried in the rain. His entire body went taut. His head was thrown back without his will, and his neck muscles bulged so hard they seemed ready to pop out. The previous round of lightning had charred his skin. This one was burning him inside-out.

    His limbs went out of control. This time, he did kneel, because he could not control his legs. Shocks and spasms ran over his entire body. He didnt know if he was awake or unconsciousmaybe both. A pre-System persons body would have evaporated long ago, but Jack was augmented by the System and his Dao. Even when lightning fell as a storm, he could take it.

    When the rain died down, Jack was left on his knees, panting. Smoke was escaping from his pores. His regeneration was working overtime to fix him, but that didnt stop the pain. Gritting his teeth was all he could do to avoid screaming even more, and already, he felt exhausted.

    <em>The Dao doesnt hold back at all </em>he thought, vision blurry. <em>This tribtion is so powerful.</em>

    And there was one more strike. One more to go. If it was of the same intensity as the previous two, he could take itbut who was he kidding? Of course it would be even stronger.

    On cue, the clouds above rumbled a third time. Red was the dominant color now. One by one, more lightning bolts snaked into the cloud above Jack from the surrounding ones, but these strikes were slow, like ribbons made of fire.

    Jack braced himself.

    And fire rained down. This was no lightning. It was a literal torrent, a column of fire that fell from the sky. He was instantly engulfed by it. The grass around him evaporated. Fire poured down unendingly, flowing to the limits of where his purple hurricane had been before, forming a small pool that engulfed him.

    Jack was covered by hellish fire, bathed in it. He tried his hardest not to scream, as the fire could enter his mouth and burn his innards. He tried to close his nose and ears, to keep the damage outside his body, where it would hurt him less.

    Unfortunately, drowned in searing pain as he was, that was impossible. His eyelids burned. His skin bubbled. His pants evaporated, as did his credit card, leaving him alone in a prison that he could not even scream to avoid.

    The pain was indescribable. Jack barely held on to a strand of sanity, realizing that this was equally terrible as when he ingested the Life Drop. But he had seeded then. He would seed now.

    He would ept this price to be stronger. No matter the pain, no matter the torture, he would persevere. He would win.

    He gritted his teeth and fought hard to retain his sanity.

    It was this unending resolve, this indomitable will, that let Jack survive amidst the mes. He didnt know how long it had been. All he knew was that, when the red of the world finally receded, he was blind, deaf, and alone. All his senses had been obliterated by the mes. It was just him, his pain, and his exhaustion.

    Touch was the first sense to return. He felt the hot, rough ground under his back. Smell and taste came nextand he really wished they hadnt, for all he could smell was his burnt skin, and all he could taste were ash and iron. When his vision finally recovered, Jack realized he was syed on the ground in a fetal position, protecting himself with the barest instinct he could muster.

    The pain hadn''t disappeared, of course. It was everywhere, even as his regeneration worked hard to repair his body. His burnt-off muscles and tendons were reced with new ones. His charred skin ked off to reveal pristine, pink one. His nerves regrew, returning him control of his limbs, but also the ability to feel the full extent of this pain.

    Only then did he stand, slowly, enduring the pain and injuries. He felt like absolute shit.

    But he had survived. He had made it. He had endured the tribtion, proved himself worthy of using the Thousand Essence Flower, and secured a position as an immortal. The barrier that held his Dao back was still there, but it would fall soon, and then

    Then, he would be so strong.

    He endured the pain to turn towards Brock and Old Man Spirit. He smiled at themthough he undoubtedly looked horrible. Brock smiled back and gave a thumbs-up. Old Man Spirit nodded in approval.

    You survived, he said. Thats good. You can rest at my

    Suddenly, his words were cut short. His gaze turned to the sky. Brock made a questioning gesture, to which Old Man Spirit replied, Im not surebut something feels off.

    Jack followed the old mans gaze upward. The ceiling remained covered in clouds, which were slowly dissipating, since the tribtion was over. Everything seemed overbut could the spirit of Trial be wrong?

    Suddenly, the purple hurricane around Jack re-emerged. It pulsed with light and rotated faster, almost hiding him from view. The dissipating clouds above froze, then began to re-condense. Jacks eyes widened. So did Old Man Spirits.

    What is going on!? he shouted. This This shouldnt happen! The tribtion is over! I saw the clouds dissipating. Its three strikes, always three strikes!

 Chapter 224: A Deadly Intervention

    Chapter 224: A Deadly Intervention

    What is going on!? Old Man Spirit shouted. This This shouldnt happen! The tribtion is over! I saw the clouds dissipating. Its three strikes, always three strikes!

    And yet, the truth was irrefutable. Not only were the clouds regathering, but more and more of them kept appearing. Soon, they were so many that they formedyers, covering more of the sky until they arrived half a mile above the tiny. The arcs of lightning that passed between them were thick like barrels and filled to the brim with power.

    Jacks eyes were shaking. Old Man Spirit was gaping in disbelief. Brock tried rushing towards Jack, but a lightning bolt fell before his feet and forced him to step backit was a warning.

    Stay back, Brock! Jack shouted. Ill be fine! Ill

    He didnt have time to finish his words. A thick thunderbolt crashed on his head, frying his entire body instantly. Its power was way beyond the previous onesand it was just the first bolt.

    Suddenly, Old Man Spirit seemed to realize something. His face hardened, and his eyes narrowed as he shouted in rage, WHO IS MESSING WITH MY TRIAL PLANET!?

    His voice roared louder than the thunder. For a moment, everything went quiet before another lightning bolt felldirectly on Old Man Spirit.

    However, this old man was in his element. Even before the lightning crashed, he pointed a finger at it and shouted, BREAK!

    The bolt broke. The air opened up and swallowed it, spiting out to the side. Old Man Spirit floated upward, seeming utterly enraged. I dont know you are, he growled, but if think you can mess with my Trial, you are deeply mistaken.

    He unleashed hisplete Dao. Jack was blinded. He had no idea what level of power Old Man Spirit had really reached, but he knew that the D-Grade knight hed faced was nothing but a tiny fraction of what he now witnessed. The Dao itself rocked and seethed as Old Man Spirit waved a hand at the sky. A titanic silver mace appeared, aiming to crash into the clouds and disperse them. The entire world stood at attention.

    Show yourself! Old Man Spirit demanded.

    The moment the mace was about to strike, however, a second presence nketed the sky. Jack froze. Old Man Spirits mace was broken, his Dao was crushed, and his body was flung downward, nailed into the ground as if spiked by a giant.

    Old Man Spirit was unfathomably strong, but whoever was here was someone even stronger. A voice rumbled from the sky, like the far-off whisper of a God.

    Life is sealed in the dark. To those who wield it, death.

    It was a few simple words. Yet, Jack felt his entire world shake and sharpen to a point. He felt equal parts terror and awe. Instinctively, he knew he was really going to die.

    His gaze went to the side, looking for Old Man Spirit, but his wide eyes seemed to mirror Jacks emotions. It cant be he whispered. The Life Drop The power of Enas You are Axelor!

    The voice didnt respond. It disappeared like it had never been there, but the clouds remained, and they were pregnant with deadly lightning of extremely unsafe proportionsall of which was immediately unloaded on Jacks head.

    ***

    On a far-off starship heading away from Trial, a rag-dressed, yellow-toothed man was meditating. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and his head whipped towards Trial. Axelor he muttered, a storm brewing in his gaze.

    ***

    The B-Grade Head Enforcer of the Hand of God was still hovering before the tribtion in space, when her eyes narrowed. Something is wrong, she told her captains. What is this presence?

    She looked into nothingness, reading the screens before her face. Her eyes widened. An Old One is interfering! Notwo of them! She instantly turned tail and ran away, while her panicked captains followed suit. System, intervention detected. Report to headquarters. Contain it immediately!

    An explosion of force. Two divine presences collided next to the tribtion clouds, shattering space for a hundred miles in all directions. Even the clouds, for all their holiness, were dissipated.

    When the world stopped shaking, Eva looked back at the clouds from a safe distancethankfully, the only thing in the radius of impact had been an unaffiliated starship, which was nowpletely destroyed.

    What is happening? she wondered aloud. Why did the will of Old Ones appear here? Who were they? Just what is going on inside Trial!?

    ***

    Jack remained on the ground, standing on burnt grass as an ocean of power thrummed above him. The divine presence had abruptly disappeared, but the clouds remained, and their power was far above the previous tribtions level.

    Only one thing was clear: Someone very powerful wanted him dead.

    Jack! Old Man Spirit shouted. I I cant stop it! Im sorry!

    Take Broc

    Jack didnt even have time to finish his sentence. The heavens opened up. Fire rained down on him, interspersed with lightning of a far greater scale than before. Every bolt shook his soul. The mes threatened to lick his limbs to the bone. The ground was quickly cratered under his feet, melting into a puddle of white-hot liquid.

    Jack found himself trapped there, drowning in pain and quickly submerging into temperatures he couldnt possibly endure.

    He was going to die.

    Suddenly, a second titanic presence flooded his being. This one came from inside himfrom the Life Drop, whose depths he was still unable to reach. The presence said one thing: Two can y this game.

    Jack no longer had any idea what was happening. A valve opened inside him. The thin barrier containing the Life Drops powers copsed, releasing a veritable ocean of life inside him. His entire body was suffused with power. Every single injury he had was healed, and his exhaustion disappeared, instantly reverting him to full power. But a ton of energy still remained, and it escaped his body as a green sphere, pushing back the fire, lightning, and molten dirt. Suddenly, Jack was hovering in a sphere of perfect safety in the middle of extreme danger. It was simr to how he had used his Dao to counteract the old mans Dao Domain.

    You have three seconds to prepare, the voice inside him said again before disappearing. The Life Drops barrier reformed, and no more energy escaped. The green sphere protecting him swiftly began to degrade in power, as it was ground down by the incredible heat outside.

    <em>Three seconds? </em>Jack wondered. <em>What</em>

    But there was no time to think. Three seconds was a considerable amount of time for someone of his level, but not enough to waste on the how and why of the world. All the questions he had could wait. Right now, he had to hurry and prepare, because the barrier would fall soon, and he would die.

    <em>Prepare how? </em>he asked himself, set fully to the task. <em>There is no way I can survive that tribtion. Its just too strong. Unless</em>

    A wild thought crossed his mind, and once it appeared, it refused to go away. He closed his eyes, instantly reaching his soul space, where the multi-colored fist hovered powerlessly, still blocked off by the Dao of the universe. After all, officially, his tribtion wasnt over.

    But someone up there wasnt ying by the rules. Therefore, neither would Jack.

    With a roar, he used the entirety of his mental energy to m into the thin barrier that contained his Dao. It screeched and cried for help, but the life energy was keeping all other Dao at bay. It was alone.

    Jacks soul clenched its fists and tore at the barrier. He smashed it again and again. His punches fell likeets, and before his mind could realize exactly what was happening, a crack was formed. It quickly erged before the entire barrier broke apart.

    For the first time, Jack felt his Dao. It was beautiful. It was him. His entire life and will, crystallized into one shape. It was the sword hed fight with and the hill hed die on.

    It was like discovering a crucial piece of himself that had always been missing. How had he fought without his real Dao? How had he even lived?

    He reached out a hand and touched it. It fell into ce in his soul. Instantly, his entire world shifted. The Dao currents hed seen under the effects of the Dao Sprouting Pill were now everywherethey were part of his normal sight. His body was filled with such power that his mind took some time toprehend it.

    He felt like a godan immortal.

    Jack had broken through. He had be a D-Grade cultivator. Right here and now, in the unlikeliest of circumstances, with two gods fighting over his head, he had somehow seeded.

    And, in a sh of awareness, he realized that breaking that barrier with his own two fists was the most suitable way to break through.

    Before he couldprehend the weight of his power increase, blue screens flooded his vision.

    <strong>Congrattions! Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (peak+)  Dao Tree of the Fist</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! E-Grade  D-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have developed your own, personal Dao, bing an immortal member of the universe.</strong>

    <strong>All stats +50</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level Up: 5  10</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 125.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! The Bare Fist Brotherhood faction has reached the D-Grade. New functions unlocked in the faction screen.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! For being the first cultivator on your to develop a Dao Tree, you are awarded the Title:ary Overlord (1).</strong>

    <strongary Overlord (1): A Title awarded to the first cultivator to develop a Dao Tree in an Integrated. A sign of great potential, marking the owner as a person worthy of the Immortal Systems assistance.</strong>

    <strong>Efficacy of all stats +15%.</strong>

    Jacks body convulsed as it was flooded with power. His stats, which were already extraordinary, had just been pushed through the roof. He felt like he could break a mountain with a single punch.

    The greatest increase in power wasnt in stats, however. It was qualitative. His Dao had increased so vastly in potency that he couldnt fathom how he ever beat someone of this level while still an immortal himself. Rather than a piece of a greater Dao that he simply borrowed, he now had a power of his own. The difference was unimaginable.

    He felt his soul thrumming with an ocean of power, like he was a god himself, and he felt a resonance with the world around him that went beyond words. By simply willing it, he could exert control over his surroundings, influence them with his Dao.

    Of course, at this level, his mind was much faster than a normal humans. Despite all these changes, only two seconds had passed since the voice spoke. One remained. Which meant

    Even amidst the danger, Jack grinned.

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

 Chapter 225: Striking Back

    Chapter 225: Striking Back

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    <strong>Fist of Tyranny (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>Power is the foundation of everything. Use your strength to step on the weakness of others, and develop a fighting style meant to annihterge groups of weaker opponents.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Punch until they no longer dare to stand.</em></strong>

    This first ss seemed like an evolution of his current one, Fiend of the Iron Fist. However, while the Fiend ss suited Jacks strengths, this one took things way too far. He could see how his path could be interpreted that way, but that was not it. He didnt want to lead by fear. The point of his fist wasnt to dominate others, but to liberate himself.

    <strong>Primal Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>A Primal Fist channels the spirits and ghosts of the world to enhance themselves. They dominate natural wonders, as well as the hearts of people, bing forces of nature themselves.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>To live. To prey. That is to be.</em></strong>

    That sounded cool. It sounded like Nauja, actually. Since she had a bow, maybe she would one day be a Primal Hunter?

    Not to mention it was a King one. Jack had never seen a ss of this tier before, but it was certainly far better than the Elite ones he was used to. Plus, its direction wasnt so far away from his current path.

    In any case, this ss intrigued Jack. He went on to read the final one.

    <strong>Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>Punches like meteors, a body like a celestial object, and a supernova as your war cry. Cosmic Fist is a warrior who uses their body to emte the wonders of space, harnessing powers that belong to the cosmic scale.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Punch through the final frontier.</em></strong>

    That wasway too suitable. Jack had to admit he was intrigued. Not only was this ss a King one, like the Primal Fist, but space had always fascinated him. Even more so after traveling through it for a bit.

    All three sses sounded great. All could lead him to incredible adventures, to the peak of the world. However, the winner was clear in his heart. He knew which path he wanted to followone of his skills was already on it, actually.

    He made his choice. It wasnt like he had much time, anyway.

    <strong>Congrattions! You are now a Cosmic Fist (King).</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Indomitable Body III upgraded into Neutron Star Body II.</strong>

    <strong>Neutron Star Body II: Neutron Stars are made from the densest material in the universe. Your body inherits some of its properties, achieving extraordinary resilience and durability, increased weight and strength, as well as resistance to all elemental attacks.</strong>

    <strong>You also retain the heavy regenerative properties of this skills previous version.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Ghost Step II upgraded into Space Walk I.</strong>

    <strong>Space Walk I: Space is a constraint you have learned to escape. By spending arge amount of energy, take a step through the fabric of space to reappear anywhere within a mile radius.</strong>

    Both those skills sounded seriously cool. Jack could barely contain his excitement. Even as the sphere of life energy around him was running on itsst fumes, he felt so filled with power and potential that no lightning or fire could harm him.

    He spent the final fractions of a second to inspect his status screen, feeling his chest swell with pride at how far hede. He also invested all free points from his one level-up to Physical.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 125</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 635</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 585</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 605</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 120</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II, Space Walk I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Overlord (1)</strong>

    There were so many things to take in.

    Thanks to the newest title,ary Overlord (1), all his stats now had an efficacy of a hundred and ny percent. Moreover, the fifty points he got in all primary statsso a hundred and fifty totalwere the equivalent of thirty levels in the E-Grade. And he had another ten points from the one level-up he did, from Level 124 to 125.

    Unfortunately, there was no time to glower over his status screen. He eyed the storm of fire and lightning outside, then clenched his fists.

    Someone was trying to kill him. They had thrown at him a tribtion he couldnt possibly survivebut they hadnt predicted that he would break through in the process. Whoever it was, whatever this tribtion meant, Jack would punch it all in the face.

    The life barrier dropped. Fire and lightning filled his world. This time, Jack didnt just wait for punishment to fall on him. He had recovered his Daohe could fight back.

    He roared and punched. All colors and sounds were sucked into his fist. Even the tribtion itself lost its vibrancy. His new, reinforced Dao seeped into his fist and, for a moment, made it the most brilliant object in the world.

    A purple meteor exploded in the darkness. The air cracked. The fire and lightning were pushed back. Strong winds erupted, striking the ring ceiling a mile above and the ground under Jacks feet. They even parted the molten dirt that surrounded Jack, letting his bare feet touch the torched ground for a little.

    The white-hot liquid would close again soon, but that was fine. Jack was no longer going to sit back and watch. He would demand the reins. He would fight back.

    He would break the heavens.

    His feet pressed hard against the ground, and he shot off. The molten liquid closed under him, but it didnt matter. Not only did he not n to fall back down, but he was also an immortalhe could fly now, as simply as willing it.

    Fire and lightning surrounded him in all directions. Jack was trapped in hell, but he used to be a fiendhe knew his way around. Even as the world closed around him, he punched out again. A meteor shattered the world. It felt like the entire Trial had just rumbled.

    The fire and lightning were pushed back yet again, but he was higher up this time, and they were stronger. They recovered quickly, surrounding him and seeking to smother him like constrictor snakes. mes rubbed against his skin. Lightning struck his orifices. Jack was swallowed by disaster, but feeling the pain, he onlyughed.

    Is that all? he shouted to the sky, unafraid of opening his mouth. His new Dao gave him control over his surroundingsa control that this tribtion, originally meant for E-Grade mortals, couldnt break. Even if he opened his mouth, the fire couldnte in. All it could do was strike at his Neutron Star Body, which was now harder than steel. Even this celestial fire could only sizzle his arm hairs, and the lightning ricocheted back to where it came from.

    Jackughed again. Fuck off! he shouted. The Dao erupted from his body,manding the space like it was his. Every foreign Dao was pushed away or subdued. The fire went out, the lightning coiled around itself, and Jack reigned over his surroundings like a godlike an immortal.

    Watching from below, Brocks eyes were filled with stars, while Old Man Spirit was dumbfounded. A Dao Domain already!? he cried out.

    However, their surprise didnt end there. Jack had had enough. He was now so powerful it filled his body and mind, wrestled the world under his control. He shot up, directly towards the clouds, which were preparing for another strike. A column of fire fell on him, hot enough to melt iron.

    Jackughed again. He took a step in mid-air, and suddenly, he could see reality fold in on itself, bing a wrinkled piece of paper on which he could walk. He traversed from one fold to the next and stepped in. When he reappeared, he was now a thousand feet higher than where he used to stand. The column of fire was below him, burning nothing but his afterimage.

    Jacks mind reeled with an excitement that not even his exhaustion could overshadow. He had teleported! He had crossed space from the outside!

    Suddenly, he found himself right before the clouds. They stretched over him like a reverse sea, a dark surface that huffed and puffed with power, arcing down in the distance as they followed the curvature of the ring ceiling.

    These clouds, and whoever sent them, were trying to kill Jack. He would fight back. He readied a punch, filling it with all his newfound power. Space shuddered. It felt like he was holding onto a nuclear bomb. The strength in his hand was so rich it nearly burned himthis would be the most powerful strike he had ever unleashed, and by far.

    He couldnt help but grin in exhration.

    The clouds must have sensed his intentions. They groaned in protest as they gathered all of their power. The clouds in the distance shriveled up and died as the one directly above Jack pulsed and grew, charging up one lightning bolt with the power to level a mountain.

    Jack felt his hair rise and his heartbeat quicken. This power was sorge that he was instinctively terrified, but he wrestled that feeling down. He was strong now. He could fight this.

    I dont care if you are a God! he shouted, sending his voice to echo all over the Final Ring. The more he spoke, the more it rose in volume, until the entire ring was vibrating to his tune. I dont care if you are a tribtion! I dont care if you are the Dao, or the System, or the Immortals, or the Hand of God. You tried to step on my face and kill me. That is unforgivable. So pack your thingsand FUCK OFF!

    He punched out. The world darkened. A true meteor appeared around his fist, dominating the world and casting it in shadow. Its purple tail was the only color to be found.

    The cloud roared in protest like he had defiled it with his words. It shot out the lightning bolt. It was as thick as a house and as fast as light itself. But Jacks fist was already on the way.

    They collided.

    The world exploded. The point of impact detonated. Space cracked and ripped. The unleashed power dissolved the clouds, pushing them into the ceiling and the space crack from which they came. The sun mushrooms were destroyed. The entire shook as if an earthquake had happened. A shockwave ravaged the floor of the Final Ring.

    Brock covered his eyes and hid behind Old Man Spirit, who watched the sky with wide, shocked eyes.

    When everything calmed down, Brock hesitantly raised his eyes to the sky. There were no clouds to be seen. No fire, no lightning. Cracks spread across the ceiling, and a single sun mushroom was illuminating a man standing in mid-air,ughing as he held up a fist.

    Brocks eyes were filled with emotion.

    Fuck you, world! Jack shouted with release. You cannot hold me down! I am Jack Rust, and I. Am. BACK!

 Chapter 226: Goodbye, Trial Planet

    Chapter 226: Goodbye, Trial

    Edgar was preparing for a celebration, hoisting little lights on trees, when the professor came running out of her house. Edgar! she shouted, frantic with joy. Look at the faction screen! Look at the faction screen!

    Perplexed, he obliged.

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Leader: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Supervisor: Margaret Rust</strong>

    <strong>Members: 793</strong>

    <strong>Capital: Milky Way gxy, Milky Way sector, Animal Kingdom constetion, Earth-387, Forest of the Strong dungeon area.</strong>

    <strong></strong>

    D-Grade!? he eximed. Professor! Then, Jack

    He broke through! she squealed in a way that didnt at all befit a woman of her age. Somewhere out there, he became an immortal!

    Hah. Perhaps now he can buy the telepathy function, Edgar replied,ughing.

    This is no joke, Edgar. We must celebrate! We must let the world know! Then, maybe

    Suddenly, a shiver ran through them, like they were stared at by a beast. The professor looked around, lost, but Edgar immediately directed his gaze upward.

    There, three hundred feet above ground, a man was held aloft by a pair of menacing ice wingsand, even from this distance, Edgar could sense the coldness in his eyes.

    Sparman appeared next to them instantly. Oh wow, that guy sure looks angry, he said. But, uh, hes neither in the Forest nor threatening it. I cant do anything.

    As they scanned him, everyones eyes widened at the same time. Alexander Petrovic had broken through.

    <strong>Human (Earth-387), Level 50</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Ice Peak (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title:ary Torchbearer (10)</strong>

    Shit, Edgar said.

    Alexander suddenly roared out. His voice covered the entire forest,manding every ear in a radius of multiple miles. Edgar Ano! he shouted, making sure to express all his rage. You attacked my faction and killed my people! You crushed my only son to death! I am here to restore my honor. Come out and face me!

    Silence fell over the forest, with only thest of Alexanders words still echoing. Before they knew it, everyone turned towards Edgar, whose face was impossible to read. He did not reply immediately. Alexanders gaze bore through the trees tond directly on the wizard.

    A momentter, Alexanders voice boomed again. Are you a coward, Edgar Ano? Are you going to hide behind women and robots? Here I am, alone over your headquarters, to take revenge for my son. Come out and fight me if you dare. I challenge you to a duel to the death!

    The entire forest was rife with tension. Of the hundreds of people there, nobody knew how to react. Those in Edgars vicinity turned to looked at him, lost.

    Dont go, said the professor. Its meaningless. Hes stronger than you.

    Edgar chuckled darkly. A thousand thoughts were twisting around in his mind. He thought back to the destruction hed wrought on the Ice Peaks headquarters. The deaths and pain he had caused.

    This wasnt just Alexander Petrovic. It was the consequence of his actions, the just retaliation for what he had done.

    Can you imagine how the broris will look at me if I chicken out, professor? he asked.

    Her eyes widened. Edgar! This is stupid! You cannot go! Its not just you; this concerns the future of our entire war! We need you. You cannot risk everything over childish provocations!

    I know, professorand I apologize. Because I still must go.

    This is idiocy! You are better than that, Edgar!

    Edgar only smiled bitterly. He knew exactly how bad of an idea it was to go fight. He wasnt touched by Alexanders provocations, either.

    But he still had to go. Because, in the very core of his being, a breathtaking magic core shone brilliantly. His magic was about wonder, beauty, and awe. And where were those feelings in chickening out of a fair duel? Alexander had every right to request this. His only son had been killed. Edgar had to take responsibility.

    What sort of awe-inspiring figure could he aspire to be if he refused this challenge?

    He had already betrayed his Dao once by assaulting the Ice Peak headquarters. If he did it again, his Dao Seed would crack, and his path would end forever. He would be stranded.

    There was only one path of true magic at this point, and it included epting this duel. Even if that meant breaking his previous promise of never fighting again.

    <em>One more </em>he thought, sad for having to promise the same thing again. <em>Just one final time, until the cycle is closed</em>

    The professor saw through his intentions, and she was livid. Sparman, however, shook his head at her, indicating that there was no point in arguing. Harambe burst from the trees just then, a herculean brori, and looked Edgar deep in the eyes. Whatever he saw there, he nodded deeply.

    Im going, everyone, Edgar said. If I die, bury me properlyand give my apologies to Jack, for I could not protect what he left behind.

    With those final words, he took to the sky.

    Edgar and Alexander Petrovic, the only human E-Grades on the, faced each other in a duel to the death.

    ***

    One day after his breakthrough, Jack Rust floated over a patch of grass in the Final Ring, which was already fully repaired from his battle against the tribtion. Old Man Spirit had gifted him a set of purple robes, which hung loosely over him like floating silk and left his chest exposed. His hair had regrown when he broke through, and his eyes, though currently closed, sparked in the darkness like hidden stars.

    As he meditated, a purple aura spread from him with every breath, and anyone ncing at him would think they saw a clenched fist rather than a man. If a normal human stood beside Jack now, they would instantly fall to their knees and start worshiping.

    A young brori was also sitting behind Jack, back-to-back with him. He was trying to fuse his new Dao Root of Densitywhen he seeded, it would be his second one, raising him to the level of a human Elite.

    Suddenly, Jacks eyes opened slowly, gleaming like stars. An old knight appeared before him out of thin air.

    I have gathered the necessary energy, he dered. You are ready to teleport.

    Jack nodded and stood up slowly. Since he could now survive long-distance teleportation, Old Man Spirit had agreed to teleport him all the way to the Exploding Sun constetion, from where he could easily reach the factions headquarters.

    Since he liked Jack, the old man had also gifted him a small starship. It was nothing impressive, ording to him, but it would let Jack travel between nearbys.

    Thank you, Old Man Spirit, he said, bowing his head slightly. Your assistance has saved my life.

    Dont mention it, the old man replied,ughing. What sort of trial spirit would I be if I didnt favor thepetent youth?

    Jack smiled. Heh. I guess.

    What are you going to do now? Save your, as you said?

    Yes. I will first visit the Exploding Sun faction and see if they are willing to help. With my current strength, I believe they will jump at the opportunity.

    As they should. The old manughed.

    I will also visit my master there, and see if they have anything else to offer me. After that His gaze darkened. There is another faction, the Animal Kingdom, which has been acting as tyrants. They have already tried to bully or kill me on multiple asions. They are also the ones threatening my. Now that I have some real strength, I will not let that stand. In the few months before the grace period is over, what better way to level up than to wage war against a B-Grade faction?

    Old Man Spiritughed. Thats exactly how young cultivators should think! Good job, Jack. If you dont die, I believe youll make it far.

    Only thanks to you, Old Man Spirit. Jack bowed again. I will remember your kindness. In the future, if there is anything I can help you with, dont hesitate to let me know.

    Dont mention it. Its only natural for the old to help the young. Your sess would be enough for me. He smiled. But if I ever need your help with anything, I will be sure to send you a message.

    Returning your kindness would be my honor.

    Brock also stood, nodding to Old Man Spirit and stretching out a hand, which the old man shook. Thanks, he said. You good guy.

    Old Man Spiritughed. You are wee, Brock. You know, you are quite exceptional in your own right. As long as you keep training, I am sure you will soon blossom into your true potential. One day, you two might even be able to fight side-by-side.

    Jack smiled warmly. I wouldnt have it any other way.

    Brockughed. Thanks, he replied.

    Now, if youre ready, we can go, Jack said. Cultivation doesnt wait.

    Of course. Just give me the signal. Ill let your friends outside know to meet you at the Exploding Sun faction, as you said.

    Great. Were ready, Jack said, cing a hand on Brocks shoulder. Since they were spiritualpanions, he could bear the full brunt of the teleportation, so Brock could join him. Goodbye, Old Man Spiritand thank you for everything.

    Goodbye, Jack and Brock. May your adventures never end.

    The old man waved a hand. Suddenly, Jack felt space copse unstoppably around him. He thought hed be crushed to death. Then, his Dao Domain sprang to life, shielding them from the turbtions of space as he and Brock shot through the fabric of reality at tremendous speed.

    For a moment, he couldnt believe they were finally leaving Trial. It felt like theyd been there forever.

    He remembered the ruined surface. The Giant Ring, where he and Brock had dressed up as giant ants to infiltrate an ant hill.

    The Barbarian Ring, where hed met Nauja and her tribe, hunted down a live t-rex, and escaped Bocor.

    The Ancient ruins, where hed inherited the Life Drop and the will of the Ancients.

    The Vige Ring, where hed reconvened with Gan Salin and defeated Bocor.

    The Space Ring, where Brock had found his Trial, and where theyd surfed on a gigantic horde of space monsters.

    The Labyrinth Ring, or Labyring, where he had journeyed together with Longsword and faced an immortal for the first time.

    The Garden Ring, where hed risen in power, faced off against the Lords, won the Top Treasure, and developed his final Dao Root after cultivating alone in a dark cave for a month. Hed even released a devilwho knows what happened to that guy.

    The Final Ring, where he defeated an immortal head-on, met Old Man Spirit, faced a divine tribtion, and finally became an immortal.

    He couldnt believe Trial was finally over. He had been through so much, met so many people, grown so fast Despite all the pain and danger, Trial actually left him warm feelings in the end.

    <em>Heh. Would you look at that, </em>he thought with a wry smile. <em>How life turns</em>

    But all things came to an end, and if one walked the right path, only better things would follow. Jack had conquered Trial, the gxys greatest testing ground, and he was now strong enough to matter, to make a real impact. He was ready to fight the Animal Kingdom and protect his.

    There would be no rules from now on, no tests or contests. The training gloves were off.

    From now on, it would be war.

    Bro, look! Brock said, snapping Jack out of his thoughts. He was using the Staff of Stone to point in the distance, and Jack followed it smilingly.

    The feeling of teleportation resembled the one from when they came here with Gan Salin, but so much more vibrant. There was no protective force between him and the space between spaces, just his own Dao. It was the difference between holding your breath underwater and being in a submarine.

    Stars shot past. Comets, titanic gas clouds, constetions,s. An explosion echoed in the distance. A dark void surrounded them, and they were like a purple fist hurtling through infinite space. It was magical.

    Jack and Brock were lost in awe. Time had no meaning. Finally, they reached the end. Space shuddered around them, and they were spat back out into reality, in the dark nothingness between celestial bodies. A green was visible in the distancetheir first destination, from where they could use Jacks new strength to ess a teleporter and rush towards the headquarters of the Exploding Sun.

    Brock was no immortal, so he couldnt survive alone here, but it easy for Jack to engulf him in his Dao Domain and protect him.

    Jack reached for his starship. It had the ability to shrink itself to the size of a needle, so he had stored it in his new robes. Unlike his previous pants, these robes had pockets!

    However, he paused mid-movement. He turned around to find another starship hovering just behind him, and three figures inspecting him from a hundred feet away. Each of them was garbed in ck, with a cape stretching behind them. Their faces were covered by green, opaque veils that fell from their foreheads.

    He recognized them instantlyit was the Hounds who had been chasing him ever since he left Earth.

    Finally! one of them cried out. The diviner was right! You appeared right here, Jack Rust!

    Jack scanned them.

    <strong>Canine, Level 175</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Third Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <strong>Canine, Level 178</strong>

    <strong>Canine, Level 171</strong>

    Since the D-Grade stretched from Level 125 to 250, these people were considered middle D-Grades. Normally, any one of them could easily overpower a low D-Grade, like Jack.

    Of course, Jack wasnt your average low D-Grade. He had been able to fight at that level even before breaking through. Now, he was much, much stronger.

    But they didnt know that.

    Yup, you got me, he said, raising his hands. I surrender.

    The three Hounds hesitated. He became an immortal, said the first.

    Thats impossible, added the second.

    And yet, its true, the third replied. Capture him first, ask questionster. The bounty will be ours.

    Even though they could see he was an immortal, they didnt really fear him. After all, he was only Level 125, fifty levels below themthat was five hundred stat points.

    They approached. One of them revealed a set of golden handcuffs that somehow felt blurry in Jacks Dao perception. He waited calmly until they were close enough. The leading Hound reached out to cuff him, not thinking for a moment to be on guard.

    Jack punched out. A meteor was born, and it smashed into the Hounds chest, breaking all his bones and shooting him out like a meteor himself. In the same movement, he used a strand of his Dao to push Brock far backward, lest he be touched by the battles shockwaves.

    As the other two Hounds reacted, Jack Space Walked right between them. One used Five Star Grasp on his back. Jack let itndthe fingertips sank two centimeters past his skin, but nothing that his regeneration couldnt handle. His left hand shot out faster than sound itself, prating the other Hounds chest and emerging from her back. He retrieved his hand even as the Hound floated helplessly in space, breathing herst.

    In the blink of an eye, only one Hound was left. His face contorted in mindless fury, and he tried to use Five Star Grasp again. His Dao Domain was finally released, but Jacks met it evenly.

    How!? the Hound shouted, flying backward. Panic was coloring his voice. How can you stop my domain? You are only a low D-Grade!

    Well, size is not all that matters.

    Jack took a step, and space warped around him. When he reappeared, he was behind the Hound, grabbing him by the neck.

    You the Hound tried to say, but Jack tightened his grip. Bone bent, and the Hounds words were cut short.

    Answer my questions, Jack ordered calmly. Who told you Id be here? And what happened to the Trampling Ram, the starship I was previously riding?

    The Hound gurgled blood. His voice still came out, saying, The Animal Kingdom has its own diviners! As for that starship? Hah! We sent its captain to Hell!

    Captain Dordok? Jacks gaze darkened with pain and fury. A purple aura emerged from his body, surrounding the Hound and drowning him. He was a good man.

    Kill me if you dare! the Hound screamed. The Kingdom will know it was you. They will chase you until you die! They will kill your friends and family!

    Jack smiled. Sure they will. You say they will know it was me who killed you?

    Of course! The Kingdom knows everything!

    Perfect, Jack rumbled. He pushed his Dao into his voice, sending it in all directions, echoing in space like the promise of a God. The Animal Kingdom has bullied me enough. Now, it is my turn. I dont care if they know, because Iming for them anyway. Lets see how they like being bullied.

    The Hound struggled to speak under Jacks tightening grip. You What are you saying? he shouted in iprehension.

    Is it not clear? Jacks voice became so loud it shook space itself. I, Jack Rust, will destroy the Animal Kingdom. I dere war!

    The Hounds eyes shot wide open, but he had no time to speak. Jack tightened his grip. The neck in his hand groaned and cracked, then shattered in an explosion of bone. The Hounds head floated above his body, and the veil floated away, revealing an expression permanently frozen in horror and disbelief.

    Dering war on a B-Grade faction What madman would do that!?

    Jack didnt collect the bodies or their starship. He let them hover there, a grim reminder of his resolve. He withdrew his own starship from his pocket, willed it to erge to its normal size, then went in with Brock and closed the door. Soon, they were hurtling through space.

    First destination, the Exploding Sun faction. And then, until Earths grace period was upJack would harm the Animal Kingdom as much as he possibly could.

    They had attacked him first. They had threatened him, his friends, his family, and his. And now, finally, no matter how many C-Grades and B-Grades they had, they would pay.

    Because Jack Rust wasing for them.

 Book 2 is live on KU!

Book 2 is live on KU!

    Hey guys, hope you''re enjoying your summer!

    Kindle link: /amazon/B0C6FLPQV3

    You''re awesome! Thanks a bunch, and see you in 13 days for Book 3!

    Valerios

 Chapter 227: New Constellation, New Me

    Chapter 227: New Constetion, New Me

    A starship flew through space. Stars flickered restlessly on all sides, but the silence was deafening and the wind non-existent, giving the impression that the ship was standing still. In reality, it was moving at multiple miles per second.

    A green was slowly growing in the distance.

    Thats the way, Brock, Jack said, reclining on his seat. His dark hair tumbled over his shoulders, contrasting the perfectly white chair, while his eyes seemed to contain a universe of their own. If a pre-System person looked into them right now, they would probably shit their pants and bow in worship. Keep her steady. Were in perfect trajectory forwhat was thes name again?

    Brock shrugged. No idea.

    Noidea it is. Great name.

    The first time theyd flown a starship, it had taken the both of them to be even barely functional. However, that time had been under pressure, and with race mode identally activated.

    The starship they were currently flying was much more convenient. It had four roomsa cabin, a bathroom, a helm room, and an exit roomas well as controls that didnt jitter like a ticklish baby. It was certainly an upgrade.

    As a result, both Jack and Brock could drive it easily. They took turns.

    They had also named the starship, Bromobile.

    Were almost there! Jack shouted excitedly, watching the grow sorge it dominated their view. He could clearly make out the continents and seas, as well as arge mountain ridge, and the sight was nostalgic enough to almost bring tears to his eyes. It reminded him of Earth. Of home. It had only been three months since he left, but with everything that happened, it left like an eternity.

    He had grown so much since then. In three short months, he had risen through the entire E-Grade and broken through to be an immortal. He had also inherited the Life Dropa drop of blood from Enas, the Old God of Life who was trapped in a ck holeand achieved a King ss called Cosmic Fistwhich he looked forward to exploring.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 131</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 695</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 645</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 665</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 120</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II, Space Walk I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    Jack still struggled toprehend how strong he had be. He was an immortal now. He possessed the power to level mountains and a lifespan of a thousand years. And he was, what, twenty-eight?

    Time was weird like that. The four months since the Integration had felt like a century. For some reason, even the two hours it had been since he teleported out of Trial, killed the three Hounds, and dered war on the Animal Kingdomthough they didnt know yetfelt like months.

    Unfortunately, even though those Hounds were fifty levels above him, they had only given him enough experience to level up six times, reaching Level 131. Leveling would be harder from now on.

    <em>I really shouldplete my PhD at some point, </em>he realized, absent-mindedly watching the approach through the starships windshield.

    Bromobile down, said Brock. He pulled on a lever to reduce their speed, then tilted the steering wheel upward to make them glide in parallel with thes surface instead of hurtling straight at it. They descended through the atmosphere smoothly, unfettered by gravity. Clouds filled their vision. When they cleared, an entire world stretched beneath their feet, with valleys and mountains and forests.

    Wait, Jack said. This ce isnt empty, is it? After all, they needed to find a teleporter and head towards the Exploding Sun.

    Fortunately, it only took him a moment to discover therge dirt road wrapping around a mountain in the distance. Since they were still in the Animal Kingdom constetion, which was part of the System-integrated space, civilization meant cultivatorsand, most importantly, teleporters.

    Brock brought the starship to a halt and approached the windshield. A momentter, he pointed down. Jack followed with his gaze and quickly noticed a man riding a horse through a field below.

    Lets go ask him, he said.

    Brock grabbed the controls again. They descended like aet next to the horse-rider, who froze in terror and went pale as a sheet. He was a thin man with a long ck mustache, whose hard face looked out of ce when terrified like that. He was also surprisingly youngmaybe twenty years of age?

    Angh, he tried to say.

    Hello. Do you not speak ournguage? Jack asked, using Space Walk to teleport outside the starship.

    <strong>Human (Galipede), Level 32 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    The man jumped back in fright. His horse frothed at the mouth and started running away, causing its rider to fall.

    Jack was having none of that. He flew after the horse, grabbed it from the back, and lifted it over his head so that its legs kicked harmlessly at the air. He then deposited the horse gently before its rider, leaving both shell-shocked. If they could, they would have probably hugged each other.

    Sorry, Jack said. We didnt mean to scare you. Were just looking for directions.

    The man managed to utter a few words. Directions to what?

    The nearest teleporter that can take us off.

    I, uh Its that way, venerable immortal, the man said, pointing towards the far-off mountain. He had regained hisposure somewhat. A city in the middle of ake. Its called Califrede. You cant miss it.

    I see. Thank you. Is there any way I can repay the favor?

    The mans eyes went wide. Once again, he mustered his courage to say, I, uh, I was heading in the same direction, venerable immortal. I need medicine for my daughter. If you could carry me along, even in the trashpartment of your starship, I would be beyond grateful. Extremely grateful.

    No problem. Can you open the door, Brock?

    A door at the side of the starship slid open. There was no ramp, but Jack simply carried both horse and man inside, fitting them in the helm roomwhich was suddenly a bit cramped.

    Needless to say, the man was simultaneously scared, relieved, and unable to believe his good luck. The horse was frozen in fear.

    Brock, Jack suggested, can you inform this horse that good bros dont defecate in each others starships? It looks scared, so you never know.

    Brock nodded and mimed the instruction. To everyones surpriseincluding itselfthe horse nodded.

    No need to be scared, man, Jack said, smiling at the pale horse-rider. I may be an immortal, but Im a pretty friendly guy. I wont harm you. Whats your name?

    Lionel, venerable immortal.

    Well, Lionel, enjoy your flight. Can you point us in the direction of thiske city you mentioned?

    The horse riderLionellooked outside and numbly pointed in a direction. Brock grabbed the helm and smoothly led the starship over a mountain and a grasnd. With their speed, it only took them ten minutes to reach the citybut a horse-rider could have easily taken half a week.

    Looks like you hit the jackpot, Lionel, Jack said. Completely pun intended.

    Lionel nodded numbly. You have my eternal gratitude, venerable immortal. I can never repay the help you have given me.

    Its no big deal. No need to get all formal.

    Thanks to you, my daughter may survive, Lionel continued, tears glistening in his eyes. I was going to ride day and night to arrive in time. Thank you. Thank you!

    Oh Well, d we could help.

    Thiske city was, indeed, a city built on ake. Jack couldnt tell if there was an ind under it or not, but he could see random spots of water everywhere, so he suspected not.

    It was an architectural wonder. Floating tforms and small boats made up most of the city, which was inhabited by human and amphibian-looking humanoids alike. They seemed to be getting along just fine.

    It also smelled a bit, but Jack had been through worse. When undergraduates fucked up in hisboratory, the stench was often putrid enough to burn his nose.

    Do you have enough money to buy that medicine, Lionel? Jack asked.

    I do, venerable immortal. You have already provided me with enough fortune tost me ten lifetimes!

    This Lionel fellow had a particr way with words, but he seemed like a good man overalleven likable. Jack and Brock deposited him at a pharmacyor apothecary shop, as the sign indicatedand Jack joined along to buy some stuff of his own. They then insisted on giving Lionel a lift back home as well, so he could treat his ailing daughter. They could spare a half-hour round trip to save this guy days of ceaseless horse-riding.

    Lionel epted with superfluous words of gratitude. His horse wasnt equally relieved, mostly due to not understanding, but it should have been, because Lionels n of ceaseless riding included the horse dying of exhaustion mid-way.

    To punish him for that, they dropped him off a few minutes away from his vige. It was more of a prank, actually. Unless the horse learned how to speak, nobody would ever believe him.

    Thank you for choosing the Jack and Brock Airline, Jack said as they dropped Lionel off. Enjoy your stay!

    After once again epting Lionels superfluous and oddly-worded gratitude, they flew back to theke city andnded near the furnace-shaped building that served as the teleporter. Jack willed the starship to shrink to the size of a needlea very handy functionthen stored it in his pocket.

    Once on the ground, he took another look at the surrounding people. They were dressed in thigh-long, airy robes, kept their hair long, and walked around on wooden shoes. The amphibian humanoids didnt have hair, but fins that stuck out from the top of their head, as well as gills on both sides of their throat and webbings between their fingers. Besides those, they resembled humans.

    Huh, Jack said, scanning a random amphibian person, would you look at that.

    <strong>Fishfolk (Galipede), Level 14 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    His biologist instinct insisted he stay here for a while and study them. Unfortunately, he had a job to doand little time to admire the gxys wonders. The Exploding Sun awaited.

    There was a long line before the teleporter. Just as Jack braced himself for a wait, someone scanned him and eximed. The surprise spread like a wave, with everyone moving aside and bowing. Murmurs of venerable immortal spread through the crowd, making Jack feel slightly awkward.

    Its all right, he said, lifting his hands. At ease.

    They were not at ease. Apparently, the immortals of this enjoyed extremely high status. Jack thought back to the stories of Vlossana, the passenger of the Trampling Ramher continent only had a single D-Grade cultivator. If this was any simr, it was no wonder people reacted like that.

    He felt like a celebrity.

    Therefore, Jack and Brock skipped the line and arrived before the door of the teleporter building. They opened it, escaped the outside noise, and found themselves in front of a peak E-Grade guard who was too busy scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

    Wait outside the door, the guard barked, not raising her gaze from the paper.

    Are you sure? Jack replied.

    The guard looked up. A momentter, her face went pale. Venerable immortal! she cried out. My deepest apologies! If I knew who you were, I would never

    Yeah, yeah, Jack cut her off. Apology epted. Can you help me teleport to the Exploding Sun constetion?

    I Certainly, venerable immortal, the guard replied, straightening her back in a military salute. Do you have a specific destination in mind?

    I am headed to the Exploding Sun headquarters, so the closer to it, the better.

    Of course, sir. May I rmend Earth-309?

    Sure.

    Also, pardon me for daring to ask, but could I have your name and affiliation, please? It is for record-keeping.

    You cannot.

    The guard froze. I cannot?

    You cannot.

    After all, Jack was currently wanted by the Animal Kingdom. When news of him escaping Trial reached the Hand of God, they would probably join, too. He had to travel incognito as much as possible.

    The Bare Fist Brotherhood was usually visible when people scanned him, giving away his identity, but Jack had thought ahead. When they stopped by the apothecary shop earlier, he had bought a Disguise Potionthe same kind hed used at the start of the Integration Tournament. When he drank it on the starship, it changed his facial structure and hid his faction from System scans. As for titles, hed already removed them all from showing. Only his Level remained unchanged, but that didnt matter much.

    Jack currently looked like a chubby, middle-aged man with a short but fluffy mustache.

    Now, only two hints gave away his identity. One was Brock, but nothing he could about that. He could only hope there were more broris in the gxy. As for his species, which was registered as Human (Earth-387)... Well, nothing he could do about that, either.

    The guard remained troubled. Venerable immortal, thats

    I understand this is a problem for you, Jack said, but if you keep insisting, youll have a bigger one. Just let me teleport.

    The guard hesitated for a moment. Jack considered using his Dao Domain to intimidate her, but that might give away his Dao, so he stared into her eyes instead. A momentter, she relented.

    Please step onto the teleporter, she said weakly. I wish you safe travels.

    Jack smiled brightly. Thank you. Have a great rest of your day.

    Being extremely powerful sure was nice.

    Jack and Brock stepped onto the teleporter. A blue screen with several destinations appeared before their eyes. Jack quickly chose Earth-309, as the guard had suggested, and felt a burst of speed as the space around him was drawn backward.

    The Exploding Sun was still far awaybut they had left the Animal Kingdom constetion! And, this time, they were travelingpletely on their own power!

 Chapter 228: Derion, the Poison Planet

    Chapter 228: Derion, the Poison

    Not every teleporter was as easy to ess as the first one.

    In Jack and Brocks journey to the Exploding Sun, they passed through manys. Some resembled Earth. Some had inhospitable environments and transparent domes protecting the cities. Humans were even more prevalent in this constetion than in the Animal Kingdoms, being by far the mostmon species, but there was more than just them.

    Jack saw animal people, nt people, rock people. Apparently, anything sentientand sometimes, not even thatcould develop intelligence and evolve into theirs dominant species. Everything he thought he knew about biology was torn asunder, and new, more expansive knowledge took its ce.

    Throughout their journey, they were introduced to many things.

    Golems made of the elements. People of ss. A race of sapient moles with entire cities underground, steeped in darkness, with only the torchlight of visitors flickering through the city like uneasy fireflies.

    It was an eye-opening experience.

    Of course, most ces only gave Jack a glimpse, since he was in a hurry to reach the Exploding Sun. At every teleporter, people parted to let him pass. By now, Jack had no idea where he was, or how far away from Earth. He only knew that he was lost in the endless wonders of space, a sea so colorful and enormous that even a thousand lifetimes wouldnt be enough to explore it fully.

    But it didnt matter. They were a man and a brori touring the stars. It was amazing.

    As one led to another, however, and Jack and Brock approached the Exploding Sun headquarters, the ambience changed. The medieval civilizations that filled the constetions fringes gave way to high-tech wonders simr to what theyd seen in Pearl Bay, where theyd boarded the Trampling Ram. Bustling metropolises reced the countryside cities, filled with skyscrapers and starship docks.

    Not alls were like that, of course. Most were at rather low levels of technology, but the closer one came to the center of the constetion, the more advanced civilizations they met.

    This advancement included cultivation. In the fringes of the constetion, there were only a handful of D-Grades per. Deeper in, every metropolis was ruled by one, and there were even C-Grades helming entires. The teleporter guards remained at the peak of the E-Grade, but Jack got more respectful. He no longer dared to just throw his weight around and demand to pass without a proper inspection.

    Therefore, he forged a new identity for himself: He was now Lionel Horseman, a human cultivator of Earth-387, as he couldnt change how the System disyed his species. This was the best he could do. By now, he didnt need to be too careful, either; the Animal Kingdom and Exploding Sun were adversaries, if not enemies, so the bounties of one faction probably wouldnt reach this deep into the other.

    On the eleventh, Jack and Brock emerged into a bustling hub simr to the one on Brian Outpost, from where theyd teleported to Trial. They were surrounded by a hexagon of teleporters, with three of them on each side for a total of eighteen. Long lines stretched before every teleporter, filled with people of all species and levels. Jack saw more than one immortal just standing in line and waiting.

    The moment they exited the teleporter, they were quickly ushered away by a peak E-Grade guard, making room for the next batch of people to appear. A steady stream of cultivators carried Jack and Brock to the exit and then outside the hub, where they saw

    A desert?

    Well, not really. It was just brown, barren wilderness as far as met the eye, covered in dusty rock and with barely any nts visible. There were no animals, either.

    What is this ce? Jack wondered, looking around. Where is the city? The metropolises? The people?

    The ce they were in resembled more a town of the Wild West than an inteary trade center. A few houses stood at the side of the main street, framing the wilderness. Outside the town, several square miles were upied by camps, starships, and all sorts of mobile amodation.

    Moreover, gray clouds stretched everywhere overhead, and the sky visible through their gaps was a sickly green instead of blue.

    First time in Derion? A mans voice came from behind Jack, who turned to see who would speak so informally to an immortal. Unsurprisingly, the other man was an immortal himselfheavily-built and filled with muscle, he was humanoid but made of wood. Flowers sprang from gaps in his bare skull, while his bark-like body was only covered by a pair of green shorts. Naturally, there was no hair on his face.

    <strong>Treant, Level 197</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Triple Helix (C-Grade)</strong>

    Yeah, Jack responded. What is this ce?

    A handy teleportation point, the man replied,ughing. His voice was deep and gritty. Derion is an inhospitable at a key location. The air is toxicF-Grade cultivators get poisoned after a few days here, and E-Grades after around a month. Instead of trying to terraform it, the Exploding Sun turned it into a-sized storage and teleportation checkpoint. A good part of the constetions traffic goes through here, relieving the nearbys, and some of the teleporters have long enough range to reach other constetions.

    Huh. Smart, said Jack, stretching out a hand. Im Jack, and this is Brock.

    Torm, the treant replied, returning the handshake. His skin really was barkrough and hard. Where are you headed?

    To the Exploding Sun headquarters.

    I see. Trying to get recruited? Torm gave Jack a suspicious side-nce.

    ...Yeah? Why the long face?

    Forgive me. Its really none of my business, just the rarity of seeing a disguised immortal.

    Jack grimaced. The disguise potion only worked on mortalsanyone at the D-Grade or above could see right through it, if they tried to inspect him.

    I have my reasons, he replied defensively, ready to walk away.

    Tormughed. Rx. As long as you are not my enemy, I couldnt care less.

    I certainly hope so. Jack smiled. So Any idea how I get to the headquarters from here?

    Simple. You go to the registration desk, dere your destination, and take a buzzer. Then, you can camp around and rx. When you are within a thousand people of getting teleported, your buzzer will buzz and glow, notifying you toe here and join the line.

    Jack looked around. Several people were holding a glowing circr thing and rushing to the teleporter hub. Torm had a simr buzzer strapped to his belt, though it didnt shinehe had just received it.

    I see, Jack replied. And how long does that take, usually?

    Two, maybe three days. Depends on the traffic.

    Alright. Then, I better go take my ticket. Thanks, Torm.

    No problem, the treant replied, slightly disappointed. If youre looking for drinkingpany,e find me anytime. Ill be staying at the tree-shaped tent.

    You got it.

    Both men waved and walked in opposite directions.

    Torm looked like a nice, friendly guy looking forpany to pass the time. However, he was far too quick to trust a disguised immortal. Maybe he just believed in his judgment of character, but Jack was in no state to take unnecessary risks right now. That someone knew of his real identityor at least his factionwas unnerving enough. Hed just take his buzzer and camp somewhere far away, only to return when it was time to leave.

    <em>Could there be more disguised people? </em>he wondered.

    As he entered the teleporter hub through another entrancethe one hed exited from was strictly an exithe tried scanning everyone around. Most people were at the E-Grade and decidedly not disguisedor, at least, he didnt see anything suspicious. The few immortals he chanced upon were also not disguised. Thankfully, none of them looked back.

    <em>Am I the only one? </em>Jack wondered. <em>If so, that could be dangerous.</em>

    He reached one of the registration desks, where the line was pleasantly short and fast-moving. For good reason, toohow long did it take people to dere a destination and receive a buzzer?

    The Exploding Sun wasnt big on bureaucracy.

    Manning the desk was a peak E-Grade human who didnt spare Jack a second nce. Destination?

    Exploding Sun headquarters.

    <em>Arent they at all worried about disguised criminals? </em>Jack wondered, receiving his buzzera in dark blue disk. <em>Maybe the real check happens before teleportation, like airport security. That would exin why it takes so long.</em>

    Looking around, he did spot D-Grade guards around each of the teleporters, staring at every person who passed in front of them.

    <em>Right. So, I should drop the disguise before leaving. Got it. I hope that wont be a problem</em>

    He remained there for a moment, lost in thought. His mind went over all possibilities as his eyes idly scanned the crowd. Amidst all the inspection, he almost didnt notice the one screen that was out of ce.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 134</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <em>Animal Kingdom? What is he doing here? Theyre supposed to be enemies with the Exploding Sun. Even if they arent at war, its weird for someone of the Animal Kingdom to just be walking around this deep in enemy territory, right?</em>

    Jack blended into the crowd, watching the feshkur. He had the gray skin, slim physique, and tall stature that characterized his species, along with a hard re that bore holes through anyone in his way. Many E-Grades sensed it and rushed to give him space.

    <em>Typical Animal Kingdom behavior, </em>Jack thought.

    The feshkur approached the registration desk and waited. When his turn came, he dered, Brian Outpost. Large cargo. He then received his ticket, turned around, and went on his way, not passing remotely close to Jack.

    <em>Large cargo? </em>Jack thought, the gears of his mind spinning. <em>What could the Animal Kingdom be sending through the Exploding Sun constetion, guarded by an immortal?</em>

    It wasnt just curiosity. The Animal Kingdom were his enemies. Anything he could do to harm them, he would.

    I guess we wont be bored after all, Brock, Jack said, shadowing the feshkur from several dozen feet behind. In the dense crowd, he was unnoticeable.

    Brock smiled predatorily. Yeah.

    The feshkur finally escaped the crowd and immediately took to the air. With a nce behind him, which didnt seem to locate Jack, he flew away at moderate speed, heading towards the distant mountains.

    Brock climbed on Jacks back, who waited a few moments before flying, too. He headed in a different direction from the feshkur to avoid raising suspicions. A few momentster, when the feshkur was just a dot in the distance, he slowly adjusted his path upward and dove into the clouds. He then turned sharply and elerated in the feshkurs direction.

    The clouds resembled Earths in color, but there was something wrong about them. They smelled awful, almost putrid, like a carcass left to rot in the burning sun. As soon as Jack emerged above them, the suns heat intensified so abruptly that he could sense Brock fidgeting.

    <em>This must be why the air is toxic, </em>he realized, but tracking the feshkur was more important than analyzing thes environment. Thankfully, Brock was at the E-Gradeeven if they flew through the clouds for an hour, he would be fine.

    After flying ahead at full speed for a minute, Jack dove back into the clouds and peeked out his head from the bottom. He was over the mountains now, and the feshkur was nowhere to be seen.

    Before he got disappointed, however, he spotted a fast-moving dot in the distance. The feshkur had turned slightly, too, but Jack had found him just in time.

    He smiled. Got you, he muttered, then flew back above the clouds and sped forth. At the end of the day, both of them were low D-Grades, but Jack was far, far stronger than his level would indicate. He could easily run down a random immortal.

    This went on for a while, with Jack regrly peeking from the clouds to make sure the feshkur was still in sight, but not daring to get too close. Twenty minutester, the feshkur suddenly began to lose speed and altitude. He entered a canyon in the wastnd.

    Were here, Jack said. He waited half an hour, just in case the immortal was looking out for people tracking him, then flew directly above the canyon and looked down. The hell?

 Chapter 229: Testing Oneâ€™s Power

    Chapter 229: Testing One¡¯s Power

    Several people were walking or standing on the bare rock. There were feshkurs, animal people, humans Jack inspected a few, finding them all to be part of the Animal Kingdom.

    Of course, not everyone was an immortal. Everyone else parted as the D-Grade feshkur that Jack had followed entered arge red tent, leaving his sight. The only other immortal Jack saw was a clean-shaven human man at Level 136.

    The most notable sight, however, was arge cage in the middle of the encampment. Jack couldnt see inside it, as he was looking from above and the cage had a metal roof, but he could barely make out a few shackled hands sticking out of the bars.

    <em>Prisoners? </em>he wondered. <em>Orves?</em>

    The feshkur had mentioned they carryingrge cargo. There were no crates or anything of the sort here, so he had to be referring to the cage.

    However, very was forbidden by the Star Pact, the gcticw signed by every B-Grade faction. Even if the Animal Kingdom was engaging in such practices, which they really shouldnt, they couldnt be doing it so openly.

    In other words, these werent ves. So what were they?

    What do you think, Brock? Jack asked. Should we take a look?

    Brockwho was still on Jacks backconsidered it for a moment, then nodded.

    Youre right, Jack said. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Whoever these people are, we might sharemon interests Oh. Unless theyre criminals. That would beplicated.

    Brock nodded again.

    Thanks for the confirmation, bro, said Jack.

    No problem.

    In any case, we have two or three days here, ording to that Torm. Sabotaging the Animal Kingdom is a fine way to pass our time, right?

    Yes.

    Hmm. But what if things go wrong? They have at least two low D-Grades. Think I could take them?

    Yes.

    Jack turned his head a bit to nce at Brock. You sure believe in me, bro.

    You are strong.

    Jack chuckled. Guess I am. How does this sound? We discreetly collect information on these guys, then decide if its worth risking our lives to go against them. We also observe them for a while to see if they have anyone stronger than a low D-Grade.

    Okay.

    Observing them came first, since they were already here. Jack found a distant mountain peak andnded there, getting them out of the miasmic clouds. Hidden behind the rocks of this peak, they could observe the camp below without being noticed.

    Lets take turns, Jack suggested. Two hours each, then we swap. After eight hours total, we leave and go collect information. Okay?

    Okay.

    Jack took first shift. When it was Brocks turn, he watched the camp almost without blinking. Finally, just before Brocks shift was over, he nudged Jack, who was lounging on a rock. Bro.

    Hmm? Yes?

    Brock pointed ahead. Jack peeked from behind the rock, catching sight of the enemy camp and the golden-haired woman who was slowly galloping through its midstliterally galloping, as she had four legs. Everybody had their heads bowed, not even daring to look at her, while even the other two immortalsthe feshkur and the humanshowed subservience.

    <strong>Centaur, Level 210</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Fourth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Shit, said Jack. It wasnt even about her level, her horse-like lower body, or her status as ate D-Gradethough barely, since the D-Grade reached up to Level 250. The real problem was that, even from this distance, he could sense the brutality she emitted, like waves of terror that washed over everyone present. Some guards were shaking, while the prisoners had all withdrawn to the center of their cageor, at least, Jack could no longer see outstretched limbs between the bars.

    The woman reached the cage and exchanged a few words with the prisoners. Soon after, she retreated to her abodethe same red tent that the feshkur immortal had entered previously.

    Jack wiped the sweat off his brow. That must be the leader, he deduced. What do you think, Brock? Is the risk still worth it?

    Brock considered it. He then shook his head.

    Yeah. I may be able to beat her, but I may not, and she has two more immortals, plus all theplications this would create. At this point, only idiots would risk their lives like this for a small fuck you to the Animal Kingdom. Reaching the Exploding Sun is more important.

    Brock gave a thumbs-up. Jack exhaled loudly, then sat back against the rock. But you know, he said, I cant help but wonder. How do I stack up against ate D-Grade?

    The brori gave him a weighting look.

    Jack continued. I mean, I matched an immortal while at the peak of the E-Grade. Even without the Life Drop, I was pretty much as strong as someone could be at my level, and I beat the three Hounds who were at the middle D-Gradethough I surprised them. Could I jump seventy-nine levels to fight that centaur? Thats seven hundred and ny stat points. More than double what I have. He grimaced. Its a lot, isnt it?

    Brock shrugged. Maybe, he said, but you strong.

    Right. Me strong Whats with all the mythical creatures, anyway? Centaurs, minotaurs, cyclopses If the ancient Greeks were right, Ill eat my hat.

    Brock mimed that Jack had no hat.

    Ill find one, then eat it.

    Okay.

    They stayed quiet for a while after that, each sunk into their own thoughts. Jack kept tackling the issue of his current strength. The truth was, it bugged him. Breaking through to the D-Grade had been a massive metamorphosis, but he hadnt fought anything since thenthe Hounds were only a couple short exchanges due to the element of surprise, not a real fight.

    Simply put, he had no idea how strong he was.

    You know what? he said, jumping to his feet. We have time. Since were leaving these guys alone, I think Ill do some testing. Sound good? All of a sudden, Brock smiled brightly. Jackughed. How are we always talking the samenguage, bro?

    Because we awesome.

    Damn right!

    They high-fived. Then, Brock jumped on Jacks back again, and they flew off. They followed the mountain ridge for a few miles, reaching far enough from the camp that they couldnt be spotted, then kept going for another quarter of an hour. Since this was mostly uninhabited, and Jack was flying at almost the speed of sound, they were now hundreds of miles away from any other intelligent lifeform.

    Here should be good, he said, diving to the ground. Another canyon weed thema deep, jagged crevice dug into the t wastnd, possibly the result of a powerful earthquake.

    This time, however, the canyon waspletely empty; just a several miles long, thirty-foot-wide corridor carved a hundred feet into the earth, surrounded by jagged rock cliffs and littered with stones of all sizes.

    The perfect site for testing Jacks new powers.

    He was giddy. As Brock dismounted and stepped far back, eager to watch Jacks demonstration, the man himself was looking around and wondering where to start from. He once again brought up his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 131</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 695</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 645</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 665</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 120</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II, Space Walk I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    Lets start from my stats, shall we? he asked the poor canyon.

    He currently had over six hundred points in all Physical substats. The average pre-System human had fivethat made him at least a hundred and twenty times faster, stronger, and more durable. Whenbined, the results of those stats grew exponentially.

    Moreover, his titles increased the efficacy of all his stats.ary Frontrunner (10) gave him a ten percent efficacy increase.ary Torchbearer (1) gave fifteen, Ninth Ring Conqueror gave a whopping fifty, andary Leader gave another fifteen. Added up, the total came to a ny percent extra efficacy.

    In a few words, Jack had almost a thousand Physical. That made him

    <em>Very, very strong.</em>

    He grinned. Looking around, there were several boulders littering the floor of the canyon. He walked up to a truck-sized one and lifted it easilyhe barely felt the strain, even if the sight was almostical. He then put it down and went looking for a greater challenge.

    Thergest stone present was absolutely enormousthe size of a house. Jack stared at it from below. <em>Can I Nah. There is no way, right?</em>

    <em>But what if I can?</em>

    Most of the time, his feats of power were a result of his Dao, not just his physical body. In the E-Grade, he wouldn''t even be able to budge this thing.

    Jack faced off against the boulder. He grabbed it from a corner, squatted, braced himselfand lifted.

    He felt it this time. His muscles tightened. His veins popped out. And yet, even as he struggled, the boulder rose from the ground, revealing a surface under it so massive that Jack gaped at his own strength. When he let it drop, the entire canyon shook. Stones tumbled from the cliffs, and the dust that rose was enough to make Brock cough a couple of times.

    As an immortal, Jack didnt even need to breathe, and shielding his orifices with his Dao was easy. Dust clouds could no longer touch him.

    Sorry, he told Brock, who waved the concern away. Jack then looked back at the massive boulder hed just lifted. Take that, Mountain.

    He then looked around and scratched the back of his head. This was only the start of what he was hoping to test, but he now realized that this canyon was unexpectedly fragile. If he so much as touched a wall with his knuckles, it would copse.

    We need a better ce, he decided. Follow me.

    Grabbing Brock, the two of them flew another couple miles before arriving at a massive mountain. It reached at least a mile into the air, was surrounded by uneven rocky terrain, and its sides were bare like the teeth of a snarling wolf.

    Standing at the mountain foot, Jack felt tiny.

    Now were talking, he said, looking up. Immortals are supposed to be Mountain Breakers, right? Lets see.

    Stat-wise, there wasnt much else to test. Dexterity was about finesse and reflexes, not speed, and he wasnt about to ram the mountain head-first to test his Constitution.

    That left only his skills.

    Oh! he eximed. Actually Take a few steps back, please.

    Brock obliged. As soon as he had enough space, Jack focused inward. He saw his Dao Treea mighty fist, each finger painted a different color corresponding to his Dao Seed and Dao Roots. It hovered in the middle of his soul space, concealing such powerful energy that Jack felt a shiver of anticipation.

    In the F-Grade, cultivators first touched on the power of the Dao and used it in elementary ways.

    In the E-Grade, they used the Dao to augment their body. Even projectiles or extra limbslike Vivis fire wingswere only projections of Dao workings that urred inside the body. The ambient Dao was too stable to influence directly.

    In the D-Grade, however

    Jack closed his eyes and focused. He reached for the power in his Dao Tree, reveled in its majesty, and slowly drew it out. He let it seep outside his bodypitting his own will against that of the universe and winning. His Dao stretched out, upying more space around him. The infinite colored particles that made up the worlds Dao retreated, leaving behind only thosepatible with Jacks. He felt his existence stretch outside his body, assuming control of the surrounding space and imposing his willhis Daoon it.

    When his eyes reopened, he found himself surrounded by a dome of purple. Spectral mes danced at the edges of his vision like the fingers of arge fist, while the very air waspressed by Jacks will. He could sense the control he had over this space. Gazing at a few stones by the side, he willed them to break in twoand they did.

    This power was wondrous.

    Against any mortal, Jack only had to open his Dao Domain to incapacitate them. Even against immortals like himself, his domain would constrain them greatly, unless they had a simrly powerful domain themselveswhich, ording to Old Man Spirit, most low D-Grades didnt.

    And this domain didnt just weaken anything ipatible with Jacks Dao. It made him stronger, too. The very world was helping him. He was like a fish in water.

    How the hell did I beat Old Man Spirit in his domain? he wondered aloud, impressed at the power he could now wield. The D-Grade was as powerful as advertised.

    Unfortunately, he had no one to test it onBrock was still only E-Gradebut the Exploding Sun could certainly offer a plethora of strong opponents. He could wait a bit.

    Which meant that, right now, there was only one thing left to test.

    His Dao Skills.

 Chapter 230: Cultivating in the D-Grade

    Chapter 230: Cultivating in the D-Grade

    When it came to Dao Skills, Jack only had a few he could test right now. He opted to start from the weakest.

    Space Walk was the upgraded version of Ghost Step. It let Jack teleport anywhere within a mile from himself, which was a simple yet extremely overpower ability. Sure, it was exhausting to use, but it was <em>teleportation. </em>And for an entire mile.

    In hindsight, calling it the weakest skill was misleading, but oh well.

    Jack looked up at the mountain peak and stepped through the folds of space. He felt something resistlike he was trying to walk through a wall of extremely thick gel. Arge quantity of Dao left his soul and assaulted the gel, forcing it to yield.

    Jack managed to take a step. The world spun for a moment, and he caught a glimpse of darkness. Next thing he knew, the air was rushing away from him, and he was halfway up the mountain. He looked back down, where Brock was waving at himnothing more than a dot in the distance.

    Heh, Jack chuckled, ncing at the mountain peak. He used Space Walk again. Instantly, he was standing at the very peak of the mountain. The clouds were closer now, and their smell reached here, reminding Jack of a rotting carcassa smell hed grown familiar with in the Forest of the Strong.

    He was exhausted from the two Space Walks, too, but he had no mind for that.

    The view was breathtaking. As far as he could see, he was the tallest thing in all directions. The crisp air of this showed off a brown wastnd stretching to the curved horizon, dotted with hills and cracks. He caught a glimpse of vegetation in the distance, but it was tinywho knew what nt could survive here.

    Brock stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at him, and the gray clouds were cracked in parts, revealed hints of the green sky beyond.

    Jack took a deep breath, uncaring about the toxicity and acrid smell. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. He couldnt stop the ends of his lips from rising.

    <em>This is it. Why I left Earth. What cultivation offers me. This poisonous beauty and this distant worldonly thanks to my power could I ever see it. Thank you, world, for trying to kill me.</em>

    He opened his eyes, letting them shine with stars. His Daothe Fistburst out from inside him and filled his entire being. Even after he left this mountain, this kind of scene, this wondrous feeling wouldnt disappear. It would stay with him forever. This would be his life from now onevery day until he died.

    He loved it. Power filled him, coupled with exhration.

    Watch me, Brock! he roared, jumping up and taking to the sky. He turned back down to stare at the mountain peak beneath his feet, a dead titan of brown rock. He clenched his fist. The sky was torn asunder and the clouds dispersed as the entire world was sucked into Jacks fist.

    Of his remaining Dao Skills, he couldnt test Iron Fist Style, Brutalizing Aura, or Neutron Star Body without a sparring partner. Which left only one of them.

    Light and sound disappeared. Only arge purple meteor remained, hovering in the sky above the mountain peak, silent in its lethality. Jack grinned wildly. He swung down. With all sound gone, only his roar remained, a herald of destruction: METEOR PUNCH!

    The meteor was nailed into the mountain peak. A purple shockwave spread faster than Jack could react, tossing him several hundred feet into the sky. A terrible crashing sound hit him like the rumble of a giant, threatening to burst his eardrums, and the sounds of demolition filled the air. The wind was strong enough that he spun several times before righting himself. The dust cloud was so oceanically massive that he felt lost in another world.

    <em>Shit! </em>he thought before calming himself. <em>Well, nevermind. Brock wont die to some flying rocks.</em>

    He waited, floating in mid-air. Slowly, the dust cleared, and when it did, he was left stunned.

    There was no mountain peak anymore. The top one-third of the mountain had been shattered, sent flying in all directions as rocks and dust. The mountain now ended in a bowl-shaped crater, like God had reached down from the sky and scooped up its peak.

    Jack expected something simr, but not nearly at this scale. This was almost cataclysmic. The crater had a radius of at least a hundred feet, and a depth of fifty. He could fit an entire building block in there.

    If it ever rained on this, this mountain would be topped by an actualke.

    Holy shit, he eloquently expressed his shock.

    But shock was better shared. Jack nced at the foot of the mountain, where Brock stood in a patch of empty ground surrounded by rubble. His Staff of Stone was in his hands, as hed probably used it to deflect the flying rocks.

    Besides everything else, however, Brocks monkey face was stretched in an expression of utter stun. His eyes were wide, his jaw almost touching the ground, and his mouth gaping so widely that he must have swallowed at least some of the dust still flying around.

    Jack admired his scene of destruction for another moment before flying to Brocks side.

    Bro said the brori, unable to form words.

    Hehe. Cool, huh? Jack replied smugly. And I didnt even use my Dao Domain.

    Brocks eyes went from shock, to glee, to anticipation. He set his jaw and nodded to himselfprobably affirming his decision to be an immortal, too.

    Of course you can, Jack said. I suspect youre even more talented than me.

    Brock shook his head, then gave a thumbs-up. Bro awesome.

    I am, Brock. But so are you.

    Yes.

    Jackughed. Anyway, I think thats enough testing. We should run. This impact wasrger than I anticipated, so maybe people wille check whats going on.

    Brock considered it for a moment. Yes.

    Perfect. Hop on.

    The two of them flew away at top speed, in the direction opposite the Animal Kingdom camp, snickering all the while.

    ***

    The rest of the day went by quickly. Jack and Brock camped at yet another canyon, far away from both the teleporter town and the Animal Kingdom camp. As they could just ce their starship on the ground and live inside it, they were prettyfortable.

    They didnt have much to do, so they spent the day with Jack teaching Brock new words.

    When night came, Brock retreated to the cabin, and Jack stayed in the helm room. Both were cultivating.

    Jack sat in the middle of the helm room, legs crossed and eyes closed. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and the Dao came and went around him like it was breathing, too.

    The nature of cultivation changed when one reached the D-Grade.

    Before, killing things had been Jacks sole way to progress. The System awarded him levels and enhanced his body, mind, and soul, while also discreetly helping with the Dao.

    Starting from the D-Grade, however, killing was no longer necessary. Jack now possessed the ability to engage directly with the ambient Dao, absorbing it into his soul to be stronger. At regr intervals, the System acknowledged his efforts, awarded him with a level-up, and helped him utilize this Dao he had absorbed to enhance himself as he pleasedthrough the use of stat points.

    Old Man Spirit had exined this before Jack left Trial, and it brought all sorts of questions into the fore.

    Was this how things always worked? Had the System been saturating Jacks body with the Dao since Level 1? Was that where all stat points came from? And, if so, what specific Dao did it use back then?

    Maybe it was abination of all Daos, or any Dao that was readily avable. Then, how did the System use it to create his Skills? How did they work? What was the connection?

    And, if not for the System, would that process happen by itself? Would the excess power of the Dao naturally spread across the cultivators body, mind, and soul, enhancing them in the same way that stat points did? That would exin why Brock, despite not having ess to the System, didnt seem disadvantagedpared to other cultivators. But then, why did the System go through such trouble to achieve what could be done by itself?

    The more things Jack learned, the less he took for granted, and the more questions he had to answer. Everything had a reason for being the way it washe just had to find it.

    Thankfully, he had plenty of time.

    Right now, he could focus on absorbing enough power from the world to be stronger.

    The multi-colored motes of Dao surrounded him in all directions. He could see them; particles that moved in currents and obscure patterns. There were truths in their cirction that he couldnt currentlyprehend, but that was fine. His job was simple.

    Rxing himself, he spread his perception outside his body. It brushed against the particles, which got excited at his mental touch. He carefully shifted through them to discover the Daos mostpatible to his, then projected his own Dao like a sieve to separate these particles from all the other Daos. When they were pure, or as pure as he could make them, he slowly drew them in, attracting them to his Dao Tree like moths to a meor like baby ducklings to their mother.

    The particles swooped in and joined his Dao Tree, merging with it and making it stronger.

    A Dao Treejust like a Dao Seed or a Dao Rootwas a storage of power, among other things. It could hold a finite amount of Dao particles inside it. Currently, Jack was drawing in more than his core could take, maintaining a concentration of energy that was slightly ufortable. As he did that, the Dao pushed against the walls of his Dao Tree from the inside, increasing its size and storage space in a painfully slow manner.

    But it did work.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 132.</strong>

    Still with his eyes closed, he smiled.

    Of course, not everyone advanced at the same speed. The better ones foundations, and the stronger their Dao, the faster they would advance, since they could draw in the Dao more efficiently andpress it harder without harming their core.

    Jack had a perfect foundation. Naturally, his cultivation speed blew most other cultivators out of the water, which was how he got one level in just a few days. Most people would spend weeks to achieve the same increase.

    Unfortunately, his leveling speed would decrease the further he advanced. Even at his speed, reaching the C-Grade at Level 250 would take years. And, if he wanted to defeat theary overseer in time, he only had eight months.

    There were other ways to save Earth, which was why he was heading to the Exploding Sun, but not meeting his goal left a bitter taste in his mouth.

    <em>Well, whatever, </em>he thought, opening his eyes. <em>Ill try my best, and whatever happens happens. Maybe Ill find a way.</em>

    The sun blinded him.

    <em>What the fuck?</em>

    It had been night when he started cultivating, and it only felt like a few minutes ago. Yet, reality was hard to challenge: the sun burned in the middle of the sky, bright and burning. Even the clouds had disappeared today.

    Brock, Jack said, looking around. Brock, who was lounging on a chair with his hands behind his head and his feet resting on a stool, jumped.

    Bro.

    How long was I cultivating for?

    Brock raised ten fingers, then another five.

    Fifteen hours? Are you kidding me?

    No.

    Wow. It felt like fifteen minutes. Brock shrugged, while Jack sighed. I should keep an eye out for this Oh! The teleportation!

    He hurriedly fished the buzzer from his pocket. Thankfully, it wasnt glowing. Torm had mentioned the wait was usually two to three days. Who knew what happened if you missed your turn?

    We should move closer, Jack said. If the buzzer activates while were far away, we may not be able to return in time.

    Brock agreed and headed to the helmto which hed taken a liking. Their ship gently rose from the ground, out of the canyon, and into the sky. They could have also flown on Jacks back, but there was no need. The ship burned the infinite Dao as the fuel.

    They cruised through the sky at afortable pacealmost at mach speed. They passed by the mountain where Jack had tested his Meteor Punch, finding a few Exploding Sun officials scratching their heads at the new crater.

    Theyughed as they passed far overhead.

    Next, they also flew close to the Animal Kingdom encampment. They kept their distance, of course, and they were also shielded from inspection inside their starship. Nobody would realize who they were.

    However, the prison camp was slightly different than theyd left it. The prisoners were no longer in their cage. Instead, they were now out of the canyon, using pickaxes to break up rocks in the vicinity. Dark iron shackles were wrapped around their wrists, and nobody was using the Dao.

    The sight birthed fury inside Jack. There was absolutely no reason for the prisoners to be breaking rocksthe guards were making them do it just for fun, under thiss burning sun and in the toxic air. Meanwhile, they, the ve drivers, were resting in the shade andughing.

    However, before Jacks rage could unravel fully, it was suddenly overwhelmed by surprise.

    Because he recognized someone down there.

 Chapter 231: Jack-Style Break-Out

    Chapter 231: Jack-Style Break-Out

    Vanderdecken!?

    Of all the people Jack expected to see as a prisoner in this Animal Kingdom encampment, Vanderdecken was not one of them.

    The man had changed quite a bit. Last time Jack saw him, it was back in Earths Integration Tournament, when he used his magical electric guitar and Dao of Metal to fight against the Animal Kingdom forces. Back then, hed been a spirited young man with long hair, chains hanging from his leather jacket, and permanently raised pinkies and index fingers.

    Now, he looked like a defeated version of his previous self. His long hair hung soullessly down his shoulders, dirty like he hadnt washed them in a month. All the chains had been torn away from his clothes, dark shackles bound his wrists, and his guitar was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was now wielding a rusty pickaxe, repeatedly smashing it into random rocks under thiss scorching sun.

    In short, he looked terrible.

    Terrible, Brock muttered from the side.

    Thats what I thought! Jack replied. What is he even doing here? Hes not supposed to be out of Earth, let alone out of the Animal Kingdom constetion. And why is he captured?

    A quick scan confirmed that this was, indeed, Vanderdecken. His of origin was pretty conclusive. At least, hed broken through to the E-Grade.

    <strong>Human (Earth-387), Level 52 (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    There was no title visible, even though Jack knew Vanderdecken had at least acquired aary Frontrunner variant. Probably aary Torchbearer, too. He must have chosen not to disy them, like Jack had.

    Unfortunately, it hadnt helped him.

    Bro, said Brock. Help?

    Absolutely. Weve fought shoulder-to-shoulder with that guy. We cant just let him be a prisoner of the enemy.

    Brock chuckled and bumped his fists together. Brock smash, he said.

    Right. Brock smash. The question is, how?

    Jack had previously decided not to bother with this Animal Kingdom encampment, as it was not worth the risk. The moment he saw Vanderdecken, however, that decision was instantly reversed.

    Now, they just had to find the best way to go about it.

    Charging them wouldnt work, Jack contemted aloud. The E-Grade guards are negligible, but they have ate D-Grade and two low ones, plus anyone else that we havent spotted yet. I guess we have to sneak in during the night?

    Brock nodded.

    And then what? Jack resumed his train of thought. Say we break them out. All the guards will be on us instantly, so well have to fight them anyway. We cant exactly run away while carrying a bunch of prisoners.

    A quick inspection revealed that, of the prisoners, none was at the D-Grade. They couldnt help Jack against the D-Grade guards. They couldnt escape fast enough either, even if Jack found a way to remove their shackles.

    I guess we have to fight the wardens after all, he concluded. Time to see if I can match ate D-Grade. I probably shouldright? I defeated the three middle D-Grade Hounds. Why not e D-Grade?

    Brock nodded. Yes. But. He pondered for a moment, trying to find the right word. He pointed up at the sun, then mimed it arcing all the way to below the horizon.

    Night? Jack tried.

    Yes.

    Sure. Even if it alles down tobat anyway, we can try to sneak in at night. The element of surprise is a dependable ally.

    Good bro.

    Exactly. Jack reached into his pocket and retrieved the buzzer theyd received from the teleportation hub. Now, we just have to hope this doesnt The buzzer began to glow and echo with a low buzz. You have got to be fucking kidding me.

    This buzzer was supposed to activate when they were the thousandth people in line to teleport, and it meant they should rush over. ording to Torm, it usually took two to three days. It had only been one.

    Fuck my life, Jack said, sighing. Well, no choice. Guess we have to miss our flight.

    Brock nodded like it was natural.

    Which it was. What kind of person would abandon their brother-in-arms when they could just go get a new buzzer at anytime? Waiting another day, or couple of days, was nothing.

    Jack tried to deactivate the buzzer. When he was unable to, and so was Brock, they flew away and left it on top of a distant mountain, where it could buzz alone for as long as it liked.

    Then, it was strategizing time.

    The first thing they did was fly to the teleporter hub and get a new buzzer. The process went without a hitchall they had to do was dere their destination to the register. Jacks disguise had been broken when he used Meteor Punch before, so he didnt need to worry about it being spotted by the guards.

    In return, he had to worry about people recognizing his faction and deducing his identity, but it shouldnt be a problem this deep into the Exploding Sun constetion.

    After getting their new buzzer and quickly leaving town again, theynded on the same mountain peak theyd previously used to spy on the Animal Kingdom encampment. Hidden behind boulders and cliffs, they set to watching the wardens and waiting for night time.

    The sun moved fast. Jack didnt know much about Derionthe they were currently onbut its day and night cycle was noticeably faster than Earths. After about four hours, the sun had descended from its peak to the horizon, where it slowly disappeared after painting the sky dark red for a while.

    The night was dark on Derion. The heavy miasmic clouds hid away the stars, and Jack failed to spot any moon. Inbination with thes empty wastnds, it was like someone had draped a ck nket over thend. The only source of light in sight was the pale torchlighting from the Animal Kingdom encampment.

    In fact, this night was so dark that Jack couldnt even make out the ground from where he stood on the mountaintop. It felt like he was trapped in a lightless, empty sphere, like the dark part of Trials Space Ring.

    It was terrifying. At the same time, it made their job easier.

    Hardening their hearts, a man and a brori descended from their peak, one flying and the other riding on the firsts shoulders. They flew low, under the cover of the night, until they were at the lip of the canyon where the Animal Kingdom had set up camp.

    They peeked down.

    Not many things were visible in the little light. Therge red tent stood in the middle, only licked by the torchlight when the wind made it sway. Four more tents were spread around it, gray in color. The cage stood ten feet away from the red tent, its steel bars doing little to shield the prisoners from the cold night wind, while three guards patrolled the perimeter inside the canyon. There were another three outside the canyon, but given its size and the nights darkness, Jack had easily remained unseen.

    Overall, the canyon stretched for miles in either direction, had a width of several hundred feet, and a depth of at least fifty. The encampment took up one of its broader parts, leaving heavy darkness on either side.

    Jack took all of this in with one nce. He knew that the three immortals stayed in the red tent, so he had to remain as far away from it as possible. Thankfully, it didnt look like they expected an attack, or there would have been an immortal standing guard as well.

    Lets go, he whispered to Brock.

    He let himself fall into the canyon, gliding smoothly next to the wall and remaining shrouded in darkness. Despite that, he tried to avoid the guards gazes as best as possiblemaybe they had darkvision.

    When his feet touched the canyon floor, he crouched and waited for a moment, ears tense to pick up any sign of activity.

    Nothing. The guards stayed on their patrol routes, and the red tent remained undisturbed. It looked like they werent noticed. <em>Good, </em>Jack thought. Brock dismounted from his back, since they no longer needed to fly, and the two of them crept together until the nearest tent.

    Jack had shbacks of his infiltration into the goblin vige in the Forest of the Strong. He couldnt help the grin on his lips.

    They reached the tent and stayed still. Brock held his breath, while Jack just deactivated his, which was more of an instinct than a necessity at this point. When no suspicious sounds camebesides the discreet snoring from inside the tentthey circled around it toe face-to-face with the cage. They crouched by the side of the tent, where the darkness was densest.

    Fifteen feet still separated them from the iron bars, but they didnt actually need to approach it. The D-Grade came with all sorts of nifty abilities. Flying was one of them. Transmitting your thoughts into another persons head with the Dao as your conduit was another.

    Jack glimpsed Vanderdeckens angr face, tucked into a ball between other prisoners. His eyelids were flickering, and his body was shaking from the cold.

    <em>Vanderdecken, </em>Jack thought, focusing. No response. <em>Vanderdecken!</em>

    The mans eyes shot open as he looked around in confusion and fear.

    <em>Dont make a sound! </em>Jack said telepathically. <em>I am an immortal here to rescue you. I am currently speaking inside your mind. You can reply the same way. Pretend there is nothing wrong, or the guards might be on to us.</em>

    Vanderdecken closed his eyes and pretended to fall back asleep. Silence reigned for a while. As Jack was beginning to believe the man really had returned to his sleep, a tired voice rang inside his mind, transmitted back from the same Dao strand that Jack was using as a conduit.

    <em>How do you know my name? </em>Vanderdecken asked.

    <em>Because Im Jack Rust.</em>

    Silence fell again. Jack could almost hear Vanderdeckens disbelief.

    <em>Jack Rust? </em>he finally asked.

    <em>Yes. Its a long story, but lets just say this is a huge coincidence. It doesnt matter. All that matters is, Im here to rescue you.</em>

    Vanderdecken sounded hesitant. Finally, he asked, <em>Who did you shag during the Integration Tournament?</em>

    <em>This is highly inappropriate.</em>

    <em>It is something a fake wouldnt know. Answer me.</em>

    <em></em>

    <em>Come on. It wasnt a secret, anyway.</em>

    <em>Vivi.</em>

    <em>Dude!!! Holy shit, it really is you!! </em>Vanderdeckens mental voice did a sudden one-eighty, and back was the hopeful young bard. <em>Its been so long! How the hell have you been?</em>

    <em>Pretty good. I explored a bit, kicked some ass, became an immortal. You know, typical Monday stuff.</em>

    <em>Duuude, thats awesome. Can you, like, fly now?</em>

    <em>I can.</em>

    <em>Will you take me for a ride?</em>

    <em>You do understand that youre still a prisoner, right?</em>

    <em>Please?</em>

    <em>Yeah, I will. But focus. Chitchatting can wait untilter. Right now, we have to rescue you.</em>

    <em>How did you be an immortal so fast!?</em>

    <em>Vanderdecken. Focus.</em>

    Jack was also looking forward to talking, but there needed to be priorities.

    <em>Sorry. Im focusing. Okay. Rescuing me. Dude, Im so d you came. These guys are massive dicks.</em>

    <em>I can imagine. I saw you breaking rocks.</em>

    <em>Yeah. For no reason at all. They just want us tired so we dont think of escaping.</em>

    <em>Speaking of. Where is the key to the cage? Also, can you use your Dao?</em>

    When watching the camp before, Jack had seen no prisoner utilize even the tiniest bit of Dao. It was to the point where he suspected something was up.

    <em>These shackles are System items. They lock down our ess to the System, which includes our skills.</em>

    That was interesting information. Jacks training with Copy Jack had taught him just how much he relied on the System to execute his skills, but it had also taught him that, with proper practice, he could learn to use them himself. If somebody put these shackles on E-Grade Jack, they wouldnt have worked as well.

    <em>As for the keys, </em>Vanderdecken continued, <em>the warden has them. But be careful; shes ate D-Grade. You cant fight her.</em>

    <em>Oh, I will, but Id rather rescue you first. Is there any other way to let you out?</em>

    <em>Uh None that I can think of? Even if you did, another warden has the keys to our shackles. I I dont know how you could do it.</em>

    Jack nodded somberly. He could sense the despair creep back in Vanderdeckens voice. As a rule of thumb, the fewer dudes he used, the more lost he was.

    <em>Dont worry. We are brothers in armsI will rescue you no matter what. It will be fine. I just need you to calm down, okay?</em>

    <em>Okay.</em>

    <em>Good. Now, I have a n. Can you do me a favor and go stick to the steel bars farthest away from the red tent?</em>

    <em>...Okay? </em>Vanderdecken stood up, grabbed his waist as if it hurt from sleeping in the same position, and went to lie down near the steel bars where Jack had indicated. <em>Now what?</em>

    <em>Now, just watch.</em>

    If Jack used even the tiniest bit of his strength, the immortals in the tent would pick it up and rush him. Thankfully, Jack and Brock had already discussed what they would do in this situation.

    n A, bro. One of the low D-Grades has the shackle keys, Jack said. Brock nodded. They fist-bumped, then Jack walked out of the darkness and into the light, reaching a corner of the cage in an instant. He was now right between the cage and the red tent. The torchlight flickered sharply in the edge of his visionsome guard had spotted him, but it didnt matter.

    Intru

    The guards shout was overshadowed by Jacks fist smashing right through the steel bars, eliciting a terrible shriek from the metal. The roof of the cage dented inward as the bars pulled at it, and the entire cage slid a few feet to the side, but even the metals innate resistance wasnt enough to resist Jacks strength. A hole was instantly made in the corner of the cage, where two bars were shorn off enough for a grown man to crouch through.

    Before anyone could scream, Jack turned and unleashed a full-power Meteor Punch at the red tent, which was in the opposite direction from the cage.

    Good fucking morning!

 Chapter 232: Bros to the Rescue

    Chapter 232: Bros to the Rescue

    Jacks Meteor Punch turned night into day. A purple sun zed into existence, disintegrating the red tent and scattering any materials that survived. The strike kept going, annihting another tent before crashing into the far wall of the canyon and causing a part of it to copse.

    At the same time, the shockwave of the attack was unleashed at a wider range, blowing a tent clean off its base and sending multiple guards flying. As for the cage behind Jack, though it had been struck by a mighty wind, it remained unmoved.

    In the blink of an eye, half the camp had been destroyed. Such was the power of an immortal.

    Good fucking morning! Jack shouted. Come out to meet your daddy!

    A hostile aura burst out of the red tents remnants. It was a ck sphere arced with lightning, and tworge, red eyes hovered in its middle, staring down at Jack.

    Who dares attack me? an imposing female voice rang across the canyon, snuffing out the cries of the injured.

    Come here and find out! Jack roared back.

    The ck aura parted, revealing a female centaur standing in its midst. Blood ran down the side of her face, while one of her four legs was broken. She didnt seem to care. Her eyes were burning with rage, scanning Jack like she was about to tear him apart.

    She was a weird person to look at. Her face was soft and circr, with beautiful features. Blond hair cascaded down her back, creating an image of purity which was instantly shattered by the sheer cruelty visible in her eyes, a gaze made to terrorize whoever met it.

    Jack scanned her again.

    <strong>Centaur, Level 210</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Fourth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Two hundred and ten. Seventy-eight levels over himseven hundred and eighty stat points, along with a greater storage of Dao energy.

    A powerful adversary.

    But she stood alone.

    The two early D-Gradesy in the rubble behind herthe human was dead, his chest caved in, while the feshkur was still bleeding out. Jacks attack had cracked his skull, broken several limbs, and burned his entire back.

    Even though these two immortals were of a slightly higher level than Jack, they couldnt handle his surprise attack.

    The centaur did not spare them a single look. Neither did she nce at the many dead or injured guards who were running away. Her eyes remained glued on Jacks, and the terror they brewed only intensified.

    <em>The Dao of Terror? </em>Jack wondered. <em>Of cruelty? Or pain? Something like that.</em>

    His heart almost cowered before the gaze of this centaur, but he quickly recovered. He was Jack Rust. The embodiment of the fist. The conqueror of Trial. He could not be intimidated by a single gaze.

    He grinned at the centaur, weathering her heart assault without blinking. Her eyes narrowed at that.

    A low D-Grade who can stand against my aura she muttered. Her gaze ran over him and his status screen again. With intelligence befitting an immortal, she quickly put two and two together. So, you are the infamous Jack Rust. I hadnt heard you became an immortal.

    What can I say? Im fast where it matters.

    The centaur stayed silent for a moment, her eyes constantly narrowing. Finally, she said, I sense no others. Did you reallye alone?

    Almost. I have a monkey.

    There was no point in trying to hide Brock. As they spoke, the brori was busy rushing the prisoners through the hole Jack had made in the cage. The centaur could easily sense him and deduce the connection between thembut Jack didnt n on letting her do anything about it.

    You cannot possibly think you can match me, she said.

    And what if I do?

    Then youre a fool. Her aura rose, bing a dome of darkness deeper than the night. It covered the entire canyon. Screams rang inside itauditory illusions made to break ones spirit. A fool whonded right into my arms.

    Surrounded by darkness, Jack chuckled. That remains to be seen.

    His own Dao Domain burst forth. A purple dome unraveled from the deepest parts of his being, vying with the womans for supremacy. The two domains ground against each other, one on the inside and one on the outside. Jacks was smaller, but it was also far morepactthough he could only cover a radius of a hundred feetpared to the centaurs half-mile, his control over this area was far superior.

    The warden frowned and pushed harder. Her domain crashed inward, growing smaller but stronger. The screams rang louderand, though Brock and the prisoners were safe inside Jacks domain, he suspected that many of the Animal Kingdom guards outside of it were screaming.

    She didnt care about them at all.

    Neither did Jack, to be honest. His hands were full with resisting her domain. Where ck and purple met, Dao particles of fist smashed into those of pain. Their understandings warred, looking for gaps that couldpromise the others integrity. After a while, no domain emerged as the victorthe two had formed an unsteady bnce, with the constant pressure neutralizing each others forces.

    If two immortals had a great disparity in power, the stronger one could just rip through the others domain and dominate them. If they were closer in power, however, neutralizing another immortals domain was difficult.

    How can your domain stand against mine? the centaur called out, her voice filled with iprehension. Youre just an early immortal!

    An early immortal whos about to kick your ass, Jack corrected her, his gaze stormy. Lets take this to the sky.

    In the wider gxy, it was customary for immortals to fight in the sky. This was because, with their powers, fighting on the ground could ruin entire cities and genocide poptions.

    In this case, however, the centaur couldn''t care less about her guards, while Jack had to protect Brock and the prisoners.

    She opened her mouth andughed with malice. I dont think

    Jack was upon her instantly. His domain contracted around his body, pressurized to form a tiny patch of the worldpletely under his control. He appeared in front of her, ducked down, and sprang upward into an uppercut.

    Dao Domains were used for posturing or suppressing weaker opponents. In a battle between equals, there was no reason to keep it up constantly.

    The centaur raised her body and crossed her front legs to block. The punch hit them straight. With the crack of a bone, the wardens entire body was sent flying upward like a missile, ascending hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye. She screamed.

    Jack Space Walked right before her. Now that they were high enough, he had no reason to hold back. Meteor Punch! he roared, drilling at her chest.

    A ck spear appeared between her hands. She twirled it and brought it down on his fist. Pain and Misery! she screeched.

    Spear and fist collided in an explosion of color. Purple and ck were unleashed into the sky, each spreading into a hemisphere behind their wielder, but the purple area wasrger and richer. Jack pushed his fist forward to break the stalemate, and the centaur flew back while spitting bright red blood.

    Jack had won the exchange, but he still gripped his wrist tightly. Ouch, he muttered breathlessly. The centaurs attack wasnt just physical. The moment they collided, he felt a tremendously strong pain drill through his bones, like his entire forearm was liquified andpressed.

    That had not happened. He was fine, but the pain hed just experienced was quite extreme.

    However, Jack wasnt unfamiliar with pain. This was nothingpared to the torture hed endured when assimting the Life Drop, or even the all-prative lightning of his breakthroughs heavenly tribtion.

    <em>Dao of Pain my ass, </em>he thought, gritting his teeth as he raised his eyes to meet hers. He was angry now. He didnt just want to fight her; he wanted to destroy her.

    Apprehension entered the centaurs gaze. Why are you not screaming? she shouted from a distance. How can you overpower me? What the hell is wrong with you?!

    Because Im Jack fucking Rust, he growled back at her, then charged forth. The centaur unleashed something between a roar and a scream, raising her spear to meet him. They shed againand the sky was torn apart by colors.

    ***

    Brock watched his big bro punch the horse woman to the sky. He nodded in acknowledgementthat was a good strike.

    He didnt keep watching the battle. He knew Big Bro would win. He just focused on extracting Guitar Bro from the cage, along with the other cage bros. When enough of them were out that they could help the otherseven in their shocked confusionBrock left them and sprinted for the ruined red tent.

    There were two bodies thereone was the dead human, and the other the half-dead feshkur. One of them held the keys to the shackles of the cage bros. Brock had to find them, rescue the bros, and help them fight off the guards.

    He went for the human first. Rummaging through his pockets, he found nothing but a green credit card and a small bagboth of which he kept. He then rushed to the feshkur. He quickly spotted the ring of keys hanging from a leather ring embedded in his belt. The only problem was, how to get it out?

    Brock narrowed his eyes at the keyring. He had never faced such a mechanism before. The keys were hanging from arge iron ring, which in turn hung from another ring fused into the feshkurs belt. But how could he remove one ring from the other, since they were clearly interlocked?

    Why did smart bros have to make things soplicated?

    Just as Brock was considering the issue, a weak groan came from the feshkurs mouth. His eyelids fluttered as if he was about to wake up. Help he started saying.

    Brock smashed his Staff of Stone into the mans face, repeatedly. When he stopped moving, Brock nodded. Bad bro stay sleep, he said before returning to the ring problem. He then realized hed spent his entire short life working out for a reason. He grabbed the leather belt and pulled it out, making the feshkurs body spin in the process, then grabbed the keys and ran to the prisoners.

    Bro! he shouted at Guitar Bro, who was currently helping his bros out of the hole in the cage. Guitar Bro looked over, noticed the keys, and his entire face shone with reliefand a little bit of surprise.

    Thanks! he shouted, pushing his wrists forward with the lock at the top, so Brock could unlock it. But why did you take the entire belt?

    Brock did not respond. If Guitar Bro wanted to make snarkyments, then Guitar Bro could go fetch his own keys. Or at least tell his human bros to stop making silly stuff.

    Who even needed belts?

    The shackles fell off, and Guitar Bros face lit up like a Godrintern. He raised his hands and looked at them in wonder. Alright! he shouted, Dao overflowing from him. Brock felt his blood boil and a need to shake his head up and down like a maniac. Its show time, baby!

    Guitar Bro jumped up, ready to unleash his powers, but Brock grabbed his wrist firmly and gave him the keys. He pointed to the other cage bros. You, he said.

    Me?

    Yes. You. I fight.

    The remaining guards were already regrouping and preparing to assault them, and Brock didnt n on letting some random bro have all the fun. He wanted to fight, too. The Staff of Stone appeared in his handsretrieved from the makeshift strap on his backand he flexed at the approaching enemies, showcasing his ultra bro-like physique.

    The guards were a bit confused, but also appropriately intimidated. After all, Brock could sense that only a few of them could match him inbat. The rest were just punching-bag bros.

    Brock Smash! he shouted, jumping staff-first into the fray while Guitar Bro struggled to unshackle the rest of his bros.

    ***

    Jack piled into the centaur. The sky was spinning around them as they exchanged a kaleidoscope of strikes, each attack pushing the centaur back a bit. Her body was bruised and battered now. Her dark robe had been torn in ces, and her once-savage face was contorted into equal parts humiliation, anger, and fear.

    As for Jack, he was fine, though the constant spikes of pain were taking their toll on his mind. They were also making him more determined to kill her. His strikes came faster and faster, ignoring the pain. The centaur was slowly growing weaker.

    It wasnt an easy battle, but Jack held afortable advantage.

    Why dont you fall? she screamed.

    Because I dont want to! Jack retorted, punching her even deeper into the sky. Finally, she made a mistake. Her spear went too wide. Jack angled his punch straight into it, pushing it away, then pivoted mid-air and prepared to nt a massive fist into her gut.

    <em>Got you.</em>

    Suddenly, a feeling of wrongness assaulted him. He abandoned his attack and teleported away just in time to see arge green column fall through his previous position. If he hadnt dodged, he would have been smashed by it.

    <em>No. Its not a column!</em>

    He turned his gaze to the sky. What had originally seemed like a column was now clearly a thick vine stretching down from the clouds above. Jack remained frozen for a moment before realizing what was going on.

    Whos there? he roared. Show yourself!

    At least, the centaur woman looked equally confused.

    A man slowly descended through the clouds. His heavy-set body was made of bark, he only wore a pair of brown shorts, and one of his arms had transformed into the long, thick vine that had almost speared Jack.

    <strong>Treant, Level 197</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Triple Helix (C-Grade)</strong>

    Jack stared at the man for a moment, trying to remember where he knew him from. Torm? he finally asked. This was the easy-going guy whod spotted Jacks disguise and exined some things about this.

    Jack Rust, the treant replied with a satisfied grin. And here I thought Id lost you. You were smart to skip town, and even smarter to miss your appointed teleportation. I almost got you at that cratered mountain, too. Thank the System you took the initiative to start fighting again.

    Who the hell are you? Jack asked, still confused.

    Tormughed. I knew it! Only a recently-Integrated fool could travel the gxy without knowing about the premier bounty hunting faction: the Triple Helix. His grin settled into a professional stare. Its the end of the line for you, Jack. Please surrender quietly. Your bounty is higher if captured alive.

 Chapter 233: Fighting Late Immortals

    Chapter 233: Fighting Late Immortals

    Brock danced with the Animal Kingdom guards. The Staff of Stone glided around him, its weight perfectly bnced as it tore into calves and elbows, heads and knees.

    He wasnt too experienced in battle, but he possessed more than enough strength to make up for it. His body was covered in well-toned muscles. Every time he swung, people went flying. Their weapons couldnt reach him, and if they did, he would just clench his skin muscles to avoid any serious injuries.

    Brock Smash! he shouted, bringing his staff down on a guards helmet. He fell asleep.

    Get the monkey! Two other guards shouted, rushing for him, but Brock didnt even look their way. A bald, muscr woman and a lithe man appeared to block themshe wore iron gauntlets, while he wielded a polished saber.

    Leave our bro alone! they shoutedBrock and Guitar Bro had already educated them on the proper terminology.

    The two former prisoners shed with the two guards. All four of them were strongat least as strong as Brock. He watched as they exchanged strikes but did not worry; they were his cage bros. Of course they would win.

    After the cage bros had found a chest with their weapons, the camp had copsed into a terrible battle. Brock was leading the charge, strong enough to defeat any weaklings and hold his ground against the stronger guards. Only a couple of them were decisively stronger than him, but there were simrly strong cage bros who had his back, allowing Brock to go bananas on the other guards.

    Thanks to the cage bros resentment and berserk fighting, they were slowly but surely winning. A harsh melody came from the back, where Guitar Bro was going nuts on his guitar, and a phantasmal gate to hell had appeared over his head, spewing ck mist. There was even arge red hand slowly emerging.

    As for Brock, this was the first time in his life that he got into a properrge-scale battlehe found it very fun.

    ***

    Jack observed his two opponents. One was the female centaur warden of the Animal Kingdom, who was in bad shape from his previous beating but could still fight. The other was Torm, the treant bounty hunter who was still fresh as a daisy.

    One was Level 210, the other Level 197. Jack was 132.

    The centaur startedughing. You yed yourself, Jack Rust! Join me, bounty hunter, and you can get the entire bounty. I just want my superiors to know I helped.

    The treant smiled. Deal.

    Jacks hopes of these two infighting were dashed. He couldnt retreat either, as Brock and Vanderdecken were still down there. All he could do was fight them both, and hope for the best.

    If worse came to worst, he could just use his Life Drop and hope nothing bad happenedthough that would open an entirely new can of worms.

    Jack readied himself. His purple aura red to life, shrouding him in spectral mes formed of sheer willpower. His eyes narrowed. Come! hemanded, and the two immortals charged him.

    The treants limbs morphed into vines. The hand of bark that Jack had once shaken was now a gigantic vine, growing through the air to spear him. Two more awaited at the treants legs, ready to assault him at the first opening.

    The centaur was actually charging ahead of the treant. She knew Jack couldnt destroy her in one blow, so she aimed to just disorient him by flooding him with pain. A sadistic smile adorned her blood-covered face, and all four of her legs galloped through the air to reach him faster.

    Jack considered his two opponents coldly. Since he was on the weaker end, he had to fight wildly. He clenched his fists.

    SUFFER! The centaur screamed as she reached him, thrusting her spear forward. A ck aura shone on its tip. A vine came from behind her and above, seeking to impale Jacks torso. The treant was clearly experiencedif hed gone for the head, Jack could have dodged the attack, but now he was forced to block.

    Or take it.

    Unfortunately, the attacks came in sync, and he couldnt deal with both of them at the same time. His punch struck the spear tip, sending it and its wielder flying away as the vine struck Jacks chest, piercing shallowly into the skin. The Neutron Star Body, Jacks defensive skill, was strained to its limit.

    He caught the flicker of surprise on the treants face as the vine didnt reach his organs, but that was all he had time to see. The vine hadnt stopped growing. Instead, it elerated, pushing Jack along as it sought to nail him into the ground. If that happened, he would be cleanly skewered.

    He was falling at extreme speed. With no time to think, he grabbed the vine and pushed himself away from it, then flew sideways to barely escape its trajectory. The vine kept going. A fraction of a secondter, he heard it crash into the ground, embedding itself deep inside the rock.

    The power of that vine was no joke.

    The centaur was on him again. With a wailing sound that upset his heart and shook his mind, she threw her spear at him. It fell like a darket. Jack twirled himself in the air, barely dodging the attack, but even being in the vicinity of that speartip made him feel like he was burned alive. He howled in pain.

    Suffer! the centaur cried out again, licking the blood from her lips. Oh, Ill enjoy this!

    Jack felt his fury rise. This woman wasnt causing him any fearonly an urge to fight back. Two vines were crashing down from the sky, oneing from the left and one from the right, but he ignored them.

    You think youre scary? he asked the centaur. Let me show you real terror.

    He stepped through space to appear behind her. The vines tore through empty air where he used to stand, and it took the centaur a moment to realize what had happened.

    Teleportation! the treants shocked voice came from higher up in the sky, but Jack waspletely focused on his soon-to-be victim. He didnt strike out right away. Rather, he invested all of his focus into activating Brutalizing Aura, the skill of terror he had inherited from his previous ss, Fiend of the Iron Fist.

    Instantly, the air around him was dyed in the color of blood. Jacks hair fluttered in the wind as his form was covered in darkness, leaving only his eyes shining red. Tendrils of shadow reached down toy on the centaur, who tried to fight them off, but they were incorporeal.

    Jack channeled his twin understanding of Power and Weakness. With the power gap between the two of them, he was in absolute control of her fate. But he wouldnt just kill her; he would brutalize her. She would die in gore and iron.

    And there was nothing she could do about it.

    The centaurs Dao of Pain rose to shield her soul. Unfortunately, not only was it weaker than Jacks Dao, it was also thepletely wrong Dao to defend against this kind of attack. Its resistances melted under the pressure of Jacks Brutalizing Aura, and all it achieved was to enhance the pain of her eventual defeat.

    The centaurs Dao Domain had been activated at some point. So had Jacks. It crushed down on her, and as her resolve wavered, her Domain shattered, crushed under the iron grip of the Fist. The centaur was left holding her head in her hands and wailing for mercy.

    Jack wasnt an idiot to let an enemy gomuch less an enemy with such a twisted Dao.

    He punched her in the face and nailed her into the ground far below, cracking the rocks and forming a crater. Without the protection of her Dao, her defenses had fallenher head nowy broken in the center of the crater, dead beyond the shadow of a doubt.

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 133.</strong>

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 134.</strong>

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 135.</strong>

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 136.</strong>

    Jack turned to regard the treant, panting but wrathful. So, you want my head, he said darkly. Come take it, if you dare.

    The treant clearly didnt dare. His gaze was filled with apprehension, and his eyes scanned the area widely in search of something he could use. Unfortunately, there was nothingand, given the teleportation skill that Jack had just exhibited, he couldnt escape, either.

    Lets forget about this, he tried. I only scratched your skin. Let bygones be bygones, and I can offer you

    Jacksughter interrupted him. When you thought I was weak, you didnt hesitate to attack me and even glower about it. Now that you can no longer bully me, you want to just leave like nothing happened? As if! No, Torm; you started this fight. You will finish it.

    Torm gritted his teeth. Escape was not an option, as he clearly didnt specialize in speed, and neither was negotiation. All he could do was fight.

    Dont force my hand! he roared, pulling out a glowing green vial from his pocket. One of his vines had turned back into an arm at some point. I dont want to use this here, but you will die if I do! This is yourst chance! Let the matter drop!

    Fuck you! If I dont kill you today, I am no man!

    Torm was a decisive individual. Seeing that Jack wasnt budging, he popped off the vials cork with his thumb and gulped it down. Instantly, he doubled over in pain. Green veins appeared under his bark skin, pulsing like mes.

    In the next moment, a green aura that almost seemed alive erupted from his body. It stretched for miles around. The miasmic clouds were dispersed, revealing a dark sky interspersed with stars. Torm hovered in the middle of it, staring down Jack with the might of a God. Green fire slithered out from under his skin, like his innards were on fire, but the intense power he radiated was an entire tier higher than it used to be.

    You made me do this! he shouted. Now, die!

    The air exploded in rings as Torm dove down, reaching Jack in an instant. His domain shrouded them both. Jacks domain rose to resist, but it was suppressed to a five-foot radius around his body, like someone trying to punch a forest wildfire and having to retreat.

    Torms charge carried a desperate air about it. He was like a cornered animal, or someone who had nothing to lose. His newly-gained power was quickly evaporating; by the time he reached Jack, only ny percent remained. It was clear that whatever he had used was really burning his body from the inside.

    But that didnt make his attack any less terrifying. In the instant before Torm arrived, Jack realized that maybe he should have activated his Life Drop already, but it was toote. There was no way he could dodge in time. He tried using Space Walk, but even space was locked down by the other mans domain, making his skill useless.

    The treant was upon him. Both arms stretched into vines, which crashed down like columns from the sky. Torm howled.

    Jack set his jaw. If there was no way out, he could only go forward. A purple aura red in the green. It couldnt absorb the sounds and colors, but Jack poured all his remaining power into it, birthing a purple sun that could momentarily rival the real one in brightness. This punch was so strong that Jack could barely control itthe most powerful strike he had ever unleashed.

    He shot it forth. His punch instantly reached a tremendous speed, meeting the vines at the very apex of its trajectory. A purple tail blossomed behind it, showering the world with stars.

    VINE DESCENT! Torm shouted.

    METEOR PUNCH!

    The point of impact exploded. Green and purple mes spread across the sky, filling it for miles in all directions. Jacks face and chest were burned from the shockwave. All bones in his arm cracked. His fist waspletely mangled. The vines broke and burned away, revealing a stunned Torm who wasunched away from the explosion and into the sky, spitting out a long line of green blood.

    A booming sound followed, spreading across the sky as a sphere of visible shockwave, tearing into the rock below and carving it like a scythe. Jack remained anchored in the center of the explosion, crossing his arms before his head to protect himself. The pain was tremendous, both from his ruined arm, as well as his burnt face and chest.

    But he remained, while Torm was gone. He had won the exchange. The battle, too. With the rate of burning in Torms body, there was no way he was up for another round, even if he wasnt dead alreadywhich he probably was.

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 137.</strong>

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 138.</strong>

    <strong>Level-up! You have reached Level 139.</strong>

    Scratch thathe definitely was dead.

    Jack had fought two high-level immortals and won. The power he had exhibited, the victory he had achieved He raised his other fist into the air and roared in triumph.

    Gone were the days of his weakness. Now, he was strong enough to take on the world and win. He was strong enough to go to war.

    He was a true immortal. And let the hearts of his enemies swim in fear, because he wasing for them, and there was nothing they could do about it.

 Chapter 234: Tying Up Loose Ends

    Chapter 234: Tying Up Loose Ends

    The round-up was easy.

    After the three wardens were defeated, including thete D-Grade centaur, the remaining guards surrendered. Their numbers had already been halved by Brock and the prisoners, anyway.

    Brocks greatest injury from the fight was a deep purple bruise on his shoulder, caused by a guards mace. That guard survived the battle, only to receive a long, hard re from Jack, which probably convinced him to start a more peaceful life in another part of the gxy, if he made it out of here alive.

    There was also a group of low D-Grade officials from the Exploding Sun who came to see what was going on. Seeing that the battle was already over, they left quickly.

    That left Jack, Brock, the prisoners, and the guards.

    I have many questions, Jack said after rounding up everyone, and I hope you will all answer them.

    Yes, sir! the guards and prisoners replied, each struggling to seem more helpful than the previous person.

    First of all, what are you doing here?

    A cacophony of voices rammed into his ears as everyone started speaking together.

    Silence! Jack ordered. Everyone shut up. You, with the red sword. Step forward and exin what is going on.

    Yes, siiir.

    The person hed pointed to was the only surviving peak E-Grade guard of the Animal Kingdom. He resembled a bipedal goat and spoke with a slight bleating.

    <strong>Goatee, Level 124 (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    The Animal Kingdom has a looot of enemies. We were tasked with traveling to the far side of the Exploding Sun constetion to pick up a captured group of criminals, then deliver them to Hell. We were currently on our way back.

    And what have these criminals done?

    The goatman hesitated for a moment. They were space pirates in our constetion, sir.

    Bullshit! shouted one of the former prisoners, a heavily muscled woman with iron gauntlets. With all due respect, sir, we are not pirates. Were revolutionaries. We only attacked ships of the Animal Kingdom. Down with their tyranny! Down with their oppression! We are the Iron Bodies, and we will die saving the constetion!

    The rest of the former prisoners, with the exception of Vanderdecken, cheered.

    Jack massaged the ridge of his nose. Are you also part of their crew, Vanderdecken?

    Uh, no, the man replied. The Animal Kingdom just randomly found me in this constetion, and they picked me up after seeing my of origin.

    Then, what were you doing here?

    Vanderdecken smiled widely. I joined a talent show on Elzin! he replied proudly, then raised three fingers. I even got third ce, dude!

    Jack closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then reopened. Thats great. Im happy for you.

    I know, right? Im gonna be a rockstar!

    But the Dao of Metal

    Its a figure of speech, dude. He raised both his pinkies and index fingers. I will have my concerts, but I remain loyal to THE DEVIL! He also struck a chord on his guitar to emphasize his words.

    The space revolutionaries looked at him oddly. You can join us if you want, said their leader.

    I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. I am loyal to THE

    We get it, we get it, Vanderdecken, Jack interrupted him before this turned into an impromptu concert. He then turned back to the goatee guardwho happened to sport the appropriate facial hair. Is what theyre saying true? Did they only attack Animal Kingdom starships?

    We dont have all the data, sir the guard said. After receiving Jacks re, he quickly added, but it is possible.

    Okay. Then, heres what were going to do.

    Jack paused there to make sure he was making the right call. On one hand, the Animal Kingdom was his enemy. On the other, these guards were his prisoners of war now. He couldnt just kill them offbe it in ordance with the Star Pact or the Geneva Convention.

    Finally, he made sure he had everything in order. Space revolutionaries, he said. I am also an enemy of the Animal Kingdom. I respect your actions. You can take your stuff and go be free, or revolutionaries again, or whatever you prefer.

    Thank you, sir. Their leader, the iron-gauntleted woman, stepped forward and ced both hands over her heart. You saved our lives. We will engrave this kindness in our heart, and use it to hit the space tyrants even harder.

    It was just in passing. Dont worry about it.

    The woman nodded respectfully and stepped back in line.

    Guards, Jack continued, you are my prisoners of war, so I cannot just kill you off. At the same time, you seriously mistreated your prisoners before, so I consider you to havemitted war crimes. You will wear the System-limiting manacles and be in the custody of the revolutionaries, who will decide your punishment in ordance with morality and gcticw.

    The guards went a shade paler, while the revolutionaries wore devious smiles. However, Jack continued, staring at the revolutionaries strictly, I expect you to treat these people with respect and humanityor whatever the multi-species equivalent is called. You may imprison or execute them if you deem it proper, but I dont want any torture, inhumane conditions, or injustice because of your deeply-rooted hatred against their faction. You will notmit the same crimes they did. You will be just. Am I clear?

    Yes, sir, the woman replied, looking down.

    I need your word, leader of the revolutionaries, Jack told her seriously. Promise me, on your honor, that you will allow no mistreatment of these people.

    She raised her eyes and looked at him. On my honor, I will not allow any mistreatment of these people. I will treat and punish them fairly. That, I swear.

    Jack held her stare for a moment before she looked away. Good, he said. The guards were extremely relieved at this exchange, while the revolutionaries didnt seem to care too much. That concludes my business here. I will also loot the bodies of the four D-Grades I killed, as well as their tent and storage spaces. Everything else is yours.

    Yes, sir, the iron-gauntleted woman replied, her gaze filled with admiration. Apparently, she approved of Jacks handling of the situation, and was even impressed by it.

    Good, Jack said again, giving everyone a final look to make sure he wasnt forgetting anything.

    What about me, Ja sir? Vanderdecken asked.

    Youreing with me. We still have some things to talk about.

    Oh, score!

    The entire time, Brock had stood by Jacks side, nodding in approval and emphasizing his big bros decisions with appropriately hard stares.

    Unfortunately, the three wardens and the bounty hunter werent carrying anything particrly valuable. Jack only found a shrunken starshipmany of them possessed this feature, apparentlywhich he gifted to Vanderdecken. He also found three emerald credit cards. With Brock donating the fourthhed pocketed it at some point during the battleJack now had a wealth totaling to 80,560,011 credits, sixty million of which came from Torm the bounty hunter.

    Their generous donation brought him very close to the hundred-million mark, which he needed to buy the telepathy function for his faction. That would allow him tomunicate with the professor and find out what was going on in his absence, as well as coordinate his efforts with theirs.

    In the meantime, he had Vanderdecken.

    The two of them sat in the starship, while Brock flew them across the wastnd towards the teleportation town.

    Dude What the hell have you been up to? Vanderdecken asked, looking around the starship in wonder. Youre an immortal now, and you have your own starship It is so much faster than the ones on Earth, too!

    Jack smiled. Its a long story, my friend.

    I have time.

    Jackughed. Fine. He then proceeded to summarily narrate his adventures to Vanderdecken, leaving out all sensitive subjects. By the end of it, the bards eyes were full of stars.

    You conquered Trial!? he asked, mouth gaping. Thatssensational!

    It is, so use that knowledge wisely. Tell it to the professor, and let her distribute it as she sees fit.

    You got it, dude.

    Now, tell me about Earth, Vanderdecken, Jack asked, leaning forward. Suddenly, he was full of worry. What is going on back there?

    And Vanderdecken spoke. He told Jack about the cold world war that ensued after the Tournament, where the Bare Fist Brotherhood and me River allied against the Ice Peak. About the battles for dungeons, the conflicts and subterfuge, the ambushes, the infiltrations, the war of misinformation conducted by both sides. How the was divided, only waiting for a spark before erupting into all-out war.

    Jacks face was growing darker by the minute.

    So, Alexander didnt sit still he said. Im d that the professor and Vivi are okay, but this cannot go on. Maybe I should head back and squash the Ice Peak.

    No! Vanderdecken raised his hand. You cant do that! If you do, theary overseer will intervene and kill us all!

    Why? Im a native. I can do whatever I like on the.

    Youre an immortal now, dude! If you show up on Earth and start attacking people, the Animal Kingdom will definitely twist that into an excuse to ignore the grace period and fight back. Theyve been trying to do that for a while nowactually, the alliance is constantly trying to avoid actions that can be interpreted as threatening thes poption, which would let the overseer intervene.

    Jack frowned. So what? I cannot return to my own?

    Not unless youre ready to fight the Kingdom. Come on, dude. I know this is hard, but you seem to be doing fine out here. Let us fight our own battle.

    Jack snorted. Hmph. I wouldnt put you guys at risk; you know that. Its just frustrating.

    Yeah, I understand.

    Then againit doesnt change much, does it? My n remains as is. Grow as strong as possible, then return to fight the overseer before the grace period is up. Even if my presence on the lets them break the rules, well destroy all the teleporters beforehand so she has no backup, and Ill kick her ass.

    Kick her ass? The overseers ass? But thats impossible!

    I can fight ate D-Grade now, and theres eight months remaining. Maybe its possible.

    I I guess so, dude. I mean, the difference between ate D-Grade and a middle C-Grade cant be thatrge, right?

    Jack thought back to therge gap in power between the E and D Grades, and didntment.

    By now, theyd reached the teleporter town, where Vanderdecken could get his buzzer to eventually start the trip back. Jack also transferred him a hundred thousand credits; enough to cover all teleportation fees from here to Earth ten times over.

    This is where our paths diverge, Vanderdecken. Ill be out of town for a bit, but you should be fine here. There are plenty of E-Grades around, Jack said after they exited the teleportation building. Send my greetings to everyone on Earth, okay? And let them know to hang on. I <em>will </em>be back before the grace period is up, and I <em>will </em>conquer Earth for us. Even if not with my own strength, Ill definitely find a way. Okay?

    The mans eyes shimmered with unformed tears. You got it, dude! he said, rushing in for a hug. Go be great!

    I will, Vanderdecken, Jack replied, holding the others back. I will.

    As he watched the bard walk away, the weight of his entire had never been heavier on Jacks shoulders. Only now did he truly feel the responsibility he bore, as well as how far away from home he was.

    He was lost in space, all alone.

    Brock grabbed his shoulder. Jack turned, smiling at the sight of the short brori, who barely reached Jacks chest by now, reaching up to there. Right, he said. Im not alone. I never will be, because I have my brother.

    Brock nodded, smiling. Bro.

    Bro.

    They settled down in a distant mountain range, where Jack could cultivate and test his powers as needed. Every time he did, they quickly changed locations, just in case there were more bounty hunters on the loose.

    He also allocated his new status points. He had leveled up seven times after defeating the centaur warden and Torm. Since every level in the D-Grade gave ten stat pointpared to two in the F-Grade and five in the E-Gradethis amounted to seventy points in total.

    Once upon a time, it would have been an extraordinary amount. Now, it was just an everyday urrence.

    Still maintaining the 8-1-1 distribution that Master Shol had suggested, Jack put all the points into Physical. He then admired his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 139</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 775</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 725</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 745</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 120</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II, Space Walk I</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    <em>Killing things is still much faster than cultivating, huh</em>

    One battle had saved him weeks, if not months of effort. He needed that to reach his goal. All he feared was the path it signified

    <em>War, </em>he thought, gaze hardening. <em>To save mythe Animal Kingdom must suffer. And so they will.</em>

    But first, he had to visit the Exploding Sun. As much as he wanted to defeat theary overseer with his own power, he wasnt selfish enough to ignore more reliable ways of saving Earth.

    Plus, he looked forward to meeting Master Shol again.

    <em>I wonder if he still qualifies to be my master, </em>Jack thought, smirking. <em>Were in the same Grade now. How will he react when he sees that? Hehe.</em>

    After cultivating for a day and gaining no more levels, the buzzer finally began to glow and hum. Jack and Brock returned to the teleportation town and waited in line. An hourter, it was their turn to stand before the teleporter.

    Name, faction, and destination, said the guard, while a low D-Grade stared at Jack discreetly from the side.

    Jack Rust. Bare Fist Brotherhood. Exploding Sun headquarters.

    The guard and the D-Grade exchanged a subtle look. Both nodded. The teleportation fee is ten thousand credits per person, please, said the guard, extending a credit card.

    Jack raised a brow at the sizable fee but said nothing. He touched his card to the guards, willed the twenty thousand transfer, and stepped in the teleporter with Brock.

    Due to some function of the teleporter, only a single destination appeared before Jacks eyes: Field Neb.

    <em>What a name, </em>he thought, grinning, and chose it. Space lurched under his feetand, a few momentster, he finally arrived at the Exploding Sun.

 Chapter 235: Field Nebula

    Chapter 235: Field Neb

    The teleportation was punctuated by sr gasses, and colors, andets, and shimmering stars And when it was over, nothing changed.

    Jack and Brock stepped out of the teleporter and looked around.

    There was no sky. As one looked up, their gaze met a sight that looked like a dream. Instead of the darkness of space, purple and orange gasses filled the distance, glittering with stars. These gasses were present in all directions, surrounding the from an incalcble distance away.

    It was like being wrapped in a gassy, colorful bubble.

    Jack looked down. They were standing on arge rockaet, maybe? A moon? A dome stretched around them, transparent if not for the shimmering of air, creating a habitable environment only a mile in diameter. Inside it was the teleporter, before which they currently stood, as well as what resembled a small town made of slick, modern houses.

    Threes were also visible. They surrounded this ce equidistantly, slowly revolving around it like it was their sun, and they werent too distantmaybe as far away as the moon was from Earth. Two of them were covered by lush greenery and dark blue seasJack could even see starships flying to and from each, swarming them like bees to honey. As for the third, it was devoid of starships and surrounded by clouds, which prevented Jack from inspecting it properly.

    What is this ce? he wondered, looking around with mouth agape.

    Wee to Field Neb, a womans voice came from behind them. She wore long yellow robes bearing an image of an exploding sun, her skin was tanned, her hair dark and long, and her eyes piercing in their brownness.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 130</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    Field Neb, Jack repeated the name, tasting it. His eyes shed. Wait! Do you mean were inside an actual neb?

    The woman smiled with amusement. Indeed. Surrounding us is the Bow Neb, the birthce of stars. And the ce under your feet is the Center Moon, part of the capital of the Exploding Sun faction.

    You guys live inside a neb!?

    We do.

    Jack knew what nebs wereor, at least, the basics. If he remembered correctly, when stars died, they formed titanic gas clouds. These clouds gravitated towards each other and formed evenrger gas clouds called nebs. Inside these nebs, the most condensed of gas cloudsbined due to gravity, eventually formingrge gas spheres that, due to nuclear fusion reactions, began to burn and unleash tremendous amounts of energy.

    These spheres were called stars. Therefore, nebs were the birthce of stars, formed and maintained by the death of older stars, like a phoenix rising from its ashes.

    Jack knew those from Earth science sses. However, he had never heard ofs existing inside nebs, let alone inhabitable environments.

    Sorry, he said to excuse his surprise, I just didnt expect this at all.

    Why not? the woman replied,ughing. Nebs are made of gasses, but they also contain all sorts of space rocks. Some of them ares, formerly belonging to a sr system long gone. If such a is stable, terraforming it is not too difficult.

    So there are more ces like this?

    No. Her face shone with pride. Field Neb is the only widely-inhabited, intra-nebic space in the gxy. Its history is quite intriguingbut, if you dont mind, perhaps it could wait until after we settle the details of your arrival?

    Jack coughed in his hand. In his excitement, hedpletely forgotten that hed just teleported to the capital of a B-Grade faction. Obviously, there was a procedure to be followed.

    My apologies. I am Jack Rust, here to visit my master, Shol. He is a deacon of the Exploding Sun.

    I am Brock, said Brock.

    I also have this, Jack added. Reaching inside his pocket, he removed the que that Lady Priya had given him back in Trialit was a bronze disk with the Exploding Sun insignia carved on it, and it was supposed to act as a guarantee of his identity here.

    The womans eyes widened as she saw the disk. May I? she asked. Jack handed it over, and she stared at it for a second, ascertaining its authenticity. Its an honor to assist you, sir, she said, her attitude instantly turning deferential. She handed him back the que. I will contact Deacon Shol immediately. Would you mind waiting in our guest lounge for now?

    Of course, Jack replied. It would be our pleasure.

    The woman led them to a building next to the teleporter. Inside, they found a luxurious gardenplete with a refreshing fountain, short trees, birds, and even a small river with a wooden bridge on top. There werefy chairs ced throughout the carefully trimmed garden paths, so any guest could sit wherever they preferred to enjoy this ce.

    Ill be with you shortly, sirs, the woman said. Please wait inside the garden.

    Of course.

    She then took off, leaving Jack and Brock alone. Shed called this a guest lounge, but there was nobody else heremaybe it was only for important guests?

    Did we just fly business ss, Brock? Jack asked.

    Brock didnt get the joke, obviously, but he was too busy admiring the garden anyway. So was Jack. This ce reminded him of something he would only find in a five-star hotel on Earth.

    Gardens like this, terraformeds inside a neb, and D-Grades as attendants He sighed. Why do I get the feeling we just dove in the deep, Brock?

    Yes.

    Yes, indeed.

    Time passed. Jack spent his time watching the skyor rather, the space above. Starships and immortals were constantly flying overhead, shooting from one to the other, while the neb shone in the background. Even though there was no sun illuminating this ce, the nebs brightness created a simr effect.

    Brock spent his time admiring some fish in the river.

    It was only an hourter that the door to the garden opened again. Jack nced over, expecting to see the D-Grade attendant.

    Instead, he saw a bald man in monk robes and a yellow cape. His eyes were glittering like the neb above, while his smile stretched from ear to ear. Jack! he eximed.

    Jacks face mirrored that wide smilehis first genuine one in a while. Master Shol!

    ***

    Old Man Spirit had teleported Jack all the way from Trial to the fringes of the Animal Kingdom constetion, from where hed made his way to Field Neb.

    Others, however, had it easier.

    <em>Swoosh.</em>

    With a warp of space, Nauja appeared on a rock. The very first thing she did was look up, and her face beamed with excitement.

    Im here! she shouted. Im out of Trial! I can see space! The stars, the sun! Look, Salin, its Salin?

    She looked around. She stood alone on a rock, in a small bubble of air on the ruined surface of Trial. Her excitement was doused. She struggled to form words. But

    With another warp of space, Salin appeared at her side. Hey, he said.

    Salin! What happened?

    Sorry, I got lost.

    Wh In the teleportation?

    Yeah. She looked him dead in the eye. He grinned. Happens to the best of us.

    You know that doesnt make sense, right? We touched the pedestal at the same time. We should have teleported together. And you cant get lost mid-teleportation.

    Sheesh. And here I was looking forward to your first time in space.

    Oh! Her eyes widened. Right! Im in space, Salin, look! Theres the stars! And the twin satellites! And that over there is a sun! Oh, Salin, this is so beautiful! Sorge, too! She made a circle around herself, admiring the endless expanse of space. How can anything be so big!?

    He opened his mouth to make a joke again, but at thest moment, he held it in. His gaze mellowed. It really is your first time outside

    Of course it is. Why, did you think I was lying?

    No. Its just He shook his head. Nevermind. Im d you like it.

    Like it? I love it!

    Nauja felt like a child. She was so full of wonder, and excitement, and yearning to see the world. She could adventure now. She could grow strong, and meet new people, new civilizations, witness all sorts of magnificent sights. Shed heard stories of spinning stars and holes darker than ck, of whites and space monsters patrolling the depths of space.

    She would see it all. Her chest was already tingling. Thinking to that point, she looked down. Im not dressed weirdly, am I? she asked. This fur clothing was fine in her ring, but maybe the people of the gxy dressed otherwise?

    I think youre lovely, Salin replied, bringing back her smile.

    Great! I think so too. Oh, whats that? That star which looks like its flying our way?

    It <em>is </em>flying our way, but it isnt a star. Its a starship.

    Her mouth widened. The needle-shaped metal contraption grew in her sight until, only secondster,nding right before her. It was soundless.

    Salin pulled her arm and leaned close to her ear. Theyre from the Hand of God, he whispered as the starship doors slid open. Remember; after waiting for a month, we saw no sign of Jack and decided to leave. Brock is still in Garden Ring. Okay?

    Hmph. I remember, of course, she replied.

    Good, Salin said, straightening his hair. His sharp canines glittered in the light, slightly longer than a humans would be. Then, its time to turn traitor.

    Really?

    I told you, didnt I? Im a free man now. Fuck the Animal Kingdom. Lets go to the Exploding Sun, where that knight said Jack would meet us.

    Right.

    Theyd been nning to visit Earth, too, but it could wait. Not only was it dangerous, but Nauja technically couldnt go, as she was not a local.

    Two women descended from the starship. Each had white hair and skin pale as a sheet, but they were both immortals. Nauja simply epted that fact, while Salin raised a brow.

    Names and affiliations, please, they ordered. And disy your ring conqueror titles, if you would.

    They did, both showing off their Seventh Ring Conqueror achievement.

    Nauja, said Nauja. Unaffiliated.

    Gan Salin. Also unaffiliated.

    They raised a brow at Salin. Your System inspection says you are part of the Animal Kingdom?

    Oh, whoops. I knew Id forgotten something. Heughed. System, get me out of the Animal Kingdom faction, please. A momentter, he added, Yes, Im sure.

    Nauja scanned him again.

    <strong>Canine (Earth-387), Level 79</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

    The two women raised their brows at Salin but did notment. So did Nauja.

    There was great significance in leaving ones faction. Salin had already betrayed the Animal Kingdom multiple times, but they wouldnt really care about that, as long as he was strong enough. Now that he left the faction, however Rejoining would be a major issue.

    I know what youre thinking, he said with a smile, making her look away, but it will be fine. I will never go back.

    If you say so Im d to hear that.

    They smiled at each other. One of the two women coughed in her hand, then asked, We will now transfer you to the satellite, where you will be deep-scanned and questioned in ordance with Hand of God policy. After that, you will be free to use our major teleporters to reach any constetion of your liking. Could you please inform us of your next teleportation destination?

    Salin nodded. Field Neb. We have an appointment.

 Chapter 236: The Exploding Sun Faction

    Chapter 236: The Exploding Sun Faction

    Jack looked out of the window. A dominated his view, covered in stripes of green and blue, while purple-orange gasses hung in the background, shimmering with a thousand newborn stars.

    This ce is amazing, he said.

    Of course it is, Master Shol replied proudly. Its my faction!

    The man was reclining on a sleek, white chair that did not at all match his monk-like attire. A yellow cape was draped over his shoulders, simple leather shoes covered his feet, and the smile still refused to leave his face. His entire body, however, was covered in dense muscles that no clothes could ever hide.

    Brock, meanwhile, was snoring on another chair. He couldnt sleep well on Derion, so he made up for it now.

    I have to admit, master, Jack said, you look much more intimidating when you are not a ghost.

    Who wouldnt? And I told you to stop calling me that. Master this and master that. Bah. Were of the same Grade nowjust call me big brother.

    Jack couldnt keep the wry smile off his lips. He had never felt more aplished. Alright, brother Shol.

    Big brother.

    Thats what I said.

    Hmm I guess you did.

    Bothughed. Jack inspected mas Shol again, unable to believe hed finally caught up. It was this sort of thing that put all his adventures into context.

    <strong>Human (Earth44), Level 249</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Fifth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Well, caught up was a bit of an exaggeration. Shol remained over a hundred levels ahead and a great deal stronger, but at least they were of the same Grade!

    Its incredible, Shol said. The kid I mentored three months ago became an immortal already If someone told me that before I saw it, I would have beaten them up for mocking me. And yet Somehow, you did it. He shook his head, strong eyes glued on Jack. Well done, kid. Well done.

    Please. You dont need to call me kid anymorejust Jack will suffice.

    Shol kept his smile down, but how could he hide it from Jack? I suppose so, he replied. I look forward to hearing about your adventures, Jack, but lets wait until we meet my master. No sense in having you repeat everything.

    Can you tell me about this ce in the meantime? Jack asked, turning back to the window. Its unreal.

    Sholughed. What do you want to know?

    Everything. How does the Exploding Sun work? Why are you here? Why do you have threes?

    Let me give you a basic rundown of our faction. Shol stood from his chair, walking to the window beside Jack. He pointed to the nearest. Field Neb is the capital of the Exploding Sun constetion and faction. It is made up of threes. The one were heading towards is the inner; its where the elders, enforcers, deacons, and inner faction disciples reside.

    Inner disciples?

    Right. Seeing the confusion on Jacks face, Shol exined further. Most factions divide their disciples in inner and outer ones, with the inner disciples being superior in status. In the Exploding Sun, like all B-Grade factions, outer disciples are those who are in either the F- or E-Grade. D-Grade cultivators are inner disciples. Technically, I am one too, though I also possess the title of deacon, which holds higher seniority.

    So this is inhabited exclusively by immortals?

    Pretty much.

    Jack gazed back at the window, at the entire they were heading towards. Even from this distance, he could make out towns and structures.

    Just how many immortals do you have!? he couldnt help but wonder. All around the gxy, D-Grades were considered apex existences. Every one of them Jack had met so far was revered and respected. Only one out of every hundred thousand cultivators became an immortal. In the fringes of the constetion, they couldmand an entire continent, even an entire.

    Here, they were just disciples. Even the attendant whod weed them before was a D-Grade.

    Sholugheda deep, pleasant, honest sound. I see your surprise, he said. But you must understand that the B-Grade factions arepletely different existences than the outside world. D-Grade immortals are nothing herethe inner alone holds twenty thousand of them, with even more spread around the constetion.

    Twenty thousand immortals!?

    Well, roughly. Could be neen.

    Jack struggled to wrap his head around this. It felt like hed just surfaced into a much vaster world than the one he knew.

    It had to be said that, by pre-System Earth standards, even the weakest immortal could be called a God. And this inner had twenty thousand of them

    Cheer up, Jack, Shol pped his shoulder,ughing. Youre one of us now. Having more immortals is a good thing! It means you have plenty ofpetition to help you grow.

    But Twenty thousand immortals!?

    We have hundreds of C-Grades, as well.

    Hundreds of Jack stammered, feeling the need to sit down. His entire was hounded by a single C-Grade, who towered over him like an impossible mountain. Everything Jack did was to have even the slimmest hope against her.

    But the Exploding Sun had hundreds of C-Grades. Tens of thousands of D-Grades. And at least a few B-Grades, who were in an entirely different realm

    Brother Shol, he said, I think Im slightly out of my depth here.

    It wasnt a statement Jack would make lightly, but when faced with armies of gods, there was a limit to the grandeur one man could withstand.

    Oh, dont be a wuss. Youll get used to it, Shol chided him,ughing. If all goes well, you will soon be an inner disciple here, too. Youll get the chance to meet and practice against the most capable cultivators this constetion has to offerand, most importantly, youll get one of these nice yellow capes.

    Jack scowled. It is a nice cape. But you have hundreds of C-Grades, and you were so stingy that you couldnt help me beat one of them to save Earth?

    The Animal Kingdom is simrly powerful to us, if significantly uglier. Its not about one C-Gradeits about the rtionship between two colossal factions.

    Yes, of course, I understand Jack replied weakly, taking a seat on Shols chair. So. Infinite immortals. Got it. What else?

    Shol gestured towards the window. As I was saying, thats the inner. It holds our inner disciples, the deacons, and the elders, as well as all the C-Grades who are not elders, whom we call enforcers.

    Right.

    Now, if you look at the right-hand windowhe gestured to the right, where another window showcased a that was basically onergendmass and onerge oceanyou can see the outer, where the outer disciples reside. Obviously, we can only ept a limited number of outer disciples, so the mortals there are the most talented and promising recruits of our constetion. Each of them is approximately as talented as the weaker Integration Tournament finalists of your.

    Jack nodded numbly. The scale no longer shocked him. Maybe he would never again be surprised in his life.

    Finally, Shols expression turned reverent as he pointed at the final, the one covered in gray clouds, we have the core. Only three people live therethe faction leader and the two ancestors. Our three B-Grades.

    At this, Jack couldnt help but raise a brow. Giving an entire to just three people sounded excessive.

    I know what youre thinking, Shol said, but I assure you, our B-Grades are more than worth it. Each of them is an indispensable pir of our faction. Without them, the neb would copse around us, and we would be conquered within a year.

    Conquered within a year? What about all those C-Grades?

    If you think a C-Grade can hold a candle to a B-Grade, you are sorely mistaken, Shol said, smiling sadly. Let alone us weaklings at the D-Grade. Now, thats enough chatting. We have arrived.

    They had been continuously approaching the inner. By now, it was sorge that itpletely filled the window, and Jack could easily make out the mountain ridges andkes on its surface.

    The starship descended through the sky, unbothered by the friction and heat of the air, to approach a tall mountain that stood alone in the middle of a valley. A sprawling estate covered its peak. Hanging gardens, tall buildings, snaking corridors, and all sorts of people running around.

    Most importantly, people were flying, as were animals. Magic was everywhere, and the Dao was so thick here that Jack could almost smell it.

    Wow, he said. Is this where the inner disciples live?

    Of course not! Sholughed. This is just my masters house.

    This entire thing?

    Thats right.

    Jack did a double-take. No matter how he looked at it, this was a town on top of a mountain. Maybe not a big town, but definitely not one persons house, either.

    Everyone you see is either a servant, a disciple, or someone elses family, Shol exined. This entire estate belongs to my master.

    Jack struggled to believe this. Your faction is a bit extravagant.

    We only have twenty-one elders, Shol replied proudly. They get the best we can offer. One mountaintop is nothingamongst elders, my master is considered quite modest.

    ...If this is all one massive joke, I will notugh.

    You would. But is not a joke. This is the real world, Jack; your world. Youre a big boy now. Shol smiled. And youll get used to it.

    Jack shook his head. When faced with such grandeur and extravagance, what could he even say? That his legs were jelly? That his entire worldview was challenged?

    The starshipnded gently on a za designed expressly for this purpose, and a score of servants quickly ran over to wee them. Jack expected them to be overly subservient, and himself to tell them to take it easy.

    Shol threw the door open. Hello, my friends! he shouted,ughing. Im back! Haha!

    Wee, deacon! the servants replied, bowing lightly. Despite being servants, they didnt seem mistreated as Jack had fearedif anything, they were smiling at Shol like he was their friend.

    Jack nodded with approval.

    This is Jack, Shol said, grabbing Jack by the shoulder and pulling him closer. My brilliant disciple, who managed to be an immortal at only four months since being Integrated! He will be your big brother from now on, so treat him with respect.

    Uh Hello, everyone, Jack greeted them. Brock poked his head out of the starship, inspected everyone, then smiled warmly.

    I am Brock, he said. Brock big bro, too.

    The servants looked at Jack like theyd seen a ghostfor any of multiple reasons. Hurriedly, a few of them nodded. Wee, brother Jack, they said, and Jack returned their greetings.

    Leaving the starship to the servants, the three of them took off, following a stone-paved path to the manor at the very top of the mountain.

    So, what exactly is the deal with servants? Jack asked carefully when they were alone. It sounds a bit

    Shol stopped to give him a good look. That is a bit of a touchy subject. Servants are workersthey get paid a sry, given resources to cultivate, and are generally well taken care of. In return, they help keep the estate running and in good condition. However, not everyone treats them as nicelyeven in our faction. His face darkened for a second there. In any case, I expect you to treat everyone in this estate with kindness, no matter their status. That is how my master behaves, that is how I behave, and that is how you will behave as well.

    Jack raised his palms. Of course. That is how I would act, even if you didnt tell me.

    I know you would. I just had to make sure. Shols face brightened again. He was about to say something, but his eyes were suddenly lost in the void. A momentter, he glowed. Really? Of course, master! Well be on our way! He then turned to Jack. Great news! An appointment was canceled, so my master has some free time right now. I will take you to meet her immediately.

    Werent we already going to do that?

    Shol scowled. Of course not. What do you think, that a kid like you can see an elder whenever you want? I was going to situate you in a room, where you would wait until she could spare a few minutes. It could have been days.

    Oh, Jack said weakly. Then yeah, that is great news.

    Shol smiled. Prepare yourself, Jack! You are about to meet one of the greatest people in the entire gxy!

    Jack nodded somberly. Brock raised his hands and said, Yay!

 Chapter 237: Master Huali

    Chapter 237: Master Huali

    As opulent as the mountain estate was, the manor itself was not. Sturdy yet simple wooden walls, a floor made of tanned nks, and red columns to break the monotony. There werent many servants here, either. Jack spotted two ying checkers on a side garden, along with one reading a book while telekically controlling a broom.

    Shol greeted them a greeting they smilingly returned. They were all immortalsranging from level 140 to 230.

    The mansion is inhabited by masters students, Shol exined. Not all of them, of course; just the ones worthy and willing.

    Are you worthy and willing?

    Worthy, yes. Willing, not so much. I prefer privacy. I live in a small cottage in the outskirts of the estate.

    So, amongst your masters students, you are the hermit genius type.

    Shol smiled. Not a hermit; just genius.

    Are you really?

    What did you think? That anyone is invited to participate in the Integrations of other constetions? Im the top disciple here.

    For real? Wow.

    Master Shol had always been a towering figure in Jacks mind. When he finally became an immortal, he thought they would be on simr footingbut they remained leagues apart.

    The mansion may have been empty, but it possessed a different kind of beautya view. As it was built at the top of the mountain, there was nothing to block it. Every window gazed at a different spectaclebe it the hanging gardens of the estate, the lush valley under the mountain, or the distant mountain ridge, whererge birds flocked the sky.

    Behind everything, the nebs purple and orange gasses swam across the sky, glittering with the light of a million tiny stars.

    Were here, Shol said as they arrived before a double wooden door. Prepare yourself. And make sure youre presentable.

    Jack looked over his clothes. He still wore the loose purple robes that Old Man Spirit had gifted him. Below that, he was barefootmost shoes would disintegrate under the immense strain of his movements.

    Um, he said, pointing down, is that a problem?

    Shol nced over, frowning. Obviously. If you want to be entric, you have to earn it first. Come.

    He led Jack through a corridor and into a storage room, where he quickly dug out a pair of form-fitting leather shoes from a closet full of them. Jack tried them on; they were two sizes toorge.

    Its okay, just wear them, Shol urged him, practically pushing him back into the corridor. We cant leave the master waiting.

    Jack frowned. Why do I have to dress up, but Brock cane in with just his red shorts?

    Because I am handsome, Brock said, lifting his chin.

    Jack frowned. I didnt teach you that word.

    Brock knows.

    Enough talking, lets go. Shol urged them back through the corridor and before the door, where they waited. As they did, Jack snuck a side-nce at Shol, seeing him nervous for the first time. Not due to fearit was more like the anxiety of introducing ones spouse to your parents.

    Finally, after fifteen minutes of waiting, a calm voice resounded in their minds. Come in.

    Shol sprang forward, quickly yet calmly pushing the double door open. Beyond it was a room that resembled a mountain cottage. A firece upied one corner of the room, while two of the walls were made of ss, revealing an exquisite view. There was no sky on thisnot really. Purple and orange gasses danced in the distant space, wrapping around each other and dying the world in their colors. It was like the entire had been built inside a colossal kaleidoscope.

    And yet, there were people, animals, nts that lived apletely normal life. For most of them, this fantastic space was all theyd ever known. They had no concept of a sky, just like Naujas tribe, but where thetter had stone ceilings, these ones had the canvas of the cosmos.

    Jack only admired the beauty for a moment before turning towards Shols master. A heavy wooden desk sat at the back of the room, empty besides two orderly stacks of paper. Arge, soft chair was behind it.

    Shols master was not by her desk.

    Instead, she sat on an orange pillow in another corner of the room. Besides her pillow and herself, it was emptybut it was located right in the corner between the two ss walls, where the view was at its most magnificent. Cultivating there while gazing outside must have felt dreamy.

    Master, Shol said, bowing deeply.

    Master, Jack repeated, bowing too. He wasnt sure if that was the proper thing to call her, but he had no better ideas. As for Brock, he simply bowedhe knew how to say handsome, but master was something he had yet to learn. Jack was just d he hadnt called her very big girl bro.

    Shol, the master said, smiling gently. Shol had revealed her name to Jack in the starshipit was Huali. I hope youve been well. Is this young cultivator your only disciple? The one for whose sake you disobeyed my direct orders?

    Jack felt nervous. Back in the Integration Tournament, Shols master had received an order from her factions Grand Elder to stay away from Jack Rust. She hadmunicated that order to Shol, who promptly stashed it where the sun didnt shine.

    Admittedly, this wasnt the first thing Jack expected to hear.

    He is, master, Shol replied calmly. He then smiled widely. Impressive, isnt he?

    His master turned her gaze at Jackand its olive intensity was such that he felt his soul pierced and his body unraveled. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. He is. As expected from the top disciple of my top disciple.

    Shols master looked like an old yoga instructor. Orange robes covered her body, along with a blue cape over her shoulders. She was bronze-skinned and tanned, withughter wrinkles on her face and olive green eyes that seemed to hold the world behind them. Her hair was white and straight, reaching just under her shoulders, while her body was slim and energetic. Even as she sat there cross-legged, releasing none of her Dao whatsoever, her presence resembled a mountain that anchored this entire to reality.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level ??? (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    My name is Jack Rust, and this is Brock, my spiritualpanion, Jack said, bowing again. It is an honor to meet you, master.

    She nodded slightly. I have heard great things about you, Jack. That you show great promise; that you follow the path of one of our factions founders; and that your character is as striking as your fists.

    I wouldnt dare ept that praise, but I am ttered.

    Dont be. Bing an immortal within four months of Integration is a remarkable achievement, even in the entire gxyespecially with a foundation as robust as yours.

    Hehe. I told you, Shol piped in. Integrations can create monsters. Well, heres one.

    That, they can.

    Master Hualis gaze still lingered on Jack, who felt almost naked before her eyes. It was like being stared at by a godsimr to when theary overseer had invaded his mind, or to that vision of Enas in the ck hole, which hed seen after getting the Life Drop.

    <em>Can she detect the Life Drop? </em>he wondered, before realizing that she probably couldnt. The Ancient voice had said so.

    I hope you will allow me to cut directly to the main issue, Jack, as I am busy these days, Master Huali began, her voice growing a hint more serious. Shol tells me that you seek asylum for your faction. Is that still true?

    It is, master, Jack replied, still unsure on how to address her. Not just my faction; my entire.

    She raised a brow. Shol quickly jumped in to add, Jack misspoke. Anything we can offer will please him greatly.

    I do not believe I did, Jack retorted calmly. With his head still lowered, he said, I have been recently informed that my is in the midst of war. My faction and their allies, which include many other factions and countries, are risking their lives to fight against oppression. Even if it was possible to rescue my faction and a few other people, we would not be willing, as abandoning the war would mean the doom of anyone left behind. They would have to pay for our retreat. We are not willing to do that. We will fight, and live or die as onelike a fist.

    Neither of the other two people replied. Jack, despite meaning everything he said, felt himself sweating.

    I mean absolutely no disrespect, he added. I have the utmost gratitude for even your consideration of my circumstances. I am simply exining the situation as urately as I can.

    When they still didnt reply, Jack kept his head low. His words were already risky. The least he could do was remain bowed.

    You can raise your head, Master Huali said in the same amused tone as before. I do not fancy talking to your hair.

    Jack obliged, feeling awkward. He found Master Huali stare at him with a calcted gaze, while Shols face was made of stone.

    You understand that poaching is apletely different issue than simply recruiting your faction, she said. It would rub the Animal Kingdom in all the wrong ways.

    I understand that your two factions are enemies, Jack replied calmly. My current strength might be inconsequential to the Exploding Sun, but my potential is not. I am perfectly willing to join your faction in body and soul, as long as you can help save my.

    Your potential is not? Master Huali repliednow, her voice and expression were unreadable. Those are grand words, Jack Rust. What makes you think you are worthy of us provoking the Animal Kingdom?

    A constetion has tens of thousands of inhabitables, but only hundreds of C-Grades. If I have high chances of bing one in the future, is a single not a worthy trade?

    It is not about a. Its about the rtionship between two factions.

    I still believe myself worthy of your investment. I will strive to reach the C-Grade as quickly as possible, and do everything in my power to make myself useful to the Exploding Sun.

    Reach the C-Grade as fast as possible? Do you really have the face to stand before a true C-Grade and im to be able to reach this realm? Do you even understand how difficult this is?

    Despite her cutting words, she was not angryor, if she was, Jack couldnt see it. She was discussing as calmly as she would about the weather. Maybe it was a test. Therefore, Jack decided that pushing was the best course of action.

    It is true that I do not understand everything. However, I know that some D-Grades be C-Grades. Maybe it is one in a hundred. Maybe one in a thousand. And, potential-wise, I am confident in being in the top one-thousandth of D-Grades. In fact, I am confident in being at the very top.

    At this, Master Huali seemed genuinely surprised. ording to what Shol has told me, you are not an idiot What makes you say such bold words? Just winning this years Garden Assault is not enough. Do you know how many Garden Assault winners get stuck at the D-Grade, forever unable to progress? Even if that wasnt the case, strength isnt the only factor. There is also a great deal of luck involved in reaching the C-Grade, and that is something we cannot predict.

    Under her criticism, Jack felt his confidence slipping away. However, he had already chosen to ride the tigerhe couldnt get off. All he could do now was persist.

    It wasnt like he was out of cards to y. The fact that hed conquered Trial was still a secret; if he revealed it, he felt pretty certain they would let him in and give him anything he wanted. However, he remained a bit hesitant. He would tell her if he had to, but he first wanted to see if they would ept his offer without it.

    After all, he didnt feel that he wascking in potential. They should ept him regardless of his Trial conquest. If not, he would be selling himself a bit short.

    It is as you say, master, he finally replied. I am not very familiar with the gxy, with the Grades, or how cultivation works at the higher stages, but I know with confidence that my potential is great. I reached the D-Grade within four months, with a perfect foundation, a King ss, and four Dao Roots. I was the winner of Trials Garden Assault. Just beforeing here, I defeated twote D-Grades simultaneously. If even those are not enoughthen all I can do is promise to work as hard as I possibly can. I am in dire need of help, and all I have to offer is my allegiance.

 Chapter 238: The Coward

    Chapter 238: The Coward

    After finishing his passionate speech of why he was worthy, Jack caught Shol and Master Huali exchange a nce, but he couldnt read its meaning.

    And what if I decline? Master Huali asked.

    Then I will still cultivate as hard as possible, he replied immediately. I will sneak into the Animal Kingdom and fight them wherever I can. ording to what I know, that should be the fastest way to cultivate. In the process, I will also look for more powerful allies to help me reim my. If I dont find any, then I will visit the at the end of the grace period, destroy all teleporters, and challenge the C-Gradeary overseer. Win or losethat will be my fate.

    She gazed at him deeply. You are determined, she said.

    I am a fist. Forward is the only path I know.

    She cracked a smile. Jack spotted it. She saw him spot it.

    What do you think, Shol? she asked.

    I think Jack is a horse to bet on, Shol replied confidently. He is a brilliant cultivator blessed with unstoppable drive, desperate circumstances, and the luck to get great Titles. If he doesnt perish mid-way, I believe he has good chances of reaching the C-Grade in his lifetime.

    And what if he does perish? Master Huali retorted. He is desperate and reckless. He just described assaulting the Animal Kingdom as an early D-Grade. If he survives, maybe he will reach farbut will he survive? Or will he risk his life time and time again until something goes wrong?

    Cultivators can only bloom on the knifes edge, master. You know that. With our faction backing him, he will have great chances of surviving and prospering. It is the correct investment to make. If the unfortunate still happens Well, we can only me our luck.

    Master Huali fell quiet for a few moments, contemting. Jack held his breath. Finally, she said, Okay. Lets do that. Jack Rust, starting today, you will join our faction as an inner disciple and enjoy all the benefits that correspond to your position. Your brori will also join as an outer disciple. Furthermore, you will be my personal disciple, like Shol, and enjoy all the benefits of that position as well. As for your

    Jacks breath caught on his throat, but he neednt worry.

    While I had received orders from the Grand Elder to stay uninvolved, your strength and potential are simply iparable to back then. Additionally, the Grand Elder passed away a month ago. Therefore, I see no problem with overruling that order. When the grace period is over, the Exploding Sun will send people to oversee the poaching of Earth-387, and if the Animal Kingdom has an issue with that, they can take it up with me. However, there are three conditions: One, you will survive until then. Two, you will not cripple yourself and ruin your future prospects. Three While I absolutely intend to save your, I will not harm my faction for it. I reserve the right to take back this promise in case of extraordinary circumstances. Are you in agreement?

    Jack didnt think about it twice. This was a dreame true. Of course I am! he replied, bowing his head deeply, as he had when Shol had epted him as a disciple. Thank you, master.

    Master Huali, finally true to her title, nodded. She smiled. If there is nothing else

    Actually, master, Jack said, looking forward to what wasing, there is one thing I forgot to mention.

    Her gaze sharpened. Jack felt like he was trapped in the heart of a burning sun, doomed to melt away in eternity. Sweat formed on his brow, and he hurried to speak before they misunderstoodpletely. Its a good thing, I promise!

    The pressure disappeared. Then, speak, Master Huali ordered.

    About Trial I didnt actually stop at Garden Ring. I conquered the Final Ring as well.

    Silence. Both Shol and Master Huali looked at him like hed said he was a cat. What?

    It is true.

    That is impossible, Master Huali said, frowning.

    Jack! Shol cried out. There is no need to lie to the master, let alone such a tant lie! Master, I apologize, I dont know what

    Scan me, was all Jack said. <em>System, disy my Ninth Ring Conqueror title. </em>Hed hidden all his titles beforeanyone could do it.

    Their gazes bore into him and the screen that appeared as they scanned him. In the next moment, their eyes went wide.

    But Thats Shol was lost for words. Is that true!?

    Absolutely, brother Shol, Jack replied with a grin. Seeing their shocked expressions, even of the high and mighty Master Huali, he couldnt help feeling smug. Next to him, Brock was standing with his chest puffed out, chin raised, and a triumphant glint in his eyes.

    By the System Master Huali muttered, barely maintaining herposure. How?

    By defeating the Final Guardian.

    Her gaze burned him. I know that, Jack. Im asking, how did you achieve it?

    I reached the apex of strength as an E-Grade, then got lucky.

    He wasnt going to tell them about the Life Drop. That was a secret much more dangerous than his conquest of Trial.

    Master Huali narrowed her eyes, considering him fully for the first time. Everything up to now had been a regr day at the office for her. Now, things got serious.

    Master! Shol eximed from the side. He conquered Trial! My disciple conquered Trial!

    I thought I was your brother now, Jack joked.

    Hush! You were still an E-Grade when you did it, so you were still my disciple. You cannot take that honor away from me!

    Jackughed freely. Though he still revered Master Huali, he felt morefortable after impressing her like that.

    This is terrific news, she said, nodding deeply at Jack. You were wise not to spread that information. I can take care of that. But Again, this is terrific news! If I didnt see the System title, I would never believe you Ive spent seven thousand years hearing how impossible the Final Guardian is. I faced him myself, once upon a time, and lost decisively. She shook her head. It appears you werent lying. Your potential really is impressive.

    By the side, Brock puffed his chest out as much as he physically could. My bro, he said, as if that exined everything.

    I want to hear it, Master Huali said. She was still reeling, but gradually pulling herposure back under control. Her eyes were filled with genuine curiosity and wonder. Your experiences in Trial, what led you to the apex of strength, and how you defeated the Final Guardian. I had another appointment five minutes ago, but it can wait. Tell me everything.

    And so, Jack did. He told them about his fourth Dao Root in the cave, his fight against the Final Guardian, and his breakthrough inside the Final Ring. The only things he hid were the Life Drop and the tribtionas he felt that the two were connected.

    He also hid his title again.

    Master Hualis eyes narrowed. You are hiding something.

    I am not, master.

    There have been people with four Dao Roots. None of them defeated the Final Guardian.

    It was a terrible battleand I only won through a trick. The Final Guardian fell for a very desperate feint, and I was able to strike him with a full-power blow in the face. That is the only reason why I won.

    And his Dao Domain? Did he not use it?

    He did, but only at the very end. I countered it by expelling my Dao wildly for a few moments.

    She stared at him with narrowed eyes. Once again, Jack felt naked before her sight butforted himself with the fact that it was only an illusion. She couldnt read his thoughtsif she did, he could hide nothing, anyway.

    Very well, she finally replied. Whether or not she believed him, she chose not to press the issue, for which Jack was very d. Perhaps her excitement from recruiting the first conqueror of Trial yed a part. Taking you as a disciple is my pleasure, Jack. I look forward to seeing the heights you will reach. Now, if you would, please return to your amodations. I have many meetings to hold and only limited timeand keep your achievement private for now, please. It can be used strategically to the benefit of all of us.

    Of course, Master.

    And rest well, Jack; your training starts tomorrow. Shol will see to it.

    Yes, Master, Shol replied.

    Goodbye, Brock said, waving at Master Huali. Being silent for so long had taken its toll on him. She nodded slightly in return.

    As Jack was leaving the room, he didnt forget to hide his titles again. A momentter, a blue screen appeared before his face.

    <strong>You have been invited to join the Exploding Sun (B-Grade). Do you ept?</strong>

    <strong>Yes/No</strong>

    <em>Yes, </em>he thought, still unable to believe he was finally here. Had he just saved Earth? Could it really be that simple?

    Or, as always, would there be a catch eventually? Master Huali had mentioned extraordinary circumstances, and with Jacks luck, he felt half-certain they would somehow ur.

    <em>I will cultivate as hard as I possibly can, </em>he thought, reaffirming his resolve. <em>No matter what happens, I will be strong enough to handle it And now, I will have the resources of a B-Grade faction on my back. Even if she goes back on her word, I will still profit until then. </em>He smiled. <em>Woohoo.</em>

    ***

    Back on Earth-387, the professor was eating lunch when a blue screen suddenly appeared before her face.

    <strong>Congrattions! Your faction leader has joined the Exploding Sun (B-Grade.) The Bare Fist Brotherhood is now a subordinate faction of the Exploding Sun (B-Grade.)</strong>

    She paused, spoon half inside her mouth. <em>What?</em>

    Is everything alright, professor? her assistant asked.

    Yes, yes. Its just Her eyes glowed with moisture. My son is such a great man

    ***

    Vivi was pacing up and down her throne room, getting a debriefing. As everyone on Earth leveled up, the remaining F-Grade dungeons were falling faster. The war had eleratedand, along with speed, it had also be much more brutal.

    We estimate there are only six hundred F-Grade dungeons left, Shemarke, a former lieutenant general and her main advisor, reported. At this point, we have to consider the pros and cons of sending E-Grades to conquer the dungeons. We lose out on the rewards, but we can im resources faster and get ahead of the Ice Peak.

    Vivi considered it. It had only been two days since she broke throughpushed to the brink by Edgar and Alexanders duel. After hearing news of her enemys victory and E-Grade status, the pressure had been enough to light the spark inside her. Now, she was the second E-Grade of their alliance.

    Sending E-Grades will only lower Earths power in the long run, she said. We shouldnt ruin our future, if we can help it. Send a message to Alexander. Tell him we should sign a treaty that E-Grades are not allowed inside F-Grade dungeons. He will agree.

    Commander! Shemarke eximed. This is the best time to push. We have two E-Grades to their one. We hold a temporary advantage.

    We do not have two E-Grades, Vivi replied calmly. Edgar will not fight. Plus, his assault on the Ice Peak headquarters impacted their F-Grade forces. We can take them now. That is where our advantage lies, Shemarke, not the E-Grade. Not yet, anyway.

    I understand,mander, but if the Coward can be convinced, our alliance can

    You will not insult my brother in arms, she cut him off, ring into his eyes. Shemarke held it for a moment, then looked aside.

    It is not just me,mander. Everyone calls him that after the duel. It is his new moniker.

    I dont care. You will not mention that in my presence. You will not mention it to any of our soldiers, either, and you will ensure that anyone who calls him that is punished. That will be your first task after leaving this room. Understood?

    ...Yes,mander.

    Vivi sighed. You dont understand, Shemarke. You are not at the E-Grade yet, so how could you? Edgar is not choosing to stay cooped up in his forest. He is forced to. In fact, hes in the worst position of us all Her eyes went hazy for a moment before refocusing. But, lets return to the matter at hand. The professor has made me responsible for the dungeons, and I will not fail her.

 Chapter 239: First Day at the Sect

    Chapter 239: First Day at the Sect

    Jack awoke to a brori jumping up and down on his chest. Oof! he eximed. Brock! What are you Oh! Right!

    A smile instantly blossomed on his face. He ripped off the covers and Brock with them, then jumped up straight and got dressed in a heartbeat. Only then did he greet the brori.

    Morning, brother! Did you sleep well?

    Yes.

    Brocks reply was curt, but he was equally excited. His face was morphed into a permanent monkey grin, and he was hopping from one leg to the other like he was itchy. Jack understood the feeling. He had it too. Today was their first day in the Exploding Sun faction!

    Lets go! he eximed, grabbing Brock and pushing the door open.

    The space hed been given was a spacious courtyard close to the estates wall. He had his own little house and garden, with the caveat that he had no servants yet, so he had to take care of everything. But that wasnt an issue; when he lived alone in Valville, he did everything by himself, too.

    His house was made up of a living room, a kitchen, a cer, a bedroom, and a bathroom. It was small yet cozy, made of warm wood with red trimming. It also had many windows, which Jack enjoyed. As for his bedroom, the only room hed used so far, it contained just a double bed, two bed stands, and a wardrobe.

    The houses in Master Hualis estate were neither opulent nor spartansomething in between.

    Jack didnt mind or care. He didnt n to stay at home much. He had one job here, and that was to cultivate!

    With Brock hopping onto his back, Jack dashed out through the open window and took to the sky, drawing a deep breath of clean, fresh air. He saw the estate under hima sprawling collection of houses, gardens, courtyards, and snaking paths. Vegetation was aplenty, including many beautiful flowers carefully tended to by gardeners. A few immortals were flying, like him, but most of the people went about their lives on the ground.

    Jack saw servantsughing as they worked; he saw them taking walks, chatting, or drinking what looked and smelled like tea. Nobody was in a rush. A pleasant atmosphere enveloped the entire estate, and under the light of the sr gasses that surrounded this ce, it looked like a slice of heaven.

    Master Hualis manor dominated the very top of the mountain, while a forest stretched around its base, extending in all directions like the mountain was a thumb rising from a in.

    There couldnt be too many people here; a few thousand, maybe, the vast majority of which were servants. Which, as Jack was realizing, was an inurate name. The estate was like a small town, and these people were its citizens, going about their lives joyfully and respectfully. Their only job was to take care of the city they lived in, as well as assist the immortals when possible.

    It looked like a happy life.

    Jack did wonder how food was produced here, or how it was distributed, but he temporarily found the image too beautiful to ruin with mundane issues. This was a ce of gods. Food should be the smallest of its concerns.

    Jack! A voice boomed through the sky as Shol flew up to meet him. He was smiling, but also looked slightly annoyed. What are you doing up here? I was waiting at your garden.

    Oh. I didnt know.

    Hello, bro, said Brock, waving from Jacks back.

    Hi, Brock. You <em>should </em>have known. We agreed to meet.

    I didnt understand youd be waiting in my garden.

    It went without saying. Bah! Forget about it. Maybe Ill just go be a hermit somewhere.

    No, brother, dont do that! Jack replied,ughing. Sorry, sorry. Good morning.

    Good morning to you, too. To both of you. Now; theres a lot to go over today. We should get started.

    He broke off like a sprouting rainbow, forcing Jack to follow. Where are we going? he yelled through the wind.

    Youll see! Shol responded.

    They crossed the air like arrows, drawing many eyes from the servants below. They waved. Smiling, Jack waved back.

    Their flight ended a few momentster, when Sholnded before a round building with a dome for a roof. It was brown and made of wood, with few windows, and the entire thing exuded an earthly aura. Were here, Shol said as Jacknded too. This is the artificingboratory. Every personal disciple of Master Huali is allocated a Dao Ma, and we are here to get yours.

    Does master have many disciples? Jack asked.

    Only a few dozensbut not forck of volunteers. Shes just very selective.

    Why so? So this estate doesnt run out of space?

    Shol snorted. Expanding the estate is easy. However, as I think Ive exined to you before, immortals do not take disciples lightly. This applies to D-Grades taking mortal disciples, as well as C-Grades taking D-Grade disciples. If the disciple does not reach the same Grade as the master, their lifespan will be far shorter. A master can watch many generations of disciples wither away and die, which takes a great toll on a persons soul. I admire my master for taking on so many disciples.

    I see. Is that why you have none?

    I have one. You. And youre a handful, anyway, so you count for ten.

    He opened the door. The chime of a bell weed them from above, as well as the sight of a wide open space surrounded by shelves along the circr walls. A staircase stood at the far back, leading both down and up, while arge square table took up the center of the building, covered in all sorts of tools and materials. Jack also saw some metal contraptions there, whose function was a mystery.

    What he did not see was the person who ran this ce.

    Shelle, Shol said. Give her a minute.

    Sure. You said that C-Grades have longer lifespans than D-Grades?

    Oh, yes. From the D-Grade onward, every major breakthrough increases your lifespan by ten times. D-Grades, like us, live for around a thousand years. C-Grades live for ten thousand years, and B-Grades for a hundred thousand.

    A hundred thousand years Wow.

    Jack couldnt wrap his mind around this length of time. It was just beyond the scope of his experience. To him, even a thousand years was tremendousenough time to witness mortal empires rise and fall, and see civilizations evolve from medieval to spacefaring.

    What would someone even do for a hundred thousand years? Watch the tectonic tes move?

    Very big, Brock agreed, nodding alongside Jacks thoughts.

    Jack looked over in surprise. How did you

    I am smart.

    Their train of thought was interrupted by a green girl emerging from the stairs. She was blonde and small, barely reaching up to Jacks chest, but carried herself with such frantic energy that it almost made him dizzy. But that was no girl. She was a goblin!

    <strong>Goblin, Level 67 (Elite)</strong>

    <strong><em>Goblins are weak, primal humanoids who move inrge groups. They are barely intelligent enough to cook their food, and they often derive pleasure from torturing their victims. Cultivators are advised to kill them on sight.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr goblin has discovered the Dao and began cultivating. As such, it has ascended beyond the norm for its kindthough its inner nature remains to be seen.</em></strong>

    Sup, the goblin said, zooming through the room to arrive before therge table. She only spared them a single nce before her eyes surveyed the tools before her, then she picked up a screwdriver and started tightening the screws onsomething.

    Good morning, Goble, Shol said. We would like a Dao Ma for masters new personal disciple.

    This guy here? she asked, ncing up at Jack. Or the monkey?

    The human.

    Sure.

    She reached under the table to retrieve a device from a drawer. To Jack, it looked like arge batterybut it felt wobbly in his Dao sense, like something wasnt quite right.

    What are you looking at, newbie? she asked him, still buzzing with energy. I dont have all day. Stuff your Dao inside this already.

    Stuff my Dao?

    At his question, she had to force herself to slow down and take a deep, irritated breath. Jack felt like he was slowwhich shouldnt be the case. He was an immortal! And she was a goblin! Who the hell gave her the right to call him a newbie!?

    Brock, however, seemed to be enjoying this very much.

    Touch the port at the top and push your Dao inside the ma, she exined, still speaking faster than most people. Got it?

    I think so.

    He approached and did as she said. As soon as he touched the metal at the top, he felt its insides empty of Dao. He knew this feeling. This was a Dao vacuum!

    With a triumphant smile, he willed his Dao of the Fist inside and filled it to the brim.

    Oh, good, the goblin said, a hint of surprise in her eyes. At least he got this part.

    He can be quite slow sometimes, Shol agreed with sorrow.

    Jack raised a brow. Hey.

    <em>Very </em>slow, Brock corrected him, receiving Jacks stunned stare.

    What the fuck, bro? You are literally a monkey. How do you even know these words?

    Because I am smart.

    Jack ran his hand over his face. He turned to the goblin. I thought you were in a hurry.

    I am. But this ma needs time to adjust, and I can do two things at the same timebig shocker, I know.

    Indeed, she hadnt stopped tinkering with her tools all the while. By now, she had tightened the screws on all of the tables contraptions and was moving on to the table legs.

    You are just tightening screws, Jack said. How demanding.

    Dont underestimate goodbor. Do you even know how many people die every year because their machines had a slightly loose screw? Many. But none from <em>my </em>machines. Since they go loose from use, I always screw when I have the chance.

    Thatsnot even funny.

    She didnt seem like shed said that on purpose. Once again, Jack wondered about the Systems universal trantion. How well did puns like that carry over from the goblinnguage to English?

    A purple light appeared in the middle of the Dao Ma.

    Ready, Goble said, basically throwing the ma at Jacksp. If thats all, you can go.

    Thats all, said Shol. Thank you, Goble.

    She looked back and smiled. No problem, Shol. Take care. And, newbie, brori Wee to Master Hualis Estate.

    Jack was surprised, but he still replied, Thank you.

    Now go. I really am busy.

    She dove back into the stairs before they even left her shop.

    What the hell was that? Jack asked.

    That was Goble, Shol exined calmly. The mostpetent artificer around. She may not seem like much, but shes very important to us disciples.

    Shes a goblin, Jack said, shivering at the memory of the first goblin he ever killed. And she called me a newbie.

    So what if shes a goblin?

    Goblins are supposed to be enemies.

    And broris are supposed to live in jungles, but look at Brock. Hes doing just fine.

    Jack opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. I guess he finally said, turning his gaze down. So, what is this Dao Ma?

    An extremely useful contraption. Most immortals never get one in their lifetime, but Master Huali is kind to us. Treat it very carefullyif it breaks, you dont get a second.

    What does it do?

    It enhances your cultivation chamber, Shol exined simply. You have cultivated at least once since reaching the D-Grade, yes? Did you feel that the environment contained all sorts of Daos, and you had to filter it for the onespatible with you before absorbing them?

    Yes.

    The Dao Ma does that for you. After it attunes to your Dao, you can just ce it somewhere, and it will draw inpatible Daos while repelling ipatible ones. When cultivating beside it, things will go much faster.

    Jacks eyes widened in surprise. When hed cultivated on Derion, the teleporter hub, he had to pass the environments Dao particles through a mental sieve before absorbing them. Naturally, that took significant time and effort. If this little Dao Ma could get rid of that procedure, then over the course of his entire D-Grade, it would save him an incalcble amount of time.

    I see, he said. Thank you, brother Shol.

    Dont thank me. Thank our master, who is generous enough to provide these to each of her disciples. Shol turned to Jack and looked at him seriously. You may not understand the weight of your position, but let me tell you: it is highly coveted. If Master Huali expressed the desire to take a disciple, there would be thousands of immortals lining up before her gates for a chance to impress her.

    Is she that impressive?

    Of course! Not only is she an elder of the faction, of which there are only twenty, but she is special even amongst them. When the next Grand Elder is selected in a few months, she is one of the main candidates for the position.

    That sounds impressive.

    It is.

    Do you think shell get it?

    Shols face hardened. Lets not talk about that now, he said. Lets stop by your house so you can leave the Dao Ma in your cultivation chamber. After that, I have more things to show you.

    Jack did a double-take. I have a cultivation chamber?

    Of course. Did you not see the trapdoor in your kitchen?

    I assumed it led to the cer.

    You do not need a cer. Its a cultivation chamber. Lets go.

    They took to the skies, but Jack remained morose. Oh, man, he said. I liked my cer.

 Chapter 240: The Library

    Chapter 240: The Library

    For thest time, Shol said, pulling open the trapdoor in the corner of Jacks kitchen, you do not have a cer.

    Well, I want one. Ive always dreamt of having my own cer.

    Have it elsewhere.

    You know what? I think Ill just turn my cultivation chamber into one. Fist Wine. Fist Beer. Ill call itFistables.

    Youre out of your goddamn mind. Just put the Dao Ma inside so we can get going.

    Fine.

    Jack snuck into the empty cultivation chamber and ced the ma at the very center. Its effect wasnt pronounced at firstbut, when Jack focused on his Dao perception, he noticed a subtle flow of Fist Dao towards this ce. Impressive, he said. It works.

    Of course it does. Shol crossed his arms with pride. The Dao Ma is an artificing wonder, a highly sought-after resource that factions can only afford for their best disciples. In fact, it was invented so recently that it isnt even Inspectable yet.

    Really?

    Its moreplicated than it sounds. Now. The most efficient way to use this thing is to let it gather the Dao for around triple the time you spend cultivating. In other words, you should only cultivate one every three hours for maximum efficiency. The Dao concentration that a ma produces peaks at around sixteen hours in, so most people just cultivate for eight hours a day, and spend the rest of their time doing other things.

    Hmm. So I can spend the day training and the night cultivating, right? Immortals dont need to sleep.

    Shol threw him an odd stare. You can. But, as youlle to realize, training and cultivating are both exhausting.

    No problem. I have a to save; the least I can do is tolerate some exhaustion.

    Shols eyes twinkled. Well see about that, he said, then changed the subject. Now that weve settled the issue of your cultivation chamber, we can proceed. Follow me.

    They flew away again, Brock riding Jacks back as usual. Their next destination was a pyramid of white stone set on the back of the mountain, surrounded by a silent, calm garden that reminded Jack of the Center Moons guest lounge. Many people sat on benches throughout this garden, reading books or rxing. A few greeted Shol as they flew past.

    This is the library, Shol exined as hended in front of the pyramid. It contains all sorts of skills, visions, and knowledge that the master has unearthed throughout her life, as well as books on history, the System, the B-Grade factions of our gxy, and other important stuff.

    Other important stuff? Jack raised a brow. You dont sound well-versed.

    I am not. While history is important, I will have time to immerse myself in it after reaching the C-Grade. For now, strength is my most important goal.

    Not a family?

    Dont go there, Jack.

    The change in mood was sudden and abrupt. Jack realized hed misspoken. Something told him hed identally hit a painful pointand he resolved to be more careful from now. Five hundred years could give anyone a lot of wounds.

    Sorry, he said.

    The library is a ce you will frequent, Shol continued exining like nothing had happened. Each personal disciple is allowed to borrow three items every yearand I say items, because there is more to this library than books. Since this year will be extremely important for you, given yours situation, I would suggest waiting a bit longer before making your selection. However, you can still peruse the library and see what it has to offer.

    Can Brock borrow books, too?

    Shol turned to look at the brori, who gave him his best wide smilenot because he could read, but because he wanted to help Jack.

    He is not a personal disciple, so no, Shol shot them down. Seeing their disappointed expressions, he added, But dont get ahead of yourselves. The master set the three item rule not to limit you, but to help you. A novice in a thousand skills is no match for a master in one.

    Hmm, Jack said, nodding. That was wise. Could you use the same wisdom to help me pick the bestitems? Whatever those are?

    I can, and I will. Finally, Shol cracked a smile. On his middle-aged face, it looked almost mischievous. How about you tell me more about your Dao and ss as we explore the library?

    Sure thing.

    There were no guards in front of the pyramid, so they entered freely. They were weed by a forty-foot-tall open space whose nted walls were covered in five levels of books. There were no tforms to stand on, however; anyone wanting to ess a book higher than the first level would have to fly.

    The higher up you go, the higher the level of the items, Shol exined, hovering an inch over the ground. The first level is meant for mortals. The other three are meant for early, middle, andte immortals respectively. Nobody will stop you if you try to ess a level above yours, but it is usually ill-advised.

    I see, Jack asked, looking around. The pyramid was made of white stone, both on the inside and outside, and had no openings besides the entrance. There was no furniture except for the bookshelves and a lonely chair by a corner, and it was alsopletely devoid of people. But, if there are no guards here, who is to stop me from taking more than three items?

    Your dignity, Shol replied, frowning. Stationing guards here would imply that any of the disciples our master hand-picked could be vile at heartwhich would be an insult to the masters insight.

    I see. Pardon me for asking, Jack said humbly.

    Shols hard face mellowed. But, well, idents happen. We may not have guards, but we do have a librarian.

    A man appeared right in front of Jack. He did not walk there, teleport, or anything like that; he simply popped into existence. There had also been no indication of him beforehandno smell, no sound, no breeze of breath or an errant nce of Shol. Even Jacks Dao perception, which came as natural as breathing, hadnt picked up the slightest sign that there was an invisible man standing right before him.

    Most people in Jacks situation would have jumped back or frozen at the surprise. Not Jack. Before his brain had even registered what was happening, his fist was already hurtling forward, seeking to punch a hole through this mans chest.

    <em>Shit, </em>he realized at thest fraction of a second, but it was toote. Everything had happened instantly. He had no time to stop it.

    A hand wrapped gently around his fist. And, just like that, it stopped. There had been no impact; its momentum was just extinguished without resistance. It was like a tremendous force suppressed Jacks body and Dao, wiping away all hints of the attack even after it had begun.

    Jack stood frozen, fist outstretched and still in the other mans grasp.

    This was a thin, stick-like old man. A white mustache extended from either side of his mouth, while his lips were drawn into a kind smile. Long white hair hung to his shoulders, and he wore an orange gown that looked extremelyfortable. When he spoke, his voice was smooth and pleasant to the ears.

    I apologize, said the old man,ughing lightly. I admit, I expected a calmer approach, but this remains my fault for surprising you. Please ept my apology.

    He let go of the fist, which Jack retrieved slowly. He gazed at the man before him in shock.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 249</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    Only now did Brock recover from the shock. Bro! he eximed, pointing at the old man. Not cool.

    I should not have tried to show off, the old man replied, still smiling. I am sorry, little brori.

    Brock mimed that the only thing little around here was the old mans genitalia. Thankfully, the man didnt seem to get it.

    Okmer! Shol eximed,ughing. I should have warned you. Jack has been through a lot; his battle instincts are well-honed.

    No harm, no problem. The old manughed too, wrapping Shol in a hug. With his stick-like body, he looked like a childpared to the hard-faced, strong-looking Shol. How have you been, my friend?

    Excellent. More than excellent, in fact. The master just epted my only disciple as her disciple!

    Oh! The old mans eyes shed. Is it this young warrior? It is an honor to make your acquaintance, my friend.

    This is Okmer, Shol introduced the old man, throwing an arm around his shoulder. A deacon like me, and the librarian of our estate. He is also a personal disciple of the master, like most immortals around here.

    Im Jack, and this is Brock, said Jack, reaching out for a handshake, which the old man readily eptedas gentle as his grip was, Jack did not forget about the ease with which his strike had been neutralized. Sorry for punching you. I was just surprised.

    No problem at all.

    Jack here was going to peruse the library a bit, see what he could find, Shol said. How about he tells us about his Dao and ss, and we see if we can help him out? Are you okay with that, Jack? Okmer here is a trustworthy, knowledgeable individual.

    Jack considered it. As Shol had exined shortly before, withholding his personal information from this old man would mean insulting his masters insighttherefore, he couldnt refuse. Not that he really wanted to, either. If this guy wanted to harm him, a little secrecy wouldnt save him.

    I cultivate the Dao of the Fist, he exined. My current ss is called Cosmic Fist, and I believe it is space-themed, though it gave me no Dao Visions. It is also a King ss. My signature skill is Meteor Punch, which does exactly what it says.

    Okmer whistled. A King ss! We dont see those often, do we, Shol?

    Not really, no, Shol replied quickly.

    Well then, we should find you skills of the appropriate rarity! Before that, however, let me reciprocate your trust. I cultivate the Dao of Suppressionthat is how I was able to suppress your attack so effectively, or how I was suppressing my presence before.

    Jacks eyes brightened; he appreciated this. I see. Thank you for trusting me with this information.

    No problem. Now; items. Okmer got into excited librarian mode. If I may be so blunt, do you feel that your current skillset is missing anything important? The library has a lot of things, ranging from Dao Visions that can help you develop additional Daos, to D-Grade elixirs that can greatly augment your attributes, to Ancient artifacts and weapons, to Dao Skills. Books, too, as you can see.

    Jack considered it. He had enough attacking power from Meteor Punch. Space Walk gave him mobility, while defense was probably his greatest asset. Additionally, he also had an aura skill that could help both against strong enemies and groups of weaker ones. As for the technical parts of his fighting, those were handled by Iron Fist Style, his constant sparring against Copy Jack, and his many life-or-death battles so far.

    He really wasnt missing much, as he always tried to work on his weaknesses.

    I guesssome sort of cheap mobility? he finally decided. I already have a mobility skill, but its exhausting, so I cant use it freely in battle.

    Mhm. Any other specifications?

    Make it space-oriented or fist-oriented, if possible.

    I was just telling Jack that its better to wait a bit before making his selection, Shol quickly jumped in. When I mentioned helping him, I meant ideas, not just handing him the best thing.

    Waiting is one thing, and dying is another, Okmer replied, his eyes shimmering. Lets take a look at what we have here, and if anything catches your eye, you can take it. What do you say, Jack?

    That sounds good.

    Excellent! Wait here.

    Okmer floated into the air and started rushing from shelf to shelf, gathering an assortment of items. Only a few secondster, hended and presented Jack with three itemsonly one of which was a book.

    This is a manual on all things space, Okmer exined, raising a thick, leather bound tome. Its cover was ck with white letters and the image of a gxy in the backgroundits title spelled, A Scientific Introduction to the Universe.

    Jack nodded.

    This, Okmer raised a brown statuette of a woman in a running pose, is an imprint of a movement-based Dao Skill. It is simr to what you describedit simply allows the user to dash in one direction. It has a short range and doesnt involve teleportation or anythingplex, but it gets the job done, even for low immortals.

    Hmm, Jack hummed, cupping his chin. You keep mentioning Dao Skills, but I thought they couldnt be taught? That everyone had to form their own Dao Skills that correspond to their Dao?

    Correct, Shol exined. They cannot be taught, but we can record someone demonstrating a skill. By watching it many times and meditating on it, you may be able to develop a skill that operates on simr principles, just based on your Dao. Consider it a form of Dao Vision.

    Oh! Jack eximed. Hed actually gotten a Dao Vision like this when he broke into the E-Grade. Back then, hed seen a man with scars on his chest release a mental aura that decimated an entire city. After meditating on it, hed eventually developed Brutalizing Aura, his own version of that skill.

    The skill that Okmer had described sounded useful, justa bit basic.

    What about thest item? he asked.

    This is actually the one I thought of first, Okmer said, raising the item. It looked like a snow globe, except pitch-ck inside and filled with glittering stars. Its a Dao Vision rted to the Dao of Space. By meditating on it, you can achieve that Dao or something simr, which would synergize well with your ss.

    Jacks eyes widened in excitement. This sounded intriguing. However, he maintained some doubts.

    I thought my Dao was cemented when I formed my Dao Tree, he said. That I could no longer get new Dao Roots.

    Old Man Spirit had said so, and Old Man Spirit was an unimaginably powerful and ancient being. He couldnt be wrong.

    Correct, Okmer said. However, a Dao Tree doesnt make you blind to everything else in existence. You may be unable to form new Dao Roots, but you can stillprehend Daos and use them to create new Dao Skills or improve your existing ones. Plus, the more points of view one conquers, the wiser they beand the faster they will advance in their Dao.

    So I can understand a new Dao and use it with my skills, just not add it to my Dao Tree?

    Precisely. It will never be a core pir of your power, not unless you reach the C-Grade and let your Dao branch off, but it can make you stronger and wiser. Plus, it lets you expand your ss to its full potentialwhich, given its rarity grade, should be tremendous.

    Hmm. Jack hummed again, but he was already convinced. Now, he was just running it through his mind to make sure he had no objections left. Okay. I am convinced. I will get this space Dao Vision.

    Excellent! Okmer smiled.

    Have you thought this through, Jack? Shol asked him. Once youve decided, you cannot change your mind until next year.

    I have, Jack replied. Getting even a bit of insight on the Dao of Space can help me unlock the potential of my ss. Plus, many of my skills are already space-themed: Meteor Punch, Space Walk I get the feeling this is the direction I must go in.

    Shol nodded. Very well. If you are certain, then go ahead. You have two more items to pick, anyway.

    Great!

    Jack received the ball and put it in his pocketthese new robes had some, unlike his previous attire.

    You will have more time to peruse itemster, Shol said. For now, there is one more ce I have to show you. See you, Okmer.

    Take care, Shol! And it was nice meeting you, Jack and Brock.

    Likewise. Jack smiled.

    Goodbye, bro, said Brock.

    They exited the pyramid, once again taking to the air. They hadnt flown ten feet, however, when another group of flying immortals approached them.

    Brother Shol! their leader shouted. She was a tall yet short-haired ginger in wide clothes. Appearance-wise, Jack would estimate her to be around fortythough her real age was probably in the hundreds.

    Melia, Shol replied, smiling. How are you doing?

    Pretty fine! Auburn and I were just going for a little spar in the cloud field.

    What a coincidence! So were we.

    Jack nodded at this Auburn, who nodded back. She seemed like a kind, energetic individual, with orange-ish robes and hair, small nose, and wide eyes. She was also younglooking less than thirty, though her actual age could be anything.

    Jack scanned them both.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 201</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 178</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    These are Jack and Brock, Shol introduced them. My former disciple who just got epted by Master Huali, and his extraordinary spiritualpanion.

    A pleasure to meet you, Jack said.

    The pleasure is all oursthough I suspect you already know our names, replied Melia, beaming at him. She then nced at Shol, and the two of them exchanged a look that Jack didnt quite decipher. I dont know if Brother Shol told you already, Jack, she said, but its customary for new personal disciples of our master to spar against a more experienced disciple when they first visit the cloud field. Brother Shol himself is far too strong for a spar to have any meaning, as am I, but you and Auburn are rtively close in level. What do you say? Wanna give it a go?

 Chapter 241: Fighting Auburn

    Chapter 241: Fighting Auburn

    Jack raised a brow at the challenge. Brock grinned sardonically.

    Shol, however, scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. Um, how do I say this Its customary for new disciples to fight someone much stronger, but Jack is quite strong himself, so

    Strong enough to match another personal disciple forty levels ahead? Auburn said, speaking for the first time. Her voice came reserved, somewhat contrary to what her appearance indicated, but her words were appropriately sharp. Immortals could be reserved, but they could not be weak.

    Auburn is right, Brother Shol, said Melia. Only the most talented immortals get chosen as masters disciples. Jumping a tier to fight is doable against random people, but not here.

    Besides, Auburn added, looking straight at Jack, I never was fond of this traditional beating. If Brother Jack can actually spar against me, thats even better.

    Shol shook his head. Its Well, Ill let him decide. What do you think, Jack?

    Jacks brow was permanently raised by now. These guys had a tradition of pitting every new disciple against someone much strongerso he could get beaten up?

    They weren''t even discreet about it!

    Sure, he replied. Why not?

    As stupid as that tradition was, he didnt mind getting beaten up. He looked forward to fighting against someone stronger, to really finding out how strong the elites of the gxy were.

    Plus, he believed he could win. From the way everyone talked, this Auburn didnt seem particrly impressive. How strong could she be?

    Jack locked eyes with Auburn. Saw the hint of challenge in her green gaze.

    Perfect! Melia eximed, pping her hands. Lets go, then. Im looking forward to it!

    Jack, with Brock still on his back, followed the other three immortalsto the sky!

    Where are we going? he asked as the mountaintop estate grew smaller and smaller under their feet.

    Immortals cannot fight near the estate, as we could identally destroy everything, Shol exined. As a matter of fact, creating any sort of battle arena on thes surface would be dangerous. The strongest immortals have enough power to cause earthquakes and destroy thend for many miles around them. Therefore, one of our factions B-Grades, Ancestor Bui, created battle arenas and training fields for immortals high in the sky.

    As in, flying arenas?

    Youll see.

    They angled themselves diagonally, moving over a barren part of the ins as they kept ascending. They entered ayer of clouds. When they exited, Jack was surprised to see arge tform situated on top of the clouds.

    It was a square a mile across, constructed entirely out of light blue stone. There was no railing on its edge, leading to a steep drop many miles down, but that wasnt a problem, as whoever wanted to reach this ce needed the ability to flyor, on second thought, a starship.

    The blue tform was almost empty. The only furniture was a weapon rack in a corner, filled with all sorts of threatening objects, along with three D-Grade robots waiting patiently around the field. There were people, too; Jack saw an immortal meditating, d in loose blue robes and long dark hair that swayed in the wind, as well as another immortal performing the same turtle-like movement again and again, like she was practicing a new skill.

    All those, however, paled inparison to the sheer beauty of this ce: a light blue tform floating on the white clouds like a ship at sea, framed by the purple and orange gasses that made up the neb around them.

    Really, everything in Master Hualis estate was constructed with special attention to aesthetics.

    Wow, Jack muttered breathlessly.

    Bro! Brock eximed, eyes wide in wonder.

    Shol smiled. I present you, the training field of immortals. The cloud field!

    The four of themfive with Brockapproached the field, where the woman who was practicing nodded at them from afar. She almost went back to her skill, then caught sight of Jack and approached.

    A new disciple? she asked, smiling. If not for her almost divine powers, she would look like your average next-door girl, with smiling brown eyes, freckles, and loose dark hair. Its a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hemira.

    Im Jack. Likewise. He smiled back at her, always ready to reciprocate kindness.

    Come, Hemira, Shol said. Lets watch Jack and Auburn spar.

    Yes, Brother Shol. She nodded, not letting her feelings show. Good luck to both of you. She then flew away with Melia and Shol, who had also taken Brock along. They went to the meditating man in the corner and quickly alerted him to the fact that there was going to be sparring. Nodding absent-mindedly, but with eyes as bright and smiling as the blue sky that thiscked, the man sat next to the others and watched.

    Jack thought it was weird that they interrupted a meditating cultivator, but then again, this ce wasnt meant for meditation, but for battle training.

    The three robots had also retreated to the edge of the tform, leaving Jack and Auburn alone in the very middle.

    Good luck, bro! Brock shouted from the edge, making Jack smile.

    Thats a spirited spiritualpanion, Auburn said, smiling slightly. She looked quite likable.

    Hes been with me since my Integration, Jack replied honestly. He is my brother.

    Integration? I see Auburns gaze became filled with something between pity and realization, which then quickly disappeared. I suppose he was epted as an outer disciple?

    Correct.

    Then, you may want to drop him off at the outer for the duration of your stay here. Maybe leave him with some friends? It would be much better for his growth, as this ce is not meant for E-Grade spiritual beasts. He would have more fun, toothough, of course, there is always danger.

    That was a slightly invasivement, but Jack felt no ill willing from this girl, just a genuine desire to help.

    A deep unease still infiltrated his psyche at the mention of sending Brock somewhere else, even if only temporarily. They were brothers. They had been together since the Forest of the Strong. Since then, Jacks life had been wild and unpredictableeverything changed all the time. His only constant was Brock, the brother he never had before.

    What would it feel like to be alone?

    A mental weight crashed down on Jack, a heavy b of loneliness and destion. He could face the world; he could go against everyone and fight for what was right,ughing uproariously in the process; but he didnt want to do it alone.

    Without realizing it, Brock had be his source of power and stability in an ever-changing world. He was the cornerstone of Jacks mental power.

    I didnt mean to upset you, Auburn suddenly spoke up, sounding a bit worried. Sorry if I said something wrong; I just wanted to help.

    Jack snapped out of his thoughts, realizing that he was just contemting silently for some time now. At that thought, the Fist reared its head inside him, snapping him back to the present and infusing him with the will to fight. Jack became one with his Dao. His heart caught on fire.

    Dont worry about it, Auburn. My thoughts just ran wild for a bit. Ill consider what you said seriously, and thank you for bringing it to my attention. Now Shall we?

    Auburn smileda hard smile on a soft face. No immortal reached this level without a fair amount of bloodshed, so all of them were ustomed to battle.

    We shall.

    Auburn jumped back, stretching her hands wide. The sky behind her turned auburn. Leaves swayed in the breeze, each following its own, unique trajectory and filled with the mncholy of autumn.

    Jack smiled. This was a wizard immortal. He hadnt faced a skilled wizard in a while.

    Whichever stat Auburn used, either Mental or Will, the foundations of such a battle hadnt changed since the F-Grade. Each of them would fight using their own strength, trying to overwhelm the opponent with their Dao.

    Jack didnt let the leaves dance freely. He charged. He reared back a punch and threw it, shaking the sky and moving the earth. A tremendous shockwave tore into the storm of leaves, tearing many of them into pieces or sending them off their trajectories. Many remained unaffected, however. They turned into a torrent that flew towards Jack, seeking to smother him with softness.

    Jack threw out a barrage of punches to meet them. Dozens of fists flew out, intercepting the leaves and stopping them in their tracks. However, he observed that the more leaves he tossed away, the more came to attack him. It felt futilelike trying to repress a feeling, only for it to reappear stronger every time you pushed it under the rug.

    In just a moment, his vision was filled with swirling leaves, a wall of autumn sliding towards him, swallowing the robots and tform on its way.

    Jack didnt want to end this too quickly. He wanted to enjoy the spar and get to experience an immortal wizards powers. However, if he kept tearing into the leaves, he would just be ying the other persons gamenot to mention the magical mncholy with which the leaves tried to invade his heart, a mncholy that somehow felt stronger than it should have been.

    Jacks mind shed with realization. His lips curved into a wry smile. When Auburn made thatment about Brock earlier, it wasnt out of a desire to help; she had been trying to influence Jacks emotions. The battle had already begun at the time.

    However, Jack didnt begrudge Auburn for this trick. There was nothing wrong with it. If anything, he was grateful. Nobody would show him mercy in a real battle, and she had just taught him a very important lesson.

    Even if he felt stupid for being outyed like that.

    You little shit, he muttered.

    What was that? Auburn shouted back.

    I said, eat this!

    <em>Space Walk!</em>

    Jack stepped through the void. A colossal resistance sought to entrap him, but he tore it apart with sheer physicality. In the next moment, he was right behind Auburn, shooting out a punch. It wasnt a Meteor Punchthis was just a spar, and he didnt want to risk injuring this friendly co-disciple.

    Auburn turned around with a surprised look on her face. Jacks fist tore through it. As it did, her surprise morphed into a sad smile, and her entire body dissipated like dust in the wind, like the memory of a long-lost loved one.

    Only leaves remained where Auburn used to stand. There were leaves everywhere, actually. Auburn had expected Jack to reach this ce, and she had surrounded herself with leaves at a wide radius. It was a trap.

    However, she hadnt expected Jack to arrive so quickly. The leaves here were far fewer than the ones he had been facing before.

    Jack had lost track of Auburn. His Dao perception was blocked by all these leaves, each of which radiated its own, mncholic Dao, and his eyes were simrly blocked. He could teleport outside and reconsider his approachin a real battle, that is probably what he would have done.

    However, this was a spar. Jack wasnt just aiming for victory. He wanted to use this experience to understand his powers better and test their limit against the talented immortals of the Exploding Sun.

    The leaves wrapped around him, trapping him in an ever-shrinking sphere. If he didnt do something, he would be neutralized soon. As the sphere closed, hiding Jack from sight, leaves flew out in random spots, like someone was punching the sphere from the inside. Unfortunately, every time some leaves were punched away, more spawned out of thin air to rece them.

    Feelings didnt go away by punching them.

    Ai Melia sighed from where they watched the battle. I guess this is the end. He fought well, though; if Auburn didnt have a decoy set up, she might have lost.

    Hmph. A sneer from the side drew her attention. Turning, she saw Brock gaze at her with mockery. What? she asked. Do you still think your brother can win? This is a lock in space; he cant even teleport out.

    Well, lets wait and see, Shol said, watching the spar with an almost imperceptible smile.

    The ball of leaves shrunk down until it was the size of a single room, then barelyrge enough for a man to stand inside. Just as the leaves were about to stick to Jacks body and immobilize him, a violent presence suddenly burst forth with enough intensity to shake the air.

    Suddenly, there was not a man trapped inside the leaves, but a harbinger of death. The leaves shook and stopped. As the violent aura kept radiating from the inside, the mncholy of the leaves melted away, as did the leaves themselves, revealing a Jack whose hair and robes were swaying in the wind, whose mouth was twisted into a snarl, and whose eyes shed with cold cruelty.

    <em>Brutalizing Aura!</em>

    The ball disintegrated around him, leaving him dominant in the sky, a promise of a torturous, brutal, and merciless death.

    It was nice to use this skill so effectively.

    Jacks eyes looked for Auburn, but she was nowhere to be found. A wall of leaves still swirled in the near distance, hiding everything behind it from sight as it slid towards Jack like old ageslow but unstoppable.

    Jack could not detect Auburn, but he had an idea of where she could be hiding. He reared his fist back. Spectral mes sprang around it, burning like a purple sun, and the vibrancy of the sky itself was sucked into the punch. The world went quiet. The wind died down. The clouds turned gray, the distant neb darkened, and even the leaves lost their spirit as they turned from brown to ash.

    Only the light blue tform under their feet remained unaffected.

    Meteor Punch! Jack shouted, the only sound in existence, as he drove his punch forward. In the next moment, the sky exploded. Strong winds carried the shockwave into the densest part of the wall of leaves, blowing them awaypletely. Millions of them went flying in all directions, revealing a shocked Auburn in their thickest part. The shockwave pulled at her hair and robes and sent her flying back a few feet, forcing her to cross her arms to defend.

    That was her real body.

    Jack teleported behind her. Auburns eyes went wide as she felt the source of Brutalizing Aura within arms reach, but a punch was already flying at her. With a shout, an auburn sphere appeared around her body. Leaves filled the air again, forcibly resummoned to strike back.

    An intense feeling of regret hit Jack as he was about to punch the wizards shield. It felt like he was striking his mother in the facelike he had to stop right this instant, no matter what.

    However, Jack had not reached this level by being frail of heart. He possessed the Dao Root of Indomitable Will. His heart broke the illusion, and his fist continued forth, if slowed down a bit.

    Jacks second Meteor Punch crashed into thepact auburn sphere, cracking itpletely and sending Auburn flying away like an arrow. She bled wildly from the nose in her efforts to keep the protective sphere from shattering. Her eyes went hazy. At the same time, leaves surrounded Jack, flying into him before he could recover from his attack. There was no pain, only warmth; and yet, blood streamed from shallow cuts all over his body.

    Jack crossed his arms and focused on his Brutalizing Aura to defend.

    The truth was, in the instant when Jack chose to defend, he could have ignored the attacks. His body was sturdy enough to take it. Instead of defending, he could have teleported to Auburn a third time and smashed out another Meteor Punch. There was no way the shield could take it; it would shatter like ss, Jacks fist would reach her, and he would be the winner of this sparring match.

    However, Jack chose not to do that.

    He was the new guy here, and everyone hed met so far had been friendly. He didnt want to humiliate Auburn by making her lose publicly to someone forty levels weaker than herself.

    Plus, Auburn himself was pretty strong. Significantly stronger than the treant and centaur Jack had fought before, even though they were of a higher level than her. Jack could respect that.

    Apparently, it was true that not all immortals were the sameand random riffraff could neverpare to a B-Grade factions elites.

    Jack didnt want to humiliate Auburn, but he didnt want to just lose on purpose, either. Plus, if the battle continued while he went easy on his opponent, he might lose for realtheir powers werent too far apart.

    Just as he was considering how to best handle this situation, Shol appeared in the middle of the blue tform, between Jack and the far-off Auburn.

    Thats enough! he dered with a smile, raising both hands. Sparring usually goes to first blood. Since both fighters were injured at the same time, let this be a draw. Congrattions to both of you; it was a battle well fought!

    Jack took a moment to digest this, then retrieved his aura. The leaves around him disappeared at the same time. Thank you, he told Shol, hoping the man understood his hidden meaning, then turned to Auburn. It was a great battle! I learned a lot. Thanks for going easy on me.

    The witch smiled with slight bitterness. Then, she shook her head, and the bitterness was gone. I could say the same, she said. Drawing someone forty levels over you is quite an achievementand I am not weak myself. Congrattions, Jack. Im sure your future will be as bright as a sun.

    As will be yours. Jack smiled back.

    From the side, everyone pped, even the robots. Brock winked at Melia, who rolled her eyes and looked away.

 Chapter 242: Pure Dao Cultivation

    Chapter 242: Pure Dao Cultivation

    The atmosphere around Cloud Field grew weird after the spar. Auburn exchanged a few words with Melia before taking offshed mentioned theyde here to spar, but Auburns mood was too sour after failing to defeat Jack, who was forty levels weaker than herself.

    Which was a pretty normal response, actually. Auburn was a young D-Grade immortal who had been taken in as a personal disciple of Master Huali. Her talent was undeniably superb. This had to be one of the hardest losses shed ever taken.

    It was just her bad luck for running into Jack.

    Melia, however, quickly approached Jack and started socializing. Her eyes no longer sparked with arrogance, but with respect. The meditating cultivator with long dark hair and flowing blue robes, whose name was Fang Long, also approached Jack, as did the woman who was practicing some sort of turtle skill. Both of them overflowed with energy and wit. Jack found himself chatting andughing alongside them, enjoying a camaraderie with strangers that he hadnt felt in a while. Most of them tried to kill him.

    This really brought into attention how important strength was for cultivators. Before proving himself against Auburn, Jack would have been greeted with much less enthusiasm. Now, everyone was rushing to meet him.

    That didnt make them bad people or opportunists. When meeting someone with great potential, you would naturally be more friendly to thempared to the same person but with less potential. If you were busy with something else, you would put it aside for a moment to make a useful connection. It was just how the world worked.

    Some timeter, Jack extracted himself from theirpany and paced over to Master Shol, who sat cross-legged on the tforms edge and gazed at the nebulous sky. Brock was beside himhis monkey eyes were filled with wonder, his breaths were deep, and he seemed to enjoy this very much.

    As Jack approached, Shol gave him a smiling nce. What do you think, Jack?

    Of what? Jack replied, taking his own seat beside them. Unlike everyone else, he did not sit cross-legged; he let his legs dangle over the edge, an Earth-like posture that cultivators didnt adopt often.

    Of my faction, Shol replied. You have seen our facilities. You have met a few cultivators. You even spoke to my master. So; what do you think?

    Jack chuckled. Does it matter? I already agreed to join.

    Of course it matters. You used to be my disciple; now, you are my brother. Your opinion is important to me.

    Jack looked deeply into Shols eyes, who was back to staring in the distance.

    Time and time again, Shol had helped him. Back on Earth, hed guided Jack regardless of their disagreements. He had asked his own masterHualito protect Jack from the Animal Kingdom. When she declined, Shol hadnt hesitated to go against her orders to help Jack further, and it was only because of his assistance that he survived. Now, once again, Shol brought Jack to his faction, where he would be safe, and took time out of his day to introduce Jack to the important locations of this estate.

    The world of cultivators was a harsh one. With survival at stake, people worshiped power above all. They backstabbed each other. Everyone had hidden thoughts and hidden interests.

    In Jacks experience so far, few people in this world were genuinebut Shol was undoubtedly one of them.

    Thank you, Jack said, not specifying why. Shol didnt ask. I like it here. The people seem nice, and everything in the estate is pleasing to the eye. Its almost too good, in fact; I expected the entire world to be cutthroat and tyrannical, but your faction has surprised me pleasantly.

    Not my faction; just my masters estate. As you wille to realize, we are a small ind of virtuousness in a sea of filth.

    Then, it seems Ivee to the right ce.

    This time, it was Shols turn to chuckle. He nced back; the rest of the cultivators had returned to practicing, each in their own way. Nobody could hear their thoughts.

    I am d to hear that, Jack, he said honestly. This really is a nice ce. It is a part of your journey that is necessary, as well as a safe port for when trouble knocks on your door. You will<em></em>grow much more powerful here. He then paused for a moment, considering his next words. Jack let himhe turned to enjoying the breeze, the sky, and the simple fact that he was alive and free.

    However, Shol finally continued, I want you to remember that a faction is just a safe port. It is home, but nobody should stay cooped up forever. Ships are not built to stay in the harbor. If you really want to grow strong, I would suggest stabilizing yourself here, increasing your strength in safety as much as possible, then going out to adventure. That is how young cultivators should act.

    Brock looked on with interest. Jack raised both brows. Why do you say this? he asked.

    Because I know you. I know your path. Safety is insidious; it has a way of making you rx and decay, losing sight of your goals. Before you know it, you are a turtle in its shell, your edge dulls, and you are afraid of stepping out into the world again. You rest on yoururels, letting time flow by, and suddenly, all your momentum is gone, as is your bravery and youth, leaving you an aimless, risk-averse husk.

    Jack frowned. Thank you, brother, but I wouldnt do that. I have goals.

    Everyone does. Do you know how many young cultivators I have seen stepping into the faction with fire in their eyes, only to end upfortable and content? I know you wouldnt want to let this happen, but you wouldnt see iting. It is a slow and sly process. Comfort seeps into your bones. Now that Master has agreed to save your, you have no intense despair pulling you forward, and to keep pushing yourself may be your greatest trial yet.

    Jack did not pretend to understand everything instantly. He took his time considering Shols words. Eventually, he replied, I know this aimless husk you speak of. It is me; used to be me, before the System arrived to my world. And I understand that resistingfort is much more difficult than it soundsbut your reminder certainly helps. Thank you, brother. I will do my best to keep my Dao sharp, to keep myself thirsting for more power without losing my virtue, to rush ahead unstoppably, because one moment of pause can easily turn into eternity. I will not rx just because I can.

    Shol nodded. Thats what I expect from my brother.

    Me too, Brock said, his eyes spouting kind mes. I am strong.

    Brock, you are the strongest person I know, Jack replied with a smile. Even if the world copsed, even if I turned weak, I know that your heart would never stop burning. You are, from head to toe, a true bro.

    And you are a fist, Shol pointed out, smiling wryly. Dont sell yourself short. Not many people can boast a perfect Dao Seed.

    Now youre just ttering me.

    Its the truth! And dont forget; you achieved that while I was your master. I deserve the de.

    Jackughed, as did the other two. A few momentster, Shol said, Well, that concludes your tour of the estate. There are other things on this, of course, but they can wait. Familiarize yourself with the estate first. In the meantime, is there anything you want to ask?

    Jack considered it. There was something, actually; a thought that Auburn, perhaps identally, had brought to the fore.

    Do you know anything about spiritual beasts? he asked.

    Brocks ears perked up. Shol nodded. I do.

    Then, can you exin how Brocks cultivation works? He doesnt have ess to the System, but he seems to be growing just fine so far.

    Shol adopted a sagely look. For a moment, it reminded Jack of his basement during the Integration Tournament, where Shol and Sparman would beat him up mercilessly, each in their own way. Those were fun times. The System doesnt make you stronger, Shol exined. It just makes progression easier. Brock is cultivating as the pre-System people did; by simply focusing on his Dao.

    But what about stats? And skills?

    Skills are nothing but applications of the Dao. The System facilitates them, but it is not necessary. If anything, using your Dao without the System gives you a better and wider understanding. As for stats Well, that is not a problem. Have you noticed how, in the D-Grade, you can absorb the Dao to enhance yourself?

    I have.

    The same thing happens in the earlier Grades, just slower and unconsciously. As Brock contemtes his Dao, its power naturally enters his body, merging with the parts that fit it best. The same happens to everyone. All the System does is quantify some attributes and let you distribute that power, instead of letting it settle in naturally, as well as grant you additional power upon defeating enemies.

    So Brock has no disadvantage forcking the System?

    Not yet, Shol pointed out. The System is meant to help mediocre cultivators rise in power faster. As long as Brock remains active and truthful to his Dao, he will not have a problem. If he starts taking it easy, thats when the Systems absence will be noticeable, and his progress will slow to a crawl.

    I see. So, Brock has to keep pushing himself, just like you told me to do.

    Exactly. No wonder the two of you are brothers.

    Hear that, Brock? You really should

    Jacks words were interrupted by Brocksughter. He sounded happy and carefree as a daisy. No worry, he said. I am strong.

    Jack wanted to say more things. He wanted to remind Brock to never give up and to always strive for more power. To warn him against letting his edge dull.

    However, he kept his mouth shut. Brock knew all those thingsand to remind him of them would be almost insulting.

    Okay, was all he said, smiling. Go get them, bro.

    Yes.

    Shol chuckled. Attaboys. Any other questions?

    Jack considered it. Oh! he said. I have two friends who wereing to the Exploding Sun: Gan Salin and Nauja. Both gifted E-Grades. Could you help me check if theyve arrived?

    They have. I was told they said my name upon entering the sect, but I didnt go to meet them. I believe they joined as outer disciples and are currently situated in the outer. His brows creased. However Wasnt that Gan Salin one of the Animal Kingdom scions on your?

    He was, but dont worry about it. Hes a good guy now.

    If you say so

    I think we should go visit them soon. Right, Brock? Jack asked, giving his brori a meaningful nce. Brock nodded. Some things went unsaid between them, but both understood. As spiritualpanions, they were on the same wavelength.

    Oh! Shol said. Before I forget; take these.

    He reached into his pocket and removed two perfectly folded squares. As he unrolled them, they revealed themselves to be two capes: one medium-sized yellow, and one small red. Both had the insignia of the Exploding Sunan exploding sunwoven into the fabric.

    Woah, Jack said, receiving the yellow cape. It felt soft and smooth to the touchhe had no doubt it was the best fabric he had ever touched. We get our own capes?

    I told you. Shol winked. These capes are a symbol of your identity in the faction, as well as a symbol of status in the outside world. Dont lose them.

    We wont!

    Then, wee to the Exploding Sun!

    Both of them wore their capes,tching them closed under the neck, and let them flutter freely in the wind. Both fit them perfectlyeven Brock, who only reached to Jacks chest in height. Thank you, brother, Jack said earnestly, while Brock gave Shol a grateful handshake.

    No problem. I didnt make these. Delivering them is just my duty. Shol said, smiling as he turned towards the sky.

    Before we go, Jack said,  I actually have a final question. As a deacon of the Exploding Sun, you probably have ess to some informationworks. Could you do me a favor and ask about a starship called the Trampling Ram? They helped me escape the Animal Kingdom, but they were attacked afterward, and their fate is unknown. They are good people.

    Shol nodded. I can do that. Can you give me more details?

    Its a small vessel; maybe it can fit ten people? The captain is a D-Grade cyclops called Dordok, and they were carrying an ambassador of the Fair Way continent to the capital of the Animal Kingdom three months ago. Three Hounds intercepted them outside Earth-321, which is where I was separated from them.

    Okay. I will see what I can find out and get back to you.

    Thank you, brother. Theyre good people. I hope theyre okay.

    Since they helped you, I hope so too. Shol stood, dusting off his robes. Now then. Since my business here is done, I will be going. I have other responsibilities, too. If either of you has a problem, you cane find me whenever.

    Will do, brother. Thanks. Jack smiled. Brock gave him a thumbs-up. Shol returned the gesture.

    What will you do now? he asked.

    Jack exchanged another nce with Brock. I want to cultivate. I want to experience the Dao Vision I got in the library and make myself as strong as possible as quickly as possible. Before that, howeverI think we should visit Salin and Nauja in the outer. I hope they dont have any problemsthough theyre probably the ones <em>creating </em>problems.

 Chapter 243: The War for Earth is Brewing

    Chapter 243: The War for Earth is Brewing

    Harambe chewed on a bananarm as he watched the others speak. The fruit juices ran over his chiseled jaw, dripped to his muscr chest, then copsed to the ground between his trunk-like legs. He finished the bananarm and reached up the tree to get another.

    Are you paying attention, Harambe? the human woman with sses asked him. Harambe nodded. Good. How do you propose we go about this?

    He stared at her emptily. Though hed recently developed the Very Big Thought of Muscles, his speaking muscles remained weak.

    Harambe Wants He started saying, then gave up. He shrugged. Beating his chest lightly, he pointed at himself.

    Are you saying youll handle it? the woman asked him.

    He nodded.

    There are many points of entrance to this forest, Harambe. Even with our energy walls, one person is not enough. If it was, we could just rely on Sparman.

    Leaning against a tree opposite her, Sparman gave a thumbs-up. Thank you for your trust. As much as I would love to run around this forest all day every day to prevent random weaklings from setting it on fire, I unfortunatelyck the speed.

    See what you did? the woman pointed to the robot while looking at Harambe. Now you got him talking.

    Oh, so I can run myself dry to protect you, but I cannotin about it. Okay. I guess my iron bones will rattle in my grave, which I will make sure is dug directly under your bed.

    You have no bones. I checked.

    Just because I sound full when you knock on me, doesnt mean I actually am full. WaitI am. Full of your <em>shi</em>

    Language, Sparman. Please.

    Harambe was always baffled by this. How could this woman talk back to Sparman the robot, who was so much stronger than herself? Did she not fear he would ept her challenge?

    Which he never did. The disrespect he could stand was stunningbut then again, it was always like that with humans, even metal ones. They made little sense.

    <em>Maybe they broken, </em>he realized, a sun appearing over his head. <em>Hmm. Yes. Head muscles go strong.</em>

    So, since none of you have meaningful suggestions, let me propose a n, the woman said. We will split the forest into four sections. Harambe, you and your broris will defend the northeastern part, since your home is here. The forces of the Bare Fist Brotherhood will handle the northwestern area, while Sparman will take the entire southern half. I know it is a bit much, but at least its better than defending the full length of the perimeter, as you have been doing so far.

    Sparman raised a brow. I can handle more than that.

    I know you can, but youve already been helping so much. Everyone needs some rest once in a while. Even D-Grade robots.

    He stared at her suspiciously for a moment, thenughed. Thanks, professor. I appreciate it.

    No problem.

    Harambe also didnt have a problem with this arrangement. Hed always imed that his pack could protect themselves. However, he did have a question; one he couldnt properly articte, but he didnt need to. He looked at the professor and asked, Edgar?

    The magic man was strong. He had fought the ice man in the sky over the forest, wielding powers that even Harambe himself had not possessed at the time. He was the strongest human present; therefore, he should stand at the front to defend his pack.

    Edgar wont fight, the woman said, shaking her head. I know you dont understand this, but trust me when I say there is no other choice. He has already done his best.

    Harambe frowned deeply. Perhaps he should visit the magic man and make sure his head was in the right ce.

    Hey, hoh, keep it in your pants, Sparman chimed in. Weve been through this before. Dont get violent with our allies.

    Yes, Harambe replied immediately. The robot was undeniably stronger than himself; he had to obey. In fact, this robot was the strongest creature Harambe had ever seen.

    <em>Butbrother Jack? </em>he wondered, thinking back to the man to whom hed entrusted his only son. By now, perhaps he would be strong enough to fight the robot.

    Or not.

    Harambe found his heart muscles clenching. He wished for Jack to be safe, because that would mean Brock, his son, was also safe. But it would also mean they were weak. Strength did note from safety; it came from danger and battle, surviving predators and hunting prey.

    Harambe had realized this recently, when lifting weights no longer made him stronger. He yearned for battle; to work out by lifting his life up and down the line of death.

    That would make his muscles really shine. It was also why he was excited about his new assignment.

    Enough? he asked.

    If nobody has an objection, then yes, the woman replied. This meeting is dismissed.

    Harambe didnt need to be told twice. He turned around and walked on his knuckles to reach the clearing where his broris waited for the news. After thathe would rush to the border of the forest and wait for the poor invaders.

    No matter who came, he was going to beat them up.

    ***

    Jack joined the Exploding Sun!? Vanderdecken eximed, sipping from his mug. Thats superb! I knew he had it in him!

    Its a double-edged de, the professor replied with a sigh, sitting opposite him in the Bare Fist Brotherhood headquarters. She looked like shed just returned from a walk in the forest. He will now get much strongerbut our enmity with the Animal Kingdom is cemented. Any chance of reconciliation or mercy is gone. The moment the grace period ends, they will attack and annihte us.

    Oh, dud maam. That sounds terrible! And you want me to join?

    You will have to pick a side anyway, she replied. There arent many E-Grades on the, and you are the most famous of them, with the exception of Jack. Even thes greatest rock star is nothing but a pawn to the Animal Kingdoms games.

    Vanderdecken shuffled in his seat. And if I dont?

    We will have nothing to say about it, naturally. But the Ice Peak will. Anyone not their ally is their enemy, so dont be surprised if Alexander himself shows up at your next concert.

    Ill sing the hell out of him.

    You can try. However, if even Edgar couldnt defeat him, what makes you think you can?

    Oh, dont worry about me. Im pretty strong.

    The professor sighed. I made you misunderstand. It doesnt matter if youre stronger than Alexander, because he wonte fairly. You saw what happened to Brother Taos monastery. He will scout you out and bring the appropriate amount of troops so you have no chance.

    He came fairly for Edgar.

    It was a calcted risk because he knew he could win.

    Fair enough. Vanderdecken leaned back, passing a hand through his long dark hair. Dude I hate this. Why do I have to get involved in a war? I just want to sing.

    You can always hide away. Find a remote ind and sing to the waves for a year. Nobody will bother you then.

    The waves cannot appreciate my music. Without my fans, I would die of boredom.

    I understand. Which is why I insist you have to pick a side. And, between us and a tyrant, who will you go for?

    Vanderdecken narrowed his eyes. You sound like youre trying a bit too hard.

    You know my allegiance. Obviously, I am not impartial, but facts dont lie. Look at the situation of our territories. In our half of the world, we are ushering in a new era, with System-oriented development and timely support for the areas that were impacted the most. Meanwhile, the Ice Peak territory is deeply sunken into poverty. People are exploited and forced to level-up like madmen. They die in scores. Families are torn apart, children starve to death, the elderly are abandoned, and those who cannot fight are decimated by diseases and uncontrolled beast hordes. All while their ruined cities dig out their own flesh to offer soldiers for Alexanders armies.

    Vanderdecken flinched. Youre painting a vivid image.

    He does. I just say things as they are.

    Why dont they rebel? the metal bard asked. If the situation in those areas is so terriblepared to your territories, why dont the people just rise up for themselves?

    Because all power is under the Ice Peaksplete control. Plus, they have no ideainformation is so strictly regted in that half of the world that they think everyone is suffering like they are. They dont like Petrovic, but they think we are even worse.

    Cant you justlet them know? Airdrop leaflets or something?

    The professor smiled sadly. Were trying, but its not that easy. The spread of information is a battlefield just like any other. Our forces contain entire organizations focused on cultural and ideological warfare.

    Just like the Ice Peak, I suppose.

    Yes. It is an undesirable but unavoidable aspect of war.

    And I suppose you also nt your own propaganda?

    We do. There is no need to lie about itnot to you. The professor shook her head. It is just part of war. Whether you want to call it informational warfare or propaganda, everyone does it. Even the good side.

    So you are not the good guys here. Youre just one side of the conflict.

    We are better than the Ice Peak and the Animal Kingdom. Are we saints? No. But are as virtuous as we can be? Yes. We just cannot afford to pull punches.

    Vanderdecken shook his head. His eyes were conflicted. I dont know, dude Ill need to think about this, he said. It is all so ugly. Im not sure I wanna get involved.

    You can make your own choice, the professor said, standing up to dismiss him. Her gray hair and white sses caught a glint of sunlight from the window, illuminating her deeply sunken eyes. If Vanderdecken wasnt already feeling defensive, he would have felt pity for heran olddy forced to take the world on her shoulders. In the meantime, you are free to stay here or leave. Nobody will stop you. I just pray that, if the Ice Peakes knocking, you will not make the wrong choice.

    I will not ally with them, he assured her. I know they suck assand sorry for thenguage. Im just not sure if I want to dirty my soul by getting involved in a war that, in the end, will matter very little. Were all going to die, anyway.

    Jack <em>will </em>return before the grace period is over, Vanderdecken, the professor said, her voice taking on a hard edge. He is out there trying to save the world. He has already gone above and beyond anything we ever thought possible. He will find a way, I know it. And when he does, the groundwork weve set with blood and tears will let us save millions, if not billions of lives. A new world will dawn, free of oppression; but not if we give up during the night.

    I sure hope youre right, professor, Vanderdecken replied, standing himself. He picked up the electric guitar and slung it over his shoulder, then extended a hand. He hadnt felt so tired ina long time. In any case, thank you for your time. I will think deeply about what you said.

    I hope so, Vanderdecken. Fare well.

 Chapter 244: Bros Help Each Other Shine

    Chapter 244: Bros Help Each Other Shine

    The outer consisted of onergend mass and one massive ocean. Its colors resembled Earths, however, reminding Jack of Pangea, the massive supercontinent that existed on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago.

    As their starship dived through the atmosphere, Jack and Brock could observe the supercontinent with increasing rity. Most of its surface was taken up by forests, deserts, savannas, icy tundras, and all sorts of natural biomes. Civilization was mostly gathered inrge hubs, with sprawling megacities taking up entire mountain ranges and housing millions.

    The technological level didnt look too advanced; as the starship approached the ground, they saw dirt trails and medieval cities. The air was clean, too; there were no factories, cars, nes, or other means of pollution. As for ships, thiss sole supercontinent had little need for them.

    All in all, this had a wild feeling to it; like pockets of civilization surviving in the wilderness, surrounded by dangerous environments and strong monsters in every direction.

    It looked like the perfect ce to train your E-Grades.

    Jacks modern sensitivities protested that thought, but his System experiences made him nod at the sight. This was a training. It was supposed to be rough.

    The starship slowly touched down at the edge of one of the smaller citiesthough still humongous. The moment Jack stepped out, with his yellow cape swaying and D-Grade status visible for all to see, the nearby people bowed slightly in deference. Many of them wore red capes with the Exploding Suns insignia.

    Inner disciple Whispers began to spread as everyone arced their necks to take a better look. Jack felt like a celebrity.

    A hint of his Dao seeped outside his body, manifesting as a breeze that struck the onlookers. At ease, hemanded, and everyone quickly scampered away.

    Disembarking the starship, Brock looked around and took in the sights. He saw the clear sky, the clean, oxygen-filled air, theck of technology, and the fighting spirit in everyones eyes as they spotted his red cape. He grinned.

    After shrinking and pocketing the starship, the two of them walked a bit inside the city.

    Unlike the general medieval look, every street and house here was numbered. The Exploding Sun kept precise records of where everyone lived, just in case they needed to be contacted. It didnt assign random quarters to each outer disciple, preferring to let them settle where their Dao could shine best, but they were required to dere their ce of residence every year.

    Prior toing here, Jack and Brock had visited the record-keeping department of the faction and gotten the address of Salin and Nauja. They lived togetherthough Jack yearned to find out how Nauja handled Salins insanity.

    Reaching a nice little house with the words Sunrise Street 2A, 603 painted on its entrance, they knocked on the door. They waited. In the meantime, they admired the house itselfa white, one-story building with a narrow garden surrounding it, situated at the edge of the city, where the noise was not too bad. It was a far cry from the amodation offered to an inner disciple, but it was decent. Jack even felt a pang of nostalgia at the sight of something so simple, yet so inviting.

    The door opened without warning. Salin stood there, d in full leather armor and with a suspicious gaze. He froze when he recognized them. Jack! Brock! he eximed, drawing them both into a hug. Its been so long!

    Bro! Brock shouted emotionally, while Jackughed.

    Barely a week, Salin. I didnt think youd miss us so much.

    Are you kidding? Last I heard, you were trapped in He cut himself off mid-sentence, looking around the street. The few people around were all staring at them. Come on in, he urged them. Nauja is here, too.

    They stepped in, admiring the simple yet clean architecture. There was a main room that served as both a living room and a kitchen, as well a bathroom and a bedroom behind a closed door. That was it. y bowls and mugs sat neatly on shelves around the main room, while a table with four chairs stood in the very middle.

    Coffee? Salin asked them.

    Yes, please, Jack replied, while Brock shook his head.

    Oh, um, I dont actually have any. I was hoping youd say no.

    Jackughed. Well then, some water would be fine.

    Ill bring you some tea, too.

    Jack and Brock took a seat each, while Salin headed to arge water bucket and filled a few mugs, then took a teapot and started messing with it. The bedroom door mmed open, revealing Nauja in clean barbarian furrings, her eyes open wide. Jack! Brock! she eximed,pletely mirroring Salins reaction as she pulled them into a hug.

    Copycat, Salin muttered from the bucket.

    You made it out! Nauja eximed. How?!

    Its a long story, Jack replied,ughing. Well tell you all about it over tea.

    Great! Make some tea, Salin.

    I didnt hear the magic word.

    ...Please?

    There you go! I already made it, actually.

    The three of them sat down, and Salin joined a momentter with four cups of water and four of tea. Brock smelled his cup suspiciously before trying a sip. Then, his eyes brightened, and he downed the whole thing in a single gulp before getting disappointed that it was over already.

    Jack passed him his own cup.

    Are you guys settled well here? he asked.

    Its great! Nauja replied, gesturing around the house. Look at how many things we have! And its all for free! Back in my tribe, all I had was an empty hut, but now I have my own What did you call that, Salin?

    A bathroom.

    I have a walled-off bathroom! For myself! she shouted excitedly. Now, no dinosaur can get me while Im vulnerable!

    Jack smiled warmly. When onees from grass roots, they are satisfied with impressively little. Salin, did your house look like this when you were living in the Animal Kingdom?

    Oh, no. I had a mansion for myself, with servants and all sorts of, uh, pleasant people.

    Nauja narrowed her eyes at him.

    Jack caught that and smirked, leaning forward on the table. So. Are you guys together now?

    No! Not yet! they replied together.

    Nauja red at Salin. What? he defended himself. Were living together. Its bound to happen at some point.

    I dont even like you like that.

    Neither do I<em>yet.</em> Thats the key word. Give it a couple months and youll see.

    She rolled her eyes. Id rather be eaten by a hadrosaurand they have a lot of teeth.

    Sorry for asking, Jack said.

    Not a problem, she replied. Were living together because its much better than living alone. We know nobody here. We need someone to have our back, plus its nice to be living with friends.

    So, like, roommates.

    Housemates, she replied, looking at him like he was an idiot. There is more than one room.

    Yeah, thats not what I Well, whatever. He quickly scanned them, too.

    <strong>Human (Trial), Level 110 (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Canine (Earth-387), Level 81 (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <em>Huh. They leveled up, too.</em>

    They must have scanned him back, because their eyes widened a tiny bitthough not as much as he expected.

    So, you really did be an immortal, Nauja said.

    I did. And I admit, you are less surprised than I expected.

    The knight in Trial told us you were about to break through. Plus, you have the yellow cape of inner disciples flying behind your back.

    I guess. Heughed. <em>Imughing a lot today, arent I? Well, it cant be helped. These guys put me in a great mood.</em>

    How did you escape? Salin asked him, unable to hold in his curiosity any longer.

    Jack first scanned the surroundings with his Dao perception. Finding nothing suspicious, he quickly narrated everything that happened from the moment he beat the Final Guardian to being epted as a personal disciple of Master Huali.

    Huali? The elder? Salins eyes went wide. Man, you really hit it big. I hear shes going to be the next Grand Elder!

    Ive heard something like that, too, Jack replied. That shes one of the candidatesbut I didnt know she was the favorite.

    Well, there are only two candidates. Its only her and elder Monsoon, so I hear its quite thepetition. Here in the outer, there are entire betting rings about this.

    Really?

    Yeah, man! The Grand Elder is the highest authority after the Faction Leader and the B-Grade ancestors, who never leave their anyway. Whoever holds that position basically runs the entire constetion.

    Really!? Jack asked again, his eyes widening. He hadnt realized that Master Huali was <em>that </em>important. It would also exin why she was so busy the day he met herrunning for Prime Minister of the constetion was bound to be time-consuming.

    And how is the position decided? he asked.

    I cant believe you dont know this, Nauja said, while Salin exined.

    The Council of Elders will convene nine months after the death of the previous Grand Elderso in seven months from today. They will elect the next Grand Elder. Three months after that, the Faction Leader will officially appoint the new Grand Elder in a grand ceremony. Technically, the Faction Leader can veto the Councils decision and choose someone else, but that has almost never happened before.

    Huh. So they dont just battle each other for the position?

    Of course not. They are elders, not animals.

    Oh yeah, wrong faction.

    Well, thats how it works. But its just gossip for us outer disciples. The truth is, we dont care. We just stay here, train as hard as we can, and hope to one day be inner disciples like you.

    You will seed, Jack said confidently. I am sure.

    Only one in a thousand E-Grades bes an immortal. Well, a bit over for that for outer disciples, but the chances are still abysmal.

    It doesnt matter. Both of you are experienced people in line with your Dao. As a D-Grade myself, I can promise you that you will both eventually seed, unless you give up or grow soft along the way.

    Gan Salin and Nauja nced at each other. Thank you, Salin said, turning back to Jack. But its not just us; I see that Brock here is doing even better.

    Jack turned to Brock, who had a smug look on his face. <em>Come to think of it, I havent scanned him in a long time, have I?</em>

    <strong>Brori, Level 99 (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>A gori variant from Green. Broris usually live with Gymonkeys and train them in the ways of working out. It is due to the Broris unmatched pecks that Gymonkeys use poop to fightthey consider themselves too weak for anything else.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Broris are usually calm, measured animals. However, if anyone harms their little cousins or invades their territory, they go bananas.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr brori is a variant that visually resembles a gymonkey. Though not weaker than other broris, the members of this variant are often shunned due to theirck of bulging muscles.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>That is not the case for this specimen. Through intense determination, it has achieved much greater strength than its species norm, as well as a perfect Dao Seed. Due to this specimens potential, taming or ying it are advised.</em></strong>

    Level 99!? he cried out. And King? Brock, you didnt tell me you grew so much!

    Maybe its because he cant speak, Salin said, while Brock just wore a proud smile on his face.

    I can, he said.

    Oh, you can? Salin challenged him, tapping at the table. What is the word for this thing here?

    Brock frowned. Bad bro need smack?

    I was just kidding, my big brother. Of course you know how to speak.

    Brock nodded.

    That is actually one of the reasons we came, Jack said, his voice betraying seriousness. The truth is, the inner is not the best ce for an E-Grade to train. There are few monsters, and everything is designed for immortals. I It is great for me, but it is holding Brock back. I intend to leave him here, with you, so you can all advance together.

    Salin and Nauja were shocked, and most of all was Brock. No; he wasnt shocked, because he expected this. Just conflicted.

    Bro he muttered.

    I know, Brock. It feels weird to me, toobut you shouldnt dy your cultivation just because Im on the inner. Jack forced back a choke he didnt expect, then pressed on. Besides, its not like well separate forever. Just for a bit. Ille to visit often, too, and when you break through, youll join me at the inner or wherever we go next.

    Brock looked straight into Jacks eyes, his expression unreadable. Jacks heightened senses caught the broris bottom lip quivering. It made his heart ache. Sometimes he forgot that, for all of Brocks strength and determination, he remained a child. He was just four months old.

    However, this had to be done. Good brothers didnt hold each other back. The outer was where Brock could shine, not cooped up in a for immortals and made to follow Jack around like a mascot. Here, he could adventure with Salin and Nauja, he could fight monsters, hone his strength, make new bros. At the same time, Jack could also focus on his own cultivation.

    And it really would be just a short separation. As soon as the time came to adventure, they would go together again. They were a team. They were bros. And, despite Brocks currentlycking strength, he had the talent required to follow Jack to the ends of the world.

    Both of them knew these things. Their Daos confirmed the decision. It remained hard. Besides Jacks month of closed-door cultivation in Garden Ring, they had not been separated since Harambe entrusted Brock to Jack, back when one of them was a baby and the other was only Level 34.

    But now, it was finally time for Brock to grow on his own. This period of time would be critd, when they adventured together again, they really would be partners who fought back-to-back.

    Hopefully.

    Brock looked at Jack and nodded. Okay, he said, and this simple word carried all the weight in the world.

    Jack nodded. Well, Im not going yet. Since Im here already, lets spend some time catching up.

    Salin and Nauja, who had been watching silently, nodded. Salin excused himself and left the house. A few minutester, he returned with arge jug of wine, which he ced on the table.

    Fuck tea, he said. This is wine time. Drink up!

    Everyoneughed.

    There was no night in Field Neb. The gasses always shone in the sky, surrounding the threes and the central moon. Despite that, Jack and Brock stayed in Salin and Naujas house for several hours, drinking to their hearts content. Due to their cultivation, alcohol didnt make them drunk, just gave them a gentle buzz.

    Jack did wonder if drunk driving applied to starships before realizing he could just expel the alcohol from his blood anytime he wanted to. Being an immortal had many perks.

    In these hours, the four of them really bonded. They exchanged stories of their childhood,ing from four very distinct backgrounds. They spoke about their fears and worries. About their hopes and dreams.

    Brock said he wanted to be the biggest bro there was. Jack wanted to reach the apex of power and be truly free. Salin wanted to enjoy himself and be happy, while Nauja wanted to see the world.

    They poured their hearts out for each other, and for a few hours, this little house in a far-off in the middle of a neb was the closest thing to home they had ever felt.

    As time passed, theyughed, too; Brock juggled y mugs while dancing to Salins terrible singing of the Animal Kingdom anthemhe was changing a word here and there to make it sound ridiculous.

    Theyughed and drank and cried. It was a night to remember.

    At some point, however, the hours passed. Jack stood to leave. I will not forget you, bro, he told Brock, pping both his shoulders. As soon as were out of this ce, lets adventure together again. The time wille before you know it. Okay?

    Brock nodded bravely. Okay, bro.

    Jack walked away, alone into the night, waving goodbye to his three best friends in the worldwith the possible exception of Edgar.

    For a little bit, he would be alone. Without Brock. The thought made him sadbut he consoled himself with the knowledge that this would really help Brock shine. Here, in the outer, he would be a beast, and that was the only way for them to continue adventuring together in the future.

    And, who knows? By the time they left this ce, maybe Brock would have be bros with this entire. The sky was the limit.

 Chapter 245: Being a Big Bro

    Chapter 245: Being a Big Bro

    Brock raised the Staff of Stone and smashed it down. Boulders went flying. The grass bent by the wind. The wolf that was facing him was instantly obliterated, its head caved in, while the rest of the pack jumped on Brock from all sides.

    He twirled. His Staff followed an uneven trajectory, mowing through bodies even as the wolves attempted to pile on him, more than he could deflect. A set of jaws wrapped around his leg. Another aimed for the throat.

    An arrow came out of nowhere, zipping into the wolf about to behead Brock and nailing it to a tree. Gan Salin jumped out of the shadows, sinking his fingertips into a wolfs back. Five Star Grasp! he shouted. The wolf froze, then fell to the ground bleeding from the five deep wounds.

    Brock had still suffered a wound to the leg, but it was far from enough to stop him. He released a monkey cry and swung his staff around, augmenting it with the full power of his muscles. His biceps bloated like bananarms. One wolf was sent flying, and another had its head dug into the ground.

    The three remaining wolves retreated.

    Thats right! Salin shouted, waving his fist at them. Run with your tail between your legs! Thats what you get for attacking the Salin Squad.

    For thest time, we are not called that, Nauja replied, stepping out of the shadows. If anything, we are the Bros.

    You are a sis.

    I dont think bro is gender-specific. Is it, Brock?

    No. Frowning at the wound on his leg, Brock looked around. Shortly afterward, a squirrel dived down from a tree, carrying a few strange leaves in its mouth. Brock smiled brightly. Thanks, bro.

    The squirrel gave Brock a tiny high-five and ran away,pletely uncaring about the five dead wolves sprawled across the forest floor.

    Can I get some Salin started saying, but the squirrel was already gone. Bummer.

    Brock shook his head. He then mimed that good bros did not seek to use, but to help each other. The squirrel would know if Gan Salin was being genuine.

    Of course, nobody understood his miming.

    Ill get you an encyclopedia, Nauja promised. Then, well be able to talk normally.

    Brock shrugged.

    Isnt it weird that he can understand us but cant speak? Salin asked.

    A bit, she admitted. But can we talk about itter? Were still swimming in dead wolves.

    Oh. Right.

    The three of them walked on, leaving their little battlefield behind. The forest scavengers would take care of it.

    They were in a ce called the Endless Forest. A wooded area close to the city they lived in, infested with all sorts of predatory animals. They were strong, tooat least at the E-Grade, boasting either extraordinary attributes or a connection to the Dao. Here, any F-Grade animals were at the very bottom of the food chain.

    This was an area the nearby E-Grade disciples visited often. It lent itself to adventure and battle, making for the perfect training grounds. Of course, it was also dangerous; many disciples entered this forest to never return, turned from predator into prey.

    Unlike what its name indicated, this forest wasnt actually endless; its physical dimensions were well set. However, its deeper parts were infested with extremely strong monsters, including King peak E-Grades and even the rare D-Grade. People couldnt cross from one end to the other, which led to them naming it Endless Forest.

    Brock, Gan Salin, and Nauja were three of the many disciples adventuring through this forest today, as they often did. Thanks to their high levels and Brocks addition to their party, they had decided to venture deeper than before, aiming for an area with known ogre sightings. In the meantime, they didnt shy away from the forests natural predators.

    Did you level-up in thest fight, Nauja? Salin asked. I got one level.

    No. The wolves were only around Level 90. It takes more than that to level me.

    Hmm.

    What kind of forest hides its strongest predators, anyway? she wondered aloud. Where Ie from, tyrannosauruses roam everywhere, not just the deep end of the jungle.

    There is no deep end here. It is endless.

    Right.

    Were pretty far in, actually. We should enter the ogre area anyti

    Brock raised a hand, and Salin promptly shut up. Everyone froze. A momentter, Salin whispered, Whats the matter, big bro?

    Trouble, Brock replied, his brows low. His grip slowly tightened around the Staff of Stone as his nose and ears twitched.

    He didnt actually sense anything. He picked up no suspicious sound, sight, or scent. However, he felt a suddenck of bros in this area. The various insects and small animals he was befriending along the way had disappeared or gone silent. Like the forest was holding its breath.

    Brock looked around, still seeing nothing. ncing back, he caught Nauja looking up. Her eyes widened. He saw her struggle to react in time, her legs bending ever so slightly, her center of bnce tilting backward. The glint in her eyes indicated she might not make it in time. Brock had no such concerns. His muscles were well-honed, able to react faster than thought. He jumped back, ramming into Salin and Nauja and taking them along as he tumbled into the grass, barely dodging therge shape that smashed down from the branches above.

    Brock turned around to find an ugly stone club heading for his face. He swung his Staff of Stone to meet it. Stone crashed into stone, and fragments flew everywhere as Brock lost the exchange, the club pushing the staff into his ribs and sending him flying into a tree.

    Brock! Nauja shouted, already on her feet with an arrow nocked. Salin was rushing to make some distance as Brock dislodged himself from the bark hed been buried in and turned to regard their assant.

    A colossal form towered over them. A tall humanoid wrapped in multipleyers of fat, bursting with thick muscles underneath. It only wore a loincloth around its privates, leaving its pale skin visible for all to see. Its eyes were filled with mindless fury, and two short tusks jutted out of its mouth, slowly dripping thick saliva.

    An ogre! Nauja eximed, her eyes widening. Wait; its an Elite!

    And Level 124, too, Salin replied. I think this is a whoops moment. Should we run?

    The ogre was at least twice as tall as Brock and three times as wide. It was a far mountain of muscles.

    Brock slowly rose from the ground. He stood against the ogre, tiny as he seemed inparison, and cracked his neck. Blood was escaping from scrapes on his arms, while his ribs felt numb. He looked right into the ogres fury-filled eyes, then said, Come.

    The ogre was not used to being challenged by something so tiny. It was infuriated even further. It opened its mouth to release a mighty war cry that reverberated across the forest for multiple miles, showering Brock in saliva.

    Brock was not one to take this lying down. He was the leader of his pack. He couldnt lose a war of roars.

    Still holding the Staff of Stone, he beat hard at his chest. The thuds came like sledgehammers on stone, his gori roars rising to meet the ogres. The two of them matched roars for a moment, then stopped at the same time as they prepared to fight.

    Assist! Brock called out. His muscles bulged. His chest was filled with the urge to fight. He drew his staff back and charged for the ogre, which charged right back.

    Shit, Salin and Nauja said at the same time, both jumping into the fray.

    Brock feinted jumping at the ogre. The club came down with little finesse but an excess of force, pushing the air so hard it ricocheted off the ground. It missed Brock, who had just feinted his charge, and smashed into a tree trunk with enough force to shatter it.

    Instantly, the tree titled and began to fall. The canopy was ripped apart. Leaves and splinters flew everywhere as branches were pulled in different directions, unraveling theplex designs theyd spent decades weaving. The treended on another, stabilized for now, but it was just momentary. This ce was not a clearing. There was no space to fight. The ogre would demolish this entire area of the forest.

    Brocks eyes narrowed as he considered his opponent. It was too strong. His ribs still hurt from the previous exchange, and it had even been a hasty strike. He couldnt take this creature head-on.

    Bring it, he said, jumping into battle. The club fell around him like lightning, crashing through everything and anything in its path. Trees fell. Trunks shattered. Bushes were uprooted and sent flying, while entire strips of ground were torn away. Brock danced between the strikes, channeling all of his muscles to move fast and sharply enough. His concentration was razor-sharphe had to predict the ogres every move if he wanted to dodge.

    At the first opening, he struck. His Staff of Stone went sharply for the ogres knee, hitting it from the front and trying to bend it the wrong way. The ogre groaned and stumbled, but its bone held. Brock tsked. He let the club sail under him as he jumped up, thrusting the staff upward to ram into the ogres jaw. Its head went flying backbut again, theyers of fat and muscle were enough to protect the bone.

    With a roar, the ogre smashed its staff upward, and Brock had to step against the ogres chest to dodge.

    An arrow flew over his shoulder and into the ogres exposed throat. The power of the Dao trailed itmore power gathering the farther it flew. It wasnt much at this distance, but it was enough. It pierced clearly into the ogres throat, exiting from the other side. At the same time, Salin came from behind, swiping his ws over the ogres ankle to sever its tendons.

    With a groan, it stumbled. Its tendons held, somewhat, but they were injured. It turned to Salin and swung, but he had already retreated. Too slow, he taunted. Maybe cause youre dumb.

    Despite the arrow lodged in its throat, the ogre was still alive. It didnt even seem to register its impending death. Blood spurted out of the wound and dyed the forest red as it charged for Salin, who yelled, Oh shit! and ran away.

    However, the level difference between them was just too much. Salin was Level 82; the ogre was 124, and an Elite. It would catch up in three steps.

    Brock appeared over the ogres head, smashing down with his club. Its head jiggled from the hit, further aggravating the throat wound. Me, he demanded, staring at the back of the ogres head.

    It ignored him. Somewhere in its tiny brain, it understood that turning to attack Brock was a bad idea. Its gaze remained glued on Salin, pursuing him as fast as its wounded leg could handle. Salin paled. He ducked between trees, dove into bushes, jumped on branches. The ogres club was a menace. It tore through the forest to reach him, destroying everything in its path. Entire trees tumbled and were smacked around like pinatas. At the speed they fighting, even gravity seemed slow to react.

    Roars echoed through the forest as the ogre pursued. Arrows showered it, embedding themselves deeply into its limbs and body, but it didnt care in the slightest. It seemed to hold infinite blood, and there had to be some type of magic helping it, or it would have copsed from the throat wound by now.

    <em>Durable Dao, </em>Brock realized, his brows falling. He was still pursuing the ogre, trying to stop it without getting too close. He knew that, as mindless as it was, it remained an animalthe moment he made a mistake, it would turn around and pounce. His staff fell on knees and elbows, joints and fingers, but the ogres durability was simply off the charts. It shrugged everything off.

    A second arrow found the ogres throat. That finally made it pause. It looked around, trying to locate the hidden attacker. It seededbut Nauja was too far away, and she could use her mastery of wind to escape easily, should it pursue.

    The ogre must have finally sensed its death approaching. It turned to Salin and started attacking even more frantically, desperately trying to take him along to the grave. No matter how Brock and Nauja attacked it, it ignored them.

    However, in doing so, it gave Brock the opening he needed. Not a physical one, but one of the Dao. Because, in choosing to attack the weakest member of their party in a final act of bitterness, it had acted un-bro-like.

    And Brocks Dao refused to let that stand.

    Facing an unworthy bro, Brock felt his heart beat harder. Blood pumped everywhere fast. His muscles stretched and grew as the spirit of the bro lended him its righteous strength, letting him act like the big bro he really was.

    This time, he was no longer afraid of the ogre. He shed before it, right between it and Salin, protecting his little brother. This gave him even more power. He could feel himself overflowing with righteousness, as well as the belief that, as long as he was in the right, he could not lose.

    The Dao of the Bro would not permit that.

    The ogre bellowed and brought its club down. Brock roared and swung back. The two weapons met. But the ogre had received many wounds, and its power was drained. And Brock was now enhanced by his perfect Very Big Thought of Brohood.

    As the two weapons shed, the air cracked around the point of impact. A strong gust was unleashed in all directions, framed by falling trees in the background. Brock pushed forward, investing everything into this strike for brohood. The ogres club gave an inchand instantly, it flew back, out of its wielders grip, as Brocks attack carried on and smashed into the side of the ogres neck, bending it out of shape along with the two arrows still embedded in it.

    Multiple cracks resounded. The ogre fell to the ground, its eyes perpetually open in bitterness, and it never moved again.

    They had won.

    Oh man, that was dangerous, Salin said, approaching. Good job, guys. I got three levels! But how the hell did you overpower this thing, Brock?

    Brock turned and regarded him, the spirit of brohood still ying in his eyes. This battle had given him some insights. He ought to ponder them soon.

    Because I am big bro. And good bro never lose.

 Chapter 246: The Struggle for Grand Elder

    Chapter 246: The Struggle for Grand Elder

    As time passed, Jack fell into a schedule.

    During the morning, he meditated on his Dao. He sought to explore the essence of the fist, what it really meant, and how it coexisted with the world. How all his different Dao Roots interacted with each other to form oneplete whole, and how he could push forward the mastery of his Dao Skills.

    In the afternoon, he practicedbat. He became a regr of the Cloud Field, sparring with any willing immortal. These battles really widened his experience, letting him see a dozen different Daos. Sparring against people withpletely different fighting styles forced him to constantly adapt, exploring the limits and applications of his skills. It also trained his mind to think outside the box, be ready for anything, and improvise effectively when outside familiar waters. It was far more efficient than training against Copy Jack, whom he didnt visit muchtely.

    Through these sparring sessions, Jack became known in Hualis Estate. Everyone wanted to see the young immortal who was on Cloud Field every afternoon, ready to demonstrate his might against any willing opponent. Before long, people lined up to fight him, awed by his strength. Even here, where his opponents were some of the brightest immortals in the constetion, no other low D-Grade was a match for Jack. Of the middle D-Grades, those between levels 170 and 210, Jack could only beat around half.

    Of course, his opponents werent constrained at those levels. He fought manyte D-Grades as well, though he won against none of them. Their strength was iparable to the centaur and treant hed fought on Derion.

    Over time, Jack umted a lot of battle experience against diverse opponents, as well as fame that resounded even outside the estate.

    That was his every afternoon.

    At night, he did not restcooped up inside his cultivation cer, as he hade to call it, Jack reaped the Dao that the Dao Ma had collected during the day. He cultivated in ce of sleep, exactly eight hours per day, then jumped right into his morning routine.

    However, even while cultivating like that, he wasnt nearly as fast as he imagined.

    The people who reached the D-Grade were the best of the bestone in a hundred thousand cultivators, roughly. Despite that, they spent decades and centuries to reach the peak of this Grade, if they ever could. Jack had aspired to reach the C-Grade within a year, but as it turned out, he had greatly underestimated the difficulty of that goal. The D-Grade was a massive stretchit contained as many levels as the F and E-Gradesbined.

    Even in the estate of Master Huali, assisted by a Dao Ma and with no problems to distract him from cultivation, his progress was far from fast enough. When he dropped off Brock at the outer, Jack had been Level 139. After cultivating for two weeks, he had only reached Level 144, and these were supposed to be the fast levels. In thete D-Grade, his progress would slow down by dozens of times.

    That painted a very clear picture in Jacks mind. If he stayed in this ce, no matter how hard he overworked himself, he would never be strong enough. He had to leave and adventure as Shol had advised. That decision was further punctuated by how, on his way to Field Neb, hed defeated e D-Grade and one almostte, and hed gotten eight levels in a day. It was incredible just how much faster battle waspared to peaceful cultivation.

    Of course, it hid the risk of death, as well as the reduction of the overall power in the gxy. In that way, cultivation remained bncedto get one level throughbat, Jack might have to kill an immortal with a hundred and fifty on his back. It made sense why it wasnt as encouraged as slowly cultivating in the faction. Most immortals had time.

    Jack didnt.

    Even though Master Huali had agreed to save Earth, he did not believe that his enmity with the Animal Kingdom would just disappear. Sooner orter, problems and enemies would arrive at his doorstep, and unless he was strong enough to protect everyone he cared about, things would go very wrong very quickly. He had to work hard now so he could deal with the problems that had not yet appeared.

    On the bright side, even though hecked time, what he did notck was enemies. The Animal Kingdom had very kindly volunteered its immortals as fodder for Jacks cultivation, and he was determined to go pick them up at some point.

    He set himself a time limit of one month in the faction. After that, he would head to the Animal Kingdom and wreak havoc.

    He could have gone right away, but, as always, cultivation consisted of two stagesexpansion and consolidation. Jacks strength had risen meteorically in Trial, but that meant he needed to spend some time stabilizing his foundation. He had to get familiar with his current level of power, his new ss, his new Dao and domain, his Dao Skills, his attributes The consolidation of his power was his current goal, along with gathering battle experience against different kinds of immortals. That was also why he hadnt yet explored the space-rted Dao Vision hed gotten from the library.

    Half a month into his cultivation, he was not particrly stronger than before, but he was much more aware of his limits, as well as more conscious of the best ways to use his different powers. He was setting the foundation that wouldter allow him to ughter Animal Kingdom immortals instead of getting ughtered himself.

    However, this period of intense cultivation did note without problems.

    Immortals didnt need to sleep, but that didnt make them machines. After two weeks of working non-stop, Jack was mentally and physically drained. His eyes had dark circles underneath. His mind was drowsy instead of sparking from one idea to the next. His movements in battle became rigid and mechanical, especially against opponents hed faced before, resulting in several preventable losses. When meditating, Jack often found himself distracted, his mind wandering into unrted subjects.

    Only cultivation itselfdrawing in the Dao of the environment to strengthen himselfremained efficient, as it wasnt a particrly mind-intensive task, but it was not the focus of his current training.

    As a result, on a day when meditation felt simply impossible, Jack decided that he needed to take a break.

    Slow and steady wins the race, he consoled himself, rising to his feet. A days break now can save me several days of turtle-paced progresster on. Right, Bro

    He paused. Even now, he still sometimes forgot that Brock was on a different, undoubtedly going through his own training. His absence felt like a gap in Jacks soul, like something was just not right.

    Spiritualpanions were more than a figure of speech.

    But what do I do today? he asked himself, speaking aloud to alleviate the loneliness. I could visit the others at the outer. Or maybe Shol wants to hang out. Or both. Why not both?

    During his two weeks here, Jack had realized that not many trained as hard as he did. The other immortals in the estate were consistent and dilligent, but they only practiced for about eight hours a day, splitting that time between cultivation, sparring, and meditating. Jack practiced for about twenty-four hours a day.

    As a result, they had free time. Many people had invited Jack for coffee, tea, or food, but he always declined, too busy training.

    Lets go check on Shol, he decided. He flew out of his cultivation cer and out of his house, rising to the sky. Immediately, he spotted Auburn flying nearby. The other immortal spotted him as well and came over for a greeting.

    The two of them had actually sparred multiple times and became almost friends. Auburn had even apologized for the dirty tactic she used in their first sparthough Jack didnt consider it as such.

    Good morning, Jack, Auburn said when she approached. Her orange hair floated behind her back, entuating her auburn robes while framing her small nose and wide eyes. What happened? Youre not cultivating.

    Yeah. I decided to take a break.

    You? A break? She looked around. Did hell freeze over?

    I just got tired, Jack replied,ughing. Even I cannot go on forever.

    Says the guy who doesnt sleep.

    I close my eyes sometimes.

    Sure. Next time you blink, I hope you wake up well-rested.

    He smiled. Are you doing anything today, Auburn? We could hang out.

    I was nning to visit the city, actually. I have some shopping to do. You can join me if you want.

    The city?

    Yeah. Stripe City. Its half an hour of flight away.

    Oh. Sure, count me in. Jack had yet to exit this estate to explore the inner. Going with Auburn was a great opportunity to do that. Plus, he wondered what a city of immortals would look like. When are we going?

    How about right now? I was on my way.

    Alright. Its not like I have anything to do. Should we invite Shol, too? I was nning to hang out with himter.

    She bit her bottom lip. Thatsnot a good idea. Brother Shol cant leave the estate for now.

    Why?

    Its about the Grand Elder struggle. Master Huali and Elder Monsoon are fighting for reputation right now, so their disciples are looking for any chance to humiliate each other. Elder Monsoons head disciple is actually the strongest D-Grade in the entire faction, so if he hears about Shol being anywhere outside the estate, he will rush over and find an excuse to challenge him. Thats why he cannot leave. As the head disciple of our master, he cannot afford to lose right now.

    I see This Grand Elder struggle is moreplex than I expected.

    Of course it is. The Grand Elder is appointed for life, and the previous holder of the position kept it for three thousand years. We dont discuss it much here in the estate, but outside, its all anyone ever talks about.

    Huh.

    Just huh? Were talking about once-in-a-lifetime events here! If Master bes the Grand Elder, the status of all of us will be elevated as well!

    Well I hope our master wins, obviously, but Ive only been here for two weeks. I dont see these things the same way you do. Speaking of, if Shol cannot leave because he may be challenged, is it alright for us to go shopping?

    Well be fine. Shol is more involved because he is our masters head disciple. Even if a disciple of Monsoon runs into us and wants to create trouble, nobody will really care. Unless we do something stupid, of course.

    Oh, dont worry. I never do stupid things.

    She stared at him. You dont sound very convincing.

    Trust me. Smart is my middle name.

    And yet, you strike me like the kind of guy who punches first and asks questionster.

    Ill have you know I was a scientist before my got Integrated. The ripped muscles and good looks are just the newest addition to my kit.

    Right She looked him up and down with disapproval once, then shook her head. Whatever you say.

    Jackughed. So, wanna go?

    Yep. Follow me!

    Auburn darted into the sky, and Jack followed her. They rose over the sparse clouds, admiring the green terrain below, and spent their time making idle conversationtelepathically, as the wind was not very helpful for their actual voices.

    Soon after, short, colorful buildings appeared in the horizon: Stripe City.

 Chapter 247: The Art of Courting Death

    Chapter 247: The Art of Courting Death

    Stripe City looked just as its name indicated. A thin stripe of architecture shoved in between two mountains, extending for at least five miles in length and maybe one in width. It was nowhere near the size of the bustling metropolises of Outer, but it remained a respectably sized city.

    Wow, Jack said, gazing at it from afar. Transportation must be hell there.

    Its alright. There are greatnes for E-Grades to run on, letting them reach anywhere they want pretty quickly.

    Jack did a double-take. Indeed, the city was filled with streets just like the ones on Earth, except there were no cars. People just ran from one ce to the other, their speeds varying between that of a normal human at full sprint and a motorcycle. There were many cultivators flying, too; both E-Grades with flying abilities and immortals.

    I guess he replied, still shocked. It will never cease to surprise me.

    It?

    The things cultivators do. Where Ie from, we ride mechanical, uh, chariots from ce to ce. Running would just exhaust us and make us smell bad.

    That sounds terribly inconvenient. What if someone steals your chariot?

    It can happen. Then, you have to use the public chariots.

    It must be fascinating to be so weak.

    Thats not the word I would use, but its certainly different.

    They slowly glided through the clouds, approaching the entrance of Stripe City. Both mountains that surrounded it were lush with greenery, while the buildings were short and colorful, painted in all colors of the rainbow. It was strong enough a sight to be almost disorienting, but Jack didnt mind. He couldnt ask for everything in the universe to adapt to his aesthetical sensibilities.

    Perhaps this multicolorism was inspired by the sr gasses that filled the sky of this ce, shining like a full starry night.

    By the way, Auburn said as theynded, Im d to hear you sent your brori to the outer. He will have a more fruitful time there.

    I sure hope so. Your suggestion helped me do it.

    Do you miss him?

    Very. Jack felt a wave of nostalgia rise in his chest. Wait. Are you trying to get under my skin again?

    She chuckled. We arent going to fight this time. Im just curious.

    Hmm.

    Their feet finally touched the ground before the city gates,rge arches of blue stone. A thin crowd surrounded them on all sides, filled with people at the E and D-Grades. Jack did not expect to make much of an impression.

    The moment theynded, however, whispers began to spread.

    Isnt that Auburn? The disciple of Elder Huali?

    What is she doing here?

    Will there be a fight?

    Is that a new disciple?

    Jack raised a brow as his ears caught some of the whispers. What is all this about? he asked Auburn.

    I told you, the Grand Elder session is all everyone talks about nowadays. Its even reached the point where people memorize the faces of each elders disciples, hoping to not miss any gossip. If you ask me, they would be better off investing that effort in their cultivation.

    I thought you said we would be fine.

    We should be. Even if there is some trouble, its not like it will matter much. Besides, what else are we going to do? Stay in the estate like scared mice?

    I guess not. Jack raised his head, meeting a few eyes and making them turn away. Whatever. Let them stare.

    Thats the spirit. Now, lets go; the earlier we start, the earlier well finish, and we can grab some food after.

    They paced into the city. As they were on the move, whispers still rose around them, but much sparserby the time more people noticed their presence, Jack and Auburn were already gone.

    They walked down a central avenue, then turned into another. Colorful buildings and shops of all kinds surrounded them, but Auburn was focused on something specific. En route, they did not rush; they strolled along casually, talking about this and that. Auburn exined some things about the to Jack, while he shared some of his adventuresminus the sensitive parts.

    Its incredible that you won the Garden Assault, Auburn admitted, sighing. I participated five years ago as the Lady of the Exploding Sun, but I lost to a man from Dragon Valley. Well, jokes on himI think hes still a E-Grade.

    You were a Lady? So you also have three Dao Roots?

    Of course. What did you think, that I was some weakling? Most personal disciples of our master have three roots. That is why your strength is so impressivewe are elites, but you can jump an entire tier to fight us.

    What can I say? My fist is just too strong.

    Whatever, smart guy. Here we are; the apothecary.

    Arge building shaped as a cauldron stood before them. It rose multiple stories high and covered an entire building block. Jack had to crane his neck backward to see its top.

    I didnt know you practiced medicine, he told her.

    We call it alchemy; but yes, I do dabble a bit. Its a nice pastime. I brew wine, too.

    Really? I have a cer.

    Thats great. When we get back, Ill gift you a barrelIm making them faster than I can drink them.

    Jack wondered how a barrel of wine would interact with his Dao Ma but did not voice his question. They entered the shop and spent over two hours thereit housed a thousand different kinds of herbs, along with medicine, manuals, equipment, pills, experience balls, and anything apothecary-rted Jack could and couldnt imagine. It was sorge that it housed many smaller shops inside it, like a mini shopping mall devoted solely to apothecary.

    Jack got a Disguise Potion, just in case.

    Auburn toured everything. She was overflowing with enthusiasm, not staying silent for a moment as she exined the properties of many different nts to Jack, who was more absent-minded than listening to her. The exhaustion of the past two weeks was getting to him.

    <em>Maybe I should have stayed home and slept </em>he considered but did his best to remain pleasant. Two hourster, they finally exited the Cauldron Mas it was aptly namedwith Jack carrying fourrge bags full of herbs. Auburn was prancing ahead of him.

    Thank you for keeping mepany, she said, smiling widely. Shed loosened up quite a bit during their shopping tour. Lets go get food now. My treat.

    Are you sure?

    Of course! Its my thanks foring all the way out hereplus, you can consider it an initiation gift from your big sister.

    There is nothing big about you. Since Im stronger than you, Im the senior here.

    Dream on, Jack. Lets go!

    This time, they didnt walk. Jack had had enough, so they simply flew to the terrace of the tallest building in town, which housed a restaurant. They sat on a table by the edge, letting Stripe City stretch under them as Auburn ordered a bunch of stuff Jack had never heard before. She also got them some wineand, from the careful questions she asked the waiter, she really did sound like a sommelier.

    Soon after they were done ordering, two people arrived and sat at the table next to them. One was a bare-chested, muscr mountain of a man. The other was a lithe woman with long dark hair and a sharp nose. Both looked to be in their fortiesthough, since they were immortals, their actual age was probably far greater.

    Auburn did not react visibly to their appearance. However, the moment they sat down, her voice rang in Jacks mind.

    <em>Be careful! These people are disciples of Elder Monsoon. Since they sat next to us, theyll probably look for an excuse to cause trouble. We should eat fast and leave.</em>

    Jack snuck another nce at them, inspecting them.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 181</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Eighth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 165</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

    The man held the highest level between the two. Still, Jack estimated that he and this man were on roughly the same level of power, even if he had the Eighth Ring Conqueror title that not many people boasted.

    Even the fact that they disyed these titles spoke volumes about them. It was bragging. Most people chose to hide theirs.

    Jack snorted. <em>Why should we eat fast and leave? </em>he replied mentally. <em>If they want to cause trouble, let them.</em>

    <em>That is not a good idea.</em>

    <em>Yeah, for them.</em>

    Auburn didnt reply. They kept on chatting about irrelevant things. Jack caught the bare-chested man sneak nces their way but pretended to see nothing.

    Eventually, their food arriveda set ofrge tters containing everything from cheese, to meat, to sd. It was made from materials suitable for immortalseven a whiff of its fragrance made Jack salivate. He couldnt wait to eat.

    As the food arrived, however, the bare-chested man from the other table startedughing loudly. Jack looked over to realize that the man was staring at them, as if mocking them.

    Is there a problem? he asked.

    A problem? Of course not, the man replied. His voice was deep and aggressive, and his smile was predatory as he spoke. I was just wondering why great immortals such as yourselves would order something so cheap.

    There were dozens of people in this restaurant, all of them D-Grades. As the man spoke, everyone went silent and turned to look. Jack felt their gazes. He couldnt care less; all he cared about was the other mans challenge.

    We can eat whatever we want, he replied. We dont have to unt our wealth like you unt your titles.

    Oh? Do you mean my Eighth Ring Conqueror? the man shot back,ughing rowdily. I am proud of it, so I disy it. Whats the issue? If you arent embarrassed, how about your disy yours, too? As a disciple of the renowned Elder Huali, you will not have something worse than me, right?

    Jack frowned. This guy wasnt even bothering to hide his intentions at all. Jack even got the urge to disy his Ninth Ring Conqueror title and make this guy eat his words, but that was a secrethe wouldnt reveal it just over some childish taunt.

    However, since he couldnt disy that title, he had no good way of refuting the insult.

    What am I, a circus animal? he replied with a snort. You think that I will do something just because you told me to?

    I thought you would protect your honor. Then again, your cheap meal makes it clear that you dont care about appearancesunless, of course, you are just not willing to spend a lot for the average-looking woman sitting beside you.

    The man pushed as far he could go. Since Jack didnt disy his title, the muscr man naturally assumed that it was inferior to his, which gave him the high ground. He felt certain he would seed in humiliating Jack right here, which was undoubtedly his entire reason foring.

    Jack frowned deeply. The other man had pulled all stops and deeply insulted both of them. He was just itching for a fight, at this pointand Jack was inclined to give him one. After all, if he backed down after such heavy insults, people would say that the disciples of Huali were cowards.

    <em>Auburn, </em>he asked mentally, <em>will something bad happen if I escte?</em>

    <em>Only if you lose, </em>she replied quickly. <em>But be careful. Hes strong.</em>

    <em>Dont worry. So am I.</em>

    You are going too far, he said, ring dismissively at the man. How about you shut the fuck up before bad things happen to you?

    Oho. What bold words, my fellow cultivator. I was just pointing out some truths; howe you got angry?

    Truths? All you were doing was pointing out your own ws. You just told everyone that not only do you have terrible taste in women, but you are also vain enough to unt your wealth at someone you like, as you have no other way to impress them, and cheap enough to try and save money when dining with someone you dont like too much. These things make it pretty clear that you are a loser; and the woman beside you, a prostitute.

    The entire restaurant had gone so silent you could hear a pin drop. People stared with their jaws hanging; a couple broke into snickering. The muscr man had gone pale as a sheet, while the sharp-nosed woman next to him was ring at Jack so intensely that, if he wasnt an immortal, he would have gotten a headache.

    Then, the man finally registered the extent of Jacks insults, and his entire face turned red with anger. He seemed ready to jump ande to blows.

    You said too much, kid, he growled.

    Oho. What bold words, my fellow cultivator. I was just pointing out some truths; howe you got angry?

    Jack shot the mans previous back at him. More people snickered around the restaurant. This man hade here to create trouble, but he was the one getting demolished instead, while Jack just stood there with an innocent expression.

    The surrounding snickers were the final straw to break the camels back. A brutal, explosive aura suddenly radiated from the muscr man, filled with explosive anger. Every snicker disappeared instantly.

    The man stared deeply into Jacks eyes. Then, emphasizing every word with his barely contained anger, he said, You are courting <em>death</em>.

 Chapter 248: Betting the Name of Oneâ€™s Master

    Chapter 248: Betting the Name of One¡¯s Master

    The restaurant went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. Jack met the mans hard eyes and replied, So what if I am?

    The other man may have been infuriated, but at the end of the day, he remained an immortal. He wasnt an idiot.

    They were thirty-seven levels apart. In his eyes, that was an insurmountable difference. Therefore, Jack must have had some trick up his sleeve.

    But what could it be? Jack had just insulted him so hard that now they <em>had </em>to fight. For the muscr man, it was the perfect scenario; he could restore his honor <em>and</em> publicly humiliate a disciple of Elder Huali in one go.

    At the end of the day, no matter what trump cards Jack was hiding, there was no way he could ovee such a level difference against a true eliteor so the muscr man thought.

    Very well, he said, his aura still radiating in waves. Actually killing other disciples was forbidden in the Exploding Sun, but anything else was fair y. When I break your limbs, dont say I wasnt justified. I will show you the power of my Dao of the Fist.

    Now, it was Jacks turn to be shocked. <em>Your </em>Dao of the Fist?

    Thats right. I cultivate the Dao of the Fist, and I will use it to brutally crush you.

    Jack was untouched by the other mans bravado. He was too busy being impressed. <em>Could there be such a coincidence in the world?</em><em>Do we really cultivate the same Dao?</em>

    He was excited. In all his travels, this was only the second person with the Dao of the Fist he met. The first had been a woman Rufus Emberheart had killed in the Integration Tournament.

    What a coincidence, he said. I also cultivate the Dao of the Fist.

    The mans anger was colored with surprise. Really?

    Really.

    Suddenly, the manughed aloud. Jack had just presented him with the perfect opportunity to up the stakes and connect this conflict to the standing of their masters. Excellent! Truly excellent! You really dug your own grave, kid! Let me witness the Dao of the Fist that Elder Huali teaches, and see if it is better or worse than what Master Monsoon taught me. Letspare our masters ability in teaching!

    He was in a great mood now, as if he couldnt believe his luck. He was overflowing with confidence. His anger had grown so intense that it now manifested as joy; as raucous, explosiveughterced with expectation of the pain he was going to cause to Jack.

    In fact, the man continued, I propose something else. If I defeated you in a battle, people would say I was just bullying you. Victory would obviously go to me. However, since we share the same Dao, how about wepete in that instead?

    Jack narrowed his eyes. Im listening.

    Well rise to the sky, and I will let you punch me. Your pure offensive power against my defenses. Then, I punch you, and we keep going until one of us bes unable to continue. That way, my higher attributes wont y that much of a role, and you have a chance of winning. Ill even give you the first strike, since youre young and stupid. What do you say?

    His smile was crooked. He had to be absolutely certain of himself, or he wouldnt suggest such a thing.

    The problem was, Jack possessed four Dao Roots and a perfect foundation. There was no way this guys understanding of the Dao was superior. He wouldnt know what hit him.

    Jack opened his mouth andughed uproariously, floating out of his chair to stand into the air. Very well! he replied. Lets do that, but dontin when you lose. As for the first strike I dont want it. You should have it. That way, when I knock you unconscious in a single punch, my victory will be much more impressive.

    The muscr guy frowned. He did not doubt his victory in the slightest, so he probably assumed Jack was just trying to seem brave so his defeat didnt impact his masters reputation too hard.

    Dont spout bullshit, he replied. You get the first strike.

    No, you go first. In fact, let me add another rule: as long as you go first, you can use your entire strength to hit me without worrying about anything at all. Even if I die, I dere in front of all these witnesses that you will not be held ountable. It will just be the result of my own weakness.

    The muscr guy was about to retort, but he couldnt believe his luck. In his eyes, Jack was justmitting suicide at this point. If he could kill a disciple of Elder Huali here, especially when said disciple was beingpletely stupid and reckless, the incident would spread across the. Hualis reputation would take a hard hit. This was so much better that it didnt matter if he struck first. He just had to ept this offer.

    It was almost too good to be truebut no matter how he racked his brain, he found no way for him to lose.

    Very well, kid, he replied. His own chair flew back as he took to the air, staring Jack down with all his might. But remember, you are the one who insisted on this. I cannot be held ountable for anything.

    Dont worry. You are too weak to harm me.

    ck lines ran over the muscr mans forehead. In his eyes, Jack just didnt know when to stop. Come, if you dare. He took to the sky, flying upward so fast that the air split and shrieked behind him.

    Jack looked at Auburn and winked at her.

    You are an idiot, she whispered, eyes tinkering with a smile, but a brave one. Go get him. Dont you dare lose.

    Dont worry; I wont. See you in a bit.

    He then took to the sky as well, rising like a reverseet. The muscr man was waiting two miles over the city, at a distance where they were barely visible.

    Jack and the muscr man stood a hundred feet away from each other, their robes fluttering and their auras already wrestling for supremacy. I never got your name, said the muscr man.

    My name is Jack Rust. Engrave it deeply into your soul, for I am the man who will destroy your confidence and cut short your path of cultivation.

    Heh. Bold words for someone about to die. I am Dan Bolon, the man who is going to kill you.

    You can certainly try, Jack replied with a smile.

    The raging auras of immortals werent exactly discreet. By now, many people in the city had noticed their stand-off in the sky, and even more were realizing it by the second. A few people had even flown closer to observe the battle, keeping a respectful distance from Jack and Dan Bolon. Auburn was one of them, as was the woman apanying Dan.

    Fellow cultivators of Stripe City! Dan Bolon said, using his Dao to spread his voice over the entire city. I am Dan Bolon, a disciple of Elder Monsoon, and the man across from me is Jack Rust, a disciple of Elder Huali. Today, we have decided to fight for our honor. As we both follow the Dao of the Fist, we willpete by punching each other until one bes unable to fight. We have also agreed to use our full strength; even if one of us dies, they can only me their own weakness. Are my words true, Jack Rust?

    The entire city quietened down as they awaited Jacks response.

    Jack couldnt help the grin on his face. This battle, this setup Dan Bolon was trying to corner him, but he was cornering himself at the same time. He was cutting off all avenues of escape for both of them.

    The truth was, Jack wasntpletely certain he could win. He was confident, of course, but something could always go wrong. Maybe the other man was an ultimate prodigy. Even in a punching duel, the forty-level difference still yed a part.

    This uncertainty emphasized the fear of death inside Jack and made the stakes seem rend it was exactly this feeling that roused his battle spirit from its slumber, letting him smother all other emotions and fully dive into the battle, risking everything just because he could.

    It had been a while since hed felt like that. He missed it.

    Your words are true, Dan Bolon, Jack replied, also using his Dao to make his voice reverberate across the city. However, why are you holding back? Say things as they are. We argued, we insulted each others honor, and now we will fight to resolve our differences. As we share the same Dao, this battle involves more than just usit reflects our masters ability in selecting disciples and teaching them a Dao.

    Gasps came from everywhere. Jack had openly bet his masters name on this battleif he lost, it would be terrible. On the other hand, if he won, it would be great.

    Dan Bolonughed, unable to believe his luck. This was exactly what he wanted. He couldnt say everything out loud or people would say he was a bully, but Jack was ying right into his game.

    Precisely! he eximed. Very well. Let us begin. On Jack Rusts insistence, I will go first.

    Many surrounding immortals frowned or spoke in protest. Since Jacks level was far lower than his opponents, it was proper that he went first, not Dan Bolon; but Bolon couldnt care less. This little improperness was nothing before the massive stakes of this fight.

    Come, Jack said, opening the upper part of his robes and letting it hang from his waist. He revealed a bare chest as if chiseled in marble, and muscles sopact that they triggered a sense of harmony.

    Dan Bolon floated before him. At only three feet away, the intensity of his aura was staggering. However, Jack was unfazed. This was the first sign in Dan Bolons mind that something was wrong, but there was no use thinking about it now. All he could do was duel.

    He clenched his hand, channeling his entire strength into it. His fist caught on fire. Yellow and orange mes blossomed around it, making it look like a sun in his palm. The heat was such that Jack began to sweatif he was a normal person, he would have been immted already. Only the supreme quality fabric prevented his robes from suffering the same fate.

    Jack stared into his opponents eyes and saw pure, unadulterated strength. It felt like facing a wild animalor a guns open barrel. His every instinct screamed at him to fight back or get away, but he used his iron will to push them down. He had agreed to take this attack. Even if it killed him, he would not back down.

    For cultivators, defending against a full-force strike was difficult, but not <em>too</em> difficult. Jack focused on defensehe had Neutron Star Body, the Life Drop, and the Dao Root of Indomitable Will. He was confident in surviving even an all-out strike from himself, let alone this man, who hopefully had a shallower Dao understanding.

    He hardened his eyes, glued them right onto the other mans, and waited with his chest exposed.

    I told you you were courting death, Dan Bolon said, in a normal voice this time. His fist was shaking from the umted power, and his eyes hid the intense desire to kill Jack. You were asking for it. Nowdie. Sr Punch!

    His fist shot forward at blinding speed. Jack did not move in the slightest. The punch impacted his chest, and instantly, it was like a sun had been born. Jack felt his ribcage cave in. He felt his skin turning into ash, felt the hot winds ride along his body and burn his face and back. It was like he had been ced inside an industrial oven.

    He did not scream.

    At the same time, the impact itself was strong enough to send him flying. The air boomed as his body broke the sound barrier, flying back and down until he crashed into one of the two mountains nking Stripe City, creating a crater the size of a house.

    Every eye in the city looked at the crater, waiting to see if Jack would emerge or not. Smoke and dust flew everywhere, obstructing the view.

 Chapter 249: Breaking Dan

    Chapter 249: Breaking Dan

    A cloud of dust covered the crater, and that was a good thing, because Jacks body was mostly broken. Dan Bolons attack had been stronger than he expected. His ribcage was bent, multiple organs had been punctured, and he was unable to breathe. The world was swimming before his eyes, and even maintaining his consciousness was a tough task.

    Then again, that wasnt too bad. Strong immortals had the power to demolish entire mountains. Jack had only survived the impact because of the extreme defense offered by Neutron Star Body, his defensive Dao Skill. It was the evolution of Iron Fist Body, and it gave him some properties of neutron stars, making his body extremelypact and resilient, as well as resistant to the elements.

    At the same time, the skill had been enhanced by the Life Drop, offering him extreme regenerative powers. Jack could already feel his body knitting itself back into health. His flesh was pulsing with the powers of life, moving around bones, sucking off the rampant blood from internal injuries, and repairing the punctured organs.

    Within ten seconds, Jack could breathe again. Within a minute, he could walk. His hearing only came back then, catching Dan Bolons passionate speech about how one should respect their superiors and not be a reckless idiot.

    Jack did not pay too much attention. As the dust was clearing up and people were gathering to see his corpse, he shocked them all by walking out of the crater. He looked like shit, and the regeneration had made himpletely exhausted, but he was certainly still able to fight.

    The moment Dan Bolon caught sight of him, he froze mid-speech. His eyes widened, and he paled like hed seen a ghost. How? he asked. How are you still alive!?

    Alive? Jack replied, his voice hoarse but understandable. Did you think that little love tap was enough to kill me?

    He slowly rose to the sky, enjoying everyones respectful and shocked gazes. So what if the front of his torso remained ckened from the burns? So what if his hair was messy, he was covered in dust, and blood was visible on several parts of his body?

    He was alive, and his fist looked good enough.

    Slowly, Jack arrived before Dan Bolon, who remained shocked. I have received your strike, Bolon. It wasdecent. Now, I believe it is my turn.

    Only now, seeing Jack survive his full-force attack, did Dan Bolon realize that he had made a mistake. Only now he did understand why Jack had dared challenge himbecause he really might win.

    Bolon focused on offense. His defense wasnt too strong. He had been confident in taking a strike before, but with the strength Jack had just revealed, he suddenly didnt like his chances at all.

    This really might kill him. He had half a mind to resign.

    Do you dare receive my strike, Bolon? Jack asked, seeing through his thoughts. Or are you a coward who will soil his masters name?

    Dan Bolons heart was filled with bitterness. He had already used his strongest strike. Now, he was forced to defend against the attack of someone at his level of power?

    Hell! He couldnt do that!

    But after what Jack said, he couldnt quit either! If he did, head disciple Qian woulde and kill him himself.

    <em>Fine, </em>he thought, gritting his teeth. He crossed his arms before his chest, which wasnt really allowed, and waited for Jacks strike. He galvanized his Dao as intensely as he could and even revealed his Dao Domain, hoping to pressure Jack and lower his strength.

    He did not expect Jack topletely ignore his domain, revealing his own and perfectly countering it. In fact, Jacks was even a bit stronger.

    Dan Bolon was beginning to see death, but he couldnt back down now. He just had to hope he could take the strike.

    Give me your worst, Jack Rust! he shouted to hype himself upup himself.

    Jackughed loudly. Those are big words for someone whos crossing his arms to defend. I didnt do that. I let you hit me freely.

    Dan Bolons brows fluttered. Everyone could see that Jack was right, but if he dropped his arms, too, then he really might die! We agreed not to fight back, he retorted with a snort. Defending is obviously allowed.

    I guess you are a coward, then. I really expected a disciple of Elder Monsoon to have some balls, but well, it looks like I was wrong.

    The agreeing murmurs from other immortals only emphasized Dan Bolons ugly position. He gritted his teeth so hard they almost broke.

    <em>If I really let him attack me, will I die?</em><em>No. He must focus hard on defense. Thats why he could survive my attack. His offense must be much weaker! </em>His eyes shone. <em>Yes, thats it! I can do this. I can survive! Its all or nothing!</em>

    He uncrossed his arms, stating bravely, Very well. If you can take an attack without defending, then I, Dan Bolon, can do the same. Let no one say that I am a coward!

    Jacks ridiculing smile did notfort Dan Bolon at all. Whos courting death now? he replied. I respect your resolve. Very well. May you die a brave man rather thanman than live as a coward.

    Dan Bolon did not speak. He waited, chestpletely vulnerable, to receive Jacks attack.

    Suddenly, the world lost its colors. Sound was gone, too. Dan Bolons Dao Domain was torn apart as a single purple meteor dominated the sky, glowing around Jacks fist like it was about to fall from deep space. Just the ripples of power were enough to send shivers down Dan Bns spine. It took every iota of his resolve to keep his arms from rising to defend.

    <em>I can take this, </em>he kept telling himself. <em>I have to.</em>

    He already regretted his decision toe here and cause trouble. He could have just stayed at home and rxed, but he had chosen to kick the iron wall that was called Jack Rust.

    Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret.

    Dan Bolons thoughts disappeared as he devoted his entire being to defense. Meteor Punch! Jacks voice rang across the sky, the only sound in existence, a divine decree of destruction. The meteor hurtled forward. Before it even reached Dan Bolons body, he could feel his skin caving in by its ripples of power.

    Dan Bolons Sr Punch contained a heavy element of fire. That was painful and disorienting for enemies, but it wasnt really deadly. If anything, the power that went into creating the mes was removed from the punchs physical power.

    Jacks Meteor Punch, on the other hand, was different. Any explosion was just an afterthought. The sound and light effects were just a result of the ambient Dao bowing to the punchs superiority. The entire power of the strike was focused on punching as hard as possible.

    <em>Shit, </em>Dan Bolon realized, but it was toote. He no longer had time to defend. The meteor exploded on his chest. Dan Bolon sensed his ribcage bend and shatter into a million tiny bone fragments. His back burst open from the impact, and that was thest thing he ever felt.

    As light and sound exploded back into existence, Jack watched Dan Bolons broken body fly to the other mountain and crash into it like a meteor, forming a crater slightlyrger than Jacks. Of course, he would never stand up again, because he was dead before he even hit the ground.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 145.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 146.</strong>

    All the free points went to the Physical substats, obviously.

    Unlike Bolon, Jack did not give a long speech of condolences to make himself appear virtuous. He didnt need to; seeing the level difference between the two of them, as well as Dan Bolons previous conduct, everyone could tell who started this fight.

    As all the immortals of Striple City stared at him in shock, all he said was, Huh. I guess the disciples of Elder Monsoon are not that strong after all.

    The city burst into an uproar, but Jack didnt pay them any mind. He returned to his table at the terrace restaurant, still bloody and dusted, but nobody would dare tell him anything. The woman apanying Dan Bolon screamed like a banshee and flew away at top speed.

    As soon as Jacknded under everyones incredulous gazes, Auburn looked him in the eyes and said, Wow.

    Jack shrugged. He got what he was looking for. After allhe was courting death, wasnt he?

    She burst intoughter, the tension suddenly melting off them both. I guess he did, she replied.

    Their food was already there, and the two of them ate in peace. Nobody else bothered them, and they soon left the city, flying all the way to Elder Hualis Estate.

    Thanks for the tour, Auburn, Jack told her as he dropped the bags of herbswhich hed volunteered to carryat her door. It was fun.

    I dont know if fun is the right word for what happened, but Yeah. I did have fun. She smiled at him. What will you do now?

    Take a shower, obviously. Heughed. After that, I think Ill go see brother Shnd then, well see. Maybe visit my friends at the outer. In any case, starting tomorrow, Ill be cultivating.

    Dont lose yourself in it again, she said with a caring look. You are goodpany. There is more to life than cultivation.

    Not when I have a to save. In any case, well both be aroundI may be able to take some time off my busy schedule.

    She stuck her tongue out. Damn you, Jack Rust. Is this how you treat all girls?

    Heughed as he flew away. See you around, Auburn. Next time, lets have some tea at a ce without troublemakers.

    Sure!

    And Jack flew away.

    At the same time, in a far-off estate that looked quite different than Hualis, a man with long, blond hair sat cross-legged in the middle of a small pond. The water was perfectly still under him, supporting his weight as easily as it would support a leaf.

    A knock on the courtyards door shook him out of his meditation. Yes? he replied.

    A thousand apologies! a man cried out from outside. Can Ie in? This is urgent.

    Head Disciple Qian frowned gently. You may.

    A short man dressed in purple opened the door of the courtyard and walked in, his head lowered in respect. A thousand apologies for interrupting your cultivation, head disciple, I only

    Just speak, Qian said coldly. And be quick about it.

    Yes. Brother Dan Bolon went to Stripe City today to cause some trouble for two weak disciples of Elder Hualibut things got out of control. It turned into a huge spectacle, where brother Dan and one of Hualis disciples bet their honor and masters name into a duel. Brother Dan lost, and he even died in the process, but both fighters had already announced to the entire city that death was an eptable result.

    Qian frowned. The water under him rippled gently, but even that was enough to instill fear in the messengers eyes. Was Dan a brainless fool? Qian said calmly. Why did he pick a fight with someone he couldnt beat? And he even had to drag our master into it Now, everyone will ridicule us. If Dan wasnt dead already, I would kill him myself.

    Head disciple, if I may speak, brother Dan was an absolute idiot, but his opponent was surprisingly strong. Nobody expected him to win. He was forty levels weaker than Dan.

    That gave Qian pause. Someone surpassed a forty-level difference to beat Dan?

    Yes, sir. A new disciple of Elder Huali. A man named Jack Rust.

    Qians brows fell. A thousand calctions urred inside his brain in the blink of an eye. I see. Tell me everything you know about thisJack Rust.

 Chapter 250: The Fate of the Those Left Behind

    Chapter 250: The Fate of the Those Left Behind

    As Jack flew over the estate, news of his victory over Dan Bolon had already begun to spread. Servants pointed up at him with reverence, like he was a famous footballer, while many immortals nodded deeply at him as he passed.

    Would you look at that, Jack said to himself midair, Im famous again already.

    In the time it had taken him to shower and get dressed, he had managed to be a celebrity. His burnt skin had already recovered, too.

    As he approached Shols residence at the edge of the estate, his big brother was already there and waiting. Jack! he eximed. What the hell happened?

    Nothing too special, Jack replied as hended. I just took care of an idiot.

    Dan Bolon hardly qualifies as an idiot. He was one of Elder Monsoons most promising disciples. Shol then looked around, making sure they werent watched. His face split into a wide grin. Good job, he whispered, pping Jacks shoulder. That was very well done.

    Thank you, Jack replied modestly. I appreciate Master Hualis assistance. This is the least I could do to repay her.

    Dont be fake modest with me, Jack. Come inside and tell me everything.

    Shols house was smaller than Jacks. It was just a single cabin surrounded by a small vegetable garden near the wooden walls of the estatewhich, given the immortals ability to fly, were purely ornamental.

    The inside of the cabin was as spartan as its exterior. Going through the door, Jack stepped into a living room that could barely fit a table, chairs, and a kitchen. Two closed doors led to what he assumed was the bathroom and bedroom, while a trapdoor under a half-raised carpet led to Shols cultivation chamber.

    I see you also have a cer, Jack said, nodding in approval. Very nice. I already arranged to get some wine for mine.

    For thest time, its not a cer.

    It is a cultivation cer.

    Of course. Shol sighed. Come, take a seat. And tell me all about your duel against Dan Bn.

    Havent you heard the details? Everyone else seems to know already.

    I have, but I want to hear your first-hand ounting. Would you like some tea?

    Yes, please.

    Jack sat on one of the simple wooden chairs and began retelling what happened at Stripe City. He briefly mentioned the Cauldron Mall, then talked about the restaurant and the insults he and Dan Bolon hurled at each other. Finally, he described the setup of their battle with great detail, as well as the end result.

    When he was done, Shol shook his head. You have a penchant for infamy, Jack. Even back when you were a tiny F-Grade, I remember you caused one scene after another.

    It wasnt always my fault.

    Didnt your spiritualpanion hurl shit at Rufus Emberheart once?

    He started it.

    Didnt you masquerade as someone using the Dao of Spanking, then proceeded to tear all those talented people new assholes?

    Jackughed. Oh, yeah. Fun times.

    Shol was trying to be serious, but he couldnt help smirking. Making the world turn around you is a good thing, he replied. It means that challenges and power will rain your way. Of course, it can kill you. But if it doesnt, youll grow strong fast. Youre stealing the momentum of the world to enhance your cultivation.

    Those are grand words, brother. All I did was stand up for myself.

    You did far more than that. Disciple disputes happen all the time, but very rarely do they escte to such lengthsand so publicly. As I understand, you both went ahead and staked your masters name on that battle. It would have been a disaster if you had lost; but, since you won, its actually a great fortune. Word of your duel has already spread far and wide. Everyone has heard of Jack Rust, the young disciple of Elder Huali who publicly defeated and even killed a disciple of Elder Monsoon forty levels above himself.

    Oh, good. I was worried my actions would have somehow embarrassed our master.

    Nonsense. We arent made of porcin; were cultivators. We fight and die as needed. Shol leaned back into his chair, weaving his fingers together before his chest with a content smile. No, Jack; that victory of yours helped our master greatly. One of Monsoons greatest advantages is that his disciples are stronger than our masters; which isnt exactly true, but its difficult to contest when his head disciple is stronger than me. Thanks to you, we have now reminded the inner that each elder has more disciples than just the head ones, and that Monsoons head disciple superiority doesnt necessarily carry over. If anything, we are better; defeating an elite forty levels your senior is a great achievement.

    Is ElderIs elder Monsoons head disciple really that strong? Jack asked directly. I heard you couldnt leave the estate to avoid him challenging you, but

    Shols gaze darkened. Yes, he is strong. His name is Qian Monsoon, a direct descendant of Elderelder Monsoon. While we are both at the peak of the D-Grade, his strength is significantly greater than mineif we fought ten times, he would win nine of them.

    Ouch. Thats a lot. But people already know hes the strongest D-Grade of the faction, right? If you fight him and lose, its no big deal. If you win, it changes everything.

    It doesnt work like that. If the head disciples of the two elders dueled publicly, it would be perceived as the deciding duel for the Grand Elder position. If I lost, people would understand that Huali lost to Monsoon. That cannot be allowed.

    I see Jack sipped from his mug, finding this tea much to his liking. He had been more of a coffee person on Earth, but when meditation became a core part of his life, he found the calmness of tea much more helpful than coffees energy boost.

    Your victory over Dan Bolon, while unexpected, was an important event in the battle between the two elders, Shol said, his eyes somewhat conflicted. However, for that reason, I have to ask you not to leave the estate for a while. I hope you understand. Your situation now is simr to mine; your standing is connected to our masters.

    Jack frowned. How is that simr? If they send anyone near my level, I will defeat them. If they send ate or peak D-Grade, sure, Ill lose, but nobody will ept it as a fair battle.

    And yet, thats exactly what theyre going to do. They will send theirte D-Grades to bully you, and so what if its not a fair battle? Ourte D-Grades will not be able to protect you, because if they try, the disciples of Monsoon will just escte the situation until I need to duel Qian.

    Jacks frown insisted. However, a few moments of thoughtter, it slowly eased. I see, he replied. Fine. Ill stay inside the estate for now. However, I had been nning to leave the faction in a few weeks to adventure in the Animal Kingdom. If you need me to not do that, Im afraid it will be difficult.

    Shol considered it for a moment. Ideally, you shouldnt But I will not constrain you too much. I understand your need to get stronger quickly, and indeed, adventuring is what you should do. All I ask is that you be careful.

    Of course.

    Good. Shol smiled, but it didnt reach his lips. I have another matter to discuss with you, actually.

    Go ahead, brother.

    Remember how you asked me to find out what happened to the Trampling Ram? The starship that helped you escape the Animal Kingdom?

    Jack nodded. He put down his cup and listened attentively. The crew of the Trampling Ram had helped him tremendously, and he had implicated them in his own troubles; he really hoped they were okay.

    Unfortunately, the news I got isare not too good. When the Trampling Ram was attacked near Earth-321, the three Hounds teamed up with the dryad immortal of that to defeat them. The Trampling Ram itself managed to warp away with most of its crew, but the captain was captured. Soon after, he was transported to Hell, where he will remain imprisoned in perpetuity.

    Jacks heart clenched. The captain aside, he remembered what a sorry state they were in when the Hounds attacked. They had just gotten away from a space monster horde; Vashter was heavily injured, and the rest werent exactly healthy, either. They had been going to Earth-321 to seek medical aid. If they were forced to warp away like that

    Jack shook his head to clear it. He put his thoughts in order. You said the captain was taken to Hell, he said. What is that?

    One of the cores of the Animal Kingdom. Its where they keep their most dangerous criminals. At the same time, it serves a function simr to our innerits where their most talented D-Grades go to cultivate. I have heard that prisoners are often ughtered by the inner disciples to give them levels, or they are used as sparring partners against their will. Oftentimes, they are partially crippled and released into the wild, where disciples hunt and kill them as part of their training.

    Jacks gaze darkened dangerously. Cant the Animal Kingdom be decent even once?

    They dont want to. They chase after power at all costs and care about little else.

    Those fuckers.

    Jack was livid. He was stewing in his seat, barely containing his aura from leaking out. Captain Dordok was going to be hunted for sport, and it was his fault.

    Is there a way to save someone from Hell? he asked.

    The only way is to make a deal with the Animal Kingdombut I guess thats impossible for you. And even more for us, since were enemies. Shol shook his head. Im sorry, Jack.

    Jack held his breath for a few moments. Then, he drew the air in deep and let it wash his brain clean. It didnt rid him of the sadness or guilt, but it did let him think clearly again.

    <em>Just one more reason to get stronger, </em>he thought grimly. What about the rest of the crew? he asked. After they warped away, did you have any more news of them?

    None. Shol shook his head. They could be dead or in hiding. Theyre wanted criminals now. Even the ambassador of Fair Way continent who was on the ship is wanted for treason, and his entire court and family was wiped from Fair Way to set an example.

    When you say wiped, do you mean

    Yes.

    Jacks heart clenched further. Vlossana and her father were good people. He still remembered her Dao of Joy, how she always jumped from subject to subject, full of energy and wit.

    Now, her entire family had been ughtered just like that. All because the Animal Kingdom wanted to set an example.

    And because Jack had drawn them into his conflict.

    I need some time, he said, standing up abruptly. His cup was still half-full. Thank you for the hospitality and information, brother Shol, but I have a lot in my head. I will return another day to chat more pleasantly.

    Of course. Its no problem at all, Shol replied quickly, gazing at Jack with warmth. Try not to take it too hard, he advised. On the path of cultivation, these things aremon. People are roped into each others conflicts all the time.

    Thank you, Jack replied politely, but he didnt agree. Yes, being strong made the world revolve around you, but it wasnt the case this time. He had just lied to some people to save his own life, which resulted in those people suffering greatly. The Animal Kingdom was certainly in the wrong, especially considering the Fair Way situation, but so was he.

    When he left the cabin and flew home, his head remained muddled. He was grieving. Only when hended in his courtyard did he regain himself enough to consider the situation.

    Cultivation gave the mind rity. In addition, Jack followed the Dao of the Fist. He wouldnt let himself be overtaken by grief or guilt.

    He had fucked up. But it happened. Losing himself wouldnt help. All he could do now was work hard to fix his wrongdoings as much as possible; he would do his best to save Captain Dordok, if possible, and he would try to locate and help the remaining crew of the Trampling Ram, along with Vlossana and Count Plomer. If they were dead, he would take revenge.

    It wasnt enough, but it was the best he could do. That, and trying his best to never fuck up like that again.

    Jack made his way directly to his cultivation cer and sat cross-legged. He had nned to take the entire day off, and it was still afternoon. Plus, the Dao Ma had still not reached its peak concentration, so cultivating now would be inefficient.

    But those mattered little. Jack could not afford to take it easy; if not for his people on Earth, then for the crew of the Trampling Ram. The ones hed let down, and whom he still didnt have the strength topensate.

    <em>I need to be stronger, </em>he realized. The fire inside him was reignited. He thirsted to advance.

    Reaching into his robes, Jack removed the dark crystal ball hed taken from the library, the one that contained a Dao Vision. He sank his mind inside it, dove deep into its pitch-ck essenceand suddenly, he was in space.

 Chapter 251: Dao Vision of Space

    Chapter 251: Dao Vision of Space

    Jack floated in space. He was an incorporeal ghost, a figment of imagination that may or may not be real.

    Endless darkness surrounded him on all sides. Stars shimmered in the distance, so far away that even an immortals lifetime wouldnt be enough to approach them. The silence was almost deafening.

    In this endless void, one figure stood alone. It was a woman with eyes the color of sunset and dark robes that floated soulessly in the absence of air. Her skin was pale, her features slim, and her long hair as dark as her robes as it fell over them.

    Her gaze, however, was intense.

    Jack inspected her.

    <strong>Vampire, Level ??? (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Dead Lands (A-Grade)</strong>

    It was the first time he read about an A-Grade faction, but that wasnt the most shocking part.

    All three of Jacks Dao Visions so far had contained C-Grades. The bald man whod easily annihted a skyscraper-sized monster with a single punch, the bare-chested man whod faced an entire city of cultivators, and now this woman.

    However, there was something different about this one.

    Maybe it was because Jack had begun to approach this level of power, or maybe her level was just higher than the others. Whatever the case, as heid eyes on her, he felt a power of such volume it was iparable to the two C-Grade men in the other visions. Her mere presence enriched the surrounding Dao. The world was bowing before her might, spontaneously manifesting Daos morepatible to hers in the emptiness of space.

    Or, rather, it was exactly this emptiness that radiated in waves from the woman, coloring the world around her like the golden touch of Midas.

    Facing her, Jack felt like he was back at the Integration Tournament, where he received theary overseers pressure as a mere F-Grade. She was a creature far above and beyond anything hed ever experienced beforea God.

    The only possible exception was Elder Huali, who had never let her aura show in front of Jack. Old Man Spirit, too. Though Jack had seen him struck down by the heavenly tribtion, that was hardly a normal urrence. His power remained an enigma.

    Suddenly, the woman moved. She reached out towards the void with both hands. An expression of deep concentration was stered on her face.

    Jack instantly erased all other thoughts and watched with rapt attention.

    The womans hands moved slowly, yet steadily. Like she was confirming her progress with every inch forward. At some point, she closed her fingers around nothing and twisted.

    The world danced around Jack. Instantly, he was lost. The woman was simultaneously right in front of him and far away; he could see her from different angles, like he had eyes everywhere. Even he, himself, was warped, his limbs stretching and contorting without him feeling anything wrong.

    He remained uninjured, but he couldnt tell if that was part of the womans magic or a result of being an ethereal body in a Dao Vision.

    However, he knew what she was doing; he could sense it clearly, a calling that emerged from the depths of his soul.

    She was manipting space.

    Jack had a relevant Dao Skill, Space Walk, but he didnt understand how it worked. He knew nothing about space. It was the System that guided him to use it. Jack simply willed it to happen, and then he suddenly broke through space to teleport up to a mile away.

    This womans maniption was far more borate. If space was y, all Jack could do was punch it, while this woman shaped it freely into anything she wished.

    He struggled to maintain his concentration while his body was warped beyond his control. The woman remained deeply focused. She moved her hands as if molding y, making tiny movements that somehow destabilized the entire area. The rise of a finger could make her invisible, shrink her, or erge her. It could turn Jack into spaghetti or a donut.

    Jack kept his Dao perception activated for as long as he could, but it was flooded. He was assaulted by tremendous waves of Dao. Not because the woman emanated anything, but because her every tiny movement created tsunamis in the ambient Dao, like it was such a delicate force that it responded to her prods with great exaggeration.

    When Jack used the ambient Dao, it was like pushing an oar through sand. Every inch was an achievement. When this woman did it, her control was so precise that a gentle flick could upturn entire sand dunes, achieving the same results as Jack with a hundred times less effort. The Dao was bending over backward to amodate her.

    Due to all these Dao waves, as well as the rampant space maniption all around him, Jack could understand very little. His Dao perception was overwhelmed and useless. He was lost underwater without a sense of direction. His only source of information was the curvature of light, which he could glimpse through the changes he witnessed in the womans form. Light always traveled in a straight line through spaceso, if he saw it curved, that was because space itself was curved.

    However, Jack had a feeling that, despite everything around him being warped, the woman herself was not. Through the multiple angles she showed him, he never saw her body change shape. She rested in an oasis of calmness amidst a storm that extended who knows how far.

    Jack dared to look backward. All the stars were dancing as space rippled like a pond. His Dao perception was locked around himself, so he had no way of knowing how far the womans influence stretched, but something told him it was arge,rge area.

    Nauja had once called C-Grades Continent Crushers. Jack had never really believed that. Only now, sensing the power of what was undoubtedly a top C-Grade, did he reallyprehend how long the road of cultivation was. And he was blown away by awe.

    A gentle sigh echoed through the dancing darkness. Still not enough.

    Suddenly, space was drawn back to its natural form like a spring uncoiling. Jack was warped in reverse so hard he lost his train of thought. He caught a glimpse of the womans dark brows creased into a frown. She was staring right at himor, rather, through him. It didnt feel like she could really see him, but more like she was inspecting something upying the same space as him.

    Jack felt her attention mp down around him like a steel vise. He lost his breath.

    The womans eyes shone like shed figured something out, and her frown deepened. My Dao belongs to me, she dered, her voice a divine decree. Begone.

    She waved a hand. Jack felt space copse around him. For the first time, he was afraid for himself in a Dao Vision. He felt himself shatter.

    In the next moment, he was alone in his cultivation chamber, sweating buckets, his heart racing. What the hell? was all he managed to say. Nevermind that womans extreme control over space and the Daohow had she noticed him? He was in a Dao Vision. What the hell?

    He didnt even know that was possible.

    <em>Then again, what is a Dao Vision? </em>he wondered.

    It wasnt fake images. Shol had confirmed that the bald man in his first Dao Vision was one of the Exploding Suns founders. Then, could the System be watching and recording interesting applications of the Dao to hand outter as Dao Visions? Was it watching him, too? Would someone see a Dao Vision of Jack Rust in the future?

    And, if it was recording him, what else was it doing with those recordings? What else could it do? Could it steal his Dao?

    The ramifications of the womans final words rained down on Jack. He felt vulnerable. Was the System watching his every move, recording him, and using those recordings for its own benefit? Was he just a mouse in its cage?

    <em>No, </em>he quickly calmed himself, thinking back to what he already knew. <em>It cant be watching everything. When we were in the Ancient ruins, the System didnt know about it until we scanned something. It didnt see me in the Ancient Trial. When Iter used the Life Drop to fight that chameleon, or against Old Man Spirit, the System couldnt have seen me, because if it had, it would have set out a bounty for me like it did for the ruins.</em>

    <em>So, its not watching at all times. But it </em>can <em>watch. The space woman showed me that. Come to think of it, she caught the System watching, so there has to be some kind of hint. Like a Dao cameraor something. Maybe its monitoring high-level cultivators when it thinks theyre about to showcase something interesting?</em>

    <em>Then, it looks like Im not that strong yetor, at least, I wasnt while in the E-Grade. Now How could I know?</em>

    Jack spread out his Dao perception, scanning every cubic inch of air with his full awareness, but found nothing.

    <em>It cant be watching all the time, </em>he finally decided. <em>But maybe, when Im about to showcase my powers, it willso I have to be careful with the Life Drop. Even when there is no one around, I cannot use it. Not unless I absolutely need to.</em>

    Jack finally raised his gaze. He remembered the words of Naujas father, the tribe chief: Dont trust the System.

    He must have known.

    This thought then led him to the ck Hole Church. They were against the System. Against the Immortals, who created it. What more did they know? How did they stay outside the Systems surveince?

    And, in the end, what should he reply to their standing offer? The Sage had invited Jack to join them. Should he?

    The more he learned about the System, the more he leaned towards yesbut he still knew very little. Could he discover more without aligning himself with a major force?

    Then again, hed already done that. He was a member of the Exploding Sun.

    <em>I have to ask Shol about the System and all these things, </em>Jack resolved himself. The thought of anyone being able to watch and record him without his permissioneven his Daowas more unnerving than hed like to admit. <em>I suppose it is a fair trade for what the System offers mebut I must know the truth.</em>

    <em>First, however,es training. If I am to somehow escape the Systems surveince, I will need the ability to use my full strength without it. Specifically, my Dao Skills. I should rely on the System as little as possible. I know its doable.</em>

    Between cultivating, sparring, and meditating to expand his Dao, Jack had almost forgotten about this part. Hed actually discovered it back on Trialthe System helped him with his Skills and Dao Skills, making them far easier to use than they were supposed to be. In return, his mastery over these skills became iplete.

    The System elerated his growth greatly to a point, with the price being that he cut corners.

    The way Jack had found tobat this was to use his skills inside his soul world. The System didnt have essit was simply him, Copy Jack, and the Dao. Practicing there would teach him how to use his skills by himself, without the Systems assistance. He could slowly cut out the middle-man. It would also raise his mastery over his Dao Skills, and, by extension, their tier and power.

    And the first one he would work on was Space Walk. It was a skill granted to him directly by his ss, but he didnt have the first idea of how it worked. Thankfully, he now had a Dao Vision that could teach him about spacethe first step to mastering his skill.

    And who knows what other benefits it would bring him.

    Therefore, Jack closed his eyes again, focused on the dark crystal sphere, and re-entered the Dao Vision. Space was an extremely useful Dao. He needed to understand it. And he would explore this vision until he did.

 Chapter 252: Solving the Vision

    Chapter 252: Solving the Vision

    The Dao of Space was slippery and abstract. It was obtuse, mystical, andplex. Far more difficult toprehend than the simpler Daos of the Fist, of Indomitable Will, of Power, or of Weakness.

    Those were concepts based on emotions. They had equivalents in everyday life, making them easy to rte to.

    But how could one understand space?

    Jack dove into the concept with zeal. He relived the Dao Vision time and time again, until the vampire womans face became familiar and her moves predictable. He could rey everything with his eyes closed, if he wanted to. Thanks to his enhanced mind, he could remember every fluctuation of space, every glimmer of lighting from odd directions. Or, at least, he could try.

    Jack was, first and foremost, a scientist. A researcher.

    He went at the Dao Vision with a sledgehammer. He divided it into several parts, focusing on each of them separately before proceeding to the whole. First, he looked carefully at the womans hand gestures, memorizing the precise movement of her every slender finger. When he tried out those movements himselfnothing happened.

    But he wasnt discouraged. This was just the start.

    He then attempted to memorize the patterns of light and his own body warping. These were the only hints he could use to decipher the spatial maniption enforced by the vampire woman.

    Finally, he spent dozens, maybe even hundreds of iterations of the Dao Vision focused solely on his Dao perception. This was the most difficult part. The warping of spacepletely ruined his spatial awareness, meaning that his Dao perception became inurate. He attempted to sense how the woman manipted the Dao around her, but the curvature of space distracted him, making him unable to understand what went where. It was like observing the movement of her Dao through a hundred small screens arranged in a ten-by-ten grid, except that each screen wasnt steady, but constantly flew around randomly.

    Naturally, precisely observing her Dao like this was impossible.

    But that wasnt enough to stop Jack. He was a fist. When a problem seemed unsolvable, he just brute-forced it.

    If a dozen iterations werent enough, he would try a hundred. If a hundred werent enough, he would try a thousand!

    Time lost its meaning as Jack entered a trance. He reyed the Dao Vision over and over until being lost in space was second nature, until the real world, with its smooth and orderly curvature of space, seemed jarring. Every time he opened his eyes, he half-expected the walls to start dancing.

    <em>Maybe its my imaginationbut how fragile does space seem. This stability could be broken at any minute. It is smoke and mirrorsmerely an illusion.</em>

    Closing his eyes, he dived into the vision again.

    The System was unhelpful during this cultivation session. Space was not a part of his Dao Tree, so the System saw no reason to assist him. Jack was alone against a task of impossibleplexity. All he had was his System-enhanced mind.

    However, he also had the gift of hard work.

    As impossible as this task was, he set to it with fierce resolve. Iteration after iteration, he beganbegun to memorize every small movement of space. The hundred angles through which he observed the woman slowly came to fit into his mind. He observed how each of them changed and swam throughout the Dao Vision, forming a tapestry of viewpoints that waspletely random and extremelyplex, but always the same.

    Thousands of iterationster, his brain was so trained to these patterns that it began to adapt. It was simr to how, if you watched the world upside-down for a while, your eyes would adjust and you would be able to see normally. To enhance this process, Jack did not open his eyes when exiting the Dao Visionhe simply dived into it again, over and over until it became his entire world.

    His brain gradually adapted. It no longer expected to see a stable world. It expected a world that was dancing and turning and warping in the precise way that the Dao Vision did. It learned to automatically slot in the right viewpoint in the right section of Jacks vision, forming aplete image yet again.

    Or, at least, asplete as it could be. Even a System-enhanced human brain had limits. Jack now looked through the swimming space and saw an image of the woman that was blurry, fuzzy, hazy, but almost made sense.

    It wasnt optimal, but it was enough.

    Only now could he truly begin toprehend the movements of her Dao.

    His Dao perception had adapted in the same way his eyes did. Diving into the vision over and over, he now focused on the world around the womans hands, observing it as clearly as he could through his sliding kaleidoscope. Multicolored particles of the Dao floated everywhere, dominated by what felt empty but was actually not.

    Jack realized that space itself was made of Dao.

    The countless tiny particles thatprised existence were not everything. There were more of them; he just couldnt see them before, as they were colorless and formless, a part of the world so natural that it served as the background.

    Only when the woman grabbed those particles and wielded them did Jackprehend their existence. Immediately, it was like his eyes had been opened for the first timehe perceived something in emptiness, a force he always missed before. Now, it seemed so obvious. He felt like a deep sea fish that discovered the existence of water.

    Finally, Jack realized the importance of this Dao Vision, and he felt eternally grateful. If he didnt see the woman manipting space so clearly, it wouldnt matter if people sat him down and exined exactly how it worked. How many years, how many decades would it have taken him toprehend this concept otherwise?

    How valuable was the Dao Vision hed so casually received?

    <em>B-Grade factions really have resources </em>he thought, still shocked at the weight of this insight, but he focused on the woman again. This was no time to daydream. It was time to learn.

    He observed her movements as clearly as he could, iteration after iteration. At first, he understood nothing. He saw space bending oddly, saw it following the movements of her fingers and spreading like a wave, but he had no idea how shed achieved that.

    Eventually, however, his vision sharpened further, and he began to see.

    When she waved her hands, that was only a symbolic movement. It probably just helped her focus. The real driving force was the Dao particles she controlled at an extremely fine level.

    To Jack, the Dao was like water. It was formed of many tiny droplets, but when he wielded it, he moved those droplets in the millions. When this woman focused, she could control a single line of droplets, a force so thin Jack more imagined than perceived it. She drove that line between the folds of space, slicing it open as one would a curtain, then easily moving the piece of cut-off curtain as she pleased.

    Of course, her application was more advanced than this. She wielded these ultra-thin lines of particles freely, slicing space open in various ces and then dancing around with the loose fabric, twirling and twisting it to her will.

    Jack now pictured space as a giant curtain, of which he could only see a tiny part in the middle. There was no end to pull it from, and the entire curtain was too heavy to move. If he had a razor, however, if he could slice it open, he could then manipte a part of the curtain.

    He could bend space to his will.

    If he could achieve that, he could do whatever he liked. Teleportation? All he had to do was slice the curtain open and move through its folds. He would no longer be constrained by the distance. It was just a manifestation of space. He could simply ignore it and appear wherever he wanted.

    This concept was hard to grasp, actually. Jack felt like he was squeezing his mind into a hole where it wasnt supposed to fit. It was jarring and disorienting. The only reason he could even touch upon this concept was that he saw the woman tearing the curtain open, and the implications registered in an area of his brain he wasnt sure he understood.

    On one side of the curtain, the one everyone stood on, distance was a thing. But there was no floor under the curtain. It was draped over a sphere of zero radius and infinite surface. On the inside, all points in space coincided, effectively allowing him to reach anywhere he wanted instantlywith the added bonus that he didnt pass through all the space in-between.

    Of course, that had to be extremely taxing. Jack didnt quite get why, but he knew that was obviously the case or everyone would teleport everywhere all the time.

    However, he finally felt that he understood a bit of how space worked. Well, understood was an overstatementhe had an inkling of an inkling, the barest idea of how things worked and how he could alter them to his liking.

    But, maybe, it would be enough.

    He kept watching the woman manipting space, letting several iterations of the vision flow by, gradually growing more and more familiar with the way her every movement affected the world. He watched her Dao razors sink into the tiny gaps between the infinitely clustered particles of space, slice them open, then use the t part of the de to push the fabric of space in a direction of her choosing.

    Though Jack had focused on the concept of teleportation, which interested him most due to Space Walk, this woman was purely manipting space, moving it from side to side and wrapping it around itself. She had no goal that Jack could discernmerely practicing.

    He was so engrossed in understanding that he almost didnt notice when he hit a wall. Suddenly, delving any deeper into the womans secrets was impossible, like the Dao he perceived through the curtain was slightly blurredand not byck of ability.

    <em>Tsk. That was it, huh?</em>

    Dao Visions, as hede to understand, contained a single insight, eitherrge or small. Everything else was somehow blurred out so he couldnt get it. This was the reason why he had never revisited the Dao Vision of the bald man from so long ago; besides the basic essence of the Dao of the Fist, he could gleangleam nothing of importance.

    <em>Fair, I guess. Cant look a gift horse in the mouth.</em>

    He nced towards the woman, who was manipting space in front of him for the umpteenth time. He let her; for the first time in who knows how long, he did not focus on perceiving, but simply enjoying what was happening. It was like the first time, except he understood a tiny bit more.

    Still not enough, the woman said with a sigh, then noticed the System spying on her. This is my Dao, she dered. Begone.

    Jack felt himself copse and shatter, and he was back in the real world. He opened his eyes, finding the task more difficult than he remembered.

    Instantly, he fell to the floor. His brain tried to perceive the real world through the space dance enforced by the woman. Everything swam and nothing made sense. Jack couldnt even stand.

    Ohh, he groaned. He used his Dao to stop himself from puking, then simply waited, enduring the nausea until the world stabilized again. His brain finally realized they were back to normalthough the process felt like hours.

    Oh, man. What a ride. Jack sat up, noticing that his entire body was stiff. How long did that take?

    Surely, not too long. It was a single meditation session.

    Come to think of it, hadnt he seen several thousand iterations of the Dao Vision? If each of them took a couple of minutes, then

    Jack paled. Shit.

    Then again, it wasnt like he had anything to do. So what if hed spent several days meditating? He was an immortal now. He could do whatever he wanted.

    Somehow, his mind felt fresh, not at all exhausted like he expected.

    He itched to go out and make sure everything was alright, but there was something he wanted to do even more: practice the Dao of Space.

    Reaching inside himself, he retrieved an amount of the Dao of the Fist as small as he could make it. It still contained thousands of purple particles, clustered together like the stitches of a carpet. Tenderly, he reached inside it and tried to minimize the amount of Dao, removing the particles by batches.

    Some timeter, he was down to around a few hundred, and he discovered that going any lower was impossible. It was like trying to untie a knot with extra thick fingers.

    He formed that Dao into a line as thin as he could make it and tried to wedge it between space itself.

    He sensed it bump against something. The slit was there, just a bit thinner than what he could manage. He kept trying for a bit, not managing to slice space open even in the slightest.

    But it was progress. Hede somewhat close. That gave him hope. And, since he still felt fresh

    He knew a ce where the Dao was more epting of him than in the real world: his soul world.

 Chapter 253: Slicing Space

    Chapter 253: Slicing Space

    Jack sank into his soul world.

    The scenery here had changed since he reached the D-Grade. This used to be a field under a blue sky, stretching as far as the eye could see and with a light breeze constantly caressing the grass. Jack found it soothing.

    Now, the field, grass, and breeze remained, but there was no sky. He could see straight into space, a ck dome interspersed with a thousand tiny stars. Their light was ample, however, and their illumination gentle. Instead of making the grass field hard to see, it only made things clearer, showering the world in a warm light that highlighted the details and made the terrain seem almost romantic.

    There were four moons, too; one silver, one dark blue, one green, and one ck. They were small and discreet, though noticeablyrger than stars, with their multicolored lighting not ruining the view in the slightest.

    Copy Jacky on a hammock between two trees; the only two trees in this expanse. Jack had no idea how Copy Jack knew what a hammock was, or how hed learned to grow trees.

    The moment he saw the real Jack appearing, Copy Jack wavedzily from his hammock.

    Hey, Jack told him with a smirk. Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep. Im just here to try out some things. You dont mind, do you?

    Copy Jack waved for him to go ahead, then lied back down and closed his eyes.

    Jack had a moment of realization. Rxing on afy hammock under the starry sky, swayed gently by the cool breeze That must have felt nice. Torturously nice. If only he didnt have a to save. If only he wasnt pushing himself every waking hour.

    A pang of yearning crossed Jacks heart, but he suppressed it. Maybe after everything was over.

    Turning away from Copy Jack, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. His Dao perception spread as a wave, taking in everything in the near vicinity.

    This wasnt the real world. It was a terrain inside Jacks soul. The ambient Dao wasnt made up of every concept, but simply of the Dao of the Fist. No matter how far Jack spread his perception, all he saw was purple particles swimming in the air, sparser than in the real world andcking the innate stability which came with variety.

    Here, manipting the Dao was very easy, because all he had to do was manipte the thing he knew best: the Fist.

    Jack inhaled deeply, then exhaled. The infinite particles followed his movement, swirling like purple wind. He did not start experimenting yet; he only pushed his perception deeper, trying to observe the surrounding space as clearly as possible.

    A question had been born in his mind: If everything here was made of Fist, how did space exist?

    In the Dao Vision, hed seen clearly that space existed due to the Dao of Space, which in turnprised of infinite colorless particles bound together. But that was clearly not the case here, as there were no other particles besides his purple ones.

    Let alone space; how did even air exist? How was there grass and stars and light?

    Jack was surprised that hed never considered this before. He observed his surroundings, looking for the source of this wondrous enigma, and found it quickly.

    They were all made of Fist.

    He saw particles of Fist swirl around like wind and rooted in ce like the earth. He saw them clustering in bright packsthe starsand even connecting to form lifethe trees between which hung Copy Jacks hammock. Surprisingly, even Copy Jack was made of the Dao of Fist, though his structure was far moreplicated.

    Even Jack himselfcked any other Dao inside his current body, besides the Fist and his Dao Roots.

    Be it this world or the real one, everything was a manifestation of the ever-present Dao. However, Jack now understood that a manifestation wasnt determined solely by the nature of its Dao; the structure of that Dao also yed a part, as did the way with which it pulsed.

    Of course, in the end, Fist could hardly be grass.

    This entire world was an illusion; the Dao of the Fist masquerading as everything else, guided by naturalws that Jack didnt even dream of grasping. It was just another of the souls mysterious innate propertieslike the fact that it was invible, even to the System. Or maybe it was a result of the Dao Soul hed once ingested.

    Jack put these wondrous questions aside and focused on the task at hand. He scoured the air until he pushed everything else away, revealing the pure backgroundspace.

    He found endless purple particles bound together, forming a space-like fabric that served as the foil of this entire world. It embodied concepts Jack couldnt grasp yet and gave meaning to distance. Otherwise, his entire soul world would be a single point, which wouldnt be very conduciveconductive to training.

    That space here was a manifestation of the Fist had both positive and negative effects. On one hand, manipting it was easier; on the other, the insights that Jack could gleangleam here wouldnt be perfect. At the end of the day, this was just the Fist masquerading as space. There were bound to be differences between a copy and the real thing.

    But, for now, he thought it would suffice. His level of understanding was so elemental that any differences would probably note into y.

    Copy Jack had left his hammock, at some point. He was now squatting on the ground next to Jack, gazing at him with curiosity. Jack kept his eyes closed. He ignored Copy Jack, letting him watch freely, then pushed away the world as he entered deep meditation.

    A line of Dao particles emerged from his chest. It was several particles wide, not as thin as it should be, but much better than it had been in the real world. He carefully guided it to sink deeper into space, touching upon its many particles, which were more thinly clustered here than real space.

    Without realizing it, Jack pushed his hands outward, moving them in the same gestures hed memorized from the vampire woman.

    His line of particles formed into a razor de, which slowly sank into the gap of space. He felt when it happened; it was a unique sensation, like he was feeling the inside of his mouth for the first time. Like he was touching something he had no business touching.

    But wasnt that the point of cultivation?

    Jack ignored the sensation of wrongness and slowly slid his de backward, along the gap, tearing it open. He suddenly realized that he had no idea if the backside of space existed here; what if he was just cutting his own soul open, effectively suiciding?

    Thankfully, that wasnt the case. Sliding his perception through the gap while still holding the de in ce, Jack felt the same counter-intuitiveck of distance. He grabbed a few particles, as few as he could grasp, and pushed them into the gap, attempting to teleport them.

    For the first time, Jack experienced the workings of teleportation.

    It wasnt easy. Changing the world in any way, including altering your location, always required energy. The concept of distance made that intuitiveif you wanted to change locations, you had to expend energy to physically move from one point to another. Simple and easy.

    But now Jack was a big boy cultivator, and he had to work with the real world, not the user interface.

    Teleportation simrly required energy, but without the medium of distance. Instead, Jack experienced this demand for energy as an innate resistance on the other side of the fabric. Every possible point in space was just a thought away regardless of distance, but the naturalws demanded he pay a price in energy to move, and that energy was exponentially greater than the energy he would have to use to move there physically, over the fabric of space.

    In essence, teleportation saved time at the expense of energy. Finally, Jack realized why Space Walk was so exhausting; moving a mile like this was like moving a thousand miles the normal way.

    He pushed the ball of particles into space and teleported it ten feet to the side. The resistance he faced was minimal, as appropriate for such a tiny task.

    To his surprise, he seeded! Hed discovered teleportation!

    His eyes snapped open with a full grin on his face, meeting Copy Jacks equally joyful expression.

    Do you even know why were happy? he asked, but the copy justughed. Jack shook his head. Fine. Watch me, Copy Jack. Im about to teleport!

    Copy Jack kept his eyes on Jack, slightly narrowed, watching as hed been instructed. Jack stood up and prepared himself. He visualized his Dao razor again, sinking it into space and slowly dragging it around himself, cutting out his three-dimensional outline. Suddenly, he existed within a loose part of the fabric, only separated from the spaceless void by a thought.

    His razor sank slightly deeper into the fabric, then pushed out its end. It was made of Dao. Jack used his will to grab and move it, revealing an invisible opening into the void, which he quickly stepped into. He pictured himself arriving a mile in the distance, like Space Walk did.

    He appeared only a hundred feet away, wheezing and gasping for energy. He was exhausted. Out of breath. Starving. It felt like every ounce of energy not necessary for his survival had been sucked out of him.

    Thankfully, the green moon shone brightly above, and a little bit of energy re-entered his body.

    Fuck me, he muttered, still panting heavily. Its so difficult.

    The energy expenditure didnt just scale with distance, but also with the cultivators proficiency. A master of space could cross the same distance as Jack with only a fraction of the energy. As proof of that, the System could teleport him one mile away for only around a fourth of his total stamina.

    Jack himself moved a hundred feet at the cost of every scrap of energy he possessed.

    Plus, the entire process had taken him around ten minutes. The System could do it for him instantly.

    It really was a very useful tool.

    But it remained a tool. The more aware Jack was of the process, the less he needed the System.

    <strong>Congrattions! Space Walk I  Space Walk II</strong>

    <strong>Space Walk II: Space is a constraint you have learned to escape. By spending arge amount of energy, take a step through the fabric of space to reappear anywhere within a</strong><strong><em> three-mile</em></strong><strong> radius.</strong>

    Hell yeah! Jack shouted, pumping his fist. The description had remained the same, but the one-mile limitation had been increased to three miles.

    On second thought, Jack remembered that, from his experience, the energy requirement of Space Walk didnt change much depending on the distance traveled. Even if he teleported just a few feet, he always spent the energy needed to teleport three miles away. In other words, this upgrade hadnt made the skill easier to use, just increased its range.

    Well, whatever, he said with a smile. I earned much more than just a skill upgradeI now understand the basics of the Dao of Space! Maybe the energy adjustment wille at ater tierand, in any case, I will not even need the skill once I grow proficient enough. I will be able to teleport without the Systems assistance, simply by manipting space. Isnt that awesome, Copy Ja

    He paused mid-sentence, noticing that Copy Jacks eyes were closed. He had an expression of utter concentration on his face as his hands reached out, moving in simr patterns to the vampire womanssomething hed copied from Jack himself.

    Hey, are you trying to teleport? Jack asked him from a hundred feet away. I apud the effort, but its

    With a pop, Copy Jack stepped into space, disappeared, and reappeared wheezing ten feet behind Jack. Hed traveled a hundred and ten feet.

    Jack blinked. Fuck you.

    Copy Jack raised a hand to ask for space, thenughed as energy returned to him.

    No fair! Jackined. I spent who knows how long to learn that. Just because youre Fist and space here is Fist, and you benefit from the insights inside my soul, that doesnt make you smarter than me!

    Copy Jack just keptughing and tapping his temple.

    Jack rolled his eyes, but he wasnt really mad. He liked Copy Jack; it was part of his soul. If he could easily teleport inside the soul world, that could only benefit Jacksomehow.

    Anyway, Jack said, I got to go now. I think Ive spent too long meditating this time, and people will be looking for me. Plus, I could use some rest.

    His piled-up exhaustion was finally showing, and it was so intense it made him dizzy. Hed been meditating non-stop fordays? Weeks?

    See you, Copy Jack, he said. The copy waved, and Jack reappeared in the real world, where he promptly fell asleep on his cer floor, snoring soundly.

 Chapter 254: The New Bro Squad

    Chapter 254: The New Bro Squad

    Gan Salin ducked under an arrow, letting it whistle over his head until it smashed into a tree far behind. He coiled himself and sprang forward, his momentum carrying him over a fallen branch and into a roll, dodging a second arrow. The third found him in the shin, ricocheting off his ogre-leather armor and pushing him back.

    Ouch! he eximed. Take this! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!

    He split into three clones and attacked.

    He didnt really split into three. He just imagined he didand, thanks to his Dao Seed of Insanity, so did Nauja.

    Arrows of wind were loosed from her bow. The string twang continuously. Her arms blurred. Each of Salins clones was darting to the left and right, bobbing, weaving, and generally doing their best to dodge. They hid behind trees and bushes, crawled on the ground, climbed the canopy. The forest was riddled with arrows. The trees became sieves.

    The first clone fell on Nauja from above while another sprang at her from below. She jumped backward, letting the air carry her as she let loose two arrows, piercing the clones and making them dissipate into thin air.

    But this sess came with a cost. A third clone jumped on her from behindthe real one, ready to dig his open fingers into her back. Five Star Grasp! he shouted triumphantly.

    Suddenly, his face fell. A tremendous gust of wind erupted under his feet, so strong that it couldnt possibly have been just created. It had been lying there in wait for a while.

    He flew up, spinning wildly.

    Youre predictable, Gan! Nauja shouted, turning around in mid-air and releasing another hail of arrows. Each aimed at one of his limbs, arranged in such a way that he could not dodge.

    Impossible! Im the very definition of the opposite! he cried out in protest. He tucked his head and limbs in his chest, bing a ball that dodged most of the arrows, though some grazed him.

    That was the trick with Naujas arrows. Just dodging them wasnt enough. You had to dodge them widely, or she could use her wind to redirect them mid-flight.

    One of the grazing arrows drew blood.

    Ha! Nauja shouted. I wi

    Salin finally crashed into the canopy feet-first. He pushed against it tounch himself back towards Nauja, who did not react in time, thinking she had won. But Salins wound was nowhere to be seen. The blood dissipated mid-air.

    Salin hadnt really been hit. He just thought he had. Because he was insane.

    He reached the forest floor in a blink, mid-flight swiping at the face of Nauja, who barely dodged in time. Hended in a crouch and kicked her legs from under her, then predicted the angle at which she would dodge, grabbed her throat, turned, and smashed the back of her head against the dirt. He then remained over her, panting, his w-like fingernails poised to strike.

    Naujay on the ground with a shocked expression on her face. The crowd, nine men and women, cheered.

    You cheated, she finally said, frowning.

    How can I cheat in a spar?

    You never used that skill before. You saved it for the public match.

    Oh, I must have forgotten about it. Because, you know, Im insane.

    She rolled her eyes, then threw his hand from her throat and rose on her butt. Salin, who was already standing, reached out with a smile. She smiled back as she grabbed his hand and used it to stand.

    Nice fight, she said.

    You did pretty well yourself.

    The crowd cheered again, shouting, Gan Sa-lin! Gan Sa-lin! over and over again, while he smiled and waved at them.

    For the record, Nauja said between the cheers, his score against me is one win, nine losses.

    But I got thest one! he replied, beaming. If we had been really fighting, you would be dead.

    No, because you would have already died nine times.

    Im a canine. I have ten lives.

    Thatsso wrong I cant even begin to exin it. Nauja gave up, sighing. You did win. Enjoy it while itsts; next time, youre going down.

    Im looking forward to it. He smiled again.

    The two of them werent too far apart in strength. Thanks to this forest expedition, their levels had already risen to 92 and 110 for Salin and Nauja respectively. Both had the Seventh Ring Conqueror title, but Naujas Direct Descendant title only gave her an extra 15% efficacy in stats, while Salinsbined titles ofary Frontrunner (10) andary Torchbearer (10) gave him a 20% increase total.

    As a result, Nauja remained stronger stat-wise, but Salin made up for it by having an extra Dao Root. He possessed the Dao Seed of Insanity, fused with the Dao Root of Resolve and not-yet-fused with the Dao Root of Loyalty. Nauja had the Dao Seed of Wind fused with the Dao Root of Archery, and she was actively looking for a second Dao Root to develop. She refused to be overtaken by Gan Salin!

    Fat luck, sweetheart, he told her, reading her thoughts as they left the stage. Ive been through a lot of shit. Ive goet a Dao Root more, whether you like it or not.

    Well see about that, she challenged him. This expedition is pushing me, too. Plus, if I could use my Sun Piercing Arrow, you would never win a spar.

    It would have to hit me first.

    Oh, it would.

    Naujas strongest skill, Sun Piercing Arrow, was too dangerous to use in mock battles.

    Speaking of, Im going to practice, she said. The sun wont pierce itself.

    Alright. Im going to find Brock and tell him all about my victory. See you!

    She rolled her eyes but walked away without a word. Salin, meanwhile, turned around and walked in another direction with a big grin on his face. He was in such a great mood that his posture was goofy; his torso was leaning backward, he took long steps, and had his hands sped behind his head, not to mention the wide smile on his lips.

    People nodded at him as he passed, offering him thumbs-up or handshakes.

    Good job, bro! one man said.

    You finally did it! Nice trick! a girl shouted at him.

    Thanks, guys! I couldnt have done it without you! He could have certainly done it without them, but a winner needs to be gracious!

    Tents and treehouses were at his sides as he paced through the camp area, heading for where their big bro was resting.

    Once upon a time, it had been just the three of them touring the forest in search of ogres or easier prey. But Brock wasnt ying around. He guided them deeper and deeper into the forest, challenging anything they could defeat and escaping from anything they couldnt. They were risking their lives far more than Salin and Nauja expected, but they were on-board; this was why they hade here. To be stronger.

    Of course, they werent the only ones around. The ogre territory was expansive, and many had the same idea as them, but nobody went at it with the same fervor as Brock. Nobody had a reason to risk their lives.

    When their group ran into two people chased by an ogre, they quickly helped them defeat the beast. Then, somehow, Brock exhibited great charisma and convinced the two strangers to join his group so they could go afterrger prey. A few fist-bumps and handshakester, they started calling him big bro.

    And he really was. Somehow, Brock turned out to be a brilliant team leader. He coordinated the five of them perfectly, arranging them in such a way that even a couple ogres at once was little trouble. Where their formation had deficiencies, Brock was always there to plug in the gap with his great personal strengthand he always knew the right thing to say to keep the morale sky-high.

    They delved even deeper. Their levels kept rising. In the process, they ran into and assimted two more groups, increasing their total strength to such a degree that the ogres no longer stood a chance, and Brock led them to scour the forest until they almost decimated the native ogre poption. The weakest of them had gotten over a dozen levels, and the strongest, around three or four. And that was after only two days. This speed was unprecedented.

    Plus, this wasnt how the cultivation world was supposed to work. The outer disciples were always looking for a chance to backstab each other in this forest for a few easy levels. Somehow, Brock seemed to gravitate to the perfect people, who joined them easily and were quickly bonded by brotherhood. Even Nauja, who was biased against cultivators from her barbarian days, had formed friendly rtions with the others.

    Salin was confident that, if something happened, every single member of their group would dlyy down their lives to let their bros escape.

    It was impressive, really. Much more difficult than it soundedotherwise, everyone would be doing this. It required extreme charisma, leadership, and strength.

    And all that had been achieved by a five-month-old brori.

    Sometimes, Salin suspected that Brock was a prodigy even greater than Jack. It made him feel inferiorand, even worse, his Dao of Loyalty was beginning to limate to Brocks leadership. That wasnt good. He could yield to Jack, but not to a monkey!

    <em>Oh well. If hes worth it, hes worth it.</em>

    Hey, big bro! he shouted, approaching Brock. The brori was lounging on a horizontal branch, letting three of his limbs hang down while his remaining hand held on to a banana hed gotten from god-knows-where.

    Hearing Salins approach, Brock perked up. Bro, he said in greeting.

    I just came to let you know I defeated Nauja in a spar!

    Yes?

    For sure, dude! I totally kicked her ass!

    Brock smiled proudly. He put his banana down to give Salin a thumbs-up. Good job.

    Salin felt a surge of pride at Brocks approval. <em>Man, the Bro Dao is dangerous.</em>

    What about you? Are you training? he asked, jumping to the branch and taking a seat next to Brock. Or resting for our next hunting trip?

    Training, Brock replied. No time. Big bro need me.

    Dont overwork yourself, man. Jack prefers you being alive than strong.

    Yes. But alive without strong is nothing.

    Salin took a moment to digest that. I guess youre right. He shrugged. So, any progress? A new Dao Root, perhaps?

    Brock shook his head. No. Difficult. But close.

    Of course it is difficult! Only Lords have three roots, and theyve been cultivating for years, if not decades. Two is more than plenty.

    Brock, again, disagreed. No. Two is few. Three is okay. Four is good. Big Bro perfect. I must perfect too, or I stay behind.

    There was no self-pity in these words, no worry. When Brock imed he would achieve four Dao Roots, he was simply stating a fact. Salin couldnt help but admire that.

    Which ones do you have already? he asked. I was a scion once. I know stuff. Maybe I can help.

    Bro. Very big. Then, work out. And he paused, trying to remember the word, tightness.

    Thats not even a real word, big bro. Youre just shitting with me.

    Brock winked.

    Alright, well Maybe you could meditate on hard work? Or the Dao Root of the Staff, since you use a staff? Or stone? Or something to do with goris, trees, or bananas?

    Brock shook his head. I no need help. I got this. I only say because you curious.

    Salin had indeed been curious, which was why hed askedbut how did Brock know that!?

    Man, big bro, how can you be so cool?

    Brock pointed at his heart, then gave Salin a wide monkey grin. Heart!

    The canineughed. So did the brori. Then, Brock ced a hand steadily on Salins shoulder, looked him in the eyes with a confident smile, and said, Now, go. It is time. We hunt.

    Yes, big bro! Salin replied immediately, jumping down and rushing to gather the others. He hoped everyone was well-rested. They were about to get even more levels! All of them!

    <em>And they called me mad Hihihi. Peak of the E-Grade, here wee!</em>

 Chapter 255: Elder Monsoon

    Chapter 255: Elder Monsoon

    When Jack awoke, he was lying face-first on his cer floor. The air around him thrummed with the Dao of the Fist, while the Dao Ma stood silently beside him.

    He stood slowly, grabbing his head. Ugh. He groaned. Not my best morning.

    A splitting headache was tormenting him. It felt like Brock had taken a sledgehammer and went to town on the inside of Jacks skull. Moreover, there was a persistent, piercing pain above his right eye, where it always hurt if he thought hard.

    That was the most intense meditation session Ive ever had, he realized, forcing himself to stand. I lost track of timepletely It must have been days. I wonder if there are painkillers for immortals.

    Thanks to his control over his body, as well as his high pain tolerance, this splitting headache was more an annoyance than anything else, but it remained an annoyance. He could do without it.

    Jack dusted himself off, then realized he was short of breath. Immortals didnt <em>need </em>to breathe, but they still did it. Right now, after being locked in a cer for who knows how long, Jack felt the air stuffy and heavy, his lungs struggling to process it. He floated to the trapdoor on the ceiling and pushed it open, taking a deep breath as he flew out of the cer, out of the still-open window of his kitchen, and into the sky.

    Ah He sighed in contentment. The air was so clean it felt like medicine.

    As Jack gazed at the surrounding estate and the valley beneath, he felt an urge to use his new understanding of Space and teleport. It took him a second to remember that he couldntspace in the real world was more difficult to pierce than in his soul world.

    But he could try Space Walk. It could now teleport him up to a distance of three mileshow far away was Shols cabin? Hualis estate was grand, but three miles in a straight line was a lot.

    Jacks eyes pierced the sky tond on a small cabin, barely visible even from this height. He then took a step through space and disappeared. With the whooshing of air, he found himself before a humble wooden door. He was slightly short of breath, as was always the case when he teleported.

    To test his earlier theory, he teleported three feet to the side. When he reappeared, the energy expenditure was practically identical to when he teleported three miles.

    <em>Inconvenientbut I guess, if I could teleport constantly for next to no cost, I would be unstoppable in battle. Maybe Ill get to that pointter.</em>

    Jack hadnte here just to try out his teleportation. He wanted to tell Shol about his achievements in the Dao of Space and ask for advice on how to proceed. He also wanted to thank him; if Shol hadnt taken him to the library in person, maybe the librarian wouldnt have given Jack this Dao Vision. It was undoubtedly very precious.

    However, as he raised his hand to knock on the door, he hesitated. What if Shol was cultivating? Jack couldnt just show up unannounced at his house, could he?

    A momentter, he decided to just knock very discreetly. If Shol was meditating in his chamber, he wouldnt hear the soundand, if he wasnt, he would.

    A gentle rap of the knuckles was all Jack did. A barely discernible sound that a pre-System human wouldnt even register.

    Come in, Shols voice came from the inside, and Jack opened the door.

    He found himself in a world of paper. The once cozy cabin was now decorated with orderly stacks of white paper, most of which rested on a heavy wooden desk, behind which Shol sat and read.

    Jack! he eximed as Jack entered the cabin. Youre out of meditation! And you came to rescue me! Thank you, little brother. Take a seat; tea? And close the door behind you.

    Yes, please, Jack replied, slightly confused. Whats going on?

    Im neck deep in work, thats what. The struggle for the Grand Elder position has escted since you killed Dan Bolon, to the point where were actively campaigning for the other elders support. There are conflicts all over the inner, mostly between our disciples and Monsoons, while every outing is now a strategic move. Im trying to piece together all these reports and deduce the next moves of Monsoons disciples, so we can send the right disciples at the right spots and win most of the conflicts. I cant even begin to exin how much I dislike this.

    Cant you justorganize a public battle to settle this? Have ten pairs of disciples duel each other to get rid of all theplexity?

    From where he was preparing tea, Shol raised his head to re at Jack as if insulted. Thisplexity is nothing before our devotion to Master. It is the best way forwardI would rather endure this a hundred times over than risk our masters chances by organizing a series of duels that would probably not end in our favor.

    I see. I didnt mean to imply that.

    Im just stressed, thats all. Shol sighed as he ced two teacups on the table and plopped down opposite Jack. Its a good thing you came. Even immortals need breaks. My head feels like its about to burst.

    Yeah, mine too.

    Yours? Why yours?

    Jackughed, then exined his process of understanding the Dao Vision and the benefits hed reaped.

    Shols eyes grew wider. You mean that, not only did youprehend the vision in one go, but you even achieved enough progress to advance one of your Dao Skills?

    Yep.

    Jack! Thats great! Most disciples who get this vision spend months on it, if not years, and even then,prehending it in its entirety is very rare. You did it in two weeks!

    Now, it was Jacks turn to be surprised. I was meditating for two weeks straight?

    Oh, dont give me that face. Two weeks toprehend one of the fundamental building blocks of the universe? Please. Others would kill for that.

    Jack smiled proudly. How long did it take you, brother Shol?

    Well, thats irrelevant, isnt it? What Im thinking is, your method of brute-forcing it in one go might be the most effective one. After all, it worked.

    It wasnt easy. Jack thought back to the thousands of times hed repeated the vision until his brain had adjusted to its every chaotic second. If I stopped mid-way through, I would probably need to start all over again the next time.

    Thats why we dont rmend what you did. The chances of sess are small, and the price is that you lose all your progress if you fail. But, well, it worked for you. We usually tell disciples to go at it for a couple hours every day, deepening their understanding gradually as they get used to the fluctuations of space.

    Then, why didnt you tell me that beforehand?

    I had a feeling youd find your way. Shol smiled widely. Plus, you wouldnt listen to me. Youre in a hurry.

    Jack didnt even need to think before responding, Yeah, I wouldnt listen. Good call.

    Bothughed as they sipped from their tea.

    So, hows it going? Jack asked after a minute. The struggle for Grand Elder, I mean.

    Decently, Shol replied. The situation is fairly bnced. Both Monsoon and Master Huali have been visiting the other elders, but neither has made much progress. Most elders are staying on the sidelines for now.

    I see.

    But, as far as public opinion goes Shols face darkened. We arent doing too well there. Your victory over Bolon helped, but these things are forgotten eventually. Now, the eyes of the people are focused on the many conflicts happening around the, and Monsoons disciples win most of them. Its unavoidable. Theyre stronger overall.

    Hmm. And that is pressuring the elders?

    Well, a bit. Public opinion doesnt matter too much because the elders are the only ones voting, but word gets around. If an elder hears their disciples gossip that Monsoons people are stronger than Hualis, that affects their opinion on the matter. Thankfully, our master has an excellent reputation, enough to outweigh the disciple insufficiencyfor now. He tightened his grip around the tea cup ever so slightly. But it sucks for us. Our masters strength and reputation are both ster. The only thing holding her back is us.

    Jack nodded, considering the issue for one sip. He then asked, So, Monsoons reputation is inferior.

    Oh, yes. Monsoon is an outstanding cultivator, but he is known as a cutthroat, power-hungry individual. That doesnt mesh well with the Exploding Suns principles. The other elders fear him, while they respect our master.

    Wait. Are you saying there are cultivators who actually care about being good people?

    Shol threw him a weird look. Of course. Were the minority, but we live and prosper. Power, by itself, does not bring corruption. Not everyone is like the Animal Kingdom.

    Huh. I thought Nevermind. But if the Exploding Sun doesnt like Monsoon, why consider him?

    Its not so simple. There needs to be a bnce between righteousness and power, or we wouldnt exist. Monsoon might push the faction in a direction most of us would be ufortable with, but he will bring prosperity, too. It is a sad reality of life.

    But, and excuse my Frenchfrench, you just said hes an asshole.

    What is french?

    An expression.

    Well, please mind yournguage. I wouldnt call any elder of my faction that.

    French?

    Asshole.

    Right. Jack nodded. I dont know. I guess I just dont understand politics. I always found the subject unsavory.

    It always is, until you start to understand it. Then, its just the nature of rulingwhich can challenge ones perception on morality.

    I guess.

    Dont guess; startstarting getting used to it. Shol gave Jack a serious look. You are important now. You wield great personal power and basically rule an entire, at least for now. You cannot afford to hide behind your finger. Ufortable realities are something you must learn to face.

    Right Yes, you are right. Im sorry; I almost made the weak choice of not thinking.

    No problem. You are still young; there is much to learn.

    By the way, since I spent two weeks cultivating

    An unexpected sound interrupted them. Boomingughter filled the sky and shook the mountain under them as an overwhelming presence washed over Jack and Shol, making their eyes widen and their bodies sweat.

    Huali! A male voice dominated every other sound. I came for tea! I hope I am wee?

    Jack paled. This presence was far superior to theary overseers, the only other C-Grade aura hed experienced. Whos that? he asked.

    Shol, however, did not reply immediately. His eyes were glued on the cabin roof, and his mind was running over a thousand calctions every second. Finally, he replied, Elder Monsoon.

    Monsoon? What is he doing here?

    I dont knowbut it cant be good. Come!

    Sholunched himself out of the open window and into the sky. Jack followed a beatter, leaving the rest of the tea to grow coldwas he doomed to never finish a cup in Shols house?

    They werent the only immortals flying to see what was going on. Dozens of them, all Hualis personal disciples, were looking up and whispering to each other. However, they stayed right above the buildings, not daring to rise higher.

    In the center of the sky stood a man with a blue cape fluttering behind him. He was of average height but solidly built, with sleek muscles outlined under his purple robes. His sleeves were long, as was his dark hair, while his angr face carried a wide jaw and a smile too bright to be true. His eyes, however Jack felt ufortable just ncing at them from afar. Though they were glued on the manor at the mountain peak, Jack felt their pressure deep in his soul.

    This was Elder Monsoon. One of the two strongest elders of the Exploding Sun, alongside Elder Huali, and one of thepetitors for the Grand Elder position. Excluding the reclusive B-Grades, this man was in the top two people in the entire constetion.

    As for his aura, it was so wide and heavy that Jack felt his breath stifled. It was only slightly weaker than the vampire womans in the vision, though that may have been because she had been actively using her powers, while he was simply standing in the sky with his arms crossed behind his back.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level ??? (C-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    So impressive was the elders presence that Jack almost didnt notice the second man, standing slightly behind and below the elder. He wore blue robes, a yellow cape, and had blond hair, emanating a presence like that of a rippling pond. His expression was calm.

    <strong>Human (Earth-44), Level 249</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Eighth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    As Jack was done ogling, the doors of the manor opened, and two figures slowly floated out. One was Elder HualiJacks current master, who reminded him of an old yoga instructor. The other person was a C-Grade, schrly-looking man whose robes were half-white and half-ck. He stood right beside Hualianother Elder?

    The third elder was giving out no aura at all, but Huali was,pletely canceling out Monsoons and letting her disciples breathe again.

    The moment she took to the sky, Shol flew over as well, taking a respectful position right behind and below her. It mirrored the man behind Monsoon.

    Monsoon, Elder Huali said, her smile not reaching her ears. Of course you are wee. To what do I owe the pleasure?

 Chapter 256: Monsoonâ€™s Provocation

    Chapter 256: Monsoon¡¯s Provocation

    The pleasure is all mine, Huali, Monsoon replied, standing in the skies above her estate. I just heard youve gotten a new batch of million-leaf tea. I couldnt stop myself froming to get a taste!

    Of course, a pot of million-leaf tea is nothing before such a distinguished guest, she replied diplomatically, not inviting him to her manor. However, I am not used to Elder Monsoon visiting me for such a trivial matter. Is there something else, too?

    Monsoon smirked. He raised both open palms and said, Ah, you got me. There is another reason, of course, but nothing too important.

    He was a charismatic man, Monsoon. He disyed confidence and assertion, joking around with Huali like they were alone instead of watched by hundreds of eyes. He seemed almost perfectif not for the clear malice hidden in his sudden arrival. After all, Monsoon and Huali were opponents for the Grand Elder position; there had to be a reason for this sketch.

    And what could that be, Monsoon? Huali asked, clearly not willing to y the other elders game. For it to coincide with Elder Mahadajis visit, it cant anything <em>too </em>small.

    Oh, just a coincidence. If I knew Elder Mahadaji would be present, I would have brought that gift I owe him as well.

    The schrly man dressed in white and ck nodded. While he was positioned next to Huali, as a guest should, he didnt seem inclined to participate in this discussion.

    Jack! A voice came from the side. Turning, Jack found Auburn flying beside him, her auburn robes and hair fluttering in the wind. Shit! This is bad!

    How so? he asked, eager to know more.

    Well, thats eElder Monsoon, and that man over there is his head disciple, Qian. If they came here together, they probably want to cause trouble and force a duel between Qian and brother Shol She bit her lip.

    Jack, however, wasnt convinced. If forcing a duel was so easy, why havent they done it already?

    I dont knowbut there has to be a reason. Maybe Monsoon has a new card up his sleeve.

    Hmm. What about that other man? Elder Mahadaji?

    Hes one of the neutral elders, but he has some clout. Huali and Monsoon have both been trying to swing him over. Since Monsoon chose to arrive while Mahadaji was here, too, he probably ns to use him to put extra pressure on our master. After all, refusing a duel in front of Mahadaji will certainly make him see Master Huali asthe least favorable candidate to support.

    I see. Jacks eyes narrowed as he looked at the sky. In any case, there is nothing we can do. Lets just wait and see.

    Yes.

    Up there, Monsoon suddenly smiled as he spread both hands apart. I heard some wonderful news the other day, Huali. You took in a brilliant disciplesomeone who can jump a tier to defeat other personal disciples.

    Every immortal at low altitude turned to look at Jack. He wanted to curse. His words just now, that there was nothing he could do, had been tossed back at his face.

    Indeed, Huali responded, showing athe rare smile. Jack is a talented young cultivator. If nothing goes wrong, I trust he will be a great asset to our faction in a few centuries.

    Talented youth is always nice to have, Monsoon agreed, nodding. I only hope the price was worth it.

    Instantly, whispers spread amongst the immortals. Even Elder Mahadaji nced at Jack from up high, somehow discovering him in an instant.

    Hualis face remained rxed. The price?

    The price, Monsoon confirmed. I heard that you made a promise to this disciple when recruiting him. That you would use the Exploding Suns resources to poach his recently Integrated from under the Animal Kingdoms nose.

    More whispers. Elder Mahadaji raised his brows. Is that true, Huali?

    Jack bit back another curse. This was supposed to be a secretafter all, poaching relied on the enemy not expecting it. Monsoon, however, not only knew about this, but he also chose to publicize it.

    Of the many thoughts that raced inside Jacks head, one rose above the others: <em>Shit.</em>

    It is true, Huali replied without the slightest hesitation. May I ask how you heard about this, Monsoon? Such matters are supposed to be secret. Making them public is unexpectedly unwise of you.

    I am simply looking out for my factions interests, Huali. In fact, thats why I came directly to you; if I told the other elders of your willingness to risk the delicate bnce between our faction and the Animal Kingdom, just to recruit a promising disciple for yourself before the Elder Assembly, they wouldnt take it too well, would they?

    You use me of risking the faction to help myself, Huali said sharply, dropping the pretense of cordialitypretense cordiality. Is that right, Monsoon?

    Yes, he replied simply, staring at her in challenge.

    You know I would never do that. Jack is not a boon to mehis recruitment was to the benefit of our entire faction, an investment in our future. Compared to his talent, which you already admitted yourself, one more conflict against the Kingdom is nothing.

    Those are strong words, but of little essence. Does our faction not have enough disciples? Do we not possess young talent? What about all the immortals floating below us, your treasured personal disciples? Do you not believe in them? Is our factions talent so low that we need to recruit high-cost outsiders?

    Monsoons words were now striking deep. However, she replied with grace and ease.

    You can exaggerate, Monsoon, but you cannot change the truth. Is it notmon for our faction to recruit outsiders? To pad our forces with the talented youth of this and other constetions? We do notck in talent, but only a fool would miss the opportunity to make themselves even stronger.

    We may notck talent, but what about resources? The more disciples you ept, the less you can assist each of them. Every Dao treasure he consumes is one that your other disciples will not.

    What are you trying to say? That I should limit my number of disciples?

    That would be wise, too, but it is not my point. I am simply saying that one disciple, no matter how talented, is not worth the price you promised. Inter-faction rtions are far more important than someone who will probably never reach the C-Grade. By recruiting this man for your own benefit, you want to waste years of the Elder Assemblys efforts.

    Hmph! Hualis snort echoed across the sky, apanied by the subtle release of her aura. Jack felt a wave of heat pass over his body, making him sweat, along with a colossal presence pressing down on his head. Hualis aura wasnt the slightest bitckingpared to Monsoons. Neither was her temper.

    Is your young brain filled with rot? she asked. Or are you really that naive? Do you think anyone here will fall for strongly-worded facies? I have served the faction for seven millennia, never betraying it in the slightest, and I do not intend to start now. Since I recruited Jack, I naturally believe the benefits outweigh the costs. How can youe here, possessing far less information than me, and im that my decision was wrong? How dare you insinuate that I would harm the faction for my personal benefit!

    The air was billowing and heated, like everyone was ced inside an oven. Monsoon raised his hands, and an invisible Dao bubble was formed around himself and his head disciple, protecting them from Hualis wrath.

    Pace yourself, Huali, he said without the slightest crease in his frowns. His smile remained friendly. I am not here to use you, only to ask you whether the things I heard were true.

    Hmph. With a second snort, her aura disappeared like it had never been there. Shed made her point. Spare me the acting, Monsoon. Just get to the point.

    Very well. As I said, I am here to take a good look at this disciple of yours, so I can ascertain whether his talent is as great as you make it to be. Could he rise so we can all see him?

    Jack did not move. He nced at Huali, who met his eyes and nodded. Fly higher, Jack Rust, shemanded, and he obliged.

    As he rose, he met Auburns worried eyes, as well as the eyes of all surrounding immortals, some of whom hed never met before. Many held usation in their gazesothers, curiosity, and a few more, amusement.

    When he finally reached an altitude close to that of the two elders, he flew behind and below Shol, who was behind and below Huali. He had no idea if this was the right etiquette, but it felt appropriate. He also positioned himself low enough that Elder Monsoon had a clear view.

    <em>Say nothing about the ninth ring, </em>Shols voice rang in Jacks mind. <em>I will exin the reasonter. For now, just stay quiet.</em>

    Jack did not reply, remembering how theary overseer had demonstrated the ability to spy on his telepathic conversations. If she could do it, so could Elder Monsoon.

    Instantly, the eyes of both Elder Monsoon and Elder Mahadajinded on him, inspecting him thoroughly. He felt naked and vulnerable. It took all of his concentration to keep his face calm, pretending to feel nothing.

    Interesting, Monsoon spoke up. A perfect foundation You dont see that often. What ring of Trial did you reach?

    Jack tried to reply. Honored Elder, I reached the eighth

    Silence, disciple! Qian, the head disciple of Monsoon, whod remained quiet up to now, berated him. You will not speak before the elders.

    Jack held his tongue. Hed just been asked a direct question. What was he supposed to do, ignore Monsoon?

    <em>Asshole.</em>

    In any case, he understood that this was not his field. He looked to Shol and Huali for guidance.

    He reached the eighth ring, Huali replied in Jacks stead.

    Decent. However, a good foundation doesnt guarantee sess. I believe a direct demonstration would be more convincinghow about we let Jack prove his prowess by sparring against my disciple, Qian?

    And there it was.

    The other shoe had finally dropped, and Jack could see the core of Monsoons ploy. If he and this peak D-Grade guy sparred, it wouldnt even be a demonstration. Jack would lose instantly, which was obviously the expected result, but it would give Monsoon the grounds to keep pressing the issue. Most importantly, it would be humiliating for Elder Huali to submit her own disciple to a beating just because Monsoon asked her to.

    On the other hand, if she declined this duel, he would have grounds to ask for other things. Somehow, he would reach the point of Qian challenging Shol, and that would be the end of things.

    Not to mention that Elder Mahadaji, an important person, was present.

 Chapter 257: Making a Bet

    Chapter 257: Making a Bet

    Everyone else must have understood the same thing, but Huali simply frowned and replied, Your disciple is a hundred levels over Jack. It would be like a human pping a mosquito.

    Its not about victory. Its about seeing how far Jack can push my disciple before losing. Plusconsidering what happened to my other disciple, Dan Bolon, this Jack of yours seems to enjoy battling.

    Huali frowned. Obviously, she wasnt considering whether to ept or decline this duel, as epting it would just humiliate her. But she couldnt just decline, either.

    How about you bring someone closer to Jacks level? she suggested. I will not submit my disciple to a beating just because you ask.

    I have no other disciples avable, and such important matters need to be settled quickly. We should strike when the iron is hot. If you have nothing to hide, whats the problem with letting Jack spar against Qian? Cultivators spar against stronger opponents all the time. It is not a big deal.

    Huali hesitated again. No matter how anyone saw it, she had the weaker position here, if only because Monsoon had revealed some information shed tried to keep secret. The problem was, she was currently trapped between a river and a cliff.

    Monsoon knew this, of course, and he stepped on the gas. How about this: If you are concerned about Jack getting injured by my disciple, there is another way. At its core, this issue is about whether your judgment in prospective disciples is insightful enough. I believe this recruitment was not worth the price, while you believe the opposite. We could solve this by having Qian spar against your head disciple, Shol. The master of the winner will obviously have the better judgment when ites to disciples, and there is no mismatch between them, be it in level or status. What do you think, Huali?

    This was even more undesirable. If Shol and Qian dueled publicly, Shol would most probably be defeated, and Huali would lose a lot of face. Given Monsoons fox-like maneuvers, he could probably exaggerate this issue to win him the Grand Elder position. Plus, if Shol lost now, Monsoons usations would increase in credibility.

    It looked like the only option was to have Jack spar against Qian, choosing to endure the lesser humiliation instead of the greater one. However, now that the other suggestion had been made, having Jack duel instead of Shol would mean recognizing that Shol was weaker than Qian. Elder Mahadaji was presentthis implication wouldnt be lost on him.

    In fact, his eyes were trained on Huali, waiting to hear her answer.

    Jack, meanwhile, was feeling terrible. Not because he was challenged, or even because he might receive a beating.

    This was happening partly because of him. Master Huali had offered to help him, and because the matter had been leaked, she was now ced in such a tight spot. And, okay, that was not really his fault. However, since the n had been leaked, was it even feasible anymore? What would happen to Hualis promise of saving Earth?

    If anything, Jacks current position was even worse than Hualis. She was just going to lose some face, but he was in danger of losing his entire!

    His mind spun with calctions, and he quickly concluded that, no matter what happened, things would turn out terrible for him. If he wanted the best chances of still receiving Hualis assistance, he had to bail her out of this, which was impossible.

    But, perhaps, there was another way.

    A n slowly formed inside Jacks mind. A n that could help Master Huali, but which would also corner her and make her unable to go back on her word, like shed donest time during the Integration Tournament.

    Jack had had enough of asking people to help him. This time, he would demand itand try to get all birds with the same stone.

    Could I speak, master? he asked, bowing in Hualis direction. His eyes were earnest, and his chest puffed. He clearly had a n.

    Qians face warped as he almost berated Jack again, but since he had asked the question directly to elder Huali, Qian had no authority to speak. Shol did, but after ring fiercely at Jack, he chose not tosince he also couldnt find a way out of this, all he could do was hope for the impossible.

    Maybe Elder Huali thought the same thing. Or maybe she expected Jack to somehow humiliate himself to get her out of this situation.

    You may, she replied.

    I am young and eager to prove myself, Jack began. There is nothing I would love more than to showcase my talent before the elders. However, I believe that this is not the best opportunity. I am still too weak to meaningfullypare myself to someone like fellow disciple Qian. Therefore, I propose this: how about we agree on a public spar, so I can showcase my talent, in six months time? I dont hope to win, but that would give me enough time to at least be able to fight Qian.

    Silence fell as everyone tried to digest his words. Huali gazed at him deeply, pondering the ramifications of his suggestion, but it was actually Qian who beat her to the punch.

    Such arrogance! he eximed. Do you really think you can reach my level in only six months? Thats absurd. It took even me a century to reach the peak of the D-Grade.

    I dont just think so; I am confident it can be done, Jack replied quickly, so no one could stop him. In fact, how about we make a bet, Qian? When we fight in six months, I will be able to exchange three strikes with you without losing. If I cant, I will publicly acknowledge that my talent is insufficient and leave the Exploding Sun faction, not demanding that Master Huali help me with mys situation anymore. However, if I do manage to exchange three strikes with you, you will have to publicly admit that my talent is greater than yours, that my master was correct in her judgment, and that yours was not.

    Another bout of silence. It felt like even the air had stopped blowing to better hear Jacks brazen words.

    Jack himself was feeling the pressure. He believed in winning the bet he proposed, but there were moreyers under it, too; he was escting the situation. If his proposal was epted, that bet would be a huge deal. It would probably be the deciding factor for the position of Grand Elder. In other words, Huali would have to pour all her resources into him until then, epting him as her champion. If he won, he would secure enough status to guarantee the Exploding Suns assistance in the war for Earthhopefully.

    If he was defeated, on the other hand, he would lose his honor and momentum. He would be forced to publicly humiliate himself by apologizing, the Dao of the Fist would drown in doubts, and he would have proven himself an arrogant dog which barked but could not bite. However, Huali herself would also pay for his defeat; she would lose the position of Grand Elder. The two of them were bound together now.

    Most importantly, the date hed set was six months away, which was only a month before the end of Earths grace period. His n was to have the power to fight a middle C-Grade by thenif he couldnt even take three strikes of a peak D-Grade, he would have already failed.

    It was a daunting goal, but one he believed he could reach, if things went his way. With Hualis full assistance and some hellish training, he was confident.

    He didnt dare look back at his master. His gaze was glued on Qian, who was frowning slightly as he considered Jacks words. Monsoon, however,ughed out loud.

    He has a quick mind, at least! he eximed. Very well. Unless you disagree with your disciples suggestion, Huali, we ept the challenge.

    There was silence from behind Jack. Only now did he dare nce backward, where Hualis wisdom-filled eyes were inspecting him carefully. Shol was looking at Huali with his eyes half-closed, no doubt conversing mentally.

    Whatever they said, it somehow went to Jacks favor.

    Very well, she replied. Let it be so. In six months, one day before the Elder Assembly, Jack will duel against Qian. If he canst more than three strikes, it will be his victory, and this matter will go to me, with you publicly apologizing for your false usations. If he fails, I will ept that my faith was misced, and Jack will have to leave the faction and my tutge.

    Monsoon onlyughed again. He didnt seem to mind the stakeshe was convinced that, no matter what happened, Jack couldnt evene close to Qians level within three months.

    Alright, Huali. We have a bet! Let me just add that, if Jack somehow perishes before the duel, victory goes to me.

    Naturally, she agreed.

    And I shall be the witness, Elder Mahadaji said, speaking for only the second time in this entire exchange. His voice carried great power but felt somehow restrained, as if he was the introverted type.

    Elder Mahadajis words honor us, Monsoon replied, bowing slightly. He seemed in a great mood. In that case, there is nothing more to say. The truth behind this matter will be revealed in six months time. I wish you a pleasant wait, Huali.

    She did not reply. Monsoon and Qian flew away, with thetter not forgetting to shoot Jack onest, mocking re. The two of them soon disappeared into the clouds.

    I will be leaving too, Elder Mahadaji said. Given what happened, my visit here lost its meaning.

    Indeed. Thank you for visiting, Mahadaji, and I wish you a pleasant return trip, Huali replied politely, smiling at him with confidence.

    Mm. Mahadaji nodded, he, too, shooting Jack another inquisitive nce before disappearing into the clouds.

    Shol, Huali said, turning towards her mansion, you can handle this matter for now. I have a task that takes no dy.

    Yes, Master.

    Even Huali flew away, back into her mansion. All C-Grades had left, leaving only a flock of confused immortals hovering in the sky. The moment they were left alone, Shol red at Jack so hard that his eyelids almost froze open.

    Jack scratched his head, then gave Shol his best smile. You know, all things considered, Id say this went pretty well.

    Shols re did not abate in the slightest. My hut. Now, he said. Everyone else, disperse.

    In the end, even the immortals flew away, leaving that patch of skypletely empty. However, the effects of this argument were not so easy to disperse; they would echo throughout the entire faction and beyond for a long time, until everyone knew that Jack, a low D-Grade, had challenged Qian, the factions strongest disciple, and that the next Grand Elder would be decided by the oue of their duel.

 Chapter 258: Hellish Training

    Chapter 258: Hellish Training

    Your gamble was devious, Shol said as he and Jack entered the cabin. His mood was impossible to read; he could have been furious, relieved, or both.

    I didnt see much choice, Jack replied calmly.

    So you took things upon yourself and bet the masters sess on your strength.

    I have confidence in winning.

    Of course you have. Especially with all the support you will now undoubtedly get.

    Jack gave him a straight look; not challenging, but not yielding, either. Yes.

    Shol sighed. You really turned things on their head, Jack. I have no idea what Master is thinking right now.

    What about you?

    What about me?

    What are you thinking?

    That youre an arrogant, thoughtless individual who took advantage of the situation for his own benefit.

    Am I really? What was the alternative? You fighting Qian in front of Elder Mahadaji, or me getting a beating from Qian and throwing away Master Hualis face?

    The alternative was to let the people who have lived a hundred times longer than you figure it out.

    I didnt see theming up with anything. I didnt see <em>you </em>suggesting something better.

    Shol red at him. Master Huali is infinitely smarter than you, Jack. If there was such a simple solution, she would have found it in a split-second.

    Would she? She may be extremely smart and experienced, but she does not understand my strength and potential as much as I do. I believe the solution I proposed works, and that is only because I am confident in my chances. She could have been considering the same thing. And dont forget; I asked for permission before I spoke. If she wasnt out of options, she wouldnt have let me.

    You are hasty and selfish.

    I am just not a fool. I found a solution that benefits me and lets Master Huali escape the corner shed been pushed into. What else did you expect me to do? Wait on the sidelines until she was eventually forced to go back on her promise <em>again</em>?

    Shols eyes reddened. You will not insult my master.

    I am not insulting anyone, just stating the facts. Would you have acted differently in my shoes? If the future of the Exploding Sun was at stake, would you leave it up to fate, or would you find a win-win solution that also helps your benefactor?

    Shol considered it for a moment. Despite his anger, he hadnt lost himself. Jack, meanwhile, remained calm and confident, waiting for the other mans response.

    In the end, Shol could only sigh. Whats done is done, he said. Master Huali will handle this issue as she sees fit. For now, all we can do is prepare for the battle in six months as best as we can. There is no time to lose. If we want you to have even the slightest chance of victory, we must start preparing immediately.

    Is Qian really that strong? Jack asked. I just have to survive for three strikes, right? How difficult could that be?

    Shols eyes widened a fraction. You know that he is stronger than me, right?

    I do.

    Good. Watch.

    Without warning, a terrifying aura spread from Shols body. His monk robes fluttered in the wind, the cabins furniture was tossed to the walls, and all the stacks of paper were scattered. Booms filled the air.

    Jack was suffocating. Shol had be a mountain of a man, an unsurpassable existence, a sun about to implode. His form was made of dancing mes, and his eyes shone red like burning iron. Everything elsethe cabin, the chairs, the world outsidehad vanished from Jacks perception.

    When Shol clenched his fist, it felt like a stars death rattle, the final clenching before its core exploded in a massive supernova. Jack felt like a normal man tied on train tracks, watching his rapidly approaching death. Surviving this cataclysmic force was impossible. He waspletely powerless. Even the Life Drop could not save him.

    In the next moment, the sensation was gone. Jack was left sweating with his eyes wide, gazing upon the form of a hardened, battle-ready monk with a tight smile. Do you see now? Shol asked.

    Jack gulped. I do And you say Qian is even stronger?

    He is. Do you understand now what a hundred levels mean?

    Yeah

    Jack may have been impressed, but he was not overwhelmed. He already knew that his current strength was nowhere near enough. However, he had six monthsand, five months ago, he had only been a biologist working on his PhD.

    That was enough time to work miracles.

    I can get the levels, he said. My n had always been to reach the C-Grade in a year. Technically, Im still on schedule. Even if things go badly, I should be able to take three hits from a peak D-Grade, right?

    There was never a schedule, Jack. I have said it before and I will say it again. You cannot reach the C-Grade in a year. It is impossible. Even reaching thete D-Grade is a stretchand Qian is not your average peak D-Grade, either. His strength is already approaching the C-Grade.

    Really!? Hes that talented? I was the only E-Grade to ever beat a D-Grade, right?

    The chasm between the E and D Grades is especially wide. It is a qualitative transformation. Between the D and C Grades, the difference is slightly easier to bridgebut even then, its quite impossible. Even Qian is only approaching the strength of the C-Gradenot reaching it.

    I see. Jack fell into deep thought. A momentter, he spoke up again. So, what do we do?

    What do we do? Obviously, we level you up, thats what we do!

    I have a n for that, actually. Remember how I told you that I was nning to adventure in the Animal Kingdom?

    Shol narrowed his eyes. Yes.

    Well, I still do, because thats the only way to level up quickly enough. However, I have an even better idea: I will go to Hell.

    Hell!? Shol shouted. To rescue that starship captain, right? Impossible. Youll die there.

    Maybe I wont. Think about it. Its an entire, right? If somebodyes after me, I can certainly find somewhere to hide. Plus, you mentioned that the Animal Kingdoms inner disciples also live there. Where else would I find so many immortals? I need them to level up. Its the perfect training ground for me.

    Youre spouting bullshit. How could it be so easy? Even if you somehow manage to sneak into Hell, its not like their immortals will stretch their necks for you. The moment you start acting up, theyll find you and send peak D-Grades after you.

    I can handle peak D-Grades.

    No, you cant.

    Right now, I cant. But they wont send out their big guns right away. I will hide and sneak around, nabbing a few immortals here and there, leveling up in the process. By the time they catch up, I will have gotten a ton of levels. Even if I cant fight a peak D-Grade, I should be able to escape.

    Shol grumbled. Its not that simplebut are you even sure you <em>want </em>to do this? Youre basically suggesting a massacre.

    Jack snorted. The Animal Kingdom is my enemy, and those inner disciples are its soldiers. They are hunting prisoners for sport. I have no qualms hunting them back.

    Shol did not reply immediately. He seemed to be considering the issue very seriously. Assuming you can seed, he finally said, that will be an extremely fast way to level up indeed Perhaps the only way to reach the level you need in time. Sneaking into Hell is possible. We can make it happen. And, even if they realize what youre doing in there, they wont send C-Grades after you Their pride wont let theam, as that would be implying that their D-Grades are incapable of handling you.

    However, there are two problems. One, they have D-Grades on the level of me or Qian. If things escte to that level, they will easily annihte you. And, two Hell is a prison. Getting in is easy, but getting out is hard. How will you escape afterward?

    I I dont know. I dont think I can n for that beforehand. However, I am confident that I will find a way when the timees. It is a risk I must take.

    Shol fell silent again. Normally, I would advise against thisbut you need to reach my level in six months. It should take you centuries. I dont think there is any other wayand, since you had the audacity to bet our masters name on your sess, its appropriate to bet your life, too.

    Jack smiled. Well said, brother Shol.

    Shol was now fully onboard with the idea. We must n carefully, he warned. Maximizing your chances is essential. The Exploding Sun will provide you with all sorts of treasures, though you will have to leave the faction to not implicate us. Besides that, we have some spies in the Animal Kingdommaybe they could be of help.

    Right! Jacks eyes shone. Those would all be very helpful.

    But the issue remains that their peak D-Grades will eventually ughter you. Unless Shol mumbled something. Fine. There is no other choice. Ill join you.

    You will what!?

    Are you deaf? I said Ill join you.

    But

    No buts. You already made my job redundant by betting this entire reputation war on your duel. To help our master, the best I can do is protect you. I will not steal your levels; I will just be there to advise you and help you deal with trouble if too much of it appears at once.

    Wait Are you certain?

    Absolutely. Do I look like a coward to you?

    No, but

    Then, its decided. Your n is approved. We will sneak into Hell, where we will power level you by having you hunt the Animal Kingdom inner disciples. With some luck, we will survive long enough for you to reach at least thete D-Grade, at which point we will try to escape. With ourbined powers, I believe we will find a way. We will both leave the Exploding Sun, too, so they cannot use the faction of anything. We will act as rogue cultivators.

    Jack was touched. What he had suggested was almost a suicide mission, and hed only done so because he was desperate to get stronger quicklybut now, Shol was willing to risk himself and tag along? True, he was doing it for his master, not for Jack, but still

    Thank you, brother Shol, Jack replied, but Shol waved the gratitude away.

    No need to thank me. Im not doing this for you. If you have time to be grateful, spend it preparing yourself. The day is still young. I will go talk with Master and prepare some things. You also go deal with any loose ends you have here. We depart tomorrow.

    Jack couldnt believe this was already happening. Things were unraveling so fastbut he liked that. Will do! he replied, puffing his chest out. I will visit Brock as well. I need to see how hes doing, and whether he can join us or not.

    Probably not, Shol replied, but yes, do pay a visit. Hes your spiritualpanion. You two are as close as can be.

    Of course.

    If you have nothing else to do, I suggest also visiting the library to choose the other two items you can borrow, then spend the rest of the time meditating. Your strength is about to explodeconsolidation is crucial.

    Yes, brother.

    Then, lets

    Jack did not hear the rest of the sentence. A voice suddenly rang inside his headMaster Hualis.

    <em>Jack, </em>she said, her voice not betraying any emotion, <eme to my manor at once. I need to show you something.</em>

 Chapter 259: Supernova

    Chapter 259: Supernova

    As Jack was discussing with Shol, Masters Huali voice rang in his head, suddenly calling him over.

    Wait, he told Shol, Master just summoned me.

    She did? The monks eyes widened. Thats unusual. Get to it, then. It wouldnt do to leave our master waiting.

    Alright. Should we meet here in, say, six hours?

    Yes. See you then.

    See you. And, Shol?

    Yes?

    Thanks. For amodating my selfish needs.

    Shol smiled. Nothing selfish about wanting to protect your people, Jack. Besides, it works out for everyone. Now go. The clock is ticking.

    Jack returned the smile. Yes, brother!

    He then rushed out of the window, realizing that, once again, he didnt finish his cup of tea. Perhaps that was a cursed cabin.

    Jack crossed the sky, flying over the estate tond in the courtyard of Elder Hualis manor; a building as imposing as it was simple, dominating the very peak of the mountain. Two guards stood before the gate, eyeing him strangely; theyd seen the results of Monsoons visit, so his arrival wasnt too unexpected.

    Are you here to see Master? one of the guards asked, and Jack nodded. Before he could reply, however, Master Hualis voice rang in his mind once again:

    <em>Just teleport inside.</em>

    She also released a soft wave of energy to indicate her precise location. Jack didnt dare tally. He gave the guards a helpless shrug, then stepped through space and reappeared in the same room hed seen Huali the previous time. Large ss windows showcased the estate and thends beneath it, while the horizon was tinged with soft clouds and a colorful sky.

    Good. You came quickly, Huali said before Jack could speak. She rose to her feet. Come. We dont have much time.

    Greetings, Master. Much time for what?

    Youll see.

    She walked three steps to reach him, then ced a hand on his shoulder. Jack noticed she was taller than him. In the next moment, space warped around them, much harder and faster than when Jack teleported. When it stabilized again, they were in the sky, illuminated by the nebs sr gasses and surrounded by white clouds.

    There was also a starship. It floated in the sky before them,pletely still, as if anchored in space itself. No Dao energy emanated from it, and yet, there must have been some, or how could it fly?

    Master? Jack asked.

    This is my personal vessel, the Ray. Step inside.

    Things were happening a bit too fast for Jacks taste. He trusted Huali, but still

    What is going on? he asked.

    Ill exin on the way. Just get in.

    Jack steeled his heart. If she wanted to harm him, she could do it easily. As a door on the side of the starship silently slid open, he stepped through, finding himself in a simple, sharp interior. It could fit three peoplefortably, maybe four. Windows surrounded them on all sideseven though he was sure there were none on the outsidegiving him a clear view of everything.

    One-way metal. Very handy, Huali exined, entering the starship herself and shutting the door. She quickly reached the front of the starship and ced her hands on a sun-shaped helm, infusing it with energy.

    Well, Im here. Could you exin what is going on, Master? Jack asked cautiously.

    She smiled at him. Do you not trust me, Jack?

    I do. Im just curious.

    Then, you can wait a little bit. Some things are best served as surprises.

    Jack grumbled. Not that he had a say, anyway. This tall, slim woman who looked like an old yoga instructor held the power to level entire continents. Plus, she was his master. If she wanted to make anything a surprise, it would be a surprise.

    The helm under Hualis hands reached saturation. The energy of the Dao of SpaceJack could recognize it nowsurrounded the entire ship, and suddenly, they lurched through it, traveling at unprecedented speed.

    Jack had experienced starship teleportation aboard the Trampling Ram. Back then, however, it was a process which took a long time to set up, and a long time to execute. They also traveled dozens of light years per teleportation.

    In this case, the lurching of space stopped almost immediately. They were now surrounded by sr gasses in all directions, flickering predominantly with purple and orange, but also various other colors.

    He thought it was time to say something. Where are

    His voice was cut off as they teleported once again. With another jump, they traveled an unknown distance. The terrain had changedsr gasses still stretched in the distance, but only behind the starship. Its front side looked outside the neb, where a single, giant red star dominated the vast expanse of space.

    Were here, Huali said with relief, and just in time, too. Brace yourself. Were going out.

    Thats How far did we just travel?

    A hundred and twenty light years.

    He whistled. Huali pressed a button to open the side-door, and both of them flew into space. They didnt teleport this time; Huali just wanted them out of the starship. The view did not change. A cloud of gasses stretched behind them, while the vast empty space ahead was only illuminated by arge red star.

    And illuminated it was, because the star was <em>burning</em>. It was a gas giant exuding so much heat that even Jack struggled to withstand it. It looked bloated, too, as if it was drawing in arge breath to achievesomething.

    What am I watching? Jack asked.

    One of the most violent events in the universe, Huali replied slowly, almost reverently. Thest few words were whispered. A supernova.

    Jack drew in a cold breathor at least, he tried, before the vacuum of space decided to disagree.

    Are you serious!? he asked. That thing will blow us away!

    Why are you afraid? You are with me. She looked calm and certain. I am a peak C-Grade, an Elder of the Exploding Sun, a candidate for the next Grand Elder. And this eventis exactly where our faction got its name.

    Jack raised his brows. Really?

    Of course. Dont tell me you never made the connection.

    I did, but

    She smirked. On her wizened face, it was almost scary. There were two founders to our faction. One was a warrior following the Dao of the Fist, of whom youve seen a Dao Vision, as Shol informed me. But the greatest founder, and the original leader of the faction, was an exceptional human woman named ndra.

    Jack loved stories like this, but the sight of the nearby star worried him. Even now, from an incalcble number of miles away, he could see it expanding with a speed visible to the naked eye. He could almost picture its imminent copse.

    Was this really the best time for storytelling?

    ndras signature skill, Master Huali continued unfazed, was called Supernova. A tremendous explosion inspired by the copse of arge, dying star. Of course, even a B-Grade cultivator cannot imitate the power of a real supernova, but there are records of her using one explosion to annihte a.

    An entire!?

    Thats right. You are familiar with the power scale of the Grades, correct? F-Grades can break people, E-Grades can break hills, D-Grades can break mountains, C-Grades can break continents, and B-Grades can breaks.

    Iveheard of it.

    Nauja had described this back in Trial. Of course, he never really believed people could destroys, but if Master Huali said so as well

    Huali nodded and continued. ndra and her husband roamed the gxy freely. They were some of the strongest B-Grades of their time, and they even formed a new B-Grade faction in a time when the political terrain was considered stable. And all that was possible because of one thing, that even the strongest cultivators of the gxy feared: Supernova.

    Supernova Jack repeated, tasting the words. Then, I assume this is to help me get that skill as well?

    Exactly. The Dao Vision we possess of this skill is currently unavable, but some people over the years have managed toprehend it through watching a live supernova eruption. It is unlikely, but given your talent, I hope you may be able to do it. After all, not many can brag about conquering Trial.

    Jackughed. Speaking of that Howe you didnt use my achievement against Monsoon? My Ninth Ring Conqueror title would have made him shut up on the spot.

    Because it is a weapon too strong to be used for a mere Monsoon. And also because Wait. Its starting.

    Jack whipped his head at the star, finding that its expansion had ceased. Its skin was stretched to the extreme, colored a deep red and struggling to expand further, only for another forcegravityto hold it down. It had run out of steam.

    In the next moment, the star shed off its red skin, which flew away harmless as hot gasses. However, what remained started shrinking. Fast. Too fast.

    A transparent orange shield materialized before Jack. He could still see the shrinking star, as he could see Huali, who stood beside him with her hands glowing orange.

    Listen carefully, shemanded. I will limit the heat to a point you can withstand. You will be safe. However, I need you to give it your all. Stare at the explosion until your eyes melt. Spread your senses and Dao awareness to perceive as much of the mysteries as you can. <em>Feel </em>the supernovaonly then will you be able to master it.

    Jack steeled himself, but he couldnt stop the gnawing terror. The implosion before his eyes was the strongest thing hed ever seen. Even from millions of miles away, he knew that its strength was enough to annihte entire sr systems in the blink of an eye, enough to destroy each and every B-Grade faction with ease.

    B-Grade cultivators could breaks? So what!? Before the true ancestral forces of the universe, even the strongest cultivators were nothing! Before Jacks very eyes, the universe was reiming its rightful throne!

    Jack watched with rapt attention. He tried to calm himself. All around him, he could sense terror in the Dao itself as the starpressed ever more. Particles swam with agitation as if the entire gxy was holding its breath in fear of what was about to happen. The orange shield seemed soft, like sswould it hold?

    And then, the shrinking was over. As the star contracted to a size so small Jack could barely see it, a titanic explosion covered the world. The Dao erupted. Space sank and shattered. A shockwave spread like Gods angry roar, and the universe itself was instantly colored with infinite destruction. It was a disy of power above and beyond anything else possible.

    For Jack, time slowed down. He focused his entire attention on the explosion, scouring it with his eyes and trying his best to feel the ripples of power through his Dao perception.

    Light appeared, and its intensity kept rising. It never stopped. Jack went blind. Master Huali had told him not to look away, but he didnt even have the chance to. Everything happened too quickly.

    At the same time, tremendous heat assaulted his body. He felt that he was in an open oven or a boiling cauldron. His strengthened body, with 815 Constitution and 90% increased efficacy, melted away like snow. His natural regeneration worked hard to stave off the copse, but it could do nothing for the waves of searing pain that red over his senses, not letting him perceive a thing.

    The heat reduced slightly, and Hualis voice rang in Jacks brain: <em>Focus! Endure! Observe the waves!</em>

    Jack didnt want to do that. He wanted to run away, to escape. However, something inside him forced him into focus. Some part of himself grabbed the panic and suppressed it with iron will. Steel swam in his veins; his soul was steady like an anchor.

    The pain remained, but he was in control. Still screaming, he tried to perceive through the pain, and what he saw was the Dao burning and vibrating with such intensity that it shocked him.

    His brain, trained by the Dao Vision of Space, caught on to a pattern. Then another. The heat of the supernova spread and affected the world in particr ways, ones that he could notprehend now, but that he could remember forter.

    His body kept melting. The pain was still shooting up. And yet, the more intense the pain, the sharper Jack focused. It felt like he had ascended beyond his body, as if he was a god, as if the pain was inconsequential and felt by someone else, not him. He was made not of flesh and blood, but of iron will and sharp focus, as well as the resolve to never, ever stop.

    In one moment of epiphany, he saw it. Though he had no eyes, the supernovas Dao reactions became clear, just like a blueprint burned into his brain.

    Suddenly, the heat disappeared. Jack felt his body pulledthoughthrough it was hard to feel anythingand then the miraculous state was gone, and the pain hed been ignoring so far returned fiercer than ever.

    Unfortunately, it was not enough to rob him of consciousness. It tried, but the Dao Root of Indomitable Will held strong, and the Dao of the Fist prevented Jack from giving up. No, scratch that; he didnt <em>want </em>to give up. He would persist. If not, then his name was not Jack Rust!

    The moments passed in agony. His regeneration worked hard to repair his body, but it wasnt for free. Under the pain, he felt exhausted. At the very least, he couldnt see himself, as he remained blind.

    An indeterminate amount of timeter, Jack was healedhis eyes camest, mercifully. He remained whole and mostly uninjured, with his miraculously pristine robes covering anyst burns he had left.

    Master Huali caught on to that, too.

    Those arent normal robes, are they? she asked, eyeing them with some confusion. Where did you get them?

    Trial, Jack answered truthfully. His voice came hoarse, but a voice nheless. In thest ring.

    You should hold on to them. Not many materials can survive that kind of heat.

    Jack felt so exhausted and traumatized that he had to force himself to pay attention. These robes had been given to him by Old Man Spirit when he broke into the D-Grade. Now, Jack was very d for that gift, as his clothes getting destroyed in battle had be all toomontely.

    I will, he replied simply. He caught Hualis eyes, and in them, he saw pity. Or was that regret?

    Im sorry you had to go through this, she said, but it was a worthy risk. On the path of cultivation, pain is nothing. Do you feel that you gained anything?

    Jack forced himself to chuckle. I saw some thingsbut only time will tell whether they help me or not.

    I certainly hope they do. Huali gave him ast, approving look before standing and cing her hands on the helm, which immediately started glowing. Lets head back. There is already a hot meal waiting for youyoure going to need it.

    Jack smiled, still syed on the floor. Yes. And, master?

    Yes, Jack?

    Thank you. For the experience.

    She smiled at himand, if any of her smiles were honest, it was this one. No problem.

 Chapter 260: Ripping Off the Library

    Chapter 260: Ripping Off the Library

    The return trip was quick. Within a minute of recovering, Jack found himself in the mountaintop mansion, where arge meal was already prepared for him. There were sparkling steaks, rich sds, pies and fruit and cheese of all kinds.

    Jack gaped. This is all for me!? he asked.

    Of course it is, Huali replied. You used up a lot of energy just now. These are all products of D-Grade beasts. A single of these steaks would be enough to sustain an army of F-Grades for a week. For you Well, I hope this table will suffice. We can prepare more if needed.

    I It is plenty! Jack eximed quickly. Thank you, master. This is great.

    I hope so. Huali nodded. Unfortunately, I have other business to attend to, so I cannot keep youpany. I wish you happy adventuring, Jack. Return safe and strong.

    I will try my best.

    I expect nothing less. With a smile, she cracked the door open and walked out. Enjoy your meal.

    Jack was currently in a room adjacent to the kitchens, though the soundproofed walls could hide that fact. There was nothing besides himself, the food-stuffed table, and a few wooden chairsthis must be where the cooks ate. With onest, respectful nod at the closed door, Jack picked a chair at random and sat down to eat. He really was exhausted.

    It was the best food hed ever had. Meat that melted on the tongue, rich with vor and juices; fruits and vegetables which infused his entire body with vitality; even the cheese was heavenly, with each bite activating his taste buds in different ways.

    By the end of the meal, Jack was swimming in ecstasy, and hed only eaten three quarters of the foodhe simply couldnt have another bite.

    Man, he sighed, leaning back in his chair with hands foldedfolder over his belly, what a meal

    As he rxed, the insights hed gotten from watching the supernova tried toe to the fore. They wanted to be inspected, investigated, understood. Yet, Jack pushed them back; there would be time to meditateter. For now, he had more things to do.

    Allowing himself five minutes of rxation, he then pushed off the chair with a grunt. His eyes scanned the remaining food regretfully; it really pained him to let it go to waste.

    On the bright side, he didnt need to.

    Mustering his courage, Jack walked to the nearby kitchen and asked to take the remainder with him. The cook threw him a funny look but didnt decline. She even gave him a yellow metal box that would preserve the taste. Therefore, Jack left the mansion whistling and with the food of gods in his lunchbox.

    The next stop was the library.

    He took to the air, crossing the estate under theplicated gazes of the servants to arrive at the pyramidic building that housed the estates wealth of knowledge. This time, the librarian met him at the door.

    Jack, he said with a slight smile. His white robes flowed in the soft breeze, as did his long, silver beard. Shol told me you were a talented young man, but I have to admit, I still underestimated you. Making enemies of an Elder? Brave.

    Isnt that the duty of a disciple, brother Okmer? To make enemies of his masters enemies? Jack replied smiling.

    It is indeed. Have youe to choose your remaining two items?

    Right.

    Then,e on in.

    The inside of the library was as empty asst time. Spiraling bookcases climbed the walls, hiding enough knowledge to blind any mortal sage. There were books upon books, mystical texts, Dao Visions, weapons, armors, and all sorts of mysterious items.

    Jack was a man of science. He would have loved to spend months here, reading about the mysteries of the universe and the discoveries of a million-year-old gctic civilization. Unfortunately, fate hadnt given him time, only enemies.

    <em>Later, </em>he promised himself, steeling his mind.

    Hed had a long time to consider what kind of items he wanted. In the few weeks hed been here, this had been one of his primary concerns, and he had settled on three options, of which he could only choose two: an escape treasure, a treasure that could increase his meditation speed, and a new Dao Vision. Thankfully, the supernova hed just witnessed took the ce of a Dao Vision, so Jacks mind was set.

    Of course, he still needed to see what specific items the library had to offer.

    First of all, I would like a treasure that can increase my speed of understanding the Dao, he said. Is that something you can offer?

    Since he would be leveling with extreme speed in the following months, he needed the Dao insight to match. Even if he did find one such treasure, and even if hebined it with the Dao Soul he already possessed, matching his Dao understanding with his cultivation speed would be a struggle.

    The librarian fell silent for a moment. It is, he finally replied. I do have one item like thatthough it is usually reserved for deacons.

    Jack sensed the opening. Come on, big brother. I can y a crucial part in the contest for the next Grand Elder. Im sure Master Huali would approve of a little courtesy.

    Thats true. Okmer nodded. Fine. Here.

    He raised his hand, and an item floated down from the highest level of the library. It was a twelve-sided ss box, within which flickered a phantasmal crimson me tongue. Jack tried to inspect it but came up with nothing.

    This is a me of Understanding, Okmer exined as the box floated into his open palm. At the end of their life, a C-Grade may choose to condense all their Dao Fruits into a me such as this. By ingesting it, a D-Grade cultivator can elerate their cultivation speed by approximately three times for a limited time period. It is an extremely valuable treasureand, obviously, extremely rare.

    Hmm. When you say ingest, do you mean that this is a one-time use item?

    Precisely.

    I see. Jacks eyes narrowed, and he hastily nodded at the librarian. It was clear this was the best he could get. Thank you. This means a lot to me.

    Dont worry. Okmer waved a hand. We have more of them. Investing one in such a talented cultivator is no waste at all.

    Then, I will take it. Thank you very much.

    The box itself is also a minor treasure, Okmer said as he handed over the item, but no need to worry about returning it. You can keep it to store any vtile items you harvest in yourexcursions.

    Thats great. Jack pocketed the boxit barely fit, being the size of his fist. Can I ask you one more thing? Howe I couldnt inspect this? I thought that every high-rank item could be inspected. I could even do it on some E- and F-Grades treasures on my home.

    Okmer smirked. The question isnt whether an item <em>can </em>be inspected, but whether <em>you </em>can inspect it. What if your Intelligence, if you dont mind me asking?

    Um I dont really have that. All I have is Mental, which is at around two hundred, including the added Title efficiencies.

    Ah. Pretty good for a Physical cultivator. However, two hundred is just too low to inspect any high-level items.

    I see, Jack replied. Now, it made sense why he couldnt inspect the Dao Sprouting Pill at Trial, or basically anything in the Final Ring, including Old Man Spirit. Hed always found that weird. Thank you for the information.

    No problem. By the way, have you made any progress with the Dao Vision of Space you gotst time? I have a few tips to share.

    Ive alreadyprehended it, actually. Here, you can have it back. Jack fished the globe from his robes and handed it to the librarian, who couldnt help but raise a brow.

    Youprehended it?

    I did.

    In two weeks?

    Right.

    Well, thats impressive. In my four-hundred-year career of being the librarian here, you are the first person to do that. Okmer could barely contain his surprise. Are you certain youprehended it fully? Did you piece together the image and decode the vampire immortals finger movements? Did you perceive the dance of space particles?

    Yes, yes, and yes. I struggled a lot, if it makes you feel any better, Jack replied with a wry smile. Took me several days of non-stop meditation.

    Admirable! Okmer eximed. Experiencing the space shambling again and again while your memories deteriorate is the hardest part of this Dao Visionbut it seems you managed to skip that by going all-in. A risky prospect, as failure could have set you back to the very beginning, but an interesting one. Your willpower is admirable.

    It was just in line with my Dao.

    Dont underestimate yourself, my young friend. D-Grades are the best of the best, but nobody could do what you did. I cannot help but wonder what youve been through to develop such mental fortitude.

    Jacks smile darkened a hint. I just never had a choice, he replied.

    Of course. Forgive me for asking. Perhaps, when things calm down, we could exchange stories over a bottle of Star Dew?

    Jack didnt know what that was, but it sounded alcoholic. He smiled. It would be my pleasure, Okmer.

    Great! Then, I shouldnt keep you too long; have you decided on your third item as well?

    I havekind of. Back in the F-Grade, I once fought a guy who used a magical device to teleport away after he lost a fight. Is there something simr for D-Grades?

    An escape talisman, Okmer said, nodding. Smart choice. A D-Grade version does exist, but its a highly valuable item, so I can only give you one.

    One is plenty.

    Then, here.

    A wooden que appeared out of thin air between them, almost causing Jack to jumphed forgotten about Okmers ability to suppress the presence of things. The wooden que was rectangr in shape, three inches tall, andpletely smooth, save for the word ESCAPE written vertically on its surface in thick ck ink.

    Even just by looking at it, Jack could feel the Dao of Space thickly condensed inside the wood.

    This is an escape talisman meant for use by peak D-Grades, Okmer exined proudly. If you break it, you will instantly teleport one thousand miles in the direction of your choosingway farther than the perception range of any D-Grade. Moreover, the spatial turbulence left behind will be so chaotic as to be untraceable. Just make sure to keep running, as a peak D-Grade can cross a thousand miles fairly quickly.

    Thats exactly what I was looking for! Jack replied, excitedly pocketing the talisman. Thanks, Okmer. Youre the best.

    I try. Okmers smile was wide, though slightlyplex. Jack couldnt tell why, so he simply let it pass.

    Thats all from me, Jack said. If theres nothing else

    Okmer reached out for a handshake. As Jack shook the hand, however, the librarians voice rang telepathically in his mind.

    <em>There is one more thing, </em>he said. <em>Master Huali contacted me some minutes ago. She asked that, when you show up, I was to give you this.</em>

    Before Jack could reply, he felt something appear between his hand and the librarians. It was an object that felt small, round, smooth, and cool to the touchlike a bead of ice.

    <em>A high-level storage bead. Break it, and you will unleash power equivalent to the full-power attack of an early C-Grade. It only works once, so make it count.</em>

    <em>Wow. Thanks, Omer.</em>

    <em>Thank our master. These things are vanishingly rare.</em>

    Thanks to the mental powers of immortals, this telepathic conversation took ce in only a fraction of a second. On the outside, their handshake had beenpletely normal.

    Always a pleasure, Okmer, Jack said like nothing had happened. He retracted his hand, gently wrapped around his new treasure, then used his Dao to move it inside his sleeve. From there, it flew into an inner pocket of his robes. See you soon!

    Good luck, Jack. May luck be on your side!

    Armed with a Dao treasure, an escape talisman, a C-Grades full-power attack in pocket edition, and significantly higher chances of survival, Jack waved goodbye to the elderly librarian and flew away. He couldnt help the smile on his face.

    <em>Why the secrecy, though? </em>he wondered. <em>Could people be watching us even here, inside Master Hualis estate? Or is Okmer just being paranoid?</em>

    <em>Well, whatever. Ill just be careful too. Next stop </em>His smile widened. <em>Brock!</em>

 Chapter 261: Seeing Oneâ€™s Friends

    Chapter 261: Seeing One¡¯s Friends

    The bromobilended on an empty patch of ground near the town gates. The door slid open in a puff of steam; a man walked out, then raised his hand, and the entire starship shrank and flew into his sleeve.

    The Outer, Jack said to himself, inspecting the walls and gates that any immortal could just fly over. He cracked a smile. Almost nostalgic.

    He had met with his master and watched a supernova erupt. He had visited the library and equipped himself for the perilous adventure ahead. Now, only one thing remained; Brock.

    There was a line for the town gates, but everyone had already spotted him and moved away; his fluttering orange cape, signifying him as an inner disciple,manded their respect. Only the guard in duty hadnt noticed Jack yet, busy rummaging through some paperwork.

    Next! he finally shouted. Jack stepped forth, and only now did the guard raise his eyes. Hey bro, what can I help you Oh <em>shit, </em>youre a big bro!

    Jack raised an amused brow. This was arge, slim, dark-skinned man that seemed full of energy. The guard reached out for a fist-bump, which Jack bemusedly returned. Im just here to see a friend, he replied.

    Of course, no problem! Inner disciples get a free pass. Go right in.

    Jack nodded and walked past, still with a smirk on his face. Of course, he could have flown over the walls or justnded in Brocks backyard, but there was no need to get disrespectful.

    As he crossed the empty streets, he watched the town calmly. The situation here seemed better thanst time. There was less fear in the air, less of an unkempt vibe. In fact, he could regrly see people working on the towns well-being, gathering garbage or removing tasteless graffiti while leaving the good ones alone. They wore smiles on their faces and worked with zeal, humming tunes that Jack didnt recognize.

    <em>What a transformation, </em>he told himself. <em>I wonder what caused it.</em>

    A few feet away from Jack, a pedestrian wasnt paying attention and almost ran into a worker tending to the street-side nts. Appearance-wise, both seemed like gangsters. Woah, the first guy said, hurriedly jumping aside. My bad, bro.

    Its okay, bro. Enjoy the rest of your day.

    You too.

    They fist-bumped and went about their separate lives.

    Jack frowned over the exchange. <em>Nah, </em>he thought. <em>Must be my imagination. Come to think of it, the entrance guard was a bit weird too, wasnt he?</em>

    The more he walked, the odder the town got. Everyone was going about their jobs with purpose. People smiled and greeted each other on the street. Safety and jovialty had taken over the town, like everyone was cooperating instead ofpeting.

    They didnt even recoil at the sight of Jacks orange cape, as they had the first time. He received respect, but not fear. Notplete and utter subservience. In fact, he had the suspicion that if he tried to bully anyone, the entire town would rise up against him.

    Since thest time he was here, their life quality of life had increased tenfold!

    <em>What the fuck? </em>Jack couldnt help wondering, eyes zing over the mysteries he witnessed. <em>Is this No. It cant be.</em>

    Salin, Nauja, and Brocks home was close to the town gates, thankfully, so Jack could solve this enigma faster. He reached their door and knocked on it. A momentter, he began to wonder if they werent home. Not that finding them would be particrly difficult, but it would be a pain.

    The door opened wide. Sup, said Salin, greeting Jack with a stern, imposing presence that he <em>definitely </em>didnt possess a while ago. In the next moment, his eyes widened, his chest deted, his jaw softened, and he returned to being the Gan Salin that everyone knew and loved. Jack! Youre here! he eximed, turning to the inside of the house. Guys, its Jack!

    Happy monkey noises came from inside as Brock rushed over, ducking under Salins outstretched arm and giving Jack a manly hug. To his surprise, Jack realized that Brock now reached his chest in heighthe just kept growing.

    Big bro! the brori said with a wide smile, which Jack returned.

    Brock! How are you doing, buddy?

    Great.

    Oh hey, its big bro! a guy shouted off the street. As Jack turned around, ted to finally be recognized, he noticed that everyone was looking not at him, but at Brock. Every single passing pedestrian nodded to the brori, gave a thumbs up, or found some other way to convey their respect before moving on. Brock gave everyone a slight nod.

    Jack was left speechless. This is No. How?

    Brock magic, Salin exined with augh, stepping aside to let Nauja pass. The barbarian girl was the only one looking exactly as Jack had left her. <em>Thank God.</em>

    Been a while, Jack, she said, wrapping him into a hug. How have you been? We heard some rumors that you killed a guy.

    Oh, yeah. He was being a dick.

    I understand.

    Wait till you hear what else I did. But first Brock, what the fuck?

    The brori smiled so brightly Jack thought hed go blind again. The supernova would look at those teeth with jealousy. Bro code, was all he said, as if it was self-exnatory.

    Jack frowned in thought. Do you mean that you taught these people the bro code? How to be proper bros?

    Yes.

    To an entire town.

    Not yet.

    Brock here is the most talented team captain I have ever seen, Salin stepped in. You should have seen him, Jack. I dont know if its magic or sheer charisma, but hes pulling everyone in. Were talking genuine gangsters seeing the light. Enemies bing brothers in a single week. I swear to the System, give this guy ten minutes with literally anyone on the and hell convince them to call him big bro.

    Jack turned an incredulous gaze to Brock. How the hell did you do that!?

    Brock shrugged. It easy because it true.

    Of course its true, Nauja added. Its how we always lived in Barbarian Ring. Took you cultivators long enough.

    But Jack was struggling to wrap his mind around this. But what aboutpeting for resources? Resolving disputes? Arrogant young masters?

    I dont know what thatst part means, but for resources, like hunting grounds or experience balls, wepete over them fair and square, no hard feelings, Salin exined. As for disputes, resolving them is very easy when all parties have good intentions.

    Wow.

    Jack was impressed. More than that, he was ted. His little bro was actually doing great!

    To be fair, its mostly the Dao at work, Nauja exined, but also that Brock is a seriously charismatic guy.

    Despite only being able to say, like, three words. Salinughed.

    But isnt that mind control? Jack wondered.

    Its instilling a healthy mindset. But hey, you can call it whatever you want. It works.

    Yeah, I guess it does.

    On his way here, most people had a spring to their step, fire in their eyes, and happy smiles on their faces. Whatever Brock was doing, it was clearly good for everyone, so Jack dropped the issue.

    I want to hear everything, he said with a smile. Can Ie in?

    Brock nodded. Yes.

    ***

    Once again, Jack sat down for a cup of tea, but this time, he finished it. Nobody disturbed them. He stayed with Brock, Nauja, and Salin for three hours, listening to them detailing their adventures in the nearby forest. His jaw dropped.

    Theyd fought beasts and ogres, then recruited everyone they met to push even deeper into the dangerous areas. They went the high-risk high-reward route, and thanks to Brocks excellent leadership, it paid off in spades.

    <strong>Brori, Level 115 (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>A gori variant from Green. Broris usually live with Gymonkeys and train them in the ways of working out. It is due to the Broris unmatched pecks that Gymonkeys use poop to fightthey consider themselves too weak for anything else.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Broris are usually calm, measured animals. However, if anyone harms their little cousins or invades their territory, they go bananas.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr brori is a variant that visually resembles a gymonkey. Though not weaker than other broris, the members of this variant are often shunned due to theirck of bulging muscles.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>That is not the case for this specimen. Through intense determination, it has achieved greater strength than its species norm, as well as a Dao Root. Despite that, it remains an adolescent. Due to this specimens potential, taming or ying it are advised.</em></strong>

    <strong>Canine (Earth-387), Level 103 (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

    <strong>Human (Trial), Level 123 (E-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Exploding Sun (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Seventh Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Everyone who followed them benefited greatly, too, and their casualties were minimal. That excursion was repeated twice more, with their numbers increasing each time until Brock had to set his foot down and limit their followers to forty-seven. Including the three of them, they were fifty strong, and the brori felt that was the maximum numberamount of people he could coordinate effectively.

    Jack had known that Brock was strong, so he wasnt surprised to hear about his performance in battle. However, sincemunication had always been difficult, hed never realized that his little bro was so intelligent, too! Let alone a gifted leader.

    I am so proud of you, Brock, he said, making the broris chest inte like a balloon. And Im so d you remained here, where your talents can shine.

    But not forever, Brock replied with a toothy grin.

    Not forever. We are bros. We go together. This is just a training break so we can truly fight side-by-sideter on.

    Good.

    Jack smiled. On that note I, uh, may have done something risky.

    And so, he went on to tell them about the events following his murder of Dan Bolon: Monsoons arrival, the heated exchange over the estate, and his agreed-upon duel against Head Disciple Qian in six months.

    You will fight the head inner disciple!? Salin asked, gaping. Are you insane, too!? But <em>Im</em> supposed to be the insane one. Dont steal what makes me special.

    What will you do? Nauja asked with narrowed eyes. Youre still so many levels away. There is no way you can be strong enough in time. Do you have a n?

    <em>I </em>have a n! Salin eximed. First, you be the worlds best thief. Then, you sneak up to that guy, steal a couple dozen levels, and boom! You win.

    Jackughed. There is a n, actuallyits just a little bit risky. In hushed tones, and spreading his perception to make sure nobody was eavesdropping, he exined hising excursion into Hell.

    Okay, I take it back; you can be the crazy one. Salin shook his head. You know thats suicide, right?

    Sounds good to me, Nauja disagreed. Whats the point of living if youre a coward?

    Living.

    She threw him an empty look. But You confuse me so much, Salin.

    Exactly. Im a big mysterybut a good one! Now, Jack, I have to say that despite my token misgivings, I also approve of your n very much. You know why? Because its insane.

    Thanks, Salin, he replied. Way to encourage me.

    Anytime.

    It good, Brock finally replied, having considered the issue thoroughly while the others joked around. Two bananarms with one hand. Kill the enemy and get levels. Danger, yes, but possibility of survival, and for strong big bro, possibility of survival mean survival. I approve.

    Jack stared. Your vocabry is really growing, Brock. You can speak now.

    Always could speak, Brock replied, just not with mouth.

    But how are you getting better this fast?!

    Because words are my bros.

    Yeah, I could have guessed that. Jackughed again. He liked his friends. Heughed a lot herein the estate, not too often. He grabbed his cup and brought it to his mouth, finding it empty.

    I could refill that, Salin offered, but Jack shook his head.

    Its fine. I really should get going, anyway. Shol will chew me out if Imte.

    The other three exchanged a look and nodded, following Jack as he stood. It was great seeing you, man, Salin said. Really. We may live in differents currently, but we havent forgotten about you. You do the same, alright?

    It goes without saying. Bros once, bros for life.

    Jack reached out to shake Salins hand, then pulled him into a hug. Oof! the canine exined. Controlyourstrength!

    Oh, sorry. He hurriedly let the guy go. Still, really good to see you.

    Jack! Nauja eximed, also diving into his arms. We miss you, alright? Especially Brock. If you let anything happen to you, Ill shoot an arrow all the way from here to your eye.

    Ill keep that in mind. Once again, heughed carefreely. Only here, with his friends, could he truly rx.

    Nauja pulled away, leaving only Brock, who approached Jack and gave him a thin, confident smile. You will be okay, he said. I believe in you.

    And I believe in you, Brock. Keep making me proud. When I return, lets go to Earth together and kick some ass.

    Yes.

    Oh, by the way, I brought you lunch. He retrieved the lunch box in which hed ced the remains of the D-Grade meal he had in Hualis estate. I ate some as well, but it should be of help to you, Brock. It contains a lot of energy.

    Brock received the lunch box tenderly. One sniff was enough to raise all his fur on end. Thanks, bro.

    Youre wee.

    The two had a big, long hug, then pulled away at the same time and fist-bumped. Only now, exchanging goodbyes with Brock asplete equals, did Jack realize that his little bro had grown up. He was a man now.

    It was touching.

    See you around, little bro. You too, guys, Jack said, walking away. The other three apanied him to the door.

    Take care, Jack!

    Remember to take a coat!

    See you, bro.

    Jack waved, smiled, and flew away. His surging pride over Brocks progress didnt abate for many minutes. Finally, when he was in the bromobile and halfway to the inner, he managed to turn his mind to other matters.

    All his loose ends had been tied. He was ready to go to Hell.

 Chapter 262: A Cultivatorâ€™s Guide to the Galaxy

    Chapter 262: A Cultivator¡¯s Guide to the Gxy

    The sky flickered with red and purple gasses in the far distance, as if the clouds had retreated deep into space. Under that sky, Hualis estate was serene. Creeks pulsed with water, plinking as it fell from stone to stone, while small animals darted left and right, coexisting with the many servants and cultivators wandering the premises.

    Jack took a deep breath. This would be thest time he saw this ce in a long whileif ever. He hadnt even managed to fill his cerbut that was the cultivator life. Always traveling. Always fighting. Always pushing forward.

    Putting his sentimentalism aside, Jack crossed thest mile to reach Shols cabin, where he found the monk waiting with arms crossed before his door.

    Jack, Shol greeted him.

    Shol, Jack replied,nding smoothly. Thanks for waiting.

    No problem. I also had some things to do. He looked over Jack, who carried nothing but the robes on his body and whatever his pockets could fit. Are you ready?

    I was born ready.

    Excellent, because so was I.

    How are we getting to Hell?

    My contact responded already, Shol exined. We have to reach the Brian Outpost in the Animal Kingdom constetion. From there, we will travel to the Eternal Gate, a smaller outpost connected to Hell. It is there that we will meet my contact.

    So we have to get that close to Hell by ourselves? What if we are spotted?

    Dont worry. Well get a Disguise Pill for you, and even if an immortal recognizes you through the disguise, they will not dare act with me present. Neither the Brian Outpost nor the Eternal Gate are considered private territories, so there wont be many checks.

    I see.

    The only problem is that we need to get a starship. We may not find er, and mine is in for repairs, soe and well ask Okmer to

    I have a starship, actually.

    You do? Shol raised a brow. A real one?

    What do you mean?

    Can it teleport?

    Yes.

    Jack had never used his starships teleportation function, but Old Man Spirit had mentioned its existence.

    Then, great. Nice thinking, getting one ahead of time. As expected of my former student.

    Jackughed. He waved his sleeve and a small, needle-shaped object flew out, erging to the size of a proper starship. We call it the bromobile, he said proudly.

    Hmm. Shol inspected it with curiosity; from its cyan walls, to the t behind, to the windshield, which he rapped with his knuckles. Solid construction. Where did you get this?

    Trial.

    Ah. He didnt press the issue further. And I suppose you call it bromobile because you and Brock are bros, and because this starship is a mobile object.

    Kind of. Ever heard of Batman?

    Who?

    Nevermind.

    Shol gave the starship a final, appraising look, then nodded. Very well. I approve. If youre ready, we can be off.

    Alright! Jack smiled. Shol. To the bromobile!

    Iam already here?

    Ignoring Shols questioning gaze, Jackughed and opened the sliding door. Inside the starship, the two had just enough space to befortablea far cry from the spacious Trampling Ram.

    Thinking to that point, Jack couldnt help wondering what happened to the Ram and the rest of its crew. Thest he knew of them was that theyd run away, heavily injured after Captain Dordok was captured by the Hounds.

    <em>Did they survive? </em>he wondered. <em>Or</em>

    I like your furniture, Shol said, finding a slim seat and reclining into it. The back bent slightly to amodate him. Oh This is nice.

    d you like it, Shol, because from this point onward, you are officially promoted to my sidekick.

    What? I am your venerable senior. If anything, <em>you </em>are <em>my </em>sidekick.

    Oh yeah? Wheres your starship? Your sholmobile?

    Shol grumbled. I would never give it such a dumb name.

    And thats why you are the sidekick. Youck imagination and grumble a lot, with a witty line here and there. Youre perfect.

    I have received betterpliments. Now, if youre done spouting nonsense, take us to the Center Moon. We can teleport to Derion, and from there, directly to the Brian Outpost.

    You know what? I just had an idea. I think I will take us to the Center Moon, from where we can teleport to Derion and then the Brian Outpost.

    Shol closed his eyes and sighed. Is it toote to change my mind?

    Yep. Off we go! Jack ced his hand on the helm and it shone cyan, the starship smoothly rising off the ground and catapulting itself into the sky. Thanks to its Dao enhancements, the eleration hit them muffled, letting furniture and cultivators remain in their spot.

    Once again, Shol nodded in approval.

    What did Master want with you, by the way? he asked.

    She showed me a supernova.

    She did!? Shols eyes widened for a moment before narrowing back down. I suppose thats to be expected. Her reputation is riding on your sess as well. However, to witness a supernova up close Did you develop the Supernova Dao Skill?

    Not yet. But I got some insights. In time, I think Ill manage it.

    Thats excellent! Shols voice was colored with excitement now. Its a supreme skill. If you really can master it, it will help a lot The reason Qian is stronger than me is precisely because of this skill.

    Really? I assumed he was a swordsman.

    He is, but so what? He has a shing variant.

    Oh.

    A few centuries ago, Master also took me to watch an explosion Shol said in a low voice, then shook his head. But even now, there is always something missing. A final insight to tie everything together. Perhaps this adventure will be the turning point I need to figure it out.

    I believe you can do it. Do you often go out to adventure, Shol? Or do you cultivate in the sect?

    In the sect, mostly. Not because I want to, but because my responsibilities as a deacon hold me back Plus, there arent many ces in the gxy for someone of my strength. Inter-faction tournaments and sparring against my fellow disciples is the best I can get.

    Hmm. I understand the difficulty of finding a ce to train, but as for those responsibilities If its holding you back, why do you remain a deacon? Why not resign and go explore the gxy?

    What bullshit are you spouting now? Shol snorted. I have my honor. The faction helped me be who I amwithout them, I would be nothing. When the Exploding Sun and Master Huali invested in me, it came with the unspoken agreement that I would pay back that investment by working for the sect. I cant just take what they gave me and walk away. What sort of person does that?

    Jack didnt reply immediately. He gazed deeply at Shol, taking in his orange robes, the goatee, the hard lines around his eyes and mouth. He thought back to when Shol was teaching him. This was a harsh man, both to others and himself. A man who would rather break than bend.

    Jack could respect that. The Fist stirred inside him, pulsing with approval.

    Come to think of it, he asked, Ive never seen you fight, Shol. Whats your Dao?

    Shol stared aggressively for another moment, then rxed. Explosion.

    Ah. It suits you.

    Idiot disciple. Of course it does, the monk responded harshly, but cracked a smile. And you are quite a fistful yourself.

    Thanks!

    Theypsed into silence afterward, each lost in their own thoughts. The sr gasses flowed beyond the windows, an ever-changing kaleidoscope. Before long, theynded on the Center Moon.

    Dont forget about this, Shol said, handing Jack a familiar pill. Jack ingested it immediately. In moments, his hair grew longer, his body got shorter, and his muscles lost some volume. Moreover, his facial structure warped and clicked into a different configuration, making him seem like a totally different person.

    Man, Jack said in a slightly altered, natural-sounding voice, no matter how strong I get, Disguise Pills remain creepy.

    A necessary evil, not-Jack. You look great. Lets go.

    They disembarked, and Jack pocketed his starship as they approached the teleportater.

    The minute they spotted Shol, every guard and attendant stood at attention. Deacon Shol! they called out. We pay our respects, sir!

    At ease, Shol replied easily. Teleport us to Derion.

    Yes, sir!

    As he stepped into the teleporter, Jack mentally bade farewell to the Exploding Sun. It had been a pleasant and fruitful month. Who knew if hed ever make it back?

    <em>No, I certainly will, </em>he realized, eyes hardening. <em>Because Brock is here. And I would never leave him behind.</em>

    Space swam around them, and in the next moment, they were hurtling through the stars. Gasses and meteors and sr systems passed them by as the endless gxy shrunk to amodate their trip. No matter how many times Jack witnessed this, it remained extraordinarily beautifs well as humbling.

    When space stabilized, they were in one of the many teleporters of Derion, the poison.

    Jack expected a multi-day wait here, as had happened thest time he passed by. However, the moment the guards caught sight of Shol, they stood at attention just like the ones on Center Moon.

    Deacon Shol!, everyone called out, and the busy teleportation hub skidded to a halt.

    At ease, Shol growled. Everything continued like nothing had happened, except for the reverent gazes they received and the peak E-Grade guard who rushed to assist them. Were going to the Brian Outpost, Shol informed him.

    Of course, sir. Please,e this way.

    Jack was speechless. No buzzers, no waiting in line, no fees, no questions. This was the luxury of the powerful!

    Hey, he whispered, sneaking up to Shols side, are you going to receive this kind of attention everywhere?

    If so, that would be troublesome. They were trying to be low-key.

    No, Shol replied simply. Few people will recognize me outside the Exploding Sun territory.

    Thats good.

    Following the guard, they instantly cut through a long lo everyone elses frustrationand entered thergest teleporter around, a behemoth with a radius of several dozen feet. They were surrounded byrge crates stacked almost to the fifteen-foot-high ceiling, as well as people of all species and levels. Jack inspected themnone belonged to the Animal Kingdom faction.

    Merchants, Shol exined, waving one of them away when she tried to introduce herself.

    Once again, space warped around them, and theyunched through the gxy at even greater speeds than before, zooming past stars and every other kind of ster object. They crossed an entire constetion in moments, appearing at the Brian Outpost, near the very core of the Animal Kingdom constetion.

    Jack could scarcely believe theyd traveled so far in such little time. In his mind, he was still at the Center Moon.

    This was his second time at the Outpost. The first had been when he went to Trial with Gan Salin. Unlike that time, however, he now had time to look around.

    Unlike Derion, the Brian Outpost was efficient and neatly organized. The Animal Kingdoms tyrannical administration had its benefits; people crowded in rapidly-moving lines, the bureaucracy kept to a minimum to facilitate speed. Feshkurs ran left and right, using their powerful, boney gray bodies to unload crates off teleporters and load them with new ones.

    However, despite the seeming efficiency of this teleportation hub, Jack noticed one teleporter with a massive, slow-moving line in front of it. A quick scan revealed that everyone on that line was E-Grade, and they didnt look particrly rich, either. In typical Animal Kingdom fashion, the Brian Outpost had just thrown everyone unimportant in one line to make things easy for everybody else.

    We can get through here in moments, Shol leaned in to exin, but if youre poor and weak, it could even take you a month. The Animal Kingdom is no ce for losers.

    Jack nodded. There was no point in thinking about this further; he already didnt like the Kingdom, so their tant elitism changed nothing.

    Shol led him to a particr teleporter with slightly more guards stationed around it, all of them D-Grades. Before Jack had time to panic, they were stopped by a towering feshkur with a sledgehammer strapped to his hip. You have a disguised immortal with you, the feshkur said. We must see his real face and Status first.

    I am a Deacon of the Exploding Sun, here on official business, Shol retorted. Mypanion would like to remain anonymous.

    The feshkur scanned them both, then turned to his fellow guards and exchanged a few nces. Okay, he said, stepping aside, but be warned that yourpanion will need to drop his disguise before essing any Animal Kingdom core territory.

    Noted.

    Jack held back the sigh of relief that almost escaped his mouth as he followed Shol into the teleporter.<em> That was close,</em> he said mentally, not daring to whisper.

    <em>There was no need to worry. Our factions exchange anonymous representatives all the time, </em>Shol replied. <em>You wouldnt imagine the kinds of business some C-Grades are up to.</em>

    <em>Do I want to know?</em>

    <em>No.</em>

    <em>Good.</em>

    Space warped around them. Jack sensed it through his newfound awareness of the Dao of Space, a methodical tearing of the veil behind which hid nothingness.

    <em>Wait a moment, </em>he realized. <em>If this teleportation works the same way as mine, why isnt it instant? How can I see the stars and space in-between as I travel?</em>

    Before he could consider the issue further, space was torn asunder, and he was once againunched through the stars. Next stop, the Eternal Gate. And shortly afterwardHell!

 Chapter 263: Entering Hell

    Chapter 263: Entering Hell

    The Eternal Gate was as dead as Derion, the poison, except in a different way.

    As soon as Jack arrived, he noticed the absence of wind. The air was thin here, making breathing difficult, and there was no sound to be heard. No squawking of animals, no birds flying overhead, no activity in the barren, tndscape. There were few nts, mostly colored a grayish green that made them seem half-dead.

    This nket of silence fell heavy over the, influencing the people who stayed here. Nobody spoke much. All Jack saw was a vige of teleporters surrounded by silent camps of waiting people. Again, it reminded him of Derion, though this ce looked less like the Wild West and more like a graveyard without tombstones.

    Is there a reason why teleportation hubs are ced on deads? he inquired, leaning closer to Shol to whisper.

    They tend to upset the local economy. Plus, the existence of so many high-Grade cultivators is unsafe for the poption. cing these hubs in deads makes them much easier to manage, and it also makes use of otherwise useless space.

    I see.

    The presence of the Animal Kingdom was strong here. Guards were everywhere, all sorts of half-animal half-people hybrids with hard res and steel weapons. There were even several D-Grades present, including a half-cat woman at thete D-Grade. Undoubtedly, there were even peak D-Grades or even C-Grades here, so close to the epicenter of the Animal Kingdoms influence, but they remained hidden.

    All those immortals threw Jack dirty res, noticing his disguise, but Shols presence was enough of a guarantee to let him slide.

    State your business, a middle D-Grade guard ordered, singling them out from the crowd.

    A business meeting, Shol replied simply. The guard stared, waiting for Shol to borate. He did not. Eventually, the guard grunted and stepped aside, letting them pass into the. Your details have been taken, he informed them. You have permission to remain here for three days. If you require more

    Thats plenty, Shol cut him off, walking away under the guards re. Jack followed quickly.

    Is it really? he asked.

    Youll see.

    Jack rolled his eyes. You take after Master. She said the same cryptic shit too.

    If you must know, we will only be here for a few minute, Shol retorted calmly. However, you should speak about your master with a little more respect.

    Oh no, I like surprises. Im just saying.

    Then you should perhaps say less and think more.

    And you should take it a little easier. Were far from home now. A little joke here and there helps us stay sharp.

    Shol grunted nonmittedly. Jack followed him into the camp next to the teleportation hub, where entire crowds of cultivators awaited their turn. Some stayed in tents, others in their starships, and some, the most confident ones, simply sat down cross-legged and meditated.

    Very few of the people present belonged to the Animal Kingdom, and Jack could easily imagine why; the Kingdoms cultivators took priority in teleportation. As did D-Grades, as evidenced by the fact that everyone here was at the E-Grade. Jack and Shol themselves had received no buzzer or ticket to indicate their turn in line. They could teleport whenever they wanted to.

    I understand the concept, Jackmented, but I have to admit that this tant favoritism kinda rubs me the wrong way.

    Its efficient, Shol responded.

    Then why dont you use it?

    Because it rubs us the wrong way. But its efficient.

    Jackughed. Do you follow the Dao of the Contrarian?

    Im just speaking the truth, Shol replied, then sighed. Sorry. Being here has put me on edge.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. Hmm. Do you think well be discovered?

    ...No.

    Shol?

    I dont think so. There is a chance. But I dont think so.

    Alright. I trust you.

    As you should. I didnte here to be doubted by some kid thats still wet behind the ears.

    That kid has really hard knuckles, too. Wanna see?

    At this, Shol finally cracked a smile. Save your bravado for fifty levelster. Right now, youre one explosive p away from bing paste.

    And <em>you </em>are very outspoken for a sidekick.

    Shol chuckled. Both were men of action; such light-hearted jousts made their blood boil, lifting their spirits.

    Were here, Shol finally said, approaching a starship parked between a red and a green tent. It was needle-shaped, as were most of them, but it wasrge, easily three times the size of the Trampling Ram. In fact, this ship towered so high over its surroundings that Jack had spotted it the moment they arrived at this.

    A crew of feshkurs were frantically unloadingrge crates and stacking them in front of the ship, while a woman wearing a tattered brown cape oversaw them. Jack scanned her.

    <strong>Feshkur, Level 156</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Fourth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    The rest of the feshkurs also belonged to the Animal Kingdom, though they were at the E-Grade.

    Unexpectedly, Shol walked right past the starship and its working feshkurs without a second nce. Jack didnt halt his steps, following his former master until they were several tents away.

    You didnt mean that ship? he asked.

    We must be discreet, Shol said. Just wait.

    They kept walking to the very end of the camp, several miles away. There, Shol removed a cube from somewhere in his robes and threw it on the ground, where it formed into a red tent. In, he said, and both entered.

    On the inside, the tent waspletely empty, leaving enough free space for two people to befortable.

    Which, in the end, didnt really matter.

    As soon as the p closed behind them, Shol took a deep, tired breath. Jack felt his exhaustion. From this moment on, said the monk, were operating illegally. If we are captured, we cannot implicate the Exploding Sun. Therefore Another breath, trembling and even deeper. System, I would like to leave the Exploding Sun faction. Yes, I am sure.

    Jacks eyes widened. He knew this wasing, but Shol had been a deacon of the faction for centuries. It was his home. His origin. He had status and history there. To see him leave the faction so decisively and risk his life just to help Jack

    It was touching.

    Thank you, he said. I really appreciate what you are doing for me. I will not forget about it.

    If Shol was hurt, he did not show it. Just leave the faction as well so we can be on our way.

    Jack nodded. System, I would like to leave the Exploding Sun faction.

    <strong>Leaving the Exploding Sun Faction. This action cannot be reverted without a Faction representatives approval. Are you sure?</strong>

    Yes, I am sure.

    And just like that, he was out of the Exploding Sun again. He still remained part of the Bare Fist Brotherhoodhe was its leader, so he couldnt leave even if he wanted tobut it felt like an oddly final decision. As did all of them.

    Right as he was done, he spotted Shol clenching his orange cape and burning it until there was only ash. This time, his eyes were misty, but his hand was steady, and he showed no weakness. Give me yours as well, he said. These capes signify our allegiance. We no longer have a right to wear them.

    Jack silently handed over his cape, letting Shol burn it to ashes.

    Are you okay? he asked.

    I am always okay.

    Shol then grabbed Jacks shoulder, split the curtain of space, and stepped through it. Jack did not resist. Next thing he knew, they were in a cramped office surrounded by jet ck walls and a window overlooking the camp. Opposite them sat the feshkur woman from before, her arms crossed before her chest.

    Took you long enough, she said with a frown.

    Come on, Vegna, Shol replied, letting go of Jack and opening his arms wide. The moisture in his eyes was gone. Is that any way to greet an old friend?

    Her frown morphed into a smile as she stood and walked at Shol, wrapping him in a tight hug. She was taller than him, if significantly slimmer. I missed you, Shol. How have you been? she asked.

    Tiredbut now, thanks to my star disciple here, Im about to liven up my old bones again. He pulled away, smiling with strain and pointing at Jack. This is Jack.

    Jack Rust, she said, eyeing him up and down. She reached out for a handshake. Ive seen your wanted poster. You have some illustrious achievements, dont you?

    Some idiots keep challenging me, Jack replied, shaking her hand. Cant help but beat them up.

    Spoken like a true feshkur. Your species should be proud. She grinned. If youre going to punch a hole into the Animal Kingdoms side, Id be d to y a part.

    But arent you part of the Kingdom?

    So what? I work for them, but it doesnt change the fact that theyre assholes. And Im allergic to assholes.

    Shol coughed in his hand. Jack didntment; instead, he asked, So, whats the n?

    Youll hide in one of these boxes, Vegna exined. They contain food to be shipped to Hellmostly meat. Theyll be scanned, of course, but weve warded them to shield you from the guards Dao perception. Adding on the fact that youre practically made of meat yourselfand youll be fine.

    Im not just meat. I also have an active core of condensed Dao inside me.

    Didnt you hear me mention wards?

    Alright. I trust you.

    Vegna is an old friend of mine, and very trustworthy, Shol stepped in. Also, Ive financed these wards myself. I can assure you theyre the best money can buy.

    Then, I trust you twice.

    Since youre here, there is no reason to dy, Vegna said. The longer we stay, the greater the chances something will go wrong.

    Right. Lets go, Shol approved.

    The fehskur captain led them to the hold, where a few crew members saluted them quietly. I trust my crew with my life, she assured them. Your secret is safe with them.

    Jack didnt mind. Trust was transferable. He trusted Shol, who trusted Vegna, who trusted her crew. Therefore, he also trusted her crewalbeit slightly less.

    The food crates were as tall as Jack and equally wide. Spreading his perception, he sensed all sorts of materials inside, from salted meat topressed vegetables. Shol was the first to climb into one. The moment he did, his presence vanished. The food was still there,pletely undisturbed, but Shol wasnt.

    Wow, Jack eximed, turning to Vegna. How does this work?

    The crates are warded to emit the Dao footprint of meat and vegetables. Those arent their actual contentsthough, in this case, they happen to be. No matter who is inside, their presence is blocked at the crate walls.

    Huh. Neat, Jack replied, while considering all the uses people could have for wards like these. But if these wards exist, arent there checks against them?

    Of course, but theyre cumbersome, so they arent used all the time. People want to sneak <em>out </em>of Hell, not in. For you, there are just random checks every once in a while, but if you happen to fall in that case, we can just me our bad luck.

    What if someone opens the crate?

    Please. Do you think these guards have nothing better to do than open crates when sweeping their perception once is enough? Not to mention that Im a trusted provider.

    Jack took a second nce at her. Thank you, he said honestly. For staking your reputation to help us.

    No need for thanks. Just punch them hard. That should be enough. She gave him a wide, toothy smile. Plus, if things go well, nobody will even know I was involved. You can destroy the wards as you exit the crates.

    I will certainly do that.

    Great. Jump in.

    Jack randomly chose the crate next to Shols and climbed inside. To his horror, the moment he opened the lid, he saw it was filled with fishthough from the outside, it still felt like meat and vegetables.

    Taking a deep breath, Jack snuck in and closed the lid behind him. It didnt smell <em>too </em>bad.

    He could still spread his perception outside the crate, which was useful. Unfortunately, since he couldnt sense Shol, he couldnt speak to him telepathically.

    Left with nothing else to do, Jack simply watched as his crate was eventually unloaded. The crew ced it on the ground, where another batch of feshkurs grabbed the crates and moved them all the way to the teleporter hub, stacking them onto one of thergest teleporters.

    Jack saw the guards nce at the crates, but nothing weird showed on their faces. To them, this was routine. As soon as the feshkurs had unloaded thest crate of this batchSholsone of the guards pressed a button, and Jack was once againunched through space.

    The teleportation was extremely smooth this time; the usual spatial pressure, which was the reason why F-Grades couldnt use inter teleporters, waspletely absent. It made sense. If a Level 49 strongman couldnt take the pressure, no crate could.

    Soon after, Jacknded in Hell.

    <em>Wow, </em>he thought. <em>That was so uneventful.</em>

    And, of course, things went awry almost immediately.

 Chapter 264: Setting Hell Aflame

    Chapter 264: Setting Hell Ame

    Hell looked pretty nice, actually.

    As Jack and his trusty crate were spat out of teleportation, his Dao perception caught glimpses of tall, lush trees, and chirping birds, and grass all over. <em>To be fair, I dont know what I was expecting. ming cauldrons?</em>

    Almost immediately, however, his attention homed in on the people around him. A steady workforce of cultivators was moving crates from the teleporter to a starship parked just to the side. Jacks crate, too, was picked up by a man who looked like he was half-bear. He lifted the crate like it weighed nothing.

    Jack couldnt inspect these people, as he didnt have visual contact, but he hoped they were E-Grade. What kind of immortal did chores?

    Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice that two of the crates were warded. Jacks crate was loaded into the waiting starship, as was Shols. When all of them were on, the ramp connecting the starship to the ground slid closed, sealing off the hold, and the starship took off.

    Observing the world solely through Dao perception was a dizzying experience. Jack had an idea of his surroundings, but it was like watching through really bad sses. He could make out no details. Everything was fuzzy and bleeding into each other, while static was everywhere.

    Regardless, he focused on the present. Theyd gone unnoticed up to now, but they were bound to get discovered eventually. This starship was probably taking them to some poption center. It was moving quickly, too, so they were probably flying over wilderness.

    If they reached their destination, only bad things could happen. Therefore, this had to be the prime time to escape.

    Jack could not contact Shol through thetters ward, but he was confident in his deduction. With fast and smooth movements, he pushed all the fish aside and slipped out of his crate. Shol followed only secondster. You stink, hemented.

    Yeah, because your friend put me in a crate of fucking <em>fish.</em>

    The friend who staked her life and reputation to help us?

    Im kidding. I appreciate it. If we get out of here alive, Im buying her dinner.

    Oh, shed love that.

    Shol turned to his crate and ced an open palm on it. Soon after, a Dao ripple passed over the crate walls, and Jack felt his perception shift slightly as the magical warding was dissolved.

    How did you do that? he asked.

    A Dao burst. You can do it, too. Just send a sharp ripple of Dao into the crate.

    Wouldnt the people in the starship notice that?

    They havent even noticed us, so dont worry. Theyre probably E-Grades. Their perception is far too coarse for anything not in their immediate surroundings.

    Jack turned and gave this Dao burst thing a shot. His first attempt was slightly too weak, only stirring the warding without dissolving it. He seeded on the second try.

    Good, Shol said. Now, lets just telep

    A wave of Dao passed over them like an ocean current. Jack felt it crash and break against his body, part of it reflected back to where it came fromthe front part of the starship.

    Shit, he said, at the same time that the starship ground to a halt and an imposing voice washed over them.

    SHOW YOURSELVES!

    Jack and Shol exchanged a nce. Do we run? Jack asked.

    Suddenly, however, Shols eyes were hard. There was no hint of humor in them; only sadness and expectation. We cannot be discovered yet, was all he said. Jack understood. His stomach fell. Dark feelings flooded his brain, but he embraced them and came out stronger.

    I understand, he replied, setting his jaw.

    Can you handle it?

    Yes.

    This was it. His reason foring here. It was starting. And he hated it as much as he knew it was necessary.

    A menacing aura spread out of Jacks body as he prepared for battle. Ripples of Dao shook the starship. The air drummed with power. The Fist descended, hard and resolute.

    Jack stepped through space to reappear above the starship. Shol also teleported, though far to the side, indicating that he wouldnt be involved. Somehow, he also went invisible.

    Jack looked down. An endless forest stretched below them. Large trees spread in all directions, some peeking over the canopy and almostpletely covered in birds. The starship was a mile into the air, so Jack couldnt make out the fine details, but he could understand they were above a vast wilderness teeming with life.

    But not intelligent life. As far as cultivators went, there were no witnesses.

    The door of the starship slid open and two figures darted out, flying to either side of Jack. One was a half-bear, half-human man, tall and imposing, wielding nothing but his bare ws; the other was a man with goat horns and a suspiciously sturdy-looking goatee, wielding a massive, red-ded halberd.

    Jack inspected them.

    <strong>Bearfolk, Level 133</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Goatee, Level 128</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Fourth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Their levels were even lower than his146. He could take them easily. Since there were two of them, they probably thought the same as they inspected him, not knowing he was much stronger than his level would indicate. He had no title disyedand, even if he had, he remained under the effects of the Disguise Pill.

    Of course, they could see he was disguised, but there was no way to change ones level, so they werent worried.

    Your ally was wise to run, rumbled the bear-man. Surrender now, and maybe the Warden will torture you less.

    Or dont, added the goatee, wearing an ugly smirk, so I can enjoy this.

    Jack took them both in coldly. He ignored their words; his attention was turned inwards, towards his own heart, where the real battle was happening.

    He did not know these people. They were enemies, but at the end of the day, he was the one who invaded their territory. Maybe they had families; friends, parents, wives, children.

    Yet, he was here to murder them.

    What was right, and what was wrong? Jacks moral sensibilities from his time on Earth protested, but he shut them down. He had to save himself, his people, and his. To do that, he needed power; and these people were soldiers of the enemy.

    This was war.

    Whats wrong, coward? The cat got your tongue? the goatee man mocked him.

    Hes not surrendering. Lets capture him, the bear-man decided. His Dao Domain spread out, a sphere of animalistic brutality. It reminded Jack of the merciless war for survival. The goat man also revealed his domain, and it was red and thick as blood, tasting copper.

    The two domains engulfed him, pressuring him from either side. Jack felt his Dao protest, a machine revving up to match the oppression. The Fist refused to be suppressed, for it was unstoppable. He closed his eyes, breathing in the double domain of his enemies.

    The bearfolk and goatee both charged him.

    And then, Jacks eyes snapped open. The Fist roared. A cold wind shattered the other two domains, an overwhelming avatar of pure, unadulterated power. The Fist appeared in all its glory,pletely dwarfing his opponents as even the animals in the forest below went deathly silent, and the wind itself didnt dare blow before Jacks majesty.

    Jack clenched his fist. The two attacking cultivators felt slow, their eyes widening in shock as they sensed their domains getpletely shattered in the blink of an eye, but it was toote to turn back. The sky lost its color. The world went dark and silent. A purple meteor descended, and before it, these two cultivators were so terribly small.

    At the end of the day, they were still immortals. Realizing they could not dodge, they instantly shot out their strongest attacks.

    CORNER DESPAIR! the bear-man roared, wing forward.

    LAVISH FAMINE! screamed the goatee, shing out a blood-colored streak of Dao.

    The three strikes collided. For a moment, they remained locked with each other. But the blood-colored streak broke, shattering like ss, and the bears ws cracked as they were pushed back. The fist broke through, having lost half its power but retaining more than enough to crush these people.

    A meteor descended, and this time, nothing could stop it. The goatee and bear-man were struck head-on. The force of the impact warped their faces and cracked their bones, sweeping them along as it headed downward. The meteor kept going, grinding the two cultivators into the roof of their starship andunching it downward, sweeping it along on a violent, majestic trajectory towards the forest below.

    The meteor crashed into the foliage, easily breaking through. Trees bent and were blown away. Branches flew. The birds hurried to escape, barely dodging the explosion that shook the ground like an earthquake and released a shockwave that upset the entire forest.

    Where there once stood a thicket of massive trees, now only a deep crater remained. The starship waspletely broken. The two cultivators were mangled beyond recognition and dead beyond the shadow of a doubt.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 147.</strong>

    The System notification was unsuitably cheerful. Jack shook his head. He was sad.

    You acted with determination, Shol said, appearing by his side. Good job.

    Jack couldnt bring himself to smile. We couldnt leave any evidence behind.

    Thats exactly correct, though one could call a massive crater evidence. How do you feel?

    Hollow. But its okay. These arent the first people I kill, nor will they will be thest. I will do what I have to.

    Good. Now, lets go. Were still not far from civilization, so people mighte to investigate.

    Jack nodded. Lead the way.

    With a wave of his sleeve, a strong breeze blew over the crater and extinguished the mes. Then, Jack willed the free points from his level-up into Physical, as he usually did, and took a brief look at this status screen. From now on, it would change rapidly. He wanted to have an idea of where it started.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 147</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 855</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 805</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 825</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 120</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style II, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II, Space Walk II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    It was impressive. A source of pride. He remembered the times when just five attribute points had made all the difference in the world. How long ago that seemedbut it was only a few short months.

    Take us away, Shol, he asked tiredly, but the monk only shook his head.

    I cant teleport us that far. Well have to fly. Follow me.

    An orange streak cut through the air, soon followed by a purple one. They flew away faster than sound, until the smoking crater disappeared behind them. As far as the eye could see, there was only forest.

    Soon, there would be war.

 Chapter 265: The Ball Starts Rolling

    Chapter 265: The Ball Starts Rolling

    Juliet drove her hoe into the ground, plowing it easily. It felt fake. Even five months after the Integration, she still struggled to adjust to her new powers, as did most people.

    Done already, Juliet? another woman called out.

    Almost! Just one more line! Juliet shouted back, her voice easily reaching the next field over. She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. The cold winds of February broke helplessly against her bare arms, not even stinging. The frozen soil, which should have been impregnable, was molded easily under her tools, like y. Even the crops, which shouldnt be able to survive this cold, had been mutated by a ntmancer in the city. They would now bloom richly regardless of the season.

    <em>What a world </em>she thought, wiping a single bead of sweat from her brow before diving back into her job.

    Of course, everything had a price. Power never came freely. When the goblins broke out of the nearby dungeon a month after the Integration, her town had been one of the first to be overrun. mes towered to the sky. Humans were grilled and eaten in the streets. Green-skinned hobgoblins toured the town with human body parts tied to their nes, their shamansunched fire across the defending armies, and their ogres felled people by the dozen with broad swipes of their clubs.

    The humans had defended their homes with zeal. The goblins paid in blood for every inch ofnd they got, but get it they did. Thousands died. Many thousands. Juliet had lost her only brother in battle, and her elderly parents in one of the fires. Shed also participated in the defense, killing goblins until she reached Level 21. Shed bitten back her grief and thrown everything into battle.

    It was only then that the Ice Peak could spare a group of elite fighters who pushed the goblins back. Life adjusted to the new state of being. Houses were rebuilt, new fields were plowed. The property of the dead was split amongst the remaining townspeople so everyone had a way to survive. Juliet had been devastated, but she pushed through the grief and got her life in order. For her husband. For her children.

    Soon after the Integration, there were no soft people on Earth. They were either dead or hardened.

    But trouble never ended. Even a semnce of normalcy would take a long, long time to return. The troops of the Ice Peak had pushed back the goblins but didnt have the time to destroy them once and for all; they had other people to save, they said.

    The town sent its strongest fighters to continue the war, inside the Dungeon this time, until the threat of the goblins was forever neutralized. Even now, that battle was ongoing.

    Juliets husband was one of those warriors, and she was left tending to the fields. She would have loved to be by her children as well, but the taxes demanded by the Ice Peak were exorbitant. Even with all the advantages of the new world, she struggled to make ends meet. In that way, her life hadnt changed.

    But what she truly feared was that, after her husband returned victorious and strong, he would simply be dragged to another war, this time for the Ice Peak. They would never be together again, not really. Because Juliet was weak. And, in this era of upheaval, there was nothing for the weak to do besides grit their teeth and endure; suffer backbreaking taxes and monster attacks while their strong warriors were forcibly recruited; be wrung dry of every drop of blood and hay they could manage; and hope that, eventually, the sun would rise again, and somehow, things would be okay.

    Juliet didnt hold much hope. Even the me River, the counterpart of the Ice Peak in the south, was not much betteror so everyone said. She lived in a dark world now. She endured for her children and grew constantly stronger only for the world to push her down even harder.

    But everyone needed a strand of hope. In the mouths of themon folk, a single name resounded again and again, more than the Gods and Saints who had obviously abandoned them. People prayed for the hero of Earth, the man who had shut down the Animal Kingdom, achieved impossible power, and promised with his actions freedom.

    When all seemed lost and in vain, the people of Earth only had one person to believe in: Jack Rust.

    ***

    Elder Huali meditated in her manor, watching the people of her estate go about their lives under the nebulous sky. Her chest rose and fell in a steady beat, and the Dao shivered around her with every breath. However, her steady, rhythmic motions only served as a threat of breaking the pattern and erupting with explosive strength.

    Without warning, a person appeared in the middle of the room. Huali hadnt seen theming. As the veil of space parted to let them in, breaking her own spatial lock, it was clear that this persons teleportation had originated from somewhere beyond Hualis perception range.

    No C-Grade in the gxy could do that.

    Slowly, Huali turned and bowed her head, catching a glimpse of pure white robes, white hair, and a stern, austere face. Head Enforcer, she said respectfully. To what do I owe the honor?

    Eva Solvig, the Head Enforcer of this gxys Hand of God branch, nodded back. Some weeks ago, Ancient ruins were discovered in Trial, she said directly, not bothering with greetings and preludes. I was dispatched to investigate. After searching the entire, we finally located the ruins in a pocket of space between the third and fourth rings.but they had been tampered with. Someone had been there. And yet, after deep-scanning every individual who left Trial from the moment of our arrival onwards, we found nothing.

    That is unfortunate, Huali replied carefully. She could sense where this was going.

    Very. The Hand of God will take no chances on any Ancient inheritance surviving the Purge. Whoever that person is, they must be eliminated.

    Huali nodded.

    Even though we found nothing, we have a lead, the Head Enforcer continued. A man named Jack Rust. He was in Trial at the time, and presumed dead in Garden Ring after exhibiting oddly extreme power. Shortly afterward, a tribtion descended on Trial, for still unknown reasons. The System had to actively stop it.

    Huali still did not reply. She was aware of the tribtion. It wasnt exactly a discreet event.

    We never saw Jack Rust exit Trial. He remained presumed dead. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I received word that not only was he alive and well, but he had escaped Trial while evading <em>my </em>perception, reached the D-Grade, and been recruited into the Exploding Sun as your personal disciple. By now, Eva Solvigs voice was intense. I expect an exnation, Huali.

    Huali raised her head. Though Evas words were disrespectful, there was nothing she could say about it. Yes, the Hand of God was a B-Grade faction just like her Exploding Sun, but they were too far apart in strength. The Exploding Suns Elders were at thete C-Grade. The Hand of Gods were at the B-Grade. Huali and Eva were technically of the same status, but they couldnt be further apart.

    I have heard of the tribtion and the Hand of Gods mobilization on Trial, Huali replied calmly. However, I was not aware of Jacks exact circumstances. I assumed he had been deep-scanned like everyone else. Since I already had a rtionship to him from his time on Earth-387, I epted him as a personal student on the basis of his potential. I am not aware of any Ancient inheritance on his person.

    Did you deep-scan him?

    I did not.

    Shouldnt you have? Isnt that customary for personal disciples?

    Jack came with the guarantee of my head disciple, so I didnt want to insult them both by performing a deep scan.

    Eva Solvig gave Huali a long, hard gaze. The Hand of God will investigate your conduct, she said. Now, take me to Jack Rust. Let me inspect him for myself.

    Unfortunately Huali began, causing Evas brows to rise, Jack Rust left my tutge and the faction a week ago. He is now a rogue cultivator. I am not aware of his current location, nor do I have any way to contact him.

    Eva remained in stunned silence for a moment. She thenshed out, saying, Not only did you take in a suspected criminal as a personal disciple without any deep scanning, but you let said disciple betray you less than a month after his recruitment. Your conduct is not only suspicious, it is also shameful.

    I understand. It was my fault.

    Huali waited in silence while Eva Solvig considered her next course of action. Unfortunately, even a B-Grade didnt have the power to locate people in the gxy. She had to resort to following the leads.

    I will speak with your head disciple, who guaranteed for Jack Rust, she said.

    Unfortunately, he also went rogue.

    Huali! Evas eyes widened. What are you doing? Are you trying to betray the Hand of God!?

    I assure you that I am not. I understand how this looks, and it is my fault. I am willing to take full responsibility for the actions of my disciplesbut only thosemitted <em>after </em>I epted them as disciples.

    Hualis voice was calm and apologetic. To all outward inspection, she was regretful. After so many millennia of life, not even a B-Grade could tell that she was actually lying. She knew exactly where Jack was. She just didnt want to reveal it because, as loyal as she was to the Hand of God, she had an obligation to protect her disciple. It was as simple as that.

    She hadnt deep-scanned him on purpose. Shed suspected something was up, of course, but deep scans went in records, and she wanted to avoid that. Plus, even if she gave Jack away, she couldnt betray Shol after his centuries-long, exemry loyalty.

    In the end, even if Jack was captured by his own failure, she couldnt be easily implicated. Her position was too highthough that would depend on how deep Jacks secrets ran.

    Regardless, some risks were worth taking.

    I cannot believe this, Eva raged. Fine. I will have my lieutenants follow their trail through the teleportation portals and unleash a full-on investigation. They will receive a bounty from the Hand of God. Are you satisfied with that, Huali?

    I dont have a say in the matter.

    Thats right; you dont. Eva took a moment to regain her bearings, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Instantly, her purity of mind returned. Is there anything else you can tell me about Jack?

    He has an arranged duel against our factions head disciple in six months. I believe he will be back for that.

    Your factions head disciple? Qian?

    Thats right.

    Eva shook her head. Fine. Tell me about that event.

    Huali did, describing the events that led to Monsoons visit and the visit itself, ending with Jack and Qians promise to duel.

    That is not much help. In six months, we will have already caught him, wherever he is. Are there any other clues he gave you, either about an Ancient heritage or his current location? Anything abnormal he demonstrated? Any sort of power which looked even remotely suspicious?

    If there was anything like that, I would have investigated myself, Huali replied slowly. Her mind raced. She would avoid revealing the existence of Jacks spiritualpanion and friends, if possible, as that would undoubtedly end up with them mind-read or tortured by the Hand of God.

    However, she had to give <em>something.</em>

    There is one thing, she finally said. Jack Rust conquered the Final Ring.

    Eva froze. Are you sure?

    I saw his Title.

    And you didnt think to mention this until now?

    I was certainly going to mention it. I just didnt want to interrupt you.

    By the Immortals, Huali What did you get yourself involved into? Evas gaze grewplicated. Weve known each other for millennia. Weve visited the sma Springs together. If I have to put you down for treason, it will be a pity.

    You insult me. My loyalty to the Immortals is unwavering. I would rather renounce my Dao than betray them.

    For your sake, I really hope thats the case. Eva sighed deeply. I expect my agents to have free reign to investigate.

    Of course. Just, if possible, please try to keep things discreet. The selection of our next Grand Elder will happen soon, and I am one of the main candidates.

    Eva threw Huali ast, long nce. Then, without a word, she parted the folds of space and stepped into them, disappearing somewhere beyond Hualis perception.

    Huali did not allow herself an errant expression, or even a thought, because she knew that she was still under scrutinyand would be for a long time. She only hoped this was worth it.

    Therefore, she pushed the issue out of her mind and sat back down to meditate, spreading her perception over the estate to facilitate and observe the Hand of God agents.

 Chapter 266: Hellâ€™s Terrain

    Chapter 266: Hell¡¯s Terrain

    Jack and Shol sat on two branches of a high tree like birds whod grown tired of having wings. Their mood was somber.

    Hell is arge, Shol exined. Several timesrger than your Earth. It is only used as a prison and an elite training ground, which results in it being very sparsely inhabited. Ny-nine percent of the surface is untamed wilderness.

    So we have room to y, Jack replied, nodding. Any idea how to find Dordok?

    Thats the captain of the Trampling Ram, correct?

    Yes.

    I suggest we dont prioritize him. If hes at thete D-Grade, as you said, then hell either be inside the prison or at a high-level hunting zone. If its the former, you can forget about rescuing him. If its thetter, it will still be very difficult, but doable after you level up significantly.

    Jack frowned. Can you exin?

    There is arge facility on this; a prison. Its where most of the D-Grade criminals of the constetion go. However, it is headed by the Warden, thete C-Grade overseer of this. Breaking out is impossible, and invading it is even more impossible. If your captain is still there, well have to wait.

    Wait for what? Where else could he be?

    Shol revealed a hard smile. Remember how I told you that Hell functions as training grounds for the Animal Kingdoms inner disciples? The way this works is that there are several zones on the used as low, mid, and high-level hunting zones. There is also one peak-level zone. These zones contain D-Grade prisoners of suitable levels, who are forbidden from leaving the zone borders or working with each other. The inner disciples enter the hunting zones as teams of three to five people, and they hunt down any prisoners they can find. The prisoners can fight back, but since they are not allowed to work together, the damage they can inflict on teams of simrly-leveled cultivators is limited.

    Jack frowned, taking a moment to digest this information. So they release prisoners, then have the inner disciples hunt them down?

    Yes. It gives them both levels and fighting experience.

    Thats brutal. Its also odd. They just release prisoners into the wild? What if they find a way to leave the, or escape their determined zones? What if they decide to work together despite the rules, and suddenly the Animal Kingdom has a D-Grade revolution on their hands? Not saying they would seed, but they could take many inner disciples with them.

    Its not that simple. Shol shook his head. The things I just described are more than simple rules. I dont know the details, but the Warden possesses some sort of controlling Dao. When he gets his hands on the prisoners, going against his orders is impossible.

    Jacks frown deepened. So these prisoners are thrown into the wild and chased like animals?

    Unfortunately.

    And youre saying that the captain might be there as well.

    Either that, or hes still trapped in the prison. They dont release everyone at once, only to replenish the numbers when a previous prisoner is killed.

    So people could be hunting him as we speak. He might die at any moment.

    Yes.

    Shol, thats horrible. We must hurry up and find him.

    Dont get hasty. Shol threw Jack a warning nce. What exactly are you going to do? Rush into a high-level hunting zone? It will contain teams ofte D-Grade Animal Kingdom cultivators, and you cannot even handle one of them. Even if I handle them for you, there is no guarantee I can beat them, and <em>even </em>if I do, I cannot necessarily stop them all from escaping. Well be discovered; and the second that happens, peak D-Grade deacons will be sent after us. No. He shook his head. Trying to rescue Dordok now is rushing head-first into disaster.

    Then, what do you suggest? I stay here and level up while hes running for his life?

    What do <em>you </em>suggest? Shol gave him a hard look. Thats our only option, Jack. If you care about this guy so much, then level up as fast as possible and pray that he survives until then.

    He saved my life.

    Then save him backbut killing yourself will help nobody. Be careful. Level up as fast as you can without taking unnecessary risks. Listen, I will be honest; what were doing is already the height of risk. I would never condone it if Masters reputation wasnt on the line. We cannot afford to make things any harder on ourselves. Saving Dordok will be great if possible, but lets not stick our necks out just to fail anyway.

    Shols words came rapidly and rigidly. He was not angry, just intenseand Jack remembered that this man had dropped everything, had left the faction and master he was deeply loyal to, had burned his cape, and was here risking his life to help Jack.

    He took a deep breath. Youre right, he said. Lets do our best, prioritizing our survivalbut if the chance appears, please forgive me for taking a small extra risk to save Dordok.

    Shols gaze was iron, but he nodded. I guess I can do that.

    Good. So, whats the n?

    The n, right.

    Shol sat back down, calming himself. The nearby birds that had flown away earliereagle-like,rge like human children, brown-feathered, and with blue beaksslowly returned to the tree, sensing that this monumental humans anger was dissipating.

    When inner disciples enter the hunting zones, casualties ur. Its not too rare for entire teams to be wiped out by prisoners who yed their cards right. Therefore, if you enter a hunting zone and annihte a team or two, nobody will bat an eye. Let a decent amount of time pass between raids, and you can even get away with more.

    So I hunt the hunters.

    Exactly.

    I like that. And what will you be doing in the meantime?

    Protecting you from the shadows. You saw me turn invisible before; I have a concealing skill taught to me by Okmer, the librarian back in the estate. It was tough to master, but it lets mepletely erase my presence as long as nobody gets too close. I can use that to watch you from afar and intervene if anything goes wrong.

    Hmm.

    Jack was hesitating. In paper, this sounded great. However, his experiences so far had taught him that the fear of death was an essential factor if he wanted to progress as quickly as possible. With Shol watching over him, would he really be forced to go all-out?

    Plus, his Dao Tree of the Fist was protesting. What was he to need constant protection, a coward?

    I think its better if I go alone, he finally said, exining the first reason. I get the sense that my progress will be much more rapid if there is nobody waiting to save me Plus, my Dao would protest otherwise, which would make meditation difficult. Perhaps its best if you use this time to find out Dordoks whereabouts.

    Shol frowned. If you die, that will be terrible.

    I will be carefs careful as I can, anyway. But I should be fine for now. You saw how I handled those two at the starship. If I start from low-level hunting zones, I am confident that I can deal with entire teams, especially if I get the jump on them.

    Hmm. His frown intensified. As much as I hate to admit it, you make sense. Fine. Lets do that. However, you must make sure that nobody escapes to report on you.

    Of course. However, what if they report me while were fighting? There is a faction telepathy function, correct?

    Only for a limited number of people per faction. As long as youre not going after deacons, youll be fine.

    I have another question.

    Do say.

    This Warden you mentioned What if hees after us? If he spreads his perception over a hunting zone, finding me will be trivial, and there is no way I can escape ate C-Gradeor any C-Grade, for that matter.

    You dont need to worry about that, Shol replied with confidence. The Warden has better things to do than scan random hunting zones, even if a couple groups go missing. Plus, even if he tries, it wont be too easythese hunting zones are the size of small continents, so even ate C-Grade would need to fly over to scan it urately. As for hunting us down That just wont happen. It would be dishonorable for the Animal Kingdom to send a C-Grade after D-Grades. If they find us, theyll just send deacons. Who will kill us nheless, but at least well be able to resist a bit.

    Are you sure about that? When I was at the E-Grade, the Kingdom sent three D-Grade Hounds after me.

    That was different. You were running throughout the gxy, and they needed to find you. Here, in the epicenter of the Animal Kingdoms influence, the avable D-Grades should be more than enough to handle us. Seeing Jacks doubtful look, Shol continued. Trust me, Jack. You may not believe it, but the B-Grade factions care a lot about their reputation. As long as we dont throw ourselves at the Warden by invading his prison or something equally stupid, he wont act personally.

    Alright. I trust you.

    As you should.

    So, I find a low-level hunting zone and hunt the inner disciples, making sure to let no one escape.

    You should also avoid prisoners. We dont know the extent of the Wardens control over them.

    Alright. And as I do that, youll be scouring the and trying to find out anything you can about Dordok.

    Exactly.

    But really, dont try to protect me. Let me go alone. I promise it will be fine.

    If I said that I wont, then I wont. I swear it on Masters name.

    Jack was taken aback. Truth be told, he had expected Shol to tail him in secret anywaybut he wouldnt take such an oath in vain, would he?

    Why the surprise? Shol said with a smirk. My concealment skill is not <em>that </em>effective. I can hide during battle, but to trail you in secret for weeks would be impossible.

    Oh, Jack replied. I guess thats good.

    Heh. Getting cold feet?

    Never. Im just worried about you nowif your skill is weak, you may be discovered before me.

    Ill manage. As will you.

    It goes without saying.

    The two men exchanged a battle-ready smile. Shol whipped out a parchment from his robes, unfurling it before Jack. This is a map of the entire, he said.

    There were dozens of continents, along with dozens of oceans. Jack couldnt quite grasp the scale, but if these continents were simr in size to the Earth ones, this was <em>huge</em>.

    Its big, was all he said.

    Not at all. Its just a piece of paper. Shol pointed at a seemingly random spot. We are here.

    How do you know?

    Because I did my research. What, did you think we stepped through a random teleporter that could lead anywhere?

    ...Yes?

    Shol looked at the blue sky. Oh System, give me strength.

    Then why did you let <em>me </em>decide when to escape our crates?

    I didnt. You just went out. I was waiting for us to arrive at the optimal spot, which luckily wasnt too far from where you decided to make your move. Why would you take initiative when I clearly know what Im doing?

    I honestly didnt expect you to think that far ahead.

    Well, I did. This is where we appeared after teleportation he jammed a finger into a tiny blue dot right next to their current location, then at arger circle in the next continent over and this is where we were headed. A city of inner disciples.

    Sorry, Jack replied with some embarrassment. Will they find it suspicious when the starship never reaches its destination?

    Theyll just assume a prisoner did it. This entire continent is a low-level hunting zone. Prisoners dont usually attack for no reasonbut they could.

    Hmm. Well, Im d it all worked out.

    It wont always. You must be more careful. Think twice about your every move. This ce is not a game, Jack; its absolutely hostile territory and teeming with enemies stronger than you.

    Ill be careful, Jack agreed, nodding along. Thanks for the reminder.

    Anytime. Shol wrapped the scroll up. You can keep the map. I have itmitted to memory.

    Thanks, Jack replied as he pocketed it. Since this is a low-level hunting zone, I can just start here, right?

    Right. But youll have to search a bitthere are usually a dozen teams active at the same time, so theres a lot of ground to cover. On the bright side, theyll be flying, so you can spot them easily.

    Okay. And how will we find each other afterward?

    Ill find you. Dont worry; I have my ways.

    Okay. Jack surveyed the wildnds that would be his house for the next few months. It reminded him of the Forest of the Strong. He really looked forward to it.

    And stop grinning, Shol said from the side, sporting a smile himself. Good luck, Jack. Please survive.

    You too, my brother.

    The two sped hands, looking deeply into each others eyes and finding only resolve. Then, Shol streaked upward, lost above the clouds, where he began his journey tosomewhere.

    Jack was left alone. On a tree. In the middle of nowhere. With enemies to hunt and a very significant chance of dying in the process.

    Despite himself, he couldnt stop grinning.

 Chapter 267: Animals Hunting

    Chapter 267: Animals Hunting

    Jack hid in the foliage. Hed smudged dirt on his face and bare chest, trying to make himself both stealthy and inconspicuous. If people thought him a prisoner at first nce, it would save him a few seconds of suspicion.

    To that end, hed also hidden away his purple robes, leaving himself with just a pair of boots and a short, brown set of pantshis undergarments, basically.

    Pretending to be an inner disciple would also work, as he could thenunch a sneak attack on the disciples from up-close. Unfortunately, Jack followed the Dao of the Fist, which disdained underhanded tactics in most situations.

    Therefore, dirty and barely clothed, Jack stalked in the foliage, waiting for a team of inner disciples to fly overhead.

    It didnt take them long. Only a few hours after Jack got into position, he spotted four dots approaching in the distance. He clicked his tonguefour was perhaps arger team than hed like to start with, but he felt confident enough. He couldnt afford to take it slow.

    As the four dots approached, they revealed themselves as cultivators dressed in elegant yet simple attire. One was a human wearing long, green robes. Another was a turtle-humana turtlerwearing only pants. The third person was a bearfolk in leather armor, and the fourth was a sharken, much like Shard Presht of the Integration Tournament, wearing simple leather.

    All ranged between levels 130 and 160.

    The four of them flew far overhead, zooming into the distance. Jack was quick to follow. He couldnt take to the air or hed be discovered, so he did his best to navigate the forest below, flying over and under branches, around tree trunks, and generally trying his hardest not to ram his head into anything at multiple hundred miles per hour.

    The inner disciples who came here to hunt had a device which gave them a general indication of each prisoners location, so they didnt have to spend weeksbing through the forests. Right now, they were probably following that device to the location of a nearby prisoner. All Jack had to do was not fall too far behind.

    Fifteen minutester, the cultivators slowed, then stopped mid-air. They hovered a mile above ground, at the edge of Jacks perception, and seemed to be talking with each other. He assumed they were formting a n. That meant a prisoner was nearby, and since Jack didnt want to appear yet, he made sure to remain a respectable distance away.

    Since the prisoners could not hide, most opted to find a suitable location and turn it into a stronghold. They peppered it with traps and treacherous terrain, optimizing it to give them the best fighting chance against their hunters. Of course, not many traps would work against immortals, but it was better than nothing.

    And, if all else failed, they could resort to running.

    Jack settled in to wait. He felt for the poor prisoner who was about to be murdered, but he couldnt appear just yet. The extent of the Wardens control over the prisoners was unknown. For all Jack knew, if they saw him, so did the Warden. Therefore, he had to wait until the inner disciples and the prisoner were done fighting, and then swoop in to finish the job.

    He could not give this prisoner salvation, so he would settle for revenge.

    The four cultivators came to a consensus. The green-robed human spread his arms and shouted something. Suddenly, the forest around Jack came alive. The ground shook. Trunks moaned. Roots speared out of the earth, tearing into the nearby trees and each other.

    Jack didnt wait to see what else would happen. He bolted away, sprinting until he exited the spells area of effect, and only then did he turn around to witness the destruction.

    And destruction it was. An entire three-mile-radius area of the forest had copsed, filled with fallen logs and sharp roots. Various animal carcasses lined the ground, and where the soil was visible, it was upturned and violently dug out. It was like a giant had grabbed this part of the forest and put it in the blender.

    One thing remained, however. A woman with dark hair so short her scalp was visible, wearing nothing but dirty undergarments. Her gaze was defiant.

    <strong>Human (Earth-103), Level 159</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    No faction, no visible title. Her status was as bare as her body.

    From the sky, three cultivators dove down, leaving only the robed man afloat. The woman didnt back down in the slightest. She gritted her teeth and pushed her hands out at them, shouting, DIE, TYRANTS!

    Instantly, the air turned chaotic. The Dao stirred and span until spectral swords filled the air, flying at the three iing cultivators. Each could cut through iron.

    Jack whistled. That woman was strong.

    Unfortunately, so were the Animal Kingdoms inner disciples. The turtler rushed ahead of his teammates, crossing his arms and flying head-first at the swords. A solid green aura manifested around him. shing against it, the swords were easily deflected, sent spinning away. Any that remained were swiped away by the bearfolk, while the sharken swam between them and easily dodged everything. She cultivated the same Dao as Shard Presht, the Dao of Momentum, though at a far higher degree of proficiency.

    The prisoner wasnt discouraged. She pped her hands and forced all swords to still in mid-air, then dive back towards her at almost double the speed theyd shown before. Clearly, shed been holding back. At the same time, a de of pure Dao materialized in her hand, so solid that Jack thought it was an actual sword at first. She charged.

    The three inner disciples had broken through the wave of swords before, so those swords were now behind them. As they converged at the woman, the swords came at the cultivators from behind, while the prisoner herself was rushing them from the front.

    Again, Jack couldnt help but admire her battle prowess. Who knows how many low immortals shed cut down with thisbo. Perhaps individually, none of her four opponents could match her.

    But they were four.

    Without a word, two of the inner disciplesthe turtler and the bearfolkturned to meet the hail of des. One tucked into his shell and the other unleashed a storm of w attacks, stopping anything from approaching the sharken woman, who met the prisoners charge.

    The sharken wore fin-des on her forearmrge, triangr des shaped like a sharks fins. It was the same weapon Shard Presht had used. As she shed against the prisoner, both her body and the fin-des elerated and decelerated instantly, making them almost impossible to predict. At the same time, the prisoners attacks suffered some sort of slowing effect, making her lose her rhythm.

    The sharken quickly seized the upper hand and started pushing.

    The prisoner could barely fight back. The flying swords were arge part of her strength, but they were stopped by the other two inner disciples. The des that made it back were few in number, and her control wasnt good enough to control them urately in battleall she could do was fling them out and pull them back.

    As a result, she was pushed back until she almost reached the ground. Her gaze remained defiant, but there was also a hint of dread. Jack caught her ncing around, looking for avenues of escape.

    The inner disciples werent going to let her.

    The sharken did not let up in the slightest, pressuring the woman even harder so she didnt have time to retaliate. Cuts began appearing on her body. At the same time, the other two were done with the hail of des and rushed over. The prisoner was surrounded and attacked from three sides at once. She tried to summon a few more des, clearly overdrawing her powers in despair, but no matter what she did, her defenses were swiftly crumbling. It was a matter of seconds.

    Suddenly, roots speared out of the ground and wrapped around her limbs. Her ankles and wrists were restrained, leaving her defenseless. The inner disciples werent showing a hint of mercy; even when the womans defeat was practically certain, theyd still employed a sneak attack by their fourth member to guarantee their sess.

    The woman was suspended mid-air by roots, unable to move, surrounded by three armed inner disciples. Fuck you, she spat out.

    What followed was butchery. Fin-des, ws, and spiked knuckles rained on her body, chopping her up into a thousand pieces. She died in a shower of blood.

    Within seconds, almost nothing was left of this proud woman who fought to herst breath.

    Alright, the sharken said, shaking her fin-des to clear them of blood. Do we have time to get a couple more?

    The bearfolk shrugged. If theyre this easy, sure. But we have an appointment at sunset.

    Oh, I remember. Hey, Anker, wheres the closest prisoner now?

    Jack gritted his teeth. After chopping up the woman, they simply let the remains of her body fall to the ground andignored it. They never even looked at it. Not the slightest hint of honor for this brave warrior they hunted down and mercilessly executed in unfairbat.

    He wished he could have helped. She did not deserve to die. Not like this. No matter what shed done to end up a prisoner, he refused to believe that someone with such strong spirit was an evil-doer. In his mind, she just a victim of the Animal Kingdoms tyranny.

    And who knows how many others died such deaths every day. Good people shouldnt have to suffer.

    The thought of Earth bing a territory of the Animal Kingdom suddenly disgusted Jack. He pictured his friends and family running away and being brutally cut down by these monsters. He wouldnt let that happen. Rage boiled inside him, bubbling and seething, and he let it rise freely. It wouldnt consume his reason or hamper his fighting, but would make it so damn satisfying.

    The man with root magic was descending towards his friends. Lets see, he said, looking at a device on his wrist. Ah, not too far. Only a thousand miles to the

    He froze. Space fluctuated behind him, and suddenly, a person was there.

    Think youre hot shit? an angry voice reached his ears.

    This inner disciple was a hardened veteran. When someone suddenly appeared behind him, he didnt even turn to look, just dashed forward at full speed. HEL he tried to shout, but neither his voice nor his retreat were fast enough.

    A punch connected with the back of his skull. The man was flung downward head-first and was nailed into the ground hundreds of feet below almost instantly, buried in his own roots. His friends froze, alternating their gaze between the root man and the strange prisoner whod suddenly appeared mid-air.

    Jack growled at them. I hope you havent prepared any coffins, because you wont be needing them. Youll be left to rot on the soil, as you would have done to this woman.

    The three inner disciples nced between each other, considering whether to run or stay. They inspected Jack, finding him to only be Level 147.

    Two for the price of one, the sharken growled in response, grinding her des against each other. You should have used your invisibility to escape, prisoner. You took Anker; Ill make sure your death is agonizing.

    Try me.

    Dont let him run! the sharken shouted, charging at Jack. The other two disciples followed her only a beatter. All three of their domains manifested, pushing down on Jack, who stood there and endured the strain.

    He was stronger than them, or so he hoped. However, the point wasnt just to beat them; he had to make sure nobody escaped, and for that, he needed them close. That was why hed used his trump card, Space Walk, to assassinate their wizard, and why he hadnt utilized Meteor Punch when doing so. He didnt want to scare them.

    In truth, they could have realized he was not a prisoner, as the wizard had mentioned that the closest prisoner was a thousand miles away before dying. If theyd ever seen his wanted poster, they could have also recognized the Bare Fist Brotherhood in his inspection screen. However, in their minds, the only people here were inner disciples and prisoners. He looked like a prisoner. What else could he be?

    In the few seconds of time, and clouded by rage, they hadnt made the connection. They charged.

    And now Now, they had approached him.

    Jack grinned with violence. Bring it on, Animal Kingdom!

 Chapter 268: Hunting the Animals

    Chapter 268: Hunting the Animals

    Jack faced down the three remaining inner disciples.

    A turtler predictably focusing on defense. A bearfolk who looked like an all-around physical fighter. Finally, a sharken specializing in speed.

    The Animal Kingdom traditionally focused on Physical cultivators. By taking care of the mage early on, Jack had assured that all remaining enemies were the Physical kind, which meant they needed to get up-close and personal. That way, not only did they fight him where he excelled, but he could also capture them more easily if they decided to run.

    The sharken was upon him in a sh. Her fin-des reflected the sunlight as she shed out, first slow and then fast, her speed osciting between the extremes. Jack had faced such des before. He was unarmed; blocking was unwise. He made some distance, dodging as he inspected the sharkens moves, then was forced to fight back when she pressed on.

    His hands moved faster than she could manage. He pped both des away, then looked to drive a punch into her gut, only to be forced back into defense as the bearfolk arrived. ws rained down, slow but heavy. Jack could handle each fighter alone easily, but not together.

    The ws and fin-des formed a mightybination. Each struck where the other did not, a of death that sought to constrict and bury Jack. His hands became blurs, parrying and deflecting all strikes, but a couple went through. Narrow blood lines appeared on his arms and torso.

    He saw his opponents frown as their strikes, which should have severed his limbs, only created shallow wounds. How could they know his defense was his strongest point?

    Who are you? the bearfolk roared, not ceasing his attacks.

    None of your fucking business!

    The turtler, who had been lying in wait, finally attacked as well. He started spinning in mid-air and flew at Jack from behind like a hard-shelled cannonball. All three enemies were now in range.

    Suddenly, Jack unleashed more of his power. A Dao Domain erupted violently from his body, pushing away thebined force of the three enemy domains. At the same time, frigid wind filled the inner disciples hearts. They saw their deaths. The person they were facing was no man, but a force of nature, a demon. He would destroy them methodically and mercilessly, and there was nothing they could do about it.

    Jack hadnt used Brutalizing Aura in a long time, but the fear it carved on the enemys faces was always a refreshing feeling.

    However, none of the three enemies buckled. They instantly saw through his skill and calmed themselves, retaining mostbut not allof their energy. Sensing thebined might of their three Dao Domains cave under Jacks, their resolve didnt waver; they simply realized the extent of his strength. Instantly, their gazes went dark and serious. They were out for blood.

    There were some things that all cultivators understood. When facing an overwhelmingly stronger opponent, it was better to scatter and hope that at least some of you survived. However, when facing an opponent only slightly stronger than you, escaping would only give him an opening to pick you off one by one; the best choice was to stay and fight with everything you had.

    Of course, Jack understood this as well. He saw the thoughts race behind their eyes as the three of them exchanged nces and resolute nods. He nodded, too. Despite everything he could say about the Animal Kingdom, they were not cowards.

    In truth, he looked forward to this battle. He could <em>probably </em>win, but facing three elite opponents of the same level as him would be an uphill struggle. His spars in the Exploding Sun had proven that.

    Come! he roared, smashing his fists together. They reverberated like gongs, sending flocks of birds into the air all the way to the horizon. Just one of his Meteor Punches could cause a craterthere was no telling how far and how deeply an all-out battle would impact thend.

    The three enemies charged as one. The bearfolk and sharken spread to the sides, leaving the turtler alone at the front. It was a sensible choice; he specialized in defense, so he should be able to take a few hits.

    Jack let theme. His Iron Fist Style, his signature fighting skill, filled his mind with ice and his heart with fire. He danced between the strikes. ws and des flew left and right, but he dodged by a hairs breadth, refusing to be hit. When he struck back, his fists were iron, like a tyrants. They were unstoppable.

    Jacks fighting style also contained hints of mental warfare. As he blended into his Dao Domain, with everything around him bing Fist, his opponents experienced the terror of the Iron Fist. Everything they did was countered. Their strikes were dodged, blocked, or ignored. Their defenses were pierced. The more they failed, the weaker they grew, Jacks Dao grinding against them.

    The Iron Fist was a fighting style meant to overwhelm the opponent and defeat them without giving them a single inch. It served perfectly a superior fighter. However, if they did force Jack to be defensive again, it would be hard for him to recover.

    A fist relied on momentum. The moment it was stopped, most of its power dissipated.

    Jack danced and punched. He kept looking for opportunities to unleash a Meteor Punch, but it needed time to charge, if ever so little. Using it mid-battle was difficult; he needed an opening. In the meantime, he tried his hardest to fight off his opponents, but it was proving challenging.

    The more they grew ustomed to his moves, the more they were able to use their own.

    A w flew at Jacks face. He leaned back to avoid it, but with a furious growl, the bearfolk turned his w strike in mid-air without wasting its momentum. It was the desperate power that came from a cornered animal, demonstrated and amplified to the extreme by the bearfolks Dao. The w raked down Jacks chest, drawing a line as deep as a fingernail.

    Jack disyed no weakness. Compared to the torturous pain hed felt before in his life, this was nothing. Most importantly, his Iron Fist Style relied on dominating his opponentshe couldnt let them see that theyd harmed him.

    He took the strike and returned his own. An uppercut flew into the bearfolks jaw as Jack leaned backward, flinging his head back and throwing him a hundred feet into the sky. The turtlers punch smashed into Jacks back, bent as he was, but he simply ignored the hit. The turtler focused hard on defense. In offense, he was weak.

    It still made Jacks back creak and ruined his bnce, letting the sharken take the upper hand. Her fin-des came down with extreme speed. A pre-System human wouldnt even register their movement at all. Jack, despite being unbnced, reached out for them. The des met his palms, cutting deep but not through. They came to a stop. His fingers wrapped around the des, holding them in ce, and his gaze hardened. With the bearfolk flung away and the turtler having just struck, he had a window to attack.

    Grabbing both fin-des, he pulled them aside, revealing the sharkens wide-open chest. He then flung out one de and clenched his fist, shooting it forward. Hed once used this maneuver on Shard Presht with great sess.

    Unfortunately, this womans mastery over the Dao of Momentum was worlds apart from Preshts. She didnt have time to bring her hand back to defend, but the moment Jacks punch impacted her chest, she stole part of its momentum to throw herself backward at a simr speed, nullifying most of the impact.

    She still went flying and spat out blood, but she was fine. Almost immediately, she willed her momentum to reverse, shooting herself back at Jack.

    He gritted his teeth; she was skilled. As expected of a cultivator from the five noble families.

    In the instant before she returned, Jack caught the turtler from the cor of his shell and flung him out at her. She caught him and pushed him aside, continuing her charge with only a moments dy.

    In that moment, Jack charged at the bearfolk, who was only now returning from where hed been sent flying. His jaw was dislocated, but his eyes were filled with fire. Seeing Jack charge at him, he unleashed his strongest attack.

    CORNERED DESPAIR! he somehow shouted through his broken jaw, shing out before him. The ws kept going. They formed a spectral outline that carried the power of a cornered animals desperate final strike. Jack felt its weight; its life-or-death significance.

    Unfortunately for the bearfolk, hed been through a lot. He was ustomed to this life-or-death despair. Hell, hed even felt it himself several times. The mentalponent of the bearfolks attack left him unaffected, and as for the physical one

    Jack clenched his fist. Suddenly, sound and light were sucked inside. The world went mute. Even the bears ws shivered, their cornered despair countered by the helplessness of a natural disaster.

    METEOR PUNCH! Jack shouted, his voice echoing through the sky like a gods decree, and a purple, fist-shaped meteor shot out. The ws were eradicated like they werent even there. The bearfolk barely had time to widen his eyes and cross his arms, but it was useless. The meteor exploded in his face, striking him with both intense momentum and a violent shockwave. His arms were flung backward and ripped from the shoulder. His fur evaporated. His ribcage shattered, and his entire body shot upward with enough speed that it might just reach orbit and nevernd again.

    The shockwave spread through the sky, an exploding star that blinded the birds and deafened the forest animals. A ring of wind spread outward, upsetting the Dao in a multiple-mile radius. It was apocalypse in a fist.

    It was also very risky.

    Of the two remaining opponents, the sharken was too hardened to be stunned. Taking advantage of Jacks big attack, which required some time to prepare and recover from, she appeared beside him and shed out. Her des danced over his bare upper body. Red lines were carved under his ribs, and his chest became mangled.

    Finally, Jack revealed an expression of pain, but it was toote.

    He crossed gazes with the sharken. He was ready to keep fighting. His wounds were visibly regenerating already, and he could see the realization settling into his opponents eyes. They could barely match him when they were three. Now, they were two, and though he was hurt, he wasnt weakened.

    She turned and ran. So did the turtler, but Jack ignored him, for he was too slow. It was the sharken he kept his eyes on.

    In her retreat, she dashed with incredible speed. Her entire mastery of momentum was poured into her body, elerating her almost instantly to her maximum speed. She crossed a mile in the blink of an eye. Multiple booms indicated her breaking the sound barrier.

    Suddenly, space parted before her, and Jack appeared. He hadnt used teleportation before in this fight, except to assassinate the root wizard, and even then, they hadnt seen it clearly and assumed it was invisibility. The sharkens eyes widened. She was stunned, but only for a moment. Almost instantly, she redirected her entire momentum to the side, falling away in a most unnatural way. She dodged the meteor.

    However, instantly and almost instantly were two different things. In the fraction of a second it took her to adapt, Jack had already shot out another meteor, aiming at her new location.

    She reacted in time, if barely. She didnt try to defend, only evade. Her momentum reverse. She managed to dodge Jacks meteor, but not the explosion. A new shockwave appeared, a new sun was born, and the sharken was sent tumbling head-over-heels through the sky, even her control over momentum slipping momentarily.

    Jack was there again. Space parted, and his fist came down. It struck her cleanly. A meteor sprang to life as the entire world was sucked into his fist, then exploded violently.

    The sharken had speed, not durability. Taking a Meteor Punch head-on, she exploded, raining burnt blood and flesh in a wide radius. Jack did not wait a single moment. Turning around, he teleported again, and again, then dashed the rest of the way to the escaping turtler.

    This cultivator was the slowest of the bunch. He couldnt even break the sound barrier. Jack reached him instantly and smashed a Meteor Punch against his shell, cracking it in arge explosion and nailing the turtler into the ground below, copsing a small section of the forest in the process. Thanks to the turtlers durability, it was like a true meteor had fallen.

    Surprisingly, he survived. The turtler got up and could clearly keep running, but he realized there was no point. He raised both hands and said, Mercy, please! I beg you!

    Jack appeared before him, an avatar of violence and cold death. Im sorry, he replied, but I cannot.

    His fist met the turtlers face, then smashed him into the ground. The earth rumbled for miles in every direction. When everything ceased moving, the turtlery dead, his skull shattered.

    Jack only shook his head once to shake away the darkness. It felt wrong to execute someone who surrendered and pleaded for mercy, but what choice did he have? He couldnt imprison the turtler. If he showed mercy, not only would this enemy eventually reach civilization and report Jacks presence, but in the future, he might even find his way to Earth and kill everyone to get revenge for his friends.

    In the cultivator world, showing mercy to the enemy was often the same as being cruel to yourself.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 148.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 149.</strong>

    Jack quickly split all attributes points evenly between the Physical substats, then sighed and shook his head. His entire body was still in pain from the many injuries hed sustained, but his regeneration could handle them. For now, he was just tiredand hungry.

    But food could wait a moment.

    Without giving himself time to rest, Jack quickly buried what remained of the swordswoman that the inner disciples had killed before, leaving her a simple, empty tombstone as a token of dignity. He then darted away through the forest, trying to open as much distance as possible between himself and the four dead cultivators.

    Battles between immortals were earth-shaking events. It must have been detectable hundreds of miles away. Others might run over to investigate, and no matter how thinly spread they were on this ce, Jack didnt want to take any chances.

    <em>Although, </em>he realized, <em>when Im strong enough to move to the next tier of hunting zones, I could use this as a final move. Kill a team of cultivators here, then wait until more people arrive to investigate and kill them too. Its riskybut it could work. Hmm.</em>

 Chapter 269: Another!?

    Chapter 269: Another!?

    Artus Emberheart opened his eyes when someone knocked on his door. Of course, hed sensed theming; his Dao perception stretched for a hundred miles around.

    Come in, hemanded, and the door opened soundlessly.

    Warden, the leonine who entered saluted him humbly. I have a report on the missing teams.

    Speak.

    More of them disappeared. Weve tracked down the numbers of missing people over thest month, and they are unusually high in seven low-level zones. Thetest casualties were reported a few minutes ago in zone sixteen. We suspect there is someone out there hunting us.

    Hmm. The Wardens eyes narrowed slightly. His mane fluttered in the gentle breeze generated by the mere act of him thinking. It is not a prisoner, as they would not be able to traverse multiple zones. Someone snuck in from the outside. Investigate every teleporter connected to Hell for immortals at the middle D-Grade and above, and recruit nine low immortals and a healer to scour zone sixteen. The intruders could still be there. If you dont find them, be prepared to move to the next zone where disciples go missing.

    Yes, Warden, the leonine replied. He hesitated for a split-second, then, in a voice as steady as before, added, What if the enemy is too strong?

    Artus gazed over this leonine. He was one of his young and promising personal disciples at Level 180. It would be a pity if he died.

    Its a low-level zone, he replied. When you find them, the deacon shadowing you will eliminate anyone over Level 165. You should be able to deal with the remaining ones. If you fail, nobody will interfere.

    The leonine nodded sharply. Of course, Warden.

    You may leave.

    Yes, Warden.

    ***

    A team of Animal Kingdom inner disciples had just finished putting down an elderly prisoner. One of their members had gotten heavily injured in the battle, but the rest were fine.

    I got a level! a canine woman cheered.

    Me too! another canine, a man, smiled at her. The glint of insanity in both their eyes sent chills down the spine of the third member, a deer person with antlers the size of tree branches.

    Lets get going, said this third person, looking left and right. There are rumors of many teams not returningtely. I wouldnt want to get caught out.

    Heh. What are you afraid of, coward? A prisoner defeating all four of us?

    Suddenly, the air around them lightened. Their hair rose. Whos there!? one of the canines shouted, only to be answered by a cold, young-sounding voice.

    Your deer friend was wise, but you dyed. Its toote now.

    The four cultivatorsincluding the fourth one, an injured lycanlooked around wildly. There! the deer man shouted, pointing at a spot between the trees, where a figure awaitedd in a long gray robe, with a dark hood draped over their face.

    Who are you? the deer man shouted again, but the figure onlyughed.

    Your death! it replied. Then, it disappeared. Noit simply moved too fast.

    Careful! the injured lycan shouted, releasing his Dao Domain, but it was pierced and shattered before it could even form. All four inner disciples readied themselves for battle, but all they caught was glimpses. The deer mans toppled over without warning, cut cleanly in two. The explosion only came after his upper half had slid off the lower one. A bloody hole appeared on the forehead of one of the canines, while the other managed to block a stab, only to have her throat slit almost simultaneously.

    All three of the inner cultivators tumbled to the ground, dead in an instant. Only the lycan remained, lying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood as the figure appeared over him.

    I could let you bleed out, the figure dered, but then, I wouldnt get the levels. Just me your bad luck for putting you in my way.

    The lycan gritted his teeth. Before he could reply, his brain was pierced, and he was dead.

    Four immortals, gone in the blink of an eye.

    The hooded figure shook its weapon once, shaking off the blood, then coldly turned around and disappeared in the wilderness.

    ***

    Jack shot out of the foliage, approaching four people in a small crater. They were bruised and bloodyone of their member had already fallen to his punches.

    Formation! An eaglera half-eagle half-human simr to Fesh Wui from the Integration Tournamentshouted out. Four immortal Dao Domains sprang out,pleting each other to form a whole greater than its parts. Four grand Daos boiled under it.

    Jack fell on them like a missile. His Dao Domain unfolded, a purple dome of violence. Now that hed leveled up a few times, glittering stars were visible in the purple, each a miniature fist waiting to strike. Simply watching his Dao gave one a sense of unavoidable, impending doom.

    Jacks Dao Domain ground against thebined domain of the other four, slowly but surely pushing them back. At the same time, Brutalizing Aura erupted from his body, filling his opponents with visions of their deaths and weakening them. They struggled to hold on, but it only took one of them sumbing to the pressure for the formation to copse.

    The weakest of the four was only Level 130how could they resist Jack?

    Theirbined Dao Domain deteriorated. It crumbled under Jacks pressure, slowly approaching the ground as the purple dome pushed on it from above. The four inner disciples were sweating.

    Why are you doing this!? Stop! the strongest of them, an eagler at Level 161, shouted. He was the only one above Level 140.

    Sorry, Jack replied coldly, but you are my enemies.

    The eagler cawed, stirring the very wind. Seeing that their domain was about to crumble, he let it gopletely and mustered everything for a full-power strike. WINDS OF HELL!

    Jack had been waiting for exactly that. As his domain overpowered theirs and reached the ground, pushing down everyone but the eagler, he clenched his fist and shot it out.

    METEOR PUNCH!

    The purple stars in his domain fused into the meteor, augmenting it even further. When it shed against the eaglers tornado, it didnt even stop; it simply pushed through unstoppably, dominating the air and smashing hard into the earth, right where his four enemiesy suppressed.

    A tremendous impact shook the ground. Jack narrowed his eyes to protect them from the explosion, letting the shockwave ruffle his pants and hair. For a moment, the world was chaosthen, everything calmed down, and Jack was left alone in the wilderness with five mangled corpses.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 163.</strong>

    It was lucky he got a level. Theyd been getting scarcer and scarcertely. In the month hed spent terrorizing the low-level hunting zones, his level had grown dramatically, but so had the difficulty of each sessive level-up. At least the System acknowledged the difficulty of finding D-Grade opponents and didnt make things <em>too </em>slow, but still Jack estimated he must have killed at least a hundred inner disciples so far over five hunting zones, creating a tiny but noticeable gap in the Animal Kingdoms forces.

    Not a single inner disciple had escaped him so far, but they were bound to have noticed something was wrong.

    <em>Perhaps I should hide out for a while, </em>he thought calmly, by now used to the sight of immortal corpses. <em>Or I could just move directly to the mid-level zones.</em>

    He was a bit leery of doing that. When he first entered the low-level zones, he had been Level 146, while his opponents ranged from 130 to 165. Those first battles hadnt been easy.

    If he tried to assault a team of mid D-Grade disciples while only being a low D-Grade himself, things might get too risky. Even if he could beat them, he had no confidence in preventing everyone from escapingunless he used his Life Drop, but that was something he would really rather avoid.

    However, he also didnt have time to waste. Even hunting furiously, hed gotten fifteen levels in a month. At this rate, he wouldnt get anywhere near the peak of the D-Grade in the five months he had left.

    <em>What a dilemma, </em>he thought again, clicking his tongue. <em>Where are you, Shol I need you to pick up the ck.</em>

    Done ruminating, Jack zoomed off. The more inner disciples he killed, the higher the chances of people looking for him. He flew low, crossing the jungle until he reached a distant mountain, where he darted into an obscured cave.

    This ce had be his house for the past few days. It contained nothing, but he was an immortal; he <em>needed </em>nothing.

    Well, nothing besides a hiding ce, which the cave dly offered.

    Jack stepped inside, releasing a long sigh. He tossed his credit card and treasures on a leaf pillow he had lying by the side, then sat down cross-legged in the middle of the cave. It wasntrgeten feet from end to end and rectangr-ish in shape, it contained nothing but the bare necessities.

    At least it had a view, whenever he chose to remove the boulder sealing the cave mouth.

    Jack then reached for some of the food he had lying aroundcooked bird meat, mostlyand started eating. He didnt need to do that anymore, but it helped him focus. He also spared a few nces for his credit card.

    He had secured ny million from the bounty hunter and prison guards on Derion, the poison. That was a massive sum.

    Still, for an immortal, he was considered dirt poor. He really looked forward to reaching a hundred million and purchasing the telepathy function for his faction, but hed discovered that the inner disciples hunting here did not carry their credit cards with them.

    <em>Misers.</em>

    At least, when he did manage to gather some money, he would be able to contact the professor and find out what the hell was going on on Earth.

    <em>I hope everyone is okay Man, I wish Shol had agreed to lend me some. He must be a billionairewith a B!</em>

    Hunting the Animal Kingdom disciples was a risky endeavor. Therefore, Jack couldnt ck off on safety measures. After every sessful hunt, he wouldy low for at least eight hours, sometimes more. When the number of immortals in a hunting zone decreased noticeably, he would change zones.

    In those eight hours, he would meditate. He had no time to waste, so this was the best way to keep himself busy. Hed brought the Dao Battery from his cer in the estate as well. It waited right next to him in the small cave, making it a Fist Cave.

    This time, like every other, Jack finished his meal, then made himselffortable and closed his eyes. Instantly, he dived into his soul world, the bare rock reced with starry terrain and a Dao Tree.

    Hed been looking forward to this. Because, as he leveled up, his Dao Tree had begun to evolve.

 Book 2 Audiobook (Trial Planet) is out!

    Book 2 Audiobook (Trial) is out!

    Guys!

    It took us some time to prepare this beast of an audiobook, but it''s finally published. 36 hours of ear-perking performance by Jeremy Frazier. Whooo.

    However, unlike the ebook version, the first audiobook didn''t do too well. I hope to remedy that a bit with this second audiobook, so any bit of help is appreciated. I really think this story deserves to be heard.

    So spread the word! Help the people waiting for this release hear about it -- I only found out two days ago, so chances are, they still have no idea. If we can get those people to notice, it will be more than enough. Moreover, if you have friends who enjoy audiobooks, rmend it to them! If you see people discussing this story, mention that it''s worth a shot. And give my buddy Jeremy some love as well, he worked hard on this. I think the result turned out pretty amazing, too.

    That''s all from me. See you in a few hours for the regr chapter, and thanks!

 Chapter 270: The Tree and the Life Drop

    Chapter 270: The Tree and the Life Drop

    Cultivators formed Dao Trees as they entered the D-Grade. However, at first, their Dao Trees didnt resemble trees at all. Jacks inner world used to contain four Dao Roots wrapped around the Dao Seed, connected to it through awork of thin lines. All together, they formed the image of a fist, where each finger was a different colorfive of them, each corresponding to one of Jacks Daos.

    As he leveled up, however, things began to change.

    Jack hovered in his inner world, observing the changes. His Dao Tree, once nothing but a multi-colored fist, now had an actual sapling growing out of it. It was a young tree, frail but full of potential. The Fistboth Seed and Rootswas its entire root system, and the tree itself grew out of the back of the fist shape, where the wrist was supposed to be. The tree grew upward, while the fist pointed downward.

    Jack muttered a breathless wow. This was <em>his </em>Dao. His inner world.

    How beautiful he said in admiration. With a shake of his head, he summoned Copy Jack out here, wantingpany to enjoy the sight. What do you think, Copy Jack? Do you like it?

    The copy formed his lips into an O and nodded excitedly. Jack liked this guy. He was simple and joyful, and never seemed to grow tired of being trapped in here. What betterpanion to have as a Dao Soul?

    Come with me, Copy Jack. Lets take a look at this tree.

    The two of them flew through the void of the soul world. Jack could always transform this ce into the field where he often trained with Copy Jack, but chose not tothis felt more familiar.

    Every inner world was different. Jacks looked like an endless void surrounded by sparkling, star-like dots. It was an imitation of space, basically, with his Dao Tree hovering in the very center of existence, supporting this entire world.

    In contrast to actual space, Jack could faintly smell a pure, earthly scent, like packed dirt. He could hear the distant stars echoing with the sound of fist hitting metal, and asionally, a meteor would cross the canvas, going from nowhere into nowhere with the threat of violence.

    As he approached the Dao Tree, the smell only got more intense. More of them joined in. Jack reached the tree to find out that each finger carried its own signature sensations. The purple thumb, the Fist, thrummed with violence and dignityan unstoppable rush. The silver index finger was made of tightly-bound steel wire, representing his Indomitable Will. The middle finger was dark blue and carried an uplifting, dominating aura, making Jack feel like the king of the worldit was his Dao Root of Power. From the other side, the pinky was ck and scrawny, almost shriveled. It was the Dao of Weakness.

    As for the ring finger, that was the mostplex of them all. It wasnt just the Dao Root of Life; it represented the Life Drop, a drop of blood from Enas, the King of Gods, the First of the Old Ones. It currently functioned as a Dao Root for Jack, but that was just a speck of its true power. Even now, Jack could not gaze into the drop freely. Behind its thin veil hid arge reservoir of life, an ocean of unplumbed depths stretching so far inward that Jack couldnt help but admire the mastery over space that made it possible.

    He couldnt reach the depths of that ocean. He could absorb part of its power to reveal his four-armed form, but he couldnt really control the Life Drop. There could be monsters hiding in there. Treasure, mysteries, and wonders. To have a mysterious object so intimately close to your soul was unnerving, but also exciting.

    Jack couldnt help himself. He felt little fear and a lot of intrigue. One day, when he plumbed those depths and conquered the Life Drop to make it truly his, just how much power would he earn?

    And if the King of Gods wanted to harm him, well He wouldnt need to go to such trouble.

    Jack focused on this ring finger. It exuded an aura of life so pure that it felt like his nostrils had been unplugged for the first time since he was born, and he could finally breathe freely. Each inhtion sent his body in ecstasy, awoke the animal inside him and made him feel like home.

    But there was also danger in life; an endless race of survival, countless creaturesying down their lives only for their descendants to carry on their legacy. There was pain and sorrow, failure and death; yet, within the depths of this war for survival hid light, for that survival was the very purpose of life, and to pursue ones purpose was the true source of happiness.

    The Fist fit right in there as well. It meshed perfectly with the ideals of Life, two paths well-suited for each other.

    This was the only Dao Root that Jack hadntprehended by himselfit had been granted to him when he passed the Ancient Trial in Trialbut in hindsight, it synergized perfectly with his own path. So perfectly, in fact, that he couldnt help suspecting that the suitability of his Dao was a hidden requirement of the Ancient Trial.

    Giving this green ring finger a final nce, Jack looked upward, at the tree that had recently bloomed from inside his Fist.

    It was healthy and lively. A small tree for now, only reaching up to his waist, but a tree nheless. It had even begun to form bark; as it grew, some of its cells died and were pushed outward, where theypressed into the hard material that would protect the tree from harsh weather, pests, or other threats.

    Of course, none of those were present in Jacks inner world, but he appreciated the trees decency to follow the biological pattern. It let him flex his knowledge to Copy Jack, who silently and smilingly endured a ten-minute lecture.

    And that, my timid student, Jack finished, is how trees grow.

    Copy Jack made sounds of excited understanding. He then pointed at where the tree connected to the Fist below itthe beginning of its root system. Jack frowned and took a better look. There was a green glow there, but nothing else.

    Yes? he asked. Those are the roots. What are you trying to say?

    Copy Jack pointed again. Seeing that Jack did not understand, he then pointed at the ring finger which signified the Dao Root of Life, then at the trees base again.

    Are you saying that the roots are life? Jack tried, but Copy Jack only shook his head. He pointed at the ring finger again, then made a questioning gesture with his hand.

    What are you Jack was about to ask again when he figured it out. Oh! he eximed. Wait a moment. Youre right. Where is the Life Drop!?

    The ring finger was a vibrant green, full of life. Jack had habitually connected that with the Life Drop, but on second thought, he couldnt actually <em>see </em>the Life Drop inside the finger. Where did it go?

    He looked around, inspecting the starlit void which surrounded his Dao Tree, but there was no divine green drop floating there. He then observed his Dao Tree again. With a figurative light bulb popping up over his head, he focused on the base of the tree, where Copy Jack had been pointing before.

    Indeed; the green glow hed written off as magic was not so simple. As he took a closer look, he realized that this green glow was nothing but the top of the Life Drop, which was embedded in the back of the Fist, right under the base of the tree.

    Yet, he was certain that when he broke through to the D-Grade and formed his Dao Tree, the Life Drop had been inside the ring finger.

    Odd, he muttered. What is going on here, Copy Jack? Is the Life Drop affecting my Dao Tree, somehow?

    Of course it did. Jack felt like an idiot. He had literally just said that the Dao Root of Life was only a tiny portion of the Life Drops power. Why would it obediently stay inside a single finger of his Dao Fist when it could adopt a more active role?

    Which instantly birthed a thousand questions in Jacks mind. Did the Life Drop possess sentience? If it could freely move around his inner world, what else could it do? Could it harm him? Could it withdraw its power and make his Dao Tree copse? Could it turn his Dao in a direction of its choosing, pulling it away from the Fist and towards Life?

    Jack still felt that if a God wanted him harm, they wouldnt need to be discreet about it, but the Life Drops activities were upsetting.

    Do you think I should be worried, Copy Jack? he asked his friend, who remained fixated on the Life Drop. Jack shrugged. Youre right. Since theres nothing I can do about it anyway, Ill just hope for the best. Its only brought me benefits so far; I have no reason to distrust it.

    Copy Jack still did not reply, his eyes glued on the Life Drop like he was trying to see through its mysteries.

    That didnt stop Jack from performing his own inspections. He observed the Dao Tree carefully, from top to bottom, looking for signs of anything odd. I dont know why Im worried, he muttered mid-inspection. Its not like anything bad <em>should </em>happen. There is infinite life under my Dao Tree. If anything, this is great.

    He still kept going, out of caution. His eyes ran over the entire tree and found nothing odd. Right as he was about to let go, however, he nced over the growing bark again. Wait a moment, he said, squinting. Are those shapes?

    Generally speaking, bark formed all over the tree at once, but there could be short periods of time where some parts of the bark were more well-formed than others. Jacks tree seemed to be in exactly such a period, with some parts of his tree forming the beginning of bark while others remained a hard green. That by itself wasnt suspicious.

    When he took a more careful look at the arrangement of bark, however

    Jack took a step back. He traced the lines of bark with his eyes. If he looked at those patterns carefully, and if he imagined them extending to meet each other, they werent random at all.

    In fact, the more he observed them, the more certain he grew that they were

    A door.

    Now, <em>that </em>was suspicious. Not bad, necessarily, but suspicious.

    Copy Jack, Jack said carefully, I think we may have a problem. Hey, Copy Jack; are you listening to me?

    For the past few minutes, Copy Jack had been kneeling by the base of the tree, inspecting it thoroughly. He hadnt even acknowledged Jacks words. It had been so long that Jack began to think something was wrong.

    Is everything okay? he asked, approaching Copy Jack carefully.

    Touch, Copy Jack replied.

    Jack was so shocked it took him a moment to regain his bearings. You can talk!? he asked. And what do you mean by touch?

    Touch, Copy Jack said again. His gaze remained glued on the Life Drop under the base of the tree, and he raised one finger as if to jam it in there.

    Wait. Dont touch that, Copy Jack, Jack said, growing worried.

    Touch.

    Dont touch.

    TOUCH!

    Before Jack could stop him, Copy Jack pierced his finger into the Life Drop. An explosion of life urred instantly. Jacks inner world was colored green. Copy Jack was tossed back like a ragdoll, spinning through space before eventuallying to a stop, holding his heart.

    The Life Drop closed again, but the deed was done.

    Jack felt himself hyperventting. He was <em>too </em>full of life. He sensed his body in the real world suddenly grow in height and sprout two extra arms, entering his strongest form.

    Fuck, he swore, doing his best to contain the energy. Failing, he then opted to expend it as quickly as possible, letting an aura of life radiate from his body. The life energy in his body slowly dwindled, but he was undoubtedly shining like a beacon in the spiritual perception of every immortal within a dozen miles.

    FUCK! he swore again. There was a reason he never used the four-armed form. The voice in the Ancient Trial had warned him that, if he was ever spotted using it, all major powers of the gxy woulde after him with tremendous zeal. He absolutely couldnt afford thatand in Hell, a which housed at least e C-Grade, he didnt want to risk it.

    Are you okay, Copy Jack? he asked hurriedly, appearing by the side of his clone in an instant.

    Copy Jack was still grabbing his heart with a pained gaze, but he met Jacks gaze and nodded. He seemed more apologetic than hurteven his simple mind realized hed fucked up big time.

    Never touch that again. Ever. You understand me? Jack chided him, in a hurry to return to the real world.

    Copy Jack nodded earnestly, and Jack tsked.

    Dont think this is over. For now, keep your fucking hands to yourself. Dont be a child.

    Copy Jack nodded again, and Jack had no choice but to trust him because he really couldnt afford to stay here any longer. He returned to the real world, where he was blinded by green light. Fuck, he repeated a third time. It was so bright that even he, with his highly-enhanced body, was blinded.

    It was even worse than he thought. He hadnt realized there would be physical light. There must have been some shockwave released from his body as well, because his Dao Battery and other things were scattered randomly across the cave, and the boulder hed used to block the entrance had rolled away.

    Thanks to that, a bright green beacon streamed out of the cave, piercing the cloudy sky and being visible from who knows how far away. But Jack couldnt make it disappear, because he had to expel all the extra energy and get the fuck out of there.

    Within seconds, the life energy ran out. The beacon disappeared and his body returned to normal. By then, hed put on his robes and waved his sleeve, gathering all items inside his pockets. He dashed out of the cave at full speed and instantly felt despair.

    The green beacon was gone, but it had done its job. Dots had appeared in the sky, surrounding him from three directions. They were cultivatorsa bunch of them.

 Chapter 271: One against Eleven

    Chapter 271: One against Eleven

    Jack raised his gaze to the cloudy sky. Thick droplets of rain started falling before the enemy cultivators even arrivedfirst one and then many, they rained over Jack, drenching his hair and robes.

    He ignored them, taking in a greedy breath of air to fill his lungs. Water was the least of his problems right now.

    The cultivators were here.

    Eleven forms rose over Jack, looking down at him from a greater height. The rain didnt bother them; their long hair and fur were matted to their backs, and the distant shes of lightning only enhanced their dark visage.

    I dont suppose we can postpone this due to weather conditions, Jack said, punctuated by a precise thunderp.

    Save your mirth, human one of the enemies replied. He had a lions mane and a thick, wide chest, reminding Jack of Rufus Emberheart. The arrogant glint in his eye was simr, too. Speak; why did you reveal yourself? You clearly cannot escape.

    Jack chuckled darkly. Even if I told you, you wouldnt believe me.

    The enemies looked at him with narrowed eyes, not attacking immediately. They seemed hesitant. Of course they would be; since Jack had practically summoned them here, they expected him to have allies hidden somewhere.

    While they considered the situation, Jack inspected them all. There was a leonine, a sharken, two eaglers, three bearfolk, one elef, and three goatees. All ranged from level 140 to 165. The only exception was their leader, the leonine whod spoken first. He was Level 180.

    Eleven enemies, all simr to him in level. Eleven inner disciples who enjoyed the full resources of the Animal Kingdom. Jack could sense his death looming, but he stared at them defiantly.

    Well? he asked. Arent you going to attack me?

    A faint aura seeped out of his body; a barely visible purple light. The rain curved away as if dodging him in fear, while the Dao around him got aligned to the Fist.

    The leading leonine saw his demonstration of power and snorted. A nket of supremacy erupted from his body; not a domain, but an actualization of his Dao. The rain was pushed back for a hundred feet, cowering before him, while his body was draped in a golden radiance that made him seem like a king among men.

    Jackughed at his face.

    Wait! an eagler said, her eyes widening. I recognize this man! Ive seen his wanted poster. He is Jack Rust!

    Murmurs of realization spread through the gathered cultivators.

    So what if I am? Jack replied.

    Fool! the leading leonine shouted,ughing. The killer of Rufus delivered himself to us on a silver tter! What idiocy!

    Whats your name, kitty? Jack replied. Im about to be your killer, too.

    The leonines eyes hardened. He made up his mind. If you have allies, human, they had best stay hidden. My master, the Warden of Hell, is watching; and I promise you, any of your allies that appear will be killed immediately. The Animal Kingdom does not forgive underhanded tactics.

    Unless its you doing them.

    Your insults fall on deaf ears. Nothing but a pests death rattle.

    And what if I kill you, kitty? Will your master intervene then?

    The leonineughed. If you can kill me and my soldiers, I will eat my mane.

    How about facing me in singlebat, then? Jack tried. Since youre so supreme, why bring eleven people to kill one?

    The leonine shook his head in mockery. You have shown yourself to be adept in trickery. When you snuck into our territory and killed our inner disciples, did you do so with honor? When you chose to farm our people and resources for your personal benefit, did you care about the losses you were incurring us? No, human. Vermin like you do not deserve a duel. They deserve extermination.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. This guy was just spouting bullshit nowclearly, he understood Jacks strength and was afraid to fight him one-on-one.

    Which was a wise choice, admittedly, but frustrating.

    How can your Dao survive your cowardice? Jack asked, but the leonine onlyughed.

    He then turned to his squad. If he has allies, they will not dare intervene, he told them. And if he doesnt, then hes easy prey. ughter him.

    Yes, sir! The shouts of ten immortals shook the air.

    And then, they fell on him.

    Jack didnt have time to curse his luck, Copy Jack, or the Life Drop for this predicament. He needed to survive. A n was already forming in his mind; kill the fastest of these guys, then escape. There was no way he could take eleven of them at once.

    Yet, the Fist protested; the injustice was gnawing at him. These guys had shown up and challenged him unfairly. They were individually weaker than him, even their leader. Why should he have to run?

    Jack was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, but he pushed down the questions because he simply didnt have time to ponder them. The sky erupted with colors. Nine Dao Domains fell on him, constricting him in many different ways at once.

    Sharp winds sliced at his skin and blew against his movement. His body felt trapped in a mire, robbed of all momentum. The despair of cornered animals enhanced his enemies and weakened Jack, while the scent and taste of copper filled his mind, sinking him into a bloody sea.

    Nine of the eleven cultivators had released their Domains and charged at Jack. The only ones who hadnt were the leading leonine, whod stayed behind and coldly observed the battle, and the elef, who was their healer and also stayed at the back line.

    Jack spread his arms wide, weing his would-be killers. He clenched his fists and grinned. Try me, he whispered to the winds, his voice lost the moment it left his mouth.

    His Dao Domain erupted. A purple, starry haze unfolded, engulfing the enemy domains and fighting them in a tug of war. At the same time, he unleashed the full might of Brutalizing Aura, weakening his enemies; therger the power disparity between Jack and the skills targets, the more effective it was.

    The approaching cultivators saw death. They had poked the bear and were going to pay for it. Jack would maul them methodically and coldly, and there was nothing they could do about it.

    Their experienced minds staved off the mental attack, and their numbers gave them confidence, but they still staggered.

    Nine of them worked together against Jack, but he was much stronger than any one of them. His domain rumbled like a force of nature. The wind was punched away, momentum was seized back, despair became his to wield, and the sea of blood belonged to his enemies.

    For a moment, just as Jack revealed his full power, they came to a stand-still, one against nine.

    Right afterward, he was pushed back. No matter how strong he was, he couldnt contest nine immortals in raw power. Even stopping them momentarily was a feat of legend.

    And it was enough to make them doubt their chances.

    Jack grinned. As his domain folded backward, the purple receding to let the enemy in, he knew that his first punch had been blocked, but hed proven he could throw it. Most importantly, he still had control over his immediate surroundings.

    Heughed as the enemies approached. Then, he stepped through space and disappeared. An onught of attacks passed by where he was an instant ago, raining onto the forest below and ttening it. The giant trees were cut down, the soil was upturned, craters formed, and the grass was scorched. In an instant, the area in a diameter of several miles had beenpletely destroyed.

    But Jack was nowhere to be seen.

    Come at me! he shouted, appearing behind the cultivators and falling on them. METEOR PUNCH!

    The sky shattered. His skill wrestled against their domains for control, sucking some of the sound and light, then exploded in their faces. Cultivators flew everywhere. Their defenses blocked most of the power, but enough remained to scatter them. Jack pursued the eaglersthe fastest of the noble families, wielding Daos of wind.

    He caught up in an instant. A female eagler barely managed to stop her flight, only for her terrified eyes to meet his hardened ones. He showed her not the slightest hint of mercy. Meteor Punch! he shouted again. He saw her horror mounting as what had originally looked like an all-out attack was a skill he could use freely.

    Her allies didnt have time to intervene. Jack sted a Meteor Punch right in the eaglers chest, shattering her body and sending what remained flying in all directions.

    One down, ten to go.

    Jack turned to his enemies and roared, If you donte at me, then I will!

    He pressed on. The battle fever took him overpletely, turning him from a man into a well-oiled killing machine. His fists became unstoppable. His spirit, unbreakable. The Iron Fist Style filled his body, guiding him into a dance of violence as the eight opponents tried and failed to suppress him.

    Jack was a force of nature. He punched a bearfolk in the face, blocked the sharkens fin-des with his bare forearms, then grabbed her by the neck and tossed her into the approaching eaglers. He leaned back and flew down, narrowly dodging two w swipes and receiving one on the leg, which he ignored. An eagler appeared below him, ready to unleash a sharp jet of wind at his back, but Jack expected it. He rotated mid-air and smashed down a Meteor Punch, obliterating an entire section of the forest along with the eaglers right wing.

    Green magic red. The wing was restored, but the eaglers fright was not. If not for his extreme speed, he would have been instantly killed just now.

    Jack did not stop, nor did he slow. Facing eight opponents at once, his best hope was to keep them disorganized. If they managed to sync up, he would be in trouble.

    Punches flew everywhere, extending beyond his physical reach to pursue his opponents. He blocked, dodged, and parried their strikes. Any injuries he sustained were repaired with speed visible to the naked eye, and his onught of attacks came without pause or pattern, forcing the eight people facing him on the defensive. asionally, he sted out a Meteor Punch, injuring someone, but the healer was always there.

    The leading leonine had still not joined the fight, hovering in the sky with his arms crossed and a stormy gaze, but Jack was beginning to entertain a wild thoughtone that bordered on hubris.

    <em>Can I take them?</em>

    He had only killed one person, and that was due to surprise, but he could face eight of them. Even if the leader joined, how much could he turn the tide? As long as he took care of the healer, who made sure all the injuries he caused were meaningless, maybe he had a chance.

    He wanted to try.

    Jack navigated aplex terrain of attacks, dodging two and using the force of his domain to repel another. At the same time, he charged up for a Meteor Punch, but it was a feint; as his opponents escaped, he disappeared through space.

    His immediate surroundings were under his sole control. They could not stop his teleportation.

    The healer was at the very back of the battle, keeping her allies between herself and Jack. Teleportation made that useless. Jack appeared behind her with his fist already clenched, but what he saw was not the back of an elef, but the front of a leonine. The leader stared at him mockingly from nine feet away.

    You think too highly of yourself, he dered as he unleashed a punch at Jack. Their knuckles shed. Jack was stronger, but he was unprepared; the impact knocked him backward, sending him spinning head-over-heels into a trio of enemies whode to nk him.

    The remaining eagler and two bearfolk unleashed their attacks at him. A sharp, invisible jet of wind and two sets of ws came hurtling at Jack, who ought to dodge. He did not. He let the ws rend his chest, only angling himself to avoid most of the wind as he passed right through their attacks. Since they were piercing ones, they did not push him back much. His momentum remained, sending him right into the midst of those three enemies, who no longer had time to dodge.

    A Meteor Punch rang out. Air itself ran away from the point of impact as one bearfolk exploded on the spot, and even the eagler was only fast enough to avoid the epicenter of the explosion but was caught by the shockwave, losing his bnce mid-air. Jack finished the job with a jab to the back, prating right through the frail body and light bones.

    His fist stuck out of the eaglers chest. Jack couldnt see his face, but it had to be a mask of terror. Immediately afterward, he used a burst of Dao topletely destroy the eaglers organs from within. He was deader than dead.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 164.</strong>

    Jack recovered his fist, letting the eagler topple to the ground and quickly allocating his new stats to Physical.

    Six enemies to go. Eight, including the leader and the healer.

    Unfortunately, it seemed that the leaders idea of mercy was over. The battle came to a halt as the remaining cultivators gazed at the strongest leonine, who stared right at Jack.

    Youre strong, he said, his voice booming from deep inside his chest, but not enough. Prepare to die.

    He raised a hand to the cloudy sky. Jack felt his hair rise; instantly, a lightning bolt descended from the heavens, striking the leaders raised arm.

    The lightning didnt disperse. It remained within the leonines body, filling it with power. His fur rose and sparks crackled over his mane. His entire body screamed of violence.

    Jack had seen this before. Rufus Emberheart had used a simr battle form in their final battle, except this one was far more advanced and infinitely stronger. Not to mention it was augmented by actual lightning, which was a very unlucky coincidence.

    As if Jack didnt have enough on his te already.

    Sometimes, it felt like even the universe wanted him dead. But he wouldnt do it the favor. If the world wanted him dead, it had toe and try; and it better be prepared to pay the price.

    Jacks Dao Domain erupted again, a veil of violence fueled by the genuine desire to fight. Despite himself, Jack was grinning.

    Come! he shouted.

 Chapter 272: Battling a Leonine

    Chapter 272: Battling a Leonine

    Thunder boomed in the distant clouds. Lightning crackled, illuminating the profiles of the eight cultivators after Jack. Six of them gazed at him warily; the elef healer stood at the very back, while the leading leonines body was wrapped in lightning, his fur standing and his muscles ready to explode with power.

    The leonine dashed.

    The air shivered in his wake. The winds parted. Sonic booms carved the forest underneath as the leonine instantly appeared before Jack, who raised his arms to block. It was fruitless. The force of the impactunched him backward, but the leonine was already there, weaving his fingers together and smashing both hands into Jacks abdomen.

    All air left his body. He hurtled downward at extreme speed, crashing into the ground like the meteors he often threw. A crater was formed underneath, and the earth shook for hundreds of feet.

    The leonine stood proudly in the air, looking down on Jack. It didnt seem like his lightning-basedbat form had a time limit.

    Did you think you could just waltz into our territory and start killing people without repercussions? he asked. What naivete. Have you had enough, or should I keep humiliating you?

    Jack forced himself to stand. The regenerative properties of Neutron Star Body were already knitting his cracked bones together and repairing his bruised organs. Before long, he was in top form againthough his exhaustion crept upward at a frightening pace.

    The enemy cultivators raised their brows at his recovery. Even the leonine seemed confused.

    Had enough? Jack replied, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He grinned. The blood around his mouth only made him seem crazed. Even if I die, it still wont be enough.

    Very well. Lets test that.

    The leonine dived down. Lightning sparked around his body, amplified by the electrical presence of the clouds above. His punch came at Jacks face in an instant.

    Jack had already realized he could not match this guy in speed. However, speed had never been his strong suit. Right as he glimpsed at the punching for his face, he fired back. All sound was sucked into his fist, and the world lost its luster.

    Meteor Punch!

    An upward meteor met a thunderbolt. The impact shattered everything in a mile radius. The ground under Jacks feet sank downward, but he remained steady, channeling the entirety of his considerable strength upward.

    He crashed through the enemy. The leonine was flung backward, his hand shaking as the meteor exploded on him. Jack acted instantly. He didnt go after the injured leonine, for he knew that this enemy wouldnt go down easily.

    Instead, he set his sights on the remaining cultivators.

    With a step through space, he appeared behind the healer. His eyes were red and spitting fire. His fist was bloody and hard. Before the elef could turn around, he smashed a punch into the small of her back, breaking her spine and bending her body at an odd angle. He followed up with a second punch from the side, breaking her neck as well.

    Before anyone could respond, he teleported again. This time, he appeared in the very middle of the enemy cultivators and started sting. Meteors flew. Explosions filled the air. Jack had be a beast, an animal of violence, and his Brutalizing Aura made that painfully clear in the enemies minds.

    They defended with all their might. Domains sprang up, momentum turned and twisted, blood flooded the air, and the despair of cornered animals filled them all with power.

    Jack was indomitable. He broke through everything, smashing back thebined might of his enemies. One goatee was dragged into an explosion and incinerated. Another had his face caved in. The third raised her halberd to defend, but Jacks fist broke her wrists before prating her chest.

    Without their healer, with reduced numbers, and caught off guard, these cultivators were nothing butmbs to the ughter.

    Lightning whipped through the air. The meteors explosions were overshadowed by sonic booms, and the leading leonine appeared before Jack, his eyes wild and furious. He snapped out a kick on Jacks side, sending him flying far away from the weaker cultivators.

    Support me from a distance! the leoninemanded. Lets teach this human his rightful ce!

    He darted forward, a streak of lightning crossing the sky. Jack tried to defend; he swiped his fist upward but only met air. A foot met his head from behind, violently rocking his neck, and a punch dug deep into his chest. He shot down like a missile, only tond on the leonines raised knee and getunched back upward.

    Jack spat blood. His ribcage was breaking faster than it could be repaired. He forced himself through the pain and into a teleport, narrowly dodging the leonines w which swiped right where his neck would have been.

    When he reappeared three miles away, he was reeling, almost puking. He couldnt straighten his body. Several of his organs were pierced, and he simplycked the intact muscture to stand up straight.

    But the enemies wouldnt give him time to recover.

    Thick ws flew at him, courtesy of the two surviving bearfolk. Despair locked him down, and the sharken appeared below him, fin-des swiping upward and looking to sever his legs.

    Jacks instincts kicked in. His life-or-death battles came to the forefront, as did his many afternoons sparring against the immortals of Hualis estate. His pain disappeared. He registered everything clearly through bloodshot eyes. Stubbornness filled his mind.

    He refused to fall.

    Coldly, he calcted that he could not dodge all the attacks. He let the ws rake his back to lean downward and smash a fist at the sharken. His own blood spurted upbut the sharken tumbled down, crashing hard into the ground.

    The leonine reached him then, flying elbow-first. Jack threw a Meteor Punch. The leonine dodged with the barest of movements, reaching under Jack and punching out. Jacks mind worked in overdrive; he met the punch with his own, knuckles meeting knuckles. The leonine was pushed back, but he used that momentum to wrap around Jack and smash an elbow into his back.

    Jack took the hit and held his ground, using his own Dao to keep his body still. He let his domain erupt at full force, suppressing the leonines speed. Brutalizing Aura filled the air, fueled by Jacks intent to absolutely massacre this opponent. All thoughts of fleeing had left his mindhe would win or die trying.

    Supremacy erupted from the leonines body. He was a God, and Jack was but a man. The Dao Domain of the Fist was pushed back, held at bay by thebined forces of the leonine and the two bearfolk, who were now the only other cultivators remaining.

    Jack turned to the leonine and started pummeling. A storm of punches filled the air. His knuckles were hard as steel and fast as vipers, but the leonine matched him in kind, retaliating with kicks, elbows, and punches of his own. Space ruptured as they exchanged a hundred blows in the blink of an eye.

    This man was nothing like Rufus Emberheart. Rufus had been a sheltered man, faltering at the first sign of danger. This man only got fiercer in the face of death, his strikes sharper, his eyes narrower. He was a trained, experienced warrior, and he was strong.

    Far stronger than his level would indicate.

    The two bearfolk nked Jack. Their ws swiped at his back. In despair, he took an elbow to the face to unleash a Meteor Punch right in front of his body, pushing both himself and the leonine away. He teleported yet again, enduring the hellish strain to appear behind one of the bearfolk.

    There was not a hint of mercy left inside him. His fist rammed into the bearfolks skull and shattered it before teleporting near the other bearfolk. ws came at him. Jack pped the first strike away, dodged the second, and threw the third himself. His punch carried the essence of Brutalizing Aura; a strike of certain death.

    Before his strike couldnd, the leonine flew at Jack elbow-first. He was lightning-fast. Jack had to pull back or get hit hard.

    With a crazed glint in his eye, he carried through with his attack. His fist dug into the bearfolks chest, obliterating his ribcage and sending him flying into the distance. Before Jack could feel the satisfaction, an elbow smashed into his cheek. Half his teeth flew out. His head shook so hard it almost broke his neck, and he wasunched away so fast he broke the sound barrier before smashing through an entire thicket of trees and into the ground.

    Instinctively, Jack teleported away the same instant hended.

    The leonine smashed after him almost immediately, nailing his foot into the ground and piercing deep. Cracks spread across the earth. Trees copsed just by being in the general vicinity.

    The leonine looked up, meeting Jacks steady, exhausted gaze. He slowly flew to the same altitude. You are persistent, he finally acknowledged. He raised his proud head, mane fluttering in the wind and emitting lightning sparks. My name is Conrad Lightning. Though you are an inferior species, you have earned the right to fight me. Be proud.

    Jack raised his head to the sky andughed. He was ugly; half his teeth were missing, and his face was covered in blood. His body bent oddly where bones were broken. Due to his many injuries and several back-to-back teleportations, his regeneration had slowed down significantly.

    Yet, iron flowed in his veins, and his fury was encased in steel.

    What big words! he eximed, shouting at the sky. I defeated all your soldiers, and <em>now </em>you are willing to duel me? Now that Im exhausted and heavily injured? What a joke you are, leonine! I spit at your entire bloodline! Fight me if you dare, and I will prove that no matter what kind of blood runs through your veins, a coward like you will never be anything more than a coward!

    The leonines gaze was dark and stormy. With a roar that shook the heavens, he attacked. More lightning descended to augment him.

    The two warriors met in mid-air. Jack sank fully into the battle. His injuries and exhaustion yed second fiddle. The opponent became his entire world. Punches flew out, lightning cracked, explosions rumbled. Time slowed to a crawl as they exchanged ten strikes, a hundred, a thousand. Jack became the Iron Fist Style. Knuckles met elbows and forearms, sank into soft flesh. The leonines rapid strikes slipped past Jacks defenses, pummeling his already strained body.

    The two were equally matched. As the fight dragged on, lightning discharged in the air and explosions filled the sky. They did not move, only exchanged strikes ceaselessly. The forest under them, already a wounded patchwork from the previous bouts, was nowpletely demolished.

    The more they fought, the graver their injuries became. Jack did not care; he was an avnche of power, a well of violence. Destroying his opponent came first, and everything else could wait.

    But the leonine, as hardened a warrior as he was, did not want to exchange his life for Jacks.

    Under the shockwave of an explosion, he pulled back, panting and bleeding. The lightning around him had grown weaker but remained potent. Take this! he shouted, pouring all of his remaining energy into his Dao Domain. His eyes had a wicked glint. With those injuries, I refuse to believe you canmand your Dao!

    A curtain of lightning spread out. Supremacy was infused into every spark, every crackle, every air particle. The domain flew at Jack and surrounded him, trying to suffocate him in his weakness.

    However, Jack onlyughed. How pathetic you are! he eximed. A true cultivator does notmand their Daohe embodies it!

    Instantly, his own domain eruptedand as it did, the supremacy waspletely drowned, the lightning was extinguished. The leonines domain could barely resist Jacks, cracking and shattering in a few instants until the entire world bowed to the Fist. The proud leonine spat out blood as his Dao Tree suffered. He waspletely engulfed by Jacks domain, and he was also unable toprehend this.

    How!? he roared in desperate disbelief. How can your domain defeat mine? How can you even muster it in this state!?

    Jack keptughing. Each peal ofughter boomed like thunder, echoing across the entirety of his domain. Suddenly, the supremacy in the leonines heart was gone, and all that remained in its ce was fear.

    I told you, leonine, Jack finally replied, raising a fist. All color and sound disappeared, leaving only his voice. A coward like you could never be a warrior.

    No! the leonine screamed. He looked around, scrambling to escape, but everything was darkness. NO!

    Stop! another voice boomed out. Its mere sound shook Jacks domain. Raising his gaze, Jack saw a beam of light shoot out of a distant part of the forest and head towards him at breakneck speed. He inspected it.

    <strong>Turtler, Level 249</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    Stay your hand! the distant figure shouted, still approaching but not actually close enough to stop Jack.

    Jackughed with bitterness. Time and time again, your Kingdom disappoints me, he shouted back. Could you be any more shameless? Do you not have a shred of honor!?

    An aura of anger reached him from the rapidly approaching figure. I am a Deacon of the Animal Kingdom! the turtler shouted. And Imand you to stay your hand! Do not dare strike!

    Command me? Who the hell do you think you are? I will do whatever the fuck I want!

    STOP! the deacon shouted.

    WAIT! the leonine screamed, still trapped in Jacks domain.

    Watch me break this coward! Jack shouted back, smashing out a full-power Meteor Punch. The world went purple and exploded. The shockwave blew his robes and hair back.

    The leonine crossed his arms to defend. Both were broken instantly. The power of the meteor carried on and dived into his chest, where it exploded. Strands of golden hair filled the air. Bits and pieces of the leonine flew everywhere. Where he used to stand, there was now only a misshapen mass of flesh and bones.

    The approaching deacon saw red. How dare you! he shouted, the mere sound of his voice enough to dissipate the clouds.

    Why wouldnt I dare!? Jack shouted back. He tried to kill me, so I killed him back. Where exactly am I wrong, deacon?

    When I tell you to do something, you will fucking do it!

    The turtler was upon him by now. He shot out a palm strike, seeming to fill the sky. Jack saw death. He smashed out a Meteor Punch.

    His domain cracked further and copsed under the pressure. His Meteor Punch barely managed to dy the palm attack, evaporating the instant it made contact. Jack barely had time to teleport three miles away, further straining his already pushed-to-the-limits body, but the shockwave of the attack was enough to make him spit blood and reopen all of his wounds.

    Even if he was in top shape, he could never, ever hope to defeat this person. And he wasnt in top shape. He was close to death.

    There were several treasures on his body that he could use to escape. However, he wanted to save them for as long as possible. This deacon was strong, but he was a turtler, which meant he was slow. Jack might be able to outpace him.

    Therefore, he borrowed the remaining force of the shockwave and ran.

 Chapter 273: A Mad Escape

    Chapter 273: A Mad Escape

    The storm was still ongoing. If anything, it had gotten even stronger.

    Come back here! the turtler deacon roared, shooting sideways through the sky like a confusedet. His presence was a bright beacon at the edges of Jacks Dao perception.

    Jack didnt reply. His full attention was devoted to running faster, to bending the air before him through the Dao of the Fist and achieving just that little bit of extra speed. His entire body felt devoid of energy, his Dao Tree was dry, but he still had to run.

    The two of them crossed the sky, disturbing the clouds through mere speed. Jack didnt know how fast he was going, but hed created two sonic booms, so probably a little faster than twice the speed of sound. It was not his top speed, but he was injured and exhausted. His heart beat in his throat, the blood drummed on his temples. He wanted to puke.

    The turtler deacon kept pace. Though traditionally a slower species, his superior cultivation more than closed the gap, as the deacon himself was doing to Jack. The distance between them was quickly shortening. Soon, the deacon would be within attack range.

    Jack considered using his escape talisman, the one hed gotten from the library of Hualis estate. He would have to do it sooner orter, as there was no way to outrun this guy. However, he wanted to dy as much as possible. There could be more deacons approaching, and he needed them all to converge on him for his escape to be sessful.

    Brat! Hold it right there! the deacon shouted from behind, growing more enraged by the moment.

    If I was going to stop, I would have done it already! Jack shouted back.

    Apparently, that was not the correct response. The deacon raised his hand and pped it down, unleashing a palm strike towards Jack. It didnt reach him, exploding hundreds of feet behind him, but the ensuing shockwave ruined his bnce and made him slightly slower. Before he could recover, the deacon had closed in.

    I told you to stop! he shouted, unleashing another strike.

    Jack had no choice but to defend. He turned and smashed out the strongest Meteor Punch he could muster, but it was not enough. The turtlers palm strike broke through the meteor and crashed on Jack, if weakened by his resistance. He was sent flying into the ground at an angle, carving a line a hundred feet wide and destroying an entire section of the forest.

    Immediately, Jack jumped up and kept flying away. He needed to dy. His Neutron Star Body had helped him survive the strike, but one of his arms hung broken, his current regeneration too slow to help.

    At least, the turtler didnt expect such a fast recovery, so he was a second toote to pursue, letting Jack open up the gap again.

    BRAT! he roared, growing angrier every time he failed to stop Jack. Youre courting death!

    Jack ran for his life. The pain and exhaustion were overwhelming him, sinking him into despair. His body was heavy and slow, his limbs refused to obey, the Dao around him felt sluggish. Yet, he persisted. He pushed through it all, his eyes gleaming with a madness so intense it would make Gan Salin proud.

    The rain was growing stronger. He must have been flying towards its epicenter. By now, Jack was whipped by winds and droplets far fiercer than what he could find in Earth storms. These wouldnt normally affect him, but he was so badly hurt that even the rain bothered him as it struck his bloodied face. His teeth still hadnt regrown, nor would they if he couldnt find a moment to rest, and his once-beautiful purple robes were now wet with his own blood.

    He kept running. A mountain rose before him, its peak covered in slow, and Jack maneuvered around it. Since he was more agile than the turtler, this might give him a chance to open a gap.

    As soon as he was at the other side of the mountain, the entire thing exploded. The turtler passed right through, having shattered the mountain peak with a single palm, and debris rained towards Jack. It wouldnt reach him, but the sight was enough to make him raise both brows.

    <em>This guy destroyed a mountain without breaking pace! Just what kind of monsters did I offend!?</em>

    Hold it right there, brat! the deacon shouted. The more you make me chase, the more you will payter!

    Of course, Jack had no intention of stopping. He devoted even more of his being into running. By now, even the pain and exhaustion had faded away, reced by aforting numbness. All he could do was run. If he stopped, he might not be able to start again.

    But no matter what he did, slowly but surely, the deacon was gaining ground.

    Jack gritted his teeth. His eyes roved around in despair, looking for any avenue of escape. Seeing the stormy, lightning-packed clouds ahead, he turned upward and dove into them. Perhaps they could give him some respite.

    BRAT! the turtler shouted. Where do you think youre going!?

    Jack had lost sight of the man. He entered the cloud and rushed ahead in a straight line, hoping to escape in the chaos. Instantly, he was beset by the mother of all storms. The humidity was suffocating. Lightning bolts crackled everywhere, and a few even struck him, making his already frayed nerves convulse painfully.

    He hoped that, in here, the turtler would lose sight of him.

    The clouds exploded. A tremendous impact hit the area just behind Jack, dispersing the storm for several miles. The air sparked with a hundred lightning bolts at once, and Jack could see the face of the turtler deacon closer than ever, gazing at him as angrily as before.

    I cannot be stopped by mere clouds, human! he roared. Fall already. Shell Sundering Sky!

    Jack didnt see the attack, but he felt the danger. His hair rose. If he was struck this time, he really might die. In despair, he mustered every iota of strength he had remaining to teleport away once more, appearing three miles away.

    The sky erupted behind him. All Jack saw was the shape of a turtle shell descending from the high heavens,rge as a mountain, before a shockwave of titanic proportions hit him in the face. His nose broke. His ribs cracked. One of his legs was bent in an odd direction, and even the Neutron Star Body bent at the power of this peak D-Grades skill.

    Jack was flung away so fast he broke the sound barrier again. He lost consciousness. <em>No! </em>he roared inwardly. <em>I cannot stop here!</em>

    A split-secondter, he awoke, still flying by the shockwave. It couldnt have been more than a second, but hed already crossed a tremendous distance. Luckily, hisst-minute teleportation had made the shockwave hit him horizontally instead of smashing him into the ground as it otherwise would have.

    Jack turned, borrowed the force of the shockwave, and forced himself to keep going. At the same moment, he reached into his pocket with his remaining hand and fished out the escape talismana wooden sign with the word ESCAPE written vertically on it in ck ink. He couldnt dy any longer.

    The turtler had once again failed to immediately give chase. Seeing Jack wake up and keep running, his eyes widened, and he shouted out, What the hell are you made of!?

    Jack gripped the talisman and prepared to break it. However, he was above the clouds now, and though his vision was foggy, he caught sight of two dots closing in from the distance. <em>Shit, </em>he thought with resignation. At the same time, he felt relief. Hed been right to dy. If he had used the talisman at the start, it was likely he would have stumbled upon one of the other enemies.

    Fine! he shouted to earn some time and let the two new arrivals approach. Say I surrender. Can you guarantee my life?

    I guarantee nothing, brat! the turtler shouted, approaching slowly. His gaze was stormy. A long green robe fluttered over his shell, while the front of his torso was open and covered in a softer exoskeleton. He walked on two legs. Surrender if you want, or keep running. You cannot escape!

    Oh yeah? Jack replied. Through his pain, he smirked. The talisman was held tightly in his hand. Watch me.

    The other two people arrived. Jack glimpsed at them quickly. Both were peak D-Gradesone a canine, the other a sharken. Of course, they were significantly faster than the turtler, crossing the remaining distance in the blink of an eye.

    Whats the matter, turtle? the sharken glowered,ughing. Cant you even catch a low D-Grade yourself?

    Shut up! You know I specialize in defense! the turtler defended himself.

    So, this is Jack Rust, the canine said, eyeing him almost hungrily. His eyes sparkled with madness. You killed three of my underlings. I will make sure you Hmm? Wait. You idiots! Thats an escape

    Jack cracked the escape talisman. Space around him ruptured, and he was sucked inside with much more force than his own teleportations could achieve. He was spat back out a hundred miles away, so far that he couldnt even see his previous location. All he spotted of the storm was a smattering of dark clouds in the horizon.

    Even a deacons Dao perception couldnt stretch this farbut that didnt mean Jack was safe. Deacons were fast, and he was gravely injured. Moreover, he had no good way to mask his presence. They would surely search the wider area, and if they chanced upon him

    <em>I must run, </em>he decided with urgency. He flew away. The wind rapped against his broken arm and leg, sending jolts of pain with every movement, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure. He had no more escape talismans. He needed to open even more distance and find a way to hide himselfmaybe dig a hole deep enough that the soil would block the Dao perception of his pursuers.

    He even dived into the forest to make himself less visible from afar.

    The moment right before he did, he spotted a bedraggled, pained face watching him from afara prisoner d in nothing but a simple gray robe, who ran away the second he caught sight of Jack.

    <em>Shit, </em>he cursed. <em>If the Warden really can see through their eyes, Im doomed.</em>

    He changed directions and kept going. He maneuvered around trees, grimacing every time a branch struck his body. The miles evaporated under him. A minuteter, he felt safe enough to poke his head through the foliage and gaze behind himwhere he spotted two lines of light crossing the sky far faster than he could manage, with a third one trailing far behind.

    <em>NO! </em>he screamed in his mind. <em>Fuck! No! This is unfair!</em>

    There was no chance theyd flown in this direction randomly. They knew where he was, somehow. And they wereing straight for him.

    Jack flew out of the forest and kept running. He was much faster above the trees than through them, but it didnt change the fact that his pursuers were even faster. The distance was diminishing. Before long, he could make out the sharken and canines face if he looked back, along with their predatory grins.

    What luck you have, brat! the canine deacon shouted from afar. To appear right next to a prisoner of our master! You might have escaped otherwise, you know!

    Next to him, the sharkenughed. Even the Dao wants you dead, kid. Just surrender already! The more you make us chase you, the more painful your death will be!

    Jack was drowned in injustice. He refused that exnation. How could he possibly be so unlucky as to appear next to a prisoner, of which there were only around a dozen per continent!?

    Yet, reality was hard to argue with.

    <em>Does the universe really want me dead? </em>he wondered. <em>What did I do wrong!?</em>

    <em>No. Its not my fault. Its the world that is wrong. Fuck luck. Fuck chances. Fuck the world. I will survive this, no matter what.</em>

    He still had the storage bead gifted to him by Master Huali. It was capable of releasing a strike with the full force of an early C-Grade. It was his only remaining life-saving measure, but he had to use it now.

    He could sense the bead inside his clothes. He could activate it with a thought. The only problem was, he wasnt sure how it worked. All he could assume was that the strike would affect everything in a certain direction, so he should wait for all the deacons to be as clustered together as possible. If a single one of them survived, Jack was dead. Even the Life Drop didnt matter anymoreusing it wouldnt change a thing.

    Since there was no point in running, he stopped. He turned to face his pursuers. With an arm and a leg broken, half his teeth missing, his face bloodied, and his body in tatters, he really made for a sorry sight. But he couldnt care less. The Fist wasnt about beauty. It was about power. Survival.

    He stared down the three approaching deacons with fire in his gaze, mustering every bit of willpower he possessed. If they attacked with any sort of mind invasion, he had to defend himself long enough to use the storage bead.

    The only problem was, the sharken and canine were flying far ahead of the turtler, who was the slowest of the three. Jack would only get one opportunity to bring them down. Could he hold on until the turtler arrived?

    There was only one way to find out.

 Chapter 274: Iron Will, Mind of Steel

    Chapter 274: Iron Will, Mind of Steel

    Jack stood in the sky, bloody and very heavily injured, but his eyes spat fire. The two enemy cultivators approached, with the third following far behind. He needed to hold on until they were all together, then use the storage bead tohopefullydestroy them.

    Oh? The cub is looking for a fight? the canine asked, his lips curving to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. Foam dripped off them, falling into the forest below. Heughed. Fine! Lets see what you got!

    He and the sharken suddenly broke off to nk Jack. He instantly panicked. This was terrible. He needed them all clustered together.

    Wait! he shouted, but they ignored him. The canine flew at him from the side. None of them unleashed any domain or suppressive skill; they didnt need to.

    With less than a second to think, Jack braced himself. All he could do was wait and hope for an opportunity.

    The canine appeared at his side and pped him. Jack did his best to defend. He held his remaining hand before his face, but he might as well have been sitting still. The deacons power was overwhelming. Jack was flung away with the sound of cracking bones, and that was only because the canine held back.

    He wasnt trying to kill Jack, but simply toying with him.

    Before Jack could recover, the t of a fin-de struck the back of his head. His world went white for a moment. His rotation in mid-air was reversed, sending him flying back at the canine, who brought the heel of his foot down on Jacks chest, nailing him into the ground hundreds of feet below.

    Jack didnt feel the rocks breaking under his back. He was on the verge of passing out, yet he persisted. The enemies were toying with him. As bitter as that made him feel, it was a good thing. The more he dyed, the higher his chances of finding an opportunity.

    He nned toy down there and make them approach him, but a foreign power surrounded his body and made it fly up against his will, emerging into the sky again. It was the sharkens mastery over momentum.

    Whats wrong, kid? the canine asked, his eyes shing with satisfaction. I thought you were hot shit.

    I

    Before Jack could reply, another p came at him out of nowhere. The powers of momentum released him then, sending him spinning through the air. His world was white pain.

    Did you really think you just could enter this ce and kill our disciples, kid? the canine said, shing before Jack and kicking his broken leg. Did you think we would stand by and watch? That you were smart and were useless? Is that what you thought?

    He shed ahead of Jack again, pping him so hard that a few more teeth went flying. Jack did his best not to scream.

    Dont kill him, senior brother, the sharken said. The master wants him alive.

    Oh, hell be alive alright, but does the master need all of his limbs as well?

    Before Jack could react, the canine shed over him and delivered a bone-breaking stomp into his good leg. The knee bent backward. Jack screamed. There, the canine said, now he cant run. This is good, right?

    The sharken looked on coldly, while Jack experienced the world through a prism of pain.

    However, even now, the canine wasn''t done. And is this the arm that killed our little inner disciples? he asked with a wickedugh. Guess he wont be needing it anymore.

    Jacks mind was still present, clouded with pain, bitterness, and anger. He really pondered detonating the orb in his robes right now, shattering these enemies along with his own body. The temptation was immense. In fact, he almost did it.

    At thest moment, however, he remembered who he was. He was Jack Rust. He walked the path of the Fist. He was power, and iron will, and perseverance. He was triumph in the face of adversity, an unstoppable fist rolling ever forward.

    Jack Rust could break, but he would never bend.

    The enemy could have his arm. He didnt need it. It would regenerate if he survived, and he could move and activate the bead with just the force of his Dao.

    He watched coldly as the canine shed his ws at Jacks shoulder, ripping off the flesh and reaching to the bone. Shit, kid, he eximed, brows raised in surprise, what are you made of? Sheer stubbornness? A second swipeter, Jacks arm went flying. A stump under the shoulder was all that remained.

    But this time, Jack did not scream. His expression didnt change in the slightest. His eyes were ice as he stared at the hateful canine, and somehow, that made him ufortable.

    What the hell is wrong with you? he asked. I just took your arm. Why dont you scream a bit, make me feel like I aplished something? You dont have to be rude about it.

    Jack did not reply. His focus was razor-sharp and aimed at the canines death. Nothing else mattered.

    Sir, the sharken said again, referring to the canine with deference, please hold back. The master wants him alive.

    A shadow passed through the canines eyes. For a moment, Jack thought he was about to die, and his awareness closed over the beadif he was going to die, he was taking all these fuckers with him.

    Eventually, however, the shadow disappeared, and the canine only tsked.

    Fine, he replied, looking away. This guy is no fun anyway. He doesnt scream. Take him away.

    The Dao of Momentum holding Jack in ce moved, transporting him far to the side of the two cultivators. The turtler had just arrived then, panting a bit as he approached the other two. My apologies, sir, he told the canine. I

    He did not manage to finish his sentence. A bead was flying between them and Jack. A bead carrying the full power of an early C-Grade cultivator. It unraveled.

    Jacks gaze remained icy, but his lips curved upward. <em>So long, fuckers.</em>

    The three deacons felt the disturbance in the Dao at the same time. Their eyes widened, and to their credit, they reacted instantly. Three powerful Dao Domains erupted, shielding them all. Their arms blurred as they tried to unleash their strongest skills.

    Unfortunately for them, the orbs activation was pretty instant too.

    Jack was not clear on what exactly happened next. It felt like the sky itself exploded, every cloud and air particle. The world was covered in a blinding white which robbed him of both sight and hearing. All he managed to see was the three domains copsing. The canine reacted the fastest of the three, rushing behind his twopanions while they still tried to muster their skills.

    The sharken practically evaporated. The turtlersted an instant longer, his shell glowing with arcane runes which absorbed part of the energy before he, too, waspletely obliterated. The canine was struckst, and reality warped around him again and again. His body was continuously broken down and restored as he flew backward at many times the speed of sound.

    When he left Jacks range, he was still whole, though screaming at the top of his lungs. The forest in arge cone had evaporated.

    Jack himself was unharmed. The bead had released the entirety of its energy in the direction of his choosing, so that right after the explosion, half the sky was white and the other half undisturbed. There wasnt even any recoil on Jacks side.

    In the next moment, however, the heat and light spilled into his side of the sky, robbing him of both sight and hearing. His skin boiled and reddened. Air became fire. Everything was fire, actually, and this was just a limited aftermath of the explosion. He couldnt imagine the power that assaulted the deacons.

    Jacks world turnedpletely white with a hint of green emanating from his body. Under thebined weight of all his injuries, as well as the present explosion, he was finally unable to hold on to that final shred of consciousness.

    He fainted.

 Chapter 275: Opportunity Never Ceases

    Chapter 275: Opportunity Never Ceases

    Brock stood with his arms crossed atop a small hill. Below him, a hundred people were arrayed in lines, split into two groups of fifty. Dog Bro and Girl Bro each stood at the forefront of their armies, both shaking with excitement.

    Brock looked over everything coldly. Begin! he shouted, and with a loud roar, the two teams of E-Grade cultivators crashed into each other. Magic and projectiles went flying, while the sound of Physical cultivators shing overshadowed everything but the explosions.

    Dog Bro and Girl Bro were at the center of the conflict, circling each other. Before long, illusions and arrows were flying, the two creating a wide area around them where nobody dared trespass.

    Brock itched to fight as well, but he kept himself focused. He analyzed the movements of all his bros, looking for weaknesses he could point outter. In the process, he tried to understand them more deeply, see into their individual souls so he could guide them properly as their big bro.

    In the process of his training, hed realized that levels were easy toe by as long as he remained ahead of the power curve, which he certainly was. He was the strongest person around.

    The difficult part was the Big Thoughts. Even now, certain thoughts eluded him, which frustrated him to no end. How was he, Brock the Big Bro, unable toprehend some words inside his head?

    Thankfully, he knew the trick. Where words and thoughts were not enough, he had to use actions. Thats why he recruited the people of Brovilleas the nearby town had been recently renamedto fight before him, helping him help them get stronger. By exercising the qualities of a bro, and by helping his little bros exercise those qualities as well, hisprehension was bing more stableand, as the Bro Code often mentioned, a strong foundation was necessary to nt a strong bananarm tree.

    Brock would build the strongest foundation possible. Both for his little bros, himself, and his own big bro, who was undoubtedly training as hard as he possibly could right now while Brock was forced to remain in rtive safety.

    Father had once abandoned him because of his weakness. He would never give his big bro a reason to do the same. Never. Brock would be strong, because strength and courage were the only ways to lead a happy life.

    Enough! he roared, bringing both little armies to an instant stand-still. Dog Bro and Girl Bro were at a deadlock, ones ws intertwined with the others bow, but they obeyed their big brosmand and stopped fighting. They would get another chance soon, anyway.

    As the hundred people who had just been fighting flocked to Brock to hear his advice, the next hundred prepared themselves. Dog Bro and Girl Bro rushed to the fronts of each armydue to bro seniority, they could fight as many times as they wanted to. And those would be a lot.

    Because after these hundred people woulde another hundred, and then another. The lines of armies reached all the way from the base of Brocks hill to the gates of Broville.

    Brock couldnt count that highbut there were <em>a lot </em>of little bros here. It made him proud.

    Hopefully, it would satisfy his big bro as well.

    ***

    When Eva Solvig cultivated, the surroundings in a hundred-mile radius were spontaneously purified. Dirt and other impurities disappeared from rivers, the air turned clean, and the seas became crystal-clear.

    Some insects and small animals died and disappeared, too.

    Perhaps her cultivation was the reason why her starship was spotlessly clean. Or maybe it was her crew, the least of which was at the D-Grade. She used to have an entire fleet, too, but shed already sent it back. It wouldnt be needed for this mission.

    Suddenly, someone knocked on her door. The holy aura permeating the starship and the surrounding space vanished, reced by the mundane and crooked. Evas eyes opened slowly, revealing thest hints of a vanishing world of purity.

    Enter, she said.

    A man entered the room, respectful without being too subservient. He was Erdran Vostil, her strongest follower. Already at the peak C-Grade within a millennium of life, he was very promising. Hed followed her for five hundred of those thousand years.

    Commander, he said, bowing lightly. We still have no news of Jack Rust. His trail vanishes at the Eternal Gate. We believe that he and the Exploding Suns second deacon snuck out through their own space-warping starship.

    Have you carefully scanned the? He could be hiding somewhere in there, right under our noses.

    We have,mander.

    And did you check the teleportation records? Perhaps they left disguised under someone elses guarantee.

    We checked,mander. Besides their arrival, where Jack Rust was disguised, there were no other records of disguises being usedand, after inspecting the security myself, I do not believe it would have gone unnoticed. The Animal Kingdom can be meticulous when it wants to.

    Hmm. What if they used wards to hide inside some merchants cargo? There are many of them.

    She gazed out of the window, at the gigantic brown orb that floated a few hundred miles awaythe called Eternal Gate.

    While that is possible,mander, we find the use of their own starship more usible, her follower replied. His seniority and strength gave him the standing to converse with Eva. Only trustworthy merchants go through this.

    When youve lived for as long as I have, Erdran, you learn that trust is an ephemeral notion. Her lips curved into a grin. Do you have a list of everyone present on the within a week of Jack Rusts arrival?

    I do.

    Recruit some local agents to go through it extensively. Find anyone connected to Jack Rust or Shol Pesna, or anyone with even the slightest reason to act against the Animal Kingdom. Interrogate them, starting from most to least suspicious, and we may find the answer we seek. After all, if they intended to just disappear in space, why do it here, of all ces?

    Her follower bowed. As you wish,mander.

    Oh, dont give me that tone. I know its a lot of work, but thats precisely why you exist. Dismissed.

    Still bowing, Erdran walked out of the room, letting Eva Solvig return to her meditation. Since she would be stuck here for a while, she might as well use the time.

    ***

    While Jack was fighting for his life and Brock was doing his best to grow stronger, on a very distant, a man was sitting in his office and quietly wallowed in despair.

    Edgar wanted to help, too. But he couldnt. Not as a mage of awe. Not as a cripple.

    He stood up to pace around, noticing his messy desk, his dirty floor. Once upon a time, cleaning them would take but a thought, but not anymore. Now, it would take work, and he just couldnt bring himself to care.

    <em>Why am I this useless? </em>he thought, itching from his own unkempt beard. <em>I am a waste of my Titles.</em>

    <em>A coward.</em>

    He looked down. One of his legs stepped on a sheet of paper lying on the floor, inscribed with runes and sigils. The other almost stepped <em>through </em>the floor before he stopped it.

    <em>A coward for many reasons, </em>Edgar thought, smiling bitterly at the sight of his own leg; a reminder of everything hed lost. <em>Not only can I not fight, but when I lost a duel to the death, I did not die I couldnt even do that properly.</em>

    Starry orange dust made up his right leg. Alexander had cleaved it off during their duel, making blood and flesh rain down on the Forest of the Strong.

    By all ounts, Edgar should have won that duel. His opponent had just broken through, not yet stabilized. Yet, his Dao wasnt as suited for battle as Alexanders, and neither was his mind. Additionally, he hadnt had time to grow familiar with his new powers, and his fighting style required careful nning and preparation.

    Hed lost decisively.

    With the whole world watching, Alexander took Edgars leg and honor. Right as he was about to strike the killing blow, the wizards falling body reached the top of the treeline, technically entering the forest. Sparman shot up like a missile, protecting Edgar and saving him from certain death. Alexander flew awayughing.

    It hadnt been their proudest moment. Harambe chided Sparman and suggested that Edgar should end himself, but hecked the courage. He was not a warrior; a warriors pride was wasted on him. Shamefully, he lived on.

    And the entire world called him a coward. Even he said that word to the mirror many times. That was his life now. He had to get used to it.

    <em>I hate myself, </em>he thought, raising his gaze from the leg hed lost. <em>I hate my Dao.</em>

    And in return, his Dao hated him. It was broken. An alien heap that still existed inside him but barely responded. Once, he had demolished an entire section of the Ice Peak pce. Now, he couldnt even summon the wind to clean his room.

    <em>Everyone is dying around me, </em>he repeated for what felt like the millionth time. <em>Everyone is fighting for freedom. And what am I doing? I sit in this room and cry over a broken path.</em>

    <em>Maybe I am the broken one. And rightfully so.</em>

    He made it to the window and opened it, the clean breeze reminding him that his office harbored a persistent odor. He ought to let the cleaners in, but even the thought of seeing another person scared him. He hadnt opened the door in a week.

    <em>The professor will be worried, </em>he reminded himself, then shook his head. The professor was a purpose-oriented individual, and she had more important things to worry about than the useless fool living in her attic.

    <em>Once useless, always useless, </em>he thought, feeling a new wave of bitterness wash over him. <em>Perhaps mom and dad were right to ignore me. I did not deserve their attention. Even when I was given power, all I achieved was to turn it pacifistic amidst a war I have every responsibility to assist in. Everyone believed in me, and yet I only exist to disappoint.</em>

    There were times, like now, when Edgar doubted even his own Dao. It was the path of his heartbut what use was a heart when all your friends were dead?

    <em>What I wouldnt give to change my path, </em>he thought, tightening his lips. <em>To help out, even if it meant severing my own heart But I know its impossible.</em>

    Is it, really?

    The voice came abruptly. So abruptly that Edgar jumped and screamed, sticking his back to the wall next to the window.

    His door sure as hell hadnt opened, but someone stood before it, at the very entrance of the room. It was not a humanit was a humanoid creature with gray skin, bat wings, red horns, spikes on its spine, and long, sharp ears. Its hands ended in short, sharp ws. Who are you? Edgar shouted before thinking to inspect the creature.

    <strong>Echidna Devil, Level ??? (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>A creature manifested from an extremity of the Dao of Law. It ispelled to always keep its word, but it also gains extreme power against anyone who breaks their word to it. Therefore, it enjoys luring cultivators into craftily-worded contracts and deals that end up with it having the upper hand.</em></strong>

    Youre an immortal!? Edgar shouted again, pointing a shaky finger at the devil. Thats You shouldnt be here. The Star Pact forbids it.

    The Star Pact is written on my left ass cheek, the devil replied in a raspy, oddly cheerful voice. More importantly, you should stop shouting. If I hadnt isted this room already, people would be rushing over.

    Isted this room? How did you do that?

    Thats the first thing you ask, isnt it? The devilughed. I swear, you wizards are all the same.

    Edgar shriveled up on the wall, his heart still swelling with fear. This was a D-Grade creature. It could end him at a thought. Who are you? he asked in a trembling voice.

    Finally, you got the right question! the devil eximed, pping its wed hands. Though the real question here is Who are <em>you?</em>

    Im Edgar. Edgar Ano.

    No, you stupid boy, the devil replied,ughing again, who <em>really </em>are you? Are you a coward who can only tremble in an office stinking of sweat while his friends and family are dying? Or, perhaps, are you someone who would sacrifice a lot of things to help?

    Edgars mind was finallying up to speed. Using his high Intelligence, he quickly connected the dots. You want to offer me a contract, he said.

    I prefer to call it an opportunity, the devil corrected him, summoning a parchment between his fingers. It was long and red-tintedand full of tiny letters. What do you think? he asked with a conspiratorial grin. Are you interested?

    Edgar gulped.

 Chapter 276: The Reward of Suffering

    Chapter 276: The Reward of Suffering

    Jack awoke to the low crackling of fire. He tried to jump up straight, only for zing pain to assault every corner of his body. His limbs refused to obey hismands. His brain spun into battle-mode.

    Easy, Jack, a voice came from the side, deep yet soothing. Its all good. Youre safe.

    Shol? Jack spoke through gritted teeth. Whats happening?

    Youre injured. The monk came into Jacks field of vision, leaning over him and hiding the ceiling. But safe. You destroyed the people after you. With a little bit of time, your broken limbs will heal as well.

    At this, Jack remembered. His battle against the eleven inner disciples, his desperate escaped from the three deacons, and his final ditch effort to survive. His memories cut off when the world turned white.

    How did you find me? he asked.

    I was already rushing over. News of your appearance had begun to spread, so it wasnt difficult to realize what was about to happen. His gaze darkened. But I was toote. Im sorry, Jack. If not for my tardiness, you wouldnt have had to go through this.

    Jack chuckled, then grimaced in pain as his ribs scratched the inside of his skin. Its fine, he said. This was my fault and my battle.

    Protecting you was my job.

    I was the one who told you to go away. Dont beat yourself up.

    Still Shol shook his head. Anyway. I just followed the world-ending light to find you. When I did, you were unconscious on top of a burning tree, with fifty miles of forest ahead of you wiped from the face of Hell.

    Really?

    Really. At this, he finally revealed a hint of mirth. I dont know what you did to those guys, or what kind of treasure you used, but you sure made a scene. Early C-Grade?

    Jack nodded. Master Huali gave it to me through Okmer. A bead that could unleash the power of an early C-Gradebut only once. Im out of protective treasures, Shol. My escape talisman was wasted, and the bead is gone. All I have left is myself.

    And me, Shol pointed out proudly. Since youve been discovered, free time is over. Were sticking together like ass and underwear.

    Ew. Dont say it like that.

    I will speak however I want. Now. As I said, youve been discovered. I havent, so we still have some time, but we should hurry up and get the hell out of here. Our hunting so far should be enough.

    Leave? But Shol

    Silence. No matter how desperate you are, there is a line between bravery and foolishness, and youre already past it.

    Thats not what I was going to say. Jack coughed. We should obviously leave Hell. However, what about Dordok? Did you discover his location?

    Shol remained silent for a moment. His small eyes hounded Jacks, nkly snooping for his intentions.

    I did, he finally admitted. Hes in one of thete D-Grade hunting zones. Zone 17, to be precise.

    Then, since were leaving anyway, we might as well rescue him.

    You have no idea what youre talking about. Its ate D-Grade zone. Even if there were no deacons hunting us, we would need to face teams ofte immortals. What makes you think we can handle them?

    Youre a peak D-Grade, and stronger than most, too. I think we would win. Maybe someone would escape, but we dont care too much about that anymore.

    Oh, we dont? So when the Warden catches wind of our location and sends a dozen deacons after us, you will be the one to handle them, yes?

    They would need some time to arrive. Im sure we can grab Dordok and escape before that.

    And where does that certainty stem from? Your big head, which is the only part of your body currently working? Or deep knowledge of our escape route, which you do not yet have? Shol shook his head with disapproval. I promised you that wed save Dordok if possible, and I intend to honor that, but I will not risk my life and the honor of our master for a stranger.

    I will. Hes no stranger to me.

    You infuriate me. Shol swiped his sleeves, walking away. Jack could now only see a rock ceiling. Take some time and heal up. Its weird talking to someone who cant move. In the meantime, consider our situation, and so will I.

    You got it.

    Jack didnt begrudge Shol. He understood. If he was in Shols shoes, he would harbor the exact same doubts. However, he also understood himself. Dordok had saved Jacks life and been very kind to him. His imprisonment was all due to Jack tricking him.

    <em>The problem is, how do I convince Shol </em>Jack thought, attempting to shake his head and instantly regretting it. Pain still red across his body with every movement. He could feel power trickling into him as his Dao Tree absorbed and converted the surrounding Dao, but he was so wrung out that regeneration would take hoursnot to mention that broken limbs took a hell of a lot of energy to heal.

    Which meant he had time.

    Finally, Jack turned to the blinking exmation mark in the corner of his vision, willing it open. It was time to review his System notifications from the battle.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 165.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 166.</strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 179.</strong>

    There were more screens, but he stopped there due to sheer surprise.

    <em>179!? Thats fifteen levels!</em>

    Jack struggled to believe that. He opened his status screen, inspecting it with eyes wide open.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 179</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 1025 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 975 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 995 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 120 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free Points: 150</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style III, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II, Space Walk II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    It was true. 179! That was almost at the middle of the D-Grade!

    Jack wanted to jump and cheer but could do neither. He settled for a strained smile. <em>Looks like the System awarded me levels for the three deacons I killed Or was it two? I didnt see the canine dying.</em>

    A sh of hatred. Jack felt the intense desire to harm that man but pushed it down for now. The time wouldeif he was not dead.

    He carried on with his notifications, as there was one more.

    <strong>Congrattions! Iron Fist Style II  Iron Fist Style III</strong>

    <strong>Iron Fist Style III: You have surpassed the limitations of mortal forms ofbat. Your body is infused with the Dao of the Fist. Reality bends before the Dao.</strong>

    <strong>The Iron Fist Style is the spine of its user. It allows you tobine all your skills, weapons, and resources, integrating them seamlessly into one fighting style.</strong>

    There wasnt any difference in the skill description. Honestly, Jack hadnt even noticed a particr difference when the skill evolved either, to the point where he couldnt pinpoint the exact moment in the fight when it happened.

    <em>Well, Ive had this skill since the start of the E-Grade. At this point, I feel like its just being dragged along by everything else. Maybe it will upgrade to a different skill soon. Not that its holding me back, but its long overdue.</em>

    There were no more notifications, but there was plenty of recovery time ahead. His free attribute points could wait; he was still following the 8-1-1 scheme, but maybe Shol would have some new advice on the subject.

    Therefore, Jack decided to just rx and meditate for now. He closed his eyes, easily sinking into his soul world, a process that had now be asfortable as breathing.

    The moment he appeared in there, he was suffocating. The density of the Dao had fallen precipitously, and the Dao Tree was siphoning everything in. Copy Jack stood on the index finger, next to the tree, looking upset. He was cupping his hands and using them as an oar to try and push the Dao into the tree faster.

    It waspletely useless, of course.

    There you are, Jack said, flying over andnding next to Copy Jack. Dont think that being adorable is going to save you. I almost died out there. <em>We </em>almost died. I had all my limbs broken and was beat up to within an inch of my life. I had to spend all my protective treasures. He crossed his arms, ring at Copy Jack. What do you have to say for yourself?

    Copy Jack stopped oaring. He looked down sheepishly, sneaking nces at Jack like a guilty child.

    Dont just look at me, Jack said. I know you can speak.

    Sorry Copy Jack finally said. His voice came oddly, like he was still getting used to it.

    Dont just be sorry. Be better, Jack scolded him. You are important, Copy Jack. There is far more to you than just being a training partner. You are my friend andpanion. We co-inhabit this soul. We share a Dao Tree. I know you are still very young, but you just cannot afford to y around like a child. The least I need from you is to act seriously. No more touching without knowing or any other bullshit. Do you understand me?

    Copy Jack looked at the ground and nodded. Jack really tried to remain angry, but he just couldnt. His re mellowed.

    Alright. Ill hold you to your word, he said, sighing. Now, did anything else happen when you touched the Life Drop? In you, I mean. You were grabbing your heart before. Are you okay?

    Copy Jack considered it for a second, then nodded. Okay he said, drawing out the word a bit.

    Jack only half-believed him, but that was good enough for now. If Copy Jack had suffered internal injuries and didnt want to admit it, so be it.

    Be careful, was all he said. He then walked past him to reach the tree and inspect it.

    Something had clearly gone wrong before, and it wasnt only Copy Jacks fault. The Life Drop had attracted him somehow. Influenced him. And Jack intended to get to the bottom of that right now.

    Heid a hand on the tree, touching it gently. The beginnings of bark were still there, forming the broken outline of a door. They were even moreplete than before. When more bark formed and the door wasplete, could he open it?

    Or would that be too magical?

    <em>What kind of thing is a door on my Dao Tree, anyway? </em>Jack asked himself. <em>Is that normal? Does everyone get it? Is it because of my perfect foundation, or something to do with the Life Drop? Or is it just a big coincidence, and what I see as a door are just random patterns?</em>

    In a moment of genius, he knocked against the door, but nothing happened.

    <em>Worth a try.</em>

    Since there seemed to be no answers there, he turned his attention to the Life Drop buried just under the tree. He bent down and stared at it intently.

    No alien influence tried to take over his mind. There was no odd draw or engrossment. For all intents and purposes, it was just glowing dirt, hiding inside it an ocean of untapped life energy.

    Why did you seduce my buddy? Jack mumbled at the drop, almost touching his face to the soil to inspect it better. The Life Drop did not respond.

    He tried to slip his perception inside it and seeded without difficulty. The veil was parted, he snuck in, and came face-to-face with the unlimited ocean of energy that had always been there. He tried to dive deeper; instantly, all sense of direction was lost, and he was swimming in an infinite pool. There was no resistance, but also no sense of progress.

    Furthermore, the deeper he pushed with his perceptionor, at least, in the direction which felt deeperthe fainter his connection to it became. Once he pushed too far, his sliver of perception disappeared, hidden behind a dense ocean of life. Jack was once again left at the shores, capable of nothing but watching the Life Drop.

    <em>Maybe if I find a safe ce, I can try to exhaust its energy, </em>he considered before immediately realizing that was too much of a scorched-earth idea. <em>Is there really something down there? Or is it just life energy to the core? Could it be that Copy Jack was just fascinated by the Life Drop because hes a child?</em>

    Frustrated, Jack shook his head. He had questions, but no way to get answers. At the very least, he resolved to ask Shol about the strange bark patternster.

    He stood and turned to Copy Jack.

    I will go meditate now, he said. If you feel the Life Drop attempting to influence your mind again, let me know immediately. Somehow. And no matter what happens Please, try not to mess up again. I cannot survive another hunt like the previous one.

    Copy Jack nodded sheepishly, and Jack, after throwing the Life Drop ast, warning nce, left the soul world. He opened his eyes briefly in reality to find out his limbs were nowhere close to healing, then closed them again and sank deep into meditation.

    The battle and hunt before had been hellish, but struggle was the breeding ground of insight. He had a lot of things to consider. Dao things.

 Chapter 277: Squeezing Water out of a Rock Bottom

    Chapter 277: Squeezing Water out of a Rock Bottom

    <em>What was the Dao?</em>

    Jack reiterated his understanding of the world, getting himself in the mood with the already cemented knowledge.

    <em>The Dao is the world itself. It is the essence of reality and the totality of existence. It is everything.</em>

    <em>The Fist is one of the infinite manifestations of the Dao. It is about shooting ever forward,ughing as you advance, never stopping or slowing until the end, never bending. Staying loyal to yourself and being free.</em>

    Aligning his perspective with that of the Fist, Jack went over the previous battle. When the eleven inner disciples appeared, he stood tall and faced them. He took them down methodically, dismantling their team, and emerged victorious from unfavorable circumstances.

    What really resonated with the Fist, however, was Jacks mental state during that battle. The resolve hed felt, along with the cold intent to battle and kill. Deep inside, he felt proudhed represented the Fist well. In the vacuum of battle, everything else fled his mind, leaving only the essence of the Fist, bare and clear. Battle was the time he was closest to his Dao, as well as the best opportunity to rue insights.

    Facing the eleven disciples, Jack had been an incarnation of the Dao system hed established as his Dao Tree. He embodied both the Dao of the Fist and his various Dao Roots. That had been a step in the right direction. It strengthened his grasp of the Fisthis Fistpaving the way for more insightster on.

    Facing the three deacons, however, the sensation was different. He was the weaker party. So weaker that fighting was hopeless, and the best course of action was fleeing.

    On a superficial level, retreat was not a part of the Fist. However, Jack was past the superficial level. It wasnt about actions anymore. It was about intent. The Fist was a state he could put himself in, and when he did, the decisions he made were naturally aligned with the essence of his Dao.

    In this case, retreating had been the right choice, because the intent behind it was a fighting one. He was fleeing from suicide, but would return when the time was right.

    He turned his mind to the pursuit of the three deacons.

    While escaping from the turtler, he felt helpless. He was too weak to face the other man in battle, and he was too slow to run away, either. Everything he tried was in vain.

    When he used the talisman to escape but a twisted coincidence prevented him, hed felt despair and bitterness. It was unfair. However, he could do nothing about it, because he was weak.

    But the greatest insights cameterwhen he was forced to endure the canines sadism. He was captured and surrounded by enemies, unable to escape, unable to retaliate. He was in their mercy. When they hit and crippled him, all he could do was grit his teeth and endure. When they mocked him, he had nothing to say, because he was weak.

    It had been terrible.

    <em>Weakness</em>.

    That was the main feeling, and it hade even more intensely than ever before. In all the previous instances of weakness hed experienced, none had been as direct. Theary overseer had suppressed him, but it was an indirect thing. Rufus Emberheart and Lord Longsword had pressured him, but never physically, at least not to that extent.

    When he was tortured by the canine deacon, it was the weakest hed ever felt. It was a feeling so deep that it threatened to upturn his psyche and shake his unwavering resolve. Even now, Jack could sense the influence of that weakness, a little imp gnawing away at the roots of his character. It was a feeling so intense it wouldnt go away for some time.

    Of course, Jack had resisted it and still was, but in hindsight, even he had given in to the weakness for a moment. When the canine first started abusing him, he had really considered detonating the bead still inside his robes, destroying both himself and the enemy.

    That had been a weak thought, borne of despair and bitterness. It was the opposite of his previous escape, actuallyit resembled the way of the Fist, but only superficially. Hed let his emotions get the better of him. A real warriora real fistwould never entertain that thought. They would endure everything stoically until it was the best time to act. Only when death was certain would they unhesitatingly detonate the bead, taking the enemy along in the other world.

    Jack was shaken by the realization of his momentary weakness. At the same time, he was relieved. It proved he was not yet a perfect cultivator of the Fist, but it also showed him a w he could fix. A crack in his heart.

    Part of his meditation session would be devoted to patching it up, reliving that moment again and again until he was fully in control of himself. However, every crack he experienced in his soul was a human weakness he understood intimately. He could weaponize it. What greater path to power than turning ones weakness into strength?

    Before patching up that crack, Jack dove into it. He let himself experience it fully. In the safety of his own mind, he relived his moment of torture and gave in to the weakness, letting it epass him.

    He saw himself screaming; saw his mind go nk, unable to endure the pain. He detonated the bead and felt the sweet release, along with the bitter hatred he inflicted on his tormentors.

    When the moment was over, he experienced it again. And again. And again. He wanted to understand that feeling of weakness as intimately as he possibly could, uncaring about the pain it caused to his real mind. His soul was undermined, but he was confident that it would not harm him long-term. Understanding was important. He might not get this opportunity again.

    Little by little, he grew more familiar with the feeling. He let it worm inside him, let it imprint its brand upon him. When it was finallyplete, he took it all in, understanding it fullyand then burned it off the surface of his heart forever.

    Jacks eyes snapped open, filled with new light. His Dao of Weakness had taken a step forward.

    <strong>Congrattions! Brutalizing Aura II  Brutalizing Aura III</strong>

    <strong>Brutalizing Aura III: The fear of death is a primal instinct of all living creatures. By deeply understanding helplessness, you can use your aura to imprint your opponents with intense fear and a deep understanding of their own weakness, an effect which will persist in time.</strong>

    <strong>Significantly weaker enemies will be paralyzed or have their wills broken. Enemies ofparable strength to you will be severely weakened, and their Dao may be temporarily suppressed. Significantly stronger enemies will be unaffected. Additionally, the fear of your enemies feeds into your own power, enhancing you as you affect more and stronger enemies with Brutalizing Aura.</strong>

    <strong>This skill should be exercised with caution, as it has a wide range and can traumatize cultivators for life.</strong>

    That was a long-ass description. There were no italics either, as it had beenpletely rewritten from the skills previous version. Jack reread it a few times, making sure he understood.

    It felt strong. Very strong. Especially the warning at the end and the mention of persisting effects.

    <em>Am I a weapon of mass destruction? </em>Jack asked himself. <em>I should be careful with that thing. The warning has merit.</em>

    He also focused on the skills practical aspects.

    <em>Paralyzing weaker opponents and severely weakening those of simr strength to me That sounds awfully convenient. If I face someone on my level but they dont have a simr aura skill, I could beat them easily. And the section about absorbing the fear of others to strengthen myself Thats badass.</em>

    <em>Wait. Ive had this thought before. Was that a part of the skill already?</em>

    Checking the previous versions description, he found that enhancing himself with the fear of others had already been there. Hed just forgotten about it.

    <em>That exins how I beat those eleven inner disciples. I thought Id stand no chance, but I won. And with this new upgrade Brutalizing Aura is now a force to be reckoned with.</em>

    <em>I wonder, is it my most powerful skill after Meteor Punch?</em>

    The more he considered the question, the more he realized that all his skills were powerful. He only had a few of them, but each helped him greatly.

    The effectiveness of Meteor Punch went without sayingit was his bread and butter. Neutron Star Body gave him tremendous endurance and durability, as well as extreme regeneration. Without it, he would have died five times over in the previous battle. Iron Fist Style let him utilize his powers effectively, essentially multiplying the power he could exhibit, and Space Walk gave him the much-needed utility to turn the tables in almost every scenario. As for Brutalizing Aura, it had proven its worth in this battle. It basically guaranteed he couldnt be bullied by numbers.

    <em>Oh wow, Im actually pretty strong!</em>

    The realization of how overpowered he was helped burn away thest of the weakness hed let into himself, raising him back to his old self. The emotional residue of his recently torturous experience had beenpletely turned into power. Stepping off of that, Jack spent another hour reviewing his previous moment of weakness with new eyes, making sure to train himself off that reflexive despair.

    If he wanted to be a true warrior, he needed full control over himself no matter what happened.

    When he finally opened his eyes, he felt like a new, stronger, more mature man. Even his limbs were somewhat repaired, if still in pain, and his Dao Tree had managed to refill itself a bit. Torchlight flickered on the walls as Jack stood, inspecting the ce he was in.

    It was a cave little more than a hole in the rock. Ten feet away, a passage was angled upward into the rock, heading who knows where. Jack could feel no breezeing from it.

    Spreading his spiritual perception, all he saw was rock for a hundred feet in every direction. Prating it was hard. Eventually, however, he reached the air, finding to his amazement that he was deep inside

    A mountain, Shol said, opening his eyes from where he sat cross-legged in another corner of the cave. I dug a hole to the mountain core and blocked the tunnel with boulders. Its not the worlds best hiding ce, but it should do.

    Smart, Jackmented, filing away this idea forter.

    Are you healed already? Shol asked.

    Not fully, but Im serviceable. I also have a bunch of attribute points to distribute; should I keep going with the 8-1-1 scheme you suggested when I was F-Grade, or should I try something new?

    8-1-1 is fine. Youre a well-rounded Physical fighter, so any more specialization is unnecessary. Unless you feel the opposite, in which case, have at it.

    Jack didnt need to think too much. Bnce is fine. Its worked out well for me so far.

    Quickly opening his status screen again, he allocated the hundred and fifty free points in such a way that the values of his Physical, Mental, and Will attributes followed a roughly 8-1-1 distribution.

    All in all, he allocated thirty points in Mental, bringing it up to 150, then put the rest into the Physical substats, trying to bnce them out.

    <strong>Strength: 1120</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1120</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1115</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 150</strong>

    <strong>Will: 190</strong>

    He was missing five subpoints fromplete bnce, but hed be damned if he let that ruin his moodor if, god forbid, he allocated his stats to non-round numbers, like 1118.

    <em>Ew.</em>

    The familiar surge of strength lightened his mood. He felt his mind gain rity, his musclespacting, his skin growing tougher, his control over his body refined.

    So, Jack said when he was done touting his own horn, have youe up with any way to save Dordok?

    Shol gave him an intense gaze, fully understanding Jacks meaninghe was insisting on the rescue mission.

    I contacted Vegna, he finally replied. Shes our getaway route. We will use your starshipthe bromobile, yes?to teleport a fews away, where her starship is lying in wait. She will then utilize arge Dao Battery to teleport several times in a row, hopefully losing all pursuers.

    Very nice of her. But wouldnt that reveal her true colors to the Animal Kingdom?

    Shes been nning to cut ties with them for a while. Its okay; the Exploding Sun will protect her and her crew afterwardbut yes. It <em>is </em>very nice of her.

    Hmm. Are all starship captains that kind?

    Absolutely not. I only know of two; Vegna and your friend Dordok, allegedly.

    Not allegedly. I know it.

    Ill believe it when I see it. Shol cracked a strained smile. She will be in position in roughly two days, and she can remain there for at least a week, provided shes not discovered by any patrols. When shes ready, since youre so stubbornly insistent on it, we can give rescuing your friend a shot and teleport immediately afterward.

    Jack beamed arge smile. Thanks, Shol!

    You are very, very wee. He sighed. But know it will be difficult. I have a way to free him from the Wardens influence, but it takes time. The entire will know our location the moment we approach Dordok. We may need to defend for a little bit.

    No problem. I can take on one entirete D-Grade immortal.

    Shol deadpanned at Jack. Okay.

    A moment passed.

    So, uh, what do we do now? Jack asked.

    Go cultivate in your corner, Jack. Get yourself in fighting shape. In two days, were going after your friend.

 Chapter 278: Fighting a Late Immortal

    Chapter 278: Fighting a Late Immortal

    Jack and Shol prowled through a dense jungle.

    Well, prowled was an understatement. They shuttled through at hundreds of miles per hour, dodging trees and animals as if everything else was moving in slow motion. A lion tried to jump out of the way, only for Jack to circle around it regardless.

    I wonder how it feels to live on the same as your ancestors, Shol said. I see lions here. The leonines originate from them.

    Its not that weird, Jack replied. Wee from monkeys, and my Earth is full of themkind of. We just never give it a second thought.

    Hmm. I guess.

    Shol nced at his wrist, where he wore a clock-like device whose surface resembled a scanner. A blinking dot was slowly but surely approaching the center. Were getting close, he said. On your guard. This could get messy.

    You got it.

    They fell silent, letting only the sound of splitting air apany them. Thanks to their speed, even the animal roars sounded oddly. The terrain around them had transitioned from a forest to a thick jungle, making its navigation difficult and time-consuming.

    Before long, the sounds of explosions came from up ahead.

    <em>Careful, </em>Shol instructed telepathically. <em>I think someone is after him.</em>

    <em>What careful? We have to hurry! </em>Jack responded, elerating ahead and taking charge. Gritting his teeth, Shol followed.

    The explosions kept growing stronger. Suddenly, a shockwave crashed down, ttening an entire area of the jungle around them while the ground shook heavily under their feet.

    With the surrounding trees demolished, they had a clear view of the sky. Jack drew a sharp breath. Captain Dordok was there. His steel club was held high, emanating a formless, intimidating aura, and his once kind face was warped into an angry scowl.

    He swiped once. The very air was pushed away from his club, creating a vacuum. A wide shockwave spread out, impacting the distant jungle and ttening another part of it.

    Four cultivators stood against Dordok. One was a goateea goat personwielding arge, golden halberd. The second was a bearfolk with patches of gray on his fur and scars all over. The third was a human, surprisingly, wearing long ck robes, and the fourth was an one-eyed ogre just like Dordok, wielding a greatsword that emanated an aura of brutality.

    Jack inspected them all.

    <strong>Goatee, Level 236</strong>

    <strong>Bearfolk, Level 221</strong>

    <strong>Human (Parniol), Level 240</strong>

    <strong>Cyclops, Level 230</strong>

    All of them were in thete D-Grade, and all shared the same title: Eighth Ring Conqueror. Each of these four individuals had once been a dominant Lord in Trial.

    Jack also inspected Dordok, whose level was finally visible.

    <strong>Cyclops, Level 245</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Far Traveler</strong>

    Traitor! Dordok roared, bringing his club down. The ensuing shockwave cracked the air as it traveled, but oddly, it was off the mark. It simply passed by the opposing cultivators, ruffling their robes before digging a deep crater into the earth.

    You are out of your mind, the other cyclops replied calmly, hefting his greatsword. Only an idiot fights for a lost cause.

    A powerful idiot. ORAAA! He swung down again, also missing.

    Whats wrong with him? Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.

    Shol pointed at the human man wearing ck robes. Its that guy. I can sense hes up to something. Humans in the Animal Kingdom are generally Mental or Will cultivators.

    We should help.

    Absolutely. Lets go.

    Due to the distance, the other cultivators hadnt noticed them yet. That was about to change. Jack and Shol pushed powerfully off the ground, shooting up like missilesone left a purple trail, the other an orange one. The moment they rose above the treeline, eight eyesthree pairs from the enemy cultivators and two eyes from Dordok and the other ogre put togetherfell on them.

    Whos there!? the human shouted, turning an open palm towards them. Suddenly, Jacks world turned dark. He was trapped in an endless night where his eyes were useless, and even his Dao perception was baffled by bodiless impressions. He was lost and alone. State your identity! the human roared again, the sound clear despite Jacks blindness.

    An explosion of power came from his side. The night shivered and cracked, rays of light slipping through the darkness. Jack followed Shols lead, unleashing his Dao as powerfully as possible. The outline of a fist appeared around him, purple and almost corporeal, and with a shout, he shattered the other mans domain.

    The sky returned to normal, revealing a man with a line of blood flowing down his nose. He gritted his teeth as he noticed the fist outline around Jack. You are

    Jack Rust! Dordok interrupted him. His one eye was widened to the extreme, and his mouth was hanging open. Apparently, the night around him had also shattered. Level 179? How!?

    Its a long story, captain! Jack replied with a big smile. Ill tell youter. For now, Im here to rescue you!

    Dordok stared incredulously for another moment before his jaw hardened, and he raised his club again. Lies. Youre an illusion. <em>How dare you intrude my mind!</em>

    No wait captain, I really am

    Before Jack could finish speaking, Dordok swung at them. Jack felt the wind around them disappear. An infinitely powerful strike came crashing at his head, filling the entire world. He crossed his arms to defend.

    Shol appeared before him. He unleashed a palm strike. Palm met club, and the ensuing explosion was enough to make Jacks head ring and obliterate arge swathe of forest under them. The club was stopped in its tracks, but Shol slid back in the air a few feet.

    Your captain is no weakling, Jack, he said with a hint of joy. Why didnt you tell me?

    How was I supposed to know!? Jack replied, still awestruck by the collision before him. Either of those strikes would have sent him flying for miles.

    Youre strong, Dordok dered, narrowing his eyes at Shol. Too strong for an illusion. Who are you?

    Shol Pesna, former second deacon of the Exploding Sun. And you?

    Dordok. Captain Dordok for you. What are you doing with my crew member?

    Probablymitting suicide, but well see. He dragged me here to save you.

    Dordok still looked at Jack with intense disbelief. It was understandable. Only a few months ago, Jack had been a greenhorn barely into the E-Grade. And now he was in the mid D-Grade? If he told this to anyone, people wouldugh at him!

    Without a word, Dordok turned and struck at the four opposing cultivators. With the wizards influence gone, his club fell true, heading for the cyclops that stood in the middle of the enemy group.

    A greatsword swung upward. The other cyclops roared, and the two weapons shed in a terrifying disy of strength. The air itself fractured and whistled as it dashed around wildly, and the shockwave blew Jacks robes and hair back.

    However, of the two cyclopses, one emerged superior. Dordokpleted his swing, and the other cyclops screamed as his sword was pushed out of the way and the steel club met his chest. The sound of thick bones breaking echoed through the sky. The cyclops flew backward and crashed hard into the ground, creating fissures that spread for miles.

    Dont let them run! Shol growled,unching forward. He became a shining sun as he flew straight for the night wizard. He shot out a palm. Bright Sky!

    The wizardughed, pushing his hands forward to unleash a beam of darkness. Ive heard about you, Shol Pesna! Ive long yearned to face you. Endless Night!

    The two strikes met. They did not erupt in a shockwave but rather wrapped around each other, fighting for supremacy. Shols palm shone with all the colors of dawn, slowly turning into high noon, while the wizards darkness was imprable by even the sharpest of Dao perceptions. It reminded Jack of the first few nights in the Forest of the Strong, where the trees and shadows hid unknown dangers.

    He immediately snapped out of the memory and charged. There were three opponents still alive; one for each of them. Jack, being the weakest of his group, decided to handle the Level 221 bearfolk.

    You will pay! Dordok roared from above, flying club-first into the halberd-wielding goatee. Their weapons shed repeatedly. The goatee was faster, but Dordok was so much stronger that each of his attacks sent the opponent flying. Victory was a matter of time.

    Jack focused on his own opponent.

    The bearfolk, seeing her friends upied in battle, had a very clear n: kill Jack as quickly as possible and assist them. In her mind, Jack was not a worthy opponent. They were forty levels apart, and the bearfolk herself was also a proud genius, the star of her generation.

    Get out of my way! she roared, charging straight at Jack and swiping her ws. A green domain red out, tinged with redness, only for Jacks purple starry sky to erupt and hold it at bay. He punched out.

    Meteor Punch!

    All colors and sounds in a narrow radius were sucked into his fist. They exploded against the iing ws, painting the sky purple and unleashing a massive shockwave in the bearfolks way. She flew back in astonishment. Her strike had been blocked!

    How!? she roared, but Jack was already there. It was his first time fighting ate immortal for real, so he did not intend to go easy. With a step through space, he appeared behind the bearfolk and smashed out a fist at the top of her head. It connected. Skull creaked under his knuckles as the bearfolk flew downward, only to catch herself mid-air and turn to face him again. Blood was dripping down her face, but her surprise overwhelmed her pain.

    You can even teleport!? she shouted again. Who the hell are you?

    Im Jack Rust.

    Brutalizing Aurathe new versionerupted out of him. Jack felt primal satisfaction well up in his chest. A formless cloud unfolded, ignoring the bearfolks domain and engulfing her. Instantly, her face went pale; her eyes still held some fight in them, but the power of her domain dropped sharply, letting Jacks slowly conquer it.

    A smile formed on his face. From the side, both Shol and Dordok shot him questioning nces, but none seemed particrly affected by his aura.

    Who are you!? the bearfolk asked again, full of terror.

    Instead of answering, he charged. Realizing she could not escape, his opponents roared and dove back into battle. Punches and ws flew wildly. This time, she didnt dare underestimate him, so getting the upper hand was harder despite her weakened state. His knuckles met her ws directly, the skin not even cracking, as the two slowly became engrossed in a dance of death.

    Jack leaned back to avoid a swipe, then ducked below another to unleash a straight punch into the bearfolks torso. The impact was enough to shatter mountains. The bearfolk grimaced but took the hit, then matched it with her own. A set of sharp ws raked down Jacks arm, drawing thick red lines, but contrary to her expectations, he did not even try to dodge. He didnt need to; his Neutron Star Body could protect him.

    Instead of dodging, he leaned into a hard uppercut, rocking her head back before following his own momentum to rise above her and m a second punch into her face. The bearfolk, still dazed, could not respond. She reached the ground in an instant and was nailed into it. Jack immediately shot a Meteor Punch after her, unwilling to hold back, detonating the earth around her in a wide radius. The jungle around that spot was already ruined, but rocks and dirt flew everywhere, and a tall cloud of dust rose for miles.

    Not seeing a level up notification, he shot another Meteor Punch. Again, apocalypse came on Earth, and the System finally acknowledged his efforts.

    <strong>Congrattions! You have reached Level 180.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have reached Level 181.</strong>

    The higher level opponents he fought, the faster he leveled up. As counter-intuitive as that seemed, Jack was very thankful, as even findingte immortals to kill was a tough task. Maybe the System calcted that scarcity into the level reward.

    He looked around. Dordok was standing alone in the sky over a smoking crater a hundred feet deep. Impressive, given that he was captured by three mid D-Gradesthen again, he had been heavily injured when fighting them.

    Shol was still wrapped in battle, but not for long; as Jack watched, the light of day slowly extinguished the darkness, and Shols palm strike prated the night. The wizard created a ck shield to defend himself, barely weakening the impact enough to survive.

    As he was sent flying back, he leaned into the momentum and tried to escape, shooting away at a speed far faster than Jack could aplish.

    Unfortunately, no matter how fast he was, teleportation was always faster. Shol appeared over his head and brought his heel down on it, releasing a very audible crack. The wizard was dead before he even hit the ground.

    Well done, Shol said, eyeing the four craters in the ruined jungle. Now lets hurry the hell up.

    <em>Not just meall immortals are environmental hazards, </em>Jack thought, inspecting the very same craters. Each battle destroyed arge section of the terrain. His heart ached when he thought of the many innocent creatures dragged into the aftermath of his strikes, but it was something hed already epted. As sad as it was, there was just nothing he could do about it.

    Well, he could fight in higher altitudes, but that wasnt easy if no one else cared about the casualties.

    Dordok, I need you to stay very still, Shol said, approaching the cyclops, who eyed him warily.

    Why?

    The Wardens mark is still inside you. I can burn it out, but youll need to bear with me.

    Dordok nced between Jack and Shol. His one eye hid a thousand questions, but despite his surprise, he made the right call.

    Okay, he said, sticking out his chest. Shol reached him and ced a palm over the cyclopss heart.

    Do not resist.

    Instantly, zing light erupted where the two made contact. Dordoks eye widened, but he gritted his teeth and did not scream. Smoke wafted upward, and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. Jack watched calmly.

    Half a minuteter, Shol pulled back his hand, revealing a patch of coal-like flesh underneath. The sight was so revolting that Jack wanted to puke.

    Done, he said.

    What did you do? Dordok asked, panting and grunting. It felt like you seared my very soul.

    Close. The mark was attached to the outer walls of your soul, so I had to burn that entire section. The physical heat was only a small part of it. He threw Dordok an acknowledging gaze. You endured it well.

    Naturally. Did you expect me to scream like a little girl?

    I expected you to scream like a cyclops.

    Can we get the hell out of here? Jack intervened. The Warden must have felt that. Every deacon in Hell could be on their way over.

    Right, Shol said. Vegna is already in position. Jack, take out the bromobile and lets go. We cannot stay on this any longer.

    The what? Dordok asked.

    Jack reached inside his robes. Before he could finish the motion, a heavy aura nketed him. His hand went rigid. His Dao grew weak. A leonine suddenly stood before them, only a mile away, and his eyes shone like suns, and his body exuded an aura of majesty that Jack could only barely resist.

    <strong>Leonine, Level 249</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Grade Defier</strong>

    Shit, Shol said.

    Facing all three of them, the leonine smiled confidently. Got you.

 Chapter 279: Fighting at the Peak

    Chapter 279: Fighting at the Peak

    A lone leonine stood in the sky over a shatterednd and a ruined jungle. The breeze was cool and dry, and his mane fluttered in it, each hair a proud piece of art. His face was carved of majesty, while his body, its top half bare, seemed sculpted in marble. There was not one muscle on this leonines body that wasnt well-formed.

    The moment he appeared, an air of supremacy covered thend. Every surviving animal within a dozen miles bowed their heads low, disregarding their injuries. Even Jack felt inside him the urge to respect and obey this man, who had appeared in the heavens like a wild but dignified barbarian king.

    Thank the System I made it, the leonine said calmly. If we let you escape, the other factions would mock our Animal Kingdom.

    Maximus Lonihor, Shol replied, narrowing his eyes. Though this leonine was one person and they were three, the experienced monk seemed wary. They had you chase us personally?

    There was little choice after what you did to Sapasun. You have killed two hundreds of my Kingdoms immortals, some of them at thete and peak D-Grade. The damage you have caused us is far too great to ignore. You will die here, and the Exploding Sun will answer for your actions.

    We no longer belong to the Exploding Sun, Shol dered proudly. Inspect us for yourself. Jack and I have left the faction. We only answer to ourselves now.

    Of course, and Hell is made of candy. The leonineughed, a deep, booming sound. If you think its that easy to trick the factions, Shol, then youre even dumber than you look.

    <em>Should I take out the starship? </em>Jack asked telepathically.

    <em>Only if you want it broken, </em>the monk replied. <em>Let me handle this, and prepare to run.</em>

    Who is this arrogant kitty? Dordok asked. His manner of speaking irritates me. Perhaps we should knock out a few of his teeth.

    You sure are feisty today, captain, Jack noticed.

    Look, kid, Ive been a prisoner here for months. If I dont beat up a deacon or two on my way out, Ill eat my own club.

    The leonineughed again, not at all fazed by Dordoks bravado. Very well. Lets see if you can match your words, ogre.

    Care Shol tried to warn him, but it was toote. The leonine winked through space to appear before Dordok, throwing a simple punch. Dordok hurried to raise his club and defend.

    The impact was deafening. A crack appeared on the steel weapon, which was undoubtedly hardened by magic, and Dordok himself was blown backward with such speed that he quickly became a dot in the horizon.

    Looks like you cant, the leonine said. Prepare yourse

    Shol was already there. A miniature sun blossomed above the leonine as a heavy palm headed for the top of his head. The leonine blinked away, appearing behind Shol. Expecting it, the monk copied his teleportation mid-strike, still aiming for his opponents head. The leonine crossed his arms to defend, and the strike pushed him down a hundred feet.

    When he raised his body to its full height again, the only visible injury was a handful of burnt hairs.

    Youve gotten faster, he noticed with a smile. Good for you.

    Jack, Shol said, run. He then charged again. The leonine disappeared. Jack felt space warp behind him, and he barely teleported away in time to dodge a fiery fist heading for his back. Shol appeared in his spot immediately, catching the fist and returning a backhand which pped the leonines chest, pushing him back.

    Shol did not relent. He stayed on his opponent, pummeling him with a storm of kicks, punches, and palm strikes. His orange robes fluttered wildly as Shol unleashed everything he had.

    Not bad! the leonineughed mid-battle. His limbs moved as blurs, but he still found time to speak.You can use teleportation already. Thats an excellent achievement. If you agree to receive the Wardens mark and join our Kingdom, I might let you live.

    RUN! Shol roared again, doing his best to pressure the leonine so he couldnt teleport after Jack.

    Run my ass! Jack shouted back. Theres no way in hell Im running. We got this.

    NO!

    Hell yeah!

    He could already see Dordok rushing over. Besides his slightly cracked club, he seemed fine. Jack himself was confident in enduring at least a couple of the leonines strikes.

    He already suspected that this person was the Animal Kingdoms Head Disciplethe equivalent of Li Qian in the Exploding Sun. But Shol wasnt too far from that! There were three of themthey could win!

    Most importantly, he would be damned if he let a friend sacrifice himself while he ran. Not again. Not when thest person to sacrifice himself for Jack was <em>right here.</em>

    The leonineughed. You have balls! he shouted. Crossing his arms, he then threw them open, shoving Shol off-stance. His Dao Domain sprang out unbidden, a torrent of heaven-descended supremacy. The domains of Jack, Shol, and Dordok instantly rushed out to meet it, shing in the sky and forming a four-way war.

    The supremacy bore down, heavy like the sky itself, while the three of them pushed up. Jack was shouldering only a fraction of the leonines domain, and already he felt his own domain struggling, tettering on the edge of copse. Shols domain was a bright orange like the rising sun, while Dordoks was a formless domain of inexhaustible strength, roaring with the strength of a thousand elephants.

    As the domains shed in mid-air, they reached a stand-stillno! Slowly but surely, they were slowly pushing the leonine back! Jacks lungs were instantly filled with hope.

    Descending Valor! the leonine shouted, bringing down both his arms. Instantly, the sky turned holy. Winged knights in golden armor emerged from the clouds and flew around Maximus like specters around their king. At his gesture, they were unleashed at his three opponents, each knight cradling a heavenly sword and flying down tip-first.

    They broke out of his domain and into theirs, their power deteriorating by the second but easily enough to fight. Jack was assaulted by a dozen knights. Each possessed the strength of a weak early immortaltheir swords whistled in the sky, and their auras carved the clouds. Though these warriors were nothing but conjured phantoms, the strength of theirbined assault was equivalent to twelve Old Man Spirits charging Jack at once.

    But, of course, he was much stronger than he used to be. Brutalizing Aura sted out of him, tinging the already purple sky around him an even deeper color and weakening the knights. He felt a trickle of power roll from their bodies into hisa small current that may or may not be significant over time.

    The knights were stilling, so Jack roared and raised his fists to defend. The sky was sucked into them, then sted out in an explosion. A torrent of power swept the warriors and destroyed three, rendering them nothing but golden smoke, but the rest fell on him. Jack struggled to fight back. He danced in the Iron Fist Style, dominating his opponents and striking back when he could, but they cared about neither injuries nor exhaustion. Their unending assault weighed on Jack. It distracted him from the Dao battle overhead, making his domain lose its luster. The leonine pressed him down slightly harder.

    In the corner of his eyes, Jack saw Dordok swinging his club wildly, destroying multiple soldiers with each swing, while Shol was engulfed in a tremendous, glowing orange ball that disintegrated them before they could even approach. The monks entire body was burning, covered in me and sunlight, and his entire attention was focused on pressing his domain against his enemys.

    But where was the leonine?

    The second Jack had that thought, a cold, uneasy feeling grabbed his heart. He unhesitatingly teleported away. Without any warning, a palm emerged from space to cleave the spot where hed been standing. The rest of the leonines body followed soon after.

    Coward! Shol yelled from inside his sun. You dare attack the weakest first!

    This is war, Shol! the leonineughed. If you want a duel, let me kill your friends first.

    Over my dead body!

    Shol hurtled downward, using the entire sun around him as a shell to attack the leonine. As he passed by, Jack felt a surge of tremendous heat assault him. The very air was burning. Yet, the leonine onlyughed, charging straight into the sun.

    The very edges of his fur began to turn singedand that was it.

    Such weak mes are useless against me, Shol! the leonine shouted,ughing, while he pressured the monk. Shols attention was split between maintaining his sun and fighting hand-to-hand, so he was less effective then before. The spectral winged knights were still assaulting his sun, but it seemed like the leonine didnt need much of his focus to keep theming.

    They devolved into a melee again, but this time, Shol was pressured heavily. He kept falling back, conceding small strikes to keep himself inbat. Dordok finally took care of the knights assaulting him and jumped into the fray, heedless of Shols sun. However, he was not as resistant as the leonhe moment he came in contact with the orange mes, Jack saw his visage twist into a grimace and his skin turn red, but he still pressed on.

    Shol dissolved his sun, weing Dordoks addition to the battle, but even the two of them struggled to match the leonine. Knights fell on them from all directions, disrupting their coordination and forcing them to face Maximus one at a time, greatly weakening them.

    Jack also had some winged knights after him, but while he fended them off, he took some time to study the leonine.

    He wasnt as strong as he appeared. Truthfully, theirbined domains were stronger than his, and he didnt seem able to fight Shol and Dordok at the same time, let alone the three of them.

    However, he was a master ofbat,pletely the opposite of what Rufus Emberheart had been. Rufus had raw power. This man excelled in technique. The odds were stacked against him, but he manipted the battlefield in such a way that he was the one applying pressure on his opponents. Shol and Dordok were constantly one step behind. Everything they tried was countered perfectly. The leonine was inplete control of the battle.

    He hade here not with extrarge muscles, but with mastery and confidence.

    <em>I need to disrupt him, </em>Jack thought. He ducked under a knights swing, nted a fist in his armored torso, and watched the armor and knight both dissipate into motes of light. He then twisted his body to dodge two swords at the same time, grabbing one knights wrist to smash him into the other before throwing a Meteor Punch and destroying both of them.

    As another knight flew at him, he disappeared.

    He reappeared behind the leonine right as Shol assaulted him from the front. The monk drove a sunny palm into the others abdomen. Bright Sky! he shouted as he had against the night wizard, birthing a sun in his palm.

    Meteor Punch! Jack shouted, summoning his strongest strike against the leonine, who no longer had time to teleport away.

    Unbreakable Bulwark! the leonine shouted, turning sideways and stretching out both palms. One met Shols strike, burned by the sunlight and forced to buckle at the elbow. The other met Jacks meteor, enduring the explosion with only a slight bending. The momentums of the two attacks canceled each other out, and the leonines hand closed around Jacks fist. His fingers were strong and hard like steel pliers.

    <em>Shit, </em>Jack thought.

    He was pulled in faster than he could react. An elbow dug hard into his chest, shattering his ribcage andunching him high into the sky. Shol managed to sneak in a kick during this opening, cracking the leonines knee, but it was damage he could endure.

    Jack! he shouted.

    Jack was flying. His world alternated between ck and white, and his ears screamed with the wind. When he regained himself, hellish pain filled his torso. He couldnt breathe. Thankfully, he didnt need to, but he was suffering heavy internal bleeding. He needed some time to

    <em>Lean back, </em>a voice reached him. It was neither Shols nor Dordoks, but it was familiar, though he struggled to ce it. Without the slightest hesitation, he ignored the burning pain and leaned backward. The heel of a foot crashed through the space hed just been upying, sending Jack flying by the mere shockwave. His wounds were agitated, but it was much better than having his skull shattered.

    How did you dodge that? the leonines voice came surprised as he stepped out of thin air. And you survived my direct strike, too If you keep going like this, I may not be able to kill you before reinforcements arrive.

    Shol shed before the leonine, instantly leaning into a storm of strikes. Dordok flew in as well, shooting at the leonine like a missile and keeping him upied. Jack, he screamed in rage, fucking run already!

    Both fighters fell on the leonine at once, pressuring him and forcing him on the back foot. More winged knights streamed from the sky, dogpiling on Shol and Dordok. The sun came back on. Dordok screamed, but the knights evaporated. The two of them kept pressing the leonine, unleashing their strongest strikes one after the other, and all he could do was defend.

    This was their chance. If they could take him down now, they would

    An explosion of golden light erupted around the leonine. Jack caught a glimpse of white wings, golden armor, and a proud helmet. In the next moment, the illusion dissipated, as did all of the winged knights, but Shol and Dordok had been pushed back.

    Their opportunity was gone. The leonine grinned at them. Is that all you got?

    Jack was still flying away, gritting his teeth while Neutron Star Body was working in overdrive to patch him back together. Slowly but surely, his ribs were repaired, his punctured organs were healed, and the lost blood was reced.

    But even after he fully healed, it wouldnt help much against this beast that called itself Maximus Lonihor.

    Suddenly, space cracked next to Jack. A person slipped through, meeting Jacks astonished gaze with a smile. Hey Jack, he said. Missed me?

    What the hell are you doing here? Jack replied.

    The Sage grinned. Just hanging around.

 Chapter 280: Return of the Sage

    Chapter 280: Return of the Sage

    Jack couldnt believe his eyes. Before him stood a man as entric as he was eye-catchinga worn-out jacket, crooked yellow teeth, wild hair, a mad glint in his gaze. He didnt smell, at least, but he seemedpletely out of ce surrounded by flying, robed cultivators.

    <strong>Human (Earth-387), Level 170</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    Sage!? Jack asked. What the

    Whos that guy? Dordok shouted, panting as he rushed into battle again. Is he with us?

    Shol barely had time for a nce, making him furrow his brows. Immortals had excellent memory. Is that

    Introductions can wait, the Sage said with a confident, if yellow, grin. Im here to rescue you.

    Someone came to save my saviors! Dordokughed. Isnt that a treat?

    Quite.

    Sage, what the hell, Jack said again. Arent you supposed to

    An intense aura interrupted him. Maximus Lonihor erupted with power, releasing a supreme wind that blew both Dordok and Shol back. No one is rescuing anyone under my watch, he growled. The grin remained on his lips, but it had grown tighter, more thoughtful. Clearly, even he hadnt expected the Sage to arrive.

    He rushed ahead, then abruptly disappeared.

    The Sage was already dodging. He smoothly glided backward, avoiding one w swipe, then leaned down to dodge a kick. Three more strikes came, each more vicious than thest, and each was masterfully dodged.

    Jack was close to the epicenter of this sh, so he got a good look at the Sages moves. They were almost magical. He wasnt fast, but he predicted the leonines attacks before they came. His dodges looked almost choreographed.

    Maximus paused. His eyes grew serious. You people are starting to piss me off.

    Good kitties should go to sleep, the Sage said, pointing a finger at the leonine. Jack sensed nothing, but Maximuss eyes turned hazy. He recovered just a fraction of a secondter, but in a high-level battle, even an instant was too long.

    Shols foot smashed into the leonines cheek. Jack saw his face warp almost in slow motion before their opponent was catapulted to the side, crashing through several miles of air and into the ground like a cannonball.

    Quick, the Sage said, tossing up an object that resembled a dark sphere. Everyone, to me!

    They obeyedwhat choice did they have?and the Sages sphere quickly erged to engulf them. Inside it, Jack saw the space under space, a ce where everything was real yet not, where distance was an illusion. Staying here extensively threatened to tear the soul out of his body, but the sphere somehow protected him, adding a hint of stability to the chaos.

    In the distance, Maximus Lonihor shot up from the jungle, roaring as he drove a golden punch at them. The Sage ppedand instantly, space sucked them in. They were no longer in a jungle, but over an ocean with no hint ofnd in the horizon.

    The dark sphere shrunk to its regr size and flew into the Sages hands. Well, thats one thing taken care of, he said. He pocketed the sphere, then fished out what looked like a groceries list from inside his robes and crossed out one line. He put it away again before Jack could read anything.

    Jack struggled to speak. His mouth moved up and down a couple of times before he made sound. It was that simple? was all he said. We escaped?

    For now, the Sage replied.

    You can reuse that thing? Shol asked, eyeing the pocket where the sphere had gone.

    Oh, yes. The ck Hole Church has all kinds of trinkets.

    Everyone fell quiet at the abrupt revtion. Jack remembered that hed never told Shol about that. The silence was only broken by Dordok, who suddenlyughed uproariously. System bless you, Jack. I dont even need to knowIm loving this!

    The ck Hole Church Shol said. Thats a potent statement.

    The Sage shrugged. It is what it is. Didnt Jack tell you hes one of us?

    Shol had never looked at Jack with such usation.

    Im not, he hurried to exin. It was offered, but Im still considering it.

    Sure

    If I can interrupt this tender questioning, the Sage said, were still not safe. The Warden could be flying over the as we speak to scout us out. Follow me.

    Without another word, he flew down, diving into the blue sea with a ssh.

    Oh, Ill follow you alright, Dordok said, clearly in a great mood. He dove down as well. Jack and Shol did the same.

    Entering the water, Jack was d that he no longer needed to breathe. His enhanced senses and Dao perception let him perfectly make out the underwater terrain, the hundreds and thousands of fish swimming around them. This was a virgin sea, untouched by garbage, chemicals, or overfishing. The sheer wealth of marine wildlife was staggering. He didnt recognize more than a tenth of the species here.

    His biologist sense tingled, but he let it wait for now.

    <em>Does the Sage know where hes going? </em>he wondered as they dove ever deeper, only for his worries to be proven unnecessary almost immediately. The Sage slowed down as he approached the foot of an underwater mountain, then slipped under a rock protrusion and disappeared.

    Reaching that spot, Jack saw an opening inside the rock directly above his head. It led to an underwater tunnel. Following it, he watched the rock walls slowly close around him until there was barely enough room for him to stretch his arms.

    Then, abruptly, the walls widened again, and Jack surfaced into an underwater cave. There was air herethough he didnt need itand the rock walls stretched into a wide hall more than thirty feet deep. It wasnt spacious, but it could easily fit four people.

    Well be safe here, the Sage said. Unless the Warden inspects the bottom of this ocean himself, nobody will find us.

    While Jack was busy gawking, Shol and Dordok surfaced beside him. How the hell do you know about this ce? Shol asked.

    Because Im a Sage, the Sage said as if that exined everything.

    Not convincing. Try again.

    I just saved your life. I believe a little trust would go a long way.

    Shol snorted but did not pursue the subject.

    Now that were safe, can someone please exin what is going on? Dordok asked, pointing at Jack. How are you Level 179no, 181 already? Shit. What are you doing with Shol Pesna? And how do we know the ck Hole Church?

    Id like to know thatst part, too, Shol added.

    Jack sighed. Very well. Buckle down, everyone; this will be a long story.

    He took a sit as well, since he remained injured, and began retelling. He exined about his adventures in Trial, his conquering of the ninth ring, and his miraculous breakthrough. The only secret he kept was the Life Drop and its implicationsbesides that, he trusted these people enough to tell them everything.

    He then spoke about his time in the Exploding Sun faction, and how one thing led to another, which led to him infiltrating one of the Animal Kingdoms most well-guarded locations to hunt down and assassinate their core members.

    I know it sounds stupid when I say it like that, he finished, but its worked out pretty well so far. Ive gained forty levels in a month.

    And youve almost died at least twice, Shol pointed out.

    Making this my safest month since the Integration.

    Fair enough.

    And you came to rescue me? Dordok asked.

    Of course, Jack replied. Youre my captainand you once risked your life to save me, a total stranger. What kind of man would I be if I didnt do the same?

    Moisture welled up in the captains single eye. I knew I was right about you! he shouted, drawing Jack into a big hug. He then held him by the shoulders and asked, What about the Ram? Is the rest of the crew safe?

    Jack bit his cheek. The captain cared about his crew and ship more than anything else. This question must have been burning his lips since the moment he was captured.

    I dont know, Jack finally replied. Last I heard, they escaped from the Hounds by teleporting away. I can only hope theyre fine.

    Dordok nodded. His gaze was inscrutable. Achilles died in the battle, he said. It was after you left. One of the Hounds tore him apart.

    Jack took the news like a mallet to the skull. I see, he replied.

    Its devastating, I know. He was a good man. The captain observed a few seconds of silence before continuing. The rest of them will be okay. Bomn will take care of them. He can carry my mantle with pride.

    Do you think Vashter managed to recover from his wounds? Jack couldnt help asking.

    Certainly. That is one resilient sailor. Im sure they found a way.

    Then, Im d Jack said, releasing a breath he didnt know hed been holding. Meeting the captain again brought back memoriesand seeing that they shared the same certainty of the crewmembers surviving relieved him.

    Jack hadnt spent much time in the Trampling Ram, but he remembered it fondly.

    Seeing that Jack and Dordok were done for now, Shol spoke up. What are you doing in Hell, Sage? he asked. And dont tell me youre only here for Jack.

    Youre contradicting yourself. How can I answer your question without saying the answer?

    What?

    What?

    Shol took a moment to parse through this. Are you saying youre only here for Jack?

    Thats what I would say, if you hadnt told me not to say it.

    Jack could see the monks temperature rising, so he quickly butted in to say, Dont test his patience, Sage. He has the fuse of a fuseless candle.

    Right. I apologize, the Sage said,ughing lightly. Jack is a very promising prospect. He is worth the risk of meing here. Plus, I can divine that things will probably be okay.

    Shol narrowed his eyes. Say I believe you. How did you find us?

    Because I am a sage.

    Hmph. Im not like the idiots youre used to dealing with. Ive lived for centuries and dealt with all sorts of prophets. Even the Barren High cannot divine things like that.

    I know they cant, but I can.

    You are testing my limits.

    A hint of Shols aura leaked out, soaking the cave in faint sunlight. Jack raised his hands. Can we all calm down, please?

    This is important, Jack, Shol said. If this man has a way to track our location, I would like to know.

    He saved our lives. Give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Besides, if he has a way to track anyones location, thats meor the captain, actually.

    How did you all find me, anyway? Dordok asked.

    I assaulted ate immortal, stole his prisoner scanner, tracked down every prisoner and confirmed your identity from a distance, then followed your dot on my scanner, Shol exined, but thats not important right now.

    Right, the Sage said. You know what is? Coming up with a n.

    We dont need one, Shol shot him down. Jack, do you guarantee for this guy?

    Jack considered it. The truth was, he knew almost nothing about the Sage. He shouldnt guarantee for him, but the man had helped him on so many asions that he deserved at least this little bit of trust. Yes, he replied.

    Good. Then, Sage, I should let you know we only followed you here to learn about your identity and goalswhich we didnt, but Jacks guarantee is good enough for me. Heres the n: we go back outside, board Jacks starship, and teleport to a nearby, where an aplice of ours is waiting to take us away.

    Thats an excellent n, the Sage said, except your aplice has already been apprehended by the enemy.

    Shols eyes narrowed. Impossible. I contacted them only a few minutes ago.

    Theyre ckmailed to reply normally, but I assure you, theyre under enemy custody.

    Oh yeah? And how would you know? Because youre a Sage?

    That, too, but also because one of our members works as an undercover guard. Your aplish is Vegna, right? The feshkur merchant captain?

    Shol was visibly surprised. How could she have been caught? he asked. She knew the Kingdoms patrol patterns inside out.

    It wasnt the Kingdom. The Hand of God tracked you down to the Eternal Gate, then performed a background check on every person on the when they lost your trail. You and Vegna have worked together beforeshe was one of the first they interrogated, and nobody can lie to the Inquisitors.

    Wait. Why would the Hand of God be after us?

    Not after you, the Sage corrected him. After Jack.

    Shol turned an increasingly furious re at Jack. And why, pray tell, he said slowly, would the Hand of God be after my honest little brother?

    Jack, in turn, red at the Sage. He hadnt told them about the Life Drop before, so naturally, he also hadnt mentioned anything about the Hand of God chasing him. Shol had no idea.

    Start talking, Jack, Shol said heavily, and this time, you damn better stop hiding things or Ill whoop your ass so hard youll shit yourself.

 Chapter 281: A New Hideout

    Chapter 281: A New Hideout

    Jack shook his head as he looked around. Shol, Dordok, Sage. These were people hed shared life and death withbut could he reveal them his deepest secret?

    <em>Do I even have a choice? </em>he asked himself. <em>Because of me, the Hand of God is after us I have to tell them.</em>

    There is one more thing, he finally said, but only if you want to hear it. Let me warn youits huge.

    You know whats not huge? My patience. And youre really testing that, Shol replied, crossing his arms.

    Dordokughed. At this point, nothing would surprise me.

    The Sage simply motioned for him to go ahead.

    Therefore, taking a deep breath, Jackpleted his story of Trial with the truth about the Life Drop. This time, he hid nothing. He told them about the Ancient Trial in the ruins and how he used the Life Drop to defeat Old Man Spirit, as well as how the entire had been locked down by the Hand of God because of him, and how hed escaped.

    I was pretty shy in Garden Ring. Since then, I suppose theyve heard about me being outside, and since theyve found no one suspicious in Trial, they want to deep-scan me I dont hope to escape such arge organization. I just want to be as strong as possible before they find me. They couldnt have sent C-Grades after me, right?

    Of course not, the Sage replied. Theyve sent a B-Grade.

    Jack almost sighed with relief before it turned into coughing. His head whipped over. A what!?

    Why are you surprised? Anything pertaining to the Ancients is a major incident. Of course theyd send an Elder overand, since the Hand of God is half a step above the other B-Grade factions of the gxy, their Elders are all at the B-Grade.

    Plus, Shol added, gazing at the Sage suspiciously, they wouldnt risk the ck Hole Churchs interference.

    Oh yes, true. If we wanted to contest whatever was in Trial, we would also send B-Grades over.

    Is a B-Grade really after me? Jack asked, ignoring the revtion about the Churchs strength. Arent they literal gods?

    The Sage shrugged. Theyre pretty strong, Ill give you that, but they naturally have their limits. Right now, there is a B-Grade on this actively scanning it to find you. But they wont discover us here. Were safe.

    Wouldnt they have discovered us when we fought that leonine?

    Ah, but thats why I showed up! We escaped in the nick of timetwenty secondster and theyd be on to us. Thankfully, your friend Vegna dyed them for some time, or even I would have been toote.

    How do you know all that? Jack asked wide-eyed.

    I told you, I have a person on the inside.

    You have to be joking. There is no way you have information urate to the second.

    Well The Sage grinned slyly. I may be approximating a little bit. The important thing is that, since they havent sniffed us out already, they must have arrived after we went into hidingor not arrived yet.

    But thats terrible! Jack said. How will we get out? There is no way we can fool a B-Grade.

    Thats the trick; we dont.

    All three of them stared at the Sage incredulously. We dont!?

    We dont. He shook his head. Using that Life Drop, as you call it, leavessting effects on the body. The soul itself is invible, so even a deep scan wouldnt spot the Life Drop, but an experienced examiner could discover some oddities. After that, theyll just split you open to be sure.

    So we cannot be caught.

    Right. The Sage nodded. A B-Grades perception can cover half a. Right now, going outside is suicide. So what I suggest we do is hide in here for a few months until they assume we already left the. There really isnt another option.

    But what about Vegna? Shol asked. Suppose I believe you shes been captured. Shes still waiting for our arrival. What should I tell her?

    That we will no longer be needing her. The Sage grinned. They saw me appearing and taking you away with a high-grade spatial artifact. Jack said my name. With a little bit of research, they will connect me to the ck Hole Church, which is a powerful and mysterious organization. It isnt such arge stretch to assume the Church has helped you all escape this.

    Could they? Dordok asked.

    Yesbut also not. With a B-Grade holding the fort, the only way to escape would be for the Church to send one of their own B-Grades to sh against the Hand of God. As you can understand, that would be a massivemitment. We are not willing to do that.

    So how do we escape? Whats your n?

    There isnt one! the Sage replied,ughing. Well have to find a way. But look at the bright sideI can divine well probably be fine.

    You have no n!? Shol erupted. So you came and dragged us into a dead-end with no way to get us out?

    You were already in a dead-end, just a different one. I dragged myself into your inescapable problems to give you another chance at survival. Therefore, I think I hardly deserve that tone, no?

    Shol grumbled. What if hes lying? he told Jack and Dordok. What if the Hand of God hasnt discovered us yet, and Vegna is just waiting outside to take us away? He could be keeping us here for his own benefit.

    Shol, Jack said in warning. The Sage really is a member of the ck Hole Church, who are enemies of the Hand of God and every B-Grade faction. What benefits could he have in keeping us here?

    What kind of fool would dive into a desperate situation to save near-strangers for no benefit?

    A confident one, the Sage interceded, his face still covered in a calm smile. Things may be looking down right now, but well find a way out. We just have to y our cards right.

    By staying down here forever? Shol shot back. Jack needs to return to the Exploding Sun within four months. Plus, no matter how long we wait, even if the B-Grade leaves, escaping Hell will not get any easier. All their outbound teleporters are hidden in well-guarded cities, and since Ive left my faction, I have no way to contact anyone! Were trapped!

    Facing Shols outrage, the Sage was calm and joyful.

    Come on, have some faith, he urged him. There is always a way. We just have to find it.

    Thats such bullshit.

    Yet, it is true. We just have to not lose faith.

    What do you suggest, Sage? Jack stepped in to calm things down. Shol looked ready to explode. You mentioned we stay here for a few months until the situation outside calms down a little. Then what?

    The rest is a work in progress, but when were ready, we could exit this ce and slowly work at getting you to the peak D-Grade.

    What? Jack was shocked. I thought we wanted to escape.

    Dont you want to be strong enough to save Earth? the Sage asked, his face drawn into a mysterious smile.

    I do Jack admitted.

    Then youre in luck, because getting you strong is our ticket out of here. You have a perfect foundation, great Dao understanding, ample battle experience, and extremely powerful titles. If you can reach the peak D-Grade, even Maximus Lonihor wont be able to stop you. We could use you as a spearhead to assault one of the heavily guarded outbound teleporters and make our escape.

    Jack gave the Sage aplicated gaze.

    In truth, he really wanted to be strong quickly. He needed to. His duel with Li Qian aside, he only had five months remaining to defeat theary Overseer and save Earthand the overseer was at the mid C-Grade. An entire Grade away.

    This n was perfect for him So why did it feel like he was taking advantage of the situation?

    Say we do that, Dordok spoke up. We stay here for a while until the Hand of God leaves, then go out and have Jack kill a bunch of deacons. Wont they be onto us again? The Hand of God can just return and force us back into the cave.

    Thats true, the Sage said. However, the time of B-Grades is extremely precious. This particr one has already spent a couple of months investigating the Ancient-rted incident. If we just wait her out, she will eventually return to her previous affairs, leaving only a token force behind in case more leads appear. Even if weter reveal ourselves again, extricating herself from her affairs toe chase down a D-Grade who may or may not be rted to the incidentwould be a stretch.

    That makes sense, Jack said. But if she leaves a token force behind, wouldnt that mean C-Grades?

    One or two of them with a bunch of D-Grades. The Hand of God has immortals to spare. However, as long as its only C-Grades, we can handle them.

    Thats a brave statement if Ive ever heard one, Sholmented.

    Yet, its true. Maybe not inbat, but Hell is a huge ce. If webine prudence, my inside information, and my divining abilities, we can assassinatete immortals and deacons without ever getting caught.

    Jack, Shol, and Dordok exchanged nces. One by one, they nodded. Shol was thest to do so.

    Despite his appearance and mysterious motives, the Sage seemed to make sense. Somehow. Or, at least, none of the others had a better idea.

    But what are we going to do while waiting for the B-Grade to leave? Jack asked. You said it could be months. If I want to reach the peak D-Grade soon, dont I need that time?

    Not at all. The Sage shook his head. The Animal Kingdom has invested centuries of painstaking cultivation and trillions worth of resources into their D-Gradesyou can usurp all that by just killing them. Therefore, levels are easy for you. I believe well make it in time as long as we arent caught. The difficult part is having your Dao understanding keep up. If Im being honest, cultivators are not meant to progress nearly as fast as you are. You are carried along by momentum, but you really ought to take some time and stabilize your foundation. Only then can you properly utilize your advancements in power. Right now, youre terribly inefficient.

    Jack raised a brow. I am?

    Of course you are. Think about it. A deacon has less than double your amount of attribute points and around double the size of your Dao reserves. However, you have a ton of high-level titles. Even if they have some as well, your superiority there should mostly make up for the stat discrepancy. As for the Dao, they may be able tost longer and strike with more power than you, but your perfect foundation should shore up that weakness as well. You should be equal in power to a deacon. Therefore, why is it that you arepletely unable to face one?

    Jack considered it. Because I cant use my power efficiently?

    Exactly! And how could you? Adjusting takes time. Right now, the best thing you can do is spend some time consolidating your foundation, or any extra levels will have severely diminishing returns. Honestly, even a few months shouldnt be enough, but its the best we can do.

    I see, Jack replied, creasing his brows. You seem to know a lot, Sage.

    Comes with the area. Sages should be wise, right?

    Hes right. I had a simr n, Shol spoke up. Get you to level up as fast as possible, then take you into an extended consolidation phase when you started tog behind. I estimated that time woulde in twenty or thirty levels, but since we have time to spare, you might as well start now.

    I see, Jack said.

    However, dont get me wrong, Shol continued. This is nothing but a stopgap measure. Even if you spend a few months consolidating now and get your fighting power up to par, you will still have advanced way too quickly. Breaking through to the C-Grade like this will ruin your foundation. When you have saved your and are no longer in a hurry, you will need to devote a lot of time catching up with your Dao.

    Got it, Jack said. However, unless he found some other way to save Earthbe it Master Hualis promise or anything elsehe would still break through to the C-Grade as quickly as possible, and consequences be damned.

 Chapter 282: Visions of the Past

    Chapter 282: Visions of the Past

    An underwater cave was not the best ce to house four grown men for extended periods of time. Nevertheless, Jack and hispanions were determined to make do.

    To Shol and Dordok, both multiple centuries old, a few months were nothing.

    Jack and the Sage, on the other hand, had only been Integrated for five months. For them, this was a long stretch of their System lives, so they approached it with seriousness. Jack trained diligently, both in body and spiritas for the Sage, he just kind of hung around. When he closed his eyes, no one knew whether he was meditating or randomly falling asleep, a habit he imed originated from his homeless days on Earth.

    Two days after they settled down in the cave, the Sage took Jack and headed deeper into the ocean. Eventually, they reached a second, smaller sea cave, where they could discuss without anyone else overhearing.

    What is it, Sage? Jack asked, looking around. This cave was pretty cramped. Not a love confession, I hope.

    Have you considered my offer at all, Jack? the Sage asked with interest, jumping straight to the matter at hand.

    You mean the offer to join the ck Hole Church. Icant say I have. Time was always pressing.

    Would be willing to consider it now?

    Always have been.

    And? What do you think?

    Jack took some time to think this through. The world calls you terrorists. You have been kind to me, but I still hesitate to join an organization I know almost nothing about. My answer remains the same. I need more information.

    The Sage nodded as if expecting this. You know, he began, we dont invite just anybody. The ck Hole Church is an organization as old as the System itself, and only the strongest of each age can join our ranks. You could call us a gathering of elites, as well as a cradle of poweryou cannot imagine the resources the Church pours into its recruits.

    Resources like my Life Drop?

    The Sages smile turned wry. Even we do not possess resources like thatnot routinely, at least. The Life Drop is one reason I extended an invitation to you back in Trial.

    You knew? Jacks eyes widened.

    I suspected. The Church was aware of the Ancient Trial you located. When someone seeded, we were notified, and connecting the dots wasnt too hard afterward.

    Why didnt you say anything?

    I couldnt casually reveal my organizations reach.

    But you can now? Jack asked. What changed?

    The Sage drew a deep breath. Your value, my friend. I was already considering inviting you on Earth, after you defeated Rufus Emberheart. We are picky but always in need of extreme talent. When I met you again in Trial, your rapid increase in power and the Life Drop inside you cemented my decision, which is why I extended an invitation. Now The more you grow, the more miracles you seem able to create. You are firmly positioned against the Hand of God, who is also our enemy, and you keep rising in power prodigiously. Your value has increased in the eyes of the Church, so I can divulge more information to help you make a decision.

    Well, divulge it then, Jack said, letting some rare haste show. Tell me what the hell is going on. Whats the deal with the ck Hole Church? Are you really trying to revive an Old One? Why? What is your real goal? Whats the deal with the Old Ones, and why is the System, which was created by the Immortals, seeking to eradicate any sign of the Ancients?

    All these suppressed questions sprang up in Jacks mind at once. Back in Trial, he and Nauja had ran into the ruins of an Ancient outpost. The door depicted twelve Old Ones, each representing one element of the worldmost of which Jack could not decipherand to enter, the walls of the outpost warned them several times not to inspect anything, as if not trusting the System. The Ancient voice in the trial had said the same, as well as some other cryptic warnings, and even Naujas father had warned Jack not to trust the System.

    The moment he was lost in the trial and Nauja started scanning things, the System had informed them that the Hand of God was on its way to eradicate any sign of the Ancients.

    None of those made sense. ording to what Jack knew, the Ancients were the universes first civilization. They created the Immortals, an army of Dao-wielding robots, but were destroyed by the Old Onesthe Gods of the Universe. The Immortals, who were made to protect the Ancients, swore revenge. They constructed the System to help the various species cultivate, then gathered the strongest warriors of the universe and unleashed a crusade against the Old Ones, eventually pushing them out of System space.

    In the end, the Old Ones sealed their strongest memberEnas, the God of Lifein a ck hole for eternity, as punishment for giving the Dao to the Ancients, which was what started this whole thing.

    It was exactly this Old One, Enas, that the ck Hole Church worshiped and tried to revive.

    Clearly, Jack had witnessed things that contradicted the version of the story he knew. Something was wrong. Hed put away such thoughts previously, as they were far above his paygrade, but now he finally had ess to someone who seemed to know thingsthe Sage.

    The Sage gave Jack an encouraging smile, the kind a professor would give to a hard-working student.

    I will not tell you the answers to these questions, he said, but I will do something better: I will show you. Keep your mind reined; do not scan what Im about to reveal.

    Reaching inside his worn-out jacket, he revealed a piece of green jade shaped as a scroll. Jack didnt focus too hard on it, lest he activate the Systems scanning function, but he couldnt stop himself from sensing the jade scrolls aura; a feeling so ancient it seemed to defy time itself.

    Grab on, the Sage said, extending the piece of jade. Lets embark on a magical journey together.

    Thats creepy, but okay.

    Jack grabbed the other end of the jade. The scroll did not unfurlinstead, Jack felt something projected inside his mind. A scenery from times long past. Suddenly, he was both here and there, experiencing both realities at once.

    Let it happen, the Sage instructed him. The Ancients viewed the robbing of agency as taboo. Contrary to the Systems visions, this jade scroll will let you maintainplete control in the real world so you can act out or break the vision at a moments notice.

    Jack could understand why the System did what it did. This sensation was confusing, like watching two movies ying on top of each other. Still, he appreciated the jade scrolls attempts to maintain his agency. As he let himself experience the vision, his brain got gradually used to the sensation, letting him understand what he was seeing.

    He was in a small room. The walls were made of living stone, coiling around to fulfill its owners needs. Jack himself was a ghost floating bodilessly in the middle of the room, right above a green jade scroll which looked exactly like the one he was holding, only far less ancient.

    To his surprise, Jack realized he still hadplete control over his body and could even turn around to watch thingshe was not watching a movie, like the Dao Visions hed experienced before, but participating in it.

    Though, as a ghost, he couldnt actually affect anything.

    The Sage was next to him, also in ghost form. How are you feeling? he asked. Are you adjusted yet?

    Almost. Im trying.

    Good, cause its about to start.

    Suddenly, a mans voice echoed inside the room. My name is Norax Erudite. The voice wasnt deep or aggressiveit was soft yet steady, like an experienced schrs. Jack turned around to discover they shared the room with a person who, save for his clothes, looked exactly like a normal human.

    He had round, spirited eyes and a bald head, while he wore long green robes that reached the floor. His nose was sharp and his lips thin. The robes hid his limbs, but Jack could make out smooth, slender fingers. His most striking feature, however, was his aura. He gave Jack the feeling of a kind old man, very simr to the old professors who loved research and teaching.

    There was no hint of the Dao, however. Jack could not inspect the man, but he felt like a normal human.

    The end is near, said the man, exuding a despair that contradicted his calm exterior. <em>Our</em> end, to be precise. And we only have ourselves to me. He shook his head. It is already toote to hope for victory. All we can do is spread our children as far as possible, hide them in the crevices of the universe, and hope that someone survives. As for me I have no children. I can only record the events that will transpire here today, letting future generations see through the lies that, undoubtedly, the victors of this war will weave.

    Though there was no aura to this person, his words had gravity. Jacks attention was fully captured.

    Whats happening? he asked the Sage, who smiled bitterly in response. It was the first time Jack saw him sad.

    Youll see, he replied.

    Suddenly, the room shook. The living rock around them made a sound as if crying. It then withdrew, opening a wall to reveal the expanse of space outside.

    It was not empty.

    A stretched under the mans starship, covered in bustling cities and lush, vivid nature. At a nce, it seemed like paradise. Or rather, it would, if not for the columns of smoke rising from everywhere on the.

    Do you recognize that? the Sage asked. Jack looked at it again.

    How could I He stopped. His jaw dropped. He <em>did </em>recognize the, because hed seen it from this angle before. It was not Earth.

    It was Trial.

    How!? he blurted out, getting no response.

    The starship they rode was one of many. A proud fleet flew before Jacks eyes, visible through the gap in the wall. As if sensing his desire to see more, the man moved the jade scrond the two ghosts with itto the very edge. He waspletely unaffected by the vacuum of space.

    Take a good look, he said with sadness, stubbornly ignoring thews of nature to speak in space. Bear witness to the greatest grief of the universe so farbut not, I suspect, thest. I am sorry, descendant. On behalf of the Ancients, I apologize.

    Jack tried to respond, but the man could not perceive himhe was only a ghost watching a vision he could not alter.

    The man flew out of the starship. Suddenly, his aura red. Jack had thought him a normal human before, but it was he that was blind; the mans Dao eclipsed the sun and moon, filling the vacuum like air inside a balloon. The very Dao of the universe bowed to him.

    Jack had never experienced such aplete sense of power. He couldnt imagine anything closer to God.

    Is he at the B-Grade? he asked breathlessly.

    The Sage shook his head. No.

    The mans aura kept expanding. It was a visible green light covering an arearger than Jack could perceive. From his viewpoint, he had no idea how far it stretched. He did, however, see that aura envelop every starship nearby. More people streamed outsome were dressed as wizards and some as warriors, wielding swords and staves alike. Most were human, but Jack caught glimpses of many other species as well, allpletely unknown.

    All these people were covered by the mans aura, which shone around them like an extra suit of armor. May life live, he uttered sadly, yet with conviction.

    Suddenly, a second aura rose. Jack could not see its origin, but he could perceive it through his Dao sense. It was proud, hard, metallic.

    Familiar.

    A figure darted past the starship to stand next to the schra knight in silver armor, wielding a mace and exuding the aura of a thousand kings. Though his face looked younger than Jack remembered, he recognized this person. It was Old Man Spirit.

    Its an honor to die fighting by your side, Norax, said Old Man Spirit,ughing with the power of youth.

    I say the same, brother Jericho, the schrly man responded, pping his hands together and separating them again. When he did, a green rod appeared between them, first transparent and then solid. The manNoraxgrabbed it in one hand, his mere existence dominating heaven and earth. Lets protect our people.

    Jerichoughed again. His voice was amplified, crossing the void of space to resound all over the assembled cultivators and the beneath. Listen up, my warriors! They want to purge us? Bullshit! Lets show them that the Ancients should not be underestimated. And to the allies who chose to fight by our side His face split into a wide grin. We will remember you for eternity.

    The gathered cultivatorsover a hundred of themshouted out together. Jack glimpsed at their aurasevery single one was clearly weaker than their two leaders, but also vastly stronger than anyone hed ever met, including Master Huali.

    The soldiers of this army were B-Grades.

    As his shocked eyes passed over the army, Jack suddenly caught sight of a half-monkey half-man wearing a suit of living stone and wielding a familiar staffBrocks Staff of Stone.

    Just what enemies could make such an army feel hopeless? Jack managed to utter, struggling to even form words.

    Beside him, the Sage smiled againhalf in sadness and half in pride. Raise your eyes and see, son of the Ancients.

 Chapter 283: Ancient History

    Chapter 283: Ancient History

    Before Jacks eyes stood the most imposing force hed ever witnessed. Two A-Gradesat least, thats what he assumed they wereled over a hundred B-Grades into battle, and they seemed certain they would lose.

    Facing them were just seven figures. They were humanoid in shape but made of shiny gray metal. They had longer limbs than humans, smooth torsos, and faceless heads with only a single orban eyedominating their center. They wore no clothes, and given their uniform build, they werepletely identical save for the symbols engraved in their foreheadsall seemingly random, two-digit numbers ranging from twenty to seventy.

    These were robots.

    They stood in eerie silence, all side-by-side, noy moving or speaking. They were cold like machines were supposed to be. Just like the schrly man before he revealed his power, their bodies exuded no aura of the Dao whatsoever.

    Are those the Immortals? Jack asked. But I thought they protected the Ancients!

    Many things you thought were wrong, the Sage replied softly. His words were tinged with sadness. Just watch.

    Jericho, who looked like a younger version of Old Man Spirit, floated ahead. There was no negotiation, no speech, no preamble to the battle. He simply raised his mace and shouted, Charge!

    The over a hundred B-Grades attacked as one. They crossed space near-instantly and unleashed their skills. Jack was almost blinded by the radiancehe suspected that only being in a vision saved his eyeballs from boiling.

    The twomanders stepped forth as well. Jericho, who had already been at the forefront, swung his mace so cmitously that an entire stretch of space was encased in metal. It was so massive that itpared to the nearby in size, and when it exploded, the impact was world-shattering.

    The schrly manNoraxspread his arms wide. Instantly, green light suffused space, filling it with a vitality that did not belong. Living creatures of all shapes and forms spawned everywhere. Jack could see space monsters, various animals, even mythological beings like dragons. They were nothing more than solid illusions, but each of them could easily annihte him, and they were thousands.

    Facing all these attacks, the seven robots reactedpletely in sync. They released their own auras, each robot matching Jericho and Norax in scope and breadth of power. When they shed, the Dao cried around them, unwilling but forced to participate in a battle between its beloved children.

    Jack could not make out the nature of each robots powers. Everything was so overflooded with energy that his Dao perception went amok, and even his eyes were useless. Spacetime was curving and bending wildly. Reality was fluctuating and unraveling. The world itself struggled to endure this battle of colossal forces, giving birth to cracks and tears leading to a terrible, void ckness.

    The battlefield was a mess. Everyone teleported around at speeds Jack could not distinguish, navigating the extremes of this broken reality. Jack saw B-Grades get sucked in the tears of space and disappear forever. He saw thembining forces to unleash terrifying beams through multiple wormholes, and saw their Daosbine in symphonies of indescribable majesty.

    The robots casually strolled through. This broken reality was their backyard, and the almighty B-Grades were just pests. One of them waved a hand, decimating a dozen cultivators before they could even see the attacking. Another dodged a storm of space cracks like it was nothing, while a third simply took them, sucking in the cracks instead of getting sucked into them itself. Meanwhile, four of the robots were contesting the twomanders in a world-shaking battle dominated by powers that Jack couldnt even recognize.

    He did not understand what he was watching. All he knew was that the starship around him, along with every other starship in sight, had disappeared, destroyed just by being at the fringes of this battle. Only the jade scroll remained, protected as it was by the schrs powers.

    The nearby was assaulted by loose energy remains. It went from a lush, highly-technological haven to a burned, woundedndscape within seconds. Sword scars were carved on its surface, each hundreds of miles long. Palm-shaped craters ttened mountains. An ocean evaporated while another froze over. Smoke stopped rising as all oxygen was sucked out of the atmosphere. The greenery was decimated. The cities copsed. Entire continents smashed together to create earthquakes visible from space. Eventually, dust filled the air, so much that Jack could no longer see.

    Within seconds, Trial had been destroyed. It had transformed from a ce of harmony and beauty to the ruined terrain he witnessed himself when firstnding on it. Everything on the surface had died.

    Only now did a hurricane of Dao envelop the, shielding it from the worst but far toote to stop the disaster.

    Jack tried to look up at the battle and understood nothing. Almost all of the B-Grades were dead, or at least, he could no longer spot them. Six of the robots were now pressuring the twomanders, who dyed the world around them green and silver with their Dao. The robots surrounded them, cutting off every avenue of retreat and methodically neutralizing all attempts to fight back.

    The schr, Norax, screamed as his entire body suddenly imploded. The universe released a mournful moan. The very fabric of space detonated around the body, erupting in an explosion eclipsing all others. Trial was struck and sent flying away like a pool ball, barely remaining whole due to its Dao shield. The jade scroll under Jack and the Sage was also sent flying at such speed that, near-instantly, the chaotic battle became a distant explosion of multi-colored light in the vastness of space. They could no longer make out anything.

    We can leave now, the Sage said, his voice slow by weight. He pulled back. Jack followed numbly, and suddenly he was back in a small underwater cave of Hell, awe-struck in his tiny corner of the world.

    The Sage waited patiently. Jack took his time. A few momentster, he asked, What happens next?

    A few million years of the jade scroll flying through space before someone identally recovers it. I believe it would be boring to watch.

    Thats not what I mean, Sage! Jack replied. What about the battle? Who won? Why were they fighting? Who <em>were </em>they?

    Many questions, for some of which you already have an answer. The Sage shook his head. Suddenly, his homeless visage didnt suit him at all. He was wise, far wiser than he showed. And oldso very old.

    I need you to tell me, Jack insisted.

    The cultivators you saw were the Ancients and some of their most loyal allies, who stood by their side even when facing extinction. The robots were the Immortals. And they won, as they did for almost every battle of that time. Jericho, the Silver Mace, was captured and eventually struck a deal with the Immortals, abandoning his pride to help guide the future generations. He is, as you correctly assumed, the person you know as Old Man Spiritfor even his name is forbidden now. But those are all things you understood already. I guess the only question that really matters is, why were they fighting?

    Jack nodded slowly. He was still struggling to regain hisposure, but he had enough of it to articte his mind. The Ancients created the Immortals. The Old Ones exterminated the Ancients. The Immortals then created the System andunched a revenge crusade against the Old Ones, forcing them out of System space. Thats what I know. Thats what Ive been told. Was it a lie?

    What do you think? the Sage replied with a sad smile. Is history wrong, or is the vision you saw false?

    Just tell me, Sage. I am not in the mood for games.

    Very well. Keep in mind that I will not reveal the entire truth, but most of it, enough for you to understandand prepare yourself, for this will take some time. The Sage took a deep breath as if preparing to retell a particrly painful story.

    In the beginning, there was nothing, until the Dao birthed the universe and the twelve Old Gods with it. Divine, as their name implies. Near-omnipotent, if not omniscient. They were born fully grown and at the peak of their power, given everything from the start. They were immortal incarnations of the Dao itself, brought into existence as the sole upants and arbitrators of an empty world.

    The universe had already been set in motion, and the Old Gods, needing nothing, lived in it. They saw the first stars and gxies form and die. They saw the endless wheel of time turning, endlessly turning, grinding everything into dust and birthing it anew. The Old Gods also interacted with the nascent universe. Over billions of years, they explored their powersthe twelve cardinal directions of the Daoand carved out a world in their image. They created and ruined the bnce, but it did not matter, for they were alone, surrounded only by rocks and gasses. Being immortal, they had no such emotions as fear or boredomthey were content to let the years pass, one billion at a time, as the universe expanded, grew, and evolved.

    Until the first of the Old Gods, Enas, the God of Life, decided to utilize his gift as well. Descending on one of the manys of one of the many gxies, he first borrowed the power of his siblings to make it habitable. He moved the to the right trajectory and altered the sr environment around it as best as he could. He then shaped the in a way of his liking. He created water. He created oceans.

    Finally, when he thought the was ready, he opened his divine mouth and breathed on it. The first spores of life were nted then. Tiny organisms, so small you couldnt even see them, but alive nheless. They existed in a world made for them to thrive. Then, satisfied with himself, Enas left to tour the cosmos, giving his children the time they needed to evolve.

    Of course, to Enas, death was not a concept. He hadnt realized its existence yet, as everything he knew was eternal. In his mind, the organisms hed birthed were one creature which would change and evolve over time but never truly die. He did not perceive it as a collection of individuals, but as a single entity.

    So, he left. Millions of years passed. Billions. His children grew from solitary cells to animals, inhabiting the ocean andnd, evolving into real existence. He kept visiting from time to time, but he was disappointed; in his eyes, these creatures were mindless, no better than the rocks and gxies he was used to seeing. Was that truly life?

    Until one point in time, when he was away, and the major evolution was reached. It is unknown how or why. Even he is not certain, for this was more than he hoped for. However, no matter how it urred, the fact remains that the first truly intelligent species were bornand they wereter called Ancients as a sign of respect, but actually, they were humans.

    Are you talking about Earth? Jack interrupted. Because the entire thing you described is oddly familiar.

    Not Earth, no, though the circumstances were very simr. But well get there.

    Okay.

    Humans appeared, and all was going well. However, they remained under theplete influence of Enass Dao and perception. They were not individuals, but one collective, mostly mindless entity. Unfortunately, Enas was not the only Old God looking after them.

    Axelor, the second of the Old Gods, the God of Entropy, had always felt an odd connection to the living creatures Enas had created. Hed studied them since their birth, even more than the God of Life himselfa fact known to Enas, for they were siblings, and they had no rivalry.

    It was due to Axelors attentiveness that, when humans appeared, he was the first to notice them. With these intelligent beings, the calling he felt was almostpulsing. He descended to the and watched them exist, watched how this sole entity that called itself humans passed through countless generations. He felt that something was missing, something pertaining to his domain, but what?

    Axelor looked deep inside himself for the missing pieceand though he did not find it, his divine instinct guided him to what he should do. Knowing he was tampering with Enass creations in a way that the God of Life would not approve of, he reached into this nascent world and used his Dao to infect a single fruitan applewhich he then handed to the humans. The moment one of them consumed it, they all did, and thus received Axelors gift: individuality. He had made each human an entity of its own. They were now more than a species; they were individuals carrying their own thoughts, emotions, and drives, frequently contrasting each other.

    The moment they became individuals, a new concept was birthed into the universe: death. The fruit of Axelors domain. As he sensed the first human wither and die, he rejoiced, for he had discovered something new about himself. Something hed taken away from Enas.

    So this Axelor guy is the devil, Jack said.

    This guy is an entity on a level you cannot even fathom. Do you want to interrupt me, or do you want to hear the rest of the story?

    Sorry.

    The Sage coughed in his hand and kept going.

    Enas sensed the creation of death as well and rushed over, but it was toote. Purging individuality from his creations was impossible. The only way would be to destroy and remake them from scratch, but that would take too long. He heavily berated Axelor for his rush actions, and that was the first time two Old Gods fought each otherthough only with words, for now.

    In the end, the other Old Gods stepped in to mediate. Axelor realized his mistake and apologized to Enas, who chose to forgive him as long as he promised to never interact with his creations again. Axelor agreed happilybut he had lied. For, deep inside him, he knew that death was the apex of his domain, and that he should never abandon it. He had zero intentions to hone his promise, but he bade his time.

    And so, humans were now individuals. Enas settled down to watch them more closely, limiting his leave, for the humans were advancing so fast they were almost impressive.

    Enas watched the humans as they discovered fire and the wheel. He saw them advance from tiny tribes of hunters and gatherers to agriculturalmunities, even forming towns and cities. He saw them invent writing, ships, and domestication. And he also saw them make weapons. A lot of weapons.

    In Enass heart, he was overjoyed by his creations, which he began to truly love like children. However, he was saddened by their lust for war. They wasted no opportunity to kill each other. His world of life was infected by a terrible urge towards death, and no matter how he tried, he could not escape that. He intervened multiple times to teach them kindness. He pleaded with them, urged them, andmanded them. When those didnt work, he even went so far as to exterminate the vast majority of humans, leaving only the kindest alive, in the hopes that Axelors gift would disappear without fertile grounds, or that the remaining humans, though individuals, would choose a life of peace over war.

    But it was all for naught. Humanity seemed determined to destroy itself, and though Enas was greatly saddened, he had no choice but to ept it. Rage burned inside him for Axelor, but since he had already forgiven him, he could not vent. Disheartened, he decided to leave the humans again, in hopes that their evolution would havebatted Axelors gift by the time he returned. And so, he left, and time went on.

    However, Enas did not know that Axelor had always been acting in the shadows. Through his connection to the gift he gave humans, a connection which Enas had never realized existed, Axelor kept pushing them into violence and death. He urged them into wars. He fed visions of grandeur and power into the simple minds of their leaders. He made them turn against their fellow humans and transform their world into something that resembled Axelors domain more than it did their original creators. Seeing Enass distress at failing to cure his humans, Axelor consoled him and apologized repeatedly on the surface, but deep inside, he was happy and satisfied.

    When Enas left the world of humans, Axelor limited his influence, as it was no longer necessary, but remained close. Time went on. Axelors gift drove progress, and within less than five millennia, the humans had evolved to a state where they started expanding across the gxy. They had created technology that the Old Gods wouldnt even imagine existed and somehow used their weak little bodies to dominate the universe. Finding no other forms of life outside their home, they evenunched millions of self-replicating capsules into space, filling them with the most resilient and elementary lifeforms they could find. That is how almost all life in the universe was created. That is how your Earth was created as well, though the capsules took hundreds of millions of years to travel between gxies. That is why the Ancients are revered as the ancestors of every living creature in the universe.

    Fascinating. So on every of the universe, life originated from the same starting point, the same set of single-cellr organisms.

    Mostly. Can I continue?

    Sorry.

    After the Ancients conquered their gxy and started expanding, more time passed. They reached the peak of technology. They did not interfere with life on others until it reached the space-faring stage, at which point they gently introduced themselves. Over a few hundred million years, the Ancient Gxy was filled with life, all of which worked together with the Ancients. Of course, the asional wars and genocides were always present, but life was perpetuated.

    It was only then that Enas, finally thinking enough time had passed, returned to inspect the state of the humans hed created. To his surprise, where hed left stick-wielding monkeys, he found a gigantic, gxy-spanning civilization. He was overjoyed and proud of them. So proud, in fact, that he descended to meet them in person. And thats when everything went wrong.

 Chapter 284: Birth of the System

    Chapter 284: Birth of the System

    Enas descended to meet his creations in personand thats when everything went wrong.

    Jacks ears perked up. He had been paying attention and waiting for this exact sentence. What happened? he asked.

    Enas met with the leaders of the Ancients and talked to them. He exined everything like a father to his long-forgotten children. But the most important thing he talked about was the Daoa magical force that even the Ancients, whod conquered everything the world had to offer, had never discovered. Back then, the Dao was something only known to the Old Godsnobody else could ess it.

    Enas left the Ancients again but remained nearby, eager to watch them and speak more with them. By filling the universe with intelligent life, he felt that he had achieved the reason why the Dao created him, and he was satisfied.

    Enas harbored no ill intentions towards the Ancients. Unbeknownst to him, however, they did. Axelor had used his secret gift, which was still in them, to whisper fear into their minds. The Ancients were used to being kings of the worldthe existence of a God, let alone twelve, frightened them. They were afraid that one day, the Gods would turn against them, and they would be destroyed. For all their technological power, Enas had demonstrated his absolute and uncontested superiority. There was only one way to protect themselves, and that was to use the same power that the Gods wieldedthe Dao.

    The leaders of the Ancients came together and sought an audience with Enas. In that audience, they asked him to give them ess to the Dao, iming curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Enas, who had never before known deceit, epted happily. After life, he gave them a second giftthat of the Dao. From that time onward, the Ancients and all their descendant species could cultivate the Dao in the same way that todays cultivators dominus the System, which did not yet exist.

    Millions of years passed. Slowly, more and more powerful cultivators were born, the peak amongst them even reaching the A-Grade and achieving near-immortality. The world converted from technology to the Dao.

    Secretly, however, the Ancients were working on a n against a possible Old God attack. They were not content being in the mercy of Godsthey wanted a way to protect themselves. The few A-Grades they hadthough they went by a different name thenwere not enough, for the power of Old Gods was at the very peak of that level, a mountain that nobody had managed to scale yet.

    The Ancients, well-versed in technology as they were, wondered if there was a way to use technology to ovee their Dao deficiency. Working in secretbs deep withins, where Enas would never think to look, they eventually managed tobine the peak of technology and the peak of the Dao in one, new life formthe Immortals. Undying creatures of unbreakable steel, wielding the apex Dao powers and with minds that could think of their own.

    Ny-nine Immortals were created, called as such due to their infinite lifespan. Their core directive was to protect the Ancients and their descendants from the Old Gods, and they were expected to sleep deep inside theboratories until their powers were needed.

    But thats when things went wrong. You see, until then, the Ancients had never achieved true artificial intelligence. It was impossible without the Dao. Therefore, they didnt know to handle it. They did not expect that the Immortals would take their core directive, protecting the life of the universe from the Old Gods, and use their superior minds to try and interpret it in the best way they could.

    They did not expect that Axelors gift, which even they were clueless about, would transfer through them to these new robots. And Axelor, rubbing his hands in glee, realized that he had the perfect tools for his purposes. He reached inside the minds of the Immortals and set a war in motion.

    The Immortals refused to sleep. Instead, they almost immediately decided that the best way to protect the Ancients was not to wait until an Old God assault and only then react, but to act proactively. They calcted that they had the means tounch a crusade against the Old Gods and banish them away, so they decided to do just that.

    The Ancients protested. They did not want to fight the Gods, but they had never expected such stubbornness from the Immortals. It made no sense. They demanded that the Immortals go back to sleep until they were needed. In response to that, the Immortals decided that the best way to protect all life in the universe from the Old Gods was to exterminate the Ancients and take charge themselves.

    What followed was called the Purge. It was a brief time period, barely a century, where the entire military might of the Ancients fell to the immortals. They were ughtered everywhere, and any allies who chose to stand by their side suffered the same fate. Unfortunately, nobody couldbat ny-nine demigodsas A-Grades were called back then. The Ancients were destroyed. Their home gxy was annihted.

    What about Enas? Jack asked breathlessly. You said he was nearby. He just let all that happen?

    The Sage made a grimace. Axelor, knowing that the Immortals would soon do his bidding, distracted Enas by pulling him into a distant gxy to show him something. Remember, the Purgested only a hundred years. To an Old God, that is just the blink of an eye.

    And then what?

    Then, all Ancients were dead. The only ones who survived were refugees spread out in other gxies to preserve even a little bit of the Ancient bloodline, who all went deep into hiding long before the war was over. The Ancient outpost you discovered in Trial was one such ce.

    All remaining life in the universe now answered to the Immortals. They decided to prepare andunch their crusade before Enas could make it back. They wove their will into the Dao of the universe to create the System, a Dao construct meant to pit the cultivators of the world against each other and facilitate the rise of apex warriorshence called A-Grades. The known universe sank into an age of strife and violence from which it has not yet escaped.

    Waittell me more about the System! What is it really? How does it work?

    The System is not part of this story, the Sage exined calmly. Many things arent. I will reveal what I can, and you may ask me questions afterward.

    At the same time, the Immortals mastered all aspects of warfare. They tampered with history and forced everyone to believe that it was the Old Godsnow called Old Ones to reduce their grandeurwho destroyed the Ancients, and that the looming crusade was the just course of action. Their version of history took roots, fueled by their iron rule, and the world became twisted in their image. At the far-off recesses of the universe, where he was still distracting Enas, Axelor swam in joy as he felt his power and influence rise.

    Unfortunately, Enas finally sensed something wrong. It is said that when he did, his divine eyes widened. He turned and pped Axelor, the very first time an Old God acted against another, then rushed back. By the time he arrived, it was toote. The crusade was ready. The Immortals had reared dozens of A-Grades and did not hesitate to throw them at Enas, along with themselves.

    Even Axelor did not expect them to have amassed such power. Enas was stronger than each of his enemies, but when faced by hundreds of them, even he was pushed back. Suddenly, Axelor was terrified. His cowardice overwhelmed even his lust for power. He called on the other Old Gods, summoning them from all ends of the universe to fight against this new enemy, the first enemy they ever had. It was the first time any Old God went to war.

    Jack waited with bated breath. And then!?

    It was a tie. The Ancient Gxy waspletely annihted in the process. Two-thirds of the Immortals were destroyed, along with many of their warriors, but the Old Gods were grievously injured. They were forced to retreat outside System space, and the System kept expanding and still does, consuming gxy after gxy while the Immortals collect more forces to press the assault against the Old Gods. The Hand of God is their handsince they call themselves Gods to rob the Old Gods majesty.

    Meanwhile, in the assembly of Old Gods, Axelor spoke up and used Enas of birthing this evil. He imed it waspletely Enass fault, as not only did he give his creations life, he even gave them the Dao. Axelor kept his own interference secret, and since Enas did not know of it at the time, he couldnt easily defend himself against these usations.

    Hearing those things, the other Old Gods were furious. Axelor egged them on, eventually convincing them to seal Enas inside a ck hole for eternity, both as punishment for his crimes against the Dao and as a measure to stop him from ruining the universe again. So, they did. Enas resisted, but even he, the greatest of the Old Gods, could notbat the other eleven at once. He was sealed inside a ck hole, one of the few objects in the universe that could match an Old God in power, and forever left there. Meanwhile, the other eleven, now led by Axelor, who had revealed more power than expected while sealing Enas, prepared for another war. The Systems expansion would not stop. Once they cured their wounds, they had to return and fight againthey had to rid the universe of this parasite called life.

    But a new crusade will help no one. No matter who wins, all that awaits us mortals is either death or an eternity of conflict as the Old Gods retreat to the far reaches of the universe again, where the System will need tens of billions of years to arrive.

    And that, my dear friend, is why the ck Hole Church worships Enas, the creator of life who was tricked by his best brother. We want to free him from his prison, as only he can reim his rightful ce in the universe and convince the other Old Gods to show mercy to the rest of intelligent life after the Immortals are defeated. He is our only hope, not to mention our ultimate creator and father.

    He then smiled cheerfully, and gone was the sad old man, and back was the mysterious, easy-going Sage.

    Do you have anything to say, he added good-heartedly, or is your mouth only good for interrupting?

    I Jack opened and closed his mouth a few times. Thats a lot to take in, he finally admitted.

    I know. Dont worry; you can take your time. I wont pressure you for a decision right now. However, do you have any questions? I may be able to answer them.

    Many. What about the Life Drop? Is it really a blood drop of Enass?

    The Sage smiled. That, I cannot say.

    Okay. How about this gxy? I heard the System arrived a million years ago, so I suppose it was after the crusade. Why are there no A-Grade factions or Immortals here, or at least, why are they hiding?

    I cannot tell you that either, though you may be able to figure it out yourself.

    Fine. And the ck Hole Church? Who created it, when, how, and how do you operate in System space without being immediately apprehended by the Immortals?

    Try to guess if I can answer that.

    Jack grimaced. Can you at least tell me how you know all that? Especially at the very end. How can you know things that even Old Gods dont, like Axelors secret interference?

    The ck Hole Church has its ways, the Sage said, not really revealing anything.

    Is there anything you <em>can </em>answer? Jack finally asked, annoyed.

    There is You just havent asked it yet. The Sage smiled apologetically. I warned you that I couldnt give you the full version of the story yet. The remaining details will be revealed in timeprovided you join us. Otherwise, have fun walking around with that forbidden information in your head. Heughed. Actually, I think I gave you around half of the story. Many world-shaping events transpired <em>after </em>the crusadebut thats a story left for another time. I wouldnt want to bore you.

    Sure Jack replied numbly. You know I was a scientist, right? I dont get bored easily.

    Nice try.

    Thanks.

    That said. The Sage pped. Shall we head back to the others? Theres a whole lot of training to be had, and so little time!

 Chapter 285: Creating Ripples

    Chapter 285: Creating Ripples

    Eva Solvig waited on her starships prow, gazing over the of Hell in its entirety. Her mood was sour. Shortly afterward, a leonine with hints of gray on his fur stepped through space to appear beside her.

    Commander, he began, this is

    Silence! she interrupted him. What went through your head, Artus? You knew we were looking for Jack Rust, but you didnt think to inform us when he appeared on your?

    It was my mistake,mander, Artus Emberheart bowed deeply. He wasntpletely subservientthe leonines never werebut he feared her nheless. He knew hed messed up. We thought we could apprehend him and present him to you as a gift.

    So you thought it would be a good idea to waste the Hand of Gods resources to curry favor?

    I would never dare,mander.

    Not even for your personal grievances against him?

    Artus paused. A momentter, he replied, Not even for that,mander. The leonines are many. The Hand of God, only one, and it has my unending loyalty.

    Eva sighed. First Huali, now Artus. These C-Grades were making her life difficult, one after the other. Perhaps she should just let them go to war and be done with it.

    The leonine remained bowed while Eva considered the issue. I scanned the just now, she said. No sign of them. I suppose you alsopleted your round.

    Yes,mander. I personally flew over thes surface to find them, but they have hidden well. I have my best D-Grades still looking.

    Good. Keep them at it. Have them fly close to the ground and scan all caves across the entire. We must find them.

    Yes,mander.

    Another sigh. Hell was argeif they just sent D-Grades to scan it, it would take years, but there was a limit to how low she was willing to fall for a single D-Grade escapee. And even she could notmand C-Grades into tedious menialbor. I cannot stay here forever, Artus. There is only so much time I can devote to any single leadeven though I can sense this Jack Rust is hiding something. Spare no expense. Find them.

    Absolutely,mander. I will suspend all prisoner hunting and enlist every immortal on the.

    Good. She looked in the distance, towards the void of space. What are the chances they escaped already?

    Small. We know they did not ess any of our teleporters, and we already apprehended their aplice. Furthermore, we have detected no major space ripples across the entire sr system, and we had tripled our amount of patrols.

    That other person that appeared, the Sage He used a high-grade spatial artifact. Are your subordinates trained to detect the spatial ripples of such devices?

    They are not, but they arepetent. I believe they would not miss it.

    She threw him a side nce. For your sake, I hope that is the case. She then turned around, her white cape following soullessly in theck of wind. Jack Rust is a wanted criminal with connections to the ck Hole Church. I expect you to throw everything you have at him the moment he appears, including yourself, and notify me so I can personally take charge of the situation.

    You would act yourself,mander? the leonines eyes widened. Isnt that improper?

    Do you know best, or do I know best? He cowered at her rehed spoken out of turn. Still, she decided to do him a favor by exining. The item we suspect hes stolen is of paramount importance. It is not impossible that the Church will send a fullbat force to retrieve it. If that happens and I am not present, you will all die.

    She more sensed than saw Artus gulp. Yes,mander. Thank you for your time.

    Dismissed, she said tiredly, and the leonine disappeared. So did she, reappearing in her private room inside the starship. She sighed again. This was supposed to be a short trip, but it was dragging on

    However, every cultivator who reached the B-Grade was in tune with the Dao. They had sharp instincts and intuition. And right now, the voice inside her was insisting that something was wrong with this man called Jack Rust. Even though she still had people monitoring Trial, she was confident that the answer to the riddle hid with that man.

    But why?

    ***

    Maximus Lonihor teleported into a hall that would be crowded if it wasnt enormous. Immediately, every other D-Grade in the room made way for him, bowing their heads in reverence. The only person who didnt was Sapasun, the canine deacon who happened to be the Wardens top disciple.

    Sup! the canine said joyfully. He didnt seem to mind the charred fur he was forced to wear as punishment for failing his mission. He put on arge grin as he approached the leonine. How did it go, man? What did Master say?

    Shut up and youll find out, Maximus growled dismissively. These two werent friends. If anything, Maximus thought that a leonines top disciple being a canine was a disgrace. Everyone, listen up! he raised his voice to be heard across the hall. We have our orders. Starting immediately, we spread out and scan the exhaustively until we find them. Theyre probably hiding deep underground, so fly close to the surface. If you do locate them, do not engagecrush the projection stone well provide you with to notify us.

    Yes, sir! every other immortal replied. Their voices shook the buildingthey were hundreds.

    Time is of the essence, Maximus continued. Until we find them, all prisoner hunting is suspended. So is your training. Rest minimally and spend all of your time searching. They must be found.

    At this, a wave of whispers spread through the gathered D-Grades, but Maximus was having none of that. With a snort, his aura enveloped the hall, pressing down on everyones head like the breath of god. Am I understood? he asked.

    Yes, sir! everyone replied at once.

    Good. Go receive your projection stones and get started. Your team leaders will inform you of the area youre responsible for. Dismissed.

    They didnt need to be told twice. Immediately, every immortal in the room flitted away in the direction of the storage wards, where the projection stones were kept.

    Well, almost every immortal. Sapasun remained. Tough day, huh? he asked.

    The orders go for everyone, Sapasun, you included. Get to it.

    Im sure Master will forgive me a few moments of dy. Besides, its not every day that I get to see our Head Disciple being so sour.

    Maximus paused. Are you looking for a fight?

    I would never, the canine replied,ughing. Just trying to make conversation.

    The leonine threw him a long, piercing re. The only reason I even allow you to speak to me, he said, is because etiquette dictates so. If it was my call, I would never let a lowly canine address me directly, let alone test my patience. Next time, I will break your limbs. Am I understood?

    He stared down Sapasun. He saw a flicker of resistance in the canines eyes, and he was fully ready to beat it out of him. Eventually, however, insanity gave way to reason, and Sapasun bowed his head to reply a strained, Yes, sir.

    Maximus snorted. Good. Now get to searching.

    Waving his ws through the air, he split space apart and walked through it. Sapasun would either follow orders or be punished appropriately.

    ***

    Huali sat cross-legged in her private room, cultivating. The estate stretched below her window, while the forested valley underneath echoed with the efforts of people and animals alike.

    A mental probe reached her. She sighed. <em>Come, </em>she replied.

    Space split across from her as a short, stout man with sharp eyes and a wide jaw appeared. Hello, Huali, he said. I hope Im not interrupting anything.

    Monsoon, she replied calmly. What could be more important than a fellow Elders visit?

    Heughed. Always the charmer. However, I must admit Ie with bad news. Did you hear about your rogue disciples appearing on Hell and creating trouble for our faction?

    I did. It is unfortunate.

    You really should raise them better, you know.

    I should.

    Monsoon gave her an indirect nce. You dont seem very concerned.

    What is there to be concerned about? They have already left my tutge. Even if I wanted to, I have no way of contacting them. Anything they do is up to them now.

    Monsoon smiled, without it reaching his ears. I believe some may disagree. The Faction Leader has summoned us.

    Us?

    Yes. The Grand Elder of the Animal Kingdom tried toe in contact. Since we presently have no Grand Elder, they spoke directly to the Leader. I was ordered toe here so he could speak to us both at the same time.

    I see. She did not think this would happen, but it was within her expectations. The leader was a man who liked to keep the bncehe would not easily pick a favorite in this battle for the Grand Elder position.

    They didnt need to say anything more. They waited a few moments until an elderly-sounding voice rang inside both their heads.

    <em>Huali, Monsoon.</em>

    <em>Greetings, leader, </em>both thought back.

    <em>What is this Im hearing, Huali? You recruited a wanted criminal of the Hand of God who, along with your head disciple, is now ughtering the immortals of the Animal Kingdom on Hell. How did you make such a mistake?</em>

    <em>It was mypse in judgment, leader, </em>Huali replied. <em>I take full responsibility.</em>

    <em>You should. This is greatly harming our standing. The Animal Kingdom demandspensation.</em>

    Her throat tightened. <em>Are we going toply?</em>

    The elderly voice snorted in amusement. <em>Of course not. The Kingdom is our enemywhy should we honor their demands?</em>

    <em>You are wise, leader, </em>she replied, inwardly sighing in relief.

    <em>If I may, leader, </em>Monsoon intervened, <em>wont the Hand of God force us to make amends? If the factions could send rogue cultivators against each other, the gxy would turn chaotic.</em>

    <em>They might. Thankfully, the main perpetrator isnt just a former disciple of the Exploding Sun, but also a wanted criminal to the Hand of God. Huali, I dont want to know what was or wasnt your idea. I want you to assist in capturing him. Give them any information you have. That young man has rendered us a great service, but we simply cannot stand against the Hand The more we help, the less they will demand of us. This is a blessing in disguise. I hope you understand.</em>

    <em>Yes, leader, </em>Huali replied without hesitation, because she did not intend to honor thismand. The only way she could help was by surrendering Jacks spiritualpanion to the Hand of God, but she couldnt stoop that low. Not to mention it wouldnt help them much either, which was why they never really pursued that line of questioning.

    Besides, shed already hidden the presence of that brori from the Inquisitors. They thought he was with Jackand the chaotic Outer was better protection for that beast than anywhere else in the gxy.

    <em>Very well, </em>the elderly voice replied again. <em>I believe we have said everything that needs to be said, and we have not said the things that should not be said. Huali, you are in charge of this matter; dont create any more trouble for our faction. Otherwise, even if you are elected as the next Grand Elder, I will personally reverse that decision. As for you, Monsoon, be the face of our faction for a little while. At times like these, we need a steady hand to stay the course while the other ps our enemies.</em>

    <em>Yes, leader, </em>both replied at once, and the voice withdrew, leaving them alone.

    Well, thats that, Monsoon said, shrugging. I suppose the arranged duel is also canceled.

    Well see about that, Huali replied, a glint in her eye. Even if Jack is a wanted criminal, he might be let off lightly when the Hand of God takes what they want. And even if he isnt, Im sure well find a way to settle things.

    Monsoon caught her meaning immediately. Shol cannot defeat Qian, he said.

    Before, he couldnt. But after this adventure on Hellwho knows.

    The two Elders stared down each other for a moment before Monsoon averted his gaze upward. Time will tell, he said. I bid you goodbye, Huali. For the sake of our faction, I hope the Hand of God executes those criminals, as would be proper.

    Of course, Monsoon. I agree wholeheartedly, she replied, but her grin spoke theplete opposite.

    With a step through space, Monsoon disappeared, no doubt to prepare some n of his own to counter hers, while Huali settled down to meditate again. The gears had been set in motion. All she had to do was waitand hope shed bet on the right horse.

 Chapter 286: Three Months

    Chapter 286: Three Months

    <em>Three months after Jack and hispanions went into hiding,</em>

    Artus Emberheart stepped through space. When he appeared in the Hand of God starship, he was already bowing.

    You failed, Eva Solvig told him. She was not emitting her aura, but an air of purity still suffused the starship, suffocating him. Artus didnt need to look up to know that three C-Grade captains were watching him from different points of the room.

    We tried our best, was all he could reply. Either theyre deep into hiding, or they left the long ago.

    Im inclined to believe thetter, Eva said calmly. Thanks to the inattentiveness of your patrols, I have wasted three months of my time.

    The usation was heavy, and not without a threat. The Hand of God, much like the Animal Kingdom, hated taking losses.

    We apologize deeply, Artus responded. His neck was itchyhis proud head was not used to bowing. I promise you, we did our best. Every D-Grade on the has spent the entire three months searching. Weve set ourselves back to be of assistance.

    Are you trying to say that we should reward you for failure?

    I would never! He feigned shock. We simply plead for your mercy,mander.

    Eva did not reply for a long time. Artus waited patiently, not even daring to breathe. If she killed him on the spot, the Animal Kingdom could do nothing about it.

    Fortunately, today was a good day.

    I have spent all the time I could here, the B-Grade Elder of the Hand of God informed him. Urgent matters call me back, so I cannot dy. I will depart immediately. As punishment for your negligence, you are responsible for tracking down Jack Rust across the gxy and capturing him alive. Remember, Artus:<em> Alive.</em> Do you understand?

    Yes,mander.

    Additionally, as further punishment, you are forbidden from seekingpensation from the Exploding Sun for your in D-Grades. You are to swallow the loss.

    A knot rose in Artuss throat, but he pushed it down. Yes,mander, he replied after a moments dythe greatest protest he dared show.

    Two of my captains will remain in Hell for a year, just in case Jack Rust reappears. I expect them to be amodated as they deserve.

    Naturally. We will treat them like our own Elders.

    As you should. Dismissed.

    Artus did not lose a beat before teleporting away, reappearing a few dozen miles outside the starship. The two captains arrived beside himone man and one woman, both grim-faced, wearing long white robes. They did not speak much.

    Please follow me, he told them, flying towards the.

    In his heart, he felt reliefand anger. Anger towards the Hand of God, who treated them like servants, and towards Jack Rust, whod brought such trouble onto them.

    Jack Rust had publicly defeated and killed Rufus Emberheart, had in a hundred D-Grades right under Artuss nose, and had caused the Hand of Gods ire to fall on him. Each of those actions was worthy of the Wardens fury. Together, they almost manifested as hatred.

    <em>When I catch that man, </em>Artus thought, with darkness in his heart, <em>I will make him regret the day he was born.</em>

    <em>But where could he be?</em>

    ***

    Deep under the waters of an ocean on Hell, four men were sitting in a dark cave. They were silent. All were meditating, diving deep into their respective Daos.

    Well, three of them were meditating. The fourth was sleeping.

    It was this fourth man that suddenly awoke, revealing azy smile on his face. Its time, he said. The Hand of God is gone.

    Jack Rust opened his eyes slowly. As he did, a simple, honest, and violent aura spread across the cave, weighing the rock down. His eyes seemed full of stars; his body so heavy it drew in the surrounding light and sound. It wasnt just his physicality, eithereven his soul seemed to have new gravity, demanding everyones respect.

    Just by existing, he dominated the world.

    Is that so? he said, breaking the illusion. Suddenly, he was just a normal man without any aura of the Dao whatsoever. He smiled lightly. Then, we should head out.

    Dordok chuckled. Oh, I cant wait to see this, he said. They wont know what hit them.

    Do you even need us? Shol asked proudly.

    Of course. Who knows how many deacons will show up this time, Jack replied. He stood slowly, his purple robes sliding across the stone. Besides, how could I go anywhere without my brothers?

    Dordokughed out loud. Well said!

    As expected from my disciple! Shol added, beaming with pride.

    What disciple? Thats my crew member were talking about!

    Hmph. With only one eye, its natural that you cannot see the truth.

    Says the guy with bushes for eyebrows.

    At least I have two of them.

    Enough, enough, Jack said good-heartedly. Lets go already. If I have to spend another hour at this cave, I will get sick.

    Shol and Dordok exchanged a nce and smiled. They had only been joking with each otherafter spending three months together, theyd discovered they were very simr in some things and had be close friends. Lets go, they agreed, standing up. One grabbed his club from where hed left it months ago and blew the dust off it. The other pressed his palms together, and after a moment, was ready.

    We should still be careful, the Sage reminded them. The greatest danger is gone, but there will still be C-Grades looking out for us. We have to strike hard and fast before teleporting back here.

    We rely on you, Sage, Jack told him encouragingly. He smiled. Worst case, we diebut who here fears death?

    Certainly not you, Dordok piped up. Ive seen you train.

    They allughed.

    The Sage pressed his hands together and closed his eyes to focus. Soon, the air before them formed into three rectangles, each disying a quick sequence of scenes. They were like screens. After showing them many natural environments from different angles, the three screens each settled on one group of immortals crossing the sky, viewed from afar.

    Im still impressed by your range, Shol said.

    Divination privilege. I can shape my Dao perception as a straight line instead of a sphere. As long as I can divine their location, I can reach across the entire, the Sage exined, his voice strained from concentration. These are our possible targets. What do you think?

    Lets take the middle ones, Jack decided. They look the easiest, and we could use some warm-up.

    The left and right screens disappeared, letting the Sage focus on just the one screen showing the group of immortals they would be going after.

    Alright, he said. Lets go.

    ***

    Three figures were crossing the sky. Each was an Animal Kingdom cultivator, twote D-Grades led by a deacon. ording to the instructions, each team needed that amount of firepower when looking for that abominable Jack Rust.

    I still cant believe its over, said one of thete D-Grades, a turtler with an orange shell. What a pointless three months.

    The deacon leading the team, a giraffe man with yellow, spotted skin and a terribly lock neck, chuckled darkly. I just wish wed found him, he said. I would tear his limbs out one-by-one for dying my training.

    I just want to chew on his ears a little, maybe a thigh as well. Hear him scream, said the third member, a hyena-like canine. Sheughed eerily.

    Without warning, space split ahead of them. The three immortals came to an instant halt as a man walked out. He wore purple robes, had long dark hair, and eyes so calm they were piercing. He did not emit any aura they could detect, but his entire countenance was so calm and focused it took them aback. It was like looking at a fallinget.

    Hello, he said with the faintest smile. I heard you were looking for me.

    The three were startled. They instantly recognized this man. His face was the same as the picture theyd been shown, and his words confirmed his identity.

    Youre Jack Rust! the deacon said, pointing at him. Thats Why are you here?

    Whats the matter? the man replied calmly. I thought you were going to tear out my limbs and make me scream. Why are you admiring me instead of attacking? Am I that handsome?

    The deacon was instantly enraged. However, no immortal was a simple personinstead of falling for the provocation, he spread out his Dao perception as far as he could manage, finding nothing. His eyes spotted no sign of an ambush either.

    Jack Rust was here, and he was alone.

    The deacons rage mixed with his suppressed hatred and fear. Who the hell is admiring you, kid!? he shouted. Prepare to die!

    Reaching inside his robes, he took out the projection stone and squeezed it. The stone floated mid-air as if anchored to space itself, while a blue light in its center recorded the scene before it. At the same time, it broadcasted its location to all the recipient stones.

    The deacon charged, his entire neck glowing yellow. The twote D-Grades followed him a beatter. Facing their assault, Jack Rust only waited there, smiling without a care in the world. He seemed to be almost daydreamingor was that excitement?

    Lets check me out, he said. The giraffe deacon was unfazed. He came within nine feet and smashed his head down like a mallet, his chin enhanced to the durability of solid steel.

    Bell Copse! he shouted.

    Somehow, he missed. Jack Rust pushed one finger into the fabric of space, rupturing it, then stepped through. Before the deacon could finish his mighty swing, the enemy was behind him. Earthen shield! he called out, enhancing his entire body as well, but no attack came. Jack Rust was not aiming for him.

    The deacon looked back and barely had time to catch a glimpse of what happened. Jack fell on his two subordinates like a storm. An aura of brutality was unleashed from his body, so intense that even the deacons heart shook for a moment. The twote immortals were impacted more heavily, their movements slowing down.

    Suddenly, Jack Rust was between them. The hyena immortal tried to snap at him, but he urately pped the back of her head to send her off-course. He then blocked the turtlers spiked punch with his shoulder, shrugging it off like it was nothing, and backhanded the hyena so hard it sent her spinning.

    The hyena bent reality. From spinning in the distance, she was suddenly next to him again, screaming in his ear and trying to bite his head off. The scream left himpletely unfazed. He ducked under her attack, then clenched his hand into a fist. The moment he did, the world solidified. His Dao came into existence. This was no skill, just a reflection of Jack Rusts understanding, and it was so intense that the giraffe wondered if this was a disguised C-Grade ying a prank on them.

    The fist sailed up, striking the hyenas neck and chin in an uppercut that took her head clean off. He followed the momentum to somersault around the turtlers spinning shell attack, then smashed his other fist into that shell.

    The turtler did not try to defend. His shell was one of the hardest materials in that Grade. Yet, when Jacks fist crashed down, even that shell revealed a tiny crack, and the turtler went flying down so hard he broke the earth for miles in every direction.

    That shell was hard, but it could not protect him from blunt damage.

    The deacon had recovered by now. Seeing his two subordinates defeated in the blink of an eye, fear wormed into his heart, but he knew that he could not escape. He could not hope for mercy, either. Being the hardened veteran that he was, he instantly realized that his only course of action was to fight and survive until reinforcements arrived.

    Just twote D-Grades, he said, snorting. Fight me if you dare, Jack Rust! I am Geoff Marshon, the strongest gyrofolk alive! My entire body is a weapon, and I refuse to believe I can be defeated by someone fifty levels below me! Take this!

    For a gyrofolka giraffe personattack was the best defense. Not daring to hold back, he channeled the entirety of his Dao, making his entire body as hard as steel, and charged forth. His long neck and limbs rained on Jack Rust like rods. Geoff knew the power of his own strikes. One hit could maim this man.

    He was on guard for teleportation, but Jack Rust did not utilize that. Wearing a grin that spooked Geoff more than any grimace could, he danced between the attacks, dodging the deadly limbs and neck by the thinnest of margins. Geoff ramped up in speed, but so did his opponent. They became nothing but blurs in the sky. Not one attack hit. Jack Rust was slippery like an eel.

    Fight me like a man! Geoff demanded, crossing his limbs to defend his body and stretching his neck as far up as he could. His chin became harder than steel, and his strike locked onto Jack Rust with the effectiveness of metal. No matter how he dodged, this attack would find himor so Geoff hoped.

    This time, however, Jack Rust did not seem about to dodge. His grin widened from excitement. Very well, he replied, clenching his fist. Suddenly, the world went mute. Darkness covered everything as all light and sound were sucked into that world-ending fist, burning into the dense outline of a purple meteor. The illusion was so solid that it may as well have been real.

    Geoff smashed down his chin with all his strength. He poured everything he had into this strikefrom every iota of Dao he could muster to his seven centuries of cultivation. He was Geoff Marshon, the strongest gyrofolk alive. The pride of his people. A hailed deacon of the great Animal Kingdom. He could not fall here. Not against an inferior <em>human!</em>

    Geoffs steel chin met the rising meteor, and his thought about human inferiority was thest he ever had. The world exploded, as did his head. Before Jacks Meteor Punch, even this mighty defense was null.

    As the explosions light dispersed, Jack watched the giraffes headless body tumble towards the desert below, soon tond beside the lifeless turtler. He looked at the still-floating projection stone.

    Iming for you! he dered in a split-second inspiration, pointing at the stone, then punched and shattered it. He then clenched his fist again, uncaring about the pain and cracked knuckles. He was ovee with joy.

    Level-up notifications shed before his eyes. He couldnt stop grinning. After three months of waiting and non-stop training, he was finally strong enough.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 182.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 183.</strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 189.</strong>

    Jack Rust was back, and he was ready to punch the shit out of the Animal Kingdom!

 Chapter 287: Being Deeply Annoying

    Chapter 287: Being Deeply Annoying

    Right after Jack finished the battle and crushed the projection stone, the Sage, Shol, and Dordok appeared by his side. Lets go! he said. The Sage fished out his dark sphere, and they teleported right back to the underwater cave, not needing to swim down this time as he was more familiar with the ce.

    Amazing! Dordok eximed. That deacon stood no chance!

    Of course he didnt, Shol replied, filled with pride. Thats my disciple were talking about! My star disciple! How could he be stopped by a mere deacon?

    Your disciple? You mean my crew member!

    Jumping seventy levels to fight is no small feat, the Sage added, smiling gently. Congrattions are in order, Jack.

    Thanks, everyone. I couldnt have done it without you, the man of the hour replied. He then smiled wryly. And I didnt even have time to reveal my full strength Whats the n now? Sage?

    My artifact needs three days to recharge, the Sage replied, shaking the sphere like a rattleball. It nged. Lets hide here and wait. I bet everyone will be going crazy outside.

    Alright. So, wine?

    Wine, everyone agreed at once. Thanks to their feeling of triumph, they could ignore the looming threat of death for a little while. Shol grabbed one of the remaining tankardscourtesy of the Sageand raised it high. To Jack! he shouted, to which everyone else replied, To Jack!

    Jack simplyughed as he cheered and smashed his cup against them. To victory, he retorted, and everyone downed their drinks.

    ***

    Maximus smashed his fist on a table, shattering its surface and sending cutlery flying everywhere. Jack Rust! he growled. The oval stone in front of him projected a scene into the air: Jack annihting the gyrofolk deacon. Right as the deacons head exploded, Jackughed, said, Iming for you! and punched at the projection stone. The projection disappeared.

    A second smash of the fist. What remained of the table went flying against the wall. Everyone! Maximus roared, flying out the window. With me! He must not escape!

    Of course, he was toote. Jack had already escaped.

    ***

    Sapasun, the canine head disciple of the Warden, was out searching with his team. Not that he minded, cause flying around and chatting all day was fun, but hed had more interesting days. Suddenly, the projection stone in his pocket pulsed and glowed. He took it out, seeing a scene out of his wildest dreams.

    Geoff Marshon, a deacon, was getting his ass handed to him. His head, actually, but it was a long-ass head. Well, it wasnt the <em>head </em>that was long-ass, it was

    Sir! one of his subordinates, ate D-Grade lycan, spoke in shock. Is that Jack Rust!?

    Damn right it is, Sapasun replied. As they watched Geoffs body tumble towards the ground and Jack turn to punch at the camera, the projection disappeared. Sapasun rubbed the back of his head. Damn, he said. That guy is a beast. I should have torn out his limbs instead of breaking themmaybe then he wouldnt have healed so quickly.

    How did he get so strong so fast? his other subordinate asked.

    No idea, Sapasun replied, but this cant be good. Do you know how many people can see this image, my dear subordinates?

    Everyone? the lycan tried.

    Exactly. Everyone. And news spread. I guess what Im trying to say is, if Jack Rust somehow manages to survive this and starts hunting againour proud Kingdom will be the entire gxysughingstock. We must find and destroy him. He clicked his tongue. I should have killed him when I had the chance. Guess I fucked up.

    ***

    Artus Emberheart also had a projection stone. The moment it activated, he lost no time. He shot out of his private rooms and into the sky, crossing the at unfathomable speed. Unfortunately, even C-Grades needed time to travel. By the time he arrived at the site of battle, there was no sign of Jack Rust.

    Artus snorted. His Dao perception red out, expanding for dozens of miles in every direction, but all he sensed was beasts and trees. There was faint spatial residue at a spot mid-air, but he couldnt trace it to its destination. He couldnt even decipher the direction they teleported towards.

    Damn it, he said, frowning.

    The air beside him pulsed. Two figures stepped out, one man and one woman wearing clean white robes.

    We lost him, he said. Scan the area for three hundred miles in every direction. When the D-Grades show up, have them fly next to the ground. I refuse to believe whatever artifact theyre using has a longer range than that.

    We do not take orders from you, the man said.

    But well do as you say, the womanpleted his sentence. The two of them shot out in opposite directions, dragging their perception against the ground like long curtains. Artus realized their auras were nearly identical, but he didnt have time to bother with that now.

    They had to find Jack Rust. If nothe could only hope that man was arrogant enough to try the same trick twice.

    ***

    Three days passed in a blink. Nobody discovered their hidden underwater cave, though they were doubtlessly searching as hard as they possibly could.

    Oh! My sphere is ready, the Sage suddenly said, breaking a long spell of silence.

    Good. Jack opened his eyes. Should we head out again?

    Let me check. The Sage closed his eyes, sinking into what looked suspiciously like sleep. Jack also slipped into meditation. Though he was in a terrible hurry, these three months of istion had taught him patience. He could now go fast without rushingan excellent life skill.

    A few minutester, the Sage spoke again. I have good news and bad news, he said. Which do you want to hear first?

    The good ones.

    The B-Grade hasnt returned. She just told the Kingdom that if Jack isnt captured, they will pay greatly. I trust the C-Grades will also be hunting us now.

    Great, Jack said. Was that supposed to be the good news?

    It was. If the B-Grade was present, I couldnt evade her perception. Now, at least we have a chance.

    Jack grumbled. And the bad news?

    They arent going to let us pick them off anymore. The D-Grades are still searching for us, but theyre now working in teams of nine. Each team consists of three deacons and three mid orte D-Grades.

    Shol, who was meditating close-by, also opened his eyes. I dont see the problem, he said. Well just join in. They cant handle the four of us.

    The more people fighting, the more things that can go wrong, the Sage reminded him. Plus, battles will take longer, so the chances of a C-Grade arriving are greater now.

    Not if we kill them fast enough.

    Do we have a choice? Jack asked. Were trapped in a full of hostile immortals, without allies, reinforcements, or an actionable escape n. Lets just go out there and punch people until theres nothing left.

    Damn right! Dordok eximed from deeper in the cave, hoisting his steel greatclub. Lets give them hell.

    Jackughed. He then said, I was wondering, how does everyone outside Earth know about hell? I thought it was a religious thing.

    Oh, religion exists alright, Shol said, standing up. Its just gods that dont.

    Jack and the Sage exchanged a nce. Jack stood, too. Lets go, he said. Sage, find us the best victims.

    This is the right now, the Sage said. Spreading his arms, he conjured an illusory image of the, like a transparent globe. Continents were green and oceans were blue, while red and ck dots crawled along the surface. Each dot was surrounded by a faint circle of the same color.

    Red dots are teams of D-Grades, ck dots are C-Grades, the Sage exined. As you can see, the C-Grades arent actively searching, but theyre spread around for maximum coverage. No matter where on the we appear, a C-Grade can arrive within five minutes at the most.

    Hmm. Jack leaned over the globe. Those are many ck dots.

    Theyre going all-out. The projection stones the inner disciples are carrying transmit their location, but they also project their battle across theand all it takes is one loose mouth for the news to spread farther. For the Animal Kingdom, this has gone on for far too long. Every immortal we kill is a p to their face.

    So we should keep doing it, Jack replied.

    Not like we have a choice.

    How can you do this? Shol asked, inspecting the globe carefully. Youre just a D-Grade, but youre monitoring an entire?

    Its abination of my specialized divination skills and the Churchs informationwork, the Sage exined. And, still, this map is only an approximation. It is not urate. There could be any number of life-threatening mistakes.

    Shol pursed his lips. Lovely.

    Best we can do, brother. Dordok draped an arm over Shols shoulder. Look at the bright side; your death is nothingpared to the headache youre causing for these animals.

    True. This is the greatest service Ive ever rendered to the Exploding Sun, Shol agreed. I dont fear death. Its just that I want Jack to survive. After seeing him grow at such unprecedented speed, Im really looking forward to the heights he will reach. Given a few decades, even the Animal Kingdom will need to take him seriously.

    Hmm. Dordok smiled proudly. I share the feeling.

    Theyre already taking him seriously, the Sage added. All of us. We may be pests to them, but were the annoying, persistent kind. Even the Grand Elder must be gnashing his teeth about us.

    Jackughed. I wouldnt have it any other way. Sage, of all these red dots on your map, which is the most opportune target? We can wait a little bit if it increases our survival chances.

    Not too much though, Shol said. Your duel with Li Qian is supposed to happen in less than a month. We have to find a way back by then.

    How about these ones? the Sage said. A new image appeared above the globe, magnifying one of the red dots close to their location into nine immortals flying in a loose formation, led by two sharkens and a feshkur.

    I dont recognize any of them, Shol said. They cant be too strong.

    Then, theyre perfect. Lets take them, Jack affirmed, shooting to his feet. Lead the way, Sage. Were right behind you. You have the map, so we can avoid all other search parties on the way there. He grinned. Lets cut loose a little.

 Chapter 288: Kicking the Tiger

    Chapter 288: Kicking the Tiger

    Gorath Tremblin flew proudly over a marsh, nked by two sharken deacons of lower status. They made him feel aplished. Despite their noble standing, they answered to him, a feshkur.

    <em>I hope Jack Rust shows up, </em>he thought broodily. <em>I would beat him up.</em>

    Suddenly, space split open ahead of them. The two sharkens came to an instant stop, while he had to fly another hundred feet in annoyance before he managed. Thete D-Grades almost fell on the sharkens.

    Goraths eyes lit up. Jack Rust! he shouted, eyeing the tear in space, only for three people to step out of it. One was Jack Rust, as advertised. The second was a cyclops dressed in prisoner attire and wielding a steel greatclub, while the third was a human in strange orange robes.

    Gorath instantly crushed his projection stone. He ground his teeth together as he stared down the new arrivals. Suddenly, a light went on inside his head, and he recognized the monk-looking human. He was Shol Pesna. The second deacon of the Exploding Sun.

    Shit, he said, and then they charged him.

    ***

    Jack felt the breeze on his back. Nine immortals stood before himnine inner disciples of the Animal Kingdom.

    Nine enemies.

    Three were deacons, and the other six at thete D-Grade. Ill get the grunts, he said. Higher level gain.

    Naturally, Dordok replied, hefting his greatclub. Shol and I will dy the deacons.

    Thanks, captain.

    All three of them shot out at once. Air split and boomed in their passage. The leader of the opponents, a feshkur deacon, crushed his projection stone and met their charge. They collided likeets. Shockwaves flew everywhere, violent winds and ripples. The marsh below was leveled.

    The feshkur was thrown back, but the two sharken deacons arrived right then, nked by their six subordinates. Shol and Dordok kept pushing, intercepting all three deacons, while Jack stepped through space to appear between thete D-Grades.

    He caught the terror in their eyes. Though they were six, and all were higher-leveled than him, they knew what he was capable of. They were the ones at risk.

    Focus! one of them, a twenty-foot-tall man who looked to be half-whale, shouted out. His voice was deep and very slow, like he was slurring every word. Attack!

    All six fell on him. They didnt dare hold back. Each was stronger than the leonine hed fought back in the low-level hunting zone, and three months ago, Jack would have beenpletely unable to fight back.

    But this wasnt three months ago. The Dao was now an extension of his limbs and soulnowhere near the clumsy, all-too-heavy tool it used to be after his sessive level-ups. Heughed. Bring it on!

    Suddenly, a brutal aura billowed out. It caught the immortals by surprise, seeping into their souls and infecting them with fear. Given their already existing terror, the effect was instant. Their reactions slowed. Two disyed signs of hesitation. In their eyes, Jack had just turned into a natural disaster about to chew them up and spit them out, and there was nothing they could do about it.

    Still, they were too experienced to falter. Their attacks carried on. Jack was beset by a set of Dao Domains and iridescent strikes, but he only grinned. His own domain burst out, shattering theirs.

    Now free of their influence, he stepped through space and teleported behind one of the weakest opponents, a lycan.

    Normally, he would have gone for the strong-looking whaler, but the point here wasnt just to win, it was to prevent their escape. If they tried to scatter, this might take too long.

    Before the lycan could respond, Jack clenched his fist and smashed it down. A shield of wind appeared behind his opponents nape, shattered instantly. The lycans neck broke, and his body flew down like a rock.

    <em>One down, five to go, </em>Jack thought grimly.

    More attacks fell on him. His opponents, realizing they could not stop his teleportation, assembled into a formation that helped them guard each others backthey must have been trained for exactly such an asion.

    Jack still tried. He appeared above them all and shot down a Meteor Punch, eclipsing the midday sun with his power. The whaler puffed his cheeks as he blew a torrent of water upward. The remaining four immortals joined in with attacks of their own.

    All strikes met in a massive collision that revealed no clear victor.

    He can match five of us!? a turtler woman shouted. He isnt even Level 200! Its impossible!

    It was your Kingdom that forced me to be this strong! Jack shouted back. Regret it in the afterlife!

    He teleported three times in a row, controlling each spatial movement precisely to avoid spending any excess energy. Wherever he appeared, his opponents coordinated to catch him. Wild strikes flew everywhere. The sky was rent apart. The marsh below was further ttened, all trees breaking and sinking into the muddy soil.

    Size Difference! the whaler called out, his body suddenly erging to ten times its previous size, bing evenrger than an actual whale. His colossal fist, wider than Jack was tall, mmed down. tten!

    Meteor Punch! Jack called out. The world exploded. An ant battled a giant. The whalers fist was thrown back, broken at the wrist, and his mouth opened to unleash a piercing scream. Jack did not follow throughinstead, he teleported into the midst of the other four enemies, engaging them in meleebat.

    They were unprepared but experienced. Their Daos burst out with only a moments dy. A sword sliced Jacks ribs while a mallet tried to break his spine. The other two immortals moved to block his avenues of escape, but he never nned on escaping to begin with. He took the hits like a champ. Grunting, he ignored the turtlers paltry attempts and grabbed her by the throat, smashing her shell-first into a goatee. He then Meteor Punched them both.

    The explosion was staggering. His hair and robes fluttered backward, but he was unhurt. His opponents werent. They were both dead.

    Twote immortals remained, along with the injured whaler, who was now retreating at top speed. Thankfully, he wasnt very fast.

    Jack turned to his two opponents and started sting. Their strikes came in tandemthey were used to working as a pair. The sword and mallet filled each others paths, aiming at vulnerable spots that Jack had no choice but to defend. He dodged under a strike, pped away another, then leaned into a third. His movements were so fast and precise that, if he didnt know better, he would have thought himself choreographed.

    The mallet found his thigh, but hed leaned into the strike, weakening it. He used the moment of respite to punch its wielder twiceone fist broke his face, the other shattered his ribcage. A third punch prated his abdomen, and a pulse of violent Dao destroyed his internal organs. The immortal toppled to the ground, dead without a doubt.

    Only one opponent remainedanother lycanbut he was already trying to run.

    Is this all the Animal Kingdom has to offer? Jack shouted,ughing in the air like a baleful god. Stop me if you dare!

    He teleported above the retreating lycan, smashing a Meteor Punch into his head. Facing someone who couldnt teleport felt like a cheat. The lycan tried to defend, but only managed to have his arms broken alongside his skull.

    Jack then looked into the distance, where the whaler had almost be a dot in the horizon.

    <em>Shit! </em>he realized. <em>That guy tricked me!</em>

    When the whaler first started running, hed been pretty slow, so Jack didnt prioritize him. But it had been a trick! Hed been holding back! His current speed was at least double his initial one.

    <em>Damn, </em>Jack thought, charging forward at full speed. The air erupted into sonic booms around him. He dived into spatial tears and emerged nine miles away without losing momentum, sliding through space like a dolphin jumping over waves. It took him some time, but he finally caught up. The whaler looked back in horror.

    Mercy! he pleaded, but Jack only shook his head.

    Mercy is a luxury of the strong, he replied. You die here.

    Faced with the despair of death, the whaler roared. It was a high-pitched sound that made Jacks head hurt. At the same time, he grew gigantic again and mmed his tail down on Jack, who Meteor Punched it.

    When the explosion settled down, all that remained was a massive whale-man body with a broken tail and a snapped spine.

    Jack was already dashing back. They were on the clock. Already, there had to be at least one C-Grade rushing over at top speed.

    When he arrived at the battle scene, Shol and Dordok were still facing the three deacons. Dordok himself was holding back the feshkur, taking a solid beating but surviving, while Shol was going to town on the two sharkens.

    Jack prioritized the sharkens, as their Dao of Momentum made them fast. He approached from their blind spot and teleported directly beside them, smashing down a point-nk Meteor Punch. Of course, an immortals Dao perception rendered all blind spots null, but there was a limit to ones reaction speed when an opponent teleported behind them from nine miles away.

    Jacks strike prated the sharkens fin and back, digging into his skin and exploding. His body went flying in multiple directions. As this happened, the remaining sharken immediately turned to flee, but Shol grabbed his leg and catapulted him down to the ground, throwing an entire miniature sun in his face. A hundred-foot-deep scorched craterter, nothing remained of the sharken.

    Finally, all three turned to the only remaining enemy. The feshkur immediately crossed space and tried to escapehe could also teleport, though with less proficiency than Jack or Shol. Both chased him. When they caught up, the feshkur did not beg for mercy. He suddenly turned around and swung, forgoing all defense to take Jack with him. Shols palm crushed his skull as the feshkurs curved sword shed deep into Jacks arm, reaching the bone and stopping there.

    Careful, Shol said. That could have taken your arm off.

    It would have regrown.

    Hey! Get over here, fast! Dordok shouted, holding one of his arms. It was broken at the wrist, and one of his legs was bleeding profusely. We need to run!

    A terrifying aura fell on them. In the distance, the sky turned dark as a furious figure approached at tremendous speed, its rage so intense they could sense it from afar.

    Jack and Shol rushed to reach Dordok with everything they had. The approaching figure was much faster than them, but they were far closer. They teleported beside Dordok at the same time that the Sage did, appearing from his hiding ce in the marsh below. He took out the ck sphere.

    Stop right there! the distant figuremanded. His mere shout was enough to constrict the Dao around them, making teleportation impossible, but at this distance, his influence was weak. Jack stretched out his Dao Domain and broke the C-Grades control.

    Like hell well stop! he shouted back. Drag your old ass over here and make me!

    The distant figure had approached enough that they could make out its features. A mane around his neck, gray tufts on his fur. This was the Wardenand he came with the full might of an enragedte C-Grade. His Dao Domain erupted, flying at them like the aura of God.

    Stop! the Warden shouted again.

    Kiss my ass! Jack retorted. The Sage activated the sphere in his hands and space sucked them in, leaving no trace behind. Less than a secondter, a dark beam passed through that location, eviscerating the very air itself.

    Damn you! the Warden roared, steaming from the ears. Ill make you regret what you said, kid!

    It was only then that he realized the projection stone was still active. After the feshkur had crushed it at the start of the fight, nobody had stopped it, so everything that transpired was projected across the entireincluding Jacks mockery.

    The Warden felt so humiliated he wanted to puke. He was unable to form words. With a swipe of his paw, he destroyed the hundred-million-credits worth projection stone, then screamed at the sky in frustration. Nobody was watching now, and no junior had ever spoken to him like that, so he needed to vent.

    Unbeknownst to the Warden, however, Jack had a second projection stone, stolen from the sharken deacon he killed. Just before teleporting, hed activated that projection stone and tossed it away, and the Warden, blinded by rage, had missed it. His outraged scream had also been projected across the, humiliating him further.

    When he finally spotted the second projection stone, his eyes went so wide they almost popped out of his head. He didnt just destroy ithe obliterated it with his full might, along with dozens of square miles of marsnd.

    He then screamed again, I will destroy you, Jack Rust! I swear revenge on your entire family!

 Chapter 289: Making a Decision

    Chapter 289: Making a Decision

    Back in the underwater cave, Jack and the others popped out of space and onto the bare rock.

    That was something, Jack said,ughing. I think we made him angry.

    You didnt need to use that second projection stone, Shol said.

    Why not? Were already enemies. The more we can hurt them, the better.

    The point is to survive.

    The point is to cultivate the fist, and I cant do that by being a coward.

    Sholughed. Fair enough. I just wish we could see his face when he realized it.

    Oh, we can, the Sage said, removing another projection stone from his pocket. I got this one from the second deacon while you were fighting the others. Wanna see?

    Sure! everyone replied, gathering around him. Though they were injured, all possessed a degree of regenerationthey would be fine.

    The Sage activated the stone, somehow making it re-project the previous battle. It has a recording function as well, he exined. In the projection, they saw themselves charge at the enemiesShol was beating up two deacons while Dordok held off a third and Jack went to town on the weaker opponents.

    Is that how people see me? Jack asked. Wow. No wonder my skill is called Brutalizing Aura.

    Shol puffed out his chest. Speak for yourself, butcher. I look pretty heroic.

    You look like a bullt to me, said Dordok.

    Oh yeah? Look at you getting all beat up by a single deacon. I handled two of them. <em>Two!</em>

    Hmph. I was just toying with him.

    Sure you were.

    Check it out! Jack eximed. The Warden is arriving.

    They saw themselves gather around the Sage, who had just appeared, and teleport away just in time to dodge the Wardens attack. Thendscape below them was decimated. The Warden arrived, investigated the ce where they teleported away for a few seconds, cursed Jack, then turned to the projection stone and destroyed it with a single swipe.

    The projection was over, but the Sage quickly switched to the projection of the second stone. In it, they saw the Warden break his pretendposure and scream at the sky in outrage. It was a very un-Elder-like scene.

    Almost immediately, he spotted the second projection stone, and his eyes went wide in anger and humiliation. He swiped again, and this time, the entire sky seemed to crash down on the stone. The projection cut off.

    Dordokughed. Serves him right for trying to control me. That guy is a massive dick.

    What do you think theyll do now? Jack asked. Increase the size of patrols further?

    I wonder, the Sage replied thoughtfully. By now, they must have realized our power. Searching in evenrger teams would be safer, but their efficiency would drop by a lot. They would never find us. At the same time, they cannot resume normal activities, as well just keep killing them, and they cannot hole up in cities to protect themselves because the entire gxy will be watching. They are a proud B-grade faction; they cannot hide from a few D-Grades.

    So what do you think they will do?

    I have no idea. The Sageughed. But I have my ways. When they make a decision, well know it.

    Alright, Jack replied simply.

    At the same time, Shol was shaking his head in disbelief. Incredible, he said. Just a handful of D-Grades bringing an entire B-Grade faction to its heels. I I didnt even know this could happen.

    Its all thanks to the Sage, Dordok said, shooting the man an odd look. Without him finding this hiding ce, divining the entires patrols, and using that sphere to help us escape, we would have been discovered long ago. Not to mention the battle with Maximus Lonihor.

    The Sage grinned innocently. He was the ymaker, so to say. After choosing a target, he would guide them over through a route that avoided all D- and C-Grade parties. Then, when they won, he could use his high-grade spatial artifact to return here, to their hiding ce.

    Dordok wasnt the only one to realize that. All three of them looked at the Sage with gratitude and wonderjust how could he achieve all those things? They would rather eat their shoes than believe he was the average D-Grade diviner.

    Can I speak to you, Sage? Jack asked with a resolute, thoughtful look, like hed just made a decision. In private.

    The Sage beamed. Sure!

    ***

    Unbelievable! Maximus Lonihor smashed his fist down, breaking yet another heavy deskat this rate, they would run out. His eyes hid deep rage. They escaped a leonine We should head over and ughter the Exploding Sun in retaliation.

    Rx, nephew. There is no need to go that far, Hells Warden, Artus Emberheart, replied. Unlike the rage hed exhibited before, he now seemed as calm as a stillkebut Maximus knew that his heart was burning.

    What should we do? he asked. With that artifact of theirs, they can just escape whenever they want. How do we pin them down?

    The Warden thought for a moment. This time, they could only escape because they were lucky enough to be very far away from the nearest C-Gradewhich happened to be me. If we had more C-Grades, we could weave a tighter around the. That way, they wont have time to escape before we arrive.

    Are you sure, uncle? Maximus asked. Thanks to his position as Head Disciple and his rtion with the Warden, he could speak freely when they were in private. Arent all the C-Grades already upied?

    They are, but what can we do? This has dragged on for far too long. With the projection stones we handed out, we ended up making things worsenow the entire gxy can see the scenes of our humiliation. His voice was calm but hid undertones of violence. Even the Grand Elder contacted me about this, demanding that I solve the problem as quickly as possible. There is no choice. We cannot stop searching or we would be admitting defeat to a few lowly D-Grades. I will request seven Enforcers, and the faction will find a way to spare them; this is too urgent.

    How did we get yed this badly, uncle? Maximus asked with indignation in his heart. Its all the ck Hole Churchs fault. Without them and their overpowered artifacts, how could we fail to apprehend a lowly middle D-Grade?

    The Warden shook his head in annoyance. What happened happened. At the end of the day, Jack Rust and his aplishes are nothing but ants gnawing at our ankles. They will be squashed, as ants ought to be. We will reign supreme. We always have, and we always will.

    Maximus brought a fist to his heart. Yes, uncle.

    ***

    For most people, B-Grade factions were the stuff of legends. The vast majority of cultivators could only interact with the lowliest of their members, and that was on important asions. The Animal Kingdom, for example, was a vast space empire spanning fifty thousand sr systems, three thousand inhabiteds, and trillions of cultivators. To most people, they might as well be gods.

    And the humiliation of gods was burning news.

    Before Jacks three-month hiding, he had already made the headlines across the constetion, but only as an oddity. There were no witnesses to his actions, and the Kingdom was suppressing the news. He was just an odd man causing a bit of trouble on Hell. He would be apprehended very easily.

    After he went into hiding, however, things changed. Hell went into war mode. Immortals flocked there and were forced to waste their time flying around the. That was already big news. And when Jack Rust resurfaced, soundly beating a team of higher-level immortals by himself and escaping, the recordings of his battle spread like wildfire.

    Blocking the news was impossible. There were too many people on Hell with projection stones, and news agencies were paying massive sums to acquire the recordings. The wider public was catching on. All the way from the Brian Outpost to the Fair Way Continent, people spoke of this astonishing news: a single man creating so much trouble for the Animal Kingdom at the core of their territory. It was unheard of.

    And, as time passed, he was not captured. If anything, the Kingdom intensified their efforts, and the news and spections only grew wilder. Some people imed that Jack Rust was an agent of the Exploding Sun; others said he was a prodigy from another gxy, while some even went as far as to dere he was a B-Grade in disguise.

    When no Animal Kingdom officials were nearby, people talked about this in hushed tones, discussing just how a D-Grade could have achieved such amotion. There were even entire betting rings around the date of Jack Rusts capture or the eventual number of his victims.

    D-Grades were strong enough to rule entires, and this guy was dropping them like flies!

    The other B-Grade factions had caught on, watching with interest. Was this the start of the Animal Kingdoms downfall? Could they pounce on them while they were weakened and steal away territory? Had the Kingdom made some terrifying enemy, of whom Jack Rust was only an agent?

    More Animal Kingdom Elders heard about the news and were enraged. The Warden came under heavy pressure. Even Galicia Lonihor, theary Overseer of Earth-387, was questioned, as Jack Rust originated from her so he could be seen as her fault. She could retort nothing to thateven back on Earth, hed still humiliated the Animal Kingdom. All she did was harden her resolve to in all thes troublemakers the moment the grace period was over.

    The news was still spreading. After all these months, Jack Rust was turning into a household name in the Animal Kingdom constetion. His name was even heard outside of it.

    And the proud Animal Kingdom could do nothing; only endure the humiliation and try their hardest to capture the gxys most annoying D-Grade.

    ***

    The professor finished listening to ArTazuls story and burst outughing. Suits them right! she said before her mood soured. Im just worried about his safety. Hes so strong nowbut why did he have to poke the hos nest?

    Once a mother, always a mother, Edgar said from beside her. There was a new air to himhis hair was slick and drawn back, his missing leg was reced by a stunning magical copy, and he carried himself with a confidence hedcked a few months ago.

    Of course, Sparman replied. Very insightful of you, sir Edgar.

    Edgar raised a brow.

    Sparman! Vivi eximed. That was rude. Apologize.

    I apologize, he said immediately without the slightest hint of meaning it.

    I just wonder the professor said slowly, furrowing her brows, why hasnt he contacted us yet? Hes killing deacons. Surely, he has the funds to buy the telepathy function for the Bare Fist Brotherhood.

    Maybe hes holding out to avoid bing sentimental? Vivi suggested.

    I guess The professors face scrunched up further. But hes been missing for so many months, risking his life out there, and he hasnt even called his mother once? Doesnt he know I stay up all night worrying about him? Plus, there are so many news we have to give him

    Vivi only rolled her eyes. No, professor. Save the surprise.

    Well, not like we have a choice, replied the professor, but the proud smile didnt leave her face.

    ***

    Jack and the Sage stood alone in the second underwater cave, the smaller one, where theyd watched the Ancient vision. Jack turned to face hispanion.

    Ive given it a lot of thought, he began. And I believe that, in this hopeless situation, there is only one choice I can make. One choice that benefits us all, but me and my the most. Does your promise to protect Earth still stand?

    The Sage smiled. We will not protect Earth, but we will help you protect it.

    Good enough. Jack took a deep breath, then looked the Sage in the eye. I ept your invitation. I want to join the ck Hole Church.

 Chapter 290: Joining the Church

    Chapter 290: Joining the Church

    I want to join the ck Hole Church, Jack said.

    The Sages grin reached from ear to ear. Excellent! May I ask what made you decide?

    Your vision and story were convincing. Jack shrugged. Plus, youve already helped me a lot of times. I owe you some trust. Of course, if I ever find out you lied to me, Im out.

    No need to worry about that. I never did, the Sage replied, stretching out his hand. Jack shook it. Wee to the good side.

    Its nice to be here. Jack then released a massive sigh of reliefthis matter had been bugging him for months, but at the end of the day, he needed to make a decision.

    Now, as a member of the ck Hole Church, you enjoy our protectionto a degree, the Sage said. Reaching into his pocketswhich seemed to hold suspiciously many stuffhe fished out a transparent, off-green pill. Something like a green eel swam inside it.

    Whats that? Jack asked.

    A concealment and repair pill. It is not particrly shy, but it is highly tailored to your case, the Sage exined. Treasures like your Life Drop are not unheard of in the Church. We needed a way to protect the members wielding them, so our Grand Elder devised these pills. They can repair all residual damage in your body from using the Life Drop, making it undetectable to even a deep scan. At the same time, it nts a tiny second soul in your brain, letting you fool the lie detection magic of the Hand of God inquisitors as long as they are below the B-Grade. Like this, even if the Hand gets you, youll be safe.

    Really? Jacks brows shot up. It was that easy?

    Oh, nowhere near easy. These pills are impossible to find outside the Church. They are refined using the Grand Elders personal Dao. Even I only have two of them.

    Why would you have any?

    Some of my powers are considered sphemous by the Hand of God. They are too closely connected to Enas. I need a way to protect myself.

    Jack raised a brow. How do you cultivate sphemous powers?

    I cant tell you that.

    Come on! You said that joining the Church would give me ess to more information. Spit it out; whats the matter with you? Who are you, even?

    The Sage smiled sagely, as if he saw far more than Jack. Very well. He took a deep breath. As you suspect, I was not a simple human of your. I spent my entire life hearing iprehensible whispers from beyond. I was insane. Except, I wasnt. When the System came, those whispers cleared up, and I could understand the power granted to me. You see, my soul has a unique and extremely rare resonance with Enas. I am one of his apostles. Even from inside his eternal prison, he can transmit to me a tiny fragment of his power, enough to give me mastery over the Dao of Divination. Until I reach the B-Grade andplete my Dao Tree, levels will be my only bottleneck.

    Jacks eyes widened. Are you serious? he asked.

    Very.

    So reaching the B-Grade is only a matter of time for you.

    Indeed.

    Thatswow. Youre even stronger than I am.

    Not at all. The Sage gave a sad smile. Despite all my gifts, you have managed to outpace me. It would be a source of shame if you werent such a monstrous talent yourself.

    Hmm. Jacks eyes narrowed. What about Dorman? he suddenly asked. You two were together since the start, and he was keeping pace with me in Trial. Is he also aspecial soul?

    Hes just highly talented. The Sage gave another helpless smile. Actually, the Barren High had predicted the existence of myself and Dorman on your Earth. You just appeared out of the blue. I have no idea how you did it.

    Jack cracked a smile. A little bit of talent, a lot of hard work, and a lot of danger-d opportunities. But did you say that the Barren High had predicted your existence on Earth?

    Oh, yes. They could sense me, which is why they spent so many resources to divine thes location and give it to the Animal Kingdom. Thats also how the Kingdom could sneak the scions onto your before it was Integratedthey knew exactly where it was.

    Wait. Are you saying that the entire Integration happened just to find you?

    Yes.

    Jack couldnt tell whether the Sage was lying, exaggerating, or both, but he seemed serious. Wow, was all he finally said. After a moment of rumination, he added, Can I ask you one more thing, Sage?

    Of course.

    Are you lying to me?

    There was a short pause. Why do you think that? the Sage asked back.

    Because you keep calling our your Earth, as if you dont belong there. But from what you said, your soul just happens to resonate with Enas. Why would that make youalien?

    Hmm. The Sages eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he seemed more serious than beforeas if hed quit ying. I did not lie, but I did not reveal the entire truth either, he admitted. Some things are best kept secret for nowbut I promise you, when the timees, I will tell you everything. I do not mean to harm you.

    I dont know if I can trust someone who lies and withholds information, Jack said, but the Sage only shook his head.

    I have already saved you so many times. Dont I deserve it?

    You dont get to y that card.

    Jack was adamant, but the Sage also didnt seem willing to budge. You dont need to trust me, he finally said. Lets just work together. We share themon goal of escaping this ce, and I have promised to help you save Earth. Isnt that enough?

    Maybe, Jack said cryptically. Or maybe not.

    Look at you. Not even a member for two minutes and youre already getting the hang of it.

    You wont escape this by being funny.

    I wont escape this, period, the Sage replied seriously. The Church is an organization with multiple levels of secrecy. If we revealed everything easily, the Hand of God would have caught us millions of years ago. I have already made a special exception and told you more things than strictly allowed. When the timees, you will know.

    Fine, Jack replied, snorting. Then tell me all you can about the Church. How powerful is it? Where is it based? Is it an organization on the caliber of the Hand of God, or much weaker?

    Not too much weaker. The Church is one of the few factions spanning the entirety of System space. This gxy only houses one of our branches. I cannot tell you where our headquarters is, as that is one of our most tightly kept secrets, but I can reveal that we possess multiple high level cultivators. In fact, all true Elders of the Church are A-Grades.

    A-Grades?! Seriously?

    Of course. How else did you expect to rival the System, the Hand of God, and the Immortals? The Sageughed. With your talent, you have a small chance of reaching those heights yourself. I can take you there if you want. To the headquarters of the Church, I mean, so you can see for yourself what the peak of power looks like. To see a force befitting of an Old Gods entourage.

    Jack felt temptedand scared. If he went to that ce, wherever it was, he would be at the mercy of all those strong people. Even if they didnt mean him harm, they would probably force all sorts of secrecy oaths and limitations on him, reducing his freedom.

    He did not enjoy that thought.

    I cannote. I need to save Earth, he said.

    Naturally. I meant afterwardwhen Earth is safe, you can freely depart to wider worlds. There is no need for someone like you to remain in a young gxy that hasnt even developed its first A-Grade yet.

    How will Earth be safe if I leave? Jack asked. The Exploding Sun has promised to steal reign over the from the Animal Kingdom after we defeat theary Overseer, but there will surely be repercussions. Without me there to hold the fort, some random C-Grade or D-Grade with a grudge will eventually appear and destroy Earth. And all that is <em>if </em>Master Hualis promise still stands, which I highly doubt after everything thats happened.

    Hmm. The Sage cupped his chin. I believe we can solve that issue. Have you ever heard of poaching?

    I have Jack said hesitantly. Isnt it what I just described? When a B-Grade faction steals control of another factions. Master Huali told me so.

    Your Master Huali is an admirable cultivator, but her experience is limited by her gxy of residence, the Sage replied. The term poachinges from the wider universe. Out there, A-Grade factions have the power to literally grabs and move them wherever they desire. Theye into another factions territory, take the, and run away.

    Jacks jaw hit the floor. You have got to be kidding me.

    Not at all. The ck Hole Church also has that powerand, if you can get strong enough to defeat theary Overseer before the grace period ends, we can be convinced to do it. We can move Earth to a safer ce in our sphere of influence, where neither the Animal Kingdom nor the Hand of God will find it.

    Jack felt the weight of this proposal. I cannot possibly promise my entire to you.

    You have already done it for the Exploding Sun. Why not for us?

    Thats different. They just want to rule it on paper, while you want to literally take away the entire. Plus, the Exploding Sun is not a faction wreathed in shadow. I trust them more.

    Well, you can always reconsiderter, the Sage replied, shrugging. Reaching that point will be a tall task, anyway. You could easily die in the process.

    I could easily die in all processes. Yet, here I am, still alive and kicking.

    Not punching?

    That too. Jackughed tiredly, then shook his head. Once again, you overwhelm me with information, but all you manage to do is create more questions than you answer How do you do that?

    Im a Sage. Its part of my job description.

    Right Jack gave him the side-eye. Anyway. If there is nothing else, we could return to the others. Ill make good use of that pill you gave me.

    Be careful though, the Sage said. The lie-detection shield will persist in time, but the repairing properties of the pill can only work once. If you use your Life Drop even once after swallowing the pill, the effects will be impossible to hide.

    Ill be careful, Jack promised. Now, lets go. I have things to consider, and you have to sleepor do cryptic sage stuff.

    Probably both, the Sage replied honestly, and the two members of the ck Hole Church swam back to the main underwater cave, where Shol and Dordok were ying checkers on a board theyd fashioned out of rock.

 Chapter 291: Making an Impression

    Chapter 291: Making an Impression

    Over the following weeks, every eye in the gxy was turned at Hell. The gueri warfare was bing increasingly intense. As Jack leveled up, the Animal Kingdom tried not to underestimate him.

    I finally found a target! the Sage said a week after they attacked the nine-person party and nearly escaped the Wardens wrath.

    Everyone else jumped up at once. Lets go!

    Twelvete D-Grades and six deacons were flying over the sea, chatting idly as the ones with the sharpest Dao perception scanned the waters below. This time, there was no dramatic entry on Jacks side. They instantly teleported in and unleashed their most destructive attacks.

    The Animal Kingdom cultivators barely had time to react. A Meteor Punch tore through them, killing a handful, while a burning sun blossomed in their midst, making them scream. Dordok arrived just then, smashing down his steel greatclub toplete the ambush.

    Half the enemy immortals were killed instantly. The remainder fought hard, but Jacks strength was now so great that they barely stood a chance. A hastily activated projection stone transmitted the scene of Jack, Shol, and Dordok annihting an entire squadron of the Animal Kingdoms finest. The entire gawked once again.

    At the same time, word spread out immediately, and billions of people across the gxy flocked to their local projection centers to watch the Animal Kingdom suffer.

    Two minutes after the start of the battle, the Sage appeared and shouted, We have to go!

    The other three rushed to his side and teleported away right as a C-Grade eagler flew in from above, showering the area in sharp winds that decimated both the water below and the one surviving Animal Kingdom cultivator. Jack and hispanions narrowly escaped.

    Damn it! the eagler eximed, breaking the still-active projection stone as well. Damn it all!

    The four warriors appeared in the underwater cave that had be theirir. What level are you now, Jack? Shol asked.

    215! Jack eximed joyfully. He couldnt stop grinning. Im going so fast now! Were farming those guys like its nothing!

    Do you think hes stronger than you now, Shol? Dordok asked yfully, to which Shol snorted.

    Dont be an idiot. I was the second deacon of the Exploding Sunone of the strongest D-Grades in the gxy. I could not lose to someone thirty levels below me.

    Jack simplyughed good-naturedly.

    Meanwhile, back at thes capital, the Warden was going crazy. They did it again! he roared, ring his nostrils. Theyre toying with us! We need to capture them!

    What should we do, uncle? Maximus asked. He was personally invested in capturing Jack Rust after failing once.

    What <em>can </em>we do? the Warden replied helplessly. Increase the patrol size even more. Reinforce every team with high-ranking deacons. Have every Enforcer on the join the searchwe must find them before the entire gxy isughing at us.

    Maximuss eyes widened in shock. Youre putting C-Grades on search duty?

    We dont have a damn choice, the Warden snapped back. The Grand Elder has given me full reign over these Enforcers. If I say they go on searching duty, they go on searching duty. Make it happen!

    Yes, uncle, Maximus replied, teleporting away.

    Soon after, the Sage opened his eyes in the cave. Bad news, he said. The C-Grade Enforcers have joined the search.

    What does that mean for us? Jack asked.

    The chance of them finding us has increased Although, with suchrge searching parties, the ground they can cover is limited. Were still safe. The problem is that divining everyones location just got harderC-Grades are resistant to my D-Grade Dao.

    Just do your best, Jack replied encouragingly. We believe in you.

    Two more weeks passed. The news of Hells situation kept spreading. By now, even the surrounding constetions were full of talk about the Battle Brothersthe three brave cultivators whoid siege on an entire by themselves. The Sage had not participated in the battles, so most people didnt take him into ount.

    All across the gxy, people wouldnt stop talking about this. It was a monumental event! When was thest time a B-Grade faction was publicly humiliated and rendered helpless? Never! It had never happened before! Even if someone had the ability to do it, what kind of madman would actually try?

    The Merchant Union created cheap copies of every battle projection and sold them everywhere. They even made montages showcasing the best points of each battle and how the entire situation evolved. These documentaries sold like hot cakes, and pretty soon, the Animal Kingdoms reputation was so thoroughly dragged through the mud that they were forced to prohibit all talk of the Battle Brothersas Jack, Shol, and Dordok were now calledin their constetion.

    But gossip could not be stopped. All this prohibition achieved was to make the news even more intriguing.

    Back on Earth, ArTazul and ArKarvahul were having the happiest days of their lives. They had chosen to bet on Jack Rust during the Integration, and now their investment would be repaid a millionfold. They borrowed from everyone they knew to buy their own projection stones and record various scenes on Earth, from the environment of Jack Rusts Integration to his closest people. They interviewed Edgar, Vivi, the professor, even Harambe and Sparman.

    The professor also took this opportunity to raise awareness about the Animal Kingdoms oppression. She talked about how, once the grace period was over, theary Overseer would ughter all of them in retaliation. They had one month to live, but they were still fighting.

    These interviews were integrated in the Merchant Unions documentaries, making the two djinn merchants filthy rich and further ruining the Animal Kingdoms public image. Many oppressed species ands realized they were not alone. A rebellious undercurrent appeared in the Animal Kingdom constetion, fanned and fueled by Jack Rusts resistanceas well as the Kingdoms disy of weakness.

    Furthermore, as the Warden had withdrawn many EnforcersC-Grade cultivators below the rank of Elderto Hell, many other fronts of the Animal Kingdom were left short-staffed. The other factions pounced on this opportunity. The Kingdom started losing resources everywhere, their control over their territories weakened, the respect theymanded lessened, and they slowly became the butt of the joke across the gxy.

    At the same time, Jack Rust and the Battle Brothers became household names. Nothing inspired the people more than a righteous, winning underdog. They were amongst the gxys greatest celebrities.

    Of course, the Battle Brothers themselves were also aware of that. The Sage couldmunicate with the outside world, and he narrated the effect their actions had on the gxy.

    Incredible, Shol muttered breathlessly. To think my old bones still had so much to give Oh, this sets me on fire!

    Calm yourself, Shol. Jackughed. We still need to escape this ce, somehow. A little bit of infamy will mean nothing if were tortured and killed.

    This is even better than when I was a pirate in the Starry Wilds, Shol said, grinning. System bless you, Jack. Youve given me a new life. If the rest of our crew is still out there, they must be extremely proud of us.

    Im sure they are, captain, Jack replied. Well meet them again eventually.

    Shol frowned. The only downside, he said, is that things are moving slowly now. Your agreed duel with Li Qian is only three days away. There is no way we will make it in time.

    Jack sighed. Listen, Shol. I get where youreing from, but that duel was already long forfeited. I am a wanted criminal of the Hand of God, and I have created so much trouble that my name is known across the gxy. There is no way I could return to the Exploding Sun to fight.

    I know Shol replied with a sigh of his own. Its just a shame. Li Qian still needs a good butt-kicking, and Master He trailed off, but his meaning was obvious. If Jack forfeited the duel, Master Sophina would probably lose the position of Grand Elder.

    Look at the bright side, Jack said. We have given Master a lot to work with. By sending us here, she rendered a huge service to the Exploding Sun. There are all sorts of implications. Monsoon will try to frame this as a terrible risk to the faction, while she will call it a brilliant move. That battle of impressions will affect the Grand Elder position much more than my duel ever could. At the end of the day, missing it means very little.

    I guess so, Shol replied, hardening his gaze. I may have technically left the faction, but I remain a proud member of the Exploding Sun. Lets show these Animal Kingdom pricks what were made of.

    Thats the spirit!

    The date of Jacks duel with Li Qian came and passed. By now, any assaults they made on the Animal Kingdom forces had to be very carefully prepared. The search parties wererge, and there were too many C-Grades wandering the. One mistake could ruin everything.

    At the same time, they could not dy. Time was pressing. The duel with Li Qian could be missed, but the end of Earths grace period could not.

    Over the following two weeks, the Battle Brothersthey liked the name, so they adopted it for themselvestook some risks.

    One raid happened just a week after the previous one. They assaulted a search party which included the fifth-ranked deacon of the Animal Kingdom, a female sharken covered in scars. Shol held her at bay while Jack, with the assistance of Dordok, went to town on the rest of them. After killing seven immortals, Shol and the Sage grouped up with them, unleashed a barrage of attacks to make some space, and teleported away, narrowly dodging the white-robed C-Grade man who came to capture them.

    The man did not say anything, nor did he grow angry. His eyes were calm and pure, as was his Dao.

    After that, the Animal Kingdom grew so desperate that theymanded all search parties to stop carrying projection stones. There was no other way. Every new battle recording threw sshes of mud on their public image.

    Unfortunately for them, Jack and the others had already collected a decent number of projection stones from their previous assaults. They could just record the battles themselves, then send the recordings to the Sages connections and spread them across the gxy all the same.

    Another week after the previous battle, the Battle Brothers attacked one more group. This time, the enemies were more prepared, so the battle did not go as smoothly. Dordok suffered an almost grievous injury, while Shol had an arm broken. Jack fought three deacons and ne D-Grades at the same time, killing half of themthough the fact that he could teleport while they could not certainly helped.

    They escaped in the nick of time, barely dodging the Wardens furious assault. Once again, the terrain under them was leveled, and the surviving D-Grades were sent flying away by the shockwave.

    Damn it! the Warden roared again after making sure there were no projection stones around. In his six millennia of life, he had never felt so powerless before. Hed always been a proud, invincible prodigy. Nobody had ever toyed with him like Jack Rust did!

    Brat! he screamed to the heavens. I will pull out every single tendon and bone in your body!

    Jack did not hear thatbut if he had, he wouldnt have cared the slightest bit. The Sages teleportation brought them back to the underwater cave, where Shol and Dordok sat down to tend to their injuries. Jack could afford to take it easier, since his regeneration was extremely effective.

    Most importantly, the sessive battles had helped him reach Level 230. He was overflowing with power.

    I think that was our best battle yet, the Sage said. I bet the recording will be a best-seller.

    Are there best-sellers in the gxy? Jack asked.

    There are best sellers everywhere.

    Good. The more we can harm the Animal Kingdom, the better, Jack replied, but not with his usual jovialty. His present mood was not the best. With all that was happening, the Animal Kingdom was gearing up more and more, and the chances of them sessfully escaping in time were so small they might as well not exist.

    And they had to hurry. Hurry a lot. Because, between all the weeks and months of this gueri warfare, a lot of time had passed. Before he knew it, the one year deadline was almost up.

    The grace period of Earth would end in exactly two weeks.

 Chapter 292: Entombed

    Chapter 292: Entombed

    Maximus Lonihor floated over a desert, crossing it alone. Even he, the factions Head Disciple, could not avoid search duty. At least he was considered a powerhouse, so he didnt need to tolerate any power-chasing weaklings alongside him. He waspany enough.

    Suddenly, space split apart before him, and a human walked out. Maximus paused. What are you doing here? he asked carefully.

    Am I not wee? the other man replied with a faint smile.

    Of course you arent. You Exploding Sun dogs have already caused us enough trouble. This is not a ce for you, Li Qian.

    Li Qian, the top disciple of Elder Monsoon,ughed lightly. A sharp, slightly curved sword hung at his hip, while his aura was calm like a stillke and sharp like the edge of diamond.

    I am not here to gloat, Maximus Lonihor, he said. The Exploding Sun had no part in this disaster. Jack Rust and Shol Pesna are rogue cultivators now.

    As if Ill believe you. Maximus snorted. However, he couldnt help wondering: why was Li Qian here? People of that caliber did not move around aimlessly.

    You should believe me, Li Qian insisted. In fact, I can prove it. What do you think this is? He reached into a pouch he was carrying and removed a vial filled with crimson liquid. Arcane runes glowed all over the vial, faintly pulsing in one direction as if blown by an invisible wind.

    Maximus creased his brows. A hundred calctions ran through his mind. Soon, his eyes widened. It cant be, he said.

    Im telling you it is, Li Qian responded, jingling the vial andughing. The lifeblood of Shol Pesna.

    Why would you bring this here?! Why would you condemn your own agents? Maximus demanded to know.

    They are no agents of mine, Maximus. Since there is nobody listening, let me be frank. My master and Elder Huali are currently contending for the position of Grand Elder. Jack Rust and Shol Pesna belong to Hualis camp. The service they have rendered to the Sun by thinning your forces is already admirable, but any more and they might actually start weighing the scales back Hualis way. We cant have that.

    You would assist the enemy to advance your masters personal interests?

    Wouldnt you?

    Maximus smileda crooked, wide grin. Yes.

    Li Qianughed. Suddenly, these two enemies seemed like the best of friends. In the name of my faction, Li dered, I am here to assist in capturing the two troublemakers who have soiled the Exploding Suns name. I have brought the lifeblood of Shol Pesna so we can locate him, and I will personally assist in taking them down. The Warden has already been notified. Do you ept my help, Maximus?

    Of course. Clearing your factions name is a noble pursuithow could I decline brother Lis honest assistance? Heughed again. The world seemed bright again. This really was a pie that fell from the sky.

    Reaching for his temple, Maximus used his faction telepathy privileges to contact the other high-ranking deacons. <em>We found them, everyone, </em>he said. <em>Follow my instructions. Lets end this.</em>

    ***

    Meanwhile, Jack and the others had no idea of the disaster about to befall them.

    Two weeks, Jack said to the others. We have two weeks to escape this ce and reach Earth. Can our previous n still work? Infiltrating one of the heavily-guarded outbound teleporters?

    It can, Shol replied. It will be difficult, but with the Sages assistance, we can manage.

    It may take some time until a good opportunity arises, the Sage replied.

    Jack nodded sharply. Good. Then, lets not dy. Sage, can you be on the lookout for such an opportunity? If it appears, we should grab it and escape Hell, as we may not find another like it in time. Of course, if there is an opportunity to attack another search party instead, thats even better.

    Got it, the Sage said. Ill be on the lookout for both.

    The problem is, Im still too weak Jack said with a dark face. The end of the grace period is only two weeks away, and Im not even at the peak of the D-Grade. I will never break through to the C-Grade like this.

    Dont be so hard on yourself, Jack. You never could, Shol advised him. The moat between the D- and C-Grades is not the widest in existence, but it remains unbridgeable in the short term. You are already progressing faster than anyone Ive ever known.

    But I cannot defeat theary Overseer like this. Shes at the mid C-Grade.

    Only barely. She isnt particrly talented for a C-Grade, either. Didnt you defeat the Final Guardian while at the E-Grade? If you could do that then, perhaps you can ovee the Grade barrier once again.

    The Final Guardian was weaker than most early D-Grades, Jack replied with a sigh. The overseer is at the mid C-Grade. Its not the same thing.

    For any other D-Grade in this gxy, defeating the overseer would bepletely impossible, the Sage spoke up. However, you possess something they dont: the Life Drop. It can bridge the difference in Grade up to a point. If you can reach the absolute peak of power in the D-Grade and use the Life Drop, you may stand a slim chance. Especially with the assistance of Shol and any other extraordinary peak D-Grades you manage to enlist.

    Jack turned around in surprise. Really?

    The D- and C-Grades are not as far apart as you may think, the Sage replied cryptically.

    Jack felt hope resurge in his chest. Good. Then, are you saying we should stick around until I reach Level 249 to maximize my chances?

    essing an outbound teleporter will undoubtedly involve killing many people. It should get you pretty close. I think unnecessary risks are not worth it at this point.

    I agree with the Sage, Shol said. Right now, one or two levels wont make a difference, but dying in desperation will.

    Jack considered it for a moment. Very well, he agreed. In that case, the n remains as is: we either assault a teleporter or attack another search party, whicheveres first. And if we start running out of time Well see. Ill see. I wont drag you guys to death with me.

    What are you saying, idiot disciple? Sholughed. As if we have a choice. Were never getting to a teleporter without you. Were all leaving or dying together.

    And here I was growing fond of this ce, Dordok said, looking around sentimentally. It sucked as a prisoner but wasn''t that bad after I became the hunter.

    I think the Kingdom would think the exact opposite, Shol replied with augh.

    Its already been six months, Jack said slowly. Ive been here for more than half of the time since my Integration. Leaving is almostweird.

    Sholughed. Oh yeah. Not spending your free time hunting D-Grades? Sheesh. How boring.

    I quite liked this ce as well, said the Sage. It was peaceful.

    Peaceful?

    In a certain manner. I had no concerns besides our immediate life and death. It was a nice break from real life.

    The other three looked at each other and shrugged. Hes not wrong, Shol admitted, while Jacks eyes shone as he remembered something.

    Since we may depart this ce at anytime, he said, I think I cannot dy contacting Earth anymore. I need tomunicate with them and organize things. I hope you wont begrudge me a few millions credits anymore, brothers.

    Of course not, Shol replied, reaching for his credit card. How much do you need?

    Twenty million should be enough.

    Here, have fifty.

    Thanks.

    They touched their credit cards together, and Jacks number of credits went up. It reached the nine digits130,440,011, to be preciseand for the first time in a while, he opened his faction screen.

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Leader: Jack Rust (D-Grade), Cosmic Fist</strong>

    <strong>Supervisor: Margaret Rust (E-Grade), Continental Commander</strong>

    <strong>Members: 7439</strong>

    <strong>Capital: Milky Way gxy, Animal Kingdom constetion, Earth-387, Forest of the Strong dungeon area.</strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <em>7439 members Wow.</em>

    And yet, all those peoplebined were nothing before a single one of the deacons hed killed. It really put things into perspective.

    There was a long row of management options in that screen, but he skipped them. That was professor territory, not handsome leader territory. He eventually made it to the end of the list, where a prompt asked him if he would like to buy anything. There were plenty of interesting options, but the most useful one right now was absolutely the telepathy function.

    He spent a hundred million credits and bought it instantly.

    Then, with a trembling breath, he activated it. The System stepped in with another screen.

    <strong>Please assign telepathy holders.</strong>

    <strong>Current holders: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Remaining holders: 4</strong>

    <em>Margaret Rust and Edgar Ano, </em>hemanded.

    <strong>Current holders: Jack Rust, Margaret Rust, Edgar Ano</strong>

    <strong>Remaining holders: 2</strong>

    Jack grinned. <em>Good. Now, how do we</em>

    <em>Jack!? </em>a voice rang in his mindthe professors. <em>Is that really you? Are you okay?</em>

    There were no words to describe the relief that washed over him. It was like all his burdens and troubles hit him at once, then melted off his body like warm soap after a shower. His mother was alive. She was okay. And her voice was right there, in his head.

    <em>Jack? </em>the voice came again. <em>Damn, how does this work?</em>

    <em>Im here, Im here, </em>he replied hurriedly. <em>Professor! Mom! Are you okay?</em>

    <em>Jack! </em>she eximed again. <em>Im okay, Im great! Are you?</em>

    <em>Well, sort of.</em>

    <em>Sort of!? You havent spoken to me in months, and this is the first thing you say? Just how much do you want me to worry?</em>

    Jack felt crushing guilt. <em>Sorry, </em>he replied honestly. <em>I didnt mean to worry you I just didnt want to be influenced by emotions before now. I was walking on the edge.</em>

    <em>Its fine, its fine. Im sorry, I Im just d youre okay. </em>Her joy was infectious. Jack found himself smiling.

    <em>Same to you, </em>he replied. <em>How have you been?</em>

    A moment of silence went by. <em>Busy, </em>she finally said. <em>Coordinating a global organization can take its tollbut Im managing. Im the best person for the job. Were handling ourselves. The war is bnced, but the grace period is running out soon, and I worry that everything will end when that happens.</em>

    As she spoke, Jack cracked a smile. She was the same. Only a few seconds into talking, she was already going into business. He didnt mind.

    <em>Do you have any ns for the end of the grace period? </em>she asked.

    <em>Yes. I wille and punch the overseer in the face.</em>

    Another short bout of silence. He waited.

    <em>What? </em>she finally replied.

    <em>I will punch the overseer in the face. I am already Level 230 and can punch above my weight ss; if I can reach the peak D-Grade and stabilize my strength within two weeks, then secure the assistance of a few more peak D-Grades, I will have a chance.</em>

    <em>You do realize she is a mid C-Grade.</em>

    <em>Barely. I have it on good authority that its possible, if very difficult.</em>

    <em>Jack</em>

    <em>Trust me, professor. It isnt a good n, but its the only one we have. I have looked everywhere and spoken with a lot of people, and this is the best I came up with. Unless you have something else to suggest</em>

    <em>I dont, </em>she admitted heavily.<em> Fine. Lets Oh, the others are here. They say hi.</em>

    <em>The others?</em>

    <em>Edgar, Vivi, Sparman.</em>

    Jacks heart was filled with memories. <em>Tell them I say hi back. I hope theyre okay.</em>

    <em>They are. Weve kept our highest bracket safe. Edgar had some troubles, but he got over them.</em>

    Suddenly, Jack felt pressured. His emotions were heavy, and he did not want to suppress them with his Dao.

    <em>What is the situation like over there? </em>he asked. <em>How is everyone taking the end of the grace period?</em>

    <em>Well, were preparing for an all-out battle to exterminate the Ice Peak before then. Unless you really can beat the overseer, its our only chance at survival. If we destroy them, we will be the only force capable ofmanding the on behalf of the Animal Kingdom. They may find us more useful alive than deadthough, with everything thats been happening recently, that possibility is beginning to seem hopeless as well.</em>

    She was referring to Jacks actions in Hell. He hadpletely enraged the Animal Kingdom. They wouldnt let his faction and get away easily.

    <em>As for the enemy, </em>the professor continued, <em>they are preparing to celebrate. The Animal Kingdom has organized a huge concert for the final day of the grace period. Remember Vanderdecken? The metal guy? Hell be the main event. Everyone will be there to watchand its also where we n to assault the Ice Peak. If were going to die, we might as well die on stage. </em>She chuckled darkly. <em>Two weeks to live What a feeling it is, Jack. How heroic and relieving. If you told me this a year ago, I would haveughed at you, but now I see the world under a different light. I hate the System with all my soul, but some things are simply iparable to everything else.</em>

    Jack nodded grimly, though she couldnt see him. <em>I will be there, </em>he promised. <em>Prepare for war. On that day, I wille and join you. We will defeat the Kingdom together.</em>

    <em>Dont try too hard, Jack. We are goners already. If you can survive by yourself, please dont die for a lost cause...</em>

    <em>I would never abandon you all. You are the only reason I have been pushing myself nonstop for thest year. I will die on your hill.</em>

    <em>Jack</em>

    <em>I dont want to hear anything. I love you, mom, and I will protect everyone else as well. Prepare for war. Try your hardest. And on the day, we will all live or die together. Okay?</em>

    Her voice came in fragments, as if she was struggling to speak. <em>Im sorry, Jack </em>she said. <em>Im sorry we are not strong enough.</em>

    Jack forced himself to smilethough, again, she couldnt see it. Give me the det

    Jack! another voice interrupted him. It was the Sage. His eyes were wide and full of shock. They found us. We need to leave <em>now.</em>

    His eyes widened. They what?

    <em>Jack? </em>the professors voice came worried. <em>Is everything okay?</em>

    <em>I have to go, </em>he replied, already following the others out of the cave. <em>Ill contact you again soon.</em>

    <em>Ja</em>

    He cut off themunication. His Dao pressed down, and he was again a warrior,pletely in control of himself. What is happening? he asked.

    I had a bad feeling, the Sage exined quickly. I checked the patrols. All the D-Grades are converging to our location. They found us, somehow, and the ck sphere hasnt recharged yet. We need to run. There is no way we can

    The entire sea around them shook. It was an earthquake so massive it made the fish dizzy. Jack and the others elerated to the surface, bursting out to find the horizon covered in approaching immortals. There were dozens of them. Hundreds. They were rushing in from every direction like a flock of death.

    Jacks heart caught on his throat. Run!

 Chapter 293: Cornered

    Chapter 293: Cornered

    RUN!

    Jacks mind worked on overdrive. He scanned the people arriving from every direction, locating the one where the enemies were sparsest. Follow me! he shouted, zooming into the distance.

    His threepanions followed immediately.

    Whats the n? Dordok asked.

    We escape the encirclement for sure, Jack replied. Then, we try to outrun them until the sphere charges back up. How much time do we need, Sage?

    A couple hours.

    Shit. That was too long. Using the bromobile was also impossible here, as the time it took to charge up a teleport was easily enough for the enemies to reach themand, if they didnt use it to teleport, it was faster to fly by themselves.

    How did they find us? Shol asked.

    No idea, the Sage replied quickly. But they must have had a way. I sensed no patrol passing over our location. Maybe they got someone to divine it.

    Was that possible!?

    I didnt think it was! But how else?

    Shol narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

    By now, the enemies before them were within reach. Two dozen animal people, with another few hundreds closing in from every direction. They could have teleported behind the enemies, but Dordok didnt know how to teleport.

    Leave me! he begged them.

    Not a chance! Jack shouted, pulling back his arm. Were punching through! Meteor Punch!

    Sunshine!

    Wide Confusion!

    Dordok gritted his teeth. Moisture came to his eyes, but he pushed it down and roared with all his strength, Devastating Strike!

    Each of the four used their strongest move. Some, like Shols Sunshine, took time to charge but were perfect for this kind of scenario.

    A purple meteor flew alongside a miniature sun. A steel greatclub crashed down from above, while the enemies also unleashed their own strikes. A dozen full-power attacks fromte immortals and deacons filled the sky. At thest moment, some of the enemies faltered, their strikes dissipating or weakening greatly.

    The sky erupted with colors. A tremendous st seared the clouds and scorched the earth, pushing the sea below them hundreds of feet downward. Jack and the others pierced through the shockwave like arrows, crashing straight into the enemy immortals. Punches cracked down. Explosions resounded. People roared and screamed.

    Jack was lost in a sea of incredible power, punching through with every fiber of his being. The strength hed cultivated for three months in istion now burst forth all at once. The opposing immortals were strawmen before his attacks, blown away at the lightest touch. They werepletely unable to stop himto stop them.

    With a massive final explosion, they pushed through.

    The sky was clear again. Several immortal bodies fell behind them, most broken by blunt strikes.

    Of the four of them, only Dordok was injured, sporting a bleeding wound on his chest close to where his heart was.

    Are you okay? Jack shouted as they ran.

    Ill be fine! Dordok responded. Just a canine that got touchy!

    Good! Keep running!

    Dordok was the slowest of the four, but the Sage said, Let me help, and pointed a finger in his direction. Suddenly, Dordoks body erupted with power, letting him elerate steeply.

    They turned into light beams and dashed away. An entire army of immortals was hot on their heels, closing the distance even as the slowest of them fell behind. Leading the charge were three people: Maximus Lonihor, Sapasun the canine deacon, and, surprisingly, Li Qian of the Exploding Sun.

    Shol drew a sharp breath. Thats how they found us! he eximed, rage and disbelief building up in his voice. Monsoon used his position to get my lifeblood, a requirement of the faction for all deacons. They used it locate me. This is my fault. Damn it all!

    Its okay Jack tried to say something, but Shol wasnt listening.

    Li Qian! he roared in rage. What the fuck are you doing here!?

    Our faction has a responsibility to punish traitors! the other immortal responded, gradually closing the distance.

    Shols eyes widened. Your dog master can fuck off! he roared back. Traitors! Cowards! You would harm the faction for your own interests!?

    Mind your tongue, Shol, or I will cut it off, Li Qian dered, his eyes narrowing. Suddenly, his serene aura turned sharp like a sword unsheathed.

    Hmph! An honorless dog like you has no business challenging me! I spit on the grave of every ancestor who helped bring an embarrassment like you to life!

    True to his word, Shol spat, sending a fat mass of phlegm towards the ground. The entire chasing army, though fierce, couldnt help but nce at Li Qian. Those were heavy insults, and they had been spoken very much in public.

    Jack and Dordokughed out loud, adding oil to the fire. Well spoken, brother Shol! they said. We should have expected a dog to side with the Animal Kingdom!

    Li Qian himself was steaming. His brows were creased to the limit, and his hand twitched around the handle of his sword. He was like a dark, violent, brooding storm.

    One of us will die today, Shol! he dered. I refuse to live another day under the same Dao as you!

    I couldnt give a shit what you do, you honorless, pathetic dog! Sholughed out loud, as did his friends. They elerated further.

    Li Qian did not speak again, sinking into a deadly silence. Maximus clicked his tongue. Even in the face of certain death, they still have the courage to mock us Its a shame we can only kill them once.

    Oh, Ill find a way, Li Qian responded darkly.

    The chase went on. Unfortunately, no matter how the Sage sped up Dordok, both of them were too slow to actually escape.

    Leave us! Dordok pleaded. Im begging you. Dont let me hold you back!

    Dont lose hope, Jack told him. Keep running. We have to earn as much time as possible and make them split up as much as possible, so theye at us in waves. When they do catch up His eyes narrowed. Well just have to kill them all.

    Do you mean that, Jack? Shol asked. Even I havent seen the ends of your power. Can you match Maximus Lonihor?

    Jack nodded sharply. I think I can, he said. But even if I cantI have a secret ace up my sleeve. Keep running. Today, either a C-Grade steps over his dignity to save his subordinates, or they all die.

    He meant that.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 230</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 1570</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1570</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1565</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 200</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style III, Space Walk III, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    After his training in istion and the immortals hed hunted, hed grown by leaps and bounds. Not only did he reach Level 230, increasing all his stats and the Dao he could store by around 50%, but he also raised Space Walk to the third tier, which was why he could now teleport nine miles away instead of three. He had even gotten the stamina cost of the skill to scale with distance traveled, which made his teleportation much more handy forbat.

    <strong>Space Walk III: Space is a constraint you have learned to escape. By spending an amount of energy depending on the distance traveled, take a step through the fabric of space to reappear anywhere within a</strong><strong><em></em></strong><strong>nine-mile radius. </strong>

    He still couldnt use it freely, as even the shortest teleportation was exhausting, but he could do it much more frequently than before. It was now a tool for actual battle instead of just engaging, escaping, or repositioning.

    However, thergest benefits of his training came from consolidation.

    Jacks Dao was extremely potent. Where other cultivators wielded a tiny dagger, he had a greatsword. However, there was arge difference between someone who wielded a greatsword effectively and someone who did not.

    After training intensively for three months, Jack had be proficient with all uses of his Dao. There were no numbers to describe the change, but he knew that he was far, far stronger than he used to be.

    Even he wasnt sure where his current strengthy, but he knew he was significantly stronger than most deacons, and he remembered the strength of Maximus Lonihor from when theyd shed. If he went all-out, he should be able to at least match him. Then, if he used the Life Drop

    <em>Using the Drop is suicide, </em>he thought, <em>but so be it. If were going to die anyway, might as well take them with us.</em>

    He harbored very little hope of escaping. It wasnt a matter of Shol or the Sage slowing them down, and everyone knew it. The C-Grades were absent on purposeif the Battle Brothers were taken down by people of the same Grade, it would somewhat repair the lost reputation of the Animal Kingdom. If their strongest immortals failed and they were forced to send C-Grades after D-Grades, it would be another huge hit to their reputationbut that didnt mean C-Grades wouldnt appear if they had to.

    At this point, Jack Rust and the Battle Brothers were a terrible thorn to the Animal Kingdoms side. There was no way they were letting him off, and Life Drop or not, he couldnt fight thete C-Grade Warden.

    The only trick up their sleeve was the Sages ck sphere, and the fact that the Animal Kingdom didnt know how long it would take to recharge. If they managed tost long enough, they could use it to teleport across the, then board Jacks bromobile and hope it could teleport away before the C-Grades caught up. Then, given a very generous amount of luck, they could maybe evade the Kingdoms patrols and ride their starship away.

    Of course, that n shouldnt seed. There were too many things that could go wrong. However, when the enemys foolishness was your only chance at survival, you had to bet on it.

    The terrain flowed under their feet. Jack crossed the sky like a meteor, watching all sorts of biomes scroll past. He had no idea what direction he was heading in, nor did he care. The entire seemed to awaken at their passage, with the animals freezing in terror of their auras and lower-ranked immortals flying up to see what was going on. They even saw a city atop a mountain, d in opulence and gold.

    Nobody came after them from that town, mostly because every strong D-Grade on the was already behind them.

    Of the hundreds of immortals, more and more fell off as time passed. They were still chasing, but they had been left so far behind that they would need some time to catch up. Just as Jack had predicted, their enemies had been split into waves ording to their speed.

    Of course, the very first wave of made up of just three people:

    Maximus Lonihor, the strongest D-Grade of the Animal Kingdom.

    Li Qian, the strongest D-Grade of the Exploding Sun, and Shols sworn enemy.

    Sapasun, the canine deacon who served as the Wardens head disciple and who had once broken all of Jacks limbs while mocking him.

    All three were extremely strong, and all three had a bone to pick with the Battle Brothers. Things would get ballistic the moment they caught up.

    And that moment wasnt too far away. The three of them were fast. Though they had started the chase from miles away, they had now almost caught up. Jack could even clearly make out their fierce expressions, along with the faint spark of lightning on Maximuss fur and the foam dripping out of Sapasuns mouth.

    Any time now, they would enter teleportation range. Jack didnt know how far they could go, but they were already approaching the nine mile point, which was his limit, so they couldnt be far off.

    Suddenly, Maximus disappeared. Jack was ready. His awareness of the Dao of Space was sharp enough to detect the ripple a second before it was visible, and he instantly shot a punch into it. Arge, furred fist came out to meet his. The sky split apart at their point of impact. A strong shockwave sent the Sage and Dordok flying, while Shol held his ground and turned to fight.

    Only a secondter, Li Qian stepped out of space too, his unsheathed sword already descending. Shol met it with his burning palm, and after an explosion, both were equally pushed away.

    Li Qian furrowed his brows. Did you get stronger? he asked.

    Shol raised his chin and snorted. Hmph. While you were scheming in the shadows, I was sharpening my skills on the enemy soldiers. If I lose to a coward like you, I will have betrayed everything I stand for.

    Li Qians eyes narrowed further. He brought his sword horizontally, gripping it with both hands. You will regret your big mouth, he warned.

    Make me, dog.

    Did someone say dog? Sapasun shouted, tearing through space to shoot at Shol from behind. His eyes were wide and red, his lips were drawn back, and foam filled his mouth sopletely that it dripped out from between his sharp teeth. He disyed an insanity simr to Gan Salins, but much less controlled, and much more repulsive.

    His five fingers formed into ws and aimed at Shol. A steel greatclub intercepted one of them. The other suddenly veered off-course and snapped to the side, almost breaking his own wrist. Sapasun came to a stop, then snorted. Who are you two clowns?

    My name is Dordok, said Dordok, hoisting his greatclub. Despite his wound, he was smiling. But you can call me captain.

    Who, me? the Sage replied, pointing at himself. Im just a sage.

    Sapasun blinked in confusion for a moment, thenughed. Fine by me! he dered. Those two dont need any help. Ill have my fun with you. He reached inside his clothes and removed a projection stone, activating it and tossing it far away so it could record the entire battle. He then turned to Dordok and grinned with insanity.

    Bring it on, crazy, Dordok replied,ughing of his own, then charged.

    Meanwhile, higher up in the sky than the other two shes, Jacks fist was still pushing against Maximuss. The leonine had fully emerged from the crack in space, pouring the entirety of his strength into the strike, but Jack was not budging. The puzzled expression on his face slowly turned into disbelief.

    Yellow and purple sparks came from where their fists ground against each other. The crack of lightning matched the booming of a meteor, and a controlled explosion pushed them both back with enough strength to shatter mountains. They each moved around twenty feet.

    How is this possible? Maximus asked carefully.

    Jack grinned, raising his fists. Come and find out, kitty. Im just getting started.

 Chapter 294: Shaping Up

    Chapter 294: Shaping Up

    Dordok and the Sage flew in mid-air, covering each others backs. The greatclub fell heavily, distorting the air where it passed. Darkness clouded the enemys senses, making reality confusing.

    Unfortunately, for the canine deacon who cultivated the Dao of Insanity, reality was already confusing.

    Careful, theres a Five Star Grasp on your left, he said, stepping through space to appear at Dordoks right. His open hand shot out like a viper, all fingers outstretched, topped with sharp nails. Dordok brought his club to the correct side to defend.

    As if Id fall for that!

    The impact was dull and heavy. The cyclops held his ground, but Sapasun was already behind him, whipping out a kick. Kick that Breaks your Shin! he shouted. Dordok raised his legs. The kick found him in the abdomen, pushing out all air out of his lungs and making his stomach burn.

    Oh, but this, you fall for, Sapasun gloated. Its alright. You cant be both big and smart.

    Ill crush you, Dordok croaked out, raising his club again to strike. He did not n to just defend. Their real opponent wasnt Sapasun, but the clockif they couldnt deal with these opponents quickly enough, the next wave would arrive, and they would be overwhelmed.

    His club came down, the Dao of Strength grabbing the air around the canine and condensing it. Sapasun used his own Dao to ignore thepressed air and lean to the side, dodging the strike. At the same time, a finger appeared out of nowhere to press at the top of his skull. Sapasuns eyes grew foggy for a moment, letting the second swipe of the club crack him at the ribs. He went flying.

    Good one, Sage, Dordok said.

    The Sage stepped out of the tear in space hed been hiding in, panting and sweating. His Dao was extremely profound, but he hadnt fought anyone in these few months, so he remained at Level 170. Affecting such a strong peak D-Grade for even a moment took everything he had.

    We must hurry, he said. Dont let him escape.

    I wasnt going to, Dordok responded.

    I wasnt going to, Sapasun repeated, bending reality to suddenly appear behind them. There had been no teleportation this time, so even the Sage hadnt seen himing. His fingers pressed together, and the side of his palm descended onto Dordoks shoulder, eliciting a terrible cracking sound. The cyclops screamed. One of his arms left the handle of the greatclub, hanging limply at the side.

    The Sage instantly sent a torrent of life energy into Dordok, healing him, but Sapasun was already swinging. The Sage teleported awayhe was clearly the priority target here. Somehow, however, that strike wasnt aimed at him, but at Dordok again. Five fingers dug into the cyclopss back, and though the Sage once again healed the wound, they were both left panting.

    Sapasun grinned. Only a madman would target the high-level ogre before the low-level wizard, he said. So, you should have seen iting.

    I have never, Dordok said mid-panting, faced such an obnoxious opponent.

    Oh, its about to get worse. Bending Twist!

    rity! the Sage shouted in return. Reality twisted around them, then was forced back into shape. Dordok roared and dove for the canine, whoughed and brandished his ws. They shed again.

    This could take a while, he said, but I have time!

    A mile to the side, Shol and Li Qian were submerged in a cold battle to the death. Both were fighting at their limits. Their eyes were sharp, their minds devoid of anything but the battle. These were hardened veterans going for each others throats.

    Their battle spanned the entire sky. Shols arms moved in borate patterns, summoning suns and sr beams and flicking them away. Golden barriers appeared around him, encasing him in mes that even burned the air away.

    Facing him, Li Qian was as calm as ake, as sharp as a de. His sworda cyan katanadanced between his palms, cutting through the air so quickly it was a blur. Every swing released sonic booms as if he was wielding a whip instead. The winds obeyed him, forming into des that shot forth to crash into the miniature suns.

    The suns were cut in half, and the winds were burned away. Heat faced sharpness in a battle whose mere shockwaves were enough to crack the terrain below. If any normal human was watching from close-by, they would have been blinded, deafened, and burned to death already.

    Li Qian suddenly dove in. His sword shed a hundred times in the blink of an eye, covering him in ethereal des that cut away even the heat. Such was his sharpness that, where he passed, it felt like the world had its skin shorn away, like the colors were just a bit muffled.

    Seeing that, Shol brought his hands together and shouted sharply. He pped. A tremendous explosion was released, impacting everything around him including the space behind him, where Li Qian had just appeared.

    Still, it was not enough to stop the sword. It cleaved straight through, forcing Shol to ce a straight palm against it. The strike, which could have easily cleaved steel or the earth itself, was blocked. The shockwave carried on, carving a mile-wide fissure on the ground below.

    Shols palm bled.

    First blood is mine, Li Qian said. If this was a sparring duel back home, you would have already lost.

    Shol snorted, his eyes hard. You have no home, and this no spar. Today, one of us will dieand you may have earned first blood, but I will earn thest one.

    Lets see.

    They broke off, each person flying a hundred feet back. Since you want to die, Shol said, pressing his palms together, let me send you off.

    No new miniature sun appeared, but the temperature around him rose sharply. The air boiled. Light flickered and waved. Shol kept pressing his palms together, and to an outsider, it seemed like he was burning from the inside out. His skin reddened, then was covered by a pure golden sheen. Light escaped his eyes and mouth. His entire body shone. Even his bald head illuminated the sky like a new sun.

    If Brother Tao from Earth could see Shol right now, he would immediately fall to his knees in worship, for the current Shol looked just like a Buddha.

    I havent gone all out in over a century, Shol said. Prepare to experience suffering.

    His every word and gesture seemed slow but was actually lightning-fast. The very air around him still burned. Four extra arms grew around his shoulders, made of golden light. A golden circle appeared behind his back. When he opened his mouth wide, a new sun blossomed inside it, burning not orange but gold.

    DIE! he shouted.

    The sun in his mouth released a terrible beam. Golden light the width of two grown men crossed the sky, instantly reaching his opponent. The ethereal cyan des floating around Li Qian reacted in time, cutting the beam into a million tiny pieces, but how could one cut light?

    Li Qian was buried in the beam. No sound escaped, but the light was so strong that his body was no longer visible, and even the nearby battle between the Sage, Dordok, and Sapasun was brought to a momentary halt.

    When the beam dispersed, Shols eyes did not mellow. His golden form remained active. Where Li Qian used to stand, there was now a man covered in cyan armor sticking to his skin, each string a de. Smoke wafted off from several parts of the armor, but he remained whole andbatant.

    I did not expect such power, he admitted, but no matter. If you have a battle form, then so do I. His cyan sword rose to the sky, spawning a thousand other des, each flying next to the others inplete synergy. Let me show you why you are only the second deacon of the Exploding Sun.

    Shol set his jaw and charged.

    This entire battle was recorded by the projection stone and transmitted across the entire. The Animal Kingdom was determined to make their victory a spectacle. By now, every major city on the had a floating screen covering the sky, and every eye was glued to the three concurrent showdowns.

    However, of the three, one took center stage. People whispered at each other and held their breaths as they watched.

    Jack and Maximus Lonihor were going head-to-head. They flew around each other like wasps, shing and breaking off repeatedly. Fists met fists. Jacks punches were heavy and sure, asionally blossoming and exploding as meteors, while the arms and legs of Maximus whipped around withser precision and lightning speed. His battle technique was impable.

    Yet, after two hundred shes, he had not managed to secure any advantage.

    How is this possible? he asked again, pausing mid-battle. He was panting heavily. His proud leonine face was colored in disbelief. You are even twenty levels below me. How can you be so strong!?

    Facing him, Jack was breathing normally. Because I had no choice, he replied, clenching his fist. And I have no time, either. Release those winged knights, and I will pulverize you with the full might of my despair.

    When those two stopped to talk, the other two battles came to a momentary halt, and even the far-off immortals, who were still rushing over, slowed down in shock. Every watcher across the held their breath at the rise of this new star. Shol, who knew Maximuss strength better than anyone, was watching wide-eyed.

    Against all odds, Jack actually had the advantage! How was this possible?

    Just how strong had he be!?

    Jack caught his opponents gaze andughed. You havent seen anything yet, he said. Lets get this over with. I have other business to attend to.

    Maximus tightened his jaw. His pride had been insulted, and that was not allowed. Suddenly, the sky blossomed with divine radiance, and armies of winged knights flew down. Jack met them with a grin. Come! he shouted, punching up. The sky exploded. The knights, each of whom was equal to a low D-Grade, were sent tumbling through the air. Many dissipated on the spot.

    But many more remained, encircling him. Maximus dove in too, capitalizing on the distraction hed created.

    Far from enough! Jack roared. Brutalizing Aura erupted at full force, spreading out to cover an entire mile. The knights faltered. Their strength was sapped, drawn out by Jacks aura and added to his own. Suddenly, he felt himself emboldened and empowered, as if new blood was coursing through his veins.

    He punched out.

    Maximus must have sensed what happened, or there was some instinct guiding him. This time, instead of shing against Jack, he chose to stop and defend.

    It was the right call. Jacks meteor was purple tinged with some of Maximuss own radiance, and it exploded far harder than any other. All the power hed absorbed from the winged knights was released in this strike, impacting Maximuss crossed arms hard enough to ram them into his chest and catapult him away fast enough to break the sound barrier thrice.

    He screamed as he flew.

    When he finally managed toe to a stop, his forearms were bloated, and his bare ribs were already a shape of purple. His eyes were full of rage. You are full of tricks, he said.

    No. I am just superior to you, Jack replied, driving a stake through this opponents Dao. To a leonine, this was the greatest challenge that could be uttered.

    Instantly, the body of Maximus straightened, and his chest puffed out. You spoke the wrong words, he said. I was nning to dy, but now I have to crush you.

    The winged knights that were uselessly flying around Jack, unable to approach, dissipated like dust in the wind. However, the divine radiance that rained down from the heavens persisted, and it began to gather around Maximus, surrounding him like motes of light.

    Prepare yourself, he said, for you are about to witness my supremacy.

 Chapter 295: Disaster

    Chapter 295: Disaster

    At a lower elevation, Sapasun noticed the other battles heating up. Whoops. Guess I dyed too much, he said. Suddenly, he elerated further. His movements became blurs. He teleported behind Dordok, then to his left, then to his right. He became a tornado that the cyclops waspletely unable to keep up with.

    The Sage pointed a finger in his general direction, but it did nothing. What!? he eximed.

    Sapasun suddenly shed above Dordok and smashed a palm onto his head. The cyclops did not managed to defend. His neck bent down, barely able to handle the strain, and his entire body went flying so quickly he crashed into the ground far below.

    Immediately, Sapasun teleported before the Sage. The Sage also tried to teleport to escape, but the canine predicted that and caught up using his superior speed. His hand wrapped around the Sages throat, immobilizing him.

    I was just ying around before, Sapasun said with a slight frown. I can sense that your Dao is far deeper than mine, but you are just too underleveled. I have over double your stats. What were you thinking? How was someone as capable as you allowed to do such stupid shit?

    Despite being firmly grabbed by the neck, the Sage managed to chuckle. Because, he croaked out, I am a sage. I always know what Im doing.

    Sapasun looked on with confusion for a moment, then shrugged. Well, whatever. The real question is His lips were drawn into a feral grin. What should I break first?

    One of the battles was over. Dordok and the Sagehad lost!

    To the side, Shols golden form was still shing heavily against Li Qian. The swordsman dodged everything like a fly, but Shol was not ying around, either. Each of his six arms detonated golden suns. His mouth and eyes unleashed beams of destruction. The very air was scorched where his attacks passed, being slowly refilled by its surroundings with a whoosh.

    Li Qian flew under a beam and over an exploding sun. He teleported to the left, then right behind Shol, but another sun exploded in his face and pushed him back. He released a wild cut from a hundred feet away, but a single golden palm broke the wind de.

    You know you cannot fight me, Shol dered calmly, still shooting out suns, beams, and all sorts of extreme destruction. Li Qian was forced to dodge everything like a fly,pletely unable to approach. You are weak. Always have been. There is only one reason why you have been able to beat me before, and it may no longer be the case. Use it, Li Qian. Use the strike I fear. Let me tear it down and ovee my demons.

    Li Qian gritted his teeth, desperately dodging a cascade of attacks. Though he had also utilized a battle form, the truth was, Shols was simply stronger. He had been able to match it once upon a time, but not anymore. Whatever Shol had been doing in this had sharpened him just enough to overwhelm Li Qian.

    Unless he used his trump card.

    Very well! he roared, flying away and opening a wide distance between them. He lifted his sword over his head slowly, as if it weighed a ton. You may be strong, Shol, but your powers ofprehension arecking. No one could be our factions Head Disciple without mastering our ultimate skill.

    Shols eyes narrowed in concentration. A golden sun blossomed in each of his six palms, ready to be unleashed. Then bring it out, he replied, and let me break that ultimate skill of yours. Let me show you that hard work tramples talent.

    As you wish. Li Qians eyes were dark. He brought down his swordand no longer was its light cyan, but pure white. The swing was much slower than his previous ones. It seemed weak, too. But it was straight. Far too straight, and far too true. It reached deep into the Dao and pulled out secrets that did not belong to the D-Grade.

    Supernova sh! he roared.

    The very tip of his sword shone with white light so blinding it momentarily overwhelmed the real sun in the sky. In the next moment, space before him ruptured as a tremendous explosion urred. He was unaffected; the shockwave was directed entirely towards Shol, a blinding white menace that instantly immted the ground far below. The strength of the actual beam was unfathomable.

    Facing it, Shol had no time to dodge, but nor did he intend to. All six of his arms tossed out a miniature sun. His mouth opened to release a beam of its own, golden in color. His body remained stationary. All seven of his attacks converged into the beam, colliding with an explosion so titanic it created a wide, mushroom-shaped cloud of fire that engulfed both Shol and Li Qian.

    The entire sky stood still for a moment as if in awe of the powers used. Even Jack looked over, protecting his eyes with his Dao. Then, the fire slowly dispersed. The burned air was restored, and the sky stopped moaning.

    Li Qian stood hunched in mid-air. Only tatters remained of his cyan armor. The exposed parts of his skin werepletely charred. He looked to be at the ends of his strength.

    However, another shape fell from the sky, tumbling powerlessly towards the ground below. Shols golden form had been broken. His entire body was burned beyond recognition, and he had lost consciousness. Only his extremely solid body as a peak D-Grade Physical cultivator kept him within an inch of his life.

    Sholhad also lost!

    Jacks eyes widened. No, he muttered. No!

    These all take time to describe, but actually, all three of the battles took ce concurrently. The Sage and Dordok were defeated at around the same time as Shol. In the exact same time, Maximus was still gathering motes of light around him, preparing to unleashed what he called his supremacy.

    Time slowed down for Jack. He saw the defeat of his friends in the distance. They were still alive, but very soon, they wouldnt be. Even if he could match Maximus, more immortals would arrive any second now, and Sapasun was still in fighting condition.

    They had lost.

    But he would not go down without a fight.

    <em>Scorched earth, </em>he thought, his gaze darkening. <em>Fuck you all.</em>

    There were only two things to do: try to save his friends, and take down as many enemies as he possibly could.

    Before Maximus even finished whatever he was up, Jack ignored him and teleported away. He appeared beside Sapasun, who clearly did not expect this. Wha was all he managed to say before a fist crashed into his chest, sending him flying. He had alreadyunched himself backward to weaken the strike, but the attack hade so unannounced hed taken it hard; he spat out blood and screamed in pain.

    What the hell? he asked in a breaking voice.

    At the same time he attacked, Jack had grabbed the canines wrist and mped down on it, forcing him to release the Sage. For a second, the Sage was free. Take the others and run, Jack ordered quickly. Ill hold them off.

    You cant!

    I have to. Either we all die, or only I do. He smiled. Take care of Earth for me, Sage. Please.

    The Sage looked him in the eye for what felt like hours but must have been only an instant. I will, he promised, then instantly teleported away, presumably to collect the others and make a run for it. Jack didnt have time to check anymore.

    He charged. He unleashed a Meteor Punch at Sapasun, forcing him to bend reality to dodge, then pretended to attack again but actually teleported next to Li Qian. The swordsman had been expecting this; he raised his sword to defend, but in his injured state, it was far from enough. He was sent flying away like a missile, spitting out a long line of blood.

    STOP! Maximus roared, appearing before Jack. Golden motes of light still flickered around him. His transformation was notplete; hed been forced to interrupt it in order toe and save the others from a rampaging Jack. What are you doing? he roared. Where is your honor?

    In the survival of my friends, Jack replied,ughing freely. The Fist inside him felt livelier than ever. He then teleported away, appearing between his previous location and the approaching army of immortals, who had almost arrived. All three of you should work together to stop me, he shouted in Maximuss direction, or I will decimate every deacon on your!

    Maximus grew so angry he wanted to spit out blood. You! was all he managed to say before rushing over. Sapasun and Li Qian teleported as well, but there was no way they could make it in time. Jack was closer. He would reach the immortals and begin butchering before they could stop him.

    Jack teleported thrice in quick session. Suddenly, he was in the midst of the approaching first wave of immortals, all deacons. All of them had seen his battle and were already scattering. It is toote to run, Jack muttered. You will all die here. If I am to fall, Im taking you with me.

    He reached inside himself and prepared to activate his Life Drop in ast, suicide attack.

    Then, suddenly, he froze. The world froze. Everything froze. Every mote of Dao he could sense stood still as if afraid to even move. Even the faraway form of the Sage, still carrying the unconscious bodies of Shol and Dordok, also froze.

    That is enough, said a voice brimming with barely restrained anger. The Warden appeared directly in front of Jack in all his majesty, nullifying any and all attempts of a suicide attack. Jack was a bucket of water before an ocean. Facing such disparity in strength, even if he used the Life Drop, anything he tried would beughable.

    In the face of death, he rxed. You would send a C-Grade to achieve what all your Kingdoms D-Grades could not? he asked. Where is your honor?

    The Warden snorted. Hmph! You have already abandoned honor in your despair. Why should our Kingdom not treat you like the dog you are?

 Chapter 296: Challenging an Entire Faction

    Chapter 296: Challenging an Entire Faction

    Jack faced down the Warden. He was slightly injured and tirednot in peak fighting condition, but even if he was, this was apletely unwinnable battle.

    The moment the Warden arrived, everyone knew it was over. The Animal Kingdom inner disciples stopped running and respectfully returned. Maximus, Li Qian, and Sapasun all rxed and bowed down to the Elder. The Sage, who had been escaping while carrying the unconscious bodies of Shol and Dordok, also came to a stop.

    Silence befell the world. Jack broke it.

    I guess this is it, he said, with his chin raised high. He was disheartened; desperate, even. Everything was over. However, at the end of the day, his heart was light, and the Fist was solid. He shook his head,ughing lightly at his own misfortune. At least I showed the world how petty your Kingdom really is.

    An ugly death rattle, the Warden responded impassively. Your little game is over. I hope you enjoyed it, because I will personally make sure you experience more suffering than everyone you killed put together.

    As if I fear pain or death. What suffering can be greater than your loss of face today, Warden?

    You are delusional. Men, capture them.

    A few of the deacons present quickly rushed to apprehend both Jack and the Sage. Thetter took it in stride, letting his arms and legs be bound. Jack released his aura to warn the deacons from approaching. They paused, eyeing their Elder.

    Why do you resist? the Warden asked, furrowing his mature leonine face. You know it is futile. All you achieve is to humiliate yourself.

    What shame is there in fighting to the death?

    As you wish. This humiliation is a fitting death for an evil-doer like yourself.

    Jack snorted. You seem very familiar with humiliation, Warden. I made you suffer it enough times already. Is it your Dao?

    The Warden snorted back. Enough with your nonsense.

    Where exactly is the nonsense? Every D-Grade on Hell failed to catch me for half a year. If that is not humiliation, I dont know what is.

    Anger was unbing for an Elder in public. Yet, under Jacks relentless provocation, his eyes were beginning to narrow, and his aura showed just the slightest hint of instability. Are you out of your mind, brat? he asked. Do you even realize who youre talking to? I am Elder Artus Emberheart, Warden of Hell,te C-Grade. I could annihte you with a thought. How dare you be disrespectful?

    Jackughed. What exactly would I fear, Warden? You have already promised to torture me and harm the people I care about. Youre out of threats.

    At this, the Warden did not reply immediately. Indeed; Jack had nothing left to lose. He could say anything he wanted.

    Reaching that point of thought, the Warden felt frustrated. Take him away, hemanded, waving dismissively. At the same time, he pressed down on Jack with his aura, preventing him from fighting back.

    Jack tried to resist, but it was helpless. Two deacons strong-armed him, holding his wrists behind his back and mping them with ck shackles that felt unbreakable. The situation looked to be over.

    Inside Jacks mind, however, he remained on guard. He was constantly trying toe up with a way out of this, or a way to better pave the path for a future escape. Yet, no matter how he approached the issue, there was nothing.

    <em>Sage, </em>he called out telepathically, <em>can the Church get us out of here?</em>

    <em>No. I wasnt lying before. Even if they kill us both, the Church will not interfere. This was a test for both of us, and if we fail, were on our own.</em>

    Jack gritted his teeth. The ck Hole Church could not save him. The Exploding Sun could not save him. Then, who could?

    The answer was clear: nobody. Jack had to weasel himself out of this or resign to a fate of torture, death, and the Kingdoms revenge against his entire.

    <em>What could I do? </em>he asked himself. <em>There has to be something!</em>

    <em>The bromobile? Completely useless right now.</em>

    <em>The Life Drop? It isnt nearly enough to defeat the Warden. Perhaps I could detonate it, somehow, and hope the explosion injures or kills him. </em>However, as he reached for the Drop inside him to test it out, it was unresponsive. Jack was shocked. The Life Drop refused to obey! He couldnt even activate it, let alone remove it from his soul or detonate it.

    This had never happened before. He didnt know it was possible. And, while this revtion opened a whole new can of worms, it offered exactly zero help in getting out of this predicament.

    Was his only choice really to let himself be captured?

    It was possible that someone, anyone, would show up to rescue him, but it felt like such a remote possibility that it might as well not exist. After everything hed done, the Warden must have been resolved to kill him.

    <em>Any ideas, Sage? </em>he asked again.<em> Im afraid Ive run out.</em>

    <em>Same here, unfortunately. The ck sphere hasnt recharged, and even if it had, I could not use it. I carry no more artifacts with me. There is nothing I can do to help.</em>

    Jacks heart was filled with disappointment before his eyes shone. <em>Wait! The projection stone is still running! </em>he realized. His eyes went over the surrounding immortals. All gazed at him with fear and grudge, including Maximus Lonihor and Li Qian.

    That projection stone was meant to record his capture and partly repair the Animal Kingdoms public image. They nned to broadcast it far and wide to showcase their power. Nobody could escape the Animal Kingdom, that would be their message.

    And, indeed, it had worked. Jack was captured, and he was publicly sentenced to a fate worse than death. Two of the Battle Brothersy unconscious. It seemed like aplete triumph of the Animal Kingdom, a sound p to the face of everyone who called them ipetent.

    But what if Jack could turn that in his favor?

    The projection stone was still active. He could not fight back with force, but maybe there were other ways. Maybe, just maybe, he could punch them with words. A n was already forming in his mind, a n he didnt dare believe in. It was desperatebut it just might work.

    One moment, he called out, pretending to give in to despair. He let his voice grow weak. I have an offer to make, Warden. May I speak?

    The Wardens face went from real disinterest to feigned one. Since youre begging, go ahead, he replied.

    In his heart, the Warden must have been dancing with glee. Capturing Jack Rust was a given the moment he chose to actthe real point of this mission was to create a recording that would paint the Animal Kingdom in the best light possible. Jack Rust was acting stubborn just now, which didnt really work for them. However, if he tried to beg for mercy or offer a deal, the Warden could shut him down hard, exhibiting the Kingdoms moral superiority as well.

    In his heart, he was thanking every star in the sky for Jack Rust giving in.

    Little did he know that Jack Rust possessed the perfectlyposed mind of a warrior. In this situation, he had the calmness and wisdom to look ahead, capitalizing on the Wardens underestimation.

    Because of me, the Animal Kingdom has suffered great humiliation, he said apologetically. By evading all D-Grades on Hell for half a year, I have made the Kingdoms younger generation seempletely inept. Im sure that every other faction in the gxy is mocking you right now.

    As if! the Warden interrupted him quickly. Get to the point, brat. Everyone knows that you only survived this long because of your aplices spatial artifact. If not for that, you would have died a thousand times over.

    Thats exactly my point, oh honorable Warden. I tricked my way through this, making your D-Grades seem uselesspared to a rogue cultivator like myself. So, I offer a way to make up for this. I challenge the strongest D-Grades your Kingdom has to offer to a duel.

    The Wardens eyes narrowed. He began to suspect something. You cannot escape like that. You are already captured.

    With all due respect, Warden, I was captured by you, not them. Even now, when I possessed no spatial artifacts, all these D-Grades were inadequate against me and forced you to act personally.

    Everyone can understand you are using more artifacts, the Warden replied. Its obvious. How else could a new D-Grade match our deacons?

    But what if Im not? What if your deacons are genuinely ipetent? That is exactly what everyone in the gxy is saying, Warden, and it is a grave insult! How could your Kingdom live this down? If you dont prove yourselves, then even ten thousand years into the future, all your disciples will be mocked behind their backs, and your subordinates will think youre just bullies with big mouths and small fists.

    The Warden finally suspected something was up. Wait, he said, but Jack wasnt going to.

    I challenge you to a duel, he dered proudly, raising his chin and revealing his true intentions. He infused his words with every speck of power he could manage. I, Jack Rust, challenge the entire Animal Kingdom. I am but one man, and you are a faction with millions of disciples. Bring any D-Grade you want. I, Jack Rust, will defeat them and prove to the entire world that the mockery on your face is correct. The Animal Kingdom is nothing but a declining, festering cradle of weakness. Your immortals are a joke. In a few thousand years, when all your C-Grades die and the weaklings you call deacons are called to take up their spot, the Kingdom will fall from the heavens and crash into the dirt so hard you be the gxys eternalughingstock. Do you dare ept my challenge, Warden? One man versus a faction. Do you have the balls?

    Everyone was speechless. Even across the entire, where the image was projected, people still gaped with their jaws touching the floor.

    Jack Rust had just challenged every D-Grade in the entire Animal Kingdom to a duel. Was he nuts!?

    Of course he was!

    The Wardens face grew red with anger and frustration. What bullshit are you spouting? he barked. You are a prisoner. Who says you can duel anyone?

    You do, Warden, Jack replied, staring him straight in the eyes. You will ept my challenge because you have no choice. Everyone saw me fight Maximus Lonihor on equal ground before you were forced to interrupt us, afraid of me killing him.

    You were attacking others! Thats why I stopped you!

    Jackughed rowdily. What a joke you are, Warden. So your deacons need protection from someone of lower level, is that it? You were afraid of me, a lone man at Level 230, jumping into the midst of your peak D-Grades and killing them all. Is that what youre saying, Warden? That your deacons are so weak they need babysitting?

    You are twisting reality, brat! the Warden shouted back. Only now did he realize hed messed up. Hed underestimated Jack, thinking he was nothing but a knucklehead. Who would have thought he could speak with such savagery? With such sharpness?

    By letting Jack speak freely, the Warden had let him paint the events in his imageand the worst part is, he was right! Everything Jack was saying right now waspletely correct! Indeed, this entire humiliation stemmed from Jacks extreme power and their rtive weakness. If they didnt disprove that, they had no way to really repair their public image.

    Just how was the Warden supposed to retort?

    You are out of words, Warden, Jack dered proudly, pressing on. ept my challenge if you dare. You have no choice. If you win, you lose nothing. But if you decline, everyone will know that the Animal Kingdom is made up of weak cowards!

    The Warden felt his heart burn so badly it could catch on fire. Hed been yed! Hed been driven into such an ugly spot, and it was all his fault for letting Jack speak!

    What would we even earn from humoring you, Jack Rust? he asked bitterly. Weve captured you already. Prisoners dont get to make demands, and you have nothing to offer that we cant get.

    I do: honor. Your honor. If you defeat me, I will publicly admit my wrongdoings and bow my head to you. I will be a dog and ve of the Animal Kingdom, saving you some of the face youve lost. But if I win, you must set me and mypanions free.

    Bullshit! the Warden shouted. Youre dreaming!

    Am I? Jackughed. Just how afraid are you of me, Warden? You know what? Let me make things easier for you. Dont bring one D-Grade. Bring three. I will defeat them all at once and stick your face so far up your ass that youll see your own throat.

    How dare you speak like that to me, Jack Rust!? I am an Elder! the Warden roared, releasing his aura. The winds broke and the sky shuddered. The earth rumbled. The stars flickered. The world became the Wardens, an unbreakable space of supremacy.

    Yet, words were the one thing power could not kill. The Warden was trapped. He knew it. Jack knew it. Everyone knew it, as they found themselves nodding in agreement and looking forward to the fight Jack proposed. When would they ever see such a spectacle again?

    If the Warden declined, no matter how he phrased it, everyone would know the truth: he was afraid of Jack Rust winning. He really had fought Maximus to a standstill. No matter how absurd it sounded, he had the qualifications to challenge the Animal Kingdom like this.

    The Warden couldnt believe hed yed like that by a junior. It was the single most humiliating event of his life. At that moment, his hatred for Jack Rust grew to new heights, but he was participating in an event that would soon be watched by the entire gxy. He had to protect the Animal Kingdom.

    What is your answer, Warden? Jack Rust asked. Are you a proud man or a coward?

    The Warden snorted coldly, but on the inside, he was burning. He was gnashing his teeth. Finally, he realized he had no choicebut he wouldnt go down without a fight.

    After all, the Warden refused to believe that someone could rise to be one of the gxys strongest D-Grades within a year. Jack had to be cheating, somehow, and since he was captured, the Hand of Gods inquisitors and their deep scan would strip him of every artifact in his body. That way, Jacks real strength would be revealed, and how could it be greater than that of a deacon? The Warden simply refused to believe that.

    Even he, ate C-Grade, had shown nowhere near such talent at that age. There was no way Jack Rust, a <em>human, </em>could do it.

    Fine! he growled. The Animal Kingdom will not tolerate your disrespect. However, how could our head disciple fight someone of as low standing as you? No. Since you spoke to me so disrespectfully, it is fitting that you be humiliated and executed by my own top disciple, Sapasun!

    Jack snorted. That weakling is not enough.

    Beat him and you can duel Maximus, the Warden replied in outrage. But we both know that wont happen. You will bepletely subjugated by my disciple. We will show the world that a weakling like you, who depended on treasures and treachery to assassinate our members, is nothing before a real warrior.

    Fine! A duel it is! Jackughed.

    Dont be happy, kid. Your death wille soon.

    That is not the case. I am stronger than Maximus. I am winning this. I bet you are already cursing your luck for epting, but there is nothing you can do about it. You are powerless.

    Hmph. More bullshit. Ive had enough of your disrespect. Shut up now or Ill make you.

    Jackpletely ignored him. How does it feel to be out of options, Warden? he asked, grinning. How does it feel for a strong C-Grade like you to bepletely entrapped by a man you consider weak and lowly? But I have news for you. I am neither. You have ridden the tiger, Warden, and there is no getting off. I <em>will </em>publicly humiliate your faction, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it. But you know what? Maybe, if you wiggle your little lion butt for me, I could change my mind. Go on. Im waiting.

    At this, the Warden was finally unable to keep his cool. With a mighty snort, he crashed his aura down on Jack. Thest thing Jack saw was arge, wrinkled palm before his nose. Then, he lost consciousness.

    The Warden stood before an unconscious Jack and turned to the projection stone. In three days, my top disciple, Sapasun, will duel Jack Rust. If he somehow loses, then our strongest D-Grade, Maximus Lonihor, will take over, he dered. Our Kingdom fears no one, especially not cheating cowards who use treasured artifacts to trick the world. For the crimes this man hasmitted, he must be publicly and soundly humiliated. This farce had dragged on for long enough.

    He waved his hand at the projection stone, deactivating it.

    Then,pletely ignoring the D-Grades around him, he roared at the sky in frustration. Everyone trembled. The sky above turned radiant, lightning flying everywhere.

    Warden Maximus uttered hesitantly.

    Shut up! the Warden shouted back. You heard me. Take them all to prison. Sapasun, youre fighting this guy in three days, and you damn best win. Dismissed!

 Chapter 297: Devil Deals

    Chapter 297: Devil Deals

    Etsin, the echidna devil that Jack had released from Trial, appeared in the middle of a teleporter. Move, the guard growled at him.

    Yes, yes, Etsin replied, quickly stepping away.

    He was disguised, of course. Right now, he looked like an unaffiliated E-Grade human cultivator in his thirtiesan appearance hed found most people ignored. Of course, D-Grades could detect his disguise, but there was no way this tiny ce would have guards of that caliber.

    Etsin stepped out of the teleporter hub and into the town proper. Arge sign spelled, Fair Way Continent.

    Finally, he whispered to himself, sniffing the air. She must be here. I can sense her already.

    Ignoring the wary looks of the other pedestrians, he turned into the alley between two buildings and assumed his real form. Gray skin, bat wings, red horns, spikes on his spine, and long, sharp ears. A drunk woman rummaging through the trash binsan F-Grade Saphira with purple eyes and sapphire hairchoked and screamed at his appearance, but the devil ignored her to teleport away.

    A few jumpster, he was alone in the middle of a field. He sniffed the air and teleported again, following his nose to the location of his next victim.

    Another pure soul he muttered with glee, rubbing his hands together. And at such close proximity, too! This must be my lucky century!

    Space was inconsequential. The devil traveled nine miles with every jump, quickly reaching many horizons away from where hed first appeared.

    Its growing stronger! he eximed, switching from teleportation to supersonic flight. A sharp mountain grewrger in his sight. As soon as he reached it, he wed open the entrance of a sealed cave and barged in, finding himself immediately under assault by a Will-based attack.

    Of course, he dispelled it right away.

    Naughty child, he said with a snort. Kneel!

    His D-Grade aura spread out, impacting the sole, mid E-Grade woman that upied this cave and forcing her to her knees. She was a saphira, toothe prevalent species of this tiny. However, unlike most, her countenance was dark, and a baleful air circled her like a pack of vultures. Etsin could almost smell the grief she carried.

    Good, good, he said. Overwhelmed by grief and fueled by revenge. Perfect.

    D-Grade? Devil? the woman asked. Though she waspletely overpowered, she did not seem to fear death. The only emotions she showed were sorrow and hatred. How did you find me? she demanded to know. Was the destruction of my friends and family not enough? Must you kill me too?

    Oh, girl, I have no idea what youre talking about. Im not with the ones after you. On the contraryI am here to give you what you desire most. <em>Power.</em>

    Thatst word echoed through the cave over and over, as if it had been spoken with such weight that the naturalws didnt dare silence it.

    The saphira looked at him warily. You are a devil, she said. Ive heard about your kind.

    Everything youve heard is true. In return for my gift, I will have your soul. But do you really care?

    She held his stare. She gave in to the absurdity. No.

    Excellent! I judged you well. Then, shall we? He waved his hand and a scroll appeared. When it unfurled, blood-colored letters scrolled all the way to the ground.

    What are you saying? the girl asked. I dont understand.

    Let me formalize my offer. What is your name?

    ...Vlossana, she replied with some hesitation.

    Good. My name is Etsin, an echidna devil, and I can sense the darkness within you. I can sense your desire. If you ept my offer, I will gift you the power you need to exact revenge on those who wronged you. I will help you reach the D-Grade.

    Her eyes widened. The D-Grade!?

    Etsin fought hard to keep the sneer off his lips. To these mortals, the simple D-Grade was the apex of the apex, something they couldnt even achieve in their wildest dreams. They eyed it like children at a dangling candy, not knowing there were a thousand of them at every corner store.

    Indeed, he confirmed. I can offer you that tremendous power.

    And whats the catch? she asked. Do you get my soul now or after I die?

    After. But there is another condition. I am willing to give you half that power right now, pushing you to the peak E-Grade. You will be able to dominate simple ces like this continent.

    She nodded. He could see the struggle in her eyes quickly fading. She had nothing to losethose people could never decline. And the other half? she asked.

    The other half is for after youplete a favor of mine, he said with a smile. But an easy one. I just want you to kill a certain man. Thats all. I promise you will be strong enough to do it.

    Her eyes narrowed in thought. Do I know that man?

    No.

    Is he innocent?

    Does it matter?

    She held his stare for a moment. Gradually, her eyes hardened. Etsin sensed the dark desire inside her strengthening, and this time, his devilish grin appeared in all its glory.

    Finally, Vlossana nodded. Im listening.

    ***

    Edgar blew out a puff of smoke, looking into the stars. His heels were propped on his desk, and his back was slouched on his soft chair.

    Finally, he was useful. He could help and protect the people he cared about. He could somewhat fill in the shoes that Jack Rust had left behind.

    And, at the same time, he was so fucking sad.

    I hate this, he muttered to himself, pressing his eyes shut to keep the tears in. Hed promised he wouldnt cry anymore. He would be strong. His friends needed him, and they were all he cared about now. Not himselfhis body was there, but his soul was long gone. Hed promised it to the devil, Etsin, in return for battle power.

    What a sad life he muttered to the stars, the only confidants he dared trust. If it was any other time, any other world But no. It is what it is. Others will find the beauty I relinquished. For me, there is only war. Such is my fate.

    The devil had constructed a shell around his Dao Seed of Magic, harnessing its power to fuel a more battle-oriented version of magic. That way, Edgar could fight without shattering his Daobut the more power he used, the more of his soul he surrendered. When there was nothing left, he would die and forever disappear in the devils belly.

    That was the deal. Power in return for his soul.

    How poetic. Life imitates art, he told himself, pushing the dark thoughts away. He didnt need them. He didnt need to think at all. Edgar the Magician was gone, and what remained was Edgar the Destroyer.

    No matter how terribly this hurtit would be over soon.

    And his friends would be safe.

    ***

    Brock ducked under a mighty swing. An entire section of the forest behind him was shattered, but he pushed forth uncaring. The Staff of Stone arced over his back, around his shoulder, and into his palm. He brought it down.

    The tip of the staff met a stone club. The ground cratered under the point of impact. Brock pushed with all his might, increasing the density of his staff and muscles to amplify his power. It was not enough. He was sent flying back into a massive, ancient tree, but he decreased his density at thest moment to rotate,nd feet-first, and shoot back out.

    The King of Ogres, the two-headed ruler of the forest, could not retract his club in time. Brock sailed over it, increasing his density mid-flight and pouring the Big Thought of Muscle into his arms. His biceps erged to tremendous dimensions. The ogre kings four eyes widened. Brocks staff cracked down, impacting one of the ogres thick skulls and fracturing the ground below for a hundred feet in every direction. Soil went flying. Dust filled the air.

    The ogre moaned, stepping back with a shaking body. Brocknded on his feet. Sorry bro, he said, but I win.

    He charged again. The staff became one with his body, dancing around him to the tune of the opponents death. The ogre tried to resist, but only one of his skulls remained. A few mighty swingster, Brocks staff stabbed the ogres throat, knocking him dead on his back.

    The forest around them was ravaged. A dozen ogresy dead in puddles of blood, and every ancient tree in a wide radius had been felled. Dust still clouded the perimeter, while the ground was covered in craters of various sizes.

    Brock was the only one still standing. He had not brought his little bros along, because this was a battle only for himself.

    Bros are important, but so is the ability to stand alone.

    I win, Brock said to himself. His deep voice was emotional. He had spent six months training as hard as his body could support. He was lined with muscles now, both in body and mind, and his power had reached far beyond his previous state. Hed even achieved a fourth Big Thoughtthe Big Thought of Never Stopping.

    Brock still belonged to what his little bros called the E-Grade, but he had reached the apex. Nobody in the town could fight him. Nobody on the. The King of Ogres had been considered invincible, but Brock had triumphed over it.

    Brock estimated that he was at the same level of power as Big Brother when he fought the silver knight, as long as he didnt use the Big Green Four Arms.

    He looked at his wrista motion his little bros often didand nodded. Though he wore no clock, he knew it was almost time. There were only two weeks left. He had to prepare and depart for Home.

    On the way back, a monkeyish grin was stered on Brocks face. He couldnt wait to see Big Bros reaction at how far he had reachedand he couldnt wait to see what heights Big Bro himself had attained.

    He had no doubt that nothing bad could happen to Big Bro. They would meet again soon, and they would both be proud of each other, then they would travel together and have bro adventures all over the world.

    Brock had worked hard and attained strength. From now on, life was his to enjoy.

 Chapter 298: An Offer Unseen

    Chapter 298: An Offer Unseen

    Jack awoke in a dark, cold prison cell. ck manacles mped down on his wrists, limiting his ability to invoke the Dao, while a hard-faced deacon stared him down from behind steel bars.

    Sup, Jack said.

    The deacon snorted. He was a sizeable lycan who looked like hed seen more than his fair share ofbat

    Jack closed his eyes and expanded his perception. It didnt reach past the bars. The manacles on his wrists limited his connection to the Dao, constricting him to the most rudimentary level of control.

    It was an odd feeling. Hed lived most of his life without any Dao whatsoever, but its absence now struck him as hard as the loss of a distant rtive.

    His surprise must have shown, because the guard spoke up. Its only temporary, he said. In two days, we will remove the manacles so you can duel and die at your best.

    Brave of you. I didnt expect the Animal Kingdom to act with dignity.

    You dont deserve it. The deacon snorted again. This is only because your duel is public. It will be transmitted across the gxy, so we can repair the damage you did. If you ask me, a murderer like you should be tortured and executed somewhere dark and cold.

    Good thing youre not in charge, then.

    The deacon snorted a third time and did not respond.

    Do you have people looking after every prisoner here? Jack asked.

    Everyone else has the Wardens mark on their soul, except you. Now shut up.

    Jackplied. He had better things to do than chat with bitter man.

    <em>I made it, somehow </em>he thought, bursting at the seams with relief. <em>They did not kill me instantly Now, I can try to survive. All I have to do is defeat Maximus Lonihor in a public duel. </em>He grinned slyly. <em>I think I got this.</em>

    Using the Life Drop was out of the question, of course, but he held a certain level of confidence. His real opponent was theary overseera mere D-Grade, no matter how strong, was only a warm-up.

    <em>Am I arrogant for thinking that way as a D-Grade myself? Hmm. Only if I cant live up to it.</em>

    His mind then turned to other thoughts. Thest thing he remembered was getting knocked out by the Warden. Until then, all three of hispanions had been alive, so they probably still were. Their lives were part of the duels stakes.

    <em>I hope the professor and the others are not too worried.</em>

    He tried to ess the telepathy hed recently unlocked but came up short. In fact, he couldnt even bring up his status screen. <em>Do the manacles cut me off from the System, too? </em>he wondered, raising his hands to take a good look at them. <em>Or does the System itselfmunicate through the Dao?</em>

    <em>Or both?</em>

    However, even if his connection to the Dao was severed, his connection to his soul wasnt. He could still feel his Dao Tree pulsing inside him, a core of tightly-packed power he could exercise at will.

    Of course, using external Dao was the main difference between the E and D Grades. Immortals could use their own Dao as a trigger to direct the ambient Dao in their environment and exert much stronger power. In Jacks current state, he was limited to his own storage, so even if he tried to escape, he wouldnt get far. Honestly, getting a deacon to watch over him was overkill. Any mid D-Grade would do.

    Not that he nned to escape. This duel was right up his alley. He could humiliate the Animal Kingdom in front of the entire gxy, and also secure the freedom of himself and his friends.

    The Warden was a fool for epting. Who knows what he had miscalcted?

    Bereft of things to do, Jack dove into his soul. The moment he appeared there, floating in an empty cosmos, his Dao Tree illuminated everything like a beacon. It had grown a lot sincest time. It was now a fully-fledged tree, with a thick trunk and sprawling branches. The only things missing were leaves, of which it had none, and a crown of branches at the top, which was in the middle of forming.

    The five-colored Fist remained under the tree, like the soil from which it drew nutrients, while the Life Drop was still buried right under its roots, shining a lively green.

    And there was a door on the bark.

    Jack floated towards it. Everything else, he could understand. The Fist, the Life Drop, the trees growing process. This door was the only thing about which he had no clue. Not even Shol or the Sage could help. As far as everyone knew, there werent supposed to be any doors on a Dao Tree, yet here it was, defying every expectation.

    Jacks hand pressed on the door. It was part of the tree, looking like a random bark pattern, but its simrity to a door was so striking that there was no way this was a coincidence. It even had a doorknob.

    What are you? Jack muttered. He tried to open it, as he had many times in the past, but nothing happened. The door behaved just like a random pattern on the bark.

    I guess my tree needs to finish maturing he muttered to himself, looking up at the half-formed crown. When I reach the peak of the D-Grade, Ill try again.

    Cool! came the words of another person, though spoken in Jacks voice. Turning, he found Copy Jack hovering in the void.

    Hey, Copy Jack, Jack said. You seem fine.

    Just fine? Im great!

    Jack simpleughed. Ever since Copy Jack had been struck by the Life Drop, forck of a better word, hed gradually developed a personality of his own. By now, he was just like a real personor rather, a child borrowing Jacks body. It was a bit weird, but what can you do?

    What do you think is behind the door? Copy Jack asked, floating around with excitement. Stars? More fist? A Copy Tree? Or nothing? I cant wait to find out!

    Jack smirked. Take it easy, he said. All will be revealed in time.

    But I dont <em>want </em>to take it easy! Copy Jack responded, pouting. I have to stay in here while you hog all the fun out there. Its not fair. I want to see the outside world too. I bet it has many trees.

    Im working on it, Jack replied helplessly. I promise you, the moment I discover a way to take you to the real world, Ill do it.

    Okay. Copy Jacks mood instantly swung around. So, what are we doing today? Fighting? Meditating? Experimenting? Oh! Can we y around with space again? I like that.

    Uh Waiting, mostly. I was also nning to meditate a bit.

    Cool! What about?

    Remember the supernova? The big exploding sun thing Ive been working on but havent gotten right yet? I have some time to spare, so I thought Id give it a shot.

    Awesome! Can I help?

    You can try.

    Nice!

    Facing Copy Jacks unbridled joy at such simple things, Jack felt helpless.

    This was another mystery. As far as anyone knew, Dao Souls were supposed to bewell, not real. Not people. They were just empty shells that Jacks soul could borrow to pretend to be a second person.

    His best theory was that the Life Drop had somehow infused the Dao Soul with life, letting it be a real soul as well, but he had no way to confirm it. This theory was also in line with his recent realization that the Life Drop had at least a hint of consciousness of its own, as had been revealed when it refused to be detonated.

    The Sage was also clueless about this issue, or so he imed.

    <em>Why is my soul suddenly full of secrets? </em>Jack thought, rubbing the back of his head. <em>Well, whatever. The Life Drop hasnt caused me any problems so far. As long as I survive this and keep growing, all will be revealed in time.</em>

    Ill start meditating now, Copy Jack, he said. If youe up with anything, let me know.

    Alright! the copy responded, sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes in deep concentration. Jack doubted Copy Jack could even enter a proper meditation state. All the Dao he possessed had been inherited from Jack.

    Shrugging, Jack also sat cross-legged and tuned out the world. His breathing fell into a familiar pattern, his body rxed, and he found himself visualizing the world with great rity. Suddenly, he was back to watching the supernova with Master Huali. He saw the star erupt into a red giant, loosen its skin, thenpress its core until it blew up in the most violent event of the universe.

    At the same time, Jack was aware of some of the physics behind a supernova. He knew that the explosion was caused by the star copsing so powerfully that the atoms of its outer shell were smashed together, creating arge number of nuclear fusions all at once. When the explosion was over and everything else had been expelled, all that remained was a star formed almost exclusively of tightly-packed tightly packed togethera neutron star, the namesake of one of Jacks other skills.

    However, neither his knowledge of physics nor his personal experience helped him at all. He had no idea how to turn those insights into a skill.

    It was easier for the Fist. He was connected to it, understood it from many sides. It represented so many things he could incarnate to connect with the Dao and make it obey him.

    But what was he supposed to do about a supernova? Get really really angry?

    Jack tried many things. He tried to imagine the essence of a supernova, what it would mean for a person. He tried topress his Dao hard enough to explode. He even tried to go full Hulk mode, but it was useless. After testing everything he could think of, nothing clicked.

    It was exactly the same as every other time he tried to meditate on the skill during his three months of training. It always feltoff. Like it wasnt meant for him. But he didnt want to just quit without giving it his best, so he kept trying.

    Eventually, he got frustrated and opened his eyes in the real world. Guess Ill

    He paused. There were two people inside his cell, a few feet ahead of him. Neither was the deacon from beforeand, oddly, he could not sense their presence. If he wasnt seeing them with his own eyes, he would have never noticed.

    They were a man and a woman, both wearing clean white robes. They stared at him silently and piercingly, emitting no aura whatsoever. Jack couldnt inspect them, as he still wore the manacles, but they didnt feel like D-Gradesor even like they belonged to the Animal Kingdom.

    The Hand of God, I presume, he said.

    The two people nodded. We are here to deep-scan you, the man replied.

    Youve been on the run for a while, the woman added. Highly suspicious.

    I wasnt on the runnobody had told me you were looking for me. I only found out here, in Hell, but I couldnte out and meet you.

    The two people nodded again, revealing nothing. All will be clear soon, said the man. He raised his right hand, on which he wore an borate ring. It seemed made of gears, though none were turning and none seemed real. Please do not resist.

    Jack wasnt nning to, but neither could he. The mans finger reached him instantly, pressing down on the spot between his brows. Jack did his best to remain still, but he soon found himself convulsing.

    The feeling was extremely intrusive. It was like someone had dug their hands into his body and were snooping around, feeling everything. It wasnt painful, per se, but he wanted to puke.

    Thankfully, hed swallowed the Sages pill, so even a deep scan would hopefully reveal nothing about his Life Drop.

    Finally, the finger withdrew, and Jack found himself on the floor. He didnt remember falling.

    No sign of tampering, said the man, to which the woman raised a surprised brow. Although I did see the Ninth Ring Conqueror title. Impressive. He gave Jack a new nce, one containing hints offriendliness? We were not aware of that, he said leadingly.

    Jack gritted his teeth to regain his bearing. Hed forgotten about his titlethough it made sense that a deep scan would see his entire status screen. I didnt make it public, he replied, still panting. I thoughtit might draw too much attention.

    Rightly so. The woman nodded. You are the first in this gxy to attain it. May we ask how?

    The Integration titles and four Dao Roots gave me the edge I needed. Then, I tricked the Final Guardian with a feint nobody in their right mind would use. The chances were heavily against mebut it worked, somehow. I got lucky.

    Most of what he said were lies, spoken as convincingly as he could. The two people nced at each other, then back at him. And that is how you teleported away from Trial without our knowledge?

    Jack nodded. The Final Guardian offered to take me somewhere closer to my next destination. I didnt think anyone was waiting for me.

    Once again, they looked at each other and nodded subtly. Not lying, said the man.

    Indeed, the woman agreed. This was just a big misunderstanding. But a fortunate one.

    You are an exceptionally talented man, the man spoke directly. Dying here would be a waste of your potential. How about you join the Hand of God? We can make all your problems disappear and give you everything you need to realize your future. With your achievements, even reaching the B-Grade is not out of the question.

 Chapter 299: The Grand Duel Begins

    Chapter 299: The Grand Duel Begins

    Jack was taken aback. Excuse me? he asked.

    The question was clear, the white-dressed woman replied. Are you willing to join the Hand of God? We can make it worth your while.

    Jack opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. In his mind, the Hand of God had been the enemy for a long time now. He hadnt expected them to just invite him in. Worth my while? he asked.

    The man nodded. This duel of yours We can arrange it to not be to the death. After you lose, you will be executed by the Animal Kingdom, but it will be staged. In truth, well find a lookalike to die in your stead while youe to our headquarters for further training.

    As for your home, the woman added, we will ensure that your loved ones escape. Just give us a short list and well make it happen.

    Jack was bbergasted. This sounded too good to be true. All his problems could be solved just like that!?

    At the same time, however, he knew that he could not ept. Not only did the Hand exercise deceit and tyranny, as they had proven repeatedly in the past, but the Sages vision and exnation remained all too vivid in his mind. The Hand of God was nothing but a tool for the Immortals, the ones who forced the entire universe into an age of bloodshed, pain, and strife. They were the bad guys.

    Not to mention the Life Drop, which still existed inside him, or the fact that hed already agreed to join the ck Hole Churchwho may be equally bad, but at least they hadnt shown such sings yet.

    Jack did not like the Hand of God. Joining them rubbed him the wrong way, and with the many unknown variables in ce, it had good chances of being a terrible decision. It was tempting that they could save his friends and familythough not everyone on Earthbut at the end of the day, the way of the fist was all-or-nothing. Half-measures had no ce in it. Jack would either follow the best path possible and use his own strength to save his peopleor everyone would die trying.

    However, he wasnt an idiot. If deceiving these guys was the only way to escape his current predicament, he would absolutely do it. The Fist did not encourage stupid deaths.

    He needed information.

    The Animal Kingdom would agree to that? he asked. After everything I did to them?

    The man gave him a hard, meaningful smile. The Hand of God doesnt take no for an answer.

    There was a clear double meaning in that sentence, one that Jack got all too clearly.

    This sounds too good to be true he said slowly. Could I take some time to think it over?

    The eyes of both people narrowed at the same time. This is not an invitation, said the woman. It is a summoning. Dont think too high of yourself. You will join the Hand of God, the true rulers of this gxy, and you will do as we say. Am I understood, Jack Rust?

    Jack lowered his gaze so they couldnt see through his thoughts. If these guys werent going to take no for an answer, he would just lie to them.

    I understand, he said.

    Good. After the duel, we will contact you again to fake your execution and rescue some of yours people. However The woman eyed him seriously. The duel will be to the death, but I expect you not to kill anyone. You will defeat Sapasun without killing him, and then you will lose to Maximus Lonihor so the Animal Kingdom can preserve a bit of their dignity. Otherwise, even we wont be able to save you. Am I understood?

    Yes, maam.

    Excellent. We will speak again.

    Both white-dressed people nodded at each other and disappeared. They didnt teleport away, just ceased existing. If Jack didnt know he was too insignificant for people like them to waste time on, he would have thought they still waited in his cell, watching invisibly.

    He sighed. <em>How did I get into such a mess again? </em>he asked himself, but no answer came.

    <em>What do I do? Do I really have no choice but to go along with them? </em>His eyes hardened. <em>I need to speak with the Sage.</em>

    Hey, he called out. Then, louder: HEY!

    He heard the faint sound of boots on stone. A few momentster, a guard walked past his cellthe same lycan deacon hed seen before. It looked like hed taken some distance to let the Hand of God agents speak to him freely.

    Stop shouting, he said.

    Can I see my friends? Jack asked. I want to make sure theyre okay.

    Rot in your cell, murderer. Youll meet them at the duel, where they get to see you die, the guard replied with a snort, then walked away.

    Jack sighed again. <em>Well, thats good enough for me. I can speak to the Sage with telepathy.</em>

    A few different storms raged inside Jacks head, each problem striving to seem more gargantuan than the previous one. However, he knew when to bother and when not to. Right now, all he could do was wait. When he had more information, he would decide better.

    And so, Jack settled down to meditate, waiting for his duel.

    Two days went by.

    ***

    Jacks duel was even greater in importance than he thought. His previous adventures on Hell had already made headlines across the gxy. News of hising duel, with the Animal Kingdoms honor on the line, spread like wildfire. Before the three days were over, every important person in the gxy had heard the news. The Merchant Union worked overtime to arrange things.

    By the third day,rge projectors had been set up in every major city across the gxy. The event would be broadcasted live to trillions of cultivators. Small andrges saw their poptions flock to city centers. Many businesses stopped working. Other events were rescheduled. Every cultivator with eyes made sure to leave that day open on their calendar.

    All the way from the core of the Animal Kingdom constetion to the very fringes of System space, the gaze of the entire Milky Way gxy was focused on Jacks duel.

    It wasnt just the scale of the event. They had already heard about Jack Rust. He was a warrior of freedom fighting against the tyrants and miraculously holding his own. He was the ultimate underdog. At the same time, when was thest time a B-Grade faction bet its honor on such a public event?

    How could anyone <em>not </em>watch this spectacle?

    Projections were set up in every core of every B-Grade faction. The Exploding Sun, the Wipe Swirls, the Dragon Valley. Even the Hand of God was watching. Every D-Grade cultivator had their eyes peeled on the screen, eager to be inspired by the best of their Grade.

    Of course, amongst all thes of the gxy, there were some that hosted peculiar audiences.

    On the outer of the Exploding Sun headquarters, arge group arrived to watch the battle. They were three hundred people carrying drums, trumpets, even popcorn. Leading them was a very proud and expectant brori, nked by a canine and a barbarian girl.

    In the capital of the Fair Way Continent, two hooded figures watched from a rooftop, one filled with glee and the other with bitterness.

    On Earth, both the Bare Fist Brotherhood and the Ice Peak had secured projections from their respective merchants, and the entire war hade to a pause as everyone waited with bated breath. Edgar was gulping nervously. Vivi held a hand over her belly to calm herself down. The professor had sped her hands together, praying for Jack to a god she didnt believe in. Even theary overseer had interrupted her meditation to watchafter all, Maximus Lonihor was her son.

    In the depths of Trial, an old man d in silver armor waved his hand, hijacking the projection signal to conjure a small screen before his face. He watched with sadness.

    In a starship dock on a small of the Animal Kingdom constetion, a minotaur, a feshkur, and a saphira looked up at the projection in the sky with mixed feelings.

    Trillions and quintillions of credits were circting around Jacks duel, the greatest public event in the gxys recent history. The heart of the gxy beat in one pulse, and everyone wondered the same thingcould Jack Rust actually win?

    ***

    Artus Emberheart knelt to the ground. Grand Elder, he said reverently. Before him stood an old, muscr leonine whose fur was half gray and half golden.

    Artus, the Grand Elder said. You may rise.

    Artus did, his teeth gritted. He seemed unwellfilled with rage and worry. I have received word from the Hand of God inquisitors. As impossible as it sounds, Jack Rust was employing no external help to match Maximus. I fear that my disciple, Sapasun

    Speak no further, Artus, the Grand Elder interrupted him, raising a hand. What we have said in public, we cannot take back. Your disciple will fight Jack Rust and scout out his powers for Maximus. The Hand of God has decreed that no deaths will ur in the duel. If your disciple still manages to die, he can only me his own weakness.

    Artus nodded deeply. Yes, Grand Elder.

    This is a battle we cannot afford to lose, Artus. The entire gxy is watching, the Grand Elder replied grimly. I have the Hands assurances, but I do not trust Jack Rust to obey them. If he can defeat Maximus, I believe he will do so. It is your job to ensure that doesnt happen. If it does, I will have your head.

    Yes, Grand Elder.

    But do not underestimate that man. Time and time again, he has exceeded our expectations and secured critical hits. He has in the man who was both your son and my own disciple, the one we paid a steep price to send to an un-Integrated: Rufus Emberheart. He has killed hundreds of our immortals, treating Hell as his yground. It is imperative that he never rises again. I dont care what the Hand of God says. Instruct Maximus to kill him no matter what. Should that man survive, then, with the enmity we have cultivated, it will spell ugly days for our noble faction.

    Artus Emberheart nodded deeply, and his lips were drawn into a smile that was both wicked and pained. Yes, Grand Elder.

    ***

    Near the core of the Animal Kingdom, at the capital of Hell, on the rooftop of a massive prison campus, arge, spherical arena had been set up. It had a radius of three miles and could easily seat a million people. Obviously, all seats were upied. Transparent barriers protected the audience from the battle inside the stage, supported by the Kingdoms C-Grade Enforcers.

    The honor seats were also upied. The Warden was there, as were several other Elders of the Animal Kingdom, including the Grand Elder: an old, muscr leonine whose fur was half-gray half-golden. Elders Huali and Monsoon of the Exploding Sun were also present, having been personally invited by the Kingdoms Grand Elder. Even the white-robed representatives of the Hand of God were seated beside the others. The only D-Grade on the honor seats was Li Qian, who sat besides his master.

    No B-Grades were visible, though they could have been watching unseen.

    It was the first time in history that a duel between D-Grades garnered such an esteemed audience.

    On one side of the arena stood a man: Sapasun, the canine deacon who was the Wardens head disciple. As agreed, he would be the first to fight Jack, and he was extremely worried. So what if his master had assured him Jack wouldnt go for the kill?

    Sapasun remembered very clearly how, when his opponent was still weak, he had broken all his limbs and gloated about it. More importantly, that Jack Rust was a certified lunatic.

    The future seemed bleak for Sapasun, but he would try his best to surrender before he died.

    And on the other side of the arena stood the man of the hour. The D-Grade who had managed, against all odds, to maize the gazes of the entire gxy. The man who had achieved the impossible time and time again.

    Jack Rust.

    A deep voice boomed out, echoing across the arena. Through the projection stones, it spread to the entire gxy. Esteemed Grand Elder, Elders of various factions, Enforcers, and immortals. Ladies and gentlemen, it began, bursting at the seams with excited professionalism, I present to you, the top disciple of the Warden of Hell, a peak D-Grade canine overflowing with talentSapasun!

    Sapasun howled at the sky and tried to appear cool. A few people cheered. Most didnt.

    And on the other side, the presenters voice continued, curbing its enthusiasm, the D-Grade criminal who employed underhanded means to murder two hundred immortals. Jack Rust.

    The voice was t now. It was clearly working to downy Jack. Yet, the moment his name was called out, Jack raised a proud fist.

    And the entire stadium, the entire gxy, shook to its foundation as almost every mouth opened to cheer for him.

 Chapter 300: The Dao of Face-Slapping

    Chapter 300: The Dao of Face-pping

    Jacks fist was held high. The entire stadium shook from the voices of countless cultivators and immortals, rumbling from theirbined shout.

    So what if the presenter was against Jack? So what if he was in the opponents home field? He was the man attempting the impossible. The ultimate underdog.

    Just who was the audience going to support?

    Jack let the cheering go on for a few moments as his eyes furiously scanned the crowd. Hed just arrived, and locating the Sage between a million people wasnt easy. Finally, however, he found himall three of them were on a raised tform, shackled and ready for execution.

    <em>Sage! </em>he said quickly.

    The Sage seemed as in control as ever. <em>Yes?</em>

    Jack exined the entire situation with the Hand of God invitation.

    <em>I see, </em>the Sage replied. <em>Feel free to ignore them. I have good news. The Church sees this duel as your initiation test. If you can defeat both Sapasun and Maximus, you will have our full support.</em>

    Jacks eyes lit up. <em>Do you mean</em>

    <em>Yes. After you win, the Kingdom will let us go temporarily to recapture us as soon as the projection stones deactivate, but the Church will have an escape shuttle waiting. We will be out of here.</em>

    <em>Even if I kill them both?</em>

    The Sage raised his head, crossing gazes with Jack. He smiled. <em>Do as you wish. Just dont reveal the Life Drop!</em>

    Jack looked ahead. <em>I got it. Thanks, Sage.</em>

    <em>No problem. Everybodys watching. Make us proud.</em>

    <em>You got it.</em>

    This conversation took ce within three seconds. The crowd was still cheering. Slowly, Jack lowered his arm. Silence fell again. Everyone knew there wasnt going to be a starting announcementJack and Sapasun could start fighting anytime they wanted.

    Did you think this time woulde, Sapasun? Jack asked calmly. When you were torturing me, did you ever think that one day you would be trembling at my feet?

    The audience oohed collectively. They hadnt known that these two shared history. The excitement just kept ramping up.

    Shut up! Sapasun replied. Whos trembling, bitch? Come here and I will show you that I am not just a canine; I am your daddy!

    Jack smiled calmly. As you wish.

    He disappeared. Not through teleportationhe just rushed ahead with speed that most of the audience couldnt follow.

    Sapasun, of course, could. He stretched his w-tipped fingers out, stabbing them Jacks way. Jack leaned away from the strike, pped Sapasuns other hand, and drove a fist into his opponents stomach. The canine folded in half and flew into the barrier protecting the audience, spitting out foam all the while.

    The arena went silent. They had not expected such a quick exchange. Was Jack that much stronger!?

    Is that all? Jack asked with disappointment, retracting his fist. I thought you would be my daddy. Yet, you only have that tiny bit of skill?

    Sapasun unglued himself from the barrier and wiped his mouth. He then snorted. Ill show you how, he rumbled, charging ahead. Jack simply stood in ce and waited. The two enemies shed, exchanging a dozen strikes in an instant. Jack defended calmly and sessfully. Finally, he threw out a sharp punch, finding Sapasun in the nose and flinging him away.

    The audience roared, but reality warped. Sapasun was flying at Jack from behind, shing towards his head. Jack detected the strike and ducked under itbut Sapasuns ws sailed over his head, into a spatial tear, and out towards his leg. Jacks hand moved with lightning speed, mping down on the canines wrist and stopping the strike just before itnded. He then used his other hand to backhand Sapasun, sending him spinning away like a ballerina. His wrist emerged from the spatial tear, still in ce.

    In truth, Jack could have held it down, and space itself would have severed Sapasuns wristbut he didnt want to end things that way. He still had a debt to repay.

    I see how it is, Jack said with his chin raised high. That was a good attack. You have a little bit of skill. In that case, let me face you with a more appropriate Dao.

    The audience erupted in hushed whispers. Another Dao? What did Jack mean?

    Even Sapasun seemed taken aback. His eyes narrowed, and he settled into a careful battle stance. He licked his lips.

    In the entire arena, only two people realized what Jack was referring to. Their eyes widened for a second, then they each showed a wry smile.

    Jack extended a fist. Then, slowly, his fingers uncurled to form a straight palm. Amidst the crowds sounds of wonder, he raised the palm as if to p the air and said, Dao of Spanking.

    Stunned silence. Then, roaringughter. Sapasun was speechless, while every Animal Kingdom elder on the honor seats went red in the face.

    <em>Jack Rust! </em>the Warden roared in Jacks head. <em>Dont go too far!</em>

    Jack ignored him. Do you think this is a joke? he asked Sapasun. Let me show you the power of spanking. Maybe it will even cure your insanity.

    Thats not how

    Before Sapasun could respond, Jack was upon him, both palms poised to strike. The ps came like rain. There wasnt much expertise behind them, but at this point, the difference between Jack and Sapasun was simply toorge. Sapasun wasnt one of the factions strongest deaconshe was just the top disciple of the Warden, who wasnt famed for his teaching skills.

    The canine did his best to defend, but it was impossible. The spanking was too rough. A palm slipped through, pping his cheek, while another met his buttocks with a crisp sound. Sapasun went flying, but Jack teleported in his way again. Purple color surrounded his palm. He raised it high. Meteor Spank! he shouted, bringing the palm down on Sapasun. The canine twisted reality to make the palm hit his shoulder instead of his head, and with a crack, his arm was dislocated.

    ARGH! Sapasun roared, flying away. Damn you!

    Whats wrong, Sapasun? Jack asked. You once took all my limbs, but I only took one of yours. Do you feel this is unfair?

    Damn right it is! Sapasun roared back. Youre mocking me!

    So what if I am? Did you not mock me as you tortured me? Jack snorted. This is the karma you have sown, Sapasun. Prepare to reap it all.

    The Elders were embarrassed, and the audience was bbergasted. Jack was being a bit of a bully, but who could me him? After all, he was only repaying the grievances hed suffered. In the cultivation world, this was already pretty light for revenge.

    <em>Jack Rust! </em>a voice rang in his headthat of the white-robed man. <em>You are going too far. Dont humiliate the Kingdom more than necessary, or even we wont be able to save you!</em>

    Jack ignored him too. He had already decided to go through with this. If they didnt like it, they were wee to scold himterif he didnt find a way to escape them.

    Sapasun gritted his teeth. More foam leaked from the corner of his mouth. He was embarrassed in front of the entire gxyin his centuries of life, he had never before suffered like this. Not in public, anyway.

    Take this! he roared, raising his remaining arm high. Reality warped around him. Light danced erratically. Space changes its rules. Sapasun had unleashed a skill that was and wasnt a domain, an area where logic did not apply.

    The audience eximed in surprise. This was no weak move. Sapasun may have looked like a jokepared to Jack, but at the end of the day, he was a strong peak D-Grade of the Animal Kingdom.

    You cant mock me! he roared. Only I can mock me! Lose your mind!

    He charged at Jack, who onlyughed lightly and walked over. A new aura emerged from his body; a hint of his Dao Domain, a ce where the Fist reigned supreme. Im sorry, he said. I have no Domain of Spanking, so this will have to do.

    Where Jack walked, reality settled down. Insanity lost its grip. The fist was hard and resolute. It was the epitome of facing reality instead of distorting it for ones own benefit. It carried discipline, power, and indomitable will.

    Sapasun roared and stabbed out his remaining hand. INVINCIBLE STAR GRASP!

    Jack walked up to him. Cracks spread through the dominating insanity, and then it shattered, leaving Sapasun exposed as the insane man he really was. Jack pped his hand away, then spanked the canines hip with all his power. The bone shattered under the impact. Jacks hand then returned as a back-p, breaking Sapasuns other hip as well.

    Only now did the canine manage to react, flying backward to escape, but Jacks grip on his wrist was iron.

    Let me go! Sapasun screamed.

    When I was captured, did you let me go? Jack asked. Purple covered his palm, and itnded on Sapasuns remaining shoulder, dislocating it as well. Only now did Jack let go of Sapasuns wrist, letting him fly away. Once, you took all four of my limbs, as well as my dignity, Jack said slowly. Now, I have done the same. Only your dignity remains. Prepare yourself.

    Purple aura shone on his fist, far stronger than before. Color and light was sucked in. The audience was unaffected due to the energy barrier, but they saw the inside of the arena go dark as Jack drew the entire world into his open palm.

    I surrender! Sapasun cried out in panic.

    Jack shook his head. There is no surrender in a duel to the death.

    <em>Jack Rust! Stop! </em>ordered the white-robed woman.

    <em>Brat, dont you dare! </em>the Warden roared in Jacks head.

    Jack ignored them both. He teleported over Sapasun, raising his palm. STOP! Master, save me! Sapasun tried to roar, but the sound of his voice was sucked into Jacks fist, leaving him stranded in a dark, lonely silence.

    Jacks palm came crashing down, spanking the top of Sapasuns head. It exploded like a watermelon. Bits and pieces flew everywhere, instantly vaporized by the ensuing explosion. He flew down like a missile.

    When the air cleared, Sapasuns remaining bodyy on the ground of the arena,pletely lifeless.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 231.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 232.</strong>

    The entire arena was silent. The entire stadium was silent. Everyone looked at Jack, not knowing what to think.

    Did he really have to bully the Animal Kingdom that hard!?

    Jacknded besides Sapasuns lifeless body and turned to the audience. I do not im to be a saint, he said. I am a warrior, and the Animal Kingdom is my enemy. This man once tortured and mocked me; now, I have returned the favor. Compared to everything they have done to me, this is nothing.

    The audience stayed silent for another moment. However, the cultivation world was a harsh ce. Killing ones enemies was natural. Bullying the weak wasmonce. And they could all tell that Jack was no bullyhe was just, as he said, a warrior paying back his dues.

    A warrior who, with his actions, did not hesitate to spit in the face of one of the strongest factions in the gxy. He hadnt just defeated one of their strongest warriorshe had literally pped him to death.

    That was That was

    Completely unheard of!

    It was absolutely sensational!

    One person cheered. Then another. As if someone had opened the floodgates, every man and woman in the audience cheered at once, raising their voices to the sky. The same scene was ying out all across the gxy, with one exception: the arenas honor seats, where every single Elder of the Animal Kingdom was ring at Jack with every fiber of their C-Grade cultivation. If not for the people watching, they would have already jumped out and torn him to pieces.

    As it was, however, there was nothing they could do. One by one, they turned their dirty res at Artus Emberheart, the Warden, the one who had caused this entire thing. The moment he was blinded by arrogance and epted Jacks proposal to duel, he had consigned their entire faction to humiliation.

    You fucked up, Artus, said the Grand Elder, not caring to keep his voice low.

    As for the Warden himselfwhat was he supposed to say?

    Of course hed fucked up! Hed fucked up big time, but he was also the greatest loser here!

    Not only had Jack killed <em>his </em>son, infiltrated <em>his </em, killed <em>his </em>disciples, and repeatedly humiliated <em>him in public, </em>but hed now just pped his top disciple to death. And to top it all off, everyone med him as well!

    It took everything the Warden had to maintain his facade ofposure. He kept his eyes lowered, his mouth shut, and his arms tightly crossed. This was just too much. Already, his Dao of Supremacy was tettering on the brink of copseif he didnt find a way to take revenge against Jack Rust, he would never advance again!

    Even the announcer must have been caught by surprise at Jacks actions, because it took him a few seconds to speak.

    Sapasun was a disciple of the Animal Kingdom, and if he lost, he can only me his own weakness, he announced. However, the Kingdom will get revenge. Step forth Maximus Lonihor, the Head Disciple of the Animal Kingdom, the strongest D-Grade in this constetion!

    A fierce figure jumped out of the spectator seats and into the arena, meeting Jacks calm gaze with outrage.

    Did you enjoy that? he asked.

    Not really, Jack replied honestly. But it had to be done.

    Hmph! Sapasun and I had our differences, but I remain his senior. You will pay for your actions.

    The corner of Jacks lips rose. Make me, bitch.

 Chapter 301: Jack Rust vs. Maximus Lonihor

    Chapter 301: Jack Rust vs. Maximus Lonihor

    All across the gxy, entire cities were erupting into uproar.

    Did you see that!? a woman asked.

    Holy shit, her husband eximed, cing his trembling hands over his mouth. Holy shit.

    Thats our Jack! Edgar shouted back on Earth, pumping a fist. Go get them, tiger!

    Vivi sported a restrained smile. Harambe looked up with pride, while the professor did not react, torn between horror and excitement. Her son was riling up the entire gxybut at what cost?

    Back in the Hell arena, the crowd had fallen quiet. They didnt know what to do. For them, this was not a far-off spectacle on a screen; it was real, far too real. Someone had just pped the Animal Kingdom as hard as he possibly could at the core of their territory. He hadnt given them the slightest bit of face.

    What a lunatic! Did he not care about his life at all?

    And, most importantly, what would happen next? Jack Rust had exhibited great power. What if, against all odds, he managed to defeat Maximus Lonihor? Would he really be released?

    That extremely talented madman would be free in the gxy? If the Kingdom let that happen, they would pay in blood! Clearly, Jack Rust had a huge grudge against them.

    In the honor seats, the various Elders were in a heated discussion through telepathy. The Grand Elder was burning with indignant rage. In the Animal Kingdoms hundreds of thousands of years of history, this was the first time they were humiliated like thisand it was on his tenure as Grand Elder.

    <em>Summon every avable Enforcer and Elder, </em>hemanded the rest of the Elders. <em>We can take no risks. If Jack Rust wins, he will be apprehended and executed the moment he leaves the.</em>

    One of the meeker Elders asked, <em>But Grand Elder, what about</em>

    <em>I couldnt give a second shit! </em>the Grand Elder roared in everyones mind. <em>Damn everything and damn our public image. If we let this guy escape after everything he did, there will be no Animal Kingdom to suffer the consequences! Do you understand me!?</em>

    Everyone gulped. <em>Yes, Grand Elder.</em>

    The Grand Elder then turned to the two white-robed C-Grades of the Hand of God. <em>I hope you understand, </em>he said. <em>We willpensate the Hand, but this man must die no matter what.</em>

    The two of them nced at each other and sighed. There was no helping it. They had tried to enlist Jack Rust, but he seemed hell-bent on dying.

    The only ones not participating in the conversation were Elders Huali and Monsoon of the Animal Kingdom, who had been invited to watch. Nobody saw fit to ask their opinion, and they already understood everything anyway. Monsoon wasnt even paying attention to the final battle; his mind was rife with calctions of how this affected his chances of getting the Grand Elder position.

    As for Hualishe was just worried. Jack was her disciple, and he seemed to bemitting suicide. Shol, too. What were they thinking?

    Jack Rust raised his hand high. Hualis thoughts were cut short by a knife, her entire attention focused on the arena. It was only a secondter that she realized it: Jack Rust, a D-Grade, hadmanded the unwavering attention of every C-Grade present. He had achieved an influence unimaginable for anyone else in his Grade.

    It was impressive; the most impressive thing shed witnessed in a millennium. If he lived on, there was no telling what heights he would reach.

    Unfortunately, he was trading his life for this opportunity. He would go down with glory and make the Exploding Sun proud. It saddened her, but there was nothing she could do.

    As per our agreement, Jack Rust spoke, his voice carrying over the millions of live audience, if I win, you let me and my friends go. If I lose, I will proim myself a dog of your faction, bing your ve for as long as you see fit.

    Maximusughed coldly. Do you think you can still be a ve, Jack Rust? After what you did? No, even that would be too good for you. If you lose, you will proim yourself a loser and take your own life, right here, right now.

    Jacks eyes narrowed. Deal.

    Good. Prepare yourself. Today, you die!

    Golden radiance rained from the heavens. Maximus was in no mood for games. Motes of golden light surrounded his body, filling the eyes of the onlookers with his majesty. Rows of winged knights emerged from the light, brandishing their spears and charging straight at Jack.

    Meanwhile, Maximus himself could not be seen, covered in light as he was. Who knows what kind of transformation was taking ce under it?

    Hmph! Jack snorted, crossing his arms. Do you take me for a fool, Maximus Lonihor?

    The audience did not understand what he meant. The Elders, however, did, and they couldnt help but admire Jacks insight.

    By raising the stakes and starting a battle-form transformation that would take time toplete, Maximus had been enticing Jack to assault him before the transformation was over. But it was a trap. If Jack did attack, Maximus would ridicule hisck of honor andplete his transformation regardlessafter all, if he wished to, he could have assumed his battle form beforehand.

    This was just a way to secure the moral high ground over Jack, make him doubt himself, and win the Kingdom some favor in the spectators eyes. Unfortunately for Maximus, Jack possessed theposure and dignity to just wait.

    The winged knights dissipated before even approaching Jack. They turned into motes of light that dove back into the glowing sphere that had formed around Maximus. By now, the radiance was almost blinding, and one could faintly hear chanting whispered in the sky.

    Suddenly, the tips of two feathered wings peeked out from the sphere of light. With a mighty p, they broke it, sending motes of light flying everywhere before extinguishing themselves. The audience gasped. Jack raised his brows.

    Here it is! someone shouted in the audience. The Lonihor Angel battle form!

    Maximus floated in the sky, almost divine in radiance and dazzling in brilliance. His indifferent face spoke of arrogance. Four white, feathered wings stretched from his shoulderdes, an armor made of light covered his body, and a dazzling sword of light was held in his grasp.

    The audience ogled. Jack whistled. I thought you were a cat, not a bird, he said.

    Maximus gave him the faintest of smiles. Our previous battle was interrupted, Jack Rust. Maybe that is why you have such confidence. Have you never seen a leonines battle form before?

    I have, a couple of times. Cant say I was particrly impressed. I still killed them all.

    A slight crease of the brows was the only evidence of Maximuss anger. Have you ever wondered why, of the Animal Kingdoms five noble families, the leonines reign supreme?

    I assumed it was because you shout the loudest.

    The two main leonine families, the Lonihors and the Emberhearts, have discovered that when they cultivate the Dao of Supremacy, they canbine it with their innate physique to trigger a transformation. For us, it is the angel form. It is this form that forces the other families to serve us and lets us stand on equal footing with the other B-Grade factions.

    I see. Very impressive. Are we going to fight or drink tea and discuss history?

    Maximuss brows creased further. He raised his sword high. You understand nothing, Jack Rust. You are a bum, a trash cultivator of a recently Integrated. You dont even understand how to run a spectacle, but so be ityour death in humiliation will be spectacle enough.

    I am all those things, Jack agreed with a nod. Which makes your ensuing death all the worse. If I, a country bumpkin who has cultivated for less than a year, can defeat the strongest D-Grade cultivator of a B-Grade faction who had cultivated for centuriesjust what does that mean for your Animal Kingdom?

    You utter big words, Jack Rust, but can you back them up?

    Jesus, man, are you going to fight me or not?

    Maximus charged. His wings pped fiercely, taking him through the air at a speed that resembled teleportation. He was before Jack in an instant, swinging his sword like the guillotine of heaven.

    Jack met it with his fist.

    The sky shattered. Light rained everywhere, an explosion of colors and radiance that did not stop. Each time it was about to dissipate, more light erupted, more sound, more shockwaves. The barrier shook under the onught. The arena had be a stormy sea of golden and purple light, intertwined with each other and fighting for supremacy.

    Most of the audience were blind, but the C-Grades were not. Their eyes prated the light and followed every exchange, every sh. They gasped.

    The barrier adjusted its brightness to let the rest of the audience watch, too.

    In the middle of the arena, Jack and Maximus were going toe-to-toe. They shed, broke off, and shed again. Their patterns were chaotic, their strikes sharp. They crossed the sky like a pair of angry wasps, colliding before the shockwave of the previous sh even had time to dissipate.

    Once, twice, thrice. Ten times, twenty, a hundred. Maximuss dazzling sword illuminated the sky, but Jacks fists were indomitable. The more they fought, the more they sank into the battle, the more they learned the others patterns, and the sharper they got.

    Last time, Jack had been at a clear advantage, but it was much more chaotic now.

    Jack stepped forward to attack. His fist traveled in a straight line, carrying the force of multiple copsing mountains. A sword of the heavens cleaved down to intercept it. Jacks knuckle met the de. The skin tore. A thin line of blood trickled down, but the sword was pushed back, as was his fist.

    Each sh was like that. Jacks body couldnt handle a direct collision against the de, but his regeneration fixed the wounds almost instantly.

    Maximus dove in, using his wings to instantly elerate to three times the speed of sound. He appeared behind Jack and shed. Jack teleported behind Maximus, but Maximus followed the teleportation mid-swing, reappearing behind his opponent. Jack was already turning, throwing a tight punch over his abdomen. It met the tip of the de and both were ricocheted away.

    Jack pushed on. His punches fell like hail, strong and hard. Maximus was on the defensive now. He ran and teleported away, but Jack matched each movement to keep attacking. They werepeting over agility, their control over their flight and teleportations. They were equal.

    A fistnded on Maximuss shoulder and was shrugged off. Another found his shin. Jack was like a storm, striking everywhere with deadly precision, but Maximus possessed extraordinary technique. His sword was always at the right ce, each movement flying into the next. His body was perfectly positioned.

    From a contest of agility, the battle switched to one of technique. The two fighters went head-to-head, both refusing to retreat. They hovered in the middle of the arena and went to town on each other.

    Jack pped away the de to punch out. Maximus ducked under the fist, struck upward, then teleported diagonally to redirect his strike. Jack had expected the movement and was already turning. He took the de on the shoulder, letting it reach the bone. In the same movement, he drove his knuckles into the others nose, sending him tumbling through the air.

    Maximus came to a stop three hundred feet away. Heh, he said, blood running over his mouth, I guess were

    His words froze unspoken. Jacks shoulder, where hed been shed, was regenerating with speed visible to the naked eye. Soon, it was unblemished, but Maximuss nose remained broken.

    The leonine frowned heavily.

    What happened? Jack taunted. Kitty got your tongue?

    Maximus did not reply. He charged into battle carrying a different airif before he was showcasing his strength, he was now going for the throat. So was Jack. The two shed again, a storm of punches and shes that tore the very air around them to shreds.

    Jack dodged the de, but a set of sharp ws came at him from the side. He took a nasty gash on his chest. At the same time, the four wings bent towards him and shot out sharp feathers, nicking him and forcing him to dodge to keep his eyes safe.

    The dazzling sword kepting. One strike flowed unstoppably into the next. Jack weaved and bobbed, utilizing every scrap of fighting experience he possessed. This battle was driving him to the limitthough not past it, not yet. He could manage. The more Maximus went all-out, the wider Jacks grin became. He could feel the ecstasy of battle, the same one hed felt all the way since his Forest of the Strong days.

    When his life was on the line and death was one mistake away, he felt alive.

    Jack elerated to match the others rhythm. The Iron Fist Style was pumping out furiously. His body, dense as a neutron star, took the hits and regenerated. His Brutalizing Aura was spread out at full force, stealing a small portion of Maximuss power, and his Dao Domain filled his body, eager to burst out.

    He pped away the de and punched into the ws. His knuckle bled, but Maximuss arm was pushed back. Sharp feathers flew for Jacks face, but he let them graze his cheeks. He leaned into the battle, securing the momentum and pushing Maximus back. One strike turned to ten, which turned into a hundred. His fists were unstoppable, every Dao Root operating concurrently at full force.

    Maximus didnt even have time to teleport away. Suddenly, he was on the back foot, defending for his life. However, he was an extremely skilled warrior. Even under heavy pressure, he defended masterfully,bining his every advantage toe out unscathed.

    Finally, he dodged one punch and let another meet his temple, using it as a springboard to escape this sh and regain the offensive. Even as he flew away, his sword erupted with blinding light. Heavenly Divide! he shouted, teleporting above Jack and shing down.

    Meteor Punch!

    The sky ruptured between them as a meteor met a sh that could cleave the heavens. The two attacks ground against each other for a moment. Then, slowly, the meteor pushed through, elerating into the sh before shattering it and bursting out.

    Maximus barely had time to teleport away, as his attack had slowed down the meteorite, but he was forced to watch his strike be defeated. How!? he shouted. How can you possibly be this strong?

    Jackughed carefreely. He knew he was going to win. And, though he didnt reply to Maximus, the answer was simple: because he had better stats and Dao.

    His titles were overwhelmingly superior to anyone elsesboth the Integration ones and the title he secured by conquering Trial. The stat increase they amounted to was far greater than the twenty levels difference between them. Moreover, he had a perfect foundation, an incredibly rare phenomenon. Across the entire gxy, there were only a handful of people with four Dao Roots, and Maximus was definitely not one of them. Most were B-Grades.

    Honestly, Maximus being able topete was already a testament to his great skill as a warrior. Jack had to admit that, on that front, he was outskilled. His life-or-death experiences, equal-strength spars against Copy Jack, and Iron Fist Style made him a master fighter, but Maximus was even above that.

    However, Maximus did not know all that. In his eyes, Jacks strength was impossible. There was no way to acquire it. He was the strongest D-Grade of the Animal Kingdom. He could hold his ground against the greatest D-Grades of the entire gxy. How could there be someone that much stronger than him?

    Was he going to die?

    The realization came like a mallet to his skull, but Maximus was vastly more experienced than Rufus Emberheart had been. He possessed no fear of death. In his long life, hed survived even more life-or-death battles than Jack!

    All he felt was the intense desire to prove himself stronger. Superior. COME! he shouted, diving at Jack with every ounce of strength he could muster. His Dao shone inside him as he wentpletely all-out. If he lost, it would crack, and he would never be able to advance again. But it didnt matter. He was supreme. He couldnt lose.

    Not to a <em>human.</em>

    Light erupted from his de, illuminating even the skies above. Even the Enforcers had to shield their eyes until the barrier could adjust. Jack pulled his fist back, weing the attack. DIE! he shouted, putting his entire strength before the attack. His fist shot out. Color and sound were swallowed by purple.

    At thest moment, Maximus teleported away. He reappeared below Jack, an ugly smile on his face. Fool! YOU die! he screamed, dragging his de up. Final Heavenly Divide!

    There was far more energy imbued in this strike than in the previous one. It left no room for retreat. Maximus would either seed or die on this hill, and Jack had just been tricked. He was punching the other way!

    Except, Jack was no idiot himself. Though Maximus was more skilled, his supremacy made him prone to underestimating Jack, and Jack knew that. He hadnt used a single feint in this battle, saving it for when it would matter most. Hed even shouted, DIE! like a lunatic to make it more convincing.

    Mid-swing, Jack reached into the fabric of space with his other hand, poked it open with a finger, and teleported himself in the exact same spot he was upying, but upside-down! Instead of punching up, he was now punching down, directly at Maximuss strike.

    A feral grin yed on his lips as he shouted, METEOR PUNCH!

    His entire strength went into the strike. Neither of the two pulled back. One would be eviscerated.

 Chapter 302: Giving Zero Face

    Chapter 302: Giving Zero Face

    The meteor and sh met mid-air. The image was surreal. The audience held their breath. They could make out the purple outline of a tremendous fist, shimmering with stars and followed by a purple, gaseous tail. On the other side was a bright crescent moon three hundred feet wide and so sharp it was barely visible. Where the two attacks shed, purple lightning spread out, and sparks filled the air. Space threatened to rupture under their sheer strength. They pushed against each other, each fighter pouring more and more energy into their strikes until the point of impact became a dark sphere that swallowed all light.

    Jack roared. Maximus shouted.

    A sound like the cracking of ss echoed in the arena. Maximuss heavenly sh, the invincible attack made of light, revealed a hairline crack. Then another. The meteor pushed down, unbreakable in its stability, and the sh slowly retreated, crumbling little by little. Before long, it was a web of cracks in light, revealing a purple radiance beneath, and then, suddenly, it shattered.

    Maximus screamed. Jack roared even harder.

    The meteor pushed down with inexhaustible strength, and there was nothing to stop it. Maximus couldnt throw another strike, he couldnt run away, and he couldnt teleport as the sheer quantity of Dao infused in Jacks meteor had locked down space around him.

    He was spent.

    All he could do was watch in disbelief as the meteor struck him head-on, sweeping him along and crashing hard into the bottom of the arena. The entire barrier shook. The arena rumbled. The prison building underneath, though protected by the barrier, creaked and moaned.

    The entire arena was filled with blinding purple light and searing heat, blocking the audiences perception.

    Everyone was wondering the same thing: had Maximus survived?

    But this was the strongest attack Jack had ever unleashed. It possessed enough power to level a country. When sandwiched between this falling meteor and the unbreakable barrier below, how could anyone survive?

    The Elders sported ugly looks. The Warden was feeling sick. The Grand Elder couldnt believe his eyesat that Grade, even he hadnt possessed such strength! Monsoon was shocked, while Huali wasnt even sure how to feel. On the other side of the stadium, Shol and Dordok held their breaths, as they couldnt see through the rubble. Tears of pride were shimmering in both their eyes. They had watched Jack grow. They had helped him. And now, their once-little brother had be a man worthy of shaking the entire gxy.

    The smoke cleared. The shockwave dissipated. And, when all was said and done, the lifeless body of Maximus Lonihor lied in the center of the arena floor, right next to that of Sapasun, which hadnt been moved as nobody could enter the arena. Both corpses, both of Jacks making, had been crushed and pulverized to the point where they were barely recognizable.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 233.</strong>

    The audience fell into stunned silence. Then, all at once, they erupted into cheers of such intensity that the entire stadiumno, the entireshook to its core. The madman had done it! Jack Rust had done it! He had challenged an entire B-Grade faction in front of everyone and <em>won!</em>

    And hed given them a hell of a fight, too!

    The crowd went crazy. People stood and hollered, others pumped their fists. Many cried as they saw the tyrannical Kingdom getting torn down before their very eyes. Jack Rust! someone shouted, cheering for the man brave and strong enough to do what none of them could. He was a hero.

    Jack Rust! More people cheered. Jack Rust!

    One by one, most of the audience joined in, shouting for the man who had done the impossible. Theypletely forgot about the present Elders of the Animal Kingdom and cheered with all their soul. What was the Kingdom going to do? Kill them all? Hell no! Fuck them!

    Jack Rust! the earth and sky shook with his name, uttered by millions. Jack Rust!

    Such scenes were urring at the same time all around the gxy. From the tiny Fair Way Continent to the distant headquarters of this gxys Hand of God, everyone lost themselves in cheering. It didnt matter if they had a stake in this conflict or not. It didnt matter if they even cared.

    What had they just watched? It was the event of an era! The battle of a millennium! The birth of a hero!

    How could anyone <em>not </em>cheer!?

    Back on Earth, people were shouting and crying at the same time. Jack Rust! Edgar shouted. So did Vivi, and Sparman, and the professor, even Harambe.

    On the outer of Field Neb, three hundred brothers and sisters roared withughter and cheers, creating a chaos that overwhelmed even the other nearby spectators. Big Bro! they shouted at the top of their lungs, all together with one voice. Big Bro!

    Gan Salin was tearful. He couldnt give a single shit about Sapasun or the Animal Kingdom. He did it! he shouted. I knew he could do it! Thats our Jack!

    Hmph! Of course he could! Nauja responded, feigning an indifference that convinced nobody. Salin had caught her worried gaze before, her sped palms as she watched her friend fight for his life.

    He grinned. There is nothing wrong with worrying, you know.

    Bullshit! A barbarian would never worry over something as natural as death!

    Meanwhile, at the epicenter of this hollering crowd, Brock was the only one not feeling relieffor the simple reason that hed never doubted Jacks sess at all. All he felt was a deep sense of pride, as well as joy for his big brothers aplishment.

    Big Bro, he said, bringing a fist to his heart and thumping his chest. Big Bro awesome!

    In the arena, it took a few moments for the audience to calm down. Gradually, they caught the res of the Animal Kingdom cultivators and shut up. From the weakest Enforcer to the Grand Elder himself, every Kingdom C-Grade sported such ugly faces that, after the initial rush was over, nobody dared speak anymore.

    The silence was heavy like the sky itself. It covered the entire city, the entire.

    Every cultivator of the Animal Kingdom, be they a tiny F-Grade or an Elder, knew that they were screwed. Jack Rust had publicly humiliated them and showcased their weakness. At this point, there was nothing they could do to change it. Even if they managed to prove that Jack Rust was extraordinarily strong, even if they killed him right now orter, it wouldnt matter. In the cultivator world, only two things mattered: strength and face.

    And the Animal Kingdom had just lost both.

    Nobody was sure who had to speak first. At the Grand Elders direction, the Warden stood from his seat and floated to the edge of the barrier, which was quickly brought down.

    Jack Rust, he said, not bothering to conceal the hatred in his voice. What did he care? This entire farce was his fault. He was dead already.

    Warden, Jack replied indifferently. Though he was panting, most of his injuries from the fight had healed already. It was like Maximus hadnt evene closethough that wasnt entirely the case.

    You have killed my top disciple and my factions Head Disciple, the Warden said. In the past, you have even killed my own son, as well as dozens of our Kingdoms D-Grades. Is there anything you have to say for yourself?

    Jack considered it. Yes. I won, so per our agreement, you have to set me and my friends free. Can I go now?

    The Wardens gaze could cut through iron, but Jack was nonplussed. How dare you speak to me like that? the Warden asked. Do you not realize where you are? Who I am?

    Oh, I know full well that you could squash me like a bug. But you wont do that. Because, if you do, your Kingdom will lose even thest shred of dignity you have left. Jack smiled coldly. I know you hate me, Warden. Yet, here I am, standing right in your face, and you arepletely unable to touch me. Tell me: how does it feel?

    The projection stones were still running. This exchange was broadcasted across the entire gxy. The Warden had never been more insulted, more enraged, or more hurt in his entire life. He wanted to smack Jack dead more than anything in the world.

    However, Jack waspletely right. He could not do it. Even if his life was already probably forfeit, he couldnt even trythe Grand Elder would act out and stop him to protect the Kingdoms honor.

    In fact, as the Warden just realized, that was probably why the Grand Elder had sent him out to speak. He wanted him to lose his temper so he could kill him on the spot and reinforce the Kingdoms image.

    The Warden looked back, meeting the Grand Elders cold eyes. Once, these two were like brothersbut when things went south, the Grand Elder waspletely willing to kill the Warden to save some face.

    The Warden turned back to the front. He was so frustrated that blood rose up his throat, and even as his face reddened, he had to swallow it to save thest of his pride. When he was certain his mouth was clear of blood, only then did he speak.

    A deal is a deal, he said weakly. It was the hardest task of his life. Jack Rust, though an enemy of our faction, you are free to go. Your strength is greatalmost suspiciously great, but no matter. The Kingdom can find joy in chasing down a little rat like you again. It keeps us sharp. Scram.

    Jack grinned. Thank you, Warden. However, I have onest thing to say.

    The Warden gave him a dead mans stare. Jack, however, wasnt nning to push his luck any further. He just wanted to make a pointwhich, since the cat was out of the bag already, he had no reason not to.

    The truth was, he had already humiliated the Kingdom enough. His current goal was to build himself up so the ck Hole Church would protect him better, and what better way to do that than to unt his strength?

    You mentioned my strength being suspiciously great, he said. However, I can assure you that there is no trick at y. I am simply that strong.

    Hmph! The Warden snorted. As if I will believe that!

    Then take a good look, Warden, and tell me if you believe me now, Jack said, spreading his arms wide. At the same time, he mentallymanded, <em>System, disy my Ninth Ring Conqueror title.</em>

    The Warden seemed confused. Soon, however, exmations and whispers spread through the audience. The Warden finally caught on and inspected Jack.

    <strong>Human (Earth-387), Level 233 (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Ninth Ring Conqueror</strong>

    Ninth Ring Conqueror!? he eximed in shock, even forgetting his anger for a moment. Impossible!

    Jackughed. Do you see now, Warden? I am just better than any D-Grade in your faction. And this is all because of your Kingdom acting like a tyrant and forcing me to get stronger to fight you.

    The Warden reined in his shock. Thanks to his burning fury, he took this as a personal challenge, since the Warden himself had not managed to defeat the Final Guardian. So what, Jack Rust? he asked with a snort. His fury was building up to unprecedented levels. His voice was shaking with deadliness. Make yourself scarce already. Run for your life. Because I, Artus Emberheart, swear on my name and honor that I refuse to live under the same sky as you. I will find you, kill you, and eradicate your whole family. I will pluck out every muscle and tendon in your body and make you beg for death. I will destroy everything you hold dear.

    Jacks smile disappeared. His eyes hardened, his gaze sharpened. I look forward to you trying, Warden, he said. I have already killed plenty of leonines. Adding your head to the pile will change little. But make no mistakeeven if you donte for me, I wille for you. Because I, Jack Rust, also swear on my name and honor that I refuse to live under the same sky as you. I will destroy you and your faction. I will y you and everyone you throw at me, and I will drag mud across your name until it bes theughingstock of even the lowliest F-Grade in this constetion. When I am done with you, the Animal Kingdom faction will be a relic of the past, a lesson to everyone that tyrants always fall, always have fallen, and always will fall. So Im leaving now, Warden, but I suggest you run. Leave this constetion, leave this gxy, and hope that I wont find you when Im strong enough to squash you like an ant. But I will, Warden. I will always find you. And I will, no matter what happens, kill you.

    The two of them stood in the sky, facing each other, and sparks were flying. Their mutual hatred was almost visible. These were two mortal enemies, and inevitably, one would kill the other.

    If it was anyone else, a D-Grade feuding against a C-Grade would be aughable matter. But after the strength that Jack had just exhibitiedwho knew?

    And had he just dered war on the entire Animal Kingdom faction?

    Finally, the Warden could no longer take it. His frustration was so strong that the blood rose unstoppably in his throat, and he coughed it out in public. Everyone in the audience raised their brows, but the Warden felt so exhausted and helpless that he couldnt even care.

    This is over, he dered, mustering the veryst bits of his self-control. Leave. Now.

    He waved a hand to destroy every projection stone around the arena, uncaring about the cost, and turned into a beam of light to fly away. Jack smiled. Thank you, Warden. Please enjoy yourself.

    The ck manacles fell around the wrists of Shol, Dordok, and the Sage. They quickly arrived beside Jack, who summoned the bromobile and flew inside, charging it up as much as possible before the Animal Kingdom changed its mind.

    They wille after us the moment we teleport, the Sage said. But fear not; I have a n. The Church will get us out. Take us to the exact location I will indicate.

    He transmitted a sense of general direction and distance to Jacks mind. Jack nodded. Okay. Lets go.

    He spared a final look for the people in the honor seats. He saw Li Qian staring over with bitterness. He saw Elder Monsoons calcting gaze and Elder Hualisplicated one. He saw the two white-robed C-Grades averting their eyes, clearly dering that what happened next was none of their business, while the Grand Elder and all other Elders of the Animal Kingdom stared at Jack as if they wanted to eat him alive.

    Fuck you, he mouthed at them, and then he teleported.

 Chapter 303: Leaving Hell

    Chapter 303: Leaving Hell

    Jack, Shol, Dordok, and the Sage shuttled through the cosmos on Jacks bromobile. Nobody locked down the space around them, so they teleported thrice in quick session. The of Hell was already far behind. They were now somewhere in thats sr system, cruising interster space.

    Were almost there, Jack said, tracing the Sages directions in his head. I hope your people are ready.

    The Sageughed. So do I, because look!

    A blinding dot of light disappeared and reappeared in the distance behind them, growing closer. The Animal Kingdom had let them go in public but was already after them again, and this time, they were going for blood.

    Holy shit! Jack eximed. Theyre fast!

    Were faster. Floor it, Jack!

    Floor what? Dordok asked, unfamiliar with Earths lingo, as Jack elerated their ship to the maximum. They were close enough now that they didnt need to teleport again.

    Soon, an asteroid appeared before them. It was trailed by a long tail as it flew towards the sun, heading towards it from deeper space. The general sense of direction and distance that the Sage was transmitting into Jacks head pointed directly at the asteroid.

    As they approached, Jack made out an irregr shape on its surface. It looked like arge arched gate filled with light, surrounded by dark-robed figures and entire heaps of glowing blue stones.

    Is that it? he asked.

    Right! the Sage replied, a wild grin blossoming on his face. Sneaking out from under the Kingdoms nose was tricky, but the Church can do anything! We built arge-scale teleporter on an asteroid far away from this sr system, then shot it over. Took us months!

    Shol raised a brow. That sounds expensive.

    Dont worry about it. Its absolutely worth it. Jackdrive our starship right into the teleporter!

    Into the gate!?

    Exactly!

    What about your friends over there?

    Theyll join us; dont worry, they know what theyre doing. Just hurry!

    Where does it lead?

    To Earth!

    To Earth!?

    Just floor it, damn it!

    Jack gritted his teeth. The bromobile pointed at the asteroid and elerated to the maximum. They were blitzing through space at tens of thousands of miles per hour, while the asteroid hurtled towards them at an equally impressive speed. It was growing so fast that, if not for Jacks extremely sharp perception and dexterity, he wouldnt be able to navigate them urately.

    Even now, he was struggling.

    Dont miss, Jack! Shol shouted.

    Show them the steering skills I taught you! Dordok added, stepping beside Shol to calmly watch from the front window. The asteroid was magnifying like someone was zooming in.

    Jack wanted to shout back that Dordok had never let him steer the Trampling Ram, but he needed his entire attention focused on aiming the starship. Indomitable Will activated, sharpening his focus and eliminating all distractions. His effective Dexterity of over two thousand homed in on the task. The most minuscule movements of the helm changed their impact point by miles.

    From far behind, a Dao-infused roar echoed through space. Even the fabric of reality shivered at its sound: it was a B-Grade.

    STOP RIGHT THERE!

    However, even B-Grades werent omnipotent. Jack ignored the voice. In the blink of an eye, the asteroid dominated their vision. Everything was happening too fast. Everyone held their breath. Jack touched the helm gently, pushing it one tenth of an inch forward, and their ship rammed into the starry gate dead-center, instantly ricocheted into the vacuum behind space. Just like the previous times hed teleported, Jack saws, stars, gasses, and all sorts of ster objects zoom past as the bromobile crossed the gxy at a speed vastly eclipsing that of light.

    Seven ck-robed figures flew right behind them, while Jack barely caught a glimpse of the starry gate theyd passed through exploding just before a menacing, golden-haired figure caught up. Only the echoes of a roar followed them.

    We made it, Shol said, turning away from the window and towards Jack. He nodded. Good job, my friend.

    Nice steering, Dordok added casually.

    Jack wanted to rx and celebrate, but recent experience had taught him to always be on edge. Who are your friends, Sage? he asked.

    Church agents. Dont worry; theyre not going to hurt us.

    Could they? Shol asked with a pointed nce.

    Oh, absolutely. Theyre all C-Grades.

    In the stunned silence that followed, everyone watched the marvels of the gxy roll past. The teleportation this time was far lessfortable than when using established teleporters. They asionally felt strong spatial ripples, only held at bay by the seven C-Grades nking them. The starry terrain fluctuated like the surface of ake. An odd pressure overcame them at some point, making them feel short of breath.

    Eventually, however, light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and the interspace spat them out into a sr system that seemedfamiliar. Or did it? All sr systems looked alike from up-close.

    Is this our sun? Jack asked, pointing at the burning ball in the distance.

    Of course, the Sage replied with a happy smile. And, if you look the other way, you will have confirmation.

    Jack felt a knot in his throat. Slowly, he turned around to look through the starships other window. A blue ball with hints of green hung in the far distance. It seemed tiny and surreal, traveling through the cosmos with nothing attached to it. It was slowly spinning, too, and the sunlight fell over half its surface like a bright curtain.

    Jack would recognize it everywhere. This was his Earth. It was home. The feeling was impossible to describe; he just felt an intense sense of belonging wash over him, stemming from the deepest parts of his soul. It had been less than a year since he left, but so much had happened in the meantime that it felt like impossibly long ago. All this time, he always suspected he wouldnt make it back to the warm blue, dying alone somewhere deep in space.

    But nowhe was home.

    Jack hadnt cried when his death seemed certain. He hadnt shed a tear when Sapasun broke all his limbs and mocked him. But now, seeing home again after a year, this tiny, beautiful marble of life in endless darkness, he did.

    ***

    Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin sat cross-legged in a forest clearing, facing each other. Their auras shimmered. They were swimming in a thousand emotions. Pride for Jacks achievement, and fear for their future.

    Well, not Brock. He had no fear, only a desire to get stronger.

    All three of them had reached the peak E-Grade and developed all the Dao Roots they could. The only thing left to do was breakthrough and reach the fabled, legendary realm of immortals.

    That was damn difficult, unfortunately, but they were trying.

    Suddenly, a hooded figure entered their clearing. Brocks eyes shot open, his gaze cutting through iron. Yes? he asked. He felt no familiarity with this personit was not one of his bros.

    The figure stopped twenty feet away from them. Hello, it said. When the hood was pulled back, a feshkur woman was revealed under it. My name is Argn. We have never met before, but I am here to take you away.

    You can try, Brock responded, letting his aura leak out. He couldnt inspect this woman, but he felt that she wasnt too strongexcept for the nagging feeling, deep in his chest, that she was more than she showed.

    The womanughed. A transparent bubble erupted from her body, covering them in the blink of an eye. Brock felt her strength break out from its tiny shell and reveal itself for what it was.

    An immortal.

    He instantly jumped up and drew his staff, ready to fight.

    The womanughed again. Dont worry, she said, putting her hands up. I am no enemy. This bubble is only to iste sound.

    Gan Salin stood up and poked the bubble. It did not break, but a hint of its essence was left on his finger. He licked it. A momentter, he spat it out with a blegh.

    Who are you? Nauja asked, slowly drawing her bow. Who do you work for?

    The ck Hole Church, the woman replied calmly. Your friend, Jack Rust, is one of us now. He is currently in one of your Earths D-Grade dungeons, consolidating his strength, and will keep hiding there until the war urs in six days. I am here to take you to him, if you are willing.

    The three of themBrock, Salin, and Naujanced at each other. They all knew Jacks connection with the ck Hole Church, and they had seen the Sage in the battle recordings. Jack joining them wasnt too big of a stretch.

    Why should we trust you? Salin asked, rinsing his tongue with some water. You could be lying.

    You can see my strength. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldnt need to lie.

    That was true. Even Brock, who didnt possess ess to System inspection, could tell she was abnormally strong even for immortal standards.

    Besides that the woman continued, cracking a smile. I have a message from Jack: Harambe sends his greetings.

    Brocks eyes lit up. No enemy would possibly know his fathers name. He put away his staff, instantly growing friendly with this woman. Okay, bro, he said. Lets go. To Home. Ahbut I need to do one thing first.

    ***

    Artus Emberhearty on the floor, panting. A foot was pressed into the side of his cheek, keeping him down.

    What should we do with this loser, Ancestor? the Grand Elder asked, spitting on Artuss face under his foot. He caused great harm to our faction. He deserves to die.

    Opposite him stood a reality-warping figure. Golden fur covered his entire body, while his mane was proud and clear. He looked like a normal leonine, but the aura of supremacy he emitted was enough to press down on the Grand Elder like a divine decree.

    A liability like him should not remain in our faction, the Ancestor replied calmly. However, he can still be of use. We need to curry favor with the Hand of God. Perhaps gifting them ate C-Grade will do the trick.

    The Grand Elder bowed his head. You are wise, Ancestor.

    No, Ancestor, please! Artus pleaded from the ground. I have served the faction my entire life. I have been loyal and hard-working. Please dont do this to me! I dont deserve it!

    The Grand Elder pushed down with his foot, digging the Wardens face deeper into the concrete. Shut up, he growled.

    The Ancestor ignored Artuss pleas. System, he ordered calmly, remove Artus Emberheart from the Animal Kingdom. Revoke all his rights as an Elder.

    NO! Artus screamed, but it was useless. Already, System screens were rolling before his eyes. His lifes work turned into smoke. He had been an Animal Kingdom Elder for millenniasuddenly, he was nothing.

    And it was all the fault of Jack Rust. Hatred shimmered inside Artus, dark and all-epassing. He couldnt defeat the Grand Elder. He couldnt fight back against the Ancestor.

    But he could take revenge against Jack Rust or die trying. His Dao was already broken; what did he have to lose?

    What about Jack Rust, Ancestor? the Grand Elder asked. We have lost his whereabouts, and

    Dont think about that anymore, the Ancestor cut him off. That man has too much potential, too much hatred towards us to be left alive. He must die. I will see to it personally.

    The Grand Elder couldnt contain his shock. Personally!? But Ancestor, you

    I know best, the Ancestor interrupted him again, so you better watch your mouth. Or are you implying your judgment is better than mine?

    Never, Ancestor. It will be as you say. With you after him, even the ck Hole Church will not be able to protect Jack Rust.

    The Ancestor snorted a chuckle. Dont underestimate the great forces, Olsen. The Church can protect whomever they want. The question is, how far are they willing to go? His leonine face broke into a slight, confident grin. And what allies can I secure?

    You are wise, Ancestor, the Grand Elder repeated, bowing deeply.

    The Ancestor nodded and turned to leave. As for him, he said, referring to Artus, who remained under the Grand Elders foot, shimmering with bitterness and hatred, inform the Hand of God that we offer them Artus Emberheart, ate C-Grade, as a gift. They can do whatever they wish with him. Even if they kill or enve him, we couldnt care less.

    Artus felt so much dark fire in his chest that he almost lost control and tried to fight back. Of course, that would be pointless. He bottled up the indignation, vowing to release it on the one person who had destroyed his life.

    Yes, Ancestor, the Grand Elder replied, and the Ancestor disappeared, off to hunt Jack Rust.

 Chapter 304: Father and Son

    Chapter 304: Father and Son

    <em>Six days before the end of the grace period,</em>

    Harambe was out to fight. His knucklesnded heavily on the ground, crunching bloodied autumn leaves as he calmly strolled past.

    He and his broris could not level up as humans did, but they could sharpen their muscles and Big Thoughts. They hadnt been sitting idle this past year. Already, the battered corpses of hyenas covered the ground around Harambe, their E-Grade bodies unable to withstand the power of his fists. Only the leader of this ce could be a worthy opponent. His sights were set on the distant mountainthe core of this E-Grade dungeon.

    The more he approached, however, the lower his brows fell.

    Uu-uu-ah! Loha, one of his broris, eximed.

    Harambe nodded heavily. Something was wrong. There were more corpses in their waycorpses that had been there for hours. Someone had been through here. Someone was in the dungeon that he, Harambe, had imed.

    And that someone had killed an entire hyena pack by skewering them with ice spikes.

    The Ice Peak.

    Harambe paused. The three broris behind him awaited hismandwould they leave, or would they stay?

    They pressed on. This was Harambes dungeon. What kind of weak Big Brori would cower at the presence of enemies?

    His stroll turned into a tumbling run. His knuckles thundered on the ground as he dashed through the thick forest foliage, orange by autumn, terrifying any remaining animal out of his way. His eyes spat fire. He jumped at a thick branch, grabbing it tightly tounch himself upward, to the the top of the tree. He drummed his fists on his chest and roared.

    The birds went silent. The forest animals stilled. This was a big brori with two Big Thoughts and the will to fight; who would dare stand against him?

    Two creatures, however, did not stop. Harambe was closer to the mountain now; he could see its peak. And, up there, he saw a small figure sh against a scarred, brown-skinned lion. Ice was everywhere, reflecting the sunlight. The figure danced around on wings of ice, dodging the lions swipes and shing at it with twin ice swords.

    But that was Harambes prey. And the ice man, whoever he was, had just ignored Harambes roar of dominance.

    He shot forward even faster. His knuckles now cratered the ground, while his three broris struggled to keep up. Harambe was furious. Someone was challenging him. He couldnt let that pass.

    The forest floor flew under him, turning into stone that angled upward. The mountain was a small oneit took Harambe less than a minute to climb it, but by then, it was toote. The brown liony dead, its body torn apart by ice shards. The man whod killed it stood proud over the body, gazing at Harambe. Harambe came to a pause and red back.

    He knew this man. It was the one who had defeated the wizard bro, the leader of the enemy.

    Alexander Petrovic.

    The ice man, still wearing wings of ice and wielding twin swords, shed him a bright grin. Would you look at that, he said. The brotherhoods pet gori. How lucky is this?

    Harambe snorted. His nostrils widened, his eyes reddened. He slowly walked within ten feet of the ice man, then rose to his full height and beat his chest with all his power, roaring out in dominance. Spit flew out. The air itself boomed in resonance. His shout was enough to shake the ice and cover the sky. Any beast, any brori, almost any human he knew would have cowered.

    But not this ice man. Not Alexander Petrovic. He was strong and surprisingly brave, facing a ten-foot-tall broris battle roar from almost point-nk without flinching. He only stared back unblinkingly, and there was hardness behind those eyes; there was blood.

    Harambe realized he was in the presence of a worthy challenger. He slowly fell back onto his knuckles, sizing the ice man up and down. His instinct warned Harambe that this man was stronger than him. But it didnt matter. Harambe was the leader of his pack, and he had just been challenged. He would die before retreating.

    Their res crossed and stayed there.

    How has your alliance survived with such idiots at the helm? the ice man said with confidence, not taking his eyes off Harambes. First Edgar, now you. You should possess the intelligence to realize Im stronger and defy your natural instincts to escape. Why do you stay? Why did youe to the mountaintop knowing that I was here? You could have run away. You had the time. Instead, you just rushed to your death. There is nothing admirable about idiocy.

    Harambe growled. He heard his three broris catching up, heard their short breaths as they realized their big bro was locked into a duel for dominance. He heard their cheers but did not see them, for he refused to look away from his opponents unblinking eyes. His own eyes were hurting by now, but he would be damned if he blinked first.

    Dont worry, the ice man said. I do not obey stupid rules. Your subordinates will die before you, and I will make you watch.

    Harambe growled again, pulling back his lips to reveal wickedly sharp teeth. Once, they had been used to bite bananarms. Now, they would tear into this mans throat. He approached slowly, digging his knuckles deep into the ground until he was almost face-to-face with the ice man, barely a foot between them. The man raised his chin. His eyes had not faltered yet, and Harambes were beginning to seriously burn. Gradually, the mans gaze hardened further, carrying tangible threat.

    You should have stayed in your forest, gori, where that robot would never let me touch you, he said. You fucked up.

    Harambe growled, intensifying his re at the expense of his eyes burning even harder, but it was useless. The man was relentless. The intensity of his stare ramped up, reaching into Harambes chest and freezing his soul. It encased his burning courage in ice. It slipped fear into his heart, an undeniable awareness that he, Harambe, was the weaker party.

    And, while his insides were shivering, his eyes were burning. Every second of holding them open took more effort than thest. Harambes Big Thoughts red, enhancing him, but so did the ice mans.

    Every second was now a year.

    Harambe blinked. The moment he did, he knew he had already lost. The ice man grinned wickedly and attacked.

    ***

    <em>Five days before the end of the grace period,</em>

    Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin appeared in the middle of an empty country road.

    Here should be fine, said the feshkur immortal apanying them. We are across the from the overseer. She shouldnt be able to detect us. She then turned to the three and smiled. Wee to Earth.

    So this is what it looks like, Nauja said, looking around. I expected it a bit moreadvanced.

    Were in the countryside now, Salin exined. Wait until you see the cities. Youre going to love it. They have these things calledputers, where you can y all sorts of games.

    Like a ball court?

    Not exactly. Youll see.

    Brock, meanwhile, was speechless. His eyes scanned the horizon, his ears were perked up for any hint of sound. He recognized nothing. Yet, he knew beyond any doubt that this Earth, his home, where he was born and met Big Bro. Where everything began.

    And not just that; his pack was here, too. Father, mother, his brori bros He hadnt seen them in such a long time. In fact, he barely remembered them, as he had only been a baby when he and Big Bro went to the tournament.

    The rush of emotions was unexpected. Brock felt his Big Thoughts vibrate in resonance, revealing this ce as the origin of his brohood.

    Suddenly, Brock really looked forward to reuniting with everyoneand fighting on their side. It was going to be the greatest thing ever.

    Brock. Brock, Salin said, snapping his fingers in front of Brocks nose. Are you okay?

    Brock blinked. Yes, he replied.

    Good. You kinda spaced out a bit there. Are you so nostalgic?

    Yes.

    He smiled. Thats my big bro!

    Nauja saw Brocks longing eyes and felt sadness. Her own home was lost now; she would probably never see it again in her lifetime, never meet her father, rtives, and tribe members again.

    It stung so bad.

    However, barbarians did not show weakness. They were strong. Nauja bottled up those emotions and turned to the feshkurAngr. Where do we go now? she asked.

    I am instructed to bring Brock where Jack Rust trains, she replied. As for the two of you Would you like to visit the headquarters of your forces?

    Cant wee along with Brock?

    It isunadvised. Hiding until the final moment is vital, and the more people we have, the greater the chances of being discovered.

    Nauja frowned, but Salin stepped in. Its no biggie, Nauja, he said. A few more days is nothing. Lets just wait with Edgar and them. Im sure theyll be d to see me.

    I dont know those people. Are they your friends?

    You can call them that. I mean, they dont know it yet, but Hey, Brock, buddy. Youre spacing out again. Whats wrong?

    This time, Brock did not reply immediately. Hed felt something. A sudden, piercing pain in his heart as if he was losing something precious. It was a calling that couldnt be put into words, but one he could certainly follow. And it felt urgent.

    There, he said, pointing in the distance. He looked at the feshkur immortal with full seriousness. Must go there.

    She looked surprised. But flying is

    Must. Please. Now.

    Faced with the intensity of his gaze, she must have realized something was wrong because she nodded. Okay. Lets go. With a wave of her hand, a gale appeared to pick them all up before shooting in the distance. They were flying near the ground, not breaking the sound barrier but close. Salins cheeks were blown back by the wind and he made aaaaa sounds, but Brocks eyes remained fully focused.

    Something was wrong. What could make him feel like this?

    One hourter, flickering blue walls appeared in their vision, cutting off thendscape. A dungeon, Angr said, frowning. Do you want to go in there?

    Yes, Brock replied. The feeling was even stronger now. Even more urgent.

    Under the feshkurs lead, they flew through the blue wall toe across a terrain of destruction. A forest of orange leaves stretched under them, littered with patches of blood. The corpses of what looked like hyenas were scattered on the ground. From this vantage point, they could see that in one direction, the corpses were frozen. In another, they were smashed to death. Both paths led from the edge of the dungeon to a small mountain in the center.

    This dungeon is E-Grade, the feshkur said, frowning. Was there a battle? I can sense that the boss of this ce is dead, but the dungeon itself is unimed.

    Brock did not say anything. He pointed at the mountaintop. As they flew over, his urgency and anxiousness grew so great that he transitioned into full rity. Suddenly, he was in battle mode. His burning heart was controlled by a calm mind.

    The first thing he saw was arge brown lion skewered by tworge ice shards.

    The second were the bodies of four broris, onerger than the rest. Brocks heart clenched. He felt short of breath. He jumped out of the air,nding hard on the ground before the others. He immediately rushed to the side of thergest brori, sneaking nces at the other three as he passed. He recognized them all. Herom, Loha, Ehamba. All dead.

    And how could he not recognize his own father?

    He rushed to that body, and to his insane relief, discovered that Harambe was still alive. Hey there, eyes open, chest rising and falling to the beat of his heart. He sported great injuries that prevented him from moving but was clearly not dead.

    Father! Brock eximed in joy before even getting there.

    Harambe turned his neck with great effort. When he saw Brock, his eyes were colored by intense surprise. A hint of joy threatened to appear in them, but it was immediately crushed by embarrassment and humiliation so intense they could have filled the world. Harambe looked away.

    Brock froze in his steps. He couldnt believe his eyes.

    Now that he was closer, he could see more things. Harambey on his back, arms and legs outstretched. Each was nailed to the ground by an ice spike, rendering him unable to move. Blood covered the ground around him, and dried tears had drenched the fur below his bloodshot eyes. His lips were torn from biting them. His breaths came short, as if his throat was so parched from shouting that every exhale rubbed painfully against it.

    When they crossed gazes just now, before Harambe looked away, Brock had seen an ocean of pain behind those eyes. There was no edge in them anymore. They were broken, overwhelmed by loss and exhaustion. These were the eyes of a man whod lost his will to live.

    Brock was stunned. Was that really his father? The proud, unyielding big brori?

    What could possibly have happened?

    The other three had alsonded by now, shocked at the scene before them. Salin tried to say something, but Nauja grabbed his arm and squeezed it to shut him up. Angr watched with deep sadness.

    Father Brock muttered, taking a couple steps in Harambes direction. Before he could approach, however, Harambe made a snorting sound as if sending him away. Brock froze.

    Ovee with grief, his mind worked hard. He looked around, taking in the scene again: Harambe, nailed to the ground, and the three dead broris strewn around him. His mindpleted the puzzle. He realized what had happened. He realized why his father didnt want to see him.

    Someone had defeated Harambe, nailed him to the ground, and forced him to watch as they ughtered his little brothers. They had then left him lying there, slowly bleeding out over the course of several days, with nothing to do but grieve andment.

    How could he <em>not </em>be broken?

    Brocks heart clenched again, bing small and hard like a fist. His deep sadness turned into burning anger, filling him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. His entire soul turned red. His four Big Thoughts and one Very Big Thought revved in concert, all demanding vengeance.

    Brock had never been more enraged than he was right now.

    Who was it? he asked, his voiceden with barely contained anger.

    Harambe made another snorting sound. This one was less clear, somehow; wetter. He was still looking away, enduring the pain to keep his neck turned.

    Brocks lip trembled. He didnt even know what he was feeling. A part of his brain realized that his question must have caused Harambe even more shame, as he could not speak.

    Harambes body shivered slightly. The sound of droplets hitting the ground was discreet, contained, but enough for Brock to hear it. Mastering his anger, he closed his eyes and turned away, understanding that every extra second he spent looking at his father just pained them both even more.

    Just how much shame would a man feel, being in such a state before his own son?

    Brocks eyes carried iron. He crossed gazes with his bros, seeing that they shared his fire.

    It must have been Alexander Petrovic, Gan Salin said,cking his usual yfulness. Of all ice cultivators on Earth, only he possesses such power.

    Brock nodded. He remembered that man. Now, Alexander Petrovic was a name and face forever engraved into his mind.

    He would absolutely destroy him.

    Where is he? Brock asked calmly.

    I have some knowledge of thiss politics, Angr said. Alexander Petrovic, the leader of the Ice Peak, should be waiting in his factions headquarters. However, attacking him there is useless. It will only warn the Animal Kingdom of our presence and ruin everything. We are not in position yet.

    Brock met her gaze. He was conflicted.

    However, she continued, in five days, Petrovic will be at the Grace Concert. It is where your forces will assault theirs. If you can wait until then, you can fight him without endangering the entire war effort.

    Brock stared deep into her eyes. He weighed the situationthe well-being of everyone against his burning rage. However, he was a big bro. He knew the right choice. He could wait.

    Slowly, he nodded.

    Thank you, Angr said earnestly. I have contacted Jack Rust, who contacted your faction. They are already on their way. We can stay, if you want, or move to the hiding ce. The choice is yours.

    Brock raised his head to the sky, fighting to rein in his own tears. Tightening his lower lip, he nodded. We go, he said, straining to keep his voice level. Dog bro, girl bro. Take care of Father.

    Salin and Nauja both nodded. Brock Nauja said, looking at him tenderly, but he shook his head.

    I am fine, he replied. We go. See you soon.

    They nodded again. Good luck, Nauja said.

    What happened is terrible, Salin said seriously. We believe in you, Brock. Well take care of your father and everything else. Do what you have to do.

    Brock locked eyes with him and nodded. Thanks, bro, he replied. He then turned to the feshkur immortal. She raised her hand, summoning a breeze, and they both flew away together, leaving the scene of carnage behind.

    Brock did not turn to look, nor did he want to stay. He understood. Right now, the closer he was to his father, the more pain and shame he would cause him.

    However, his soul remained heavy with grief. It was burning with righteous rage. This was all he could think of. The beast inside him had awoken, and it would soon spread brutal carnage with all the power hed painstakingly cultivated over thest year. He was a bro bomb about to explode.

    Waiting was torture, but he would train hard. And, in five days, he would absolutely fucking destroy Alexander Petrovic.

 Chapter 306: The Grace Concert Begins

    Chapter 306: The Grace Concert Begins

    The waves crashed against walls of white stone, rising ten feet in height and circling an oblong area five miles wide. Above these walls was an empty expanse, sticking out of the ocean like a stone ind. Its surface held nothing but arge, circr stage in the middle, as well as throngs of people.

    The Grace Concert, the event that would signal the end of Earths grace period, was finally starting.

    The elites of Earth had rushed here from every corner of the. Some were rich individuals that had bought their ce. Others were fierce cultivators whod earned it, and there were also some who just happened to possess a low-grade starship that could cross the ocean. Everyone who had participated in the Integration Tournament had been personally invited, and special starships had been sent to pick them upthough some chose toe by their own means.

    Starships, however, were extremely expensive items, and the spectator area could fit tens of thousands of people. Most hade by ship, starting their trip a week in advance to make it in time. One end of the concert venuethe Integration Starshiphad been converted into a dock, where everything from yachts to cruise ships were currently anchored, with more arriving every hour. Arge, circr area on the docks was reserved for starships.

    To the dismay of many, airnes and private jets couldntnd on the Integration Starship, but there was an aircraft carrier waiting nearby, letting themnd on it for a fee. A small boat then carried the passengers to the concert venue. As for helicopters, few had the fuel capacity to reach this ce.

    By now, most of the audience was just waiting in the spectator area that surrounded the stage. Some people, however, got special treatment. An entire section near the stage was cordoned off with the words Ice Peak dering its soon-to-be upants.

    Suddenly, arge group of dots appeared in the distance. Few by few, the people turned to look. The dots approached quickly, revealing themselves as a fleet of small starships headed directly for the dock. As they madendfall, outnumbering the starships already there, the presenters voice echoed over the crowd.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it dered, the Ice Peak!

    Everyone pped. Many cheered loudly, hoping to curry favor. The doors of the starships slid open, revealing hundreds of well-dressed, proud individuals. Most were fair of skin, with blue eyes and blond hair. Cultivation had sharpened their features, making them beautiful and handsome. They walked with their chins raised high, carrying a subtle, deeply-ingrained sense of superiority.

    Whispers spread across the audience. The true strength of the Ice Peak and the alliance had been a source of endless discussion for many. Now, however, they realized that the major factions were even stronger than anyone thought. Of the Ice Peak members entering the venue, there were dozens of E-Grades. Dozens. People couldnt contain their shock. Even a year after the Integration, E-Grades were incredibly rare!

    And all the other members present were peak F-Grades, too!

    It was clear that the Ice Peak had brought their cream of the crop, a show of force that would be transmitted across the and force everyone to bow their heads.

    In the next moment, however, everyone stopped looking at the members of the Ice Peak. Their leader had arrived. Out of thergest starship came the man most likely tomand Earth under the Animal Kingdoms auspices, one of the most influential and strongest people on the, one of the Integration Tournament finalists. He had reached the peak of the F-Grade in the first month. Now, peoples jaws dropped to the floor.

    Alexander Petrovic! the announcer dered again.

    Alexander walked out slowly, carrying the air of a king. His dominance was clear for all to see. It wasnt due to the dozens of E-Grades following him or the fact hed received special mention from the Animal Kingdom. It wasnt because hemanded a fleet of a hundred starships. It was because, in front of everyones shocked eyes, Alexander Petrovic was revealed to have reached the peak E-Grade.

    The peak E-Grade within a year. Just one step away from bing a legendary immortal. To the people of Earth, for whom even E-Grades were the greatest of celebrities, this was the stuff of myth!

    What sort of talent was that!? What sort of power!

    Everyone cheered and pped, earnestly this time. The Ice Peak were tyrants to themon people but on good terms with the other elites. Of the people here, most yearned for the safety andfort that Alexanders rule would bring. So what if themon folk would be milked? They couldnt care less!

    However, this event was already being broadcasted across the globe, and the reaction of most people was vastly different than that of the live spectators. To the nations that lived under the Ice Peaks influence, Alexander was their leader. For all his propaganda, they only considered him the lesser of two evils. They werent particrly enthused with him.

    As for the people in alliance territory, who had decent living conditions and ess to information, they hated Alexander with a passion. The alliance also employed its own propaganda, which undoubtedly helped.

    Alexander Petrovic smiled and waved, receiving the cheers of the spectators. Its an honor to be here, everyone, he dered confidently. Today marks the beginning of a new era; the birth of a united, prosperous, powerful Earth!

    More cheers. The projection stones focused on the people cheering the loudest, somewhat influencing the people who watched the broadcast from their hometowns. A few of those cheered as well.

    The Ice Peak members formed into a line that headed for their section of the venue, passing through the crowd that opened up for them. Every Ice Peak cultivator smiled and shook hands with anyone who asked, maintaining their cool and confident air. They were giving the image of established rulers.

    After they reached their section, things calmed down again. It wasnt long, however, before the announcer''s voice rang again.

    The representatives of the me River and Bare Fist Brotherhood! it dered. A new starship had just arrived, and out of its door stepped two women: Margaret Rust and Vivi Eragorn. The professor wore a set of clean, sharp, yet simple clothes, while Vivi donned a loose red dress that entuated her beauty while hiding her curves. Their hairones white and the others darkboth flowed freely, painting an image of calm confidence.

    The crowd still cheered, though not nearly as hard as they had for the Ice Peak. Everywhere else on the, the reaction was the exact opposite. The ones in Ice Peak territory were disinterested, while the ones in alliance territory cheered excitedly. It wasnt every day that you saw the two leaders of the alliance together.

    Vivi stepped forward and raised her hand high, waving at the crowd. Well met, everyone, she said. Lets enjoy the show.

    Her strength, grace, and confidence,bined with her natural beauty, had many men pining for her. How could they not? Alongside the professor, she was basically thes greatest woman, and she was pretty, too!

    Not to mention her apparent peak E-Grade cultivation. She was the second such person to appear after Alexanderthe professor was only Level 81causing wave after wave of exmations. One thing was bing clear: after Jack Rust, whose status was unknown, Earth would soon have its second D-Grade!

    Many people walked up to shake hands with the two alliance leaders, even risking the Ice Peaks ire to get closer to Vivi, but she only brushed them off politely. The two women made their way through the crowd, seeming as rxed as if they were strolling in their garden, to reach a ce close to the Ice Peaks area.

    Alexander Petrovic strode out to meet them under everyones watchful eyes.

    Vivi, Margaret, he said like they were old friends. A pleasure to see you both. Its a shame you couldnt bring more of your factions, but I understand. Starships are expensive nowadays. Heughed aloud like hed said a friendly joke. The audience went quiet, picking up on his intentions.

    Alexander, Vivi replied, her smile as slight as could be. Its not a matter of funds; we just preferred to use them to feed our people instead of renting out starships from the Animal Kingdom to make an impression.

    In one sentence, shed both returned his insult and outed the fact that his starships were rented.

    They were offered to us on the basis of our effective ruling, Alexander stated, still with a bright smile. Besides, its important to keep up appearances. If I showed up by myself, what would people think of my noble faction?

    Not much less than they do now, I presume. The bar is already pretty low.

    Right, Alexander said, pretending to look at them weirdly. He was making them out to be the bad guys. Ill see you bothter. We need to discuss the terms of your official surrender.

    Well see, Vivi replied. Thank you for your time, Alexander. Then, both she and the professor turned to walk to another, more sparsely popted area. They wouldnt have such a great view from there, but the concert was thest thing they cared about.

    Alexander also walked away, leaving the spectators full of questions and gossip. Many were feeling ufortable. The Ice Peak and the alliance were already irreconcble enemies. If something went wrong and the two peak E-Grades came to blows right here, wouldnt the audience be caught in the crossfire?

    As if reading their thoughts, a divine presence suddenly descended on the concert venue. Everyone looked up to find a humanoid form approaching from the sky, showered in light from above.

    Ladies and gentlemen, the announcer dered again, struggling to keep his voice level, it is my extreme honor to present theary overseer of Earth-387, an esteemed Elder of the Animal Kingdom, a noble heir of the Lonihor leonine family: Galicia Lonihor!

    This time, the audience held nothing back. They didnt dare to. Their cheers reached the sky, echoing from cloud to cloud. Even the surrounding sea was upset by the volume. The overseer, beset by a faint, leonine aura of supremacy, descended to the seat of honor, a raised throne ced right in front of the Ice Peak area to signal that they had her favor.

    Overseer, Alexander said, bowing slightly. It is an honor to meet you in person.

    She nodded at him, not bothering to respond, in the same way that she had ignored the crowds cheers. She was an Animal Kingdom Elder, and these were clueless, bottom-of-the-barrel cultivators in a newly-Integrated. Even being here was already giving them too much face.

    Not to mention that her mood remained sour. It had been less than a week since Jack Rust humiliated her faction and killed her son.

    The announcers voice rang again: To our esteemed audience, please enjoy the performance. When the concert is over in three hours time, thiss grace period wille to an end, heralding the arrival of the great Animal Kingdom. And now, without further ado, let the Grace Concert begin!

    The crowd stopped gossiping and looked at the stage expectantly. Smoke appeared out of nowhere to fill it. The sound of gears whirring echoed over the concert venue. Through the smoke, people could make out a man appearing from below, rising into the stage like he was emerging from the floor itself.

    A sharp chord filled the air. Then another. A fast, electric melody that seeped into everyones psyche and excited them. The smoke began to clear, revealing long dark hair, a leather jacket, and a man wearing ck, spiked bracelets. The tail of an electric guitar pierced the smoke, clearing it up, and Vanderdecken was revealed in his full glory,pleting a guitar solo so fast that people couldnt follow his fingers. The sound was ecstatic.

    A few secondster, he finished, and he raised his right hand in the air, extending his index and pinky fingers. ALRIGHT! he shouted, and the crowd cheered from their heart.

    Many didnt like metal music. Many were afraid of what would happenter. But not many things could unite people like a good show.

    The announcers voice rang out: The Animal Kingdom presents to you the singer of the Dao of Metal, the third ce winner of the Elzins interster talent show, the highest-level musician of Earth-387: Kane Vanderdecken!

    For the Devil! Vanderdecken cheered, this time raising both hands.

    All across the, people smiled and settled in to watch, excited to experience the performance of a cultivator showman. To everyones surprise, Vanderdecken had even reached Level 119.

    He strung his electric guitar again. Though it was unplugged, its sound echoed everywhere, harsh but strangely lyrical, and the concert began. GATE ONE Vanderdecken sang,pletely ignoring copyrightws. The audience moved to the tune, getting inexplicably drawn into the song. Even Alexander Petrovic was enjoying himself, while Vivi and the professor were nodding alongthough their minds were elsewhere.

    Only theary overseer couldnt care less. Her head was propped on her fist, and her mind was already working on the best ways to locate Jack Rust after this was over. She didnt believe he would actually dare to show up on Earthif he did, the Animal Kingdom Ancestor chasing him would teleport over in the blink of an eye. Even the ck Hole Church wouldnt fight a B-Grade for him; he couldnt possibly be worth that much.

    Vanderdeckens performance was captivating. For the people at the edge of the concert venue, however, it wasnt as much. They were five miles away. They couldnt see him, and the sound reached them distorted as well. They were here more for the experience and status than the actual performance.

    However, life has a sense of humor. These people couldnt see the concert too well, but in return, they had first-row seats for the sea around the Integration Starship.

    Therefore, when the tip of a periscope first broke the surface of the ocean, they were the first to notice.

 Chapter 307: Blowing the Horn

    Chapter 307: Blowing the Horn

    One by one, ominous shapes surfaced around the Integration Starship. They were painted blue with white strips, blending in with the seawater, and each had a traphole at the top, along with a periscope.

    The people at the edges of the concert were the first to notice. Then, as themotion spread, more and more eyes turned to look. The guards tensed up; the Ice Peak cultivators lowered their brows. Everyone in the know nodded somberly.

    It was time. The war was starting.

    Vanderdecken kept sting the audience with music, but far fewer people paid attention to his performance now. Even at the seats of honor, behind theary overseer, the Ice Peak had detected themotion and was pivoting away from the singer.

    They dide Alexander muttered, a grin appearing on his face. Good. This will make the clean-up easier.

    The overseer did not react visibly, but her brows were furrowed. She had no idea what gave these people the courage to start a fight. Maybe she couldnt participate, but all reports imed that the Ice Peak had more than enough power.

    The submarines surrounding the concert came to a stop at the same time. The trapdoors at their top swung open, letting out row after row of battle-ready cultivators. Many wore armor of various kinds. Others donned robes, and yet more wore varied clothing, like t-shirts or boxing shorts. One thing they had inmon, however, was the resolve in their eyes. These people hade for war.

    The voices of the audience rose so high that even Vanderdecken began to be eclipsed.

    At that moment, two forms shot out of the crowd, one surrounded by wings of fire and the other flying on what seemed like a jetpack. A moment, everyone! Vivi shouted, easily overpowering Vanderdecken, who obediently stopped ying.

    Oh, man, he muttered to himself. And I was only at the third song.

    Seeing that she had everyones attention, Vivi continued. We apologize for interrupting. As you can see, the cultivators of the me Brotherhood alliance have surrounded the Integration Starship, and we are about to engage with the Ice Peak. We do not wish to harm innocent bystanders or the honored representatives of the Animal Kingdom. Anyone not affiliated with the Ice Peak, please depart immediately, or you will be considered their aplices.

    Her speech was sharp and to the point, delivered with the hardness of a war general. It was followed by a second of stunned silence. Then, all at once, the crowd broke into screams, rushing to the dock so quickly that they created a stampede. Vivi watched coldly. She had nopassion for most of these peopleshe just couldnt afford to make more enemies right now. If they wanted to stampede each other, let them.

    A freezing current spread from the seats of the Ice Peak. Alexander Petrovic took to the air. As soon as he reached Vivis altitude, his wings spread apart, revealing a level of detail that would awe the greatest of sculptors.

    Have you no shame? he asked in a booming voice. This is a moment of celebration. Why must you interrupt us with your warmongering stupidity?

    Dont y coy, Alexander. Everyone knows you are the dogs of the Animal Kingdom. If we dyed by just three hours, the grace period would be over, and this battle would be impossible.

    Heughed. It <em>is </em>impossible, Vivi. Your military might is far inferior; you dont stand a chance.

    Lets find out.

    Her me wings burned brighter. A whip of blue fire unfurled between her hands, snapping at the nearby air. Her long red dress, made of fireproof fabric, fluttered at the wind, revealing nothing but enhancing her image as a warrior queen. The men in the audience paused for a moment to admire her beauty.

    Losing no time, I see, Alexander replied with augh. Two ice swords slowly grew out of his palms, and he crossed them in the air. Venerable Elder! he called out. May I destroy this witch?

    Still sprawled on her chair, the overseer betrayed no emotion. Do whatever you want, she said. This is a battle between natives. As long as we are not implicated, the Animal Kingdom will not act.

    In that case, esteemed overseer, said Vivi, could you please move? Your current position makes it hard for us to do battle.

    The overseer gave Vivi a hard, drawn-out stare. When she didnt flinch, the overseers brows furrowed deeply. The grace period ends in exactly two hours and forty minutes, she announced. Then, without another word, she slipped through space and disappeared.

    Meanwhile, the alliance army had stepped out of the submarines and onto the concert area. As the crowd receded, they advanced. The army of the Ice Peak spread as well, each seeming cool and confident, and the two armies slowly came to face each other.

    The projection stones were still running. Much like Jacks duel, this battle would be transmitted across the globe, recing Vanderdeckens performance as the main event. All over the, people gasped and rose from their seats, calling everyone they knew to watch the projection. A massive screen hovered in the air over every major town on Earth, and people gazed up from their rooftops with stunned expressions.

    To them, both the alliance and the Ice Peak were unfathomable existences. Most of the war so far had been fought in dungeons or ces where people couldnt freely watch. Moreover, all news came distorted by both sides. It was hard to tell truth from falsehood.

    Right now, however, there was nothing stopping them! They could watch the battle as clearly as if they were there, see how the two forcespared against each other and how their leaders behaved.

    This was a breathtaking moment!

    At the same time, another question spread through the like fire.

    Hey, a woman said, touching her husbands arm. This war Do you think Jack Rust will show up as well?

    I have no idea! he replied, his fists clenched with excitement. But I sure want to find out! After all the miracles hes achievedwho knows!? He just might return to save us!

    For the people of Earth, Jack Rust was already a legendary hero. His name had spread after the Integration Tournament, serving as a beacon of hope for all who were lost. The people of Earth had no idea what the future held, but they believed that, no matter what happened, Jack Rust would return for them!

    Or, at least, so it seemed. He was an existence so far beyond them that they couldnt predict his moves. It was unknown whether hed show up for this battle or not, but so far, he was missing.

    Vivi, the professor said in a low voice, I will gomand the army, okay?

    She nodded. Has Jack replied?

    No. He I dont know what happened.

    The professors voice was strained, but to anyone who couldnt hear them, she appeared strong and confident.

    Vivi nodded. Very well. Lets believe, since thats all we can do. Go. Ill hold him off.

    The professor went to say something again, then caught herself. She couldnt let wayward emotions influence her. Okay, she finally replied. I trust you. Stay safe.

    I will.

    The professor dove down, still riding her jetpack, while Alexanderughed.

    And here you were making fun of our starships, he said. Those submarines of yours look expensive as well.

    They were ours to begin with. Its not like we could sell them to get food.

    I dont understand why youre doing this, Alexander said again, growing somber. You have nothing to gain. Even if you somehow win, you will still be eliminated in a few hours. There is no way the Kingdom will let you live after what Jack Rust did.

    What else could we do? Vivi replied with a sad yet hard smile. We will die anyway. If we can rid the world of your filth before that, it will be enough. And besideswe still hope for a miracle.

    At this, Alexander burst outughing. What miracle? Jack Rust cant save you! Nobody can! You are criminals, goners, relics of the past. Your death will herald a new era, and it wille at my hand.

    Vivi smiled. She straightened her whip arm towards him. Try it, she said. Her eyes darkened. This is for Harambe.

    Down on the concert area, the two armies faced off against each other. Each was made up of their respective factions top elites. The weakest cultivators present were at the peak F-Grade, as anyone weaker than that would just die for no reason.

    Now that the armies stood in the open, their respective powers were clear.

    The Ice Peak had the advantage in numbers. They were around seven hundred to the alliances five. As the professor rode her jetpack to the back of her armywith a shielding spell prepared in case the enemy threw projectilesshe scanned everyone and came to the conclusion that the Ice Peak had the advantage in power as well. They possessed slightly more E-Grades, and with slightly higher cultivations.

    This would be an uphill battlebut they had to manage.

    On the bright side, the alliance had a secret weapon, too. Out of the crowd of cultivators stepped Edgar, covered by a long, multi-colored robe that fluttered in the breeze. His slick hair was drawn back, leaving his face and sharp eyes exposed. He was surrounded by an elemental aura that made the enemies shiver, while his Level was revealed to be at the peak of the E-Grade: Level 124. He had spent most of thest few months in E-Grade dungeons to prepare for this moment.

    Give me space, Edgar said to the front line of his army, his words as steady as his magic. As he spread his arms, seven fireballs materialized around him, shining like stars ready to be unleashed.

    The surrounding people took a few steps away, giving him space to work with. On the opposite side, a squad of over a dozen mid andte E-Grades stepped forth to face him. Their faces were hard, their eyes sharp. They were experienced warriors, yesbut Edgar was one of the strongest E-Grades on Earth, and his current Dao was perfectly suited for such a battle. Alexander aside, nobody in the Ice Peak could match him.

    At the same time, inside a far-off submarine, two people were discussing calmly. One was a canine, lean and joyful with a goofy smile. The other was a woman with pale skin and blond hair, wearing animal fur that only covered her privates, drawing the eye of the male sailors who operated the submarine. However, nobody had dared speak to her after they noticed her cultivation.

    She was at the peak E-Grade. Both of them were, because this was Gan Salin and Nauja, and they were here specifically to kick ass.

    I have never seen such a weak before, Nauja said, poking her head out of the manhole to take a peep. Are you sure these are your elites?

    Mhm, my elites, yes. Because Im totally from this, Salin replied. Ever so slowly, he put on his wed gauntlets and smiled predatorily. Wanna hear a secret? he asked.

    No.

    After all the training Brock put us through, I look forward to tearing through these little guys.

    But I said no

    Come on, Nauja. Weve lived together for almost a year now. You should know better.

    She sighed. Then, drawing her bow, she pulled on the string. An arrow of wind materialized, trained right at the submarine walls. I want to fight, too sheined.

    Hey, you heard the boss. Since youre not from Earth, you have to stay in here until Jack and the others arrive, or the overseer will have an excuse to vite the grace period and wipe us all out.

    Nauja sighed again and lowered her bow, much to the relief of the submarine crewmembers. Where the hell are they, anyway? she asked. Werent they supposed to be here already?

    I have no idea. Maybe something came upyou know, a running tap, a forgotten oven, stuff like that.

    She red at him.

    Anyway, he continued, shing her a smile, gotta go. Wish me luck.

    Kill them all, she said, still sad that she couldnt participate. Gan Salin gave her a thumbs-up, then jumped out of the submarine and rushed to the forefront of the battle. Everyone else was gearing up as well. In both armies, every cultivator drew their weapon and summoned their powers. He even saw four broris flexing at each other and getting hyped, while a pack of gymonkeys was pooping into arge bucket.

    Sorry, excuse me,ing through!

    Salin pushed through the crowd to reach the front of the army. Then, sensing the violence in the air, he grinned. The two armies were ready to cleave through each other. All they needed was the signal.

    Before that came, however, two figures flew over from afar. Well, one figure flew over; the other was hanging from the firsts feet. Theynded on the ground before the Ice Peak army, who weed them with cheers.

    Shit, Salin said.

    Gan Salin, you traitor, Fesh Wui, the eagler scion, spoke with scorn. His wings were spread wide, and his chin was raised to the sky. You would turn against the Animal Kingdom for what? Power? A woman?

    I have no idea what youre talking about. Im a pure-blooded native of Earth-387, Salin replied, winking continuously. Then, his voice suddenly grew serious. But, he continued, I know that Jack Rust treated me far better than the Animal Kingdom. If I had a hundred lives, I would spend them all fighting by his side. You guys are nothing more than fools dancing a never-ending waltz of grief, and I will never, ever return.

    The eagler snorted. Next to him, the elef scion readied her magicgreen specks flew around her raised arms.

    Both scions were Level 124, at the peak of the E-Grade. Both possessed the Fourth Ring Conqueror titletheyd apparently also entered Trial at some point. In theory, each of them was only slightly weaker than Gan Salin. He couldnt fight them alone.

    In practice, he wasnt alone. A person arrived by his sideBrother Tao, the one-armed, bald monk following the Dao of the Staff. His other arm had been lost in the final battle of the Integration Tournament. However, he had still managed to reach Level 121.

    Let this little monk fight by your side, brother Gan, he said as his six monkpanions, all over Level 100, walked into the alliance army.

    Hey bro, Salin said. I appreciate the offer, but are you sure you can take them? These guys are strong, and you are, uh, kinda unarmed.

    Brother Tao smiled. Either we win or I die. What is there to fear?

    Hmm. You know, that makes a lot of sense. Alright. Lets show them what youre made of.

    Silence fell over the battlefield. Most of the crowd was done retreating, and those who werent were gathered at the docks, on the opposite side from where the two armies faced off. There was now enough space to fight without harming any bystanders.

    Everyone tensed up. At the signal, they would attack. Their fingers were twitching. They held their breath.

    The professor didnt give the signal yet, and neither did the enemymander. Even Vivi and Alexander were still facing off. However, on the central stage, Vanderdecken still stood alone, surrounded by an empty venue and two armies. He had not moved. Feeling the tension, excitement overtook him, and he strung out a sharp, violent chord. AND DANCE WITH THE DEVIL! he shouted.

    The moment his tune resounded, everyone assumed it was the enemys signal to attack. Their discipline copsed. Both armies charged at once, while their wizards unleashed rows upon rows of all sorts of projectiles. Roars and shouts filled the sky.

    And then, framed by Vanderdeckens battle music, the two armies collided.

 Chapter 308: Continental Commander

    Chapter 308: Continental Commander

    The armies collided in a massive heap of weapons and magic. Colored missiles flew everywhere. Explosions resounded over the ng of swords and screams of the wounded. The two armies merged, discipline giving way to chaos.

    The professor stood at the far back, protected by a small group of E-Grades. She had her eyes closed and her ears shut. Her senses were spread over the battlefield, watching from a hundred directions at once through the utility provided by her ss.

    Continental Commander was an Elite ss. One of the best when it came to managing armies. It let hermunicate with and observe through a number of assigned individuals, flooding her with a plethora of information that, if she could navigate, would heavily enhance the power of her army.

    At times like this, her high Intelligence came in handy. She parsed through everything at an extremely fast pace. She absorbed information, filtered it, and fired out instructions faster than the situation could change. It was the most demanding job shed ever done, but shed grown ustomed to it by now.

    This was the reason why she, Margaret Rust, was the fiercest armymander on Earth.

    The Ice Peak hadmanders of their own, but they had been toote to join the game. None had a pure management ss like the professors. They needed threemanders to mimic a fraction of her power. On that front, she had thempletely outscaled.

    However, the armies themselves werent equal. The Ice Peak had more and stronger people. Their projectiles covered the sky. The boots of their warriors thundered against the white stone. They were a flood of cultivators, swarming the alliance and attacking like a pack of rabid dogs. What theycked in coordination they made up for with sheer firepower.

    <em>To the left. Regroup. Step back in line. Dont overextend. Now; chase! Good, now return. Keep goi no, to your right! Theyre nking you!</em>

    The professors rapid-fire instructions controlled the battlefield. The alliance forces advanced and retreated like waves, pressuring the Ice Peak incessantly while resting themselves.

    Pugilists and other Physical fighters led the charge, roaring as they bulldozed through the enemy lines. The Forest of the Strongs natural resources were Physical-oriented, and that was mirrored by their cultivatorsnot to mention their adoration of Jack Rust. Their punches filled the sky, their swords rent the earth, their roars shook the heavens. The broris led the charge, filled with righteous fury, while the gymonkeys catapulted poop deep into the enemy ranks. Theyd eaten mexican foodst night.

    The strongest wizards of me River soared to the sky, riding wings of me. They spread their arms and moved them smoothly through the air, working together to unleash a mighty red river that washed over the Ice Peak. A group of pale-bodied men and women rushed to the front, raising their arms in one sharp motion to draw one massive ice wall out of the floor. The river crashed against the wall, releasing arge cloud of steam that blotted out the clouds. Unfortunately, the Ice Peak wizards were more, so the cier held. The river flowed back down to threaten a few of the alliance cultivators at the front before it was extinguished.

    However, this mighty river had only been a distraction. A contingent of E-Grade Physical cultivators had mounted a sharp offensive, prating into the enemy lines and swerving around to attack the ice wizards from the side. Right as the wizards were celebrating their defense, a brori grabbed the head of one of them and smashed it into the ice wall, cracking it open like a watermelon. As the wizards lifeless body fell to the floor, the brori beat his chest and roared with fury. It was Oz, the strongest brori after Harambe, whode to take revenge for his big bro.

    Another brori leaped and punched a wizards head so hard it exploded, while a human ducked under him and prated anothers chest with his fist. Before he could celebrate his sess, five ice spikes pierced his torso, killing him instantly. The broris and Physical cultivators roared and kept going, following the professors instructions to the letter. They ughtered their way around the ice wall and emerged from the other side to rejoin the ranks of their own army, the foreign blood on their fists igniting the battle spirit of everyone else.

    The army roared.

    Metal music still sted over the battlefield, enhancing the violence and gore, driving them crazy. Vanderdecken stood alone on the concert stage and gave the performance of his life, pouring his entire soul into his guitar. The sound was magical, maizing, entrancing, driving the cultivators into a battle fury that enhanced their power.

    However, he was not neutral. His musics buffing effects were mostly directed to the alliance cultivators. The Ice Peak only heard an annoying cacophony that disrupted their concentration and wracked their nerves.

    Thanks to his vantage point over the battle, Vanderdecken was contributing a great deal to the battleuntil the Ice Peak discovered his interference.

    Up in the sky, an ice bird and a fire phoenix were shing repeatedly. They disengaged and rushed back into each other, wing and unleashing powers of destruction that rained from the sky, asionally cleaving the armies below. Nobody dared interfere in their conflictwith very numbered exceptions, no one could. However, it still seemed inconclusive. So far, the main front of this battle was the professors army against the Ice Peaks.

    Somewhere on the battlefield, arge group of alliance peak F-Grades pulled back, inviting in a squad of early E-Grades. However, the moment these E-Grades pushed forward, the surrounding sides of the alliance army closed around them, burying them in the bodies of heroic peak F-Grades. The E-Grades were individually stronger, but there was a limit to how many enemies they could handle. They quickly turned into a collection of loose limbs.

    A group of Ice Peak, hard-faced assassins blended in. They wore attire that looked like the alliancesboxing shorts and t-shirtsbut were unaffiliated. Unfortunately, nobody inspected them in the heat of battle, so they quickly arrived behind the professor, pulled out rifles, and started firing.

    Arge-bodied woman jumped before the professor. Her body shone with yellow earthly light. The bullets prated her skin and stopped there, but the assassins were still rushing in, revealing wicked knives with which they had extensive training. They were former special agents of the Russian secret services, from where most of the Ice Peak hailed.

    The woman shouted for help, blocking one strike with her palm. A second found her in the thigh and a third under the armpit, quickly riddling her with holes. Blood spurted out. The assassins pressed on. More of the professors E-Grade guards arrived to fight them off, but the assassins were determined, and they sacrificed each other to keep running forward. They didnt want to winthey just needed to kill the professor.

    The professor didnt move. If she broke her concentration now, the army would suffer heavy losses. She had to trust her guards, who were fighting tooth and nail to keep her alive.

    One assassin blew past, blending with the shadows to slip through two E-Grade guards at once. No! they both shouted. His de shed true. A steel star came out of nowhere to strike his wrist, sending the dagger off-course, making it only graze the professors shoulder. An instantter, an old monk fell from above, crushing the assassins head under his knee. The other assassins were dealt with as well, as five more monks had appeared and swiftly destroyed them, not falling for any tricks.

    The assassins may have had extensive training, but how could theypare to the old martial masters?

    Go fight, the monk besides the professor said, ncing at the guards. With us here, nobody will harm your leader.

    <em>Go, </em>the professors voice rang in their minds, and the guards, embarrassed by their failure, quickly scampered away to join the front lines. The six monks formed a perimeter around the professor, keeping their eagle eyes glued on the action. They could catch arrows, block warriors, and redirect magic. No assassin would get past them.

    <em>Thank you, </em>the professor told them.

    Dont worry, one of the old monks said, his thin mustache dancing with his lips. You are our hope. These old monks will dlyy down their lives to protect you. Just focus on victory.

    The professor, still with her eyes shut in concentration, nodded slightly.

    Small victories like this were achieved across the battlefield. The alliance army was trying their best, but the numbers of both armies were depleting at a rapid rate. It was an uphill battle. All the alliance could do was struggle to remain afloat and hope for a mistake on the enemys partor, even better, Jacks arrival.

    But nobody had any idea why he was dying, or why he wasnt answering their telepathy messages. Something must have gone horribly wrong. All they could do was hope.

    One of the only reasons the alliance still held was Edgar. The wizard was leagues above everyone else on the battlefield, holding off a dozente E-Grades of the Ice Peak by himself. As he spread his arms, ming meteors rained down from the heavens. Blizzards erupted from his palms, freezing people to the bone, while his eyes shone like the sun, preventing anyone from looking directly at him.

    Thanks to the devil, Etsin, his magical powers of awe and wonder had transformed into ones of pure destruction. He delegated death. Any projectiles thrown at him crashed against blue shields and dissipated, while anyone who got too close was met with crowds of sand devils rising from between the cracks in the white stone. Moreover, beams of bright light shot out from over his head, forcing multiple wizards tobine forces to stop him.

    His current magical abilities resembled the ones he possessed at the F-Grade, just magnified. It wasnt the kind of power he could have had with his real Dao, but it was enough to steamroll the Ice Peak forces, single handedly making up for the gap in power between the two armies.

    Of course, he took no joy in the destruction. It was the worst day of his life. Every life he took scraped against his soul, but this was why hed joined the dark side, why hed sold his soul to a devil. His friends needed himand, no matter what, he would help.

    Suddenly, however, his feelings of grief spiked out of proportion. The change was so abrupt that he stumbled, losing control of his arcane powers and letting an ice spike slip through to slice at his forearm. He grimaced as blood poured out. The shock woke him up. A storm of arcane energy erupted from his body, pushing everyone away as his eyes scanned the enemy crowd, looking for the new attacker.

    He found them. From deep within a brown cloak, a pair of purple eyes met his own, shining with light that wasnt human. The energy hed unleashed hadnt even fazed this person. Realizing theyd been spotted, the attacker pulled back their hood, revealing fair skin and hair of sapphire. Edgar scanned her.

    <strong>Saphira, Level 124</strong>

    <strong>Faction: - </strong>

    He didnt even bother with the fact that she wasnt human. The Animal Kingdom had broken the rules so many times. What was one more?

    Instead, he focused on her Dao. It was some form of Will attack, and it had reached far deeper into his psyche than any Will cultivator of the Ice Peak could manage.

    This woman was strong.

    Leave him to me, shemanded. The Ice Peak cultivators nced at her, but seeing her non-human features, they quickly realized she was on their side and scampered away.

    Stay right there! Edgar shouted, releasing a hailstorm that enveloped them all, but another Will attack hit him like a truck, disrupting his concentration and dispelling the hail. The Ice Peak cultivators ran away.

    Edgar gnashed his teeth. If he couldnt hold them down, they would ughter his army, bringing them to an unbeatable disadvantagebut he couldnt stop them. This woman was powerful enough to demand and receive his full attention. He could only try to defeat her as quickly as possibleand hope that the professor could mitigate the damage until then.

    Who are you? he roared, charging up a beam of light.

    My name is Vlossana, replied the saphira woman, staring him down. There was grief in those eyes, but also joyand so much darkness. And I am here to kill you.

 Chapter 309: Battle of Pawns

    Chapter 309: Battle of Pawns

    Gan Salin tumbled over the ground,nding in a roll that sprang him to his feet. Ouch! he eximed. Man, hold your feathers.

    Shut up!

    Another row of feathers flew for him, each elerated to resemble an arrow. Gan Salin dodged all of them, twisting his body in impossible directions. I told you you cant hit me!

    And I told you to just die already!

    Fesh Wui, the eagler scion, pped his wings over and over. Each p conjured a storm of feathers made of wind, shooting forward at great speed. At the same time, gales pressed against Gan Salin from all sides, attempting to constrict his movement. He shouted. The wind constriction was useless because he chose to ignore it.

    How does it feel, Fesh? he roared over the wind. I was weaker than you once, but Ive caught up! You wasted every resource the Kingdom poured on you!

    The two of them danced aplex waltz, shooting and dodging attacks. Salin was mostly defending and looking for an opening. He could have held his ground. Unfortunately, the eagler wasnt his only opponent. A green sphere suddenly appeared around him, enveloping him in throbbing pain that made his limbs stretch like they were trying to grow.

    Ugh! he eximed, ring at the elef scion. Ill fucking get you!

    While Gan Salin was distracted by the sphere, Fesh Wui dove down, sharp ws extended. Brother Tao shed before him, swinging his staff upward to stop him. The two shed, and Tao flew back. Salin used that split-second of dy to extricate himself from the green sphere, twisting reality to appear behind himself and dodge the eaglers ws.

    Brother Tao rushed for the healer this time. The elef scion raised both hands, summoning a storm of green stars that flew at him. Tao zig-zagged between them, moving at extreme speed, but the closer he got, the more difficult it was to dodge. One of the stars exploded on his only shoulder, sending him spinning away.

    Damn it! he roared.

    Brother Tao was one of the strongest cultivators on Earth, but he was still a ways off from the level of Edgar, Vivi, or Petrovot to mention that hed lost an arm in the final battle of the Integration Tournament. Against the scions, he was more of an annoyance than a real opponent. Gan Salin was almost fighting by himself.

    Still, Brother Tao gritted his teeth and jumped back into the fray. He would do his best or die trying.

    Salin shed against the eagler, swinging his arms around like windmills, his ws shing in the sunlight. The eaglers own ws rained down, an uninterrupted series of attacks that forced Salin on the back foot. The wind jetted at him from random directions, ruining his bnce, and any damage he inflicted on the eagler was immediately healed by the elef scion, who only used half her attention to push back Tao.

    Salin gnashed his teeth. Reality warped around him, forcing one of the eaglers ws to miss as Salin drove a sharp fingertip into his wing. Feathers burst out. Arge hole was left in the wing, rendering the eagler incapable of flight, but green energy once again showered him to repair the damage. At the same time, sharp ws came down on Salins face, deeply grazing his cheek.

    Gan Salin jumped back. He licked his lips, tasting blood. Foam dripped out of his mouth. He was hurt and getting tired, while his opponent was no worse for wear. Fesh Wui threw his head back and unleashed a mighty caw.

    This battle was heavily stacked against Gan Salin. The eagler and elef could each match him by themselves, let alone together, and though Brother Tao was trying, his power was just not enough.

    <em>Damn it, Jack! </em>he thought. <em>Where the hell are you!?</em>

    At this point, any other cultivator of the Dao of Insanity would have turned tail and ran. The Gan Salin of a year ago would have done the same. However, things had changed since then. A new, warm light burned inside him, fueling him and cementing his resolve.

    There were people behind him that he needed to protect. He was fighting alongside his friends, none of whom would give up. Therefore, how could he?

    Gan Salin possessed the Dao Root of Loyalty. For hispanions, he would do the right thing or die trying. More foam emerged from his mouth, his eyes grew redder. With a howl to the sky, he charged again.

    Thankfully, Vanderdeckens music still covered the concert venue, enhancing the alliance fighters. That included Gan Salinand it also included another important fighter, Edgar Ano.

    Edgar stood on an empty patch of ground, surrounded by the battling armies. Nobody seemed willing to interfere in his fight.

    Vlossana he muttered, savoring the name. Doesnt ring a bell. Why do you want to kill me?

    Does it matter?

    I would argue that it does.

    She snorted, furrowing her brows. Prepare yourself, she said. Here Ie.

    Edgar was no fool. He could tell a crazy person. He quickly summoned his defenses, raising clouds of dust and various other elements, but her attack bypassed everything to strike at his heart directly.

    He felt his willpower shake. Grief and joy hit him at once, overwhelming him. He lost control of his emotions. They made no sense. Suddenly, he was amidst aughing crowd,ughing alongside them. The joy he felt was so pure he wanted to shout out and love everyone. It filled his heart like a warm balloon. He was happy, so happy he wanted to spread the feeling around to others until the entire world was a ce of love.

    The scene changed. He was now on top of a hill, watching a burning estate underneath. The stench of burning flesh filled his nose. He gagged and puked, but the feeling of grief was even stronger than the disgust. He recognized neither this ce nor the dead, but the emotions were overwhelming himpletely. They were what the person who actually experienced this visionthe saphira girl called Vlossanahad felt at the time.

    He could tell why she turned unhinged. Deep in his soul, grief and pity intertwined. It pained him that anyone had to experience things like this.

    He tried to summon his magic. His Dao shone within his chest, roaring with anger, but all it achieved was to amplify the sense of grief around him. The false Dao he currently employed was one of destructionexactly the creator of such a scene.

    You are powerless, the womans voice rang, walking out of an ash cloud. I can sense your Dao. It makes me sick. Someone like you could neverprehend what I am going through, and even if you could, your Dao would shatter and leave you helpless. Just like my family was when the Animal Kingdom attacked them.

    I dont understand, Edgar said with tears in his eyes. Why are you doing this? Why me? The Kingdom harmed you, but we are against the Kingdom!

    You dont need to understand, she replied with a snort. This isnt about you. Its just part of a deal Ive made. For the power I need to exact revenge, you are the price. And besides Her mouth curved into an ugly sneer. You will be a side casualty of my rise to power, just like my family was a side casualty of that mans actions.

    That man? Who?

    I told you, you dont need to know!

    An ugly torrent of emotionsshed out at Edgar and overwhelmed him, spinning him high and low like a hurricane. He was so confused that he couldnt even muster his magic. He felt happy and sad, every conflicting emotion at once.

    Break! he shouted, releasing his Dao without any control. The scene around him cracked and shattered like a mirror, revealing the battlefield where he and the saphira still stared into each others eyes; not a second had passed in the real world. He saw the pain hiding deep within her eyes. He saw the resolve. His hearthis real Dao, the Dao of Magic, and wonder, and breathless, exciting discoverycried for her.

    Most importantly, however, he felt his own exhaustion. That uncontrolled explosion of magic just now had burned over a third of his total reserves. If he got trapped again, he would be in trouble.

    Edgar looked away and galvanized his magic. The elements obeyed his will. Waters rose, fire burned, the earth shook, and the wind blew. Sand and dust circled him, while a tiny star of elemental convergence blossomed before his face, slowly growing in power.

    However, as the woman advanced on him, one step at a time, he felt like a child punching a wall. His powers were great but ineffective. The elements roared but were unable to approach her. He couldnt bring himself to do it. She had infiltrated his psyche and filled him with emotions that he struggled to control. His heart protested this battle. All the doubts hed ever harbored resurfaced, making him hate himself for even thinking to attack this pained woman instead of hugging her and whispering that everything would be okay.

    At the same time, Edgars mind was filled with guilt over his own weakness. Everyone depended on him, but he couldnt bring himself to attack. This woman had found his weaknesses and grabbed them tight. It didnt matter if his Dao had changed. His heart had not. Faced with this devastated person, he justcouldnt. The storm of destruction in his Dao raged, but it was unable to reach her, blocked by itself.

    She kept approaching, menacing and cold. There was no mercy in those eyes. She would reach Edgar, kill him, and carry on her with her devastated life. Edgars eyes were filled with tears, choking over his own weakness.

    Jack could have attacked her for sure. Vivi could have. Even the professor, or Brock, or Harambe, or Sparman. But he, Edgar, was the only one who couldnt. His empathy was too strong. His resolve, too weak. He had sacrificed everything to help his friends, but when push came to shove, he remained just as useless as he always had been. His kindness was a crime.

    Vlossana kept approaching, ready to kill.

    And, hidden in the surrounding army, disguised as an E-Grade human, the echidna devil cackled to itself. Hehehe, it muttered. Go on, my pawn. Reap his soul for me, and surrender yours at the same time. Fulfill the deal. Corrupt yourself. The moment he dies, both of your pure souls will be minehis eyes widened in ecstasyand I will recover to the C-Grade!

 Chapter 310: Stealing the Show

    Chapter 310: Stealing the Show

    High in the sky above the battlefield, Vivi shed against Alexander Petrovic. Two wings of me emerged from her back, shedding light and heat to the surrounding air, while her eyes burned with fervor. Her red dress, made of fireproof material, reflected the light like it was on fire itself.

    She charged. Spreading her arms, mes appeared, melding into each other to form a dancing snake. She then waved her hands smoothly, causing the mes to dance like a riverbank snaking through the terrain, moving unpredictably yet unstoppably towards Alexander.

    Compared to her fluid power, his was rigid and austere. The ice wings pped once, but with great power. His body shot forward, twin swords crossed before his chest, and he snapped them both at the river of fire.

    Sparks flew everywhere like a rain of candles. The ice swords turned red, melting inch by inch, but his ice reinforced and replenished them. He pushed through the fire with a hard face.

    Vivi let Alexander flow through the river. One of her hands moved smoothly sideways, guiding what remained of the mes to brush against one of Alexanders swords and send it off-course, while her other hand snapped the whip at him. It wrapped around his second sword as if it had a life of its own, softening its swing. The mes, which had previously dispersed, now regrouped, using their momentum to turn around and attack Alexander again.

    This was the nature of Vivis powers. Small mes, each burning weakly but achieving great power whenbined like the droplets of a river. A constant motion, twisting and reusing the same river again and again like a me that danced without ever going out. Hers was mastery over momentum and persistence, a fluid union of infinite tiny forces.

    Alexander was the exact opposite. His power depended on powerful, singr attacks. There was no union or fluidity there, only rigidness and sharpness. His every sword strike was a powerful swing from beginning to end, made with no consideration for retreat. After attacking, he needed a long time to recover, which was why he used two swords.

    Alexander raised his sword to the sky. The cold air of the Pacific froze over his de, turning into spikes of ice that rode the wind to fly at Vivi. She crossed her wings. Each ice spike melted as it passed through, turning into harmless water and puffs of steam.

    In the same movement that shed wrapped her wings, shed summoned fire from her sides. Two streams flew at Alexander, each aiming for one of his wings, but he let himself fall under them and rise back from below, twisting his swords like a maelstrom of power. Vivi brandished her bluefire whip, cracking it repeatedly and forcing him to keep his distance.

    Their battle had been going on for some time now, and it seemed bnced. However, Vivi couldnt stop the drops of sweat from forming on her forehead. They werent caused by heat, as she was immune, but by fear. And the reason for that, she absolutely couldnt let Alexander know.

    mes erupted in a geyser. The river that had never stopped flowing grewrger, breaking from one snake into multiple that danced in concert with each other, sometimes uniting and others separating. Each small stream was as wide as a person and could incinerate trees in a second.

    At the same time, Alexanders ice could freeze over hell. Fine! he shouted,ughing. Lets go harder!

    Spreading his arms, the air itself froze around him. The me rivers roared as they drilled into the ice, but it held strong. Alexander then moved his arms sharply, causing the ice to extend in sharp, fast, finger-wide columns that aimed to pierce Vivi. At that size, their freezing speed was extreme, and she barely managed to escape. Blood flowed from multiple scrapes on her body. They were quickly licked and healed by mes, but regeneration wasnt cheap.

    Its your choice, Vivi! Alexander shouted. Drag out the fight until your army loses, or go all-out and die first!

    Due to the nature of their powers, there was a caveat to this fight. If Vivi wanted to stay alive and waste Alexanders time, she could do it very easily. She was much more slippery than him. However, if she wanted to defeat him, she would need tomit harder, which would give him an opening to strike back.

    Unfortunately for Vivi, the battle below wasnt going well. An unknown person had appeared to block Edgar, their strongest fighter alongside herself, letting all his previous opponents join the fight against the alliances main army. The professor was doing a ster job holding on, but it was clear that, if nothing happened, their army would soon be destroyed.

    Vivi had to make the difference. With a scream to the sky, her mes intensified. The vague shape of a phoenix appeared around her, dding her in soft green mes, and she dove into melee range.

    Alexanderughed. You cant beat me! he shouted. The ice of his wings extended over his limbs, coating and enhancing them. He was faster, stronger, and more durable than before, protected from the burns she could inflict. The two shed head-to-head. Vivis whip and phoenix ws dug at Alexanders armor, while his swords carved her mes, extinguishing them.

    Vivi delivered an overhead strike. Alexander raised a sword to block, then used the other to stab at her legs. She pulled them up, but Alexander was there again, folding one of his wings to sh at her waist. Fear shed in her eyes. She turned around,pletely abandoning her attack to defend, taking the hit squarely in the back and getting sent flying. Blood spurted out. The injury on her back healed, but her breath grew shorter.

    She looked back at her opponent with calm eyes, but deep inside, she was terrified. <em>Did he notice? </em>she wondered. <em>Please, God, let him be an idiot.</em>

    Alexander just stared at her. He betrayed nothing. He charged again, shing his swords in rapid session. Vivi used her me-coated arms to defend once, twice, thrice. His boot kicked at her shin, then his wing came flying directly towards her stomach, where the mes were densest. She could easily take this attack. She could let itnd to strike back of her ownafter all, she could heal, while Alexander could not.

    Yet, shepletely pulled back to defend. Both arms were crossed before her stomach, blocking Alexanders wing but giving him an opening to sh at her upper arm, the sword almost reaching the bone. Vivi screamed as she flew back. Alexander did not give chaseinstead, he startedughing.

    I knew it! he shouted to the sky. The loose dress, the secrecy Oh, it should have tipped me off. What a fool you are, Vivi. You went and got yourself pregnant before the deciding battle!

    Heughed with joy again, while Vivis face paled from fear. She didnt even know what to say. He was right. The reason she protected her belly so intensely was because, inside it, there was a little baby growing.

    Tell me, whose it is? Alexander asked. And dont you dare lie, or Ill kill you both.

    Jacks, she replied in a low voice.

    Impossible! He left eleven months ago!

    There are Dao drugs that can dy a pregnancy, she said, finding her strength again. The baby is Jacks. I have been with no one else since. But you have seen his strength; he isnt even afraid of the Animal Kingdom. If you dare harm his child, he will find you and destroy you.

    His smile turned crooked. Is that a threat?

    It is a fact.

    Your facts, my dear Vivi, are outdated. Jack Rust is hunted by an Ancestor of the Animal Kingdom. He can never set foot on Earth again. Even if he does, theary overseer will catch him long before he can reach me.

    Vivis face paled. What are you talking about? she said. What do you mean?

    I mean that I can do whatever the fuck I wantboth to you and the little bastard inside you.

    You wouldnt dare. Even you cant be that wicked.

    I prefer the word efficient.

    Dont you dare, Alexander! Show mercy! Dont attack the baby!

    Hmph! You deliver me a weakness, and you expect me not to use it? Grow up, woman! This is the cultivation world! Strength rules all, and the only virtue is power! Alexanderughed again, filled with hidden bitterness this time, conjuring a hundred ice spikes in the air around him. If you want to me someone, me yourself for spreading your legs.

    Burning, bitter hatred rose up in Vivis throat like bile. It was apanied by freezing terror and dark despair. All those emotions culminated in her soul, where her Dao burned brightly, releasing wave after wave of scorching air. She turned into a burning oven. Even her hair caught on fire. The wind around her felt like it came from the depths of hell, and her phoenix outline grew denser, almost solid.

    Die! she screamed, unleashing a barrage of mes. There were hundreds of them, thousands. Theybined into a river that sshed at Alexander, each drop enough to burn a normal human.

    Alexander onlyughed. His ice spikes shot forth, extinguishing an area of the me river and letting him slither through. The river flowed around and chased him, but he was already at close quarters. His sword shed at her belly. She grimaced and used both hands to defend, leaving nothing to chance, but that resulted in his second strike cleaving at her shoulder, reaching the bone.

    She screamed as she fell. Her wings pped, righting her, then the whip reappeared and cracked towards him, snapping out ten times in the blink of an eye. She wanted to keep him at range at all costs, but if he was determined to approach, she couldnt really stop him. Not when he knew her weakness. A hail of ice spikes fell directly towards her belly, forcing her to dodge awkwardly, and he was on her again, his face a cold, calcting mask.

    She blocked the strike again, but an ice wing grazed her chest, drawing a thick line of blood.

    Vivi felt desperate.

    She hadnt nned on getting pregnant. She didnt think it would happen. By the time she found out, it was toote. She had dyed it for as long as medically possible, as giving birth during the war would give Alexander a gigantic opening to strike at. Even now, the pregnancy wasnt advanced enough to hinder her battle power, but there was nothing she could do if someone deliberately struck at her belly.

    She felt helpless. This baby hade at the worst possible moment.

    Now, her people desperately needed her to hold back Alexander. Would she fight while pregnant? Or would she, the warrior queen of the alliance, not appear in the final battle?

    She had decided to appear, but this was the price. She couldnt let even the weakest of strikes reach her belly. Part of her Dao was focused on protecting the baby from the temperature shifts.

    She couldnt fight like that!

    Alexander was relentless. He dove after her again and again, not giving her a moment to rest. His attacks came mercilessly for her belly, forcing her to defend excessively, then using those openings to strike everywhere else. He was exploiting her weakness and there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted to howl and scream in outrage. She was strong. She was a warrior queen. She was the leader of her people. Under normal circumstances, she could match Alexanderbut not now! Not like this!

    She shouted in despair. As Alexander approached, she opened her mouth and charged up arge-scale attack,busting the air so hard it turned into a bomb. A fiery ray built up inside her mouth, ready to be unleashed. She expected Alexander to meet this attack with his ownsuch a frontal collision was her only hope.

    However, Alexander onlyughed. He dove at her,pletely exposing himself to her attack. If she kept going, she could hit him directly, possibly killing him on the spot, and the most she would receive in return was one sword attack. She would win the battle and maybe the war.

    But his sword was stabbing directly at her belly.

    Vivi interrupted her attack, causing it to explode in her mouth. Smoke wafted out from her nose and lips. Her eyes shook. She ignored the damage to redirect all her Dao and attention to her arms, which shot out to block the de. Her phoenix outline was pierced. The de met her me-coated skin and reached the bone, then the impact sent her flying downward, crashing hard into the concerts central stage. Vanderdecken, who was still signing in the vicinity to enhance the alliance army, quickly ran away, leaving them alone.

    When the dust cleared, the entire battle, the entire world saw Alexander standing over a fallen Vivi, holding one of his swords at her neck. They gasped. The professor, who knew that Vivi was carrying her grandchild, felt her heart skip a beat.

    You are weak, Alexander said with disappointment. You can always make more babies. You should have just sacrificed this one; now, all you achieved was the death of both of you.

    Vivi felt tears welling in her eyes, but she pushed them down. She was a warrior queen. She was strong. If this was her death, she would stare it in the eye.

    I despise you with every fiber of my being, she spat out, meaning every word. She raised her head, exposing her neck. Go on. Take my life. But know that, once Jack returns, you will be the first to die.

    Alexanderughed. He will never dare to return. But so be it. Look at me, everyone, he shouted to both armies. Though they were still mid-battle, some people turned to look. Watch as I kill the enemy leader. This day marks the beginning of a new erathe era of the strong. The era of the Animal Kingdom and the Ice Peak. The era of Alexander Petrovic!

    His ice sword stabbed down.

    Brown fur flew through the air. The wind whistled. The tip of a stone staff came out of nowhere and smashed hard into Alexanders nose, breaking it and sending him rolling on the central stage. Drops of blood were left behind where he crashed.

    Argh! he shouted, looking up. Who dares!?

    Brock stood proud and tall. Vivi was safe behind him, her eyes still zed over from expecting death. His staff remained extended, and his entire body was still, burning with barely contained, righteous fury. A pair of hard eyes were trained on Alexander.

    Brock had never felt more determined to kill someone.

    I dare, he said. You do not deserve to breathe. For Big Sis and Fatherprepare to die.

 Chapter 311: He Arrives

    Chapter 311: He Arrives

    The battlefield froze. Even the most heated of fights paused as people took in the person who had just arrived: a young brori, barely reaching a grown mans chest and carrying a stone staff that had just broken the nose of Alexander Petrovic.

    Brock stood before Vivi, staring down the fallen form of Alexander. His gaze was cold and murderous. This man had humiliated his father, and Brock was here for revenge.

    However, Brocks arrival meant much more than the addition of one morebatant to the alliance forces.

    Wait, someone said. Isnt thatthe brori of Jack Rust?

    Could it mean that he is here!?

    Jack Rust is here!?

    Everyone looked around, searching for any sign of Jack. The alliance and Ice Peak forces disengaged, understanding that this entire battle might take a new twist.

    Suddenly, the clouds split above the battlefield, and theary overseer appeared in all her glory, radiating majesty and undeniable supremacy. Jack Rust is a wanted criminal of the Animal Kingdom, she said. Capturing him supercedes the grace period. This brori will be apprehended and interrogated to help us trace his whereabouts.

    No need for that, overseer.

    A new voice filled the sky, echoing from horizon to horizon. It was calm yet resolute, carrying an indomitable intent. The moment this voice resounded, everyone felt their hair raise. Their spines tingled. They knew this voice. It was the voice that had challenged and killed Rufus Emberheart in the Integration Tournament. The voice that had dominated Earth and beyond. The voice that had dared insult the Animal Kingdom in their own home. It was the voice of a superstar, a hero, a legend.

    As people looked at the sky, eyes widening to the limit, space burst open a mile ahead of the overseer to let a man walk out. His purple robes were fluttering in the wind. His piercing eyes were clear. His hands were sped behind his back, which stood ramrod straight, symbolizing his refusal to bow to tyrants. But everyone knew that those hands, which were now peacefully sped with each other, could form into thes mightiest fists.

    Jack Rust smiled slightly. I am right here. If you wish to capture me, go ahead and try.

    The entire Integration Starship shook. People cheered without even realizing it. The hero they had been waiting for, their beacon of hope, had just arrived!

    Wait, someone in the alliance army said, isnt he only at the D-Grade?

    As this question was uttered, the surrounding people paused. They inspected Jack; though they couldnt see his Level, they could see he was only at the D-Grade. How could he challenge the C-Gradeary overseer? Everyone knew it was impossible.

    Did he have allies?

    Yet, no matter where they looked, nobody saw any C-Grades backing up Jack Rust.

    So, you did show up, theary overseer said, furrowing her bushy brows. Is the ck Hole Church really willing to go to war for such a tiny?

    Jack raised his chin. This is not a battle of the Church. This is the battle of Earth against the Animal Kingdom. It is freedom against the tyrants, justice against injustice. It is me versus you, Galicia Lonihorand you are not prepared for what is about to happen.

    She snorted. You sure can run your mouth. Why are you even trying to lie about this? Youre only a D-Grade. Nobody will believe you came here by yourself.

    And yet, its true. Jacks smile was violent. This was the battle hed trained for; the reason hed pushed himself beyond his limits for a year and took all sorts of reckless risks. He was the gxys strongest D-Grade, or at least close, and he was here to go a step further.

    He would challenge a C-Grade. A mid C-Grade, too.

    I swear on my Dao, he dered, raising his voice so everyone could hear, that I will duel you alone. Nobody will interfere in our battle. As long as you dont touch the people below, then even if I die, the ck Hole Church will have nothing to say. That, I swear.

    Though the sky was clear, thunder resounded. The sun shone brighter for a moment; the air tasted of crimson vinegar. Then, all was normal again, but Galicias eyes were wide in shock, as were those of everyone below.

    You swore on your Dao, she muttered in disbelief. How can you not be lying? Do you really think that you, a measly D-Grade, can challenge me, a mid C-Grade Elder of the Animal Kingdom?

    I do, and I will.

    She blinked a few times, trying to process what she was hearing. She looked around and spread her perception to the limit but sensed no other C-Grades. You are a lunatic, she said. This is absurd.

    The future will tell, Jack replied smilingly. I know what youre thinking. The Church will not interfere, but they have already destroyed all teleporters on this. We are alone, Galicia. Even if this battle is broadcasted, nobody will show up to save you.

    Save me!? Suddenly, her voice was more angry than shocked. At this point, she believed him. He really hade here with the intention to challenge her.

    But who was she? She was Galicia Lonihor, an established Elder of a B-Grade faction! A mid C-Grade! Just the mere fact that she was challenged by a D-Grade was a blemish to her honor, an insult to her inherent supremacy. To make matters worse, she had to ept, too! There was no one else here who could capture Jack Rust.

    Shut your mouth! she shouted with a snort. She reached out with her hand and made a grasping motion. Come here!

    The entire world came alive. Everyone on the battlefield below lost control over their Dao, hearing it cry supremacy. Radiance shone from the sky above, and a massive hand of light appeared to close around Jack Rust, capturing him in an instant. This hand alone was wider than the entire Integration Starship.

    Suddenly, space rumbled. The ambient Dao, that had been singing hymns to theary overseer, stumbled. Deep, primal violence filled the air, an unstoppable, righteous menace. Purple lightning crackled. Stars flickered into existence. A Dao Domain burst out of Jack Rust, sinking the entire world into the might of his power and shing directly against the hand of light.

    Suddenly, the entire battlefield had been transported into the middle of a starry sky, where the Fist reigned supreme. The feeling was so lifelike that the F-Grades present really thought they had been teleported into space.

    The only discordant note was the hand of light, which still tightened around Jack Rust. The very air resisted it, slowing it down. A purple meteor came from somewhere above and dove into the hands grasp, followed by a titanic explosion.

    People screamed and covered their ears. The shockwave rolled over the surface of the battlefield, forcing the cultivators to duck to avoid getting swept away. The far-off ships wobbled on the ocean surface, and waves spread in a circr pattern around the Integration Starship.

    The golden hand burst into motes of light, revealing Jack Rust d in purple. One of his fists was clenched and outstretched. His body was still, his smile faint, his gaze sharp. I do possess the power to challenge you, overseer, he said slowly, retrieving his domain before she could release hersotherwise, that sh might create casualties.

    Meanwhile, the overseers face was a mask of anger. She had tried to capture Jack Rust quickly to wipe away the insult of his challenge, but she had failed! A peak D-Grade had stopped one of her moves!

    So what if she had only used a small portion of her strength? She had still been blocked! Moreover, this was broadcasted across the and soonno doubtacross the entire gxy!

    Finally, she could understand the Wardens helplessness from when Jack Rust had insulted him. This man was just unbelievable. What could she even say?

    Her face was ugly as she snorted. Fine, she replied, taking the loss. Your games can alleviate my boredom. Lets take this higher.

    Jack smiled.

    It was customary for D-Grades to fight in the sky, lest they ruin the terrain. Likewise, C-Grades fought in space outsides, as some of them had the power to upturn entire continents.

    Galicia Lonihor stepped through space and disappeared. Jack sensed her reappear eleven miles above, higher than the limit of Earths atmosphere. He did not follow immediatelyinstead, he looked at the armies below.

    He met the tearful eyes of Edgar and the professorwhod stopped utilizing her powers when the battle stoppedthe resolute stare of Brock, the immensely relieved gaze of Vivi. To his surprise, he saw Vlossana, too, though he had no time to ponder her existence here.

    Everyone, he said, I will handle theary overseer, but the way of the Fist is not one of coddling. Defeat your enemies. Let us all achieve victory together. And I promise you, after this battle is over, we will be safe. Trust me, and fight like the warriors you are.

    The alliance cultivators roared in cheers. Brock nodded. Edgar swallowed a lump in his throat, Vivi couldnt believe her eyes, and the professor immediately closed hers, diving back into her ss. Her instructions spread to her soldiers againand, as one, they charged at the Ice Peak again, fueled by the presence of their hero.

    The Ice Peak charged right back. They did not believe in Jack Rust defeating theary overseer. He would die, and they still had to finish off the alliance.

    Jack Rust nodded as he saw the battle restarting. He could not solve all the problems in the worldhis job was to defeat theary overseer, and even that would demand every shred of power he ever had. As for everything elsehis people should be able to handle it.

    He look at the sky again.

    Youe with me, he muttered, reaching for one of the floating projection stones. It flew into his palm, and then he stepped through space and disappeared, reappearing eleven miles above to match the overseer.

    What is that? she asked, sneering.

    Just a little show, he replied, opening his hand and letting the still-active projection stone fly out to a safe distance. If Im going to do the impossible, the world deserves to see it.

    She snorted again. Ridiculous. Tell me, Jack Rust, do you cultivate the Dao of Mockery? You are the most annoying man I have ever met.

    Jackughed. I am far more than that, he replied, clenching his fists. Instantly, his entire aura shifted into one of powerof a warrior. His eyes sharpened and deepened. I am a Fist. And I am here to kill you and im Earth for myself.

    At the same time, Jack reached into his mind and asked, <em>Are you sure, Sage?</em>

    <em>Im absolutely positive, </em>a telepathic voice replied from somewhere far away. <em>Nobody will interfere no matter what. Go all out. Use everything you have. Just make sure to win, and we will handle the rest.</em>

    He grinned to himself. <em>You know it.</em>

    ***

    As the battle restarted in the battlefield below, the individual fights restarted as well. Vlossana, who had paused, hardened her gaze and threw another psychic assault Edgars way. He screamed as he tried to resist.

    On the center stage, Vivi stood up, nodding to Brock. Thank you, she said. We can group up

    No, he cut her off. His voice was iron. He is mine. Leave.

    Are you sure? He

    Mine. Leave.

    Only now did Brock turn around to nce at her, and the steel in his eyes shook her to the core. She couldnt believe it. Was this really the baby monkey that had been throwing poop around during the Integration Tournament? He had been so cute back then, and now

    Now, he was a man. A brori.

    She nodded. Fine. Good luck, Brock.

    Thanks.

    She flew off to assist her army in the main battlefield, leaving the brori alone on the concert stage with Alexander Petrovic. Brock turned his eyes back at the ice man. He twisted his staff once. Stand up, he said.

    Alexander snorted, dusting himself off as he stood. You are as delusional as your master, he replied, but so be it. You will be neither the first nor thest monkey I kill.

    Brocks eyes sank even lower. Correct, he replied. Because you never kill again. Come, and die.

    Then, he charged.

    In another corner of the battlefield, Gan Salin was suffering thebined assault of the eagler and elef scions. ded feathers flew around him, green spheres rained from the side. He did his best to dodge everything, but nicks and cuts still opened on his limbs, and his bones groaned like they were about to grow outside of his body.

    Brother Tao was also there, but his power wasnt enough to meaningfully help.

    Suddenly, a ming arrow fell from the sky, detonating on the ground between the two enemy scions. They both jumped away, pausing their assault.

    A womannded next to Brother Tao. She was beautiful in a wild way, what with the fur garments covering her privates. Her blond hair fluttered over her pale, muscr back, and the bow in her hands was half-drawn, a shimmering cyan arrow on its string.

    Piss off, weakling, Nauja said, unable to contain her excitement. This is my battle now.

    Took you long enough, Salin said with a smile, to which she snorted.

    I didnt think youd struggle so much against these idiots. Did our spars teach you nothing?

    Brother Tao was about to give a seething reply, but seeing that these two knew each other, he held his tongue. Besides, what could he say? He really was outssed here. He would be much more useful elsewhereand, with any luck, this scantily-d barbarian woman would help the canine man prevail.

    <em>Where do they even find these people? </em>he asked himself, running over to the main battlefield. Before he could reach it, however, he ran into another approaching man.

    Brother Kane! he eximed, running side-by-side with the metal singer. Are you joining as well?

    What can I do? Those guys kicked me off the stage! Vanderdecken replied. I didnt even have time for my guitar solo!

    I thought everything was a guitar solo.

    You thought wrong.

    Taoughed. He and Vanderdecken had actually maintained a friendly rtionship since the tournamentthey were on pretty good terms. Are you ready to spread death, brother? he asked as they approached the mass of warring cultivators.

    I was born ready, Vanderdecken replied with a smirk, cing his fingers on the guitar strings. Oh, this is going to be so metal.

 Chapter 312: Two versus Two

    Chapter 312: Two versus Two

    Gan Salin ran close to the ground, keeping his body low. A hail of green spheres flew at him but he danced right through. He cut to the right, narrowly dodging a fast-falling feather, then focused on the metal w he wore and jutted it forward.

    FIVE STAR GRASP!

    The eagler struck back with a w of his own. Nail met de. Both fighters pressed on, and both were eventually pushed back.

    I got this! Salin eximed in joy.

    You got nothing! Fesh Wui retorted. Die for me!

    He pped his wings thrice. With each p, a few sharp feathers broke off and flew at Salin like needles, while the wings quickly grew new ones back out.

    However, Gan Salin had seen this attack too many times already. He predicted the feather trajectories and curved reality to pass through them, suddenly appearing over the eaglers head. He smashed down. His gauntlets des, each half a foot long and wickedly sharp, aimed for the top of the eaglers head and missed, barely scraping the skin as the opponent flew away.

    Salin tsked. Stop running! hemanded.

    Im a bird, idiot! I can do whatever I want!

    Fesh Wui circled Salin from above, where the canine couldnt reach. He no longer shot feathers. Instead, his wing ps produced hurricanes, which angled down to crash on Gan Salin. He ran away to dodge but the hurricanes followedsoon, there were four of them, carving the white stone floor as they chased the canine.

    This is unfair! he eximed. I cant fly!

    Thats <em>your </em>problem! Wind Way!

    A cyan gust of wind was unleashed from the eaglers body, turning through the air to join the hurricanes. Salin was now running away from five attacks, one of which was partially invisible.

    Suddenly, he disappeared. He didnt teleportas he didnt know howbut he warped reality to change his position, suddenly falling at the eagler from below. Four more bodies appeared, each a mirror image of Salin approaching the opponent from different directions. Only one body was real, but telling them apart was not easy.

    The eagler cawed. A sphere of wind erupted from his body, slowing down Salin and all his clones while Fesh Wui folded his wings and fell like a bullet, quickly spreading them again to regain his altitude a hundred feet away.

    Gan Salin, who remained floating in mid-air, was now targetless. He tsked as the hurricanes and cyan gust flew at him. Once again, he had to tug at his Dao hard to twist reality, reappearing on the ground. Shit, he muttered, panting, I cant catch this guy. Im stronger than him, but hes too fast!

    High in the sky, Fesh Wuiughed. More attacks flew towards Gan Salin, who kept evading.

    Close by, Nauja summoned wind arrow after arrow and shot them at the elef. Ten of them flew out every second. Yet, the elef took them all. Green shields appeared around her, absorbing the impact and changing the arrow trajectories. These shields were nted, too, needing minimal energy to redirect the blows.

    Damn it! Nauja shouted with growing despair. Just die already!

    She was stronger than the elef. Shooting arrows was much easier than redirecting them. In a protracted battle, she would win.

    Unfortunately, the elef was only trying to buy time. The eagler was pressuring Gan Salin; unless she did something, things looked grim. However, if she tried to shoot at the eagler, she would be leaving herself open to the elefs attacks.

    It was infuriating because both Nauja and Gan Salin were stronger than the opposing duo, and they were also more used to working together. It was just that the eagler was too fast for Gan Salin and could fly, while the elefs defensive strength was a terrible match-up for Naujas strong but straight-forward arrows.

    Nauja! Gan Salin shouted. Careful!

    She turned to find him running straight towards her, with four hurricanes and a suspicious gust of wind in tow. Wha She cut herself off and jumped away, letting the sharp winds pass her by. As shended, a green aura pressed her down, and the eaglers sharp attacks all flew at her.

    Why did you run at me, idiot!? she shouted, pushing against the floor to run away. Needle-like feathers pierced into the white stone tiles around her, while the green aura made her feel nauseated and weak.

    I was in a bad match-up! Salin shouted from somewhere far away. Lets work together!

    She cursed, diving into a roll and finishing with her bow drawn. She pointed at the direction his shout came from, aimed better, and fired. An arrow of wind crossed the sky to fly directly towards the eagler, who hastily spun around himself to dodge. Salin was next to him already, sending out a flurry of blows using four mirror image bodies. The eagler cawed and tried to defend. The ground cracked as the elef scion pointed her trunk at him and unleashed a reverse rain of green spheres, spreading them across the four bodies, all of which dispersed into thin air. None of them was real.

    A triumphant cry resounded: Behind you, idiot!

    Gan Salin jumped on the elefs back, where she couldnt block him. He brandished his ws and struck down, cleaving ribbons of fat off her back. An explosion of life energy sent him flying,nding in a roll. The elef was panting and bleeding profusely, but at the end of the day, she was nine feet tall and just as wide, possessing the durability of a defensive peak E-Grade. His short few attacks were far from enough to take her down.

    But they <em>could</em> enrage her.

    The elef raised her trunk to the sky and trumpeted. Maybe she wasnt the strongest, maybe nobody bothered to remember her name often, but she remained a proud scion of the Animal Kingdom!

    The green aura on her body expanded to cover the ground. A sinking feeling overtook both Gan Salin and Nauja. They felt their bodies breaking down, their hearts struggling with every beat, their brains turningzy. The ground drew at them, tempting them to fall to their knees and die, like they were faced with an overwhelming threat. The elef had turned their very instincts against them. At the same time, the eagler rushed them like the wind.

    Nauja gritted her teeth to keep herself upright, fighting the death urges to nock another arrow.

    Gan Salinughed and said, Bitch please. I have no instincts. Im insane!

    He stormed forward as if unaffected, meeting the eagler mid-air and exchanging a flurry of blows. He came out ahead. The eagler flew back while bleeding from wounds that the elefs aura quickly healed, and Gan Salin kept running to fall on the elef again.

    Or, at least, he tried. At thest moment, the elef changed her aura. The green Dao turned a vivid red. It became pain.

    Nauja screamed. Suddenly, her body felt as if every muscle was pierced by needles, every tendon pulled until it tore. Her nocked arrow dispersed, and only the many years of muscle memory let her hold on to her bow. At the same time, Gan Salin screamed, too. His charge was imbnced, and the elef mmed her trunk into him hard enough to send him flying into Nauja, dropping both to the ground.

    Nauja tried to speak but was unable to. All she could do was gasp. The pain was too much.

    The elefs eyes were bloodshot. Her deep voice rumbled over the battlefield: A healer benefits from extended battle, you fools. I have finally gathered enough injuries to activate my ultimate skill. All the pain you have inflicted on usreceive it tenfold.

    She was panting. Clearly, whatever skill this was took a lot out of her, but to great effect. Nauja strained to even observe the enemies properly. She knew she had to be on guard, she knew she was in a battle to the death, but it was just too difficult. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

    Finally, utilizing every scrap of willpower she possessed, she managed to focus her eyesight. She saw that the elef and eagler both stood half a mile away. She didnt know how theyd gotten that farhad she rolled back, or had they retreated? Empty space stretched between them, colored crimson, though other battles took ce far to their left and right. Gan Salin lied behind her.

    Thats it! the eagler cawed in excitement. Hold them there, and I will finish them off! He took to the sky, summoning a deep cyan sphere around him. Nauja also cultivated the Dao of Wind. She could feel him charging up a single, massive attack.

    But she was powerless. She could not move. The pain was overwhelming, the worst shed ever felt. Her knuckles were white around her bow, and she suspected that she couldnt let go if she wanted to. All she could do was wait for the attack to arrive and exterminate her.

    Suddenly, however, she heard a light tapping sound. A foot entered her field of vision. Then another. Slowly, one tortured step at a time, Gan Salin walked before her and stood hunched, his entire body shaking. She couldnt see his face, but she was sure it waspletely pale.

    <em>How is he walking in this pain? </em>she asked herself, unable to form the words. <em>How is he even standing?</em>

    Hey, Nauja, Salin said, not turning around. His voice was the most strained shed ever heard. His pain was clear. It made her heart bleed. I will protect you, he continued. Shoot them down, please. I cannot reach that far.

    She tried to respond but couldnt. If she opened her mouth right now, only screams would emerge. She couldnt shoot them. She couldnt form wind arrows, let alone aim! Even if she could, there was no way she could finish them from this distance.

    I know its hard, Salin continued, his voice a mix of pain and tenderness. But you can do it. You have the Sun Piercing Arrowits so beautiful and strong. Focus and shoot it. Please.

    <em>I cant! </em>she wanted to shout. <em>I cant!</em>

    The Sun Piercing Arrow was a skill that took a lot of concentration to pull off. She still only had it at the first tiershe was a novice. There was no way to use it without absolute focus.

    But she couldnt speak to tell him that. He didnt know. Or rather, he did, but it looked like he didnt remember. He simply stood there, back hunched, legs shaking, shielding her from any attack that coulde her way.

    Sit back down! the elef roared, pointing her trunk at him and releasing a trio of green spheres.

    Gan Salin ignored them. I know you cant speak, he said softly. Thats okay. Just shoot. I believe in you.

    Nauja watched with horror as the green spheres drilled into his body. She saw him go still then shiver. She saw his skin tingle and swim as if the bone underneath was wiggling.

    She had been impacted by those spheres herself before, and she remembered the disgust all too vividly. If it was coupled with this red auraonly a madman could take it. Gan Salin remained standing. He did not shout or scream. He simply waited, believing in her.

    Tears threatened to well up in her eyes. She couldnt shoot. <em>Run! </em>she wanted to scream. <em>Run!</em>

    Idiot! the eagler shouted, still gathering energy to unleash his attack. Sit down already! Pausing for a second, he pped his wings, shooting out a dozen needle-like feathers.

    They took time to cross the half-mile distance. Salin certainly saw theming. Yet, he did not move; if he did, the feathers would hit Nauja.

    As it was, they hit him instead. Nauja watched as the dozen needles pierced into his body, spurting out blood. She saw him shake but not fall. This time, he did scream. His fists clenched harder, and he wobbled, but he remained upright.

    Never! he shouted, letting more of his insanity shine through.

    <em>No! </em>Nauja realized. <em>Its not insanity. This is Hes fully conscious! Its pure willpower! </em>The tears in her eyes, which she had desperately fought down before, resurfaced. This man was protecting her with his body while she couldnt move. He believed in her.

    And she couldnt shoot.

    <em>Idiot, </em>she thought, letting the tears flow. Barbarians never cried, but she couldnt hold them back anymore. <em>Idiot. Just run. Leave me.</em>

    But Salin wasnt moving. He stood there, hurt but proud, shielding her over his own excruciating pain.

    She didnt know what expression he wore, but it must have been terrifying. Her sharp eyesight noticed the eagler and elef exchange wary nces. Whatever! the eagler shouted, charing up his attack even harder. It was now arge sphere housing dozens of sharp gusts, each blowing with enough force to uproot trees. There is no way you can stand this too!

    I cant, Salin replied, his voice so weak that even Nauja could barely hear him. But I dont have to. She will save me.

    <em>I cant shoot! </em>she tried to shout, but it was helpless. She opened her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs, forgoing her dignity in the hopes that he would understand and run, but even then, he did not budge.

    Its okay, was all he said. I believe in you.

    Nauja was crying and screaming. <em>Why!? </em>she roared in her mind. <em>Why are you doing this?</em>

    Wanna know why? he asked as if hed read her thoughts. He coughed blood once before continuing. Once, I was insane. I still am. But now, I possess something greaterloyalty. Jack taught me that. Brock helped me realize it. I dont care about survival. With my friend behind my back, no matter how many attacks fly at me She still couldn''t see his face, but she saw the blood-soaked, salty tearsnd on the white stone floor as he shouted, I WILL NEVER STEP AWAY!

    The eaglers wind sphere opened at the front. The gusts trapped inside crowded at the entrance and squeezed out, allunched at Gan Salin and Nauja behind him with tremendous force, about to tear them to pieces. Sack of Aeolus! the eagler shouted.

    Nauja was frozen. Time had almost stopped around her. The attack came painfully slowly, though she still couldnt move.

    <em>How? </em>she asked herself. <em>How can he do that?</em>

    It was excruciating pain piled on excruciating pain. It was the fear of death. Yet, he stood there, ignoring it all to protect her.

    Maybe she couldnt shoot. But, faced with his burning resolve, how could she not try!?

    <em>Let us die together, </em>she thought with sweet bitterness, fighting against the pain to nock another arrow. She did not stand up, but she shakily tried to aim at the opponents. Every movement burned. Her body protested, warning her that she could die, and the pain red. Yet, she carried on, because how could a proud barbarian let her friend die before her?

    She was Nauja. A barbarian from the Tri Lake tribe of Trial. A cultivator following the Dao of Wind, who abandoned her home forever to travel the world. Even now, at deaths doorstep, she did not regret that. She had met such wonderful people. Had seen such wonderful sights. She would rather die than stagnate, because she was wind.

    Ever forward. Never looking back. The world was full of pain, tribtions, and resistance, but they only fueled her, making her stronger instead of spent. She danced through life withughter, opening her palms wide and reaping what she could. Just like the wind.

    Just like the Sun Piercing Arrow.

    It was like her eyes opened for the first time. The Dao was there, beckoning her. She realized the truth, realized why the Sun Piercing Arrow refused to evolve beyond the first tier. Because it wasnt her skill. Not yet.

    But it could be.

    System notifications rang in her ears. The ecstasy of the Dao filled herpletely, momentarily overtaking even the torturous pain. She fell into absolute concentration. Time froze and everything became crystal clear. Her aim was true.

    She pulled back her arrow and let it loose, gifting it with all her insights to carry.

    The arrow left the bowits home. It shot forth, grinding against the air, enduring all the forces that pushed it down and made it weaker. It absorbed them to enhance itself, be stronger and wiser. It found joy in advancing. This was more than just an arrow; it had a soul of its own, an evergreen Dao, a fluttering mane of truth. The naturalws made it grow weaker with distance, but at the same time, it pulled the ambient Dao along, wearing it as a mantle of power. With every foot it traveled, it grew. Its power spiked out of proportion.

    This lone arrow rammed into the eaglers winds and parted them like curtains, dispersing them in all directions. It carried on, its trajectory unchanged, its spent energy quickly refueling from the vast reserves of the world itself. The eagler widened his eyes. The elef crossed her arms.

    The arrow reached them both. It easily pierced into the elefs body and emerged from the other side, its mantle of wind razing her insides. It then exploded as it passed below the eagler, releasing a storm of power that echoed across the entire Integration Starship. The eagler was blown hundreds of feet into the air, then fell to the ground with the sound of breaking bones. The elef copsed at roughly the same time with all her organs pierced.

    The pain stopped. The red aura disappeared, and the world turned calm. Nauja felt more exhausted than she ever had before. She waspletely spent, but also extremely joyous. She let herself slump to the ground, opening her arms as wide as her smile.

    Gan Salin fell to the ground beside her, also with his arms wide. He was still bleeding from the feather wounds, but his regeneration could handle those.

    See? he said with a grin that Nauja couldnt see, but she <em>knew </em>it was the stupid, confident kind. I told you you could do it.

    Fuck you, she muttered, unable to hold her smile.

    Promise?

    They bothughed. Though the battle still raged around them, they had a moment to restonce they recovered a bit, they would try to help the main army.

    In the battle of two warriors versus the two scions Gan Salin and Nauja won!

 Chapter 313: A Special Kind of Strength

    Chapter 313: A Special Kind of Strength

    Edgar was lost in a sea of emotions. His head turned to the left and right, his eyes shaking by tension, but his opponent was nowhere to be found. All he saw was visions, fragments of memories belonging to different people. He saw parties, and starry night, and lovers, and friends celebrating togetherbut he also saw death, pain, despair. The dichotomy was so intense it made his heart feel as if two horses were pulling it in opposite directions.

    Surrender, a bodiless voice reached his ears. Give in. You cannot win.

    Never! he shouted. Gritting his teeth, he once again unleashed an omnidirectional st of magic, shattering the vision. He was in the middle of a battlefield, panting as he stared down the saphira girl who called herself Vlossana. Walls of fire surrounded them in all directions, the remains of his previous attacks, cutting them off from the wider battle.

    With a growl, the elements bent to his will. Air shimmered and froze. Fire spread outward from his feet, following the floor to expand faster. With a tug of his will, the wind obeyed, blowing into Vlossana and forcing her to step back.

    It is futile, she said with confidence. The fire reached her boots and climbed them, the cold air froze her hair, but her face remained as hard as ever. You cannot defeat me.

    She raised a single finger. The magical energy contained inside it was staggering. The fire was doused by a river of grief. The ice evaporated to burning joy. Edgar roared, as did the elements hemanded, but none was able to touch Vlossana.

    Step after step, she approached. Edgar summoned the mighty winds, but she raised a hand and stepped through them, treating them as a mere afterthought.

    Why do you resist? she asked. You know you cannot defeat me. Your Dao is weak, as is your heart, and all your titles are useless against my Will attacks.

    What do you expect me to do!? Edgar retorted.

    Die.

    Go to hell!

    Edgar brought his hands before his chest, squeezing them in as ifpressing the very air. The remains of his summoned elements flew in from all directions. They gathered between his palms, converging into a single dot that shone with every color of the rainbow. It shimmered with pure, unadulterated poweran elemental convergence with the power to blow up a vige. The harder his palms pushed down, the stronger this point of power grew, until its glow eclipsed even the mes surrounding them.

    Vlossana stepped forth fearlessly. Invisible tendrils of her power spread through the Dao to reach Edgar. He sensed but ignored themhe couldnt push them back, anyway. They reached into his ears, his nose, his eyes. Edgar suppressed his disgust of this foreign Dao to finish conjuring his attack, the elemental convergence. Then, right before the tendrils reached his brain, he shouted and sent it out.

    It would evaporate the enemy.

    Time slowed down. Edgar saw the battlefield around them disappear, leaving only himself, the enemy, and his slowly traveling elemental convergence. Everything else was pitch-ck.

    In the next moment, the darkness receded, and Edgar was inside her mind. Her thoughts were outside his reach, but her emotions werent. Her heart wasnt. She hid nothing. Edgar had no choice but to experience the full spectrum of emotions churning inside her. He tasted the darkness and found it bitter, like chocte that had long expired.

    Tears welled into his eyes. How could anyone resist? How could the girl opposite him not break?

    Vlossana projected her mind into his own. He felt the boundless joy that once filled her heart be shattered and reced by bottomless grief. The Dao amplified everything, dooming her to experience the greatest fall possible in a human heart, sinking from the heights of heaven to the depths of hell.

    And the effects of that were all too clear. Vlossanas strength hid inside her own heartshe wasnt afraid to bare herself for victory. She showed Edgar her broken mind, her shattered spirit, the festering remains of who she used to be. Her heart had cracked and broken down. She hated herself, despised the world, and desperately sought to externalize her pain.

    She did not even possess free will anymore. She was so broken that any path she saw, she followed. Revenge was not her wishit was all she could do. Her heart was swimming in bitterness. The world around her was full of hatred and injustice. Revenge was just the path of inflicting maximum pain, and what else could she do against such an ugly world?

    How was she unforgivable?

    All these thoughts mmed into Edgars mind, amplified by his own empathy. He felt for her. Understood, even if he didnt approve. Her pain became his, and his heart was filled with infinite pity.

    The elemental convergence winked out, robbed of his Daos support. He couldnt attack her. As much as he knew he should, as much as he absolutely had to, he just couldnt do it. His pity for her, his heart of hearts, and his love for her as a person to another warred against responsibility, and the former came out winning.

    At the end of the Dao, her Dao was stronger than his fake one, as was her resolve. There was nothing he could do. He deserved what wasing, for he was weak.

    Vlossana stood opposite him with an ugly smile, satisfied that her heart was broken enough to crack him. Give up, she said, raising a hand that shone with dark light. Let your heart be taken.

    Edgar met her eyes and fell to his knees. He had never been one to hide his tearsnow, they flowed like twin rivers down his cheeks. Every drop carried a tiny bit of pain, but no matter how much he poured out, it was never enough.

    Pathetic, Vlossana said with a frown. You are a man. A cultivator. How can you cry?

    She was so wrong he didnt even know where to begin. All he could do was cry, not for himself, not for his friends, but for her and her ruined heart. For the ugly world that birthed her.

    She came closer, within a step of Edgar. Everything about you is weak, even your Dao, she said with distaste. How did someone like you stand beside Jack Rust?

    I was strong once, Edgar muttered between his sobs. Back when I didnt know myself. The weakness you see is recent.

    She sneered. A sheep in lions clothing.

    Can you spare my friends? he begged.

    I couldnt care less about your war. I am only here to kill you.

    But why?

    You dont need to know.

    Her eyes were cold and heartless. Her hand dove for his chest, about to rip out his heart. Edgar felt time slow down around him, as often happened before death. It was only an illusion, of course. A biological response. All it allowed him to do was regret his life more extensively before the end.

    <em>I should have never gone to the tournament, </em>he told himself. <em>I am too weak. Too kind. My power would have better served another, someone who could rise to the asion and help the entire world.</em>

    <em>Am I selfish for choosing myself over the others? Yes Yes, I am. I never should have taken up the responsibility. I never should have gone to the tournament. I never should have promised to help, and I never should have given my soul to the devil. Heh. The greatest price, paid for a power I couldnt wield.</em>

    Edgar couldnt contain his self-loathing. He had always expected his life to end at one of the devils cruel tricks, a neglected consequence of the contract terms.

    Yet, real devils were nothing like folklore. The contracts werent fake. There was no fine print. He had exchanged his soul for powerfor a shell of a different Dao over his ownand thats exactly what he had received. If not for this womans arrival, he could have helped in the war. He already had, to an extent, but it was nothingpared to what he could have done.

    <em>I cant believe he never tried to screw me over, </em>Edgar thought with a chuckle. <em>What an odd world we live in Enjoy my soul, you fair fiend. Unless you were the one who sent herbut I guess it doesnt matter, does it?</em>

    He didnt <em>want </em>to surrender his eternal soul, of course, but there was nothing to be done. The deal was made. Even if he removed the fake Dao shell around his Dao, which he could do, it would change nothing. He would just die an even more pathetic death.

    <em>My Dao </em>he thought with longing. More tears came to his eyestears of betrayal, tears for himself this time. <em>Im sorry, my Dao. Im sorry, my soul. I forsook you, and it changed nothing. Im sorry.</em>

    In the final moment, rid of any more responsibilities, Edgar got to experience the truth of his Dao a final time. He remembered how much he loved itthat awe and wonder, that sense of beauty, that breathless wow, what he wouldnt give to spend his life spreading it.

    Too bad that the world was cruel.

    <em>One final breath, </em>he thought to himself with a sweet smile. <em>Onest look. I cannot win, anyway.</em>

    With a gentle tug of his will, he ripped away the shell covering his real Dao, exposing the radiant beauty underneath. It was breathtakinga golden, soft globe of light. A long crack stretched down its middle, the price of ripping away the devil shell. He would never be able to advance again, but it didnt matter; he would die within the next second.

    Edgar had no desire to change his fate. He deserved it. All he wanted was to die while embracing this beautiful light he had once abandoned. The light that suffered unjustly, just like the saphira woman killing him.

    He let himself go.

    Yet, the seconds stretched, and his death did note. No hand pierced his chest, no wicked fingers seized his heart. Surprised, he opened his eyes to find the saphira with her hand extended, paused mid-motion, her gaze filled with wariness.

    What did you do? she asked with growing fury. How did you stab my heart!?

    Edgar had no idea what she was talking about. Her chest seemed fine; no blood or de. Nothing had stabbed through her heart. She waspletely alive.

    So what had given her pause?

    Edgar took a deep breathand, as he did, the beauty inside him seeped out. His love escaped, just a tiny bit, coloring the world around him a brilliant gold.

    Vlossana hissed as she retreated. You had another power! she eximed. You hid it all along! Damn you!

    He remained confused. He did possess a different power now, yes, but it was weak. It wasnt even meant for battle. The power it could exude was minimal, and his inability to harm her remained.

    Why had she recoiled?

    DIE!

    Vlossana reached out an arm, her eyes frantic. Invisible tendrils of power filled the air, seeking to enthrall his mind and snuff it out. She could absolutely do ithe had sensed her power. She didnt need to touch him to kill him.

    Yet, as the tendrils approached, they dissipated. Like snow in the sun, they melted away, their emotional structure broken by Edgars aura.

    His eyes widened in realization. His pity for her shone brighter than ever, as did his love. His tenderness. He reached out and grabbed a tendril before it could melt, sending his mind into it, into hers. He saw the ocean of darkness. The despair. The pain. It rushed at him from all directions, seeking to engulf him, and he let it.

    He drowned in her sorrow.

    It was hell. One moment stretched to infinity. His heart bled alongside hers for this cruel world. Yet, he had another Dao to support him nowhis real one. A Dao directly rted to the beauty of the world, the kindness that this pained soul no longer dared believe in.

    A scream resounded in the world outside, but Edgar let it wash over him.

    GET OUT! she screamed. GET OUT OF MY HEART!

    But she couldnt force him. She had invited him inand now, in the battlefield of her heart, she could only face him with truth and emotions.

    In the depths of Vlossanas heart, her pain was a raging river, a stormy sea. Yet, Edgar floated in its midst unblemished, untouched by the dark waters. His eyes exuded a kindness that surrounded him, a shining beacon in the darkness.

    The dark waters raged. Sorrow came after Edgar in waves, burying him in the darkest emotions known to man. He felt them all. He endured the pain. Vlossanas darkness was trying to corrupt his heart, to extinguish his hope and make him ept her view of the world, that it was hopeless, ugly, and in vain.

    Yet, this time, his own heart stood strong. It was in its element now. Faced with her pain, his magic red. A soft light spread, pushing back the shadows.

    Yes, the world could be terrible. It could be cruel, heartless, and painful. But it could also be warm and beautiful. The dark water crashed into his magic, and all the monsters hiding under the surface screamed. Edgar raised his hands. Beauty and wonder shone in Vlossanas inner world, contesting the despair. A golden star appeared over a vast ocean, tiny but resilient. No matter how many waves fell on it, no matter how the ocean raged, the darkness was burned away. This little star could be hurt, but it could not be extinguished.

    Because it represented hope.

    Finally, the ocean grew thinner. The waters growled as they receded. Edgars power was lessened, too, but it did not matter. Because, hidden under the receding tide, a little saphira girl was revealed. A girl with her eyes wide open in fear, clutching her own little dress, covered head to toe in darkness.

    Edgar smiled at her. He spread his arms again, and all the magic of the world came pouring out, all the beauty, all the wonder, all the warmth. In their absolute truth, he directly refuted her Dao.

    The little girl stared at him wide-eyed, not daring to believe.

    Edgar felt a cold hand plunge into his chest. This wasnt in the soul world, but in the real one. Vlossanas hand was buried into the center of his chest, stabbing him. He reached out and hugged her, pulling her close, inviting her hand deeper. She froze.

    His hand caressed her hair. Its alright, he whispered. Its all going to be alright.

    The little girl reached out for the dancing lights, too afraid to believe. His hand appeared through them. It was waiting; and his smile was the most radiant thing shed ever seen.

    I know it can be hard, he told her, grinning from ear to ear. Loss is painful, and recovering takes time, but hope never dies! It shouldnt! The world is bright, colorful, wonderful. It is beautiful, and it just waiting for us to explore, as long as you just believe. So, what do you say? He grinned wider. Are youing?

    The little girl reached out her hand. Lightly, hesitantly, she touched his, letting his light wash away the darkness. The ocean and all its monsters screamed as they burned, evaporating in dark smoke. Her Dao was revealed underneath, a warm smile crossed by lines of darkness. These were two forces at an equilibriumbut, with Edgars help, the light advanced by just an inch. The darkness remained, but it was now only a part of her Dao, not its master.

    Vlossana cried, shedding ck tears that mixed with Edgars blood. She cried and cried, letting it all out while he gently caressed her hair and held her in a tight hug, shielding her from the world.

    And the darkness receded. The battlefield returned, and Vlossana was no longer an assassin, but just a girl with a broken heart. It wouldnt pass overnight. Maybe not ever. But the darkness no longer consumed herthe first step on a long road had been taken.

    If Jack was here, he could have maybe killed Vlossana. So could Brock, or Vivi, or anyone else. But it was only Edgar, this tender, pained man who once was unable to fight her, that could save her.

    As the darkness fell away, the belief was cemented in Vlossanas soul that she couldnt kill Edgar. In that moment, her deal with the devil was broken. The power she had been granted receded, disappearing into nothingness, absorbed by the ambient Dao. The shackles on her soul were lifted.

    Just like Edgar, she would never be able to advance again, but that was the extent of her bacsh.

    Because she wasnt the one who broke the deal.

    When the devil offered her the contract, hed imed that her power would be enough to defeat her targetEdgar. But it wasnt. She had failed. And, in doing so, the devils word was proven false.

    In another part of the battlefield, very close by, one soldier suddenly fell to his knees, vomiting ck blood. The surrounding cultivators rushed to his aid, but he ignored them all. Impossible, he muttered, panting at the floor. His eyes were shaking. How? The power I gave him was just not enough. How!?

    Because how could a devil realize the warmth of human emotions? He never thought that Edgar would remove his shell, because why would he? He would achieve nothing except die faster. In the devils mind, Edgars original Dao wasughable and would never appear again, so he never bothered to calcte its strength.

    And thus, at the end of the day, it was Edgars tender heart that foiled the devil.

    But devils couldnt break their word. Etsin the devil felt his limbs grow weak, his body attracting the attention of something far greater than himself. No, he growled, jumping to his feet.No! Not again!

    He assumed his real form and flew away, breaking the sound barrier whilepletely ignoring the reactions of everyone around him. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and lightning thundered. NO! Etsin roared, dashing over the sea in hopes that he could escape the clouds.

    But how could one outrun a tribtion?

    Lightning cracked down, again and again, striking a devil that was flying over the distant sea. His flesh was burned and his soul seared. His screams echoed over the entire battlefield, but it was hopeless. Before long, the lightning stopped falling, the clouds dispersed, and all that remained of the devil was a handful of ash calmly floating in the ocean waters.

    All battles paused momentarily, but the remaining cultivators had no idea what happened or how it would affect them. Therefore, as soon as the clouds dispersed, they resumed killing each other.

    As for Edgar, the devils smiting had destroyed the chains on his soul. The contract was broken. He was free nowthough unable to ever progress again, his soul remained his and his alone.

    <em>Its something, </em>he thought as his vision went red with blood. He still held Vlossana in a tight embrace, and she was still crying, not realizing that her fingers had already clenched around and ruined his heart. It was no longer beating. Only Edgars Dao was keeping him alive, and even that would falter very soon.

    Even the greatest of healers couldnt save him now.

    <em>Its okay, </em>he thought warmly, clutching Vlossana tighter. <em>At least I achieved something. I saved one person. Heh. What a life.</em>

    Slowly, his arms sagged down, and his grasp weakened. Vlossana realized nothing as Edgar died in her arms.

    Excepthe didnt. Space cracked open before them. Vlossana saw nothing, so engrossed she was in her crying, but Edgars dying eyes spied a smiling man who looked like he was homeless. He wore a dirty jacket and tattered pants, while his teeth were crooked and yellow. He seemedpletely out of ce.

    The man reached out a hand. It shone a green so bright it momentarily overwhelmed the sun. Edgar felt nothing but an impossible amount of life filling him to the brim, a veritable ocean of energy. His heart regenerated in the blink of an eye, and Edgar was left stunned and alive, still clutching Vlossana in his arms.

    Well done, but you cannot rest yet, said the Sage,ughing. You still have a role to y. And now, if youll excuse meI have a show to run.

    Edgar could only watch speechless as the Sage once again split space and disappeared. He was leftpletely spent and with a crying woman in his embrace, amidst a battlefield. Only now did the shock get to him.

    What the hell just happened?

    In the battle of Edgar versus Vlossana and the devil Edgar won!

 Chapter 314: Brock vs. Petrovic

    Chapter 314: Brock vs. Petrovic

    Brock stood on the concert stage, surrounded by battle in all directions. His eyes were glued on his opponent: Alexander Petrovic. The man who had tortured and humiliated his father, killed three brori brothers, and harmed many of his friends.

    Brock hated this man with every fiber of his being. Today, he was here to kill.

    Alexander did not seem to notice the bloodthirst emitted by the brori. You know, its impressive that you grew this much in such a short period of time, he said, pretending he wasnt an asshole. It would be a waste to kill you. How about you abandon Jack Rust and join my faction? We can give you all the bananas youd ever want.

    Brock growled. No. The tip of his stone staff still dripped with the blood of Alexanders broken nose. His eyes were hard and unmoving, while his muscles werex and ready to clench. He started circling on the stage, like a wild animal looking to pouncebut with the skills andposure of a martial artist.

    Something about his visage must have finally gotten to Alexander. He cradled his nose, which still bled, and lowered his center of gravity. His ice wings unfolded. His twin swords crossed before his chest. The previous battle with Vivi hadnt even made him pant. Fine, he replied. Then, let me put you down like the animal you are.

    Brock pounced. His Staff of Stone crossed the air, meeting the swords with a sh. They ricocheted, each swinging back into an attack. Stone met ice. Cracking sounds filled the stage.

    Brock danced with his staff, simultaneously employing his Big Thoughts of Density, the Staff, and Never Stopping. That staff was like a maelstrom, moving far faster than it was supposed to and always being at the right ce. Despite Brocks fierce heart, his movements were precise and sharp, his eyes were narrowed, always watching.

    He hadnt been ying around in the outer. He had be strong. And now, at his first battle on Big Bros side, he would prove himself worthy.

    Alexander was fighting hard as well. His swords moved in harmony, each striking hard and giving way to the other. His wings pped, taking him around the stage faster than his legs could aplish, trying to trick and outmaneuver Brock. The two of them fell into a sharp, brutal melee with no clear victor.

    In the battle below the stage, many people snuck nces over. Is that a monkey? said a woman from the Ice Peak army.

    Thats Brock! eximed a man who had been with the Brotherhood since the start. How did he get so strong?

    Even Vivi, who was busy facing ten E-Grades at once, felt a wave of emotion at the broris strength. Brock

    Brock rushed ever forward. His staff elerated further, both ends used as different weapons, pelting Alexander from all directions.

    The man took a step back. Stop! he shouted, crossing his swords and unleashing a barrage of ice spikes. Brock dodged them all. In one clean motion, his staff slipped through the opponents guard and cracked down on Alexanders ribs, making him grimace. As he stepped back, Brock remained in position, staff extended and gaze hard.

    Alexander was strong, but Brock had trained with the best E-Grades of the Exploding Sun. He had developed four Big ThoughtsMuscles, Staff, Density, and Never Stoppingand reached the peak. He was no easy opponent.

    Have it your way! Alexander roared. Ice shimmered in the air around him like dots of glistening light. The ground itself froze under Brocks feet, encasing even his soles in ice, while sharp winds whipped his face.

    Brock snorted, breaking his feet free of the ice, but Alexander was already rushing in. The ice swords came down. They formed a continuous chain of attacks, forcing Brock to constantly defend. He held his ground but couldnt fight back. At the same time, ribbons of ice extended from Alexanders wings, snapping through the air to clip at Brocks fur. Spots of blood appeared. It was burning hot.

    Brock felt rage cloud his vision. This man was his sworn enemy; how could he be pushed down?

    With a roar, Brock span his staff around, chasing the swords. He blocked one strike with his palm, increasing its density to the max, then swept away both swords to kick at Alexanders shin. The man bent over, his leg almost broken. Brock pressed on, bringing his staff in an overhead swing that Alexander was forced to block, his wrists creaking under the impact.

    Brock lunged forward to bite at the opponents neck. Alexanders eyes went wide. He barely pulled back, dropping his guard and letting the staff clip his shoulderbut Brocks sharp teeth would have done much worse.

    Alexander then flew back and up, escaping Brocks reach. Youre an animal! he shouted like it wasnt obvious. Fine! Lets see if you can use those teeth of yours to fly!

    He then rose to the altitude of a hundred feet, summoned rows of ice projectiles, and sent them flying down at Brock. The surrounding soldiers gasped.

    Brock looked on calmly. Facing a rain of projectiles, he raised his staff and started swinging. It blurred through the air. Its trajectory was precise. Every single projectile was knocked away, a feat of ultimate focus. Brock could sweep away the rain!

    As the projectiles came to an end, Alexander snorted. Defend all you want, monkey, but youll fall eventually. You just cant fly!

    He prepared more ice spikes, arranging them in a denser cluster this time. Meanwhile, Brock looked up and snorted. Bro, he said. He pointed his staff upward and began to fly.

    At the appropriate level of mastery, the Dao of Density could make him lighter than air itself, letting him fly. His Staff of Stone, an item attuned to precisely the Dao of Density, could be affected simrly as well.

    Both Alexander Petrovic and the surrounding armies gaped. In their eyes, they just saw a monkey take off and fly. It wasnt even an immortal.

    How!? Alexander shouted, unleashing his half-made storm of ice spikes.

    Brock snorted again. You no escape, he replied. He charged through the air, staff pointing forward. The ice spikes flew at him, but he simply swerved away, dodging them all. Before long, he was upon Alexander, smashing his staff down. Alexander raised his swords to defend.

    The Dao of Muscles red. Brocks biceps doubled in size, then tripled until they became almosticallyrge. The density of both his muscles and the staff spiked. The tip of the staff crashed down, easily breaking through Alexanders guard to smash onto his head, nailing him to the ground in a shower of white stone kes.

    When the dust cleared, Alexander was already standing. His blond hair fluttered in the wind, while his blue eyes were colder than eternal ciers. He was outraged.

    But so was Brock. When the two crossed eyes, one was furious for having been publicly smacked down, and the other was furious for having his father humiliated. It wasnt even a contest. Brock overflowed with the desire to harm and kill Alexander. There was no force in the world that could change his mind.

    Suddenly, Alexander raised his twin swords, willing their shape to change. They became longer, white, and even more wickedly sharp; their tips were so thin they were barely visible, and so hard they could stab through iron. Even Alexanders wings changed. From a hard blue, they transitioned into pure white, emitting a majesty theycked before.

    This is my Dao Ice, Alexander dered calmly. I have purified it in my soul for half a year. Its power is beyond anything you can imagine. Imend you for making me bring this out, but now, ytime is over. It is time to die.

    Where his swords touched the air, ice kes were created and fell to the ground. Every p of his wings sent chills across the entire concert stage. It was clear that the temperature of this ice was far lower than normal.

    Brocks stare remained equally hard. He raised his staff. Bring it on, he said, diving down.

    ***

    The professor had been fighting a losing battle. Shed utilized every trick in the book to dy even a bit more, hoping for the miracle called Jack Rust. Thanks to her, the alliance cultivators could achieve far better coordination than their opponents, but it was just not enough. The power disparity was too wide. All she could do was struggle to stay afloat.

    Then, Brock had arrived, sweeping in from afar to strike Alexander. He had dered that battle his own and released Vivi to join the professor and lead the army from the frontas much as the professor worried about her grandchild, it had to be done.

    Nowfighting back was possible.

    <em>Disengage. Advance. To the right, then retreat and group up with the group to your left. Someone will have your nk. Charge!</em>

    She watched the battle from a hundred viewpoints, sending instructions to every squadmander in real time. They had been thoroughly trainedthey followed her everymand to the letter, not hesitating in the slightest. This meant they could achieve maximum efficiency. It also meant that, if the professor made a single mistake, nobody would be there to catch it.

    But who was she? She was Margaret Rust, professor of Informatics in the Northeastern University, the vice-leader of the second or third greatest faction on Earth, and the mother of thes greatest living hero.

    She could do this.

    Or, at least, so she hoped.

    Vivi dove down from the skies, d in mes and phoenix wings. She opened her mouth wide and sprayed fire on the enemys back ranks, eliciting a chorus of screams. The mes soon went out, but they had done their jobmany of the enemy spell-slingers had fallen, giving them superiority in that field.

    At the same time, whoever remained aliveunched every projectile they had at Vivi, who erupted with mes so intense that the ice melted before approaching, as did the arrows. Only a few boulders and other projectiles made it through, but the power they carried wasnt enough to kill her. She quickly flew away to join the alliance front lines, spreading her wings over her soldiers and shouting, Brothers and sisters! Alexander is upied, and I am here! Let us destroy the enemy. For freedom!

    FOR FREEDOM! the entire army roared behind her, shaking the Integration Starship and causing waves in the surrounding ocean. They charged with fervor, but still following the professors precise instructions. Vivi was a force of nature. She could handle a dozen E-Grades at once, plowing through the battlefield like it was nothing. Where she passed, enemies burned.

    The Ice Peak sent their strongest E-Grades to chase her. Alexander was not present, but other elites were, and they knew her weakness now. Arrows of ice flew at her belly, forcing her to defend. Once again, she was pushed back, but the job was done. The enemys morale dropped, while the alliances rose.

    Inrge-scale battles, morale was everything.

    <em>Advance! </em>the professor gave the order. The alliance cultivators roared and ran forward, feeling like the kings of the world. Though they remained at a disadvantage, strictly speaking, none of the soldiers saw it as such. The alliance advanced, and the Ice Peak, slowly, retreated.

    At that time, the me walls erected in one corner of the battlefield dropped. The professor spied through a soldiers eyes. To her surprise, she found Edgar hugging the crying saphira enemy. Then, she noticed he was bleeding profusely. Her eyes widened in fear. <em>No!</em>

    As she watched his body sag down, the Sage appeared out of nowhere, healed him, and disappeared again.

    <em>Help us! </em>she told him, using a generous amount of power to reach him through telepathy, but his reply was disheartening.

    <em>Sorry, I have to run! </em>he responded. <em>But good luck! You can do this!</em>

    The professor cursed under her breath. The addition of a D-Grade to their forces would have been massiveespecially since, from what she saw, Edgar waspletely spent. He would need some time before he could fight again.

    However, she was themander. There was no time to cry over spilled milk. She returned her attention to the army,manding them in a way that both maximized their efficiency and perpetuated the image of victory that Vivi had created.

    Suddenly, the metal music that had been enhancing their soldiers at the start of the battle returned. Vanderdecken was at the alliances back lines, screaming at the top of his lungs to empower everyone, while Brother Tao broke into the enemys front line like a racing horse. Even with only one arm, his staff was too heavy for most enemies.

    The two othersGan Salin and the barbarian girlhad also won their battle, but they were too spent to keep contributing. Like Edgar, they would need time.

    Still, the professor finally felt optimistic. With Vivi, Vanderdecken, and Tao onboard, they had a tiny bit of an edgeand, with her skills, they could turn that edge into a massive de that would cut right through the enemy.

    Things were finally going well, and they even had a secret weapon that they hadnt used yet.

    The only problem was that she was getting exhausted, and her head was under siege by a massive headache. She wasnt sure how long she could keep this up for. Plus, if Alexander defeated Brock, things would turn in the enemys favor again.

    And, of course, if Jack lost, then all was for naught.

    The professor urged one soldier to nce upward, into space. She saw bright shes. To be visible from here, they had to be extremely gigantic bursts of energy.

    Jack Rust, her son, was fighting the C-Gradeary overseer How she wished she could watch. As it was, all she could do was believe in him and try to win her own battle.

    ***

    Brock shed against Alexander. Their Daos erupted. Staff met des. Stone met pure white ice. Every time they shed, Brock felt a freezing energy invade his body, an energy turning his blood into ice. He fought it off with his burning heart.

    He was here to kill. If he let a little cold stop him, what kind of big bro would he be!?

    He twisted in mid-air, spinning his staff above his head. He brought it down. Alexander blocked it and was pushed back, grunting. How are you not freezing over? he asked.

    Because my heart is bro.

    Fine. Dont tell me. I will kill you regardless.

    Brock had just told him, but he didnt care if this human was an idiot. They were mortal enemies. He brandished his staff through the air, bringing it around to strike at Alexander from all angles. He incorporated his flight into his fighting style like he was a bird. The staff became a storm of attacks, and the white ice of Alexander was forced into defense.

    When Brock missed a swing, their roles alternated. The swords of white ice rained down, while Brock spinned his staff to defend from every attack. The streams of freezing energy in his body affected him littlehis blood and organs were his bros, and they wouldnt give out on him just like that.

    With one more sh, both opponents were pushed back.

    This battle hassted far too long, Alexander said with a frown. Your father fell on my tenth strike. How are you that much stronger?

    A fire was lit inside Brocks manly heart. He raised his chin, eyes burning with desire for blood. Stop speaking, he said. I can only kill you so much.

    As if Id die to an animal.

    Animals are bros, Brock said, pointing his staff forward. Suddenly, his voice carried an odd momentum. Humans are bros. All are bros, and I big bro. But you You no bro. You trash.

    An odd energy permeated his staff. Alexander frowned, sensing the might brewing.

    You humiliate Father, Brock said in a burning voice. You betray bros. You attack unborn bro. You coward, weak, and a shame. And I, big brohave duty to kill you.

    Alexander furrowed his brows. What bullshit are you spouting now? he asked, but Brock no longer responded. NoAlexander did hear a sounding from Brock, but it was not his voice. It was the drumming of his beating heart, a heart infused with the power of brohood.

    When Alexander acted cold and calcting, the Dao of Ice approved of his actions. However, the world had many Daos, and the Dao of Brohood did not approve. It was that Dao that fueled Brock, and most importantly, the Dao of Brohood was a Dao predicated on morality. Now, faced with someone extremely un-bro-like, Brock felt his Very Big Thought pulse with power.

    The worlds righteousness came to his side. An aura spread over his staff, lighting up all the animal-face inscriptions on it with warm light. Suddenly, Brock was not wielding just the Staff of Stone, but a symbol of brohood. He <em>was </em>the big bro. And Alexander had raised the ire of his very Dao.

    That is enough, Brock said, voice suffused with might. Now, you die.

    He charged. The staff fell down. Alexander raised his swords to defend, and as they collided, the air itself imploded from the force. Brocks staff was undeniable, unstoppable, the Big Thought of Never Stopping operating at full power. The white ice, tempered in Alexanders soul for six months, shattered under the impact. Brocks staff carried through, prating the opponents guard and striking him in the chest.

    Alexander flew downward like a missile. He crashed into the stage hard, sending fragments of white stone flying everywhere, while Brock hovered in the air above like a herald of punishment.

    Stand, hemanded, or die lying.

 Chapter 315: Bros, Assemble!

    Chapter 315: Bros, Assemble!

    This time, Alexander did not stand immediately. For the first time since he became an E-Grade, he felt genuine fear. This monkey that had appeared out of nowhere had the power to match him, maybe even defeat him.

    Would he die?

    Alexander gritted his teeth. He did not want to die. He had to rule the. The coldness in his heart easily overwhelmed his honor, quickly settling on a n that would grant him victory. There would be a heavy price to paynot just for him, for the entire, but so be it.

    <em>Come,</em> he ordered, contacting the forces that could help him. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. He had to buy time.

    Dont think you won yet! he dered proudly, raising his head to look at Brock. You are just one person, and your righteousness is a delusion! Only might makes right in this world! Only the ones who make hard choices win! You may think your power is great, but I have the Animal Kingdom by my side!

    And what they gonna do? Brock replied. Bark at me?

    No, Alexander replied with a crooked smile. Kill you.

    Suddenly, the Integration Starship shook under their feet. A part of its surface slid open, revealing a dark, gaping holeand, from inside, out jumped a hundred animal people of various species. There were canines, turtlers, lycans Every sort of animal species was there, including some that Brock hadnt seen before. All of them were at the E-Grade, though only a few were particrly strong.

    As Brock stared at these hundred cultivators, Alexander startedughing. You fool! he shouted. Did you really think I would fight you alone like an idiot? I have the Animal Kingdom by my side! So what if our has to pay increased taxes for a hundred years? For getting rid of all of you, its a worthy price!

    Brock did not reply immediately. His gaze calmly scanned the hundred cultivators, all of whom stared back at him. He could sense their power. He could also sense the growing terror of the alliance army, who realized that this amount of reinforcements were impossible tobat. By all appearances, this entire war was settled the moment Alexander requested assistance from the Kingdom.

    Of course, this was breaking the grace period rules, but rules were thest thing anyone cared about right now.

    Faced with this certain doom, Brock only shook his head. You the fool, he replied. You think you saved, but you only have soldiers. And I

    Suddenly, a person crashed down in front of the hundred Animal Kingdom cultivators. It was a human. Another personnded next to him, then another. Three people turned into a dozen, then even more. Everyone looked at the sky. A small starship hovered there. Nobody had seen it arrive, and it looked like it could barely fit a dozen people. Yet, from its open doors, cultivator after cultivator dropped down. They had been packed inside like sardines.

    Who the hell are those people? Vivi eximed, looking at the iing rain of cultivators. Are they allies?

    They better be, a man by her side replied.

    Before long, almost a hundred people had fallen from the starship andnded before the Animal Kingdom cultivators, staring them down. None of them looked soft. Most were humans, though many other species were included, and any System inspection showed they were unaffiliated E-Grades, mostly around the mid E-Grade.

    Out of the starships door came another man, holding arge drum and beating it to a fighting tune. He was the same man that had been beating the drums on Outer as they watched Jack duel Maximus Lonihor. The same man whod been the first to join Brock on Outer.

    This was the bro army, who had all left the Exploding Sun to follow their big bro. And the starship they rodewas the Trampling Ram. BIG BRO! the man shouted. WE ARE HERE!

    Brock smiled brightly. You have soldiers, he repeated at Alexander, but I have bros.

    Who are you people? Vivi shouted from below.

    Two more cultivators appeared on the starship door. One was a feshkur wielding a mace, and the other a minotaur holding a greataxe. We are friends, said the minotaur. And we are here to help.

    On the floor, Vlossanas eyes widened. She was barely recovering, still in no state to fight, but she could speak. You What are you doing here!? she shouted.

    You idiot! Vashter shouted back, hoisting his mace over his shoulder. How could you believe we wouldnt help our crewmate, <em>especially </em>after he saved Dordok? We owe it to him! He jumped down from the starship,nding at the very front of the bro army. Bring it on, suckers, he said, pointing his mace at the Animal Kingdom cultivators, who all stared in shock. I have a score to settle with your lot.

    Brock turned back to stare at Alexander, whose face remained painted with shock. See? he said. Bros always win.

    You You idiot! Alexander spelled out. If you break the Star Pact this openly, the Kingdom will have to

    Before he could finish his words, two heavy auras nketed the battlefield. Two people appeared in mid-air, both of them lycans. And D-Grades.

    We are theary overseers designated assistants, one of them dered. Our soldiers were only acting to capture wanted criminals. However, since you are breaking the Star Pactdont me us for being rude.

    Before anyone could feel despair, however, another voice rang through the air. Oh, well, it said, feigning nonchnce despite clearly hiding battle spirit. I wasnt supposed to join, but if youre bringing out D-Grades, I guess there is no choice.

    Space warped before the Kingdoms two D-Grades and another two people stepped out. One was a bald monk d in orange robes. The other was a towering cyclops wielding a greatclub.

    On the ground, Vashters jaw dropped. Captain!! he shouted, unable to contain his joy.

    Vashter, Bomn, Dordok said with a huge smile. Im d to see youre safe.

    Not just safe, Bomn said. He stepped off the starship and floated to the sky, arriving beside Shol and Dordok.

    You broke through! Dordok eximed.

    When I became the captain, I finally found my missing insight, Bomn replied with pride. But you didnt sit still either, captain. You raised hell on Hell.

    Damn right I did! How could I fall behind my own crew?

    Are we invisible to you? one of the Kingdoms D-Grades said, frowning. Since youre determined to interfere, face us in battle. Let the strongest prevail.

    Are you blind? Shol retorted. We are three and stronger. What do you think youre

    Space slid open once again to reveal a dark-haired, blue-robed man beside the Animal Kingdom immortals. Shol frowned. Li Qian, he said, enunciating every syble. You are here as well?

    I suspected youde, Li Qian replied, already drawing his sword. You have left the faction and acted against our interests multiple times. On behalf of the Exploding Sun and my master, Elder Monsoon, I hereby sentence you to death. Surrender or be cut down where you stand.

    Hmph! Shol snorted, golden light emanating from his body. My palms have been itching for a rematch. Bring it on, Li Qian!

    In the battle below, Viviughed out loud, echoing across the Integration Starship. I have no idea whats happening, but God is finally on our side! she shouted. Cultivators of the me Brotherhood alliancegive them hell!

    The army roared and charged. The Ice Peak defended, equally confused. The bro army and the hundred E-Grades of the Animal Kingdom shed as well. Since there wasnt too much space on the Integration Starship, these two E-Grade battles slowly became entwined.

    On the sky above, Dordok and Bomn attacked the two Animal Kingdom immortals, while Shol and Li Qian flew to the side and started fighting as well. Every reinforcement had appeared. The only ones not fighting yet were Brock and Alexander Petrovic, who wore an ugly expression.

    Brock turned to stare at him once again, this time unable to hide the ridicule in his voice. You no bro, he dered. Ridicule turned into boundless enmity. You have no bros. Nobody will save you. You live alone, so you die alone.

    Come and try! Alexander dered, summoning new swords of white ice and crossing them before his chest. You cannot kill me.

    In the name of my father, I swear I will, Brock replied solemnly, raising his staff to the sky. Then, carrying the worlds righteousness on his back, he attacked.

    Brock rushed at Alexander. He was no longer ying around. All reinforcements had arrived, all distractions were gone, and nobody was going to interfere anymore. He would kill this man.

    Brohood emanated from his staff. He raised it high and brought it down with a shout, crashing it into Alexanders swords and breaking them. More white ice appeared, less pure this time. Alexander must have been running out.

    Against the power of a big bro, it was useless.

    Swords broke. Ice shattered. Alexander was beaten around, his every defense crumbling and his every attack faltering. His blond hair were matted with blood now. His white ice was growing thinner and thinner, more impure. He had been nurturing it in his soul for six months nowhis supply was very limited.

    He was losing, and all his nned reinforcements had been blocked. He really was alone. If he couldnt escapehe would die.

    For the first time since the System descended, Alexander Petrovic felt the fear of death. It seized his heart like a cold fist and held it still. He thought he cultivated the Dao of Icebut this was <em>real </em>ice. Nothing like the parlor tricks hed been practicing. Before the fear of death, even his white ice was not worth mentioning.

    Alexander swam in terror. His soul and heart froze over. He saw death approaching, and he was powerless to stop it. Nobody woulde to save him. Nobody would cry for him. He was alone in this world, so terribly alone. His body was still fighting Brock, but his soul felt like a naked man in a blizzard, kneeling in a fetus position to protect himself. The snow piled on him. Slowly, he was encased, dying a horrible death as even his heart and blood froze over. It was so, so cold.

    And right there, at the eve of death, as everything froze around him, Alexander touched something. For a fraction of a second, he felt true ice. The ultimate cold. It was a sensation so foreign it was terrifying, a destiny so lonely, dark, and heartless that he bled even at the thought of it.

    Yet, his heart was already cold, and he was dying. What did he have to lose?

    He clutched at that ice with both hands, letting the true ice seep into his soul, freeze it over and turn it into an ice statue. He frozepletely. Everything died.

    And then, he was reborn.

    In the real world, Brock was fighting Alexander when he sensed something wrong. Trusting his instinct, he immediately retreated. A sphere of ice spread from Alexanders body, expanding so quickly that, if Brock had dyed his retreat by even a moment, he would have been encased in it.

    Brock scratched his head. He was now facing arge, opaque ice globe. He could no longer see his enemy. Was he hiding?

    He smashed his staff into the sphere with all his might, channeling the power of brohood. Even the white ice from before would have shattered before this attack. Yet, the sphere showed not the slightest blemish. Brocks staff bounced away, and the webbing of his palm was almost torn from the recoil.

    Hmm, he said, observing the sphere better. What was going on?

    Suddenly, his eyes shone. He knew what was happening. Alexander Petrovic was breaking through.

    Brock grunted. This was bad. He had been winning before, but the power of an immortal was leagues away from the E-Grade. Moreover, he couldnt stop this breakthrough, as the ice sphere was too durable. Alexander was breaking through, and there was nothing Brock could do about it.

    However, a big bro should never despair. Brock ran through his options and realized he only had one. Therefore, he flew back down to the concert stage, sat on the floor cross-legged, and broke through as well.

 Chapter 316: Achieving Brohood

    Chapter 316: Achieving Brohood

    Vivi reached out inside the professors mind.<em> What is going on?</em> she asked. <em>Why is Brock meditating? He couldnt be</em>

    <em>I think he is, </em>the professor replied, her own disbelief evident. <em>Both of them. Theyre breaking through to the D-Grade.</em>

    <em>What monsters</em>

    For the disciples of B-Grade factions, breaking through to the D-Grade took decades, if not centuries. If someone could do it within just a few years, they were considered geniuses of the highest caliber. And sure, the recently Integrated environment of Earth provided all kinds of opportunities, but bing an immortal in just one year was a ster feat.

    Alexander Petrovic may have been overshadowed by Jack and his own capittion to the Animal Kingdom, but he remained an outstanding cultivatorpletely obsessed with his Dao. He was also a prodigy.

    Unfortunately for Alexanderso was Brock.

    ***

    <em>What is a bro? </em>Brock wondered as he floated inside his soul space, eyes open and thoughts churning. The walls of his soul were carved with wise inscriptionsthe legendary Bro Codewhile the space within thrummed with his four Big Thoughts.

    Muscles and working out. Constantly striving to make yourself a better person in any way you could, even if that way was just to lift stones all day.

    Density. Controlling oneself and ones power to perfectly adapt to any given situation.

    The Staff. Brocks weapon and how to use it, what it signified. The staff was more than just a weaponit symbolized the intent to reach outside yourself and affect the world, an extension of Brocks body. A strong, hard, straight-forward concept.

    Never Stopping. Never giving up. Never surrendering or puttingfort before advancement. Being unstoppable.

    These were the four Big Thoughts that Brock had attained. They framed his Very Big Thought of Brohood. However, these four concepts didnt directly rte to brohood. He had tried to break through before and consequently realized it would be difficult; he had to connect all of his Thoughts together.

    But hard didnt mean impossible. Right now, he needed to break through, so he would seed because he had to.

    Brock dove into thinking with resolve.

    <em>What is brohood? </em>he asked himself.

    It was to have brothers and stand alongside them. Tough, cry, and fight on their side. To have their backs and know that they had yours. The bros were a team, and the entire world was below that. They would never betray each other.

    At the same time, being the big bro was both an honor and a responsibility. It meant being first among equals. A big bro demanded respect and obedience without losing friendship. At the same time, he needed to protect his little bros and help them be better version of themselves. It was a very tender, very delicate rtionship, either end of which could fail given even the slightest immaturity.

    Brock believed he had things straight.

    At the same time, brohood was not confined strictly to ones bros. A person could be a bro even by himself. It was a mindset, a way of life built around respect, camaraderie, and power.

    It was this brohood that would make a man step around a line of ants or help a stranger. It was brotherhood that let a man join a group of strangers and quicklyugh alongside them. Real knew real. Bro knew bro. When spread and perpetuated, brohood was the one thing keeping the world together, the one thing able to rid people of their hatred and usher them into an era of prosperity and true happiness.

    This was Brocks Dao, and he wholeheartedly believed in it.

    At the same time, there were instances where a bro went to war. This was one such instance. The ice man had tortured and humiliated Brocks father. He had killed his brori bros. He had betrayed his own bros and caused many problems for everyone. That was a man as far removed from brohood as possible, and Brock, being a big bro, carried the duty of ending him.

    This was strictly personal. Brock would either kill Alexander or die trying.

    And, to achieve that, he had to break through.

    The first step was fusing his four Big Thoughts into his Very Big Thought. He had to decipher how they all fit together like pieces of a puzzlediscover the one perfectbination.

    It wouldnt be too difficult. Brocks understanding of his Dao was crystal clear. He seldom felt even the slightest confusion. Against such a determined, clear mind, how could the perfectbination not present itself?

    Muscles and working out were the first Big Thought. They tied into brohood easily. Muscles represented power and effort, both of which were vital parts of brohood. A bro had to understand and navigate hierarchies of power, both physical and mental. At the same time, a bro had to always pour effort in himself, as that was the gateway tomanding the respect of others.

    In being a bro, musclesand all they signifiedwere the foundation.

    A shape dominated Brocks soul. It was a muscr brori arm flexing its bicep, sticking out from the soul walls. Actually, the Big Thought of Muscles had already been fused with the Big Thought of Brohood when he reached the E-Grade, but rehashing his understanding couldnt hurt.

    Then came Density. The second Big Thought that Brock hadprehended, and one that tied directly to Muscles. Physically, density was about hardness andpression. The real nature of density, however, was tension.

    After all, density was nothing but the perpetual tension of something that wanted to explode but couldnt.

    In the physical realm, density came frompressing and dpressing. Brock could increase the density of his body to achieve greater strength, or reduce it to achieve flight. It was an adaptive power that could be used in many circumstances.

    In the mental realm, however, the realm closest to brohood, density represented the tension present in everything. When two bros interacted with each other, there was always a level of tension in the air, which they both had to control well or it would explode. It was precisely this mutual control of tension that let one bro instantly recognize another. It also yed into the respect and navigation of power hierarchies, as did muscles.

    If Muscles were the foundation of a bro, properly controlled tension was the tether tying bros together.

    The brown walls of Brocks soul were already lined with muscles. Those muscles, however, were irregrly ced. Some spots had more, while others had less. It created an imbnce in his soul that wasnt easily visible but caused a variety of tiny yetpounding problems.

    Now, tiny pink tethers phased into existence. They connected the ces of higher and lower muscle density, restoring bnce in what would otherwise be chaos. Each tether could easily be broken by either side, but all remained steady.

    Then came the third Big Thoughtthe Staff. A Big Thought that Brock hadprehended as he fought ogres on Outer, one that let him utilize his weapon at its maximum efficiency. He visualized a staffa in, long, hard rod.

    It was so much more than a weapon. A staff was a symbol. There was a reason why the monkey kingthe legendary Monkingused a staff as well. A staff was rigid. It represented battle. When a bro went to war, they had to be decisive, resolute, and hard. Like a staff would never bend, a bros mind should never waver during battle, nor should their soul be prone to unnecessary mercy. Inside every bro should hide a fierce warrior.

    Musclespower and effortwere a bros foundation. Densitytension and respectwas the connection between bros. These were both peaceful aspects. When the time came to fight, howeverit was time for the staff. Without the readiness to go into battle, no man could be a true bro.

    The muscled arm sticking out of Brocks soul walls was just sitting there. It possessed power but not a means to act. Now, things changed. An unadorned red staff appeared, and the arms hand clenched around it. Suddenly, its entire aura changed. The arm was more than a collection of muscles; it was a weapon, ready to be unleashed. It would not go into battle easilybut, if it did, may God show mercy on its opponent.

    Finally came Never Stoppingor, as someone with a richer vocabry would call it, Momentum. When Brock swung his staff, it was unstoppable. You could dodge it, but you could not block. When a bro went to war, his trajectory was set. The time of mercy was past, and the time of dominance was nigh.

    At the same time, Never Stopping applied to more than battle. When a bro set a goal, he would try hard to achieve it. As much as failure was a necessary part of a bros life, it was also anathema. Such was the duality of a bros efforts: he pursued sess and advancement with passion, avoiding failure with everything he had, while epting that it would eventuallyeand multiple times, too.

    To seed, one had to lose first. If you wanted to be the strongest, you had to fight and get beaten up a lot. Every good bro had failed countless times in his life, and he even chased after those failures while simultaneously trying his hardest to seed.

    If someone had never lost, it didnt make them strong, only a coward.

    It was precisely these losses that taught the greatest lessons. At the same time, failure could be disheartening. That was why every good bro practiced Never Stoppingthe ability to throw himself down the pit of despair and grow stronger while climbing back up, then do the same until there was no more pit to jump into.

    This also tied into the effort of Muscles. A bro could exhibit perfect behavior and understanding, he could be a great bro at heart, but if he ever stopped progressing, he would never againmand the full respect of others. He would go down a step from what hed previously achieved and stay there forever.

    The muscles lining Brocks soul suddenly jumped into action. They pumped and flexed. Each worked tirelessly to improve themselves, growing only by tiny amounts but never stopping. They had no reason to work so hard, but they did, for life was meaningless without effort.

    Brock looked around himself. His soul world was a brightly lit space surrounded by brown walls, on which was inscribed the legendary Bro Codethe answer to how to be a bro in every possible instance. At the same time, muscles lined those walls, ever pumping, flexing, and working out, putting this soul world in a constant state of motion. An arm stretched out of one wall, skinless to better disy its perfect muscture, and in its grip it held the red staff of war.

    Muscles; Density; the Staff; Never Stopping.

    Power and effort; tension and respect; war; momentum and perseverance.

    The cornerstones of brohood were set. The Very Big Thought responded radiantly, every letter on the walls emitting golden color. Brock was more ready than hed ever been. He took a deep breath to admire this sight, theplete understanding he would devote his entire life towards. It filled him more than anything else. It couldnt be more real or suited to him.

    Then, Brock stuck out his chest and started beating on it, roaring out at his soul world. The letters on the walls shone brighter. They jumped out and started dancing, moving to the tune of the pumping muscles. They were strong yet respectful, powerful and ready to go to war. Not a single letter would let itself be insulted, and yet, fueled by theirmon cause, all letters came together in perfect harmony. They swirled around Brock faster and faster, tighter and tighter, until he knew that one wrong step would doom him.

    He kept roaring and beating his chest, leading the letters as a big bro should.

    Gradually, they came together before him. The letters all converged. A vortex appeared that sucked them all in, then shone a blinding golden color. Brock kept his eyes on it, uncaring about the pain. The light receded; and, when it was gone, all that remained in its ce was a book. It was the size of Brocks chest, made of the finest paper in existenceand, on its cover, the words, Bro Code were written in bold, clear font.

    Brock was touched. He shook his head in wonder. He grabbed the book with shaky hands and flipped through its pages, finding inside them the same truths hed realized. But that was only the first half. The second half was empty, waiting to be filled with more discoveries, more truths about brohood. It symbolized that his understanding, though great, remained iplete.

    Brock smiled. He was a bro; he would always progress. If the book ran out of pages, he would make new onesand, if it became too long, he wouldpress its truth and keep going, always hunting the unattainable perfection.

    This was his Great Thought. Finallyhe was an immortal.

    ***

    In the real world, Brocks body shone with a radiant golden light. Many people on the battlefield below turned to look, as did the millions watching the battles live broadcast. Slowly, he stood, emitting such power and wisdom that everyone felt maized, captivated, falling towards him like he possessed his own gravity.

    Brock, however, only had eyes for the sphere of ice before him. His calm gaze took everything in. Then, he said, I know you done. Come out.

    A crack appeared on the ice sphere. Then another. They spider-webbed its surface, then shattered itpletely. Alexander Petrovic was revealed in all his glory, d in a suit of pure white ice armor and radiating coldness. His eyes held no emotion. Twin swords were held in his hands, each freezing the air around them, while four ice wings spread from his back.

    He resembled not a man, but a force of nature that would destroy everything without hesitation. The sheer terror he emitted made the surrounding battle pause for a second, but Brocks aura shone brighter, emboldening them and dispersing the illusion.

    It is over, Alexander said tly. I am a God. You cannot fathom my power.

    I dont care if you god, Brock replied calmly. One of his hands held the Staff of Sthe other, a golden book. As he spoke, his voice echoed with unbroken finality. You no bro. You broke the code. And now, you die.

 Chapter 317: The Power of a Big Bro

    Chapter 317: The Power of a Big Bro

    Brock faced off Alexander Petrovic. He held the Staff of Stone in one hand and the Bro Code in the other, while his entire being exuded power and wisdom. Everybody watching got an urge to look up to him. Many did. Most resisted. Only Alexander himself did not feel that urge, as his heart had frozen over by true ice, and his emotions were very weak.

    Brock pped the Bro Code shut with his fingers, then let it wink out of existence. In the name of Father and all bros, he dered in a booming voice, die!

    He shot up. This time, he did not use Density to fly. The world itself gave way, as gravity was unworthy of constraining an immortal. His brown fur fluttered through the air. The tip of his staff whistled. His eyes were wide open in righteous rage, and he smashed upward with all the strength of his enhanced muscles.

    Brock and his staff flew upward like missiles.

    Alexander raised a hand. The air froze. Arge wall of ice materialized instantly between him and Brock, and as the staff sted into it, the wall cracked but did not break. Brock roared and punched it. The cracks spread. The wall shattered. Brock flew through, staff still extended and glowing golden, but Alexander was gone.

    Ice spikes rained from the sky. Hundreds of them, each sharp and durable. Brock span his staff in the air, catching them all, but he missed the appearance of Alexander below him. A sword rose true; Brocks fur was matted with blood, barely saving his leg but taking a wild scrape on the shin. He rushed upward with Alexander in tow.

    Fall! he shouted, grabbing the staff with both hands and smashing it downward. Alexander shed up with both his swords. The three weapons met mid-air, one exuding dignity and the others coldness. Their sh was cataclysmic. The air froze and shattered. A booming shockwave flew in all directions. The cultivators on the battlefield below covered their ears as their clothes fluttered wildly.

    The staff and swords pushed into each other, none giving way. They pressed harder. Brock gave it his all. Suddenly, the four ice wings of Alexander spread wide. Though his face remained expressionless, the temperature around them plummeted. Even Brock felt his fur ice over. He was forced to disengage, letting Alexander take the better of him and st him away.

    Fool, Alexander gloated, chasing Brock higher into the sky. My Dao counters yours. You practice Will elements, to which I am resistant. You fight in close quarters, in which I can dy you until you freeze. Just how will you fight me?

    I will because I must! Brock retorted. Letting himself spin in mid-air, he held his staff close and elerated until his spinning was a blur. He then controlled his flight to ram straight into Alexander. Spin Smash!

    Ice wall.

    A wall even greater than the previous one materialized. Brocks spinning form crashed into it, digging away at the true ice and shattering it, but he was dyed. Alexander flew away and willed a storm of ice spikes to appear, flying straight at Brock. This time, he could not block everything. Nasty gashes appeared on his forearms, none bleeding, as ice caked over the wounds. He could handle this much, but any mortal would have already frozen over.

    Brock red at Alexander from behind his crossed arms. His eyes held bloodthirst. He was furious and pained, determined. Hed had the advantage before they both broke through, but not anymore. It wasnt a matter of power. What Alexander said was true: between their two Daos, Brocks was countered.

    But he refused to let that stop him. He would take revenge.

    He just needed to get creative.

    The new control he possessed over the ambient Big Thoughts was confusing. He wasnt yet used to it, but he could try.

    Air bros, he spoke to the air, help me!

    Air itself tightened around Alexander. His ice spread out, but it met more resistance this time. It moved slower, and Brock did not.

    He whistled through the air. He reached Alexander and smashed him, controlling his staff in an intricate, brutal dance. His strikes were no longer made at full power, as he didnt want to get caught at an impasse again. Instead, he flew around Alexander, incorporating his own flight path into the staff movements.

    The Staff of Stone flew back and over his head, crashing towards Alexander. Two ice wings blocked it, too hard to shatter, but the staff was already gone. It flew to the right, then its other end rose from below. Alexander blocked with one sword and shed with the other. Brock ducked under it, enduring the cold, and stabbed the rear end of his staff into the opponents stomach.

    Alexander flew back. Brock followed, pelting him with strikes from every direction. However, ice was left where Alexander flew, and that ice suddenly came alive to strike at Brock like hidden vipers. His shoulders and thighs were bitten. More patches of ice appeared on his brown fur. Brock roared and pushed through, pressing on with his assault, smacking Alexander again and again.

    The swords and wings defended, but there was only so much they could do. Brock was a maelstrom, and Alexander was part mage. Finally, the staff broke through, smashing into the side of Alexanders ice helmet with enough strength to level hills. The man flew away. His head shook inside the helmet, but though his ice armor cracked, it protected him.

    Brock could not afford to show mercy. Even as Alexander flew away from the impact, he pursued, spinning his staff in the air and bringing it down with a fearsome cry. This time, however, Alexander fought back. The ice covering his arm extended. It turned from just an ice gauntlet into a massive, nine-foot-long and three-foot-wide w of ice, which grabbed at Brocks staff. It cracked by the impact, but it managed to immobilize the staff.

    No! Brock eximed. Spikes of ice flew at him from the left and right, but he couldnt dodge. If he let go of his weapon, it was over. Muscle bros, give me strength! he shouted. His biceps doubled and tripled in size. He pulled with all his strength, finally seeding in dislodging the staff, but at a cost. The ice spikes met his fur. They didnt prate too deep, but he was now riddled with a dozen shallow injuries, all of which frosted over.

    At least, I not bleeding, Brock said, panting. By now, he was injured in many ces, but Alexander looked almost the same as when theyd started.

    Youck the power to break through my defenses, the man dered, looking down at Brock from a greater height. You can persist if you want, but I will just wear you down. It is futile.

    Never stopping, Brock said through gritted teeth. He set his jaw and trained his gaze on his opponent. He would fight to the death.

    He charged again. His staff shone with golden light, carrying even greater power than before, but it was slower in return. The ice was always there. First the wall, then the spikes, then the growing ice on Alexanders body and the armor. His defense was just too strong.

    Brock cracked his staff in, denting Alexanders armor under the armpit, but it wouldnt cause more than a bruise. In return, a hand of ice stretched out of Alexanders real arm, sinking its ws into Brocks leg and pulling.

    Fur, blood, and meat went flying. Tendons were ripped. The wound instantly froze over, preventing further bleeding, but Brock was forced to retreat. Half his outer thigh was missing.

    He did not scream, but his gaze darkened.

    Is that enough? Alexander asked.

    Never enough.

    Again, Brock charged. His staff became a hurricane. This time, it was swift and elusive, its trajectory blurring through the air as Brock alternated its density between high and low. The ice wall cracked under his might. The swords shed out but missed their mark. He scored a hit on Alexanders ribs, but that was the end of his staffs elusivity. The air around them froze over. Brock flew back, but ice spikes flew in from behind him and pierced shallowly into his back.

    He groaned.

    By now, Brocks fur was a mix of white and brown. Ice covered several patches on his body, slowly colored red by his blood, while his eyes were equally bloodshot. His teeth were chattering from the cold. The true ice had seeped into his burning heart, freezing it over bit by bit. Already, he could sense his blood flow decelerate. He felt slow and lethargic, as if the great beyond was beckoning.

    He told it to shut the fuck up.

    Sun bro! he shouted. Shine brighter!

    The airposition changed. The sunlight filtered through more easily, shining on Brock and Alexander, but its effect on the true ice was minimal. Explosions came from the battlefield below, but Brock didnt have time to look.

    Your powers are intriguing but useless, Alexander mocked him in a matter-of-factly tone. He brandished both swords. Ice Domain.

    Suddenly, the entire sky froze overor, at least, the patch of sky around Brock. He was encased in ice. Willing his bro aura to spread out, he became a golden sun, his burning resolve seeping into the ice and melting it. Ice and heat warred against each other, each struggling to emerge superior. Finally, Brock released himself, but the entire block of ice around him shattered, showering him in sharp fragments. He shielded his face, feeling the ice sh and stab into his body. In an instant, he became bloodied, losing his breath.

    An attack crashed down from above. He barely raised his staff in time to block both descending swords, but their momentum was too strong. Brock flew downward like a meteor, crashing into the concert stage and cratering it. He remained there, panting and bloodied. He still had energy to fight, but not muchand his mind was dry of ideas.

    Nothing he tried worked. Just how could he face this man?

    Alexander hovered in the sky, an archangel of cold death with four wings, looking down on Brock. Goodbye, he said. Raising one sword, a colossal ice spike materialized in the air. It was thrice as tall as himself and six feet wide at the base.

    Brock wanted to run away and dodge, but to his horror, he realized he couldnt move. The ice had seeped too deep. His blood was slow, his reactions numb, his limbs unresponsive. Twitching his fingers and blinking was the best he could do as Alexanders strongest attack formed above him, an executioners de ready to fall.

    <em>My bros </em>he thought to himself. <em>Im sorry.</em>

    He wasnt afraid of his own death. It was the fate of his bros that worried him. Dog bro, girl bro, big sis, the bro army, the brori bros If Brock couldnt stop Alexander, everyone on the battlefield around him would die. That man was just too strong. There were stronger bros in the sky, including Big Bro, but none could help now. The ice man would ughter everyone.

    And Brock was powerless to stop him.

    A manly tear escaped his eye as he imagined that this must have been exactly how Father felt. Immobile and powerless, lying on the ground as the ice man was about to ughter his little bros. At least, it seemed that Brock wouldnt be forced to watchbut that was a cowards relief.

    He had to stop the ice man, but he couldnt. He had to get revenge, but he couldnt. He had to obey the Bro Code, but he couldnt!

    Brock opened his mouth and unleashed a loud monkey cry, filled with his frustration and grief. The entire battlefield echoed. He sensed the spirits of his bros rousing, but none of them could help. He even sensed Big Bro try to fly down, but he was stopped.

    That was okay. Nobody should arrive to save him. This was Brocks moment, his opportunity to rise or dieand he had failed.

    It is over, Alexander said, sending his gigantic spike flying straight down.

    <em>Was it wrong? </em>Brock thought in his final moments. <em>Was my Grand Thoughtwrong?</em>

    Because what else could it be? Brock was not weaker than the ice man. His Grand Thought was not weaker than his opponents, just countered. But how could true power be countered? The only exnation was that Brocks Grand Thoughtwas wrong.

    <em>But how? </em>he asked himself, knowing that his Grand Thought was condensed and unchangeable.<em> It feel too right to be wrong.</em>

    Deep inside himself, the Grand Thought of Brohood rang absolutely true. It was undeniable, and it was his. He could even feel the connection to all his bros, invisible tethers that spread out of him and into them, no matter how far away they were. How could such a thing be false? How could it be a mistake?

    <em>But if Grand Thought not wrongthen I must be wrong.</em>

    Brocks eyes widened. Was he using his Grand Thought wrongly? He thought back to the battle so far. Since hed broken through, he was constantly unveiling new possibilities. Hed discovered he could ask the air bros for assistance, and that he could exude his dignity as a golden sun that only burned warmly.

    Could there be something more?

    But what?

    The moment he thought about it, Brock instantly knew the answer. The book in his soul shone, flipping to a certain page. On it, with clear, bold letters, it said, A bro is never alone.

    Suddenly, Brock startedughing. Of course! He had this all wrong! A bro had to be powerful, yes, but never alone! That was exactly why bros existed. What a fool he was!

    But no more a fool. Suddenly, the brori was gone, and in his ce was the big bro, shining in all his glory. Brock found his body glowing again. The ice weakened. He stood up, but he did not run to escape the ice spike. Alexander frowned, but Brock only looked up and reached inside his soul. Touching every tether tying him to his bros, he spoke into all of them at once.

    <em>Little bros,</em> he asked, eyes glowing golden, <em>lend me your power!</em>

    The broris on the battlefield suddenly felt a calling inside their soul. They heard Brocks voice. Without thinking, they followed their instinct to raise their head towards the concert stage and siphon all the power they could into the soul connection they didnt even know possessed.

    They believed in Brock.

    It wasnt just the broris on the battlefield. Back in the Forest of the Strong, where Harambe was tended to by his gymonkey partner, Aya, both felt a calling. Both turned their heads in the direction of the Integration Starship and dly contributed their power.

    In a forest of Asia, a pack of small dogs stood victorious over a dozen dead tigers. They were Brocks dog bros from the Integration Tournament. Suddenly, all of them looked to the side, and longing appeared in their hearts. They contributed.

    In Trial, the blue crabs of Labyrinth Ring felt the calling and gave their power. So did the beasts of Garden Ring, including a nostalgic sphinx.

    The remaining bro army on Outer felt the same calling and instantly lent their power, shouting out, Big bro!

    The bro army on the battlefield alsoplied, summoning any remaining vestiges of their power and pushing it inside the link. Even Nauja and Gan Salin felt the same, and bothughed as they siphoned their power to Brock.

    Ever since the beginning, even without knowing it, Brock had practiced the Dao of Brohood. He had made bros across the entire gxy, both strong and weak. Now, all of them were part of his power. He never stood alone. Bros together strong.

    The only one not summoned to assist was Jack, as he was Brocks big bro, not his little bro.

    Each individual bro gave Brock a tiny bit of power, but they were many. It added up. The ice spike was still falling, but Brock felt a rush of power enter his soul. It was far more than he possessed alone. He was overwhelmed. His entire body radiated intense golden light, and his every cell ached as it endured more power than it was meant to.

    Brock was submerged in a burning vat of pain as his body struggled not to crumble, but it didnt matter. Heughed out loud, a clear, ringing sound. This was how it was meant to be. He was the big broand this was his power!

    The ice spike crashed down. Brock balled his fist and punched it right at the tip. The world screeched to a halt. The ice spike shattered instantly from end to end. Golden light erupted, and when everybody could see again, Brock was no longer there.

    Alexander did not think. He flew backward, barely dodging a staff that crashed down from the sky. How? he shouted, summoning walls of ice to his defense, but it was useless. Brockughed. His staff smashed forward, radiating golden light like a new sun, and the true ice was helpless before it. The wall shattered instantly. The ice spikes melted. The hand of ice shattered under the impact, and Brocks staff met Alexanders chest, sending him flying away as he howled in pain.

    He came to a stop an entire mile away. How? he screamed again, finally revealing a bit of emotion. The weaker he got, the weaker the hold of true ice over his heart. How can you be this strong!?

    Brockughed againa carefree, powerful sound. I told you, he replied, standing in the sky like a righteous god. You lived alone, so you die alone. But I His face broke into the widest, most relieved, most monkeyish grin possible. I have my bros!

    Alexanders face warped. Absurd! he eximed. Your body cant take that kind of power! My defenses are absolute. You will break before I do!

    He encased himself in ice. Sphere after sphere formed around him, wrapping him in ever greater cold, and even his domain superimposed itself over the ice, enhancing its durability. He was now trapped inside a new moon in the middle of the sky made entirely of ice.

    Brockughed again. Alexanders words were true. This power was far toorge for his current body. His muscles were tearing, his tendons were taut, his entire body was cramping. The pain was excruciating. Yet, he did not care. He was a bro. A man. He would do what had to be done no matter the cost, and in this case, he did it with pleasure.

    He pulled both hands back, letting his staff hover in mid-air. The wrists came together. The palms spread wide. This is for Father, he dered as wave after wave of golden power materialized between his palms. For Big Sis and unborn bro. For all my bros. For brohood.

    The power gathered between his palms grew so intense that it felt like he was grabbing hot iron, but it did not matter. Before this victory, a little pain was nothing. The light red ever brighter, bing a sun between his palms. Finally, when all the power of his bros was siphoned in and he could no longer take it, Brock shot his hands forward, unleashing all that energy in a straight line.

    Bro Beam!

    The air thundered with his shout as it did with the beam of pure, invible power. It seared the air itself. It crashed into therge sphere of ice, instantly immting its surface and digging in. So what if it was true ice? So what if Alexanders domain was enhancing it? Before the sheer momentum of brohood, this ice was nothing!

    All the ice spheres shattered. Alexanders scream came from within as he burned in a cloud of pure power. Brock saw his body tumble from the sky to crash into the concert stage, catching glimpses of broken wings and shattered swords. Alexandery in a cloud of dust that hid his body, unconscious and helpless. The bro beam dissipated, revealing a clear, sunny sky.

    The breeze blew. Brock stood in the sky, sunrays falling over his half-iced fur, panting and in terrible pain. On the ground below, Alexanders blond, bloodied hair was sprawled against the white stone, and his icy blue eyes were closed.

    In the battle between Brock and Alexander PetrovicBrock had won!

    But it was not enough.

    Brock flew down to reach Alexanders body. Its ice armor had already dissipated. He grabbed Alexander from both upper arms and raised him high. Wake, hemanded. His Dao shot into Alexanders body, assaulting his heart.

    Alexander awoke with a gasp. Brocks fierce fangs and burning eyes were an inch away from his face. He instantly realized what had happened, and his face was clouded by fearthough, whether it was real or not, only he could tell.

    I surrender, he cried out weakly.

    Brock bared his fangs. You tortured and humiliated Father, he dered, speaking each word with gravity. You attacked unborn bro. You betrayed and harmed your bros. You weak, coward, shame. You dont deserve to breathe.

    Alexanders eyes widened in terrorreal one, this time. What about your honor? he asked. I surrender!

    You deserve no honor.

    Brock bared his brori fangs and bit deep into Alexanders throat. He tasted the blood, the flesh. It was cold. He clenched his teeth and pulled away, taking with him the mans entire throat.

    Alexanders eyes still gaped in disbelief, but his body tumbled to the ground, and his head was still in Brocks hands. He let it drop, then shattered it under his foot. Alexander Petrovic, the leader of the Ice Peak, was no more.

    This is for Father, Brock whispered, gazing at the corpse. He took no joy in thisbut it was the only right thing he could do. Then, leaving the headless body on the ground, he let himself fall on his back. His entire body remained in pain and broken. He was barely alivemoving any more was impossible, but at least he had won.

    He grinned as he stared at the sky, where his Big Bro was fighting. For the first time, Brock had carried his own weight around Big Bro. He had fought his own battle and won. His bloodied face broke into the widest, manliest, yet almost childlike monkey grin.

    Hed never been prouder.

 Chapter 318: War for Earth

    Chapter 318: War for Earth

    There are some days in which everything goes wrong, but you are still expected to perform. This was exactly the kind of day the professor was having.

    Animal Kingdom cultivators shed against a group calling itself the bro army. Some guy had been smited. Brock was fighting Alexander Petrovic. A starship had appeared, iming to be on their side, and three immortals were duking it out in the sky. Even higher up, in space, Jack was facing the C-Gradeary overseer.

    And the professor remained embroiled in a brutal war that would determine the fate of the entire.

    <em>Left. Right. Feign a charge and retreat to your left.</em>

    Her instructions were sharp and concise. No word was wasted. She had tomand a hundred people at once, each directing a small team of their own, so even her extreme intelligence was overloaded. Mistakes were unavoidablemany cultivators had already died due to her wrong instructions, and she would carry their blood, but she was too experienced to let the weight sway her. She was the best person for the job. The dead would have to yield.

    A contingent of speed-oriented alliance cultivators ran to the side, then rammed into the Ice Peak armys nk. They cut a gory path. A squad of strongmen stood in their path, protecting the vulnerable ice wizards, and the alliance cultivators retreated, having lost half their number but dealt double the damage.

    A squadron of canine cultivatorsor was it a pack?cut off their retreat, only to be assaulted by a dozen shirtless men who shouted, FOR BIG BRO!

    mes zed over their heads as Vivi flew by, her phoenix form drowning the enemy army in fire, chased closely by a trio of ice rays. A few enemy wizards had also taken to the air, using various Daos to fly, but Vivi faced them all. From the side, a mace-wielding feshkur charged into the Kingdom cultivators, felling them by the handful. He hade from the starshipa peak E-Grade with strength to spare.

    A shockwave came from the sky, shaking the Integration Starship under their feet and threatening to sway allbatants. Two sets of immortals warred above the battle, and the asional shockwave or attack that hit the ground were wildcards that affected the entire battle.

    In the horizon, a golden man fought what looked like a giant, cyan sword. The shockwaves of that battle were the strongestthank God they were far enough away.

    The professor directed her troops. Her head felt like it was about to crack. If brains could cramp, hers would have. Even in her busiest years as a professor, never had she utilized it as fully and for as long as she had now. Her every Level counted; she had poured every single point in Mental, an investment which proved worthwhile.

    However, even with the professor holding the helm, even with Vivi and the bro army joining the battle, it remained an uphill one. The Ice Peak had more and stronger cultivators; they had received resources from the Animal Kingdom and put them to good use. Their E-Grades could easily overwhelm the alliances if the professor pitted them directly against each other. She had to use every trick in the book, and she did it dly.

    But her book was long, and the tricks were many. The alliance army was holding its ground while Vivi slowly whittled down the enemy forces. They could win this.

    On the raised concert stage, over which Brock fought Petrovic, the scenery changed. A giant ice sphere appeared, while Brock sat down cross-legged. The professor instantly realized they were both breaking through, but since there was nothing she could do about it, she quickly turned back to her own battle.

    Suddenly, the starship rumbled under them once again. The professor almost tumbled over before one of the old martial artists caught her. Waves churned in the surrounding sea, while the battle paused as everyone regained their step.

    <em>What happened? </em>she asked Vivi, who had the highest vantage point.

    <em>I dont know! </em>she replied. <em>But the ocean, its</em>

    Suddenly, the churning sea erupted. Dozens of forms flew out tond on the Integration Starship. There were pr bears, penguin people, and even killer whales that used their fins to slide on the white stone. The bears shook their fur to send away the water.

    The Ice Peak army cheered. Theyre here! someone shouted.

    One of the flying ice wizards turned to Vivi with a proud sneer. You arent the only ones who can tame beasts, he bragged. Freeze!

    An ice beam shot out of his palm, which Vivi avoided. Her heart tumbled. The monsters that had appeared were all in the E-Grade, moving with speed and power that normal animals could never hope to achieve. Even the submarines in which the alliance had arrived, which remained around the Integration Starship, had been impacted. A few had been sunk by the beasts, taking their loyal crews to the bottom of the ocean, never to rise again.

    <em>You will be remembered, </em>Vivi promised, turning to face the enemy. Her features contorted in rage. Her body erupted with fire. ze with the mes of freedom! she yelled.

    The professor took in the new arrivals and reacted instantly. The beasts were fast. They had crossed the distance and arrived at her armys heels within seconds, but a dense wave of cultivators was there to face them. They steeled themselves. The pr bears roared as they led the charge, then barreled into the alliance army under a chorus of screams. Their power was reduced after the original charge, but the penguin people were right behind them, slinging ice magic, and the killer whales, though slow onnd, werent too far back.

    <em>This is terrible, </em>the professor realized. <em>These beasts alone are half as many as our E-Grades.</em>

    The scales of battle tipped.

    Twenty bros came to the rescue. They were men and women of all Daos and species, assisting the alliance army against the beasts. We know beasts. Well hold them off! their leadera medium bro?shouted. Return to your battle!

    <em>Return, </em>the professor quickly agreed, and the bloodied cultivators turned back toward the Ice Peak.

    The threat of the pr animals had been neutralized for now, but those twenty bros were a significant loss. Instantly, the Animal Kingdom cultivators pushed the bros back. The two battlefields moved and merged. There were alliance cultivators fighting the Animal Kingdom, Ice Peak wizards shooting at the bros. It was total chaos, and even the professor could only handle so much. She was sliding out of rhythm.

    She buckled down and persisted, uncaring about the searing pain in her skull, but her effectiveness was limited. Victory fell away from them. The enemy had too many E-Grades. No matter how the alliance and bro army arranged themselves, it was a slow loss. Moreover, the two armies togethercked the coordination that the alliance enjoyed, as the professor didnt have the time to set telepathic links in the bro army.

    In the sky, the immortal battles were heating up. In the horizon, the golden monk was slinging out entire miniature suns. Close by, the cyclops and minotaur battled against the Kingdoms two lycan immortals, using sheer apocalyptic strength against what looked like moonlight.

    The shockwaves from above were bing more frequent. Blood rained asionally. It was clear that some immortal battle would be over soon, and when that happened, things would change.

    More and more cultivators were falling on the ground. The losses were staggering. With every moment the battle dragged on, more brave men and women died.

    The professor had to not only win this battle, but also do it quickly. An impossible proposition.

    Thankfully, she had onest card to y. A card that would only work once, but which had the potential topletely turn things around.

    <em>Disengage, </em>she broadcasted the order. <em>Orderly retreat towards the concert stage. Now! And inform your nearest bros, too.</em>

    The alliance heeded her call. The few hundred remaining cultivators joined into an orderly retreat, losing more of their number during it but following the professors instructions to the letter. The bros followed soon as well, showing admirable faith in a stranger.

    Before long, the entire alliance army was gathered close to the raised concert stage. It was at that point that two ripples ran through everyones hearts as Brock and Alexander Petrovic simultaneously broke through to the D-Grade. The brori opened his eyes, holding a shiny staff in one hand and a golden book in the other, and proimed Alexanders death.

    The professor believed in him with every fiber of her being.

    Brock and Petrovic took their battle back to the sky. The alliance army clustered around the raised stage, with its many hundreds of feet in diameter, stacked up against its walls.

    Normally, this would be suicide. They were grouped up like sheep to the ughter with their backs against the wall. The professor, however, had a n. A dangerous one, but what choice did she have?

    <em>Now! </em>shemanded, activating a telepathic link she hadnt used before.

    The Ice Peak and Animal Kingdom cultivators fell on the trapped alliance and bros like wolves against sheep. They fired every kind of magic they possessed, unleashed their strongest warriors. The E-Grades took to the front. Even the pr bears charged into the thick of the army.

    Suddenly, the screams and ng of weapons were overshadowed by booms. It was like someone fired a cannonno, many cannons at once.

    If the professor brought a bunch of submarines over and didnt think to equip them with weapons, she would have been the worlds biggest idiot.

    Torpedoes flew over white stone, powered by tails of burning gas. Modern weaponry was frowned upon in the System world and wasnt used often, mostly because it wasn''t worth the hassle. The stronger weapons of Earthlike missiles, tanks, or nuclear bombshad been neutralized by the System itself. Of the remainder, a low-power submarine torpedo was only as strong as an E-Grades full-power attack, and could be stopped by one of them. Its effect should be minimal.

    However, by forming into a tight circle around the concert stage, the alliance army had engineered the right circumstances. They had lured the Ice Peaks strongest cultivatorsthe E-Gradesforward. The remainder had formed arger circle around the alliance forces, leaving them exposed to attacks from the outside.

    This was the perfect time to use the torpedoes. The Ice Peaks E-Grades were clustered on the inside of the ring, leaving the peak F-Grades exposed. Even if they ran back immediately, most wouldnt be able to disengage in time. Moreover, the alliance army was protected by the bodies of their very enemies.

    The submarines had surrounded the Integration Starship. The torpedoes flew in from every direction. Every cultivators eyes widened in horror.

    The world became heat and blinding light. Roaring shockwaves dove into the ears of everyone present. Over thirty torpedoes had exploded at once, some countered by the full-power attacks of the E-Grades whod managed to block in time.

    <em>Charge! </em>the professor ordered. The alliance army attacked before they could even see properly. The entire battlefield fell into a drunken melee, but it quickly became clear that the alliance was now winning.

    As the dust cleared, hundreds of Ice Peak F-Gradesy dead on the outer side of the battlefield, sted by the torpedoes. It was a gory sight. However, in the professors eyes, it was heavenly. Those peak F-Grades were weaker than E-Grades individually, but they yed a massive part in the battle as a whole. They were the fodder of the army, the rank and file. With them gone and the alliances respective soldiers remaining, the numbers advantage became overwhelming.

    As if that wasnt enough, the penguin people and killer whales that had beengging behind had also been sted to pieces by the torpedoes, many of them bleeding out on the white stone floor. Their defensive powers were apparently limited.

    Both armies were exhausted and had lost almost half their warriors. This was an extremely bloody battle. Yet, though the alliances victory now seemed like a matter of time, neither side gave up. Both kept on fighting.

    The professor looked up, where the immortals were doing battle. Brock and Alexander Petrovic were shing repeatedly. Her heart seized in her chest. The brori was losing. As for the other battles, they didnt seem as close to being over yet, and the result was hard to predict.

    If Petrovic won, it wouldnt matter what the professor did. Their army would be obliterated. Nobody could stop a D-Grade.

    The enemy forces must havee to the same conclusion. Seeing that they were dying for no reason, voices of surrender echoed through their lines. Weapons nged against the floor. Finally, the leaders gave up as well. A peak E-Grade woman approached Vivi in the sky and loudly dered, The Ice Peak surrenders! The Ice Peak surrenders!

    The battle calmed down. The Animal Kingdom cultivators, seeing their allies surrender and confident that nobody would dare harm them anyway, also stopped fighting. The bro army followed suit, looking at their leadera man holding a drum, of all peoplefor guidance. He gave a thumbs-up. What that meant, the professor had no idea, but the bros took it as a sign that they should apprehend and not kill the enemies.

    She had to agree. They couldnt just execute everyone. They werent animals. The alliance army finished off the berserk pr beasts and began to gather the surviving Ice Peak members, but they were half-hearted in their effort. Everyone was. Their eyes were in the sky, where Alexander Petrovic was apparently dominating Brock.

    The brori crashed hard into the concert stage, sending fragments of white stone flying everywhere. A colossal ice spike formed in the air. The professors heart reached the pit of her stomach.

    No she muttered, now observing through her own eyes.

    It is over, Petrovic said, letting the ice spike fall and seal Brocks fate alongside the alliances.

    Suddenly, bright light erupted on the stage. The professor couldnt see it from where she stood on the ground, but she heard clear, boomingughter. She heard gasps from the bros around her. Therge ice spike shattered into a million pieces, and Brock took to the sky again, shining with the light ofbrotherhood? She wasnt clear on that, but whatever the case, he seemed confident.

    The professor watched as Brock came out superior in the next few exchanges and Alexander sealed himself in arge ice sphere. She witnessed Brock pulling his hands back, summoning a colossal amount of power between his palms, then shouting Bro Beam! and unleashing it.

    It was the stupidest name she had ever heard. Yet, it worked. Alexanders sphere shattered, he screamed, and his body tumbled to the concert stage. It was just raised enough that she could see the brori grab Alexander by the shoulders, then bite into his throat and tear it apart.

    She grimaced. It was just one more scene of carnage in a war, but the fact that it had been performed <em>after </em>the battle was upsetting. Regardless, any doubts she harbored vanished immediately as she was overtaken by a stunning realization: Brock had won. Alexander Petrovic was dead.

    The entire alliance army roared in triumph. The bro army roared even louder. The Ice Peak forces paled further, then were quickly tied up. Some alliance cultivators abused the surrendered enemies a little too much, but the professor turned a blind eye.

    She looked towards the sky, where the immortals were still fighting.

    ***

    Shol stood in the sky of Earth-387, the same he had once visited as a spirit body. He was panting and injured. Several shallow gashes were open on his body, and his golden Dao of Explosion burned brightly. Six golden arms spread from his back, each holding a miniature sun, while light escaped his eyes and mouth.

    Lets end this, Li Qian! he roared. You and I!

    Very well! His opponent also stood in mid-air, burned in many ces but covered in a cyan armor of tiny swords. In the name of the Exploding Sun, die, Shol! Supernova sh!

    Li Qian raised his sword, then brought it down deliberately slowly. Space itself was torn apart. Then, an explosion resounded, filling the world. Everything turned white. Even the distant armies averted their gazes. Only Shol kept looking, his eyes seared, his body burning.

    He did not shoot out his suns.

    He and Li Qian had dueled many times, but always in sparring. They had never actually tried to kill each other before Hell. Therefore, every time Li Qian used his ultimate skill, Supernova sh, it had always been a watered down version without real spirit in it.

    But Shol hadnt known that.

    Only when they dueled on Hell did he face the real Supernova sh; an attack in which Li Qian had not held back at all, and which had almost taken Shols life. It was right there, immted in the middle of that tremendous explosion, that hed attained a final bit of insight. A piece of the puzzle so small it shouldnt matterbut enough to tip him over the edge.

    He hadnt revealed this to anyone, waiting for this exact moment.

    Shols face split into a grin. He had no hair, but even his eyebrows were seared away by the heat. He didnt care. You are not the sessor of the Exploding Sun, Li Qian, he dered in a booming voice that made its way even through the explosion. I am.

    Letting all his suns wink out, he pushed out a single palm, carrying in it a tiny, blue spark. The spark traveled slowly, like an old person about to die. Finally, it did; and its end came in such a powerful explosion that the world shook again, the air groaned, the Dao itself recoiled in fear.

    Supernova! Shol roared.

    Two nuclear explosions collided in the air. Two mushrooms hugged each other. In the distant Integration Starship, an entire horizon away, the fools who hadnt looked away screamed. The professor hurriedly assessed the situation. Run to the far side! she ordered. Every mile counts!

    The explosions crashed against each other and eventually dispersed. Air itself was burnt away. A vacuum was left, which the surrounding air quickly filled. The water below was boiled, and thousands of fish floated on its surface, dead. All clouds had dispersed.

    Shol stood scorched and proud. His golden form was gone, but he hadnt fallen.

    Li Qianhad. A man in charred ck robes fell from the sky. Next to him, a cyan sword was falling alone, tumbling through the tumultuous air currents. They sshed into the sea and sank.

    And Shol, giving the ocean surface a final nce, turned to slowly fly away. His entire body was in pain, his Dao reserves had almost ran dry, but he didnt care.

    Goodbye, asshole, he muttered. And good damn riddance!

    With him back in the fray, the remaining D-Grade battle was as good as over. The only one remainingwas Jack Rust.

 Chapter 319: A World Inside a World

    Chapter 319: A World Inside a World

    <em>A few days ago,</em>

    Jack Rust sat cross-legged on the bare snow. His mind was filled with thoughts, mostly regret over Harambes situation, but he pushed that away. The best he could do to help was defeat theary overseerand to do that, he needed to focus.

    It had already been a few days since he returned to Earth. Time had flowed slowly. He couldnt stop thinking about theing battle, his goal since a year ago. To keep himself upied, hed dived into fighting head-first. The giant yetis and the ice dragon of this D-Grade dungeon had fallen to his fists, now decorating the ground with their blood. He had also been given the option to conquer the dungeon, though he refused.

    When the Integration happened, 1111 dungeons spawned on Earth: one thousand F-Grades, one hundred E-Grades, ten D-Grades, and one C-Grade. The higher Grade a dungeon, the more dangerous or inessible the area it spawned in. Of the D-Grade dungeons, only seven had been discovered so far; the rest were probably at the bottom of the ocean, in the sky, or on random little inds. Simrly, the sole C-Grade dungeon also remained undiscovered.

    Of course, the only Earth cultivator who could currently challenge D-Grade dungeons was Jack. This particr one, the South Pole Territory, was particrly hard even for D-Grade dungeons, with its boss being an Elite peak D-Grade. It could easily level entire frozen mountains, and its ice breath could make the temperature plummet so hard that even the air froze and fell to the ground.

    Of course, Jack easily defeated the dragon. It was around as strong as Sapasun. The battle did, however, rekindle his old hunting spirit. As soon as he saved Earth, maybe he would visit the C-Grade dungeon and try his luck.

    When all was said and done, Jack had earned another sixteen levels from this dungeon, finally reaching the peak D-Grade.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 249</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 1570 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1570 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1565 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 200 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 200 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free Points: 190</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style III, Space Walk III, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1)</strong>

    He hadnt invested any of his attributes points since the beginning of the Grand Duel, as his recent adventure was dubbed, so hed collected a fair number again. Now that he had finally reached the peak, it was time to use them.

    <em>But in what? </em>he wondered, looking over his attributes. <em>If I want to keep following the 8-1-1 distribution, I should add a few points to Mental and Will. However, I know that the overseer is a leonine of the same lineage as Maximus, so shes a Physical cultivator. And I do like the round two-hundreds there.</em>

    Jack shivered. He still remembered how, when all this started, hed had to deal with some horrifically non-round numbers.

    <em>Very well. All in Physical it is.</em>

    With a decisive mentalmand, he poured all of his free attributes points into Physical. Each point turned into three subpoints, which he distributed equally among the substatsStrength, Dexterity, and Constitution.

    The rush of power was exhrating. Jack felt his body twitch, then all his muscles contracted and remained there, growing stronger. His eyesight felt sharper, his fingers more delicate, his chest thrumming with every breath like a powerful war drum.

    He couldnt help a grin. Rushes of stats like these had grown sparser the more he advanced, but the feeling remained equally euphoricfor some people, just the satisfaction of increasing their stats made the journey worthwhile.

    <em>Just how strong am I now? </em>he couldnt help but wonder, clenching and unclenching his fists. <em>If I could defeat the strongest D-Grade of the Animal Kingdom beforewho can stop me now?</em>

    <em>Am I the strongest D-Grade in the gxy?</em>

    There was no way to know, but even that filled him with immense pride. Not wanting to let himself be swayed, he quickly opened his status screen again.

    Generally speaking, the new stats were satisfying.

    <strong>Strength: 1760</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1760</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1755</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 200</strong>

    Those five missing points still irked him, however. <em>Wait. Where did I miss them? </em>he suddenly wondered, but nothing came to mind.

    His grin widened. <em>Lets go for a test drive.</em>

    Jumping up, he elerated. The sound barrier shattered behind him. Twice at first, then thrice more in quick session as he elerated to the limit. The shockwaves ravaged the snow beneath, but there were no animals to be hurt here, and the dungeon walls prevented any shockwaves from reaching the outside world. Despite the dungeons thousand square miles of space, Jack was so fast that he still felt cramped.

    The wind pulled back his cheeks to reveal sharp teeth. He could use his Dao to protect himself, but he let it happen, enjoying this breeze that would be enough to whittle concrete. Traveling at such speed was exhrating. The ground disappeared below him. The clouds detonated at his passage. He felt like a god.

    <em>How fast am I going!? </em>he tried to calcte mid-flight, turning to follow the dungeon walls. This entire dungeon was shaped as a dome. <em>Five times the speed of sound in Earths atmosphere isslightly less than four thousand miles per hour.</em>

    <em>Holy shit! I could cross the Antic Ocean in less than an hour! And my strength </em>Mid-flight, he turned downward and punched. The air shattered. Multiple shockwaves bounced off each other and were amplified. The sound was louder than thunder, and Jack watched with surprise as the terrain under him waspletely obliterated, entire hills and ciers shattering like they were made of ss. As far as he could see, all the way to the horizon, the earth shook by his punch.

    He hadnt even used any of his Dao in this attack. This was the result of his pure strength and natural resonance with the ambient Dao. His eyes widened with glee. He wanted to experiment further but feared that, if he really used his Dao, even this thousand square mile area wouldnt be enough to contain him.

    And who knew how the dungeon walls would react if someone like him attacked them?

    <em>Hey, watch it! </em>a voice reached his mindShols. <em>Were still here, you idiot! Dont destroy the entire continent!</em>

    <em>Sorry! </em>he replied quickly. Shol, Brock, Dordok, and the Sage remained in their nearby camp, each busy with their own devices. There were still a couple days until the battle.

    Restraining his excitement, Jack slowlynded on a rtively whole piece of earth and sat cross-legged again. As much as he itched to try out his real strength, Antarctica might not be able to handle him.

    Theary overseers face would have to do.

    Plus, there was another thing he wanted to try out. Closing his eyes, Jack quickly sank into meditation, appearing in his soul world. Copy Jack instantly rushed him.

    Is it time to fight? he asked.

    Jackughed. Not yet, Copy Jack. But soon, I promise. For now, I want to try something. Give me space.

    Copy Jack nodded with a pout and moved away.

    Jack first used each of his skills, observing their form now that hed reached the peak D-Grade.

    He started with shadow-boxing. Stars shimmered faintly around him, each of his punches followed by a shooting meteor. These images were all phantasmal, but they represented the depth of his understanding and the volume of his ss, the King-tier Cosmic Fist. To any watcher, he was like a live constetion of stars punching out.

    Then, he teleported. During his three months of istion training back on Hell, hed discovered a more efficient way to traverse space. Instead of slicing it, he could just punch a hole open. Extending a single finger, he poked it through the fabric of space, creating a hole that he allowed himself to be sucked into. He reappeared a mile awaythough he could go up to nine if he wanted.

    Jack then channeled the Neutron Star Body. Visually, nothing changedbut he felt himself dense,pact to the point of ridiculousness. Thanks to the Dao, his cells had achieved a level of density and durability that rendered himpletely impervious to most attacks. If an elephant rammed into him, he wouldnt even notice. At the same time, the profoundness of the Dao made it so that his actual weight didnt change that muchotherwise, he would weigh dozens of tons, if not hundreds, and that would be severely inconvenient.

    Not to mention his extreme regenerative powers, courtesy of both the Neutron Star Body and the Life Drop.

    Then, he tested out Brutalizing Aura. By simply narrowing his eyes, the air around him turned frigid. An aura of terror erupted from his body, like he was a ck hole about to swallow his enemies whole. At the same time,, this aura absorbed the fear of his targets, feeding it to his Dao Tree as fertilizer and amplifying his strength.

    And, finally, came Meteor Punch. The bread and butter of Jacks skills, the one hed carried since his fight against the twin ck wolves in the Forest of the Strong. Jack clenched his fist. All sound and light in his soul world was sucked inside. Everything went dark, with only a single purple meteor shing into existence, dominating reality. Tiny stars trailed behind it, carving its trajectory into the dark sky, while the meteor itself packed unbelievable power.

    Jack shot it out. It exploded. Colors and sounds returned to the world with a bang, erupting with such force that even the farthest corners of Jacks soul shook. The explosion was so titanic it stretched way beyond his perception range. There was nothing topare it against in this empty space, but he suspected that he could affect entire countries with a single punch if he wanted to.

    He grinned. With such powerwho in the D-Grade could stop him? He itched to pit himself against theary overseer, test his strength against a real opponent. At this point, hed grown so fast that he struggled to evenprehend the scale of such a battle.

    Before that, however, there were two more things he wanted to try, and the first was the ultimate culmination of his ss and Dao. Collecting himself, Jack took a deep breath, then exhaled.

    His Dao Domain rolled out, submerging the world in the essence of the Fist.

    It was like Jack had plucked a piece of distant space and moved it around him. Stars filled his domain, glimmering and twinkling. Faint purple mist spread everywhere, and Jack himself felt like an Old God ying around with the newborn universe. In his domain, he stood taller than stars, taller than existence itself. It was a whole new world.

    Of course, part of that was because he was currently standing inside his own soul world, but he couldnt try this outside yet. Releasing ones domain emitted strong Dao signals which might be picked up even through the dungeon walls.

    Jack let his domain drop, returning to normalcy. He took a deep breath again, not to focus, but to collect himself.

    I have grown so strong he muttered, letting his voice echo through space. Ive tried so hard and got so farand yet, the end of the road is nowhere in sight. He grinned from ear to ear. I love this.

    His muttering was interrupted by the sound of pping. Copy Jack flew closer.

    That was amazing! he shouted. Encore! Encore!

    How do you even know that? Jack replied helplessly. Thank you, Copy Jack. I would love to entertain you more, but there is one more thing I want to do. Come with me. This could be fun.

 Chapter 319.5: Sparman

    Chapter 319.5: Sparman

    The moment Copy Jack heard about fun, he instantly became obedient. He followed Jack to the center of his soul world, where his Dao Tree stood tall on a fist-shaped foundation of five Daos. Now that hed reached the peak of the D-Grade, his tree had also matured fullyits crown was fully shaped, reaching a total height of nine feet, while leaves and flower buds had appeared on its branches. The next step would be to make this tree bloom. That was the so-called Dao Blooming, and when he achieved it, he would reach the C-Grade.

    Unfortunately, that felt a ways away still. Though hed reached the peak of the D-Grade and consolidated his strength, he felt nowhere near ready to advance again. He would need to defeat the overseer like this.

    He could only hope he was enough.

    The Life Drop remained buried under the trees roots, supplying it with infinite vitality. However, what Jack hade here to see was neither the tree itself nor the Life Drop. It was the door-shaped pattern on the trees bark, which had grown increasingly clear with each level-up. Now that hed reached the peak of the D-Grade, the door wasplete, and he had the feeling that, if he just reached for the doorknob, he could open it.

    He took a deep breath. <em>It couldnt beright? </em>he asked himself. <em>Its only bark. Dao Trees dont have doors. Its ridiculous.</em>

    Under Copy Jacks watchful gaze, he reached for the doorknob-shaped outcropping as he had many times before. Of course, all the previous times, it was nothing but bark. This time, Jack grabbed it and, to his absolute shock, twisted until he heard a click. The bark itself grew alive. The door detached from the rest of the tree and swung open with a creak, revealing a dark, starless space behind it, infused with a hint of green.

    Jack gaped. Keeping the door open with one hand, he poked his head through it, meeting a vast expanse that felt nothing like his soul. It felt real. At the same time, he realized that while this space seemed boundless, there was something in its center. It looked like a green ball, though it was so far away that he couldnt discern its dimensions. It might as well be a distant star.

    What the fuck? he muttered.

    He pulled his head back and slowly let go of the door. It remained in ce, wide open, inviting him to enter. It didnt seem like it would close by itself.

    Jack looked between the tree, the door, and the dark expanse behind it. He nced at Copy Jack. Should I

    Of course! the copy responded. Its your tree, right? Go explore! It might be fun! Ill be right here to cheer you on.

    How encouraging Jack muttered, turning back to look at the door.

    It couldnt be dangerous, right? He was inside his own soul, and this wasnt his real body, just a projection. How badly could this go?

    And, at the end of the day, what was he? A coward?

    Hell no!

    Mama didnt raise no bitch!

    Jack flew through the door, entering the dark space. He felt his body grow cold. With no stars here, this was even colder than regr space, almost like standing directly in the ice dragons frozen breath. Even he could barely stand it.

    Shit, he said.

    The door mmed shut behind him. As he turned, all he saw was endless darkness. Where the opening used to stand, there was now nothing.

    Shit, he said again.

    What are you doing here? a heavy, old voice rang through the cosmos. Jack went pale. The mere undtions of that voice were enough to shake his entire body. Peering into the darkness, he barely made out the outline of what seemed like a turtle far, far away. The creature approached quickly, until Jack could see it had a green shell and a sharp face, like an actual sharp-jaw turtle, except it was the size of an elephant and was floating through this empty expanse freely as if it didnt even notice the temperature.

    For some reason, it also seemed furious.

    I, uh, sorry, he replied. Im Jack. What is your name?

    The turtle snorted. You are not ready, it said. Begone.

    Jack was about to reply when he realized there was a colossal force heading his way. It was the turtles snort. That mere action had been enough to unleash a literal torrent of Dao so massive he could barely even fathom it. It was like a was flying his way.

    He instantly entered fight or flight mode. His Dao Domain erupted instinctively, shielding him as well as it could, and he roared as he smashed out a Meteor Punch.

    The snort collided with his meteor and blew it away like it was nothing. It rammed into his Dao Domain and shattered itpletely. Only a fraction of its power had dissipated by now. The rest of the snort hit Jack straight in the chest, crushing and destroying his extremely durable body. Thest thing he experienced was terrible storms of power invading his insides and tearing him apart. He didnt even have time to feel pain.

    Next thing he knew, his eyes snapped open, and he drew a sharp breath. He was alive. Snow and cracked earth surrounded him on all sides, while he was bent forward, clutching his head which fluttered with confusion. He had died. Yet, he was here. What the hell had happened?

    What was that ce? That dark, starless expanse with the green ball of light and the monstrous turtle. Was it part of the Life Drop? Another of its odd effects? Or was it a consequence of his perfect foundation?

    Or both?

    And how strong was that fucking turtle!? He was at the very peak of the D-Grade, and it had absolutely ughtered him with a snort!

    Just when Jacks thoughts were lost in all these questions, something crashed on the ground next to him. Youre awake! Shol eximed, seeming as furious as the turtle. What the hell were you doing? What happened!?

    I

    There is no time, goddammit. We need to go now! Youve been meditating for days!

    Jacks eyes widened. All other thoughts gave way to he battle!

    It was time to destroy theary overseer.

    ***

    Jack teleported before the Forest of the Strong. The sight was nostalgic. This was where everything began, the starting point of his journey. It was only a year, but it felt like so long ago.

    <em>How far Ivee </em>he thought with a faint smile. He then blinked it away. There was no time. He had to get Sparman and rush to the battle. Thanks to the teleportation abilities of their starship, this small detour would only take a minute.

    Besides Shol, Dordok, and Jack himself, Sparman the robot was the only D-Grade of their forces. However, his strict programming made him unable to join the battle. His orders were to guard the Forest of the Strong, and that is all he would do.

    Unless Jack, who had been rewarded Sparman as a bodyguard after winning the Integration Tournament, ordered otherwise. That was exactly why he was here.

    Jack flew stealthily into the forest, easily dodging all the F-Grades on watch. His Dao perception noticed Sparman at the same time that the robot noticed him. Yet, Sparman did not move, so Jack rushed there.

    He arrived at a small clearing. It was the forest gym, where hed met and dueled Harambe a long time ago. Only a few gymonkeys were currently here, all injured from one battle or another. Harambe must have been resting elsewhere.

    Sparman sat on the ground, leaning against the bananarm tree. And he looked like shit.

    Jacks eyes widened. His mouth gaped. He struggled to believe this. The all-powerful D-Grade robot was almost in shambles. Broken wires stretched out of his limbs, while burnt circuits were visible from several spots where his ting had been torn away. Sparks fizzled around him, his head was permanently bent to the side, and his eyes changed colors randomly.

    Sparman! Jack eximed, both joyed at their reunion and saddened by the sorry state of his friend.

    Hello, master. Did you miss me? the robot replied in a thankfully normal voice. I assume you did, because Im very lovable.

    What the hell happened to you? Jack asked.

    Sparman forced his mechanical mouth into a smile. Nothing happened, he replied.

    What do you mean nothing happened? You look like shit!

    Always the charmer, master. No wonder all the female humans swoon over you.

    Sparman! Jack eximed. However, it seemed that the sarcastic robot would give no answer. <em>Why? </em>he thought. <em>What happened? Sparman is at the D-Grade! Nobody on Earth could hurt him!</em>

    Then, his eyes lit up. He understood. Sparman may have been the strongest creature on the during the one year grace periodafter the overseerbut the Ice Peak had many E-Grades, even some peak ones. Sparman had been ordered to protect the forest; who knows how many assaults he had endured? Dozens? Hundreds? Unable to step outside the forest due to his strict programming, all he could do was defend and hope he didnt take too much of a beating.

    Over the months, the assaults must have grown in power. Sparman was always here to defend, even in rain or snow, even against insurmountable numbers. His wires had been pulled out, but he still fought. His ting was torn away and his insides burnt or frozen, but he still fought.

    Jack felt guilt. He was the one who ordered Sparman to protect the Forest of the Strong, not thinking about the long-term consequences. Due to him, Sparman was now almost broken, a mere shell of the proud robot he used to be. At his current state, Jack doubted the robot could even stand!

    And nobody on this had the means to repair a D-Grade robot.

    Jack understood everything in an instant. Sparmans eyes remained calm, not wanting to reveal his pain and make him feel bad, but Jack already knew. Warmth filled his heart. He shook his head. He hade here to bring Sparman to the battle, but that would not happen. The robot had already given it his allhe would rest, and Jack would handle everything.

    Thank you, he said from his heart. For everything. Without you, many of our friends would be gone.

    Dont mention it. For a robot as handsome as myself, this was nothing. Speaking of, when was thest time you took a bath?

    Jack fought back the urge to smile. You have no nose, he said.

    I possess many gifts. Specifically, there is a nosepartment stuffed at the back of my neck. I breathe through tiny holes in my right armpit.

    Jack couldnt tell whether this was true or false, but heughed. It was nice to see you, Sparman. Rest well.

    I can still fight, the robot insisted, but Jack shook his head.

    You have already done enough. Leave the rest to us.

    But I

    Before Sparman could finish his sentence, Jack flew awayhe still had a battle to catch, after all. The robot was left mid-sentence, with his half-working mouth still open to speak. Watching Jack fly away, he slowly closed it. Thanks, he whispered, then leaned back and let his energy levels drop to the minimum. Like that, he could survive another few days.

    He really had run out of steam. Now, it was all up to Jack and everyone else. Sparman only hoped they survived.

 Chapter 320: Beginning of the End

    Chapter 320: Beginning of the End

    Jack stood in space. Below him stretched an endlessly blue, with hints of green where it curved away. The moon hovered two hundred thousand miles away, a half-lit gray sphere, and stars surrounded him in every other direction. The sun, being a star itself, couldnt miss this gathering; it sted light, so bright that even Jack had to squint while looking at it.

    Jack Rust, said Galicia Lonihor, theary overseer of Earth. What a peculiar man.

    Her form was that of a humanoid lioness, with tight robes and a wide cape around her body. Once upon a time, she had seemed like a god. Now, she was an opponent. Jack met her gaze squarely, not cowering in the slightest.

    How so? he asked.

    You are just full of surprises. First the tournament, then Trial, then Hell. I have never seen someone rise so fast. She shook her head. What is your secret?

    He grinned. My secret is talent, luck, pain, and a ton of hard work.

    Hah! She snorted with coldughter. Once upon a time, you were an F-Grade ant cowering under a sliver of my pressure. Now, you stand against me. What gives you such confidence? You should know that a D-Grade, even one as powerful as yourself, can never challenge a mid C-Grade.

    Never say never, overseer. You may have to eat your words.

    Her smile cracked. She was well aware that, through the projection stone Jack had brought along, this battle was broadcasted across the, if not the entire gxy. Every jab he took at her was another blow at the dignity of the already suffering Animal Kingdom.

    Have it your way, she replied coldly. I tried to give you somest words, but you may die a mocking death, as was your life.

    The only mockery here, overseer, is you and your pissant of a faction. Even its name sounds ridiculous; who in their right mind would take seriously an Animal Kingdom? If my little toe could speak, it woulde up with ten better names in the time it takes you to gurgle the blood of innocents.

    Her forehead spasmed. Just how badly do you want to die, Jack Rust?

    Honestly, can our enmity grow anyrger?

    She grinned; a dooming, bloodthirsty smile filled with sharp lion teeth. No, she replied. So, in the name of the Animal Kingdom, I will erase you.

    Her handmore a wed paw than a palmrose and fell. Jack felt space lock down around him, preventing him from teleporting. A giant spear of light flew his way. He reared his fist back and shot it forward, meeting the spear at the tip. Space rumbled. A massive shockwave erupted in all directions. The spear cracked and dissipated, but Jacks knuckles cracked as well, ring sparks of pain into his brain.

    Jack Rust is a powerful man, the overseer said, speaking not to him, but to the projection stone. Yet, to an Elder of the great Animal Kingdom, he is nothing. Watch him fall.

    She shot ahead. Jack braced himself, but it was just impossible. She appeared before him in an instant. Her punch smashed into his guard, breaking an arm and sending him flying. He couldnt tell his own speed in space, but it was very, very fast. She teleported behind him, casually kicking upward. This time, growing more used to her speed, he bent his body to dodge, but even the spatial undtions of her kick sent him tumbling through space.

    He punched ahead, predicting her next location, and connected with her forearm. It bent a bitbut her p broke his teeth and made him spin away.

    It is futile, she said with disappointment. I dont know who fed you this delusion, but you cannot face me.

    Heh. Jack forced a smile and spat out blood, watching it sail away in the vacuum. I had intended to warm up a bit, but I guess its pointless. Very well. Prepare yourself, overseer. What you are about to witnesswill rock your world.

    She frowned. The spectators all across the exchanged hushed whispers, leaning in to take a better look.

    Green energy emerged from Jacks body. It surrounded and suffused him, almost hiding his features. Suddenly, as if his body was imbued by this energy, he began to expand. He grew an entire foot. His injuries healed like they were never there, and two fleshy appendages wormed out of his ribs, forming into two extra arms right below his armpits. His entire being emitted a green radiance. His smile was wide, bursting with power.

    Take a good look, he said, his mere voice causing ripples in space. This is the man who will defeat you.

    The overseer stared at his transformation with curiosity. A momentter, it turned into disbelief. Her eyes widened as her brain reached the truth. No! she said. Did you really No; you wouldnt dare!

    This was only the fourth time in his life that Jack activated the Life Drop. The first had been when he tested it against a random desert monster. The second had been against Old Man Spirit. The third, to survive the heavenly tribtion while breaking through to the D-Grade.

    All those times, nobody except his closest friends and Old Man Spirit had been there to witness him. It was one of his most tightly kept secrets. Moreover, nobody had ever used the System to inspect him in this form, as the Ancient Voice had clearly dictated.

    But now was the time to go all-out, and damn be the consequences.

    The various spectators were just awed by his transformation. They couldnt scan him through the projection. Theary overseer, however, could, and she did so immediately. The usual blue screen appeared for only a moment before crumbling, reced by one filled with red, capital letters.

    She had never seen such a thing before.

    <em>WARNING!</em>

    <em>OLD ONE ACTIVITY DETECTED. CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL INITIATED. THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. CONTAINERS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED.</em>

    <em>LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY. VISIT ANY HAND OF GOD HEADQUARTERS TO RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE BOUNTY. YOUR DISCOVERY CODE IS JR4390RND330GL.</em>

    <em>ALL DETAILS OF THIS MATTER ARE NOW CLASSIFIED. SHARING ANY INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN YOUR SWIFT EXTERMINATION.</em>

    <em>THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEW WORLD.</em>

    At the same time, a simr screen appeared in Jacks eyes:

    <em>WARNING!</em>

    <em>YOU HAVE TAMPERED WITH FORBIDDEN POWERS. PLEASE STOP EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING AND WAIT. CONTACT NO ONE. HIGH-GRADE MEMBERS OF THE NEW WORLD ARE UNDERWAY.</em>

    <em>DISOBEY, AND YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED.</em>

    He didnt expect this. Regardless, it changed nothing. He knew there would be consequences if he revealed his four-armed form. Hopefully, the Church would have his back as promised.

    What have you done? Galicia asked, horrified. This is This is projected across the gxy!

    She clearly knew more things than themon people. Her first reaction was tosh out and shatter the projection stone. A spear of light flew over, but before it could reach the stone, a man with four arms appeared before it. He reached out and grabbed the spear by the shaft.

    Space itself screeched as the spear ground to a halt. A momentter, Jack crushed the spear in his palm, and it dissipated. Galicia was stunned by disbelief. I am your opponent, overseer, Jack dered, and I say this battle gets broadcasted. If you disagree he cracked a smile do something about it.

    Do you understand nothing? This isnt even about me. The Hand of God

    The Hand of God will do nothing, he replied, shutting up both her and everyone watching with his disrespect. They will receive the same answer as you. If they want to do something, theyre wee toe and try.

    Galicia struggled to form words. Youre insane!

    I do what I want. This is my will and the will of the entire. From here on out, we no longer answer to the Animal Kingdom or the Hand of God. The of Earth belongs to me, and we are under the protection of the ck Hole Church. The entire will be teleported to safety after I defeat you.

    You This is treason!

    Heughed out loud. Is that what you call it? To escape your tyranny is treason? To side against the people forcing everyone to kill each other is treason? No, overseerthis is right. But, if you want to stop us, it is very easy. Just kill me. Nothing will happen, then, and my words will be just the ramblings of a loser. So,e on. Fight me. He adopted a battle stance, clenching three fists and using thest to give Galicia Lonihor and the entire world the middle finger. He grinned. If you dare.

    She roared and attacked.

    ***

    On the surface of Earth, ArTazul and ArKarvahul, the two djinn merchants who worked with the alliance, looked at therge projection screen over Valville. They then stared at each other. Their jaws dropped at the same time.

    Shit, said Tazul.

    Shit, said Karvahul. Cousin, were in deep shit!

    We fucked up! This is already transmitted to the entire gxy!

    Can we stop the projection?

    Are you kidding me? Stop it <em>now</em>? Do you realize how many credits weve been paid for this!? Well have to give it all back!

    This is our lives were speaking about, Tazul! The Hand of God will skin us alive!

    ArTazuls face took on a business look. Then, suddenly, his eyes shone like credit cards. Imagine how much money we could make out of this, he whispered.

    Youre insane! Karvahul replied, almost pulling his hair out. Youll kill us both! Give me the stone, Ill shatter it right away!

    Wait, Karvahul! Tazul said, keeping his cousin away from the projection stone. Think about it! Weve already projected the crucial partsdo you really think the Hand of God will spare us if we stop now?

    That gave Karvahul pause. No?

    Of course not! Everyone who saw thisno, this entirewill be purged for good measure! Well be made examples of!

    Karvahul wanted to cry. He removed his turban and used it to wipe his nose. What will we do, cousin? Were going to die!

    Tazuls chin became square and stony. There is only one thing we can do, Karvahul. Believe in Jack. If he has a n, we better hope it works out.

    So we keep transmitting?

    We transmit even harder. Only two things can save us now, Karvahul. Jack Rustand tons over tons of credits. So lets make as much money as possible.

    Their gazed crossed. A momentter, the eyes of both of them turned into credit cards.

    I guess we have no choice, said Karvahul.

    Exactly. No choice at all. So, lets spread this projection as far and wide as possible and be filthy rich.

    ***

    After Shol won, the two lycan immortals were quickly defeated and in as well, making the entire battle on the Integration Starship a total victory for the alliance. Currently, the professor and everyone else had already tied up the enemies and were watching a projection screen hastily set up against the wall of the concert stage.

    When Jack revealed his battle form, everyone gasped, but nobody really understood what was happening. Even Shol and Dordok only had a vague idea. The only exceptions were Brock, Gan Salin, and Nauja, all of whom nced at each other and shrugged. Brock ced a fist against his chest.

    I believe in you, big bro, he said.

    ***

    A B-Grade leonine was hurtling through space in his starship. Suddenly, the projection screen over his helm showed Jack transforming. The Ancestors eyes widened.

    Fool! he eximed. He instantly reached for a device in his pocket and used it to contact someone. <em>Eva! I know youre on your way, dammit. That kid had the artifact all along! Come pick me up; we can take no chances with the Church there!</em>

    No reply came, but he still stopped his starship. Momentster, space distorted. A massive, needle-shaped starship appeared in front of him, and he rushed into its open side door. Therge starship blinked once again and disappeared.

    ***

    The Sage was inside a tiny, dark starship. A ck hole was drawn on its body, framed by green rays of light.

    There was only one other person inside. It was a man with flowing ck robes, long dark hair, and red eyes. He looked like a human. At present, this man held a tiny spoon between his fingers, twirling it around to look at it from all sides.

    He really did it, the man eximed without ncing at the projection screen. Your friend is a madman.

    Are you certain you can hold off a fleet? the Sage asked.

    Well, there is only one way to find out. Theyre almost here. Lets go.

    ***

    Jack roared as he punched out. Space caved under his fists. Theary overseer met it with a punch of her own, their knuckles shing.

    The world shattered like ss. Space turned into a storm for multiple miles around them. Light was everywhere. Purple stars flickered in and out of existence. If this had been the surface of the Earth, everything to the horizon would have been annihted.

    The overseer roared. She split open the spatial storm, then teleported behind Jack. He teleported behind her in turn, exchanging strikes wildly. Their forms blurred. They flew at ten times the speed of sound or teleported. Their speed was extreme. Every sh was an explosion. If anyone on the Integration Starship looked up, all they would see was massive shes in the depths of the sky.

    Dao-imbued roars echoed. Their battle changed locations wildly, flying deeper into space. They were surrounded by emptiness on all sides. It gave apletely new meaning to the word duel.

    Fall! the overseer eximed. Suddenly, white light was everywhere, outshining even the sun. Spears emerged, followed by gigantic soldiers holding them. There were nine of them, each a mile tall and d in shiny te armor. Feathery wings spread from their backs, pping despite the absence of air.

    Hah! Ive seen that trick before! Jack eximed, releasing his Dao Domain. Tiny stars appeared everywhere, flickering between purple and green. Constetions formed and disappeared. Roaring meteors crossed Jacks domain, each shaped as a fist and carrying tremendous power.

    Space itself tightened around the winged knights like a closed fist. They struggled but remained still. One of Jacks four fists was enough to hold them in ce, while, at the same time, the Dao of the Fist permeated the space around him, driving away everything else.

    The overseers Dao erupted as well. It was a white sphere of absolute, divine supremacy. It could not be stopped. It lorded over everyone and everything, reigning supreme across the universe. The white warred against the purple, each meteor crashing into the light and melting. The winged knights were empowered, resisting Jacks suppression to approach him.

    Jack himself, however, was unaffected. He released his Brutalizing Aura, using it to siphon energy off the knights. He then charged the overseer, bringing his domain closer.

    As the two fighters came within a few feet of each other, their two domains ground together. Sparks flew, both purple and white. A thousand tiny explosions resounded at once. The Dao itself moaned in regret as their tremendous understandings pulled on it, tearing it in half.

    Space shook in protest. The world boomed around them. Stars collided. The winged knights marched forth.

    Jack clenched all four of his fists and drove them at the overseer. Each was a force of nature. Meteors sparked on their knuckles. Light and sound were ripped apart and forcefully drawn into the fists, then released as explosions.

    When C-Grades fought, the very fabric of reality was their battleground. Tiny rifts formed in the space all around them. The Dao bemoaned them to stop, yet they kept going.

    Jack smashed out a series of punches. The overseer blocked each of them, protected by white light, and retaliated with a palm. Jack crossed his four arms and was flung backward. He let himself fall into a spatial tear and reappeared behind her, winding up his entire body. Meteor Punch! he roared, smashing out a fully-charged punch. She turned and met it with a palm.

    Space shattered again. A crack many miles wide spread out, taking time to close. Jack teleported away and the overseer followed, not letting him get a moment of rest. She pressed her attack, and Jack was forced to defend for a while. Her winged soldiers reached him and tried to stab him with their spears, which werent too fast or strong, but they remained an extra distraction that prevented him from facing the overseer at full power. He roared in frustration.

    Even after transforming, Jack remained underpowered. The gap between a peak D-Grade and a mid C-Grade was simply too vast. He was one of the strongest D-Grades in the gxy, if not the strongest, and he was using the Life Drop to greatly enhance himself. Yet, all he achieved was an uphill battle.

    His only saving grace was the near-infinite amount of energy supplied by the Life Drop. It was far more than it had been at the E-Grade, yet he still sensed no end to it. It fueled his regeneration, pushing it to new extremes.

    The overseer kicked him in the ribs. The bones cracked. Tremendous pain assaulted him, yet the injury already healed itself as he flew away. He turned around and headed at the overseer again, roaring at the top of his lungs. His heart was on fire, but his mind was cold. He could afford no mistakes.

    C-Grades were no joke. Galicia Lonihor wielded her Dao like nobody Jack had met before. Her every move carried supremacy. It seeped into his bones, seeped into space, into reality itself. Fighting her was a constant struggle against the urge to just surrender. Even his indomitable will was close to relenting, a feat that nobody of the same Grade had evene close to achieving.

    Yet, who was Jack?

    He was the man who had ovee every challenge in his way. He had faced impossible odds and used them to grow stronger. He had willingly put himself through extreme pain. He had trained for almost every waking moment.

    No. Jack Rust would never surrender here.

    Yet, if he let himself slide even a tiny bit, her Dao would instantly overwhelm him. He set his heart on fire to resist, fighting helplessness with stubbornness. His own Dao Root of Weakness revealed that her unbeatable strength was an illusion. He couldnd hits asionallyif he juststed long enough, he would win.

    He met a palm with his forearm, then punched back out. She ducked, dodged again, and mmed a knee into his chest. He was sent flying away while she held her position.

    How are you doing this? she asked, slowly lowering her leg. You can actually persist for a few moments.

    Heh, Jack replied with a dark chuckle, wiping the blood from his lips. I can win, too. Just you wait.

    That is impossible. She raised her chin. Then she suddenly asked, Do you know that Maximus Lonihor was my son?

    Jack was taken aback. I had a suspicion.

    He wasand you dared kill him, she dered coldly. I didnt want to give you face by taking this battle seriously, but your resistance has angered me. So be it. Since you wish to fight a Lonihor, then I shall kill you like a Lonihor.

    Suddenly, the winged knights disappeared. Her body shone a radiant white. Light streamed in from every direction, escaping even the tears in space to reach her.

    Galicia Lonihor transformed. Her form became d in white armor. Steel gauntlets appeared around her hands. Six wings unfurled from her back, like an angelic warrior, while a helmet formed around her face, leaving only her cold eyes exposed.

    Suddenly, the pressure around Jack intensified. Chanting and hymns filled his ears. Feathers floated everywhere, untouched by the vacuum of space. Galicia raised her holy hand, and reality itself bent the knee. The only Dao left standing was the Fist, as well as Jack Rust himself, who raised his proud chin against her.

    Feast your eyes on my form, she dered, for it is the closest thing to a god you will ever see.

    Save your words, Galicia, Jack replied. Things looked grim; he could barely take her before, and now she had unleashed a battleform of stronger power. He had no more ways to enhance himselfyet, what choice did he have but to fight? His four fists tightened. His Dao stood again the world. A fist rose against supremacy like a man daring to fight an angel.

    I dont care how strong you are. I dont care about your Grade, your ridiculous transformations, or your empty Dao. No matter what happens Today, there is no way Im going to lose!

 Chapter 321: Helpless

    Chapter 321: Helpless

    Galicia floated in space donning white armor, gauntlets of light, and a starry helmet over her face. Six wings spread from her back. This was exactly the same battleform Maximus Lonihor had used, except with two more wings and a sense of greater mastery.

    Her power was so dense it was suffocating.

    Jack set his jaw. He clenched his four fists. Instantly, Galicia disappeared. Next thing Jack knew, a gauntlet was buried in his abdomen, shooting all air out of him. He flew back like a missile, but the leonine was there again. She kicked at the back of his head, then elbowed his back as he bent forward.

    Jack struggled to even realize what had happened. Her speed had been great before, but this was on a whole new level!

    So was her power. Her first punch had shattered his ribcage and ruptured his stomach. The second had cracked his skull, and the third had broken his spine. All those were with Neutron Star Body operating at full force, making him extremely dense and durable. Any mountain would have been sted to smithereens.

    The Life Drop siphoned green energy into his body. His ribcage was repaired, his skull reformed, and his spine was knit back together. The injuries healed instantly, but it changed little.

    What frightening regeneration, Galicia muttered, hovering proudly in space. If you had reached the C-Grade, even I would strugglebut, thankfully, you were too impatient to face me.

    Heh, Jack muttered through his pain. Its not like I had a choice.

    There is always a choice, Jack Rust. You just made the inferior one.

    She disappeared again. Jack guarded on instinct, receiving her punch with his two right forearms. They snapped like matches. He was flung away like a ragdoll, once again getting manhandled by theary overseer. She showed little mercy as she rained blows on him. His bones broke. His limbs bent wrongly. His face was brutalized, and his organs were destroyed. Blocking the most lethal strikes to avoid dying instantly was the best he could do.

    Yet, his regeneration persevered. It healed him, repaired him. The Life Drop supplied seemingly infinite energy, and his Neutron Star Body used it to repair itself. But that didnt spare him the pain. Every time she broke him, he felt it all. He sensed his innards getting ravaged and his bones shattered. Every crack was a new hell. It felt like a madman had taken a hammer and went to town on his body.

    Jack screamed in pain.

    Through it all, however, he remained conscious and wary. He isted the pain in a corner of his mind and did his best not to pay attention. He tried to block and parry, to reduce the strength of Galicias blows. Her speed toed the line between being slightly too much and being absolutely impossible to dodge. He could see her movesnot in time to react, but in time to realize he would be struck an instant before she connected.

    He was getting absolutely bullied.

    Whats wrong? Galicia mocked him, kneeing him in the stomach and sending him flying. I thought you were strong enough to fight me. Are you still holding back, or are you just weak?

    Jack was not holding back at all. He was going all-out, yet he remainedpletely unable to touch her.

    <em>Damn it! </em>he roared inside his mind. <em>Does she specialize in speed? How unlucky can I be!?</em>

    Jack himself focused on strength and endurance, which was the only reason he wasnt killed instantly by her attacks. Generally speaking, speedy opponents countered him.

    This wasnt a battle he could win. Unfortunately, he had no choice. Nobody would save him. The Sage had made it clear that the Church would prevent anyone from interfering, but they wouldnt interfere either. He also couldnt escape, as everyone he knew was behind his back. Even if they werent, there was no way he could outrun her.

    No; there was no retreat. He would either win this battle or die fighting.

    <em>What can I do? </em>he thought, gritting his teeth as he watched Galicia close in. <em>What straw can I grasp at? What has even a tiny chance of working?</em>

    She reached and smacked him. He tried to block, but her first attack was a feint; the second was a kick thatnded on his chest, once again shattering his bones and catapulting him away. It was hard to gauge distance or speed in the vacuum, but he suspected he was going faster than a jet ne.

    <em>Stamina! </em>he realized through gritted teeth. <em>If I canst long enoughshe will run out of energy!</em>

    But that was easier said than done. Galicia didnt seem the slightest bit worried about it. Who knew how long she couldst.

    Suddenly, she teleported behind him and grabbed his neck. Jack felt as helpless as a baby chicken. Let me show you a trick, Jack Rust: long-range teleportation, she said, then space warped intensely around them. Next thing he knew, he remained in space, but a gray stretched below him. No, it wasnt ait was the moon!

    What? he blurted out, only to be smacked in the face and sent flying again.

    You have shown the world a false image of the Animal Kingdom, Galicia said, gesturing in the distance, where a projection stone hoveredshed taken it along in her teleportation. Since you want to project this battle so much, let me help you. But the vacuum of space is not the best battleground. We can make your defeat more impressive. If people think that the Animal Kingdom is not a powerful factionI shall demonstrate the strength of just one Elder, and show the world that before us, they are just a bunch of ants.

    What are you Jack stopped speaking and blocked. He managed to withstand the strike this time without his arms snappingbut he was flung backward, downward, towards the moon. He crashnded like aet, creating a huge crater. He opened his mouth and spat out blood, watching it fall more slowly than usual.

    He was on the moon. The moon. This would have been dreamy if he wasnt isted on an entire fucking satellite with a god determined to kill him.

    Galicia fell foot-first, and Jack barely managed to get up and fly away before she reached the ground. A second crater, evenrger than the first, appeared where she struck. She bounded after him. Jack flew close to the ground, hoping for something, anything, but there was nothing besides craters, hills, and soft gray rocks. There wasnt even any air.

    Galicia charged him. He managed to parry one strike, but she then grabbed his face and flew down. She pressed his head into the ground and charged ahead, dragging him across the surface of the moon. His head carved a long line on it. She used him to break through rocks and hills. Jacks vision was filled with gray stone.

    When he finally managed to escape her grasp, the world was spinning, and the top of his head felt like it was on fire.

    Galiciaughed. Do you surrender already, Jack Rust? Should I put you out of your misery?

    <em>There is no way I can do this, </em>Jack thought. <em>At least shes not trying to kill me yet, but she will never tire out. I must beat herbut how!?</em>

    As he did not respond, she charged again. She punched and kicked him with abandon. Any damage she inflicted was immediately repaired by his seemingly endless regeneration, but the pain was equally endless. It was the only instance that came close to the soul-splitting pain of when he ingested the Life Drop. It was so terrible he almost lost himself, but his will to fight was unbroken. He had mastered calmness in despair when Sapasun broke all his limbs on Hell. He would never give up; if there was a way out, no matter how tiny, he would find it. If a single opportunity appeared, he would not miss it.

    But there was nothing. Galicia went all-out. She punched him through mountains, nailed him into the ground, shot him in the sky and then back down. The surface of the moon was ravaged. C-Grades had the power to destroy continents, and she was going all out. This empty satellite was her yground.

    Jack crashed into the ground, shattering it for many miles around him. He immediately flew away and punched where he thought she would appear. He got her, but she had time to block, and she then pped him into a tall mountain, demolishing it. He flew out through the debris on the other side, but she was already there, nailing him into the ground again.

    He coughed out red blood, the only color in an empty terrain. In the sky, a blue and green dominated the stars. Everyone he knew was thereand it was so, so far away.

    He was alone.

    Back on Earth, everyone watched silently. Their hero, their only hope of escaping the Animal Kingdom, was getting beat up. He seemedpletely helpless. The projection stone followed Galicia and transmitted everything, making everyones stomach churn. They saw Jacks body being used to crumble mountains and shatter valleys.

    How is he even still alive? Nauja muttered.

    Vivi covered her mouth with her hand. The professor watched the screenpletely silently, but tears rolled down her cheeks. Edgar was in stunned disbelief, while Gan Salin was trying to crack up jokes to lighten the atmosphere. Only Brock watched with faithhis belief in Jack was unshakable.

    You can do it, big bro he muttered under his breath.

    Simr scenes yed out all across Earth. The people sighed and shook their heads in disappointment. Others marveled at the strength of C-Grades. They really were like gods.

    It was foolish to think we had a chance an old man muttered, shaking his head. I told you. When oppressorse, all we can do is bow our heads and hope they show mercy. That is the way of the world.

    Even across the gxy, people watched in stunned silence as the most famous D-Grade was getting beaten senseless. Even after revealing that four-armed battleform, the gap to the C-Grade was just too wide.

    At the same time, every disciple of a B-Grade force looked at their Elders with different eyes. They had never seen them fight, but most were even stronger than Galicia. Seeing the destruction she could so casually create gave new meaning to the power of the C-Grade.

    Jacks world was a mix of pain, spinning, and futility. He still fought his hardest. Every time Galicia charged him, he tried to block or punch back. His four fists sted out meteors. He also shattered everything around him, but it was just too little. She was on a different level. Her speed was just outside the range of what he could handle.

    But he refused to give up. All extraneous thoughts had fled his mind. Even his fear was only a faint reminder.

    <em>How do I win? </em>was all he asked himself. Only two things came to mindthe snorting turtle in his soul, and the Supernova skill that he still hadnt mastered.

    A tiny part of himself dove into his soul world.

    Are we going to die? Copy Jack asked, but Jack ignored him. He reached for the door on his Dao Tree and tried to yank it open, but to no avail. This time, it acted exactly like bark.

    Damn it! he roared. Let me in!

    The door remained unresponsive. The turtle ignored himpletelyif it could even hear him. He would not receive any help here.

    Gnashing his teeth, Jack tried to forcefully enter a meditative state and use the despair he felt to push for the Supernova skill. Unfortunately, no matter how he tried, it was impossible. Just like every other time, the skill felt too foreign, like it wasnt meant for him. He had the insights but no way to use them.

    Both attempts had failed him. He coulde up with nothing else. He carried no treasures, his Dao was nowhere near breaking through, and his skills had no way forward that he saw. The Life Drop couldnt augment him any further eitherall it could do was regenerate him constantly.

    In this fight, he only had his current selfand he had to find a way to make do.

    Returning hisplete attention to the real world, where he was receiving a sound beating, Jack focused fully on theary overseer. His eyes sharpened to the extreme. He watched every move, every tiny tell, every detail. He looked for some pattern or anything to capitalize on, but he came up short. After all, the overseer had sharpened her battle skills for millenniahow could she show easy patterns?

    As if that wasnt enough, the seemingly limitless energy of the Life Drop was beginning to thin. It wasnt that the Drop itself was running out of power. That ocean remained as bottomless as ever, but the amount it was willing to give Jack was approaching its limit. His regeneration had already slowed down. It was imperceptible to others, even to the overseer, but Jack himself could sense it.

    Soon, it would grow even slower, and then, it would not be able to keep up with the overseers damage. He would die.

    He needed to do <em>something.</em>

    The pain kepting; it was a dark abyss he could never escape from, a deep trap where he was alone and dying.

    But not all was dark. As time went by and the overseer refused tond a killing blow, making a point out of his execution, Jack grew more ustomed to her extreme speed. It was slow going, and it felt like his mind was pushed beyond what it could consistently handle, but he was getting shes of insight now. He could read her a tiny bit, have an extra tiny moment to respond. It was like he entered overdrive.

    At the same time, due to his full attention on the overseer, he detected small changes. Her eyes sharpened a tiny bit. Her strikes became a bit harder, aiming to kill more than to maim. It felt like she was getting more serious, but he perceived no change in her power.

    Was he growing stronger in tandem? Or, maybeshe was growing weaker?

    Jacks eyes widened. <em>Shes getting tired! </em>he realized. <em>After all this timeits finally getting to her!</em>

    And of course it was. She had been ragdolling Jack for a few minutes now, releasing terrible power with every strike. That had to take its toll. She just pretended it hadntand, probably, she never expected Jack tost this long.

    His bloodied mouth revealed a grin. She saw itand hatred entered her eyes. Die already, she said simply, amplifying her power. She poured more strength into her strikes, aiming topletely destroy Jacks body, but everything had a price. As her attacks grew stronger, they also grew slowerand Jack had already gotten slightly ustomed to her previous speed.

    She pushed out a gauntlet surrounded by radiant divine light. Space itself cracked where it passed. It aimed for Jacks faceyet, at thest moment, he raised his palm and caught it. The world shook. The hill behind him shattered into a thousand pieces. Dao erupted in a wide radius, white and purple intertwined.

    But Jack had caught her fist.

    He grinned widely, a crazed look in his eyes and blood on his teeth. Got you, he said, then punched back.

    It met her helmet.

    Galicia was blown back. For the first time since the battle started, she lost an exchange.

    ***

    Vivi sped her hands before her chest. He did it! she eximed. He punched her!

    Beside her, Brock snorted. Of course, he said. Big Bro is Big Bro. He win.

    ***

    Everyone watching the battle transmission blinked in surprise. All those people who had been acting arrogant because of her dominance paled.

    It cant be an Elder of the Dragon Valley muttered.

    She grew tired, another replied, snorting. Of course she did. What an idiot. If she went all-out from the very start, there is no way that boy would havested. But now Now, she has to actually try.

 Chapter 322: Jack Rust vs. Galicia Lonihor

    Chapter 322: Jack Rust vs. Galicia Lonihor

    The Animal Kingdom Ancestor stood on the bridge of thergest starship as the entire fleet shot through interspace. Eva Solvig, the assignedmander of the Hand of God, stood a step ahead of him. Coincidentally, Artus Emberheart was also here. The former Warden of Hell had been gifted to the Hand of God, who assigned him to this fleet.

    The Ancestor didnt give Artus a single nce as they hurtled through space.

    Suddenly, they exited teleportation. The Ancestor prepared for battle, but looking around, he saw nothing. No, no Jack Rust. Only stars, one of which seemed significantly closer than the rest but still very far away.

    What happened? Eva Solvig asked the woman manning the helm. Why did we exit teleportation before reaching the destination?

    We didnt, she replied numbly. We were forced out.

    Eva frowned. A momentter, she nodded grimly and teleported outside. So did the Ancestor.

    Space split before them, revealing a tiny ck starship. A man appeared in front of it. He had dark hair and red eyes, as well as a yful smile that seemedpletely out of ce. The Ancestor scanned himhe was at thete B-Grade.

    Hello, Eva, he said. Unfortunately, I cannot let you go any closer.

    Eva didnt respond immediately, so the Ancestor took charge: And who the hell do you

    She pped him. The sound was crisp, even in the vacuum of space, and the leonine turned to look at her in disbelief. Her wary eyes almost extinguished his anger. Almost.

    Shut up, she said.

    The other man smiled. I see you recognize me.

    Heavenly Spoon Sovereign She gritted her teeth. Why would the ck Hole Church send someone like you to this tiny corner of the universe?

    Just repaying a favor, the man replied. Reaching into his robes, he took out an inconspicuous silver spoon. Now, as I said, you cannot go any closer. Well, you can, but youll have to beat me first. Think youre up for it?

    His yful smile remained, fully confident she would refuse. And, indeed, Eva Solvig did not reply.

    Why are you hesitating? the Animal Kingdom Ancestor said, eager to regain his pride. You are bothte B-Grades, but there is also myself and an entire fleet here. We can take him.

    She snorted. If you want to throw your life away, go right ahead. Im not joining.

    You would shy away from your duty? What would the Immortals say about that? he retorted.

    Instantly, her gaze turned colder than true ice, and a wave of threat radiated off her. This man is the Head Envoy of the ck Hole Church, she said. Since he came personally to stop us, we have no choice but toply. Our pointless deaths would not help the New World or the Immortals. However, the next time you dare contradict me, I will make sure that <em>your </em>pointless death bes an act of duty on my part. Am I understood?

    The Ancestor closed his mouth and shut up. He did not recognize this man or the title of Heavenly Spoon Sovereign, but he knew exactly what Head Envoy meant. It meant that, before this man, a revered Ancestor of the Animal Kingdomwas just a pile of trash.

    Now, with that out of the way, said the sovereign, seemingpletely rxed, wanna watch the battle together? Its not like you have anything else to do. We could even bet if you want.

    Bet on what? Eva retorted. Since youre here, your subordinates are already destroying Galicia Lonihor.

    On the contrary. Nobody is interfering. Jack Rust will fight this battle alone.

    Eva raised a brow. Really?

    Do I look like Im lying? he said, shing a bright smile.

    Eva considered it for a moment. Finally, greed took her over. If Jack Rust loses, I want your Saturated Chalice.

    Oho, tall stakes. Sure. And if he wins, I get one of your Fleet Teleportation Arrays.

    Her face crumped up. A momentter, she bit the bullet to say, Deal.

    Excellent! Then, lets watch. I believe were just getting to the good part.

    With a swish of the sovereigns sleeves, a projection screen appeared in the middle of space, and the three B-Grades stood around itfrom a distanceto watch.

    ***

    Galicia paused for a second, too stunned to react. She had been struck by a D-Grade while in her strongest battleform. That was unheard of.

    And extremely humiliating.

    How are you doing this? she asked in fury. How are you still standing? Just how ridiculous is that power you have?

    My regeneration is only a bonus, Jack said. If you hadnded a strike to instantly kill me, I would have diedbut you didnt. I never let you, and you never really tried, thinking yourself supreme. Now, I suspect you <em>will </em>trybut youre growing tired, arent you? Those hands are getting heavy. Your legs are shaking. Your Dao is turning fainter. He grinned wildly. Tell me, overseer; how does it feel to hit someone until <em>you </em>give up?

    Bullshit! she shouted. Youre cheating!

    Cheating? Since when is endurance cheating? Heughed out loud. You thought you were supreme, but you were just an idiot. Come now, what will it be? Strong strikes that I can match, or fast ones I can survive? I can do this all day.

    He could not do this all day. He was bluffing. The energy provided by the Life Drop was already running dry, but she did not know that. Hed alreadysted ridiculously long; who was to say he couldnt go even longer?

    Galicia gritted her teeth. Divine light blossomed around her. Her armor glowed. She grabbed her helmet and threw it away, revealing her furious face fully. In the name of the Animal Kingdom, myself, and my son, she dered, raising her gauntlet to the sky, you will not survive this day.

    Id like to see you try, overseer.

    She charged. Radiance blossomed all around her as her Dao Domain spread out and epassed the entirendmass they stood on. Cracks spread across the ground, emitting radiance. The airless sky turned white. Jack was trapped in a holy realm, where she was a goddess.

    But he had a domain, too. Purple unfurled. Stars blinked into existence, wrestling it for supremacy. Fist-shaped meteors flew everywhere. Jack donned these purple stars like an armor, dressing himself with a constetion. His fist was cosmichis might, relentless.

    He smashed out a Meteor Punch, sucking in all the holiness of her domain for himself. The stars exploded. His fist met hers, erupting in a cataclysmic explosion that shook the entire moon ever so slightly. Tons of stone went flying into space, forming a wide crater around them. They hovered in its midst.

    Galicia really was tired. Her strength and speed had fallen, no longer as extreme as they used to be. They remained at the very edge of Jacks abilities, but after fighting her for so long and enduring her strikes, hed grown a bit used to them. If he focused his hardest, he couldpete.

    Strikes flew wildly. Fist met Supremacy. One wanted to be free and wildthe other, to dominate. It was a sh of both people and Daos.

    Jack and the overseer fought equally now. His resilience had been rewarded. They battled on the ground and in the sky, even flying into space and back down. The moons surface was ravaged under them. It was carved up. Meteors exploded. Divine spears flew. Body met body, and space itself groaned to the tune of their shes.

    Jack was still losing, but his regeneration allowed him to fight.

    However, as Galicia was growing tired, so was Jack. His life energy was running out. At some point, she broke one of his bones, and it did not heal immediately. Her eyes widened, turning from realization into triumph.

    You liar! she shouted,ughing. Die! Her strikes turned fast again. She tried to overwhelm him. Jack defended with all his might, blocking and evading everything, but there was a limit to his abilities. Even exhausted as she was, she remained too fast. A couple strikes slipped by. The damage they caused took longer to regenerate each time. Jack gritted his teeth as he fell into defense.

    <em>I cannot fail now! </em>he thought frenziedly. <em>Not when Ivee this close!</em>

    He was attempting the impossible. He was trying to fight a mid C-Grade while at the D-Grade himself. He hadsted this long, used everything he had to survive and drive her to exhaustion. He couldnt fall first!

    <em>I refuse!</em>

    But reality was undeniable. She struck his arm, thennded a harsh kick into his shin. He flew into the moon and was nailed into a crater. She fell forward boot-first, and as soon as he dodged, she pounced at him and sank her teeth into his shoulder, pushing them deeper until the tips of her teeth touched each other. His bone shatteredpletely. He screamed.

    With a twist of her neck, she ripped out his muscle and sent him flying. Jack paled. That was the one opportunity she needed. In that moment of weakness, she focused her entire Dao Domain to lock down space around him, rendering him unable to escape. Spitting out his flesh, she charged up a slow but extremely powerful strike.

    The ground around her exploded. White light came from below, evaporating the stone to escape and surround her. Everything turned white. It was like God himself was roaring at Jack, who floated in the sky above her. He could block, but he could not dodge.

    And, facing that skill which seemed like her ultimate attack, blocking was a fools errand. It didnt matter if she was exhausted. He couldnt strike that hard.

    He was a goner.

    For supremacy! Galicia shouted, shooting herself forward. Her wings folded. The white glow hugged her body, making her the only source of light in the sky, the only power in existence. Her palm headed unerringly for Jacks head. If it connected, his entire upper torso would evaporate.

    Since he could not evade, nor did he have time to break the space lock, he charged up a Meteor Punch himself. Light and sound fell into his fist. His extra two arms also dissipated, turning into more energy. He could sense this was the final sh, and he poured everything into it, driving himself to exhaustion.

    Everything disappeared. In the entire sky, the only things remaining were Galicia, covered in dense white light while shooting forward, and Jacks purple fist, a shining meteor in the darkness. They were headed for a direct collision.

    But he could not win. He sensed her power, and it was greater than his. Not by too much, at this pointbut so what? This was everything he had. After this punch, he could no longer fight. He had lost. He was dead.

    In the final moments, even as he charged up his fist with all of his power, his mind sank in reminiscence. There was no regret. He had done everything right. In the entire year up to now, he had not wasted a single opportunity, not made a single mistake. He was the absolute strongest he could be.

    He had also fought this battle perfectly. Everything had gone as great as it possibly could have.

    There was nothing he could have done better. If he lost, then it only meant that this goal of defeating theary overseer within a year was impossible to begin with.

    <em>No, there was one thing, </em>he realized with a wry smile. <em>The supernova. I neverprehended it. If I had, maybe things would have been different.</em>

    <em>But was it even possible? The skill feels wrong. It was never suited for me. I couldnt have used it, no matter how long I tried. Heh. In fact, if I had never tried toprehend it, maybe I could have used that time to develop my skills better. The tiniest edge would suffice.</em>

    <em>Damn. I yed myself. What a life.</em>

    But still, he felt no regret, only a lingering sense of disappointment before the end. He reached for the unformed skill inside his mind and tore it away, forcing himself to forget it. It was useless. The supernova disappeared from his Daopletely, leaving only a few explosion-rted insights that now anchored nowhere. They were equally useless.

    <em>Wait. Explosions?</em>

    The sh of realization came instantly. It should have been obvious. In that instant before shooting his fist forward, Jack saw things clearly. He was a fool to attempt to learn the supernova. It was clearly not meant for him, hed felt that since the beginningbut its partial insights were not useless. They were about powerful explosions, and coincidentally, he already had a skill that utilized explosion.

    In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the reason he couldntprehend the supernova was because he already possessed something simr yet different.

    <em>What if bine them?</em>

    Everything was ready. In truth, he had alreadyprehended the essence of the supernova; hed just been pushing it in the wrong direction. Heughed, now finally utilizing it the right way. An orange spark appeared on his purple meteor. He shot it out.

    <strong>Congrattions! Meteor Punch III  Meteor Punch IV</strong>

    Galicia reached him, moving at speeds he could barely fathom. Her gauntlet was about to disintegrate his head. His Meteor Punch shot right back at it, colored purple, green, and a little bit of orange. Once it met the ws, it would explodebut not as a meteor. As a supernova. He was a Cosmic Fist. He was the ultimate form of primal savagery. It was only apt that his offensive skill would include the most powerful explosion in the universe.

    I am the Fist! I will never lose! Jack roared, driving his fist forward. As long as I, Jack Rust, draw breath<em>THE ANIMAL KINGDOM WILL BOW TO ME!</em>

    The overseer screamed.

    Jacks fist made contact and disappeared. It evaporated like a nuclear warhead at the moment of explosion. Everything below the elbow vanished, and the world was suddenly filled with so much light and sound that his eyes and ears were both destroyed. The recoil hit him like a bomb to the chest.

    But the overseer received it even harder. Just before the explosion happened, she must have sensed its power, because she screamed and tried to change her course. But it was toote. Jacks fist crashed into the center of her chest, stopped her, and pushed her back down. Her world fell away.

    The overseer flew downward, instantly reaching the surface of the moon and getting nailed deep into it. The ground shattered for a hundred miles in every direction. Cracks appeared for a thousand. Mountains crumbled. Earthquakes spread across the entire moon. Fire burned on its surface, then was instantly extinguished byck of oxygen. Dust covered the world.

    Space shook before it stabilized.

    <strong>Congrattions! For defeating an opponent of a higher Grade than you in singlebat, you have been awarded the title Grade Defier.</strong>

    <strong>Grade Defier: A title awarded to those who can jump Grades to fight. Efficacy of all stats +10%.</strong>

    It was suspicious that hed only gotten this title now and not when he defeated Old Man Spirit, but he couldnt care less at this point. The extra rush of stats was the only thing that kept him from fainting.

    When all was said and done, Jack floated over the surface of a ruined moon. His sight and hearing were justing back, the final sputters of his regeneration. The extra hands had dissipated.

    Below him, destruction spread to the horizon. He had just destroyed andmass greater than a small country. He was spent,pletely exhausted, and heavily injured. His hand was regenerating very, very slowly, and the pain was killing him.

    But he had won.

    Jack raised his remaining fist into the air and cried out in triumph. He didnt even remember he was being watched by the projection stone, nor did he care; he had won. He had seeded. And that was all that mattered.

    Everyone across the gxy was stunned. Jaws dropped. People gaped. When Jack Rust defeated Maximus Lonihor and challenged the entire Animal Kingdom, it had been sensational. But this This was just unheard of!

    The entire gxy bore witness to the legend of Jack Rust!

    Eva Solvig and the Animal Kingdom Ancestor had extremely ugly looks on their faces. The Heavenly Spoon Sovereignughed. Well, a bet is a bet, he said. Pay up.

    Eva didnt even look at him. She tossed out a small pouch, then dove back into her starship. The Animal Kingdom Ancestor followed suit. The moment he entered, Artus Emberheart, the former Warden of Hell, rushed up to him and said, Ancestor, Jack Rust is extremely weakened now! This is the perfect time to

    The ancestors p echoed across the entire starship. Artuss head was almost unscrewed from the force, and he fell to the floor with a mortified look on his face.

    Shut up! the ancestor screamed. You think I dont want to go? I just cant! Youpletely useless moron, this is all your fault!

    The former Warden tried to reply but couldnt. He was overtaken by intense shame and anger, but he couldnt go against the B-Grade Ancestor. Instead, he bottled up all his feelings and swore to himself:

    <em>Jack Rust, if I dont destroy everything you love and make you curse me for eternity, I will not be a man!</em>

    We go, Eva Solvig said coldly, and the entire fleet of starships disappeared.

    The Heavenly Spoon Sovereignughed. He cheerfully waved them goodbye, then grabbed the pouch Eva had tossed away and also disappeared.

    ***

    Back on Earth, the entire Integration Starship echoed with loud, relieved cheers. The alliance shouted with all the power of their lungs. People hugged each other and cried, while the Ice Peak and Animal Kingdom captives wore ugly looks on their faces.

    He did it! people shouted across the Earth. He did it! Jack Rust did it!

    ***

    Jack fell to the surface of the moon andnded on his back. He couldnt move a muscle, but he was so happy he didnt care.

    A momentter, however, he had a thought.

    <em>Wait. How am I getting back?</em>

    The moon was far away from Earth, and he couldnt perform long-range teleportation like the overseer had. He didnt even carry the bromobilehed left it behind to protect it from the battle.

    Suddenly, space opened before him like a door, and a homeless-looking man with a big smile walked out. Great job, Jack, he said, sounding like he meant it. That was one of the most impressive things Ive ever witnessed-and trust me, thats a high bar.

    Jack smiled back. Thanks, Sage.

    Now, follow me and lets get out of here. We have a to poach.

 Chapter 323: Planet Poaching

    Chapter 323: Poaching

    Jack sat in a chair of the Sages starship, right above the ravaged surface of the moon. Everything hurt, including his mind, but he had won. That was all that mattered.

    Nice ship, he said, panting.

    Do you like it? Its the same one I got in the Integration Auction.

    Really?

    Of course! Well, I did make some upgrades. Like this.

    The ship jumped through space and reappeared in orbit around Earth. Jack chuckled. They had already checked Galicias body and ensured she was dead. Good job.

    Before we go down, however, said the Sage, there is someone I want you to meet.

    Space shimmered inside the starship, and a man walked out. He had long dark hair, red eyes, and wore flowing ck robes. Yet, despite his intimidating appearance, his feet were in flip-flops, and his face a held a yful smirk on the verge of breaking into a smile. He instantly struck Jack as a likable guy.

    Immediately after that, however, Jacks eyes went wide as saucers, because he had scanned this person.

    <strong>???, Level ??? (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <strong>Title: Devourer</strong>

    <em>B-Grade!?</em>

    Hey, said the man.

    Jack jumped to his feet, grimacing as a thousand little pains made themselves known. Hello, he said. Im Jack. Jack Rust.

    Oh, I know. I watched your battle; very impressive. The man reached out a hand, which Jack shook. My name is Jonas. Nice to meet you.

    Likewise!

    Jack was stunned. This was a B-Grade. A legendary existence. Actually, it was the first B-Grade he ever met in person, and he seemed soapproachable.

    Allow me, the Sage intervened with a wry smile. This is Jonas Evergreen, Head Envoy of the ck Hole Church, though most people refer to him as the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign. And, just so were clear, Head Envoy means that hes the strongest B-Grade disciple of the entire ck Hole Church. Presently, that makes him one of the strongest people in this gxy, if not <em>the </em>strongest.

    Jack fought back the urge to gulp. Instead, he raised a brow. If youre trying to impress me, you seeded, he said.

    I like him, said the sovereign, then turned to Jack. There is no need for respectful salutes, kowtowing, and the like. I have seen your potential; if nothing goes wrong, then one day you could be an Envoy, too.

    Thatsgreat? Thank you for the praise, Sovereign. Then, since this guy seemed cool, Jack took the courage to add, If you dont mind me asking, what does your title refer to?

    Oh, this thing. Its my weapon. He reached into his robes and removed a tiny silver spoon. There was nothing special about it. Jack could use it to stir his tea.

    I see, he replied, not daring to ask anything more. Thank you.

    The sovereign came to oversee the resolution of our agreement, the Sage said. He prevented the Hand of God and Animal Kingdom from interfering in your battle, and he will also handle the poaching of this. The seven C-Grades that helped us escape Hell were his subordinates.

    Jack nodded. Thank you for everything, sovereign, he said, this time meaning it from his heart.

    It was little trouble. I didnt even have to fight, the sovereign replied, shrugging it off. Now, since we dont have much time, how about you go find your people and prepare them for what is about to happen? We can chat more after your is safe.

    <em>Your is safe. </em>Those words rang in Jacks mind again and again. He struggled to believe them. His body was still flooded by adrenaline from the battle, and his mind remained there.

    Had it finally happened? Had he finally saved Earth?

    It felt like a dream.

    If I may, he asked quickly, what exactly is about to happen?

    We will transfer your outside System space. It will remain in this gxy, and there will be ways for you to teleport in and out of System space, but the itself will be almost impossible to track. You will also maintain ess to the System, but its a faulty thing that wont be able to trace you, so dont worry about it. Now, if some cultivator happens to stumble upon your, you can only me your bad luck.

    Do you mean that the Animal Kingdom will no longer be able to touch us?

    The sovereign raised an amused brow. And here I thought you were smart. Yes, thats exactly what I mean.

    Relief overtook Jack. Thank you, Sovereign, he said again, bowing slightly. The sovereignughed.

    Go, he said. You have thirty minutes.

    Jack didnt linger anymore. With a final grateful nce at the B-Grade sovereignand a questioning one at the Sagehe teleported away, reaching the Integration Starship on thes surface.

    Hey guys, he said as he appeared near the alliances leadership, scaring everyone shitless. Long time no see.

    Stunned silence followed. Then, suddenly: Jack!

    The professor, Edgar, Vivi, Gan Salin, and Nauja all jumped at him. Jackughed. He hadnt seen most of them in a year.

    Im so d youre okay, the professor said, hugging him tightly with tears in her eyes. Im so d

    I missed you! Edgar shouted, also hugging Jack. Its so good to have you back. This was a damn hard year!

    But you pulled right through, Edgar. Im proud of you. Waitis that Vlossana?

    The saphira stood away, gazing at him warily, but his attention was immediately drawn to Gan Salin and Nauja, who both pounced at him. Well fought! Nauja shouted with excitement. You almost had me worried there for a second.

    I knew you would seed! Salin eximed. I kept telling her, but she wouldnt believe me.

    What? You said nothing like that! You even suggested running away to cut our losses!

    Same thing.

    Jackughed. Its nice to see you, guys. I hope you enjoyed the outer. Brock told me all about it.

    It was fine. Adventuring with you was more fun, though, Salin replied. Whens the next one, really?

    Oh yeah. Speaking of that, the ck Hole Church will teleport our entire outside System space in a few minutes. I dont think it will be too rough, but uh, you might want to grab on to something.

    Another round of stunned silence followed. What?

    So Jack briefly exined to them the whole Church deal hed made, leaving out the sensitive parts. After all, there were many people listening.

    Youll still have ess to the System, he assured them. But well also be safe. Earth will belong to us and us alone.

    Can we trust this ck Hole Church? the professor asked. They sound a bit sketchy.

    Everyone is a bit sketchy, but these guys have only helped me in our interactions so far. I believe they are our best chance.

    She nodded. Alright. I trust you.

    Now, can someone tell me what Vlossana is doing here and why she looks like she pissed the bed?

    Its not just her, a deep voice rumbled.

    Jack turned around, finding Shol, Dordok, and Brock there, as well as Bomn and Vashter. The Trampling Ram was parked right behind them. His eyes widened, and heughed out loud. You guys are safe! he eximed. Im so d. Sorry for the trouble.

    Dordok shrugged. It is what it is.

    Brock, did you win as well? Waitdid you reach the D-Grade!?

    The brori just smiled proudly.

    Bro! Jack eximed. Thats awesome! Im so proud of you! I cant wait to hear everything about your battle!

    I say, Brock replied.

    Giving Brock a fist-bump, Jack then turned to the others. Are youing with us? he asked. Or will you keep traveling?

    They looked between each other. I will go, Shol said. This was fun, and I am very proud of the excellent disciple you grew up to be, but my responsibilities lie with Master Huali and the Exploding Sun. I must return to them, at least in secret, and figure out my next steps.

    Jack nodded. He briefly wondered what was going on with the Grand Elder selection of the Exploding Sun, but it didnt matter too much. His connection to it wasnt that strong. He could only hope that Master Huali was fine from the aftermath of his actions.

    I will check on the Sun when things calm down a bit, he promised.

    We will go, too, said Bomn. The ship that docks grows rust. If we stopped traveling, our lives would be quite empty.

    You could always find a home here, the professor suggested, but the minotaur shook his big head.

    Thank you, but the open space calls to us. Maybe when we grow old.

    What about you, Dordok? Jack asked, noticing that Bomn was the one who spoke for the Trampling Ram.

    The cyclops smiled sadly. We already discussed this with Bomn. A ship cannot hold two captains. While he would be d to have me back, I believe it is time for me to take a break, at least temporarily. I wille with Earth, if youll have me.

    Of course! the professor hurried to say. You are very wee.

    All good bros fit, Brock added wisely.

    Now, about Vlossana, Edgar said, then took Jack aside and exined the entire thing.

    I see, Jack replied sadly. Ill speak with her in a moment, but if she is healed as you say, she cane with us. She will need a safe ce to recover.

    Edgar nodded.

    As for you, Jack continued, even though your soul is cracked and you cannot cultivate anymore, it isnt the end of the world. The Earth will know peace for a long time. It will be the perfect ce for someone of your powers.

    Edgar smiled widely. Thats exactly what I hope, he replied warmly. I n to create a wizard academy. I think it will be great.

    I think so too, Jack replied, smiling back. And, you know, I will not stop adventuring. I still have a long way to go. If I find a treasure that can repair your soul, or at least help you reach the D-Grade, Ill certainly get it for you. After all, it was me who released that devil from his prison.

    Thats perfect. Thank you, Jack.

    No problem.

    At that point, Vivi walked closer. I also want to talk to you about something, she said, lookingbashful?

    Sure, Jack replied, and Edgar walked away. What is it?

    Are you satisfied with how the professor and I led the alliance in your absence?

    Satisfied? Of course. I was never the leader, anyway; just a punching guy. And asionally a spanking one.

    She rolled her eyes. Well, this is not what I wanted to tell you. Are you ready?

    Ready for what?

    She smiled. I am pregnant with your child. It happened eleven months ago, but I dyed the pregnancy through Dao medicine.

    Jack froze. What? he said, his mind reeling. No amount of life or death battles could have prepared him for this.

    Viviughed. I said, youre going to be a father!

    Jack remained stunned for a good while. Then, suddenly, his mouth split into a wide grin, and heughed to the sky. Alright! he shouted proudly. A father!

    This brought a whole slew ofplications to the table. For starters, he didnt even know Vivi that well. How would they handle a child? Would they be together or not? However, he was confident that everything would work out. Though Jack would need to leave Earth again soonfor now, they had some time.

    Plus, he was the strongest man on Earth, goddammit. If he wasnt ready to be a father, no one was!

    The future was bright!

    ***

    The Sage stood on the prow of his tiny starship, admiring the blue and green underneath. The Heavenly Spoon Sovereign stood by his side as an equal.

    We are ready, said the sovereign. My subordinates have prepared the nine corners. If you have nothing to add, we can begin the teleportation.

    The Sage looked over Earth. It was a cozy littlefull of weak people with kind intentions. He liked most of them.

    Thinking back to his days as a homeless beggar, he smirked and shook his head. Then, in a moment of curiosity, he once again attempted to delve into Jack Rusts future. He saw great wars. Hints of the Old Gods and the Immortals. The Animal Kingdom woulde after him with everything they had, and the Hand of God would stop at nothing to get him. They may have been blocked for now, but the real battle was only getting started.

    He also saw Jack in the headquarters of the ck Hole Churchthe Cathedralwhere he would soon train, if everything went well.

    <em>I wonder </em>he asked himself, <em>how far will he reach?</em>

    Yet, the future came out nk. Even his divination powers could not see that deep. He would have to find out the mortal way, by living it out. <em>But isnt that the best way? </em>he asked himself, then smiled wryly. He really, really looked forward to the future. It would be so exciting.

    Im ready, he told the sovereign. Please start.

    And here I thought you would reminisce forever. The sovereignughed. Then, he took out his tiny silver spoon. It shone with dark green light. Simr light erupted in columns based on nine equidistant ces on the, each column many miles wide and reaching the top of Earths atmosphere. A tremendouslyrge, dark green spoon appeared below Earth, cupping the entire in its groove. Then, with a smooth motion, the sovereign scooped it all up.

    Go, he muttered through gritted teeth. The starship blinked away. And with it, Earth and the moon also disappeared, gone forever from the sr system that had housed them for billions of years.

    It was the end of an era and the start of a new one: the era of Jack Rust.

    Meanwhile, not even the Sage knew that Jack had inadvertently set several important events into motion. Like a butterfly effect, the echoes of his actions spread across the universe,piling into a domino of coincidences that affected even the highest of forces.

    A council of Gods gathered around a star. It is time, rumbled a-sized form oozing darkness.

    Three robots,pletely identical if not for the numbers drawn on their faceless heads, stood up at the same time. We have enough, they all said together.

    A great war was starting. And Jack Rust, despite not knowing it yet, would be in its midst.

 Chapter 324: A New Beginning

    Chapter 324: A New Beginning

    Jack nced between his friends and the door. The wait was killing him.

    Would you look at that! Gan Salin, the loyal canine, eximed. The almighty King of Earth intimidated by a closed door!

    Youd be crying if you were about to have children, Nauja the Barbarian cut in, jabbing his shoulder.

    But Im a guy. I cant give birth.

    A moment of puzzled silence followed before Edgar, the pacifist magician, changed the subject. Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?

    I bet on a boy, Captain Dordokor rather, former captain replied. Heughed. Jack has so much man in him, theres no way he can make a girl!

    The birds were chirping. The new sun was shining, and a slight coldness permeated the atmosphere, along with the faint morning mist hanging from tree branches. Everyone was gathered in the middle of the Forest of the Strong. This was where Jacks System life had begunand, now, it was about to be the ce where an entirely new life started.

    Vivis pregnancy wasing to an end. Jacks child would be born today.

    For this day, everyone unrted had been chased out of the Forest. The remaining people were only Jack, Edgar, Gan Salin, Nauja, Dordok, Brock, and Harambe. The professor was also present, but she had insisted on going inside with the nurse to make sure Vivi was okay. The Sage, as a D-Grade healer, was also inside the room.

    Jack hadnt felt such anxiety since his fight against theary overseer three months ago. He clenched his fists.

    His first child was about to be born. Would he be a good father? Would everything be okay inside that room, or would something terrible happen?

    Brock must have sensed his worries, because he walked up and ced a hand on Jacks shoulders. All good, he said. Big Sis strong. Baby bro strong. No worry.

    Thanks, Brock, Jack replied, feeling a little relieved. Brock was right. Vivi was a strong cultivator, and the baby carried his blood. There was no way anything would happen

    He nced at the door again.

    In fact, the people present weren''t the only ones who couldnt wait. Across the entire, billions of people were glued to their screens, waiting for the announcement. The king and queen of Earth were having a childwhat could be more important than this?

    But the fame didnt make the almighty, so-called King of Earth any less worried. His heart was shaking like a leaf. It was an instinct stemming from deep inside his soul, something that he neither wanted nor could stop.

    Well, perhaps he could use his Dao to suppress these feelings, but who would do that?

    He was about to be a father.

    Harambe approached slowly. A big,zy smile was on his face, and he slung an enormous arm around Jacks shoulders. He then mimed that hed felt the same when his girl was about to give birth, but it would be okay. Being a father was great. Jack would love it.

    <em>Easy for you to say, big guy, </em>Jack thought but didnt speak the words.

    Since Alexander Petrovic wounded and humiliated Harambe, over three months had passed. The big broris body had healed, but his heart had not. Or, rather, it had changed. Harambe had mellowed. He remained strong and working out intensely, but hed lost some of his edge, some of the dominating strictness he used to possess.

    Perhaps it was not the injury, but the fact that his own son had avenged him, simultaneously iming the position of big bro. It was the natural way of life; the old gave way to the young. For Harambe, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. When he lost the position and responsibilities of being his packs big bro, he was finally able to enjoy life.

    He had transitioned from a strict father into a dotting grandfatherthough Brock was only a year old and childless.

    Jack had even spotted him feeding bananarms to various Bare Fist Brotherhood members.

    As disheartening as this change sounded, Jack enjoyed it. It brought him pride. The only reason Harambe could rx was because there was no danger afoot. The Animal Kingdom was gone. The was far outside System space. Jack was so overwhelmingly strong that any threat would disappear the moment it reared its head.

    Finally, Earth was safe.

    Jack looked to the sky and took a deep breath. The Fist inside him pulsed. The air hugged him, and the Dao cried out in joy.

    He had protected his home, family, and friendswhat better way to honor the Dao of the Fist?

    It wasnt just Harambe. In the three months since the was moved outside System space, peace had finally returned. The Ice Peak had been dismantled. Any remaining Animal Kingdom members had been captured and isted, and they would be slowly given a chance to integrate into society. Earth had entered an era of endless prosperity, where cultivators used their gifts to advance the world instead of ruining it. Already, food was aplenty, and many of the worlds problems had been resolved.

    Under the rule of Jack and the Bare Fist Brotherhood, everything was as great as it could be.

    Edgar had retired to the mountains and begun constructing a magical academy; a literal castle on a hill, filled with magical artifacts of his creation. Though he could no longer advance in cultivation after breaking his deal with the echidna devil, the power he already possessed was more than enough for mundane applications.

    The professor had taken over the administration of the entire Earth on Jacks behalf, doing a ster job.

    Sparman had recovered from his various injuries. After the war was over, many artificers and engineers of Earth had pooled their forces to repair him, making him as good as newthough his sarcastic wits remained unaffected. He had epted the job of teachingbat at Edgars still-under-construction academy.

    Gan Salin and Nauja had moved into two little houses on a hill near the Forest of the Strong, splitting their days between cultivating and resting. They wouldnt stay here foreverafter all, Nauja had abandoned her tribe to experience the wider world. However, they had decided to wait until Jacks child was born.

    Vanderdecken was the star of the, the second most famous person after Jack himself, and Brother Tao had gone on to found many monasteries teaching martial mastery and buddhism. How his faith remained unchanged after meeting the System, no one knew.

    Though, perhaps there was a hint of truth to it. Jack still remembered Chuto, the jovial fat guy he met in Trial, whose powers resembled very closely the Buddha of Earth.

    In these three months, Jack himself had also settled down, enjoying life as he stabilized his cultivation. The Sage was right. To reach the peak D-Grade in such a short time, he had advanced way too fast. He needed to slow down before he could advance againat ever greater speeds. Moreover, the weird world inside his Dao Treethe one with the monstrous, snorting turtlehad never opened its door again for him. He didnt know when it would happen, or how to force it open, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    Therefore, he rxed. He and Vivi had not married, but they did spend a lot of time together. They became a couple, not just because they would soon have a baby together, but also because they liked and respected each other.

    The only one who kept cultivating at full speed was Brock. He spent most of these three months in the D-Grade dungeons of Earth, conquering them one-by-one.

    There were ten D-Grade dungeons on Earth. After Jack had cleared out the one in Antarctica, where he hid before his final battle against the overseer, nine remained. Brock had conquered five of them. Hed traveled to the peak of Mount Everest, to the depths of the Marianna Trench, inside active volcanoes, and even on the clouds themselves. The spirit of brohood followed him everywhere. He didnt just conquer dungeons; he assimted many of their denizens into the bro army. Now, Earth wasnt just protected by Jack, Brock, Dordok, and the Sagethe only D-Grades on thebut also by literal armies of D-Grade creatures ranging from fire elementals to cloud giants.

    It was a shame theyd run out of enemies.

    The only unknown variable still in y was the sole C-Grade dungeon of Earth, which remained undiscovered. Jack had people searching everywhere, but nobody found it. Where it could be, he had no idea. On the bright side, even if he found it, there was nothing he could do about it yet. He was only at the peak of the D-Grade; though he could fight weak C-Grades, he couldnt advance any more without breaking through, so conquering that dungeon was out of the question.

    After traveling and fighting ceaselessly for three months, Brock had increased his cultivation to the middle D-Grade. For the first time, he was actually approaching Jack. The two had even sparred once, and the brori could take a few moves. Until Jack broke through, the more time that passed, the more Brock would approach him in strength.

    <em>How far hese </em>Jack thought, looking over at Brock with pride. <em>We are finally real brothers now. Equals. Standing side by side. Hes the only one that can keep up with meI cant wait to adventure together.</em>

    Thinking to that point, Jack opened his status screen. Looking at it was a habit by now, a calming one. It helped take his mind off theing baby.

    <strong><em>ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.</em></strong>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 249</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 1760</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1760</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1755</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 200</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Space Walk III, Neutron Star Body II, Brutalizing Aura II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    The System hadnt forgotten that something was wrong with himthe Life Dropbut at least it was kind enough to keep disying his stats. Perhaps this was its way of maintaining contact so he could be caughtter.

    Fortunately, it seemed that the Sage was right. The System had no way to locate him outside System space. Otherwise, three months was ample time for the Hand of God agents to arrive; and the person who had protected them before, the Head Envoy of the ck Hole Churchthe mischievous-looking Heavenly Spoon Sovereignwas long gone.

    Jack would need to leave soon, too. Though Earth was safe, the universe kept moving. He didnt want to spend the rest of his life here. He wanted to visit the ck Hole Church, cultivate amongst peers, face trials and challenges, and reach the apex of strength. A fist could rest, but it could never stop.

    He would wait a bit, though. His child would be born first. He would spend a little time with it, and only then would he depart for the wider world yet again.

    He didnt know which of the two he looked forward to the most.

    The answer gave itself. The closed door swung open, and Jack frozepletely as he watched Vivi step out, covered in a white towel. Half his mind focused on her long, dark legs and bright smile. The other half went to her arms, which were gently wrapped around arge ball of fabric.

    The professor and the Sage followed behind Vivi, each sporting a wide smile, but nobody even nced at them.

    Well, what is it? Gan Salin asked, seeing that Jack was tongue-tied. A boy or a girl?

    Both! Vivi replied, opening her arms a bit to reveal that she was holding onto two little forms, not one. Her smile widened further. Its twins!

    Jack looked at his own children, the continuators of his bloodline, and his heart was filled with love, overflowing with joy. Heughed out loud, a booming, manly sound. My children are here! he shouted. Celebrate, everyone; today is a day we must remember!

 Chapter 325: The Calm Before the Storm

    Chapter 325: The Calm Before the Storm

    .r6e942bac5e8d43a98adc4977aa1152d1{ disy: none; }

    If someone imed that the Animal Kingdom was upset about everything that transpired, it would be a gross understatement.

    The Kingdoms upper echelon hadnt been busier in millennia. Every capable cultivator was recalled, every deacon was summoned. Hell was emptied. The Kingdoms capital was weakened. It was all hands on deck, because Jack Rust had raised a storm that could give even the Faction Master nightmares.

    I dont care what you have to do, project an image of power! were his orders, and the Grand Elder did his utmost to obey.

    Overnight, shipments of strong cultivators were distributed across the Animal Kingdom constetion. The Kingdoms various strongholds were reinforced, and their experts picked fights against smaller factions over any excuse, stomping them into the ground to prove their superiority.

    This was the only way the Kingdom knew to project their power. And every other time, it had worked. But not this time. Jack had set fire to the hearts of the oppressed cultivators. What the hell! He was just a single man! If he had the guts to defy the Animal Kingdom, so did they!

    The Kingdoms forceful reminder had the opposite effect of what they expected. If they beat down one group, another rose to take its ce. For every fire they put out, three new ones were lit! Rebellious undercurrents flowed all across the constetion, and though nothing big had happened yet, it was only a matter of time.

    For now, the disgruntled cultivators resisted the only way they could. They took on the mantle of pirates, hiding in the vastness of space and striking from the shadows. Thousands of starships dyed themselves ck and flew into the deep reaches of space, boarded by rebels with burning hearts.

    From now on, this period of time would be known as the Great Pirate Era.

    Running a constetion of thousands ofs was a tremendous undertaking. It didnt matter that the Kingdom was stronger than the entire rest of the constetion put together. A single wrong variable, a single misjudgement, and everything woulde crashing down on their heads. Every dissatisfied force on the inside and every rival faction on the outside would pounce like starving beasts at the first sign of weakness, and Jack had given them exactly thatmultiple times.

    The Animal Kingdom constetion was crumbling, and the Kingdoms higher-ups knew it. They couldnt step down or take soft measures. Their only option was to double down on their tyranny and push even harder, hoping for the best.

    Capture Jack Rust! another order came down from above. Find him, no matter what you have to do. We must use him to extinguish the mes of revolution. For our pride and survivalwe must kill him!

    ***

    Jack himself was oblivious to the effects his actions had on the entire gxythough he did hold some suspicions.

    For now, he remained isted and peaceful on Earth, in a ce of the gxy far away from System space. Due to their location, certain System functions didnt work, rendering them unable tomunicate with the wider gxy.

    Most people didnt mind. The only ones who did were ArTazul and ArKarvahul, the two djinn merchants who wanted to be rich by broadcasting Jacks battle against theary overseer across the gxy. Though they had seeded, they had forgotten about this tiny detail. Now, their wealth had umted to tens of millions of credits, but they werepletely unable to spend it.

    Damn it! Tazul eximed, fuming from the ears. This is unfair!

    It was all for nothing, all of that for nothing! Karvahul shouted back. I wanted to buy a brothel!

    But, cant you do that on Earth, cousin?

    Oh, right.

    A merchants appetite for gold knew no limits!

    As for Jack himself, he was untouched by anything. On top of a mountain near the Forest of the Strong, there was a small butfortable mansion, enjoying both privacy and a great view. The living room was framed by a ss wall that overlooked the forest underneath, while a lit firece dominated the other side of the room. The mes danced gracefully, shedding a flickering light on the small couch before them, where a man and a woman sat together.

    Jack passed his arm around Vivis shoulders, holding both her and their two children. They were tiny; two little humans, barely a few months old, with wide eyes and tiny hands that liked to hug Vivis fingers.

    The boy was named Eric Eragorn Rust, after Jacks adopted father. The girl was named Ebele Eragorn Rust, honoring Vivis African roots. Ebele meant kindness and mercy; the qualities that Jack and Vivi wished both their children would inherit.

    Isnt it weird that theyre so small? Jack asked in a soft voice, his attention lost in the mes.

    There is nothing weird about our children. Theyre lovely.

    They can be both, Jack replied. Viviughed, but she had to stop when Jack nted a kiss on her lips.

    I dont want them to be weird, she added in a hesitant voice. I want them to be strong and unique. To be epted.

    Hmm. I guess youre right. Their tiny size is so exceptional, so extraordinary. They are like little marbles.

    Sheughed again, and Jack joined her this time. It was already March; another three months had passed since the childrens birth, and Jack with Vivi had grown even more used to each others presence. They enjoyed it deeply. Both bore their own sets of scars, but especially because of that, they could understand each other.

    Jack adored Vivis love for her people, her wild side that led the battle from the front, her fiery speeches and caring actions. Vivi admired his strength and resolve, his unyielding attitude, his bravery and wisdom.

    They were two peas in a pod.

    But, as it always happened, life was moreplicated than that.

    I would love to watch them grow, Jack said, looking at the twin babies.

    You will, Vivi reassured him. Justwith breaks.

    Its not the same Jack sighed, his words holding sadness.

    I know you have to go, Viviforted him, grabbing his hands in hers. She did not mind the scars they bore or the blood that had once adorned them. I understand. They will, too. I will tell them tales of their father, of your bravery and achievements. Even if you cannot be here in person, I will make sure they think about you.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it.

    Jack sighed again, but he did not respond. He really would have loved to spend a few decades here, in peace and quiet, but it was impossible. He owed it to the ck Hole Church to join them. And, even if he didnt, his burning heart would never let him rest. Already, these six months were a stretch. His cultivation was mostly stabilized. He felt the itch to fight, to better himself again. To challenge the world. Every day, that itch grew stronger, until he had to go.

    I will visit often, he promised.

    You should, Vivi replied, nting a kiss on his cheek. Jack smiled.

    Suddenly came a knock on the door. Oh! Vivi eximed, switching to a slightly more dignified posture. Did theye on time? Thats a first.

    Let me check, Jack replied withughter, heading for the door of the room. Hello?

    Who is it? came a voice from the other side.

    Jacks brain short-circuited. Uh Its Jack, he replied, then pressed his eyes shut in frustration as muffledughter came from behind the door. Damn you and your tricks, Salin! he eximed.

    The door swung open, revealing Gan Salin and Nauja, each of whom wereughing out loud. From behind Jack, so was Vivi. Its Jack, Salin said in a mocking tone, thenughed harder. How did you fall for that, man?

    Yeah, yeah, make fun of me all you want. Ill shut the door in your face next time.

    Salinughed again, then replied, Sorry, I couldnt help myself. The mind goblins made me do it.

    Mind goblins?

    Mind gobblin deez nu

    Salin! Nauja cut him off, rolling her eyes in exasperation. Sorry guys, the Earth culture has gotten to him.

    Jackughed again, as did everyone. Hanging out with these two was never boring.

    Come in, he said, opening the door wider and stepping aside.

    Thanks! We brought wine!

    And the days passed like that. For the first time since the System arrived, Jack was not in constant danger. No enemies came to assault his family, no disaster struck the, no clock was ticking. They were just floating in a vacuum, isted in a corner of the gxy, alone and at peace. Life was good.

    But one day arrived, and Jack was outside the front door, dressed in full cultivator attire. Vivi looked at him from inside, various feelings ying in her eyes. Cant you wait a little more?

    You know I cant. Its already been too long. The Sage is pressuring me, Brock ran out of dungeons, and my heart He smiled at her, the wild, witty, radiant smile that had first charmed her at the Integration Tournament. My heart calls for me to go.

    I understand, she replied. Just be careful, okay?

    Ill try my best, he promised. When I get to the ck Hole Church, no going after trouble. I will just mind my own business and get stronger at afortable pace.

    She nodded, satisfied. Then, she reached out and pecked at his lips. Have fun, she told him.

    Thanks.

    Their gazes said everything their mouths did not. He was strong, but so was she. This was a family of cultivators. Risking their lives was a normal urrence.

    Grow strong, little ones, Jack said, bowing down to kiss both babies on the forehead. Their eyes, wide with wonder, reached straight into his heart and tried to bind it. Still, he only smiled bittersweetly; if he was a man who stayed here forever, he would not be their father.

    See you, Vivi, he said, rising to his full height again. Take care.

    You too, she replied.

    Jack turned around, walked a few steps, then took to the air. As he did, his entire countenance changed. Things that had long slept awakened. His eyes hardened, his aura deepened, his robes fluttered. A heavy presence nketed the surroundingnds, making every cultivator and spirit beast raise their heads.

    The King had returned. Jack Rust, the Cosmic Fist, had awakened.

    Jack did not look back. He flew down the mountain to the Forest of the Strong andnded inside it. The Sage waited there, along with Brock. The professor was also present, though just to say goodbye.

    Wee, my friend, the Sage said cheerfully. Are you ready for exciting new adventures and a little bit of war?

    I was born ready, Jack replied, sping hands with Brock. Sup, brother?

    Hello, Big Bro, Brock replied. His hand felt strong to the touch. While Jack rxed, Brock had never stopped training; hed swept eight D-Grade dungeons clean. His strength had already reached thete D-Grade, and his perfect foundation made him at least as strong as most peak D-Grades.

    An odd building stood beside them, smack dub in the center of the forest clearing, right next to the Clear Pond that Jack had wrestled away from the Rock Bear so long ago. It resembled arge purple oven, like most other teleporters, except its aura shimmered with hints of ck. It was also muchrger than others.

    Jack, the professor said, approaching with steady steps. Please be safe, okay? And send word often. Dont make me worry too much again.

    I will do my best, Jack replied, wrapping her into a tight hug. I will miss you.

    So will I, Jack.

    The professor then also bid goodbye to Brock and the Sage. Jack looked to the distance. He had visited Edgar a few days ago, and Gan Salin with Nauja had already left Earth to travel the gxy. Dordok was cultivating, and Sparman was preparing to teachbat at Edgars academy.

    Everything had taken its path. There was nothing left to do. He couldnt leave the in a better state.

    We can go, he said. Both Brock and the Sage nodded, then moved inside the teleporter and waited. Jack was thest to enter. See you soon, he whispered to the wind, then waved goodbye to the professor, who had tears in her eyes.

    Purple light flickered, then erupted as a flood. Space ruptured and sucked them in. The Earth disappeared, reced by endless stars.

    They were headed to the ck Hole Church, one of the strongest forces in the universe. A whole new chapter was beginning.

 Chapter 326: The Sea Between Galaxies

    Chapter 326: The Sea Between Gxies

    Jack, Brock, and the Sage shuttled through space. It was like they both were and werent there, passing through entire stars without feeling anything. They were like ghosts.

    The interspace, the Sage exined unprompted, his yellow teeth shining. The space between space. The deeper into it a teleporter can push us, the faster we move in rtion to regr space.

    How deep are we now? Jack asked.

    Normal teleporters go around five to sevenyers deep. This one The Sage smiled with pride. Up to fourteen!

    ...That doesnt sound like a lot.

    Its exponential. Your ten-mile range teleportation is oneyer deep. A regr teleporter can pierce through fiveyers of space, and that is enough to get you ten light years away in a few minutes. See the difference?

    Jack sucked in a cold breath. Hed never considered it like that before. So why do we need fourteen? he asked. Isnt it overkill?

    Youll see.

    The stars zoomed past them. Now that Jack paid closer attention, he could see that the speed at which they crossed space was vastly superior to regr teleporters. Even therge teleporter that had once transported him and Brock to Trial moved at a turtles pacepared to this. Brock was looking around in silent approval, admiring the view.

    Soon, however, they noticed something peculiar. The stars around them were thinning. Up ahead, endless darkness took up an increasinglyrge part of their horizon.

    Are we Jack began, but he didnt need to finish the question.

    Yes, the Sage replied.

    They shot out of the gxy.

    Jack could see it clearly now. A beautiful expanse of stars, vaster than anything his mind could fabricate. Even a tiny part of this colossal ce would require millions of years to cross with a normal starship.

    But the stars The stars were endless. They stretched and stretched. As Jack and Brock flew farther away from their home gxy, millions and billions of stars filled their view, their different colors finallybining into a single, blue radiance. The gctic spire appeared, then another. After a few minutes, the entire gxy was visible, a swirling mass of light.

    And Jack was pulled away from it. Into the endless darkness, a void sorge it defiedprehension. Even this massively gigantic gxy was just a drop of water in the ocean.

    There were always taller mountains, always greater talents. That was a saying Jack had heard many times in the cultivation world, but only now did he truly grasp its truth. The world was so vast. His current strength was nothing, absolutely nothing. And suddenly, he had the feeling that, before such vastness, no matter how much strength he attained, he would never amount to anything more than a grain of sand.

    The gxy was growing smaller in their sights. They had left it far behind now, and darkness was overtaking their vision. They were plunging into an abyss. Though the coldness of space couldnt reach them here, Jack still felt a shiver down his soul, a reminder of his own mortality.

    At least he had the Dao. And, besides thathe had Brock.

    A warm smile spread over his face as he turned to regard his little brother. What do you think, Brock?

    Brock cupped his chin in thought, then nodded. Very big. More big than my biceps.

    It is, yeah Jack shook his head. Various memories passed through his mind. He saw Brock as a tiny little brori, so small he could stand on Jacks shoulders. Back then, he used to growl and throw poop at any threats. Now, he was ate D-Grade immortal beast with the power to smash mountains and convert even gods to broism.

    They were brothers now, standing on the same stage.

    Jack then turned to the Sage, who was staring the other way. His gaze was piercing into the world-ending darkness, the endless, empty sea between gxies. Giant beasts the size of stars could be hiding here, and Jack would be none the wiser.

    Where exactly are we headed, Sage? he asked.

    The Sage looked back, and Jack caught a hint of warmth in his eyes before it disappeared. This is the empty space between gxies, he exined. It is sorge it defiesprehension. Gxies are grains of sand in its ocean.

    I gathered that much, yeah.

    Our current destination is a ck hole lost in this empty space. It is not near any gxy; a founder of the Church discovered it identally once, then used it as the factions headquarters. Finding it without knowing its exact location is impossiblethats why weve been able to remain hidden for so long.

    Jack whistled. But what was your founder doing out here?

    A-Grades can travel between gxies. They often do, either to search for resources or just to retire in undiscovered ces where nobody will ever find them. There are even some who, as they approach the end of their lifespan, fly out into the void and try to reach the ends of the universe.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Did anyone ever manage it?

    Nobody returned. The Sage shook his head. But, dont dream too big. Even B-Grades can only dream of crossing this empty space. If they tried, it would take half their lifespan just to reach the nearest gxy.

    Every word the Sage said birthed more questions in Jacks mind. How long do A-Grades live for? was the one he chose to ask.

    Around a million years. B-Grades live up to a hundred thousand, C-Grades to ten thousand, and D-Grades to a thousand, as Im sure you already know.

    Jack shook his head again. A million years The entirety of recorded human history was around ten thousand years. A-Grades could live a hundred times that much. To them, history was just a slightly longer meditation session.

    The only truly immortal beings, the Sage continued, are the Old Godsand the Immortals. The robots that destroyed the Ancients. Thats where they got their name.

    So nobody can escape mortality.

    Not unless you be a God.

    Is that possible?

    Of course not. The Sageughed. And if it was, it wouldnt be your prize to im, my friend. Focus on reaching the C-Grade for now. There is a long road ahead of you.

    Jack nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. Brock, who hadnt spoken much, had also heard the Sages words, and he shared Jacks thoughts. Both of them felt their horizons broaden. They were leaving their gxy and entering a greater stage. There were people here who could live for a million years, treats like toys, and freely travel between gxies.

    It really was a brand new world. The Animal Kingdom suddenly seemed so tiny.

    Wait, Jack suddenly snapped to attention. Did you say were going into a ck hole?

    I said were going <em>to </em>a ck hole.

    Sage?

    Yeah?

    I have a bad feeling.

    Dont worry. Its all going to be okay.

    Jack was not cated by the Sages nonchnce. Right then, the Sage raised his head. Were here, he said. Prepare yourselves.

    Jack looked ahead, into the endless, spotless darkness. I dont see any

    A terrifying force of gravity pulled at him. He instantly felt elongated. His body, which was hard enough to endure a falling mountain, cracked and creaked. Brock groaned. Jack endured the pain and forced his eyes open, catching glimpses of something ahead of them.

    That <em>something</em> was as dark as its surroundings, but the gxies behind it suddenly seemed warped, as if falling into a dark sphere. Jack felt terror grip his soul. This was a ck hole. The most destructive object in the universe. And he was falling into it. Even time lost its meaning, stretching and contorting without rhyme or reason.

    <em>Was this a trap? </em>was all he thought before time and space instantaneously solidified. Jack reeled like hed been pped in the face. The transition was too abrupt. He barely kept his stomach in check, while Brock couldnt take it and puked on the spot. As soon as he did, his stomach fluids fell towards the ground at extreme speed.

    There was a ground.

    Jack looked around. They were no longer moving. There was rock beneath their feet, twelve white columns around them, and endless darkness over their heads. No, it wasnt just darkness; to Jacks surprise, he could see gxies in this sky, so distant they seemed like stars. And they were moving. The entire sky was slowly but steadily rotating, as if time was flowing so fast that he could see the movement of stars in the night sky.

    It was both mesmerizing and terrifying. Jacks mind created images of his children growing old and dying before he could return to Earth, and despair gripped his heart.

    Rx, a calming voice reached his ears; the Sage. Time is still flowing properly. Were just spinning around the ck hole.

    Jack struggled to grasp this. Finally, he lowered his gaze, but he shouldnt havewhat awaited was just surprise after surprise, shock after shock. A few feet away from him, outside the perimeter of the twelve white columns, a man was sitting cross-legged. His eyes were closed, his robes were dark, and his body was so thin he could be called emaciated.

    Yet, the moment Jackid eyes on this man, he was instantly assaulted by a deep and heavy pressure. This man exuded a sensation of absolute power, as if his breathing was the Dao itself, as if his body was space and his will was time.

    Jack froze. A momentter, he regained himself and nodded deeply. Elder, he said, as superior cultivators were customarily referred to.

    The man did not reply, but the Sage nudged Jack. That is just an Envoy, not an Elder, he whispered.

    If the Envoy was insulted by the Sages words, he did not react.

    What? Jack muttered back.

    This is an Envoy. A B-Grade disciple of the ck Hole Church. The Elders are all in the A-Grade, and Im confident your mind would break if you saw one in person.

    Jack was reeling. This persons aura far outstripped anyone hed ever met. It felt like this man was made of the Dao itselfbut he wasnt even an Elder?

    Come on, get it together. Youre making me look bad, the Sage said, and Jack habitually restrained himself.

    Sorry, he said. I was just a bit shocked.

    Understandably. Dont worry, it happens to everyone the first time. Outside this ce, everyone at the D-Grade and above restrains their aura, so not many people have felt the real presence of a B-Grade before.

    I can understand why Jack replied numbly.

    Yeah. If a B-Grade released their aura on a random, every F-Grade nearby would drop dead. Here, however, the weakest people are at the D-Grade, so nobody needs to hide their presence. It also makes the Cathedral feel homely, like taking your shoes off after a long day at work.

    The Cathedral?

    This ce. The Cathedral, thats what we call it. Because we are a Church.

    Jack shook his head.

    Move to register, the cross-legged B-Grade said.

    Yes, Envoy, the Sage replied, then motioned sideways. Shall we?

    Jack made to move. Once he did, however, he realized that it was hard. Much harder than usual, like he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders. He frowned, then his brows rose in realization. Ah, he said. The gravity. Thats why Brocks puke fell so fast before.

    The Sage winked. Exactly. The gravity here is a thousand times stronger than on Earthits part of the reason why the weakest people around are D-Grades. It also makes for great training.

    Jack did not even reply, just shook his head in shock. <em>What monstrous ce did I dive into? </em>He then smiled. Suddenly, his fighting spirit was fully roused, and his lips formed a wild grin.

    <em>Perfect.</em>

 Chapter 327: The Cathedral

    Chapter 327: The Cathedral

    The capital of the ck Hole Church was named the Cathedral. It was a t piece ofnd spinning in orbit around a ck hole in the space between gxies, rendering it almost impossible to locate.

    The upper part of this piece ofnd was where everyone lived. The bottom part housed a colossal magic formation crafted by the Churchs A-Grade Elders. It was this formation that counteracted the ck holes gravitational pull, allowing the Cathedral to remain at a steady orbit. Naturally, the Cathedral orbited the ck hole in such a way that its bottom part was always facing the hole and the upper part always facing towards the outsidejust like the moon of Earth always showed its same side to humans.

    There was very little light on the Cathedral, the temperature was far below freezing, and there was no atmosphere. The only ones who could survive here were D-Grades and above, who could sustain themselves indefinitely on the ambient Dao. Another effect of the Cathedrals special location was vastly increased gravity, one thousand times stronger than on Earth. Due to that, even most D-Grades wouldnt be able to handle the pressure and would die soon after arriving.

    All in all, this was one of the roughest, most hostile inhabited ces in the universe. Only the strongest D-Gradesand abovecould survive.

    At present, Jack could endure the gravity. Brock was much worse. His back was hunched, his teeth were gritted, and sweat dripped down his forehead, sshing onto the ground below them like bullets.

    I can carry you, Jack offered with a bit of worry, but Brock shook his head.

    I can, he said. For now.

    Youll get used to it, the Sage said,forting them both. The body is a fascinating mechanism. It will slowly adjust to this gravity, especially if you keep increasing your strength. Consider this a type of intense work-out.

    <em>Work-out?</em>

    Brocks eyes shed. He gritted his teeth even harder to straighten his back, then set his jaw and started walking, one painful step at a time. After all, one of his Dao Roots was the Dao of Muscles. This ce forced him to work out 24-7. It was perfect!

    Jack shook his head, advancing with some difficulty. <em>Can I even fight here? </em>he wondered. The increased gravity strained his body, but that wasnt all. He could sense that the Dao was thicker here, like honey. Galvanizing it would be far more difficult than normal. Additionally, space was tightlypacted, making teleportation harder. It felt like hed walked into a higher-level world.

    The Sage spoke up. The difficulty of locating this ce is only one of the reasons the Church chose it. Another is the many benefits it offers. As you know, talented cultivators thrive in difficulty. Everything is harder to do here. It will be slow at first, but eventually, you will be forced to optimize the use of both your body and Dao. When you return to normalcy, you will be surprised at just how much you have improved.

    Jack nodded. He wasnt afraid of pain or difficulty. He just wanted to get stronger. Have you been here before, Sage? he asked.

    I have heard things.

    Mhm.

    As they walked, Jack raised his head to take a better look at this ce. It seemeddead. LIke the surface of the moon. The ground below them was gray stone, while the terrain was mostly t except for what seemed like natural stone obelisks rising from the ground. They were like exceptionally thin hills. Coupled with the constant rotation of the night sky, they gave this ce an astral, otherworldly feeling, as if Jack had stepped on apletely alienndscape.

    How fast are we spinning? he asked, watching the distant gxies move across the sky with speed visible to the naked eye.

    We circle the ck hole once every half hour, roughly. Given that were traveling along its ergosphere, which is a pretty wide radius, I can say with certainty that were moving very quickly.

    Jack raised a brow.

    The ck hole itself isnt spinning though, the Sage continued. Earth astronomers would call it a Schwarzschild ck hole. Cultivators are not obsessed with putting their name on things, but they use a more macabre term: a stillborn ck hole.

    What?

    I know, terrible.

    Jack blinked a few times as he digested this information. Back on Earth, he had some rudimentary understanding of popr physics concepts, but nowhere near enough to know about the different types of ck holes. He also didnt care very much.

    You seem to know a lot about this ce, hemented. I thought you had only heard some things about it.

    Aha! But, you see, Im also a Sage. Knowing stuff is my job.

    Jack threw the Sage a deep nce but didnt press further. By now, they had walked out of the teleporter and towards what seemed like a vige. The houses here were made of white stone, easily distinguishable in the dark gray background. The sky was ck, the ground gray, the buildings white, and thendscape alien. There was a certain aesthetic here.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    In the distance, a white obelisk was barely visible, with what seemed like rows of names engraved into it, but Jack couldnt take a good look from this distance.

    As for the houses before him, however, he could clearly see that they had the dimensions of normal vige cabins. It was hard to imagine almighty C-Grades living so modestly.

    I guess its time to exin how things work around here, the Sage said as they approached. Jacks ears perked up, and even Brock, who was struggling step after step, nced over. The Sage coughed in his hand, then started speaking.

    The ck Hole Church is one of the foremost forces in the universe. Its only rival is the Hand of God. These two factions are at thete A-Grade, and they lord over the rest of the universe. Compared to them, the B-Grade factions youre used to dealing with are nothing but ants.

    Naturally, the ck Hole Church has extremely high standards for its disciples. Everyone at the D-Grade and below is only considered an assistant. To be a real disciple of the Church, the minimum cultivation required is at the C-Grade, but that is not all. Over ny percent of C-Grades are unworthy. The Church invests in quality, not quantity, so we only ept the most talented, most outstanding cultivators of the C-Grade. These C-Grades are the Churchs outer disciples. The inner disciplesalso called Envoysare all B-Grades. A-Grades are Elders.

    Jack felt like the Sage had taken a sledgehammer and used it to smash his current understanding of the world into smithereens.

    C-Grades were just barely worthy of being outer disciples? B-Grades, those peak existences, were only inner disciples?

    What the hell!?

    Back in Jacks gxy, C-Grades were renowned Elders of the B-Grade factions. They basically ran the entire gxy. They could destroy continents with a single blow!

    And B-Grades were even worse! They were existences so high and mighty that, besides the Head Envoy that had appeared once, Jack hadnt met any of them. They werepletely apex cultivators who could ignore the world to focus on their Dao. They were like gods. They could breaks!

    Yet, to the ck Hole Church, B-Grades were only inner disciples

    Back in the Exploding Sun, the outer disciples were E-Grades, the inner disciples were D-Grades, and C-Grades were worthy of being Elders. This ck Hole Church was two entire Grades stronger!

    What sort of concept was this?

    I can sense you are a bit confused, said the Sage. It is understandable. Compared to our gxys standards of strength, what I am describing must seem extreme, but you have to remember that our gxy is a rtively new addition to System space. Older gxies have more resources, better cultivation methods, higherpetition, and more time to develop. Besides our Milky Way, every other gxy has at least one A-Grade faction, and the standards of strength are much higher. The ck Hole Church pulls its disciples from the cream of the crop of the universes seventy-two gxies, excluding ours. It is only natural that it possesses such extreme power.

    By the side, Brocks eyes shed with excitement.

    Jack shook his head. This was too much to take in. He thought he was close to the top of the world, but as it turned out, he wasnt even qualified to be an outer disciple of the ck Hole Church

    Wait, he suddenly eximed. Im still at the D-Grade. How will I be a disciple here?

    The Sageughed. Rules are made to be broken. While the Church generally epts C-Grades as its outer disciples, you are sufficiently talented. An exception will be made for you.

    Oh.

    Jack didnt know whether tough or cry. He had been the first person in gctic history to conquer Trial. He had formed a perfect foundation, had ingested the Life Drop, had ovee heavenly tribtion, and then had used his own strength to repeatedly humiliate a B-Grade faction. Eventually, he had even defeated a middle C-Grade while only at the peak of the D-Grade himself. He had made historyand all that was barely enough to be epted as an outer disciple.

    It really put his ce in the world into perspective.

    Come on, dont pull yourself down, the Sage said. Being here is a huge honor. This is the highest stage possible, where you canpete against the greatest talents of the universe, and you were even invited here <em>before </em>you reached the C-Grade. In the entire history of the universe, that is not too shabby at all!

    I guess youre right, Jack replied, scratching his chin. His heart was strong, after all. He looked over the vige of white stone again, considering things. I guess this is where outer disciples live?

    Precisely. This is the fourth vige of the Cathedral. There are another eleven, but I am highly confident your residence will be in this one.

    Oh? Then, how many outer disciples are there?

    Around a thousand. Well, a thousand active ones, he added quickly, noticing Jacks surprised gaze. We also have many allies across the universe. Our disciples are the distilled talent of the Churchs forces.

    Jack nodded. A thousand outer disciples That wasnt too many. Even the Exploding Sun had twenty thousand D-Grades and a million E-Grades. The Church really did invest in quality.

    On the other hand, this meant that thepetition here would be much fiercer than usual. A thousand people out of the entire gxy Jack may have been an extreme talent, but so was everyone else!

    It really made him excited.

    And? he asked, eager to get into things. How does this faction work? What do I need to know?

    Just one thing. The Sages face suddenly fell a little, bing apprehensive. The ck Hole Church is an extremelypetitive ce. If you had in mind free benefits, you can forget about it. Here, everything depends on your own ability.

    Jack and Brock raised their brows at the same time. This sounded right up their alley.

    See that huge thing? the Sage said, pointing in the distance. His finger led directly to the huge obelisk Jack had noticed, the one with rows of names on it. That is the ranking obelisk. Here, every C-Grade disciple is ranked, and the benefits you get depend almost entirely on your ranking. If you fall too low, you get nothing, but if youre high up, you get so many opportunities that your jaw will drop!

    Jack stared at the obelisk again. Taking a better look, he could see that in therge row of names, each had a number next to it. The topmost line read 1, Min Ling, and thest read 997, Duke Belzon.

    How does that work? he asked.

    Ill show youter. Its a magic formation. For now, shall we proceed to the Envoys office? We need to register your arrival.

    Jacks blood was already boiling. He cast another nce at the ranking obelisk, then turned back to the Sage and nodded. There wont be any problems because of my Grade, right?

    Not at all. Actually, theyre waiting for you.

 Chapter 328: A Mistake?

    Chapter 328: A Mistake?

    Jack, Brock, and the Sage walked through the vige of white obsidian cabins. Each was small, barelyrge enough for two rooms, and they also seemed empty. The windows were shut, and no sound came from inside.

    However, the moment Jack set foot into the vige, he was instantly overtaken by a feeling of immense dread. In his Dao perception, every single cabin overflowed with power. The invisible energy around them was thrumming and pulsing, getting torn apart as each cabin pulledrge chunks of Dao inside it.

    Each cabin held a powerhouse, an unusually strong C-Grade. The weakest people present had to be around theary overseers level, and there were dozens of them. Thebined pressure could easily force Jack to the ground. His only saving grace was that these monstrous auras did not work together, nor did they care about him. When the initial shock wore off, he realized that these people were just cultivating in silence.

    Jack couldnt quench his burning heart. This was a true gathering of elites, and he was about to be a part of it.

    Bro, a voice came from behind him. Turning to look, Jack found Brock still standing, but on shaky legs and sweating bullets.

    Are you okay, Brock?

    Must rest.

    Jack nodded. With Brocks proud mindset, he wouldnt admit this if he wasnt about to pass out. Lets sit over there for a while, he said, pointing to a random stone on the ground. They could also lean against the walls of a cabin, but that might insult the expert inside; or, Jack could carry Brock, but the proud brori would hate that.

    Brocks strength relied on his Dao, not so much his body. After all, he didnt have ess to the System, so he didnt possess all the titles that Jack did. Purely stat-wise, he had roughly half of Jacks stats.

    You can use your Dao to resist the pressure, the Sage spoke up, drawing the surprised looks of both Jack and Brock. He raised a brow. Why are you both looking at me like that? Did you think that I, a Mental cultivator, was resisting it so far with my body alone? Gravity is just another Dao. Of course you can use your own to weaken it.

    Jack and Brock nced at each other. They hadnt considered that. When a cultivator developed their Dao Tree and reached the D-Grade, they were no longer affected by minor forces like the gravity of a regr. It wasnt that they consciously fought it off, more that such minor forces were repelled by their mere presence.

    However, when gravity increased a thousandfold, that naturally stopped being the case.

    Jack experimented. He released a little bit of his aura so as not to disturb the cultivators in the cabins around them. As he focused on the space around him, he found it curved, like he was standing on a slope with strong currents pulling him downward. By assimting the surrounding Dao into his own, as all D-Grades could do, the pull lessened significantly. Jack eximed in joy. Though he still felt suppressed, it was much lesspared to before.

    However, the strain on his Dao was significant. Continuously resisting gravity used up roughly thirty percent of his power, and that was just to decrease its pull by half.

    Jack whistled. This ce is not joking around.

    Tell me about it, the Sage replied bitterly. More than half my Dao is spent just surviving. Physical cultivators really have an advantage here.

    Jack couldnt help a small smile. Every branch of cultivators had their own advantages, but when it came to resisting the physical world, Physical cultivators were naturally superior.

    Got it, Brock said. His forehead remained creased, but he now seemed to stand more easily. His legs were no longer shaking.

    Can you keep it up, Brock? Jack asked.

    Yes.

    Jack shrugged. Given his Dao, Brock had probably taught gravity that pulling on its bros wasnt cool.

    The three of them continued through the vige, finally running into the first other cultivators here. A man and a woman walked together, each seemingly unfettered by the extreme gravity. The man was sharp-eyed, dressed in white and carrying a dark de on his hip.

    However, the most impressive of the two was the woman. She was stunningly beautiful. Her waist was slender, her face pristine and symmetrical, her body toned in all the right ces. Jack didnt look any more out of respect for both of them, and also himself, but she was certainly one of the prettiest women hed ever met.

    Hello, he said. My name is Jack, and these are Brock and the Sage.

    Markus William, replied the man, frowning in their direction. You are weak. What are you doing here?

    Jack stared back. The Church invited me to be an outer disciple, he replied, suddenly disinclined to give them any more information.

    A peak D-Grade outer disciple? the woman said, her expression showing clear disdain. Has the Church be desperate? Or are you the son of a higher-up?

    Jack here is an extreme talent, the Sage cut in, sensing Jacks bad mood. He was invited on the basis of his achievements, as was I. And I would suggest watching your words. A disciple should not insult the hand feeding them; if an Envoy heard your disrespectful words, you would be punished severely.

    Hmph. I only speak the truth. If a faction lowers their standards, they are lowering themselves.

    Brock raised his proud head. The only low here is you, he replied. The womans brows rose like half-moons, while the man frowned deeply. A hint of his aura seeped out. Jack felt an irresistible power enveloping him, like a cold knife pressed against his Adams apple.

    <em>Strong! </em>he realized. This man was vastly stronger than theary overseer or Jack himself. There was no way to use the Systems inspection outside System space, so Jack couldnt determine the mans level, but he had to be at least ate C-Grade, maybe even a peak one! His aura alone felt like the overseers fully-released Dao Domain.

    This was an opponent he absolutely couldnt defeat right now. However, that didnt mean Jack would cower away. He stared at the man, as did Brock. If any of them feared death, they wouldnt have reached these heights.

    Besides, there was no way the disciples of the Church were allowed to just ughter each other over a tiny argument.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    If you n to do something, do it, Jack said. If not, stop wasting our time.

    Seeing their reactions, the woman snorted, while the manughed coldly. His aura was retracted, and they both kept walking, no longer shooting Jack another nce. Good luck, kids, the man said. Try not to die by standing too long.

    Jacks gaze burned their backs until they turned a corner and disappeared. Brock shook his head. Not cool, he said, while Jack turned to the Sage.

    Who were they?

    I dont know them personally. The man must have been a high-ranker, but the woman felt much weaker. She cant be higher than an early C-Grade.

    Was that normal? Is that how people act here?

    This time, the Sage thought about it before replying. At the C-Grade, everyone has already embraced their Dao, so every cultivator has their own personality. Some are kind and respectful; others are brash and barbaric. This couple must have been thetter kind. But, in any case, dont take it to heart. We are still weak, so it is natural that we dontmand the respect of others. In a few years, when you realize your potential and climb to a good rank, nobody will dare treat you like that.

    Jack thought about it, then nodded. Without power, we are nothing. With power, we are gods. The truth of the cultivation world.

    The truth of every world. Now; shall we?

    They continued on their journey, passing through the vige without meeting anyone else. Eventually, they made their way to arger cabin with an open door. As they stepped inside, Jack noticed stacks of paper neatly organized on bookshelves across the walls, while a desk was situated at the far end of the room. Of course, neither the paper, nor the bookshelves, nor the desk were ordinary. They were made of special and extremely durable materialsotherwise, the extreme gravity would have pulverized them.

    A woman sat behind the desk. Her dark hair was made into braids, but besides that, she seemed to be of a species between humans and lizards. Her skin was covered by dark green scales, her head connected directly to her torso without passing through a neck, her eyes had thin vertical slits, and her hands ended in sharp ws. The only reason Jack knew she was a woman was due to reading her aura.

    Said aura, of course, towered to the heavens. This was another B-Grade. Working an office job.

    <em>What a day </em>Jack thought, already numb to this. Greetings, Envoy, he said. I am here to register as an outer disciple.

    The lizard woman raised her gaze and took him in. A forked tongue slipped out of her mouth, then back inside. Jack Rust, she said in a normal-sounding voice. Peak D-Grade, Dao of the Fist, perfect foundation.

    You read all that in my aura?

    I read it in your file, she said, raising a sheet of paper that contained his face and details. We were expecting you. Wee to the ck Hole Church.

    Uh Thank you.

    It was so weird speaking to a world-ending alien like she worked at the neighborhood public office. The best Jack could do was remain as respectful as possibleafter all, she could end him with a single finger.

    Your residence is the cabin 425. Your spiritualpanion can live with you. As for your friend

    She took a look at the Sage, who simply shrugged and said, Im not a disciple. Just a guest.

    Very well. I recognize you, too. You should already know your residence number.

    I do.

    Would it kill you to stop being mysterious for a moment? Jack asked, to which the Sageughed.

    She started it!

    Jacks face went pale. That was no way to speak around a B-Gradebut the lizard woman didnt seem to mind.

    As an outer disciple, you will receive one Dao stone per universal year. Additional benefits can be earned as you climb the ranking obelisk, with the first threshold being at the ranking of 950. New disciples start at the bottom, which is currently rank 997. She opened a drawer and fished a small crystal the size of Jacks thumb, then tossed it at him. Do you have any questions?

    He had. Many of them. For example, he wanted to know what was a Dao stone and what other benefits were avable. However, he didnt want to bug this B-Grade too much and risk getting wiped out of existence. In the end, he settled for asking, If you can spare the time to answer, how does one achieve a higher ranking?

    The Church possesses a formation called the Ceaseless Murder Globe. In there, you battle phantasmal enemies of increasing strength and gather points based on how many you can defeat. Your ranking is determined based on your number of pointspared to everyone else. However, I would not rmend visiting the Globe yet. Even the weakest enemies it contains are at the C-Grade. Your current cultivation is far from sufficient to fight for rankings. Focus on breaking through first.

    I see. Thank you for your advice.

    Is there anything else?

    Thats all from me. Thank you.

    The lizard woman nodded. Seeing that neither the Sage nor Brock had anything to add, the three of them exited the cabin. That was all? Jack asked. Im an outer disciple now?

    Indeed.

    And whats the deal with that Ultimate ughter Globe?

    Ceaseless Murder. But you dont need to bother with it yet; as the Envoy said, just focus on breaking through for now. The extreme gravity condenses the Dao around here, making the Cathedral an optimal ce for cultivation, and this Dao stone you received can rapidly increase your cultivation, pushing you against the boundary of the C-Grade. It shouldnt take you too long; and then, you can begin to enjoy the <em>real </em>benefits this ce has to offer.

    Jack considered it. Indeed, the Dao around here felt thick and creamy, perfect for cultivation. There wasplete silence too, and zero distractions, letting him focus purely on cultivating.

    Moreover, he no longer had a time limit. He had no reason to look for trouble before he was ready; he could just take it easy, avoid making enemies, and slowly but surely develop his strength.

    Alright, he said. Brock, wanna check out our cabin?

    Yes, Brock replied with a smile. Since he couldnt level up, he didnt need to fight anyone to advance, just meditate; the thick Dao here was perfect for him too.

    ***

    Unfortunately, even if some people try to stay away from trouble, trouble has a way of finding them.

    Some timeter, a group of outer disciples were rxing on the roof of a white obsidian cabin, enjoying some spirit wine. Coincidentally, one of these people was the beautiful woman that Jacks group had run into before.

    Suddenly, all of them turned their heads towards the ranking obelisk. Thest few rows of names shook. Then, a new name appeared: Jack Rust!

    However, Jacks name wasnt at the bottom of the obelisk, where it should be. It had actually appeared at the number 950! Whatever benefit was received at the ranking of 950, Jack had gotten it, and the cultivator just disced to 951 had lost it.

    What? one of the disciples eximed. Jack Rust? I havent seen that name before. It must be a new disciple.

    But how did they start at ranking 950? another person replied, furrowing their brows. The Ceaseless Murder Globe hasnt activated recently. That Jack Rust has to have cheated, or there was some mistake.

    There werent many things to do at the Cathedral, and the outer disciples were all highlypetitive. This group abandoned their wine and rushed to the office of the lizard woman for exnations.

    I dont know either, she replied, seeming clearly unhappy. This order came just now from the Head Envoy himself. If you have a problem with it, go ask him!

    The Head Envoy was the man Jack had met right before Earth teleported; the mischievous-looking Heavenly Spoon Sovereign. Naturally, these outer disciples wouldnt dare question someone of such high status in the Church, but they remained frustrated. Some of them had been here for centuries. The ranking was of great importance to them.

    If someone could climb the ranks through pure favoritism, what was the point of it all?

    Lets go check out this Jack Rust, they agreed. If he was really strong, he would be ced at a higher rank. Who cheats to get to 950? He must be weak.

    His cabin number is 425, replied the lizard woman, who equally disliked favoritism. After all, she had spent several millennia as an outer disciple herself. Knock yourselves out.

 Chapter 329: Not Stirring Trouble, but Trouble Stirring Itself!

    Chapter 329: Not Stirring Trouble, but Trouble Stirring Itself!

    In a distant part of the Cathedral, a inly-dressed woman sipped on a cup of tea. Across from her sat the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign, the Head Envoy of the ck Hole Church, one of the most feared and mysterious people in the universe.

    Of course, this woman didntck status herself.

    Are you certain? she asked, calmly sipping on her tea as if discussing the weather. By directly raising that disciple to 950, you arent helping him, only giving him trouble. Everyone hates cheaters.

    The Heavenly Spoon Sovereign did not respond. He wore an amused smile, using a silver teaspoon to slowly stir his tea.

    Come on, she said with mockery. Surely you can tell <em>me </em>some of your ns, oh Head Envoy?

    Finally, the sovereignughed. Fine, fine, he replied. The 950 ranking will give him ess to the Heavy Pagoda. That should help him a lot with breaking through.

    But he doesnt need it. With his talent and foundation, he will reach the C-Grade regardless. A few more months are nothing. One hour at the pagoda is nowhere near worth the enemies hell make.

    Ah, but there is another reason.

    Which is?

    Suddenly, the sovereigns mouth curved into a wide, cheshire grin. His aura flickered with bottomless hunger for a moment, like a starving tiger which broke out of its cage. Despite that, the woman was unaffected, not showing the tiniest hint of fear.

    That child is extraordinary, the sovereign said. His qualifications are outstanding, and he has a Life Artifact. His potential is limitless. There is even a slim chance of him reaching the A-Grade in the futurebut a slim chance is not enough. An extra Envoy changes nothing, while an extra Elder changes everything. Therefore, I will hammer him until he breaks. I will not let him slow down. He will either be torn apart by the wolves or learn to rule them.

    The womans eyes widened. You <em>want </em>him to make enemies, she realized. What are you thinking? Hes only a child. If the high-rankers capitalize on his weakness to bully him endlessly, what can he do? His Dao will crack. You are ruining him.

    You have not seen what I have, the sovereign replied. Back in the Milky Way gxy, he had watched all of Jacks battle recordings. The achievements he witnessed, the guts... No matter how great the Churchs talents, which of them had such a background? Jack Rust was on apletely different trajectory than everyone else, and the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign was a man who enjoyed grand spectacles. I dont know if he can handle the pressure, he admitted. But I want to find out. And, who knows? He just might create another miracle. Worst case, we have some fun watching.

    ***

    Jack, Brock, and the Sage had just arrived at Jacks cabin. Number 425coincidentally, the same number of residence he had at the Integration Tournament.

    It was a simple house. There was only a bathroom and a main room, which contained a bed, a small bookshelf, and a meditation mat. Thats it. The Church was minimalist, apparently.

    There was also a single window with heavy curtains, but those were mostly ornamental. If another cultivator wanted to peek, their perception could easily pierce the walls.

    Hey, check it out, Jack said, approaching the bookshelf. He took out the only book in its shelves. The ck Hole Churchs Rulebook. This wille in handy.

    Brock was testing the bed and grimacing. Not only was there a single bed, instead of two of them, but it was also stone-hard. Jack guessed it was the best they could do on a with a thousand times the gravity.

    Cultivators after the D-Grade didnt really need to sleep, but it could help sometimes. They also didnt need to eat, which was why the cabin didnt contain food or a kitchen.

    You should check out the meditation mat, the Sage said.

    As Jack took a look, he discovered that the mat was indeed special. It seemed to be an advanced version of the one he had during the Integration Tournament. Just by touching it with his fingers, a soothing feeling spread over his body, and his entire being was aligned, reaching an optimal state for cultivation.

    Nice mat, he said.

    Right? The Sage smiled. You should also read the rulebook soon. If you make any major blunders, you cannot im ignorance of the rules. For now, however, lets go for a walk. I have someone you want to meet.

    You have someone that <em>I </em>want to meet?

    Oh, absolutely. You just dont know it yet.

    However, just as they were about to exit the cabin, amanding feminine voice rang out from outside.

    Jack Rust! Come out!

    They froze. Jack raised a brow. Who is it? he asked back.

    Come out and you will see!

    Jack frowned. That was not a polite tone. However, he actually recognized this voice. It was the beautiful woman hed met on the way in, the one who was part of a couple.

    <em>Did they change their mind and want to fight?</em> he wondered. Reaching the door with two steps, he pushed it open.

    As hed suspected, the one shouting was the woman hed met before. However, the man of that couple wasnt present. Three other cultivators were here, all of whom Jack saw for the first time.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    One was an insect person, like a standing praying mantis. Another was made entirely of ss, like a sentient window panel with limbs, and the third was a small green humanoid flying on thin wings. Jack couldn''t use the System to inspect them, as they were outside System space, but he could tell from their auras that they were all C-Gradesthough not too strong.

    Oddly, even though the woman was at the front and speaking, her cultivation was the weakest of the four.

    Can I help you? Jack asked.

    Help us? the woman replied, already gearing up to fight. Of course you can. You can help us understand whats happening. When I met you before, I thought you were an annoying but upstanding cultivator. Now, I see you really are nothing but trash.

    Jacks brows fell. He hadnt even said anything rude yet, and this woman was already attacking him. <em>Calm down, Jack, calm down. No stirring trouble. This is probably just a misunderstanding.</em>

    However, something in her words did not add up.

    What are you talking about? he asked.

    Hmph. Tell me, Jack Rust, how does it feel to depend on others for unfair benefits? How does it feel to cheat your way up?

    Excuse me?

    You are still pretending? Very well, let me spell it out for you: Just who is your daddy for your ranking to start at 950?

    Jacks face hardened, both because of her crass verbal assault and his iprehension. <em>950? </em>He nced at the ranking obelisk visible in the distance. When his eyes adjusted, they widened. <em>950!</em>

    <em>My name really is at the 950 ranking! What?</em>

    Seeing his puzzled expression, sheughed coldly. Why do you insist on lying? Nobody here is an idiot. You cannot trick us. You thought the Heavy Pagoda would be a big help in your breakthrough, so you pulled some strings to steal another disciples position. Good, very good. I can only wonder who your backer is, for you to dare be so open about your cheating.

    Cultivators cared a lot about face. Even though the Envoy had told them that Jacks ranking change was a direct order of the Head Envoy, this woman didnt dare call him out by name. She even pretended not to know. Otherwise, if she really offended the Head Envoy, it wouldnt matter who was in the right; he could just use his authority to punish her or even expel her from the Church!

    But there was a limit to corruption. If the Head Envoy acted out of turn to raise Jacks ranking, and then even used his own superior power to bully those questioning Jack, that would be too much. Other higher-ups would have to step in.

    That was why this woman dared to insult Jack in his face but didnt dare to mention the Head Envoys name.

    Jack was still reeling. He was puzzled and confused, but at the same time, he was getting angry. He didnt intend to look for trouble. However, if trouble looked for him, he wasnt a coward to look away!

    First of all, mind your ugly tongue. Second, I really dont know what happened with my ranking. I thought I was at 997 until just now. It must have been an honest mistake.

    Dont try that with me, Jack Rust. I checked with the Envoy; she told me clearly that this is no mistake, it was a direct order from someone above. However, such tant favoritism is rare. If you were a strong cultivator, I would understand, but youre just a lowly D-Grade. You clearly dont deserve that rank. Even just being an outer disciple and benefiting from the same resources we do is spitting in our faces.

    Jack was startled. There was no mistake? An order hade down from above? Who could have done that, and why? The only person Jack knew was the Head Envoy, Sovereign Heavenly Spoon, but he hadnt seemed like a person who would act like this.

    Moreover, it sucked! It had to be that sovereign, there was no one else, but Jack hadnt asked for it! He didnt even know what the Heavy Pagoda was! All he wanted was to cultivate in peace, but now the sovereign had forced enemies to his front door.

    <em>Fuck your mother! Why couldnt you ask first, Sovereign!?</em>

    However, it was toote. Jack would try to meet the sovereignter and ask him about it, or maybe the Sage could help. For now, the dice had been cast, and all Jack could do was stand his ground.

    After all, even if he insisted that this had nothing to do with him, nobody would believe him.

    Are you doubting the higher-ups? he asked, adopting a strict look. If what you say is true, they gave me this ranking. Do you think you know better than them?

    Suddenly, the womans face mellowed into a malicious grin. This is where she hoped the conversation would end up. Oh, I wouldnt dare question the Envoys, she said smoothly. The only thing I question is your integrity. If the Envoys say you deserve that ranking, I can only believe them, but I have to admit my curiosity. How could a peak D-Grade possess such strength? Your talent must be extraordinary, your cultivation extremely gifted. A little person like me can only marvel at your potential.

    Her words sounded genuine, but they were actuallyced with sarcasm. She was mocking him. On cue, the three people behind her startedughing, emphasizing her words. Even the window pane jittered,ughing through a Dao-projected voice.

    Jacks face was ugly. He had been put into this situation, and now he had to deal with it. Just get to the point.

    The woman smiled sweetly. I am very curious about your powers. Could you grace me with a little duel, senior? My ranking is at 970. If you can defeat me, that will put to rest all usations against you, and also satisfy my curiosity. What do you say?

    On the outside, Jack was calm like a brick wall. On the inside, however, he wanted to curse.

    If he refused the duel, everyone would use him of cheating. However, if he epted and lost, that would be even worse! He would bepletely humiliated, and they would <em>still </em>think he was cheating! As for winning, that would be very difficult. Six months ago, he had given it his all to just barely defeat theary overseer. The weakest people present, like this woman, had to be around that level as well, if not higher. Even if he used the Life Drop, the result would be uncertain.

    However, what choice did he have? He had just been challenged to a duel. He couldnt chicken out!

    Fine, he said. Lets duel.

    Excellent! The woman pretended to be honored. But, since were dueling, lets make things more interesting by making a small bet. Since you just arrived, you must have received a Dao stone, yes? Lets bet that.

    In her heart, the woman was smiling devilishly. She didnt just want to teach Jack a lesson, she also wanted to steal his Dao stone to further her own cultivation.

    Jack didnt know the value of such an object, but if a C-Grade ced it as stakes, it had to be pretty high. Then again, he couldnt refuse without admitting that his strength was inferior.

    Fine! he said, his voice lowering. One Dao stone. Lets bet that.

    Excellent! Then, if senior would do me the honor, how about we move to the fields and duel right now?

    The viges and buildings of the Cathedral only took up a small piece of itsndmass. Everything else was empty and summarily called the fields. Under the increased gravity and thicker Dao, it could easily contain a battle between C-Grades.

    Jack wanted to sigh. However, since he was already on the dancefloor, he had to dance. A little humiliation and a Dao stone, whatever its value was, were prices he could handle. Besides, his defeat wasnt certain. This woman was one of the weakest disciples on the entire Cathedral, and his strength had also increased a little since fighting the overseer. Maybe he could take her.

    As he had that thought, Jacks chest began to burn with fervor. He was about to join the fray. He was jumping into a deep pool filled with the greatest talents of the universe.

    Just how did he stack up against them?

 Chapter 330: Ruining Reputations

    Chapter 330: Ruining Reputations

    Gloomily, Jack headed for the empty fields outside the vigea rugged, alienndscape filled with nothing but highlypressed stone. It was almostpletely t, save for natural stone obelisks that rose from ten to ny feet in height, resembling extremely thin hills carved by the extreme gravity.

    Even exiting the vige wasnt easy. As a peak D-Grade, Jack could naturally fly, but doing so in this gravity would quickly tire him out. Thankfully, his opponent didnt fly eitherthey just walked.

    Jack himself, though not particrly fond of the iing battle, led the way. He was a cultivator of the fist. No matter what he did, he did it with all his heart.

    This should be good enough, his opponent, the stunningly beautiful woman, said after a while. They werent too far out; just a couple miles. For C-Grades, this was nothing.

    Jack turned around and raised a brow. Arent we too close to the vige?

    You overestimate yourself. This ce is nothing like thes youre used to. If you can demonstrate even one percent of your strength, I will be surprised.

    Suit yourself.

    Jacks feet came to a stop, and his body turnedpletely to face her. The womans friends stood some distance away, as did Brock and the Sage. The brori was excited as if about to watch a good show, while the Sage seemed to be concentrating on something.

    I never got your name, Jack said, cracking his knuckles.

    You never deserved it. But no matter. Ley Vice.

    Jack nodded. He couldnt care less about her; he just wanted to know the name of the first person he would defeat in the ck Hole Church. His fiery spirit was rousing; already, his heart was filled with fighting spirit, and his fists itched to be buried in her face.

    He hadnt fought seriously in six months. Only now did he realize that hed missed this feeling.

    As the two were poised to fight, the Sages voice suddenly rang in Jacks brain.

    <em>Wait! </em>he warned. <em>I just ran some divination. This woman is no one important, but her husband is! Hes the man we met before, Marcus William, and hes ranked 181 across the entire Cathedral! Hes extremely powerful. He is also a petty character known for bullying others. If you offend him by attacking his wife, he will suppress you for your entire stay in the Cathedral. Your life will be ten times more difficult!</em>

    Jack frowned. <em>What do you suggest?</em>

    <em>Step down. Dont fight. A little humiliation now is nothingpared to the consequences of fighting her.</em>

    <em>Impossible, </em>Jack refused immediately. He was a warrior of the Fist; backing down now, after hed already agreed to fight, would create doubts in his heart that would weaken his connection to the Dao.

    <em>Please consider it, Jack. If you fight her and lose, that will be fine, but if you winyour cultivation path may be blocked!</em>

    Jack did not reply outright. <em>My cultivation path may be blocked</em>

    It made sense. He had no idea how things worked around here, but someone at the rank of 181 had to be extremely powerful. If Marcus William was a petty person, as the Sage said, and Jack challenged him by defeating his wife, then Marcus would use his entire strength and influence to suppress him. Jack was a nobody herethere would be a million ways to make his life difficult.

    However, even thinking up to that point, Jack shook his head. This was exactly why hed tried to avoid troublebut, if he was forced to fight, he would give it his all. Since when was he afraid of making enemies?

    <em>When I challenged the Animal Kingdom, I was less than an ant in their eyes, </em>he transmitted to the Sage. <em>And when I resolved to fight theary overseer, I was only at the F-Grade. I am a warrior. If that Marcus fellow wants to suppress me, he can try. I will punch him down like I did with everyone else. However, if you want me to surrender now, that is impossible. This is my path of the Fist.</em>

    The Sage mutedly shook his head. <em>As you wish, </em>he replied. <em>I will stay by your side regardless.</em>

    <em>Thank you. You are a good friend.</em>

    Are you done? the woman said, having noticed that Jack was mentally conversing with someone. You can call more favors if you want, but you would only humiliate yourself further.

    That wont happen. If you want to humiliate me, youll have to do it yourself.

    She grinned. With pleasure.

    Her pale, slender arms spread out. An invisible veil passed over thend; Jack suddenly felt a mysterious force infiltrate his mind. It wasnt malevolent; it was a principle of the Dao itself, aw as irond as gravity.

    He tried to resist, but it was hopeless. Even when he unleashed his Dao Domain, the mysterious force clung to him unobstructed, as if the Fist and this womans Dao existed inpletely separate dimensions.

    There is no point, the woman replied with augh. This is my Truth Domain. In here, you cannot lie. The only words you can speak are the truth.

    Jack frowned. I didnt n to lie, he replied. Suddenly, that mysterious force passed over his brain. He sensed that, if there was even the slightest hint of falsehood in his words, that force would mp down on him with tremendous force. Noif he even considered lying, he would still suffer a bacsh.

    Was this a Will attack?

    You wouldnt lie? the woman replied. Lets test that, shall we?

    Jack didnt n to fall into her pace. He reared his fist back and shot out a Meteor Punch. Afterprehending the concept of the Supernova, his Meteor Punch had reached the IV tier and advanced in power, bing a skill that could threaten even C-Grades.

    However, the Dao here was extremely solid. As Jack unleashed his Meteor Punch, the light and sound pulsed slightly, then refused his summons. They were not sucked into the punch. The meteor that formed was small, simr to the size of his real fist, and its purple starry tail only extended a foot behind it.

    It still flew forward, carrying at least some force, but its energy was extinguished quickly. The meteor had to prate the thick Dao to advance. For very inch forward, Jack felt a tremendous strain on his energy reserves. Thinking quickly, he realized there was no meaning to shooting out his punch from this distance and let it wink out.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    It was incredible. This meteor could annihte entire countries back on Earth. Here, it was just a flying punch. It was like his cultivation had reverted to the E-Grade.

    Of course, if an E-Grade cultivator or even a normal D-Grade appeared on the Cathedral, they wouldnt even be able to walk, let alone attack.

    Jack wasnt willing to just give up. The Life Drop surged inside him. His body grew a foot taller, while two extra arms jutted out from under his armpits. He roared and charged, shooting out another Meteor Punch that was asrge as his entire torso.

    Facing this attack, Ley Vice actually showed a shocked expression. She had been here for centuries and knew exactly how difficult it was to galvanize the ambient Dao. Such an attack was the equivalent of an early to middle C-Gradehow could a mere D-Grade possess such strength?

    However, she was an experienced cultivator. Her expression quickly returned to normal, and she raised a finger, shouting, He speaks no truth!

    The mysterious force constraining Jack intensified. The meteor hed shot out weakened until it dissipated into thin air.

    Ley Vice grinned. If you wish to ignore my domain, Jack Rust, I fear you will find it difficult.

    Hmph!

    Jack snorted. Inwardly, he was frantically searching for a way out. This domain restricted him, he couldnt neutralize it with his own, and he couldnt even reach her with his attacks.

    How was he supposed to fight?

    <em>You must make the Truth Domain acknowledge you! </em>the Sage hurriedly informed him. <em>If you ignore it, you will need overwhelming force to even touch her!</em>

    Jack frowned. <em>How?</em>

    <em>By being true!</em>

    Do you find me attractive, Jack Rust? the woman asked suddenly. Jack took some time to realize what she had just said.

    What?

    I said, do you find me attractive?

    Her smile was devilish, if stunning. Jack did not reply immediately. This was too peculiar. Until he knew what she was going for, replying would be unwise. He charged again, reaching her with heavy steps and swinging. His fists burst with energy, unleashing purple mes everywhere they passed, but Ley Vice was not a damsel in distress. Her own fighting skills were nothing to scoff at; she dodged Jacks attacks, quickly opening more distance between them.

    Additionally, the more time that passed, the more her domain strangled him. He realized the reason; by not answering, he was suppressing his truth.

    But there was another reason he hadnt already done so. The truthwas not something he wished to say!

    I do, he finally replied. It was the truth; while this woman was an unpleasant character, her physical charms were hard to deny. If Jack imed he wasnt the least bit attracted to her, it would have been a lie.

    He just didnt want to give her the satisfaction.

    The moment he spoke his answer, the mysterious presence scanned him again. Finding his answer true, it rxed its hold, letting him use more of his power. At the same time, however, Jack noticed that his own Dao grew weaker!

    The higher ones cultivation, the more aligned they needed to be with their Dao. Admitting that his opponent was attractive mid-battle was not the conduct of a warrior. His Dao grew distracted, and his ability to invoke it was weakened.

    <em>So, thats how it is! </em>

    Jacks eyes widened. He finally realized this womans fighting style.

    Her Truth Domain was a dead-end. If he answered her expertly-crafted questions and spoke the truth, his Dao would be weakened. If he didnt answer, or if he lied, he would be so suppressed that he couldnt fight.

    Moreover, she had no reason to stop asking targeted questions against his Dao heart. Eventually, he would either break his own Dao or be suppressed to the point of defeat.

    In truth, hisbat skills easily outstripped his opponents. The only reason he couldnt touch her was because of her domain.

    <em>What a fearsome power </em>he thought, a shiver running down his spine. <em>There has to be a way out. There is no way her domain is unbeatable.</em>

    So you do find me attractive. Ley Vice smiled sweetly. Then, tell me What would you do if you had me on your bed?

    Jacks eyes shed. She was trying to find questions that would expose the weaknesses in his heart, but she had already failed. Despite what she might thinkJack was no weakling!

    Tell you to get dressed and leave, he replied honestly. The womans smile froze on her face; her friends, who had beenughing and cheering, froze as well. Only Brock, who knew what was and wasnt bro-like, gave Jack a thumbs-up.

    Every power had a weakness. In Ley Vices case, the suppression of her Truth Domain relied on asking the perfect questions to rattle her opponents heart. She was an expert at that. Her presence here, as one of the most talented C-Grades in the universe, was not an ident.

    However, for her battle n to work, she needed her opponents heart to be unsteady. If there were even the slightest of cracks, she could identify and exploit them. All in all, her power had many constrains, and couldnt be used in every scenario, but she was a master at making it work. One of the reasons she had challenged Jack was because she thought he had cheated his way up, which naturally indicated some weakness in her heart. In her mind, Jack was an insecure, ambitious person, and those people could never resist a beautiful woman on their bed. Even if they could, they would still feel guilty desire, and that was precisely why shed asked those questions.

    Unfortunately for Ley Vice, Jack was not the person she thought he was. His heart was iparably solid and wholeheartedly aligned with the Fist. He was her natural counter. If she knew, she would never have dared to challenge him!

    As her smile froze, and as she tried to discover where shed gone wrong so she could backtrack, Jack realized this was his opportunity.

    <em>Two can y this game, bitch.</em>

    In fact, he added, I recognize your beauty, but I greatly dislike your character and would never deign to touch you. Even if you strip yourself naked and fall to all fours before me, I will feel disgust. There is almost no price in the world that can make me lower myself to be with a person like you.

    Ley Vice waspletely frozen. The Sage was staring wide-eyed. Her friends were all gaping, unable toprehend what they were hearing. Jack Rust, this weakling who cheated on the ranking obelisk, had really just uttered these words?

    It was impossible. He had to be lying. There was no way his heart was that steady.

    However, no matter how long they waited, the Truth Domain did not act against him. It was undeniable proof that his words werepletely and utterly true. He had meant exactly what he said.

    Brockughed out loud.

    Ley Vice struggled to form words. His speech had impaled her heart and scorched it open. Was that really the impression she gave others? Did she deserve that response? Questions bubbled up her throat, but she didnt want to humiliate herself further by asking them.

    However, what goes aroundes around. As she suppressed the things she wanted to say, her own domain fell around her, suppressing her.

    Before she had time to recover, Jack charged forth and smashed a Meteor Punch into her pretty face. Ley Vice went flying, then quickly met the ground due to the increased gravity. Her nose was broken, her mouth bleeding.

    Seeing her like that, Jack felt no pity at all. When two cultivators fought each other, gender did not matterhe would punch everyone who deserved it!

    ...I admit defeat, Ley Vice mumbled. With an frigid expression, she turned to her friends and said, Someone give him a Dao stone. I do not have one on me. I will pay you back.

    The insectoid person fished out a Dao stone from his robes and tossed it to Jack, who caught it out of the air. Thanks. At least you keep your word.

    Were going, Ley said, standing up and walking away. She did not spare Jack a single nce. Her friends did, but they quickly followed her without another word, heading back towards the vige.

    Well, that was easier than expected, Jack said as his own friends approached him.

    It was a good match-up for you, the Sage replied. Ley Vice is a Will cultivator focused on exploiting the weaknesses of others, and you unknowingly tricked her before the fight even begun. Moreover, her power is not originally meant for battle, which is why she hasnt been able to climb the rankings despite staying here for a millennium.

    Well, she did give me a Dao stone, so I cantin.

    Dont joke around, Jack. This is serious. The Sages gaze intensified. Do you realize what you did? I was just telling you that Marcus William is a powerful, petty bully, and you went and insulted his wife. He wont just suppress youhe will use everything he has topletely crush you.

    Faced with the Sages worried expression, Jack was calm. He nced over at Brock, and the two of them nodded at each other. He can try, Jack replied, pocketing the extra Dao stone. I, Jack Rust, am not afraid of any bully.

 Chapter 331: The Bane of Existence

    Chapter 331: The Bane of Existence

    After Jack defeated Ley Vice in such an embarrassing manner, news had no reason to spread. None of the involved parties would benefit.

    However, their battle had taken ce very close to the vige. That was done on purpose by Ley, as she had nned to humiliate Jack, but her own sadism turned to bite her in the ass.

    There werent many things to do on the Cathedral. When a battle happened, many meditating C-Grades spread out their perceptions to watch. As a result, the humiliation of Ley Vice had been witnessed by dozens of outer disciples, who quickly transmitted the news to their friends. Before long, the entire Cathedral knew what had happened.

    News eventually reached Marcus William, the husband of Ley Vice. ording to the Sage, this man was an infamous bully, a man who kept a grudge and enjoyed pressing his opponents into the ground. When he heard how Jack Rust had publicly humiliated his wife, iming that he wouldnt touch her even if she begged him, mes of fury rose in his heart. He wanted to get up immediately and go teach that little D-Grade a lesson.

    Unfortunately, he was at a crucial point of his cultivation, so he couldnt interrupt it mid-way. He needed a few more days. Until then

    Marcus quickly sent a voice transmission. Cranxiao? I have a job for you.

    ***

    Jack was meditating in his cabin. On the Cathedral, even this simple act was different. The Dao was dense and rich, allowing him to easily absorb it. He could spend half the effort for twice the results. His will spread to his surroundings, assimting the surrounding Dao into the Fist and pulling it inside him, where he used it to nourish his Dao Tree.

    By now, the Tree was fully formed. Its trunk rose nine feet tall, while a crown of intertwined branches and leaves covered its top. Thanks to the Life Drop buried right under it, as well as Jacks perfect foundation, the entire tree was vibrant with life, each leaf shining like amethyst. Even the little veins on them were clearly visible, pulsing with tiny streams of power.

    Jack had already reached the peak D-Grade and fully formed his Dao Tree. The next step would be to make it bloom, creating tiny flowers on its branches. However, that step which sounded easy was as hard as grabbing the clouds.

    The so-called Dao Blooming was a major breakthrough on the cultivation path. Arge number of flowers had to bloom at the same time, which required a tremendous amount of Dao energy. The process needed to bepleted in one fell swoop. If anything went wrong, the blooming would stop mid-way, and the cultivator would be stuck in a limbo between the D and C-Grades, forever unable to progress further.

    For that reason, one should gather as much momentum as possible before breaking through, ensuring they had enough energy. That was a tall task. Even Jack, with his perfect foundation and vibrant Dao Tree, did not feel confident in aplishing it. Even if hepletely stuffed his tree with energy until it began to leak out, it still might not be enough. The Life Drop could not be used either, as its Dao belonged to Life, not the Fist.

    Of course, the energy Jack had gathered already could be enoughit was hard to judgebut he only had one shot at this. If he rushed into it unprepared, he deserved to remain stranded at the D-Grade for the rest of his life.

    The excessive demand for Dao energy was the reason why cultivators didnt typically achieve this breakthrough by themselves. They would first umte as much energy as they could, then gather treasures with dense and easily-digestible Dao. Throughout their breakthrough, they would gradually use up all those treasures to replenish some of their lost energy.

    Unfortunately, such treasures were prohibitively rare. There were almost none of them on Earth, and even if one looked at the Merchant Alliance, such things were impossible to buy with money.

    After all, credits were only useful up to the E- or early D-Grade. After that, everyone had so much money that they just didnt care. If someone came across such a treasure, they would either use it themselves or trade it for items of equal value.

    Therefore, breaking into the C-Grade without the support of a powerful faction was almost impossible. Finding pure Dao treasures was one of the reasons Jack hade to the Church.

    Truthfully, hed thought it would be difficult. He imagined he would have to perform missions and jobs for the Church to even have a chance at acquiring the necessary treasures.

    Never did he expect to receive such a treasure as a weing gift. The Dao stones hed so easily acquired were pure Dao treasures!

    <em>The Church is scarily rich </em>Jack thought with a shiver.

    Dao stones were created by people at the C-Grade and above. Instead of cultivating normally, they would spend their efforts controlling the ambient Dao and painstakingly forcing it into special crystals until the Dao density inside them was extremely high. When those crystals reached saturation, a Dao stone would form. By using that Dao ster, a cultivator could absorb therge quantity of Dao in a very short period of time and with little effort, making Dao stones ideal treasures for both cultivating and breaking through bottlenecks. D- and C-Grades went crazy over them.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The Sage had also exined a few more things about these stones.

    Due to their usefulness and ease of creation, Dao stones had be something like currency for high-grade cultivators. One could exchange Dao stones for all sorts of treasures.

    Of course, for every advantage that Dao stones had, they had an equal number of disadvantages. For one, creating them was highly inefficient. A middle C-Grade would need to spend an entire month to create a single Dao stone instead of spending that time cultivating. Then, if the same C-Grade used the stone they had created, the benefits they would receive would be roughly equal to three days of cultivation. Ny percent of the energy was wasted.

    Generally, only people who had reached a dead-end in their cultivation would spend their time creating Dao stones. Either that, or cultivators in urgent need of money.

    Jack now had two stonesone that he got from the Church, and one generously donated by Ley Vice. He would also receive one stone per year as a low-ranked outer disciple. If he wanted to spend Dao stones to break throughhe estimated he could use up to twenty before his Dao Tree was unable to absorb anymore. Twenty Dao stones would give him the best chances at seeding.

    <em>Eighteen years, </em>he thought, pursing his lips. <em>Thats too long. There has to be a better way.</em>

    He could offer his services to other cultivators in exchange for Dao stones, but it would be hard for him to earn enough that way. After all, a Dao stone was very precious.

    Another way would be to borrow from people he knew or even strangers, offering to repay them after reaching the C-Gradebut Jack didnt want to be indebted to strangers. It was a risk. One of them mayeter and ask for something Jack wasnt willing to do, and refusing would mean denying his favora behavior that wasnt aligned with the Fist.

    As for borrowing from his friends, he was also unwilling to do that. Even if someone did possess Dao stoneslike the Sage, who was mysterious enough to hide ten of them in his underwearthey were highly valuable, and he wasnt sure when or how he could repay them.

    The only person he considered asking was the Head Envoy, who was certainly rich enough to not care about twenty Dao stones. However, not only were the two of them just acquaintances, but the Head Envoy had questionably raised Jack through the ranking obelisk. Since Jack wasnt sure about that mans intentions, he didnt want to owe him a debt.

    In a few words, there was no one he could borrow from.

    <em>If only I could earn them through bets, that would be the dream </em>he thought, sighing. The one hed gotten from Ley Vice was only a lucky break. All sorts of coincidences had toe together for that to happen. If he tried to consciously trick and rob other C-Grades of their stones, not only would it probably backfire, but it was also dishonest.

    Finally, creating his own Dao stones instead of cultivating was impossible as he hadnt yet reached the C-Grade.

    Therefore, his only good option was to check if the ck Hole Church had any sort of quest system, where he couldplete missions for payment in Dao stones.

    Jack opened his eyes. His Dao Tree was already fully grownmeditation had little meaning.

    Life moves in circles, he muttered. I ruled a and broke a gxy, then suddenly, I am poor again.

    As he opened his eyes, so did Brock. The two were sitting cross-legged, facing each other. However, while Jacks meditation was mostly spent worrying over his finances, Brock was brimming was joy. He had not reached the peak D-Grade yet. He could nourish his Dao Tree by simply assimting the surrounding Dao and pulling it inside himself, a process that was far more effective here than on Earth.

    Since Jack couldnt cultivate, hed even let Brock sit on the cabins magical meditation mat.

    Bro! Brock said. This is so good!

    Yes, Brock, Im sure its great, Jack replied, not even pretending to be happy. Money really was the bane of existence.

    However, how could Brock not see through his brothers thoughts? He jumped up and ced a hand on Jacks shoulders. No worry, he said with a reassuring smile. All good. World gives solutions. Hakuna matata.

    Jack opened his mouth to respond, then heard thest few words and chuckled. Where did you even hear that?

    Dog bro.

    Of course. Jack smiled. Thanks, Brock. I can always count on you.

    Brock gave Jack a generous thumbs-up, then returned to meditation. Jack stood up and dusted himself offthough there was no dust on the Cathedral. I will look around a bit, he said. See if I can find a way to earn money.

    Have fun bro.

    Thanks.

    Jack reached the door and opened it,ing face-to-face with the Sage and an extremely wide young man. He was a human, just looking like hed eaten three boars for breakfast. His belly ps jiggled as he walked, his forehead was drenched in sweat, and his Asian features were so deformed that his eyes were barely visible between his forehead andupper lip?

    Though this man looked slightly familiar, Jack couldnt ce it.

    Um, hi, he said. Im Jack.

    The Sage chuckled.

    Your mother is Jack! replied the fat man, seeming profoundly pissed. You dont need to introduce yourself to me. You know me. Im Dorman Whistles!

    Jack blinked. The slim, athletic teenager had turned into this mountain of meat? Yeah, of course I remember, he replied. Youre looking great.

    Great? Ohhh, Ill beat you to a pulp!

 Chapter 332: Life Choices

    Chapter 332: Life Choices

    Jack stared unblinkingly at the mountain of a man before him. He was short, wide like a sma tv, and his name was Dorman Whistles.

    But it had only been a year since Jackst saw Dorman. How could he have tripled in weight?

    At the risk of sounding insensitive, he said, what happened?

    Dorman had a little ident, the Sage tried to reply, but Dorman only harrumphed.

    I was set up! Some woman fed me a treasure that made me fat!

    Dorman, like yourself, arrived here at the D-Grade, the Sage spoke again. He cultivated using the dense Dao but got desperate to advance quickly. After using his extreme speed to steal a treasurethis happened.

    There are treasures that can make you fat?

    Even junk food on Earth can make you fat. How could Dao treasures be weaker than cheeseburgers?

    Hmph. Dorman snorted, slowly recovering hisposureletting Jack see him in this condition must have been a mental blow. She knew I would take that treasure. She left it exposed on purpose. Now, my body is not aerodynamic at all, limiting my speed. Mybat ability has gone down a lot.

    Dorman cultivated the Dao of Speed. This heavy form did not suit him very much.

    Who is the she you keep talking about? Jack asked.

    Ate C-Grade bitch who refuses to take me seriously.

    If you tried to steal from her and she only punished you by making you fat, I would say thats pretty lenient.

    Dorman seemed hurt. She made it too easy.

    Yeah, and I see it turned out just fine.

    Listen, motherfucker, I can still beat you up anytime you want!

    Jack smirked but let the challenge pass. He had confidence that nobody under the C-Grade could beat him, and Dorman was only ate D-Grade. Moreover, Jack saw no reason to push Dorman down at this point.

    Anyway, I was about to take a walk. Wanna join me? We could visit this Heavy Pagoda and see what its about.

    Sure, the Sage replied, falling into step next to Jack. Dorman reluctantly followed. As for Brock, he had heard their exchange but didnt bother getting uphe just wanted to cultivate.

    As they walked, Jack felt an awkward atmosphere settling in. He turned to Dorman.

    So. How long have you been, uh, well-fed?

    A few months. Dorman crossed his arms, not forgetting his previous anger. That bitch refuses to give me the antidote.

    Hmm. Well, at least now you know that stealing is bad.

    I will seriously destroy you.

    By sitting on me?

    Dormans eyes widened. YOU! he eximed, but before he could reach out, Jack had already blinked awayughing. Dormans cultivation was weaker than Jacks, he was not aerodynamic, and the Cathedrals gravity amplified his already great weight. Under these conditions, Jacks speed was greater than Dormanswhich was supposed to be his specialty.

    Really, bing fat had ruined hisbat prowess.

    Dormans eyes fell as he realized this, and he became sad.

    Come on, rx, Jack said, slowly approaching again. Im sorry. I shouldnt have said that.

    Its okay Im just a little sensitive right now, thats all. Sorry for cursing at you before.

    Why dont you leave here? Jack asked with a little pity in his eyes. With your cultivation, both weight and aerodynamics would mean nothing on a regr. Your speed would be almost intact. It is only here, where gravity is extremely strong, that yourbat power is decreased.

    Jack thought his question was valid. However, hearing it, Dormans brows rose, and he looked at the Sage. You havent told him?

    It didnte up yet.

    What didnte up? Jack asked, suddenly feeling a bit worried.

    The Sage coughed in his hand. Do you remember how, the higher you climb on the ranking obelisk, the more benefits and privileges you earn?

    Yeah?

    Using the teleporters is one of those privileges. Before you reach the ranking of eight hundredyou cannot leave.

    The news fell like thunder. Jack froze. His eyes turned wide as saucers. I cannot leave!? he shouted. Sage! What the hell is wrong with you? Why didnt you mention it earlier!?

    Because it doesnt change much.

    Doesnt change much? I have children, you idiot. I have a home. If I cannot leave this ce until I reach a high ranking, will I never see them growing up!?

    Jack was livid. For the current him, even a ranking of 950 was a stretch. There was no way to reach 800 before breaking through, but that could take a long time. Years, maybe.

    Was he really trapped here?

    Sage, this is not a joke. If you make my children grow up fatherless, I will make you pay for it.

    Facing Jacks billowing anger, the Sage was calm. I told you, it will be fine, he insisted. With your potential, breaking through wont take too long. Then, reaching 800 will be a breeze.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    Oh yeah? And how exactly will I break through? Becausest time I checked, I would need two decades to gather enough Dao stones.

    Im sure youll find a way.

    Jack looked at the Sage, unable to believe the words that came out of his mouth. This was a set-up! He was trapped!

    Youd better give me some Dao stones, Sage, or I swear Ill break your face.

    When have I ever led you wrong? Trust me. It will be fine. If not, I will take full responsibility and use my connections to help you break through.

    Jack closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Only now was he slightly pacified, but only slightly. He hated getting yed like that. It was almost betrayal. In his mind, he remembered that the Sage was a mysterious, enigmatic figure whose real motives remained unknown.

    Perhaps trusting him too much was a bad idea.

    Do you understand now? Dorman said with a sad smile. Im trapped here, too. I cannot leave before I reach the C-Grade, but I cannot reach the C-Grade without leaving. I am not a disciple, so I do not get free Dao stones, and I am only a D-Grade, so I cannot produce my own. I have no means to acquire them. Perhaps I could indebt myself to others if I still had mybat power, butas I am right now, there is nothing I can offer to C-Grades. None of them would take me seriously. Im stuck.

    Were you also lured here with lies? Jack asked, but Dorman shook his head.

    I knew I couldnt leave. I still chose toe, because this was the best ce to cultivate, and I thought I would find a way to either break through or escape. That is why I got desperate and tried to steal a treasure.

    Jack shook his head in silence. This was a lot to take in. He needed to break through as soon as possible. He needed Dao stones.

    Sage, you put me into this mess, so you better help me get out. Can your contacts get me some Dao stones? I will repay them after I reach the C-Grade.

    They can. However, try to find some way to earn them yourself first. Give it three years. If you have not managed to collect them by then, I promise I will help you.

    Three years?

    That was not as long as eighteen years, but it remained a long time. He had nned to visit home often. What would Vivi say if he went missing for three years? What would his children think of their father?

    It is too much, he eventually said. I do not appreciate your actions. Six months. That is the most I will endure. After that, you will give me enough stones to break through. Is that clear?

    The Sage tightened his lips. He was about to say something, then thought better about it. In the end, he sighed. Fine. Six months. But, Jack I know how this sounds, but please believe in me. I would never betray you or keep you away from your family. The reason I dared to never say anything is because youve told me you nned to return at six months for the first time, and I knew I would be able to provide the stones to aid your breakthrough by then.

    As for why I chose to keep this a secret In truth, this is forbidden knowledge. Many disciples have people who depend on them back home. If their enemies knew that they couldnt return for a long period of time, they would certainly burn these disciples homes and kill their families. For that reason, we do not disseminate this knowledge unless absolutely necessary. I didnt think it was so in your case, so I said nothing.

    Jack frowned deeply. His mind went over the Sages words. They made sense. If he saw this objectively, he might have made the same choice in the Sages shoes. However, being on the other end felt unpleasant.

    He chose to maintain his friendship with the Sage, but keep an eye out. This was a man that kept secrets.

    Fine. Six months it is. Until then, is there some way to get Dao stones? I know Im only a D-Grade, but Im strong. Does the Church have some sort of quest system, where I can perform missions for payment?

    Sadly, no. The Cathedral has few people, so there is little automation. Any missions are directly assigned to the right candidatesand, even if you could get one, they are meant for people of far higher strength than you. Mostly Envoys. Thats where their titlees from.

    Jack grumbled.

    There are services to be offered, though, the Sage added. The Cathedral is a lonely ce sorelycking personnel. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of others, all those jobs can be performed if you put away your cultivators pride. Moreover, if you possess any utility outsidebat, there will certainly be some demand for you.

    What kind of utility?

    Anything, really. Magic formations, smithing, Dao theory.

    Whats Dao theory?

    You get paid to debate the Dao against someone trying to breakthrough. Not many people use such a service, but it can help if youre really stuck at a bottleneck.

    I work as a Dao debater asionally. I get roughly a Dao stone per year, Dorman said with a grimace. The Sage hadnt promised to give him any stones, but Jack didnt pryit was their business.

    His mind turned back to money-making; specifically, Dao debating. He hesitated. He could maybe do that on the basis of his perfect foundation, but a Dao stone per year was far less than he needed.

    Cant I duel people for money? he asked.

    Most people use their friends for that. Plus, youre not strong enough. Seeing Jack deep in thought, the Sage kept trying. Come on, Jack, dont get down. Tell me; is there anything youre good at, besidesbat?

    ...Im a biologist, I guess. I can tell people how ants evolved.

    Hmm. That doesnt sound too useful Suddenly, the Sages face brightened. Ah! Have you considered bing a healer?

    A healer?

    Yes. You have knowledge about how the body works, which is one of the hardest parts, and you possess a Dao Root of Life. Those are the minimum requirements already.

    Huh. I dont think so. My path involves breaking people, not fixing them.

    The Sageughed. Thats not a problem. Of all the side practices, healing is the one that can most directly influence yourbat strength, both offensively and defensively. Plus, with the Life Drop inside you, not learning how to use it properly would be a big waste. Not to mention its the path to easy Dao stones.

    That made Jack think. He had actually never considered using his Life Dao like that.

    Even back at the Integration Tournament, the elef scion used the Dao of Life to heal people. Most other healers hed met did the same. He could already heal himself. Why not others?

    Such a weird concept, he mused. How would I sell my services? Perhaps I could break peoples nose and charge them to fix it?

    That would be improper, but maybe you can help them after someone else breaks their nose.

    Like, my aplice?

    Like any random cultivator after a duel. I dont think its such a bad idea. Many people need healing, and you even have the Life Drop inside you to supply extra Life Dao. With a little bit of studying, you could be a passable healer.

    Jack considered it more seriously. Is healing lucrative?

    Plenty. There is always demand for healers, and not many people cultivate the right Daos to be one. If youre good, you could even earn dozens of stones a year! But, of course, thats not easy.

    Jack cupped his chin. He had spent most of his life studying before the System came. Now, he was leery of falling back into the rabbit hole, but did he even have a choice? He needed Dao stones, and earning as many as he could himself was better than getting them through the Sage.

    After all, though he wanted to return to Earth, relying too much on others would affect his Dao heart.

    The more he considered it, the more virtues he found in the idea. Learning to control the Life Drop better would directly increase hisbat strength. If he became a healer, his self-regeneration would probably rise even further in effectiveness, making him almost immortal. He could also use the excess Life Dao provided by the Life Drop to assist his friends if they got too injured, or use it on strangers and earn a pretty penny. With money, his cultivation would advance much faster, both now andter.

    Not to mention his background in biology. But how would his Earthen knowledge mesh with a multi-species magical practice?

    <em>I can take a look, </em>he promised himself. <em>Couldnt hurt. Punching will alwayse first, but I could use a little side hustleas long as it doesnt take up too much of my time. </em>

    <em>Plus, I almost have a PhD, goddammit! Its about time I used it!</em>

    Look, we have arrived, Dorman said, pointing at a building in the distance. The Heavy Pagoda!

 Chapter 333: Heavy Pagoda

    Chapter 333: Heavy Pagoda

    If someone took an ancient Chinese pagoda and ced it in a weird alien setting, that would pretty closely resemble the ck Hole Churchs Heavy Pagoda.

    It had seven floors. The roofs between them extended out of the building, like open umbres, while the walls were smooth andpletely vertical. The entire pagoda was constructed in a dark material that Jack couldnt identify, making it almost invisible against the dark sky. However, the ring of light around the pagodas base illuminated it just fine.

    As they approached, Jack saw that this ring of light was actually thousands of tiny symbols, eachpletely iprehensible. With a cursory nce, he did not find even two that were identical.

    Those are Dao glyphs, the Sage exined. The basis of magic formations. Thenguage of the Dao. They arent letters; more like instructions, with each symbol representing an entire sentence. Kind of like the eastern ideograms, but significantly moreplex.

    Jack whistled. What do they say?

    That this elevator goes down.

    Excuse me?

    The Sageughed. I dont know to read them. However, I know they are part of a gravity-enhancing formation. The Heavy Pagoda takes advantage of its environment and uses magic to amplify the already great gravity by a number of times.

    A number of times? Jack shivered. Just normal gravity here was a thousand times stronger than Earths. You mean it gets even stronger?

    Oh yeah. The first floor has gravity twice as powerful as the rest of the Cathedral. After that, every higher floor doubles it again. The seventh floor contains gravity that is one hundred and twenty-eight times stronger than the regr gravity around here. Just the body weight of a normal cultivator would number in the millions of pounds in there. For Dorman, think billions.

    Hey!

    Whats the use of such a thing? Jack asked.

    Youve experienced the Cathedrals high concentration of Dao, right? Thanks to the thousandfold gravity, the Dao here is much more concentrated than elsewhere, making cultivation more efficient. That increase is further amplified in the Heavy Pagoda. Moreover, there are special meditation mats in there that read the cultivators Dao and help filter out the irrelevant particles, further increasing the speed of your cultivation. With those two advantagesbined, even the first floor of the pagoda offers a roughly fifty percent increase in cultivation speed. There are also other advantages

    Jacks eyes widened. What about the final floor?

    The final floor? The Sageughed again. With your current strength, even the first floor is a stretch. As for the final floor, nobody goes there. Even the current #1 outer disciple, Min Ling, can only cultivate at the sixth floor.

    Jack considered it. <em>Makes sense. If my body weighed ten million pounds, I would just be paste.</em>

    The Pagoda also helps with breakthroughs. Unfortunately, I cannot enter, Dorman added in a sad voice. Even if I sessfully became a disciple and reached the 950 ranking, my weight has over-doubled due to my current form.

    A hint of pity entered Jacks heartDorman was an extremely talented cultivator whod bitten off more than he could chew. Now, he was trapped here, unable to either progress or leave, and he was forced to just watch as his potential dried out.

    <em>Oh, what the hell? Wee from the same.</em>

    Hey, Dorman, he said. If I manage to get more resources in the future, I will definitely save some Dao stones to help you break through as well.

    Dormans eyes shone. You would do that for me?

    Absolutely.

    Thank you, Jack. Your words mean a lot to me. I will engrave this kindness into my heart.

    You dont have to go that far. Just dont forget about your home.

    Hearing that, Dorman lowered his gaze in shame. He had heard about the war that urred on Earth. In fact, he would have joined if he wasnt trapped here.

    But what could he say? Getting trapped was his own fault, and at the end of the day, he was not there when his needed him. All he could do was swallow the shame.

    Jack did not wish to press the issue further. I will go test out the pagoda, he said.

    Then, Ill walk back to my cabin, the Sage replied. No sense in watching the walls. Drop byter to drink some tea.

    Ill wait for you, Dorman said, raising his head with bright eyes. Cultivating here or elsewhere makes little difference. Ill apany you after you exit.

    Jack gave him a deep look. This Dorman

    Back on Earth, during the Integration Tournament, Dorman had been cold and arrogant. He refused to put anyone in his eyes, refused to consider others, and had only acknowledged Jack after the two of them tied in a spar. Even after they met again in Trial, Dormans attitude hadnt changed much.

    Now, Jack could see that Dormans arrogance had been beaten out of him. He had arrived at the Cathedral, where every single person was an outstanding, otherworldly talent. Here, Dorman was only average, and he had faced failure repeatedly. He could neither progress nor leave. Moreover, he had been trapped in a form that severely constrained his battle prowess, driving him further down the bottom of the barrel.

    <em>It must have been a cold wake-up call</em>

    Stolen novel; please report.

    That arrogant young man had been tempered, finally losing his cold heart and bing earnest. He could now see past his pride. Jack had done him a favor by promising to help him in the future, so Dorman would wait outside the Heavy Pagoda for however long it took.

    He had matured.

    Jack nodded slowly, acknowledging Dorman in his heart. When he promised to give him some Dao stones before, it was only on ount of them being from the same. Now, he genuinely wanted to help.

    Good, he said. I dont know how long Ill take. If you get bored or tired, feel free to leave.

    Dorman raised a brow. You know you only get one hour, right?

    I do?

    Youre ranked 950. You can enter the pagoda, but only for one hour a month. The next increment is at ranking 900, where you get two hours a month.

    Oh.

    Jack didnt know that. One hour was very little time. It was clearly meant to let the low-ranked disciples get a taste of the pagodas benefits, making them strive harder for higher ranks.

    See you in an hour, Jack said, then boldly strode towards the pagoda. Dorman plopped his ass down where he stood, closed his eyes, and immediately entered meditation.

    His discipline was good.

    The Sage had already left, so Jack approached the pagoda alone. The outside was empty; the only person present was an Envoy, who was apparently responsible for managing the pagoda.

    Hello, Jack greeted him. I am Jack Rust, ranked 950. I would like to enter the Heavy Pagoda please.

    The Envoy shot him a nce. She was an older-looking human, with gray hair caught in a tight bun and simple robes hanging from her shoulders. Despite her old age, her body seemed robust and powerful, and her gaze was naturally hardlike a diator granny.

    One hour, she said, then closed her eyes again.

    Thank you.

    Jack approached the first floor.

    Each floor had its own entrance, but there were no stairs. To enter the second floor, one had to jump there or fly. Of course, to a cultivator who could handle the second floor, reaching it was a trivial matter.

    Jack only had one hour, but he could enter any floor he wished. Naturally, he chose the first. He approached the doora massive, unadorned block of dark stoneand pushed it open. It was heavy. Far too heavy. He had to use part of his Dao to open it, and yet, as the block of stone swung open, it made no sound at all.

    The inside of the pagoda was pitch-ck andpletely silent. It was like entering a nightmare. Jack took a step inside.

    The moment he did, the sky crashed down on his shoulders. The already extreme gravity doubled. Jack gasped, suddenly finding it hard to stay on his feet. He rapidly rotated his Dao, finding that even standing here consumed a frightening amount of energy. He could spare it for some minutes, but after that, he would get tired. If he meditated for too long and passed his limits, he could be unable to walk out.

    Perhaps the one hour limit was not to tease him, but to protect him.

    Jack gritted his teeth and endured the exertion. He forced himself to walk, every step a hurdle. His perception spread out, but to his surprise, he found that it was limited to within three feet of his person. Anything beyond that vanished like a stone thrown to the sea.

    This had to be an effect of the pagodas formation. It was probably meant to give privacy to the meditating cultivators. After all, nobody liked being watched, especially in such a demanding environment.

    However, Jack also noticed a thin stream of Dao energy under his feet. It was flowing inwards, as if showing him the path. It made sense. If he had to spend ten minutes looking for an empty mat in the darkness while dodging cross-legged cultivators, the pagoda would be nothing more than a joke.

    Jack followed the thin stream of Dao between his feet. Every step was hard, but he pushed through. The stream led him in a curved path, presumably avoiding other cultivators, before a meditation mat finally entered his perception range. He couldnt see it, but he perceived it as made of gold. As he approached it and sat down, it was freezing to the touch, though that also helped calm his mind.

    <em>Now, I guess I meditate</em>

    Jack was stranded in darkness, enduring extreme gravity and the natural coldness of space. His purple robes clung to his body, and his dark hair was stered to the back of his neck, the roots of each hair pulling on his skin as if they wanted to jump out. Jacks Dao was constantly active, neutralizing arge part of the gravity, but even the small portion that remained was hard for his body to endure.

    He pulled up his status screen, specifically observing his stats.

    <strong>Strength: 1760</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1760</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1755</strong>

    His titles also gave him abined 100% increased efficacy for all his stats. All things considered, his Physical substats were at an effective 3500 points, roughly, which was seven hundred times greater than the average pre-System human.

    With the current gravity at two thousand times that of Earth, and also the fact that his body was not optimized for such conditionsno wonder his waist hurt.

    Still, Jack closed his eyes and attempted to cultivate. A small part of his mind remained vigntif an enemy approached him in the darkness, or if the drain on his energy became too much, he would immediately wake up and be ready to react.

    Besides that small part of his mind, the rest of him closed out the world. Everything washed away. Even the immense weight was only a faint echo in the distance. His Dao Tree pulsed with power, and the surrounding Dao became his to wield.

    At the same time, the meditation mat under him activated as well, drawing at the Fist-rted Dao particles and pushing away everything else.

    Jack fell into the familiar practice of meditation.

    Though his progress in the D-Grade was mostly made through killing others, he had actually spent most of his time meditating. It had almost be second nature by now. His perception spread out gently like a thousand slender fingers, picking out the Fist-adjacent Dao particles and drawing them inside his pores. From there, they traveled to his chest, where his soul was located, and slipped in. Another part of Jacks perception then pushed them inside his Dao Tree, where they filled it with vitality.

    Normally, as Jack had already reached the limits of the D-Grade, cultivating like this would not bring any benefits. No matter how much power he crammed into his Dao Tree, its total capacity could increase no further until he broke through. He was only doing this now to increase his familiarity with the Dao of the Fist. Any excess energy would just disperse.

    However, to his surprise, the energy actually umted!

    Jacks closed eyes flickered. He drew short breaths due to excitement. The increased density in here increased his rate of cultivation, which meant that he would progress faster if he wasnt already at the limit. However, the pagodas formation actually had a secondary benefit; somehow, the Dao was artificially packed together, slightly decreasing its volume by increasing its density. That allowed Jack to umte more of it inside his Dao Tree, effectively supercharging it. This excess energy would eventually disperse, of course, but it was not instant. He could maintain this state for a few minutes.

    Inside the Heavy Pagoda, the total energy he could umte had risen!

    Jacks heart was jumping in excitement. The reason he needed Dao stones, the main reason he couldnt break through right now, was the limited amount of energy he could fit in his Dao Tree. If the Heavy Pagoda allowed him to temporarily increase that limit, even by a littleit could decrease the number of Dao stones he needed.

    It could speed up his breakthrough!

    Just by the little bit hed experienced already, Jack estimated that if he filled up his Dao Tree here, he would only need fifteen Dao stones to break through, not twenty. That could already save him months of effort.

    And this was just the first floor of the pagoda. Higher up, the Dao density would be even greater. A crazy thought entered Jacks mind.

    <em>What if I entered a higher floor?</em>

 Chapter 334: Don Cranxiao

    Chapter 334: Don Cranxiao

    While Jack discovered the wonders of the Heavy Pagoda, Dorman waited outside. As a non-disciple, his privileges were limited; let alone entering the Heavy Pagoda, even existing in its vicinity was a stretch.

    As Dorman cultivated, using the ambient Dao to nourish his Dao Tree, a rough voice suddenly reached him from behind.

    Look at that, it said. The fat beggar!

    Dorman opened his eyes and turned around.  tall, barbaric-looking human stood there. His hairy chest was shirtless, revealing dense muscture, while long gray hair floated over his tanned shoulders. He had arms the width of tree trunks and thighs like barrels. Moreover, his handsome face was warped into a rough, aggressive scowl.

    However, this wasnt a human. His eyes were gray.

    Don Cranxiao, Dorman muttered calmly, remaining seated. What do you want today?

    Come on, beggar. Is that any way to speak to your daddy?

    Cranxiaos smile was wide and predatory. Seeing that Dorman wasnt going to fall for his provocations, his gaze sharpened. I am not here for you today. I heard that a man called Jack Rust came to the pagoda, so I wanted to take a look.

    At this, Dorman finally showed some reaction. His brows fell, and his gaze was tinged with worry. What do you want with Jack?

    You know him? Cranxiao raised a brow before bursting into roaringughter. Birds of a feather flock together! I guess beggars and weaklings really are the same thing!

    I said, what do you want with him?

    Dont try your luck. Be a good boy and tell me how long ago he went in. Otherwise, you wont escape a beating today.

    Don Cranxiao was an outer disciple ranked 811th. He was at the three-fruit boundarythe upper limit of the early C-Grade. Like most disciples of the ck Hole Church, he could jump tiers to fight. His actual battle strength was approaching thete C-Grade.

    However, as far as power or talent were concerned, Don Cranxiao was only ordinary here. His greatest discerning feature on the Cathedral was hisplete disregard for reputation.

    Around the lower-ranked outer disciples, Cranxiao was known as aplete bully. He wasnt like Marcus William, who simply used a heavy hand to oppress his enemies. Cranxiao would go around and beat up others for no reason at all. Moreover, he only targeted people weaker than himself. He cultivated the Dao of Tyranny, so this incessant bullying was a form of cultivation for him.

    Unfortunately, the Church wouldnt interfere in battles between the outer disciples. Everyone was on their own, and Cranxiao was allowed to rampage free.

    Due to his conduct and zero consideration for face, Don Cranxiao had a peculiar ce in the Cathedral. He worked as easy muscle. Whenever a cultivator wanted to suppress another but couldnt or didnt want to act personally, they could just hire Cranxiao. For one Dao stone, he would kick the shit out of anyone under the ranking of 850.

    Currently, as Cranxiao came looking for Jack, it didnt take a genius to realize who had hired him. Marcus William had heard about his wifes humiliation and wanted to take revenge.

    Dorman took a deep breath and rose to his feet. Compared to the towering Don Cranxiao, he seemed tiny and wholly unfit to fight. Their cultivations were far apart, too; this was absolutely not a battle he could win.

    Whats one more beating? he asked with a smile, reaching for his daggers. All I have left is my honor. You arent getting a word out of me.

    Therge man was surprised for a moment. Then, his lips curved into a malicious grin.

    ***

    Jack was peacefully cultivating in the Heavy Pagoda, admiring the mysteries of dense Dao and marveling at how it could help him break through faster. However, only thirty minutes aftering in, he was awoken from meditation by an urgent feeling.

    His muscles felt sore. His chest was tight. His Dao, which partly neutralized the extreme force of gravity, felt strained and on the verge of running out.

    <em>I need to get out of here!</em>

    He instantly shot up, almost stumbling from the effort. His legs were numb and refused to work properly. It took him three tries to take a step. With the weight of a mountain pressing onto his shoulders, he slowly took one step after the other, following the thin stream of Dao that guided him outward.

    When he reached the unadorned block of ck stone, he almost couldnt open it. After he did, when the first crack of light was revealed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    <em>I must be careful, </em>he reminded himself. <em>When cultivating in the pagoda, I must save the energy to leave.</em>

    Finally, he made it out. The thousandfold gravity suddenly felt light as a feather, and Jacks Dao eximed in joy as it slowly began to replenish itself. He still felt weak and exhausteda good few hours of meditation would be great right now.

    However, right as he thought that, he froze in his steps. Two daggersy on the ground. Thirty feet away, arge, bare-chested, muscr man stood straight, using a single hand to hold Dorman in the air by the throat.

    Dorman bled from the nose. His arms hung limply, twitching. His robes were torn, revealing all sorts of ck and blue bruises. As for his left eye, it was swollen to the point where it lookedpletely unnatural.

    As Jack exited the Heavy Pagoda, therge man spotted him. There you are, he said, turning back to Dorman. It wasnt so tough, was it?

    He then flicked his arm and tossed Dorman, letting him crashnd on the ground under the force of a thousand gravities. Finally, the man wiped his hands on his pants as if to clear away the filth.

    Jacksplexion darkened.

    Whats going on? he asked, kneeling to check on Dorman. Who are you?

    Im Don Cranxiao. Pleased to make your acquaintance, though you wont be. Therge man gave Jack a wide, toothy grin. Im here to make your life hell.

    What exactly is your problem?

    Careful, Dorman said from the ground, coughing up a bit of blood. Heshired.

    Jack wasnt sure what was going on. However, it didnt take a genius to figure it out. His only enemies here were Marcus William and Ley Viceone of them had hired this big brutish guy to kick his ass.

    But how was Dorman involved?

    An outer disciple, even one as weak as yourself, shouldnt touch beggars, Cranxiao said patronizingly. To be honest, I will wash my hands after this.

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    Who the hell is a beggar? Jack sparked out. If youre here for me, why did you harm Dorman?

    I was bored. But dont worryhes used to it by now. Seeing Jacks incredulous stare, Cranxiao broke out into roaringughter. Oh, thats hrious! He didnt tell you? That homeless beggar by your feet is my favorite punching bag!

    Firecrackers erupted inside Jacks chest. His exhaustion disappeared as righteous fury took over. Is that true, Dorman? he asked, but the young man did not respond. It didnt matter. The gritting of his teeth was answer enough.

    Jack stood up slowly, a wind of Dao billowing around him. The void was colored purple. Stars shimmered into existence, forming constetions around his body, while green shadows flickered through his eyes. A piercing, bone-biting cold spread out, making the Cranxiaos shorts flutter.

    Oh, youre angry? he taunted Jack with azy smile. What are you going to do? Tickle me?

    Suddenly, Cranxiaos own Dao erupted from his body like a burning, oppressive desert wind. Jack only felt a colossal force ram into his Dao Domain. It shattered. The purple stars winked out, and Jacks face went pale. It felt like he was tied naked to a nk and Cranxiao stood over him holding a steel, barbed club. The club came crashing down.

    In the next moment, Jacks Dao roared out. The Dao Root of Indomitable Will red, breaking the illusion, and Jacks Brutalizing Aura spread out, countering the other mans skill.

    Though he stumbled, he could still stand.

    Oh? Cranxiao said with a hint of surprise. You possess a skill simr to my Terrorizing Aura?

    I will destroy you, Jack replied with conviction. This man disgusted him. If he didnt nt his fist in that ugly face, he wouldnt be a cultivator of the Fist. The question was, could he do it right now?

    Oh yeah? Give it a shot, see what you can achieve.

    Jack was painfully aware of his own weakness. This man was far stronger than theary overseer hed once barely defeated, while Jack was currently exhausted from enduring the Heavy Pagoda. Even putting the exhaustion aside, he wouldnt be the other mans match.

    The Dao of the Fist was that of a warrior. Unstoppable, unfettered,ughing in the face of the enemy. Not suicidal.

    Sapasun, the canine whod once broken all of Jacks limbs, had taught him that lesson. A warrior never loses their mind. They always strive for victory. That lesson was precisely why Jack was still alive, while Sapasun had died to a single p in front of the entire gxy.

    However, stepping back now would just make him a coward!

    I challenge you to a duel, Jack dered solemnly. The Dao billowed around him, an ominous wind of death. Right now, our cultivations are too far apart. Give me three months. In three months, we will meet on the fields, and we will do battle with our honor on the line.

    Three months was the maximum he could stand. Anything more would be too long. Moreover, though the Sage had agreed to help him break through after six months, special circumstances called for special measures. Three would have to work.

    If he did break through before the duel, he had absolute confidence in defeating Cranxiao. As for fighting right nowthat would only be venting his own frustration, but a true warrior was not controlled by their base emotions. A defeat now would harm him in the long run. A promised duel would keep his anger alive, forcing him to his limits for three months, at which point he would defeat Cranxiao and take revenge. Most importantly, promising a duel at ater point was the only way not to retreat right now.

    Three months? Fool! Cranxiaoughed. What do I care about three hours or three months? I will beat you up today, tomorrow, and the day after. I will show up at your house every week for a little lesson. Why would I wait?

    If I lose in three months, I will give you twenty Dao stones, Jack dered. Cranxiaos eyes instantly shone with avarice, but Jack wasnt done yet. Moreoverin a battle between cultivators, it is hard to restrain ones strength. idents can happen. In our duel three months from now, we can agree that if one of us happens to kill the other, there will be no consequences. If such an ident urs, the debt will be paid by the losers friends.

    Cranxiaos eyes widened further. His lips broke into a wide smile.

    On the Cathedral, fighting others was tacitly allowed by the Envoys, but stealing was not. Cranxiao couldnt just take the Dao stones of weaker cultivators.

    However, a gambling stake was different. If Jack agreed to owe him twenty stones, then Cranxiao could certainly take that amount! Even if Jack didnt possess any at that point, Cranxiao would have the right to pick up Jacks yearly Dao stone for the next twenty years, or harass his friends for those stones, provided they agreed to it before the fight. To him, who had stayed here for two millennia already, twenty years was nothing!

    As for the second part of Jacks promiseCranxiao couldnt help but lick his lips. Though he beat up others, he couldnt kill them. However, if they agreed on a life or death duel, it was naturally allowed. Killing a talented opponent would enhance his Dao of Tyranny by leaps and bounds!

    But Don Cranxiao was not an idiot. For Jack to offer something like this, he must have had confidence in winning. Cranxiao racked his brains for traps but found none. Regardless of treasures, breaking through to the C-Grade was very difficultotherwise, everyone would do it. Even assuming that Jack was talented enough and could acquire enough treasures in three months to breakthrough, Cranxiao remained absolutely certain of victory.

    As for the Life Drop, since Ley Vice and her friends hadnt recognized it before, Cranxiao didnt know about it. Even if he did, it would change little.

    After Jack broke through, he would be a one-fruit C-Grade. Cranxiao was a three-fruit C-Grade, and he possessed enough battle power to match a normal six-fruit cultivator. Moreover, his heavily Strength-oriented stats gave him an almost unfair advantage on the Cathedral, as he could resist the gravity better than others.

    Under those circumstances, there was no way Cranxiao could lose!

    Good! he eximed, hurrying to agree before Jack could change his mind. This was a pie that fell from the sky! We have a deal! In three months, we will duel for twenty Dao stones, and any idents will be forgiven. The esteemed Envoy over there can be our witness. Deal, Jack Rust, deal!

    The Envoy responsible for managing the Heavy Pagoda was just to the side. Hearing the agreement between two parties, she could only shake her head in disappointment. I witnessed, she said. In her heart, she didnt think Jack had any chance of winning. She could onlyment that such a talent could be so stupid.

    <em>Like most neers, he doesnt understand that everyone here is talented </em>she thought, sighing inwardly. <em>Whatever. That is his path to take. If luck favors him, he will escape death and use that experience to temper himself. If not, he can only me himself.</em>

    Good, Jack said darkly. It is a deal. Don Cranxiao, we will meet in precisely three months from now. Until then, you cannot touch me!

    Naturally. A deal is a deal. I would not cheat, Cranxiao said, suddenly splitting his lips into a grin. However, to ensure you dont forget about our promise, I mighte by every month to y with my favorite punching bag. If you want to stop me Hehe, dont me me for fighting back.

    You wouldnt dare.

    Hah! Im Don Cranxiao, kidI do whatever I want!

    If you touch Dorman, our duel is off.

    Oh, you would go back on your word so easily? Heres what were gonna do. For the next three months, I will not touch you so you can cultivate at peace. But I will touch my punching bag, as well as anyone else I want. If thats not fine with you, feel free to not show up in three months. If you want to challenge me at any time before that, feel free!

    Cranxiaoughed. As for Jack, his gaze bore deep into the other mans eyes, but there was nothing he could say. If he wanted to protect his friends, he couldnt rely on the enemys conscience. He had to do it himself.

    Said enemy was currently feeling proud of himself. He wasnt leaving anything to chance. By targeting Dorman, he could pressure Jack into a dead-end, either forcing him to step in and take a beating or doubt his own Dao. As for Jack bringing any backers to stop that from happening

    <em>Idiot! Im Don Cranxiao! Half the high-rankers hire me regrlyif you want to find a backer, lets see if you can find someone stronger than I can!</em>

    Of course, Cranxiao was aware of Jacks rtion to the Head Envoy, but someone like that wouldnt meddle in lowly affairs unless they were prepared to soil their reputation.

    Even though Don Cranxiao had a hundred percent certainty in victory no matter what, he still yed dirty. Under his rough exterior, he could be a calcting man. He didnt gain the qualifications to join the ck Hole Church by ident!

    Jacks face darkened further, but there was nothing he could say to protect Dorman. He would have to find a wayter. Before he could reply, Don Cranxiaoughed and turned away, walking into the distance.

    Enjoy your life, Jack Rust! he shouted as he left. See you in a month!

    Jack kept staring at the other mans back.

    <em>What a sly maneuver In one month, I absolutely cannot let Dorman get beat up again because of me. I have to find someone to protect himor stop Cranxiao myself.</em>

    But that was impossible. Even Jack, who knew his talent was far above that of Don Cranxiao, didnt have confidence in defeating him within a month. Hell, he didnt have confidence in beating him within three months. He just refused to step back.

    Jack sighed. <em>Did I dig my own grave?</em>

 Chapter 335: Ceaseless Murder Globe

    Chapter 335: Ceaseless Murder Globe

    After Don Cranxiao left, Jack remained silent for a moment. Then, he squatted next to Dorman. Are you alright?

    Yeah, Dorman coughed out in response. If anything, he looked more sad than hurt. Sorry. This is my fault.

    You did nothing wrong, Jack ced a hand on the young mans shoulder. If anything, you stood up for me. I will remember that. I also want to apologizebefore, I thought youd stolen that treasure because of greed. I didnt understand what youve been going through.

    Its okay. Im used to it.

    Dormans words werent offensive, just in true. He was just a teenager when Earth got Integrated, a teenager with an iplete understanding of the world. He strove forward and reached great strength, ending in the top four of the Integration Tournament. Even after he joined Sage and the ck Hole Church, he remained alone in his mind.

    So now, when he repeatedly failed and was beaten down, he suffered alone as well.

    Jack gave a sad smile. Can you walk?

    In a few moments. My regeneration will kick in soon.

    Good. When youre ready, Ill walk you to your cabin.

    Dorman chuckled darkly. I have no cabin.

    No?

    I am only a guest of the Church. If I want to stay somewhere, I have to pay for it. Ive been living in the fields for thest few months.

    Jacks heart clenched. To a cultivator, staying in a cabin or outside made little difference. However, the mental constion of four walls and a roof was priceless. It represented safety and privacy.

    Dorman really had it rough.

    Youll be staying with me and Brock from now on, Jack said.

    What? I

    It wasnt a question. Youre staying with us. I know a cabin may be crowded for three people, but having at least <em>some </em>privacy is infinitely better than none at all.

    But its <em>your </em>cabin! I havent earned it. I cant ept it.

    You dont need to. As I said, it wasnt a question. Jack smiled brightly. Now, up you go.

    He supported Dorman by the shoulders and pushed him up. Eventually, after a lot of heaving and panting, the now-fat man managed to stand. Thanks, he said. Life is difficult when youre wide.

    Tell me about it, Jack replied, wiping his forehead. Raising a mountain of fat in thousandfold gravity was not for the faint of heart. He struggled to imagine how Dorman could even walk.

    His mind cut directly to the scene of Don Cranxiao easily holding up Dorman with one hand. His gaze darkened.

    Can you walk? Jack asked again. This time, Dorman nodded, and the two of them got started on the way back.

    Throughout all of this, the buff-olddy Envoy remainedpletely unmoved thirty feet to the side. She hadnt raised a finger.

    Do you have confidence? Dorman asked after theyd left. Against Cranxiao, I mean. I know you arent stupid. Since you offered a duel, you probably have a n.

    Jack nodded. The Sage promised to help me break through in six months. If I can convince him to move it up to three, then Im confident.

    You know, Cranxiao is a genius, too. Everyone here is. Hes only an early C-Grade, but he can fight almost like ate one.

    I can fight like an early C-Grade right now. If I break through, I got him.

    Dormans eyes widened. For real?

    For real.

    The rest of the walk was in silence. Both remained in their own thoughts, considering the various problems guing them. Eventually, they entered the vige, and Jacks cabin quickly became visible. He pushed the door open and ushered Dorman inside.

    Hey Brock, he said, finding that the brori hadnt moved at all since they left. You remember Dorman, right? He has no house so hell be staying with usif you dont mind.

    Brock opened his eyes. He took in Dormans beat-up look which hadnt fully healed, along with the awkwardness of his posture. He noticed the hidden worries clouding Jacks face.

    Finally, Brock nodded. Hey bro, he told Dorman, standing up to sp his hand. Wee home.

    Dorman tightened his lips.

    Thank you again, both of you, he said. This means a lot to me. I I promise I will pay you back.

    Focus on taking care of yourself for now, Jack replied. Youre safe here. When Cranxiao shows up in a month, I wont let him touch you.

    Dorman opened and closed his mouth. Finally, he said, What are you going to do?

    I dont know yet. But Ill find a way.

    He did have a few ideas. For starters, breaking through within a month was impossible, and so was increasing his strength without breaking through. The best he could achieve was a skill upgrade, but that was far from enough to bridge the enormous gap between himself and Don Cranxiao.

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    Therefore, his only way to protect Dorman was to make connections. As for how he would that, he had to either impress people with his strength, befriend them by being awesome, or make them owe him a favor.

    And the best way to earn favors was to help them them when they needed it.

    Jacks heart was set on the way of the Fist. His main goal would always be to punch people, which was why he originally hesitated at the idea of bing a healer. However, when cultivation was of little benefit, studying could be a good use of his time.

    On one hand, he might be able to earn a few Dao stones. The Cathedralcked healers, so even if he wasnt good, there had to be something he could offer. After that, he could even use his healing powers to augment his own regeneration, making him even more immortal in battle.

    On the other hand, healing would involve his Life Drop. Bing more familiar with it was a priority for Jack; the Life Drop remained a huge gift that only kept on giving. It could grant him vast amounts of Life Dao. The four-armed battle form was only one of its applications. Now that he could reveal the Life Drop and openly study it, he had a feeling that there were many more benefits to reap.

    Plus, there was the mysterious world inside his Dao Tree, where that tremendous turtle had annihted Jack with a single snort. He hadnt managed to enter that world again after the first time, but it had to be hiding some secrets. And, as everyone knows, secrets equal to power.

    Therefore, Jack decided to study at least the basics of healing with the end goal of using it to amplify his punching power.

    Before that, however, there was another thing he wanted to do. Ever since hed arrived at the Cathedral, hed been hearing that everyone here was talented. But how much? How did hepare to them? His battle against Ley Vice was hardly satisfactory; he wanted a real battle to get his blood flowing.

    Ill be back soon, Jack said, leaving the cabin.

    Have fun bro.

    He walked alone through the vige and quickly exited it, heading for a massive structure in the distance. It wasnt the ranking obelisk, but a thousand-foot-tall stone dome with no visible windows. Its only entrance was a human-sized door near its base.

    As he approached, he noticed a small group of people gathered outside the entrance, discussing spiritedly.

    Hey, Jack said, heading for the group. He put on a smile. Im Jack. Nice to meet you.

    The other three people stopped talking to look at him. One was human, another was a mosquito-like humanoid, and the third was, surprisingly, a female djinna small blue person. All three of them had cultivations at the early C-Grade.

    Hey, the djinn replied. Are you a new disciple?

    Yeah. Just arrived today.

    Mhm. And you came to challenge the Ceaseless Murder Globe?

    Who wouldnt?

    That was the domes name. It was the Ceaseless Murder Globe, the magic formation used to rank the Churchs outer disciples. Jack didnt how it worked, but if its name was anything to go by, you had to go in and murder stuff.

    That was right up his alley.

    The djinn looked at him with pity. Entering at only the peak D-Grade is pointless, she advised. Youll just get injured and have to recuperate.

    She didnt seem particrly warm to Jackafter all, she hadnt given him her namebut she at least offered him an honest warning. Jack inwardly sighed in relief. After meeting Ley Vice, Marcus William, and Don Cranxiao in quick session, hed begun suspecting that everyone here was an asshole. It was great to know that was not the case.

    Every faction had good and bad apples, especially one aspetitive as the ck Hole Church.

    Thank you for the warning, he replied. My self-healing is pretty good, so it shouldnt be a problem. I just want to see where I stand.

    The three cultivators exchanged nces. In their eyes, Jack was just an upstart who was used to being a genius in his home faction. Many people were arrogant when they arrived at the Cathedral, but with the exception of some truly monstrous talents, all of them were quickly humbled.

    Suit yourself, the mosquitoid said. Its voice was buzzing. Just be careful. You cant die in the globe, but you can be severely injured. If you cant take it anymore, just yell that you give up.

    I will. Thank you very much, Jack said, nodding at the three cultivators before heading for the globe.

    Ah, wait a moment! the djinn shouted behind him. Our friend is inside. You have to wait your turn.

    Oh, okay.

    Jack stopped and waited. The three cultivators didnt seem very willing to include him in their conversation, so he just awkwardly stood by the side. <em>Well, to each their own, </em>he thought and sat down cross-legged to meditate. While he couldnt increase his power any more before breaking through, he could ponder on the Dao of the Fist.

    Three minutester, the globe rumbled. Its door slid upward, revealing a dark opening from which a human walked out. Though he was handsome, his hair was disheveled, his pink robes were torn in ces, and he was panting.

    Youre out! the djinn woman eximed, rushing to greet him. How did it go!?

    The man smiled. Wait and see.

    All four of them turned towards the obelisk. Jack, following their gazes, looked over as well.

    In that moment, the obelisk gave a low rumble. The names on its lower half turned fuzzy, some magic moving them. Before Jacks shocked eyes, one name rose by around forty ces, eventually stopping at the number 793. The name was Osmu Sosmu.

    You did it! the djinn woman eximed. Top eight hundred! This is amazing, Osmu! You can leave now!

    The handsome man revealed a bright smile. In truth, since hed just broken into the middle C-Grade, reaching 793 was not particrly impressive. It was even towards the lower end.

    However, that mattered little because he was finally in the top eight hundred. He could use the teleporters to return to his home gxy and see his family!

    The four cultivators celebrated, not paying much attention to Jack. He wasnt too bothered, either. The one whod just exited the globe was the strongest of the four, but he was only ranked 793th. Cranxiao was 811th. Even if Jack befriended these people, they would never help him stop Cranxiao from bullying Dorman, as their rtive strengths were too close. He needed to find someone ranked far higher than Cranxiao.

    Still, Jack was a cordial man.

    Congrattions, he said, standing slowly. I only just arrived, but I suspect that is an excellent result!

    Jack didnt know what the rankings signified yet. He had mistaken the other cultivators excitement and assumed that the handsome man had done great, when he actually hadnt. As a result, the man only gave him an odd nce before replying, Thanks.

    Jack didnt bother anymore. He approached the entrance of the globe, where the managing Envoy told him the rules. Basically, the formation would stop either when he was about to die or when he yelled that he gave up. Until then, he had to kill as many opponents as he could.

    Can my ranking drop? Jack asked. After all, he was currently ranked 950th, but reaching that level through the globe sounded difficult.

    That cannot happen, the Envoy replied, giving him an odd look. The only way for your ranking to drop is for others to surpass you.

    I see. Thank you.

    Jack nodded and stepped inside the open door, which closed behind him.

    As for the other four cultivators, after exchanging nces with each other, they didnt leave yet. They wanted to see how Jack would do. Mostly, however, they wanted to see his reaction when he exited, and possiblyfort him a bit to ensure he wasnt traumatized by this failure.

    After all, unless it was someone ridiculously gifted, a peak D-Grade couldnt defeat even the first opponent inside the globe.

 Chapter 336: Fighting Shadows

    Chapter 336: Fighting Shadows

    Jack stepped into the Ceaseless Murder Globe and looked around; besides a giantmp stuck to the roof, there was nothing. Only ck stone as far as the eye could see.

    Themplight fell down like a curtain, illuminating nothing but the center of the globe. Of course, any C or D-Grade cultivator could use their perception to see perfectly well in the darknessthismp was probably meant to amodate the users of light or darkness-oriented Daos.

    The globe had air inside it, but it was silent. Completely silent. Jack walked to the center, his steps echoing like gongs. The feeling was almost reverent, as if hed stumbled into the basement of a church where he absolutely shouldnt be. The heavy air was pregnant with danger.

    The moment his feet touched the light, a ripple of energy spread over the globe, and the magic formation activated. Jack only sensed the Dao gathering like a storm opposite him. It coalesced into a humanoid shape, a warrior wielding a longsword. The shape had no featuresit was a ghost formed of the Dao. Its body was just a shadow.

    Its cultivation was at the early C-Grade, and a weak one, too. This ghost was close to the bottom of all C-Grades, but it remained a C-Grade.

    Without saying anything, it charged. Its feet produced dull thuds on the stoneits sword left no shadow. It reached Jack in an instant and cleaved down.

    Jacks face blossomed with a grin. This was it. This feeling of urgent threat, the surging blood, the heat in his chest, the ice in his brain. This was the battle he was made for.

    He clenched his fist and smashed it forward. His middle knuckle met the sword de, and a sharp pain traveled up his arm as if his bones were jittery. His knuckle bled, but it was fine. A momentter, the wound had disappeared.

    The sword was pushed back. Jacks grin widened.

    The gap between the D and C Grades was wide. Bridging it to fight was almost impossible. The cultivators outside had been reasonable to assume that Jack, a peak D-Grade, couldnt defeat even the first and weakest opponent in the Ceaseless Murder Globe.

    But they didnt know Jack. They didnt know about his perfect foundation and alignment with his Dao. They didnt know about his collection of high-level System titles. They didnt know about the disasters hed survived and the skills hed gained in the process.

    Even without the Life Drop, Jack was close to the limit of what D-Grades could achieve. It was time to test that.

    His figure shed through the globe. His steps blurred, his punches shot out like meteors. Explosions rumbled. Fist met de over and over, sparks rising when neither gave way. Jack and the figure seemed equally matched. After twenty exchanges, Jack focused inward.

    His Dao Domain burst out, a purple sea of stars. Fist-shaped meteors sailed through the void, circling Jack, while the stars fell close to his body and formed a constetion. His fists clenched harderready to pounce.

    In his Domain, Jack was king.

    However, to his surprise, the ghost released a domain of its own. A sharp, metallic gray covered the globe, contesting against his purple. Every gust of wind and every air vibration turned into a de as even the air was sliced apart. The ghosts sword red with sharp light.

    Jack eximed in wonder. This ghost had a Dao of its own!

    <em>This is even more interesting!</em>

    Jack had nned to end this quickly so he could see what opponentsy aheadbut now, he just wanted to fight. If this shadow could use skills as well, it would be a worthy challenge.

    His feet tread on stone, bringing him before the ghost. Their domains shed and ground against each other, each pressing harder now that their sources were nearby. The gray domain released a shrill scream, like a sword grinding on stone. The purple one produced a series of booms like a hundred fists striking out at once.

    As Jack approached the ghost, he held nothing back besides the Life Drop. Brutalizing Aura erupted from his body, instantly piercing into the shadows psyche. Just like a real cultivator, it respondeda hint of dread appeared in its heart, reducing its power and increasing Jacks.

    At the same time, the domains purple light focused around Jacks fist, pulsing with increased intensity. He reared it back. The purple light was drawn deeper inside the fist, spiking in intensity and explosiveness. Itbusted into purple mes that were barely held at bay. Faint purple stars trailed behind the punch.

    He shot it forward. The ghost, sensing the power of this attack, shed out as well. Its de blurred as if there were three swordsing at once. It had to be a skill.

    Mid-swing, Jack used a small part of his Dao to punch through space itself. He wanted to teleport behind the shadow, but he failed. Space here was hard! If it was normally a curtain he could part, it was now a wall he had to drill through.

    Seeing the triple sword approach, he roared out and poured even more power into teleporting. He almost failed. Space finally cracked open. Jack was sucked inside just as the three swords shed through his previous location. He reappeared behind the ghost, only nowpleting his swing.

    To its credit, the ghost reacted in time, ducking to avoid his punch. However, that was easier said than done. Meteor Punch impacted the air right above its head, all thatpressed power erupting at once. This strike contained momentum and terrible striking power, but it also included an explosion powered by the greatpression of Jacks Dao.

    As this explosion rang out, the air was blown away, and the ground rumbled. Even space shivered lightly. The shadows head was caved in, andcking any form of regeneration, it instantly dissipated.

    Jack had won.

    Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, however, the ambient Dao gathered again. Two shadows appeared, one holding a warhammer and the other a long staff. They were still early C-Grades, but each of these shadows was noticeably stronger than the previous one.

    Jack, still panting, felt excitement rise up inside him. This Ceaseless Murder Globewas much to his liking!

    He summoned the Life Drop. Life energy rampaged inside his body. He grew a foot taller, and two extra arms sprouted from under his armpits. He became stronger, faster, more durable, and far more regenerative.

    Bring it on! he shouted, charging forward.

    ***

    From outside the globe, there was no way to tell how the person inside was doing. The four cultivators still waited, but they were beginning to wonder.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Its been half a minute already, the female djinn said. How has hested against the first opponent this long?

    The strongest of the four, the human who had reached the middle C-Grade, cupped his chin. Since he was epted as an outer disciple at the D-Grade, he must possess great talent. If his Dao is one rted to speed, he can probablyst a minute or so by just running aroundwhich is pointless, obviously, but exiting too soon would be embarrassing.

    Hmm, yes. That must be why. The other three nodded in agreement.

    I just wish he doesnt overtax himself due to stubborness, the djinn girl added, sighing. Its better to leave early than to suffer great injuries.

    The handsome man gave a sad smile. He had once been in Jacks position as well. Thats the way of the world. Geniuses have to be humbled. Instead of being stubborn and dying in a real battlefieldexperiencing defeat against the first shadow is much better.

    ***

    Meanwhile, Jack crashed into the two shadows. He roared. Purple light red in his surroundings, then was drawn into his fist and unleashed as a terrifying explosion that shook the air. The two shadows pulled back, then attacked him from one side each. The hammer-wielder smashed down in a heavy overhead strike, while the wizardpressed space around Jack to prevent him from escaping.

    Jackughed. He never nned on dodging. His forte wasnt speed, but strength!

    Brutalizing Aura billowed out. A hint of fear dug into the shadows hearts, pulling out some power and giving it to Jack, but it was miniscule. This skill was most effective against weaker opponents.

    Still, Jack smashed a Meteor Punch upward. It shed directly against the falling hammerhead. Cracking sounds echoed as half the bones in his arm werepressed, but his shoulder held. The hammer was pushed back, and so was Jack, gritting his teeth through the pain.

    In the next moment, his regeneration fixed him up. His arm was good as new, but his opponent was unharmed as well.

    Jack could try to fight them in a battle of attrition. However, he had no desire to do so. He hadnte here all the way here to act like a turtle against two shadows!

    He roared. Power rolled out of his body in waves, amplifying his domain. The purple stars increased in brightness, resisting the hammer-wielders oppressive air and the wizards etherealness. Jackunched himself at the hammer shadow. His fist pulled back, readying another Meteor Punch. Before he arrived, he broke through space and appeared next to the wizard, striking down on him.

    These shadows were smarter than thest. They were not caught by surprise. The wizard held his ground, conjuring a space-warping spike that could create a fist-sized hole through Jacks chest. At the same time, the hammer-wielder teleported beside him, smashing his hammer into Jacks ribs.

    Jack had to pull back his strike and defend. But he didnt. He was not afraid of pain!

    Amidst crazedugher, Jacks fist sailed on, crashing into the wizards head and exploding it in shards of shadow.

    At the same time, the space spike warped the right side of his ribs so hard they shattered. His flesh and muscles were warped as well, following the sudden curvature in space, and Jack felt like a chunk of his body was ripped clean off. The hammer struck his chest from the front, catapulting him backward and into a wall of the globe. Jack felt like hed struck by a mountain. He fell to the ground and stayed there a moment, his vision fuzzy as the hammer-wielding shadow came to finish him off.

    If the four cultivators outside could see him right now, their eyes would pop out from the shock. A peak D-Grade had endured the attacks of two early C-Grades at the same timeand lived!

    Jack chuckled, spitting out some blood. The hellish pain was dying down, and his wounds were regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye. Bones knit back together, muscle and sinew were mended, skin regrew. Before the shadow could approach, Jack waspletely healthy again.

    He rose to his feet, smiling with blood-stained teeth. Nice try, he said. But Im still here.

    Jacks greatest advantage was not strength, but durability! Neutron Star Body gave his body extreme density and resilience, enabling him to survive the two deadly attacks. Then, as long as he didnt die instantly, the Life Drops overwhelming energy would quickly heal his wounds. He could recover from even life-threatening injuries in the blink of an eye.

    Actually, Jack realized this regeneration was too abnormal. Perhaps exploring it further and bing a healer was indeed a great idea.

    Seeing him stand up, the hammer-wielding shadow paused as if in disbelief. Jack gave it the finger. Come get me, asshole.

    The shadow charged. So did Jack. Fueled by his previous pain, the entire purple domain was sucked into his fist, where it was tightlypressed. The hammer struck down. Jack teleported behind the shadow, which teleported behind him in turn. Jack then spent arge amount of energy to punch through space yet again, re-teleporting over the shadows head and smashing down his fist.

    The hammer had no time to return. Fist impacted hard flesh and caved it in. A colossal shockwave erupted, flooding the globe with purple mes, and the hammer-wielding shadow dissipated.

    Jacknded on his feet, panting heavily. The Life Drop contained vast amounts of energy, but it could only be used for regeneration. Everything else, be it attacking, defending, teleporting, or using his various skills, was solely supported by his Dao Tree. Right now, after fighting in thousandfold gravity for so long, he was basically running on fumes. He couldnt even teleport anymore.

    The Dao gathered again. This time, three shadows appearedand, though they remained early C-Grades, their power was vastly superior to the wizard and hammer-wielder hed just fought.

    Jack shook his head. This is enough, he said. The globe rumbled, while the shadows bowed and disappeared.

    ***

    Its been two minutes the djinn girl said, looking at the globe with confusion. Whats going on? Do you think he managed to defeat the first shadow?

    Impossible, the mosquitoid cut her off. The first shadow has the power of a one-fruit C-Grade. To defeat it while in the D-Grade is just too difficult.

    Hmm, the handsome human muttered. It is difficultbut not impossible. The difference between the D and C-Grades is roughly equivalent to three fruits inside the C-Grade.

    Are you saying he can jump three tiers to fight? the djinn girl asked, her brows rising. Isnt that too much?

    Heh You guys have only been here for a short time, but Ive seen some of the high-rankers duel. For some of them, let alone jumping three tiers, even four isnt a problem!

    Are you serious!?

    Absolutely. Well see when hees out. If his ranking is any better than 990, it means he defeated the first shadow. In that case, hes a rare talent even in the ck Hole Church! We should hurry and befriend him before he soars through the ranks!

    In the Ceaseless Murder Globe, the rankings up to 990 were for those with auxiliary powers who had little to no battle strength. They couldnt even defeat the first shadow. As for those who could defeat the first shadow but not the pair that came after, they were also very few, and they took up the positions between 990 and 975.

    What if he defeats the hammer-wizard pair as well? asked the djinn girl.

    The handsome human onlyughed. Then he would rank better than 975but thats impossible. Only extreme geniuses, like Lady Min Ling, could achieve such a feat at his cultivation. If that happens, Ill eat my robes!

    At that moment, the globes door slid open. Jack walked out, still panting and disheveled but uninjured.

    See? said the insectoid. He is tired but has no wounds. I told you he was just running away.

    Hmm. Yeah, that must be the case. I guess I was thinking too deep into it.

    Jack did not pay them any attention. He turned to the Envoy who operated the globe and said, Thank you for the experience. Could you tell me how I did?

    The four cultivators gave him a strange look. Just look at the obelisk, the djinn girl reminded him. If you achieved anything, your name there will move.

    My name is already at a higher ranking than my result would indicate. Therefore, I believe it will not move.

    What?

    They looked at the obelisk again. They hadnt checked before, but since Jack had already given them his name, they easily spotted him: 950, Jack Rust!

    What!?

    Before they could ask anything more, however, the Envoy spoke up. I can tell you where your current result would ce you, he said. Let me check. Its at

    The Envoya well-dressed human manhesitated for a moment. His eyes widened in disbelief.

    Well? Jack asked innocently. How did I do?

    Uh Excuse me. If your ranking wasnt already higher than that, you would have ced at He gulped. 959

 Chapter 337: Creating Awe

    Chapter 337: Creating Awe

    As soon as the Envoy finished his words, the other four cultivators gasped.

    <em>959? There has to be a mistake!</em>

    In the Endless Murder Globe, the people who couldnt even defeat the first shadow ranked between 997 and 990. They were a sad minority. After that, the people who defeated the first shadow but lost to the next pair were ranked between 989 and 975.

    Of course, this was the absolute bottom of the barrel on the Cathedral. Only the weakest or most utility-oriented disciples would ce in those rankings. For everyone else, the first three battles of the Globe were considered a warm-up.

    If ced amongst the entire Cathedral, Jacks result could be considered abysmal. However, what was his cultivation? He was only a peak D-Grade! He shouldnt even have the qualifications to enter the Globe, let alone defeat anything inside.

    Even the first shadow was an early C-Grade. It wasnt something a D-Grade should be able to handle. Defeating it was a ster result on Jacks partbut then, hed actually defeated the next two shadows as well!

    This was almost unheard of!

    The four cultivators gaped at Jack, forgetting how to speak, and even the Envoy responsible for the Globe hesitated. If he didnt know that the Globes formation was perfect, he would have suspected it made a mistake.

    Jacks cultivation may have been low, but he was at the top of the Cathedral talent-wise! Such a person had great chances of bing an Envoy in the future.

    <em>I must befriend him, </em>was themon thought of everyone involved.

    What an amazing result! the handsome human from before, Osmu Sosmu, eximed. He approached Jack with a friendly smile. Reaching such rank while at the D-Grade is a tremendous achievement! Perhaps only the top talents, like Lady Min Ling, could match it. Congrattions! Can I call you Jack?

    Hearing those words, Jack simply smiled awkwardly. He knew better than anyone that the only reason he defeated the two shadows was the Life Drop, an item that even the Hand of God would covet. Simply based on his own ability, he could only defeat the first shadow.

    Which remained a universally stunning achievement for a peak D-Grade, but nothing as grand as being one of the Cathedrals top talents.

    If anything, he was more surprised that his result wasnt <em>too </em>good. He had the Life Drophow were others able to match him without it?

    <em>I really underestimated the size of the universe </em>he thought, shaking his head.

    There was always a higher mountain, always a greater talent. Back in the neophyte Milky Way gxy, Jack was the strongest D-Grade without even using the Life Drop. Here, even if he did use it, there were others who couldpare.

    It really made his blood boil. The road ahead was long, and he really looked forward to walking it.

    Of course, a cultivators lucky chances were also part of their strength. Everyone had those, and everyone walked their own path in life. Moreover, Jack was currently forgetting that hed only been Integrated for a year and a half.

    If the other people present knew that, they would probably froth at the mouth.

    Sure, call me Jack, he replied. Thank you for the kind words.

    Dont mention it! Us disciples of the ck Hole Church arent many; we should stick together!

    The djinn girl also approached. She said, I didnt mention my name before. Im Mer KarPortul, nice to officially meet you.

    Bezz Massp, said the mosquitoid.

    John Anthem, added the other human, thest of the four cultivators.

    Jack smiled again. These people were not too bad. A pleasure to meet you, he said. Unfortunately, I am pressed for time, so I have to go. Perhaps well meet again.

    Mhm. Perhaps, yes

    Jack walked away, followed by their piercing stares. The handsome man, especially, was shocked. Had he, a middle C-Grade, just been brushed off by a peak D-Grade like he was nothing!?

    The Envoy had not said anything besides announcing Jacks score, but his eyes followed him as he walked away.

    Jack was feeling much better. Not only had he discovered that he remained ahead of the power curve, even when ced in the wider universe, but hed also found out about other monstrous talents.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    That was great! He had something to aim for. His eyes roved over the ranking obelisk, rising higher and higher until they rested on a single name.

    <em>1, Min Ling Iming for you!</em>

    However, testing his strength wasnt his only source of joy. His result in the Ceaseless Murder Globe had stunned everyone. If he managed to impress a high-ranker, or at least someone near the seven-hundred mark, perhaps he could convince them to protect Dorman from Don Cranxiao. Owing favors wasnt the best approach, but it was far better than letting his friend be bulliedespecially now that hed acknowledged Dorman and taken him under his roof.

    A high-ranker at his back would give Jack ample time to prepare. In three months, he would break through to the C-Grade, and then Cranxiao would be nothing but a fly on his shoulder.

    He also needed to contact the Sage about that, actually, but he didnt know where he lived. He could ask Dormanter. Plus, Jack had a feeling the Sage already knew.

    Jack walked with renewed vigor. He was getting used to the thousandfold gravity, too, so it didnt bother him that much. His body had adjusted.

    <em>Next stopthe library!</em>

    Dorman had mentioned this before. The Cathedral had a small library offering a collection of basic books. They mostly pertained to side professions, like formations and basic Dao theoryor healing.

    Since Jack had decided to try his hand at healing, the faster he started, the better.

    The twelve viges of the Cathedral were arranged in a ring shape. In their center was a small area containing the many formations, like the Heavy Pagoda, the ranking obelisk, and the Ceaseless Murder Globe. Some administrative buildings were also there, including the tiny cabin that housed the library.

    Jack didnt feel like spending more time than necessary. He walked there, greeted the pale, B-Grade vampire that served as the librarian, then picked up a book on healing and took his leave. For disciples of his ranking, one book at a time was the limit, and he could only keep it for a month or unless requested by a higher-ranking disciple.

    With the heavy tome under his arm, Jack crossed the in terrain of the Cathedral to arrive back at his cabin. Guys, Im home, he said, opening the door. Brock remained exactly where hed left him, on the cabins meditation mat. Dorman was leaning hisrge body against a side wall and cultivating. The cabin was deathly silent.

    <em>On hindsight, perhaps I shouldnt have shouted.</em>

    Brocks eyes snapped open. From their hidden excitement, Jack could tell the broris cultivation was going great.

    Hey bro. This ce great.

    d to hear that, Brock.

    What that? Brock asked, pointing at the book.

    Basic healing. I decided to be a part-time doctor.

    The brori nodded like this was the most natural thing in the world. Have fun, he said, then closed his eyes and returned to cultivation.

    Jack sighed his head. With such zeal, Brock would go far. He then climbed on the hard bed, sat cross-legged, and opened the book.

    It was titled An Introduction to Healing using the Dao of Life, by a person named Madam Zi.

    As Jack started reading, he found that this book really was about the fundamentals. The first chapter detailed the basic principles behind healing and somemonalities between all species of the universe.

    To Jacks surprise, he quickly discovered that a healer really was like a doctor. It wasnt just about pouring life energy inside a person until they became better. You had to control it carefully, scanning their body to discover the problem and then guiding your energy to resolve it. Mistakes could be disastrouseven killing the patient wasnt difficult, especially if they possessed lower cultivation. One wrong move from the life energy and their lungs or heart could seize.

    Jack nodded in agreement. The Dao was like a massive sledgehammer that could shake the universe. If someone allowed it into their bodies, one tiny mistake could wreak havoc.

    Of course, some things were easier to treat than others. Superficial injuries were the simplest. Deeper ones were more difficult, followed by regenerating limbs, repairing organs, and all the way to things that modern medicine hadnt yet achieved, like repairing brain damage and curing some otherwise terminal diseases.

    Jack was awed by what he discovered, but he decided to take things slow. First, he would learn to treat the easiest, lightest, most superficial wounds. It was a good start for a novice, and these were also the mostmon injuries people suffered.

    He dove deeper into the text. While studying was initially awkward, he quickly fell into the rhythm, his brain remembering the thousands of hours hed spent like this on Earth. Surprisingly, it was much easier than he remembered. Boredom and exhaustion were old conceptshe felt that he could easily spend days just reading texts. Moreover, he now possessed photographic memory and aprehension speed that would put Earthen schrs to shame.

    His 200 Mental was not a joke.

    However, Jack also discovered that this book was far moreplex than the ones he was used to. The wealth of knowledge it contained was staggering, and the degree to which it was distilled was mind-numbing. The author jumped from one subject to the other like a prancing gazelle, assuming that the reader was a mega-genius who could understand everything at a nce.

    To be fair, Jack <em>was </em>a mega-genius at this point, but he still struggled. This book was written for cultivators, not pre-System humansthe reader was assumed to have several hundred points in Mental, and this was just for an introductory book, the kind that low-level novices would read.

    The more Jack read, the more he struggled, but his knowledge increased at tremendous speed. He felt like the god of biologists. The theories he found inside, the treaties on the bodies of alien species, the observations, the connections It simultaneously expanded his understanding of the world and created even more questions.

    On Earth, a doctor needed to treat humans. Veterinarians treated animals, usually specializing in one species or family.

    In the cultivation world, a good healer needed to understand not just the human body, but the body of every species and what made them tick. Jack needed to be able to treat species hed never heard about before, getting their inner workings right at the first try. It was orders of magnitude more difficult than he expected.

    But he was also far more capable than any Earth schr could dream to be.

    The hours flowed like water. Brock and Dorman were deep in meditation, while Jack restlessly read from his book, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. His previous study experience came in handy; when problems cropped up or he realized he had a misunderstanding, he tackled the issue scientifically and found a solution.

    Like this, the thick, mystical, heavilypact tome was slowly absorbed by Jack. The pages turned one after the other.

 Chapter 338: Jackâ€™s Path of Healing

    Chapter 338: Jack¡¯s Path of Healing

    Vivi sat cross-legged in the middle of a field, experiencing the morning sun. Her breaths were deep, her brows rxed, her mind free to gallop as it pleased. She was currently meditating on mes, as the me Dao was most vibrant in the morning. In the afternoons, she cultivated the River Dao, and at nights she rested.

    She was just one step away from the D-Grade, but that step could be as short or long as she made it. Some cultivators broke through within days. Others tried for decades and never seeded. The sprouting of a Dao Tree was an intricate process that depended not just on reaching the max Level of the E-Grade, but also having a deep and consistent understanding of your Dao.

    Vivi was not in a hurry. Though she had reached the threshold of breaking through, she had chosen not to attempt it yet. After all, reaching the D-Grade earlier would earn her little. It was better to invest a few months in increasing her chances of sess as much as possible, as well as establishing a more solid foundation in the D-Grade.

    At the end of the day, Jack was her man. She refused to be stopped at a mere D-Grade.

    Not to mention that she had more to do in life than cultivate.

    Even while meditating, Vivi never cut off the worldpletely. Right now, hearing that something fun was going on, she cracked an eye open.

    A few feet away, two babies were sitting on a nketid out on the grass. A kind-looking man with a goatee sat with them, spreading his arms and conjuring all sorts of dancing lights. The children pped andughed, making the cute sound of babies. Eric was chewing on his foot, while Ebele was watching the spectacle with her wide open eyes.

    All sorts of shapes emerged from between Edgars hands. There were dogs, cats, giraffes, people. A small green dragon flew around Ebeles neck, while a tiny blue fairy drew Erics attention. Forgetting about chewing his foot, the little boy tried to grab her, but she only flew away, luring him to chase. All these shapes were made of bright colors as if tiny stars.

    At this point, the shape of a heart flew out of Edgars palms, slowly reaching the center of the pic nket. Eric was busy chasing the fairy, but Ebele looked at the heart, then tried to grab it. Her chubby little fingers passed right through the conjured image. She was startled. She kept trying. Finally, enough was enough. Firmly closing her little hand around the heartand catching nothingshe raised her fist and crawled closer to Vivi, finally extending her hand and opening it.

    Mom! she cried out, smiling brightly.

    Vivi, with one eye open, smiled. As soon as Ebeles hand opened, harmless mes formed the image of a heart inside it, which Vivi grabbed and eximed.

    Thank you! This is beautiful!

    If Ebele was surprised that shed finally captured the heart, she did not show it. She giggled merrily, and Vivi patted her head. The little girl then crawled back to Edgar and his magics, while Eric was still busy chasing the mischievous fairy who kept pecking him with little kisses.

    Vivi smiled, watching her children y. The sun was bright and pleasantly warm, the grass was cool, the food in their baskets delicious. Laughter kept ringing. Her childrens happiness warmed Vivis heart.

    Cultivationwas not the most important thing in life.

    ***

    Jack sat in a cold, dark, silent ce where a thousand gravities pressed down on him. Taking a deep breath, he slid a dagger across his palm, cutting a line of dripping blood. Before long, the blood stopped flowing, and the wound slowly but surely closed.

    Three breaths, he muttered.

    He cut his palm again. This time, he activated the power of the Life Drop, enhancing his natural regeneration. The wound closed almost instantly. Jack shook his head.

    Reaching into his soul, he grabbed the Life Drop and pulled out a tiny thread of Life energy, a miniscule amount. He guided it through his body until it reached his outstretched hand, then held it there. He sliced his palm a third time and gently guided the life energy into the open wound, trying not to waste any on the pristine skin surrounding it. He even directed the energy with his mind, teaching it how to best help his body heal.

    A faint green light emerged from his palm. The wound knit itself together and disappeared, leaving not even a scar. This time, it only needed two breaths.

    Jack smiled widely. Good!

    Cultivation was about two processes, expansion and consolidationtheory and practice. By alternating between these two, you could steadily progress down the right path. However, this principle wasnt limited to cultivation; it worked on anything from chess to boxing to science. In Jacks pre-System experience, this was the best way to progress in most human endeavors.

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    Healing was no different. Before he began practicing, he had spent a week studying the basic introduction to healing. Any more than that would fill his mind with more knowledge than he could digest, and any less would not give him proper foundations, so his practice would delve into random directions and be inefficient.

    Of course, this delicate bnce was different for all people and tasks. Jack took a week because he was a super mega genius by pre-System standards; for most people, it was better to start with small bites.

    Finally, however, he had seeded on his first attempt. He had healed a wound! It was only the most minor, easiest one, and it was also on himself, and he had also elerated self-healing by only a small amount, but it was a first step down a long road!

    Jack called it a warm-up. He was not nearly done.

    Reaching inside his soul, he pulled another tiny thread out of the Life Drop. This time, however, he didnt just move it to his hand. The soul was close to the heart. Wrapping that thread of life in a tiny bit of his own Dao so it wouldn''t dissipate, he deposited it in his bloodstream and let it flow naturally. This process was easier on him and also faster. The thread of life followed his blood as it ran along his body, slowly circling it.

    His perception remained locked onto the thread, guiding it along the right route.

    This was where Jacks study came into y. He had already memorized the entire structure of a humans bloodwork. Blood flowed out of the heart and would return to the heart, but it didnt pass through every point of the body in every circle. The bloodwork contained innumerable branches, where the massive bloodstream parted and followed different routes before eventually returning to the heart. His thread of life wouldnt get stuck no matter what path it followed, but if he wanted to get it to his hand specifically, he needed to guide it well.

    Though he had memorized every branch in the bloodwork, this task was easier said than done. Blood could move up to three feet per second. It was fast, and his perception was limited. He had to make continuous split-second decisions. The first ones were easy, as he just had to choose between the major arteries, but as the thread got closer and closer to his hand, the bloodstream broke into a vast number of increasingly tiny tunnels. The difficulty shot up.

    Jack kept his eyes closed, fully engrossed in his task. In the Cathedral, he had nothing else to do, nor was there anything to distract him. Even sound itself was absent. Time lost its meaning and endlessly stretched on. Jack kept trying, the thread of life passing through innumerable circles in his body. Every time he failed, he memorized the mistake so he wouldnt make it again.

    Slowly, the structure of his blood vessels was rified in his mind, every branch bing intimate. With each cycle, the thread was getting closer and closer to his palm. Then, it got closer and closer to the center of his palm, where he was guiding it.

    But it didnt arrive immediately. This ce had the tiniest vessels and highest degree of difficulty. Sometimes, the thread would rush up and down his fingers before moving back towards the heart. Other times, it would stop at the wrist. Frustratingly, it could even circle the wound without actually touching it. Finding the precise path was like threading a needle blindfolded.

    Jack didnt mind. He would get it eventually. A few more tries was nothing.

    Time flowed.

    Of course, in a real scenario, finding the wound would be much easier. The wounds that healers were called for were muchrger and on more vital ces than a tiny slit in the palm. The more blood that escaped a wound, the more central the blood vessels underneath, so the easier it was to reach them.

    However, Jack didnt aim for mediocrity. If he did something, he wanted to do it well. This was just practice to increase his mastery.

    The thread of life finally reached the wound that Jack had purposely kept open, and then he saw it close at a rate visible to the naked eye. He smiled. <em>Sess!</em>

    He then aimed at his right heel. Another thread of life entered his bloodstream, and he gently guided it over, once again making a ton of mistakes and learning from them.

    His first goal was being able to reliably guide a thread through his bloodstream to anywhere in his body with a ny percent sess rateon the first try. After that, he would increase the volume of life energy and try to achieve the same result. He would even experiment with guiding multiple threads at once. ording to the book, guiding energy through the bloodstream should be second nature to him, to the point where he could do itpletely on instinct.

    The reason for that was because different people had different internal structures. If Jack could do it on himself, it didnt mean he could do it on Dorman or the Sage. Moreover, a healer had to deal with more than just humans. The universe was filled with all sorts of species, each of which had a very distinct internal structure. A real healer should be able to work on even a species they hadnt seen before, and that could only be achieved through a mind-boggling amount of experience.

    Moreover, there were species that did not possess blood vessels but entirely different systems of internal energy transfer. The same principles applied then, but it was another step of difficulty higher. An expert healer could even handle those cases without prior experience.

    Jack didnt hope to achieve that degree anytime soonor ever. Hopefully, the Life Drops ridiculous amounts of energy would make up for his insufficiency in finesse.

    As for skipping the bloodstream control altogether That was impossible. While he could push the life energy directly through his own body if he wanted to, he couldnt do the same for others. Their Dao and body would resist greatly. Unless he intended to brute-force the issue, the only way was to insert his life energy through an opening in their body and then gently guide it to the injury, influencing the patient as little as possible. Otherwise, you could even do more harm than good.

    The path of a healer was long, hard, and could definitely not be walked in a few months or years. It was impossible for Jack to achieve that level of sess in time for his battle against Don Cranxiao.

    Thankfully, there were other ways. Many novice healers followed the hail-mary approach, where they just poured life energy into the patients body, let it run free, and hoped for the best. It was far less efficient than the real approach, but it could work, especially if he used the Life Drop topletely disregard efficiency.

    He grinned.

    <em>Healing is a hard, delicate practicebut I can just punch my way through with overwhelming power!</em>

    <em>That will be my path of healing!</em>

 Chapter 339: Cheating Capitalism

    Chapter 339: Cheating Capitalism

    Jack sat on his bed, letting three threads of life circte his body through his bloodstream. His breath was even and deep, his brows rxed. His perception was focused inward, capturing every change in a threads trajectory.

    By now, he knew his body in and out, every nook and cranny and tiny blood vessel. He could draw his entire blood system on paper if he wanted to. It had been two weeks since he started training, and it was going splendid. His almost-PhD was finallying in handy.

    Yet, it was far from enough. Moving energy through his own body was only the most elementary foundation. It didnt even have practical applicationsif he wanted to heal himself, he could just move the energy through his flesh. This was just training for the much harder task of moving his energy through the bloodstream of other humans, which he hadnt even started on yet.

    If just his own body took two weeks, the next step would take even more. He would never make it in time. Cranxiao woulde to beat up Dorman in two weeks, and Jack needed to have <em>something </em>by then so he could convince high-rankers to help. Otherwise, he would need to use his battle results in the Ceaseless Murder Globe to beg for favors, which was best avoided.

    Luckily, Jack was a smart man with smart ideas.

    He did not have expertise in healing, but he did have an ocean of life energy.

    Opening his eyes, he grinned. An empty Dao stone was in his hands. These things were easy toe by as they were basically worthlesstheir value came from the Dao inside them, not the stone itself.

    Taking a deep breath, Jack activated the Life Drop. A flood of energy rushed into his body, filling him up to the brim. His bones creaked as they expanded, his skin shivered as it grew, and the further excess of energy gathered into two new arms that wanted to burst out of Jacks armpits.

    Before that could happen, he passed a tight harness over the energy. He forced it with his will. The life energy resisted, too great to be controlled, but his indomitable will and Dao Tree bore down on it at the same time, forcing it to obey.

    The two new arms did not appear. The excess energy was like a pulsing bomb in his chest.

    Jack was sweating. One mistake now could end with his body exploding. Maintaining concentration, he guided the energy through his body, through his bones and blood and flesh, and into his arms. He pushed it down until it reached his hands, then forced it to surface through his palms. The skin bubbled like boiling water. A couple extra fingers sprouted. The sight was grotesque, so Jack averted his gaze and used his willpower to force the life energy out of his body and into the empty Dao stone he held.

    As it met the surface of his skin, it resisted fiercely, unwilling to go. Jack almost lost his grip. With a final effort, he pushed a corner of the energy into the empty Dao stone, and it was like hed opened the floodgates. The energy moved from high to low density. It dove into the Dao stone and filled it uppletely, swirling inside like a thick green snake. It was so potent that it was even visible to the naked eye.

    Jacks eyes widened. <em>Sess!</em>

    That was the idea. If Dao stones could hold ambient Dao, why not life Dao as well? Now, as soon as someone absorbed the energy contained in this stone, it would flood their body and heal their wounds. While it couldnt create the same effects as Jacks four-armed battle form, and it would quickly dissipate through the users pores with over ny percent of the efficacy wasted, there would be at least <em>some </em>healing!

    In Jacks knowledge, there wasnt any device like this. Even if there was, it wasnt wide-spread or easily avable. If you wanted healing, you needed a healer. It made sense, toothe amount of energy hed poured into the Dao stone was gargantuan. For a normal C-Grade healer, it was equivalent to a months work. Nobody in their right mind would use their energy like this.

    Unless, of course, they had the Life Drop in their body.

    Jackughed out loud, even disturbing Brock and Dorman who were meditating nearby. Whats going on? Dorman asked, jumping to his feet.

    Youre friends with a genius, thats what, Jack replied, pushing out the Dao stone with a wide smile. I present to you, the life stone! Quick and easy healing at the tips of your fingers. Buy one now and get another for free.

    Brock raised a brow in amusement. Bro?

    Jackughed. Dont worry. I have it all figured out. These babies will make us rich!

    Dorman and Brock exchanged a nce. What exactly is that? Dorman asked.

    I call it Jacks Life Stone, patent pending. Its use is simple; if you are wounded in battle and need healing, just take a life stone out of your pocket and absorb the energy within. It will flood your body, healing you, then harmlessly dissipate. You no longer need to depend on your teams healer. Doesnt it sound extremely seble?

    Dorman hesitated. I guess But if it was so easy, wouldnt it exist already? I mean, you made this in a few seconds.

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    Im special. Jack didnt exin further. While his Life Drop was no longer a secret, it also wasnt the matter at hand.

    Okay... But, are you sure it works?

    Not really. Thats why youll help me test it.

    Dormans eyes widened. Youre kidding. Look at me! Im wide like Mount Tai, and its all because I ate a Life Treasure! Come on, man!

    Jack blinked in surprise. Hed forgotten about that.

    <em>Will people get fat if they use my Life stone? </em>he wondered. <em>Would Dorman explode?</em>

    Okay, change of ns. Brock, its your lucky day.

    The broriughed, then caught the life stone that Jack threw over.

    Careful! Dorman eximed. If you recklessly absorb that thing, you could turn fat like me!

    Even if that happens, the energy stilles from me. I have confidence in forcefully dissipating it, Jack said. Brock, Im ny percent certain, but I need someone to test it out. The choice is yours.

    I trust Big Bro, Brock said without the slightest hesitation. He held the Dao stone with both hands, concentrated, and gently tugged on a bit of energy. He pulled out the barest trickle, intending to start slow.

    The moment that happened, the entire green snake burst out. It swam through space as if looking for prey, then dug into Brocks body before he could respond. Brocks eyes widened. Green shes traveled up and down his limbs. Green smoke escaped his pores and orifices. He resembled a living pot for a moment, and then the energy abruptly calmed down.

    Everyone held still. Are you okay? Jack asked.

    Brock thought about it, then nodded. Nothing seemed different. He patted his belly and said, Full.

    Dorman and Jack both heaved a huge sigh of relief. After that, however, Jack revealed a disappointed expression. The life stone was nowhere near as efficient as hed hoped.

    Half the energy dissipated right as it entered Brocks body. Even after that, the vast majority rushed to exit through his pores like it refused to stay inside him.

    Only a tiny portion of the energy was forced to circte through Brock, as it just couldnt exit quickly enough. It would be enough to heal minor wounds, but nothing serious.

    With a few quick calctions, Jack estimated that the efficacy of his life stone was only a sad two percent. This sort of thing would be almost useless to C-Grades. He couldnt trade it for Dao stones.

    <em>I can make it work, </em>he consoled himself. <em>This was just a prototype. If I can condense the energy further, the efficacy should rise. Also, if Brock uses his own Dao to keep the life energy from exiting his body, arger portion of it will have no choice but to be absorbed.</em>

    <em>Should I include an instruction manual with my life stones?</em>

    <em>Hmm. Also, if there is some material that stops life energy from passing, I could use it to cover the life stone so the energy doesnt dissipate before entering the users body.</em>

    The easiest idea to test was Brocks control over the energy exiting his body. Jack returned to meditation, resting himself until he could draw on the Life Drops energy againcontrolling such a huge amount of energy overtaxed his mental reserves, so he needed time to rest between creating life stones.

    An hourter, he repeated the process to create a second life stone. He even used the same empty Dao stone as before, since it was reusable.

    <em>Environmentally friendly. This goes a long way for patents!</em>

    After hed created a nearly identical life stone, he once again passed it to Brock. This time, he instructed Brock to slice his foot a bit before using the life stone, so the energy had somewhere to go. He also had Brock use his own Dao to block his pores so it couldnt easily dissipate.

    Brock obliged. The energy escaped the stone, half of it dissipating in the process as before, while Brock absorbed the remaining half. Green smoke still escaped his body from everywhere, but it was slightly less than before. The green shes rampaged on him. The small wound on his foot closed instantly, and Brocks belly bulged out almost imperceptibly.

    Finally, all of the energy was absorbed, and Brock burped.

    Sess! Jack shouted again. Just with Brock keeping the energy in, the efficacy had risen to a whopping five percent! It couldnt heal grievous wounds, but even shallow sword shes should disappear. To someone who did not possess self-regeneration, this could be the difference between life and death.

    The minor side effect was that the user could gain weight if their injuries werent heavy enough. But, for saving ones life, this was a small price to pay. Besides, they just had to be careful.

    Please never give me one of those, Dorman said tearfully, but Jack was too busy making business ns.

    Don Cranxiao would arrive in two weeks. Until then, Jack needed to either break through himself or hire someone to help him protect Dorman. With these life stones, he could easily gather enough Dao stones!

    Perhaps a life stone wasnt worth a Dao stone, but even if the ratio was three or five to one, what did Jack care? He had infinite. The Life Drop was a bottomless ocean of energy. The two life stones he had created werent even enough to scratch the surface.

    Who would have expected that this priceless treasure would be relegated to a money-making scheme by Jack?

    <em>I beat capitalism in two weeks. Woohoo!</em>

    <em>Ah, life is so easy when youre smart. With all the Dao stones I can gather, my strength will increase by leaps and bounds!</em>

    Giggling to himself, he set to creating more life stones. The downtime was used to keep practicing the bloodstream guidance technique as described in the introductory healing manual.

    Throughout the next day, Jack produced twenty life stones. If a normal C-Grade healer wanted to achieve the same result, they would need a year and a half! As for the Life Drop, its energy had only fallen by an imperceptible trickle. He could easily create thousands of life stones.

    Jack was very proud of himself. This was easy.

    Too easy.

    The world around him zoomed out like he was falling backward into a well. He felt himself sinking. Suddenly, he was in an endlessly deep, dark space filled with piercing cold and green mist. A green sphere hovered in the distance. Most importantly, arge turtle floated right before Jack, its beady eyes shining with anger.

    Kid! it shouted with enough force to rupture his eardrums. What the hell do you think youre doing!?

 Chapter 340: Entering the Life Drop

    Chapter 340: Entering the Life Drop

    Kid! What the hell do you think youre doing!?

    The turtles roar echoed through the green-tinged void, rumbling space itself. Jack flew backward, cupping his ears to protect them. His teeth were chattering.

    When the sound died down, he could finally raise his head again. Therge turtle stared him down, its beady eyes exuding menace.

    Jacks Dao perception spread out.

    Last time he was here, this turtle had only been a vague shape in the distance. He hadnt had time to take a good look. This time, things were different. He could clearly make out the interconnected tes on its shell, its sharp teeth, its shrunk neck about to whip at him.

    This creature looked like a normal snapping turtle, except the size of an elephant.

    And its aura was gigantic. Just probing it with his perception made Jack nauseous. It tussled and turned like a sun trapped in a tiny body, a bastion of inestimably deep power. The turtles aura alone felt like a living creature, so grand was its strength, and Jack was nothing but a leaf waiting to be blown in the storm.

    His legs went jelly. Luckily, he was floating in the void, so he didnt need them. He also wasnt afraid of death. Realizing that this creature could do whatever it wanted with him, he raised his head, unafraid of staring it down.

    A shadow of approval flickered within those beady eyes, then disappeared.

    I ask you again, kid, the turtle spoke, this time in a normal, somewhat old and grating voice instead of an apocalyptic one. What the hell do you think youre doing? How did you consume so much energy so quickly?

    I was using the power of the Life Drop to make life stones, Jack replied. In the face of absolute power, he was calm. He could die, but he could not cower.

    What the hell is a life stone?

    A device of my creation, esteemed elder. I pour life energy into an empty Dao stone, then sell it to people whock self-regeneration. If theyre injured, they can absorb the energy in the stone to quickly heal themselves.

    It was his tensest elevator pitch ever. Yet, the turtle only revealed a stunned look. You are using the Supreme Blood to create low-level trinkets?

    And sell them, Jack couldnt help adding. I have found myself in need of resources.

    The turtle remained stunned for a good half minute. Jack was beginning to wonder if it died on the spot when it finally reacted, erupting with a fierce shout. How dare you!

    The shout rumbled across space much harder than the previous one had. Jack tried to defend, but it was useless. His body shattered like ss. He opened his eyes in the real world, rising so fast that the top of his head crashed into Brocks jaw.

    Bro! the brori shouted, cupping his chin. You back!

    I

    Jack barely had time to glimpse at his cabin, where he apparentlyy on the floor, before a furious voice echoed in his ears. Get back here!

    Once again, he fell backward inside a well, watching the world get farther and farther away until he was once again floating in the green voice, faced with a furious, iparably powerful turtle. His body was intact.

    What the hell? was all he managed to say before the turtle began a huge tantrum.

    Insolence, sphemy! it shouted, rocking the void. It took everything Jack had to prevent his body from shattering again. How the hell did some punk like you pass the trial? I should break your soul and fly off into the void. Even inhabiting a random space monster would be better than wasting divine gifts on party tricks and road-side begging!

    Esteemed elder, please, just stop shouting!

    Jack was about to go crazy. The turtles tantrum was vibrating all of the Dao inside him, his very Dao Tree. It was like hed smoked expired mushrooms.

    Finally, the turtle stopped erupting, though it still looked pissed.

    Give me a good reason not to destroy you right now, it said. Go on. You have one breath.

    Jacks mind raced. The turtle had offered him a chancehe just had to find the right words.

    I was in dire need of resources, he exined. I am striving to reach the top, and I thought I should use all means at my disposal. These life stones may be party tricks to you, but they are essential to me. I didnt think the Life Drop would mind a tiny bit of missing life energy.

    Hmph! Whether it minds or doesnt mind, thats up to me to decide, not you.

    Naturally. I would have asked if I could, but I was unable to enter this world again after that one time.

    Of course you were unable! Youre just a tiny mortal. If you want toe in here, you have to prove your worth first!

    So, since Im here, does that mean I proved it? Jack regretted his words the moment he spoke them. Seeing that the turtle was about to fly into another round of apoplectic rage, he quickly raised his hands and said, Please calm down, senior. I had no intention to offend you. I am just confused from flying between worlds like a kite on a windmill.

    The turtle snorted. Its mood softened a bit. You better be. In any case, no more life stones or anything like that. Understood?

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    Jack was about to agree. However, cultivators know to respect their instincts. Right now, his intuition told him that, as much as this turtle liked to make a fuss, it wouldnt actually act against him. He had room to negotiate.

    Of course, it could end terribly, but he would never reach the top by skipping the opportunities that presented themselves. If he missed this chance, who knew when hed get another?

    Senior, please show some generosity. I really am struggling out there. If I limit my consumption of energy, cant I make just a few life stones a day?

    The turtles eyes shed. Youre treading on dangerous waters, kid. One wrong word and Ill eat you alive.

    I understand, but I would still like to speak. If I cant take risks, what right do I have to call myself a cultivator?

    The turtles aggressiveness did not abate in the slightest, but it also didnt strike out at him. Sensing this tacit agreement, Jack made his case.

    This Life Drop, or the Supreme Blood, as you called it, has chosen me for a reason. I braved many hurdles and surpassed many obstacles to reach this point. I have already proven my worth, at least to a degree. I do not know what goals you and the Supreme Blood have, but I believe I am part of them. If you want to find someone else, it is possible, but it will also be a huge hassle for you, since the Ancient Trial I passed to acquire the Supreme Blood is many gxies away. Weve already cooperated this long. Thus, we should work together.

    The turtle remained silent for a moment. Its anger persisted, a shimmering coal in the depths of its aura, but it also seemed willing to listen to Jack.

    I already know all those, it replied. Dont try to school me. Just tell me what you want.

    A few life stones a day. Thats all.

    Using the Supreme Blood for such a mortal reason like money is an affront to everything we stand for. Why should I let you do it?

    Because I am a mortal, esteemed elder, and I need Dao stones to cultivate. Moreover, there are enemies after my life. If I die before I reach the peak, that will also set you back.

    If you die, it just means you were too weak.

    But what if I am dyed? What if the problems of today harm my potential and we have to spend millennia just to reach the C-Grade? Wouldnt that be a great loss to you?

    The turtle snorted. You guess correctly. Your rise to power is indeed aligned with my and the Supreme Bloods interests, but that doesnt mean we will help you more than necessary. That crude use of the Supreme Blood you have discovered is already a major boon to you. If you cannot reach the apex with that, then Hmph! You may as well retire and leave a mortal life.

    Jacks ears perked up. The turtle was referring to his four-armed form, but The crude use I have discovered? Are you implying there are more ways to use the Supreme Blood, esteemed elder?

    Naturally. The Supreme Blood is a divine artifact; a mere battle form is nothing.

    Then

    If you want something, go earn it. Dont ask me for free advice. I am not your father, though I may as well be your daddy.

    Jack was taken aback. Finally, he mustered himself to say, I did find another way to use the Supreme Blood, esteemed elderbut you are stopping me. Since thats the case, how about you rmend another way to make up for the one you take away from me? Or do you n to just take without giving?

    This tone was borderline disrespectful, but it seemed to be working so far.

    The turtle snorted. And here I thought you were just a muscleheadbut look at that wily tongue. You sure can speak, kid, even if all you say is bullshit. Fine. Whatever.

    Jacks eyes shone. Then

    I will give you a hint. Not because you deserve it, but because I like your gutsy attitude. Not many would have the courage to stand up to me and theposure to make it worth it. The turtles beady eyes gazed deeply into Jacks own, finding just the right mixture of respect and bravery. Life energy is the energy of the body. Instead of just letting it rampage like a gung-ho barbarian, you can try to control it and nourish yourself for long-term benefits. That is the foundational function of the Supreme Blood.

    I see! Jack said.

    <em>So I can push the life energy into my body to nourish it Wait a moment. Isnt that exactly what Dorman did?</em>

    But wouldnt that just make me fat? he asked.

    Only if you do it wrong, the turtle replied with a snort. But dont look at me. If you cant figure even that out by yourself, you really dont have the qualifications to use the Supreme Blood.

    Alright. I will certainly figure it out. Thank you, esteemed elder, you have been a great help.

    The turtle scoffed. And stop with esteemed elder this and esteemed elder that. You may call me Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.

    Jack nodded. Absolutely! he replied, while inwardly thinking, <em>What a mouthful </em>Thank you for your guidance, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell. Since Im herewhat exactly are you? Where <em>is </em>here? Are we inside the Supreme Blood?

    Of course we are inside the Supreme Blood. What are you, stupid? Nevermind, dont answerI dont want to know. As for the rest of your questions When the timees for you to know, you will naturally know. For now, just assume I am the caretaker of the Supreme Blood.

    Okay.

    Jack didnt mind. This turtle still felt way above his paygrade, though the benefits it could offer were sweet. If he could form a good rtion with it

    As if it saw through his thoughts, the turtle snorted yet again, rocking the void. As for those life stones you mentioned it said, sounding thoughtful. While I find such a use of the Supreme Blood debasing, I understand that certain concessions must be made for yourmundane circumstances. You may create one life stone per seven days. That would match the Supreme Bloods current regeneration rate. If you can use it well, even that tiny amount of energy would be invaluable to someone of your cultivation.

    Jacks gaze brightened. This turtle wasnt so bad after all!

    Thank you, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell. Youre awesome!

    Of course I am, but that is not for you to judge. Now, if that is all

    Jack smiled wryly. Just one more thing. If, in the future, I need to contact you again to make sure Im not misusing the Supreme Blood in another wayhow could I reach out?

    The turtle stared at him. How stupid can you be, kid? Did I not create a door on your Dao Tree? Do you not know how to use doors?

    I tried opening it, but it would not budge

    Because its locked, you idiot! If you want to see me, just knock! Ill hear you. But if you disturb me for unimportant reasons, I will take away your benefits. Am I clear?

    Crystal clear, sir.

    I am not sir. I am Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.

    Absolutely, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.

    Very well. Now begoneand try to get stronger quickly, or I might reconsider your status as the Supreme Bloods holder.

    Jack looked around. He saw a vast, dark void glimmering with faint green mist. So, uh That door you mentioned, would you mind showing me?

    For the first time, the turtle grinned. It was almost terrifying on its face. Oh, Ill show you alright, it replied, then snorted with power.

    The shockwave was unstoppable. Once again, Jacks entire body shattered like ss, and he found himself gasping on the hard bed of his cabin on the Cathedral.

    Jack! Big Bro! Dorman and Brock eximed, sitting next to him. Are you okay? What happened?

    Uh Jack thought back to the turtle, its nonsensical attitude, and the benefits hed reaped. With a smile on his face, he replied, I actually dont have the slightest idea.

 Chapter 341: Body Tempering

    Chapter 341: Body Tempering

    As Jack sat on his bed, he was extremely satisfied. Who said you cant have your cake and eat it too?

    The turtle with a mouthful of a name had limited Jacks creation of life stones, but he still had the twenty hed made the day before! With a little business acumen, he was confident in exchanging them for at least five Dao stones. Along with the Heavy Pagodas Daopressing properties, he would need only ten more stones to break through to the C-Grade.

    Moreover, the turtle had hinted at another way to use the Life Drop. Jack was shivering with anticipation as he sat down to test it.

    <em>Use the life energy to temper my body</em>

    Closing his eyes, he sank into meditation. Wisps of life energy wafted from the Life Drop, spreading across his body and harmlessly dissipating. Jack pulled at them. The wisps turned into a current, then a raging stream as heaps of life energy emerged to fill his body. Before it could reach the point of transforming him into the four-armed form, he stopped.

    Now, he just had an excess of life energy coursing through his body. This energy was mild and obedient. It followed his instructions perfectly and wouldnt merge into his body by itself. Otherwise, this energy alone would have bloated him like Dorman.

    <em>How do I go about this?</em>

    The four-armed transformation was also a form of body enhancement. When using it, the life energy dove into his entire body, essentially supercharging it. However, it couldnt be called tempering or nourishing. The excess energy gave him temporary power, then dissipated. It never truly became a part of him.

    After the turtles hint, Jack began to realize that a deeper fusion was also possible.

    Everything in the world was made of Dao. That included the human body. From his bones to his skin, it was all a collection of life-rted Dao particles whichbined into a functioning whole. His molecules themselves were made of tinier Dao particles.

    Was it possible to infuse his body, which was made of Life Dao, with extra energy?

    Focusing on the excess life energy currently circting his body, Jack used his will to grab a tiny piece. It squirmed against his control, but he held on tight. Then, he slowly pushed it <em>deeper </em>inside his body, not on a physical level, but on a conceptual one. He didnt fuse it into his flesh and bones, but into the very essence which made them up, the foundation of his being.

    The life energy resisted as it pushed against the Dao of Jacks body. These two were made of the same tiny particles, but in differentbinations. They refused to work together. It was like forcing two pieces of the same puzzle that werent meant to match.

    Jack stopped and pondered this problem. A momentter, he tried again.

    Grabbing the same segment of life energy as before, he attacked it. His will pressed down so hard that the helpless Dao was ground into nothingness, eventually breaking into its fundamentalponents.

    Now, it resembled pure, ambient life Dao. It could no longer be used to create his four-armed form, losing any sense of will or cohesion. It wanted to dissipate, but Jack mped down with his entire willpower and forced it not to. Or, rather, he tried. The feeling was like trying to hold water in a basket. It kept leaking.

    Frowning in concentration, Jack hurried to use it. He grabbed this ambient Life Dao and forcefully pushed it into himself, forcing it tobine with the stable Dao that made up his body. It was difficult. His body itself resisted. It was aplex machine, he couldnt just throw screws at it and hope to make it bigger.

    However, a few particles still managed to make it in. They were lodged inside him, unable to escape or be absorbed. Jack even felt a stabbing pain in his bones.

    <em>Did I mess up? </em>he wondered. <em>Randomly sticking things in my body couldnt be a good idea.</em>

    Before he had time to consider it properly, he felt the energy melting. He would have cried out in joy if this conceptual melting wasnt apanied by very real, excruciating heat. It rapidly spread across his body. He was on fire. His flesh was boiling, and his nerves were revolting like his bones were molten iron.

    Jack gasped. He gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to shout. Before anything else, he felt stubbornness. He had endured the Life Drop fusing with his soul and the divine tribtion burning him inside out. Compared to those, this tiny bit of pain was nothing.

    A few secondster, it was over. Jack panted, leaning his back against the wall as he struggled to recover.

    Bro? Brock asked from his meditation mat, deeply confused.

    Im fine, Jack replied weakly. Just had a breakthrough.

    Brock stared at him deeply, then nodded and returned to cultivation. Dorman hadnt reactedhe was probably meditating on his Dao and had cut off the world.

    Jack shook his head to clear it. <em>What happened?</em>

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences.

    Looking into his body, he saw that the life energy hed forcefully absorbed was gone. Judging by the searing pain, it had fused into his body.

    <em>Ah. My reasoning was wrong. Im not throwing screws at a machineIm throwing them at the mechanic.</em>

    The human body was far more than a machine. It possessed highlyplex internal mechanisms, including energy management. Combined with the nature of the Dao, it had managed to absorb the energy that Jack had stuck into it, essentially metabolizing it.

    However, it wasnt as simple as consuming food. The fusion had urred at a deeper level, where it equally affected everything from skin to bone. The body had absorbed the energypletely, spreading it across itself to make the process easier.

    As a result, he wasnt bigger, justtempered. Enhanced.

    <em>Hmm. Wait. Do I feelmarginally stronger?</em>

    <em>It couldnt be.</em>

    He suddenly had a thought. If it was true He didnt dare consider the implications yet. With a decisive move, Jack willed his status screen open.

    <strong><em>ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.</em></strong>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (D)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: D</strong>

    <strong>ss: Cosmic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 249</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 1761</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 1761</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 1756</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 200</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch III, Iron Fist Style III, Space Walk III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body II</strong>

    <strong>Daos: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    His jaw went ck. His eyes widened.

    In the status screen, most things had remained the same. His Level, ss, Skills, and Titles were all unchanged.

    However, his Physical substats had all increased by one.

    This was new! It was tiny buttremendous!

    Jack startedughing, his previous pain all but forgotten. Brock once again raised a brow, but eventually didnt bother. As for Jack, he was incredibly excited. His mind ran amok with possibilities.

    <em>I can enhance my stats! I can do it directly, without needing the System or level-ups! Haha, haha! This is amazing!</em>

    Hed long known that, on level-ups, the System somehow pushed some ambient Dao into his body to enhance it. Everyone knew that. However, doing the same yourself wasnt possible.

    But Jack had just achieved it!

    <em>What does this mean? Can I be infinitely strong? Can my strength rise without level-ups or breakthroughs? Can I be doubly as powerful, or even three or four times? Is there a limit, or am I God?</em>

    For the second time in a few hours, Jack felt hed cracked the system. Unlike the previous time, however, he now had grounds to think it was true.

    This tempering process wasnt something anyone could do. Even if they could, they wouldnt. The energy consumption was tremendous. If Jack didnt have the Life Drop, he would need to spend at least a few days gathering the energy to increase his stats by one pointit just wasnt worth it. And that was assuming he cultivated some version of the Dao of Life, which he didnt. Moreover, even if he did, he would need to use some energy storage method like a life stone, which would incur a severe energy loss. It wouldnt be days, but more like a month.

    As for the Life Drop, it contained practically infinite energy at this point, and the turtle didnt mind him using that energy for body tempering.

    This was a method unique to Jack!

    <em>One more System mystery solved, one more peak conquered, </em>he thought, unable to stop smiling. <em>I wonder, how does this affect mybat strength?</em>

    The higher one rose, the more they relied on their Dao. The body was just a medium. However, that didnt mean it was useless. Thanks to his titles, Jack already had higher stats than almost everyone at his level, and that showed in every battle. He could strike harder, move faster, and endure for longer. It was part of the reason why he could fight higher-level opponents than himself.

    Moreover, the body was the foundation of everything. That was why the System enhanced it at every level. The sturdier the body, the more powerful the Dao it could support. If Jacks bodily stats doubled, it wouldnt bring a mere twofold increase in his battle strengthit might even rise by five or ten times!

    <em>Okay, maybe not ten, but it will still be a huge asset! </em>He finally calmed himself down. <em>Thank you, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell. You really helped me a lot this time.</em>

    There were still many things Jack didnt understand. Naturally, this power wouldnte without limitations, or he could just hide in a cave for a hundred years and emerge as a universal overlord.

    He would discover those limits as he went.

    Many calctions ran through Jacks mind. <em>Absorbing that bit of energy took me a few minutes. Including rest time, that is half an hour per stat point. If I cultivate non-stop, I can gather forty-eight in a day, or around three hundred and fifty every week.</em>

    <em>Cranxiao wille to beat up Dorman in two weeks. If I focus on body tempering, I could get seven hundred stat points by then</em>

    <em>Seven hundred points. Thats like, seventy levels in the D-Grade. It could greatly enhance mybat strength! If I could beat the middle C-Gradeary overseer before, then after these two weeks, could I defeat someone at thete C-Grade?</em>

    <em>Could Idefeat Cranxiao in two weeks? Without even breaking through?</em>

    <em>If I did break through, just how overwhelming would my strength be?</em>

    He was already giddy with anticipation. This body tempering method had opened a new world for him. He had felt unqualified since arriving at the Cathedral, like a big fish that finally entered the shark-filled seabut now, he suddenly had hope.

    The sharks could go fuck themselves. He wouldnt just stay afloat; he would dive down and eat them whole.

    The prerequisite was that he would suffer excruciating pain every half hourbut every good cultivator was a bit of a masochist. Jack was more excited than afraid.

    <em>Bring it on! </em>he shouted inwardly, resolving to pause his healing studies so he could focus on body tempering for two weeks. Solving his problems himself was much better than depending on others. He would work every minute of every day, not sleeping or resting, and in two weeks

    Cranxiao wouldnt know what hit him.

 Chapter 342: Recruiting New Bros

    Chapter 342: Recruiting New Bros

    Brock opened his eyes.

    Cultivating here was very efficient. His Big Thought was nourished well. Soon, it would approach the next transformation.

    For now, however, he needed to rest.

    <em>Working too hard is bad. Few hours break, then cultivate another month.</em>

    Making up his mind, he stood. Big Bro sat on his bed, asionally gritting his teeth. Intense ripples spread from his body, like a hundred small broris were hammering at his bones, but Brock didnt want to intrude. When Big Bro wanted to share, he would share.

    Fat Bro opened his eyes. Hey, he said. Going out?

    Yes.

    A moment of silence passed. Fat Bro asked, Can I use the magical meditation mat while youre gone? I will give it back as soon as you return, I promise.

    Brock did notpletely approve of that request. Fat Bro was a guest, and asking to borrow Medium Bro privileges was questionable. However, if he had his hierarchies straight, it wouldnt be a problem.

    Okay, he replied.

    Thanks!

    Fat Bro rushed to sit on the bromat and close his eyes. As for Brock, he opened the door and walked out.

    He looked around. Heavy darkness covered the void over the Church ce, pressing down on his shoulders like an angry sky. The ground was gray and stony, with no signs of life, while there wasnt even any air to breathe.

    Hardly the ce for a scenic walk.

    Therefore, Brock decided to do the second best thing, which was head over to the Kill Kill Ball and test his current power.

    <em>It fun, so it part of my break.</em>

    Covering himself in the ripples of his Big Thought to defend against gravity, he started walking. The Ball was visible in the distancea sphere of gray next to the obelisk.

    He arrived quickly. A small crowd was gathered outside the Ballyoung-looking human men and a single woman. Brock approached confidently. Sup, bros? he said, drawing everyones attention. Can I try the Kill Kill Ball, please?

    They looked at him, then at each other. Do you mean the Ceaseless Murder Globe? one of them asked.

    Yes. I speak not too well.

    At this point, one of the people there made an ugly face and said, What idiot left their pet unsupervised?

    A few of the peopleughed, while Brock frowned slightly. Pet? he asked. ss people no pets. Animal people no pets. Why you think I pet?

    Before the man could muster his words, Brock continued.

    You pet to your masters. Pet to stronger humans. But I, no pet. I free because I want to.

    The cultivators looked at him in disbelief. One nudged the speaking cultivators shoulder, saying, The hell? A few others nodded in acknowledgment, while thest two shook their heads.

    I will not argue with a monkey, said the speaking cultivator. Go away. Shoo.

    Brock ignored him. He turned to the few who had approved of his words and said, Name is Brock. Nice to meet you.

    Likewise, Brock, replied a human girl with a blue ponytailthe only woman present. Youre an odd one.

    Thanks. Odd can be good or bad, but I believe I good.

    Yes, I believe so too.

    His polite yet sturdy manner of speech had slowly drawn the attention of the small crowd. There was a maism to his aura, a draw to his personality, that made most of the people present surround him withzy smiles. The rude cultivator from before suddenly found himself outshined.

    This wasnt a Dao attack or anything of the sortit was just solid conduct and social skills coupled with an unusual, disarming appearance. After all, Brock was still only shoulder-height and superficially resembling a monkey.

    Can I try, or can I not try? Brock asked, motioning at the Globe.

    Ponytail Sis shook her head with a rueful smile. Sorry, big guy. Only disciples can enter the Globe. You arent one, are you?

    Not yet. But I strong.

    Oh? You think you could defeat the first opponent?

    How strong?

    One-fruit C-Grade.

    Brock didnt know what this meant, but he suddenly felt hungry. What fruit? he asked.

    The girlughed.

    Fruits are the minor stages inside the C-Grade, another bro exined. The more of them youve grown on your Dao Tree, the stronger you are. One is the start of the C-Grade, and nine is the end.

    Okay. Thanks.

    No problem.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    The more Brock spoke, the more he drew in the crowd. The rude cultivator from before could no longer take it and said, Hmph! What idiot doesnt even know about the fruits of the C-Grade?

    The same idiot who can make you jealous.

    Brocks response hade instantly. Moreover, none of the people here were naive; they could tell just how on-the-nose it was and realized that the rude cultivator had been entirely defeated. As his face grew red, many othersughed, clearly siding with Brock.

    Mind your words, monkey, the cultivator responded. I could destroy you with a snort.

    Hmph! You are the one who started it, and now youin? Surprisingly, it was Ponytail Sis that stood up for Brock. Get the hell out of here, or <em>you </em>will have to face <em>my </em>snort, and you know how that will end.

    The rude cultivators eyes widened in rage. Finally, however, he only turned around with a sneer and walked away.

    Brock could sense their auras, and he already knew that the rude cultivator was one of the weakest people present, while Ponytail Sis was one of the strongest. Otherwise, he would have handled this situation differently.

    Sorry about that, Ponytail Sis told Brock. Some people are just assholes.

    No problem. But why you with him?

    We arent in the same group. Its just that there is a small event going on, which is why there are so many people here.

    Oh?

    Lady Min Ling, the first ranked outer disciple, is currently inside the Globe!

    Oh! Brock eximed. He understood who that woman was, though he didnt feel much adoration. He would never blindly admire a stranger. If she was a good bro, then he would consider it.

    Of course, no matter how awesome she was, could she be any more awesome than Big Bro?

    Brock looked around. Once again, he noticed that most of the people here were young-looking, male humans. His eyes shed. I see, he said. You bros want mate Strong Lady Bro.

    If a thunderp had fallen, these people would be less stunned.

    Of course not, a man hurried to respond. We just admire her greatly, thats all.

    Then why your cheeks red?

    Thats Theyre always that color.

    Oh. Youe from red-cheek species? Look, theyre even more red now. You no lying, are you?

    No, the man replied. He seemed very young, barely a teen, and his awkwardness was in for all to see. Brock didnt want to make him feel bad. Slinging an arm over the youths shoulders, he said, Nothing bad about love. You no need be embarrassed. It natural and proper. If you like girl, you bring gifts to girl, usually bananarms, and then mate if she wants to.

    The youth had be beet-red, obviously unable to appreciate Brocks wisdom, but the brori didnt take it to heart.

    It ok, little bro, he said. You try. Then, you understand.

    Immature people were rare in the Cathedral, but not entirely absent. The C-Grade was far easier to reach in the wider gxy than in Jacks, so many people werent nearly as experienced as Jack and Brock. The young wizards, especially, were often recluses not well versed in human rtionships.

    While everyone here was a powerful cultivator and a local overlord where they came from, there were people like the youth under Brocks arm who were somewhat juvenile.

    Moreover, many cultivators came from cultures far more conservative than the hotpot that was the Cathedral.

    Hearing Brocks words, Ponytail Sis chuckled. The men surrounding her disyed expressions that ranged from mild embarrassment to amusement over the youths situation.

    Unfortunately, human rtionships are moreplex than you think, said Ponytail Sis. We can admire people without wanting to sleep with them. Of course, if Min Ling wanted to find a suitor, normal outer disciples wouldnt stand a chance.

    Oh? Brock asked, letting go of his new little bro. Why not?

    Because she can have anyone she wants! The greater, the better. Only the other top talents could barely qualify.

    Brock considered it. Sorry, he said. Ifdy friend wants great man, only one qualifies. My Big Bro, Jack Rust.

    Brock was pretty sure that Big Bro wasnt interested in anyone besides Big Sis at the moment. However, since Ponytail Sis asked, he had to let her know about Big Bros unsurpassed awesomeness.

    The men around them didnt take it well. Their expressions darkened. While they were only here to watch Lady Min Ling in the way that people watch celebrities, not really hoping for anything, Brocks words were a bit provocative.

    And what exactly makes your big bro better than us? asked one man.

    He very strong. Big heart, strong mind, good bro. Handsome, too.

    Youre speaking nonsense, another guy said. If hes so great, why doesnt hee here and show us?

    Jack Rust, you said? asked another person, looking at the obelisk. Hes ranked 950. Thats even lower than me. How can you say hes very strong?

    Because soon, he rise like meteor.

    As if! Thats what we all said when we arrived, but look at us now. Your big bro will be humbled very abruptly and very soon.

    We see, Brock replied diplomatically, not taking any of theirments to heart. After all, he was the one who teased them first.

    We see my ass. If that Jack Rust is as awesome as you say, I will eat my shoe and call you daddy!

    Big bro is fine.

    The crowd would keep arguing, but at that moment, the door of the Ceaseless Murder Globe slid open. The words died in their throats; their gazes swiveled at the Globe at the same time.

    A woman stepped out of the globe. She lookedposed, if panting. Through a cut on her leather armor, a bleeding wound was visible on her ribs. On her back was a red spear, at least nine feet long, with a stark ck head.

    As for the woman herself, she was slim, athletic, and with long, dark hair that cascaded behind her. Brock had no way to judge her beauty, as all humans looked the same to him, but her aura was towering, billowing like a storm, erupting like a volcano. He lost his breath, and the thousandfold gravity seemed to intensify as her gaze fell on him.

    Or, rather, on Ponytail Sis next to him.

    Hey, Min, Ponytail Sis said, stepping out of the crowd. How did it go?

    Decently, the spearwoman replied,pletely ignoring the rest of the people present. None of them spoke up, either.

    Good! Lets go, we must celebrate.

    The spearwoman nodded, leading Ponytail Sis away as the men around Brock nodded respectfully.

    Brock finally recovered his breath. <em>That a big sis alright, </em>he thought. <em>Very strong.</em>

    Man, shes so impressive, said one of the men after the two women had left. Rank one If I can even reach the single-digits, Ill be satisfied.

    Please. Even the double-digits would be enough for me, replied a less talented man.

    Big Bro will reach rank one, said Brock, drawing everyones incredulous gazes yet again. However, maybe it was thesting impression of Min Ling or the fact that they were all in the same boat, but nobody looked at him with hostility anymore.

    You dont understand what it means to be rank one, said a man with a wry smile. Your big bro is just one of usbut thats alright. Next time, bring him along so we can all discuss together. There arent many things to do here.

    I will try. Thanks.

    The menughed. Some introduced themselves to Brock, while most departed. Eventually, everyone started walking home, and Brock was left alone with the Kill Kill Ball and the Envoy who managed it.

    Since he couldnt enter, there was no point staying here any longer. He would need to find another interesting ce to recruit more bros for his big bro.

 Chapter 343: Entering the Second Level

    Chapter 343: Entering the Second Level

    Jack sat in silence. Darkness enveloped him, a thousand gravities pushed him down. Burning pain filled every inch of his body, but he endured it.

    The small amount of life energy was finally fused into his body. Without giving himself a moment to hesitate, he dragged another out of the Life Drop and started fusing it as well. The pain returned. The hours passed.

    For thest two weeks, Jacks days had been almostpletely filled with body tempering. Cultivators of his level didnt need to eat or sleep, but the mental burden of this process was too much. Every day, he practiced body tempering for twenty hours and slept four. As soon as he woke up, he started all over again.

    If he wanted to defeat Don Cranxiao within a month, he couldnt afford to ck off.

    By this point, Jacks mind was in a permanent haze. His entire body felt sore and burning, his bones swollen, his muscles cramped. Yet, his willpower was like a fierce inferno, boiling in the depths of his soul and pushing him to keep going. As torturous as this practice was, the feeling of strengthening himself was addictive. It reminded him of the early days, when he could advance at breakneck pace by killing a few handfuls of goblins.

    After two weeks, his progress was nothing to scoff at.

    As the new thread of life energy waspletely fused into his body, Jacks eyes cracked open. He summoned his status screen.

    <strong>Strength: 2305</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 2305</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 2300</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 200</strong>

    He was ovee with feeling. Just two weeks ago, his Physical substats were all stranded around seventeen hundred and fifty. They had increased by five hundred and fifty in two weeks.

    This sort of progress was extreme! In the D-Grade, the System gave ten stat points for every level-up; this was the equivalent of fifty-five levels, but he actually hadnt leveled up once. He remained at 249, the peak of the D-Grade.

    These new stat points were not awarded by the System; they were something he achieved himself. The status screen was just quantifying his strength so the System could have a better understanding of him. He suspected that, given his ouw status, the System might not reward him with stat points even if he did level up in the future.

    Still, this was something he wondered about. Since he had been clearly ouwed, why did the System still support him, even with things as minor as showing him his status screen?

    It made little sense. The best exnation he coulde up with was that the System was not omnipotentit operated around and was restricted by certain principles.

    For example, Earth was currently outside System space. The cultivators there could still ess their status screen and level up, but they could not use most System functionsincluding the Inspection, Faction Shop, and telepathy.

    Jack could only guess that the System imnted a mini System core inside every cultivator, using it to monitor their strength and increase it as needed through level-up stat points, skills, or Dao breakthroughs. That mini core kept operating when it had no contact with the wider System, but it could only perform a small number of functions. Basically, everything internal to the cultivator, and nothing external. It was like a smartphone not connected to thework.

    For Jack, that had both positives and negatives. He could not be traced by the Hand of God, nor could the System harm him in any way. At the same time, the people of Earth had lost many useful functions, and new cultivatorslike babiescould not be inducted into the System. Jacks children had no status screens yet.

    But those were drawbacks he could live without. The System was not the only way of progressit was just a method of facilitating advancement and streamlining the Dao. With proper guidance, cultivators could still grow strong, if a bit slower.

    And, who knows? Jack had already discovered how the System enhanced the bodies of cultivators. If he could perfect his understanding and imitate that process on a wider scale, perhaps he could even form his own System!

    Of course, that was too far into the future. For now, he could barely enhance his own body through the strength of the Life Drop, and that was good enough.

    Within a mere two weeks, his strength had increased by leaps and bounds. Every aspect of his body had been strengthened by around thirty-five percent. Given that his titles still worked as normal, he had an effective Physical of almost five thousand!

    To the current Jack, the thousandfold gravity of the Cathedral was just like a normal humans gravity on Earth. It added no extra strain whatsoever. He had already stopped using the Dao to resist it and relied on his body.

    In pure stats, even middle C-Grades might not be able to match him right now. And this was just the beginning. The only downside was that his method of body tempering was bing less and less efficient the more he rose, but that was okayit remained a massive boost.

    Despite the pain wracking his body, Jack was in a great mood. Finally standing up, loud cracks were released from everywhere across his body.

    Oh? Dorman said, opening his eyes. You finally decided to stretch your legs?

    Kind of. Jack didnt hide his happiness. My body tempering has proceeded smoothly. I am now far stronger than I used to, and since Cranxiao will be here in a few hours, I want to test something out.

    Dorman nodded. Thats great, he said.

    Jack had not hidden his body tempering from his friends. He couldnt, anywaythe stormy Dao collisions in his body were easily detectable.

    Brock was sitting on the cabins meditation mat. He did not open his eyes, too engrossed in cultivation, but Jacks gaze was filled with approval as he looked over. He could sense the broris power slowly but steadily climbing. By now, he shouldnt be too far from the peak of the D-Grade. Dorman was only slightly behind.

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    Not wanting to waste any time, Jack opened the door and exited. The Cathedrals bleakndscape was as empty and colorless as everyet, standing here so effortlessly was exuberating. Jacks steps had a spring to them.

    Cranxiao had once dered that he would stop by every month to beat up Dorman. That was an underhanded method to sabotage Jacks cultivation, but how could poor Cranxiao expect Jacks monstrous advancement? It had only been one month out of their three-month agreement, yet Jack was ny-percent certain he could win right now.

    When Cranxiao arrived in a few hours, Jack would fight him on the spot. Anything less would have a negative effect on his Dao, limiting his current strength and future cultivation.

    Before that, however, Jack wanted to test something out. His steps crossed the emptyndscape and brought him to a building that resembled an ancient Chinese pagoda. It had seven levels, each multiplying the Cathedrals already overwhelming gravity by a factor of two.

    Jack had visited the Heavy Pagoda a month ago and spent half an hour at the first level. That had already pushed him to his limit. However, as the 950th ranked disciple, he had another half hour to use.

    Luckily, nobody had overtaken his ranking in this past month. Even if they had, Jack was confident in iming a position far better than 950 if he visited the Ceaseless Murder Globe right nowit was just that he didnt want to reveal his strength before fighting Cranxiao.

    The Envoy responsible for the Heavy Pagoda, a human woman who looked like a muscr olddy, opened her eyes as Jack approached. He didnt have a good impression of her; back when Cranxiao beat up Dorman right in front of her, she had done nothing.

    Hello, Jack said. I am Jack Rust, ranked 950th. I would like to ess the pagoda.

    She nodded as her eyes closed again. You have half an hour.

    Without responding, Jack looked at the entrance to the first level. Then, he took a stepand soared!

    The Envoys eyes snapped open. A peak D-Grade could fly in the Cathedral? Even many C-Grades couldnt do that! Before she could ovee her surprise, she saw Jack ignoring the pagodas first floor and heading directly for the second one.

    Wait! she shouted. Every level redoubles the gravity. If you enter the second one, you might die!

    Thank you, but I have already decided, Jack replied, firmly setting foot on the second levels doorstep. The Envoy no longer spoke but kept her eyes on him; if he was overwhelmed by the second level, she would rescue him before his organs were ground to paste.

    Yet, she watched ck-jawed as Jack pushed open the heavy stone sealing the second floor and walked inside, closing the door behind him. He had not copsed.

    The Envoy kept staring at the door for a good ten seconds before finally shaking her head. A peak D-Grade that could fly in the Cathedral and survive the Heavy Pagodas second levelthat was abnormal.

    ***

    Jack was not asposed as he looked. The pagodas second level was a new world of pressure. If it was him from a month ago, he would have immediately copsed. Right now, he could barely hold on. His teeth were chattering, and his legs were shaking. He couldnt take this pressure for more than a few minutes.

    A faint gust of Dao guided him to the nearest empty meditation mat, but Jack ignored it. He stepped to the side of the entrance and immediately sat down cross-legged. Not only could he not reach the mat, as his legs would give out first, but he also didnt need it. He wasnt here to cultivate. He was here to consolidate his body tempering.

    Throughout thest month, life energy had been continuously fused into his body. That had the effect of increasing his strength and durability, but it was also not a perfect process. Jacks control wascking; there were many dregs and residues, or even ces in his body where the life energy had been unevenly distributed. That greatly affected hisbat prowess. It imbnced him, ruined the harmony of his body, and disturbed his control of the Dao.

    However, Jack had noticed that the Cathedrals gravity had a beneficial effect to those imperfections. It constantly pressured his body downward, slowly washing them away. If that was not the case, Jack would need to stop often and smoothen out the life energy in his body, which would dy him.

    Unfortunately, even the thousandfold gravity was not enough. Over a month of tempering, Jacks body had umted many imperfections that needed to be fixed. He could spend a few days to do it himselfor, he could see if the pagodas increased gravity could have a stronger effect.

    Right now, he was enduring four times the Cathedrals gravity. His body weighed over three hundred tons. It felt like a giant was sitting on his shoulders, trying to make him one with the floor. Even his organs were in pain as the flesh around them barely held on.

    Jack gritted his teeth and endured it. His Dao could reinforce him, but he only used it to protect his organs. He wanted to withstand the pressure with his body, grinding out the imperfections.

    As he sat there, time lost its meaning, and the pain mounted. His bones were rubbing against each other. He sported internalcerations that his regeneration quickly healed. It was like his body was trapped between tworge grinding stones trying to turn him into dust.

    Even his heart was barely beating. This gravity was the maximum he could endure.

    Of course, if the other disciples currently at this level knew that he was using only his body to endure the gravity, they would cry out in protest. They were mostly middle C-Grades, and even they had to constantly cycle their Dao!

    ***

    Outside the pagoda, the Envoy was no longer cultivating. She was constantly checking the control screen of the pagodas formationas soon as that peak D-Grade fell unconscious, it would inform her so she could go in and rescue him.

    She was certain that moment woulde soon.

    However, one minuted turned to three, which turned to ten. The Envoy could only gaze at the screen with disbelief as an entire half hour eventually passed. At that point, she suspected the formation had made a mistake. Perhaps that talented D-Grade was already dead.

    If that was the case, she would be in deep trouble. The Church didnt care if their disciples got beat up, but if one of them died under her watch, they would never let the matter rest.

    The Envoy decided this wasnt a risk she could take. She flew up and was about to open the second floors door when it opened by itself. A human man walked outhe had dark hair and brown, piercing eyes. His purple robes clung to his body, while sweat matted his hair and forehead. However, while his appearance itself was nothing extraordinary, there was something to his aura that gave the Envoy pauseit was deeper, somehow. Heavier. Primal.

    This was not the kind of aura a D-Grade should have.

    As she stared at him, lost in confusion, the D-Grade spoke up. Oh? You came to wee me? That is very thoughtful, thank you.

    The Envoys face scrounged up. Someone like her would obviously nevere to wee a mere outer disciple, but what could she say? That she thought hed be dead?

    Your monthly time allotment is used up, she responded drily. Please return next month.

    Thank you for the reminder. I absolutely will.

    The peak D-Grade floated to the ground and walked away. Though he seemed exhausted, he didnt have trouble walking. In fact, the Envoy suddenly realized there were no Dao fluctuationsing from that boyhe was resisting the Cathedrals gravity with just his body!

    <em>How? </em>was all she could think as she watched him pace away. <em>His name wasJack Rust? Wasnt that the Head Envoys protege?</em>

    <em>I will remember that name. Next time, I should be more friendly. There is no reason to make enemies with someone who might be a future Envoy.</em>

    As for Jack, he really was exhausted as he walked away, but his face was beaming. Spending half an hour at the pagodas second level had ground away most of the imperfections in his body. Now, he would rest a bit to recover his power, and when Cranxiao camehe would be in for a surprise!

 Chapter 344: The Duel Arrives

    Chapter 344: The Duel Arrives

    News of Jacks duel with Cranxiao had spread. It was unknown who started the rumors, but soon, most cultivators across the Cathedral knew.

    The high-rankers wouldnt care about such a thing. However, the low-rankers didnt only care, they were personally invested. Don Cranxiao had been at their throats for centuries. Though they were certain Jack would fail and die, they still had toe.

    Today was not the day of the duel. It was the one-month mark, when Cranxiao had promised he would arrive to bully Jacks friend. Jack had to do something about it, so this was an opening act to the duel.

    Since the previous day, a crowd of cultivators had discreetly gathered around Jacks cabin. They sat on the nearby empty fields, alone or in small groups, sipping alcohol as they waited. Conversation came and went, but it wasnt very spirited. Everyone expected Jack to be suppressed, and the viin to win.

    Jack sat cross-legged outside his door. His eyes were closed, his breaths deep. He wasnt cultivating, just keeping himself at the optimal state. The crowd of cultivators watching him from a distance couldnt help but feel that something was off. Why was Jacks aura so deep? And why did his body exude such thick fighting intent?

    He couldnt be nning to fight today, could he? asked a human.

    A nearby feshkur, hearing that, shook his head. Its a smart move. Since hell lose anyway, why wait another two months and experience all that stress? Its better to fight now. Besides, the greater the disparity in power, the higher the chances that Cranxiao will choose not to kill him.

    I dont know about that, another cultivator weighed in. Cranxiao follows the Dao of Tyranny. If he can step on a weaklings head and smash it, that will help his cultivation.

    Hmm. I guess youre right. Its a shame Such a talented man, and he will fall so unjustly. If only he was smarter.

    Its not about smartness. I heard he follows the Dao of the Fist. If he rolled over and let people bully him, how would he cultivate in the future?

    Thats the problem with stubborn Daos. Theyre strong when youre ahead, but following them to your death is very easy

    As these people conversed, Jack had obviously noticed them. He didnt care. His full attention was on the battle thaty ahead. Though he had a ny percent confidence in victory, defeat would mean his death. He had to give it his all.

    Suddenly, whispers spread through the crowd. Jack cracked open an eye, anticipating that Cranxiao had arrived, but he hadnt.

    Instead, a man simr to Cranxiao had appeared on a nearby rooftop as if he was too proud to mix with the rest of the crowd. He had silver eyes and hair that fell below his shoulder, while his skin was coppery. His wide chest was bare, revealing intense muscture.

    He was so simr to Cranxiao that they could have been brothers, but his face was clearly different. While Cranxiao looked like a man in histe twenties, this one seemed closer to his forties.

    Of course, they were both C-Grade cultivators, so they could be thousands of years old.

    This man appeared like a ghost and waited on a rooftop, arms crossed. He couldnt care less if the cabin below him belonged to somebody. The moment he showed up, the crowd burst into hushed whispers.

    Thats Baron Longform!

    Whats someone like him doing here?

    Jack nced at the new arrival. His aura was deep and tyrannical. He seemed unbreakable, unbendable, like the absolute overlord of everyone present. His strength was far greater than theary overseer Jack had fought before or even the Warden, to the degree where they werent evenparable.

    <em>Is this what a peak C-Grade feels like? </em>he wondered.

    Baron Longform looked over at Jack, and their gazes met. Jack felt like a mountain had crashed into him, like he was stared at by a wild animal. The killing intent in the other mans gaze was palpableyou had to either bow or die, there was no third option.

    The man looked away, not caring in the slightest about Jack, but Jack actually kept staring.

    <em>Baron Longform I know that name.</em>

    The more he stared at this man, the more certain he felt hed seen him before. The silver hair, the bare chest, the tyrannical aura All those were familiar. But from where?

    Jacks gaze fell on Baron Longforms chest, where he sported a tattoo of three parallel lines, as if wounds from a bears ws. Suddenly, Jack made the connection. His eyes widened.

    <em>This guy is alive!?</em>

    Back when hed reached the E-Grade and be the Fiend of the Iron Fist, this man had been the protagonist of Jacks Dao Vision. He was the bare-chested man who single-handedly annihted a stronghold of immortals. Jack remembered him clearly now. He was a gedritch, a species simr to humans, from the Iron Fist Empire. He also possessed an aura skill that had been the inspiration for Jacks Brutalizing Aura.

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    Hed always assumed that the people he saw in Dao Visions were long dead. That they were ancient cultivators from millions of years ago. What were the chances he would personally meet them in the boundless universe and infinite river of time?

    Yet, here he was. Against all odds, Baron Longform was standing right across Jack.

    As Jack stared, Longform caught his gaze again, frowning slightly. Jack finally averted his eyes, not saying anything. His face sported a wry smile.

    Baron Longform had inadvertently helped him in the past. Jack owed him a favor. However, he was so simr to Cranxiao that they were probably rted, so Jack chose not to speak. He simply savored the taste of this coincidence.

    <em>Could the people from my other visions be alive as well, like the A-Grade vampire woman who manipted space? Or eventhe man who defeated a giant beast with one punch?</em>

    Excitement burned in Jack eyes. At that point, the Sages voice reached himthe old man was naturally part of the crowd.

    <em>Thats Baron Longform, </em>he exined. <em>Don Cranxiaos cousin, and also the third ranked outer disciple. His strength is unfathomable. He is part of the reason why Cranxiao can do whatever he wants and no high-ranker ever came to stop him.</em>

    <em>I see. Thank you.</em>

    Even between people cultivating the same Dao, there were always differences. Don Cranxiao and Baron Longform shared the Dao of Tyranny, but Cranxiao was more like a bullyhe progressed in his cultivation by ruthlessly dominating others. As for Longform, his aura felt sharper and far more dangerous. He was not a mustache-twirling viinhe was a bona-fide tyrant.

    The crowd quietened. A man stepped out from between two cabins, seeming rxed and cheerful. His silver hair fluttered in the void, his bare chest stuck out, and his lips were smiling while his eyes were not.

    Jack slowly rose to his feet.

    Hey there, kid, Cranxiao said. Dont mind me, Im just here for some light exercise. Have you seen the beggar?

    There is no beggar here, only a friend. However, if you want to touch him, you must get through me first.

    Oho! And how exactly will you stop me?

    Simple. I will kill you.

    Jacks aura, which had been kept in check so far, suddenly erupted. It was deep andpact, like a giant fist slowly rolling forth, and it also contained a primal strength that felt out-of-ceing from a D-Grade. While everyone present was a C-Grade, the weakest among them felt pressured, like they were stared at by a predator. Some even took a step back.

    This aura washed over the crowd and cabins like the breath of a death god.

    Facing it, Cranxiao narrowed his eyes. His smile dropped. You cant be nning to fight me alone, he said. Bring out your backers. Lets see if theyre superior to mine.

    The reason for Longforms presence became clear, but Jack didnt care.

    I have no backers. Today, I will break you with my own two fists.

    The crowd finally recovered and burst into fierce whispers. Jack was nning to fight? And not just that, but he was purposefully taunting Cranxiao? Why would he do that?

    Could he be nning to win?

    That was the only exnation. Yet, as people realized it, they shook their heads. To them, Jack was just too naive. Cranxiao was a talented cultivatorthough he was at the early C-Grade, his strength approached thete C-Grade. Meanwhile, Jack was only at the peak D-Grade. No matter how they saw it, winning was impossible.

    On the nearby rooftop, Baron Longforms eyes narrowed. He didnt for a second believe that Jack was an idiot. What could he be nning?

    Cranxio suddenly roared withughter. His aura rolled out, matching Jacks in the void and causing sparks to fly. You have balls! he shouted. I see what youre doing. You want to y it strong so that your Dao is not too impacted when you lose. An admirable n. Unfortunately, no matter what you do, the situation remains the same. We have agreed on a fight to the death with an Envoy as the witness. If you wish to fight me today instead of prolonging your life by two months, then I will be happy to kill you. I will smash your skull under my boot and make you one of the endless tributes to my Dao of Tyranny.

    Jacks voice remained calm. If you think you can do it, go ahead and try.

    Cranxiao did not attack immediately. Though he had a rough exterior, no cultivator who reached this point was an idiot. The reason hed said what he said was to ensure nobody would use him after the duel. He had expected Jack to retort somehow, to im that the duel to the death would be in two months and that this was just a brawlbut he had actually epted?

    Could he really have a death wish? Or was he just stupid? At this point, unless his backer was someone like the first-ranked Min Ling or an Envoy willing to drop their honor, he would most certainly die!

    Cranxiao thought and thought but found no traps. He nced at his cousin, who nodded. Finally, an ugly, bloodthirsty grin blossomed on Cranxiaos face.

    Looks like you really went crazy, he said. Fine. Let me take your life. And, as for all of you watching, pay attention! This is what happens when you mess with me. Next time, when daddy Cranxiao pays you a visit, you should be good boys and girls and let me do whatever I want!

    Hisughter boomed out again, an ugly, grating sound. The surrounding crowd had dark faces. Most of them had been on the receiving end of Cranxiaos fists before. Being bullied by him was like an initiation ritual in the Cathedral, a reminder that while they may have been overlords out there, they were nothing here. Even if they became strong enough to surpass him, they still couldnt touch him because of his cousins support.

    Thebined hatred of everyone rose like a dark bonfire, but Cranxiao onlyughed harder. Though they hated him, they could do nothingthat was his Dao of Tyranny!

    Here Ie! he shouted, charging.

    The crowd watched helplessly. Their hearts were united in Jacks favorif they could spend a hundred years of their life to make him win, they would. Unfortunately, they knew it was impossible. Jack was just too weak. Cranxiao would win yet again, he would get everything he wanted, and there was nothing they could do about it.

    Tyranny would prevaillike always.

    Cranxiao smashed out a punch. Though it wasnt a serious attack, it still contained enough power to injure an early C-Grade. He wanted to chase Jack around and humiliate him further.

    Facing him, Jack remained calm. He did not try to dodge. His aura was like a towering mountain, a raging river. He pulled back a fist, and the world sharpened to a point. A terrifying pressure enveloped Cranxiao. Jacks fist shot forth.

    The crowd looked away, unwilling to see Jacks arm mutted.

    Two fists collided. The shockwave shattered the hard stone beneath their feetand, in front of everyones incredulous gazes, Cranxiao flew back like a ragdoll.

 Chapter 345: Defying Tyranny

    Chapter 345: Defying Tyranny

    The sh was too unexpected. Jacks fist shot out, and then Cranxiao flew back. Moreover, a cracking sound clearly came from his fist.

    The cultivators in the crowd, most of whom were dreadfully awaiting Jacks defeat, took a moment to process this.

    What?

    Cranxiaolost the exchange?

    Even Baron Longform revealed a stunned expression. Even the all-knowing Sage blinked in surprise once before saying, Oh, I see. It was about time. Only Brock and Dorman, who knew of Jacks recent increases in strength, showed smug expressions.

    Cranxiao flew back for only ten feet. The thousandfold gravity took hold of him and smashed him into the ground, cratering the hard stone. Even he was stunneda momentter, his features contorted, and he flew into a rage. The stone under him cracked further as he shot upright.

    How!? he roared.

    Jack kept that calm smile on his face. He slowly retracted his fist. By being stronger than you.

    What sort of concept was this? A peak D-Grade with the battle power of ate C-Grade? It was unheard of!

    Cranxiao finally realized hed fucked up. Hed provoked someone he never should have. As for the crowd, they finally cheered! Their shouts reached into the void of space, filling it with enthusiasm.

    They didnt know how this had happened. But they didnt care! In their eyes, Jack was suddenly a hero!

    Jack Rust! they chanted. Jack Rust!

    Cranxiaos face darkened further. Hed fucked upbut it was toote to step back now. A massive warhammer appeared in his hands out of nowhere; it was nine feet long and possessed a solid-looking hammerhead made of dark stone. Jack couldnt identify the material, but it was so heavy it almost sucked in his Dao perception.

    Cranxiao was sweating. His hands were shaking. Wielding this weapon in thousandfold gravity was a massive strain for him, requiring arge portion of his Dao to support it.

    However, he had correctly judged that against Jack, frontal power was the name of the game.

    Cranxiaos eyes sharpened. His aura billowed out unrestrained. He was no longer fighting to dominatehe was fighting to kill.

    Without a word, he charged out. His hammer rose to the sky and crashed down.

    Jack grinned. <em>Life Drop, activate! </em>Suddenly, a deluge of life energy filled his body, infiltrating every nook and cranny. His skin itched, his bones groaned. He grew a foot in height and two extra arms sprouted out below his armpits.

    Jacks four-armed form was originally a battleform that increased his bodily power. It still wasbut, when used on top of his already-enhanced body, even Jack didnt know the limits of his current power. He only felt a bottomless, limitless strength, as if he could punch the sky asunder and shatter the earth.

    The moment he transformed, the knowledgeable people in the crowd felt disbelief. They could recognize a Life Artifactbut it was actually in the hands of a D-Grade?

    The hammer was still crashing down. Cranxiaos domain rolled outan oppressive gray pushing against Jack, locking down the surrounding space and preventing his escape, forcing him to meet the hammer head-on.

    Jack roared. Purple stars erupted, flying everywhere. They were instantly suppressed by Cranxiaos gray domainJacks Dao remained far weaker than the other mans, but it was enough to give him freedom of movement.

    He could have dodged. However, in that moment, as his body was filled with endless vitality, he didnt want to. His fist sailed upward, aet in a clear sky. His knuckle met the falling hammer. Space shook. The ground rumbled. The hammerhead was too hard to break, but its wielder was not.

    Cranxiao felt like hed struck a mountain. His hammer stopped mid-swing, then recoiled. The impact traveled down to his palms and tore apart their webbing. He barely managed to hold onto the hammer as he once again flew backward, his hands dripping blood.

    What!?

    The crowd was shaken. This was sensational! If Jack had used some powerful skill to defend against Cranxiaos casual strike, that would be one thing. But now, Cranxiao had taken out his weapon, released his Dao Domain, and attacked with full force. And he had still been forced back!

    What the hell was happening? How was this the power of a peak D-Grade?

    Jackughed out loud. His hand had shattered in that exchange, but it was already patched up. He shot forward. His Dao remained suppressed by Cranxiaos, barely enough to let him move freely, but that was all he needed.

    He possessed excellent titles and almost six hundred extra stat points from body tempering. He was already far superior in bodily power, and then hed even activated the four-armed battle form which enhanced him further.

    At this point, he didnt even need his Dao. In the Cathedral, where the thousandfold gravity was supposed to be a major constraint for everyone, he was fighting as freely as if he was on Earth. His every punch carried tens of tons of strength.

    With his body alone, he was an unstoppable warrior. How could Cranxiao match up?

    Jacks assault was relentless. He fell on his opponent, shooting out punches faster than the other man could react. Every punch was a fallinget, every swing a death sentence. Cranxiao didnt even have time to feel shocked. He was forced on the defensive, blocking desperately as he retreated.

    His Dao specialized in oppressing weaker opponents. He usually relied on overwhelming strength to win his battles. Facing someone with even more overwhelming strength, just what could he do?

    He wasnt even fast!

    Hammers were not good in close-quarters defense. Jacks fist slipped through, striking Cranxiaos abdomen like a cannonball. Cranxiao flew back, spitting blood all the while. While he did possess some self-regeneration, it wasnt enough to heal wounds in the blink of an eye.

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    Don Cranxiao was injured!

    The crowd went crazy. They didnt know what they were seeing, but it was like a dreame true. Their throats went hoarse from shouting, and their chanting echoed across the entire Cathedral.

    Jack Rust! Jack Rust! Jack Rust!

    Jack had been one of them until now. They saw themselves in his despair. Now, when he erupted with unprecedented strength and pushed back the tyrant, they believed in him wholeheartedly. In just a few seconds, Jack had be these peoples hero!

    Cranxiao crashed against a cabin wall. He could still fight. Before he even stood, as Jack approached, Cranxiaos eyes went blood-shot and he shouted, Tyrannical Aura!

    A wave of terror spread outward. Jacks steps faltered. He felt an attack on his psyche, the certainty of death if he kept defying this overlord. Cranxiaos aura crashed down on his soul like a second hammer, suppressing him through fear.

    But who was Jack? He had fought for his life since the Integration. He had faced death dozens of time. He had challenged and defeated an entire B-Grade faction before millions of people. He had ruled a.

    How could a mere bully stop him?

    Jack roared out. His own skill was unleashedBrutalizing Aura! Cranxiaos terror was pushed back, brought to a standstill by Jacks. The two auras shed mid-air, grounding against each other, sparks flying in the void. It was like two bloodthirsty beasts fighting for dominance.

    And Jack was not pushed back at all!

    His Dao may have been limited by his cultivation, but when it came to resolve, he was confident that he would lose to no one!

    Cranxiaos eyes widened! The crowd roared out more cheers. On the rooftop, Baron Longform narrowed his eyes in suspicionJacks skill was too simr to his own aura. Was it a coincidence?

    Jack reached Cranxiao again. Hammer and fists shed. Jacks hands were broken, but Cranxiao was sent flying back, passing between two cabins tond in the empty fields outside. The crowd hurried to make more space.

    Jack walked out from between the cabins like a god of death.

    You wanted to harm me and my friends, he said. You wanted to kill me. I hope you are prepared to pay the price.

    Cranxiao shot upright with hatred in his eyes. His hair was dirty, blood stained his shorts, and his face was warped in pain. However, most of his power remained.

    I am Don Cranxiao! he bellowed crazily. I have never been defeated by someone weaker than me. It will not happen today! Come at me, you ant! Let me show you the power of tyranny!

    His aura boiled over. More and more of his Dao was pulled out of his body, focused on the hammerhead which glowed with a dark gray light. Bloodthirstiness erupted, filling the void, and the crowd took a few more steps back.

    Cranxiao was betting everything, including his very Dao, on this strike. If it failed, he would no longer be a tyrant, but it was precisely that gamble which amplified his power! He raised his hammer and charged forward.

    Overlord Hammer!

    Jack didnt underestimate Cranxiaos final attack. The purple stars around him spun faster. His Brutalizing Aura red. He clenched his fist, and the worlds light and sound were drawn inside, making it a single purple star in an endless night.

    He shot it out. A starry trail followed. His entire hand exploded against the falling hammerhead.

    Meteor Punch!

    The sound was swallowed up in the st. A burning shockwave erupted. The crowd covered their eyes, the ground cratered and shattered, stones crossed the air.

    A hammer flew high.

    The high gravity cleared the dust instantly. When it did, Cranxiao was revealed on the ground. His hands bled profusely. His breath was shallow, and more blood streamed out from between his lips, while the right side of his chest was caved in. Jacks punch hadnt only stopped the hammer, but it had also broken through to strike Cranxiaos body.

    As for Jack, he stood straight. Blood was pooled under him, but his hand was already regenerating at a rapid pace. As the crowd watched with wide eyes, his four-armed form receded, revealing an exhausted but victorious man.

    Jack Rusthad won!

    The crowd erupted in cheers. They thought they were dreaming, but that didnt stop them. Brock nodded with pride, Dorman smiled brightly, and the Sages eyes were sparkling.

    As for Jack, who stood over his opponent, his gaze remained hard. He did not seem ready to walk away.

    This was a duel to the death. They had agreed so in the presence of an Envoy, and Cranxiao had already announced this to everyone. If Jack wanted to strike out and kill Cranxiao right now, nobody could use him.

    That was exactly what he intended to do. His fist rose, purple light budding over it.

    Stop! a voice cried out. Baron Longforms aura was billowing from the rooftop on which he stood, his face carrying caution. He didnt want to offend someone as promising as Jack, but he couldnt let his cousin die. Let him leave. This is over. He will never bother you again.

    Hmph! Jack sneered. If he won, would he let me live?

    Longforms brows fell. Youre going too far.

    So what? This is a duel to the death, with everyone here and an Envoy as witnesses. I have every right to kill him.

    That man is my rtive. Your duel has concluded. If you harm him any more, I guarantee that you will die a horrible death.

    The crowd had gone silent by now. Jack may have wonbut he couldnt possibly defy Baron Longform. Even if he couldnt do anything right now, defying him was a death wish!

    Jack was well aware of that. This man was not an enemy he wanted to make. The sensible solution would be to let the matter gohe had already won, anyway.

    But how could he stop now? Don Cranxiao was a detestable bully, a man who had harmed a lot of people. He absolutely deserved death. Moreover, if Jack let him live, who knew how Cranxiao would get revenge in the future? He might target Jacks friends or even Jack himself in a moment of weakness. It was certainly something a man like him would do.

    And, besides all thosethe Fist was not a Dao of thoughtless mercy. When defeating a blood enemy, there was only one conclusion.

    Death!

    Jacks fist abruptly struck down. Stop! Longform shouted again, releasing his full aura and dashing forward, but it was toote. Jacks knuckle exploded on Cranxiaos throat, cleanly severing his head from his body. A hateful, disbelieving look was stered on that ugly face for eternity.

    Longformnded beside Jack a moment toote. He stilled for a moment, his body exuding waves of tyrannical aura. Without looking at Jack, he said, You have made the wrong enemy.

    Then, his aura receded. It was withdrawn and hidden deep inside himself like he felt no fury or hatred at all. Passing his hand over Cranxiaos body and head, Longform made them both disappear, then calmly walked away without giving Jack another nce.

    These acts terrified Jack more than if Longform had thrown a tantrum. This was not a hotheaded brute like CranxiaoLongform was a calcting, cold-hearted, powerful tyrant. His calmness made him a hundred times more dangerous, to the point where Jack was seriously worried.

    However, he had done the right thing. When the consequences came, he would just have to deal with them. And, since they were already enemies

    Wait a moment, Jack said.

    Longform paused. Are you talking to me?

    Cranxiao and I had bet twenty Dao stones on our duel. It was also agreed that if we perished, the debt would be paid by our friends and family. I couldnt possibly force you toplybut you wouldnt abandon your cousins honor, would you?

    Longforms aura was still, like a volcano about to erupt. As he turned around, his eyes were dark and cold, overflowing with killing intent. Jack feared that hed gone too far. However, Baron Longform reached into his pocket and fished out a small sack, tossing it over at Jack with enough force to defy the thousandfold gravity. Jack caught it cleanly.

    The crowd had gone deathly silent. Longform then kept walking, eventually disappearing behind a corner.

    A moment passed. Then another. The entire crowd found their voice again, and they cheered with enough intensity to shake the Cathedral. Their eyes were starry, their expressions brightto these low-rankers, Jack Rust was one of them who suddenly erupted with potential, killed Don Cranxiao, and openly defied Baron Longform. He had done what none of them would dare or be able to do.

    He was their hero!

 Chapter 346: Revisiting the Globe

    Chapter 346: Revisiting the Globe

    After the duels conclusion, the crowd remained.

    Most of it was low-rankers. Cranxiao had been a mountain to them, a devil they couldnt escape from. But now, that devil had been defeated and even killed by a man whose ranking was close to theirs. The nightmare was over, and the dream began.

    How could they not be happy?

    He amazing! a voice cried out from somewhere in the crowd. He protected us! He our hero! Our big bro!

    Most didnt see who was speaking, only heard the words, but it was enough. They were ovee with sentiment. Which of these people wasnt an overlord back home? They were used to lording over others, but from the moment they came here, their halo had beenpletely extinguished. They had to endure mediocrity and even suppression.

    Yet, now, someone reversed that. To all these fallen geniuses, that personcould only be a hero!

    The crowds cheers rose to the sky as many approached Jack to congratte him.

    That was amazing! From the bottom of my heart, thank you! I will remember this favor. If you ever visit the Sky Eye gxy, look for me in the Sky Eye faction! That was so sexy!

    Thosest words had been spoken by a human girl of a rowdy disposition, whom Jack looked at oddly and ignored.

    Regardless, the crowds heartfelt sentiments touched him. Thank you for your kind words, everyone. I did what I had to do.

    A man approached; Jack faintly remembered him as Osmu Sosmu, a guy who had been present when Jack attempted the Ceaseless Murder Globe. There is no need to be modest. You did a great thing! Don Cranxiao was a blight, but which one of us had the strength to kill him? Even if we did, who had the courage? Nobody! Only you! Being our big bro is fitting indeed!

    Being what? Jack nced at Brock, who sported an innocent look and whistled to the side. Well, thank you all. I appreciate your kind words. In any case, I would like to head to my cabin and recover now, if you dont mind.

    Oh, of course!

    The crowd quickly dispersed. A couple girls shot him coquettish looks, then pouted when he didnt respond. Before long, the gathered people were gonemany nning to celebrate in small groupsleaving Jack alone with Brock, Dorman, and the Sage.

    You did well, the Sage said. His one phrase of praise fell harder than every word spoken by everyone elsebined.

    Thank you.

    Did you practice body tempering, by any chance?

    Jack raised a brow. Maybe. Do you know anything about it?

    Ive heard about it. Its a troublesome, expensive, yet highly effective process. I assume your Life Drop yed a part?

    Yeah. I used its life energy to temper my body.

    Fascinating.

    Wait! Dorman eximed. You can do that? The treasure I ate contained a tone of life energyhowe it only made me fat?

    Youre lucky you didnt explode, Jack said. When I get the hang of it, I can try helping you get rid of all that extra energy.

    Awesome!

    Speaking of that, Sagecan you tell me whats the deal with my Life Drop? Ive been using it openly, just as you said, but isnt it a bit too useful at this point? Should I be afraid?

    The Sage shook his head. Well asked. The Life Drop, as you call it, is one of many Life Artifacts. Most are owned by B or A-Grade powerhouses. They are exceedingly rare, but each of them is different. Some can give their wielder extremepatibility with the Dao of Life; others can greatly increase their lifespan or nourish their Dao Tree. Your artifact, thankfully, is not too useful; it only reinforces your physical body, be it through tempering or a rtively powerful battle form. That is great for someone of your cultivation, but useless for A-Grades. So, dont worry; your body-oriented Life Artifact will only be coveted by B-Gradesat most.

    <em>Only </em>by B-Grades?! Sage! Thats terrible!

    Better than having Elders at your doorstep. Youll be fine; with the Head Envoy behind you, no B-Grade can touch you in the Cathedral. Of course, if they were to find you outside, things would be differentso youd best be careful.

    Yeah, I guess I will be!

    Jack was shaken. A-Grades, B-Gradesthose invincible existences might being after him?

    Was it a mistake to reveal his Life Drop?

    <em>I didnt have a choice</em>. <em>I couldnt have defeated the overseer without the Life Drop. And Don CranxiaoI could have waited another month or two to fight him, but people would still notice my abnormally strong body.</em>

    <em>Whatever. I did what I had to do. As for the consequences, Ill handle them as theye.</em>

    He shook his head. Hed said this phrase a number of times since arriving at the Cathedralit was a good sign that he needed to get stronger quickly. Both to chase the peak of cultivation, to protect his people from any dangers, and to protect himself from anyoneing after him for the Life Drop.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The Life Drop was a gift and a curse. With it, he would either soar to the heavens, or plunge down to hell. The middle road no longer existed for him.

    <em>Exactly how I like it, </em>he thought, eyes sharpening.

    Ill go rest a bit, he told his friends. Tomorrow, Ill visit the Ceaseless Murder Globe. Ive been practicing in solitude for too long; its time I see what the Cathedral can offer me.

    Defeating Don Cranxiao was a loud statement, but it was not the limit of his strength. If he wanted to ride the high road, he had to stand out as much as possible, secure every benefit he could get his hands on. Thanks to Baron Longforms kind donation, he already had enough Dao stones to break through, but he still needed some time to prepare.

    While doing so, he would awe the entire Cathedral once again.

    Jack retreated to his cabin and sat down cross-legged. His strength had risen too abruptlythe battle against Cranxiao had made him aware of a few imperfections in his body and Dao control, which he needed to correct. As he sat in meditation, grinding out imperfections and practicing in his soul world, the hours passed.

    Finally, his eyes opened. He was ready.

    Seeing him stand up, Brock and Dorman followed. The three of them walked outside, towards the Ceaseless Murder Globe. Before they even arrived, Jack noticed a crowd gathered.

    <em>Hmm? Is some celebrity attempting the Globe?</em>

    His steps slowed, but as he approached, the crowd turned towards him.

    Hes here! Big Bro!

    They made way, greeting him with smiles and raised fists. Jack was speechless. How did you guys know Id be here?

    How could we not know about our Big Bro? they replied,ughing. You are the strongest D-Grade weve ever seenwe want to see how high youll reach!

    Jack narrowed his eyes in thought. He then turned to Brock, who was still whistling sideways. Brock, he said slowly. Did you

    Bros must support bros, the brori replied firmly.

    Jack sighed. Fine. Let me have a crowd.

    These werent just the people whod watched him duel. Those were only a few dozen, but now, Jack could see over a hundred people surrounding him.

    Even when Lady Min Ling visited the Globe, there wasnt such a crowd. It was natural; she was already number one, so all the crowd could do was see her go in and out. Her ranking wouldnt change. For Jack, however, it was different. His final ranking was a hot debate topic; in some ways, it was the spiciest question on the Cathedral right now.

    Since hed defeated Cranxiao, he would almost certainly rank over 811. But by how much? Some people said 800, others said 770. A few brave ones even guessed ranks as high as 730!

    Even though Jack cleanly defeated Cranxiao who was ranked 811th, the Globes difficulty rose steeply as one advanced. The ranks below 700 were mostly upied by the Cathedrals mid C-Grades, who were also geniuses themselves. As much as the crowd supported him, nobody believed that a D-Grade could reach that high.

    As for Jack, he also had no idea how he would do.

    Passing through the crowd, he recognized a few people. Osmu Sosmu, that once-arrogant man whod turned into a fan, was present. So were his three friends that Jack had briefly met thest time he was here. As for Jacks enemies, naturally, none of them were presentwho knew what ns they were preparing.

    However, Jack wasnt the only one who knew people. As Brock apanied him, he suddenly said, Oh. Hello, Ponytail Sis.

    Jack turned, finding a human girl with blue hair done in a ponytail. Sheughed as she greeted them. At the same time Jack turned, however, so did Dorman, and his pudgy eyes widened like saucers.

    The bitch! he shouted. What the hell are you doing here? Fuck off!

    She frowned, hurt. Thats no way to talk to a friend.

    What friend? You made me fat!

    You started it.

    You guys know each other? Jack asked.

    Damn right we do! Thats the bitch who fed me the fat treasure.

    Her face radiated anger. As if! You were the one who stole it, and you still have the guts toin? If you want to know, I paid a high price for that treasure! I trusted you!

    Please! You clearly ced it where you <em>wanted </em>me to take it.

    I wanted to see if you were a decent person! Good thing I found out before I helped you break through. Hmph!

    Dorman was about to respond, but Jack raised a brow in warning. To him, the girl was clearly in the right here.

    Dorman had once been a conceited, prideful individual. Now, humiliated before a crowd of peers, his pride was rearing its head, and he wanted tosh out and defend himself.

    However, he did not do that. To Jacks surprise, he actually lowered his head and said, Sorry. I shouldnt have stolen from you. I was just desperate because my was at war for survival and I was stuck here getting bullied by everyone.

    His voice remained bitter. Clearly, forcing himself to speak at this point was difficult, but he still said the words, even if he only half-meant them. Jack could appreciate that.

    The girl nodded, not saying anything to forgive him. She turned to Jack. Sorry for that. Im Esmeralda Polen, ranked 479th. Nice to meet you.

    Likewise. However, Dorman aside How do you know Brock? He clearly remembered that Brock had called her Ponytail Sis.

    Oh, weve met before, she replied with a wry smile, turning to Brock. So, this is the big bro you mentioned, huh? Lets seeis he really is as awesome as you say?

    Of course.

    Just so you know, Ill tell my friend what happens here.

    Yes.

    Jack raised a brow. Do I want to know, or

    No, Brock and Esmeralda replied at once, leaving him speechless.

    Okay

    Deciding he didnt want anything to do with all these bro antics, Jack finally pushed through the rest of the crowd and reached the Globes entrance. The door was opennobody was inside.

    Can I go in? he asked the Envoy responsible, a red-skinned creature with four fingers on each hand. It looked a lit like a frog.

    You may, the Envoy responded. Would you like to make the Globe transparent? It costs one additional Dao stone.

    No, thank you, Jack replied quickly. He had enemies nowshowing them his strengths and weaknesses just to excite a random crowd was hardly worth it. Right afterward, however, he noticed another thing the Envoy had said. Sorryadditional?

    Every cultivator gets a free run when they first arrive. After that, using the Globe costs a Dao stone. The magic formation consumes a lot of energy.

    Jack hadnt known that. Thankfully, he had recently acquired twenty Dao stones. With his heart aching, he took out one and passed it to the frog person.

    You may enter.

    Jack spared a final nce for the crowdover a hundred people, all excitedly staring at him and awaiting his results. They wanted to witness the start of a legendand Jack was inclined to give it to them.

    He raised a fist, and the crowd rumbled with cheers. Brock shouted the hardest.

    Then, Jack walked inside the Globe, and the door fell shut behind him. All sound was cut off. He was alone in silent darkness.

    His fighting spirit was roused. The irrelevant thoughts went away. The first shadow opponent was formed, and Jack charged.

 Chapter 347: Going All-Out

    Chapter 347: Going All-Out

    Jacks fists were burning. His heart swam with passion, his eyes wide open in extreme focus.

    His punch shot forward. An effective strength of almost five thousand carried it onto the shadows sword, through it, and into its face. The shadow exploded in a thousand tiny stars.

    Jack paused. His grin widened into a full-blown smile. Last time he was here, this first shadow had taken a lot of effort to defeatbut now, it only took one punch.

    The feeling of progress was addictive.

    As the shadow died down, two formed in its ce. One wielded a mace and the other a staffa warrior and a wizard. Last time, these two opponents had driven Jack close to the limit of his abilities.

    He rushed forward before they were even done forming. His fists sailed forth. The mace wielder blocked them, galvanizing its domain of metal, while the wizard teleported behind Jack and pelted him with fireballs. For a time, the globe became carnage. Blue mes licked the walls, parted by gray metal. There was little chance to see anythingJack was moving purely based on his Dao perception.

    A fireball flew for his face. He could have teleported out of the way, but he wanted to save his energy. He punched it directly. The ball erupted in a shower of sparks, raising the temperature to hundreds of degrees, but it was nothing to Jacks tempered body. He didnt even use his Dao to defendhe poured it all into attacking.

    As the mace wielder fell on him, a meteor sprang into existence. The light and heat of the mes was sucked in. The shockwaves reverted, tamed by the mother of all explosions. The world went stind then erupted. A star died on the shadows mace. Metal shattered, the gray domain cracked, and the shadow was sted against the back wall with enough force to ricochet. Before it could evennd, Jack was sieging the wizard, dancing at the edge of his range.

    Space warped before him. It turned into a spike that jutted forth. If a persons body was struck by that, they would explode and paint the globe with their innards.

    However, magic was only as strong as its wielder. While this shadow wizard was an early C-Grade, it was not particrly outstandingfar weaker than Don Cranxiao had been. Facing its attack, Jack didnt back down. His hand shot out, coated in purple. He reached inside the space spike and directly twisted it apart, destroying by sheer power.

    Lacerations appeared on Jacks skin as it was stretched, but they healed quickly. His other fist shot out as well, impacting the wizards shielding spell, then its face, and breaking both. The shadow dissipated into motes of light.

    The globe didnt give him time to rest. True to its name, it instantly summoned three more shadows, each stronger than the two hed just defeatedthese new shadows were at the three-fruit boundary, the top of the early C-Grade.

    That had also been Don Cranxiaos level. Of course, Cranxiao had been a geniusthese shadows were nothing.

    Last time he was here, Jack had forfeited as these shadows appeared. This time, he hadnt even used his Life Drop yet.

    With a grin, he did. Life flooded his body. His bones stretched and his body expanded, pulsing with endless strength. Two new arms grew below his armpits. Feeling the familiar rush of power, Jack faintly realized that it felt slightly more subdued than usual, as if he could control it better. He didnt have time to consider that now, but he filed it away forter.

    The shadows charged him. He charged right back, hisughter echoing across the globe walls.

    One shadow held arge shield, projecting a sturdy domain that enveloped all three of them. The second shadow wore a triangr hatas it pointed at him, explosions resounded, and space cracked. Gravity started dancing, while snow and fire appeared on either side of him. His body struggled to endure both extreme temperatures at once.

    At the same time, the darkness grew deeper. Monsters crawled out, malformed and twisted. Some resembled humans missing an assortment of limbs, while others were beings formed of pure malice. A bloodthirsty air filled the globeJack felt his blood go cold and his mind spin into panic as he realized he was surrounded by cold-blooded killers.

    However, his gaze sharpened again. It pierced through the monsters to reach a shadow whose bald head was carved with tattoos. Its malevolent air was even more intense than the monstersthis was the creator of the illusions.

    Other outer disciples might have hesitated here, struggling to rid themselves of their fear. However, Jack had experienced life and death multiple times. Back on Hell, it wasnt just once or twice that he had been surrounded by real cold-blooded killers.

    Compared to them, these monsters wereughable.

    Fuck off! he shouted.

    His fists pierced the air, shattering everything. The killers and monsters dissipated, but one of them remained. It was a wolf wrought in shadows, and as its jaws mped down on his arm, Jack realized this one was real.

    It twisted its fangs and tore off an arm. Pain blotted out Jacks consciousness, but he forced it down. Clenching his other three fists, he hammered the wolfs head and quickly killed it. He then teleported to avoid the dual assault of fire and snow.

    His arm regrew, fueled by the vast life energy inside him, but his breath caught to his throat. Even this initial stage of the globe contained tricks. That bald shadow wasnt just a Will cultivator, but also a summonerif not for his extraordinary regeneration, he would have lost right there and then.

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    He steeled his mind, taking care not to underestimate the shadows again.

    More monsters crawled out of the darkness. Jack unleashed his Dao, burning them through sheer power. All of them disappearedwith the wolf gone, the shadow couldnt summon another real monster. Or, at least, so it pretended.

    One wizard manipting the elements, one summoner affecting Jacks mind, and a warrior protecting those two. These three shadows really formed a good battle squad.

    But they were too weak.

    Jack rushed into them. His domain erupted purple, vanquishing the shadows. Fire roared at him, but he pushed right through. His fist pulled back. It shot out. A meteor crashed into the warriors shield and dented it, then another broke cleanly through.

    As the warrior dispersed in motes of light, the other two shadows followed quickly after.

    New shadows appeared.

    Jack had expected a slightly increased number of stronger shadows, maybe four or five. Instead, nine formed, each at the two-fruit boundary. Their individual power was weaker than the shadows hed just defeated, though theirbined might was naturally greater.

    He didnt have time to be surprised. The moment these shadows appeared, they erupted into battle. Attacks besieged him on all sides. Jack could no longer save energy. His domain operated at full force, barely enduring the suppression of nine others. Weapons and magic broke against his fists, but there were always more. The attacks came without pause.

    Jack was forced to teleport. He punched through space, appearing behind a wizard shadow and shattering its spine. Yet, as he teleported away, a new shadow formed in its ce.

    <em>What!?</em>

    More attacks rained on him. In the globes restricted space, he barely had room to dodge. He couldnt use his superior strength to bully the shadows. He was forced into a run, only asionally striking out and killing an enemy.

    Yet, no matter how many he killed, new ones formed in their ce. The new ones were also stronger. As he killed more of them, their strength climbed from the two-fruit to the three-fruit boundary, until a shadow appeared whose power eclipsed all others.

    A mid C-Grade. About as strong as theary overseer had been.

    Jack finally realized where the Ceaseless Murder Globe got its name. The first three battles were only a warm-up; after that, shadows spawned endlessly, gradually bing stronger and stronger. It really was ceaseless murderif he stopped moving for even a fraction of a second, he would lose.

    This sort of battle was frantic and absurd. Even keeping track of what was happening was difficult. It pushed one to the very limits of their ability, forcing them to erupt with their full potential or die trying. It was a unique situation that could push one beyond the brink.

    Jack loved it.

    He had never felt so alive. His Dao flowed freely, his body rapidly regenerated, his fists kept breaking bodies. The battle filled his mind, became all he knew and could think about. There were no erroneous thoughts, no considerations, no fear. Only stone-cold killing.

    It was difficult to describe the ecstasy that flooded Jacks soul. He was simultaneously a God and an ant. He was everything and nothingthe ultimate warrior.

    Shadows kept dying. A second mid C-Grade appeared, then a third. Against those mighty shadows, Jack could only avoid them to fight othersthough he was stronger, defeating them would need enough time for the rest to dogpile on him.

    His margins of error were thinning. Even with his newly tempered body, he was nearing his limit. The only reason he still persisted was the regeneration offered by the four-armed battle form, which repaired his constantly injured body. Otherwise, he would have lost long ago.

    Finally, an even stronger shadow appeared. This one was at the five-fruit boundary, its strength approaching thete Don Cranxiaos. With this addition, the battle sped up. Finally, Jack was cornered. Attacks rained down on him endlessly, while the five-fruit shadow locked space to prevent him from escaping. Hested for only two seconds before he was overwhelmed, his domain was broken, and his body suffered countless blows.

    A spear teleported before his throat and came to a stop, its tip only an inch away from ending his life.

    At that moment, all shadows froze. They retrieved their weapons and bowed at him, then slowly disappeared.

    Jack had finally lost. He sucked in a breath of cold air, exhausted. After fighting intensely for what felt like hoursbut was probably just a few minuteshis brain struggled to return to normal.

    The silence was deafening. The stillness, dizzying.

    Finally, Jack regained his bearings. His robes were torn and his hair disheveled. As the Life Drops energy receded, it left behind a body of shallow wounds, the kind he couldnt spare the energy to regenerate.

    I look like shit, he muttered, his voice echoing. Heh.

    Slowly, he walked to the globes exit. The door rose by itself, revealing the void outside and the excited stares of over a hundred talented C-Grade cultivators. Even the Envoy stared at him with curiosity.

    As they saw his strained form, those gazes turned into incredulity.

    Generally speaking, most cultivators would lose or give up before they reached the stage of looking like that. After all, nobody wanted to be ridiculed by others.

    But Jack didnt care. As he walked out of the globe, with his tattered robes barely covering his body, he carried the air of a diator. His fighting spirit still hadnt died downpletelythe weakest of those present unconsciously took a step back, then caught themselves.

    Were they really afraid of a D-Grade?

    Everyone was filled with rising wonder. They turned their gazes to the ranking obelisk, which would reveal Jacks result. Brock looked on with prideDorman with excitement, and the ponytail girl with curiosity. The rest of the crowd shared a mix of those feelings.

    While the globes magic formation assessed Jacks performance, the crowd erupted into discussions yet again.

    I think hell rank at 780, said a man.

    I say 750.

    730.

    720! said Osmu Sosmu, not really believing it but wanting to create excitement. A few others berated him good-heartedly. After all, even some mid C-Grades couldnt pass the 750 mark.

    Jack looked on silently.

    Finally, the obelisk rumbled. Jacks name disappeared from its previous ce of 950, and arge row of names was wiped away as they all moved a rank down. People looked up to find the new position of Jacks name.

    And up. And up.

    Finally, when the first person spotted the name, he gasped. Others shared his reaction, while a few stared at Jack like he was pranking them.

    Yet, the truth was clear for all to see. His name and ranking were perfectly visible on the ranking obelisk.

    Rank 675 Jack Rust!

 Chapter 348: Awing the World Yet Again

    Chapter 348: Awing the World Yet Again

    Rank 675 Jack Rust!

    Everyone was stunned. They forgot to react. It took a few moments for these C-Grade cultivators to believe what they were seeing, and then the entire crowd erupted as one!

    675! What sort of concept was that?

    D-Grades shouldnt even be able to enter the Globe. If they did, achieving a rank in the mid nine hundreds was an excellent achievement. Thats what everyone believed, thats what they were used to.

    But now, Jack Rust hadpletely wiped his butt with their preconceptions and rose to 675, leaving most early C-Grades in the dust!

    And these werent normal C-Grades. The Cathedral only epted the most talented, most promising cultivators in the universe. Everyone here was the star disciple of some B or A-Grade faction, people who could jump ranks to fight.

    Jack was just too abnormal!

    The upheaval persisted for several minutes. Everyone spoke between themselves, then looked at Jack like he was a monster. All the while, he simply stood there, absorbing the ambient Dao and slowly recovering his strength.

    That he possessed a body-enhancing Life Artifact was not a secret. By now, all the smart ones had figured it out. However, that didnt diminish his achievements at all.

    Who here didnt have their own lucky secrets? Everyone did, but nobody could recreate Jacks feat! There were many Life Artifacts in the universeif it was so easy, anyone could do it.

    In the cultivation world, lucky chances were aplenty. Many people found one. However, grasping it requiredpetence and courage. In the million years of Trials existence in the Milky Way gxy, the Ancient Trial had been discovered by thousands of aspiring cultivators, but all of them had failed and died. It was only Jack who seeded and reaped the benefits.

    Even if an inferior cultivator could acquire the Life Drop, they couldnt endure the torturous pain of body tempering for weeks in a row. Even if they could, it would only increase their strength by a bit. The only reasons the effect was so pronounced on Jack were his solid foundation, his alignment with his Dao, his battle experience, and his great titles. Even without the Life Drop, he would still be formidablethis was just a tiger given wings.

    Everyone staring at Jack understood these things. In their eyes, he was simply a monster! These gxy-level geniuses didnt even have the qualifications to be jealous.

    A few people shook their heads and left dejected, while others had eyes filled with excitement. If this overwhelming power belonged to someone else, they might not be so happybut Jack was awesome! He was a hero! He had dared to kill Cranxiao and oppose Baron Longform. Even on his first day here, he had insulted the wife of the 181st ranked Marcus William.

    If he could rise meteorically and break through all those illustrious opponents, how amazing a sight would that be?

    The gazes that fell on Jack were warm, excited. The Cathedral had been infused with life. This was the start of a legend.

    Thats a real big bro, a voice said from somewhere in the crowd, discreetly reaching the ears of everyone. It was like the spark that set ame their inner thoughts.

    Indeed! If proud people like them admired someone as their big bro, that person could only be Jack!

    As for Jack himself, he had no idea about the bro army swiftly forming around him. He stayed here not to enjoy everyones admiring gazes, but to recover some of his strength. As soon as he felt somewhat okay, he opened his eyes.

    Congrattions! Dorman said as he approached. Thats extremely good!

    Thank you, Jack replied calmly.

    Good job, bro.

    Thanks, Brock. I tried my best.

    Jack wasnt too excited. He had been aware of his own strength since before he fought Cranxiao. Plus, the Globe greatly favored cultivators with high endurance and regenerationit yed to his strengths, which was part of the reason why he achieved such a good ranking.

    But, still, the hint of pride in his chest was hard to extinguish.

    That was really great! Esmeralda said, approaching as well and ignoring Dormans fiery stare. I dont even know if Min could do this at the D-Grade.

    Jack raised a brow. Min?

    Nevermind about that. Youre as great as Brock told me. Ill be sure to pass this message along.

    To whom? Jack asked, but the blue-ponytail girl had already walked away. He turned to the brori. Brock?

    No bother, big bro. You get strong. I handle the rest.

    Okay

    Excuse me, a voice interrupted them. To his surprise, Jack saw the Envoy himself approachinga man with red skin and four fingers on each hand. The entire crowd quietened.

    Envoys were on apletely different level than outer disciples, both in strength and in status.

    I would like to congratte you on your ster result, the Envoy said.

    Thank you, Envoy.

    Mm. Now that you have reached the ranking of 675, you have unlocked extra privileges. Your Heavy Pagoda time allotment had increased from one to eight hours per month. Additionally, you can use the teleporters to freely leave the Cathedral, and you can also ess the Dao Chamber.

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    Dao Chamber? Whats that?

    The Envoy smiled. The Dao Chamber contains resources that can enhance or deepen a cultivators Dao. A-Grade Dao Visions are only the appetizers. With your ranking, you can use the Fallen Genius Mirror, an ancient artifact with wondrous effects on ones Dao.

    Oh! Jack eximed. That sounds great.

    It is. Would you like me to guide you over now?

    The surrounding cultivators had wide eyes. The hell? This Envoy was responsible for operating the Ceaseless Murder Globe. If he abandoned his post to show Jack around, would the Globe go out of order?

    Many sighed in their hearts. Different people got different treatment. This Envoy saw Jacks potential and wanted to befriend him, even going to the extent of bending the rules to do it.

    Since the crowd could understand this, so could Jack. Unfortunately, he had different ns. I am honored, Envoy, but I must do something else first. I appreciate the offer.

    No problem at all. The Envoy gave an easy-going smile. If you need anything in the future,e find me. My name is Borkuren Madiba.

    If anythinges up, I absolutely will.

    Borkuren said nothing more. He nodded and returned to his post. Dorman turned to Jack, a hint of envy in his gaze. Are you going back to Earth? he asked.

    Now that Ive reached the ranking of eight hundred, I can return whenever I want tobut I will not go immediately. Another thinges first.

    And what is that?

    Jack grinned. Break through to the C-Grade.

    ***

    On a different part of the Cathedral, an Asian-looking young woman sat cross-legged on a hard bed. Her raven ck hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the air she exuded was one of pride and arrogance backed by absolute confidence.

    This was the number one outer disciple of the ck Hole ChurchMin Ling!

    675? she asked, raising a slender brow.

    Exactly! Emeralda replied excitedly. I saw it with my own eyes. A peak D-Grade reaching the six hundredshes a peak talent!

    Hes decent, Min replied calmly. She was by far the strongest C-Grade on the Cathedral. At Jacks cultivation, she probably couldnt have reached that rankbut it mattered little. The C-Grade was very long. From the first to the ninth fruit, one had to cross many chasms and tribtions.

    No matter how talented a D-Grade was, there were high chances their path would be severed somewhere in the C-Grade.

    So, what do you think? Esmeralda asked with a sly smile. His brori already indicated that Jack Rust is interested. You are both extreme talents. On the Cathedral, who else is more suitable for you?

    Min Ling frowned. I dont have time for those things. Even if I did, I wouldnt choose someone just because theyre strong.

    Hes decently handsome, too.

    Thats not what I meant.

    Esmeraldaughed, her peal gentle like crystal water. Come on, Min. Dont be so stuck-up. Since hes expressing the interest to know you, why not have some tea? You never know what could happen.

    I said no.

    Fine Be boring.

    Min Ling sighed. Hes only a child, Esmeralda, not even at the C-Grade. Were worlds apart. Even if I was interested in finding someone, which Im not, I would never look at someone like him.

    Oh yeah? And who would you look at? The Spacewind Sovereign?

    Mins face darkened with disgust. Thats enough, Es. If theres nothing else, can you let me cultivate at peace?

    Suit yourself. Tea in three months?

    Sure.

    Great! See you then!

    ***

    The Heavenly Spoon Sovereign stared at a chessboard. Opposite him, an old woman had a glowing smile on her face as she moved a piece. He sighed. I lose again.

    But youre making progress! Dont worry, youre still too young. In twenty thousand years, Im sure youll be my match.

    I dont know. If I fill my mind with chess, where will I fit cultivation?

    The old womanughed. Correct, correct. Then you can just lose for eternity.

    Yeah, I guess I will.

    The sovereign did not take her words to heart. Chess was a fun way to reset his mind after intense bouts of cultivationdespite its seeming simplicity, even B-Grades couldntpletely solve it.

    Did you hear? the woman said, gathering up the chessboard as she prepared to leave. That new protege of yours achieved a ranking of 675.

    Oh yeah? Thats decent, I guess.

    <em>Before </em>reaching the C-Grade.

    The sovereign looked up. Faint amusement yed on his lips. Would you look at that. Impressive. But wasnt there someone who did even better six millennia ago?

    The woman rolled her eyes. Dont y with me, Head Envoy. Youre just too good. Anyone even remotely simr is a great asset to the Church.

    Naturally. What can I say? My vision is just that good.

    So now youll leave him alone?

    Oh, on the contrary. The more pressure he can take, the more Ill push. Lets see how high he can reach.

    She frowned. Youre too cruel.

    Ive met that boyhe is the type who thrives in adversity. If I dont create some enemies for him, he might stall, and how will he reach the peak then?

    By taking his time. Thats bullshit and you know it.

    Taking his time? What time? The Head Envoyughed. The Hand of God is moving on us everywhere. Two Elders shed in the Serpents Fang gxy. Our leaders are pushing for war, and so are the Immortals. Dont tell me you cant see the signs. We need to push the disciples harder, both the inner and outer ones, to squeeze them dry of potential as soon as possible. Otherwise, Im afraid the crusade will eat them whole.

    The Head Envoy took out a silver teaspoon from inside his robes, inspecting its head. His voice turned serious.

    Heed my words, Morgana. Slow umtion is over. Now, we rushand if we dont, we die.

    ***

    Jack sat alone in his cabin. Brock and Dorman had temporarily left. Hed locked the door and closed the curtains, discovering they possessed Dao limiting properties. Until he opened the cabin again, nobody could spy on him.

    Jack was now cross-legged on the magical meditation mat. Twenty-two Dao stones were arranged in a circle around himtwenty came from his bet against Cranxiao, and the other two also came from the same bet. Apparently, the bag that Baron Longform tossed over contained two extra stones, but he was too angry to count them out and humiliate himself further.

    Before now, Jack had spent an hour at the third level of the Heavy Pagoda, enduring eight thousand gravities topress his Dao to the maximum. Then, he rushed back home before thepressed Dao could escape, using it and these Dao stones to break through. ording to his calctions, he would only need thirteen, but hedid down all of them. He only had one shot at this breakthroughbeing greedy would bepletely idiotic.

    He sat in meditation and took a deep breath. His perception sank into his soul, finding the Dao Tree bursting with energy. It was mostly focused on the branches and leaves, ready to bloom to life, barely held back by Jacks will.

    He touched his hand on the Dao Tree and released the pent-up energy. The Dao Blooming began.

    He was breaking through to the C-Grade.

 Chapter 349: Breaking Through

    Chapter 349: Breaking Through

    Jacks Dao Tree erupted. All its restrained energy was released at once. The Dao Roots below it roared, the Life Drop glowed brilliant, and the entire Dao of the Fist heralded the arrival of a new lord.

    Below the trees base was Jacks Dao Seed surrounded by his four Dao Rootsthese five each represented a finger, forming a multicolored fist. From index to pinky, they were silver, red, green, and ckIndomitable Will, Power, Life, and Weaknessthe four Dao Roots hed developed during the F and E-Grades. Covering them was the thumb, a strong purple color representing the Fist itself, Jacks core Dao.

    These five Daos formed a fist which floated in the middle of Jacks soul world, aimed downward. Buried at the wrist of this hand was a green lightthe Life Dropand over it grew the Dao Tree.

    This tree was nine feet tall. It pulsed with life, breathing the Dao of the Fist, its bark a bright wood with hints of purple. Branches stuck out from the upper part of the tree, extending in all directions. They were covered in leavesa lively green color, each verdant and full of energy. Jack had nourished this tree well. A crown of leaves covered its top, while a door was embedded on its trunk, almost a pattern of the bark.

    However, while this tree grew from the Dao of the Fist, it bore little resemnce to it. The tree was lively, but emptya fountain of power yet unimed. This was not Jacks fault. It was the nature of the D-Grade.

    In the F-Grade, a cultivator enhanced themselves and chose a Dao to follow.

    In the E-Grade, they walked down the road of that Dao, deepening theirprehension and supplementing it with secondary concepts, slowly creating a Dao best suited to themselves. To break through, they had to cement their foundation and Dao.

    These two Grades were the foundational part of the Road to Mastery.

    Starting from the D-Grade, that foundation was built upon. A cultivator walked hand-in-hand with their Dao, attuning themselves to it, filling it with power. The Dao Tree sprouted from the Dao Seed, and the main job of a cultivator in the D-Grade was to nourish it and make it grow.

    Therefore, the D-Grade was not about intense Dao exploration. It was a long consolidation phase, where a cultivator digested everything they had created in the previous Grades and grew to their potential, so they couldter use it as the basis to delve deeper into the worlds Dao.

    This was also the reason why, throughout the D-Grade, Jack had focused on leveling up rather thanprehending the Dao.

    The Dao Blooming was the transformation that urred between the D and C-Grades. By now, a cultivators tree had reached its peak. It could grow no more. That peak was signified by the blooming of flowers, each serving as a conduit of the cultivators Dao and enhancing their power by a small degree.

    Of course, if a cultivators Dao was weak or unstable, their tree could stop growing at any point, and they would remain stuck at that level forever. In the same vein, if they could not prove their Daos sufficiency before the universe, then their Dao Blooming would fail midway and never advance further.

    Jack hoped his Dao was excellent. He had no indications otherwise. He hoped to bloom with dazzling radiance, then advance into the C-Grade and eventually condense nine fruits, each signifying a different manifestation of his Dao.

    But he could never be too sure. There were records of bright geniuses who fell at this steppeople who had radiated excellence across the entire universe, only for their halo to shatter as their Dao was deemed inferior.

    Those were people who drew power from various sources, like treasures or artificial means. They could possess power at the early stages of cultivation, but the farther one advanced, the more everything converged to the Dao. All external help was useless.

    That was why, as Jack faced his Dao Tree that was about to bloom, he was ovee with doubt.

    <em>What if my Dao is weak? </em>he asked himself. <em>What if the reason for my power is my titles, my luck, or the Life Drop? What if my Fist is not solid enough?</em>

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    <em>What if my journey ends here?</em>

    It was hard to contain ones nerves when the universe was about to pass judgment. There was nobody here to share his burden. Strangely, even Copy Jack was absentthe mystical energies of the Dao Blooming had pushed him away as if the universe demanded Jacksplete attention.

    The tree erupted with purple power. Fists flew outeach stronger than thest, shooting into the void likeets. A thick column of purple shot to heights untold. The energy of the tree was being quickly spent, the eruption dying down.

    Jack took a deep breath. In the real world, the Dao Stones surrounding him lost their luster. A cloud of pure Dao rose from them, so intense that it formed into mist, unfettered by mundane things like gravity or cold. Jack breathed in deeply, sucking that energy into his body. Half the mist was gone at once. His entire being felt bloated, but this was not Life energyit could not be assimted into his body. All he could do was manically stuff it down his soul, forcing it into the Dao Tree even as most of it dissipated.

    The eruption of purple energy intensified. A wind blew in Jacks soul world, so powerful that it pushed him back. The purple column red, shooting into the void as if to pierce the heavens. Jack was already like an ant before it, a mere mortal before the might of the universebut it was his universe, and his might.

    The purple column was wasted energy. The tree did not know how to bloom. He had to force it.

    All doubts faded. His mind became the Fist. The Dao roared. The void trembled.

    With a shout, Jack raised his hands and gripped them into fists. A tremendous force surged out of every inch of this soul space, locking the erupting column in ce. The energy sought to escape, but Jack did not let it. This world was under hismand. He controlled it.

    With a second shout, Jack punched down. The rampant energy went wild. It crashed into the column, surrounding and suppressing it. The Fist resisted. It did not seek to be controlled. The sound was like drilling ss, the spectacle apocalyptic. Jacks soul world lost its colors, and the void copsed as his willpower fought his own Dao. He was left floating in darkness, with only himself and his Dao remaining intact.

    His eyes were bloodshot. The trees energy had stopped shooting up, but it remained above it. It needed to return inside.

    For the third time, Jack pushed down. His head was about to crack. This was too difficultbut he would persist until he died. That was his path. That was the Dao of the Fist.

    The Dao issued a piercing cry. His willpower mped down, reversing the flow of energy and sinking it back into the Dao Tree. The tree shook, its bark king, almost unable to contain the energy within. It looked about to burst, and Jacks chest was swollen by pressure.

    <em>Not enough!</em>

    He breathed in again. The remaining mist of the Dao Stones was sucked in, enhancing the Dao in his soul world. The pressure shot up another level, as if he was about to explode. The Dao madly yearned release.

    Jacks eyes were bloodshot. His every instinct told him to let go or he would die, but he only pressed down harder. His soul world shook. Cracks formed everywhere, revealing an even deeper darkness.

    With the groan of splintering wood, a crack appeared on the bark, crossing over the Life Drops door. The energy demanded to be released, but Jack refused to let it.

    Kill me if you must, but I will never yield!

    His shout echoed across the soul world, seeping into the cracks, intensifying the already catastrophic war. He was past the point of no return. If he let the Dao go now, he would never recover.

    The Dao Tree shuddered. The energy needed to be vented, but it couldnt. The pressure kept mounting, until Jacks entire soul was only a hairline away from shattering.

    And then, he crossed that line. His Dao Tree gave out. It finally realized Jack would never let goand, at the precipice of death, it was forced to find another way.

    Energy rushed to the branches, then to the leaves. One after another, tiny shapes appearedpurple flowers, each glowing like a meteor in the night. The tree had been on the verge of copsing, but now it stopped. After the first few flowers, more formed. They came faster and faster. The branches were filled with purple, petals falling and dancing in the wind. The excess energy was slowly consumed, used to form these flowers, and the rest discovered that it could use these flowers to freely exit the tree, shooting out like jets of purple.

    Jacks dark soul world was illuminated. The tree became a purple sun as energy flew everywhere, circling around the soul world to re-enter the tree through its roots. More and more flowers formed, popting the branches and contrasting the leaves. Jack could feel his Dao strengthening at a rapid rate, his control rising, his Dao repository deepening. Just these flowers were a tremendous benefit to his cultivation.

    His entire body was wracked with leftover pain, as it had almost exploded, but Jack was used to it. Pain was a friend nowthe sign of progress.

    However, it was toote to be happy. The Dao Blooming had begun in earnest, but that was the easy partany cultivator could do it with enough resources and strong willpower.

    Now came the hard part.

    The blooming would continue for some time, no longer needing his guidance. At this moment, however, Jack felt a gargantuan existence lock onto him. It was like the world itself stared over. He felt tinysmaller than a grain of sand before the ocean.

 Chapter 350: C-Grade!

    Chapter 350: C-Grade!

    As the flowers bloomed, a tremendous power reached into Jacks soul,pletely disregarding any and all defenses, and whisked him away.

    Jack found himself in a space hed only seen once before. He was surrounded by nothingness. Arge fist floated in the distanceit was impossible to estimate how far away or howrge it was. The moment he saw this fist, Jack felt his feet go cold, his mind stagger, his Dao escaping his control.

    This was the Dao of the Fist itself.

    The first time Jack had arrived here was when he firstprehended the Dao Root of the Fist, back in the F-Grade. He hadnt understood the significance of what he faced. Now, he did. This was a foundational force of the universe, a power above any cultivator. He was face-to-face with an aspect of the Dao, the beginning and end of everything.

    The world had noticed his breakthrough. It had seen him finalize his own Dao and start expanding. However, the Fist could not be tamed so simply. He had already earned the right to use it, but if he wanted to build on it and manifest it into fruits, he needed to pass much stricter tests.

    The Fist looked inside Jack. He didnt have a say. The Dao itself rampaged through his body and mind, scouting everything. His very self wasid bare.

    Together with the Dao, he watched himself grow.

    He saw little Jack, barely a few years old, pick up his suitcase and hug a smiling professor. He saw a sturdy-looking man tussle his hair. He saw himself growing through school, into university, into his life as a researcher.

    But the Dao of the Fist did not care about those. It skipped everything to arrive at the Integration, then paid closer attention. Jack watched.

    He saw himself using his fists to kill that first goblin. He was shouting and crying back then. He killed more goblins, tempering himself into a warrior. The bears fell, the broris were defeated. Jack entered the Ice Pond andprehended the Dao Root of the Fist, that first block on which he built everything.

    He saw his entire journey. He defeated the twin ck wolves and met Brock. He killed a person for the first timeHugo, the man who had kidnapped his mother under the orders of a local warlord. He freed his town, Valville, then went to the Integration Tournament.

    When the Dao saw him using flip-flops and the so-called Dao of Spanking, Jack was embarrassed. He saw himself defeating numerous opponents and even the scions. He advanced as quickly as he could, breaking into the E-Grade and decisively killing Rufus Emberheart after a bloody battle.

    His resolve solidified: he would save Earth or die trying.

    He escaped to the wider constetion, boarded the Trampling Ram and escaped the Hounds, then entered Trial. He passed ring after ring, oveing all sorts of difficulties to surpass his limits. His strength grew rapidly. He reached the third ring and earned the Life Drops approval.

    The Dao paused here, as if to consider this scene more deeply, then carried on.

    He gradually outpaced everyone, outsmarted the Lords, earned the top treasures, and battled the Final Guardian, bing the first person in his gxy to conquer the entire Trial. He broke through to the D-Grade, surviving the tests of the Dao and the divine tribtion that Axelor, an Old God, had smote him with due to the existence of the Life Drop.

    Jack then traveled to the Exploding Sun, trained, and entered Hell where he went on a long killing spree. He kept rising meteorically. He dared to make vastly stronger enemies than himself and never gave up, even when his limbs were broken and his teeth were shattered. He challenged the entire Animal Kingdom and won, shocking the gxythen rushed back to Earth and saved his from the C-Gradeary overseer.

    He had children and watched them grow a bit.

    Finally, he came to the Cathedral, where he discovered body tempering, securing his ce as a universal genius and finally attempting to reach the C-Grade. His lifes story ended here for nowand the Dao fell silent.

    Jack realized that the Fist was not judging his Dao. It was judging <em>him. </em>Everything he had ever done, the person he was in conjunction with his Dao. He felt naked. There was no way to cheat. He would either be worthy, or he wouldnt be.

    However, in his heart, Jack knew the result with absolute certainty. As he watched his own life go by, pride had blossomed in his chest. Fulfillment. Throughout his many adventures, maybe he did not agree with every decision he had ever made, but he was never disappointed with himself. He remained true, kind, and just.

    Jack finally realized he was proud of the man he had be. Knowing that his life was meaningful and fulfilling, he felt such warmth that he even forgot about the ongoing breakthrough, shedding a single tear of happiness.

    Even if he failed now, he had already seededhe would always stand with his head raised high.

    The Dao had seen enough. The fist in the distance approached rapidlyor maybe it was Jack that was moving. He fell under tremendous pressure, like a was heading for his face, as the fist grewrger andrger in his sight. Suddenly, it wasrger than existence,rger than the world. For a single moment, Jack became aware of the universes vastness, and he almost crumbled in insanity.

    Then, his soul sank into the Fist, and he was standing on a grass field.

    This was not his soul world. He couldnt see the Dao Tree or the colorful void. All that existed was him, standing alone in an endless prairie.

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    <em>Show me, </em>the universe whispered, speaking deep inside his soul. <em>Show me who you are.</em>

    Jack understood. He raised his head and clenched his fist, losing everything else. This was the realest version of Jack, the most fundamental part of himself. The Fist blossomed around him, a halo of radiance, and tiny stars appeared everywhere he looked. The world was dyed purple. He became a meteor and crashed down, shattering the grass field.

    Orhe tried.

    A second fist smashed into his, breaking his hand and forcing him back. Another Jack stood before him. This was not Copy Jackit was a version of himself formed by the Dao of the Fist, an anvil on which to prove himself. The second Jack was expressionless, but his Fist was so pure it was blinding. This was the absolute Fist, without Dao Roots or emotions.

    Jack understood. He followed the Fist, but he was not the Fist. Then, who was he? What made him different?

    What made him Jack Rust?

    Jack clenched his own two fists and roared out. He sankpletely into battle. Fist met fist, but he was pushed back every time. His version of the Dao was weaker, and of course it washow could he match the Fist itself?

    Yet, after every exchange, his body healedpletely. The second Jack never pursued him. It simply stood there, waiting for him to prove something.

    Jack didnt know how many times he was defeated. He didnt know how long they fought for. It felt like days. Again and again, he charged, only to be sent flying back.

    How could his own Dao surpass the Fist?

    The question faced him unendingly. He could not leave this ce until he figured it out or gave up. But he would not give up.

    He was Jack Rust.

    ***

    In the outside world, days passed. Weeks. A month, then a second. Jacks cabin door remained firmly shut, obstructing any perception skill. Nobody knew what was going on.

    The small bro army spent their days on the nearby fields, waiting for news. Dorman grew more anxious with every passing day. Breakthroughs was not harmlessif one was not careful, they could die. Maybe Jack was dead already, his corpse lying in the cabin, and they just couldnt see it.

    Only Brock did not have the slightest fear, spending his days merrily cultivating and conversing with the newly formed bro army.

    ***

    Jack faced the Fist again and again. It was simr to him in every way, except its Dao was purer. Naturally, he lost every time.

    His mind was in a trance. In this state, hepletely lost track of time,pletely forgot everything that wasnt rted to the Dao. Unknowingly, his entire state of being was nourished during these battles. His mind and body grew fiercer, his connection to the Dao grew much more intimate. It was like training with Copy Jack, but much more intense.

    However, as he got stronger, the Fist Jack advanced at exactly the same rate.

    <em>How do I win? </em>Jack kept asking himself, charging again and again. <em>How? How do I use the Fist to defeat the Fist?</em>

    He wasnt an idiot. A hundred ideas had passed through his mind, but everything he tried failed. He could make no progress. Nothing worked.

    Finally, the Fist grew impatient. The sky over this field began to crumble. Strips of blue tumbled to the ground, revealing an endless darkness. Holes appeared in the grass, and the air lost its luster. The second Jack, the one formed of the Fist, grew older and older, slowly resembling a wrinkled, white-haired man. Yet, its strength never diminished. Jack was equally unable to win.

    But he had to find a way. He knew that, if this world crumbled before he seeded, he would have failed the breakthrough. His path of cultivation would be cut short.

    <em>What makes me different? </em>he asked with rising panic. <em>What is my Dao? Is it not the Fist? Where is my mistake?</em>

    Sometimes, the simplest things can be the hardest to see. As the world around him was reduced to nothing, and as the endless grass field turned into a tiny ind of green in a sea of darkness, in one of infinite exchanges, Jack suddenly saw the truth.

    <em>Ah.</em>

    It was like a veil had been lifted. His world turned crystal-clear, and his entire being was aligned. After he was sent flying back, he did not charge immediatelyhe smiled from the bottom of his heart. And, for the first time, the expressionless Fist Jack smiled back.

    Come, he said, pulling back his fist. Show me.

    Jackughed. Face me! he roared, then charged once again. His own fist reared back, then shot out like a purple meteor. It was stunning in the darkness. Fist Jacks punch also shot out, a pure fist as one with its surroundings.

    Nothing had changed from all the previous exchanges. But it didnt matter. Nothing <em>had </em>to change. Jack finally realized the truth.

    He didnt have to defeat Fist Jack. He couldnt. All he had to do was embrace his own Dao and follow it to the end. This was not a battle.

    His fist stopped an inch before collision. All its energy blew past and dissipated. The other Jacks punch also stopped, the two fists aimed at each other an inch apart, one purple and the other white.

    Jack smiled brightly. His fist moved slowly, tapping against the other in a fist-bump.

    I am me, he said. I dont cultivate the Fist. I cultivate <em>my </em>Fist.

    His Dao erupted, not in an attack, but in a disy of its identity. It bared itself, revealing its strengths and weaknesses, the things that made Jack human.

    The other Jack stared deep into his eyesand nodded.

    The final patch of grass dissipated. Jack fell into the void, one man and his fist, forever.

    In Jacks soul world, the Dao Blooming was over. The flowers were finished forming. Suddenly, one of them grew, and grew, and grew, transforming from a flower into a plump, purple fruit shaped as a fist that hung proudly from the Dao Trees branches.

    The moment this fruit appeared, the entire soul world shook. The real world followed. The Dao cried out in joy and shone with a million colors, heralding the arrival of a new C-Grade.

    And Jack escaped the void, his eyes sparking purple thunder, his body hiding the strength of a titan. A strong wind blew around him, disintegrating the empty Dao stones around him and mming open the cabins windows.

    For the first time in a while, a blue screen appeared of its own volition.

    <strong>Congrattions! D-Grade  C-Grade</strong>

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    Seeing it, he couldnt contain a wild grin. The void sang about a new master of the Fist. The universe celebrated, the stars shone brighter.

    A new day hadeand Jack Rust, the C-Grade cultivator, was here for it.

 Chapter 351: New Class!

    Chapter 351: New ss!

    After breaking through, Jack felt immense power pooling within his body, almost begging him to stand up and release it. He remained seated, enjoying this feeling, an excited smile ying on his lips.

    He couldnt wait to go out and show Brockbut first, he wanted to tidy up his blue screens.

    <strong>Congrattions! D-Grade  C-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have developed the Dao Fruit of the Fist, embarking on the path of manifesting your Dao.</strong>

    <strong>All stats +100</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level Up: 10  20</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 250.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! The Bare Fist Brotherhood faction has reached the C-Grade. New functions unlocked in the faction screen.</strong>

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    Leaving the ss aside for now, Jack focused on the other news. He had reached the C-Gradethat much he knew. He had also gotten an extra hundred stat points, which was less impactful than it used to be but still wee.

    <em>Once upon a time, I was enduring the Ice Pond to get one stat point, and now a hundred barely enter my eyes The world changes when you look at it from above.</em>

    Jack sighed.

    The level-up stat bonuses had doubled, which was both good and bad. Good because he would be stronger; bad because it made his body tempering rtively less powerful.

    As for the Bare Fist Brotherhood leveling up, it didnt matter yet. He was cut off from the main Systemit wouldnt know about his breakthrough until he returned to Earth or System space.

    Jack sank into his soul world again. It had changed; purple flowers blossomed on the tree branches, each like a piece of the night sky. His Dao had undergone a qualitative change, not increasing much but feeling significantly more lively.

    This change came from the Dao Fruit of the Fist. Jack approached it for a better look. It hung from his Dao Tree proudly, like a plump apple roughly the size of his hand. Its shape was like a fist pointed downward, and it was purple in color, with a faint aura rising upward like the starry trail of aet.

    Gingerly, he reached out to touch it; it was surprisingly soft, as if one pinch could pop it and waste its juices. Jack hurriedly withdrew his hand, though he suspected this softness was only an illusionhow could Dao Fruits be fragile?

    <em>My very own Dao Fruit </em>he thought, a sweet feeling rising in his chest. <em>I have finally reached the C-Grade.</em>

    Back in the F-Grade, Jack had once bought and used a Dao Fruit of the Fist to further his own Dao. That fruit had looked very simr to this one, and even their names were the same. Could it be that the fruit he once ingested came from the Dao Tree of a dead C-Grade?

    He quickly shook his head. <em>Impossible. There are billions of F-Grades for every C-Grade. If a Dao Fruit was that rare, it wouldnt have been my turn to consume it. There must be some way to mass-produce resources like this</em>

    Regardless, this was his Dao Fruit. It felfy.

    <em>One down, eight to go.</em>

    Unlike the D-Grade, the C-Grade was a period of qualitative improvement. Besides cultivating and deepening his Dao reserve, he would focus on improving his understanding of the Dao and developing more Dao fruits.

    Of course, for Jack, his strength would also rise by forging his body into a weapon.

    He spared a nce for the door on his Dao Tree. A crack had run through it during the time when his tree almost exploded from containing too much energy. Now, that crack had healed, leaving behind a long scar that made the door seem damaged.

    It probably wasnt. He considered checking, but the turtle had told him not to disturb it for no reason. Therefore, Jack left his soul world again, returning to the real one.

    <em>System, </em>he thought, <em>show me my new ss.</em>

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    <strong>Fist of ughter (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>Your fist is a weapon of mass destruction. Build a staircase of corpses and struggle for the top through a road of blood.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>One fist to ughter billions.</em></strong>

    This probably originated from Jacks killing spree on Hell. Back then, hed chopped down immortals like vegetables, destroying the Animal Kingdoms disciples to further his own cultivation. It was natural for the System to offer him such a ss.

    However, it didnt fit with Jacks character. He could ughter his enemies, but he wasnt a cold-blooded killing machine, nor did he want to be. Tying his advancement to the death of others sounded ominous.

    <strong>Heroic Fist (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>Lead the world into a better future. Rise against oppression, be a hero, and devote your life to squashing injustice where it appears.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>You raise your fist. The people cheer.</em></strong>

    Thisdid sound nice. Fundamentally, Jack was a good guyhe wanted to help the world and stand up for the weak. The only problem was, he didnt n to do it right now.

    This ss would only be with him during the C-Grade. His current n was to spend this time in the ck Hole Church or in other adventures. He didnt want to start running around the universe putting out random fireshe would help if he could, but his current priority was the advancement of his cultivation. If he put the cart before the horse and tried to help people now, someone would kill him and steal his Life Drop. Not to mention that entering System space, where most people resided, was too dangerous at the moment.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition.

    Helping people was goodbut it would have toe after he cemented his ce in the world.

    Thinking to that point, Jack looked away from this ss and moved on.

    <strong>Fist of the System (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>You have received divine providence. Devote your life to the service of the ultimate being who favored you, bing their fist in the cultivation world.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>The Immortal System offers additional benefits for the wielders of this ss, including increased attribute points and a Dao Vision for every Dao Fruit.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>For the Immortals!</em></strong>

    Jack was startled. Was thisa recruitment offer disguised as a ss?

    The System must have been confused here. Jack was already an enemy of the Immortals. Yet, it spoke of receiving divine providence Had it mistaken the Life Drops assistance as a gift of the Immortals?

    The additional benefits were interesting, but picking it was impossible. Though, he did wonder what would happen.

    <strong>diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>You possess extreme physical strength and the temperament of a diator. Use your fist to awe the highest of crowds as you vanquish every enemy in your waywith style!</em></strong>

    <strong><em>A punch flies, and the crowd roars.</em></strong>

    Jack didnt know what to say.

    <em>With style? What style? Im a C-Grade cultivator, not a clown!</em>

    It was rare for the System to have a sense of humor. Then again, maybe that wasnt the casemaybe being breathtaking was actually part of the ss.

    <em>The name does sound cool. And the ranking is King, which is the highest. Being a diator doesnt sound bad either, but Cant I have something else? Like, Fist of Absolute Power?</em>

    Unfortunately, there were no more sses to choose from. That was all.

    The System was not a fan of generality. His E and D-Grade sses had been tyranny-themed and space-themed respectively. Now, he once again had to choose a direction.

    On the bright side, sses werent <em>too </em>important. He had neither be a tyrant nor a spaceship. sses only affected his choice of skills and the Dao Visions he received. Plus, the higher he advanced, the more everything depended on himself instead of the System.

    sses were a small but steady influence drawing him towards their namesake.

    Of course, the Fist of the System was a clear exception as it seemed more like a contract, but Jack had already decided not to pick that.

    That left him with Fist of ughter, Heroic Fist, and diator Titan.

    The Fist of ughter represented a grim path he was wary of following. His road wasnt one of ughter, but of integrity and power. Killing was just a part of it.

    He had a feeling that, if he chose to be a Fist of ughter, his future would be dark and edgy. He decisively chose against it. Besides, he didnt need this ss to kill people.

    That left two: Heroic Fist and diator Titan.

    Both were decent, actually. Each had their pros and cons. The Heroic Fist was based on his heroic exploits on Earth, when he saved the by showing up at thest moment and defeating theary overseer. diator Titan probably originated from his grand duel on Hell, where he challenged the entire Animal Kingdom and defeated them before the entire gxy. He even forced them to let him go after hed killed their disciples and insulted their Elders. This ss also included the body tempering hed recently discovered.

    However, he neither wanted to run around being a hero nor make all his battles public and attention-needy.

    Jack cupped his chin, deep in thought. He had to choose one of the two. Neither was clearly superior than the other, and both represented him to some degree. Actually, now that he thought about it better, he wanted to follow both. He enjoyed being a hero <em>and </em>a diator.

    But, he could only pick one.

    At the end of the day, it probably didnt matter too much. He could be anything he wanted regardless of sses. As for choosing between the two, he could just go with the one that seemed coolest or more immediately useful.

    When he considered it like that, one ss stood out more than the other. His lips formed into a wry smile; hed wanted to pick this ss since he saw its name, he just wasnt sure about the potential benefits.

    Finally, he locked in his decision.

    <em>Systemmake me a diator Titan.</em>

    He really looked forward to theing blue screens. ss changes were apanied by the upgrade of previous skills and the creation of new ones. If he was lucky, his strength would experience another massive leap forward!

    <strong>Congrattions! You are now a diator Titan (King).</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! New Dao Skill unlocked: Titan Taunt I.</strong>

    <strong><em>Titan Taunt I: Channel your inner punchability to draw the opponents ire, forcing them to fight you. You simultaneously affect their mental state, making them prone to misjudgements, and rile up the crowd.</em></strong>

    Jacks brows fell. <em>I made a mistake. System, I changed my mind. Make me a Heroic Fist. Please!</em>

    Unfortunately, no response came. Jack was stuck with a ss that sounded cool but only gave him a useless-looking taunting skill.

    <em>I must keep an open mind, </em>he thought. <em>Its the skill of a C-Grade ss. It cant be badperhaps, when I use it, Ill be overawed by its usefulness.</em>

    Taking his mind away from that, Jack opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 250</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 2405 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 2405 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 2400 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 300 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 300 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free Points: 20</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Space Walk III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body II, Titan Taunt I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Foundation: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    It was a sight to behold. After breaking through to the C-Grade, he had finally reached Level 250, and a new section for Dao Fruits had appeared. It was unfortunate that there wasnt a title for being the first cultivator of Earth to reach the C-Grade, but still

    <em>How far Ivee</em>

    Jack allowed himself a moment of sentimentality, then turned towards the free stat points. His n was to invest everything in Mental and Will. His body tempering would enhance all his Physical substats, so he didnt want his other stats falling too far behind. The fewer weaknesses he had, the better.

    That was a solid n and Jack was determined to see it through. However, as he looked over his stats, he decided to finally solve another issue that had been bugging him. His three Physical substats had been unequal for a long time. Moreover, since every stat point in Physical represented exactly three substat points, it was impossible to make them equal again by only investing points, no matter how many he had.

    But, it no longer mattered. He put two points into Physical, turning them into six substat points. Five of them went into Constitution, equalizing it with the other two stats, and thest went nowhere. He kept it unspent to maintain symmetry.

    <em>Get fucked, random five.</em>

    After that, he invested the other eighteen points equally between his Mental and Will stats and admired the final result.

    <strong>Strength: 2405 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 2405 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 2405 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 309</strong>

    <strong>Will: 309</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    Was it pretty? No. But it was far better than the damn imbnce hed been forced to endure for over a year now.

    The joy that filled Jack at this monumental achievement was only slightly less than that of breaking through to the C-Grade. It made up for only receiving a taunting skill, too.

    <em>I really should test that, </em>he thought, standing up. <em>All my new powers, actually, but they can wait a bit. For now, I have to let everyone know Im okay. Who knows how long its been since I began my breakthrough?</em>

    <em>After that wille testingbut where will I find suitable opponents? Its not like someone will just deliver themselves to me. Probably.</em>

 Chapter 352: Challenged

    Chapter 352: Challenged

    The new bro army was hanging out at the fields around Jacks cabin. Some of them had brought drinks, others carried snacks, while a few more spent their time meditating.

    To C-Grades, who could live for up to ten thousand years, a couple months was nothing. Jacks two-month breakthrough passed in a sh, just another party. The notable exception was Brock, whod gotten a meditation mat from someone and spent his days cross-legged in the middle of his bros, cultivating.

    On this day, Brocks eyes snapped open. Hed almost reached the peak D-Grade, but that wasnt the reason ho woke up. He nced at the shut cabin.

    A few others noticed as well. Did you feel that? someone asked.

    Yeah, a woman responded. The Dao shook a little.

    Why would that happen?

    Could it be Everyones gazes swiveled at the cabin. Its door remained shut, its windows blocked by perception-stopping curtains. Nothing had changed. Yet, as they stared over, they couldnt stop a feeling of dread from rising. It was like looking at an active volcano, the open maw of a beast. Unease and fear crept up their spines, but also an unexpected emotionexcitement.

    This wasnt the excitement of their big bro breaking through. It stemmed from deep within their souls, from where they connected to the grand Dao of the universe.

    What the hell is that? a man asked, grabbing his chest. Why do I feel so

    His words were lost. Without warning, the cabin door flew open, the curtains rose to the wind. A bang resounded as arge quantity of Dao left the cabin, soaring to the void between gxies. Waves of energy spread out, inciting more and more energy to move. The fabric of existence shuddered for hundreds of miles around them. The darkness shone purple, and the Dao cried out in joy as if weing its messiah.

    The crowd jumped upright, abandoning their food and drinks. Even Brock slowly stood, his eyes shining with expectant light.

    What the hell!? someone asked. Is this really the result of breaking into the C-Grade?

    Their own breakthroughs had been far less spectacr.

    Brock smiled proudly. Yes. Big Bro has the respect of the universe.

    As they were lost for words, a man stepped out of the cabin. Deep purple robes fell over his body, while he had short dark hair and brown eyes as piercing as arrows. He was like a god walking the earth. He radiated absolute power. The moment he appeared, the already-thousandfold gravity seemed to intensify as a heavy pressurended on everyone present. The weakest people stumbled, then paled.

    A man thought, <em>Hes at the same cultivation as me, and Im a genius, but he can pressure me with just his aura??</em>

    Jacks piercing gaze turned at them, further intensifying the pressure before he realized what he was doing. Suddenly, that oppressive sense of absolute power disappeared like it was never there, and Jacks titanic presence gave way to a rxed attitude.

    Hey guys, he said. What are you doing here? Did you sense my breakthrough ande to see?

    We waited, Brock replied for everyone.

    Oh? Yeah, I guess thats okay. How long did it take me?

    Two months.

    Two months!?

    Jacks eyes widened. He had felt months passing as he battled the Fist Jack on the endless grassfield, but hed assumed it was an illusion. Turns out, it was real. Hed just spent two months sitting cross-leggedhe wasnt even numb.

    Wait, he said. Youve been waiting here for two months?

    I cultivated, Brock replied, shrugging. Another personOsmu Sosmustepped forward to add, We are C-Grades. Two months really isnt that long.

    As for Dorman, he simply said, I was homeless anyway, so I might as well wait here.

    Jack was stunned. Two months werent much to these C-Grades, but they were a long time for other peopleinfants, for example. His children must have grown a lot by now. In the blink of an eye, it had been three months since hest saw them. He ought to pay a visit.

    He took another look at the small crowd. Suddenly, warm feelings welled up inside him.

    <em>These people waited two months for me Damn.</em>

    The Cathedral was a ce that encouraged growth throughpetition. A lot of cultivators here were arrogant, ruthless, aggressive, or just in assholes. However, there were also many people that were pure of heart. Jack was one of them, as was Brock. And these thirty people, whod abandoned their arrogance to support him, were also great.

    Jack spoke up. I will remember your kindness, everyone. Two months may not be a lot to you, but you still spent it for me, and I can sense that your souls are pure. I, Jack Rust, am ruthless to my enemies but good to my friends. Since you want to follow me, lets walk together.

    The crowd cheered. Brock grinned widely. Dorman looked around in surprise, and Jack himself smiled warmly, admiring how, in all the darkness of the Cathedral, good people had a tendency to group together.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Or, maybe, they didnt. He nced at Brock, realizing that the brori was not as simple as he appeared. Suddenly, his gaze flickered.

    Brock! Did you reach the peak D-Grade?

    Almost, Brock responded.

    Thats great! Youve grown so much!

    Age-wise, Brock wasnt even two years old. If the surrounding people knew that a two-year-old had almost reached the C-Grade, they might tear out their own hair in disbelief.

    In a way, Brock was even more impressive than Jack.

    What are you going to do now, big bro? Osmu Sosmu asked.

    Take a trip to my home, Jack replied. I wont stay long, but I need to see my family.

    Oh So, no Globe run to demonstrate your strength?

    Jackughed. Everything wille in time, Osmu. I also want to test myself, but

    His words were cut short. A terrifying aura swept over the crowd, making them pale. The weakest people stepped back, while the strongest frowned as they looked at the distance.

    A new cultivator flew in. That was already a terrible signnot many people could fly freely in the Cathedral. He wore pristine white robes, had clear eyes, and carried a slender sword. His gaze was sharp, like being pierced by a de.

    As this cultivatornded across Jack, his robes pped, and his gait was steady. It was as if he didnt even feel the gravity.

    You finally dared to exit seclusion, he said, staring at Jack. Ive been waiting a long time to face you.

    Jack looked at this man for a long time. Finally, he tilted his head and asked, Do I know you?

    The swordsman paused. His sharp brows furrowed. Mind tricks are useless against me, but Ill humor you. Of course you know me. I am Marcus William! Three months ago, you insulted my wifes honor. I was in a critical point of my cultivation then, so I couldnt be interrupted, but now I havee to restore our honor.

    Oh. Yeah, right. I totally remember you.

    Jack had a faint memory of this man. Along with Ley Vice, he was one of the two first people Jack had met on the Cathedr couple whod snubbed him for being a D-Grade. Soon after, when the Head Envoy changed Jacks ranking to 950, the woman of that couple had challenged him to a duel and used her Dao of Truth to pressure him into admitting she was attractive, thereby weakening his Dao.

    Jack had admitted he wouldnt touch her with a nine-foot-pole and punched her in the face.

    He had almost forgotten about that, bute to think of it, the Sage had told him her husband was a high-ranked man known for being petty. It was him who had originally set Don Cranxiao after Jack.

    That man was precisely Marcus William.

    Remembering all that, Jacks gaze hardened a little. Now I remember you, he said. Youre the little shit that paid Cranxiao to bully me.

    The surrounding crowd gasped. For better or for worse, Marcus William was ranked 281st. He was a six-fruit C-Grade. That was an entire five boundaries above Jack! Speaking to him like that was tantamount to suicide.

    At this point, a woman walked into view from behind some cabins, her beautiful face marred by a cruel smile. She was Ley Vice, who hade to enjoy the show.

    Marcusughed coldly. Good, very good. Your mouth is as dirty as I was told. Do you dare to back up your ims?

    Why wouldnt I dare? Ive already kicked the ass of many assholesyoure just the next in line.

    Marcusughed again. His aura swept out, a sharp wind that could slice through everything. As soon as the crowd sensed that, they got goosebumps, and they had to utilize their own Dao to avoid being cut by the aura itself.

    Excellent, Jack Rust! Marcus said. I wont have people say I bullied you. A month from now, when youll have stabilized your cultivation in the C-Grade, we will fight with our honor as stakes.

    Jack raised a brow. A month from now? Honor as stakes?

    Do you not dare?

    Actually, Marcus wasnt feeling too well at the moment. The reason hed been in seclusion for the past three months was to form his seventh Dao Fruit and break into thete C-Grade, but hed failed. Part of that was due to Jack beating up Marcuss wife, an insult he couldnt stomach easily. Bitterness ate at him from the inside.

    On the path of cultivation, if ones thoughts werent smooth, progressing was near impossible. That was especially so for swordsmen, whose modus operandi was to cut through all.

    Finally, Marcus epted that he needed to wash away this shame first and exited seclusion without breaking through. He had then waited a week for Jack to finish his own breakthrough so he coulde and challenge him.

    In truth, Marcus wasntpletely certain he could win. If Jack could reach a ranking of 675 as a D-Grade, there was no telling how high his strength would rise as a C-Grade. He might even be stronger than Marcus himself.

    Therefore, as silly as it sounded to be wary of someone five fruits below him, he still decided to be cautious. He rushed here as soon as Jack left seclusion to challenge him, and even gave him only one month to prepare. That was already a bit disgraceful, but Marcus was forced to do it; he simply didnt think he could defeat Jack in another year or two. As for just one month, he had over ny percent confidence. If he lost to a mere one-fruit C-Grade, he might as well abandon cultivation and go retire at his home.

    Hearing this proposition, Jack scratched his head. I dont know about one month, he said.

    Marcus frowned. If you dont dare in one month, we can make it two. However, matters like this should be resolved as quickly as possible. Honor waits for no one!

    Thats not what I meant. I may not be here in one month, nor do I want to wait. Lets fight right now and be done with it.

    Hearing that, Marcus couldnt believe his luck. Still, he had to act gracefully. You want to fight me right now? he asked. As much as I want to humiliate you, you should think about this better. I am a six-fruit C-Grade. Even after one month, defeating me will be difficult. Right now, when youve just broken through and your strength is unstable, our duel will just be a joke.

    Let me judge whether it is a joke or not, Jack replied with azy smile. As for who will be humiliated Dont count your eggs before they hatch. In any case, I dont need any preparation to deal with trash like you. Unless, of course, you want the extra month to re-attempt that breakthrough you failed. In that case, I will reluctantly ept to wait. I wouldnt want to win too easily.

    Protected in the crowds anonymity, a few people couldnt help but snicker. Marcuss gaze sharpened further, and his face darkened into a scowl. What nonsense is that? Youre giving me no face at all. Youre courting death, kid!

    Respect is earned, Jack said, clenching his fists. A heavy oppressive aura rolled out, shing against Marcuss and creating sparks in the air. The sound was like two ss tables grinding against each other. Make your move.

    The crowd hurried to make some distance. Almost none of them believed Jack could win, but they still expected him tost a few moves, and a battle between high-rankers was not something they wanted to be near.

    Marcuss aura evolved. His Dao deepened and sharpened, bing like an unsheathed de. He did not draw his sword. Instead, he crossed his arms behind his back, seeming imperious. Since you are so confident, he said, how about we add some extra stakes to our duel?

    Jack raised a brow. This guy just wanted to lose everything. Im listening.

 Chapter 353: Conclusion of the Duel

    Chapter 353: Conclusion of the Duel

    What is a duel without betting some Dao stones? Marcus asked, his lips curving. Im thinking a small amount. Thirty?

    The surrounding people instantly shot him disgusted looks. In their eyes, he was already going too far by challenging Jack from five tiers higheradding a bet on top of that was just being shameless.

    Marcus knew that, but hed made his decision. In for a penny, in for a pound.

    Jack cupped his chin. I dont know he said. Isnt thirtya little embarrassing?

    Embarrassing? What do you mean?

    Marcus was prepared for this. He only said thirty so Jack would haggle it down to twenty or so.

    I would expect a high-ranker like yourself to be a little more generous, Jack replied. Thirty is too boring. How about fifty?

    Marcuss eyes widened. You want to bet fifty Dao stones against me?

    Yeah. Why? Are you afraid?

    Hmph! Im only afraid of what people are going to say after thisbut, if you insist, so be it. Fifty Dao stones.

    Jack grinned. You said it.

    The crowd was only getting more and more stunned. Thirty Dao stones were already arge amount to thembut fifty? That was just obscene! Even Marcus shouldnt have that much, let alone Jack. They thought this was the high-ranker bullying the low-ranker, but now it was actually Jack who increased the stakes?

    Could it be thathe thought he could win?

    In truth, Jack did feel some confidence. He had fought the three-fruit Cranxiao at the peak D-Grade. If every fruit was a tier, and the gap between D and C-Grades was roughly three tiers, that meant Jack had leapt six tiers to battle, and it hadnt been too difficult either. His current gap with Marcus was only five tiersin theory, he should be able to handle this.

    While Marcus was undoubtedly extremely talented himself, it couldnt be too much. Otherwise, his ranking wouldnt only be 281.

    Jack had an eighty percent confidence he would win. Let alone fifty, he would even bet a hundred Dao stones if he had to.

    Make your move, Jack said, clenching his fists again. Unless you want to bore me into forfeiting.

    Hmph! Lets see if you can even make me draw my sword.

    Speaking to here, Marcus did not reach for the handle of his weapon. Instead, he stretched out two fingers. Jack raised a brow. Youre joking.

    Marcus shed out with his fingers. He looked a bit ridiculousnot only was he not using a de, but he was also striking empty air, as he and Jack remained a hundred feet apart.

    As Jack was about to mock him, however, the smile froze on his lips. Marcuss sword fingers looked simple, but they contained a deep Dao of the Sword. The moment he shed with them, a raging river of energy flew towards Jack, crossing the hundred feet in an instant. Each Dao particle vibrated at a unique frequency,bining into a sharp flow that could slice him to dust.

    Jack punched out. His fist exploded against the mighty river, splitting it like a steady rock. The energy flew to his left and right, carving up deep trenches in the ground.

    Good! Marcus eximed. Again!

    His fingers shed out thrice. Each attack was no weaker than the first; they swept at Jack like the ps of an angry god, but he fought back. His fists were few but strong, easily breaking the energy as it came. The Dao in their battlefield became chaotic, abination of sharpness and brutality, while the ground cratered.

    The crowd cheered. A battle between high-rankers was a very rare sight!

    While both fighters specialized in meleebat, they were still fighting from a distance. To Jack, it was a form of practice. When he first arrived at the Cathedral, even a full-power Meteor Punch could only go a few feet before dispersingnow, he could easily shoot his punch a hundred feet away.

    Plus, he was using this time to adapt to his new power. His Dao felt lively, explosive, far more purposeful and aligned. It was the difference between a water bomb and a water jethis might was simply iparable to before.

    A dozen strikester, hed had enough. He smashed a Meteor Punch into Marcuss attack. The world was sucked inside his punch, then explodedthe sword energies rushed back, forcing Marcus to wave his hand and easily split them around him.

    Well done! Marcus shouted. Again!

    Draw your sword, dickhead!

    You are not qualified!

    Jack snorted coldly. Marcuss strength would rise tremendously when he used his weapon, but Jack also hadnt activated the Life Drophe didnt want to go all-out first. However, this was getting annoying. The energy inside him was madly yearning release, and he could barely wait. He needed to know how strong he was.

    He was about to activate the Life Drop when a different thought entered his mind.

    <em>Wait a moment. Isnt this the perfect moment for</em>

    His new ss came with a Dao SkillTitan Taunt. Its description said nothing that its name didnt. It was a taunting skill. Therefore, this was a fitting moment to use it.

    Jack willed the skill to activate, letting it suck a tiny bit of his energy. The mini System core inside him guided his mind, body, and Dao to execute Titan Taunt.

    Jack felt his mouth open and heard his own voice say, Your mother is a fat pig.

    Marcus paused his attacks. Excuse me?

    No wonder your wife came to fight me first. You never draw your de for her either.

    Hearing these, the crowd froze for a moment, then erupted intoughter. Even Ley Vice was stunned. Marcus lost his words, and as for Jack himself He was actually the most surprised of all! He hadnt wanted to say these things; he just activated the skill and his mouth moved by itself!

    <em>Motherfucker! </em>he thought, fighting hard the urge to mp his own mouth. The skill of a mighty C-Grade sswas elementary school-level curses?

    <em>I have been scammed!</em>

    Before Jack could recover himself, Marcuss face darkened to the extreme. Good, very good. I thought you were a man of honor, but you are just a clown. Arent you ashamed of yourself, Jack Rust?

    Isnt your mother ashamed of you? Dont answerI know she is. She told me yesterday.

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    Jacks mouth kept running! He quickly cut the flow of energy to the skill, deactivating it, but the harm had been done. Marcus Williams red at Jack like he wanted to eat him alive, while the crowd struggled to believe what was happening. A momentter, their cheers returned amplified.

    Their big bro had a dirty mouthbut so what? This was a great show!

    Jack was panicking. <em>It cant be. There is no way my skill does just this. Sure, it seems to be working, my opponent is enraged and the crowd is excitedbute on! This is just too embarrassing! I refuse to believe a C-Grade skill is only this!</em>

    <em>There has to be some mystical Dao aspect I havent figured out yet.</em>

    Marcuss gaze was dark and stormy. He rxed his two sword fingers, slowly reaching for his handle. Since you want to die, let me fulfill your wish. Anyst words?

    Jack was torn. <em>Whatever. How much worse can it get? </em>He reactivated the skill, hoping to get some insight on the mystical principles behind it.

    His body moved by itself. His hand raised a finger, while his mouth said, Yeah. Sit on this.

    Jack wanted to die of shame. <em>Thats it. Never again. </em>He quickly deactivated the skill and lowered his hand, trying his hardest to keep his face straight. No matter how embarrassed he was, he wouldnt admit it mid-battle! He had to seem strong!

    Marcuss face split into a feral grin. So be it.

    His sword left its sheath. There was only a sharp, ringing noise. Jack saw nothing but instinctively jumped asidea crescent moon of energy swept through his previous location, slicing the air itself as it impacted a distant hill and cut it in two.

    Marcuss sword slowly returned to a neutral position. Its de waspletely dark, a stark contrast to his clothes, while the hilt was white. From afar, it looked like a white flower on a pond of darknessand the increase it offered to Marcuss battle power was wild.

    Jack didnt dare dy. He activated the Life Drop, growingrger and stronger as two new arms sprouted out below his armpits. At the same time, his perception sharpened, and his reflexes quickenedthose invisible slices wouldnt surprise him any longer.

    The crowd cheered. More people had arrived by now, streaming in from the nearby vige and beyondnews had quickly spread. This crowd grouped up far to the side of the duel, not wanting to be identally sliced in half by Marcuss energy attacks.

    Show me what you got! Jack roared, raising his fists. The crowd cheered harder. Marcus dashed. His sword swept out, a movement so fast it was barely perceptible. Jack didnt dare block it. He leaned sideways, letting the energy de fly past him, then charged himself.

    In the instant it took them to cross a hundred feet, Marcus had unleashed five attacks. They were simply iparable to before. His sword fingers had released raging streams of sharpness, but only a small part of their energy had hit Jackmost of it dissipated into the void. Wielding his sword, Marcus was like an entirely different person. Every strike contained the same amount of energy as before, but concentrated to a ridiculous extent. There was almost no leakage, which was why they were invisible and near-imperceptible. If they were only slightly more concentrated, Jack couldnt detect them and would have no choice but to be cut.

    When those tremendous streams of energy were reduced to a hair-thin line, their slicing power could be imagined.

    The two fighters reached each other. Marcus shed down. Jack bellowed as he nted a foot into the ground, throwing a powerful straight punch at the iing sword. He galvanized his Dao, pushing it into his knuckles to enhance their durability.

    Punch met de. A ribbon of blood flew outJacks hand had been sliced to the wrist, revealing a gruesome spectacle. The audience gasped, but Jack was relentless. This was eptable. Hed sacrificed a fist to block the strikethat left him three more. As they shot out, surrounding Marcus from all directions, the swordsmans eyes narrowed. Space parted around him like a curtain. He disappeared.

    Jack disappeared as well. The two fighters blinked into existence to sh and disappeared again, swimming through space. Their forms blurred, their movements so fast they left afterimages. Every impact was a resounding explosion. Their battle shook the void, and the ground below their feet was half-sliced and half-cratered. Sword and fist energies washed over their surroundings, forcing the crowd to back off again.

    Marcus had contained his Dao into his de, no longer sending out energy slices to avoid harming the onlookers. As a result, his ck de had turned even darker, pulling in the gaze of anyone looking. Every strike was deadly.

    Jack was fighting him equally. Every time they shed, he either dodged the de or met it with his knuckles. The shattered hand regenerated quickly. At the same time, his other three fists looked to strike Marcus, forcing him to fight in a bee-like manner.

    Jack specialized in strength and durability, not speed. In truth, while their battle seemed chaotic to most onlookers, Marcus was moving and teleporting twice as much as Jack. Jack mostly remained in ce, defending against Marcuss attacks and trying to catch him. His punches were destructiveif even onended, the battle was over.

    Actually, in this battle, the one pressured was Marcus. He was walking a fine line, using extreme skill to remain in the game. Jack couldnt help but admire him; he was certainly a bright swordsman, the master of a generation.

    Due to the gap in their cultivations, Jack had to admit that his Dao was inferior. Marcus had more and stronger energy and was better at controlling it. However, Jack had an extremely powerful body that could make up for his Dao deficiency.

    He was titanic.

    The battle heated up. The crowd could only see shes, Jacks and Marcuss bodies appearing at random spots and disappearing again. The space of their battlefield had turned into a sieve, and the ground below them was finely carved up.

    After a thousand exchanges, no winner had appeared. However, Jack wasnt spending too much energymost of it came in the form of regeneration, generously provided by the Life Drop. In contrast, Marcus was teleporting all over the ce and dancing on the razors edge.

    Finally, Marcus realized he would be the one to reach exhaustion first. He gritted his teeth, reappearing stably to re at Jack.

    You have skill! he eximed. However, I refuse to lose to someone five fruits below me! Receive my strongest attackif you can block it, I will admit defeat!

    This was clearly taunting. Jack only sneered, not replying. He had the upper handhe would block or dodge as he saw fit.

    Marcus raised his de. A colossal amount of energy was sucked in from its surroundings, like the sword was a bottomless whirlpool. The Dao in a radius of several miles was disturbed, flying over to enter Marcuss deits edge became even darker than before, like nothing could escape it, not even light.

    The power of thising strike was evident. Jack had no illusions of blocking it.

    Finally, the de reached saturation. Hints of darkness escaped it, like ck ribbons tied to the sword, dancing wildly in the angry winds. Contrasted with Marcuss white clothes and loosely floating hair, he resembled an angry god.

    Taste my de! he roared, struggling to control his own move. Certain Death!

    A gutsy name.

    His sword came down. Jack stared at it until Marcus teleported, appearing behind him toplete his swing.

    ck energy washed over the world. Marcus and Jack were shrouded in darkness that blocked even Dao perception, leaving the audience wondering what had happened. No further sounds came. No shes, no energy shockwaves. In the darkness, one of the two fought no longer.

    The darkness cleared. The audience craned their heads to look, finally making out two warriors with their bodies intertwined.

    Heavens! Osmu Sosmu cried out. Is he holding the de!?

    No, Dorman replied in an incredulous voice. Hes pinching it.

    The darkness dissipated fully. The scene that was revealed etched itself deep into the hearts of everyone watching, ensuring they would never forget it.

    Marcuss sword was stopped mid-swing, only half a foot from his opponents face. Jacks four hands were holding it in ce. His fingers had grabbed the sword not by the edge, but by the t part.

    Relief yed on Jacks eyes. In truth, this was ast-minute inspiration. It could have gone horriblybut, luckily, his estimations were correct.

    Jack possessed extraordinary stats. His titles were far wealthier than Marcuss. He also had six hundred extra points in Physical due to his previous tempering, and his body was further augmented by the four-armed battle form. Moreover, Marcus specialized in Dexterity, not strength. Even including the extra levels he had over Jack, Jacks strength was far superior to Marcuss.

    He could have never caught the de if not for this being Marcuss all-out strike, which also made it more predictable and a little slower than his other attacks. At the same time, all the energy of this strike was condensed on the very edge of the de, which made it the only truly dangerous spot.

    All these factors hadbined in Jack essentially catching Marcuss de.

    The swordsman looked like hed lost his soul. His eyes were askance, and his jaw was trembling. He hadnt moved a muscle. To a swordsman, there was no greater shame than this.

    Moreover, even if he did want to recover his sword, he couldnt. Jack was far too strong. Marcus was essentially disarmed.

    Had enough? Jack rumbled, his gaze piercing into his opponents.

    Marcus clenched his jaw. He refused to let go of his sword, but no matter how unwilling he was, the result was clear. Fighting himself every step of the way, he opened his mouth and muttered, I admit defeat

    The crowd erupted in cheers.

 Chapter 354: Hidden Realm

    Chapter 354: Hidden Realm

    I admit defeat

    As soon as Marcuss words rang out, the crowd erupted into chaotic cheers. The entire Cathedral shook from their voices.

    What a battle! Osmu Sosmu shouted, waving his fist in the air. Go Jack!

    Go Jack! others echoed. Compared to this, Jacks previous duel against Don Cranxiao was nothing!

    Jack let go of Marcuss sword, ever mindful of a surprise attack. But it wasnting. Marcus sighed deeply, sheathing his sword and walking away.

    You owe me fifty stones, Jack reminded him.

    I dont have them. Heres eighteenyou can pick up my monthly wage for the next seven months.

    Marcus swiped his hand in the void, summoning a small bag out of nowhere. He tossed it over. Jack grabbed it, but his eyes remained on Marcuss hand. How did you do that? he asked.

    Do what?

    Pull the bag out of space.

    Marcuss eyes were colored with surprise, which soon turned to self-pity. He shook his head. Its a space ring, he exined. The Treasure Hall will give you one; just ask.

    Jack nodded. Alright. Thanks.

    Marcus didnt reply. He ignored the crowd and walked away. His sword had been grabbedthis was a massive insult to any swordsman. He needed to meditate on what happened as soon as possible and try to clear his thoughts. If something went wrong and he lost faith in his de, he might never be able to progress again.

    But, that was the price ofpetition: you could lose.

    Jack watched Marcus William walk away, followed by a silent Ley Vice. He wasnt a senseless killerCranxiao had gotten what he deserved, but Marcus wasnt as bad. At least, not to the degree where Jack would murder him after surrendering.

    Marcuss evil deeds came from a twisted exaggeration of might makes right. And, well, Jack had insulted him pretty heavily in the pastsending Cranxiao after him wasntpletely unjustified.

    With that, Jack put Marcus and Ley Vice away from his thoughts to turn around. The crowd of bros surged forward, almost rolling over him in congrattions. Their voices blurred togetherJack was overwhelmed in a positive way.

    Thank you, everyone, he replied, raising his hands. The four-armed form had receded by now, leaving him exhausted but in good health. Even his robes remained pristine, with only a few cuts at the hems. Hed met most of Marcuss attacks with his fists.

    That was awesome! Osmu Sosmu eximed. You caught the sword of someone ranked in the two hundreds! How strong are you now? Could you rank in the top one hundred!?

    To these low-rankers, the top one hundred was a legendary realm. Everyone there was a master amongst masters. Even reaching nine fruits didnt guarantee youd be able to enter.

    The only reason Osmu spoke so freely was that Jack already defiedmon sense, so defying it even further meant nothing.

    Jackughed. Catching his sword was the result of many things. Im not that much strongerif Marcus can rank at 281, I should be around 250 or so.

    The crowd looked at each other. A one-fruit C-Grade ranking at 250 Were they dreaming?

    In the past, some of them couldnt help but envy Jacks Life Artifact, which was a significant factor of his current strength. At this point, however, they had to admit that even with all the luck in the world, they could never match Jacks achievements. Many people had Life Artifacts in the past, but this was simply unprecedented.

    You really are worthy of being our big bro, Osmu Sosmu concluded, shaking his head.

    Seeing everyones dispirited gazes, Jack smiled at them. Dont give up. As long as I am here, there will never be a second Don Cranxiao. We can band together as a fist and make sure we all have the opportunity to rise. Isnt that right, Brock?

    Brock raised his head. Yes.

    The crowd cheered again. By now, these fallen geniuses were thoroughly convinced; they had forgotten their previous arrogance and genuinely acted as Jacks little bros.

    What now, big bro? Osmu asked.

    I will visit my home. I wont stay long, but there are some things I need to do. As for all of you Brock, will you join me?

    Brock shook his head.

    Are you sure? I know you want to cultivate, but seeing your family and friends is important as well.

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    I know. But I too weak. If I return, I return with my power. I must deserve it.

    Brock was currently registered as Jacks spiritualpanion, not a disciple. He didnt need to reach the top eight hundred ranking to use the teleporter. However, that was the easy way. His bros were all suffering the Cathedrals constraints. If he didnt share their shackles, how could he call himself their second big bro?

    I be disciple too, Brock dered calmly. When I reach good rank, I leave. Not before.

    Alright. I believe in you. Any help you need, I will provide.

    Brock nodded. Between bros, there was no need to be modest. Gathering up the Dao stones he needed to break through would just be a waste of time and youthful potential. It was better to borrow from Jack and return themter.

    Of course, while everyone here was a bro, not everyone could get this treatment. There just werent enough Dao stones to go around. Brock was special.

    Hearing Jacks assurance, Dormans eyes zed with fervor. However, he said nothing. He was already receiving kindnessasking for more would just be ungrateful.

    As for Jacks thoughts on that matter, he kept them tightly hidden. He cleared his throat. Now, you will excuse me, everyone. I have a family to return to.

    There were still many benefits to reap in the Cathedral. He had to visit the Dao Chamber and test out the so-called Fallen Genius Mirror. He also needed to see how high he could go in the Heavy Pagoda, as well as attempt the Ceaseless Murder Globe again to discover his current ranking and any new benefits he would unlock.

    However, he wasnt in a hurry. He had the sense that, when he got started, he wouldn''t want to stop. It was better to take a trip to Earth now so he didnt have to interrupt himselfter.

    Plus, he missed his kids.

    The bros dispersed. Dorman stayed in Jacks cabin to cultivate, while Jack and Brock walked to the nearest teleporter. It was the same one theyd arrived at; a ring of twelve white columns spearing up from the ck stone ground, while a slim-looking Envoy sat cross-legged to the side.

    The first time Jack saw this man, he had been overwhelmed. He still was. Hed met a few Envoys so far, but this ascetic-looking man was leagues above the rest. His aura was like a sun condensed into a human body.

    Perhaps guarding the teleporter was not as simple as Jack imagined.

    As soon as he approached, the Envoy opened his eyes. A bright light shed through them. Destination?

    Milky Way gxy, Earth, Jack replied, stepping into the teleporter. The Envoy nodded. There was no visible control panel, but Jack sensed the space around him squirm as the teleporter slowly hummed to life.

    See you soon, Brock, he said. I believe in you.

    Have fun. When you return, I will be peak strong.

    Jack smiled. Good.

    Space ruptured. Jack was sucked inside, instantly flung towards the distant Milky Way gxy at a billion times the speed of light.

    Brock nodded at the ascetic. Thanks, senior bro, he said, then walked away. It was time to make some waves.

    ***

    The universe was gigantic beyond belief. The System only covered a tiny corner, but this corner remainedrge enough to amodate the trillions of cultivators while also hiding all sorts of secrets.

    In a distant gxy at the edges of System space, a small starship shuttled through. It was red and covered in rust; it had existed for a very long time already. Inside it were three elderly cultivatorsone man and two women.

    However, they werent too strong. The man was at the middle D-Grade, and the women were even weaker, at the early D-Grade. They were approaching the end of their lives and had few descendantstherefore, they had decided to leave System space and spend their remaining days as gods on an un-Integrated.

    To that end, they had sold everything they owned and bought a space-warping starship.

    The three of them were cruising through the fringes of the somewhat newly-integrated Heaven Egg gxy, where the System wasnt expected to arrive for another ten thousand years. However, as they were morosely crossing the dark void, their eyes snapped open, and the starship came to a sudden halt.

    One of the women opened her mouth. Is that

    A rainbow-colored light shone in the distance. It wasnt too far awayas their starship teleported once more, they reached it.

    Arge, oval shape was revealed before them. It was two-dimensional, like a portal floating in space, and its surface was covered by swimming rainbow lights, preventing anyone from peeking through. Even Dao perception disappeared as it fell into the portal.

    The three old people exited the starship, hovering before the oval with disbelief in their eyes. From here, they could feel the intense waves of Dao energy spreading out of the portal and into the universe.

    Heavens, the man whispered. A hidden realm Suddenly, his eyes shed with joy. We hit the jackpot!

    The women also revealed bright smiles. This was really a massive wealth that fell into theirps.

    The universe contained many secrets. Hidden realms were one of them. These people werent clear on how such a ce formed or what it contained, but they knew that the major factions offered tremendous bounties for such discoveries. With that kind of wealth, they wouldnt need to leave System spacethey could y gods at any low-level of their choosing!

    What if we entered the realm? a woman said, her eyes shing. Perhaps we could find a chance to reach the C-Grade!

    Dont be blinded by greed, the man replied with a snort. Given our age, progressing is almost impossible. Even if there was a great enough opportunity inside the realm, riches are always apanied by dangerwith our strength, we could never im it.

    Then, what should we do?

    Inform the factions, of course! The bounties they offer are extremely generous!

    The women looked at each other and nodded. But, which faction should we go to? one of them asked.

    The man smiled widely. All of them!

    This man happened to have some connectionshe wouldnt only sell this information to the A-Grade faction of his gxy, which would ry it to the Hand of God, but he would also sell it to the ck Hole Church.

    What was better than one bounty? Two bounties!

    As for what therge factions would do about the hidden realmhe naturally didnt care. Those high-level struggles were far beyond his understanding.

    What are you waiting for? Lets go! he shouted, suddenly seeming five millennia younger. The universe smiled at us today. If we arete and someone else reports this ce first, that will really be a shame!

 Chapter 355: Visiting Home

    Chapter 355: Visiting Home

    Jack! Vivi was a blur as she rushed into Jacks arms, embracing him tightly. Heughed, easily enduring her tackle. I missed you she muttered.

    I missed you too, he replied. Im d I came back.

    And youre so strong, too! Did you reach the C-Grade?

    He nodded. Not just that. I discovered another way to use the Life Dropbut Ill tell you everythingter.

    The professor, who was also present and had already greeted Jack, was lost in thought. Reaching the C-Grade is tremendous, she muttered. Our member cap has been increased by ten times, and so many new functions were unlocked I will need to review everything again!

    Though she said that, her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. She looked forward to it.

    And how have you guys been doing? Jack asked, gently cing his hands on top of the babies heads. They were six months old by now and had grown a bit since hest saw them. They had even started crawling!

    Ebele, the girl of the twins, wore a pink cap and stared at him with wide, intelligent eyes. Eric wore a blue cap and was chewing on his foot, only remembering Jack when his hand touched the babys head.

    Heughed and picked them both up, admiring the life he had created. Contrasted against the dark, lonely days of cultivation on the Cathedral, his family was a breath of fresh air, a reminder that there was more to this world than cultivation. However, this didnt affect his resolve in the slightestit got even stronger. If he wasnt powerful, these babies wouldnt exist.

    Of course, Jack had fully restrained his aura, resembling amon mortal. That didnt mean his perception was any less. Stretching it out, he could easily sense the entire Forest of the Strong and the area around it, even crossing several mountain peaks and reaching the nearby town. If he wanted to, he could read the license te of every car in Valville.

    At the same time, now that hed left the Cathedrals thousandfold gravity and suppression of energy, he felt like a god. That was no exaggeration. The space here was so fragile he could break it with a flick, the ground was soft, and the gravity was so weak he was a thousand times stronger than on the Cathedral. All the Dao within his range of perception was his to wield. He could annihte Valville with a thought. His every casual punch would carry the power of a high-magnitude nuclear bomb.

    A long time ago, Nauja had told him that C-Grades had the power to crush continents. It had seemed exaggerated then, but he fully epted it now. With histe C-Grade power, demolishing the entire American continent would take less than an hour. He could destroy every continent on the in the time that corresponded to a normal persons workday.

    Of course, that was only razing the surface of these continents. If he wanted to really destroy them, it would take much longer. As for cracking open the itself, that was simply impossible.

    Though, maybe, in a few Dao Fruits

    His thoughts snapped back from his near-omnipotence to gently cradling the babies in his arms. He smiled brightly at them, watching their little mouths hang. Come on! he said. Lets y with daddy!

    ***

    A few hourster, Jack had taken his family and friends on a stroll through space. They were orbiting the Earth, watching its majesty from above and observing the wholly new astral field around them.

    Astronomers have gone crazy, the professor said, her eyes wide in wonder. Theyre mapping out the terrain around us, but they still havent figured out just where we are. Not a single star is recognizable. Your religious friends must have taken us half-way across the gxy.

    Jackughed. I dont know if I would call the ck Hole Church religious. When you know that your God exists, doesnt religion lose its point?

    No. Its the exact opposite.

    He considered it. In any case, he said, they have certainly transported us far away from System space. It only upied one tenth of the gxy to begin with; if I had to guess, it would take at least tens of thousands of years to reach us. By then, Earth will have grown enough to defend itselfand I will have the power to single-handedly rule the gxy.

    Will you really? the professor asked.

    I can already match the strongest C-Grades. As soon as I reach the B-Grade, I am confident that very few people in this gxy will be my matchand B-Grades can live for a hundred thousand years, so Ill be around for Eric, my boy, close your mouth. Youre dripping.

    He reached into his embrace and gently closed the mouth of Eric, who waspletely lost in watching Earth spin below him. Of course, that wasnt a sign of low intelligenceit was perfectly normal behavior for a baby. On the other hand, Ebele was scanning the with wide eyes as if trying to see through its secrets.

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    Jack suspected that his girl had a bright future ahead of her. His chest swelled with pride.

    Of course, he was the one protecting everyone here from the void of space. With his powers, maintaining a bubble of air and pleasant temperature was childs y. He felt even more wizard-y than Edgar, who was also present, his eyes shut. The moment hed seen Earth from above, his Dao of Magic had resonated with the majesty of this sight, and hed instantly gone into meditation. Harambe and Aya, Brocks parents, were also here and equally breathtaken.

    Vivi sat by the side, enjoying the view. The only one not lost in wonder was Jacks mother, the professor.

    By the way, Jack told her, his voice turning slightly serious, I have something for you.

    Oh? What is it?

    Letting the babies float in mid-air, Jack reached into his robes and removed a small sack. He passed it over. These are ten life stones and fifteen Dao stones, he said. The life stones are healing mechanisms. Anyone can use them; as long as they are under the D-Grade, any injuries on their body will be immediately andpletely healed. Even immortals will enjoy great benefits. As for the Dao stones, they can be used for cultivation, breakthroughs, or operating high-level magic formations. Their effect is equally exaggerated. I leave these in your careI dont know how long it will be before I return, so distribute them as you see fit.

    He had already given three Dao stones and three life stones to Vivione of each for her and the babies.

    The professors eyes widened. These are too precious! she said. I cant possibly ept them.

    I will not miss them, Jack replied. I have more at the Cathedral, and I suspect that my rate of acquiring them will only speed up in the future.

    Still, thebined value of all these cannot be nothing! Why give it to us? We dont need such high-level resources. You can find much better uses for them.

    Their effect on my cultivation would be small. I want Earth to have them. Not only because youre close to me, but because I took control of the and moved it all the way out here. If I dont help Earth a little now, I wont be too good a ruler, will I? He smiled. I n to raise Earth alongside me. I would like to see the Bare Fist Brotherhood teeming with D-Grades, rising to the level of a proper C-Grade faction in the future, or even higher. These Dao stones are just the beginningas I grow stronger, I will bring more and better resources. Earth is my homeI want to watch it grow.

    The professors eyes moistened. Her son was saying such grand words, and they were absolutely true.

    Thank you, Jack, she replied, putting away the stones and hugging him. I will handle them well, I promise.

    Jack nodded.

    Neither of them spoke out the obvious. Jacks life was exceedingly dangerous right now; if anything happened to him, Earth would be left defenseless and stranded in space. That was part of the reason why he gave out these stones now.

    ***

    The days passed one at a time. Jack didnt n to stay here for a month, but it wouldnt be a week, either. Cultivation was a long road. Just histest breakthrough had taken two months, and his meditation sessions were getting longer and longer. It wasnt strange for a C-Grade to meditate for months at a time. Therefore, he couldnt pop in constantly, as that would hinder his cultivation.

    In other words, times like this were rare.

    Jack enjoyed his days, apanying Vivi and the babies. They toured the Earth together, seeing all sorts ofndscapes and wonders. Under Jacks protection, even dangerous areas were essible. They visited the inside of an active volcano, where Ebele and Eric got avamp made from actualvavery carefully made by Jack. It wouldnt break for a hundred years.

    They also visited the dark ocean depths. Jack created a wide radius of light, and Eric swam alongside a giant squid while Ebele studied an anglerfish. They even entered the D-Grade dungeon at the depths of the Marianna Trench and met its boss, the kraken. Brock had visited the ce in the past and almost cleaned it out, with only the kraken escapingfighting at this depth wasnt easy.

    All the while, Jack was filled with familial love. He never knew his heart could be so tenderthe hands which recklessly killed his enemies were now gentle and soft. Vivi was always at his side, her lips rising as she saw her man ying with their children, and the budding love between the two grew even brighter.

    After traveling for a week, they returned to their home and spent another week there, apanied by family and friends. Dordok visited them often, as did Edgar and Sparmanthough Gan Salin and Nauja had left the to explore the gxy. As for Vlossana, the Saphira girl that had fought Edgar in the final war, she remained unwilling to meet Jack.

    Like this, two weeks had passed since Jack arrived at Earth. His umted pain had been washed away by lovehe felt ready to chase the peak of cultivation again, though he didnt want to leave.

    But he knew he had to. Strength was the only way to protect his familyhe refused to leave things to chance.

    I will miss you, Vivi said, hugging him tightly.

    So will I he whispered back. Take care of the kids, okay?

    He then reached down to hug both of his children. Their little hands tried to grasp himthey didnt realize he was leaving, but they sensed his sadness and wanted tofort him.

    Ill be back as soon as possible, he promised, patting their heads again. I love you all.

    Ebele opened her mouth. For a moment, Jack thought she would respond, but only baby noises came out.

    His heart felt heavy. He wouldnt be present for his childrens first wordsbut that was the price of cultivation. His love was present through the safety they enjoyed.

    Grow well, he said, hugging all three of them again. He then stepped towards therge teleporterhed already said his goodbyes to everyone else.

    Vivi waved at him, holding back her tears. He waved back. Then, the teleporter shed to life, and Jack tore through space at a billion times the speed of light. His organs shook like they wanted to jump out of his body, but he could easily handle this pressure.

    He stared at the little blue dot that quickly disappeared. Then, he turned his gaze forward, into the darkness. His heart hardened again. This was his life, his battle. Piercing through the empty void. Bing strong.

    His chin was raised as he cruised through the cosmos, heading back to the cradle of strength that was called the Cathedral.

 Chapter 356: Brocking

    Chapter 356: Brocking

    Brock strolled through the Cathedral. From the dark and lonely ce it had been three months ago, it remained dark, but now he had his bros. Like always, brohood permeated the hearts of people, and the good ones stood out.

    It made him proud of his Big Thought.

    Now, it was time for Brock to share his bros burdens. With solid steps, he approached the Kill Kill Ball and spoke to the Envoy in charge. Hey.

    The Envoythe same red-skinned, frog-eyed, four-fingered fellow as beforecracked an eye open. Can I help you?

    I want to enter the Kill Kill Ball and be disciple.

    The Envoy hesitated. That is not how it works, he finally replied. Only disciples can enter the Globe.

    Then, how do I be disciple?

    You need an Envoys rmendation.

    Are you not an Envoy?

    The Envoy was conflicted. On one hand, he did want to foster good rtions with Jack Rust. On the other, he wouldnt go as far as breaking the rules to let a monkey fumble around in the priceless Globe.

    Why do you want to enter the Globe? he finally asked.

    Prove my strength.

    The very first opponent is an early C-Grade. While it is particrly weak, it is not an enemy you can defeat.

    I believe I can.

    Facing Brocks resolve, the Envoy actually felt a bit helpless. Before speaking, however, he took a deeper look at Brock; he hadnt done so already because he assumed Brock was only Jacks spiritualpanion with limited battle power.

    The moment he looked deeper, he was surprised. Brocks foundation was solid, and the Dao that rolled off his body was neat and disciplined. It wasnt at the level where it could threaten a C-Grade, but there was an undercurrent to it, a mysterious property that the Envoy couldnt identify. It felt like an utility Dao, yet not quite.

    <em>Could the monkey have some strength? </em>the Envoy asked himself. He would have discarded this notion if it was anyone else, but this particr monkey was connected to Jack Rust. How normal could it be?

    Taking a step back, even if the monkey failed to defeat the first opponent, it shouldn''t lose too abruptly. The Globe would protect it from major injuries. Then, when Jack returned, the Envoy letting the monkey enter could be considered as doing a favor to Jack.

    As for the rules Well, they never were a major issue.

    Do you have Dao stones? he finally asked.

    Brock shook his head.

    Hmm. Well, one stone is not much. How about this: I will provide the Dao stone needed to start the Globe. If you can defeat even the first opponent, then I will use my authority to directly register you as an outer disciple. However, if you lose, then Jack Rust will have to reimburse me for my stone. What do you think?

    Brock didnt need to consider it. Sure, he replied. He was not certain he could win, but he had good chances. Even if he lost, one Dao stone was not much to Big Bro.

    Then, you may enter.

    The Envoy took out a Dao stone and ced it in a groove of the control tforma wooden screen on a marble altar. With a rumbling sound, the door of the Globe slid upward, revealing a yawning void. Brock hefted his staff and walked in. The door mmed shut behind him, trapping him in darkness.

    Suddenly, a pir of light fell from the Globes ceiling,nding in the center of the floor. The Dao swished. A humanoid form appeared in the column of light as if formed of shiny dust. It held a sword.

    Hello, dirty bro, Brock said, drawing the Staff of Stone from his back. In truth, the staff was beginning to fall behind. It could adjust its weight to amodate the wielders strength up to a thousand points, but Brock had almost reached that thresholdthough he couldnt ess the System or count his strength in points.

    He would need to find a new weapon soonbut, for now, the loyal Staff of Stone was enough.

    The dirty bro charged. Its sword cut towards Brock at a tricky anglewhile it was the weakest of C-Grades, no C-Grade was really weak.

    Brock didnt hold back. With one hand grasping the staff, he pushed out the other and opened it outward. An ethereal book manifested on his palm; it was ck and golden-rimmed, with golden letters spelling out Bro Code on the cover. It flipped to a seemingly random page by itself, shining with golden splendor. That glow transmitted to the Staff of Stone, making it shine as well.

    You no real, Brock dered. I real. I out-bro you!

    The book erupted golden, illuminating the Globe. Letters and runes were projected all over the walls, turning into a kaleidoscope of brohood. As the runes appeared everywhere, a holy aura filled the Globe, making the air heavy and sacred. The dirty bros steps slowedits sword faltered.

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    Down! Brock shouted, mming the book shut and smashing out with his staff. de met staff. Metal met stone. An explosion resounded in the Globe, crashing shockwaves against the walls. Brock was flung back, while the dirty bro only needed to steady itself.

    However, Brock was uninjured. He could fight. And, with the support of brohood, he would not lose!

    Hended on his feet, golden light dancing around his body like ribbons. The radiance was blinding, the aura holy and majestic. The dirty bro shrank back a bit but still charged.

    Bros of the Church ce, lend me your power! Brock shouted, raising his hands in the air. Every single bro across the Cathedral felt a calling. They looked towards the Globe, sensing a trickle of their power leaving them. Some instinctively raised their hands. What is going on? they asked, rushing over. A feeling of urgency clouded their heartsthey were needed!

    Thirty streams of energy prated the Globes walls and rushed into Brocks body, increasing his brilliance to overwhelming levels. The Globe was filled with light. The dirty bro had to close its eyes, but Brock didnt; the light of brohood could never harm him, only illuminate him.

    The dirty bro kept charging, its sword shing out. Brock roared as he brought his staff down. Break for me!

    The sh was ten times stronger than before. Brocks fur flew backward, as did his golden ribbons of brohood, but he remained in ce. This time, it was the dirty bro that was flung away, instantly crashing into the far wall. The wall was unharmedthe dirty bro was injured.

    Brockughed out loud. So what if this dirty bro was strong? With powerful enough little bros, he could never lose!

    He charged, his entire being radiating light. The Staff of Stone came crashing down, carrying the weight of brohood. The ground sank. The dirty bros grip loosened, and its sword went flying as the staff carried right through and into its head.

    The dirty bro dispersed. Brock had won, but he was not finished. With the power of brohood coursing through his body, he still had much to give!

    Come! he shouted, watching two new dirty bros form in the center of the Globe. Right as they appeared, they were suppressed by the radiant aura. Brock charged them, his staff held high. Fall for me!

    ***

    Outside the Globe, twenty-something people had already gathered. Looking at each other, they realized they were all members of the newly-formed bro squad.

    Were you also called here by a strange power? Osmu Sosmu asked.

    Everyone echoed in affirmation.

    What is going on? Osmu continued, turning towards the Envoy. Excuse me, is Jack Rust inside the Globe again?

    No, the Envoy replied expressionlessly. Its his spiritualpanion, Brock.

    The eyes of the bros widened. They nced at each other, then stared at the Globe. Their second big bro was fighting? Wasnt he at the peak D-Grade? What was the strange calling theyd all experienced?

    And why were they feeling such intense excitement?

    Without knowing it, their mouths opened to shout, Go Brock!

    ***

    Inside the Globe, Brock couldnt hear them, but he sensed their support. The power he received intensified. He smashed out his staff, breaking through the magic bros elemental prison, then mentally told space, <em>Come on, bro.</em> Space parted to let him pass, and he teleported behind the mace bro, sticking the bro code in his face.

    Be out-brod!

    Bright golden light struck the mace bros head like the worlds strongest headlight. Its eyes were already closed, but this wasnt just a blinding attack; it contained Brocks will!

    Brock was not just a Physical cultivator, but also a Will one!

    The mace bros mind was filled with heavenly chimes and buff broris dressed in white. These bro angels were enjoying a heartfelt night of drinking under the stars. As they suddenly appeared in his mind, they looked at him as if he was the intruder. Theymanded him, Stop. You are out-brod.

    The mace bro tried to resist, but the righteous manliness of these broris was too much, and the mace bro itself was only a shadow of Dao. Its will was crushed. I am out-brod, it muttered, then willingly dispersed itself.

    Brockughed, charging at the one remaining dirty bro. It was a two-fruit wizard, but how could it stand against Brock by itself? The brori teleported left and right, dodging elemental attacks and space spikes as he steadily grew closer. When he reached within thirty feet, he could no longer teleport as the wizard had locked down space. Therefore, he charged, smashing through the space spikes the wizard sent his way and finally breaking the dirty bros head.

    As the dirty bro dissipated, Brock was left panting. He wasnt too wounded, only sporting minor injuries, but his entire body was trembling from exhaustion. His muscles were close to ripping. While he could augment himself by borrowing power from his little bros, the strain on his body and Dao was far too heavy.

    As three new dirty bros appeared, Brock shook his head and put his staff away. The radiance covering his body receded. He cupped his hands at the three new bros and said, Thanks, bros. He wasnt only referring to the present ones, but also the three hed defeated.

    The three dirty bros bowed at him and disappeared, while the entrance of the Ball slowly rose open. Brock took some time to gather his breath, then strolled out under the watchful gazes of his many bros.

    Big bro! they eximed. How was it!?

    These low-rankers didnt know what to think. Theyd never seen Brock fight. Like the Envoy, they had assumed he was a background character with limitedbat strengthbut now, he had stayed in the Globe for enough time to have broken through the first opponent.

    If he had really achieved that while at the peak D-Grade, his talent was superior to most of theirs!

    Sup, bros. Brock nodded at them, then asked the Envoy, How did I do?

    The Envoy had an odd look on his face. He shook his head, finally saying, See for yourself.

    The ranking obelisk in the distance rumbled. The names at the lower end split apart, a new one appearing in their midst.

    Rank 966 Brock!

    Brock nodded like this was only natural. All his bros, however, opened their eyes and mouths wide.

    They could ept being thoroughly surpassed by Jack. But now, they had been soundly defeated by Jacks spiritualpanion! Brock was only at the D-Gradeas soon as he reached the C-Grade, he would certainly achieve a ranking at the eight or seven hundreds, if not higher. Of the thirty bros, twenty-eight of them were below the ranking of eight hundred!

    Osmu Sosmu shook. As one of the strongest bros, he was only ranked 793th. However, at the end of the day, he could only shake his head andment his own weakness.

    Its not just Jack, he muttered. These guysare both monsters!

 Chapter 357: Dao Chamber

    Chapter 357: Dao Chamber

    Jack stepped into the Cathedral with renewed resolve. His family time had reinforced his psyche, making him ready to face the world again.

    As space stabilized around him, he found himself in the familiar teleportertwelve white columns arranged in a ring spearing up from the dark ground of the Cathedral. The same ascetic old man still guarded this ce, looking like he hadnt moved a muscle. His aura remained unfathomable.

    Thank you, Jack said respectfully, to which the Envoy did not reply.

    He walked deeper into the Cathedral, heading for the nearby vige. The thousandfold gravity was a small shock, but it didnt stop Jack from having a spring in his step. There were so many things to do.

    <em>One at a time.</em>

    Naturally, he wanted to visit his cabin, but the teleporter was close to another building: the Treasure Hall.

    When Jack defeated Marcus William, hed asked him how everyone seemed to conjure items out of thin air. Marcus had exined it was something called a space ring, and that he could get one as well.

    The Treasure Hall was a massive building. Its reinforced white walls reached a hundred feet into the air and stretched back for more than three hundred. It was the secondrgest building here after the Ceaseless Murder Globe.

    Like most ces in the Cathedral, the Treasure Hall was built with austerity. Its walls were unadorned, while its tiled roof resembled an ancient Greek temples. There were no windows, only a door thirty feet in height.

    Jack pushed it open and walked in, finding himself in a small space that reeked of practicality. Yes? said a human Envoy sitting behind a deskthe only piece of furniture in the room. His eyes scanned Jack, then he frowned. You do not have the ranking to request treasures.

    Jack was not discouraged. Hello. I was told I could get a space ring hereis that not the case?

    Did you lose yours?

    Kinda.

    The Envoy fished into a crate by the side and took out a in-looking metal ring. He tossed it over, and Jack caught it.

    There. Space ring. Enjoy.

    Uh Thanks?

    The Envoy stared at Jack like hed overstayed his wee. Jack didnt care too much. Excuse me, he asked again, are these space ringmon?

    In grade?

    In rarity. Does everybody have one?

    The Envoy raised a brow. Most C-Grades do. We offer them free of charge to any disciple who lost theirs or doesnt have one.

    I see Thank you.

    No problem.

    Jack resisted the urge to fiddle with his new toy and exited the Treasure Hall, closing the door behind him. Then, he finally took a better look.

    The spatial ring was a in metal ring. There were no carvings or insignias on itif Jack didnt know better, he would have thought it just a piece of metal. However, as soon as he focused his Dao perception on it, his world widened.

    The space ring contained its own little dimension. The space within was roughly nine by nine feet, enough to fit most things, and it felt stable. It wouldnt just copse at random.

    This was an extremely advanced application of the Dao of SpaceJack hadnt even known it was possible. Undoubtedly, this ring was a very precious itemand the Cathedral offered it free of charge.

    Major factions sure had their benefits.

    <em>But why havent I heard about these things? </em>Jack asked himself. Hed interacted with various C-Grades in the pastMaster Huali, theary overseer, the Warden, all the C-Grades who came to watch his Grand Duel on Hell. He would have noticed if any of them pulled things out of thin air.

    <em>My gxy isnt connected with the wider universe yet. Maybe they dont have ess to the market for space rings.</em>

    In any case, the important part was that Jack would no longer have to carry all sorts of items in his pockets. It could get quite ridiculous at times, not to mention inconvenienthe still remembered how, back in Trial, hed cut a hole in his pants to make a secret pocket.

    He experimented a bit. Retrieving a life stone from an inner pocket of his robes, he brought it close to the ring and waited. When nothing happened, he pushed the life stone onto the ring until they touched. Still nothing.

    <em>That cant be right.</em>

    He tried a different approach. He used his perception to probe the ring, sensing the world inside, and then just sort of <em>willed </em>the life stone to enter. To his surprise, it did! With a light <em>whoosh</em>, space around it distorted to pull the life stone into the ring, and Jack was surprised to see it resting in a corner of the rings dimension.

    Wow, he eximed breathlessly. He then willed the stone to exitand it did! He didnt have to enter the dimension himself to search for it, just swipe his hand over the ring. It wasnt even necessary to locate the object. As long as he knew it was inside, he could use his will to instantly pull it out.

    The hell? he muttered. Can it read my mind?

    That wasnt too nice. Jack sat cross-legged against the wall of the Treasure Hall and sank his mind into the ring, inspecting it with great care. Finally, he made out faint inscriptions on its inner side; there were thousands of tiny symbols tightly clustered together. None of them was part of anguage, as far as Jack knew, but the depth and direction of each line guided the Dao to flow in a certain pattern, achieving a result as impressive as the existence of an inner dimension. They formed a stable system that maintained a bubble of warped space regardless of the rings surroundings.

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    And that wasnt even the end of it. If Jack wasnt wrong, there were even symbols that registered the itemsing in and acted as connectors, allowing Jacks will to directly interact with them. In this way, any D-Grade cultivator and above could freely use the ring even without any attainments in the Dao of Space.

    When Jack opened his eyes again, he was bewildered. The intricacy of such an object was beyond his imagination. He couldnt even begin toprehend the principles behind it, let alone carve one himself. Even scrutinizing those myriad symbols was stretching his perceptionthey were too tiny.

    And this thing was just casually tossed at him?

    Maddening. The wealth of the Church was just unfathomable.

    <em>Then again, if most C-Grades in the universe have one, maybe theyre not as valuable as I believe. Can they be mass-produced?</em>

    Thinking to here, Jack shook his head and stood up. Space rings were above his pay grade. For now, he would just enjoy the convenience. Passing all the items on his body into the ringhis credit card, his Cathedral identification token, and the bag containing ten life stoneshe was ready to embark towards his next destination.

    But which one?

    His cabin was always there, as he wanted to greet Brock, but he wasnt in a rush. The variousmon buildings of the Cathedral were all in the same areaif he wanted to visit the Ceaseless Murder Globe, the Heavy Pagoda, or the Dao Chamber, to which hed recently gotten ess, going now was the best choice.

    Hed have to go to the Ceaseless Murder Globe soon to attain his new ranking and all the benefits that came with it. However, it could also wait. The Globe wouldnt go anywhere.

    <em>Dao Chamber it is, </em>he decided, unwilling to suppress his curiosity. <em>Butwhere is it?</em>

    He had no idea.

    Excuse me, Jack said again, his head peeking through the Treasure Halls ajar doors, could you show me the way to the Dao Chamber?

    The Envoy inside looked annoyed. That way.

    Thank you, Jack replied, closing the door again. He then started walking.

    The Dao Chamber was not as close as he thought it would be. Twenty minutes of walkingter, Jack arrived at a short but expansive building. Its door reached to the ceiling, barely nine feet off the ground, but the walls themselves stretched for a hundred feet in the distance.

    The interior was mostly empty. Doors surrounded it on all sides, each painted a different color, while thin columns intermittently supported the low ceiling. An Envoy with a slimy body and eight tentacles sat at a desk in the middle of therge room, with its back against a column. There were also three cultivators meditating in random spots.

    Hello, Jack said in a low voice, careful not to disturb those meditating. Is this the Dao Chamber?

    <em>It is, </em>the octopuss voice reached his mind. It was sweet and tranqu womans.

    Jack felt like an idiot. Hed grown so used to echoing his voice through the void that he forgot he couldmunicate telepathically. <em>Great! Im Jack Rust, ranked 675th. Im new here; could you exin what this Dao Chamber is about?</em>

    The octopus looked at him for a moment, her tentacles wiggling slightly. Finally, she replied.

    <em>I can. The Dao Chamber is a ce dedicated to enhancing the disciples understanding into the Dao. We offer a variety of high-grade Dao Visions you can rent for one Dao stone per week. Moreover, each of the doors around us leads to a miniature dimension filled with the essence of a particr Dao. We have all the basic elements, along with Space, Time, Life, Death, and Mortality. Additionally, we possess some artifacts that can assist in furthering your own Dao; with your ranking, you can ess the Fallen Genius Mirror.</em>

    Jacks eyes shone. The many doors surrounding this empty space were all differently colored, and each emanated a special aura: the red door felt like fire, the cyan door wind, the deep blue door emanated the aura of water, and so forth. He could also make out earth, lightning, wood, and metal. Finally, there were the five doors representing the other concepts the Envoy had mentioned.

    Of those, the first four were easy to understand. But thest one

    <em>What is Mortality? </em>he asked.

    <em>Our Dao Chamber mostly contains physical Daos. They are the easiest to iste and reproduce. However, many disciples pursue Daos rted to emotions, thoughts, or mind states. To amodate those as well, we have created the Dao Space of Mortality.</em>

    Jack nodded. His own Dao of the Fist was mostly rted to the heart. It was about being free, unstoppable,ughing in the face ofbat and death. While it technically belonged to the Dao of Life, it was more oriented towards human nature.

    Or, to be precise, the Dao of the Fist belonged to the Dao of Life. <em>His </em>Dao of the Fist was both about Life and human nature. Of the Daos present, Mortality would probably suit him best.

    <em>Is it free to enter a room? </em>Jack asked.

    <em>Each of these rooms can only amodate one person at a time. Therefore, there is a price to rent them, and that price is determined by the amount of people interested in each room. That way, everyone gets their turn.</em>

    <em>I see. And what do those prices look like?</em>

    <em>Right now, they range from one to five Dao stones per day.</em>

    Jack grimaced. That was a steep price. <em>What about the Dao of Mortality?</em>

    <em>It is one of our most sought-after rooms. Its price is at four Dao stones a day, and there is usually a waiting period of several days.</em>

    <em>What about the Dao of Life? Or the Dao of Space? </em>Jack asked. The Dao of Space was one hed touched upon a little, using it to teleport and as the inspiration for some of his skills, while the Dao of Life was closely rted to his Life Drop.

    <em>Space is priced at three Dao stones per day. However, Life is our most expensive roomit goes for five stones a day.</em>

    Jack shook his head. Hed thought that finding fifteen or twenty stones to break through had been a lot, but now, he realized it was just change. High-ranking cultivators spent in spades.

    <em>Then again, there are a thousand outer disciples and only twelve rooms. High demand is only natural.</em>

    Jack didnt expect the Dao Chamber to be so expensive. Currently, he carried zero stones on himhed given everything he had to the professor. If he knew the prices would be so high, perhaps he would have kept some more.

    Then again, his monthly stiption was three stones, and it would certainly rise once he visited the Globe and updated his ranking. Coupled with the thirty-two stones Marcus still owed him, he wasnt poor.

    <em>And lets not forget about Jacks Life Stones, the uing hotmodity of the Cathedral, </em>he thought, his lips curving in a money-making grin.

    If he came this far only to be defeated by capitalism, it would just be a joke!

    The octopus Envoy must have suspected he had no stones. <em>The Fallen Genius Mirror, however, is free to use.</em>

    Jacks eyes shone. <em>Really? Howe?</em>

    <em>Most people only use it once or twice, so there is little demand. Moreover, it is an artifact that depends on the users energy, so there are no operating costs. We do not wish to take advantage of our disciples; all our prices are at cost.</em>

    <em>Alright! Fallen Genius Mirror, you say Lets test it out.</em>

 Chapter 358: Fallen Genius Mirror

    Chapter 358: Fallen Genius Mirror

    The octopus Envoy led Jack to the back of the Dao Chamber, to one of two normal-looking steel doors. They didnt lead to Dao rooms, like most other doors here, but just to a different part of the building. Her tentacle turned the knob, revealing a wide but short room.

    <em>The Fallen Genius Mirror, </em>she said, letting Jack through.

    Arge mirror covered the back wall. It was twelve feet wide but only six feet tall, as if several people were meant to look at themselves here. Besides the two of them and the mirror, the room was empty.

    <em>What is it? </em>Jack asked.

    <em>Better experienced than exined. Just know that this mirror is a precious artifact of the Cathedral; it is meant to show cultivators the breadth of the world, as well as help them find a path to sess.</em>

    Jack approached the mirror, observing his crystal-clear reflection. He could use a shaveand a hair-cut. <em>Do I just ce my hand on it?</em>

    <em>Precisely. As soon as you touch the mirror, your mind will be presented with a variety of visions. The more stable your resolve and the greater your willpower, the more you will be able to benefit, and the sooner you will be done. Also, the first time using the mirror is the most effective, so I urge you to try your best.</em>

    Jack nodded. When it came to resolve and willpower, he was confident he wouldnt lose to anyone.

    <em>I will leave you now. Once I do, the door will lock, and it will only be able to open from the inside. Of course, please return as soon as you are donemore people may arrive to use the mirror.</em>

    <em>Understood. Thank you for the exnations, Envoy.</em>

    <em>The pleasure was all mine.</em>

    Dragging her slimy tentacles over the floor, the octopus Envoy slid out of the room and shut the room behind her. Jack was instantly covered in darkness. It didnt matterthanks to his Dao perception, vision was nearly obsolete.

    <em>Lets see what this is all about, </em>he thought, stretching his hand forward. His palm reached a smooth, cool surface. The mirror was pleasant to the touch.

    A tendril of consciousness extended from the mirror, seeking entry into Jacks mind. It felt invasivehad he messed up?

    In the next moment, the mirrors insistence grew extreme. All of Jacks mental defenses were demolished. His mind was swarmed by visions, and his senses were cut off. He could neither feel nor move. He waspletely alone.

    He braced himself. When nothing bad happened for a few seconds, he finally rxed.

    <em>This is why the door locks, </em>he figured. <em>In this state, I am defenseless.</em>

    The world brightened again. Jack was floating through the air, a ghost with neither form nor power. Only his senses remained. He was an observer. The world around him feltpletely realfrom smell to sight, everything was in line, like in every Dao Vision hed experienced.

    He turned his gaze downward, finding that he floated over a deste ck swamp. In the skies below him, but still above the swamp, a youth faced down three opponents. This youths dark hair was floating wildly, his robes were fluttering, and his gaze was intense like it wanted to bore into the world. His aura was staggeringthis was clearly a dragon amongst men, an elite of the world.

    The three people opposite him seemed devilish. They were three women, all sharing a single eyetheir remaining eye sockets were hollow, and their skin was dry and wrinkled as if about to tear.

    All four of these people were early D-Grades.

    The youth charged. He revealed a ming sword that could burn the heavens. The witches cackled all at once, each drawing their own weapons. As the battle began, Jack found that the two sides were equally matchedthe youth was far stronger than each witch by herself, but the three of them battled in perfect unison, shoring up each others weaknesses.

    Half a minute after the battle started, the witches shrieked. Youre forcing us! they shouted in one voice. The one holding the eye shattered it in her grip, releasing arge specter. The youth roared to the heavens, turning the mes of his swords from red to purple as he shed down.

    Specter and mes collided in a massive shockwave that uprooted several trees below. Finally, the specter narrowly came out on top, piercing through the mes and the youths chest. Blood spurted out. The proud youth fell from the heavens, smashing hard into the ground and being swiftly devoured by the specter.

    A proud elite had justfallen. It felt undeserved. Wrong.

    Before Jack could consider this further, the scenery changed. He was now over an active volcano, watching a red-haired girl battle against a muscr old man. While both of them were D-Grades, her cultivation was far inferiorshe was only an early D-Grade to histe D-Grade. The only reason she could fight him evenly was the volcano into which shed lured him, using it to amplify her fire Dao.

    This girl was clearly another heaven-shaking elite. She fought well, expertly applying her Dao to break through her opponents overwhelming force. She had all sorts of trump cards and genius maneuvers.

    However, fighting this man remained a huge gamble on her part. After a long and fierce battle, she finally made a mistake. The old man teleported behind her, sticking his hand through her guts. Jack watched the girls eyes widen in disbelief before all life left her body.

    The scenery changed again.

    From one to the next, Jack watched many battles. Some contained E-Grade cultivators, while others were between immortals. There were even the rare F- and C-Grade fighters. What they all had inmon was that at least one side of each conflict disyed a heroic youththese people used their power to go against the odds and reach for opportunities beyond their level.

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    But they almost always lost. It was natural. They were defying all oddsit would be impressive if they did win.

    Yet, somehow, Jack felt it wasnt right. These people were all extremely skilled. He expected them to prevail regardless, using the opportunities they secured to soar even higher into the cultivation world.

    Were these the fallen geniuses of the mirror?

    After a while, the pattern changed. Now, heroic youths upied both sides of each conflict, ruthlessly tearing into each other. Every battle was to the death. Blood flew. Each of these people believed that their destiny was greater than anyone elses, but in every battle, one side perished. Jack even saw some people win one battle only to lose in ater vision.

    Across the visions, the amount of dead heroes was staggering. Their corpses could form mountains of bones, seas of blood. Each of them had the potential to reach the heavens, but they all perished mid-way, dying in one of their many steps to glory. Many times, the battles that killed them werent even significantthey died to random opponents at random ces, in what felt like minor encounters of their lives.

    A deep sense of regret rose inside Jack. All these bright people, dead How cruel was the world of cultivation.

    <em>Could I have been one of them? </em>he wondered.

    How many times had hee close to death? Innumerable. Ever since the Integration, at the Forest of the Strong, almost every encounter he had was life-threatening. His survival had beenpletely against the odds, but though he knew that, hed never realized just how easy it would have been for things to go wrong.

    Knowing was one thing, but seeing was another.

    As Jack saw these geniuses fall, he imagined himself in their ce. Maybe the ck wolf of the Forest of the Strong didnt ignore him the first time they met. Maybe the rock bear had gotten the best of him. Maybe the goblin shaman had burned him to death, or maybe the very first goblin had gouged out his eyes before he could fight back. Maybe hed frozen solid in the Ice Pond, his body a sculpture for future explorers to discover.

    His exploits hade with numerous benefits, but they were usually made against the odds. If all of those risks were added together, the chances of him surviving were negligible.

    And it wasnt even that; many times, it wasnt his skill that saved him, but pure coincidence. When the Hounds of the Animal Kingdom had found him on the Trampling Ram, the only reason hed survived was because Gan Salin happened to be there and happened to have had a change of heart. If he hadnt luckily found the Life Drop in the third ring of Trial, he would have never defeated the Final Guardianhe would have never broken through to the D-Grade as quickly, and he would have failed to defeat the overseer.

    Jack didnt discount his own achievements. Hed almost always made the right calls, fought well, made good ns, and used his willpower to emerge victorious when the world was against him. He had seized opportunities that others couldnt even fathom. He had worked extremely hard and defeated everyone in his way. He had been a fist shooting ever forward.

    Even when it came to fallen geniuses, he wasnt a stranger. Hed felled many of them himself: Rufus Emberheart, Lord Longsword, Maximus Lonihor, theary overseer All sorts of illustrious characters had been bested and often killed by him. Jack had emerged victorious through every sh so far, his destiny shooting into the heavens.

    But, for every genius that triumphed, a million failed. Every genius that Jack defeated had defeated numerous others, who had defeated numerous others. It was a mountain, a pyramidand he was always a fine line away from turning into just another fallen genius, a pile of bones on another persons path. The people he saw in these visions were all near his level of talent, but they fell left and right like random nobodies. It could have easily been him.

    He stood on a huge mountain of corpses and coincidences.

    Jack was chilled to the bone. Again, while he knew all these, it was only now that their tremendous weightnded. If he wanted to continue chasing the peak of cultivation, he would keep walking the same road. He would have to defy the odds and take all sorts of risks. The mountain beneath his feet would keep growing, and he could be part of it at any moment.

    Over the course of his remaining cultivation path, the chances of him falling somewhere, anywhere, were sky-high. It was almost a certainty.

    <em>Do I want to go that way? </em>he asked himself. He thought about Vivi and their children, the professor, and all his friends on Earth. He thought about Brock, treading the exact same path as himself.

    To continue cultivating as he was, he would need to consign himself to death, which would affect all those people. Was he willing to do that? Or should he choose the safer road, cultivating peacefully until his potential eventually ran out?

    <em>No, </em>he realized. <em>I cant.</em>

    The Life Drop was in his soul. He was certain it couldnt be removed without killing him. If he fell behind the curve, the Church would never let him keep such a precious artifactthey would split him open to give it to someone more worthy.

    He was already on the road of no return. He had to reach the peak or die trying.

    However, even if he could turn back, he wouldnt. The Fist inside him was clear, and so was his own will. What was the problem with death? Even if he fell in a far-offnd, buried in the dirt as just another fallen genius, never to see his friends and family again or enjoy life, that was fine. He would never stop advancing. A life without fighting, without purpose, was an empty life.

    To him, it was a fate worse than death.

    Jack was a Fist, and a Fist he would remain. Shooting ever forward.

    Jacks mind hardened. His resolve, which had momentarily wavered, was reinforced. It didnt matter what the world threw at him. It didnt matter how difficult his path be. He would climb the mountain of corpses, endure any pain. He wasnt advancing forfort or the privilege of being a strong cultivator. He was advancing because thats what gave his life meaningit made him happier than anything before the Integration. He felt <em>alive</em>.

    No matter what happened, he would never stop.

    But now, he was more aware of the mountain of bones beneath his feet. His mind stirred. <em>Thank you, </em>he thought to all of the people who had fallen on his path. <em>I am grateful. With your sacrifice I, alone, will reach the peak of cultivation.</em>

    The mirror had kept showing Jack visions, but hed long stopped watching. Finally, as his mind was set, the visions dispersed. The mirror released him from its grasp, and Jack opened his eyes in the real world, shining with the weight of realization.

    A veil had been pulled off his eyes. His soul had matured further, and he already had many new insights to work with. The resolve hed just exhibited was relevant to his Dao of the Fist and how, through him, it manifested in the worldthe crux of the C-Grade.

    <em>This mirroris not simple, </em>he thought, giving the mirror a final nce. It remained empty, showing only his reflection, but it had actually helped him a lot. His Dao felt more stable than beforethe weight of understanding had forged his soul and pulled it closer to reality.

    Turning towards the door, Jack opened it, weing the Dao Chamber again. The octopus Envoy nced at him. <em>What happened?</em> she asked. <em>Did you change your mind? Are you not going to attempt the mirror?</em>

    <em>Im done,</em> he replied.

    <em>Already?</em>

 Chapter 359: Plowing Through

    Chapter 359: Plowing Through

    Most people stayed in the mirror for hours. Some took entire days. The reason for that was their unfamiliarity with sudden death, as well as theirck of willpower that prevented them from seeing the truth.

    Almost everyone on the Cathedral had risen through corpses, but not everyone realized it. When someone found sess, it was easy to attribute it entirely to oneself, not taking into ount their invisible advantages or all the things that could have gone wrong. It was difficult to acknowledge the great part of luck in any geniuss rise.

    However, to pursue the Dao was to pursue perfection. Such a blind spot would inevitably affect a cultivator. Therefore, the higher-ups of the Church created the Fallen Genius Mirror to absolve the C-Grades disciples of their delusions, preventing future problems.

    Inside the mirror, images of long-dead geniuses would keep repeatingor being fabricateduntil the user realized the point. The mirror would then release the cultivator. Generally speaking, the more talented a cultivator was, the stronger their delusions would be, and so the longer they would stay in the mirror.

    But Jack had only been in the room for twenty minutes. It was ridiculous. The octopus Envoy even suspected he was lying and hadnt actually used the mirrorbut the darkness in his eyes was hard to ignore.

    <em>Only twenty minutes </em>she thought, shivering. <em>Hes so extremely talented How can he be in touch with his mortality? How can he understand the woes of the weak? How can he embrace death and struggle so quickly?</em>

    <em>Just what has he been through!?</em>

    <em>Is there a problem? </em>Jack asked, noticing her hesitation.

    <em>No, no problem at all, </em>she quickly responded. <em>You were just faster than I expected. Thank you for using the Fallen Genius MirrorI hope your gains were significant.</em>

    Jack gave her a cool smile. That smile contained sadness and determination, like hed seen through the world. <em>You could say that.</em>

    <em>Great! Is there anything else you would like to try in our Dao Chamber? If you have any questions, dont hesitate to ask!</em>

    Envoys were on apletely different level than C-Grades. They lived in different worlds. Normally, they would be cold and distant when facing an outer disciplebut this octopus Envoy was not an idiot. She knew that Jack was extraordinarily talented, and now she could also see that his maturity and experience was far above others of his cultivation level. He had already ovee the greatest weaknesses of geniuses. If there was no ident, she was ny percent certain that Jack would reach the B-Grade, and maybe he wouldnt even stop at the early B-Grade.

    If she didnt take this chance to befriend him before he rose, her ten thousand years of life experience would have been in vain.

    <em>Thank you, Envoy, but I think Im done for now, </em>Jack replied calmly.

    <em>Alright. Take care. If you ever have questions about the Dao, feel free to look for memy name is Ashly Sherry.</em>

    <em>I see. Thank you again.</em>

    With that, Jack walked out of the Dao Chamber, leaving behind the octopus Envoy and the three meditating cultivators. Luckily, their conversation had been made telepathically. If those cultivators heard an Envoy reaching out to an outer disciple like that, who knows what they would think.

    Jack did reap great benefits from the Fallen Genius Mirror. His already steely determination had taken another step forward, and his understanding of the road of cultivation had broadened. He now understood the significance of reaching the C-Grade. Nothing had changed on the surface, but the underlying truths were much clearer.

    <em>Fallen Genius Mirror </em>he thought, smirking as he walked. <em>What a fitting name.</em>

    <em>And now, what? I still have to visit the Globe, of course. I also want to meditate on the mirrors insights and stabilize my foundation in the Heavy Pagoda. I should also let Brock know Im here and go to the disciple office to pick up my monthly wage of Dao stonesand the wage of Marcus William, which he owes me.</em>

    <em>Lets start small. Brock, then Dao stones. Then, well see.</em>

    His steps took him across the Cathedrals bleak terrain, into the familiar fourth vige. The paths were empty. Given the recent excitement of his bros, it was easy to forget that most of the Cathedrals upants preferred to cultivate in their cabins.

    Jack finally reached his cabin, knocked on the door, and entered. Dorman was meditating on the special mat, fat as ever. His eyes opened as Jack appearedhe wasnt too deep in meditation.

    Hey, he said. Youre back.

    I am. Wheres Brock?

    At his own cabin.

    His what?

    Dormanughed. Brock became an outer disciple right after you left. I dont know how he did it, but he actually surpassed me There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, but no resentment.

    Jacks eyes shone with excitement. Good! Excellent! Where is his cabin? I must congratte him!

    Its number 487, here in the same vige.

    Alright. Are youing?

    Ill cultivate a bit more. Im almost at the peak D-Grade now. And, Jack? He hesitated a moment. Thank you. For taking me in, getting rid of Cranxiao, and even letting me cultivate on your magical mat. I appreciate it. A lot.

    Jack smiled brightly. Dont mention it. Enjoy that mat, because I might be taking over soon. See you!

    Yeah. See you.

    Admiring the rare smile on Dormans face, Jack closed the door and headed for cabin 487. It wasnt difficultall cabins had a number over their door, and they were arranged in a logical manner. He arrived quickly and knocked.

    Yes? a simple voice came from the inside.

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    Its Jack.

    Big bro!

    The door swung open, revealing a brori flying at Jack. He gave Jack a manly hug, then patted him on the shoulder and said, You back. How was home?

    Jack couldnt helpughing. It was good, Brock. Everyones doing well. And I heard you became a disciple? Good job!

    Mm. I beat a dirty bro.

    Right A dirty bro, yes. I totally understand.

    Dont stand at entrance. Come. We drink and talkI have wine.

    Jack followed Brock inside, finding a cabin as spartan as his but with a massive jug sitting in a corner. The two of them sat cross-legged on the floor, chatting and drinkingthe wine had a strong fruity vor, reminding Jack of the old times on Earth.

    Jack described the situation on Earth, telling Brock all about his kids and the fun things theyd done together. He spoke about Edgars progress in building the academy, the professors exploits in bettering the, and how Brocks parents were doing great and missing himhe even said hed taken them on a stroll through space.

    Brock was overjoyed. Parents are important bros, he admitted, then detailed his own experiences: how hed made a friendly bet against the frog-like Envoy, won the first two battles of the Globe, and ended up bing an outer disciple. He had his own cabin now, along with a monthly wage of one Dao stone. The bros were all excited for him and looked forward to his future progressafter all, Brock was only at the peak D-Grade.

    Your ranking is incredible, Jack admitted. Its no worse than mine before I discovered body tempering.

    Brocks sharp gaze perceived Jacks thoughts. No fret. You experience more dangers than me; naturally, you have more opportunities. I catch up in the future.

    Im looking forward to that.

    One man and one brori chatted for many hours, finally emptying Brocks jug. Of course, wine could never affect someone like Jackhe could expel the buzz with a thought.

    <em>My little brother has grown up and is even treating me to wine now </em>he thought, feeling sentimentality rise through him. <em>Hes not so little anymore, is he? Why does it feel like yesterday that he climbed on my shoulder and threw poop at strangers? Back then, he couldnt even talk; he spoke in mime.</em>

    Once upon a time, Jack had more or less adopted baby Brock. Now, the two of them were equals, having crossed the universe together to enjoy wine at andmass orbiting a ck hole.

    What you do now, big bro? Brock asked several hourster, when the joy of their reunion died down.

    Ill stop by the registration office to pick up some Dao stones. Then, I think Ill visit the Globe to update my ranking, and finally go to the Heavy Pagoda to stabilize my foundation a bit. I didnt cultivate at all while on Earth.

    Sure. Ille with.

    By the way, how close are you to breaking through?

    My Big Thought is solid. I want some time to make sure all is okay, sofew weeks. Then, I only need stones.

    Excellent. When the timees, Ill help you find them. Even if I dont have enough on me, it will be easy to borrow from someone given my current status.

    Good. I dont want dy your progressyou help me borrow, and I pay back.

    Spoken like a true gentleman! Jack replied,ughing with a red face. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was happiness.

    The two of them stayed a little longer, talking about various things. Finally, they rose to their feet and exited the cabin. Jack dispersed the buzz of alcohol, while Brock pointed his finger at the empty sky and unleashed a golden ray of Dao; suddenly, arge, golden B appeared overhead, apanied by a loud bang that echoed across the Cathedral.

    What the hell was that? Jack asked.

    I summon bros. You doing the Ball is big thingthey want be present.

    Jackughed as he shook his head. They walked to the Ceaseless Murder Globe, meeting many bros on the way. Apparently, anyone not intensely cultivating had rushed to join.

    Big bro! Youre back! Osmu Sosmu eximed, approaching Jack and sping hands.

    Im here, Osmu. Have you been well?

    Of course! Ever since you killed Cranxiao, our days have been much more peaceful.

    Jack nodded. At the same time, however, a light bulb went on inside his head. The Fallen Genius Mirror had taught him that no true genius could rise through a smooth pathcould Cranxiao have been purposefully ced there by the ck Hole Church to stir the low-rankers growth?

    <em>Huh.</em>

    It didnt change much. He would still kill Cranxiao if ced in the same position, but it was an interesting thought.

    The entourage of bros kept growing. By the time Jack reached the Globe, over twenty people had appeared, all excitedly trying to predict Jacks new ranking. Most said a number between 280 and 270. Osmu Sosmu, ever the optimist, dared to say 260.

    The higher the ranking, therger the difference between each individual rank. Marcus William was ranked 281st, but anyone below the 250 or 200 mark could have easily defeated him. His battle against Jack had been close, so he couldnt be much stronger.

    What these people didnt know, however, was that Jacks greatest strengthy in his resilience. He was much better suited for the Ceaseless Murder Globe than Marcus.

    The same frog-like Envoy operated the Globe. He smiled and greeted Jack, congratting him on Brocks sess, then quickly opened the Globe for him. Jack had stopped by the registration office on the way here, picking up his wage of three stones along with Marcuss seven. In total, he had ten Dao stones, so paying one to activate the Globe was easy.

    Good luck, big bro! all the bros outside cheered. Jack raised his fist and walked inside the Globe, letting the entrance fall shut behind him.

    He was alone now, and ready to fight. His blood was pumping.

    The first shadow appeared. Though its cultivation level was the same as Jacks, their actual strengths were worlds apartJack only needed a casual punch to defeat it. The second and third battle were no different. Then came the nine shadows, each reced by a stronger one as soon as it died. The ceaseless murder began.

    Jack was like a fist in water. Compared tost time, this battle was far easier; he destroyed these low-level opponents the moment they appeared.

    The level of the shadows rose from two, to three, to four, then five fruits. Only now did it be slightly challenging. Jack activated the Life Drop, weaving between the many attacks and asionally getting injured. Still, the shadows kept dying, and his energy expenditure was not too great.

    Six-fruit shadows appeared. The difficulty kicked up. In the Globes limited spaceonly three hundred feet acrossdodging was easier said than done. Shockwaves were everywhere. Jack had to plow through them, expending more of his Dao to persevere. Thankfully, he could rely on his tempered and constantly-regenerating body, keeping the energy waste to a minimum.

    The shadows died slower now. Reaching one and overpowering its defenses while dodging all the others was hardthe difficulty was rising exponentially.

    Finally, a seven-fruit shadow appeared. It wasnt much weaker than Marcus William.

    The shadows had strength simr to the average cultivator of their level, but as the fruits went up, the average cultivator who could reach that point grew more and more talented.

    Don Cranxiao had been a three-fruit C-Grade whose actual fighting strength was somewhere between the five and six-fruits boundaries. Marcus was more talented than Cranxiao, but at the sixth fruit, his actual strength was only between the seventh and eighth.

    If Marcus ever reached the nine-fruit boundary, he would be considered average for his level.

    Jack kept fighting. It was an uphill struggle now. The shockwaves were so intense that his perception was hampered, making him unable to see the attacks until they were almost upon him. He was constantly teleporting, tearing through the distorted space to do so, and he was more defending than attacking. He managed to kill a few six-fruit shadows, but seven-fruit ones appeared in their ce, raising the difficulty even further.

    Jack was constantly getting injured. If not for his extreme regeneration and tempered body, he wouldnt havested three seconds against this lineup.

    When he was facing four seven-fruit shadows and five six-fruit ones, he was finally cornered. A barrage of attacks broke through his defenses, piercing his skin and stopping an inch before his heart. The shadows came to a halt. They bowed and disappeared, while Jack remained in a heightened battle state, all twitchy and tense.

    He took half a minute to calm himself, then exited the Globe. The bros weed him with cheers. Jack smiled and waved at them, still panting, then turned to the Envoy.

    How did I do?

 Chapter 360: Summoned

    Chapter 360: Summoned

    The Envoy did not reply, gazing at the Ranking Obelisk instead. Everyone followed suit, including Jackhe had no idea where his current strength would rank.

    When a cultivators ranking changed, all names between their new and previous ranking would blur momentarily as they moved a step down. Usually, it was only a small part of the obeliskmaybe ten ces, or fifty, or up to a hundred if one just had an important breakthrough.

    Now, almost half the obelisk lit up. Between Jacksst ranking of 675 and his current one were more than four hundred namesfour hundred geniuses, each with their own ambitions and dreams. All those names were dragged down a ce, making room somewhere in the early two hundreds.

    The spectators eyes bulged. Even Osmu Sosmu had only dared guess a number around 260if it was anywhere lower, Jack shouldnt have struggled so much against Marcus.

    But the truth was, Jacks power kit was much better suited for the Ceaseless Murder Globe than Marcuss.

    Gradually, the obelisk dimmed. Before everyones eyes, the new ranking was clear.

    Rank 216 Jack Rust!

    Uproar! People looked at Jack like he was a monster. They struggled to believe this. Just two weeks ago, hed barely defeated the cultivator ranked 281st. Those two ranks had an enormous difference between them. Had he lied that he was visiting his family and instead went to reap some unknown benefit that catapulted his strength forward?

    Moreover, the rankings above 250 were almost solely upied by high C-Grades! Even the Cathedrals six-fruit geniuses couldnt reach that highhow had Jack achieved it with just one Dao Fruit?

    Was he a miracle maker?

    Most of the bros present were at two fruits, and their ranking was only in the nine or eight hundreds. They had thought this a decent result, but now, they realized they werent evenparable to Jack. He was a whole different beast.

    These people had all grown up with the halo of a genius around them. Now, it was abruptly and thoroughly shattered. Compared to Jack, they were nothing more than prancing clowns. It was impossible not to feel envy or bitternessbut the good bro is one who understands and hugs these emotions until they go away. They shook their heads, chuckled harshly, then moved on.

    Trying topare to Jack was like staring at the sun: pointless and idiotic. Theypletely epted that he was an outlier and returned topeting with each other instead, taking him as a distant hero, a legend in the making.

    In a way, Jack was the opposite of the Fallen Genius Mirror.

    Congrattions, the Envoy said, looking at Jack with new eyes. Achieving rank 216 with your cultivation is extraordinary. Even in the Cathedral, the gathering grounds of genius, you are one of a kind. Your future aplishments are inestimable.

    Thank you, Envoy, Jack replied calmly.

    You already know my name. Just call me Borkuren. Since were going to be fellow Envoys in the future, there is no need for formalities. The Envoyughed pleasantly as he said that. His words were mostly meant to befriend Jack, but Jack didnt mind. Borkuren gave him the feeling of a kind individual, not to mention that hed bent the rules to help Brock be an outer disciple.

    Alright, Borkuren. Thanks for letting me use the Globe.

    No problem. Now, lets jump to your benefits; youve climbed from 675 to 216. Your monthly wage has increased from three to nine Dao stones, and your Heavy Pagoda time allotment is now two days per month. In addition, if you ever find yourself in need of a specific item, like weapons or armor, you can request it from the Treasure Hall. You have a limit of one item at a time.

    Jacks grin split his face. Ill make good use of it.

    I expected nothing less, Borkuren replied. His red face and frog eyes looked a bit ridiculous, but his smile was bright.

    Meanwhile, everyone else could only sigh at their own ipetence. Envoys enjoyed far higher status than outer discipleslet alone calling them by their first name, even speaking to one out of turn was considered disrespectful. However, all those customs melted like snow before absolute power. What could they say? Jack was absolutely worthy of special treatment.

    Thank you for your support, everyone, but I should head back now, Jack said, turning to the crowd.

    What? Osmu eximed. No wine celebration?

    Jack looked on helplessly. I recently had some new insights into my Dao that I need to consider. Moreover, I only recently broke through to the C-Grade and my cultivation isnt stable yetthe sooner I go through with it, the better it will be.

    The bros present were speechless. His cultivation wasnt stable yet? Was he implying that, if he meditated for a couple days, his ranking could rise even further?

    <em>Please, make it stop! </em>was their shared thought, but nobody meant it. Watching the rise of a star was magnificent. They were drawn to it, eagerly anticipating to see how far Jack could go.

    Perhaps, one day, he would even reach the number one ranking!

    Fine, Osmu replied, speaking for all the bros. But well have a wine celebration eventually, right? We cant <em>not </em>celebrate all those achievements of yours.

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    Jackughed. I promise. Well have our celebration.

    Invite me too, Borkuren said from the side. If Im free at the time, I will join.

    Of course! The more, the merrier!

    Hearing this, the crowd had fires lit in their bellies. An opportunity to socialize with Jack Rust, an Envoy, and who knows who else This party was one they absolutely had to attend!

    ***

    From the moment he joined the Cathedral, Jacks abrupt rise through the Ranking Obelisk had granted him all sorts of privileges. It had felt a bit chaotic at first. However, by now, he had explored most of them.

    He was acquainted with the Ceaseless Murder Globe and the Heavy Pagodaone was used for battle experience and the other for high-speed cultivation. He had gotten a space ring from Treasure Hall and experienced the Fallen Genius Mirror of the Dao Chamber. The only resource he hadnt tried yet were the Dao rooms of the Dao Chamber, but he temporarily put them aside. Ones cultivation was always shaky after a breakthroughfirst he would stabilize it, then he would revisit the Dao Chamber.

    All those were resources that the average C-Grade couldnt even dream about. Back in the Milky Way gxy, people like the Warden or theary overseer could only sit cross-legged and tough it out, painstakingly advancing one step at a time. If they wanted battle experience, they had to go out and find suitable opponents. If they wanted high-speed cultivation, they had to find or create a ce overflowing with their Dao of choice. If they wanted to advance their Dao, they could only sit in meditation and ponder in their heads.

    Compared to them, Jack could progress a hundred times faster. These were the benefits of joining a major faction.

    Right now, Jack sat cross-legged inside the third floor of the Heavy Pagoda.

    His new Dao Fruit was the focal point of his being. The power of the Dao surged from the environment into his soul world, into his Dao Roots, up his Dao Tree, and finally into the fruit, slowly but surely growing it to maturity. At the same time, any excess energy was released through the flowers of his tree, into the atmosphere of his soul world where it was reabsorbed by the roots and added to the cycle, ensuring that the Dao Fruit always received the maximum amount of energy.

    The current Dao tree formed aplete system.

    The growing of the Dao Fruit was essential to cultivating in the C-Grade. Only when it was fully grown could a cultivator create the next fruit. Normally, even growing one fruit could take decades, but Jack had many outstanding factors.

    His perfect foundation could absorb the ambient Dao at great speed, where it streamed up his vibrant Dao Tree. Thanks to his maturity and solid understanding of his Dao, the fruit hed created had a thick and healthy stem, absorbing energy at a prodigious rate. At the same time, therge number of flowers hed managed to grow during his Dao Blooming recycled the Dao at a quick rate, elerating the flow of energy and helping the Dao Fruit absorb it faster.

    Additionally, his tempered body could withstand tremendous pressure, allowing him to cultivate at the Heavy Pagodas third floor, where the energy density was eight thousand times higher than on Earth. The Dao here was viscous and thick like mercurywith great density came great efficiency, and he could flood his Dao Fruit at a speed that most one-fruit C-Grades would consider ungodly.

    From the F to the C-Grade, every step so far had been taken to perfection, further elerating Jacks progress.

    He could spend two days at the Heavy Pagoda every month. After his recent breakthrough, he could endure the third level with reasonablefort; he wasnt quite ready to challenge the fourth level yet, but he soon would be.

    Jack opened his eyes. Purple lightning filled the world, spearing through all. A faint smile yed on his lips.

    <em>Alright, </em>he told himself. <em>Im used to the process. After one day at the third floor, my cultivation is stably at the first fruit I should go back and temper my body some more. Afterwards, Ill try to spend the remaining day of my monthly allotment at the fourth floor, if possiblecultivation will be much faster there.</em>

    The fourth floor was usually reserved for particrly strong high C-Grades. While he didnt hope to match the power of their Dao, he did have a much stronger body than them. Hopefully, he could use that to withstand the pressure and elerate his cultivation even further.

    As he stood to leave, however, a voice echoed across the Heavy Pagoda, prating its defensiveyers to sink into his mind.

    <em>All outer disciples of the ck Hole Church, report to the Cathedral Square immediately!</em>

    Jacks mind shook from the intensity of the message. Whoever had sent it was extremely strong. He didnt know what was going on, but he rushed to exit the pagoda.

    The message wasnt just meant for him. Rows of cultivators exited alongside him, many at the seven, eight, or nine-fruit boundaries. These were high-rankers he hadnt interacted with yet, but their rank granted them several days at the Pagoda each month, so it was understandable that a lot of them were present.

    When all of them were forced out of their cultivation, it was a sight to behold.

    Whats going on, Envoy? a nine-fruit C-Grade asked the Envoy responsible for managing the pagoda.

    Why are you asking me? she replied sternly. The orders were clearrush to the Cathedral Square at once!

    Nobody rebuked her. As one, the high-rankers swarmed the air, while the low rankers could only walk. Jack flew as well.

    The Cathedral Square was a massive empty space in the middle of the Cathedral, close to the Envoys quarters. As Jack arrived, he saw cultivators streaming in from every direction. Hundreds of them piled into the square, with more arriving every moment. Jack was one of the first bros there. As more and more bros arrived, they gathered around him, forming a tightly-knit group. Even Brock rushed over, and so did Dorman, who was not an outer disciple but wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Only the Sage was missing.

    In another part of the square, Jack spotted Baron Longform. The third ranked cultivator nced over him then paid no attention as if Jack didnt exist.

    As the cultivators gathered, more and more of them broke into heated discussions. A mass summon like this was rare. Had something happened? Were they going to war?

    Suddenly, all discussions were sharply interrupted. Four figures appeared on a raised tform before the crowd.

    One of them was a young-looking man with an aloof aura. Yet, as he rose to the tform, the weight of his cultivation pressed down on everyone present. He was like a god. This was the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign, the Head Envoy of the ck Hole Church. Besides the Elders, he was the greatest authority here. Everyone drew cold breaths as they saw him.

    The next two people were also Envoys, but their auras were deeper than most Envoys Jack had met so far. One was an old woman with kind eyes, and the second a dark-haired man who seemed to be in his thirties, with a sharp, fleeting, and oppressive aura .

    The fourth person was much less impressive than the rest, almost being unnoticeable.

    The Sage? Dorman eximed. What is he doing there?

    Jack had the same question. He wasnt surprised to find that the Sage had also broken through to the one-fruit boundary, but what was he doing on the tform with the Envoys?

    Thank you foring, everyone, the Head Envoy said as if they had a choice. His face was covered with a carefree grin. We have great news!

 Chapter 361: Expedition

    Chapter 361: Expedition

    The Cathedral Square was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Head Envoy let his words hang for a moment. Finally, as Jack was beginning to wonder if something was wrong, he continued.

    A hidden realm was recently discovered in the Heaven Egg gxy. Additionally, our resident divinershe gestured at the Sage and the old woman Envoyestimate its rank to be in the upper B-Grade.

    He paused again, letting everyone digest the meaning of his words. Jack had no idea what a hidden realm was. Most people, however, knew. Whispers spread like wildfire. Even the bros revealed expressions of wonder.

    Whats that? Jack asked Osmu Sosmu.

    You dont know? Osmu replied. Hidden realms are treasure troves! When a B-Grade or higher cultivator dies, sometimes their inner world will remain connected to our universe, letting cultivators go in and explore it. These worlds are exceedingly rare, and they are filled with all sorts of treasures! An inner world has a different Daoposition than the real oneall sorts of unique circumstances may appear.

    Speaking up to here, Osmus face passed from excitement to disappointment.

    Buta hidden realm has nothing to do with someone like me. The only ones to benefit will be the Envoys, and maybe some high-ranking C-Grades as well.

    Jack frowned. If that was the case, why had the Head Envoy gathered everyone? To rub it in their faces?

    Many people shared his suspicions. Some had eyes filled with doubt, and others with hope. On the raised tform, the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign smiled. An upper B-Grade realm is most useful for people at the low B-Grade or belowto cultivators of simr power as the realms creator, anything inside is simply worthless. However, inner worlds can be vast. Lucky chances are aplenty, and while the best will be suitable for low B-Grades, there will be many lesser opportunities. For that reason, our exploration team will consist of elites ranging from the middle C-Grade to the low B-Grade. Once inside the realm, you can split up and explore the areas most suitable for each power group.

    Jack nodded as he listened. This was in line with what Osmu told him, but it still didnt exin why the Head Envoy had gathered everyone like this. Was it to celebrate?

    Even as he heard about the realms circumstances, however, Jack was intrigued. He was only at the first fruit, but his power was greatcould he fight for a spot in the exploration team?

    The hidden realm was full of opportunities. Even if there was some danger inside, he still wanted to entera cultivator who didnt adventure would end up weak.

    The expedition will be led by the Spacewind Sovereign, an outstanding individual in our ranks, the Head Envoy said, gesturing at the ck-haired man next to him. He seemed valiant and mighty. As for the leader of the C-Grades The Head Envoy smiled at the crowd. Min Ling, pleasee up.

    A woman flew over the crowd tond on the tform. Long dark hair covered her shoulders, while a dark spear with a red spearhead rested on her back. Her features were slim enough to be called Asian if she was on Earth, and while her body seemed gentle, there was a hidden power inside it that gave Jack pause.

    He had seen her once before but hadnt been able to approximate her strength. Now, he could sense her towering aura, her tyrannical might. She could exterminate him with a flick of her spearher power was vastly superior to that of Baron Longform, the third ranked outer disciple.

    But that was expected of the number one C-Grade. What gave Jack pause was that her cultivation was only at the seven-fruit boundary!

    <em>She dominated the entire Cathedral at two tiers below the other top rankers? </em>he thought, eyes widening. <em>Holy shit! Shes good!</em>

    Jack himself could jump tiers to fight. Even against the other geniuses in the Cathedral, jumping four or five tiers was no problem. However, not only did the disparity between tiers increase the higher one went, but the top rankers were also extreme geniuses themselvesespecially the top hundred, the territory of the nine-fruit C-Grades.

    In the Cathedral, C-Grades were generally required to leave once they reached a thousand years oldone tenth of their lifespan. At that point, their potential was considered mostly realized, so there was no reason for the Church to spend resources on them.

    However, if one managed to be a nine-fruit C-Grade, that no longer applied. The nine-fruit C-Grade was only a step away from the B-Grade. Even if a cultivators potential was mostly spent, there was always a chance they could take one or two extra steps in their lives. For that reason, the Cathedral kept investing on nine-fruit cultivators for as long as theyd like.

    These nine-fruit cultivators upied the top hundred ranks of the Cathedral. Everyone else cycled constantly, with a new batch of talents arriving every thousand years, but the nine-fruit ones remained. They were the outstanding talents who emerged from thest seven or eight disciple batches.

    In other words, someone ranked two hundredth was number two hundred of the current thousand disciples. However, someone ranked nieth was actually ranked nieth amongst thest eight thousand disciples!

    That was why the top hundred ranks were considered a different ying field. The strength discrepancy rose abruptly as one reached that rank. Moreover, even amongst those hundred nine-fruit disciples, there were vast differences. Someone like Baron Longform could absolutely wipe the floor with anyone ranked in the eighties. He was someone who could easily jump tiers to fight other outstanding geniuses of his level.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition.

    For Min Ling to rely on her seven-fruit cultivation to dominate every single other discipleher talent was no less than Jacks! Who knew what lucky chances she had experienced to reach that level.

    While Jack was marveling at the implications of Min Lings cultivation, the Head Envoy kept speaking.

    In the hidden realm, there is a high chance that the B-Grades will enter the core areas, while the C-Grades will remain at the outer edges. If that happens, Min Ling will take over leading the C-Grades. With her exceptional talent and heaven-shaking battle ability, she has the highest chances of protecting everyone.

    No one disagreed. It was hard to argue against absolute power. Min Ling herself stood on the tform with a calm look, like this was only natural.

    The Spacewind Sovereign nced at Min Ling with a smile. I couldnt wish for a better assistant. Looks like I can rx and lead the sovereigns deep inside the realmwith you there, nobody can harm our outer disciples!

    His words were polite and pleasant. However, Min only looked at him sideways and replied, Thank you.

    Jack was surprised. Was there some enmity between them? But, if so, why was the Spacewind Sovereign speaking so rxedly?

    Could it be that Min Ling was arrogant? She didnt strike him as such a person, but you never knew.

    If the Head Envoy was surprised, he did not show it.

    As for the rest of the expedition team, he said, the ten Envoys participating will be decided internally. For the outer disciples, we will follow a distribution that can take maximum advantage of the hidden realms resources. There will be ten nine-fruit C-Grades, ten eight-fruit C-Grades, five seven-fruit C-Grades, and five six-fruit C-Gradesor lower. All participants will be determined by their rank. At the discretion of myself, Spacewind, and Min Ling, exceptions can be made to amodate for special powers not reflected by ones ranking. The expedition will take ce in one yearthat is also when the selection will be made, so I expect everyone to cultivate hard.

    Jack nodded. Determining participants by their rank made sense. For example, the five seven-fruit C-Grades participating would be those with the highest rank amongst seven-fruit C-Grades. In other words, if he wanted to participate, he had to be one of the five people with the best rank under the seven-fruit boundary.

    He had absolute confidence in achieving that within the year. He was already close.

    Just as everyone thought the announcement was over, the Head Envoy spoke again. Normally, that should be all, he said. However, this particr hidden realms circumstances are different. That iswe wont be entering it alone. The Hand of God will join us.

    The C-Grades fell into silence, then erupted in exmations. They didnt even care about keeping their voices low. Even Min Ling, with her indifferent attitude, shot a stunned nce at the Head Envoy.

    Silence! hemanded. A nket of absolute power fell on the outer disciples. It was like the sky crashed down. Jack waspletely unable to movein his vision, the Head Envoy turned into a giant green-haired glutton thousands of feet tall, while the entire Cathedral Square was a spoon about to enter the gluttons mouth. A terrifying suction force fell on him. Even if he was a hundred times stronger, he would have no choice but to be sucked into that tooth-filled mouth.

    The vision dispersed in the next moment, but Jack was left in a cold sweat. So was everyone else. The whispers disappeared instantly, and every eye was glued to the Head Envoy, who once again resembled an aloof young man.

    <em>What the hell was that!? </em>Jack asked himself. <em>Are B-Grades that powerful!?</em>

    On the path of cultivation, from the F to the E-Grade and from the D to the C-Grade were considered small gaps. For a talent to leap over them to fight was not unreasonable. However, from the E to the D-Grade and from the C to the B-Grade wererge gaps. That was why, in the Milky Ways million-year history, nobody had ever defeated the Final Guardian of Trial.

    This was Jacks first time experiencing the power of a B-Grade. Before the Head Envoy, he couldnt even move, let alone resist. It was maddening.

    The universe was wide.

    As you know, the ck Hole Church and the Hand of God are enemies, the Head Envoy exined. However, that doesnt mean we kill each other constantly. We are not in all-out war. There are often peaceful talks between the two factions, negotiations, or even exchanges regarding all sorts of matters. This hidden realm is the same. The two factions received the news at the same time, so we can onlypromise: each faction will send in the same number of disciples, and everyone will get what they can. Of course, fighting inside the realm is expected. Each faction believes in their younger generationdo not disappoint me!

    Before the crowd of outer disciples could consider the implications, the Head Envoy continued.

    As this involves the dignity of the ck Hole Church, we will delegate a few extra resources to ensure our expedition is as formidable as possible. Min Ling, as the leader of the C-Grades, you are hereby awarded the Thunder Dao Worldthe crystalized inner world of a lightning-oriented A-Grade. While all resources inside it have been taken, we hope that the Dao principles it contains can help you develop an extra Dao Fruit in time for the expedition. This Thunder Dao World is lent to you by Elder Heavenstar, so you will have to return it before the expedition.

    The Head Envoy opened his hand, revealing a purple ss bead. Its surface was covered with lightning, not letting anyone glimpse inside it, but the aura it emitted was absolutely heaven-shaking.

    If the crowd hadnt already been suppressed, they would have erupted into whispers yet again. The crystallized inner world of an A-Grade! Even if its value wasnt obvious, the fact that an A-Grade Elder could only lend it, not gift it, spoke volumes.

    Min Lings indifferent attitude disappearedpletely. Thank you, Head Envoy, she said, respectfully receiving the Thunder Dao World. Please pass my utmost gratitude to Elder Heavenstar. I deeply appreciate this favor.

    Not many things could make the proud Min Ling speak like this, but this Thunder Dao World could.

    The Head Envoy smiled. Elder Heavenstar paused his own meditation on this world to lend it to youI hope you can take full advantage of it. Now, please return.

    Min Ling nodded deeply, then flew back into the crowd. Many people were jealous of her gift, especially those who cultivated lightning, but what could they say? If they had her talent, they would have received the Thunder Dao World as well.

    At the end of the day, no matter what privileges Min Ling received, nobody could say anything. She absolutely deserved it.

    As she left the stage, the Head Envoys smile didnt dropit only widened. There is onest matter to discuss, he said. Jack Rust, pleasee on stage.

 Chapter 362: Public Enemy Number One

    Chapter 362: Public Enemy Number One

    Huh?

    Every C-Grade below the tform paused. They nced around, looking for Jack. They had heard about him, of course, but he was far too young, far too weak. He was only a one-fruit C-Grade. This hidden realm should have nothing to do with him.

    As for Jack himself, he was the most stunned of all. He thought he was a spectator. Why was his name called out all of a sudden!?

    Jack Rust? the Head Envoy repeated. I can see you. Why are you noting up?

    Jack finally recovered. Sorry, Head Envoy. I was dazed for a second.

    He rose through the air, passing over the crowd to reach the raised tform. The Heavenly Spoon Sovereign nced over with interest. The old woman smiled at Jack, while the Spacewind Sovereign shot him a frigid nce.

    <em>Hmm? Have I offended him somehow? </em>Jack thought but didnt pursue the issue.

    He nced back. Hundreds of C-Grade cultivators looked up at him. Each of them could easily be the ruler of their own, or even manys. Some were stronger than him. A few, vastly so.

    But he was worthy of standing on this stage.

    Jack maintained a cool head as he respectfully greeted the Envoys.

    Your recent exploits have reached our ears, the Heavenly Spoon Sovereignthe Head Envoysaid with a smile. Ranking 216th with a mere one-fruit cultivation. That hasnt happened in millennia. You are certainly poised for greatness. If nothing happens, we expect to receive you in the Envoy quarters within the next hundred years.

    I will try my best, Jack replied.

    Good. The ck Hole Church has always favored the powerful, but we favor the talented even more. Therefore, alongside Min Ling, we have prepared some benefits for you as well.

    The Head Envoy closed his hand and reopened it. An object shimmered into existence. It was round and small, barely the size of a walnut, looking insignificant. However, when Jacks perception touched it, it was absorbed without a trace. He hurriedly pulled back. Thismon-looking orb not only contained an inner world, but also an intense gravitational pull. The only reason the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign could hold it so casually was his immense power.

    This is called a World Anchor. Do you know what it is? the sovereign asked, looking tenderly at the orb.

    I do not, Jack admitted. Even in the crowd below, most people looked around in puzzlement. Besides a few exceptionally knowledgeable individuals, whose eyes shone with avarice, nobody had heard of a World Anchor before.

    I dont me you, the sovereign said. World Anchors are ridiculously rare. When a hidden realm reaches the end of its lifespan, it will naturally degrade into nothingness. However, if an A-Grade cultivator with extreme insights into the Dao of Space is present, they can capture the realms essence into a separate dimension just before it dissipates. They then need to ovee a heavenly tribtion as the Dao of the universe demands to reim that world. Unless they are extremely powerful, it is possible that their foundation will be harmed in the process.

    Jacks eyes were already wide. An A-Grade had to personally create this item, and it also had to coincide with the degradation of a hidden realm? They even had to endure a heavenly tribtion?

    Hidden realms are naturally rare, the Head Envoy continued. Moreover, the A-Grade cultivator is vulnerable while sealing the realms essence into an orb. It would be disastrous if their enemies caught wind of the situation. As a result, World Anchors are only produced when an A-Grade cultivator is aware of an undiscovered hidden realm nearing its end, or if they have more A-Grades protecting them. Even in the vast treasury of the ck Hole Church, the number of World Anchors can be counted on one hand. Their value is inestimable.

    Jack was floored. And, if I maywhat does it do?

    Ah, thats the good part. The Head Envoy suddenly broke into a yful grin. A World Anchor is most effective when consumed by a C-Grade. It will fuse with your Dao Tree, greatly improving its stability and your cultivation speed. When youter reach the B-Grade and form your inner world, the World Anchor will greatly assist with your breakthrough. It will act as the center of your inner world, stabilizing it and allowing you to expand it much more than you otherwise could. You will be vastly superior to your peers, destined for greatness. Across the entire universe, there are few things as useful to a C-Grade as a World Anchor.

    Jacks heart was racing. This World Anchor sounded absolutely tremendous. It could enhance his current strength, assist with the B-Grade breakthrough, and then further enhance his strength. Coupled with the Life Drop, he would be invincible at his level.

    How could he not be tempted?

    But something was wrong. The Head Envoys gaze was almostmocking? yful? Expectant?

    A light bulb went on inside Jacks head. He nced at the crowd below, finding a thousand greedy gazes boring into him. The C-Grades had red eyes, they were breathing heavily, and even the bros seemed to be struggling.

    Jack finally understood. His face paled. <em>You fucked me over, Head Envoy!</em>

    When Min Ling had received the Thunder Dao World, it hadnt been much of a problem. Her strength and talent were widely recognized, and the Thunder Dao World itself was only suitable for those cultivating the Dao of Lightning.

    Jacks situation waspletely different. The treasure he was offered could be of tremendous help to each and every person in the crowd. Moreover, it helped with the breakthrough to the B-Gradethe most daunting step of all.

    From the C-Grade to the B-Grade, one had topletely shatter their Dao Tree and use it to form an inner world. It was an extremely challenging process, with the sess rate not reaching five percent. Moreover, in the event of failure, the only oue was death.

    There were many nine-fruit C-Grades in the Cathedral who could attempt to break through, but they didnt dare to. The risks were too high, and the price of failure too steep. No matter how much one wanted to chase the peak of cultivation, taking that step was difficult. After all, even if they didnt break through, they could live ten thousand years as kings and emperors of theirs. They could have anything they wanted in the entire world. Who would gamble it all away?

    Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Unfortunately, those who reached the nine-fruit boundary were ambitious and determined individuals. They yearned for the B-Grade, but they still didnt dare to try. Some decided to stop cultivating and retire to enjoy life, while others spent their remaining years searching for opportunities that could even marginally increase their odds of sess.

    But waiting too long was not an option. After one reached the middle point of their life, their chances of a sessful breakthrough would only go down. They had to make a decision when they were still young: would they gamble all their remaining years on the small chance of sess, or give up and enjoy life?

    To the nine-fruit cultivators of the Cathedral, the breakthrough to the B-Grade was a smiling devil that beckoned at them, bing their sole obsession and greatest fear. For the C-Grades who hadnt reached nine fruits yet, it was a guillotine hanging over their heads, a dark promise they would have to face sooner orter.

    Therefore, a treasure which could greatly assist with that breakthrough was enough to make any C-Grade go mad with greed. They stared at Jack and the World Anchor like vultures. If the Envoys werent present, a deadly melee would have already begun.

    The only ones who werent as tempted were Jacks closest friends, like Brock or Dorman, as well as Min Ling, who was confident she could break through anyway. Of course, even she longed for the world-enhancing properties of the World Anchor, but it wasnt to the point where she would disregard everything and throw her life away to im it.

    Realizing all these, Jacks excitement was doused in cold water. Shivers ran up and down his body. If this World Anchor came to his possession and he didnt absorb it immediately, he had no doubt that someone would try to kill him for it.

    His only saving grace was that the Cathedrals rules forbade robbing and killing. If someone did so, they would be executed by the Envoys, so there was no point in trying. But what if it was stolen discreetly? What if the Envoys themselves grew greedy and took it away from him?

    An entire new slew of problems had been poured on Jacks headand, looking at the Head Envoys smile, he had absolutely done it on purpose. Just like the time he directly moved Jacks name to the 950th ranking, he was deliberately creating enemies for Jack. Why?

    Jacks anger threatened to rise, but he pushed it down. Head Envoy, he said, with all due respect, why do you treat me like this?

    His question sounded reasonable, but the intent was clear. The sovereign didnt seem to mind. He only casually replied, I like helping talented cultivators.

    <em>Helping my ass! Youre trying to get me killed! </em>Jack wanted to retort, but he didnt. Instead, he hid his anger away forter and responded, I see. Then, if someone absorbs the World Anchor, can it be extractedter?

    Impossible. If you absorb the Anchor, it stays with you forever. Even if you die, it will disappear alongside your Dao.

    Jack nodded. At least, this was something he didnt need to worry about. If he absorbed it, it would be fine.

    And how long would it take to absorb? he asked.

    The Head Envoy only smiled like a cat looking at a mouse. Ah, youre a few steps ahead. The World Anchor isnt yours yet.

    With a turn of his hand, the orb disappearedprobably into the space ring he wore.

    Jacks brows rose. It is not?

    It is not. Just handing it to you would be no funthe other outer disciples would certainly find fault with me, the Cathedrals cohesion would be harmed, and my pristine reputation would be soiled. No, I couldnt do something so partial. If you want this World Anchor, you have to earn it.

    Jack resisted the urge to smack this guy in the face.

    The Head Envoy turned towards the crowd. This World Anchor was bestowed to the Cathedral by Elder Heavenstar. Jack Rusts talent was the deciding factor, but the Church has always distributed benefits fairly. Heed my words: To earn the World Anchor, Jack Rust must reach a ranking of one hundred on the Ranking Obelisk within a year, before the hidden realm expedition. If he does not achieve that, or if anything happens to him in the meantime, the World Anchor will be gifted to one of you ording to your talentwe will hold a special selection when the timees. Of course, since Min Ling has already received a gift from Elder Heavenstar, she will be excluded. Those are my wishes, as well as Elder Heavenstars.

    From the side, Jack was boiling. The more he listened to the Head Envoys words, the more he wanted to punch him.

    <em>If anything happens to me? Fuck you!</em>

    Jack had never received a more direct, more impactful middle finger. The Head Envoys words were precise; he had clearly nned this all beforehand. He dangled the World Anchor before everyone, then directed their ill feelings towards Jack. If they could stop him from reaching the top hundred spots within a year, they would have a chance to receive the World Anchor. The sovereign had even urged them to use underhanded meanshe specifically mentioned that if anything happened to Jack, the World Anchor would still go to someone else.

    Moreover, hed mentioned a vague trial of talent and excluded Min Ling. In such a situation, dozens of people from all cultivation levels would have a chance at winning the World Anchor.

    With just a few words from the Head Envoy, Jack had be public enemy number one! If not for the Cathedrals strictly enforced rules, he would have been mobbed already. His enemies, like Baron Longform, were shooting him ugly smirks.

    With all due respect, said Min Ling, floating slightly over the crowd, why am I excluded? I did not ask for the Thunder Dao World, and the World Anchor is far more precious.

    Her protest was reasonable. The Head Envoy did not respond out loud, but he must have transmitted some thoughts to her, because she finally bowed and floated back down. Her face betrayed nothing.

    Of course, the Head Envoy added, if Jack Rust wishes, he could give up all his rights to the World Anchor. Then, it would be directly awarded through a talent-based trial, and he would have nothing to do with it anymore. Would you like that, Jack?

    He turned towards Jack, giving him a clear stare. Jack stared back for a second. Then, he startedughing. His voice spread over the Cathedral Square, over all the gathered C-Grades who wanted to kill him, over the Envoys who had put him in this position.

    Fist meant power. His life and dream was chasing the peak of cultivation. If he was afraid of making enemies, he would have just cultivated peacefully on Earth, note to the dark and dangerous Cathedral.

    Since when was Jack Rust afraid of danger?

    Well said, Head Envoy! he responded. My path will never change. Come hell or high water, I will never give up. No, I do not forfeit my rights to the World Anchor. I will fight for it. I will reach the top hundred rank no matter what obstacles appear in my way, and I will forge a perfect road for myself!

    I thought so, the sovereign replied calmly. Very well, everyone. You heard him. Things remain as I described, and may the best cultivator win. As a special rule, assaulting others in any way will be forbidden for the next year. Vitors will be executed.

    Jack smiled while shaking his head. He was ying into the Head Envoys hand a bit too much, but how could he say no? To reach the peak, he had to grasp every opportunity he was offered. After all, even with his current talent, reaching the A-Grade was nothing but a distant dream. He would never seed if he didnt encounter more opportunities, more lucky chances, if he didnt make his path as perfect as possible.

    The universe held quadrillions of cultivators. However, if even one of them reached the A-Grade every ten thousand years, that was already considered a lot. Compared to those mountains of talent, the thousand C-Grades of the Cathedral were really nothing much. How could Jack let them stop him?

    The path of cultivation was unfathomably long, but he was determined to walk it all. He would look at the universe below his feet and admire it from the highest vantage point possible.

    The numbers didnt matter. Jacks only rival was himself. And that was why he, out of everyone in the universe, would reach the peak of cultivation.

 Chapter 363: Jack Rust against the World

    Chapter 363: Jack Rust against the World

    The gathering was eventually disbanded. The Head Envoy had nted a bomb in everyones heart and painted a target on Jacks back, then calmly strode away. The two other Envoys had followed him, while the Sage had promised to find Jackter before taking off.

    As that happened, the gathered cultivators did not disperse. Far too many things had happened; a hidden realm was discovered, Min Ling received a Thunder Dao World, and most importantly, Jack Rust had the chance to earn a World Anchora chance which, if he failed to grasp, would be theirs.

    Many cultivators gave Jack burning stares. If he failed, they would have a slim chance of earning a World Anchor and eliminating the guillotine hanging over their heads. Everyone here was talentedthey believed that, depending on the contents of the talent trial the Head Envoy had suggested, they would have at least a slim chance of winning. Even if they failed, it was okay. If they could cause Jack to lose out on the World Anchor and a top rankerter got it, they would receive that top rankers eternal gratitude.

    Jack calmly floated to his bros, ignoring the storm of whispers around him. The battle had already startedeveryone here was an enemy, and he would be damned if he gave them the satisfaction.

    It was Jack Rust against the world.

    Listen to me, he said as hended. All the bros stared at him; some were conflicted, others were fidgety, and a few seemed steadfast. Jack looked them all in the eyes as he spoke. I am now public enemy number one. If you want to distance yourself from me, now is the timeI will not me you. If you choose to stay, you will suffer pressure and humiliation, and your cultivation will be temporarily hindered. You might even experience danger. However, if you do remain by my side, we will be true brothers and sisters. When I rise in the future, I will not forget you. The choice is yours.

    Speaking to this point, Jack crossed his arms and waited. Brock also said nothing, stepping to Jacks side immediately.

    They still remained in the middle of the crowd. All sorts of burning gazesnded on their location, as if they were surrounded and eyed by a pack of hyenas. The twenty-something bros felt their backs strain under the pressure. They emitted cold sweat.

    The Cathedral was not a peaceful ce. It had rules, but it tacitly allowed bullying and pressuring others. It was meant to be a highlypetitive environment where true geniuses could rise with everyone else acting as their foil. Now, the difficulty was cranked to the full for Jack. That would naturally include everyone around him. To remain by his side was to throw oneself into danger and gamble everything for questionable benefits. Not many could do that.

    Even if all sorts of assault had been forbidden, there were many ways to bully people.

    One by one, some bros slid into the crowd. They had joined for funthey werent really going to risk their lives for Jack, not to mention they were all on the weaker end of the Cathedral. Throughout the process, Jack and Brock remained silent, letting it happen.

    Of the twenty-something bros, most left. When enough time had passed and the deed was done, only ten remained. That was already far more than Jack expected.

    You have helped me in the past, and we evene from the same, Dorman said,ughing. If I abandoned you now, I would be the lowest of trash!

    Once a bro, always a bro, said Osmu Sosmu, the handsome man who was ranked 793rd. His three friendsthe djinn, the mosquitoid, and the other manhad disappeared.

    Jack passed his gaze over the gathered people. They were weak and insignificant in the context of the Cathedral, yet they steadfastly remained by his side. He carved their names and faces into his heart.

    Well said, Osmu, he replied, warmth filling his chest. You are true bros. Isnt that right, Brock?

    Right, Brock replied simply. His eyes shone golden. Fake brosbreak!

    Every bro who had abandoned Jack suddenly felt a sharp pain in their heart. It was grief. In that moment, they had lost something very important, though they didnt know what. A couple of them even considered going back, but it was toote now. They could only shake their headsthe decision had been made.

    Jack wanted to say more things, but now was not the time. They were surrounded by a bunch of ruthless, greedy individuals. Thankfully, the Head Envoy had directly forbidden fighting, so they hadnt attacked him yet.

    Make way, he said. We will pass.

    The cultivators stared him down. They did not make way. Most were too weak to matter, but a few were ranked as high as Jack or even higher. Their eyes sparked with ideas; they werent going to just let him leave like that.

    Jack frowned. Staring at me will change nothing. Make way or attack me if you dare.

    Of course, only an idiot would tantly break the rules of the Cathedral. But there were other ways.

    Funny you would say that, a voice came from the crowd. A few people unwillingly parted to reveal a tall, tanned, muscr woman with red hair done in a ponytail. Her gaze was hardened, and on her back was a gray ymore. Unlike most cultivators, she did not wear robes, but brown shorts and an equally brown tank top. Jack thought she looked like a bloodthirsty armymander.

    He took in the new arrival. <em>Seven-fruit Could be worse.</em>

    This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    What do you want? he asked directly.

    I have long heard of your exploits, the woman replied in a deeper tone than expected. A one-fruit C-Grade ranking higher than me I would love to experience your Dao. What do you say? Are you up for a little spar?

    Jack frowned. And who are you?

    Rank 220, Mabe Asphel, she replied. Her grin was savage. But you can call me mommy.

    Some cultivators broke intoughter. Jack ignored thempletely. As soon as their personal benefit was involved, all finesse went out of the window and they became nothing more than base animals, a part of the mob. It was impressive that people like that could reach the C-Grade.

    However, he didnt have the mental resources to bother with them. This rough-looking woman had actually cornered him.

    His ranking was 216th. Technically, it was higher than hers, so her asking for a spar was not shameful. She had every right to challenge him. The problem was, Jacks ranking was a bit inted. His regeneration helped him climb higher than he otherwise couldin a real duel, his strength was only around the 260th rank.

    In other words, this woman was currently stronger than him. If they fought, it would be possible for her to identally kill him. She would be admonished and punished, of course, but not too seriously. idents could always happen when sparring with ones full strength.

    Even if she didnt kill him, she could give him a grievous injury. The Life Drop was most useful for external wounds; if his heart was pierced, or if his leg was cut off, regenerating would consume a massive amount of time and energy. It would push back his cultivation by at least a couple weeks.

    And thats without even mentioning the psychological effect of losing a duel. If he wanted to maximize his cultivation speed, he had to remain in tip-top mental form. Losing a close duel would be a blow.

    Then again, so would be to shamefully decline.

    Jacks stare met the womans. She knew exactly what she was doing. Hed seen her conversing with Baron Longform while everyone was still gathering; the Baron had seen his duel against Marcus William, where his fists kept getting sliced and regenerating. With the barons experience, he could estimate the effect such a regeneration would have on his ranking and realize that this woman was the worst possible opponent for Jack.

    Whats the matter? Mabe asked. Cat got your tongue?

    Jack did not respond. Mabe roared withughter.

    Check it out, everyone! Jack Rust, the prodigy who blinded even the Envoys with his halo, is nothing but a tiny little coward!

    Some people followed herughter, while others expected to see a show. The bros were all hesitating, not knowing what to do, while Brock remained calm and collected.

    Jack chuckled. It has nothing to do with bravery, he said. Im justmenting how my fist would be wasted on trash like you.

    Oho? Her gaze took on a dangerous tint. Then why dont you try me, big boy?

    I will. Of everyone here, you are the lowest of the lowbut, unfortunately, I cannot refuse the challenge of someone lower in ranking than myself, or people will think Im some sort of rubber ball they can push around.

    Well said! the woman eximed, ignoring his insults. She was already growing excited.

    Just give me a bit of time to stabilize my foundation, Jack added, dousing her excitement. I dont need too long. Six months should do. After all, I just broke through.

    Huh? Six months? Her brows fell. What are you talking about? Why would I wait six months for you?

    I just broke through, and the Head Envoys summons interrupted my meditation. As pitiful as you are, taking care of you would still require some energy, and my lingering insights would melt away. I will not dy my cultivation for a random tramp.

    His repeated insults were finally getting to her. She snorted. You speak a lot but do little. Your six months are clearly an excuse so you can increase your strength. If you dont dare to fight, just say it. Everyone here knows that only a coward would refuse a challenge from a lower-ranked cultivator. We can even bet if you want.

    Refuse a challenge? Hah! Jack eximed, taking a step forward. You say that I want to cultivate more and increase my strength before facing you, but whats the problem with that? If I have time to cultivate, so do you. Our current ranks are simr; whether we fight now, in six months, or in six years, the gap between us shouldnt change much. Saying that is like admitting youre untalented. Moreover, six months is very, very little time. How could I break through before then?

    Mabe frowned. She believed that Jack was spouting a ton of bullshit, but the truth was, she never thought he would actually agree to fight. She just wanted to humiliate him a bit. Thinking about it, six months really was a very short timespan. In the C-Grade, taking decades or even centuries between each fruit was normal, and taking a year was considered extremely fast. There was no way Jack could break through within six months. His strength couldnt grow significantly.

    Of course, she knew that Jack was extremely talented, and also that he carried a body-enhancing Life Artifact. He would surely find some way to close the gap between them until thenbut by how much? Mabe was ranked 220th, but in truth, she hadnt visited the Globe in a long time. Her current strength might even be able to break into the one hundreds.

    Was it possible that Jacks strength would increase that much in a short six months?

    Greed appeared in her mind. There were unknown variables, but victory would bring so many benefits. If she could seriously injure Jack, Baron had promised her a hundred Dao stones. If she could kill him, she would receive two hundred. Those would save her several years of cultivation.

    Fine, she agreed. Six months from now, here, at the Cathedral Square. I will be waiting.

    Many people groaned. Not only because they wanted to see a fight right now, but because they, too, wanted to challenge Jack. Now that hed agreed to a duel in six months, challenging him before that would just be wasting saliva.

    But that didnt mean they wouldnt find other ways to hamper him.

    Good, Jack said, then raised his sight to the surrounding cultivators. What exactly are you all waiting for?

    Reluctantly, the crowd parted. They let him pass. Jack, Brock, Dorman, and the rest of the bros walked through, feeling as if they would be torn to pieces at any second.

    But that didnt happen. They made it out of the square, then calmly walked towards vige four, where most of them lived.

    Jack looked back. His eyes were shining like stars. Deep inside, he enjoyed this situation. It was like Hell all over againhe was surrounded by enemies on all sides, but this time, he had the protection of rules, and arge number of resources propelling him forward. All those greedy cultivators would only serve as his stepping stones, punching bags on which to harden his fists.

    Yes, they were all geniuses, but they were nothingpared to him. His path was inevitable.

    What will you do now, big bro? Brock asked.

    Is there even a question? Jack replied, his white teeth showing. Ill do what I always doget stronger!

 Chapter 364: Returning to Mortality

    Chapter 364: Returning to Mortality

    Jack was into the fire. He needed to get stronger quickly, but what he needed even more was a n.

    Back in his cabin, he sat on his bed andid everything down.

    <em>I have a year to reach the top hundred ranks. Since my current strength is at the upper range of six-fruit cultivators, I will need to develop at least two more Dao fruits. Alongside my body tempering, it should be enough to match the weakest nine-fruit C-Grades.</em>

    <em>But I should work on my Dao as well. It will be vital throughout the C-Grade. Let alone enhancing my battle prowess, I need it to develop new fruits.</em>

    <em>That makes three approaches: body tempering, cultivation, and Dao meditation.</em>

    <em>Meditation will be most effective through the Dao Chamber. I have enough Dao stones to book it for a few days every month. Cultivation will be most effective in the Heavy Pagoda, where I can spend two days a month. The pagoda can also consolidate my body tempering, which can be done right here on my bed. At the same time, body tempering doesnt take too much mental energy, so I can maybe meditate a bit while doing it and consolidate my gains.</em>

    <em>Thats the n. At the start of every month, I will spend all my Dao stones in the Dao Chamber. Every time I feel Ive gotten enough insights, I will return here and practice body tempering while consolidating those insights, then return to the Dao Chamber. I will alternate between these two until I run out of Dao stones. Then, I will split the rest of my time between cultivation and body tempering. The final two days of the month will be spent at the Heavy Pagoda, at the highest level I can reach.</em>

    <em>Good.</em>

    Jack opened his eyes. His two fists, which hadnt seen action in days, felt itchy. <em>As for thatrge woman </em>He smirked. <em>Shes just a clown.</em>

    Of course, his n was easier said than done. He was the eye of the storm now; people would undoubtedly find all sorts of ways to mess with him, but hed take them as they came. At least, his family was safethe only way to find Earth was through the ck Hole Church, and Jack firmly believed the Envoys wouldnt go that far. As for Brock, Dorman, and the bros on the Cathedral, Jacks ability to protect them was limited. They would have to endure.

    ***

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon paced through a path of the Cathedral, apanied by a kindly old woman.

    I didnt think youd go that far, she said. Pitting everyone against a one-fruit disciple Dont you think youre being too harsh?

    If he cant even handle this much, he doesnt deserve the World Anchor, the sovereign replied, his gaze exploring the distant stars as if they were a joke. If he fails, I will apologize to the Elder, and thats that.

    Thats that, he says. She chuckled. If you werent his disciple, Elder Heavenstar would cut off both your legs and feed them to space monsters.

    He can try.

    Jonas!

    The Head Envoyughed. Rx, Marissa. Even if Jack fails, the World Anchor will still go to Min Ling. It wont be a loss.

    But you said shed be excluded from the talent trial.

    I lied. There wont be a talent trial. Ill just give it to her.

    She raised a white brow. Thats a dangerous game youre ying. The outer disciples will be incensed.

    And what are they going to do about it? Theyre weak, and we already dontck traitors. He waved a hand dismissively. If needed, Ill give them some other resources to y with. Its no big deal.

    I beg to differ.

    He shrugged. Nothing matters before absolute power.

    Marissa gave him a long nce, then sighed. Do you think he will make it? she asked. Will Jack Rust reach the top hundred in time?

    I believe he has decent chances. Even if he doesnt make the top hundred, as long as he doesnt die, he will be able to enter the hidden realm. Then, everything will be up to destiny.

    Yes Silence dragged on. An hourter, Marissa said, So, chess?

    Chess. Lets go.

    ***

    Jack stepped before the Dao Chamber. His gaze was hardpeople had been ring at him along the way, and while none had spoken out, it had not been pleasant. His mood was soura far cry from optimal forprehending the Dao.

    He took a deep breath, then another. He opened the door and entered the Dao Chamber.

    A familiar scene stretched before his eyes. A low, wide space supported by columns, with colored doors littering the walls. A few people sat cross-legged between the columns, waiting for their turn, while an octopus-like Envoy stood behind a desk in the center of the room.

    As Jack entered, the meditating peoples eyes snapped open. Several sharp stares fell on him. He trudged forth regardless.

    <em>Wee back, </em>the octopus Envoy said. <em>Will you try some of our chambers this time?</em>

    <em>Yes, </em>Jack replied. <em>Three days at the Mortality Chamber, please.</em>

    After picking up his monthly wage, along with the wage of Marcus William that he was owed, Jack currently possessed sixteen Dao stones. One day at the Mortality Chamber cost four stones. The reason he only rented the ce for three days was to keep some stones in hand.

    <em>The Mortality Chamber is currently upied, </em>the Envoy replied. <em>I can put you down as the next in line, but you will need to wait for a few more hours. Is that okay?</em>

    This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    <em>Sure. </em>

    <em>Excellent. That will be twelve Dao stones, please.</em>

    Jack swiped his hand over his space ring, withdrawing twelve Dao stones and handing them to the Envoy. She nodded. <em>If you need anything while waiting, please let me know.</em>

    <em>Will do. Thank you, Envoy.</em>

    <em>No problem.</em>

    He looked for an empty spot far away from everyone else and sat down. A few hours was nothing to a C-Grade cultivatorhe would just meditate a bit.

    Unfortunately, not everyone shared his thoughts.

    Hey, friend, another cultivator called out without standing. He was a weird chimera with the body of a human, the wings of a bat, and the head of a lion. His voice was deeply bass and struggling to sound friendly. Which chamber are you waiting for? If its the same as mine, I wouldnt mind giving you my spot. I know youre in a pinch.

    Jack pursed his lips, not responding. The other cultivator waited a few moments, then frowned darkly and closed his eyes.

    Jack wasnt an idiot. In this situation, nobody would give him freebies and ce themselves against all other disciples for no reason. This cultivator just wanted to know Jacks room of preference so he could sell the information. After all, the prices of the Dao Chamber were determined by demand and supply. If a top ranker like Baron Longform learned that Jack liked the Mortality Chamber, it wouldnt be difficult to artificially drive up the price and make his life difficult.

    Unfortunately, Jack could do nothing about this. His conversation with the octopus Envoy had urred through telepathy, so it couldnt be overheard, but anyone could see him entering the Mortality Chamber when it was time. Withholding this information from the chimera cultivator did not bring any benefitshe only did so to fuck with the other guy.

    Nobody else chatted him up. Jack spent the next few hours in meditation, thinking over his current Dao and adjusting himself to the peak mental state. Eventually, a human cultivator exited the Mortality Chamber, her face a mix of grief and thoughtfulness.

    <em>Its your turn, </em>the octopus Envoy reminded Jack, but he was already on his feet. With a few resolute steps, he reached the open door of the Mortality Chamber and closed it behind him.

    <em>Lets see What exactly are these Dao Chambers? For their price, they better be good.</em>

    He was confused at first. The Mortality Chamber was an empty rectangr room, simr in size to his bedroom back on Earth. There were no windows or other doors. The only thing special about this room was that the walls seemed to undte just below his perception, emitting an aura of endless years and vicissitudes.

    The environment began to change. A light fog filled the room, imprable by Dao perception. When it receded, the walls were gone, and Jack was floating over a vige of mortals.

    He was like a ghost. His body was incorporeal, and most of his power was gone. As he looked around, he saw fields stretching out, dotted with rivers, thickets, and watermills. This ce looked like the simplest vige imaginable.

    In the distance, however, Jack could see the terrain change. Different environments were in different directions. To the north, he could see a sprawling metropolis. The south held a primitive warrior tribe surrounded by monsters, and the west a single farm. As for the east, it was just an endless jungle.

    <em>The Dao of Mortality</em>

    Jacks eyes were already tender. All thoughts of cultivation left his mind, and he slowly descended to the vige right below him.

    It was the simplest medieval ce. Nobody here was a cultivator. There were just a hundred families living ordinary lives. Some people were hunters, others were farmers, and a few were artisans. There were rich people, poor people, healthy people, sick people, powerful and weak people, children and their grandparents.

    As Jack descended, nobody noticed his ghostly form. They went on with their lives. Jack, curious, found a random little girl and followed her. The girl returned home, carrying a basket of flowers, then proudly gave them to her mother. Look! she said. I got you flowers, like daddy!

    The mother gave a strained smile. Thank you, sweetie. ce them on the table please. This woman was bent over a table, looking over sheets of paper. Jack peeked over her shoulder. These were debt receipts. He also spotted a few letters of condolencesher husband had recently died to an illness.

    Jack felt his heart grow heavy. This woman was buried in debt, supporting a household and a daughter by herself. If she didnt find someone to help her, the future would be grim.

    He watched as the woman tiredly stood. She helped her daughter bathe in a barrel, then prepared a poor dinner from the few random vegetables shed managed to gatherthe soup was so thin it was almost water. The mother and daughter then sat at the table and tried to enjoy their meal while making lively conversation. The little girl, barely eight years old, couldnt see through her mothers emotionsbut to Jack, it was clear she was trying to seem strong.

    The girl ate most of the soup. The mother said she was not hungry. Later, the mother tucked her daughter into their shared bed and returned to the kitchen, where she silently cried herself to sleep.

    Jacks heart was bleeding. A part of his mind told him these were only illusions, not real people, but so what? Even if these two werent real, there were innumerable houses in the universe where the same situation was ying out.

    To many people, life was full of pain. As Jack wondered why, his first response was because theycked strengthif this family had managed to be rich in the past, they wouldnt be in this situation now.

    But that was far too callous, far too dry. How could he face the ugly side of life and have these thoughts? That had been Jacks Dao speaking, but he felt ashamed of himself. In turn, he couldnt help but wonderif he suddenly took the ce of this woman, could he follow his Dao to turn things around?

    The Fist was about battle and glory, about freely charging forward. In this kind of situation, wasnt it useless?

    <em>No. It cannot be useless. Its just that my understanding is poor, my perspective is limited. My Dao of the Fist was developed ording to my experiences, but they never looked like this.</em>

    There were many kinds of hardships in life. Being chased down by enemies was one of them; being poor and helpless, driven against the wall, was another.

    Jack didnt know how this woman would solve her problems, or how she could make things even a little bit better. He was as clueless as she was. All he could do was feel for her, sink deep into her situation, and share her despair.

    The Mortality Chamber existed in time dtion. One month here was a day in the outside world. Jack spent a few days following this family, experiencing their rising despair. Eventually, he was suffering with them. The mother could earn very little money. Their debts kept growing, and sooner orter, they would burst.

    Throughout the process, Jack could feel his fists soften. That wasnt a bad thing. He was just temporarily moving away from battle and into mortality, into the mundane. Deep inside his soul, at the heart of his Dao Tree, a soft transition was taking ce. His Dao was shifting and evolving, transforming from a simple weapon into something deeper, wiser.

    Eventually, people came to collect their debts. The mothers strong facade broke; she cried and begged for more time, while the daughter watched with wide, disbelieving eyes. Their house was taken, their possessions sifted through. The mother was sent to prison for some time, while the daughter was taken in by a rich old couple who felt pity at her situation. At least, they seemed kind.

    Jack felt infinite sadness. He wanted to strike out and obliterate the people who separated this girl from her loving mother, but he was just a ghost. Any punch he threw just dissipated. This wasnt his battle; it was their reality.

    Finally, Jack closed his eyes and took a deep, trembling breath. A seed was nted inside himbut, as to what it was, he wasnt clear yet. He would need to meditate on itter.

    After the mother and daughter were separated, the world kept rolling. Everyone else went on with their lives. Jack chose not to observe the girl any longer and selected another part of the vige. Everyone here was a mortal carrying their own fears, struggles, and dreams. A thousand facets of life were represented in this tiny vige, more wisdom than a human mind could contain.

    The weeks passed like water. With every day, Jack sank deeper into mortality, feeling his Dao undergo a transformation that made it more aware, more corporeal, more realized.

    The Fist perfectly epassed his life, but he was just one person. The world was vastit contained much more than what he could experience. Compared to the endless lives in the universe, his Dao was tiny, a small part of humanity that was now slowly, step by step, growing outside him.

    Jacks Dao was subtly ascending, approaching the true Dao of Life ever more.

 Chapter 365: Fist of Emotions

    Chapter 365: Fist of Emotions

    Three months flowed between Jacks fingers. He was immersed in the world of mortals, sharing their pains and sorrows, their joys and celebrations. He focused on the little things; a boys rowdiness as he reached maturity, a girls bashfulness, a fathers silent pride, a mothers love.

    The Mortality Chamber didnt contain a real world. It was arge-scale illusion meant to assist cultivators in their pursuit of the Dao. As a result, the density of feelings in this vige was much higher than normal. Every house that Jack visited had something special. Emotions overflowed, and he sank deeper into them with every passing day.

    Until, at some point, a gentle voice reached his ears.

    <em>Excuse me. Three days have passed. It is time to exit.</em>

    Jacks eyes snapped open. Still in his ghostly form, he sighed. With great reluctance, he extricated himself from the world of mortals and return to the one of gods, where he belonged.

    This illusion world wasnt meant to trap C-Grades. A low-grade cultivator might be stranded inside forever, but to Jack, just willing his awareness to surface was enough. His real eyes opened slowly, and he found himself standing upright in the same position hed been three days ago.

    <em>Three mortal months </em>he thought with a sigh. <em>I really should visit home. But not now. The clock is ticking, and Im at war</em>

    Such was the life of a cultivator. They could have family and friends, but they were destined to spend most of their lives alone. The Dao was their truepanion.

    <em>Thank you, Envoy, </em>Jack said, exiting the Mortality Chamber. His eyes scanned the roomthere were only two cultivators present, both of whom nced at him before returning to meditation. Jack paid them no mind.

    <em>Would you like to reserve an appointment for next time? </em>the octopus Envoy asked.

    <em>Its fine. Thank you.</em>

    <em>No problem. Come back anytime!</em>

    Booking an appointment required paying in advance. Jack only had four Dao stones on his person, which was enough to book the Mortality Chamber for a single day. It was far from enough.

    Besides, the future was hazy. He still needed to digest all the insights hed gotten in these three days. Who knew how his Dao would react? Perhaps visiting the Mortality Chamber again would have reduced effectiveness, and it would be better to try another chamber next time.

    He calmly exited the Dao Chamber, mind still swimming in mortality. He wasnt too careful as he walked. A few people stared at him, but Jack ignored thempletely. As if in a trance, his feet took him to his cabin, where he ignored Dorman and wordlessly sat on his bed.

    His eyes closed. He sank in meditation.

    Inside his soul, the many insights swam freely. The endless space around his Dao Tree was covered with visions of the mortals hed observed in the Mortality Chamber, eachughing, crying, or struggling in their ordinary lives.

    As a cultivator advanced, their bodies and minds were transformed, but their hearts remained human. They still possessed the emotions and weaknesses of mortalsthey were just better at working with them. Understanding oneself was important, even to immortals, because it allowed them to realize their utmost potential and rise to their apex.

    Copy Jack was also present in Jacks soul world. Ever since that time hed been struck by the Life Drop, hed grown cold and distant. asionally, he would erupt with jovialty and social mood, but most often he just liked to sit on his own, rxing and enjoying the simple life he led inside Jacks soul. Right now, he gaped at the void, immersed in the memory fragments.

    Hey, Copy Jack, Jack said with a smile.

    Hey, Copy Jack replied, not ncing over. Jack shook his head, then once again sat cross-legged. His Dao Tree was at the front, and the memory fragments flowed around him.

    When a mortal experienced important events, memories often lingered in their minds. What they needed to do was sit down and try to resolve them. Jack was experiencing the same thing, if a bit more directly.

    His hands moved through the void. The memory fragments swirled around him, shing with each other in sparks of emotion. Jack didnt hurry. He let the memories take their course as he slowly dove into each of them, experiencing them anew andprehending them fully. These fragments were the distilled essence of his three months in mortalitythey were not great in number or size.

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    As he absorbed their meaning, the fragments lost their luster. They turned colorless and empty, almost two-dimensional, then slowly copsed into their most vital essence. Pure emotions now circled Jack. Moving his hands, he beckoned them closer, weaving them together into a tapestry of mortality, where opposite extremes blended together like water of different rivers.

    As he held the tapestry afloat, a fist shimmered into existence before him. It was purple and cleanhis fist, a manifestation of his Dao. As it hovered there, it exuded a feeling of absolute powerbut Jack could feel that power was unorganized, disjointed from reality. Itcked purpose. Or, to be precise, its purposecked depth.

    Slowly, Jack morphed the tapestry of emotions into a thin sheet, then draped it over the fist. He could feel the two concepts colliding. His willpower pressed down and forced them to merge, until the fist was covered in shadows ofughter and tears, joys and sorrows.

    Like forged metal, part of its aimless power had been transformed into a de of emotions.

    Jack admired his creation. Then, he gently pushed a palm forward, urging that fist to sink inside his Dao Tree, making it part of the whole. Finally, he felt something click inside himthe insights had been digested, and his Dao had grown. The process wasplete.

    His eyes opened in the real world. He felt physically and mentally drainedhe could use a nap.

    Dorman? he asked. How long did I take?

    The meditating cultivator stirred. Six days, he replied.

    Jack nodded. Absorbing the insights had taken twice as long as getting them That felt about right, for now. But it had still been nine days. In his one-year deadline to reach the top hundred, and in the six months it would take him to duel thatrge woman, nine days were not a negligible amount of time.

    At least, his troubles were not without gain.

    <strong>Congrattions! You have developed the Dao Skill, Fist of Mortality I.</strong>

    <strong>Fist of Mortality I: One fist contains a thousand emotions. Through this skill, you can add a Willponent to your attacks and attempt to confuse the opponent.</strong>

    Jack gave a thin smile. It had been a while since the System spoke to him, much less acknowledge his efforts. In truth, after reaching his current level, the System was bing less and less useful. Even this skill had been entirely developed by Jack. The System had not helped with forming it, nor could it help with using it. It was simply stating the results of his meditation.

    But, still, having his insights confirmed felt nice.

    <em>One more skill </em>he thought, looking at the ceiling. <em>Is it enough?</em>

    Spending nine days to earn a Dao Skill was more than worth it. It wouldnt be too useful, at least not at the first tier, but it could enhance his battle prowess by a small degree. If he could achieve such results every nine days, he would be happy.

    Unfortunately, that was impossible. The first time in each Dao Chamber would yield the best results. If he wanted to double his currentprehension of Mortality, he would need to spend ten or fifteen days in the Mortality Chamber, if not a month. That was just impossible. He could only slowly progress like everyone else.

    But Jack didnt want to be like everyone else. He wanted to be better. He was still soaring through the ranksif he wasted his momentum to focus on slowprehension, it would just be ridiculous.

    <em>I should try a new Dao chamber next time, </em>he thought. <em>But which one?</em>

    There werent manypatible chambers for him. Life was one, as was Space. As for the rest, they mainly pertained to the elements, with which hed never had any special contact. At this point,prehending a new Dao from scratch just wasnt worth it.

    Without a tremendous amount of Dao stones, he couldnt get significant benefits from the Dao Chamber within a year. At least, not significant enough to catapult his strength forward.

    Likewise, his cultivation couldnt grow too quickly. Even if he could cultivate in the third or fourth floor of the Heavy Pagoda, where he could progress many times faster than other geniuses of his level, it just wasnt enough. Cultivation in the C-Grade happened over centuries. Wishing for meaningful advances within just a year was empty talk. The only way would be for him to possess a great number of Dao stones, which could directly increase his cultivation as long as his Dao understanding could keep up.

    As for his body tempering, while it was extremely useful, it was also constrained by time. The stronger his body was, the more difficult it would be to reach the next level. Within a year, he would at most be able to increase his bodily strength by another thirty or forty percent.

    Combining the three approaches of cultivation, Dao meditation, and body tempering, Jack was confident he could achieve his deadlines. He would defeat therge woman in six months and reach the top hundred ranks within a year.

    But his goal wasnt those things. He yearned for the peak of cultivation. To reach it, he had topletely shatter every expectation and progress at speeds that others found impossible. Meeting those deadlines was only the floor of his dreams; he hoped to rise even faster.

    Moreover, the hidden realm expedition in a year would contain some of the top nine-fruit C-Grades. If he just reached the top hundred ranks, he couldnt contend with themhow could he hope to secure any important lucky chances?

    No. He needed to advance even faster. He had to progress with unstoppable momentum, even if that made his foundation a bit shaky in the short term. He could always stabilize itter.

    And the only way to progress as quickly as he hoped were Dao stones.

    Once again, Jack ran into the wall called wealth. If he just had infinite Dao stones, all his problems would be solvedbut, unfortunately, he didnt. The nine stones he received per month seemed like a fortune, but they were wholly inadequate to fully utilize the Dao Chamber, let alone using them to cultivate.

    Luckily, Jack had a n to make Dao stones. A ton of them. He hadnt be a healer for no reason, goddammit!

    It was time to finally utilize Jacks Life Stones.

 Chapter 366: Operation Life Stones

    Chapter 366: Operation Life Stones

    Absolutely not, kid.

    Come on, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell. One Life Stone a week is nothing. Even if I made ten per day for a year, the Supreme Bloods energy would only decrease by a millionth.

    I said NO!

    In the vast, green-tinged space of the Life Drop, therge turtle huffed and puffed. It snorted, the shockwave once again striking Jacks body. However, he had now tempered himself for some time, so he wasnt destroyed, just heavily injured.

    Think about it, he said, enduring the pain as his body regenerated. You and the Supreme Blood would benefit from me rising in power. Its a tremendous long-term benefit for a tiny short-term concession. How bad could it be?

    Kid, youre getting on my nerves. I said one stone per week, so you will make one stone per week.

    The elephant-sized snapjaw turtle red at Jack, its neck shrunk back and ready to strike. However, he believed it was only a feint. The turtle had already invested too much into him; it wouldnt destroy everything just because Jack got a little disrespectful.

    Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, Ipletely understand. And, you know, think of it like this. I possess utmost respect for you and the Supreme Blood. I would never ask for something like this if I wasnt convinced its a good idea. I dont just want to help myselfwe are a team, and I want to benefit us both.

    Save your sweet words, kid. I am not an idiot. You want to use the Supreme Bloods holy powers to create low-level trinkets and sell them. The answer is no.

    Jack scratched his head. This turtle was a tough nut to crackbut, since it hadnt expelled him from this space yet, convincing it wasnt impossible.

    He decided to change tactics.

    Is there any way I could reciprocate this to you or the Supreme Blood? he asked. Creating more life stones would be of great help to me. How can I help you back?

    The turtles face warped into an ugly scowl. Help us back? Very easy. Just find a treasure with enough life energy to restore everything youre going to spend. Oh, but wait; if you could do that, you wouldnt need the Supreme Blood to create those life stones, anyway. Whoops.

    The turtles words were bitter andded with mockery. However, Jack didnt mind. He only saw this turtle as a somewhat senile old personany bitterness that came from its mouth was doomed to be ignored.

    In this case, Jack was even happy. The turtles words had given him a direction to follow.

    Sounds great. I could do that, he replied.

    The turtle shrunk back. You could?

    Of course. Life stones are precious, but they are not everything. If you let me create as many as I want right now, I promise to repay all that energy within two years.

    Two years? Hah! As if the world is so easy! Do you really think Im an idiot, kid? That I would let you benefit for free for two years just based on a loose promise you once made?

    No, Jack replied seriously. The Supreme Blood has been with me for a long time now. You have certainly observed me; you know how I act. If I promise to repay you, then I absolutely will, even if I have to sell everything I own.

    And what if you dont?

    Then you can destroy my body. You can withhold all further energy of the Life Drop or do as you wish.

    Hmm. The turtle extended its neck again, taking a closer look at Jack from only ten feet away. His stare remained steady. He could see in its eyes that it was moved. Ill tell you what well do, the turtle finally said. I will increase the limit from one stone per week to one stone per day. That is the lowest Ill go. In return, you will have to reimburse the Supreme Blood for every drop of energy youve used within two yearsin double. Consider that interest.

    Double!? Jacks brows shot up. Youre scamming me!

    Hmph! As if a venerable saint like myself would scam little humans. I said what I said, kid. If you dont think you can repay all the energy in double, then just go back. We have nothing more to discuss. And dont try to bargainmy patience is already spread thin.

    Jack was angry. The Life Drop contained nearly infinite energythe amount he was requested was beyond negligible, yet now the turtle wanted him to actually repay it not in full, but in double. This was just ridiculous. It was the greediest, skimpiest proposal he had ever heard.

    At the same time, he didnt want to negotiate further or the turtle really would expel him from this space. He needed those life stones. As for finding a good enough life treasure to repay it

    Sometimes, one has to believe in their future self.

    Deal! he said, reaching out a hand. The turtle chuckled, ignoring it.

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    Good, it replied. If you fail to pay, then I will suck out every iota of life energy in your body until you are nothing but a desated corpse. That will be a fate worse than death. Now begone.

    Debt was a dangerous game. To mortals, it could often destroy their livesexactly what happened to the mother and daughter duo in the Mortality Chamber.

    However, that was only a shallow way of looking at things. In truth, debt was a double-edged weapon. If one tried to bite off more than they could chew, or if they took a gamble that didnt pay off, they would suffer. At the same time, if used correctly, debt could greatly elerate a persons ascent.

    In this case, Jack was making a gamble, but he was confident in his chances. Those extra life stones were very precious to him. With their help, he was certain that his progress would be massively elerated. He would be stronger, which would allow him to grasp even more resources and be even stronger. If his foray into the hidden realm went well, securing life treasures with enough energy to pay off his debt to the turtle would be simplehe could afford to just buy them.

    On the other hand, if the hidden realm didnt go well, he would probably die anyway. His debt would be meaningless.

    At the end of the day, this was a decision that stemmed from Jacks utmost confidence in himself. It was no different than all other gambles he had taken. If he could rise fast enough, everything would be fine. If not, he would plunge directly into hell.

    The turtles beady stare bore into him, so Jack quickly detonated his own body and exited the Life Drop space. He returned to the real world, somewhat stressed but hopeful.

    Step one of the Life Stone n wasplete. He had secured the ability to create thirty stones per month. If he could convert every two of them into a Dao stone, that was an extra fifteen Dao stonesenough to achieve his goals.

    The next step was actually achieving that conversion. Jacks Life Stones would be a new addition to the Cathedrals market. While undoubtedly useful, it would take some time for them to catch on. Moreover, there would be a lot of resistance if people knew they came from Jacknobody would want to give him Dao stones and help him make the one-year deadline.

    Thankfully, he had an idea.

    ***

    Hohoho. The Sage chuckled. We havent seen each other in monthsI didnt believe your first words would be a business proposal.

    There is no time to waste, Jack replied with a smile. He swiped his space ringa sack of thirty Life Stones appeared, each shimmering green. If I try to sell these myself, people wont buy. If anyone else tries, they wont be able to exin how they came across them. Only you are mysterious enough to pull this off.

    The Sages eyes glinted with amusement, and his grin revealed two rows of yellow teeth. The two of them were currently at the Sages living room, in a cabinrger than most with several rooms.

    Jack still wasnt clear on the Sages status. He was a one-fruit C-Grade but not an outer disciple. His name wasnt on the Ranking Obelisk. Moreover, he could live in a ce like this while all outer disciples lived in tiny cabins, and he had worked closely with the granny Envoy to divine the hidden realms circumstances. Back in the Milky Way gxy, hed seemed like friends with the Head Envoy.

    All these were far too weird, but Jack had epted it by now. He just went with the flow. As the Sage had told him a long time ago, his soul resonated with Enashe could freely cultivate the Dao of Life and reach the B-Grade with no bottlenecks. It wasnt too strange for him to receive treatment on the level of an Envoy.

    I guess I could, the Sage replied with amusement.

    Thank you Jack said, heaving a huge sigh. You would be doing me a huge favor. I can give you a part of the profits

    The Sageughed. No need. These are produced by you, anywayIm just putting my name on them. Consider it a favor between friends. However, as for actually selling them, Im afraid I cannot help. I, too, lead a busy life.

    Jacks grin was wide. Thats not a problem. I have ways to handle the distribution. Using your name is more than enough.

    Then, Im d I could help.

    Doing business with the Sage was refreshingly simpleif it was the turtle in his situation, it could have asked for half the profits. After shaking hands, Jack remained at the Sages house for an hour, enjoying random chatting over a pot of tea. Throughout the process, the Sage did not reveal the tiniest bit of extra information about himself.

    Finally, Jack stood up.

    I have to go now, but it was great catching up. Ill see you aroundand thanks again for your help.

    No problem. If you need me for anything else, let me know.

    Ill try not to, Jack replied with augh, but he actually meant it. Ever since the Integration, he owed the Sage arge number of favors. It was making him a bit apprehensive.

    Leaving the Sages housewhich was located on the outskirts of vige four, far enough to be in its own spaceJack then walked straight to Brocks cabin.

    Sup, bro? Brock asked with joy.

    Hey Brock. d to see youre doing alright. I have something to ask of you and our bros.

    Brock gave him a wide grin. Speak. We help.

    Jacks heart swam in warmth. He described the life stone situation and what he needed, and Brock was quick to agree. After that, they spent a while ironing out the details. Brock promised to talk with the other bros and make it happen.

    The n was simple. Jack would produce thirty life stones at the start of each month and hand them over to the bro squad. The bros would then work in shifts, spreading rumors about the life stones efficacy and selling them in any way they could. The Cathedral had no established marketce, so selling them would depend on their skills. They would even go door-to-door if they had to.

    Using the bros as salespeople would indirectly connect the life stones to Jack, but it was the best they could do. Nobody else could be trusted. They just had to hope thatbeling them The Sages Life Stones would make the connection to Jack weak enough that people would buy.

    It was a good thing he hadnt started selling them before, or this n would never work.

    As for the profits, they would all go to Jack. As much as he wanted to repay the bros, giving them one Dao stone a month off the profits would be too little to each of them and too much for him. He just promised to repay them in any way he could at ater time.

    Once again, Jack found himself in a sort of debt, but nobody could advance without owing others.

    With the details ironed out, Jack exited Brocks cabin, leaving behind the sack of thirty life stones. Brock, in turn, went out to gather the bros and discuss how they would handle this. Jack believed in them.

    As he returned to his own cabin to practice body tempering, he couldnt stop his grin from spreading. The life stone n was finally set to actionand he had a feeling it would do very, very well.

    Not to mention how fun it would be.

 Chapter 367: Reaping the Benefits

    Chapter 367: Reaping the Benefits

    The bro squad had ten remaining members. The leader of those, besides Brock, was a handsome man named Osmu Sosmu and ranked 793rd in the Ranking Obelisk.

    However, besides his loyalty and budding leadership qualities, Osmu possessed another trait: he came from arge merchant family.

    As soon as the life stones were mentioned, his eyes shed. Selling? he said, thumping his chest. Leave it to me. In the wide universe, there is nothing that I, Osmu Sosmu, cannot sell!

    Good, Brock replied. I trust you.

    The life stone business was quickly organized by Osmu Sosmu. A stall was set up next to the Dao Chamberhe reasoned that, since this was a ce where cultivators spent a lot of Dao stones, spending a couple extra would be easier. The bros would take turn manning the stall and selling the life stones to anyone interested. To C-Grade cultivators like themselves, a few days of work was nothing, let alone that they could cultivate between customers.

    But the stall was only part of the business. Osmu Sosmu and a few others took up the role of salespeoplethey would go through the viges, door-to-door, and try to secure as many sales as they could while spreading the life stones reputation.

    Osmu Sosmu, carrying a fashionable little sack, gently knocked on a door. He waited a bit. The Cathedrals outer disciples were often meditating, and interrupting their session was not always easy. If the upant didnt reply, he wouldnt knock again, just move to another door.

    The door swung open. A gruff, red-haired man with horns on his helmet stared at Osmu with confusion. Can I help you? he asked.

    Depends. Are you a healer?

    No.

    Then how about I help you? Osmuughed, fishing a life stone out of his sack. This is a life stone, the newest creation of the Sage.

    The other cultivator was confused, but not suspicious. There were no scammers on the Cathedral. There hadnt been for millennia. The Sage? he asked. Whos that?

    Didnt you see a C-Grade on the raised tform when the Head Envoy announced the hidden realm? The diviner who helped Envoy Space Eye determine the realms ranking?

    Oh. There was a person like that, yes. Hes called the Sage?

    Apparently. Dont ask me whyhe never tells. Hes a pretty secretive guy, that Sage. All we know is that hes a one-fruit C-Grade diviner who enjoys special privileges on the Cathedral. He lives in his own little house, can you imagine that? Its like hes an Envoy.

    The viking frowned. That little shit.

    Yes. Well, in any case, hes recently created a new life-saving device. Its this thinga life stone. One of these can regenerate a mid C-Grades external injuries, giving them a second life if theyre wounded while fighting or escaping. Its like having a healer at handand anyone can use it. No expertise necessary.

    A healer at hand, you say? The vikings eyes flickered. He was not an idiothe understood by now that Osmu Sosmu was just a salesman. He also recognized him as one of the people who stood by Jack Rust at the Cathedral Square.

    However, he chose not to mention those things. The life stone was tempting.

    How about Ie in and discuss this further? Osmu Sosmu asked.

    Please do, the viking replied, opening his door wide.

    Osmu smiled as he walked in. When it came to selling, he had a lifetime of experience and the teachings of several masters, but he didnt even need them yet. The easiest thing to sell was a good product.

    To the average C-Grade, the life stones really were worth it. They essentially sold themselves!

    Meanwhile, another bro who looked like a ss pane with limbs walked over to the next house on her list. She raised her ss hand and knocked on the door twice, then waited. And waited.

    Just as she was about to move on, the door opened a creak.

    Greetings! said the bro, using the Dao to vibrate her ss body and produce a pleasantly shrill voice. Can I Ah!

    She stopped mid-speech, her body now vibrating to the tune of horror. The door had opened wider, and a beautiful woman stared back at her.

    Whats this about? she asked suspiciously. This woman was the number one outer disciple of the CathedralMin Ling!

    ***

    As the life stone business was slowly budding, Jack had no idea. His only job was to get stronger, hence the need to outsource everything.

    Even if he did know, however, he wouldnt have had the mental capacity tough at this point. He sat on his bed, painstakingly working on his body tempering. The sheets below him were already dotted with blood. Jacks body shook intermittently, his skin rupturing in different spots. His regeneration worked overtime to cover for the injuries, but new ones kept cropping up.

    Body tempering was a simple but challenging process. It consisted of repeatedly drawing a tiny bit of energy from the Life Drop and forcefully fusing it into ones body. That was it. However, this fusion was immensely difficult.

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    The human body was aplete system formed of the Dao of Life. To cram more energy into it was unnatural. It went against his instincts. Every time Jack forced a fusion, his brain was screaming that he was about to explode, and the pain was like driving iron pikes through his bones. The pain was real, but the feeling of iing explosion was fakejust a reflex he had to suppress. Even if an ident did happen, it wouldnt kill him, just put him through even more harrowing pain.

    That was the trouble of fusing one strand of life energy into the body, but in truth, one strand was nothing. This process was repeated every few minutes. As soon as Jackpleted the fusion and escaped the pain, he would drag another strand out of the Life Drop and start again. Time passed. The strands added up,prehensively tempering his body and raising all his Physical stats.

    And yet, Jack stoically endured the pain, single-mindedly forcing more life energy into his body.

    The passage of time was hazy. At some point, he opened his eyes and nearly copsed on his bed. He opened his mouth to puke out blood, theny t on his back with the lifeless eyes of a dead fish.

    Are you okay? Dorman asked, his voice soft and concerned. I didnt want to disturb you, butyour sheets

    Jack closed his eyes. With great effort, he rolled over, finding that his bed was painted crimson. Blood dripped down from the ends of the sheet, meeting the ground swiftly under the influence of the thousandfold gravity.

    Im fine, he replied in a hoarse voice. Justtired.

    You dont sound fine, Dorman replied carefully. Maybe you shouldtake it easy?

    Im fine, Jack repeated. Dorman didnt speak anymore, letting his friend recover.

    The further one advanced on the path of body tempering, the more they approached their bodys limits. He hadnt bled at the startnow, every fusion rocked his entire body, the life energy struggling to amodate more of itself. Every fusion took longer and hurt more. Eventually, it would reach the degree where it was ineffective, but Jack wasnt there yetand the pain, great as it was, amounted to nothing before his desire to get stronger.

    That desire burned his soul and set his heart ame. A little pain was a fine price to pay. It meant he was on the right pathif it was easy, everyone would do it.

    How long did my tempering take? Jack asked, still gathering himself.

    Fifteen days, Dorman responded.

    <em>Fifteen Coupled with the nine from before, its been twenty-four days already. Almost a month. Have I gotten any stronger?</em>

    He willed open his status screen. His main goal was to inspect his stats and see how much theyd grown in these fifteen days, but he also wanted to enjoy the visualization of his own strength. Even his willpower wasnt infinitehe needed something to hold onto.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 250</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 2805 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 2805 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 2805 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 309</strong>

    <strong>Will: 309</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Space Walk III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body II, Titan Taunt I, Fist of Mortality I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Foundation: Dao Tree of the Fist, Dao Root of Indomitable Will (fused), Dao Root of Life (fused), Dao Root of Power (fused), Dao Root of Weakness (fused)</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    <em>2805 </em>he thought. <em>I got four hundred points in two weeks. Last time I spent two weeks in body tempering, I got five hundred fifty. My progress was almost halved</em>

    He shook his head. Compared to cultivation, body tempering was far more difficultbut it worked.

    As his powers returned, Jack realized his entire being was invigorated. Just clenching his fist could shatter a mountaintop. He had the reflexes and agility to dodge the rain, while his body was so dense he could endure even the hardest of strikes.

    He grinned. This feeling made everything worth it.

    Alright! he shouted, jumping to his feet. <em>Its only six days until the start of the next month. I should probably visit the Heavy Pagoda.</em>

    The pagoda was not only good for cultivation, but also to consolidate his body tempering. Those innumerable fusions were not perfectthey left behind tiny wounds and imperfections. If he didnt iron them out, his body would be riddled with weak spots, and the best ce to do so was the Heavy Pagoda, where the extreme gravitypacted even his powerful body to near the point of copse. All weak points could easily disappear.

    Thanks to his current ranking, he could spend two days a month at the pagoda. He would use them all up now, then spend the remainder of the month cultivating in his cabin. At least, that was the n.

    See you, Dorman, Jack said. Not waiting for a reply, he opened the door and strolled into the bleak terrain of the Cathedral. Dark stoney beneath his feet and white buildings rose all around. He calmly strolled through, not even noticing the thousandfold gravity at this point.

    The cabins of the vige gave way to destion, then a pagoda with seven floors. It was manned by the same cultivator as beforea strong-looking older woman, though not the same one that apanied the Head Envoy.

    As Jack approached the Heavy Pagoda, he saw a small group resting and chatting besides its base. Normally, he would have ignored them. As he passed by, however, some words of the cultivators caught his ear.

    ...those life stones are so good.

    Man, the Church is so stingy. Between cultivation, the Dao Chamber, and now these life stones, where am I supposed to spend my three Dao stones?

    Right, right. They should double our wages, or how do they expect us to advance quickly?

    One of the three cultivators, the one facing Jacks direction, finally spotted and recognized him. He stopped speaking, wearing a guarded look. His two friends hadnt noticed Jack, but he approached them.

    Hey there, random fellows, he said, stepping into their circle. I heard you chatting about some life stones. Whats that about?

    The three cultivators eyed him carefully. They recognized him, of course, and had no intention of helping the public enemy of every other outer disciple. However, they were also a bit intimidated. Jacks talent rose to the heavens, and they were mere four-fruit immortals.

    You havent heard about the life stones? one of them finally said. What have you been doing for the past month?

    Cultivating. Please enlighten me, he replied with a bright smile.

    Well a second cultivator couldnt help but say. The life stones are creations of the Sagethe dirty-looking diviner who gets special treatment. Theyre life-savers. Anyone can use them to just heal themselvesno need to look for expensive healers anymore while adventuring. Of course, they cant fix everything, but they do a pretty good job.

    Really? Jack asked, pretending to be surprised. They do sound useful. Perhaps I could use them myself. Do you have any idea where I could find them?

    Theres a stall by the Dao Chamber. Theyll restock at the start of the month, but you may not be able to afford themthey go for one Dao stone apiece.

    Jack froze. Excuse me? How much?

 Chapter 368: Min Lingâ€™s Resolve

    Chapter 368: Min Ling¡¯s Resolve

    One Dao stone apiece. What? You think thats too little?

    The three cultivators shot odd nces towards Jack, who did his best to contain his excitement. Kind of, he replied. I mean, such a life-saving treasure would certainly be worth more than a weeks wage?

    Hey, we cant all be like you and earn nine stones a month. Us middle-rankers have to settle for three or five. Plus, the life stones have just appeared; rumor has it the prices will grow soon, so were in a hurry to buy.

    Jack nodded. I see. Well, nice chatting with you all, but I have a pagoda to tackle. See you around.

    Yeah, see you the cultivators replied, watching Jack pace towards the pagodas managing Envoy. They nced at each other.

    Which floor do you think hell go to? one of them whispered.

    The second, another replied without thinking.

    Thest cultivator shook his head and said, I think he can reach the third.

    What? How? The third floor is usually for seven- or eight-fruit disciples. Even if he can match a six-fruit inbat, theres no way he can match their pure volume of Dao.

    As they were discussing, they saw Jack speak to the Envoy, then float upward. He rose over the first floor, then the second. Is he really going for the third? one of the cultivators eximed. No way, right? Hes just showing off.

    Then, before their very eyes, Jack floated over the third floor and into the fourth! The three cultivators were speechless. Even the Envoy at the base of the pagoda did a double-take.

    No way the first cultivator muttered.

    Jack pushed open the door and walked in, then closed it behind him. Half a minute passed. Then one. Jack hadnt exited, nor had the Envoy entered to rescue him. The only exnation washe could handle the fourth level!

    That was sixteen times the Cathedrals already extreme gravity!

    Hes a monster one of the cultivators said, shaking his head. Right after, however, he remembered something else, and his eyes shone. He turned to find his friends returning the look.

    The third-ranked outer disciple, Baron Longform, had a standing bounty on any information pertaining to Jack Rust. He offered between three and twenty Dao stones depending on the informations importance. As for Jack being able to enter the Heavy Pagodas fourth level, that was certainly a scoop!

    As one, the three cultivators turned around and rushed for vige one, where Baron lived.

    ***

    Jack could barely endure the fourth level. As soon as he stepped inside, a heavy pressure crashed down on him. He almost lost his footingit felt like the entire sky had leaned on his shoulders.

    But he couldst here, at least for a bit.

    Gritting his teeth, Jack closed the door and took a strained step to the side. Running out of strength, he did not look for a meditation mat, instead sitting down as he was. The pressure became slightly more manageable, but it remained muscle-tearing.

    The gravity of this floor was sixteen thousand times greater than Earths. Jack weighed over a million tons. Even with his godlike Dao working hard to offset the pressure, and with his tempered body resisting far more than the average cultivator could, he was pushed to his limits.

    One deep breath after another, he tried to adapt. His goal here wasnt to cultivate, but to use the extreme gravity topact his body and get rid of all the leftover weaknesses of body tempering.

    And boy, was it working. Jack could feel his cells grinding against each other, the weaker ones dying in droves. His regeneration worked in overdrive, producing more and stronger cells. Any gaps in his bodys life energy were forcefully eliminated, distributing the energy uniformly in the same way that a grinding stone ttened any mix.

    Time passed one minute at a time. No matter how Jack gritted his teeth, the pressure refused to abate, but he could sense his body growing denser and moreplete. His weaknesses were disappearing. The life energy fusions hed aplished were hammered t.

    After what felt like a year, but was only around twenty minutes, the process wasplete. Jack felt his body settle down and be fullypact as if he was made of steel. With a heave of relief, he struggled to get up and exit this floor, going to the third one where he could cultivate more freely.

    However, right as he managed to force himself upright, a blue screen appeared in his vision.

    <strong>Congrattions! Neutron Star Body II  Neutron Star Body III</strong>

    <strong>Neutron Star Body III: Neutron stars are made from the densest material in the universe. Your body inherits some of its properties, achieving extraordinary resilience and durability, increased weight and strength, as well as resistance to all elemental attacks. You also retain extreme regenerative properties.</strong>

    <strong><em>By greatly increasing your bodys density and achieving control over life energy, you have gained the ability to manipte your mass at will.</em></strong>

    Finally! Jack eximed. This skill had been one of his greatest weapons in battle, but it hadnt increased in a very long time. Ever since hed gotten it, before even leaving Trial, it had remained at the second tier, stubbornly refusing to budge.

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    Being abe to manipte his massand therefore weightcame at the perfect time.

    Increasing ones Physical stats was a mostly qualitative process of saturating oneself with the Dao of Life. The bodys physical weight didnt increase much. However, after reaching a few thousand points, those little weight increases added up. Every C-Grade cultivator was heavier than a normal personfor Jack, whose Neutron Star Body also increased his weight, he was almost twice as heavy as before the Integration.

    That created all sorts of problems and was especially prominent in the Cathedral and the Heavy Pagoda. In addition, he had long wondered about this: neutron stars should be extraordinarily dense, so howe the skill only made him twice as heavy?

    Turns out, that density was just hidden behind the next tier.

    The skill didnt mention the limits of his mass maniption. While he yearned to test out its upper limit, the current circumstances demanded the opposite. Calling out to his skill, and observing the life energy as it worked on his body, Jack reduced his weight to the minimum.

    It wasnt too muchit basically undid the skills weight increase, reducing his current weight by around twenty percent. However, even that was a life-saver. The pressure of the pagodas fourth level instantly decreased alongside his weight, letting him find his footing.

    A smile bloomed on Jacks lips. While it still wasntfortable, he could handle this pressure now. He didnt need to return to the third levelhe could cultivate right here!

    Just this fact would significantly increase his cultivation speed!

    <em>Thank you, System Though, I guess I could havee up with this on my own.</em>

    The System did nothing but streamline the Dao. Everything it achieved, Jack could too. It just hadnt urred to him that manipting his mass was possible.

    <em>Testing the upper limit willeter. Now, its cultivation time!</em>

    One step after the other, Jack walked deeper into the fourth level. A faint current of Dao led him to an unupied meditation mat, where he heavily sat down and closed his eyes.

    The Dao here was rich beyondpare. It was suffocating. Resisting the pressure, Jack opened his mind and soul to his environment. His Dao Tree breathed in and out. The Dao particles around him oscited, then were sucked inside him. They didnt even look for his nostrils, just diving directly through his pores.

    Jacks body was flooded with the power of the Dao. He revolved his own Dao of the Fist, causing the relevant particles to draw closer while repelling the others. The meditation mat below him assisted, magnifying his Dao.

    Under the dual effects of drawing in the Dao and filtering out everything unrted, arge quantity of Fist-adjacent particles flooded Jacks soul world, rushing to be sucked in by the Dao Trees roots. A rich stream traveled up the trunk and sank into the Dao Fruit, slowly pushing it towards maturity, while the rest was discharged through the many flowers and turned into mist that filled the soul world.

    The entire system was operating to capacity. Thanks to the pagoda, these Dao particles were so densely clustered thatrge quantities could pass through the Dao Trees thin roots.

    Copy Jackughed, watching the dancing mist around him. Jack himself couldnt help but grin. His cultivation was galloping forward. Just by cultivating in this floor of the pagoda for two days a month, he could form his second Dao Fruit before the one-year deadline! And, if he got his hands on Dao stones or other resources, perhaps it would be even quicker.

    Most disciples of the Cathedral considered themselves lucky if they could grow one fruit every decade. If they found out that Jack could grow it in a year and still wasnt satisfied, they might even faint on the spot!

    ***

    What nonsense is this? Min Ling asked, holding a leaflet that proudly advertised The Sages Life Stones.

    Its the new hot thing! Esmeralda replied, plopping into a chair beside her friend. She was the blue-haired girl Brock called Ponytail Sis. Its a life saving measure. You should buy a couple for the hidden realmI know you have Dao stones to spare.

    Min Ling hesitated. Are they really useful for me?

    Youre strong, so maybe one life stone wouldnt be enough. But you can always buy, like, a dozen.

    Hmm. Ill consider it. They seem a bit suspicious.

    Well, its the Sage. Youve heard about him, right? Everything he does is weird. I say you splurge a little bit. Youve earned it, girl.

    Min Ling gave her a sharp nce. You know, she said, I did hear some odd things about these life stones.

    Oh? Esmeralda replied, inspecting her nails. Like what?

    That their distribution is handled by Jack Rusts ragtag team of weaklings. And that the Sage is a friend of his.

    How preposterous! I had no idea.

    Es.

    What?

    Dont lie to me. You know its useless.

    Esmeralda yed coy for a minute, thenughed out loud. Well, I think youre right. Most people have caught on by now, but the stones are just too good. Besides, even if it is Jack Rust hiding behind this, what do you care? Its not like his World Anchor wille to you if he fails.

    Perhaps, she replied with a small smile.

    Oh, I know what youre concerned about! Youre interested in him.

    Min Ling raised a brow. Im no

    Dont worry, I get it. Hes the talk of the Cathedral, extremely talented, and with a cute monkey sidekick. Hes handsome, toodid you see his upper robes getting torn off in that duel against Marcus William? Im telling you, he had at least an eight-pack, and I would pay several Dao stones to be pressed into that manly chest of his.

    Now youre just being indecent.

    So what? Its just us. We can say whatever we like. Sheughed again. Come on, Mindont tell me youve never thought about him, not even a little.

    Of course I havent. We havent even spoken once. My entire existence is devoted to cultivation, so why would I care about a man?

    Well, Spacewind seems to think the opposite.

    Spacewind can go fuck himself. Min Lings eyes became stormy, but she quickly suppressed her outburst. Anyway Your teasing aside, I might be interested in those life stones. Even if they arent too effective, having a few at hand couldnt hurt. Do you mind buying some for me the next time you visit their stall?

    No problem. How many do you want?

    As much as this can buy, Min said, handing over a little sack filled with Dao stones. Esmeraldas eyes widened, then sheughed.

    You got it, girl, she replied, pocketing the sack. But arent you worried about helping Jack Rust? Even if you dont care about his World Anchor, he might threaten your status as the top outer disciple.

    Status is nothing to me. I would dly sacrifice it to have a rival, she said, sending her piercing gaze through the wall and into the void. As for the World Anchor I am not like those desperate weaklings that like to sabotage others. I would never drop so low. If he seeds, he deserves itand, if he doesnt, I will step on him fair and square like I have on everyone else.

    Esmeralda chuckled. That kindness of yours wille back to bite you.

    If we lose our heart, what are we but animals? Min Ling replied, her dark hair swishing as she turned. In that moment, her clear eyes and perfect face carried such beauty that even Esmeralda was momentarily dazed. Whether its Jack Rust, Jack Must, or Jack Lust, I dont care. My throne is right here. If anyone wants to take it, theyre free to try.

 Chapter 369: Nouveau Riche

    Chapter 369: Nouveau Riche

    Every start of the month, the outer disciples of the Cathedral could go to the registration office and pick up their monthly stiption of Dao stones. Usually, the cultivators streamed in, then casually walked out and headed to the various training grounds where they could spend them.

    This time, however, the scenery was different. Some cultivators had waited here since the night before, slowly forming a line before the door. More arrived every hour. As soon as the new day came, the registration office was swarmed with people looking to receive their stiption only to dash away as fast as their legs could take them.

    The resident Envoy had never seen such haste before.

    After picking up their Dao stones, the ce the cultivators rushed to was the Dao Chamber, but not to enter it. A small stall had been set up beside that wide and short building. This stall wouldnt be out of ce if ced in a mortal marketthere were just thirty fist-sized stonesid out on a thin nket on top of a wooden bench. Over them, a sign proudly proimed, Life Stones: Your Personal Healer!

    Manning the stall was Osmu Sosmu, the proud merchant and third big bro of the bro squad, along with two other bros. Seeing a hundred cultivators rushing their way, he grinned. Wee, everyone, to this months supply of life stones! he shouted, spreading his arms wide.

    The life stones were not suitable for everyone on the Cathedral. Top rankers had powerful bodies flooded with their own Dao, so they would need multiple stones to feel a difference. Even to most high rankers, the results wouldnt be too pronounced. As for the low rankers, they didnt have many Dao stones to begin with, so they were wary of spending them on anything that wouldnt increase their cultivation.

    The target audience of the life stone business were the middle-rankers of the Cathedral, the people with four to six Dao Fruits. This category included hundreds of cultivators. Many of them wished to go out soon and adventure, or feared that the Sage would stop producing life stones at some point. They mostly made up the crowd rushing towards the stall at the start of this month.

    Osmu Sosmu was familiar with these kinds of situations. Normally, he would have driven up the price to squeeze these customers dry, but the Cathedrals outer disciples were all intelligent people. A prudent approach was best. There was also Jacks delicate status and the fact that life stones werent truly established yet. The sight of people rushing the stall was helpful in validating the product in the customers minds. Therefore, Osmu opted to double the price every month.

    Now, it was one Dao stone apiece. Next month, it would be two, and it would keep increasing until the market reached a semnce of bnce. Otherwise, if he tried doubling it again today, he feared that the customers would all turn around and leave.

    The thirty life stones flew off the shelves. Most people frowned when they saw the current price, which had doubled sincest month, but a few chose to grit their teeth and buy. Everything was sold out on the first day.

    Pleasure doing business with you, Osmu Sosmu waved goodbye to everyone as he picked up the stall and walked away. The smile on his face was inextinguishable. He arrived at his cabin, where he was visited by several bros. As everyone left, Osmu visited the Sage for some tea and to presumably deliver the profits. However, he didnt carry any Dao stonesthe stalls earnings were secretly left with one of the bros whod visited him before. That bro then waited a few hours before delivering the earnings to Brock, who in turn visited Jacks cabin.

    Jacks eyes widened as he saw Brock proudly retrieve arge sack from his brand-new space ring. All that? he asked.

    All, Brock replied with a smile, emptying the sack on Jacks bed. Dozens of Dao stones rolled out. The nearby Dormans mouth hung open, while even Jack struggled to believe his eyes.

    How many is that!?

    Forty-five! Brock dered proudlyhe could count up to a thousand now.

    Jack had supplied Brock with thirty life stonesst month, and another thirty just the day before. The first batch had been sold at half a Dao stone per life stone, while the second batch was sold at a ratio of one to one. Altogether, this amounted to forty-five Dao stonesa wealth that just seemed to fall from the sky.

    Combined with Jacks nine stones for the month and Marcuss sevenwhose wage was still taken by Jackalongside the four he had remaining fromst month, he now possessed a total of sixty-five Dao stones. He would get that amount every month, if not more. It was simply unimaginable wealth!

    Brock! Jack eximed. This is amazing! How Just how did you achieve this?

    Not me. Osmu. Third bro.

    Then thank Osmu for me. Tell him hes brillianthe absolutely deserves it! Jack was swimming in joy. He took in the Dao stones, quickly calcting in his mind. Take back thirteen, he said. Two for you, two for Osmu, and one for every other bro. Theres one for Sage, too, as thanks for letting us use his name. I know its far too little, but I truly am in dire need of Dao stones right now. I promise to thank everyone properlyter.

    Thanks, bro. But I want to ask for more. I am close to making more Big Thought. Can I have stones?

    Jack did a double-take, then his face radiated joy. Youre going to break through? he eximed.

    Brock nodded. Big Thought is steady. Power is peak. I am ready.

    Thats wonderful! Of course, of course; how many do you need?

    Twenty, Brock replied immediately. He was an outer disciple now, so he also had a small wage of Dao stones. Hed already absorbed one and calcted the needed amount.

    Very well. Twenty it is. Along with the eleven stones for everyone else, thats thirty-one.

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    Jack quickly separated thirty-one stones from the pile and handed them over to Brock. It was arge amount, but he couldnt care less. His little brother was about to break through. If he was greedy at this time, then he really wouldnt deserve Brock.

    The remaining thirty-four stones were more than enough, anyway.

    Thanks, big bro, Brock replied, fist-bumping Jack and receiving the stones in his space ring. I make you proud.

    Always.

    As the two were rejoicing, drunk in their brotherhood, Dorman was meditating on the cabins meditation mat. His eyes were firmly shut, but his mind was in turmoil. Conflicting emotions warred inside him. He would reach the peak D-Grade soon, and he desperately needed Dao stones to break through. At the same time, Jack had already been kind to himhe couldnt possibly ask for more.

    He didnt reveal any of these thoughts, but how could Jack not see them?

    Dorman, he said suddenly, making the younger man open his eyes. Jack smiled. I havent forgotten about you. When the timees, I will naturally help you break through as wellbut, before that, I want to help you restore your body to its optimal state. As soon as my control of life energy is precise enough, I am confident in removing the excess energy from your body.

    Dormans eyes widened like saucers. His heart cried out in joy, and emotions threatened to well up in his eyes.

    You dont have to was all he managed to say, but Jack justughed.

    Were friends. Were brosand, moreover, wee from the same. Since helping you isnt too difficult, it would be a shame not to.

    Dorman closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, they were wide and clear. Thank you, he said. I will keep this favor in the depths of my heart. I will repay you.

    Just focus on yourself. You got this.

    You good bro, Brock added. Bit stupid sometimes, but your heart is kind. I believe.

    Thanks, Brock, Dorman replied, touched.

    Brock showed a toothy grin. Call me bro.

    The three of them spent some more time talking, then Brock took thirty-one stones and departed. Jack was left with thirtyan insane amount. Even Min Ling, the first-ranked outer disciple, didnt receive a monthly wage of thirty Dao stones.

    Jack was filthy rich.

    Dao stones had two uses for the current him. One was renting out the various rooms of the Dao Chamber. The other was absorbing their Dao to directly speed up his cultivation.

    Now that he had enough stones, he could finally do both.

    ***

    Jack arrived at the Dao Chamber. The same octopus Envoy was behind the desk, while four cultivators meditated in various spots of the floor. One of them sat very close to the Envoy. As soon as Jack entered, that cultivator opened his eyes and immediately arrived at the desk.

    I would like to book the Mortality Chamber for ten days, he loudly dered.

    Jack couldnt catch the Envoys telepathic reply, but he did see her regretful gaze. <em>Im sorry, </em>she told him even as she spoke with the other cultivator. <em>This person is obstructing you, but I cannot do anything. The rules are clear.</em>

    Jack frowned. This cultivator was obviously acting against him on purpose. Since hed visited the Mortality Chamberst time, his enemies had sent this guy to book out the chamber and slow down his cultivation.

    Thankfully, Jack didnt n to enter the Mortality Chamber this time, but they didnt know that. Since they were against him, he could y them a bit.

    Hey, he said angrily. What do you think youre doing?

    What? the other cultivator replied with an innocent look. Im just preparing to meditate on the Dao.

    You were clearly waiting for me. You jumped out to rent my Dao Chamber the moment I appeared.

    Hmph. The world doesnt revolve around you. I was only adjusting myself just now. This is the same chamber I always use, and you just happened to enter as I was about to stand up. If you have any proof of the opposite, bring it out!

    Of course, this was all a load of crap. The cultivator hadnt even bothered to hide the satisfaction in his eyes. Jack pretended to be angry.

    You sure can spout shit! he said.

    Youre still going on? What kind of idiot are you? I said I will rent this room, and I was here before you, so its mine. If you want, you can wait ten days for your turnassuming, of course, that the price remains where it is. If too many people ask for the same room, the price will go up, and poor upstarts like yourself will never be able to afford it.

    Oh yeah? Do you really think so?

    So what if I do and so what if I dont? I just asked for ten days at four Dao stones each. If you have the ability, how about you offer more Dao stones than me and get the room first? How about that?

    Fine! Jack replied, pretending to fly off the handle. I offer five stones for five days!

    Then I offer six stones for ten days, the cultivator replied smoothly. It was like sixty Dao stones were nothing to him, so it stood to reason they werent his to begin with. Someone had supplied him with Dao stones so he could bother Jackand it wasnt difficult to guess who that was.

    Still, the cultivators telepathic message sealed the deal.

    <em>Give up, kid. Baron Longform will never let you use the Dao Chamber againlets see you reaching the top hundred now.</em>

    His grin was savage, like looking at prey. Jack showed a face of indignationthough, inwardly, he was sneering at the other mans idiocy. <em>You just wasted sixty Dao stones, asshole.</em>

    Fine, he spat out in exasperation, then walked over to the octopus Envoy and spoke telepathically. <em>I would like the Space Chamber, please. For seven days.</em>

    If the Envoy saw through him, she betrayed nothing. <em>Certainly. At three stones per day, that will be twenty-one stones, please. The chamber is unupied, so you can enter immediately.</em>

    Jack passed out the stones to her, sensing the other cultivators gaze on his hands. Twenty-one stones were a multiple of three. However, there were many rooms costing three Dao stones, so the cultivator couldnt directly guess which room Jack had requested. He would have to wait and see him enter.

    Well? Jack asked. Wont you go to your Mortality Chamber?

    Oh, dont worry. My time has already started. I just had a sudden inspirationIll enter when I feel like it.

    While most of Jacks anger was fake, and inwardly he was gloating, he really wanted to punch this guy in the face. It was clear that Baron Longform, possibly with the assistance of other top rankers, was determined to make his life difficult. If he hadnte across sudden wealth, then he really would be unable to enter the Dao Chamber soon, which would severely impact his progress.

    <em>I will remember this, </em>he promised, carving this enmity deep in his heart. Without another word, he walked to the Space Chamber and entered it. Next month, this chamber would surely be hotly contestedbut Jacks pockets would keep getting deeper.

    <em>Baron Longform</em> he thought, seething on the inside. <em>Between you and me, lets see who has more money to waste!</em>

 Chapter 370: Six Months

    Chapter 370: Six Months

    The Space Chamber was unlike anything Jack had ever experienced. As soon as he was sucked into its illusion, he found himself floating inside a small sr system. Or, maybe, it was him that wasrge.

    His body was the size of the sun. Sevens orbited that sun at random distances, along with a slew of other celestial bodiesmeteors,ets, gasses, moons. Jack gaped. The sun was blinding, filling this space with light, and the colorfulet tails speared through the cosmos in resplendent beauty.

    It was wonderful.

    <em>Edgar would love this </em>was Jacks first thought before he inspected the chamber more deeply. He quickly saw the point: with him being at this size, and with all other distractions cut away, the effect of curved space on this sr system was in to see.

    The entire cosmos was strung through by faint lines. They spread from end to end of this space, and although they were straight, they also curved around the celestial bodies as if this entire ce was a taut sheet draped over a gap. The lines were space; they highlighted its curvature, letting Jack use his eyes to inspect them.

    The sun,s, and smaller bodies, all at his behest. Lines drawn over space itself. Jack used a finger to punch through space, finding it effortless, and discovered that even its inner void was covered in lines. They were a squiggly mess, of course, governed by unknownws, but it didnt matter. He was finally able to interact with the mysterious space between space, the interspace.

    Given enough time, theprehensions he could gain here were endless!

    Jack grinned with excitement and sat cross-legged. The entire sr system fell under his gaze. His Dao perception spread out, tracing every change. While he was acquainted with the basic principles of space from his time on Earth, knowing was one thing and seeing was another. Finally, he could interact with space as he liked, observe it in a vacuum, and see the clearly visible truths that were usually hidden.

    The Dao of Space was in in sight. Meditating on it here would offer ten times the advantages with half the effort! Not to mention that he already had an affinity to Space thanks to his previous ss, Cosmic Fist.

    In the Cathedral, Dao understanding had been one of Jacks weaknessesbut now, he could finally begin to make up for it.

    <em>I love this ce, </em>he thought, then sank into meditation.

    ***

    On the first month after the hidden realm announcement, Jack had spent twelve Dao stones.

    On the second, he had thirty-four. Twenty-one went to renting the Space Chamber for a week, while the rest were cleanly absorbed by Jack to enhance his cultivation.

    On the third month, Osmu Sosmu raised the price of life stones to two Dao stones apiece, so Jack received sixty Dao stones. Along with his and Marcuss wage, they totalled to seventy-six.

    Upon visiting the Dao Chamber, Baron Longform had sent hisckeys to book both the Mortality and Space chambers for ten days. Thanks to prices going up, it cost him ny Dao stones. He was certainly putting in the capital, but Jack onlyughed and walked away. In truth, meditating in the Dao Chamber and body tempering were interoperable. There was no harm in waiting ten days to book the chamber of his choice. Therefore, he booked the Space Chamber in the middle of the month, content with letting Baron waste a bunch of his Dao stones.

    On the fourth month, Baron Longform came up with even more stones. He had to be supported by other top rankers as well, because the amount hisckeys showed with no less than two hundred! Jack let them spend freely for the first fifteen days of the month, then directly offered seven stones per day and secured the Space Chamber for a week. His own ie had increased as wellthe life stones now sold for three Dao stones a piece,ting him a total monthly ie of a hundred Dao stones!

    At this point, their war of resources had begun to escte. The ripples were felt across the Cathedralmany disciples wanted to meditate on the Mortality and Space Chambers, but they just couldnt. Their prices had risen from four and three stones per day to eight and seven respectively. It was madness.

    It was unknown whether Baron Longform and his aplishes had hidden stashes of Dao stones, or if they were asking for favors and borrowing from others. Either way, they were going all-out for the chance to earn the World Anchor. Entire fortunes were crumbling like sand castles.

    But all their efforts could only slightly inconvenience Jack. They hadnt ounted for his newfound wealth or the fact that he could spend a lot of time tempering his body. If it was anyone else, the fastest path to advancement would be spending most of their time in the Dao Chamber. Therefore, from Baron Longforms perspective, what was urring seemed like a victorythey had limited Jack to only using the Dao Chamber seven days a month, and they also forced him to spend over fifty Dao stones for it. They were taking away both his Dao Chamber time and cultivation resources; in their eyes, they had him cornered, and so they gritted their teeth and kept spending wildly.

    In truth, Jack was fine. He possessed more Dao stones than they could fathom. Seven days per month at the Dao Chamber was his optimal point; he also needed to spend roughly two weeks tempering his body, as well as a few days digesting his insights from the chamber. Finally, two days every month were spent at the Heavy Pagoda, where Jack absorbed Dao stones like candy. Under thebination of the stones and the pagodas extremely dense Dao, his cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds, steadily approaching maturity of the first fruit.

    Jacks progress was close to optimal. All Baron and his aplishes were achieving was to waste their considerably deep pockets. The only real winner here was the Dao Chamber itself, which brought in massively increased profits. If this was all part of the Head Envoys n, Jack would have to tip his hat.

    Moreover, due to this war of resources, the anti-Jack movement was beginning to lose ground with the other disciples. Most top rankers had already spent so much time at the Dao Chamber that they didnt mind staying away for a bit, but that wasnt true for the hundreds of mid-rankers. They were the ones who suffered from the Dao Chamber prices going up, as well as the permanent upation of certain chambers.

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    At the same time, the bro squad discreetly but steadily advertised their brotherhood, forming a stark contrast against the top rankers selfish behavior.

    On the fifth month, the price of life stones remained at three Dao stones apiece. It had stabilized, but the profits were more than enough for Jack. A hundred Dao stones entered his pockets every month. Then, fifty were spent at the Dao Chamber and another fifty were absorbed while cultivating in the Heavy Pagoda. He also saved a few forter.

    As for Baron Longforms camp, even their coffers had begun to empty. They could no longer up the ante. Jacks Dao Chamber usage remained at seven days a month, which was plenty. He spent all of that time in the Space Chamber. Unlike the Mortality Chamber, space was practical and yed to Jacks strengths. It could refine his teleportation, indirectly increasing his speed, and also contained many meteors on which he could meditate to increase his awareness of Meteor Punch.

    While Meteor Punch itself didnt evolve, another skill did.

    <strong>Congrattions! Dao Skill Space Walk III has been upgraded to Space Mastery II.</strong>

    <strong>Space Mastery II: The power of space lies at your fingertips. This versatile skill allows you to incorporate the Dao of Space into your movements and attacks, as well as teleport quicker, farther, and with less preparation time.</strong>

    The description was simple, but the skill itself was godly. It added a whole new weapon to Jacks repertoire. So far, he had only been using space as a medium to teleport, but the more he meditated in the Space Chamber, the more uses he discovered. It was the fabric of reality; how could it be useless? How could it not be practical to the extreme?

    The more time one spent at a Dao Chamber, the smaller their benefits would be. However, Jack had just gotten started. Hisprehension advanced by leaps and bounds, increasing hisbat strength.

    The Space Chamber was a gift that kept on giving.

    As the sixth month came and went, the situation didnt change. Jack spent seven days at the Space Chamber and another three digesting his new insights. He spent nine days tempering his body, one painful fusion at a time, and then two days in the Heavy Pagodas fourth level, where he cultivated using the dense Dao and the many Dao stones he had avable.

    Throughout these six months, his training regime had been absolutely luxurious. Even most top-rankers couldnt afford seven days at the Dao Chamber each month, let alone using fifty Dao stones to cultivate. Thankfully, Jack kept his wealth carefully hidden, or anyone who heard might have suffered from apoplectic outrage.

    On the end of the sixth month, Jack exited the Heavy Pagoda and calmly floated down. Everyone who saw him felt their vision tingling. It was like his mere physical body carried the aura of stars, as if he was a solid mountain in human form. Most people didnt know the cause of this aura and attributed it to Jack cultivating some weird Dao.

    Thanks to his body tempering, Jacks body contained an immense, overbearing, tyrannical aura. If he let it loose, it would frighten everyone sillybut he kept it closely contained, revealing only the slightest hints of his power.

    One week before the six-month duel, Jack sat alone in his cabin. He shut the door. Even Dorman had been temporarily pushed out, because breakthroughs warranted absolutely no distractions.

    After six months of intense cultivation, Jacks first Dao Fruit had finally reached maturity. It had doubled in size since its creation, and the aura it contained was far more potent. However, it could no longer grow, making all the energy that filled Jacks soul world obsolete.

    It was time to create a second fruit.

    The minor breakthroughs inside the C-Gradethe development of new fruitswere not difficult. As long as ones foundation was solid and they had enough energy, it was only a matter of deciding which Dao manifestation to use.

    However, being not difficult didnt mean that all fruits were created equal.

    Jack sat in meditation, considering his insights. The Dao of the Fist dominated his soul, the lenses through which he viewed the world. It was also his very first fruit. For every fruit after that, he would need to infuse another manifestation of his Dao.

    Thankfully, hed just spent five months meditating on the Dao of Space.

    The ten Dao stones around him turned to dust, their energy easily sucked into his pores, yet it wasnt even nearly enough. It sank into his body like a drop in an empty bucket.

    Jack grinned. This was exactly what he expected.

    When developing new fruits, the more energy one had, therger the fruit they could create. Most cultivators gathered all the Dao stones they could, but they were constrained by their bodily endurance and soul stability. In both of those respects, normal cultivators couldnt hold a candle to Jack.

    Fifteen stones were enough for most cultivators. Jack had fifty.

    All those crystals were spread in concentric circles around Jack. The second circle contained fifteen stones, while the third contained twenty-five. All of them disintegrated at once.

    A vast amount of energy invaded Jacks body like galloping horses, wrecking his flesh and bones. Under such pressure, most C-Grade cultivators would have had their bodies broken and their organs melted. Jack could barely handle it.

    Gritting his teeth, he drove all that energy into his soul, enduring the pain of the red hot flows searing his flesh. His soul world was about to burstendless currents of energy red through the void, drawn in by the Dao Trees roots. The entire tree lit up like Christmas. Jack was floating in the soul world, enduring the pain of the tree almost exploding and his body breaking apart. He sealed the flowers, forcing the energy to remain contained inside the tree, mming into the trunks insides like raging dragons.

    A normal cultivator would have long exploded, but Jacks Dao Tree had been enhanced by the Life Drop and was extremely stable. Moreover, his Dao of the Fist was powerful, his foundation was perfect, and the hardness of his body carried over in his soul world, stabilizing it from the outside.

    But the strain remained extreme.

    Jacks eyes were bloodshot. Converge! he shouted, his voice echoing across the entire world. The Dao stilled. Under the guidance of his will, it then rammed towards an end of the branches, nearly blowing them up. All that energy dove into a single flowerthat flower did not explode, but rather expanded, bloating until it transformed into a deep blue shape. Golden points dotted it like stars, while meteor tails streaked through its surface.

    The new fruit sucked in energy like mad, growing at a painfully slow rate. Jacks hands were shaking as he drove more and more power into the fruit, until his Dao Tree, his soul world, and his entire body were devoid of energy. He felt empty. Finally, the energy ran out.

    Jack slumped to the floor, falling into a deep slumber. Deep inside his soul, two fruits now hung from the tree branches, proud and carefree; one was purple and shaped as a fist, while the other was spherical, dark blue, and dotted like the starry night sky. This second fruit contained all of Jacks insights into the Dao of Space, enhancing them and representing how the fist interacted with space.

    When Jack finally awoke, he felt rising excitement. Only six months after hisst breakthrough, he was now a two-fruit C-Grade. Moreover, his fruit wasrger than what most cultivators could achieve.

    Afterpleting his breakthrough, Jack spent a week stabilizing his foundation. Finally, his eyes opened, seeming like they contained endless stars. Six months had passed, his strength had risen by leaps and bounds, and he was itching to test his might against some of the brightest geniuses in the universe.

    The time of his arranged duel hade. And Jack was determined to absolutely knock it out of the park.

 Chapter 371: Challenging Everyone

    Chapter 371: Challenging Everyone

    The Cathedral Square was buzzing with excitement. People had started arriving since the early morningfrom the low to the top rankers, nobody was willing to miss this spectacle. Moreover, since it had been announced six months in advance, everyone had made sure not to be in deep cultivation at this time.

    As a result, of the Cathedrals thousand outer disciples, over eight hundred had arrived, and that was because the rest were outside the Cathedral. Almost every C-Grade on the Cathedral was right here!

    The Cathedral Square, where the duel would y out, was expansive. It was a mile from end to end, leaving plenty of space for spectators. The top rankers were gathered in a corner, some clustered around Baron Longform and some around Min Lingit seemed the top ranks were not as united as it once seemed.

    Everyone else was gathered in their friend groups, waiting for the battle to start. One notable exception to the crowd were the brosthey were dressed in colorful garments salvaged from who knows where, held drums, gongs, and trumpets, and were led by a brori who wore nothing but red shorts.

    This brori was Brockand he had reached the C-Grade!

    He wasnt a simple C-Grade, either. Soon after he broke through, he entered the Ceaseless Murder Globe and used his mere one-fruit cultivation to reach a ranking of 786. If not for Jack, this would have been the most impressive result in recent years!

    As it was, Brock was overshadowed, but he didnt mind. Jack was his big bro. The glory of one was the glory of the other.

    And, in any case, for this brother duo to be the two brightest rising stars was satisfying.

    The crowd had gathered early and were making all sorts of guesses. Some thought that Jack would win, while many didnt. It wasnt that they doubted his talentgiven the suppression Jack had received in the past few months, most people just didnt see how he could progress.

    A small stall stood on a corner of the square. It was covered in red fabrics and proudly proimed to be the Betting Stall. Manning it was the smiling form of Osmu Sosmu. Normally, someone of his rank would never have the status to set up a betting stall, but selling all those life stones had increased his reputation. Now, if he imed he could pay people back their earnings, many were willing to trust him.

    Such grand events didnt happen often at the Cathedral. Cultivators swarmed the stall, eager to bet a few Dao stones and participate in the excitement. Osmu Sosmu weed them all with smiles.

    The entire Cathedral was wrapped in an electrified, excited air.

    Suddenly, the void parted. A stately figure flew in, her fitting brown clothes striking alongside her short hair. A gray ymore was strapped to her hip. This was Mabe Asphel, Jacks opponent. As soon as she appeared, people noticed her towering aura and sharp gazewhile she hadnt developed a new Dao fruit, her strength had clearly risen.

    And, it was no wonder. She had the support of Baron Longform and his herd of top-rankersshe naturally advanced by leaps and bounds.

    If she had another month or two, she might have broken through and reached the eight-fruit boundary.

    Mabended on one side of the Cathedral Square and sat down cross-legged, adjusting her mental state to the peak. She was taking this seriously. With all the resources that had been poured into her and the rewards dangling before her face, this was the greatest battle of her life!

    As soon as she appeared, the audience caught glimpses of her sharp aura. Many people nced at each other, then rushed to the betting stall.

    Osmu Sosmu smiled even wider. As one of the bros, he was aware of the massive amount of resources Jack had enjoyed in these past six months. With his talent, his current strength should be enough to win. Therefore, the more people who bet on Mabe, the more Dao stones Osmu would make.

    Soon after, there was another disturbance. People looked over, expecting to see Jack. Instead, a dozen figures floated over the crowd, the barest trickle of their auras suffocating. Leading them was an aloof youth. Behind him came a kindly grandmother and a sharp-eyed young man, followed by another nine cultivators, including a frog-faced man and a woman who was part octopus.

    As these twelve people flew in, they moved directly to the raised tform, then took out chairs from their space rings and sat down to enjoy the show.

    The crowd drew cold gasps. Now they knew why none of the top-rankers had dared climb on the tform before: the Envoys hade to watch.

    Incredible, a disciple muttered. Since when do Envoys care about the struggles of us outer disciples?

    I guesstheyre also bored? another replied. This is a grand event that concerns a future B-Grade. It isnt weird that theyde.

    After the B-Grades arrived, though they kept to themselves and didnt interact with the C-Grades, the atmosphere grew even more electrified. The people present truly felt like they were about to witness something important. Even Mabe Asphel, who was meditating inside the square, could feel the pressure.

    A dozen Envoys were watching her. If she could make a good impression, her future would be brightbut, if she made a fool of herself, she would need to find a stone and hide under.

    More time passed. There was no specific time set for the duel, meaning that Jack could arrive whenever he liked, but hed still left everyone waiting for a solid two hours. Still, no oneined. Two hours was the blink of an eye to them.

    At some point, the Head Envoy raised his head and smiled. Hes here, he whispered.

    The void grew heavier. The Dao deepened. Everyone turned towards the same direction at the same time as if beckoned by their instincts.

    A lone man flew towards the square. He was dressed in purple, with short hair rising from his scalp and calm eyes that seemed to contain the universe. As he flew, he was neither slow nor fast, yet his movements resonated with the Dao itself; numerous particles danced around his body, ignoring the Cathedrals thousandfold gravity. Everywhere he passed, the void was tinted purple, and his presence was so dense and solid that it felt like the center of the universe, as if he was an ancient titan of unfathomable power.

    As everyone witnessed these phenomena, they were surprised. Even top-rankers couldnt create such an impressionthis was achieved through Jacks extreme body tempering.

    He had even broken through and developed a new Dao fruit!

    Many rushed to the betting stall, discovering that Osmu Sosmu had already closed it.

    Jack unhurriedly reached the center of the square andnded there, his presence dominating the space around him. Mabe Asphel rose to her feetthough Jacks aura was impressive, it did not necessarily reflect his strength. She maintained her confidence.

    You came, she said. Brave of you.

    I couldnt kick your ass otherwise, Jack replied calmly.

    The crowd was stunned, then erupted into uproar. In the wide universe, there were many people who possessed charming auras; their every word carried peace and reason, and their rhetoric was able to reach even the most hateful of hearts. Jack was the exact opposite. The moment he opened his mouth, everyone wanted to beat him up.

    Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Veins popped on Mabes forehead. She had been hyping herself up while enduring tremendous pressureshe never expected the first words out of Jacks mouth to be so basefully insulting.

    Fine. If you want to die, let me be your guest! she shouted, drawing her ymore. The tip cut through the void, leaving a gray line wherever it passed.

    One moment, Jack said, raising a hand. I have some things to say first.

    <em>Then why didnt you say them before!? </em>Mabe thought, her brows spasming, but she remained silent.

    Thank you foring to watch, everyone, Jack said. Your presence honors me. Of course, for some of you, Im surprised to see you herelike Baron Longform. After you wasted a thousands Dao stones to make my life difficult, I didnt think youd want to personally experience my glory.

    Jacks words were sharp and direct. His gaze pierced towards a part of the spectators, shing directly with the stare of Baron Longform, the third ranked outer disciple. The gedritchthat was the name of Barons speciesnarrowed his silver eyes. His face remained indifferent and proud, like a tyrant overlooking a dancing ant. He did not reply immediately; even he was surprised by such directness.

    Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd drew cold gasps. Jack was simply firing cannonballs from his mouth. The moment he appeared, his words were biting and venomous, giving absolutely no consideration for anyones face.

    <em>I must never be his enemy, </em>was themon thought of everyone present. Against such a person, even if they won in the end, they would be so humiliated they could never recover!

    You speak like a low mortal, Baron Longform finally replied, his Dao-infused voice echoing across the square. Your usations are empty. I never bothered with you.

    Of course. I kill your cousin, but you dont bother with me. Howdomineering of you, Jack mocked him. The crowds eyes widened. Well then, I must have been mistaken. I thought someone wasted hundreds of Dao stones to stop me from meditating in the Dao Chamber. But, who knows? Perhaps all those random cultivators were at a special point in their cultivation and needed to spend seven stones a day to constantly rent the Space and Mortality Chambers for half a year. Come to think of it, I really must have been mistaken. Im sorry for using youonly apletely idiotic individual would go to such lengths to achieve jack shit, and there is no way you could be so pathetic.

    The crowd held their breaths. Barons words were only superficialeveryone knew that he really had obstructed Jack in every step of the way, spending a massive amount of Dao stones to achieve it. Everyone also knew of Baron Longforms dispositionhe was an overbearing, domineering, tyrannical individual who would repay every tiny insult a thousandfold.

    Now, Jack had called that man idiotic and pathetic in his face. The enmity between these two had escted way past the point of no return.

    Moreover, Jacks words did hold a certain appeal. He had reminded everyone that Baron Longform had spent a massive fortune on thisif he really hadnt managed to stop or at least slow down Jacks rise to power, then this really was tant ipetence.

    Facing all these insults, Baron Longform didnt reply. His face was frigid. His aura rose like tumultuous waves, crashing into the shore that was Jacks body again and again, striking him with the full might of an extreme nine-fruit C-Grade. Such an aura couldnt actually harm Jack, but it could make any other two-fruit C-Grade nch take a step back.

    Jack didnt even change his expression, easily weathering the aura and further pping Barons face.

    The crowd didnt feel likeughing anymore. This collision was just too brutal. It was like the staredown of two wild animals ready to tear each other apart.

    I am your opponent, Mabe said, giving Baron a way out. Face me if you dare, Jack Rust!

    You are my opponent? Jack asked, a mocking smile on his face. Thats actually the issue I wanted to raise. Im afraid youre just not worthy.

    Her brows rose. What bullshit are you spouting? You agreed on a duel with me! You cannot back away now!

    That wasnt my intention, Jack replied calmly. Since I promised, I will naturally beat you up. However, Im afraid that such a short spectacle will make everyone think weve wasted their time. Therefore, I have a proposition: after our duel, let there be more. I know that many people in the audience want to fight me. As long as their ranking is below 150, and as long as they can bet fifty Dao stones against me, I will ept any and allers!

    The crowd was stunned, then once again erupted. Even the bros were surprised by such a deration.

    Jack Rust was challenging the entire Cathedral? Anyone below the ranking of 150 could fight him, no matter how many people there were?

    Heavens! What arrogance! He was only a two-fruit C-Grade!

    Even the Envoys on the raised tform, whod simply enjoyed the show so far, started whispering amongst themselves.

    Jack Rust! Mabe Asphel yelled, her face red with anger. I will not ept such humiliation!

    She was steaming in rage and indignation. This was supposed to be her fight, the most important battle of her life. She had trained hard and prepared herself for this. Even if she lost, she would have had the glory of facing Jack Rust before the entire Cathedral and even the Head Envoy.

    But now, her moment of glory was stolen away, and she was relegated to simply the opening act. Her pride had been stomped into the ground. How could she not be furious?

    The only humiliation is your weakness, Jack replied. If you have the power, then defeat me first. That will naturally void all other challenges.

    Mabe opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. What could she say? Indeed, if she won, then Jack would be the onepletely made a fool of. It was only if she lost, and lost decisively, that all this humiliation would fall on her head.

    At the end, everything came down to power. She had to win.

    What an interesting proposition! the Head Envoy said from the tform, his voice instantly captivating everyone. I enjoy your daring. Very well. Your challenge is epted, but a cultivator should never bite off more than they can chew! If you can defeat everyone, you wont even need to enter the Ceaseless Murder Globe; Ill give you the World Anchor right here and now! However, if you loseyou can forget about it!

    Jacks gaze remained resolute, carrying a hint of anger, but the crowd erupted in whispers. Even Baron Longform couldnt hide his smile. The Head Envoys words were the same as decreasing Jacks time limit from one year to the present six months. It was simply squeezing water out of stone.

    For all everyone knew, maybe Jack was just bluffing. Maybe he wanted to take this opportunity and cement his understandings through battle. For the Head Envoy to corner him like this was just too brutal!

    Everyone expected Jack to protest. However, after a few moments went by, he raised his proud head. Fine, he said. However, you are increasing the difficulty without increasing the stakes. You are simply taking advantage of me. How about this: If I lose, I can forget about the World Anchor. However, if I win, not only will I get the anchor, you will even gift me a thousand Dao stones!

    The crowd couldnt believe their ears. Did Jack just try to barter with the Head Envoy? Did his arrogance know no limits?

    The Head Envoyughed. I guess I have been pushing you a bit too hard. Who cares about Dao stones? If you win, I will let you use the Dao Chamber for free until the hidden realm expedition!

    It was hard for the excitement to rise further. Even the bros had forgotten to bang on their drums and trumpets. As soon as the Head Envoys voice fell, several people rushed through the crowd to reach the betting stall, where it stood to reason they could ce their Dao stones to face Jack.

    Fifty Dao stones, said the first person to arrivea man ranked 167th. All others cursed that they werent first, but all they could do was rush faster.

    To a high ranker, fifty Dao stones were neither too much nor too little. Most had saved up this much over their many years. Moreover, Baron Longform had secretly contacted all his supporters ranked below 150, offering to cover their entrance fee and gift them with two hundred Dao stones if they could defeat Jack.

    The rush was unprecedented. Over a dozen high-rankers rushed to the betting stall, fighting to register before everyone else. Nobody thought that Jack could win this massive battle, and theter one fought, the higher the chances that someone before them would defeat Jack and reap the rewards.

    The betting stall finally shattered from the weight of all the Dao stones on it. Including the fifty stones from every high-ranker now and all the bets from before, there were over a thousand Dao stones on its surface, forming a little mountain. How could wood handle that weight under the thousandfold gravity?

    After some time, the high-rankers were done. Twenty-five of them had registered. There were more, but their power wasnt too great, and they didnt see any meaning to participating. There was no way Jack would stand after consecutively fighting twenty-six high-rankers. If he could achieve this, then his strength would already be approaching the domain of nine-fruit C-Grades!

    Everything was said and done. If Jack could win, he would receive the World Anchor, over a thousand Dao stones, and everyones recognition. He would be a legend.

    However, if he lost to just the first match, then this would be the greatest joke in the Cathedrals history.

    Mabe Asphel was still waiting, her face the color of ash. She really had been relegated to an opening act. Her moment of glory waspletely and utterly ruined. She had never felt angrier in her life.

    Are you done!? she asked Jack.

    I guess so, Jack replied. His aura boiled over, upsetting the space around him. His eyes sharpened. Suddenly, Mabe felt the worlds weight crash around her as if she was facing some ancient beast.

    But it was toote. She could only do her best and hope to win, or at least not lose too badly.

    Then, take my de! she shouted, charging Jack.

 Chapter 372: The Titan Laughs

    Chapter 372: The Titan Laughs

    Mabe Asphel charged Jack, determined to reim her honor. Her coppery skin was set on fire. Thin lines of blood emerged from her pores, wrapping around the ymore like silken death.

    Her aura climbed to new heights, dying the world a crimson red. Every low-ranker watching felt their heart skip a beat.

    Die! Mabe shouted, bringing her weapon down.

    Jack simply stepped back. The ymore met the ground, creating a hundred-foot-long fissure, but the weapon itself was only part of her attackit was the energy shockwave that was the most dangerous. Currents of blood streamed out, crashing into Jack from almost point-nk. The crimson world copsed on his chest. His robes fluttered wildly, and the spectators couldnt believe their eyeshad he really forgotten about the energy shockwaves?

    Yet, these shockwaves only broke against Jacks chest. They were like fierce winds meeting a cliffsidpletely harmless.

    Jack met Mabes eyes. He grinned. Power pumped into his arms, ready to strike.

    Mabe was no amateur. Though surprised, she continued her attack, swiftly transitioning into a pommel strike. When Jack stepped away again, she swung her sword back around and cleaved at his head. The remaining blood threads on the ymorebusted, filling the de with power. A new curtain of blood rose to the heavens, copsing on Jack.

    Out of her three-strikebination, this was the true killer move.

    Facing this copsing sky of blood, Jack remained calm. He did not form a fistinstead, he raised his hand. His speed skyrocketed to the point where Mabe could barely register it. His palm touched the side of the sword and gently pushed it aside, forcing it to veer off and strike the ground to his right.

    The ymore met the ground in an eruption of blood, but Jack weathered the shockwave like it was nothing. His robes flutteredhe waspletely unharmed.

    What!? the audience eximed.

    The weakest people present had no idea what happened. However, the stronger ones did, and they were shell-shocked. It was impossible to use a hand to deflect a cultivators sword mid-swing. Your speed and dexterity would need topletely overwhelm your opponents. And even then, you would have to instantly overpower them.

    It was just not possible without a massive difference in strength.

    The Head Envoy grinned. Nice.

    Out of everyone present, Mabe herself was the most shocked. She was no mortal, whose strength disappeared the moment they begun their swing. As her sword traveled, she remained in full control. In the instant when Jack pushed her sword away, she had tried to resist, but it was futileshe felt like a child trying to resist an adult. The difference between their strengths was nothing short of extreme.

    <em>How is this possible!? </em>she screamed in her mind. <em>Im a pure Physical cultivator! He Just how strong is his body!?</em>

    She knew he practiced some form of body tempering. Shed expected to be outdone when it came to physical strength. But in this situation, she had used her body and Dao to deliver a strike at her maximum powerand Jack had easily countered it through sheer physicality.

    Whether it was speed or strength, she was outssed.

    Her sword remained stuck in the ground. There was no point pulling it out. Her eyes met Jacks, who shook his head. Sorry, he said calmly, but you are not my opponent.

    His fist struck out. Mabe didnt even see itnding, but she felt her ribcage shatter, her entire body bending like a bow and flung backward at tremendous speed. She thought she was a goner.

    Thankfully, a man appeared, catching her easily and neutralizing her momentum. He then let her drop like a sack of potatoes, not caring any longer. His hard silver eyes were glued to Jack, carrying great killing intent.

    Whats the problem, Baron? Jack asked him directly. I told youall those Dao stones you spent were wasted. I am right here. If you have any otherckeys under the ranking of 150, bring them out, and let me see the glory of your connections.

    Baron Longform did not respond. The audience was frozen silent. Suddenly, as one, they erupted, moring to the high heavens.

    What power is that!? someone asked. Just his physical body is that powerful Is he a space monster!?

    Space monsters were the species known for their limited understanding of the Dao and extreme physical strength. They could use their formidable bodies to match someone at the C- or even the B-Grade. In the spectators eyes, Jacks current feat was no less impressive.

    If just his body was so terrifying, what if he used his Dao!?

    Its not that simple, the Head Envoy muttered, his eyes half-closed as he inspected Jack. His body is superb, but his Dao is only that of a two-fruit C-Grade. It cannot increase his power by too much.

    Still, achieving such a body is nothing short of incredible. If it was easy, everyone would do it, said the Space Eye Sovereign sitting next to himshe was the kindly old woman who served as the Cathedrals head diviner.

    The Head Envoy chuckled. Lets look at his Dao first before drawing any conclusions. This little girl was only ranked in the two-hundredsof the next twenty-five opponents, most are ranked significantly higher than her, and some are even hiding their strength. They will be able to bring out his full force.

    Back in the crowd of C-Grades, Min Ling was carefully observing Jack.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere.

    Told you, Esmeralda said from the side, winking. Isnt he handsome?

    Min rolled her eyes. Im trying to perceive his hidden strength.

    Sure. The strength between his

    Es. Stop. Youre embarrassing me.

    Esmeraldaughed. Sorry, sorry. Of course, they had only been transmitting their voices to each other, so nobody could overhear.

    As for the bros After a few moments of silence, Brock coughed. One, two, three, four, he said, and the bros started beating on their drums and gongs and blowing their trumpets, raising hell on the Cathedral. Somehow, those sounds persisted through theck of air. Two people unfurled a huge banner which spelled, Go Big Bro or Go Home! with dark letters on a purple background.

    Esmeralda burst outughing. Jack shook his head, somewhat embarrassed, but he was happy as well. Having the support of your friends was always nice. Whos next? he asked.

    That would be me! A petite woman stepped out of the crowd. She had blue skin, dark hair, pointy shoes, and a yellow turban over her headshe was a djinn. Jack found her cultivation to be an eight-fruit C-Gradeone fruit over the Mabe Asphel hed just defeated.

    Sure, he said, nodding. Come.

    Haha, dont mind if I do!

    She instantly burst into battle. As she raised her blue arms, bubbles emerged. When they popped, their surface didnt shrink but instead widened, instantly encapsting the whole world. Jack found himself floating in a multi-colored void. Everything else, including the crowd and his opponent, had disappeared. All his senses were useless.

    He snorted.

    This ce was clearly an illusion. The djinn had somehow obfuscated all his senses and even his Dao perception, cutting him off from the world. However, every illusion had a weakness.

    His perception spread out, bing one with the Dao of Space. After experiencing the Space Chamber for five months and developing a Space Dao Fruit, hispatibility with this Dao had risen tremendously. He wasnt a master, but he was good enough to use it against illusions.

    An illusory world was a constructid out around its victim. Forging fake sensations and hiding the Dao was easy, but perfectly masking spatial ripples was far more difficult. To achieve it, this djinn should have a spaceprehension many times deeper than Jacks, and he did not believe that was the case.

    As his Dao perception spread out, feeling for ripples in the fabric of space, he quickly captured some. They werent enough to reconstruct the real world outside of its illusions, but he only needed to sense the little body hurtling his way.

    He turned and punched out in a seemingly random direction. A shriek entered his ears. The world of the illusion shattered, revealing a dagger-wielding djinn flying away. She quickly left the confines of the Cathedral Square, where someone caught her.

    The entire battle hadnt taken more than two seconds.

    Next! Jack shouted.

    His next opponent was anky man with gray skin. He wasnt a feshkur, but something simr. His orange eyes red with fire, and Jack instantly felt an alien force invade his mindlike iron pliers grabbing his heart and twisting it. The pain was staggering. All resistance seemed futile.

    Jacks Dao roared out. Wave after wave of the Fist broke out of his soul, flooding his body and colliding against the other mans attack. The two Daos tussled around like wild beasts fighting for their lives.

    When it came to resisting Will attacks, the most important aspect wasnt the victims Will attributethat just had to be decent. The real deciding factor was the power of onesprehensive Dao, as well as their willpowerand how could Jackck willpower?

    He resisted enough to maintain rity. The world was swimming in colors and pain, but he could make out his surroundings. His fist flew outthe other man tried to defend by driving a spike of pain into Jacks mind, but Jack simply endured it. His fist smashed into the other cultivators abdomen and sent him flying. The Will attack quickly abated, and Jack easily suppressed it. The onlysting effect was a small but persistent headache.

    The crowd roared. The bros banged on their instruments harder. They had witnessed everything clearly.

    Three cultivators, three different specialties, three fists, three people sent flying. Each of these battles had finished in a single move!

    Heavens! Does he have no weaknesses? a cultivator shouted in the crowd, causing a dance of whispers to erupt.

    As for Jack Well, all he had to do was look at his status screen. How could he possibly lose?

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 260</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 3800 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 3800 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 3800 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 409</strong>

    <strong>Will: 409</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Space Mastery II, Titan Taunt I, Fist of Mortality I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    The System had been streamlined a bit after hisst breakthrough, clearly disying his Dao Roots and Fruits.

    In the C-Grade, the System awarded levels based on a cultivator growing their fruits. In raising his first fruit to maturity, Jack had gone from Level 250 to 259. Then, developing the second fruit had pushed him to 260.

    The first three fruits ounted for ten levels each, while the other six were twenty each. When a cultivator reached the peak of nine fruits, they would be at Level 399only one away from the B-Grade.

    From rising ten levels in the C-Grade, Jack had gotten two hundred stat points, which he equally distributed between his Mental and Will attributes. Thanks to his Physical substats rising by body tempering, he was free to invest heavily in Mental and Will, shoring up his weaknesses. That was part of the reason why he so easily defeated the Mental and Will cultivators who fought him just now.

    Of course, these two stats of his didnt even approach a real Mental or Will cultivators, but defending against them was much easier than attacking, and the three stats were bnced anyway. Since he possessed far higher Mental and Will stats than other Physical cultivators, it was natural that he had an advantage against Mental and Will cultivators.

    As for his Physical statsbody tempering did not disappoint. Through his five months of grueling practice, he had raised his stats from 2800 to 3800. That was an entire thousand! It was the equivalent of fifty levels in the C-Grade, or around three fruits. Combined with his previous tempering, along with his great titles and the Neutron Star Body skill, his actual physical prowess approached that of a nine-fruit C-Gradehow could the seven-fruit Mabe Asphel possibly hope to match him?

    The progress of body tempering was still slowing down, but that only meant most of the benefits were already reaped. Jack was at his peak.

    A physical body that surpassed most eight-fruit Physical cultivators.

    A Mental stat that gave him an advantage against Mental cultivators, alongside a physical body that resisted magical attacks and the Dao of Space which countered illusions.

    A willpower that had endured six months of silent torture in the form of body tempering.

    At this point, Jacks weaknesses were already eliminated. He only had strong points and even stronger points. This was the only reason why he dared challenge everyonejust who could counter him?

    The crowd cheered. The bros roared. The opponents kepting.

 Chapter 373: Gladiator Titan

    Chapter 373: diator Titan

    The fourth opponent was a dexterous swordsman. The fifth, a mage of the elements, and the sixth a wizard who used space as a weapon. All of them were easily dispatched by Jack, building up his momentum.

    But that didnt discourage the rest of his opponents. Everyone had their own strengths, and everyone wanted topare against himthese battles werent to the death, anyway.

    The seventh opponent was an eight-fruit mace-wielder ranked in the hundred-sixties. Jacks physical superiority was no longer overwhelming. This was the first opponent who possessed the qualifications to seriously challenge him.

    However, Jack was in a continuous fight. There were another eighteen people after this, some of whom would be even stronger than this mace-wielder. He couldnt afford to hold back and waste energy.

    The Dao of Life billowed around him. Green ribbons flew into the void, conjuring up a storm. The sounds of beastly roars and deep gongs echoed through space. Jacks body grew taller, two extra arms appeared below his armpits, and his already towering aura climbed even higher,pletely covering the Cathedral Square. For a moment, Jack was hidden in a rising column of green energy, only his intense eyes visible.

    The energy dispersed, revealing a man with four arms and a titanic aura.

    To the spectators, he seemed like a hundred-mile tall giantpressed to human size, as if his body contained endless strength. One finger could pierce a mountain, one roar could shatter space. His sheer physicality pressed down on everyone present like an uncaged beast staring right at them. After enduring so many shockwaves and now being stretched, his robes were barely hanging on.

    This aura was not just an impression; it was thebination of Jacks Brutalizing Aura and extreme physicality. Even Titan Taunt, his seemingly useless skill, was activated, turning his aura into a promation of war against the world!

    This pressure was real enough to push people down.

    The weaker people lost their breath. The stronger frowned and revolved their Dao to resist the pressure. As for the mace-wielder facing Jack, he felt like a boat in an ocean storm, as if the waves of Jacks aura could capsize him at any moment. Thankfully, he was a hardened warrior. He roared, and his own aura rose to protect him, shing against Jacks and barely enduring.

    The mace-wielder jumped forward, bringing down his weapon like a smite of god. Jack raised a hand.

    The mace smacked against Jacks palm. The spikes drew blood, but his arm remained outstretched. The mace came to an instant stop, and the other cultivators palm ruptured as it endured the bacsh.

    However, the attacks shockwaves kept rolling. They washed over Jack, a storm of gray, pulling at his hair and carving up the ground below him. His robes, which already teetered on the verge of copse, were tornpletely. Purple flew away, revealing an upper body as if sculpted of marbleperfect muscles covered every inch, not too tightly, just enough to be considered symmetrically beautiful. Abs were clearly delineated on his abdomen, his chest stuck out like hard pillows, and his arms seemed to contain infinite power. Coupled with his sharp and handsome face, Jack was a legend given form.

    His other hand came around, smashing a Meteor Punch into the mace cultivator and sending him flying into the distance. Next! he roared, his voice a deeper bass.

    But nobody moved for a second. Jacks robes had flown away, his body was ripped and handsome, his strength was titanic, and his aura soared as he faced the entire Cathedral by himself. Such an image was simply stunning, deeply carving itself into the minds of everyone watching.

    Esmeralda threw Min Ling a pointed nce, to which the other girl only scoffed. Whats the big deal? she asked. Hes just an exhibitionist showing off. However, facing such a dashing sight, even she couldnt help but blush a little.

    If Min Ling was slightly swayed, there was no need to speak about the rest of the Cathedrals women. Jacks strength and talent had already captivated themnow, as his naked upper body was revealed, a sculpture of the highest artisan, they simply felt their legs grow weak and their hearts flutter.

    Jack Rustwas the man!

    As for Jack himself, he didnt care about basking in everyones sights. He hadnt even noticed; his own power was so great he was drunk in it, enjoying every moment. The four-armed battle form was originally meant to enhance his body. Now, after enduring so much tempering, the end result was simply too powerful. His current physical strength easily surpassed most nine-fruit C-Grades.

    Packing so much strength into a human body was euphoric.

    The next cultivator stepped up. In truth, after seeing him obliterate someone ranked in the hundred-sixties, most of hising opponents felt like surrendering. They only persisted because Baron Longform secretly contacted them and demanded they step forth.

    The eighth opponent, the ninth, the tenth, the eleventh. They were swept away. One punch was enough to defeat them all!

    Next! Jack shouted again, his voice the death bell in the minds of his future opponents. Against Mental cultivators, Jack used his resilience to counter them. Even when he struggled, his extremely overpowered physical body could straightforwardly break through all illusions and magic. Against Will cultivators, his iron will rendered them useless. And there was no need to speak of Physical cultivators.

    Of course, not all of Jacks opponents were weak. Some were in the hundred-fifties, including even the person ranked exactly one hundred and fifty. Against a four-armed Jack, these people couldst a few moves, sometimes inflicting minor injuries. They were all defeated, but they consumed some of his strength.

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    While his regeneration couldst for a very long time, that did not include his stamina or Dao reserves.

    The more Jack advanced, the fewer weak opponents he metnobody would have registered to fight if someone much stronger was registered before them. By the twenty-first opponent, Jack was panting. By the twenty-fourth, he only had half his power left.

    As the twenty-fifth opponent stepped out, a hard-faced woman holding a flute, a second person emerged from the crowd.

    He was an old man wearing simple robes and with a wooden sword sheath strapped to his hip. His hair was sparse at the temples, but his eyes were sharper than des. His cultivation was at the peak of eight fruits.

    Jack Rust! he shouted. My name is Shi Mosh, ranked 117th. I do not meet your ranking requirements, but my heart insists I test my de against you. For that, I am willing to part with five hundred Dao stones, my life savings. Are you willing?

    Jack looked straight into the old mans eyes. Someone of his age should have been kicked out of the Cathedral after not breaking through to the nine-fruit boundary, but there were always exceptions. In this case, this man was likely epted due to his battle strength and soaring spirit. Just by ncing at him, Jack knew he was nockey; he genuinely wanted to experience Jacks strength.

    How could I refuse a good battle? he replied,ughing. There is no need for extravagance. Fifty Dao stones would be enoughhowever, I will ept no further challenges after this.

    It was no longer about the World Anchor or making a profit. Twenty-five consecutive battles had roused Jacks fighting spirit, awakening his primal self. All he desired now was to fight!

    The old man wanted to experience Jack, but Jack also wanted to experience the strength of someone close to the top hundred ranks!

    Good! the old manughed. Then, I shall wait for you!

    His name was added to the list of opponents. Jack faced the flute-wielding womanshe was the hardest opponent so far, alternating between illusions and Will attacks, using them to enhance each other. Jack defeated her, but not without costa splitting headache beat just behind his ears, taking away part of his concentration.

    Finally, thest battle arrived. Shi Mo stepped into the squarethe man ranked 117th.

    Thank you for epting to fight me, he said, bowing at the waist.

    The pleasure is all mine, Jack replied. Now,e. Lets battle!

    Exactly what I wanted!

    Shi Mo drew a slim sworda katana. At the same time, his upper robes expanded, then exploded in strips of fabric. This old mans body was smaller than Jacks, but his muscles were even morepact, even more packed together. He was simply a force of nature.

    The audience cheered.

    Meet my de! Shi Mo shouted, exploding with a burst of speed that almost made him disappear. The thousandfold gravity was a breeze to him.

    Jack felt shivers. He was extremely excited. He still hadnt discovered his limit, and this old man was the strongest opponent hed ever faced.

    He also disappeared. The two of them streaked across the square, leaving behind series of afterimages. shes echoed. Metal struck skin. Blood erupted as Jacks fists were sliced apart then quickly regenerated.

    The bros ramped up their drumming. The audience roared their cheers. Everyone stared carefully, and even the Envoys had leaned forward in their chairs.

    Jack Rust! Jack Rust! the audience echoed, their roars splitting the Cathedral.

    For a time, sparks filled the square, along with many afterimages. It was like three Jacks were fighting three old men. Only the strongest people present could follow their movements. Bangs were interspersed into the sounds ofbat as Jack used Meteor Punches in session. Space was split apart like thin curtains, further enhancing the speed of the two fighters.

    Jacks physical prowess was far beyond a normal eight-fruit cultivators, but the old man also specialized in physicality. His speed and strength were approaching Jacks, forcing him to constantly sacrifice his hands to survive. This battle style was simr to when Jack fought Marcus William, but at a far higher level.

    Marcus, who was also in the crowd, could only sigh.

    The old man possessed not only power and speed, but also experience. Hebined simple moves into infinite variations. He remained unpredictable throughout the battle, asionally erupting with tricks that Jack struggled to stand against.

    Jack also had a trick, but he was saving it for the perfect moment.

    Finally, at apletely random moment, the old man erupted with power. He instantly went all-out. There was no grandstanding, no preparation, no signs this would happen. He was far deadlier than the show-offish cultivators of the Cathedr true life or death warrior.

    However, who was Jack? He had walked the razors edge for a year. He had survived many life or death battles, often turning the tables to win. In those moments, a single mistake could have spelled his deathhow could he be unfamiliar with real battle?

    When the old man erupted with his full strength, Jack instantly followed. A blinking de met a fist slower than the others, but far more powerful. Either Jack would blow away the old man, or he would be cut into two.

    At the same time, however, another of Jacks four fists slithered. It used the properties of space to elerate impossibly fast, reaching the old man before the other fist had met the sword. Of course, for a fist to be this fast, it was necessarily weakbut it carried a hidden strike.

    Fist of Emotions!

    A thousand lifetimes burst into the old mans heart. He sank into visions of life and death, joy and sorrow,ughter and tears. He saw loved ones die and babies being born, the everyday persons struggle to survive. An entire world unraveled in an instant.

    The old man guarded against the illusions, shielding his mind and using his Sword Dao to cut them away. However, that single instant had weakened his previously all-out attackand, in a battle between masters, a single w could be fatal.

    Jacks full-power Meteor Punch smashed against the old mans strongest strike. Purple met gray. Two auras expanded, instantly covering the entire Cathedral Square, grinding against each other. A series of booms came from the epicenter, then everything folded back on itself as all sound and light werepletely shattered, leaving the point of impact a wide sphere of nothingness.

    The ringing of a de resounded, covering all other sounds. The gray aura cleanly broke into two as the fist pierced through, reaching the old mans chest.

    Shi Mo flew away with enough speed to sear the void. Blood left his mouth, and his innards werepletely broken. He was only barely alivebut his grip on the sword remained as hard as ever.

    A gentle power grabbed Shi Mo and stopped his flight, courtesy of the watching Envoys. And, as space repaired itself and light returned, everyone saw Jack Rust still standing at the center of the square, his body shaking, his panting ragged, his fists bloodied.

    His aura, victorious.

    Everyone erupted into cheers. Almost a thousand mouths opened to shout for the man who defeated everyone.

    Jack Rusthad triumphed!

 Chapter 374: Absorbing the World Anchor

    Chapter 374: Absorbing the World Anchor

    The square had gone silent. The Cathedral had gone silent. That entire patch of space had gone silent.

    Jack Rust had challenged everyone ranked below 150 and wonand then hed even defeated the 117th ranked Shi Mo!

    Many people could have done the same, but Jack was only a two-fruit C-Grade! Just six or seven months ago, he had struggled against Marcus William, who was ranked 281st. In the Cathedral, progress was counted with decades as the unitsuch quick advancement was simply unheard of.

    How long had it been since a two-fruit C-Grade possessed suchbat prowess? Perhaps even Sovereign Heavenly Spoon in his youth hadnt been so fierce!

    He isinteresting, Min Ling finally acknowledged, her sharp eyes focused on Jack.

    On the raised tform, the Space Eye Sovereign leaned towards the Head Envoy. You know, she said, this is a bit too much. Im beginning to suspect his Life Artifact is not as simple as we thought.

    The Head EnvoySovereign Heavenly Spoononly chuckled. No matter how fierce, body enhancement is only useful up to the B-Grade. Even then, its vastly understated. Let him keep his lucky chance.

    I wasnt suggesting to take it away. Im just saying, we should maybe start asking questions.

    But wheres the fun in knowing? Is it not enough that he will shine for us in the hidden realm expedition and the banquet before? The Church has need for powerful C-Grades.

    Space Eyes gaze was piercing, but the Head Envoy didnt budge. Eventually, she pulled back. As you wish, she said. Youre in charge.

    The Head Envoy nodded at her. Then, he rose to his feet, floating over the tform to face Jack and the crowd.

    This spectacle has ended in Jack Rustsplete and overwhelming victory! he announced, his undertone bustling with excitement. As the Head Envoy of the ck Hole Church, I congratte your achievements, and I look forward to the excellence you will show in the future.

    The crowd cheered in agreement.

    Now, the Head Envoy continued, reaching for his space ring. As promised, the World Anchor is yoursyouve earned it.

    An orb of swimming colors appeared in his hand, then floated down at Jack. He reached out to grab it. As soon as the world anchor made contact, Jack felt like hed grabbed a falling star; his hand almost crashed into the floor, and he had to hurriedly pull it closer to his body to resist the weight.

    <em>So heavy!</em><em>The Head Envoy was holding it casually because hes extremely strong!</em>

    It was hard to imagine that the Head Envoysnky body contained more strength than the ripped and beefy Jack Rust, but thats how cultivation worked. Not everything was visible to the naked eye.

    Jack took the world anchor into his space ring, relieving himself of the weight. He also felt the rings inner dimension shake, as if about to shatter, but it barely held.

    <em>How am I supposed to put that thing inside my body? </em>he wondered. <em>Ill break!</em>

    I hope youll put it to good use, the Head Envoy spoke from up above. Additionally, as promised, you will enjoy free use of the Dao Chamber for the next six months. The only stiption is that you need to book your stay beforehand so as not to obstruct the training of others, and I would also urge you not to hold onto the rooms for longer than necessary.

    Of course, Jack replied. I will train hard, but I will also respect my fellow disciples. Thank you for this opportunity.

    You should thank yourself. The tests you passed were not easy.

    Jack nodded deeply in gratitude.

    Soon after, the Head Envoy was done talking, and all Envoys flew away.

    Were leaving, Baron Longform said sharply, not sparing Jack another nce. He and his followers flew away as well.

    As they did, Jacks gaze remained on Baron. The two of them were irreconcble enemiesJack had killed the others cousin, and now Baron had repeatedly tried to block Jack. Even if Jack had once benefited from Baron Longform in the form of a Dao Vision, their enmity ran too deep. Sooner orter, they would need to battle, and one of the two would die.

    <em>I wonder what will happen in the hidden realm </em>Jack thought, then put the issue out of mind. For the next six months, he would keep training as hard as possible. Whatever happened in the hidden realm after that, his own strength was the only guarantee he could have.

    A flood of people arrived to congratte Jack. Leading them were the bros, who fell on him like excited children.

    You were awesome, big bro!

    That was spectacr!

    You are so handsome!

    Thatstment was a little uncalled for, but it did remind Jack he remained shirtless. <em>Oh, well.</em>

    Thanks, guys. I couldnt have done it without you.

    Big bro, Brock said, approaching. Good job. I proud.

    Hah. Im sure your aplishments will match mine soon, Jack replied, bumping fists with his brori.

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    Several other people congratted him afterward. Most desired to befriend him, offering various gifts or inviting him to ces, but Jack politely refused everything.

    Hey, said a blue-haired girl. Jack faintly remembered her as Esmeralda Polen, the one Dorman had tried to steal from. That was a great fight!

    Thank you, Jack replied.

    Hi, Ponytail Sis, Brock added. Long time no see. What you doing here?

    I couldnt miss such a spectacle, could I? My friend was here too, but she left already. Something about Jack being so powerful it inspired her to train. However She winked at Brock. She was also impressed by Jacks performance. He really is as cool as you once imed. The day when she takes this seriously is not too far away.

    Brock nodded. Naturally. Big Bro is the coolest.

    Jack had no idea what they were talking about. He didnt even know what friend Esmeralda was referring tobut, since Brock sounded like he had it under control, Jack saw no need to intervene.

    The random cultivators congratted Jack and walked away, leaving only the bros and Esmeralda, who seemed intent on sticking around. Jack invited everyone to the fields outside vige four and treated them to some wine, finally rxing a bit after six months of rigorous training.

    Unfortunately, a bit of time was all he could spare. The duel was done, but the hidden realm still loomed in his futureand he had a premonition that, if his strength wasnt at the very limit, he would perish there.

    After everyone rxed and got a bit drunk, Jack left the gathering. He returned to his cabin, shut his door and windows, and sat cross-legged on his meditation mat. Utter silence filled the world. He was alone, slowly hyping up himself for yet another fight.

    After adjusting his mental state for a few minutes, he reached into his space ring and retrieved the World Anchor. It remained heavyjust holding it made his muscles bulge. Any other two-fruit C-Grade couldnt even lift it.

    Jack held it to his eyes. A little ball of liquid was suspended in the center of this crystalline orb, pulsing slowly and shining with a myriad colors. This was the essence of creationthe remnant core of an ancient powerhouses inner world. This little liquid contained all the rules needed to form a world, all thews and concepts and Daos. It was not a world itself, but a core that would stabilize Jacks inner world in the future and help cleanse its impurities.

    When he reached the B-Grade and formed his inner world, this core would be of immense assistance.

    However, even now, its value could not be understated.

    Jack brought the world anchor to his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed it, feeling it fall into the pit of his stomach like an iron anvil. Just this act of swallowing had injured his mouth, throat, and stomach. If a normal two-fruit C-Grade tried to absorb it, the world anchor would probably fall right through them, killing them on the spot.

    Of course, Jack had long ago asked about the dangers and method of absorbing it, so he knew he could handle it.

    Inside his tempered body, the world anchor remained still, like a stone. The walls of his stomach curved downward but contained it. Jack stilled his mind, enduring the pain as he waited.

    Eventually, the crystalline surface of the orb began to melt. It turned into pure Dao, which entered his body and nourished it, paving the way for the true world anchor. The multi-colored liquid remained by itself, still suspended inside Jacks stomach, and it became clear that the source of the anchors immense weight was exactly this liquid.

    Then, drop by drop, it began to disperse. It was absorbed into Jack. Every drop filled himpletely, swarming his body with energy and his mind with visions of the infinitews that held the universe together. Jacks heart skipped a beathe quickly submerged himself in these insights, unwilling to miss even a single one. Under the influence of the world anchor, the purest and grandest Daos became clear, untainted by the many variables of the real world.

    Jack sank into a trance. He lost track of time. The world anchor remained in his stomach, melting away over the course of several days. Jacks physical body was smoothened. The immense strain it had endured after so much tempering partly receded as the world anchor changed his properties and transformed him into a being morepatible with the Dao of Life. It raised the ceiling of his body tempering.

    At the same time, the visions hadnt stoppeding. Jack witnessed the endless void outside the universe, the endless nothingness where everything began. He saw a massive explosion that birthed a world, and he saw spacetime expanding at speeds that vastly eclipsed the speed of light. In an instant, the newborn universe grew from a dot to the size of a sr system, then kept going.

    He saw stars form. Gxies. He witnessed the vast universe slowly cool down, allowing all sorts of phenomena to exist, and observed the endless cycle of existence. Even celestial bodies, though not alive, had their own life cycle. They formed out of dust, stabilized, expanded, then blew up and became dust again, joining massive depositories which would in time form new stars.

    It was simr to how humans were born and died, always cycling, rising from dirt and falling to dirt.

    Jack was one with the universe, experiencing the fundamental forces. Gravity was the interaction between matter and spacetime. Electricity was carried by the miniscule maic charge of infinitely tiny particles. Groups of particles were held together by vast amounts of energy, so dense it turned into matter, and even these particles were nothing but manifestations of even smaller particles vibrating in a specific way.

    All these insights were far beyond the scope of Jacks current level, but they gave his Dao a foundation that other cultivatorscked. By gaining some insight into the fundamental properties of the universe, from which everything else was derived, he would always have a direction to walk towards. He could always validate his Dao against the core truths of the universe, avoiding many false insights and grasping things that others would find abstract.

    His current Daos didnt progress much, but thanks to these visions, his future road would be much smoother. Just this benefit alone was tremendous.

    Finally, the visions ended, and Jack found himself sitting on his meditation mat in the real world. It took him some time to adjust. When he did, he noticed that his stomach was emptythe world anchor had already beenpletely absorbed by him, and it now hovered inside his soul world, a multi-colored sheen covering his Dao Tree.

    Just by probing it a little, he could sense that it slightly purified all of his Dao, pulling it closer to the source of all Daos. It had not changed in quantity, but its quality had risen. Not only did this world anchor enhance his body and deepen his general understanding into the Dao, but it also increased his current strength.

    Jack took a deep, excited breath. This treasure was possibly the greatest lucky chance hed ever received, on a simr level as the Life Drop. It was also exactly what he needed.

    His current achievements were in part due to the Life Drop. However, unless it had other uses he had yet to discover, its body-rted benefits would taper off at the A-Grade. Even at the B-Grade, they would be much more auxiliary than they currently were. At that point, he would need to depend on the robustness of his inner world and hisprehension of the Dao, which were exactly what the World Anchor focused on.

    If the Life Drop was the foundation he needed to earn his ce in the cultivation world, the World Anchor was a vehicle that could help him reach the end of the road. Of course, even the World Anchor could only assist him; in the end, everything would depend on himself.

    But Jack was determined to seed. As long as he didnt die, he had confidence that he would walk farther than anyone, look deeply into the Dao and step inside its heart. His own talent and determination were his greatest weapons, and he would utilize them to the fullest.

    Jacks gaze sharpened. His aura rose, and an unstoppably dominant air erupted from his body, whipping the walls of his cabin and conjuring up a storm. His hair flew wildly. In that moment, Jack was not a human, not a man.

    He was a cultivator of unstoppable will.

    <em>No matter what happens, with my own two feet I will walk my Road to Mastery!</em>

 Chapter 375: Another Six Months

    Chapter 375: Another Six Months

    The Time Chamberthe Dao Chamber of Timewas the most enigmatic ce Jack had ever seen. He stood on a small grasnd surrounded by countless flowers. These flowers were identical, but each grew at different speeds. Some were blooming and dying, only for their spores to bloom soon after. Some remainedpletely still, not even responding to the breeze as if frozen in time. Others followed even more confusing paths; they would bloom at first, then wilt, then reverse their aging, then bloom again, eternally suspended in a cycle that didnt let them die.

    Time was warped in this ce. It did not flow uniformly, but rather whimsically. Space was filled with currents of time, each moving at its own pace. Jack didnt know how these currents were created, but he could sense them sometimes crossing each other, resulting in unexpected results. Other times, certain areas were stagnated of time, leading to a massive deceleration.

    Of course, none of these time flows were particrly intense. They were only visible because this particr species of flower had a lifespan barely reaching two days. Even if Jack was stranded in one of the quickest currents, resisting it would be trivial.

    Observing this grasnd, Jack could make out a path to understanding Time. The first step was seeing through its nature. Then, one should use their Dao to create such currents of altered time flow, and finally he should be able to control the interactions of these currents to createplex results in an area of his choice.

    These three steps would lead to a decent understanding of Time. As for what came after, he had no idea.

    However, even as he stood inside the grasnd, Jack shook his head. He could tell that, ironically,prehending these things would take timetime he didnt have. Even the simplest mysteries of the time currents were lost on him, as he felt no connection. It wasnt like the Dao of Space, which came to him instinctively, or the Dao of Life, which was somewhat aligned with the Fist.

    Every cultivator was onlypatible with certain Daos, depending on their character, worldview, and experiences. Trying to go wide was a terrible ideait was better to be a master of one than a jack of none. Even when it came to ones secondary Daos, like Jacks Dao of Space, he needed to be careful and not invest too much. At the end of the day, his Dao followed the Fist, and anything else could only be auxiliary weapons.

    After all, all Daos came from the same source. Their manifestations were wildly different from each other, but the higher one rose, the more each Dao resembled the others. By walking down the path of the Fist, Jack would naturally approach Life, Mortality, and other relevant Daos. By exploring the Dao of Space, he would naturally arrive at the Dao of Time, since the two were intertwined. Trying to study these other Daos individually was just a waste of time and effort.

    For example, through hisprehension of Space, Jack could understand that time was just the concept of change. Its connecting point with space was through matter; space was the foundation of matter, and time was nothing but the continuum on which matter existed.

    Between these threespace, time, and matterno two could exist without the third. They formed a fundamental trifecta of the universe.

    These were all a bit vague to the current Jack, but the point was, he should focus on Space to understand Time. That way, hisprehension of Time would advance faster than if he studied Time itself, and he would also get all sorts of other benefits.

    To him, the Time Chamber was useless.

    Jack exited the chamber, weed by a confused octopus Envoy. <em>Done so quickly? </em>she asked. <em>Dont worry. Not all Daos are for everyone. It is best to expand little and focus on your strengths, forming a pyramid of understanding.</em>

    <em>I understand. Thank you, </em>Jack replied politely.

    Hed already suspected Time would be fruitless.

    After this, he also spent some time at the Life and Death Chambers, finding simr results. The two chambers contained a blooming world and a dying one respectively. Jack could sense they hid a myriad insights, yet he was unable to grasp them. His ownprehensions of Life and Death would naturally sprout from the Fistthat was the lens through which he perceived them, therefore studying them individually was pointless. Even the Life Drop, which connected him to the Dao of Life, only did so indirectlyhis highpatibility was best utilized through the Dao of the Fist.

    Time, Life, and Death were out of the picture. The elements were even more pointless to attempthe had no rtion to any of them. The only Dao Chambers Jack could focus on were Mortality and Space; one helped with theprehension of his own Dao, and the other directly increased hisbat strength, though with declining efficiency, since hed already spent a few months there.

    The hidden realm expedition woulde in six months. Therefore, Jacks priority was to increase his power as much as possible until then. Long-term benefits could wait.

    Forming a six-month training n was easy. The Dao Chamber, though he had free ess now, wouldnt be too useful in the short term. He decisively allocated little time to it, only a few days in total, and those were spent at the Mortality ChamberSpace was already offering diminishing returns.

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    Most of his time was spent cultivating and body temperingthe two approaches that could increase his power the fastest.

    Jack visited the Ceaseless Murder Globe and once again awed the Cathedral by securing a ranking of 98. He had finally broken into the top hundred! This was a new legend!

    But Jack was too busy to care about the praise. The only reason he increased his ranking was to secure more time at the Heavy Pagoda; he could now stay there for four days every month, double his previous limit. That was great news.

    He also possessed a fortune of Dao stones. Just his twenty-five consecutive duels had earned him over a thousand. As for the betting stalls profits, those went entirely to the bros. After Jack finally revealed his connection with the life stones, their price also rose to four Dao stones apiece,ting him a monthly profit of eighty stones, twenty of each were given to the bros as thanks for their assistance.

    The bros had profited wildly. Just by believing in Jack and putting in a few days of work, they had secured over a dozen Dao stones eachthis was the equivalent of at least a years wages.

    Over the six months until the hidden realm, Jack gathered a total of one thousand five hundred Dao stonesand change. He was a tycoon. Moreover, since he no longer needed to hemorrhage on the Dao Chamber, he could freely spend all that wealth on his own cultivation.

    For four days every month, he stayed at the Heavy Pagodas fourth level and consumed Dao stones like candy. If others knew of this rate of consumption, they might have a heart attack and die on the spot.

    The other twenty-six days of the month were spent on body tempering. Jack endured increasingly terrifying pain, fueled by his own desire for the top, to steadily stuff his body full of life energy.

    Alternating these two practices without rest, Jack lost track of time. The months flowed like water.

    Two months before the expedition, his breakneck cultivation bore fruitliterally. He broke through to the three-fruit realm. His third fruit was one of Life, incorporating his body tempering and the feeling of possessing a titanic body. With it, hisbat prowess rose yet again, but he chose not to visit the Globe.

    The hidden realm was in two months. Even if he earned an extra day per month at the Heavy Pagoda by increasing his rank, it wouldnt matter muchit was more important to keep his strength under wraps to guard against his enemies. After all, in the hidden realm, there was no guarantee that everyone from the Church would work together. Baron Longform would be there too, and Jack mighte under attack at any point. It was better to hide his full abilities.

    At almost the same time as Jack, Brockwho had received a lot of Dao stones from his big broalso broke through, developing his second Dao fruit. After a few years of cultivation, the two of them were only one small boundary apartten levels. It really made Jack emotional.

    For the two months after that, Jack kept cultivating like crazy, and his third Dao fruit reached around forty percent maturity. He also had a few hundred Dao stones to spare. With a little more time, developing a fourth fruit wouldnt be difficultthough he needed to ensure his Dao understanding didntg behind.

    One day, Jack opened his eyes. They shone like twin stars, shooting lightning into the world.

    My body is finally close to saturation he muttered, then cracked a smile. Not bad.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 274</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 4300 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 4300 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 4300 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 689</strong>

    <strong>Will: 689</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Space Mastery II, Titan Taunt I, Fist of Mortality I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    His Physical substats had grown by another five hundred. It was a significant increase, but the speed of body tempering had clearly gone down. During thest month, he only got forty points. It had finally reached the point of saturation. From now on, the bodily improvements would need to be made in step with his cultivation.

    From growing his second fruit to maturity and then developing his third fruit to forty percent, he had gotten another fourteen levels, which tranted to two-hundred and eighty stat points. He had poured them all into Mental and Will, finally bringing them up to speed with the 8-1-1 distribution he followed. Now, unless some Mental or Will cultivator was far stronger than him, it could be said that Jack was their natural counter.

    Future stat points would be poured into Physical, at least for a while. Jack was curious to see how his saturated body would affect the Systems ability to enhance him furtherbut not curious enough to ruin his perfectly round numbers of 4300. Not yet, at least.

    His cultivation had reached a teau. It would be difficult to increase anything in the short term, and even creating a fourth Dao fruit would be difficultif he wanted to maintain a solid foundation, he would need to work on his Dao understanding first.

    When one reached such a teau, the best thing to do was go out and adventure. Most cultivators would take all resources they could and explore the wide universe, observing the world and letting their Dao naturally develop. Through fighting others and experience life and death, they would naturally develop their Dao and discover the next steps on their path.

    Expansion and consolidation. This rule applied from the start to the end of cultivation, from the humblest F-Grade to the godlike A-Grades.

    Fortunately for Jack, he had no need to search for adventure. The hidden realm expedition was fifteen days away.

    He wearily rose to his feet. His body was exhausted but also suffused with more power than hed ever felt. If not for his iron will and determination, he might have already devolved to the point of thinking himself God.

    <em>Fifteen days </em>he thought, finally allowing himself a tired smile. <em>Since there is nothing important I can do until then, I might as well rx. I have to visit home. Vivi will be worried sick about me, and the children I cant wait to see how much theyve grown.</em>

    <em>A small break for my weary soul. And then, adventure!</em>

 Chapter 376: Eric and Ebele

    Chapter 376: Eric and Ebele

    As Jack stepped out of the teleporter and onto green grass, he threw his head back and took a deep breath. After the Cathedrals dark, bleak, airless void, the forests of Earth were paradise.

    It had already been a year since Jacksst visit. It felt shorter, for some reasonperhaps the constant training messed with his passage of time. Still, it made one think. Once upon a time, a year was the time from the Integration to when he defeated theary overseer. Now, it was just a long training session.

    His children would have grown so much.

    What do you think, Brock? Jack asked, turning to his best friend. Will youe with me to see the kids?

    Father and Mother first, Brock replied. First old, then new.

    Jackughed. Alright. You know where I livesee you soon!

    The two of them flew off in different directions. Their speed was extremely leisurely, the equivalent of strolling through the air. Jack felt so light. So powerful. Space was fragile here, and all the natural forces wereughably weak. His perception covered a hundred miles. If he simply willed it, the entire sky within that range woulde crashing down like a million littleets.

    Any casual punch could easily level a state.

    But, of course, Jack reined in his powers and aura. To anyone observing him, he seemed like a mortal. Only now did he understand the Sages previous words, why all the high-level cultivators felt so rxed on the Cathedral. Having to constantly restrain ones power was a simr feeling to wearing socks: not bad, but it would feel amazing once you reached home and could take them off.

    The trees passed by him, swaying in the breeze, and the sun was bright. It was early autumn. The forest below him was suffused with life, a myriad little creatures wandering around and struggling to survive. At this time of the year, food was aplenty, leading to fewer hunts and a more rxed existence.

    Jacks perception could capture everything in the forest below, and he shook his head. Animalscked food in the winter and water in the summer. Really, they had it rough. The Dao of Mortality encapsted them as well.

    Trees gave way to hills. Jack ascended the nearby mountain,nding before a house that was elegant yet simplewooden walls, a red-tiled roof, and a ss window overlooking the scenery. Emotions welled up inside him. He didnt need to knockwhile his perception hadnt rudely intruded, he could easily sense the waves of energy radiating from this house, and their owner could sense him too.

    The door swung open, revealing a dark-skinned woman in a blue dress. Her legs were long, her waist slender, and her eyes bright with kindness. Her aura surgedshe was a D-Grade.

    Vivi, Jack muttered.

    She smiled. Wee home, she said sweetly, then stepped aside. Two little forms were revealed behind her. The boy yelped and followed his mom, still hiding behind her and peeking out his head, while the girl stood her ground, gazing at him with wide, bright eyes.

    This is Dad, Vivi said, emotion in her voice. She did not push them to move. Jack didnt either. He squatted down, bringing himself almost to eye levelthey were tiny!and smiling.

    Hey kids, he said. Ebele, Eric I missed you.

    Something in his voice reached them. They did not remember him, but they recognized that sound, that powerful warmth. Eric hesitantly walked out from behind Vivi and said, Da?

    Ebele made the connection. Her face brightened, she shouted, Papa! and rushed into his arms. Jackughed as he hugged her. Eric moved as well, emboldened by his sister, and fell onto Jack as well. Vivi watched this happen with a huge, sweet smile on her lips.

    She wasnt tired from raising two children herself. However, watching her children rush into their fathers embrace That feeling was just something else.

    As for Jack, he felt the stress and exhaustion of the past year disappear. All the pain hed endured simply washed off him, leaving him fresh and full of love. Heughed out loud, rising to his feet with one child wrapped in each hand. They yelped but didnt cry.

    How brave you are! he eximed, his own happiness transmitted through his aura. I love you both! All three of you!

    Will you eat with us? Vivi asked, her voice sweet. We just finished making lunch, and were looking forward to hearing about your adventures Plus, I suspect you havent eaten a proper meal since thest time you were here.

    Jack felt like hed been caught. Heughed again, unable to contain his joy, then gave Vivi a warm gaze. Of course Ill eat. For the next two weeksIm all yours.

    ***

    Lunch was heavenly. Jack really hadnt eaten a proper meal in a yearnot only because he didnt need it, but also because very little food could survive on the Cathedral. He ravenously fell on the table, enjoying every taste.

    Between bites, he narrated his experiences at the Cathedral. Not urately, of coursethe children were listening. He framed them as fairy tales, omitting the dangers and pain to focus on oveing impossible odds to seed.

    Eric and Ebele listened with rapt attention, forgetting to eat. Their little mouths hung open in wonder. Eric was clenching his hands every time Jack spoke about danger, only to exhale in relief when everything was good. As for Ebele, her eyes shone throughout, zing at his adventures.

    Even though they were still toddlers and anything could change, some things were clear about their temperaments. Ebele was sharp and adventurous. Eric was more restrained, but that didnt make him any lesser than his sisternot everybody needed to be a warrior.

    Jack felt fatherhood blooming in his chest. Every feature he discovered about his children felt perfect, making him love them even morealthough, in truth, they would have felt perfect no matter what.

    This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    As he detailed his adventures, Vivi was also listening. She could glean the things he hid away or softened. Her heart was clenched; just by this fairy tale version of thest year, she could understand that Jack had been through a lot. His every day was a battle. However, she chose not toment, because she could also tell that he loved it.

    And she loved him for it. Even if her heart shook and he made her worry.

    So many strong people she said in wonder. And you said the strongest one is that woman named Min Ling, right? Is she pretty?

    This question would have stumped themon man, but Jack was no amateur. She couldnt hold a candle to you, my love.

    Mhm. Right.

    Vivi didnt necessarily believe him, but that was beside the point. Butterflies fluttered inside her stomach.

    Can we explore again? Ebele asked, revealing both impressivemunication skills and that she rememberedst years excursions with Jack.

    Of course! Jack replied. We can do whatever you like!

    Yay! both children cried out at once.

    Vivis raised brow gave Jack pause. But only if your mother agrees, he added, making them turn their puppy eyes at Vivi. Under their pressure, she melted.

    Jack and his family didnt step outside their house for the entire day. They yed some games, Jack learned about their lives as well, and he generally tried to form beautiful memories with his children. He was painfully aware of how little time he would actually spend with them growing upat times like this, his heart was burning, and the sour taste of regret filled his mouth. But he knew it was necessary. He was a cultivator. He had his path. As much as he loved his children, he couldnt betray himselfand themto spend more time at home.

    Enemies could appear at any moment. If he wasnt strong enough, they would suffer and die. He would never let that happen.

    Night came, and Ebele with Eric went to sleep. Their room contained many toys and decorations, including a few that Jack was familiar with. One was a picture of him from before the Integrationanother was avamp hed personally forged for them inside an active volcano, and there was even a bowl filled with water from the deepest parts of the Marianna Trench.

    The souvenirs from their shared adventures were proudly contained in the childrens room. Jack never thought hed feel so warm from such little things.

    Goodnight, Ebele. Goodnight, Eric, he said, nting a kiss on their foreheads and tucking them to sleep. I love you.

    We love you too, daddy! Ebele replied. Ericughed and waved his arms around.

    Jack and Vivi headed to their own room, where they undressed andy together. How do you feel? Vivi asked, leaning against his chest.

    Its a new world, Jack admitted. Increasing my cultivation makes me happy, but this This makes me even happier in apletely different way. Ebele, Ericyoustaying here forever would be a blessed life.

    But not for you.

    But not for me. Jack sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. I will be the best father I can, but above all else, I am a cultivator. Do you hate me for that?

    Vivi chuckled. I knew it since the day I met you. Thats why I slept with you. She rose from his chest to nt a kiss on his lips. Your children are in good hands, Jack. Do what you have to do. Live your life. They will grow well, and they will love you for who you are.

    Jack felt warmth in his heart. People said that life couldnt be perfectbut, right now, it sure felt like it.

    Thank you, he replied, returning her kiss. One kiss led to many, and of increasing heat, until their two bodies were intertwined.

    I missed you, Vivi said with a hot breath.

    So did I Jack replied, sinking deep into her night.

    ***

    For the next two weeks, Jack remained with his family. They stayed at home, reveling in their love. They toured the world, exploring its wonders. They made memories. Jack was stuck to his children as if glued on them, and they loved every moment. Their carefreeughter echoed across the house, filling it with joy.

    One day, Jack and Eric built a treehouse togetherwithout using cultivator superpowers. The little boy was beyond excited. He rushed from side to side, happy to just be spending time with Jack and helping however he could. When they were done, Jack grabbed Eric and flew to the top. Eric cried out in joy. Then, Jack flew even higher, like a bird, using his aura to protect Eric from the sharp winds. Every peal ofughter was medicine to his sond the timid Eric believed in his father so fully that he never felt a shred of fear.

    The two swam through the air for a while, unable to stop smiling.

    Another day, Jack took Ebele to observe the clouds from above. Her eyes were wide in wonder, gazing at the infinite sea of white, then she yelped as they began free-falling, piercing through the white and towards the blue sea below.

    Ebele was scared, but that only made her excited. Sheughed through the wind, ying with it and admiring how her little limbs and hair flew upward. When they approached the surface of the ocean, Jack grabbed onto Ebele and swerved over it, cutting through the surface and raising waves. They then flew higher again, until the waves were nothing but lines on the vast blue, and Ebele was having the time of her life.

    Again! she shouted, and Jack had no choice but to keep going. Only an hourter, when Ebele waspletely exhausted and almost fell asleep, did she let him leave. He hugged her tightly on the way backnot out of caution, but of love.

    His two children were different from each other, but he loved them equally. His heart couldnt grow any fuller. If anything ever happened to them

    He didnt want to think about that. He would grow so strong that hed never have to.

    Besides spending time with his family, Jack also met his other friends and rtives on Earthhis mother, Edgar, Harambe Brock visited often, ying with the children and quickly bing Uncle Brock. The children loved him. Somehow, his Dao of Brotherhood seeped through, making them see a wide world and learn to rely on each other.

    While Jack and Brock were of different species, they regarded each other as brothers. He was also part of the family.

    And so, two weeks passed. Finally, there came a day when Jack would have to leave again.

    When will you return? Vivi asked him at the front door. The children were inside the houseJack had already bidden them goodbye.

    I dont know he admitted. The Church hasnt scouted out the hidden realm. It could be long or shortI really have no idea.

    Vivi nodded. Both of them knew that the hidden realm would be an exceedingly dangerous ce. Perhaps, Jack would never returnbut they both chose not to mention that.

    Be safe, Vivi said, tears sparkling in her eyes. She bit back everything else she wanted to tell him. I love you.

    I love you too.

    He nted a hot kiss on her lips, savoring this final moment of warmth before the storm. His heart felt weakdid he really have to leave this ce and risk his life in an unknownnd?

    Soon, however, he suppressed the doubts. He was who he was. If he backed away now, he would never be able to live with himself.

    Im going, he said. Take care of the kids. Tell them I love them.

    They know, she replied with a smile, but Ill tell them. Every day until youe back to us.

    Jack looked deep into her eyes and nodded. Then, he flew away. Brock was already waiting for him at the teleporter. As he saw Jack arrive, he read all the emotions in his brothers heart. A good bro makes hard decisions, he said softly, and hard decisions make good bro. You best father I know. Believe.

    Jack gave a tight smile. Thanks, Brock. I needed that.

    No problem.

    The two stepped into the teleporter, activated it, then set off for the Cathedral again. The hidden realm expedition was upon themthe unknown and dangerous.

    Besides himself, Jack really looked forward to it.

 Chapter 377: A-Grade

    Chapter 377: A-Grade

    The Cathedral was in an uproar.

    Today, the hidden realm expedition was leaving. The participants had gathered in the Cathedral Square, while many other cultivators hade to watch.

    For such an event, even an Elder might be mobilizedand, to these people, Elders were legends!

    The Cathedral received a new generation of C-Grades every thousand years or so. However, A-Grade cultivatorsthe Elderscould live up to a million years. They could see a thousand batches of disciplese and go like an endless tide. Why would they bother?

    Most Elders remained in permanent seclusion or bothering with other affairs, meaning that the C-Grade disciples almost never saw them. Even when it came to the most talented disciples, so what? They could be rank 1, but that still meant little to an Elder. Hundreds of people would pass through that rank one position in their lifetime; why would they care about any of them?

    Therefore, opportunities to see an Elder were extremely rare!

    Jack waited alongside Brock in the middle of the Cathedral Square. Another twenty-eight people waited with themten nine-fruits, ten eight-fruits, five seven-fruits, and three six-fruits. Adding Jack and Brock, they were thirty in total.

    Brock had nabbed one of the positions for six-fruit cultivators and below. This wasnt due to Jackhighly talented individuals were usually allowed to join even if their current strength wascking, so Brock had been formally invited.

    Of the other people, Jack was only familiar with a few. There was Min Ling, the number one outer disciplewho happened to be a seven-fruit cultivator. There was Baron Longform, who hadnt nced in Jacks direction even once, and Shi Mo, the old eight-fruit swordsman whod dueled Jack six months ago. Besides those, Jack had recognized a couple faces but had no special impression.

    There was one person he paid attention to, however. Min Ling was the number one disciple, and Baron Longform was number three. Then, who was number two?

    It was easy to tell. Jacks gaze was drawn to a tall, burly man. While he possessed many human features, he clearly wasnt one. His fingers ended in sharp ws, two straight horns rose from the back of his head, and he possessed blue scales in ce of skin. At the same time, his yellow eyes exuded a mix of primal threat and deep intelligence.

    If Jack had to categorize him somehow, he looked like a dragonman.

    Are you curious about Szar? a pleasant voice came from behind Jack. As he turned, he came face-to-face with a slim-featured, athletic woman d in leather armor. A red spear with a ck tip hung on her back, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, while her wheat-colored skin radiated health and vigor.

    Jack recognized her instantly. This was Min Ling, the number one disciple of the Cathedral and also the greatest talent of thest few thousand years.

    A bit, he replied. Ive never seen that species before.

    You wouldnt have. Szar is a space monster.

    A space monster?

    It happens, she exined. When space monsters reach the C-Grade, they develop true intelligence. Some are even able to cultivate, though they follow a different path than us. Naturally, not all of them choose to be mindless killing machines; some can reject their natural instincts and join the cultivation world, rising alongside us.

    Wow, Jack said. The universe really is wide.

    Everything you can imagine exists, she replied with a smile that didnt reach her ears. She then turned to the brori. And you must be Brock.

    Yes.

    Pleased to make your acquaintance.

    Brock nodded like it was natural.

    So are we, Jack responded. Your talent is stunning.

    I could say the same thing about you. A two-fruit reaching the top hundred ranks is nothing short of incredible, and youve even developed another fruit since then. I wonder just how high your strength reaches

    Jack onlyughed. Bold of you to speak to us, he said, changing the subject. Arent you afraid of angering Baron Longform?

    She took a moment to navigate his words. There is no rtion between myself and Longform. I can do whatever I want. And, in any case, his influence is not as far-reaching as you may think.

    Really? How so?

    Well, he

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Her next words were lost in the cheers of the crowd. Jack looked up. A dozen forms descended from the sky, all wearing fluttering dark robes. The insignia of the ck Hole Church was clear: a ck hole whose shape was entuated by green lines, making it easily discernible despite the dark fabric.

    These were the Envoysthe main force of the expedition.

    Leading the twelve was a man who looked to be in his thirties, with dark hair and exceedingly sharp eyes. Before they evennded, Jack caught that mans gaze on him, and it gave him shivers. It wasnt the first time he got this impressionfor some reason, this guy didnt like him, and Jack had no idea why.

    Tsk. Min Ling clicked her tongue. Spacewind.

    Greetings, everyone, the man uttered, his steady voice overpowering the crowd. I am Sovereign Spacewind. As you all know, I will be leading this expedition inside the hidden realm. It will be dangerous, but you have nothing to fear. I will protect all of you to the best of my ability.

    The hostile air hed shown before had disappeared. Now, his aura was deep and heroic, making the crowd cheer.

    Have I done anything to offend him? Jack whispered, leaning closer to Min Ling.

    You still arebut, hes just an asshole. If you stay out of his way, he wont go so far as to sell you out.

    Jack nodded, understanding but not quite. <em>You still are? What was that supposed to mean?</em>

    Of the eleven Envoys following Spacewind, Jack recognized the frog-like man who operated the Ceaseless Murder Globe and the octopus Envoy from the Dao Chamber. If he wasnt mistaken, their names were Borkuren Madiba and Ashly Sherry respectively. Both nodded at him, and he nodded back.

    After the Envoysnded, the square quietened down again. Min Ling had moved away from Jack, and nobody else approached him, so he approached nobody either. After a while, Shi Mo stepped closer. Greetings! he said with a wide smile. I never thanked you forst time. That was truly a splendid fight!

    Jackughed. He could tell a fellow battle junky when he saw one. The three of themincluding Brockmade some small talk. Time passed. An hourter, Jack was beginning to feel suspicious.

    Everyone was here already. Why werent they starting?

    I dont know either, Shi Mo replied, but since were waiting, there must be a reason.

    Jack nodded. Suddenly, he saw this in another light. They werent just waiting; this was an opportunity for all expedition members to get to know each other, and for those with great social skills to sharpen their des.

    Jack didnt think himself one of those people, but wasting this opportunity would be amateurish. Therefore, he led Brock to socialize. Shi Mo was happy to helphe introduced Jack and Brock to a few eight-fruit friends of his, then let them wander alone. Jack spoke to various people, acting like a social butterfly while everyone else was doing the same. In thisplicated dance, he was careful to avoid Baron Longforms peoplethis really was akin to dancing with your enemy and trying to step on each others feet.

    At this point, he and Baron Longform were public enemies. One had strength and connections, while the other had immeasurable potentialthe degree of their influence was simr, therefore they quickly devolved into a social battle for supporters.

    Jack even chatted with Borkuren and Ashly, the two Envoys he was familiar with. Facing him, they did not disy any of a B-Grades arrogance. They chatted merrily, even cracking jokes, and this greatly increased Jacks prestige amongst the surrounding C-Grades.

    Jack got to know a few people. More time passed. Finally, as he was speaking to a ss-pane cultivator, something changed.

    It was subtle, yet clear. The quality of the void rose. Something new was added to the mix, birthing intense awe in Jacks heart. He turned around. At one end of the square, floating a few feet over the ground, were two individuals.

    One was a kindly old man. His hair was white and his body slim, while he still exuded liveliness. He reminded Jack of some professors hed met on Earth, the kind that remained excited about their subject even after decades of research. His robes were simple, practical, and colored a golden blue.

    The other person had their entire body covered in a dark cloak. Pale, gaunt skin was visible under their hood, along with red eyes that made Jacks heart seize. If any mortal nced at those eyes, they would die on the spot. Moreover, a scythe was on that persons backjust looking at it filled Jack with fear, as if he was about to lose his soul.

    This person was dressed exactly like a grim reaper.

    The auras of these people were impossibly deep. It was like staring at the depths of the ocean. Before them, Jack felt beyond helpless, nothing but a mortal before a god. There was only one group of people that could make him feel like this.

    A-Grades. These people were Elders.

    The square fell deathly silent. Whether consciously or unconsciously, everyone held their breath. Sovereign Spacewind was the first to break the silence, bowing at the waist for these two people.

    Elder Heavenstar. Elder Boatman, he said with utmost respect. We are deeply honored by your presence.

    Greetings, Elders, everyone said at the same time, bowing, while Jack caught on halfway and mumbled, tings, Elders.

    He waspletely unaware of the decorum. With his heart racing, he also bowed his head, trying to glimpse at others and see what they were doing. Thankfully, the Elders themselves saved him.

    Elder Boatmanthe grim reaper lookalikedid not move or speak. He remained there, as sure as death. Elder Heavenstar, however, spoke lightly and carefreely.

    No need to stand on ceremony, he said. Rx, everyone.

    Jack rose slowly, making sure that everyone was rising alongside him. Thest thing he wanted was to embarrass himself here.

    Elder Heavenstar smiled, but Jack could tell that he really didnt care about any of them. He was just trying to be polite and pleasant. If there is nothing more, lets get going.

    Without waiting for a reply, the Elder raised his finger and summoned a massive starship above the square. It was several hundred feet from end to end. Jack had no idea how the Elder had summoned this thing, because it sure as hell couldnt fit into a space ringnot in Jacks space ring, anyway.

    The Elders flew in first, entering from a door at the side, and Jack followed the rest of the cultivators as they headed inside too. There was plenty of space and no staff. Everyone could easily get their own room.

    Without any sort of ritual, the starship broke through space and disappeared. The Cathedral was flung far behind. Jack felt his excitement rising.

    They were headed for the hidden realm.

 Chapter 378: Pride and Honor

    Chapter 378: Pride and Honor

    The hidden realm expedition shuttled through space. There were forty-four people in a giant starship, each with their own room.

    The ship was powered by the Envoys, reaching unimaginable speeds. They were tearing through space like the waves of the sea. However, the ship remained slower than teleportation, and the Heaven Egg gxy was far awayit would take them two weeks to arrive.

    During that time, the Elders didnt step out of their rooms once. Most people spent their time cultivating, with perhaps small breaks to enjoy the view, and Jack with Brock were the same. The two of them huddled inside Jacks room, constantly getting stronger.

    After all, they were headed to a battlefield.

    But, that didnt mean they were oblivious to the scenery. The void outside the starships windows was clustered with endless gxies, shining like the stars of the night sky. Each of those bright dots housed billions ofs, potentially trillions of lives. The universe was vast beyond belief, and even A-Grades were nothing more than slightlyrger antspared to its majesty.

    It was times like this that gave Jack perspective. The System had colonized a tiny part of the universe so far, a mere seventy-three gxies. With the exception of the Milky Way, which was still young, each of those gxies produced hundreds of B-Grades and one to several A-Grades.

    If one day the cultivation world spread across the universe, to the hundreds of billions of gxies, what would it look like? There would be infinite lives, trillions of A-Grades. At that point, being one of those trillion wouldnt really matter. Would all those people discover new Grades and realms above the A-Grade? Would there be A+, or S, or other ssifications of power? Was there a limit? Would there be more Systems, each pursuing the peak in its way? Could humans one day reach the level of Old Gods, the rulers of the universe?

    And what if those Old Gods had already colonized more corners of the universe besides the Systems?

    Jack didnt know. These seventy-three gxies were the only ones containing cultivators. In arger bubble around System space, the surrounding gxies also contained life, originating from when the Ancients had spread their seed as far as they could. However, all these remained nothing but a drop in the bucket.

    It was terrifying to think of the cultivation world as a tiny ind of light in an infinite dark sea. At the same time, it was heroic. Ambitious. They were just starting out; the universe was theirs to conquer, theirs to colonize. Perhaps in a trillion years, the entire universe would be lively, and the world would enter an era of unmatched prosperity that would echo across the eons.

    By then, Jack would be nothing but dust, but how nice would it be if he could contribute even a tiny bit to humanitys expansion?

    Thinking big?

    The question came so abruptly that Jack was startled. He hadnt noticed anyone approaching. He turned around, finding Envoy Spacewind standing behind him, staring with those sharp eyes of his.

    Envoy, Jack said respectfully.

    Spare me the ceremony. Just reply. Did the view inspire you to think big?

    Jack hesitated a moment. Hed never spoken with Spacewind, but hed sensed hostility from him a few times. Still, he couldnt just not respond. It did, he replied. I find that the universe is vast, vaster than anyone can imagine. How can something that great not create great thoughts?

    Great things create great thoughts Well spoken, Spacewind replied, but his voice contained a hint of darkness. However, I would advise you to be careful. Youth brings recklessness; it is best for one to understand where they can and cannot expand, which fruits are theirs to enjoy and which belong to others. Those who reach beyond their means tend to suffer horrible fates.

    Jack raised a brow. I shouldnot think about other gxies?

    You should not think about Min Ling, Spacewind said directly. She is an exceptional woman. I have to admit you are exceptional as well, but it doesnt matter. I am already courting her. If you continue your advances, then I will no longer chalk it up to ignorance and will take it as an insult.

    Jack was stunned. This was what it was all about? Spacewind was being hostile because he thought Jack was hitting on Min Ling?

    That was certainly not the case. He had only spoken with her once, and there had been nothing weird about that interaction. He was even married; well, not quite, but he did regard Vivi as his lifes partner. He wouldnt randomly flirt with other women, even if they were beautiful and extremely talented.

    He opened his mouth to exin these things to Spacewindbut then stopped.

    True, Spacewind had misunderstood. This situation could easily be resolved if Jack simply exined his side. However, regardless of misunderstandings or not, Spacewinds words had been far too imperious. Hed threatened Jack and spoken as he would to an ant. Hed also taken Min Ling as belonging to him even though that obviously wasnt the case; Jack recalled her cold reaction when Spacewind appeared, and he easily understood shed been rejecting his advances but he kept insisting.

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    Despite that, Spacewind had taken it upon himself to discourage all other admirers. That was the behavior of a narcissistic, selfish man. Moreover, a man that had chosen to pick a bone with Jackeven if their conflict was based on shaky ground.

    All of a sudden, Jack didnt feel like patiently exining himself to such a person, even if that person happened to be the leader of the expedition.

    I had no such intention, he replied coldly, but with all due respect, even if I did, I do not believe it should be any of your concern.

    You are trying to court the woman I am courting. How is that not my concern?

    And how is your courting going?

    Spacewind paused. His gaze grew frigid. This is not about sess. If you aim for the same target as me, you are working against me, therefore you are my enemy. That is not something you want.

    Im just not in the habit of cowering away, Jack replied calmly. You cannot own people just because you saw them first. If you have some issue, bring it up with her. However, I will say this again; I had no intention of courting anyone. And now, if you dont mind, I have some gxies to look at.

    Spacewinds eyes narrowed dangerously. I am your superior. You do not get to dismiss me.

    With all due respect, sir, I can do whatever the fuck I want.

    Jack left Spacewind standing alone and walked away, feeling the other mans gaze bore into his back all the while. However, Spacewind said nothing more. Jack made it to his room and entered, finally heaving a tired sigh.

    What am I doing wrong, Brock? he asked. Why is it that everywhere I go, someone strong wants to beat me up?

    Brock, who was meditating, opened one eye. Maybe youre just too cool.

    Yeah, that must be it.

    Jacky on his bed, once again sighing. At this point, creating powerful enemies was a routine. It would feel weird if there <em>wasnt </em>someone gunning for his back.

    <em>First Baron, then Spacewind The hidden realm will sure be interesting.</em>

    However, even if Jack often created enemies, he didnt do so thoughtlessly. His enmity with Spacewind wasnt particrly deep; at best, they had a stressed rtionship. He didnt believe that Spacewind would act against him on the battlefield against the Hand of Godafter all, regardless of internal problems, everyone was unified against external enemies.

    Moreover, even if Spacewind did harbor such intentions, they wouldnt be together inside the hidden realm. The B-Grades would explore the core areas, while the C-Grades would wander around the edges. Even if something did go wrong and Spacewind tried to act against him, Min Ling would definitely take Jacks side. She was the leader of the C-Grades and also exceptionally strongthere shouldnt be any problems.

    After that, when they returned to the Cathedral, just one B-Grade enemy wasnt too much. Hed been through worse.

    These had all been Jacks considerations as he refused to yield to Spacewinds intimidation, but they didnt negate the fact that hed just created more problems for himself. He sighed again.

    Whats the matter, bro? Brock asked.

    Jack exined the situation. At that point, Brocks mouth formed into an o. He exined to Jack how he had joked about this with Esmeralda and the bros, which may have reached Spacewind and created some confusion.

    You did nothing wrong, Jack said when Brock was done. You were just ying around and increasing my reputation. There was nothing weird about it. The only reason there are problems is because Spacewind is an asshole. Even if you didnt give him an excuse to act against me, he would have gone off sooner orter. The fault remains squarely on his shoulders.

    Brock nodded.

    Any ideas? Jack asked. I dont mind the current situation, but resolving it would also be good.

    I could throw some poop?

    It wasnt a real suggestion, and Jackughed, feeling a weight sliding off his shoulders. Remember that time you threw poop at Rufus Emberheart? Those were the days.

    He was being an asshole, Brock added, nodding along with a big monkeyish grin. I will give you poop in bag. Handy weapon. When asshole bes big asshole, just throw.

    Please do, Jack replied,ughing again.

    ***

    The two weeks passed easily. To cultivators of their level, their sense of time was greatly slowed down, meaning that two weeks were nothing but a cultivation session. Jack used up half his remaining Dao stones, also giving some to Brock, and advanced his third fruit to fifty percent maturity.

    At some point, Jack sensed the starship moving oddly. It slowed down and teleported in random directions, hiding their direction of origin. Were here, he said.

    He and Brock flew out of their room, followed by many other cultivators. Everyone headed for the front window.

    A egg-shaped opening shimmered in the distance. It looked like a portal, its surface swimming with colors that nobody could see through. This was the hidden realm. Surprisingly, however, it wasnt toorgebarely a thousand feet across.

    Thats only the entrance, Shi Mo said from beside Jack. The inside is a different dimension. It could be a thousand miles wide, a million miles, or maybe evenrger! Nobody knows until weve entered.

    I see, Jack replied.

    Close to the hidden realm opening was another starship, evenrger than their own. It was simply gigantic. Multiple decks lined its interior, and its prow alone stretched for a mile outside the ship. Teleporting something thatrge must have cost an ungodly amount of energy.

    The ck Hole Churchs starship approached the other and stopped a hundred miles away. At this distance, Jack could make out a small crowd floating outside the other starship, but they werent just standing therethey sat on tables and chairs that floated in the void, enjoying all sorts of drinks and delicacies.

    Of those people, two seemed particrly mighty. They sat on thergest table all by themselves, and their auras were so powerful they pushed against Jack like powerful astral winds.

    They were another two A-Grades. And Jack, who was a high and mighty C-Grade, suddenly felt like a big fish surrounded by sharks.

    As Jack and the others waited inside the starship, not exiting yet, Elders Heavenstar and Boatman appeared over their heads. Follow us outside, everyone, said Elder Heavenstar, pulling out a chair from his space ring. Lets celebrate a little.

 Chapter 379: Battle Banquet

    Chapter 379: Battle Banquet

    As soon as Jack flew out of the starship, a familiar blue screen unfurled in his vision.

    <strong>You have returned to the New World. Wee!</strong>

    Uh Thanks?

    Who you talking to? Brock asked.

    The System. It seems were-entered.

    Thatst word was spoken apprehensively. Jack was a fugitive. As far as he was concerned, being outside System space acted to his safety. Since he still hadnt found a way to deactivate or iste the mini System core inside himor even clearly discovered itwho knew what capabilities System space offered to his enemies.

    Its fine, Shi Mo reassured him, floating beside them. The Elders wouldnt bring us somewhere too dangerous. There shouldnt be a fall-out. Besides, the Church has all sorts of ways to escape the Systems surveince even inside System space.

    Yeah, Jack replied with a sigh. Youre right. I just have bad memories.

    Dont worry. Our Elders are as high-value targets as can be. If they dare enter System space, so do we.

    Jack nodded. The Heaven Egg gxy had long ago been integrated to System space, save for some remote corners. This ce was one such corner, but given the hidden realms significance, it wasnt weird for the Hand of God to expend some resources and expand System space to here.

    Being in System space was a refreshing, almost nostalgic feeling. Jack had ess to the System scanning again. The first thing he did was look at Brock.

    <strong>Brori, Level 263 (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>A gori variant from Green. Broris usually live with Gymonkeys and train them in the ways of working out. It is due to the Broris unmatched pecks that Gymonkeys use poop to fightthey consider themselves too weak for anything else.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Broris are usually calm, measured animals. However, if anyone harms their little cousins or invades their territory, they go bananas.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr brori is a variant that visually resembles a gymonkey. Through cultivation, it has achieved a degree of power at the C-Grade, far surpassing the par for its species. Extermination is advised.</em></strong>

    <em>Extermination is advised </em>Jack thought, his eyes shimmering with wrath. <em>I didnt miss you, System.</em>

    He also inspected other people he was curious about. Min Ling was really a human, as was Shi Mo, while the second ranked Szar was indeed a space monster.

    <strong>Space Monster, Level 399</strong>

    <strong><em>Experts specte that, whenrge quantities of the Dao are left undisturbed for a long time, they can spontaneously coalesce into a Space Monster. While this is a very rare asion, the vastness of the void lends itself to the phenomenon. Space is filled with such monsters, especially outside System space.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>However, due to the phenomenons rtive rarity and the requirement of a long-time undisturbed Dao, it has never been observed in controlled environments. The exact procedure of a Space Monsters birth has never been documented in the Immortal Archives.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Space Monsters are mostly mindless existences that seek only to feed on sources of the Dao, like natural treasures or cultivators. They growrger and more intelligent in proportion to their strength. This specimen has developed to a very high level and attainedplete sapience. Extermination is advised.</em></strong>

    How cute the System was. To anything that wasnt a System cultivator, it advised instant extermination.

    As for the Elders Jack failed to scan them. It was like the System didnt register their presence.

    These all happened very quickly. The Church group was still flying towards the Hand of God group, Elder Heavenstar holding a chair in the lead. Jack was tense; not only were these two opposing organizations, so anything could happen, but it was also his first timeing in contact with the high-level figures of the Hand of God. All previous interactions in the Milky Way gxy were with people who didnt even qualify to be outer disciples.

    The Hands line-up was simr to the Churchs. Thirty C-Grades and twelve B-Grades, apanied by two A-Grade Elders. Theirposition was even richer in humans than the Churchs, while their two Elders were a blue-haired man and a silver-haired, silver-eyed woman who radiated extreme holiness.

    Back in the Milky Way, Jack had been chased by a B-Grade member of the Hand of God; a woman called Eva Solvig who cultivated Purity. Despite that chasesting many months, the two had never metbut, if they had, Jack would have noticed a striking resemnce to this silver-haired Elder before him. Were they rted?

    Whether by coincidence or not, that B-Grade was also in the crowd, her eyes glued to Jack. He, of course, did not recognize her.

    Blue hair weird, said Brock, squinting at the other Elder.

    Thats Elder Ocean, Shi Mo said from the side. It is said that every hair on his head contains an entire ocean!

    Jack took a better look. Indeed, that mans hair seemed weird. It was made up of thick hairs which moved by themselves, as if every hair possessed its own consciousness. Since they were much thicker than normal, his head couldnt possess more than a hundred hairs, but to say that each of them contained an ocean sounded exaggerated. That was fifteen times the entire water volume of Earth.

    Well, approximately.

    At that moment, Jacks stare was interrupted by Elder Ocean ncing in his direction. Jack felt like he was stranded deep inside the ocean, surrounded by endless water all around and gasping for breath.

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    The illusion disappeared in the next moment, but Jack was left sweating.

    Ocean! Purity! Elder Heavenstar eximed,ughing. I didnt expect the two of you toe. Its been a while!

    The water whispered your arrival. How could I not apany you? Elder Ocean replied in an oddly normal voice. The two Hand of God Elders flew ahead, engaging the Church Elders in small talk that demonstrated peaceful intentions. Or, rather, it was better to say that Heavenstar and Ocean had small talkBoatman and Purity simply stood there, their titanic auras anchored in the void.

    Dont be swayed by appearances, Shi Mo whispered, leaning closer to Jack. Boatman and Purity are the real powerhouses here. They just dont like talking.

    Really?

    Absolutely!

    Jack looked up at the Elders, reevaluating his preconceptions. It was his first time in the cultivation world that he saw the stronger party leaning back and letting others take the spotlight.

    Of course, thinking of Heavenstar and Ocean as weak was a trap. Each of them could annihte Jack with a thought.

    Your disciples are looking fine, Heavenstar said, passing his nce over the Hand of God expedition.

    Theyre adequate. Ocean shrugged. Ive heard your Church has a few good seedlings this time. Im looking forward to their performance.

    Please. They couldnt hold a candle to yours.

    As the Elders chatted merrily, the two expeditions were weighing each other. They didnt need to present fake peacefulness; since they would sh soon, they were free to stare all they wanted. Sparks flew between the two groups. Many people found an opponent of simr strength and stared them down.

    Jack and Brock stood out with their low cultivation, but nobody on the opposing team took them seriously. Talented but low-level cultivators like them were usually brought along to gain experiencethey wouldnt actually participate in the battles inside the hidden realm.

    Shi Mo leaned closer to Jack and Brock, introducing the important characters of the other side.

    Thats Envoy Urusm, he said, motioning at a calm, smiling man. His robes and hair were white, though he did not seem old, and he exuded a presence of immovable serenity. He did not at all resemble a warrior. Moreover, his white brows were so long that they fell to the sides of his chin, and his ears were so wide that they could probably be used to swim.

    And that is Arkenstal, Shi Mo said, pointing at another man. He wore dark, wide robes that fluttered in the void, but his eyes belied a terrifying presence. Thanks to his insights, Jack could feel that spacetime was warped around that man, soft and ready to be molded by his will.

    The stare-off continued for some time. Nobody seemed hasty to break the silence.

    Why they look but no attack? Brock asked, annoyed that nobody was staring at him. They are cowards, or we are too pretty.

    His voice was just enough to reach the Church cultivators, making some smile wryly.

    Finally, Elder Ocean said, How about you join us in the banquet? The food is beginning to grow cold.

    Naturally! Heavenstar replied. How could we miss such an opportunity? Dying on an empty stomach wouldnt be fun at all. Everyonehe turned to his expeditionmake yourselffortable. Spacewind, make sure our tables are rich and full.

    Yes, Elder, Spacewind replied. The many Envoys reached inside their space rings and pulled out tables and chairs, setting them up across from the already existing furniture of the Hand of God. Spacewind quickly retrieved all sorts of food and drinks and set them on the table, whereupon the Church expedition members took their seat. Jack and Brock did so as well, positioned between Shi Mo and a seven-fruit cultivator Jack didnt know too well. Baron Longform was seated far away.

    Jack had no idea what was going on. He expected to dive into the hidden realm. Wasnt this too peaceful?

    The two groups had connected their tables, forming arge pi shape. Eighty-four people sat there, with tworge starships and the hidden realm as their background. The two different organizations were clearly separated, their members not mingling; the tables of one were stitched with a green-shaded ck hole, while the others with the Hand of God insigniaa palm with an open eye in the middle.

    At the back of the pi was the Elders table,rge and filled with snacks. They were the only ones whose table was not connected to the rest.

    Of course, all these tables werent set on solid ground. They floated freely through the void, only held in ce by the participants supernatural powers.

    As for the food and drinks, those were all extraordinary. Not much could survive the void of space, but this was taking it a step further. The two factions werepeting over which could offer the most luxurious, most extravagant snacks, and each faction insisted on the other tasting their offerings.

    Jack hadnt tasted anything yet, but the Hand of God was clearly winning on that front. Just sensing the auras of the different dishes was proof enough.

    What exactly is going on? he asked Shi Mo. Why are we celebrating now?

    Its a custom, the old swordsman replied. Every time there is a joint expedition anywhere, the two factions hold a banquet beforehand. It symbolizes their willingness to cooperate and not just exterminate each other inside.

    But I thought we <em>were </em>going to exterminate each other inside.

    Not necessarily. Hidden realms are full of resources, treasures with greater value than anything youve seen before. Compared to them, Dao stones are nothing but currencythe real treasures would never be so widely distributed. Hidden realms are the only opportunity for people like us to get those things, butits not that easy. Opportunitiese with danger. Once inside, the two expedition teams will work together to explore and secure as many benefits as possible. After that, if the harvest is something small, we can divide it. Only when the benefits are toorge will blood be spilled.

    I see Jack replied, deep in thought.

    Shi Mo leaned back. Of course, that mostly refers to the B-Grades. We will just split up and explore the periphery of the mystic realm. If two people happen to meet out there and one of them dieswho would ever know? Killing others to steal their belongings is a verymon practice. Keep an eye out.

    Jack couldnt help but grin. Finally, this was something he was used to. Have you been to a hidden realm before, Shi Mo?

    I have, once. It was three thousand years agobut it was not pleasant. My best friend died inside.

    Im sorry to hear that.

    Its fine. Us cultivators should be used to death. It was a long time ago, anyway.

    Jack nodded. Before he could reply, a Hand of God six-fruit cultivator stood up and flew towards the open side of the pi formed by the banquet tables. It was the ce where everyone could see him, including the Elders.

    Everyone, he said, my name is Evrart Jin, and I would like to demonstrate my Dao to your entertainment.

    Haha! A six-fruit man from the Church side flew out to meet him,ughing uproariously. What a great idea! However, demonstrating by yourself would be too lonely. How about I, Kinfer Ain, apany you?

    Please, be my guest.

    The two men flew one mile deeper into space. Of course, everyone present was a master, and their perception could easily capture everything at that distance. As soon as the two people made some distance between them, Jack felt excitement rise all around him as people turned to watch the show.

    Whats going on now? he asked.

    Shi Mo had a wide grin on his face. Youre going to love this. In banquets like this, its customary for the weaker cultivators to spar against each other, demonstrating their power and earning fame for their faction.

    Really? We just go at it?

    Mhm. It goes from the weakest to the strongest. Firste the six-fruits, then the seven-fruits, then the eight-fruits. The nine-fruit and B-Grade cultivators will not fight in this case. They are the main force of each exhibitionnobody wants to demonstrate their hidden cards to the enemy.

    Jacks eyes shone. Can I participate as well?

    Hah! Its not whether you can or not; with your strength, you absolutely have to participate. You are a great opportunity for the Church to disy its superioritythough you shouldnt expose your full strength. In fact, if you dont step up, I suspect that the Elders will be quite unhappy!

    Jackughed. Then, dont mind if I do!

 Chapter 380: Needless Cruelty

    Chapter 380: Needless Cruelty

    The two cultivators stopped one mile away from the banquet. They bowed at each other, then engaged in a brutal melee. One was a wizard and the other a swordsmanmes filled the void, apocalyptic blizzards crashed. A single de swam through them like a sparrow, enduring the elements for a chance to strike. The battle was showy and intense, though it remained fought by six-fruitsin the expedition teams, this was the lowest level.

    Eventually, the Hand of God wizard prevailed, freezing his opponent into an ice column before gently thawing him awake. The swordsman seemed unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. Biting back his bitterness, he said, Thank you, and flew back to his seat.

    The wizardughed. He shouldnt have spent too much strength because he loudly proimed, Whos next!?

    Jack looked towards the cultivators around him. ording to Shi Mo, this went from weakest to strongest, so it wasnt his time yet. Below the nine-fruits, he was the strongest person present.

    A green-skinned woman rose next. Even her hair was green, and Jacks inspection ssified her as a dryad. She flew to the battle site a mile away and bowed lightly. Please give me guidance, she said, then shed into battle.

    This spar remained low-level in Jacks eyes, but the green womans battle style had him intrigued. She wielded the power of Lifeyet, she was no Physical cultivator, but a wizard. Her Dao of Life was so vibrant and lively that it flooded the space around her, stretching out for miles. It formed tendrils whichshed at the Hand of God wizard. The tendrils swallowed the elements, taking them as nutrition. When the wizard summoned elementals, the tendrils directly flooded them with life energy, bloating their bodies until they exploded.

    Finally, the wizard grew weary. The scales were tipped against him, and the tendrilsshed out to grab him. His entire body shone green. His own magic defended him, pushing back the rampant life energy, but they couldnt shut it outpletely. New limbs speared out of his flesh, which then began to grow asymmetrically in various ways. He bent over as his back grew bubble-like tumors. His hair grew wildly until it covered his eyes. Sharp screams left his mouth as who-knows-what urred inside his body.

    I admit defeat! he managed to scream. The life invasion instantly withdrew, returning his body to normal but leaving his mind shaken. Without saying anything, he flew back to his seat and plopped down heavily.

    Jacks gaze remained on those tendrils. He was intrigued. <em>The Dao of Life can be used in such a way?</em>

    Perhaps he should look into it. After all, he possessed a veritable ocean of life energy inside him, infinitelyrger than what the dryad had exhibited. If he could weaponize it, his power would rise yet again!

    Jack was happy about this battle; the Hand of God, not so much. It was a bit too grotesque. Many cultivators had disgust in their eyes, but nobody spoke. Yet, on the great table of the Elders, someone did. A woman whose entire body radiated untouchable holiness frowned. What a disgusting power, she said directly.

    That was Elder Purity, the greatest powerhouse present. Only Elder Boatman could match her.

    Facing her words, the dryad was embarrassed, and the ck Hole Church cultivators were unhappy. She had just publicly mocked one of them. Were the Elders going to say nothing?

    On the Elders table, Heavenstar shot a nce at Boatman, who was disinclined to bother. Therefore, the burden fell on Heavenstar himself, whose status was normally insufficient to argue with Purity.

    Life and death are the natural states of the world, he said. For cultivators, power is the most important thing. Beauty can onlye second.

    Elder Oceanughed. Well-spoken, Heavenstar. Only those with power can pursue beauty. For the weak, even freaks are prizes.

    These words sounded nice on the surface, but they were actually vicious insults. In just three sentences, Ocean had called the ck Hole Church weak and its disciple a freak.

    Heavenstar frowned. His kindly old man image dropped a little. Who is weak and who is strong, let our disciples find out.

    Exactly my point! Ocean replied, stillughing. He seemed extremely confident in their lineup. Carry on, my disciples. Who here has a strong enough stomach to endure defeating that witch?

    It would be my honor, Elder, a cultivator said, standing and flying over to the dryad. He was a broad-shouldered young man bursting with vitality. Jack even felt some hints of body tempering on him.

    The dryad said nothing, directly attacking. Her tendrils covered the stars, swarming the youth from every direction. Heughed heroically. Space shattered under him, leading into a crazy dance of teleportation. He was everywhere and nowhere, dodging all tendrils. They couldnt even touch the hem of his robes.

    At the C-Grade, most people possessed at least some control over space. The dryad couldnt lock it down everywhere to prevent him from moving, but she could stabilize her immediate surroundingsotherwise, he would teleport beside her and directly end the battle.

    However, that wasnt enough. The young man appeared a mile away from her, then charged. The broadsword in his hand tore through the vines, and his Dao defended against the few that touched him. Finally, he reached the dryad and pped the t of his de against her shoulder, sending her flying away.

    The vines disappeared, the tension evaporated. The battle was over.

    However, the tension between the Elders remained potent, and the youth was too smart to waste it. After pping away the dryad, he frowned at his de and wiped it against his sleeve, making a show of how dirty she was. That was provocation. It fanned the mes in the heart of every Church cultivator, including the Elders.

    Boatman, however, remainedpletely unmoved. As for Heavenstar, he could only say so much by himself.

    Nobody wasughing anymore. This was a battle concerning the honor of the two factions. And, even more, it concerned the confidence of each expedition team. This would have an impact inside the hidden realm.

    A lightning cultivator stepped up for the Church. Her hair was wildly fluttering, and her eyes rained sparks. She tussled against the broad-shouldered young man for a minute before barely winning and regaining some honor for the Church. However, she was mostly spent. This was the third cultivator of the Church to fight, but the third cultivator of the Hand was only just stepping up, full of energy. In the battles so far, the Hand of God held a small but clear advantage.

    Moreover, the remaining low-level cultivators for the Church were Brock and Jack. One was too weak to fight at this level, and the other had to save his strength forter. If Jack stood up now, he would easily persist until the eight-fruits of the Hand went up, and the battles could only rise in level. All the seven and eight-fruits of the Church would have lost their chance topete.

    Oh, you actually sent out someone decent! Elder Ocean eximed, gazing at the lightning woman. I expected Von to win a couple more times In that case, Sassa, how about you step up?

    Yes, Master, a girl replied respectfully. She looked young and innocent, barely neen or twenty years old. Of course, her actual age was up to anyones guess; her youthful appearance just indicated that shed reached the D-Grade very early in her life.

    As she flew to the stage, everyones gaze was on her. She had addressed Elder Ocean as masterwas she his direct disciple? That was an extremely great position for a C-Grade! Her strength could be imagined.

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    Moreovershe was only at the five-fruit boundary.

    In expeditions like these, it wasnt umon for low-level but promising cultivators to join along. That didnt mean they could jump multiple realms to fightmost of the times, they were just there for the experience. The Hand of God cultivators assumed Jack and Brock were such people, and the Church had assumed that this girl, Sassa, was one of those as well. Nobody took them seriously or expected them to fight. To everyones eyes, they were just children dragged along.

    Of course, the Church knew that Jack was an exception.

    If this girl now rose to the stage, and she was even specifically introduced by an Eldercould she possess extreme battle power?

    My name is Sassa. Please advise! the girl said as she stood against the lightning woman. She was short and graceful, with dark hair done in a ponytail and fitting dark clothes covering her body. Her eyes sparked with a yful gaze, but for some reason, Jack felt ufortable as he observed them.

    The lightning woman attacked. Space cracked all around them and thunder rumbled out, along with lightning bolts of extreme power. This wasnt the normal lightning of a storm; it was of far, far higher quality, and the power it contained was highly oppressive.

    Since these were Dao skills and guided by the woman, they couldnt actually move to the speed of the light. But they remained ungodly fast. They zapped at the girl near-instantly.

    She dodged them.

    Her body danced through the lightning, bending and curving with unnatural flexibility as if she had no bones. Sheughed. Is that all? I thought lightning was fast!

    She flew towards the lightning woman, still dodging everything like a snake wading through grass. Just before she arrived, she slithered through space and reappeared behind the woman. Her hand shot out. Two fingers struck under the womans ribs, directing an insidious shockwave into her body.

    The lightning woman was not sent flying. However, her eyes went nk, she spat out blood, and then fainted on the spot. Her lightning disappeared with her.

    Whoops, said Sassa, feigning surprise. I thought she would be stronger My bad!

    The Church cultivators seethed with anger. They didnt even wait for the Elders before shouting at the girl. She could say whatever she wanted, but this was clearly done on purpose. She had been heavy-handed and seriously injured someone. Depending on the degree of injuries, this could influence the lightning womans fate in the hidden realm.

    What a cruel move!

    What are you all bbering about? Elder Ocean thundered, his aura instantly suppressing all the Church cultivators. Sassa saw an opponent one fruit above her and didnt dare hold back. Isnt thatmon practice in the cultivation world? If your disciple was injured by the first move of a lower-level opponent, she can only me her own weakness!

    The Church cultivators seethed, but what could they say? They couldnt argue against an Elder, and even if they could, their tongues were tied. Oceans words were not incorrect. All that mattered was strength. Even though everyone knew this was done on purpose, refuting Ocean was difficult!

    At the Elders table, Boatman remained nonplussed, but Heavenstars expression turned ugly. His aura spread out and shielded his cultivators from Oceans pressure, then he said, idents can happen in a spar. However, once is an ident, but twice is on purpose. Dont let that happen again.

    Ocean snorted. I am not my disciples, Heavenstar. If an ident happens in a battle between opponents of simr strength, nobody can be med. Of course, we will be careful; did you hear that, Sassa? If your opponents cant even take a casual strike, you should try not to injure them.

    Yes, Master, Sassa replied obediently. Oceans words were once again an insult aimed at the ck Hole Church, but they could only stomach it. Their disciples were being suppressed in battle; unless that changed, anything they said would only be the excuses of the weak.

    On stage, Sassa revealed an innocent look as she gazed at the Church side of the banquet. Whos next? she asked. Her eyes scanned over the seven-fruits and even the eight-fruitsher arrogance was off the charts!

    Of course, she didnt even nce at Jack and Brock. In her eyes, they were barely even present. As for Jack, he also didnt stare too much, because he was afraid that his intentions would seep through. He yearned to go up and fight; however, doing so now would be improper. This girls strength was at the seven-fruit boundary, so it was clearly the seven-fruits turn.

    The seven-fruits of the Church hesitated, ncing at each other. Nobody wanted to go up first. If they won against this girl, that would be fine; however, if they lost to someone two fruits below them, the humiliation would be hard to endure. After all, these werent normal seven-fruits; they were the best elites the Cathedral had to offer. They were usually the ones jumping realms to fight, not the opposite!

    What are you waiting for? Heavenstar shouted, his mood ruined. In hesitating to go up, they were making it seem as if they were afraid. Step up!

    One seven-fruit bit the bullet. He rose and flew to the space that served as the battle stage. He did not bow or show respect; instead, he drew a spear from his space ring and directly charged. Every second of fighting this girl was humiliation; he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

    Fierce! Sassa eximed, herughter cheerful. Lets see what you can do!

    Suddenly, her eyes changed. The irises elongated, bing slimmer and vertical. They now resembled the eyes of a snake. At the same time, her aura shot up.

    This girl is whats known as a prime genius, Shi Mo exined, leaning closer to Jack and Brock. The two of you belong to that category too, as does Min Ling. It signifies people who can jump multiple ranks to fight other world-ss elites. They dont appear often Four of them being at the C-Grade at the same time is almost unheard of.

    Jack nodded, but his attention was on the battle.

    The spear came down, but Sassa bent her body in apletely unnatural fashion, just like a snake. She then coiled around the spear shaft with extreme speed, reaching her opponents hands.

    This was an elite seven-fruit cultivator. He was not weak. With a shout, his aura red, and his spear erupted with mes. Sassa chuckled as she disappeared, teleporting behind him, but the man teleported as well. They exchanged a few moves, one spear fighting a snake as they danced around the void. However, no matter how the man tried, he could not touch Sassa. Ten movester, her hand swiped by his thigh. She used no weapon, only two fingers extended in the shape of snake fangs. As she passed by his leg, blood and flesh erupted, while the back half of his thigh disappeared.

    The mans eyes widened. Sassa reappeared in the distance, covering her mouth as sheughed. At the same time, everyone saw her lick her blood-stained fingers. Coming from an innocent-looking young girl, that move was at least disturbing, but everyone was too shocked to say anything, and Elder Puritywho usually disliked anything uglynaturally wouldnt speak against her own people.

    The spear-wielder was unwilling. His face turned purple in anger as he clenched his spear, then fell still. That stillness continued for a suspiciously long amount of time. It was only then that an eight-fruit healer from the Church realized what was going on and rushed over.

    Sassas strike wasnt just bloody. It was also venomous.

    After the healer treated the spear-wielder for a few seconds, he finally moved again, screaming out in pain. Whatever this poison had done to his body, it was not pleasant.

    Sorry! Sassa eximed, the same look of innocence on her face. I thought he was going to resist it.

    The Church cultivators had eyes that almost bulged out in anger. This Sassa seemed like a little girl, but she was actually a vicious snake! She was heavy-handed and injured others on purpose!

    But what could they say? The man she fought had been two fruits higher than her. Any words to defend him would just paint him in an even more pathetic light than his current one.

    Moreover, this was all part of Sassas n. She had made one thing clear; anyone who stood against her would not escape lightly. She smiled coyly, then said, Whos next?

    The seven-fruits stirred in their seats, none standing up. They were not idiots. Whoever rose would be injured and humiliated; if that was the case, they might as well remain seated and suffer just the humiliation. As for defeating her, none of the seven-fruits present had any hopes. Their battle powers werent too far apart. If the spear-wielder had lost so casually, they would lose as well.

    For a time, nobody moved. Elder Heavenstar didnt speak either.

    It wasnt that the Church had nobody who could beat this girl. The eight-fruits could fight her equally, and the nine-fruits could easily defeat her. However, skipping all the seven-fruits to send up an eight-fruit would be a tacit admittance of defeat; no matter what happenedter on, nothing would wash away this humiliation. At the same time, sending up a seven-fruit was hopeless. Even if Elder Heavenstar forced someone to go, they would just make a fool out of themselves.

    As for Min Ling, even though she was a seven-fruit cultivator, she was just far too strong; she was the Churchs greatest C-Grade, and that was known to everyone. Sending her out to deal with a mere five-fruit girl would be even worse than sending out the eight-fruits.

    And Jack was in a simr situation. Sending him out would imply that even their eight-fruits couldnt handle this girl.

    Hahaha! Elder Oceanughed. What are your disciples doing, Heavenstar? Are they deaf?

    Heavenstar gritted his teeth. He was about to ask an eight-fruit cultivator to take the stage, but right as he opened his mouth, he paused. He sensed movement beside him. Elder Boatman, who had not moved an inch so far, finally spoke three words: Jack Rust, go.

 Chapter 381: Insulting an Elder

    Chapter 381: Insulting an Elder

    Jack Rust, go.

    It was the bare minimum amount of words Boatman could say, as if his saliva was precious. His voice was hoarse and elderly, showing that hed lived through the endless river of time, and even hearing it made one feel older.

    As these words rang out, Jack grinned He was part of the Church. The humiliation just now had been aimed at him as well, and it had taken everything he had to suppress himself and wait for his turn.

    Hearing that he could fight, how could he not be ted?

    The Hand of God people raised their brows as they saw him fly towards the stage. Theyd assumed he was just here for experience; could he possess some battle power as well?

    And, even if he did, could he really stand up to Sassa, whose power was simr to an elite eight-fruit cultivator?

    <em>Looks like Boatman has gone senile, </em>the Hand of God cultivators conversed telepathicallythey would never dare say such words out loud.

    But Purity would. What is the meaning of this, Boatman? she asked, her voiceing down like divine decree. Are you just trying to buy time for your faction? If so, I admire your decisiveness. Not many could sacrifice a promising young man to save some face.

    Her words dripped with mockery, but Elder Boatman waspletely unmoved. He didnt even bother to nce in her direction, as if she was nothing but an annoyance. This behavior alone was insulting; Purity frowned, then directly sent a sound transmission to Sassa: <em>Find a way to injure him, and Ill reward you.</em>

    <em>Okay! </em>she replied cheerfully. If an Elder rewarded someone, anything they casually handed out would be a great treasure. For that, provoking the Church a bit was nothing; and, even if she overdid it, the two Elders had her back. At worst, she would be admonished.

    She stared at Jack as he flew over, chuckling in her mind. <em>Im sorry, little manbut youre about to be stepped on!</em>

    Jack seemed indifferent. He stopped three hundred feet away from Sassa, then said, My name is Jack Rust. Please take it easy on me.

    Sassaughed. Ill try my best! she lied, then charged. Even if Elder Purity hadnt said anything, she would still injure Jack. Sending such a weakling to face her was clearly an insult, and she was a very proud individual.

    She wanted to end this as soon as possible.

    Her body appeared before Jacks almost instantly. Her hand shot out like a snakes fang. Yet, just in the nick of time, Jack drew back. Her fingers missed him. She tried again and again, but Jack always dodged at thest moment. Sassa twisted her body in snake-like ways, striking from tricky and unexpected angles, but none of her attacksnded.

    She was shockedbut, even more, she was incensed. There was no way a three-fruit cultivator could match her; he must have been a speed-oriented expert at dodging, sent out specifically to mock her!

    Her heart burned with anger. Her strikes elerated, leaning harder into offense. She forewent defending; a dodging master couldnt possess the power to strike back. Yet, even a hundred exchangester, she still hadnt managed to touch him.

    Coward! she shouted. Dont you even dare to show your Dao!?

    Jack hadnt punched once yet. His Dao had not been made clear. Hearing her words, he only gazed at her as one would at an idiot. He teleported, appearing a mile away. You do not possess the qualifications to meet my Dao, he said, extending a straight palmhis spanking prowess was about to be revealed. However, I do have a secondary Dao. It is most suitable to deal with youin fact, it is exactly what you need.

    I do not possess the qualifications!? Sassa did not understand the second part of his words, nor did she care. She was already fully incensed. Since when was she, a proud daughter of heaven, the direct disciple of an A-Grade Elder, mocked like this by someone of lower cultivation?

    She had been at the peak of her glory just a moment ago, but now she was unable to touch him and was even mocked. Her previous achievement had evaporated. How was this happening?

    Ill fucking kill you! she shouted. Her vertical irises sharpened even more. She shot forward faster than before, a blur through space, forgoing defensepletely to ensure she struck him down. Even if she had to receive a minor wound in return, it was fine. She would make sure his injury was far heavier.

    Space shattered. Sassa teleported a hundred times, until her afterimages were all around Jack, blocking visibility of the void. She instantly appeared before him. One of her hands feinted a strike to the stomach. Right afterward, the other formed a fang-like shape and aimed directly for his eyes.

    This strike was meant to directly blind him!

    Facing this attack, Jacks gaze darkened. A hand mped down on her wrist, stopping her instantly and abruptly. The world froze. Sassas hand stopped just an inch away from Jacks eyes, her fingers poised to strike, and to her horror, she couldnt move at all. No matter how she struggled, Jacks hand was simply unmovable. She could neither advance nor retreat.

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    She waspletely at his mercy.

    At that moment, Sassa realized shed made a mistake. Her heart grew cold. This man was not an expert in speed; he was an expert at everything physical, and she hadpletely underestimated him.

    Her vertical irises disappeared, her face turning innocent. You wouldnt hit a woman, she said.

    Jack pped her hard in the face. Teeth flew out. Her hair was disheveled. Her world shook. Her cheek tore up, and her eyes widened so much they almost popped out of their sockets.

    Yet, despite the strength of this hit, Jack was still holding onto her wrist. She had not been allowed to fly away. That was for your parents, who failed to make you a good person, he said. His hand returned, pping her in a strong backhand. Her head rocked as if about to unscrew from her torso. Her vision was blurry. Even a snake, when pped like this, could lose their awareness.

    That was for my fellow disciples, whom you injured needlessly, Jack said coldly. Sassa barely registered his words. She couldnt believe what was happening. She, who had always been prouder than anyonewas pped around?

    The weight of this humiliation, when contrasted against her tall pride, made Jacks ps contain a mental attack as well. She could no longer understand the world.

    And this Jack said, winding up his palm to strike even harder, is for trying to blind me.

    Stop! A voice echoed, but Jack ignored it. His palm crashed down. He struck Sassa even harder, simultaneously releasing her hand and sending her flying into the distance. A line of blood was left behind her, interspersed with teeth floating in the void.

    A figure appeared in her path, grabbing her gently. Elder Ocean himself nced down at his disciple. Half her teeth were missing; her face was bloodied all over, and her eyes were shaken.

    Physical marks could be repaired. Even teeth could be regrown. However, such humiliation would never wash away. Her heart and pride were injured, and even her future cultivation might be affected.

    Junior! Elder Ocean roared, his eyes fillingpletely with blue. You went too far!

    The wrath of an A-Grade was overwhelming. Space shatteredpletely, time slowed down, and his aura crashed down on Jack like a towering mountain. He felt like a mortal facing a god, a starved beggar naked in a blizzard. Yet, Jack was not afraid. If he sumbed when he was right, what use was his fist? He might as well relinquish it and go be a farmer.

    Jack raised his head. I saw an opponent two fruits above me and didnt dare hold back, he said. Isnt thatmon practice in the cultivation world? If your disciple was seriously injured by the first move of a lower-level opponent, she can only me her own weakness!

    The entire banquet was shocked silent. These were the exact words Elder Ocean had used to justify Sassas cruel attacks on other cultivators. Now, the situation had reversed, and his words were tossed back to his face. Moreover, his direct disciple had been manhandled right in front of him.

    If Elder Ocean wasntpletely incensed after this, he was not a person.

    His aura rose further. He actually revealed killing intent. I yelled at you to stop! he shouted. Why did not you stop!?

    Why would I take orders from you? Im not your disciple.

    This scene yed out in front of everyone. The Church cultivators could barely believe this. A C-Grade disciple had not only reimed their lost honor, but he had also used his words to p an Elders facetwice! Such boldness was unheard of! It was almost too much!

    As for the Hand of God cultivators, they were simultaneously furious and wanted to find a stone to hide under. Let alone them, even their Elder had been humiliated. Just how would they recover from this?

    Jacks face seemed extremely punchable to all of them. They could barely restrain themselves from rushing up and beating him to a pulp.

    In truth, that was a result of Jacks Titan Taunt skill. It didnt just work with words; it taunted others by making Jack so grating in their eyes that they really, really wanted to tear him to pieces.

    However, on the Elders table, Heavenstar was conflicted. Jack had acted wellbut then hed gone too far, way too far! Hed directly insulted an Elder. No matter how talented he was, there was a limit to how much Heavenstar could defend him. This involved more than the life of a discipleit involved the delicate bnce between their two factions!

    Good, good, very good, Elder Ocean said, his words seething with fury. You think you are above thew, above propriety. Let me tell you this; in the cultivation world, power is all that matters. Since you have dared to insult and challenge me, lets see if you can take my attack!

    The killing intent of an A-Grade was fully released. It gained absolute dominance over the surrounding hundred miles. The disciples at the banquet, be they C- or B-Grades, couldnt even move a finger.

    As for Jack, it went without saying. His body was immobilized. There was absolutely nothing he could do to resist. His entire life was a joke before such power. As a torrent of blue water rushed for his body, ready to turn him into a sieve and kill him instantly, he could only watch.

    Enough a tired voice echoed through the void. A ck-robed figure appeared before Jack. The pressure covering him instantly disappeared, and the ck-robed figure didnt even draw a weaponby raising a single finger, the water aiming for Jack rotted away and disappeared. Let all return to nothingness, Elder Boatman said, directly dispersing all of Oceans pressure.

    Elder Ocean was clearly outssed, but that didnt mean he would take this lying down. He chuckled hoarsely. You would step forward to defend this disciple, Boatman? Is he really worth that much to you?

    Perhaps, Elder Boatman replied.

    Hah! Then, how will you repay me? Even if he died a thousand times, that still wouldnt make up for the insults he hurled at my face. No, Boatman, this cannot be allowed. If you dont help me find justice here, then I swear that I will never drop this issue!

    Things had already escted past a simple banquet or expedition. Ocean was directly threatening to pursue this matter. That could involverge-scale battles between the two factions. At the same time, Boatman had already dered his intentions. If he stepped back now, that would be the same as ridiculing himself before so many disciples.

    Even Heavenstar was nervous. He did not possess the qualifications to advise Boatman, but he knew what should be done. Concessions had to be made from both sides. The question was, would Boatman offer something precious enough that Ocean would ept to drop this issue?

    The insults hed received were quite heavy! No Elder would tolerate being mocked by a disciple!

    However, even Heavenstar did not expect Boatmans next words. You will not drop this issue? So what? You are nothing but a fart to me. If I say that you do not get to touch this disciple, then you will not touch him.

 Chapter 382: Elder Boatman

    Chapter 382: Elder Boatman

    Heavenstar almost swallowed his tongue in surprise. Boatman was just too domineering! Not only did he make zero concessions, he directly threatened Ocean! This was lunacy!

    <em>Consider this well, Boatman! </em>he sent into the other Elders mind but got no response.

    Oceans face was warped in anger and humiliation. How nice! Like master, like disciple! I want to see just how long youll support your ims for!

    For as long as I want, Boatman replied, still with the same calmness as before. You think you are above thew, above propriety. Let me tell you this; in the cultivation world, power is all that matters. Since you dare to insult and challenge me, how about you take one of my attacks first?

    Elder Ocean wanted to explode. He had never been so humiliated in his life. These were the exact words hed used against Jack before, and now Boatman had tossed them in his face. It was the second time in a few minutes this happened.

    In this world, there was nothing more aggravating than having your own words used against you!

    Moreover, he couldnt even retort! He was a mighty A-Grade, butpared to Boatman, he was nothing but trash! He really didnt think he could take a single attack!

    All disciples, regardless of faction, were shocked. As for the Church cultivators, they burst with excitement. Just seeing an A-Grade cultivator was already extremely rare; seeing two of them argue so overbearingly was just unheard of!

    As for Heavenstar, he was already sweating bullets. In his opinion, Boatman was going way too far. This wasnt just pping Oceans face; he was directly dragging that face into the dirt and stomping it for fun.

    He was leaving no room for retreat at all!

    Heavenstar nced at Purity just in time to see her disappear. She reappeared beside Ocean and faintly ahead of him, her pressure rising to meet Boatmans. For a moment, every inch of space within sight was a battlefield. Half the world turned white, the other ck. Their two powers mixed like fire and watepletely unreconcble!

    Many people assumed that life and death were opposites. That was not the case. Those two were part of the same cycle, eachpleting the other. The true opposite to life and death was a bleached, perfectly clean world where nothing could survivewhich was precisely Puritys domain!

    Elder Ocean re-ignited his aura as well. Heavenstar sighed and appeared beside Boatman, he too unleashing his pressure. The entire world became a battlefield between A-Grades. Everyone else was equally excited and horrifiedif the Elders actually came to blows, every single disciple present would perish in the aftermath.

    As for Jack, he stood right behind Boatman, enduring no pressure at all. He seemed rxed; his mind, however, was tense. The only reason hed acted so wildly before was that Boatman had telepathically promised to protect him.

    However, even Jack hadnt expected Elder Boatman to be so damn domineering. The moment hed appeared, hed escted wildly and shown zero consideration for anyone. He was as bold as Jack!

    Even now, when the bnce was so delicate, Elder Boatman hadnt considered giving away Jack for even a moment. The auras of the Elders struggled for a few moments, no sideing out on top.

    Why do you insist so much? Purity asked. He is just a disciple. If you let us have him, I can kill any of my own to make it up to you.

    Her own disciples drew cold gasps, especially the stronger ones. Shed just directly sold them out!

    No, Boatman t-out refused. His aura didnt feel particrly stronger than Puritys; he just didnt give a damn.

    However, as their auras were still warring, Boatmans darkness gained a very slight edge. One had to look very closely to see it, but all Elders naturally noticed it.

    Then, how do you want to resolve this? Purity asked, taking a mental step back.

    Your disciple harmed mine. My disciple harmed yours. Let everything be resolved.

    He was proposing to just forget about everything. Even Purity frowned. Shed already taken a step back, but Boatman remained so resolutely domineering. My disciples insulted no Elder, she replied. Injuries are nothing, but honor is important. There is no bnce here.

    Boatman chuckled, a hoarse, grating sound. I am the old one, but it is your vision that is blurry. Did Ocean not suppress, threaten, and attack my disciple? Was that not an insult of my honor? Or do you think that my honor is worth less than his?

    Ocean was only reacting. It was your disciple that instigated this. Moreover, he is not even your personal disciple; in such a direct matter, Ocean had no need to consult you before acting as he saw fit.

    He is not my personal disciple? Hehe, lets see. Boatman turned around, showing his back to Purity and facing Jack. Jack Rust. Do you want to be my disciple?

    Jack never in a thousand years expected to be asked anything. Moreover, Elder Boatman, this unfathomably powerful figure, had just asked him to be his disciple. This was not just referring to being part of the same faction. It was an offer of forming a direct master-disciple rtionship.

    What could he even say? Okay, he responded, short-circuiting a little, and Elder Boatman turned back to the other Elders.

    He is my disciple, he said. Ocean directly acted against my personal disciple in my presence.

    Purity was speechless for a moment. Everyone was. This was all too sudden, too dangerous. One wrong move here could spark an all-out war between the factions, and Boatman was just being wildly unreasonable?

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    Finally, Purity said, Even you cannot act like this, Boatman. He clearly just became your disciple. He was not before. Ocean did nothing wrong. Your argument is invalid.

    Not invalid, just lessened, Boatman replied. Of course, attacking my almost-disciple is not the same as attacking my disciple. Our side insulted yours more heavily. However, I am stronger than Ocean, so my honor is worth more. Bnce is achieved. The two insults cancel out. Unless you want to fight me here, you had best ept this and we can all return to our seats. Otherwise, not only will you fail to achieve anypensation, but it will be me pushing for Ocean topensate my disciple!

    Elder Boatman just didnt give a shit about anyone. In his words, the sharp insults of Jack against Ocean were the same as Ocean insulting Boatman by attacking someone whoter became his disciple.

    Even Jack could only call this unreasonable!

    However, the world revolved around strength. And, at the end of the day, it was the Hand of God side that started everything by having Sassa purposefully injure the Church cultivators.

    The Elders remained at a tense impasse for some time. Everyone held their breath. Boatman was clearly a lunatic, so if the Hand of God didnt relent now, things might reallye down to a battle. That would easily kill every disciple present, and what an unjust death it would be.

    The minutes flowed on, nobody giving ground. Finally, Purity spoke up. Your words are not reasonable, but they are not unreasonable, either. Since the truth is unclear, let us not pursue this issue further. Otherwise, if we really escte a C-Grades running mouth to this degree, we will be theughingstock of the universe.

    Well said! Heavenstar hurried to respond before Boatman could say anything further. Our two major factions may not be allied, but we have a long history of working together for hidden realms such as this. Ruining such a grand event over a few errand words would really be unjust.

    With that, the Elders slowly retrieved their auras, and space returned to a silent calmness. No disciple dared make a peep, and the Elders didnt say anything further either. They simply teleported back to their seats, picking up their tes and drinks as if nothing happened. Even Ocean seemed to havepletely forgotten about the previous incident; if he was someone partial to his own emotions, he would have never survived until the A-Grade.

    Let the banquet continue, Elder Boatman said, reclining back in his chair and returning to his motionless state. Jack Rust, show everyone the might of my disciple.

    Jack was speechless. Yes, Master, he replied, then quickly returned a mile away from the banquet tablesthis ce was used as the battle stage.

    <em>Did I just be the disciple of an A-Grade? Moreover, a powerful A-Grade? </em>He gulped. <em>And a somewhat insane one</em>

    Would anyone like to spar? he asked, looking at the Hand of God cultivators.

    Nobody moved for a few moments. Finally, a seven-fruit cultivator shook off his numbness and rose to his feet. Please advise me, he said. He flew to the battle site and faced off against Jack. His Dao was the Sword, which he wielded expertly against Jacks fists. However, at the end of the day, he was unable to resist. It only took Jack two moves to send him flying, and thats because he was being polite.

    Jacks power had increased tremendously in thest six months. The greatest factor of that was the world-creation vision hed experienced while absorbing the World Anchorby observing energy in its elementary forms, he now had a much clearer understanding of how it all fit together, which guided his Daoprehensions and made his progress in that regard far faster than it used to be.

    As a result, these low-level geniuses couldnt hold a candle.

    Whos next? he asked calmly.

    A second seven-fruit C-Grade took the stage. He tussled against Jack for three moves, then was tossed away.

    Whos next? Jack asked again, not even panting.

    The Elder face-off was still fresh in everyones minds, but they hadnt forgotten about the previous situation. Sassa had repeatedly dered, Whos next? and challenged the Church cultivators. The seven-fruits didnt want to stand up and get humiliated, and the eight-fruit ones didnt know if it was their turn to go. That kind of suppression had felt very bitter. The Church cultivators had been grinding their teeth, while the Hand cultivators had been glowering.

    Now, thanks to Jacks strength, the situation had beenpletely reversed!

    An eight-fruit cultivator finally stood. Jack activated his Life Drop, causing his strength to rise precipitously. With this new addition, the eight-fruit cultivator onlysted four moves. Even the second eight-fruit cultivator, who also happened to be the strongest one, could only resist Jack for ten moves.

    Before, everyone thought that Jack had gotten lucky by bing a disciple of Boatman. Only now did they understand that Boatmans offer wasnt forced or random. Jack really deserved it. He was a freak!

    Even the title of prime genius wasnt enough to do him justice.

    A three-fruit cultivator hadpletely wiped the floor with the Hands most elite eight-fruit disciples. This was unheard of. And, most of all, everyone wondered: Could Jack face even the nine-fruit ones?

    Just like in the Cathedral, the Hand of God also ced heavy emphasis on its nine-fruit cultivators. Moreover, these were the top ten nine-fruits of the Hand of God. If Jack could face any of them, it would be ridiculous.

    In truth, even Jack didnt know if he could fight them. Hisst ranking was 97, but that was six months ago. Hed developed a new fruit since then, gained some levels, and also tempered his body. He estimated his current strength to be near the top ten of the Cathedral, maybe a bit worse. He could struggle against the weakest of these nine-fruit cultivators, but it would reveal his full strength, and that was something he wasntfortable doing.

    Moreover, after everything that happened, he felt hed already stood out enough.

    Thanks for your guidance, he said. I am out of energy, so I will return now.

    Nobody believed he was out of energy, but nobody refuted him either. Jack returned to his seat, and since no nine-fruit had taken the stage yet, the banquet continued with the eight-fruits fighting each other. The seven fruits had lost their turn, but none of them was in the mood to fight anyway.

    Well done, Brock said after Jack sat down. I am proud. Grandpa Dead is good bro too.

    Jackughed.

    No more ill y ensued, and all the following fights were splendid. Shi Mo defeated one opponent and gained great honor, through he lost immediately after. Nobody earned a winning streak. Finally, a few nine-fruits fought as well, but only those at the bottom of the rankings. Nobody on the level of Baron Longform or Min Ling wanted to exhibit their strength. The purpose of this banquet fight was just to let the weakest people present show off a bit and entertain everyone.

    As the banquet carried on, many eyes were glued on Jack. However, he ignored everyone, focused on either his exceptionally tasty food and drinks or on making small talk with Brock and Shi Mo.

    Min Ling was also a disciple of an ElderElder Heavenstarbut her master was weaker than Jacks. That lit a fire in her heart. She now saw him as a full-on rival. Noticing her fervent gaze on Jack, Spacewind frowned deeply but said nothing. His eyes revealed even deeper bitterness.

    As for Baron Longform, he revealed no change of expression despite everything that happened. His thoughts were known to him alone.

    Finally, after six hours, the banquet was over. The tables and chairs were gathered, everyone revolved their Dao to remove the intoxication of alcohol. The egg-shaped portal in the distance seemed inviting.

    It was time to enter the hidden realm.

    Before that, however, Elder Boatman approached Jack. Come with me, he said, then the two of them disappeared.

 Chapter 383: Boatmanâ€™s Inheritance

    Chapter 383: Boatman¡¯s Inheritance

    Elder Boatman took Jack and teleported a thousand miles away in an instant, easily escaping everyones perception.

    As soon as they came to a stop, the Elders hand left Jacks shoulder, and he took a step back. Greetings, Master, Jack said respectfully.

    I am not your master yet, Boatman said in his hoarse, aged voice. Below his hood, red eyes shone dark. His elderly voice carried some energy now. You were forced to ept before. Now, you can speak your truth. Do you really desire to learn under this old man?

    Jack hesitated for a single instant. He considered how he didnt really know anything about Elder Boatman, barring his obvious rtion to the Dao of Death and his unyielding attitude. But those were enough. He decided to ept.

    In that instant of hesitation, however, Boatman spoke again.

    You are an outstanding cultivator, he said. A prime genius, with a soul tempered in adversity and a body tempered in life. You have already be one with your Daoas long as you dont fall, your achievements will be limitless. Any A-Grade would jump at the opportunity to take you as their disciple. As for me, while I am stronger than most, what you should consider is not your masters strength, but yourpatibility.

    Jack remained silent, letting the Elder speak.

    I cultivate the Dao of Death, Boatman continued. Life and Death are two sides of the same coin. It is the cycle we cultivate, the bnce. Through my tutge, you can take your Dao of the Fist in a direction that approaches this duality, achieving union between your bodyLifeand your intentDeath. I can sense both of their seeds inside you. This path of duality suits you most.

    Thoughts warred inside Jack''s head. This was possibly the most important conversation of his life. He didnt dare speak before thinking it through.

    My temperament, you have already witnessed, Boatman continued calmly. However, if you do choose to be my disciple, know that it will not be easy. I will help you increase your powers in every way possible, but I will not help you survive. Your battles will be your own. Only by oveing all obstacles through your own power will you possess the qualifications to strive for the peak. There will be no way out, no way back. You will rise to the heavens or fall into hell.

    Jack took a trembling breath. Visions assaulted his mind; he envisioned a future where he fought his way through bloody battlefields, used his power to ruin the stars. Life and death were a duality he wielded, everything bnced within his fist. But his enemies were even stronger. And only by surpassing them could he survive.

    Elder Boatman saw his struggle. If you do not wish to be my disciple, I will not force you, nor will I hold this against you, he added. I will even help you find a more suitable master. Heavenstar likes helping young cultivators, and his methods are softerperhaps he could be a better fit.

    Jack snapped out of it. He looked at this terrifying, ck-robed, red-eyed man, this avatar of death, and he onlyughed. The sound was booming and true, coloring space with rampant life. Suddenly, Elder Boatman did not seem like death anymoremore like a strict but wise old man.

    There is no need, Jack replied. Ever since I became a cultivator, I have lived my life on the razors edge. I have struggled against powerful enemies and survived all sorts of impossible situations. I have made enemies all over and carved my own path into the heart of my gxy. I have wed for my current strength one fist at the time. This constant battle you speak of, this crucible, is where I already live. It is where I thrive. This resolve to reach the top or die trying, I already possess it. That is already my path. And as for life and death, that is the road I have been traveling since the very start, my body holding life and my path filled with death. You speak of thepatibility between us, but whatpatibility could be greater than this? His eyes red fiercely. Elder Boatman, it would be my honor to be your disciple!

    Elder Boatman smiledand despite his pale skin and red eyes, despite his unfathomable power and strict exterior, Jack recognized that smile as simr to his own. The two of them were peas in a pod. In truth, ever since Jack understood Boatmans temperament, he had admired him and wanted to study under him.

    Good! Boatman eximed, his voice heavy with approval. No hesitating, just like a disciple of mine should. Very good. Jack Rust, let me formally ept you as my disciple. There is little time, but it is enough.

    He stretched out a pale, boney finger. A dark light shone on a yellow nand instantly, that light beamed into Jacks forehead, drilling deep into his brain. Jack screamed. The pain was too sudden.

    What was that? he eximed.

    Elder Boatman grinned under his hood. My inheritance! Have at it! A cultivator like you would never stay put for too long; an inheritance that can follow you around is the best way to teach you. I have transformed the core of my insights into a seed and nted it inside your brain. You can freely meditate on it; it should elerate your progress,pletely making up for any deficiencies in your Dao and letting you advance quickly without ruining your foundation. Of course, that is only raw knowledge; whether you can turn it into true power, or whether you die in the hidden realm, that will depend entirely on you.

    Jack was still holding his head. It felt like someone had poked their finger deep inside his brain, leaving a wound. Only now was the hellish headache receding, but he had heard Boatmans words clearly.

    He was excited.

    Thank you, Master, he said through gritted teeth. I will study hard.

    As you should. Take this as well. Elder Boatman flicked his finger, tossing a beam of light at Jack. He grabbed it instinctively. It was a dark cube. ck smoke wafted off it in thin streams, and it seemed to carry an aura of death so intense that a mortal would die on sight. On closer inspection, its surface was covered by extremely thin lines, blending into the darkness so perfectly he almost hadnt noticed them at first.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition.

    What is this? he asked.

    A material formed of pure death energy. After all, my Dao is my own interpretationit is not necessarily suited to you. This cube will be your main study material for the Dao of Death. The experiences I inserted into your brain can only serve as practical exams and something to contrast against. When meditating, you should focus on using your Dao to perceive the mysteries of this death cube, thenparing it against my insights to refine your understanding. That will give you the best foundation of the Dao of Death. As for the Dao of Life, you are already on its path. You will naturally progress even if you dont do anything. When the two are of simr levels, you will be able tobine them, take them as the twin foundation of your Dao, and then pierce your fist into the sky. After that, the direction you will move in will be your choice.

    Jack did not understand all that, but he suspected it would be clearer after a while. Thank you, master, he said, putting the death cube into his space ring.

    One more thing, Elder Boatman said. That cube is a very precious item You should not reveal it to anyone, or even A-Grades might covet it. Moreover, I have left a wisp of my aura with the cube. It cannot perceive anything, but I will be able to sense its location anywhere, regardless of distance, even in space rings or hidden realms. If you perish, I will make haste to the site of your death and destroy everything in my path to retrieve the cube. Otherwise, I will not use your location in any other way, nor will I disclose it to anyone.

    <em>Oh, wow, </em>Jack thought. <em>Elder Boatman uses cookies.</em>

    Thats fine, he replied. Thank you. I will take good care of everything.

    I certainly hope so. Boatman returned to his calm ambience. After you exit the hidden realm and have made some progress,e find me. I will help you take your cultivation to the next level.

    Thank you, master, Jack repeated, bowing his head.

    Mm. Boatman nodded imperceptibly. Let us return.

    Space warped around them. Before Jack knew it, they were back at the entrance of the hidden realm, where everyone was staring at them. Brocks gaze was filled with pride. Min Lings, curiosity, and Baron Longforms, envy. As for the Hand of God cultivators, all of them seemed indifferent.

    Sorry for the dy, everyone, Jack said. I am ready.

    Good, Spacewind replied. Lets go. Elders, we respectfully bid you goodbye.

    Boatman remained still. Heavenstar nodded lightly, while on the other side, the Hand of God people went through a simr ritual. All the B- and C-Grades flew into the egg-shaped opening. Jacks world was covered in colors. Soon, he was floating in a multi-colored space, surrounded by all the other cultivators. Excitement and tension were thick in the airnobody knew whether they would emerge stronger from this hidden realm or die inside.

    The transitionsted for some time. Jack felt a weird sensation, as if he wasnt gliding through space but ratherfalling into it? His Dao of Space was nowhere near advanced enough to decipher the feeling.

    Through this strange transition, however, a subdued voice reached Jacks mind. <em>Kid, </em>it said, <em>who the hell was that?</em>

    <em>Mm? </em>Jacks brows rose. <em>Turtle!</em>

    <em>Its Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, damn your pathetic memory. And you didnt reply. Who the hell was that!?</em>

    <em>You can speak to me?</em>

    Jack hadnt seen the turtle since he convinced it to let him make more life stones a year ago. He wasnt aware that it could reach him without him being inside the Life Drop space, nor did he know it could perceive the world around him.

    Though it seemed pretty obvious in hindsight.

    <em>Master Boatman. An A-Grade, </em>he replied, not hiding anything. <em>He took me in as his disciple.</em>

    The turtle stayed silent for a moment. <em>That was a High Demigod, </em>it finally said. <em>Ate A-Grade, in the Systemsnguage. Idid not expect you to meet such characters so early.</em>

    There was regret in its voice. Almost guilt. <em>Did he sense the Life Drop? </em>Jack asked.

    <em>I am not sure. I activated the Supreme Bloods defenses as quickly as I could He should not have sensed us. At most, he felt something was off, but that shouldnt be enough for him to take his disciple apart.</em>

    <em>I dont think he would do that, </em>Jack replied.

    <em>He would if he knew. The Supreme Blood is not as simple as a Life Artifact.</em>

    <em>No!?</em>

    <em>That doesnt matter. Not yet. He let you gothats the important thing. And he gave you significant benefits, too That bundle of insights inside your mind is not simple to create, even for a demigod. He sacrificed a part of his own cultivation to give it to you. And that cube He certainly thinks very highly of you.</em>

    <em>Sacrificed a part of his own cultivation!? </em>Jack drew a sharp breath. Elder Boatman had mentioned hed help Jack with all of his powerbut he thought it was just a figure of speech. Who knew Boatman would be so crazy as to go all-out for someone he just met?

    In fact, it was even a bit suspicious. Could it be that Boatman discovered the Life Drop and this was all a mastern withsome sort of goal in mind?

    <em>Im thinking too much, </em>Jack thought, shaking his head. <em>Ill be careful, but being paranoid will just mud my Dao.</em>

    <em>You should avoid people of such power in the future, </em>the turtle spoke again. <em>My own power is very far away from theirs. I can use the sanctity of your soul and the Supreme Bloods defenses to hide our presence, but even the Blood is not omnipotent. If you spend enough time around that master, he might catch on.</em>

    <em>Ill be careful, </em>Jack promised. On one hand, he felt scared nowon the other, extremely excited. The Life Drop was more than a Life Artifact? Wasnt that great news for him?

    Plus, if ate A-grade used part of their cultivation to give him something, how precious would that be? How helpful? And that was without mentioning the death cube, which even A-Grades might covet.

    He had grown so strong, yet he wasnt even close to the end of the road. He couldnt wait to start exploring all these possibilities.

    Suddenly, the colors around him were torn away. Jack and the others emerged into a new space, and a loud roar weed them. This cewas not what they expected.

 Chapter 384: Entering the Hidden Realm

    Chapter 384: Entering the Hidden Realm

    The hidden realm was an endless jungle.

    Jack and the otherseighty-four cultivators in totalfloated roughly five miles over the ground. Their vision stretched for hundreds of miles, thousands. Yet, all they saw was green, endlessly lush jungles interspersed withkes and other water bodies. The sheer number of trees was incalcble.

    And that wasnt all. No matter how far Jack looked, there was no curvature. This was not a but an incredibly vast, t piece ofndor a of greater circumference than he could calcte.

    What is this ce? he muttered, looking in all directions. Hidden realms are soalive!

    Beside him, Shi Mo was breathless. No they arent, he replied. Hidden realms are barren ces where even space and time are broken. I have no idea whats going on here

    Jack was surprised. He looked around, finding that almost everyone sported looks of confusion. Shi Mo was right. This was what they expected.

    Spacewind, Min Ling said, arriving next to the Church expedition leader. Her normal distaste for him was covered by professionalism. Any idea whats going on?

    Spacewind thought for a moment. This must have been the inner world of a Life cultivator. An extremely powerful one.

    I thought so as well, but it doesnt exin why its still green. The formation of a hidden realm takes a long time. Any remnant energy should have run out long ago, so the world should be on the verge of copsing. Even if it was a peak A-Grade, there is a limit to how much energy their inner world can hold.

    I see two possibilities, said Monk Urusm, entering their conversation. His long white brows fluttered in the wind, and his ears pped like wings. One is that the former owner of this world was a powerhouse far eclipsing our imaginations. They must have been a peak A-Grade who managed to form an almost perfect energy cirction system. They were on the verge of transforming their inner world into a real one, which is why it could sustain itself for such a long time.

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    Everyone listened to him, waiting for the second possibility he mentioned. This first one seemed too far-fetched. Throughout history, peak A-Grades were extremely rare; could they really be so lucky as to stumble upon such a world?

    The second possibility, Urusm said, drawing out his words, is that this ancient powerhouse possessed a bottomless source of life energy. That would exin this worlds continued survival, and it would match with the life attribute we can sense in the air.

    <em>Life in the air? </em>Jack wondered. He expanded his senses, and indeedthe Dao of this world was different than what he was used to. The power of life was much more vibrant, while all other Daos were subdued. In fact, the Dao of Life was so dense and prevalent here that Jack realized he was suffocating. He stopped breathing or he might start hyperventting.

    I favor the second possibility, Spacewind said, echoing everyones thoughts. Even throughout history, peak A-Grades have been utmost existences, leaders of the universe. If this was the inner world of such a powerhouse, our diviners would have known.

    I agree, Min Ling said. Its impossible for this senior to have been a peak A-Grade. They must have possessed some extreme treasure with an endless supply of energy. That would make the most sense. However, for their inner world to be thisrge, they still must have reached the A-Grade.

    How can the diviners have been so wrong? Arkenstal wondered out loud. They said it was the world of a peak B-Gradebut this is clearly far from the truth. For our experts to make such a mistake is unheard of.

    Does it matter? Spacewind asked back, his gaze sharpening. Whatever the case, we are here now. This can be considered good news as well. If our factions knew the true Grade of this ce, it would have never been our turn to enter. The dangers will far eclipse what we expected, but the opportunities should be massive as well. If we can survive, we will emerge reborn.

    Somber silence fell over their group. Everyone digested this situation. As for Jack, he suddenly realized something: the portal was no longer behind them. It never had been.

    What the hell? he asked.

    Hidden realms have jumbled-up space, Shi Mo exined. The points of entry and exit are not necessarily at the same ce. They could be anywhere.

    We have to locate an exit in thisrge ce!?

    Yesbut there are usually multiple, and usually gathered inside the core areas. The B-Grades will discover them and summon us once its time to leave.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Jack was about to ask more. Suddenly, the jungle below them split apart. A flock of birds flew at them. No, these werent birdsthey were dragons!

    Jack turned his gaze at them.

    <strong>Draconic Sharpwing, Level 145 (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>A bird possessing dragon ancestry. Thought long extinct, this species inherits the characteristics of their ancestors to achieve much greater strength than ordinary sharpwings.</em></strong>

    That was a lot of information. The System was active heredid ite with them, or had it infiltrated the hidden realm when the portal came into System space?

    However, those were not the pressing issue. This was a flock of D-Grade birds. They were not a threat to anyone present, but they were random critters.

    Spacewind waved his sleeve, instantly slicing the birds into ribbons. Everything here is at the D-Grade and above, he said, his expression grim. Were only at the periphery, too. Any local overlords should be at the C-Grade, and the monsters at the core area could be anywhere up to the peak B-Grade. This ceis dangerous.

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    Urusmughed carefreely. Since when do cultivators fear a bit of danger?

    Feel free to be careless. Spacewinds voice was serious andmanding. Listen to me, everyone; we may be enemies outside this ce, but here, we cannot afford infighting. I want everyone to work together. All opportunities will be split fairly between those who find them. Am I understood?

    The Church disciples nodded. Urusm said, Spacewind is wise. The Hand of God will act exactly like that. No infighting.

    Everyone quickly agreed, and thus an alliance was formed. Of course, it was extremely frail; people might split lesser opportunities, but they would fight to the death for greater ones.

    Be careful as you explore, Spacewind added. The outer areas should not have B-Grade monsters, but you never know. If you notice anything out of ce, make a run for it and mark the position down forter. We will help you gather the most difficult resources on the way back.

    As if to punctuate his words, a roar echoed through the air. It was bass and powerful, speaking of extreme strength. The world pulsed to its rhythm. The weakest people present shook, while those with faster reflexes used their Dao to cover their ears.

    Jack felt the blood within his body shiver as if attempting to flow backward. Whatever released this roar was far, far more powerful than him. Possibly at the B-Grade.

    The Envoys were not shaken, but their eyes gleamed with thought. This monster couldnt necessarily threaten them, but it was clearly far from the core area. Then, how dangerous would that area really be?

    Since ancient times, hidden realms always came with risks. It wouldnt be the first time that an entire expedition was wiped.

    Shall we, Spacewind? Urusm asked, waving towards a direction. It was where the life energy was densestwhere the core of this hidden realm was located. That ce would hold the greatest dangers and opportunitiesbut, unfortunately, it was not somewhere Jack could go. With his current strength, dominating the outer areas would already be a challenge.

    We shall, Spacewind replied. Min Ling, I leave the C-Grades to you. Make the Church proud. For Enas.

    For Enas, Min Ling replied.

    Spacewind and Urusm transformed into beams of light, diving deeper into the realm at speeds that Jack could only dream of following. All other B-Grades rushed after them. Soon, they were gone, and the only people remaining were the sixty C-Grades, thirty from each faction.

    Alright, everyone, Min Ling said as she and Arkenstal took charge. We will now split up and look for our lucky chances. With such thick life energy in the air, this ce should be a treasurybut remember to be careful. The dangers will be high, and lucky chances are seldom left unguarded. Only act if you have certainty of sess.

    And no infighting, Arkenstal added. This ce will be difficult enough by itself. Thest thing we need is cultivators stabbing each other in the back. Anyone found guilty of such behavior will be punished.

    Everyone nodded. People were already looking left and right, wondering which direction held the most treasures. Seeing that, the leaders didnt hold them.

    Dismissed, they said, and everyone split up, flying away in groups of one to three people.

    I wish you luck, Shi Mo told Jack and Brock, preparing to fly off on his own. The B-Grades carrymunication devices. They will contact everyone when the exits are found and its time to leave. Until thendo your best!

    Good luck, Brock replied, and Shi Mo turned into a gust of wind as he flew away.

    Most people had already left, so Jack and Brock also chose a direction. They took off, the heavy winds pushing against their faces and making Jacks robes p.

    After a while, all other cultivators had been left far behind. Jack and Brock were alone, two bros flying over an endless jungle filled with danger and treasure.

    What could possibly be better?

    How are you feeling, Brock? Jack asked, giving his little brother a toothy grin.

    Never better, Brock replied. Lets adventure!

    Haha! Lets!

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    They elerated, heading even deeper. Their current direction was towards the center of this worldwhile the actual core area was too dangerous, they had the strength to explore just outside that. The closer to the center one went, the greater the danger would be, and the greater the opportunities.

    Therefore, the sixty cultivators spread across the hidden realm, with the weaker ones remaining near the edges and the stronger ones closer to the center.

    Jack and Brock flew for a while before making sure nobody was around them. No matter how the leaders prohibited infighting, only a fool would believe them.

    Then, the two of them flew closer to the ground, slowing down so they could scan the jungle. However, their Dao perception was unneeded. It wasnt long until they discovered arge tree sticking out of the canopy. Even from the distance, they could make out a gargantuan shape wrapped around this tree. It was a real dragon.

    Jack and Brock couldnt contain their excitement. They were two bros adventuring together. They would have the time of their lives!

 Chapter 385: Fighting Dragons

    Chapter 385: Fighting Dragons

    Jack and Brock surveyed the situation from afar.

    A treerger than the rest stood out from the jungle. Its trunk rose a thousand feet into the air, and it was thick enough that even a dozen people together couldnt hug it. Its canopy was dense with leaves, each of which radiated life energy.

    The real prize, however, were its fruits. There were four, hanging close to the trunk. Each was perfectly round, containing enough energy that, by all means, they should have exploded long ago.

    In nature, many things contained the power of the Dao. Even a simple apple contained life energy. As for heavenly treasures like these fruits, their energy was a trillion times greater than an apples. Unfortunately, even though energy was abundant, most natural resources could not be consumed. Their energy was suited for them alone; eating them would be the same thing as a mortal trying to eat rocks.

    Those were not real treasures. At most, they were pretty to look at or could be used indirectly for minor benefits.

    Some resources, however, had a rare attribute: the energy they gathered was pure enough to resemble the ambient Dao and could be directly absorbed by cultivators. They were far more effective than Dao stones. When such resources were discovered, they were heavily sought-after, but their growth period was usually extremely long. Growing them was too difficult; the easiest way was to discover them in a hard-to-ess locationfor example, a hidden realm.

    These were the so-called lucky chances that everyone was searching for. And these four fruits, as they proudly hung from the tree, were certainly such treasures. Despite being slightly life-oriented, Jack could sense the purity of their Dao blowing over him like a gentle breeze, opening his pores and begging him to absorb it.

    Here we are, Brock, he said. This ce really is filled with lucky chances. We only flew for half an hour and already ran into one.

    Hmm. Yes. But I think the dragon will not be happy.

    There was a gargantuan brown dragon coiled around the tree. From afar, its scales looked like bark, while its great body must have been almost a mile long. Though asleep, a corrosive aura surrounded it, warning anyone against approaching.

    The two of them were currently far enough away that they could see the dragon but not reach it with their Dao perception. Naturally, it couldnt reach them either, so it was blissfully unaware.

    How could it be easy? Jack said, shaking his head. We can use these treasures to cultivate, but so can spiritual beasts. Its already lucky that we chanced upon the fruits as they are about to mature; this dragon must have kept watch for a long time, waiting for the fruits to reach their optimal state before consuming them. It didnt let anything else eat them; thats our luck.

    But it must be strong, Brock said. Big bro of this area.

    I can take it. I am not close enough to inspect it, but its aura is not too powerful. And, even if it is, I am confident we can run away.

    Okay. Lets go.

    Yes.

    They flew closer. The jungle was just below them now, their feet almost scraping the canopy. The tree loomed closer in their sights. Before long, they had approached enough to scan this dragon.

    <strong>??, Level ???</strong>

    <strong>Unknown species. Compiling observations. Please wait.</strong>

    <em>Really damn useful, </em>Jack thought, but it didnt matter. He had been outside System space for a long time now. He was used to estimating his opponents power level through their auraand his estimation told him this dragon was ate C-Grade.

    Powerful, but not enough.

    As Jacks perception reached the dragon, so did its own reach them. Its eyes opened. Dark green irises were revealed underneath, matching the bark-like skin. Was this a tree dragon?

    It did not look happy.

    Hello, bro, Brock said, in case this creature could speak.

    Cultivators the dragon replied. Its voice was deep and bass, almost scratchy as if two branches were scraping each other inside its throat. Dark green fumes left its mouth every time it spoke, and sharp teeth were revealed. My kin have sensed your arrival. You are destroying our jungle and killing us. Have youe to steal my fruits?

    We are no thieves, Brock replied, then sighed deeply. Butthese are not your fruits. They belong to you because you strongest. Now, we strongest. That is the truth. Please, dragon bro, step aside.

    The dragon stared deeply at them. Its eyes turned to Jack, who remained silent but with a billowing aura. It could not see through his strength clearly, but it sensed he was weaker than it was. As for the speaking brori, it was even weaker.

    The dragons irises narrowed. Its huge maw opened wider, revealing sharp teeth and a deep, dark throat. Dark green spit flew outanything it touched sizzled and disappeared, corroded. THIEVES! it roared, its voice impacting them like a sonic wave. Leaves blew wildly, branches shook, small trees were uprooted. The dragons roar echoed into the ground and air, reaching the ends of the world.

    Jack had expected this. He geared up for battle, immediately summoning his Life Drop battle form. As two new arms grew under his armpits, the dragon showed no surprise.

    Since you dared toe, it growled, you will never leave.

    A torrent of dark green flew out of its mouth. Jack and Brock teleported away. An entire line of flora melted where the dragons breath hit, creating an empty expanse. The dragon slowly uncoiled its upper body. Two bark wings spread from its back, and itsrge form stood against the sky.

    Jack snorted. If you want to fight, well fight. Meteor Punch!

    The world darkened under his might. The ambient energy for several miles gathered around his fist, then exploded. The dragon took the fist head-onits head was flung backward, but it endured. Sap bled out through a crater on its forehead.

    Jack was impressed, but he did not let up. Space shattered under him, his body flitting around the dragon and pelting it with attacks. Its defense was extraordinary, but so was Jacks endurance. Meanwhile, the dragon was madly wing and biting, but it could not touch him. He was like a wasp stinging it to death.

    The dragon roared.

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    Big bro! Brock eximed. He stood farther away, as he didnt have the strength to participate in this battle, but how could it be so simple?

    The jungle ground was covered with ferns. Neither Brock nor Jack had paid any special attention to them, but now, those nts were slowly transforming. They pulled themselves out of the ground. The fern leaves were their wings, stones made up their fangs, and intertwined rootsposed their bodies.

    These were dragons.

    Jack nced at them.

    <strong>Draconic Twig, Level 240 (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>Roots taken draconic shape. These nt lifeforms like to cover vast areas, pretending to be harmless ferns. They do not attack others as they can sustain themselves through photosynthesis and absorbing nutrients from the soil. Their cultivation is passive and long. However, their minds are connected, and they all attack together if they sense danger.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Most Draconic Twigs are at the F- and E-Grades. Through unknown means, this particr specimen has achieved far greater power. Due to their high numbers, caution is advised.</em></strong>

    Jack drew a cold breath. In this ce, even random nts werete D-Grade lifeforms. Just who could have such an inner world!?

    Destroy them, my children! the dragon roared, going all-out against Jack. It couldnt strike him, but it could keep him upied while the twigs handled Brock.

    Jack didnt mind. He clenched his four fists, shooting a barrage of Meteor Punches at the dragon as he chipped away its defenses. The bark scales were torn away, revealing wood-like skin underneath. Sap flowed from its wounds, and creaks followed its every movement.

    Unfortunately for the twigs, Brock was also stronger than he looked. A book appeared in his one hand and a staff in the other. His entire body emitted golden radiance.

    We are stronger, but you refuse to yield, he dered solemnly. That is un-bro-like. Shame!

    His voice smashed into the swarm of roots flying at him. They shook. Many fell from the sky, their minds consumed by illusions, while many more gave pained shrieks and started convulsing. However, a portion of the twigs was unaffected. They flew at Brock, their ws extended and their root jaws opened wide to crush him.

    He drew back. His staff of stone became a dazzling gold as he smashed it down, felling the draconic twigs by the swathe. They swarmed him. He was too powerful. Jaws broke against his golden skin, and his staff sent dozens flying with each swing. On his other hand, the book shot out golden beams, paralyzing anything it hit.

    Brock was like a golden god in a sea of devils. He roared out. His brori instincts surfaced. Twigs broke left and right, and though their numbers seemed endless, he did not seem the least bit tired. Even if they could eventually take him down, they would suffer extreme casualties.

    Seeing this, the dragon finally showed hints of worry. Children! it roared, ignoring Jack and trying to fly Brocks way. As more and more of its body uncoiled from the trunk, Jack saw that it had no tailthe back end of its body was embedded into the tree, as if this entire dragon was a branch.

    Only now did Jack realize that the dragon and the tree were the same creature. <em>Magnificent. How the hell does that work?</em>

    But there was no time to think. The dragon was headed for Brock. Jack punched space and teleported before the dragon, facing it like an ant against a giant. Move! the dragon roared, spitting a long breath of poison directly at him. There was no dodging thisif he did, the poison breath would fall onto Brock, who was too busy fighting to teleport.

    Jacks gaze sharpened. His fists unclenched. His palms grabbed the air before him, and then, with a mighty roar, he pulled to the side.

    The world twisted. The fabric of space itself had been pulled by Jack, stretched, so that what seemed like a straight line no longer was one. The poison breath suddenly changed its course, passing by him and veering off to the side. He had manipted not the breath, but the space through which it flew.

    This was Jacks Space Mastery!

    The dragon came to a stop, its eyes widening. It had not expected such a usage of space. In truth, since its body was one with the tree, it couldnt fly too far away. It couldnt reach Brock. The only way to act against him was to shoot out poison breaths, but there was no meaning if Jack could just steer them away.

    Behind Jack, Brock was still fighting off the draconic twigs. They broke with every hit of his staff. Though they didnt die immediately, as long as they jumped back into the fray and were hit a couple more times, they really would shatter.

    And there was nothing the dragon could do about it.

    Enough! it roared, its voice eclipsing the wind. Stop! You win! Dont ughter my children!

    The twigs froze, then retreated as quickly as they could. Brock was suddenly left alone, hovering like a victorious golden god. Took you long enough, he said. Sorry for harming your children. They attacked me first.

    The dragon did not reply. Its body remained uncoiled and outstretched, its eyes exuding hatred. Yet, they also carried a hint of surprise.

    You stopped? it asked in confusion. Why?

    Because you asked us to, Jack replied. You gave up. Why would we kill you?

    You are cultivators. You want my fruits. You want to kill me.

    I think you have the wrong idea about cultivators.

    Dont try to trick me, the dragon replied, its eyes wide in anger. My kin is ughtered by your people as we speak. Destruction is everywhere. You brought war and steel, killing us to steal our power!

    Jack frowned. I am not them, nor can I control them. If other cultivators are killing your dragons across the jungle, that is regrettable, but I cannot stop them. As for me and Brock, we have no desire to kill anyone. We just want your fruits.

    He nced at the trees base, where the tree and dragon merged as one. Since the two were the same creature, he could no longer im that the dragon was in possession of the fruits because it was the strongest creature around. They really did belong to it. Suddenly, wanting to take them seemed a bitunfair.

    Brock stepped up. We understand, he said. We do not want to harm you. However, you are a tree, and these are your fruits. We want them. Let us have them, and we promise not to attack you anymore. We will also promise to nt the seeds in good location, so your tree children can grow big and safe.

    The dragon gazed at them with deep suspicion. You lie, it growled. You will cut me down and use my body for alchemy. You will take my bark, my sap, my leaves, and my roots. You will tear me to pieces and destroy me, as the rest of your kind does.

    We will not do that, Brock replied calmly.

    Why should I believe you?

    Because you have no choice.

    That was the sad reality. The cultivation world was not a kind ce; everyone killed each other for treasures, and to abstain from that was to doom yourself to weakness. Jack and Brock were no saints. Even if the fruits belonged to the tree, they would still take them.

    The dragon seethed in silent fury for a moment. Its gaze bore deep into theirs, as if trying to see their souls. After some time had passed, it finally agreed. Fine. I will not fight you to the death. Take my fruitsbut you must promise to leave the rest of me unharmed!

    We promise, Jack and Brock replied immediately.

    The dragon drew back towards the tree. Its ws rose towards the fruits, then pulled them out. It did not seem to feel any pain. Magical or not, trees were trees. The purpose of their fruits was to be consumed by others and have the seeds inside nted somewhere nice.

    One dragon w holding four fruits approached Jack and Brock, who took two each and ced them in their space rings. The w drew back. Jack and Brock bowed lightly.

    Thank you, Jack said. We will nt the seeds at a good ce. We promise.

    The tree dragon seemed on edge. You really will not attack me?

    Of course not, Brock replied. Taking your fruits is one thing. Killing you and selling your body as materials is another. We are not monsters.

    The dragon tree stared at them for a while. Its eyes shimmered. Youare not too detestable, it finally said. Better than the rest of you, anyway. Go. My fruits were my greatest treasures, but they will regrow. With them taken, no other hated cultivator will try to fight me. The rest of my body is not as precious.

    Thanks, tree dragon bro, Brock said, then looked towards the ground, where the hundreds of draconic twigs still stared at him in apprehension. Sorry for hitting you, little bros. Grow big and strong.

    The two of them flew away. The dragons gaze followed them for a long time. Then, it slowly closed its eyes and coiled back around the trunk, falling into the deep slumber that trees enjoyed.

    The twigs dug back into the ground. However, they did not sleep yet. Their species formed awork covering arge part of the jungle, and their minds were all connected. Just like others had informed them of violent and destructive cultivators, these twigs also informed their kin about Jack and Brock, who were more reasonable than most.

 Chapter 386: Inspecting the Death Cube

    Chapter 386: Inspecting the Death Cube

    Spacewind crossed the air. Urusm flew beside him, while the other twenty-two B-Grades followed.

    Their speed was tremendous. The jungle blurred below them, and the clouds passed by and disappeared in seconds. There were many asions when jungle creatures flew up to attack them, but they were all easily obliterated.

    These twenty-four people each possessed the power to cracks. They were not a procession that could be stopped.

    Finally, after flying for many hours, Spacewind focused. Were here, he said.

    A massive temple rose in the distance. Or, perhaps, it was more urate to call it a mountain. Its height reached ten miles into the sky, easily piercing all clouds, while its base stretched for dozens of miles all around. It was made of precisely cut stone, so that it really did resemble a temple, except gargantuan.

    The more the B-Grades approached, the more apparent the temples size became. It really was a massive mountain that someone had carved into a temple. The effort poured into this was insane.

    Then again, since this ce used to be someones inner world, many impossible things could happen.

    The group stopped before the temple. They were like ants in the face of a massive trepletely inconsequential. No matter how they looked, they were unable to see the its roof or sides. It simply took up their world.

    Of course, as B-Grades, they possessed Dao perceptions that could cover the entire temple. Its shape was clear in their mindsa glided rooftop of valley-sized bricks, surrounded by miles of religious carvings. Some disyed gods, some demons, some mortals; in such lengthy engravings, all sorts of scenes could be found, but the general theme seemed to be about a massive dragon helping the world prosper. This dragonughed with gods, killed devils, and was worshiped by mortals. Perhaps it was a god itself, but the drawing style indicated that was not the case.

    More dragons, Spacewind muttered, closing his eyes to better inspect the temple.

    Nature is beautiful, said Urusm, cupping his hands. We pay our deep respects, Elder Dragon. It is need that led us here, not desire. Please take no offense as we enter your temple to look for our survival. We will try to leave everything intact.

    He bowed. Everyone followed, including Spacewind, though he snorted coldly on the inside.

    He was familiar with Urusm. This was a monk-looking individual who possessed no grace at all. No matter what he said now, he would rob this ce clean and take away even the floor tiles if they were precious.

    But, ces like this often contained hints of their creators will. Speaking pretty words couldnt hurt.

    The base of the temple was one with the ground, since it was originally a mountain, and its roof was covered inrge bricks. Its sides and back were lined with gigantic columns, each multiple miles high and hundreds of feet in diameter. Behind those columns was a wall, indicating that one should not enter from there.

    The only ce not covered by that wall was the front of the temple, but it did not have a door. Rather, it was a wall of t stone riddled with holes. In that sense, the entrance of the temple was more like a beehive than an actual entrance.

    On closer inspection, there were ny-nine circr holes, each ranging from a hundred feet to half a mile in diameter. The space inside was pitch-ck; and, as the B-Grades tried to scan it with their Dao perception, a mysterious force stopped them.

    Its blocked, Urusm said, furrowing his brows. His voice grew more earnest, dropping the monk facade a bit. We should be careful. This is the inheritance of an A-Gradeany defenses still operating can easily destroy us all.

    Are you going to chicken out? Spacewind asked.

    Of course not. Since we are here, we may as well experience this seniors methods.

    Urusm cupped his hands again, while Spacewind bravely gazed ahead. As his title indicated, he specialized in space and speed. If anything went wrong, he had the highest chances of surviving.

    The B-Grade group approached the temples entrance. They chose a hole that was three hundred feet in diameterneither toorge nor too small. They stopped a mile away.

    Let me test it, Urusm said. Muttering some incoherent prayer, the phantasmal image of a golden buddha appeared behind him. This buddha extended its arm, which grew impossibly long, all the way until it reached the entrance of the hole. It tried to enter. A pale green barrier appeared out of thin air, blocking the hands advance.

    There is an energy barrier, Urusm said, but it is not offensive.

    The same barrier covers all the holes, Spacewind added. He had been observing the entire temple just now, and he saw the same green light flicker everywhere. There is no other way in. We have to get past this barrier.

    With the grace of the Immortals, we will seed, Urusm prayed again.

    Spacewind gave him an odd look. Since you possess their grace, how about you attack first?

    This old monk already scouted out the barrier. My friend Spacewind doesnt need to be modestfell free to participate.

    Spacewind cursed inwardly, then turned towards the entrance. They remained a mile away. By now, it had be clear that breaking this barrier was their only way forward, and there was no visible core or weakness to tamper with. They could only resort to brute force.

    He drew out a long sword, then casually swiped it out. A wave of ck energy was emitted from the de, shaped as a sword sh, and it impacted against the distant barrier.

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    This was in no way Spacewinds all-out attack. It was just a light probing strike, but it still contained the power to slice through a normal mountain range. Yet, as this ck sh rushed forth, the barrier only flickered slightly. The de dissipated like a stone thrown into the sea, and the barrier shone for a brief moment before turning invisible again.

    No counterattack, Spacewind observed. Its defensive properties are remarkable, but its regeneration is a bit too slow. If we allbine forces and constantly attack the barrier, we could overwhelm its regeneration and slowly whittle it away. What do you think, Urusm?

    The old monk thought for a second. Brilliant observation, he finally said. With everyone working together, I believe it should only take us a few days. There seems to be no danger, either.

    Good. Spacewind nodded.

    Twenty-four B-Grades joining forces to slowly break apart a single barrier was not a noble sight. Yet, it was all they could do. This ce was meant for A-Grades, or at least peak B-Grades. These twenty-four people were all at the early B-Grade. Just being able to enter was fortunate.

    As things had turned out, Spacewind and Urusm had no illusions of grasping this temples core inheritances. They would be satisfied with any tiny opportunity they could getat the level of this temples creator, even the items they casually left around would be considered massive lucky chances to an early B-Grade.

    The twenty-four of them quickly organized into four teams of six. The teams would take turns attacking the barrier with their full power, changing every hour. At their level, nobody needed to sleep or even rest much. By constantly attacking, in just a few days, they would break the barrier and ess the temple.

    The treasures inside could make even people like them salivate.

    ***

    Deep inside a vibrant jungle, beneath a thousand-foot waterfall, was a tiny cave. It was only recently created; the stone walls were rough and sloppy, while no moss or insects had infiltrated it yet.

    This cave was the temporary dwelling of two people; Jack and Brock.

    After taking the four fruits of the Tree Dragon, the two of them had adventured for another three days. Nothing important urred; they ran into a few lucky chances, but noneparable to the dragon fruits.

    As for those fruits, Jack and Brock had long consumed them. The energy they contained was pure and massive; it had pushed Jacks third fruit closer to maturity, while Brock had just developed his own third fruit.

    Right now, for a short period of time, the two of them were at the same boundary! Jacks happiness was hard to put into words.

    But their goal here wasnt just to hunt lucky chances. They would remain in this hidden realm for an unknown amount of timeand Jack, who had recently received Elder Boatmans insights and death cube, had many things to meditate on.

    The waterfall crashed down hard, spraying moisture into the air. Inside the cave, Jack and Brock sat cross-legged on opposite ends, each sunk into their own meditation.

    Brock was taking inspiration from the dense life energy in the atmosphere to tackle the Dao of Life.

    Jack sat cross-legged, a small dark cube held between his hands. His fingers traced its surface, going from side to side, touching the edges. The cube was so ck it sucked in the light, making it almost impossible to see clearly. However, Jacks perception could capture extremely shallow lines on its surface.

    There were exactly 999 lines. Each formed aplete circuit, with no beginning or end. Some were short, and some were long. Some were straight, while others were curved or even tied into knots. These lines were all intersecting into infinite shapes, forming patterns that werepletely random and pointless, or at least seemed so.

    Though Jack had had this cube for three days, this was the first time he seriously inspected it. He was puzzled. Just what was this cubes secret?

    His perception sank inside, reaching the cubes very core but finding only stone. There was nothing there. Even its surface was nothing but carved stone. Then, where did its aura of deathe from?

    <em>What a riddle </em>he thought, his excitement rising. Cultivators pursued knowledge; therefore, they yearned for the unknown. Facing this cube that should contain nothing magical yet clearly emitted a powerful death aura, he was nothing but expectant.

    <em>Is it the material? </em>he wondered. It did seem suspicious. Jacks perception was extremely sharp by now; he could detect even the tiniest imperfections, the tiniest marks on the stone. Yet, in that sharp perception, this stone seemedpletely natural. There was no sign that anyone had cut it into a cube or carved its surface. It was like this perfect cube had sprang into existence in its current state.

    But that was impossible.

    Or was it?

    Even on Earth, all sorts of materials came with angles. Crystals, ore It wouldnt be impossible for one of them to be shaped as a perfect cube, urate to the atom. Extremely unlikely, sure, but not impossible. Then, if that material remained in a vtile area for a long time, it wouldnt be surprising for random marks to appear on its surface.

    Of course, for those marks to be exactly 999 and have no ends, there had to be magic involved. Plus, even if the cube was ced at the bottom of the sea, there would always be one side touching the soil; how could all six of its sides be equally engraved?

    On the other hand, if it was artificial, there would certainly be some evidence.

    The origin of this cube was too mysterious. Even the material it was made of was a mystery to Jack. It felt like particrly hard stone. As for its color, that was even more of a mystery; even the dark void of space wasnt that ck. Back on Earth, hed once visited his universitys chemistrybs and witnessed vantack, an artificial color that absorbed over ny-nine percent of light. Even that vantack seemed like a sun before this thing.

    Moreover, light was energy. Something that absorbed all light should be burning hot, but this stone was cool to the touch, even chilly.

    Chilly like death.

    Jack took a deep breath. He calmed his mind and closed his eyes, entering deeper meditation. His perception focused on the cube, observing every edge, every side, every line. He wanted to map those lines. He could sense that whatever secret this cube contained, the lines were the clue.

    Everything else disappearedpletely. The lines became his entire world, 999 of them. Each was unique; they curved differently, had different depths and widths at various points, and they intersected with all others in a million ways.

    Jack may have had an enhanced mind, but this was just too much.

    He focused on one line. He chose it randomly. It started around a corner of the cube, heading towards the center of one side and then dipping back to its origin to form an oval shape. Simple. Easy. A great starting point.

    His mind observed this line with the intensity of a C-Grade. Yet, it was a line. There wasnt much to observe.

    He persisted. His perception dug deeper. He followed the line in a full cycle, then another. It started off shallow, then deepened gradually. It was narrow then wide, finally reaching its limit. It intersected with another line; this wasnt its first intersection so far, but there was something different about it. It was violent. Hard. Jagged. Like the two lines had shed against each other. The other line continued, getting slightly deeper, but Jacks line seemed to lose its vigor. It grew shallow. Thin. It stopped advancing and dipped back, running parallel to its previous course to reach what Jack considered its starting point, the thinnest and shallowest it had been.

    It made a full circle.

    Jack paused. His forehead was wrinkled. There was something there. Did the line represent a life? It had grown stronger until it shed against another line, lost, then weakened until it died and returned to its starting point?

    What exactly was its meaning?

 Chapter 387: Nihility

    Chapter 387: Nihility

    Something inside Jack stirred. Some nascent understanding raised its head, too weak to take shape but still present. His mind returned to the cubes lines almost by itself as if drawn to their mysteries.

    He followed one line, then another. He branched out. He let his mind wander freely, not sticking to one line but changing at every intersection. He was no longer following; he was swimming. And as his mind curved around the cube, guided by all these lines, Jack felt as if hed grasped onto a heavenly secret.

    These lines he followed seemed random, but they were not. By sticking to them, his mind moved to a certain rhythm, as if tracing an invisible path that shouldnt be part of the world. As if he was interacting with something that wasnt there. These revolutions he carried out contained profound secrets, things he could just barely glimpse at. Thoughts were born inside his mind, spawning out of thin air. They were not his. Not exactly.

    By tracing the lines of the cube, he made his brain follow very specific patterns which activated areas he was unaware of and formed novel connections. It felt like hacking his own brain. These connections made no sense, they were sounds and colors, but they strung chords inside Jack that made him mncholic. His emotions acted up. And suddenly, through all these puzzling emotions and sensations rose a deep, intimate understanding of death.

    He didnt know how this was happening. He barely knew <em>what </em>was happening. Yet, through tracing these lines and trying to understand them, an awareness of Death slowly appeared in his mind.

    Jack was stunned. His focus wavered for just a moment, and all the intricate meanings of the lines evaporated at once, bing nothing but carvings on a stone.

    Life and Death are one, he whispered. They are a cycle. One rises, one falls, and both connect to the same spot. They will always connect. Death is just the inevitable conclusion. What starts must finish. What rises must fall.

    His eyes widened in realization. This wasDeath?

    Through meditating on this cube, Jack had directlyprehended the essence of Death. It was an infinitely small part, but it remained something that had been nted into his mind. Throughout his cultivation so far, everyone said that true understanding could only be achieved, not received.

    Yet, now, this little dark cube hade dangerously close to directly carving its knowledge inside Jacks mind.

    It was almost terrifyingand, at the same time, fantastical.

    <em>Just what is this thing? </em>Jack asked himself, looking at the shape between his hands. <em>How could anyone make this? Is it even possible?</em>

    This item was extremely mystical. Jack didnt even know the right questions to ask, let alone the answers. Could Elder Boatmans achievements in the Dao of Death originate from this little cube?

    Every high-level cultivator had their own lucky chances. The higher one went, the more world-shaking the lucky chances theyd discovered in their youths. This cube might have been the cause of Elder Boatman reaching the A-Gradeor it could have been something he created.

    In any case, it was an extremely precious item. Only now did he understand why Elder Boatman had to leave a wisp of his aura with the cube, and why he would directlye to retrieve it the moment Jack died.

    Jacks chest swelled with gratitude.

    <em>Thank you, master! </em>he cried out inwardly. And it wasnt even the only gift hed received.

    The new insights hed just gained were a bit too base. They were closest to the essence of Death, which made them hard to wield in battle. Jack had to view them through the lens of his own Dao and slowly experiment until he discovered practical applicationsand there was no guarantee his method would be optimal.

    However, Elder Boatman had anticipated this, and he had directly given Jack his own insights. Jack was too excited to think anymore. He dove into his mind, reaching that ball of knowledge and sinking into it. His world fell away. He saw an endless river of darkness floating alongside the stars, filled with ghosts and ethereal bodies. Some were crying; others wereughing, and most seemed indifferent or even sleeping.

    A man sat in the middle of that river, letting the dark waters wash over him. He had pale, wrinkled skin and red eyes. As his mouth opened and closed in an unknown incantation, Jack saw sharp fangs protrude from his lips.

    <em>Elder Boatman is a vampire?</em>

    But that wasnt important. Vampires were just one of the many species in the universe. Suddenly, Elder Boatman stood. His eyes locked onto a distant meteor passing over the river. He raised one finger, and the dark waters flowed around it, forming a little ball of death.

    Nihility, Boatman whispered. He flung the dark ball away, which reached the meteor in an instant. There was no explosion, no impact. Instead, the meteor dissipated. Endless years passed it by. Its form cracked and splintered, bing a hail of stones which experienced their own death, slowly turning into tiny particles that were no longer visible.

    Boatman smiled. Everything ends as it begins. What rises must fall. What is must cease to be. Let everything return to nothingness.

    That was where the vision cut off. Jack was back in his own body in the cave, sweating. There had been no danger watching this illusion, but the dark river gave Jack a feeling of imminent death. If he visited there in person, he would die as soon as he touched the water, his soul just another ethereal remnant flowing along its waters.

    There were more Dao Visions inside the ball of insights. However, Jack didnt watch them yet. This first one was enough. In it, Boatman had used the purest energy of death to make a meteor disappear. It was the basest, simplest application of death.

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    It was the perfect starting point.

    Jack had an elementary awareness of death. He had a simple yet optimized application. All he needed to do was meditate on the cube and this Dao Vision alternatingly until, eventually, he could use the Dao of Death himself.

    This was traveling a hundred miles with a single step. Having an A-Grade master truly made cultivation much simpler.

    Jack sighed for a moment, then sank into meditation. There was no time to wastehe was impatient to learn, too. Time flowed. Jack and Brock meditated on their own things, one on death and one on life, slowly forming aplete system. The inside of the cave turned half-ck and half-white around their two bodies, like the shadow of a yin-yang diagram.

    None of the two noticed it. They were too deep in meditation. Still, this was a happy ident for them, as the antithesis sharpened their respective Daos, making them clearer.

    Eventually, Jack raised his hand. A tiny pebble flew into it. He stared at the pebble, deep in concentration, trying all sorts of things. Finally, something clicked inside his mind. His lips parted. Nihility came a low whisper, and the pebble disappeared, crumbling like a pile of dust blown by the wind.

    Jack showed the slimmest smile.

    Before he could truly rejoice, however, a massive roar echoed through the cave. The yin-yang diagram dissipated. Jack shot to his feet, and Brocks eyes snapped open, his cultivation interrupted.

    What happened? he asked.

    I dont know, Jack replied. I dont think that roar was aimed at us, but it came from nearby. Lets check it out.

    Jack and Brock flew out of their cave and into the air. Vast blue skies met them, framed by an endless jungle that stretched as far as their eyes could reach.

    I dont see anything, Jack said. What roared?

    A second roar followed. Out here, it was even more deafening than inside. The sky shook. The earth splintered. Massive trees toppled to the ground, while flocks of draconic birds took flight all across the jungle, escaping at their maximum speed.

    What the hell is going on? Jack asked, his body sweating involuntarily. Was thata B-Grade?

    Such a great roar had swept over the world, and its origin was so far away that they couldnt even see it. It had probably echoed for thousands of miles around. What creature could emit such power if not a B-Grade?

    It roars. It must be fighting, Brock said. He was conflicted for a second, then his eyes steadied. We should take a look.

    Jack nodded. If such a creature was roaring, the most likely exnation was that the B-Grades were fighting it at the hidden realms core area. The other possibility was that someone had stumbled into a hidden overlord of the periphery. In both cases, taking a look wouldnt hurt.

    This realm had no curvature; their eyes could see hundreds of miles into the distance, so they should bepletely safe. And, if this turned out to be a lucky chance they could participate in

    There was no need to think anymore. Jack and Brock turned into beams of light shooting into the distance. Endless jungle passed below them. As they approached the source of the massive roar, they could feel the energy density in the air rising; they were headed in the direction of the core area.

    A few minutester, a mountain entered their sight. It was shaped as a wide pyramid, with smoke rising from its peak. The jungle stopped a dozen miles away from this mountain, giving way to a ckened, burnt expanse that harbored no life.

    This was an active volcano.

    Jack expected to see some massive dragon roaring in the air, but there was no such thing. The area was eerily emptyyet, he could sense great energy fluctuations in the sky, as if a massive battle had recently taken ce here.

    They approached more. Soon, they could make out an assortment of individuals standing in the sky fifty miles away from the volcano. They were a group of C-Grade Hand of God cultivators, including their leader, Arkenstal. However, he seemed hurt; blood oozed from under his ribs, one of his arms hung broken, his wizard robes were torn and charred, and an entire half of his body was scorched ck. It was a miracle he was still alive.

    Jack and Brock didnt approach too much. After all, these were Hand of God cultivators. Soon, however, more people arrived in the distance. Everyone in the wider area had heard the massive roar, and they all rushed here to take a look. Of course, not all cultivators of the expedition were close enough, but Jack saw Min Ling, Baron Longform. He and Brock joined their group as everyone gathered together.

    This ce was close to the core area. Those who dared adventure here were all the strongest individuals of the expedition; besides himself, Brock, and Min Ling, Jack only saw a few eight-fruits. Most of the people present were nine-fruit cultivators.

    Before long, a group of seventeen had gathered.

    What happened, Arkenstal? Min Ling asked as everyone converged together.

    Arkenstals angr face was cold. The more people who divided a lucky chance, the less each of them would getbut there was no helping it anymore. Not only had the roar summoned everyone, but even if it hadnt, he did not possess the strength to get this lucky chance by himself.

    There is a massive treasure trove inside that mountain, he said. However, it is guarded by a B-Grade dragon.

    Everyone was shaken, but they had expected it. Arkenstal was not a normal nine-fruitonly a B-Grade creature could injure him so heavily.

    How powerful is it? Min Ling asked.

    Not overwhelmingly so. It is only at the early B-Grade. I managed to escape with my life, so Im confident we could take it if we all teamed up.

    Min Ling considered it for a second. As the leader of the Church C-Grades, she had to weigh her words very carefully. It did not chase you. If it is reluctant to leave the volcano, there must be something it is afraid of having stolen.

    My thoughts exactly, Arkenstal replied. This must be one of, if not the greatest lucky chance outside the core areas. I believe we should all work together to im it, then divide it in ordance with everyones contribution.

    His words were carefully chosen. Not to mention his great personal strength, but discovering this ce could also be considered a contribution. He wanted the lions share of the treasure.

    As for his injuries, they would go away given a bit of time.

    Min Ling silently calcted their odds. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her response. If she judged that the danger was too high, then the Hand of God cultivators by themselves probably couldnt get the treasure, so they would be forced to give upor take a massive risk.

    However, no cultivator could reach this level without being prone to throwing their life away.

    Okay, Min Ling replied. However, the benefits should be equally divided between our two factions. After that, each faction can assign them to its cultivators based on their contributions.

    Deal, Arkenstal quickly agreed. This was also reasonable. Since both factions needed the other to get the treasure, it should be equally divided. As for the contribution-based assignmentter, it guaranteed that the higher level people would get more benefitsand encouraged everyone to actually help instead of pretending to assist but staying on the sidelines to avoid any danger.

    Jack and Brock also liked this arrangement. They hade here to look for lucky chances, and so far, the only decent thing theyd found were the tree dragon fruits. If Min Ling told the Church forces to withdraw, it would be unsatisfying.

    The only problem here was that Jacks enemy, Baron Longform, was present. He would need to watch his backand so would Baron.

 Chapter 388: Bro to Bro!

    Chapter 388: Bro to Bro!

    The volcano stood in a ckenednd, smoking from its top. In the distance behind it, one could faintly make out a colossal templethat was the realms core area. They were very close.

    Fifty miles away from the volcano, the C-Grade expedition members plotted their invasion.

    The volcano holds an early B-Grade dragon and several of its C-Grade children, Arkenstal exined. I couldnt take a good look before, but the C-Grade children must be a dozen and all at the peak C-Grade.

    So strong!? someone eximed.

    Yes, Arkenstal replied without hesitation. Whatever resource lies at the bottom of that volcano must be beyond extraordinary. He then returned to nning. Besides the dragon and its children, the area is filled with D-Grade Draconic Twigs. Their individual strength is nothing to worry about, but they could be dangerous if they swarm you.

    Jack looked at the ckened area around the volcano. No nts grew there. The only exception were ferns that were actually draconic twigs in disguisehe and Brock had fought a few of those back at the tree dragonsir.

    These draconic twigs were thousands upon thousands, but contrasted with the lush jungle beside them, they really did make the area seem lifeless.

    Is that all? Min Ling asked.

    As far as I could tell. However, there may be more protectors at the bottom of the volcano or around the treasure. We should take things one at a time.

    What if we distract the dragon while someone sneaks through to steal the treasure?

    Impossible. The volcano ispletely packed with draconic twigs. Not only will they swarm anyone who enters, but they will also alert the dragon to the intruderand, if someone gets trapped inside the volcano, they will not be able to survive the dragons fire breath.

    Okay. Then, what is your n?

    We kill everything, Arkenstal said simply. First, we roam the ten-mile area around the volcano and kill every draconic twig we find. Then, we assault the volcano itself, using area attacks to kill the twigs packed inside. The two of us join forces to hold back the B-Grade dragon while everyone else kills its peak C-Grade children. Finally, everyone joins us, we y the dragon, and search the volcano for any treasure.

    Most people nodded. Min Ling, however, did not seem satisfied. Is there any scout in our group? she asked. If we can map out the inside of the volcano, that would be best. Maybe we can teleport directly to the treasure, take it, then teleport out.

    Everyone looked at each other. Their qualifications foring here were decided by battle strength, not auxiliary skills. There were no scouts.

    I may can, came a voice from the group. Everyone looked at its origina young, shoulder-high brori barely at the three-fruit boundary.

    You? Arkenstal snorted. Dancing to distract them is not scouting. What could someone of your cultivation achieve?

    I can control a dragon nt to scout the inside, Brock replied calmly, registering the insult and remembering it forter.

    Dragon nt?

    A draconic twig, Jack exined.

    Everyone nced at each other. Min Ling stepped forth. Brock and Jack are very capable. Since Brock says so, there is a chance he can do it. Lets let him try.

    Fine, Arkenstal replied, not seeming too convinced. Do your thing, monkey.

    Jack closed his eyes, reining in his temper. This was no time to act out. However, he would remember this mans tone.

    Brock casually flew to the ground. He approached the edge of the ckened area and walked towards a draconic twig. As soon as he came within a hundred feet, two wooden eyes opened between its roots, staring at him.

    Hi, Brock said. Can I speak?

    The draconic twig remained still. Brock took that as a yes. A golden book materialized in his hands, flipping to a certain pagea little dragon was disyed on it, petted by a kind brori. The page shone. The little dragon stirred. Its head rose from the page, then it unstuck its wings. Finally, it shivered, throwing off imaginary dust, and yelped in joy.

    The little dragon was ready to fly.

    The draconic twig was still watching, its thoughts unknown. Brock let the little golden dragon sit on his forearm for a bit, petting its little head and whispering something in its ear. The dragon nodded as if it understood. Its wings unfurled, and it flew to the draconic twig, finally entering its head as if it was only an illusion.

    Jack, who was watching, raised his brows. He had no idea Brock could do this. In fact, there were many things he didnt know about Brocks current powers.

    Brock closed his eyes, and so did the draconic twig, slowly, as if falling asleep. In the next moment, Brock and the draconic twig both appeared in a mental space that resembled a forest gym, with handmade instruments lying around. This was the brori forest gym from back in the Forest of the StrongBrock had chosen it as it was a ce of nature.

    Hi, he said, more rxed this time. Wee to brohood.

    The twig shook its dragon head. It looked around with suspicion. Finally, it said, Where am I? Ah. I can talk!

    Though its voice was bass, its speaking manner was more like a child. It leaped around excitedly, proud to develop speech.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I know the feeling, Brock said. You doing great.

    Who are you? the twig asked, piercing him with its wooden eyes. I will not trust you just because you helped me speak.

    That is fine. I do not want to harm you. I want to help.

    Help how?

    The people with me are evil. They want to kill you all and then attack your friends inside the volcano. I can help you survive.

    What!? the twig eximed. Kill us all?

    Right.

    They cant! Well bite them to pieces!

    They can, Brock exined calmly. They are very strong. Even the big dragon cannot stop them. Trust me.

    The twig lost its vigor. Its wings fell, its eyes grew dispirited, and it coiled around itself. I know you it finally said. My kin has spoken about you and your friend. You are not like the others. You are good. I believe you. But, how will you help us? it asked with sadness.

    I will tell you the truth. There is no way to stop us; all you can do is let us peacefully take the treasure at the bottom of the volcano.

    Its eyes shook, then it lowered its head even further. There is no treasure in the volcano, it said.

    Isnt there something that can make dragons grow?

    There is, but it is not a treasure. It is our mother.

    Your mother? Brock was surprised. Okay. Tell me about her.

    She is very pretty, the twig admitted. Her crystals give life to all of us. Father eats themthat is why he is so big.

    Your father eats your motherscrystals?

    Mm.

    Okay. Is your mother strong?

    No Father is strong. Mother is very weakbut pretty. Please dont kill her, the twig begged with its wide eyes. In this space, it could sense that Brock was telling the truth; and he really was!

    Brock had lied to the cultivators. He wasnt going to invade the twigs mind. He was going to have an honest chat with it, bro to bro!

    I want to help you, he said. Tell me more.

    Getting an exnation out of the childlike draconic twig was difficult, but Brock eventually managed it. Apparently, the father of these twigs was the B-Grade dragon that ruled this part of the hidden realmhundreds of thousands of miles around them. Their mother was an entity that the twig couldnt describe for the life of it. All Brock understood was that this mother was weak, not a dragon, and produced crystals filled with some kind of power that was very beneficial to dragons. The big dragon ate these crystals, which was how it had reached the B-Grade.

    However, the rtionship between those two entities was not harmonious. The twig called them father and mother, but Brock slowly realized that the big dragon was the overlord, and the crystal-producing entity was just its ve.

    And why doesnt your father eat your mother? Brock asked. If her crystals are so useful, surely the mother itself can make him even more powerful.

    Mother is not that, the twig replied in a low voice. Mother can produce us and the crystals. Eating her would mean no crystals and no us. It would be bad.

    Okay. I understand.

    Gradually, a n was beginning to form in Brocks mind. Do you like your father? he asked.

    No. He eats us too sometimes. We fear him.

    Okay. And are there any crystals right now?

    There are! the twig replied proudly. Mother makes crystals everyvery long timeso Father eats them slowly. There are eleven crystals now. And a half.

    Brock nodded. I know what to do, he said, and you must help me.

    Save us, and I will! the twig replied honestly.

    Good. Then, listen closely

    Brock exined his n. After making sure the twig understood, he then used their connection to speak to Jack, confirming the n with him.

    I hope it all works out, bro, Brock said, petting the twigs head. They had be friends by now. The twig arced its back like a cat, letting him pet it.

    ***

    In the outside world, everyone waited. They had seen Brock sink a golden dragonling into the twigs head, then both went still. It had been a few minutes already.

    Will it take long? Arkenstal asked.

    I have no idea, Jack replied calmly. In his mind, however, he listened to Brocks message. His thoughts sharpened. He ran the calctions in his mind, then made a suggestion which Brock epted. Finally, without turning his head, he sent a telepathic message to someone else.

    <em>Hey. This is Jack. Dont change your expressionI have a proposition for you.</em>

    ***

    Brock spent ten minutes perfectly still and conversing with the draconic twig. Just as everyone began to grow impatient, he finally awoke, flying back to meet the others.

    Well? Min Ling asked. What happened?

    Good news, Brock replied. The nt dragons are not friends with the big dragon. If we do not attack them, they will not attack us.

    Even the ones inside the volcano? Arkenstal asked.

    Yes But, if we take the treasure, then they will attack.

    So we can attack the B-Grade and peak C-Grade dragons, kill them, and only then exterminate the twigs inside the volcano.

    Yes. However, the twigs are connected. If we harm one, all will attack us, so we have to absolutely avoid them until after the dragon. At that point, whether we kill them or not wont matterthey are too weak.

    Jack admired Brocks coherent and grammatically correct speech. Everyone else nodded in affirmation. They suspected that Brock might hide something, but they would never in a million years imagine that he was allied with the draconic twigs.

    Are you sure about what you said? Arkenstal asked.

    Yes.

    Then, we should not exterminate the twigs in the surrounding area, or we will raise the ire of all of them. This is good news indeed. If we are only facing the stronger dragons, I am ny percent confident we can seed with minimum casualties.

    Everyone rejoiced. As for the weaker people present, who were likely to be those minimum casualties, they did not consider turning backthey were here precisely to risk their lives for treasure.

    There is no need to wait, Min Ling said, or more people might show up. Lets storm the volcano as soon as Arkenstals injuries are healed. What do you say?

    I agree, he replied. A Hand of God healer had already tended to him while Brock spoke with the twig. I need half an hour to return to my peak state. Everyone, adjust your minds. We attack soon.

    Half an hour was nothing to these cultivators. It passed very quickly. Nobody new had showed up, and no movement had been observed on the volcano or the surrounding area. Arkenstal opened his eyesthey shone with deep awareness.

    Lets go, he said.

    Seventeen powerful C-Grade cultivators flew out as one. Their might tore the clouds and shook the earth. They were not hiding their presence, but just as Brock had told them, no reaction came from the thousands of twigs below. They really didnt seem hostile.

    Thatid many of their worries to rest. Not everyone had believed Brock, but everyone believed the facts when they saw them.

    The group stopped one mile away from the volcano. DRAGON! Arkenstal roared, fusing his Dao into his voice so that it echoed for hundreds of miles around. COME OUT TO DIE!

 Chapter 389: Sinking Deep

    Chapter 389: Sinking Deep

    Arkenstals challenge was followed by silence. Then, the earth shook. The sky shuddered. Boulders tumbled down the volcano sides, and droplets of magma spouted from its top.

    The shaking built up until it culminated into a roar so massive, so deafening, that the clouds were washed away and the earth splintered far below. For a moment, it felt like the world itself was vibrating.

    Then the roar cut off and a giant head emerged from the volcano.

    Everyone, Jack included, drew cold breaths. This was most certainly a dragon, exactly as pictured in medieval stories. It possessed a serpentine body covered with crimson scales, two horns on its head, and eyes twisted with dark, extreme intelligence.

    <strong>Red Dragon, Level ??? (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>Dragons are the darlings of the Dao. They are creatures that can stand at the top of the universe. Their bodies arerge, durable, and powerful, while the Dao itself is carved on their flesh and bones. They do not need to eat to survive, as they can absorb the power of the world. Despite that, they often dominate arge area around them, relishing in the mortal pleasures.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Red Dragons are born of the Dao of Fire. They possess extreme understandings since birth, and their insights will keep umting naturally as they grow up. They are highly resistant to all temperature changes, as well as spatial or time distortions, and their fire is one of the hottest states of matter known to the cultivation world.</em></strong>

    Its head alone was the size of a hill. Its eyes wererger than Jacks body. Standing before it, everyone was like specks of dust. And its aura It towered higher than the mountains, deeper than the ocean. It was an inextinguishable, endless vat of unadulterated power. The very air around the dragon was immted by its wrath.

    This dragon, by itself, was far more dangerous than the volcano it upied.

    You dare return? it growled in its deep, malevolent voice. Dark steam escaped its nostrils and the ends of its lips. With every movement of its jaw, teeth the size of trees appeared, glinting in this worlds sunlight.

    I do, Arkenstal replied, fearlessly pointing his sword at the dragon. And I broughtpany.

    More coal to the fire. The dragon growled oddly, as ifughing from deep inside its belly. More of its body was dragged outside the volcano. Jack saw a torso the size of a mountain. Wings that could hide the sky. Legs that stood on the earth like divine columns, and ws that could tear apart the heavens.

    But those were not enough to make the dragon a B-Grade existence. Its body was only part of its power. The fire that shimmered inside it was so hot that Jack could feel it from a mile away, as if staring at an open oven. The Fire Dao of the world was swiftly gathering at this location, rushing over from hundreds of miles away. The dragons Dao understanding was in no way shallow.

    All those together pushed this creature over the edge and let it take a solid step into the B-Grade.

    The dragon rose out of the volcanopletely, taking to the air. Every p of its wings sent strong gales over thend, climbing down the volcano slopes, traveling across the ground, and razing the jungle ten miles away. Those draconic twigs that were not well rooted were sent flying, their screams echoing through the air.

    Children! the dragon roared. Fight for me!

    The twigs did not respond. Out of the volcano, however, came another twelve dragons. They were as red as their father, though smaller. If therge dragon was a mountain, they wererge hills.

    The twelve smaller dragons roared as one, shaking the fabric of space.

    <strong>Red Dragon, Level 399 (Elite)</strong>

    Their System description was the same as their fathers, though they were worlds apart in power. Still, even they were enough to stump the cultivators. Each was a peak C-Grade creature, and an Elite one, too. A normal peak C-Grade cultivator would lose easily.

    However, these were not normal cultivators. They were the best of the best, dominating the gathering of genius that was the Cathedral. The Hand of God ones were equally qualified. Every nine-fruit cultivator present was stronger than the small dragons, and there were eleven of them. There were also another six eight-fruit cultivators that could assist, and finally there was Jack, Brock, and Min Ling.

    For glory! Min Ling shouted, grasping her spear and charging at therge dragon.

    For the Immortals! cried out Arkenstal, taking his sword and joining her. The two leaders crossed space, near-instantly arriving before the dragon. The world shook from their sh. Space ruptured for miles around. The sky lost its color, lightning descended, and fire erupted with such intensity that it instantly shattered all other energies. Jack saw even space and time evaporate.

    YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME? the dragon roared, leaping intobat against the two cultivators.

    The sh in the high skies was the signal to start the battle. Eighteen cultivators and twelve dragons charged at each other, all extremely powerful. There was havoc. The world shattered. All vegetation disappeared for a hundred miles around, leaving only the draconic twigs alive, and even they were flung away from the shockwave.

    For a time, all sorts of Daos danced in the air. The world couldnt handle such an intense collision, instantly disintegrating below them. Space and time ran wild. The battlefield became chaos,pletely filling the world.

    Thankfully, they were many miles into the air, so the volcano itself could barely take the pressure.

    Jack was lost. He and Brock remained side by side, warring against all enemies. With the distortion of spacetime, the world had be a blur. Energies were everywhere. They could barely tell friend from foe, and the chaos was so prevalent that they almost lost each other, let alone survey the state of the battle.

    In such a line-up, Jack was amongst the weakest people present, and there was no need to talk about Brock.

    <em>Now! </em>Jack screamed in his mind. Brock rushed over, grabbing Jacks arm with enough strength to almost rip it out, and Jack used everything he had to teleport.

    Their location changed wildly over the battlefield. With such an intense warping of space, they could not teleport where they wanted, only keep trying until they left the area. For a few moments, they were like ghosts flickering everywhere.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Suddenly, Jack felt something change. Space had solidified a tiny bit, so he used that opportunity to punch it with his full strength and forcefully straighten it. The world rang like a ss bell.

    And then, stability. Jack and Brock appeared inside arge hole. ck stone surrounded them in all directions, and the sky was only visible through a circr opening far above. Currently, that sky waspletely distorted by energy flows. The entire volcano was shaking, boulders falling everywhere.

    Jack and Brock realized they were standing on a t stone. Below and all around them, magma bubbled, rising in mighty waves due to the shockwaves raining from above. Brock raised his hand, forming a golden shield which blocked the magma.

    Bros! he shouted. Show me the path!

    Only now did Jack realize they were surrounded by draconic twigs. Across the miles of dark stone around them, every crevice was upied by fern-like ntsdraconic twigs in disguise. There had to be thousands of them, maybe tens of thousands. They were everywhere. If they attacked, even Jack would be hard-pressed to defend himself.

    However, though the twigs had clearly detected their presence, they did not attack. One uprooted itself, raising a w to point in a certain direction.

    Jack and Brock were at the bottom of the volcano. All around them, various cave openings stood against the wall, some half-flooded by magma. It was one such opening the twig had indicated.

    Thanks! Brock eximed. He and Jack dashed into the tunnel, forming shields around themselves to keep away the magma. They were chest-deep. The tunnel made odd twists and turns, and the magma level kept rising. It was also raging from the shockwaves outside. Waves crashed against Jacks face, threatening to burn him if he didnt protect himself with his Dao.

    However, even to people like him and Brock, swimming in magical magma was not easy. Their energy consumption was significant. Jack pulled Brock closer, changing tactics. His pure Dao shield fell, reced by another. He warped their surroundings to create a bubble of space, isting them from the surrounding space which contained the magma.

    This was not easy, either. All Daos could interact with each other. The heat of the magma crashed against Jacks space bubble, trying to melt it, and Jack had to constantly supply it with energy.

    At the end of the day, hisprehension was just not enough. This space bubble hed created was a basic, imperfect variation. But it worked.

    His energy expenditure was lessened. Brock was also safe beside him. The two of them swam through miles of underground tunnels, following twists and turns as they headed ever deeper. The magma covered all tunnelspletely by now. They were diving through the openings that let it rise to the surface.

    Finally, they reached a massive underground cavern. It waspletely filled with magma, so visibility was non-existent. Even Jacks Dao perception could only reach a hundred feet out. They swam directly into the cave until all walls had left Jacks perception range. No matter how he searched, there wasva all around them.

    For a moment, he was struck by the realization that he was buried in miles ofva, deep underground, protected only by a space bubble which rapidly ate away at his energy.

    Brock grabbed onto his shoulder. Be strong, bro, he said, and Jack returned to his senses.

    Thanks, he muttered, elerating.

    In thisrge chamber of magma, they had no way of knowing which direction to take. Where was the twigs mother?

    After wandering for a few seconds, they realized this chamber wasrger than they had assumed. It took up a terrible amount of spacemeasured in cubic miles. Searching for something here with no visibility was pointless.

    Damn! Jack eximed. He couldst some time here, but not infinitely. If they took too long, they might need to retreat empty-handed. Moreover, the other cultivators would realize they were only missing.

    I got this, Brock shouted. His aura erupted. A golden book appeared in his hand, flipping to a page that showed a brori and a human swimming throughva and rejoicing as they saw something that hid beyond the border of the page.

    As soon as that image appeared, the golden aura of the book red. It shot out like a sonar wave, bypassing Jacks space bubble and diving into theva, spreading in all directions. Jack was stunned. Brock kept his eyes closed, until finally he snapped them open.

    There, he said, pointing in a direction. He then frowned. Dragon bro mother is therebut this ce is very deep. Very, very deep.

    Jack directed his space bubble to fly over, crossing through endlessva. Eventually, his perception met a wall. And on it was something that seemed like a nt, yet was not.

    This time, it wasnt just Jack who was stunned. Brocks jaw hung to his shoulders, and his brori eyes were wide in disbelief.

    Here, buried under miles ofva, in temperatures that could evaporate anything but the hardest stone, was a single tree.

    It was not toorge, barely reaching Jacks height. Its roots dug into the wall of the cavern. Its trunk was made of gray wood, and its branches were transparent, as if made of jade, showcasing the delicate green veins inside.

    That a tree could exist here was unthinkable. The System was also at a loss. All it disyed was question marks.

    Wow, Jack muttered breathlessly. For a single moment, despite the danger and rush they were in, he deeply appreciated the beauty of the universe. Everything was possible. Such a magical world Perhaps Edgar, with his Dao of magic and wonder, was right all along.

    Jack shook himself awake. There was no time to think. They had to get the crystals and return to the surface before anyone discovered they were missing.

    On the tree branches, hanging like fruits, were twelve crystals. One was half-eaten, exposing its green core. These crystals emitted unbelievable amounts of power. Their outeryer was made of pure Dao so dense it had crystallized. Using it to cultivate would be a hundred times better than using a Dao stone. Beneath that skin, the half-eaten fruit revealed a green core containing such a terrifying quantity of life energy that it made even Jack scared. Besides the Life Drop, these were by far the greatest life treasures he had ever experienced.

    Hurry! Brock eximed. Jack was nning to. His space bubble copsed, exposing their pure Dao shields tova and shooting up their energy consumption. They reached the tree near-instantly. Jack grabbed for a fruit, and to his surprise, taking it away was as easy as plucking an apple.

    Six fruits found their way into Jacks space ring. Five remained. The n was simple: Jack, Brock, and their other partner would share these six fruits, while everyone else would get the remaining five. By leaving a few fruits on the tree, they would not raise any suspicionsprovided that they managed to return to the battle before it was over.

    It was a risky n, of course, but how could one advance without risk? And, as for stealing from the other cultivators Jack couldnt give a single damn. Anybody else would also cheat if given the chance. Amongst cultivators, there was no justice, only strength.

    The only one he cared about was Min Ling, but hed make it up to herter.

    Jack quickly reinstated the space bubble, hiding them both himself and Brock inside. He took a final nce at the tree.

    After half its fruits had been taken, the trees aura had declined greatly. Jack had no doubt that everything on this tree, from its roots to its branches, was a treasure. However, the fruits were by far the greatest prize.

    In the cultivation world, there were greedy people who would uproot this treepletely and take it with them. Such an action, however, would be extremely wasteful. Brock had promised to protect the mother, and that was also in line with Jacks values. Always take the fruitnever the root. Like this, the tree would live, new fruits could grow in the future, and the cultivators who came next would have one more treasure to pursue. The cycle of life could continue.

    Moreover, once the battle outside was over, Brock would im he knew the treasures position and lead them all here directly so they had no need to kill the draconic twigs. Both they and the tree would be safe.

    Jack and Brock bowed to the tree in deep gratitude. Facing such a marvel of nature, even they felt small.

    Then, they turned and shot back towards the cave entrance. There was no time to waste. The winding tunnels so far had made their current location unclear, so the only way out was to retrace their steps.

    Fortunately, Jack had excellent memory, so he could track down the entrance of the cavern. Otherwise, they would be lost forever.

    Magma floated by them. They reached the entrance, rushing at full speed, then came to a skidding halt.

    Another space bubble blocked the cavern entrance. And inside it, with his hands crossed and a cold smile on his face, was Baron Longform.

 Chapter 390: Duel in the Sea of Lava

    Chapter 390: Duel in the Sea of Lava

    Skills and Daos flew everywhere. The world was chaos. Everything was a wreck.

    The red dragon roared as it covered the world in mes. Min Ling twirled her spear, absorbing them, while Arkenstal formed thousands of seals with his hands, sealing the mes in a separate spacetime.

    Facing the B-Grade dragon, defense was all they could manage. Fortunately, they were no longer alone. A dozen cultivators flew around the dragon, striking it with their powers whenever they could. If the dragon tried to turn at them, Min Ling and Arkenstal took to the offense, forcing it to turn its attention back to them.

    The dragon was already bleeding all over, but its vitality was overwhelming. It refused to fall. It refused to escape, either, as its mind was clouded by wrath, pride, and sorrow. All twelve of its childreny dead on the ckened ground below.

    The battle had already ttened a hundred miles of jungle around them, but it remained white-hot.

    I WILL DESTROY YOU! the dragon roared, wildly unleashing mes everywhere. The cultivators used everything they had to make some distance. A couple were already injured. Six more had died in the battle against the dragon childrenit had turned out more difficult than they calcted.

    The longer they dyed, the greater the chances of something going wrong. Everyone was trying their hardest to end this as soon as possible, fighting tooth and nail against the dragon.

    Min Ling, however, was not really trying. She kept a good part of her strength in check, fighting in a very cautious manner. Arkenstal was forced to do the sameif any of the two grew exhausted while the other remained in top shape, it was possible that one faction would ughter the other.

    However, even with the two leaders holding back, the dragon was slowly but surely headed towards death.

    <em>I cannot dy any longer, </em>Min Ling thought, grimly watching the dying dragon. <em>Jack Rust You better make it back in time.</em>

    ***

    Jacks space bubble came to a stop in the sea of magma. A hundred feet away was the entrance from which theyd entered, and from which they could quickly reach the surface.

    But it was blocked. A man stood before it, covered in his own space bubble, his arms crossed and his lips raised into a cold smile.

    Baron Longform Jack muttered, his voice crossing the magma to reach him. What are you doing here?

    I could ask you the same thing, Baron repliedzily. Abandoning the battle to steal the treasure That is a heavy crime.

    There was no point trying to deny this. Even if there was, time was precious. Every wasted second threatened the battle ending and Jacks n being seen through. What do you want? he asked directly. Ill give you a cut of the treasure. Half of my share.

    Even if you offered it all, I still wouldnt take it, Baron replied, breaking into a wide grin. Have you forgotten, Jack Rust? You killed my cousin. You challenged my authority and humiliated me. You made me waste hundreds of Dao stones. The two of us are already enemies The only thing I want is your death.

    Jacks brows dropped. A tremendous sense of threat fell over him. They will not believe you, he said. If you fight me here until the battle ends, they will think you came for the treasure as well.

    I will surrender the treasure and let them inspect my space ring. They will believe me. With your monkey holding all the information, it will not be difficult to convince them of who the real thief was.

    Jack gritted his teeth. This was terrible. If Baron wanted to hold them here, there was nothing they could do to escape. Let alone ying it innocent, even surviving until everyone arrived was questionable. Baron Longform was significantly stronger than Jack.

    <em>Is there no way out? </em>His mind raced,ing up short. Teleporting far away was impossible; by observing the Barons space bubble, Jack could see that his own bubble was inferior. This reflected their understandings into space. If Baron Longform wanted to lock down space and prevent Jack from teleporting, he could do it.

    Jacks eyes narrowed dangerously. His aura rose. Must we fight? he asked.

    We wont fight. I will murder you.

    Baron Longforms aura erupted as well. The world was dyed gray. A spectral iron fist smashed into Jacks space bubble, shaking its integrity and almost making it copse. This wasnt even a real attack, just a substantialization of Barons aura.

    I have researched everything there is about you. I havepared your progress to other historical figures, Baron said slowly. Right now, your strength should be close to rank twenty of the Cathedral. Even if youre hiding something, you can reach top ten at most. As for me, Im number three. I can easily destroy you.

    Jacks mind shook. That wasurate.

    He took a deep breath. His mind shed once more, making sure he missed nothing. At the end, he was forced to admit that Baron had outmaneuvered him. He had bidden his time in the Cathedral, minimizing his threat level while preparing to ambush Jack. He had shown nothing, making Jack underestimate him, and waited for the perfect moment.

    A single move led to check-mate.

    This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Now, Jack and Brock were trapped. There was no way back, out, or forward. Diving deeper was also uselesseven if this cavern was very, very deep, as Brock had said, the only exit was upward, and it was blocked. Since escape was impossible, the only thing Jack could do was fightand hope for a miracle.

    <em>There is still a chance, </em>he thought. <em>Min Ling is with us. If she arrives before Baron kills us, she can helpbut I told her to dy the battle above for as long as possible. Shit.</em>

    Baron moved. A hundred feet was nothing. He reached them instantly, smashing out a fist. A gray aura fell on Jack and Brock, suffocating them like an iron wire around the neck. At the same time, space around them solidified, bing unbreakable.

    Baron Longforms fist came shuttling forth. Jack had no choice but to defend. He dissolved his space bubble, pouring everything into a punch of his own. METEOR PUNCH!

    The magma around them vibrated. It bubbled around itself, creating arge area of emptiness. Jack flew back, his fist broken. Two extra arms were already sprouting from his armpits, and his body was growing, but it would not be enough. Brock had flown away.

    Baron gave chase. Facing him, everything was doomed to fail. All Jack could do was survive.

    The gray aura returned. Jack felt fear rising in his soul, an awareness of hising death, paralyzing him. He fought it off through sheer willpower, but the auras effects persisted, limiting his power. His fist was shattered. The next one as well. Jack was sent flying backward, deeper into the ocean ofva, while Baron didnt let up for a single second. He used his full powerhe wouldnt give Jack a single chance to survive.

    Jack was forced to admit that Baron Longform was the most dangerous opponent hed ever facedbut that didnt mean he would give up.

    All hesitation melted inside him, giving rise to endless courage. His heart was on firehis mind was frigid cold. The Dao red, filling theva. Jack released a roar. If he was going to die, he would die while going all-out.

    He lifted every stop. Space pulsed as an aura of his own erupted from inside Jack, grinding against Barons gray. This was Brutalizing Auraand Barons gray aura was the skill Jack had once seen in a Dao Vision, from which hed been inspired to create Brutalizing Aura.

    These two skills were simr.

    For a moment, theva was filled with grating sounds like saws grinding against each other. Currents were created. The locked-down space was disturbed. Jacks aura pushed against Barons, momentarily achieving an equilibrium.

    But then Baron pushed through. Jacks aura was limited to a foot outside his body, and his strength remained restrained by ten percent. At least, he could fight.

    Baron had a cold, determined expression. He was always calcting. He wouldnt give Jack a single opening. His fists rained down, while Jacks rained up. Two storms collided. Theva exploded. Tons of stone fell around them, lost in the bottomless ocean, while Jack kept retreating. His regeneration could barely keep up with his swiftly-umting injuries. It took everything he had to stay alive.

    You can persist! Baron noted. Excellent! When I kill you, all your secrets will be mine!

    His attacks intensified. Jack had been flung around so much he hadpletely lost track of his position. All that remained was a frantic, ceaseless assault, pushing him to the brink every moment.

    <em>Am I going to die here? </em>he thought. His mind looked for the turtle in the Life Drop, but it was unresponsive. He looked for the death cube and Boatmans insights in his mind, but they carried no hidden strength. Nothing could save him. He was alone.

    At least Brock had escaped. Perhaps he could live. If he came back and was killed by a single stray attack of Baron, that would be so unfair

    Jack did not lose heart. Defense after defense, he persisted. When the bones in his hands shattered, he persisted. He would die before giving up.

    Suddenly, a rion cry cut through theva. Jacks perception was limited to the space between himself and Baronhe had no idea what was going on. Baron Longform, however, did. He suddenly turned to the side, smashing out into theva.

    The world explodedand from within it, small shapes appeared. They had ferns for wings and draconic faces. Their eyes were brown and their bodies made of wood.

    They were draconic twigs.

    Attack! a roar cut through the void as first a dozen, then a hundred, then hundreds of twigs broke through theva to attack Baron. Their assault seemed never-ending. Baron Longform roared, expanding his gray aura and suppressing their power, but it proved ineffective. They fell on him, and he had to punch them away. It was like a warrior facing off against a crowd of angry geese.

    Big Bro! Attack!

    Jack was confused, but he did not hesitate. He rushed Baron Longform. The twigs were nothing but a distractionwithout him there to assault the enemy, they were just dying for nothing.

    Only as he rushed did his mind make the connection. Draconic twigs were nts, but also dragons. They must have been immune to the magma. Brock had disappeared not because he ran away, but because hed rushed to bring this army of twig bros over to help Jack.

    Jacks heart was filled with warmth. Charge! he shouted with all his strength, while Baron roared in reply. His fists were colored grayhe smashed away dozens of twigs with each strike, but they were resilient. One attack was not enough to kill them. They jumped right back into the fray, sieging him with their fangs and ws.

    Brock was nowhere to be seen, remaining in the distance where he would be safe, but Jack was right there. His fists erupted with strength. He had four of them, while the Baron only had twothat gave him an advantage in both defense and attack.

    Longform turned to face him. His face was warped in fury, his eyes were cold, and his chest was puffed out, suffering only surface wounds from the twigs. Begone! he shouted, smashing them away with a sonic wave. Space formed a wide bubble around him, keeping the twigs at bay.

    Fist of Emotions! Jack roared out, driving it into Baron. His mind shook for a second, losing focus on the bubble and allowing Jacks own space mastery to break it. The twigs rushed back inside, swarming Baron. He cried out in fury.

    Baron pped his hands together. An intense shockwave erupted, blowing back the twigs. Jack managed to sneak in a punch, sending him flying backward, but Baron withstood the injury to strike back. The phantom of a gray giant appeared behind him. Baron and the giant punched out at the same timea massive shockwave rolled forth, creating a vacuum ofva behind it and directly shattering the bodies of several twigs. Wood flew out, instantly immted. Only splinters were left.

    The rest of the twigs cried out in angerand, from their bodies, the golden light of brohood emerged. Twelve twigs rushed at the weakened shockwave. The lights on thembined to form a shield and withstand the attack. The shockwave was dissolved. The twigs had prevailed.

    These twigs were already connected. Each had some individuality, but they also shared one mind. Through that, Brocks brohood was enhanced, augmenting their power and letting them fight Baron. If not for that, they would have all be splinters already.

    Brock was not mind-controlling the twigs. Theyd joined the battle on their own initiative. Jack and Brock had risked themselves to save the twigs and their motherand the twigs, already indoctrinated into the bro culture, would risk their lives in return.

 Chapter 391: Fighting Baron Longform

    Chapter 391: Fighting Baron Longform

    The golden lights flickered after enduring Barons attack, but then returned stronger. Jack shot forth. nked by a hundred twigs, his punch shot out, sucking in the surroundingva to release it in a massive explosion. Baron Longform was still weakened from therge-scale attack hed made; a hasty defense was all he had time to raise.

    He was smashed and sent flying away, lost in theva. He used the momentum to escape Jacks perception range. Jack remained on guard, focusing his perception on the space directly around him, capturing every minor change.

    A tiny fluctuation.

    Suddenly, Jack turned and punched the void. Space ripped apart right then, and Baron emerged, his own fist already shooting out.

    Two fists collidedone purple and one gray. Space shattered. Both opponents were sent flying backBaron was stronger, but part of his energy had gone to teleporting.

    However, everybody had a weakness. Longforms powers of regeneration were not too pronounced. After enduring so many attacks from the twigs and Jack, he was injured, one hand hanging limply in theva. A tiny space bubble still flickered around him, protecting him.

    I should have gotten the damn monkey, he said through gritted teeth.

    Toote, Jack said, panting but with his body in perfect condition. Youre dead.

    He clenched his fist. Power rose all around him, forming a massive purple phantom of a fist that even sucked in the surrounding space.

    Baron Longform broke into theughter of desperation. You think too highly of yourself!

    Suddenly, something changed. In Jacks perception, Barons body had exploded with power. His life was slipping away, his cultivation was slowly falling, but it was not without gainall that energy, originating from the body of an extreme nine-fruit C-Grade, formed arge source of power behind the Baron.

    At the expense of his own life and cultivation, he had temporarily achieved power far greater than normal.

    A thousand years of my life and one fruit, Baron said. His silver hair was wildly fluttering in theva, his silver eyes were glowing, his bare chest exuded wild strength. For the secrets on your body, it is worth it. Your Life Artifact will be mine. Your lucky chances will be mine. Your potential will be mine. Everything will be mine!

    ***

    Arkenstals hands moved. A giant space spike appeared in the sky, falling over the dragon. It prated its skull. Hard bones splintered. The dragon roared one final time, then stopped moving forever.

    Everyone remained on edge, panting. They were exhausted. Many were injured. Some were dead. Six cultivators had been lost in this battlefar more than Arkenstal expected.

    Shit! he said breathlessly. I thought this would be easier!

    Min Ling nodded, remaining silent. Arkenstal nced at her. Ever since the start, she had conserved way too much strength. Several people had died because of this, including cultivators from her faction.

    Why?

    Suddenly, Arkenstals gaze shed. With the chaotic attacks gone, space slowly repaired itself, allowing his perception to cover everything. He quickly counted the bodies, both alive and dead. Three were missing: Baron Longform, Jack, and the brori. The other two aside, Baron was a preciousbatant. His absence was why the battle had been so difficult!

    But Arkenstal didnt care much about the losses. Even if it was people from his faction, one cultivator less meant one less person to share the treasure with. The real question was

    If those three werent here, where were they?

    Min Ling! he roared. You want to steal the treasure!

    Everyone had realized the absence of those three at the same time as Arkenstal. They all red at Min Ling, drawing their weaponseven those from the ck Hole Church.

    I dont know what is going on, she replied calmly. I had nothing to do with this. Lets rush.

    They didnt need to be told twice. Everyone passed through space, instantly arriving at the bottom of the volcano, which had already copsed. As soon as they arrived, Arkenstal noticed something off. The draconic twigs here were far fewer than he had seenst time.

    That monkey he said, gritting his teeth. He easily connected the dots. Find them!

    There are Dao fluctuations deep underground, a man said. They must be fighting something. The treasures final guardian?

    Great! Lets go!

    Arkenstal raised his hands, ready to tear space directly towards the origin of the Dao fluctuations. Just as he began, however, he sensed something. His face paled.

    Careful!

    ***

    Jack was horrified. Baron Longform was already stronger than he was. If he sacrificed part of his life and cultivation to increase his power even further, that could only be terrible.

    Barons gray aura returned,pletely different to before. It spread out to cover a mile. Every draconic twig cried out in pain, some folding over. Some hearts seized beating. They were unable to approach.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Jack came under the suppression of this aura as well. His mind, his body, his soul, everything was suppressed. His power was limited to half of what it usually was. Primal fear clouded his mind, speaking of imminent, unavoidable death. At the same time, space locked down around him, much harder than it previously had.

    Baron wasnt nning to defeat Jack. He was nning to kill him. The reason hed sacrificed his own life and cultivation for extra power was to ensure that Jack could not escape.

    And, indeed, he could not. Space was tight around him, pressing down from every direction. Let alone teleporting, even moving was difficult. He was trapped.

    Die! Baron shouted, punching out. That enormous source of power flowed into his hand, erupting out as a massive, gray shockwave. It took the shape of a fist. Everywhere it passed, space crumbled,va was pushed away like air, and the Dao itself ceased to exist.

    Behind the fist, Barons body deted, losing most of its strength. He had bet everything on this one strike. The power of an absolutely all-out attack by such a character could be imagined.

    Jack could already see his own death.

    A flock of draconic twigs rushed for the gray fist. Their bodies red with golden light, thirty-six of thembining to form three golden shields in a row. The fist rammed into them. All shields shattered. The twigs broke apart, their bodies instantly losing all life. They hadnt even had time to scream.

    Big Bro!

    A brori appeared in the path of the gray fist. His entire body was covered in soft golden light. He raised a book, flipping it to the page of a brori holding a shield, then his other hand smashed a golden staff into the fist, pouring everything he had into it.

    The fist paused for just an instant before breaking through. Brocks Staff of Stone was snapped in two. He was sent flying far away, vomiting blood from the impact. His golden light weakened dangerously.

    Thankfully, he knew he could not block this attack, so he had kept his body out of the fists direct trajectory. Otherwise, he would have died on the spot.

    Brock and his twigs had managed to weaken the fist by around two tenths of its original power. However, it remained extremely powerful, and there was nothing left to stand between it and Jack.

    Facing this absolutely overwhelming attack, Jack didnt have false hopes. If he was struck, his body would shatter and he would die. No amount of tempering could save him. He could not escape, either.

    All he could do was meet it head-on.

    At that moment, Jack gathered every ounce of power in his body. His fist shone so brightly it was about to explode. However, before the might of Barons all-out attack, this power was nothing but a joke.

    He dug deeper. He needed more power. He needed <em>more power!</em>

    On the eve of death, Jacks mind erupted with potential. A spark was born, spreading over all his unrealized insights. The results of his past few months of meditation ignited, turning into smoke. Some was dark blue, and some was ckspace and death.

    Under the power of his despair, all that smoke crashed together, scrambling in the hopes that something, anything would be born.

    Space and deathbineda hopeless union. These were two very different Daos. How could they result in anything?

    Jack hade up with nothing. There was no breakthrough to be made. His insights were just not enough. His current power was also not enough. The gray fist was approaching. He needed more powerbut he didnt have any.

    He roared, smashing out a Meteor Punch with all of his power. Light and sound were sucked inside. It was the strongest strike he had ever unleashedbut it paled inparison to Barons gray fist. He could not stop it. He would do his best.

    Even at thest moment, as he punched out, his mind never gave up. He kept scouring everything, looking for a path to survival. His entire life passed by his eyes. He saw himself on Earth, inside Trial, at Hell, on the Cathedral.

    His thoughts moved by themselves, surrendering to Jacks deepest instincts. Suddenly, he saw a striking scenehe was standing next to a starship, watching a distant star explode. In his desperate desire for power, his mind had retreated to the greatest power hed ever seen disyed.

    The memories of that event flooded back. Hed once spent months meditating on the supernova, but it was not meant for himhe had only achieved a small fusion into Meteor Punch.

    But now, as he thought back to it, something was different. His horizons were wider. He knew so much more.

    He understood space. He understood death. And suddenly, all those past realizations sprang to life, and Jack could finally see past the mysteries.

    The supernova was the death of a star.

    Space and death.

    He recognized it now. All his insights into those two Daos, which hed forcefully galvanized before, now ignited on their own. They went up in mes. Their smoke evaporated. A series of realizations sparked in Jacks mind, each leading to the next.

    And, as all those insightsbined with his old ones about the supernova, they suddenlybined together, forming a perfect whole.

    Jacks eyes saw a whole new world.

    The gray fist kepting, promising his death. Jackpleted his swing. Sound and light were dragged into his fist, but they never exited. Suddenly, his fist was a whirlpool, a bottomless pit of energy. Theva fell inside. Even time and space were sucked in. They formed a tiny core.

    The concentration of energy was so intense, so potent, that Jack had to release it or his entire body would explode. He roared in silence. His fist made contact with Barons.

    SUPERNOVA!

    The world fell away. The entire cavern shattered. Tons of stone fell from the ceiling, while the nearbyva evaporated. The sea ofva and the ground shook for a hundred miles around them. A new sun had been born underground, destroying anything and everything around it.

    A path of destruction was cut directly from the point of collision to the surface, breaking through everything in its path and shooting into the sky as a column of blinding light.

    Jacks arm had disintegrated from the shoulder down. He was filled with pain and empty of energy, amp without oil. The entire front of his body had been charred ck, a gruesome sight. In this state, even maintaining a shield against theva was a struggle. He could only remain conscious thanks to the Life Drop.

    Baron Longform was in a slightly better state. Even with Jack developing Supernova at thest moment, Baron had remained slightly stronger. His body was burnt. His skin was king. His fist had shattered, and his silver hair had evaporated.

    However, he had also burnt his life and cultivation to release this strike. Such a technique carried a terrible bacsh. His entire body was in pain, almost paralyzed. He was in no condition to keep fighting.

    Bothbatants were out of the fight. As for Brock, he had been close to the impact, looking at it directlyhalf his fur had been seared from the heat, and his eyes only saw white. Coupled with his previous consumption of energy, he could barely maintain consciousness.

    The draconic twigs were better off, since they were highly resistant to extreme temperatures, but they were scared out of their minds. Half of them had perishedthe rest had run away as fast as their fern wings could carry them.

    Jack struggled to remain conscious. He tried to raise his fist. Facing him, Baron Longform also tried to gather his remaining energy. Both were thinking the same thing. One of them had to die.

    At that point, however, space split open between them. A dozen people walked out, easily parting theva. What the hell is going on!? Arkenstal roared.

 Chapter 392: The Drowning Manâ€™s Despair

    Chapter 392: The Drowning Man¡¯s Despair

    A dozen people emerged from the crack in space. Arkenstal led them, closely followed by Min Ling. Both were lightly injured. Behind them came another ten cultivators, ranging anywhere from being perfectly safe to heavily wounded. Shi Mo was present as well.

    All of them were exhausted, too, since theyd just been through arge battle. However, Jack, Baron, and Brock easily surpassed them in both exhaustion and injuries. They were barely in fighting condition.

    Seeing the other cultivators appear, Jack knew things were terrible. There was a great chance he would die here. As hey in theva, he used his Dao to reach into his space ring and fish out a pill, which he immediately swallowed. A bit of strength returned to his body. It was filled with the ufortable heat of burning something precious.

    Jack had bought this pill back in the Cathedral. If he was ever exhausted but still needed to fight, it could recover some of his strength at the price of weakening him for a period of time afterward. It was a desperate measure.

    At the same time, the Life Drops energy was seeping into his body, pushing his regeneration to unprecedented levels. His disintegrated right arm was slowly reforming, one tendril of flesh after another. Bones grew like fungi. The pain was so excruciating that even Jack could barely keep from screaming.

    What the hell is going on!? Arkenstal demanded to know, ring at both Jack and Baron Longform.

    He wanted to steal, Baron said, blood leaking from the edges of his mouth. Istopped him.

    Are you telling me that just him brought you to such a state?

    This time, Baron didnt respond. Being unable to kill Jack here was his lifes greatest shame.

    Arkenstal then turned to Jack. Do you have anything to say for yourself? he asked coldly.

    Jack pressed his eyes shut, struggling to subdue the pain. The space bubble protecting him flickered. Finally, he opened his mouth to speakborious words. It is not true, he said. Baron chased me all the way here. He wanted to kill me. I only barely survived.

    Is that so? Are you saying he somehow pulled you of the battle without anyone realizing it, and then you chose not to inform Min Ling but somehow managed to run all the way here? In this suspiciouslyrgeva cavern positioned right below the volcano?

    Jack closed his eyes. Yes.

    Do you think we are idiots, Jack Rust? You wanted to steal the treasure while we fought the dragon. It was your monkey who discovered the informationperhaps you hid some parts, like the treasures precise location.

    That is not true, Jack replied resolutely. A small part of his strength had returned by now. However, even if he was at full power, wanting to escape from all these people would be near-impossible.

    Not true? Very well. How about you let us inspect your space ring first? And your monkeys, too. If we find no treasure, we can keep talking. However, if we do find something, I will kill you on the spot.

    Compose yourself, Arkenstal, Min Ling said, stepping up from beside him. Jack belongs to my ck Hole Church. Even if he did try to steal something, punishing him is a duty that falls to us.

    No matter what, Jack was a talented disciple of the Church as well as Elder Boatmans personal disciple. He had also informed her of his n ahead of time, and she had promised to help defend him if things turned ugly. She couldnt let him perish here.

    Arkenstal was not surprised by her words. He turned to face her directly, gazing deep into her eyes. You seem determined to protect him, he said. Why is that? Is it simple devotion towards your Church, or is it something deeper? Because, Min Ling, I seem to recall some rumors about you and this Jack Rust. I also noticed that you dyed during the battle with the dragon, purposely letting more of our people die. At the time, I thought you were just being cowardly, but it is clear now. You were aware of Jacks attempts to steal the treasure. Maybe you even colluded with him, nning to split the spoilster. After all, how could he have the confidence to go against all of us without someone like you having his back?

    Min Lings gaze turned frigid. Arkenstal had hit the nail in the head. You are ndering me, she said. What proof do you have? Bring it out or keep my name out of your mouth.

    Proof? Arkenstalughed. His robes pped to the wind of his own voice, protected by theva in a perfect space bubble. I dont need proof. I am ny percent sure you colluded with him, and that is enough for me. For us.

    Min Lings eyes flickered. She nced around. Originally, the Church and Hand forces had been evenly matched, which was the only reason they dared to work together. Suddenly, however, she realized that Baron and Jack were out ofmission. Baron, specifically, was a powerfulbatant she relied on. Moreover, since her factions battle prowess had beencking in the dragon battle, most of the casualties had been from the Church.

    Right now, as she nced over everyone present, she noticed that eight of the cultivators belonged to the Hand of God. Only four came from the Church. As for Jack, Brock, and Baron, they could no longer fight.

    The two factions were enemies, and no matter how they spoke against infighting, Arkenstal had the greatest C-Grade of the Cathedral trapped underground and outnumbered. Killing her would be a great merit. Plus, they wouldnt need to split the treasure afterward.

    It didnt matter if she really had colluded with Jack or not. Arkenstal was nning to kill them all here anyway.

    Min Lings heart went cold. Speaking was useless. A red, dark-tipped spear flew into her hands, erupting with pressure. The surroundingva roiled and bubbled.

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    Everyone burst into motion at the same time. The Hand of God cultivators turned against the Church ones, who tried to escape. But it was useless. Arkenstal was a spacetime wizard. He raised his hands, instantly trapping everyone in a spatial cage. The escaping cultivators ran into its side and bounced back, forced to defend against two people each. A woman was cut down on the spot.

    Min Ling released a shout. Twin fire and lightning gathered around her spear,bining into a single golden light. She stabbed it forward, right at Arkenstal. Heughed. Two Hand cultivators shed before him, working together to block her attack.

    Min Ling was extremely powerful, but so was everyone else. The two cultivators weakened her attack enough that it simply broke against Arkenstals chest, stopped by invisible space armor.

    It is useless, he said. Die!

    His hands, which had been opened wide, suddenly sped together. The spatial cage shrank. The three Church cultivators screamed as they were pushed into their enemies weapons, murdered on the spot.

    Jack, who was also in the cage, reached out and pulled Brock to his side. The brori was simrly exhausted, but he was also far weaker than everyone present. He needed protection or he would die instantly. Jack grabbed Brock, then frantically looked around, searching for a way out. His current strength was not enough to break through this cage. The only reason he was still alive was that no one had bothered to attack him.

    Min Lings hair rose in an invisible wind. Fire and lightning sparked around her body, pushing away theva even as her strength rushed at the tip of her spear. She threw a final hateful re at Arkenstal, then turned around and smashed into the spatial cage.

    Break!

    The world shattered. Lava recoiled for miles. Thunderfire shone on her spear, piercing straight into Arkenstals space cage and twisting it until it shattered.

    The two were of simr strength to begin with. Arkenstals wide area cage couldnt resist Min Lings focused attack.

    As a hole appeared on the cage, Jack rushed over, carrying Brock. The Hand cultivators attacked. A sword sh came for Brock, forcing Jack to fly in the way. Defending would take too longhe withstood it with his back, a stream of blood flying out. The wound revealed white bone. If not for his tempered body, just this sword sh would have cleaved him in two.

    Min Ling waved her spear, dissipating two more attacks. Come! she shouted. Theva came alive, pushing Jacks space bubble forward. He barely made it out of the space cage before its walls repaired themselves.

    Min Ling grabbed Jack and Brock and pulled them along, using her lightning Dao to achieve extreme speed. They were a current rising through theva, rushing for the surface. Jack was dizzy.

    At the same time, as Arkenstals attention was focused on their side, the other side of the cage burst open as well. Baron shot through, his entire body bloodiedhed once again burned part of his cultivation for the strength to escape. Otherwise, he would have died here.

    Of the original seven Church cultivators present, three had died. Baron was retreating deeper into theva cavern, where he would have a tiny chance to escape his pursuers, while Min Ling was dragging Jack and Brock towards the surface.

    Unfortunately, Arkenstal had used his control over space topletely lock it down. They could not teleport. Even if they could, he would catch right up.

    After them! Arkenstal shouted, drilling through space to achieve a speed even more extreme than Min Lings. His followers entered the tunnel he carved through space, managing to keep up. Nobody went after Baron.

    Jack saw everything. Baron was running away, injured within an inch of his life. Given his direction deeper into theva, he would probably die even if nobody chased him.

    Nine Hand of God cultivators flew after Jacks group, led by Arkenstal, who used the utility of space to both lock them down and increase his own speed. At the same time, Jacks strength was faltering. He had suffered injury after injury and even sacrificed his arm. Just maintaining the space bubble took up his entire concentration, and he wouldnt be able to continue for long. They had to reach the surface.

    But even then, the situation would remain hopeless. Min Ling possessed great speed, but Arkenstals was even greater. He could easily catch up. The only reason Min Ling still persisted was that they were insideva, where her Fire Dao gave her a small advantage.

    But staying in theva wouldnt work either. Jack would soon run out of strength. Brock, too. Min Ling couldnt spare the attention to shield them from theva. The two of them would die, and she would be left alone, sprinting through endless red.

    There was no way out.

    Jacks gaze went cold. His heart was like a tundra. At this critical moment, he considered everything and came up with an idea that was extremely cruel to himself but also their only chance of survival.

    Can you break space? he asked Min Ling.

    Its hard, she replied quickly. By now, they had almost reached the entrance of this cavern, from where they could follow a series of tunnels to reach the surface.

    But can you?

    I can. Its meaningless. I will use up my energy and they can just teleport after us.

    Do it. Break space. Ill teleport us.

    She nced at him. Are you sure?

    His eyes were resolved. Im sure.

    She chose to believe. Her spear struck out, d in lightning fire. It pierced into the void. Cracks spread throughout the world, then shattered with the sound of breaking ss. Space was momentarily free.

    Before Arkenstal could lock it down again, Jack punched through space, dragging all three of them along. Arkenstalughed, preparing to follow them upward.

    But Jack hadnt teleported to the surface. As their position stabilized, they remained inside theva. They were even deeper than before. The Hand group was above them. They could no longer rise up, only dive into the bottomless cavern.

    And right in front of Jack was Baron Longform. The barons entire body was bloodied, while his eyes were lifeless. His aura was weak like a dying candle. He had been trying to escape, and as he saw Jack and the others appear, his eyes widened with disbelief. He tried to conjure a defense, but it was tooteJacks punch tore through his guard, into his chest, and tore out his heart.

    Baron waspletely shocked. This had all happened in a single instant. Even until his heart was crushed inside Jacks hand, he still had no idea how or why he had died.

    No was all he managed to mutter before his Dao copsed andva filled his body, burning him inside out.

    Min Ling was also shocked. She had never imagined that Jack would be so viciouswhile running for his life and drowning inva, not only had he not rushed to the surface, but he had also used up part of his remaining energy to kill Baron Longform.

    Just how great was the hatred between these two? How decisive was Jack?

    In her heart, Min Ling felt confusion, but also a hint of admiration. She did not say anything. She pulled Jack and Brock, rushing deeper into theva, into the bottomless cavern.

    Her own Dao included Fire. Resisting theva consumed very little energy. She could survive for a long time here, far longer than Arkenstal or any of his followers. In truth, diving deeper into theva had been her best chance at survival, and the only reason she rushed to the surface was to protect Jack and Brock. If Jack chose to go deeper, she wouldnt refuse.

    Such arge cavern had to have more exits or spots close to the surface. Perhaps they would find another way out. Or, perhaps, they would die.

 Chapter 393: Burned Alive

    Chapter 393: Burned Alive

    Jacks power was diminishing. His vision was blurry. Theva pressed down on him, both with heat and pressure, and keeping up the space bubble around himself and Brock was all he could do.

    He was like a drowning man inside the sea.

    In his situation, anyone would have chosen to rush to the surface and breathe freely. But not Jack. He knew that going to the surface would only give him an insignificant chance of survivalthe Hand of God would follow them, catch up, and kill them. Even Min Ling would not survive, let alone him and Brock.

    Therefore, their best chance was to go down and hope for a miracle.

    The drowning man had suppressed his panic and dove deeper. The bottom of thisrge cavern was a mystery. Brock had called it very, very deepit should be many miles away and also have many tunnels that connected to otherva streams. There was no way such a great cavern was not connected to anything.

    In those tunnels, the Hand of God would eventually stop chasing. They had to conserve enough energy to return as well, and they wouldnt dare chase the fire-attribute Min Ling forever. Once the chase stopped, perhaps Min Ling could find a way to reach the surface or directly teleport outside to a ce where the Hand of God cultivators couldnt reach them.

    However, the crux of this issue was that Jack and Brock had to persist long enough. Given that they were already very pressed, their chances were slimbut it was the best they could do, so they had to grasp the opportunity with both hands.

    In this situation, Jack had still chosen to spend some energy to kill Baron Longform. It was not an impulsive decision. Though Baron looked half-dead, Jack had a strong premonition that he would somehow survive if left alone. Then, given the hatred between them and Barons character, he would just be a viper aiming at Jacks back. He would try to ambush him, attack his friends, and find any way possible to harm him.

    Baron had already proven to be a cold and calcting individual. If Jack let him go now, who knows if hed ever get another opportunity to kill him in the future.

    Therefore, he had endured the loss of energy to directly strike out and kill him. Even Baron himself hadnt expected this.

    Such a great person, the genius of an era with extreme calcting skills, had died under Jacks hand, his body disappearing in an underground sea ofva in a hidden realm at the edge of the universe.

    The three of them tore through theva, heading ever deeper. The pressure kept rising. So did the temperature. As time passed, Jack was more and more pressed to maintain theva bubble.

    Can you see anything? he weakly asked Min Ling.

    No, she replied. To the drowning man, that was like a deration of death.

    The Hand of God cultivators maintained a steady distance. They could not get closer, but they refused to fall behind. Min Ling kept descending for half a minute, pulling Jack and Brock along. At their speed, that was enough to cross dozens of miles even through theva, and the cavern still hadnt shown an end.

    Finally, the pursuing cultivators slowed down, then stopped chasing altogether. This was too deep for them. If they chased any further and actually fought Min Ling, they might not have the strength to return.

    Arkenstal watched them go with a gloating expression. Even if Min Ling herself escaped by finding another exit, he was almostpletely certain that Jack and Brock would die. His achievements today were nothing short of spectacr.

    Lets go get the treasure, he told the rest of them, and they all swam back up.

    Min Ling kept descending. There was no meaning to turning back. The other cultivators would certainly guard the entrance of theva cavern.

    Jack and Brock were nearing the end of the rope. At this depth, even teleporting outside was impossible.

    Finding another exit was possible. However, doing so before Jack ran out of energy was highly unlikely. If they didnt find an exit, Min Ling could always rush back up and try to escape through the surface, but Jack and Brock would be long dead.

    Actually, Min Ling could easily kill and rob them of everything if she wanted to. Yet, she did not. She kept pulling them along, deeper into theva cavern.

    Why? Jack asked.

    Because I promised, she replied calmly.

    He gritted his teeth. Were holding you back. If you spend your energy to drag us, you could run out.

    Ill be fine. Thisva is my domain. If I do need to abandon you, rest assured that I will.

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    That shut him up. He could only let her pull them deeper. At this point, both the heat and pressure had climbed to incredible degrees. Theva was coalescing into clumps of heated stone through which they swam.

    The cavern was shaped as a wide pipe digging deep into the ground. It was diagonal, at a forty-five degree angle between down and to the side. By now, they had moved dozens of miles underground and dozens away from the volcano.

    Can we try to teleport? Jack asked.

    I cannot reach the surface from here, Min Ling replied without turning back. Even if I could, Arkenstal would sense the spatial ripples ande after us. We have to keep going and hope this cavern connects to another ce near the surface. Only from there could we teleport.

    Jack nodded. Soon after, they finally reached the end of the cavern. It was arge wall of dark stone sporting various tunnels. At a nce, there were at least five, and that was in the few hundred feet radius of Jacks perception.

    Min Ling paused. Her brows were furrowed. Any idea? she asked.

    None, Jack replied weakly.

    Brock, however, released a low growl. Golden light gathered in his hand. It formed a book on the verge of dissipating, yet he barely managed to flip it to a certain page. Jack had seen this page beforeit depicted a brori swimming throughva, smiling as he saw something beyond the edge of the cave.

    Brock had used this page to locate the crystal tree. This time, however, his strength was barely enough to activate it, and he also had to scout a muchrger distance. His eyes red with resolve. He bit down on the tip of his tongue, spraying a mouthful of blood onto the book. It was cleanly absorbed. The page shone crimson golden.

    A bro chooses the right path Brock whispered, his voice barely audible. The page red. A crimson-gold color spread outward, instantly expanding past the range of Jacks perception. A momentter, Brock released a low moan. He used the spiritual connection between them to transfer a map of what hed seen to Jack, then directly passed out.

    Seeing his little brother in such a state, Jacks heart was stormy, but he suppressed it. He analyzed the image that Brock had sent him.

    Most tunnels lead to dead-ends, he said. There is only one which Brock couldnt fully explore. There. He pointed to a tunnel that seemed smaller than the rest. It extends in an almost straight line for at least a mile.

    Min Ling nodded, then charged into that tunnel. It was barely twenty feet wide. Jack felt extremely cramped. His perception was stifled. They rushed.

    Yet, they did not reach the end of the tunnel. After a dozen miles, it remained exactly the same, maintaining its direction and width. It was almost suspiciously uniform. Jack realized that if they ran into a dead-end aftering this far, then this narrow, underground tunnel might be his grave.

    It was a sobering thought.

    This could be man-made, Min Ling said, a hint of hope in her voice. There might be a way out.

    Jack gritted his teeth, not daring to hope.

    The tunnel stretched on. A dozen miles, two dozen, three, four. It seemed endless. Jacks reserves had long ran low, and he was now almostpletely empty of energy. If there really was an exit at the end of this tunnel and he just couldnt persist until they reached it, it would be the worlds ugliest joke.

    When they had traveled at least a hundred miles through this tunnel, Jack was finally reaching his limit. No amount of desperation could keep him going.

    Im breaking, he whispered as loudly as he could.

    Min Ling nced at him with regret. I am not good with space, she confessed. My Fire Dao is barely enough to protect myself here. At most, I could shield one of you.

    Take Brock.

    Okay.

    Jack pushed the brori onto her, and she hugged his body tightly, spreading her fire protection just a bit wider. This tiny exertion made her sweat.

    Suddenly, something changed in the tunnel. Min Ling furrowed her brows. She could sense something up ahead, a faint flicker of energy blocking her path, but there was no way she would stop or turn back now. Let alone Jack, even she wasnt sure if she had the energy to reach the surface again.

    Her spear appeared, and she used it to ram into the barrier without stopping. A pale green light appeared for a moment before shattering. All three of them passed through.

    Min Ling was perplexed. This barrier contained some extremely powerful Daos, but it was weakened to the point where she could break it. Just what was going on?

    She pressed forward. Despite passing the barrier, the only change in the tunnel was slight incline upward.

    Jack registered all this. Faint hope blossomed in his heart, but he could no longer persist. His space bubble flickered onest time, then dissipated. Denseva surrounded his body. It was no longer the kind which coalesced into clumps, but it remained extremely potent. As it touched him, his clothes melted, all his hair evaporated, and his flesh was instantly charred ck. Every inch of his skin was singed at the same time. The final bits of his energy went to a thin barrier keeping theva from entering his orifices. The rest of him waspletely exposed.

    Jack had been through a lot of pain in his cultivation path. He had endured his limbs being broken, several hard beatings, his fists shattering often. He had practiced body tempering, survived when the Life Drop cracked his soul to enter, and had his entire body boil when he withstood the heavenly tribtion at Trial.

    Of all those kinds of pain, only the Life Drop tearing his soul apart couldpare to the current one. Jack screamed. It felt like he was buried in hot oil. His tempered body could resist being instantly disintegrated, but it still melted over him, revealing his bones. An extreme current of life energy escaped the Life Drop, regenerating his skin just in time for it to melt again.

    Jack was living through hell. Time stretched to infinity. All semnce of awareness left his mind, reced only by endless, boundless, all-epassing pain.

    Even the Life Drop could not keep up with this degree of injury. His skin and organs melted faster than they could regrow. Jack remained alive only thanks to the Life Drop, until he was a ckened skeleton shuttling through theva, barely clothed with molten flesh.

    Min Ling was still dragging him. They shot out of theva. Jack only felt his environment cool down and rock against his back before he passed out.

 Chapter 394: Consuming the Fruits

    Chapter 394: Consuming the Fruits

    Min Ling shot out of theva and into a cave. Fluorescent moss covered the walls, illuminating it in an almost magical glow, while thevake in the middle added a sense of danger to the otherwise empty cave.

    Min barely registered those. She emerged from theva like aet and almost crashed into the ceiling before catching herself. She then moved to the stone ground and gently deposited both Jack and Brock.

    Brock remained unconscious. The fur on his back had been singed, offering him light burns, but he was okay. It was the greatest protection Min could have given himthough she had hugged him tightly to reduce theirbined surface area, her own back had been burned as well.

    As for Jack, he had been forced to endure theva with his body for around ten seconds. It was unimaginable how he was still alive. Min could clearly make out his skeleton covered in ck, molten flesh which constantly squirmed, regrew, and reknit itself.

    It was a miracle. Such regeneration, such survivability It really tested her understanding of the world. Moreover, to survive in that state meant that his mind hadnt given in. Even enduring the continuous immtion of his body, a part of him had persisted, refusing to lose consciousnessif he had, no amount of regeneration would have saved him. It was only after they escaped theva that he fainted.

    Min Ling was silent. Her gaze was deep. The current Jack made for a very gruesome sight, but she could handle it. She had seen worse. Cultivators could awe the world with their powers, but the price was that their lives were filled with pain and loneliness. It was not a path meant for everyone.

    In all that pain, most cultivators lost themselves, devolving to their base instincts to remain alive. But this man

    He had risked his life to cut off an enemys retreat, killing Baron Longform even when he didnt need to. Min didnt mind that; her own rtion with the Baron had been very strained, and between the two, Jack was far more valuable to the Church. If anything, his decisiveness was admirable. Most people would have let Baron escape andter lost their lives because of that.

    After that, Jack didnt hesitate to dive deeper into theva cavern. He suppressed his despair and urately judged the only path to survival. When he was running out of power and Min Ling could only protect one person, Jack had instantly chosen Brock. He had sacrificed himself for his spiritualpanion

    Unconsciously, Min Ling shook her head. She was not in the habit of saving strangers, but this manboth of themhad earned her respect.

    She had no idea where she was. It could be dangerous. But, even if they all perished here, dying alongside these two was not too bad.

    ***

    Jacks eyes flickered open. His mind was filled with scorching red painmagma trying to drill into his eyes and throat, to suffocate him even as it burned him alive. He screamed and jumped upright, only then realizing he was no longer dying.

    <em>How!? </em>he asked himself, still in shock.

    You are safe, came a womans voice. Jack swiveled to see Min Ling resting on a nearby rock, her dark hair swiping its surface as her legs and spear were both rxedly outstretched.

    What happened? Jack asked.

    We made it through theva. You were burned for a few seconds but somehow managed to survive She gave him a deep nce.

    I survived His eyes widened. Brock!

    Hes right there. Look down.

    Jack nced at his feet, finding Brock sleeping soundly. He was even snoring. Oh, thank God he said, his voice almost breaking.

    Brocks body sported a few burnt hairs, but he was safe. Jack knew that was thanks to Min Ling. Thank you, he said, turning towards her. We were strangers, but you risked your life to save us. I will never forget that favor.

    It wasnt much, she replied calmly. My life was never in danger.

    It doesnt matter. You saved my little brother. If you ever need any help, let me know, and I will rush to your aid.

    Facing such seriousness, her lips curved. Thats grand talk for someone whos only a three-fruit C-Grade.

    For now. In my defense, theyre pretty good fruits.

    Im sure they are. She jumped off her stone. Mind waking up yourlittle brother? We have things to discuss.

    Jack nudged Brock. He then nudged harder. Brock finally awoke, shooting to his feet and shouting, Big Bro! as he pulled Jack into arge hug. Some timeter, he let go and turned to Min Ling.

    Thank you, big sis, he said seriously. You saved my big bro. I will remember this forever.

    You guys will make me puke she replied, shaking her head. Whatever. Youre wee. Take a look around.

    Jackplied. He saw a cave covered in green fluorescent moss and with avake in the middlethat must be where they emerged from. The cave itself wasnt toorge, while a passage on the other side led elsewhere.

    The most striking thing, however, was in the air. In the Dao. Every stone of this ce exuded an aura of endless years, as if this cave had existed since time immemorial. The air was heavy, almost sacred, and the Dao of Life that had been prevalent in the hidden realm was even more dominant here, nearly tinging the air green.

    Jack felt like hed intruded into a sacred ancient temple. It was a simr feeling to when hed entered the Ancient ruins in Trial.

    Where are we? he asked, looking around in wonder. His perception was suppressed by the dense Dao. It could barely travel a hundred feet into the exit tunnel, finding nothing but stone.

    I have a suspicion, Min Ling replied. When we entered the volcano, we could see a massive temple in the distance. That was the hidden realms core area. I suspect that the temples creator drewva from the underground repository we found, for some reason, and the long tunnel we followed led us directly inside the temple.

    Jack took a moment to process this. His eyes widened. Were in the core area?

    It is possible You may not remember it, but I broke through an energy barrier shortly before reaching this cave. That barrier held great Daos but was extremely weak. My guess is that it covered the entire temple, and it was only weak because the B-Grades had recently broken through it. If not for them, we would have been unable to cross, and you would have both died in theva.

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    Jack maintained a solemn silence. This time, they hade far too close to death Perhaps trying to grab the treasure under everyones nose had been too greedy.

    Or, perhaps, it wasnt the intention that was wrong, but the execution. Jacks hadnt paid enough attention to Baron Longform. After that, everything spiraled out of control.

    <em>I cannot let my guard down</em>

    His hands swiped over his space ring, retrieving a spherical object. It wasposed of a green core of crystallized life energy, surrounded by pure Dao so dense it had gathered into a thick masslike a normal fruits edible, fleshy interior.

    As soon as this item emerged from the space ring, waves of life spread out, covering the entire cave. Everyone felt their heartbeats quicken.

    Whats that? Min Ling asked.

    It is the treasure under the volcano, Jack exined, still observing the item. The fruit of a crystal tree that thrived inva. Have you ever heard of it?

    Never, she replied. I sense both life and Dao energy. No wonder the dragons grew so strong; the life energy enhanced their bodies, and the Dao energy enhanced their abilities.

    Jack nodded. I have six of these fruits. Since all three of us contributed, I say we divide them equally.

    Min Ling had been part of the n from the start. Her task had been to dy the battle outside and defend them verbally if need be. Of course, that task was less important than Jack and Brocks, but she had saved them afterward. In Jacks opinion, the six fruits should be split equally.

    Hopefully, Min Ling wouldnt use her strength to take everything.

    Thats fine, she replied.

    Jack nodded. He passed two fruits to her and two to Brock. If your assumptions are correct, we are at the core area of the hidden realm, he said. This is not a ce we should be able to survive in. Every threat here could instantly kill us. Therefore, I think we should absorb these fruits and increase our strength as much as possible before venturing outside the cave.

    Big bro wise, said Brock.

    Min Ling thought about it. I agree, she said, but we shouldnt dy too long. My strength is not too far away from the B-Gradesince Im already here, I want to explore this ce and see if I can find any lucky chances. Will you join me?

    Of course, Jack replied. Thats fine. Lets absorb the fruits first, and then we can get going.

    The cave wasntrge, but it was spacious enough. Each of the three retreated to a corner and focused on their two fruits, slowly working out how to absorb them.

    Jack held a fruit and gazed at it. Its flesh was full of ambient, purified Daolike a Dao stone, but far richer. Absorbing it would greatly enhance his cultivation. As for the seed of the fruit, its life core, that wouldnt be as effective. It was milder than the Life Drops energy, so he could absorb it faster and more efficiently, but his body had already reached a high degree of tempering. Any benefits in that regard would be minor.

    Thinking to that point, Jack stood up again. Hey, Min Ling, he said, walking over. I have low cultivation and a strong body, while you have high cultivation and a she raised a brow, making him reconsider very decent physique. Wanna exchange? I get all the Dao flesh, you get all the life cores. I think that would increase our power the most in the short run.

    She smirked, then thought for a moment. Sure. But Im close to a breakthrough, so I want to keep half a fruits flesh.

    Then Ill keep half a core.

    Thats fine.

    They both peeled their fruits, exchanged, and Jack returned to his corner. He started by absorbing the half life core; the energy flowed into his body, simr to the Life Drops but milder. Its effect was also slightly different; it enhanced his body and even increased its saturation limit a little.

    Apparently, this life energy was highly nourishing, but Jack didnt regret exchanging the rest of it. The Dao flesh was just too energy-rich. It was perfect for the current him.

    Done with the life core, he proceeded to the main course. The Dao flesh hung between his arms like the most exquisite silk. His perception unraveled it slowly, forming incorporeal strands of pure Dao power that he pulled inside his body. They entered the roots of his Dao Tree, washing over the trunk and sinking into his third fruit, which was rapidly approaching maturity.

    Meditating in this underground cave, Jack lost track of time. Hours flowed like water. Shortly after he finished one piece of fruit flesh, his third Dao Fruit finally reached maturity. It was a healthy green, shaped as a fist and radiating life.

    As soon as it fully matured, Jack took a deep breath. He then dove directly into forming his fourth fruit.

    In the C-Grade, every Dao Fruit was a manifestation of the cultivators Dao into the world. It was an aspect of the universe viewed through the lens of their individual Dao. For Jack, his three fruits so far were the Fist, Space, and Life.

    Choosing which aspect to grow into a fruit was an important decision. To Jack, however, this fourth fruit was a no-brainer. He steadily dove into his soul, then exhaled deeply as if it was his final breath. The air that left his mouth was darkand, as itnded on the leaves, it slowly formed the outline of a pitch-ck fruit.

    It was Death.

    After receiving the teachings of Elder Boatman and the death cube, Jack urgently needed a Dao Fruit of Death toplement his power in that direction.

    The fruit of death was fist-shaped, as were all of them, but it radiated a dark aura that twisted the nearby leaves into dry, dead things. It seemed like a very dangerous thing to have inside ones soul, but Jack knew the truth. Life and Death were part of the same cycle. Death wasnt evil; it was just a natural state.

    Under his firm grasp, it was harmless. If anything, it formed a clear contrast against his third fruit, the Life one, creating an interesting area on his Dao Tree where the leaves were constantly dying and growing anew.

    There was wisdom in those leaves, but it was not wisdom Jack could currently grasp.

    After developing his fourth fruit, he spent the remaining fruit flesh to push it as far along as possible. By the time he was done, the Death fruit was around forty percent mature.

    Jacks eyes snapped open. In a short few hoursor was it days?his power had grown significantly. He had risen by a tier. If he fought Baron Longform again, he was confident in winning even without using Supernova.

    <em>Oh. I forgot to check that out, </em>he realized. <em>System, do your thing, please.</em>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 288</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 4400 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 4400 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 4400 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 949</strong>

    <strong>Will: 949</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery II, Titan Taunt I, Fist of Mortality I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    <strong>Supernova III: Some stars die in a massive explosion. You have mastered that process, imitating it with your fist. By drawing in an enormous amount of energy,pressing it to the maximum, then releasing it at once, you can erupt with a punch that resembles one of the most violent events in the universe.</strong>

    Supernova actually started from the third tier. That was odd.

    Every other skill that started above the first had been an evolution of a previous skill. Moreover, these tiers represented proficiency with the skill, and Jack felt he had barely grasped the concept of Supernova.

    The most likely exnation was that the threshold to acquiring this skill was too high, so the System had set it to the third tier for fairness sake.

    Jack took that as an achievement.

    His other stats were alsoing along nicely. The life seed of the crystal fruit had pushed his Physical substats to a nice round 4400, while he had invested all the level-up points into Mental and Will. That would need to change sooneliminating his weaknesses was nice, but maybe he was just overdoing it at this point.

    In the C-Grade, the first three fruits ounted for ten levels each, and the next six for twenty each. By reaching forty percent maturity in the fourth fruit, Jack had smoothly sailed to Level 288, a difference of thirteen levels and two hundred and sixty stat points since he entered the hidden realm.

    Just three and a half pieces of fruit flesh had benefited him so much. If he had been able to acquire all eleven on that tree, would he have reached the fifth or even the sixth fruit?

    High-level resources were maddening.

    Of course, the difficulty of reaching maturity increased with every fruit. A treasure that could give him a whole fruit now would only give him a fraction by the time he reached the eighth or ninth. By then, he would need to find even more of these treasuresbut that was fine. It was part of the charm.

 Chapter 395: Underleveled

    Chapter 395: Underleveled

    Jack stood up, ready to explore, and found that Brock with Min Ling were already waiting for him.

    Brock hadnt managed to break through, but he had grown his third fruit to maturity. His body had grown stronger, as well. As for Min Ling

    You made it! Jack said, his eyes brightening. Congrattions!

    To you as well, she replied. Eight slightly different auras filled her bodythe telltale sign of an eight-fruit cultivator.

    Min Ling had been the undisputed strongest C-Grade of the Cathedral at only seven fruits. Now, with her strength having taken a massive leap forward, who knew how powerful she had be? Maybe she could even challenge the weakest B-Grades.

    Lets go, she said, bursting with barely contained excitement. Jack and Brock nodded, and the three of them finally walked into the tunnel connecting their little cave tosomething.

    This tunnel would have felt out of ce in any caveplex of Earth. It did not seem so much hewn as naturally created. Yet, it was oddly uniform, maintaining a roughly circr shape with a diameter between nine and fifteen feet. It twisted at times, with a tendency to snake in random directions, making one feel as though they were following not a cave tunnel, but a gnarled tree root.

    Green fluorescent moss apanied them throughout. It filled part of the walls, gently illuminating the tunnel, and it seemed in tune with the heavy, sanctimonious Dao that filled this ce.

    The three people chose to move slowly. This wasnt only out of caution, but also due to a deep-seated respect for this ce. It felt like they were in the presence of something ancient and majestic; rushing through would be almost sphemous.

    Finally, the tunnel they were following connected to a wider one. This was thirty feet in diameter, on average, with a faint breeze blowing through.

    Weve already walked for miles, Jack observed. This ce must be huge.

    If its the temple we saw before, it takes up many cubic miles, Min Ling replied. And, if all these winding tunnels wrap around each other to fill it The distance they can cover is practically infinite.

    Infinite is a brave word.

    Pretty big. There; happy?

    A bit of banter was all they had to break the monotony. Even that, however, was kept at whispering volume. The dense Dao of this ce limited their perceptions to only a few hundred feet away. That was barely enough to peek over the next bend in the tunnel. If anything lived here, it should have adapted to the pressure, so its perception should extend much father. Chances were, it would spot them before they spotted it.

    Not to mention that its cultivation would likely be at the B-Grade.

    Jack and his group followed the faint breeze through this tunnel. They ran into other small tunnels like the one theyd followed to get here but stuck to the main one. Another change from before was their tunnel now was interspersed with what seemed like woodbrown surfaces glowing green, spearing through the ground and into the ceiling. They seemed natural and were even covered in bark. They were like colossal tree branches.

    Min Ling used her spear to poke into one such wooden surface. It was impossibly hard, but under her power, the bark parted to reveal more wood underneath. Golden sap flowed out. Even smelling it made ones pore open, like it was some supreme treasure. Unfortunately, the sap lost its luster almost immediately upon exiting the wood, so it was unusable.

    The three explorers looked at each other and kept moving.

    What do you think is going on? Jack asked.

    I am not sure Those wooden things look like tree branches, but any tree that could grow thisrge is

    The ground burst apart ahead of them and arge monster flew out, mandibles at the ready. There had been no indication. In the single instant they had before the monster snapped apart Jacks throat, their bodies erupted with power. Muscle memory took over. Jack clenched his fist, shooting out a Meteor Punch before his brain even realized what was happening.

    The punch exploded on the monsters mandibles and dissipated against the tunnel walls, which didnt even crack. The monster slowed down but kepting. Its mandibles snapped around Jacks neck, and he barely managed to lean back in time.

    The monster geared up for another attack. Suddenly, red lightning struck it from the side, sting it into the wall. A second spear strike followed, then a third, cracking the monsters carapace and breaking its legs. Only as Min Lings spear tore into its head, killing it, did Jack manage to make out its form.

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    It had six legs, arge head, and two short but wickedly sharp mandibles sticking out of it. Its entire body was colored beige, while two antennas stuck out from the top of its head. That was where its simrities with an insect ended. Its entire body was covered in hard scales, forming something like a carapace, while its eyes had vertical irises. Between its mandibles, Jack could make out a serpents mouth.

    <strong>Draconic Termite, Level 249</strong>

    <strong><em>Draconic Termites typically infestrge woodenplexes. Their mandibles can tear through most materials, and their draconic ancestry gives them immunity to most kinds of elemental damage.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr specimen is far stronger than most of its species. Extreme caution is advised.</em></strong>

    A termite? Jack asked, gawking at the still monster that had almost killed him. Chewing through rock? Thats not right.

    Is that what youre concerned about? Min Ling said, giving him a fierce re.

    Bro! Brock shouted, rushing to Jacks side. Throughout the battle, hed barely had any time to react. Sorry. d youre okay.

    Its fine, Brock. Dont worry.

    Jacks eyes softened. In their previousva adventure, Brock had suffered the greatest losses. His trusty Staff of Stone, which had followed him since Trial, had been snapped in half by Baron Longform. He had endured multiple attacks which left him injured, and then hed overdrawn his powers to scout ahead until he passed out. He had even bitten the tip of his tongue to spray some blood onto his Bro Code. Jack didnt know the significance of that sacrifice, but even now, Brock seemed anemic. His fur was sticking to his body and his aura was weaker than usual.

    That blood he used up must have been precious. Recovering would take some time.

    After all that, if Jack forced him to use his powers to save him again, then he wouldnt be much of a big brother.

    Stay on guard, Min Ling said, facing the front. Her spear remained in her hands. No more talking. Lets go.

    Surprisingly, though they had fought with their full strength just now, the walls hadnt even cracked. They were magically enhanced to withstand extreme impacts.

    The three fell silent as they walked. Everyone kept their perception stretched and their body on guard at all times. Like this, perhaps they could catch the slightest indication of an iing attack.

    Jack was absolutely clear that they were in grave danger. Even the periphery of this hidden realm contained B-Grade entitiesthe core area, if this really was it, should be overflowing with them. Just the most minor of enemies, a single ambushing termite, had nearly taken his life.

    They were in over their headsbut, not all was lost. With danger came opportunity. In such a ce, either they would die without a grave, or they would emerge reborn.

    Jack hoped for thetter.

    Time passed. No more monsters attacked them, but the scenery slowly began to change. Chambers appeared to the side of the tunnel. They werepletely destroyed and ransacked, with their walls showed all kinds of colors and their insides in ruins.

    After investigating, however, a few things became clear. Each of these chambers held the remains of a powerful monsterstone guardians, y soldiers, nt lifeforms... Themonality between all of them was that they possessed draconic features and had been dead for only a short period of time. Whatever killed them had done so within thest few hours. It could only be the B-Grades.

    Besides these guardians, each chamber contained an empty altar. It wasnt hard to imagine that every altar once held some treasure, now taken by the B-Grades.

    Jack, Min, and Brock kept walking, still on full alert. Finding the B-Grades and joining them would guarantee their safety, but it would also guarantee they wouldnt get any treasure. It wasnt necessarily the best case scenario.

    On the other hand, if they didnt run into the B-Grades, escaping this ce would be difficult. It was arge, three-dimensional maze. With all its winding and intersecting tunnels, locating the exit would be extremely time-consuming. Running into the path of the B-Grades was actually a great coincidence.

    As for following the destroyed chambers backward, that wouldnt work. They only started appearing deep into the maze; before that point, there was no way to backtrack on the B-Grades route. Even if it was possible, the green barrier may have returned, and even if it hadntdid they really want to exit?

    The guardians of this ce, though destroyed, still emitted a formidable aura. They had all been B-Grade existences. If their little group separated from the path the B-Grades had followed and found unexplored treasure chambers, defeating the guardian was almost impossible. Their only chance of getting something was to follow the B-Grades from afar and carefully investigate every chamber they left behind in hopes theyd missed something.

    At the end, even if they found nothing, following the B-Grades would lead them to the main treasure trove of this ce, where the B-Grades would probably have to fight some powerful guardian. As long as Jack and the others remained undiscovered, it wasnt impossible to fish for benefits in the chaos.

    It was sad, but this was reality. In a dungeon where they were severely underleveled, Jacks only option was to act as a scavenger. Even the things that a B-Grade would consider garbage might be useful to him.

    After walking for a while, the destroyed rooms became more recent. Wisps of auras and space disturbances remained in the airthey were catching up to the B-Grades.

    At this point, Brock took the lead. Though still weakened by using his blood before, he could use his powers. He summoned the Bro Code and used the same scouting page as before to scan the way ahead, hoping to lock onto the B-Grades before they found him.

    Since the B-Grades would naturally direct their attention forward as they walked, and since Brocks scouting covered a wide range than a normal cultivators perception, he probably wouldnt get discovered.

    Unfortunately, reality was often disappointing. Only half an hour after Brock took the lead, Min Ling paused. I felt something, she said, tensing up. I think there was a Dao enchantment here. We stepped right into it.

    Should we run? Jack asked.

    Before she could reply, the world shook around them. Whos there!? a voice rumbled through the corridor. Come out slowly or prepare to die!

    Jack cursed in his mind. This was the voice of Urusm, the Hand of Gods B-Grade leader. They had been caught.

    B-Grades simply had superior methods.

 Chapter 396: Exploring the Temple

    Chapter 396: Exploring the Temple

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling nced at each other. Brock shrugged.

    They started walking. After a few minutes, they emerged into a slightlyrger cavern, empty if not for the twenty B-Grades staring them down. The pressure was palpable.

    As soon as they appeared, Monk Urusm chuckled, while Spacewind eximed, What are you doing here?

    We were trying to escape a dragon, Min Ling replied simply.

    Jack took in the people present. Though twenty-four B-Grades had entered this ce, only twenty remained. A casualty rate of one-sixth was no joke, especially since they hadnt reached the main part of the temple yet.

    Suddenly, Spacewinds mind shook. He had gotten past his initial surprise and realized that Min Ling, the woman he desired, had shown up together with Jack Rust, whom he viewed as his opponent. The two had doubtlessly adventured together so far, giving Jack time to flirt and pursue her. Perhaps hed even seeded.

    Spacewinds gaze grew frigid. He snorted coldly, then turned around. You will follow us, he said. Remain at the back. You will not fight, nor will you touch any treasures. Do you understand?

    Yes, sir, Min Ling replied calmly.

    Urusmughed kindly, cupping his hands before his chest. It is unfortunate that you had toe here. Since that is the case, let us hope you stay safe. We will do our best to protect you.

    There was nothing Urusm would like more than to instantly kill them all. They were enemies. However, with Spacewind present, he didnt dare move on the Churchs budding talents.

    The rest of the B-Grades gave the new arrivals various looks. Some bore mockerythey enjoyed how these proud geniuses had bitten off more than they could chew and would now return empty-handed. After all, all of them had been inferior to Jack and Min Ling when at the C-Grade, so they felt envy and bitterness.

    Only a few people showed looks of regret. By entering the core area, Jack and Min Ling were basically doomed to waste their time in the hidden realm. To geniuses like them, that was unfortunate.

    The two Envoys that Jack was familiar with, Borkuren and Ashly, were part of thistter group.

    Were moving, Spacewind said coldly, stepping over the corpse of a fifteen-foot-tall dragon-faced humanoidthe former guardian of this cavern.

    Everyone fell into formation. They didnt speak much. Jack, Brock, and Min Ling were positioned somewhere in the middle, where they would be protected.

    Jack noticed that the front of their formation was not upied by Spacewind or Urusm, the strongest people present. Instead, other B-Grades had taken the lead, walking slowly and very carefully investigating the path ahead.

    <em>Theyre afraid of traps, </em>Min Ling said telepathically. <em>Since this is a high-level ce, any trap might be deadly to the people in front, whether theyre Spacewind or a weaker B-Grade. Thats why those other cultivators are walking aheadtheyre acting as meatshields.</em>

    Jack nodded. He hade to the same conclusion.

    Thanks to the B-Grades careful approach, nobody had a problem keeping up. However, that meant they were moving slowly, and the temple was a massive ce. Tunnels snaked in all directions. There were many intersections. Every time they met one, Urusm would use divinationafter praying with his eyes closed for some time, he would point them at the correct way forward.

    Like this, they slowly entered deeper into the mountain temple. Hours passed, but to people like them, walking for this long was nothing. As they delved deeper, the scenery began to change. The earthen walls darkened, while the fluorescent green moss was reced by blue and purplethe felling was like entering a mysterious, underground caveplex.

    The difficulty also shot up.

    Almost everyone here was a B-Grade. Their status was exalted across the universe. If any of these people came to the Milky Way gxy, they would be one of the strongest cultivators there, being able to form their own B-Grade faction and rule over a constetion.

    In this temple, however, these people were nothing but foot soldiers.

    Traps sprang unbridled. One time, a thin arrow wasunched from the wall, instantly prating the leading B-Grades throat. Before anyone could react, that cultivator had melted into a puddle of goo. Everything had happened in a hundredth of a blink of an eye.

    The rest of the cultivators present were shocked. Urusm sighed, then cupped his hands and muttered something in prayer. Regrettable, truly regrettable. A good life lost. You will be remembered, he said, waving his hand and pulling the puddle of goo into his space ringthe dead B-Grade had been from the Hand of God. Benefactor Ren, would you do us the honor?

    The woman called Ren gulped. She looked around, but there was no escaping this. She took to the front. Then, as slowly as the others allowed her, she cautiously inched forward.

    Entering such a high level dungeon was both a fortune and a misfortune. If they survived, they would receive all sorts of wondrous treasures. However, a single step could lead to their deaths.

    Throughout the exploration, the B-Grades took turns leading the group. They would change every hour or when someone died. Thankfully, while traps weremon, deaths werent.

    Spacewind and Urusm, as the leaders of their respective groups, were excluded from meatshield duty. That was reasonable. The two were the strongest people present; if either of them died, the other would instantly act and exterminate everyone from the dead leaders faction.

    Cultivators were not kind people. They were a group of vipers that would kill each other at the first opportunity. Even the kind-sounding Urusm was no exceptionhe was only faking kindness, for his own reasons.

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling never took to the front. With their strength, they would die near instantly, and as much as Spacewind disliked Jack, he couldnt justify murdering his factions greatest talents.

    They didnt meet only traps. asionally, monsters would spring from the walls, attacking the cultivators. They saw groups of draconic termites and all sorts of draconic insects. They ran into patrolling guardians of the temple, who were humanoids made of stone with dragon-shaped heads. Each of these guardians was at the early B-Grade.

    These fights were swift and usually without casualties on the cultivator side. They were almost twenty people strongthe guards, who came in groups of three to five, were not a match.

    The strongest enemy they ran into was a massive millipede, wide enough to fit the tunnel. Thankfully, they had heard its chittering from afar and prepared. Though it was at the middle B-Grade, the cultivators had worked together to defeat it without a single casualty. A few people had been injured, but nothing some medicine couldnt fix.

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    The weirdest thing, however, was that even when B-Grades battled, the tunnel walls did not break. Only a few cracks appeared, quickly healing themselves. This ce was clearly enhanced with superior Daos to withstand extreme impacts.

    In all these battles, Jack was carefully observing the power of B-Grades. They did not just use the ambient Dao, as C-Grades did; instead, they erupted with power from the inside, presumably from their inner world. That power was far more than what a human body could handle. Even under the suppression of this temples heavy Dao, the B-Grades could make the walls shake for miles. Spacewind and Urusm were especially fierce.

    After his recent breakthrough, Jack was confident he was the strongest C-Grade of the Cathedral besides Min Ling. Yet, seeing these B-Grades fight, he had to admit that he wasnt their match at all. Even the weakest could easily defeat him.

    However, perhaps in a few more fruits

    Two days passed. Out of the twenty B-Grades, sixteen remained, and that was after they had taken every possible precaution while traveling. At this point, everyone was shaken. They had no idea how long they still had to go; if this exploration continued for a week, wouldnt they all die?

    Moreover, nobody knew who the next victim would be. Despite their every precaution, some traps were just impossible to discover.

    Cultivators liked to risk their lives for treasure, but that didnt mean they wouldmit suicide by temple. One third of their number had died and they had only found minor treasures. It was disheartening. Thoughts of retreat were already going through most peoples minds, but nobody dared say it out aloud.

    Throughout the exploration, Urusms directions had often led them to exit portals. They were oval doors embedded in the walls, made not of wood but of warped space. Stepping into one would deliver the cultivators directly outside the hidden realm. These portals emitted an aura which confused Urusms methods, making them walk in circles and slowing down their progress.

    Of course, nobody used the portals, but they amplified the thoughts of retreat in various peoples minds.

    At some point, however, Urusm paused. Wait, he said. Everyone froze mid-step.

    What is it? Spacewind asked.

    I sense something up ahead. It should be He inhaled deeply as if trying to smell something. It should be treasure.

    The cultivators eyes lit up. They advanced carefully, and only half an hourter, their tunnel opened up into what seemed like an indoor forest. A cave thousands of feet tall appeared before them. It stretched on for miles, upying a good part of the mountains volume, and it was filled with lush greenery. Despite theck of natural sunlight, all the nts were thriving; the life energy was at its densest here.

    There was also a set of great double doors at the back of the cave, standing over a hundred feet tall.

    As soon as the cultivators entered the cave, the intense fragrance of the Dao assaulted their nostrils, even infiltrating their bodies from their pores. Just this fragrance was highly beneficial. If an F-Grade mortal took a single breath here, they could level up a few times and extend their life by ten years.

    This must be the temples medicine garden, Urusm said slowly. After being left alone here for who knows how long, the spiritual nts must have grown to unimaginable heights Our efforts were not for naught. This is a great harvest!

    Spiritual nts were nts that contained pure Dao energy. They could either be directly consumed by cultivators or made into pills. The tree dragon that Jack and Brock had found before was also a spiritual nt, though intelligent. The more docile nts were sometimes gathered by strong cultivators and nted in special medicine gardens, where they could be grown and regrly harvested for millennia. These gardens often served as the backbone of powerful factions.

    The ck Hole Church had its own medicine gardens, as did all the B-Grade factions of Jacks home gxy. It was just that they were so closely guarded hed never had a chance to see them.

    Most importantly, such ces almost never had guardians or traps, as any strong disturbance could destroy many precious nts.

    Disperse, everyone, Spacewind said, already flying ahead. Anything you find belongs to you!

    The B-Grades didnt need to be told twice. They instantly spread out in all directions. Due to the ever-present Life Dao, using ones perception to discover spiritual nts was difficult. They had to search using their own eyes and hands, shuffling through the greenery to find them.

    Still, nobodyined. The nts grown here would be very precious. Any one they found represented a small fortune!

    Jack, Min Ling, and Brock also spread out to search. Spacewind hadnt told them to stay away, and they werent idiots.

    Jack dove into the greenery. His connection to the Dao of Life gave him a slight advantage, but it was nothingpared to the B-Grades higher speed and sharper senses. After searching for a while, however, he did discover a nt! It was a root buried almost entirely into the ground, resembling something between a potato and a carrot. Yet, despite its simple appearance, the wealth of pure Dao it contained was staggering. Just this simple root was as valuable as the two tree dragon fruits hed consumed before.

    As he dug it out, he was full of smiles.

    Oho, what a rare find! That is a Twisted Orange Root. Great job, a pleasant voice came from behind him. Jack turned to find Urusm standing only a few feet away, his face covered by a kind smile. Coincidentally, I happen to need such a root. How about giving it to me, benefactor Jack? Illpensate you fairly.

    A small sack appeared in his hands. With a quick scan, Jack saw it contained a hundred Dao stones. His face darkened. That was a ridiculously low price for this root. To B-Grades, a hundred Dao stones were nothing, but treasures werent easy to find.

    However, could he refuse?

    Seeing him hesitate, Urusmughed good-heartedly and added, Here, Ill throw in another ten stones. I wouldn''t want to make you refuse. That would be rude, and it would put you in quite the tight spot!

    Though everything in his expression and words radiated kindness, they were actually malicious. He was just trying to bully Jack using his superior cultivation.

    Jack didnt want to be taken advantage of like that. Urusm wasnt even in the same faction. Spacewind would most likely protect him from anyshback.

    Just as he was about to open his mouth and refuse, however, the wind whistled. Spacewindnded between the two of them, ring at Urusm. Why are you bullying my faction members? he asked.

    Ohoho. I was simply making a trade offer. If benefactor Jack wants to refuse, he is free to do so.

    There is no need. I refuse for him.

    Jack raised his brow. Spacewind sounded pretty nice right now, but there was no way it was that simple. The two of them were enemies. If Spacewind helped him now, there was certainly another reason.

    It didnt take long for that reason to be revealed. Spacewind turned to Jack and said, To a cultivator as weak as yourself, holding onto treasures could get you into trouble. Give me that root. Ill keep it for you until we exit.

    Jack blinked. He was speechless. What keep until you exit? Spacewind would certainly take the root for himself, and he hadnt even offered a token price like Urusm. He had just directly demanded the root!

    Jack did not enjoy being bullied. Its fine. I would rather keep it myself, he replied.

    Spacewinds face darkened. What did you say? he asked. Your survival is only due to my kindness. You messed up to enter the temple, and we didnt even have you lead the way as you ought to. Your survival is already a great bargain, but you also want treasures? Dream on!

    Jack did not reply.

    Give me the root, Spacewind added coldly, or I will use my authority to execute you on the spot as a traitor.

    Jack snorted. You are bullying me.

    Hand it over.

    <em>I will hand your mother, </em>Jack wanted to reply, but he kept it in. He suspected that, if he kept pushing, Spacewind really would kill him on the spot, and there would be nothing he could do about it.

    These were the woes of the weak. Before a powerful B-Grade, the current Jack could do nothing to resistbut that wouldnt be true forever. He would be sure to take revenge.

    Take it, he replied coldly, tossing the root over. Spacewind received it into his ring.

    <em>I will make sure you pay a hundredfold, </em>Jack thought in his mind as he turned around and walked away. He no longer searched for spiritual nts and directly flew to an empty area at the back of the cave, near the double doors. There was no point in finding anything only for Spacewind to take it away again.

    Min Ling and Brock awaited him in that empty area. They were empty-handed and dark-faced; clearly, their experience had been simr to his. As the weakest people present, there was always someone who would wrestle away their benefits.

    The three of them sat down and waited, cultivating in the meantime. An hourter, the B-Grades were done searching. They all gathered at the empty area. Nobody discussed what theyd foundinstead, they turned their eyes towards the set ofrge double doors at the end of the cave.

    Brace yourselves, everyone, said Spacewind. This must be the main chamber. Who knows what awaits us.

    He and Urusm touched one side of the double doors each, and then they pushed together. The doors creaked open.

 Chapter 397: Fighting the Boss

    Chapter 397: Fighting the Boss

    A deadly scenery was revealed behind the double doors.

    The entire cavern was surrounded by light stone. Though it seemed brittle, just scouring it with ones perception was enough to indicate it was actually extremely durable, even more so than in the tunnels so far. The cavern was roughly circr with a diameter of several miles,rger than the previous one, and it was mostly empty.

    Three human-sized boxes stood on the ground in the middle of the cavern. They were made of some brown material, with various lines running over their edges and no visible way to open them. They were more like cubical rock formations than boxes. Of the three, one wasrger and also exuded a much richer aura.

    Beyond those, arge holey on the ground at the far side of the cavern. Its lip was green, almost suffocating with life energy, and from where they stood, it was impossible to look into. The extreme life energy of the hole made a stark contrast against the death dragon slumbering in the middle of the cavern, whose eyes snapped open at the same time as the doors. It stood and roared, the sound washing away the world. If space wasnt extremely stable here, and if the rock surrounding this cavern wasnt magically enhanced, just this roar could have annihted the entire temple and a hundred miles around it.

    The dragon had dark scales and scalding red eyes. Its body only stretched for three hundred feet, but the sheer power it exuded was leagues beyond the red dragon of the volcano, to the degree where they were simply iparable. Jack was almost blinded by its aura. Drowned. Every thought of resistance fled his mind as only one remained: death.

    This creature was something he could not endure.

    <strong>ck Dragon, Level ??? (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>Dragons are the darlings of the Dao. They are creatures that can stand at the top of the universe. Their bodies arerge, durable, and powerful, while the Dao itself is carved on their flesh and bones. They do not need to eat to survive, as they can absorb the power of the world. Despite that, they often dominate arge area around them, relishing in the mortal pleasures.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>ck Dragons are born of the Dao of Death. They possess extreme understandings since birth, and their insights will keep umting naturally as they grow up. Their bodies are near-immutable, they are resistant to spatial or time distortions, and their mere presence can slowly deteriorate a.</em></strong>

    Thatst statement was heavy. A dragons mere presence could cause an entire to deteriorate. Who would believe something like that?

    And yet, it was true. Jack felt it in his bones. The double doors had been isting the dragons aura, but now that it struck them in the face, it brought with it the stench of death. If a mortal stood here, they would instantly dissolve into dust. Even Jack felt his powerful body shake, his dense cells working together to resist.

    Most importantly, the dragons aura eclipsed all of the B-Grades present.

    Spacewinds expression was dignified. Even the always calm and collected Urusm had turned solemn. Late B-Grade, he muttered. Benefactors It is time to fight for our destiny.

    <em>Late B-Grade!</em>

    Jack drew in a cold breath. B-Grades were said to be able to cracks, but actually, most of them couldnt do it. What was a? It was a ball thousands of miles in diameter,posed of innumerable ores. Compared to the hard materials near the core, the surface was nothing but y. Meanwhile, humans were just a few feet tall.

    For a human to destroy a, that was a monumental feat of power. Only the strongest B-Grades could achieve such a thing. None of the cultivators present had that powerbut this dragon did. That was the power of ate B-Grade.

    Jack himself was an extremely mighty individual. He could shatter continents with his bare hands. Yet, his power was a far cry from the early B-Grades surrounding him. Even if his cultivation suddenly increased by five fruits and a major breakthrough to reach the early B-Grade, he still wouldnt have any confidence facing this dragon.

    Between Jack and a monster at thete B-Grade, they could only be described as immeasurably far apart. He was like an ant.

    Cultivators, the dragon said, its voice aged and hoarse. It somewhat resembled Elder Boatmans, but deeper and more draconic. Since you came, dont think about leaving!

    A strong gust blew from behind them. Everyone was shoved inside the dragons cavern with no opportunity to resistthis was clearly no normal wind. At the same time, the double doors mmed shut behind them, trapping them in here with the dragon. Jack guessed that even if they tried to open the doors again, it would be impossible. At best, it would take long enough that they would have to fight the dragon first.

    Jack didnt think that the creator of this ce cared about them escaping. This wind mechanism was clearly designed to protect the medicine garden in the previous cavern from the dragons death aura. Yet, it had now forced them into a corner. They had to defeat this ck dragon or die trying.

    Jack had no idea if the B-Grades could do it. And the worst part was, he could do nothing to help. He was just too weak. Even if their side won, just the shockwaves of the battle might have killed him already.

    The dragons face warped into a cruel grin. ck smoke escaped the sides of its mouth. Its red eyes red with bloodthirstiness.

    Spacewind drew his sword. Facing this dragon, though his aura was inferior, he did not wish to be overshadowed.

    Go all-out, hemanded, his gaze grim. Galvanize your inner world. Detonate it if you must. If we hold back in the slightest, we will all die here.

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    The bodies of sixteen B-Grades erupted with power. Among them, Spacewind and Urusm were the brightest stars, their auras a good chunk superior to everyone elses. Yet, facing them, the dragon wasnt daunted in the slightest.

    Death is inevitable, it said. And yours, even more so.

    As battle was about to erupt, Jack, Brock, and Min Ling nced at each other with panic. They were not nning to participatenot because they didnt want to help, but because they couldnt.

    Jack Rust! Spacewind roared heroically. Fight with us! I will protect you!

    Jack barely held his tongue. What a joke! If he tried to join in, even the slightest ripples of power would tear him apart. Spacewind couldnt protect him if he wanted to, but he certainly had no such ns. He was just trying to get Jack killed.

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling didnt need to speak. They came to an instant agreement. They rushed to the farthest corner of the cavern, where the shockwaves would be weakest, and huddled together closely. They made themselves as small as possible. Min Lings slender body pressed into Jacks, but at this moment, he had no time to care about such things.

    Just as they arrived at their corner, they turned around and saw the B-Grades collide with the dragon. The extremely stable space was torn apart like paper. Time grew erratic. Elements scattered everywhere, while all sorts of weapons shed against scales.

    It was armageddon. Each of these beings could crush celestial bodies. With all of them fighting at the same time, even the escaping shockwaves were beyond horrifying. They crashed into the stones around the cavern, some absorbed into them and some reflected.

    Thankfully, the walls held, or the entire hidden realm might have been at risk. However, that was terrible news for Jack and the others. All the shockwaves bounced off the walls. Some of their power was absorbed with every reflection, but a terrifying amount still spread across the cavern, building up with time. The situation instantly became explosive. Fighting in such a stormy terrain, the weakest B-Grades present could barely hold on. Some were directly injured. Spacewind and Urusm took the brunt of the dragons attacks, but even they were on the verge of copsing.

    In the C-Grade, every three fruits corresponded to one tier of powerfrom the early to the middle, to thete C-Grade. At the B-Grade, the difference between each tier was even greater. Though these early B-Grades were all extreme characters, and though there were sixteen of them, they were at a disadvantage against a singlete B-Grade dragon.

    Jack and the others could not bother with the state of the battle. They were enduring their own life and death cmity. With all the shockwaves reflecting off the walls, the density of power in the cavern had climbed to unprecedented degrees. It was like they were trapped in a closed room where nuclear bombs constantly exploded.

    Thankfully, the small corner they had huddled into protected them from most of the shockwaves, but a few still snaked through. Defending against them was an ordeal. Three Dao shields superimposed over each other, from the weakest to the strongest: a golden shield of brohood, a purple aura of the Fist, and a red-cyan domain of lightningfire.

    Min Lings shield was the outermost one, so she had to bear the brunt of the shockwaves. Her entire body rocked in tune with her Dao shield. Her face paled, and she forcibly swallowed the blood she was about to puke.

    Let me help! Jack growled.

    Min Ling didnt respond, but holes appeared on her Dao shield. A few shockwaves slipped through, impacting Jacks shield instead. It warped and contorted, cracking like ss. His entire body shook. He barely stayed on his feet. He had already assumed his four-armed battle form, but it could not help in this casethe only thing it enhanced was his body, not his Dao.

    Like this, Jack and Min Ling together could barely resist the shockwaves. Their Dao shields twisted but held. As for Brock, he was too weak to assist them directly. His golden shield was theirst, desperate line of defense.

    Go bros! he shouted, manifesting arge golden trumpet that he blew to encourage themlike a football fan.

    At this point, the reflected shockwaves had grown so strong that even the B-Grades could not endure them. They had alle together inside a bubble of protection. That bubble originated from Urusm, who had taken charge of their defense. It was unknown what principles operated this bubble, but when passing through it, the shockwaves were weakened, allowing the B-Grades inside to barely endure them. Otherwise, half of them would have perished already, and the rest wouldnt be able to take on the dragon.

    The bubble itself was spectacr. It was a creamy white, with various runes swimming on its surface and the faint sound of hymns echoing in the surrounding space.

    Maintaining the bubble was taking a massive toll on Urusm, leaving him unable to attack. But that was fine. Spacewind was in charge of offense, leading every other B-Grade tobine their powers against the dragon. The world shook and splintered. The power released was so tremendous that even through the magically-enhanced cavern, the entire hidden realm was shaking in a massive earthquake. Ravines had opened everywhere,kes were leaking, rivers were changing course. The entire realm had been thrown into uproar.

    The ck dragon was enduring both the shockwaves and the attacks of all the B-Grade cultivators. However, its body was beyond durableit could withstand this onught for some time. Its situation was even better than the cultivators.

    Turn to ash! it roared, opening its jaws wide and releasing a torrent of ck foam. As soon as it touched Urusms defensive bubble, its surface was corroded. Urusm paled and spat out blood. This blood flew to the destroyed part of the bubble, hastily repairing it, but a portion of the ck foam had already seeped through. As it fell on a B-Grades body, the man screamedhis body deteriorated as if enduring the passage of a million years, then turned desated and dissolved into dust. He had died in less than a second with no ability to resist.

    The rest of the B-Grades made as much distance from the body as possible. Five of thembined their powers to suppress the ck foam, while the rest continued attacking the dragon.

    The greatest price of this, however, was not the dead B-Grade, but Urusms weakening. His face was pale, his raised arms were shaking, and the bubble he had conjured, while enduring, was flickering. I cannotst much longer, he said through gritted teeth.

    The dragons red eyes revealed joy. It still persisted. Drawing a deep breath, it gathered its power and prepared to unleash another dark breath. If it struck the cultivators, Urusms bubble would shatter, and they would all die horrible deaths. The battle was going terribly.

    At this moment, Spacewinds gaze went cold. He did not wish to die like this. Suddenly, his hand shot to the side. Arge palm of wind grabbed a Church cultivator without any warning and flung her forward, through the bubble, directly onto the ck dragon!

    Everyone was stunned. Even the ck dragon paused for an instant, not expecting this.

    Detonate your inner world! Spacewind roared quickly. Do it and I will protect your family on the outside. Otherwise, I will torture and murder them all!

    There was no time to think. The dragons w shed down at the cultivator even as her body was assaulted by numerous shockwaves. Her defenses crumbled instantly. In this situation, she was deader than dead.

    At herst moments, the cultivators heart shook. Her face formed an ugly, pitiful smile, and then her entire body imploded. Curse you, Spacewind! herst words echoed alongside a massive explosion.

 Chapter 398: Enduring

    Chapter 398: Enduring

    A B-Grade cultivator''s inner world represented their entire life and soul. It was their everything. When such an inner world was detonated, the cultivator would instantly die, but the power unleashed would be far superior to their all-out attack.

    Although this cultivator was nobody specialpared to the rest, the moment she exploded, a tremendous explosion shook the cavern. The shockwaves were momentarily deflected, and even Urusms bubble wavered. Thankfully, they had only endured a small portion of the impactthe explosion was aimed towards the dragon.

    Facing such an attack, the dragon didnt have time to defend. A vast amount of energy assaulted its body, sting it backward. It crashed into a wall, releasing a pained roar. One of its wings had been broken, while some of its scales bulged out due to broken bones on the inside.

    Cultivators! it roared in fury. I never thought you would be so ruthless! But even so, you cannot defeat me! I am inevitable! Unstoppable! I am death!

    The dragon pushed off the wall andunched itself at the cultivators bubble, unleashing a barrage of attacks. Despite its wounds, its battle power hadnt dropped too much. It could still fight. The body of a dragon was no joke.

    Meanwhile, the shockwaves of that explosion had ricocheted everywhere, bouncing off the walls. Part of them struck Jacks corner. Min Lings shield faltered, nearly shattering beneath this powerthe previous shockwaves were already her limit. As for Jack, the part that seeped through to his shield nearly overwhelmed him. He wouldntst much longer.

    Neither of the two could take much more strain, and Brock didnt have the power to help. At this rate, just enduring the shockwaves of this explosion was questionable, let alone the rest of the battle. If they didnt do something, the shockwaves would break through their shields and directly blow them up.

    Jacks gaze went frenzied. Combine! he shouted. His arm wrapped around Min Lings waist, pulling her closer. At the same time, his Dao spread through her body, aggressively merging into hers and enhancing her power. Jacks shield dissipated, but Min Lings suddenly shove with splendor, regaining its past power and forcibly withstanding the shockwaves. A purple tinge appeared on its surface.

    In the cultivation world, where backstabbings weremonce, touching anothers body was a taboo. Pouring ones Dao into another was also an extremely invasive maneuver, since it basically gave Jack a full awareness of Min Lings body. All her hidden weaknesses were seen through, all her weak spots wereid bare, the path of her energy cirction was clear as day. If they ever were to fight, this knowledge would give him a massive advantage.

    However, Jack had no choice but to act like this. Combining two different powers was easier said than done, and they could afford no risks right now. Directly pouring his power into her body and merging it with hers was the most direct approach, as well as the safest. It guaranteed the greatest chance of a sessful fusion. Moreover, the greater the surface of contact, the faster he could pour power into her, so he had directly pulled her body onto his. To mature people like them, a little bodily contact was no big deal.

    Thankfully, their Daos were somewhatpatible, so they had seeded.

    But this also came with a deep price for Jack. To fuse his power into hers, he was pouring his Dao into her body and then forcibly severing his connection to it, turning it into raw power. That allowed her to control it like her own energy, but at the same time, Jack felt like someone was hacking at his soul with a cleaver. A cultivator was deeply connected with their Dao. Forcibly severing it was extremely painful and also carried the danger of hidden injuries.

    But what choice was there?

    Min Ling did not hesitate for an instant. She guided both powers into her shield, achieving a fusion greater than the sum of its parts. She managed to barely resist the shockwaves. As soon as the explosion died down, they would be a little morefortable.

    Spacewind had been paying attention to the C-Grades in the corner. Jack and Min Ling had no weird thoughts about their bodily contactthey were just trying to survive. When those actions fell into Spacewinds eyes, however, his heart shimmered with actual killing intent.

    But the battle was still not over. The pain and injuries had driven the ck dragon insane. It attacked the cultivators without a care in the world, using its formidable body to endure both the shockwaves and their attacks.

    The cultivators were suppressed. They could barely persist.

    Everyone! Spacewind shouted. Detonate your inner worlds! Otherwise, we will all die!

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    The cultivators nced at each other. Nobody was willing tomit suicide to help the others. At that time, Urusm clenched his teeth and dropped his kindly act. Those who hesitate, I will curse their bloodline. Even if we all perish here, that persons descendants will die horrible deaths!

    Everyone went cold. All sense of unity had shattered between them. They were each fighting for their own survival.

    However, Urusms threat could not be ignored. Faith-oriented Daos were often associated with karma and curses. Someone of his power could very probably carry out his threat and use a curse that affected not just them, but all their descendants as well!

    At this time, without any warning, the dragon opened its mouth and spat out another torrent of ck foam. Their attacks melted as they entered this foam. Once it struck the bubble, they would all die!

    Spacewind did not wait for someone to take the initiative. He reached to the side and grabbed a cultivator, then directly tossed her towards the ck foam. To the side, Urusm suppressed his injuries to do the exact same thing, conjuring a massive palm and throwing a cultivator outside the bubble. He was just as ruthless as Spacewind!

    The cultivator Spacewind had chosen was Ashly Shelly, the octopus Envoy who had helped Jack in the past.

    The two cultivators had expected this would happen, but in this battle, they had no way to protect themselves. They had only been hoping they wouldnt be the ones to go. Sadly, luck was not on their side.

    Right before they died, their smiles were bitter and self-deprecating. They refused to go like thisbut what choice did they have?

    The two of them made the same choice. Their bodiesbusted into massive infernos, instantly turning the world into hell. The dragons breath was washed away, and even the magically enhanced walls cracked against this impact.

    The bubble almost shattered. As for the dragon, which faced the brunt of the explosions, it was once again sted against the back wall. More of its body broke. Pained roars echoed, imbued with fury. It still intended to fight, but the cultivators wouldnt give it the chance.

    Spacewind and Urusm each grabbed another cultivator each, flinging them towards the dragon. Both before and now, they had chosen the people most attached to their families or factions. The two cultivators disappeared into the storm of shockwaves, then another two massive explosions erupted. The world shook. The void had long disintegrated, turning the entire cavern into spaceless nihility.

    Heart-wrenching roars echoed. ck blood filled the world, resisting even the shattered spacetime. Urusms bubble finally shattered, but it had endured most of the shockwaves. Attack! Spacewind shouted, shooting into the fray, followed by every other cultivator. No more self-detonations erupted, but the shockwaves grew even more intense as they directly struck the dragon to death.

    As for Jacks corner, their situation was as ugly as could be. They had barely endured one explosion beforenow, four urred at quick session. The shockwaves reached unprecedented heights. Min Lings shield held for a while, violently contortingeven with Jacks assistance, there was a limit to what she could endure.

    Jack gritted his teeth, pulling her tighter and pouring every bit of his Dao into her. This caused internal injuries for both of them, but survival was the most important thing. The shield red majestically, imbued by the totality of their powers, but it still struggled. It endured the first and second shockwaves. The third bent it like a torn sheet. When the fourth arrived, the shield could take no more. It wasted over half of the shockwaves power but finally shattered, the bacsh injuring Min Ling. She could no longer resist.

    The shockwave burst through, striking Brocks golden Dao shield, theirst line of defense. Though it was weakened, how could Brockpare to even a fraction of a B-Grades self-detonation? The shield persisted for barely an instant before shattering, letting the shockwave attack them directly.

    However, that instant Brock earned them had been critical. Min Ling and Brock were both suffering the bacshes of their Dao shattering. Jack knew that if the shockwave hit either of them, they would die.

    In that moment, he growled. He grabbed Min Ling by the waist and tossed her behind him. He stepped forward. His fist shone purple, his entire body radiated green power as its life energy was cranked to the max, and he roared out with all his strength.

    SUPERNOVA!

    Min Ling was shaken. Just as her powers were ebbing and she thought she was about to die, she had been thrown backward by Jack. His robust body stepped in front of her, shielding her. The image was forever imprinted into her mind. Nobody could endure that shockwave. He would sacrifice himself!?

    At that moment, her heart was in pain. They had traveled together for some time, shared life and death. She realized she cared about himshe didnt want him to die. Worry clouded her mind. Pain.

    Jack! she screamed.

    Bro! Brock roared.

    Their voices were swallowed in the explosion. Min Ling saw the entire world pulled into Jacks fist, condensed to an impossible degree. It all erupted. His fist smashed into the shockwave, unleashing all that power at once even as the fist itself evaporated.

    His robes disintegrated instantly, revealing a brave back that could shield the world.

    A tremendous explosion filled the cavern. The shockwave was finally halted, kept away from Min Ling and Brock, but Jack himself bore the brunt of the explosion. Min Ling saw his offensive arm disintegrate. The other three arms were crossed before his face, but they all shattered. Bones flew out of his body. Strips of flesh flew through the air even as they burned. Jacks entire body was sted into the wall over their heads with such power that it shook the cavern, and he was almost ttened as all his bones broke. His chest was a ckened cavity. His lungs were nowhere to be seen, and even his heart had melted. His mouth opened but made no sound.

    Min Ling screamed.

 Chapter 399: Iâ€™m Gonna Do It Even Harder!

    Chapter 399: I¡¯m Gonna Do It Even Harder!

    Jack¡¯s body had been broken beyond recognition. Even his face had been burned¡ªif Min Ling didn¡¯t know it was him, she wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him.

    His embers of life were already disappearing. He was just a moment away from death.

    In that moment, his body suddenly erupted with indescribably dense, unfathomably deep life energy. It was like a million lives bloomed in his chest. The world was colored green, and Min Ling could feel her own wounds regenerating just from being nearby.

    Jack was bathed in power. His ruined body slowly returned from the precipice of destruction. His organs regrew, his bones squirmed together, and his ckened flesh tumbled to the floor as new, rosy skin too its ce. Even his eyes, which had been burned to cinders, slowly reconstructed themselves.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time Min Ling saw such regenerative powers. The same had urred after Jack was almost burned to death by the magma. The sight remained as gruesome asst time, but now, that feeling was overshadowed by iparable relief.

    He had almost sacrificed himself to save her. When her shield had shattered, she had been enduring the bacsh and waspletely defenseless. Jack could have tossed her into the shockwaves to consume some of their power and increase his own chances of survival. Instead, he had pulled her behind him and stepped forward to take the blow.

    Anyone would feel immense gratitude after being treated like that, and Min Ling was no exception. Her heart swam with relief as she saw him recover. If he really died, she had no idea how she would feel.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, tears of gratitude welling up in her eyes. Instantly, however, she suppressed them. She rose and stepped before Jack¡¯s body, facing the inside of the cavern.

    Though she was iparably weak right now, her powers all spent, she would rather die than let a single shockwave touch Jack.

    A brori stepped up beside her. His eyes were hard, and his body shone with golden radiance. He was as hurt as she was, but he also rose to fight.

    Thankfully, however, no more shockwaves came. The cavern was silent. Some of the previous power still reverbated against the walls, but it was nothing they couldn¡¯t handle, even in their current weakened state.

    Space slowly restored itself. Min Ling saw endless cracks on the walls, but they all stood. As for the ck dragon, its body was lying on the ground, broken beyond recognition. A headless corpse was grasped in its ws.

    The dragon¡¯s tenacity had been unrivaled. Even after enduring all those explosions, it had still managed to kill one more cultivator before finally sumbing to death.

    Of the sixteen B-Grades who had entered this cavern, nine remained. They were all sitting or standing around the dragon, recovering their energy as quickly as they could. Especially Spacewind and Urusm¡ªif one of them was overly weakened, the other mightunch a sneak attack.

    Thankfully, it seemed that would not happen. Spacewind had conserved enough of his energy, and so had Urusm¡ªhis bubble hadn¡¯t shattered because he ran out of power, but because he dissolved it when his reserves ran low.

    As Min Ling saw them, they also saw her. Spacewind opened an eye to nce coldly at her. ¡°You survived,¡± he said. At that point, his indifference was so striking against Jack¡¯s willingness to sacrifice himself that Min Ling felt disgusted. She did not even reply.

    Instead, she turned to Urusm and asked, ¡°Is your healer still alive?¡±

    The only B-Grade healer present was part of the Hand of God. He was also alive, since Urusm had protected him. The monk nodded, and the healer stepped forth, approaching Jack¡¯s unconscious body.

    Seeing that, Spacewind¡¯s gaze went even more frigid. Min Ling, the woman he desired, had not even replied to him. Instead, her first reaction was to look for a healer to cure another man¡ªa man to whom she had been stered a moment ago.

    The mes of hatred in his heart burned more intensely, but he concealed them. He had already decided to kill Jack. Doing so now, in front of everyone, would be considered treason to his faction. However, to exit the hidden realm they would need to pass through an unstable space tunnel. At that time, Spacewind was certain he could arrange an ident for Jack, and even if someone saw through him, they would have no proof.

    <em>I hope you are still alive, </em>he thought, staring at Jack¡¯s unconscious body. <em>I want to kill you myself. Then, we¡¯ll see if Min Ling still appreciates you.</em>

    The healer inspected Jack for a moment, then frowned. ¡°This man is perfectly healthy,¡± he said, ncing at Min Ling. ¡°Why did you call me?¡±

    ¡°Just making sure. Thank you,¡± she replied calmly, and the healer walked away.

    Only Min Ling and Brock knew what terrible state Jack had been in just moments ago. Recovering from that was nothing short of a miracle. If Min Ling still believed the Life Artifact in Jack¡¯s body was simple, she would be in stupid.

    But she did not say anything. She didn¡¯t even harbor evil intentions. Jack had saved her, and Min Ling was a woman who knew right from wrong. No matter how great a treasure he hid, if she were to betray him now, she might as well kill herself.

    ***

    Jack¡¯s eyes opened. He blinked slowly. Cracked stone entered his sight, alongside a very concerned brori face.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Brock said. ¡°Bro is awake. Big happy!¡±

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    ¡°Hey Brock. Like you can¡¯t imagine,¡± Jack replied, his smile still strained.

    He hadn¡¯t expected to wake up. When he positioned himself before that massive shockwave, he¡¯d thought that was the end of the line. It was a miracle.

    <em>But how? </em>he wondered. <em>I¡¯m pretty sure my organs all shattered. I should have died.</em>

    It was only after a few seconds of nkness that ast memory reached his brain. Right before he passed out, a vast, verdant green filled his world. The purest life energy.

    <em>The Life Drop¡­ </em>he realized. Only then did he let himself rx, the back of his head resting calmly on the stone. <em>It saved me¡­</em>

    <em>¡°No it didn¡¯t. I did,¡± </em>a voice spoke inside his mind. <em>¡°And I gotta say kid, you¡¯re really making me work here!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hmm?¡± </em>Jack¡¯s eyes shot open again. <em>¡°Turtle?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°My name is not turtle, goddammit! I am Venerable Saint Thousand Shell!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You were the one who saved me?¡± </em>Jack asked. <em>¡°You really are kinder than you seem.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean!?¡±</em>

    Jack smiled. <em>¡°Thank you.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hmph! You still owe me all that life energy, you little piece of shit. You don¡¯t get to die unless I say so!¡±</em>

    Jack¡¯s smile widened. The turtle¡¯s voice was as imperious as ever, but after everything that just happened, Jack couldn¡¯t bring himself to take it seriously. <em>¡°In any case, I owe you one,¡± </em>he said.

    <em>¡°You owe me multiple! The Supreme Blood is meant tost you millennia, but you¡¯re spending all the energy like candy!¡±</em>

    Jack frowned. <em>I¡¯m spending energy like candy? </em>His gaze turned inward, focusing on the Life Drop. It remained an ocean of energy¡ªyet, it wasn¡¯t as unfathomable as it used to be. Though still enormous, Jack had the feeling that the ocean¡¯s volume had decreased by a bit. Maybe around one percent.

    <em>¡°Oh,¡± </em>was all he said.

    Using the four-armed form or regenerating himself took up a lot of energy. Back when he was a D-Grade, the amount was nothing to speak of. However, as his body increased in power, the energy needed to regenerate it naturally increased as well. The strain he put on the Life Drop was no longer negligible. By the time he reached the B-Grade, perhaps the Life Drop would no longer be as useful.

    <em>¡°What¡¯s that, kid!?¡± </em>the turtle thundered. <em>¡°You are shielding your mind, but I know you are thinking something sphemous! Go on, spit it out. See if I dare to disintegrate you!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I, uh, was thinking of how incredibly skilled you are at using this energy,¡± </em>Jack replied with a wry smile.

    <em>¡°Then why are smiling like that?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°My face muscles are still a bit twitchy.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You¡¯re lying! I made sure to fix those! I didn¡¯t want that little girl to think you¡¯re ugly.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± </em>Jack replied, shaking his head.

    The turtle harrumphed once¡ªor was itughing?¡ªbefore its voice turned serious. <em>¡°In any case, listen well. This is the second time in a short while that I¡¯ve had to actively galvanize the Supreme Blood to heal you. That¡¯s what it¡¯s made for, so I can¡¯t me you, but you really need to stop trying to sacrifice yourself for others! Anyway, the Supreme Blood may be extraordinary, but my own power isn¡¯t endless. I¡¯ll have to fall into slumber for a while. Try not to die while I¡¯m gone, okay?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°How long will that be?¡± </em>Jack asked, but got no response. The turtle had fallen asleep as soon as it said so. What an enviable superpower.

    After asking a couple more times and bing convinced that the turtle was already deeply asleep, Jack finally sighed.

    The Life Drop¡¯s regenerative properties were meant to supplement his powers, not overshadow them. The two times he¡¯d been healed¡ªonce now and once after swimming inva¡ªwere already too much. Such intense regeneration would be unavable for the near future, but Jack was fine with it.

    And, besides, he didn¡¯t regret his former decisions. Perhaps he would have died without the turtle¡¯s assistance, but he would have done so to save Brock and Min Ling respectively. The former went without saying, and as for Min Ling, she had saved his life and Brock¡¯s life once. He owed it to her.

    The turtle being asleep meant nothing. Even if he really was going to die, he would sacrifice himself all the same. Being alive was meaningless if it meant abandoning his path.

    ¡°How long are you going to sleep for?¡± a woman¡¯s voice reached his ears. ¡°Get up already.¡±

    He opened one eye. Min Ling was bent over him, inspecting him with her brows creased. As she noticed he was awake, a hint of relief passed over her eyes, disappearing in the next instant.

    ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± Jack said, breaking into a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± she replied, turning away.

    Jack slowly forced himself to stand. Though he was healed, everything still hurt. He¡¯d overdrawn himself. It would be hard to fight at full power before resting.

    As soon as he was up, he surveyed his surroundings. A ck dragon corpsey at one end of the cavern, ruined beyond recognition. Besides being dead, it also looked like it had been scavenged. Most of its scales were missing, while its belly had been torn open and several organs removed. Anything of value had been taken by the B-Grade cultivators.

    Speaking of B-Grades, the nine remaining were all meditating inside the cavern, restoring themselves to their optimal state. Spacewind and Urusm were still alive. Of the rest, three belonged to the ck Hole Church and four to the Hand of God. The bnce of power remained.

    The B-Grades of each faction had gathered in two separate corners, while Jack, Brock, and Min Ling were in yet another. As soon as Jack rose, the meditating Spacewind cracked open his eyes, coldly inspecting him before closing them again. To Jack¡¯s surprise, the enmity he felt in that gaze was even deeper than before.

    <em>How the hell did I upset him this time? </em>he wondered, then put the issue to rest. All he could do was be careful.

    ¡°I believe it is time, fellow benefactors.¡± A voice echoed through the cavern, originating from Urusm. His white robes were pristine, while one of his long brows still hung below his chin. The other was cut off at the level of his nose.

    At Urusm¡¯s words, the cultivators of his faction rose to their feet, as did the Church ones. Only now did Jack notice the three cubes in the middle of the cavern. In fact, he had seen them once before the dragon attacked. The surprising part was that they remained intact after that battle. They didn¡¯t even have a scratch.

    ¡°Did they wait for me to inspect them?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Of course not, you idiot,¡± Min Ling replied. ¡°You just happened to wake up on time.¡±

 Chapter 400: Hole of Certain Death

    Chapter 400: Hole of Certain Death

    The B-Grades slowly approached the cubes. There were three of them¡ªtwo small ones the size of bathtubs, and arger one that reached Jack¡¯s shoulders. Their size alone wasn¡¯t too impressive, and they were made of the same stone as the surrounding cavern.

    Some things were different, though. For one, they were carved into perfect cubes. They were also unharmed by the massive battle that urred around them. The most important thing, however, was that they were covered in hundreds of intersecting lines.

    As soon as Jack saw cubes covered in lines, he instantly thought of his own death cube. But they were different. The death cube seemed naturally formed, while these ones were clearly carved by someone¡ªJack could see imperfections on their lines as if drawn by a masterful yet imperfect sculptor. Moreover, some of these lines had an end and a beginning, not looping back into themselves¡ªon the death cube, every line formed a perfect loop.

    In other words, these cubes were both simr and different than the death cube. Jack would be damned if there wasn¡¯t a connection.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t say anything silly. He let the B-Grades inspect them as they liked.

    Nine B-Grades approached the cubes and scanned them with their perception. Some walked around, while others used various arcane skills to try and peek through their walls.

    ¡°There are treasures inside,¡± Urusm said slowly. ¡°I can sense a faint aura wafting through. The smaller cubes should contain identical things, two of a pair. Thergest cube¡­has something else.¡±

    ¡°The question is, how do we get through?¡± Spacewind added, rubbing his chin.

    This wasn¡¯t a ce meant for early B-Grades. They had only managed to enter the temple because the barrier had been weakened by endless years, and half of them had to self-detonate their inner worlds to best the guardian of this ce. The treasures in those cubes would no doubt be priceless, but let alone getting to them, these B-Grades weren¡¯t even able to identify them.¡°Breaking through is impossible,¡± Urusm said. Unless he and Spacewind detonated their inner worlds at the same time, it was impossible to achieve greater power than during the cataclysmic battle before. ¡°We have to solve the cubes.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± Spacewind asked.

    ¡°Who builds containers that cannot open?¡±

    Jack had to admit this made sense. He had approached as well, apanied by Min Ling and Brock, and all three of them were inspecting the cubes alongside everyone.

    Jack had already suspected these cubes were simr to his death cube. As he examined them, he was slowly trying to draw connections between the two sets of lines and see if he could find something useful. Unfortunately, the two sets were too dissimr; he was progressing too slowly.

    His focus must have stood out. Spacewind turned to him and raised a brow. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you think you can find something that we cannot?¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± Jack replied, not willing to back down. When he had seen Spacewind throw his fellow cultivators into the fire to save himself, his opinion of the man had already dropped to rock bottom.

    Spacewind was about to say something, but it was Urusm who spoke first. ¡°There is no harm in letting the C-Grades look. Even monkeys can solve riddles with enough luck.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. Urusm seemed like a kind monk, but he was actually the master of passive-aggressiveness. Hearing his words, Spacewind snorted and didn¡¯t bother further, turning his full attention to the cubes. Jack also stopped speaking.

    Time was a loose concept for people as long-lived as cultivators. They stood before the cubes for many hours, staring at the lines and trying to make out their meaning. Some people scanned the cubes extensively with their perception, while others resorted to simpler means and patted down the cubes in their entirety.

    A man even tested the floor around the cubes, finding it as hard as the cubes themselves. Using force to break through was impossible. They had to find a certain way to open them¡ªbut how?

    Twelve hourster, nobody had any idea.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± Spacewind said. ¡°We¡¯ve fought hard for these treasures. Even if we have to spend months and years meditating on the lines, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    Everyone nodded. To these B-Grades, who could live for a hundred thousand years, spending two or three of those to get a treasure was not a problem. However, Jack¡¯s entire cultivation journey so far hadsted only three years. He was unwilling to spend another three staring at walls.

    More importantly¡­he felt he shouldn¡¯t need that long. Like everyone, he had walked around the cubes a few times, and he¡¯d finally discovered a few lines that were very simr to the death cube¡¯s. By contrasting the two sets, he had the feeling he would arrive at a solution within a much shorter timeframe than years.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The problem was that, even if he did manage to solve the cubes, Spacewind would just take everything. Jack would get a tiny corner of the treasures at best. That wasn¡¯t enough. Between sharing treasures with these cold-blooded killers or taking them for himself and his friends, the choice was obvious.

    If he could solve the cubes first, how would he get the treasures under everyone¡¯s nose?

    He had no answer to that.

    Besides the cubes and the dragon corpse, the cavern was notpletely empty. It had two exits. One was the towering double doors leading to the already-emptied medicine garden. The other was arge hole on the floor in the far side of the cavern. Just like the cube, this hole waspletely unaffected by the previous battle.

    Now that there was no dragon to draw everyone¡¯s attention, Jack could make out carvings on the wall behind the hole. It was a few simple words:

    <em>No treasure lies here.</em>

    <em>To those who enter deeper¡­ Death!</em>

    Carving words into these hard walls was already an impressive feat. Moreover, these simple words carried a heavy killing intent, making all those who saw them avert their eyes. If a mortal so much as looked at the words, their heart would seize on the spot and they would die.

    <em>Could it be the creator of this hidden realm? </em>Jack wondered. <em>But why would he write such a thing? Did he expect people to wander in here after his death?</em>

    In any case, these were just the words of a long-dead cultivator. Even if he had been the master of this ce, that didn¡¯t mean people would do as he said.

    Everyone slowly gathered over. Besides the threatening words, the hole had few special features¡ªit was just a tunnel dug vertically into the ground. Nobody could tell where it led or how deep it was. Thick darkness gathered just a mile into it, dispersing all Dao perception. Moreover, an astonishing force of gravity covered the hole. Anyone who took even a step inside would not be able to fly out, and they would instead be sucked deep into its depths.

    And, beyond all those, the hole was suffused with an extremely potent aura. It wasn¡¯t powerful per se¡ªeven Jack and Brock could easily withstand it. However, this aura¡¯s most terrifying aspect was not its quantity, but its quality. It carried a concept of endless years, a bottomless, all-epassing Dao. It was like staring at the mouth of a god.

    Before such profoundness, even the Daos of all B-Grades present were like the drawings of children: extremely crude.

    Urusm inspected the hole with his perception for a minute, then shook his head. ¡°s,¡± he said regretfully. ¡°That is the pressure of an A-Grade existence. It is likely the temple has a second level¡­but we are too weak. Even this guardian nearly took our lives. Going any deeper is suicide¡ªwe should be content with the treasures of the three boxes, then return to our factions and have them send some peak B-Grades to explore the rest of this ce.¡±

    Nobody believed the words on the stone. How could there not be priceless treasures inside that hole? Nobody was willing to stop aftering this far, but unfortunately, there was nothing they could do. Entering the hole would be throwing their lives away. They had no choice but to let stronger people take this opportunity.

    Everyone turned away and left. There was no point in torturing themselves. Just staring at the hole made their hearts ache with desire.

    As they walked away, Jack was thest. He spared the hole a final nce¡ªin that extremely profound life energy, he felt a hint of a familiar aura. Whatever exuded this aura resonated faintly with his Life Drop. Perhaps it was another Life Artifact rted to Enas, or maybe a guardian of simr origin to the turtle.

    Unfortunately, even Jack could only shake his head and walk away. Being courageous was one thing, but being reckless was another. Just the faint resonance of the Life Drop was in no way a guarantee of sess. If he entered that hole, chances were he would perish just like everyone else.

    It was regretful, but some opportunities had to be let go.

    Everyone abandoned the hole leading deeper and returned to the cubes. This was the opportunity they could grasp¡ªand they would give it their all. Even if nobody could make sense of those mysterious lines, they would keep trying until they seeded.

    ¡°Listen up, everyone.¡± Spacewind and Urusm gathered everyone together after speaking privately for a while. Spacewind was the one speaking. ¡°We havee to an agreement. Until we resolve these cubes, we will stay in this ce for as long as necessary. All treasures will be split fairly once we find them. However, until then, we have to ask that everyone remains inside this cavern. We cannot risk one of you notifying the factions of this ce¡¯s real potential, or these treasures will no longer be ours. Anyone who goes even one step beyond the doors will be considered a traitor and jointly pursued by me and Urusm.¡±

    As if to emphasize his point, Spacewind waved his sleeve, causing a strong wind to blow the double doors shut. The cavern was sunk in darkness. His meaning was clear¡ªuntil they solved the cubes, those doors would not open, no matter how long it took.

    Many people were disgruntled. Even if they did open the boxes, who told them that the treasures could be split nine-ways? Perhaps it was a single item in each box. If that was the case, most of them would get nothing. The only ones who were guaranteed to earn a reward were Spacewind and Urusm.

    Unfortunately, they were also the strongest people present, so they had the power to lock everyone inside. As for everyone else joining forces to demand they leave, that was just a joke. Spacewind and Urusm were stronger than the other seven B-Gradesbined, and they would not hesitate to kill them all if it meant getting the treasures.

    The only reason they hadn¡¯t done so already was that even they wouldn¡¯t recklessly kill people of their own faction. Otherwise, nobody would have followed them here.

    Therefore, everyone was dissatisfied, but they could onlyply. A couple years was nothing to them, anyway. But those years mattered to Jack and Brock. Let alone the fact that they would be presumed dead and their families on Earth would miss them, their total cultivation time so far had been a mere three years. They weren¡¯t willing to spend another three on a treasure that wouldn¡¯t even be theirs.

    And, Min Ling was in the same boat. She was also in the prime of her youth. Wasting her years here was just too bad.

    And the worst thing for Jack was that he soon might discover the solution to the cubes. Would he be forced to share it, knowing he wouldn¡¯t see even a corner of the treasures, or would he need to wait several years until everyone else got too bored to continue?

    Was there really no other way?

 Chapter 401: Fishing for Benefits

    Chapter 401: Fishing for Benefits

    In the ck dragon¡¯s cavern, everyone inspected the three cubes and meditated. The doors were closed. They would not open until the cubes did.

    Like this, a month passed.

    Meditating on some lines was not a quick process, but it also wasn¡¯t a hopeless one. The more abstract the subject, the more ways to see it. The B-Grades had not lost their vigor¡ªif anything, the challenge had ignited theirpetitiveness, causing them to dive even deeper into their attempts atprehension.

    This was also true for the weaker B-Grades present. Though they didn¡¯t have much hope of actually earning anything inside the boxes, the lines themselves hid insights into the Dao. Meditating on them was a slow process of enlightenment, as if some wisdom was carving itself into the backs of their minds.

    To B-Grades, this feeling was priceless. They had eventually realized that, let alone the treasures, even meditating on these lines was a lucky chance.

    As for Min Ling and Brock, they too spent their time gazing at the lines. They held infiniteplexity; there were 999 of them across the three cubes, each of irregr depth and width, and all of them intersected in a million different ways. Each tiny change was a clue, and all of those together would form an image. They wanted to see it.

    Spacewind and Urusm were right. Given time, they would indeed decode these cubes. It would take anywhere from half a year to three years.

    However, that applied to most people. Jack was different.

    He had seen these lines before. He possessed the death cube¡ªa cube also covered in 999 lines of irregr depth and width. Though the death cube had many differences to these three, they were clearly simr.Moreover, the death cube was much easier toprehend. Its insights were richer and more condensed, each line forming aplete system. When he had meditated on it for a few days before, it had been enough to gain a significant harvest. By using the death cube as the key to decoding the other three cubes, his progress was much faster than everybody else¡¯s!

    After a week, though he wasn¡¯t halfway there yet, he had taken significant steps. He now understood that, while the death cube concerned death, these cubes of simr origin concerned life.

    When contrasting the two side by side, many things became clear. The death cube¡¯s lines were all perfect loops with no end or beginning. That was because each line signified a life, and since the death cube spoke about death, each of those lives had already reached its end and returned to the starting point.

    On the other hand, these three cubes represented the concept of life. Each of their lines represented a life, but unlike the death cube¡¯s, not all of them were over. Some were depicted at the prime of their youth, in the decline of old years, or in various other states. That was why these cubes had lines with beginnings and ends, while the death cube only contained perfect loops.

    Of course, these three cubes were far inferior to the death cube in quality. The main reason for that was their imperfections¡ªthe lines of the three cubes were not perfectly carved, containing various tiny differences from the real thing. Perhaps a carving was one inch too shallow, or half an inch too wide, or slightly more angr than it should have been. On such a profound system, however, it was difficult to distinguish which of these were carving mistakes and which were intended as part of the cube.

    These all originated from the fact that these cubes were not natural, like the death cube, but artificially carved. It was like someone possessed a genuine life cube and had tried to duplicate it. That was why they were so muchrger than the death cube¡ªto give the sculptor more space¡ªand also why they contained imperfections¡ªwhen carving suchplicated lines, even an A-Grade engraver could make mistakes.

    As it was, these mistakes greatly increased the difficulty, mostly because nobody had realized they existed. Everyone else took the mistakes as part of the puzzle; they had no way of knowing better. Only Jack could contrast the two systems and find the minor inconsistencies.

    These cubes, by themselves, were a great lucky chance. That was especially so for Jack. He cultivated life and death, but for death, he had the death cube and Elder Boatman¡¯s crystallized insights. His attainments in that Dao were currently low, but they would climb meteorically. As for Life, he had no such shortcuts. All he could rely on were his Life-rted umted insights from practicing the Fist, but those would eventually be outpaced by hisprehensions of Death, and then his entire Dao system would be imbnced.

    He was in dire need of a way toprehend Life¡­and these cubes were exactly that.

    Gazing into the lines, Jack lost track of time. Everything else disappeared¡ªthe cultivators, the cavern, the treasures, everything turned to smoke. It was just him and the three cubes, which he restlessly scanned with his eyes. Every line was a story. He traced every change in depth, every widening and narrowing, every curve and intersection with others.

    999 lives. None of them were ordinary. As Jack understood more and more things, he realized that the lines were talking about kings and gods, about devils, martyrs, heroes, and those who suffered most. Each life was extreme. The insights hidden inside them were far richer than in a regr person¡¯s.

    There were three cubes, but in truth, they were all part of a whole. The two small ones held 250 lines each, and therger one held 499, for a total of 999 lines¡ª999 lives.

    Jack sat cross-legged in front of each cube for a long amount of time. He entered apletely pure meditation state, where the entire world melted away. The only hints of movement came when he stood up and moved to a different side of the cube or to a different cube.

    Meditating on those lines was somewhat simr to experiencing the Dao Chamber of Mortality but iparably more effective. Moreover, he observed them for far longer. During this time, his understanding of Life shot up. Without knowing it, his Fist of Mortality skill had risen from the first to the second tier, bordering on the third, and the Dao Fruit of Life in his soul was growing ever brighter like a green star.

    One day, Jack finished observing thest line. His mind snapped into focus, returning to the dark cavern with the closed doors. Looking down, a faintyer of dust had gathered on his legs.

    <em>How long was I sitting for? </em>he wondered.

    Slowly, he stood, finding that the space around him was filled with other meditating cultivators. None of them had entered the depths he did¡ªthe imperfections of the carvings would create contradictions, constantly shaking them out of their spiritual focus and preventing them from achieving the same state of nirvana as Jack. Even Spacewind and Urusm had faint creases in their brows.

    Jack looked around, finally discovering Brock standing in a corner, slowly reading from a golden book in hisp. As he approached, Jack saw that the book only held images, not letters¡ªBrock had never learned to read.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said.

    Brock looked up from his book. ¡°Sup,¡± he said. ¡°Are you winning, bro?¡±

    ¡°I, uh¡­ Kinda? Those carvings areplex, but I think I may have understood one line by now,¡± Jack replied out loud. Through telepathy, however, he informed Brock of his real progress. He had fullyprehended the lines. Or, at least, enough that he was confident he could unlock the cubes.

    Brock nodded.

    ¡°How long was I meditating for?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Three months.¡±

    <em>Three months¡­ </em>Jack shook his head. <em>Cultivation really is timeless. I wonder how my kids have grown. Perhaps I should go out and see them.</em>

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition.

    He spoke into the brori¡¯s mind. <em>¡°Are you ready to go?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I was born ready, brother.¡±</em>

    Jack smiled. <em>¡°Alright.¡±</em>

    He then turned back towards the cubes. He was confident he could unlock them. The problem was that, even if he did, all those B-Grades would just take the treasures and give him nothing. He wasn¡¯t willing to let that happen.

    He needed a n.

    And, thankfully, Jack had a penchant for imaginative, unlikely, yet oddly sessful ns.

    But first, he needed to get Min Ling on board. They were friends now. He didn¡¯t want to share with all those cut-throat B-Grades, but he would with her and Brock.

    ***

    One dayter, Jack sat and gazed at the cubes alongside everyone else. They were meditating on them. He was trying to solve them.

    <em>Life and death¡­ </em>he thought, letting the connections happen in his mind. <em>Two parts of a whole. One without the other is iplete. To solve the cubes, I must simte the progression of all the iplete lines until they form a perfect loop¡ªuntil they die and return to their starting point. That is how I prove myprehension. That is how I solve the riddle.</em>

    He smiled. The Sage had once said that divination was part of the Dao of Life. Jack hadn¡¯t understood at the time, but now he did. By observing and understanding all theseplete lines, he could infer the ends of the iplete lines as well. He could predict their future.

    Of course, he was still a novice. He couldn¡¯t do it too well. But after meditating on these cubes as well as the death cube, he felt a degree of confidence¡ªand, even if his predictions weren¡¯t perfect, neither were the lines themselves. Whoever set this puzzle should have left a generous error margin.

    Jack stared at one of the smaller cubes. It contained two hundred and fifty lines; of those, only twenty-five were iplete. He slowly extrapted their future course, confirming his predictions over and over again until they were as good as he could make them. Then, he held theplete solution in his mind¡­and waited.

    One hour passed. Then another. Jack was patient, like a hunter stalking his prey.

    The other cultivators couldn¡¯tpletely immerse themselves in these lines like he had. They would often stand up to stretch their legs or reset their thoughts. A few cultivators did, but Jack still waited. He let time pass.

    Finally, five days after he¡¯d locked onto the solution, Spacewind also moved. He dusted himself off and walked away, strolling to therge hole on the far side of the cavern. He often looked at it. Perhaps it stoked his greed.

    As soon as Jack saw Spacewind rising, he knew the time was near. He waited until the other man was over the hole, gazing into its depths. Then, with a single flex of his mind, Jack constructed twenty-five perfect lines of Dao and stered them at the end of the small cube¡¯s iplete lines.

    It happened too quickly for anyone to realize who did what. The entire cube shone like a green beacon. All the lines disappeared, and the stone of the cube melted away, revealing a green bean underneath.

    Though this was just a tiny bean, it emitted intense amounts of power. Jack¡¯s mind was almost shaken. This was absolutely an extreme treasure! A treasure that would make even peak B-Grades froth with greed, let alone these early B-Grades!

    Everything had happened too quickly and without warning. Most cultivators remained stunned. Spacewind, who was in the distance, had just turned his head, his mouth wide open in shock.

    Urusm, however, was right next to the small cube. His face hardened. His eyes shone with avarice. He shouted out loud, unleashing a massive wind that blew everyone far away. His hand snaked forward.

    The bean entered Urusm¡¯s space ring. He then shot to his feet and flew towards the doors quickly enough to create multiple sonic booms. Spacewind was also flying over, but he was a bit too far away¡ªthe distance would be hard to cover. ¡°Stop him!¡± he roared.

    Two Church cultivators flew in Urusm¡¯s path.

    ¡°Out of my way!¡± shouted the monk. A massive golden palm appeared, pping the two cultivators at full power. Their defenses burst apart. Both of them spat blood and crashed into the walls, letting Urusm fly past between them. With another shout, that golden palm mmed into the giant double doors, smashing them open so abruptly they were almost ripped from their hinges.

    Urusm flew out at maximum speed. Spacewind followed an instantter. By now, every other B-Grade had reacted as well, and they activated their movement skills to rush after their leaders as quickly as they could. Shouts and shockwaves came from afar¡ªthe medicine garden was torn apart, the entire mountain shook, and the B-Grades disappeared into the tunnels at multiple times the speed of sound.

    Only three people were left behind: Jack, Brock, and Min Ling.

    Everything had gone ording to Jack¡¯s n.

    When the cube opened, nobody cared who or how achieved it. They only wanted the treasure. They were ready to erupt into a bloody battle, but thanks to Jack¡¯s calctions, Spacewind had been away. Thus, the strongest person present was clearly Urusm, who easily took ahold of the treasure.

    After that, he wasn¡¯t an idiot to stay there and wait for Spacewind to catch up. If that happened, they would be forced to split the treasure¡ªif they fought instead, one would die, and the other would be so weakened that someone else might kill him afterward.

    Therefore, Urusm rapidly calcted everything and chose the only sensible option: flee to the nearest exit portal. He could directly leave the hidden realm, keep the bean, and then invite stronger people topete for the rest of the treasures.

    After all, just this bean was an extreme treasure. Taking it was far better than striving for the contents of therger cube and probably dying in the process, not to mention the benefits he would receive from his faction if he notified them about all these.

    But Spacewind couldn¡¯t let that happen. As soon as Urusm had fled, he followed at high speed, using everything he had to catch up. If Urusm really exited the hidden realm, Spacewind would get absolutely nothing!

    As for everyone else, staying here was meaningless. They could only follow their leaders and participate in the battle, if it urred.

    All those conditions resulted in the cavern emptying in the blink of an eye. The only ones remaining were Jack, Brock, and Min Ling¡ªthe three C-Grades. Nobody found that weird, either. Why would they want to rush into a B-Grade battle?

    As everyone ran away, Brock and Min Ling converged to the remaining two cubes. Jack was already there, meditating on the second small cube with every ounce of concentration he possessed. Nobody disturbed him. Only a few secondster, a Dao construct of lines fell on the second cube, smoothly melting it and revealing a second green bean.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this for now,¡± Min Ling said, drawing it into her space ring. Brock didn¡¯t disagree, and Jack was already meditating on thergest cube.

    They wouldn¡¯t take just one treasure. They would take everything!

    But, they were also against the clock. Jack had calcted everything many times. He had concluded that, after Urusm took off, Spacewind would catch up before they reached the nearest exit portal. After all, space and wind both focused on speed. The B-Grades of both factions would engage in a brutal melee, and that would give Jack the time he needed to open both cubes, take the treasures, then rush to another exit portal and leave this ce.

    After all, they had walked for a long time and arrived at multiple exit portals. To reach the nearest, the B-Grades would exit the medicine garden cavern and turn sharply to the right. However, Jack kept the three-dimensional map of this temple in his mind, and he knew that if he turned sharply to the left after exiting the medicine garden, he would also arrive at a portal. It would just be somewhat farther away than the right one.

    The portals had confused Urusm¡¯s divination as they explored the temple, making them work in circles. Those circles now worked in Jack¡¯s favor.

    He was fairly certain this n would work, but anything could go wrong in the process. Perhaps Urusm would make it to the exit portal. Perhaps any B-Grade would catch on and return to the cavern.

    So, they had to hurry. Jack had already simted the opening of the cubes until they were muscle memory, which was why he was so quick, but he still needed a few seconds. Therge cube, in particr, was the most challenging one. Constructing all those lines took enough time that Jack felt like he was suffocating¡ªevery second brought them closer to death.

    He hastilypleted the lines and sent them onto the cube. Theytched on¡ªhe looked on with bated breath. After all, he wasn¡¯t perfect. In this situation, he only had a sixty percent confidence in resolving the cube on the first try.

    The lines glowed for a moment, then a particr spot darkened. They all died down and disappeared.

    Jack¡¯s heart reached his throat. He had failed! However, that short darkening had shown him where he was wrong. He was confident there were no other mistakes. He could unlock it on the next try. But did he have the time?

    ¡°Go for it,¡± Min Lin said quickly. ¡°We should make it. We have to risk it!¡±

    He nodded. The construct gathered in his mind, a mass of swirling lines undergoing a thousand variations every second. His eyes scanned the cube. This was hisst chance. He had to get it right.

    The lines smashed onto the cube with force. The entire thing shone¡ªthen, before their eyes, it melted. Jack cried out in relief. His hand shot into the cube before it even meltedpletely, grabbing a small wooden key and shoving it into his space ring.

    Then, without a word, the three of them shot away!

    All the treasures had been taken. The exit portal was nearby. It was time to run!

 Chapter 402: Desperate Measures

    Chapter 402: Desperate Measures

    Spacewind soared through the tunnels. His hand shot out, shaped as a w, and directly tore apart Urusm¡¯s space restraints. Space shattered around him, moving him miles ahead. The wind carried him through the crack like a second teleportation.

    In this line-up, he was confident he was the fastest, so he would eventually close in. But would he make it in time?

    <em>Damn it all! </em>he cried in his mind. <em>How did this happen? I only stepped away for a few seconds!</em>

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize this wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Urusm must havee up with the method to solve the cube and waited for Spacewind to step away. That was the only scenario that made sense.

    <em>A monk has an advantage when ites to the Life Dao! </em>Spacewind thought, gritting his teeth. <em>I should have fought him to the death. If he escapes, I get nothing!</em>

    Thinking to that point, he elerated further, pushing his speed to the very limit. Space shattered again behind him, and the sonic booms pushed against him, shooting him forward.

    Miles of tunnels disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Finally, a white-browed monk entered Spacewind¡¯s perception range. His white robes fluttered with no semnce of grace, and he was running as quickly as he could, but there was no way he could match Spacewind.

    ¡°Break!¡± Spacewind shouted, shing out with his sword. Space itself formed a de that shot forward.¡°May the Immortals protect me!¡±

    Urusm mmed his palm into the floor. A pale white wall rose behind him, sealing off the entire tunnel. Runes swam on its surface, and faint hymns resounded through the air. Behind his new wall, Urusm resumed running.

    But how could such a hasty defense stand up to Spacewind? Space itself smashed into the wall, shaking it from end to end, and the wind forcefully tore it apart. At this critical juncture, Spacewind hadn¡¯t hesitated to invest some of his world essence in the attack. That was the essence of his inner world¡ªit could enhance his power, but every B-Grade cultivator only had a finite amount of world essence, and it was very difficult to restore. If Spacewind failed here, he would have suffered a heavy loss.

    ¡°Stop right there!¡± he yelled, shooting through the tunnels. Urusm could not escape this strike. He turned and smashed a palm into Spacewind¡¯s sh, enduring the heavy injury to use the momentum and shoot himself deeper into the tunnels.

    Spacewind roared as he followed. Far behind them, the other B-Grades were covering ground as quickly as they could, each faction guarding against the other.

    They had expected a bloodbath when they entered this realm. Now, it seemed that moment was not too far away.

    ***

    Urusm had approached a teleporter. Only a few more miles were left to go. However, escaping Spacewind was no longer possible.

    Wind rose to block the monk¡¯s path. Space turned into saws, grinding into Urusm¡¯s body and trying to tear him to pieces. Under this pressure that could instantly eradicate a mountain ridge, the monk shouted out loud. ¡°Diamond Body!¡±

    A brilliant white glow appeared. As the saws of space ground against him, he barely resisted them. ¡°Palm of Immortality!¡± Urusm shouted again. His white brows were fluttering wildly, as were his robes, and he no longer resembled a serene monk but a crazed martial artist. He smashed a palm into space, shattering the saws. The energy of this palm carried on, striking the iing space sh and causing both attacks to disintegrate.

    ¡°You cannot escape!¡± Spacewind roared out, flying at Urusm like a shooting star.

    ¡°Genesis!¡± Urusm madly shouted.

    Two extreme forces collided. The tunnel washed away, the tempered stone barely withstanding the impact. Space crumbled for miles around them. Gravity lost its grip, and the flow of time turned chaotic. The two B-Grades shed a dozen times in a thousandth of an instant.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split it, Spacewind!¡± Urusm shouted mid-battle, realizing he could no longer escape. ¡°If we fight here, we will both die!¡±

    ¡°You despicable little monk, as if I would believe you!¡± Spacewind roared back. ¡°Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!¡±

    ¡°What? I never fooled you!¡±

    ¡°Do you think I am an idiot? You had the solution and waited for me to step away so you could take the treasure for yourself! We had a deal!¡±

    The two were still fighting, but they were speaking with telepathy. This entire conversation happened near-instantly.

    ¡°I did not solve the cube!¡± Urusm cried out. ¡°I don¡¯t know who did it!¡±

    ¡°As if I¡¯d¡ª¡±

    ¡°It is the truth!¡± Urusm cried out, striking out with a strong palm that sent them both flying backward. He was not an idiot. Now that he was no longer running for his life, he was beginning to realize that this was suspicious. Of everyone present, he had the highest attainments in the Dao of Life, and he wasn¡¯t even halfway to the solution. There shouldn¡¯t be anybody capable of solving it!

    Moreover, the cube was solved right as Spacewind had walked away. That was no coincidence. Whoever did this had nned everything out. Perhaps even this entire chase was part of their n.

    And, as Urusm¡¯s mind traveled in that direction, he suddenly realized that whoever solved one cube could probably solve the others as well. They wanted all the other treasures for themselves. That was the reason.

    Urusm felt sick. ¡°We have been tricked, Spacewind!¡± he roared. ¡°I did not solve the cube, I swear on the Immortals!¡±

    His voice reverberated across the walls. Spacewind narrowed his eyes, not attacking for a second. If Urusm made such a heavy vow, he was probably telling the truth. In that case¡­

    If Urusm could think all those things, so could Spacewind. His eyes widened. ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked!¡± he shouted out loud. ¡°Who? Who was it!?¡±

    ¡°We must run back!¡± Urusm added. There were no eternal enemies, only eternal benefits. These two people who had been killing each other just a moment ago were now allied.

    Urusm reached into his space ring and retrieved the magic bean, then directly broke it in two and tossed one half to Urusm. Only like this could the two trust each other.

    ¡°Someone must have seen those lines before and tried to trick us, but we are still the strongest people present,¡± Urusm spoke quickly. ¡°We must run back. We can catch them in the act!¡±

    ¡°Whoever is missing is the traitor,¡± Spacewind growled, his dark hair floating wildly. He knew that the rest of the B-Grades were following them¡ªthey had almost caught up by now. His aura swept out, covering them all, and then his brows rose. ¡°Everyone is here,¡± he said. ¡°Then who¡ª¡±

    He froze. The answer came to him. ¡°The C-Grades!¡±

    ¡°After them!¡± Urusm roared, mad with fury. Getting tricked by a fellow B-Grade would be unfortunate, but it was something he could stomach. If he was tricked by a mere C-Grade, this would be the greatest embarrassment of his life.

    The two of them shot out. Telepathic messages rang out, and all other B-Grades were instantly in the know. All nine of them rushed back at their highest speed, but two people were fastest: Spacewind and Urusm.

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    And, of the two, Spacewind was even faster! Hatred burned in his heart. Of the three C-Grades left behind, the monkey could be ignored. Then, if Min Ling was the one to trick them all, he could just barely ept it.

    But, if it was Jack Rust¡­

    His eyes were shimmering. The wind around him howled, chipping away at the enhanced walls. Space shrunk below his feet and the tunnels zoomed past.

    Jack Rust had already made advances on the woman Spacewind desired. He had challenged him to his face. If he now managed to trick them all and escape with the treasures under everyone¡¯s nose, Spacewind would never be able to live with this insult. He had to catch them.

    More world essence seeped out of his body. It was a heavy price, but he had no time to care for such things. He elerated further, turning into a dark star that charged far ahead of the other B-Grades. At this moment, Spacewind was using every single technique he knew to go even faster.

    No matter what, he had to make it in time!

    ***

    Jack grabbed the wooden key and stashed it into his space ring, instantly shooting out. Min Ling was close behind him, carrying Brock under her arm¡ªshe was the fastest and strongest present, so her speed while carrying Brock was simr to Jack¡¯s.

    ¡°Faster, faster!¡± Jack shouted. ¡°We must make it!¡±

    They shot through the open double doors, burning through the medicine garden like tws.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Min Ling cried out.

    ¡°Toote!¡± Brock shouted, snapping his eyes open. He had been scouting ahead all this time, watching for sings of the approaching B-Grades. ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    Jack and Min Ling skidded to an instant halt. They looked at each other with horror. The B-Grades wereing¡­

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Min Ling said. ¡°We should have more time! How did they figure it out so quickly? Did Urusm escape?¡±

    If only they had a few more seconds, they could have escaped. However, the reason didn¡¯t matter, only the consequences.

    It was toote to feign ignorance. The cubes were all solved. The treasures were in their grasp. If they kept running, the B-Grades would easily catch up and capture them, and then who knows how they¡¯d get revenge.

    This had all been a calcted risk¡­but, sometimes, calcted risks didn¡¯t work out.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Min Ling asked.

    ¡°We can surrender,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Maybe then they¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°JACK RUST!¡± A voice echoed from the tunnels, riding the wind even faster than the B-Grades themselves. ¡°I WILL TEAR YOU TO FUCKING PIECES!¡±

    They nced at each other. ¡°Well, there goes my surrender,¡± Jack said. ¡°There is only one path we can take¡­but it is the most dangerous one. Brock and I must go. Will you follow us?¡±

    Min Ling didn¡¯t consider it at all. Her beautiful eyes met Jack¡¯s and she said, ¡°Spacewind will not let me off either. If I¡¯m going to lose everything, I might as well risk it. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The path they were referring to was the hole at the far end of the cube cavern. It exuded such a potent aura and such powerful gravity that nobody had dared enter it yet¡ªany experienced dungeon delver saw it as almost certain death. Even if Jack felt something faintly resonating with the Life Drop from its depths, it remained extremely dangerous. Even he wouldn¡¯t willingly enter.

    Yet, what choice did he have?

    Their conversation had been made telepathically andsted a single instant. They were still skidding to a stop. As one, they pushed against the ground and flew backward. The medicine garden around them, ruined by Spacewind¡¯s previous attacks, warned of their future should they be caught.

    Two lines shot through the cavern, one red and one purple. A golden trail was left behind them both¡ªthat was Brock, who was currently setting up barriers to slow down Spacewind.

    Right as they set foot between the huge double doors that separated the two caverns, a dark light shot out of the tunnels. It was a man d in ck with wildly floating hair. His gaze was furious¡ªand, as it set on them, it promised nothing but a violent death.

    ¡°STOP!¡± he roared, charging at full speed.

    ¡°No, you stop!¡± Brock shouted back. They weren¡¯t idiots; they kept running.

    Their distance from the hole was only a fraction of what Spacewind had to cover to catch them. However, he was far faster. They couldn¡¯t evenpare to a normal low B-Grade in speed, let alone him.

    ¡°Go!¡± Jack shouted. He overdrew his powers, stomping on the ground while releasing miniature Meteor Punches from his feet. His shoes had disintegrated, letting his bare feet crash against the stone, and the entire cavern reverberated from the impacts. Beside him, Min Ling changed her aura into cyan, that of lightning.

    Both were spending their energy as quickly as possible to achieve the highest maximum speed. The hole was only half a mile ahead of them. They had to reach it, or they would die.

    That distance was nothing to them, but it was even less to Spacewind. The gap was evaporating. He roared, flying so quickly that his body narrowed and elongated. He was like an arrow flying behind them¡ªimpossible to outrun.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Jack roared. He turned, shouted, and smashed out a punch into the void.

    Light disappeared. So did sound, space, and even time. The entire world was sucked into his fist, forming the beginnings of a singrity, then exploded with enough force to illuminate the entire cavern.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡±

    Supersonic mes shot out in every direction. Part of the impact rushed at Spacewind, but he passed right through it. An attack of this level couldn¡¯t touch him.

    But that wasn¡¯t Jack¡¯s goal to begin with. The explosion struck him hard, sending him flying forward at a speed vastly eclipsing his previous one. Min Ling and Brock were caught in the shockwave as well, following him as he headed directly for the hole. They were almost there.

    But Spacewind was approaching. At their current speed, they would barely have time to enter the hole before he caught up¡ªbut he didn¡¯t need to reach them to attack.

    ¡°If you won¡¯t stop, then die!¡± he roared. His sword shed out. His body decelerated, but all that momentum was absorbed by his sword sh, which flew forward at speeds Spacewind himself could never achieve. It reached them almost instantly. There was no way they could enter the hole in time. The attack would strike them.

    An ugly smile adorned Spacewind¡¯s lips. He desired Min Ling¡­but, if she was going to choose another man, she might as well die. He could find more women.

    A terribly ck sword sh fell on the three of them. Space constricted, limiting their movement. They could not teleport away, nor could they dodge. They had to face the attack head-on.

    This was a strike made by an exceptional early B-Grade, someone at the top of that realm. The aura it carried was striking. Before it, they were small¡ªinsufficient.

    In that critical moment, all three of them realized they had to block or die. They shouted out at the same time. All sorts of energies gathered around them, galvanized by their Daos.

    Min Ling¡¯s spear was covered in lightningfire, a shower of red sparks so massive that it doubled her spear¡¯s length. She directly flung it out, aimed at the iing sword sh.

    Brock raised the Bro Code, which shone golden. He tore off a page. Instantly, his face paled and blood trickled out of all his orifices, but he decisively crumpled up the page and burned it. Golden mes enveloped the space around them, forming into a massive golden brori that extended a palm to block the sh.

    Jack punched out. Though one of his arms had already disintegrated from thest supernova, he still had another three. This attack wasn¡¯t something he could control. Only the Life Drop¡¯s regenerative properties made it possible. Thankfully, as long as it was just his arms disintegrating, he could heal it without the turtle¡¯s active assistance.

    The world was sucked inside his punch, then violently exploded.

    All three of them used their all-out attacks, aiming them at the sword sh.

    ¡°Judgment of the Fire God!¡±

    ¡°Big Bro Aegis!¡±

    ¡°Supernova!¡±

    The world exploded. Spacetime shattered. Even the enhanced walls cracked, chips of stone flying everywhere.

    Spacewind¡¯s sh was too overbearing. It met the tip of Min Ling¡¯s spear, pausing for only a second before shattering her strike and flinging the spear away. It then cut into the golden brori¡¯s palm, slicing right through it, his arm, and his body. The golden brori was cleaved in two, but the sh wasn¡¯t unharmed. It was flickering, a good part of its energy spent.

    Finally, a supernova erupted on the sh point. It shook. The mes and shockwaves ground away at it, imbued with the Dao of the Fist which refused to yield.

    As the sh broke through, it had been weakened to only a fraction of its original strength. Jack stepped forth to take it. It cut right into his chest, but his enhanced body wasn¡¯t easy to prate. The sh carried on until it struck his ribcage, where it finally dissipated, leaving him with nothing but medium injuries.

    Spacewind was askance. The other B-Grades, who had just entered the medicine garden, widened their eyes like saucers.

    <em>They blocked it!?</em>

    Three C-Grades blocking one of Spacewind¡¯s attacks¡­ Even if it was not made at full strength, and even if he spent part of his power to lock the space around them, it remained something they shouldn¡¯t be able to match.

    Min Ling¡¯s attack in particr had approached the standard of a weak B-Grade.

    Just what was going on!?

    But there was no time to think. As the sh dissipated against Jack¡¯s chest, it shot him backward with incredible momentum, sweeping Min Ling and Brock alongside him. The three flew into the hole like missiles. Min Ling¡¯s spear, which she¡¯d shot out before, was also pulled into the hole by the strong gravity.

    ¡°No!¡± Spacewind roared, arriving at its lip just a momentter. He shed out again, but the aura rising from the hole weakened his strike so much that it dissipated by itself just a few hundred feet away. It never reached them.

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling disappeared inside the hole. As for Spacewind, he was left right above, steaming in frustration but not daring to enter himself. Jack Rust had tricked him, taken the treasures and woman that belonged to him, and then even blocked his strike. At this moment, Spacewind was so filled with hatred and unwillingness that he thought his heart would blow up. He¡¯d even spent some of his world essence to catch up, harming his own cultivation!

    He had never felt so useless.

    ¡°FUCK!¡± he shouted with all the power in his lungs.

 Chapter 403: Archon

    Chapter 403: Archon

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling fell down the hole. As Spacewind¡¯s attack dissipated on the space above them, they were relieved¡ªwhich quickly turned into new worries as they gazed down. They were falling through seemingly infinite darkness. The walls were smooth around them, and there was no bottom in sight.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be good,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Big fall for big bro,¡± Brock added like it was natural.

    ¡°Try to slow down!¡± Min Ling shouted. They galvanized their Dao, but it was useless. At best, they could decelerate a little. The gravity here wasn¡¯t only extreme¡ªdozens of Earth gravities strong and rising¡ªbut it was also magical. It possessed its own Dao field, greatly limiting their ability to resist.

    Even people like Spacewind or Urusm couldn¡¯t fly upwards in this hole. As for Jack and the rest, they could only fall a tiny bit slower.

    They braced themselves. Half a minute passed with them falling at blinding speed, yet they hadn¡¯t reached the bottom.

    ¡°I check,¡± Brock said, releasing a bro pulse that ran down the shaft even faster than they could. ¡°Okay. I have good news and bad news. What first?¡±

    ¡°The good news,¡± Jack said at the same time that Min Ling said, ¡°The bad news.¡± They red at each other.

    ¡°The good news is that bottom safe. No spikes. No monsters.¡±¡°Great,¡± Min replied. ¡°And the bad news?¡±

    ¡°Bottom not far away.¡±

    They instantly crashed into hard rock. Jack felt the air leaving his lungs. The rock below them was as magically enhanced as the rest¡ªit didn¡¯t even budge.

    Thankfully, Jack¡¯s body was highly tempered so it could resist a fall, but the others weren¡¯t so fortunate. Theyy on the ground, gasping for breath as they slowly recovered.

    However, these injuries were unimportant. Jack forgot all about them as he stared at the view around them.

    Theyy inside a small cave at the edge of arge cavern. That cavern was several miles tall and several wide, its floor covered by a pool of glowing redva. The most striking sight, however, was the massive tree that stood in the middle of the cavern. Its roots dug deep into theva, while its tallest branches stabbed high into the ceiling, stretching for who knows how long. The other branches were gnarled, carved to end in what resembled wooden dragon heads, and though they exuded an indescribably ancient aura, they also contained vigorous life force. As for the trunk, it was a mile wide and covered in bark that had naturally formed into engravings of dragons.

    As soon as Jackid eyes on this tree, he gaped. The aura it exuded, the timelessness, the strength¡­ It was like staring at a dying God. He instantly knew that this tree was the origin of the temple¡¯s sacred and heavy Dao, the very reason that temple had been built for. In fact, this tree could be the core of the entire hidden realm, its branches spreading for miles underground to be the pieces of wood that speared through the temple tunnels.

    As Jack was lost, so were the rest. They could only gape, lost in the majesty. It was only some timeter that Brock managed to say, ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°This tree¡­¡± Min Ling said, whispering unconsciously. ¡°It¡¯s so old. So powerful. What could it be?¡±

    Jack couldn''t tell whether this tree had its own conscience. If it had, it was deeply asleep. But even so, this was not an existence they could afford to antagonize. Judging by its aura alone, it was probably at the A-Grade.

    At least, this ce looked devoid of danger.

    A thought suddenly struck Jack. He looked around. Besides their own, there was no other tunnel leading upward¡ªnone that he could see, anyway. There was no exit portal either. It was just them. The tree. A hole they couldn¡¯t climb. And a hermetically shut cave.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he said.

    The temperature was high, but nothing they couldn¡¯t withstand. Avake filled most of the cavern, surrounded by a thin strip of stone between it and the walls, while more stones surfaced from theva, forming what seemed like a path between the tree and Jack¡¯s current position.

    The three looked at each other, then advanced towards the strip. They weren¡¯t too hurt¡ªMin Ling had even found her spear, which had bounced off into the hole after helping block Spacewind¡¯s attack.

    They walked deeper into the cavern. Soon, they reached the lip of thevake. A path of stones led to the tree in its center, almost inviting in its destion, but how could things be so simple? The writing over the hole had promised certain death. There had to be danger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk around,¡± Jack suggested.

    The three followed the edge of theke, circling the cavern. They lowered their speed to that of mortals, maintaining full vignce. Yet, nothing jumped at them. No monster rose from theke. Not even the slightest wave sshed on the stone, evidence of magma so dense it was immovable.

    The silence was deafening¡ªpregnant with danger.

    In that tension, theypleted half a turn around theke. That was when Jack felt something. It was an odd calling at the back of his mind, a faint ripple in his Dao perception.

    Brock and Min Ling had already sensed it. ¡°Over there,¡± Min said, pointing at a crack on the wall. It wasn¡¯t particrlyrge¡ªin fact, it could barely fit a grown man. It also looked manmade. Its edges were jagged and torn, covered by cracked stone, as if someone had taken a sword and madly dug here.

    The three nced at each other. ¡°Let me,¡± Jack said. ¡°If anything happens, I can survive the longest.¡±

    ¡°Lucky you,¡± Min Ling replied, a faint smile on her lips.

    Jack led the way. He grabbed one edge of the crack and pulled himself into it, tasting the smell of sulfur and death. The path went on. Jack followed a faint vertical decline as he traversed it, but came to a dead end only a hundred feet in.

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    Here, the crack didn¡¯t widen in the slightest. It looked as if whoever dug this ce had stopped here, either due to exhaustion or death. Thetter was probably true¡ªthe digger of this cracky at the very end, a crumpled skeleton folded with no semnce of dignity. It barely fit between the walls. In its hands, a sword was aimed at itself, having prated the skeleton¡¯s belly.

    This person had dug all the way here andmitted suicide.

    Jack was shocked. Generally speaking, cultivators possessed incredible mental fortitude. Killing themselves was very rare.

    ¡°What do you think happened here?¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Look,¡± Min Ling said. The three of them were cramped inside this crack, but she managed to extend her arm and point at a broken-off sword tip on the ground. Looking closer, the sword with which this cultivator had ended his life alsocked a tip.

    This all painted a gruesome picture. Whoever this person was, they had used their sword to dig a tunnel through the enhanced wall, but swords weren¡¯t meant for digging¡ªthe tip had broken off, and the cultivator, in despair, had chosen to end his own life.

    Between Jack and Min Ling, Brock shook his head. ¡°Sorry, bro¡­ We were toote.¡±

    ¡°What could have led this person to such a state?¡± Jack wondered aloud. His other question remained unsaid, but it was clear: would they suffer the same fate?

    ¡°Who even is he?¡± Min Ling asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°We should be the first to discover the hidden realm. Yet, this person looks like they¡¯ve been here for many years¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Jack retorted. ¡°There are no bugs in this ce. His flesh has dposed not because it was consumed, but because it melted by the extreme heat after it lost his Dao protection. This could have taken anywhere from a few days to a few months.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but this person killed themselves. Do you think a cultivator able to reach this point would despair so quickly? Who knows how long they spent here before something drove them to suicide?¡±

    ¡°Unless it was madness,¡± Brock intoned heavily. ¡°The mind is a delicate thing.¡±

    Jack gave Brock a surprised nce¡ªhe didn¡¯t expect such eloquent words. He then said, ¡°Both possibilities are valid. In any case, this person wasn¡¯t part of our expedition or we would have known. Let¡¯s keep searching.¡±

    In this dangerous ce, advancing without proper care was as suicidal as this unknown cultivator jabbing a sword into their belly. They set their minds to acquiring as much information as possible before venturing into thevake.

    It was easier than expected. Two seconds into searching, Jack discovered faint writing on the wall behind the skeleton¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senior,¡± he said, gently moving the body to the opposite wall. Words were revealed¡ªcarved roughly into the stone, as if whoever did it was using a broken sword tip. But the wall was hard. Most letters were barely recognizable. It took Jack and the rest a few minutes of staring to make out the entire text.

    Like most writing in the universe, it wasn¡¯t English, but Jack found himself able to read it.

    <em>A thousand years of solitude. I can take no more! de, pierce my wall! Release me!</em>

    <em>Curse you, Dragon Archon, for the hell you trapped me in! There is no key. The key is up there. How could I have known? HOW COULD I HAVE KNOWN?</em>

    There was no signature, no name. The text itself barely made sense, the ramblings of someone who¡¯d already lost their mind. This was likely the unknown cultivator¡¯s death rattle.

    Yet, the information it contained was important.

    ¡°Dragon Archon¡­ Is that the creator of this ce?¡± Jack wondered. He got no response. Turning back, he saw that Min Ling¡¯s face had gone pale as a sheet. ¡°What?¡± he asked.

    She took some time to form words. ¡°Archon¡­ Do you know what that title means?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s transcendence. In this world, the strongest people are A-Grades. That is the highest known realm. However, at the very peak of the A-Grade lies transcendence. A legendary realm of existence, the absolute apex of cultivation, and the cultivators who reach it are titled Archons. Even Old Gods, if their strength had to be categorized, would be particrly strong Archons.¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°It is true,¡± she replied, her chest fluttering. ¡°My master once spoke of these things. It shouldn¡¯t be false.¡±

    Jack was stunned. A realm at the end of the A-Grade¡ªtranscendence?

    ¡°So Archons are peak A-Grades?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. Archons are entities that have taken half a step beyond the A-Grade. Their power is greater than a peak A-Grade¡¯s, though they haven¡¯t really broken through to the next realm, if it exists.¡±

    ¡°And you are saying that the Old Gods are such Archons? That the creator of this hidden realm was an Archon? Could it be an Old God!?¡±

    ¡°There is no Old God who appears as a dragon.¡± Min Ling shook her head. ¡°If this ce really was made by a Archon, it could only be a cultivator¡ªunless this skeleton was mistaken, of course. But¡­¡± Herposure returned, oveing the surprise of encountering the word Archon. ¡°This can¡¯t be right. If this ce really was the hidden realm of a deceased Archon, there is no way our diviners could get it so horribly wrong. Plus, there would be A-Grade existences serving as guardians, not B-Grade ones.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s just keep looking. The truth wille to light eventually.¡±

    Jack nodded, as did Brock.

    ¡°Look,¡± said the brori, pointing back at the writing. ¡°A thousand years¡­ That is long. Poor skeleton bro. Why does he talk about key?¡±

    Jack and Min Ling also returned their attention to the writing. In his final words, this unknown cultivator was raving about a key.

    ¡°There is no key. The key is up there. How could I have known?¡± Jack read, squinting at the letters. Suddenly, his mind shed. He turned his hand and an item appeared.

    This was the treasure of thergest cube. Before, he¡¯d just grabbed it and fled¡ªthere was no time to inspect it. Now, however¡­ It did resemble a key.

    The back half of this item was like the handle of a key. A green dragon head adorned its rear end, while the entire item was made of aged wood. As for its front, it was not like a normal key, but more like aplex seal¡ªinnumerable tiny lines covered a wooden square an inch wide, forming a shape vaguely like a roaring dragon head. Yet, itsplexity was unfathomable. Replicating this seal would be impossible.

    The key emitted no ripples, no aura. If it hadn¡¯t been the sole content of the central cube from before, Jack would have taken it for decoration.

    ¡°Could the key this cultivator missed¡­be this one?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask. His mind instantly reached a sad possibility. ¡°I think I know what happened,¡± he spoke slowly. ¡°This cultivator must have wandered the universe outside System space and stumbled upon this hidden realm. He entered, and being a weak B-Grade, rushed past the death dragon without defeating it to reach this ce¡ªor, perhaps, he failed to defeat the dragon and had to escape through the hole. He was then stuck here forever. This key must be needed to exit, but after entering this cavern, there was no way to fly back through the hole. The cultivator advanced too quickly, missed a single item, and thatpletely destroyed him.¡±

    Min Ling felt chills crawl down her spine. ¡°What a horrifying fate. For a B-Grade to die like this is just awful.¡±

    ¡°But fair,¡± Brock replied heavily. ¡°Dragon Big Bro wrote it on the wall: only death is here. If skeleton bro entered and died, he can only me himself.¡±

    Those were harsh words, especially when spoken in front of the body. However, no one refuted Brock. The cultivation world was harsh to begin with. Death lurked behind every corner. This cultivator challenged the hidden realm by himself, desiring to reach the apex, and paid the ultimate price.

    ¡°What a cruel trap,¡± Min Ling couldn¡¯t help saying.

    Jack was silent. He bowed slightly to the skeleton, then received it inside his space ring alongside the broken sword. ¡°We do not know your name,¡± he said, ¡°but this is no resting ce. You suffered enough in life. Once we exit, I promise to find a good ce to bury you.¡±

    ¡°<em>If </em>we exit,¡± Brock replied, ever the optimist.

    Jack gave a sad smile. ¡°Let¡¯s return to thevake,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this senior never did.¡±

 Chapter 404: Inheritance Trial

    Chapter 404: Inheritance Trial

    Thevake weed them yet again. It was calm and silent¡ªevidently full of hidden danger.

    Yet, after reading the skeleton¡¯sst message, they suspected it was safe.

    Jack took the lead. He stepped on the first stone over the sea ofva. Each stone was barelyrge enough for a foot¡ªone slip could end at a dip in condensedva.

    Of course, Jack could fly, but he didn¡¯t do so. He thought it disrespectful. Instead, he followed the stone steps through theva, experiencing its zing heat which made even him sweat. Every root that stood out from theva was like a dragon head staring him down.

    Nothing jumped out. No monster rose with jaws wide open to swallow him. Jack smoothly crossed thevake and arrived before the massive tree. He was a speck of dust before it¡ªbarely an ant. As he looked up, his gaze was lost in endless leaves and verdant greenery. Though ancient, this tree was full of life.

    Back under the volcano, Jack and Brock had discovered a tree that lived and thrived in an underground pool ofva. They did not know its name, but it was certainly a heavenly treasure, a medicinal nt of the highest quality.

    But this current tree was far, far superior. Whereas the previous tree lived in underground magma, this one was rooted inva dozens of times hotter, like substantialized Fire Dao. Moreover, the previous tree had only been the size of a human, while this one rose for miles. Its branches possibly ran under the entire hidden realm.

    Jack suspected that this ce was the very heart of the realm.

    He took a deep breath. Reverence filled him. Then, he took thest few steps and arrived before the tree.

    A small square indentation met his gaze. Its edges were straight, as if purposely cut, and innumerable tiny lines spread over its surface. Jack didn¡¯t need to look to know that the size of this square matched perfectly with the key in his hands.

    <em>¡°Insert the key,¡± </em>a voice rang inside his mind. It was not the voice of someone present, but a pre-recorded message that reached whoever approached the tree. Jack could only imagine that the dead cultivator had heard this message countless times, agonizing over hisck of a key. He must have received no other clues, no messages, no acknowledgement of his existence besides this impersonal requirement he could never fulfill.

    Such a death was truly cruel. Who knows how many times the cultivator had shouted at the tree, receiving only silence as a response? How many times he attacked, only for his sword to be bounced back?

    Thankfully, Jack had solved the cubes before diving into the hole. He raised the key in his hand and gently pressed it into the indentation, finding that it matched. All the innumerable tiny lines of the key and indentationbined. A perfect union was formed. The key shone green, and suddenly, Jack saw green lines re to life. They started from the location of his key and spread outward, snaking across the tree. They were like runes¡ªlike a divine tapestry that hugged this entire tree, this entire realm.

    Before long, the tree was covered in these runes. They were faint, yet clearly present¡ªand they spoke of secrets Jack was not the least privy to. This was not about Life or Death; it was something else.

    Suddenly, the tree red to life as if awakened. The cavern shook. zing green erupted from within the bark, and the leaves far above stood straight, suddenly filled with vigor.

    ¡°I am Archon Green Dragon,¡± a voice calmly intoned. It echoed everywhere¡ªthe majesty inside it was so dense it gave Jack a sense of awe, as if staring at the endless starry heavens. ¡°And this is my inheritance trial!¡±

    Jack¡¯s mind was shaken. Suppressing the urge to bow, he looked back at his friends, who were busy gawking at the tree runes.

    Inheritance trials were not an unknown concept¡ªback in Trial, the Space and Labyrinth Rings were filled with all sorts of inheritances left behind by ancient powerhouses. An inheritance was the sum of its creator¡¯s life, the path of cultivation they had carved into the universe¡ªand they were always apanied by a trial. Nobody wanted their inheritance grasped by weaklings. The ancient masters set harsh trials for their descendants, testing their talent to deem them worthy.

    Across the universe, inheritances and trials were not umon at all. However, the inheritance of an Archon was apletely different matter.

    This was a being at the very peak of the cultivation world. Throughout the years, how many Archons could there have been? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? Even the Old Gods were only strong Archons.

    The inheritance of such a character was absolutely world-shaking, but that was not the first thing that came to Jack¡¯s mind.

    The stronger the master, the better the inheritance. And the better the inheritance, the stricter the criteria with which a trial taker was judged. The trial of an Archon would be hundreds and thousands of times harder than a random B-Grade¡¯s. Only the very peak geniuses of the universe could hope to meet the exacting standards of such a powerhouse.

    Was Jack such a person?

    It wasn¡¯t that he underestimated himself. He was the most talented cultivator of the Cathedral, with potential that vastly outstripped his contemporaries. Yet, before an Archon, that was nothing.

    Archons could live for a million years, or maybe even more. Being the greatest genius of a generation meant nothing to them, because they had seen thousands of generationse and go, and their trial would be open to challengers for many more thousands.

    Jack was very talented, sure. He had worked hard and fought hard, securing all sorts of lucky chances. Amongst C-Grades, his current potential could be said to be one of the greatest in the universe. But wasn¡¯t that the case for all the peak geniuses of every generation?

    Jack¡¯s truepetition was not his contemporaries, but the greatest talents that had emerged over thest hundreds of thousands of years. In such a gathering, even Min Ling could only be considered average. As for Jack, he had no idea how he stacked up.

    There was a saying in the universe: Three years to the D-Grade, ten to the C-Grade, a hundred to the B-Grade, and a thousand to the A-Grade. That was the minimum cultivation speed of a prime genius at every Grade. They were so far ahead of the power curve that their cultivation galloped forth at great speeds, rushing to the ends of their potential very quickly. When it began to slow down, that was when they knew they were approaching their limit.

    Of course, being a prime genius at the C-Grade did not mean they would be a prime genius at the B-Grade as well. After all, the crowd theypeted against would grow vastly morepetent with every breakthrough. Everyone that reached the middle B-Grade had been a prime genius in their youth.

    Jack was one of those prime geniuses, but in the entire universe, such a character would emerge every few centuries and live for hundreds of thousands of years. They weren¡¯t too rare. The only reason he hadn¡¯t met many of them was that they spent too little time at the low Grades, making it hard for two prime geniuses to coincide.

    That all goes to say, the pool of candidates that an Archon¡¯s trial looked at was far more expansive than what Jack had seen in the Cathedral. Even if he was the greatest C-Grade in the current universe, that was not too great a title.

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    The only hint he had of his standing amongst prime geniuses of other generations was the Life Drop trial he had passed at Trial. That was a trial for a relic of an Old God. It had to have high standards¡ªa point proven by how Jack, who was above and beyond any other E-Grade at his level, had only barely survived.

    And, a drop of blood from an Archon was naturally inferior to another Archon¡¯s true inheritance. It was highly probable that the Life Drop trial was not even arranged by Enas, but by his followers.

    The difficulty of this trial would be even higher. And that was why, as soon as Jack heard the words inheritance trial, he nched.

    Quickly, however, he recovered hisposure. He had not failed yet¡ªfacing an opportunity topare himself against the highest standards, he felt hispetitive spirit boil over, his excitement rise.

    Could he seed? If he did¡­just how precious would the reward be? That was the inheritance of a Archon! A peak existence of the universe!

    The green runes spread fully across the tree, then stopped. Their glow slowly receded to the point where they were barely visible. However, the tree remained in a vigorous state, and the energy density remained high.

    The voice of Archon Green Dragon resounded again, regal and impartial. ¡°I was born as a green dragon. My body follows the Dao of Life, but I reached transcendence through the path of Space and Time! That is my highest inheritance, and I refuse to see it wasted. From my true heir, I demand no less than perfection!

    ¡°Only those who understand Life can solve my Life Cube test and earn the key. Now, you must meditate on my spacetime runes and unravel theplexity of this cavern. Only then will you possess the qualifications to attempt the true trial and, should you seed, refine the Dragonlife Realm Heart supporting this minor realm I have created!¡±

    Hearing this, Jack was finally enlightened. No wonder the diviners misjudged the grade of this ce. It wasn¡¯t a dead powerhouse¡¯s inner world, but a separate dimension that Archon Green Dragon had once established!

    What power was that! This green dragon hadprehended spacetime to such a degree that he sundered it apart, creating his own realm within the folds of the universe!

    The spacetime inheritance of such a character would be nothing short of heaven-defying!

    But, that was only on the condition that Jack could im it.

    ¡°There is no time limit for this trial,¡± the ancient voice resounded again. ¡°You may meditate on these runes until you seed. If you fail, you will have to die here¡ªyour life is a small price to pay for the chance to acquire my legacy.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Brock shouted in the distance. ¡°Not cool!¡±

    However, the voice could either not hear him orpletely ignored him. ¡°No further assistance will be provided. This cavern will bepletely sealed up until you seed or die¡ªnobody will be able to enter or exit unless their understandings in spacetime surpass mine. Moreover, to avoid the interference of other Archons, the entire realm will be sealed off as well. I wish you luck!¡±

    With that, the voice echoed away, leaving Jack stunned. <em>The entire realm is sealed¡­ Could it be¡­</em>

    ¡°Jack!¡± Min Ling shouted. ¡°The entrance!¡±

    He turned around just in time to see the hole they¡¯d fallen through disappear. Only stone stood in its ce as if there had never been a hole. Moreover, Jack felt heavy spacetime restrains cover the entire cavern. The stone became even harder, and the already-locked space becamepletely imprable.

    It was like the magic formation running this ce had been in energy-saving mode before, but it was now fully activated!

    Jack looked at Min Ling and Brock, then at the tree. ¡°Guys¡­¡± he said slowly. ¡°I think we¡¯re stuck.¡±

    ***

    The changes weren¡¯t limited to Jack¡¯s cavern. Outside, the B-Grades had been holding council, debating whether to enter the hole or not. Suddenly, the entire temple shook. They sensed the walls harden, and space waspletely locked down around them. Even Spacewind waspletely unable to affect it. Let alone teleporting, he couldn¡¯t even make it budge!

    ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± everyone shouted, but it was toote. Before their very eyes, the hole leading deeper inside vanished, reced by solid stone. They nced at each other, then came to an instant agreement. They rushed through the corridors. Only secondster, they arrived at the location of the nearest exit portal, only for their eyes to widen in horror.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Spacewind muttered. ¡°This is impossible!¡±

    Where an exit portal used to stand, there was now only stone. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that the rest of the portals had disappeared as well.

    They were stuck.

    ***

    On the outside world, the four A-Grades had been calmly meditating before the entrance of the hidden realm. They wouldn¡¯t let anyone enter or affect it. Suddenly, however, all their eyes snapped open. ¡°The portal!¡± Heavenstar shouted.

    The egg-shaped opening flickered. Then, it simply winked out of existence.

    Boatman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No!¡± he growled. He instantly arrived at the portal¡¯s previous location and jabbed his hand into spacetime, using his considerable understandings to keep the portal from copsing.

    However, how could Elder Boatman¡¯s spacetime Daopare with Archon Green Dragon¡¯s? Not only was his cultivation boundary lower, but he also didn¡¯t focus on spacetime to begin with.

    Heavenstar did. He arrived only an instantter and spread his perception over the location, investigating the tiniest abnormalities. Everyone looked at him, waiting for an exnation. Finally, Heavenstar opened his eyes, his expression tinged with disbelief.

    ¡°Well?¡± Purity asked. ¡°What happened? Did the portal copse?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Heavenstar said slowly, in a voice as if even he struggled to believe himself. ¡°It did not copse. It just¡­closed.¡±

    Boatman frowned dangerously. ¡°Did someone interfere?¡±

    To affect a portal so close to them without leaving a trace, one would need to be at least ate A-Grade focusing on spacetime. Possibly even stronger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is the case.¡± Heavenstar shook his head. He still sounded puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­the portal no longer exists. Any connection it had to our universe has been cleanly severed. Reopening it is far beyond my powers. I dare to say that even if a spacetime Archon arrived here, they would still be unable to open it, because there is simply no connection between here and there anymore.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ocean asked. ¡°How can there be no connection? Are you implying that the hidden realm is in another spacetime altogether?¡±

    ¡°I believe so,¡± Heavenstar replied.

    They all frowned. Hidden realms were normally adjacent to the universe, like a pimple sticking out of someone¡¯s skin. That was their nature. If this hidden realm was not such a case but was located in a separate spacetime instead, then it could not be the inner world of a dead expert as they expected. There were a few more alternatives, but they were all equally terrifying.

    ¡°What can we do?¡± Boatman asked.

    ¡°Nothing. The realm was cut off by its own inner workings. Whether it chooses to reappear or not ispletely up to the realm. It could even reopen in apletely different location of our universe¡ªthough I estimate it will still be within the Heaven¡¯s Egg gxy.¡±

    ¡°So our disciples are trapped in there but there is nothing we can do about it.¡±

    ¡°Correct. The only other way would be for someone in the hidden realm to shatter space and reconnect with our universe, but that ispletely impossible for them. Even I might fail. So¡­ We can only hope.¡±

    Boatman snorted. His gaze was dark and dangerous¡ªnot only was Jack in there, his most recent disciple, but also the iparably precious death cube! Losing it would be terrible.

    If he had known this would happen, then no matter how much he appreciated Jack, he would have never given him the cube.

    But, not all was lost. The cube contained a wisp of Boatman¡¯s soul; he had a deep connection to it that could even prate spacetime to a degree, and even while being cut-off from him like this, it could still persist for at least a year without extinguishing. If he found a peak A-Grade who specialized in spacetime¡­perhaps there was a chance.

    Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t let anyone else know about this.

    ¡°If that is so, there is no point in staying here,¡± Boatman said. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Space parted and he departed without waiting for an answer. As for Heavenstar, he quickly ran away as well¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t stay near Purity without Boatman for support. The two Hand of God Elders also left after some time¡ªthere was no meaning to Heavenstar lying about something so minor as a B-Grade hidden realm.

    Boatman had rushed to find a peak A-Grade cultivator he had some rtionship with and who also practiced spacetime. However, his attempt was doomed to fail. How could the dimension hidden by an Archon be so easy to discover? The only chance was if someone appeared who had considerably deeper understandings into spacetime than Archon Green Dragon, but¡­that was a pipe dream. Even if the spacetime Old Gods personally arrived, they still might not be enough.

    In other words, the green dragon hidden realm had beenpletely isted. And the only one with the power to change things¡­was Jack.

 Chapter 405: Spacewindâ€™s Troubles

    Chapter 405: Spacewind¡¯s Troubles

    A bubble burst on the surface of thevake, releasing hot gasses that rose to the cavern ceiling. After the caverns formations were activated, even theva was agitatedit had gone frompletely still to slowly boiling, filling the air with harmful gasses. Jack, Brock, and Min Ling could easily resist them.

    Spacetime Min Ling said, furrowing her brows as she gazed at the trees runes. I have little connection to that Dao. I can barely teleport.

    Same, Brock added.

    Youll have to do it alone, she continued, looking at Jack. Can you?

    Honestly? he replied. I have no idea. His eyes ran over the massive tree and the runes that criss-crossed its surface, illuminating it in a faint green light that contrasted theva. But I can try.

    There is no I cant, only I dont want to, Brock helpfully added.

    Thanks, Brock. I never realized that the only thing standing between me and everything I have ever dreamed of was my secret desire to fail.

    No problem, the brori replied sagely, and bothughed.

    Jack then looked back at the tree. In any case This will take some time. Make yourselvesfortable.Oh, I dont mind, Min Ling replied, sitting down cross-legged at the edge of thevake. My Lightning Dao has surpassed my Fire one recently. This is a good opportunity to meditate on theva.

    Her hand reached into theke, cupping a handful ofva. Molten metal leaked between her fingersyet, miraculously, she was unhurt. This wasnt even normalva. It was magically enhanced to burn several times hotter.

    I mind a little, Brock said, but nothing we can do. I needed to study anyway. He also sat down cross-legged, summoning his golden Bro Code and slowly reading from its pages. Jack snuck a peek from behind his shoulderthere was no text, only images, but they were formed of swirling golden lights that seemed to contain endless mysteries.

    Some cultivation paths were different than others. Jack meditated on the world, so he first understood things and then they became part of his Dao. Brock had somehow conjured a book containing more insights than he currently understood, then meditated on that. Moreover, these insights were expressed as broris doing stuff.

    Cultivation really was boundless.

    As Brock and Min Ling settled down to meditate, so did Jack. He had a lot of things to consider. Expansion and consolidation. After the many battles of this hidden realm, he required some time in quiet meditation to digest all those insights. Moreover, he needed to study the death cube and the spacetime runes on the massive tree, as well as discover how to merge them with his fist.

    The more he thought about it, the more things he had to meditate on. And, conveniently, he was ced in a sealed, perfectly safe chamber with no time limit. Wasnt this just perfect?

    As for his familythey could only wait. Even if Jack tried to open this ce as quickly as he could, it would still take a massive amount of time. Alternating his focus between different Daos would help refresh his mind, which would only be beneficial.

    Therefore, Jack sat down to meditate. And time passed.

    ***

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling had a perfect grasp of what was happening, so they could be calm. The people outside, however, didnt.

    At this point, the remaining nine B-Grades were convening again. Their voices were agitatedthey had no idea what was going on.

    It has to be rted to them, Spacewind spat hatefully. The exits closed only minutes after they entered that hole. Moreover, the hole itself disappeared. There is no way they are unrted!

    I agree, Urusm said, cupping his hands. However, putting the me on others will get us nowhere. Let us try to resolve this situation to the best of our ability.

    That is naturally what well do. Why do you even bother with that fake religious crap anymore? Are you telling me you wouldnt rip those C-Grades apart if they suddenly appeared in your face?

    Urusm kept his hands cupped, bowing a little. I ask for Benefactor Spacewinds forgiveness. This old monk is devoted to his worship.

    Spacewind rolled his eyes but spoke no further.

    So, what should we do? another B-Grade asked. If the exits are closed, forcing them open with our strength isughable. Should we just sit around and wait?

    Absolutely not, Spacewind replied. What if they never reopen? We should search around. Perhaps there are clues inside this templeor even in the jungle outside.

    The temple is a dangerous ce, Benefactor Spacewind, and we have explored less than half of it.

    Then what do you suggest? That we wait and hope?

    Urusm remained silent.

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    If we do explore the temple, another B-Grade rose to speak, are the seven of us expected to take the front again? This was a cultivator Jack had some rtionship withBorkuren Madiba, the frog-like Envoy who had managed the Ceaseless Murder Globe for a while. Currently, however, his muscles were tense, and his face was dark.

    On the way here, every B-Grade besides Spacewind and Urusm had been taking turns leading the group and face-checking any traps. A few of them had died. Now, with another half a temple to explore and only seven people to serve as meatshields, their unwillingness was expected.

    What other choice is there? Spacewind retorted, releasing a bit of his aura. He was nning to bully all the other B-Grades into silence.

    However, that did not happen. Borkuren kept his head up. You are stronger than us. Your chances of surviving a trap are much higher. Since we led the way before, how about you shoulder some responsibility now?

    Spacewind had not expected to be challenged. His eyes sharpened, and his already ruinous temper seemed on the verge of erupting. I am the leader here. Are you defying my orders? he asked coldly.

    I just dont wish to die for no reason, Borkuren replied, not backing down in the slightest. We have already suffered enough. Now that things have changed so abruptly, we should take everyones safety into consideration before rushing to unwise decisions.

    Spacewinds brows spasmed. He looked to the sidethe other two B-Grades of his faction were staring at him with equally unyielding looks, while Urusm and the other four Hand cultivators didnt seem willing to take a position.

    Spacewinds authority had originally been absolute. However, after most of them died on the way here, their fear was naturally very high. Moreover, these B-Grades had just seen Spacewind use theirrades as forced suicide bombers. Even though his strength was high, their respect for him had already dropped to rock bottom.

    They would rather die in battle than serve as meatshields for a piece of shit like that.

    Seeing theirbined resistance, Spacewind felt his previous frustration resurface. He wanted nothing more than to strike out and kill all of them, but he couldnt afford infighting at this point.

    Good, good. Very good, he said bitterly. You all are very nice. I will remember this. When we return to the faction, expect to face disciplinary actions.

    Hohoho! Urusmughed, not missing a chance to kick Spacewind while he was down. All actions carry their karma. If I can make a suggestion, Benefactor Spacewind, then you should sit down and let your subordinates handle things. Otherwise, you might even suffer an unfortunate ident!

    The power rtions of this group were already a tangled mess. Spacewind was forced to acknowledge hed lost control of the situation. With an expression as dark as the moonless night, he stepped outside the gathering and waited, barely keeping his anger in check.

    This was supposed to be his opportunity. He had paid a heavy price to lead this group. But then, most of his subordinates died, his reputation had been crushed, his authority hade under question, and he was also suddenly trapped. Even if he made it back to the Church, he would be punished severely for these failures, and the reputation hed built for millennia would copse like a house of cards.

    This hidden realm expedition, which should have been his leap to glory, had turned into the most shameful performance of his entire life!

    And even worse, all those failures would have been eptable if he managed to earn significant treasures, but they had been stolen away by a mere C-Grade!

    <em>Jack Rust </em>he thought, his eyes burning with dark hatred. <em>You took my woman, took my treasures, and took my reputation. If I dont cripple you and feed you to the dogs, I am no man!</em>

    ***

    Thankfully, Jack could not hear Spacewinds mental threats, or the resulting burst ofughter would have disturbed his meditation.

    While the B-Grades were trying and failing to escape and the C-Grades were still touring the jungle with no idea of the exits being shut, Jack had rxedpletely. He was fully invested in meditation. In the sealed-off chamber, where time seemed to stretch to infinity, he began the longest meditation session of his life.

    Sometimes, he would take out the death cube and ponder its secrets. After realizing something new, he would switch over to Elder Boatmans insights and look for practical applications of his new insights. Over time, his understanding of death deepened. The ck fruit on his Dao Fruit grew progressively darker.

    As for keeping the death cube a secret from Min Ling, he could no longer bother. It wasnt only that he trusted her, but also that he wouldnt hinder his cultivation just to keep a secret.

    Besides death, he would often think back to the life lines on the three cubes. Back then, hed onlyprehended them enough to solve the cubes, but that wasnt the same as fully merging those understandings into his Dao. Now, with plenty of time, he was slowly working to that end, turning over the realizations in his mind until they fit into his Fist. His progress in this regard was far slower than on Death, but his Life understandings were deeper to begin with.

    Like this, the two opposite Daos were approaching an equilibrium.

    Whenever Jack grew tired of life and death, he would turn his attention to the spacetime runes on the massive tree. It wasnt that he didnt want to spend more time on them, but it was just too exhausting. The problem with these runes was that they were tooplex. If Jack had topare them to the life cubes, they were simr in difficulty, but he didnt have a point of reference like the death cube this time. He could only rely on his own powers of understanding to resolve them.

    Thankfully, hisprehension into the Dao of Space had already reached a decent level. He had long mastered teleportation, meditated for months in the Space Chamber of the Cathedral, and also unraveled the secrets of a supernova. His natural talent had been pretty high as well. Compared to his C-Grade peers, he was miles ahead.

    But this trial wasnt aimed at his peers. It was aimed at the greatest geniuses of the universe. And,pared to them, Jack had to admit that his Dao of Space was thoroughlycking.

    The only bright side was that the world anchor, which hed absorbed long ago, wasing in handy. During the process of its absorption, he had witnessed the birth of a universe. Hed gotten a lot of insights at that time, many pertaining to the purest form of spacetime. Byparing any new understandings to those elementary interactions, he could quickly spot inconsistencies and refine his insights. His speed of understanding rose significantly.

    Even with that assistance, the spacetime runes remained extremely cryptic. Still, he had time. His progress was slow but steady. Moreover, his time here wasnt wasted at all. Studying the runes deepened his understanding of spacetime, not to mention the life and death he was simultaneously working on.

    As for Min Ling and Brock, they didnt mind waiting. People of their level often spent months or years in meditation. They could use some downtime. Brock, in particr, had advanced even faster than Jack. He desperately needed to consolidate his foundation.

    During this period of time, the three of them each advanced in their own way, their powers slowly but steadily growing.

    Jack was engrossed in his cultivation. Like this, three years quietly passed.

 Chapter 406: Three Years

    Chapter 406: Three Years

    Jack¡¯s eyes slowly opened. The moment they did, reality shuddered around him. Faint ripples spread in the surrounding timespace, and his body seemed to be deeper, drawing in everything like the focal point of the universe. Just by looking into his eyes, a mortal¡¯s mind would easily fall into illusions.

    Jack had meditated on these spacetime runes for thest three years. In this time, his fourth fruit had risen to full maturity, and he had also tempered his body a little. Brock¡¯s cultivation had reached the exact same boundary, while Min Ling had developed her ninth fruit.

    The turtle inside the Life Drop still hadn¡¯t awakened, so Jack couldn¡¯t pay it back the life energy he owed. Thankfully, Min Ling and Brock had agreed to let him have the green bean they¡¯d gotten from one of the smaller cubes¡ªit should be enough to roughly pay off his debt so the turtle didn¡¯t kill him. Of course, he couldn¡¯t hog all the benefits¡ªhe¡¯d promised to repay them with interest.

    However, his greatest harvest from these three years had been hisprehension into spacetime. It was simply iparable to before¡ªin the highly stable space of this cavern, just his aura alone could create ripples.

    ¡°I think I got it,¡± he whispered. His voice was low¡ªyet, it grew stronger with distance instead of weakening, flying straight into his friends¡¯ ears.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Min Ling cried out. Her body was half-submerged into thevake, enduring the impossible temperature. On the other side of the cavern, arge golden brori slowly dissipated, revealing Brock levitating in its midst. His feet lightly touched the ground¡ªa white mantle with golden rims fluttered behind his back, formed out of pure bro power.

    ¡°I am happy for you, bro,¡± he said slowly, his eyes shining with golden embers. ¡°Go on. Make us proud.¡±

    Jack chuckled. He rose to his feet, letting the dust that had umted on his body tumble down. He banished it with a simple thought. Then, he raised his hands.

    The spacetime runes on the tree were as mysterious as ever. They were green lines, criss-crossing its bark like natural patterns, yet holding infinite mysteries. In the past, Jack had found them iprehensible.But now, after three years of effort¡­he could see through them.

    From the start of his cultivation journey until now, six years had passed. Three of those had been spent in meditation in this simple cavern. A mortal would have long turned insane, but to a cultivator of Jack¡¯s caliber, this was nothing but a longer meditation session.

    But it was still three years.

    By now, his hair hung to his shoulders, smooth and silken. His eyes were tinged with calm wisdom, yet his body contained such bottled-up power that he was like an unchained wild beast, an avatar of primal savagery about to erupt. Meditating for this long hadn¡¯t dulled him in the slightest. His fists were far harder than they used to be.

    Jack took a deep breath. He raised his hands, probing the air with his fingers.

    Space wasn¡¯t uniform. It contained denser and thinner areas, constantly moving and changing at such speeds that they might as well not exist. Yet, now, his fingers urately traced their trajectories, capturing the weakest points. With a sudden move, he pierced into them, poking his fingers into the fabric of spacetime.

    Then, he pulled. The curtain wasn¡¯t parted, but as he poured his Dao into it, it changed shape. No longer was space t. It was a sheet curved to Jack¡¯s will, manifesting into shapes that seemed unreasonable. Space itself turned into runes. For a time, the cavern shook; parts of theva floated upwards and in all directions, the stone was warped, and even the massive tree groaned as it experienced the effects of Jack¡¯s space curving. Brock and Min Ling almost lost their footing. They could have used their own Dao to stabilize space around them, but that would disturb Jack¡¯s precise warping.

    Jack molded space like dough. He turned and twisted it, folded it, stretched it, and turned it inside out. The cavern¡¯s multiple spatial locks groaned as they were resolved one by one, restoring space here to its normal state.

    Jack¡¯s forehead was drenched in sweat. Manipting space to this degree took everything he had. His body, mind, and will were fully immersed in the task. He couldn¡¯t afford a simple mistake.

    Space here was covered in a series of spatial locks, and resolving them was the way to passing the trial. Of course, these locks had been set by Archon Green Dragon. Jack couldn¡¯t evene close to forcefully unraveling them. The only reason he was seeding was because the spacetime runes on the tree contained precise instructions on how to deal with each lock, illustrated as lines and angles that Jack had spent many months learning how to read.

    However, a single mistake could cause unknown changes to these locks, rendering the instructions obsolete. If that happened, Jack would be as good as trapped forever¡ªresolving them with just his own power was impossible.

    The unlocking processsted for ten whole minutes. Brock and Min Ling didn¡¯t dare breathe too loud in fear of disturbing Jack. When a spatial twist tore off part of Brock¡¯s calf, he didn¡¯t even make a peep.

    As for Min Ling, her eyes remained glued on Jack. Before entering this cavern, she had wholeheartedly acknowledged his talent, and they had adventured together, each saving the other¡¯s life.

    After that, they had spent three years together. Those weren¡¯t spent entirely cultivating¡ªthe three of them would often interact with each other, chatting or rxing together, even ying games. They had be close during that time. They had talked about many things. She had seen into his moral character, his virtuousness, his decisiveness. She admired and respected him from the bottom of her heart.

    All those factors, coupled with Jack¡¯s rugged handsomeness, were enough to birth emotions into her heart. She wasn¡¯tpletely sure what she felt¡ªit was only now, as she watched him resolve the spatial locks and release them from this sealed chamber, that she realized she didn¡¯t look forward to leaving. These three years had been peaceful and beautiful¡ªa beacon of happiness in her difficult life. She would remember them fondly.

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    Jack had no idea about the thoughts running through Min Ling¡¯s mind. His full attention was devoted to warping spacetime. The entire cavern was bent now, with even time flowing differently in various ces. Jack gritted his teeth. He took a step forward. His foot sank into space, disappearing, quickly followed by the rest of his body.

    As he maintained utter focus, he followed a weird path. Sometimes he stepped forward, others sideways, even backward. With every step, his body would teleport, reappearing in some random part of the cavern. Finally, he reappeared at his original spot, took another deep breath, and stepped in two directions at once.

    His body broke apart. One half of him was standing on the rocks, but the other was on the branches of the giant tree. Yet, not one drop of blood was spilled. Jack¡¯s body wasn¡¯t really torn; it was space that was malfunctioning. After two, his body broke into four, then eight, and then finally rbined as one.

    The moment it did, he finally rxed. All tension left him. Space shuddered as it reverted to its original shape, but all spatial locks were now missing. The only peculiarity was that the entrance hole still hadn¡¯t reappeared¡ªJack had long realized it wasn¡¯t really a tunnel, but a small wormhole knitted into the surrounding space. There was nothing to reappear. If he wanted to exit that way, he would need to craft his own spacetime tunnel.

    Jack was now standing right in front of the massive tree, looking up at the green runes that filled his mind.

    ¡°Is it done?¡± Brock asked, looking around. ¡°Did you seed?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Jack replied, throwing back his head to rx for a moment.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Brock¡¯s puzzlement was natural. In his eyes, nothing had changed. The cavern remained as it was. Where was the inheritance?

    ¡°Can you see something we don¡¯t?¡± Min Ling asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Jack replied with a smile, ¡°but I know it¡¯s there.¡±

    His palm gently touched the tree, then kept going. His arm submerged into the trunk. Jack smiled, waved at his friends, and entered the tree fully, passing through a spatial corridor to reappear in a small, sealed-off chamber.

    Ancient wood surrounded him in all directions. The air smelled of time. He was clearly inside the tree, with no entrance, exit, or window visible. It was just him in a small hole.

    Yet, this hole was the very heart of the tree, the very heart of the hidden realm. And the reason Jack knew it was because right in front of him, inside the tiny chamber, was a pulsating realm heart.

    <strong>Realm Heart (A-Grade)</strong>

    <strong><em>A dense collection of spacetime runes. A realm heart can only be constructed by those who have reached the peak of the Material Dao, and it is considered the height of sophistication.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Realm hearts contain a set of instructions and energy patterns that can simte and support the existence of an independent timespace. It is, in essence, a permanent Dao enchantment that can be used to create a separate dimension.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>WARNING: Realm hearts are regted objects. Do not disturb it. Report its existence to the nearest Hand of God branch to receive generous rewards.</em></strong>

    Jack chuckled at the warning. The System could be cute sometimes.

    Waving away the screen, he took his own look at the realm heart. It was a transparent crystal truly shaped as a beating heart, but instead of blood, what it circted was arge amount of extremely tiny runes. These runes were so tightly packed inside it that they seemed about to burst apart. Every beat of this heart released a number of runes into the air, where they merged into the hidden realm¡¯s space and disappeared, and then the contraction of that beat pulled spacetime energy into the heart, where it could be used to produce new runes.

    The System had called this object the height of sophistication. Jack had no grounds to disagree. The sheerplexity of such a device made his head throb, and it was so far beyond his level that if he spent ten thousand years meditating, he still wouldn¡¯t grasp even its tiniest corner.

    At the same time, this realm heart was not just made of spacetime. Jack could sense a powerful source of life energy inside it, a bottomless pool of vitality. His breath caught to his throat. Though he couldn¡¯t see it through the runes, he suspected that the Archon had forged a Life Artifact and part of his own body into this heart, giving it the ability to not only support a separate dimension, but also fill it with life. This was what had resonated with the Life Drop when Jack first gazed at the hole so long ago.

    Such a creation was unimaginable. If Jack¡¯s guesses were correct, this realm heart was the sole reason for the hidden realm¡¯s continued existence, as well as the reason why it was filled with draconic and nt lifeforms. Archon Green Dragon must have been a nt-type dragon himself.

    This was an unsurpassed treasure.

    A heavy voice filled with majesty suddenly echoed in the chamber. ¡°Three years. That is barely eptable.¡±

    Jack looked around in surprise. Yet, he didn¡¯t feel anyone¡¯s aura¡ªthis was still a pre-recorded message, though how it knew he spent three years here was beyond him.

    ¡°By resolving the elementary life cube and the spacetime locks, you have received the qualifications to attempt to receive my inheritance. This is a great opportunity for you. However, be warned: my inheritance is not so easy to absorb. The greatest test lies ahead. Understanding alone will not be enough¡ªyou must possess a powerful body, unyielding will, extreme battle power, and enough perception to scale the heavens! If you are willing to continue, touch the Dragonlife Realm Heart and attempt to refine it. Otherwise, cut open a space tunnel and return where you came from. I only ask that after you leave, you reinstate the spatial locks of the heart cavern.¡±

    Jack¡¯s mind shook. So far, the tests of Archon Green Dragon had been cold and cruel. A single mistake would leave one dead or stranded for life. Why would he offer a way back now? Was it a trap? Or did he really fear that someone would fail here after resolving the locks, rendering his tests null for the next challenger?

    It didn¡¯t matter. Jack had worked three years for this opportunity. He wasn¡¯t going to give up now.

    He touched the realm heart¡ªand, suddenly, he was whisked away.

    The world changed again. He found himself in a whitend. There were no trees, no stones¡ªjust an endless white in stretching to infinity under a blue sky.

    A bright light shed. Jack felt seen through, as if all his secrets had been uncovered. In the next moment, twelve figures appeared around him, each different than thest. The most eye-catching were two; a strict yet kind-looking man radiating extreme life energy, as well as a creature that resembled a blob of dark, sinister aura.

    As for the rest, they were humanoid, but not really¡ªmore like bundles of energy in a vague humanoid body with featureless faces. One was made of fire. Another, of stars. A thirdprised of many small spheres tightly assembled into a humanoid shape, and a fourth seemed normal, but everything around it was warped, as if it was drawing them in. The fifth creature was made of lightning, the sixth of blue and red sparks, the seventh of explosions, and so was the eighth, except fewer butrger ones. Finally, there were two creatures that only appeared as bodies of water, one resembling a rippling pond and the other a steady current.

    Twelve creatures in total. A number he¡¯d encountered before. It instantly made him draw connections, but he actually didn¡¯t need it to recognize these creatures because he¡¯d seen them before. Their appearances were engraved in an iron door in the bowels of Trial.

    They were the twelve Old Gods.

 Chapter 407: Fighting the Gods

    Chapter 407: Fighting the Gods

    Twelve creatures surrounded Jack. The Old Gods¡­ These were entities of unfathomable power¡ªthe closest thing the universe had to Gods, besides perhaps the System.

    Obviously, however, these weren¡¯t the real Old Gods. They were just flesh-and-bone projections created by the mysterious mechanisms of the hidden realm. Their size was simr to Jack¡¯s, and their cultivation was identical¡ªat full maturity of the fourth fruit, no more and no less.

    Was he meant to fight these projections?

    Briefly after they appeared, before Jack had the chance to speak, they rushed at him. His gaze sharpened. The Life Drop trial had contained a simr battle part, and he remembered how difficult it had been. He didn¡¯t dare underestimate these twelve.

    <em>I¡¯m sorry, mighty Enas¡­ You have helped me in the past, but I must strike down your projection.</em>

    Gods these may have been, but in truth, they were nothing but projections made for this trial. Jack felt neither fear nor reverence. He would kick their asses all the same.

    His aura rose. The energy of the Life Drop filled his body, making him taller and grow two extra arms, while Brutalizing Aura spread out to cover all twelve of his opponents. In an instant, Jack had reached his peak battle state, ready to give it his all. After three years of meditation and the previous jumps in cultivation, even he didn¡¯t know where his strengthy. He was pumped.

    As soon as his powers appeared, however, the opponents reacted. The blob of darkness assumed a devilish form¡ªtwisted horns, triangr tail, human body with the face of a goat¡ªand pointed at him. Instantly, his Brutalizing Aura copsed. It lost all meaning, bing an empty shell, and then it actually backfired, filling him with an intense fear of death.

    <em>What!?</em>Jack tried to wrestle back control of his skill, but it was impossible. All this attempt achieved was to divert his attention, letting the fastest of the projections reach him. A humanoid made of sparks extended both its arms, one on either side of Jack, and they shone one red and one blue. He ducked instantly. The two arms crashed together as if maized¡ªhad his head remained between them, it would have been pulverized.

    He had no time to strike back. More opponents were approaching. He jumped back, dodging the two explosions below his feet. A tremendous pulling power captured him mid-air, pulling him towards a seemingly-normal humanoid. He pierced through space to escape¡ªor, at least, he tried to.

    The moment he reached into space, the far-off humanoid which resembled a rippling pond shook its finger. Space solidified. Its very structure changed, and a force appeared which counterbnced everything Jack tried to do. In an instant, his space mastery had been rendered useless. The previous humanoid¡¯s pulling power was still in effect, dragging Jack onto them, and a humanoid made of multiple connected spheres jumped up and punched him in the face.

    Jack felt like a mountain had crashed into him. He was sent flying away, sonic booms in tow. The gravity in this ce was normal, so he didn¡¯t touch the ground for many miles. The moment he did, he quickly rose to his feet. His regeneration was already working to fix his mangled face, and he could clearly see the twelve opponents rushing over, not giving him a moment to rest.

    Even as his regeneration activated, however, the man who faintly led the humanoids smiled. A tendril of green aura shot out of his body, instantly reaching Jack. His life energy was siphoned away. His regeneration slowed down precipitously, while his Life Drop battle form reverted.

    He was stunned. <em>What!?</em>

    The twelve opponents still rushed at him, and Jack flew backward in this endless white expanse, earning himself some time to think.

    <em>They are blocking my Dao!</em>

    It was unheard of. Yet, it made sense. These twelve creatures were made to resemble the Old Gods¡ªthey even disyed the corresponding Daos. Therefore, it only stood to reason they could limit him. Attempting to use a God¡¯s domain against that God was only asking to be punished.

    The thing was¡­what else could he do!?

    All twelve Old Gods were represented here. All Daos in existence fell under the domain of one of them. Was everything useless?

    His space mastery was negated by the Space God. His life powers were absorbed by the Life God. His death aura and death mastery were neutralized by the Death God. What the hell was he supposed to do? Punch the Gods!?

    ¡­That made sense, actually.

    As hopeless as the situation seemed, Jack knew there had to be a solution. Archon Green Dragon wouldn¡¯t just set a death trap here. Jack¡¯s Daos were all suppressed, but that would be the same no matter who stood in his ce. It was part of the trial. Therefore, there had to be a solution.

    When he calmed down and thought about it, he realized that these creatures weren¡¯t omnipotent, even when it concerned their domain. The Life God projection¡ªthe projection of Enas¡ªhadn¡¯t absorbed all his life energy, just part of it. It made sense. If they were omnipotent, their cultivation wouldn¡¯t matter, nor would there be a meaning in having them fight him. Moreover, though they resembled Old Gods, they were nothing but phantoms conjured by an Archon¡ªtheir Dao understandings could rise no higher than Archon Green Dragon¡¯s.

    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t that his Daos werepletely subdued, just severely weakened.

    He also realized that none of the creatures had infiltrated his soul. They had only acted against his Daos when he actively used them.

    <em>The soul is invible, </em>he remembered, his eyes shining. Perhaps a true Old God could invade it, but these creatures certainly couldn¡¯t.

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    And the most important thing was¡­none of them could affect his cultivation! The Dao belonged to the Old Gods, but cultivation was something that mortals had invented themselves. Perhaps Enas had been the one to kickstart this process, but it was mortals who pursued it. If anything, cultivation stood under the even greater existence of the Heavenly Dao¡ªno Old God alone could im it.

    As long as his cultivation remained, he could fight. He could punch the Gods.

    Jack gathered himself. Suddenly, his mind came up with old memories, of the time when he was lost in the Forest of the Strong and punched away at every other living creature. There was no Dao back then¡ªnot at the start, at least. All he had were his fists. That was the beginning of his road, his first baby steps, but also thepass which showed the way.

    Now, it was the solution to this problem.

    His feet pressed against the white ground, stopping his retreat. He fell into a boxing stance. The projections charged at him.

    Jack¡¯s mind entered serenity. Concepts were the Dao, so he banished them all. At that moment, he seemed to return to a mortal, considering everything from a material, down-to-earth perspective.

    He was just a man in battle.

    His spirit red. He stood his ground against the charging twelve, and with a roar, he charged right back. Fist met lightning. Fist met mes.

    Twelve opponents, not extraordinarily strong. Each was at the same cultivation as Jack and not particrly strong for their level either. However, Jack was severely limited¡ªhis Life Drop and all Daos were sealed away. All he could depend on was himself.

    A normal person wouldn¡¯t be able tobat one opponent in this situation, let alone twelve. But who was Jack? He had survived the Forest of the Strong. He had wed his way upward through a long series of hard battles. His battle experience was rich, his instincts were sharp, his mind was decisive. He was a veteran. Even surrounded by twelve opponents of simr strength to himself, he calmly took stock of the situation, calcting the best way forward. Behind his clenched fists, which guarded against all attacks, his sharp eyes inspected the battlefield.

    Each of the twelve opponents had their own fighting style, their own strengths and weaknesses. They reliedpletely on their Dao and had no other way to fight. In that sense, being a God was a weakness.

    The Space God solely manipted space. The Time God manipted time, the twin Explosion Gods¡ªwhose exact domains remained unclear¡ªproduced explosions. Everything fell into Jack¡¯s eyes. If all those powers werebined, they were insurmountable¡ªbut, since he knew which opponent would use which Dao, he could counter them.

    Though he did not have his Daos, he still had his cultivation. That included using pure Dao to enhance himself and break through restraints with pure power, as well as his highly-enhanced body and mind. It was capital enough to wage war.

    Jack¡¯s figure shed. He broke through a spacetime cage, then dodged the fist of the sphere-god even as he let fire, explosions, and electricity strike him. He instantly suffered injuries, but nothing too heavy¡ªto descend to his cultivation level, these gods had traded raw power for their extreme insights. He charged through the smoke, ignoring all pain, and arrived before the god with the warped body that kept drawing him in.

    If he was not mistaken, this was the Gravity God. His influence was the most annoying, because in this razor-sharp battle, being constantly pulled at random directions could easily spell disaster.

    Of course, Jack had to temporarily put aside the consideration that the Gravity God, Space God, Time God, and the sphere person who was perhaps the Mass God should all be one God. He would consider the implications of thatter.

    nting his feet steadily into the ground, he drove a punch into the Gravity God¡¯s face. A force pulled him backward, but he had lowered his center of gravity and resisted enough toplete his swing. The Gravity God¡¯s face shattered against Jack¡¯s enhanced fist. Its head exploded, and then its entire body dispersed into motes of light.

    One God down, eleven to go. With each one he eliminated, things would be a little easier.

    But how could the other Gods just let him kill one of their own? They had struck at him at the same time he attacked the Gravity God, and toplete his swing, he had ignored their attacks.

    A space spike jabbed into his thigh, warping his flesh and blood. A time anomaly struck his heart, sending it out of rhythm and almost killing him. The elbow of the Mass God smashed into his back, sending him flying, while the Star God directly sted a mini-supernova into his face. The Life and Death Gods stood in the back, not attacking.

    Jack flew away like a ragdoll, his body almost bent out of proportion. He borrowed his momentum to keep running, creating some distance and waiting for his limited regeneration to kick into effect. It was painfully slow. The Gods pursued him, and running away almost took more energy than he could recover.

    This was not working out.

    Gritting his teeth, Jack stopped and faced the eleven Gods again, his eyes madly searching for another solution.

    <em>There has to be something! </em>He roared out. Just taking out one God had left him injured. At this rate, he could only defeat two or three before they got him, and then he suspected that he truly would die.

    Just punching could only get him so far against C-Grades. He needed at least some Dao. But what?

    It would be great if he could kill either the Space or Life God and restore his powers, but though the Gods did not speak, they had intelligence. Those two Gods hid behind the others, where he could not reach them without paying an exceptionally heavy price.

    <em>Damn it! What do I do!? </em>he wondered. His battle spirit was not doused, but he could not fight and die here! He clenched his fists.

    Then, his mind shed with inspiration. He suddenly remembered something, and he grinned wildly.

    When cultivating Life, Space, Death, and all those other Daos, it was easy to forget that the core of his own Dao was the Fist. Generally speaking, the Fist fell under Life, but Jack was not cultivating the Fist. He was not cultivating <em>his </em>Fist. It was his very own Dao, the one he had created when he reached the D-Grade. The Dao of Jack Rust!

    Heughed again, opening his mouth to say, ¡°You think you can bully me because you are Gods? Well, so am I! I am Jack Rust, the God of Jack Rust! Come get it, you holy fuckers!¡±

    The pure Dao he¡¯d been using all along was in truth his Dao of Jack Rust¡ªabination of other Daos which mostly focused on the Fist. He was always working on expanding it with superior concepts, but right now, all he had to use was its essence¡ªthe very core of his cultivation path.

    He clenched his fists, which burned with purple mes. Only now did he understand the true concept of this trial.

    A cultivator''s strength depended on many things. Treasures, external sources of energy, lucky chances¡­ With enough luck, anyone could reach extreme power. However, the twelve Old Gods in this trial took away everything. Even the Life Drop had been sealed away. All a challenger could depend on was their very core, the most basic Dao they had developed through their lives, something that could not depend on treasures or lucky chances. In a sense, this was the greatest proof of a cultivator¡¯s talent, the foundation on which they depended to search for insights and lucky chances.

    And in this domain, how could anyonepare to Jack, who had wed his way to the top through endless impossible battles?

    There could be people stronger than him. There could be people with higher cultivations, more treasures, and better lucky chances. But it was in this regard alone that Jack waspletely confident in himself. He had forged his own path one step at a time. Even if the Gods themselves stood in his way, he would tear right through!

    That was what it meant to be a cultivator, goddammit!

 Chapter 408: Dao of Jack Rust!

    Chapter 408: Dao of Jack Rust!

    The pain of his wounds was all but forgotten. Jackughed as he jumped into the fray, channeling his powers through the lens of his personal Dao. His body turned into a ray of light, an avatar of carnage. He no longer dodged. He punched away at all attacks, be they space or time or whatever bullshit the gods could throw at him. He broke them all. He was no longer hindered¡ªinstead, with every punch, with every step, Jack¡¯s Dao was growing even purer, unlocking more and more of his sealed power as he absorbed it into his own Dao.

    What was the Fist? It had been a long time since he asked himself this question. The Fist was strength, the fist was power. It was daring to fight and breaking through all obstacles. It was crashing head-on against injustice. It was taking control of yourself and your destiny, charging bravely through life until you met your end. The fist was heroism, it was confidence, it was the only road to a happy life.

    The Fist was the only true path. The only path Jack could follow. So what if there were other Daos? In his view, they were nothing but illusions, false concepts that led in circles. If others could make them work, that was fine¡ªbut there was only true path for Jack, and that was to fight, fight, FIGHT!

    His fist smashed squarely into the Mass God¡¯s. A colossal shockwave erupted, flinging away two other Gods. Jack lost in depth but won in power¡ªthe hand of the Mass God was smashed backward, forced to give way, as Jack¡¯s fist unstoppably pushed through.

    ¡°METEOR PUNCH!¡± he shouted. The world exploded. Spheres flew everywhere as the Mass God was obliterated, and without a pause, Jack turned to face the rest. A brutal battle ensued. He punched Gods and their attacks. He grabbed the Star God by the throat, smashing him into the Fire God, then endured a space spike to punch a hole through the Time God¡¯s chest.

    Bodies and energy attacks were flying, and at their center, a mortal man was ughtering the gods.

    He roared. He was unstoppable. The white world was dyed with blood, and all sorts of powers iled wildly. Like a beast, Jack traded injury for injury, using his tempered body toe out ahead. Finally, as his fist shattered the Space God¡¯s head, making it dissipate, only two Gods were left¡ªthe Life and Death Gods. Enas and Axelor. The former and current King of Gods.

    They had not acted so far. They stood at the back, their haughtiness clear but supported by real power. Jack could sense that their auras were far superior to all other Gods. These two alone were as strong as the other ten put together. Was this true for the Gods themselves, or just these small projections formed by the trial?

    Jack grinned. Though he had defeated the Space God, his space mastery did not return. He would have been shocked if he hadn¡¯t already realized that this trial tested the very core of his Dao.¡°Face me!¡± he shouted, then charged.

    Enas smiled. A green aura flooded his body, raising his strength to an impossible degree. At the same time, his smile turned hard, bloodthirsty. But Jack attacked the other God first¡ªthe Life Drop came from the real Enas and gave Jack extreme regeneration, so if this projection shared that power, it would be very difficult to take down.

    Axelor was a devil d in darkness. He snorted as Jack approached, directing a dark mist towards him. Jack had a feeling that, if he touched this mist, he would die.

    He punched it all the same.

    The mist was split. Jack¡¯s fist grew cold, as if his hand had died, but he still charged bravely into the darkness. The devil turned into a shadow as it drew backward.

    Enas stood by the side, only watching. This was the pride of the King of Gods. Even if it meant his defeat, he would not work with another to subdue a mortal.

    Fist met darkness. Axelor was far, far superior to the other Gods Jack had faced. Even by himself, he was a worthy opponent. His every move brought death, his every gaze brought darkness. Jack¡¯s body was constantly resisting instant death. Midway through the battle, he was blinded. But he still kept going, because his Dao of Jack Rust could not be blocked by mere darkness. His fists struck shadows again and again. Parts of his blood turned into ck sludge. He and Axelor were killing each other.

    But Jack prevailed. With a final fist, he tore through Axelor¡¯s darkness and imed his head. Everything dissipated. Jack was left panting and injured. His body bore numerous wounds, some so deep they revealed white bones. It was a gruesome sight¡ªbut thanks to his tempered body, he retained roughly half his battle power.

    He turned towards Enas, the final God.

    Jack had no confidence he could win. Not only was he wounded and exhausted, but Enas¡¯s power was also faintly above Axelor¡¯s. Yet, those didn¡¯t matter. He would still fight. If he died, so be it.

    Enas smiled again. His face was kind, his eyes green, his head covered in long dark hair, and he wore pure white clothes, making him seem ethereal. Yet, through his wide sleeves, infinite power gathered. <strong>¡°Mortal cannot ovee the divine,¡± </strong>he said, the first time any of these projections spoke. <strong>¡°Come.¡±</strong>

    And Jack came.

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    His fists were a maelstrom. His fighting skills, sharpened all the way from the Forest of the Strong, to Shol¡¯s training, to his numerous battles afterward, shone at their brightest. As his many Daos slowly merged into his core, so were his fighting skills polished even further, making Jack approach the existence of aplete whole.

    At the same time, some of his Dao Skills were already expressed through his personal Dao so he could use them. Meteor Punches cut through the air. His body moved with the grace and power of an expert martial artist.

    But the God of Life was formidable. His own body was as tempered than Jack¡¯s; every collision left them both shaking, reverberating across the world like the sound of a massive gong. The white expanse had been ravaged. Space shattered. Craters and holes spread out for miles, and even the sky had been sted open, revealing the deep darkness beyond.

    If this was a normal continent, it would have long been torn asunder.

    Two bodies flitted through the endless white space, shing again and again. Neither used magic or fancy powers; they were brutally beating each other to death. Fists smashed like rockets, thunderous roars echoed. Enas¡¯s smile had long faded, turning into stark killing intent. As for Jack, his face had done the opposite; it had unknowingly warped into a fierce grin, a smile stemming from his excitement to do battle, to kill and be killed.

    This was his path forward. Following it brought him immense joy.

    The two shed for many minutes without a clear victor. Finally, Enas changed tactics; his fists were weaker now, but every collision sent streams of intrusive life energy into Jack¡¯s body, bloating and disturbing him. His skin squirmed as if about to grow, his bones rumbled, his organs shook. Tumors grew all over him.

    Life could be disturbing sometimes.

    Yet, Jack only roared, using his Dao to suppress these changes. They would bring him down sooner orter, but as Enas had invested his power there, he was losing every exchange. Jack¡¯s fists pummeled the God of Life, breaking his bones and dying his pure white robes crimson.

    Jack was rapidly running out of energy, but so was Enas. The power he held was too much¡ªas a result, his endurance was actually limited.

    Finally, Enas took to the sky. His body red green as his aura gathered. For a moment, he really did resemble a God.

    <strong>¡°This is my final attack,¡± </strong>he dered in an even voice. <strong>¡°Kill or be killed.¡±</strong>

    Jackughed. ¡°Kill or be killed!¡± he agreed, ignoring the extreme pain rampaging through his body. His fist shone purple, gathering everything into it. Due to the constraints of this trial, spacetime, light, and sound resisted his pull, but Jack had already realized that it wasn¡¯t really those that gave him his power. What really gathered inside his fist, what really imploded, was his own burning fighting spirit, and there was no Dao in the world that could stop that.

    ¡°Die!¡± he roared, soaring into the sky.

    A green sun red, sucking in the life energy of the world. Jack felt his own body deteriorating, but he still charged forth. His fist gathered more and more power. The world warped around it.

    <strong>¡°End of Life!¡±</strong>

    The green sun expanded. As Jack reached it, the entire thing exploded in a massive, world-shattering explosion directed entirely towards Jack. His fist exploded at the same time, disintegrating his entire arm.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡±

    Two explosions went head-to-head. The world lost its vibrancy, turning purple and green. The white expanse was entirely uprooted for endless miles, revealing a deep darkness below it, while the sky and timespace were all burned away.

    In the deep void, the purple and green tussled with each other, each hiding the power to destroy celestial bodies. Yet, as the two colors waged war, purple took a slight advantage¡ªand like a tower of cards, the green sun copsed, imploding on itself andpletely evaporating Enas who hid in its center.

    An unwilling roar echoed.

    Thest explosion blew Jack away, sending him flying for hundreds of miles. It was only then that he crashed against the white ground, bouncing off it multiple times before finally rolling to a stop.

    His entire body was charred ck. Many wounds had stopped oozing blood because he¡¯d almost run out. He was a dying candle, barely even alive. Worse yet, the trial restraints remained, and he couldn¡¯t even muster the power of life to heal himself.

    But even an Archon¡¯s trial wasn¡¯tpletely merciless. A green light shone on Jack, filling him with vitality. His wasted blood was made anew, his bones snapped into ce, his skin and flesh regrew. Before long, he was whole again, and even his exhaustion had abated somewhat.

    This regeneration was the final sign that he had seeded. Only then did he truly let himself rx, resting on the white ground as he took deep breaths.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± he whispered into the air.

    This trial had been beyond brutal. Even though it yedpletely on Jack¡¯s strengths, he had still only barely survived¡ªhe had no idea how other people were supposed toplete it. Yet, for all that difficulty, his harvest was equally bountiful. Let alone the Archon¡¯s inheritance¡ªjust this battle alone had opened his eyes and expanded his horizons, showing him the powers of the twelve Old Gods. It had also helped him realize the importance of his personal Dao and fuse everything else into it¡ªa process which, even if he consciously tried outside, would be almost impossible without an extreme power locking down every other Dao.

    Just this battle had given Jack tremendous benefits. That was why, despite almost dying, he had thanked the Archon.

    The world gently warped around him. Jack found himself standing before the realm heart again, in its tiny chamber, his body still exhausted but mostly healthy. To his relief, the Dao restraints were lifted, so he could contact the Life Drop again and begin fully restoring himself.

    ¡°Sess¡­¡± the voice boomed again, this time with a hint of hesitation. ¡°I was not sure anyone would pass my trial before the dimension copsed¡­ I am wondering whether I was too harsh. However, if you are hearing this message, you must have seeded. Congrattions. It seems my legacy will not be forgotten. I also hope that you understood the trial¡¯s point and did not use vile means to pass¡­¡±

    Jack had no idea what vile means he could have used, but he still bowed deeply in gratitude.

    ¡°Then, my legacy belongs to you. Rest your hand on the realm heart again to ess it. The core of my teachings, as well as this realm heart which I spent my own life to create, will belong to you. Do not waste them!¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Jack muttered, relieved to have finally seeded. His hand touched the realm heart, and a Dao Vision shot into his mind.

 Chapter 409: Come and Take it!

    Chapter 409: Come and Take it!

    <em>Three years ago¡­</em>

    After long discussions, the B-Grades finally came to a decision. They would not explore the rest of the temple. The risk was too high, and the lower-level ones amongst them had teamed up and refused to be taken advantage of.

    As for Spacewind, he had been relegated to a side role. He could speak, but nobody asked for his opinion any longer. That made the mes of bitterness inside him burn even hotter, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    Instead of exploring, they would spend some time waiting. Perhaps this imprisonment was a periodic phenomenon, or maybe it would somehow resolve itself. If they died before that happened, they really would be fools.

    Therefore, the B-Grades sat down and meditated. One year passed. That was also their deadline. After one year, nothing had changed.

    Of course, one year was nothing to them. If they had to wait ten, a hundred, or even a thousand years, they could still endure it. The problem was their uncertainty. How long would they need to wait for? Would anything ever happen, or were they fools just wasting away their years when the exity in the next room?

    Moreover, after a year, the C-Grades outside the temple were also growing restless. They had already scoured most of the jungle¡ªthey hadn¡¯t expected the expedition tost this long.

    The B-Grades reconvened. The nine of them took stock of the situation, calmly analyzing all possibilities. Finally, they decided they could no longer sit still. They had to explore the temple.

    In truth, there were ways to do so which wouldn¡¯t involve risking their lives. It was just that these methods were too time-consuming¡­but what choice did they have?Beast taming was its Dao. However, it also served as a side-upation of many cultivators, just like healing or formation mastery. There were people here who practiced it. With a heavy heart, the B-Grades retraced their steps to safely exit the temple, then used theirmunication devices to gather all C-Grades together.

    ¡°We are stuck here for the foreseeable future,¡± Urusm dered, to the fright of many. ¡°It could be tens, hundreds, or thousands of years. There is no way to tell. Our best hope is to fully explore the temple, but it is filled with powerful traps that even we could fall to. There is only one solution¡ªwe will subdue every single C-Grade and B-Grade beast in this jungle and use them as scouts!¡±

    Though he said scouts, he really meant meatshields. Even if C-Grades had no chance of survival in the face of these traps, it didn¡¯t matter. They could scout them out. With enough numbers, all problems would be resolved!

    As for D-Grade creatures, those couldn¡¯t even resist the temple¡¯s heavy aura. Dragging them along was meaningless.

    Therefore, the entire group settled down in an area of the jungle near the temple. The B-Grades would often spread out, looking for C-Grade and above beasts and capturing them. Anyone familiar with beast taming had their hands full¡ªsubduing even a single beast was a time-consuming process. Thankfully, they only used gentle methods, as high-level beasts were too powerful to yield to torture.

    Two more years passed.

    The cultivators had remained in their area, often cultivating. Rain came often, and it was annoying, so they built roofs over their heads. Then, nobody wanted to be looked at by the others all the time¡ªthey built walls. Gradually, a small vige appeared inside the jungle. Since all treasures had already been taken, there was no point to infighting¡ªeveryone cultivated peacefully, gradually getting to know each other. People became closer.

    Taming all the necessary beasts was a process that could take up to a hundred years. Even after that, when they explored the temple, there was no guarantee they would find a way out. They could be stuck here for life.

    Though terrifying, nobody could discount that possibility. They thought they would stay for decades in the least. The vige was built tost. Over half of the people present were humans, including both men and women. They could have children. If they really were stranded here forever, this little vige would develop into a civilization of its own.

    They even gave it a name¡ªGreen Cultivator Town!

    And the only sore thumb was Spacewind, who stewed in anger in his tiny hut in this tiny little vige.

    ***

    Jack had no idea about any of those, nor did he much care. His hand touched the realm heart, and his mind was instantly whisked to a new world.

    A green dragon coiled in space. Its size was impossible to judge. Perhaps it was a hundred feet across, or maybe a hundred miles. There was nothing else nearby.

    The dragon had bright, verdant scales. Its flesh underneath was made of wood, and its horns were tree branches. Yet, its eyes shone with fierce intelligence, prating even the toughest barriers.

    This was a tree dragon¡ªsimr to the one Jack had met at the start of this expedition, but unimaginably greater.

    Archon Green Dragon did not seem to notice Jack¡¯s soul presence. It raised a w, gently dragging it through the void. Space tore open like a taut sheet, spilling out its mysteries, and the dragon cupped them all in its ws.

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    It began to weave.

    Endless runes flowed out of its w tips. Its sharp eyes were mellowed in gentle concentration. Space and time warped around it, subdued by the dragon¡¯s incalcble strength and shaped by itsprehension. The Dao yielded fully¡ªit was nothing but a tool, y which this dragon shaped.

    Power alone was not enough to achieve this. The dragon wielded its power with extreme precision, curving the sheet without breaking it, affecting it in ways which epassed the myriad changes of spacetime. Runes sprang into existence, folding in on themselves to create the beginnings of a material shape.

    Jack watched with rapt attention. Every move, every tiny change of this dragon¡¯s ws contained infinite wisdom. This sight was far superior to just observing some runes. Jack felt his ownprehension rising. He could understand less than a thousandth of the dragon¡¯s moves, yet just from watching them, he was inspired¡ªit was like an Archon was deliberately demonstrating its Dao for Jack, showcasing every single nook and cranny, every major piece and hidden detail.

    All the understandings together wove into a puzzle represented by the gathering runes before the dragon.

    Jack couldn¡¯t tell how much time has passed. Perhaps he had been here for a day or a month. The dragon kept weaving, slowly exhausting its strength even as the surrounding spacetime was sundered apart. The clump of runes before it had slowly taken the shape of a heart, beating at a painfully slow pace. The more runes that entered it, the faster the heart beat, until it finally reached one beat every three seconds. Tiny runes streamed out, and the surrounding spacetime energy was drawn in between beats, refilling the heart runes.

    Seeing this, the dragon was finally satisfied. A small smile of appreciation appeared in its eyes. Yet, though it was satisfied, it was not done.

    With a decisive move, the dragon turned its head and bit off its own shoulderde, tearing it out in a shower of wood and green blood. With a pained grunt, it brought the shoulderde close to the heart.

    Before this wooden shoulderde, the realm heart was just a tiny speck¡ªyet, the shoulderde shrunk, magically changed to an even tinier size than the heart as it flew inside its core and nestled there.

    The heart beat again. This time, a faint pulse of life radiated alongside the runes. Only now was the dragon¡¯s work over, and its exhausted body rxed as it observed the fruit of itsbor.

    Jack could sense that the dragon was weakened. Though its shoulderde had been removed, such an injury should have been nothing to a being of such caliber. He suspected that, alongside the shoulderde, the dragon had torn off something else from its body, something more vital.

    In forging this realm heart, Archon Green Dragon had really gone all-out.

    A moment of calm came. Jack remained too shocked to think clearly. The insights he¡¯d just witnessed made up an incalcble wealth, as if a god had descended from the heavens and patientlyid out a path of progression. If this vision remained inside his head like all the others, the benefits would be inestimable. By using it as a temte, his progress in spacetime would be fast beyond belief!

    The vision warped as if about to end. But then, something changed. A strange force grabbed the vision and held it in ce, suddenly making it clearer and more vivid than ever before. Jack could see every little scale on the dragon, every Dao particle in the surrounding space.

    The dragon was rmed. It released a low growl, scanning the world around it. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± it demanded to know, shaking existence with its willpower.

    <strong>¡°Retribution.¡±</strong>

    Spacetime shook, then shattered. The sheet waspletely torn away. All remaining spacetime particles rose as a vortex which slowly formed into two phantasmal beings¡ªeach resembled a body of water, one constantly rippling and the other ceaselessly flowing in one direction.

    Jack drew a deep breath! He¡¯d just fought these beings; they were the Space and Time Gods!

    However, even these were not the real bodies. They were avatars formed of spacetime, mere projections of the Gods too far away to arrive in person. Yet, even like this, their aura was staggering. Each of the two avatars approached the weakened dragon in power¡ªif their real bodies were here, they would be even stronger.

    Was Jack about to witness the power of true Gods?

    <strong>¡°You wield our power,¡± </strong>said one of the beings, its voice carrying an indescribable quality.

    <strong>¡°But without permission,¡± </strong>added the other. <strong>¡°Enas opened his domain. We did not. That which you have created is ours.¡±</strong>

    If the dragon was shocked at the appearance of the two Old Gods, it did not show it. Though its aura was faintly suppressed, it still raised its proud head to re at them.

    ¡°Empty talk,¡± it dered. ¡°The onlynguage I speak is power. If you want something from me,e and take it!¡±

    Come and take it¡­ What a phrase to speak to Gods!

    <strong>¡°Very well,¡± </strong>they responded in one voice, and then attacked.

    Unfortunately, this battle was not one Jack was meant to watch. Before it even began, one of the two avatars waved a finger in Jack¡¯s direction without looking. A tremendous power struck him. The vision shattered, throwing him back into his own body.

    That was also expected. In a previous Dao Vision, back in the Exploding Sun, even the A-Grade vampire had noticed someone watching. These two Old Gods, even in avatar form, could easily achieve the same. So could the dragon, but it had let Jack watch¡ªit had been the one to create the Dao Vision this time, not the ever-present System.

    Jack was shaken. <em>Two Old Gods¡­ An Archon creating a realm heart¡­ A forbidden power¡­</em>

    The Old Gods, the Immortals, the Crusade¡­ Those were all things Jack was faintly aware of, but they were too far away to affect him. Yet, the more he rose in power, the more he approached these entities. If he advanced his Dao to the peak, would the Old Gods arrive to stop him like they had with Archon Green Dragon?

    But, since the realm heart was right in front of Jack, the Archon had likely won that battle.

    Jack shook his head. Looking inside his mind, the Dao Vision remained, but only up to the point of the dragon finishing the realm heart. The attack of the two Old Gods was only a faint memory¡ªand the difference was that, while he could recall it, he could not observe it for Dao understandings.

    It was fine. He had inherited the legacy of an Archon. The benefits this would bring¡­ The honor¡­

    But Jack quicklyposed himself. His goal was the peak of cultivation¡ªand he suspected that an Archon, while close, was still a step away. If he really could reach the peak, receiving such an inheritance was only a matter of course.

    ¡°Thank you, Archon Green Dragon,¡± he said, respectfully lowering his head at the realm heart. He then raised his eyes.

    He had not perfectly inherited the legacy yet. The Archon had spoken of refining the realm heart. For a third andst time, he raised his hand and ced it on the heart.

 Chapter 410: Reaping the Benefits

    Chapter 410: Reaping the Benefits

    Jack touched the realm heart. At that moment, his mind became one with it, and he had perfect awareness.

    He saw the entire hidden realm from a distance. It was a massive upside-down cone¡ªshort and wide. The realm heart chamber was at the bottom end, while the entire jungle rested on the cone¡¯s t top. The hole which led Jack to the heart chamber had descended from the temple at the middle of the jungle all the way down to the tip of the cone; that was why they¡¯d fallen for such a long time.

    Outside the cone was a multi-colored nothingness devoid of space and time. That had to be the inter-dimensional void. Since the hidden realm seemed to float inside it, Jack decided to call it the Dimensional Sea.

    In the face of the infinite Dimensional Sea, the hidden realm seemed tiny¡ªbut it was actually gigantic. The jungle was a perfect circle with a radius of a hundred thousand miles¡ªit had a hundred and sixty times the surface area of Earth!

    That was no joke! No wonder C- and B-Grade creatures could exist and fight freely. Even if one of them tried, it would take a long time to raze this high-level jungle. In fact, with his current awareness, Jack could sense multiple B-Grade dragons inside the jungle¡ªthe red one they¡¯d defeated before was just one of them. As for C-Grade creatures, they were a dime a dozen.

    As Jack was gawking at the jungle and trying to process all this new information, he suddenly realized the existence of something else. <em>Hmm?</em> he frowned. <em>What are these guys up to?</em>

    The small vige created by the other expedition members¡ªthe Green Cultivation Town¡ªfell under his eyes. They did not notice him, of course, but he could clearly see that they had formed a littlemunity and were even farming beasts.

    He couldn¡¯t help making a wry smile. <em>I guess that¡¯s on me. Those guys think they¡¯re colonizing. How cute.</em>

    Some of his enemies were also in that group¡ªespecially Spacewind. It was a shame Jack couldn¡¯t use the power of the realm heart to harm them directly. What he could do, however, was not let them out.Not forever, of course. Most of those people had no rtion to him¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t strand them here for life. Just for a few years, until he had the power to defeat Spacewind. They were C- and B-Grades¡ªthey could take it. A few years would be nothing to them.

    If Spacewind returned to the Cathedral, not only would he inevitably try to kill Jack, but he might even follow the teleporter backward to Earth and create trouble. That was too high a risk.

    <em>Besides, </em>Jack thought, still smiling wryly, <em>look how much fun they¡¯re having.</em>

    A C-Grade who looked like a ss pane was petting a small dragon. Nearby, Spacewind had tried to do the same but ended up getting his hand beaten¡ªhe could only yell at the dragon while everyone elseughed.

    It didn¡¯t seem too bad.

    The only ones he felt sad about were Shi Mo, his C-Grade friend, and Borkuren Madiba, the B-Grade who¡¯d been kind to him before. He had some rtionship with those two, so he didn¡¯t want to leave them here even for a few years, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he tried to go over there and sneakily led them to the exit portals, there was a good chance other people would catch on, and then nothing could save him. The risk was just too great, and the losses not too important. After all, again, a few years were nothing to them.

    He hoped they would understand.

    With that, Jack turned his gaze away from the small cultivator vige. He was now back in the chamber with the crystalline realm heart. The Archon¡¯s voice echoed out again.

    ¡°This is my creation: the Green Dragon Realm. I do not know what state it is in at the time of your arrival, but I hope it is still as lush and green as I left it. You may return to our universe and take the realm heart with you¡ªthe realm will persist for a few millennia without it. However, I request of you that after you reach the A-Grade, when your inner world is spacious enough, you return here and absorb this realm into your inner world, where it can exist indefinitely. The jungle creatures can be considered my descendants¡ªI would not want them to go extinct.¡±

    ¡°It would be my honor,¡± Jack replied, lowering his head though the Archon could neither see nor hear him. These were just pre-recorded messages¡ªit was unknown whether Archon Green Dragon was even still alive.

    ¡°There is nothing more to be said. Recording this message makes me emotional. When you hear this, it is unknown how much time will have passed¡ªI might be alive or long dead¡­ In any case, you have received my legacy, and I know it will not be wasted on you. You are the heir of me, Green Dragon. Farewell, my disciple. Carry on my legacy. Make me proud!¡±

    The voice rumbled, rising in intensity until thest words, which made even the cavern tremble. Jack was touched. This could be thest time he heard this Archon¡¯s voice¡ªthe final words he would receive from a truly supreme existence.

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    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said again, lowering his head and remaining there respectfully until the voice¡¯s final echoes had disappeared and all was silent. He then sighed. His emotions were many, and they were also tangled with each other¡ªbut piecing them together could wait. He had a legacy to inherit.

    His hand gently rested on the realm heart. He poured his mind into it, and the entire crystalline mass turned into a ray of light which sank into his soul. As it did, he once again got a wide view of the entire realm, zooming rapidly. From the entire realm, he could see the tip of the cone, then the tree cavern, where the majestic tree stood, its branches spreading not just to the temple, but everywhere! This tree alone supported the entire realm. Deep into the dirt, Jack could even sense nine fruits, each giving their own twist to the life energy. He didn¡¯t know what they signified exactly, but it probably had something to do with the nine fruits cultivators grew on their Dao Trees.

    <em>Wait. Is that¡­a tenth fruit?</em>

    Before he could take a better look, his view zoomed further, focusing on the tree cavern, the heart chamber, and finally himself.

    As the heart entered his soul, it brought along arge number of Dao runes¡ªJack could meditate on them to increase his spacetime understandings at a rapid pace, and the heart itself would greatly enhance his inner world when he formed it. It was simr to the world anchor he¡¯d previously consumed but far better.

    At the same time, Jack sensed the strong life aura which surrounded the heart. As this energy entered his soul, it was not absorbed by his Dao Tree, but rather it leaked out into his body. It was soft and gentle, yet vast beyondpare¡ªit was the source of the tremendous amount of life on the jungle above. It seeped through him, and Jack felt iparablyfortable, like rxing in the world¡¯s greatest hot spring.

    His entire body was revitalized. His wounds and exhaustion disappeared, restoring him to his peak and then some. The heart was powered by something in its depth and maintained a steady intensity in its aura, overflowing his cells with life.

    Under the effects of this power, Jack felt his body growing rapidly stronger. It was a form of body tempering like the one he could achieve through the Life Drop, but far gentler, as if the realm heart was made for this exact purpose. There was no pain¡ªinstead, as if his body rapidly strengthened, he felt almost euphoria. He sat down cross-legged, enjoying this feeling.

    The absorption took one day and one night. When an equilibrium was finally achieved between Jack¡¯s body and the life aura produced by the heart, he opened his eyes, realizing he was full of vigor. Even his blood had turned a shadow greener¡ªas if inheriting a wisp of the Green Dragon¡¯s bloodline.

    However, the transformation was still not over. The life aura nourished his Dao Tree, and Jack¡¯s fourth fruit, which had already reached maturity, began to overflow. He smiled widely.

    After three years of meditation, this fruit had long reached maturity. However, he had purposely limited his cultivation to the peak of this fourth fruit to consolidate it, ensuring the stability of his foundation. After all, these four fruits had grown too rapidly, and he¡¯d never had the time to properly experience them.

    Now, this overflowing of energy was the sign that his foundation was as solid as could be. The breakthrough to the next fruit, which normally required a massive umtion of resources, was happening by itself. Dying it any longer would only harm him. He let the energy rise, naturally gathering at another end of the branches and sprouting into a red fruit¡ªthis represented not a particr Dao, but Jack¡¯s burning blood, his unyielding battle spirit. It was the essence of his Dao as he¡¯d realized during his battle against the Old God projections.

    Only now were the realm heart¡¯s effects finished, but they had been absolutely massive. From his body, to his Dao, to his cultivation, Jack had been transformed. He was simply iparable to before.

    He was burning with the desire to test his strength. It was time to leave this ce. Before that, however, there was another thing he desperately wanted to do.

    He opened his status screen for the first time in a while.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 301</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 5842 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 5842 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 5842 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 949 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 949 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 260</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery II, Titan Taunt I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    In his three years of cultivation, and now with absorbing the realm heart, Jack had risen by thirteen levels. His Space Mastery and Fist of Mortality skills had both reached the third tier, he had developed the Death Mastery skill and taken it to the second tier, and finally his Physical substats had increased by almost a thousand and five hundred points each¡ªmost of which came from the realm heart.

    Being transformed was not a figure of speech. At this point, without even using any Dao, Jack could crush a mountain ridge with his bare hands.

    The inheritance of an Archon was almost scary.

    And all of those weren¡¯t even the best thing. Jack surveyed his stat points. By some lucky coincidence, they were¡­

    He barely contained his excitement.

    Of the 260 free points, he invested 102 in Mental and Will to bring them both to a round thousand. That left exactly 158, which he allocated fully into the Physical substats. The resulting image was something he had desired for many, many years.

    <strong>Strength: 6000 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6000 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6000 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    ¡°Oh, heavens, thank you! Thank you! You are beautiful, haha!¡±

    If Jack wasn¡¯t already euphoric, he would be now. This bnce would break once he cultivated a little bit, but, for now¡­it was perfect.

    Jack spent another three days in the heart chamber to consolidate his benefits a little and let his body grow used to its increased stats. Then, with a tug of will, he teleported back to the tree cavern. As the owner of the realm heart, he could freely move around this cavern¡ªthough he did not possess the power to do the same in the jungle above.

 Chapter 411: Goodbye, Hidden Realm

    Chapter 411: Goodbye, Hidden Realm

    ¡°You did it!¡± Min Ling shouted.

    ¡°Bakagu!¡± Brock yelled, jumping backward as Jack appeared in his face out of thin air. He grabbed his heart. ¡°Bro! Careful!¡± Then, realizing that his big bro was safe and sessful, he rushed over to give him a firm pat on the back. ¡°Good job.¡±

    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t know I seeded?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I thought the Archon¡¯s voice had echoed here as well.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t.¡± Min Ling shook her head. ¡°But I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± Brock added. ¡°And stronger, too!¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it. But first¡­how about we leave this ce?¡±

    Excitement rose inside them. Only Min Ling felt a hint of hesitation as she gazed at Jack¡¯s victorious figure¡ªit wasn¡¯t only his handsomeness that grew every time he tempered his body, but also his aura. Over the years, it had left a deep impression in her heart that wouldn¡¯t go away.

    However¡­

    Min Ling¡¯s eyes met Jack¡¯s. In the end, she chose not to speak. He was not an idiot¡ªher feelings were visible if he chose to see them, but he¡¯d never breached the subject. Min Ling recognized the tacit rejection. She had already researched his background and knew he was married¡ªperhaps, in his culture, the notion was more meaningful than in hers.Thinking up to here, she chuckled bitterly. She had been pursued and desired by innumerable men in her life¡ªbut the only one she wanted, she could not have. The cruelty of fate.

    ¡°Is there anything you wish to say?¡± Jack asked, looking her in the eyes with kindness.

    She smiled and shook her head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jack nodded. He waved his hand through the air, using the realm heart¡¯s powers to form a multi-colored portal¡ªit pierced the Dimensional Sea and connected directly to their universe, though not at the same spot they¡¯d left. He¡¯d chosen a random ce for safety reasons, though inside the gxy, as he couldn¡¯t go farther.

    ¡°What about the others?¡± Min Ling asked, referring to the expedition members.

    ¡°They¡¯ll stay here for now,¡± Jack replied. ¡°My power has risen greatly, but it is not enough to face Spacewind yet. When it is, I will return, kill him and all those who attacked us, then release the rest. Besides¡­¡± A faint smirk appeared on his face. ¡°I suspect they don¡¯t dislike this ce.¡±

    She nodded. The three of them stepped through the portal, flying through a multi-colored tunnel for some time before emerging in a dark part of space. Innumerable tint stars surrounded them. This was the universe everyone knew and loved. They. Were. Back!

    ¡°Thank you for flying with the Rust airlines,¡± Jack said. His smile then turned warmer¡ªsentimental. ¡°Wee home.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re out!¡± Min Ling yelled in joy as she exited the space tunnel. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    Brock rubbed his hands together. ¡°Hohoho. So many new insights. So many bros to make.¡±

    Jackughed alongside them. He couldn¡¯t wait to go back home and visit his family.

    As he spread his perception, however, he noticed a dark shape approaching them at great speed. It was a space monster of incredible size,rger than a continent¡ªa deep space leviathan. Its every tooth was like a mountain.

    <strong>Space Monster, Level ??? (B-Grade)</strong>

    As the leviathan approached them, it roared, shaking space for a thousand miles.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Min Ling shouted, turning to face it. ¡°It must have been drawn in the by the spatial ripples. I¡¯m not sure I can take it. We should run!¡±

    Jack, however, had perceived the monster ahead of time and estimated its strength. Though a B-Grade monster, it was at the weakest end of that spectrum. As he saw it charging, his boiling blood spilled over, and all his gathered power needed to erupt.

    ¡°Let me,¡± he called out, flying towards the leviathan instead of away from it.

    Min Ling¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Jack!¡±

    Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Big Bro!¡±

    But Jack was unstoppable. He elerated, reaching extreme speeds, and activated the Life Drop battle form. He pulled his fist back. Five solid Dao Fruits poured their power inside it, alongside the power of his extremely tempered body. He grinned wildly. The B-Grade leviathan bit down on him. He smashed out a punch.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡±

    The world roared and shattered. The endless void broke apart. The explosion was like a star being born, releasing massive shockwaves for untold miles, while the leviathan suffered the brunt of this attack. An ocean¡¯s worth of ck blood spilled out. Mountain-sized teeth flew through space. The leviathan was not dead, but it was bleeding profusely from the mouth, and its gaze towards Jack had changed from hunger into fear.

    Without hesitation, it turned tail and ran. Jack did not pursue. He could defeat it if they truly battled, but there was no meaning to chasing a space monster.

    Yet, that was a B-Grade creature. He¡¯d shed and won against it. His cultivation was only at five fruits, but his actual strength had already reached the B-Grade.

    That was¡­unprecedented. Pride filled his chest.

    Min Ling¡¯s jaw hung open, while Brock nodded sagely. ¡°As expected,¡± he said.

    Jackughed out loud. ¡°Come on!¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°To Earth, first. We must visit our families and let them know we¡¯re safe. And after that¡­the Cathedral would not be a good choice. Our cultivation and understandings have risen too muchtely. We need to spend some time exploring the universe and using battle to consolidate our strength. Therefore, there is only one thing to do.¡± His grin widened. ¡°It¡¯s time to adventure!¡±

    ***

    Jack and Brock had been gone for over three years. What they didn¡¯t know was that these years had been crucial for the development of the universe, and they would certainly go down in history.

    One month before they returned, andmass was circling a small ck hole in the void between gxies. This was the Cathedral. Everything was the same as always.

    In a corner of the Cathedral was a massive teleporter with twelve white columns sticking out of the ck ground. Next to it, an old man meditated inplete silence. He had not moved for a millennium. Jack had seen him many times but never noticed anything weird. Neither had the many C-Grades passing by his post every month.

    On this day, the old man¡¯s eyes snapped open. A terrifying strength erupted from his body, and he instantly teleported to the space outside the Cathedral, resisting the ck hole¡¯s pull with just his power. His gaze was locked into the distance, where he could feel faint spatial ripples approaching.

    Space opened beside him, revealing a disheveled Heavenly Spoon Sovereign. ¡°Elder Shield,¡± he said casually. ¡°Did you sense it as well? I think we¡¯re about to have¡ª¡±

    ¡°Quiet,¡± the old man said, his voice emerging rasp and hoarse. ¡°Return to the Cathedral and activate the Evacuation Formation.¡±

    ¡°The Evacuation Formation? But that¡¯s¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish his words, space was torn asunder in the distance. Colossal starships slipped out, dozens of them, followed by hundreds of smaller ones. One starship was particrlyrge, the size of a small, and on its prow stood nine people¡ªfive were robots and four were humans.

    Of the nine, one robot stood ahead of the others.

    ¡°Whoops,¡± said Sovereign Heavenly Spoon.

    ¡°Cathedral¡­¡± the leading robot spoke in a mechanical voice. ¡°Finally. We found you.¡±

    Of the nine people, each exuded an A-Grade aura. Especially the leading robot¡ªits power reached thete A-Grade. It was one of the strongest Immortals.

    Seeing their arrival, the old man¡¯s frown deepened. An ocean of energy erupted from his body, enough to disrupt the flow of Dao in his surroundings.

    ¡°Run and activate the Elder Beacon,¡± he told Heavenly Spoon. ¡°Let the ck Hole Church know¡­that the second crusade has begun.¡±

    The sovereign did not waste a moment. His body shed away, leaving the old man alone to face a fleet of hundreds of starships and nine A-Grades. Before them, he seemed tiny. ¡°If you want to pass,¡± he said slowly, his voice echoing to the ends of the world, ¡°you have to pay with your lives.¡±

    The leading Immortal tilted its head. ¡°That is inurate,¡± it said. ¡°You cannot face us. You will die¡ªbut your courage ismendable.¡±

    Elder Shieldsted for two minutes. That was enough time for the Cathedral¡¯s Evacuation Formation to activate, teleporting every living creature away. The Cathedral itself could not be moved¡ªit remained there and was captured.

    On that day, the first Elder-levelbatant fell, and the crusade officially began¡ªand, on the same day, the ck Hole Church lost its capital.

    This would be a tough war.

    ***

    In this war, the Hand of God would certainly try to purge all gxies from the influence of the ck Hole Church. This included even the newly-Integrated Milky Way gxy.

    The group sent to achieve this in the Milky Way was led by three B-Grademanders as well as e C-Grade individual who hailed from this gxy. This individual had his own goals.

    His son and his disciple had been killed by Jack Rust. He had been publicly defeated and humiliated, had his face dragged through the mud to such a degree that his faction, the Animal Kingdom, had thrown him out. His millennia-old reputation had been shattered, and he had lost all the power and authority he¡¯d cultivated over millennia. Even his rtives and disciples didn¡¯t want to see him. From the almighty Warden of Hell, he had crashed down into the dark earth.

    This was Artus Emberheart. The man who had lost everything.

    Except his life.

    And now, he would strike back.

    ¡°Scour the entire gxy. Interrogate everyone. Point our scanners outside System space. I don¡¯t care what you do. Just find. Me. Earth!¡± he ordered in a low growl, smashing his fist into the armrest. His eyes burned with deep, all-epassing hatred. ¡°That man took everything from me. No matter what, I will repay that hatred! I will torture his wife and kill his children, burn his and destroy everything he loves!¡± Heughed madly, his voice echoing through space. ¡°Prepare to grieve, Jack Rust!¡±

 Chapter 412: Familiar Faces

    Chapter 412: Familiar Faces

    The rustling of leaves was quiet. The wind was weak. A bird¡¯s cry hung in the distance as a small, wheat-colored hand parted the branches, spying on its prey from above. The prey walked closer, pebbles cracking underfoot. It was unaware. The hunter smiled¡ªthen leaped.

    A little girl was revealed. She had skin the color of wheat, eyes of amber, and a long, dark ponytail fluttering behind her. Her clothes were simple yet elegant, green robes which merged as one with the foliage. She was five years old¡ªand her face was covered by wide, bright smile.

    ¡°Got you!¡± she shouted, falling from the branches onto the passing gymonkey below. The monkey yelped, backpedaling, while the girlnded awkwardly on the bumpy soil. ¡°Ow,¡± she concluded. ¡°No fair! You saw meing!¡±

    The gymonkey was confused for a moment. Then, it shrugged and mimed something.

    ¡°No way you just reacted on time!¡± Ebele Eragorn Rust protested with a pout. She rose to her feet and dusted herself off,pletely unhurt¡ªthough young, she had a slightly tempered body. ¡°You can¡¯t be better than me. I am fast!¡±

    The gymonkey mimed something again.

    ¡°You know what? Okay. You <em>are </em>faster, but only because you¡¯re older! Just let me grow a couple of years, and then¡ªkapow! I will get you!¡±

    The gymonkeyughed. She patted Ebele¡¯s head, then handed out a bananarm which the girl grabbed with a glimmer in her eye. The monkey then mimed something else.

    ¡°Really!?¡± Ebele cried out, ncing at the sun. ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯mte! See you, aunt monkey!¡±

    She broke into a sprint. The bananarm dangled by her hand as her feet flew over the dirt paths of the Forest of the Strong, crossing trees and streams to reach an open clearing riddled with gym equipment. A massive brori was already waiting.

    Like every time she saw him, Ebele had to suppress a shiver of fear. This was a hulking behemoth. His massive body stood almost thrice as tall as her, covered in gleaming dark fur with spots of silver. This silver also appeared around his temples¡ªbut she knew it was an indication of stress, not old age, because his body was ripe with power. His arms were wide like tree trunks, his legs like barrels, and all corded with thick, iron muscles. Moreover, like all broris, just his resting face held a deadly stare.

    ¡°Uncle Harambe!¡± Ebele shouted out, rushing to a stop before him. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte!¡±

    Harambe snorted. ¡°Where brother?¡±

    Unlike his son, Brock, Harambe had a limited affinity tonguage. His speech remained impeded even five years into living with the Bare Fist Brotherhood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ebele replied truthfully.

    Harambe frowned. He closed his eyes and released a rudimentary form of Dao perception to cover the nearby forest area. Suddenly, he sprang into motion, grabbing a nearby bananarm and flinging it out like a boomerang.

    Seeing that, Ebele remembered to eat her own bananarm.

    Harambe¡¯s projectile flew between the trees, spinning crazily around itself and producing a shrill ¡°eee¡± sound. The bananarm left Ebele¡¯s sight, but the sound persisted, growing weaker with time before abruptly changing its mind. The ¡°eee¡± rose in volume,ing from somewhere above, and it gradually took on the aspects of a little boy¡¯s voice. Finally, the bananarm returned, carrying with it a pale-skinned, delicate-looking, blond boy around whose leg it had gotten entangled.

    ¡°Heeelp!¡± Eric Eragorn Rust shouted, flying in, until both he and the bananarm came to a stop into Harambe¡¯s palm. Harambe frowned at the boy.

    ¡°Why are you running?¡± he asked in broken English.

    ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Eric hesitated, his eyes growing wider when stared by a brori at such a close range. Finally, his mouth flew open. ¡°I don¡¯t want to exercise!¡±

    Harambe sighed. He gentlyid Eric on the ground, dusting him off as he spoke. ¡°It only an hour. Good for health. You can y after.¡±

    Eric sniffed. ¡°You promise?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then I can exercise¡­ I guess.¡±

    Ebele sighed as she saw that. While she loved to exercise and temper herself, her brother was different¡ªhe preferred ying or exploring the forest.

    Then again, she could understand. Uncle Harambe¡¯s practice sessions could be a little¡­intense.

    ¡°Let start with light running,¡± Harambe said, rising to his feet. ¡°Small warm-up of tenps around forest. That wake us up. Then, true exercise begin.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Ebele and Eric groaned as one, but there was nothing they could do. They set to running. Their little feet tapped against the dirt, following Harambe through snaking paths and forest trails. Their route circled around a part of the Forest of the Strong and totaled half a mile in length. Tenps meant five miles¡ªa decent warm-up when run at seventy percent maximum speed. Despite the body tempering baths both children had received, Harambe¡¯s exhausting regime always left them panting, though never too much¡ªHarambe said that, at this age, cultivating good habits was the important part, and overexerting regrly would only create a dislike for working out.

    Ebele had to admit she enjoyed this part of training. Running was freeing, simple, a way to release the pent-up energy inside her and get stronger, like her father! Plus, the route was nice. It took them between streams and the living ces of various animals, as well as a treehouse standing proudly on top of an old oak.

    Eric¡¯s eyes brightened every time they came past this spot, and so did Ebele¡¯s. This was the treetop Eric and their father had once built¡ªboth children enjoyed sitting in it, making up stories about their father and what he might be doing. He hadn¡¯t returned in three years. Mother said he was busy fighting to keep them safe¡ªand, though Ebele missed his greatly, she understood. She admired him. One day, she would grow so strong she could join her father, so that she wouldn¡¯t need to stay here and wait until he returned. They could spend all their time together!

    As she was thinking that, she wasn¡¯t paying attention to what was in front of her and ended up smacking her face into a tree. ¡°Ow,¡± she said, holding her nose while Harambe gave her an odd look. Eric stopped running tough out loud. Hisughter was like the sound of a clear stream¡ªand Ebele, though still in pain, couldn¡¯t help smiling.

    ¡°If your body is here and mind is there, you¡¯ll get nowhere,¡± Harambe said, but Ebele didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she yelled, jumping and punching the air, thenughed as she kept running. ¡°Time to get strong!¡±

    ***

    Jack, Brock, and Min Ling had emerged from the hidden realm into an empty patch of space in the fringes of Heaven¡¯s Egg gxy. Thankfully, Jack still possessed a high-end starship called the bromobile, so they could easily cross the void to reach civilization.

    Only five dayster, they arrived at a medium-sized called Vengalo. They had chosen this ce because it possessed a teleportation hub, just like the Brian Outpost that Jack had visited in the past. Of course, they were wanted criminals of the System, so they had to take precautions.

    Min Ling was well-equipped. She carried several high-level disguise pills. Their facial features were jumbled up and the screens that appeared when they were Inspected had changed. The red System warning about them being wanted criminals was no longer visible. As long as they didn¡¯t encounter B-Grades, they would be safe.

    Of course, even in an advanced gxy like Heaven¡¯s Egg, B-Grades held far too high a status. They weren¡¯t easily found outside the headquarters of major factions.

    As the three of them walked into a bar of the teleportation hub, they were surrounded by E-Grades alongside the rare D-Grade. They werepletely safe. After all, Jack¡¯s real stats were far, far, far above a D-Grade¡¯s.

    <strong><em>ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.</em></strong>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 301</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 6000 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6000 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6000 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    Unexpectedly, however, a man stopped them by the entrance. His cultivation was at the early D-Grade¡ªa small fry to people like Jack, but a titan to the ordinary popce. Him serving as a doorman seemed far too luxurious.

    The doorman took a good look at all three of them, inspecting them but finding nothing out of the ordinary. To him, they appeared as factionless peak E-Grades. ¡°Names?¡± he asked in a bass voice.

    ¡°Crock,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°Esmeralda Archenstain,¡± Min Ling replied, borrowing the first name of her friend on the Cathedral.

    ¡°Rack,¡± Jack said. The doorman gave him a second nce.

    ¡°Rack what?¡±

    ¡°Just Rack.¡±

    Min Ling rolled her eyes. The doorman grumbled something under his breath, then noted down their information and let them pass.

    ¡°That was weird,¡± Min Ling said. ¡°Is something going on here?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± Jack replied, grabbing a random customer with a polite but firm hand on the shoulder. ¡°Excuse me, friend. Can we buy you a beer for a quick chat?¡±

    The guy under Jack¡¯s hand froze. He then looked up. Hard eyes met Jack¡¯s¡ªthis guy and his entire group looked like hardened veterans, but their bravado melted under a wisp of Jack¡¯s aura.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he pacified them. ¡°We just want information, then you¡¯re free to go.¡±

    The man nced at his friends, then nodded. He stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what beer is, but I have a drink,¡± he said, raising a tankard filled with some blue liquid. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Does this ce always have a D-Grade doorman?¡±

    The man raised a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re testing my patience, friend.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just that everyone knows about it. We¡¯re at war. Only a few months ago¡ª¡±

    The man kept talking, but Jack was no longer listening. His head had swiveled to the side. Just now, two people with familiar auras had entered the bar. At the same time he noticed them, they found him as well, seeing the disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Jack said, a bright smile blossoming on his lips. ¡°Gan Salin! Nauja! What the hell are you guys doing here!?¡±

    Gan Salinughed, his canines sticking outside his lips. ¡°Incredible! I guess war criminals doe together!¡±

    Meanwhile, the random guy grabbed by Jack had noticed he was no longer needed. He sat back down, muttering under his breath, ¡°Weirdo.¡±

 Chapter 413: Reunion

    Chapter 413: Reunion

    Jack took a deep gulp, downing the blue ale he¡¯d been served. The locals called it Verneditch¡ªsimr to beer, except far stronger. mming his tankard on the table, Jack eximed, ¡°So, what the hell are you guys doing here?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Gan Salin responded with a big smile. ¡°As a matter of fact, the princess of this ce and I got into an entanglement. You know, the physical sort. I mean sex.¡±

    ¡°There is no princess,¡± Nauja cut in, rolling her eyes. ¡°We arrived at this gxy to explore, then ended up hunted by some factions.¡±

    ¡°It was their fault, too,¡± Salin added. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t leave their starships unattended.¡±

    ¡°Starships are expensive,¡± Brock agreed.

    Min Ling gave Jack an exasperated stare. ¡°Are they really your friends?¡±

    ¡°Not just friends¡ªthese are some of my best friends in the universe!¡± Jack replied with a smile as wide as Salin¡¯s.

    The canine was exactly as Jack remembered him. Aloof, rxed, with a penchant for randomness and an insane glint in his eyes. His short dark hair and white skin made him resemble a friendly human youth, if not for the long canines in his mouth.

    As for Nauja, she had exchanged her fur clothes for more civilized attire¡ªa set of brown leather armor which revealed her paper-white but highly muscr thighs and arms. Despite this change in clothing, she maintained a brutish, carefree aura, like an untamed wild animal brought to the city.

    The two were like peas in a pod. And, in the five years since Jack hadst seen them, they¡¯d reached thete D-Grade.

    Jack leaned in. ¡°So, you stole a starship and are being chased down. Are you at least enjoying it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, for sure!¡± Nauja replied. ¡°We¡¯ve been to so many ces. Tribes, metropolises, wilderness, settlements between stars... Do you know there is a whale space monster sorge it contains its own civilization? The people there are called Devons, and they are extremely pleasant. There was even a tornado spiraling from star to star. Tell him, Salin!¡±

    ¡°It was impressive.¡± Salin nodded in agreement. ¡°I have to admit, these five years have been much crazier than I expected. What have you guys been up to?¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Far less than you, apparently,¡± he replied, then retold his adventures since they liberated Earth. He spoke about the Cathedral, the many opponents he faced there, and his meteoric rise to power. He then exined about the hidden realm, only withholding the Archon¡¯s inheritance¡ªnot because he didn¡¯t trust them, but just in case anyone searched their mind in the future.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re on our way back to Earth¡ªdiscreetly, of course,¡± he finished. ¡°As soon as we reach any base of the Church, we can go to the Cathedral, and it¡¯s a straight line from there.¡±

    Salin and Nauja looked at each other. ¡°Which Cathedral?¡± Salin asked. ¡°Surely not the one that was just conquered.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, man. This is going to suck for you guys. The Hand of Godunched an all-out war against the ck Hole Church just a year ago. They started off by discovering the Cathedral andpletely conquering it, then embarking on a witch hunt across the universe. They had spies, apparently¡ªdozens of Church bases have been routed, with millions of cultivators killed.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious!?¡± Min Ling cried out. Her eyes were almost popping out of her head. Though she rarely lost herposure, this was one such case. Her voice was filled with worry. ¡°If you¡¯re lying, I will pierce my spear through your heart.¡±

    ¡°There are better ways to im my heart,¡± he responded calmly, drawing an eye roll from Nauja. ¡°But, I¡¯m not lying. That is why there is a D-Grade cultivator scanning everyone here. All seventy-three gxies of the System are in all-out war, with various major factions shing against each other. It¡¯s not just the bases of the Church¡ªmany factions allied to them have been discovered and forced into hiding. The Hand is executing a massive purge, with wanted lists containing tens of thousands of powerful individuals. It¡¯s a huuuge mess,¡± he finished, leaning back and spreading his arms wide.

    Min Ling had paled. ¡°What about the Far Isles? Have you heard about them?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell. If it¡¯s in another gxy, I wouldn¡¯t know¡ªwe¡¯ve been in a grand total of two and a half.¡±

    ¡°We must hurry,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°My people are in danger. I have to get to them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Jack said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a year already¡ªa few minutes now will make no difference. It¡¯s better to gather all the information we can first.¡±

    Min Ling was, in the end, a genius of frightening caliber. Even facing the possible extermination of her people, she forcefully calmed herself down. Jack turned to Salin. His face was also serious. ¡°You mentioned seventy-three gxies,¡± he said. ¡°Does that include our Milky Way?¡±

    This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Unfortunately. Your old friend, Artus Emberheart, is in charge of the Purging there¡ªand the Exploding Sun was the first faction to be impacted. I hear that a B-Grade of the Hand appeared in their faction and ughtered all their B-Grade powerhouses. The faction dropped a Grade overnight, and they have since disbanded, their members scattered across the gxy and forced to live as fugitives.¡±

    Jack¡¯s brows fell. The Exploding Sun¡­ His sworn brother and former master, Shol, was there. So was another of his former masters, Huali. He¡¯d once spent a few months at the Exploding Sun, received their grace on multiple asions, and enjoyed their resources. He owed them.

    <em>Artus Emberheart¡­ </em>he thought, his gaze darkening. The name brought back memories. Artus had been the Warden of Hell when Jack rampaged through the. The hatred between the two of them was irreconcble. Jack had killed Artus¡¯s son¡ªRufus Emberheart¡ªback during the Integration Tournament of Earth. During his time on Hell, he had repeatedly ridiculed and humiliated Artus, eventually killing his best disciple before the eyes of the entire gxy and then leaving unharmed.

    Afterwards, Jack found out that Artus had been removed from his position as Warden and exiled from his faction. He never expected to see him return and at an even greater position¡­but that was how the world turned.

    <em>The one enemy I let go returns to haunt me¡­ Will my bad luck ever end? </em>Jack wondered, his expression stormy.

    ¡°What about Earth?¡± he asked. ¡°Artus Emberheart hates me to the bone. If he can get to Earth, I have no doubt he will destroy it.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Salin replied, shrugging helplessly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s found it. The Hand publishes their greatest military achievements to boost morale, and Earth is quite the beacon of hope for the Milky Way.¡±

    Jack nodded with relief. Thanks to the Church, Earth had been moved outside System space but still inside the Milky Way gxy. That was arge area. Finding it in such a short timeframe was nearly impossible no matter how many resources Artus Emberheartmanded.

    But Jack still worried, because the conquered Cathedral contained a teleporter which connected directly to Earth. Thankfully, it seemed that teleporter had been destroyed in the battle¡ªor somehow rendered unusable.

    It could also be destroyed from the Earth side, but nobody would do it because they had no way of knowing about the fall of the Cathedral. Jack and Brock were the only ones with a reason to visit Earth¡ªfor all intents and purposes, it waspletely cut off from the rest of the universe.

    ¡°We must return,¡± he decided.

    ¡°That was our idea,¡± Nauja agreed. ¡°But entering the Milky Way is even more difficult than leaving it. It is not fully Integrated, after all. Until it develops its first A-Grade, all teleportations to and from the gxy are strictly monitored so as to let it develop naturally.¡±

    ¡°Forget about the monitoring. I¡¯ll handle it. Do you know any teleporters connected to the Milky Way?¡±

    ¡°There is one¡ªthe B-Grade faction controlling this ce holds such a teleporter, but it¡¯s smack dab in their headquarters. If you¡¯re thinking of infiltrating, forget it¡ªthey will have swarms of D-Grades protecting that ce, along with many C-Grade Protectors. If we try to forcefully activate the teleporter, even B-Grade Elders might appear, and then we won¡¯t even have time to cry.¡±

    Jack and Brock exchanged a calcting nce. ¡°How strong is that faction, exactly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re a peak B-Grade influence. Their strongest individuals are at the peak B-Grade, and their Elders are all at the B-Grade. However, most of them have joined the war¡ªonly the early B-Grade Elders have remained to hold the fort.¡±

    ¡°You seem to know a lot about them.¡±

    ¡°We also wanted to return so we researched them. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do. We can¡¯t infiltrate a ce guarded by B-Grades. Even with the three of you, it remains impossible.¡±

    Jack grinned. ¡°Have you forgotten who I am?¡±

    ¡°...Jack?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. But also, the Jack far stronger than his level would indicate. Leave the B-Grades to us¡ªif you can activate the teleporter, we¡¯re out of here.¡±

    Intergctic teleporters weren¡¯t simple to use. Due to the distance, all sorts of tuning was needed.

    ¡°Activate the teleporter?¡± Salin eximed. ¡°Therge ones areplex! I can say please, but I don¡¯t know if it will work.¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Nauja cut in. ¡°I met a magic formation expert on Dulupedam. He taught me some tricks¡ªas long as the teleporter doesn¡¯t have security measures against ill use, I can activate it just fine.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Then we¡¯re good to go.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you concerned about our strength?¡± Jack asked, giving her a confident grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can handle a B-Grade or two.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be joining you,¡± Min Ling said. ¡°My faction is at the Far Side gxy. I must get there as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Can you do it?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°It will be much easier than your side. My gxy is fully Integrated. Even in wartime, I should make it without a problem.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I believe in you.¡±

    ¡°And so do I. Jack¡­¡± Her eyes softened for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±

    Heughed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to! Now that I¡¯m back and stronger than ever, I would like to see just who can stop me!¡±

    ¡°Many people. Don¡¯t get arrogant.¡±

    He smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Thanks for worrying.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded. ¡°You too, Brock. Promise me you¡¯ll be careful¡ªand don¡¯t let your brother do anything too stupid.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Brock replied, thumping his chest. ¡°Nothing too stupid for big bro.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah. I don¡¯t know what I expected.¡± She turned her gaze towards Gan Salin and Nauja. ¡°Can I at least count on you two to keep them from doing anything crazy?¡±

    Salin gave her the widest grin his face could amodate. ¡°Girl, you have no idea who you¡¯re talking to.¡±

    ***

    Their goodbye was short and sweet. After spending years together in a cave, the three of them had developed a deep friendship. But duty called. Min Ling hugged everyone and bade them goodbye, leaving behind enough disguise pills and other supplies tost¡ªshe was filthy rich, apparently.

    She then departed in her own starship, crossing space to disappear between the stars. Jack watched her go for a moment. Then, turning around, he summoned his starship¡ªthe bromobile. Seeing it, Salin and Nauja were filled with memories. Its dark hull and ss walls were nostalgic.

    ¡°All aboard,¡± Jack dered. ¡°This ship is going to the Milky Way!¡±

 Chapter 414: Storming the Gates

    Chapter 414: Storming the Gates

    The bromobile shuttled through space, teleporting over and over as they neared their destination.

    Jack had discarded his robes and reverted to wearing only pants, as he used to do in the Milky Way gxy. Right now, he was lounging on the deck, his perfect muscles revealed by hisck of shirt. ¡°Tell me more about this faction,¡± he said.

    ¡°They¡¯re called Falling Star,¡± Salin exined. ¡°They mostly use physical power or illusions to fight, and they¡¯re also pieces of shit.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they all?¡±

    His gaze cut into the distance. Soon, the flickering stars gave way to a massive celestial body hanging in the void.

    The Falling Star faction headquarters were built on arge meteor shooting through space. There was no tail behind it, making it seem still, while several smaller meteors circled it like satellites. Despite theck of nearby stars, the meteor exuded faint luminescence through means unknown to Jack.

    ¡°Pretty,¡± Brock said. ¡°Shame it¡¯s upied by enemies.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t be for long.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes were hard. ¡°Salin, take us tond.¡±

    ¡°In the open?¡±

    ¡°In the open.¡±

    It was impossible to arrive sneakily, anyway. The bromobile slowed down, approaching the meteor and flying in parallel to it. People walked all over it like ants¡ªthis ce was at least the size of Earth¡¯s moon.

    One area had many starships resting on the ground, so Salin led them there. Conveniently, the teleporter was nearby¡ªthe Falling Star faction had arranged all neers close to each other. Before they evennded, a procession of a dozen E-Grade servants led by a hard-faced, peak D-Grade man walked over.

    The starship¡¯s door slid open and Jack walked out first.

    ¡°Wee to Falling Star,¡± the hard-faced man said. ¡°I believe your arrival was unannounced?¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°That is not how we usually do things. Your names, please.¡±

    Jack opened his mouth, then paused as Salin whispered something in his ear. Finally, he smiled. ¡°My first name is Your,¡± he said.

    ¡°Your. Okay. And yourst name?¡±

    ¡°Mother.¡±

    The official frowned, then his aura began to leak out. ¡°On the Falling Star, troublemakers are¡ª¡±

    Jack sent him flying before he could even finish his words. The people in the surrounding starships were dumbfounded. The E-Grade servants froze¡ªthey were so fragile that just the aftermath of any attack could easily kill them. Thankfully, Jack had been careful.

    Waving a hand, he shrank the bromobile and stashed it into his space ring. ¡°To the teleporter!¡± he said, taking to the air and followed by Brock, Gan Salin, and Nauja.

    ¡°Can you really do this?¡± Nauja asked, worriedly looking around.

    Meanwhile, Salin was cackling madly. ¡°Oh, I missed you so much!¡±

    rms went off in every direction. Dozens of people took to the air, mostly D-Grades led by a few C-Grades. ¡°Halt!¡± a middle C-Grade enforcer flew in their way. ¡°Who are you? What do you want from my faction?¡±

    ¡°None of your business,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°Hmph! Then die!¡±

    The man pushed out a palm, galvanizing the surrounding Dao for miles. Starlight appeared in the void. The motes gathered together, forming arge palm that pressed down on the four of them, trying to restrict them. The surrounding people gasped¡ªmany fled at full speed. The power of a middle C-Grade was unfathomable!

    Facing the man¡¯s attack, Brock stepped forth. He did not panic, nor did he summon any great phenomena. Instead, he opened his mouth to say three words: ¡°Not cool, bro.¡±

    It was like the decree of god. The moment Brock¡¯s words rang out, the man¡¯s palm copsed. All starlight was extinguished, and the world itself lost color as these words echoed over and over, dominating existence, rewriting reality. The enforcer shook, then vomited blood and flew backward as if struck by a giant hammer.

    The surrounding crowd gaped. A middle C-Grade cultivator, an unrivaled existence in their minds, had been defeated by just a few words. The disparity wasn¡¯t small at all!

    Just who were these guys?

    After the hidden realm adventure, Brock¡¯s strength had also risen tremendously. Not only had his cultivation reached maturity of the fourth fruit¡ªthe middle C-Grade¡ªbut his Daoprehension had advanced by leaps and bounds. Compared to before, he was simply a different beast.

    Though he couldn¡¯t reach Jack¡¯s power, defeating an eight-fruit cultivator of the Cathedral wouldn¡¯t be a problem, let alone this four-fruit who wasn¡¯t even an elite.

    Seeing the enforcer fly away, the crowd realized that these four weren¡¯t ying around¡ªthey were powerful entities here to cause trouble. The brori who just attacked didn¡¯t even seem like the leader! Several starships instantly shot into the air and flew away, trying to escape the aftermath of any battle, while the cultivators of Falling Star streamed in from all directions. Dozens of C-Grades covered the air around Jack¡¯s group, followed by hundreds of D-Grades.

    ¡°Stop right there!¡± a peak C-Grade shouted. ¡°Why are you acting against us!?¡±

    No matter how this person wracked her brain, she couldn¡¯t remember making enemies with a group like this. She had never seen them before!

    Facing this encirclement, Jack frowned. They couldn¡¯t waste too much time here. He stepped forward, a deep and foreboding aura spreading out of his body and into the surrounding space. ¡°All of you¡­¡± he said, his voice menacing. ¡°Fuck off!¡±

    Brutalizing Aura erupted. The void was colored ck. Every D-Grade cried out and fell from the sky, while the C-Grades went deathly pale. A few even died on the spot.

    Stolen story; please report.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 302.</strong>

    Seeing the notification, Jack¡¯s eyes shone. Just now, he had shown mercy to the D-Grades but not to the C-Grades, striking them with the full might of his aura. However, he had forgotten that since this was System space, he could earn levels by killing people!

    The moment he realized this, his expression changed. He¡¯d nned to just break through this encirclement, but now, he might as well stay. These people were enemies. The only reason they¡¯d been polite so far was because they feared him¡ªif they knew who he was and were given the chance, they would absolutely y him to please their Hand of God masters.

    Since that was the case, Jack could kill them first.

    ¡°I changed my mind,¡± he said. ¡°All C-Grades¡­ You aren¡¯t going anywhere!¡±

    His aura erupted. His disguise was ripped apart, revealing his full level, faction, and appearance to anyone watching. The System¡¯s blood-red warning was also clear.

    The enemies began to panic. ¡°Contact the Elders!¡± someone said.

    <em>Elders? Plural?</em>

    Jack acted swiftly. He focused Brutalizing Aura on the nearby teleporter building, knocking everyone inside it unconscious. He then warped space around Gan Salin and Nauja, teleporting them over.

    <em>¡°Prepare the teleporter!¡± </em>he told them telepathically. <em>¡°Let us know when it¡¯s ready!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You got it, chief!¡± </em>Salin replied.

    Jack and Brock were left alone in the air, surrounded by a group of terrified C-Grades. They exchanged a nce. Brock summoned the Bro Code, enveloping himself in golden light. Jack cracked his knuckles.

    The leader of the enforcers, a peak C-Grade woman wearing blue, gritted her teeth. ¡°Attack together, everyone!¡± she shouted. ¡°They¡¯re only C-Grades. They can¡¯t stop us!¡±

    Everyone roared and charged. Jack grinned, withdrawing his Brutalizing Aura. He hadn¡¯t had a proper fight in three years¡ªhe desperately needed to vent.

    His fists swam through space. For a time, three different Daos manifested around Jack. His position blurred, using spacetime to appear simultaneously around four different enemies and smash their chests open. These attacks really did ur at the same moment¡ªthrough bending time, he could make it appear as if he was in four locations at once.

    But spacetime could do much more than that. Three enemies were dragged into a singrity in space, their bodies twisted until they shattered like twigs. Another froze, aging rapidly. Wrinkles formed on his face, his hair turned white, and eventually he released his final breath, turning into dust alongside his clothes.

    An eighth person suddenly stopped moving. A finger had tapped his chest, using the Dao of Death to directly sever his life. The C-Grade fell from the sky, dead without any injury.

    On the other side, Brock was also going berserk. A massive golden brori had appeared in the space around him, swinging a golden staff. Brock himself sat in a cross-legged position inside the brori, chanting from his book¡ªthough he still didn¡¯t know how to read. His Staff of Stone had been broken by Baron Longform in the hidden realm, but he didn¡¯t need it for such weaklings. After all, these people were much weaker than the elites of the Cathedral. The golden brori eliminated enemies by the swathe, felling them as one would knife-wielding toddlers.

    In the blink of an eye, over a dozen C-Grades had died!

    ¡°Stop!¡± a loud cry echoed in the distance. A white-robed old man was rapidly flying over, his expression dripping blood. C-Grades were almost the highest echelon of a B-Grade faction, and raising each of them took a tremendous amount of resources. Losing a dozen in the blink of an eye was an extremely deep loss.

    Seeing this man approach, Jack revealed an excited smirk. ¡°So an Elder finally shows up¡­ Great!¡±

    <em>¡°How long?¡± </em>he asked Nauja.

    <em>¡°Almost ready!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Good.¡±</em>

    ¡°Handle these guys, Brock,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯ll get the Elder.¡±

    ¡°You got it, big bro.¡±

    Jack escaped the encirclement, flying directly into the sky. As for Brock, he faced the remaining C-Grades by himself. He instantly fell into a disadvantageous position¡ªthey possessed multiple peak C-Grades, and while they couldn¡¯t bepared to the elites of the Cathedral, they were still powerful. The battle devolved from an one-sided massacre into a brutal melee, but that was precisely Brock¡¯s intention. He¡¯d umted too many insights¡ªhe needed long battles to fully digest them!

    As for Jack, he was shooting directly towards the B-Grade Elder. Seeing a mere C-Grade charge at him, the Elder grew enraged. ¡°Insolence!¡± he shouted. The might of an inner world erupted. Infinite energy filled the sky, dying the entire void white as a falling star cut descended right onto Jack¡¯s head.

    Seeing that, he grinned. ¡°A falling star is just a meteor!¡± he eximed,ughing. ¡°Let¡¯s see who can do it better!¡±

    He pulled back his hand, diving straight into the torrent of white energy. He cut through it like an arrow. The power he could muster was far less than his opponent¡¯s, but his body was iparably sturdy, and the Dao he used was much deeper. After studying the inheritance of an Archon, how could a B-Grade who¡¯d barely reached that rankpare with Jack?

    The Elder¡¯s only advantage was therge amount of energy he could wield. An inner world was hugepared to the small amount of ambient Dao Jack could use, it was likeparing a firefly to a raging wildfire.

    Jack still shot forth. Mid-flight, his body grew taller and sprouted two extra arms. His power peaked. A purple vortex appeared around his fist, drawing in the surrounding light and sound, space and time. Even some of the white energy released by the Elder was sucked into Jack¡¯s punch, enhancing its power.

    Feeling the weight in his fist, Jack couldn¡¯t stop grinning. ¡°Meteor Punch!¡± he shouted, releasing it all in a straight line. A second falling star appeared in the sky, shooting upward. Jack¡¯s was far smaller.

    ¡°You want to meet my attack!?¡± the Elder shouted, his voice filled with angry disbelief. ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    The two meteors shed. The sky was washed away. Spacetime ripped, and the shockwave was so intense that it razed the ground beneath their feet, carving a mile-deep crater into the Falling Star¡¯s headquarters. The starship dock was entirely destroyed, and rocks of all sizes flew into the distance, covering the entire celestial object in a cloud of dust.

    And this was just a little bit of the aftermath. Most of the attacks¡¯ energies were used against each other.

    In the frightening collision just then, Jack had been the one to lose, though barely. He flew several miles backward before he could steady himself. He was uninjured and grinning.

    In truth, this Elder was the weakest of B-Grades. Jack could beat him. The only reason he¡¯d lost just now was that he used Meteor Punch instead of Supernova, wanting to pit his own meteor against the old man¡¯s to see if he could gain any insights.

    However, after the attack, the Elder did not attack again. He was busy being shell-shocked. He had won the exchange, but only barely¡ªand his opponent was a five-fruit C-Grade! The difference between them couldn¡¯t even be described as a river against the ocean¡ªit should have been absolutely impossible for their strengths to be anywhere near each other.

    This was¡­unbelievable!

    The Elder¡¯s mind raged. Such a talent would not appear from nowhere. He couldn¡¯t be unknown. His thoughts churned, going through every possible candidate, but he had to admit that even the most glorious young cultivators of his gxy were far inferior to Jack.

    Suddenly, a person from years ago came into his mind. He contrasted it with the face he saw and the fact that his opponent used the Dao of the Fist. A name appeared.

    ¡°You are¡­¡± he muttered shakily, raising a finger to point at Jack. ¡°You¡¯re Jack Rust!¡±

    Jack grinned.

    <em>¡°Ready!¡± </em>a voice rang in his mind before he could reply. <em>¡°Come quick!¡±</em>

    Jack took another nce at the Elder. He wanted to stay here and fight, but that would be unwise. Already, he could feel multiple powerful auras rushing in from the distance, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to take them all.

    He tore through space without a word, appearing beside Brock. Grabbing the brori¡¯s shoulder, he teleported again, arriving right next to Gan Salin and Nauja inside the teleporter. Purple light already swam around them, barely held back from activating.

    ¡°Go!¡± he shouted, and Nauja pressed a button. They were violently torn through reality, breaking into the space between space and rushing forth at mind-boggling speed. The Falling Star headquarters disappeared behind them, and they barely caught a glimpse of the B-Grade Elder demolishing the entire teleporter building in an attempt to stop them. But he was toote.

    They were headed for the Milky Way.

 Chapter 415: Returning to the Milky Way

    Chapter 415: Returning to the Milky Way

    Bobby Dickinson was a human of Earth-179, member of the Wide Swirls faction. After centuries of cultivation, he had finally reached the D-Grade, which qualified him to stay around the intergctic teleporter and be a guard!

    Honor aside, this was a boring job. The teleporter was very rarely used, if ever, and at those times he was actually escorted away for higher-ranking guards to take over. Of course, every arrival of intergctic personnel wasmunicated well ahead of time.

    That was why, when the teleporter began to ripple in Bobby¡¯s shift, he grew suspicious. ¡°Hmm?¡± he muttered. ¡°That¡¯s not supposed to happen.¡±

    Something crashed. The teleporter shook alongside the ground, and a powerful shockwave threw Bobby away even as a blinding sh of light seared his eyelids. ¡°Ah!¡± he eximed in pain.

    He wasn¡¯t the only guard. Everyone mobilized quickly, but it was toote¡ªas soon as the teleporter stabilized, whatever was inside it tore through the void and flew away, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Bobby was frozen, left watching the ruins of arge teleporter.

    Which had been destroyed during his shift.

    ¡°Nooo!¡± he yelled to the skies.

    ***

    The bromobile tore through space at tremendous velocity. The void trembled beneath its hull, ripping apart every now and then to reveal absolute darkness. Jack had taken the helm this time. Using his deep understanding into Space, he could push this ship far beyond any speed it had disyed in the past.

    Of course, the quality of the ship itself also yed a part¡ªan inferior starship would have already crumbled, but the bromobile could easily take this pressure.

    This starship had been gifted to Jack by Old Man Spirit, the overseer of Trial. He hadn¡¯t known back then, but it was actually an incredible vehicle.

    ¡°We should be far enough,¡± Jack finally said after several minutes of all-out flying.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man.¡± Salin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s only a measly billion miles. What if someone stumbles into us?¡±

    ¡°Very funny. Just so you know, B-Grades could still follow our trail and locate us.¡±

    ¡°So why is this far enough?¡±

    ¡°Not far enough to be safe. Far enough to activate a warp.¡±

    Every high quality starship possessed the ability to space-warp. Moreover, when executed through a starship¡¯s mobile teleporter, this space-warping was far superior to a cultivator¡¯s. This was the reason why even B-Grades rarely flew through space by themselves.

    Jack¡¯s insight into the Dao of Space was astoundingly deep, butpared to a high quality starship¡¯s formation, it was likeparing a strongman to a mechanical crane.

    Energy gathered wildly. The surrounding miles of space werepletely sucked dry, while the front of the bromobile¡¯s hull shone with an amber light. Finally, with a tearing sound, space split open, and the bromobile shot through its fabric. Stars zoomed past them¡ªa multicolored spectrum majestic to the eyes.

    When they were spat back out into normal space, the astral scenery around them was slightly different.

    ¡°Ten light years,¡± Jack said, nodding. ¡°We¡¯re finally safe.¡±

    ¡°Yep. You¡¯re fast where it matters.¡±

    Jack raised a brow at Gan Salin. Brockughed. Nauja coughed. ¡°Where do we go now?¡± she asked. ¡°As far as I remember, Earth is hidden.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°Earth is outside System space. Even I don¡¯t know its exact location¡ªand, even if I did, it¡¯s part of a new sr system, so it constantly moves across the gxy. Finding it without using a teleporter is impossible.¡±

    ¡°Always the optimist,¡± Gan Salin said.

    ¡°If you keep interrupting me, I¡¯ll optimize your ass,¡± Jack gave a joking warning. ¡°We need to find someone who can connect us to Earth¡¯s teleporter¡ªand there aren¡¯t many candidates.¡±

    Back when Earth had teleported, Shol had been on it as well. He desired to go back. Therefore, the people of Earth worked together with the ck Hole Church to temporarily connect their teleporter to another near the Exploding Sun headquarters.

    Jack hadn¡¯t known exactly how teleporters worked back then, nor did he care much. Now, however, he had some idea. A teleporter acted as a beacon. It radiated spatial ripples of a very specific frequency across a wide area. If someone knew a teleporter¡¯s frequency, they couldtch on to it, detect the ripples, discover their source, and so connect their own teleporter to the target one.

    In other words, as long as you knew a teleporter¡¯s frequency and its very general location, you could connect to it.

    For that reason, teleporter frequencies were considered top secret information. If an enemy had them, they could just appear in your headquarters. The only people who knew the frequency of Earth¡¯s teleporter were the Sage, the professor¡­and Shol! Thisst person was meant to act as a failsafe in case anything went wrong.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Even Jack himself didn¡¯t know the frequency, just in case he was ever captured and somehow mind-searched. He never imagined the Cathedral would be taken over.

    Now, his former caution hade to bite him in the ass.

    ¡°The professor is on Earth, presumably, and I have no idea where the Sage is or whether he¡¯s still alive,¡± Jack exined. ¡°Therefore, our best chance of reaching Earth is Shol.¡±

    Salin perked up. ¡°Bald head, monk robes, explosive temper?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s in the Exploding Sun, right? Wasn¡¯t that the faction exterminated by the Hand of God?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jack¡¯s face darkened. Salin had already given him this information before, but this didn¡¯t make the pill any less bitter. Master Huali could have passed away, and maybe even Shol¡­

    Jack shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s head there first,¡± he said. ¡°In finding Shol, his faction is our only clue. Even destroyed, we might discover something.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say, boss. But how?¡± Salin asked. ¡°From the insignias on the teleporter we just came through, we must be in the Wide Swirls constetion, near the center of the gxy. The Exploding Sun is far away.¡±

    ¡°Not if we¡¯re smart about it. There is awork of teleporters spanning System space¡ªif we disguise ourselves, we could use them until we¡¯re close enough to the Exploding Sun to fly with the bromobile.¡±

    Salin perked up. ¡°Excuse me¡ªthe what?¡± The name of their starship hadn¡¯te up before¡ªJack had saved it for shock value.

    ¡°The bromobile,¡± he replied, remaining calm and confident. ¡°The name of this starship.¡±

    ¡°Bromobile? You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°One hundred percent.¡±

    ¡°And they call <em>me </em>the crazy one¡­ Listen, Jack, if you¡¯re here to steal my job you better reconsider.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a great name and it stays. Right, Brock?¡±

    Brock raised a brow at Gan Salin. ¡°Bromobile is great name. Why? You have a problem?¡±

    ¡°I, uh¡­ Not at all, big bro.¡±

    ¡°Good. I was thinking the bromobile was one Gan Salin too heavy, but it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Brock was obviously joking, but it was hard to tell with his hard face and piercing eyes. Gan Salin gulped. ¡°Well, what are we waiting for? We have a gxy to explore!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Jackughed, stepping away from the starship helm. ¡°Nauja, will you do us the honor?¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± she replied, grabbing the helm. Her mind connected to the formation operating the starship, and her hands jumped over the buttons, turning them in a certain direction and shooting forth.

    ¡°How do you know where to go?¡± Brock asked curiously.

    ¡°The spatial ripples of teleporters are easily detectable if you¡¯re close enough. All ships have the appropriate devices¡ªteleporters are partly meant to serve as beacons in empty space, guiding us to safe ports amidst the endlessness.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Brock replied, nodding. ¡°Smart.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± She shed him a bright grin. ¡°It¡¯s so cool! Only marginally worse than riding triceratopses back at the tribe.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take us to the closest with a teleporter,¡± Jack spoke up. ¡°If anyone is after us, they might go there andy in wait. Choose the farthest.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± She frowned for a moment, consulting the starship devices. ¡°I found it. It¡¯s less than a week away¡ªI¡¯ll handle the piloting, so you can just rx and enjoy the ride.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll read a bit,¡± Gan Salin said, retrieving a rolled-up magazine from his pocket. It was titled, ¡°Architectural Boss¡± and disyed everyday buildings filled with advertisements. Jack had absolutely no idea what a D-Grade cultivator was doing with such a thing, but he wasn¡¯t ready to open this can of worms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cultivate,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then I will read as well,¡± Brock added, conjuring his Bro Code¡ªa golden book filled with images.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Salin eximed, putting his magazine away. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The Bro Code.¡±

    ¡°It has images? Can I see?¡±

    Brock paused for a moment, then made way for Gan Salin to read alongside him as well. The canine released all sorts of exmations¡ªthough probably not understanding anything. He also made suggestions on how the book could improve. Brock looked ready to smack him.

    Jack chuckled as he walked away, heading to a separate room to cultivate in peace. This journey would be fraught with danger¡ªyet, howe it felt refreshing?

    ***

    In a distant ce within the Milky Way stood a massive silver temple. Statues of robots decorated it¡ªand, if one counted them, they would find exactly ny-nine.

    A door opened in the depths of the temple, and Artus Emberheart entered the room. Compared to thest time Jack had seen him, his aura was more chaotic, as his Dao had cracked¡ªyet, the obsession in his eyes was hard to hide.

    ¡°You asked me to see me, Commander?¡± he said respectfully.

    A woman d in white sat behind a desk. Her hair was also white, not by age, but by purity. This was Eva Solvig, thete B-Grademander of the Hand of God who had once been tasked with finding Jack Rust and retrieving the Life Artifact on his body. After the war began, she was assigned to purging this gxy¡ªboth because she was familiar with it and as punishment for her previous failure.

    ¡°I have received a report from the Heaven¡¯s Egg gxy,¡± she said slowly. ¡°There is a chance¡­Jack Rust has returned.¡±

    A fierce fire lit up in Artus¡¯s eyes. His aged face warped in hatred. ¡°He¡¯s here!?¡±

    ¡°It is still unclear. Someone matching his cultivation, Dao, and description appeared in Heaven¡¯s Egg. He also possessed the power to jump multiple tiers to fight and was apanied by a brori. He even used a simr Life Artifact to enhance his power. It is either Jack Rust or an borate trap¡­but I don¡¯t see why anyone would go to such lengths to deceive us.¡±

    ¡°It is him,¡± Artus replied with obsession-fueled certainty. ¡°Commander, I beg you to let me go after him. I must destroy him!¡±

    ¡°You are not his match,¡± Eva replied, shaking her head. ¡°At the mid C-Grade, he could almost match an early B-Grade cultivator.¡±

    Artus shook. Such talent¡­ Such power¡­ It was mind-boggling¡ªbut it didn¡¯t reduce his hatred in the slightest.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± he said slowly.

    ¡°Jack Rust is a high-priority target. He must not be allowed to grow.¡± Eva tidied up the papers on her desk, then stood up. ¡°I will personally lead this operation. You follow me. I have also notified every agent in the Milky Way to be on the lookout. That man has escaped us once, but if he really dares to return to this gxy¡­¡± Her eyes sharpened. ¡°He will die.¡±

 Chapter 416: Choosing Oneâ€™s Path

    Chapter 416: Choosing One¡¯s Path

    The trip to reach the former Exploding Sun headquarters would take two months.

    Jack¡¯s group traveled from teleporter to teleporter, using fake names and disguise pills to keep their identities hidden. They stayed near other people as little as possible, always moving with caution.

    They were like fugitives.

    In the process, they witnessed the aftermath of the war. Even in the Milky Way, which was isted from the rest of the gxies, news had already spread. Every ambitious D-Grade had packed up and headed for the Hand of God to enlist, not quite understanding the scale of this war.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they turned me down,¡± an early D-Grade cultivator mmed her cup on the table, her powerful voice dominating the bar. ¡°They said that even C-Grades could only serve as soldiers. To them, it¡¯s like D-Grades are trash!¡±

    Her voice contained a mix of anger and humiliation. The only reason she¡¯d mention this out loud was her intoxication.

    ¡°They must be blind!¡± agreed another cultivator¡ªan E-Grade. ¡°C-Grades don¡¯t grow on trees! If they only ept those people, they will barely make a few squads, let alone an army!¡±

    Shouts of agreement rose from everywhere. In a corner, Jack, Nauja, and Gan Salin calmly sipped on their drinks. Brock was too recognizable so he hadn¡¯te to gather information. ¡°Is that really the case, Jack?¡± Nauja asked. ¡°Are C-Grades somon in the universe?¡±

    Jack smiled slightly. ¡°They are notmon, no¡­but the universe is wide. There are dozens of A-Grades, thousands of B-Grades, perhaps millions of C-Grades. In a war of such caliber, anyone below that is useless. It¡¯s just that this is a little bar in a tiny outpost in the fringes of a recently Integrated gxy. How could these people know the vastness of the world?¡±

    Gan Salin and Nauja fell silent. The path of cultivation was full of thorns and pitfalls. From every Grade to the next, only one in a hundred or one in a thousand cultivators made it. With six Grades stacked on top of each other, this tiny sess rate diminished to almost zero.

    But the universe was just toorge. There were seventy-three gxies in System space, each holding millions of habitables with millions of people each. In such a wide base of people, there were some who miraculously made it to the top echelons of the cultivation world.

    C-Grades were people who could move the winds and rains. Tomon mortals, they were Gods. Yet, in a conflict of this scale, they could only serve as foot soldiers¡­

    ¡°Did you hear the Heaven Immortal¡¯s deration?¡± a man said, changing the subject. ¡°The Church is almost routed!¡±

    ¡°I heard as well!¡± another person added. ¡°They lost two Elders and are running away like mice. They have been forced to retreat outside System space again!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope they stay there!¡±

    Everyoneughed together. The people of the universe were all in the sphere of influence of the Immortals, so they received their propaganda. They were naturally biased towards the Hand of God.

    Jack did not begrudge them. They were ants to him. How could he me them for going with the flow?

    ¡°I heard something else!¡± a woman shouted, eager to participate. ¡°The Arch Priestess of the Cathedral activated a tremendous weapon during a battle. They still lost, but they annihted an entire sr system with millions of people!¡±

    ¡°What monsters!¡± the other patrons eximed. ¡°They¡¯re terrorists alright¡ªwhat did you expect?¡±

    ¡°They should all burn in hell!¡±

    ¡°They should be crippled and fed to space monsters!¡±

    The bile of propaganda flowed endlessly from their mouths, so much that even Jack felt ufortable. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. He swiped his credit card over the special screen installed in their table, and the three of them departed the bar.

    ¡°Would the Church really destroy an entire sr system?¡± Nauja asked as they walked away.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But what I¡¯m certain of is that there is no right or wrong in war. If anything, the Immortals are even more callous than the Church because they are robots; they do not possess emotions like we do. At least, for the Church, I can hope they weigh mortal lives in their decisions¡­¡±

    ¡°The world is a harsh ce,¡± Salin said, his voice not carrying its usual madness. ¡°People die all the time. The weak are just foil for the strong. Between superpowers, there is no good option, only the least of two evils¡­¡±

    It was a sobering thought. The Church had its ideals, but they were not fighting for the world right now. They were fighting for their survival. Only if they won would they reveal their true face to the public. And, as for what that face was, Jack could only hope it was a kind one.

    Stolen story; please report.

    At the very least, they were better than the Hand of God.

    They continued traveling. From their arrival point at the Milky Way, the former Exploding Sun headquarters were very far away. The trip would take months.

    In that time, they could observe the current state of the gxy. Church cultivators had infiltrated everywhere before the war¡ªnow, the gxy was riddled with destes, broken moons, endless bloated corpses floating through the cosmos. These sights were not toomon, but to Jack¡¯s group, who covered a lot of ground at high speed and visited manys, there were many opportunities to witness the brutality of war.

    ck snakes coiled around Jack¡¯s heart. Every time he saw a ruined continent, he pictured America in its ce. The mountains of corpses could be humans and broris¡ªhis wife, children, mother... If he returned to Earth only to witness such a sight, he would lose himself.

    <em>I need to be stronger, </em>he vowed, clenching his fist. <em>Strong enough that nobody will touch me and my people¡­ Strong enough to protect them.</em>

    Throughout their trip, everyone cultivated with fervor. Jack spent a few hours at every ruined location they passed through, using the cruelty and brutality of war to enhance hisprehension of life and death. Whenever they teleported, he would meditate on the spacetime fluctuations, deepening his understandings.

    After all, he had only grasped a small part of the Archon¡¯s inheritance. The seeds remained inside him, but they needed his meditation to bloom. On the bright side, he advanced at speeds iparable to other cultivators.

    As for his understandings into life and death, those had temporarily fallen behind spacetime. He was now spending most of his time aboard the bromobile holding onto the death cube granted to him by Elder Boatman, slowly delving into its mysteries. Day by day, hisprehension slowly grew.

    The death cube also contained an enigma. Elder Boatman had said he¡¯d ced a wisp of his soul inside it so he could always track Jack¡¯s position. Since they emerged from the hidden realm, Jack had expected Boatman to look for him, but that hadn¡¯t happened yet¡­

    Had Elder Boatman perished? Was he too busy with the war? Or had the soul mark vanished after so many years in a separate dimension?

    Jack had no way to know. Even if he did, there was nothing he could do to change the situation. Therefore, he focused on himself.

    He been cultivating for six years already. He was nowhere near the end of the road, but he felt that finally, his direction was close to finalized.

    Life and Death. Space and Time. These two pairs of Daos would be the path he followed to the peak¡ªall through the lenses of the Fist.

    From an upstart young cultivator experimenting with anything that fell into his hands, he had slowly grown into a veteran consciously making his way forward. He had matured.

    But maturity came at a cost. The path before him used to be infinite. Now, it was clearly defined, letting him walk it more efficiently but also having an end. And that end¡­wasn¡¯t necessarily the peak of cultivation.

    Every cultivator had a limit. Now, Jack was beginning to see his in the far distance. It scared him¡ªbut he trudged on, determined to advance as far as possible. Limits could be illusions¡ªby being exemry, he would break through the constraints of the world, carving his own path.

    That was the meaning of cultivation.

    Besides meditating on the Dao, Jack did not cultivate at all. Not because he wasn¡¯t ready¡ªin fact, for the first time since he embarked on this road, his Dao understandings had surpassed his cultivation level. After consolidating his foundation for three years, he was ready to rush forward and advance to the peak of the C-Grade in one fell swoop.

    The issue was, cultivating took time¡ªdecades, if not centuries, and that was time that Jack didn¡¯t have avable. Since this was a period of war, he would employ the same method he used during the D-Grade and ughter his way through the levels. Given that his Dao understandings were solid enough, that was a much faster way than peaceful cultivation.

    Therefore, cultivating a little bit now was meaningless. Jack would rather spend that time meditating on the Dao¡ªa process which couldn¡¯t be elerated.

    Time trudged on. Throughout the trip, the bromobile ran into many dangers ranging from mid-level space monsters to pirates. None was a problem. They smashed right through, smoothly continuing on.

    Two months after their arrival at the Milky Way, four people stepped out of a teleporter. The terrain was familiar¡ªout of all thes in the gxy, this was one they¡¯d visited before.

    Derion, the poison.

    Jack had passed through here the previous time he was headed for the Exploding Sun headquarters. He had just reached the D-Grade at the time and was heading over to train. During his brief stop at this, he¡¯d discovered and attacked a group of Animal Kingdom cultivators transporting prisoners, one of which had been Vanderdecken, the Earth cultivator who used the Dao of Metal. He¡¯d also been attacked by a bounty hunter. That was the first time Jack killed a D-Grade.

    ¡°Oh! I probably still have a bounty,¡± he told his friends. ¡°I wonder if anyone will try to get it this time.¡±

    Derion hadn¡¯t changed much since theirst visit. It was a barren almost empty of natural lifeforms, where low-level cultivators could only survive for a limited time due to the poisonous atmosphere. The cultivators themselves, however, had changed.

    They were much fewer. The once-sprawling camp of people waiting their turn to teleport had diminished to only a few starships parked in the open, while the guards were more and stronger. There were even people bearing the Hand of God insignia¡ªthe picture of a humanoid with a square screen for a face, its open palm facing the viewer.

    It was natural. Derion was thergest teleportation hub of the Exploding Sun constetion. In these troubled times, the security measures would be water-proof.

    However, Jack and the others weren¡¯t here to teleport. They¡¯d chosen Derion not because it was directly connected to Field Neb, the former Exploding Sun headquarters, but because it was located nearby. They could use the bromobile to just fly over.

    ording to the information they¡¯d gathered, the Hand of God had turned the headquarters of the Exploding Sun into an outpost after clearing out its previous upants. Given Jack¡¯s identity, flying there was much safer than openly teleporting.

    They didn¡¯t stay long on Derion. After discreetly asking around for a few hours, they boarded the bromobile and set off into deep space. A weekter¡­they approached Field Neb.

 Chapter 417: Riddle

    Chapter 417: Riddle

    Clouds of gasses hung in the void like pregnant titans. They were brown, yellow, purple, green¡­ All colors in existence covered the cosmos, bloating it with the essence of creation just waiting to happen.

    ¡°Pretty,¡± Nauja said.

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Just that? I thought seeing a neb up close would be a little more exciting.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been around. It¡¯s not my first neb.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Salinmented. ¡°You should have seen that whale swimming through a neb. That, my friend, was a sight to behold.¡±

    Nearby, Brock snickered. Jack rolled his eyes. ¡°Well, like it or not, this is the best I have.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s great, buddy,¡± Salin replied, patting Jack¡¯s shoulders. ¡°So¡ªthe Exploding Sun is in there?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere. We just have to find it.¡±

    Reaching the headquarters of the Exploding Sun wasn¡¯t too difficult. Jack already knew it was inside the Bow Neb, a cloud of multi-colored gasses and dust so colossal it dwarfed even stars. Even in the vast gxy, such a ce was visible from extremely far away. They¡¯d just flown directly here from Derion.On the down side, finding a fews nested somewhere inside a massive neb was like looking for a needle in the haystack. Thankfully, they had the bromobile.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting a faint reading,¡± Nauja said, looking at the starship¡¯s various instruments. ¡°There is a teleporter in the neb, but it¡¯s far away¡ªit should be close to the other side.¡±

    Jack nodded. Back when Master Huali had taken him outside the neb to watch a supernova, reaching there had only taken a short while. Field Neb¡ªthe Exploding Sun headquarters¡ªshould be near the edge.

    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Brock spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s go! For the bros!¡±

    ¡°For the bros!¡± the other three replied, and the bromobile dove straight into the neb. Suddenly, the star-riddled darkness was reced by colorful gasses of all kinds. It was like flying through a rainbow. Even Nauja and Gan Salin, who had been indifferent so far, showed a rare stunned expression.

    Jack stuck out his chest. ¡°Your whale had no windows, did it?¡±

    Suddenly, the gasses parted. Aet emerged, shooting straight for them and narrowly missing their ship.

    ¡°There is no visibility and we¡¯re going too fast!¡± Nauja exined, rushing for the helm. ¡°Do something!¡±

    ¡°I got it,¡± Jack replied. His form flickered¡ªsuddenly, he was outside the bromobile, standing stably on its prow. Waves of Fist Dao emanated from his body. The bromobile adopted a new momentum, suddenly not sailing through the neb but punching through. A faint purple aura surrounded them, shaped as a fist, and the asionalet was smashed away.

    What was once a starship had be a fist punching through the cosmos, unstoppably tearing through all in its way. Standing on the prow, Jack couldn¡¯t help grinning. Infinite colors swam around him¡ªand it was only thanks to his personal power that he could experience such beauty.

    Salin¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. <em>¡°That¡¯s very impressive, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± </em>he said, <em>¡°but don¡¯t you think we¡¯re a little too eye-catching?¡±</em>

    They were supposed to approach Field Neb stealthily. However, Jack¡¯s grin remained unbothered. <em>¡°I am dispersing the energy fluctuations into the dozens of miles of space surrounding us,¡± </em>he replied. <em>¡°Unless someone draws close enough to be detected, we should resemble nothing but a slightlyrger meteor.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Oh. Okay. You do you, chief.¡±</em>

    They tore through the neb. Teleporting at this time would create ripples that even Jack couldn¡¯t suppress, so they chose the far slower method of flying. A distance that would normally take moments would nowst weeks. But, this close to potentially enemy territory, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    Jack still used his powers to shrink space under them, vastly elerating their ship. Otherwise, even years wouldn¡¯t be enough to cross a neb.

    Using Fist and Space Dao to simultaneously protect, hide, and elerate their ship took a toll on Jack. He wouldn¡¯t run low on energy by such limited consumption, but he also couldn¡¯t spare the attention to meditate. Therefore, he had to settle for easier matters.

    Salin took out a deck of cards and taught them a game called Crazy Guy Goes to Town.

    ¡°That¡¯s obviously made-up,¡± Jack said immediately.

    ¡°All games are,¡± Salin replied. ¡°Now, pay attention.¡±

    Surprisingly, the game was fun. Whether Salin had made it himself or was just using a pre-existing game under a more amusing¡ªfor him¡ªname, Jack had to admit it was well-designed. Cultivators of their level had extreme mental faculties, able to calcte thousands of variations on the fly. Yet, Crazy Guy Goes to Town had just the right proportion of luck and strategy for the possible variations to increase exponentially, making sure that the game remained challenging.

    It was simr to chess, but with the added randomness of cards.

    Since none of the four focused on the Mental stat, they were equally matched, with Jack quickly emerging as the superior yer thanks to his rtively absurd stats. Still, it remained a fun pastime.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    The days flowed on. They approached their destination eventually¡ªthe starship slowed down to be less easily detectable, while all other activity was reduced to a minimum.

    ¡°We should be getting close,¡± Nauja said. ¡°Be ready.¡±

    ¡°How close?¡± Salin whispered. ¡°A minute or a day?¡±

    ¡°Why are you guys whispering?¡± Jack asked in a normal voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be boring,¡± Salin whispered his reply. ¡°We¡¯re approaching stealthily¡ªit¡¯s good manners to speak in whispers.¡±

    ¡°Good manners to whom?¡±

    ¡°To the people we¡¯re about to ambush! Have I taught you nothing all these years, Jack?¡±

    Jack shook his head. As he was about to reply, the gasses grew thinner around them, and Nauja hurriedly brought the starship to a stop. Pale lights could be seen through the dust¡ªmanmade ones.

    The four cultivators nced at each other, nodded, then stepped outside the starship. Jack shrank it¡ªa function of the bromobile¡ªand stashed it in his space ring.

    ¡°Be careful. Let¡¯s go,¡± he instinctively whispered.

    Salin¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Ah-hah! You¡¯re doing it!¡±

    ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s good manners.¡±

    They flew closer. Finally, the gasses disappearedpletely, revealing a pocket of emptiness inside the neb with threes suspended in the center. Jack¡¯s mind was filled with memories¡ªthis was Field Neb, where he once lived and trained for several months. The headquarters of the Exploding Sun faction.

    Except, it was no longer their headquarters.

    One of the threes was cracked and deserted. Beside it, the Inner and Outers remained whole, but parts of their surface were ruined, turned into deste expanses of unnaturally pure white sand. The once livelys had been reduced to boulders. The apocalypse had washed over this ce¡ªan apocalypse going by the name of Eva Solvig.

    Jack clenched his fists. The Exploding Sun had been kind to him¡ªto see their headquarters reduced to such a state brought him sadness. He wasn¡¯t the only one, either¡ªthe other three had spent even longer here, taking the Outer as their home for almost a year. Now, white deserts were reflected in their eyes, ces where once-glorious metropolises used to span.

    ¡°That bitch,¡± Salin said, his eyes oozing hatred. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking ughter her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart,¡± Brock encouraged them. His eyes were dark but clear. ¡°A true bro must remainposed at all times. Anger is a tool, not a reaction.¡±

    ¡°Sorry man. You make sense, but I¡¯m insane.¡±

    ¡°Brock is right,¡± Jack said. ¡°Let¡¯s calm ourselves before approaching. If there are enemies here, a single mistake could get us killed.¡±

    ¡°There are,¡± Nauja replied. ¡°Look over there. I can see their gs.¡±

    The rest followed her finger with their eyes, settling onto the center of Field Neb. It wasn¡¯t just threes¡ªa small moon was stable between them, formerly acting as a teleportation hub. Now, that moon had been transformed into an outpost for the Hand of God, if the gs flying above it were any indication.

    In a disy of unhinged imperialism, a massive pole had been stabbed into the Center Moon, rising ten miles above the ground and at least as much below. Arge gy motionless on its top, held in ce by iron chains¡ªthere was no wind at such altitude.

    In fact, there was no wind at all as the Center Moon had no atmosphere. The smaller gs waved due to some magic.

    Seeing the massive pole which destabilized the entire moon for the sole purpose of flying a g, Jack felt bitterness rise through his throat. He suppressed it. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on getting information,¡± he said darkly. ¡°Even if we destroy this ce, it will alert the Hand¡¯s B-Grades. Let¡¯s not take such a risk without reason.¡±

    The other three nodded. They were not here to reim Field Neb or punish the Hand cultivators. Their goal was to find Shol or information pertaining to him¡ªafter all, Shol was one of the very few people who knew the frequency of Earth¡¯s teleporter. As tempting as it might be to rip that pole out of the ground and stab it into the backside of the Hand outpost leader, that was a sentiment better saved forter.

    ¡°I know where Shol¡¯s house was,¡± Jack said. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Space curved and hugged them like a nket. Light passed around, not touching them¡ªthey were invisible. Like this, they flew towards the inner, the ce where the D- and C-Grade cultivators once lived. Much of the was a lifeless white expanse by now, and there were no upants to be seen. Still, Jack could make out that the area he once inhabited¡ªMaster Huali¡¯s estate¡ªremained standing.

    Of course, it had copsed due to the many earthquakes caused by the battling C-Grades. Blood even littered the once peaceful paths and corridors¡ªa reminder of how brutality ruins beauty.

    The estate was nowpletely empty. Jack brought his friends to Shol¡¯s little wooden cabin and stepped before the entrance. ¡°Here it is,¡± he said. After scanning the house with his perception, he pushed the door open, revealing a ce only partially dusted by the passage of a few months.

    The furniture and items were thrown all across the room. Jack sighed deeply. With a wave of his hand, everything floated back to its original position, and the cabin looked as if a day hadn¡¯t gone by.

    ¡°I¡¯vee here twice,¡± Jack said. ¡°Two times Shol poured me tea, and neither time was I able to finish it. Today, again, I will not taste tea¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think there was any clue here that you just moved back into ce?¡± Salin asked.

    Jack stared at him. Salin stared back. ¡°Shit!¡±

    Forgetting sentimentalism, they began searching the house. If Shol had fled this ce, he might have left behind some hint for Jack¡ªotherwise, meeting again would be far too difficult.

    ¡°I got something!¡± Nauja eximed. She pushed away a stack of papers on the table to reveal a single parchment¡ªit looked more recent than the others, and also written in haste. On it, Jack could make out Shol¡¯s handwriting.

    <em>¡°Endless stars and fire flight, gather where we won the fight¡­ ¡±</em>

    Salin groaned. ¡°I should have known. Shol is a monk; of course he speaks in riddles.¡±

    ¡°This could indicate his hiding ce,¡± Jack said. ¡°Or¡­it could bepletely unrted. But we didn¡¯t find anything else.¡±

    ¡°There is an easier way to find him. If he¡¯s been captured and held prisoner in the Center Moon, we can just rescue him.¡±

    ¡°That would be ideal.¡± Jack nodded. They kept searching for a while,ing up with nothing. ¡°Well, no time like the present,¡± Jack said. ¡°Guess we got to beat them up.¡±

    ¡°Actually, big bro,¡± Brock said, cing a firm hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder, ¡°let us handle it.¡±

    ¡°Us?¡±

    ¡°Me, dog bro, girl bro. Us three. We got this¡ªyou just search for monk bro.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. He nced at the other two, both of whom were excited. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re not useless!¡± Salin eximed. ¡°We can do this! And, if it gets too hard, you can always jointer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know, guys. It could be dangerous. We¡¯re pressed for time.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t lose time,¡± Brock said. ¡°We keep them busy, you search in secret. If you fight, you have to fight and <em>then </em>search. Takes more time.¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± Nauja said, stepping forward, ¡°don¡¯t forget where we are¡ªthis is Field Neb, the birthce of the bro army. If the three of us, the original bro squad, don¡¯t take revenge for what happened here, how will we face our other bros in the future?¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°Fine. I trust you guys. Let¡¯s do it this way.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Salin eximed, punching the air. ¡°Bro squad¡­assemble!¡±

 Chapter 418: Bro Squad, Assemble!

    Chapter 418: Bro Squad, Assemble!

    Three figures hovered in space, ten thousand miles away from the Center Moon. They were Brock, Gan Salin, and Nauja. These three bros, who had once bonded on the outer of Field Neb, were preparing to assault an outpost of the Hand of God.

    ¡°Girl Bro,¡± Brock said. ¡°What do you see?¡±

    ¡°A thousand people. Most are D-Grades¡ªonly a handful are C-Grades, with the strongest among them at thete C-Grade.¡±

    Nauja was an archer. Her vision was incredibly sharp¡ªeven from ten thousand miles away, she could distinguish the cultivators wandering through the outpost and even inspect the auras left behind by their powerhouses.

    ¡°You can make them out,¡± Salin noted, ¡°but can you make out with them?¡±

    Hisment was ignored. ¡°I am ready,¡± Brock said. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°I was born ready.¡±

    ¡°Do I have a moment to pee?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±Their restrained auras suddenly erupted. Twote D-Grades and a middle C-Grade may not have been much in Jack and Brock¡¯s recent escapades, but they were almost apex existences in the Milky Way gxy. The moment their auras appeared, the outpost below went on full alert.

    ¡°To what do we owe this pleasure?¡± came a sonorous voice. Space warped as a long-haired man stepped into the void, his aura firmly but politely resisting theirs. He was not thete C-Grade cultivator Nauja had mentioned, but a middle C-Grade one. ¡°The Hand of God wees guests!¡± he eximed with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his ears. ¡°Could the three fellow cultivators please announce their names?¡±

    ¡°How about I announce your mother?¡± came Salin¡¯s reply. The man¡¯s smile froze¡ªthen, his eyes darkened.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he demanded, dropping all pretense.

    ¡°We are the bros,¡± Brock replied, stepping forward, ¡°and we are here for war.¡±

    His aura shone golden. A book appeared in his hand, illuminating the void for a hundred miles, while the golden phantom of a brori manifested around his body, dding him in the spirit of brohood. Then, without any more words, Brock charged forth.

    ¡°Hmph! The bros? What idiot name is that? If you think the Hand of God can be bullied, you are sorely mistaken!¡±

    Facing Brock¡¯s charge, the long-haired man¡¯s aura didn¡¯t weaken in the slightest. They were both middle C-Grades. Neither had reason to fear the other¡ªor so the man thought. A slim sword appeared in his hands, thrusting forward and prating space to reach Brock¡¯s golden book.

    For a moment, the world came to a standstill. Their auras were simr in intensity. The raw power eachmanded was around the same level. Yet, their Daos and experiences were incredibly far apart. Brock didn¡¯t even pause. Raising his book, he shattered the other man¡¯s sword light, charging right through.

    The man paled. He withdrew his energy and conjured a hasty defense, but how could thatpare to Brock¡¯s attack? A golden cannonball smashed into his chest. His sword bent and flew out of his hand while his body folded and shot backward at tremendous speed. Blood shot out like red flowers.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the only enemy present. Many people were watching from Center Moon, and seeing one of their strongest protectors destroyed after a single blow, they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. ¡°Quick, summon reinforcements!¡± a man shouted.

    ¡°The bros are here! The bros are here!¡± a woman cried out, not recognizing the name but hoping someone else would. In the next moment, however, space beside her parted to reveal an aloof young man whose face radiated insanity.

    ¡°You can also call us the three brosquetters,¡± he said calmly even as his palm pierced through her chest to grab her heart. ¡°Whoops. Guess I should have let you live to tell the tale. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ve got many more catchphrases to use¡ªI¡¯ve beening up with them for a month!¡±

    Seeing Gan Salin appear in their midst like an angel of death, the cultivators stirred into panic. It wasn¡¯t that he alone could kill them all¡ªit was just that, since these people dared attack, they must have confidence in their victory. In this situation, the surprised and ambushed Hand of God had already lost half the battle!

    ¡°Get into formation!¡± a steady voice echoed over Center Moon. Another C-Grade appeared in the void, and she was even stronger than thest one at thete C-Grade! Moreover, even amongst people of her level, she was considered an elite. She was also bald and wearing monk robes.

    Salin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shol!¡± he shouted, even though this person clearly had nothing to do with Shol. ¡°Is that you? You became a woman!?¡±

    ¡°A worthy opponent,¡± Brock said, turning to face her. ¡°Come. Our battle will be legendary!¡±

    A steel staff appeared in the woman¡¯s hands and she rushed to battle. The other C-Grade had also recovered slightly and returned to join her. For a time, the three C-Grades waged war deep in space, the shockwaves of their shes spreading for dozens of miles. Yet, a steady golden aura was slowly but steadily taking the lead¡ªBrock was facing two people by himself and winning.

    Meanwhile, Salin was brawling against a crowd of D-Grades. He was not weak. After experiencing so many things and reaching thete D-Grade, he was even more powerful than most peak D-Grades¡ªand a core part of that were his Trial titles.

    Against a crowd of mostly middle D-Grades, he was like a wolf against a group of armed toddlers.

    ¡°Formation!¡± a man shouted, stepping ahead of the other D-Grades. They formed into three groups of nine¡ªand some stragglers¡ªwith each groupbining their powers to form a result greater than the addition of its parts.

    ¡°Oh boy!¡± Salin eximed. ¡°I was never good at math. Riddle me this: If there are three groups of nine, which is the same as nine groups of three, does that mean each of you corresponds to one third of a person?¡±

    His question made zero sense. As it echoed, strings of insanity were woven into the air, entrapping the minds of the enemy cultivators and hindering their movements. The weakest ones were even swayed into his nonsense. ¡°It¡¯s four sixteenths, actually,¡± a man responded only to be pped at the back of the head by the person standing next to him.

    ¡°Focus! Don¡¯t fall for his tricks!¡±

    ¡°Crap! Thanks, you saved me!¡±

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    Salin was embroiled into heavy battle. He might be strong, but his opponents weren¡¯t weak either¡ªas soon as they managed to organize, facing twenty-seven of them was difficult, let alone when they used formations.

    Suddenly, however, a sun illuminated the sky. ¡°Sun?¡± Gan Salin cried out. ¡°But it¡¯s night!¡±

    There was no day or night in Field Neb. Before the enemies could recover from his words, a tremendous explosion resounded in their midst, demolishing several miles ofnd. Injured cultivators cried out in pain. Yet another sun appeared in the sky, then another, as a hail of arrows descended towards Center Moon.

    Ten thousand miles away, Nauja was pulling her bow and shooting ceaselessly. Golden arrows appeared every time she drew back the bowstring, then shot out as she released it. Strangely, their power did not diminish as they traveled, but rather increased, as if the arrows were made of mas which gathered the world energy into a mantle around them.

    ¡°Sun Piercing Arrows!¡± Nauja shouted, speeding up as she got into a rhythm. This was the skill she¡¯d inherited from Trial. Though she was nowhere near piercing a sun yet, bombarding a moon was easily done, especially when gravity was working in her favor.

    Arrows rained down like divine hellfire, submerging a third of Center Moon in mes and smoke. Screams cut through the air. Gan Salin sat on a rock, chewing on a wooden pipe as he began recounting, ¡°It was 1945. Their bombs covered the sky, our children cried as¡­¡±

    ¡°Make him stop, I¡¯m begging you!¡± an enemy cultivator shouted, clutching his head both due to the explosions and Salin¡¯s words. But it was useless. He was already sucked into Salin¡¯s World of Insanity¡ªthe special ability he¡¯d developed after reaching the D-Grade.

    This cultivator¡¯s world suddenly transformed into an illusion of Second World War London, and the person himself had be a powerless mortal facing endless bombardment. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what this ce is!¡± he shouted in despair, looking down. ¡°What am I even wearing!?¡±A bombnded on him, extinguishing his mind and soul. The cultivator¡¯s intact body slumped to the ground, his life severed.

    <em>¡°Salin!¡± </em>Nauja¡¯s words echoed harshly into his mind. <em>¡°How many times have I told you not to imitate real tragedies in your attacks!?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Thirty-seven!¡± </em>he replied.

    The two of them had fought together many times. They moved in sync. When Nauja¡¯s bombardment wasbined with Salin¡¯s World of Insanity, the two skills ovepped and cut away all paths of retreat for the enemy. Even the twenty-seven D-Grades facing them could do nothing but try their hardest to survive. Their only hope was the C-Grades arriving to save them¡­but, unfortunately, they were too preupied.

    A golden brori hovered in the void. His one hand held a book¡ªthe other, an open palm ready to swat the enemies. A staff and a sword besieged him on either side, but the brori was unperturbed, calmly defending and waiting for his chance to strike.

    ¡°You are not true bros,¡± Brock¡¯s words resounded through the void like heavenly judgment. ¡°You upy the territory of fallen innocents. You support authoritative butchers. In the name of all bros in the universe, I will end you.¡±

    The more he made his case, the stronger he became¡ªand the enemies could not refute him in the slightest. ¡°What bullshit are you spouting?¡± the bald woman yelled. ¡°What bros? What butchers? The only thing that matters in this world is power!¡±

    ¡°You are not wrong,¡± Brock replied calmly, ¡°but you are not right, either. Power is the foundation of the world. Brohood is its essence¡ªa different kind of power. To deny brohood is to swim against the current, to try and roll uphill; it is not impossible with enough power, but you are far from reaching that boundary. As for me, while I do not im to be strong, I represent the world¡¯s heavenly will¡ªthe brohood of the bros. How could you hope to stand against me?¡±

    His words made a stark contrast against Salin¡¯s because they sounded equally nonsensical, but they actually weren¡¯t. As Brock spoke, the bald woman sensed the grip of the universe tighten around her, she sensed her powers weakening while his grew stronger. Soon, she waspletely unable to resist¡ªjust a firefly diving into the sun. ¡°You have been out-bro¡¯d,¡± a voice echoed from above, sealing her fate, and the woman screamed as the golden sun enveloped her, turning her into dust. The man beside hersted only a second longer before he, too, disintegrated.

    Brock withdrew his powers. He was panting but nowhere close to his limits¡ªas for the two enemies, they had already disappeared, washed away by the powerful flow of brohood. ¡°Good warm-up,¡± he said. He stretched out a hand¡ªthe woman¡¯s steel staff appeared in his palm, but after a deep nce, he discarded it and shook his head.

    His Staff of Stone had been destroyed by Baron Longform in the hidden realm. He was looking for a recement, but unfortunately, this steel weapon was far from meeting his standards.

    He then looked down. The Center Moon was already ttened, with the Hand of God outpostpletely eradicated. Not a single enemy cultivator remained alive. This ce had been thoroughly recaptured.

    Only one eyesore remained¡ªthe massive g pole stabbed deep into the earth. Brock wouldn¡¯t let that stand. A massive golden hand appeared, grabbing the pole and ripping it out of the ground. He then threw the pole into the neb and tore off the Hand of God g, turning it into a dozen pieces of cloth which he set in orbit around Center Moon.

    In war, the g of an army was their insignia, the heart of their soldiers and the cornerpiece of their morale. To attack one¡¯s g was a grave insult. What Brock had done, ripping the g apart and scattering its pieces around the conquered outpost, was equal to spitting in the face of the Hand of God.

    But they were already at war. Why would he care about the enemies¡¯ hatred?

    Brock then looked towards his two bros, one of whom was wounded but both were beaming. ¡°I am proud of you,¡± he said. ¡°We restored justice. We took revenge.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have done it without you, big bro,¡± Salin replied with a toothy smile, and Brock¡¯s usually stern face morphed into a bright smile as well.

    ¡°We are all bros,¡± he said. ¡°After so many years¡­it is nice to see we have all grown.¡±

    ¡°Damn right!¡± Nauja shouted, still excited. ¡°Hey, Jack! What are you doing? Come here to celebrate!¡±

    Space warped beside them. A bare-chested man appeared, his every muscle perfectly defined as if sculpted from marble. Jack had never been too handsome a guy, but after cultivating for so long, his current appearance would be enough to have most women swooning.

    In contrast to the three bros¡¯ victory, however, his face was dark. ¡°I looked through the entire Center Moon and all threes,¡± he said, ¡°but I did not find Shol. Not a trace.¡±

    ¡°That sucks,¡± Salin said. ¡°I hope he¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    A moment of silence went by. ¡°So,¡± Brock said, ¡°what do we do now, big bro?¡±

    ¡°What <em>can </em>we do?¡± Jack replied. ¡°We try to decipher the hint he left behind and hope it really points somewhere. If that fails, we¡¯ll have to bear the risk and go after more Hand of God cultivators for information. I can only pray that the worst hasn¡¯t urred.¡±

    There was a reason he was dark-faced. If Shol was missing, there was a chance he had been captured by the Hand of God elsewhere and forced to reveal the frequency of Earth¡¯s teleporter. Jack didn¡¯t believe that Shol would break even under the cruelest of tortures, but if they had a way to read his mind¡­

    If they reached Earth before him¡­

    ¡°We¡¯re going,¡± he said. ¡°The longer we stay, the higher the chances of reinforcements arriving.¡±

    Just as he said that, he frowned. Then, his face paled. ¡°I can sense fluctuations from the teleporter,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Someone¡¯sing. Hurry!¡±

    He waved his hand, instantly taking all three of them to the teleporter. It was already shining¡ªsomeone would arrive any second. ¡°Nauja!¡± he shouted, but she was already on it. She poured her energy into the teleporter, forcing it to activate faster than usual. Purple light enveloped them.

    ¡°Take us anywhere!¡± Jack shouted.

    Two streams of energy collided. One outgoing, one iing. For a moment, it felt like the teleporter was about to break. Then, Jack used his Space Dao to twist the two streams around each other, forcefully activating the teleporter at the cost of its structural integrity. They were sucked into space with an explosion¡ªand, almost at the same time, two new people appeared next to the now-destroyed teleporter.

    One was a hate-filled leonine¡ªArtus Emberheart¡ªand the other was thete B-Grade tasked with purging the Milky Way gxy¡ªEva Solvig.

    ¡°Damn it all!¡± Artus shouted after looking around. ¡°They escaped!¡± He clenched a small sack hanging by his side, causing whatever was inside it to release a small scream.

    Eva did not respond immediately. Her gazended on the ruined g, the ttened outpost, the corpses of her soldiers lying around. Hatred was born inside her heart. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they escaped,¡± she responded icily. ¡°We know they¡¯re here. In our territory. Jack Rust¡­ Let¡¯s see how long you can keep running.¡±

 Chapter 419: Returning to Hell

    Chapter 419: Returning to Hell

    ¡°Hey,¡± Salin said. ¡°That was nice. We escaped.¡±

    ¡°Narrowly,¡± Jack replied, frowning. ¡°Did you sense their aura? That was a B-Grade¡ªand not a weak one. They were here for us.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here for them, too. So what?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Salin. We fought for, what, a minute? And they arrived. Not only were they waiting just next to a teleporter, but they even supercharged it to move at extremely high speed. They were looking for us specifically. They know we¡¯re here, and they¡¯re making it their priority to hunt us down.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on. Not to underestimate myself, but we¡¯re not <em>that </em>important.¡±

    ¡°I hate to say this,¡± Nauja stepped in, ¡°but I agree with Salin. You may be thinking too much into this. Besides our teleportation into the gxy, we haven¡¯t shown up anywhere for months. I don¡¯t think they expected we¡¯de to Field Neb and had a B-Grade lie in wait next to a teleporter to catch us. It¡¯s much more probable they were just on standby so they could respond to Church attacks anywhere in the gxy.¡±

    Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. ¡°That makes sense,¡± he finally admitted. ¡°But, in any case, they know where we are now. And Artus Emberheart hates me more than anything in the world. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they devote a B-Grade or two to tracking us down.¡±

    ¡°That, they could do.¡± Salin nodded. ¡°But what do we say to the God of Death?¡±

    Jack gave a defeated sigh. ¡°Not today?¡±¡°That¡¯s exactly right! Not today! We just won, godsdammit, let¡¯s enjoy it a bit!¡±

    ¡°Dog bro right.¡± Brock nodded as well. ¡°Victory demands celebration.¡±

    Nauja gave Jack an expectant gaze. He sighed. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re right. We did win; and they can¡¯t track us down immediately, anyway. Let¡¯s celebrate our victory!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Salin shouted, drawing a bottle from his little pocket.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even fit,¡± Jack replied weakly but Salin was already stuffing him full of alcohol. Everyone else, too. The bromobile shuttled through the vast cosmos apanied by the sound ofughter and joy.

    They had won¡ªand, before considering how to run for their lives, a good night¡¯s celebration was necessary.

    It was only a dayter that they finally recovered. Brock paced through the bromobile¡¯s living room, thanking the Big Bro Above for their blessed lives, while Jack rested on an armchair. A piece of paper was in his hands¡ªhis gaze pierced into it intently as if trying to telepathically set it ame.

    ¡°No progress?¡± Brock asked, reclining to watch the stars.

    ¡°None,¡± Jack replied, shaking his head. ¡°Endless stars and fire flight, gather where we won the fight¡­ This doesn¡¯t make much sense. Do you think Shol was just trying to write a poem?¡±

    ¡°Hope not. But he seems like a bro who writes poems.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I fear as well.¡± Jack leaned back, massaging his temples. ¡°I just can¡¯t see anything. What is endless stars and fire flight? If it¡¯s a hint, that part makes no sense. And, gather where we won the fight¡­ That could mean many ces.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I guess? There was the Integration Tournament, where I won under his tutge. The Exploding Sun, where I earned many victories in the sparring arena; Hell, where we beat a bunch of people; or Earth again, where we defeated theary overseer. But none of those ces check out. Earth is obviously useless as a gathering point, since we can¡¯t go without him, and the Exploding Sun was already destroyed. Even if it wasn¡¯t, the sparring arena doesn¡¯t fit the endless stars or fight flight¡ªand, to be honest, I didn¡¯t win any important victories there. As for Hell, it¡¯s right in the middle of enemy territory. Only a suicidal man would go there.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Perhaps you¡¯re right. It was just a poem.¡±

    Brock returned his gaze to the stars, soon followed by Jack. A few hours passed, while the bromobile toured aimlessly the universe. Suddenly, Jack cupped his chin. ¡°You know¡­¡± he said slowly, ¡°I could be called suicidal. Shol, too. And you.¡±

    ¡°Pretty much everyone we know,¡± Brock agreed.

    ¡°And, fire flight¡­ Hell contains fire. As for endless stars, that could be space. The space around Hell.¡±

    ¡°Which leaves only the flight part.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Perhaps it refers to when the Church took us away from Hell, helping us escape the pursuit of both Animal Kingdom and Hand of God. They¡¯d built a portal on a meteor. Do we need to find that meteor?¡±

    ¡°Meteors are fleeting things.¡±

    ¡°True. I have no idea how we could locate it now. Unless the Kingdom took it in to scavenge the teleporter materials, but still, I have no idea where or how they would do that.¡±

    ¡°Wisdomes at its time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe we¡¯ll figure it out when we get there. I mean, since there is a chance, we might as well go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so bright today, big bro.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Brock. I try my best.¡±

    ***

    Once upon a time, traveling across the gxy had been a major hurdle for Jack. He¡¯d needed to disguise himself and board a roaming starship¡ªthe Trampling Ram¡ªas a sailor while watching out for enemies at every step.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition.

    Now, though the enemies he faced had gotten much stronger, the journey was smoother. He had his own starship. What were they going to do, locate him in quadrillions of miles of empty space?

    Therefore, for the second time in his life, Jack traveled from Field Neb towards Hell.

    Since they had been almost caught, they avoided all teleporters as much as possible. When a stop was unavoidable, they used the disguise pills Min Ling had left them. Another month passed.

    The gxy remained broken. Several factions had been uprooted, including the Exploding Sun. That had created a power vacuum which smaller factions were eager to fill, recklessly warring against each other. And, given the general uproar in the universe, nobody had the energy to stop them.

    It wasn¡¯t just one war¡ªnot just the Crusade. Changes rippled, and slowly but surely, the entire universe was submerged in the mes of war.

    The bromobile crew appeared on another Jack had visited in the past¡ªthe Eternal Gate. Once upon a time, a merchant had snuck him and Shol from here into Hell. Now, they couldn¡¯t have that liberty. They would just fly.

    As soon as they appeared, multiple Dao perceptions scanned over them. Jack remained cool. His disguise couldn¡¯t be seen through unless he used his Dao or a B-Grade personally arrived¡ªand he doubted the Animal Kingdom could afford using B-Grades as guards.

    He was apanied by a tanned woman with long legs wrapped in a cloak and what seemed like the love child of an 80s gangster with a cyberpunk yboy. Both wore sunsses. These were Nauja and Gan Salin, impably disguised. Behind them Brock, in the form of a hard-faced dwarf with a beard which reached his ankles and a pointy pink hat.

    Gan Salin had insisted that hiding in in sight would work¡ªand that being chased was no excuse for dullness. Even Jack had been convinced to wear a mustache and beret.

    ¡°Can the circuse to the side, please?¡± a D-Grade guard motioned them over. Theyplied. ¡°This is standard procedure,¡± continued the guard. ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you some questions. Failure to give aplete and true reply will result in up to a hundred years of imprisonment. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Shoot, loverboy,¡± replied Salin, much to Jack¡¯s chagrin.

    ¡°ce of origin?¡±

    ¡°Brian Outpost.¡±

    ¡°Reason for arrival?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re visiting some friends in Escaddil.¡± Escadril was a near Eternal Gate.

    ¡°Can I have the names of your friends?¡±

    ¡°Of course. They are Bobidi Doo and Plipiti Yap.¡± Seeing the guard¡¯s raised brow, Salin added, ¡°Djinns. You know what they¡¯re like.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll note it down. Keep in mind that this information will be cross-checked before you are allowed to teleport out of Eternal Gate. And your names?¡±

    Salin blurted out four slightly more coherent names, and the guard finally let them go.

    ¡°It¡¯s much stricter than I remember,¡± Jack muttered.

    ¡°They¡¯re at war,¡± Nauja replied, shaking her head. ¡°No wonder they treat everyone like a potential criminal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    The information Salin gave out would soon be cross-checked and proven false. However, that didn¡¯t matter because they didn¡¯t n to teleport out of this. After flying a thousand miles away, they simply took out the bromobile andunched themselves deep into space.

    ¡°Hell is a week away,¡± Nauja exined after consulting her star chart. ¡°However, I rmend taking a detour around the Animal Abyss. We can spare the extra day.¡±

    ¡°Animal Abyss? What¡¯s that?¡± Jack asked.

    Both Nauja and Gan Salin gave him an odd look. ¡°You never did any research on the Animal Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°I was busy killing them.¡±

    Salin sighed. ¡°Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack. The Animal Abyss is an important location of the Animal Kingdom. It¡¯s a small ck hole, basically, but with the caveat that it asionally spits out treasures.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°ck holes do that?¡±

    ¡°No. But this one does. Nobody really knows why, but then again, nobody knows much about ck holes.¡±

    ¡°Okay. So it¡¯s a ck hole which conveniently spits out treasures?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea! It¡¯s also surrounded by a spatial field which is hard to detect and even harder to escape, so the working theory is that various cultivators have passed by this ce in thest few billions of years, identally getting sucked inside. Then, after being forced to orbit the hole for incredibly long periods of time, their bodies dissolve but their treasures don¡¯t, and they are somehow spat out in random intervals.¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°What can I say? Even the Kingdom¡¯s B-Grades are helpless before the abyss. As long as it keeps spitting out treasures, they¡¯re happy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack cupped his chin. ¡°What kind of treasures are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°All sorts of things. This Animal Abyss is actually a cornerstone of the Animal Kingdom. Various precious items have been discovered, including the cultivation manuals of the Emberheart and Lonihor families¡ªthe origin of their special battle forms.¡±

    ¡°I thought those came from their bloodlines.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s just propaganda. Did you also think Santa was real?¡±

    Jack remembered those battle forms very clearly. The Emberheart family could d their body in electricity, vastly increasing their speed and power. As for the Lonihor family, they could give themselves wings and summon spectral soldiers from the skies to fight for them.

    He¡¯d always chucked it up to magic, but actually, having such power contained in one¡¯s bloodline was pretty impossible.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, his eyes sparkling. ¡°So there is a ck hole which conveniently spits out extremely high quality treasures.¡±

    ¡°Right. It¡¯s part of the reason why the four ancestors of the Animal Kingdom could reach the B-Grade and rule over a constetion.¡±

    ¡°So why should we take a detour around it?¡±

    From the side, Nauja smirked. ¡°Are you interested?¡±

    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡±

    A ck hole was the endpoint of space and time. Jack had long wanted to visit one, but he never had the chance¡ªnow was as good an opportunity as ever. Plus, the special properties of this Animal Abyss intrigued him. Based on what he knew, both from Earth physics and from the Dao of Spacetime, a ck hole which regrly spat out things wasn¡¯t normal. There had to be a secret behind it.

    And just because the B-Grades of the Animal Kingdom couldn¡¯t unravel such a secret didn¡¯t mean that Jack couldn¡¯t either. He had inherited the legacy of an Archon. He was confident that his understanding of spacetime was solidly in the B-Grade by now, and his reference material was far superior to what the random B-Grades of a newly-developed gxy had ess to.

    ¡°I¡¯m just interested,¡± he replied. ¡°Even if there¡¯s only a tiny chance I can get anything out of it, it¡¯s worth a look.¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± Salin said. ¡°But¡­the reason Nauja suggests a detour is that there¡¯s always a B-Grade stationed there. A few years ago¡ªand I don¡¯t know if that has changed¡ªit was the High Elder of the Emberheart family. He was responsible for looking after the abyss and gathering any treasure it happened to spit out. Plus, there are all sorts of space formations surrounding the abyss. If we fly too close, there¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll be discovered.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Jack considered it. He really was interested in that Animal Abyss¡ªeven the chance of getting more insights into spacetime was something he was unwilling to pass on. However, it could ruin them all. Was it worth the risk?

    Brock suddenly spoke up after being silent all this time. ¡°A good cultivator must adventure, and a good bro must walk the tightrope. Let¡¯s seek bnce. We can pass some distance away, take a look, and escape if things get dangerous. Big Bro can discover space formations before they activate.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°I can. Unless they¡¯ve beenid down by a peak B-Grade excelling in spacetime, I can at least detect them ahead of time.¡±

    ¡°The Kingdom has never had a peak B-Grade,¡± Salin informed them. ¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 420: Animal Abyss

    Chapter 420: Animal Abyss

    The universe remained dark. Endless stars glittered in all directions.

    <em>How horrifying this could be, </em>Jack imagined, leaning against the ss window. <em>To be isted here without a starship or the ability to fly¡­ This is a prison of another kind, an inescapable loneliness. No matter how you float around, the closest salvation lies many light years away¡­</em>

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close!¡± Nauja shouted from the helm. ¡°We¡¯re in the territory of the Animal Abyss. No more teleporting. Jack, keep an eye out!¡±

    His irrelevant thoughts disappeared. He sharpened his mind, bing like a different person as he spread out his aura to its maximum range and constantly scanned space. Brock and Gan Salin joined them on the bridge.

    ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled after a half hour. Nauja brought the bromobile to an instant halt.

    Jack frowned. He had sensed something different just now¡ªas if space was slightly wrinkled ahead of them, its nature almost imperceptibly different from everywhere else. Slowly, he focused his perception there, attempting to investigate without alerting whatever that thing was.

    His perception pressed against the wrinkles, seeping through them like water soaking through paper. It was like a secondyer of folded space hidden behind the normal one. In it, Jack could sense a bubble-likeyer covering an incredibly vast area. It was sorge, in fact, that he could only barely sense its curvature¡ªif he didn¡¯t suspect it encapsted the abyss, he might have perceived this as a wall instead.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Nauja asked.

    ¡°A formation¡­¡± Jack replied, furrowing his brows in concentration. ¡°It¡¯s not meant to stop us, but to alert someone to our presence. It surrounds the entire Abyss at a radius of a million miles.¡±¡°Really!?¡± Salin raised both brows. ¡°That¡¯s big!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Even for a B-Grade proficient in spacetime, creating such arge formation must have taken millennia¡ªand I doubt it¡¯s the only one.¡±

    ¡°Can you break it?¡± Nauja asked.

    ¡°Not without alerting whoever controls it. However, if it¡¯s just getting past¡­ I think I can do that.¡±

    The four of them exited the bromobile, which Jack shrank and received into his pocket. Then, he wrapped the four of them in a space bubble and slowly approached the formation. He spent three hours examining it. Then, when he was sure he could seed, he very slowly pushed their bubble forward.

    While he had called this a wall, it wasn¡¯t really one. Instead, it was a collection of energy streams circting at extreme speed. They all passed by a central node at the core of the formation, so if any energy stream was slowed down, whoever controlled the formation would be able to detect it. These streams even sank into the underlying levels of space, making it so nobody could teleport past them.

    Bypassing this formation was the equivalent of crossing a river without touching the water.

    In Jack¡¯s understanding, there were two ways to achieve this. The first was to sink deeper into space than the streams could reach¡ªspace was separated intoyers, with one¡¯s speed increasing exponentially the deeper they went. This was also the principle behind teleportation.

    However, whoever made this formation wasn¡¯t an amateur. The streams reached deeper than Jack could go. To bypass them, he would need to teleport with the efficiency of a high-level teleporter¡ªwhich was impossible for the current him, as well as almost everyone in the B-Grade.

    The second solution was to divert the streams, making them pass around his bubble without touching it. He would also need to use the Dao of Time to elerate them just enough that they covered the extra distance in precisely the same amount of time as if he wasn¡¯t there. However, since there were multiple streams superimposed over each other and moving at different speeds, this was more difficult than it sounded. Even with Jack¡¯s current understanding, he didn¡¯t have a hundred percent certainty of sess.

    But he believed he could do it.

    The bubble pushed against the formation and slowly, at a snail¡¯s pace, passed through it. Jack was fully focused. His perception covered the surrounding space, catching all streams and diverting them into a precise trajectory at an exact speed. With every inch the bubble moved forward, he carefully released the streams behind them and took control of the ones they¡¯d just entered. His control wasn¡¯t perfect, but he was confident it was good enough to not alert the formation. After all, miniscule discrepancies were expected in such arge area.

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    They advanced one inch at a time. Jack didn¡¯t dare to hurry at all, devoting all of his attention into manipting the streams of space energy. This process required all of his expertise.

    Finally, however, they made it through. Jack released thest energy stream and groaned, his body going soft. His eyes swerved from exhaustion.

    ¡°Did we do it?¡± Salin asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jack replied, his voice weak. He took out the bromobile and flew into it, slumping into a couch. ¡°Just¡­give me some time. Let me restore myself before going deeper.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! Good job!¡±

    Jack smiled, then entered meditation. His tense mind slowly recovered, regathering its energy and re-entering its apex state. A few hourster, Jack finally nodded. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The bromobile kept advancing. Nauja guided it forward slowly, so Jack could scan the space ahead of them. Though it was only a million miles, which would normally take them less than an hour to cross even without teleportation, they covered the distance in two days.

    They could still see nothing in the distance. The Animal Abyss was a ck hole, so detecting it with their eyes was impossible. However, from this close, they could make out the distortion in light surrounding it¡ªthe stars seemed warped around a section of space as light curved around the ck hole.

    Finally, as they reached within ten thousand miles, Jack stopped them again. ¡°There is another formation,¡± he said. ¡°Let me check.¡±

    He flew out, already frowning. This formation was far more intricate than thest one. It followed the same principles but with ten times the energy streams, and it also contained something like a spatial barrier¡ªwithout vibrating at a specific frequency, it would be impossible to pass, and discovering this frequency couldn¡¯t be done in a short amount of time. If anyone tried to enter without discovering this barrier, they would be stuck here for several minutes, enough time to let the B-Grade guarding the abyss arrive.

    Of course, the formation could also be broken through with force, but that required far more power than Jack could currently wield.

    He spent ten hours inspecting this formation. He tried all sorts of discreet experiments and ran various scenarios through his head. Finally, however, he was forced to admit he was outssed. He could not cross this formation without alerting it.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± he muttered as he re-entered the bromobile. ¡°I found the frequency to bypass the barrier, but I cannot control the streams well enough. If we so much as touch it, whoever controls the formation will know.¡±

    ¡°Well, you did your best. It was worth a shot,¡± Salin tried tofort him. ¡°Our goal was just to take a look, anyway. See there? That area of warped light? That¡¯s the periphery of the ck hole. It¡¯s an area of warped space which renders one¡¯s perception useless. B-Grades can enter it to look for treasures, and so can C-Grades who understand the Dao of Space, but there is always the chance of running into a space anomaly and getting sucked into the abyss without a chance to resist. Many of the Animal Kingdom¡¯s Elders have died in such a fashion. However, that area is precisely where the treasures appear, so they still send people every now and then.¡±

    Jack frowned. The more he heard about this ck hole, the more abnormal he realized it was.

    Archon Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance contained a lot of insights into the Dao of Spacetime. That included knowledge about ck holes, which were the natural end of all spacetime. After studying that inheritance for three years, Jack could be considered half an expert¡ªand he knew with certainty that the spacetime surrounding a ck hole was highly warped but alsopletely smooth. The area of irregr space that Salin described was impossible, because the ck hole¡¯s gravitational pull would straighten out any and all spacetime disturbances.

    <em>Could it be something else? </em>he wondered.

    There were more celestial bodies with intense gravitational fields. For example, neutron stars. Those could be surrounded by a field of irregr space, but they wouldn¡¯t possess the light-swallowing capabilities of a ck hole. As Jack considered the issue, he realized that if this wasn¡¯t a ck hole, he had no idea what it was.

    <em>Could it be a mutated ck hole? </em>he wondered. <em>Perhaps existing in a spacetime anomaly itself, or maybe surrounded by another spacetime phenomenon which is responsible for the irregr space field? But it still doesn¡¯t make sense. Could it be some extremely rare but previously-undiscovered celestial body?</em>

    The more he learned about this ce, the more curious he became. He wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, since he couldn¡¯t bypass the formation, it simply wasn¡¯t worth the risk.

    Not to mention that, if he did check it out, he would likelye out with nothing. The Animal Kingdom had many B-Grades and a million years¡ªif this enigma was easy to unravel, they would have done it already, and they wouldn¡¯t have to sacrifice people to look for treasures.

    <em>When I get stronger¡­ After I destroy the Animal Kingdom¡­ I should return to have a look, </em>he told himself, sparing a final nce at the mysterious ck hole. Then, Nauja turned the starship around and they flew back out, prating the previous formation again to reach the outside space.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jack said. ¡°We still have to find Shol and Earth. Everything else can wait.¡±

    They broke through space, teleporting a trillion miles in an instant, and just like that, they were gone.

 Chapter 421: Searching the Comet

    Chapter 421: Searching the Comet

    Jack sat cross-legged in his room. Simple walls surrounded him, fitted with a wide window which overlooked the vastness of space. Endless stars twinkled. They gathered in rivers, stamping their presence into the cosmos as the arms of Jack¡¯s home gxy¡ªthe Milky Way.

    Despite the beauty, however, Jack¡¯s eyes were closed. He wasn¡¯t looking out, but in.

    Life and Death.

    Space and Time.

    These were the Daos on which he focused. Life was represented by the Fist, and still remained the core of his Dao. Death was the antithesis to life, a necessaryponent toprehending it, and Jack¡¯s understanding into this concept had benefited greatly thanks to Master Boatman. As for space and time, while they had begun as supplementary Daos, they had taken up more of his attention after acquiring Archon Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance.

    Most people focused on one Dao. If they were particrly ambitious, they might choose a set of interconnected concepts, such as space and time. Very few would have the courage to cultivate two sets of Daos, because reaching mastery in even one was a herculean task¡ªwhy would they further split their attention? At the same time, a second set of Daos was considered unnecessary, as a single one was enough to reach very deep into the cultivation road.

    For these reasons, very few people would choose to do what Jack did. Even extreme individuals like Elder Boatman or Archon Green Dragon chose one point of focus.

    Jack, however, had a striking differencepared to everyone else; he was not born in the System world. He hadn¡¯t grown up studying the possible paths of progression and what his predecessors did. In a normal B-Grade or A-Grade influence, the young cultivators were discouraged from biting off more than they could chew because it was a road extremely unlikely to work. In ten thousand extreme talents, perhaps not even one would seed. Any faction would rather cultivate a group of decently powerful individuals than stake its entire existence on a tiny chance of overwhelming sess.

    Jack had never been conditioned like that. Since the start of his journey, he had carved a path of perfection with his own two hands, and staking everything on himself was the natural decision. Even if his path was difficult, he would still choose to pursue perfection, because that was who he was.After cultivating for several years to his present power, he could sense that a single Dao was not enough to reach perfection. Life and Death were not all-epassing. They mostly pertained to the soul, but their ability to influence the physical world was limited. Therefore, spacetime was perfectly suited for him¡ªit provided him with much-needed utility and also rounded out his Dao. In the future, if he pushed all his Daos to perfection, he would be able to create a system of understanding that contained the entire world.

    Of course, such perfection was astoundingly difficult to achieve, or others would have done it already. While Jack was brave, he was not reckless. He had chosen this difficult road because he truly had the capital.

    His soul and Dao of the Fist had been tempered through the endless difficulties he¡¯d experienced. His willpower was unyielding. He had the Life Drop for the Dao of Life, the death cube as well as Boatman¡¯s guidance for the Dao of Death, and the inheritance of an Archon for spacetime. Any single one of those would be enough to produce at least a peak B-Grade¡ªwhenbined together, and added onto Jack¡¯s own prowess, he had the courage to reach for the sky.

    These four high-level Daos,bined with his highly tempered body, were the reasons for his overwhelming strength.

    Today, he sat with the death cube in his hands. He no longer needed to look at it¡ªthe lines were mostly memorized, and just brushing them with his perception was enough to bring anything to the fore.

    This death cube was an item Master Boatman had given him, and on which he ced tremendous importance. Jack still had no idea what exactly it was or how it had been produced¡ªbut what he did know was that the death cube was a highly mystical existence.

    Even after all this time, it remained filled with insights. The 999 lines each represented a life and a death¡ªwhen one learned how to read them, each line hid a wealth of knowledge, as they were the patterns which defined the cycle. However, the greatest benefit of this cube weren¡¯t the many insights it contained, but the ingeniousness with which these insights had been arranged.

    There was always something to find out. Meditating on a line gave insights¡ªbut, if he increased his understandings and returned to the same line, he would find more insights hidden inside. Just as he mastered one insight, a new one would appear on the cube, and the progression was so linear that Jack¡¯s understanding into death advanced at a terrific pace. Let alone him, even if someone more average took ahold of this death cube, they would still be able to advance tremendously.

    No wonder Master Boatman had seemed so reluctant to part with it and had even left a wisp of his soul inside. This thing was like a step-by-step guide to the Dao of Death.

    <em>My Dao of Death has almost caught up with Life. Soon, I will need to focus back on the Fist¡­ </em>Jack thought. His eyes slowly opened, while his lips curled. <em>Perfect.</em>

    He enjoyed cultivating. But it was only the Fist, the core of his being, which truly fulfilled him. Everything else was secondary.

    Just as he was about to return to meditation, a voice reached his mind. <em>¡°Jack,¡± </em>said Nauja. <em>¡°We¡¯re approaching. Are youing?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±</em>

    With a thought, the death cube sank into his space ring, and he effortlessly stepped through space to appear at the bromobile¡¯s deck. ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked, looking through the ss window.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You tell me,¡± Nauja replied. ¡°I¡¯ve never been here before.¡±

    A lone meteor slowly floated through space. It was arge rock, unassuming if not for the half-destroyed teleporter on its back. The mountain of energy stones under it had long been taken by the Animal Kingdom, but the teleporter itself was not made of precious materials so they let it be. Now, after several years of unuse, its remains were filled with cracks.

    But no matter how useless or broken, it remained a teleporter. The bromobile¡¯s sonar had caught its fluctuations as soon as they approached Hell, letting them head directly here.

    There were guards around this sr system, of course, but nothing that Jack¡¯s space concealment couldn¡¯t trick.

    ¡°Endless stars and fire flight, gather where we won the fight,¡± Jack muttered. ¡°This ce¡­should be the destination.¡±

    ¡°Unless it was just a poem,¡± Salin¡¯s voice arrived as the canine entered the room. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone on the meteor.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯snd and inspect it. We might find something.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much else they could do at this point. The bromobile slowly approached andnded on the meteor. All the while, Jack¡¯s heart was flooded with unease¡ªif they really found nothing, this trip would have been made in vain. And, even worse, he would have no other leads to find Earth. He would remain stranded away from his family for who knows how long. His children would grow old without him.

    <em>I¡¯ve already spent three years away. And before that, I only visited a few times. Only their first six months were spent with me, </em>he thought, guilt encroaching upon his heart. He clenched his fist. It wasn¡¯t that he regretted his decision, because it was necessary to keep them safe. It was only that¡­ <em>I miss them so fucking much.</em>

    ¡°As you may know, I¡¯m a detective. Let me handle this,¡± Salin said in stark contrast with Jack¡¯s mood. He looked around. ¡°Mhm. This is a meteor.¡± He then picked up a stone, weighed it in his hand¡ªthough there was no gravity¡ªobserved it from all sides and finally licked it. ¡°Rock,¡± he determined. ¡°As expected.¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Nauja asked, rolling her eyes. She stepped forward, spreading out her perception to easily cover this mile-wideet. ¡°I can¡¯t find anything¡­ Maybe it¡¯s hidden inside.¡±

    ¡°Let me,¡± Brock said. He squatted down, cing a hand on the meteor¡¯s surface. ¡°Hey, space stone bro. Anything to share?¡± After a moment of waiting, he shook his head. ¡°Nothing inside.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Space stone bro wouldn¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    ¡°So we found nothing,¡± Jack said, his voice heavy. As much as he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t share his friends¡¯ joking mood. He sighed.

    ¡°Sorry, Jack,¡± Nauja said, cing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°We tried. Maybe¡­there are more clues somewhere. We¡¯ll find them. Don¡¯t give up hope.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Perhaps in ten years, when my children are fifteen, I will finally be able to see them¡­¡± Jack replied, raising his head to gaze at the stars. To celestial bodies, and even to cultivators like him, ten years were nothing. But, to his children, they were a lifetime.

    And besides them, there was also the professor. His mother. She was old, and he didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d managed to reach the D-Grade and extend her lifespan. If not¡­

    ¡°Is this supposed to be shining?¡± Salin suddenly asked. Everyone turned around to find him gazing at the broken teleporter. Looking closely, a tiny spark flickered in its center.

    ¡°No,¡± Nauja replied, her eyes widening. ¡°That¡¯s¡­certainly not supposed to happen.¡±

    There were many kinds of teleporters. Hastily constructed ones, like the one before them, needed arge amount of energy to operate and couldn¡¯t form a stable connection to other teleporters. That was why nobody had bothered to search it before.

    Jack jumped forward, instantly arriving to the teleporter. His hopes were rekindled. Could Shol have left a message inside?

    ¡°Careful!¡± Nauja shouted, arriving beside him, but she was toote. Jack had already reached out to touch it. As soon as he made contact, a single spark shot out¡ªand then the entire teleporter exploded in a mass of fiery death. The meteor disintegrated under their feet. Spatial fluctuations flooded their surroundings, while Jack barely had time to form a shield and protect them from the explosion.

    A mix of feelings ran through his heart. He wasn¡¯t injured, but the teleporter had exploded. There was no road to Earth here. He was trapped away from his family. It was only after he went through the sadness that he realized the explosion had been far toorge¡ªfar too artificial. Somebody had flooded this teleporter with energy and kept it right at the edge of exploding.

    They were close to Hell. Though they had avoided all guards before, such an explosion would be easily noticed.

    This was a trap!

    Everyone nced at each other, arriving at the same conclusion. ¡°Quick!¡± Jack said, taking out the bromobile. They entered it instantly, but teleporting away took time. Moreover, the explosion had contained spatial ripples specifically designed to disturb space around them and dy the process.

    They needed time. Time they wouldn¡¯t have. Jack could already sense light tremors in space as powerful cultivators were approaching at high speed.

    ¡°I will dy them!¡± he shouted, shooting out of the bromobile. ¡°Charge up the teleportation!¡±

    Space parted before he even finished his words. Animal people emerged. Some were leonines, some canines, some sharkens, eaglers, or elefs¡ªall five noble families of the Animal Kingdom were present. Moreover, these weren¡¯t young elites¡ªthey were aged, their eyes filled with dignity and their bodies exuding immense power.

    As Jack swept his perception over them, his heart chilled. These people were all at the middle C-Grade and above¡ªthey were Elders of the Animal Kingdom.

    This wiped away all doubts about the exploding teleporter being an ident. There was no way the Animal Kingdom had so many Elders on standby. This was a trap¡ªa trap specifically meant for him. And, in his single moment of weakness in several years, he had walked right into it.

    Jack gritted his teeth, but such was the cultivation world. It didn¡¯t matter how fierce you were, how carefully you¡¯d handled everything in the past, or if you were filled with grief and at your most vulnerable moment. Triumph and defeat were separated by a single line¡ªone mistake could kill.

    Amongst the many Elders surrounding Jack, a leonine with flowing red hair stepped forward. His cultivation was at the peak C-Grade, and he wasn¡¯t weak for his level either. This was the Animal Kingdom¡¯s Grand Elder¡ªan existence only below the B-Grade Ancestors.

    ¡°Jack Rust¡­¡± he said, his eyes sparking hatred. ¡°Give up. You are already dead.¡±

    Jack snorted. At this point, holding back was pointless. An ocean of power erupted from his body, flooding the surrounding space and even washing away the auras of all the Elders present. His body grew taller and two extra arms protruded from under his armpits.

    These Elders were incredibly powerful people¡­but Jack was not the weak D-Grade he¡¯d once been. Now, he was strong as well¡ªstrong enough to match a B-Grade, let alone these people.

    ¡°Do you really think you can kill me?¡± he asked.

    The Grand Elder¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°No,¡± he admitted. ¡°But we can dy you. It doesn¡¯t matter how powerful you are. This is our territory, and stronger people are already on the way. If you want to escape before they arrive¡­¡± His eyes red. ¡°That is impossible!¡±

 Chapter 423: I Am Speed

    Chapter 423: I Am Speed

    Jack did not pause. He shot forward, but it did little to inhibit histest pursuer. The void shimmered behind him; it parted, revealing a white-haired, young-looking woman.

    The moment she appeared, the universe seemed to have found a new master. Starlight danced around her, and the void curved as if wanting to bow. Her aura naturally billowed out,manding the respect of reality.

    Jack felt his movements slow even as his mind fell into disarray. This¡­was ate B-Grade!

    Though they¡¯d never met, both knew of the other¡¯s name. Eva Solvig had once chased Jack through the Milky Way gxy, and he¡¯d used all kinds of tricks to slip out of her grasp. Back then, Eva had been at the middle B-Grade¡ªit was only in thest few years that she made another breakthrough, stepping into thete B-Grade.

    In other words, she was not one of the strongest at her level¡­but so what? She and Jack were separated by a Grade and a half. No matter how talented or heaven-defying he was, there was no way he could fight her. Even middle B-Grades were too much for the current him.

    ¡°Jack Rust,¡± she said. Her voice was colorless, tasteless, almost sterilized. ¡°I have chased after you for years. Who knew you¡¯d be dumb enough to fall for such a trap?¡±

    Jack gritted his teeth, pausing his escape. It was clear they would chase after him¡ªbut, if they wanted to chat and let him catch his breath first, he wouldn¡¯t say no. He¡¯d run the moment they did. It wasn¡¯t like anyone stronger could arrive.

    This also saved time for the bromobile to escape farther and farther away. Nobody seemed to care about it¡ªeveryone¡¯s gaze was glued on Jack.

    ¡°Eva Solvig,¡± he replied coldly. ¡°We¡¯ve been acquainted for a number of years, but it¡¯s actually the first time we meet. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m pleased.¡±¡°I am,¡± she replied. ¡°Killing you will make the purging of this gxy much simpler.¡±

    ¡°Are you rted to Purity of the Hand of God?¡± Jack asked. Elder Purity was thete A-Grade Elder he¡¯d met at the banquet just before entering the hidden realm. That Elder¡¯s hair was also white, like Eva¡¯s, and the two women cultivated very simr Daos. Maybe it was even the exact same.

    Eva Solvig frowned. ¡°Elder Purity is my mother and master,¡± she said. ¡°You may not address her by name. You must use the honorific of Elder.¡±

    ¡°Mother?¡± Jack asked, raising a brow. ¡°I guess, no matter how pure one tries to be, we are all still human.¡±

    A chilling wind spread from Eva¡¯s body. Her white robes fluttered, while the surrounding void lost its luster, all tiny particles purified and extinguished. ¡°Why do you taunt me?¡± she asked. ¡°You are worsening your position.¡±

    ¡°Can it get any worse?¡±

    She thought for a moment¡ªthen, smiled. ¡°No.¡±

    It was then that space parted behind her. Another person showed up. Jack¡¯s first reaction was to gauge their strength, then sigh in relief when it was only ate C-Grade. The only peculiarity was arge sack hanging from their waist.

    Right afterward, however, he recognized that cultivator. It was Artus Emberheart¡ªthe man who hated Jack the most in the entire universe. As Artus appeared, his dark robes fluttering and his leonine eyes warped with obsession, he opened his mouth andughed out loud. ¡°Jack Rust!¡± he shouted. ¡°You took everything from me! Today is the day you die!¡±

    ¡°Why did you bring the clown?¡± Jack asked Purity. She did not reply¡ªArtus did.

    ¡°Your tongue is as sharp as ever, but you no longer have a ce to hide. There is no one to protect you. I will ruin you, Jack Rust, and before I do, I will make sure you suffer the same pain I did!¡±

    Artusughed again, the sound shaking the surrounding void. Jack, however, only shook his head. ¡°Just the whining of a defeated dog,¡± he replied. ¡°The reason you lost everything, Artus, was your own weakness. You are ipetent and talentless. You may hate me, but from the very start, I never cared about you. You were always doomed to be my stepping stone, just another character I would surpass on my way to the peak. Even if I die today, it won¡¯t be your achievement¡ªyou¡¯re just a clown jumping on the sidelines while greater people than you try to hunt me down.¡±

    Artus¡¯s gloating gaze froze on his face. His visage warped into deep, blue hatred. He seemed as if he would attack. Then, surprisingly, he calmed down. There was even a hint of dark longing in his voice. ¡°I hope you remember these words, Jack Rust. Soon, you will regret them.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Jack replied, unwilling to bother with Artus any longer. He turned to Eva. ¡°Is there any way I can convince you to let me go?¡± he asked. ¡°Since you haven¡¯t attacked me yet, I suppose you have something to say.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    She smiled weakly. ¡°The Hand of God appreciates your talent. We are wee to let you live on the condition that you open up your soul and let us turn you into a ve.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°I would rather die!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    She attacked. The purified space around her expanded at tremendous speed, quickly overtaking Jack. His eyes narrowed as all particles in his vicinity evaporated. This was a Dao Domain, one so refined it had turned into a battle skill. He instantly released his own. A purple meteor appeared in the middle of purity, billowing like a caged god of me. Fist particles flooded the empty space, constantly eroded by purity and constantly regenerating.

    Dao Domains were mostly the weapons of D-Grades. After that, many lost their usefulness, which was why Jack rarely used his Dao Domain in battletely. Eva Solvig, however, was different. Her domain was one of her greatest weapons. Since she was stronger than Jack to begin with, his domain of the Fist was immediately suppressed, barely able to make any waves at all.

    The most he could do was maintain control of the area a few dozen feet around him, and that was only because of the great distance between them.

    Eva charged, but Jack did not wait for her to arrive. In a head-on sh, he would be annihted. He had to run.

    With a shout, energy erupted out of him. The Fist took control of the surrounding space and he shot out, forcefully piercing through the domain of purity. His skin was burning¡ªa strange energy was prevalent in the void, one which sought to wipe him clean, but he resisted. An explosion resounded behind him. Jack coughed out blood as he was shot out of the purity field, only for it toe crashing down again an instantter.

    ¡°You cannot escape,¡± Eva Solvig calmly stated as she flew forward. Her hands were covered in a white glow¡ªand, staring at them, Jack could feel an instinctive fear deep in his soul, as if this white light was the nemesis of all life.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The Animal Kingdom Ancestorughed out loud. ¡°The Hand of God is well worth its reputation!¡± The Elders present followed behind Eva, ready to participate in Jack¡¯s execution, while Artus himself was just a step behind her, his eyes filled with dark satisfaction and a hand patting the sack he carried.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He could not win this battle. Even if he somehow ran away, what then?

    <em>Elder Boatman, if you¡¯re going to appear at thest moment, this is it!</em>

    Yet, nothing happened. Nobody arrived to save him. Jack had sent away his friends and was now alone, trapped in the vastness of space with enemies far stronger than he was. The only one who could save him was himself¡­but he had no idea how.

    It was only now that the severity of this danger sank in. If nothing changed, it was very probable that today he would die.

    He gritted his teeth. <em>If I¡¯m going to die¡­I won¡¯t go quietly!</em>

    Purple light red on his fists. Seeing that, Eva Solvig dropped her slow walking and teleported before him. She wasn¡¯t going to give him a chance.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± she said, pushing out her palms.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡± Jack shouted. His fists shot forth¡ªspace exploded, the void erupted, purity was washed away. Jack¡¯s two hands bore the brunt of the collision, broken into bloody bone stumps. He was sent flying away. As for Eva, she¡¯d barely slowed down¡ªeven his strongest attack was not enough to harm her.

    But he¡¯d used the momentum to escape her domain.

    Her brows creased slightly. She did not expect him to survive a direct attack, but in the end, surprise was just surprise¡ªhe could not escape. Her domain expanded again, seeking to encircle him, but Jack smashed his stump of a wrist into the void, shattering it in the instant before she reached him and teleporting away. He reappeared a dozen miles into the distance, pale and shivering¡ªescaping like that had taken a toll on him.

    Eva Solvig scoffed in annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re just wasting your time,¡± she said, teleporting after him. ¡°You cannot escape!¡±

    Jack agreed, actually. Even if he survived for a few moments more and used his expertise in space to run away, so what? He would grow exhausted eventually and die all the same. It wasn¡¯t like he could outrun ate B-Grade.

    But he couldn¡¯t just give up.

    Space warped below him. Time stretched behind him and shrunk in front, letting him shoot through space like a fish in water. Distance became meaningless as he rushed forward at hundreds of miles per second.

    ¡°After him!¡± Evamanded. Her Dao could directly disintegrate space¡ªeven without relevant insights, she used brute force to surpass Jack¡¯s speed, leaving a line of emptiness wherever she passed.

    Jack ran. He nced backward, and his brows fell further. Eva Solvig was steadily behind him, calmly riding a wave of purity. As expected: even at full speed, even using all his insights into space, Jack couldn¡¯t outrun her¡ªthe gap shrunk slowly but steadily, and he suspected she wasn¡¯t even going all-out. He would grow exhausted long before she did.

    Battle was hopeless. Escape was impossible. Was he really doomed to die here? Was his only option to keep running away in the hopes that someone else would save him?

    Since when was he, Jack Rust, so helplessly weak?

    He roared into the void as he shot forward. His weakness pained him, drove a stake through his heart. Even after working so hard and achieving so much, he had to depend on others.

    ¡°Damn it all!¡± he shouted, piercing deep into the void in his attempts to escape. It was useless¡ªEva Solvig remained close behind him, even if everyone else had faded far away.

    Jack was fast. After mastering spacetime to such a degree, he was possibly the fastest C-Grade of the universe, but all tricks were meaningless before the suppression of absolute power.

    Two lines cut through the void¡ªone purple, one white. Eva kept closing the gap. Every time she drew near, she would unleash an attack which would severely injure Jack. He coughed out blood and kept going, using the shockwave to open up the distance a little, but she just closed it again.

    Eva couldn¡¯t catch up directly, but she could use this method to slowly whittle Jack¡¯s energy. His rate of consumption was far higher than hers, and he also had to suffer heavy injuries. Moreover, his Dao usage was much more delicate than hers, demanding more mental resources.

    Thankfully, he could use the endless energy of the Life Drop to regenerate his wounds, greatly easing his load, but he still couldn¡¯t keep doing it forever.

 Chapter 422: Matching a B-Grade

    Chapter 422: Matching a B-Grade

    Jack¡¯s mind went cold. On the outside, however, he showed no difference. His aura red, his back shielding both his friends and the bromobile. Until they were ready to teleport, he wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch them.

    ¡°Come at me,¡± he challenged. At the same time, he sent a telepathic message to Brock, telling him to stay with the others and serve as thest line of defense.

    His message was heard. Bro chants filled the void, and a golden shield appeared around the starship. A massive golden brori sat cross-legged on its top. Under Brock¡¯s protection, the bromobile could defend against any stray attacks.

    ¡°Useless!¡± the Grand Elder spat out. Heughed. ¡°This is already over, Jack Rust. Just give up and die!¡±

    ¡°Make me.¡±

    A punch shot out, cracking the skies. Jack couldn¡¯t just sit back and be reactive¡ªhe had to take the initiative!

    Facing his attack, the seven Elders did not meet it head-on. They scattered. Everyone flew in a different direction, surrounding both Jack and the starship, while the elef Elder drew back and readied her healing powers. At the same time, the Grand Elder and the other five waved their hands, unleashing a barrage of attacks headed directly for the bromobile!

    Jack¡¯s form flickered. He appeared next to the starship, and a hail of punches tore their attacks like paper. Only firework remained of the continent-crushing powers. Yet, the Elders onlyughed, unleashing even more attacks at him. Jack gritted his teeth. His fists swept out again, easily defending against everything. He tore through space to approach a sharken Elder, but the moment he did, every other Elder ignored him to attack the starship.

    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. He shot a hasty Meteor Punch into the Elder, severely injuring him, then rushed back to defend. He didn¡¯t make it in time. Five of the six attacks, he blocked¡ªthe sixth smashed into the bromobile, shaking Brock¡¯s golden shield. It had persisted, but it wouldn¡¯t forever. Jack needed to defend.¡°Damn!¡± he shouted, anger seeping into his voice. The Eldersughed again.

    Jack was more powerful than all of thembined. He could use his Dao of Space to wildly teleport around and eliminate them one by one. However, if he did that, the rest of them would pummel the bromobile with attacks until Brock¡¯s shield shattered and the bromobile was impacted, stopping its teleportation. That would dy them massively.

    On the other hand, if Jack only defended, he would be forced into a passive position. Defending wasn¡¯t his forte¡ªa few attacks would inevitably seep through. And, even if Brock¡¯s shield did manage to defend, all the shockwaves would still dy their teleportation.

    Jack could already sense a powerful presence heading his way, far more mighty than these Elders. Attacking would not work, and neither would defending. He had the strength, but it was useless if he only punched empty air.

    He felt checkmated.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± he shouted again, releasing his aura wildly. It buffeted the Elders, but they simply used their Daos to defend. Theyughed again, a cacophony of arrogance.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless, Jack Rust! Just bow down and ept your fate!¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes sharpened. <em>Even if it¡¯s risky¡­I will kill at least a few of them!</em>

    Killing intent erupted. His body shed, appearing behind the same Elder as before. He no longer held back. A massive meteor tore through space, exploding right on the Elder¡¯s back¡ªand though he tried to escape, Jack locked space around him, rendering him unable to move. The Elder could only defend. With a tremendous explosion, he was sent flying away, spitting blood and severely injured.

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t dead yet. Jack would have liked to use Supernova, but it took a longer time to charge¡ªas it was, he only barely had time to return, defending against four of the attacks of the other Elders and letting two impact Brock¡¯s shield. Cracks appeared. The golden brori sitting atop the shield shook, its color dimming a little.

    Meanwhile, the far-off elef shone with green energy. The Elder that Jack had injured was enveloped in her power, his wounds regenerating at a rate visible to the naked eye. Heughed and charged back into battle.

    The powerful presence from afar kept drawing closer.

    Jack gritted his teeth, his eyes falling to sub-zero temperatures. The Brutalizing Aura rolling out of his body rose in intensity, assaulting the Elders with visions of getting wildly mutted, but they were powerful enough to resist. Their attacks kepting¡ªa ceaseless onught.

    Jack teleported again. The Elder he¡¯d attacked before had been the weakest one, but it was clear that half-measures would get him nowhere. He had to kill someone instantly. He had to use Supernova, even if it took longer to charge. And, since he was using Supernova, he might as well target the strongest Elder he was sure to kill.

    The one he¡¯d targeted was a leonine, the second strongest after the Grand Elder.

    As he saw Jack appear behind him, this Elder¡¯s eyes shed with terror. He hurriedly withdrew his power and smashed it all towards Jack, his body shing with electricity¡ªhe was part of the Emberheart lineage. Arge palm violently shot through space.

    But how could itpare to a supernova? A part of the universe was sucked into Jack¡¯s fist. Space, time, light, matter, even the Dao itself, everything was sucked inside andpressed on the tip of Jack¡¯s middle knuckle. The energy density reached a terrifying degree. The world came to a standstill.

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    And then, as the energy grew too dense for Jack to control, it erupted in a massive explosion pointed forward.

    <em>You have to hold, Brock!</em>

    mes seared the world. Chaotic energies ran wild. The void shattered, and the stars lost their luster. The leonine¡¯s palm simply disintegrated, and his body cracked apart as it bore the brunt of the supernova. All his organs shattered instantly. He was dead before he knew what hit him.

    But Jack had no time to rejoice. He hurriedly withdrew, even letting the energy shockwaves strike him to arrive faster, but he couldn¡¯t be quick enough. The only attack he managed to stop was the Grand Elder¡¯s. The other four shot past him and into Brock¡¯s golden shield, rocking it with far greater intensity than before. The golden brori roared¡ªthe shield¡¯s light red for a moment, withstanding the attacks, but it paled greatly afterward. Brock had consumed a massive amount of energy just now. He couldn¡¯t necessarily do it again.

    But there were still five Elders remaining, plus the healer. Jack had no way to handle this. For a moment, he didn¡¯t attack again.

    If Brock¡¯s shield shattered, it wouldn¡¯t as simple as the bromobile¡¯s teleportation getting interrupted. Maybe even the entire starship would blow up. Nauja and Gan Salin, both of whom were D-Grades, would die in the aftermath. He couldn¡¯t afford that risk.

    And the teleportation was still a far way frompletion.

    <em>¡°I can take one more,¡± </em>Brock¡¯s weak voice resounded in Jack¡¯s mind.

    <em>¡°Save your energy,¡± </em>he replied decisively. <em>¡°Stop the teleportation. We cannot make it in time. Prepare to run.¡±</em>

    The powerful presence approaching was almost here. It was probably a B-Grade, and Jack had no illusions of defending the bromobile against five powerful C-Grades and a B-Grade. As for fighting them, though he could maybe do it, that would mean giving up on the bromobile and letting Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin die.

    The only choice was to capitalize on his space Dao and run away as fast as possible. But there was a reason he hadn¡¯t done that before. A prolonged chase would give other people the opportunity to catch up, including the Hand of God¡¯ste B-Grade.

    Unfortunately, he was out of options.

    Jack¡¯s aura boiled over. The golden shield red temporarily, and the starship¡¯s gathered energy dispersed, aborting the teleportation. Instead, it prepared to dash away.

    Jack and Brock¡¯s souls were connected. In that moment, they didn¡¯t need to speak. They knew what needed to be done. With their hearts feeling iparably heavy, they dashed away¡­in opposite directions!

    Escaping together was useless. Jack could not fight while protecting them, and they would slow him down. At the same time, the bromobile was fast even without Jack¡¯s assistance¡ªeven if the Grand Elder chased them down, there was no guarantee he could catch them. However, if Jack tried to travel with the bromobile, the approaching B-Grade would soon catch up, so he had to fly separate. He was much faster alone.

    At the end of the day, he was their target, not the bromobile. And, right now, he was left alone in space, without a starship. Long-range teleportation was impossible. He was a turtle in a jar.

    Inside the starship, everyone was silent. Even the usually jovial Gan Salin could only feel despair. Nauja¡¯s knuckles were hard around the starship¡¯s helm, and as for Brock, he hated himself for being weak. As much as he wanted to fight and die alongside his big bro, he knew he would only drag Jack down. He wasn¡¯t fast enough. Staying here would only doom Jack to death, robbing him of his tiny chance to survive.

    He could only escape. He had to protect dog bro and girl bro. That was his role¡ªbut he had never felt as useless as at this present moment. He roared out, letting his animalistic instincts take over and pouring the entirety of his feelings into the bro shield he¡¯d conjured. The golden brori atop the starship mirrored him, screaming into the void¡ªand the shield¡¯s speed shot up, reaching a peak in exchange for all of Brock¡¯s energy.

    The bromobile shot into the weakest Elder like a missile, smashing him away with ease and escaping the encirclement, then shooting into the distance. The Elder spat blood but did not give chase.

    It was as Jack and Brock had expected. Chasing the bromobile wasn¡¯t worth the risk¡ªthey would rather invest all their energy into killing Jack.

    As for Jack himself, his grief and anger exploded. With nobody to protect, he could not be stopped. A supernova erupted, shaking the world and flinging the Elders away. He dashed out of the encirclement, wanting to escape¡ªand space suddenly split before him, revealing a wide-chested, golden-haired leonine. His eyes were like stars, and his aura was immeasurably deep.

    This was a B-Grade, one of three Ancestor-level characters of the Animal Kingdom. He was also the one who had once joined Eva Solvig to chase Jack to Earth, but had been intimidated into inaction by Sovereign Heavenly Spoon. Now, seeing Jack again after so many years, heughed wildly.

    ¡°I finally catch you, Jack Rust!¡± he shouted in the void. ¡°With nobody here to stop me, let me see just how you can escape!¡±

    Jack did not reply. His aura erupted. A tremendous amount of energy gathered into his fist, overshadowing the auras of everyone present, and he charged straight into the B-Grade, not changing his course even a little.

    The Ancestor¡¯s gaze flickered with surprise. ¡°Do you really think you can match me?¡± he asked. The starlight around him intensified¡ªendless white clouds appeared in the sky above, and his body was covered in awe-inspiring, world-shattering might. Glowing white armor covered his skin, a heavenlynce appeared in his hand, and eight wings proudly unfurled behind him.

    The Ancestorughed out loud, his voice carrying the majesty of a God. ¡°An ant before a king! Laughable!¡± he eximed, drawing back hisnce. Intense energy gathered, cracking the void through its sheer weight.

    To Jack¡¯s surprise, this leonine was not a simple character. His level had reached the peak of the early B-Grade, and his talent was nothing to scoff at. Just in terms of battle power, he wasn¡¯t that much weaker than Spacewind or Urusm. He had no idea whether he could win or not.

    But it also didn¡¯t matter. ¦©f he stopped now and let himself be surrounded, his chances would be even lower. He had to break through.

    ¡°Supernova!¡± he roared, punching forward.

    ¡°Lance of God!¡± the Ancestor cried out, driving out hisnce. Divine might shrouded the void. Cracks spread for endless miles. The fragments of the previously-shattered asteroid disintegratedpletely, and even the Elders were pushed back by the shockwave of this collision.

    Purple shed against white. The world was washed away. And, when the shockwave dispersed, the Ancestor hadn¡¯t been pushed back, but neither had Jack!

    ¡°What!?¡± the Ancestor eximed, his eyes growing wide with disbelief. ¡°How¡­ How can you resist me!?¡±

    As he was surprised, so were the Elders watching. To match a B-Grade from the mid C-Grade¡­this was an unprecedented level of power!

    Jack did not bother with them. He overdrew on his Dao to keep pushing forward, rushing past the leonine and shooting into deep space. He was confident that his speed was superior¡ªwith any luck, he would be able to escape before anyone else caught up, then hide himself in the endlessness of space. Flying to another would take some time, but it was doable.

    Just then, a faint ripple passed through the void, originating from the nearby of Hell. This ripple birthed despair in Jack¡¯s heart.

    Ate B-Grade had just teleported in¡ªand they would be here in moments.

 Chapter 424: The Abyss Stares Back

    Chapter 424: The Abyss Stares Back

    The two meteors streaked through space. Jack knew he was bound to be caught eventually. All he could do was dy¡ªand spend that time despising his own weakness.

    This was not a new experience. He¡¯d been through the same thing many times in the past. It was just that, during the three years he¡¯d spent training and the easy battles that came afterward, he¡¯d forgotten just how imperative his quest for strength was.

    Without sufficient power, he could not control his fate. He was just a leaf doomed to blow with the wind. His life or death were not in his hands, and his ability to affect the world was miniscule at best. If he wanted to protect himself and his loved ones, the only option was to have power, more power than anyone else. To have arge fist. Only then could one be safe and free.

    Another attack fell on his back. Jack screamed as the skin was boiled away, devolving to nothing, but he used his powerful body to survive the attack. The momentum shot him forward, deeper into the endless darkness.

    ¡°You are prolonging the inevitable,¡± Eva Solvig shouted behind him, her voice cold. ¡°Do you think someone will arrive to save you? That will not happen! Boatman is upied elsewhere. So is Heavenly Spoon. Every powerful individual you¡¯ve met is closely monitored and in other gxies. Nobody wille for you, Jack Rust¡ªjust give up and save yourself some pain.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Jack shouted back, not slowing down in the slightest. The despair rising in him was suppressed¡ªhe had to find the one sliver of hope, any chance to survive. Even if the odds were stacked against him, there had to be something he could try, some desperate gamble with tiny chances of sess. There always was.

    But nothing came to mind. He was lost in endless space¡ªthere was literally nothing around him.

    <em>No¡ªthere is! </em>he realized. <em>The Animal Abyss!</em>

    The Animal Abyss was an odd ck hole situated near Hell. Jack had already visited it once, realizing it was surrounded by aplex gravitational field where one¡¯s perception was useless. Perhaps, if he dove in there, he might have a chance.It was almost suicidal. There was another B-Grade guarding the Animal Abyss, as well as several magic formations around it. Even if he managed to make it inside, the gravitational field around the Animal Abyss was and where even B-Grades regrly perished. Any spatial anomaly he ran into could suck him into the dark hole¡ªif that happened, he would die instantly. Eva Solvig wouldn¡¯t even need to act.

    Even if he wasn¡¯t sucked into a spatial anomaly and somehow managed to hide in there, so what? They¡¯d just surround the Abyss. It wasn¡¯t toorge. Eva¡¯s perception could easily cover all the surrounding space and wait for him to exit again.

    <em>Maybe I can hide until reinforcements arrive?</em>

    Jack disliked this path, but what choice did he have? When every other option meant certain death, the almost-certain death sounded ideal.

    As for returning to Hell to try and escape through a teleporter, that was impossible for several reasons, the greatest of which being that Eva was between him and that.

    He angled his flight, shooting sideways into the void. That allowed Eva to momentarily catch up. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± she shouted, pushing out a palm. They were still separated by ten miles, but that distance was nothing to a B-Grade. Her palm crashed down, locking space around Jack and forcing him to face it. He turned, shouted, and smashed out a Supernova. The void shattered. His barely-regenerated hand was broken again, and he was sent spinning away while losing massive quantities of blood.

    Ignoring the pain, he regained control of his flight and used the momentum to soar deeper into space, directly towards the Animal Abyss. Eva Solvig was close behind him. ¡°Useless!¡± she shouted, easily deducing his destination but not caring.

    Jack cradled his hand as he shot through the void. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth gnashed. The Animal Abyss was close to Hell, but that was only at an astronomical scale. In truth, the two were millions of miles apart. Even for Jack, flying such a distance without a starship would take a long time, let alone with someone chasing him at top speed.

    He braced himself for an extended chase. He slowed down a little, adopting a more manageable pace. This would allow Eva to attack him more frequently, but he could use the Life Drop¡¯s energy to regenerate his wounds. He couldn¡¯t use it to keep flying.

    Eva frowned. ¡°You cannot escape, Jack Rust,¡± she felt the need to remind him.

    The chase continued. Endless miles passed under their feet, vanishing in the tracts of time. They flew for hours. shed hundreds of times. Crossed millions of miles. Yet, in the endless darkness of the universe, it felt like they were staying still¡ªlooking around, the surroundings remained exactly the same.

    Jack was beyond exhausted. He was already running on fumes, gasping for breath. His Dao Tree felt caught in draught, its roots desperately trying to absorb energy from his barren soul. He didn¡¯t even know how far the Animal Abyss was¡ªit wasn¡¯t like he could see it. In the depths of his soul, he was afraid he¡¯d miss it. Even the outermost formation around it was only a million miles wide, just a grain of sand in all this empty space. Jack¡¯s onlypass was his sense of direction¡ªif he miscalcted, he would be lost in endless void.

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    A new attack crashed into his back. His defenses had waned over time. He was sent tumbling forward, no longer able to smoothly utilize the momentum as his back was ripped open. White bones showed, and scarlet blood spilled out.

    As he tumbled forward, however, he finally noticed something: a faintyer of trembling space up ahead, stretching for as far as his perception could go. Instantly, hope surged into his limbs. This was the magic formation a million miles away from the Animal Abyss, the one he¡¯d slowly unraveled before to avoid being detected.

    There was no time to do that now. He shot right through, the ripples of his Dao spreading across the formation and announcing his presence like a trumpet in a sealed room. The B-Grade guarding this ce would soon move against him.

    Eva followed right behind, simrly disregarding the formation. She drew close again. Even after all this time, she didn¡¯t seem to have lost much energy, and her attacks came stronger and more frequently than before.

    Jack was bruised and battered, bones showing in several parts as the pace of his regeneration was already falling off, but he still had some life left in him. The Animal Abyss was only a few thousand miles away. He hoped he could reach it.

    ¡°What is going on!?¡± an aggressive voice rang through the void as a leonine appeared in the distance. He wore a pale yellow robe, and his eyes shone like lightning as his hands were sped behind his back. Most importantly, he was positioned right between Jack and the Animal Abyss.

    And he was a middle B-Grade.

    <em>Shit!</em>

    ¡°In the name of the Hand of God, capture this man!¡± Eva shouted, but the Ancestor didn¡¯t need a reminder. He had watched a recording of Jack¡¯s Grand Duel on Hell five years ago and clearly recognized him.

    ¡°You¡¯re Jack Rust!¡± he eximed, already assuming a battle stance. ¡°We lost a good man because of you. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing here, but since you came, you can forget about leaving!¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He really didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with this old man now. He simply barreled forward, directly towards the Ancestor, investing half his remaining energy into a powerful Supernova.

    The Ancestor sneered. ¡°Hmph!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him!¡± Eva shouted from behind, exploding in a burst of speed to reach Jack and attack him. The Ancestor shot out a punch that could cover the void¡ªfaint traces of electricity swam around it, and its colossal power was visible for all to see.

    Tracts of space shattered. Jack was trapped between two massive attacks, each stronger than what he could achieve in his peak state. In that razor-sharp moment, he couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate. Supernova shot forth, colliding directly with the Ancestor¡¯s punch. At the same time, he released a burst of Fist Dao behind him, weakening the impact of Eva¡¯s attack.

    His strike collided with the Ancestor¡¯s. For a moment, it was like a new sun was born. Both attacks wrapped around each other in a vast eruption of power, eventually dispersing. ¡°What!?¡± the Ancestor eximed. He hadn¡¯t gone all-out just now, but someone an entire Grade lower had matched his attack?

    Even with Eva¡¯s warning, he¡¯d thought that attacking earnestly was already being far too careful and even a little humiliating. Yet, this man could resist it!?

    As the two attacks met and were mutually neutralized, so was the majority of Jack¡¯s momentum, as he¡¯d relied on it to make his attack somewhat stronger. His hand had evaporated from the elbow down, sending streams of burning pain into his brain. It was right then, before he could regather himself, that Eva¡¯s attack arrived. It was like a waterfall of white acid, raining onto his back and attempting to purify him to death. He screamed again. He used almost all of his power to resist, but white waves still spread over him, burning him deeply and sending him flying. His entire body was smoking, while white patches of lifelessness had appeared all over his skin, slowly drilling in.

    In that moment, he focusedpletely. He ignored the pain and used some of his energy to block the invasive Dao of Purity. At the same time, he turned and smashed another Supernova into the void behind him, utilizing the momentum of Eva¡¯s attack to shoot forward at tremendous speed. He even warped space around him to go even faster.

    He was like a missile. The Ancestor was in his way, already activating his electricity-based battle form, but there was no time. Jack was just too fast. All the Ancestor could do was stick out his ws and rake them down on Jack, carving three deep red lines into his already mangled chest.

    Jack felt his life almost whisked away. Those ws had shattered his ribcage and passed a finger away from his heart.

    But he¡¯d made it past.

    He was shooting into the distance at extreme speed. The Ancestor, however, did not seem perturbed. Heughed. ¡°Fool!¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a formation there! You¡¯re trapped!¡±

    There was a second formation surrounding the Animal Abyss, this one at only ten thousand miles away. It also had an isting effect. If one wanted to pass, they needed to vibrate their bodies at a specific frequency, and finding that frequency couldn¡¯t be done in a short amount of time. In the Ancestor¡¯s eyes, and even in Eva¡¯s, Jack was trapped.

    It was to their surprise, then, that he passed through the barrier like it was nothing.

    ¡°What?!¡± the Ancestor eximed. ¡°How!?¡±

    How could they know that Jack had already been to this ce? He hadn¡¯t gone past the formation because he couldn¡¯t bypass its detection mechanisms, but he¡¯d already discovered the frequency needed to pass through.

    ¡°After him!¡± Eva shouted. She reached the barrier and used pure force to tear it open, passing through and letting it regenerate behind her. At her level, she could just barely achieve it. As for the Animal Kingdom Ancestor, he naturally knew the frequency as well.

    However, the barrier was only ten thousand miles away from the Animal Abyss. Such a distance was short at their level. Jack was already halfway there. At some point, his perception ran into a strange field in front of him, dispersing in all directions and bing useless. This was the abyss¡¯s treacherous spatial field, filled with endless dangers and surrounding one of the deadliest objects in the universe.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Eva shouted, unleashing another attack. So did the Ancestor. Before their attacks could reach Jack, however, he gritted his teeth and shot right into the abyss!

 Book 4 is Live!

    Book 4 is Live!

    Hey bros! I''m super proud to announce that Book 4 just went live on Kindle and KU, passing the million-word mark for this story. I never thought I''d get this far. Please support me by buying, downloading, reviewing, or spreading the book. It really helps!

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    Cool cover, huh? I think it''s my favorite after Book 2. Look, he even has four arms!

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    As Brock would say... *raises hands to the sky* <strong>Lend me your power, bros!</strong>

 Chapter 425: Highest Stakes

    Chapter 425: Highest Stakes

    The Animal Abyss¡ªthe periphery of this ck hole¡ªwas a mysterious ce where even B-Grades regrly perished. One¡¯s perception was useless, while spacetime was so chaotically warped that finding one¡¯s way through here was basically impossible. Even the Animal Kingdom, with its million years of history, had not managed to solve this enigma.

    Additionally, Jack was amp without oil. His alreadycking strength was deeply exhausted, he was injured all over, and generally in terrible shape. Wanting to survive this ce would be difficult¡ªlet alone escape Eva Solvig afterward.

    The boundary between normal space and the abyss was invisible. ck within, ck without. The only indication it existed was a thin sheet of chaotic space far less orderly and far more powerful than the formations the Animal Kingdom had established.

    Before anyone could stop him, Jack had dived into the Animal Abyss.

    His world was toppled. Everything swam. Light no longer moved in straight lines, making his vision unreliable, while space was so deeply scrabbled that no matter how deep into itsyers he searched, any sense of direction was missing. From the moment he entered, he was blind and deaf, oblivious to the world around him. All his mighty perception could illuminate was the space ten feet around him. That was nothing. He was basically face-to-face with the darkness.

    As soon as he entered the abyss, Jack instantly came to a halt. Running around here was a surefire way to die. He didn¡¯t even know whether his pursuers would follow, but he hoped they wouldn¡¯t, because he still didn¡¯t dare to move quickly.

    Even if they did want to chase him, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. The chaotic spacetime made it so that even if they entered from the same location, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily arrive at the same ce. They¡¯d just be lost somewhere else in the abyss.

    Jack waited a moment and didn¡¯t sense anyone following him. That didn¡¯t mean he could rx, however¡ªthis area waspletely submerged in chaotic turbulences of spacetime. Ever-changing distortions barraged him from all sides, and resisting them took a toll on his already spent energy. He was forced to conjure a barrier of the Dao around him. If he let up, his body would be teleported to a dozen locations at once and he would die.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t do this forever. This was crisis after crisis, out of the frying pan and into the fire. He quickly calmed himself and investigated the spacetime around him, looking for patterns. He found some¡ªaltering his barrier in ordance, he dropped his energy expenditure to a level which couldst him around an hour.This was already great. A normal C-Grade would be torn apart as soon as they entered this space storm, and an early B-Grade could have used brute force to persist for around an hour as well. To achieve the same while severely spent and wounded was a testament to Jack¡¯s deep understandings of spacetime.

    But it was also useless. While he stayed here, Eva Solvig could freely restore her power outside. She would pursue him as soon as he exited, and the disparity between them would only growrger the longer he stayed inside.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Jack shouted, clenching his only remaining fist. The other arm had disintegrated from the shoulder down and was very slowly regenerating¡ªat nock of pain. But, he¡¯d been through this before. He calmed his mind, shutting away the pain to think.

    <em>What can I do? </em>he considered. <em>Damn it all, what can I do?</em>

    At least two powerful B-Grades were waiting outside. Chaotic space storms existed inside¡ªsoon to tear him to shreds. Nobody wasing to help him.

    <em>Am I doomed?</em>

    The thought was bitter. If Jack was being honest with himself, he never expected to die here. He¡¯d been through countless desperate situations before¡ªhe always found a way to turn the tables, turning certain death into an opportunity. Yet, no matter how he wrung his brain, there was no hope to be found this time. He couldn¡¯t even imagine a scenario in which he lived.

    His only possible salvation was the ck hole at the center of the Animal Abyss. He suspected it was not an ordinary one, but as for what it was, he had no idea. The chances of it somehow helping him escape were astronomically low, so low that it could only serve as a suicidal final resort.

    However, the abyss itself sometimes contained powerful treasures¡ªperhaps he could discover a high-grade starship, or a treasure which could erupt with enough power to vanquish his pursuers.

    But how could such powerful treasures be found just because he needed them?

    <em>I need to search, </em>Jack concluded.

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    Suddenly, a ck whirlpool entered his perception range, only ten feet away. Jack sensed a powerful suction force. It was unbelievably intense¡ªas if he¡¯d ran into the actual maw of the ck hole. His mind cried out in panic, and he pushed away from it with every bit of power he couldmand. His only saving grace was that the whirlpool was pulled along by the space currents at an extremely slow speed, like a stone thrown by a mortal. He just barely managed to escape its trajectory and avoid getting sucked inside. Cold sweat covered his body.

    If he entered that thing, he would absolutely die.

    <em>What the hell was that? </em>he wondered, batting his eyelids to push away the sweat. <em>The ck hole? Or¡­a spatial tunnel into it?</em>

    Unfortunately, the information he had about this ce was very basic. He could only assume the ck whirlpool was a spatial tunnel sucking things into the ck hole¡ªnothing else could possess such suction force in this ce. His understandings into spacetime soon helped him arrive to a hypothesis.

    <em>The event horizon of this ck hole has shattered!</em><em>It has turned into countless small whirlpools roaming this ce. That is why the abyss is such a chaotic and dangerous ce¡ªbut how could an event horizon break?</em>

    A ck hole¡¯s event horizon was the boundary after which nothing could escape, not even light. It was the true edge of a ck hole. However, it was nothing but a line in space¡ªthere was no reason for it to break into pieces.

    Something was very, very wrong with this ck hole.

    Jack gulped. He could vaguely sense that the chaotic storms grew more intense the deeper he went into the abyss¡ªwould these whirlpools be moremon? If they traveled just a little bit faster, he couldn¡¯t necessarily avoid them.

    Going deeper was dangerous. But not going meant certain death, and he was also rapidly running out of time. Jack grimaced, then resolved to search along the edges of the Animal Abyss. He had no idea what he expected to find, but he couldn¡¯t just sit here. On the bright side, he had an hour to consider it¡ªif Eva Solvig braved the risk to enter this space, he might find a way to one-up her.

    In these chaotic space flows, finding one¡¯s direction was challenging. Most people in Jack¡¯s position might have headed deeper inside while thinking they were going out, or end up walking in circles and never escape. Jack could use his understandings of spacetime to just barely navigate¡ªhe slowly shifted himself to the very edge of the abyss, only a few feet away from normal space. He then turned his perception range into a needle and stuck it out, using it as a feeler to grasp the situation outside. He wanted to see what Eva Solvig and the other enemies had decided to do.

    Of course, perceiving things like this was difficult. The image he got was blurry and vague. He could, however, see some things¡ªand, as soon as he did, his blood turned cold. His eyes widened. For the first time since the Integration, or perhaps since he was born, he felt genuine, bone-deep horror.

    <em>No!</em>

    ***

    Artus Emberheart had been left behind. He couldn¡¯t keep up with Eva Solvig or Jack Rust. He sped forth regardless, following them with just his eyes. They were in empty space, after all, and the shes of those two were colorful.

    <em>Hmm? The Animal Abyss? </em>he thought, watching them turn. His lips curved into a grin. <em>Too bad, Jack Rust. You can never escape. </em>He patted the sack hanging off his waist, still speeding after them. He was slower, but not by too much¡ªtheir constant fighting slowed them down.

    After Jack entered the Animal Abyss, it only took Artus a few minutes to catch up. The Elders of the Animal Kingdom were behind him¡ªfrom start to now, he hadn¡¯t spared them a single nce, and they hadn¡¯t spoken to him either. They¡¯d been like brothers and sisters once¡ªbut after his exile, they had nothing to talk about.

    Artus bowed as soon as he arrived. ¡°Ancestor Red Lion. Ancestor Heaven Lance,¡± he greeted the two B-Grades¡ªthe one who¡¯d participated in the original trap had arrived here before him.

    The two Ancestors did not reply. Only Red Lion, the patriarch of his Emberheart family, spared him a nce¡ªthis was the same person who¡¯d exiled him once upon a time, but their statuses were simr now. How the world turns.

    ¡°Jack Rust entered the Animal Abyss,¡± Eva Solvig said, addressing Artus. ¡°I¡¯ve already been briefed on this ce. The Animal Kingdom has understated its importance to the Hand of God¡ªa matter we will certainly investigateter.¡±

    ¡°Just a misunderstanding,¡± said Ancestor Red Lion, taking the lead as the strongest person from the Animal Kingdom side. ¡°What do you suggest we do, Envoy? With Jack Rust¡¯s skills in the Space Dao, he can only remain in there for some minutes. I believe we should not pursue. If he doesn¡¯t exit soon, he will perish inside.¡±

    This Ancestor was afraid to chase Jack into the abyss. That was why he said what he said. However, how could Eva Solvig not see through him?

    ¡°I have no time to waste,¡± she replied calmly. ¡°If Jack Rust does not exit soon, the two of you will go in to look for him. Since you safeguard the information around this Animal Abyss so intensely, surely you will be more familiar with it than him.¡±

    The Ancestors bowed, both cursing inwardly. However, Eva Solvig was not done speaking.

    ¡°Fortunately for you, that might not be necessary. Artus?¡±

    Artus Emberheart had been waiting five years for this moment. His lips spread so wide they almost cracked. A manic glint seeped into his gaze, and he roughly dug a hand into his pouch to retrieve an object.

    On closer inspection, it was not an object, but a person. A small one. And Jack, who was watching from inside the abyss, knew exactly who it was. Even after a few years of not meeting each other, even though the other person had grown a lot, Jack could never mistake this aura.

    This was Eric. His five-year-old son¡ªalive, gagged, and shaking in fear.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re watching, Jack Rust!¡± Artus shouted at the abyss. ¡°An eye for an eye, blood for blood. You once killed my son; I will now kill yours before your very eyes! Hahahaha!¡±

 Chapter 426: An Unfortunate Letter

    Chapter 426: An Unfortunate Letter

    <em>Two months ago¡­</em>

    Artus Emberheart was in a terrible mood. His mortal enemy was back in town but kept not getting caught. It made Artus feel useless. Like he was fumbling his only chance.

    He was currently resting inside the Hand of God starship hemanded. Endless stars stretched outside the window, yet he couldn¡¯t care less.

    Suddenly, a knock came on his door.

    ¡°What?¡± he barked out.

    A trembling voice responded. ¡°Sir¡­ There is a message for you, sir.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy! Fuck off!¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s an important message from the New Cathedral, sir¡­ The coordinates of Earth-387 have been discovered.¡±

    Artus had been about tosh out at this useless underling, but he paused. ¡°Earth-387? The of Jack Rust?¡±¡°Yes, sir! You had asked to be notified immediately if that happened! I rushed here to let you know!¡±

    Artus remained frozen for a moment. This was like a dreame true.

    When the Hand of God upied the Cathedral, they naturally took control of the Cathedral¡¯s teleporter as well. That teleporter connected to all Church outposts across the universe, but there were obviously failsafes. The locations and frequencies were all encoded¡ªmoreover, even activating the teleporter safely required certain secret procedures, so it couldn¡¯t be used.

    The only ones who knew those codes were the Arch Priestess of the Church¡ªits highest leader¡ªand Elder Shield, who¡¯d managed the teleporter but had died in the battle for the Cathedral.

    Since then, the Hand of God had assigned experts to decode the information, but they never expected anything. It was just tooplex a task, and every teleporter entry was encoded in a unique manner. Even decoding one destination every thousand years would have been a good result.

    But those experts had already decoded a destination? And it was the Earth-387 that Artus was desperately searching for? This was almost too good to be true!

    However, if he received this report, it had to be.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Artusughed out loud. ¡°Luck has finally abandoned you, Jack Rust!¡±

    He shed outside his cabin, grabbing the underling by the shoulder with a strong grip. ¡°Tell me more,¡± hemanded, madness glinting in his eyes. ¡°Has anybody visited that?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, sir¡­¡± the underling replied, fear clouding his face. ¡°The matter was reported to Envoy Solvig, who respectfully asks you to use the frequency and upy the in the name of the Hand of God.¡±

    As the man spoke, he handed over a sheet of paper containingplex teleporter frequencies. The name ¡°Earth-387¡± was written underneath.

    Artusughed again. He snatched the piece of paper and, without giving the underling another nce, teleported away. He barely even watched where he went¡ªhis mind was too preupied imagining Jack Rust¡¯s face when he found out his had been destroyed.

    Eva Solvig hadmanded Artus to upy the, but he wasn¡¯t nning to obey. Jack was his mortal enemy. He would just destroy the and im they¡¯d put up resistance. That was reasonable.

    Plus, by assigning this task to him, Eva had tacitly epted such an oue.

    After a series of short-range teleportations, he reached arge-scale teleporter only half an hourter. He used his authority to cut the line and input the frequencies into the teleporter directly. Light shed, and he was gone.

    Space warped around him, in much the same way his soul did. Artus couldn¡¯t contain himself. He spent the teleportation periodughing. The tables had finally turned in his favor. He was heading to Earth!

    Hended in a cloud of dust. His perception instantly howled out, covering argendmass. He was in a small forest¡ªgreen trees rose out of the ground, while several weak cultivators patrolled the surrounding area.

    A brori stood right in front of the teleporter, shocked by Artus¡¯s sudden arrival. It raised a hand to stop him¡ªArtus simply pierced through its heart, killing it instantly. The brori toppled to the ground. rms red. Thend came alive, but Artus couldn¡¯t care less. He was ate C-Grade¡ªeven with his Dao cracked, there was nobody in this who could stop him.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Heughed out loud, shooting into the air. ¡°People of Jack Rust, prepare to suffer!¡±

    He gathered arge amount of power, intending to decimate thend for many miles around¡ªkeeping the teleporter intact so he could leaveter. Just as he punched towards the ground, however, sharp whistling filled his ears. His attack was sliced to pieces, only breaking a fewrge trees. A young man holding twin daggers faced Artus in mid-air¡ªthis was Dorman Whistles, the boy who¡¯d fought in the Integration Tournament once upon a time before joining the ck Hole Church.

    Jack had met Dorman at the Cathedral. At that time, Dorman had been bloated and overweight due to consuming a far too powerful treasure. However, before leaving for the hidden realm, Jack had used his understandings into life energy to suck all the extra power out of Dorman, restoring him to his original fit condition. He¡¯d also given the young man more than enough Dao stones to break through.

    Three yearster, Dorman had reached the middle C-Grade. He had returned to Earth when the Cathedral was invaded and remained here ever since, acting as the¡¯s protector.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Today, he was finally needed.

    Artusughed again. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are and nor do I care! You¡¯re only a four-fruit cultivator! Do you really think you can stop me!?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Dorman replied simply. He kept his daggers at the ready¡ªhis eyes were cold.

    A new arrival shot towards them from the other side of the. Artus hesitated¡ªthe aura of the iing person was much stronger than his own. When they arrived, his eyes widened.

    ¡°You!¡± he said.

    ¡°Me,¡± Elder Huali replied, her smile not reaching her ears. She had received the frequency of Earth¡¯s teleporter from Shol and had retreated here when the Exploding Sun was annihted. Not many people knew of her existence¡ªshe lived in istion, still grieving the loss of her faction and many of her fellow cultivators.

    It seemed like a joke that she¡¯d been made Grand Elder just a few years ago.

    Of course, Huali knew about the ongoing war and the Cathedral being upied. However, Dorman came from the Cathedral, and he was aware of how extensively encoded its teleporter was. The Hand finding their frequencies had been basically impossible¡ªthat was the only reason why there were no countermeasures in ce and why they¡¯d let the teleporter stand. They needed it so Shol, who was searching for Jack in System space, could teleport back when he found him.

    Artus paled. He was a seven-fruit C-Grade with a broken Dao¡ªhisbat efficiency had never been lower. Facing him were a talented four-fruit and a powerful nine-fruit cultivator. No matter how much he wanted to destroy this, it was impossible. He needed Eva Solvig. She should havee along¡ªbut how could they have imagined that a peak C-Grade was hiding in this tiny?

    It was toote for regrets.

    Artus didn¡¯t speak anymore. His figure turned into a ray of light shooting down towards the teleporter. Dorman and Huali dove after him, but they didn¡¯t intend to fight. They were too powerful. If they really battled here, though they would certainly win, the continent below them would note out unscathed.

    Their intention was to ensure Artus left the while keeping casualties to a minimum. To them, this was already a terrible situation. If he went berserk, they couldn¡¯t stop him before he eradicated tens of thousands of lives, including Jack¡¯s family which was nearby. They just hoped he wasn¡¯t too crazy.

    As for Artus himself, he was filled with bile. He had finally discovered Jack Rust¡¯s, and not only could he not do anything about it, but he also had to willingly walk away. After he left, they would certainly destroy the teleporter. He couldn¡¯t return. This was his only opportunity.

    Yet, he feared that if he attacked, they would ignore all casualties to kill him. However great his hatred for Jack Rust was, his wish for self-preservation was stronger.

    Once again, he had been one-upped.

    He shot towards the teleporter and began activating it from afar, roaring out in impotent fury. These two C-Grades had robbed him of his best chance for revenge. He hated this. He hated everything.

    But he could still attack once. They couldn¡¯t stop him without using excessive force. He gathered power, intending to smash into the ground next to the teleporter as he passed by and at least destroy part of the forest.

    Just before attacking, however, he paused. His spread-out perception caught something. A child was sitting on a treehouse very close to the teleporter. A small young boy, barely five years old, watching with a mouth it had forgotten to close.

    Artus had met Jack Rust before¡ªhe would never forget that man¡¯s aura, and he could tell that this boy carried a hint of that same aura. It was Jack Rust¡¯s son.

    Artus¡¯s eyes widened. Heughed out loud. ¡°What a great gift you gave me, Jack Rust!¡±

    Artus abandoned his attack. The gathered energy caused a bacsh inside him, but he didn¡¯t care¡ªinstead, he directed the entirety of his power towards that boy, no longer caring about enraging the other two C-Grades. Before he even reached the teleporter, Artus made a grasping motion and the boy flew towards him as if pulled by gravity. It yelped.

    ¡°NO!¡± Two voices came from above, apanied by a shrill scream from deeper inside the forest. A D-Grade, dark-skinned woman flew towards the boy like she¡¯d gone mad. Arge brori followed her. Yet, these two were weak. As for Dorman and Huali, they could not attack in earnest or they¡¯d blow up the entire forest and kill everyone. And, without using real power, they couldn¡¯t stop him.

    Streams of power fell towards Artus, attempting to distract him and save the boy. Artusughed. He let the attacksnd, let himself get bloodied all over. He raised a hand to protect his vitals and let it be cut off from the wrist. This would permanently weaken him, but so what? His Dao had already cracked. He was never going to advance again. All he cared about was causing Jack Rust pain, and this little boy was his ticket to achieving just that.

    ¡°NO!¡± the sky rained shouts yet again, but there was nobody who could stop Artus. A dazed Eric Rust fell into his grasp. Artus flew into the teleporter and activated it, whisking them both away. Screams filled Artus¡¯s ears like music.

    He was heavily injured, and he would need to spend even more power to ensure this mortal boy arrived safely at the other side of the teleportation¡­but it was all worth it.

    Jack Rust had taken everything from him. Now, he would pay.

    ***

    Jack was frozen from the soul up. The chaotic space storms around him disappeared, as did the powerful enemies pursuing him, leaving only Artus Emberheart and Eric Rust.

    His own son had been taken hostage. This was¡­unbelievable.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Artusughed madly. ¡°How does it feel, Jack? Your own son being in the mercy of another. You, powerless to stop me. This is perfect!¡± He tore the tape covering Eric¡¯s mouth, letting him release a terrified scream.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    Eric wore tattered blue robes. His hair was dirty, his cheeks marred by tears, and his eyes sunken as if he¡¯d been like this a while. He hadn¡¯t started cultivating yet¡ªthe only reason he survived in the vacuum of space was a Dao shield conjured by Artus. The moment it went down, Eric would die instantly.

    It was also Artus who¡¯d used his powers to spread Eric¡¯s voice through the void, letting it reach Jack¡¯s ears.

    Hearing it, Jack waspletely and utterly stupefied. His panic subsided, turning into cold terror matched with calmness, and a powerful instinct surfaced from deep within his soul. He had to save Eric¡ªno matter what.

    <em>How did this happen? </em>he wondered as his mind turned somber. <em>Have they conquered Earth? Do they have my family? Or just Eric?</em>

    One part of his mind said that if they had everyone, there was no reason to just bring out Eric. Another part couldn¡¯t shake off the fear.

    ¡°I know you can hear me, Jack!¡± Artus shouted from outside the Animal Abyss. ¡°Come out or I¡¯ll kill your boy!¡±

    Eric could hear this as well. His little eyes widened as he only just realized what was going on, and his fists balled up. He stubbornly shut his mouth¡ªeven with things having reached this point, he didn¡¯t want to endanger his father.

    But it no longer mattered.

    Jack knew that going out there was suicide. He knew that, even if he did go and surrender himself, the chances of saving Eric were nearly nonexistent. But he still had to do it, because if he ignored the death of his own son, he wouldn¡¯t be human. He wouldn¡¯t be a Fist.

    With steady steps, he exited the Animal Abyss. He now hovered in the void. Darkness was behind him, and invincible enemies at the front. Yet, Jack stood brave and tall, not cowering in the slightest. His many wounds were badges of honor.

    ¡°Release my son,¡± hemanded. ¡°You can have me.¡±

 Chapter 427: The Responsibility of a Father

    Chapter 427: The Responsibility of a Father

    Jack and Eric hadn¡¯t seen each other in five years. In Jack¡¯s memory, Eric was just a little boy with whom he¡¯d toured the world and built a little treehouse in the forest. Besides a few vacation weeks, he¡¯d only been present for the first six months after his children were born; he watched them grow, watched them develop their personalities and be aware of themselves. He¡¯d heard them call him daddy.

    Now, facing the five-year-old boy that was Eric, though the form was slightly unfamiliar, he could never mistake him for anyone else. Fatherly love filled Jack¡¯s heart, a hard but gentle thing, and he could feel it deep in his soul that there was nothing more important in his life than protecting his son. This was his job. This was the reason he¡¯d adventured and trained for so long, the reason he¡¯d been mostly absent from his children¡¯s lives. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, he wouldn¡¯t bat an eye.

    This was the responsibility of a father.

    As for Eric, his eyes were hazy. New tears pooled, though he thought he¡¯d run out. This was his father, the sky of his skies, the king of his. He¡¯d heard stories about this man his entire life. This was Eric¡¯s hero. And, coupled with the gentle love they¡¯d shared when Jack was back home, Eric both loved and deeply looked up to his father.

    In these past three years, Eric had grown, but Jack hadn¡¯t changed in the slightest. Only, Eric now got to see the other side of Jack¡ªthe warrior, the hero, the legend. He was filled with joy at his father still being alive¡ªhe hadn¡¯t shown up for three years, after all¡ªbut even deeper, something in Jack¡¯s heroism stirred Eric¡¯s heart. He was a burden. Because of him, his hardworking father was in trouble. That was why Eric bit his lips and refused to scream and cry¡ªeven if it killed him, he wouldn¡¯t burden his father anymore.

    Father and son exchanged a nce, and Jack knew everything. His heart grew heavier.

    ¡°Release him?¡± Artusughed. ¡°Where, into the vacuum of space? Do you really want me to?¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°It is me you hate. Don¡¯t take out your anger on children.¡±

    Artusughed again. ¡°And who¡¯s going to stop me?¡± The hand that was holding Eric from the nape tightened, causing him to twitch, though he did not scream. ¡°You did not show mercy when you killed my son. Now, you¡¯re begging me to spare yours. Just how pitiful can you be?¡±Jack didn¡¯t reply. His only priority was saving Eric. Nothing else mattered.

    The two Animal Kingdom Ancestors remained silent at the sidelines.

    ¡°I will approach and apprehend you,¡± Eva Solvig stated. ¡°Do not resist.¡±

    ¡°Can you guarantee my son¡¯s safety if I surrender?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    The word hung heavy in the void. Jack frowned but knew he had no grounds to argue. He let his aura drop, indicating his surrender. Eva Solvig flew closer, caging him in a field of purity¡ªhe could no longer escape. ¡°We want your death,¡± she admitted, ¡°but the secrets on your body are tempting. My orders were to capture you alive if possible. Don¡¯t force me to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Have you captured Earth?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°No. We found a way in but were pushed back and the teleporter destroyed. This boy is the only one we got¡ªthe rest of your family is safe.¡±

    He nced at her. Eva Solvig was his enemy, but there was no great hatred between them. At this stage, since Jack had already surrendered, she¡¯d let her heart soften a bit and given him some information. The situation he was in was something that any cultivator would dread.

    And, perhaps, she felt a little bit of guilt. The cultivation world had no greater taboo than going after someone¡¯s mortal family.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Please promise to protect my son. I have surrendered. You don¡¯t need him anymore. Drop him off at a mortal and let him fend for himself¡ªhe will be fine.¡±

    She smiled coldly. ¡°Sending the wolf back to the mountain?¡±

    ¡°He can swear to never rise against the Hand of God and never seek revenge. I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    Jack had never spoken such words before. Yet, he didn¡¯t feel the least bit hurt¡ªthis was the highest purpose of his existence, and all concessions were within reason.

    However, Eva Solvig shook her head. ¡°I was not the one who captured him, nor do I care about either of you,¡± she said. ¡°Your son¡¯s life belongs to Artus. Convince him.¡±

    Jack raised his head to stare at Artus. He gritted his teeth. His eyes were shaking. ¡°Please,¡± he said.

    Artus met his stare with madness¡ªthenughed. ¡°What an idiot you are, Jack Rust! What aplete imbecile! Cultivators live for thousands of years¡ªwhat do you care about a son? You could have hundreds of them, thousands. One boy is nothing! He¡¯s not even particrly talented in cultivation! You could be an A-Grade, a king of the world, you could have all the women and wealth you desired, all the authority, all the power, and you threw it all away for a single F-Grade boy! Truly, you are the most idiotic genius I have ever encountered, aplete waste of talent! I pity you, Jack Rust! I pity you!¡±

    Jack let all these words wash over him. He did not care. All he wanted was Eric¡¯s safety. However, his heart was beginning to seize, because even now, Artus¡¯s grip had not eased on Eric¡¯s throat.

    ¡°You once told me that I was nothing, just an insignificant character for you to surpass! Just a stepping stone on your road to mastery! Tell me now, Jack Rust, am I still insignificant? When I hold your son¡¯s life in the palm of my hand, am I worthless? When I made you surrender, am I useless? Hahaha!¡±

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    Artus raved crazily, seeming as if he¡¯d forgotten about the presence of everyone else. Jack¡¯s heart had frozen over¡ªhis eyes were wide, his breath short. Time had slowed down, and it felt like he was watching everything from the bottom of a well, desperately far away from reality. Despair was crawling up his spine. He was beginning to sense that Artus wasn¡¯t nning to let go.

    ¡°You once killed my son, Jack Rust!¡± Artus shouted. ¡°You humiliated me, had me exiled, and ruined my life. You are the person I hate most in the world. I want to tear out your spine, y your skin, and suck the marrow from your bones. I want to destroy your and rape your wife, kill your sons and enve your daughters. Everyone you know will die at my hand. And this¡­ This is just the first!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Jack roared. His aura erupted. The cosmos around him was suppressed as he tried to drill through the domain of purity, but Eva Solvig shed before him and pped out. He was thrown backward, powerless to resist. Her eyes were cold.

    ¡°NO!¡± Jack roared again, shaking the world, but it was toote. There was nothing he could do. In a fit of madughter, Artus squeezed, snapping Eric¡¯s throat. The boy died instantly. Only a shocked look remained in his open eyes, since he¡¯d realized what was going to happen at thest moment.

    Eric was dead.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Artusughed still. ¡°How does it taste, Jack Rust? The despair you made me feel, I will repay a hundredfold! This is fate, this is justice! Hahaha!¡±

    Jack was no longer listening. His gaze was glued on Eric¡¯s listless eyes. His own son, gone. Dead. Because of him.

    There were no words to describe what Jack felt. He couldn¡¯t believe this. His soul was whisked away. The despair, horror, grief, and regret mixed into a dark cocktail of epic proportions,pletely blocking out his sanity. He lost himself.

    With a loud sound, a crack appeared on his Dao Tree, splitting it down the middle. The Fist had given way. The Fist had failed. Everything that he was, everything that he did, had been for nothing.

    It was over.

    A primal roar emerged from Jack¡¯s lungs, tearing his throat. The void shivered like a beast was born. A dark storm raged inside him. The pain was indescribable. The rage,plete. It was like dark winds blew from behind and propped him up, throwing him forward in a fit of rage which could only be expressed with a single word:

    <em>REVENGE!</em>

    He would kill Artus Emberheart.

    He would kill everyone.

    The domain of purity came down to suppress him, but he refused. Every Dao Root and Dao Fruit he possessed burned with blinding brilliance, venting all their power in a single instant. His Daos of Life, Death, Space, and Time bloomed at the same time, giving him unprecedented power. He smashed a fist into the domain of purity, shaking but not breaking it.

    He reached even deeper. He invaded his own soul and grabbed the Life Drop, no longer caring about his safety. He crazily siphoned its power. His body grew taller. Another two arms appeared, but he kept pulling, uncaring about the consequences. More energy than ever flooded his body. His blood vessels groaned and cracked. His muscles tore. His hair fell off. His body turned stronger and stronger, far surpassing its previous limits in a single moment of brilliance traded for with everything. A primal titan stepped into the void. His fists could shatter stars, his stomps could crack the earth.

    The tremendous stream of power scraped his Dao Tree from the inside, drying it up, but he still kept pulling until he was a bomb, a devil whose only purpose was to kill Artus Emberheart.

    Jack roared again. He shot forward, and this time, the domain of purity shattered like ss. Eva raised her brows and shed away. Jack had never been more powerful¡ªbut what did it matter? No matter how strong he was, he couldn¡¯t bring his son back from the dead.

    His grief intensified. His rage rose, the only form of protection he possessed against his mind breaking. He hurtled forward like a meteor, channeling all of his power into his right arm, intending to explode it in Artus¡¯s face.

    The leonineughed as he drew back. ¡°Savor the despair, Jack! Savor it! You caused this!¡±

    Eva Solvig shed in Jack¡¯s path. She no longer held back. A tremendous wall of white came crashing down, filling the universe, and shed head-on against Jack¡¯s attack. Shockwaves spread everywhere. Spacetime was sundered. The world shook. Eva had to retreat, a line of blood flowing down her lips, but Jack was far more injured. His right arm hadpletely disintegrated to produce this explosion¡ªhis entire body was a wreck, every cell tettering on the verge of copse. He could barely fly through the void, let alone fight. All of his power had been burnt for that one strike.

    As for Eva, she remained on guard, her eyes calm.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Jackughed, mad with grief and pain. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save my son, and I cannot take revenge! How unfair the world is! How ugly! I did everything right, and I still lost everything! I am useless! Useless!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Jack Rust!¡± Artus shouted. ¡°You deserve this! You made this happen! You and your weakness!¡±

    <em>Weakness¡­</em>

    The word struck Jack¡¯s fragmented mind like the deep sound of a gong. <em>That¡¯s right. I am weak. I couldn¡¯t save Eric, and I couldn¡¯t get revenge¡­ All because I am weak. It is my fault.</em>

    <em>I couldn¡¯t save Eric¡­ I have already failed. I must get revenge¡ªno matter what.</em>

    A hint of reason appeared in Jack¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°Artus Emberheart!¡± he shouted, his voice shaking with darkness. ¡°I swear that I will make you regret this day! I will make you wish you were dead! I will kill your children and disciples, I will y your family, everyone you¡¯ve ever loved. I will wash the universe with their blood. When I¡¯m done with you, the name Emberheart will no longer exist in this gxy! I, Jack Rust, swear this on my son¡¯s life!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Artusughed from afar. ¡°I look forward to it, Jack Rust! But what a pity¡ªyou will die today, right here, right now!¡±

    Jack did not reply. His mind was on the verge of breaking¡ªall he could focus on was revenge, the only way to distract himself from the endless pain. However, in the deepest recesses of his mind, a hint of the true Jack Rust remained. The hero, the warrior. He needed to get revenge¡ªand, as liberating as it would be to charge again and die right here, that would not achieve anything. It was the easy way out. He wouldn¡¯t die here. He would survive, and grow stronger, and return to make Artus Emberheart and everyone else involved weep bloody tears for this day. The debt would be paid back¡ªa hundredfold.

    Eva had expected him to attack and was ready to match him. Instead, he turned around and flew into the Animal Abyss before anyone could stop him. He no longer feared the space storms¡ªinstead, his perception was spread out, looking for one of the ck whirlpools.

    He needed to survive. Staying here, either inside or outside the Animal Abyss, meant certain death. Nobody wasing to save him. However, he knew that this ck hole was abnormal¡ªsince treasures could be spat out whole, it meant there was a separate space inside, or perhaps it led to some other ce, like a wormhole.

    That was his only chance of survival.

    Of course, there was an overwhelming possibility of instant death. He would never have made this choice in normal circumstances¡ªbut now, there was nothing else.

    He did not believe the world would abandon him yet again. If it did, he might as well die. At least they would never have the satisfaction of finding his body.

    Jack located a ck whirlpool, sucking everything in with promises of death. He unhesitatingly flew over¡ªand was sucked inside.

 Chapter 428: Ripples Across the Universe

    Chapter 428: Ripples Across the Universe

    Inside a starship sailing at full speed, a brori suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°No¡­¡± he muttered. For the first time since he was born, his voice held pain. ¡°Big bro¡­¡±

    Their souls were connected. The moment Jack¡¯s Dao cracked, Brock felt it like a spike of burning pain through his own heart, apanied by deep, wrathful grief. Then, when Jack flew into the ck hole, Brock¡¯s connection to him was abruptly¡­severed!

    In Brock¡¯s understanding, this severing could only mean one thing.

    A mournful wail filled the bromobile. The lights dimmed, and the entire vessel shook. Gan Salin and Nauja covered their ears with tears in their eyes. Brock¡¯s grief rippled out¡ªacross the universe, every bro wept.

    <em>¡°BIG BRO!¡±</em>

    ***

    Jack¡¯s disappearance into the ck hole affected even the world outside System space. On an asteroid shuttling through the void, a man sat alone. He was dressed in rags, while his teeth were yellowed from years of poor hygiene. Despite his rough exterior, however, his aura was dignified.

    Everywhere the asteroid passed,rge groups of Dao particles were absorbed, sent into this man¡¯s body, letting him cultivate at prodigious speed.

    Suddenly, his meditation was interrupted. ¡°Hmm?¡± he muttered. His eyes snapped open, gazing in the direction of System space. He remained puzzled for a moment. His hands moved, piercing through reality to grasp at an invisible tether, a epassing the entire universe in which every change was clearly written.He stared at the tether for a long time. ¡°I see¡­¡± he finally muttered. ¡°Is this the end? Or a new beginning?¡±

    He looked towards System space again. His gaze crossed trillions of miles,nding on a small, isted filled with energy and brotherhood. He saw a dark-skinned woman, diligently cultivating, and a girl enduring an icy pond with a stubborn pout. His gaze pierced further,ing to rest on a wailing brori who seemed to have lost his mind. Finally, it settled on a ck hole wrapped in an odd spatial field. No life came from inside it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jack,¡± the Sage finally whispered. ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to be like this¡­¡±

    ***

    After the Purging began a year ago, the Elders of the ck Hole Church had not stayed put. There were dozens of them¡ªas they received the summons of the Arch Priestess, almost all of them left seclusion, brimming with the intent to fight.

    The Church was weaker than the Hand, but they could still fight back.

    Tons of battles had erupted since then. A year was nothing to these organizations, but the war was kicking off. Each side possessed hundreds of B-Grades, tens of thousands of C-Grades.s and sr systems copsed everywhere they fought. The rivers of stars inside and outside System space were disrupted.

    The Church had once hidden many of their forces in inhabiteds. The Hand did not care¡ªgreat battles erupted, vanquishings and ruining billions of innocent lives. And this was just the beginning.

    The Church had been slowly pushed outside System space, forced to hide in distant gxies. The powers of the Hand cultivators were limited there, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t pursue¡ªcataclysmic battles often washed away the cosmos, and even A-Grades shed asionally.

    Finding the hidden Church forces in a vast Systemless gxy was easier said than done, giving the weaker party opportunities to conduct gueri warfare. That was the current state of the war, and it had reached a temporary stalemate with each side bleeding out the other.

    However, the real powerhouses of each faction¡ªthe Archons¡ªhad yet to move. The Church had no desire to elerate things, and as for the Hand, their true opponents were the Old Gods. The Church was only a prelude, thus they wanted to preserve their powers.

    To better hide themselves, the Church had divided their forces in several parts, givingmand of each of them to a high-level figure and having them hide separately.

    In a Systemless gxy called Great Divide, Elder Boatmanmanded a heated battlefield. Though it was called as such, it actually spanned an area of tens of thousands of cubic light years. The forces he was responsible for were hidden in a dense neb. Given they were only a few thousand people, finding them in such arge area was like searching for a needle in a haystalk.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he would underestimate the Hand Elders. Powerful formations were arranged around their temporary residence, concealing them from divination and other detection magic.

    Elder Boatman himself was standing on the bridge of a massive starship, surrounded by his peak B-Grade lieutenants. A star map projection hovered before them. Their position was indicated as a blue dot, while the enemy forces they were aware of were shown as red triangles. In the past few months, through using various means, the enemy had pinpointed their location to within a range of a thousand light years. A carpet search was carried out. They couldn¡¯t hide forever, nor could the Church¡¯s other forces afford to send them back-up.

    The situation was dire.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    As the lieutenants discussed battle ns, Elder Boatman¡¯s ominous figure stood silent. He wore a dark cloak with a hood which covered his face, revealing only two red dots where his eyes should be, while a scythe hung on his back. Just from being there, a powerful aura rippled out, reminding the peak B-Grades not to ck off.

    This discussion had already gone on for days, but Elder Boatman had yet to say a single word. Suddenly, however, he moved. His head swiveled to the side, his urgency clear. Everyone shut their mouths.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s heart shook. He¡¯d sensed it when Jack had returned from the hidden realm¡ªit was just that he was trapped here, so he couldn¡¯t rush over. Even if he managed it, he would be in great danger once he entered System space. The Immortals could pay a certain price to track him down. It was a high price, of course, but it was worth it for ate A-Grade like himself.

    Ever since Jack and the death cube had reappeared, Elder Boatman could only hope for the best, unable to help. Now, however, he sensed the connection severed again. And not just that¡ªunlike when Jack was trapped in a separate dimension, the severing this time wasplete. It was highly likely the death cube had been destroyed¡ªand anything that could destroy such an object was enough to kill Jack ten times over.

    Elder Boatman had long been sunken in grief and helplessness. Now at his weakest, the news of Jack¡¯s death and the death cube¡¯s destruction left him hopeless. He shook his head, sighing deeply. ¡°Have the heavens truly abandoned us?¡± he wondered. ¡°Everything has an end. Death alwayses. I thought this might not be the time for us, that we might have some hope left, but it seems our era has indeede to an end. Without geniuses, we have no future¡ªwithout future, our present is worthless.¡±

    Of course, those words were only spoken to himself. No matter how ugly things got, no matter how discouraged he was by these twin terrible news, he remained a warmander. He would never bring down the morale of his troops.

    Even if fate seemed inescapable, he would still fight. He was Elder Boatman¡ªand, in his long life, he had never once surrendered.

    ***

    Silence reigned outside the Animal Abyss. Eva Solvig, Artus Emberheart, and the two Animal Kingdom Ancestors gazed at the darkness where Jack had just disappeared. Their perceptions couldn¡¯t pierce it¡ªthey would never have imagined he¡¯d willingly thrown himself into the actual ck hole.

    ¡°That was unfortunate,¡± Eva said, ncing at Artus. ¡°If he loses hisposure and stays inside until the space storms kill him, we¡¯ll have lost the opportunity to capture him alive. In fact, given his injuries, it¡¯s highly likely he¡¯s already dead.¡±

    She clearly med Artus¡ªif he hadn¡¯t killed Jack¡¯s son and pushed him to the edge, Jack would have just surrendered. However, she couldn¡¯t express those things aloud. At the end of the day, she was a Grade and a half above Jack, and she¡¯d let him escape from within her grasp. No matter what desperate means he¡¯d used, this was still a stain on her honor.

    Artus Emberheart, however, didn¡¯t seem to care. A wide smile hung on his lips, and he was absorbed in his own thoughts.

    ¡°Good riddance,¡± he finally replied. ¡°Jack Rust was my life¡¯s most hated enemy. I feel better now. I only wish I could kill his son again, just to rub it in.¡±

    The two Ancestors nced at each other. They were d they¡¯d exiled Artus¡ªhe was clearly insane.

    If Eva shared the thought, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°We¡¯ll stand guard here for two days, then return.¡±

    ¡°We can handle it, Envoy,¡± one of the Ancestors stepped forward to say. ¡°If Jack Rust emerges from the Animal Abyss, he¡¯ll be extremely weakened. We can easily subdue him.¡±

    Eva shook her head. ¡°He has already given us too many surprises. Even if I have other responsibilities, I will not give that man a single chance to recover, no matter how impossible it seems. With his injuries and regenerative powers, I estimate he canst at most an hour inside the Abyss. I will personally stand guard for two days, and you will all join me. No matter what, he must not be allowed the slightest chance of recovering!¡±

    The Ancestors nced at each other again.

    <em>¡°What¡¯s her problem?¡± </em>one of them asked telepathically. <em>¡°It¡¯s just a C-Grade. No matter how strong he is, there is no way he canst an hour at his current state, let alone two days. He¡¯s just gotten into her head.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Does it matter?¡± </em>the other replied. <em>¡°I agree she¡¯s afraid for no reason, but two days mean nothing. Let¡¯s do as she says.¡±</em>

    The two Ancestors bowed, then spread out to surround the Animal Abyss from all directions. Artus and Eva Solvig did the same. Two days passed. As expected, Jack did not emerge.

    And yet, Eva just couldn¡¯t rid herself of the unreasonable feeling that Jack Rust was still alive. He had survived too many impossible situations. Moreover, he was far too talented. If she made the slightest miscalction here and let him grow just a little bit more, maybe they¡¯d need to mobilize an A-Grade to hunt him down next time, which was just a joke.

    She knew it was pointless. Jack Rust was dead beyond the shadow of a doubt. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help herself.

    ¡°You, keep watching over the Abyss as you were doing,¡± she told the middle B-Grade Ancestor of the Animal Kingdom. ¡°I will summon an Envoy of the Hand specializing in space and have him personally search the Abyss. Nothing can be allowed to go wrong.¡±

    Nobody dared to disagree. Three dayster, a middle B-Grade Envoy who cultivated the Dao of Space arrived and spent a week to personally scan the entire Abyss. No trace of Jack was found. He had certainly not exited either because they¡¯d constantly kept watch. After all this time, there was no scenario in which he still survived.

    ¡°We still haven¡¯t found a body,¡± Eva told the other Envoy. ¡°If he really had died to the spatial storms, shouldn¡¯t you have found some clues?¡±

    However, this other Envoy wasn¡¯t much lower in rank than her. He possessed the qualifications to argue. ¡°With all due respect, Eva,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re thinking too much into this. Jack Rust has gotten inside your head. I personally scanned the entire Abyss¡ªeven though I found no residue of his life force, that means nothing. It¡¯s a ck hole¡ªanything would get sucked in eventually. He is dead, dead beyond the shadow of a doubt. I guarantee it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± she replied after a moment of thought. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve been affected by the past. You¡¯re right. He cannot be alive. Thanks foring, Sylvan¡ªI will return and meditate to clear my mind of all prejudice.¡±

    The other Envoy nodded, and the two of them departed alongside a euphoric Artus Emberheart. It was only Eva who spared a final nce at the Abyss¡ªthen, she shook her head and teleported away. One of the Kingdom¡¯s Ancestors also left, returning to his duties.

    Two weeks after Jack¡¯s disappearance, the Abyss finally returned to tranquility. The only one left behind was the middle B-Grade Ancestor who¡¯d guarded this ce to begin with.

    Three dayster, a new war merit of the Hand of God was proimed across the universe:

    Jack Rust, the troublemaker hero of the Milky Way, had perished.

 Chapter 429: Black Hole World

    Chapter 429: ck Hole World

    Jack awoke groggily. His entire body was in pain. He could not move his limbs, nor could he sense them¡ªas if the only thing awake about him was his brain.

    A young woman emerged in the mist of his vision. She seemed human¡ªpale skin, blond hair, blue eyes, soft hands tending to his wounds. She was beautiful, too. As she gazed at him, she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to wake up yet. Rest.¡±

    Jack wanted to protest, but he could barely remember his own name, let alone speak. Just thinking this far made him exhausted. Powerless to resist, he drifted back into sleep.

    ***

    The second time Jack awoke, he did so with full and immediate rity. Linen beddings, stone walls, unfamiliar yellow robes draped over his body. He was alone in what resembled a bedroom. He instantly jumped upright, ready to tear everything around him to shreds, but it was then that his perception howled outside the room and glimpsed at people.

    Mortals.

    He restrained himself. If he rampaged now, all those people would die instantly. It was easy to keep his powers in check, but much harder to do the same for his thoughts¡ªthe memories of thest few hours were all too clear. He had been chased into a corner, and then Artus Emberheart had killed...

    <em>Eric¡­</em>

    Sad emotions warred within Jack. His period of unconsciousness had given them time to recover from the insane state they¡¯d reached before, but it hadn¡¯t made his grief any lighter. His own son had died¡ªthe boy he¡¯d given up everything to protect. He had failed¡ªboth as a father and a cultivator.Jack would have liked to roar wildly and vent his feelings. As it was, however, he could not. His anger was hollow. All he could do was bury his face in his palms and weep for the life he had not been able to protect.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eric¡­ Vivi, Ebele, I¡¯m so so sorry¡­¡±

    When a man was distraught, the world lost its colors. Jack didn¡¯t know how long he spent alone in that room. The weight of his grief was crushing. It was only when he calmed down somewhat that he managed to consider his situation.

    <em>Where am I?</em>

    Thest thing he remembered was that he¡¯d been sucked into the ck hole. He should have been dead. He¡¯d stepped past the event horizon, where nothing or nobody could have rescued him.

    Yet, here he was, still alive. In inhabited terrain, no less. Could this be the inside of the ck hole, the cause of its irregrity? Or had the ck hole acted as a wormhole to apletely different ce?

    Was he even in the same universe?

    Now able to think, Jack could sense the distorted spacetime in this environment. It resembled nothing he knew of. Spacetime was supposed to be an endlessly stretching curtain, but here¡­it felt more like a taut piece of cloth. Small, yet unbelievably sturdy.

    If spacetime was the sea, he was on an ind.

    Archon Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance contained no hint to such a ce¡ªnot in the part Jack hadprehended, anyway. Therefore, he temporarily suppressed both grief and curiosity to look inward. No matter where he was, his own situation was the most important thing.

    It was not good.

    His soul felt dry. The Dao density inside him was thin, like the humidity of a desert, and his Dao Tree had almost withered due to theck of energy. Arge crack also ran down the tree¡¯s length, from leaves to root. Jack¡¯s heart throbbed as he saw it.

    Such a crack appeared when a cultivator ran into a situation irreconcble with their Dao. It basically meant their Dao was iplete¡ªwith such a crack, any further progress was difficult, and even the cultivator¡¯s current power level would experience a massive drop.

    Jack had long heard about the cracking of one¡¯s Dao. He¡¯d even caused it to some people. However, it was only when he experienced it himself that he realized how painful it really was.

    While this crack existed, he was crippled.

    Let alone reaching the A-Grade¡ªwith such a massive crack in his Dao Tree, even developing the next Dao Fruit would be difficult. Unless he found a solution¡­but that was easier said than done.

    And the grief¡­

    Jack sighed. He had temporarily suppressed those feelings, but they remained vivid in his heart. Pain, fury¡­ A seed of darkness had been nted inside him, one which consumed both himself and others. As if he¡¯d swallowed his very own ck hole.

    And all this had been caused by Artus Emberheart. The one enemy he¡¯d let roam free.

    <em>Emberheart¡­ </em>Jack thought, his eyes shing with darkness. <em>I will rip out your heart and make you watch as I kill everyone you love. Only then will my hatred be satisfied.</em>

    He opened his status screen.

    <strong><em>ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.</em></strong>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King) (cracked)</strong>

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred tform. Support original creators!

    <strong>Level: 303</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 6040 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6040 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6040 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    The warning remained loud and obnoxious. He¡¯d gained a level when he killed that Animal Kingdom Elder at the start of the battle, but a new word had appeared next to his ss.

    <em>Cracked¡­ Does the System¡¯s ss refer to my Dao Tree, then? Or is that position a coincidence?</em>

    It was only after Jack had finished taking stock of himself that he once again released his perception. It easily bypassed the walls, finding more and more structures. All were rough and simple, emphasizing space efficiency over appearance. However, they were brightly colored. Looking farther, Jack could see these buildings follow a broad, dark stone floor which curved in the distance like the surface of a tiny.

    The ground was made of stone, and so was the sky. As Jack¡¯s perception spread up and down, he could sense that the ce he was in was divided into manmadeyers separated by floors of stone, eachyer further crowded with structures. It was like the inside of a beehive¡ªor like the dwellings of an underground society. There were no streets in the traditional sense. Jack was in a three-dimensional city, awork of manmade tunnels interspersed withrge rooms which served as houses, shops, gardens¡­

    His first thought was that he was underground. To his surprise, however, he realized there was no dirt or stone surrounding all these rooms and tunnels. The empty space between them was hollow, as if this ce hadn¡¯t been dug out but constructed.

    It was almost magical.

    Even Jack¡¯s downcast mind forgot about its troubles for a moment to enjoy this otherworldly scenery.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± he couldn¡¯t help wondering. He shot his perception outward, spreading it in all directions, as far as he could reach. The odd space here hindered him, but even crippled and restrained, Jack could easily scan a radius of several miles.

    The ce he was in wasn¡¯t a city¡ªor, if it was, he couldn¡¯t reach its limits. In his perception, the buildings and tunnels stretched endlessly in all directions, whether in thisyer or the ones around it.

    Theyer he was in was neither the bottom nor the topmost one¡ªthere wereyers above and below him, all upied by the same people as the ones surrounding his room.

    As for those people¡­ The truth was, Jack hadn¡¯t paid much attention to them. They were weak¡ªeither mortals or low-level cultivators barely reaching the E-Grade. Their clothing was bright and colorful, designed for a good mood, though their features were all kind of simr. In fact, theck of diversity there was almost rming¡ªas if Jack had stumbled into a city of clones. At least they seemed joyful.

    Nobody had sensed his perception or his awakening. They went on about their menial jobs, asionally ncing at his nondescript room with a mix of worry and intrigue. The room he was in was just one of many¡ªas it turned out, what he thought of as a bedroom was in fact the entire house.

    This ce, wherever it was, was certainly overpopted.

    Jack did not disturb these people. The more information he had before he made his move, the better¡ªhe was content just watching them go about their everyday lives. It was only an hourter that someone special appeared¡ªa D-Grade cultivator, hunched by age and with a beard almost reaching his ankles, apanied by a young F-Grade woman.

    The moment Jack saw this woman, a new memory shed into his brain. He¡¯d seen her before. She had been the one tending to his wounds when he briefly woke up before.

    Everyone else made respectful way to the woman and old man as they approached his room. It was only when they arrived within a few hundred feet that the old man¡¯s perception pass over Jack. Those old eyes faintly shone. ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± he eximed, not realizing Jack was listening in. ¡°What do you say, Mia? Should we check in?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± she replied, her smile pure and dazzling.

    Jack sensed no bad intentions from either of them. He let them approach, and when they knocked on his door, he politely replied, ¡°Come in.¡± The door swung open.

    It was only then that he could observe them with his two eyes. The old man walking ahead seemed even more decrepit from up-close¡ªhis eyes were misty, as if clouded by the approach of death, while his body leaned almost entirely on an unadorned wooden staff. Though a D-Grade, Jack doubted this man even had thebat efficiency of a normal peak E-Grade.

    Despite that, his gaze was pure and excited.

    As for the woman, she was like a gentle breeze on a prairie. She must have been in her twenties, but innocence wafted off of her like the fragrance of a flower. Her blue eyes gazed at him without a hint of fear, only excitement, and her posture confirmed she didn¡¯t fear him in the slightest.

    To Jack¡¯s surprise, he could inspect them.

    <strong>Human (??), Level 161 (D-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: ck Hole World (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Direct Descendant</strong>

    <strong>Human (??), Level 23 (F-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Title: Direct Descendant</strong>

    The fact that he could use System inspection proved he was still in System space. <em>How is that possible? </em>he wondered. <em>Was the ck hole a wormhole leading me somewhere close-by? But the faction name¡­ ck Hole World. What is going on?</em>

    <em>And that title¡­ It¡¯s the same one Nauja¡¯s tribe had. Are these people connected to the Ancients?</em>

    ¡°Greetings, stranger,¡± said the old man. If he¡¯d inspected Jack and saw the red, strongly-worded System warning, he did not react. ¡°My name is Vermont Crest the 2,376th. Most people call me Elder Vermont¡ªand this Mia.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± the girl said, bowing lightly.

    Jack nodded in return. ¡°I¡¯m Jack. The pleasure is all mine. If it¡¯s not too much of a bother, could you tell me where I am?¡±

    ¡°This is the ck Hole World,¡± Elder Vermolt exined, gesturing all around. ¡°A world created by our ancestor, Archon ck Hole, one billion, thirty-seven million, eighty-six thousand and twenty-one years ago. We are the ck Hole people¡ªand you, my good friend, are the first outsider we meet since our ancestor sealed us here.¡±

    Jack raised his brows. ¡°A billion years ago? Are you telling me you¡¯ve been sealed here for a billion years?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. To be precise, it was one billion, thirty-seven¡ª¡±

    ¡°A really long time,¡± Mia spoke up, eager to participate. ¡°Our ancestor sealed us here to save us from the Immortal Crusade. We were meant to exit after a million years, but unfortunately, the power of our nsmen declined in istion. When the million-year deadline came, we had no B-Grade nsmen proficient in the Dao of Spacetime to help us escape. Afterwards, even our C-Grades perished. We have been trapped here for a thousand times longer than intended, and with our nsmen unable to reach high enough levels of powers, escaping by ourselves has be impossible.¡±

    A sad smile adorned her face as she finished. Jack took some time to process this information, but he soon realized why they were so excited to see him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I cannot help you. I was strong once, but I am now weak. No matter the method to escape this ce, I cannot achieve it. Not right now.¡±

    Their gazes turned cloudy. ¡°Is there any way we can help?¡± the old man asked.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°I fought my enemies and became crippled. The only one who can help me now is myself.¡±

    Mia nced at the old man, who kept his helpless gaze glued on Jack. A momentter, he said, ¡°It looks like the outside world is not yet safe.¡±

    ¡°Never was, never will be.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Elder Vermont released a long sigh. ¡°Let us not rouse your past grievances,¡± he said, trying but failing to hide his immense disappointment. ¡°If you must be stuck here with us for the foreseeable future...should we show you around?¡±

 Chapter 430: A Different Civilization

    Chapter 430: A Different Civilization

    The ck Hole World was not too vast, but it sure seemed so. Layers of city were stacked on top of each other, each stretching endlessly. No matter how high or low Jack¡¯s perception spread, all he found was moreyers.

    At the same time, the city itself seemed like it was built underground. Rectangr tunnels stretched in all directions. Illumination came in the form ofrge electricalmps hanging from the thirty-foot-high ceiling, while all walls were painted in bright colors¡ªperhaps to brighten the mood of their sunlight-deprived upants?

    As Jack, Mia, and Elder Vermont walked through the city, people stopped to greet them. Most were smiling; they waved or bowed respectfully to the Elder while shooting curious nces at Jack. They were dressed in simple, colorful clothes, and though they ranged from the F to the rare D-Grade, Jack noticed no obvious difference in their statuses.

    ording to the buildings and lifestyles he saw, this was a society forced by overpoption to maximize its space efficiency. The technological level was pretty advanced¡ªsimr to Earth.

    ¡°There are eighty-threeyers to our world,¡± Elder Vermont exined proudly, touring Jack through the presentyer. ¡°Each hosts millions or billions of people, and they cover an area from twelve to twenty-one thousand square miles!¡±

    ¡°So at minimum twelve thousand square miles¡­¡± Jack muttered, whistling. ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    Vermont gave him an odd stare. ¡°Not twelve thousand. Twelve. The smallestyer has a surface area of twelve square miles.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You heard him,¡± Mia piped in, giggling.Jack shook his head. ¡°And what¡¯s under this entire tower?¡± he asked. ¡°The ck hole?¡±

    ¡°What tower?¡±

    ¡°You have eighty-threeyers stacked like a tower.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no no no. Not a tower. More like¡­a.¡±

    Jack raised his brows. A memory popped into his mind¡ªTrial, a hollow made up of nineyers. Could this ce be simr?

    Mia was all too happy to exin. ¡°At the core of our world lies the Vortex¡ªa dark whirlpool through which we are connected to the outer universe. Our world is built in concentric spheres around it, each covering an increasinglyrge area and each exactly half a mile tall. This is the twenty-firstyer¡ªif you go down twenty-one times, you¡¯ll reach the Vortex.¡±

    Most tunnels were around ten feet tall, but there were many levels of tunnels in eachyer. This was really a goliath of a city.

    As much as Jack tried to remain sad, he was intrigued. ¡°And if I rise to the top?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing. The end of our spacetime. The end of the world.¡±

    Jack paused to look up. His gaze drilled through a dozenyers, not quite reaching the end. ¡°There can¡¯t be nothing,¡± he argued.

    Mia shrugged. ¡°You can go check whenever.¡±

    ¡°We would like to bring you to our council first,¡± Elder Vermont hurried to add. ¡°You remained in Mia¡¯s home so far, since she was the one who found you, but that would be improper now that you¡¯ve awoken. The other Elders and I eagerly await to hear about the outside world.¡±

    He was not lying. The passion in his voice, the hope, was impossible to mistake. If what they said before was true, these people had been trapped here for a billion years, millions of generations. The outside world was a dream passed down through their lineage, the fervent hope of them all, the only thing keeping them alive. Now, with him as their first ever visitor from outside, the excitement of the Elders was indescribable.

    Perhaps, after a billion years of imprisonment, it would be their generation that would finally escape.

    Facing the Elder¡¯s invitation, however, Jack could only shake his head. ¡°Your strongest cultivator is at the peak D-Grade?¡±

    ¡°Late D-Grade, actually. Grand Elder Pasan,¡± Vermont replied proudly.

    ¡°Then, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you¡¯re better off staying here. The universe is no ce for the weak. I recently found that out the hard way.¡±

    Jack regretted his words the moment he spoke them. Elder Vermont almost physically melted¡ªhis wrinkled eyes deepened, wallowing in sadness, and his body seemed more fragile than a pile of dust in the wind.

    ¡°Jack!¡± Mia eximed. Her cute eyes turned stormy. ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    Jack did not reply. He regretted putting down the old man¡¯s dream like that¡ªhis grief had gotten the best of him. However, he also didn¡¯t want to lie. A weak group like theirs would be chewed out by the universe in no time at all.

    Or, perhaps, this was his terrible mood speaking.

    Silence reigned for a few minutes. They crossed alleys, streets, and squares, climbed down somedders and up some others. Each was lost in their own thoughts.

    ¡°I always feared the outside world would be dangerous,¡± Elder Vermont finally said. His aged voice was tired now¡ªit carried the distinct sadness of old people, that bone-deep exhaustion which had experienced all of life¡¯s suffering.

    ¡°Elder¡­¡± Mia began, but Vermont raised a hand to stop her.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t me Jack. He simply speaks his mind¡ªand the truth, most likely. However, if the opportunity ever arises to leave this ce, I believe our people will still decide to go. Even if the future is bleak. Even if we are weak and will probably die or be enved. This is a wish we have cradled for a billion years¡ªeven if the entire world is against us, we will still go out there and strive for the best, because what is life without hope? We may be weak, but we are no cowards!¡±

    Jack had been upied with his dark thoughts, but he turned to gaze at Vermont. Those were powerful words¡ªbrave ones. Spoken with conviction. This old man would have made a great cultivator of the Fist.

    ¡°I respect your determination, Elder,¡± he said. ¡°I will not stop you from doing anything¡ªI wille to your Elder council and speak what I know. However, as for exiting this ce, I cannot promise anything¡­¡±

    Vermont gave Jack a wide smile. ¡°That¡¯s fine! As long as you try your best.¡±

    Mia nodded, satisfied, and the three of them traveled deeper. They descended oneyer through a massivedder surrounded by ss walls. The rest, they descended through an elevator.

    Jack and Vermont could have flown, of course, but they didn¡¯t. Jack had a lot of things to consider. As for Vermont, he didn¡¯t seem in a hurry¡ªperhaps living in a sealed world for so long had eliminated any sense of urgency from their culture.

    Indeed, as they traveled through the ck Hole World, Jack caught glimpses of its people. None seemed hurried. Many cultivated or busied themselves with menialbor. There were waiters, doctors, gardeners, salesmen¡­ Many were renovation workers, repairing the buildings in worsened states. Since they¡¯d run out of space, this was a job which needed to be regrly done.

    An entire society lived inside this ck hole, with most of its mundane needs eliminated by the existence of cultivation.

    Now, they simply lived. It was peaceful¡ªif dull.

    <em>These are kind people, </em>Jack realized. <em>A billion years with just themselves and their society hasn¡¯t devolved to warlords. On Earth, we can barely go a hundred years.</em>

    Was it rted to their Ancient ancestry? Though the System called them humans, not all humans in the universe were gically identical. Maybe Earth¡¯s people were particrly warmongering¡ªor these ones were extremely war-averse.

    In any case, Jack not only didn¡¯t see any problems, but he also used his perception to spy high and low and still didn¡¯t discover any signs of hidden trouble. There was nobody controlling things from the shadows¡ªthese were just genuinely good people.

    <em>Maybe they really should stay here, </em>he thought bitterly. <em>The outside world¡­would never allow such beauty.</em>

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Vermont said, approaching a heavy iron door. This was the only area so far which wasn¡¯t densely constructed¡ªthe Council had some degree of prestige, though not much, given by the rather ordinary appearance of the building they were about to enter. It was like the average town hall.

    The inside of the building was as simple as its exterior. Clean corridors made of brightly-colored wood, decorated with long lines of statues. Most were well-preserved¡ªthe ck Hole people were masters of preservation.

    Jack finally reached what seemed like a conference room. Five old men and six old woman sat on either side of a long table, with yet another old woman at its head. ¡°Grand Elder Pasan,¡± Vermont greeted her, then walked to the empty chair at the men¡¯s side of the table.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Jack said simply. He was polite but saw no need to be overly respectful. In his eyes, these D-Grades were desperately weak.

    He caught himself. <em>Have I lost my mind? These are people¡­ They could be my mother.</em>

    Before they could respond, he corrected his greeting. ¡°My name is Jack Rust. It¡¯s an honor to make your acquaintance.¡±

    The leading woman¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I am called Pasan, the current leader of the ck Hole people.¡±

    The other eleven Elders also introduced themselves.

    ¡°Would you like some tea? Or anything to eat, perhaps?¡± Pasan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± Jack replied, sitting down on a chair Mia had brought him.

    Pasan nodded. ¡°I believe you know our situation. We have been trapped here for a billion years with no way to ess the outside world. You are the first visitor we ever get¡­if you could exin some things, we would be in your debt.¡±

    ¡°What would you like to know?¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Everything!¡±

    Jack tried tough, but the sound only came out as half-dead panting. He spoke regardless. He hid nothing. Everything he knew about the current state of the universe, every piece of history and insight, he told them, all the way from the Immortal Crusade to the present. Pasan and the other Elders asionally interrupted him to ask questions, but they mostly listened.

    While exining everything, Jack included parts of his own story. Intuitively, he felt safe here. He voiced some of his grievances, framing everything in the current darkness of his mind. Of course, he mentioned nothing about Eric¡ªhe was far from ready to discuss that issue.

    By the time he was done, two hours had passed. He was startled. Speaking like this hadn¡¯t really lightened his mood, but it had made his mind slightly less dark. Apparently, talking to good listeners was therapeutic. Who would have known?

    The Elders sat in silence for a while, not hurrying to respond. They digested the information. Finally, it was Pasan who spoke again.

    ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± she said.

    ¡°More than I would like,¡± Jack replied honestly.

    ¡°Mm. It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to show your heart to us¡ªjust know that this is a safe ce.¡±

    Jack raised his gaze, meeting her smiling, deep eyes. Had she seen through the darkness in his heart? Then again, he hadn¡¯t tried to hide it.

    Old people had their ways to judge people.

    Unfortunately, his mind remained a mess. Speaking about the world had helped him put his thoughts in order, but he desperately needed to take some time alone and work through his feelings¡ªas much as he dreaded it.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied. ¡°I would like some time now, if it¡¯s not a problem. If there is anything you would like me to rify, I can do so at our next meeting.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Pasan agreed. ¡°Thank you for everything you told us. We will also take some time to consider things. For now, we have already arranged a house for you to live in. Mia, would you be so kind as to lead Jack over?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Mia responded. ¡°Thank you, Grand Elder.¡±

    Jack said his goodbyes and followed Mia out of the room. She led him deeper into thisyer¡ªtowards a sizable house not too far away from the Elder Council.

    ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡± Jack asked, eyeing Mia. ¡°You¡¯re not an Elder, are you?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Just an ordinary girl,¡± she replied with a wink. ¡°Here in the ck Hole world, we all have simr statuses, and there are no barriers between us either. As for why I was allowed in the Elder Council¡­ Well, I¡¯ve just volunteered to take care of you. I¡¯m nobody special.¡±

    She winked. Jack would have smiled if he wasn¡¯t mourning. The pain bubbled up from inside him, and he urgently needed to be left alone so he could let it all out. ¡°Thank you, Mia. Here is fine. I can travel the rest of the way myself,¡± he said, using his powers to instantly teleport inside his house. Though space was weird here, a short-range teleportation was still within his abilities.

    Jack sat on his bed. For the first time in a while, he did not care about the state of the world or any other matters. He did not think.

    For a while, he just sat there being sad.

 Chapter 431: There is Always Hope

    Chapter 431: There is Always Hope

    Nightmares.

    The phantom of arge leonineughing before red skies. Dark rain and booming thunder. Blinding shes of lightning. Jack running at full speed yet remaining in the same ce, forced to watch as a young boy was shred to pieces by the razor-sharp falling rain.

    ¡°Dad!¡± the boy screamed.

    ¡°NOOO!¡±

    His eyes snapped open. With a pained grunt, he grabbed his head. Tears had formed at some point¡ªnot of grief, but of frustration. The pain of being helpless.

    Jack smashed a fist into a cab, tearing it to pieces. ¡°No!¡± he roared again, his voice cracking the walls.

    This was not the first time in Jack¡¯s life that he experienced grief. His father had died a few years before the Integration. They had been very close¡ªand that man, Eric Rust, was the person Jack¡¯s son had been named after.

    Yet, the difference between then and now was astounding. It was simply a different world, and not only because of the circumstances. Losing one¡¯s father was painful, but it felt natural; the way things were supposed to be. It was a pain through which a person could grow and mature, a sort of rite of passage to true manhood.

    But losing one¡¯s son went against the natural order. It was not supposed to be experienced. While Jack¡¯s heart had supported himst time, this time, it could not. It was unprepared. Bursts of agony shot through his brain. Grief and fury warred with guilt and fear, the slithering feeling of weakness numbing his limbs.It was all a jumbled mess of feelings Jack had to unravel. He would be fine, eventually¡ªhe genuinely believed and hoped so. But, until then...

    <em>Why does it have to be so hard? </em>he asked the sky he could no longer see.

    His mind sought peace. It fell into the familiar routine of meditation, though it achieved little. The grief was insurmountable, at least for now¡ªit was not something that could be ovee in a short period of time. Jack could only turn to bright thoughts. His son was gone, but he still had a daughter. A wife. A mother, a brother, friends, and a to protect.

    And Eric had lived a good life, minus itsst act.

    <em>How are they doing? </em>Jack wondered, thinking back to the rest of his family. Eva Solvig had told him they were safe, and he didn¡¯t dare doubt those words, but the circumstances of Eric¡¯s kidnapping were still unknown to Jack.

    <em>Do they know? Do they think I am dead as well? Are they mourning, or are they struggling to be stronger?</em>

    <em>Ebele is definitely cultivating. That girl is talented and hardworking¡ªI only hope she doesn¡¯t push herself too much. And Vivi¡­ She¡¯s a fighter as well. If she knows about my situation, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take the safety of Earth into her own hands. She¡¯ll keep everyone safe until I can return.</em>

    Thinking about his family dispelled the darkness in Jack¡¯s mind somewhat, giving him the power to consider other matters.

    <em>My Dao is cracked¡­ </em>he realized with sadness. He looked inside himself¡ªthe Dao Treey barren, its roots misshapen and unable to absorb the surrounding Dao efficiently. A massive crack ran down its trunk, even splitting apart the door of the Life Drop, and the five fruits on its branches were pale and lifeless, not glowing as they once had been. Even the Life Drop was unresponsive.

    Now, his previously glorious days seemed like a dream of old, a memory of ages long past.

    As Jack investigated his situation further, he discovered that hisbat prowess had dropped from the early B-Grade to the peak C-Grade. It seemed small, but it was actually a tremendous drop¡ªhis current power was just a fraction of what it used to be.

    Half of his losses were due to his Dao cracking. The rest was the price he paid when he overdrew himself to escape Eva Solvig¡¯s grasp and rush into the ck hole¡ªa temporary, if severe weakening.

    Jack sighed and shook his head. He had to admit this was the lowest point of his life. He¡¯d suffered a devastating loss, and even recovering his former power would be difficult. On the bright side, if he did manage to recover, the benefits he would reap from this adventure would be incalcble¡­but that would be as difficult as climbing the heavens. Cracks in one¡¯s Dao tended to be permanent.

    And, in any case, no matter how great his potential benefits, he never would have traded his son¡¯s life for them.

    Jack took a deep breath, then another. The pain of his grief receded to the back of his mind, a dark numbing he endured while focusing on other things. It felt like he¡¯d lost everything, but he actually hadn¡¯t. Brock and his other friends, Vivi, Ebele, the professor, all of them were still alive. He had to fight for them.

    Most importantly, he had a very clear sense of purpose driving him through these hard times.

    Revenge.

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    Jack¡¯s eyes shed darkly. <em>Artus Emberheart¡­and everyone else who participated in the death of my son, I will destroy you. When I¡¯m done, the name Emberheart will no longer exist in this gxy!</em>

    This was a solemn oath he¡¯d made in the name of his dead son, and one he was determined to see through. However, killing innocent people would only make him the same as Artus. It would rob him of his humanity, turn him into a cultivating monster.

    Was that the path he wanted to follow? He wasn¡¯t sure. All he knew was that, right now, that dark vengeance was the driving force he needed to ignore his grief and keep pushing forward.

    <em>I need to restore my powers, </em>he determined. <em>As soon as possible.</em>

    After all, time hadn¡¯t stopped. Who knew what was happening in the outside world while he was trapped here? He had to hurry¡ªbut repairing a cracked Dao was easier said than done.

    <em>What failed in my Fist? </em>he asked himself. <em>The fist is power. The fist is strength. The fist is to straightforwardly break through all obstacles,ughing in the process. Either I seed or I die¡ªthat is the essence of the fist. Even in death, I wouldugh.</em>

    <em>But I never thought my son would die. What meaning is there in charging forth when I cannot protect those behind me? How can I face all problems head-on when that endangers my loved ones? Should I bend my back sometimes to keep them safe? But that is not the Fist.</em>

    <em>This problem wouldn¡¯t exist if my power was high enough, but it isn¡¯t. How could it be? There are always stronger people in the world. My Fist was fine with that because it was fine with dying, but failing to save someone while living myself is not an eptable result.</em>

    <em>Was my Fist doomed to fail?</em>

    Jack could see this now. From the very first moment he¡¯d embraced the Fist, this was bound to happen. It was just a w he¡¯d never perceived. In the past, he¡¯d coated over it by advocating that his path was set, and that anyone who followed him had resigned themselves to the consequences of that path. If one of his followers died as a result of Jack¡¯s Fist-guided actions, then that was fine, because by choosing to follow him they had be extensions of that Fist. It wouldn¡¯t be much different than Jack himself dying.

    In a few words, he owed nothing to anyone. Even if all of Earth was destroyed, that was their fault for not being strong enough¡ªJack had already saved them, so he could not be faulted for being unable to save them the next time.

    But that stopped being true when it came to people he truly cared about¡ªpeople who, perhaps, had never had a choice. Eric had never chosen to follow Jack. Moreover, by being Eric¡¯s father, Jack had tacitly epted the responsibility of protecting him. It was his job¡ªand failing was a tragedy that his Dao of the Fist had never taken into ount. That was why it had cracked¡ªit had no way to reconcile its understanding of the world with the reality before Jack¡¯s eyes. His Dao was proven iplete, which was exactly what the crack signified.

    Repairing that crack now would be a difficult road. First of all, Jack had toe up with a worldview which fit both reality and the Fist¡ªresolving the proven w in his Dao. The problem, however, was that his Dao had been set in stone when he broke into the D-Grade. At that time, he had dered his Dao to the world and gotten it approved by all the other Daos.

    Following a Dao was not just a path to power. It was amitment. Back then, Jack hadmitted to a very specific Dao, and that was the foundation upon which he¡¯d built his current strength. He couldn¡¯t just go back and alter it. The only way to repair the Dao crack was to find a solution still inside the narrow confines he¡¯d oncemitted to. In other words, he had to prove that his Dao was correct, and that it was his own understanding at the time which was insufficient.

    That was why repairing a Dao crack was such a tremendously unlikely task.

    Thinking this far had left Jack exhausted. He opened his eyes and released a long sigh¡ªthough he saw the road ahead of him, that didn¡¯t mean he could walk it. There was a great chance his Dao could never be repaired. If that was the case, he would be forced to live the rest of his life unable to make another breakthrough, and he would also be trapped inside this dark and stuffy ck Hole World.

    Ten thousands years. That was the lifespan of a C-Grade, and that was the time he would remain alive for. Meanwhile, his friends and family would be unprotected in the outside world, forced to fend for themselves against the very powerful enemies that Jack had made them.

    ¡°I need some air,¡± he muttered, slowly rising to his feet. He walked to the door and opened it, greeted by the daedalus terrain of the ck Hole World. He was also greeted by Mia.

    ¡°Hey!¡± she said, rising from a chair she¡¯d brought over and pocketing the small book she¡¯d been reading.

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°What are you doing outside my door?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to take care of you, silly. I couldn¡¯t just leave you alone.¡±

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you wait inside? I have a living room.¡±

    ¡°You seemed like you didn¡¯t wantpany.¡±

    Jack was forced to nod. His mind had been a mess when he¡¯d just left her and teleported inside. She¡¯d judged correctly.

    But how low he¡¯d fallen, that he couldn¡¯t even observe basic manners.

    ¡°How long was I inside?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hmm? How long? We don¡¯t measure time here. You were in, and now you¡¯re out.¡±

    ¡°How can you not measure time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Some of our ancestors were doing that but ended up killing themselves. In this world which never changes, keeping time only brings despair. It¡¯s better to just live without a care, bing one with the world around you, focusing on the present.¡±

    Jack blinked. It was hard to associate such profound words with the innocent girl before him, but then again, this was her reality. A world that never changed, where every generation was as insignificant as the previous, leaving no imprint on the world as if they never existed.

    ¡°Then, how do you know it¡¯s been a billion years?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s always an Elder entrusted with the important task of keeping time and recording history. In our generation, that¡¯s Elder Vermont¡ªthe one you¡¯ve already met.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, what are we up to now?¡± Mia asked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving the house. Do you want to go for a walk? Food? Tea? Maybe explore a bit, or see the Vortex, or the endless nothingness outside our world?¡±

    Jack hadn¡¯t nned on doing any of that. He just wanted some fresh air. However, since his mood was a bit better, he thought he might as well. ¡°Let¡¯s check out that nothingness,¡± he said. ¡°It can¡¯t be <em>that </em>bad.¡±

 Chapter 432: Star-Eye Wonder

    Chapter 432: Star-Eye Wonder

    The nothingness was impressive. There were flickers of light, multi-colored curtains washing over the void reminiscent of Earth¡¯s auroras. They swam and wrapped around each other in the sky, yet they did not exist¡ªnothing but visions the mind invented to protect itself from true nihility.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Mia asked, puffing up her chest. ¡°Isn¡¯t it impressive?¡±

    Jack gave a small smile. He¡¯d seen this before. The so-called nothingness was the interdimensional void, the gap between dimensions in which the Green Dragon Realm was also situated. Perhaps even the whole universe was just an ind in this massive sea where space and time held no meaning, where distance and size were irrelevant.

    Maybe, much farther down the road of cultivation, Jack would have the power to traverse this sea. But he definitely didn¡¯t now. If he tried to fly into it, he would just¡­disappear.

    ¡°Have you never tried to explore it?¡± he asked. He remembered that the ck Hole People used to have A-Grades in their ranks.

    ¡°Explore what? The nothingness?¡± She chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡±

    Jack nodded. He¡¯d expected that. Yet, interacting with this interdimensional sea shouldn¡¯t be impossible. Archon Green Dragon and the ancestor of these people¡ªArchon ck Hole¡ªhad both established their own small world inside this sea. It was a frontier meant for those at the highest peaks.

    Jack looked away, choosing not to bother with things so far beyond him. The ck Hole People were right¡ªthey called the interdimensional sea ¡°nothingness¡± and had established lounging spots here, at the top of their eighty-thirdyer, so people could rx and enjoy the view. Just by looking to the sides, Jack could see many groups of wealthy individuals eating under the aurora.

    ¡°I cannot pierce this sea,¡± he said. ¡°There is no point staying here. Let¡¯s go.¡±¡°Mm.¡± Mia nodded, leading him back to thedder they¡¯de from. ¡°Where do you want to go now?¡± she asked. ¡°Back home?¡±

    ¡°No. Let¡¯s visit the Vortex as well.¡±

    Mia smiled. The Vortex was the core of their world, the area situated at its very center. It was also the ce most closely connected to the wider universe¡ªif Jack was interested in it, he must have decided to look for a way out. That made her happy.

    ¡°Are you really going to save us?¡± she asked through the long journey down. The two of them had entered arge elevator connecting the eighty-threeyers. It was usually reserved for the highest asions, but Jack¡¯s existence qualified as such.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need saving,¡± Jackmented. ¡°You¡¯re fine here. Maybe your world isn¡¯t infinite, but so what? It¡¯s vast enough.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about size!¡± Mia protested. ¡°We want to be free! To see the stars, and the moons, and the rivers, and the endless void, and to experience <em>distance! </em>Anything longer than forty-two miles!¡±

    Jack smiled. He¡¯d heard these words before, almost the exact same. This had been Nauja¡¯s wish as well, when she was trapped with her tribe at Trial¡¯s Barbarian Ring.

    <em>The children of the Ancients are like fairy tale princesses, </em>he mused in a rare moment of humor. <em>Always trapped somewhere, eager to see the outside world, and needing rescue.</em>

    <em>Then again, weren¡¯t the Ancients the same? Peaceful, kind, and brave. Trapped in a gxy-sized prison before Enas gave them the secrets of cultivation. Then, they became explorers.</em>

    Jack gazed at Mia with new eyes. For a moment, he thought he saw a vision of the past; an incredibly distant ancestor casting its shadow on this innocent girl with big dreams.

    ¡°Is it beautiful?¡± she suddenly asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

    ¡°Is what beautiful?¡± he replied.

    ¡°The universe!¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I know that. You¡¯ve said it, like, a thousand times. But is it also beautiful?¡±

    Jack hesitated. For reasons he couldn¡¯t quite decipher, he didn¡¯t want to answer this question. It felt too bright, too cheerful, and to indulge would be like abandoning his current state of mourning¡ªletting down Eric one more time.

    He kept his mouth shut. Mia didn¡¯t push him, but soon, his own stubbornness did. Since when was he afraid of a simple question? Had he be such a coward that he couldn¡¯t even state some facts?

    Something tiny softened inside his heart.

    ¡°It <em>is</em> beautiful,¡± he finally replied. ¡°There are endless rivers of stars washing through the cosmos. I¡¯m talking, humongous. A grain of sandpared to your ck Hole World is about as big as your entire worldpared to a single one of those stars, and they are millions. And the distances between them¡ªyou cannot even imagine. Forty-two miles is all you¡¯ve ever known, but just one star to the next can be separated by trillions of miles. And then there¡¯s gxies¡ªeach of them houses billions of stars, and they are almost infinitely far apart from each other. The universe is so unbelievably massive that nobody can even fathom it.¡±

    Mia was starstruck. The image Jack painted with his words came to reinforce the one she¡¯d built in her mind, and thebined awe left her giggling.

    ¡°And are there people on all those stars?¡± she asked.

    ¡°People don¡¯t live on stars¡ªthose are just giant balls of fire. They live ons, smaller boulders which orbit the stars. Of course, even the tiniest would be farrger than the ck Hole World, but you don¡¯t necessarily lose out on living space.s are only upied on the surface.¡±

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    ¡°Only the surface?¡± she eximed. ¡°That¡¯s so wasteful! What about all the empty space inside?¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°It¡¯s not empty. There are rocks, andva, and tectonic tes on which entire continents are seated. It would be difficult to live there, and there is no need¡ªjust the surface isrge enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh! So every has more people than my world?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. Only a tiny minority ofs can sustain life¡ªmost are barren wastnds too hot, cold, or toxic for us. However, even this tiny minority adds up. There are maybe a million inhabitables in my home gxy¡ªif each of them contains just a few million people, that¡¯s a terrifying amount.¡±

    Mia was like a child eating the first ice-cream of the season. Her eyes drooled with wonder. ¡°Tell me more!¡± she shouted.

    Jackughed again. ¡°There are many species of people in the universe. Some look like you and me. Others seem half-human and half-animal¡ªthough they¡¯re actually humanoids evolved from animals other than monkeys¡ªwhile many are just in weird. Just in my short travels, I¡¯ve seen small blue people wearing turbans,rge red ones with bushy beards, people made of stone¡­ There was even a species whose people are rectangr and made of ss, like the windows you see in every house. To speak, they vibrate themselves at specific frequencies, the same way we vibrate our vocal cords.¡±

    ¡°Wooow!¡± Mia eximed. ¡°How do you know they¡¯re people and not windows?¡±

    ¡°They have a head and limbs,¡± Jack exined. ¡°Though I admit, I have no idea how their bodies work. I should look into that when I have the time. Before bing a cultivator, I was a biologist¡ªa scientist studying the mysteries of life.¡±

    ¡°That sounds awesome!¡±

    ¡°It was. But tiring, too. Science is fun, but doing it properly takes a good deal of patience. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many edge cases I had to cover just to almost finish my PhD.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My scientific research.¡±

    ¡°Ohh! What was it on?¡±

    ¡°The evolutionary history of grasshoppers. I wanted to see in what order they developed their telling characteristics.¡±

    ¡°And did you?¡±

    ¡°Kind of. I came up with some reasonable hypotheses. All that was left was to write them down and get them peer-reviewed, which can be a bitch. That was when the System arrived to my world. If it had been just a few monthste, I would have been Dr. Rust by now.¡±

    She gave him an odd nce. ¡°You, a doctor? Yeah¡­ I think you should stick to being a cultivator.¡±

    Jack was surprised, then burst intoughter. ¡°Not that kind of doctor! But, just so you know, I <em>am </em>a healer! I studied it as part of my training. I can heal a lot of things!¡±

    <em>Except my own heart.</em>

    He was surprised at how this thought popped out by itself¡ªbut also at how okay he was with it. At the very least, it didn¡¯t stun him with grief. That was a wee change. It was only then that he realized how swept up he¡¯d gotten in the discussion. He smiled. Not all was lost.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said in a softer voice. ¡°I needed that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Needed what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just, thanks.¡±

    Mia blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re wee?¡±

    A soft ding came from above. The massive elevator doors opened, revealing a t patch of ground. Some guards looked at them with questions but swallowed them back down when Mia shed them a badge.

    ¡°This way,¡± she said, leading Jack deeper into thisyer. The corridors were empty here and the illumination sparser. It looked more like an administrative space than living quarters. ¡°This is the firstyer,¡± Mia exined. ¡°Not many people are allowed here because it¡¯s so close to the Vortex, but we get a pass!¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the Elder Council be situated here?¡± Jack wondered. ¡°Seems like a great center of authority.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why they¡¯re not here. The Council needs to be one with the people, not overlooking them from the distance.¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s actually pretty nice.¡±

    Finally, they reached a spiraling staircase heading downward, paintedpletely ck. There were more guards here, both of them D-Grades¡ªand, this time, they did question them. Jack remained silent¡ªit was Mia who handled everything. They seemed to know her.

    Which made perfect sense. Mia had been the one to find him when he first arrived at this world, and he had to have been spat out by the Vortex. She could only have found him if she worked here as a guard¡ªor something simr, given her weakness rtive to these D-Grade guards.

    ¡°Come on,¡± she said five minutester. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    They descended the staircase. Mia, who was leading the way, was not in a hurry. In fact, as they advanced deeper and deeper, Jack could sense her growing scared. She did her best not to show it, but how could she fool Jack¡¯s perception?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°With me here, nothing bad will happen to you.¡±

    He cringed at his own promise. How could he say such words after the death of his son? Yet, Mia seemed pacified. ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied, believing in him. Her steps quickened, and before long, they¡¯d reached the end. The staircase ended at nothing¡ªjust anding before pitch-ck darkness. Jack sent his perception into it, and he easily discovered that whaty ahead of them was a roughly mile-wide sphere of distorted space. There was no gravity, nor was there air¡ªit was simr to the vacuum of space.

    ¡°I cannot follow you further,¡± Mia said timidly. ¡°But, uh, I¡¯ll be waiting at the top of the staircase, okay?¡±

    Jack shot her a nce. This void was harmless to him, and if he wanted to, he could easily carry her along and protect her. But there was no need.

    ¡°I may cultivate here for a bit,¡± he said. ¡°If you grow tired, just return by yourself. I can find the way to my house.¡±

    ¡°No way! I¡¯ll wait for you!¡±

    ¡°Whatever you prefer. See youter.¡±

    With that, he turned and flew into the darkness. He didn¡¯t really go yet¡ªinstead, he hid himself and waited until he was sure Mia had returned to the firstyer. Only then did he actually venture deeper.

    Well, as deep as there was to go. The darkness could not hinder his perception. He could see the core of this world directly in front of him¡ªa small ck sphere spinning in reverse, emitting a unique form of radiation and unraveling itself little by little. The energy packed inside it was as vast as an ocean, so the process was extremely slow, but Jack could sense that this core, whose existence had supported the entire ck Hole World for over a billion years, was nearing the end of its life.

    If nothing happened, this world would copse in another million years or two. Jack shook his head. Did the Elders know and were keeping it a secret to avoid frightening the popce, or had their cultivation degraded to twhere they couldn¡¯t sense such a thing?

    It seemed obvious to Jack, but the rate of decay of this mini ck hole could only be perceived by those possessing deep spatial understandings.

    ¡°I guess I have to save them,¡± he muttered, sitting cross-legged before the ck hole¡ªat a respectable distance away, though there wasn¡¯t any suction force. This object was an oddity. He could sense that this was the true form of the Animal Abyss, the ck hole with the fragmented event horizon. It served not only as the core of this world, but also as its connection to the wider universe. In order to open a passage, Jack would need to fully attune himself to this object.

    A normal C-Grade, or even a B-Grade, would be helpless. Jack, however, had already assimted with the Life Drop, a treasure very simr to this ck hole. He had confidence that, given enough time, he would be able to at least let himself out.

    But all those were impossible if he did not repair the crack in his Dao. That was his first order of business. And so, with a deep sigh, Jack closed his eyes and sank into meditation.

 Chapter 433: Vigilante

    In the universe outside the ck Hole World, some changes had urred recently. It had been a month since Jack disappeared¡ªpresumed dead. However, before the Animal Kingdom could even finish celebrating, a new menace appeared in their constetion.

    A starship floated through the void. Its bridge was upied by well-dressed, joyful cultivators¡ªits hull was filled with chained-up prisoners, soon to be ves. They were, without exception, beautiful young women.

    ¡°Another sess!¡± arge feshkur shouted, raising a goblet full of wine. ¡°To the captain!¡±

    ¡°To the captain!¡± Everyone echoed. A sharken with a patch over one eyeughed, raising his goblet and sipping it just a bit.

    ¡°Are you not going to drink, Captain?¡± one of the sharken¡¯s lieutenants inquired. Their crew had been in this business for decades; it was customary to celebrate after every major victory.

    The sharken, however, shook his head. ¡°Not yet,¡± he replied in a harsh voice. ¡°I want to remain sharp. I have¡­a feeling.¡±

    ¡°A feeling, Captain?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The lieutenant was startled¡ªand intimidated. His captain was very experienced, so his intuition couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°Should we be afraid? Is the ck Hole Churching after us?¡±In the lieutenant¡¯s eyes, besides the major factions, only such a powerful terrorist organization was worth fearing. After all, their crew was not made up of weaklings; they possessed multiple D-Grade fighters and their captain was even at the early C-Grade. In the Animal Kingdom Constetion, and even in the Milky Way Gxy, they were a force to be reckoned.

    Even the Animal Kingdom Elders were only C-Grades!

    However, the captain onlyughed. ¡°The ck Hole Church is dead,¡± he replied. ¡°And even if they aren¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t bother with people like us. They have bigger problems.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡± The lieutenant¡¯s eyes widened as he reached a stunning possibility. ¡°Could you be thinking about the Dark Ram, Captain?¡±

    The captain remained silent, tacitly agreeing.

    The lieutenant continued. After being together with the captain for so long, he had the right to speak up about certain things. ¡°This is not my ce, Captain, but are they really worth fearing? They should only have D-Grades.¡±

    ¡°Their rise to fame has been too quick,¡± the captain replied, calmly sipping from his goblet. The crew¡¯s rampant celebrations washed over him like the tide over a rock. ¡°I suspect they have more power than they¡¯ve shown. Given their targets so far, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them toe after us next.¡±

    The lieutenant spoke no more, but his hesitation was evident in his silence.

    ¡°Do you think I am mistaken, Gher?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Captain¡­but, if you want my opinion, there is no need to worry about them. The most power they¡¯ve shown was at the middle D-Grade. Even if they were holding back, their captain is at most at the peak D-Grade. There is no way such a random group would have the power to stand against you.¡±

    The captain cupped his chin. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. This mission went too smoothly, and my nerves are still taut.¡± He sighed, then raised his voice. ¡°Men! Run to the hold and bring me the two most beautiful women to enjoy!¡±

    The crew cheered. Three men rushed through the doors, heading to the lower level. The captain reclined back and downed his goblet. Before he could swallow, however, their starship shook. Tables and chairs went flying¡ªcultivators crashed against the walls. Their massive starship was sent wildly spinning.

    The captain was startled, but he was too experienced to panic. He smashed a hand onto the armrest of his chair, breaking it, then spread out his Dao and forcefully stabilized the ship. ¡°Who dares!?¡± he shouted, his voice spreading through the void.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    The reply was calm, a statement instead of bravado, yet it carried such resolute darkness that the captain¡¯s heart seized for a moment. Without a second¡¯s hesitation, he teleported outside. He clicked his lips. ¡°The Dark Ram¡­¡±

    Another starship faced him, having approached within a few miles without being noticed. It was small, yet its walls were made of ss, giving a clear view of the inside. The captain could make out a mace-wielding feshkur, a canine, and a pale human woman. All three looked at him with pity. The captain didn¡¯t spare them a second nce.

    His gaze was quickly drawn to the two people standing outside the starship. One was a middle D-Grade, hulking minotaur wielding a massive greataxe. He didn¡¯t need to introduce himself.

    ¡°Bomn the Destroyer,¡± the sharken captain muttered, his voice easily reaching the other¡¯s ears. ¡°I have heard of your exploits, but to dare face me? You are tired of living.¡±

    Bomn did not respond, nor did he draw his greataxe. The captain¡¯s eyes fell to the second figure¡ªa gori wearing stretched red shorts and carrying no weapon. He did not emit any aura, causing the captain to have ignored him initially. Yet, as he focused, his heart suddenly tightened. This gori was not simple. The universe caved around him, as if bowing, and he felt so heavy that even his mere existence pulled people towards him.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    As the captain scanned this gori, he paled.

    <strong>Brori, Level 301 (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>A gori variant from Green. Broris usually live with Gymonkeys and train them in the ways of working out. It is due to the Broris¡¯ unmatched pecks that Gymonkeys use poop to fight¡ªthey consider themselves too weak for anything else.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Broris are usually calm, measured animals. However, if anyone harms their little cousins or invades their territory, they go bananas.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>This particr brori is a variant that visually resembles a gymonkey. Through cultivation, it has achieved a degree of power at the C-Grade, far surpassing the par for its species. Extermination is advised.</em></strong>

    In the C-Grade, the first three fruits were worth ten levels each, bringing the cultivator to Level 280. That was the early C-Grade realm where the sharken captain was stranded. After that, every fruit was worth twenty levels¡ªfrom 281 to 340 was the middle C-Grade, and from 341 to 399 was thete C-Grade realm.

    As the captain read Brock¡¯s level, he shivered. <em>Middle C-Grade¡­ How could this be?</em>

    It had to be known that a middle C-Grade cultivator at the Milky Way could easily be an Elder of a major faction. How could he just show up at random?

    <em>No, wait!</em>

    The captain suddenly recalled something. The recently deceased Jack Rust had forged a legend in this gxy. His stories were told in every bar and vige. The captain had naturally heard them as well, and vaguely, he seemed to remember that an animalpanion was often mentioned alongside Jack. A brori.

    <em>Could it be¡­</em>

    Dark snakes wrapped around the captain¡¯s heart. He struggled to breathe. All those past targets of the Dark Ram, all the Animal Kingdom bases and starships¡­ It had made no sense. Why target such high-profile individuals and taunt a superpower? But now, he understood.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he cried out. ¡°I am not part of the Animal Kingdom! We can talk about this!¡±

    ¡°There is nothing to talk about,¡± the brori said. A golden aura radiated from its body, tinged with a hint of ck. ¡°We know who you are: Beirut Agretone, former Enforcer of the Animal Kingdom, tasked with supplying them with high-quality ves. Prepare to die.¡±

    The moment the captain heard his real name, he had already started running. He couldn¡¯t match a middle C-Grade inbat, but he specialized in speed; perhaps he could escape.

    He hadn¡¯t taken three steps when the void locked around him. He was immobile. The force pushing down on him was beyond anything he could hope tobat. He looked back, and the brori was already approaching, a palm poised to strike.

    In that final moment, the captain went crazy. ¡°Die!¡± he shouted, pulling out an axe and shing it at the brori. As their gazes met, the captain only saw darkness¡ªand then his mind was in a different space, inside an enormous ancient temple shaped as a dome. The captain sat in the middle, his knees stuck to the ground, and ny-nine broris stood on balconies around the dome, surrounding him in all directions and piercing him with their stares.

    Words constantly left their mouths. Abined chant, a hymn of vengeance, a promise of darkness. Hatred substantialized into a dark-golden que which fell from above onto the captain¡¯s head. The pressure was impossible to bear. His body shook¡ªhis mind crumbled like a tower of cards.

    All the while, the captain was in disbelief. He was a veteran cultivator. He¡¯d lived for three thousand years and experienced hundreds of battles. He thought his heart was hardened and iron-d, one of his most exceptional features. Yet, facing this brori¡¯s heart attack, he waspletely powerless to resist. The difference between them was incalcble¡ªas if his entire life so far had been a joke.

    ¡°How¡­¡± he managed to mutter, already resigned to his fate. He gritted his teeth to beg for mercy. ¡°I can¡­offer¡­¡±

    But his words were lost. The chanting of the broris was thunderous, seeping into his very soul and disassembling it, making him feel like a mortal in andslide. At the same time, Brock¡¯s palm mmed into the captain¡¯s defenseless body in the real world. That tempered body blew up, smashed into smithereens. He didn¡¯t even know how he died.

    This felt like it had taken a long time, but only an instant had passed. To the eyes of everyone watching, Brock had just casually reached out with his palm and annihted the sharken captain.

    It had to be known that this wasn¡¯t some weakling. It was an early C-Grade cultivator. Even in the Animal Kingdom, these were major characters able to awe the world wherever they appeared. Moreover, every single C-Grade cultivator had a massive amount of resources invested into them. The loss of a single one was a major blow to the Animal Kingdom.

    Throughout the battle, Brock¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed once. The vers watching from the ship were panic-stricken. The three D-Grades scattered in different directions and ran away, but it was useless. A canine, a pale-skinned woman, and a hulking minotaur shed before them, eliminating them after a swift and fierce battle. Meanwhile, Brock had used his powers to cut away half the vers¡¯ starship, rescuing the ves and pulling them into the Trampling Ram.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± they shouted, but he ignored them. His eyes remained on the starship.

    ¡°Please wait!¡± a panicked voice cried out. This was one the ver crew¡¯s E-Grades, using a device which could project his voice through the void. ¡°We can offer you anything you want! We can serve you for our entire lives! Show mercy, please¡ªwe are nothing but ants to someone as powerful as you.¡±

    Brock did not humor them. His words were not directed at them, but at himself.

    ¡°I will not show mercy,¡± he replied, ¡°because your Kingdom also didn¡¯t when they killed my brother. I failed to assist him; all I can do is take revenge. That is my duty.

    ¡°Even if you are weak, you are still guilty. I will pull out every weed that supports the Animal Kingdom, break the fingers they stretch into the gxy and crush their limbs. I will make sure they are nothing but a iling mass of power unable to influence others. Then, when I am strong enough, I will storm their gates and kill everyone who deserves it. Because of me, the Animal Kingdom will cease to exist.¡±

    The vers didn¡¯t even have time to cry. A golden palm smashed into their starship, breaking it apart and killing them instantly. Only iron beams and panels were left hovering through the void. Brock spared the destroyed starship a final nce, whispered something, then flew back into the Trampling Ram, which broke through space and disappeared.

    In the endless dark void, only the echo of Brock¡¯s voice remained, carved eternally into the Dao of the universe.

    ¡°Brohood is not kindness, but righteousness! Indomitable will and honest freedom, dreams can never die. Killing my brother was the greatest mistake the Animal Kingdom ever made¡ªI, Brock, will carry on his will and liberate this constetion!¡±

 Chapter 434: Meditation

    Chapter 434: Meditation

    The area near the Vortex was forbidden to the ck Hole People. They were too weak to stay here for extended periods of time. As a result, it had grown deserted.

    In Jack¡¯s eyes, however, it was a great cultivation spot. It could even be called perfect. An artificial ck hole hovered right in front of him, letting him perceive it freely, while the darkness andck of sound calmed his mind.

    For a while, he could even forget about Eric, imagining himself in a different world where nothing mattered. He was alone in the darkness. Just him and the Dao¡ªhis greatest lover and most noble pursuit. The meaning of his life.

    Time flowed like water. Jack isted himself, resolved to stay there for as long as needed. He had nothing to worry about in the ck Hole World. No responsibilities, no family, no concerns. He was alone¡ªand, though that did not bring happiness, it did bring freedom.

    He rxed. All his troubles merged into the background. He surrendered himself to cultivation, even forgetting about his cracked Dao Tree.

    Life and Death. Space and Time.

    Though his Dao had cracked, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t keep pondering, only that he couldn¡¯t trante his understandings into more power. In truth, he had many things to meditate on.

    Spacetime was the most obvious. The realm heart inside him and the artificial ck hole before him were both holy objects in that respect, a wet dream for even A-Grade cultivators of spacetime. He had two of them¡ªhis progress could be maddening.

    However, to cultivate was to follow one¡¯s heart. Jack temporarily put the Spacetime Dao aside. His heart wanted to focus on its other duality. Specifically, the concept of Death.Jack¡¯s thoughts were tender. He gently reached into the back of his mind and let his emotions resurface, doing his best to keep the grief under control. It wouldn¡¯t go away until heprehended and embraced it; and there was no better ce to do so than here, in the darkness, where he was alone with infinite time.

    Tears flowed freely. He no longer tried to restrain them.

    <em>I¡¯m sorry, Eric¡­</em>

    This was different than the mindless wallowing he¡¯d indulged in when he first lost his son. Some time had passed now. Not nearly enough to recover¡ªbut enough to regain his awareness.

    Jack was a man of strong will. Moreover, he had never jailed away his emotions before. He recognized that he felt guilt, pain, suffering. At the same time, he knew that, eventually, he would have to move on. No matter how hard the things that happened, no matter how his heart was torn apart by pain, life never stopped. He still had reasons to live¡ªhe wasn¡¯t ready to throw in the towel.

    He would need to move on, and the greatest obstacle to doing that was his own grief.

    <em>How can I get over my son¡¯s death? </em>he asked himself. <em>That was my mistake. It is my duty to mourn, the only way I can atone for my sin. If I don¡¯t, won¡¯t it mean that I don¡¯t care?</em>

    These were not the thoughts he hoped for, but the ones which bubbled out of his mind. He let theme, doing his best to perceive them calmly. His guilt was evident¡ªit was the most striking emotion, though not necessarily the greatest. It was the easy first resort.

    He had failed to protect his son. It was a massive failure, and the way his brain tried to handle that was to me himself. He felt that he had to.

    Jack sighed. Consciously, he knew that getting over this self-ming would be the first step, but knowing something and actually doing it were two very, very different concepts. It didn¡¯t matter how strong Jack¡¯s mind and heart were¡ªsuch terrible grief wasn¡¯t something that could be ovee in a short amount of time. Even working through the edge of his feelings was an exhausting and difficult process.

    He¡¯d taken a small step today. He¡¯d realized that self-ming was the first obstacle to ovee. Only then would he able to genuinely consider his emotions, see things for what they were, and try to repair his Dao crack. However, though he saw that first step, he could sense that he wasn¡¯t yet ready to take it.

    <em>That¡¯s okay, </em>he thought, loving himself as he would love another. <em>This cannot be rushed. I will take my time. When I¡¯m ready, I will know.</em>

    Time was necessary. The best way to handle this was to embrace his feelings as much as possible without losing himself. Gradually, he would be familiar with those feelings, and then he could begin to unravel them.

    <em>Death¡­ What is death?</em>

    The Dao of Death was one he cultivated. However, up to now, he had only had two viewpoints on death¡ªinflicting it, and studying it on the death cube. Both were useful, but he¡¯d alwayscked a more personal viewpoint. He¡¯d never actually experienced death¡ªthe only time he had, when his father passed away pre-Integration, he hadn¡¯t been a cultivator yet.

    The current situation was the personal experience he¡¯d been missing. He didn¡¯t even have to try¡ªthe insights rushed into him, part of the grief he couldn¡¯t shake off.

    Death was painful¡ªfar more so than it seemed from outside. Only now that his son was gone could Jack begin toprehend how brutal and merciless death was. It had erased a life with the flick of a switch. All the dreams, experiences, friends, lovers, pains, wine under the moon¡­ All of that was instantly gone. Life was an orderly, gradual process. Death was an instant, world-shattering one.

    If life was rain, then death was thunder.

    And death, like life, extended beyond the individual. Eric¡¯s death was over, but the consequences of that event were still rippling out. They would affect Jack, Brock, Vivi, Ebele, the Animal Kingdom¡­ It could be said that the entire future of the world had been altered because of the consequences of one death¡ªthe infamous butterfly effect.

    This novel is published on a different tform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    If life was ake and its ecosystem, then death was a boulder thrown inside. It instantly and enormously disrupted a gradual process.

    Death was a powerful weapon. If life was a carefully arranged chess game, then a well-ced death was the equivalent of adding an extra piece to the board or flipping the table. It could be said that, while death was avable, the calctions of life did not matter.

    In that sense, death was too powerful. Maybe that was why the cultivation world had gone to shit. Death was just toomon. Maybe the only way for life to thrive was an environment like the advanced societies of pre-Integration Earth, where killing another was an absolutely major deal. Only then could genuine progress be made.

    It was¡­ It was¡­

    Jack frowned, losing his train of thought. While meditating on Life and Death, he was constantly snapped out of it by a persistent feeling of wrongness. A voice inside him whispered that he was using the death of his son as a tool to advance further. He knew that was not the case but had no way to force his emotions¡ªit eventually reached the point where he had to stop and address that voice.

    <em>I am not using anything, </em>he told himself, trying his hardest to remain rational. <em>It is the only way forward. I¡­ What else can I do?</em>

    <em>Wallow, </em>came the voice. <em>Mourn. Resign yourself to suffering because you deserve it.</em>

    Jack found it hard to argue. He disagreed with the voice, but how could he defend himself when he¡¯d sinned that heavily?

    He shook his head. Conflict was not the way to go. He opened his mind to the voice, letting it speak. He needed to understand it.

    But god was it painful.

    His heart was shaved by knives. usatory words flooded his mind. The grief was attacking him, hidden behind a shield of guilt he couldn¡¯t bear to break. All the while, he endured, picturing himself as a stone in an ice-coldke. The pain and despair washed over him. He was one entity, and his heart was another¡ªno matter how thetter suffered, he would remain in control.

    He struggled to keep making progress.

    Hour after hour, Jack grew more aware of his feelings. His understanding sank deeper into the unlit areas of his mind, cataloging and interpreting the angry shouts which dominated that space. He grew closer to himself, moving towards resolution with tiny, tiny steps.

    It would be a long process.

    In the meanwhile, as Jack worked on his heart, his understandings into Death rapidly grew. Grief was the projection of another¡¯s death¡ªhe was experiencing a small death for himself, and whether he tried to or not, all the suffering slowly tranted into insights.

    Over time, his preconceived notions copsed. He approached the truth¡ªand truth was the core of the Dao.

    Jack couldn¡¯t utilize that knowledge right now. Since his Dao was cracked, all the understandings in the world could only increase his power by small margins. However, if he ever managed to repair his Dao and return to his former level, he would be a far stronger version of himself¡ªapletely different beast. His cultivation base wouldn¡¯t have improved, but his understandings would have skyrocketed.

    Disaster and opportunity walked hand-in-hand. This experience had a great chance to doom Jack¡ªbut, if he pulled through, he would rise to unprecedented heights of power.

    It all came down to the person.

    Jack didn¡¯t know how long he spent in the Vortex. Time had lost its meaning, and as a high-Grade cultivator, his sense of it was distorted to begin with.

    His main task wasing to terms with his feelings. To do that, he meditated on Life and Death, aligning himself with the thoughts of his inner heart as they came. It was a deeply painful experience, but also a profound one. He could feel himself going through a smelting¡ªhis level of existence rose, as if he was being elevated from the mortal coil.

    As if grief was the hammer, guilt was the wielder, and Jack was a rough piece of metal constantly hammered on.

    Throughout that time, he didn¡¯t dare meditate on the Fist. It was the source of his problems, where the crack existed. Until his mind was a bit more stable, he wasn¡¯t ready to face it.

    Whenever he grew too tired of Life and Death, as well as his emotions, he would gently push them to the background and work on spacetime. He already had deep enough understandings, but the artificial ck hole before him held innumerable mysteries. He had to admit it was intrigued.

    This ck hole was the iplete inheritance of Archon ck Hole, while the realm heart inside Jack¡ªas well as his current understandings¡ªwas the inheritance of Archon Green Dragon. Between the two, Jack couldn¡¯t tell which was superior, because both were at such a high level that he could only scrape their surface.

    However, two was always better than one. Jack could contrast these inheritances, drawing his own conclusions from their disagreements and emphasizing on the things they both agreed on. Even Archons couldn¡¯t grasp the entirety of spacetime¡ªby having two separate views on the same thing, Jack could elerate his progress further.

    Especially the ck hole before him. Jack had always been fascinated by the concept of ck holes, and it also fit with some of his other skills. Supernova, for example, pulled in the world¡¯s essence andpressed it as much as possible before letting it explode.

    In the universe, ck holes and supernovas were simr. They urred from the same origin, which was the copse of arge star and the creation of a gravitational vortex. The only difference was that the supernova erupted, while the gravitational vortex of the ck hole grew beyond a certain threshold to the point where it could no longer erupt. The gravity was so strong that nothing could escape.

    Essentially, the ck hole was the natural evolution of a supernova. If Jack couldprehend some of its principles and apply them to his own attacks, just what would he achieve? Could he make his fist work like a ck hole?

    As for creating his own artificial ck hole, that was too distant a concept. It drove home just how powerful an Archon was. At his current level, Jack couldn¡¯t even hope to approach them.

    Which, incidentally, put the entire Immortal Crusade into perspective. Green Dragon and ck Hole, two unimaginably powerful Archons sitting at the top of the universe, had both made the same decision to seal their descendants and inheritance in a separate dimension to escape the effects of the Crusade.

    Just how powerful were the Immortals and Old Gods? Just how world-shattering was the war between them?

    A war which had just been restarted.

    <em>Time will not wait for me, </em>Jack realized, strengthening his resolve. <em>Even if I manage to recover from this, I will still be nothing but an ant before the major powers of the universe¡ªthe real yers of this world. No matter how great my talent and potential, they are worthless without real power. If I want to protect my people, my strength is far from enough. I must grow stronger, far stronger, so I can be ready when needed.</em>

    <em>Right now, I am not even a chess piece in the grand chess game of the universe. Even if do be a piece, if I reach the A-Grade or even be an Archon, so what? Green Dragon and ck Hole had reached that level and achieved nothing. All they could do in the face of the Crusade was tuck away their descendants somewhere and hope for the best, and how did that help them?</em>

    <em>The descendants of Green Dragon ended up bing beasts. The descendants of ck Hole were stranded for a billion years.</em>

    <em>Even as a chess piece in the grand game of the universe, I will have to rely on luck. The only reliable way to protect myself and those I care about is to be a yer, then win the game.</em>

    <em>But even Archons couldn¡¯t do it¡ªwhat qualifications do I have to try?</em>

    <em>I will try regardless. Because that is the essence of my¡ª </em>He huped, thought for a bit, then changed his words.

    <em>Because that is what I want.</em>

 Chapter 435: Hall of Wonders

    Chapter 435: Hall of Wonders

    Cultivation was a timeless experience. The hours flowed between one¡¯s fingers like grains of sand, umting at their feet until they were standing on a brilliant sand castle.

    However, it was also tiring. The exhaustion piled up, especially if you were struggling against your feelings at the same time. Though Jack alternated between Death and Spacetime, he also needed periods of rest, and he chose to spend that time exploring the ck Hole World. Others might have preferred to rx alone, but he enjoyed the sense of discovery and observing the culture of these odd people.

    Plus, he was a man who liked goodpany.

    ¡°And this is the Hall of Wonders,¡± Mia exined, showing Jack an ivory door filled with intricate carvings.

    ¡°How did you get ivory?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°We have animals here!¡±

    ¡°Do you have elephants?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Well, when my ancestors entered the ck Hole World, it wasn¡¯t with just the clothes on their backs. They brought manuscripts, books, records, cultivation manuals, weapons, armor, materials¡­ All sorts of items, so they could prosper for at least a million years. Many of those have been used up by now or integrated into our world, but some, like cultivation manuals or mementos, remain here.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying these items have survived over a billion years?¡±¡°Kind of.¡± Mia pushed open the door, revealing a hundred-foot-long corridor. Dishomogeneous objects littered the shelf-covered walls, while the corridor itself gave off a feeling of endless years, as if every breath of air here was precious. As Mia kept speaking, she instinctively lowered her voice. ¡°Some treasures are made of incorruptible materials,¡± she exined. ¡°Others deteriorate with time, like history books, but we just copy them over. As for things that deteriorate and cannot be copied, those are long lost.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t dare breathe too deeply. A sense of reverence swelled his heart, a deep respect oozing from his very soul. This was a billion years of history. It was unbelievable.

    He didn¡¯t speak immediately. His feet, which had once crossed dozens of miles with every step, now walked slowly forward. He reached out to touch these objects, then finally stayed his hand.

    There were all sorts of items here. Books filled an entire section of the corridor. There were weapons, armor, and a hundred-some trinkets of indeterminate functionality. There was also a row of transparent jade crystals which seemed to contain¡­dancing letters?

    The first ce Jack reached was the books. There had to be dozens of them¡ªwas it the umted knowledge of a billion years? Or did it start before, at the age of the Ancients? There could be knowledge here which had been lost from everywhere else in the universe.

    Jack was a scientist. Not a historian, but he had still learned to appreciate knowledge. Standing here, at a lost chapter of history, filled him with awe.

    ¡°These are just our most important books,¡± Mia said as if reading his thoughts. ¡°We also have a library with millions of them, though most have been added by us through the passage of time.¡±

    Jack swiveled around. ¡°This is incalcble wealth!¡± he eximed. ¡°If we ever manage to leave this world, please safekeep the books. The entire universe will be grateful!¡±

    Mia was surprised for a moment, thenughed. ¡°We would never them let be harmed,¡± she said. ¡°History is important to us. It¡¯s all we have. Focusing on the past and future is the only way to survive a hundred million generations without copsing. I wonder, what does a world look like when it focuses on the present?¡±

    ¡°If we ever get out of here, I will show you,¡± Jack said, his gaze mellowing a bit. ¡°You¡¯ve been my guide here. I will reciprocate in my world.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    Next came the jade crystals. They were sharply cut and the size of a man¡¯s fist, shining as they reflected the white light of the ever-presentmps. Jack could make out a heap of letters inside them, all jumbled up near the center.

    ¡°Try shaking one,¡± Mia said.

    Jack hesitated. When she gestured him forward, he grabbed a crystal and gently shook it. The letters inside began to dance like snow in a snow ball, forming innumerable words one after the other before gathering back in the center, slowly turning inert.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Jack asked in surprise, shaking the ball again.

    ¡°An ancient cultivation manual,¡± Mia exined, proud to finally surprise him. ¡°This is a method devised and used by the Ancients. The inside of the ball seems empty, besides the letters, but it¡¯s actually carved with very precise lines of the Dao. As you shake the ball, the letters flow along those lines, forming a vast array of texts. It¡¯s a way to containrge amounts of information in a small independent storage space, and it also serves as a protection mechanism. The more you understand this ball¡¯s contents, the more you familiarize yourself with the patterns governing the revolution of letters and the more knowledge you can perceive.¡±

    Jack shook the ball again, watching the letters dance. ¡°Fascinating,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know, right?¡± She gave him a wide smile. ¡°Of course, the precise method to create them has been lost to us. It¡¯s a good thing these crystals don¡¯t deteriorate with time because we wouldn¡¯t be able to recreate them. These are the core cultivation paths our people follow, though as time passes, fewer and fewer people can reach the higher stages.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack cupped his chin. ¡°You mentioned that these crystals have ways to regte the knowledge they disperse, right? That the more one understands, the more they can see, essentially forming a stable path of progression for anyone wanting to cultivate them.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Mia exined. ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t reply immediately. In his mind, he was silently contrasting these crystals with the death cube he possessed. They bore several simrities¡ªboth were precise geometrical shapes, both contained cultivation knowledge or insights into the Dao, and both possessed ingenious ways to force the practitioner to cultivate them one step at a time.

    <em>Was my death cube created by the Ancients? </em>Jack wondered. <em>That would exin why it¡¯s so mysterious¡­but, also, where would Elder Boatman find it?</em>

    In the past, Jack had assumed this was a naturally-formed object, but he always had his doubts. Now that he saw something simr produced by the Ancients, he was more inclined to believe that alternative, and that was very important because it meant that the insights contained within the death cube were not perfect.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    A natural object would be formed by the purestws of the world, but a manmade object could only reach the heights of its creator. If the death cube really was created by the Ancients, Jack shouldn¡¯t blindly believe everything he discovered. Though the creator was undoubtedly extremely skilled, maybe even an Archon, that didn¡¯t make them perfect.

    <em>Could Elder Boatman have created the death cube? </em>Jack wondered. It wasn¡¯t impossible, but he had no way to know. In any case, whether the creator was Elder Boatman or an ancient Archon, it didn¡¯t matter much right now. Those two levels were indistinguishable to him¡ªlike a human looking up at two mountain peaks and trying to tell which one was taller.

    One thing he <em>could </em>tell, however, was that the death cube was of a higher rank than these crystals. It radiated a greater Dao¡ªthis fact was undeniable.

    To save Mia some face, Jack didn¡¯t bring out the death cube right now, though he wouldter. Instead, he asked, ¡°Howe these cubes are here? I thought your people were cultivating them.¡±

    ¡°We are,¡± she replied. She sounded¡­embarrassed? ¡°We, uh, aren¡¯t too good at cultivation anymore. We can only study the lowest levels of these manuals. Some of our first ancestors, who had achieved a much higher level, had written down these lower levels on paper, which is how we can freely copy and study them. In truth, we have no need for these crystals; we are not qualified to study them.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Then, why are some of them missing?¡±

    The shelf before him had nine crystals, each ced on a small pedestal. There were also three empty pedestals.

    When Mia didn¡¯t reply, Jack turned around only to find her red in the face, as if she was about to speak of something she was ashamed of. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to,¡± he quickly said, but she shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡­ We have shamed our ancestors. Around a million years ago, we started finding things near the Vortex. Body parts, durable treasures¡­ Little things, but we were overjoyed. It meant there were people in the vicinity of our world. Maybe they could help us out. However, we knew that, from the outside, the entrance to our world seems like a ck hole. Nobody in their right mind would enter¡ªno offense.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± Jack replied, hiding his smirk.

    Mia continued. ¡°Well, we were unable to exit, so we had to find a way to let them know we were in here. Our Elder Council at the time decided to send some of our most durable treasures through the Vortex. That would surely tip them off.¡±

    ¡°Unless they didn¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. We knew that entering the Vortex came with massive risks; only those with great Dao understanding or extremely durable bodies would survive. Yet, what could we do? We chose some of our least precious and most durable treasures, then sent them into the Vortex at regr intervals. At worst, someone would identify this ce as a treasure hunting spot and generate traffic, and then eventually people would know¡­ It¡¯s just a shame that, even after a million years, nobody hase to search for us. We even sent three of our cultivation manuals to entice high-Grade cultivators, but to no avail.¡±

    She sighed. Jack, however, was connecting the dots in his mind. The treasures and body parts that had arrived here must havee from early explorers of the Milky Way soon after this area was Integrated. Then, when the ck Hole People began sending out treasures, four cultivators discovered it and imed this ce for themselves, eventually using those treasures to increase their powers and found the Animal Kingdom.

    He sighed. The Kingdom was a wretched hive of warmongering arrogance. It was a shame that the assistance of these kind ck Hole People ended up like that.

    In fact, Gan Salin had mentioned that the cultivation manuals of both the Emberheart and Lonihor families¡ªthe noble leonine families of the Animal Kingdom¡ªhade from the Animal Abyss.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± Jack asked, ¡°of these three manuals that are missing, was one of them capable of using lightning to empower the cultivator¡¯s body? And the other could give them wings and divine-seeming powers?¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Exactly! How did you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had some run-ins with the descendants of the people who found your treasures. They are my mortal enemies, actually, and the ones who pushed me in here.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Her voice fell. ¡°I am so so sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Look at the bright side¡ªI¡¯m here now. Guess your n worked.¡±

    She thought about it for a moment. ¡°Yes, I guess it did.¡±

    She still seemed upset, so Jack added, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. You couldn¡¯t have known. You did the best you could.¡±

    Her eyes snapped back to the present. ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t thinking about that, but thanks for worrying about me. I was just considering that, since we know our treasures are used by bad people to harm others, we should stop sending them out altogether.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea. Whether good or bad, those people are your only chance of leaving this ce.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So, just keep sending them treasures. Entice stronger people toe. If not for you, do it for your descendants. You can¡¯t rob them of their chance to escape just to protect strangers like me.¡±

    She blinked at him, thenughed. ¡°What are you talking about, you silly? Of course we can. If our children grew up and learned that their parents harmed the world to escape, wouldn¡¯t they be ashamed of us? Wouldn¡¯t they prefer us to have done the right thing even if it harms them?¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t make that decision. It¡¯s their choice.¡±

    Her smile turned mncholic. ¡°My father has said that, sometimes, it¡¯s not about making a decision. It¡¯s about showing the path. Even if it doesn¡¯t always work out, it¡¯s the best we can do.¡±

    Jack shook his head. He felt opposed to this idea, though he couldn¡¯t exin why. Maybe his mind was clouded.

    In any case, this didn¡¯t affect him.

    ¡°What about all these?¡± he asked, gesturing towards the rest of the corridor which was filled with trinkets.

    Mia rejoiced again. ¡°Oh, those are treasures! Some of them are magical, some are not, but they¡¯re all left behind by the first generation of our people, the ones who¡¯d lived in the outside universe before arriving to the ck Hole World. No matter how much we wanted to contact the outside world, we never sent any of these through the Vortex. They represent the feelings of my people, a reminder that we will one day leave this ce. This collection is our most important treasure.¡±

    Seeing Jack¡¯s hesitation, sheughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°You can take a look¡ªjust don¡¯t break anything.¡±

    Jack nodded. He had to admit he was intrigued¡ªhe paced deeper into the corridor, running his eyes over every treasure, every trinket, every souvenir. They were all wildly different from each other, and each had their own story to tell. He saw a tiny dolphin carved of pink crystal; a white ceremonial mask; a dagger iid with gems, and a bronze telescope with the initials M.N. carved on its ridge.

    ¡°May I?¡± he asked, to which Mia replied, ¡°Go right ahead.¡±

    He reached out to take a small artifact¡ªthe statuette of a dark-skinned, female warrior, proudly raising her spear towards the sky even as she cradled a child in her embrace. He caressed its hair. Suddenly, he was emotional. This statuette reminded him of Vivi, whom he dearly missed. It had been over three years since theyst saw each other. Was she okay?

    Now filled with thoughts of his family, his eyes fell on a bronze artifact which didn¡¯t stick out at all. It was a heart broken in four. As he took a second look, he saw that it wasn¡¯t broken, just made up of four pieces which could attach or detach from each other.

    Each of these treasures carried their own story. Who knows what people had made these and for what reasons? Only now did Jack realize that the corridor¡¯s timeless aura came not from the cultivation manuals and history books, not from the magical weapons and armor, but from these seemingly simple artifacts.

    They had remained here for a billion years, unaffected by the passage of time, thest keepsake of their previous owners. Something to remember them. Jack was still thinking about his family, and tears threatened toe to his eyes.

    These artifacts had waited here a billion years. He and his family had only been apart for three. They could handle it. He could, as well.

    But god, how he missed them.

    Mia was silent as she watched Jack¡¯s face go through a myriad emotions. Her gaze fell on the statuette he was still caressing, and she hesitated over saying something before finally choosing not to.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jack said, gently putting back the statuette. His voice was emotional, but also resolved. ¡°We have a world to escape.¡±

 Chapter 436: Itâ€™s Time

    Chapter 436: It¡¯s Time

    The Forest of the Strong had been a silent cetely. Eric had been kidnapped in front of everyone¡¯s face. The joyful atmosphere had been broken apart.

    Huali and Dorman were distraught. Harambe was inconsble for having failed to stop this, though he never could have. Edgar sat on the highest tower of his newly-built academy, sipping wine and sighing over the ugliness of the world.

    The professor had aged overnight. She had been old before, but it hadn¡¯t seemed like it. Now, her age was evident. Messy white hair filled her head, and deep wrinkles had appeared around her eyes. From abative woman, she had turned into a despondent grandmother. Even her steady grip over the world¡¯s workings had weakened. She was unable to focus. She was forgetting things.

    Age took its toll on everyone, and the professor had remained stranded at the peak E-Grade, never reaching the D-Grade and extending her life.

    Six months after Eric¡¯s kidnapping, the professor had retired. She withdrew to a small house near the Forest of the Strong where she passed her days in peace, surrounded by friends and family. In her ce, Vivi took over running the Bare Fist Brotherhood, and by extension, Earth.

    Vivi had been affected by the loss of her son in a different way. Though she hoped Jack would be able to save him, some maternal instinct spoke against that hope. Deep inside, she could feel that her son was dead¡ªand, after a period of manic grief, she¡¯d regathered herself, resolving to help the cultivators of Earth increase their power so they would never be vulnerable again. So Ebele would be safe.

    Unlike Jack, Vivi had ample experience with grief. She¡¯d lived a hard life and even led a bloody revolution when the Integration came. She had mourned many people, both family and friends, including her parents.

    Of course, her son was an unimaginably more painful loss. It wasn¡¯t something she could get over anytime soon, but prior experience helped her at least gather her bearings and keep operating through the grief.

    Under her guidance, the Brotherhood took a more power-oriented turn. She didn¡¯t have people kill each other, as the Immortals and the System did, but she imposed stricter training regimes and harder schedules. This was done out of love for her people¡ªwhen the next enemy came, they had to be ready.After four years of Jack¡¯s absence, though she believed in him, it would be naive not to prepare for all oues.

    Working hard helped keep her mind off things. Her own cultivation had stabilized at the middle D-Grade¡ªshe was now progressing very, very slowly. Maybe she would reach thete D-Grade by the end of her life, if she was lucky. It was how far her talent could take her.

    Of course, thete D-Grade realm sounded lowpared to Jack and his universe-ss standards, but to normal cultivators it was a godlike realm.

    On the surface, the one who¡¯d been affected by Eric¡¯s loss the least was Ebele. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t love him; there were two factors contributing to her stance.

    One was the young of her age. When Eric was kidnapped, she had been five years old, and she hadn¡¯t watched it happen. She didn¡¯t even understand the concept of death. The reality of the situation was only something she¡¯d pieced together from the reactions of everyone around her, so it had been less of a shock to her than, say, her mother.

    The other reason was that Ebele¡¯s disposition was simr to her father¡¯s. Whenever problems arose, her first reaction was to be stronger. When Eric was kidnapped, she didn¡¯t change her stance, just dove deeper into it. She worked harder; with more vigor. She pushed herself more.

    Cultivating before adulthood was a risk, because the soul was still changing and the cultivator may discover they¡¯d identally shifted away from their Dao. Ebele, with the guidance of excellent teachers, wouldn¡¯t make such a rookie mistake. But she still yearned for power. She looked forward to her twenty-fifth birthday¡ªthe age her mother had deemed best to start cultivating.

    Until then, she would do everything in her power to grow stronger in other ways. She took full advantage of the many cultivation resources her family possessed¡ªlike the Ice Pond. She sharpened her fighting skills. She read books, and studied, and refined and improved herself with every opportunity. She tried to gather as many experiences as possible.

    By the age of six, Ebele could speak twonguages, draw, and wrestle with children twice her age. She was familiar with most weapons, specializing in the sword, and with several martials arts. Thanks to all the resources she enjoyed, her stats had reached the level of post-System adults despite not cultivating yet. She was hailed as a prodigy across the Forest of the Strong, with her teachers most praising her attitude¡ªnot just her hard work, but also her ability to rest as needed and keep her mind flexible. That was difficult even for adults; to achieve such a mindstate at only six years old was something that didn¡¯te from any resources, but only vast quantities of raw talent. It was a concept she understood instinctively.

    Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    However, maturity came at a cost. Though Ebele¡¯s mind and heart were beyond her age, she lost out on some of the joy of being a toddler.

    On this day, she was sitting in the Ice Pond, cultivating at an area near the waterfall. ording to her mother, this was where her father had taken his first step into the Dao of the Fist¡ªand Ebele, who was a proud individual by nature, gazed towards that waterfall every time she was about to give up, drawing from it the courage to keep going.

    She didn¡¯t remember her father a lot, but she idolized him. She wanted to be like him, and to do that, she couldn¡¯t lose out. If he could endure the Ice Pond, so could she.

    Ebele may have been a prodigy, but she remained six years old. Most things in her mind were seen through the lenses of a child.

    <em>Mom and dad will be proud of me, </em>she thought, gritting her teeth as she endured the biting cold spreading over her legs. She was alone in a dark, cold cave, but she pushed herself to keep going. Her little teeth chittered, but her heart never gave out.

    <em>Next time, I will protect Mom. Until Dades back, I will make sure she never cries again. I¡­ I will protect her. I must! Because, if I don¡¯t do it, no one will!</em>

    ***

    On the path of cultivation, there were times when you could blitz through, advancing at a tremendous pace. There were also times when you had to take things slow, sitting down and waiting for the right time toe.

    This was one of thetter periods for Jack.

    He stayed in the ck Hole World for around one year. In that period, his power didn¡¯t increase in the slightest. If anything, it degraded, as his soul had released thest of his pent-up energy. He was now thoroughly a cripple, with a Dao Tree that could neither gather energy nor utilize it effectively. Despite his iparably robust foundation, formidable body, and deep Dao, his current battle prowess was no better than the average middle C-Grade.

    But Jack didn¡¯t mind. He took this time to immerse himself in his mortality. With the absence of immediate danger and little sense of time, he could finally rx. Cultivation became a hobby instead of a need. He found pleasure.

    For this past year, he would regrly cultivate at the Vortex, deepening his Dao understandings. He let the process be slow and methodical. Simultaneously, he tried to look deep inside himself ande to terms with both his grief and Dao. It wasn¡¯t easy, but steps were being made. Through loving himself, he had earned the time for the shock of the loss to abate, slowly returning all those feelings to more manageable levels.

    Between cultivation sessions, Jack had decided to spend time with the ck Hole People. He enjoyed them. In this past year, he had concluded that there was no secret dictatorship, no control of speech or mind, no mastermind in the shadows. They were just genuinely good people.

    Theyughed a lot. Though their environment was dull, they did their best to brighten it up, painting everything in bright colors and talking each other up at every opportunity. At day, they would work, and at night, they would rx and enjoy themselves. Bars were aplenty in the ck Hole World, filled with the sound of warmughter.

    The crime rates were low. So was poverty. The only way to survive for a billion years was to form an undeniably great society and educate the next generation to be as kind as the previous. The ck Hole people saw themselves as grains of sand, as members of arger organism. They were just one in an endless line of generations¡ªby so adjusting their perspective, they could withstand the passage of time and the pointlessness of their existence.

    But then again, wasn¡¯t all existence pointless?

    In spending time with these people, Jack didn¡¯t speak much. He didn¡¯t tell the popce about the outside universe or the way he thought. He simply listened¡ªabsorbing their mindset like a sponge, slowly limating himself to calm, peaceful nirvana.

    For his entire life as a cultivator, he had been struggling against his fate at every step. The ck Hole People did the exact opposite. They embraced it andughed.

    It was a beautiful way to live.

    Over one year, Jack¡¯s heart mellowed. He forgot about the violence of his earlier days, letting his mind and soul undergo a subtle transformation. His core solidified, settling down from the craze which had spanned his journey.

    His grief represented Death. The Vortex represented Spacetime. And the ck Hole people, with their unique yet alluring lifestyle, represented Life.

    This was a cultivation paradise for Jack. All his Daos were clearly expressed. Just by existing, he could draw them in, increasing his understandings every day. Over the course of a year, his Dao soared. He reached heights he could previously only imagine. Through reaching rock bottom and slowly climbing his way back up, he had achieved aplete transformation of himself.

    Though his overall power had degraded, his Dao had skyrocketed. If he could repair the crack, it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as returning to his previous level of power¡ªhe would be much, much stronger. All that progress was like a bomb of potential waiting to erupt.

    But everything hinged on him being able to repair his Dao crack.

    One particr day, Jack had been meditating near the Vortex. His eyes slowly opened, revealing the light of deep stars. His lips curved into a thoughtful smile. ¡°I guess¡­¡± he whispered in the void, ¡°it¡¯s time to give it a go.¡±

 Chapter 437: Repairing the Crack

    Chapter 437: Repairing the Crack

    Jack sank into his soul world,pletely isting the outside world. Even if someone attacked him, he wouldn¡¯t know. He needed absolute focus.

    Starry light weed him from all directions. Purple stars twinkled. In the void, a lone tree stood there, rooted into a floating, multi-colored fist.

    This fist wasrge, around three feet wide. Each of its fingers was a different color¡ªpurple, silver, green, red, ck¡ªrepresenting the Dao Roots he¡¯d established in the E-Grade, while the fist itself was pointed downward. Where the wrist would be on a normal fist, this one simply ended, with a glowing green gem embedded into its base. This was the Life Drop, a drop of blood from Enas that Jack had acquired in Trial.

    On top of that wrist was where Jack¡¯s Dao Tree had grown: A sturdy and solid specimen, with roots powerfully drilling into the fist below and branches spreading out uninhibited. With its ten feet of height, it was almosticallyrge when ced on the three-feet-wide fist, yet its size paled inparison to the soul world itself.

    Atop the tree branches, purple flowers bloomed, twinkling like the stars which decorated Jack¡¯s soul space. There were also five fruits¡ªFist, Space, Life, Death, Battle.

    Finally, there was the realm heart he¡¯d inherited from Archon Green Dragon; a pulsating mass of crystal iid with innumerable spacetime runes, currently orbiting the crown of his tree.

    Jack was emotional as he gazed at his Dao. This was all the result of his cultivation. He¡¯d built it up, piece by piece, over many years of effort.

    <em>How long has it been since the Integration? </em>he suddenly wondered. <em>Seven years? Eight? I¡¯ve lost count¡­but it doesn¡¯t really matter.</em>

    To most C-Grade cultivators, seven years were nothing. Just the blink of an eye. Jack, however, had only lived for twenty-seven before embarking on the path of cultivation. Those seven-odd years were important. Without realizing it, he¡¯d already turned thirty-five.<em>Happy birthday, </em>he thought. A bittersweet moment.

    Unfortunately, a massive crack covered the trunk of his Dao Tree. If he failed to repair it, he would remain stranded in the ck Hole World forever.

    It wouldn¡¯t be too bad. He could start a new life here, embrace the peaceful happiness of these people, live it out.

    But that wouldn¡¯t be him. The bird cannot thrive in a cage¡ªthe Fist cannot survive in peace. Jack had to return to the universe, see his family again, discover the secrets of the Immortals and the Old Ones, battle in the Second Crusade, and reach the peak of cultivation. He wanted to fight to his heart¡¯s content¡ªmake sure the people he cared about were safe.

    And get revenge.

    The world was waiting for him, and he¡¯d already rested here for a year. That was more than enough. His mind had stabilized. It was time to go.

    Jack cut away all distractions, focusing on the task at hand. He first inspected his soul space, touching on each of the dubious points.

    The door on his Dao Tree remained sealed. The crack had split it down in half, making it unable to open, and the turtle was still asleep. Jack tried knocking, but nothing happened. As for the Life Drop itself, it remained just an ocean of green power he could draw on to enhance his body¡ªuseless at present. He would have to get through this alone.

    The Green Dragon realm heart was suspended in the void, orbiting his Dao Tree. It was a powerful object, but one he couldn¡¯t use freely. Besides some assistance it offered inprehending spacetime, its other functions would onlye into effect once he reached the B-Grade and formed his inner world.

    Finally, Jack flew through the void, approaching a body which rested in a corner of his world. It seemed to be peacefully sleeping¡ªbut it looked exactly like Jack.

    This was Copy Jack¡ªand Copy Jack had somehow turned into a mystery Jack couldn¡¯t unravel. When he first absorbed the Dao Soul after the Integration Tournament, it had evolved into a clone of himself with a simple mind. The two of them often sparred in his soul world, and it had helped Jack make progress in various aspects. Copy Jack slowly developed himself, just like a child. He even seemed willing to visit the outside world, and Jack had considered looking for ways to make it happen.

    At some point, however, everything changed. When Jack absorbed the Life Drop, Copy Jack¡¯s childlike curiosity drove him to touch it. A tendril of green energy had zapped him, possibly frying something inside him¡ªand changing him in a seemingly permanent way.

    Ever since then, Copy Jack¡¯s personality had shifted. His desire to leave had vanished. He was perfectly content rxing in Jack¡¯s soul world, asionally interacting with his host but mostly flying around, absorbed in thoughts only he knew. That change had saddened Jack, but though he¡¯d asked around, nobody had any idea. There was nothing he could do. Besides, Copy Jack seemed happy.

    Now, however, Copy Jack had fallen into a deep slumber. He had been like this ever since Jack awoke in the ck Hole World¡ªhe guessed it was due to overdrawing his Dao to escape Eva Solvig, or maybe the Dao crack had impacted him in an unforeseen way. Regardless, Jack had been unable to wake up Copy Jack no matter what he did, which worried him greatly. Both for Copy Jack¡¯s own safety, and also for Jack¡¯s¡ªhe did not enjoy enigmas buried inside his soul.

    Even now, as Jack was about to begin repairing his Dao crack, Copy Jack could not awaken. Jack tried for a while, then shook his head and flew away. At least, he could sense that his copy was stable. He would be better equipped to look into this issueter.

    Done with all other variables, Jack reached his Dao Tree again. The crack stared at him like the maw of a hungry beast. Dao constantly flowed out¡ªhis Dao¡ªrendering his tree basically incapable of holding any. Due to this crack, the fruits were pale, the flowers were sagging, the trunk was spongy, and the roots were weak. Attempting to muster his Dao was like drawing water with a¡ªmost dispersed, and only an insignificant amount remained.

    The only reason Jack had a half-decent level of battle prowess was his formidable body, as well as the trace amounts of energy contained in the tree¡¯s roots.

    This had to change.

    Jack stared at therge crack, then took a deep breath. Slowly, his mind entered its battle state. He hadn¡¯t experienced this feeling in a while¡ªhe felt rusted, nervous, yet excited, like a former champion returning to the ring of glory.

    The crack was daunting. It stared him in the face, taking up his whole world. It was filled with his own darkness¡ªthe demons he¡¯d never been able to defeat.

    Yet, this time, Jack hade prepared. He¡¯d taken his time. He¡¯d worked out hisplex feelings ande to terms with himself. One entire year, he¡¯d spent recovering and preparing for this moment, letting the rest of the world unfold as it will.

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    He was ready.

    His mind sted outward. The walls and barriers he¡¯d set up shattered. Torrents of darkness flooded towards him as if from a broken dam, and Jack stood tall in their path, epting them all.

    The impact was almost physical. He was shaken, his thoughts growing blurry. Grief and anger filled him in prodigious amounts, submerging his mindpletely, and Jack was a drowning man struggling to find the way up. Panic welled up inside his heart¡ªan intense desire to bottle everything up again. He pushed it down. Ignoring these feelings wouldn¡¯t repair his Dao crack. He had to face them.

    They were fiercer than he remembered. The grief, the pain, the self-me. How could a man survive this? How could he persist?

    ¡°DAD!¡± Eric screamed, his throat crushed by aughing leonine. Jack almost lost control. He didn¡¯t want to relive this scene, but he didn¡¯t have a choice. There was no avoiding it. The only way out was through.

    Everything Jack had prepared for a year came under test. His temperance, his discipline, his rity. This was a war against his emotions, a war which his every instinct pushed him to avoid, but a war he faced regardless. He bit his tongue until it bled, using the pain to remain awake. The heartache was insufferable.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The leonineughed. ¡°I killed your son, Jack Rust! What are you going to do about it? What? Come on, you useless coward!¡±

    Jack¡¯s heart was made of coal. Dark tears rolled down his cheeks, and he was clenching his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms and drew blood.

    This was a heart demon. The emotions he¡¯d felt at the time had been so intense, so unresolved, that they still lurked in a corner of his mind, waiting to assault him at the worst possible moment. Jack knew it, but resisting was so hard. He would rather split his soul in two than be forced to face this.

    It wasn¡¯t a test meant for humans to endure. But Jack had to.

    Theughing leonine was nothing. It was smoke and dust, just a prop to hide the real meaning of this vision. Anger was just an escape¡ªwhat he really felt was helplessness, defeat. Despair.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jack told the lifeless Eric. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­but I cannot turn back time. I cannot save you.¡±

    The words hurt him more than the vision had. He¡¯d just taken a wall inside his mind and ripped it apart¡ªbut that wall was made of himself, and the pain was staggering.

    The vision dispersed. A new one appeared. This time, the leonine was alone, pointing a finger at Jack and raving with rage. ¡°You deserve this!¡± he shouted. ¡°You caused this! It is all your fault!¡±

    Jack wanted to punch out and fight to the death. It took every ounce of willpower he could muster to resist the temptation, the desperate desire to escape. Instead, he saw things for what they really were. Artus Emberheart blurred, and a new form slowly took his ce.

    It was Jack. Still pointing, still raving, still shouting in anger. This was the guilt and self-me, the anger he felt at himself for being unable to save Eric. For being the reason this happened in the first ce.

    Jack forced himself to take a deep breath, his entire body trembling. He did not reply. He let the angry Jack¡¯s words wash over him, dying him red in his son¡¯s blood. He didn¡¯t know how long this went on for. Finally, when angry Jack ran out of steam, only then did Jack reply.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, his voice fuzzy from angry tears. ¡°I¡­am not perfect. I made a mistake. I swear I will be better next time, so please¡­forgive me.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Angry Jack shouted. ¡°NO! NO! NO!¡±

    His words shook the world, his fury so deeply nestled it seemed it would never abate. But Jack and Angry Jack were the same person. He was Angry Jack. He opened his mouth and broke through himself to say, ¡°I forgive you.¡±

    Angry Jack tried to disagree but he could not. His open mouth released no voice. He dissipated.

    By now, Jack felt empty. Like his insides had been removed and he was just a hollow statue of himself. His heart was entirely colored ck. He was bleeding from the soul. This was already more than any human should have to bear, but it wasn¡¯t over.

    Eric¡¯s death had caused three knots inside Jack¡¯s heart. The first was despair and helplessness. The second was guilt, anger, and self-me. The third and greatest knot was grief¡ªand this was the most difficult one to untangle, because it did not originate from Jack¡¯s heart alone.

    A third vision faced Jack. This time, it was not a leonine, not himself, but Eric. The little boy seemed alive and well, just as Jack had seen him at first, but his eyes were sad and his voice heavy, speaking directly from the world of the dead. Jack remembered the boy with whom he¡¯d built a treehouse, the always smiling boy he¡¯d taken on a tour around Earth and with whom he¡¯d shared his¡¯s wonders.

    ¡°What about me, dad?¡± Eric asked. ¡°Should I forgive you?¡±

    Jack would have liked to say yes. He would have liked for that answer to be true. But it wasn¡¯t. There was nothing he could do about it.

    Eric had lost everything. His life, his future, everything he¡¯d ever be, he¡¯d lost¡­and it was Jack¡¯s fault. That much was undeniable. Even if some of the causal connections were unclear, it couldn¡¯t be the fault of anybody else, nor would Jack dare to assume such a thing. He took the me and ced it squarely on his shoulders, then copsed under its weight. His knees mmed into the ground. He took his forehead and smashed it down.

    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY, ERIC!¡± he yelled. ¡°I LET YOU DOWN! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT! I¡¯M SORRY! I¡¯M SORRY!¡±

    No matter how Jack apologized, no matter how he cried, this Eric was only a figment of his imagination. He remained unmoved.

    ¡°So what if you¡¯re sorry?¡± he asked. ¡°Should I forgive you?¡±

    ¡°I can never deserve your forgiveness,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The things you lost, I can never return to you. But I can be better. For your mother, your sister. I swear I will never fail again. Please, let me protect them!¡±

    Eric smiled coldly. ¡°So I should just disappear?¡±

    A knife was stabbed and twisted into Jack¡¯s heart. He lost his words, dropped his train of thought. For a moment, he lost himself¡ªthen realized this knot could never be untied. This grief could never be resolved. Maybe it would mellow down in the future, retreat from his conscious thoughts, but it was something he would have to live with forever.

    Therefore, Jack did the only thing he could. He transmuted it. His grief was siphoned into a darker feeling. Only like that could he temporarily live past this.

    ¡°You should never disappear, and you should never forgive me,¡± he said. ¡°I cannot recover what you have lost. I cannot right this wrong. However, there is one thing I can do for you, and that is to get revenge. I will kill the man who killed you and make him suffer. Everyone involved will die. I will paint this gxy red with the blood of leonines, and when I¡¯m done, the name Emberheart will no longer exist!¡±

    Eric only watched on. Jack¡¯s voice grew weaker by the end.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s nothing,¡± he said, ¡°but it¡¯s the only thing I can do. I hope that¡­perhaps¡­it will satisfy you.¡±

    Eric stared at Jack for a long time. He did not speak, nor did he express anything. Then, finally, the little boy faded away. His silence was puzzling to Jack, as well as torture, but he didn¡¯t dare continue. He just couldn¡¯t. This had already wrung him dry.

    The third knot hadn¡¯t been resolved. It had only been temporarily bypassed in return for Jack embracing a darkness he would rather not have. But that darkness gave him power¡ªand, for now, it was the best he could do. The only way forward.

    The three knots were past. Jack opened his eyes in the soul world, facing his cracked Dao Tree again, and for a moment, he could stare at the crack directly. He saw it for what it really was¡ªa gap in his Dao, a w in his life¡¯s mindset.

    Jack had long be one with the Fist. He knew it well, and it knew him. In truth, the way to repairing the crack had be evident after experiencing the three visions. He knew how to fix his Dao.

    It was the simplest thing, yet a difficult one.

    He smiled sadly. ¡°The Fist can make mistakes,¡± he uttered slowly. ¡°It can miss, it can hit the wrong target, and it can be defeated. It is not perfect, and neither am I. But¡­that¡¯s fine. We make mistakes and live on. We carry ourselves forward. We keep believing, never giving up. That is the way of the Fist. That is me.¡±

    The bark around the crack wriggled. New offshoots appeared, wrapping around each other. Jack watched his Dao and soul repair itself. On the inside, some warmth peeked out from underneath the darkness like the rainbow after the rain. He forced himself to feel happy, even for a moment, even as his grief told him he didn¡¯t deserve it.

    It was not over. His path stretched through the darkness. The world would keep rolling, and he would be there, still fighting.

    Jack Rust was back.

 Chapter 438: A Taste of History

    Chapter 438: A Taste of History

    The repairing wasplete. Jack¡¯s Dao Tree was whole again. With just a few days of rest, it would recover from exhaustion and return to its former glory. As for Jack himself, he waspletely and utterly spent. His mind was in tatters, and his soul was worn out. He was mentally exhausted.

    However, the hardest part was behind him. The pain of his son¡¯s loss remained, but he had regained himself and repaired his Dao. He could cultivate again. The only problems remaining now were the grief¡­

    ¡­and revenge.

    Jack rested. He gave himself a full day of doing absolutely nothing. For the first time in a while, he actually slept.

    When he awoke again, he feltbative, ready to take action. This was the dawn of a new era, and he was full of energy. Even a bit of his lost jovialty had returned. ¡°Let¡¯s see where we¡¯re standing,¡± he said.

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    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong><strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 303</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 6040 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6040 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6040 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Death Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt I</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier</strong>

    He took stock of things. The status screen remained the same, with the exception of the ¡°cracked¡± tag being removed from his ss.

    Which did feel a bit odd. If Jack was being honest with himself, he felt that his resonance with his current ss wascking. He had hoped that, somewhere in between everything that happened, it would have changed. It hadn¡¯t.

    <em>What¡¯s the meaning? </em>he wondered. <em>diator Titan¡­ Well, my sses haven¡¯t led me wrong yet. Maybe I should try to embrace it. See what happens.</em>

    Thinking about it this way, he suddenly had another question. <em>How can the System work here?</em>

    He wasn¡¯t talking about his status screen. In the ck Hole World, he was able to use the System to scan people. That indicated he was inside System space. He hadn¡¯t given it much thought before, being busy with other things, but it suddenly struck him as odd.

    First of all, if the Immortals and the System knew about this ce, why would they ignore it? Most importantly, how could they know? It was a ck hole. System energy could enter but not exit. Whatever maintained System space, its connection to the System itself, should have been cut off a billion years ago.

    <em>It could make sense, </em>he thought. <em>Whatever constitutes System space is sucked into this ck hole, but it can never leave. The inside is System space, but the System itself has no idea. Maybe it¡¯s some sort of special particle? A Dao of the System?</em>

    That was the most reasonable exnation.

    Done taking stock of his situation, Jack turned his gaze to the next step: escaping the ck Hole World.

    He¡¯d studied the Vortex for a year. It was an artificial ck hole, but it was also much more¡ªsimr to aplex machine carved out of Dao patterns. There were unique circtions of energy inside it which Jack could decipher, and while far from trulyprehending it, he¡¯d gotten the idea that this Vortex wasn¡¯t just the core of the ck Hole World but also its control center.

    With proper understanding, he could use it to perform various changes, one of which was the opening of a portal to let everyone escape.

    Throughout this year, Jack had developed several theories on how to do that, but he hadn¡¯t had the strength to try them out. Now that he did, it should only be a matter of time.

    Another month flew by. Finally, Jack opened his eyes and sighed.

    ¡°Archon ck Hole¡­was a damn genius!¡±

    Now that he had the power to experiment, he could confirm or disprove his theories. The Vortex was indeed the control panel of this world, but operating it was more difficult than he had imagined. In particr, he¡¯d realized that his current power was not enough to open a portal. The most he could do was create a crack for a short amount of time, letting just himself weasel out after enduring a powerful space storm.

    The ck Hole People would have to stay here for a little longer¡­but that was fine. Jack was confident that, given a few more years, he¡¯d acquire the strength to let them out. It was just a matter of time.

    He¡¯d also discovered another function of the Vortex. Maybe he couldn¡¯t open the ck Hole World¡­but he could move it!

    As it turned out, this entire world was a separate dimension hidden in the folds of spacetime¡ªthe interdimensional sea. The ck hole at the center of the Animal Abyss was just the end of a spatial tunnel connecting this world and the outside universe. However, distance was meaningless between separate dimensions. The spatial tunnel wasn¡¯t anchored to the specific location of the Animal Abyss, but to an artifact whichy hidden at its very center.

    Through the Vortex, Jack could alter the state of that artifact, turning it inactive and letting it be moved. He could physically carry the connection point between the universe and the entire ck Hole World.

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    He shook his head in wonder. This had all been designed and implemented by Archon ck Hole¡ªall Jack did was activate the mechanisms. It would be a while before he reached that level himself. That was okay¡ªcultivation was about the journey, not the destination. He¡¯d get there eventually.

    Jack could leave through the Vortex at any time he wished, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d just disappear.

    He flew backward, slowly ascending through the ck Hole World to reach the Elder Council on the twelfthyer. He called a meeting and waited. Once the Elders convened, he let them know about his situation and everything he¡¯d discovered.

    When he mentioned that their escape was only a matter of time, the aged eyes of all the Elders turned misty. Grand Elder Pasan grabbed her chest, her heart fluttering.

    ¡°One billion years¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°A hundred million generations¡­ And everything will end at ours. Truly, we should be honored.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°You persisted for a very long time, and you have finally reached the end. Celebrate.¡±

    The Elders seemed unable to believe this, too overwhelmed by joy to speak. Mia, however, who was also present, opened her mouth to speak worried words. ¡°What about you?¡± she asked. ¡°If something happens to you out there, you will be hurt¡­and we will also be unable to escape.¡±

    Jack looked her in the eyes and smiled. ¡°That will not happen.¡±

    His confidence stirred something in her heart. Before she could reply, Grand Elder Pasan spoke up. ¡°You have given us great hope, Jack Rust,¡± she said. ¡°Simple words cannot express our gratitude. There is something I must show you before you leave. Come.¡±

    The other Elders nced at her with surprise, then nodded. Only Mia seemed perplexed. Jack gave her a reassuring nod and walked after the Grand Elder, who exited the building.

    They walked to the nearest elevator and used the Grand Elder¡¯s authority to travel directly to the firstyer. It was empty as always. The guards saluted and let them pass.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Jack finally asked.

    ¡°Our ancestors retreated here during the Immortal Crusade,¡± Grand Elder Pasan replied soberly. ¡°When they did, they brought with them all sorts of knowledge. Some of it was conducive to developing our culture, but some was unnecessary to our people, even harmful¡ªtherefore, we sealed it away. Generation after generation of Elders have taken care of this secret knowledge, keeping it away from our people so as to not contaminate them. We were the only ones who knew. However, from what you told us, the Crusade has been reignited, and you will be called to fight in it. There are some things you should know.¡±

    Jack did not reply. He had the sense he was about to learn some monumental secret.

    Pasan led him to a dark corner far away from all important locations. There were no guards here, no warehouses. It was just a ce where nobody had a reason toe. The only warning came in the form of a small sign as soon as they reached the door of a small dark building.

    ¡°Do not enter,¡± Jack read aloud. ¡°Did this really stop everyone for a billion years?¡±

    ¡°We are peaceful people,¡± Pasan replied. ¡°If this sign couldn¡¯t stop us, our civilization would have long crumbled.¡±

    She grabbed an old torch by the entrance and lit it. mes were born, and shadows danced on the stone walls around them. Just like the Hall of Wonders, this ce felt old¡ªfar, far too old.

    A sacred silence littered the air. Neither Jack nor Pasan spoke, slowly descending through flights of stairs. By the time they reached the bottom, Jack estimated they were at the edge of the firstyer, just ayer of stone away from the Vortex.

    ¡°We are here,¡± Pasan said. She swiped her torch. The power of her Dao carried the me, lighting up a dozen more torches on the walls around them, and Jack found himself facing a block of stone carved in ancient times.

    The weight of history pressed down on him. For a moment, he forgot to breathe.

    ¡°This is a warning tablet,¡± Grand Elder Pasan spoke from beside him, her voice echoing in the sealed chamber. ¡°It speaks of our past¡­and also our future.¡±

    The stone tablet was ten feet wide and five tall. Smooth carvings covered its surface¡ªfar more detailed than carvings had any right to be.

    One side of the tablet was upied by an army of cultivators, flying through the void towards the other side. Leading them was a host of robots¡ªexactly ny-nine of them. At the very helm was a robotrger than the others, with a featureless face shaped as a rectangle.

    The other side held only twelve beings, grand and majestic. They were arranged in three groups, though not of equal numbers¡ªtwo groups were made of five beings each, while thest was only made of two. Despite this imbnce, the three groups stood side by side as equals.

    As soon as he saw this tablet, Jack had a sense of deja-vu. Back in Trial, he, Brock, and Nauja had run into a cave to escape their pursuers. After a chase of many miles, they¡¯d ended up in unplumbed depths, facing a dusty iron door with carvings simr to this one.

    Yet, there were stark differences. The carvings on that door had seemed mostly ornamental¡ªthis tablet was not only muchrger in size, allowing for more details, but it also seemed designed to convey information.

    ¡°A portrayal of the Immortal Crusade,¡± Grand Elder Pasan exined, confirming Jack¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°What exactly is it showing?¡± Jack asked. He had a feeling that many secrets were about to be revealed¡ªthat he would suddenly see some missing pieces of the puzzle.

    ¡°These are the Immortals and their army,¡± Pasan exined, motioning towards the side of the robots. ¡°The army you see is made up of A-Grades¡ªeighty-three of them went to war alongside the immortals, including eleven Archons. Our world was built in eighty-threeyers tomemorate their sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°They all died!?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Not all of them. But, they did fight alongside the Immortals¡ªthat is sacrifice enough.¡± Pasan¡¯s face darkened as she spoke about the robots. ¡°There used to be ny-nine Immortals¡ªall at the A-Grade. Of them, thirty-three were at the middle A-Grade, eleven at thete A-Grade, and three at the peak A-Grade. There was one Immortal, their leader, at the Archon realm of power. That was the Heaven Immortal¡ªthe main creator and wielder of the System. By using it as a weapon, the Heaven Immortal was able to increase its power and reach the level of the leading Old Gods. Unfortunately, that Immortal survived the Crusade.¡±

    ¡°But the others didn¡¯t?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Not all of them. It was a brutal war. Of the ny-nine Immortals, only thirty-three survived, at various levels of power. None of the Old Gods perished, but most were greatly weakened. As for the cultivators fighting alongside the Immortals, they were pushed to the front line by thepulsion of the System. Most of them perished. Between them and the many factions crushed by the Old Gods, the cultivation world received a big hit. Most of our inheritances were lost¡ªording to the spections of our ancestor, hundreds of millions of years would be needed for the cultivation world to recover its previous glory. The Immortals had sacrificed everything for a single re of power.¡±

    She raised a finger to point at a single person following the Immortals. On closer inspection, that person was painted with more detail than the ones around him¡ªit was a man of dark hair, dark eyes, and dark robes which covered his body.

    ¡°That is our ancestor,¡± Pasan exined with pride. ¡°Archon ck Hole. One of the most powerful Ancients.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said. ¡°I thought the Ancients were destroyed by the Immortals long before the Crusade.¡±

    ¡°Not all of them. The Immortals desired to exterminate our species, but they desired power even more. They offered deals to the strongest Ancients, and some, like our ancestor, epted. In return for joining and fighting for them, they would let his descendants survive.¡±

    ¡°An Archon worked with the people who genocided his species!?¡± Jack asked, his eyes widening.

    ¡°He had no choice. If he refused, he would die, and so would all his descendants and disciples. Even back then, we were millions. He couldn¡¯t bear to sacrifice us, so he sacrificed himself¡ªat least for a while.¡±

    Jack thought for a moment. A suspicion emerged in his mind. ¡°Then, he ced you in here to hide?¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± Pasan replied sadly. ¡°Throughout the Crusade and the years preceding it, our ancestor worked hard to create this world for us. He wanted us to live free, far from the tyranny of the Immortals. Unfortunately, this task was harder than he expected; it was only near the end of the Crusade that he managed to seed. He created this world, sealed us all inside with instructions to not leave for a million years, and hid us in this far-off ce of the universe. We don¡¯t know what happened afterward, but his n was to betray the Immortals and foster a revolution inside System space. He hoped that would create arge enough opening for the Old Gods to strike back.¡±

    A connection was made in Jack¡¯s mind. Archon ck Hole tried to create a rebellious organization inside System space. Could that be¡­ The ck Hole Church?

    What if their name didn¡¯t just refer to Enas, whom they worshiped, but also to their founder?

    If so, the ck Hole People would be very important to the Church. This was interesting. Jack wouldn¡¯t endanger them, but when they left this world for the outer universe, maybe they could take refuge with the Church.

    His gaze scanned the ny-nine Immortals and their army of eighty-three cultivators. A hundred and eighty-two A-Grades, including eleven Archons and the Old God-level Heaven Immortal, as well as arge number of B-Grade soldiers who didn¡¯t even appear in this carving. Yet, all that power had only been able to repel the Old Gods, not killing a single one.

    <em>What am I getting myself into¡­</em>

 Chapter 439: Gift Shopping

    Chapter 439: Gift Shopping

    ¡°What about the Gods?¡± Jack asked, looking at the other side.

    ¡°There were twelve of them, as you already know,¡± Pasan exined. ¡°By the time we hid in here, the Crusade was almost over. None of them had died, so it¡¯s likely they¡¯re all still alive.¡±

    ¡°I know a few things about them,¡± Jack said. ¡°However, it¡¯s the first time I see them arranged in groups.¡±

    ¡°That is their battle formation. The twelve Gods are separated into three great domains. Enas and Axelor, the Gods of Life and Entropy, are the strongest of the twelve. Those two by themselves form a single domain¡ªthat of the soul. The remaining ten Gods form the other two domains: energy and matter. When the Gods of a domain work together, they canbine their Daos to exhibit power at the very limit of the A-Grade, almost taking that extra step and reaching a new realm entirely. They ripped through the Immortal armies like hot knives through butter. They were nigh unstoppable. In fact, our ancestor believed that the only reason the Immortals won the Crusade was that the Gods were not used to working together, as they¡¯d never had to fight before. Otherwise, they could have been invincible.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack muttered. This made some sense, and it also answered some questions he¡¯d been harboring.

    Back when he faced the trial of Green Dragon, he¡¯d had to fight the avatars of the twelve Old Gods. Of course, their power was nothingpared to the real thing, but it shouldn¡¯t be random. The first ten Gods had been rtively simple to dismantle, but Axelor and Enas were on a different level entirely. Jack had wondered why. Now, he understood.

    If the three domains of matter, energy, and soul were at the same level, then each of the other Old Gods wielded one fifth of a domain. Enas and Axelor wielded half each. How could they <em>not </em>be stronger?

    ¡°This is fascinating,¡± Jack said. His eyes ran over the tablet again, taking in all the carvings. With therger things out of the way, he could focus on the details. He looked at every Archon of the Immortal army¡ªthey were many different species, but none was a dragon. Archon Green Dragon must have been born at ater era.

    Then, as he was observing the Old Gods, he suddenly discovered something. There were little figures surrounding them, so tiny he hadn¡¯t noticed them at first.¡°Who are they?¡± he asked, pointing at the figures.

    Pasan looked over. ¡°There were some cultivators fighting for the Old Gods,¡± she exined, ¡°but they had almost no influence on the war. They were too weak, that¡¯s why they¡¯re drawn so small. They¡¯re only there for the sake ofpletion.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack eximed. As he looked at these small cultivators, he was impressed. Whoever made these carvings was so skilled they¡¯d managed to carve them urately even at such small scale¡ªeven their facial expressions were evident, each carving a masterpiece.

    Jack was ready to marvel at the skill needed to achieve such a thing, but he suddenly paused. His gazetched onto a seemingly unimportant figure in those small, God-allied cultivators¡ªall of a sudden, his eyes widened like saucers, and his mind was sent into disarray.

    There was nothing special about that figurepared to the ones surrounding it, but its face was a bit familiar.

    Wasn¡¯t that¡­the Sage!?

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Jack eximed, pointing at the Sage-like figure.

    Pasan frowned. ¡°No idea. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°Nevermind.¡±

    It could be a coincidence. Many people looked simr to each other, and nobody could survive for a billion years. Not to mention that the Sage had been a homeless man on the un-Integrated of Earth¡ªthe connection was almost impossible to make.

    Then again, the Sage had always been full of riddles. Last time Jack had asked him, he¡¯d revealed that his soul resonated with Enas himself, which was how he possessed extraordinary insights into Life to begin with. The entire reason the Barren High had divined and revealed Earth¡¯s location to the Animal Kingdom was so the Church could recruit the Sage.

    But that was a bit far-fetched, wasn¡¯t it?

    <em>I will ask again, </em>Jack resolved himself. <em>This time, I will insist. Not because I think he¡¯s an old monster who somehow managed to survive a billion years¡­but because I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s hiding something. I just don¡¯t know what.</em>

    ¡°Is there anything else here?¡± Jack asked, turning back to Pasan.

    ¡°Just the tablet. If you¡¯re done, we can leave.¡±

    He nodded. He¡¯d seen everything there was to see and gotten significant new information, though he wasn¡¯t sure just how it would be useful.

    The two of them walked back up the stairs. Grand Elder Pasan resealed the chamber, and then they paced back towards the Elder Council.

    ¡°The gratitude and fate of my people rests on your shoulders,¡± Pasan said. ¡°I hate to speak such words, but your survival is critical to us. I believe Mia has taken you to the Hall of Wonders¡ªbefore you leave, you may take anything you need from there. Armor, weapons, cultivation manuals¡­ We possess a lot of them at a high grade, but we only keep them for sentimental value. They will be much more useful to you.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition.

    Jack nodded. He didn¡¯t n to refuse this kindness. There was nothing he needed himself, but the Hall of Wonders contained many things. Maybe he¡¯d find something useful. Even if he didn¡¯t, he could always take things to assist the people close to him.

    Brock needed a new staff. Jack could get him one here.

    The two of them slightly angled their course and headed for the Hall of Wonders, which was situated nearby the Elder Council. To Jack¡¯s surprise, Mia was waiting outside. He raised a brow. The other Elders must have known Pasan would bring him here.

    ¡°Hi Jack!¡± she said, then bowed. ¡°Greetings, Grand Elder.¡±

    Pasan chuckled. ¡°There is no need for ceremony. Apany Jack inside, and let him take anything he wishes.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Mia replied. She was living historic times¡ªhow could she not be excited?

    Grand Elder Pasan waited outside as Jack and Mia revisited the Hall of Wonders. ¡°This is amazing,¡± she eximed, speaking quickly. ¡°You can leave this ce¡ªhow awesome is that? Maybe you can bring us out to see the stars, the moons, the rivers, and all those things you talked about!¡±

    ¡°There is no maybe,¡± Jack replied with a smile. ¡°I will definitely take you out.¡±

    She swiveled around to look at him. ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± A satisfied smile emerged on her lips, and before long, they were inside the Hall.

    Jack surveyed the walls. Last time he came here, it had been for sightseeing¡ªhis vision focused on different things now.

    He first went over the history books. As much as they interested him, he wasn¡¯t willing to bring them out. First of all, he doubted they would have any immediate use, and second, he wasn¡¯t a lunatic to just carry precious books around. They were better left here.

    He then walked towards the weapons and armor. Just by taking a look at them, he could tell that every single item here was of extremely high quality. They hadn¡¯t weakened in the slightest after a billion years.

    His eyes fell on a simple staff. It was nine feet long and seemed constructed of wood, though its presence here indicated it was not that simple.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Goldenwood Staff,¡± Mia exined, following his eyes. ¡°It was wielded by an early A-Grade cultivator of my people. Unfortunately, she fell during the Crusade, and her weapon was kept by her descendants. You have good eyes¡ªit¡¯s one of the best weapons here.¡±

    Jack smiled. He¡¯d just chosen it because it was a powerful yet simple staff¡ªhe had a feeling Brock would like it.

    ¡°I would like to take it,¡± he said. ¡°However, to be honest, it¡¯s not for me, but for my little brother. Is that okay?¡±

    Mia chuckled. ¡°What are you talking about, you silly? We owe you our gratitude. Whatever you want, just take it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The Goldenwood Staff was picked up and sent into Jack¡¯s space ring. He then kept observing the weapons and armor, but nothing caught his eye. He himself didn¡¯t use a weapon, and as for armor, he actually liked fighting bare-chested or in simple robes. cing barriers between himself and the battle would only weaken his Dao.

    Besides Brock, he could think of no one who needed a weapon, and he wouldn¡¯t be greedy enough to take things just because he could. Therefore, he moved on.

    The next items were the cultivation manuals. Nine of them, followed by three empty pedestals. Mia obediently exined the properties of each of the manuals present but none attracted Jack¡¯s interests. His Daos were already set¡ªfor a manual to be useful, it would need to be focused on spacetime or life and death.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have those,¡± Mia replied sadly after he expressed his preference. ¡°Well, we do possess one manual on spacetime, but it¡¯s of rtively low grade. I suspect it won¡¯t be too useful to you.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°There is actually another thing,¡± he said. ¡°You said you keep written records of all these manuals, right? At least for their lower levels.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Mia replied. ¡°Up to the C-Grade.¡±

    ¡°Does that apply for the missing manuals as well?¡±

    Her eyes brightened. ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, could I have a copy of the one which uses electricity to augment the physical body?¡±

    He had already considered this before, but amidst all his troubles, there had been no meaning in asking. Now, however, things were different.

    Ever since the Integration Tournament, he¡¯d known that the Emberheart family practiced this skill. Rufus Emberheart had used it to heavily augment his physical body and almost defeat Jack. Now that Jack had grown more experienced, he could recognize it as an auxiliary skill¡ªmoreover, a skill which yed directly into his strengths. Physicality was one of his greatest weapons.

    And, beyond that, there would be a unique vor to using the Emberhearts¡¯ secret technique to beat them to the ground.

    Mia¡¯s eyes smiled. ¡°Absolutely! We have many copies, you can easily take one! It¡¯s just¡­ We no longer have the manual, and I¡¯m afraid our copies only go up to the C-Grade. It won¡¯t be too useful for you in the future¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get the original soon enough.¡±

    Mia was surprised but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Very well. Then I¡¯ll get you our best copy after we leave here. Anything else?¡± She gestured around. ¡°Everything you see if for the taking!¡±

    Jack hesitated a moment. There wasn¡¯t much he needed, but¡­there were actually some things he wanted.

    ¡°This may be too much,¡± he began, ¡°but is there any way I could have a few of your mementos?¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes shed with surprise, then with wry understanding. ¡°Do you mean these ones?¡± she asked. She rushed deeper into the corridor and soon returned with two objects in hand. One was a statuette of a dark-skinned warrioress aiming her spear at the sky while cradling a baby. The other was a bronze heart made of four separate, interlocking pieces.

    Jack was surprised. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°I saw how you looked at them the other day,¡± she revealed proudly. ¡°They¡¯re for your family, aren¡¯t they? Take them.¡±

    ¡°But¡­they¡¯re important to your people¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just memories of the past. If they go to you, that¡¯s more than worth it.¡±

    Jack smiled. He¡¯d long wanted to find good presents for his family, and these two objects fit perfectly. One would go to Vivi and the other to Ebele. Well, Ebele¡¯s was more a gift for the entire family, but Jack had a feeling it was exactly what she¡¯d love the most.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said earnestly, epting the gifts into his space ring. ¡°There is nothing more I want. I am ready to return to the universe.¡±

    Mia stared at him. She seemed like she wanted to say something. A hint of youthful excitement shed in her eyes, followed by bashfulness. Finally, she gave a sad smile. ¡°Think about me every once in a while, okay?¡±

    Jack smiled back and gave her a hug. ¡°Absolutely. Thank you for everything, Mia. You¡¯re wonderful.¡±

    She blushed. Finally, she whispered, ¡°You¡¯re wee, you silly.¡±

 Chapter 440: Emerging

    Chapter 440: Emerging

    The strongest Ancestor of the Animal Kingdom was Mure Emberheart¡ªa middle B-Grade leonine. This millennium was his shift of watching over the Animal Abyss.

    Generally speaking, such a shift was a highly boring duty. He couldn¡¯t leave without reason, so all he did every day was cultivate in istion. Every hundred years, he would venture into the Abyss to see if he could find anything, and that was the sole break in his routine.

    When the chase for Jack Rust ended up on his doorstep a year ago, that had been a pleasant change of pace for Mure, but even that excitement onlysted briefly. Before he knew it, he was alone again, cultivating in darkness.

    Mure sighed. If not for the Animal Kingdom founders specifically ordering for B-Grades to guard this ce, he would have delegated the duty long ago.

    On this day, Mure was cultivating as usual when something changed. An almost imperceptible ripple ran through space. His eyes shot open. <em>What was that? </em>His Dao spread outward, covering a massive range and finding nothing out of the ordinary.

    <em>Did ite from inside the Abyss?</em>

    The Animal Abyss could not be scanned with one¡¯s perception. A Dao ripple there could only indicate the emergence of a supreme treasure¡ªMure¡¯s eyes were instantly filled with lust. He was the only one here. If some great treasure on the level of Thunder Body or Heaven Return appeared, he could just take it. No one would know. Instead of sharing with the other Ancestors, he could cultivate it in secret for a few years and then emerge strong enough to dominate everyone. He could be the King of the Animal Kingdom!

    Most factions had a faction master. In the Animal Kingdom, the holder of that position was called King instead, but the throne had been empty for a hundred thousand years. The Lonihor and Emberheart families ran the Kingdom together, so a King appearing from either family would ruin the bnce and cause the Kingdom to fracture. That would be unwise. Therefore, the two families had sworn a mutual agreement to keep the position of King empty unless someone appeared who was strong enough to lead the Kingdom into a new era.

    Mure Emberheart was already close to the strongest cultivator of the Kingdom. With a supreme treasure in his hands¡­he would rise!!Such thoughts of grandeur filled Mure¡¯s mind. He was no longer paying attention to the Animal Abyss, and why would he? Nothing had changed about it for the past million years. The only exception was the appearance of treasures, which could only be a good thing.

    Mure rose to his feet and prepared to dive into the Abyss. Suddenly, he frowned. A new ripple escaped the Animal Abyss, stronger than the previous one. Something was wrong.

    Astral winds picked up. The void stretched and contorted like an ordion. Stars twinkled in the distance. Mure¡¯s robes fluttered wildly, and though his Dao kept him safe, he was not calm at all. This ce was the lifeblood of his Kingdom. If something happened¡­

    <em>What is it? </em>he thought frantically. <em>What could be happening!?</em>

    But, no matter what, this was greater than him. It was not something he could stop.

    The vacuum of spacepressed around him. The Abyss itself warped. Spatial storms tore free, shooting off in random directions and annihting the void. Some sank into the fabric of space to reach the interdimensional sea¡ªothers, the weakest ones, wrought havoc as they were sted into deep space.

    The Animal Kingdom had set up two formations around the Abyss, at a thousand and a million miles respectively. These formations represented thebor of their ancestors, thousands of years of effort for multiple B-Grade cultivators. They were the Kingdom¡¯s pride.

    Now, those formations were pierced through by space storms like sheets of paper. Holes appeared, leaking energy. Space warped around the Abyss, folding in on itself, and the formations cracked and shattered like ss. The formation cores next to Mure exploded one by one, turning into dust.

    Millennia of effort, gone in the blink of an eye.

    Mure was already breathless. This had urred too quickly, too suddenly. He had no idea what was going on. The Animal Abyss had remained silent for a million years. Why now? Why on his shift!?

    <em>The Hand of God! </em>he thought. <em>Jack Rust! Those people must have done something¡ªit¡¯s their fault!</em>

    He roared in impotent fury. There was nothing he could do. He was floating a hundred miles away from the Abyss, and the spatial undtions here were already horrifying. Moreover, he didn¡¯t specialize in the Dao of Space¡ªif he went any closer, he could perish.

    <em>It¡¯s growing stronger! </em>he realized. <em>I must escape!</em>

    Mure released his Dao and flew away at top speed. Yet, even that was difficult. Space was rugged and vtile. It was spinning around the Animal Abyss as if it was a whirlpool, simr to the water of a bathtub when one unplugged the drain. Such a phenomenon was something that Mure had never experienced in his life¡ªthe sheer energy involved was indescribable, the mysteries of space deep beyond belief.

    He tried toprehend what was happening, but it was impossible for him. He had no idea why the world would behave like this¡ªwhat sort of force was capable of such a thing. The only exnation he coulde up with was that the core of the Animal Abyss, that inactive ck hole, had finally awoken, and a real ck hole was something that even A-Grades could only run away from.

    Mure Emberheart spared a nce backward. What he saw chilled his heart. The sphere of darkness which was the Animal Abyss had fractured, turning into spirals which wildly spun around its center. Even those spirals were quickly diminishing. All the energy of space, all the spatial storms remaining were sucked into the core of the Abyss, vanishing without a trace. As tremendous amounts of energy fell into the ck hole, the surrounding space began to unexpectedly calm down.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Mure hesitated. His caution told him to run away¡ªbut his greed whispered about opportunities. If this really was a ck hole awakening, space should only be getting rougher, not smoother. Maybe it was just an energy eruption. Such a colossal event would surely be felt all the way to Hell¡ªthe other Ancestors might rush over soon, and when that happened, he wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy this opportunity alone.

    He flew to a respectable distance away and waited. Astral winds tugged at his robes, and his white leonine mane fluttered, but his eyes were filled with excitement. This was the event of a lifetime. Whatever treasure was being born, it would surely dwarf anything the Abyss had produced before¡ªand it would belong to no one else but him!

    Mure watched as the event died down. Endless flows of energy came from deep space and flew by him, diving into the Animal Abyss. He felt like a mortal before a storm, an ant observing a majestic process entire worlds above him. His heart was filled with awe and wonder, surpassed only by his greed.

    The darkness receded. Little by little, hints of the situation inside were revealed. Mure saw the stars on the other side of the Abyss.

    And then, through the dissipating darkness, he glimpsed at other things. Fluttering gray. Bronze skin corded with muscles. Short dark hair, shining eyes, and fists which seemed to contain the world.

    Mure was speechless. His previous awe was crushing his heart. The darkness dissipated entirely, and in the emptiness of space, he could make out a man¡ªnay, a titan. He wore only a pair of brown shorts and a fluttering gray cape which hugged his shoulders. His bare chest rose and fell as if he breathed pure power. Every inch of his body was perfect, radiating robustness and making Mure feel like he was staring at a block of divine iron. His back was straight, his head held high. His brown eyes seemed to contain the world¡ªshing not only with power, but also with depth, like a god reborn.

    And his fists¡­ Every tiny movement was reflected in Mure¡¯s eyes as if his very instinctmanded him to pay extreme attention to those fists. They seemedrger than space, older than time. They were like divine bells from the ancient past, ready to crash down and annihte everything below them. If those fists could be cut off and made into weapons, they would be worthy for a god to wield.

    That was what Mure saw. Then, as his surprise passed, all those impressions were dispersed as illusions, letting Mure recognize this person.

    ¡°Jack Rust!¡± he eximed, unable to believe what he was seeing. ¡°You¡­ How!?¡±

    But Mure¡¯s surprise was far from over. Jack didn¡¯t spare him a nce. The darkness had dissipated, but the spatial storms still went strong, all focused around a point in space right in front of Jack. The energy density around him was horrifying¡ªyet, Jack casually stood there, only his cloak fluttering a little as if these terrifying astral winds were a gentle breeze.

    Mure could only watch frozen. All that energy gathered together, eventually declining to the degree where he could make out whaty at its center. It was a single orb, colored darker than ck. Everything that approached would be sucked in¡ªthat was the impression Mure got.

    Space quietened abruptly. Everything stopped. Mure could only watch from afar as Jack Rust floated next to what could only be the true form of the Animal Abyss, the core of the Animal Kingdom¡¯s greatest inheritance.

    Without saying a word, Jack grabbed the bead and stashed it into his space ring. Only then did he turn to nce at Mure.

    ¡°You!¡± Mure eximed, fuming with rage. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s our Abyss! Give it back!¡±

    ¡°Spoils to the winner,¡± Jack replied calmly. A faint taunting smile yed on his lips. ¡°If you want it,e and take it.¡±

    Mure felt like someone had invaded his home, slept with his wife, befriended his dog, then stolen his most precious treasures from right beneath his nose. The range of emotions he¡¯d gone through, from fear to greed to awe to¡­whatever this was¡­was indescribable.

    ¡°How can you be alive?¡± he asked, barely restraining himself. ¡°You should have died a year ago. They all said so!¡±

    ¡°And yet, here I am.¡±

    Jack began walking through space. His every step was calm, slow, and deliberate, as if he was taking a stroll through his own backyard. Yet, Mure was surprised to discover that Jack was moving a hundred miles with every step. He had no idea how this was happening¡ªhe couldn¡¯t see any spatial fluctuations or signs of teleporting. Jack¡¯s spatial mastery had already surpassed his scope of understanding.

    A hint of fear emerged in Mure¡¯s heart. Yet, as he scanned Jack and saw he was still Level 303, he was enraged at himself. He was a mighty, middle B-Grade leonine, one of the strongest people in his constetion. Trillions of cultivators worshiped him. He¡¯d lived for seventy thousand years, carved his name into the gxy.

    Since when could he be intimidated by a little human who wasn¡¯t even fifty years old!?

    By the time Mure could think this far, Jack had already approached. The leonine snorted coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you think you are,¡± he growled in a low voice, ¡°but you made a mistake by appearing before me.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Jack replied. ¡°How about you give me a lesson then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I n on doing. Call out your backers. Let¡¯s see what capital you have to contend with me.¡±

    Now that he could think clearly, Mure was not afraid of Jack himself. There was no world in which a middle C-Grade could match a middle B-Grade. If Jack dared to approach, he must have someone guarding him from the shadows. That was the person Mure was really afraid of.

    Yet, facing his question, Jack only smiled. ¡°There is no one else,¡± he said. ¡°For trash like you, I am more than enough.¡±

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Mure¡¯s eyes widened. He had already been intimidated once¡ªnow, Jack¡¯s taunting grated against Mure¡¯s pride, making him want to attack. He quickly considered things. If someone was here, hidden so well that Mure couldn¡¯t detect them, he was probably dead anyway. But why hadn¡¯t they acted yet?

    On the other hand, if Jack Rust really was alone¡­

    Mure¡¯s eyes shed. Speed wasn¡¯t his strong suit. He had no illusions of catching up to Jack if he decided to run away, but since he was this close, he couldn¡¯t possibly react in time. If he could cripple him in one strike, he would win everything. Not just the Animal Abyss which Jack had just pocketed, but every other treasure on his body. This was the greatest genius Mure had ever seen. His secrets should be world-shattering¡ªmaybe even enough for an old man like him to make another breakthrough!

    Mure¡¯s breathing turned shallow. He decided to act fast and without warning. Power gathered around him, endlessyers of supremacy. The universe bowed to its master. Mure¡¯s fist shot out, obliterating space wherever it passed, trying to strike Jack before he could run away. This was the fastest attack Mure could unleash. Surely, it would annihte this little ant who thought himself a god.

    Mure was already grinning, imagining his bright future. His fist crashed into something impossibly hard. A bacsh traveled through his body, making him cough out blood.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Another fist had risen at some point, shing squarely against his. Jack had moved in time. He¡¯d grownrger, somehow, and two new arms had appeared on his body, crossed against his chest. He remained rxed; that taunting smile was still on his lips, tinged with a hint of pity.

    Mure¡¯s mind shed with panic. <em>How!?</em>

    ¡°Is this all a middle B-Grade can do?¡± Jack asked. ¡°How disappointing.¡±

 Chapter 441: Slaying

    Chapter 441: ying

    Mure flew into a rage. How could this happen!? How could someone of such low level match him?

    Yet, he was in battle. This was no time to think.

    Mure had acted hastily before, but this time he listened to his instinct and wentpletely all-out. Lightning erupted from inside his body¡ªcrimson sparks covered him, filling him with power. His strength and speed skyrocketed. His crimson robes disintegrated, revealing the upper chest of a muscr leonine with white hair. This was an old master at his best¡ªa man who should be able to bulldoze over dozens of youngsters at once.

    Jack¡¯s gaze only revealed a hint of excitement. His two extra arms unfolded and clenched into fists. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed a B-Grade before,¡± he said. ¡°You can be the first.¡±

    ¡°Insolence!¡±

    Mure charged. He was powerful. Every punch and kick could breaks, every movement carved lines into the void.

    This was a middle B-Grade cultivator, and also the strongest opponent Jack had ever faced. Yet, he remained calm. His mind was on full alert, even as his heart burned with excitement.

    He had no idea how strong he was. He didn¡¯t even know whether he could defeat this man, but even if he couldn¡¯t, he certainly had the capacity to run away. Therefore, he might as well go all-out.

    Jack felt stifled. He hadn¡¯t fought for a year. Even before that, hisst true battle had been four years ago while inheriting the legacy of Archon Green Dragon. His fighting spirit was boiling inside him, overflowing into his limbs, filling him with power.He wanted to learn how strong he truly was.

    Jack roared. The universe roared in return. Purple mes lit in his eyes, and his body was covered in the green aura of life. All five of his fruits red together, lending him their power¡ªwith his Dao Tree repaired, this was the strongest he¡¯d ever been.

    Yet, his energy was a drop in the bucketpared to his opponent¡¯s. At the end of the day, Jack was an entire Grade lower. He couldn¡¯t depend on raw power to win¡ªhe had to use skill.

    Fist met fist. Jack and Mure Emberheart devolved into a melee in the center of emptiness, every strike echoing out for hundreds of miles. They were like two angry gods. Purple and green mixed with crimson sparks, and roars filled the void.

    Jack smashed a fist into Mure¡¯s abdomen. A crimson palm mmed into his own temple, knocking him away, while Mure appeared beside him to smash a knee into Jack¡¯s ribs. Jack turned and matched the strike. In an instant, he used the Dao of Time to slow down Mure¡¯s knee, the Dao of Space to let his own fist arrive in time, then used the Daos of Life and Death to strengthen his own strike and weaken his opponent¡¯s respectively. The mastery of Dao he exhibited far surpassed Mure¡¯s.

    However, they were separated by a gulf of actual power. Even after all that, Jack could only achieve an equal sh between his fist and the other¡¯s knee.

    Fist against knee. The winner should be obvious. Yet, the moment they shed, Jack¡¯s knuckles remained solid. He was a man of steel, while Mure was made of soft y. The part of body used did not matter. Jack was just harder.

    Mure Emberheart cried out as his knee splintered, bones sticking out of the skin. He spun wildly as he flew away. Jack remained calm.

    ¡°How!?¡± Mure shouted. ¡°How can this happen?¡±

    Jack smiled. He¡¯d suffered tremendously to enhance his body. By now, the degree of his physicality was not something Mure could contend with. They were equally apart in Dao understanding¡ªthe only reason Mure could still stand was that the volume of power he possessed was far above Jack¡¯s, like an adult wrestling a master in the body of a child.

    Jack raised his middle finger and beckoned his opponent forward. ¡°Come here, kitty,¡± he said.

    Mure threw himself forward. Endless shes rang in the void. Jack raised his shoulder to block an elbow strike, then threw a fist forward. He teleported around his opponent, pelting him with strikes. Mure used a full-bodybat art¡ªhe utilized his elbows, knees, palms, feet, fists. Everything he could throw at Jack, he did, yet the battle remained even.

    Their fight turned fiercer. Both were fully invested, but there was a key difference. Jack was feeling so incredibly alive¡ªand Mure was so incredibly terrified.

    It should not be like this. A middle C-Grade should not able to fight a middle B-Grade. What sort of monster was this? Just what enemy had the Animal Kingdom created?

    <em>We made a mistake, </em>he realized. <em>If I don¡¯t kill this man now, then sooner orter, our entire faction will be destroyed!</em>

    He roared again, overdrawing his own Dao to strike harder. The battle reached its boiling-hot stage. Strikes flew left and right, yet every time Jack was injured, he regenerated. As for Mure, his wounds were shallow, but they slowly built up. Moreover, it didn¡¯t seem like Jack was about to run out of energy.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition.

    There was no path to victory for Mure.

    <em>I must run, </em>he realized. <em>Nt all is lost. The Kingdom may be destroyed,o but I will survive! He can¡¯t find me if I hide in a distant for ten thousand years!</em>

    He turned tail and tried to escape. Before he could take three steps, however, space warped before him, and Jack appeared. He was infinitely faster. Mure¡¯s face smashed into a fist, several of his teeth escaping as he was sent flying backward. Jack pointed at him.

    ¡°We¡¯re not done until I say so,¡± he dered.

    Mure¡¯s heart sank. Suddenly, he had a vision¡ªthe empty space around them turned into a sandy arena, thousands of spectators waiting to watch him die. The crowd was roaring¡ªthe excitement was palpable, their cheering thunderous. And not one of them was shouting his name.

    ¡°JACK RUST! JACK RUST! JACK RUST!¡±

    There was no exit from this arena. No way out besides winning.

    Meanwhile, Jack himself watched him coldly, a diator titan, an enemy so overwhelming he shouldn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°Wanna see something cool?¡± Jack asked with a fiendish grin.

    Mure thought he¡¯d seen it all. How worse could things get? Yet, as he watched Jack¡¯s body spark with lightning, as he watched the enemy use what could only be the Emberheart family¡¯s secret technique, his eyes widened. His heart dropped. The crowd erupted into cheers.

    ¡°How!?¡± Mure eximed with bitterness. ¡°How can you possess that technique?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know,¡± Jack replied coldly. ¡°I am only showing this to you to test it out. I haven¡¯t mastered it yet, but I thought that dying under your own technique¡ªthe Thunder Body¡ªwould be a fitting end for you. Pathetic all the way to the end.¡±

    Mure felt so bitter that heughed. There was nothing else he could do. ¡°That name, how do you know that name?¡± he asked, stillughing. ¡°It¡¯s the Emberheart Style¡ªalways has been, always will be.¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes glistened like ciers. ¡°Then die being stubborn.¡±

    Deep exhaustion flooded Mure¡¯s heart. He could not escape. Today, no matter what he did, he would die. His life would end here.

    So he might as well fight.

    With a roar, he jumped back into the fray. The crowd thundered. Sand was dyed red. Jack expertly deflected his attacks, meeting him blow for blow. Their fists smashed together. Mure¡¯s bones fractured. With Jack having just enhanced himself further, the leonine could barely keep up.

    ¡°FIST OF SUPREMACY!¡± he roared.

    ¡°METEOR PUNCH!¡±

    A colossal shockwave engulfed the arena. Crimson and purple warred. The sands flew high. Mure was catapulted backward, his hand entirely broken. Jack teleported behind him, smashing another Meteor Punch into his back, stealing the air from his lungs. Mure heard a terrible crack. His life shed before his eyes. He gritted his teeth and turned around, swiping in a wild backhand, but how could such a messy strike connect?

    Jack ducked under it, then brought his fist in a devastating uppercut. Mure¡¯s chin flew up. Before he could recover, a Meteor Punch exploded on his abdomen, ravaging his internal organs and catapulting him backward yet again.

    Even now, he was not allowed to escape. A of Dao formed behind him, and he was once again floating before Jack, amb to the ughter.

    Mure opened his bloodied lips. ¡°No mercy?¡± he asked, chuckling darkly.

    ¡°I have no mercy for your kind,¡± Jack replied. There was no hint of warmth in his eyes, nopassion. He was a cold-blooded killer¡ªa vignte prowling in deep space.

    Mure chuckled yet again. He knew there was no escaping. ¡°Then kill me already. I have lived long enough¡ªI don¡¯t fear death, let alone you.¡±

    However, Jack only shook his head. ¡°It is not your death that you should fear. You murdered my son. I will kill every member of your family, paint the gxy red with your blood and that of your children. I will make sure Artus Emberheart regrets the day he was born, and the entire Animal Kingdom will regret it alongside him. So, no, Mure Emberheart. I will not show mercy, and you <em>should </em>fear me, because I will kill every single Emberheart in this gxy. You are just the first.¡±

    Anger, hatred, and bitterness formed a dark cocktail in Mure¡¯s heart. He regretted. At this moment, he regretted everything. The despair that filled him was total. All he could do was open his mouth and roar into the empty space, roar so hard that his throat was torn and he could no longer speak.

    ¡°Choose,¡± Jack said darkly. ¡°Will you die on your knees? Or standing?¡±

    Mure roared and threw himself forward. He didn¡¯t have much to give. The Surpemacy he¡¯d cultivated for his entire life had cracked, ground down sopletely it had turned into mere specks of what it used to be. A crimson fist flew towards the cold gaze of Jack Rust.

    Jack raised his own fist. The world¡¯s energy was sucked inside thenpacted, again and again, reaching a terrifying density. Just as Mure reached him, that energy erupted.

    ¡°Supernova.¡±

    The explosion tore apart this area of space. Purple mes wed at every direction. The void itself was torn asunder, and entire tracts of the world disappeared under Jack¡¯s might. The shockwave spread out like a bubble, stretching deep into space.

    Mure¡¯s body, having lost the protection of his Dao, had disintegrated.

    Jack slowly pulled back his fist. His eyes remained cold. Though he¡¯d started on his path of revenge, it brought him no relief¡ªmaybe it would,ter.

    ¡°One down, many to go,¡± he whispered. He raised a hand and summoned a slick new starship¡ªthe ck Hole People had gifted it to him when he mentioned he needed one. It was dark, just like his purpose.

    Then, Jack walked into his starship and teleported away. He was gone.

    The ripples of both the Animal Abyss disappearing and the battle afterward had washed over the nearby of Hell, sending the entire Kingdom on high alert. They had no idea what was going on, but they knew it was important.

    It was only fifteen minutester that another Ancestor of the Animal Kingdom arrived. This was the same one who¡¯d fought Jack before¡ªthe early B-Grade Ancestor of the Lonihor family.

    When he arrived, he was stunned.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± he whispered. ¡°What the¡­¡±

    He checked his spatial coordinates repeatedly. By the fifth time he confirmed his location, his jaw dropped, and he began shivering like a leaf.

    ¡°The Animal Abyss¡­ Where the hell is it!?¡± he shouted. ¡°Mure! Mure Emberheart! Show yourself, Mure!¡±

    Yet, it was useless. Both the Animal Abyss and Mure Emberheart, two pirs of the Animal Kingdom, had mysteriously vanished. Today would be the darkest day of their recent history¡ªand they had no idea it was only the beginning.

 Chapter 442: Counting Oneâ€™s Blessings

    Chapter 442: Counting One¡¯s Blessings

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s gone?¡±

    ¡°That it¡¯s gone! The Animal Abyss is gone!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ck hole, you idiot. It cannot just disappear.¡±

    ¡°Well, it did!¡±

    The Animal Kingdom was shocked. When they sent one of the Ancestors to guard the Abyss, it was so he could keep intruders away, prevent them from stealing an artifact or two. The Abyss itself was a ck hole¡ªhow could anyone possibly affect it?

    Yet, it had happened. Not only did they lose the Abyss, one of the cornerstones of their Kingdom, but they also lost their strongest Ancestor. Adding all the other catastrophes that the Kingdom had experienced recently, their current status amongst the B-Grade factions was shaky.

    However, the mysterious disappearance of the Animal Abyss rippled out further. All across the gxy, the major factions were well aware of what such a thing signified. Everyone knew that the Abyss was a special ck hole. That left three possibilities.

    One, Mure Emberheart had identally discovered a way to destroy the Abyss, possibly reaping some great treasure from doing so. Two, an unknown cultivator possessing strength at least at thete B-Grade was the one to discover the Abyss¡¯s secrets, somehow destroying it and also killing Mure Emberheart. Three, the Abyss for some reason imploded and the explosion disintegrated Mure.

    These were all the possibilities they coulde up with. Nobody in their right mind would suspect that someone had physically carried away the Animal Abyss.As for Jack¡¯s connection to the Abyss, not many people knew. Eva had spread the news that they¡¯d killed Jack, not that he¡¯d ran into the Abyss, to avoid misunderstandings.

    As soon as she heard the news, a persistent worry surfaced inside her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Commander,¡± Artus Emberheart said. His mood had been excellent for the past year¡ªhe was even close to repairing his Dao. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but Jack Rust is deader than dead. Even he couldn¡¯t survive a ck hole.¡±

    ¡°A ck hole which just up and disappeared one day. That isn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡±

    ¡°The universe is full of mysteries. If escaping a ck hole was so easy, Enas wouldn¡¯t have stayed in there for a billion years. This is just an ident.¡±

    ¡°An ident?¡± Eva¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°How can you say that, Artus? This is a time of war and upheaval. A time of change. How could there be such a coincidence that the Animal Abyss, which has remained unchanged for a million years, suddenly disappears one year after Jack Rust goes inside?¡±

    Artus took a respectful step back. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to sound naive, Commander. I understand this is probably not a coincidence. All I¡¯m saying is, the chances of Jack Rust having anything to do with this are miniscule. He died a year ago¡ªeven if he hadn¡¯t, he would not possess the power to affect the Animal Abyss in any way. Maybe this is the result of a powerful A-Grade bing curious about the Abyss, or ast terrorist act of the Church before they abandon this gxy. In any case, it is not something which should concern us. It does not change the war situation.¡±

    Eva mulled over these words. She knew Artus was right. Yet, she couldn¡¯t stop worrying. The image of Jack Rust kept gnawing at the back of her mind¡ªdefiant to the end, always oveing impossible odds to survive and grow stronger, turning danger into opportunity.

    <em>Maybe I really am affected, </em>she thought.

    ¡°I will go into meditation for a few days,¡± Eva said, tacitly agreeing with Artus. ¡°You will be inmand of our forces until then. Do not disturb me without reason.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander,¡± Artus said with the widest smile.

    ***

    From the moment Jack had stepped out of the ck Hole World, he¡¯d sensed something reappear in his soul. A connection which had been severed but never faded. A missing piece.

    <em>Brock¡­</em>

    Jack¡¯s heart was filled with warmth. Of course, he¡¯d had to put that on hold to fight Mure Emberheart, but after finishing up and flying away on his starship, he had time to consider things again.

    <em>How are you doing, Brock? Are you okay? Did you ever believe I was dead?</em>

    There was no answer, but Jack would know soon. Brock was not like Shol. He didn¡¯t need to gather clues and search for him. Their souls were connected; as long as Jack wanted to, he could just travel in Brock¡¯s general direction and they would eventually meet up.

    At present, this would happen even quicker. The moment Jack felt the connection reappear, so did Brock. His relief and surprise were keenly sensed by Jack through their soul bond. Doubtlessly, Brock was also hurrying over.

    They were two arrows shooting towards each other. Their reunion woulde sooner rather thanter.

    Jack was nervous. It had been a year¡ªthis was his longest separation from Brock yet. In fact, the brori was someone he greatly worried over while in the ck Hole World¡ªwhat if Brock, thinking that Jack was dead, did something crazy?

    At least he was alive. As to his current condition¡­that was something Jack could only wait to find out.

    The gxy was arge ce. Meeting up was not something which would take a day or two, so Jack had time to rx. He spent that time inspecting his benefits from the previous battle.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He¡¯d possessed the power to fight B-Grades for a while now, but this was his first time killing one. He¡¯d jumped directly to the middle B-Grade, too. Of course, Mure Emberheart was someone who¡¯d reached the end of his potential, far from the talented Envoys of the Hand of God, but he remained a middle B-Grade.

    <em>How far I¡¯vee¡­ </em>Jack reminisced. <em>I am one of the strongest cultivators in the Milky Way.</em>

    Mure Emberheart had not possessed a space ring¡ªthose things were expensive and all but unknown in this gxy. That wasn¡¯t a huge loss. He was someone so weak the Hand of God hadn¡¯t even bothered recruiting him for the war¡ªhis ¡°incalcble¡± wealth would have been nothing but painted stones in Jack¡¯s eyes.

    No, wealth was not the point.

    Killing someone that strong in System space came with all sorts of benefits. The first, and most obvious one, was Levels. Arge influx of energy had surged into Jack¡¯s body the moment he killed Mure¡ªhis Dao Tree had groaned by the sheer volume of it, then his fifth Dao Fruit had begun to grow. From its early stages of development, it had rapidly approached maturity.

    Jack had earned fifteen Levels in the blink of an eye.

    Since every level in the C-Grade gave twenty stat points, that left him with three hundred free points which he invested evenly into Physical. The round thousands he had in Mental and Will were too nice to break.

    <strong>Level: 318</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 6340 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6340 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6340 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    Even after all this time, three hundred points were a five percent overall increase. Jack felt his body grow morepact, his muscles tighten, his bones harden. His already titanic physicality had taken another step forward.

    Unlike other times, however, the change took longer. Even an hour after Jack invested the stat points, the transformation was not done. It was clear that, after some point, even the System struggled to fit more energy into him. It was the same barrier he¡¯d run into when body-tempering. This forced density increase was painful, too, but that was something Jack had long grown ustomed to. If anything, he¡¯d learned to enjoy the pain because he knew it brought good things.

    When he was finally done, he groaned, stretching his body as his bones made popping noises. He clenched his fist, feeling the strength contained inside. He smiled.

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    Next came another interesting notification.

    <strong>Congrattions! Titan Taunt I ¡ú Titan Taunt II</strong>

    <strong>Titan Taunt II: A titan¡¯s existence is so dominant it constitutes a challenge. Your extreme physicality and domineering stance not only intimidate enemies, but also provoke them. They will either fight you or cower away, losing in both cases.</strong>

    This was aplete change in the skill. Jack remembered that the previous description was something silly about ¡°channeling his inner punchability¡± and jokes about his opponent¡¯s mother. Now, it had suddenly swapped to something serious and, if Jack was being honest, kinda cool.

    <em>Such a change feels unnatural, </em>he couldn¡¯t help thinking. <em>I¡¯m not opposed, but why? Could it be that the skill adjusts to its user? When I was sparring others on the Cathedral, that silly, crowd-riling version was exactly what I needed. Now that I¡¯m out for blood, this one suits me better.</em>

    <em>Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Thanks.</em>

    With all his skills having risentely, Jack no longer had any skill at the first tier. Even in the second tier, he only had Titan Taunt. Almost everything else was at the third tier.

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Death Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt II</strong>

    That third tier, however, seemed like a massive moat. Reaching it wasn¡¯t too difficult, but almost all of his skills had been stranded there afterward. The only exception was Meteor Punch, which he¡¯d used since the Forest of the Strong. It was by far his most intimate skill.

    Even Space and Death Mastery, where he was confident he easily outssed almost everyone at his Grade, remained at the third tier.

    Why?

    <em>Is something missing? Or does the fourth tier require some sort of transformation?</em>

    Meteor Punch had reached the fourth tier during his battle with theary overseer, when he¡¯d achieved a preliminary fusion between this skill and the power of a supernova, essentially taking it to the next level. Maybe this was the key¡ªreaching the next level.

    It made sense, too. Since there were only five tiers, the higher ones had to represent understanding at the A-Grade level. It wasn¡¯t weird for him to be unable to advance.

    <em>But how? </em>he wondered,ing short of a solution. He eventually put the issue to rest. The System¡¯s ssifications were nothing but a guideline¡ªas long as he put in the effort and consistently bettered himself, he would achieve greater strength, and the skill tiers woulde by themselves.

    Which left one thing.

    Jack reached into his space ring, fishing out the Animal Abyss¡ªa smooth, fist-sized, dark orb.

    In truth, this wasn¡¯t the ck Hole World. Shrinking an entire world and carrying it around was impossible even for Archons¡ªeven it if it wasn¡¯t, there was no way the ck Hole People would be able to survive that.

    The ck Hole World was a stable ind in the interdimensional sea. As for the ck orb Jack was holding, it was nothing but an inactive portal. Simr to how every teleporter had its own frequency and could use it to connect with others, this ck orb had internalized the exact coordinates of the ck Hole World and could connect to it. The Vortex in the ck Hole World could also open a wormhole to this orb.

    In essence, this was nothing but the connecting point between the universe and the ck Hole World.

    It remained an extraordinary device. This little orb, by itself, had acted as the center of a ck hole-like field dubbed the Animal Abyss. Given enough energy, it could reach through the folds of space and form a stable connection to a different ce in the interdimensional sea. The Dao patterns contained inside it were nothing short of profound.

    Unfortunately, it was difficult for Jack to study them. This orb was not meant to serve as a cultivation tool. Its patterns were convoluted, unclear, and all over the ce¡ªthe kind that seemed clear if you already understood its principles but wouldn¡¯t help if you didn¡¯t.

    In that sense, the Vortex was a much more suitable cultivation area, but Jack wouldn¡¯t just open a portal to another dimension so he could go study. Not to mention that he already possessed the realm heart of Archon Green Dragon¡ªif he wanted to sharpen his understandings of spacetime, he could focus on that.

    However, spacetime had always been his secondary Dao. His main focus was the Fist, and by extension, the duality of Life and Death. This was exactly what Jack would practice now. His revenge would be the perfect learning ground.

    Jack had only been traveling for a few hours, lost in his thoughts, when he felt his connection to Brock grow abruptly stronger. He looked up. Space was torn ahead of him like paper, and a ck starship covered in ss walls flew out. Several figures gazed at him from the windows. Jack¡¯s breath caught to his throat. He recognized them all.

    And at the very front stood a brori shaking with excitement.

    ¡°BIG BRO!¡±

 Chapter 443: Reunion

    Chapter 443: Reunion

    ¡°BIG BRO!¡± a brori shouted, shooting into space.

    ¡°Brock!¡± Jack eximed. Part of his suppressed feelings erupted. Warmth appeared in his heart. With his brother by his side, the world was not as dark anymore.

    The two men met in the vacuum and hugged tightly. Jack could feel Brock¡¯s disbelief, his shock, his excitement. He¡¯d thought Jack dead¡ªhow could he not be relieved?

    ¡°Brock!¡± Jack eximed again, with pleasant surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve grown!¡±

    A year ago, Brock had been almost at Jack¡¯s height. He¡¯d now grown to seven feet tall, with bulging muscles and dark fur. He¡¯d resembled a gymonkey in childhood, but he¡¯d now be an almost fully grown brori.

    ¡°How!?¡± Brock asked in a deep, emotional voice. ¡°How are you alive? They said they killed you. I felt the connection severed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it, bro. In short, they forced me into the Animal Abyss, which turned out to be another world entirely. That¡¯s why the connection was severed. But I meditated, repaired my Dao, and now I¡¯m back.¡±

    Brock looked up with bright eyes. ¡°You are alive!¡± he repeated, unable to believe this. ¡°Wait. What do you mean you repaired your Dao?¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened. Of course. Using his son as a hostage was a shameful act¡ªnobody would publicize it, and Brock hadn¡¯t been there to watch it happen.¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everythingter.¡±

    Brock sensed the darkness in Jack¡¯s heart. He was confused. This was the same darkness he also contained, but his came from the desire to get revenge over his fallen big brother. What reason could Jack have to feel the same?

    He did not speak anymore. He led Jack into the Trampling Ram, filled with familiar faces, both old and new.

    ¡°You guys¡­¡± Jack said, his voice dripping with emotion. ¡°You are all here. Salin, Nauja, Bomn, Vashter¡­ What is this, a reunion?¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Salin chuckled. ¡°We couldn¡¯t sit still after they said you were dead. We had to give them a piece of our mind!¡±

    ¡°The Trampling Ram answered the call,¡± Bomn said, bringing a fist in front of his heart. ¡°You are part of this crew. Avenging you was our duty.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to worry us so much¡­¡± Nauja added, her eyes smiling with relief.

    Jack smiled back. Even after everyone thought he was dead, they still remembered him. They genuinely cared. What a unique feeling.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡±

    ¡°We missed you,¡± Brock said. His voice was careful. ¡°We are safe here. We are together. Tell us what happened.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°How about you go first?¡±

    Brock nodded, then took a deep breath. ¡°After you were gone, I¡­ I was lost for a while. My heart was cracked. You are important to me. I lost my way, but I found it again after meditating on brohood. For us warriors, death is a natural event¡ªthe best we can do is keep moving forward, carrying the torch of our fallen brothers.¡±

    Jack listened quietly. He noticed that Brock¡¯s speech had reached fluency¡ªeven better than most humans he knew. At the same time, he was sad. ¡°I put you through a lot, brother¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s enough that you returned,¡± Brock replied. ¡°After I recovered from the shock, I decided to take on your mantle. I vowed to destroy the Animal Kingdom and protect Earth. Fate led us to the Trampling Ram, and the five of us embarked on revenge. In the past year, we have decimated the Animal Kingdom operations and outposts, even killing two C-Grade Enforcers. I know it¡¯s not much, but the Hand of God is also after us so we¡¯re forced to move carefully. I¡¯m growing stronger. Soon, I will be able to face their B-Grades.¡±

    Jack blinked. He took another look at Brock. He hadn¡¯t noticed it at first, but the aura rising from his body had evolved. In the span of a single year, Brock had developed two additional Dao Fruits, reaching the seven-fruit boundary. He was now ate C-Grade¡ªgiven his power, dealing with any peak C-Grade of the Animal Kingdom should be a piece of cake.

    ¡°You¡¯ve surpassed me!¡± Jack eximed with pride. ¡°I¡¯m only at five fruits myself!¡±

    ¡°Cultivation is only the foundation.¡± Brock chuckled. ¡°You are stronger than me still.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°So you guys turned into terrorists?¡±

    ¡°Gueri warfare,¡± Nauja said. ¡°Like the time you were in Hell. We strike quickly and decisively, then teleport away. The losses we¡¯ve caused to the Kingdom are steeper than Brock implied¡ªand we couldn¡¯t have done it without the crew of the Trampling Ram.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you guys,¡± Jack said, looking around. This had been a year of progress for everyone. Brock had reached thete C-Grade, Salin and Nauja were at the very peak of the D-Grade, and Bomn had also reached the middle D-Grade. Even Vashter, the weakest member of the team, had broken into the D-Grade.

    This was a manifestation of the principle that one¡¯s environment affected the person. When Jack first met Vashter, that mace-wielding feshkur, he¡¯d been a middle E-Grade with little hope for the future. However, inter years, Vashter had been dragged through one disaster after the other, adventuring with people whose vision reached beyond the Milky Way gxy.

    Now, that once-mediocre feshkur had be an immortal¡ªthe same Grade as Captain Dordok.

    Vashter caught Jack¡¯s gaze and grinned. ¡°This is all because of you,¡± he said. ¡°Back in the day, I used to despise you after you lied to us and caused Achilles¡¯s death and Captain Dordok¡¯s capture. Now, I have to admit¡­my vision was too narrow. You are such a great man that your passage naturally leaves waves for the rest of us to weather. If we can, we emerge greater than before. If we can¡¯t, we perish¡­but I understand now that it is not your fault.¡±

    Jack blinked. Vashter had turned into a bit of a fanboy, excusing some of Jack¡¯s past failures, but that was okay. Everyone could use a role model.

    ¡°I guess I have to tell you my side of the story as well,¡± he said, sighing. His mood dropped like a stone in a well. ¡°Ah, but before we start, check this out, Brock. I got you a gift.¡±

    He reached into his space ring and grabbed a simple-looking staff. It looked to be made of wood, yet it shimmered slightly as if iid with gold. The moment Brock¡¯s eyes fell on the staff, he couldn¡¯t pull them off.

    ¡°This is the Goldenwood Staff,¡± Jack exined, raising the staff so everyone could take a good look. ¡°It used to be the weapon of an ancient A-Grade. Now, it¡¯s yours. You¡¯ve needed one since Baron Longform broke the Staff of Stone, right?¡±

    Only now did Brock manage to speak. ¡°Good staff,¡± he said. His hand wrapped around the body of the staff as if by itself, twirling the weapon around and getting a feel for it. He nodded again. ¡°Good staff,¡± he repeated. ¡°Thanks, bro. This means a lot. But where did you find it?¡±

    Jack smiled sadly. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s take a seat first. This will not be pleasant.¡±

    The others exchanged worried nces but did as he said. Only Brock, who had sensed Jack¡¯s darkness, suspected the nature of what was toe.

    Jack told them everything. From the moment they separated near Hell, he spoke about his chase through space until he reached the Animal Abyss. He told them how he broke through again and again, using all sorts of methods to eventually hide inside, hoping for a miracle.

    This next part wasn¡¯t easy for him, so he narrated it quickly. How Artus Emberheart had revealed Jack¡¯s son, forcing him to surrender, then killed Eric regardless. How Jack had gone mad and overdrawn himself to escape. How his Dao had cracked.

    By this point, the starship had gone deathly silent. Everyone listened with disbelief. Even Brock was surprised¡ªhe knew something bad had happened, but he never expected it to be this tragic.

    Nauja had covered her mouth with her hands, shivering. The moment Jack¡¯s words stopped ringing, she jumped up and rushed to hug him. ¡°Oh my God, Jack, I¡¯m so sorry! I have no words. I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡±

    Jack wanted to protest. Yet, the moment another person¡¯s warmth reached him, he almost cracked. He hadn¡¯t realized how badly he needed a hug for the past year. Silently, he hugged back, and Nauja stayed there until he rxed his embrace. Only then did she slowly back away.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack sighed. ¡°As you can imagine. Terribly¡­but I have recovered a bit. I can think again. As soon as I have my revenge, I will be fine.¡±

    Aplex look emerged on Brock¡¯s face, but he didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man,¡± Salin said, cing a hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Nobody should have to experience that. Stay strong. Don¡¯t lose yourself.¡±

    Jack chuckled with surprise. ¡°That¡¯s pretty sane for you to say.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m insane, not an asshole.¡±

    ¡°The death of a child is something I have experienced as well,¡± Bomn added with his sonorous voice. ¡°It was the worst period of my life. I was deeply scarred, and even now, I have not fully recovered¡­ I cannot imagine what you¡¯re going through. I just hope you eventually find your way out of the darkness. Don¡¯t be hard on yourself.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Nobody responded further, so Jack continued. He spoke about how he entered the ck hole as ast resort, partially expecting¡ªand maybe hoping¡ªto die, then unexpectedly emerged in a new world. He described the ck Hole World and its people, their plight and unique perspective on life.

    He skimmed over the year he spent there, focusing more on the world than his personal journey of recovery. Finally, he repaired his Dao, furthered his understandings in all his Daos, left the ck Hole World and pocketed it, then killed the middle B-Grade Ancestor beforeing over to meet them.

    ¡°You killed a middle B-Grade?!¡± Salin eximed. ¡°Man, can you be any more awesome? You¡¯re like a fairy tale hero at this point!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a man trying his best,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Well, that was everything that happened to me. I know it was a lot to take in, but¡­ It happened. Let¡¯s try to move on.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start,¡± Nauja said, shaking her head. ¡°The ck Hole World, your power¡­you¡­ It¡¯s all so unexpected. It¡¯s just¡­ Jack¡­ I know you have a grip on things, but I just hope¡­ Don¡¯t fall into the darkness. Please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jack repeated, a little more solidly this time. Talking about this issue made him ufortable. Even thinking about it was difficult, let alone discussing it. ¡°I did not mention all those so we had something to talk about, but so we can be on the same page. I will handle myself. I got this. The way I need you to support me is by helping me get revenge. Are you with me?¡±

    Brock¡¯s stare remained steady, not betraying his inner thoughts. The other four exchanged nces. ¡°Of course we are,¡± Salin replied. ¡°Till death do us part. We¡¯re all bros here, right?¡±

    ¡°Even me?¡± Nauja asked, raising a brow.

    ¡°Especially you.¡±

    ¡°We have been pursuing revenge already,¡± Bomn said. ¡°Be it for us, for you, or for the world, the tyranny of the Animal Kingdom muste to an end. We will not stop until we seed or die.¡±

    ¡°I will never abandon you,¡± Brock said. He had a unique way of speaking candidly without seeming vulnerable. ¡°You are in good hands, big bro. I am here for you. We all are. Let¡¯s win this battle.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear!¡± Jack eximed. His lips were smiling, but his eyes were dark. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a Kingdom to destroy.¡±

 Chapter 444: Serial Assassin

    Chapter 444: Serial Assassin

    The Trampling Ram waited in position between the stars. Thanks to its specially designed ss walls, it did not reflect the starlight, lending itself perfectly for an ambush.

    Jack stood on the bridge, arms crossed. His chest was bare, while a gray cloak fluttered behind his back. He seemed like a warlord. Next to him, Brock calmly waited, reading from the Bro Code. Golden ripples spread out of him every once in a while to scan the distance.

    ¡°This is fun!¡± Gan Salin eximed. ¡°Just some dirty old friends prowling the gxy in search of guilty victims. Doesn¡¯t get much better!¡±

    ¡°Pace yourself, my canine friend,¡± said Vashter. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a rush.¡± He leaned against a wall with his mace in hand, emitting the air of a veteran. His eyes glistened. He was ready whenever.

    ¡°Do you want to y some Crazy Man Goes to Town?¡± Nauja asked, fishing a deck of cards from her pocket.

    Salin shrugged. ¡°We could. But I want to be the Crazy Man.¡±

    ¡°Nobody is the Crazy Man. It¡¯s just the name of the game.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a man and I¡¯m pretty crazy.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Brock suddenly said. Everyone tensed up. The deck of cards in Nauja¡¯s hand disappeared, reced by a longbow, and Salin¡¯s canines showed beneath his raised lips. Bomn drew his greataxe, Vashter straightened himself, and Brock took out his new Goldwood Staff¡ªthough, probably, none of them would need to fight.Jack simply waited, staring into the distance. His gaze was inscrutable¡ªhis mood, deadly.

    A starship entered their view. Red walls surrounded a white interior visible throughrge windows, and they could clearly make out a pale man bathing in a pool of blood.

    ¡°The Blood Baron,¡± Salin said, licking his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to kill this son of a bitch.¡±

    Their starship elerated, matching the other¡¯s speed. They hadn¡¯t been discovered yet, but they were flying almost in parallel¡ªit would be difficult to catch something moving at thousands of miles per minute otherwise.

    Jack took a step through space, borrowing the Ram¡¯s momentum to approach the other starship. He reached out a hand, then clenched it. Space copsed around the Blood Baron¡¯s starship. It veered off to the side and spun wildly. The pool of blood flew everywhere, revealing a dazed, naked man. The Blood Baron instantly disappeared and reappeared outside his starship, already wearing a set of crimson robes which looked macabre against his pale skin.

    ¡°Who goes there!?¡± he thundered. He was an early C-Grade Enforcer of the Animal Kingdom out on official business. There was nothing he feared. The only people willing to attack his starship were poor souls too naive to recognize it.

    His gaze and perception scanned space. Now that he was actively looking, he quickly spotted Jack. His eyes widened. His lips trembled. He recognized this man. The Blood Baron had attended Jack¡¯s Grand Duel on Hell, and he¡¯d also seen a recording of Jack fighting theary overseer. This was a face carved deep into his memory, a dark star he hoped to never meet.

    However, Jack Rust had died a year ago. How could he randomly be here?

    <em>An illusion! </em>the Blood Baron thought quickly, but no matter how he looked, there was no sign of falsehood. His gaze reached farther, falling onto the dark starship.

    A pair of ram horns decorated its front¡ªa recent addition designed by Bomn. The horns weren¡¯t only aesthetic; they fulfilled a practical purpose as well, which was to make the starship easily recognizable. It was much easier to spread terror and prestige like this¡ªit was kind of their brand.

    Even before Jack appeared, the Kingdom cultivators had learned to fear the starship with horns rams¡ªthe Dark Ram, they called it. The Blood Baron was one of them. Facing both the Dark Ram and a man suspiciously simr to Jack Rust, he felt deep fear. The appearance of Jack Rust could be imitated¡ªbut the terrifying aura emitted from his body could not.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he said. ¡°I can offer you money!¡±

    Jack snorted. ¡°Just die.¡±

    A fist crossed space, exploding on the Blood Baron and his starship both. They were destroyed. The Blood Baron, an almighty Enforcer of the Animal Kingdom, the pride of his home, didn¡¯t even have time to cry out, let alone defend. An instant after Jack attacked, only broken debris littered this part of space.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°Again, no levels¡­¡±

    Brock shed by his side. ¡°This is a bit slow¡­.¡± he agreed.

    Jack did not reply. This was already the third Enforcer he killed, and he hadn¡¯t received a single level. He remained stuck at 318.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    There were two reasons why he hunted the Animal Kingdom Enforcers. One was to get revenge against the Kingdom, to clip its wings and break off its fingers one by one. The other reason was to level up. He wanted to be strong enough to storm into Animal, the capital of the Animal Kingdom, and massacre anyone who got in his way. He wanted topletely uproot the Kingdom, and to do that, his current power wasn¡¯t enough. Eva Solvig would pursue him the moment he appeared publicly.

    Targeting Enforcers specifically was a strategic move. The death of each of them was a loss to the Kingdom, but each death by itself wasn¡¯t enough to truly rouse their suspicions. After all, they had hundreds of Enforcers. Due to the recent uprisings all over the constetion, these Enforcers were often sent on missions, making for easy, isted targets.

    Jack knew that the disappearance of the Animal Abyss would undoubtedly form connections to his name. They wouldn¡¯t believe he was still alive just from that, but it was vital that he hid his return for as long as possible to not give them time to prepare. The longer he could hunt from the shadows, the better.

    However, this was too slow. He was a middle C-Grade now, and Enforcers were all at the early tier. They just didn¡¯t qualify to give him levels. If he wanted to reliably level up, he would need to pursue Elders, who were at the middle C-Grade and above, but the problem was that Elders were important personnel. They held prestigious positions at the center of the public eye. Killing one was easy, but doing so undiscovered was another matter entirely.

    Even if he seeded, the Kingdom wouldn¡¯t just sit by once its Elders began disappearing. It would request assistance from the Hand of God. Jack didn¡¯t wish to see that happen.

    But what choice did he have?

    ¡°Never y, never win,¡± he muttered. He turned to Brock. ¡°I think we should start hunting Elders.¡±

    The brori thought for a bit. ¡°I agree. We must take some risks. However, let¡¯s consider our moves properly before we make them. Secrecy is our greatest weapon.¡±

    ¡°My fist is our greatest weapon,¡± Jack disagreed. ¡°Secrecy is just a bonus¡ªnice to have, but not something we can¡¯t afford to lose.¡±

    ¡°You speak wisely. Good. Then, let¡¯s search for a target.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    They flew into the starship and teleported away. The Blood Baron¡¯s disappearance would only be noticed dayster, when he never arrived at his destination.

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the Animal Kingdom¡¯s Grand Elder demanded to know. ¡°Four Enforcers have gone missing in two weeks, alongside the Animal Abyss and Ancestor Emberheart. Someone is acting against us!¡±

    ¡°Who would do that?¡± another Elder replied. They were at an Elder Council hastily convened to discuss the recent disappearances. Thirteen Elders were currently in attendance¡ªthe rest hadn¡¯t been able to make it in time.

    ¡°Someone give me a list of possible culprits,¡± the Grand Eldermanded.

    An elef Elder stood up. ¡°Reporting to the Grand Elder,¡± she said calmly. ¡°The two incidents¡ªthe Abyss and Enforcers¡ªcould be rted or unrted. If they are rted, the powers at y are greater than what we can handle, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very probable. Anyone capable of unraveling the mysteries of the Animal Abyss wouldn¡¯t bother with mere early C-Grade Enforcers. The two incidents stand at very different levels of power. Unless¡­¡± She trailed off.

    The Grand Elder raised a brow. ¡°Unless?¡±

    ¡°Unless that man¡­is somehow alive.¡±

    The Grand Elder banged his fist on the table. ¡°Impossible! Stop spreading bullshit. Ancestors Emberheart and Lonihor both confirmed the death of Jack Rust, alongside two Hand of God Envoys. Are you saying they were all mistaken? That a middle C-Grade human could somehow escape their perceptions, survive in the Animal Abyss for a year, then find a way to make a ck hole disappear? Get serious! I¡¯m busy enough with all the uprisings and disappearances, so save me your stupidity!¡±

    ¡°I misspoke,¡± the elef hurriedly acknowledged.

    ¡°The most probable scenario,¡± the Grand Elder thought aloud, calming down, ¡°is that the two incidents arepletely unrted. I have my suspicions for the disappearance of the Animal Abyss and Ancestor Emberheart: The Hand of God was recently made aware of the Abyss¡¯s circumstances in the process of chasing Jack Rust. The Envoy must havemunicated it to her higher-ups, tempting an Elder of the Hand to secretly arrive and investigate. That person discovered the secrets of the Abyss, whatever those were, shattered it to take all the treasures inside, then killed our Ancestor to silence all witnesses.¡± He clenched his leonine fists. ¡°It is regrettable, but this is the most likely exnation. We can only me ourselves for being too weak¡­¡±

    The other Elders nced at each other, then nodded in agreement. ¡°That man creates trouble for us even in death!¡± an Elder angrily eximed, referring to Jack Rust.

    ¡°At least that¡¯s a thorn in our side gone,¡± the Grand Elder replied, sighing. ¡°Then, onto the matter of the Enforcers¡­ I see three scenarios. One is that enemy constetions are moving onto us. The dissolution of the Exploding Sun left a vacuum that many major factions are eager to fill. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for one of them to make power ys in our constetion¡ªespecially the Wide Swirls.

    ¡°The second scenario is that rogue cultivators of the Church are retaliating against our Kingdom because Artus Emberheart is guiding the purging forces. If this is the case, there¡¯s nothing we can do. The Hand will catch them eventually. As for the third scenario¡­ That is that the recently-appeared terrorists, the Dark Ram, are upping their game.

    ¡°Whichever scenario is true, we are facing opponents at the middle orte C-Grade level. How do you all suggest we deal with this?¡±

    The Elders nced at each other. This time, nobody was in a hurry to speak up¡ªnobody wanted to risk the Grand Elder¡¯s wrath. However, the Grand Elder didn¡¯t break the silence either.

    A sharken Elder finally bit the bullet. ¡°We can temporarily limit the missions of our Enforcers to the minimum and have them move in groups instead of individually,¡± he suggested. ¡°The uprisings can wait¡ªit¡¯s more important to secure our Enforcers.¡±

    Contrary to what everyone expected, the Grand Elder did notsh out. He gave the sharken Elder a nce of appreciation. ¡°Correct,¡± he said. Those Elders who had the same idea but hadn¡¯t dared voice it could only curse theirck of confidence.

    The Grand Elder continued. ¡°That was my idea as well. Additionally, we will equip each group of moving Enforcers with escape mechanisms and remotely backed-up recording stones. That way, even if they are attacked, we¡¯ll know who did it. That¡¯s the important part. If we can find proof against another B-Grade faction, their deaths will have been worth it.¡± He passed his gaze around the room. ¡°Any objections?¡±

    No one spoke.

    ¡°Very well. This meeting is adjourned. Enforce mymands at once!¡±

 Chapter 445: Planet Destroyer

    Chapter 445: Destroyer

    Earthen Gemini was a deste, uninhabitable. It looked like a red ball covered in fumes, with pirs of smoke asionally escaping into space. Its atmosphere was low in oxygen and rich in heavy metals, which the nearby sun heated to unhealthy degrees.

    Due to these reasons, this was unfit for life. Simultaneously, it was rich in previous ores¡ªjust the diamonds near the surface were estimated to be millions of tons. The Animal Kingdom wouldn¡¯t let such a treasure trove be.

    The atmosphere was hot and toxic, but with the proper equipment, even E-Grade cultivators could survive here. Millions of them filled the, wearing specialized masks and suits, wielding heavy pickaxes to gather everything they could into leather sacks.

    Earthen Gemini was arge source of wealth for the Kingdom. The ores they extracted from here were often traded to other constetions for massive sums of credits. It was their greatest mine operation.

    Naturally, such an important ce wouldn¡¯t be left unguarded. Besides the E-Grade miners, hundreds of D-Grades were stationed at various spots, alongside two early C-Grade Enforcers. Just like Hell, there was also an Elder supervising this ce, though their status and strength were inferior to the Warden of Hell¡¯s.

    Even the miners were members of the Animal Kingdom¡ªouter disciples eager to contribute. While the Kingdom leaned heavily into very, it wouldn¡¯t use outsiders at such an important outpost.

    That all goes to say, Earthen Gemini was a critical and very well-guarded location. It had existed for tens of thousands of years and should continue producing ores for many, many more.

    But every future is only as good as the next moment.

    On this day, Elder Caran was resting in a special room isted from the fumes outside¡ªthough they wouldn¡¯t hurt him, they were still unpleasant. Therefore, not only had he sealed them outside his walls, but he was also using the¡¯s heat to warm the waters of his bath, making it simr to a hot spring. It was exactly in this hot spring that he liked to rx while young maids massaged and bathed him.¡°More water,¡± he groaned, and a thinly-d girl slowly poured a bucket over his back. Elder Caran moaned, his canines showing.

    Of the Animal Kingdom¡¯s five noble species, canines were the weakest and least prestigious. They remained, however, noble. Elder Caran was one of the Elders hailing from the canines, and it was precisely because of his species that he was delegated to such an ugly post. An Elder like him could be a king anywhere on the constetion, but being the king of a mine meant little. He couldn¡¯t even look outside the window without drowning in noxious fumes.

    Of course, the canines were uniquely suited to such posts. They were all a bit insane, so their tolerance exceeded the others¡¯. They always found a way to make do.

    ¡°You,¡± the Elder said, ncing at a maid. ¡°Massage me.¡±

    She beamed with joy. These maids were also disciples of the Animal Kingdom¡ªto them, hugging the thigh of an Elder was an excellent opportunity to rise. Just as she was about to begin, however, she sensed the Elder tense up. She hesitated.

    ¡°Is everything okay, oh great Elder?¡± she asked.

    Caran growled. ¡°No.¡±

    He then tore through space and disappeared, leaving behind screaming girls and a vacuum which the hot water was quick to fill.

    Elder Caran reappeared over his building, still surrounded in all directions by fumes. He teleported five more times in quick session, escaping the¡¯s atmosphere to reach the space above. Finally, he could see¡ªendless ck surrounded him in all directions, barring the below him and the zing sun to the left.

    He frowned.

    Just now, he¡¯d sensed something¡ªa sharp sense scanning the and locking onto him. It was like being stared at by a wild animal. Cold killing intent washed over this Elder in waves, drenching him in sweat.

    Yet, now that he was in space, he couldn¡¯t see anything. He was alone. What was going on?

    ¡°Show yourself!¡± he roared into the void. ¡°In the name of the Animal Kingdom, dere your intentions!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± A cold snort was the only reply. Just this snort alone distorted space for thousands of miles, and Elder Caran felt his organs vibrate. He was instantly filled with fear.

    ¡°I apologize, senior!¡± he quickly shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize your noble aura! Please ept the apologies of me, Elder Caran!¡±

    Though he said that, he could still feel no aura. He just knew that whoever had released that snort was far, far stronger than himself.

    ¡°All you can do is oppress and grovel,¡± a cold voice echoed in response. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elder Caran, but some things cannot be fixed with apologies. All you dogs of the Animal Kingdom¡­should just die.¡±

    Elder Caran, for better or for worse, was still an Elder of the Animal Kingdom. When had anyone spoken to him in such a tone? ¡°Senior!¡± he eximed, barely containing his rage, but he didn¡¯t have more time to speak.

    Space distorted a hundred miles away. A dark starship appeared behind a single man. He wore brown pants and a gray cloak which left his chest exposed. Just by standing there, the aura he exuded was like a living god, the center of the universe. Thews bowed around him¡ªthe starlight curved. His fist contained such power that simply clenching it strained the surrounding space, like an ancient titan born anew.

    Elder Caran¡¯s legs went cold. He¡¯d met an Ancestor before, but even he hadn¡¯t carried such aura. This was the single strongest cultivator he¡¯d ever encountered. He felt like a child¡ªthey weren¡¯t even on the same level.

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    Before Caran could respond, the man drew back his fist and punched it out. The world lost its colors. The stars disappeared. Endless purple converged from deep space to form a massive fist a hundred miles wide, blotting out the sun and radiating extreme power.

    The fist flew towards Caran and the behind him.

    ¡°No!¡± he roared. This had been too sudden, too abrupt! He tried to teleport away, immediately abandoning his post in the face of such a terrifying adversary, but he discovered to his horror that space around him had been sealed. Let alone teleport, he couldn¡¯t even fly away. There was no avoiding this fist!

    Caran shouted in frustration. He realized that, most probably, he was about to die. He had no idea why. He should have several more millennia to live¡ªfor his life to end like this was simply a joke.

    All that bitterness fed into his insanity, which, at the precipice of life and death, erupted with all its power. ¡°Five Star Warp!¡± he cried out, pushing a palm forward. Five points glittered in space¡ªthe tips of his five sharp fingernails. The strike tore through the spatial lock and shot forward, carrying undeniable momentum.

    At the end of the day, Caran was a middle C-Grade. In front of his strike, even a mountain range would have no choice but to copse.

    His palm shed against the fist. There was barely an impact. Before this massive purple fist, Caran¡¯s attack simply shattered like a ss ball thrown against a wall. The fist only slowed down for an instant before resuming its advance, mming into Caran, breaking all his bones, and effortlessly carrying him backward. He couldn¡¯t even scream.

    The fist carried on, falling towards Earthen Gemini like a ming meteor. Before it even arrived, the force of its advance pressed against the¡¯s atmosphere, forcefully pushing the fumes aside like plumes of smoke against the wind. For the first time in the¡¯s history, the sky was clear. Thousands of people below looked up in surprise, seeing all the way to space above and to a massive, purple, fist-shaped meteor falling towards them. The ones with the sharpest gazes saw the broken body of Elder Caran stered on its middle finger. They screamed.

    The fist came down. The world shook. The groaned. A massive shockwave erupted, sendingrge quantities of fumes into space and recing them with raised dust. The area a thousand miles around the point of impact was directly annihted, and the itselfpacted under the force, cracking all around. The shockwave quickly traveled around the, killing almost everyone. Those who survived perished to the extreme heat and vibrations that followed. Even the two early C-Grade Enforcers, who had the bad luck of being near the crash site, were instantly in.

    The impact was so powerful that it shook the¡¯s core and forcefully changed its shape. Looking at it from far away in space, Earthen Gemini folded around the point of impact, thend rising to form new rings of mountains which immediately copsed, and then waspressed towards the core. A massive explosion urred on the other side, sending millions of tons of rocks flying into space and creating a massive crater. Endless ravines opened across the,hundreds of miles in depth. Lava shot out.

    Soon afterward, Earthen Gemini could no longer take it. The cracks spread past the point of no return. Entire pieces of the broke away one by one, and Earthen Gemini fractured into a collection of roughly nine moon-sized pieces which flew off in different directions, escaping their previous orbit around the sun. They would soon berge asteroids aimlessly crossing space, fall into the sun, or be absorbed into another celestial object of this sr system.

    Where there used to be a, there was now only a humongous cloud of dust.

    Jack watched coldly from his vantage point in space. In a single strike, he had destroyed a. He was not terrified by his powers, nor was he regretful about the many lives he¡¯d taken. None of them was innocent¡ªall were cultivators of the Animal Kingdom, soldiers of the enemy.

    All he felt was fulfillment and dark satisfaction. He looked at his hand, then slowly clenched it into a fist. All this power he possessed¡­ He was d for it. He needed it to destroy his enemies, avenge his son, and protect his family.

    Eight years of cultivation. Eight years of moving from one catastrophe to the next and using them to grow stronger. From struggling to defeat a goblin, Jack had reached the point of punchings into oblivion. He had slowly but surely stepped into the highest echelons of the universe.

    Suddenly, he smirked. An old memory came to mind. A couple years before the Integration, he¡¯d gone to an interview for a job heter refused. They¡¯d asked him where he saw himself in ten years. He didn¡¯t remember what he¡¯d answered then, but he certainly hadn¡¯t gotten it right.

    <em destroyer, </em>he thought, smiling to himself. <em>Not quite part of the corporatedder.</em>

    As for the people in the starship behind him¡ªBrock, Salin, Nauja, Bomn, and Vashter¡ªthey were shivering without exception. Not due to the brutality of all this, but because of the power he¡¯d exhibited.

    Was this really the power of a cultivator?

    All of them were forced to look at themselves and acknowledge that this was a level they could never hope to reach. The only exception was Brock, whose chest ballooned with pride and ambition. Soon, he too would possess such power. The way of the bro would resound across the universe, ushering a brighter, happier era.

    Of course, that would all be meaningless if they lost themselves in the process¡­ Brock¡¯s face darkened, but he said nothing. Not yet.

    Jack looked up. A number of notifications rang in his ears. The System acknowledged his efforts.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 319.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 320. Further levels locked until the development of your next Dao Fruit.</strong>

    He smiled. This was the first time he got so many levels that the System had to withhold a few. It was natural¡ªhe¡¯d just killed a great number of cultivators, and while most of them were too low level to give him any experience at all, there were a few at the C-Grade. Elder Caran, specifically, was at a simr level to Jack. The only reason he¡¯d seemed so weak was that Jack¡¯s battle power was an entire Grade beyond what his level indicated.

    But that wasn¡¯t the end of the notifications.

    <strong>Congrattions! For single-handedly destroying a, you are awarded the Title: Destroyer.</strong>

    <strong Destroyer: A Title awarded to those who have destroyed a. Efficacy of all stats +5%.</strong>

    A rush of power flooded Jack. His body grew denser, his mind sharper, and his heart clearer. No matter how strong he got, a percentage increase was always significant. If anything, it mattered even more to him because of his inted stats. A five percent increase at this point was more than three hundred points worth of Physical.

    Amidst his joy, however, he frowned. This wasn¡¯t a hard title to get. Since it didn¡¯t specify doing it in one strike, most B-Grades should be able to achieve it given a bit of time. Maybe destroying a was a secret initiation ritual for B-Grades at high-level factions. He only hoped they went for uninhabited ones.

    Of course, the System wouldn¡¯t have done this by ident. It encouraged people to destroy because it wanted to make them into callous warriors who would stand up to the Old Gods. It was nothing but a war machine.

    Whatever the case, Jack had gotten another increase in power. That was always nice. He shook his head and flew back to the Trampling Ram.

    This was just the beginning.

    The Animal Kingdom would pay.

 Chapter 446: Sixth Fruit

    Chapter 446: Sixth Fruit

    Eva Solvig was silent. A projection yed in front of her¡ªa massive purple fist descending from the sky. Then came screaming and an impact. That was all.

    She yed it over and over. All the while, she remained silent, her brows creased. No one could tell what she was thinking.

    The door to her chambers burst open. ¡°Is it true!?¡± Artus Emberheart eximed, barging in.

    She turned to him, and her frown deepened. ¡°You will show respect.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he quickly corrected himself, but his agitation was evident. ¡°Is it true? I have to know.¡±

    Eva wordlessly yed the projection one more time. She watched Artus¡¯s face change from doubt, to disbelief, to horror. ¡°No!¡± he shouted. ¡°No! It can¡¯t be! He¡ª He¡¯s dead! He died a year ago!¡±

    ¡°Looks like he didn¡¯t¡­¡± Eva¡¯s voice was tired. This issue, this man, had turned from a minor annoyance to a grave worry. Too many times he¡¯d survived the impossible¡ªtoo many times she thought she had him, only for him to slip out from between her fingers.

    For the past year, she¡¯d constantly had a feeling he would one day emerge alive from the Animal Abyss. Everyone told her it was unreasonable, just a manifestation of her heart demon. Yet, it had somehow turned true. She didn¡¯t even have the energy to rejoice at being right¡ªgrim terror filled her entire being, a premonition ofing death.

    Jack Rust was a force of nature. His talent and potential were unprecedented. Soon, he would surpass her in strength, and then he woulde to kill her. She had participated in murdering his son¡ªthe hatred between them waspletely unbridgeable. He wouldn¡¯t stop until she died.Finally, Eva was forced to admit she¡¯d made the wrong enemy¡­but it was toote to change things.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Artus raved from beside her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied tiredly. ¡°It should be impossible, but the truth is before our eyes. When the Animal Abyss disappeared two weeks ago, it was his doing. Not only did he escape, but he even earned some benefits.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a cockroach!¡± Artus shouted. ¡°He just refuses to die! We must do something, Commander, or he¡¯lle right here and kill us!¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that? Calm yourself, Artus. You may have rendered great services to the Hand, but I will still remove you from your post if you revert to the thoughtless lunatic you used to be.¡±

    ¡°Remove me?¡± Artusughed. ¡°We¡¯re in the same boat now, Commander. We live or die together.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but I don¡¯t need your pestering while I try to solve this problem.¡± She leaned onto the table, deep in thought. ¡°Earthen Gemini waspletely destroyed,¡± she said. ¡°We can safely deduce that Jack Rust¡¯s hatred has reached a genocidal level. The only reason he¡¯s aiming it at the Animal Kingdom is because he doesn¡¯t have the power to face me yet¡ªbut, if he keeps earning levels so quickly, it won¡¯t be long before he does.¡±

    ¡°How do we even have this recording?¡± Artus asked.

    ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s Grand Elder hasmanded all Enforcers to carry projection stones transmitting their recordings to an off-world outpost. That¡¯s the only reason we even know of that man¡¯s return¡ªwe must capitalize on this and catch him before he grows even stronger.¡±

    ¡°Even stronger?¡± Artus said, grasping at straws. ¡°He can¡¯t! I killed his son, I broke his Dao. There is no way he can recover!¡±

    ¡°Just because you can¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t either,¡± Eva shot back. Artus grimaced. ¡°We must act on the assumption that he¡¯s not only recovered, but alsoe back stronger. There can be no room for error. We cannot afford to underestimate him. I¡¯m taking over.¡±

    Artus seemed like he wanted to say something but finally held his tongue. ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I will exaggerate the situation to headquarters and request back-up. We need high-level Envoys here¡ªwe will never seed if I¡¯m the only person in the gxy who can catch him. Meanwhile, we need to constrain his growth. Pass down my orders to the Animal Kingdom¡ªevery Enforcer, Elder, and Ancestor must immediately return to Animal, where I will personally move to stand guard. They are forbidden from taking a single step outside¡ªotherwise, I fear they will just be fertilizer for Jack Rust¡¯s advancement.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±

    Eva leaned back, her tired eyes filled with resolve. She had not reached this level by being weak of mind. ¡°I will prioritize this issue over the purging of the Church. Jack is worth ten Church Envoys, anyway¡ªthere is no point in chasing anyone else. From now on, every resource of the Hand of God will be devoted to forming a to catch that man. Remember, Artus. No matter what happens, we must kill him before he grows! That is the only way we can survive!¡±

    ***

    Meanwhile, Jack and the Trampling Ram were hovering in space, far away from all inhabited zones. He was sitting cross-legged in his cabin. Powerful undtions were emitted from his body, not harming the starship but filling it with echoes of power.

    <em>My sixth fruit¡­ </em>he muttered. <em>What will it be?</em>

    A few ideas ran through his mind. He pictured them against his current five fruits to find the one which fit best.

    <em>Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle¡­ And then what?</em>

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere.

    He took a deep breath, then another. He silenced his mind, letting his inner thoughts roam free. Concepts filled his mind¡ªideas, emotions, pathways to the future. Yet, one stood above the others.

    Jack¡¯s eyes mmed shut. He dove into his soul world, finding himself in front of a verdant tree. Dao was sucked in through its roots, then freely traversed the trunk to nourish five fruits and innumerable purple flowers. Unlike the time when Jack had been partially crippled, his tree was now filled with life, as well as power.

    He gazed at the fruits. They were purple, blue, green, ck, and red respectively. They did not form aplete whole yet, not even close, but they bore the early hints of his futurepletion.

    The next fruit would not be based on furthering such apletion. Jack stared at his tree again, more carefully this time. Hints of darkness hid amidst the purple. They slithered around like tiny ck snakes, intertwined into his Dao yet unable to enter his fruits. They could only wander around the trunk, aimlessly moving up and down, wasting their power.

    These were the results of Jack¡¯s present state of mind. Though he¡¯d mostly recovered from his grief, the darkness remained in his heart. It would stay there until hepleted his revenge or, maybe, forever. The transformation he¡¯d experienced was so great it now constituted part of him¡ªthat was the only way darkness could seep into his soul.

    Jack could choose to ignore this darkness or embrace it. However, in his years of cultivation, he had learned to be true to himself. This didn¡¯t mean he would be an amoral vignte or a man who lost his sense of right or wrong, but that he acknowledged the darker sides of life as well.

    Yin and yang. Darkness in the light. Bnce.

    An eye for an eye. That was also part of the Fist.

    Jack spoke resolute words. ¡°My sixth Dao Fruit¡­will be Revenge!¡±

    All those dark snakes gathered into one stream, recklessly climbing his Dao Tree. They reached the branches and chose one, diving into a single purple flower. The flower turned darker andrger¡ªit transformed. A fruit began to form, ck as the night, crimson like blood. The two colors intertwined, eventually forming a dark crimson fruit as if made of dry blood. It was shaped as a skull.

    Jack let the transformationplete and die down, then released a long, long sigh. Power trickled into his limbs, yet his attention was focused on the newly created fruit.

    This fruit felt simr to death, yet they were clearly different. Death was a concept¡ªcold, distant, emotionless, just an understanding of reality. Revenge was hatred, bitterness, rage, a desire to inflict harm on others. One was reality, the other was emotion.

    And, perhaps, this wasn¡¯t something he wanted to internalize.

    Jack shook his head again. He did not know what the future held, but he hoped that, after this was all over, he could return to the light, though the darkness inside him would never leave.

    Then again, wasn¡¯t that the point of being human? The only people without darkness were the ones who hadn¡¯t lived enough.

    ¡°What do you think, Copy Jack?¡± he asked, looking to the side. ¡°Enjoy the colors?¡±

    Copy Jack shrugged. He then gave Jack a thumbs-up, an encouraging smile, and flew away to wander the empty soul world. Jack watched him go.

    After he¡¯d left the ck Hole World and returned to the universe, Copy Jack had just¡­awoken. There was no change in him, as far as Jack could see, and he didn¡¯tmunicate anything weird. It was just like he¡¯d taken a long and very suspiciously coincidental nap.

    Jack wasn¡¯t naive. Something had made Copy Jack sleep for the duration of Jack¡¯s stay in the ck Hole World. Was it rted to that world itself, or was it caused by his absence from the universe?

    His best exnation was that Copy Jack¡¯s slumber was rted to Jack¡¯s cracked Dao. He was a Dao Soul, after all, and he had been formed around that Dao. Maybe he couldn¡¯t exist while it was cracked. That would exin the timing of both his slumber and, roughly, his awakening, but it still wasn¡¯t a connection Jack grasped fully. He did not enjoy enigmas inside his soul. He wanted to be in control there.

    Maybe the turtle would know once it awakened as well. Jack gazed at the door on his Dao Tree. It had already been four years since the turtle¡ªVenerable Saint Thousand Shell¡ªsaved him and went to sleep¡­ To such an ancient being, that amount of time was nothing. Maybe it would sleep for a hundred or a thousand years. Jack had no way to know unless he awoke it himself.

    ¡°So many things to do,¡± he muttered, ¡°and so little time¡­ Let¡¯s make the best of it.¡±

    He spared another nce at his Dao Tree, whose Dao was now fully absorbed in all the fruits. The newly-created sixth fruit was already growing. Soon, it would reach maturity, and then Jack could work on the next one.

    His eyes opened in the real world. Notifications weed him.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 321.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 322.</strong>

    <strong>¡­</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 328.</strong>

    Those were the remaining levels from destroying Earthen Gemini. They were more than he anticipated. D and E-Grades shouldn¡¯t give him any experience, so what had?

    Could it be the itself? Or was it his feat of annihting multiple C-Grades with a single strike?

    In any case, Jack allocated his two hundred extra stat points in Physical, then marveled at his status screen¡ªwhile ignoring the error message at the very start, which was starting to get repetitive by now.

    <strong><em>ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.</em></strong>

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 328</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 6540 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6540 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6540 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt II</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Revenge</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer</strong>

    He was progressing nicely. After exiting the ck Hole World, his Dao understandings had shot through the roof, so he could blitz through the levels and reach the B-Grade as soon as possible. Before then, however, he would pay a visit to the Animal Kingdom and the Hand of God branch in this gxy. Both should be destroyed with extreme prejudice.

    He didn¡¯t need to reach the B-Grade to do that. Nine fruits should be enough. Maybe eight.

    Jack rose to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to himself. ¡°The levels are waiting.¡±

    ***

    In another part of the same starship, a brori sat cross-legged. He was neither cultivating nor meditating. All he did was sit there, absorbing the ripples of power released by his big brother¡¯s breakthrough, analyzing them.

    There was darkness in there¡ªBrock could feel it clearly. More darkness than warranted. Big Bro was beginning to wander in the wrong direction, but Brock was here to set him on the right path again.

    That was the duty of a bro.

    Wordlessly, Brock stood up and started walking.

 Chapter 447: Bro Talk

    Chapter 447: Bro Talk

    As much as the Hand of God wanted to hide it, the istion of the Animal Kingdom was a major event¡ªeveryone had questions, and they needed to be answered.

    The news of Jack Rust¡¯s return spread like wildfire. People celebrated all across the gxy, and a number of rebellions were ignited or reignited overnight. Jack was a hero. He symbolized resistance, freedom, and most importantly, he had shown people that it was possible to challenge those above you. He had shown they could win.

    The Animal Kingdom wasn¡¯t the only tyrannical faction, but they were one of the most prominent ones. They suppressed themon people to a ridiculous extent, siphoning off massive quantities of resources and dooming entires to abject poverty. The only reason such a system of governance could persist was the Kingdom¡¯s enormous military power coupled with the fear of the masses.

    In their eyes, the Animal Kingdom was made up of gods, and they were only mortals. What meaning was there in fighting back? They¡¯d just get squashed.

    Jack Rust had shown the opposite. He¡¯de from humble beginnings and rose meteorically through the cultivation world. He had shed with the Kingdom time and time again, always winning. He¡¯d humbled them¡ªshown that they could bleed.

    Thanks to a single man, the iron-d prestige of the Animal Kingdom had shattered overnight. When he became a sensation on Hell, every eye of the constetion had focused on him. The Kingdom had been proven ipetent¡ªand then he¡¯d liberated his, defeating theary overseer in an epic showdown which was transmitted across the gxy.

    How many young people were there in the constetion? How many had boiling blood, a burning heart, courage, and the determination to die for a worthy cause? When they saw Jack Rust liberate his, they wanted to do the same¡ªto save their children, parents, wives, husbands, friends, neighbors, to give them freedom and a good life.

    For thest five years, ever since Jack defeated theary overseer, the Animal Kingdom constetion had been wrought with civil war. Half thes had rebelled, either openly or using gueri tactics. The Kingdom may have been powerful, but they were just too few. How could they simultaneously fight on thousands of inhabitables?

    Themon people were weak, but they were just too many. Moreover, through believing in a purpose and fighting to the death, their strength had rapidly grown. New D-Grades powerhouses appeared everywhere. The constetion was overrun by pirates. The drums of liberation echoed between the stars, and bloody battles urred often. Casualties were aplenty. The war machine of the Kingdom was beginning to rust.The rebels hadn¡¯t managed to form a stable coalition yet, but this was the first time in Milky Way¡¯s history that a major faction was challenged. The Animal Kingdom constetion had never been more tumultuous. That was why the Enforcers of the Kingdom had been rapidly flying around, suppressing rebellions wherever they went.

    It was in that state of the constetion that Jack Rust had returned. He hadn¡¯t been high-profile at the start because he was on a different mission¡ªalmost nobody had noticed him.

    When the Hand of God proimed the news of his demise, the mes of rebellion had been half-snuffed. Jack was more than a cultivator by now¡ªhe was a symbol in the eyes of all cultivators, a beacon of freedom. He was the one who¡¯d originally set them ame, the spark which had fallen on their dry wishes and despair. His death had been a hard blow.

    If even he failed, how could they seed?

    While Jack was in the ck Hole World, the Kingdom had gone all-out. They had slowly pushed back the mes of rebellion and were in the slow process of reinstating order across their constetion. To ensure this situation was never repeated and replenish their troops, they oppressed the people even harder, sucking them dry of all resources. It wasn''t an iron fist anymore, but a steel one.

    That was the context in which the Dark Ram had emerged as a new symbol of freedom, though weaker than the previous one. Brock and his group had tried their best to fan the mes and have the greatest impact possible. In truth, even if Jack really was dead, Brock might have been able to turn things around. His Dao of Brohood was perfect for such a situation. He had already met with several leaders of the revolution and formed bonds of brotherhood. Given enough time, he would rise in power and lead them all against the Animal Kingdom, eventually subjugating it. The brohood was unstoppable.

    But there was no need for that.

    Jack Rust had returned. The symbol of freedom, the original warrior, the g bearer of the entire constetion.

    It wasn¡¯t official yet, but many could connect the dots. Earthen Gemini had disappeared. The Kingdom had recalled every Elder and Enforcer to turtle inside their capital. The smell of their fear reached many noses, and they could onlye up with one exnation¡ªthat man was back.

    Jack Rust was here, and he was strong enough to make the Kingdom cower. A single manmanded the fear of a B-Grade faction, an interster empire.

    Of course, his name was still a whisper in the wind as nothing was certain. But it didn¡¯t matter. The Kingdom had retreated; the rebellions they¡¯d only barely managed to snuff out reignited all at once, spreading wildly with no one to stop them like a wildfire in a dry summer forest. The Kingdom¡¯s million-year-old foundation crumbled. They lost control. The constetion was taken over by rebels, each group ofs their own stronghold, all operating in brotherhood.

    Nobody was taking their resources anymore. Moreover, the experience of war had furthered their Daos. Even more powerhouses appeared, springing up everywhere like weeds. While the main forces of the Kingdom were sealed in its capital, everyone else was growing stronger.

    It wasn¡¯t like the war was over. While the Kingdom had retreated, in truth, that was only their C-Grades. D-Grades and below still roamed the constetion, fighting a bitter war against the rebels.

    One side had numbers, the other powerhouses. Without the Elders and Enforcers, the two enemy armies were roughly simr in strength, and they duked it out in battlefields of epic proportions.

    Jack wouldn¡¯t bother with such small fish. D-Grades wouldn¡¯t give him any levels, nor would he lower himself to massacring weaklings. Above all, this wasn¡¯t his battle to fight. Freedom could only be grasped, not given. Even if he swooped in to annihte the Kingdom¡¯s armies, that would rob the rebels of the opportunity to earn their own freedom.

    Everyone had to fight their own battles. Even if it seemed harsh sometimes, that was the way of the Fist.

    Of course, to themon people, Jack was already helping a lot. In their eyes, he had single-handedly upied the attention of the Animal Kingdom¡¯s C-Grades to give them an even battlefield. He was holding off the enemy leaders so they could fight their underlings.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Tears sparked in the eyes of every rebel cultivator. They ced a fist over their heart. ¡°That man¡­is so heroic!¡±

    ¡°Jack Rust! Jack Rust! Jack Rust!¡±

    ¡°For the Fist!¡±

    It went without saying that pugilists had greatly increased in poption recently.

    Jack knew all those things but didn¡¯t really bother. He belonged to a higher realm now¡ªto him, the Milky Way gxy was just a stepping stone. Meddling too much would be unwise. Let these people carve out their own fates. That was more important than ying hero.

    His own wary elsewhere¡ªin distant space, in the sh of the Church and Hand, of the Old Gods and the Immortals, where A-Grades were only generals and Archons were kings. That was his battlefield.

    As for the rebels of the Milky Way, he would just help them by destroying the Kingdom¡¯s capital. They could dictate their own future afterward.

    Jack leaned against a ss wall, sipping on whiskey¡ªthey¡¯d found a barrel on an enemy starship they destroyed. He rolled the liquid in his mouth, passing it over and under his tongue, between his cheeks. His gaze was piercing the distance until he finally swallowed.

    ¡°So, they¡¯re holed up,¡± he said.

    ¡°Right,¡± Brock replied, standing beside him. His knuckles rested against the ground, his body weight angled forward as if he¡¯d charge through the ss wall and into space.

    ¡°How can we lure them out?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If we make it too obvious, Eva Solvig will arrive. If it¡¯s not obvious, nobody wille¡ªthe C-Grades have already retreated and will not move without reason.¡±

    Jack clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s a problem. I need a few more levels.¡±

    ¡°Why is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°I need to kill them to get levels. Slowly cultivating by myself will take a very long time.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see the problem.¡±

    Jack turned around with a puzzled frown. ¡°What are you trying to say, Brock? I can¡¯t assault their capital yet, and they will note out. I have no way to earn more levels. I¡¯m stuck.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Brock muttered sagely. ¡°So there are no other C-Grade cultivators to hunt?¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Other C-Grade cultivators? I wouldn¡¯t want to go against innocents, but¡­ Ah! Do you mean the Hand of God?¡±

    Brock smiled. ¡°Excellent idea, bro. You¡¯re so smart.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all you, Brock.¡± He cupped his chin, suddenly energetic. ¡°The Hand of God¡­ They¡¯re trying to destroy every outpost of the Church in this gxy, right? If Eva Solvig is leading them, and she¡¯s ate C-Grade, everyone else should be weaker. I can take them.¡±

    ¡°Right. So we can go after them.¡±

    ¡°We can find their outposts. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard¡ªthey¡¯re public, unlike the Church¡¯s. And it¡¯s two birds with one stone, because not only are they the enemies of the Church, but also our personal enemies. They had a stake in what happened. They must also feel my wrath.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it that way, but yes. They deserve to die.¡±

    ¡°Well then, who am I to refuse the levels they so kindly offer?¡± Jack replied, spinning around. ¡°Nauja!¡± he shouted. ¡°Can you check the star map and find the nearest Hand of God outpost?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± she replied from the next room, while Salin shouted,

    ¡°Good idea! We didn¡¯t have enough enemies before!¡±

    Jack rolled his eyes, motioning towards the next room. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    Brock, however, shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°I want to talk to you for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    Jack seemed confused, yet also like he suspected what Brock wanted to talk about. Defensiveness and relief alternated in his eyes. Brock stared at him gently, yet deeply.

    ¡°How are you, big bro?¡± he finally asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Nothing is fine. I am exactly as you imagine¡ªbitter, angry, and sad. How else could I possibly be?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±

    Jack sighed again. His body rxed, and from the outside, it seemed as if he¡¯d deted. Rather than the hard man he always was, he now seemed vulnerable¡ªa side he would only show to his closest people.

    ¡°This is hard, Brock,¡± he confessed. ¡°I am struggling. I have gotten over the shock, but the grief remains, and I don¡¯t think it will ever go away. All I can do is lean into the rage. Am I supposed to live my entire life like this? A sad, angry man?¡±

    Brock took a step forward and ced a hand on Jack¡¯s shoulders. They seemedpletely mismatched from afar, a human and a brori, but they were brothers at heart. ¡°Time heals everything,¡± Brock said softly.

    ¡°But that¡¯s a lie. Time softens the wounds, that¡¯s all it does. Only we can heal ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Listen to my words, bro. As long as you keep taking small steps forward, as long as you never give up, then even the deepest wounds will be healed given enough time. That is the meaning of time heals everything.¡±

    Jack raised his gaze to meet the brori¡¯s. ¡°How much time is enough? I do not enjoy this, Brock. I want it to be over quickly.¡±

    ¡°As much time as needed. It may be difficult, but you must endure. You must be strong. Guard your heart against the darkness and endure the pain, taking tiny steps forward until it¡¯s over. It will happen sooner than you think.¡±

    Jack sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re a good brother, Brock. What would I do without you?¡±

    Brock smiled. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, bro¡­ You are shouldering a lot, and so many things have happened and are happening. What you feel is natural. I just want to let you know I¡¯m here for you. We all are¡ªthat is the meaning of brohood. Whatever is happening, we can go through it together. You are not alone.¡±

    Jack felt touched. He raised his head and smiled. ¡°Thanks. I needed that.¡±

    ¡°I know. But at the same time, brother, there are some other things I must say. I don¡¯t want to, but it¡¯s my responsibility as your bro.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. He drew back a little. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You need to pull yourself together. As hard as this may be, you cannot afford to let it overwhelm you. You wield great power. If you misstep even a little bit, millions of people could die needlessly¡ªon either side.¡±

    ¡°There is no needless death at the Animal Kingdom side.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Brock replied, his eyes hardening. ¡°You¡¯re doing great so far, brother. Your actions are just and measured. You are a hero, but I can see that your mind is clouded. You just developed a dark Dao Fruit. I can sense that you are losing yourself, slowly walking off in the wrong direction. You are giving into the darkness without realizing it. Your resistance is being worn out. That is no good. You must turn yourself around and remember to keep fighting always, because if you don¡¯t, then sooner orter there will be a moment when you make the wrong decision, and then you won¡¯t be a hero anymore, but a criminal. A deranged murderer.¡±

    Jack chuckled angrily. ¡°What do you know, Brock? You cannot understand the pain I¡¯m going through. Do you realize that I had to watch my own son get killed? Just rising to my feet after that is an achievement. The only way I can hope to bring justice to Eric is to avenge him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just saying, be careful not to go too far, because you¡¯re about to.¡±

    ¡°How can I not go too far, Brock? My heart is a boat in a sea of darkness, and the only thing keeping me from capsizing is revenge. I cannot, and will not, deliver it calmly. I will strike out wildly and exterminate everyone who ever hurt my son, everyone who assisted in his murder, and everyone rted to those people. That was my promise to him: the name Emberheart would cease to exist. If I go back on it, I will have failed him again, and I cannot stand that.¡±

    Brock clenched his jaw. He stared deeply into Jack¡¯s eyes, not with anger or challenge, but with sadness. Jack did not look away. Finally, Brock shook his head.

    ¡°Your words are wrong. I understand that your burden is heavy, brother, and I know that anyone else would have copsed already, but you need to beat this. You need to be strong. Because you are my big bro, and I demand that of you.¡±

    Brock turned and walked away, and Jack watched him. He did not speak. His thoughts were hazy, and his anger was still seeking an outlet. <em>Since when am I so irritable? </em>he thought. <em>Is he right? Am I going too far? Or is he just afraid of shadows?</em>

    <em>Fuck this.</em>

 Chapter 448: Lighting Souls on Fire

    Chapter 448: Lighting Souls on Fire

    As the true overlord of this gxy, the Hand of God liked to keep a discreet but solid grip on every major faction. Their outposts were ced on important locations.

    Of course, the Hand of God was more than just a supervisor. Every gxy branch had its own base, resources, disciples, and troops. They could be called a major faction of their own. Even back in Trial, one of Jack¡¯s main opponents had been a beast tamer called Minerva¡ªa disciple of the Hand of God.

    The Hand of God branch in the Milky Way gxy possessed twenty-six cultivators at the B-Grade, either as full or guest members, and its leader was at the peak B-Grade. However, for the purposes of the Second Crusade, most of those people had been withdrawn. The strongest person remaining was Eva Solvig alongside an array of early B-Grade Branch Elders.

    Those people were naturally spread across the gxy. The branch headquarters of the Hand of God were nowhere near the Animal Kingdom constetion. They did, however, possess a few sizable outposts, one of which was the Crown Meteor Outpost.

    In the darkness of space, a meteor traveled alone. It was not shaped as a boulder, but roughly as a crown¡ªthis was its natural shape, and also the reason it was chosen to hold an outpost. The crown possessed seven tips, each of which housed the personal quarters of a Branch Enforcer. As for the main tip, which was usually reserved for the Head Enforcer, it was presently upied by an early B-Grade Branch Elder who¡¯d been dispatched here specifically to keep an eye on the widespread rebellion.

    While the Hand couldn¡¯t spare the resources to help the Animal Kingdom, they wanted to be near the situation.

    The Hand of God branch nurtured its own disciples, but even so, they weren¡¯t at the level where they could produce arge number of B-Grades. Of the twenty-six theymanded, most were forcefully borrowed from other factions¡ªthe Hand demanded that each major faction send a fraction of its B-Grades to serve them as both a tribute and a sign of unity.

    The Branch Elder who had been sent to watch over this rebellion was exactly one such case. His name was Edelstein Magnifold, a feshkur cultivator from the Wide Swirls faction. Unlike most of his species, who tended to be barbaric warriors, he was a refined gentleman often seen wearing a suit and a top hat. He was a man of progress¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t always a good thing.

    On this particr day, Elder Edelstein leaned over a clean, white bench. He frowned at it, then rotated his monocle in thought. The only object on the bench was a bare human brain suspended in green fluid.¡°Hmm,¡± the Elder muttered to himself. ¡°Odd. It¡¯s not reacting.¡± He then looked up towards an assistant. ¡°Get me another, will you? I think this one came broken.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± the assistant replied obediently. She was a human at the peak D-Grade, one of Elder Edelstein¡¯s most devoted disciples. She grabbed another jar of green liquid and was about to rush to the prisoner quarters when the ground below them shook. The disciple swayed for a moment, then caught herself. She flew outside theboratory, finding that Elder Edelstein had teleported there before her. He was cupping his chin.

    ¡°Curious,¡± he said. ¡°I could have sworn this meteor was whole.¡±

    The assistant¡¯s face paled. Of the Crown Meteor¡¯s seven tips, two were missing, crushed into smithereens. A gap had been created in the perfect circle¡ªit no longer resembled a crown but a thorny half-moon.

    Even worse, one of those two tips had contained the outpost¡¯s teleporter.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± Elder Edelstein said. The assistant looked up, glimpsing a tall, rough man floating above them. He wore only a set of brown shorts and a gray cloak which fluttered behind him, revealing a bare and thickly muscled chest. A natural air of savagery radiated from his body. His eyes shone like dark stars, and his fists¡­ Just by standing there, he gave the feeling of an immovable object, an unstoppable force. Gravity itself bent around him.

    The man did not return Elder Edelstein¡¯s greetings. The Elder didn¡¯t seem to mind. He continued, ¡°You must be the infamous Jack Rust.¡±

    The assistant gasped again. She saw the many C-Grades who¡¯d risen from around the meteor shrink back, with only a few at the peak C-Grade still daring to stand straight.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jack Rust replied.

    ¡°And I suppose you are here to do battle?¡±

    The man did not reply again, but this time, a heavy aura spread from his body. It felt almost physical. The assistant recoiled like she¡¯d been submerged in a vat of mercury, and even the surrounding C-Grades hesitated. Elder Edelstein motioned at them. ¡°All of you stand back for now. This is not an opponent you can beat.¡±

    His voice was perfectly calm as always. However, the assistant had been with him for many years, and what she found hidden deep beneath that calmness was an emotion she never expected to see in her master¡ªhesitation.

    ¡°You can¡¯t beat me either,¡± Jack Rust replied. ¡°How about you stretch your neck? I¡¯ll make it quick.¡±

    The Elderughed. ¡°There are no grievances between us, Jack Rust. I¡¯m only a guest Elder from the Wide Swirls. If you have something to settle with the Hand of God, I can step aside as long as you don¡¯t go too far.¡±

    Jack¡¯s face warped into a hard smile. ¡°Too far? Well, I am going topletely destroy this ce. Does that count as taking it too far for you?¡±

    The Elder frowned. ¡°That would make things difficult. I have no desire to sh with you, but if I just let you kill all these people and word gets out, that will mean a lot of trouble for me.¡±

    ¡°Too bad; that¡¯s exactly what I n on doing.¡±

    The Elder thought for a while, remaining absolutely calm on the surface. Everyone around them was sitting on nails, but neither of the two speakers seemed to mind.

    A peak C-Grade burst into motion without any warning. His form blurred as he shot into deep space. Jack didn¡¯t even turn to look. Space warped around the escaping C-Grade, who suddenly found himself running straight towards Jack. A hand easily grabbed his throat. Then, with a simple squeeze, the C-Grade had his neck broken and perished instantly.

    Nobody had had the time to react. Even Elder Edelstein could only stare on. He, too, could easily kill a peak C-Grade, but would it be so effortless?

    He hadn¡¯t been certain about Jack Rust¡¯s power before. His middle C-Grade cultivation made him easy to underestimate, but as a Branch Elder of the Hand of God, Edelstein was privy to more information than themon person. He knew that Jack Rust possessed the power to tussle with an early B-Grade like himself, at least for a bit. The reason he¡¯d been avoiding battle was that he was a cautious individual by nature and saw no reason to risk his life here, even if that risk seemed small.

    Now, however, he was forced to reevaluate. Could it be that Jack Rust was stronger than him?

    That was impossible. He was an early B-Grade, while Jack Rust was only a six-fruit C-Grade. They were separated by several small realms and arge one. Moreover, Elder Edelstein wasn¡¯t some weakling either. He had decent hopes of reaching the middle B-Grade in his lifetime.

    The Elder thought hard. ¡°I favor the young,¡± he finally said. ¡°Let me make you an offer, Jack Rust. There is no need to fight, but I also can¡¯t just let you kill my underlings. How about this: If you can withstand a single strike from me, then I will consider this issue as bygones. If you have a personal grudge with someone in this outpost, I will even let you handle it. What do you think?¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    In Elder Edelstein¡¯s mind, he was being very smart. This offer ensured he didn¡¯t have to fight while saving most of his face¡ªif he lost this gamble, as he certainly would, he had an excuse to retreat without seeming like a coward. At the same time, Jack Rust would gain prestige and also conclude his business foring here, whatever that was. It was a win-win situation.

    He thought this was a great offer. Which was why he was shocked when Jack Rust onlyughed.

    ¡°You want me to endure a single strike and you¡¯ll forget about this? Are you stupid? I am here to kill all of you!¡±

    Elder Edelstein finally frowned. His monocle fell. He thought this was just a fake deration Jack made to seem brave, but why was he insisting so much? It couldn¡¯t be that he really wanted to fight him here, right? Not when he had so many C-Grades to support him?

    ¡°You¡¯re going too far,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve made you an offer with consideration for both our faces, but don¡¯t think I am truly afraid of you. Just ept my gamble. There is no enmity between us¡ªno reason to shed blood.¡±

    ¡°No reason to shed blood?¡± Jack gave a hard smile. ¡°How convenient for you. Just because youe from another faction, you think I will spare you? That you can distance yourself from the Hand of God¡¯s wrongdoings? Tell me this, little Elder. If I wasn¡¯t standing before you as an equal, but as the weaker party, would you spare me on ount of having no previous enmities, or would you capture me and surrender me to the Hand of God?¡±

    The Elder¡¯s brows fell even lower. His calm manner of speech finally cracked. ¡°You¡¯re pushing it.¡±

    ¡°So what if I am? What are you going to do about it?¡±

    Elder Edelstein remained silent. He was inwardly considering whether to attack immediately. The only reason he still held back was a sharp instinct inside him insisting that this was a terrible, terrible idea¡ªthat Jack was much stronger than he seemed.

    ¡°I will ask you onest time in the name of our neutral rtionship,¡± he said. ¡°Leave this ce. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡±

    Jack onlyughed. ¡°Oh, Elder, you little Elder. You keep mentioning ourck of enmity like it¡¯s something important. Let me tell you something: even if I hadn¡¯te here with the express purpose of killing you, even if I didn¡¯t n to use you to level up, even if you could somehow absolve yourself of the Hand of God¡¯s crimes, I still wouldn¡¯t spare you. Do you think I can¡¯t sense the prisoners you keep in that crown tip over there? Those humans you¡¯veid out on racks, some broken, some dead, with their organs exposed in jars? Just for that, you deserve to die. You¡¯re a lunatic.¡±

    ¡°Cruelty is nothing in the face of progress,¡± the Elder replied, slowly releasing his aura. A storm of gray filled the world¡ªan endless Cruelty. His eyes sharpened. The monocle swayed by his aura but the hat remained on his head as if glued to his flesh. ¡°I don¡¯t me someone as young and naive as you for not seeing that¡­but you will. I will make sure of that. When you join them and are unable to either live or die, only existing to further my experiments, then you will realize how sweet your pain feels. When nothing else remains, my progress will be your inner purpose.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°You sicken me. Go die.¡±

    Purple and gray collided. The two auras ground against each other, pushing back and forth, but the stronger side was soon revealed. Jack¡¯s aura was expanding, continuously pushing back the Elder¡¯s. He paled, as did everyone around them. ¡°C-Grades, assist me!¡± the Elder shouted, redoubling his efforts, but it was already toote.

    Jack flickered. Nobody saw how he moved, but in the blink of an eye, the eleven C-Grades surrounding him were all dead. Some had their chests punched through, some had their heads shattered. None escaped. Only then did Elder Edelstein¡¯s attack arrive¡ªa cold gray light as if born from the depths of a cier.

    Jack turned to look at it. Then, he reached out and directly crushed it with his hand. The Elder gasped. ¡°How?!¡± he shrieked. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! That attack could cut through everything¡ªhow can you block it!?¡±

    He was shocked. He thought he might be weaker, but he never imagined the difference to be this great. Facing his question, Jack only smiled¡ªa smile which brought terror to the heart of every onlooker.

    ¡°Simple. It¡¯s because I am strong, and you are weak.¡±

    The Elder no longer spoke. He tried to run away, but suddenly, his surroundings transformed. The crown meteor transformed into a colosseum, the panicking cultivators turned into a screaming crowd. Sand was below his feet, and the cold breeze smelled of blood.

    He did not consider this too much. He tried to escape, certain it was just an illusion, but found himself crashing against the unbreakable walls of the arena. <em>Spatial barriers! </em>he realized in horror. The arena may have been an illusion, but the walls were real, formed of the Dao of Space. He could not break them¡ªnot in time. He could not escape.

    He turned around, finding Jack approaching one step at a time. ¡°Goodbye, little Elder,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you¡¯re less of an asshole in your next life.¡±

    Elder Edelstein screamed. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! I will detonate my¡ª¡±

    He didn¡¯t have time to finish his words. Jack¡¯s body flickered with lightning. The energy was done gathering in his fist, an incredibly dense point which erupted right in the Elder¡¯s face. The explosion was titanic. In despair, the Elder channeled all of his bitterness into his inner world, exploding it and his body in the greatest strike he could reveal. He was full of hatred¡ªhe knew he was going to die, so he hoped to at least take Jack with him. Hisst thoughts were bitter.

    However, all that energy achieved was to sh evenly against Jack¡¯s Supernova. The shockwave ruptured the spatial barriers and the vision of the arena, as well as the entire Crown Meteor around them, sting the entire outpost into smithereens. Only a tiny part remained¡ªthe prison where Edelstein kept his prisoners. Jack had protected them and would release themter, saving as many as he could.

    As for Jack himself, though he was a little battered, the majority of the explosion had spread outward¡ªhis Supernova had sessfully matched it in a frontal sh.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 329.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 330.</strong>

    <strong>¡­</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 340. Further levels locked until the development of your next Dao Fruit.</strong>

    Jack smiled. He was so far ahead of the power curve that getting levels was trivial. The only difficult part was finding suitable opponents.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he muttered to himself, watching his bleeding fist. ¡°My all-out strike can defeat an early B-Grade. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t kill him if he didn¡¯t explode himself, but he would be left unable to fight. At this rate, it won¡¯t be long before I can fightte B-Grades.¡±

    The gap between the different minor realms of the B-Grade was significant. Jack could one-shot most early B-Grades and defeat most middle B-Grades, but that didn¡¯t mean he could win againstte B-Grades. At most, he could fight them for a while.

    However, with a few more fruits¡­

    He shook his head, not allowing himself to fall into thought just yet. This Elder also didn¡¯t possess a space ring, just like Mure Emberheart, and every other cultivator here had already died, but Jack still had some work to do.

    The prisoners weren¡¯t the only thing he¡¯d protected. He stretched out a hand and arge projection stone flew to him through the rubble. This was an advanced model capable of constetion-wide broadcasting. Of course, any broadcast was useless if no one tuned in to the right frequency, but Jack had nned ahead of time and had Brock notify the rebellion bros.

    He activated the stone and set it to the agreed-upon frequency. The projection stone blinked red.

    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± he said. ¡°This is Jack Rust speaking.¡± He couldn¡¯t see himself, but he imagined that he cut a pretty heroic image with his dusted face and the sea of debris behind him. ¡°I understand news of my death has been spread, but it is false. I am very much alive. In fact, I am standing in the remains of Crown Meteor, a former outpost of the Hand of God. I just killed the early B-Grade cultivatormanding this ce, along with every other enemy, and I have a message I would like you to spread across the gxy: The Hand of God and the Animal Kingdom took something very important from me, so I will take everything from them. I will destroy thempletely. Every single disciple they possess, I will kill; every base they have, I will annihte. Their Elders will crumble before my fist.¡±

    His eyes shed with dark light. He hoped he was making the right impression. ¡°I don¡¯t need assistance in this. I will do it alone. I have the power. So, act for yourselves; if you are currently fighting for freedom, keep doing it. Don¡¯t depend on me, but only on yourselves. That is the way to grow strong. And, if you are a disciple of the Animal Kingdom or Hand of God listening to this¡­ Then I advise you to leave your faction and start running. Because I am after you, and I will find you. I will ughter you to thest man. Too long you have made us suffer; now is your time to be destroyed. Your leaders made the wrong enemy, and you will all pay.

    ¡°As for you, leaders of the enemy¡­ Just sit tight. Keeping turtling up in that Animal of yours and wait for me patiently. I wille. There is no need to search for me. I will kill all of your underlings, all those criminals you abandoned, until my strength is enough. Only then will I show up at your doorstep to kill you all, and there is nothing you can do about it. You <em>will </em>die. Count your days.¡±

    He raised a fist. ¡°For freedom. For Eric. For the Fist.¡±

    And then he shut the projection stone, shattering it. He didn¡¯t need it anymore. The message had been given. The me was lit.

    And the Animal Kingdom was ame.

 Chapter 449: Spoon Squad!

    Chapter 449: Spoon Squad!

    The bars of Animal were not in good shape. First of all, the was overpopted by everyone retreating here in panic, therefore the bars were full as well. Second, an aura of fear hung over everyone¡¯s head, pressing them down with seemingly unceasing persistence.

    ¡°Can you believe it?¡± a man whispered to hispany. ¡°We, the overlords of the constetion, have been reduced to this!¡± He banged a fist on the table, not hard enough to break it, but enough to make a sound.

    ¡°I just pray for our survival,¡± another replied with a heartlessugh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. The Animal is protected by the Ancestors! Even Ja¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shhh!¡± Everyone shushed him at the same time. These days, anyone who spoke the name of Jack Rust in any bar was immediately escorted outside.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± the cultivator continued. ¡°Even that man wouldn¡¯t dare toe here. We are safe.¡±

    ¡°And what do you know?¡± another argued. ¡°He hunted down immortals on Hell. He defeated our strongest inner disciple, then escaped. He killed an Elder on his <em>first year </em>of cultivating. It¡¯s been seven since then¡ªwho¡¯s to say he can¡¯t contend with our Ancestors?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re spouting bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? You saw the projection. He killed an Elder of the Hand of God¡ªthose people are at the B-Grade, just like our Ancestors! Who knows how many levels he got from that? We are just waiting here to die!¡±¡°Shut up! What are you, a spy sent to demoralize us?¡±

    ¡°Open your eyes, idiot. How much more can we be demoralized?¡±

    Nobody got angry at his words. Instead, their eyes were filled with sadness. The Animal Kingdom, the overlords of a constetion, had been reduced to a gathering of scared people at bars gossipping about a man whose name they didn¡¯t even dare to mention¡ªa man who might soone to destroy their. They might die at any point without knowing what was happening.

    And there was nothing they could do about it.

    The Elders of the Animal Kingdom were also powerless. They were currently gathered in a grand hall, usually filled with servants and wine. Today, however, both of those were missing. The Elders sat on hard chairs with equally hard expressions.

    ¡°Give us the daily report,¡± the Grand Eldermanded in a tired voice.

    Another Elder stood up. ¡°Reporting to the Grand Elder. Today, we lost twos at the outer side of the constetion¡ªEarth-207 and Djinn Heaven. Our armies stationed there had no survivors. There were also skirmishes in the general space territories of thoses, where neither side won, as well as a major battle near the Orion neb. We suffered light casualties.¡±

    The Elder was ready to provide more details as asked, but nobody replied. It was understandable. This situation was depressing.

    Twos lost in a single day. It wasn¡¯t muchpared to the entire Animal Kingdom constetion, which contained tens of thousands of them, but it painted a clear picture of the rebel army advancing while they retreated.

    They were in dire straits.

    ¡°What about Jack Rust?¡± the Grand Elder finally asked.

    ¡°He has not made a move yet.¡±

    The Grand Elder nodded, waving for the Elder to sit back down. It was hard to imagine that this situation, the copse of an interster empire, hade about by a single man.

    Jack Rust had repeatedly challenged and humiliated them, shattering their image of dominance and encouraging others to do the same. He¡¯d killed an Elder. They thought that was bad enough, but now, he¡¯d returned after several years for more.

    He¡¯d somehow destroyed the Animal Abyss and in Ancestor Mure, the strongest Ancestor of the Kingdom. It didn¡¯t matter if he had help or not. Soon afterward, he¡¯d in several Enforcers and an Elder, then stormed a Hand of God outpost and publicly proimed his return and intention topletely destroy the Animal Kingdom. The Hand of God hadpletely recalled its forces from their constetion in response. Moreover, they had long forced the Kingdom to also recall everyone, giving the rebel armies ground to expand and solidify. The entire constetion had turned into Jack Rust¡¯s yground.

    As much as the Grand Elder had wanted to oppose that decision, he couldn¡¯t. It was the best they could do. Any Elder outside their capital was just a bag of levels waiting to be picked up by Jack Rust. Even the rebel armies were a small threatpared to him.

    Everything converged to that man.

    The Grand Elder had no hopes of reconciliation. The grudge between them and Jack Rust was unbridgeable¡ªthis battle would be to the death. If he survived long enough, he would eventuallye here and challenge their entire.

    If they managed to kill him before that, then they could send out Elders to route the revolution. It would be hard for a while, but after a few millennia, they would probably be able to recover. All the losses they were suffering now, all the skin that was torn off their Kingdom¡¯s body, those could all be recouped as long as they killed Jack Rust¡ªthe greatest catastrophe their Kingdom had ever experienced.

    The Grand Elder felt tired, like he¡¯d grown several millennia older in the span of a few years.

    ¡°Honored Grand Elder,¡± said the Elder giving the daily report, ¡°would you not like me to expand on any piece of information?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point? If there is no news about Jack Rust, anything else is meaningless,¡± the Grand Elder replied with a heavy sigh. Everyone waited for him to continue, to lead this meeting, but he didn¡¯t speak immediately. He took some time to gather his resolve. His gaze grew heavier. Finally, he spoke.

    ¡°I have already convened with the Ancestors,¡± he said. ¡°The reason I called for this council was not to discuss the present circumstances, but to announce something to you all. We¡­are awakening the Supreme Ancestors.¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    The Elders gasped. Their eyes widened¡ªthough, in their hearts, they¡¯d expected this.

    ¡°Are you sure, Grand Elder?¡± one of the Elders couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    The Grand Elder gave him a hard stare. ¡°Do I look unsure?¡±

    Supreme Ancestors were the Animal Kingdom¡¯s final reserve. In truth, this was amon practice in high-Grade factions. Once a particrly powerful Ancestor approached the end of their life, they would be put into cryogenic stasis to greatly extend their lifespan. If the faction ever experienced a great catastrophe, the Supreme Ancestors would be awoken and asked to help¡ªbut, of course, they could only do this once or twice before their bodies naturally expired.

    Due to the high cost of maintaining a cultivator¡¯s body, the Animal Kingdom only possessed two Supreme Ancestors; one from the Emberheart and one from the Lonihor family. The only time in history they¡¯d been awoken was the final stage of the war between the Animal Kingdom and the Exploding Sun. This would be the second.

    The Grand Elder was not excited about this. Having to awaken the Supreme Ancestors meant that he had failed in his duties. It was a tremendous expense which would likely end with one of them, or maybe both, dying for real. Just the resources required to put them back to sleep afterward could bankrupt a C-Grade faction. Thinking about it made his heart bleed.

    However, what else could he do? Even the Supreme Ancestors weren¡¯t omnipotent. He feared that, if he waited until Jack Rust arrived to attack them, it would be toote for them to make a difference. He had to awaken them now and ask them to help the Hand of God find Jack Rust. He had to send his own dying ancestors on a wild goose hunt.

    What a shameful act. But, for the Animal Kingdom, he would endure. It was his duty.

    ***

    Far away from the Animal Kingdom constetion and its struggles, a much grander war was ying out.

    The Hand of God and ck Hole Church were shing. Their conflict spanned several gxies both inside and outside System space. Only C-Grades and above qualified to participate in this struggle¡ªB-Grades were elites, and A-Grades were generals. The Second Crusade was a war of unprecedented scale, even surpassing the First Crusade, and this was only the beginning. The Old Gods hadn¡¯t made their move yet. Nor had the Heaven Immortal.

    Of course, a war of such scale unfolded over a long period of time. The present state of things was that the ck Hole Church had been chased out of many System gxies, and they had voluntarily retreated from some others. After all, any battle inside System space put them at a disadvantage.

    However, the Church hadn¡¯tpletely retreated. Small, elite teams still roamed System space, striking critical locations for the Hand and retreating swiftly.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon was the leader of one such team. As the Head Envoy, he was one of the most important people in the Church army, just below the Elders, and he also possessed extreme battle power. Over thest few years, he¡¯d reached thete B-Grade. He was said to be invincible within the B-Grade¡ªsome even spected that his strength touched the A-Grade.

    In this stage of the war, Sovereign Heavenly Spoon led the most effective and elite team of Envoys. They roamed behind the enemy lines like ghosts, striking swiftly and powerfully. They were the nightmare of every Envoy in the Hand of God.

    On this day, the Spoon Squad struck again. A lone starship appeared next to an isted full of magma. The spatial barriers set up around it didn¡¯t even ripple¡ªwhoever guided this ship possessed an understanding into spacetime which far dwarfed Jack¡¯s.

    Five people shed outside the starship. At the head was Sovereign Heavenly Spoon, wearing his aloof smile and carrying a small silver spoon. To his right stood a form d entirely in a dark hood which seemed to ripple as if made of spacetime, and to his left was a man with yellow teeth and ragged robes¡ªthe Sage.

    Two more people followed. One was a bronze-skinned man with long hair like rivers of stars, and the other a woman wielding a long spear. This was Min Ling. She had suppressed her cultivation for many years to consolidate her foundation as much as possible, but as the war began, she¡¯d finally broken into the B-Grade. She was now an Envoy of the Church, and a powerful one, too.

    All of them were. Below the A-Grade, this was the strongest squad the Church had to offer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon said. ¡°Sage?¡±

    ¡°All safe. We have five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Bottomless?¡±

    The form wearing the rippling hood raised its hands. The fabric of spacetime around the rippled. Suddenly, they saw the entire warp, twisting and turning, ready to shatter. Just before it broke apart, a silver shield appeared over it, forcefully twisting the back into shape. As the magma clouds drifted into space by the intensity of the shaking, the atmosphere cleared up, and a city-sized facility was revealed. The shield seemed to originate from there.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon smiled. ¡°Found you.¡±

    Swarms of cultivators flew into space to face them. There were hundreds of C-Grades led by eleven B-Grades¡ªthis was an important location for the Hand, so its guards were nothing to scoff at.

    But they were still not a match for the Spoon Squad.

    Without a word, without wasting any time, Min Ling and the star-haired man flew into the crowd of guards. They were like wolves among sheep. Blood washed the void, and the ripples of their battle mmed into the below, forming craters dozens of miles deep. Only the facility remained intact, protected by a more condensed version of the previous silver shield.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± A manughed¡ªthe head of the guards, a peak B-Grade. ¡°Run away while you can, Heavenly Spoon! That shield was personally created by Elder Purity¡ªit is impregnable! Even you can¡¯t break it before the Elders arrive!¡±

    He seemed so sure of himself. The Sovereign only smiled. ¡°Oh no, whatever will I do now?¡±

    He raised his spoon. A massive green shadow of a spoon appeared in space, dwarfing the entire. It was positioned right above the facility. It mirrored the movements of the Sovereign¡¯s little spoon as it reached down, gently cupping the entire continent the facility was based on. Its radius was much greater than the shield¡¯s.

    ¡°No!¡± the head guard screamed. He attacked, trying to interrupt the sovereign, but the rippling form of Bottomless easily stopped him.

    Meanwhile, Sovereign Heavenly Spoon raised his spoon, and the giant green phantom effortlessly scooped up the continent. ¡°Thanks for the meal,¡± he said, slipping the little spoon into his mouth. Therge green spoon mirrored the movement¡ªand the continentpletely disappeared.

    He burped, then winked. ¡°Why break it when I can digest it?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± the head guard shouted again, but it was toote. The form with the rippling cloak¡ªBottomless¡ªkilled him quickly, and by that time, Min Ling and the star-haired man were done ughtering the others. The Spoon Squad was intact. They all flew back into the starship, then Bottomless teleported them away.

    ¡°How long did we take?¡± the sovereign asked.

    ¡°Two minutes,¡± the Sage replied. ¡°Not bad at all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Maybe I should have taken another bite.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the next destination, Head Envoy?¡± Bottomless asked, their cloak fluttering in an unfelt wind.

    The sovereign replied, ¡°I received a message from Elder Boatman some time ago. We¡¯re headed to the Milky Way gxy, Animal Kingdom constetion.¡±

    ¡°The Milky Way gxy?¡± the star-haired man asked with disgust in his voice. ¡°That empty, weak ce? Why would we go there?¡±

    ¡°To pick up an old friend.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re sending us to escort someone!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, those are the orders. If you disagree, bring it up with the Elders.¡±

    The star-haired man fell silent, though his disapproval remained evident on his face. As for Min Ling and the Sage, both seemed excited.

    ¡°What¡¯s our travel time, Bottomless?¡± the sovereign asked.

    ¡°Two weeks,¡± they replied. ¡°The Milky Way is at the edge of System space. I just hope this isn¡¯t a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The sovereign raised a brow. ¡°Even you disagree, Bottomless? I guess it¡¯s understandable. You haven¡¯t met that man. Hey, Sage¡ªdo you also think this is a waste of time?¡±

    The Sage gave everyone a toothy grin. ¡°You have no idea.¡±

 Chapter 450: Brotherhood

    Jack¡¯s message had been broadcasted throughout the constetion. Various rebeling forces received it, spreading it through theirs. His war deration to the Animal Kingdom set ame the hearts of his supporters, and the fact that he¡¯d already killed a B-Grade negated any doubts about his ability.

    Fireworks crackled in the sky. Cheers echoed. People ran to the streets and celebrated. Their idol, the source of their courage, the angel of freedom, had returned for them! Their liberation was no longer just a dream¡ªthey could do it!

    They believed!

    In a single week, the scattered rebels across the constetion united in onemon front, campaigning in the name of Jack Rust. It didn¡¯t matter that he wasn¡¯t with them¡ªthey knew he was fighting the same war, battling against the same enemy. That was enough.

    For the first time, they believed they could win.

    Banners and gs flew over starships. The drums of war beat. Elite squads zipped into space, aiming to ambush the Animal Kingdom forces, while armies prepared for war.

    And Jack calmly went about his own business, letting them fight their battles.

    ***

    Developing a new Dao Fruit tested three things.One was the cultivator¡¯sprehension into their Dao. It needed to be deep and multifaceted enough to support more manifestations. The second was the robustness of the cultivator¡¯s Dao Tree¡ªthe degree to which they identified and respected their Dao. Finally, the third test was the cultivator¡¯s ability to withstand the influx of power. In Physical cultivators, this manifested as their bodily intensity.

    Needless to say, Jack excelled at all those things. Developing a new fruit was a trial for most, but for him, it was just another day.

    Jack sat in meditation. Six fruits hung before him, proud and full, and one question filled his mind: Which would be the seventh?

    Again, he had plenty of ideas. Perseverance, Grief, Wrath¡­ Those and more were avable, as Jack had already embraced them to a degree. This time, however, he thought he¡¯d do something different.

    He remembered Brock¡¯s words. That he was beginning to walk down the wrong path. It wasn¡¯t that Jack didn¡¯t see it himself, but that he struggled to face it. No matter how tenacious his willpower, he was bound to make tiny slips, and they weren¡¯t easy to notice. He needed someone to stand by his side and let him know when he misstepped. He needed a brother.

    Brock was there for him.

    Jack thought back to their previous conversation. It had been a few days, and after his defensive anger had subsided, he could see that Brock had¡­at least half a point. Without him, Jack would have been lost for longer. Who knows if anyone else could have mustered up the courage to tell him he was wrong.

    Therefore, Jack decided to make his seventh fruit about that one critical thing. Not hisposure or the correct path forward¡ªthe real kicker in this situation was the fact that someone reliable was beside him.

    If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Nobody could reach the top by themselves. And Jack had Brock.

    The seventh fruit was one of Brotherhood.

    It grew on the branches of his Dao Tree, resembling a monkey fist. Jack smiled and bumped it with his own. ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± he whispered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡±

    The way forward was cloudy, and his mind remained filled with darkness. He would surely misstep again. However, as long as he had Brock by his side to show him the way and the willpower to see it, he would never be truly lost.

    That was the way.

    After developing his next Dao Fruit, the remaining levels from destroying that outpost also arrived.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 341.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 342.</strong>

    He, obviously, invested everything in Physical.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 342</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 6820 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 6820 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 6820 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt II</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Revenge, Brotherhood</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer</strong>

    As Jack left meditation, he whistled in joy for the first time in a while. He was already back at the Dark Ram, so Brock looked over. ¡°Sup, bro?¡± he asked. ¡°All good?¡±

    ¡°All good, Brock. My seventh fruit is ready. Say whatever you want for the System, but it¡¯s damn good for leveling up.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°How do you think that works, anyway? How does the System give me levels?¡±

    ¡°Good question.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Salin eximed from a nearby chair where he lounged. ¡°They told us that when I was studying in the Kingdom. The difference between the ambient energy of the universe and a cultivator¡¯s inner energy is that thetter is more condensed and also attuned to the cultivator¡¯s Dao. That is why you can¡¯t just absorb energy; it needs to go through a purifying process. The caveat is that while you can¡¯t recklessly absorb energy from the universe, you can steal the already purified energy in another cultivator¡¯s soul.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°You can?¡±

    ¡°Damn right you can! Stealing is always on the table!¡± Salinughed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy, of course, but the System is good at its job. When you kill an enemy, that causes their soul to implode, harmlessly releasing all their gathered Dao into the atmosphere. The System uses the Dao of Swallowing to absorb part of that energy for you.¡±

    ¡°But then how is it attuned to my Dao? If I kill someone with the Dao of Water, do I absorb Water Dao?¡±

    ¡°Not really. The System can¡¯t make it into your own Dao but it <em>can </em>transform it into distilled energy¡ªsimr to absorbing a Dao Stone. It can then use this energy to either enhance various aspects of you, like your body and mind, or feed it to your soul so you can rapidly rise in cultivation. At the C-Grade, it does a bit of both.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°You never asked.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I did.¡±

    ¡°Then whoops.¡±

    Jack rolled his eyes. ¡°And I guess that the higher you go, the more energy goes into your soulpared to being used to increase your stats?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. The stat gains per level berger the more I rise in Grade. By what you¡¯re saying, they should be lower.¡±

    Salin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh, you want to y hard. Okay then. The full exnation is that the higher you rise, the smaller the fraction of energy which goes into your stats. However, your opponents are also much stronger, meaning that the total volume of stolen energy isrger. That is why the actual stat increases are greater. They¡¯re a smaller piece of arger pie.¡±

    Jack cupped his chin. ¡°Yeah. I guess that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°See? Never doubt me again, Jacky.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you not to call me that.¡±

    ¡°So what? You think I¡¯m afraid of you just because you destroyed a or two?¡±

    Jack raised a brow. Salin coughed in his palm. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m a little afraid. Can you not murder me please?¡±

    Jack stared for a moment, then burst intoughter. ¡°Just kidding, man. You should have seen your face.¡±

    ¡°You should have brought a mirror.¡±

    ¡°Never change, Salin. Never change.¡±

    ¡°I hear someone left seclusion,¡± a new voice came from the corridor. Nauja emerged, chewing on a piece of hexagonal candy. ¡°Congrattions on your new fruit, Jack. I guess it¡¯s time for a strategy meeting?¡±

    ¡°High time,¡± Jack agreed.

    Nauja plopped down on a chair, as did he. They were nked by arge ss window showcasing the colorful emptiness of space. Stars twinkled in the distance, a symphony of innumerable suns, while the branches of the gxy stretched overhead.

    Underneath the starlight, the four of them sat infortable chairs, reclining into the pillows and enjoying this moment of peace. It was only after Bomn and Vashter arrived that they kept talking.

    ¡°The rebellion is proceeding in full,¡± Nauja reported. After learning how to read, she enjoyed it, so she¡¯d be the crew¡¯s information gatherer. It paired well with her excellent eyesight. ¡°Since we forced the Kingdom¡¯s C-Grades to retreat, there are only D-Grades on the battlefield. It¡¯s the equivalent of a D-Grade faction against a constetion. Unless the Hand of God acts somehow, the rebels are going to win. The Animal Kingdom will lose its constetion¡ªthat is not a price they can afford. If we just sit back and wait a bit, they will be forced to send out their C-Grades again, at which point we can go around assassinating them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Jack said, ¡°but I don¡¯t want to wait. I like how they¡¯re all grouped together. I want to storm their capital and kill them all at the same time.¡±

    Salin raised a brow. ¡°I appreciate the bloodthirstiness, but how exactly are you going to do that? They have Eva Solvig, ate B-Grade, and who knows what else.¡±

    ¡°I need to level up just a little more,¡± Jack said. ¡°If I can reach nine fruits, I¡¯m confident in defeating Eva Solvig. Even if a peak B-Grade shows up, I should be able to escape.¡±

    ¡°Strong,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°Thanks. I try.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of storming their capital and killing everyone,¡± Salin said, ¡°my father is a C-Grade of the Kingdom. We aren¡¯t in touch anymore, and he¡¯s a little bit cooked in the head, but would you mind sparing him?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Jack replied. ¡°You¡¯re my friend. I wouldn¡¯t kill your father.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. You know it¡¯s a bit weird that you had to say that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Can we not talk about this like we¡¯ve already seeded?¡± Nauja asked. ¡°The Kingdom is a hard nut to crack! Eva Solvig must be shivering by now¡ªshe might call morete B-Grades to assist her, or maybe she¡¯ll even summon her mother, thatte A-Grade Elder of the Hand of God. We can¡¯t afford to take this lightly!¡±

    ¡°Elder Purity is not going toe,¡± Jack replied with certainty. ¡°The war between the Church and Hand must be proceeding in full force. If not, Elder Boatman would have arrived first. Either that or he¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°I hope Grandpa Dead is okay,¡± Brock said. ¡°He was cool.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack agreed. ¡°We should find a way to contact him. We need to go over after we¡¯re done here.¡±

    ¡°Guys. Focus,¡± Nauja said, waving her hands to get their attention. ¡°Animal Kingdom, B-Grades, danger. Stay on subject, please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of them,¡± Salin said, wiping a fake tear from his eyes, while Bomn and Vashter nced at each other and shrugged.

    ¡°We can go after more Hand of God outposts,¡± Jack said. ¡°Just one of them gave me sixteen levels. A couple more and I¡¯ll reach the nine fruits boundary.¡±

    ¡°That couple more will be difficult,¡± Nauja argued. ¡°They know we¡¯re after them now. They¡¯ll either evacuate everyone important or sendte B-Grades to secretly guard the outposts.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°I know that, but it¡¯s the only n thates to mind.¡±

    ¡°Then we need to think a bit harder.¡±

    So, they thought. Five minutester, Gan Salin said, ¡°Sorry, I fell asleep. Are we done yet?¡±

    ¡°I have nothing,¡± Jack said, slightly annoyed. ¡°We could go to other constetions and try to hunt down random C-Grades, but I don¡¯t want to involve innocents. It¡¯s not like I have any more enemies right now. Who knew ack of them would be a problem?¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Brock replied. ¡°That used to be our strong suit. What went wrong?¡±

    ¡°We can always go after Hand of God outposts in other constetions,¡± Nauja said. ¡°They can¡¯t possibly evacuate the entire gxy. However, constetions arerge¡­ Traveling there would take a long time if we want to avoid major teleporters, and if we don¡¯t, we might fall into a trap. If it¡¯s our only option, it¡¯s predictable.¡±

    ¡°Can you fight ate B-Grade, bro?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°Maybe, maybe not¡­ It would be hard. But I can probably run away.¡±

    ¡°Then, we can afford some risk.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°Only if the ship stays at a safe distance,¡± Bomn said¡ªthis was the same trick they¡¯d utilized when Jack assaulted the previous outpost. ¡°That way, if things go wrong, Jack doesn¡¯t have to think about protecting us. He can just escape.¡±

    ¡°As much as I hate saying so, I¡¯m good at that,¡± Jack said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think the Hand would make such a mistake. They know I¡¯m fast. If they predict our next move and prepare a trap, escaping will not be so simple.¡±

    ¡°Then, what?¡± Nauja asked. ¡°We¡¯vee full circle and we still have no idea.¡±

    ¡°There is only one solution,¡± Jack said. ¡°If they find us, we lose¡­but they can¡¯t know what we¡¯ll do if <em>we </em>don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll do. Salin?¡± He turned to the canine. ¡°You¡¯re insane, therefore unpredictable. What do you suggest?¡±

    Salin gave everyone a triumphant smile. ¡°I know just the thing,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s attack Hell again.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± everyone replied at the same time.

    ¡°What? They won¡¯t expect it.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s the point?¡± Nauja asked. ¡°They¡¯ve already recalled everyone. Hell has no objective for us.¡±

    ¡°They <em>say </em>they¡¯ve recalled everyone,¡± Salin exined, ¡°but I don¡¯t believe it. Hell is full of D-Grade disciples. Most remain there even at times of war, and they¡¯re too many to evacuate into Animal. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d just leave the unprotected¡ªif only to defend against sabotage from another major faction. There has to be at least one C-Grade there¡ªprobably at a pretty high level, too.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other.

    ¡°But it¡¯s so close to Animal,¡± Nauja said. ¡°Eva Solvig might make it in time.¡±

    ¡°Unless she¡¯s setting up a trap elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°So you want us to assault Hell, risking being found, just in case they¡¯ve left ate C-Grade to watch over the D-Grades.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you are the ones who asked for an insane n.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jack said. ¡°I think we can get in and out pretty quickly, but is it even worth it? Ate C-Grade will only give me a couple levels.¡±

    ¡°You said that destroying Earthen Geminist time gave you a bunch. You can just destroy Hell. Plus, it will throw them off, and we can more safely assault a high-value target next time.¡±

    They mulled over it. ¡°I mean, sure,¡± Jack finally said. ¡°Even I feel a bit bad for bullying Hell so much, but what the hell? They deserve it.¡±

    ¡°I agree with big bro,¡± Brock said. ¡°This is war. The more they fear us, the more we can harm them, the better.¡±

    Everyone else eventually agreed. For the third time in his life, Jack was about to visit Hell¡ªone of the Animal Kingdom¡¯s most important locations. Unlike the other two times, however, he wouldn¡¯t sneak around. He would arrive in force.

 Chapter 451: Meeting a Legend

    Chapter 451: Meeting a Legend

    Jack was on the Trampling Ram, shuttling through a familiar region of space. The first time he was here, he¡¯d engaged in gueri warfare and managed to earn levels in the D-Grade. The second, he¡¯d fallen into a trap and been chased into a nearby ck hole.

    This would be the third and final time he visited Hell, and hopefully thest one.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting here,¡± Nauja said as the ship slowed to a crawl. ¡°If you need anything, just give the signal. We¡¯ll arrive in seconds.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jack replied.

    This wasn¡¯t the first he attacked. He was stronger than ever¡ªunless Eva Solvig showed up, he was confident in handling things.

    He left the Ram and flew forward by himself. Hell was several hundred thousand miles away, so he had time to observe it before he arrived. He saw its many continents separated by lines of sea¡ªits gargantuan size, many timesrger than Earth. He could not identify the continent on which he¡¯d spent some months once upon a time.

    Weirdly enough, he¡¯d never actually seen Hell from space before. He hadn¡¯t witnessed its grandeur. Though it seemed wild and pure, it emanated a certain majesty, making him realize just why the Kingdom had taken this as part of its core.

    He arrived before the unnoticed and gazed down at it.

    The original n had been to destroy Hell as he had Earthen Gemini. That would give him the most levels. On Brock¡¯s insistence, however, they¡¯d dropped that n.Like Earthen Gemini, Hell was mostly upied by D-Grade disciples of the Animal Kingdom¡ªsoldiers of the enemy. Unlike the other, however, Hell was habitable. It contained forests, ins, oceans, and jungles. It was filled with animals. If Jack destroyed it, he would be reaping trillions of innocent lives, and that¡¯s not even including the scattered prisoners of the Kingdom roaming the¡¯s many continents.

    Even for a good cause, he wouldn¡¯t do that, so he couldn¡¯t destroy the. He¡¯d do the next best thing.

    Jack flew around Hell, taking care to remain undetected. His eyes scanned its surface. He knew fromst time that the administrative center of Hell was arge prison from which the Warden ruled¡ªit was the greatest building on the, the size of a town itself and surrounded by an Animal Kingdom city. Most of the cultivators should be gathered there¡ªdestroying it would give half the benefits of destroying the.

    He soon discovered what he was looking for. A towering fortress, unpainted and undecorated, emanating an aura of brutal cruelty. gs of the Animal Kingdom flew above its walls, portraying a roaring lion, while a city spread around it. Just by looking at this ugly fortress, Jack could imagine the inhumane conditions inside.

    His lip twitching, he zoomed in. The atmosphere heated him up into a crims. His cloak fluttered. Without slowing in the slightest, he plummeted through the upperyers of the atmosphere and descended towards the prison.

    He did not n to taunt and grandstand. Hell was littered with teleporters. He couldn¡¯t destroy them all, so there was always the chance of Eva Solvig arriving if she was nearby. Jack needed to strike swiftly, then depart.

    Protective barriers appeared as he fell from the sky, but he broke right through. ss-like fragments filled the air. rms sounded from the prison, but Jack was already in the air above it.

    ¡°Die,¡± he muttered, shooting out his fist. He borrowed his fall to increase its momentum¡ªa purple meteor blossomed into existence, parting the air as it crashed downward at tremendous speed. More barriers appeared¡ªmore shattered. A few attacks flew at the meteor from below but they were like toothpicks thrown at a giant. The meteor crashed into the fortress, breaking through its roof and nailing into the ground. Arge shockwave spread from the point of impact¡ªthe fortress was demolished, the houses upturned, the cultivators sent flying. A wave of dust rose to submerge the city, and the gs of the Animal Kingdom were ripped apart by the wind, fluttering wildly in pieces.

    The entire city was destroyed in the blink of an eye. Most people hadn¡¯t even realized there was someone attacking. Hundreds of D-Grades were instantly killed.

    Jack knew that, while this ce looked like a city, it was actually the Kingdom¡¯s main training area for D-Grade cultivators. There were barely any innocent people down there, all soldiers of the enemy. The only exceptions were the prisoners held inside the fortress, but Jack had made the conscious decision to strike regardless.

    The prisoners here weren¡¯t many¡ªmost were running around the as animals to be hunted¡ªand, even if he didn¡¯t kill them directly, he wouldn¡¯t be able to save them in the little time he had. They were doomed to stay here and be tortured by the Animal Kingdom for some time more. Therefore, he believed their sacrifice was worthy¡ªby greatly elerating his leveling speed, he could save many more of the millions of people dying to the Kingdom every day.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 343.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 344.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 345.</strong>

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 346.</strong>

    <em>Only four levels¡­ </em>he thought, sighing. It was less than he¡¯d hoped for. The average C-Grade would be happy to get four levels in a decade, but to Jack, this speed was much too slow.

    There wasn¡¯t much he could do about it right now.

    It had been less than ten seconds since Jack entered Hell¡¯s atmosphere, yet the prison was already destroyed. He didn¡¯t have much time left¡ªhis job was done. He instantly turned around and flew back into space, teleporting rapidly to escape faster.

    No matter how quick their reaction was, even if Eva Solvig was waiting right by a teleporter, there was no way she would arrive within the first minute. However, to ensure sess, Jack had resolved to stay here for half a minute¡ªgo in, destroy the city in one strike, rush out. Simple and clean. It would be impossible for anyone to catch him unless they were already waiting here.

    Jack rushed in the direction of the Trampling Ram.

    Suddenly, space solidified before him, interrupting his series of teleportations. Jack¡¯s danger sense acted up. Without thinking, he flew to the side, barely dodging a spear which appeared in the space he previously upied.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± an elderly voice rang out. ¡°Good reflex.¡±

    Jack tensed up. He hadn¡¯t sensed anyone nearby. A figure stepped out of the void ahead of him¡ªas easily as a child stepping through curtains.

    It was a leonine Jack hadn¡¯t seen before. He reeked of age and death. His fur had fallen off, leaving only white patches, and his skin was so wrinkled it seemed fake. He was small, too, shorter than Jack, as if old age had shrunk up this once majestic leonine into the size of a child. Gazing into his eyes, Jack found them pale and muddied¡ªlike he could barely see.

    This person, whoever he was, gave off the impression that he just barely clung onto life. Yet, he did¡ªand despite his appearance, there was nothing weak about him.

    Jack¡¯s danger sense acted up. His hair rose. Something inside him screamed to be careful because this decrepit old leonine was a genuine threat to his life¡ªa feeling he hadn¡¯t experienced since he faced Eva Solvig.

    ¡°It¡¯s just like the young to be overeager,¡± the leonine said. ¡°Attacking Hell¡­ What wonderful recklessness.¡± His voice was weak, yet it easily spread through the vacuum of space. He sounded joyful¡ªand partly bitter.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Jack asked. He scanned him at the same time.

    <strong>Leonine, Level ??? (B-Grade)</strong>

    <strong>Faction: -</strong>

    <em>No faction? Is he not with the Animal Kingdom?</em>

    The level wasn¡¯t visible, as it never was for people of a higher Grade, but Jack could still use his Dao perception to gauge the old man¡¯s strength. It was tremendous¡ªeven greater than Eva Solvig¡¯s, though shriveled up by old age just like his body. At his peak, he was probably at the peak B-Grade tier. Now, he possessed the strength of a normalte B-Grade cultivator.

    But even ate B-Grade wasn¡¯t someone Jack could necessarily match.

    ¡°I guess you could say I¡¯m nobody,¡± the leonine replied, chuckling. ¡°If my name still existed, I would be Travelus Lonihor, pioneer of the Milky Way and one of the founders of the Animal Kingdom. For an old man like me to return just to deal with a boy like you¡­ It is a bit unsightly.¡±

    Jack was dazed. Founder of the Animal Kingdom? As far as he knew, the Kingdom had been founded shortly after the System arrived at the Milky Way, almost a million years ago. Was this old man iming to have lived that long? B-Grades could only live for a hundred thousand years at most. What was going on?

    <em>Wait. He mentioned he has returned from somewhere¡­ Could it be he was revived!?</em>

    Jack was unfamiliar with the concept of cryogenically-maintained Supreme Ancestors. It wasn¡¯t something people tended to share. He naturally arrived at wrong assumptions, but whatever the case, he didn¡¯t dwell on it too much.

    There was no time to chat. He needed to escape quickly. His mind quickly analyzed the situation: This old man had solidified space to stop his teleportation. Their Daos of Spacetime were at simr heights¡ªor, at least, the old man wasn¡¯t too far off. Jack could probably outrun him, but that didn¡¯t mean he could escape. He¡¯d already approached the Trampling Ram. If the old man discovered that, Jack would be ced in the same conundrum asst time, when he needed to protect the ship or let it leave alone. There would be no time to teleport away.

    He needed to defeat this old man quickly.

    Jack no longer bothered with speaking. His aura rose. Waves of purple whipped at the surrounding space. His cloak fluttered wildly, and a condensed aura hugged his body, making him resemble a devil warrior. He didn¡¯t know if he could win, but he was ready to go all-out from the very start.

    Facing this disy of power, the old man was unbothered. ¡°Pretty good for a C-Grade,¡± he said. ¡°Let me stretch these old bones.¡±

    The void split above him. Divine radiance rained down, an amount tremendously vaster than anything Jack had ever witnessed. It hugged the old man,pletely hiding his appearance, and the silver light morphed into shiny te armor. Ance appeared in the old man¡¯s hand. His aged face seemed to recover a hint of vigor, while sets of wings unfurled from his back one after the other.

    Eight white wings pped majestically, showering the world in radiance. Even a fifth pair of wings was faintly visible, just a shadow which hadn¡¯t yet materialized. Meanwhile, a dozen divine warriors appeared around the old man, each possessing strength at the early B-Grade.

    This was the Lonihor family¡¯s angel battle form¡ªthe same technique every single member of the Lonihor family had used so far. By now, Jack knew this was a cultivation technique originating from the ck Hole World, but this old man seemed toprehend it to a greater extent than anyone Jack had ever fought before.

    Jack had read the description of this technique¡ªwhose original name was Art of Divine Providence¡ªat the ck Hole World. The practitioner could manifest two wings at the E-Grade, four at the D-Grade, six at the C-Grade, eight at the B-Grade, and ten at the A-Grade. There was even the theoretical level of twelve wings when one became an Archon.

    This old man hadn¡¯t reached the A-Grade even in his prime. Yet, he could manifest a shadow of the ten wings. That was a testament to his great talent, unfathomable power, and deep understanding. It drove home how this decrepit old man was one of the greatest talents to ever grace the Milky Way gxy, the founder of a B-Grade faction and interster empire, a pioneer of cultivation who¡¯d ushered his entire species into a million year-long era of prosperity. This was a hero returned from the dead¡ªand Jack was asked to cross an entire Grade to fight him.

    Jack was fighting for his life. There were many weights on his shoulders. Yet, despite all that, he found himself fired up at the prospect. The man before him was a legend¡ªhe waste-game material. And Jack was about to take him down.

    ¡°I have half a minute, old man,¡± he growled. ¡°Bring it on.¡± His aura erupted, and he charged.

 Chapter 452: Late B-Grade

    Chapter 452: Late B-Grade

    The universe smelled of blood and power. Two different forces warred between the stars¡ªa Fist and a divine spear of supremacy.

    Jack didn¡¯t dare hold back. Not only was he facing an extremely powerful opponent, but he was also struggling against time¡ªif this took too long, more enemies would arrive.

    His aura red. Purple mes licked the void, just the aftereffects of Jack¡¯s Dao, while he¡¯d already entered the Life Drop battle form. Each of his four fists shone a dark purple¡ªeach carried the power to annihtes.

    He smashed out. The old man facing him, Travelus Lonihor, met Jack¡¯s fist with the tip of his spear. None of the two gave way. From their sh, cracks spread through the void for hundreds of miles as if the universe was a giant ss window shattering under their tremendous power.

    The Dao in that area of space had already gone wild. It flickered everywhere, caught in the raging streams of their collision, gathering in massive waves that sted outward. The of Hell wasn¡¯t too far away¡ªthe shockwaves of each sh crashed into the, manifesting as powerful gales from the sky. Trees bent, small animals were lifted and thrown around, tornadoes formed. Every living being on Hell bowed their heads and sought shelter against the battle of gods urring far above their heads.

    Of course, Jack and the old man were almost a hundred thousands miles away. If not, the itself would be suffering under the shockwaves, not just its surface.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong!¡± the old man eximed, drawing back. His old eyes shone beneath the helmet¡ªhis spear was steady despite the shakiness of the hands holding it.

    ¡°I could say the same!¡± Jack replied,ughing out loud. His cloak fluttered in the wild astral winds. ¡°You are about to be the strongest person I have defeated!¡±

    The old manughed back. He had been a stunning talent in his youth, a battle fanatic obsessed with reaching the peak of martial arts. How could this battle not light his blood on fire? How could he not be excited to fight the single greatest talent this gxy had ever seen? Leonines worshiped strength above all!He had awakened onest time to fight Jack Rust. Even if he were to die here, it would still be worth it.

    ¡°The young will surpass the old! Show me your best, Jack Rust!¡±

    They flew towards each other again. Jack drove his fist forward. It contained his desire to reach the peak, his need to protect himself and the people he cared about. Life and Death intertwined. All seven of his fruits pulsed in tandem¡ªseven different streams of Dao merged as one in his soul, sting outward with the might of a supernova.

    The world shattered. The spear shook. The old man flew a few steps backward, but so did Jack. In that collision just now, they were evenly matched.

    A hint of disbelief entered the old man¡¯s eyes. Jack was, after all, an entire Grade lower than him. To match him even momentarily was a tremendous feat. It was good that he had awakened¡ªeven if he and the other Supreme Ancestor both had to die, killing such an opponent in the crib was worth it!

    Jack charged again, but this time, Travelus Lonihor calmly blocked and retreated. He was old, after all. As excited as he was, he was way past the age when he¡¯d let burning blood cloud his vision. Reinforcements would arrive soon; he didn¡¯t need to win, just stall for time. Even if losing to someone an entire Grade lower seemed impossible, he wouldn¡¯t take the slightest risk. This involved the future of all his descendants!

    As the old man retreated, a group of winged warriors stepped forward to take his ce. They were twelve, each emanating the power of an early B-Grade¡ªphantoms he¡¯d conjured through the Art of Divine Providence. Unlike those conjured by weaker versions of this skill, however, these phantoms were absolutely real. Each possessed the soul of a high-level cultivator Travelus had in in his youth, and so they possessed intelligence.

    The twelve of them surrounded Jack, trapping him in a diamond-shaped formation. Twelve variations of divine power rained down on him. Jack was forced to defend. His body was sted from all directions¡ªhis Dao shields cracked and splintered, the spatial barriers shattered, and finally, a small portion of the attacking energy smashed squarely into his body.

    He growled. Each of these phantoms was far weaker than him, but not only were they twelve and perfectly coordinating, they had also attacked at the moment right after his sh with Travelus, when he¡¯d yet to regather his power. Finger-wide holes appeared in his skin¡ªblood flowed out, then gradually stopped as he regenerated.

    Jack¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Fuck off!¡± A tremendous aura erupted from his body, shattering the phantoms¡¯ formation and sending them flying away. Yet, they were uninjured¡ªthey¡¯d distributed the force equally and easily survived it.

    If Jack pressed the assault now, he could eliminate a few of the phantoms. He could hold off the old man while gradually killing off all twelve of them until he could face Travelus alone. However, that battle n required time he did not have.

    Instead, he ignored the phantoms to charge Travelus Lonihor.

    The old man drew back again. He brought his spear in a horizontal position, absorbing the momentum of Jack¡¯s punch and using it to fly away unharmed.

    ¡°Fight me if you dare!¡± Jack roared, but the old man only smirked.

    ¡°Fight me if you can,¡± he taunted in response.

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    The phantoms converged again. Jack withstood another assault, then broke out of their encirclement and charged the old man, who only defended. This was getting nowhere. Jack was making no progress.

    Anger rose inside him. He had note this far, he had not sacrificed everything just to be toyed with by a living fossil. He stepped forward. His aura emanated in waves, shaking the surrounding space and bending it to his will. He roared, ¡°When I tell you to fight, you fucking fight!¡±

    Space warped around them. Colors emerged from the vastness of space, the endless starlight warping into the vision of a busy colosseum. It was dozens of miles wide; its stands were full of roaring, cheering people of all species, shouting at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°JACK RUST! JACK RUST! JACK RUST!¡±

    The air itself shook by their cheers. The sand was dirty, the wind was dry, and the entire atmosphere reeked of ughter.

    The old man looked around in befuddlement. ¡°What domain is this?¡± he asked. ¡°An illusion? No¡­ Spatial encapstion!?¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t have time to respond. The twelve phantoms had been dragged into the arena alongside the old man. They were already attacking.

    Ripples crossed Jack¡¯s eyes. His body seemed to grow ethereal, an odd existence merging into his surroundings. His hands shed with a thousand seals representing his understandings. He reached into spacetime and directly twisted it, forming twelve prisons where time and space stagnated. The phantoms of divine warriors froze mid-air¡ªas if they existed in a separate, timeless dimension.

    The old man looked on with incredulity. ¡°How can you have such understandings?!¡± he asked. ¡°You are so young, so weak! This is ridiculous!¡±

    Jack forced himself to smile. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t do it, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t either.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Trying to taunt me? You¡¯re a million years too young, boy!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying,¡± Jack replied. His smile turned into a single, hard line. ¡°This is my battlefield. This is what I have been living through ever since your Animal Kingdom invaded my. In here, there is no third choice¡ªyou either fight me or die on your knees!¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Good. Then bring it on.¡±

    Jack clenched his teeth and threw himself forward. Right now, he was nowhere near his strongest state. Battling inside this arena enhanced him while he had the momentum, but forming twelve spatial prisons to trap the phantoms was already skirting the limits of what his Dao of Spacetime could achieve. Maintaining them while fighting a high-intensity battle would be a challenge.

    But, he had no choice. If he wanted to win this quickly, this was the only path he could take.

    And the old man knew it.

    He did not fall back this time. He charged with his spear extended, knowing that Jack was in a weakened state. They shed in the center of the arena¡ªpowerful shockwaves washed over the stands, heightening the spectators¡¯ thrill. Cheers echoed, overshadowed only by the sounds of collision.

    Fist met spear a dozen times. Jack galvanized everything he had but still fell short¡ªtoo much of his energy and attention was diverted towards the twelve warriors. He was flung backward, smashed into the walls of his own arena. The audience roared, and Travelus Lonihor flew high, raising his spear to the sky. The audience changed its tune.

    ¡°TRAVELUS! TRAVELUS!¡±

    He grinned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, boy? Getting bested in your own arena?¡±

    Jack spat out a mouthful of blood, then rose from the sand. He dusted himself off. ¡°I have faced things that make you seem like a kitty. The only thing scary about you is your age.¡±

    As Jack spoke calmly, he was calcting on the inside. This old man lived up to his age. He hadn¡¯t been intimidated by the colosseum¡ªinstead, he¡¯d seen right through it and realized that it didn¡¯t favor Jack, but the strongest warrior. That was why he¡¯d invested heavily in a show-offish strike and then spent his momentum to earn the crowd¡¯s favor. He¡¯d snagged that little advantage for himself, making Jack¡¯s uphill challenge even more difficult.

    Unlike other opponents Jack had faced, this was a calm and methodical one. He never overextended, instead opting for consistent, small advantages which would eventually win him the fight. Moreover, despite Jack¡¯s repeated taunting, he remained of a mind to stall.

    Reaching this point, Jack realized there was no meaning in thinking further. He¡¯d already set the conditions as best as he could. All he could do was his best. He had ten seconds remaining¡ªhe had to make them count.

    Which made things simpler. He didn¡¯t need to calcte too far¡ªhe would spend all his remaining energy in these next ten seconds, and he¡¯d either win or lose.

    Power streamed into his limbs. His short hair rose like spikes¡ªpurple sparks flew over his body, dding him in an electrified aura.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Travelus Lonihor was surprised. ¡°The Thunder Body? Where did you learn that!?¡±

    ¡°Same ce you did,¡± Jack replied, not exining further. He hadn¡¯t mastered this technique yet¡ªforcefully using it ced a tremendous burden on his body. The only reason he could stand it was his extreme physicality, and he couldn¡¯t keep it up for long.

    However, he got a burst of power in return. It might be enough.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jack muttered, then shed forward. He all but disappeared. Travelus Lonihor only had time to widen his eyes before a powerful force mmed into his back, throwing him forward. He turned around, but Jack was no longer there. He was everywhere. Hebined his enhanced physical speed and understandings into spacetime to achieve impossible velocities and angles. For a moment, he was a force of nature.

    The old man saw a dozen Jacks assault him at once. He braced himself.

    Strikesnded everywhere. A fist met his chest, another his leg, a third his chin. Jack was flying all over, pummeling Travelus with a flurry of blows so rapid they seemed simultaneous. His body shook inside the armor. The impacts were so many and so omnidirectional that he remained still in mid-air, just trying to shield his vitals.

    A powerful punchnded on the old man¡¯s face, smashing him back into a wall. Jack remained in mid-air, oozing lightning and panting heavily. The crowd roared his name. The arena shook. The twelve frozen phantoms glistened in the sky like living stars.

    The old man rose to his feet. A line of blood dripped down his wrinkled lips, but he smiled. ¡°You¡¯re running out of juice,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got your hands on the Thunder Body technique, but you haven¡¯t mastered it yet. It¡¯s too much for you. You¡¯ll copse before I do!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± Jack replied. He shot forward again, a lightning bolt from the skies. He was noticeably slower than before¡ªhis energy was depleting at a rapid pace. He barely had five more seconds in him. The old man faced him head-on, also going all out. Divine providence emanated from his skin¡ªhe no longer resembled an old man but a bright angel, a symbol of the heavens.

    They met on the sands of the arena. Blows rained from either side. Every spear was sharp, every punch devastating. Their shes shook the world. Blood wet the sand. Both warriors umted injuries.

 Chapter 453: Slaying Supreme

    Chapter 453: ying Supreme

    A frenzy had overtaken Jack and Travelus both. They no longer thought, no longer calcted. They moved purely on instinct. One had developed it through a long life of strife¡ªthe other, by a short few years of continuously risking his life. They were veterans goingpletely all-out. The colosseum had never been livelier.

    Jack molded spacetime like soft dough. He pierced through it, elerated his attacks, and slowed his opponent¡¯s. Life coursed through his limbs, maintaining his rapidly waning energy, while death was infused into the opponent with every punch. Every understanding Jack possessed operated at full throttle, his body cracking out punches with every iota of strength it possessed.

    Travelus did not shrink away either. The depth of his Dao was less than Jack¡¯s, but he backed it up with a vastly superior cultivation. Moreover, he possessed some tricks of his own. Though he¡¯d now deteriorated to thete B-Grade realm, he¡¯d once approached the A-Grade. His spacetime hindered Jack¡¯s, using raw power to make it harder to manipte. His Supremacy seeped through with every spear strike, trying to cut down the confidence in Jack¡¯s heart.

    This was the final, desperate battle on both sides.

    Jack was not getting an advantage. His cultivation was just too low, and he also had to keep restraining the phantoms in the sky. The seconds passed one at a time. Eva Solvig should be almost here, and Jack was already amp without oil. If she arrived, he was as good as dead.

    A tiny corner of Travelus¡¯s mind remained rational. He didn¡¯t have to win¡ªhe just had to not lose. As long as his energy expenditure matched the opponent¡¯s, he was good.

    He saw Jack grow desperate. A massive amount of energy gathered into his fist, condensing to a terrifying degree. He thrust it out before Travelus could retreat. ¡°Supernova!¡±

    The old man gritted his teeth. This was the critical moment. ¡°Spear of Divinity!¡±

    A blinding white spear shot forth, carrying the resolve of a god. Two unstoppable forces shed. The world was washed away. Tremendous shockwaves spread through the universe, shattering the spatial barriers that served as the walls of this arena. Even the frozen phantoms in the sky were shaken.The void shattered around Jack and Lonihor, trapping them in a spaceless vacuum. The vision of the arena around them was slowly dispersing, the cries of the spectators growing distant.

    Jack¡¯s hand had shattered into bone fragments. As for the spear of Travelus, its tip had broken off. The two cultivators had been evenly matched in this collision¡ªthe difference was that Jack¡¯s electricity had worn off, his energy runningpletely dry. Even the Life Drop transformation had reverted.

    Travelus could sense it clearly¡ªJack had finally run out.

    As for the old man himself, though he was almost the same, he¡¯d held back a trace amount of energy. He¡¯d wanted to be ready for all eventualities¡ªbut, as it turned out, he¡¯d been too careful. This battle was his victory. Pride entered his eyes. The two fighters were still close to each other, barely a few feet apart, but one of them waspletely spent, and it wasn¡¯t Travelus.

    He wasn¡¯t even sure if Jack remained conscious.

    ¡°You fought well,¡± he forced out through a bloodied mouth. ¡°To match me from a Grade lower¡­ You are too talented. Too much of a threat. Goodbye, Jack Rust. Let me have the honor of killing the world¡¯s greatest talent.¡±

    Travelus did not have too much strength left, but it was certainly enough to finish this off. He shook his spear, sending off the broken tip, and stabbed it straight into Jack¡¯s chest, aiming for his heart. He was already relieved that this was over.

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    The spear prated Jack¡¯s skin. It split his flesh, heading ever deeper, then mmed into his ribcage¡­and stopped. It couldn¡¯t break the bones.

    Travelus¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What!?¡±

    He was ate B-Grade. No matter how efficiently Jack Rust infused his Dao into his body, no matter how advanced his understandings, all of that was moot now. He only possessed the frail body of a C-Grade. Travelus should have been able to pierce him effortlessly.

    Then, why¡­

    Mid-fighting, it was hard to differentiate between the intensity of one¡¯s mortal body and the durability provided by infusing one¡¯s body with Dao. Travelus had heard that Jack was physically gifted but didn¡¯t know how much. Coupled with Jack never making it obvious throughout the fight, he¡¯d greatly underestimated Jack¡¯s physical body.

    Even now, he struggled toprehend this. He thought that Jack¡¯s Dao by itself was enough to make him a prodigy, but such a degree of body tempering was just insane!

    <em>Was I¡­deceived?</em>

    The old man raised his gaze. He met Jack¡¯s eyes¡ªand he saw that deep inside them, beneath the exhaustion and injury, beneath the impending doom, existed an inextinguishable me. Those weren¡¯t the eyes of a dead man¡ªthey burst with resolve, more alive than ever.

    Travelus had never experienced such horror. He could not exin it. He panicked. His arm drew back, pulling away the spear to instinctively defend himself, but realized he could not. Another hand had wrapped around his wrist at some point¡ªa grip which squeezed his bones. It was like being grabbed by a. No matter how Travelus struggled, he could not escape. The hand holding him waspletely immovable. He paled.

    Jack showed a bloody smile. ¡°Got you,¡± he whispered. One of his hands was holding onto the wrist of Travelus¡ªeven with his Life Drop transformation undone, that still left him with one hand free. It clenched into a fist. There was nothing special about it; no Dao, no external energy at all. It was a pure physical fist. Yet, the moment it clenched, Travelus felt his instinct go haywire. Intense fear took him over. He suddenly felt like a mortal grabbed by a bear¡ªonly now did he realize that Jack didn¡¯t need any sort of Dao to maul him. He could do it with his bare hands.

    <em>How can he be human?</em> Travelus thought in frozen terror. <em>They lied to me! This is¡­ This is a titan!</em>

    Jack swung his punch. There was no Dao behind it, but there was no Dao defending Travelus either. He¡¯d spent thest of his energy in that spear strike. This was a pure physical collision¡ªone he was destined to lose.

    Travelus¡¯s Angel battle form was still present. His body was covered in te armor, but that did not include his face. Jack¡¯s fist slipped right in. It carried the power to obliterate mountain ranges¡ªthe face of ate B-Grade, especially an elderly one, was like soft mush.

    Jack¡¯s hand met flesh, then bone, but did not halt. A skull splintered. Jack¡¯s fist dove into the helmet to the wrist, until it met metal. Only then did he stop his swing. He felt the old man¡¯s body tense up, then grow limp. He slowly withdrew his fist. The te armor dispersed, leaving only a broken body hanging in the void, and the twelve divine phantoms dissipated like they were never there.

    Jack tilted his head back and drew a deep, trembling breath. He was utterly exhausted; not passing out was a struggle.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 343.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 344.</strong>

    <strong>¡­</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 360. Further levels locked until the development of your next Dao Fruit.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Titan Taunt II ¡ú Titan Taunt III</strong>

    Jack was happy about the skill. More importantly, however, he didn¡¯t even know how many levels he¡¯d gotten. ¡°All into Physical¡­¡± he managed to whisper. The familiar rush of power did not flood him like it used to¡ªit was more like a faint trickle entering his cracked body. Yet, it was enough. He quickly gathered himself and used the trace energy he¡¯d regained to fly through the void, barely achieving two teleportations before he ran out.

    Thankfully, the Trampling Ram had already been flying his way. They met him halfway, already charging up a warp. Brock teleported outside the ship, grabbed Jack, then teleported back inside. The energy around the ship kept building up. The universe was deathly silent.

    A white-haired woman suddenly crossed the void before them. She was disheveled and urgent¡ªher hands shed as they shot out a white beam of purity. ¡°No!¡± she shouted.

    A golden shield appeared, slowing down her attack just enough. The Ram tore through space and disappeared, teleporting light years away. Eva remained alone in the void, apanied only by the nearby, headless, floating corpse which used to belong to Travelus Lonihor. Fear and rage alternated on her face.

    Finally, she raised her head and screamed.

 Chapter 454: The Scared Cats Gather

    Chapter 454: The Scared Cats Gather

    Two feshkurs discussed in Pearl Bay. They didn¡¯t bother keeping their voices down¡ªtheir gossip was already the talk of the town.

    ¡°Did you hear? Hell was attacked!¡±

    ¡°No way, dude. It has to be fake.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! My friend has a cousin there, he told me all about it. There were explosions deep in the sky, the entire was shaking, shockwaves came down like rain. And, before that, the entire Prison was obliterated! Someone arrived and destroyed it instantly!¡±

    ¡°Psh. You idiot. Can¡¯t you tell that¡¯s fake?¡± The other feshkur snorted. ¡°Just who could destroy a city instantly? Are you saying it was a B-Grade?¡±

    The first feshkur gave a wry grin, leaning closer to whisper. ¡°I¡¯m saying it was Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! Only he could have the strength and reason to do that. He killed a B-Grade recently, and he¡¯s at war with the Kingdom. Who else could it be? My friend¡¯s cousin said he was probably intercepted by an Ancestor on the way out, hence the cataclysmic battle.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± The other feshkur was skeptic at the start, but that was long gone now. The name of Jack Rust had an energizing effect on people, it awakened their primal excitement. They¡¯d already learned that, where that man was involved, anything was possible!Incidentally, one of these two feshkurs had met the early E-Grade Jack in Pearl Bay eight years ago, he just hadn¡¯t gotten his name. If he knew, he¡¯d be shocked.

    It wasn¡¯t just these two. The entire Pearl Bay was abuzz with rumors of what happened in Hell, and so was the entire constetion, even the gxy. It was too grand of an event to hide. And, since neither the Hand of God nor the Animal Kingdom came forth to dissolve the rumors, the people could only assume that, whatever had happened, they¡¯d been defeated. The mysterious assant had fled sessfully.

    This was tremendous news! Hell was nothing like Earthen Gemini or that Hand of God outpost. It was the second most important of the Animal Kingdom, a symbol of their power. Just in the annihtion of the prison city, they must have lost hundreds or thousands of D-Grades¡ªthat was a significant part of their war power!

    If even Hell could be assaulted, what couldn¡¯t? The Animal Kingdom might just be destroyed tomorrow. They were dead meat!

    The already wounded prestige of the Kingdom took another steep plunge. Eight years ago, they had been the undisputable overlords of the constetion, rulers of incalcble power. Now, that power had beenid bare, and it was insufficient. They¡¯d gone from gods to clowns.

    As for the Kingdom itself, they couldn¡¯t be bothered with these rumors. They had muchrger problems. An emergency Elder Council had been convened, and it wasn¡¯t just them. The two remaining Ancestors were also present¡ªone from each leonine family¡ªalongside the Supreme Ancestor of the Emberheart family. From the Hand of God, the ones participating were Artus Emberheart, Eva Solvig, and anotherte B-Grade one who¡¯d been called here by Eva.

    Five B-Grades in total, with three at thete B-Grade. This was close to the peak of power in the Milky Way.

    In such a gathering, the Elders of the Animal Kingdom could only sit silently on the sidelines. Even the Grand Elder was only in charge of officiating. Yet, all those exceptional personages wore grim expressions, arranged around a table disying the image of a single man. He was young and vigorous, his eyes and fists shining purple. It was Jack Rust.

    ¡°Travelus was in,¡± Eva Solvig narrated grimly. ¡°That proves Jack Rust has the power to contend withte B-Grades. Moreover, after that battle, he¡¯s probably achieved another breakthrough. The only thing saving us is numbers.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a C-Grade pup can reach this level,¡± the Emberheart Supreme Ancestor said. He was simr to Travelus Lonihor in the sense that he seemed half-dead, as if he¡¯d long surpassed the limits of his natural age. His skin was wrinkled and gnarled, while his eyes were so white he seemed blind. Unlike Travelus, however, he did not possess an elegant air, but rather one of brutality.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t just a C-Grade,¡± Eva replied. ¡°He¡¯s a disciple of the ck Hole Church. He¡¯s enjoyed resources that aren¡¯t found in this gxy.¡±

    ¡°So have you,¡± the Supreme Ancestor said, ¡°but I don¡¯t see you getting anywhere.¡±

    Eva frowned. The Elders tensed up, and the otherte B-Grade¡ªa schrly-looking man with a flowing white mantle¡ªstepped in to mediate. ¡°Let¡¯s rx, everyone. We¡¯re on the same team.¡±

    ¡°Jack Rust is not just a Church disciple,¡± Eva said calmly. ¡°Even calling him a prime genius is an understatement. He¡¯s one of the greatest talents the universe has ever seen, with the potential to easily reach the A-Grade. Being weaker than such a person is no shame for me. Everyone is.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor gave a bitter smile but did not reply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on present matters,¡± the schrly man said. ¡°Jack Rust is growing far too rapidly. He does not possess the power to assault us yet, not when we¡¯re all together. We should huddle up in Animal and wait for reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°You want me to hide from a C-Grade human?¡± the Supreme Ancestor asked. ¡°Do I look like a turtle to you? Is this why you woke me up?¡±

    ¡°Do you have another suggestion?¡± the man shot back. The Supreme Ancestor fell silent. ¡°In that case,¡± the schrly man continued, taking charge of the situation, ¡°we¡¯re waiting.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned reinforcements,¡± the Supreme Ancestor said.

    ¡°Right. The Hand couldn¡¯t justify taking an Elder away from the front lines to deal with a C-Grade, but I managed to get them to send a peak B-Grade Envoy. A powerful one, too.¡±

    ¡°How long until they arrive? And, say we wait here until then. What if Jack Rust simply hides away? You can¡¯t expect me to believe that a peak B-Grade Envoy will just wait here and waste their time.¡±

    ¡°They are skilled in divination and spacetime,¡± the schrly man calmly replied. ¡°Once they arrive, catching up to Jack Rust will be a matter of time.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor nodded. All the Elders present felt better as well¡ªthe heavy aura of doom slipped away, reced by hope. Not all was lost. In times like this, the Animal Kingdom was d it hadpletely devoted itself to the Hand so long ago.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Then, I believe we are all in agreement,¡± Eva Solvig said. ¡°Every C-Grade and above is forbidden from leaving Animal. We wait here, and there is nothing Jack Rust can do; he cannot assault us yet, nor can he level up with no one to kill. We win.¡±

    Just as everyone was about to agree, someone chuckled darkly from the side. It was Artus Emberheart. Despite his low strength, he¡¯d been given a seat at the main table due to his rtion to the matter.

    Eva raised a brow. ¡°Is something the matter, Artus?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Commander,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s just that, every time we think we have him cornered, that man always finds a way to escape. He¡¯s a cockroach.¡±

    She stared him down. ¡°And your point is?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure we don¡¯t underestimate him. When that powerful Envoy arrives, they should try their absolute best to annihte him without giving him a single opportunity to escape.¡±

    Eva frowned slightly. ¡°The meeting is dismissed,¡± she said. Everyone stood up and walked away, with the exception of Artus, who remained deep in thought.

    Nobody was as afraid of Jack Rust as he was. He¡¯d witnessed that man¡¯s rise to fame¡ªbeen on the receiving end of it multiple times. Because of Jack Rust, he¡¯d lost everything. A heart demon had formed inside him by now, a persistent belief that Jack would somehow always triumph.

    But Artus was more than just afraid. He didn¡¯t care about dying¡ªhe had nothing left to lose. All he wanted was to ensure Jack died with him. That he suffered.

    Jack Rust and Artus Emberheart were two men who followedpletely different paths in life. One had lost his son, the other his home and pride. The grudges between them were irreconcble.

    They were like two meteors about to crash head-on.

    ***

    Jack was sprawled on a lounge chair, breathing heavily. He was resting¡ªthe battle with Travelus Lonihor had left himpletely spent, and he needed some time to recover.

    ¡°Well fought, bro,¡± Brock said from beside him. ¡°You beat ate B-Grade.¡±

    ¡°Barely,¡± Jack responded. ¡°It was a coin flip.¡±

    ¡°But you won, and that¡¯s the important thing.¡± A steady hand fell on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You got levels. Next time, it won¡¯t be a coin flip.¡±

    Jack forced himself to smile. Despite his exhaustion, he could feel the tremendous power gathered inside him, the energy flooding his limbs. He had gotten much stronger, and he was ready to develop his eighth fruit.

    It had been a hard battle, but the price was worth it. Jack opened his status screen, observing the stat points he¡¯d already allocated.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 360</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 7180 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 7180 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 7180 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Revenge, Brotherhood</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer</strong>

    He¡¯d reached Level 360. There were also more levels, which the System was withholding until he developed his next Dao Fruit. His Physical substats had finally surpassed seven thousand¡ªadding on his titles¡¯ efficacy increase, he had an effective Physical close to fifteen thousand. Most cultivators at his level had around five.

    He was a beast.

    Moreover, that battle had finally pushed Titan Taunt into the third tier. He was finally getting used to it. He opened the description, finding an extra paragraphpared to the previous one:

    <strong>Titan Taunt III: A titan¡¯s existence is so dominant it constitutes a challenge. Your extreme physicality and domineering stance not only intimidate enemies, but also provoke them. They will either fight you or cower away, losing in both cases.</strong><strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong><em>Your challenge manifests as a bloody colosseum walled by spatial barriers. While inside the arena, the most dominant diators enjoy the favor of the audience and a small increase to their power.</em></strong>

    This was nonsensical. Ever since the Integration, this was the first skill whose System description waspletely off.

    At first, it had been something silly and even underwhelming¡ªtrash talking, basically. It had changedpletely from the first to the second tier, as if it had be a new skill, and now the third tier¡¯s description contained an entire paragraph about things that had already been present since the second tier.

    <em>Is my System broken? </em>Jack couldn¡¯t help wondering. <em>Or am I exiting its scope?</em>

    He leaned towards the second exnation. The more he cultivated, the harder it became for the System to perfectly ssify his Dao and skills. Inuracies and malfunctions were expected. Strictly speaking, all the System did for him anymore was help him level up and detail his rate of advancement.

    Which he liked, actually. There was something addictive about watching his Physical substats shoot through every ceiling in existence. Not to mention the levels ups, without which his rate of advancement would be much slower. It was the same problem Brock suffered from.

    Jack released a long sigh. The rush of battle hadn¡¯tpletely left him yet, but he was already feeling the urge to be stronger. ¡°I will develop my eighth fruit,¡± he said. ¡°There is no time to waste.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Brock nodded. He¡¯d been next to Jack all along. ¡°So will I.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I am ready to grow a new fruit.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s awesome! Good luck, Brock. Make it good.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡±

    Jack stood with a smile and paced to his room. He¡¯d already greeted Salin and the rest¡ªthey had left him to rest and were on the bridge ying Crazy Guy Goes to Town. He passed in front of the door, not disturbing them, just listening to their banter. His steps brought him closer to his room, and he was just about to open the door when a voice entered his ears.

    <em>¡°Jack. Hi. This is Sovereign Heavenly Spoon. We¡¯reing to pick you up and bring you to the Church forces. We¡¯ll arrive in approximately one week. Keep this absolutely secret and use the time to take care of any unfinished business in your gxy. We won¡¯t be able to wait after we arrive¡ªand you may not be able to return for a long time.¡±</em>

    Jack paused. He instinctively tried to reply but found that his thoughts echoed only inside his own head.

    <em>¡°You can¡¯t reply, obviously,¡± </em>the sovereign continued, <em>¡°unless you can perform long-range targeted telepathy. Which you can¡¯t. So, take care. Don¡¯t die before we¡¯re there!¡±</em>

    <em>We? </em>Jack thought. He recognized the sovereign¡¯s voice, but he had so many questions. Why was someone that importanting all the way here to pick him up? Could it be on the orders of Elder Boatman?

    That made sense. Since he¡¯d left the ck Hole World, Elder Boatman should be able to sense the death cube again. He¡¯d want Jack escorted over as soon as possible.

    But who else wasing with the sovereign? And, most importantly, he only had one week¡­ ording to the sovereign, they couldn¡¯t wait. He had to destroy the Animal Kingdom, find a way to return to Earth, and reunite with his family within a week. Unless he disobeyedmands¡ªbut, if the Church was sending their Head Envoy to pick him up on the orders of an Elder, disobeying would be difficult. They might even drag him along.

    Jack wanted to join the war against the Hand of God. That was his true stage, where he could grow and develop to his full potential. However, he didn¡¯t expect the time to go woulde so soon¡­

    Some things were not negotiable. Destroying the Kingdom and reuniting with his family were necessary, as well as spending some time with them. If he only had one week before he was pressured to leave, he had to make it count.

    <em>Animal shouldn¡¯t have more than two or threete B-Grades, </em>Jack thought. <em>I will develop my eighth fruit and go there. It¡¯s gonna be tight, but I can take them. I have to.</em>

    <em>It¡¯s time to end this.</em>

 Chapter 455: Attacking Animal Planet

    Chapter 455: Attacking Animal

    Jack sat in meditation. His chest rose and fell, his face was rxed. Deep inside his soul, he floated before a tall tree crowned with seven fruits. Now was time to develop the eighth.

    Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Revenge, Brotherhood¡­ His seven fruits painted a picture of his journey through the C-Grade, the trials and lives he¡¯d experienced. His Daos were there, as were his most signature feelings. It was like seeing his life on canvas.

    Jack didn¡¯t let himself get lost in sentimentalism. He had an eighth fruit to develop. What should it be?

    <em>Resolve? </em>he thought, tasting the name and seeing how it resonated with him. <em>Growth? Power?</em>

    All those were concepts he embraced, but none felt suitable. Most ovepped with other Dao Fruits, and the few that didn¡¯t weren¡¯t representative enough. He didn¡¯t want to define his path through something that didn¡¯t feel perfect.

    <em>Then, what? </em>he wondered. <em>I can¡¯t afford to take it slow. There is no time.</em>

    <em>Ah. Time. I can just go with that.</em>

    Jack cultivated space and time on the side. Of those, space was the concept he was most familiar with, while time was more of a convenient side Dao. However, he¡¯d reached significant understanding of both by this point. Not having a Dao Fruit for time felt wrong, like something was missing, and it was exactly that feeling which Jack followed to determine his Dao Fruits.

    <em>Time it is.</em>The energy climbed up his Dao Tree. It was slow at times and fast at others, but it wasn¡¯t the energy itself that was changing speed, it was the flow of time around it. Wherever it passed, flowers bloomed and wilted, the tree grew old then young again. All that energy focused on one branch, one flower, which blossomed into a splendid sphere.

    Gradually, that sphere developed and changed shape. From round, it developed angles, growing into a shape which resembled a clock. From purple, which was the initial color of the flower, it turned into yellow¡ªJack didn¡¯t know why yellow, but it felt suitable.

    The miracle of creation was always impressive to watch. He remained there, holding his breath until the fruit was done developing, a splendid addition to his already great Dao Tree. Not just great¡ªwith all those colors on its branches, it could even be called fabulous.

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack said, observing his newest fruit. He had the feeling that time flowed oddly around it¡ªand also that his connection with the Dao of Time had deepened. He¡¯d gotten sidetracked by everything that happened, but developing this fruit was long overdue.

    ¡°Eight there, one to go¡­¡± he whispered. It felt like only recently that he¡¯d broken into the C-Grade, a hopeful young cultivator. The B-Grade had felt impossibly distant back then¡ªyet, suddenly, he was sitting right on its cusp.

    <em>How strong will I be then? </em>he wondered. <em>When I establish my inner world and reach the B-Grade, will I be able to fight A-Grades?</em>

    It didn¡¯t seem possible. A-Grades were all astoundingly talented individuals¡ªwanting to jump an entire Grade to fight them was a bit of a stretch. Still, Jack could dream.

    The important thing wasn¡¯t his strength in the future, but reaching that future. A huge tribtion still stood before him¡ªthe destruction of the Animal Kingdom, the fulfillment of his revenge, the reunion with his family, and the wrapping up of this part of his life. He needed to do that before heading over to the Second Crusade, and he needed to do it perfectly.

    <em>Eric¡­ I swear I will avenge you.</em>

    Jack was done with his breakthrough. He opened his eyes in the real world, letting the System award him the remaining levels from his battle against the Supreme Ancestor. He invested all the points into Physical.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 361.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 362.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 363.</strong>

    There were multiple paths he could choose to follow. Attacking the Kingdom now was risky¡ªwho knew how manyte B-Grades they had and whether he¡¯d be able to take them. If he wanted to, he could probably hide somewhere and wait for Sovereign Heavenly Spoon to arrive in a week, then ask him to help. To the Head Envoy, solving all of Jack¡¯s problems would be simple.

    However, that didn¡¯t feel right. Jack wouldn¡¯t be satisfied. This was his battle, his trial, his stepping stone into the future. Unless he resolved this issue perfectly, he would always have a lingering doubt in his heart, a ¡°what if,¡± a thought to keep him awake at night and limit his potential.

    He had picked this fight. He wanted to end it with his own power, not by pulling the Church into it. It was a matter of pride¡ªeven if others might call it stubbornness. His Fist had to remain hard.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition.

    Most importantly, if he did wait for the sovereign to arrive, he wouldn¡¯t have any time to reunite with his family. He was clueless as to how to return to Earth. There had to be people looking for him with the teleporter frequency, maybe Shol or someone else, but they couldn¡¯t find him if he just hid around in the darkness. The only way would be to destroy the Kingdom and make his location public.

    He could also go somewhere and dere his location, drawing the Kingdom¡¯s B-Grades away from their home ground, but that would give the rest of the Kingdom time to scatter if he won. He didn¡¯t want that. He would destroy them all. He¡¯d made an oath to eradicate the name Emberheart from the gxy, and he intended to see it through.

    It was time to fight. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but after hisst fruit, he liked his chances.

    Jack left his room, heading for the bridge. He ran into Brock on the way. ¡°Hey bro,¡± he said. ¡°All good?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Brock replied with a barely contained smile. ¡°Eight fruits. And you?¡±

    ¡°Just the same.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Jack¡¯s mood remained heavy. Brock followed suit. As they reached the bridge, their friends were rxing, but they tensed up when they saw Jack¡¯s face.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Salin asked. ¡°Did you develop a Dao Fruit of Constipation?¡±

    ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± Jack asked back.

    ¡°Ready for what?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to war.¡±

    ¡°Ohh. Sounds kinky. Is it the kind where we die or the other one?¡±

    Jack did his best to remain grim-faced. ¡°Both.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Nauja said, standing up. ¡°You don¡¯t mean we¡¯re assaulting Animal, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean.¡±

    ¡°What? Why? Are you crazy!?¡±

    Jack gave a hard smile. ¡°Because we¡¯re running out of time.¡± He then described what the sovereign had transmitted to him alongside his train of thought. The arrival of the sovereign was supposed to be a secret, but Jack trusted these people with his life. If they were going to risk themselves, they had to know what it was about.

    ¡°And that¡¯s about it,¡± he concluded. ¡°I cannot afford to wait. I have to attack the Kingdom now. Today. I won¡¯t ask you all to join me, and frankly speaking, you probably shouldn¡¯t. The only thing you would achieve in a battle of that level is to throw your lives away.¡±

    Besides Brock, the rest exchanged nces¡ªGan Salin, Nauja, Bomn, Vashter. They¡¯d been through a lot these past months. They¡¯d traveled together and watched Jack tear apart the gxy. However, the truth was they were just travelpanions. They could not actually participate in a battle at Jack¡¯s level.

    The four of them came to a silent agreement. ¡°We will escort you there and wait far away,¡± Bomn said. ¡°If you win, we will be there to celebrate. If not, we will record the battle and show your family how bravely you fought.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s all I could ask for.¡±

    Brock spoke up. ¡°I will be with you, big bro. I can¡¯t fight directly, but I have ways to support you.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jack asked worriedly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to throw your life away.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    Brock seemed convinced, so Jack did not insist. If Brock said something, he had the confidence to see it through.

    ¡°Thank you all,¡± he said. ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work out, I want you to know you are the greatest crew to ever grace this gxy. I appreciate you sticking with me from the bottom of my heart. I wish you all great lives.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Salin said, jumping up and punching Jack¡¯s shoulder¡ªthen cradling his hand. ¡°Ow. Anyway, you got this. You¡¯ve never lost before. Why now?¡±

    ¡°I have lost before,¡± Jack replied, ¡°but not this time. Not again. I will stake everything I have. Either I win or I die and my Dao shatters. This is the end.¡±

    ¡°Always the optimist. That¡¯s what I like about you.¡±

    ¡°It was an honor to travel by your side,¡± Vashter said, bringing a fist to his heart. ¡°Whatever happens, I will never forget you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Vashter¡­and, sorry. For what happened in the past.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Water under the bridge¡ªeveryone deserves to make mistakes.¡±

    That phrase brought arger smile to Jack¡¯s face than he expected. He turned his gaze towards space, piercing it to reach Animal. Since they were still in the general area of Hell, it wasn¡¯t too far away¡ªthey could reach it in an hour.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.

    ***

    Animal was the capital and core of the Animal Kingdom. It was a simr to Earth, exceptrger and with morend area. Two moons circled it¡ªthe estates of the Emberheart and Lonihor families respectively.

    The emergency meeting on Animal had just ended when every cultivator on the sensed a colossal aura falling from the sky. The weaker people were forced to their knees¡ªonly D-Grades and above could remain standing.

    The Elders looked up with surprise. So did the Ancestors and other B-Grades. The one most surprised was Artus Emberheart. Fear and excitement merged inside his heart, flooding him.

    ¡°Animal Kingdom and Hand of God!¡± An imperious voice filled the sky. It reached every mountain and valley, every house and cave, every nook and cranny of the entire and its two moons. It carried such majesty that animals prostrated in worship.

    The voice echoed still. ¡°You have ruled as tyrants for too long. You have chased and tried to kill me, but you failed, and now you will reap what you sowed. Today is the day you die. Come out to face me.¡±

    The mere arrogance in those words was breathtaking. Jack was speaking to a containing dozens of C-Grades and multiple Ancestor-level characters, including three people at thete B-Grade. And he was just one man.

    The low-level cultivators were all filled with awe, but the high-level ones were not. Jack Rust had shown up at their doorstep¡ªhe was just asking to die.

    A swarm of cultivators rose from all over the. The weakest among them were Elders at the middle to peak C-Grade, people whomanded universal respect no matter where they appeared in the gxy. Each could destroy entire continents. A crowd of such figures was awe-inspiring to say the least, more so when they were led by five B-Grades¡ªthe apex of power in this gxy.

    All those people rose into space and formed a line. Their auras sted against the opposing side, which wasposed of a single person: a young man with fire in his eyes, wearing only brown shorts and a gray cloak which left his chest exposed. His mere presence suffocated the Elders¡ªeven the B-Grades frowned at him.

    It sounded ridiculous, but this man himself possessed the capital to stand against all of them. Whether he could win, however¡­ That was a different issue.

    ¡°Good. Everyone is here,¡± Jack said, cracking his knuckles. He was not intimidated¡ªhe smiled. ¡°Prepare to die.¡±

 Chapter 456: The Power of Brohood

    Chapter 456: The Power of Brohood

    Jack stood tall in space. His cloak fluttered. His fists were rxed, not yet ready to smash. His gaze crossed space, falling onto the crowd of powerhouses and piercing them all. There was only one person he cared about.

    Artus Emberheart.

    Jack¡¯s heart was awash with hatred. As he saw this man again, he was suddenly struck by a flood of memories. He saw himself, helpless and losing, forced to retreat. He saw Artus appear¡ªjust a clown back then¡ªand reveal Eric. He saw the boy¡¯s unyielding expression and his body destroyed.

    This was the killer of his son.

    Jack thought he¡¯d had things under control. Suddenly, however, a dark fire zed inside him, one which threatened to swallow everything. Only his immense willpower managed to keep it in check¡ªthat, and the knowledge that he¡¯de here precisely for Artus.

    Artus Emberheart was also filled with hatred. He was facing the man who ruined his life, the one who publicly humiliated him several times and had him exiled from his home faction. Moreover, Jack had also killed Artus¡¯s son¡ªRufus Emberheart¡ªback during the Integration Tournament of Earth.

    These two men were connected bykes of ck blood. They hated each other with every fiber of their being. Today, there would be no peaceful resolution, only war. The difference was that, between the two of them, one hade alone and the other had brought an army.

    Eva Solvig was speaking, but Jack wasn¡¯t listening. His mouth formed a snarl. ¡°Artus Emberheart,¡± he said, interrupting the speaker he didn¡¯t care about. ¡°We finally meet again.¡±

    ¡°Jack Rust,¡± Artus replied, the derision evident in his voice. ¡°You finally made a mistake. Your impatience threw away your life.¡±¡°We¡¯ll see about that. I¡¯m not as pitifully weak as you are.¡±

    ¡°But you are also not as strong as my army.¡±

    Dering this assembly ¡°his¡± army was definitely a stretch. The only reason he¡¯d said it was that Artus¡¯s sanity was beginning to crack. The moment those words echoed, the Supreme Ancestor of the Emberheart family snorted.

    ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± hemanded. A wisp of his aura suffocated Artus, making him unable to speak.

    Jack finally nced at the Supreme Ancestor. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Perilus Emberheart. Founder of the Animal Kingdom, pioneer of the Milky Way gxy, and the end of my enemies.¡± He chuckled, his dried-up skin cracking. ¡°When they awakened me to chase after a mere C-Grade pup, I thought they were mistaken. Who would have thought this pup would soon challenge not just me, but another twote B-Grades? Truly, the world is endless. I admire your talent and resolve. However, since you are an enemy, I must kill you.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°You spout a lot of shit for someone who¡¯s half-dead. All I heard was yourst name: Emberheart. To avenge my son, you are one of those who must die.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Try me, pup.¡±

    ¡°In the name of the Hand of God,¡± Eva Solvig said, her pure white hair fluttering, ¡°you are condemned for treason, resistance, piracy, mass murder, genocide, and colluding with terrorists. You are hereby sentenced to death.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°You are ate B-Grade, yet your words hold less weight than a fart. What does it matter? There is no justice between enemies. I also sentence you to death for all those things.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess we must fight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±

    Jack released his aura. It sted outward like a physical force. The fabric of reality shook, spacetime rippled. Under his might, the stars lost their luster and all life bowed to him.

    The crowd of powerhouses frowned as they were struck by his aura. It was like a group of mortals facing a strong wind. Their hair and clothes billowed backward, revealing a scene like they were pressured. The B-Grades were fine, but the C-Grades had to anchor themselves onto space to avoid getting blown away.

    The Grand Elder of the Animal Kingdom, a peak C-Grade, gaped as he witnessed such power. This was already almost enough to capsize him and it was only Jack Rust¡¯s aura. Was this really the power of a C-Grade? Just how far ahead of everybody else was that man!?

    Of the threete B-Grades present, the white-cloaked, schrly man who hadn¡¯t met Jack before was stunned. Hearing was one thing and seeing was another. He¡¯d never truly epted in his heart that ate C-Grade existed who could face him. It was a thought as ridiculous as an ant fighting a human.

    As he experienced the force of Jack¡¯s aura, as he gazed upon its unplumbed depths, as he sensed the spacetime, life, and death contained inside, he suddenly felt as if his entire life so far had been a lie. He was just a crook. This was what cultivators were supposed to be.

    And he was facing such a man.

    One thought dominated the white-cloaked man¡¯s mind. There was no mercy or holding back, no consideration for face. Since they were enemies, Jack Rust had to absolutely die.

    The Supreme Ancestor was in a simr state of mind. ¡°You do possess power,¡± he said. ¡°I admit that, if I was alone, you could probably defeat me. But all of us together? Impossible! You¡¯ve signed your own death!¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Careful with your words, old man. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be just dead when I¡¯m done, but also humiliated.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor smiled. ¡°Well spoken! Then, bring it on!¡± He could no longer hold back. The battle craziness which had slumbered inside him for hundreds of thousands of years was set ame. He was the first to charge, lifting the curtain on what would be the Milky Way Gxy¡¯s most famous battle.

    The other B-Grades followed him, and so did the C-Grade Elders. The only exception was Artus Emberheart. He knew he couldn¡¯t win, and also that Jack would target him. Instead of throwing his life away, he hatefully stayed back, letting others fight for him.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    The B-Grades didn¡¯t care about this¡ªone extra C-Grade would make no difference in this battle.

    Facing their entire line-up, Jack puffed out his chest. His eyes widened. His fists finally clenched. Space warped around them, forming the image of a massive colosseum surrounding them for hundreds of miles. Billions of people roared from the stands. The ground was covered in blood-stained sand, the sky was clear, and the sun shone down on them all.

    Suddenly, Jack was a diator standing proudly in the sky, a single man facing an army. He was clearly the hero. The roars of the crowd shook the world with his name. His glory and majesty were clear for all to see. As for his enemies, they were relegated to a wicked mob shunned by all.

    They knew it was so, and it hurt their pride, but there was nothing they could do. At the end of the day, they were the ones using numbers to bully one young hero. This shame was something they had to live with.

    Jack¡¯s body began to grow. He became one foot taller, and two extra arms appeared below his armpits. His power climbed yet again. His body was so powerful that it seemed more solid than everything around it, as if he was the true core of existence. Waves of palpable power rolled off from inside him.

    ¡°All of you,¡± he said, grinning, unable to help his inner battle lust, ¡°bring it on!¡±

    ***

    Animal was of simr size to Earth, except with morend than water, and it also possessed two moons: one was the property of the Lonihor family, and the other of the Emberheart family.

    The battle wasn¡¯t taking ce too far away from the. On its surface and on both its moons, many people could catch glimpses of what was happening. They held their breath¡ªno matter how disproportionate this match-up seemed, it remained a battle which determined their future. Moreover, the legend of Jack Rust had long seeped into their hearts. They couldn¡¯t help feeling that, no matter what the odds, he would always prevail.

    Their chests were clenched. Their hands were cupped. They stopped everything they were doing and waited for the conclusion of the battle with bated breath, only wishing they could spectate it more closely.

    Their wishes were heard. At some point, screens began to re up in major cities. They depicted the battle scene from up-close, captured by a highly-specialized projection stone with extreme zooming capabilities. The angle was odd¡ªit didn¡¯te from Animal, but from the opposite direction. There was someone broadcasting this battle from Jack Rust¡¯s side. The Animal people had only detected the signal and projected it on their screens.

    That someone was naturally the Trampling Ram. Bomn had procured a high-end projection stone which could broadcast the battle across the constetion. Brock had already spoken with the rebel leaders, who¡¯d ensured everyone was waiting to receive it. Within the first minute of broadcasting, before the battle even began, business-minded individuals of the Merchant Union retransmitted the signal for a price, making sure it spread around the whole gxy.

    The entire Milky Way was caught off-guard. The projection quickly appeared in most major cities. It was simr to Jack¡¯s previous battle against theary overseer but on a much grander scale. Everyone saw him, a singlete C-Grade man, face down an army where the weakest people wore the clothing of Animal Kingdom Elders.

    ¡°Jack Rust is assaulting Animal by himself!?¡± Some knowledgeable people connected the dots. ¡°How!? What the hell is happening?¡±

    A tragically old-looking man in the projection spoke up. ¡°You do possess power,¡± he said. ¡°I admit that, if I was alone, you could probably defeat me. But all of us together? Impossible! You¡¯ve signed your own death!¡±

    The Elders of the various major factions recognized him as a Supreme Ancestor and were tongue-tied. Their eyes widened, realizing they were watching a once-in-a-lifetime, unprecedented, world-changing battle!

    However, facing that old man, Jack Rust¡¯s reply was even more exaggerated!

    ¡°Careful with your words, old man. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be just dead when I¡¯m done, but also humiliated.¡±

    What heroism! What bravado! Let alone everyone else, even the cultivators of the Animal Kingdom felt a deep respect for Jack Rust. To dare assault a major faction by himself and still have the mind to say such words¡ªwhat <em>couldn¡¯t </em>he do?

    This man wasn¡¯t just a hero. He was a sensation!

    Every eye in the Milky Way was glued onto this battle which would decide the fate of the gxy.

    ***

    Jack¡¯s colosseum was a projection visible only to the people participating in the battle. The spectators across the gxy couldn¡¯t see it, but to those inside it, it was indistinguishable from reality. In a sense, it <em>was </em>reality.

    This arena was precisely the reason why Jack dared to arrive here and challenge everyone¡ªnot only because it greatly enhanced his power in such a scenario, but also because it isted everyone inside. It hid the fact that, in reality, he wasn¡¯t alone.

    A brori shed into existence outside the arena. The reason Jack had released his aura so powerfully before was to prevent the enemies from detecting Brock. Now that they were trapped in Jack¡¯s arena, even if they realized he was there, exiting to attack him would be difficult. Only like this could Brock do his thing.

    He was also outside the scope of the projection stone. Nobody knew he was there.

    Brock brought his hands together. Arge book appeared between them, dark with golden letters. It radiated a certain majesty, apleteness, as if whoever mastered it had mastered the world. The book flipped to a page somewhere in the middle. Golden images appeared¡ªendless creatures raising their hands, warriors of all species and appearances, of all levels of power. Only one thing united them all¡ªthe fervor with which their eyes desired freedom.

    Brock let go of the book, which hovered before him in space, radiating an increasingly powerful golden energy. He raised his hands. ¡°Bros of the world,¡± he said, letting his voice echo across the universe, ¡°lend us your power!¡±

    A wave of brohood spread everywhere instantly. Every bro was called to action. A pack of stray dogs on Earth howled to the sky. The blue crabs and various beasts of Trial followed. Every member of the bro army of the Exploding Sun, which was now scattered around the gxy, felt a desire to raise their hands and lend their power to whoever was calling.

    But it wasn¡¯t just them. All across the universe, inside and outside System space, many Church cultivators raised their hands to the sky¡ªthey were the bros Brock had made on the Cathedral. The cultivators of Earth did the same, including Vivi and the professor, and so did every single warrior in the rebel armies of the Animal Kingdom constetion.

    Millions of people responded to Brock¡¯s call. Billions. A tremendous amount of power converged from all over the universe, gathering into a massive ball of energy hovering over Brock¡¯s hands. He pushed his own energy into it, as much as he could muster. The Bro Code shone like the sun, illuminating the dark space and being clearly visible from Animal. So bright was its light that many weaker cultivators had to look away, wondering what it was.

    All that energy was so great that the Bro Code could barely handle it. Brock roared and grabbed it again, ignoring the heat which burned his hands and eyes. ¡°BIG BRO!¡± he roared. ¡°WIN FOR US!¡±

    A massive beam of golden light speared out, piercing space andnding onto the body of Jack. He lost his breath. The power that filled him was overwhelming; he had to let it out.

    Jack couldn¡¯t win this battle alone. He¡¯d barely defeated the previous Supreme Ancestors¡ªone extra fruit wouldn¡¯t let him face three opponents of that level and their army. However, he wasn¡¯t alone this time. He had his bros. He had the world on his side. His greatest weakness had been the rtively small amount of energy he controlled¡ªnow, while the bro energy he received wasn¡¯t anything world-shattering to him, it was enough to push his strength another step forward.

    Like this, he could fight.

    This was still the start of the battle. The enemies had almost reached him, but only now did Jack react. Heughed out loud, smashing his fists together. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he shouted, then jumped into the fray.

 Chapter 457: Destroying the Animal Kingdom

    Chapter 457: Destroying the Animal Kingdom

    Jack broke into the mass of enemies. His Dao spread out, forming the shape of arge fist around him which came crashing down like a meteor. The colosseum spectators cried out. The enemies groaned.

    But they were not defenseless. Every Elder of the Kingdom activated their powers. So did the two remaining Ancestors. The Emberheart Supreme Ancestor roared, his body flickering with crimson lightning¡ªhis wrinkled skin tensed up, muscles stuck out of his scrawny arms, and his white mane stood up like rods. Though nowhere near his peak, he remained a supremely powerful individual.

    The Supreme Ancestor, already using the Thunder Body battle transformation, shed head-on with Jack¡¯s attack. The white-cloaked man assisted him, using time and space to dissolve some of Jack¡¯s momentum.

    A tremendous shockwave spread from the point of impact. The twote B-Grades managed to stop Jack¡¯s assault, but the remaining force tossed the Elders behind them away like ragdolls.

    Jack roared. He smashed another fist at the Supreme Ancestor, but the man was no slouch¡ªhe crossed his arms to defend, then exchanged a few strikes with Jack. His speed and strength belied his age. This was a martial arts master.

    ¡°AGAIN!¡± the Supreme Ancestor roared, but it was a fake. Eva Solvig appeared behind Jack, mming down a white palm. The space behind him turned barren. He sensed lifelessness heading for his back. He barely managed to teleport away, watching the area an entire mile around his previous location turn¡­not dead, but something even worse, something beyond the scope of his many Daos.

    Pure¡ªin a terrible, terrible way.

    A shiver ran down his back, apanied by excitement. Threete B-Grades besieged him, nked by two early B-Grades and over a dozen C-Grades. What a line-up¡­

    The Supreme Ancestor led the charge. Eva Solvig followed, ready to attack Jack a beatter and disorient him, while the white-cloaked man floated far away, constricting spacetime around Jack from a distance. None of them were simple opponents. At the same time, the early B-Grade Ancestors led the Elders to barrage him with attacks from afar.The audience cheered. Jackughed. ¡°Bring it on!¡±

    His form flickered. He used a thought to shatter the white-cloaked man¡¯s grip on spacetime, then he warped it until it seemed like there were twelve Jacks, not just one. All twelve charged up a Supernova.

    Eva snorted. A white field spread around her, annihting everything¡ªeven spacetime and the fake Jacks. Twelve disappeared¡ªnone were left.

    ¡°What!?¡± was all she had time to cry out before a thirteenth Jack appeared behind her, smashing a punch into her lower back and sending her flying. The Supreme Ancestor shed over, nting a knee in his chest. Jack¡¯s breath was cut short. He was sent flying, his regeneration already working to fix his ribcage, but found everything elerating around him.

    No, they weren¡¯t elerating¡ªhe was the slow one. Time stagnated around him.

    Jack tried to break the hold, but he was more proficient in space than time. He needed a moment¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t time he¡¯d be allowed. The Supreme Ancestor shed before him, suddenly much faster than before. His limbs turned into blurs. Fists and feet and elbows and knees rained on Jack.

    The Emberheart family used a full-body martial style, but this Supreme Ancestor took it a step further. In his movements, Jack could see a shadow of the sharkens¡¯ unpredictability, the canines¡¯ ferocity, the eagler¡¯s speed. He was a force of nature barraging Jack with dozens of strikes every instant, and though he tried to defend, there was only so much he could do when slowed down.

    A few strikes got through. His knee bent backward, a chop bruised his neck. Each of the Supreme Ancestor¡¯s strikes were aimed at a vital spot, and each could fell a mountain range. Jack spat out blood, rapidly retreating, only to be met with a terrible heat at his back.

    The Elders, who had been throwing attacks all this time, finally got him. A green fireball exploded behind him, searing his back and destroying half his cloak. Just as the shockwave pushed him forward, the Supreme Ancestor was there again, his limbs flowing in a bloody dance.

    Jack didn¡¯t even consider defending. He let a palmnd on his chest to forcefully teleport away, barely dodging a white beam released by Eva Solvig. He coughed out blood. The moment he appeared, he saw that the white-cloaked man had read his movement and teleported at the same spot before him, meeting his arrival with a spatial de aimed at his heart. Jack twisted out of the way, letting it slice through his ribs, then threw a punch in the same movement. The white-cloaked man flew away with minor wounds.

    <em>This is impossible, </em>Jack thought as he kept getting mobbed. <em>I can¡¯t take them all at once! Not like this!</em>

    He¡¯d expected things to go this way. He knew it would be a hard battle, but this was just too much! How could he fight when besieged from every direction?

    Activating the Thunder Body would certainly help, but he saved that as hisst resort. He hadn¡¯t mastered it yet, so it consumed way too much energy. Wasting it here would be unwise.

    But then, what?

    Jack gritted his teeth. Brutalizing Aura spread around him, snaring his opponents and clipping their wings, slowing them down just a bit. Jack used that time to break the spacetime shackles around him and teleport a dozen miles to the side, directly into the middle of the gathered Elders.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Stop!¡± the early B-Grade Ancestors shouted. An army of divine soldiers attacked Jack from all sides while the Elders retreated, but he only snorted. Spacetime rippled around him¡ªthe fluctuations surrounded the body of each Elder, slowing them down before freezing thempletely.

    In hisst battle, Jack had used this technique to imprison twelve phantoms with the strength of an early B-Grade each. Now that he was even stronger, trapping all these C-Grade Elders was child¡¯s y.

    ¡°Not on my watch!¡± the white-cloaked man shouted. Ripples spread from him as well, countering Jack¡¯s and breaking the Elders out of their time prison, but Jack didn¡¯t mind. He never nned to hold them anyway. All he needed was to dy them a bit so they couldn¡¯t run away.

    The early B-Grade¡¯s divine soldiers stabbed him with their spears, but Jack didn¡¯t bother defending. They could only inflict flesh wounds. Power flowed into his limbs. He shot forward like a cannonball, arriving before a sharken Elder who¡¯d just escaped the time prison. The Elder¡¯s eyes widened¡ªhe tried to run away, but in the face of Jack, he might as well be standing still.

    Jack¡¯s Meteor Punch smashed into the Elder¡¯s body, shattering all his internal organs. The fist carried on, pushing the dead Elder into two more and killing them as well. Only the fourth Elder managed to escape death, though with heavy injuries.

    Only now did the Supreme Ancestor manage to catch up. Seeing the Elders of his Kingdom massacred, he trembled with rage. ¡°How dare you!?¡± he shouted. He fell on Jack like a wild animal, his aged body exhibiting unmatched ferocity. Jack defended calmly,ughing.

    ¡°You dareugh!?¡± the Supreme Ancestor roared. ¡°You dare bully the weak? Is that the honor of a great warrior!?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t only doomed, but also a fool!¡± Jack shouted back, not exining himself further. Mentally, however, hemanded: <em>System, allocate all points into Physical!</em>

    The many Elders of the Animal Kingdom had arrived en masse to demonstrate the might of their faction. They hadn¡¯t been afraid that Jack would kill them¡ªeven though he could, it just wasn¡¯t worth it. The impact they had on the battle was minimal. He wouldn¡¯t risk turning his back to the real enemies just to deal with them out of spite.

    However, there was something they¡¯d failed to ount for¡ªthe fact that they could give Jack levels.

    In most situations, background characters weren¡¯t enough to level up anyone. Simply put, easy battles were never worth fighting. It was this eternal rule which made all the Elders miscalcte here, and even the B-Grades had missed this fact.

    Jack was so strong that it was easy to forget he was still ate C-Grade. The Elders had joined the battle to show unity and bravado, but all they had achieved was to deliver themselves to Jack on a silver tter. To him, they were juicy bags of levels.

    Everyone realized that at the same time. ¡°Scatter!¡± the Lonihor Ancestor shouted. All Elders ran off in random directions, but they were standing on sand, and they could see colosseum walls around them. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Break through!¡±

    They smashed into the walls head-first. They may have been illusions, but they hid real spatial barriers underneath. Breaking through wasn¡¯t easy. Even if thete B-Grades were the ones to try, it would still take some time.

    Jack broke off from the Supreme Ancestor and teleported to the middle of the colosseum. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± he asked, his smile tainted by blood. ¡°From the moment you decided to fight me, you lost your right to escape. It¡¯s victory or death.¡±

    ¡°VICTORY OR DEATH!¡± the audience chanted after him, and Jackughed.

    ¡°Get him!¡± Eva shouted, suddenly feeling an intense sense of crisis, but her attacksnded on nothing. Jack had already teleported away. His form flickered across the colosseum like a specter of death.

    Back before he entered the ck Hole World, Jack had already been able to match Eva¡¯s speed. Now, he was easily twice as fast. Even in the enclosed space of his colosseum which not even he could escape, even with the white-cloaked man working hard to limit his movements, Jack was the fastest cultivator present. Maybe he couldn¡¯t harm thete B-Grades like this, but they also couldn¡¯t catch him.

    Suddenly, Jack was everywhere. Thete B-Grades ran after him but missed him. Wild attacks filled the arena as everyone tried to stop him. The Elders panicked and ran around like headless chickens, but it was useless.

    Jack was a diator Titan. ced in this group of weaklings, he was like a wolf amongst sheep. The rushing Elders might as well be sitting still. He shed to their sides, casually severed their lives, then teleported away again. Between teleportations, he flew at speeds untraceable by the naked eye.

    Five Elders died within two seconds.

    ¡°To me!¡± the Supreme Ancestor shouted, incensed. The Elders rushed over¡ªthe smart ones were already there¡ªbut it was useless. Jack intercepted them midway and flitted around like a deadly butterfly, easily killing them all. Of course, the more the Elders gathered, the easier it was for thete B-Grades to catch Jack. Some attacks connected, shaking him and making him spit out blood, but he ignored them. His body was ridiculously sturdy, and his regeneration was godly. He could take it.

    Notifications rang continuously in Jack¡¯s ears. He usually ignored them until the battle was over, but he now paid attention, telling the System to keep investing everything into Physical. His power grew. He became stronger and faster with every passing second, terrifying thete B-Grades. For someone to advance like this mid-battle was unthinkable.

    When he arrived at Animal, Jack had been Level 363. Over the course of killing these Elders, he¡¯d reached 378, a difference of fifteen levels and three hundred stat points. That wasn¡¯t a minor increase.

    The Animal Kingdom possessed thirty-two Elders, all at the middle C-Grade or above. Two had been killed by Jack before this battle, so thirty remained. That was their main force, the core of their faction. Every single Elder was of paramount importance.

    In normal times, even the worst faction-destroying disasters couldn¡¯t get too many of those Elders because they were spread across the constetion. Now, however, the Hand of God had ordered them all to gather at Animal, and they¡¯d all rushed out together to face Jack, foolishly emboldened by their numbers.

    That was their doom.

    The cornerstones of the Animal Kingdom fell like flies. Within a single minute, all thirty of them were killed. The Grand Elder had also fallen. The Kingdom lost all of its Elders. Even one of the two Ancestors, the one from the Emberheart family, had been caught off guard and in¡ªhis strength had beencking to begin with.

    Even if Jack died right now, the Kingdom couldn¡¯t continue existing as a major faction in this gxy. They only had a single Ancestor remaining, alongside the Supreme Ancestor who was just too old. Everyone else was at the early C-Grade or below.

    It could be said that, right now, Jack had already destroyed the Animal Kingdom¡ªand he wasn¡¯t even done yet!

    All around the gxy, every spectator drew cold breaths. They were witnessing the fall of a giant. The million year-long reign of the Animal Kingdom¡­ended today!

 Chapter 458: End of the Line

    Chapter 458: End of the Line

    The arena was strewn with the lifeless bodies of once almighty Elders. Dozens of rulers of the gxy painted the sand with their blood. The people watching all over the gxy were frozen, unable to believe such a thing could really happen, while the B-Grades in the arena¡ªthe only ones remaining¡ªwere speechless.

    The Supreme Ancestor hadid in cryogenic sleep for hundreds of thousands of years to protect his faction in the case of such an emergency. Yet, even after he¡¯d awakened, he¡¯d been unable to help. He had to watch his descendants, the faction he¡¯d spent his entire life building, be demolished before his very eyes.

    What was helplessness? This was helplessness!

    ¡°I will fucking kill you, Jack Rust!¡±

    More sparks erupted all over his body. He was like an old god d in lightning, a thunderstorm taken physical form. He threw himself at Jack, uncaring about anything else. Jack charged back, then abruptly disappeared.

    He reappeared before thest remaining Ancestor. This was a leonine of the Lonihor family, d in their tell-tale te armor and surrounded by divine warriors. He knew this wasing¡ªhe braced himself. Half the warriors raised their shields, while the rest charged at Jack to dy him.

    Jack pulled back his fist. Reality itself was sucked inside. The energypacted continuously, bing so dense it almost copsed the fabric of spacetime around it, and then exploded right as Jack let loose his fist.

    Eva Solvig shed behind him and smashed a palm of Purity into his back. Jack endured it. His fist exploded on the divine warriors, obliterating them all. Shiny spears and shields flew everywhere. The energy of the Supernova broke through their defenses and fell onto the early B-Grade Ancestor, shattering his armor and Dao both. He flew away¡ªdead.

    A rush of power fled into Jack¡¯s body, abruptly stopped. He¡¯d reached Level 380, where the System would withhold any extra energy until he developed his ninth Dao Fruit. He couldn¡¯t get any stronger during this battle, but that was fine. He was enough.However, Eva Solvig¡¯s attack had ravaged his back. He felt the life inside him diminished, like he¡¯d swallowed molten iron. A terrible emptiness filled his being. He lost his breath, sent flying away, his heart struggling to keep beating. It was only afterward that the Life Drop¡¯s energy flooded him again, refilling the gap.

    Jack breathed heavily. Just a single attack from Eva had almost taken his life. Instinctively, he felt she was a cut above the white-cloaked man and Supreme Ancestor. Which was natural¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a native cultivator of the barren Milky Way gxy, but a high-level Envoy of the Hand of God. She was also the daughter of thete A-Grade Elder Purity. The resources she¡¯d enjoyed were incalcble. Moreover, she probably hadn¡¯t reached the end of her potential¡ªof course her strength would be greater than others at the same level.

    Jack turned around, finally slowing down a bit. Only the threete B-Grade cultivators were left¡ªeveryone else was dead, their bodies littering the sands of Jack¡¯s diator Titan arena. All three enemies stared at him with hatred. Jack smiled.

    ¡°Round two,¡± he said, then charged.

    The Supreme Ancestor roared and rushed to meet him. Eva flew beside him, while the white-cloaked man remained far away. Jack exchanged strikes with them. He was on the losing end; not only was he one against two, but the spacetime around him was heavily constricted, limiting his movements. He gradually retreated, keeping his safety.

    Even after seventeen levels, this still wasn¡¯t easy. But it was manageable. And, since he could survive, Jack could see a n.

    Lightning flickered on his skin. In the next moment, it burst out, an armor of purple sparks swimming over his skin. The Supreme Ancestor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Thunder Body! How can you¡­ How can you have it!¡±

    Jack smiled, not responding. He exploded with speed. He was suddenly stronger and faster than before¡ªso much faster, in fact, that the world seemed to warp around him, and he could barely control his own body. His punches shed like thunderbolts. He was still in the Life Drop battle transformation so he possessed four fists, each roaring at the limit of speed.

    He pummeled his opponents with strikes. The Supreme Ancestor roared but was pushed back. Eva unleashed waves of Purity which Jack broke through like a stone on the shore. He kept them both at bay, so stormy and fierce was his assault. The white-cloaked man finally decided to intervene. He rushed closer, then directly formed a spatial storm and tossed it onto Jack¡¯s head.

    Such a storm, if he wished it, could easily cleave through a. It was made of innumerable, invisible tiny des formed of pure space which tried to tear Jack into pieces. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with space himself. Though the des were invisible, he could perceive their locations, dodging or dispersing them all. Of course, that slowed him down, allowing the other two enemies to regain their footing and renew their assault.

    Jack turned his gaze to the white-cloaked man. From the very start of the battle, he¡¯d been a pest. He would be the first to go.

    Jack¡¯s form blurred again. Enhanced by Thunderbody, he reached previously unthought-of levels of speed. Even thesete B-Grades could barely keep up. He circled them rapidly, like a typhoon, and their strikes only met empty space. Jack became a phantom, creating afterimages not through space maniption but sheer speed.

    His three opponents huddled together while the crowd on the arena stands roared, shouted, and generally caused a ruckus. They rose from their seats to cheer harder.

    Supernovas exploded. The three enemies worked together to resist, releasing shockwaves which bounced off the arena walls. The void shattered. Space shook. Reality was distorted, and the infinite particles of the Dao vibrated to the same tune.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition.

    ¡°Freeze!¡± the white-cloaked man shouted, using up arge amount of energy to constrict space all around them¡ªonly like that could he catch Jack. Unfortunately for him, this was exactly what Jack had been waiting for. At the exact moment when the white-cloaked man gathered his power, Jack appeared above him, smashing a Supernova down on his head.

    Spacetime indeed froze¡ªbut the white-cloaked man¡¯s head was pushed down, breaking his neck and bending his spine. The ensuing explosion burned his body entirely, and the frozen spacetime returned to motion just in time to let his body flop to the sands, dying them red as many others had done before him.

    ¡°Sylvan!¡± Eva shouted, her voice filled with increasing panic¡ªnot at his death, but at hers. ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Caught you!¡± the Supreme Ancestor shouted. To release such a powerful strike, Jack had stood still, and that instant was more than enough for a master to capitalize on. The Supreme Ancestor and Eva Solvig besieged Jack from both sides, alternating their strikes to not let him teleport away.

    Jack had achieved a lot of things in this battle, but they all came at a cost. He was currently exhausted. His Thunder Body ability was barely holding on, and the only thing keeping him afloat was the constant stream of energying from Brock. Now surrounded, defending was all he could do, and the asional strike that seeped through rocked his world.

    His vision grew blurry. The world lost its sharpness. Defending became an instinct, and his arms slowed down as the lightning ran out around him. He was beginning to lose.

    <em>No, </em>he thought. <em>Not now. Not aftering this far!</em>

    Nobody wasing to save him. No one ever would. From start to finish, the only people Jack could depend on were himself and his bro. Brock had already done everything he could¡ªJack had to end this himself.

    Pushed to the edge, he took a risk. Hepletely turned his back to the Supreme Ancestor, facing Eva Solvig entirely. He leaned into the attack even as a series of strikesnded on his back, piercing his body, breaking his skin and bones. He roared as he hurtled himself forward, through a burning wave of Purity, into Eva Solvig. All four of his fists crashed down together. The world was split in four¡ªthen erupted as one.

    ¡°QUADRUPLE SUPERNOVA!¡±

    The impact was so massive that Jack went blind. His chest was seared by heat even as his back was devastated by the Supreme Ancestor. He flew backward, into the leonine, then both crashed into the far wall together. The arena flickered as if about to disappear. Jack felt half-dead. All his bones were broken.

    Thankfully, he still had the Life Drop¡¯s regeneration. When his eyes were restored, he gazed at a massive crater in the sand. Eva¡¯s barely recognizable bodyy in its midst,pletely charred and broken.

    So were Jack¡¯s fists, actually. They were now slowly regenerating thanks to the Life Drop¡ªeven he couldn¡¯t endure four supernovas at once. Moreover, he was mostly spent.

    But the Supreme Ancestor was in even worse condition. He possessed neither Jack¡¯s robustness nor his regeneration¡ªthough the impact he¡¯d received was smaller, his aged body could barely stand, and his wrinkled skin had ruptured all over. ck blood flowed from his mouth and limbs¡ªonly one arm and one leg remained intact, while the rest were broken.

    This legend of the gxy, the founder of a B-Grade faction who¡¯d once reached the peak B-Grade, was finally at the end of his rope.

    Jack stood up, shaking and ready for a final battle, but it didn¡¯t seem like the Supreme Ancestor was up for it. His gaze was cloudy¡ªJack could feel weakness from his body, as if he¡¯d already half-slipped into death. Perhaps it was unavoidable. The whole point of being eternally suspended was to return for one battle.

    The Supreme Ancestor gazed at the broken fields of sand. The bodies of his descendants littered it¡ªthe ruins of everything he¡¯d worked to build. He was old, too old¡ªand, suddenly, he was alone.

    The leonine raised his head and barked an uglyugh. More blood flowed from the ends of his lips. ¡°Who would have thought!¡± he shouted. ¡°My life was a joke! Everything I built was ruined¡ªeverything I was is lost. Hahaha! Oh, Heavenly Dao! I never thought that at my final moments, even I would be forsaken!¡±

    Jack was in no mood to argue. ¡°Are you done?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Done? Yes, I am¡­ I¡¯m done forever.¡± The Supreme Ancestor gave Jack a deep, inscrutable nce. ¡°I hate you more than I have ever hated everyone, but I acknowledge my defeat. I cannot kill you even if we keep fighting. In that case, I may as well die standing.¡±

    Jack nodded. A hint of appreciation entered his eyes. ¡°You fought bravely.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor sighed. He rxed his Dao and withdrew his aura. He could always reactivate them, but it would take a tiny amount of time, and that was more than enough for Jack to kill him. He¡¯d basically dropped his weapons. ¡°I surrender, Jack Rust. You may do with my old body as you like. However, if there is something I may ask of you¡­ Don¡¯t me my descendants. They were wrong to antagonize you, but most of them are innocent. Please, don¡¯t massacre them. Let a bit of my lineage carry on. Show mercy.¡±

    Jack did not reply immediately. His hand grabbed the leonine¡¯s throat¡ªwho didn¡¯t resist¡ªthen he carried his surrendered opponent to the center of the arena. The audience shouted for blood.

    ¡°I admire your resolve,¡± Jack finally said. ¡°Unfortunately, the grudge between me and your descendants is far too deep.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor¡¯s lip trembled. Suddenly, he wasn¡¯t the legend of a generation, but a sad old man. ¡°Must I beg?¡± he asked in a trembling voice.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°I once swore to my dead son that the name Emberheart would cease to exist. I cannot go back on that, nor do I want to. You were a brave man, Perilus Emberheart, both in life and in death¡ªit¡¯s just a pity that your descendants didn¡¯t inherit your honor. I will not force you to watch them die. Go on first, and I will make sure they all follow you soon.¡±

    The Supreme Ancestor¡¯s eyes had never been deeper. ¡°I understand,¡± he said in a weak voice. Jack clenched his hand and snapped the other man¡¯s throat, then pulled the body into his space ring. To him, at least, he would give a proper burial. He deserved it.

    Dark emotions welled up inside Jack. A war was taking ce in his heart¡ªhe could sense that the moment when he chose between light and darkness was approaching, but he didn¡¯t feel there was a choice, only an inevitability.

    He sighed. He let the arena disappear, since the battle was over, and he quickly pocketed the space rings of Eva Solvig and the white-cloaked man¡ªbeing Envoys of the Hand of God, they were the only ones who carried such things. He would inspect themter.

    Finally, he turned towards Animal. There was only a single high-Grade individual remaining¡ªArtus Emberheart, who had not participated in the battle. Jack¡¯s true enemy, the man he hated most in the world.

    He flew back slowly, not worried that Artus would escape. Indeed¡ªas he approached, he saw the leonine wrapped in golden chains. Brock was beside him, standing with arms crossed and a stare Jack couldn¡¯t quite ce.

    ¡°Hey bro,¡± said the brori. ¡°Nice battle.¡±

    Jack nodded. His gazended on Artus Emberheart.

 Chapter 459: Punishment

    Chapter 459: Punishment

    The universe had fallen quiet.

    Dozens of bodies littered the space behind Jack. They used to be overlords, emperors of the gxy, C-Grade Elders and B-Grade Ancestors or Envoys. Now, they were all dead¡ªin because they made an enemy of Jack Rust. Because they pushed their enmity far past the point of reconciliation.

    What goes aroundes around. The Animal Kingdom had oppressed its constetion for a million years. Their widespread tyranny was bound to backfire eventually, and now they were destroyed. Without Elders and Ancestors to guide the faction, the Kingdom was left with only early C-Grade Enforcers. They were reduced to a C-Grade faction, and not even a particrly strong one. Moreover, the revolution against them was still ongoing¡ªit was unknown how many Enforcers would survive.

    It was even possible that, after everything was said and done, the Animal Kingdom would disband entirely.

    This was a deciding day in the history of the Milky Way¡ªthe first time a major faction was taken down from the inside. It was also the day a new overlord appeared. Jack Rust had solidified his ce as the gxy¡¯s strongest cultivator. Even if some Supreme Ancestor of an apex B-Grade faction could face him, no one doubted that in just a year or two, Jack¡¯s strength would have taken another leap forward.

    Jack Rust, Gctic Emperor.

    After the battle broadcast was over, the world remained stunned. Large cities had fallen into inactivity. Elder Councils were convened in all major factions, and even Ancestors were called to participate. They needed to discuss how to handle this¡ªfigure out their ce in the new world order.

    The Milky Way had changed forever.

    As the person in the center of all those changes, Jack didn¡¯t care. He did not revel in his victory against the Animal Kingdom, nor was he relieved at temporarily being safe. The only thing he felt was hatred¡ªa zing dark bonfire which took his heart as fuel. His eyes carried death as he stared down his most hated enemy: Artus Emberheart.Golden chains bound him, borne of the Dao of Brohood. Brock stood silent to the side, letting Jack approach, while Artus himself revealed a mixture of disbelief and bitterness.

    Heughed. ¡°Congrattions, Jack Rust! You finally win! You always win everything!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about winning,¡± Jack replied, flying closer. He only stopped when he towered over Artus, a titan staring him down. Coupled with his fierce air, it was like he would reach down and snap Artus¡¯s neck in the next instant.

    Yet, he didn¡¯t do that. He didn¡¯t just want to kill Artus; he wanted to make him suffer.

    ¡°Go ahead and try!¡± Artusughed as if reading Jack¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You have already taken everything from me. My son, my honor, my faction¡­ Even after I managed to restart my life, you only destroyed everything again. You are a menace, Jack Rust! I wish you¡¯d never been born! At this point, there is nothing else you can do to me, no more pain you can inflict.¡±

    Jack smiled, not responding. Artus kept going.

    ¡°You want to torture me? Try! There is no pain worse than what I¡¯ve already been through. You want to utterly destroy the Animal Kingdom and kill my family? Go ahead! What do I care about them? Why <em>should </em>I care? They are the ones who exiled me. They never helped me deal with you. Let them die alongside their Kingdom like the ungrateful shits they are!¡±

    The more he spoke, the more his ramblings turned from coherent speech to crazed ranting. It wasn¡¯t just his Dao¡ªhis mind was broken as well.

    But that didn¡¯t mean Jack would show mercy.

    ¡°I do n to destroy your lineage,¡± he replied calmly. ¡°As for torturing you, however¡­ I will not dirty my hands. Someone like you is not worth polluting my Dao.¡±

    ¡°Then what can you do?¡± Artus replied,ughing again. ¡°You are powerless to hurt me! Useless, just like the day I killed your son! End my life, if you dare. Let¡¯s bring this giant farce to a close!¡±

    Jack felt intense hatred arise but held himself. ¡°I will not hurt you, Artus Emberheart¡­ However, if you think I¡¯ll end your life, you are mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Only now did Artus sober up a bit. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°How long will these chainst, Brock?¡± Jack asked.

    The brori raised a brow. ¡°Indefinitely. They¡¯re powered by ambient Dao.¡±

    ¡°Good. Can you bind himpletely?¡±

    ¡°With pleasure.¡±

    Before Artus could react, more golden chains materialized around him. His entire body was paralyzed¡ªhe could feel everything, but he couldn¡¯t move a muscle. The golden color even seeped into him, imprisoning his soul and sealing his Dao. To his horror, Artus realized that he couldn¡¯t move his energy at all¡ªbesides his tempered body, he was like a mortal.

    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± he asked, roaring. ¡°What did you do!?¡±

    ¡°We sealed you,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°Now you cannot escape, you cannot move, you cannot contact others, and you cannot even take your own life.¡±

    Artus felt a hint of panic. To cultivators, who had extreme control over their bodies, taking their own life was extremely simple. It served as a mental guarantee¡ªno matter what, they would never experience anything worse than death because they could kill themselves whenever they wished. Even when Artus spoke about torture before, it was only to mock Jack¡ªhe nned to end himself as soon as this conversation was over.

    To his horror, however, Artus realized he no longer had that option. His Dao had shatteredpletely, rendering him incapable ofmuning with the world, and the little energy which remained inside his soul had been sealed by Brock, as had his body. The only part he could still move was his face, but it was useless. Even if he bit off his tongue, that would be aughable injury to his C-Grade body.

    Artus didn¡¯t fear death or torture. However, this sense of losing control¡­ This, he feared. It terrified him.

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    ¡°Let me go!¡± he screamed. ¡°Kill me if you dare! Kill me like I killed your son!¡±

    Jack gave a dark smile. ¡°You do not deserve the same fate as Eric. The two of you are not on the same level. My son was avenged, he was loved, and he will be remembered. As for you¡­ Nobody will care about you, nor will there be anyone left to remember you.¡±

    Artus screamed, struggling to escape, but how could he? Though he¡¯d once reached thete C-Grade realm, his current strength barely qualified him as a C-Grade. There was nothing he could do against Brock¡¯s restraints.

    Jack waved a hand, wrapping Artus in a spatial distortion and hiding him from sight. Living beings could not enter space rings, but Jack had reached the level where he could easily simte a simr effect.

    ¡°Will youe with me, Brock?¡± he asked.

    Brock raised his gaze. ¡°To the end of the world.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s exactly where we¡¯re headed.¡±

    The Trampling Ram arrived beside them. Nobody spoke to congratte Jack¡ªthey could all sense the palpable darkness in the air. Jack and Brock boarded the starship. Before that, however, they spread their perception over Animal and destroyed every single teleporter on it. Nobody could escape until they returned.

    Then, they teleported.

    The Trampling Ram pierced through space in silence. The void turned heavier wherever they appeared, then almost sighed as they left.

    ¡°Jack,¡± Nauja spoke hesitantly. ¡°Do you maybe want to¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    She fell silent. A couple hourster, the infinite stars around them began to abate, reced with endless darkness. Bright shapes lingered in the far distance¡ªsome were shaped as spirals, others as eggs. They were gxies.

    Animal was close to the edge of the gxy to begin with. After a few hours of teleporting, they¡¯d reached it. Behind themy stars¡ªahead, darkness.

    Jack stepped outside the starship alone. He waved his hand, and space distorted beside him to reveal Artus Emberheart,pletely immobile. He could neither speak nor move. Only his eyes, which remained perfectly still, emanated hatred.

    ¡°This is the edge of the gxy,¡± Jack exined. ¡°Billions of light years of emptiness. Nothing exists here. No life¡­and no death.¡±

    Artus¡¯s eyes remained still, but a hint of realization was beginning to grow in them. A bit of horror.

    ¡°You are not too old, Artus,¡± Jack continued. ¡°C-Grades can live for ten thousand years. You look in your fifties¡ªyou have maybe five thousand years left? Four? That¡¯s a decent amount of time. Cultivators pursue immortality, you know. They yearn to spend more time in this world, enjoying everything it has to offer. You, on the other hand, are about to experience a very different fate.

    ¡°In your current state, you cannot move or act in any way. You cannot struggle. You cannot try to escape. All you can do is perceive and think. I hope your mind is an interesting ce, Artus, because it is all you will know for the rest of your long, long life. I will push you into the endless darkness¡ªin there, you will be nothing but a speck of sand. Nobody will ever find you. If you are extremely lucky, you might chance by a space monster in a century or two and be eaten. If not, you will spend your remaining years alone, immobile, and helpless, floating through empty darkness.¡±

    Jack smiled to Artus¡¯s increasing horror. ¡°Aren¡¯t you d you cultivated to the C-Grade, Artus?¡± he asked. ¡°You get to survive without food, water, or breathing¡­ How fortunate of you. Enjoy your new life. This¡±¡ªhis eyes darkened¡ª¡°is for my son.¡±

    Jack reached for Artus¡¯s back and pushed him forward. He watched as Artus floated towards the darkness, unable to scream or cry.

    Jack stayed there for a few minutes, observing the ever more distant leonine. He felt empty inside. This was just punishment for Artus¡¯s crimes¡ªthe man definitely deserved it. However, acting like this also polluted Jack.

    The heart shaped one¡¯s actions, and one¡¯s actions shaped the heart in turn.

    Jack gave Artus a final nce, watching him steer deeper and deeper into the darkness, then turned around and approached the starship. ¡°I want to spend some time alone,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Then, he teleported away, following the periphery of the gxy.

    A few momentster, when he was certain they could no longer perceive him, he suddenly changed course. His body angled towards the gxy, heading deeper. He could sense exactly where he was and where he wanted to go.

    There was something he needed to do, but it was something which brought him fear. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was doing the right thing. All he knew was that his hatred was too great, and that he¡¯d once taken an oath he could not bear to vite.

    He did not want this to be seen by the others¡ªespecially Brock.

    Reaching into his space ring, Jack removed the starship he¡¯d been given by the ck Hole People. It hadn¡¯t seen much use, since they had the Trampling Ram, but it was perfect for just himself. He flew into it and teleported away.

    Stars passed by. The starship teleported over and over, heading deeper into the gxy. A few hourster, it approached a familiar area¡ªthe one he¡¯d just been in. Animal appeared in the distance. Jack performed a final teleportation, appearing over it and stashing away the ship. His aura erupted¡ªa tremendous wave which submerged the.

    Jack had once vowed that the name Emberheart would cease to exist in the gxy. He could sense that fulfilling that oath would scar him permanently, but he saw no other way. He couldn¡¯t go forward, and he couldn¡¯t go backward. He hated himself¡ªbut he would still do this. For Eric. His son needed to be avenged, and this was the only way Jack knew.

    The only way to quench his hatred.

    In fact, Jack would have liked to do this in front of Artus Emberheart. The only reason he hadn¡¯t was that he needed to lure Brock and the others away so they wouldn¡¯t see this side of himself. Now, they wouldn¡¯t have rushed here as fast as he did. Though the Trampling Ram could travel faster than his little starship, they had no reason to return so quickly¡ªthey probably remained at the edge of the gxy for a while, discussing various things. That relieved him greatly.

    As for why he didn¡¯t want them to see this¡­ He didn¡¯t dare consider it. Even he had a limit¡ªhe wasn¡¯t strong enough. The pain was agony. The hatred, endless. He needed toplete this task. To end this, once and for all.

    <em>I can allow myself one misstep, </em>he thought. <em>I¡¯ve earned this.</em>

    Animal was not a war camp like Hell or Earthen Gemini. It contained regr cities, with merchants, children, old people, animals¡­ All sorts of innocent creatures who¡¯d never seen the harsh side of the Animal Kingdom. It also possessed two moons¡ªone was the home of the Lonihor family, and the other the home of the Emberheart family.

    Jack didn¡¯t n to destroy the entire. However, starting today, it would only have one moon. The name Emberheart would cease to exist.

    He appeared over the Emberheart Moon. His aura fell down,ced with killing intent. He readied his fist.

    A few hurried figures flew up from the moon¡ªsome elderly Enforcers of the Emberheart family. ¡°Wait, Overlord!¡± they cried out. ¡°There are children here! Innocent people! Take our lives, but please, show mercy for them!¡±

    They were panicking. To them, Jack was a god of destruction about to kill everyone. They were even willing to give up their lives to protect their children.

    Jack found that admirable. However, he only shook his head. ¡°An eye for an eye,¡± he said. ¡°This is for my son.¡±

    They shouted many things, but Jack wasn¡¯t listening¡ªhe no longer knew what he felt. The world was hazy and dark.

    His fist came down. A hundred mile-wide meteor appeared, easily able to shatter the entire moon, and it radiated a Dao so intense it was unstoppable. The elderly Enforcers cried out and banded together in a futile attempt to stop it. There was nothing that could be done anymore¡ªmillions of innocent leonines would be ughtered.

    The meteor came crashing down.

    A golden light appeared out of nowhere¡ªthe phantom of a massive staff, smashing into the falling meteor and shattering both. The elderly leonines were pushed away by the shockwave. A storm blew over the moon below.

    "That''s enough!" a voice bellowed.

    Brock stood in the ruins of Jack¡¯s attack, his staff extended, staring him down. Though separated by hundreds of miles, they felt as if standing face-to-face¡ªand Brock¡¯s expression was dark with rage. He shouted, "Shut the fuck up!"

 Chapter 460: Over my Dead Body

    Chapter 460: Over my Dead Body

    Jack was dazed. This had urred too suddenly¡ªBrock, who was supposed to be far away, had suddenly appeared and blocked his attack. He¡¯d shielded the Emberheart Moon.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Jack replied, half-angry and half-surprised. It was the first time Brock spoke against him¡ªand with such ferocity, too. This was simr to challenging him.

    ¡°I said, that¡¯s enough,¡± Brock repeated. His fur was risen, his eyes were narrowed. He was breathing heavily out of anger. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing? Were you really going to murder all these people, Jack!?¡±

    Jack opened his mouth to reply but was shaken. <em>Jack?</em>

    He and Brock had been together almost since the Integration. He¡¯d basically watched the brori grow up. In all that time, Brock had never called Jack by name. This was the first time.

    For some reason, hearing his name be uttered by the brori¡¯s lips shook his world. However, it was toote to care. Jack felt hatred, anger, despair, grief. He was trapped in darkness, and the only way out was to destroy the moon below him.

    ¡°I am getting revenge for my son,¡± he replied heavily. ¡°What do <em>you </em>think you¡¯re doing, Brock?¡±

    ¡°My duty.¡± The brori raised his head and puffed out his chest. ¡°You are making a mistake. As your bro, I cannot allow that.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Do you really think you can stop me?¡±¡°I don¡¯t think. I know I can.¡±

    An intense golden aura erupted from Brock¡¯s body. It washed away the stars and flooded the moon below. The elderly Enforcers were once again flung backward, and they retreated as far as they could.

    Brock¡¯s aura shone like the sun, then gathered around him to form the outline of a massive, transparent, golden brori. It adopted a battle stance with its staff extended. Brock was in its chest, where its heart should be, in the exact same stance. His anger melted into calm resolve.

    ¡°You have protected me many times before,¡± he said with resolve. ¡°Now, it is my turn to protect you.¡±

    Jack was frozen. Brock wanted to fight him? He had to fight Brock? This was too much, too quickly, too sudden. His entire being protested¡ªbut the darkness in his heart rose up, engulfing his mind, reminding him that this was a challenge he had to ept. He needed to destroy this ce¡ªand whoever stood in his way would be destroyed as well.

    Jack clenched his fist. A purple aura erupted, so dense it was almost physical, shing against the brori¡¯s. Gold and purple split the sky¡ªtwo brothers fighting.

    ¡°Why are you doing this, Brock?¡± Jack shouted. ¡°Why do you have to make me do this!?¡±

    ¡°If you kill these innocent people,¡± Brock replied calmly, ¡°you will never be able to return. You will have be what you hate¡ªno better than Artus Emberheart. I will die before letting that happen.¡±

    Jack clenched his teeth. His aura fluctuated. ¡°Don¡¯t push me, Brock! I must do this. I must avenge my son!¡±

    ¡°This is not avenging anyone,¡± Brock replied. ¡°Eric is gone. He has already been avenged. All you are doing now is indulging in your darkness.¡±

    ¡°How can you think you know better than me!?¡±

    ¡°Because you are blinded, and I am not.¡±

    Brock¡¯s stance remained hard. He would not take a single step backward. As for Jack, he felt trapped. He didn¡¯t want to fight, but he couldn¡¯t bear to go back now. He couldn¡¯t abandon Eric. He couldn¡¯t let him down again. He¡¯d taken an oath in his son¡¯s name to wipe the name Emberheart off this gxy.

    ¡°I really will attack, Brock!¡± he warned again.

    ¡°Good. Come,¡± the brori replied. ¡°Let me see if your darkness can ovee the light of brohood.¡±

    More golden light erupted. It didn¡¯t only blind Jack, but it also reached deep into his soul and seared something inside it. His Dao Fruit of Brotherhood shook as if wanting to rip itself off the tree. Jack felt himself grow weaker.

    <em>What¡¯s happening? </em>he thought. <em>Is the Dao of Brotherhood against me? Does it disapprove of my actions?</em>

    At the same time that Jack grew weaker, streams of power converged to Brock from all across the gxy. The golden brori grew more solid, more real, until it resembled arger and shinier version of Brock.

    Jack was finally incensed. ¡°Do you think this is enough!?¡± he shouted. ¡°That a few tricks can close the gap between us!? Do you really intend to challenge me!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you, Jack, but I will not let you pass.¡±

    <em>How strong is Brock? </em>Jack tried to calcte. They were both at eight fruits¡ªhowever, Jack himself had benefited from many more opportunities. His strength should be much higher than Brock¡¯s. Hell, it should be iparable to any other C-Grade¡¯s.

    So why did he feel a vague sense of threat?

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    Come to think of it, Jack¡¯s greatest breakthrough hade when he suffered in grief for a year. Hadn¡¯t Brock endured the same? While Jack was in the ck Hole World, Brock had thought him dead. Who knows how many insights he¡¯d gained during that time. How much stronger he¡¯d gotten.

    Jack realized he actually didn¡¯t have a gauge on Brock¡¯s strength. By all reasoning, it shouldn¡¯t beparable to his, or Brock would have joined him in the final battle against the Animal Kingdom.

    Would he really have to attack his little brother?

    Jack was trapped. Deadlocked. He roared and released his power, buffeting Brock¡¯s golden brori. He felt it give way. Brock was standing his ground, but only barely. Even if he could fight Jack for a bit, he couldn¡¯t win. He was strong, stronger than any C-Grade Jack had ever seen, but less so than Jack himself. His chances of victory were tiny.

    So why? Why was he doing this? Why was he putting Jack in such a dilemma? Did he not care?

    Jack felt immensely angry. All his other emotions had been transmuted into it. The only thing holding him back was a tiny suspicion at the back of his mind¡ªcould he be wrong?

    For Brock to stand up like this, he had to bepletely confident, and Jack himself had always doubted this course of action. Could it be that Jack was wrong, and Brock was really trying to protect him?

    But did it matter? The pain that Jack felt at meeting his bro¡¯s full-force resistance was inconsequential. He needed to avenge his son. He needed toplete his oath. How could he abandon his child once again?

    A colosseum faintly shimmered into existence around them. The spectators weren¡¯t shouting like usually¡ªthey were deathly silent. An aura of tragedy hung over the world. Jack stood in the sky, a dark diator facing his own brother.

    ¡°This is my third and final warning, Brock,¡± he growled. ¡°Step aside.¡±

    The brori snorted. ¡°Make me.¡±

    <em>That¡¯s it, </em>Jack thought, seeing red. <em>That¡¯s enough. </em>He clenched his fist. His aura erupted, filled with brutality. He¡¯d already been driven to the limit¡ªnow was the time to smash his brother unconscious, and damned be the consequences.

    Jack charged.

    More shes appeared around Brock. The Trampling Ram came into view. Gan Salin, Nauja, Bomn, Vashter¡­ All the people he¡¯d traveled with for months, all hispanions, stood side by side against him. They rallied around Brock.

    Even if their power waspletely negligible, they still banded together, readying themselves to fight him.

    Jack skidded to a stop. The solidarity of his friends against him hurt him deeply.

    ¡°I may be insane, but right now, so are you,¡± Gan Salin said, stretching out his fingernails. ¡°If you want to pass, Jack, you¡¯ll need to do it over our dead bodies! This is us protecting you!¡±

    ¡°See the light!¡± Nauja shouted.

    ¡°Be strong!¡± Bomn added in anger. ¡°You are better than this, Jack!¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°All of you would stand against me? You would all abandon me? I guess I really am alone! This is the only way!¡±

    ¡°What bullshit are you spouting?¡± Brock shouted back. ¡°You¡¯re losing it, Jack. Pull yourself together!¡±

    ¡°<em>I¡¯m </em>the one losing it? Look around you, Brock. I must avenge my son, you know I need to! I mustplete the oath I made in his name! I don¡¯t want to do this, but I have to!¡±

    ¡°Are you even listening to yourself!?¡± Brock shouted,pletely losing hisposure for the first time. ¡°How can you be so blind? My son this and my son that. That¡¯s all you refer to him as! Your son! You don¡¯t call him Eric anymore, and do you know why? Because this isn¡¯t about him, but about you. You aren¡¯t avenging anyone. This is not grief¡ªit¡¯s pride!¡±

    Jack felt like a bomb exploded inside his head. He momentarily lost contact with the world. His heart was shaken. <em>Pride?</em>

    Was he really avenging Eric? Or was he onlyshing out about the fact that, by killing his son, someone had wounded his pride? Even worse, was this all just an attempt to excuse himself for his past failures?

    His mind screamed no, but a tiny voice inside him whispered maybe.

    <em>Who am I? </em>Jack thought, the only question he coulde up with.

    His aura fell into disarray. His Dao shook. Sensing that, Brock sighed in relief, then let his aura soften as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, bro,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not toote. You still haven¡¯t done anything bad. You remain whole¡ªjust see the light.¡±

    Jack looked inside himself. He saw the phantom of Eric demanding justice¡ªbut as he took a closer look, the phantom slowly warped, turning into a vision of Jack himself. The real Eric was standing behind him, crying in silence.

    ¡°Eric?¡± Jack whispered.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Eric muttered, his voice covered with sobs.

    ¡°I am doing this for you!¡± Jack tried to justify himself. ¡°You deserve it! You are worth more to me than all those leonines. This is the only way I can bnce out your death!¡±

    ¡°There is nothing to bnce, Dad¡­¡± Eric whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want this. I just want people to stop dying. I just want¡­peace. Don¡¯t make more people cry. Please.¡±

    Jack¡¯s lip trembled. He, a hardened cultivator of the Fist, the overlord of a gxy, almost lost control of his emotions. The phantom of Eric disappeared, and Jack felt pressed against a mental wall which caused him extreme pain. All his instincts screamed to back away and forget about this.

    He could sense this was a trial. With a deep breath, he dared to look into himself in earnest, to step through the wall. It was the hardest step he¡¯d taken in his entire life.

    And the wall shattered. And there were no more ghosts. Only Jack, the world, and the future. His pain existed only because he refused to let it go. Because he feared that, if he stopped feeling grief and fighting for revenge, it would mean abandoning Eric again.

    But that was not the case. Eric wouldn¡¯t want it. He never liked conflict. All he wanted, all he ever desired, was peace.

    Jack let go.

    Eric appeared again, a ghost that was smiling this time. ¡°Goodbye, Dad,¡± he said. ¡°Live a happy life for me, okay? Protect Mom and Ebele.¡±

    Jack teared up. ¡°I will. I promise you, Eric¡­ I will.¡±

    Eric smiled and vanished forever. Jack felt empty. Warm fur pressed against his skin as a brori embraced him, hiding his tears from the world, supporting him through thick and thin, being there like only a true bro could.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Jack managed to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, bro,¡± Brock said softly. ¡°Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. As long as we have our bros¡­ Everything is okay.¡±

    Jack couldn¡¯t reply. More people fell around them¡ªGan Salin, Nauja¡­ They embraced Jack and smothered him with brotherly love, filling his empty insides with warmth. Jack was so exhausted, but also reborn. He¡¯d seen through the mysteries of life and death today¡ªnot as a cultivator, but as a person.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Without you, I¡¯m nothing.¡±

    ¡°We all are,¡± Brock replied with a smile. ¡°Alone, we are nothing. Only together are we real.¡±

 Chapter 461: Returning to Earth

    Chapter 461: Returning to Earth

    Jack decided not to kill every Emberheart. However, he had promised to erase that name off the gxy, so he forced them to change theirst names. The Emberheart family renamed itself to Openchest,pletely humiliating themselves in the process. It was a choice for survival¡ªthose who refused to ept the change, almost a quarter of the adult poption, were honorably executed by the family themselves.

    It was not an easy period for the former Emberheart family. Those proud leonines had never had to bow their heads before. However, for their children to survive, they steeled their hearts and did it.

    On that day, the name Emberheart finally disappeared from the Milky Way gxy. Jack also instated an order that anyone found using thatst name was to be captured, leonine or otherwise. And so, his oath to Eric was fulfilled, through not in the way anyone expected.

    Jack had basically conquered the Animal Kingdom. He fell onto the surface of Animal, spreading his aura with no one daring to match him. Children gazed at him with awe¡ªadults felt terror through their closed shutters. He didn¡¯t n to mistreat the Kingdom¡ªdidn¡¯t n to be like them. He would simply distance himself from the matters of the Milky Way, letting things progress as they would.

    After conquering the Kingdom and destroying his pursuers in the Hand of God, Jack still had six days remaining before the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign was set to arrive. He nned to publicize his location and wait for someone with the teleporter frequency of Earth toe to him. Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t necessary. He found Shol in the dungeons of Animal. The monk was safe, if a bit famished. He¡¯d been here all along, captured by the Kingdom a little before Jack¡¯s return to the gxy.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, brother,¡± Jack said with a smile, walking through a jail door. A skinny man awaited him, rubbing his wrists. His poor health did nothing to affect his good mood.

    ¡°Jack!¡± he eximed, rushing forward to hug his savior. ¡°Is it true?¡± he asked. ¡°Did you really defeat the Animal Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Every Elder, Ancestor, and Supreme Ancestor,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Along with some Envoys from the Hand of God.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s amazing!¡± Shol shook his head, still stuck in disbelief. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that my little F-Grade disciple made it this far.¡±¡°Yeah¡­ Neither can I. Sorry for beingte, brother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. They didn¡¯t mistreat me too much. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Thest thing Jack did before leaving Animal was release every war criminal they kept. The vast majority were just captured rebels¡ªpeople who deserved to be free. He also inspected the Kingdom¡¯s vast treasuries, taking everything that caught his eye. Some treasures were more interesting than others, but he put them aside forter, just as he had with the space rings of Eva Solvig and the other Envoy.

    The Kingdom was once again humiliated, but there was nothing they could do about it. Rumors about disbanding their faction were already in cirction. Jack and his bros finally took off, leaving behind a broken empire overrun with rebels.

    In the near future, the Animal Kingdom would formally dissolve, breaking into numerous smaller factions which escaped to other constetions. The former Animal Kingdom constetion would be renamed the Bare Fist constetion, in honor of Jack, and would be led by a coalition of forces¡ªat least for a while.

    But Jack neither knew about these nor did he care. His job was done. Instead, he traveled to the nearest teleporter hub¡ªDerion, the poison.

    Earth had changed its teleporter frequency after Artus Emberheart¡¯s raid. Shol hadn¡¯t visited since then, but thankfully, the professor had thought ahead. She¡¯d had him memorize a set of frequencies, saying that if they had to change for any reason, they¡¯d use some of the other frequencies in the set. Therefore, Shol only needed a little experimenting to find the right frequency and connect to Earth.

    Jack took a deep breath, staring at the spinning purple vortex. So many feelings warred inside him¡ªanxiety, excitement, worry, guilt¡­ He hadn¡¯t seen his family in five years. He had no idea how they would react. How he would react.

    However, he knew it would all be fine. After that knot in his heart had been resolved, he felt reborn. At peace. The happiness and sadness of life washed over him, but he remained tranquil. The worst was behind him. Whatever happened next, he could deal with it.

    A hand fell on his shoulders. ¡°You got this, bro.¡±

    Jack turned, smiling. ¡°Thanks, Brock.¡±

    The two of them stepped into the teleporter, followed by Gan Salin, Nauja, and Shol. As for Bomn and Vashter, they¡¯d decided to stay, taking the Trampling Ram and assisting the constetion however they could.

    Stars spun around them. The gxy became a speeding blur, and before long, Jack¡¯s feet rested solidly on grass. He breathed in that so familiar air. Tall treesy strewn ahead of him, crowded by brori guards ready to fight.

    The moment they saw him, they paused mid-assault. Then, they let out a joyful cry which spread over the trees, scaring away the birds. They rushed to hug them all.

    Jackughed. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡±

    A new cry responded to the broris. Harambe fell from the sky and mmed against the ground. His fur had developed gray tufts, and his eyes were darker than they used to be¡ªbut he¡¯d reached the D-Grade, so he would live for many, many years.

    Brock stepped out to meet him. He¡¯d grown. At only a couple feet shorter, he seemed like a copy of his father when standing face to face. He smiled. ¡°Hello, Father,¡± he said. ¡°Your son is back.¡±

    Harambe tried really hard to keep a straight face. He couldn¡¯t. Tears marred his manly face, and he lunged towards his son, wrapping him in a tight embrace. The relief he exuded was otherworldly. Even Brock was touched¡ªhe froze for a moment, then his hands wrapped around his father¡¯s back and held him tightly.

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    Everyone else stayed silent for this reunion. However, a third cry cut through the air as a ck form hurtled towards them at supersonic speed. It came to a stop ahead of Jack, the force of its extinguished momentum blowing everyone¡¯s clothes backward.

    Jackid his eyes on a tall, dark-skinned woman. Her hair reached her shoulders, fluttering in the wind, while a red and blue robe covered her body. She remained opposite Jack, staring at him. She said no words¡ªbut her eyes spoke more than her mouth ever could. In those eyes, Jack could see relief, anger, hesitation. She didn¡¯t know how to react, how to greet him, what she felt. The time they¡¯d spent apart had been so much that even their current rtionship was unclear. She¡¯d looked forward to this moment so much, but now that it unexpectedly arrived, she was afraid.

    Facing her alternating feelings, Jack smiled and stepped forward. He stood right in front of her¡ªand she did not push him away. He ran a hand over her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry, my love,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    She lost her breath. ¡°Wee home¡­¡± she finally managed to say before Jack drew her into a warm kiss containing all his loneliness, his despair, his need for her, how much he¡¯d missed her. She melted in his arms, and he on her lips. They hugged,pletely forgetting about everyone else that was present.

    It was only a bitter that they simultaneously realized what they were doing. Vivi tried to pull back, but Jack smiled into her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m really happy to see you. Have you been well?¡±

    ¡°Kind of. Have you?¡±

    ¡°Kind of.¡±

    They smiled, sharing each other¡¯s pain, and only then did they withdraw. Jack looked around, finding many familiar faces staring at them. Even Edgar had arrived¡ªa schrly man with a sharp beard and an air of confidence. His eyes hadn¡¯t lost their spark. If anything, they shone even brighter.

    As Jack was about to go over and greet him, however, he noticed someone else. A little girl, barely six or seven years old, staring at him from behind a tree. Straight ck hair fell over her dark skin, while her wide olive eyes were glued on Jack. He could see so many things in those eyes¡ªand it pained him that beneath everything else hid hardness. This girl was growing fine, as well as she could without him.

    Jack smiled warmly. ¡°Hi, Ebele.¡± He spread his arms.

    Her hesitation melted. The hardness in her eyes receded, and she bolted into his arms, almost throwing him backward. Her little arms wrapped tightly around his chest. ¡°Dad!¡± she squealed, bursting into tears. Jack ced a hand on the back of his daughter¡¯s head, holding her tenderly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said with tears in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    She buried her face in his chest, crying her heart out, releasing five long years of worries. Her father was here. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted off her small chest, letting her breathe normally for the first time in a long while.

    Jack didn¡¯t speak anymore. He could sense that his daughter had endured more things than a child was supposed to¡­ But, he was here now. At least for a while. He would do his best to make up for his years of absence.

    ¡°Jack,¡± Vivi whispered by his side. ¡°There is something you should know. About Eric¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°He is gone. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He watched her eyes fall into grief. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t expect this¡ªever since Eric had been kidnapped a year and a half ago, she knew this was by the far the likeliest scenario. She and everyone else had prepared themselves. It was just that she¡¯d always held out a little bit of hope. Now, hearing the decisive truth, that final strand of hope disappeared and left her wallowing in darkness.

    Her eyes turned red. Jack felt Ebele clench his chest even tighter, her muffled sobs turning sadder. He closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do. Death was a part of life¡ªit wasn¡¯t something he could punch away, no matter how hard he tried.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said softly. He wrapped both his wife and daughter in a spatial distortion and teleported directly into their living room. Vivi stumbled in surprise. Ebele hadn¡¯t even realized they¡¯d moved. When she raised her head to look around, she released a small yelp.

    ¡°Let me tell you everything,¡± Jack said, sitting them both down. He detailed his experiences since he¡¯dst left them. The Green Dragon hidden realm, his three years of cultivation there, then his return to the Milky Way and his attempts to reach Earth. He spoke about Eric¡¯s passing, not going into detail, then narrated his experience in the ck Hole World. Finally, he told them how he¡¯d destroyed the Animal Kingdom and Hand of God branch in the Milky Way.

    The two women listened, notmenting much.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Jack finally asked.

    Vivi told him about the years they¡¯d spent on Earth. How the professor¡ªJack¡¯s mother¡ªhad stepped down from running the and retired to a small cottage nearby. How Vivi had taken over, working herself to the bone to enhance the power of Earthen cultivators.

    ¡°We even discovered the C-Grade Dungeon of this,¡± she said. ¡°A huge ocean deep underground. It circles almost the entire¡ªits volume is many times greater than all the surface oceansbined.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Are there many new species there?¡±

    ¡°Well, there are some.¡±

    He nodded. A C-Grade Dungeon wouldn¡¯t do much for him anymore. He still had to develop his ninth fruit and receive the rest of the levels from the battle, but¡­ Those could wait. He didn¡¯t have too much time here. He would spend it all with his family.

    ¡°And you, Ebele?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I practiced,¡± she said. ¡°I learnednguages, martial arts, I tempered my body. I want to be strong.¡±

    Jack couldn¡¯t help the sad smile on his face. He felt proud, but also deeply distraught. The life of a cultivator was not easy. It saddened him to imagine his daughter going through the same things he had. The life and death battles, the danger, the pain, the tribtions, the loneliness¡­ Her simple words, ¡°I want to be strong,¡± contained more depth than her mind was currently able to fit.

    However, he realized by now that it was pointless to dictate another person¡¯s path, even if it was his daughter. Everyone had their own destiny. All he could do was help her traverse it as best as possible.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied, not showing any of his feelings. ¡°Daddy will train with you a bit, okay?¡±

    Her face brightened up.

    ¡°Will you stay for long, Jack?¡± Vivi asked.

    ¡°No¡­¡± he replied. ¡°I must go soon. They wille to pick me up, and I can¡¯t say no.¡±

    Her disappointment was evident. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Six days.¡±

    ¡°Six days!? You¡¯ve been gone for five years and you¡¯re only staying for six days!?¡±

    It was understandable that she was upset. Even Ebele was surprised. This really was too little time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds,¡± Jack said. ¡°I can alter the flow of time now. It¡¯s useless for cultivating, but when ites to spending time together, I can make itst three times as long.¡±

    Vivi pouted. ¡°It¡¯s still not enough¡­¡±

    ¡°It never could be,¡± he replied, then sighed. ¡°I missed you too, Vivi. Both of you. I hate that I will have to leave again soon, but it is what I must do. Let¡¯s just spend this time together, okay? Please¡­¡±

    Both looked into his eyes. Ebele nodded with understanding. ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 462: Spending Time with Family

    Chapter 462: Spending Time with Family

    Two people faced each other in a spacious backyard. The wind caressed the grass under their feet, while the blue sky was framed by distant mountains. The breeze blew gently.

    Ebele stood with her legs spread apart and her arms raised¡ªthebat stance she was most familiar with. Opposite her, Jack stood with his arms behind his back, lookingpletely rxed. Only the faint smirk on his face betrayed his happiness.

    ¡°Begin,¡± he said.

    Ebele shouted and charged forth. Her feet took her across the grass to reach him quickly. A jab flew out, which Jack calmly leaned back to avoid. The first jab was followed by three more, which Jack effortlessly floated around. Ebele feinted a kick to his thigh, then swept in to smash him in the face. Jack raised a hand to tap hers, sending it slightly off course. He then grabbed her wrist and tossed her away.

    ¡°Again,¡± he said.

    This was a form of sparring. Of course, Jack and Ebele were atpletely different levels of power, but Jack had used the Concept of Time to slow himself down a thousandfold, bringing their speed and awareness to simr levels. He couldn¡¯t do anything about his overwhelming advantage in power or durability, but that was fine. This was about technique.

    Of course, even in just technique, there could be no realparison between the two. It didn¡¯t matter how slow Jack made himself. He¡¯d been fighting for his life bare-fisted since before Ebele was born. He had battled a wide array of opponents across the universe, studied in various factions with various teachers, and had even been kickstarted inbat skills by the System.

    Most importantly, his Dao of the Fist had reached such an advanced level that he no longer needed martial arts¡ªhis understanding of the Fist was deep enough that all the right movements flowed instinctively out of him. Even excluding the difference in cultivation, there was no martial artist on Earth that could face him on equal grounds. Jack was qualified to teach Ebele¡¯s teachers, let alone her.

    However, this wasn¡¯t just about teaching.Jack bent his body, letting Ebele roll over his back and awkwardlynd behind him. When she tried to catch him with a roundhouse kick, he just grabbed her ankle and pushed her back. ¡°Again!¡±

    There was a certain excitement to sparring with your child. Her moves weren¡¯t bad. Every time she demonstrated her skills or tried a novel approach, Jack felt proud. This was his daughter, following the same path as him.

    Ebele steadied herself and pouted. She waspetitive. She didn¡¯t like to lose. For years she¡¯d fantasized about sparring against her father and showing him how good she had be, but she never imagined the difference would be thisrge.

    She flew in again, her moves fiercer this time. Her punches were like thunderbolts, her kicks like swords. Jack calmly defended against everything, demonstrating faults in her technique that she didn¡¯t even know were there. She was panting, but he wasn¡¯t even breaking a sweat.

    Ebele grew irritated. She leaned heavier into offense, giving him openings to counterattack because she knew he wouldn¡¯t. Her teachers would have frowned at this, but she didn¡¯t care, she just wanted tond one attack. She dove into his guard, shooting a straight punch at his abdomen.

    Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t dodge. Her little fistnded against his stomach, but it felt like she¡¯d punched a wall. Before she could retreat, his arm came around, pulling her into a hug. ¡°Mff,¡± she said. Jackughed out loud.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said, letting her go with a smile. ¡°You win.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count! You let me!¡±

    ¡°Maybe I did, maybe I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to let me. I want to earn it!¡±

    Jack smiled, lowering his body a bit more to be at eye level. ¡°It¡¯s not about earning anything,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s about getting better. And, you¡¯re pretty good! I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    He tussled her hair. If it was anyone else or any other time, she would have bitten their hand off. Now, however, she didn¡¯t even notice. She was busy being stunned. <em>Dad¡­is proud of me?</em>

    <em>He is proud of me!</em>

    Against her will, arge smile formed on her face. ¡°Thanks,¡± was all she managed to say, but Jack onlyughed, straightening up again.

    ¡°Martial arts lose their significance the more you cultivate, but they are the foundation on which Physical Daos are built. They help you find the way through the lower Grades. The better you understand them, the smoother your road will be.¡±

    ¡°I know that!¡± Ebele hurried to exim. ¡°Master Meredith says the same! Just¡­in more words.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect any less. All your teachers are qualified people. However, Ebele, Vivi tells me you¡¯ve been pushing yourself a lottely.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± She looked down. ¡°I just wanted to be strong, like you. To protect Mom. Is it that bad?¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°I am thest person who should advise you against pushing yourself. However, you got it wrong. Cultivation is all about the Dao, and the Dao is all about understanding the world. If you really want to reach far in the future, overworking yourself right now is counterproductive. You¡¯re only six¡ª¡±

    ¡°Six and a half!¡±

    ¡°Right. Six and a half. This is the time for you to be a child. Martial arts and preparing yourself for cultivation are good, but you shouldn¡¯t focus too much on them yet. Otherwise, when the timees to really cultivate, you will discover that your foundation has gaps. You should embrace all parts of life, not deny them¡ªeven the ones which seem useless.¡±

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    She pouted. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be a child. I want to be strong!¡±

    ¡°Every strong person was a child once. Don¡¯t be in a rush. You¡¯ll get there when you get there.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Unless you think you know better than me, of course. In that case, feel free to ruin your future by pushing yourself too hard too early.¡±

    Ebele looked up to find her father¡¯s strict gaze. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, not quite knowing what she was apologizing for. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Jack remained silent for a moment, not acknowledging her response. Finally, he sighed. ¡°You know I love you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, you listen to me, okay? No more overworking. There¡¯ll be plenty of time for that once you grow older. For now, just be a good girl and follow the schedule your teachers give you. Okay?¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Okay,¡± she finally said, and Jack pulled her into an embrace again. With all her eloquence and maturity, it was hard to remember he was speaking to a six-year-old child.

    <em>Six and a half, </em>he corrected himself, smiling. ¡°Oh. Lunch is almost ready,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go find your mother.¡±

    She cheered. ¡°Okay!

    ***

    Vivi and Ebele weren¡¯t the only people Jack wanted to see.

    As night was falling, he pushed open the door of a little cottage in the woods. ¡°Mom?¡± he called out. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    A white-haired head poked out of a corridor. ¡°Jack!¡± the professor eximed, rushing over to hug him. She seemed older than Jack remembered. Her hair had turnedpletely white, her eyes were tired, and many more wrinkles filled her face. Even for someone as experienced as her, running an entire was stressful.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time Jack saw her, of course. He made sure to visit at least every two days.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re still safe,¡± she said, drawing back to take a better look at him.

    Heughed. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. Even if every gang on the teamed up, I could beat them with a single finger.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but a mother can¡¯t help but worry.¡±

    Jack¡¯s heart warmed up. He used to call her Professor in the past¡ªa habit he¡¯d picked up since joining university, a joke which stuck around. However, after everything that happened with Eric and reuniting with his family, Jack felt a new attachment to familial bonds. Calling her anything other than Mom was stupid; he realized now that he only did so in the past to create some distance between them, as young people unconsciously liked to do.

    But Jack, while young for a cultivator, was now thirty-five years old and aarch. The antiques of youth no longer suited him.

    ¡°How is my grand-daughter?¡± Margaret asked¡ªthat was her name, Margaret Rust.

    ¡°She¡¯s good,¡± Jack replied as he followed her deeper into the house.

    ¡°Did you tell her to stop being hard on herself?¡±

    ¡°I tried.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I think she got it.¡±

    Margaret smiled to herself. ¡°You were the same way, you know. Once you got an idea inside your head, you wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone. Only your father could somehow persuade you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I can see the simrity.¡±

    ¡°Did you know I built a memorial for him? A big statue on a small uninhabited ind nearby. It¡¯s called Rust Ind now. I even moved over his grave¡ªI figure it¡¯s more special than just another tablet at the Valville Cemetery.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do I hear a little illusion of grandeur?¡±

    She yfully rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, grow up, Jack. I used to rule the¡ªhonoring myte husband and your father is natural. He would have loved the change¡ªalways liked to be a little extra.¡±

    ¡°I remember.¡± Heughed. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The System gave us many resources, and so did you. Though I¡¯ll never reach the D-Grade, extending my life by a few decades is possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d, but that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    She nced at him, falling into an armchair she¡¯d had brought over from their house in Valville. Jack sat on an equally familiar couch. ¡°I¡¯m coping,¡± Margaret finally admitted. ¡°I miss working, sometimes, but I have to admit that running a in wartime almost broke me. That, and also¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°In any case, I am no longer fit to lead. I¡¯m old. It¡¯s much better for Vivi to take over, let her shape the as she wants and get the people familiar with it. After all, I¡¯ll be dead soon, but she¡¯ll stick around for centuries in the least.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a pity the System didn¡¯t arrive a few decades earlier. With your talent, you might have reached the D-Grade.¡±

    ¡°If the System arrived earlier, you wouldn¡¯t be there, and we¡¯d all be either dead or ves.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe someone else would have taken my ce.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ Well, enough with those subjects. Tea?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    He didn¡¯t need to sleep, and she could go without it for a day. Jack stayed with his mother deep into the night. He also inwardly pledged to visit as often as possible.

    After he left Earth this time, who knew how long it would be before he could return. Vivi and Ebele would still be here, but his mother¡­ No one could tell. These might be their final days together. He wanted to cherish them.

    Such was the life of a cultivator: lonely and isted. Losing track of time. Even if he used the Concept of Time to encapste the entire Forest of the Strong in a time distortion and stretch out the remaining few days until he had to leave, he could at most make them into a couple weeks.

    It was cruelly short.

    ***

    The Spoon Squad was crossing the sea between gxies, approaching the Milky Way at a speed vastly surpassing that of light.

    ¡°We¡¯re making good pace!¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon eximed, observing the star map projection. ¡°I thought it would take us a week, but it looks like we¡¯ll have arrived in just five days! Good job, Bottomless.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the cloaked form replied.

    Another person approached them¡ªa homeless-looking man with tattered clothes and crooked yellow teeth. The Sage. ¡°I had a sudden premonition,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± the sovereign replied. ¡°Did someone find us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ But, I think it will be safer if we take a small detour.¡±

    He pointed at the astral map, using his Dao to draw a new trajectory for their ship.

    The sovereign raised a brow. ¡°Are you sure? That seems like we¡¯re just flying in circles. It will extend our trip by three days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my suggestion. I can¡¯t really exin it¡ªif you would rather continue in a straight line, we can.¡±

    The sovereign shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re our diviner¡ªtrusting your intuition is only proper. Besides, three days is a cheap price to pay for our increased safety. Take the new route, Bottomless.¡±

    The cloaked form did not reply, but the ship subtly changed directions, adopting a new trajectory towards the Milky Way which seemed needlessly long.

    The Sage smiled as he returned to his seat. <em>You¡¯re wee, Jack.</em>

 Chapter 463: Leaving Again

    Chapter 463: Leaving Again

    Jack had decided to prioritize spending time with his family while on Earth, but there were still many people he wanted to meet. Therefore, he invited them all together.

    A bottle of wine rested at the center of a table, while five people sat around it. They were Jack, Edgar, Dordok, Dorman, and Huali. Five people whose paths all led them to Earth.

    ¡°I cannot believe you destroyed the Animal Kingdom,¡± Huali said, raising her cup. ¡°It¡¯s like a dream.¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m sitting with the Grand Elder of the Exploding Sun,¡± Dordok joked. He was muchrger than humans, being an ogre, so the cup in his hand seemedically small.

    ¡°There is nothing grand about me,¡± Huali replied, shaking her head. ¡°The Sun fell during my watch. I have shamed my ancestors.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of that,¡± Jack said, ¡°I¡¯ve wondered about something for a while. Didn¡¯t your faction have Supreme Ancestors like the Animal Kingdom? How did Eva Solvig manage to destroy you?¡±

    Huali sighed. ¡°She didn¡¯te alone. The peak B-Grade Envoy responsible for the Milky Way gxy was alongside her. Before that man, our Supreme Ancestors copsed like mortals¡­ It was only afterward that he left for the Crusade.¡±

    ¡°I see. Sorry for the painful memories.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve made my peace with what happened. With the Kingdom and the most powerful Envoys dead, I n to leave this soon and try to re-establish the Exploding Sun. I know the hiding ce of one of our Ancestors¡ªshe might be able to help.¡±¡°Are you sure?¡± Jack asked. ¡°There are many B-Grades left in the gxy. You coulde under fire.¡±

    ¡°I am duty-bound to try. If fate wants my faction to die, then so be it. Thank you for letting me hide in your until now.¡±

    Jack nodded, not insisting further.

    Beside him, Edgar chuckled. ¡°And here I thought I could convince you to stay as a professor at my academy. A peak C-Grade would have skyrocketed our prestige.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint,¡± Huali said with a small smile. Edgar had been approaching her about this subject for months now. Though she¡¯d always maintained her neutral position, they¡¯d be friends by now.

    ¡°What about you, Dordok, Dorman?¡± Edgar asked. ¡°Anyone willing to teach the new generations?¡±

    ¡°I might as well,¡± Dordok replied. ¡°I¡¯ve spent my entire life traveling the gxy on the Trampling Ram. Now that I¡¯ve retired, I think a more stable life would do me good.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stay,¡± Dorman said. ¡°I¡¯m a cultivator of the Church. Now that Earth is safe, I want to join the war.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the sovereign, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be a problem,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure Edgar has many great professors already lined up.¡±

    The wizard pouted. ¡°Well, they¡¯re great, but not gxy-level great, you know? I wanted to have every professor be a D-Grade or above, as well as a couple of C-Grades. Only then can my Academy stand at the highest level.¡±

    ¡°No it can¡¯t,¡± everyone else replied at the same time, thenughed about it.

    ¡°Yeah,ugh all you want. I gotta start from somewhere!¡± Edgar protested,ughing himself. ¡°Oh, yeah. Jack, Dorman, remember that old, Asian martial arts master from the Integration Tournament? The one who fell during the final battle?¡±

    ¡°Li Xiang?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Of course I remember. What about him?¡±

    ¡°His head disciple wille to the academy as a professor. You should see him¡ªhe has a fourth tier Skill.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Dorman raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s more than me.¡±

    ¡°I only have one of those,¡± Jack said.

    Huali scoffed. ¡°Youngsters,¡± shemented, then shrunk back as everyone red at her.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Jack asked. ¡°How many do you have?¡±

    ¡°Well, one¡­but I¡¯ve had it for millennia!¡±

    Theyughed again. ¡°Hey,¡± Jack asked Huali, ¡°how hard is it to develop tier four or five skills?¡±

    ¡°Very,¡± she replied. ¡°Tier three is generally the limit. Only a few C-Grades manage to get a single skill at the fourth tier. B-Grades generally have one or two¡­ But I¡¯ve never heard of anyone getting a fifth tier skill. I just know it¡¯s the limit.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack frowned. ¡°Does that mean that me having a single fourth tier skill is behind the curve? I already have thebat strength of ate B-Grade.¡±

    Huali shook her head. ¡°The curve on skill tiers isn¡¯t about power, but about time and talent. The only reason most B-Grades have fourth tier skills is because they¡¯ve spent tens of thousands of years practicing them. If anything, achieving one at less than ten years of cultivation is a wonder. The same goes for that professor Edgar mentioned. It is absolutely not amon urrence. Even if it was, what do you care? You can jump an entire Grade to fight. If that isn¡¯t special, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±

    ¡°Just curious,¡± Jack replied, shrugging.

    Huali narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already itching to cultivate, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am, but I am no fool to waste these days cultivating. My family takes precedence.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°An admirable sentiment. If only more cultivators were like you.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t?¡±

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    ¡°Of course not. Having a long timespan can alter one¡¯s sense of purpose. Many people treat their families as one treats garden nts¡ªephemeral, unimportant, and replenishable.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a defense mechanism. You can¡¯t stand the endless loss otherwise.¡± Her eyes fell. ¡°Time has a way to turn people into statues¡­ But, don¡¯t let me get you down. Your family is talented¡ªI¡¯m sure they¡¯ll live for a really long time. Enjoy it, Jack.¡±

    He scratched his head. ¡°You did bring me down a little, not gonna lie.¡±

    ¡°I have the solution,¡± Edgar said, raising the bottle. ¡°More wine.¡±

    Everyone nodded. ¡°More wine!¡±

    ***

    Jack remained at Earth for six days. In his bubble of elerated time, that was eighteen days¡ªa full two and a half weeks.

    The sovereign was supposed to arrive somewhere around that time, but he didn¡¯t. Jack assumed they¡¯d met some trouble on the way but didn¡¯t think about it further. Instead, he was thankful about the extra time.

    Another three days passed outside. In Jack¡¯s time bubble, that was a week and a half. Before he knew it, he¡¯d already spent a month with his family.

    During that month, he did not cultivate for even a second. He did not spare a thought towards his ninth Dao Fruit, which he was ready to develop. He didn¡¯t even investigate the spatial rings taken from Eva Solvig and the other Envoy. There would be time for all thoseter¡ªnow was family time.

    Every day was spent with his wife and daughter. His mother would be there sometimes, as would other friends. Brock visited rarely, choosing to spend most of the time with his father and the other broris. Harambe only appeared once¡ªhe was too overwhelmed with joy at the return of his son. Jack also visited the broris once, bonding with the family of his little brother.

    At other times, their small family of three enjoyed time together in their house which overlooked the Forest of the Strong. The view was great. So was the weather. The days passed simply, easily, full of love. Jack and Vivi reignited their rtionship. Jack and Ebele finally got to know each otherst time he was here, she could barely speak.

    Warm, fuzzy feelings filled Jack¡¯s heart. Hepletely forgot about the pain of war, the cruelty, the darkness, the loneliness. This was home. His hardened soul, which had been hammered in adversity, took this time to soften andplete his transformation into a new level¡ªhis mental and emotional ascent.

    Jack felt like a new man. His heart was full of love. His mind was serene. These were some of the happiest moments of his life.

    Of course, not all was perfect. Eric¡¯s loss was something they¡¯d all had time toe to terms with, but it still hung over their heads sometimes, a thought nobody spoke about. Ebele was too young to truly feel the loss, but Vivi still cried at night sometimes. In those moments, Jack would hug her and keep her in his arms until she felt better again.

    The three of them also held a small funeral for Eric. They buried his empty casket next to Jack¡¯s father, on the newly named Rust ind. The two Ericsy side by side. It was a necessary moment for closure, but also something that Jack preferred not to think about¡ªhe focused on the bright times instead.

    Losing a child was something that never truly went away. All they could do was strive to keep grief from ruining their lives¡ªlearn to handle it, and learn to be happy again. So far, they were seeding. The sun still hung in the sky¡ªtheir days remained bright.

    The month passed easily. Jack enjoyed time with his family, and though he wasn¡¯t full, he knew he never could be. He also saw everyone he wanted to see during this time. Even Gan Salin and Nauja visited every once in a while, though they spent most of their time touring Earth. Neither was particrly good at handling their emotions.

    Finally, nine days in real time after Jack returned to Earth, the sky trembled. A sleek starship slipped out of the void,ing to rest over the Forest of the Strong. Jack had been ying with Ebele at that moment. He released a long sigh.

    ¡°Daddy needs to take a moment,¡± he said, teleporting before the ship. Five figures appeared before him¡ªthree familiar, two strangers.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you two.¡±

    Min Ling smiled. ¡°How could I miss the chance to visit the home of the famous Jack Rust?¡±

    ¡°This is my home as well.¡± The Sage shrugged. ¡°Hello, Jack. I see you¡¯ve built a wonderful life for yourself.¡±

    Jack smiled back. ¡°I have.¡±

    ¡°What a peaceful little ce,¡± the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign said, looking around. ¡°This is how things should be. No war, no strife, no killing each other. Only living happily and cultivating to deepen one¡¯s connection to the world. Anyway. This is the Jack Rust you¡¯ve heard so much about. Jack, these are Envoys Bottomless and Starhair.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Jack said. The two strangers nodded back. One was a hooded figure wearing a rippling cloak¡ªjust from looking at it, Jack could sense mighty fluctuations of spacetime.

    ¡°Good time bubble,¡± the figure said, gazing at the time distortion around the Forest of the Strong.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jack replied.

    As for thest person present, that was a man with long hair which seemed like the starry branches of a gxy¡ªthe so-called Envoy Starhair. He only replied with a tight nod to Jack¡¯s greeting, as if dissatisfied with something or maybe constipated. Jack could already tell he wouldn¡¯t like this person.

    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± the sovereign said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to rush you like this, but we¡¯ve already dyed too much. We are needed at the front lines.¡±

    Jack hesitated. The Sage spoke up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sure we can afford an hour for Jack to say his goodbyes.¡±

    Starhair stared at him, but the sovereign shrugged. ¡°Of course. Is an hour okay with you, Jack?¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already concluded my business in the Milky Way. I just need to speak with my family.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Then, we¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Jack shed away. He hastily bid his goodbyes to the people he cared about, then spent most of the hour with Vivi and Ebele. They were heartbroken to see him leave again. As a matter of fact, so was he¡ªbut there was no choice. His ce wasn¡¯t here, but in the Crusade. There was no way around it. That was his life.

    ¡°Be good until I return, okay?¡± he said, nting a kiss on Ebele¡¯s forehead. ¡°Practice hard, but not too hard. Don¡¯t forget to enjoy your childhood.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, struggling not to cry. Jack then turned to Vivi, who fell into his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± she whispered with a hot breath.

    ¡°Me too¡­¡± Jack replied, hugging and kissing her tightly. Ebele made a sound and looked away¡ªboth her parentsughed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to return as soon as possible, but I don¡¯t know when that will be,¡± Jack promised. ¡°I love you both.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Vivi said. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°You know me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m saying it.¡±

    Heughed. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be careful. I¡¯ll make you proud of me.¡±

    ¡°We are already proud of you,¡± Vivi said, grasping his hand. ¡°Juste home safe. Okay?¡±

    He felt his heart rx. ¡°Okay.¡± A final kisster, he took a step back and said, ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°We love you too!¡± the two women responded. Jack gave them a final nce. He buried their image in his memory. While he cultivated bitterly and alone, fighting in the far reaches of the universe, this very image would be what gave him the strength to endure.

    ¡°See you,¡± he said, then flew away. He didn¡¯t look back¡ªnot sure he could hold his tears if he did.

    Soon, he reached the sleek starship again, where the Spoon Squad awaited. Brock and Dorman were also present.

    ¡°All ready?¡± the sovereign asked, and Jack nodded. ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s board. Next stop, the Second Crusade!¡±

    ¡°Okay, bro,¡± Brock replied, following the rest into the starship. Thest ones remaining outside were Jack and the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign.

    ¡°Your strength is growing rapidly,¡± said the sovereign, scanning Jack with his eyes. He then smiled. ¡°It¡¯s time to break into the B-Grade, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°I guess it is.¡±

 Chapter 464: Loot

    Chapter 464: Loot

    Being in a ship full of B-Grades, crossing the vast cosmos at unimaginable speeds, returning to action after a month of rxing with his family¡­ Jack would be lying if he said this wasn¡¯t a little bit off putting. Yet, he was used to it. This was his life. Some instinct kicked in, making him ready to face everything despite his hesitation.

    ¡°How long is this going to take, sovereign?¡± he asked.

    Heavenly Spoon looked up from his space ring. ¡°Hmm, about five days. The Systemless gxy we¡¯re fighting in is not that far from your Milky Way.¡±

    ¡°And you said this was an order of Elder Boatman?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Jack nodded. It made sense¡ªtheir master-disciple rtionship aside, Jack carried the death cube, an object which Elder Boatman deeply treasured. Yet, Jack couldn¡¯t help wondering¡ªhow much of saving him was due to the cube, and how much was due to Jack himself?

    ¡°By the way,¡± he asked again, ¡°will we pass close by the Heaven Egg gxy?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± the sovereign replied. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I left something there, but¡­ It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll pick it upter.¡±The Green Dragon Realm still waited in the Heaven Egg gxy. By now, Jack could easily defeat Spacewind and release the rest of the Church cultivators, but he couldn¡¯t yet absorb the realm into his inner world. He¡¯d need to reach the B-Grade for that.

    <em>Well, whatever, </em>he thought. <em>I¡¯ll go back there eventually. Shi Mo and the others can wait a little.</em>

    Which left him with only one thing to do right now. One he¡¯d looked forward to for a long time. His eyes fell on his own space ring. After looking around and making sure nobody was trying to talk with him, he settled into a corner.

    Some things were long overdue. He had to investigate the space rings of Eva Solvig and the other B-Grade he¡¯d killed, as well as the loot he acquired from the Animal Kingdom¡¯s vaults. Not many treasures would be valuable to the current him, but there was always hope.

    Though he hadn¡¯t really bothered with all these so far, he had done an initial screening. All the mundane, low-level stuff had been left with the Bare Fist Brotherhood back on Earth. He¡¯d also recovered some artifacts of the Exploding Sun from the Kingdom¡¯s vaults, which he¡¯d returned to Huali while on Earth.

    Of all his spoils of war, only the true treasures remained in his space ring. Jack dove inside it, finding himself before an assembly of objects.

    The first was a crystal ball seemingly filled with snow. He shook it gently, watching the particles¡ªwhich turned out to be tiny letters¡ªswirling and forming an endless march of gibberish. Jack channeled what he knew about the Thunder Body technique, the explosiveness it preached. He focused his gaze on the crystal ball, which was actually the technique¡¯s cultivation manual.

    As he shook it, the letters moved independently of his hands, following predetermined Dao patterns. Not all letters swirled the same. Some followed the specific Dao cirction required to activate the Thunder Body technique, others copied the distinct patterns of Lightning Dao. Using his understanding of Thunder Body as the medium, Jack could extract information from both the words formed and the letters¡¯ moving patterns. Theplete manual of the Thunder Body revealed itself before his eyes, allowing him to practice far more than the elementary forms he¡¯d learned in the ck Hole World.

    A small smile formed on Jack¡¯s lips. He¡¯d been worried aboutprehending such aplex manual, but as it turned out, it was created with enough expertise to seem doable. As he skimmed its initial stages, he realized that the hand-written copies he¡¯d perused in the ck Hole World weren¡¯tpletely faithful to the original. They were simplified versions meant to allow the ck Hole People to recreate part of the technique¡¯s power. That was partly the reason why Jack had learned this technique so quickly¡ªhe¡¯d unknowingly practiced the initial steps through a shortcut, neglecting to set the foundation for higher tiers.

    He wasn¡¯t satisfied with that, obviously. He would re-learn Thunder Body from the beginning, the right way this time, so it could follow him into the B and A-Grades.

    The more he read about Thunder Body, the more impressed he became. This was a masterful technique. It exined why the leonines were so far ahead of the other Animal Kingdom families. If the Hand of God and the Immortals knew what they were letting be wasted in the hands of a tiny B-Grade faction, they¡¯d pull their hairs out. Or wires.

    Such supplementary techniques were powerful, but the more powerful something was, the harder it was to learn. And not just because of itsplexity¡ªthere were very strictpatibility requirements. Jack¡¯s Dao of the Fist required exactly the explosiveness and extreme physicality preached by the Thunder Body, hence why he could study it so smoothly. The other technique taken by the leonines, the Art of Divine Providence, was not suitable for him at all¡ªhe¡¯d left it back on Earth to help them advance faster.

    Back in the ck Hole World, he¡¯d learned that of the twelve cultivation manuals they¡¯d inherited, the ck Hole People had given away three¡ªthe Thunder Body, the Art of Divine Providence, and something called the Three Body Principle. This third technique was something Jack had never encountered or heard about in the Animal Kingdom¡ªhe could only assume it had been lost or stolen somewhere.

    Besides these techniques, the Kingdom¡¯s wealth consisted of what Jack could only call low level treasures. Rather, it wasn¡¯t them that were low level, but that his viewpoint was far too high. He possessed many treasures which could make even A-Grades green with envy. The belongings of a B-Grade faction¡ªand not even a particrly strong one¡ªjust failed to enter his eyes. He left them all back on Earth, where they could be useful.

    What he did keep, however, were the mountains of Dao Stones the Kingdom had amassed over the years. There were over ten thousand of them¡ªan extreme collection of wealth, even by the standards of the ck Hole Church. Jack was sure he would find some use for them.

    After the Kingdom¡¯s loot came the space rings of Eva Solvig and the other Envoy. Both werete B-Grades of the Hand of God¡ªthe wealth they possessed could not be trivial. Indeed; as Jack emptied both space rings into his own, he found even more Dao Stones, over a thousand in each ring. Tallying them uppletely, he came to a total of around thirteen thousand stones. He was rich.

    The stones weren¡¯t even the best part. Late B-Grade Envoys enjoyed much richer resources than Jack ever had at the Church, especially when they were responsible for entire gxies. Only the most select of items would qualify to be ced in their personal space rings. Jack had high hopes, which his generous enemies didn¡¯t fail to match.

    He found a finger-sized chunk of white rock. There was even a violet hue to it, making it seem otherworldly. Jack took it out of the space ring to check it out, then immediately felt like he was holding a mountain range. His hand dropped. He barely managed to channel his Dao and stop it before it reached the floor of the starship, otherwise it would have pierced right through.

    Everyone turned to gaze at Jack, who was gritting his teeth and holding up a tiny piece of stone.

    ¡°Somebody forgot to have breakfast,¡± the sovereignmented with a thin smile. ¡°Put that back quickly or you¡¯ll sprain your wrist.¡±

    Jack nodded tightly, then forced the little thing back into the space ring. The immense weight disappeared immediately. He breathed out in relief. It was a good thing that space rings contained no gravity.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A piece of a neutron star,¡± the Sage exined. ¡°Heavily diluted. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it. A regr piece of neutron star thatrge would weigh several billions tons.¡±

    ¡°Billions? With a b?¡±

    The Sageughed. ¡°The universe is a big ce, Jack.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Jack replied, shaking his head. He knew about neutron stars. Hell, he even had the Neutron Star Body skill. It was just that he¡¯d vastly underestimated the density of a real one. ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡± he asked.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°You can forge it into a weapon,¡± the Sage replied. ¡°Or use it as a stabilizer during your breakthrough, melt it into energy, or exchange it for something more useful.¡±

    Jack thought about it. He had no need for weapons, nor did heck energy with the Life Drop. He¡¯d either exchange it for something useful, if the opportunity arose, or use it to enhance his breakthrough. No matter how confident he felt, more assurances were always better.

    Putting the neutron star fragment out of his mind for now, he got up and walked towards his room. Sitting here with everyone was nice, but maybe he¡¯d like some more privacy.

    When he arrived and closed the door, he looked towards the next item¡ªa pair of shorts?

    He took them out of the ring and raised them high. They were a pair of unadorned pants giving off a primal, wild feeling. He felt the desire to try them on¡ªthen, remembering he was not an idiot, he didn¡¯t just wear unidentified clothing.

    Scanning them was useless, since he was outside System space. However, he could use his own perception to get a rudimentary feel for an object¡¯s properties.

    These pants seemed to be a sort of armor. Not in the sense that they shielded the body from attacks, but rather that they exuded a special life force field which amplified the body¡¯s innate defensive properties. More a protective treasure than armor. Jack whistled¡ªhe didn¡¯t even know this was possible. Whoever made these pants was a master. He could only wonder why Eva hadn¡¯t worn them during their battle.

    The answer came quickly. As he inspected the item further, he realized that this amplifying force field had no prating power. It could reach his entire body, since it was made of life force, but it couldn¡¯t prate any clothing. Essentially, whoever wore these shorts would need to wear nothing else.

    That exined Eva¡¯s decision. She wouldn¡¯t look particrly noble half-naked. Jack, on the other hand¡­

    He quickly changed out of his previous pair of shorts and into the new one. As they mped around his waist, he sensed a soothing power course through his body as if his cells were inspired. His already impressive defense shot up¡ªand it wasn¡¯t a minor increase, either.

    These shorts alone were worth their weight in gold. They were perfect for Jack, who didn¡¯t wear armor anyway. Plus, they were fashionable. They were snag, wrapping around his powerful legs, and their ends were sliced up around his thighs, letting sharp ps dance to the wind of his attacks. He felt confident¡ªgood-looking like only a barbarian could.

    His enemies would have a heart attack.

    ¡°I will call them¡­ Naked Defense Shorts,¡± Jack muttered. Heughed to himself, then moved on to the next item. It was¡­a stone?

    It was white, simr to the neutron star fragment, but at a normal weight. In fact, just by scanning it, Jack could not discern its use¡ªuntil it opened its mouth and spoke.

    ¡°Hi,¡± it said in a childlike voice. ¡°I¡¯m The Stone. How are you doing?¡±

    Jack blinked. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You are excused.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡ª What are you?¡±

    ¡°I am a stone, but you can call me The Stone.¡±

    Jack felt irritation welling up inside him. He expected something more¡­treasure-y. ¡°And what do you do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Fine, you?¡±

    ¡°I mean, what is your function?¡±

    The Stone, if possible, looked offended. ¡°What is <em>your </em>function?¡± it shot back. ¡°You objectivist freak.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Listen. I have all the good will to cooperate. Can you please exin what you are, besides The Stone, so we can get on with our lives?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Well, if I have to,¡± The Stone replied. ¡°I am a sentient piece of stone. A woman with a harsh voice found me on the asteroid where I¡¯d lived for a long time¡ªpretty boring, if you ask me. It¡¯s where I learned to talk with myself. Not much else to do, you see. The other rocks weren¡¯t the best conversationalists¡ªall they did was scratch the ground as they rolled.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ And what did that woman do with you?¡±

    ¡°Asked me bizarre questions, mostly. Like, how I can speak. What a silly concept. How am I supposed to know? How can <em>you </em>speak, do you know?¡±

    ¡°I do, actually. I¡¯m a biologist. I can describe the exact process.¡±

    ¡°Really? That sounds interesting. Go ahead, I¡¯m keeping notes.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°In my mind.¡±

    Jack could already feel the approaching headache. ¡°So you don¡¯t know why you can speak, where you learned thenguage, or how you found yourself on that asteroid where you spent a ton of time,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything before that. Right?¡±

    ¡°...Well, yeah, but I would have used more words. Why are you in such a rush? Talk to me, I¡¯m lonely!¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°You know what? I sympathize, but I¡¯m kind of in the middle of something right now. How about I put you in my space ring for a bit, and we can discuss againter.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Can you put someone else in there as well to keep mepany?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Sentient beings can¡¯t go inside space rings.¡±

    ¡°But I can.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I have no idea why. I promise I¡¯ll get you outter, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Jack stuffed The Stone back into the space ring, then sighed. This was so much trouble. How was he duped into adopting a talking stone?

    The problem was, he was a busy man. He had more things to do than chat with The Stone¡ªbut it seemed so lonely. He couldn¡¯t just forget about it, could he?

    <em>As soon as that turtle wakes up, I¡¯m throwing The Stone in there, </em>he decided. <em>Until then, I guess I¡¯ll keep itpany a bit¡­</em>

    It wasn¡¯t exactly uninteresting. The inner workings of The Stone eluded himpletely, which meant it was a highly intricate obj¡ª person. It had to be something important. Maybe the old experiment of an A-Grade, or a transfused soul, or something else interesting. Either that, or just a talking stone.

    Sniffing a little more into the ring, he did find an apanying piece of paper with The Stone roughly drawn on it. It contained some of Eva¡¯s research notes.

    <em>¡°I can¡¯t figure it out¡­ This stone shouldn¡¯t be able to produce sound, let alone words. It possesses no suitable inner workings. Can the Dao assume life by itself? Or is there some way to infuse stable life into objects? It¡¯s a breakthrough either way.</em>

    <em>I don¡¯t know how this stone came to be, but I sense that seeing through its secrets will earn me the Immortals¡¯ favor! This is world-shaking knowledge!¡±</em>

    That was all she¡¯d written. Either her research had been fruitless, or she¡¯d only acquired The Stone recently. In any case, it made Jack excited. Now, he had an excuse to keep the lonely stone¡ªmaybe he¡¯d get something out of it. After all, he too cultivated the Dao of Life.

    <em>Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t there a ticklish pebble back on Trial? </em>he remembered. <em>I should get those two together. They¡¯ll have the time of their lives.</em>

    In any case, he decided to leave the mystery of The Stone forter. Maybe the Sage would know.

    <em>I should also ask him about that mural in the ck Hole World.</em><em>There was a person who looked suspiciously simr to him¡­ But, maybeter. When there aren¡¯t as many people around.</em>

    Thinking up to there, Jack reached into his space ring and took out the next and almost final item¡ªa half-eaten apple.

    This was not what he expected to find in an Envoy¡¯s space ring. As he stared at it, however, he was soon shocked. The life energy inside it was tremendous, sting his face in waves¡ªit was like a tiny version of the Life Drop.

    <em>Good stuff! A body tempering treasure! </em>he realized, eyes shining. <em>Finally, something useful! Eva Solvig had this¡­ She must have taken tiny bites every once in a while to gradually temper her body. To someone like her, who only partly cultivated Physical, digesting such a treasure should take a long, long time. Maybe centuries.</em>

    Jack shrugged, then tossed the half apple into his mouth and chewed it to bits. It had a burning taste, as if it made his taste ndse alive and rush to escape his body, so he swallowed it quickly.

    A momentter, a wave of tremendous heat erupted from his stomach. Oceans of energy forcefully pushed their way into his body. A regr cultivator would have exploded¡ªJack simply burped.

    His body was already a temple of physicality. His capacity for absorbing energy was much higher than a regr cultivator¡¯s. This apple couldn¡¯t harm him.

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t even painful like body tempering was supposed to be. It certainly carried some special properties, probably to make it easier on Eva. Jack scoffed. To think that ate B-Grade would bother to avoid the pain¡­ No wonder she lost to him.

    As the pain subsided, Jack checked his status screen, finding that his Physical substats had increased by an entire three hundred points each!

    <strong>Strength: 7880</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 7880</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 7880</strong>

    At this stage, tempering his body anymore was hard. Every point was crucial. This apple giving him three hundred at once was andfall, especially for such a tame medicine. He couldn¡¯t help nodding in admiration¡ªthe children ofte A-Grades sure enjoyed some great stuff.

    Besides the Dao stones and those four items¡ªthe neutron star fragment, the shorts, the talking stone, and the now-fully eaten apple¡ªthere wasn''t much else in the two Envoys¡¯ space rings. Jack wasn¡¯tining¡ªjust the three hundred Physical brought a noticeable increase in hisbat strength.

    The only other items he¡¯d found in those rings were two badges, one representing Elder Purity and the other a faction Jack had never of. He¡¯d disintegrated both of them long ago in case they were trackable.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, opening his eyes. ¡°On to the fun stuff.¡±

    He still had a Dao Fruit to develop¡ªhisst one. And, since he was there, he might as well apply a little change to his Dao Tree.

 Chapter 465: Peak C-Grade

    Chapter 465: Peak C-Grade

    Jack¡¯s Dao Tree remained tall and solid. Eight fruits littered its branches¡ªFist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Revenge, Brotherhood, and Time¡ªall fully grown. Now was time to develop the ninth and final fruit. Before that, however, Jack wanted to do one more thing.

    His gaze fell on his sixth Dao Fruit¡ªRevenge. This was something he¡¯d created back when his heart was filled with darkness, when he single-mindedly pursued revenge in a vain attempt to escape the grief of his son¡¯s loss. It had worked well enough, but it was now purposeless.

    Jack no longer believed in revenge. He believed in righteousness, and justice, but not revenge for the sake of it. He knew now it was an empty pursuit, simply an outlet for one¡¯s inner darkness. This fruit was an imperfection of his Dao¡ªif he broke through like this, the foundation of his inner world would be shaky, which would affect his battle power and future achievements.

    Changing one¡¯s fruit was not easy, but it could be done. The greatest hurdle was enduring the process¡ªsomething which Jack was quite confident in. He was so far ahead of the curve in everything that even developing a new Dao Fruit was trivial. He could handle a little transformation.

    He flew close to the fruit and grabbed it with both hands. In one swift thought, he cut off the Dao cirction to the fruit, enduring the feeling of wrongness which filled his being. Then, he poured his will into the fruit. Its dark red skull shape was perfectly in line with its inner darkness¡ªthis was a fruit built on weakness and hatred.

    Jack poured more and more energy into it. The fruit burned between his hands but he endured. His soul was shaky, and his body was suffering from the vtility of the sixth fruit¡¯s energy he no longer controlled, but both were solid enough to persist for a little while. Ignoring all the changes around him, Jack kept his full attention on the fruit, which was now boiling hot.

    Its skin slowly melted. The dark red rose in columns of smoke, and its shape turned unclear as the fruit¡¯s flesh began to melt as well. It had reached its most malleable state.

    Jack stopped pouring energy into it¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to destroy it, just change it a little¡ªand used his willpower to shape it. He infused it with his beliefs of justice and fair punishment, the concept of enforcing discipline as necessary. The fruit began to wobble, slowly changing into a rounder shape.

    Jack intended to make it into a Fruit of Justice, shaped as a shield. At some point, however, his Dao of the Fist kicked in. He watched with surprise as the fruit¡¯s round shape changed again, elongating, turning slimmer. His thoughts and Dao moved in tandem, and he let the transformation happen, eager to see what would ur.He quickly regretted that decision as the fruit¡¯s new shape began to stabilize. He could try to reshape it again, but this had already taken too long, and the rampant energy in his body was beginning to create problems. With a muffled curse, he cut off his intense pouring of energy into the fruit, letting it cool down and calmly solidify its new shape. Meanwhile, he flew a bit backward and gazed at it with an odd expression.

    ¡°Damn,¡± he said. ¡°How did this even happen?¡±

    The fruit¡¯s new shape was a purple flip-flop. It was the Dao Fruit of Spanking.

    ¡°This is all my fault,¡± Jack said again, sighing. ¡°I used the spanking too many times¡­ I should have known this would happen!¡±

    Yet, somehow, it fit in. Spanking embodied elements of justice and discipline, just as he¡¯d wanted, and it was also simr to his Dao of the Fist in style. Moreover, it was a Dao he felt close to¡ªthough he¡¯d always used it as a joke, never realizing it was an actual Dao.

    Then again, all Daos were real. It was just about belief and consistency.

    Jack sighed for a third time. He did feel a bit ridiculous, but¡­

    <em>Oh, what the hell. Let¡¯s spank.</em>

    He quickly left his soul world and checked his status screen, making sure everything was okay.

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Spanking, Brotherhood, Time</strong>

    Revenge had been swapped for Spanking, with no weird error messages. The operation had been sessful.

    ¡°Everything alright?¡± the Sage asked from the side¡ªJack had returned to the main room so he could get assistance if this fruit transformation backfired. They couldn¡¯t see inside his soul, anyway, so he wasn¡¯t giving away anything..

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Jack responded. ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°You were bleeding a bit back there. And convulsing. And I¡¯m pretty sure some of your blood vessels exploded.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. I¡¯m fine. Just doing a bit of remodeling.¡±

    The Sage gave Jack a nk stare, then closed his eyes and returned to meditation. So did Jack. He was in his soul world again, facing the majestic tree from which hung a flip-flop, amidst everything else. Jack scratched his head and did his best to ignore it.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, pumping himself up. ¡°Ninth fruit time. Let¡¯s try to avoid footwear.¡±

    Changing a fruit hadn¡¯t used up much energy, so he dove directly into developing his final one. Purple currents flowed into the tree roots, then crawled up the trunk and lit up a singr branch like Christmas lights. A lone flower began to grow¡ªit went from purple leaves to forming a small fruit, which slowly developed into something more recognizable.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition.

    During his free time on Earth, Jack had sometimes considered what his ninth fruit should be. He already had one for each of his Daos¡ªFist, Life, Death, Space, and Time¡ªas well as fruits for Battle, Brotherhood, and now Spanking. All major aspects of his Dao and personality were there. Then, what should the ninth fruit be?

    The answer came to him one night when he was resting in bed. Vivi was crawled up against him, and he wasn¡¯t asleep yet, just basking in that feeling of bliss. If not for everything else, he¡¯d have wanted nothing more than to stay with his family, enjoying and protecting them, making sure they were happy.

    It was exactly this feeling of protecting that resonated with Jack.

    He was a powerful man. Billions of people depended on him. His every casual decision shaped innumerable lives. He was a leader, a paragon, and a role model all at once. Moreover, everyone relied on him¡ªthat wasn¡¯t a duty he took lightly. He wanted to use his power to change the world for the better¡ªensure the safety and prosperity of those who followed him.

    The Fist struck where it had to. And Jack stood with his back to his people, facing all enemies and the unknown. For his family, his people, and his brothers, he would always be there. He would never let anything happen to them.

    Not again.

    Jack opened his eyes, realizing that while he was lost in thought, his inner sentiments had already shaped his ninth fruit. It was a white shield in the shape of a man¡¯s back¡ªa promise, and amitment.

    It was the Dao Fruit of Protection.

    The moment his ninth fruit finished forming, Jack felt something click in his soul world. Like he was ready. The ever present streams of energy flowed together, achieving harmony, and his entire being felt aligned. His Dao feltplete, in a sense¡ªlike he¡¯d reached the apex.

    Jack breathed in this feeling, enjoying the perfection it promised. He could imagine how the first cultivator to reach this point must have felt. They must have thought they¡¯d reached the peak¡ªthe end of the road. Who knows how long it had taken for someone to think of copsing their tree and forming an inner world, opening a whole new avenue of cultivation.

    The road of cultivation was split into three major parts¡ªusing the energy of the body, using the energy of the world, and creating one¡¯s inner world. At this point, Jack had reached the limit of what was possible as a cultivator in the universe. The only step forward would be to create his own universe inside him, using its energy to truly step into the realm of gods.

    Jack opened his eyes in the real world, drunk in this feeling of ecstasy. He was bathed in power¡ªas if, at this very moment, he was reborn.

    Everyone stared at him¡ªsome with pride, some with disinterest. Brock smiled widely. ¡°Congrattions, big bro,¡± he said, and Jack shot him a grateful nce.

    ¡°Thanks, Brock. I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡±

    ¡°The nine fruits are a major threshold,¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon intoned. ¡°You are now at the dividing line between living in a world and a world living inside yourself. Many cultivators remain stranded there for their entire lives¡­ But, with your potential, I suspect you will just breeze through.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sovereign,¡± Jack replied modestly. Though his power had spiked, he still felt an instinctive sense of dread as he faced thiste B-Grade man¡ªas if he was nowhere close to being his match. It was a good reminder that he wasn¡¯t the only talent in the universe.

    ¡°I have some Dao stones if you want to mature your ninth fruit quickly,¡± the Sage said, but Jack only gave a wry smile.

    ¡°About that¡­¡±

    System notifications rang in his ears. The remaining levels from his final battle against the Kingdom streamed in.

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 381.</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 382.</strong>

    <strong>¡­</strong>

    <strong>Level up! You have reached Level 399. Form your inner world to ascend to the next Grade.</strong>

    Jack¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°Thanks for the offer, Sage,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯m already at the peak C-Grade. I had a few levels left over from myst battle.¡±

    He quickly allocated all his points into Physical, finally pushing it over eight thousand.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (C)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: C</strong>

    <strong>ss: diator Titan (King)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 399</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 8260 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 8260 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 8260 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III</strong>

    <strong>Dao Roots: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness</strong>

    <strong>Dao Fruits: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Spanking, Brotherhood, Time, Protection</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer</strong>

    That was one hell of a status screen.

    Everyone nced at each other, then scanned him. The sovereignughed. ¡°There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t seen before,¡± he said. ¡°How about you keep going and break into the B-Grade right now? See how far you can sprint.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea,¡± the Sage quickly intervened. ¡°Forming one¡¯s inner world is a critical juncture, and the better it goes, the stronger the resulting inner world. Jack should prepare as much as possible and amass all sorts of treasures before attempting the breakthrough. Not to mention that Elder Boatman will probably want a word with him first¡­¡±

    ¡°I was just kidding,¡± the sovereign replied with an aloof smile, then whispered, ¡°but it would be cool, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sovereign¡­¡± the Sage replied in defeat.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern,¡± Jack said. ¡°I will wait. I must see Master Boatman first, and there is no rush anyway.¡±

    ¡°There is <em>some </em>rush,¡± the Sage corrected him. ¡°We¡¯re still in wartime. Advance quickly but not hastily.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    Jack leaned back, catching an odd nce from Starhair and ignoring it. Bottomless remained as passive as ever, simply muttering a quick congrattions and returning to the helm. As for Min Ling, she rushed forward and punched Jack in the shoulder. ¡°Well done!¡± she eximed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for you to reach the B-Grade. We should spar then!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack said, raising a brow. ¡°I could take you right now.¡±

    ¡°No you couldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I sure could. I can probably face a peak B-Grade right now.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°What, those weaklings who weren¡¯t even invited to the Crusade? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m doubting your strength, Jack, but that you don¡¯tprehend mine. There are many degrees of sess when forming your inner world. I¡¯m proud to say that mine is overwhelmingly wide and solid¡­ So, I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you on the same level.¡±

    She winked at him, then walked away. Jack only smiled¡ªhowever well she¡¯d done during her breakthrough, he was confident he could do better. He was looking forward to it more and more. If there really were multiple levels of sess, if there was no ceiling, wasn¡¯t this an opportunity topare himself to every B-Grade from the start of time to now? Just how would he do?

    He could hardly wait.

 Chapter 466: Arriving

    Chapter 466: Arriving

    Brilliant gxies were suspended in the universe like fish in an endless sea. Their colors varied, as did their sizes, but flying between them really made one understand how inconsequentially tiny they were in the grand scheme of things.

    Gxies, however, were not as far apart as Jack had expected. They were clustered together. Unlike stars, which were tiny dotspared to the massive distances separating them, gxies were more like neighboring inds. Sure, there were gaps in between, but sometimes the gaps were smaller than the gxies themselves.

    Their starship was like a tiny fish crossing a dense archipgo.

    ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± a voice came behind Jack, startling him. He looked away from therge window and towards the new arrival¡ªStarhair, the peak B-Grade Envoy whose hair resembled rivers of stars. The man walked beside Jack and gazed out the window.

    This starship wasn¡¯t too small. There were various rooms andpartments. Right now, Jack and Starhair were alone.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Better than looking at the other wall, which is just metal.¡±

    Starhair didn¡¯tugh. Jack frowned.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing much. I just don¡¯t understand why we had to waste a month to escort a C-Grade.¡±This time, it was Jack who didn¡¯t reply. What could he say? ¡°I have great potential and might be able to affect the war situation?¡± That would sound extremely arroganting from a C-Grade, even one with Jack¡¯s aplishments. He also couldn¡¯t reveal the existence of the death cube which Elder Boatman wanted, as it was a secret.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s hard to understand,¡± was all he finally replied.

    Starhair turned and raised an angry brow at him. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±

    ¡°What else do you want me to say?¡±

    ¡°Give me a reason to believe this is not a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Can I?¡± Jack smiled without meaning it. ¡°If you believed in my talent, you wouldn¡¯t need me to say anything.¡±

    ¡°You sound pretty sure of yourself. Me, believing in your talent? What do you think you can aplish? I know you¡¯re strong, but you¡¯re just another cog in the machine until you reach the A-Grade. This whole mission is just an Elder abusing their authority to protect their disciple at the expense of everyone else.¡±

    ¡°I would advise you to speak about Elders with a little more respect,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°Especially when said Elder is my master and I¡¯m honor-bound to protect his reputation.¡±

    Starhair snorted. He turned to walk away. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your future achievements,¡± he said. On the way out, he bumped into Jack¡¯s shoulder, probably expecting to push him aside. Instead, Jack easily remained immobile, while it was Starhair who had to turn his body. He paused for a moment, then didn¡¯t look back and left the room.

    Jack shook his head. <em>Another clown¡­ </em>he thought. In his experience, these people were divided into two types¡ªthose who hopped around asking for a punch in the face, and those who hid their intentions in the dark and struck quickly, efficiently, and unexpectedly. He hoped Starhair was the former kind.

    ***

    The journey from Milky Way to the wild gxy which served as the Crusade¡¯s current battlefield was neither short nor long. Bottomless steered the ship, using their extreme understanding of spacetime to constantly wormhole forward. They covered almost a hundred thousand light years a day. They passed by many gxies, some spiral, others egg-shaped, as they speared deeper and deeper into the unexplored parts of the universe.

    Jack spent most of the time meditating. He would soon attempt to break into the B-Grade¡ªthe clearer his Daos were, the better. However, without life and death battles propelling him forward, progress was slow. He focused his time on the death cube, slowly deepening his understandings of Death.

    Meanwhile, the many Dao stones he¡¯d gotten as spoils of battle were useless to him. He couldn¡¯t level up anymore without breaking through. Therefore, he gave a lot of them to Brock, who used them to rapidly increase his cultivation base. Maybe he couldn¡¯t level up without the System, but he sure could use Dao stones.

    In the five days they spent traveling, Brock sessfully reached the peak C-Grade. He had grown all nine of his fruits to maturity and was ready to take the next step. Both brothers were at the same spot.

    Eventually, however, the journey came to an end. Jack watched from the windows as their starship angled towards a new gxy, one simr in size and shape to the Milky Way but slightly redder overall¡ªthe stars here were older andrger.

    ¡°I present to you, the Spiral Stair gxy,¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon said, suddenly materializing next to Jack. ¡°The Church¡¯s new home.¡±

    ¡°How far away from System space are we now?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Three hundred thousand light years away from the closest System gxy,¡± the sovereign replied. ¡°And half a million from your Milky Way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it in terms of distance. It¡¯s one week of traveling. I¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty sensible.¡±

    Jack considered it, then nodded. ¡°Where exactly are we headed now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The Church forces are scattered across this gxy. Not even I know the precise location, but I do know where Elder Boatman said he¡¯d pick us up. See that slightly denser patch of stars? Up there, to the right. That¡¯s pretty much the area.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°He¡¯ll find us in all that?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Bottomless has the exact coordinates. I just couldn¡¯t bother to remember.¡± The sovereign gave Jack azy smile. ¡°Anyway, we still have a few hours. Tea?¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡±

    The starship dove into the gxy, and soon they were lost in a three-dimensional sea of stars. The scenery looked simr to the Milky Way¡ªit was hard to imagine they were inside apletely different gxy. Bottomless led them through a winding track, following unknown directions and reference points, until they finally came to rest near a red giant¡ªa star which ballooned and reddened greatly as it approached the end of its life.

    ¡°What now?¡± Jack asked. All of them were gathered at the starship¡¯s bridge, including Dorman, who¡¯d spent most of the time in his room. The Sage was the first to bow¡ªimmediately afterward, space rippled before them, and a hooded figure appeared directly inside their starship. The entire Spoon Squad and Dorman bent their backs.

    ¡°We greet Elder Boatman,¡± they said as one.

    ¡°Greetings, Master,¡± Jack said, while Brock nodded.

    ¡°Grandpa Dead, hello.¡±

    Elder Boatman scanned them with his gaze. His face was hidden, but red eyes shone under his dark hood. Covered entirely in the ck robe and with a scythe hanging on his back, he directly resembled the Charon of Earth¡¯s mythology¡ªmaybe the two were rted somehow, or this was a universal image in line with the Dao of Death.

    ¡°Rise,¡± he said in a raspy voice. Everyone stood straight again. ¡°Thank you for bringing my disciple.¡±

    ¡°We are happy to be of service, Elder,¡± the sovereign replied. ¡°By the way, I heard you acquired a certain delicacy recently. Do you think I could¡ª¡±

    ¡°Jack,¡± Boatman turned to his disciple, ignoring the sovereign. ¡°I am d to see you well. You¡¯ve grown much stronger, too¡ªwhat¡¯s your current battle power?¡±

    ¡°I should be able to match ordinary peak B-Grades,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°Really?¡± The red eyes shone brighter. ¡°Excellent. Come. We have things to discuss.¡±

    He waved a hand. Instantly, the entire starship was wrapped in darkness. This wasn¡¯t really teleporting¡ªmore like the surrounding spacetime died, reducing the distance between them and their destination. Jack spread out his perception, but before he could realize how exactly this was happening, they had already arrived.

    A starship floated before them. Calling it huge was an understatement¡ªit stretched for at least a dozen miles and contained multiple floors. It was like a city. Swarms of cultivators circled it like flies¡ªeither guards or people traveling from one ce to another.

    ¡°My starship,¡± Elder Boatman said with a hint of pride. ¡°Thank you, Head Envoy. I will make sure you and your squad are rewarded appropriately. Feel free to rest here for a few days before heading to your next mission.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± the sovereign replied. ¡°Our navigator is exhausted from the trip so we¡¯d be d to rest here for a day or two. About that item you¡ª¡±

    Elder Boatman waved his hand again, teleporting just himself, Jack, and Brock away. They reappeared in a grand throne room,plete with piles of bones and skeletal guards. White columns speared a hundred feet into the ceiling, giving the room a heavy, somber feel, while the ground was gray marble.

    Boatman gave a tired sigh. He threw back his hood, revealing a pale vampiric face. He looked a billion years old. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the decorations,¡± he said. ¡°I agree they¡¯re in bad taste, but excess is necessary at times. Please, sit.¡±

    A round table upied the middle of the room. It was surrounded by thirteen seats, one of which was more clearly more borate than the others, carved with skulls and velvet. That was the chair Boatman had sat into. Jack found another chair, while Brock pulled his back and sat on the ground. This way, he wasn¡¯t towering over the rest of them.

    ¡°No throne?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me started. The throne is for official hearings. When strategizing, this is where I sit¡ªit¡¯s far morefortable.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Master. Both the death cube and the Dao Visions you gave me helped a lot. My Dao of Death has grown tremendously.¡±

    Elder Boatman gave his disciple a long stare. ¡°But that¡¯s not all, is it? I can sense you¡¯re dabbling in more Daos. Life is there, obviously, but so are Space and Time.¡±

    There was clear doubt in his voice. Generally speaking, people avoided spreading their attention between many Daos.

    ¡°The opportunities came up and I took them,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I believe it was a wise choice. It has worked out so far.¡±

    ¡°Mm. I can sense so, yes.¡± Boatman¡¯s gaze pierced into Jack as if observing his soul. ¡°You know best. I support your decisions regardless. If this goes well, your potential will be limitless¡ªif hard to realize.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±

    ¡°About your Dao of Death¡­¡± Boatman trailed off. Jack could sense the unspoken question.

    ¡°My son passed away recently,¡± he replied. ¡°It hurt me deeply, and I almost lost myself in grief. I believe it also gave my Dao of Death a perspective more suited to myself.¡±

    Boatman nodded slowly. ¡°I am sorry for your loss,¡± he said. ¡°Death is a natural urrence¡ªeven that of your descendants. I am d you managed to not only ovee your grief, but also understand it. It was a pivotal experience for you. On the road of cultivation, everyone must form their own path, or they will forever be limited to a fraction of what their predecessor achieved.¡±

    Jack nodded. He¡¯d already figured this out¡ªafter his experience in the ck Hole World, where his Dao of Death had undergone a subtle transformation, he¡¯d realized that the insights Elder Boatman had left him had be far less useful. They referenced Boatman¡¯s path, not Jack¡¯s. Even the death cube had shown decreased efficiency. As a result, Jack¡¯s progress in the Dao of Death had slowed down, but he could feel this was the right path regardless.

    It didn¡¯t matter how quickly he followed the path of another¡ªat the end of the day, only his own unique path had the potential to reach the top.

    ¡°I am on the cusp of reaching the B-Grade, Master,¡± Jack said. ¡°Is there any advice you would like to give me?¡±

    ¡°No. Trying to gleam insights from the experiences of others will not help you, only further your insecurity. You will naturally understand everything when you go into it. However, I will oversee your breakthrough in its entirety. With me there, nothing will go wrong¡ªbut, as for how far you can get, that will depend entirely on you.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°Thank you, Master. If you don¡¯t mind, I had another thing to ask. Brock and I are brothers sharing a spiritual connection. He is also at the cusp of the same breakthrough, and he is as talented as myself. Could you ept him as a disciple as well?¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Boatman replied immediately, turning towards the brori. ¡°That was my intention as well. Brock, would you like to be my disciple? You may not cultivate the Dao of Death, but you do follow an offshoot of the Dao of Life, which is my other area of expertise.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Grandpa Dead,¡± Brock replied.

    Elder Boatman gave a strained smile. ¡°You can call me master now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Master Grandpa Dead.¡±

    The Elder looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed. ¡°It is customary for a master to provide his disciples with treasures for the breakthrough,¡± he said. ¡°However, it¡¯s not about the quantity of treasures, but their quality. Jack, am I correct to assume you already have enough?¡±

    Jack grinned. ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    ¡°And you, Brock.¡± Elder Boatman gave him an inquisitive stare. ¡°Your Dao is one which makes most treasures ineffective. Correct?¡±

    ¡°Right, Master Grandpa Dead. I have everything I need in my bros.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then get ready, both of you. I will have people fill you in on the current status of the war and assign you positions, but that is meaningless before you break through. You must reach the B-Grade as soon as possible.¡±

    Jack looked up. ¡°How soon, Master?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 467: The Death Boat

    Chapter 467: The Death Boat

    <em>Tomorrow¡­ Huh?</em>

    Jack had spent eight years cultivating. He¡¯d reached the E-Grade in a month, the D-Grade in three, then the C-Grade in a year and a half. Since then, the other six and a half years had spent inside the C-Grade. It had been a tremendous amount of time¡ªbut it didn¡¯t feel that long. Things had been slower.

    Three years in the Green Dragon Realm, one in the ck Hole World, one and a half at the ck Hole Church, and finally one spent running around the Milky Way¡­ Over all that time, he¡¯d gotten used to being a C-Grade. The Dao Tree in his soul world felt intimate, while its every fruit was a sight he¡¯d seen a thousand times.

    Breaking into the B-Grade tomorrow¡ªor, at least, attempting it¡ªfelt like a dream.

    <em>Tomorrow¡­</em>

    Jack didn¡¯t know how he reached his room that night. All he knew was that, when he awoke, he was on a hard military bed in a high-tech room in a massive starship in a gxy far far away. A tinted window showcased the starry cosmos outside, while the room itself was illuminated by fluorescent wires running through the ceiling. Besides the bed itself, a bathroom upied part of the space, outfitted with a shower and a toilet.

    Jack shook his head to clear it, then pulled away the covers. He quickly got dressed¡ªan action which involved a mere putting on his pants and boots. It felt weird to dress like a barbarian in a starship, but who were they to judge? This was his war attire!

    <em>Today is the day I¡¯m breaking through.</em>

    It still felt like a dream. He walked out of his room regardless, finding Brock leaned against a wall. ¡°Morning, bro,¡± said the brori. ¡°Slept well?¡±¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Good. So I did.¡±

    ¡°Had any dreams?¡±

    ¡°Me, you, and Grandpa Dead eating bananarms.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°That¡¯s a dream alright.¡±

    Brock smiled. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°I was born ready.¡±

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They followed the corridor, only to run into a beautiful D-Grade woman at the next corner. Her blond hair was long and thrown back, while her blue eyes exuded a feeling of professionalism. Light blue robes covered her shapely body, and her features were sharp in a resolved way. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said. ¡°My name is Literia, an assistant of Death Boat. I will be guiding you today. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Likewise,¡± Jack responded. ¡°Who¡¯s Death Boat?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the name of this starship, Sir. Coined by the great Elder Boatman himself.¡±

    Jack remembered seeing the ship from afar¡ªit had looked like a dark, ominous boat. He could picture Charon ferrying souls on it.

    ¡°Where are you guiding us?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Around,¡± she replied, then smiled. ¡°I have been instructed to take you to your assigned breakthrough location, if that¡¯s fine with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jack blinked. He wasn¡¯t just breaking through today¡ªhe was doing it, like, now. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± She smiled again, lighting up the walls. ¡°Follow me, please.¡±

    Literia sailed down the corridor on her long legs, only halfway covered by her robes. Jack only had to nce at her once to suspect they¡¯d sent their most beautiful assistant on purpose.

    ¡°Who exactly ordered you to guide us?¡± he asked as they followed.

    ¡°Envoy Min Ling,¡± Literia replied with reverence. ¡°She¡¯s an honorary manager of Death Boat. I presume you¡¯re acquainted?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack narrowed his eyes. ¡°A bit.¡±

    He did not press the issue further. Brock chuckled silently. They followed Literia down a set of winding corridors, finally emerging on a wider one whose right side was covered entirely in ss. Behind it, Jack had a terrific view of one level of the Death Boat. He was stunned. There were tens of thousands of houses¡ªjust this level was like a small city.

    ¡°Death Boat hosts more than just Crusadebatants,¡± Literia exined, not hurrying along. ¡°Elder Boatman¡¯s entire faction lives in this starship. When we escaped System space, we also brought along many survivors of Hand attacks to keep them safe. As a result, we¡¯re currently a little overpopted¡­but that shouldn¡¯t affect you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Elder Boatman had his own faction,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°Most Elders do. Don¡¯t imagine anything too grand¡ªthey just like to keep their friends, family, and disciples safe. Over an A-Grade¡¯s long life, that smallmunity can expand to millions or billions of people. It¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack said. ¡°Then, all those people below are cultivators?¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Sheughed, a pleasant, chirping sound. ¡°Most are mortal civilians. There are schools, shops, cafes, restaurants¡­ Someyers even have forests andkes. It¡¯s a whole world in here¡ªall courtesy of Elder Boatman.¡±

    Jack nodded along. He was beginning to see a pattern. Archons Green Dragon and ck Hole had created a hidden realm in which they kept their people. Elder Boatman either couldn¡¯t or didn¡¯t want to do that, but he used a giant starship instead. So did most other Elders, ording to Literia. It appeared there was no ce in the universe where high-ranking people felt safe leaving their people.

    Jack would have assumed the ck Hole Church headquarters to be such a ce. Now, he knew better. While he didn¡¯t understand quite everything, he didn¡¯t need to¡ªhe would just copy those who knew what they were doing. His family and friends would remain on Earth, which he¡¯d make sure to keep out of reach for the rest of the universe.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    That was the only way to be safe.

    ¡°Are there other A-Grades onboard?¡± Jack asked.

    Literia smiled¡ªneedlessly? ¡°There is Elder Heavenstar,¡± she replied. ¡°His own abode was destroyed in the process of escaping System space. Elder Boatman graciously epted him and the survivors into his starship.¡±

    Jack nodded. He had a decent impression of Heavenstar¡ªhe was the master of Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling, a schrly Elder known to assist the younger generation. At the banquet before they entered the Green Dragon Realm, Heavenstar had stood by Boatman when he almost fought Purity. He seemed, at the very least, to be a man of integrity.

    That also exined why Min Ling was an honorary manager of Death Boat, and also why Sovereign Heavenly Spoon would spare a month to ensure Jack¡¯s safety.

    They continued through the corridors, circling the city and finally losing it from sight. Literia was not at all in a hurry¡ªthroughout their walk, she maintained a cheerful conversation with Jack and Brock, often asking about their experiences or offering hers. She was a well-spoken woman.

    Of course, if they really were in a hurry, they could just teleport wherever they wanted.

    Shortly afterward, the left wall of their corridor was made of ss, revealing an expanse of dust and rocks. ¡°This is the Bone Belt,¡± Literia exined. ¡°Our hiding ce. It extends for millions of miles, and thanks to the dense clouds of dust, it¡¯s difficult for the enemy to scout us out with their perception. They have to manually search through the entire belt, where our Envoys lie in ambush to make their job even harder.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack hummed. ¡°Since we¡¯re hiding, I assume we¡¯re losing the war?¡±

    Literia turned defensive. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± she replied, sounding a little hurt. ¡°This is just the current state of things. The Hand of God is presently much stronger than us, but it won¡¯t be like that forever. We aren¡¯t the only parties of this war. When the Old Gods join, things will be much more bnced.¡±

    ¡°The Old Gods are joining the war?¡±

    ¡°Of course! We¡¯re fighting on their side¡ªhow could they not help us?¡±

    Jack had his doubts. From what he knew, the only Old God to care about cultivators was currently trapped in a ck hole somewhere in the universe. Even if the other eleven knew there was a Second Crusade brewing against them, and also that there were cultivators fighting on their behalf, why would they rush over here and join? They were Old Gods. They could just retreat to the far end of the universe and remain there for billions or trillions of years. The cultivation world couldn¡¯t reach that far.

    Of course, Jack also recognized there were many things he wasn¡¯t privy to, so he chose not to speak.

    ¡°When you say we¡¯re currently weaker,¡± he asked, ¡°how much weaker do you mean?¡±

    Literia hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not aware of everything,¡± she finally replied, ¡°but I would say our forces are half of theirs. It¡¯s not a difference we cannot ovee with good nning, bravery, and a little bit of luck.¡±

    Jack nodded. Brock ced a hand on Literia¡¯s shoulder, startling her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Pretty Bro,¡± he said with a calm smile. ¡°We are here now. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±

    She struggled to form words for a moment. Finally, her lips broke into a bright smile¡ªone that seemed more genuine than before. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied. Brock removed his hand, and she kept walking.

    Jack shot his bro a questioning gaze¡ªBrock shrugged.

    Finally, they reached the end of the corridor: a dpression chamber connecting to the universe outside. It was obviously meant to shield E-Grades and below from the vacuum, but to Jack, Brock, and Literia, that waspletely unnecessary. Jack teleported the three of them outside. Literia blinked in surprise.

    ¡°This is faster,¡± he exined, to which she nodded.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°Then, follow me!¡±

    She turned into a ray of cyan light that flew into the distance. Of course, to Jack and Brock, she was beyond slow. They would have offered to lead the way, but thankfully, they could see that their destination was near.

    Arge asteroid hung in the distance, sorge it resembled a. Crowds of cultivators hovered around it, and looking back, Jack could also see arge window of the Death Boat overlooking this spot, crowded with the faces of thousands of people.

    ¡°Is this the breakthrough location?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Literia replied, sounding a little embarrassed. ¡°We know privacy is usually best, but in this case, we need a show to increase morale. We hope you can understand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine either way,¡± Jack said. ¡°But won¡¯t morale drop if I fail my breakthrough?¡±

    She looked at him like he¡¯d made a joke. ¡°If even your breakthrough fails, sir, then the rest of us might as well abandon cultivation and be farmers.¡±

    ¡°That ¡®sir¡¯ feels weird. Just call me Jack.¡±

    She beamed. ¡°Okay¡­ Jack.¡± She said the name slowly, as if enjoying it. Jack couldn¡¯t tell if she was a fangirl or an expert hostess. Her voice turned warmer. ¡°In any case, Jack, there is no need to worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do just fine. Both of you. We aren¡¯t just waiting to see if you seed, but to how many miles you can grow your inner world!¡±

    ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s¡ª Wait. Both of us?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± she replied. ¡°The two of you are breaking through, correct?¡±

    Jack looked at Brock, who winked. ¡°We¡¯re bros,¡± he said. ¡°We walk together.¡±

    ¡°I guess we do.¡± Jackughed. ¡°There is one else I would rather share my breakthrough, bro.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°This is as far as I can go,¡± Literia said as they approached the asteroid. ¡°I wish you luck, Jack¡­and Brock.¡± She¡¯d used the brori¡¯s name as well¡ªhe smiled and winked at her.

    ¡°Thanks, Pretty Bro. We¡¯re bringing it home.¡±

    Literia didn¡¯t recognize the phrase, while Jack wondered where Brock had picked it up. Earth, probably. Gan Salin?

    The girl flew to the side, joining the crowd which was staring at them by now. Jack saw many familiar faces¡ªSovereign Heavenly Spoon, the Sage, Min Ling¡­ Even Elder Heavenstar was present, sitting on a starry throne at the very front of the crowd, his schrly aura putting everyone at ease. He smiled politely at Jack and Brock.

    <em>¡°Show us the power of your generation,¡± </em>he told them telepathically, to which both smiled.

    <em>¡°Thank you, Elder.¡±</em>

    They flew towards the nearby asteroid. Elder Boatman hovered alone right over it. An aura of death surrounded him, not menacingly, but like it was the most natural thing in the world.

    ¡°I have taken very few disciples in my life,¡± he said as they approached. Though it felt like a whisper, his voice somehow spread across space, even reaching the Death Boat. ¡°I believe in the two of you. Your potential is great. Do not disappoint me.¡±

    Short and to the point. ssic Elder Boatman. Yet, though he sounded strict, Jack could hear the love behind those words. Elder Boatman was maintaining absolute vignce, ensuring that nobody would arrive to disturb them, and he also used his Dao to keep the asteroid below thempletely still. Thisst job could have been delegated to a B-Grade, but he chose to do it personally. That showed he cared.

    ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± both said as one. ¡°We will make you proud.¡±

    Boatman nodded. ¡°Then, you may begin when you are ready.¡±

    He flew away,ing to float beside Elder Heavenstar. The two of them were the only ones sitting¡ªone had a throne seemingly made of stars, while the other of dark bone. Everyone else was standing.

    Nobody was within a hundred miles of the asteroid¡¯s surface. Jack and Brock exchanged a nce. They sped hands. ¡°Good luck, bro,¡± said Brock.

    ¡°You too,¡± Jack replied with barely contained excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s be strong.¡±

    Brock flew away, circling the asteroid tond at the exact opposite side. The breakthrough to the B-Grade was a very delicate process¡ªeven soulpanions like them couldn¡¯t be too close to each other.

    Jack stood alone, on an asteroid in space, overlooked by A-Grades, in a gxy far from home. The pressure was one he was used to¡ªand it was made easier by the fact that his bro was undergoing the same thing on the other side of the asteroid.

    He sat down and closed his eyes. It was time to reach the B-Grade.

 Chapter 468: The Breakthrough Begins

    Chapter 468: The Breakthrough Begins

    Breaking into the B-Grade was one of the most important junctures in the entire cultivation journey. Only an extremely small amount of people reached it, and even fewer could ovee it.

    Only one in ten cultivators seeded¡ªthe rest paid the ultimate price. As a result, breaking into the B-Grade was the eternal nightmare of most C-Grades¡ªwould they spend their life in mediocrity, or would they gamble everything on a small chance to reach the stars?

    This breakthrough was demonized in the eyes of the masses¡ªthey viewed it as the greatest trial every cultivator had to face. Naturally, Jack¡¯s attempt garnered a lot of attention. Every eye in and around the Death Boat was watching. If not for needing to keep their location a secret, they would have broadcasted it across the entire ck Hole Church.

    ¡°Do you think he can seed?¡± a cultivator whispered in the crowd around the asteroid¡ªas a C-Grade, he barely had the qualifications to stand here.

    ¡°Of course he will!¡± another replied. ¡°So what if nine out of ten people die? This is Jack Rust! If even he fails, we are all doomed!¡±

    ¡°I know he will seed,¡± said a third cultivator. ¡°I just wonder how many miles he¡¯ll reach.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign Heavenly Spoon made it to eight thousand miles. I don¡¯t know if Jack Rust can reach that point, but he shouldn¡¯t be much worse, right? Maybe seven thousand?¡±

    ¡°You idiot, how can youpare a mere Jack Rust to Sovereign Heavenly Spoon? That¡¯s the greatest B-Grade of thest hundred thousand years! I say Jack Rust will reach just a bit above six thousand miles.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think it will be seven.¡±¡°Wanna bet!?¡±

    On forming one¡¯s inner world, only one out of every ten people seeded. However, even those who seeded were separated into various levels based on the size of the world they produced. The deeper and wider your Laws, the sturdier your foundation, the more you could expand your world without it copsing.

    Most people reached between one to three thousand miles across. That was the crushing majority. Almost every B-Grade Jack had faced so far had fallen in that bracket, excluding Eva Solvig and the two Supreme Ancestors of the Animal Kingdom who¡¯d reached around four thousand miles. Spacewind and Monk Urusm, who were still trapped in the Green Dragon Realm, had both reached the five thousand mile mark, establishing themselves as elites amongst their level. That was also why they were so much stronger than the other B-Grades at the Green Dragon Realm¡ªthe size of one¡¯s inner world directly affected their strength.

    It also served as a reference point for their potential.

    Generally speaking, only those who reached above three thousand miles had a decent chance of stepping into thete B-Grade. Four thousand miles signified one had a tiny chance of reaching the peak B-Grade, and five thousand that they had a decent chance of doing the same thing.

    As for reaching the A-Grade, the records were unclear. After all, A-Grade cultivators could live for as long as a million years. The most widespread theory was that almost all A-Grades had reached seven thousand miles when forming their inner world. That was also why Sovereign Heavenly Spoon, who had reached eight thousand miles, was given so much attention.

    As for whether that theory was true or not, only a true A-Grade could verify it, and they weren¡¯t easy people to ask.

    ¡°What do you think, Sage?¡± the Sovereign whispered, leaning towards the homeless-looking man. ¡°Will he reach eight thousand as well?¡±

    ¡°You mean, if he will surpass you?¡± The Sage chuckled. ¡°I do have a prediction¡­ But there is no fun in telling you, right? It¡¯s much better to just watch.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m the one who withholds information!¡±

    ¡°How the tables have turned.¡±

    An odd light shone in the Sage¡¯s eyes as he gazed at Jack¡ªone of deep hope.

    ¡°What about the brori?¡± the sovereign asked again. ¡°Surely you can tell me about him, right?¡±

    ¡°I would, but¡­ I actually have no idea!¡± The Sageughed. ¡°I guess we can only wait and see.¡±

    Dorman, who was floating beside them, didn¡¯t say anything. Neither did Min Ling. Her eyes were glued on Jack. She¡¯d recently achieved seven thousand miles on her breakthrough¡ªan extremely impressive feat.

    <em>Will he surpass me? </em>she thought, biting her lip. <em>If he does¡­</em>

    Conversation about Jack¡¯s results spread wildly across the crowd. Even inside the Death Boat, many knowledgeable people had shared the details about how this breakthrough worked, so predictions came and went. There were even betting stands in popr shops or squares. Most people bet he¡¯d reach around seven thousand, while stragglers ranged from three to nine.

    ¡°Come one,e all!¡± arge-bodied merchant shouted. ¡°The more people you bring, the higher the rewards! The winners split the entire betting pool!¡±

    Of course, he would keep a five percentmission as the one in charge, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to mention that. People flocked to his stand, as they did to every other. Business was booming¡ªJack Rust might well be the merchants¡¯ patron saint!

    However, all the excitement outside didn¡¯t affect Jack in the slightest. He had already withdrawn his perceptionpletely, entrusting his safety to Elder Boatman. He was floating inside his soul world,pletely cut off from everything else, facing his Dao Tree.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    There was no rush. Jack gazed upon his Dao, observing its every nook and cranny, every tiny detail. This was theplete culmination of his eight years of cultivation.

    A purple fist hovered at the bottom, facing downward¡ªits five fingers were colored purple, silver, green, red, and ck. Besides the purple thumb which represented the Fist, the core of his Dao, each of the other fingers represented a Dao Root he¡¯d once developed: Indomitable Will, Life, Power, Weakness. The foundation of his Dao.

    The top of the fist was an empty wrist, inside which was buried the Life Drop¡ªan extreme treasure of Life, a processed drop of blood from Enas himself. Above the Life Drop grew Jack¡¯s Dao Tree¡ªnine feet tall, with roots hugging the fist below, a solid trunk leading to a crown of green leaves and purple flowers.

    Nine fruits were also there, each fully grown: Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Spanking, Brotherhood, Time, and Protection. The cornerstones of his cultivation path. Every single one of them felt just right¡ªperfectly suited for him and the rest of the fruits.

    Finally, a transparent, heart-shaped crystal filled with Dao runes orbited the tree crown¡ªit was the realm heart he¡¯d inherited from Archon Green Dragon, the foundational block of a separate world. It hadn¡¯t helped him much so far, but it was a great treasure¡ªthis was where it would begin to show its worth.

    Between it and the Life Drop, alongside many inferior treasures, Jack could be considered extremely well equipped for this breakthrough.

    There wasn¡¯t much else in his soul, currently. Copy Jack was floating about, eager to watch the change, eyes filled with deep anticipation. The door on the trunk of the Dao Tree remained shut, with the turtle¡ªor Saint Venerable Thousand Shell¡ªsleeping behind it. Who knew how long it would remain like that. Jack worried a bit about what would happen to the turtle during his breakthrough, but he could neither contact it nor wait for it to awaken. He just hoped for the best.

    His eyes snapped into focus. He drew a deep breath, summoning energy from everywhere inside his soul. Power shimmered at his fingertips, flooded every inch of his being. In the real world, the ground beneath him shattered, creating a small crater on which he sat. Space shivered. Purple winds cracked.

    And the breakthrough began.

    Jack reached out¡ªhis eyes brimming with resolve. He pointed a finger at therge fist at the base of his tree. With a decisive move, he beamed pure energy at it, destroying itpletely. The five fingers flew in different directions before dissolving, bing masses of energy which Jack kept hovering at his side.

    Beads of sweat ran down his face. Not of exhaustion, but of worry. The process of creating one¡¯s inner world began withpletely demolishing your Dao. Any mistake from here on out would cause his soul to implode and kill him instantly.

    However, Jack was too hardened to cave at simple pressure.

    Therge fist had dissolved, leaving his Dao Tree floating alone through Jack¡¯s soul. Already, it was trembling, its stability failing. Without a base, it would soon wilt, but Jack wouldn¡¯t let that happen. He flew over and smashed a fist into his Dao Tree. Splinters flew everywhere. His hand bled.

    Only a small crater had been formed on the trunk, but Jack persisted. Fist after fist smashed into the tree, steadily widening the crater. Purple juice flowed out, and the pain was intense, as if Jack was ripping apart his own heart. Yet, he continued. The crater kept widening until Jack¡¯s fist prated the hard bark to strike something deeper inside the tree.

    The moment he did, his world trembled. With a loud, earthly moan, the tree shook and began to disappear from the base down, unraveling into pure energy. Everything Jack had spent years to create, he was now destroying. It felt terrible. He could choose to stop it, use his Dao to seal the wound and try to save the tree, but that would be meaningless. He would still die if he tried. The only way out was forward.

    He let the tree unravel. He watched its roots wilt and break into scraps of wood which thenpletely dissipated into energy. The trunk followed, starting from the base. The Life Drop was left hovering alone, a green star in the void, as the tree above it disappeared.

    Inch by inch, the tree was gone. Jack watched as it went from being nine feet tall to eight, then seven, then six. The door on the trunk faded, and the lower branches began to fall. Before long, only a little bit of the trunk and the crown remained. Even the leaves were wilting by now, the fruits seeming weaker.

    He let the slow process continue as he watched those fruits. They were nine¡ªthe number of perfection, the apex of beauty. Ten would be too much¡ªonly nine could perfectly encapste the totality of human existence.

    <em>A bit of a shame, </em>he thought. <em>I could have continued. Growing fruits is trivial now.</em>

    He gazed upon his fruits again. Concepts and energy jumped from one to the other¡ªthey formed aplete whole, a system of thought and understanding. It was these nine fruits which would serve as the foundation of Jack¡¯s inner world. The more perfect they were, the better his world would be.

    So why did he suddenly feel something off?

    A persistent feeling crept though his mind. A sense that something was missing¡ªsomething was gone. Imperfection.

    With therge fist gone and the Dao Tree almost disappeared, the fruits were now allowed to interact freely. He could see their concepts touch and bounce off each other. The system they created wasplete, sure¡ªhe could sense that using it to create a stable inner world would be easy. Coupled with everything else, he was sure to reach far.

    But would he reach the apex?

    Every step he¡¯d taken so far had been perfect. What about this one? Could it be¡­iplete?

    Worry gnawed on Jack¡¯s mind. He kept all the gathered energy still, waiting for thest of the trunk to dissolve before beginning on the fruits, but his previous suspicion suddenly spiked in intensity. His instinct was screaming. He was making a mistake. His fruits were perfect, but the system they created was not. It was <em>almost </em>perfect. Something was missing. What?

    What had he missed during his cultivation journey? Where had he gone wrong?

    Intense regret welled up inside him. He had vowed to pursue the peak of cultivation. Was he dooming himself to never reach it? Had his breakthrough been too hasty? Even if he had, there was nothing he could do about it now except regret. He couldn¡¯t stop now.

    <em>There has to be something! </em>he thought, gnashing his teeth. <em>There is just one thing missing! One concept I cannot put my finger on! If I can identify it, maybe I can find a solution! I can fix it.</em>

    Yet, no matter how much he hoped, he knew it was hopeless. The breakthrough had begun. Finding the root of the problem now would be as difficult as reaching the sky. Even if he found it, it wasn¡¯t like he could just add a new concept to his Dao. He¡¯d already reached the limit.

    Suddenly, an old memory shed into his mind. Back when he¡¯d absorbed the heart of the Green Dragon Realm, he¡¯d caught a glimpse of the entire realm, including the massive tree which supported it. That tree stretched from the base to the top, rising for endless miles. It also contained nine fruits, capturing that image of perfection.

    Yet, Jack suddenly remembered catching a glimpse of something else. A tenth fruit, hiding between the leaves.

    <em>Could it be¡­ </em>he suddenly thought. <em>Could it be true? Could there be¡­ten fruits!?</em>

 Chapter 469: Pursuing Perfection

    Chapter 469: Pursuing Perfection

    Jack had never heard anything like that. He¡¯d never even considered it. Everyone spoke of nine fruits, that was the whole theme of the C-Grade. Nine was as close to perfection as one could get.

    But what if it wasn¡¯t? What if there could be ten fruits, it was just that no one had been able to achieve them?

    Why was this breakthrough the only fatal one? Could it be that cultivators were meant to have ten fruits, and people had just found a way to force this breakthrough at nine?

    Or, maybe, nine fruits really was the limit, and the tenth fruit was the step towards an unattainable perfection? The true perfect path?

    Whoever said that nine signified perfection? Bullshit! It was obviously ten, ten was the number!

    Jack knew this was insane. He had no guarantee it would work, that it even could work. Maybe ten fruits weren¡¯t possible¡ªmaybe nine really was the limit, and cultivators were doomed to have an imperfect inner world. The only hint he had at the existence of a tenth fruit, besides his own wishes, was the tenth fruit he¡¯d glimpsed at at the Green Dragon Realm, which could mean all sorts of other things.

    If Jack tried to develop a tenth fruit right now and failed, that would severely affect his breakthrough. It might even failpletely and kill him. To even think of attempting it was the sign of a madman.

    Good thing he was one.

    <em>Let¡¯s go! </em>Jack thought. His attention became razor-sharp. His Dao spread out, covering the Dao Tree and slowing down its disappearance. It was toote to stop it, but he could dy it a bit. At the same time, part of his gathered energy seeped into the remaining nine fruits, invigorating them. They were alive once again, blooming with power.Jack focused his mind on the crown of the tree. Nine fruits decorated it, evenly splitting its energy streams. It seemedplete, but Jack now suspected it wasn¡¯t. He tried to create another fruit.

    The tree no longer possessed roots or a trunk, so he forcefully poured energy into the crown. The branches shivered. The leaves fluttered, and the fruits wobbled as if questioning his decision.

    For every other fruit, the process had been natural. He would pour energy into his Dao Tree, then focus on a concept. If his foundation was solid enough, that energy would automatically enter a flower and form a Dao Fruit.

    That didn¡¯t happen. Instead, the energy just circted aimlessly among the branches, not knowing where to go and finding no gap to plug. Jack wasn¡¯t one to quit easily. He grabbed that energy with his willpower and forced it into one flower which looked slightlyrger than the others. The energy protested. The flower shook as if about to explode. Jack kept them both intact with his force of will, forcing them to fuse.

    His brain turned wobbly. In the real world, people stared at him from afar, noticing that he¡¯d suddenly grown paler and his nose had begun to bleed. Worried cries emerged everywhere.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Heavenstar eximed. ¡°Will he really fail his breakthrough?¡±

    ¡°He is blocking the tree¡¯s disintegration,¡± Elder Boatman replied¡ªhis perception was shaper and his experience richer than Heavenstar¡¯s. His usually impassive voice now contained a hint of anger. ¡°What is he doing? That boy is an idiot!¡±

    All across the crowd, people were worried about Jack. Some took joy in his misfortune, bragging about how he was not as great as he seemed. Even the Sage seemed puzzled¡ªhis eyes were closed, however, as if observing something with great focus.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon had forgotten to blink. Dorman stared like his world was broken. Min Ling was shocked, her hands sped together. <em>You can¡¯t fail! </em>she shouted inwardly. <em>Not you!</em>

    Seeing that Jack didn¡¯t immediately turn better, most people assumed he really had messed up his breakthrough. They couldn¡¯t bear to watch. The majority of the crowd flew to the other side of the asteroid, where Brock was seemingly doing much better. His breathing was even, and his body stable¡ªhe even seemed ready to begin the creation of his inner world.

    ***

    Jack didn¡¯t care about anything else. His entire being was focused on developing this tenth fruit. The energy and flower were both resisting, but he used iron will to force them into unity. This was overdrawing his mental reserves¡ªeven if he abandoned the tenth fruit right now and continued with his breakthrough, the size of his inner world would be greatly affected.

    Yet, he persisted. Jack wasn¡¯t driven by the fear of failure, but by the drive to seed. He wouldn¡¯t cower.

    ¡°Grow!¡± he shouted, pouring even more energy into the flower. It stubbornly resisted¡ªthen, ever so slowly, a little shape began to emerge from its midst. It was just the most fundamental form of a fruit, far from aplete one. Yet, the moment Jack saw it, his hope was rekindled. He decided to throw all caution to the wind and go all-out.

    ¡°GROW!¡± hemanded. Of the massive amount of energy he had amassed by dissolving his Dao foundation and Dao Tree, a significant portion dove into this newborn fruit. It struggled to grow. It was like the world itself was resisting it, but this was Jack¡¯s soul, it was his world. If he wanted a tenth fruit, he would have a tenth fruit!

    He roared and pushed harder. Veins stuck out on his temples. The nine fruits protested the new arrival to theirplete system, but Jack forced them to make room. A tenth concept arrived. It wasn¡¯t one Jack had identified yet, but it was exactly what was missing, a concept true to the deepest reaches of his soul. He knew it was meant to be. He pushed even harder.

    This book''s true home is on another tform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The more this new fruit grew, the greater the resistance it faced. Jack poured more and more power into it. The energy he had amassed, which was meant to expand his inner world, was now being sacrificed to grow this tenth fruit. It was a mad gamble¡ªone which might not even be wise. It seemed insane. Even if he did grow this fruit, with what energy would he continue his breakthrough?

    The only thing in favor of this development was Jack¡¯s instinct, and he intended to follow it to the end. That was the true path. That was the Jack way.

    The fruit developed slowly. It grew from a flower, into a rod, into a shape resembling a feather. It surpassed the size of a new fruit and kept going.

    Jack wasn¡¯t just making it appear. He wanted to grow it directly to maturity. That was the only way it could assist his breakthrough¡ªit would be useless otherwise.

    The fruit kept growing. Over half of Jack¡¯s amassed energy went into it, a muchrger amount than any other fruit had absorbed. Its size almost reached the others. Jack felt a power forcing it down, constricting the fruit, as if the world itself wouldn¡¯t permit it to exist.

    ¡°THIS IS MY WORLD! I COMMAND IT!¡± Jack shouted, his eyes red. ¡°GROW!¡±

    The opposing energy faltered. Jack¡¯s tenth fruit sprang to full size¡ªa white feather, light and free. The moment it finished growing, it fell perfectly into ce among the system of the other nine fruits. The energy cirction between them turned smoother. All the errors were eliminated.

    The opposing force disappeared like it was never there. Jack lost his breath for a moment. He stopped supporting the new fruit¡ªand nothing happened. It stayed there, proud and true.

    Ten fruits. This was perfection. This was the Dao.

    And finally, Jack knew exactly what his tenth fruit was about. His previous fruits formed a system containing everything butcking direction. Even the Fist was only a tool, a way forward, not a destination. Only this final concept was the real driving force behind Jack¡¯s every decision since the Integration.

    Freedom.

    Heughed wildly, the sound echoing all over his soul world. ¡°Fear me, world!¡± he roared. ¡°Perfection really is unattainable. Nobody can reach it, but I can choose to try¡ªbecause I am free!¡±

    New power erupted from inside him. He felt like he¡¯d just undergone a qualitative evolution¡ªlike he¡¯d be iparable to before. This wasn¡¯t just the tenth fruit. It was a whole new realm, a realm in which he alone could stand.

    ¡°Inner world, here Ie!¡± he shouted.

    The ten fruits hung on the crown of his tree for just a moment¡ªan image which Jack burned inside his brain, one he would never forget. One which, perhaps, had never before been seen in the history of the universe.

    Jack grabbed his first fruit, that of the Fist. He tore it off the branch and crushed it between his hands¡ªpurple juice flew out, the fruit copsing into pure energy. An incorporeal purple mass floated beside Jack, nked by the remaining half of his energy. He¡¯d just destroyed his own fruit, but he couldn¡¯t be more excited. This was the way forward. This was the path to true power¡ªtrue freedom.

    His all-out gamble had seeded! What would be the reward?

    He tore down the fruit of Space, then Life, then Death. The various shapes disappeared, leaving only the colored concepts floating around him. Jackughed. He destroyed the rest of the fruits as well. The tree finished disintegrated. Only his veryst Dao Fruit remained, hanging alone in the void, a white feather representing Freedom. It had only existed for a few moments, yet Jack could sense that its importance surpassed everything else he¡¯d achieved.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, then crushed it in his hands. A tenth concept rose to meet the others, and Jack pushed his hands together, forcing all those concepts to merge. Where the colors met, his soul shattered. A gap was created. The energy he¡¯d amassed before flowed inside, guided by its own instincts to create space and time, matter and energy.

    It was a world inside a world, rapidly expanding inside Jack¡¯s soul. Everywhere it touched, the previous soul world copsed, reced by the new order. Jack was unaffected by it, as were Copy Jack, the Life Drop, and the Realm Heart. They were simply enveloped by Jack¡¯s inner world, dragged into it.

    Finally, the borders of the inner world reached those of his previous soul world and converted everything. There was no soul anymore¡ªonly a world filling his very being, exactly one thousand miles across. It was an empty vastness containing only starry dust, the particles on which the world was built.

    This was Jack¡¯s core now. His inner world. The breakthrough had seeded, but he contained his joy, because there was still a way to go. The borders of this world didn¡¯t really exist¡ªthey weren¡¯t in the same dimension as his body, but more like a separate ind in the endless sea of spacetime. As long as it remained stable, and as long as he had the energy to feed it, it could keep growing.

    He sensed it clearly. Right now, this world was in its most malleable state. Now was the time to expand it as much as he could. Moreover, the system ofws directing it was perfect, with no gaps in between. It wasn¡¯t the same system as in the universe outside, but one equally real, as if Jack was cultivating his own universe to stand on par with the actual one.

    With his perfectws in ce, stability wasn¡¯t an issue. Moreover, thanks to that great stability, the energy it needed to expand was minimal.

    Jack had no idea howrge he could make his inner world, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t wait to find out. He spread his hands, and like a god, hemanded, ¡°Expand!¡±

    ***

    The crowd remained restless in the outside world. Most had flown off to watch Brock¡¯s breakthrough, not bearing to see a genius fall. A few had remained, however, including both A-Grades. At a certain point, the Sage¡¯s eyes flew open, filled with genuine disbelief. Elder Boatman reacted a beatter, narrowing his eyes at Jack, not with shock but hesitation.

    ¡°Jack seems to have recovered¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Good. However, I can sense he¡¯s wasted a lot of energy. Creating a decent world will be impossible.¡±

    ¡°It is regrettable, but he has fallen,¡± Heavenstar agreed with a sigh. ¡°What a shame. I really believed in this young man.¡±

    The soul was invible. Even these A-Grades couldn¡¯t see inside Jack¡¯s soul, so they couldn¡¯t see he had created a new fruit. Even the fluctuations of his aura were obstructed by the tremendous amounts of power surrounding him. All they could see was that he remained at seemingly the same point of his cultivation, but over half of his energy had been wasted recovering from whatever had set him back.

    Most spectators, however, couldn¡¯t even see that.

    ¡°Hey, Jack Rust recovered!¡± a C-Grade celebrated. ¡°Come check him out, everyone! I think he¡¯ll begin forming his inner world soon!¡±

    <em>¡°Are you kidding me!?¡± </em>a voice rang in his mind¡ªone of his friends who¡¯d flown to the other side of the asteroid. <em>¡°The brori has already started. Youe here!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°He started!?¡±</em>

    The cultivator was surprised. Generally speaking, the more talented a cultivator, the faster they could form their inner world. In the eyes of everyone, Brock seeding first marked him as more talented than Jack, not to mention that Jack had almost failed entirely.

    <em>I guess he really was overstated¡­ What a disappointment. </em>The cultivator sighed, then rushed over to meet his friends on the other side of the asteroid. Whatever the case, Brock the brori was now expanding his inner world. If he was more talented than the famous Jack Rust, just how many miles could he reach?

    Everyone rushed over, eager to watch.

 Chapter 470: Brockâ€™s Inner World

    Chapter 470: Brock¡¯s Inner World

    ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± the audience cheered. Spatial fluctuations suddenly wrapped around Brock, covering his surroundings with a pale golden haze. Hymns and chants resounded. The golden space expanded rapidly, assimting everything as it stretched for hundreds of miles outward. Soon, it reached a thousand miles across¡ªa golden void filled with chanting brori phantoms, with arge golden temple dominating its center.

    Brock¡¯s inner world had appeared.

    The brori himself remained visible, sitting cross-legged on top of the temple. His eyes snapped open, and he shouted, ¡°Expand!¡±

    The golden space roared outward. Hundreds of miles were swallowed in the blink of an eye. His inner realm easily reached two thousand miles across, then three, then four. Thankfully, everyone had already flown away, or they might be at danger of shing with the realm.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± a cultivator shouted. ¡°Four thousand miles already!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still going!¡± another replied. ¡°Run!¡±

    They flew away at top speed. It wasn¡¯t that the expanding realm would hurt them if they touched it, but that they might affect his breakthrough¡ªand Elder Boatman wouldn¡¯t let that happen.

    The realm kept expanding. Golden hymns overtook the universe, ringing everywhere like divine bells. The brori phantoms multiplied¡ªwhile they kept chanting, they began performing as well. Some fist-bumped each other, others hugged and cried, a few fought. Mostughed. They were exhibiting the ten thousand facets of brohood¡ªthe process of Brock¡¯swsing alive and perceiving themselves.

    Reaching five thousand miles across was the dream of every C-Grade cultivator. It was a tremendously difficult feat which would cement them as extreme geniuses of their generation. Brock just sailed past that threshold, not slowing down in the slightest.Before everyone¡¯s wondrous gazes, his inner world expanded to six thousand miles before beginning to slow down.

    ¡°Six thousand¡­¡± Many people gasped, unable to believe this. ¡°I thought this brori was just a sidekick! Was he the protagonist all along?¡±

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon clicked his tongue. A touch of interest was entering his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I was this fast at my breakthrough¡­¡± he whispered.

    Next to him, Starhair only snorted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said. ¡°This brori and Jack Rust must have only reached this level by enjoying countless resources from Elder Boatman. However, the effect of treasures is limited during this breakthrough. True talent is all that matters. Just watch¡ªthe brori will abruptly run out of steam, then stop expanding.¡±

    The sovereign gave Starhair an amused gaze but said nothing.

    Brock¡¯s inner world kept expanding. 6200, 6500, 6800 miles¡­ The speed was significantly reduced from before, but his power rose exponentially with every mile. The golden space now upied arge sphere around him, the size of a small. Every single mile significantly increased its volume. The asteroid simply turned into dust particles as the inner world expanded without any sh or shockwave whatsoever. Thankfully, its diameter was around ten thousand miles, so Brock and Jack¡¯s inner worlds colliding was impossible. They¡¯d need abined world size of twenty thousand.

    Brock smoothly reached seven thousand miles and kept going.

    ¡°Heavens!¡± a cultivator shouted. ¡°Just how far will he expand!?¡±

    At this point, even Elders Boatman and Heavenstar were paying close attention. A seven-thousand mile inner world was no joke. It indicated Brock had the potential to reach the A-Grade in the future.

    ¡°I think you underestimated your disciple, Boatman,¡± Heavenstar said, chuckling. ¡°This is a pie that fell into yourp. Let me congratte you first.¡±

    ¡°He kept too low a profile¡­¡± Boatman muttered. In his eyes, Brock was only Jack¡¯s follower. He never expected him to be this good.

    Heavenstar smiled with pride. This wasn¡¯t his disciple, but his mood remained excellent. ¡°How far do you think he¡¯s going to go? Will he surpass Spoon?¡±

    ¡°At this rate¡­¡± Boatman¡¯s red eyes flickered. ¡°He just might.¡±

    ¡°What a great time for our Church! Haha!¡±

    Brock¡¯s inner world had slowed down by now. He reached 7200 miles, 7300, 7400¡­ At this point, every hundred miles was a whole new world of potential and strength, but they were also much harder to achieve. Brock¡¯sws began to show slight imperfections¡ªwhen stretched this far, they presented gaps, harming the stability of his inner world and slowing its expansion. The energy required to push it out kept increasing.

    Brock was growing tired. Every breath wasborious, every mile a hurdle. Yet, he wouldn¡¯t stop easily. He reached 7800 miles before his expansion finally slowed to a crawl.

    ¡°Almost eight thousand!¡± Heavenstar eximed. ¡°That¡¯s almost the same as Spoon! Who would have thought that two such geniuses would appear as our Church faced extinction? The heavens truly are favoring us!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Boatman replied calmly.

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t think the heavens are showing us mercy?¡±

    ¡°Not that part. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s done expanding.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Heavenstar looked over. Brock was pale and exhausted¡ªyet, his gaze was resolute, and his aura steadied by supreme belief in himself. ¡°Brohood is not a lonesome path,¡± he chanted, his voice easily spreading into the audience and beyond. The entire Death Boat vibrated to his sound. Brock continued. ¡°It is one meant to be walked together. I am not perfect, bros. Can you help me?¡±

    The audience was stunned for a moment. Was he talking to them? They obviously couldn¡¯t help even if they wanted to. A momentter, however, his true goal was revealed. The golden broris, who had been chanting and performing feats of brohood all this while, suddenly stopped. They brought a fist to their chest. Ten thousand of them roared at once.

    ¡°YES, BIG BRO!¡±

    The universe shook. The audience sped their ears to protect them. Before their eyes, the ten thousand broris flew to the many gaps and tears revealed in Brock¡¯s inner world, using teamwork and their bodies to patch them up. Brock¡¯sws weren¡¯t perfect, but these broris were doing their best to alleviate the tension.

    Golden energy poured into the gaps, stabilizing them. Broris grabbed the edges and pulled them together. Their muscles bulged. The tears in the fabric of Brock¡¯s inner world contracted, no longer inhibiting the expansion as much. The golden space elerated again. Its expansion, which had stopped at 7800 miles, suddenly erupted outward.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition.

    8000, 8100, 8200¡­ Before anyone could react, his inner world had reached 8300 miles and slowed down again. Even the golden broris had reached their limit¡ªbut this was 8300 miles!

    The record of Sovereign Heavenly Spoon had been broken! Brock was the new champion!

    Cries and cheers of disbelief erupted from the audience. They were only beginning to realize they were witnessing the birth of a legend¡ªthe birth of a future A-Grade! The Sage nodded in acknowledgement, while Sovereign Heavenly Spoon shook his head in self-deprecation.

    ¡°I was too full of myself,¡± he said. ¡°I thought my rival would be Jack Rust, but it turns out¡­this brori is him. Brock, was it?¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the future.¡±

    As for Starfire, he chose not to speak. His face was twisted like he¡¯d eaten something way too sour.

    This was just too grand an event. Even the two Elders had risen from their seats, too excited to sit down. Seven thousand miles indicated a chance to reach the A-Grade, but at this time, that meant little. The Church already had dozens of Elders¡ªone more wouldn¡¯t make a great difference, let alone a B-Grade with the faint chance of reaching the A-Grade in the future. Even after passing the 7500 mark, that only meant he had decent chances.

    However, eight thousand miles were different. It was a qualitative change. If nothing unfortunate happened, Brock would most probably reach the A-Grade in the future, and he might not even stop at the early tier. A middle A-Gradebatant was vital to the Church as a whole. He could have an effect on the entire war!

    ¡°Brock must be protected,¡± Elder Boatman said seriously. ¡°Starting tomorrow, I will devote my full attention to him and train him properly. If he can rise quickly enough, he might be able to fight alongside us.¡±

    ¡°What tremendous luck,¡± Heavenstar said, shaking his head. ¡°For two such talents to appear in the same era¡­ The world really is helping us.¡±

    Brock had surpassed every expectation. In fact, he¡¯d even surpassed the expectations people had of Jack. He made this fiasco seem worth it. Even if Jack Rust failed his breakthrough, that disappointment would be overshadowed by the joy caused by Brock!

    People were already celebrating, and secretive channels ofmunication were already transmitting the news across the entire Church. Even the Arch Priestess was notified.

    Nobody imagined¡­that Brock was not done yet.

    Sitting in the middle of that golden space, he suddenly raised his arms. The few observant members of the audience who caught that movement cared little for it. His next action, however, drew everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Bros of the world, I need you now,¡± Brock said, sending his voice far and wide, spreading it across the universe to reach the ears of those it should. ¡°Lend me your power!¡±

    The audience members looked at each other, not daring to hope. They were stunned. Boatman and Heavenstar, who had just taken their seats again, jumped back up. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Heavenstar muttered.

    Ripples appeared at the center of Brock¡¯s soul world. The gates of hisrge golden temple mmed open. Phantoms were vaguely seen inside¡ªthere were dogs, crabs, and other beasts, but most of them were human. They were featureless and ephemeral, yet clearly contained power. The ghosts all raised their hands, mirroring Brock¡¯s motion, and power erupted out of the temple, seeminglying from nowhere.

    The inner world shone with splendor. Power filled its every nook and cranny. The golden broris, who were still struggling to contain the gaps, let out cries of relief. ¡°Wee, bros!¡± they shouted. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Brock¡¯s entire body shone golden. A massive brori phantom formed around him, ovepping with his presence, and his power experienced another leap forward. He pushed out his hands, and the world was forced to obey. ¡°Once again¡­¡± he growled, ¡°EXPAND FOR ME!¡±

    The new golden power smashed into the walls of his inner world. The universe shook from the impact, and the walls were pushed forward. The audience hurried to retreat further. Even the Elders were stunned by now.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Hevaenstar eximed, half-surprised and half-excited. ¡°This is¡­ It¡¯s a miracle!¡±

    The inner world rumbled outward. From 8300, it pushed out with tremendous force, seeming as if it would expand forever. Yet, the more it pushed, a powerful resistance appeared, forcefully slowing it down. Brock kept pushing. The universe kept suppressing him.

    8500, 8600, 8700¡­

    Nine thousand miles was the limit. Nobody in history had ever achieved it, and the reason was that the universe itself suppressed cultivators as they approached that limit. Brock roared and pushed on, veins bulging on his temples, striving to reach as far as he could. Finally, even the golden power of all his bros ran out. His inner world barely managed to reach the 8800 mark before halting, its expansion over.

    Everyone was stunned. 8800 miles. This was¡­sensational!

    Cheers and roars erupted. People cried and hugged each other. They saw hope in the future. Most of them didn¡¯t even know what such an inner world signified, but they knew it was important!

    Boatman and Heavenstar did know. They¡¯d each lived for several hundred thousand years; they¡¯d read through all sorts of ancient documents and were aware of things most people didn¡¯t qualify to know.

    ¡°He passed 8500¡­¡± Heavenstar said. Boatman was too stunned to reply. Since the beginning of the cultivation world, reaching 8500 miles wasn¡¯t unprecedented, but it did have a special name: the Sign of Archon!

    Those who reached this level had a chance of climbing to the very peak of cultivation, the Archon realm! The step beyond the peak of the A-Grade!

    Archons were the cornerstones of the cultivation world. Their lifespans exceeded a million years, but they appeared far too rarely. Even now, the number of living Archons could be counted on one or two hands. If the Church could get another, that would be a major addition to their war forces! Brock would single-handedly change the course of the Second Crusade!

    Elder Boatman, who was famously stoic and silent, suddenlyughed out loud. ¡°Congrattions, Brock!¡± he shouted in his raspy voice. ¡°You have be a legend!¡±

    In fact, 8500 miles was exactly what Elder Boatman had achieved during his own breakthrough to the B-Grade. Being surpassed by one¡¯s student, and so unexpectedly, too¡­ What a feeling that was.

    Brock¡¯s inner world had finished expanding, setting a record that might not be surpassed for a million years. The broris rxed¡ªthe golden space faded away, receding into Brock¡¯s body and settling itself. From now on, that would be his soul and core of power. He had, in the span of a few minutes, undergone aplete transformation.

    After the expansion was over, the absorption of one¡¯s inner world into their body would take a few moments toplete. While Brock remained in meditation, digesting his gains, the audience couldn¡¯t stop speaking in excitement. ¡°That was awesome!¡± someone said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we witnessed that! 8800 miles. What a concept!¡±

    ¡°I would be happy if I just seeded in my breakthrough,¡± a C-Grade muttered, scratching his head.

    ¡°By the way,¡± a third person said, ¡°I think Jack Rust managed to recover and is beginning his expansion as well. Wanna go see?¡±

    ¡°Not really. How could itpare?¡± the first person replied. ¡°They began at the same time, but Brock finished his entire breakthrough before Jack Rust even formed his inner world¡­ That¡¯s a sign he¡¯s mediocre at best. He should be happy to just seed.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. He had all that hype built up¡ªI¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to reach at least four thousand miles!¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever. We might as well go watch.¡±

    In the eyes of everyone present, watching Jack fumble his way into the B-Grade would only ruin the aftertaste of Brock¡¯s terrific sess. Some were so uninterested they retreated into the Death Boat to celebrate. Only half the audience remained.

    Inside Death Boat, the betting stands had grown deste. Almost everyone regretted betting on Jack Rust reaching five or six thousand miles. They¡¯d already resigned their money. As for the few mean ones who¡¯d bet on him reaching three or four thousand, they couldn¡¯t stop smiling¡ªfor once, their bitterness would end up working out.

    Even Elders Boatman and Heavenstar hadplex looks on their faces as they stared at Jack, whose inner world was just beginning to manifest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not be downcast,¡± Heavenstar said. ¡°It is regrettable that something went wrong with his breakthrough¡­ But, the birth of a B-Grade is always a matter to celebrate.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Boatman snorted, still full of excitement. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate my disciple. Even if he messed up, this breakthrough is not everything. Many people have defied expectations across the ages¡ªwith enough lucky chances afterward, alongside my guidance, he can still reach thete or peak B-Grade.¡±

    ¡°With you as the teacher, I¡¯m sure he will,¡± Heavenstar replied, but he didn¡¯t really believe it. He was just trying to be nice.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s starting!¡± a cultivator shouted, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Go, Jack Rust! You can seed!¡±

    Most people shook their head, not expecting much. What they didn¡¯t know, however, was that Jack¡¯s apparent failure was due to him forming an unprecedented tenth fruit before creating his inner world. As for the effects of that¡­ There was only one way to find out.

    Jack¡¯s breakthrough was beginning.

 Chapter 471: Shattering Expectations

    Chapter 471: Shattering Expectations

    Jack stood in arge, empty expanse. It resembled the vacuum of space, only filled with stardust¡ªand, if one looked closely, they would find that its particles were shaped as fists. A massive purple fist also appeared below Jack, as if arge meteor hurtling through space, except it bafflingly didn¡¯t seem to move¡ªor, rather, it did move, but the entire inner world moved with it.

    Jack felt his world¡¯s boundaries reach a soft wall. He knew instinctively that it was exactly a thousand miles wide¡ªthe bare minimum an inner world needed to reach to be able to maintain itself. Making it this far meant he had seeded. The only question was, how much more could he expand it?

    Over half of his amassed energy had been used to develop his tenth fruit. In turn, that fruit stabilized his world, letting his system ofws approach perfection. He had no idea how these two facts would influence the final size of his inner world¡ªand there was only one way to find out.

    Filled with excitement, he pushed out his hands and shouted, ¡°Expand!¡±

    The world sted outward. He could sense that it was perfect¡ªexpanding was an easy process consuming minimal energy, at least for now. Jack smiled and pushed.

    He could not see the outside world, but they could see him. Inner worlds manifested themselves physically while forming, stealing a bit of the universe¡¯s essence and using it to stabilize themselves. That was how, regardless of a cultivator¡¯s specific Dao, their inner world would contain spacetime. It was also how the universe strangled those who approached nine thousand miles across¡ªby denying them ess to any more space.

    The spectators saw Jack push out his hands and roar for the world to expand. They saw its walls gradually pushing outward, slowly increasing its size.

    ¡°So slow,¡± a cultivator muttered, shaking his head. ¡°He did seed, so congrattions to him, but this is a bit disappointing¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see,¡± another replied. ¡°His speed is nothingpared to Brock¡¯s, but if he can reach four thousand miles, he will still be an exceptional B-Grade.¡±Heavenstar sighed, trying to console Boatman. ¡°Jack isn¡¯t doing too bad,¡± he said. ¡°At least he isn¡¯t expanding too slowly.¡±

    Boatman, however, had his eyes narrowed. A hint of puzzlement could be seen through his dark hood. ¡°This is odd,¡± he said. ¡°No matter how fast or slow a cultivator, their speed of expansion will decrease as they go. Don¡¯t you think that Jack¡¯s is too consistent?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Heavenstar looked over. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re right. That¡¯s odd indeed.¡±

    Most people in the audience weren¡¯t as perceptive, nor did they pay too much attention. They remained numbed by Brock¡¯s achievements. Watching Jack¡¯s slow expansion felt wholly unimpressive.

    ¡°Geniuses can rise and fall. Isn¡¯t this a prime example, Sage?¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon asked. No reply arrived. He turned around in puzzlement. ¡°Sage?¡±

    The homeless-looking man wore a look of extreme seriousness. In fact, throughout their travels together, this was the first time the sovereign saw him so serious¡ªas if everything else had been a y, and only this breakthrough was important.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the sovereign asked again, growing worried himself.

    ¡°Just watch and don¡¯t speak to me,¡± the Sage replied.

    The sovereign raised a brow. Such rudeness was very uncharacteristic. Still, he turned his gaze towards Jack¡¯s inner world, watching it more carefully than before.

    Two thousand miles, three thousand¡­

    Jack¡¯s inner world expanded slowly but steadily. To most people, reaching three thousand miles was already an achievement. Some, however, were beginning to notice he wasn¡¯t slowing down.

    ¡°Is that normal?¡± a cultivator asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably afraid to expand too quickly,¡± another guessed. ¡°He¡¯s keeping his speed constant on purpose. Does he want to trick us into forgetting his failure? That¡¯s prettyme¡­¡±

    Starhair¡¯s face, which had been twisted sour before, now wore a self-satisfied smirk. ¡°Just as I said,¡± he told Min Ling. ¡°A dog remains a dog no matter how many treasures they¡¯re fed.¡±

    She didn¡¯t even spare him a nce.

    Jack¡¯s inner world reached four thousand miles and kept expanding. 4300, 4600, 4900¡­ He had already surpassed the expectations of most, and his speed of expansion remained constant. People were beginning to pay attention. Even the most critical ones had to shut up. Whatever had happened before, a five thousand mile world was no joke.

    Heavenstar sighed. ¡°Imagine how much he could expand if he hadn¡¯t messed up the destruction of his Dao Tree. In any case, there is nothing embarrassing about this result. Jack is worthy of congrattions.¡±

    ¡°There are no tears,¡± Boatman replied.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°His inner world should be starting to struggle by now. There should be visible gaps caused by the imperfection of hisws. Where are they?¡±

    Heavenstar looked over as well. Indeed, Jack¡¯s world seemed as pristine as before. What was going on here?

    5200, 5500, 5800 miles¡­

    The spectators contacted their friends who¡¯d left and urged them to return. Jack Rust¡¯s breakthrough wasn¡¯t the failure everyone expected. If anything, he was doing suspiciously well. Even inside the Death Boat, where many people had looked away from the projection screens to discuss Brock¡¯s achievements, they were gradually starting to pay attention again.

    The buzz resurfaced. The excitement returned.

    Six thousand miles! With another push, Jack¡¯s inner world surpassed another mark and kept going.

    It was only now that Brock finished integrating his inner world and opened his eyes. Literia stood beside him. ¡°Congrattions!¡± she said. ¡°You reached 8800 miles. That¡¯s phenomenal!¡±

    ¡°What about big bro?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°His breakthrough isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    Brock smiled. ¡°How great is he doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I actually have no idea.¡±

    The smile turned into a frown. ¡°Take me there,¡± Brock said, then didn¡¯t wait and directly teleported them both to the other side of the asteroid, joining the audience.

    <em>¡°Come here, Brock,¡± </em>Elder Boatman messaged him telepathically, and Brock, after waving Literia goodbye, teleported to the side of the Elders.

    ¡°Congrattions from both of us,¡± Elder Boatman said. ¡°Do you have any idea what¡¯s going on with your brother?¡±

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    Brock looked over, grasping the entire situation. ¡°I do,¡± he replied. ¡°He¡¯s the best.¡±

    The two Elders nced at each other and shrugged. They turned back towards Jack, watching silently, while Brock crossed his arms and wore an expectant smile.

    In the time it took for these conversations to happen, Jack¡¯s inner world had already reached seven thousand miles. It was still expanding.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± someone asked. ¡°Is this a joke? He clearly almost failed before, how can he be doing so well now?¡±

    ¡°And where are the gaps in his inner world?¡± another replied. ¡°Even Brock had them!¡±

    Starhair looked like he¡¯d swallowed a fly. Min Ling was giggling proudly. The Sage remained fully focused, while the Heavenly Spoon Sovereign was just puzzled.

    Jack was deaf to the audience. He kept expanding his world, calmly perceiving his Daos in the process. The only reason he was slow was because he wanted to familiarize himself with his new fruit as much as possible¡ªotherwise, he could have expanded much faster.

    It was only after he reached 7500 miles that he began to sense some resistance, but he just pushed with a little more power. By 8000, the resistance was bing significant. Jack could no longer afford to meditate on his tenth fruit¡ªhe had to push with all his power. It wasn¡¯t that hisws or energy were insufficient, but that the universe was opposing his advance.

    Thankfully, his perfect Dao system let him consume far less energy than other cultivators at his level.

    Jack¡¯s world reached 8300 miles before it finally slowed down. By now, everybody was stunned. They expected a failure, not another triumph. Such breakthroughs should only ur once every several hundred thousand years¡ªhowe two happened at the same time?

    People were beginning to believe. Jack had slowed down, but he was still pushing on. Could he also reach the 8500 mile point? Could there be two future Archons born today?

    Jack knew he could probably reach the 8500 mark if he kept pushing. However, he wasn¡¯t content with going slowly. He still had much to give. A light zed from the purple meteor below him¡ªthe World Anchor he¡¯d absorbed a long time ago finally revealed its function, stabilizing his world even further. It fused with therge meteor fist, acting as the core of Jack¡¯s inner world.

    His expansion elerated again. From 8300, he jumped directly to 8600.

    The audience cheered in surprise. He¡¯d crossed 8500! The Sign of Archon! This was¡­unprecedented!

    Even the Elders had stood up again, their hands shivering. ¡°What monsters did you take in, Boatman!¡± Heavenstar cried out. There was no jealousy in his voice, only excitement. This war could still be won!

    Boatmanughed. All his worries melted away. He hadn¡¯t felt so carefree in several millennia. ¡°Good job, Jack!¡± he shouted.

    Jack couldn¡¯t hear him, but even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t reply. He still wasn¡¯t done. He reached into his space ring and took out the neutron star fragment, tossing it into the world anchor. The fragment melted, increasing the density of his inner world. Elemental particles sprayed everywhere, along with a bit of green foam. His world was even further stabilized. Not only were there no gaps, but it was even more stable than at the start of his breakthrough!

    However, every bit of expansion was hard at this point. The neutron star fragment and his willpower together could only achieve minimal progress.

    8700 miles. 8750. His expansion had slowed to a crawl, but he was still advancing, rapidly approaching Brock¡¯s record. The brori felt no fear or jealousy, only pride. <em>Go, big bro, </em>he thought. <em>Show them who you are!</em>

    Jack knew he was approaching the nine thousand mile limit, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied. In his mind, the only thing worth pursuing was the apex. The greatest obstacle to his expansion right now was the universe refusing to give him any more of its essence. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t push out, but that he would be sacrificing some of his inner world¡¯s stability. After all, his Dao of Spacetime wasn¡¯t advanced enough to support a world yet¡ªhe needed to take some from the universe, which wouldn¡¯t let him.

    Thankfully, he had another way.

    His thoughts flew into the realm heart, which still orbited him. ¡°Go,¡± he whispered. The realm heart suddenly froze in ce. It ruptured. Endless spacetime runes flew out. His inner world was covered in ripples of spacetime which focused on the edges and started pushing.

    So what if the universe didn¡¯t give him any more spacetime to use? He had his own! The realm heart had once created a separate world¡ªit could do it again!

    The audience was stunned. Jack¡¯s inner world broke through the 8800 mark, then the 8900. It reached 8950 miles, 8970¡­

    Nobody even cared that he¡¯d surpassed Brock any longer. Nine thousand miles was the limit. Nobody had ever achieved it. The best they could do was converge to it, but never reach it.

    Boatman was shaken. He¡¯d read many ancient documents. From the start of the cultivation world until now, nobody had reached nine thousand miles. Even the brightest of Archons stopped somewhere around 8950. He would need to research a little more, but he suspected that Jack¡¯s current inner world was thergest in history¡­

    And was he still expanding!?

    This was insane! What was happening here surpassed the scope of the ck Hole Church and the Hand of God, it surpassed everything they knew. Would he really reach the limit? How was that possible!?

    Nobody knew how Jack had achieved this, but he did. He¡¯d developed a tenth fruit. His system of Daos was perfect. Even now, there were no gaps, which meant he could devote the entirety of his energy and willpower into pushing back against the universe. Moreover, his foundation was incredibly solid, his body was extremely sturdy, and his battle power was through the roof. He¡¯d even used the realm heart, the greatest creation of a spacetime Archon, to stabilize his inner world.<ol start="8980"><li> 8990. 8995.</li></ol>

    Everyone was stunned. This had probably never happened before. The two Elders were shivering, unable to speak. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon had forgotten to close his jaw, while the Sage¡¯s eyes were shining, his thoughts kept hidden. Starhair had grown pale.

    It felt like time had slowed down. Jack¡¯s world shivered, then pushed out¡ªand surpassed nine thousand miles!

    9010 miles!

    All jaws hit the floor. How was this even possible? Wasn¡¯t nine thousand the limit? Could everyone have been wrong? Just how did this happen?

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Heavenstar eximed,pletely forgetting his position. ¡°It¡¯s over nine thousand!¡±

    Boatman was too stunned to reply. Brock, however, did. ¡°Of course it is,¡± he said calmly. ¡°That¡¯s my big bro.¡±

    ¡°Look!¡± someone shouted. ¡°He¡¯s still going! The madman is still going!¡±

    Everyone was already staring, unable to believe their eyes. Jack hadn¡¯t stopped yet. He had slowly but steadily reached 9050 miles and was still expanding, if slowly. Boatman tried to form words but failed. He was in utter disbelief.

    <em>How high can it go¡­ </em>was all he wondered. They had never actually confirmed that nine thousand miles was the limit. They¡¯d just assumed so because everyone seemed to converge there.

    His confidence in his own knowledge suddenly wavered.

    By now, the audience was beginning to stir. They¡¯d waited 9500 miles away from Jack, as was customary. Did they need to move?

    As for the asteroid below Jack, almost half of it had been torn away by Brock. The remainder was now swiftly disintegrating. It was like two giant space monsters had taken a bite of the asteroid each, leaving nothing but a strip of rock in the middle.

    Inside his inner world, Jack was fully focused. He knew he had surpassed nine thousand miles, but that was something he already expected. His talent had been at the very top, and he¡¯d developed a tenth fruit. The only question was, how far could he go?

    He wouldn¡¯t stop until he fell.

    The universe resisted more fiercely with every mile he pushed forward. The integrity of his Daos had never been an issue. After using the realm heart, neither was spacetime stability¡ªnow, it was just about power, about pushing back the universe.

    ¡°Life Drop, go!¡± Jack shouted. A green light suddenly enveloped him. Endless energy flowed into his inner world¡ªthe Life Drop¡¯s reserves, which hadn¡¯t even been depleted halfway since he started using it, suddenly erupted without limit. There was so much life. It flooded his inner world, pushing it forward, forcing it to expand beyond its limits. Spacetime had solidified around the boundaries of his inner world, resisting with all its might, but Jack forced his way through the shackles.

    The Life Drop was the most powerful treasure he¡¯d ever possessed, probably one of the greatest in the universe, and he was spending its energy without restraint. The walls of his inner world didn¡¯t just expand¡ªthey sted outward.

    9500 miles!

    That was roughly the distance the audience was watching from. They never expected anyone to reach it¡ªthey didn¡¯t even think it was possible. Many were too dazed to react quickly, but a tremendous wave of Death Dao smashed into them and flung them away.

    ¡°Retreat, you imbeciles!¡± Elder Boatman shouted. ¡°Give him space!¡±

    Things had already surpassed his scope of understanding. Nine thousand miles was supposed to be the unattainable limit, but Jack had just ignored it. He¡¯d taken thebined history of the cultivation world, rolled it up, and used it to wipe his butt. He¡¯d forced every Archon in history to eat shit.

    Elder Boatman had no idea what was going on, but he knew one thing¡ªJack¡¯s breakthrough could not be disturbed!

    He forcefully pushed everyone away, then turned to watch this historic moment.

 Chapter 472: B-Grade

    Chapter 472: B-Grade

    The Life Drop was still releasing energy. It contained a highlypressed green ocean which was now flowing out. This was much more energy than Jack had ever utilized before, but it also had more room to spread than just his body. His inner world was flooded. The only problem was that, to release this life energy, he had to use his body as the medium. If not, it wouldn¡¯t be perfectly attuned to him, and it would negatively affect his inner world.

    Jack¡¯s body was extremely tempered. However, even he couldn¡¯t take this easily. It felt like molten iron flowing through his veins. The pain was excruciating, but his will was even stronger. He gritted his teeth, enduring the strain to push more and more energy into his inner world. Even as his body deteriorated, not able to handle this much longer, he kept going.

    9700 miles! 9800 miles!

    The energy of the Life Drop was much greater than any cultivator or treasure could produce, and it was all readily usable. Jack forgot about everything else to push more and more of it out. The little bit of energy he¡¯d used to create his tenth fruit already seemed tinypared to the current flood, like a teaspoon to an ocean.

    The Life Drop¡¯s reserves were rapidly dwindling. Over half its remaining energy had been used up, but Jack kept pushing.

    9900 miles!

    By now, the resistance of the universe had reached a terrifying level. Spatial storms raged around his inner world, suppressing it. The stars in the distance faded as tremendous amounts of energy were siphoned into stopping him. The universe itself rejected this development, refused to let him expand any further. Jack could even sense a faint threat brewing, but he ignored it.

    His ten concepts¡ªhis ten fruits¡ªroared as one. Fist, Space, Life, Death, Battle, Spanking, Brotherhood, Time, Protection, Freedom. These were his concepts. They were not borrowed from the universe but belonged to him alone. If he wanted to use them to create a world, why should the universe be able to stop him?

    A terrifying force pressured him from all sides, but he roared into his own sky. ¡°FUCK OFF!¡±The concept of Freedom red. The life energy shaped itself into a massive fist, smashing into the walls of his inner world and forcing them to expand. The universe¡¯s restrictive force reeled, unable to stop him, before mping on even tighter.

    9980 miles!

    Jack hovered in the middle of his inner world like a wrathful god of creation. His cloak pped, his hair rose. He alone stood up to a universe. He had no more treasures to use, no more tricks, but he kept pushing outwards. Veins bulged over his forehead. His entire body was charred from the inside due to the massive amounts of life energy coursing through it. Only his pants¡¯ life force amplification kept him standing, but he refused to yield. ¡°You have no right!¡± he shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are the universe, or the Heavenly Dao, or the Gods¡­ You don¡¯t get a say here! You don¡¯t control me! This is my world¡ªif I want it to expand, it will expand!¡±

    He smashed the energy into the walls, forcing them to expand ever more, but the universe was no longer ying around. A tremendous amount of energy had amassed, even scaring the spectators. Every mile forward, every inch, was like a tug of war between Jack and the rest of the universe.

    He still refused to stop.

    9990 miles. 9995. With another roar, he went all-out, forcefully pushing his inner world to exactly 9999 miles wide.

    Elder Boatman gasped. 9999 miles¡ªwas this the true limit? Had they all been frogs in a well?

    Just how had Jack achieved this!?

    Reaching this point was a tremendous achievement. It felt perfect, but Jack knew it wasn¡¯t. 9999 was the maximum limit the universe was willing to allow¡ªhe could feel that clearly. Going any further was simply forbidden.

    However, that only served to enrage him more. He may have run out of energy, but if he stopped now, he would have capitted. He would have lost. That was uneptable. He alone controlled his fate¡ªif someone tried to suppress him, even if it was the universe itself, he would fight back!

    Jack roared. His blood vessels cracked like twigs. Blood rained all around. His limbs broke, and all of his blood boiled. Every single bit of energy left in the Life Drop exploded outward at once, erupting as a huge explosion. Jack¡¯s entire inner world shuddered as if about to copse. Yet, even with that, the universe¡¯splete suppression barely budged.

    But it did budge. No matter how barely, no matter how little, the suppressive force that the universe had mustered with all its power had momentarily faltered. An angry, disembodied roar echoed across the world. Jack pushed outward just a tiny bit before copsing.

    Ten thousand miles. urate to the inch. Finally, he could sense that it was no longer the universe stopping him from expanding further, but his inner world itself. It had reached its real limit. It was satisfied.

    In other words¡­he had fought back against the universe, ignored its taboos, and won.

    Jack had won.

    He couldn¡¯t smile, because he¡¯d lost control of his facial muscles. The expansion of his inner world came to a total stop, but he was happy. He¡¯d defied the universe. He¡¯d taken a step into a territory he wasn¡¯t allowed to.

    He was free.

    A trickle of life energy entered his body, repairing him slowly. It was the little leftover energy from the previous explosion. At the same time, the inner world contracted inside Jack¡¯s body, integrating itself as his soul. He felt his power growing rapidly. The level he¡¯d reached waspletely iparable to before. A single finger would be enough to easily annihte his previous self.

    This was a process which happened by itself. Jack knew he had a few minutes ofying in his inner world before it was fully integrated into his body. He could have rested. However, excitement overtook him. Blue screens shed at the corner of his vision. He took a look.

    <strong>Congrattions! C-Grade ¡ú B-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have sessfully forged your inner world, embarking on the path of godhood.</strong>

    <strong>All stats +200</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level Up: 20 ¡ú 40</strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 400.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! The Bare Fist Brotherhood faction has reached the B-Grade. New functions unlocked in the faction screen.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! For escaping the confines of the Heavenly Dao, you are awarded the Title: Challenger.</strong>

    <strong>Challenger: Most people conform. You fight and struggle to carve your own path. You will either defy the heavens¡­or fall and be forgotten. Efficacy of all stats +10%.</strong>

    <strong>ss Upgrade avable. Please choose your new ss:</strong>

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Jack took a moment to digest this. He¡¯d finally reached the B-Grade. His gamble had paid off in spades¡ªhe¡¯d even achieved an inner world ten thousand miles across. Unprecedented, as far as he knew¡ªthough the fact that Archon Green Dragon knew about the tenth fruit raised some questions.

    In any case, now was a time to celebrate.

    Jack rxed, feeling the increased stats enter his body as his inner world stabilized inside his soul. He tried to keep away the double ecstasy and focus on something else: his new title.

    <em>Challenger. That is one ominous description¡­ But the ten percent efficacy is huge. That¡¯s almost a thousand extra points in Physical. Just how strong have I be?</em>

    <em>I wonder what activated that title. Was it me creating a tenth fruit? Or oveing the restraints of the universe to reach ten thousand miles? Both were things the Heavenly Dao tried to stop.</em>

    <em>Does that mean¡­I angered it twice?</em>

    Jack had a suspicion of what this meant, but he didn¡¯t go down that route yet. No matter what happened next, he needed power¡ªand his new ss was the best way to get it.

    <strong>Fist of the System (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>You have received divine providence. Devote your life to the service of the ultimate being who favored you, bing their fist in the cultivation world.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>The Immortal System offers additional benefits for the wielders of this ss, including increased attribute points and Dao Visions.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>¡°For the Immortals!¡±</em></strong>

    The first choice was one he¡¯d already seen when he broke into the C-Grade. The System wanted to recruit him¡ªhe rejected it without a second thought.

    <strong>Fist of Freedom (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>You roam the universe, spreadingughter and liberation wherever you go. Your fist is one of justice¡ªhard and right.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>¡°Only when the people are free will I be as well.¡±</em></strong>

    Now, this¡­ This was a ss worth considering. He did enjoy fighting for the weak. The universe was filled with oppressors, whom he was determined to eradicate.

    In fact, Jack had also been offered a simr ss when he entered the C-Grade, but he hadn¡¯t chosen it then. War hadn¡¯t been his priority, so he felt it might have taken him off his route. This time, however, liberation felt just right.

    This ss called to him. He almost epted it instantly before managing to wait until he saw the rest.

    <strong>Fist of Death (King)</strong>

    <strong><em>No one understands Death like you do, no one embraces it. Grief is your mantle, murder is your path, bones the ground on which you walk¡ªDeath is both the end and a beginning, a flower blooming from the grave.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>¡°Death and Life¡­ It all bes one. Join the cycle.¡±</em></strong>

    That was a bit creepy. It did sound powerful, as well as epic. Jack could see where it came from¡ªhe¡¯d familiarized himself a lot with death during the C-Grade, from receiving the inheritance of Elder Boatman to losing his son and almost killing an entire. This ss was one he should be offered.

    But not one he should ept.

    Death was just part of his path. Life, Space, Time¡­ Those were all crucial to his development. As much as this ss offered a quick path to power, he had already chosen a different one, and he would follow it to the end.

    There was only one ss remaining. Jack was certain it would be enticing, but he was already convinced he¡¯d choose the Fist of Freedom. As soon as he opened the screen of thest ss, however, he was surprised. It wasn¡¯t blue, but orange¡ªscreaming importance. There were even little frilly ends wrapped around it.

    <strong>Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <em>Legendary? </em>His eyes widened. He didn¡¯t know there was a rank above King¡ªthen again, that was to be expected. He¡¯d done all that stuff and only been offered one Legendary ss. Their rarity had to be staggering.

    He kept on reading.

    <strong>Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong><em>Cultivation is a journey collectively pursued by the cultivation world. By achieving an unprecedented feat, you have pushed the boundaries of cultivation forward, earning the right to be called a paragon.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>Choosing this ss means you will be a cultivator the System spares no expenses to assist. You will receive increased stat gains on every level up and the most high-end Dao Visions avable, while maintainingplete freedom to innovate.</em></strong>

    <strong><em>¡°One step per generation. That is how the cultivation world was built.¡±</em></strong>

    Jack had to admit it. This ss sounded awesome. It tempted him.

    Yes, the Fist of Freedom was in line with his goals, but it wasn¡¯t like this ss had any restraints. It directly mentionedplete freedom. He could use the extra power granted by Paragon of Cultivation to more effectively fight oppressors and liberate those who suffered.

    Plus, it was a higher tier ss. One based on being unprecedented. Since it wouldn¡¯t impact him negatively in any way, how could he possibly say no? Even if thatplete freedom thing was a lie, he sensed that his inner world gave him the capital to suppress the System core inside his body if he wanted to. The System couldn¡¯t harm him, at least not outside System space.

    This ss was extremely good.

    <em>Make me a Paragon of Cultivation, </em>he thought, then felt intense power course through his body. Many of his wounds were healed. His spent energy was refilled. He felt so unimaginably powerful.

    <strong>Congrattions! You are now a Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary).</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level Up: 40 ¡ú 50</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! New Skill unlocked: Immortal Commune I.</strong>

    <strong><em>Immortal Commune I: This skill has no tiers. It allows you to seek a council with the designated Immortals through the System¡¯s long-rangemunicationwork. Restraint is advised as this skill consumes many System resources.</em></strong>

    Jack whistled. The System wasn¡¯t lying when it said he¡¯d receive its full assistance. Being able to directlymunicate with the rulers of the cultivation world would be an unimaginable boon to any other cultivator. To Jack, of course, it was rubbish. The Immortals were his enemies¡ªwhy would he speak with them?

    There was also another notification from his new ss.

    <strong>Congrattions! You have received an Archon-level Dao Vision of Inner World Perfection. You may experience it at your convenience.</strong>

    <em>Archon-level!?</em>

    Dao Visions had helped Jack a lot in the past, but as his level rose, the rarity of the visions which could assist him naturally rose as well. Archons were ideal. If this ss could provide him with several such visions¡­ How powerful would he be?

    Breaking into the B-Grade with a ten thousand-mile inner world had already given him a tremendous boost in power. With such assistance from the System and undoubtedly from the Church as well, he would soar in no time!

    He just had to be careful of the System thing backfiring, but he was confident he had it under control. Nothing bad would happen to him, at least until he re-entered System space.

    Done with all his notifications, Jack finally took a look at his status screen. It was glorious.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: B</strong>

    <strong>ss: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 400</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 8480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 8480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 8480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I</strong>

    <strong>Inner World size: 10,000 miles</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: -</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer, Challenger</strong>

    He shook his head. How far he¡¯d gotten¡­

    By now, thest steps of his breakthrough were ending. His inner world had gotten fully integrated to his body, and the remaining energy, alongside the rush of stats, hadpletely healed him as well. Besides the Life Drop runningpletely dry, he was at full power. He itched to test it out.

    Which could be a double-edged knife. Jack had defied the Heavenly Dao a little too much today. He suspected that the universe wouldn¡¯t just take this lying down.

    He opened his eyes and stared at the stunned crowd ten thousand miles away from him. They looked at him like he was a ghost. He smiled. ¡°Hey,¡± he managed to say. ¡°Pretty good, huh?¡±

    ¡°Jack!¡± Elder Boatman roared in joy, flinging back his hood. He¡¯d never done this in public before, but his current excitement was too much. ¡°Good fucking job!!¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    More people rushed to congratte him. Before they could approach, however, they were repelled by an invisible force. ¡°Hmm?¡± Heavenstar muttered. ¡°The breakthrough should be over. Why is the suppression still present?¡±

    It was like Jack was isted in arge bubble enforced by the universe itself. Prating it required tremendous power. Boatman¡¯s face fell¡ªhe had no idea what was going on, but it couldn¡¯t be good.

    At the same time that everyone realized this, so did Jack. He looked up, his previous suspicions confirmed. Arge ck cloud had formed over his head¡ªone saturated with world-ending ck lightning. The rage of the universe rained over him like acid droplets. The sheer volume of power aimed at him was staggering.

    He smiled.

    Jack had sessfully defied the Dao. The universe wasn¡¯t happy about that. It wanted to kill him right here, right now. Heavenly tribtion descended.

 Chapter 473: Tribulation

    Chapter 473: Tribtion

    A terrible power brewed in the sky over Jack. Arge ck cloud, extending for tens of thousands of miles, making the cultivators present look like ants. Every storm cloud on Earth was tinypared to this.

    Jack looked up. He knew what he was facing¡ªthis wasn¡¯t his first rodeo. Invigorated and recharged by his breakthrough, he felt invincible. He clenched a fist; his inner world supplied endless power, power he was eager to vent. ¡°Come,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Heavenly tribtion¡­¡± Elder Heavenstar muttered in the distance. His eyes widened. ¡°This is bad. Everyone, retreat!¡±

    The spectating cultivators didn¡¯t need to be told twice. They flew away, and even the massive Death Boat was driven away a great distance.

    Everyone had heard stories about heavenly tribtion. The Dao of the universe followed its own rules, almost as if it was alive¡ªthese rules had shaped the path of cultivation long before the System did. However, rules meant limitations. Sometimes, a cultivator would dare to break those limitations, dare to defy the heavens, which would result in the universe itself sting them to oblivion.

    Heavenly tribtions were no joke. They weren¡¯t opportunities or trials; they were assassinations. Everyone who managed to provoke a tribtion was an extreme genius of their generation, and even then, they almost always perished.

    There was even a theory that, if not for tribtions, there would be double the number of Archons in the universe.

    Of course, tribtions were beyond rare. Even for Jack, whose path so far converged to perfection, this was only his second. The first hade when he broke through to the D-Grade, abination of using treasures to greatly elerate his breakthrough and having absorbed the Life Drop. Back then, however, it hadn¡¯t been a real tribtion, just a minor one activated from afar by Axelor, the Old God of Entropy. Jack had received assistance from the spirit of Enas and managed to ovee it.

    This tribtion was something much more serious. He had openly and brazenly defied the rules of cultivation¡ªtwice. He had received the gifts of the Heavenly Dao, then challenged its authority. He had enraged it. This was a strike sent to kill him.Jack knew all those. He could sense the power brewing in the clouds above¡ªit was far, far superior to anything an early B-Grade should be able to defeat. He felt dwarfed. He suspected that even A-Grades could fall to this tribtion, let alone him. The heavens intended to not give him a single path to survival. He might die here, on his most glorious day, just as the doors to his future opened wide.

    Why did he feel so excited?

    Endless energy coursed through Jack. He was more powerful than ever, so powerful that even he didn¡¯t know his limits. His battle lust awakened. He desperately yearned for a worthy battle, an anvil on which to test his newfound strength which had never appeared before in the history of the cultivation world.

    The ck clouds rolled for tens of thousands of miles, roaring and covering each other as if fighting to kill him first. Thick bolts of dark lightning jumped from cloud to cloud like ck dragons. The condensed power was easily enough to annihtes, but then again, so was Jack¡¯s.

    <em>¡°Careful!¡± </em>Elder Boatman¡¯s voice reached his ears. <em>¡°This tribtion is far too powerful! You cannot take it!¡±</em>

    Jack smiled. <em>¡°Watch me.¡±</em>

    He shot upward. The crowd, who had by now retreated a hundred thousand miles away, cried out in surprise. Jack was less than an ant to these ck clouds; yet he courageously rushed into them, meeting them head-on.

    A bolt of ck lightning cracked down to meet him half-way. Jack punched it. This was no Meteor Punch or Supernova¡ªjust a regr punch infused with the might of his B-Grade power. Yet, this strike was far more powerful than anything he¡¯d ever used in the past.

    His fist met the lightning bolt and shattered it. A shockwave rolled out, disrupting space for a thousand miles, and ck sparks filled the area. Jack felt a slight tingle, but he possessed a body far superior to anyone else at his level¡ªmere sparks couldn¡¯t hurt him.

    ¡°Haha!¡± Heughed. ¡°Come at me, heavens. More!¡±

    They roared and obeyed. More lighting bolts flew down. Jack smiled and rushed to meet them, smashing them in an explosion of ck and purple. Just a touch of those energies made spacetime shiver; it was a level most people had never witnessed before.

    Inside the Death Boat, people watched Jack from either screens or windows, cheering at the top of their lungs. They had no idea what was going on any longer; only that Jack Rust was attempting something impossible. He was the greatest talent they¡¯d ever seen¡ªhow could they <em>not </em>cheer for him?

    As for the cultivators spectating from a hundred thousand miles away, they couldn¡¯t stop gaping in awe. They had a much better grasp of the situation than the low-level cultivators in the Death Boat. The powers at y were terrifying; let alone C-Grades, even most B-Grades had to admit that a single one of those lightning bolts would reduce them to ash. Jack¡¯s power had already surpassed their understanding¡ªand this was just the opening salvo.

    Brock looked on proudly, but also worried. Elder Boatman¡¯s hood was dark, not revealing his face. Elder Heavenstar was looking around. ¡°We have to do something!¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t let him perish like this!¡±

    ¡°He will not,¡± Boatman replied. Alongside him, Brock nodded. They were on the same wavelength.

    Jack kept rising. His inner world felt like a burning furnace, containing endlessly condensed power. Be it in quantity or quality, he far outstripped most B-Grades present. His Dao galloped outward, a fist aimed at the skies, demanding true freedom. Lightning bolts rained down. The sounds of Jack¡¯s impacts were like drums, beating to the tune of liberation, of breaking the shackles.

    The image of him rising against the heavens etched itself into the hearts of everyone watching. He inspired them. They saw paths invisible before, possibilities they hadn¡¯t even considered. If Jack could defy the heavens, then what could they do? How could they challenge their fate?

    ¡°Jack Rust!¡± someone shouted, soon joined by the rest of the crowd. ¡°Jack Rust! Jack Rust!¡±

    Their voices reached Jack¡¯s ears as he shed against the tribtion. He grinned. This was it¡ªthis was the feeling.

    So far, the part of the tribtion he¡¯d extinguished was minimal. The clouds finally decided to up the ante. A bolt thicker than before crashed down, reaching him in the blink of an eye. Jack punched out, shattering it, but his fist went numb. His speed dropped a bit.

    Another simr bolt fell, then a third. Before Jack knew it, the clouds were raining thick ck thunder, submerging the world in low thunderps. shes urred with every lightning bolt, coloring the scene ck and white. Jack was shooting out punches, but he was beginning to be pushed down by the sheer volume of attacks.

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    He refused to be outdone.

    ¡°Meteor Punch!¡± he roared. As his next fist smashed out, arge purple meteor shot upward. It carried highly condensed power¡ªit broke through several lightning bolts, vanquishing them before it ran out of energy. Jack roared and kept shooting. The sky rained lightning bolts on his head, but he rained meteors back, meeting it in the middle. The world was shaking from their sh.

    The tribtion pushed harder. The lightning bolts turned even thicker, even more powerful, their tips now shaped as roaring ck dragons.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. Arge colosseum appeared with him as the center. It did not contain an audience this time¡ªinstead, it was the spectating cultivators who found themselves in the stands, supporting Jack with their cheers. His power shot up again. His Brutalizing Aura spread out, iparable to what it used to be, and tried to strangle the clouds above.

    Jack wasn¡¯t just defending against the tribtion. He wanted to rip it apart, and that only made the universe angrier.

    His storm of meteors gained ground. Even against the dragon-shaped lightning bolts, he was winning, and his energy seemed endless, his body indefatigable.

    Slowly but surely, like a boulder rolling down the hill, the tribtion increased its output. Ten times as many thunderbolts descended. They swarmed Jack¡¯s meteors, reversing his advantage and pushing him back. Jack had to fly lower, creating more space between him and the clouds.

    He gritted his teeth. He didn¡¯t want to use more power, but he could sense that the clouds still weren''t going all-out; if he didn¡¯t power-up, he would just die. The remaining parts of the asteroid below him had long turned to dust.

    ¡°Life Drop!¡± he shouted. The Drop itself had run out of power during his breakthrough, but some still remained in his inner world, floating aimlessly around. Now, he channeled that energy into his body, pushing it past its limits. He grew a foot taller¡ªtwo new arms appeared under his armpits, and his punching speed doubled while his power increased as well.

    The higher realms he reached, the more energy he needed to enhance his body. Right now, he couldn¡¯t maintain this form for long. He had to make it count.

    Yet, it seemed pointless. Even as he increased his power, so did the clouds. Every collision was powerful, so many of them that they ovepped. Shockwaves filled the world. The spectators had to retreat yet again, afraid of getting caught in the st.

    ¡°Sage!¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon eximed. ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡±

    ¡°Tribtions can only be faced by the individual,¡± the Sage replied, shaking his head. ¡°If you try to help, the universe will just summon more power to match you. It is useless. All we can do is believe.¡±

    The sovereign thought about it and nodded. ¡°Then, I will believe. It won¡¯t be the first miracle he creates.¡±

    As for Starhair, his face suddenly seemed a bit better. ¡°Too bad,¡± he told Min Ling. ¡°He had a good ride, but here¡¯s where it ends.¡±

    She was too worried to care. ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll drive my spear up your ass.¡±

    Dormanughed. Starhair threw her a disapproving nce, then fell quiet.

    Jack was at a disadvantage. He was almost going all-out by now, but the tribtion matched him, and he hadn¡¯t even gone through a tenth of it. He suspected it could power up much more¡ªcould he?

    Everything he did from now on would quickly deplete his energy¡­but what choice did he have?

    Before he could think further, the tribtion¡¯s power rose again. Rather than dragon-shaped lightning bolts, actual ck dragons emerged from the clouds, made of electricity. They werepletely lifelike, all the way to their long whiskers. Their eyes shone with intelligence. They rushed at Jack, roaring at him, and he discovered that even his Meteor Punches couldn¡¯t deal with these dragons. Each could be considered a B-Grade creature, and there were dozens of them, even hundreds.

    How was this a tribtion aimed at an early B-Grade!?

    More than ever, Jack realized this wasn¡¯t a test, but a genuine attempt against his life. This tribtion was designed to be unbeatable. He wanted to beat it even more.

    A dozen dragons flew around him, their paths unpredictable, and opened their jaws to bite down. Jack¡¯s eyes red. Electricity emerged from his body as well, a purple one, as his speed and power redoubled. This was the Thunder Body, which he¡¯d studied intensely on the trip to this gxy. He still couldn¡¯t maintain it for long, but he was running out of options.

    His body disappeared from between a dragon¡¯s jaws. He flickered everywhere, teleporting all around as his punches tore their bodies apart. He massacred the dragons. Dozens of them cried out in death, dispersing into ck sparks which couldn¡¯t harm him. Dozens more arrived from above¡ªJack faced them, killing as many as the tribtion threw at him. Within seconds, the void itself was melting, and the space around him was electrified for ten thousand miles.

    The spectators were speechless. This wasn¡¯t power an early B-Grade should have, no matter how talented. It even approached the A-Grade!

    Elder Heavenstar looked on silently, his eyes shing with doubt. Jack was fighting at such a high level, yet the tribtion was nowhere near done. Heavenstar had to wonder about something so ridiculous he never could have imagined it. If he was in ce of Jack¡­could even he survive this tribtion?

    <em>Did I really justpare myself to an early B-Grade? </em>he wondered in disbelief. Yet, reality often surpassed expectations. Heavenstar was one of the weakest A-Grades¡ªhe had to admit that, if Jack became just a little bit stronger, he would have the qualifications to face him. How impossible was that!?

    Elder Boatman remained silent, his expression inscrutable. As for Brock, his eyes were narrowed, his body tense. The two seemed inexplicably simr as they stood side by side.

    Jack smashed his fist into a dragon¡¯s face, disintegrating its entire body. He then teleported above another, ripping it apart with his bare hands, and turned to shoot a Meteor Punch behind him, obliterating a third dragon. The Life Drop transformation and Thunder Body were simr techniques¡ªusing both at once multiplied their effects. Jack¡¯s current physicality had reached extreme degrees. He surpasseds in durability without even using his Dao.

    Yet, the tribtion was just toorge. Even with power almost an entire Grade above his level, he still struggled. He would run out of steam before it did. There wasn¡¯t even a contest¡ªit was just unfair.

    Despair overtook Jack¡¯s heart even as he slew the dragons. He was half-spent already, but the tribtion was mostly intact. This wasn¡¯t a trial he could hope to face. It wasn¡¯t something he had any hope against. It was just in bullying.

    ¡°Damn you, heavens!¡± he roared, smashing out a fist so powerfully it tore through three dragons before dissipating. Five more flew at him, their jaws unhinged. Jack¡¯s eyes widened in anger. He shot out punches and destroyed them, but one managed to bite his leg. He lost all feeling. Even his extremely sturdy body went numb for a moment, and his leg was spasming. He regained control almost instantly, but he couldn¡¯t afford to be hit again.

    <em>This is bad, </em>he thought. If he was already umting injuries, wasn¡¯t he on the road to death?

    Thinking to that point, Jack changed tactics. This tribtion wasn¡¯t something he could hope to face directly¡ªhe may have overpowered the Heavenly Dao during his tribtion, but this was the equivalent of the Heavenly Dao bringing its three older cousins to beat him up.

    Jack flew back, using his understandings to protect himself. He warped spacetime around the dragons, making them collide against each other. They exploded in fireworks.

    The tribtion released a pulse of spacetime, directly changing thews of the world, whichpletely invalidated his understandings. His Daos of Space and Time became useless.

    Jack¡¯s eyes shed with anger but he persisted. These dragons weren¡¯t just energy bodies, they were alive; he turned to his Dao of Death, spreading thin strings of Death around him to directly sever the life inside the dragons. He seeded¡ªdozens of them turned into mindless clouds of energy, quickly losing their stability and imploding.

    The tribtion released another burst of Dao; it directly nullified his Dao of Death, severing the strings. Thews of the world changed again, making his Dao useless. Jack roared. Going out on a limb, he used the Dao of Life to overfill the dragons with life, making them lose themselves and their sense of purpose. Before he could even carry out his attack, the tribtion released a third pulse,pletely altering thews of Life around the dragons and making his Dao of Life useless.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you even let me fight!?¡± Jack roared. His understandings of the Dao were nothingpared to the heavenly Dao itself. If it purposely warped the rules to sabotage him, there was nothing he could do! Was he just supposed to stand there and die?

 Chapter 474: Fuck the Heavens

    Chapter 474: Fuck the Heavens

    More dragons emerged from the clouds¡ªthe tribtion was still increasing the pace. They swarmed Jack, who dove into the fray with only his body and Fist to support him. There was nothing else he could do.

    He became a devil, a killer, a perfect warrior. He danced between the B-Grade dragons and delivered swift death. They fell by the dozens. If they were real creatures, he might have received enough levels to survive, but they weren¡¯t, so they gave him nothing.

    From afar, Jack looked more heroic than ever. He faced a flood of enemies on his own¡ªhe danced between their strikes like he¡¯d predicted everything, using minimal movements to avoid and strike back. He was strong and efficient. Some called him perfect.

    He was facing way too many enemies. Strikes asionally seeped through. A dragon bit him on the arm, another at the neck, a third dove into his chest. Even enhanced as he was, the lightning contained in each of them was beyond tremendous¡ªevery dragon could easily char an entire continent. With so many striking him at once, Jack was beginning to suffer. His muscles twitched. His flesh burned. His lungs contracted. His heart would have stopped if he wasn¡¯t constantly using his Dao to keep it pumping.

    Injuries umted on his body, but the dragons weren¡¯t running out. No matter how many he killed, more appeared to take their ce. The tribtion seemed inexhaustible¡ªeven with everything so far, he hadn¡¯t even extinguished it halfway.

    He had nothing more to give, either. With his Daos sealed, fighting like this was all he could do. The only skill he hadn¡¯t used was Supernova, but it was just too powerful¡ªit would achieve little besides spending his energy even faster. As for running away from the tribtion, that was even more impossible. It would just warp space to follow him.

    <em>Am I really going to die here? </em>Jack thought.

    Suddenly, a golden aura surrounded him. He felt invigorated, his energy returning, his injuries healing rapidly. He nced to the side, where Brock was hovering right at the edge of the tribtion.

    ¡°You mess with my bro,¡± said the brori, his arms raised high, ¡°you mess with me.¡±The tribtion seemed to agree. More power streamed into the clouds from the surrounding universe, puffing them up. They expanded to cover the sky above Brock as well, then rained ck lightning.

    ¡°No!¡± Jack roared. The lightning Brock was facing wasn¡¯t much weaker than what he¡¯d faced at the start. He also hadn¡¯t witnessed Brock¡¯s breakthrough¡ªhe had no idea how strong he was.

    Crowds of golden broris appeared around Brock, wrestling the lightning into submission. The Goldenwood Staff jumped into his arms, cracking against the sky and shielding him. He could handle himself¡ªbut for how long?

    The rules of a tribtion were clear. The offending cultivator had to face it alone. If anyone tried to help, more tribtion would appear, ensuring that every challenger faced the same level of difficulty.

    Jack knew that. So did Brock. Yet, he had still charged forth, not hesitating for a moment to risk his life alongside his brother¡¯s for a tiny chance at survival. Jack felt touched. In his entire life, having Brock as his brother was his single greatest fortune.

    Suddenly, Jackughed. So what if he died? Falling by the side of his brother, challenging the heavens themselves, wasn¡¯t such a bad way to go!

    ¡°Face me!¡± he roared, attacking the dragons with more intensity. They enveloped him from all directions. Brock was still supplying him with power, but the tribtion had grown stronger to match it. No matter how fiercely Jack fought, no matter how many dragons he slew, there were always more. Over a thousand had appeared so far, with many more on the way. They were endless¡ªand Jack, with his Daos unjustly sealed, could only fight head-on.

    Or, rather, this wasn¡¯t a fight, but a slow death in battle.

    Jackughed and roared at the same time. His punches caved dragon skulls and defied the heavens. His every moment of survival was a provocation, his every strike a challenge. Lightning flowed in his veins by now. The Thunder Body transformation had run out, and the four-armed battle form was barely hanging on. His skin was scorched and his organs melted. Only his regeneration kept him alive. Even his inner world, this unprecedented marvel which had juste into existence, was now a dry ne, an empty space almost devoid of energy. His mind was slow and his arms heavy, but he kept on fighting, still doing his best.

    Jack wasn¡¯t a quitter. He would fight as well as he could, always looking for a chance to survive. However, the calcting part of his mind had already realized there was no way out. This tribtion was something he never had any hope against. Let alone him, even a middle A-Grade might have perished.

    There was nothing he could do, and nothing he could have done. His path so far had been perfect, every step immacte. This was just his predetermined end.

    <em>Can no one defy the universe?</em>

    Perhaps he should have stayed at the 9999-mile mark. The universe wouldn¡¯t have been as enraged with him then¡­ But, that would have been a different kind of death. Remaining at 9999 would mean conforming. He would only keep his life because he bowed to the heavens, obeyed their rules. That would mean betraying his path¡ªthe Fist, Freedom, and everything else he stood for.

    Jack didn¡¯t fear death, he only feared losing himself. Even if he could go back in time, he would still do everything the same. It was all worth it.

    <em>Even if my path leads to death, I will walk it! I would rather die standing than live on my knees!</em>

    The tribtion was so full of energy it was terrifying. The surrounding space felt thin and empty. In fact, the entire star area around them had been sucked dry of energy to support such an assault. The spectators had retreated thrice, opening more distance to ensure they weren¡¯t affected.

    Heavenstar was clenching his fists, looking at the falling tribtion with regret. ¡°This is unbelievable,¡± he said. ¡°Two unprecedented talents are going to die here? To a tribtion? I thought the heavens were finally smiling at us, but it was just a cruel joke!¡±

    ¡°Jack never stood a chance,¡± Boatman replied calmly. ¡°The tribtion was too powerful to begin with. It appears he truly did enrage the heavens this time. There is not a single path of survival left for him. All he can do is perish.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so calm, Boatman!?¡± Heavenstar shouted. ¡°Those are your two disciples over there, the brightest talents we¡¯ve ever seen!¡±

    ¡°I am calm precisely because they are my disciples,¡± Boatman replied. A faint grin was visible through his hood. ¡°A master should not interfere in the affairs of disciples. However, when a disciple is bullied by a higher power, is it not the job of his master to save him?¡±

    Heavenstar¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. This is a tribtion! You know the rules better than anyone!¡±

    Boatmanughed. It was a hoarse sound, yet containing deep valor. ¡°Protect the crowd.¡± He disappeared before Heavenstar could reply, breaking through the repelling force of the tribtion to stand directly below it, shielding Jack and Brock. A curtain of darkness spread from his body. Every dragon, every lightning bolt, every hint of electricity died immediately. The world turned ck and white.

    Astral winds blew, pushing back Boatman¡¯s hood and cloak to reveal a pale, thin body. He reached for his back and removed his scythe.

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    ¡°Hear me, heavens,¡± he spoke, not shouting, but his voice echoed everywhere like the degree of God. ¡°I am Elder Boatman of the ck Hole Church! If my disciples were unworthy, I would sit to the side and watch them die. However, this is unfair. It is an assassination I will not permit. If the heavens want to bully, then I will bully them back. If you raise a hand against my disciples, then I will cut it off.¡±

    The entire world went still, then began to rumble. Space itself shook with fury. The surrounding star area for millions of miles waspletely sucked dry of energy, all funneling towards these clouds. If the heavens were angry before, they were now utterly and irrevocably enraged. Since when could they be challenged like this? Since when could cultivators challenge the authority of the Heavenly Dao?

    Boatman ignored the furious rumbling of the world. He stuck out his scythe, gathering a veritable ocean of ck power. Jack and Brock, who were recovering below, were shaken. This was far beyond their level¡ªfar above anything they¡¯d ever witnessed. This was a powerfulte A-Grade going to war.

    ¡°If the heavens will not ept my disciples,¡± Boatman shouted, his eyes going dark, his scythe cutting out, <em>¡°then I shall kill the heavens!¡±</em>

    A dark curtain appeared, cutting through everything. It fell into the tribtion. The entire sea of clouds was sliced in half, thousands of ck dragons dying in the cradle. Clouds disintegrated, lightning fizzled out. The fabric of reality itself shook and moaned in fury. This was tant challenge! This was hubris!

    More energy roared in from afar. More clouds appeared, an endless number of them, but Boatman hovered alone in the sky,manding his Dao,manding the world. The tribtion could nullify Jack¡¯s Dao of Death, but not Boatman¡¯s¡ªhis understanding already approached the level of the Heavenly Dao. Endless specters slipped into reality. They dove into the clouds, ying anything they found. Shrill screams filled the void.

    This battle had spiraled way out of proportion. The crowd was retreating at full speed, shouting and screaming.

    The tribtion fought back against Boatman. It had already magnified to several times its previous size, and the lightning it shot down was no longer ck but golden. Every Dao in existence seemed to be contained within. Boatman shed his scythe, every slice tearing apart the world, spreading death as he shielded his disciples.

    Jack and Brock stood together, slowly recovering. Their gazes were glued upward. All they could see was Boatman¡¯s back, risking his life to defend them against injustice. Jack smiled. ¡°You know,¡± he said, ¡°maybe it¡¯s not that bad having a teacher.¡±

    ¡°He is good bro,¡± Brock replied, banging a fist against his chest. ¡°Respect.¡±

    ¡°Wanna help him?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They shot upward. Just the shockwaves of Boatman¡¯s battle would be enough to capsize them, but they didn¡¯t need to join directly, only shoot out their power from afar to assist. Purple and gold rained upward. Darkness embraced them, feeding on them to grow stronger, then devouring the tribtion. Reality was a mixture of ck and gold¡ªcultivator and divine.

    The current battle was far superior in level to the previous one. Heavenstar was using his powers to shield the spectators from three hundred thousand miles away, yet his shield still shook, and he was finding it hard to endure. ¡°Retreat farther,¡± hemanded. ¡°Go!¡±

    Everyone rushed, and he followed, keeping up his shields. In his heart, he shouted, <em>Go, Boatman!</em>

    Golden lightning rained down in waves, already past the level of thunderbolts. Auroras filled the skies. The energy of Life shed against Boatman¡¯s Death, sparking up the lightning to increase its power. Death and tribtion shed repeatedly, neither giving ground. Boatman was rocked by shockwaves. He wasn¡¯t a Physical cultivator; his body shook, umting injuries. His organs were bruised. His robes were torn, revealing a thin body d in darkness. Blood streamed from the corner of his mouth and eyes, while the hands which held his scythe shivered.

    However, he wasn¡¯t giving ground. As he was wounded, so was the tribtion. The clouds were torn apart faster than they could form. Golden dragons perished as they were born. The universe roared in fury, but it had no more power to give.

    A tribtion¡¯s difficulty shouldn¡¯t change no matter how many people appeared to challenge it. Since it was impossible for Jack, it should be impossible for Brock and Boatman as well, regardless of whether they fought together or not. However, even a tribtion had its limits. Boatman was too strong, approaching the apex of power. Tremendous amounts of power were needed to defeat him.

    Even though the Heavenly Dao controlled the entire universe, that didn¡¯t mean it could collect all the power of the universe here. It had to draw from nearby areas, and after all the battles so far, the surrounding millions of miles had runpletely dry. The density of Dao had reached an all-time low¡ªdrawing anymore was impossible.

    Even a tribtion had its limits¡ªand now, thanks to Jack, Brock, and Boatman giving it their all, it had approached them. Only a fragment of the previous clouds remained¡ªbut Boatman was equally exhausted. His powers of Death were running dry.

    ¡°Jack!¡± he suddenly shouted, his voice weak. ¡°I have weakened the tribtion as much as I can, but it remains one summoned by you! Unless you destroy your share, it will not be resolved. It will keep returning until it kills us! I will draw away the part aimed at me, and Brock will also retreat. You must use this opportunity to disperse it before it gathers more power. My life depends on you¡ªdo not fail!¡±

    No other Elder would think of leaving their life in the hands of an early B-Grade. However, Elder Boatman¡­was the man!

    Jack¡¯s gaze hardened. He summoned all the remaining power of his inner world. ¡°I will seed,¡± he vowed.

    Boatman flew away. Arge part of the tribtion followed him. Brock did as well, taking away a much smaller part. Jack was left hovering alone, once again facing the clouds by himself, but this time, they were fewer and weaker. They were no longer sealing his Daos¡ªno longer unfair.

    This wasn¡¯t an easy battle, but it was one he could win¡ªand if he could, he would.

    Golden lightning zed in the sky, crashing down as a column of pure power. Jack flew right at it. Spacetime curved around him¡ªthe column was split into many, passing around Jack like water around a stone. It missed himpletely.

    A golden dragon emerged from the clouds. It was vastly more powerful than the ck ones he¡¯d faced before¡ªits strength easily reached the peak B-Grade.

    Jack shot straight at it. One of his fists shone green, the other ck¡ªLife and Death. The dragon¡¯s life force ballooned under Jack¡¯s control, making it struggle to control its own body. Death came right afterward, a thin slice of darkness which cut right through that bloated power, slicing the dragon in two. Jack slipped between the two halves before the dragon even realized it was dead.

    He had approached the clouds by now. It was just him and them. A mass of energy condensed right above him, all the remaining power of the clouds forced into a st of raw energy. It descended. Where it passed, spacetime disintegrated, reality was torn apart. It was strongest and final attack it could muster.

    Jack could have tried to dodge, but he didn¡¯t. This tribtion had struck with overwhelming force to kill him, and all because he disobeyed the rules of cultivation. He didn¡¯t want to avoid it¡ªhe wanted to break it head-on.

    All the remaining energy he possessed was channeled into his body. Two new arms grew, enhancing him greatly. Purple electricity covered him, skyrocketing his power further. Though Jack was wounded and exhausted, he had momentarily reached an absolute peak.

    He pulled his punch back. All the pain he¡¯d experienced came to his mind¡ªfrom despair, to fear, to body tempering, to loneliness, to Eric, to war. Everything he¡¯d done had been of his own volition. All the pain he experienced was a result of his own actions. He alone controlled his fate, good or bad. Not the heavens. Not anyone.

    The surrounding space was sucked into his punch. More and more energy flew in, all sorts of Daos, until Jack felt like he was holding a nuclear bomb. In truth, this was far more powerful. His next strike could easily disintegrate a.

    The st of energy came down to meet him.

    ¡°Fuck your fake righteousness,¡± Jack said, spreading his voice far and wide as his power built to a crescendo. ¡°You call yourself heavenly, but you are just another tyrant that I refuse to obey. While I live, I will fight. I will abolish you and establish my own heavens. I am Jack Rust¡ªI alone dictate my fate. No one else. I don¡¯t care if you are the heavens, or the Dao, or the universe¡­ ¡± He pushed his fist forward. <em>¡°You do not control me!¡±</em>

    The condensed power in his fist imploded. It hesitated for just a moment, as if struggling to escape its own gravity, then erupted outward in a tremendous explosion that shook the world.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡±

    The st of energy shattered. The sky was thrown backward. Jack¡¯s fist carried on, containing all his resolve for freedom, and smashed into the dark clouds, tearing them wide open. A new sky was revealed behind them¡ªand the clouds broke into strips of moisture which melted against the universe. The tribtion disappeared without a sign. Even the clouds above Brock and Boatman disintegrated, as the tribtion had been defeated by the one who summoned it.

    The crowd was shocked speechless. The Death Boat sank in silence¡ªthen cheers erupted to the high heavens, washing away the darkness, bringing new light.

    A legend had been born¡ªJack Rust, the paragon of cultivation, a pioneer of new heights. He was unprecedented. Nobody knew how high he could reach, but they all wanted to find out.

    ¡°JACK RUST! JACK RUST! JACK RUST!¡±

    This was the start of a new era. And Jack, having stepped into the B-Grade, was ready to spearhead it. He threw his head back andughed. ¡°Let¡¯s fucking go!¡±

 Chapter 475: The Beginning of the End

    Chapter 475: The Beginning of the End

    A group was gathered in space. A dozen white-dressed people, each more brooding than thest. Wreckage surrounded them. Parts of what used to be an Elder-level starship. The distant stars felt cold, and the universe was suddenly much less inviting.

    ¡°This is useless,¡± a man said. ¡°The Hand will find and kill us. We¡¯re just dying the inevitable.¡±

    ¡°You need to believe, Borg,¡± a woman replied. ¡°The Old Gods will arrive. The Arch Priestess depends on us. We cannot give up.¡±

    The man named Borg raised his head. ¡°I don¡¯t <em>want </em>to give up! I believe in the Old Gods like all of us, and I hate the cruel Immortals with every fiber of my being, but this is just hopeless. We are sheep to the ughter. We just barely managed to teleport away this time¡ªthe Hand will find us again, and they¡¯ll kill more of us. We¡¯ll die few by few until we¡¯re all gone, and for what? A hope that will never bear fruit? A doomed war? Even if the cause is noble, dying in vain is not.¡±

    ¡°But the Arch Priestess¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about the Arch Priestess. She¡¯s lying to us, Katie! Can¡¯t you see this war is a lost cause? She has us holding the front lines, but the Hand of God is so much fucking stronger. They¡¯ve got double the people. Stick it in your goddamn head, we cannot win! We have already lost!¡±

    ¡°The Old Gods will arrive,¡± an older man said. ¡°The tide will turn. We must stay strong.¡±

    ¡°How can I stay strong, Father? How much longer do we have to wait? I feel scared and alone, and I fear we will all die in the darkness between the stars like we never existed. I¡­ I cannot do this anymore.¡± He paused, all his energy leaving him. ¡°I want to go home.¡±

    The older man frowned but did not speak. A heavy silence spread between the gathered cultivators. It was hard to fight a losing war. Hard to watch your friends die beside you, one by one, as you persisted for an ideal that might or might note to be.The current state of the Second Crusade was worse than advertised. The ck Hole Church was pushed back on every front. They¡¯d split their forces and hidden them in a Systemless gxy, dying their inevitable defeat, but it helped little. The Hand of God was searching, finding them piece by piece, killing them slowly. While the Church hid, their disadvantage only grew, and the mental pressure on their people was growing heavier.

    Everyone felt like prisoners on the execution block, waiting for the de to fall. They knew that any of these days could be their turn. Yes, the Old Gods were en route, or so the Arch Priestess said¡­but would they arrive in time? Or was everyone going to die first?

    The army of the ck Hole Church had started the war by being ambushed, losing their headquarters¡ªthe Cathedral¡ªand forced to flee as many of their hiding spots across System space were discovered. They had suffered serious losses before they could even fight back, and it had all gone downhill from there. They¡¯d managed to dy their defeat by hiding and fighting a semnce of gueri warfare, but morale was crumbling everywhere.

    The cultivators of the Church were losing faith. They desperately needed a victory, to strike back, something. They needed hope. Except, with the state of war as it was, how could the Church achieve anything?

    The dozen white-robed cultivators still stood silently in the darkness of space, surrounded by the wreckage of their starship. Many were injured. Their moods couldn¡¯t be worse. Suddenly, a younger woman lifted her head. Her voice trembled with excitement.

    ¡°What!?¡± she eximed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Are you sure?¡±

    The others threw her questioning nces. Their heads drooped lower. ¡°What is it this time?¡± asked the older man, the leader of this group. ¡°Which of ourrades fell?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Not that at all!¡± the woman eximed. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I believe this, but I actually received good news. Great news!¡±

    Their eyes shone. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember Jack Rust? Who was about to break into the B-Grade?¡±

    The cultivators nodded. Jack¡¯s breakthrough hadn¡¯t been broadcasted, for fear of revealing his position, but the Church had spread the news.

    ¡°Well, his breakthrough just finished. And he, he¡­¡± She hesitated, as if struggling to believe her own words.

    ¡°So it went well,¡± the man who¡¯d had a meltdown before, Borg, spoke before she could. ¡°I don¡¯t think that really matters to us. How much did he get? Seven thousand miles? Eight?¡±

    ¡°Not even close!¡± the younger woman eximed, her face growing red with excitement. ¡°I am receiving this news from multiple sources. Elders Boatman and Heavenstar have both confirmed this. It cannot be wrong!¡±

    ¡°Out with it, then!¡± the older man eximed.

    ¡°His inner world reached ten thousand miles across!¡±

    The news fell like a nuke on a summer day. The other cultivators went silent. The older man¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Is that a joke?¡± he asked. ¡°This is not the time, Matilda.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! I swear it on my mother¡¯s grave! Everyone is saying the same, all mymunications are lighting up! Jack Rust rewrote history! Nine thousand wasn¡¯t the limit¡ªit¡¯s ten!¡±

    Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The older man snorted. ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡±

    ¡°And yet it¡¯s true! Not just that, either¡ªeven his spiritualpanion, the brori named Brock, reached 8800 miles! They¡¯re an unprecedented duo! Even the Arch Priestess herself congrattes them, and she sent a faction-wide message confirming this. It is absolutely true!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± the older man harrumphed. ¡°Ludicrous. If you¡¯re lying about this, Matilda, we will have a problem. Let me speak to them.¡±

    He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she let him tap into the soul connections they used tomunicate. Every squad of the Church had someone with this ability¡ªthat was how they couldmunicate efficiently even outside System space.

    A momentter, the older man pulled back his hand, his aged eyes growing wide.

    ¡°Well?¡± the others asked him, desperately needing but not daring to believe.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he said slowly. The trembling excitement of Matilda had also invaded his voice now. ¡°I saw the Arch Priestess¡¯s Dao signature. Elders Boatman and Heavenstar, too. This is not a joke. I have no idea how it happened, but Jack Rust really broke through the nine-thousand-mile limit.¡±

    The cultivators exchanged bewildered looks. Their dead hope began to shimmer. They wouldn¡¯t have believed this in regr times, but they were now neck-deep in war. They believed for dear life. It was the first good news they received in a long time¡ªsomeone had achieved an impossible feat, and they were part of the same army!

    It is incredible how much strength a desperate person can derive from a single piece of good news.

    All of them felt like someone had taken a torch, reached into their chests, and lit up something in there. The darkness and despair dissipated.

    Their hearts turned warm. They clenched their fists, shedding tears they didn¡¯t even know they¡¯d been holding back. Somehow, the pride they felt was overwhelming. The Church had achieved something. They hadn¡¯t fought so long in vain. If miracles could still happen, not all was lost. Who knew how powerful Jack could be? This war wasn¡¯t over yet. They had hope!

    ¡°There¡¯s another message,¡± themunicator girl, Matilda, said. She gasped. ¡°It¡¯s another faction-wide message by the Arch Priestess. She says this is proof that fate hasn¡¯t abandoned us. We are still here. We are still fighting. With such a heaven-defying genius amongst us, how could we possibly be destroyed? How could we lose? The enemy is fighting for power, but we are fighting for survival. We are fighting for what is right, for our friends and families and the weak people of the universe who need us. We may be fewer, but our hearts burn brighter. This is our war¡ªand we <em>will </em>win!¡±

    She¡¯d gotten swept by her own words, and the surrounding cultivators, already vulnerable, raised their arms and roared into the void. The surrounding space lit up. The stars were no longer cold, the emptiness no longer scary.

    They¡¯d always believed in the Church, that¡¯s why they were fighting in the first ce. All it took to reignite their mes was a single spark.

    Yes, things remained terrible for them. They knew they would probably die. They were scared. But dying meaninglessly and sacrificing yourself for a worthy, attainable cause were two wildly different things. These cultivators had hope again, and while they hoped, they would fight. They would endure the darkness.

    Their battle was not in vain, but for freedom. They carried the hope of the universe on their shoulders. They were heroes.

    ¡°Fuck the Immortals!¡± the older man shouted, and the others echoed, their voices rising through the cosmos.

    ***

    Reality was often negotiable. In war, each army¡¯smanders imed they were winning. Each side painted themselves as heroes. The crowds back home were always filled with hope and heroism, while those at the frontlines always felt like they were in hell. They were the ones who came face-to-face with the reality of war. Killing others, fearing for your life, and watching your friends copse had a way of dragging one to the present, shrouding the mind in darkness through which they could only trudge through, an endless march through the night, hoping for a sun that might never rise.

    The Church could endure for a long time. Their scattered and hidden forces ensured that. The problem was that every month of survival required a blood price, the death of the least capable or the most unlucky. To those who participated in this massacre lottery, the wait was unbearable. Their morale was bottomed out, and many held thoughts of deserting. At the current state of war, the Church¡¯s greatest problem was maintaining their army¡¯s morale until the Old Gods arrived. They needed something to give their people hope. Something to recharge their faith.

    Jack¡¯s ten-thousand-mile, unprecedented breakthrough came like a gift from the gods.

    Once the Church leadership recovered from the shock, they spread the word far and wide. This was proof that fate hadn¡¯t abandoned them. It was hope¡ªexactly what they needed.

    The news spread like wildfire. Everyone in the Church army knew about Jack¡¯s breakthrough within the hour. In the span of a single day, even the most clueless, nonbatant drunkard in the remotest pub of an Elder-level starship had heard the story at least three times. Through variousmunication channels, it spread even to System space, infiltrating all seventy-three gxies. Before long, almost everyone in the universe knew about Jack¡¯s breakthrough.

    Such a legendary event had many consequences. The morale of the Church army was uplifted, at least temporarily. The dark despair gave way to burning, warm heroism. People set their jaws, determined to give their lives fighting if necessary. They¡¯d always believed in the Church¡¯s cause, hated the Immortals and their System with a passion¡ªthey just hadn¡¯t thought there was hope. Brave roars andughter filled the Church starships. The celebration of dying men. Of heroes.

    On the other side, the Immortals posted a sky-high bounty on Jack and Brock¡¯s heads, and they even sent an Archon to personally hunt them down. It was just how things worked.

    The greatest impression, however, was made on the people in and around the Death Boat. They had witnessed everything with their own eyes. They had seen Jack¡¯s inner world blow outward again and again, each time surpassing what they thought possible. They¡¯d seen him charge into a tribtion which could even annihte A-Grades, and they¡¯d even watched Brock and Elder Boatman stand alongside Jack to face the tribtion together.

    All these sights would forever remain carved in the hearts of everyone watching. They¡¯d branded themselves indefinitely. Jack had be a god in their eyes¡ªa universe-ss hero. They desired to see how far he could go. His breakthrough had easily surpassed every Archon¡¯s ever. Could he be the first person to take the final step beyond the A-Grade? Could they have witnessed the birth of an eternal legend?

    Pubs and gathering ces everywhere buzzed with discussion about Jack and Brock. It was the Death Boat¡¯s favorite conversation subject.

    As for Jack and Brock themselves, they¡¯d gone into seclusion after their breakthrough to stabilize their cultivation. It was only three dayster that they finally opened their eyes.

    Their final¡ªand greatest¡ªadventure was just beginning.

 Chapter 476: Gum Worms

    Chapter 476: Gum Worms

    Stars hung in the distant space. They were above, below, and to the sides of the Death Boat, framing the world. Each was a different color. Blue stars burned the hottest, while red were thergest. Outside a¡¯s atmosphere, the different colors could all reach the observer¡¯s eye unfiltered, further amplifying the beauty of the universe.

    Jack couldn¡¯t see that right now. It was just him and Brock in a dark room. All he heard was breathing, following a steady rhythm. In and out. In and out. His own spirit was in his inner world, calmly observing it, harmonizing himself with the changes that had urred in himself.

    After breaking into the B-Grade, Jack had been reborn. A whole world now existed in ce of his soul. A ten thousand mile wide sphere, supported by his Daos. Tiny particles floated about¡ªbarely enough to be called matter. It was empty otherwise.

    Well, almost empty. Arge, purple, fist-shaped meteor dominated its midst. The empty Life Drop was stered on its middle finger like an encrusted gem, and Copy Jackzily floated about, exploring this newfound space. Jack had tried talking to him, but Copy Jack maintained his nonmittal stance like he cared about nothing in the world.

    Jack remembered, however, how the Dao Soul¡¯s eyes had sharpened during the breakthrough. There was something hidden under the surface. Something wrong with Copy Jack. He just had to figure out what.

    He opened his eyes in the real world, releasing a long sigh. He¡¯d finally familiarized himself with his inner world. He wasn¡¯t particrly stronger than he had been right after his breakthrough, but he now understood it more intimately. His cultivation was stabilized.

    Jack gave a sideways nce, finding that Brock was still meditating. <em>No problem, </em>he thought. <em>Take your time, bro.</em>

    Meanwhile, he opened his status screen.

    <strong><em>ERROR: PLEASE REPORT TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY OR FACE EXTERMINATION.</em></strong><strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: B</strong>

    <strong>ss: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 400</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 8480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 8480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 8480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I</strong>

    <strong>Inner World Size: 10,000 miles</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: -</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer, Challenger</strong>

    The error warning at the very top remained. It had been there since he first absorbed the Life Drop, which was considered a taboo item to the Immortals. He¡¯d just learned to ignore it.

    Besides that, a lot of things had changed. His Dao Roots and Dao Fruits had disappeared, reced by the new entries of Inner World Size and Matter Condensation. The meaning of the first was obvious. He had some suspicions about the second, but he¡¯d ask around to make sure.

    Besides those, he¡¯d acquired a new ss and a new title: Challenger.

    <strong>Challenger: Most people conform. You fight and struggle to carve your own path. You will either defy the heavens¡­or fall and be forgotten. Efficacy of all stats +10%.</strong>

    He liked the sound of that. It was ominous, sure, but it was his path. Plus, that 10% increase was just broken at this point.

    Unlike previous sses, the legendary-tier Paragon of Cultivation had only given him a single skill: Immortal Commune. It allowed him to directly contact the Immortals for guidance. This was probably something hardwired into the System, assuming that every cultivator sided with the Immortals. It could have been a tremendous boon to others, but to Jack, who was their enemy, it was pretty useless.

    <em>No, not useless, </em>he corrected himself. <em>I can¡¯t use it for guidance, but I¡¯m sure it wille in handy.</em>

    His stat points had shot through the roof. His Physical was at almost eight and a half thousand, or almost twenty thousand after all the efficacy increases from his titles. Considering that the average pre-System human had an average Physical of five, that was a lot. Especially if he used it in conjunction with his Dao.

    After familiarizing himself with his new level of power, Jack was finally ready to cultivate again. In fact, he looked forward to it, but he chose to wait a moment. He¡¯d already been meditating for three days. Who knew what had urred in the meantime.

    Jack closed his status screen, standing and leaving the room. He paced down a well-lit corridor. His previous cape had burned down during the tribtion, and he hadn¡¯t gotten a new one. His only remaining piece of clothing were his enchanted brown shorts which reached down to his thighs. His bare feet rubbed against the metal floor. His muscr upper body dominated the corridor.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    It still felt weird to walk around a futuristic starship half-naked, but he had more important things to worry about. Plus, those shorts could magically enhance his durability, so they weren¡¯t going anywhere. He couldn¡¯t wear anything else either, as the shorts¡¯ Life Dao amplification field couldn¡¯t prate fabric. He was, unfortunately, in a perpetual state ofmando.

    The corridor led him past a ss window overlooking the top floor of the Death Boat. He saw endless people going about their lives, living, breathing, working. It was an entire world down there. An almost nostalgic sight.

    He walked past the one-way ss unseen, then turned down a bend, finally reaching a meeting room. He¡¯d already received a mental message toe here.

    The door swung open. A twenty by thirty feet meeting room appeared, with a long table in the middle and little else in the way of decoration. A wall-sized window overlooked the Bone Belt, the current hiding ce of the Death Boat¡ªan astronomically long strip of astral dust and flying boulders ranging from tiny to moon-sized. The light of a million distant suns augmented the brilliant image.

    Despite Jack¡¯s expectations, only a single person awaited in the room. It was Starhair¡ªa peak B-Grade cultivator with fluorescent hair like gxy branches. Jack didn¡¯t know how strong this man was, but given he was part of Sovereign Heavenly Spoon¡¯s elite squad, he had to pack a punch.

    The two of them had already met on the way to this gxy. Starhair seemed to dislike Jack, for whatever reason, but they¡¯d always kept things cordial.

    As Jack entered the room, Starhair turned around. A condescending look was stered to his face. ¡°Herees the champion,¡± he said. ¡°Should I kneel in worship?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a dick, Starhair. Keep your mouth shut.¡±

    Starhair froze. Jack grinned.

    When the peak B-Grade had been feisty before, Jack had always kept hisposure. He didn¡¯t give ground, but he also didn¡¯t desire to make new, unknown enemies. That was all different now. Jack had achieved a ten thousand mile inner world. He didn¡¯t give a flying fuck about Starhair¡¯s opinion.

    The other man was surprised. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up. Clearly, you¡¯ve got something against me, but I¡¯m in no mood for your silly games. Spit it out or be quiet.¡±

    Starhair puffed up like an angry rooster. ¡°You are seriously overstepping your boundaries, Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off, man. The only boundary I overstepped recently was with your mo¡ª¡±

    A door at the other side of the room slid open before Jack could finish his words. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon walked in, his face covered by azy smile, followed by the Sage, Min Ling, and Bottomless.

    ¡°Good morning, guys,¡± the sovereign said. ¡°Had breakfast yet? I brought food.¡± He swiped a hand over his space ring, filling the table with snacks. Jack spotted everything from croissants to bacon sandwiches, along with a menagerie of alien stuff he¡¯d never seen before. There was a bowl of fat, writhing, green worms. There was also tea and coffee.

    Jack raised his gaze from the table, meeting the Sage¡¯s intrigued eyes. Min Ling waved at him. Bottomless remained under his hood. Despite traveling together for a week, Jack still hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of the person¡¯s features. He didn¡¯t even know if they were male or female.

    Starhair remained with his mouth open, ready to spit bile at Jack, but he finally harrumphed and turned back towards the window. Jack shrugged. He walked to the table, grabbing a paper te from a pile and scanning the snacks.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, pointing at the bowl of worms.

    ¡°Protein!¡± the sovereign eximed jovially. He manifested a silver spoon in his hand, then used it to sweep two worms into his te. ¡°I guess youe from an area where you don¡¯t have something simr, but don¡¯t worry. These are called Gum Worms, a very popr dish across the universe. They may seem disgusting, but you have to remember that the world is arge ce, and disgust is only a product of your mind. Keep an open mind. Try some.¡±

    Jack observed the worms. Each was the size of his pinky, slick in shape and not at all oily. They were plump, too. If not for their faces and little legs, he¡¯d have assumed they were fruit.

    He reached out a hand, then gulped. ¡°Maybeter,¡± he said. He picked up a sausage instead. ¡°How did you even store these, anyway? I thought you couldn¡¯t put living creatures into space rings.¡±

    The sovereign gave him a stare. ¡°Come on, Jack. They¡¯re worms. Food. Don¡¯t be that guy.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have souls,¡± Min Ling exined from the side. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but it makes them very convenient to transfer. They¡¯re certainly alive, though.¡±

    Jack shrugged. ¡°Whatever. So, how have you guys been? It feels like ages.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been three days,¡± the Sage replied. ¡°Three eventful, important days. The kind that counts like a hundred dull ones.¡±

    ¡°Who cares about us?¡± Min Ling said, her voice filled with excitement. ¡°How have <em>you </em>been? You broke all records! You are immortalized as a legend! Tell me, how did that feel?¡±

    ¡°Scary,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I really thought I was going to die. But, you know, I¡¯m used to that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t dodge the question. Spit it out. How did you manage to reach ten thousand miles?¡±

    With the exception of Starhair, who was still looking away, and Bottomless, whose expression was hidden by his hood, the others all sported expectant smiles. Their squad should have taken off the day before, but they¡¯d stayed precisely to ask Jack about his experience. They hadn¡¯t had the opportunity after his breakthrough as he¡¯d been exhausted and injured, and he¡¯d quickly run off to meditate.

    Jack rubbed the back of his head. He considered lying, but most of these people had helped him greatly in the past. As for Starhair¡­ Well, fuck that guy. ¡°I developed a tenth fruit mid-breakthrough,¡± he exined. ¡°I thought my nine were perfect, but as I was about to break them up into an inner world, I suddenly realized they were not. I took a risk to form a tenth one. Luckily, it worked out.¡±

    ¡°Just like that?¡± Min Ling asked. ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple. Everyone would have ten fruits.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy. The first nine fruits had felt natural, but this one showed resistance. It was like thews of cultivation refused to amodate me. I had to push real hard. I almost failed.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯sing from someone who would have reached close to nine thousand miles even without the tenth fruit,¡± the Sage said. ¡°I suspect that this tenth fruit really does go against thews of cultivation. Perfection of the nine is the prerequisite of pursuing the ten. Even then, Jack achieved perfection of the ten fruits, reaching exactly ten thousand miles.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I think as well,¡± Jack agreed.

    ¡°Do you think there can be more fruits?¡± Sovereign Heavenly Spoon asked as he tossed a grape into his mouth. ¡°Beyond the tenth, I mean.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. My Dao system feels pretty perfect right now. Maybe I could have tried to develop an eleventh fruit if I knew beforehand, but I think it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t. The tribtion would have ughtered me, Elder Boatman or not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point of cultivation,¡± the Sage said. ¡°We pave the way for future generations. Now that we know it¡¯s possible, the apex talents of the universe will try to reach ten fruits. Some will seed. Maybe they¡¯ll make more breakthroughster. And the cultivation world marches forward, every generation one step higher.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°Exactly. Even my idea about a tenth fruit didn¡¯tepletely out of nowhere. The inheritance of Archon Green Dragon contained a hint. I think he suspected it was possible, but long after he¡¯d reached the B-Grade.¡±

    ¡°I feel for him,¡± the sovereign said with a sigh. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t already at the B-Grade, I would try to go for a tenth fruit myself. Maybe more. Seventeen is a nice number.¡±

    Jack smiled. In his experience, manifesting a tenth fruit was as difficult as reaching well over eight thousand miles, but he chose not to say anything. No sense discouraging his friends.

    ¡°What are we gathered for, anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°Elder Boatman had told me toe when I was ready, but he didn¡¯t mention a reason.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he knew either,¡± the Sage replied. ¡°Many things happened after your breakthrough. This is the time to find a way forward.¡±

    As if hearing his name, Elder Boatman suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. He didn¡¯t teleport in. It was like part of reality perished, defaulting to him instead of death. ¡°Greetings, everyone,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Are those Gum Worms?¡±

 Chapter 477: Clone

    Chapter 477: Clone

    Elder Boatman grabbed a gum worm between two fingers, slurping it in. Jack cringed. The worm disappeared down the vampire¡¯s throat, dead the moment he touched it.

    ¡°You have achieved great merit, Jack,¡± Elder Boatman said. ¡°News of your breakthrough have spread far and wide. The failing morale of our army has temporarily recovered. You¡¯ve given our cultivators a source of inspiration, and our enemies one of fear. You¡¯ve also made me proud. Good job.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Master,¡± Jack replied, trying to keep his mind away from how the Elder was still eating worms.

    ¡°Of course, everything has consequences,¡± the vampire continued. ¡°The Immortals are aware of your existence, and they¡¯ll do anything they can to exterminate you. Don¡¯t be surprised when they send A-Grades to personally hunt you down.¡±

    Jack stood straight. ¡°I can handle it.¡±

    ¡°I know. But we can¡¯t. My starship houses tens of millions of people, and I¡¯d rather not invite the enemy¡¯s full attention to my doorstep. Besides, if they really do find us, I may not be able to protect you. You will leave the Death Boat in a few hours and head towards the New Cathedral, our current headquarters. The Arch Priestess herself wants to see you. She may ept you as a disciple, so I suggest making a good impression. Maybe even wear a shirt.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jack said. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll be leaving? But I just arrived.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sad too, my disciple,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°However, even if I hadn¡¯t received direct orders, it would be irresponsible of me to keep you here. Protecting you is my duty as your master, but I have to ept I may not be able to. It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°You saved my life,¡± Jack replied. ¡°And Brock¡¯s. We are extremely grateful.¡±¡°It was nothing,¡± he replied, waving a pale hand. ¡°Now, as I said, you¡¯ll be transferring to the New Cathedral for training. Brock will join you, and I will also separate a small part of my soul to follow you and keep instructing you on the Dao of Death.¡±

    ¡°Part of your soul?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called a clone. I believe you¡¯re familiar with the concept. One soul simultaneously inhabiting multiple bodies. It¡¯s the basis of all ourmunication systems, but that¡¯s besides the point.¡±

    Jack opened his mouth and closed it again. This was a little too much information. Had Elder Boatman mentioned he might be apprenticed to the Arch Priestess? The head of the ck Hole Church, who was most probably an Archon?

    He shook his head to clear it.

    ¡°And I guess,¡± he said, motioning towards the Spoon Squad who were idling nearby, ¡°they¡¯ll be the ones taking me there.¡±

    ¡°Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and his squad are needed at the front lines. They¡¯ve already wasted precious time here,¡± Elder Boatman said, striking the sovereign with a re. The other man didn¡¯t even pause eating. ¡°You will be escorted by a different vessel. We won¡¯t reveal the details until the final moment for security reasons. However, Envoy Starhair has also been recalled to the New Cathedral, so he will be joining you.¡±

    <em>Oh, fuck me.</em>

    Jack and Starhair locked eyes. The Envoy smiled grimly.

    <em>Wait. I¡¯m also an Envoy now. Nice.</em>

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between you two, nor do I care,¡± the Elder said. ¡°We are fighting a losing war. We cannot afford infighting. I expect you to act as responsible individuals and put your differences aside.¡±

    Jack raised his head. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Starhair replied at the same time. He sounded earnest. Jack didn¡¯t believe him in the slightest.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°Meet me at the throne room in three hours.¡± He reached into his te, grasping no gum worms. He¡¯d run out. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. Ten of them teleported from the bowl to his paper te, then he abruptly disappeared. The bowl was now empty.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon hissed. ¡°I wanted those!¡± he said, then sighed in displeasure. He grabbed arge cup of tea and swirled it with the silver spoon which also doubled as his-eating weapon.

    Jack swept his gaze over his fellow Envoys. Min Ling was the first to meet him. ¡°We still have a date, cowboy,¡± she said. ¡°You promised to spar with me when you reached the B-Grade. I¡¯m right here.¡±

    He grinned at her. ¡°Do you really think you stand a chance?¡±

    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°Good! I look forward to testing out my powers, too.¡±

    ¡°We can do it now.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Just give me a moment.¡± He turned his gaze to another person. ¡°Hey, Sage. Think I could talk to you alone for a minute?¡±

    The homeless-looking man looked up. Just like every other time, he showed no surprise. The extent and nature of his powers remained a mystery to Jack.

    ***

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Jack and the Sage stood alone in a different room. There was anotherrge window here, but no table, only a set of chairs at the back. The two men stood next to the window, gazing out.

    ¡°Do you remember what you told me once upon a time?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many things.¡±

    ¡°That your soul resonated with Enas. That you could use that connection to share in the god¡¯s Dao and reach the B-Grade with basically no bottleneck. That the whole reason Earth was Integrated was because the Church wanted to find you.¡±

    The Sage nodded. ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°But is it the whole truth?¡±

    A pause. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I was stranded at a strange ce for a year¡ªa ce called the ck Hole World,¡± Jack said. ¡°It was upied by the descendants of an old Archon, trapped there since the first Crusade a billion years ago. They had a stone tablet about that event. It portrayed the Old Gods and the Immortals, as well as their armies.¡±

    Jack turned towards the Sage, then continued. ¡°There was a person there, in the army following the Old Gods. A person who looked just like you.¡±

    The Sage smiled. ¡°It was a stone tablet. How urate could they make the face of a small figure?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t dodge the question, Sage. It was carved in great detail. That person had your likeness. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The Sage remained silent for a moment. Finally, he sighed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have seen that,¡± he said. Jack instinctively raised his guard, but there was no attacking, only words. ¡°This isn¡¯t really a secret. It¡¯s just something we¡¯d rather not share to themon cultivator.¡±

    ¡°Am I amon cultivator?¡±

    ¡°You were,st time we talked about this.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°Keep talking.¡±

    The Sage sighed. ¡°The truth is, I am not just a human whose soul vibrates with that of Enas. When he was trapped in the ck hole, he was not content to remain there for eternity. Enas embodies the Dao of Life, whose core tenant is survival. Soon after his imprisonment, Enas split his soul in two, then shattered one half into innumerable tiny pieces. Those pieces were nothing but soul-infused collections of Life Dao particles. Over time, they slowly seeped out of the ck hole, making their way through the universe and looking for suitable bodies. Of course, that was an extremely unlikely process, which was why Enas had created so many of them. There needed to be someone with apatible soul, which was already extremely rare, and then there also needed to be a soul piece very close-by when that person was born. The fusion could only be carried out shortly after birth.

    ¡°A billion yearster, those coincidences finally urred. One of those innumerable tiny soul pieces happened tond on Earth, where it fused into apatible baby. And thus, I was born. A human with a tiny, tiny part of a god inside me. However, even that part of a god¡¯s soul is stronger than a mortal¡¯s, so the fusion wasn¡¯t perfect. I spent thirty-three years on Earth being insane as the two sides warred inside me. I had shes and visions of things no mortal could witness. It was only when the Integration happened that an agent of the Church arrived at our, helped the divine part of my soul overwhelm the other, and made me into who I am today.¡±

    Jack gave him a suspicious nce. ¡°So you¡¯re, like, a clone of Enas?¡±

    ¡°In the wider sense of the word. I possess my own personality and almost none of the god¡¯s powers. What I do have is random visions, as well as an extreme affinity towards the Dao of Life. Specifically, divination.¡±

    ¡°Extreme affinity? Really? Nobody has mentioned your B-Grade breakthrough as anything outstanding.¡±

    ¡°Dao affinity doesn¡¯t always trante into a deeper cultivation. In any case, it¡¯s a good thing my breakthrough was low-key. It helped me avoid attention. My cultivation andbat strength¡ªwhich has always been shit¡ªare secondary. The real purpose of my existence is to remain alive, so the Church can use me as the key to summon the true soul of Enas outside the ck hole.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    The Sage smiled, showing yellow teeth. ¡°I am to be sacrificed. Thanks to me, the remainder of Enas¡¯s soul and body will escape their eternal prison, reiming his rightful position as god king of the universe.¡±

    ¡°Wait. So the Second Crusade is happening to stop that?¡±

    ¡°No. The Immortals suspect some things, but they know nothing. The Second Crusade coinciding with my appearance is a humongous, terrible coincidence.¡±

    ¡°...How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Dao works in mysterious ways, my friend,¡± the Sage replied with a sad smile. He put a hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The person in the tablet was another clone of Enas. Before his imprisonment, he was experimenting with infusing his soul into cultivators and controlling them. His fellow gods betrayed him before those experiments bore fruit.¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯t really listening. Various puzzle pieces clicked into ce in his mind. ¡°Is that why you wanted the Life Drop in Trial?¡± he asked. ¡°Because it was kind of your blood to begin with?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I would be able to resonate with it and use it much more effectively than anyone else, including you¡­but, as I said, mybat strength is secondary. It was average back then, and it¡¯s even worse now. A fragmented soul like me could never reach the A-Grade. I was supposed to take the Life Drop to the Church and help it find a suitable candidate, but I deemed you good enough.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Jack said. He frowned, saying nothing for a moment. He then changed the subject. ¡°Still, man¡­ You only exist to be sacrificed? That¡¯s fucking sad.¡±

    The Sage shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds. I will reunite with my whole like a tributary flowing into the river. The person I am now will die, but my soul will live on.¡±

    ¡°...Oh.¡±

    ¡°Is that all you wanted to ask me?¡±

    Jack looked at the Sage. This homeless-looking, yellow-toothed, rag-wearing man had always been an enigma. The more he learned, the more questions he had¡ªsome of which he felt were better left unasked.

    Something wasn¡¯t right about the Sage¡¯s story. There was still something missing. He just couldn¡¯t ce a finger on what.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Good. Then, let me give you a piece of advice before you go fight that little girl,¡± the Sage said, leaning closer. ¡°Do you know why the Heavenly Dao sent that tribtion for you? During yourtest breakthrough?¡±

    Jack was immediately transfixed. ¡°Because it¡¯s an asshole?¡±

    ¡°Because you took a single step outside the lines. That by itself isn¡¯t much, but defiance is a gue. It spreads from person to person, and one step turns into ten, which turn into a stampede. What starts slow can turn exponentially fast, and before the universe knows it, it might lose control of you cultivators. So, remember this, Jack. That was neither your first norst tribtion. The universe will keep trying to take you down. If you do survive, however, then your defiance will be a superpower. You and Brock can spread that shit and change the world. Even the Gods are afraid. Don¡¯t sleep on it.¡±

    Jack stared into the Sage¡¯s eyes, finding them glowing with a fierce, excited light. The next moment, it was gone. The Sage stood back to his full height, which wasn¡¯t much. ¡°Well, that was my advice, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to borate? That was cryptic as fuck.¡±

    ¡°You will understand when the timees. Now go have fun out there. I believe your date is waiting.¡±

 Chapter 478: Sparring Min Ling

    Chapter 478: Sparring Min Ling

    Jack floated in space. The Death Boat floated to the side, a looming behemoth, while the Bone Belt surrounded them in all directions, partially hiding the stars beyond. On a careful nce, Jack noticed this wasn¡¯t the same part of the Bone Belt they¡¯d been at before. The Death Boat had moved since his breakthrough. It made sense¡ªhe¡¯d raised quite a ruckus.

    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± his opponent called out. She raised her spear, pointing it straight at his nose. Red lightning danced on its tip. She grinned. The crowd cheered.

    Min Ling was a pale-skinned, dark-haired woman Jack had first met while training at the Cathedral. They¡¯d been C-Grades then, with her being at the very top of the rankings. Despite that, she was not an asshole¡ªa stark difference from many other cultivators.

    The two of them had adventured together in the Green Dragon Realm and spent three years meditating in a cave. They were good friends.

    Now, they had both reached the early B-Grade. Their once-uneven cultivations had caught up, and any sh between them would depend entirely on talent. That was what Min Ling wanted. She didn¡¯t think she could win, but she was a warrior. Facing the unprecedented genius of Jack Rust, she wanted to see how she stacked up. Her anticipation was through the roof. She¡¯d never been more excited.

    So was the crowd. They also didn¡¯t doubt the conclusion of this spar, but who would miss the opportunity to see two great talents go head-to-head?

    Who would miss Jack Rust¡¯s first battle since entering the B-Grade?

    Jack smiled. ¡°Prepare yourself, Min Ling. Here Ie.¡±

    ¡°No need to warn me! And, just so you know, I will be going all-out. If I identally kill you, it¡¯s your fault.¡±Heughed. ¡°You can try your¡ª¡±

    The spear point was between his eyes. Power sted out of Jack, slowing her down just enough to let him duck, dodging the strike. It zipped over his head, unleashing a straight thurst which prated the entire Bone Belt for a thousand miles. Rock and dust went flying. Space frothed like water currents.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. <em>That was fast!</em>

    His already clenched fist shot out, faster than Min Ling¡¯s spear. A cage of sparks appeared to block it. Intense lightning snaked into his body through his arm, trying to paralyze him or slow him down, but he easily shook it off. His fist kept going, smashing into Min Ling and sending her flying. She¡¯d barely managed to block with the body of her spear.

    ¡°Again!¡± she shouted. Her body blurred. Three Min Lings spread across space, each moving in a different trajectory. They flew in aplex pattern. Even Jack¡¯s elerated perception couldn¡¯t differentiate them.

    This wasn¡¯t just an application of Space Dao, but more of her extreme speed. Even Jack had to admit that, on this subject, he was outmatched.

    But speed was just one facet of battle.

    He also blurred. Two Jacks appeared, smashing into the three Min Lings. Spears met fists. By this point, Jack¡¯s knuckles were hard enough to sh directly against the tip of her spear. They were by far the most tempered part of his body.

    Blows rained from either side. The two Jacks and three Min Lings maneuvered around each other. It was a spectacr sight.

    ¡°Look, she¡¯s winning!¡± an audience member cried breathlessly.

    ¡°No, you idiot. Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s pushing her back?¡± another replied.

    Though there were two Jacks and three Min Lings, in truth, it didn¡¯t matter at all. Jack didn¡¯t practice this technique. He was purposely matching her strong attribute with his weak one, but even that wasn¡¯t enough. As the two sides struggled, Min Ling was pushed further and further back. She was faster than Jack, but not enough to secure an advantage. Meanwhile, he was stronger, more durable, with deeper insights into the Dao, and with significantly more energy at his disposal thanks to hisrger inner world.

    Jack burst with power. The feeling was almost ecstatic. He no longer needed to use the ambient Dao as he did in the D and C-Grades. It flooded out of him, an exorbitant amount of energy perfectly attuned with his Dao. It filled every spot of his body with firecrackers. This power was so explosive, so potent, that he moved at the speed of thought. His punches cracked out. Starry purple aura flowed outside his limbs, sshing back every time he attacked. To the spectators, he looked like a god.

    Min Ling was a boat in a storm, struggling just to stay afloat. She fell into a defensive position. ¡°Hah!¡± she shouted, her joy evident, as she pulled back to disengage. Her form-fitting leather armor was torn at ces¡ªher hair was disheveled, and she was panting, but her eyes remained spirited.

    ¡°You¡¯re good, Jack!¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve never lost to someone at the same cultivation level, and I don¡¯t n to start now!¡±

    ¡°Thene!¡± Jack replied. He, too, was excited. This battle was the best opportunity to familiarize himself with his new powers. Energy flooded his inner world, an amount iparable to anything he¡¯d ever wielded before. It was a ten thousand mile wide sphere which answered only to him. He could quite literally st a with pure energy and destroy it.

    Red sparks emerged from Min Ling¡¯s body. Purple mes burned. She was d in lightning and fire, her two main Daos, and Jack could feel her power rising. Space was quivering by her mere presence. ¡°This is my strongest form,¡± she dered. ¡°I know you possess a simr technique. Bring it out, and let¡¯s fight to our heart¡¯s content!¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Make me.¡±

    She snorted. Space rippled, and she disappeared. Her speed was vastly superior to before, as was her strength.

    Jack leaned forward. A spear appeared over his head, having stabbed at him from his blind spot, then curved down to smack him. He punched its body, sending it off-course. Min Ling stayed on him. She pressed her advantage. Hundreds of stabs and strikes assaulted him. She was like a dancer, twirling and turning, maintaining her spear¡¯s momentum as it pelted him with an increasing number of attacks. The lightning gave her explosiveness, the fire tenacity. She had him cornered and wasn¡¯t going to let go.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition.

    Jack twisted and turned. He ducked under a swing, leaned sideways to avoid a stab, then pped another off-course. As she danced, so did he. Min Ling teleported behind and below him, already mid-thrust. He teleported himself upside-down, punching the tip of her spear. Sparks erupted. Fist and spear both recoiled, but Min Ling twisted around herself, borrowing the momentum of Jack¡¯s attack to maintain her momentum.

    She was good. Very good. Jack¡¯s eyes shed with appreciation. Her technique was immacte, her body strong, and her Daos deep. Against any other opponent, she would have seemed unbeatable, as if she had no weakness. It was a shame that the one she fought was Jack, who was also an well-rounded fighter but better. His every attribute except speed was a tier above hers.

    Min Ling pelted Jack with attacks. She was going all-out. This form she was using could pressure Jack, but she was also spending tremendous amounts of energy to maintain it. If he just defended, he could probably endure until she grew exhausted.

    But where was the fun in that?

    Jack homed in. Spacetime warped around him, enhancing his movements while obstructing hers. He was like a fish in water¡ªlike a leaf in the wind, untouchable. No matter how many spear strikes surrounded him, they couldn¡¯t even scratch him. His eyes were focused. Every movement of her spear was clearly reflected there, as Jack gathered his energy and waited for his chance.

    He leaned back, then to the side, then flew up and teleported behind her. She matched the movement, still stabbing. He dodged every attack by a narrow margin, saving enough time to dodge the next one as well. His eyes remained glued on hers, sensing her frustration, her growing sense of impatience.

    A single spear strike went wide. Jack¡¯s eyes shed. <em>Now!</em>

    Lightning erupted from his body with a boom. Thunder Body activated. His speed and power shot up. To her credit, Min Ling reacted instantly. She abandoned her strike and brought her spear back to defend.

    Jack reached out, grabbed the spear body, and yanked it out of the way to expose her face. His strength was vastly superior. Min Ling had no way of stopping him. In the same movement, his other hand was clenched into a fist, shooting forward. He met her panicked eyes. She saw death.

    Jack¡¯s fist froze an inch before her face. She just remained there, unable to react in time. She was still blown back. He might have stopped his punch, but the momentum remained. Min Ling flew backward like a broken kite, her body warped by the extreme speed, crossing a thousand miles in the blink of an eye. Only then did she manage to stop herself, but the force of the strike kept going. The entire asteroid belt behind her exploded. A wide cone of emptiness cut right through it, sending rocks and dust and everything else flying away. A clear, starry sky was revealed at the far back.

    Min Ling stood frozen. She turned her head around to look, gasping at the sheer amount of destruction Jack had wrought. That was just the escaping energy. If he hadn¡¯t stopped his strike, all that energy would have gone into her face. Her head would disintegrate.

    She turned back to the front and chuckled helplessly, not even registering her disheveled hair or the blood that flowed from her nose. ¡°I lost,¡± she dered. Her voice reached the crowd. Voices rose in cheers, while many others spoke encouraging words.

    ¡°You fought great!¡± they said. ¡°That was awesome!¡±

    ¡°Keep rocking, Min Ling!¡±

    ¡°We love you!¡±

    Jack also received words of congrattions, but he only chuckled in amusement. Back during the Integration Tournament, the cheering audience had been made up of F-Grades, while the D-Grade mentors stood arrogantly at the back. Now, the least of his audience was D-Grades, with even B-Grades thrown in the mix. They were reacting the exact same way the F-Grades once had.

    It had nothing to do with individual power. Once a person joined a crowd, they were all the same¡ªand that was not a bad thing at all. It was a reminder that appearances were made-up. We were all humans at heart¡ªor, well, whatever species each of them belonged to.

    Or, maybe, personality had nothing to do with one¡¯s level. Every level had assholes and good people. Take Starhair, for example¡ªthe man had reached a level of power most people would wet themselves just thinking about, yet all he could do was sit away from the crowd and grumble like a loser.

    Jack turned and gave the man a thumbs-up. Starhair snorted.

    ¡°Good fight,¡± Min Ling said, appearing in front of Jack. ¡°I lost fair and square. It was my honor.¡± She extended a hand.

    Jack looked into her eyes and shook it. ¡°The honor was all mine,¡± he replied. ¡°You fought well. It wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed.¡±

    The crowd erupted in cheers. Unlike most of Jack¡¯s battles, there weren¡¯t any bad feelings involved here. It was just a wholesome show.

    She stuck out a tongue. ¡°Liar. You didn¡¯t use a single skill.¡±

    ¡°Thunder Body is a skill.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you only used it for show.¡±

    He winked. ¡°Really though. It seemed I was just dodging everything back there, but it was pushing me to the limit. You are by far the strongest opponent I have ever faced at the same level.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not as great as you make me out to be,¡± she said. ¡°Spoon once lowered his cultivation level to the early B-Grade and sparred with me. Hepletely kicked my ass.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack felt a sudden interest.

    ¡°Yeah. But, he already told me he won¡¯t do that for you. He wants to fight you at full power once you reach his level.¡±

    ¡°Who says I haven¡¯t?¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°Trust me, Jack. He¡¯s a whole different beast. When he reached eight thousand miles during his breakthrough, it was because he had an ident mid-way. The Elders thought he could have gone higher. Much higher.¡±

    Jack turned his head to the side. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon sat there, calmly sipping on his tea. They crossed eyes. <em>¡°I¡¯m ready whenever, big guy,¡± </em>Jack messaged him. Spoon smiled and ignored him. Jack smiled.

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoon had been the Head Envoy of the ck Hole Church since he was at the middle B-Grade. That meant he was the strongest B-Grade around. Now that he¡¯d reached thete B-Grade and was approaching the peak level¡­ Just how strong could he be?

    Jack felt a rare hint of excitement rising inside him. He really looked forward to fighting that man. Of course, if Spoon didn¡¯t feel like it, he couldn¡¯t force it.

    <em>¡°Next time,¡± </em>the sovereign¡¯s reply finally reached Jack¡¯s mind, and he nodded, satisfied.

    <em>¡°Next time.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Jack,¡± </em>a new voice came. It was Elder Boatman¡¯s, though it sounded oddly weakened. <em>¡°Come to the throne room. It¡¯s almost time for you to go.¡±</em>

    Jack looked around. Besides his master, he didn¡¯t have anything tying him down to the Death Boat. Dorman, who¡¯d arrived here alongside Jack, had already left to join the front lines. Even the Spoon Squad would depart soon. He turned his gaze to the Sage, who was sitting there as if untouched by anything.

    <em>A clone of Enas¡­ </em>Jack thought. He shook his head. Whatever was going on there was beyond his current paygrade. Once the time came for him to be involved, hopefully things would be clear.

    He looked back at Min Ling. ¡°I gotta go,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around?¡±

    She smiled. ¡°You bet.¡±

    The two exchanged a hug, then he teleported away.

 Chapter 479: Cultivating in the B-Grade

    Chapter 479: Cultivating in the B-Grade

    Jack teleported inside the bone throne room. White marble was all around. ck columns supported a high ceiling, while a massive, bone-adorned throne stood at the far back, atop a small flight of stairs. The middle of the room held a table with twelve seats, and at the first of those seats sat Elder Boatman.

    He also sat at the second seat. There were two Elder Boatmans.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Jack, let me introduce you to my clone,¡± the first Elder Boatman said. Both of them stood up.

    ¡°I remain one individual,¡± the second Elder Boatman said. ¡°I just split a small part of my soul to create the low-power clone you see before you. As long as they are in the same dimension, my two bodies canmunicate instantly regardless of distance. My clone will apany you to the New Cathedral.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack replied. Scanning the two Boatmans, he saw that the second was only at the early A-Grade level of power, while the first remained at thete A-Grade but had lost some intensity. ¡°You know, this would have been very useful while I was alone in System space.¡±

    ¡°Creating clones is not easy, Jack. You weren¡¯t worth it at the time. Plus, I didn¡¯t know all this was going to happen.¡±

    The second Boatman wore the same clothes and held the same weapon as the original body. On closer scrutiny, Jack found that his scythe radiated far less power. It felt like a replica.

    ¡°I understand,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Master. I hope this wasn¡¯t too hard on you.¡±¡°Nothing you need to worry about,¡± the first Boatman replied. ¡°We can leave as soon as your¡ª Uh. They¡¯re here.¡±

    A door opened, letting in Brock and Starhair. The two were ignoring each other. Starhair had never shown animosity towards Brock, but he had towards Jack, so Brock naturally followed suit. ¡°Hey bro,¡± the brori said with a huge smile. ¡°Hello, Master Grandpa Dead. Hello, uh, twin bro of Master Grandpa Dead.¡±

    ¡°Hey Brock,¡± Jack replied. ¡°That¡¯s a clone. He¡¯s still your Master Grandpa Dead, just in two bodies instead of one.¡±

    Elder Boatman groaned. ¡°If you could stop encouraging this farce, Jack, that would be great. Wee, Brock, Starhair. I trust you¡¯ve been informed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Starhair replied reverently. ¡°With your clone by our side, we are certain to have an uneventful journey. Thank you for your protection.¡±

    ¡°What an ass-kisser,¡± Jack whispered to Brock, loud enough for Starhair to hear.

    ¡°Ass-kisser Bro indeed.¡±

    ¡°Uneventful journeys are the worst kind,¡± Elder Boatman replied, ignoring Starhair¡¯s ttery. ¡°Since you¡¯re all gathered, there is no need to keep waiting. You can leave immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Starhair said as the space around them died, reced with a different scenery. They were in a starship floating alone in the Bone Belt. The Death Boat was barely visible in the distance through a window. Jack whistled, impressed once again at the efficiency with which Elder Boatman manipted space.

    This starship was the sleek, metallic kind designed for security. The windows were small and enhanced, while the walls were extra thick. The entire thing was shaped as a needle. Spreading his perception outside, Jack also discovered that the exterior of the starship felt fuzzy, as if his perception slid right off.

    ¡°Anti-detection,¡± the clone of Elder Boatman said, not exining further. The starship was empty when they arrived. It was just the four of them.

    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Jack said. ¡°Our crew is one-fourth asshole.¡±

    Starhair turned his head around so hard it could have cracked, while Boatman frowned. ¡°You will be civilized, Jack. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. We cannot afford infighting.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Brock went around and knocked on the walls. They replied with muffled thuds¡ªnot the hollow kind. ¡°Good ship,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±

    ¡°The Iron Maiden,¡± Elder Boatman replied.

    ¡°The hell? That¡¯s an ominous name if I¡¯ve ever seen one, Master!¡± Jack protested.

    ¡°There is a reason for it, Jack. There is always a reason. Now, I will handle the guidance of this thing. I don¡¯t specialize in the Dao of Space, so while I am not slow, I am not as fast as Bottomless, either. Moreover, we¡¯ll be operating in stealth mode. It will take us a few days to reach the New Cathedral. We¡¯ll probably encounter space monsters on the way, as this gxy is choke-full of them, but they shouldn¡¯t be a problem. You are free to stay in your rooms or walk around during the journey, but <em>no infighting. </em>Am I clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡± Starhair replied, standing at attention. Jack and Brock agreed a momentter.

    ¡°Good. Jack and Brock, I will approach youter to discuss your cultivation in the B-Grade. You are all dismissed.¡±

    Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ***

    Despite Elder Boatman¡¯s assurances, Jack felt that the Iron Maiden was not aptly named at all. There was no way it could be. The real iron maiden was a medieval device which killed the person inside it, and this starship was supposed to do the exact opposite. Sure, Jack could sense an odd Dao current flowing through the walls, but what function it could have and how it corrted to an iron maiden was beyond him.

    The starship didn¡¯t care for his concerns. It flowed smoothly through space like a propelled needle through the ocean. With Elder Boatman at the helm, space constantly warped around them, shooting them forward at tremendous speed. Stars twinkled all around. Despite the Elder¡¯s warning about space monsters, and despite the war raging everywhere, this gxy seemed oddly empty.

    Jack¡¯s mind was calm. He had his eyes closed, breathing to a steady rhythm. His chest rose and fell.

    He was cultivating.

    An endless expanseprised his inner world. It was sorge he almost couldn¡¯t see its limits, though he knew it was exactly ten thousand miles across, shaped as a perfect sphere. A fist-shaped meteor floated in the very middle, while Jack sat cross-legged on it, meditating.

    His real body was still in the outside world, and always would be, but he could manifest his willpower as a second body inside his inner world. Here, he was a god. Everything bowed to his desires. He wasn¡¯t cultivating either of his bodies, but the world itself.

    The inner world had once been filled with energy, but Jack had expended it all during his breakthrough. Now, the remaining energy was pitifully sparse. That didn¡¯t mean it was little in quantity, but that the area over which it spread was just humongous.

    In fact, the energy density was so low that it couldn¡¯t even condense into matter. It was just lonely, fist-shaped particles floating around.

    Jack focused. He took another deep breath, using his powers to draw in the ambient Dao particles of the real world, filtering them so they werepatible with his Dao. He then poured those particles into his inner world. They immediately dissipated into their surroundings and disappeared. Jack persisted. His real body became a funnel simr to a ck hole, relentlessly drawing in the energy of the universe and absorbing it into his inner world. The surrounding space stirred. Vacuum strips trailed behind the quickly-moving starship. Had it been sitting still, Jack would have already sucked dry the surrounding few miles of space.

    The volume of energy entering his inner world felt great. Yet, the moment it actually arrived, it dissipated, not even a drop in the bucket. The inner world was ten thousand miles across, with a volume of over four trillion cubic miles. That was just absurd. It was double the volume of the Earth. It felt like using a teaspoon to fill the ocean.

    Jack sighed, running out of patience. <em>This is pointless, </em>he realized.

    In the B-Grade, the System quantified one¡¯s progress using two metrics: Inner World Size and Matter Condensation. The first was self-exnatory. It indicated the diameter of one¡¯s inner world, with Jack¡¯s being a round ten thousand miles. The second metric, as Jack found out after asking Elder Boatman, was a fancy name for energy density.

    The B-Grade worked as follows:

    A cultivator started with a certain world size and abysmal energy density. To progress from one tier to the next, e.g. from the early to the middle B-Grade, they had to absorb energy into their inner world to increase its density. Once it reached a certain point¡ªwhich was at 100% matter condensation, or double the starting density¡ªthe inner world would be dense enough for the energy to condense into matter. That¡¯s where the fancy name came from.

    After matter appeared, the inner world¡¯s stability would increase. The cultivator then utilized that extra stability to expand the world again, increasing its diameter by one fourth and therefore, due to math, doubling its volume. That had the effect of reducing their energy density, pulling it back to 0%. The cultivator had stepped into the next minor tier, and the process began anew.

    In short, he had to cultivate until Matter Condensation went from 0 to 100%, then break through and double the volume of his inner world, then do it all over again. Afterpleting the third cycle, he would have reached the peak B-Grade, and he could then proceed to break into the A-Grade.

    It was simple in theory. Easy in practice. The problem was that it was damn time-consuming.

    Inner worlds possessed enormous volume. Even the smallest inner world with a thousand-mile diameter had volume counted in the billions of cubic miles. Jack¡¯s volume was a thousand times that. He was extremely powerful for his level, but the drawback was that breaking through each minor realm would be far more difficult for him than for other cultivators. Even with his deep foundation and Dao insights, which allowed for faster umtion of energy, cultivating was simply pointless.

    <strong>Inner World size: 10,000 miles</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: 0%</strong>

    He had spent an entire day cultivating, and all he¡¯d managed was to activate the Matter Condensation metric, turning it from a - to 0%. He wasn¡¯t close to 1%. He wasn¡¯t even close to a thousandth of a percent. The volume he had to fill up with energy was so massive, so endless, that he could spend his entire hundred thousand years of lifespan cultivating and only reach the middle B-Grade.

    He grumbled and sat up. Regr B-Grades often spent tens of thousands of years in cultivation between each minor realm, but he had neither the time nor the patience for that. He was at war. If he wanted to have any sort of impact, he¡¯d have to break through within a few years at the most.

    <em>Cultivating like this is a waste of time, </em>he decided. <em>I will progress by killing others to level up or using treasures. My time is best spent on the Dao.</em>

    That was the real path of cultivation. The Dao. And Jack, having just broken through and surpassed a heavenly tribtion, had a bunch of things to meditate on. He also had a Dao Vision to cash in. First, though, he wanted to get some fresh air.

    He exited his room, finding himself back at the bridge of the starship. Elder Boatman sat cross-legged at the very front, facing a window shing with the light of teleportation, while Brock stood before another window to the side. He seemed rxed and casual. He¡¯d even found some peanuts somewhere and was chomping them down.

    ¡°Hey Brock,¡± Jack said, approaching his little brother. ¡°You¡¯re also bummed out, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless,¡± Brock said. ¡°The world is too big. Waste of my time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Peanuts?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please. Where did you even find these?¡±

    ¡°Master Grandpa Dead gave me.¡±

    Jack threw an amused nce at Elder Boatman. Another door slid open, revealing Starhair, who was shaking his head at something. The moment he saw Jack, his face soured. He chose a different window and approached it without a word.

    Jack rolled his eyes and walked over.

 Chapter 480: Dao Talk

    Chapter 480: Dao Talk

    ¡°Hey man,¡± Jack said, stepping to the side of Starhair. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    The other cultivator didn¡¯t turn his head. His voice came aloof, almost dismissing. ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°Why are you being a dick to me? I don¡¯t remember doing anything to offend you.¡±

    Starhair gave Jack a long stare, not replying. Jack scoffed.

    ¡°Not that I particrly care,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fair share of assholes. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re stuck here for a few days, I¡¯m annoyed that my cultivation is slow, and I figured that maybe asking you would ruin your mood.¡±

    Starhair snorted. ¡°Of course it¡¯s slow. The B-Grade is adjusted for difficulty against a cultivator¡¯s potential. With your stupidlyrge inner world, it won¡¯t surprise me if you remain at the early B-Grade forever. It would suit you just right.¡±

    ¡°We both know that won¡¯t happen. I¡¯ll find a way.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Is that it, then? You¡¯re jealous?¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡±¡°You killed a family friend of mine. A C-Grade from my gxy. You know who I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    Jack scoffed again. ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest idea. I¡¯ve killed lots of people.¡±

    Starhair turned quickly, his gxy-like hair whipping around. His eyes shimmered with anger. ¡°Don Cranxiao, you imbecile. A heir of the Iron Fist Empire. He was from the Hammerhead Gxy, same as me, as you very well know.¡±

    Jack blinked in surprise.<em></em>The name was familiar, from a long time ago. When he first arrived at the Cathedral, Don Cranxiao had been an obnoxious, low-level bully. He was sheltered by his high-rank cousin, Baron Longform, and he often beat up or stole the Dao Stones of the bottom-rankers. He¡¯d eventually made the mistake of messing with Jack, who executed him in a public duel. It was what kickstarted his whole enmity with the much more dangerous Baron Longform.

    In Jack¡¯s mind, Don Cranxiao was nothing but a throw-away minor viin, one of the dozens he¡¯d faced throughout the years.

    ¡°First of all,¡± he said, ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about which gxy youe from, let alone Cranxiao. It¡¯s my first time hearing about a Hammerhead gxy. What stupid name is that, anyway? Second¡­ Really? You were friends with that clown? He was nothing but a little bully. I know you¡¯re an ass, but even you can do better.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t insult the dead. Cranxiao was a family friend. I had the implicit responsibility to protect him,¡± Starhair said, puffing out his chest. ¡°Because you killed him, I received the chastised by my gxy¡¯s A-Grade overlord.¡±

    Jack couldn¡¯t help it. Heughed.

    ¡°What are youughing about?¡± Starhair said, frowning deeply.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t,¡± Jack replied, stillughing. It wasn¡¯t out of mockery. This justification was so jarringly soft, so ridiculous, that he¡¯d been ambushed withughter. ¡°Let me tell you something, Starhair,¡± he said, wiping a tear off his eye. ¡°You and I are not the same kind of people. I¡¯m a warrior, and you are just a spoiled, powerful brat. Do you know what happened between me and myst real enemy? He tried to enve my. I killed his son, his best disciple, humiliated him publicly, cracked his Dao, and got him exiled from his family and home faction. In retaliation, he yet again invaded my home, abducted my son and killed him before my very eyes, then orchestrated a massive hunt for me. I had to go through hell and back to recover from my son¡¯s death and gain the power to face that man and his backers. Our conflict was the focal point of a constetion-wide war with casualties numbering in the tens of billions. In the end, not only did I defeat him and kill everyone who supported him, not only did I destroy a B-Grade faction with a million years of history, but I also forced his millions of descendants to change theirst name so he would dishonored for eternity.¡±

    Jack had stoppedughing. He wasn¡¯t angry, just amused. Meanwhile, Starhair had gone pale.

    ¡°So you can understair, Starhair,¡± Jack continued calmly, ¡°that when you use your peanut-sized brain to insult me only because you received a scolding from your gxy¡¯s big daddy, you do not intimidate me. I¡¯m not even offended. You are so refreshingly mild that all you achieve is to amuse me. If you want my advice, give it up, turn your life around, and stop being such a little bitch.¡±

    Starhair took a moment topose himself. He seemed both mortified and angry. ¡°I don¡¯t need your advice,¡± was all he managed to say.

    Jackughed. ¡°Just stay out of my damn feet,¡± he said, walking away. ¡°Clown.¡±

    He approached Brock again, ignoring Starhair¡¯s burning re on his back. Brock, who¡¯d listened to the conversation, shook his head. ¡°What a silly little bro,¡± he said.

    ¡°I heard that!¡± Starhair called out, only to be ignored by both.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s one worry off my head,¡± Jack said, shrugging. ¡°What are you going to do now? Meditate on your Dao?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Time is precious. We must work hard.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°After everything that happened, not having a time limit over our heads feels pretty nice, but we shouldn¡¯tze about.¡±

    This novel''s true home is a different tform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Brock gave him a good look. ¡°Are you okay, bro?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all in the past now, but thank you for worrying.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± Brock nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to meditate.¡±

    ¡°See you, bro.¡±

    Brock made to walk away. In the same moment, space warped between them. Elder Boatman appeared¡ªthe clone who was driving their ship. ¡°Disciples,¡± he said in his gravely voice. ¡°I have some time. Let¡¯s talk about your paths.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hi Master,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Hello, Master Grandpa Dead. Thanks for the peanuts. They were very tasty.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Brock, you go first. Tell me about your inner world.¡±

    The brori grinned. ¡°Okay! I have the bro world. It is gold and big. All my bros live there.¡±

    ¡°As phantoms, I assume?¡± the Elder asked.

    ¡°Yes. All real bros have phantoms in the central temple. There are also brori bros flying around.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so much more than mine,¡± Jack said. ¡°I just have a meteor and empty space.¡±

    ¡°Different Daos manifest differently, but it doesn''t mean much,¡± Elder Boatman exined. ¡°Does your inner world feel stable, Brock?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s an important point. It means you can just focus on gathering energy. Not by yourself, obviously¡ªthe New Cathedral contains many resources which I suspect they¡¯ll let you use.¡±

    Jack and Brock¡¯s faces lit up. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. The Arch Priestess controls these things.¡± Boatman waved a hand. ¡°What Daos do you focus on, Brock?¡±

    ¡°Brohood.¡±

    ¡°Just that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The rest of the Daos are just helpful bros.¡±

    Boatman sighed. ¡°That¡¯s good. I would normally be worried, but since you¡¯ve reached this stage without a problem, brotherhood must be one of the rare Daos which can be cultivated by themselves.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Brotherhood is everything.¡±

    ¡°For the early B-Grade realm,¡± Boatman advised, ¡°you should try to exercise your Dao as much as possible. Make bros. Do things with them. Help them and have them help you. I don¡¯t know if the New Cathedral has any Dao Visions suitable for you, but your path is very simple regardless. Just stay pure and true.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Thanks, Master Grandpa Dead.¡±

    ¡°And stop calling me that.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Master Bro.¡±

    Boatman closed his eyes and released a long, tired sigh. ¡°Never mind. Call me whatever you want. Now, Jack¡ªyour path is significantly moreplicated than your brother¡¯s. I understand that you cultivate Life and Death alongside Time and Space. Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The Fist is the core of my Dao, and it represents Life. The rest are built around it. Life and Death are my primary duality, and Spacetime is secondary.¡±

    Boatman nodded. ¡°You understand it is a difficult path. Even most Archons only pursue one or two Daos to the apex. You want to go for four, and you have very little time to do so because of the looming war. Tell me the truth¡ªis there any way I can talk you out of this?¡±

    Jack grinned. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Boatman sighed. ¡°Then, here¡¯s what you need to do. Pursue Life and Death concurrently. Use all the time and resources you can on those two Daos, making sure you reach as far as possible and that they remain bnced. Spacetime will hopefully follow by itself. It¡¯s okay if itgs behind a bit¡ªyou¡¯ll have time to make up for it in the A-Grade.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°As for your cultivation, there is no point wasting your time, as you¡¯ve no doubt realized yourself. The process would take tens of thousands of years for each minor realm. Just look for treasures and other opportunities to advance quickly. I want your Dao to remain as your focus, at least for now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re listening¡ªthat already surpasses my expectations. Tell me about your ss.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something called Paragon of Cultivation,¡± Jack exined. ¡°A Legendary ss.¡±

    ¡°Legendary?¡± Boatman raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s its tier. It¡¯s not King, but Legendary. I think that¡¯s better.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that.¡±

    ¡°The System said it¡¯s because I pushed a new boundary in cultivation, opening the path for future generations.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, yes. That makes sense. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never heard about it.¡± Boatman raised a hand to scratch his pale head. He seemed intrigued. ¡°Then again, you did reach ten thousand miles during your breakthrough. I guess it¡¯s possible. You wouldn¡¯t lie. Based on your description, such a ss should have been awarded to other cultivators in the past, but I¡¯m not surprised it never reached my ears. People tend to keep their sses a secret. It can serve as a clue about their strengths and weaknesses.¡±

    Jack shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a big deal or not, but the ss dide with certain benefits. It gives me more stats per level. It also grants me a top-level Dao Vision at every minor realm, and it came with a skill which lets me contact an Immortal directly to receive guidance.¡±

    ¡°Contact an Immortal?¡± Boatman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s important. Immortals possess virtually infinite knowledge and resources, and they almost never ept disciples. Having one of them as your mentor would be a huge deal¡ªand, depending on your allegiance, maybe not something you¡¯d want to share. That would exin why there is no mention of this ss in the Church¡¯s records. It¡¯s an easy path to treason¡ªnobody would reveal this.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Jack scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not nning on actually contacting the Immortals. I¡¯m not a traitor.¡±

    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t. It¡¯s a good thing you let me know¡ªa direct channel ofmunication to the Immortals could be a strategic advantage, if you don¡¯t mind sharing this with the Arch Priestess as well. But it probably won¡¯t work unless you¡¯re inside System space.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s useless.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. There are some things we can do. Those Dao Visions you mentioned should also need the System to work. They obviously aren¡¯t stored in the little System core inside you¡ªyou will need to be in System space to receive them.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I told you¡ªthere are things we can do, but we¡¯ll need to reach the New Cathedral first. Just focus on your Daos for now. Stabilize your foundation. Get ready to leap forward once you receive those Dao Visions. Each will only be about a single Dao, anyway, so most of the heavy lifting will be done by yourself.¡± He sighed. ¡°See how easy this would be if you focused on just one or two Daos?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but I think I can handle four.¡±

    ¡°What else I can do except believe in you?¡± Boatman shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s all I had to say for now. If there is nothing else¡ª¡±

    The starship shook. The teleportation was cut short. Jack looked out the window and saw the inside of pulsating suckers surrounded by bright pink flesh. Something had grabbed their ship and ripped it directly out of the deep spacetimeyers. Something big.

 Chapter 481: Fighting A-Grade

    Chapter 481: Fighting A-Grade

    The Iron Maiden groaned. Metal bent. Jack and Brock took a step to steady themselves while Elder Boatman gazed outside the window. Finally, he rxed. ¡°What are you sitting around for?¡± he asked Jack. ¡°Go out there and kill that thing.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You heard me. You should hurry, too, or it will damage our ship.¡±

    More sounds of creaking metal. Something gave way. A piece of the hull was torn apart. Jack cursed out loud, then teleported outside the starship, staring at it from a distance. He also stared at the space monster.

    It was a monstrosity. Arge, bright pink mass of flesh with eight thrashing limbs, one of which was wrapped around their starship. The monster was significantlyrger than the ship, over three hundred feet from end to end, and it used its tentacle to bring the ship closer to its single eye, inspecting it carefully. Jack saw the Elder waving.

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± he muttered. This was an octopus. He had traveled to a different gxy to fight an octopus.

    Despite its small bodypared to other space monsters, the octopus contained a vast amount of energy. It felt more like a natural disaster than a creature. Every inch of its body was saturated, hinting at extreme physical power. The fact that the starship hadn¡¯t instantly imploded in its grasp meant there were Dao protections at y.

    Unlike lower-rank space monsters, which relied solely on their physical superiority to crush their opponents, this octopusprehended the Dao as well. It had reached into a deepyer of space to pull them out of their teleportation, something Jack hadn¡¯t even known was possible. Spacetime fluctuated around it like the surface of the sea in a storm, creating an area of danger several thousand miles wide. If a C-Grade cultivator was ced in this range, they would be immediately torn apart. Thankfully, Jack also cultivated the Dao of Space, so he could resist with little effort.

    At least, this space monster wasn¡¯t of the intelligent variety. Jack wasn¡¯t sure how that worked, but he knew that starting from the D-Grade, more and more space monsters were intelligent. He guessed some species were more bestial than others.This was outside System space, so he couldn¡¯t just inspect the creature. He could, however, use his experience to estimate its strength from the Dao fluctuations it emitted. The result made his heart clench. This octopus creature possessed strength squarely at the early A-Grade.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± he muttered. Elder Boatman had mentioned this gxy being overrun with powerful space monsters, but randomly bumping into an A-Grade was just too much. Too coincidental. There couldn¡¯t be more than a couple of them across the entire gxy. Had the Elder driven them here on purpose so Jack could fight the giant octopus?

    The monster opened its beaked mouth¡ªwhat the fuck?¡ªand screamed at the starship. Spacetime rumbled. Jack reinforced the spacetime around him in a bubble so he wouldn¡¯t be affected. The starship shook but held¡ªit was absolutely fine. Elder Boatman was on the case.

    Two shes arrived beside Jack. One was Brock, calmly floating in space surrounded by a golden sphere. He didn¡¯tprehend spacetime, but he could use raw power to protect himself. Starhair didprehend spacetime. His hair formed into six thick strands, each glowing like a river of stars. They swirled above his head like an entire gxy, and they released a discreet aura which kept the octopus¡¯s area attacks at bay.

    ¡°This is an A-Grade space monster specializing in spacetime,¡± Starhair said quickly, offering no new information. ¡°I know you¡¯re stupid, but follow my instructions. We need to work together.¡±

    Jack and Brock exchanged a nce. Brock brought his hands together, pulling the Goldenwood Staff out of his space ring and twirling it once. A golden aura spread over Jack, enhancing him.

    Jack released his Dao. Power surged from his inner world, filling him to the brim. Every cell in his body activated. Purple aura erupted from his body, almost corporeal, dying the world. It was quickly joined by lightning sparks as he activated Thunder Body. He shed forward, his aura trailing behind him, and every movement released new strands of purple.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t order you to attack!¡± Starhair eximed.

    The octopus had noticed them from the start, but it ignored them. In its eyes, they weren¡¯t worth bothering. Only Elder Boatman¡¯s early A-Grade clone, still inside the starship, was its real opponent. Even when Jack charged at the octopus, it just swiped a tentacle at him without even looking.

    But Jack wasn¡¯t your average early B-Grade.

    He grinned. The octopus used the Dao of Spacetime, but so did he. He charged up a massive punch. The fabric of reality was wrestled from the octopus¡¯s control. Every aspect of the universe and every Dao particle was sucked into Jack¡¯s punch,pressed to the extreme. The world around him turned to void.

    The tentacle swiped, but Jack forcefully bent spacetime and teleported out of the way. He appeared over the octopus¡¯s head, fist alreadying down. He grinned. ¡°Supernova!¡±

    It felt like a mortal punching a wooden wall. Jack¡¯s hand barely held. A massive explosion followed, showering the world in white and purple light. The void disintegrated for ten thousand miles. The octopus screamed, sent flying downward as it let go of the starship, which spun away. A powerful shockwave still spread, disturbing the surrounding space. The light persisted for a few moments, and the heat was enough to disintegrate metal.

    When the explosion receded, Jack gazed at his bloodied hand which had already regenerated. He chuckled. ¡°Tough motherfucker.¡±

    The octopus screeched. It had been thrown a long distance away, but it just teleported back. It no longer ignored him. A crater was formed on its head, with milky, almost transparent blood flowing out. The octopus red at Jack, and space coagted around him. The pressure intensified. He could no longer move.

    It swept two tentacles at him from different directions. They moved at almost the speed of light. Jack turned towards one of them, clenched his fist, and shot it out. The second tentacle came for his back. Brock appeared at thest moment, holding out a palm. A thousand golden broris ovepped with him, copying the motion. The tentacle pped against his palm, which shone golden. Brock was forced a few feet backward, and his arm creaked ominously, but he held.

    Jack punched his own tentacle away.

    ¡°Now, Ass-Kisser Bro!¡± Brock shouted.

    ¡°What did you call me!?¡± A scream came from above, where Starhair appeared and fell onto the octopus. His six strands of starry hair spun like a saw, each elongating to resemble a de. They hacked into the octopus¡¯s head where Jack had hit it. The monster screamed in pain.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my fucking name!¡± Starhair shouted as he retreated next to Jack and Brock. ¡°I¡¯m the leader here! You follow mymands! Listen well: Jack and I will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Toote, ass-kisser,¡± Jack interrupted him. ¡°Here ites.¡±

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    The monster was utterly enraged now. A pulse emanated from its body, locking down spacetime. Even Jack couldn¡¯t teleport. At the same time, all eight of its tentacles elongated, growing from a hundred feet to several miles long. Only its head remained at its former size, making it resemble a weird-ass kind of jellyfish. It opened its beak mouth to screech¡ªand then all eight tentacles shot forward at once, moving at the speed of light, eviscerating the distance.

    ¡°Brock!¡± Jack shouted.

    The brori shone golden. He brought his hands together, facing the storm of tentacles. ¡°Good bros are everywhere!¡± he shouted. A hundred illusory, golden broris shot out of his body, spreading in all directions. Their bodies warped. From golden broris, they transformed into Brock, Jack, and Starhair, hiding the real ones in a sea of illusions. Even their Dao signatures were almost identical to the originals.

    The octopus didn¡¯t care. Its tentacles pped forward, tearing through the illusions. A dozen cultivators disappeared every instant. Brock¡¯s defenses wouldst less than a second¡ªbut that was enough.

    The real Jack swam between the tentacles, flying at extreme speed. He didn¡¯t just have to avoid their tips; the entire length of the tentacles danced wildly, striking from every direction without warning, tearing apart the void. The closer Jack approached to the main body, the tighter they were packed. He shot under a tentacle, dodged the random swipe of another, then pressed against it with his feet andunched off. The locked spacetime shivered as he passed. A river of starry purple was left behind him. Sparks rose from his body, further increasing his power as he sailed closer to the main body of the octopus.

    The illusions were mostly gone by now, and Jack was too eye-catching. He was also too close. The octopus screeched and coiled one of its tentacles, attempting to swipe him out of the air. Jack ignored it. ¡°Starhair!¡± he shouted.

    The other man was attempting a simr n, but he was being much more discreet about it. He still hadn¡¯t been noticed. Unfortunately for him, he also happened to be right between Jack and the swinging tentacle. His eyes widened. ¡°Goddamnit!¡± he screamed. ¡°I¡¯m not your shield, Jack Rust!¡±

    He could have tried to dodge. To his credit, he went with Jack¡¯s n and used all six of his hair strands to block the tentacle. There was a wet, pping sound. Jack rushed through. Starhair remained tangled with that one tentacle, his hair wrapped around it and seething in rage. Brock also rushed through, following Jack and shouting, ¡°Good job, Ass-Kisser Bro!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my fucking name!¡±

    The octopus hadn¡¯t expected its attack to be blocked by someone else. It had no more time to react. Jack was upon it, almost face-to-face with its main body. The single eye of the octopus widened as it saw his fist approach. It abruptly rotated its body, and Jack was now facing not its soft eye, but the beak it had for a mouth, surrounded by the roots of all eight tentacles.

    He rushed into it regardless. He pulled back a fist. The beak opened to bite down on him, revealing a gaping darkness.

    Jack reached the mouth. At thest moment, he abandoned his punch. A new pulse of power erupted from his body. He straightened himself. As the beak mped down, ready to tear him apart, he stepped on its bottom half and grabbed the top one with his hands. For a single, terrible moment, he thought he¡¯d miscalcted. The beak pushed itself closed with terrible force, and Jack¡¯s body was bending under the pressure. His arms and legs were shaking. He pulled more and more power out of his inner world, flooding his body, using everything he had to keep the beak open.

    Space monsters specialized in physicality, but so did Jack, and he had an effective twenty thousand Strength. It was about damn time he put it to use!

    A momentter, the closing beak slowed. Its momentum faltered, and the pressure reduced. Jack was left in the monster¡¯s beak, holding it open with all his strength. He felt like As holding up the sky. His entire body was on the verge of breaking, but he possessed enough strength, just as he suspected.

    He was stuck. Any moment now, the monster would wrap a tentacle around him and squish him to death. However, he¡¯d temporarily kept the beak open. That was enough.

    ¡°Staff Bro, I choose you!¡± a shout came from behind him. A golden arrow flew by his head¡ªthe Goldenwood Staff, overcharged with the Dao of Brohood. It flew right into the octopus¡¯s open mouth. Golden light illuminated the darkness, revealing a vast emptiness. As it turned out, the octopus¡¯s head was hollow. But not for long.

    The golden aura around the staff erupted. A hundred broris appeared, wielding various weapons, and they started attacking the octopus from within. Transparent blood flew everywhere.

    This space monster possessed extreme durability, but so what? Its insides were naturally softer than its outsides, not to mention that the broris could attack it freely. Even if the damage they inflicted with each strike was minimal, it quickly added up. The octopus screamed and thrashed, growing more panicked by the second. It even released Jack, who managed to slip out of its mouth, his limbs still trembling by the effort.

    He and Brock remained nearby. Whilst being torn apart from the inside, it couldn¡¯t focus on them. Its attacks were wild and predictable. Both of them could easily dodge, pelting the space monster with their own attacks to expedite its fall. Starhair also assisted¡ªhis strands of starry hair possessed great offensive power.

    The octopus weakened with every passing moment. Soon, itpletely lost all power to resist, and then it was over.

    A massive bodyy across this ravaged part of space. Spacetime was returning to order as a sea of milky, transparent blood slowly spread out. ¡°Good fight,¡± Brock said, grinning. ¡°Nice teamwork, Ass-Kisser Bro.¡±

    ¡°How many times do I need to tell you? Stop calling me that!¡±

    ¡°Man, fighting in the B-Grade is so fun,¡± Jack said, clenching and unclenching his fist. He had so much power at his disposal. He could sense himself growing stronger. There was an addictive element to this progression¡ªan almost euphoric sense of improvement.

    ¡°That was stupid, by the way,¡± Starhair said. ¡°Going into its beak like that? It¡¯s a space monster. They¡¯re supposed to be strong. You¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡±

    Jack winked at him. ¡°I knew what I was doing. The monster was very fast and extremely durable, but when it struck me at the start, I could tell that its strength wascking. As for me, I specialize in Physical. I was pretty sure I could overpower its beak. Even if I couldn¡¯t, I¡¯m also durable¡ªI wouldn¡¯t die.¡±

    Starhair snorted, looking away. A sh came between them all. Elder Boatman appeared, calm and collected. ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t have to help.¡±

    ¡°Did you bring us to this monster on purpose?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Of course. It is known to inhabit this territory of space, so we took a little detour. It was a good opportunity for you to practice fighting together.¡±

    ¡°Why would we need that?¡± Jack asked, eyeing Starhair.

    ¡°Because we¡¯re all part of the same faction. We¡¯re an army at war. All battles are group battles, and the faster you get used to that, the better.¡± He swiped a pale hand. The body of the octopus and its sea of blood disappeared, leaving only Brock¡¯s staff hovering in the middle. There was also a little pink ball. Like a miniature version of the octopus, except fist-sized, perfectly smooth, and without tentacles. Elder Boatman opened his hand, and the ball flew to him.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Jack asked.

    Boatman gave him a look. ¡°Have you never killed a space monster outside System space?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not asmon as you make it sound.¡±

    The Elder smirked. ¡°This is the monster¡¯s core,¡± he said, raising the ball so Jack and Brock could take a better look. ¡°The condensed energy source of a space monster. Very useful for cultivation. If you kill a space monster in System space, the System automatically disperses this core and grants you its energy as levels. That process, and space monster cores, are what the entire leveling aspect of the System is based on Here, you have to do it manually, but it¡¯s the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack eximed.

    ¡°Since Brock delivered most of the damage, this core belongs to him,¡± Boatman said, tossing it over to the brori. ¡°It should have enough energy to give you a dozen levels. Use it wisely.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Master Grandpa Dead. I will share with my bros.¡±

    Boatman nodded. ¡°However,¡± he said, ¡°I am not pleased with how you two acted. As the one with the highest cultivation, Starhair is automatically in charge. You should have followed his orders.¡±

    ¡°He would have given dumbass orders,¡± Jack said. ¡°He¡¯s not familiar with us and our fighting styles, plus he¡¯s less intelligent than the octopus.¡±

    ¡°You may have your differences, but Starhair is an elite peak B-Grade with thousands of years of experience. You, on the other hand, have been cultivators for less than a decade. It would do you good to practice some humility.¡±

    Jack and Brock deted. They made fun of Starhair, but they had to admit Boatman had a point. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Jack said. Next time, he would wait for the stupid orders to actually arrive before disobeying them, so nobody couldin.

    Starhair puffed up. ¡°Serves you right, younglings.¡± He ignored their res.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get going,¡± Boatman said. ¡°We¡¯re only halfway there, and we don¡¯t want to leave the Arch Priestess waiting.¡±

 Chapter 482: It Awakens

    Chapter 482: It Awakens

    It¡¯s important to have a way forward. A guiding line, pulling you towards where you need to be. Jack meditated on that as the starship shuttled closer and closer to the New Cathedral.

    <em>What is my path now? </em>he wondered. <em>I¡¯ve saved Earth, destroyed the Animal Kingdom, and avenged my son¡­ Now, where is my fist aimed?</em>

    At the Immortals. That much was easy. In the previous years, Jack had matured greatly and understood many things. The reason he and Earth suffered so much was due to the Immortals. The Animal Kingdom was just a symptom¡ªthe System was the real cause. It sank the gxies into permanent war, encouraging everyone to kill each other. It rewarded levels for blood. Of course it would create tyrants. In such an environment, any system of government not based on raw power was bound to copse.

    The Immortals and their System had made the universe suffer for a billion years now, all to create as many warriors as possible. Trillions of lives had fallen for their cause. It didn¡¯t have to be this way. Cultivation was meant to be a slow, peaceful process. There would always be enemies and killing, even war, but the world order should try to prevent that, not actively encourage it.

    Jack had attained his own freedom. He¡¯d liberated his people. Now, he fought to save the world.

    He was certainly against the Immortals. As for whether the Old Gods were a good alternative¡­ That remained to be seen.

    His rumination was interrupted by a constant whisper at the back of his mind. He sighed. Just a little bit ago, he¡¯d made a mistake.

    He¡¯d opened his space ring to find The Stone, a bbering pebble he¡¯d once picked up from the corpse of Eva Solvig. He hadn¡¯t given it much thought at the time, but The Stone was lonely. The moment he took it out, guilt-ridden into keeping itpany for a while, it hadunched into a ceaseless barrage of questions.

    ¡°Oh, hi!¡± it had said in its high-pitched voice. ¡°Long time no see. How are you doing? All good? Where are we? Nice room, by the way. I love the window. Is that the Spiral Stair gxy? You have a little bit of spit on you, by the way. Did you face a Spitting Smander? Those critters are vicious!¡±The Stone had just rattled out of the name of this gxy, which it should have no way of knowing. It couldn¡¯t overhear from inside the space ring.

    ¡°How do you know this is the Spiral Stair gxy?¡± Jack asked, wiping his hair.

    ¡°Good question. I wish I knew. So, anyway, how have you been? Tell daddy everything.¡±

    Jack had opened and closed his mouth to no effect. He¡¯d persisted for a bit, but The Stone really seemed to not remember much. It just instinctively recognized this gxy. Its mystery deepened with the moment. ording to Eva¡¯s notes, she¡¯d found it on an asteroid in the Milky Way. What connection did it have to the Spiral Stair gxy? And how did it get from here to there?

    Unfortunately, he got no new information out of it. After humoring The Stone for a half-hour of ultra-high-speed chatting, he suddenly had an idea. He ced it in his inner world, where it could hang out with Copy Jack, who had nothing better to do anyway. Meanwhile, Jack could ponder on his Dao guilt-free.

    That idea had backfired, since Jack had a constant awareness of his inner world. The Stone¡¯s speech barrage reached his mind like a persistent, distant whisper, frequently breaking him out of his thoughts. It didn¡¯t matter that Copy Jack only replied with grunts and, ¡°Is that so?¡± The Stone just kept going. If there was apetitive talking league, it would have swept the trophies.

    Jack took a break from meditation, massaging his temples. <em>This can¡¯t go on, </em>he decided. <em>I don¡¯t care how lonely it is, it¡¯s going back in the space ring.</em>

    He entered his inner world, finding the Stone flying around the head of Copy Jack. Even he seemed annoyed.

    ¡°Oh, hi real Jack,¡± the Stone said the moment he appeared. ¡°We were just discussing whether you should put on both socks before both shoes, or one at a time. <em>I </em>support that the most organized people¡­¡±

    It just kept going and going. Jack hardened his heart, and he was about to pull it away when a mighty roar sted throughout his entire inner world. ¡°KID!¡± it screamed. ¡°For the love of Enas, make it stop!¡±

    Jack looked up. His gaze brightened with surprise. ¡°Turtle!¡± he eximed. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    ¡°My name is Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, and you will make that chattering thing shut up or I will break it to pieces!¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°But you can¡¯t exit the Life Drop.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    A green ray of light emerged from the inactive Life Drop. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell appeared in Jack¡¯s inner world. It was evenrger than he remembered¡ªalmost a mile from head to tail. Yet,pared to the size of his inner world, it was nothing. It had a wide shell of interlocking tes, the head of a snapping turtle, and wise, beady little eyes. If not for its power and intelligence, it could have been a magnified snapping turtle.

    As Jack inspected it, he realized he¡¯d now grown to the point where he could estimate its strength. It wasn¡¯t at the B-Grade, as he had assumed, but at the early A-Grade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I can and can¡¯t do, kid!¡± It snorted, satisfied at Jack¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°I am the senior here. If I tell you to shut it up, you will¡­¡± It trailed off. It looked around, its eyes going from annoyance to wonder. ¡°What the hell did you do, kid?¡± it asked in a whisper. ¡°Howrge is this ce?¡±

    ¡°Ten thousand miles,¡± Jack replied with a grin.

    ¡°Hi!¡± The Stone eximed. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am The Stone! From what I understand, you are The Turtle?¡±

    ¡°Who¡ª Fuck you. I am Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.¡±

    ¡°That is no way to speak. Politeness is the cornerstone of civilization. Let me recite you a sermon I seem to recall hearing somewhere. It all began when¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ Just stay quiet,¡± the turtle said, deting. ¡°Jack. Kid. What the hell is going on here? How long was I asleep?¡±

    ¡°Almost five years,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re telling me you went from a middle C-Grade to this in just five years?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The turtle choked. ¡°You damn monster,¡± it said, but Jack could hear the pride in its voice. ¡°I¡¯m d I exhausted myself to save you.¡±

    ¡°So am I.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°It was okay. Just a little power nap. I can¡¯t believe I was awoken by a prattling stone, of all things.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±

    ¡°Annoying.¡±

    ¡°But besides that?¡±

    ¡°No clue, kid. Do I look like an encyclopedia to you?¡± It snorted at its own joke. ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m d I woke up. There are many things to talk about, and¡ª Kid! What did you do to the Divine Blood? It¡¯s empty!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. That happened. I used all of its energy in my B-Grade breakthrough.¡±

    The turtle seemed like it would have an aneurysm. ¡°You used it all up?¡± it repeated. ¡°A billion years of umtion, and you used it all up? You just reached the B-Grade! This is absurd!¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better, it was very helpful.¡±

    ¡°Helpful? Ohh kid, I¡¯ll fuck you up!¡±

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    The turtle rushed Jack, who just willed it back into the Life Drop. It may be an almighty entity, but it was now inside his inner world. Here, he was a god. It couldn¡¯t do anything to him.

    Not that it really intended to harm him, anyway. It was just ying around.

    ¡°Okay, I give up!¡± the turtle¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Bring me out again, we need to talk!¡±

    ¡°In a moment,¡± Jack said, suppressing hisughter. ¡°Attacking me wasn¡¯t very senior-like of you. Therefore, you should embrace your responsibilities and grace the younger generation with your knowledge. Here¡¯s a perfect candidate.¡±

    With a tug of will, he transported The Stone into the Life Drop.

    ¡°No!¡± the turtle cried out in horror. ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise! Just take this thing out of here!¡±

    Jack could already hear The Stone¡¯s endless chatting. ¡°Have fun!¡± he said, then sealed the Life Drop. Heughed. The turtle liked to act tough, but it had a good heart. It wouldn¡¯t actually harm The Stone. If anything, maybe a few hours of chatting would sap away The Stone¡¯s energy so Jack could have a proper chat with it.

    He also had a few things to talk about with the turtle, but they could wait. Anything for a moment of quiet.

    ***

    The stone was inexhaustible. Even when Jack unsealed the Life Drop several hourster, he found it still chatting away. The turtle had used its own energy to seal The Stone in a bubble, effectively muting it. The Stone didn¡¯t seem to notice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise,¡± the turtle said as Jack pulled it out of the Life Drop. ¡°Just, for the love of Enas, make it stop.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said. ¡°The Stone is lonely. It needed somepany.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also lonely, but I would rather bury myself in an active star than stand its chattering for a single moment longer.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°How much clearer could I make it?¡±

    ¡°Not that. That you¡¯re lonely. I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    The turtle fell silent for a moment. ¡°In any case,¡± it changed the subject, ¡°now that I¡¯m awake, there are a few things to get in order. First, what the hell did you do to be so powerful so quickly?¡±

    Jack smiled. He briefly exined everything that happened since the turtle fell asleep at the Green Dragon Realm.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your son,¡± it replied when Jack was done. For the first time, Jack thought he heard genuine care in its voice. It then sighed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s good that this happened when it happened. Your road had been too smooth. You needed a setback. It builds character.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°Master Boatman said the same thing, but let¡¯s not talk about that. I have some things to ask you. You¡¯ve been alive for a long, long time. Have you been in the Life Drop since after the First Crusade, when Enas was imprisoned?¡±

    The turtle settled down. It rested its huge body on the fist-shaped meteor in the center of Jack¡¯s world, then sighed deeply. ¡°Some things are blurry,¡± it finally exined. Its voice had lowered to a whisper. ¡°I was in intermittent stasis until you awakened the Life Drop. I understood it¡¯s been a billion years, but¡­ Mortal bodies are not meant tost that long. Not even mine. Even asleep, part of my mind has deteriorated.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Jack ced a hand on its shell. ¡°As much you remember. Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Anyway. I wasn¡¯t going to give you this information before, but since you¡¯ve now reached a decent level, it¡¯s best if you know.¡± It took a deep breath. ¡°My name is Venerable Saint Thousand Shell. A space monster. I am¡ªwas¡ªthe spiritualpanion of the man you call Archon ck Hole. His real name was ude.¡±

    Jack nodded. He¡¯d suspected this much. Archon ck Hole wielded great power during the First Crusade and had founded the ck Hole Church. He was also the creator of the ck Hole World, where Jack had spent a year of his life. After all that, Jack had expected him to be somehow rted to the Life Drop, though he didn¡¯t expect the turtle to be that man¡¯s spiritualpanion. It was to him what Brock was to Jack.

    ¡°ude,¡± he said, tasting the name. He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s so normal.¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? It¡¯s not like people knew he¡¯d grow up to be an Archon when he was born. Most high-status people have normal names, which is why they prefer to use their titles. It makes them sound cooler. I think that¡¯s stupid.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Is that so, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my real name, kid!¡± the turtle shouted. It proudly raised its head. ¡°It was given to me by ude.¡±

    ¡°Right. So, you guys were bros?¡±

    ¡°Bros?¡±

    ¡°Friends. Sorry, boomer.¡±

    It gave him a funny look. ¡°We were close, yes. Of course we were. I had left my homnd and was escaping through the cosmos when I ran into ude at the fringes of a Systemless gxy. We fought, and he subdued me. However, surprised at my intelligence, he didn¡¯t kill me. We talked, bonded, and decided to travel together since we were both alone in the universe.¡±

    Jack almost thought this was touching before he realized what the turtle had just revealed. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°I know the Archon was an ouw, or kind of, but what about you? You mentioned you were escaping from your homnd?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. You¡¯ll never get anywhere close to it, anyway. Just know that space monsters are divided into the sapient and beastly types, and the sapient ones have their own world in another gxy. Back to the point. I met ude while he still pretended to be allied with the Immortals. I helped him sow the seeds of an uprising, culminating into the organization now known as the ck Hole Church¡ªa group of individuals fed up with the tyrannical and warmongering Immortals. We worshiped Enas, who, if freed from his prison, might possess the power to unite the Old Gods and once again assault the Immortals. That was the only way to bring them down¡ªthey were too powerful otherwise.¡±

    ¡°So you intended tounch a reverse Crusade?¡±

    ¡°Essentially, yes. But rescuing Enas was a long and difficult road. Bluntly put, we had no idea how to do it. All solutions we coulde up with required a set of near-impossible coincidences, and the time horizon of our ns was discouragingly long. Finally, some of us couldn¡¯t take it anymore. We broke away from the Immortals and officially formed the ck Hole Church, trying to save as many people as possible. Since we knew the n would be inherited by our descendants, we set up various contingencies. ude had secretly installed the Life Drop in one of the Trials, cing me as its guardian spirit. His life was running out, anyway, so he was tying up loose ends. He was also working on the ck Hole World you discovered. I¡¯m d he seeded, though it saddens me to hear his descendants have been trapped there ever since.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be free soon,¡± Jack replied. ¡°As for that set of coincidences you mentioned¡­ I believe they¡¯ve finally urred. The Church is close to rescuing Enas, though I don¡¯t know the specifics.¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡±

    The shout was so loud and so sudden Jack was flung back. The resting turtle broke away from its reminiscence and jumped to its feet, regarding him with almost dog-like excitement. ¡°Start with that next time, kid! That¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s the best news ever!¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Jack replied, holding his ear.

    ¡°It is! I won¡¯t ask if you won¡¯t say, but ohhh kid, how my old bones are tingling for a fight. I¡¯m so d I slept for a billion years. I get to carry out ude¡¯sst wish! This is great!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Jack said. The turtle was even wagging its tail. ¡°So, uh, is there anything you want to tell me? Some instructions on how to use the Life Drop? And with less shouting, please.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. If I want to shout, kid, then I will shout. And, oh, <em>now</em> you care about the Life Drop? After you wrung it dry of its billion years of umtion?¡±

    ¡°What else was I supposed to do? You were asleep.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I seem to recall, kid, that you owed me some life energy from before I fell asleep. You¡¯d borrowed some to create your silly little life stones or whatever and we¡¯d agreed you¡¯d return it.¡±

    ¡°I would, but again, you were asleep.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now. Hand it over. And with proper dues¡ªit¡¯s been four years since your deadline to pay me back, so let¡¯s just say you owe me double.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t have any life treasures at hand,¡± he said. ¡°How about I help you fulfill ude¡¯sst wish and destroy the Immortals? Would that be payment enough?¡±

    The turtle considered it. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    ¡°There are a few advanced ways to utilize the Divine Blood,¡± the turtle began, instantlyunching into an exnation, ¡°but they¡¯re useless when it¡¯s empty. You should try to refill it. It can be very useful, even to B and A-Grades.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The turtle stood to its full height. ¡°It was nice catching up. Now go meditate on your Daos, or y ball, or whatever it is you youngsters do. I will rx. And no matter what you do, kid, don¡¯t ever put that stone in my territory again. I <em>will </em>break it.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He¡¯d actually been nning to leave The Stone with the turtle, given that they were both immortals, lonely existences. But he couldn¡¯t force it. He¡¯d just need to find a better candidate. Copy Jack wasn¡¯t suitable either, as he was in Jack¡¯s inner world, and the endless chattering there reached his ears as an annoying whisper.

    <em>Hmm. If I create a separate ce in my inner world, however¡­</em>

    It was an interesting idea, though not for right now. Jack summoned The Stone from inside the Life Drop, cutting it off in the middle of a sentence. ¡°Oh,¡± it said, looking around despite itsck of eyes. All it had was a mouth. ¡°Hi Jack. What¡¯s up? Did you know that embroidery was considered a rebellious act in ancient times?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. Listen. I will need to put you back in my space ring for a few days, but then I promise I¡¯ll find you somepany, okay? It¡¯s just that I¡¯m working on something right now and I need some silence.¡±

    ¡°I can be silent.¡±

    ¡°Can you?¡±

    The Stone shook from side to side. ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t. But promise you¡¯ll take me out again, okay? Don¡¯t just throw away the space ring. I don¡¯t want to be alone again. Please?¡±

    His heart was touched. ¡°I promise,¡± he said. The Stone nodded, uncharacteristically quiet. Jack took it out of his inner world and into his space ring.

    <em>I¡¯m carrying so many different dimensions right now.</em>

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± said the turtle. ¡°That talking stone. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I can sense its pain and kindness. You really should find it somepany. Just not me.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Jack replied. Copy Jack just watched from the side, silently, like a ghost.

    Jack returned to the real world and meditated, slowly advancing his Dao. The hours turned into days until, without incident, they arrived at the New Cathedral.

 Chapter 483: Arch Priestess

    Chapter 483: Arch Priestess

    The New Cathedral was built on a sprawling expanse. A prairie stretched for endless miles. des of grass danced, asionally trampled by the hooves of farm animals. Civilization had slowly started to appear on this beast-inhabited, brought about by the Church.

    A brontosaurus head peeked out of a jungle in the distance, calmly chewing on wide leaves. A pterodactyl flew overhead. Deeper in the jungle, a beast roared.

    This had no name. It was just one of the many inhabitables that dotted this and every gxy. It had been chosen because of its location deep inside a cluster of stars, and also because, while it possessed life, no intelligent life forms had developed yet. The was covered in moist jungles and inhabited by creatures suspiciously simr to Earth¡¯s dinosaurs.

    Asking around, Jack discovered that giant lizards were amon life form in the universe. Unfortunately, them developing sapience was rare. Something to do with their cold blood. Jack would have liked to explore the subject, but he had more pressing problems.

    The New Cathedral was a vast temple surrounded by a cityplex. Construction had only begun two years ago, but it was carried out by high-level cultivators, so everything progressed at a rapid pace. Rows of residences already lined the city outside the temple¡ªa mix of fairy-tale and high-tech standards. Construction sites littered the surroundings. There was water, sewage, and electricity, all dependent on arge nearbyke. People crawled around this ce, seeming like ants from up-high, while farmers had already began transforming the surrounding prairie into rich farnd.

    The temple itself was made of wood, glowing with life in the sun. Its shape was simr to a set of four joint spheres, with one in the middle and the other three surrounding it.

    The center sphere was thergest. Its domed roof reached several hundred feet in size, while the other three were only half as tall. Balconies were visible at the top of the domes, and the open entrance of each building revealed an austere, powerful interior. Windows were everywhere.

    The temple had smooth walls decorated with statues and paintings of heroes¡ªmaybe past Archons¡ªfighting all sorts of enemies. In one prominent piece, two humanoids and what looked like a centaur faced down five robots. Numbers were painted on each robot head¡ªfrom five to nine. Jack could tell they were Immortals, but the meaning of the numbers was lost on him.

    ¡°This is pretty good work for two years,¡± hemented. Their starship descended towards anding base sandwiched between a park and a medieval pub.¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°The city is just an afterthought. All the real effort goes into the war.¡±

    Brock pointed in the distance. ¡°Look, bro. Big lizards. Girl Bro would be happy here.¡±

    Jack smiled. Nauja¡¯s tribe originally lived in the Barbarian Ring of Trial, a ce also inhabited by dinosaurs. This would have given her nostalgia. Unfortunately, she was an incalcble distance away, so she would probably never see this.

    ¡°The New Cathedral is a military base, not a sightseeing attraction,¡± Starhair said with a snort.

    Jackughed. ¡°Keep it in your starry pants. There is always time to sightsee.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    ¡°Hmph to you as well.¡±

    ¡°The Arch Priestess wants to see you, Jack and Brock,¡± Elder Boatman suddenly said. ¡°I will take you to the main temple now. Do you know the way, Starhair?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Elder,¡± Starhair replied. ¡°Thank you for the trip.¡± He vanished.

    ¡°You know, he¡¯s actually not that bad,¡± Jack said, pointing his thumb at Starhair¡¯s previous location. ¡°Just needs to loosen up a little.¡±

    Brock shook his head. ¡°Ass-Kisser bro still needs an ass-kicking. Otherwise, he will backfire.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±

    Their starship changed course. From thending spot they were aiming at, they were now headed towards the temple. Elder Boatman steered them to the entrance¡ªa thirty feet tall archway depicting a kind, schrly man at the top. The man was opening his arms as if to hug whoever entered.

    ¡°That¡¯s Enas,¡± Elder Boatman exined. ¡°It is said that life originated from one of his experiments, so he¡¯s often portrayed as a schr.¡±

    Jack nodded and entered.

    The interior of the temple was as expected. Rows of wooden benches led to an altar featuring another image of Enas. Cultivators of various levels lined the benches, praying, though they didn¡¯t seem too devoted. Some chatted with one another, while a pair of children ran down the aisle. A white-robed priest silently read a book in the back.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the upper floor,¡± Elder Boatman said. He led them to a spiral staircase upward. Just like everything else in this temple, it was made of wood. Flowers sprouted from various ces, like the entire temple was a living, still-growing tree. Jack could even sense his Dao of Life invigorated inside this ce.

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    <em>¡°Oh wow,¡± </em>The Stone said from his inner world.<em> ¡°If I had a credit for every time I¡¯ve been inside a living tree building, I would have two credits. Which isn¡¯t a lot, but it¡¯s weird that it happened twice.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You¡¯ve been to a simr ce before?¡± </em>Jack asked back.

    <em>¡°Not simr. I think I was stuck inside a tree hollow once. Nobody came to save me, and I obviously couldn¡¯t dislodge myself, being a stone and all. I eventually just waited until the tree grew older and its hollow wider, and then I just slipped out.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You know it¡¯s annoying when you remember random stuff but not the important ones, right?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Sorry, my friend. It¡¯s not on purpose. Maybe if I speak enough, the right memories will surface! Okay, let¡¯s see. My favorite food is¡ª¡±</em>

    It couldn¡¯t even eat food. Jack tuned out The Stone as they ascended the staircase. He counted threendings, but they kept going up. The higher they reached, the less noise was in their surroundings, though nobody questioned them being here. Eventually, they reached the top of the stairs, greeted by a door made of twisting tree branches.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple,¡± Jack said. ¡°The Arch Priestess is an overlord of the universe. Surely she has her own dimension instead of sitting behind a wooden door.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t quite tell, but he thought Elder Boatman smiled. The old vampire knocked on the door. A momentter, a voice answered him. ¡°Enter.¡±

    The door swung open, revealing a ce Jack could only describe as sacred.

    Flowers grew from the wooden walls. A hole in the ceiling let in a column of light, with dust particleszily floating about. The world turned quiet the moment Jack entered¡ªhe was surrounded by reverence, piety, the sound of a gentle stream. An earthly scent permeated the room, punctuated by the dirt which made up the floor. There were even ants walking back and forth. The few columns were made of wood and had vines growing around them. Everything was natural and at peace.

    On the dirt floor, a lone path stretched from the entrance to the back of this dome-shaped room, leading to a throne of roots and flowers. A woman sat there¡ªthe only other person in the room. Her presence was ethereal. She was like a goddess of nature, a part of the natural world. White robes covered her entire body, revealing only a pair of smiling golden eyes and tanned, bare feet. Her toenails were unpainted.

    The moment Jackid eyes on this woman, he knew she was the Arch Priestess, the leader of the ck Hole Church. And he knew that with absolute certainty, not because of the context of his arrival here or because of hermanding position in the room, but because of the sheer amount of power which left her body. It was indescribable. The strongest person Jack had seen so far was Elder Boatman, but even his power paled before hers, a firefly to the moon. She was so powerful that Jack had the momentary illusion that she was the entire world, and he had been pushed outside of it.

    Despite her great strength, however, her aura bore no pressure at all. It was like staring at the sky¡ªbeautiful, vast, but not suppressive.

    Jack was lost for words. The Stone in his inner world, for whatever reason, wasn¡¯t. <em>¡°Oh wow,¡± </em>it said. <em>¡°If you and that woman pool your clothes together, you might be able to make two properly dressed people.¡±</em>

    Jack was snapped out of the illusion and had to fight not tough. He wore only a pair of shorts; she, robes covering her entire body, and who knows what else underneath.

    The Arch Priestess regarded them kindly, yet without speaking. Elder Boatman fell to a knee. ¡°Boatman greets the Arch Priestess,¡± he said. ¡°May your life be ever blooming.¡±

    Jack and Brock followed, also bowing. ¡°Greetings, Arch Priestess,¡± they said as one. Even Brock spoke with more respect this time.

    She still regarded them silently. Right as Jack was beginning to wonder, her entire being brightened. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but he knew she¡¯d just given a radiant smile. ¡°Hello, Boatman, Jack, Brock,¡± she said. Her voice was exactly as expected. Ethereal, beautiful, yet heavy with authority. Hearing it made Jack feel warm inside, but he would hesitate to interrupt her.

    ¡°I have heard many things,¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is all ours, Arch Priestess,¡± Jack replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. Don¡¯t worry about offending me. In private, you may address me freely and speak your mind.¡±

    Jack looked up. He didn¡¯t straighten his back yet because neither had Elder Boatman. ¡°Your temple is beautiful,¡± he blurted out. He wasn¡¯t sure why he said that. To lighten the mood?

    Her smile¡ªwhich he still couldn¡¯t see¡ªgrew wider. The feeling was like every flower in existence blooming at once. ¡°The Immortals live in temples of metal,¡± she replied softly. ¡°They worship themselves and hold no respect for life. I hope we can be better. All life is sacred, even the simplest trees and flowers. When we live in harmony, our hearts are at peace¡ªwith our hearts at peace, we can truly live.¡±

    Jack¡¯s Dao of the Fist resonated with her words. A casual phrase had awoken his Dao of Life. The sign of an Archon.

    ¡°Well-spoken, Beautiful Bro,¡± Brock said, nodding in agreement. Jack¡¯s heart seized. Elder Boatman tensed up.

    <em>¡°Oh!¡± </em>The Stone said. <em>¡°Your bro has a crush on the leaderdy! Maybe you¡¯ll all be a big family and have half-monkey, half-priest children.¡±</em>

    The Arch Priestess, however, onlyughed¡ªa light, cheerful sound.

    ¡°Thank you, Brock,¡± she replied. ¡°Your ancestry resonates with my temple. If we have the timeter, I look forward to discussing your view of life and nature. It is rare for a beast-born cultivator to reach such high achievements.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°Time is precious these days,¡± the Arch Priestess said, standing from her throne. She was taller than Jack expected¡ªslightly more than himself. Her white robes cascaded, elegantly covering her whole body. ¡°You may take your leave, Boatman. I will instruct your disciples and ensure they take full advantage of the resources the New Cathedral has to offer. When I¡¯m done, I will return them to you, so you can guide them more consistently.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Arch Priestess,¡± Elder Boatman replied. He bowed again, then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Jack suddenly felt vulnerable. The Arch Priestess smiled at them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk business.¡±

 Chapter 484: Being With Oneâ€™s Family

    Chapter 484: Being With One¡¯s Family

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk business,¡± the Arch Priestess said. At a wave of her hand, roots grew out of the dirt floor, forming into chairs before Jack and Brock. She sat back down, and then they did.

    ¡°Your breakthroughs were sensational,¡± she said, her voice taking on a more hands-on quality. ¡°Especially Jack¡¯s. It came at the perfect time. The war situation is unfortunate right now, and our army was in dire need of good news. We spread the word, giving our cultivators something to believe in, and morale temporarily recovered. Unfortunately, it will notst forever. Sooner orter, new things will happen, and your breakthroughs will be old news. We must ensure there is more toe.¡±

    ¡°What exactly does that mean, Arch Priestess?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°It means that I intend to make you one of the faces of our army. It¡¯s a gamble, of course, but one I am willing to believe in. For that to work, however, we need to keep your progress rolling.¡± She looked deep into his eyes. ¡°If you agree to shoulder our army¡¯s morale, I can give you ess to a vast amount of resources you otherwise wouldn¡¯t be able to touch.¡±

    Jack considered it. This sounded too good to be true. ¡°Is it that simple?¡± he asked. ¡°I just cultivate, and you use my progress to maintain army morale?¡±

    ¡°Sort of,¡± she replied. ¡°We have morale experts. They will curate your exploits and publicize them at regr intervals, making you into a celebrity. There is no downside to you besides the fame, which you may or may not wee, and the fact that being in the spotlight makes it easy to create enemies.¡±

    He just stared for a moment. ¡°You want to turn us into influencers? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°If by that you mean influential people, then yes. It¡¯s a proven technique. But you won¡¯t need to do anything; just focus on your cultivation, and we will handle the rest.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. <em>What the hell. </em>In the end, he chose tough. ¡°Whatever. Fame is fine, and I like having enemies. However, I have to ask¡­ Is that all? As arrogant as this sounds, I thought our breakthroughs and potentials were enough for the Church to invest resources into us. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d need to make a show out of it.¡±¡°You are not entirely wrong,¡± she admitted. ¡°Your potential is outstanding, a hope to be cultivated. If you enjoyed your privacy so much that you attempted to refuse my request, we would still invest in you, just not as heavily. There is an entire war happening. Our resources are distributed to thousands of Envoys and dozens of Elders. Meanwhile, you are just an early B-Grade. No matter how talented, your ascent is a very uncertain thing. You are a high-risk, high-return gamble.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°I understand,¡± he said. ¡°So, if I agree to be a public figure, that coupled with my potential will be enough for you to invest a disproportional amount of resources into me. That will, in turn, create enemies in the people who willck those resources.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Correct. Just to be clear, this offer is extended to both of you. Brock¡¯s breakthrough wasn¡¯t as breathtaking as yours, but it remains extraordinary. Plus, I can sense he has some sort of maizing aura, and we can use that.¡±

    Jack and Brock gazed at each other. There wasn¡¯t much to think about. ¡°We ept,¡± Jack said.

    They were already used to being public figures and having a plethora of enemies. As for enjoying an almost unfair amount of resources, well¡­ They¡¯d earned it. If someone wanted more resources than they were given, they could only me themselves for being weak.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± the Arch Priestess said, pping her hands.

    ¡°Can we get an overview of these resources you mentioned?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°The most important ones are space monster cores. They will allow you to increase your cultivation much faster than normal. I cannot give you unlimited ess to our vault, but I will make sure you¡¯re allocated a very generous amount.¡±

    Jack nodded. Increasing his cultivation was his main problem right now. If the Arch Priestess could help, that would be great.

    ¡°Besides that,¡± she continued, ¡°I can provide you with treasures tailored to your Dao. Is there anything in particr you would like?¡±

    Brock shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, while Jack replied, ¡°I would like a treasure with a lot of life energy.¡± He needed it to both temper his body and partially refill the Life Drop. The turtle had made it clear there were uses he hadn¡¯t discovered yet, but they needed life energy to activate.

    The Arch Priestess nodded. ¡°It is done.¡±

    ¡°Good. Can I also request something rted to Death?¡±

    She hesitated. ¡°There is a treasure that would suit you well, but it is borrowed by another cultivator right now. I won¡¯t have it back for thirty days. I can give it to you then if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Also, I have a question. Has Master Boatman informed you of my new ss?¡±

    She gave another smile. ¡°He has.¡±

    ¡°Good. It offers me Dao Visions, but Master Boatman said I need to be in System space to receive them. He said you may be able to help.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯ll just make you a clone.¡±

    ¡°A clone? Like the one Elder Boatman sent to apany us here?¡±

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    ¡°Better. That¡¯s just a temporary energy clone. Real clones are difficult to manufacture, but thankfully, you¡¯re still only at the B-Grade. We can handle it.¡±

    Jack was intrigued. If he understood this correctly, then maybe, just maybe¡­ He didn¡¯t dare to hope just yet.

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll shoot this clone into System space and have itmunicate the Dao Visions?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Correct, though there will be no need formunication. You and your clone will share one soul. You will be one person in two bodies.¡±

    Jack¡¯s heart was pumping. ¡°Does my clone have to stay in System space?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Ideally, we want it somewhere outside System space where it cannot be located by our enemies. You will only pop into System space to receive Dao Visions or carry out other tasks.¡±

    ¡°Then, can my clone reside¡­on Earth?¡±

    His breath caught on his throat. Being away from home had gued him for so long. When hope suddenly appeared, he didn¡¯t dare to believe.

    The Arch Priestess read his emotions. She smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Jack felt a weight he didn¡¯t know he carried be lifted. Two bodies. One would stay here, cultivate, and fight, while the other would be on Earth, apanying his family. It was a dreame true. His life had just be ten times better.

    ¡°Thank you. I will remember this favor,¡± he said, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the Arch Priestess replied. ¡°It¡¯s not a favor. Your clone will need to be near System space anyway. If you want to conveniently ce it on your home, that really doesn¡¯t change much.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said, suddenly worried. ¡°That won¡¯t ce my in danger, will it?¡±

    ¡°Not if you¡¯re careful. Locating a single in a mostly un-Integrated gxy is too difficult, even for the Immortals. You being there doesn¡¯t change anything. The only way to locate it would be if you were detected in System space and then followed outside, but even then, you can just take a detour and wait on another for a few hours. Even if they catch you, you will only lose a clone; they won¡¯t find your Earth.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡­ Thank you, Arch Priestess. My family will be overjoyed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will,¡± she replied. Sheughed. ¡°Since you¡¯re so excited about it, we can make creating your clone our first order of business. I won¡¯t oversee this personally, but I¡¯ll send you an expert.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brock said as well. ¡°You help my bro, you help me. You good person, Beautiful Bro. I owe you one.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure,¡± she replied. ¡°It was interesting meeting you, Jack and Brock. You may go now. I have already assigned you a helper and instructed them on what to do. If I find the time, I will drop by your residence and personally guide you through the Dao.¡±

    ¡°We look forward to that. See you, Beautiful Bro,¡± Brock said, then rose to leave. Jack followed him outside, also bidding his goodbyes. He had more things to discuss with her, like the ck Hole World, or the fact that he housed one of the Church¡¯s founding members in his inner world. However, he was too shaken right now. Too happy. These things could wait until next time.

    They left the room and closed the door. Only then did Jack turn to Brock.

    ¡°Do you really have a crush on her?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Her soul is beautiful. Her aura. She knows.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jack replied with a small smile. He¡¯d suspected as much, but he couldn¡¯t help hoping. How funny would it be if Brock got the Arch Priestess, of all people? ¡°By the way,¡± he said, ¡°you could have asked for a clone as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Brock said. ¡°They sound expensive. I don¡¯t need one. I¡¯ve left the pack; they live without me.¡±

    Jack nodded.

    They climbed down the spiral stairs, traveling all the way back to ground floor. On the way, Jack realized they had no idea where they were supposed to go now. He hoped there would be someone waiting for them downstairs.

    And there was. He just didn¡¯t expect who it would be.

    Starhair stood at the entrance of the temple, looking terrible. His face was scrunched up. His arms were crossed. His star-like hair was stuck to his scalp, asionally spasming in rage. Everyone gave him a wide berth.

    ¡°Sup, Ass-Kisser Bro,¡± Brock said. He made to sp the other man¡¯s hand. Starhair, very reluctantly, returned the motion.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I was ordered to be your helper,¡± Starhair replied through gritted teeth. His expression was so sour he could have eaten a dozen lemons while waiting.

    ¡°Wait. <em>You¡¯re </em>our helper?¡±

    Starhair was not amused. ¡°I¡¯m as surprised as you are,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not why I came to the New Cathedral. I was supposed to train. I will follow my orders, but I still despise you.¡±

    Jack looked at Brock, then shrugged. ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said. ¡°Lead us to our residence, helper.¡±

    Starhair gave him a re so scalding that Jack thought his eyebrows would implode. Still, the man turned and walked away. Jack and Brock followed him through the city.

    On the way here, Boatman had employed some magic to hide them from the crowd. That was no longer active. People pointed at them as they walked. A few cultivators¡ªall below the B-Grade¡ªwalked up for a greeting. Jack could tell he and Brock were somehow already celebrities. The only question was, how did everyone know their faces?

    ¡°There was a city-wide projection,¡± Starhair exined when asked. He was even more annoyed¡ªif possible¡ªbecause everyone ignored him to greet Jack and Brock. ¡°They yed scenes of your duel in Hell, your battle over the skies of Earth, and your recent extermination of those leonines. They also showed your breakthrough and tribtion¡ªit wasn¡¯t broadcasted live, but someone recorded it and brought it over.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack replied. That projection had happened before they arrived. The Arch Priestess must have been pretty certain they would ept to be the face of their forces¡­ Then again, maybe they never had a choice. She was only asking nicely the first time. If they protested, she could just order them to do it.

    After all the grand visuals and space-rupturing battles Jack had experiencedtely, this simple town was an almost rxing sight. The fact that it was mostly inhabited by D-Grades was a different story.

    Eventually, they made their way out. Starhair led them to a mansion in the suburbs,plete with its own walls and garden. It had three floors, each covering almost a thousand square feet.

    <em>¡°That¡¯s a big-ass house,¡± </em>said the Stone.

    Jack, being more polite, simply said, ¡°Woah. It this all for us?¡±

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Starhair replied in ultra-salty territory. ¡°There is also some room for me. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like I enjoyed living in my own mansion, which I possessed until a few moments ago. I much prefer being the servant of you two idiots.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Brock said. ¡°You¡¯re Ass-Kisser Bro. You should tter us. Then, maybe, you¡¯ll get a tip.¡±

    He waltzed forth into the house, followed by Jack. Starhair remained outside for a moment, steaming from the ears. Jack thought he would explode.

 Chapter 485: Celebrity in Training

    Chapter 485: Celebrity in Training

    ¡°Let¡¯se up with a catchphrase!¡±

    Jack groaned. Brock groaned. Even The Stone in Jack¡¯s inner world groaned.

    As it turned out, being famous was hard work. Starhair had been assigned as Jack and Brock¡¯s personal assistant, but there was a different person working on their public image. Her name was Sophie, and she was so insufferably full of energy that Jack considered giving her The Stone.

    Sophie was an E-Grade djinn: toddler-sized, blue-skinned, wearing silken robes which sometimes revealed what little she had to hide, and with a pink turban on her head, under which cascaded brown hair. She wasn¡¯t bad; in fact, Jack quite liked herpany. It was just that she was so damn excited to get her work done.

    She had arrived to their mansion shortly after they had, and she brought with her a storm. There were a dozen members of staff ranging from photographers and videographers carrying projection stones, to make-up artists and apanying beautiful models. Before Jack knew it, he was taking pictures and videos with the models¡ªonly one of which was a human¡ªin various poses and attires. Sophie was running around, scheduling Brock¡¯s photo session, maximizing their time together.

    It was so disorientingly before-the-System, that Jack briefly wondered if he was still a PhD student on Earth, dreaming up everything about robots and cultivators and-shattering fists. Then again, this wasn¡¯t the life of PhD students, either.

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± he asked as Sophie sat them down at <em>their </em>fluffy couch, eating <em>their </em>gum worms spread over the counter. Jack still didn¡¯t like those.

    ¡°Not necessary, but a very good idea!¡± she replied, taking a bite off the worm in her palm. Due to her small size, she couldn¡¯t slurp them up in one go. She chomped happily. ¡°A catchphrase makes you easier to rte to,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s free real estate in the minds of your fans!¡±

    ¡°...Like what?¡± Brock asked.¡°Something simple, yet powerful. Memorable. How about¡­ <em>I¡¯ll punch you up!</em> No, too meh. <em>Prepare to be destroyed? </em>We can also try something corny, like <em>Only my punch is eternal!</em>¡±

    Jack and Brock nced at each other. ¡°No offense, but those are all terrible,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. It will definitely sound terrible to you, but your fans have a different perspective. Anyway, we¡¯ll figure something out. Brock is easier. I remember something you said in one of the projections¡­ <em>Bro army, assemble!¡±</em>

    Brock gave her an apprehensive nce. ¡°Why do I need a catchphrase? Bro is the celebrity.¡±

    ¡°Both of you are. You¡¯re a duo. We need to prop you both up and make the fans debate who is cooler between you. That way, they will never consider following other celebrities.¡±

    ¡°What other celebrities?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°The Arch Priestess, for example. Or Sovereign Heavenly Spoon.¡± A dreamy look briefly entered her eyes, then disappeared. ¡°Yourpetition is hard, but you are harder! Oh, maybe that should be your catchphrase, Jack. <em>I¡¯m hard.¡±</em>

    ¡°...You¡¯re just messing with me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°Anyway, try toe up with something. I¡¯ll also prepare a few alternatives by tomorrow¡ªwe need to get this done as soon as possible to implement it in our campaign.¡±

    ¡°I know I will regret this,¡± Jack said, ¡°but what campaign are we doing, exactly?¡±

    ¡°All sorts of things. There are newsletters, projections, audio broadcasts, paid storytellers and bards¡­ We are even preparing a series of plushies and t-shirts. The audience is receptive to you, so we scale quickly.¡±

    ¡°You are making plushies? And t-shirts?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! The pre-orders for the Brock plushie are through the roof. The Jack one¡­ Well, in any case, we have a lot of things to work on. The gxy wasn¡¯t built in a day, so if we want to scale up, we need to rush rush rush!¡±

    Jack groaned again, pressing his eyes shut. ¡°Can we just shush shush shush for a moment? My head is about to explode.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just remember to¡ª Oh, hi Starhair. Is the clonemancer here already?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Starhair said, stepping through the door. He was followed by an elderly, green-skinned cultivator whose head split into two like the humps of a camel. Jack vaguely recognized this species as Bactrian, and the only reason he could tell this person¡¯s age was the tell-tale white beard hanging from his chin. He was also a peak B-Grade.

    ¡°Hello,¡± said the bactrian. ¡°My name is Envoy Yoshi. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all ours. I¡¯m Jack, and this is Brock.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m well aware,¡± the bactrian said. He reached into his bag and removed what seemed suspiciously simr to human body parts. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± he said. ¡°Do your business, and I¡¯ll just be over here setting up.¡±

    ¡°Are those¡­¡± Jack trailed, but the bactrian shook his big, green head.

    ¡°Artificial, obviously. Clone parts made of highlypressed life energy. These materials alone cost an astronomical amount, so let me congratte you in advance about your new clone.¡±

    Jack¡¯s heart beat faster. ¡°And we can start now?¡±

    ¡°Just a second, let me finish here.¡±

    <em>¡°My fist is inevitable!¡± </em>Sophie cried out. ¡°What do you think about that, Jack?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but let¡¯s think about it a little more.¡±

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    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°How about <em>You deserve a good fisting?¡± </em>Brock tried.

    Jack gave him a nce. ¡°Et tu, Brute?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±

    ¡°I like that,¡± Sophie said. Jack swiveled at her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I think it can work. The obvious innuendo is a little crass, but maybe it fits with your persona. We want to make you powerful, brutal, but also approachable. A dash of humor would go a long way.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing funny about that catchphrase.¡±

    ¡°There will be when it¡¯s said¡ªrepeat after me¡ªat scale.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Jack said, shaking his head. ¡°I agreed to be a celebrity, not a fool. Let¡¯s find something less idiotic.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just trying to do my job!¡± Sophie replied, seeming a little hurt.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ Ugh. I¡¯lle up with something, okay?¡±

    ¡°All done,¡± the bactrian said. He¡¯d drawn a red pentagram on the floor and ced the mock body parts at each of the five ends. Jack stared at it.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s not creepy at all.¡±

    ¡°Clonemancy is creepy business. Hop in. The sooner we start, the sooner we¡¯ll finish.¡±

    Jack took a good look at the bactrian, the pentagram, and the clone parts. When he found nothing suspicious, he slowly stepped into the pentagram. Envoy Yoshi did his thing. The red paint went up in smoke. A reddish aura appeared, clinging to Jack¡¯s skin like moisture, and he even felt it seeping through his body to scan his organs. It wasn¡¯t painful, just profoundly ufortable. Like receiving a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy at the same time.

    The smoke and red aura finally receded, coagting with the now-floating clone parts to form a naked copy of Jack. He could see his organs and cardiovascr system appear out of thin air, coupled with endless neurons, then slowly be covered with skin. He fought the urge to look away. The clone parts docked in like the limbs of a transformer.

    ¡°Now, Jack!¡± the bactrian said.

    Jack gritted his teeth. He reached into his inner world and dislodged a tiny piece, barely a hundred feet across. It wouldn¡¯t affect his strength. The pain was terrible, but he endured. He slowly pushed the piece away, into the new body, which felt extremelypatible. The piece of inner world anchored itself near the clone¡¯s heart, disappearing, and just like that, Jack now possessed two bodies.

    The clone blinked as it awakened. Both bodies tumbled to the floor as Jack struggled to deal with the doubling of his senses. ¡°Ugh,¡± he cried out.

    ¡°The process is done,¡± the bactrian said softly. ¡°Adjusting to your new condition can take up to an hour. When you¡¯re done, you will have sessfully created a permanent clone. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Sophie echoed. ¡°If this wasn¡¯t a secret, we could publicize it as yet another of your achievements!¡±

    ¡°How do you feel, bro?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack slowly raised his body. He sat on all fours, retched once, then shakily rose to his feet. The clone and real body stared at each other. They then looked around. Their wobbling bodies slowly steadied. ¡°I think I got the trick,¡± Jack said¡ªfrom the real body.

    ¡°Less than a minute,¡± the bactrian muttered, shaking his big head. ¡°Impressive.¡±

    ¡°Can I have some clothes?¡± the clone asked. The bactrian waved his hand, summoning a few sets of garments from his space ring.

    ¡°Take your pick,¡± he said, and the clone body quickly chose a set of elegant purple robes. He put them on, then stared at the real Jack. Jack stared back. This clone was identical to the real thing, with the exception of his aura, which was less steady and significantly weaker. This clone¡¯s cultivation was only around thete C-Grade,pared to Jack¡¯s early B-Grade, and it could never increase. His body was also much weaker than the real Jack¡¯s. Their Dao understandings, however, was the same. Despite the clone¡¯s weaknesses, he could stand his ground against mostte B-Grade. More than enough to protect Earth.

    ¡°I am you,¡± said the clone.

    ¡°And you are me,¡± the real body replied. They smiled at each other. ¡°Funky.¡±

    The two Jacks exchanged a fist-bump. ¡°This is actually pretty cool,¡± said the real body. He ced both hands on the clone¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I am entrusting you with a very important task, Jack. Go home and take care of our family. Be there for them. And do that other thing we talked about, too.¡±

    ¡°I will, Jack. Don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±

    ¡°You know we can tell you¡¯re just talking to yourself, right?¡± Starhair asked. ¡°You have one soul. There is literally nothing to discuss.¡±

    The clone nudged his head towards Starhair. ¡°He¡¯s a difficult one, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think his parents dropped him when he was a baby,¡± the original replied.

    Sophie giggled. ¡°Can you repeat this snick with Brock so I can record it? We can make Starhair into the humorous sidekick.¡±

    ¡°I am neither,¡± Starhair replied grumpily.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Sophie corrected him.

    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, pleasee with me,¡± Envoy Yoshi said to the clone. ¡°There is already a ship waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± the clone said. ¡°By the way, is it possible for the ship to make a small detour on the way to my?¡±

    ¡°That is something you will need to discuss with the captain,¡± Envoy Yoshi replied.

    The clone thought about it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Lead the way,¡± he said said. He exchanged a fist-bump with the real Jack and Brock, waved goodbye at Sophie, then followed the bactrian out of the room.

    ¡°Hey, Jack!¡± Jack shouted. ¡°Want a stone?¡±

    ¡°No thanks!¡± the clone shouted back.

    Jack sighed. Of course, he controlled both bodies. This was just an inside joke with himself. Part of the reason he was so exhausted dealing with Sophie was because The Stone remained in his inner world, and it kept spouting one-liners non-stop. It was like having two Sophies, one of which replied to the other and sometimes demanded Jack transfer its jokes.

    The Stone hade up with at least a dozen catchphrases since Sophie mentioned it, the most imaginative of which was <em>It¡¯s Fisting Time! </em>Which wasn¡¯t bad, if Jack was being honest, but he¡¯d be damned if he encouraged The Stone.

    In fact, this whole catchphrase thing was a hit in his inner world.

    <em>¡°Make it something good, kid!¡± </em>the turtle demanded, having exited the Life Drop to participate. <em>¡°I have a catchphrase for you. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell is the Best!¡±</em>

    Even Copy Jack had entered the fray. <em>¡°Fists and stones will certainly break your bones,¡± </em>he offered, which wasn¡¯t very good, but Jack liked seeing him engaged.

    Jack¡¯s inner world residents then got into a fight, because the turtle insisted on being in the catchphrase, The Stone was speaking incessantly, and Copy Jack fanned the mes.

    <em>¡°Guys, guys, guys,¡± </em>Jack said. <em>¡°If you all backseat me like this, I cannot focus. Just be quiet for a moment.¡±</em>

    They grumbled butplied. Jack sighed. <em>How did my inner world turn into a bar¡­ </em>he asked himself.

    ¡°Okay guys, my time with you today is up!¡± Sophie eximed, looking at her wrist which had no clock. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow at the same time. Youe up with possible catchphrases in the meantime, and remember: Rush, rush, rush!¡±

    ¡°And then we¡¯ll crash, crash, crash,¡± Jack replied humorlessly. ¡°See you around, Sophie.¡±

    ¡°See you, TV Bro,¡± Brock said. The djinn left the mansion, dragging together her hosts of models, photographers, and videographers who¡¯d been busy filming something in another room. Jack and Brock were finally left alone. They released a long, long sigh. Jack wanted nothing more than to sleep.

    Instead, he went to his room, grabbed the space monster cores he¡¯d been delivered earlier, and started cultivating.

 Chapter 486: Absorbing Cores

    Chapter 486: Absorbing Cores

    Jack took a deep breath. He opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: B</strong>

    <strong>ss: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 403</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 8730 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 8730 (+)</strong><strong>Constitution: 8730 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I</strong>

    <strong>Inner World size: 10,000 miles</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: 6%</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer, Challenger</strong>

    After their fight against the space octopus, Brock had gotten its core, which he shared with both Jack and Starhair. However, Starhair said he was already at the very peak of the B-Grade, so it was just Brock and Jack. They absorbed the core together. Both rose by three levels. The squid¡¯s Dao was morepatible with Jack¡¯s, so his absorption rate was higher, but his inner world was also wider, so his rate of growth was slower.

    Despairingly slow, in fact.

    Half the core of an early A-Grade space monster had given him six percent matter condensation, or three levels. Given that the B-Gradeprised of 150 levels, from 400 all the way to 550, it was bound to be extremely slow-going. Unless, of course, he found a den of A-Grade space monsters to hunt.

    On the bright side, his stat gain per level was insane. He currently received fifty points every level thanks to his Legendary ss. Over the course of the entire B-Grade, that would trante to seven thousand five hundred points, which would almost double his already towering Physical. Given the bits of body tempering he nned to sneak in, it really would double. He would be a monster.

    From what he¡¯d heard, most B-Grades received twenty or thirty points per level depending on whether they possessed Common or Elite sses. The super talented ones with King sses, like Min Ling and Sovereign Heavenly Spoon, received forty. His advantage over everyone else would be exponential. And that wasn¡¯t even taking into ount the extreme amount of energy he possessed due to his wide inner world.

    By now, Jack really was on the path to greatness¡ªand he nned to take the next step today.

    He sat cross-legged on the floor. An office room surrounded him¡ªhis very own office¡ªbut he preferred the floor. The mahogany chair just felt wrong.

    Arge sacky between Jack¡¯s feet. The sheer energy radiating from it blinded his senses¡ªif not for the energy-proof material used on the sack, he couldn¡¯t just keep it there. This sack contained the greatest resources he¡¯d been given so far.

    Reaching into it, he removed the first item. It was a glowing orb the size of his head, green like mold. Life energy flowed off of it in waves, saturating the room. His Dao resonated, and his inner world yearned to absorb it.

    This was a space monster core. ording to the small description attached to it, it hade from a peak B-Grade monster called a Mold Worm¡ªa species which took a as its shell, carved mountain-sized troughs through it, and eventually consumed it like a regr worm consumed an apple.

    Jack ced the orb against his chest. Tendrils of energy leaked out, drawn towards his heart, where his inner world resided. Energy flowed into him. The tendrils widened like water drawn to the waterfall, transferring energy at a faster and faster rate.

    Before long, a green vortex hovered before Jack¡¯s chest, rotating so violently it threatened the room¡¯s integrity. Endless energy flowed into his inner world, dispersing without a sign. No matter how vast the energy, his inner world was even vaster. This was just a drop in the sea.

    Six hourster, Jack was done absorbing it¡ªtwo times faster than he¡¯d taken on the octopus core. He opened his eyes from meditation, finding the energy inside him marginally increased.

    <strong>Level: 404</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: 8%</strong>

    He groaned. Two percent. That was all he¡¯d gained from a peak B-Grade core, and only because that core was highlypatible with his Dao.

    <em>This will take forever, </em>he groaned inwardly.

    <em>¡°Not forever!¡± </em>The Stone unhelpfully eximed. <em>¡°Just a really really long time! But don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll be right here keeping youpany!¡±</em>

    He groaned again. <em>¡°Thanks, Stone.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°No problem.¡±</em>

    Thankfully, he also had some A-Grade cores in the sack. They would give him more meaningful increases. If not for the full support of the Church, he had no idea how or when he¡¯d reach even the middle B-Grade.

    For now, he would just get a little bit stronger every day.

    This novel''s true home is a different tform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ***

    The days flowed. Before Jack knew it, he¡¯d lived in the New Cathedral for two weeks, and he¡¯d developed a routine. Sophie came by almost every day to discuss a new marketing approach or take silly pictures and interviews. She, Starhair, and Brock had somehow caught on to the <em>It¡¯s Fisting Time! </em>suggestion for a catchphrase. He rejected it. Yet, it somehow got out, and his fans liked it enough that it had be his unofficial catchphrase.

    Whatever Sophie was doing, it was working. He received more looks every time he left the house. People eyed him in the streets, pointing and speaking in hushed tones. He saw interviews of himself ying on big screens, and he cringed every single time. They¡¯d somehow edited his words to give him a brutal, blood-thirsty, warrior-like feel. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked it, nor did he mind the attention. It was just weird. He couldn¡¯t fathom how this enhanced the army¡¯s morale.

    ¡°Jack! Jack!¡± Two E-Grade human girls rushed up to him in the street. ¡°Can we have an autograph?¡±

    He looked at them and shrugged. ¡°Sure. Where do you want it?¡±

    They raised their shirts all the way. Jack bolted out of there.

    Another time, he was walking by a clothing store and almost jumped when he saw his face, magnified, stuck against the ss. It was on a t-shirt which also featured the words ¡°It¡¯s fisting time!¡± on arge font size. Taking a step back, he saw more shirts¡ªhimself drawn as a bare-chested superhero, Brock posing with sunsses and surrounded by female models, a coffee mug with a purple meteor fist¡­ There was even a hoodie portraying him spanking a blushing Artus Emberheart.

    ¡°Are people buying those?¡± he wondered aloud, just as a set of youths left the shop wearing their brand new t-shirts. They froze when they caught sight of him. One of them panicked and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s fisting time?¡±

    Jack sighed and walked away.

    But it wasn¡¯t all stupid. Jack caught projections of himself which were actually pretty strong. He ughtered leonines, standing against entire swathes of enemies with nothing but his bare chest. ¡°This is for freedom,¡± he heard himself say. ¡°I might die, but I will never kneel!¡±

    He didn¡¯t remember saying that, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. He slowly began to see just why the Church had done all this. If the cultivators were suffering on the front lines, struggling to persist and believe in their cause despite the difficulties, then seeing someone do the exact same thing would be encouraging.

    It just made Jack sad that he wasn¡¯t at the front lines alongside them.

    Nevertheless, he understood his ce. Right now, the important thing was to grow stronger quickly. That was how he could best help the army. If he sumbed to the pressure and went to fight with them now, he would be throwing their lives away.

    His form in the big screen blurred, revealing Brock d in golden power. ¡°Bros of the world, lend me your power!¡± he shouted, raising his hands. Inspiring music yed. Jack spied multiple people staring at the screen and raising their hands as theyughed. He sighed again.

    ¡°I hate war.¡±

    ***

    Inhabiting two bodies was a disorienting experience. Jack¡¯s way of handling it, which was the same as most people¡¯s, was to iste the thoughts and perception of each body from the other. It was like closing one of your eyes. Harmless and easy to get used to, while maintaining all the advantages of having a clone. The two bodies could reinstate theirmunication whenever they wanted and for as long as they wanted.

    Souls, it seemed, were something that stood above the constrains of space. Through Jack¡¯s experimentation, he¡¯de to realize that anymunication between the main body and the clone urred instantly regardless of the distance separating them.

    It was a great boon, and it also solved one of his long-standing questions, since the System regrly used faster-than-lightmunications. It must have relied on a simr principle. Maybe a bunch of tiny soul pieces of¡­something¡­scattered across the universe?

    While Jack¡¯s main body remained at the New Cathedral, cultivating as fast as humanly possible, the clone was shuttling through space. This Jack was also meditating. His eyes shed open, and he looked out the window.

    ¡°Hey, Captain,¡± he said. The small, gray-skin alien piloting their starship turned around.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    It was just the two of them here. To travel as quickly and discreetly as possible, they¡¯d used a starship barelyrge enough for two people. Jack didn¡¯t even have his own room, sharing the ship¡¯s singlemunal space with the captain, an alien called Druk-Druk. Despite her odd name, she was actually quitepetent¡ªas well as a middle B-Grade.

    ¡°Is that the Heaven¡¯s Egg gxy?¡± Jack asked.

    The alien nced outside the window. ¡°Why?¡± she asked back.

    ¡°I¡¯ve left something there. Do you mind if we make a quick stop to pick it up?¡±

    She raised a brow¡ªor rather, the bony ridge over her eye, as this species had no hair whatsoever. ¡°We cannot enter System space here,¡± she replied. ¡°Too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need System space. This gxy is not fully Integrated. As long as we can get somewhere close to the edge, it will be fine.¡±

    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°Sure,¡± she finally replied. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Oh, just a little separate dimension.¡± Heughed at her surprise.

    Years ago, Jack had entered a hidden realm called the Green Dragon Realm. That was where he received the inheritance of Archon Green Dragon, an ancient dragon specializing in spacetime. He¡¯d also spent three years meditating in the center of the Green Dragon Realm alongside Brock and Min Ling¡ªthat was the single longest meditation session he¡¯d ever had.

    Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance included the realm¡¯s Realm Heart, the core of that ce. Once he reached the B-Grade, Jack could use it to absorb the entire realm into his inner world, strengthening himself and protecting it at the same time. That absorption was something he really looked forward to.

    Unfortunately, he¡¯d only reached the B-Grade in the Spiral Stair gxy, very recently, and he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity toe pick up the Green Dragon Realm yet. Now was a good chance¡ªhe knew they¡¯d pass by, so he¡¯d kept an eye on the window.

    Their starship angled to the side. Gxies surrounded them like inds in the sea, and they dove towards one. With Druk-Druk specializing in spacetime, they were extremely fast. The gxy grew in their sights.

    Jack actually suspected he could take the starship even faster, but he didn¡¯t want to offend his captain.

    Before long, their entire field of view was upied by multi-colored stars, arranged as a vast, egg-shaped gxy. There were no spirals on this one.

    <em>The stars look so small, </em>Jack thought, once again admiring the beauty of the universe. Gxiesprised of billions of stars. Each was humongous, orbited by severals, each a different world. Most weren¡¯t inhabitable, but so what? There were hundreds of billions of worlds nestled in each gxy, seeming so small from afar.

    And there were a trillion gxies in the universe. With the cultivation world upying exactly seventy-three.

    Jack would have snickered if he wasn¡¯t so humbled.

    The Heaven Egg gxy wasn¡¯t fully Integrated. Just like the Milky Way, it was one of the newest additions to System space. Still, around eighty percent of it was upied by the System, leaving only the fringes on one side. It was precisely there that Jack and Druk-Druk headed.

    Once upon a time, he¡¯d entered the Green Dragon Realm through an entrance portal situated in System space. That portal had closed, but its location remained the realm¡¯s anchoring point to the universe.

    Jack, however, didn¡¯t need to go through there. He possessed the realm heart. If he came anywhere close, meaning anywhere in the entire gxy, he could just use the heart to create a new connection, essing the realm directly.

    Of course, the heart remained in the inner world of the main body, not the clone, but the two were connected. Using the aura of the heart to open a portal was possible.

    ¡°Here should be fine,¡± Jack said.

    Druk-Druk brought the starship to a stop. She looked around questioningly. ¡°Right here?¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    A multi-colored portal ripped open ahead of them. It was egg-shaped and pulsing with dimensional energy. Just behind it, Jack could see a thin tunnel twisting through an expanse of colors¡ªthe dimensional sea.

    ¡°Can you wait here?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I¡¯ll need a few hours.¡±

    Druk-Druk just stared. He gave her a thumbs-up, flew into the portal, and disappeared.

 Chapter 487: Visiting the Green Dragon Realm

    Chapter 487: Visiting the Green Dragon Realm

    Jack¡¯s clone flew through the wormhole, surrounded by dancing colors on all sides. They weren¡¯t really colors¡ªthat was just the best way his human brain could trante the chaos of the dimensional sea. In truth, it was a ce where spacetime lost all meaning, a ce existing on a higher dimension than Jack couldprehend.

    He imagined that, if a higher-dimensional creature existed, and if it was watching him right now, it might see him as a drawing jumping from one piece of paper to another. It was a mind-twister. He wondered if he¡¯d ever have the power to actually enter the dimensional sea instead of cheating his way through.

    Maybe not. Even the Old Gods of Space and Time couldn¡¯t perform such a feat. Still, Jack could hope. As he¡¯d recently realized, the cultivation world upied a tiny fraction of a fraction of the universe. They were basically infants at the start of their journey. Who knew how far they could reach given a few billion years.

    <em>One step a generation¡­ </em>he thought, watching the end of the tunnel approach. He popped right through. A familiar sky weed him, containing the asional flying beast. He watched a bird seemingly made of vines cross the air. As soon as it caught sight of him, it swooped in, releasing a low squawk. Jackughed and petted its head.

    As the master of this realm, the native creatures weren¡¯t aggressive towards him. They felt the same kind of respect and excitement one would feel towards their father. The fluctuations of the Realm Heart rippled out of him, cultivating a sense of camaraderie in their hearts.

    He could sense their souls aligned to his.

    The flying vine creature buried its head in Jack¡¯s chest, rubbing against him like a puppy. Ironically, the creature¡¯s head alone wasrger than Jack, but it wasn¡¯t bothered. Neither was he. The hard vines, which would have torn a mortal apart, couldn¡¯t even scratch his skin.

    Looking at the creature confirmed one of Jack¡¯s suspicions, and he was very d for it. He couldn¡¯t use the System to inspect it.

    Thest time he was here, this entire realm had counted as System space. The System had seeped in through the previous portal and imed it. However, after losing contact with the wider System for so long, whatever constituted System space had faded, returning this realm to the virgin state it had always existed in.It also meant nobody could spy on Jack.

    ¡°Wanna go on an adventure, buddy?¡± he asked, rubbing the nose of the vine-dragon thing. It squealed with joy. He shed, reappearing on its back. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The vine dragon pped its wings. Though made of vines, they were coated with sticky dense leaves, giving them the aerodynamics necessary to fly through the sky. Not that this monster needed it¡ªas ate D-Grade creature, it could fly even without wings. The wings were most useful before maturity.

    Jack and the vine dragon flew high, crossing the realm and letting Jack take it in. Any flying creatures he met squawked at his appearance, filled with joy and respect. Dense jungle spread below his feet, upying almost the entirety of the Green Dragon realm. Jack could see hundreds of creatures as they flew by, consisting of an endless variety of life forms, some of which he hadn¡¯t encountered during hisst visit.

    There was a hill-sized bush walking around, like arge turtle with dense shrubbery instead of a shell. He caught sight of dragons living above the clouds, their scales glowing green as they absorbed the light of the artificial sun for sustenance. Using his sharp eyesight, Jack even saw a little creature darting from branch to branch¡ªa mouse-sized, wingless dragon.

    The diversity of this realm was staggering. It made Jack proud¡ªand also increased the respect he harbored towards Archon Green Dragon, the progenitor of this ce.

    Like thest time he was here, the dense Life aura surrounded him, attempting to cut down his power to a fraction of its usual level. Unlike thest time, he was very familiar with the Dao of Life. The aura couldn''t affect him.

    As master of the realm, Jack had an understanding of where everything was. He could instinctively sense the direction towards the massive temple at the center of the realm. He was moving towards it, but the temple wasn¡¯t his goal. His real destination was the little vige he knew existed near it¡ªwhere the remnants of the expedition forces were staying.

    When Jack had first arrived to this ce, over four years ago, he was apanied by elite cultivators from both the Hand of God and the ck Hole Church. When heter left the realm, he hadn¡¯t taken them along, as he wasn¡¯t confident in handling the strongest of them.

    Now that he was, however, he intended to resolve this issue before attaching this realm to his inner world.

    The vine dragon carried him across mountains and endless jungle. It was slow, by Jack¡¯s current measure, but flying on its back was fun. He was pretty close, anyway. Only three hourster, the mountain-sized temple rose in the distance. It looked exactly as it had thest time he was here. To the side, he could even see the volcano in which he¡¯d fought Baron Longform. He¡¯d then escaped through theva tunnels under it, swimming all the way the temple and almost dying in the process.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The cultivator vige was somewhere between the temple and the volcano. Jack used his Dao of Spacetime to cloak himself and the vine dragon as they approached, ensuring they escaped detection. Thanks to his current understanding, and these people being at most early B-Grades, it was child¡¯s y.

    Soon, a small vige appeared below him. He was impressed at what he saw. Elegant buildings spread in a circle, with a wide range of trees cut down around it to offer visibility of any iing enemies. The houses were small and simple, but with a unique sense of aesthetics. Vines crawled up the walls, which were made of polished wood. Chimneys released tufts of smoke.

    Jack also saw the people. Most had abandoned their previous cultivator guises and now wore green, silken clothing formed of this realm¡¯s native nts. It made them resemble elegant forest people. There was no visible distinction of who came from which faction. Such things became meaningless when they thought they were trapped forever.

    They seemed happy, too.

    Jack saw groups of cultivators gathered in gardens,ughing and ying games. Little animals ran around, domesticated and household versions of the realm¡¯s fauna, whilerger animals waited in pens or in a nearby field, taken care of by loving cultivators. Jack even spied a few cultivator couples, which he was certain were not a thing four years ago. There was a single little boy running around, constantly tailed by his mother.

    This little vige didn¡¯t need walls, but Jack did see a que erected at the entrance, facing the jungle. It proudly dered them as the <em>Green Cultivator Town</em>.

    Life really had moved on. These cultivators had probably had a hard time adjusting, but now they¡¯d created a new life for themselves, one that seemed much more fulfilling than being disciples and Envoys of two warring factions.

    Jack felt a momentary doubt in his heart. These people seemed so happy. Was this how it was meant to be? Was this the future the Immortals were stealing from the inhabitants of the world?

    He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter. Unlike others, he did not go to war because that was all he knew. He did it because he had to. To ensure that his friends, family, and the world would be free to select a more peaceful life than his.

    Jack gazed at the town again, more inquisitively this time. His perception spread out. Thanks to being so much more powerful than everybody at Green Cultivator Town, they couldn¡¯t detect him. The difference in power was especially prominent since they were suppressed by the dense life energy, while he was not.

    He looked inside the buildings. Inside the central one, which wasrger than the others, Monk Urusm was discussing with a few other cultivators¡ªsomething about domesticating an animal called Leaf Sweeper. Jack had no idea what it was. All he cared about was that Monk Urusm had be the leader of this smallmunity, which wasn¡¯t a terrible idea. The monk wasn¡¯t nearly as kind as he seemed, but since there were no conflicts of interest here, he was apetent leader.

    Jack looked for certain other people, too. Shi Mo, the middle-aged warrior who¡¯d be friends with Jack in the past, had a little house where he cultivated. A pet draconic twig was curled around him, breathing in and out in peaceful sleep. The warrior himself had foregone his sword for a wooden hoe¡ªa touching image.

    The only other people Jack had interacted with were Borkuren Madiba, a frog-like, humanoid Church Envoy who¡¯d helped him a few times on the Cathedral, and Sassa, a talented C-Grade of the Hand of God, whosest name he¡¯d never gotten. That young girl had been a massive bitch during the banquet battles before entering the hidden realm, to the point where Jack had gloriously kicked her ass.

    To his great amusement, however, he discovered that Borkuren and Sassa were now a couple. In fact, they were the sole couple which had children. Sassa was the mother of the boy running around earlier, it was just that she¡¯d changed so much Jack hadn¡¯t recognized her.

    The once aloof, arrogant young girl had transformed into a caring mother. Her entire aura was different. Jack had no idea how that came to be, but he guessed that getting trapped here, presumably for life, had deeply impacted her andpletely turned her life around. That was a good thing. Jack had nned on killing her to eliminate future trouble, as he did to all his enemies, but the less blood he had to spill, the better.

    He watched Borkuren step out of a house, kiss her with his frog-like mouth, then wrap her in a big hug. She giggled as she hugged him back.

    <em>Yep. Loving couple alright.</em>

    Jack nned to appear before the town and exin what was going on, but not yet. The final person he looked for was his old enemy¡ªSpacewind. He was the leader of the Church side of the expedition, as well as a massive dick who¡¯d bullied Jack on various asions and even tried to kill him.

    Jack found him in the only house outside the town. While everyone else lived together and in harmony, Spacewind was alone in a stone building, stubbornly cultivating. It was unclear whether he isted himself or others did it for him, but Jack thought it was fitting. A sad ending for a sad man.

    ¡°Thanks for the ride, bro,¡± Jack told the vine dragon beneath his feet. He patted it in the back. ¡°Go live a happy life.¡±

    The creature squawked once more, then flew away. Jack was left hovering in the sky. He slowly lowered himself to the ground and flew into Spacewind¡¯s house through the window. His cloaking remained active. The other man, who prided himself in his understanding of space, didn¡¯t have the slightest idea there was someone standing right in front of him. He was meditating. Jack could kill him as easily as blinking.

    He dropped his cloaking. Instantly, Spacewind jumped back, terrified to the ends of his wits. His hair was disheveled, his clothes raggedy, and his eyes bloodshot. Those hadn¡¯te from Jack scaring him¡ªthey were his natural state now.

    ¡°What?¡± he cried out. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s you! Jack Rust! That¡¯s¡­ What!? I will kill you!¡±

    True to his station, Spacewind recovered quickly. He straightened his palm and shed it out like a knife. Jack raised a hand and caught it. Spacewind¡¯s strike was frozen mid-air. He paled.

    ¡°What?¡± he muttered.

    Jack gave a sad smile. This clone body wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as the original, and his cultivation was only at a level simr to thete C-Grade, but his Dao understandings remained. Dealing with an early B-Grade like Spacewind was easy. He¡¯d just wrapped space around his palm to easily catch Spacewind¡¯s hand.

    The man seemed like he was about to have a stroke.

 Chapter 488: Ending Spacewind

    Chapter 488: Ending Spacewind

    Jack held onto Spacewind¡¯s attacking hand, firmly and easily. The man looked like he was having a stroke.

    ¡°You have no idea what¡¯s going on, and that¡¯s okay,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯m Jack Rust. You once mocked me, bullied me, and tried to kill me. I¡¯m here to repay the favor.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Spacewind cried out. ¡°How can you be alive? How can you be so strong!?¡±

    The poor man didn¡¯t even realize he was seeing a clone. In his mind, Jack going from the middle to thete C-Grade in the span of four years was already a great pace.

    Jack didn¡¯t n to correct his misunderstanding.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a sad life for yourself, Spacewind. As much as you deserve it, it pains me to see you so isted¡­but it no longer matters, does it?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You hate me. Therefore, you must die.¡±

    He punched out faster than Spacewind could react. A hole was sted in the other man¡¯s chest. Spacewind fell to his knees. Even as life abandoned him, the look of iprehension never left his wide eyes.

    He had once sworn to destroy Jack Rust. He remembered his own words clearly:

    <em>Jack Rust, you took my woman, took my treasures, and took my reputation. If I don¡¯t cripple you and feed you to the dogs, I am no man!</em>Since then, revenge had been his driving force. He¡¯d cultivated intensely, never resigning himself to remaining trapped in this ce. He fantasized escaping and dealing Jack Rust a hard blow. He pictured himselfughing over the corpse of his enemy.

    Yet, things had changed so abruptly. Spacewind was dying. His enemy had appeared out of nowhere, ruthlessly exterminating him. He hadn''t had the slightest chance to fight back. Despair and unwillingness warred inside his heart.

    <em>This is¡­unfair¡­ </em>were his final thoughts before all life left him. His eyes remained glued on Jack, burning with hatred until their light died down.

    Jack waited until Spacewind really was dead. He shook his head and sighed. Did he enjoy this? No. As much as Spacewind had been his enemy before, executing someone was never a happy affair, just a necessity.

    He would never let an enemy get away again. Artus Emberheart had taught him this lesson.

    Then, Jack teleported, appearing right in the middle of the city. He was no longer hiding his presence. Every single cultivator jumped and rushed to surround him, while Sassa took the boy in her arms and prepared to teleport away.

    Monk Urusm stood at the very front of the gathering, with Shi Mo next to him. His wooden hoe had once again been reced with a sword. Jack was surprised at their reaction speed.

    ¡°Jack Rust?¡± Urusm asked, as if recalling the name from the depths of his memory. Unlike Spacewind, he didn¡¯t react immediately. He scouted Jack with his Dao perception, sensing the depths of his aura. That gave him pause.

    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± Jack said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡±

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Shi Mo asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Are you really Jack? You feel different. And where¡¯s Brock?¡±

    ¡°I will exin everything,¡± Jack replied, and that¡¯s exactly what he did. For the next hour, he recounted how he¡¯d gained control of the entire realm and sealed them in¡ªwithout going into details. He informed them about the outside world and the ongoing Crusade.

    They were stunned, of course, asking him all sorts of questions. They struggled to believe him. It was only as the hour passed that they came to terms with the world-altering reality Jack presented them¡ªand only because he demonstrated his prowess, enough to easily overpower everyone herebined.

    ¡°So, you are responsible for trapping us here?¡± Urusm asked.

    ¡°I am, and I¡¯m sorry about it,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk releasing you without the strength to control things. Now that I do¡­ I havee to give you a choice.¡±

    Before Jack actually saw this ce, one of his potential ns had been to exterminate all the Hand of God cultivators and release the others. However, he hadn¡¯t been satisfied with it, because it had felt a bit too brutal. Now, he was d to see that things had changed. These people had lost their edge¡ªin a good way. He no longer believed any of them deserved killing.

    ¡°I will soon attach this entire realm to my inner world,¡± Jack said. ¡°To those of you who will still be here, you will likely experience no change. You won¡¯t be able to harm me either, as the connection between this ce and my inner world will be¡­special. After I do that, releasing you from this realm will be much more difficult, and I may not be able to achieve it for the near future. Therefore, you need to make a decision now.¡±

    They watched with rapt attention.

    ¡°Those of you belonging to the Hand of God, I am sorry to say, but I will not release you. I cannot risk you joining the war and killing any of our cultivators. I will not kill you unless you wish for it, but you can remain here and live out the rest of your lives in peace. When the war is over, then I might let you out.

    ¡°Those of you belonging to the Church¡­ You can make your choice. If you want to leave, I will take you just outside System space and help you reach the Church forces. I cannot escort you, however. Your survival will be up to you. If you prefer to stay here and live in peace, then you may do so, until the dayes that I offer to release you again. What do you choose?¡±

    Jack looked everyone in the eye. He expected the Hand of God people to be angry. Instead, they seemed almost¡­relieved? It was the Church cultivators who showed signs of internal struggle.

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    ¡°I will stay,¡± said Borkuren. He reached out to hug Sassa and his little son, who was gazing at Jack with wide eyes. ¡°I never had a family, but now I do. I will not abandon them.¡±

    Jack nodded with approval.

    ¡°I will stay as well,¡± Shi Mo said. ¡°I¡¯m approaching the limits of my life, and after sitting around for four years, my de has lost its edge. I am no longer a warrior. Just an old man.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Are you disappointed, Jack?¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, old friend. I liked you as an honorable warrior, and I like you equally now. There is nothing wrong with change.¡±

    Shi Moughed, not saying anything else. Besides him and Borkuren, however, all other members of the Church chose to exit. They all had families and friends on the outside. As happy as they were in this ce, hiding here and letting their people fight alone would be wrong. Nobody reached this level by being a coward.

    Jack watched as these people set their jaws and spoke the words, rising to fly beside him. He saw how torn some of them were. He wondered if, perhaps, he should never have said anything. Then, these people wouldn¡¯t have to go to war, and they could continue living here in happiness.

    But that wasn¡¯t the right way. Everyone deserved to make their own choices.

    After some time, everyone had made their decision. Every Church cultivator besides Borkuren and Shi Mo had chosen to go. That included two Envoys.

    Jack gave them some time. There were heartful goodbyes. These people had all bonded with each other, regardless of their faction of origin, and having topletely uproot these new lives in the span of a few hours must have been difficult.

    Unfortunately, Jack couldn¡¯t give them too long. He was also on a mission. Six hourster, after everyone had a huge party, he returned to bid his own goodbyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll visit sometimes,¡± he said, sping the hands of both Borkuren and Shi Mo. They pulled him into a hug,ughing.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be looking forward to it, old friend,¡± Shi Mo said, still drunk from the party before. They¡¯d managed to make liquor strong enough to affect them.

    ¡°Hey, Jack,¡± Borkuren said with a drunk smile, ¡°do you know what we named our son? Jack. After you. Because we thought you died too early.¡±

    Jack swiveled, his eyes widening. He looked over at Sassa, who waited by the side. She gave him a coy look. ¡°I did think it was a silly name,¡± she replied. ¡°But when Borkuren likes an idea, you just can¡¯t get it out of his mind.¡±

    The frog manughed. So did she. She did not resemble the arrogant young girl of four years ago at all. If Jack didn¡¯t know it was impossible, he would have thought she¡¯d been reced by a shapeshifting monster.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. A child was named after him. That hit home hard. He¡¯d even lost his breath.

    The coupleughed again. Their son, too young to speak, waved at Jack andughed with his little baby face.

    Jack was suddenly emotional. He shook his head to clear it. ¡°See you, guys,¡± he told everyone who remained as he took to the sky. ¡°Enjoy this ce. It¡¯s all yours!¡±

    With that, he wrapped the people who were leaving in a spacetime bubble and took them along, teleporting rapidly. It only took him a couple minutes to reach the location of the portal. The cultivators he was dragging along had tears in their eyes. They looked down, memorizing this happy jungle they¡¯d never see again.

    ¡°Heads down,¡± Jack said, flying into the portal. A few minutester, it snapped close, and the realm was isted once more.

    They were now floating in space, between the stars. The cultivators he¡¯d brought along were teary-eyed. Druk-Druk was not amused. ¡°Where am I supposed to put all these people?¡± she asked. ¡°Our starship is tiny.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep them in a space bubble,¡± Jack promised. ¡°Once we reach Earth, I¡¯ll give you arger starship for the way back. Consider it a gift.¡±

    The space bubble would also ensure these people didn¡¯t figure out the location of Earth, but Jack didn¡¯t mention that. Instead, after chatting with the cultivators a bit and introducing them to Druk-Druk, he formed another space bubble, shrank it to the size of a desk, and took it into the starship with him. It wasrger on the inside, so the cultivators wouldn¡¯t be crowded.

    Maintaining this for the rest of the trip would be taxing, but as long as they didn¡¯t run into enemies, he would be fine. First, however¡­

    ¡°Take the bubble for a second, please,¡± Jack said. Druk-Druk took over with a grumble¡ªshe specialized in spacetime¡ªwhile Jack turned to regard the open space. He spread his arms, taking a deep breath. The realm heart in the main body¡¯s inner world shuddered. Unique Dao fluctuations passed through their connection and erupted from the clone¡¯s body. He used his Dao to reach into the point where the portal previously hung, the new anchoring point of the Green Dragon Realm to this universe, and <em>pulled.</em>

    The universe was a bubble in the dimensional sea. So was the Green Dragon Realm and all other hidden realms, except much smaller. Interestingly, the inner worlds of B-Grade and above cultivators were also their own dimensional bubbles. They were governed by some unique rules, of course, but that was beside the point right now.

    The important thing was, since they were dimensional bubbles, they could be connected to ces outside the cultivator¡¯s body. Technically, one could even form connection points between their inner world and the universe, but that would be dangerous and pointless. Living creatures from the outside couldn¡¯t enter inner worlds¡ªwith exceptions, like Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, who was tied to the Life Drop, which was in turn a part of Jack¡¯s soul.

    He couldn¡¯t actually absorb the Green Dragon Realm in his inner world. Not only was it impossible Dao-wise, but it was also too big. It wouldn¡¯t fit. What he would do instead was form a permanent connection between the two dimensional bubbles. Essentially, instead of the Green Dragon Realm connecting to the universe, it would now connect to Jack¡¯s inner world. That would protect the realm from any harm, and also enhance Jack¡¯s inner world.

    While living creatures couldn¡¯t pass through the portal, energy sure could, especially when you were the master of both sides of the connection.

    Jack pulled at the portal. He sensed it move through space, an invisible anchoring point, then passed it through his body and into his inner world. The sensation was weird, but it seeded.

    At that point, the main body in the Spiral Stair gxy paused its cultivation to work with the clone. Their two inner worlds were connected. Together, they moved the portal from one side to the other, nting it firmly in the main body¡¯s inner world. It was just an energy signature, so transferring it between two connected dimensional bubbles was doable, if difficult.

    When it was over, Jack took a deep breath, exhausted. That was harder than he anticipated. But also very rewarding.

    He could feel it already. The portal was open in the main body¡¯s inner world, flooding it with a constant stream of energy. After all, the Green Dragon Realm had existed for a very long time, and it was many timesrger than Jack¡¯s inner world. It could supply energy all the way until Jack reached the A-Grade, and the cultivators there would only feel a tiny difference in energy density.

    Of course, that would still take a very long time, because the energy which could pass through the small portal was limited. It was a great increase in cultivation speed regardless. Even without any space monster cores, Jack was confident he could reach the peak B-Grade within a millennium.

    Having your own little realm, created by an Archon and left to grow for a billion years, was overpowered indeed.

    Jack smiled as he rushed back into the ship. Next destination¡­ Earth!

 Chapter 489: Double Trouble

    Jack opened his eyes in the New Cathedral. They shed. A grin yed on his lips, and power surged through his inner world.

    Sitting in his office, Jackughed with joy.

    ¡°Good job, myself!¡±

    Several gxies away, his clone had just absorbed the Green Dragon Realm. Working together, they had managed to attach the realm to the main body¡¯s inner world, leading to yet another power-up for Jack.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how exactly this worked, but he was excited to find out. He quickly set to experimentation.

    An egg-shaped portal floated in his mostly empty inner world. Through the vacuum echoed a sound like rushing waves; the sign of energy flowing rapidly from the realm to Jack¡¯s inner world. The portal was only ten feet tall and six wide, but it pumped out energy at full capacity, like a drain at the bottom of the sea. The energy influx was far faster than what Jack could achieve by cultivating.

    Originally, he would have needed hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation to reach the peak B-Grade. With this portal steadily pumping out energy, he could cut that down to a mere thousand. A more than great pace in normal circumstances. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough in the current war state, but it was a great step forward.

    Jack stood in his inner world, gazing at the portal from afar. The other inhabitants of the world floated beside him.

    ¡°What a nice door!¡± The Stone eximed. ¡°They forgot the knob, though. Do you have the details of the manufacturer? I¡¯d like to give them a word or two! Speaking of doors, I remember seeing a beautiful one. It was white and marble, with two little flowers growing on it, and it smelled vaguely ofvender. Not that I have a nose, but so I was told. Speaking ofvender¡­¡±Jack zoned out The Stone, as he¡¯d gotten used to doingtely. He could now let it hang out in his inner world, speaking at will, and he just didn¡¯t hear it. The human brain was a wonderful thing.

    ¡°Where does that lead, kid?¡± the turtle asked. Its eyes were narrowed. ¡°Why does it feel so¡­homely?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Green Dragon Realm,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The same ce where you fell asleep a few years ago. I grafted it to my inner world.¡±

    The turtle¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°I see,¡± it said. ¡°And you connected it here to¡­¡±

    ¡°To absorb its energy, mostly, as well as protect it from the universe,¡± Jack exined. ¡°It has a ton of Life energy, too. I was thinking to use some of that energy to start refilling the Life Drop.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant!¡± The turtle nodded in approval. ¡°You said you would refill it, and now you¡¯re doing it. I like it when you keep your word.¡±

    ¡°I always keep my word.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about emptying it out?¡± the turtle asked, gazing at the portal again. It was releasing energy at a tremendous rate.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°The Green Dragon Realm is shaped as an inverse, wide cone. Just the jungle on its top is a hundred thousand miles wide. The entire thing has a volume hundreds of timesrger than my inner realm¡¯s, so all the energy I need is a drop in the bucket.¡±

    Saint Venerable Thousand Shell thought for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± he said, ¡°but how exactly will you refill the Divine Blood?¡±

    ¡°Watch this.¡±

    The Life Drop was currently glued to the middle finger of the fist-shaped meteor which upied the center of Jack¡¯s world. As he waved a hand, the Life Drop popped off, teleporting beside them. With another wave, it flew towards the portal, anchoring itself right before its entrance. The iing flood of energy buffeted it, but thanks to Jack¡¯s god-like powers in this world, it remained in ce.

    ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°The iing energy is life-attuned. As it brushes by the Life Drop, some of it will be absorbed.¡±

    The turtle nodded. There was also something else in its beady eyes. A hint of¡­excitement? ¡°eptable,¡± it said. ¡°That breeze of life energy looksfortable indeed. I will go take a nap. Wake me up when it¡¯s one twentieth full.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said. ¡°You mentioned the Life Drop has more applications. Can you teach me before you go?¡±

    The turtle grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s useless now, kid. That¡¯s why I said to wake me up at one twentieth. When it¡¯s time for you to know, naturally you will know.¡±

    With that, the turtle turned into a green ray of light, disappearing into the immobile Life Drop. Jack imagined it ruffling its shell and settling down for a nap. He shrugged.

    The Green Dragon Realm was basically an energy generator for his inner world. Controlling a minor dimension certainly came with other uses¡ªJack fantasized summoning an army of nt dragons to fight for him in the future. For now, however, he was content with this.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he was done. He already had one minor dimension, yes¡ªbut what about a second?

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    The real body reached into his space ring, removing an item that quickly appeared inside his inner world. It was a round bead cker than ck, absorbing any and all light that reached it. This was the seed of the ck Hole World, an anchor able to open a portal to that sealed ce.

    Jack had already used it once a few days ago. He¡¯d flown far away from the New Cathedral, activated the bead, and passed into the ck Hole World. He¡¯d then exined the current situation to Grand Elder Pasan, the leader of that world, and asked for her opinion.

    Surprisingly, the Grand Elder had refused to leave yet. With the current state of the universe, and her people as pure-hearted and naive as they were, she figured that sending them out now would lead to widespread destruction. They¡¯d already waited a billion years, she said¡ªthey could wait a little more until the Second Crusade ended. Or until they were needed.

    Truth be told, they would be useless outside. Their strongest cultivators were at the D-Grade, and their inheritances, while great treasures to a backwater faction like the Animal Kingdom, were nothing much to the ck Hole Church. Jack disagreed with the Grand Elder¡¯s decision on the principle of freedom, but he could see her reasoning.

    Everything else aside, a minor dimension was an extremely valuable thing, both for hiding and transportation purposes. He could see the Churchmandeering the ck Hole World for its forces and forcing the ck hole people to relocate to a friendly, where they would be vulnerable. The Arch Priestess didn¡¯t seem like an asshole, but it was the natural thing to do. Jack would have done the same if Earth was at stake. Letting such a valuable resource be wasted on low-level cultivators was unwise.

    However, since Jack owed them a favor, he promised to keep the ck Hole World a secret for now.

    The Grand Elder did, however, agree to let him connect their world to his inner world. The purpose of this wasn¡¯t to use it as an energy battery like the Green Dragon Realm. After all, the ck Hole World was tiny, only a hundred miles across. Their energy was too little.

    What they did have, however, was incredibly solid spacetimews. Such a small dimension should have copsed long ago by the sheer pressure of the dimensional sea surrounding it. The only reason it hadn¡¯t was Archon ck Hole¡¯s extreme understandings of spacetime. By sacrificing world size, he had achieved extreme stability¡ªthe exact opposite of what Archon Green Dragon had done with his own world, which was slowly deteriorating.

    Jack had to wonder about the justification of Archon ck Hole doing that. The ck Hole World was meant to be a temporary shelter for his descendants. They were supposed to exit after a million years. With his powers, he could have easily crafted a massive world for them where they could livefortably in sunlit prairies, and that world would stillst for ten million years¡ªten times longer than necessary. Instead, the Archon had decided to make a stuffy ball ofyered stone just a hundred miles across, sacrificing life quality to greatly extend the world¡¯s lifetime.

    Had the Archon lied to his descendants? Did he intend for them to stay trapped in there for a billion years? Maybe, Jack thought, it was a move of desperation. The Archon had grown so disillusioned with the outside world that he preferred his descendants to live in their own little world forever.

    Jack didn¡¯t know he felt about that. He was scared. Just what could drive a mighty Archon to such extreme despair? Was he right, or was there some other reasoning which Jack just didn¡¯t grasp? Even Grand Elder Pasan revealed she had no idea.

    In any case, that was an old matter, probably unrted to modern-day events. The important thing was that Jack¡¯s inner world was stable, but of course, it was nothingpared to what a Spacetime Archon could achieve. By connecting the two, he could allow theirws to intermingle, slowly enhancing the stability of his world. It wouldn¡¯t increase his cultivation, but it would help with future breakthroughs.

    A second connection point appeared in his inner world. This one was ck, and shaped as a ck hole instead of a portal. It didn¡¯t suck in energy; it only circted, breathing in and out like a living creature. Compared to the energy-flooding portal to the Green Dragon Realm, this second connection point seemed calm and steady, as if it could exist for eternity.

    Looking at the two, Jack felt like he could see the Archons. Green Dragon was a powerful, rowdy individual, using his powers to kick up a storm whenever he went. ck Hole was calm, collected, and calcting. His ns reached deep into the future, a gradual umtion.

    Jack chuckled. He had a feeling his assumptions were urate. He still remembered how, at the vision he saw of Green Dragon, the Archon had some¡­choice words for the Space and Time Old Gods. Which he¡¯d said right to their faces.

    ¡°Two minor realms¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°We¡¯re doing pretty well here. Don¡¯t you think so, Stone?¡±

    The Stone, which had been going on about gardening techniques, propped up. ¡°Most certainly!¡± it replied. ¡°You¡¯re standing on the shoulders of giants. That¡¯s why I like you, Jack. You know how to get a good thing going.¡±

    ¡°...Are you trying to tter me?¡±

    The Stone deted. ¡°No,¡± it said in a small voice. Jackughed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. I won¡¯t abandon you, Stone. You¡¯re a friend now. A bro. While I live, you will never be alone again.¡±

    The Stone perked up. ¡°Really?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Yes, really. Isn¡¯t that right, Copy Jack?¡±

    Copy Jack shrugged. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. The Stone beamed.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you! I knew I could count on you! That lion woman was so evil; just when I thought I¡¯d been freed from an endless life of solitude, she threw me right into a space ring and left me there. Can you believe it? At least on my meteor I had <em>something </em>to enjoy. The stars were nice. There were astral winds. But in a ring? That¡¯s goddamn boring.¡±

    ¡°She was a real piece of work,¡± Jack agreed. ¡°How did you even see the stars, anyway? You don¡¯t have eyes.¡±

    ¡°I sure do! Look here, right above my mouth.¡±

    Jack frowned and leaned in. He could see nothing. The Stone had a human-shaped mouth with a stone interior, but above that, it was nothing but¡ª

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said, drawing back.

    ¡°See? I do have eyes!¡± The Stone replied proudly.

    Jackughed. Right above its mouth, the Stone had two beady eyes so tiny they blended in. He only recognized them because one blinked.

    ¡°You¡¯re a piece of work as well,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, I gotta get back to cultivating. I¡¯ll take you out as soon as I find an opportunity. See you around, Stone, Copy Jack.¡±

    ¡°See you!¡± The Stone replied excitedly, while Copy Jack waved.

    Jack opened his eyes in the real world. Interacting with his friends was nice, but he had work to do. The sack of space monster cores at his feet was only half-empty, but the progress it had given him was nothing short of impressive. He grinned as he opened his status screen.

 Chapter 490: Challenge

    Chapter 490: Challenge

    Jack opened his status screen. The space monster cores he¡¯d absorbed so far had given him a bunch of levels.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: B</strong>

    <strong>ss: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 432</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 8680 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 8680 (+)</strong><strong>Constitution: 8680 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1200</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 1400</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Neutron Star Body III, Supernova III, Space Mastery III, Fist of Mortality III, Death Mastery III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I</strong>

    <strong>Inner World size: 10,000 miles</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: 64%</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer, Challenger</strong>

    From Level 404, he¡¯d risen all the way to 432. The energy density of his inner world had increased significantly, crossing the halfway mark to the middle B-Grade. Most importantly, leveling up gave him a crazy amount of stats thanks to his Legendary ss. Every level gave fifty. After twenty-eight levels, he now had one thousand four hundred points to distribute. That was massive.

    Of course, rising through the levels wasn¡¯t always such an easy process. The only reason he¡¯d advanced this fast was because he was eating high-level space monster cores like candy. The Church had invested greatly in him, but they¡¯d made it clear this was all they could provide. After this sack was empty, their assistance would be limited.

    He hoped these cores would be enough to push him to the middle B-Grade. After that, maybe he¡¯d go hunting for space monster cores himself. He¡¯d heard many times that this gxy was unnaturally choke-full of space monsters.

    For now, however, he had a ton of stat points to distribute.

    <em>1400¡­ </em>he thought with disbelief. <em>That¡¯s so much¡­</em>

    Once upon a time, every level gave him two points, and those two had been enough to seriously push his strength forward. Now, he needed over a thousand to achieve the same effect.

    His Physical substats were bnced, all at 8680. He could invest everything into them to push them over ten thousand. However, that would leave his Mental and Will too far behind. All the strength in the world would matter little if he was trapped in an illusion.

    Back when he was an F-Grade cultivator, Shol had told him to adopt an 8-1-1 distribution between his stats. As he climbed, nobody had anything to say against that strategy, so it remained the one he followed¡ªwith the sole exception that, when possible, he enjoyed round numbers.

    Jack hardened his heart, investing almost half of his stat points into Mental and Will. Three hundred went into each, raising them both to a round 1500. That was a twenty percent increase. Instantly, he felt his mind sharpen, his understanding deepen, his purpose be filled with utter rity. He could watch the rain and calcte the path of every individual droplet. He grinned.

    But this wasn¡¯t what he liked most.

    Eight hundred points remained, and he gleefully poured them all into Physical. His body seized. Tremors and cramps spread through him as the System struggled to enhance him further. After all, it wasn¡¯t omnipotent, and his body was already extremely powerful. Every step forward was a hurdle. The once enjoyable sensation of increasing stat points had turned highly unpleasant.

    Jack convulsed on the floor, gritting his teeth through the burning pain. His entire body was on fire. The life particles making it up, which were already densely clustered, were forced to make room for more. It was a slow and difficult process.

    When the initial shock passed, Jack struggled to his feet. He could sense that the enhancement wasn¡¯t over; it had be a constant stream of Life Dao particles into his body, lowering the pain to a threshold he could barely ignore. Jack clenched his fist, easily telling he¡¯d grown a bit stronger, but not too much. From what he estimated, this process would take several weeks toplete. He could sense himself approaching the limits of body tempering.

    In fact, he had the sneaking suspicion that the System points he inserted into his Physical were beginning to lose their efficiency. It wasn¡¯t indicated anywhere on his status screen, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the thought.

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    Regardless, every increase was a good one. The tempering process would continue for weeks, but the System already indicated all his points as invested.

    <strong>Strength: 9480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 9480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 9480 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1500</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1500</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    It was decent. Pretty good, actually. Jack was flying!

    He couldn¡¯t help thinking about Brock. His brori brother didn¡¯t have the benefit of the System, so his own stats were rising at a slower pace. Compared to Jack, however, he did have another advantage: a smaller inner world, which could fill up with energy much faster.

    Brock had also been given a sack of space monster corespatible to his Dao. And, just yesterday, he¡¯d broken into the middle B-Grade.

    Jack decided to take a break, pacing out of his room to find Brock sprawled on an intable couch, reading the Bro Code. There were many couches in their mansion. There were many of everything, actually. The Church had given them real luxury.

    Of course, the entire mansion was worth nothingpared to a single space monster core.

    ¡°Sup, bro,¡± Jack said, walking into the sunlit garden. A long wall surrounded the entire ce. There was a bar, multiple lounges, and arge pool. The couch Brock was currently lounging on was in the middle of the pool, a bright yellow floatie. The brori himself wore a pair of pink swim shorts, chilling with one foot in the water. He raised his gaze as Jack walked close.

    ¡°Hey bro,¡± he said. ¡°All good. Meditating. You?¡±

    Jackughed. Brock wasn¡¯t kidding. He had his Bro Code out¡ªhe really was meditating on his Dao, except he was doing it on a floatie in a pool in the sun. That was the life. Jack himself needed more peace and quiet, so he had to retreat into his dark office to cultivate. He was a little bit jealous, but more so, he was happy for his little brother.

    ¡°Enjoy the good life, bro,¡± he said. ¡°You deserve it.¡±

    Right as Jack was about to jump into the pool, however, a new voice called out. ¡°Hold it,¡± it said. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Jack paused, annoyed. ¡°What do <em>you </em>think you¡¯re doing, Starhair?¡±

    The man walked in from the garden entrance, taking in both Jack and Brock with distaste. ¡°I am charged with assisting you,¡± he said. ¡°What you¡¯re doing now is a waste of time. We¡¯re at war. Our army is dying, and you think you¡¯re on vacations?¡±

    Jack reined in his anger. ¡°Rxing is an important part of cultivation,¡± he exined patiently. ¡°I¡¯ve cultivated non-stop for two weeks. I just achieved a major power-up. If I don¡¯t celebrate a little, I¡¯ll be tense, and my efficiency will drop.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. You¡¯re just spoiled by all the praise you¡¯re receiving.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re out of line, Ass-Kisser Bro,¡± Brock warned him from the pool. Starhair ignored him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how powerful you are or what you¡¯ve been through, Jack. I don¡¯t care about your potential. You¡¯re just a weakling right now, so act with respect.¡±

    Jack smirked. ¡°Respect to whom? You don¡¯t deserve it. Not only is your mind severely untempered, but even on the topic of power, you are weaker than us while at a higher cultivation level. The only thing you have going for you is your age, and that¡¯s only if we count it in years instead of wisdom. If anybody should be showing respect here, it¡¯s you.¡±

    Starhair¡¯s eyes shed, like he¡¯d heard exactly what he wanted. ¡°Do you seriously think you¡¯re stronger than me?¡± he asked,ughing. ¡°I acknowledge your future potential, but right now, you¡¯re just an early B-Grade. You, defeating me? That¡¯s such a load of crap!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack asked back. ¡°Then how about we find out?¡±

    Starhair¡¯sughter died down. Suspicion entered his eyes, like this was too easy. ¡°Are you challenging me?¡± he said.

    ¡°You are the challenger, but yes. I don¡¯t mind. Then perhaps you¡¯ll stop your silly little games, likeing here to taunt me and try to steal some of my spotlight by beating me in a public duel. Which is not a bad idea, mind you, just a little simple for your level. Also, highly miscalcted, because you can¡¯t beat me.¡±

    Starhair narrowed his eyes. Jack could see the cogs turning in his head. As for Jack himself, his initial anger was long gone, and he was now calm. This was a simple situation to him. After everything he¡¯d been through, Starhair¡¯s elementary machinations were almost cute.

    ¡°One moment, Ass-Kisser Bro,¡± a voice called out. Brock. He stilly on the floatie couch, reclining casually, but his eyes held a hint of hard amusement. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to challenge Big Bro,¡± he continued. ¡°You fight me instead. I will teach you your ce.¡±

    Starhair looked between Jack and Brock. ¡°You want me to fight the sidekick?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There is no sidekick here,¡± Jack said. ¡°Brock is my brother on equal footing. If he says you fight him, then you fight him.¡± Starhair was getting riled up, but Jack held up a hand to stop whateverme words wereing next. ¡°If you can defeat Brock, then I¡¯ll fight you next,¡± he said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that work better for you? You get to steal not one spotlight, but two.¡±

    Starhair considered it for a second. Finally, he grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into you, but fine. I¡¯ll defeat you both.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Brock said. ¡°Weird. The Bro Code disagrees.¡± He flipped his Bro Code to a certain page and turned it outward. It showed a brori spanking a blushing man with long hair. Jackughed. Starhair frowned in anger.

    ¡°State your terms,¡± he said.

    ¡°Terms?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Time, ce, and stakes.¡± He raised his head. ¡°Let nobody say that I, Starhair, bullied you.¡±

    Jack and Brock looked at him as if he was a joke. ¡°The location can be anywhere safe nearby,¡± Brock said. ¡°Time is now. Oh, in a few hours, actually. TV Bro will want to record this. Stakes¡­ If you win, I be your little bro. If I win, you shut up and ept your ce.¡±

    ¡°Do you agree with that?¡± Starhair asked Jack. It was obvious he¡¯d expected them to set a date a few months into the future, so Jack and Brock could try to make more breakthroughs. He hadn¡¯t thought Brock would dare fight him right now.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The sooner we¡¯re done with this, the better.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Starhairughed. ¡°You¡¯ll pay dearly for underestimating me. Summon your manager and let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°How about you go on ahead and find a suitable ce?¡± Jack asked. Starhair snorted, still smirking, and took off like a starry rocket.

    Only Jack and Brock remained, and they sighed.

    ¡°He¡¯s lucky he¡¯s so harmless,¡± said Jack. ¡°Otherwise, we might have had to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Brock agreed. ¡°He¡¯s not bad, just arrogant. As I said; Ass-Kisser Bro needs a good ass-kicking to be a proper person.¡±

    ¡°That falls to you, bro. Show him what you got.¡±

    Brock grinned. ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 491: Brock vs. Starhair

    Chapter 491: Brock vs. Starhair

    Sophie dropped everything she was doing to arrange the duel. She also informed everyone she knew, apparently, because what seemed like half the New Cathedral arrived with her.

    ¡°Hello, Jack, Brock!¡± she shouted as she flew closer. She wasn¡¯t a D-Grade, so she couldn¡¯t really fly, but she wore what resembled a space mech suit. Jack had never seen that before¡ªit must have been a luxury item for E-Grades.

    ¡°Hi Sophie,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Nice clothes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! It¡¯s new!¡± she eximed, doing a little twirl. Her voice came robotic through the suit¡ªwhich apparently utilized some Dao device to spread the sound in the vacuum. ¡°Are they about to start?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Quick! Quick! Set up everything, guys, we <em>must </em>get good shots!¡±

    At hermand, her entire crew of photographers, projection stone specialists, and all sorts of media experts fanned out. They established themselves in various positions to ensure they had a good outlook no matter which direction the battle spread in. Of the entire crew, only Sophie was an E-Grade. Out of the entire audience, in fact, she was one of the few people wearing mech suits.

    Thousands of people spread out on a barren, airless celestial body. It was the moon of arge, uninhabitable in the New Cathedral¡¯s sr system, on which Brock and Starhair were set to duel.

    This wasn¡¯t the original location of the duel. After all, with two people at roughly the peak B-Grade power level duking it out, any nearby was bound to be destroyed. They¡¯d originally selected an empty region of space, but Sophie swooped in, iming she¡¯d already gotten permission from the Arch Priestess to use a. She said it would make for a much more impressive battle. Basically, she wanted to make this duel a public event which would go down in the history books, using it to further increase Jack and Brock¡¯s fame.Jack didn¡¯t mind. It wasn¡¯t his. If the Church wanted to destroy it, they might as well.

    The crowd was on one of the¡¯s two moons. Sophie¡¯s media crew had brought along chairs and set up a stadium, of sorts, where they¡¯d also installed a massive projection screen. After all, the duel would be taking ce a tremendous distance away¡ªfrom the moon to the actual¡ªand almost nobody could see that far.

    As for the projection itself, a group of B-Grades had been tasked with approaching the battle and recording it from up-close, or as up-close as they could get without risking interference. In Sophie¡¯s words, this was a grand, grand, grand event!

    Jack looked around. Someone had spread their Dao to create a bubble of air and decent temperature. On the small spectator field, there were stands with food and drinks. Everyone was gathered in groups, talking excitedly about the uing duel while loading all sorts of delicacies on their tes. It resembled a party. And, while Jack understood the need to keep things that way, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little bitter.

    Duels weren¡¯t supposed to be like this. They weren¡¯t spectacles. They were real battles, of real people, with real stakes. There was nothing fun about them.

    He sighed as he paced towards a familiar figure. ¡°Hello, Master,¡± he called out. ¡°Enjoying the show?¡±

    Elder Boatman turned around. This was the energy clone he¡¯d made to apany Jack and Brock. They hadn¡¯t had much contact yet because both disciples were too busy cultivating to meditate on the Dao.

    ¡°As much as you are,¡± the Elder replied in his gravely voice. ¡°Jack, this is Elder Soresight. Soresight, this is my disciple, Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure, Elder,¡± Jack said, eyeing the other man. It was an elderly-looking individual draped in dirty monk robes. He seemed close to the end of his life. Yet, his eyes and face glowed with energy, like he¡¯d fallen into the pot of kindness as a child.

    He was a middle A-Grade.

    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Jack,¡± the Elder replied. His voice was soft, yet energetic. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. Seen, too. You make for interesting interviews.¡±

    Jackughed humorlessly.

    ¡°Have you had anything to eat yet, Jack?¡± Elder Boatman asked. ¡°If I may suggest¡­¡±

    He waved his hand, and a disc teleported to his hands. There was a ss of what looked like orange juice, as well as a te stuffed with all sorts of delicacies. Well, delicacies for the New Cathedral. Jack found the gum worms and rotten-looking fruit less than appealing.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied, epting the disk. ¡°How did you teleport so many objects so casually?¡±

    ¡°I have my ways,¡± the Elder replied. A hundred feet to the side, a gray alien who¡¯d just gotten off the food line looked surprised at his now-empty hands. He grumbled something, then walked back to the start of the line.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± Sophie¡¯s voice rose over the crowd, ushering everyone to their seats. Jack sat next to the two Elders at the very first row. There was one more Elder present, sitting far to the side. The Arch Priestess hadn¡¯t attended.

    ¡°That¡¯s your spiritualpanion,¡± Elder Soresight noted, looking at therge projection screen. ¡°Are you worried about him?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Brock knows what he¡¯s doing. Since he challenged Starhair, he must have confidence in winning. Besides¡­¡± He grinned. ¡°I really look forward to seeing his current power.¡±

    The Elder nodded, and all three of them turned their sights to the screen.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition.

    There was no atmosphere on this. This was one of the sr system¡¯s outers, so the rock that made it up was beyond cold. A dark white color made up the entire surface.

    Brock and Starhair stood ten miles apart on a barren in. They seemed tinypared to the, but their vast auras towered higher than the tallest mountains. They were like two gods in humanoid form.

    Brock was calm. A pair of red shorts was his only garment. He¡¯d shelved the Bro Code and held his Goldwood Staff with both hands,pletely unperturbed by the crowd. He¡¯d fought with real stakes before¡ªa little bit of publicity was nothing to him.

    Starhair, on the other hand, was clearly affected by the pressure. He wanted to win this so he could escape his position as personal assistant and return to being the elite he knew he was. He secretly gripped his fists. His aura flickered, making his white robes flutter.

    <em>I will not lose to a monkey, </em>he resolved himself. <em>I¡¯m Starhair. A 6500-mile peak B-Grade. I will win.</em>

    The two just stood there and waited for the signal to start. As the distant crowd settled into their seats, Sophie¡¯s voice washed over the entire. ¡°Wee, everyone, to a battle for the ages!¡± she shouted. Loud cheers followed¡ªclearly pre-recorded.

    ¡°We bring to you a duel between two exceptional cultivators. On the right side we have Envoy Starhair¡ªa peak B-Grade human following the Dao of Stars! However, Starhair is more than just an elite at his level. He sports a colorful streak of war aplishments as a member of the legendary Spoon Squad!¡±

    More cheers came. Real ones this time. Either Starhair was more known than Jack expected, or the Spoon Squad were war heroes.

    ¡°On the other side,¡± Sophie continued as the cheers died down, ¡°we have Brock the Brori! Some of you know him from the recent broadcasts.¡± A new wave of cheers confirmed her words. ¡°He follows the Dao of Brohood, and is the spiritualpanion of Jack Rust, the legendary ten-thousand-mile cultivator of the Fist! However, don¡¯t think Brock is any sort of sidekick. With a spectacr 8800-mile breakthrough into the B-Grade, he is a prime genius in his own right, an unprecedented talent for thest hundreds of thousands of years, only surpassed by his own brother. With a cultivation at only the middle B-Grade, he dares to challenge Starhair, a known elite at the peak B-Grade! Give it up for Brock the Brori!¡±

    The crowd exploded. Jack was so taken aback by the intensity of these cheers that he forgot to hold his food, letting a bit of his orange juice fall to the ground. The very moon below them shook by the crowd¡¯s passion.

    ¡°The hell?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You might not know, but Brock is a crowd favorite,¡± Elder Boatman exined with mirth. ¡°His plushies, stickers, and shirts have be household items in the New Cathedral. People pride themselves in being part of the so-called Bro Army.¡±

    ¡°What bro army?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Brock said so in a broadcast. Everyone wants to participate, apparently. Who would have thought?¡±

    Jack shook his head, turning back to the screen.

    ¡°I hope everyone is ready,¡± Sophie said, her voice ramping up. ¡°Let¡¯s not keep our fighters waiting any longer. You just know they¡¯re rearing to go at it. The duel is to first blood, as always. Give it up for both our fighters, and here. We. Go. It¡¯s Fisting Time!!¡±

    Jack groaned.

    The moment she spoke the final word, Brock and Starhairunched at each other like twin rockets. They closed the ten-mile distance in the blink of an eye. A staff smashed forth. Three thick hair strands rushed to meet it. The two collided in the middle of the ins, and instantly, the projection zoomed out. The entire ins disappeared. A hundred-mile crater was formed beneath their feet, causing the entire to shake and cracks to form everywhere.

    This was just the opening salvo.

    Staff and hair shed against each other. Every strike was cataclysmic. Entire parts of the were shorn off by the shockwaves, peeling it as one would an apple. They exchanged strikes rapidly.

    Starhair threw three hair strands against Brock¡¯s staff, then had the other three attack from the other side. Brock took one hand off his staff, cing his palm against the hair strands. Burning golden light erupted. The hair shrunk back, unable to approach despite their starry might, as Brock¡¯s light pressed on. Starhair teleported away. The light reached him regardless, because it moved at light speed and spread in every direction, and he had to use his hair strands as a shield. All six converged before him, hiding himpletely to block the light. Brock shed right in front of him, smashing a staff into the shield and sending Starhair flying.

    The crowd cheered. Jack took a sip of his orange juice, then spat it on the floor and coughed. This was no orange juice¡ªit tasted like orange-colored blood.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Orow milk. Very nutritious,¡± Elder Boatman exined, not taking his eyes off the screen. Jack grumbled and returned to watching.

    Brock pursued Starhair¡¯s retreat. The two jumped around the, easily covering its circumference. As another staff strikended, rebounding against the shield of bouncy hair, Starhair roared out. All six of his strands spun around like a chainsaw. They turned sharp, too, eviscerating the very space around him. He dove for Brock, who didn¡¯t retreat. He simply raised his staff to defend.

    Gold and blue light spread in two opposite cones, temporarily outshining the sun. Energy erupted at colossal quantities. Jack didn¡¯t even need to watch the screen; he saw the massive shockwave spear through the, slicing it cleanly in half, revealing a molten core. Lava spilled into space, chilling instantly and turning into dark rock.ary fragments wereunched in all directions, all at least the size of mountains. A few headed for the spectators¡¯ moon but were quickly deflected by a couple of B-Grades. Another few crashed into the second moon, taking it off its orbit and resulting in massive explosions. The spectacr fireworks were clearly projected in the screen.

    The duel of Brock and Starhair was still ramping up. Starhair¡¯s entire body was shining. Each strand of hair carried the weight of a star, powered by controlled nuclear fusions. They moved at blinding speed, too. Beneath their titanic strikes, theary fragments shattered, showering the universe in specks of frozen rock.

    The power of an elite peak B-Grade was nothing to scoff at. But Brock was strong, too.

    At some point, the Bro Code had appeared in his hands. Hymns filled the world. They reached every ear, every heart. Brock flipped the Bro Code to a page depicting a multi-armed brori. Suddenly, ten thousand golden arms erupted from his back, each over a mile long. They shone brilliantly.

    So did Brock¡¯s eyes. He looked straight at Starhair, unperturbed by his hair. ¡°It¡¯s spanking time,¡± he dered. The ten thousand arms rained out, all with their palms straight. They collided with Starhair¡¯s hair. Every strike ended with the hands pushed back, but there were too many of them. Starhair couldn¡¯t block them all, and he could not approach Brock either, as the arms were denser the closer he got. Brock was taking a page off the space octopus¡¯s book¡ªquite literally.

    Palm strikes rained forth. Starhair shed, teleporting continuously in every direction to dodge Brock¡¯s ps. Brock mirrored his opponent¡¯s movements to keep himself a mile away, at the very edge of his attack range.

    Starhair was looking for a gap in Brock¡¯s defenses but found none. Enraged, he roared and charged. His hair spun around again. He cut through a hundred arms in an instant, rushing towards Brock. However, for every arm he sliced off, ten took its ce. The sliced ones regenerated, too. Brock was like a hydra.

    ¡°No bro dies alone,¡± Brock chanted, his eyes and body golden. ¡°If one bro lives, everyone does. We only fall together.¡±

 Chapter 492: Death of Space

    Chapter 492: Death of Space

    Brock¡¯s avnche of palm strikes neutralized Starhair¡¯s momentum just as he charged past the halfway mark. He was then pushed back. The hands kept pping, a series of strikes so dense Starhair didn¡¯t have time to teleport away. He tried regardless. A portal opened next to him, and just as he was halfway through it, a hand grabbed his robes and pulled him back out. There was no escaping this beating.

    Starhair roared again. He gathered his hair into a soft shield, absorbing all impacts and reflecting them back. Hundreds of arms exploded, but Brock had many more. They kept crashing down. Starhair was smashed into argeary fragment and pushed through it until the entire thing shattered in a shower of ice. He kept flying backward until he rammed into the¡¯s hard core. This time, because his shield was neutralizing most of the impact, he didn¡¯t have the momentum to break through. He was stuck against the core, slowly forming arger andrger crater as Brock pummeled him with palm strikes.

    ¡°Check it out!¡± Sophie''s voice echoed. ¡°Brock is going p-happy on Starhair!¡±

    Herment must have enraged the peak B-Grade. He detonated a good part of his energy, erupting with enough force to pulverize the core below him and send away all of Brock¡¯s golden arms. When the smoke cleared, Starhair sported a new form. He was now a ten-foot-tall humanoid made of starry hair. Jack assumed he¡¯d somehow split his hair strands and turned them into armor.

    ¡°You fought well, but this ends now,¡± Starhair shouted. ¡°Fall!¡± He charged at Brock, moving far faster than before, tearing up space wherever he passed. A few golden arms pped into him, achieving nothing. He disintegrated them by merely rushing past.

    His new set of armor gave him extreme defense, strength, and speed. He was vastly more powerful than before. It was clear he was going all-out, or at least close to it.

    Facing this charging form, Brock didn¡¯t panic. He brought his hands together. The Bro Code flipped to a new page, too fast for anyone to see, then pped shut. ¡°You are misbehaving,¡± Brock chanted slowly. ¡°As your big bro, it is my duty to bring you back into line.¡±

    Somehow, despite his slow words and Starhair¡¯s blinding assault, he hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Golden light erupted once again from Brock¡¯s body. The ten thousand arms dissipated. So intense was the new burst of light that space shattered behind him, framing his figure in the void. Everyone looked away.

    When they looked at Brock again, he was surrounded by the form of a golden brori. Jack knew it was a phantom because he¡¯d seen this move before, but if he hadn¡¯t, he would have certainly believed it was real. So lifelike and solid was the figure. It was a magnified version of Brock, shining golden from head to toe, radiating light like sort of brotherly buddha. His eyes held not anger, but love and strictness, as if Starhair was just a misbehaving child.Thatparison was apt size-wise, as well. Compared to Starhair¡¯s ten-foot form, Brock was at least twice as tall.

    It was only after the phantom solidified fully that Starhair reached Brock. Stars erupted within his hair armor. He punched out, carrying the force of detonating strikes. ¡°Begone!¡± he shouted.

    Brock brought his hands together, then raised an open palm. He brought it down on Starhair as one would p a fly.

    A colossal explosion shook the world. All the power Starhair had amassed was for naught. He was violently diverted from his course and flung away. His speed remained enough to sear space around him. A singlerge piece remained of the once-solid, and Starhair smashed right into it, once again showering the world in specks of ice and stone. He continued through, smashing through several smaller pieces of the before finallying to a stop mid-space.

    The projection zoomed in on him. He seemed enraged, in disbelief, and desperate. His hair-armored form remained whole. Then, suddenly, he reverted it. The hair fell away, turning back into the six strands attached to his head. Intense unwillingness covered his now visible face. He still seemed pissed as hell, but he forced himself to stand down.

    A line of blood flowed from his forehead. He had given first blood. Brock had won the duel.

    The audience cheered. ¡°What a spectacr battle!¡± Sophie eximed. ¡°An excellent demonstration from both fighters. Give it up for them, everyone!¡±

    Cheers and ps resounded through the void. Jack cheered too, though the Elders remained calm by his side.

    ¡°That was a good fight,¡± Elder Soresightmented. ¡°It was closer than it seemed.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Boatman replied. He smiled. ¡°But Brock wasn¡¯t goingpletely all-out, even at the end. He never used the power of his bros to enhance himself. Maybe he considered it cheating.¡±

    ¡°Starhair didn¡¯t go all-out either,¡± the other Elder said. ¡°That boy has a very powerful but dangerous move. I¡¯m d he had theposure not to use it.¡±

    Jack¡¯s chest swelled with pride beside them. His little brother was so strong now. Once upon a time, he¡¯d been small enough to ride on Jack¡¯s shoulder, and all he did was throw poop at the people he disliked. Thinking back to those days, Jack couldn¡¯t help feeling emotional. How far he¡¯de. Both of them.

    ¡°Well done, Brock,¡± he said, transmitting his voice directly to the brori.

    Brock looked over and smiled. He then turned towards Starhair and flew over. The peak B-Grade hovered in ce, steaming with rage, shame, and unwillingness. He looked angrily at Brock as he approached.

    ¡°Good fight, bro,¡± Brock said, extending a hand.

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    Starhair looked at it. He hesitated. Then, finally, he controlled his emotions and shook it.

    ¡°You won fair and square,¡± he admitted. ¡°Good fight.¡±

    The audience cheered again.

    ***

    Jack¡¯s clone covered distance rapidly. Their little starship, piloted by an Envoy called Druk-Druk, had already reached the Milky Way gxy. Finding Earth wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡ªJack knew the rough location of Earth in the Systemless part of the gxy, and also its teleporter frequency.

    Before that, however, there was something else he needed to do.

    The starship hovered just outside System space. It was an invisible line Jack had brushed with his perception.

    ¡°Can you hold them for a moment?¡± he asked Druk-Druk, motioning to the desk-sized, opaque space bubble hovering inside the starship. The captain rolled her eyes and epted. This bubble housed the Church cultivators Jack had released from the Green Dragon Realm. Once they made it to Earth, the Bare Fist Brotherhood would give Druk-Druk arger starship so she could carry everyone back to the New Cathedral.

    As she took over maintaining the space bubble, Jack teleported outside the starship. He hovered before the border of System space, taking a deep breath. Then, he flew in.

    <strong>You have returned to the New World. Wee!</strong>

    He grinned at the System notification. Quickly pushing it aside, he looked into his ss, trying to summon his newest Dao Vision, the entire reason he¡¯d riskeding here.

    His Paragon of Cultivation ss offered him a top-tier Dao Vision at every minor realm, including the early B-Grade. However, as Jack was outside System space, the Dao Visions couldn¡¯t be ¡°downloaded.¡± He hoped that would happen automatically as soon as the clone entered System space. After all, they shared the ss.

    Nothing happened for a few moments. Jack only felt a strange emptiness. <em>Are they onto me? </em>he wondered. <em>Should we run?</em>

    And then, the Dao Vision arrived. It struck his mind like a sledgehammer. He shook from the shock. His body escaped his control, as he was already drawn into the vision, but that was fine. They expected it. Druk-Druk would pull him back to the ship and step on the gas to get as far away from this ce as possible.

    Therefore, Jack focused on perceiving the Dao Vision. And what a vision it was.

    ***

    The universe was silent. Stars glittered in the far distance like inconsequential dots. But not everywhere. Arge part of Jack¡¯s vision was covered by absolute darkness.

    He realized he was facing a ck hole. A real one, not the imitation that was the Animal Abyss. He could sense spacetime going haywire, absolutely demolished by a far superior power. It was pulled apart the same way a machine would dismantle a stuffed toy. Slowly, but surely. Inevitably.

    Jack had studied ck holes before. He knew some principles from Earth science, had read about them in Archon Green Dragon¡¯s inheritance, had seen one from a distance at the Cathedral, and had experienced a faint version of the real thing in the Animal Abyss. However, those experiences all paledpared to the real thing. He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it. Despite his recent power-ups, he was like an ant before this anomaly. Even the Arch Priestess, whom he¡¯d met recently, would seem weak here.

    Jack knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that ck holes existed on a higher realm than cultivators. Even Gods. That¡¯s why Enas, the most powerful Old God and arguably most powerful entity in the universe, had been unable to escape after falling into one.

    <em>Wait. What exactly is this vision about? </em>Jack wondered.

    Every Dao Vision he¡¯d seen so far was based on a cultivator. It showed them doing something. However, he¡¯d floated before the ck hole for a few moments now without anything happening. Was there no other cultivator here? Was the vision just about meditating on the ck hole?

    He wouldn¡¯tin if it was.

    As he looked around, however, he discovered that was not the case. There <em>was </em>someone here. A single man, dark of skin and hair, barely visible in the darkness. His aurabeled him as marginally weaker than the Arch Priestess, but he was also an Archon.

    It was not Archon ck Hole, as Jack had initially suspected. He¡¯d never seen this person before.

    The man hovered in space a couple miles away from Jack, unaffected by the terrible spacetime flows surrounding the ck hole. No, not exactly unaffected; as Jack took a closer look, he noticed the man was riding what resembled a silver surfboard made of extremely dense material. It could have been fashioned out of an actual neutron star. This surf board alone warped space around it, and the man was using his Dao to enhance that influence, anchoring himself and the surfboard against the pull of the ck hole. They weren¡¯t immobile, either; just surfing around the event horizon.

    Jack would be lying if he said he expected to see someone surfing a ck hole. Then again, this was probably easier than outright resisting its gravitational pull.

    Jack himself was just a projection here. The gravity didn¡¯t affect him. If it did, he would have been powerless to resist.

    The dark-skinned man muttered something. Jack didn¡¯t quite catch it. He tried to float closer but found himself unable to move. All he could do was strain his ears and try to catch the words, instinctively spread outward by the man¡¯s powerful Dao.

    ¡°The death of space¡­¡± the man muttered. ¡°A downward spiral. A universal end. Everything ends here, but where does it begin?¡±

    He seemed to be in the middle of his meditation. Jack knew Archons could detect the System recording them to make Dao Visions, but this one was apparently too focused on his ruminations and resisting the ck hole to notice. Below his surfboard, a torrent of dark energy shot out for endless miles, the aftereffect of the friction between him and the ck hole.

    Before Jack could consider those words, the man spread his hands. Space bent and shattered around him. The void appeared; and out of it crawled death. Not the death of living creatures, but the death of space and time, of the Dao itself. The true end.

    Jack shivered at the sight. What emerged from the void manifested as ck foam in the physical world, but on a spiritual level, it was beyond his understanding. He had the irrational fear that this encroaching darkness was so deadly it could harm him through the Dao Vision. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t approach him. It merged with the flow, angling towards the ck hole. It seeped in gradually, disappearing behind the event horizon.

    Jack couldn¡¯t sense what happened afterwards, but he could see it clearly. This true death energy was simr to the ck hole¡¯s. They merged together, not fighting because of their different sources, just agreeing on total death. The event horizon weed this energy, and the ck hole grew a tiny bitrger.

    Theirpatibility wasn¡¯t absolute, however. Though simr energies, the ck hole¡¯s was purer. A small part of the man¡¯s foam dissipated as it was purified. That didn¡¯t disappoint him; instead, he smiled, pearly white teeth shining in the darkness. He seemed satisfied.

    ¡°Death born of space,¡± he muttered. ¡°All bes one.¡±

 Chapter 493: Skill Upgrades

    Jack opened his eyes to find he was drenched in sweat. He was still shaking. Watching a ck hole from up-close was <em>not </em>an easy experience. It was like having a first-row table to the greatest forces of the universe¡­which sounded suspiciously like the Second Crusade.

    The clone had been dragged back to the ship by Druk-Druk while the vision was ongoing. They were already far from System space and approaching Earth. The main body of Jack, however, had experienced the vision almost at the same time as the clone.

    <em>Death born of space¡­ </em>he thought, looking at his fist. <em>All bes one.</em>

    He hadn¡¯t known what to expect from this first vision. What he saw, however, was better than anything he could have hoped for. The System hadn¡¯t lied when it mentioned top-tier visions. It had given him the greatest gift possible. A path to unite his two dualities¡ªLife-Death and Space-Time.

    <em>If I walk down the same path as that surfer¡­ Can Ibine all my Daos?</em>

    The thought was too exciting to ignore. He had suspected this was possible but didn¡¯t know where to begin. It was so clear now. Of course it was a ck hole. Itbined death and space. What starting point could be better?

    Once again, Jack was thankful for the System being so sloppy. It was so spread out that even the Immortals couldn¡¯t control it. Otherwise, they would definitely not help him as they had. They might even try to harm him through it.

    Which would be useless at this point. Jack had long located the mini System core inside him, a small glowing sphere attached to his soul¡ªor inner world¡ªwhich served as a storage andmunication device. It could augment him when he leveled-up, but he could easily suppress or destroy it anytime he wanted. That¡¯s what he would do if they ever tried to use it against him. Until then, it could only do good, not harm.

    In fact, amongst the high-ranking Church cultivators, it was customary for people to remove their System core when they reached the A-Grade. That¡¯s when it stopped being useful, as the System no longer awarded stat points in the A-Grade.Jack shelved those thoughts to focus on his new Dao Vision. He even paused the absorption of space monster cores. There was so much to unpack.

    <em>Death born of space, </em>he repeated. <em>How can I achieve that?</em>

    In his mind, life and death were clearly connected, as were time and space. That much was obvious. However, despite his extremely deep insights into all of those Daos, he could not see the connection point between the two different sets. Spacetime was one thing. Life and Death were another. One pertained to mass and the fabric of reality, the other to souls and their mysterious interactions. One existed in the physical world, the other in a field of abstraction.

    How could they be united?

    It was clearly possible. The dark-skinned cultivator in the vision had achieved it, at least to some extent. ck holes could serve as a starting point. Jack knew he could also ask Elder Boatman, but he wanted to experiment by himself first. Asking for advice too early could get him on the wrong path.

    He raised his hands and began summoning the power of space before realizing what he was about to do. He was still in his mansion on the New Cathedral. ying with major forces here could have disastrous consequences.

    ¡°Brock!¡± he called out. ¡°I¡¯ll be going out for a bit, okay? See you soon!¡±

    No reply arrived, but Jack knew Brock must have heard him. Therefore, he teleported over the mansion, then teleported again in quick session. At his current level, each teleportation could span thousands of miles. Before long, he was so far away from the New Cathedral that the resembled a colorful dot. Nothing else was nearby, only emptiness.

    <em>Here should be fine, </em>Jack figured. He resumed what he¡¯d been doing. His hands came together. A ball formed between them, rippling and transparent, a sphere of pure space. Then, pressing his hands together, he tried to condense it. The physical sensation ofpressing something between his hands helped. Soon, however, he realized that his hands were touching each other, and the ball of space was nowhere nearpressed enough.

    Grumbling, he let it dissipate. He opened his arms, this time manifesting a ball of space several miles wide. He was like a fly hugging a giant. Still, he beganpressing it. The task was easy at first. The ball reduced in diameter from several miles, to a single mile, to a hundred feet, to ten feet. He was feeling serious resistance by now. Space was not an easy thing to fold.

    He pressed on regardless. The ball continued to shrink, eventually bing a sphere three feet across, pulsing with highly condensed power. Jack realized he was basically hugging a bomb, but he hoped it would be fine. He grabbed it with his hands and pushed it in, condensing it further. He moved slowly and methodically. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of having the power to do it, but he had to simultaneously control the Dao so it didn¡¯t break out. After all, the only thing keeping it together was his control, and the ball was growing more vtile as it was pressured.

    It eventually reached the point of a beach ball, and he kept pushing. It became the size of a basketball, then a tennis ball between his palms. By this point, the ball was glowing from all the condensed energy, and Jack could feel the searing heat emitted. This was the same process he followed to unleash his Supernova attack, but pushed to new extremes.

    He knew that the more he condensed the ball, the more it would seek to explode. However, there woulde a point where the gravitational pull of the ball towards itself would overpower its ability to expand. It would copse under its own weight, shrinking unstoppably until it became a single point of infinite density, turning into a ck hole.

    Jack had no desire to create an actual ck hole this close to the New Cathedral, let alone right in his face. That point of no-return was very far away from the currentpression level, anyway. What he was trying to do was sense how space reacted when pushed towards its endpoint. How did the Dao handle the possibility of death? What would happen?

    He hadn¡¯t tried this before, so he frankly had no idea. He just hoped that interesting things would happen as he approached the state of a ck hole.

    As Jack pushed down,pressing the ball to the limit of what he could control, a transformation urred. The empty space inside the ball bubbled. At the very center, where the pressure was greatest, a little bit of foam appeared. Its color was unclear, flickering between various extremes. Jack was terrified. The foam didn¡¯t <em>feel </em>threatening, but it was an unknown power held against his chest. Who knew its properties?

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The surfer¡¯s ck foam had felt extremely dangerous.

    He stoppedpressing. His attention was split between maintaining the space ball and inspecting the foam. He could sense a bunch of properties inside it; it was like the Dao particles were so tightly pressed against each other that they began to merge, forming new, unknown substances that shouldn¡¯t exist in the universe. It was genesis.

    No. It was despair.

    Jack could sense it. At first nce, this foam was a beautiful act of creation, thebination of existing particles into new, exciting forms.

    His Daos of Life and Death, however, warned him that this was not the case. The act of creation was just a byproduct. What really urred was the Dao particles trying desperately to survive. As they copsed, they clung to each other,bining forces to resist the massive pressure.

    They didn¡¯t <em>need </em>tobine. Nothing forced them. They could have just broken down into nihility, but they wanted to survive. They feared death.

    Jack struggled to maintain the ball as he focused on this foam. He inspected it thoroughly. He couldn¡¯t read its properties yet, but that was fine because it was just a transitionary state. If he somehow kept pushing, the particles would unite more and more thoroughly until they just couldn¡¯t anymore. They would copse, and a singrity would be created. The death of the Dao. The end of the universe.

    Calcting all those things while maintaining the highly vtile space ball was challenging. Jack¡¯s concentration finally slipped. A tiny, imperceptible w appeared. Thepressed energy rushed out of it like the wind escaping a balloon, and even as he tried to patch the hole, the ball had already destabilized. More and more interactions urred, snowballing out of control.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jack said.

    The ball exploded. There was no time to move away. The impact found him straight in the chest, catapulting him back so powerfully he skidded at almost the speed of light. A visible shockwave spread out, upsetting the surrounding spacetime. There was a dark, deadly void where the ball used to be. Particles rushed in to patch it, then popped out with a second explosion. The surrounding space was ravaged. Jack was d he¡¯d been pushed away.

    He was also d he¡¯d thought to move away from the New Cathedral for this experiment.

    If he had let this happen on the, the town would be gone. The force of the explosion vastly dwarfed a nuke¡¯s. The only reason he¡¯d survived point-nk was his extreme physicality, but even so, he was severely injured. His chest was a mangled mess of blood and bones. His arms had disintegrated from the elbow down. He groaned as the pain caught up to him, taking his breath away, then did his best to persevere while his regeneration got to work. It was slower now, without the support of the Life Drop. It took him a few minutes to healpletely.

    By this point, the region of space around him had already returned to normal. As for the two shockwaves, they would dissipate harmlessly. By the time they reached the New Cathedral, they would at most feel like strong breezes from the sky. He might knock over someone¡¯s vase.

    Jack flexed his newly regenerated hands, still morphing at the pain. That had been dangerous. He¡¯d known it wouldn¡¯t kill him, but maybe he should put safety measures in ce next time. Having his hands blown off was hardly pleasant.

    But that ball was a very potent attack. Its power vastly eclipsed that of his Supernova. If he could weaponize it, it would be a powerful addition to his arsenal. It could evolve further, too¡ªwith enough power, and with enough control of spacetime, creating an actual ck hole wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility. Though, doing it quick enough to use in battle was another story altogether.

    There was also the issue of that mysterious foam. His original purpose had been to discover a way to unite life and death with spacetime, and that foam seemed to hold the key. He¡¯d given space particles the fear of death and changed their behavior. It could be considered an initial sess.

    The System core inside him seemed to agree.

    <strong>Congrattions! Space Mastery III ¡ú Space Mastery IV</strong>

    <strong>Space Mastery IV: The power of space lies at your fingertips. You can use it freely, and even extreme applications are making themselves clear to you. You are well on the road to mastery.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! Death Mastery III ¡ú Death Mastery IV</strong>

    <strong>Death Mastery IV: Death is the end. The final, inevitable result of entropy. It is also just another power you control. You can spread this power to everything, even the Dao itself. You are well on the road to mastery.</strong>

    Jack patted himself, smiling. After Meteor Punch, these were the first skills to reach the fourth tier, something he felt was long overdue. He was proud at himself.

    The only thing missing was Time Mastery, a skill he guessed he should possess but didn¡¯t. Who knows why. Maybe it fell together with Space Mastery?

    In any case, this experiment had gone great¡ªsave for his exploding hands. If he meditated on the vision again, maybe tried the same thing a few more times, he might gain even more improvements. A new path had opened before him.

    His Dao, which had felt a little stagnant recently, had just found the way forward.

    He still intended to consult Elder Boatman, but for now, a little bit of resting would be nice. He was exhausted. Space parted easily around him, and he soon appeared at the entrance of his mansion, pushing open the door.

    The Arch Priestess stood right in the middle of the entrance hall. She was staring at the door, and therefore, at him. His breath caught to his throat. <em>Fuck, </em>he said. <em>I messed up.</em>

    Instantly, Jack was tense again. He tried to read her face for hints of her intentions, but that was difficult when everything but her eyes was covered by a veil. In those eyes, all he could see was¡­amusement?

    That couldn¡¯t be right.

    She still wore long white robes, hiding everything except her golden eyes and tanned, bare feet. She stared at him, not speaking.

    ¡°Greetings, Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said calmly. He was suddenly very conscious of the fact he only wore shorts. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have you visit me. How can I help you?¡±

    She stared at him for a long moment. Then, sheughed. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you, Jack Rust,¡± she said. There it was again¡ªthat hint of amusement. ¡°Keep up the good work.¡±

    And just like that, she teleported away. Jack remained standing in the hall, still stressing out. <em>What the hell was that about? </em>he wondered. He shook his head. <em>Whatever.</em>

    He walked through the next room, into the living room, intending to reach his office and reset his mind before returning to cultivation. However, he saw Brock in the living room. He lounged on a couch, rxed, slurping on a bowl of gum worms while reading the Bro Code as one would aic.

    ¡°Sup bro?¡± the brori said as Jack entered.

    ¡°Oh, hey Brock,¡± Jack said. ¡°Did you see the Arch Priestess?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She came to discuss the Dao.¡±

    Jack nodded, not fullyprehending. He recalled her promising toe over and discuss the Dao with Brock when she had the time. Something about being interested in the perspective of a beast-born cultivator. It made sense.

    However¡­

    Something was off. Something about Brock¡¯s rxed posture, something about his aura. Jack had seen this type of aura before in college, of all ces. He suddenly had a very disturbing suspicion.

    ¡°Brock,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Did you sleep with the Arch Priestess?¡±

    Brock swallowed his gum worm. ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

 Chapter 494: Daddy is Here to Stay

    Jack stuttered. ¡°The Arch Priestess?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª She¡¯s¡ª Brock! Good fucking job!¡±

    The brori¡¯s frown broke into a smile, and then heughed. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°How does that even work?¡± Jack asked, sitting down beside his brother. ¡°You¡¯re a brori, she¡¯s a human. Aren¡¯t you, you know, ipatible?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a human,¡± Brock replied, closing the Bro Code and putting it away. ¡°Even if she was¡­ Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡±

    ¡°What is she if not a human?¡±

    ¡°A space monster,¡± Brock replied simply. Jack thought back to the original expedition into the Green Dragon Realm. One of the Church¡¯s leading cultivators, the second-ranked C-Grade, had been a humanoid space monster as well. That man, however, had looked like a dragon in human form. He had whiskers and ws and scales. The Arch Priestess seemed¡­fairly normal?

    Then again, she was covered head to toe in robes. Her feet and eyes were simr to a human¡¯s. Everything else was hidden.

    ¡°What does she look like?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help asking.

    Brock thought about it. ¡°Strong. Powerful. Hairy.¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°Very beautiful.¡±¡°Well, I¡¯m happy for you, bro. I just never thought that¡­ Wow. You¡¯re going out with one of the most influential and powerful people in the universe. Aren¡¯t you, like, seven years old?¡±

    Brock shrugged. ¡°Broris be adults at three.¡±

    Jackughed again. ¡°We must celebrate!¡± he shouted. ¡°How about this? Today, we take a break from all things cultivation and drink to our heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro, but it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    ¡°Your first girl? Of course it is!¡±

    ¡°Bro. It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t be a teenager.¡±

    Jack caught himself. In Brock¡¯s eyes, sleeping and being with someone was apletely normal thing. He was a big bro. Of course he¡¯d be crazy popr.

    Jack saw this as a rite of passage given his previous Earth culture, but to Brock, it was just another day.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Jack finally agreed. ¡°But we need to have at least a shot.¡±

    Brock smirked. ¡°Okay. A shot.¡±

    Jack rushed to the kitchen, returning with two shot ss filled with an amber liquid. He didn¡¯t remember its name, but it was a hit on the New Cathedral. Even C-Grades could get a buzz.

    Jack and Brock couldn¡¯t, not without consuming prodigious quantities, but that was alright.

    ¡°To the Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said, raising his ss.

    ¡°To the Arch Priestess,¡± Brock agreed. They clinked their sses and downed them.

    ¡°You did get her name, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a name.¡±

    ¡°Really? Is it a religious thing?¡±

    ¡°No. She never had one.¡± Brock¡¯s eyes took on a sad glint. ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, there is no need to share if it¡¯s her private business. I just hope she¡¯s fine now.¡±

    ¡°She is. And, she wouldn¡¯t mind. There is arge, separate dimension nestled in the center of this gxy, inhabited fully by space monsters. They have their own society there. She was forced to leave when she was young, then met some roaming cultivators and joined them. She never had a name, only a title¡ªthough that¡¯s something she should share herself.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack replied. ¡°A separate dimension inhabited by space monsters? I didn¡¯t know that existed. Nobody mentioned it before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why this gxy is so full of space monsters. The bestial ones are often chased out to maintain a working society. That ce is called the Space Monster World.¡±

    <em>¡°KID!¡±</em> a new voice sted into Jack¡¯s ears, taking himpletely by surprise. <em>¡°That¡¯s my home as well! That¡¯s where Ie from! It¡¯s here, you¡¯re actually here!¡±</em>

    Jack recoiled from the sudden shout. The grabbed his head. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell was practically zooming around in Jack¡¯s inner world like an excited puppy.

    <em>¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡± </em>Jack asked.

    <em>¡°You never told me you were in the Spiral Stair gxy! How was I supposed to know? I¡¯m not some nerd like The Stone to tell from the stars.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°...Right. So, this Space Monster World?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°It¡¯s exactly what Brock said. A world inhabited and run by space monsters.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Howe it¡¯s not conquered, then? It sounds like a bunch of space monster cores to me.¡±</em>

    The turtle snorted. <em>¡°We space monsters are not weak, kid. We have a few Archons of our own. The world is also sealed so A-Grades and Archons can only leave, not enter. It¡¯s basically unassable.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Unassable, you say?¡±</em>

    Jack¡¯s mind was already racing with ideas, but the turtle cut him short. <em>¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± </em>it said. <em>¡°First of all, while leaving is easy, entering is very difficult. Most importantly, cultivators are not wee there. The Church cannot use it to hide. Even the Arch Priestess, despite her status as a space monster Archon, cannot bargain asylum for her people.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Huh.¡±</em>

    ¡°Bro,¡± Brock said, snapping his fingers in Jack¡¯s face. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. The turtle just said ites from the Space Monster World as well.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s bros with the Arch Priestess.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This turtle is very, very old.¡±

    <em>¡°Your mother is old. And my name is Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.¡±</em>

    ¡°In any case,¡± Jack continued, ¡°I¡¯m happy for you and her. And this Space Monster World is interesting to know, though I¡¯m not sure how it can help us currently.¡±

    ¡°Probably can¡¯t.¡± Brock shrugged. ¡°Otherwise, we would know already.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Jack gathered the two shot sses from before, as well as the now-empty gum worm bowl which Brock had been eating from. Ew.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to work now, bro,¡± Jack said. ¡°Happy reading.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. You too.¡±

    And with that, Brock went back to studying the Bro Code,pletely unaffected by the fact he was sleeping with one of the greatest cultivators in the universe, as well as his immediate superior.

    ***

    While Jack¡¯s main body was cultivating, pondering the mysteries of space and death, and drinking to celebrate joyous urrences, the clone was buzzing with excitement. He couldn¡¯t believe this was finally happening.

    After so many years of being away, after only seeing his family once in the span of five years¡­ He was finally returning to Earth. For good. The main body would go off and adventure, but the clone could stay here.

    It was a dreame true. If Jack could snap his fingers and reach the A-Grade, the joy of that would be nothingpared to the happiness of being able to spend his life with his family.

    He remained glued to the starship window as a blue and green appeared in the distance, orbiting a new sun. They were far from System space by now. Nobody could touch them here. They¡¯d also waited a few days on an uninhabited to make sure they weren¡¯t followed, which only served to enhance Jack¡¯s emotions.

    They approached the jewel of the universe. His breath was cut short. Without waiting for the starship tond, he teleported away.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Druk-Druk shouted. Jack had dumped on her the space bubble containing the released cultivators of the Green Dragon Realm, but it was something she could handle. The starship slowly headed to anding tform near the Forest of the Strong, where various guards rose into the air to meet it.

    Meanwhile, Jack had teleported directly to his home¡¯s master bedroom. As he appeared in the spacious room, he saw the covers raised and theughter of two peopleing from underneath. His breath caught to his throat. For a split-second, before he even spread his perception, he was lost.

    Then, two female heads popped out of the covers¡ªVivi and Ebele, Jack¡¯s wife and daughter. ¡°Dad?¡± Ebele asked. ¡°Dad!¡± She made to run to him before her eyes narrowed with caution. She paused. ¡°Dad?¡± she asked again, keeping herself at bay.

    However, her caution was short-lived. Vivi burst out of the sheets, rushing towards Jack and practically flying into him. She wore loose red robes which hugged her body, contrasting her dark skin. Her eyes zed with joy, and she was shaking. Her Dao perception had already recognized this really was him.

    ¡°Jack!¡± she shouted in disbelief, clutching on tightly even as she questioned him. ¡°How!?¡±

    Jack grinned. Since Earth was outside System space, he had no way tomunicate with them. His arrival waspletely unannounced.

    He hugged Vivi tightly. Now free from his surprise, he could see that the raised sheets were just a pillow fort viewed from the back. Vivi and Ebele had been ying underneath.

    He raised a hand to cup the back of his wife¡¯s head, hugging her tighter. ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± he said. At the same time, he extended his other hand towards Ebele, whose hesitation was quickly melting away. He was proud of her. When he suddenly appeared, she¡¯d held herself back in case he was an illusion or someone else disguised as her father. Unlike Vivi, she couldn¡¯t use her perception to check his aura.

    This was not a level of caution Jack wished on any child, but being a warrior himself, he acknowledged her mental fortitude at such a young age. It just made him sad that she had to be like this.

    <em>Not anymore, </em>he promised himself. <em>I¡¯m here now. I will protect Ebele, so she can live free.</em>

    His daughter dove into his embrace as well. Jack hugged her tightly. For a moment, holding both his wife and daughter, he felt like the happiest man on Earth.

    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± he whispered to them. ¡°And this time, I¡¯m here to stay.¡±

    ***

    The three of them sat on a nket on the grassy fields outside their house. A basket of food rested between them. Ants asionally scurried around, trying to get some, but Jack patiently kept them at bay.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Vivi was covering her mouth, joyful tears streaming out of her eyes. ¡°Are you really going to stay? Forever?¡±

    ¡°Forever,¡± Jack promised. Ebele was at his side, stubbornly clutching onto his arm as if afraid he¡¯d disappear if she let go. This, too, saddened Jack, but he knew there was nothing he could say. Time would help them get used to his presence. They wouldn¡¯t need to worry about him leaving ever again.

    It had been three hours since he first arrived. While Druk-Druk was parked far away, waiting patiently, Jack had opted to spend the first few hours with his wife and daughter. There were more people he needed to visit, but these were the most important ones. He needed to know how they were doing¡ªand tell them about his adventures.

    Vivi had been working hard these past few years. She¡¯d taken charge of the after the professor stepped down. Under hermand, Earth had blossomed with both military power and citizen welfare. She¡¯d done a lot to eliminate hunger and poverty from all parts of the world. Things weren¡¯t perfect yet, but the fact that arge portion of Earth¡¯s inhabitants died during the Integration had freed up a lot of resources she could easily distribute around. Couple that with the prowess of cultivators, as well as being outside the oppression of System space, and Earth was suddenly well-equipped to be a paradise.

    After the recent stabilization of the, Vivi had more free time, which she spent with Ebele.

    The little girl herself had recently turned seven years old. She was just a tiny thing, yet bursting with energy. Jack could tell she¡¯d been working hard. She¡¯d been like that thest time he was here as well, and he¡¯d tried to direct her towards a more childish lifestyle. There was no reason to push herself yet. She could go to school and enjoy life.

    She hadn¡¯t heeded his words, apparently, but Vivi was doing her best to pull Ebele back in line. That was one reason why they were ying in a pillow fort before. It felt weird to both wife and daughter, but it also helped ground them in reality. It was nice to forget about one¡¯s burdens for a while.

    In fact, it was currently August, and Ebele was set to start school soon. She would attend Edgar¡¯s academy, which was arguably the most prestigious establishment on the right now. The curriculum was a mess, of course, since things were still in a state of constant flux, but Vivi believed it would offer her daughter the best education possible.

    It was free, of course. The Academy epted students based purely on merits, and Ebele had passed all tests with flying colors.

    ¡°What do you think about school?¡± Jack asked, ruffling his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a cultivator. I¡¯m not scared,¡± she replied stubbornly.

    ¡°She¡¯s totally scared,¡± Vivi said. ¡°She was telling mest night.¡±

    ¡°Mom!!¡±

    Both parentsughed. Jack swept his daughter into an embrace. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about anything,¡± he said. ¡°The world is a beautiful ce now, and you¡¯re a beautiful person. You¡¯ll make friends easily. The best friends in the world.¡±

    She looked up at him with her big eyes. ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he replied, kissing her forehead.

    God, he loved being back.

    ***

    The months flowed by. Jack lived in bliss. It was only the clone that was on Earth, but the two could share memories whenever they wanted. Both of them were living the dream.

    The main body cultivated with great intensity, apanied by his brother as they strived for the peak. The clone lived with his family, spending every day with them, caring about no wars or troubles. It was a free life. For the first time since the Integration, Jack was actually happy on an everyday basis. Not just content¡ªhappy.

    September arrived. Ebele attended Edgar¡¯s Academy, which wasn¡¯t a boarding school. There was a starship which took the kids to and from the academy every day, touring the entire in only a couple hours. Ebele lived nearby so she could skip it.

    Of course, the school was just a secondary campus of the Academy. Its main focus was on cultivators, who lived and studied there until they reached the middle E-Grade, or for three years at most. It had only been operational for two years now, but it was already clear that not many people would hit the time limit. While they didn¡¯t have ess to the System¡¯s quick leveling, the Academy ensured they had the right resources and guidance to steadily move forward.

    There were battles, as well. The cultivator path couldn¡¯t do without them. The Academy¡¯s disciples made excursions to reasonably difficult dungeons, sometimes apanied by professors to keep the casualties at a minimum. idents always happened¡ªno one could grow without real stakes¡ªbut such was the life of a cultivator.

    Overall, life on the had calmed down. There were rules and regtions. It was a cultivator¡¯s world, but a peaceful one.

    Jack spent most of his days with Vivi, helping her run the in various ways but not interfering too much. This was her stage now, not his. He was content to stay in the shadows.

    The other half of his days were spent with Ebele. The girl was excited for every moment she had with her father. The two of them meditated together, practiced martial arts, discussed the world and the Dao, yed games¡­ By being able to spend more time with her, Jack could keep her away from the extremely hard-working mindset she¡¯d adopted in recent years, which would only harm her in the long term. As the days passed, she was calm and happy. Sheughed more often.

    She¡¯d made friends, too. Anay, a boy from India, and Lin Ping, a girl from China. Both were bright kids, and Jack thought they were good people, too. That was the important part. He¡¯d sometimes watch over the three as they explored the Forest of the Strong or other areas neighboring the Academy, not all of which were safe. Of course, with Jack present, there was no danger whatsoever.

    The C-Grade Dungeon of Earth, an underground ocean spanning the entire, was also steadily explored by the highest-level cultivators. Nobody had actually reached the C-Grade yet on, but there were enough D-Grades to formrge groups and tackle the early areas of the Dungeon. It helped them sharpen their Daos, apparently. Casualties were few and far between.

    Jack would sometimes join these groups, not actively helping them clear the dungeon, just saving them at thest moment if things went wrong. That allowed them to take greater risks, hastening their progress.

    He would also visit his mother often.

    All in all, life was finally good.

 Chapter 495: The Immortals Strike

    The Second Crusade was meant to take a long time. With the Church hiding away and splitting their forces, it would be rtively easy to dy for decades, if not centuries. The Old Gods would have time to arrive from wherever they were in the universe, and then protracted warfare could begin anew for a long, long time.

    As a result, Jack didn¡¯t need to be in a mad rush to cultivate. He could take his time, meditating on the Dao while slowly increasing his cultivation base. It would be a slower, yet much safer path than the one he usually took, spanning centuries of rtive calmness. A peaceful break in his path of war.

    However.

    There were two sides to this war. And while the Church was confident they could dy for a long time, the Immortals were also smart. They¡¯d nned for a long time. They were only now beginning to show their hand.

    ***

    Elder Tribtion of the ck Hole Churchmanded a powerful war force. His army was one of the most advanced in position, shouldering the responsibility of dying the enemy army¡¯s initial advances. Essentially, they were in the front lines. A dangerous yet noble duty.

    The Tribtion Battalion hid in arge meteor belt simr to the one around the Death Boat. It was extremely long and daedalus, with colossal celestial bodies flying around freely, oftentimes colliding and breaking into fragments. Due to the ovepping gravitational fields and flying debris, this was a particrly difficult area to search, which was why Elder Tribtion had chosen it as their hiding spot. They could hide away here for years toe.

    One day, however, a blue screen suddenly shed before the eyes of every cultivator in the Tribtion Battalion.

    <strong>You have returned to the New World. Wee!</strong>It was sudden and unexpected. Completely out of the blue. Everyone shot to their feet, confirming with each other that they weren¡¯t hallucinating. The perception of Elder Tribtion exploded powerfully outward.

    This was the message everyone received upon re-entering System space. But they were still in the wild gxy. Even if the Immortals were willing to spend the resources required to spread the System here, it would have taken many years to arrive, and the expansion would have been easily observable. It was impossible for this gxy to be Integrated.

    Yet, somehow, the Tribtion Battalion had entered System space.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elder Tribtion barked. He was not an easy-going man. Large and powerfully-built, with hard eyes and muscles cording every inch of his body. His ferocity in battle was unmatched, and his warriors were all hardened veterans.

    Despite their confusion, they did not panic. Everyone exited the starship and formed a battle array. The unknown always meant danger.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the enemy to appear. A colossal starship emerged from the folds of space, dominating the world around it. It was perfectly white, shaped as a mountain-sized needle. Five figures rode its back. All A-Grades.

    Four were Immortals, with two-digit numbers painted on their featureless faces. The fifth was a man in swirling starry robes, d in a cloud of darkness.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The manughed. ¡°Did you really think you could hide, Tribtion? All your tricks are useless! Catching you in System space is so damn easy!¡±

    The starship¡¯s teleportation had finished. The moment it emerged fully, shes erupted around it, revealing hundreds of B-Grade cultivators. All wore the robes of the Hand of God and were arrayed in battle formations.

    Five A-Grades, one of which was at thete A-Grade, and hundreds of B-Grades.

    Facing them were Elder Tribtion at thete A-Grade, another early A-Grade Elder of the Church, and several dozen B-Grades. This was not a battle they could win.

    Elder Tribtion gritted his teeth. They were supposed to be safe here. The meteor belt should have taken many years to search through. Yet, from one moment to the next, they had somehow entered System space, and all their hiding was for naught. Nothing could hide from the Immortals in System space.

    Elder Tribtion did not understand. He had the feeling he¡¯d die in confusion.

    ¡°Scatter,¡± hemanded. He knew his soldiers were brave, but he would not doom them to a lost battle.

    They were also well-trained. The moment he gave themand, the orderly formationpletely broke apart, every B-Grade escaping for themselves in every direction. The enemy B-Grades followed, beginning a massive chase. Some would escape, some would get caught¡ªthat was the reality of a wild retreat.

    Only two people hadn¡¯t run. Elder Tribtion, and the other Elder present, an early A-Grade woman with white eyes and blond hair. She was Elder Tribtion¡¯s wife, and the two held hands as they resolved to go down together.

    Neither specialized in speed. They could not escape. Even if they could, that would only expose their soldiers to A-Grade pursuers. All they could do was try to dy as much as possible.

    ¡°How did you do this, Night?¡± Tribtion asked. ¡°Will you tell me before my final battle?¡±

    The man with swirling dark robes¡ªElder Night of the Hand of God¡ªsmiled. ¡°No,¡± he replied.

    Tribtionughed. ¡°So be it!¡± His aura erupted. Space copsed everywhere around. Terrible lightning clouds emerged from the void, apanied by pale white light. He and his wife charged into battle. Darkness filled the world.

    On this day, Elders Tribtion and Blind White of the ck Hole Church fell heroically in battle.

    ***

    The destruction of the Tribtion Battalion rippled outward. News of the ambush and mysterious System message had spread before the battalion even began its retreat. The New Cathedral was immediately notified of the event, and information reached the Arch Priestess herself in moments.

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    She stood in a grand meeting room. Apanying her was Elder Soresight. She paced back and forth.

    ¡°How could this happen?¡± she asked. ¡°The System cannot reach this far. How did they do it?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Soresight admitted. ¡°Should I try to glimpse into the past?¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    Elder Soresight cultivated the Dao of Time. He was not particrly powerful in battle, but his Dao allowed him to deconstruct the river of time and glimpse at past events. It was a powerful information gathering ability, which was why he was stationed on the New Cathedral.

    While Soresight had his eyes closed, the third A-Grade in the room spoke up.

    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble,¡± he said. This was a bald old man with a long beard and heavy eyes, dressed in loose monk robes. Elder Heavencrash, he was called. Save for the Archons, he was one of the strongest Elders of the Church. ¡°We are already outnumbered. We cannot lose more Elders.¡±

    As he finished his words, the meeting room door was pushed open. The Arch Priestess looked over so quickly her robes fluttered. The newly-arrived messenger kept his head low, trembling.

    ¡°I greet the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Report,¡± the Arch Priestess cut him off.

    The messenger gathered his words. ¡°Yes. Two more battalions were attacked. Elder Periphery is currently in battle against overwhelming numbers. Elder Godspeed managed to escape with his battalion. All reported the same System message just before they were attacked: You have returned to the New World.¡±

    A fist smashed into the long meeting table, disintegrating the wood but leaving the floor below untouched. Elder Heavencrash growled, standing above the now-pointless chairs. ¡°What is happening here?¡± he growled.

    ¡°You may retreat,¡± the Arch Priestess instructed the messenger, who disappeared immediately. Afterward, she turned to Heavencrash. ¡°Calm down. I need you focused.¡±

    He took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry, Arch Priestess. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    It was then that Elder Soresight awakened from his meditation. He opened his mouth to speak, then paused as he took in theck of table.

    ¡°Speak,¡± the Arch Priestessmanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t see anything,¡± the Elder reported. ¡°As I traveled back in space and time, I was rebounded by a powerful force. I believe it was an Archon.¡±

    The Arch Priestess¡¯s eyes darkened. She¡¯d counted on this information. Unfortunately, Soresight was not an Archon, but the Hand¡¯s respective specialist was. ¡°Archon Empire,¡± she growled. ¡°That man must die.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll never get him, Arch Priestess. That coward hides deep in System space.¡±

    ¡°I want all our researchers on the task,¡± shemanded. ¡°And tell all other forward battalions to retreat.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Arch Priestess?¡± Soresight replied. ¡°We¡¯ll be giving away a lot of ground.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather we give away our Elders?¡± Heavencrash asked.

    ¡°Stop fighting and follow my orders,¡± the Arch Priestess said tiredly. ¡°Maintaining our forward positions is important, but until we know how they¡¯re doing this, we¡¯d just be sending our people to die. The risk is toorge. Have everyone retreat to the secondary zones.¡±

    The two Elders bowed. ¡°Yes, Arch Priestess.¡±

    She sighed, falling back into her chair as the two Elders distributed her order. She would have leaned against the table if it still existed. Unless they realized what was happening and how to stop it, they were stuck between a rock and a hard ce. If the battalions remained at the front lines, they would be vulnerable. If they kept retreating, they¡¯d eventually find themselves clustered around the New Cathedral, which would make them easily discoverable by the Hand of God scouts.

    Soresight was right. They couldn¡¯t surrender too much ground. But they couldn¡¯t afford to lose more Elders, either.

    <em>What do I do¡­ </em>the Arch Priestess wondered.

    A hesitant knock came on the door. ¡°Enter,¡± she said. A new messenger appeared, this one seeming more confused and less flustered than the previous one. He had her attention immediately.

    ¡°I greet the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Report.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have received a message for the Arch Priestess.¡±

    ¡°A message?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°By whom?¡±

    The messenger gulped. ¡°The Immortals. They¡­ They wish to invite you to something called the Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair.¡±

    She raised a brow. The assault and invitationnding at the same time¡­ This was certainly not a coincidence. ¡°What is that summit? And with whom?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t say. They only said it will be held in one week, on the brightest blue star of the area closest to System space. They said that, if you agree and swear on your Dao to participate, they will cease attacks until then. If not, they will press their assault relentlessly.¡±

    The Arch Priestess frowned. That was almost too good to be true. The Hand had them cornered right now; if they stopped for a week, that would give the Church enough time to figure out what was going on and regroup.

    She didn¡¯t like this. At all. The Immortals had just gotten in a massive surprise attack, and they were going to sacrifice that just to have her participate in some discussions? She didn¡¯t understand anything. She waspletely on the back foot, dancing in the palm of their hands. It was like they were ying apletely different game, one where she didn¡¯t even understand the rules. She was at least two steps behind.

    She could guess who else was invited to that summit, but it didn¡¯t exin anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± she asked.

    The messenger gulped. ¡°Respectfully, Arch Priestess. The Immortals didn¡¯t mention this outright in their message, but they gave no method to attend the summit telepathically. They also dered that anyone who approaches, besides you, will be eliminated on sight no matter what. If you desire to participate, you can only do so physically. In an area which, ording to recent events, will be System space.¡±

    The implications dawned on everyone at the same time.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Heavencrash shouted. ¡°You must not go, Arch Priestess.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Soresight said. ¡°It is certainly a trap. The Immortals have no sense of honor. If you go, they will ambush and kill you, and our army will be left headless. We will lose half the war.¡±

    The Arch Priestess considered their words. These two were her advisors, and she trusted them. She also agreed that this was a ridiculous proposal. The summit was just an excuse. It was extremely clear that, if she went there, she would die. That would be a much heavier loss than just a few Elders. The Immortals only proposed this to shake her¡ªthey knew she would never agree.

    They also knew that she couldn¡¯t lie. Her Dao wouldn¡¯t allow it. As much as she would have liked to, agreeing to their one week of peace and then just not showing up would ruin her cultivation. It would be the same as dying.

    As for working out ways to not attend physically¡­that was a gamble. There was no time to make a clone. She couldn¡¯t send anyone else carrying a projection stone, since the Immortals had already dered they¡¯d destroy anyone who wasn¡¯t her on sight.

    If she promised to attend and found a way to do it from a distance, that would be fine. But she wouldn¡¯t find a way. The Immortals, in System space, would absolutely shut off all avenues. Then, if she promised to attend, she would have no choice but to do it physically. And that was a death sentence.

    It was a three-way conundrum. If she refused, they would press their assault with whatever new way they¡¯d found to utilize the System. If she epted, then she would be taking a huge risk. Either she¡¯d find a way to attend telepathically against their wishes¡ªa highly unlikely scenario¡ªor she¡¯d fail and most probably perish.

    <em>They could have specified that I have to attend physically, </em>she realized. <em>They didn¡¯t, to give me a sliver of hope. To make me doubt myself. To even out my options. All of them are equally terrible, and whatever I choose, they win. This is psychological warfare.</em>

    All those were clear in the Arch Priestess¡¯s mind. Yet, she smiled.

    ¡°Arch Priestess!¡± Soresight and Heavencrash eximed in unison, for once putting away their mutual dislike. She ignored them.

    ¡°Tell the Immortals I agree,¡± she said. ¡°As long as they hold their forces, then one week from now, I will attend their Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair. I swear it on my Dao.¡±

 Chapter 496: Middle B-Grade

    The powers of life, death, time, and space swam calmly through the air. They turned around each other, entwining and disengaging, forming and deforming. Where Life and Death met, they yearned to unite. The same happened for Time and Space. However, if Time met Life, or any otherbination, they simply swam unhindered as if not even noticing each other.

    Jack sat in the center of these four swimming ribbons. His breathing was even, his eyes closed despite the many shapes and colors manifesting around him. He was considering his Daos, marching on the slow path of unifying them. Every question he solved birthed three more. Yet, he was advancing.

    His cultivation was still progressing nicely. In his inner world, energy still erupted from the portal to the Green Dragon Realm, slowly but surely saturating him. From the steady ck hole, the portal to the ck Hole World,ws rippled out, subtly enhancing his own.

    Both in quantity and quality, his inner world was progressing. His Daos were advancing. His already formidable power was growing fiercer by the day. He yearned to let it out.

    A knock on the door snapped him out of his reverie. The swimming colors copsed, folding into themselves before disappearing. The magic hid away. Jack opened his eyes.

    Another knock on the door. ¡°Bro,¡± a voice called from outside.

    ¡°Coming,¡± he replied. As he stood, gazing at the chairs and desk of solid wood outfitting his office, his heart was already filled with trepidation. Brock wouldn¡¯t interrupt his cultivation for no reason. Had something happened?

    He walked to the door and opened it. Brock, who¡¯d been about to knock again, knocked on Jack¡¯s forehead instead. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Hey, bro. Come. We have a guest.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Jack replied, still smiling. The two crossed the empty mansion rooms¡ªthey¡¯d been offered house staff but declined¡ªto arrive at the main living room. There, sitting on a fluffy chair, was the Arch Priestess, wearing her signature white robes which covered everything but her eyes and feet.¡°Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said, nodding respectfully. Why was she here? Well, he could think of a reason why, but what did she want with him? He shot a side nce at Brock, finding him nonplussed.

    ¡°Hello, Jack,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°Sit.¡±

    Jack did as he was told.

    ¡°You may not have heard,¡± she began, ¡°but the Immortals advanced yesterday. They implemented a new stratagem which caught us off guard and managed to kill three Elders while forcing us to recall our forward troops.¡±

    ¡°Three Elders?¡± Jack replied. Since he¡¯d been cultivating, he hadn¡¯t heard about this new development. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°They somehow managed to bring the System to this gxy. We still don¡¯t know how, or even if that¡¯s actually true. It should have been impossible. Maybe they somehow disced our troops into System space without their knowledge. Space shenanigans. In any case, the end result is that our troops suddenly found themselves in System space, which resulted in the enemy immediately locating and ambushing them.¡±

    ¡°That sounds terrible,¡± Jack said. ¡°Hiding is our greatest weapon at this point, correct?¡±

    ¡°Very. The situation yesterday was grim. Right afterward, however, the Immortals contacted me. They were willing to halt their advance, giving us time to regroup, in exchange for me joining a ¡°summit¡± they were organizing. Of course, that¡¯s a trap. The only feasible way for me to join their summit is to physically go there, which will result in my certain death.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack said. ¡°So you refused.¡±

    ¡°Of course I epted.¡±

    He raised a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t follow, Arch Priestess.¡±

    She smiled at him¡ªunder her veil. ¡°You should. After all, you are the reason I don¡¯t have to die.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you. I promised to attend their summit, and I cannot break that promise without ruining my Dao. However, while they are convinced the only way for me to join is my physical presence, there is something they do not know. Something that you, Jack, can help me with.¡±

    He frowned in thought. A momentter, his eyes brightened. ¡°Immortal Commune?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She grinned. ¡°They don¡¯t know about your ss. You possess a way to contact the Immortals directly. Six days from now, you will send your clone to System space and have it activate the skill. You will then link up with your main body, and use that to project sound and image between our meeting room and the Immortals¡¯ summit.¡±

    ¡°So you basically want me to be a projector.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Heughed. ¡°I can do that. Will my clone be safe? If I¡¯m not mistaken, it will need to remain in System space for the entirety of the summit.¡±

    ¡°I have already dispatched Elder Godspeed to your location. His specialization is obvious. If they try anything against your clone, Elder Godspeed will take you and run away, and they cannot me me for breaking the connection.¡±

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    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±

    ¡°How close are you to the middle B-Grade?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Both close and far. Thanks to all the cores you gave me, I¡¯ve reached 93% matter condensation. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve run out of cores, so I¡¯m stuck there.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I can give you a couple more as a reward for helping us during the summit. That should get you to 100%. Then, while your clone is in System space, you can watch the next Dao Vision before activating your Immortal Commune skill. After the Immortals realize what your ss is, they might block you from essing Dao Visions, so it¡¯s best to do it beforehand.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your care, Arch Priestess.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure.¡± She smiled again. ¡°With all that settled, you are free to go. I have some private business to discuss with your brother.¡±

    Jack opened his mouth and closed it again. He nced between the Arch Priestess and Brock. Both winked at him.

    He had the feeling they were made for each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go now,¡± he said weakly. ¡°Have fun.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± Brock said as Jack walked away. He couldn¡¯t help shaking his head. This ce was getting crazier and crazier¡­and his little brother was growing up so quickly. In fact, the Arch Priestess had been visiting more and more frequentlytely, and she and Brock had been going at it like rabbits in heat. There was great sound instion, of course, so they could be discreet.

    Jack had alreadymunicated the Brock-Arch Priestess situation to Vivi through his clone. She was finding it extremely amusing. Her own little si, she called it.

    ***

    The Arch Priestess had fulfilled her promise. Three more space monster cores had arrived to Jack¡¯s house, all bursting with energy. After quickly absorbing them over a few days, he¡¯d reached 100% Matter Condensation. And that meant it was time for a small breakthrough.

    Jack sat alone in meditation. His breaths came in and out, long like snakes of wind. His body pulsed with power.

    In his inner world, energy ran rampart. The portal to the Green Dragon Realm had temporarily stopped spouting its green torrent. Only the ck Hole World still spun, steadily pumping its advancedws into Jack¡¯s inner world.

    The energy density had reached a limit. By Jack¡¯s calctions, it was exactly double the starting one. His inner world had gone from feeling empty to decently saturated, permeated by a feeling of contentment. If he didn¡¯t know the proper way to cultivate through the B-Grade, he might have continued doing the same thing.

    But he knew. Therefore, he got to work.

    His palms crashed together, and it was like God¡¯s angry roar. An intense shockwave rang through the entire inner world. The ambient energy, which had been spontaneously coalescing into formations, shattered back into individual particles. The bonds copsed, and everything came into a state of flux as Jack¡¯s roar smashed into the borders of his world, demolishing them and pushing outward.

    ¡°Expand!¡± he roared.

    The moment the walls fell, they tried to rise again. But the energy was like a flood. Like an overfilled bowl, it spilled outwards, past the borders of Jack¡¯s world, seeking to conquer the dimensional sea. His Daos spread with it, imposing order on the chaos. Entire regions of nothingless were tamed, forced into stable existence as they were flooded withws and energy.

    From ten thousand miles, Jack¡¯s world reached eleven, then eleven and a half. The expansion slowed as it progressed. He reached twelve thousand miles and kept going, but the dimensional sea was fighting back now, whateverws were assisting his expansion beginning to recede. Finally, at exactly 12,600 miles, the expansion came to a stop.

    This wasn¡¯t a demonstration of Jack¡¯s potential. It was a process identical for everyone. Generations of cultivators had figured out that 26% was the optimal increase of the width of one¡¯s inner world. After a total of three expansions¡ªone in every minor breakthrough¡ªhe¡¯d have an inner world with exactly double its initial diameter.

    Jack could have pushed it farther if he really wanted to. Most people could. The reason he hadn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t that he had a better ce to spend his remaining energy.

    The energy density of his inner world had doubled from the time he first reached the B-Grade. Now, after increasing the inner world¡¯s diameter by 26% and therefore doubling its total volume¡ªsince it was a sphere¡ªthe energy density had fallen to the exact level from which it started. His Matter Condensation was back to 0%.

    However, to expand his inner world, he¡¯d consumed part of the dimensional sea. And that part wasn¡¯t devoid of energy. Multicolored wisps now floated in the borders of Jack¡¯s world, forms of energy still undecided on what they would be. They¡¯d just been dragged from nothingness into a reality governed by hard rules. This was their most malleable state.

    Jack, exactly as generations of cultivators had instructed before him, capitalized on these energies. He grabbed them with his willpower and spread them evenly around his inner world. He then manipted theirposition and turned them into air, water, fire, and earth. The four elements formed the backbone of his world. The air formed a very thin atmosphere which filled the void. The water turned into moisture. Fire coalesced intorge spheres, the progenitors of stars, while earth gathered together into free-floating chunks of stone, their respective gravities not powerful enough to form anythingrger.

    These chunks of stone were the most important part. They ranged in size from a human fist to arge table, all evenly spread and maintained separate by the current weakness of gravity. After all, gravity was a form of energy, too. Its effectiveness depended on the density of spacetime¡ªthe so-called <em>G </em>factor¡ªwhich would increase along with the overall energy density of this inner world. As that happened, gravity would grow stronger, and the various chunks of stone would gather together intorger ones. That way, Jack could eventually begin creating a in his inner world.

    This was all theory. Again, generations of cultivators had experimented with their inner worlds, eventually arriving at the current optimized progression through eons of trial and error. It was not a simple process, nor was itpletely intuitive. Who knows what Jack would have done if he reached this step without instructions from his predecessors. However, now that he did have instructions to follow, the end result felt right. Harmonic, even.

    Which didn¡¯t mean it was perfect. Every problem had a solution which was simple, elegant, and wrong. The cultivation world was constantly evolving, one step every generation. They were optimizing their process. Once Jack reached an exceedingly high boundary, perhaps he could use his then-insights to further optimize some previous part of the cultivation path. For now, however, he had no grounds to do such things. The path he¡¯d been shown felt right. Better than anything he coulde up with. So he followed it.

    Sometimes, you innovated. But only a fool would choose not to stand on the shoulders of giants.

    Jack¡¯s eyes snapped open. A sh of light erupted, lighting up the room. His aura deepened at that moment. If a low-level cultivator was watching, they would instinctively fall to their knees and worship.

    Jack smiled. He had sessfully reached the middle B-Grade.

 Chapter 497: Joining the Summit

    There are times when one feels small. For example, when they¡¯re surrounded by individuals greater than themselves.

    This was partially how Jack felt as he sat in the center of the meeting room. It was small, yet imposing. Frescos filled the walls, depicting Old Gods in their moments of glory. Twelve chairs hugged the round wall, each framed by a carving of a particr Old God, one for each chair. That way, if someone looked at a person sitting in one of those chairs, they would see a stone halo surrounding their head, as if they were saints of that Old God.

    Despite the chairs, there was a suspiciousck of a table.

    The Arch Priestess sat in the chair before the Enas carving. It depicted a kind old man raising a hand, out of which tumbled a thousand peaceful embryos. It was supposed to signify him creating life. Jack found it creepy.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s clone sat before the carving of Axelor, illustrated as a ball of darkness swallowing the world. Elder Soresight sat before the Old God of Time, a rippling pond through which a man was portrayed in various stages of his life. Finally, Elder Heavencrash sat before a carving depicting various balls in the shape of a human. Each ball was supposed to be a, though Jack had no idea which Old God this was. He hadn¡¯t asked.

    As for Jack himself, he sat at the very center of the room, where the table would be if there was one. He was cosying as a projector. Once his clone reached System space and activated Immortal Commune, the images of the summit would hopefully be projected above the head of Jack¡¯s main body in the center of the room.

    For now, he was just sitting between four silent, A-Grade individuals. The pressure was mounting. It was a good thing his mind was hardened, or he might have made a fool of himself by sweating.

    ¡°How is it going, Jack?¡± the Arch Priestess asked. ¡°The clone was supposed to be in position ten minutes ago. Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°The starship is just flying slower than expected,¡± he replied. ¡°We should be arriving any moment now.¡± His eyes shed. ¡°Ah. Just did, actually. Now I¡¯ll probably watch the Dao¡ª¡±His voice cut off as new light filled his eyes. Not all Dao Visions were tame. Some assaulted his mind, leaving him no choice but to view them immediately. Thest one had been like this, and Jack had expected this one to be simr as well.

    However, since they were already dyed, there was no time to carefully perceive this vision. Jack rushed through. He couldn¡¯t elerate the vision itself, but he could slow down his own perception. Since the vision only yed out in his mind, slowing his perception rtive to the vision would elerate it, making it sh over in just a couple of seconds. All he saw was a massive explosion. He would review it again when he had the time.

    A momentter, Jack¡¯s eyes returned to the real world. He and his clone were fully connected¡ªa slightly jarring experience, even now. The clone took a deep breath, then reached into himself and activated Immortal Commune for the first time.

    <strong>Immortal Commune I: This skill has no tiers. It allows you to seek council with the designated Immortals through the System¡¯s long-rangemunicationwork. Restraint is advised as this skill consumes significant System resources.</strong>

    He didn¡¯t know exactly how it worked. No one did. They just assumed, based on the context, a very good chance it could connect him to an Immortal currently in the summit. If not¡­ They might be in trouble.

    Jack activated the skill. He expected something grand. Instead, a new blue screen appeared in his face.

    <strong>Hello. You have activated Immortal Commune. Please answer a few questions so we can connect you to the appropriate Immortal. What is the purpose of thismune?</strong>

    Jack just stared at the screen. Whatever he expected, it was not this. His main body ryed the information to the Arch Priestess and the Elders, who began offering suggestions all at once.

    ¡°Silence,¡± the Arch Priestess interrupted the cacophony. She turned to Jack. ¡°The only Immortal we know is certainly attending the summit is the Heaven Immortal. Say something that sounds of utmost importance.¡±

    Jack nodded.

    The clone looked at the screen and said, ¡°I would like to discuss an issue of utmost importance with the Heaven Immortal.¡±

    <strong>Please provide details.</strong>

    ¡°I have information on the ck Hole Church. I know their true ns, but I will only tell the Heaven Immortal.¡±

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    <strong>Please wait.</strong>

    Jack waited. The screen floating before him was surreal. As bloodthirsty and brutal as the System usually was, it now resembled a bot from customer support. Jack wondered if he¡¯d ever get this image out of his head.

    <strong>The Heaven Immortal has deniedmunication. Reason for denial was dered as, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Would you like us to transfer your request to the nearest avable Immortal?</strong>

    <em>Shit.</em>

    Jack tried not to panic. He was at the edge of System space somewhere in the Milky Way gxy. The summit, from what he knew, took ce in the Spiral Stair gxy. The nearest avable Immortal would not be there.

    ¡°Do not transfer the request,¡± he said, going out on a limb. ¡°Inform the Heaven Immortal that this cannot wait. I stole secrets of the Church and am escaping. They will catch me soon, and I will be unable tomunicate. I must speak to him right now.¡±

    <strong>Please wait.</strong>

    Jack¡¯s heart was beating in his throat. If this didn¡¯t work out, and they connected him to some random Immortal in some random gxy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the summit. The Arch Priestess would have broken her word. ording to her, that would have disastrous consequences, both for herself and the army as a whole.

    Would she me him? Could they recover? Had his inability to convince a bot altered the entire flow of the war?

    His spiral of worries was interrupted by a single word, ringing loud and clear in his mind.

    <strong><em>¡°Speak.¡±</em></strong>

    Jack paused. The voice carried grandeur and power, but also coldness. If the almighty System had a voice, this would be it. Jack knew he was speaking to the Heaven Immortal. The leader of the Immortals, the Hand of God, and the System. One of the most powerful entities in existence.

    And he was thinking instead of replying.

    <em>¡°I carry the will of the Arch Priestess,¡± </em>he said telepathically.<em> ¡°She is seeking to connect to the summit. Please permit.¡±</em>

    This was a phrase they¡¯d nned beforehand. It needed to be clear and concise. Now that he¡¯d spoken it, the Arch Priestess couldn¡¯t be med if the Heaven Immortal denied her ess to the summit. It wouldn¡¯t be her fault.

    Silence followed for a moment. Jack imagined the Heaven Immortal realizing it had been yed. How would he react?

    <strong><em>¡°Permission granted.¡±</em></strong>

    There was no anger, no hesitation. The Immortals were emotionless. Instead of feeling rage at being tricked by Jack, or demanding an exnation it already knew, the Heaven Immortal immediately moved on. It was brutally efficient. Terrifying.

    Jack felt the connection between them grow wider. From transferring only sound, it now included image. A metallic face appeared in his mind. It waspletely featureless, with only the number 1 drawn on its forehead in red paint. From the back of its head, various little tubes spread out, disappearing beyond the edge of the projection.

    Jack was face-to-face with the Heaven Immortal.

    Without panicking, he transferred the connection to the main body. The main body then projected the scene above his head, while rying to the Heaven Immortal his own surroundings¡ªthe Arch Priestess and the three Elders. To someone of Jack¡¯s caliber, using his Dao to capture and project his surroundings was a trivial matter.

    Receiving the image of the Arch Priestess, the Heaven Immortal widened its image further. Jack now saw the Heaven Immortal hovering over a t disk of stone carved withplex, glowing runes. It wasn¡¯t anguage he recognized. Each rune was so small it was barely distinguishable, yet all together they covered the massive stone disk.

    The disk floated alone in space, framed by distant stars. Bright blue light came from below, but not enough to be blinding. Five figures stood on the disk. One was the Heaven Immortal, with tubesing from its back and disappearing into a dark fold of space. There were one more Immortal, sporting the number 6 on its forehead, and a handsome, human-looking cultivator in loose robes. This man gave Jack pause. He carried a heroic aura which was hard to ignore.

    The remaining two people were, unexpectedly, space monsters. One was an extremely muscr humanoid covered in interlocking gray tes. While naked, it possessed no discernible genitalia. It stood at the same height as the Immortals and possessed a thick tail. Its human face betrayed both cunning and confidence.

    As for the final member of this summit, it was a massive silver dragon. Its head rested on the stone disk,rger than all other members, while the rest of its colossal body floated behind it in space.

    Jack couldn¡¯t perceive the auras of these people through the projection, so he could only wonder how many were Archons. The Heaven Immortal certainly was.

    <strong><em>¡°Arch Priestess,¡± </em></strong>the robot said. <strong><em>¡°You pulled quite the charade to avoid attending physically. Are you intimidated?¡±</em></strong>

    ¡°Only a fool battles on her opponent¡¯s terms,¡± the Arch Priestess replied, her tone dismissing the Heaven Immortal. ¡°Two overlords of the Space Monster World, it is an honor to finally meet you in person. Or, well, as in person as my projection speaking to your clones can be considered.¡± She chuckled. They didn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ve worshiped your carvings as a child. Meeting you has been a lifetime wish.¡±

    ¡°Always nice to see a fellow space monster doing well,¡± the silver dragon rumbled. Its voice was neither cold nor warm. It sounded neutral.

    The other space monster, however, spoke with daggers. ¡°You have already framed yourself as inferior, Arch Priestess,¡± it said. ¡®Now you¡¯re just nailing your own coffin.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see you attending in your real body either, Overlord,¡± she replied calmly.

    ¡°I was never challenged. If I was, my real body would be here, as would my armies.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool. One who just got lucky.¡±

    Next to this Overlord, a puff of silvery smoke left the dragon¡¯s nostrils. It seemed amused.

    Jack was only now noticing the faint transparency of both space monsters. As the Arch Priestess had mentioned, they were clones, and not strong ones, either. If he had to guess, they didn¡¯t want to leave the safety of the Space Monster World.

    However, if they were the overlords of that world, that made them both Archons. Maybe not even average Archons.

    It was interesting to Jack how outspoken space monsters were. It probably came with their bestial nature. They had started antagonizing and cursing at each other within the first minute of interaction. This would be fun if it didn¡¯t concern the future of the universe.

 Chapter 498: Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair

    <strong><em>¡°We host this summit on the Space Monster World¡¯s request, to let them openly and clearly determine their allegiance,¡± </em></strong>the Heaven Immortal intoned. <strong><em>¡°I believe, Overlords, that the truth is clear as day. The ck Hole Church doesn¡¯t even dare to appear in our presence. All they can do is hide¡ªa conduct unbefitting of their space monster leader. It would be foolish to ally with them.¡±</em></strong>

    ¡°Different armies have different advantages,¡± the Arch Priestess replied. ¡°The Old Gods will soon arrive to fight by our side. Eleven extreme Archons. During the First Crusade, ny-nine Immortals led the entire cultivation world against them and still lost. Now, only thirty-three Immortals remain, and the cultivator world is divided. Their power is inferior to what it used to be. They are bound to fail.¡±

    <strong><em>¡°Senseless drivel,¡±</em></strong> the Heaven Immortal dered. <strong><em>¡°We would notunch the Second Crusade without extreme confidence. After all, we had no reason to hurry. We are prepared, we are strong, and we possess more A-Grade cultivators than ever before. Before us, the Church is nothing but fleeting mice. Even the Old Gods will be powerless to reverse the situation¡ªwe naturally have ways to deal with them.¡±</em></strong>

    ¡°There is no way to deal with them,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°They¡¯re bluffing to secure your alliance, Overlords. They cannot do it alone.¡±

    <em>¡°They do not seek our alliance,¡± </em>the humanoid space monster Overlord corrected, his words cutting her sharply. He took on a slightly more formal tone. <em>¡°The Immortals have requested only that we abstain from this war. Given everything I¡¯ve seen, I want to agree. The Old Gods are mighty, but their intentions are unknown. The Immortals are clearly the stronger party. Besides, Arch Priestess, I do not appreciate how you retreated your armies to this gxy in particr, endangering the Space Monster World to force our hand in assisting you.¡±</em>

    ¡°Force your hand?¡± The Arch Priestess chuckled. ¡°It was the Immortals who forced your hand when they created the System. Even if you don¡¯t fight them, do you think they will leave the Space Monster World alone? As soon as the System reaches you, they will use it to cut you off from the Dao of the Universe, either starving you until all powerful monsters die, or outright breaking the entry seal and invading you.¡±

    <em>¡°We are aware of the Immortals¡¯ desire to conquer. However, they have promised to stay away from this gxy for one billion years,¡± </em>the humanoid Overlord said. <em>¡°That is a lot of time. Our children can live and grow. When the futurees, the space monsters of that time ought to be ready, or they deserve to be annihted.¡±</em>

    ¡°The First Crusade was a billion years ago, and you knew there would be a second. You had a billion years to prepare. Tell me, Overlord, are you ready, or do you deserve to be annihted?¡±

    Jack saw fury spark in the eyes of the humanoid Overlord. He did not reply immediately. <em>¡°I will not rob my world of a billion years of freedom for a lost cause,¡±</em> he finally said. <em>¡°You are forced to fight, Arch Priestess. I am not.¡±</em>Sheughed. ¡°I expected Overlord Great Silver to preach neutrality. After all, he is a wise, calm monster. But you, Fiend King¡­ I¡¯ve heard so much about your courage growing up. I didn¡¯t think you were a coward.¡±

    His tail smashed into the stone disk without warning. The entire thing shook. Jack saw the projection tilt as part of the disk was smashed to smithereens. The second Immortal present¡ªnot the Heaven Immortal¡ªreacted immediately. It raised its hands and stabilized the disk.

    <strong><em>¡°Calm yourself, Fiend King,¡± </em></strong>the Heaven Immortal said. <strong><em>¡°You are our guest. Do not destroy our property.¡±</em></strong>

    The humanoid overlord did not reply. He seethed with anger, doing his best to contain it. The Arch Priestess¡¯s words had gotten to him. Based on what Jack had seen so far, this was indeed an aggressive individual, even for space monsters. Surrendering to the Immortals without a fight was already difficult for him.

    It was not cowardice, of course, but the word struck deep inside the overlord.

    <strong><em>¡°There is no cowardice in wisdom,¡± </em></strong>the Heaven Immortal spoke up. <strong><em>¡°The Overlords act correctly. We possess the past, the present, and the future. Moreover, we are not enemies with them. If we can coexist peacefully for a long period of time, why not do so? In the far future, our descendants can choose their own paths.¡±</em></strong>

    ¡°Here is where you make a mistake, Heaven Immortal,¡± the Arch Priestess dered proudly. ¡°You might possess the present, but the future is already out of your hands. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you win this Crusade or not. Our next generation is far superior to yours. Just this year, we had two disciples break into the B-Grades with 8,800 and 10,000 miles respectively. The Second Crusade is not the end of this war. Even if you win, Jack Rust will soar in the future and take revenge. No matter what you do, you will lose.¡±

    She nced at Jack.

    Jack thought he was just a projector. Suddenly, he was dragged into this whole mess. The eyes of the two space monster Overlords fell on him, only just realizing who he was, and he gulped. A momentter, he straightened his back. If he could help gain an ally for the Church, he would.

    The Heaven Immortal, however, onlyughed. A cold, mechanical sound. <strong><em>¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that war fosters geniuses, Arch Priestess?¡± </em></strong>it asked. <strong><em>¡°Your Church is not the only side to experience that effect. Our next generation is also skilled beyondpare.¡±</em></strong>

    It raised a hand to indicate the only human physically present¡ªthe early A-Grade who hadn¡¯t spoken since the start of the summit. Now, said A-Grade raised his gaze, eyes shining with ambition.

    <strong><em>¡°Our former Head Envoy, Elder Hero, achieved a perfect breakthrough of nine thousand miles in his time. The first in history. Since then, he has enjoyed countless resources and experienced countless adventures, excelling in every single challenge he ever faced. Recently, his breakthrough to the A-Grade approached perfection as well. Your own star cultivator may have used unknown means to achieve a breakthrough beyond nine thousand miles, but that is no guarantee of his future sess. Most importantly, he is only a middle B-Grade embroiled in the chaos of war. You know the fragility of geniuses, Arch Priestess. How can you im your next generation to be superior to ours, when chances are they will perish on the way?¡±</em></strong>

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    The Arch Priestess¡¯s face spasmed. She was clearly pressured, but her voice remained even. ¡°I could say the same about your genius,¡± she replied. ¡°An early A-Grade is nothing in a war of this scale, especially when targeted. He will never have the chance to mature.¡±

    <strong><em>¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Arch Priestess. He already has.¡± </em></strong>The Heaven Immortal¡¯s voice turned mocking. <strong><em>¡°Elder Hero, please.¡±</em></strong>

    The early A-Grade, who still hadn¡¯t spoken once, suddenly let his aura erupt. Jack couldn¡¯t sense it, but he could perceive the man¡¯s casually dominating air. The aura of an emperor. Of a man who shouldered the world. An unprecedented, unsurpassable hero.

    Below that aura, Elder Hero was a blond man in loose white robes. He seemed picture perfect. His looks were unblemished, his blue eyes were piercing, and his body was perfectly well-shaped. Jack had no doubt that pristine muscles hid beneath those robes. He carried a greatsword, an antithesis to hisck of armor, and gave a smile which could illuminate an entire world.

    Yet, beneath that perfect exterior, Jack could sense arrogance. In his eyes, this man was less a hero and more a high school bully, except impossibly better in every facet of human existence.

    <em>¡°I ask the Arch Priestess to let me prove myself,¡± </em>he said with fake humility. The mockery was evident in his voice. <em>¡°It would be improper to duel this child you praise so high, since my cultivation is far superior to his. However, you are surrounded by threete A-Grades. You may pick any of them. I will challenge them to a fifty-year death duel to prove my undeniable potential. If not, I can challenge any middle A-Grade of your choice right now. Allow me to prove that I already possess the power to stand at the highest level.¡±</em>

    Jack looked around. The two Overlords seemed intrigued. As for the Arch Priestess and her Elders, they all had ugly expressions. Since this Elder Hero and the Heaven Immortal dared to make such a statement, they had supreme confidence. There was a good chance that whichever Elder epted this challenge would end up dead and humiliated.

    Jack didn¡¯t know about the other two, but his own master, Elder Boatman, was far more hot-headed than he looked. He would one hundred percent step forth to ept the challenge. Which would only enhance Elder Hero¡¯s momentum and leave Jack overshadowed.

    Even if Elder Hero couldn¡¯t really defeat the other Elder in fifty years, that was fine. The most important part was the duel deration. It would severely weaken the momentum of the Church and practically seal the matter of the space monster neutrality. They¡¯d been check-mated.

    The Arch Priestess knew this. So did the Elders. That¡¯s why no one spoke immediately¡ªthey were desperately looking for a way to turn the tide, finding none.

    But Jack could.

    ¡°What a loser!¡± he imed,ughing rowdily. Everyone turned to look at him. The pressure was crushing. Yet, he pretended not to notice it. ¡°We are the parties at stake here, Hero. We represent the next generation of our factions. Do you not dare to face me directly?¡±

    Elder Hero frowned at him. <em>¡°You are a mere middle B-Grade. I¡¯m almost an entire Grade above you. If we were to fight, people wouldugh at me.¡±</em>

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say to fight right now. You challenged our Elders to a duel in fifty years, but that¡¯s the timeline of a coward. I don¡¯t need that much. Thirty years. You and me. To the death. Do you dare?¡±

    Elder Hero just stared for a second. Then, heughed¡ªa bold, masculine sound. <em>¡°Leash your dog, Arch Priestess,¡±</em> he said. <em>¡°I think it went rabid.¡±</em>

    The Arch Priestess did not reply right away. Her eyes were glued on Jack. She scanned his face, his resolve. She didn¡¯t ask him anything. Finally, she turned to Elder Hero. ¡°Our champion issued a challenge,¡± she said. ¡°Do you dare to ept, or not?¡±

    At this, everyone fell quiet. In their eyes, this was suicide. It was just an attempt by the Arch Priestess to sacrifice her most talented cultivator in exchange for marginally impressing the space monster Overlords. However, they wouldn¡¯t really be impressed. Sacrificing a talent was always a detestable action.

    Sure, they¡¯d win the dick-measuring contest right now, but they¡¯d lose a great asset in thirty years.

    Elder Hero must havee to the same conclusion.<em> ¡°Very well,¡±</em> he said. <em>¡°Since you insist, I will ept. A duel thirty years from now¡­ I will treat it as a warm-up. Afterward, in fifty years from now, I will also fight Elder Boatman to the death. That is your master, isn¡¯t he, boy?¡±</em>

    ¡°He is,¡± Jack replied calmly. He grinned, showing all teeth. ¡°I look forward to breaking you.¡±

    <em>¡°Then our decision is easy as well,¡±</em> the Fiend King said, his voiceden with distaste.<em> ¡°Our stance will be decided thirty years from now. If Jack Rust wins, we will ally with the Church. If Elder Hero wins, we will remain neutral. Let no one say that we are cowards.¡±</em>

    Everyone nodded in agreement. Essentially, the result of this negotiation had been cedpletely on the oue of the thirty-year duel. Everyone thought they were the winners here¡ªbut that was only because the Immortals, Elder Hero, and Overlords all believed that Jack¡¯s challenge was pointless. They never thought he could win.

    Yet, even now, Elder Hero wasn¡¯t done. Once he got an advantage, he¡¯d push it to the end.

    <em>¡°If you believe so much in your disciple, Arch Priestess,¡±</em> he said,<em> ¡°how about we add some additional stakes to the duel?¡±</em>

    ¡°Like what?¡± she replied.

    <em>¡°If Jack Rust wins, we can promise to give the Church an Archon-level space monster core.¡±</em>

    The Arch Priestess¡¯s eyes widened. That was an exceedingly precious treasure. Elder Hero didn''t have the authority to bet it. Yet, since the Heaven Immortal didn¡¯t speak up, they¡¯d obviouslye to an agreement.

    The two Overlords didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°And if you win?¡± the Arch Priestess asked.

    <em>¡°Then,¡± </em>he proudly raised his head, <em>¡°I will take your hand in marriage.¡±</em>

    Silence befell the summit. Everyone was stunned. The Elders of the Church were the first to recover, and they instantly started yelling all at once. ¡°How dare you?¡± Elder Heavencrash roared. ¡°Heaven Immortal! Control that rabid dog of yours!¡±

    The other Elders had simr things to say. This was clearly an attack on their pride. The Arch Priestess would obviously never ept. She, however, raised a hand to stop them all.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said simply. The Elders swiveled to look at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°Arch Priestess!¡± they said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She waved them down. ¡°It is my decision, and I know what I¡¯m doing. Jack will win.¡±

    The Overlords were speechless. Which was natural, in Jack¡¯s opinion, since he, too, had been rendered speechless by this bet. The Arch Priestess bet herself? On his duel? Never mind anything else, she was currently sleeping with Brock. What the hell was up with that?

    And what kind of weirdo was Elder Hero to request such a thing?

    <em>¡°Perfect,¡± </em>Elder Hero said, only now recovering from his surprise himself. <em>¡°With my talent and your lineage, I¡¯m sure our children will be exceptional.¡±</em>

    If the Arch Priestess was nervous, she didn¡¯t show it. She looked at him as if he was an idiot¡ªsomething which, judging by his frown, annoyed him greatly. ¡°I believe this summit is over,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve said all there is to be said. Overlords, while our current rtionship is not the best, it really was a pleasure meeting you. Heaven Immortal, you can go fuck yourself. Goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 499: Birth of Time

    The summit ended with a bang. Jack¡¯s clone was taken away by Elder Godspeed¡ªa short, effeminate man¡ªand rushed through the universe to escape any pursuers. They would take a wide route before returning to Earth.

    Jack¡¯s main body wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He sat in the middle of the Church¡¯s meeting room, surrounded by three animated Elders.

    ¡°What the hell was that!?¡± Boatman asked. ¡°Jack! Why would you sacrifice yourself like that? You know you cannot win!¡± He turned to the Arch Priestess. ¡°And you. Why did you let him do it? Why did you agree?¡±

    ¡°We might have made a mistake,¡± Soresight said.

    ¡°Not if we win the war before the thirty years are up,¡± Heavencrash added, his face dark. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your n, Arch Priestess? You would never agree otherwise.¡±

    Facing their tension, she smiled calmly. ¡°If we could win the war within thirty years, that would be great. However, it¡¯s impossible. We don¡¯t even know if the Old Gods will have arrived until then. It is safe to assume the duel will happen.¡±

    ¡°Then what exactly are you nning?¡± Heavencrash asked.

    ¡°Very simple. I n for Jack to win.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to him. Jack frowned. ¡°I believe in myself, but I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯d never heard of Elder Hero until today.¡±Boatman spoke up. ¡°He was the Head Envoy of the Hand until a few years ago. He and Sovereign Heavenly Spoon have shed a few times, and do you know what happened? Hero won. Every time.¡± He sighed with worry. ¡°What came over you, Jack? You have such a bright future. You¡¯ve already expanded your potential to the limit. Why would you gamble everything on such an impossible task?¡±

    ¡°Because I had to,¡± Jack replied. ¡°We had lost all our momentum. Those space monster Overlords would never take us seriously if I didn¡¯t step up. Besides, if I hadn¡¯t, you would have epted his challenge, Master. You or another Elder. And regardless of victory or defeat in fifty years, Hero would be the heroic one now, and we would be the losers.¡±

    Boatman opened his mouth to disagree, then thought better. He sighed again.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your ce to salvage the situation,¡± the Arch Priestess said softly. ¡°However, as you said, you were forced to. Because we failed. There had been no other way out for our Church. You did the right thing, Jack. Thank you.¡±

    The tones were dying down, but Elder Heavencrash wouldn¡¯t rx so easily. He looked for a table to disintegrate but found none. ¡°The right thing!?¡± he asked. ¡°He just offed himself, Arch Priestess! If we don¡¯t manage to assassinate Elder Hero within thirty years, he will take away our greatest talent and our reputation. It¡¯s not like Jack will be able to run away. Look at him. You just know he has a headstrong Dao.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your confidence, Elder Heavencrash,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mock me, boy! I¡¯m a thousand times your elder, and I only want what¡¯s best for you. You messed up big time!¡±

    ¡°Only if he can¡¯t win,¡± Elder Boatman spoke up.

    ¡°What?¡± Heavencrash turned to him. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible? Are you also insane?¡±

    ¡°I think it will be very, very difficult,¡± Boatman replied. ¡°For anyone else, it would be impossible. But Jack has performed miracles before. More than once. If there is anybody who can carry our g and win that duel, it¡¯s him. And besides¡­¡± He stood up, walking behind Jack and cing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s my disciple. I believe in him.¡±

    ¡°So do I,¡± the Arch Priestess replied.

    Soresight chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have a choice, Heavencrash. The dice has been cast. We can only do our best.¡±

    Heavencrash grumbled. ¡°I know. I still think it was a stupid-ass decision, but at least it was a brave one.¡± He turned to Jack, worry and confusion alternating in his gaze. ¡°I will choose to believe as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elders, Master, Arch Priestess,¡± Jack said. ¡°I know my decision was spontaneous, but there was no choice. I don¡¯tprehend the heights of my opponent. But I will still work extremely hard, strive for the greatest progress possible, and do my best to win.¡± Jack sensed himselfck confidence. That had to be fixed immediately. ¡°No,¡± he said, correcting his previous words. ¡°I will not do my best. I <em>will </em>win. I swear it on my Dao.¡±

    It felt like a stone b crashed down from above andnded on his soul, weighing it down. His oath was not something he could break. That was good. He could use that weight, a reminder to never rx. In this battle, he had no choice. He would win.

    Hearing his promation, Elder Boatmanughed. He seemed to have recovered his good mood. ¡°Well said, Jack! There is no other way now. You just have to win!¡±

    ¡°The Church will support you with everything we have,¡± the Arch Priestess said. ¡°However, we are already running out ofpatible cores¡­ I will give you some more, but really, that is all we have.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jack said. ¡°I have a n.¡±

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    ¡°A n?¡± Everyone looked curiously.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, raising his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Space Monster World.¡±

    ***

    Jack floated in space, an ethereal body. A ghost. Before him hovered a massive bubble, stretching on for a thousand miles. Despite its massive size, however, the bubble contain just a few particles. It was far emptier than the void of space.

    This was the second Dao Vision Jack had gotten from his ss, Paragon of Cultivation. It was the one he¡¯d briefly seen just before his clone activated Immortal Commune. Now that Jack had returned to his house, he had the time to watch it more in-depth.

    The bubble floated before him for what seemed like eternity. He knew that the flow of time inside it was vastly elerated, but it had still been thousands of years in the outside world with nothing happening in the bubble. To Jack, of course, those thousands of years came just as information. He¡¯d only stayed here a few minutes.

    There was another cultivator with him. A green-robed woman, sitting cross-legged with her eyes shut. Just by existing beside her, Jack could sense a tremendous flow of life energy, as if she contained the life of a thousands. He guessed she was an Archon.

    If she¡¯d noticed the Dao Vision being recorded from beside her, she did not react. She sat there, motionless, like a statue. She waited.

    The few particles inside the bubble moved at extreme speeds. In the almostplete nothingness, even the constraints of the universe didn¡¯t really apply. The particles were far faster than the speed of light. They zoomed around erratically. At some point, two would collide¡ªbut they were so small that the chances of it happening was abysmal.

    The woman was patient.

    At some point, a few minutes after Jack appeared in the vision and watched the bubble in silence, something finally happened. He saw the woman¡¯s eyes snap open. In the next moment, the world exploded. Two particles had crashed head-on to release a tremendous explosion. It came seemingly out of nowhere.

    As the explosion urred, Jack¡¯s understanding of the Dao was suddenly andpletely upended. His perception caught how the two particles instantly disintegrated. Yet, from the exact point of the explosion, or perhaps from inside the destroyed particles, more emerged. The universe was born anew. There was time and space, matter, all sorts of wild Daos each ring with the intensity of a thousand suns. Infinite Dao particles were born of nothingness.

    It all happened in an instant. One moment, the two particles shed. In the next, the entire bubble was awash with energy, a bright, rainbow-colored mixture containing everything. It was only the restraints of the woman beside him who stopped the explosion, preventing it from spreading further. Otherwise, with its speed, Jack was convinced it would have destroyed many nearby stars before it even slowed down.

    Everything had happened so quickly he hadn¡¯t time to process it. In his understanding, the Dao could be neither born nor destroyed. It was just particles moving around or changing their properties. Yet, he¡¯d just witnessed an act of true creation. Parthenogenesis. Something out of nothing.

    How was that even possible?

    He knew that allws lost their effectiveness as things approached the extremes¡ªtoo fast, slow,rge, or small¡ªbut this was another level of discovery altogether. This woman before him, and whatever experiment she was conducting, had taken the most iron-d rules of the world and used them to wipe her butt. It was ridiculous.

    It also meant there was so much more to learn. Inprehension of the Dao alone, Jack could match most early A-Grades. If there was knowledge so vital to the essence of the Dao, but he hadn¡¯t had the slightest clue about it before, just how high did the Dao go? What was the limit? Did it even exist?

    While he was busy being shell-shocked, the woman had already gotten to work. Her hands formed a myriad seals in a second. The bubblepressed, returning the released energy of the explosion to its previous white-hot state, then holding it there until it ran its course. Slowly, the energy cooled off.

    Jack then watched something even more mysterious. The flow of time within the bubble changed. Before, it had been artificially elerated by the woman. It had now be something else, something that both moved on its own and waspletely different from the universe¡¯s regr flow of time. They were two different rivers. The water droplets which made them up were the same, but the rivers themselves were very different from each other.

    Jack had observed the creation of apletely new Dao of Time.

    The woman also watched with rapt attention. As the new Dao was created, she smiled. ¡°The birth of time,¡± she whispered. ¡°Alle from one.¡±

    The two of them remained hovering in space, passive observers, as this new Dao of Time found its bearings inside the bubble. From every Time particle dashing around randomly, they all came into sync. The flow of time stabilized. All the other energies fell into line afterward, wrapping around Time like vines around a column.

    <em>This isn¡¯t just Time, </em>Jack realized. <em>This is a whole new universe! She created a new universe! That explosion before was a Big Bang!</em>

    He was shaking with excitement. The woman, however, didn¡¯t seem interested in watching the growth of this universe any longer. She waved a hand dismissively. The bubble copsed in on itself and disappeared. The energies inside it hissed and bubbled as they came in contact with thews of the universe, then slowly melted away, incorporated easily. The new river of time fought back for a moment before falling in line with the time flow of this universe.

    Suddenly, there was nothing. No sign of the previous bubble, explosion, and universe. Jack remained there, frozen in space, until the woman turned to look at him. She raised a smiling brow. ¡°Shoo,¡± she said, waving a hand in his direction. The vision shattered, and Jack was back at his house, still starstruck at what he¡¯d just witnessed.

    This vision was the greatest he¡¯d ever seen. He felt it contained monumental secrets of the universe, secrets he could only slowly begin to unpack. There were so many things he didn¡¯t understand.

    Why had the other Daos wrapped around time, and only then were stabilized? Did Time y a more crucial role than he¡¯d imagined?

    Was it really that easy to create a new universe? Could the woman have kept it on her person to study or use as a weapon? Why did she so wastefully destroy it?

    And, most importantly, what secrets hid in that single moment when the two particles collided? How exactly was that universe born? How was something born from nothing? And anyway, what was inside the Dao particles?

    That single instant of creation was too fast and too blinding for Jack to observe. One moment, there was an explosion. The next, there was everything. He hadn¡¯t managed to perceive the events in between, but he had a suspicion that, if he could, he¡¯d glimpse into extremely primal mysteries.

    He was so damn excited.

    There was still some time before he left for the Space Monster World. Therefore, Jack closed his eyes and returned to the vision, watching it over and over.

 Chapter 500: Flying to the Space Monster World

    The Space Monster World was a realm hidden in the heart of the Spiral Stair gxy. A realm of space monsters. Due to a seal Jack didn¡¯t quite understand yet, A-Grades and Archons were unable to enter, which was why the space monsters were confident in defending themselves against the Immortals.

    After all, while A-Grades couldn¡¯t enter, they sure could develop inside. The space monster race had several Archons holding down the fort.

    With Jack¡¯s recent deration of a thirty-year duel, he needed to advance quickly. It was the one-year deadline for Earth all over again. Since the New Cathedral had run out of space cores to give him, there was only one ce where he could reasonably expect to find them. A ce where the Immortals couldn¡¯t chase him down.

    Of course, adventuring through the Space Monster World wouldn¡¯t be easy. Outsiders were hunted there, and that would be doubly the case for Jack, who nned on hunting A-Grade space monsters himself. In a sense, it was a desperate gamble, the only one with at least a chance of seeding.

    But Jack wouldn¡¯t just kill himself. He had a n. As well as a protector.

    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Jack asked. It was a sunny day on the New Cathedral. He and Brock were on their mansion¡¯s rooftop, apanied by Starhair, Sophie, the energy clone of Elder Boatman, and a new clone¡ªthat of the Arch Priestess herself. A white-clothed woman identical to her main body, except that her aura was at the peak B-Grade level instead of the Archon one.

    The Church had invested heavily on Jack and Brock by now. The Arch Priestess had done so personally as well. Their survival was paramount, so they needed as capable a protector as they could get. Since A-Grades and above couldn¡¯t enter the Space Monster World, an Archon¡¯s peak B-Grade clone was their best bet. After all, while the clone¡¯s energy reserves were pathetically lowpared to the real thing, its Dao understandings remained far higher than any real B-Grade¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you guys!¡± Sophie eximed, her eyes widened to the brink of tears. ¡°But don¡¯t worry! With all the content we¡¯ve prepared, I¡¯ll make sure your reputation remains as high as ever! You¡¯ll be heroes by the time youe back!¡±

    ¡°They sure will,¡± Elder Boatman¡¯s clone replied. ¡°Let¡¯s board. Arch Priestess, please.¡±He took a respectful step back, motioning for the Church¡¯s leader to go first. The Arch Priestess obliged. Her bare feet stepped on the rooftop, approaching the starship parked there. It wasn¡¯t a new vehicle. The Iron Maiden had been the one to bring Jack and Brock to the New Cathedral, and it would be the one to bring them out of it as well. It was perfect for the job: fast, stealthy, and with high defensive properties.

    After the Arch Priestess disappeared through the sliding door, Elder Boatman followed, his clone a hovering shadow. While he couldn¡¯t enter the Space Monster World, he would be the one to drive them there. Jack and Brock went next, finally followed by Starhair, whose grumbling echoed low in the ears of everyone. He had no business going to the Space Monster World. His only job was to take care of Jack and Brock on the way as their personal assistant.

    ¡°Take care of yourselves!¡± Sophie cried again from the rooftop as the door slid closed. ¡°Remember to film good content!¡±

    Jack waved at her, a stone-like thing nestled in his palm. It was a top-grade projection stone. On Sophie¡¯s instructions, they were to use it to record their most striking feats in the Space Monster World so she could spread themter.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good person,¡± Brock said, looking at the shrinking form of Sophie as their starship slowly lifted off. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll ever see her again?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Jack replied, leaning against the window. He suddenly felt emotional. ¡°I hope so. If something happens to a civilian like her, we¡¯ll have already lost.¡±

    Sophie and the mansion grew smaller. The New Cathedral now filled the window, a sprawling city expanding at a prodigious rate. Thest stronghold of the ck Hole Church, ced on a tiny on a gxy far, far away. It looked so small from up here. In the distant jungle, a brontosaurus raised its head as if roaring them goodbye.

    Jack turned away from the window as the appeared in their sights. There was nothing to see anymore. Their home of few months was now a distant memory.

    ¡°There is nothing for me to even do here,¡± Starhair grumbled. The Arch Priestess had already retreated to one of the starship¡¯s three rooms, letting him speak freely. ¡°I¡¯m literally useless. How can I assist you on an empty starship?¡±

    ¡°By not whining,¡± Jack replied. Starhair sighed.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll cultivate. Which room should I go to, Jack? Yours or Brock¡¯s?¡±

    The Arch Priestess had already upied one of the starship¡¯s three private rooms. Elder Boatman¡¯s clone didn¡¯t need a room, as he¡¯d be constantly steering the starship, which left only two rooms for Jack, Brock, and Starhair. As the least in status, Starhair didn¡¯t expect to get his own room, though he would in normal circumstances. Jack and Brock would rather stay with each other than with him. Not because he was a dick¡ªhe¡¯d gotten much better since Brock beat him up¡ªbut because they were brothers, and they were used to it.

    This time, however, Starhair¡¯s calctions were incorrect. None of them would need to share a room.

    ¡°Your own,¡± Jack said with a smirk.

    ¡°Really?¡± Starhair replied. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go rest,¡± Brock said, walking to the rooms. He opened the door of the leftmost one, where the Arch Priestess had gone, and disappeared inside. The door closed soundlessly behind him.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Starhair said. ¡°Jack, you must save Brock! He went to the wrong room! The Arch Priestess will disintegrate him for trespassing!¡±

    Jack winked. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fi¡ª What? I mean¡­ What?¡± Starhair looked between Jack and the closed door inplete iprehension. Finally, it dawned on him. ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­ No. Really? No way. They aren¡¯t¡­ Are they?¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°What can I say? Brock has a special charm.¡± He keptughing as he paced to his own room¡ªthe middle one. ¡°See you, Starhair. And Master, thanks for all the hard work. I¡¯ll cultivate hard.¡±

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    ¡°You better,¡± Elder Boatman replied, hand grasping the helm of the ship, while Starhair remained frozen in the middle of themon room.

    ¡°Elder!¡± he eximed, turning around. ¡°Is it true? Are they¡­¡±

    Elder Boatman shrugged. ¡°Brock is a very charismatic man. And the Arch Priestess is a very powerful woman. They¡¯re a match made in heaven.¡±

    Starhair opened and closed his mouth, no sounding out. Finally, he retreated to the final room. His worldview had just gotten upturned.

    Not only had he been defeated by a brori two small realms below him¡­but said brori now also had a woman far superior to any Starhair could im. What an unfair world!

    ***

    Jack meditated in his room. Cultivating in the B-Grade was usually a slow, gradual process. But not for him. Not only had hepletely blown through the early B-Grade thanks to the New Cathedral¡¯s resources, but he¡¯d also received two extremely high level visions. He could sense his path unfolding in the distance.

    The first vision showed a man unifying Space and Death to create an imitation of a ck hole. Jack hadn¡¯t fully explored that vision¡ªhe hadn¡¯t had the time¡ªbut he¡¯d definitely reaped some benefits. Both his Space Mastery and Death Mastery had reached the fourth tier.

    The second vision showed a woman unifying Time and Life in what was probably a Big Bang. An explosion creating a world out of nothing. This vision was far more mystical than anything Jack had witnessed before, and it contained far too many mysteries. He wasn¡¯t even close to unpacking it. He even had the sense that, if he managed topletely understand this vision, he would have climbed to heights surpassing A-Grades. The Dao of an Archon.

    And beyond that, if he could manage to fully unify all four concepts¡­ Who knew what would happen.

    In other words, Jack had many things to meditate on. His te was as full as ever.

    The second vision was the one he chose to focus on right now. It wasn¡¯t easy to experiment with. Creating an explosion of that caliber would require careful preparation and years of waiting for random particles to collide. Maybe if he built a particle elerator simr to CERN¡¯s? Then again, if it was that simple, he had no doubt the Archon woman would have done it that way.

    Experimenting was difficult. However, mentally rewatching the vision was free and effortless. He dove into it, striving for just another tiny step forward. He observed the explosion, the creation of a world embryo, and how everything stabilized around a spontaneous flow of time afterward. It seemed, once again, that Time was the cornerstone of world creation, or at least one of them. It was like the main column keeping a building aloft. In this metaphor, maybe Space served as the building¡¯s foundation, keeping both concepts around the same level.

    But then, what about Life and Death? How did they fit in? Both visions had portrayed them in rtion to the Dao particles, so maybe Space was the foundation, Time was the column¡ªthe main axis¡ªwhile Life and Death made up the bricks?

    Jack suspected that was not the case. Still, he was currently lost. He knew that Dao particles could ¡°die,¡± or at least they had a tendency to protect themselves from destruction. He also knew that a powerful enough explosion could manifest life seemingly out of nowhere.

    But as to exactly what those meant, he had no idea. It was a work in progress.

    He sighed. At the very least, the System core inside him recognized his efforts:

    <strong>Time Mastery IV: Time is a river you have learned to tame. You are diving in its waters, exploring its properties, and interacting with the fish. Before long, the bank itself will be your yground to shape as you wish. You are well on the road to mastery.</strong>

    <strong>Life Mastery IV: Life is the beginning. The kickoff, the inevitable starting point of creation. It is also just another power you control. You can spread this power to everything, even the Dao itself. You are well on the road to mastery.</strong>

    The absence of these two skills had troubled him for a while. Only now they did appear, directly at the fourth tier. Was this some kind of threshold? Were they considered part of the Death and Space Mastery skills until the third tier?

    That was the only exnation Jack could think of, especially with how simr their respective descriptions were. Hell, the Life one was identical to Death¡¯s, except for the first two sentences.

    Additionally, while the skills were fused, were Death and Space the overall name because those were the first he developed, or were they somehow superior to Time and Life? Probably the former. Jack felt that bnce was key.

    So many questions, so few answers. The path kept widening. Jack couldn¡¯t wait for the moment when it all snapped together, when his path became singr and all mysteries turned clear.

    Though, of course, such an event was still far away.

    Shaking his head, he got up and left his room, heading for themon space. He felt a little bad for Elder Boatman, who had to constantly steer the ship while everyone else rxed, so he tried to keep himpany as often as possible.

    ¡°How is it going, Master?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Good. Peaceful. We haven¡¯t run into any Hand patrols as I expected, so I can say this has been smooth sailing.¡±

    The hooded figure¡¯s voice held a rare hint of joy. Apparently, he¡¯d half expected them toe under attack. Go figure.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re such a good captain,¡± Jack said.

    Boatmanughed. ¡°Don¡¯t tter me, disciple. You have nothing to gain from it.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°But, can I ask you something, Master? Feel free not to answer if it¡¯s too personal. How high is your Death Mastery skill?¡±

    Boatman fell silent. For a moment, Jack worried he¡¯d overstepped. Such information was generally kept extremely private, as it could give a cultivator¡¯s enemies an advantage.

    Just as Jack was ready to apologize, however, Boatman spoke up. ¡°I no longer possess a System core inside me,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s harmless, but it¡¯s also useless after you reach the A-Grade. Some keep it because they¡¯re addicted to the numbers. Most get rid of it. Anyway, since I don¡¯t possess a System core, there is nothing quantifying my skills. If I had to guess, my Death Mastery would be somewhere between the fourth and fifth tier. At the peak of one or the very start of the other. It¡¯s hard to tell.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Thanks for sharing it with me. I promise to never tell anyone.¡±

    Boatman finally turned around, his pale face giving a hard smile. ¡°I know you won¡¯t. But, if you want my advice, don¡¯t fixate on the numbers. They can take you off track or discourage you. Focus on making progress, one little step at a time. It¡¯s a long road ahead, but if you just keep walking, you¡¯re bound to reach very far. Especially in your case.¡±

    Jack nodded deeply. ¡°I will try. Thanks, Master.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Jack took some time to consider his master¡¯s words. At the same time, he looked backward. They¡¯d been traveling for a few days now, but Brock hadn¡¯t emerged from his room once. Neither had the Arch Priestess. Jack thought it was natural¡ªprivacy would be harder toe by in the Space Monster World.

    ¡°Are we close, Master?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Very,¡± Boatman replied. ¡°In fact¡­¡±

    The light of teleportation cleared around the starship. A vast emptiness was revealed. Stars glittered all around, redder here than in the outer reaches of the gxy, as well as denser.

    Ahead of them, however, in the distance, a different shape hung. A swirling portal, simr to a mini-gxy except far smaller. It was only a few miles from end to end. Jack could see it from this distance only because of his superhuman vision.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Boatman replied with a content smile. ¡°Just a few minutes and¡ª¡±

    The starship shook. A tremendous impact rocked the roof, cracking it apart and making the starship spin wildly. Jack almost flew out of it. He just barely managed to grab onto a steel column and remain attached. The void had already infiltrated from the outside, sucking in the air of the starship. Nobody needed it, thankfully, but that was not the point.

    Everybody shed outside the starship in an instant. Far in the distance, a figure zed like the sun. Power radiated off of it in waves, searing the surrounding space, burning time so heavily it slowed down. Jack couldn¡¯t even look straight at the figure. His entire body was burning. His Dao perception was going haywire. Whoever this was, they were far, far too powerful. Overwhelmingly so.

    He knew without the shadow of a doubt. His heart reached his throat.

    This was an Archon.

 Chapter 501: Facing an Archon

    A gentle energy wrapped around Jack, protecting him. He finally managed to raise his head. He still had to squint, but he could now vaguely make out the figure who¡¯d smashed their starship.

    It was a man. He wore crimson robes, and his long red hair fluttered upwards as if some wind was blowing from below. His two arms were connected before his chest, his long sleeves invading each other. His skin was tanned, but his eyes were coal-ck. His figure was broad, muscr, and masculine, and his visage was fierce, like a master of martial arts. The few wrinkles that marred his hardened face subtracted little from his aggressiveness.

    But more important than the man¡¯s appearance was his aura. It zed out of him. Jack could see it as a literal sun, spreading for endless miles through space, showering the world in unfiltered heat.

    He was the strongest person Jack had ever seen disying his power, besides in Dao Visions.

    ¡°Archon Summer Noon,¡± the Arch Priestess said, confirming Jack¡¯s suspicions. The gentle aura protecting Jack originated from her. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Just paying a visit,¡± the other man replied. His voice was loud, brass. Fiery. ¡°I came to fish in a pond, but I found a shrunken whale. Lucky me.¡±

    ¡°So the Immortals are using Archons now?¡± the Arch Priestess replied, her voice hard. ¡°Have you all lost your mind? You know we¡¯ll do it when you do it. The war will escte.¡±

    ¡°I am not participating in the war yet,¡± Summer Noon said. ¡°In fact, I won¡¯t even kill your little clone or that of the Elder behind you. I only have a single reason foring today.¡±

    He didn¡¯t specify that reason, but he didn¡¯t need to. Everyone knew.¡°Jack,¡± the Arch Priestess said.

    ¡°Precisely. Hand him over, and I won¡¯t touch any of you. Resist, and I¡¯ll char you all to ashes.¡±

    Jack¡¯s blood had already gone cold. Despite the heat. He was being hunted by an Archon. Before that man, before his massive aura, Jack felt as vulnerable as a newborn baby.

    <em>Is this the day I die? </em>he wondered, gritting his teeth.

    The Arch Priestess snorted. <em>¡°Once the fight starts,¡± </em>she said in Jack¡¯s mind, <em>¡°rush into the starship. We have to make it to the Space Monster World before he catches up.¡±</em>

    Jack didn¡¯t ask anything. He just prepared to do as instructed. His Dao was circting just below the surface. He could activate every single power he possessed at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Archon Summer Noon noticed their silence.

    ¡°You better think this through, Arch Priestess,¡± he said. ¡°You and that A-Grade may be just clones, but the brori is the future of your Church. Will you throw his life away for stubbornness? You know you cannot escape.¡±

    The Arch Priestess didn¡¯t reply. <em>¡°Now!¡± </em>she yelled in Jack¡¯s mind. He instantly burst with his full potential. He galvanized Lightning Body, and then used every iota of Life energy in the recharging Life Drop to activate his four-armed form as well. That would empty it again, but it was necessary. They were facing an Archon. This was the single greatest crisis in Jack¡¯s life.

    He became a tall, four-armed, lightning-covered behemoth of a man d only in a pair of shorts. Everyone around him followed, activating everything at once. Brock radiated golden light. Starhair¡¯s hair shone like a thousand stars, taking on a redder hue than usual. The Arch Priestess¡¯s aura erupted, showering the world in brutality. All four of them rushed into the starship and tried to take off.

    Archon Summer Noon was on them that very instant. He¡¯d been hundreds of miles away before, but that distance vanished, the very essence of space melted. From this close, the heat was suffocating. Jack felt his skin bubble like he was burned alive. It reminded him of that time he swam throughva.

    The Archon wore a calm smile as he drove a finger forward. The fire bent to his will, forming a gargantuan, sun-d finger which descended on their starship.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s clone roared. ¡°If you want to kill my disciple,¡± he dered in anger, ¡°you¡¯ll need to get through me.¡± A scythe was suddenly in his hands like it had always been there. A terrible dark cloud erupted.

    Spacetime died. Sound died. The void died. Everything died as the Elder swung his scythe forward, the very same attack which had once torn an entire tribtion in half.

    ¡°Even your main body couldn¡¯t face me, Boatman,¡± the Archon said with a hint of ridicule. ¡°Your clone is nothing.¡±

    The sun finger rammed into Boatman¡¯s full-powered strike and barely even paused. It broke through an instantter. Some me tongues died, reduced to nothingness, but they were only a tiny fraction of the attack. The rest bulldozed through,pletely evaporating Boatman¡¯s Death, melting his scythe before even touching it, and crashing heavily against his body.

    The ck cloak disintegrated. For a moment, Boatman¡¯s pale and frail-looking body was revealed¡ªjust that of a stubborn old man. Then, he disappeared, turning into energy which immediately melted away as well.

    Elder Boatman¡¯s clone hadsted a single instant.

    However, in a battle of this caliber, every instant was important. Boatman¡¯s sacrifice had given the rest of them time to re-enter the starship. The Arch Priestess¡¯s Dao wrapped around it, hurtling it through space. She was pouring everything she had. The starship was faster than before. In the single instant Boatman had secured for them, they crossed half the distance to the Space Monster World.

    But it was useless. Everything was, before an Archon. He appeared right behind them again, mming down a palm. Space was meaningless. The very sun descended to burn them whole. Jack felt his body struggling, and he saw the metal walls of the starship give way, dripping drops of molten steel which vaporized before they touched the floor. The Iron Maiden really possessed extreme defensive capabilities¡ªany normal starship would already be gone.

    Jack took in everything at once. An attack he couldn¡¯t even fathom was flying at them. It would hit¡ªthey had no way to dodge. Starhair was shivering. Brock¡¯s eyes were harder than they¡¯d ever been. The Arch Priestess rocketed out of the starship. She didn¡¯t even have time to say anything. She flew at the sun.

    Brock¡¯s entire body shone a brilliant gold. For a moment, Jack thought he¡¯d self-detonated. The horror subsided as he noticed that Brock remained whole, just channeling all the power of his inner world at once, pouring it into the Arch Priestess.

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    Brock was a powerful fighter. He was also a great support. Right now, as the Arch Priestess¡¯s clone dove into the falling sun, he did his best to keep her alive just a moment longer. Jack could sense his brother¡¯s emotions through their bond¡ªhelplessness, despair, anger at his own weakness. Jack felt for him, he really did. But he knew what they had to do. Both of them knew.

    The Arch Priestess and Elder Boatman were only here in clone form. Losing those clones meant little. The survival of everyone else was the top priority.

    As the Arch Priestess flew into the sun, Jack was already grabbing the ship¡¯s helm, pushing it forward. His new understandings of space erupted. With the Arch Priestess¡¯s assistance, he managed to escape the Archon¡¯s lockdown, teleporting away, rushing towards the Space Monster World, where they would be safe.

    Yet, he saw it, even as he flew away. The Arch Priestess faced a sun. She seemed to grow beneath her white robes. They exploded, revealing a body d in silver fur. She was half human and half something else. Her mouth held fangs. Her hands ended in sharp ws. The Arch Priestess roared. The void shook by her mere fierceness. It was the most powerful, most shaking, most intimidating roar Jack had ever heard. The roar alone held extremews of the Dao. He would have been paralyzed if he was any closer.

    The Arch Priestess was human from the waist down, but from the waist up and excluding her eyes, she was a silver lion. Not a leonine, like the Animal Kingdom overlords, just a lion space monster. And she was a beast.

    Unceremoniously, she pounced and bit at the sun. Her fangs carried more than just a physical touch. The Dao warped around her, as if the universe itself was trying to ughter the sun. She pierced through the fire. Even at the peak B-Grade, her clone was far stronger than Elder Boatman¡¯s.

    But it was not enough. Even as the Arch Priestess flew through the sun to reach Archon Summer Noon, heughed and raised his muscr hands. He grabbed both her jaws, easily stopping her bite and momentum, then pulled them apart. Her mouth was torn up and down. It was a cruel sight, but she didn¡¯t show the slightest pain. Instead, her eyes were glued to his.

    <em>¡°I will remember this!¡± </em>she shouted telepathically, spreading her voice to all who would listen. Archon Summer Noonughed.

    ¡°I look forward to it!¡±

    Fire enveloped her body, destroying itpletely. The Archon then stepped through space to approach their fleeing starship.

    They were close to the Space Monster World now. Very close. The swirling portal almost licked at them. But they wouldn¡¯t make it. The Archon was already upon them, and even if they wanted to sacrifice themselves, all three of them were far too weak.

    Jack looked around, looking for a sliver of hope, an opportunity, anything. That was his instinct after so many years of battles. He wouldn¡¯t give up. But there was nothing. His own strength was unworthy of mention. Even if he sacrificed himself, he couldn¡¯t dy the Archon¡¯s advance. At that moment, he hated himself for being weak.

    Starhair was gazing at the window with wide eyes. He could also do nothing. The sun was falling again. Their skin was melting.

    As for Brock, he had been struck the hardest of the three. Not only had he channeled all of his energy into the Arch Priestess¡ªthe only reason she achieved what she did¡ªleaving him exhausted, but he¡¯d also just watched his woman get torn apart. Even though it was a clone, the mental impact was striking. It briefly disturbed his Dao.

    There was nothing else. Only them and the starship. Jack watched the falling sun and prepared to throw himself into it. Maybe, if hebusted all his energy and self-exploded, that would dy the strike a little, giving Brock and Starhair time to reach the portal.

    Even as he prepared to jump, he could sense that Brock was doing the same thing. The pain hit him hard. His little brother was going to die. There was no time to hesitate or talk it out. Neither would step back. They would both go, and they would sacrifice their lives to save Starhair.

    What a shitty ending.

    Jack pressed against the melting floor, ready tounch himself upward. Right as his feet entered the metal, however, he touched upon something. A current of energy giving him a jolt. A current which remained strong despite the heat.

    It was like a sh through his mind. He¡¯d once noticed a subtle current of energy flowing through the starship. The Iron Maiden possessed weapons¡ªit was just something he never thought he¡¯d have to use. He didn¡¯t even know what it did.

    ¡°Wait, Brock!¡± he shouted as quickly as he could.

    Without thinking, Jack pumped energy into the current below him. It was quickly saturated. The entire ship grew alive around them, the half-melted walls unraveling, turning the entire starship inside-out. Jack, Brock, and Starhair were suddenly floating in space, still flying towards the portal.

    The ship demanded a target. Jack mentally gave it one. The inside-out starship flew backward at incredible speed, erupting with a level of energy only slightly weaker than the Archon¡¯s. The Daos at y were far weaker, of course. Only now did Jack realize that this must have been Elder Boatman¡¯s personal method of transportation. It was enhanced with enough power to stall a peak B-Grade if needed. And the Elder had given it to them.

    Suddenly, Elder Boatman¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem so weak: <em>If you want to kill my disciple, you¡¯ll need to get through me!</em>

    Appreciation once again filled Jack¡¯s heart.

    As the ship made some distance, Jack noticed its new shape. It hadn¡¯t just turned inside out. It had transformed into a t sheet covered with spikes on one side. The fact that the whole thing was half-melted only made it more intimidating.

    Archon Summer Noon had just released an attack, so he couldn¡¯t react in time. The starship reached him instantly. Despite that, Jack didn¡¯t dare hope. Just an Archon¡¯s passive defenses were not something the weapon of ate A-Grade could hope to pierce.

    Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t just an attack.

    The Archon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No!¡± he shouted.

    As the ship-turned-spiked sheet reached him, it wrapped around him. It formed a perfect sphere with the spikes turned inward, then contracted as if trying to ground him down. Jack had an epiphany¡ªthis was exactly why the ship was called an Iron Maiden.

    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t work. A pulse of power spread from the Archon, stopping the sphere¡¯s contraction. The magically enhanced metal was melting like paper in the firece.

    However, for a single instant, it had managed to contain the Archon. He was no longer focusing on the attack heading for the starship. It had lost a significant portion of its power.

    Jack, Brock, and even Starhair worked together. The portal was right behind them. The attack would reach them first. They went all-out to defend.

    Starhair hade to his senses. He knew he couldn¡¯t hold back¡ªor maybe he was too terrified to think. He screamed in frustration as he uprooted three of his six strands of hair, sending them flying towards the attack. Each shone red. Then, as one, they exploded. Jack realized it was actually the stars inside them, going off like miniature supernovas.

    The explosion was powerful, enough to give the attack pause.

    Brock went next. He overdrew his spent powers, manifesting arge golden brori around him to smash his staff forward. The golden phantom melted before it even touched the mes. However, the energy it released weakened them further. The strike was now at only a fraction of its original power.

    Jack roared. His Life Form and Lightning Body worked in tandem. His punch shot forward. For a moment, everything came to a standstill¡ªthen erupted all at once. <em>¡°SUPERNOVA!¡±</em>

    A blinding explosion filled the world. Sun mes met fist-shaped ones. The two attacks ground at each other until they were turned to nothing, leaving only a broken, wounded expanse of space. It regenerated far more slowly than usual.

    Jack and the others werepletely burned. But alive. The portal was close now, as the shockwave of the explosion had flung them towards it. Through the shattered void, Jack glimpsed at Archon Summer Noon. He¡¯d just managed to vaporize the iron maiden around him. His hair flew wildly now, and his robes were torn in ces. That attack had been stronger than Jack gave it credit for¡ªit had managed to almost injure an Archon.

    No¡ªthere was a wound. It just wasn¡¯t one made by the starship. Through Archon Summer Noon¡¯s torn robes, Jack could make out a fist-sized hole at the center of his chest. It seemed old.

    Before he could consider this further, the Archon roared and released a new attack. ¡°Get back here!¡± hemanded. Endless mes rose against them, but it was toote. Their backs touched the portal, and they were sucked in. The mes crashed against it ineffectively. It shook but held. The Archon roared in frustration.

    As for Jack, Brock, and apparently Starhair¡­ They¡¯d entered the Space Monster World.

 Chapter 502: Space Monster World

    Jack felt like he was getting torn, folded, spun, and wrapped around himself in timespace. He was everywhere and nowhere, all the time and never, all at once. The wormhole leading to the Space Monster World was by far the roughest he¡¯d experienced.

    The pressure would have annihted any C-Grade who tried to enter. Even weaker B-Grades would struggle. To Jack, Brock, and Starhair, while the sensation was ufortable, it wasn¡¯t dangerous. Even in their injured and exhausted state.

    The wormhole spat them out on a field of dry ground. They tumbled, grabbing a hold of themselves. Jack suppressed a groan as his heavily burnt skin rubbed against hard dirt. His focus was immediately whisked away to the fact that he couldn¡¯t breathe. It took him some time to adjust. As hey face-up on the ground, gazing at a crimson sky, he felt as if the weight of the entire world was ced on his chest.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± he managed to say after a while.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine as well,¡± Starhair said, sounding far less confident. Jackboriously turned his head over. Starhair once wore pristine blue robes made of the finest silk. Now, that silk had melted against his skin, and whatever blue remained was marred by a river of blood which flowed from the top of his head. Half his hair was missing¡ªor, actually, it was more urate to say that his scalp had been removed in those ces, revealing patches of bone underneath.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Jack said, rushing to stand. ¡°That looks terrible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Starhair repeated through gritted teeth. He ripped whatever remained of his robes and wrapped it around his head like a turban. The gruesome sight was hidden, but his pain remained.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fine, Starhair,¡± Jack said. ¡°You¡¯re seriously injured. We got to help you.¡±¡°I said it¡¯s fine,¡± the man stubbornly replied. Jack could see the emotions whirling in his eyes¡ªpain, despair, frustration, and a bone-deep fear. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to be here,¡± Starhair continued, looking around. ¡°This is the Space Monster World. I would have returned with Elder Boatman. I shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    ¡°You are now, and we¡¯ll make the best of it.¡± Jackid a hand on his shoulder. There was an entire world around them just begging to be explored, but he prioritized ensuring that Starhair was okay. After all, he¡¯d injured himself to save them. To save himself, actually, but Jack and Brock had still benefited from that, so letting him be would be ungrateful.

    Starhair tried to say something but flinched in pain. He groaned. ¡°I¡­ I severed half my cultivation,¡± he said as if only just realizing it. His eyes grew cloudy. ¡°Fuck. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I got scared. Fuck. Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Hey man, it¡¯s gonna be alright,¡± Jack said. ¡°Take deep breaths. You¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re young. You¡¯ll regain it all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, in centuries!¡± Starhairughed. ¡°We¡¯re going into war and I¡¯m a cripple! In a hostile hidden world! Oh, what an idiot I am. What a cowardly fool!¡±

    Jack turned to Brock, raising a brow. The brori was also injured, but nothing too serious. Just burns which were already regenerating and a fading, heavy exhaustion. Brock had already stood and paced over. ¡°It¡¯s okay, bro,¡± he told Starhair. ¡°You rx for now. Turn off your mind. Let us find a safe ce first, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    Starhair nodded.

    Only now, as Brock turned his gaze upward, did Jack follow.

    The Space Monster World stretched endlessly all around them. They were on a barren wastnd, like the terrain at the edge of a desert¡ªyellow, dry, infertile ground with only the asional weed growing. Trees were few and far between. This terrain stretched as far as the eye could see¡ªor their Dao perceptions. Jack noticed no curvature of the ground, indicating they were on some sort of t world.

    Overhead, crimson skies cast their glow. On closer inspection, they were made up of endless crimson clouds, sparking with simrly crimson lightning as if a storm was constantly underway inside them. The light was low in intensity, simr to a full-moon Earth night, but shes of red asionally brightened the world, giving it a dark and bloody feel. There was no rain.

    Most importantly, this world was not hospitable at all. The ambient temperature was enough to boil water. The Dao density was so suffocatingly high that anyone below the D-Grade would exhaust themselves in minutes and then be crushed to the ground. Even Jack felt his powers grow weaker by at least ten times, and that was only because he was a B-Grade. His power came from his inner world. If he was still a D or C-Grade, who harnessed the ambient Dao to exercise their cultivations, he would be simr to a mortal in this ce. So wild was the Dao.

    He¡¯d experienced a simr suppression before, at the Green Dragon Realm, but this one was even more intense. He suspected that anyone below the B-Grade would be unable to fly.

    Jack looked around, taking stock of all these things. However, he didn¡¯t see even one living creature.

    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± he asked. ¡°Stay here and recover? Or scout things out?¡±

    ¡°Staying here would be the safest,¡± Brock replied. ¡°Let¡¯s recover a little. Then we can keep going. Resting too much is un-bro-like.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°You got it, bro.¡± They settled down cross-legged. Starhair did too, though still wearing an expression of pain. There was nothing they could do to help him. He needed time.

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    Ten minutester, Jack and Brock¡¯s burns had fully regenerated. Their skin was pink and healthy like a baby¡¯s. It would have happened far faster, too, but these burns were oddly stubborn.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe they sent an Archon after us. That was fucking scary,¡± Jack said, flexing his fingers. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be so decisive.¡±

    ¡°The Immortals are robots. Theyck emotions. They wouldn¡¯t underestimate us out of arrogance,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°I know. Still, well yed by them¡­ We may have survived, but our protector is gone, and we barely made it.¡±

    ¡°But you know what that means, right bro?¡± Brock smiled. ¡°We survived the attack of an Archon. We¡¯re strong.¡±

    Jack smiled back. They high-fived.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Jack said. ¡°I don¡¯t like how exposed we are. Should I ask our guide?¡±

    ¡°Please do, bro.¡±

    Jack reached into his inner world. <em>¡°Hey, turtle,¡± </em>he said. <em>¡°Are you awake?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I¡¯m always awake,¡± </em>Venerable Saint Thousand Shell¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. <em>¡°That was one hell of a battle, kid. Good job. Very good job.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Thanks. We¡¯re in the Space Monster World now. Do you recognize this ce?¡± </em>Jack sent it a mental image of their surroundings. The turtle scoffed.

    <em>¡°What am I, an encyclopedia? The Space Monster World is so humongous that I haven¡¯t even traveled one hundredth of it. Even if I had been through this ce, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily recognize it. It¡¯s been a billion years. I bet all the terrain I know has changed by now. You should just go find a local and ask for information.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°A local?¡± </em>Jack frowned. <em>¡°I¡¯m a cultivator. Won¡¯t they try to kill me?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Oh, man up, kid. You¡¯re strong. No matter how powerful the space monsters, the chances of you randomly running into an A-Grade are practically zero. Just beat the shit out of whatever you find and interrogate them. I¡¯ll trante for you.¡±</em>

    Jack had to admit that made sense. <em>¡°Okay. Thanks.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Anytime.¡±</em>

    ¡°The turtle says we should just find a local and interrogate them,¡± he told the others, then pointed at a random direction. ¡°Wanna go that way?¡±

    ¡°Lead the way, bro.¡±

    Starhair didn¡¯t say anything, just got up and prepared to follow them. His aura felt far weaker than normal. If Jack had to guess, his power level was now closer to a middle B-Grade than a peak one. It sucked.

    <em>He saved us, </em>Jack thought. <em>If there¡¯s a way to help him, I will.</em>

    He took to the air. The other two followed. They cut through the skies like a trio of missiles, keeping their altitude low and refraining from teleports to avoid being detected.

    Five minutes passed. They couldn¡¯t easily teleport due to the Dao density, but their speed remained great. If they were in America, they would have crossed an entire state by now. In the Space Monster World, the terrain remained identical. Barren wastnd as far as the eye could see. Jack was beginning to wonder if the entire world was like this. Even his Dao perception, which spread far farther than his eyesight, was met with the exact same terrain as well.

    Finally, however, he spotted something different. A pair of horses galloped through the wastnd¡ªthe first living creatures he¡¯d seen. Of course, they were more like horses from hell than regr horses. Their manes were made of dark mes. Fiery prints were left where their hooves met the ground, their eyes were red, and their entire bodies were thickly corded with muscle. Each was seven feet tall.

    Despite their intimidating exterior, the power of these animals was nothing threatening. They were at the D-Grade. Jack was about to ignore them before he realized that this was the Space Monster World¡ªwhy would the locals resemble humans? These horses might well be intelligent creatures.

    He led the others to turn towards the horses, overtake them instantly, and smash into the ground right in front of them. The two horses screeched to a halt and rose on their hind legs. When the dust cleared¡ªfalling faster due to the increased gravity¡ªthe horses saw Jack¡¯s form clearly. The leading one released smoke from its nostrils and opened its mouth to reveal bloodied, t teeth.

    ¡°OUTSIDERS!¡± it cried out. ¡°DIE!¡±

    Its voice was dark and devilish. It spoke in a strangenguage Jack didn¡¯t understand¡ªfull of growls and clicks¡ªbut Venerable Saint Thousand Shell did instant trantion.

    The horse brought its front hooves right on Jack¡¯s face. He raised two hands to grab them, easily stopping the horse, then raised it over his head and mmed it on the ground behind him. A crater appeared.

    ¡°Are you guys idiots?¡± he said in English. ¡°We fly and do a superheronding in your faces, and you choose to attack us? Jesus.¡±

    The horses, of course, didn¡¯t understand him. He suspected it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway. The second horse lunged at him, head turned sideways and jaws opened wide to shatter his face. He punched it hard enough to send it flying. As for the first horse, after it recovered, it made the mistake of attacking Brock. The brori pped it so hard that half its teeth went flying, and the entire horse spun three times around itself beforending.

    ¡°Bad bro,¡± he said. ¡°Do not attack your big bros.¡±

    The horse neighed sadly from the ground. It hadn¡¯t received a serious injury, but it now apparently acknowledged its defeat. The other horse galloped over from where Jack had sent it flying, and the two of them sat on the ground, proudly epting their fates.

    ¡°YOU ARE STRONGER,¡± the leading horse said. ¡°KILL US.¡±

    ¡°What are they saying, bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Should I bro p them again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They surrender,¡± Jack exined. ¡°But they¡¯re fucking weird. First they attack us without a care in the world. Then they surrender and ask for death. Like, what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°We should find a way to speak to them,¡± Brock suggested.

    Jack nodded. <em>¡°Hey, turtle,¡± </em>he said. <em>¡°Can you trante what I¡¯m about to tell them? I¡¯ll tell you, you tell me what sounds I need to make, and I¡¯ll make them.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Only if you say my name properly.¡±</em>

    He sighed. <em>¡°Please, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I ept your apology,¡± </em>the turtle replied triumphantly. <em>¡°What do you want to tell them?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°That I need some information, and they¡¯d better give it to me.¡±</em>

 Chapter 503: Double Trouble

    The turtle instructed him on what sounds to make. It was easy with his intelligence, just weird. The space monsternguage was unique. It involved all sorts of sounds ranging from clicks, to howls, to actual letters. It felt like tongue yoga.

    He made the right sounds anyway¡ªor, at least, the closest he coulde to them. It took some practice.

    ¡°WHAT INFORMATION?¡± the horse asked, all business. ¡°WILL YOU NOT KILL US?¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to kill you, you¡¯d already be dead,¡± he replied, still butchering theirnguage.

    The horses nced at each other. ¡°WE ARE NOT DEAF.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡ª Anyway. Just don¡¯t try anything stupid, okay?¡±

    ¡°OKAY. WE DO HAVE EARS, BY THE WAY. THEY¡¯RE UNDER THE FUR.¡±

    ¡°Cool. Can you stop shouting?¡±

    ¡°I AM NOT SHOUTING.¡±Jack suddenly felt the urge to go find other space monsters to interrogate. But maybe they¡¯d all be shouting. <em>Oh god.</em>

    ¡°Tell me about this world,¡± he said. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°THE ASTARION PROVINCE.¡±

    ¡°Okay. How many provinces are there?¡±

    ¡°I DO NOT KNOW. MORE THAN ONE.¡±

    ¡°Very helpful. Who¡¯s the strongest space monster here? Do you have A-Grades?¡±

    ¡°PROVINCE MASTER ASTARION. HE IS VERY STRONG.¡±

    ¡°How strong?¡±

    ¡°VERY. STRONGER THAN US. STRONGER THAN YOU.¡±

    ¡°Would you call him an A-Grade?¡±

    ¡°WHAT IS THAT?¡±

    <em>¡°Space monsters are not familiar with the System¡¯s Grades,¡± </em>the turtle exined to Jack. <em>¡°They use different ssifications. From D-Grade to Archon, they call themselves dukes, counts, barons, autarchs, and overlords.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°That¡¯s fucking stupid. It¡¯s the reverse order of British royalty.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I don¡¯t make the rules.¡±</em>

    Jack sighed. <em>¡°</em>Is your province master an autarch?¡± he asked.

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Does he have, like, a faction of autarchs?¡±

    ¡°NO. THE ASTARION PROVINCE IS AN OUTER PROVINCE. AUTARCHS ONLY COME OUT HERE TO BE PROVINCE MASTERS.¡±

    ¡°So there are outer provinces. That¡¯s good to know. I suppose there are inner ones as well?¡±

    ¡°YES. OUTER PROVINCES, INNER, AND CORE. ONLY TWO CORE PROVINCES. THE OVERLORDS.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense. So the space monster world is separated in provinces, with each province master being an autarch, and the innermost you go, the higher the level of people. Correct?¡±

    The horse thought for a moment. ¡°YES. BUT NOT ALL PROVINCE MASTERS ARE AUTARCHS. SOME ARE BARONS.¡±

    ¡°But not in the inner provinces?¡±

    ¡°NO. ALL AUTARCHS THERE.¡±

    ¡°And why do you call the provinces core, inner, and outer? Is there a center?¡±

    ¡°THE WORLD IS RINGS. THE DARK CANAL IS AT THE CENTER. WORSHIP THE DARK CANAL.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the dark canal?¡±

    ¡°I DO NOT KNOW. BUT IT MUST BE WORSHIPED.¡±

    Jack turned to his friends and ryed the information he¡¯d received.

    ¡°Ask it for directions to that dark canal,¡± Brock suggested. ¡°The inner and core provinces will be located that way as well. If we want to farm space monster cores, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll find the good ones.¡±

    Jack nodded in agreement. He asked the horses, which pointed him in a certain direction¡ªthe exact opposite of the one they¡¯d been following before.

    ¡°Nice guess, bro,¡± Brock said, giving Jack a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Well, we have our directions,¡± Jack said. ¡°Should we leave? I think these horses are pretty stupid, to be honest. We¡¯re better off finding someone smarter on the way.¡±

    ¡°I agree. We should kill them, too, or they might spread information about us being here.¡±

    Jack turned to the horses. He stared at them. ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± he said. ¡°I know they tried attacking us first, and that we have to kill them, but they¡¯ve been pretty obedient since we subdued them.¡± He sighed, raising a fist. The horses neighed sadly and closed their eyes. ¡°I guess if I have to.¡±

    <em>¡°Space monsters submitpletely to the stronger party,¡± </em>the turtle exinedzily as Jack¡¯s fist came crashing down. <em>¡°If the stronger party isn¡¯t clearly indicated, they fight on sight. However, if you don¡¯t want to kill them, why not take them as your mounts?¡±</em>

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    Jack¡¯s fist stopped an inch away from the leading horse¡¯s muzzle. The wind ruffled its mane of dark me.

    <em>¡°Go on,¡± </em>he said.

    <em>¡°Space monsters submitpletely to the stronger party. If they wish to be your followers, they can spit out their core into your care. That way, you can kill them anytime you wish, meaning they will never betray you.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hmm.¡±</em> Jack frowned. <em>¡°That sounds a bit extreme.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You can always ask them, but they¡¯d certainly prefer it to dying. Bing the mount of a powerful individual is no shame in the Space Monster World. It can even be a kind of honor. Every high-status space monster has a mount.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Why would I take them as a mount? I¡¯m way faster.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You don¡¯t need to ride them. If you have their core, you can store the entire monster in your inner world. Just take them out as you reach a city to show your status.¡±</em>

    Jack hesitated. He then spoke out, saying, ¡°Do you guys prefer to die or be our mounts?¡±

    The horses nced at each other. ¡°YOU ARE OUTSIDERS. WE MUST FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± Brock said, stepping forward. ¡°Just because wee from outside this world doesn¡¯t mean we need to be enemies. We¡¯re not so different, after all. Let¡¯s work together instead of being brainwashed to kill each other. Let¡¯s be bros.¡±

    He extended a hand. The horses visibly shook, their mental barriers evaporating to liberate their free will. They could now think clearly.

    ¡°HE HAS A POINT,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°I AGREE. LET¡¯S BECOME MOUNTS.¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    Both horses turned to Jack. ¡°YOU ARE A STRONG MASTER,¡± they said. ¡°WE WILL SERVE YOU WELL.¡±

    He raised a brow in amusement. ¡°Even though I am an outsider?¡±

    ¡°IT MEANS NOTHING. YOU DEFEATED US. OUR LIVES BELONG TO YOU.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Alright, guys,¡± he said, turning to Brock and Starhair. ¡°We¡¯re now friends with these bad boys.¡±

    Brock looked at him weirdly. ¡°They¡¯re female,¡± he said. Starhair still seemed out of sorts. He just shrugged and nodded.

    ¡°Cool,¡± Jack said.

    The two horses shook as if about to vomit. Then, with a dry heave, a solid gem emerged from each of their throats. They were dark red and with swirling mes inside¡ªpretty, if not particrly powerful. When Jack touched one, he felt a connection to a different being, an entity of chaos. The hell horse.

    The sense ofplete control was fascinating.

    ¡°WE BELONG TO YOU, MASTERS,¡± the horses said, bending their front feet to bow.

    Jackughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re friends.¡±

    ¡°FRIENDS?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Friends, bros. As long as you don¡¯t betray us, we¡¯re all in the same team.¡±

    ¡°BUT YOU¡¯RE STRONGER.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±

    The two hellhorses still seemed confused, but they¡¯d get used to it.

    Jack took one core into his inner realm, while Brock did the same to the other.

    ¡°Do you have names?¡± they asked the horses.

    ¡°I AM DOLPARTAZOL THE HARBINGER OF DOOM,¡± the leading horse replied. ¡°AND THIS IS EZAQUIL THE ETERNAL DAWN.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then, I will call you Dolly,¡± Jack told it.

    ¡°And I will call you Eza,¡± Brock said to the other one. There was no third horse for Starhair.

    Suddenly, Jack realized something. He reached into his space ring and removed a carrot. He¡¯d had it there since thest time he visited Earth. In fact, he had entire boxes of vegetables. They didn¡¯t go bad in space rings.

    ¡°Do you want a carrot, Dolly?¡± he asked. ¡°The horses on my like it. They¡¯re significantly less infernal than you, but we might as well try.¡±

    Dolpartazol, the self-appointed harbinger of doom, ate the carrot. ¡°IT IS VERY TASTY, MASTER. THIS IS NOW MY FAVORITE FOOD. CAN I HAVE ANOTHER?¡±

    ¡°Just one, okay? No more until we reach¡­whatever destination we¡¯re nning to reach.¡±

    ¡°OKAY MASTER.¡±

    As Dolly enjoyed her second carrot, consuming it in small bites to make itst longer, Jack turned to the others. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing we gotta do,¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t be walking around like this in civilization centers. They¡¯ll attack us on sight.¡±

    He reached into his space ring again and took out a shining blue liquid. It resembled a sea of stars. Even from inside the bottle, this potion radiated power intense enough for Dolly to stop mid-bite and stare at it.

    They had known they¡¯d need disguises. The Arch Priestess had gone to great lengths to secure three transformation potions of the highest caliber. They would remain active no matter how hard they fought or exerted themselves, and the disguise would fool anybody unless they came face-to-face with an Archon.

    They originally had three potions¡ªone for Jack, Brock, and the Arch Priestess¡¯s clone, the people who were supposed to enter the Space Monster World. Unfortunately, the Arch Priestess clone had kept hers on her person, so it was destroyed. Jack now only had two potions for three people and no way to create another.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine without,¡± Brock said. ¡°I¡¯m a brori. I can fit in.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°No. But we can try.¡±

    Jack nodded. They had no other choice. He gave one potion to Starhair, but before using them, they had to find suitable forms. Once they ingested the potions, the disguise could not be changed or taken off.

    ¡°Show me the mostmon race of humanoid space monsters,¡± Jack asked Dolly, connecting his mind to hers. She projected an image to him. Jack ingested his potion.

    He felt his body change. Bones snapped into ce. Some shattered while new ones grew. His flesh was torn apart as his entire form was restructured. When the transformation was done, Jack was a hulking humanoid, pale green in color. He stood nine feet tall, with short horns sticking out of his forehead and lines of spikes trailing his spine and limbs. Two bat-like wings spread from his back, though he could easily fold them if he wanted to, and a thick tail extended from his lower back. His hands and feet ended in sharp ws. Thankfully, he could still make them into fists. He¡¯d also changed his facial structure a little bit¡ªafter all, the overlords had seen his face during the summit, so they might recognize him from afar.

    Overall, Jack¡¯s new form looked like a green devil. Completely bad-ass. The only problem was that he, apparently, possessed two sets of male genitalia, one hanging above the other. That change alone felt so damn weird.

    Good thing his magical shorts had changed to fit his new size.

    Brock observed the transformation with interest. Starhair, however, was shaking. ¡°That looked like it hurt,¡± he said.

    ¡°A little bit,¡± Jack confirmed. His voice had gotten deeper and guttural. ¡°But it¡¯s just for a minute. Come on. Drink your potion.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to leave you here. We can¡¯t carry around an outside with us.¡±

    Starhair gulped. He looked at the potion, observing the blue stars inside it, then gulped it down. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s not that¡ª¡± He instantly started convulsing. He fell to the ground and started writhing as he screamed in pain.

    Jack scratched his head. When he said it only hurt a little bit, he hadn¡¯t been lying. It was just that his pain perception was apparently skewed by everything he¡¯d experienced.

    <em>Oh well, </em>he thought. <em>He¡¯ll be fine. A little bit of suffering builds character.</em>

    Two minutester, Starhairy on the ground, panting in his new body. It looked exactly like Jack¡¯s, except with a different face. They also had other minor differences, but overall, Jack thought they would easily pass as two members of this space monster species.

    ¡°What are we called, anyway?¡± he asked Dolly.

    ¡°DOUBLE DEVIL,¡± she replied. ¡°AND I HAVE TO SAY, MASTER, YOU LOOK DASHING. YOU WERE HIDEOUS BEFORE. ALL FLESH AND NO ARMOR. NOW YOU¡¯RE A PROPER SPACE MONSTER.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he replied, then turned to the others. ¡°Okay, everyone. We¡¯re ready. Let¡¯s head for the inner provinces¡ªand maybe find someone smarter to interrogate.¡±

 Chapter 504: Crossing the Space Monster World

    The way towards the center of the Space Monster World was as deserted as Jack imagined. At least, at first. The dry ground continued unabated. Even after an hour of flying, covering tens of thousands of miles, it persisted.

    <em>¡°What the hell?¡± </em>Jack asked mentally. <em>¡°Is the Space Monster World empty?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°At the outer provinces, yes,¡± </em>Venerable Saint Thousand Shell replied. <em>¡°The world is huge, but the environment out here is not the best. Most importantly, space monsters suck at coexisting. The constant killing prevents the poption from growing.¡±</em>

    Jack took another look around. Emptiness, as far as met the eye. This world really was huge¡ªso much it made him wonder.

    The Green Dragon Realm was the masterpiece of Archon Green Dragon, who specialized in spacetime and had even used a part of his body to create the realm heart. Despite that, the end result was only a hundred thousand miles in diameter. Which Jack had never thought of as small before, but this Space Monster World was significantlyrger. If the Green Dragon Realm was ced here, it would just be another province. This world was far more stable, too, almost like the universe.

    <em>¡°Who even made this ce?¡± </em>Jack asked the turtle. <em>¡°And don¡¯t tell me it urred naturally.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°The history of the Space Monster World goes too far back¡­ When I was born, a billion years ago, the truth was already lost in time. We weren¡¯t always sapient. It took millions of years for us space monsters to develop the ability to record history, and by then, whoever created this world was gone. We only know what we see.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Don¡¯t give me that. What about the seal outside the world, keeping A-Grades out? What about this Dark Canal Dolly mentioned?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°There are theories. At the time, the most powerful entities in the universe were the Old Gods, but even they would be hard-pressed to create such a vast world and such a powerful seal around it. Some monsters im our world was created by Axelor to match Enas¡¯s act of birthing the Ancients. Others say that we, and this entire world, are natural creations of the universe. That nobody would have the power to establish this ce artificially. Some even say this is a separate universe which just failed to develop fully.¡±</em><em>¡°And the Dark Canal?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Here, too, there are theories. Some say it contains the secret to immortality. Others that it holds clues to the realm above overlord. They even say it is the resting ce of the original creator of the Space Monster World. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve never been there, so I can¡¯t tell you. Besides the two overlord factions who control it, nobody knows what really lies inside.¡±</em>

    That was intriguing.

    <em>¡°Could there really be someone above Archons?¡± </em>Jack asked.

    <em>¡°No,¡± </em>the turtle replied immediately. <em>¡°People love to specte, but it is impossible. There is no realm beyond Archon. Think about it. Even the hardest bottlenecks in cultivation have a sess rate of one in a hundred, maybe one in a thousand. There have been thousands of Archons since the start of history. Some have reached that realm with overwhelming momentum, rising head and shoulders above their peers. Yet, of every single Archon in history, nobody has touched the next realm. Nobody has even glimpsed at it. There is no just no way forward. Even the Old Gods themselves are only extreme Archons.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll see.¡±</em>

    The turtle snorted withughter. <em>¡°If you really want to find out, kid, just go up there and try yourself. Maybe then you¡¯ll be satisfied. Just don¡¯t hold out hope. I was the spiritualpanion of Archon ck Hole, an exceptional man even amongst Archons, and even he had expressed to me how impossible it was to advance further.¡±</em>

    Jack refused to be brought down. <em>¡°I have devoted my life to pursuing the peak,¡± </em>he replied lightly. <em>¡°If that peak is the Archon realm, then so be it. If there is more, then I will reach that too.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Well said. That¡¯s why I like you, kid. You¡¯re so headstrong you can¡¯t possibly fail.¡±</em>

    Jack chuckled. <em>¡°Thanks.¡±</em>

    ¡°Look,¡± Brock said, drawing Jack¡¯s attention. ¡°There¡¯s someone over there.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    He saw it, too. A lone humanoid walked in the distance. It was a Double Devil, the species Jack and Starhair had transformed into. It was moving in the same direction as them, just far slower, so overtaking it would be easy.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± Jack asked. They had several things to check.

    ¡°We shall,¡± Brock replied. The three of them elerated, speeding off into the sky andnding before the double devil shortly after. It froze as it saw them. Then, quickly, it said, ¡°I submit.¡±

    That was a nice change of pace from being attacked on sight. It indicated their disguises were working, and that Brock could pass as a space monster as well. Inwardly, Jack was relieved this thing wasn¡¯t shouting¡ªif everyone was as loud as their two horses, it would get old really fast.

    He then took a better look at the double devil. It was green-skinned and of simr size as him and Starhair. Unlike them, it wore an attire one would find on an Earth desert, with brown robes falling loosely over its body. Red pants reached to its knee, while ps of fabric wrapped around its head, only revealing its eyes and mouth. Jack guessed that lower-level double devils needed protection from the elements around here. This one was only a peak D-Grade.

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    ¡°Rx,¡± he said, speaking in a simr guttural voice to the other devil. ¡°We don¡¯t care about you. We just want directions. Which way are the inner provinces?¡±

    The devil gave him an odd look. Jack didn¡¯t care if he¡¯d misspoken; at worst, they¡¯d interrogate and kill this guy.

    His intentions must have shown, because the double devil averted its eyes and turned extremely subservient.

    ¡°It¡¯s that way, my Baron,¡± it said respectfully, pointing in the direction it had been following as well. ¡°Right past a small settlement called Bone Ring. I was on my way there as well to trade.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What does a weakling like you have to trade?¡±

    Jack was trying to mimic the crude manner of speaking used by space monsters. The double devil didn¡¯t seem to sense anything off. It revealed an expression of pain as it reached into its pouch and retrieved a pair of gem-iid rings.

    ¡°I found these two, my Baron,¡± it said. It stretched its hands out, clearly unwilling. ¡°Please take them.¡±

    Jack nced at the rings. He didn¡¯t question just how the devil had ¡°found¡± them. ¡°I don¡¯t want your trash,¡± he said. Then, followed by Brock and Starhair, he took to the sky and shattered the sound barrier multiple times on their way out. They¡¯d angled their course in the direction the double devil had indicated.

    <em>¡°Well done, kid,¡± </em>the turtle said. <em>¡°You spoke like a true space monster! It seems your disguises work, too. That priestess kid knew what she was doing. As long as Brock doesn¡¯t let anyone probe his soul, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±</em>

    Jack nodded.

    While they¡¯d gotten instructions from Dolly and Aze before, it was easy to get lost in such an expansive, featureless ce. Finger-pointing could only get you so far. Until Jack found a reliable way to navigate, stopping every once in a while to ask the locals was the best way to go about it.

    Speaking of Dolly and Aze, the two hellhorses were currently floating in Jack and Brock¡¯s inner world respectively. Jack nced inward. Dolly was ineffectively wheeling her feet as she slowly traveled through space. Floating beside her was the Stone, exining just why horses shouldn¡¯t wear metal horseshoes. Dolly was listening with rapt attention.

    ¡°IS THAT SO?¡± she asked. ¡°YOUR WISDOM IS STUNNING. TELL ME MORE.¡±

    ¡°Certainly! So you see, your body has methods to adjust itself. cing iron below your hoof is a sure-fire way to disrupt your temperature regtion, your grip on the ground, and your natural defenses against wear and tear. It is a crude solution for crude situations. If I was a horse, I would¡ª¡±

    Jack tuned off, letting the two continue their conversation. He¡¯d already figured out how to iste the sounding from his inner world. At least The Stone hadpany now.

    They kept flying. This world¡¯s increased Dao density made everything more tiring, so they stopped every now and then to ensure they remained at peak condition, in case anything happened. On the way, Jack sometimes chatted with Brock or the turtle, while Starhair remained downcast and silent.

    It was another half hour before they passed by the settlement the double devil had mentioned. Aptly named the Bone Ring, this ce resembled a desert fort withrge bones arranged around it, sticking out of the ground with their tips facing the sky. It was like the entire fort was built inside the palm of an ancient, buried monster.

    They didn¡¯t stop here. Such a small settlement on a far-out location would mean nothing. Jack doubted there were even any B-Grades present. They only swooped down to ask another passing local for directions¡ªa bipedal bison monster¡ªbefore continuing on their way.

    Finally, two hours after the start of their trip, the terrain began to change. The dry ground gave way to mild greenery, and the boiling temperature receded, reced by an only slightly superhuman heat wave. Instead of weeds, bushes and trees now covered the ground. They weren¡¯t dense by any means, but the area was at least slightly vegetated.

    ¡°This must be the inner province,¡± Jack said.

    <em>¡°Think again, kid,¡± </em>the turtle interjected. <em>¡°It¡¯s just another outer province. The entrance portal to this world ces you somewhere close to the outer edges, so you have to cross at least two or three outer provinces before you approach the inner ones. Unless, of course, things have changed since thest time I was here.¡±</em>

    Jack whistled. <em>¡°Just howrge is this world?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Millions upon millions of miles. Even the outer provinces aren¡¯t the end of it. There is another ring behind them simply called the Inhospitable Zone. Its environment is too unstable. Nobody in their right mind would choose to live there, even if they could.¡±</em>

    The entire circumference of the Earth was only twenty five thousand miles. For this world to have a width of millions of miles¡­ It really wasrge beyond belief. The total area was in the trillions of square miles.

    Refueled by this new knowledge, the three of them soldiered on.

    ¡°Do you know which province this is, Dolly?¡± Jack asked, taking out his hellhorse and holding her aloft.

    ¡°IT IS NOT THE ASTARION PROVINCE,¡± she replied. She kept gazing at the distant ground with suspicion¡ªhorses were not used to flying.

    ¡°And you know because the terrain changed?¡±

    ¡°IT MAKES FOR EASY BORDERS.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thanks, Dolly.¡±

    ¡°NO PROBLEM MASTER.¡±

    He put the horse back into his inner world. They continued flying. Given the only slightly more hospitable terrain, Jack could now see more space monsters around. The vast majority were bestial, grazing upon the rare de of grass and attacking everything on sight. Each and every one of them had a hellish appearance.

    The intelligent locals were mostly double devils. Jack saw a smattering of other species, all diverse beyond reason, including a humanoid species with four legs, three eyes, and a face which naturally resembled a creepy clown¡¯s. He steered the heck away from those. There were also many sapient species which weren¡¯t humanoid. The two hellhorses were a good example of that.

    The existence of non-humanoid sapients meant that anything they saw could be a cultivator or an animal. Unless Jack memorized the species, it would be difficult to tell from a distance. It went the other way, too. At one point, they came down to ask a humanoid gori thing with four arms for directions, but it could only growl and spit at them as it ineffectively tried to attack. Once it realized it was pointless, it transformed into a stone statue, which promptly fell to the ground and shattered by itself.

    Fucking weird.

    So far, the strongest creatures they¡¯d encountered were at the middle C-Grade level. Nothing stronger. They assumed¡ªand the turtle confirmed¡ªthat stronger space monsters would only be present at the inner and core provinces. The outer provinces did have their province master, but usually there wasn¡¯t a capital, so looking for them across an entire province was pointless.

    Therefore, they ignored everything and made a beeline towards the center of this world. Nobody had time to waste on weaklings.

 Chapter 505: Empty Star City

    Chapter 505: Empty Star City

    <em>Inner Provinces, Empty Star Province</em>

    The Dao density had shot up again. Jack, Brock, and Starhair felt even more restricted, like swimming in a mire. The very air itself was made of Dao.

    Lush greenery spread below them. Forests teeming with life, beautifulkes, snow-capped mountains. Nature spread all around, vitalized by the extreme Dao energies in the atmosphere. Of course, not everything was pleasant. The beasts inhabiting this ce were hellish, with horns and dark mes and all sorts of dark signs on their bodies. Jack had tried to feed a squirrel only for it to unhinge its jaw like a snake and try to eat his hand. Brock had befriended the critter anyway.

    Besides hellish, everything here was strong as well¡ªa direct product of the high Dao density. Even the snake-squirrel thing possessed power at the D-Grade, with the various wild animals reaching up to the B-Grade, if rarely. They killed each other at all times as well. The forest floor was strewn with low-level space monster cores, which one could gather if they only had the courage to wade into hellish beast territory. If left untouched for a bit, worm-like creatures emerged from the ground to consume these cores, using their power to transform into stronger monsters. Jack saw a worm absorb a D-Grade core, then grow into an early D-Grade, hippo-like creature.

    His biologist sense was tingling. These things were not, of course, animals. The most usible scenario was that space monsters were basically bundles of energy, with their bodies being only an instinctive coating of that energy. Kind of like clothes were to humans. As space monsters consumed the cores of others, their own power increased, and they chose more powerful bodies to reflect that. Even the trees were monsters.

    It was a unique ecosystem. One that worked despite being in constant violence.

    These were the inner provinces.

    Jack took a deep breath, letting the ambient Dao purify his lungs. ¡°I like this ce,¡± he said.

    ¡°It gives me the creeps,¡± Starhair replied from the side. The two still wore their double devil disguises, which made Starhair¡¯s response seem out-of-ce.¡°Where there are bros, everything is okay,¡± Brock said. The squirrel sitting on his shoulder unhinged its mouth and tried to bite Brock¡¯s ear off. The brori swatted it away. ¡°Bad bro. No biting bros.¡±

    The squirrel whimpered in disappointment.

    ¡°The city shouldn¡¯t be far,¡± Jack said. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    It had taken them an entire day to cross the outer provinces, even at their speed. At some point, however, the destendscape and terrible environmental conditions had disappeared, giving way to a lively world. The Space Monster World wasn¡¯t as uniformly deste as Jack had originally assumed. It could be beautiful.

    Their destination, Empty Star City, was proof of that beauty. They saw it shortly after.

    A rising of white houses over the water. An entire city built on a rock in a river, with a titanic waterfall cascading just to the side. This waterfall tumbled down a steep cliff, a mountainside which arced out like a ring, cing the river and the city on a t surface dozens of miles above the ground, the cliff itself stretching beyond where the eye could see.

    The natural environment was on a different scale here. The cliff was taller than Mount Everest. The river was wide like a sea. A single rock ind on its path wasrge enough to host a city.

    It made them feel small.

    As Jack and co. approached Empty Star City, they witnessed more signs of civilization. Space monsters arrived in boats, swimming, or walking on water. Some were climbing the cliff to reach the city, while a few rode flying treasures. Even fewer were the ones who could fly by themselves¡ªB-Grades, or Barons, as they were called in this ce. Jack saw hundreds of space monsters moving in and out of the city, the diversity of species striking.

    Besides those who came in groups, everyone basically belonged to a different species than everybody else. Moreover, since these weren¡¯t real bodies but more like ceholders, they didn¡¯t need to make biological sense, leading to a plethora of appearances. Everything was possible, from floating eyeballs to golems of y.

    Jack remember some creatures back at the original Cathedral who resembled ss panes with limbs. In hindsight, maybe they were space monsters too.

    This was by far thergest city they¡¯de across in the Space Monster World, and also the first they were going to enter. All the others, they¡¯d just watched from a distance. This was the first time they truly allowed themselves to merge with theing and going of space monsters. It was an awe-inspiring experience.

    Of course, merging was just a word. The moment they arrived at the city gates flying, indicating they were Barons, the surrounding space monsters fell over each other to give them space. An alligator thing identally stepped over a hyena thing¡ªthe two monsters and their groups quickly came to blows. Blood flew.

    Jack looked at the carnage with indifference, just like the rest of the crowd. This was the Space Monster World. Killing was their way. Even the C-Grade guards posted at the city did nothing to stop the battle. Their only job was to guard the buildings. Everyone could enter, exit, and fight as they pleased.

    The hyena group won, triumphantly tearing out the cores of the alligator group and swallowing them whole, blood and all. Jack didn¡¯t pay them too much attention. The rest of the crowd closed again around them, uncaring as well, and the hyenas went on their way.

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair were already busy. Jack and Brock reached into their inner worlds. In the next moment, two hellhorses stumbled into reality, their intense body heat scaring away the nearest space monsters. It took them a moment to orient themselves. When they did, they were overjoyed.

    ¡°I AM HERE, MASTER! LET ME SERVE YOU!¡± Dolly said as Jack jumped on her back. She red towards the gate. ¡°ANYONE WHO BARS MY MASTER¡¯S PATH IS COURTING DEATH!¡±

    The space monsters all stepped back even farther.

    Jack patted her neck. ¡°Easy, Dolly,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s just walk in.¡±

    <em>¡°When in space monsternd, do as space monsters do,¡± </em>Brock told him telepathically. His own hellhorse, Eza, was already slinging slurs at the nearest space monsters. Or, at least, Jack assumed they were slurs. No space monster would enjoy being called a ¡°MOLD-COVERED SNAKE WORM.¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± he told Dolly. ¡°You can scare them a bit. Just don¡¯t eat anyone.¡±

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    ¡°BUT I WANT TO EAT THEM.¡±

    ¡°Maybe only the ones who start trouble.¡±

    Dolly neighed sadly but obliged. Starhair jumped on her back, right behind Jack, and the five of them entered the city.

    White buildings surrounded them on all sides. They ranged from one to three floors. The streets snaked in odd directions, clearly built without any care for order, and it went without saying that thieves and murderers waited behind every turn. For a weaker monster, entering those streets was suicide.

    There was, however, arger, straighter street heading from the entrance to the center of Empty Star City. It was exactly this street that Jack followed. Shops lined its sides, manned by C-Grade space monsters and selling everything the mind could think of. Weapons, armor, fabric, clothes, food, drink, prostitution, building materials, and much more. Everything was thrown haphazardly onto this street, all cobbled together into a huge mess.

    Notably, despite the vast diversity in strength and species between space monsters, there were no children. They didn¡¯t procreate like humans did. New space monsters emerged as the worms Jack had seen in the forests outside the town, and then they slowly developed over time. Sex was a thing, however, so he had to wonder just how space monsters came up with that.

    ¡°What exactly are we doing here?¡± Starhair whispered.

    ¡°Recon, mostly,¡± Jack replied. ¡°This ce should have at least one A-Grade or two, but we can¡¯t just hunt them down. Let¡¯s find a ce to stay, talk to some locals. If we want to go around hunting A-Grades, we can¡¯t do so blindly. We need to know exactly how things work. We need a n, and this is the best ce to make one.¡±

    Starhair nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°LOOK AWAY, BUTTERCUP. MY MASTER IS THE SUN TO YOU.¡±

    Dolly remained on fire¡ªliterally and metaphorically. As they walked through the streets, she and Eza were cursing at any pedestrian slightlyte to walk away, or snapping their jaws in the direction of people they disliked. The horses themselves weren¡¯t particrly powerful, but the towering aura of Jack, Brock, and Starhair kept everyone else at bay. There was clear awe in the eyes of any space monster around them.

    Taking the hellhorses was a nice idea after all. It helped them blend in. The surrounding space monsters seemed to approve of this chaos, and Jack had a tendency to remain low-key. Usually until he spanked someone.

    The crowd thickened as they approached downtown. Jack was forced to slow down a bit, unwilling to let Dolly and Eza stampede the crowd. Eventually, they reached a wide square. Tall buildings surrounded it, looking grander and more orderly than the random assortment closer to the gates.

    Thergest building was stadium-like and currently closed. A que over its entrance announced the ¡°Bi-Canal Auction.¡± Jack looked at the rest. They looked luxurious, but none indicated its function.

    ¡°Do you know which is a hotel, Dolly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°WHAT IS A HOTEL?¡±

    ¡°A ce where we can stay.¡±

    Her neck snapped to the side, stretching more than seemed possible. She grabbed onto the cor of a random passer-by and dragged them close. ¡°POINT THE INN TO MY MASTER, VERMIN,¡± she ordered through closed teeth.

    The person she¡¯d grabbed was a cloaked figure. Dolly¡¯s actions had pulled back its hood, revealing a furred, scarred face¡ªa sort of humanoid rat person. The moment its hood fell back, it looked incensed and ready to slice at Dolly with the dagger which magically appeared in its hand. Jack¡¯s heavy aura, however, forced the monster into inactivity.

    ¡°It is there, my Baron,¡± it said, its voice suddenly subservient. Its previous rage had all but disappeared.

    Jack nodded. Dolly spat away the ratman¡¯s cor. ¡°FUCK OFF,¡± she told him, and the ratman disappeared in the crowd.

    Jack kept his eyes on it for a little longer. He wouldn''t normally be so overbearing, but this was space monster society. It worked on a foundation of personal strength and bullying. He couldn¡¯t afford to seem different.

    At least, nobody seemed to suspect their double devil disguises¡ªor Brock.

    ¡°Be a little careful, Dolly,¡± he whispered to her. ¡°The Empty Star faction¡¯s headquarters are in this city, and their leader is an autarch. We don¡¯t want to identally start a feud with them.¡±

    The horse¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°YES, MASTER.¡±

    Jack fed her a carrot. He knew that the faction¡¯s headquarters were in the back of the city, far away from here, but there was always the chance of some disciple wandering out.

    The ratman had pointed them to one of the most luxurious buildings in the square. It was four stories tall and built entirely of green jade. Each floor had its own roof spreading outward like a pagoda, while the entrance was guarded by two C-Grade monsters. They bowed as Jack and the rest walked through. Since this ce was built to amodate a wide variety of space monster species, they didn¡¯t need to dismount.

    Tables covered the floor, some with chairs, some not. Various space monsters huddled around them, all at the peak D-Grade and above, while a lone C-Grade snake sat behind a bar at the back.

    Dolly approached a random space monster¡ªa floating eyeball wearing aically long cloak. ¡°ARE YOU WITH THE EMPTY STAR FACTION?¡± she asked.

    The eyeball turned around. ¡°No,¡± it replied suspiciously. Jack didn¡¯t know how it produced sound.

    Dolly bit at its cloak. ¡°POINT US AT THE INNKEEPER!¡± shemanded.

    ¡°Easy, Dolly,¡± Jack said, cing a hand on her neck. ¡°The reception is right there. Stay quiet for a bit.¡±

    ¡°YES MASTER.¡±

    She let go of the mortified eyeball, then walked Jack to the reception at the other side of the room. The snake looked up. It was an actual, little green snake, though it possessed power at thete C-Grade.

    ¡°Three rooms,¡± Jack said, tossing an item over the counter. They¡¯d run into an early B-Grade space monster on the way. Killing it was easy, but Jack hadn¡¯t absorbed the core. It worked as currency around the space monster world. Brutal.

    The snake gazed at the early B-Grade core and nodded appreciatively. ¡°Yesss, my Baron,¡± it said, coiling its tail around the core before pulling it away. From the way everyone around the inn stopped to stare at them, Jack suspected he¡¯d overpaid, but it didn¡¯t matter. He wanted to connect with big-shots, and the best way to do that was to act like a big-shot himself.

    Besides, getting B-Grade cores wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.

    ¡°Our top floor is almossst full,¡± the snake continued. ¡°Would it be okay if one of you resided in the sssecond floor from the top?¡±

    Jack considered it. The top floor sounded like a sign of status. ¡°No,¡± he said.

    ¡°Very well. Give me a moment.¡±

    The snake stood there, sending telepathic instructions to someone. A few momentster, it said, ¡°A third room has been opened asss well. Please follow me.¡±

    Jack and Brock finally dismounted, absorbing the hellhorses back into their inner worlds as they climbed a set of spiral stairs. Even the railing was opulent. This inn was no joke.

    They climbed three flights of stairs. On the fourth, they ran into an early B-Grade, humanoid space monster with skin the color of sand and equally dry. It red at them angrily but didn¡¯t dare speak. It was carrying its things as it moved from the top floor to the one below. Jack assumed he¡¯d kicked it out, but he didn¡¯t care¡ªthis was how space monster society worked. The other monster could only me itself for being weaker.

    As they entered the top floor, however, Jack saw there were over twenty rooms. Heavy auras emanated through the doors. If all these rooms were upied, and the one who¡¯d been kicked out was an early B-Grade, didn¡¯t that mean there were over twenty B-Grade space monsters staying at this inn alone?

    ¡°Is it normal to have such high clientele?¡± he asked the snake.

    ¡°Our inn hasss quite a reputation,¡± it replied. ¡°Of course, our current guest list is grander than usual. The bi-canal Empty Star Auction is held in three days. Every powerful space monster in the surrounding provinces wants to attend, just like you do, my Baron.¡± At this point, the snake¡¯s voice took on some excitement. ¡°I hear that even several autarchs will be present! They would never grace our inn, of course, but it¡¯s ssstill an event.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jack asked. ¡°And where would they stay?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re guests of the Empty Star Faction, of courssse. Rumor has it that during this auction, the faction will offer several items worthy of being bid on by autarchs. That¡¯s why the Empty Star Autarch personally invited them.¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes shone. An auction with valuable enough items to tempt A-Grades? Several of them in attendance, alongside who knew how many B-Grades? This was just dreamy!

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± he said with a smile.

 Chapter 506: Item Presentation

    Empty Star City was abuzz with activity. Jack surveyed the crowded space around him, the main square of the city¡ªunimaginably called the Empty Star Square. Everything here was named like that. He assumed creative space monsters were shunned.

    Speaking of creative space monsters.

    ¡°GET OUT OF MY MASTER¡¯S WAY, YOU CONSTIPATED TURDS, OR I WILL DEVOUR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!¡± Dolly bellowed into the crowd, sending terrified space monsters fleeing left and right. They were creating a huge scene. Jack wanted to cringe and tell her to take it easy, but this was how dignified space monsters acted¡ªwhat would be distasteful in human society was the norm here, and vice versa.

    It wasn¡¯t just them. Several mounts of important individuals were loudly announcing their presence across the square, forcing the less powerful space monsters to huddle in the space between them like packed sardines. Of course, they didn¡¯t enjoy that. Jack saw multiple fights break out and end with the death of one party. The square floor was already awash with blood.

    Tomorrow was the day of the Empty Star Auction, a centennial event held in Empty Star City. Several A-Grades had gathered, ording to Jack¡¯s information, so the entire city was in a festive mood. To further this excitement, the city officials had decided to publish a list with some of the auction¡¯s high-end items a day early. That was right now.

    A space monster which looked like a floating human mouth appeared over the central stage. It licked its lips. Then, its voice echoed over the square, passing over everything like a thunderp.

    ¡°Greetings, everyone! Wee to the Empty Star Auction¡¯s item presentation!¡±

    Its voice was terrifyingly loud. Some weaker space monsters bled from the ears and had to flee the square. The earth shook like an earthquake. Thankfully, all the buildings were constructed of sturdy materials, so they held¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t a coincidence.

    Jack resisted the urge to sp his ears. As annoying as the voice was, he was a space monster now¡ªhe couldn¡¯t show a single scrap of weakness. He only made his tail swish loudly¡ªhe remained transformed into a Double Devil¡ªto express his irritation.¡°The Empty Star faction would like to especially wee two esteemed guests,¡± the floating mouth continued. ¡°Elder Puerto of the Great Silver faction, and Elder Crownbeast of the Fiend King faction. Hosting you is our great honor.¡±

    The crowd went quiet. Everyone turned towards two godzi-like monsters. Jack had noticed them before¡ªthey easily towered over everything else in the crowd¡ªbut hadn¡¯t realized who rode them. Now, he knew. Two Elders, each from one of the Space Monster World¡¯s overlord factions.

    Elder Puerto was a humanoid, old-looking woman with a wrinkled face and long red hair. She stood quietly on top of her godzi monster, which nobody dared to approach. Her aura zed with the power of an early A-Grade.

    Jack struggled to find Elder Crownbeast at first. It took him a moment to realize that the head of the massive beast had no one standing on it because the Elder <em>was </em>the godzi-like beast. It easily towered a hundred feet into the sky, covered in hard gray scales and with a line of spikes cascading its back. Vertical irises split its eyes, which surveyed the crowd with cold indifference.

    ¡°These bros are crazy,¡± Brock whispered. Jack and Starhair nodded in agreement. The two Elders belonged to opposing factions, and one¡¯s mount was from the same species as the other Elder. Basically, one was riding the other. If this wasn¡¯t a deadly insult, Jack didn¡¯t know what it could be.

    Yet, Elder Crownbeast seemed unbothered.

    ¡°I will now proceed with naming some of our most precious items,¡± the floating mouth continued. ¡°First up is a Crimson Orchid, tempered in the blood of hundreds of thousands of monsters!¡±

    The crowd cheered. Jack had no idea what that was, and given that the floating mouth wasn¡¯t using any props, he remained clueless. He cheered regardless.

    ¡°Next is the tail scale of a Cretan Fay.¡±

    The crowd cheered again.

    ¡°The third item is¡­¡±

    It kept going, Jack not recognizing any of the items. They sounded precious, but not too much, since none of the higher-level monsters seemed to be responding. The only exception was Jack, who¡¯d tried to fit in during the cheers for the first item. Whoops.

    It wasn¡¯t until the sixth item that he recognized something.

    ¡°Our next item will be ate Autarch core,¡± the floating mouth said. It was the simplest name so far, yet the one which drew the most violent response. The square rocked from excitement. Even the two Elders of the overlord factions raised their heads.

    Jack had to admit he was intrigued. The best core he¡¯d consumed so far had been at the early A-Grade. Ate A-Grade core¡­ If it waspatible with him, just how many levels would it give him? Could it push him straight to thete B-Grade?

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    He only had thirty years before his duel with Elder Hero. Any items which could increase his strength in a short time were extremely important. He had to get this core.

    As Jack considered that, however, he came to a sad realization. He had no money. The Space Monster World used monster cores as currency, and while he did have a couple from the journey here, there was no way he couldpete with any of the high-rollers in such a massive auction.

    ¡°Feels like we¡¯re back in the D-Grade,¡± Jack muttered. Brockughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro. There is more to life than money.¡±

    ¡°But I need money.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get the joke,¡± Starhair said, his voice warped by his Double Devil transformation. ¡°D-Grade resources are well-priced for their level.¡±

    Jack and Brock nced at each other, then smirked and didn¡¯t respond. If they used level-appropriate resources, they¡¯d still be E-Grades. The D-Grade was when Jack had started his Life Stone business in the Cathedral to earn infinite money and elerate his cultivation.

    The floating mouth was still going. In the time it took Jack¡¯s group to make some quippy remarks, it had already rattled off several items, none of which seemed particrly interesting or recognizable.

    ¡°For our neenth item,¡± the mouth continued, ¡°we offer an iplete Dao Manual recovered from Entropy Mountain. Its name is fractured, but it seems to contain the worlds ¡°ck hole.¡± Our experts believe it is an ancient, peak A-Grade, Space-Death Dao manual.¡±

    Mild excitement came from the crowd. Iplete Dao manuals weren¡¯t an new concept. In the long history of the Space Monster World, there had been many outstanding monsters, most of which passed down their legacy in the form of Dao manuals¡ªa device simr to the snow-globe items Jack had seen in the ck Hole World.

    However, the Space Monster World was nowhere as peaceful. Inheritances and legacies were constantly lost. An iplete manual was a manual damaged by the shockwaves of some battle, and their contents were often far too fractured to form any meaningful conclusions. Acquiring one and studying it was a gamble. They weren¡¯t considered too valuable¡ªthe only reason this one made the cut for a high-end item was its possible peak A-Grade level, but that also meant it was thoroughly iplete. Otherwise, only an idiot would sell it.

    The two Elders of the overlord factions didn¡¯t react to the name of this item. They hadplete peak A-Grade inheritances at their factions¡ªwhy would they waste time on an iplete one? The rest of the crowd was equally uninterested.

    But not Jack.

    <em>ck hole¡­ Space-Death¡­ </em>he thought, eyes shining. <em>This is¡­an opportunity!</em>

    Iplete Dao manuals were generally useless. However, Jack already cultivated a very simr Dao. One of his two main pursuits at the moment was exactly the workings of a ck hole. Even if the manual as a whole was unreadable, there had to be some intact parts. With a little bit of luck, he could use them to glean insights into the questions which troubled him!

    Even better, this wouldn¡¯t be too expensive an item. He might be able to get it!

    The mouth kept naming items, but Jack wasn¡¯t too interested. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, using his understanding of gravity to pull a random space monster from the crowd into his open hand. It was humanoid, D-Grade, and scared shitless.

    ¡°Y-yes, Master,¡± it said.

    ¡°What prices do you think these items are going to fetch?¡± Jack asked it. He also isted sound around them.

    ¡°I¡­ I am not sure, Master.¡± The monster tried to gulp, but Jack¡¯s grip around its throat made that difficult. Its voice came gargled. ¡°For the cheapest of these items, maybe a few B-Grade cores would be enough¡­ But for the most expensive, even a dozen early A-Grade cores might not make the cut!¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes darkened. He let the monster drop, and it hastily scurried away through the crowd.

    <em>A few B-Grade cores¡­ I¡¯m poorer than I thought.</em>

    He didn¡¯t even possess one of them. B-Grade monsters were rare, let alone A-Grade ones. It appeared that even the ck hole-rted iplete manual would be hard to get¡­ Especially since he only had one day.

    <em>How do I go about it? </em>he wondered. He cupped his chin, looking over the rest of the crowd. <em>Stealing it would be difficult with all these A-Grades. Could I kill a few B-Grades and take their cores?</em>

    This was the Space Monster World. Such things happened often, but not necessarily amongst high-level people. If he created too much trouble, he might get kicked out of the city¡ªor identally start a war. He definitely didn¡¯t need an overlord on his ass right now.

    ¡°And now, thest high-end item we present today,¡± the mouth said. ¡°Something truly special¡­¡± Jack paused his train of thought and looked over¡ªif this item had an intro, it was probably something interesting. The two Elders of the overlord faction perked up as well.

    The mouth coughed once. ¡°Two months ago, one of our Elders was exploring a hidden realm at the edge of the Inhospitable Zone. They almost lost their lives several times. Finally, however¡­ They chanced into an incredible treasure. Something left behind for eons, the item which had inadvertently birthed that entire danger site. It was a corpse. The body had long degraded, but its core remained strong. It is this core we offer today. An Overlord-level core.¡±

    The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, all at once, they erupted. The square shook. It was pandaemonium. Even the two Elders were animated,ughing into the sky.

    ¡°This core will belong to the Fiend King faction!¡± Elder Crownbeast roared, his voice overwhelming the square. Elder Puerto, however, coldlyughed back.

    ¡°This is my faction¡¯s territory, Crownbeast. If you think you cane here and run wild, think again!¡±

    ¡°This is an auction, Puerto. Only cores speak here. Let¡¯s sh tomorrow, and see if you or I brought more!¡±

    The red-haired old woman smiled. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    Jack was also shocked. Overlords were the space monster equivalent of Archons. It was the highest level of existence. The core of such a space monster was an unbelievably rare and preciousmodity. If he got it, it would elerate his cultivation by a hundred times!

    Unfortunately, he was doomed to only watch, never touch it. He could never raise enough money by tomorrow. As for taking it by force, that was also impossible. Maybe he could take one of these Elders, but he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to think he could overpower every A-Grade in Empty Star City at once. Even if he did, one of the two Overlords mighte after him over such an item¡­ And, after barely escaping Archon Summer Noon, Jack had deeply realized how inadequate his current strength was against an Archon. He wouldn¡¯t make such enemies until he was ready to face them.

    But he still wanted that damn core.

 Chapter 507: Challenge

    The crowd¡¯s roar took some time to abate. The announcement was just too stunning. Overlord-level cores were never, ever avable. There couldn¡¯t have been more than a few hundred of them across the entire history of the Space Monster World, not to mention that cores were consumables.

    If someone got their hands on that core, they could use it as infinite currency, but nobody would be that stupid. The greatest currency was one¡¯s own strength. They¡¯d just absorb it and grow massively more powerful.

    ¡°No wonder the Overlord factions sent Elders here,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°They¡¯re buying the core for their big bros,¡± Brock replied. ¡°Big bros, big money.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Would be sweet if we had that much.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need Archon cores,¡± Starhair said. ¡°You¡¯re a B-Grade. Even A-Grade cores would be great.¡±

    ¡°Not if I have a duel with ate A-Grade in thirty years.¡±

    Starhair thought about it. ¡°Yeah. Not in that case.¡±

    The mouth had finished its announcement, but the crowd remained. Many discussed what had happened with those around them. Some space monsters, however, were looking at the sky. As if waiting for something.It didn¡¯t take long to figure out what.

    Arge form took to the air. It looked like Elder Crownbeast, except much smaller. Basically a mini godzi. It must have been standing behind the Elder before, which was why Jack hadn¡¯t seen it.

    As soon as this new monster reached a high point in the sky, it stopped andughed out loud. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about the Empty Star faction, but this is even grander than I anticipated!¡± it shouted. Peak B-Grade undtions followed its rough voice. And, though its words were pleasant, its tone was not. ¡°My name is Crownbeast Saturnstar. Chief disciple of Elder Crownbeast. I am not considered too strong in the Field King faction, but I sure love a good battle! Since I¡¯vee all the way here, it would be a shame not to experience the young talents of Empty Star. Who dares to spar with me?¡±

    This monster had wasted no time in provoking everyone. The crowd below chilled¡ªJack saw even Elder Puerto narrow her eyes at him Meanwhile, Elder Crownbeast remained perfectly calm, as ifpletely unrted to the matter.

    Jack had seen his fair share of rivalries, so it wasn¡¯t hard for him to understand what was happening. The Great Silver and Fiend King factions weren¡¯t at war, but as the only two overlord factions of the Space Monster World, they were constantlypeting with each other. Each looked for an opportunity to one-up the other.

    In this case, it was clear that Elder Crownbeast had brought his disciple here to humiliate the Empty Star faction. All that talk about not being too strong was bullshit. Jack could feel the monster¡¯s towering aura, standing at the very top of the peak B-Grade. Even if this wasn¡¯t the chief disciple of the Fiend King faction, he remained a spectacr talent.

    Nobody responded to the beast¡¯s provocation for a while. Who would? A-Grades couldn¡¯t lower themselves to face him, and all the B-Grades present couldn¡¯t defeat him.

    The silence emboldened Crownbeast Saturnstar. ¡°I have long heard that the Great Silver monsters are not too strong, but they are brave. Was I mistaken? Howe nobody dares to face me?¡±

    Jack could feel the crowd¡¯s shimmering anger. This guy had juste into their territory and insulted them all. How could they take this lying down?

    Finally, one space monster couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°I will face you!¡± it roared, shooting into the sky. This was a flying red fish with golden hair. Jack found it almostical. It didn¡¯t even have limbs!

    Behind the fish trailed a cloak disying a sun¡¯s periphery with its insides undrawn. The insignia of Empty Star.

    ¡°Fishborn Averel, second disciple of the Empty Star faction!¡± the fish dered. It spoke normally, through its mouth, though bubbles appeared with every word.

    The godzi guyughed again. ¡°Please give me your guidance.¡±

    He then shot forth. Even in the Space Monster World¡¯s dense Dao, the sky shattered below him. Every step was cataclysm. The monster took three of them, crossing half the sky and arriving before the fish, pouncing out to bite it.

    The fish monster was the size of a car. It lookedically small before the godzi cosyer, but what itcked in stature it made up for with unlimited power. Energy erupted from its body. The sky around it was painted a deeper blue, an ocean blinking into existence over the entire Empty Star City. There were fish inside it, of many species Jack had never encountered before. There were reefs, rocks, and strange materials. His eyesight couldn¡¯t prate too deep into the blue waters, but his Dao perception could, and he spotted a seabed running across the top of this ocean.

    The fish had summoned it upside-down, probably to let the audience watch the battle.

    The godzi monster suddenly found himself surrounded by water. Rocks fell towards him from all directions. Somehow, he had be the center of gravity in this ocean. The water pressure he endured must have been immense. At the same time, swordfish flew at him, each crossing the ocean far faster than any fish had the right to.

    Crownbeast Saturnstar was unconcerned. Facing this new ocean around him, he only resumed his previous movement, trying to trade hit for hit. The swordfish pierced into his body, prating it with their entire noses and stopping there. Thanks to the monster¡¯s size, it wasn¡¯t a debilitating injury. As for the water pressure, while it had certainly slowed down the monster, that was the most it could achieve.

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    Seeing the godzi¡¯s jaws still approaching, the fish monster narrowed its eyes.

    An entire reef dislodged from the seabed above. It crossed the water so fast it resembled teleportation, instantly reaching the godzi and mming hard into him. Tons of rock flying at extreme speed contained terrifying momentum. The shockwave crossed the ocean and reached the surface below, where it spurt an entireke¡¯s worth of water into the sky. As soon as this water left the ocean, it was freed from whatever gravity magic held it in ce and rained towards the square.

    However, even the entire reef hadn¡¯t been enough to stop the godzi monster. An aura of savagery surrounded him, manifesting as angry red light. He endured the hit through sheer anger. The damage was done, but his jaw attack continued. The fish monster no longer had time to defend. It found itself between the jaws of the godzi, and as they sped down, the fish released a terrifying shriek which pierced the ocean to echo in everyone¡¯s ears. It was the most grating sound Jack had ever heard. Many D-Grade monsters fell unconscious.

    The two monsters held still for a moment. Finally, the ocean disappeared like it was never there, revealing the two locked in ce. The godzi¡¯s jaws had closed around the fish, prating it with sharp teeth. Blue blood flew everywhere. If he just mmed his mouth shut right now, he could probably rip his opponent in two.

    But he didn¡¯t. This battle was over, and high-level space monsters, no matter how wild, wouldn¡¯t kill each other for no reason. Otherwise, their entire civilization would have copsed.

    ¡°I admit defeat,¡± the fish muttered. The godzi opened his mouth slowly, and the fish pierced through space to teleport away, too humiliated to stay. Its injuries were also heavy. Maybe they required immediate treatment.

    The godzi monster was slightly injured, but nothing serious. Even the swordfish holes in its body were slowly regenerating. The power difference between them hadn¡¯t been small.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Saturnstar shouted. ¡°A nice appetizer! Now,e on. Bring me a real fighter. You can¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the best you got!¡±

    The crowd seethed with anger and humiliation. That fish fighter, indeed, was the best they had. It was just that the godzi guy was too freakishly strong. Even if the Empty Star faction¡¯s chief disciple was present, nobody knew whether she could defeat Saturnstar or not.

    Silence reigned for a moment. Finally, it was Elder Crownbeast, therger version of his disciple, who spoke up. ¡°Come down, Saturnstar,¡± it said. ¡°There is clearly no one here who can face you. No need to humiliate these good people further.¡±

    The Elder¡¯s words were also scathing. The representative of the other overlord faction, Elder Puerto, seemed ready to explore in anger, but there was nothing she could say. Her disciples either weren¡¯t here or they couldn¡¯t match up to Saturnstar. If she opened her mouth, she would only invite more humiliation upon herself. At least, in this case, it wasn¡¯t the Great Silver faction which had been humiliated, but only Empty Star City.

    As the godzi beast slowly floated down, however,zily passing its gloating gaze over the crowd, a new voice rose to the sky. It wasughter, raucous and unprompted. Everyone looked for the source and found it as a Double Devil mounted on a hellhorse.

    ¡°What a joker!¡± this Double Devil shouted. ¡°When you said you were the chief disciple of an Elder, I almost believed you for a second. Too bad your talent is mediocre. In my vige, someone like you could only work as a potato-chopper at the local tavern, let alone bing the disciple of a powerful Autarch!¡±

    The square fell silent again, all eyes trained on this raucous individual. They began to hope. As they looked him over, however, their hope turned into confusion. This was only a middle B-Grade space monster. What exactly was it trying to do?

    Elder Puerto looked at him and shook her head, while Elder Crownbeast only grinned.

    Crownbeast Saturnstar stopped his descent and red at Jack. ¡°I do believe that youe from a small vige,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Only a country bumpkin woulde up with such a stupid scheme. You know you don¡¯t possess the strength to be challenged by me, so you hope to retrieve some of your lost honor by mocking me. That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m not even angry at you. Everyone understands you¡¯re nothing but a dancing clown. Fuck off back to your vige before I destroy you, trash.¡±

    The Double Devil¡ªwho was obviously Jack¡ªgrinned at these words.

    ¡°Who said I only intend to mock you?¡± he asked back. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re nothing but a barking dog, and thus you should be put down. Even the trash collectors of this city don¡¯t want to dirty their hands on you, so I will reluctantly lend them a hand.¡±

    Saturnstar narrowed his eyes at Jack. ¡°Are you trying to challenge me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh wow. I knew you were weak, but are you deaf as well? Yes, my slow friend. I am challenging you to a duel.¡±

    The crowdughed. They didn¡¯t understand what exactly was going on, or why Jack was apparently trying to suicide, but his verbal prowess at least was nothing to scoff at. Saturnstar grunted. He originally hadn¡¯t ced Jack in his eyes, but he did not enjoy losing a verbal exchange like this before the entire city.

    ¡°Are you really insane?¡± he asked. ¡°Does the Empty Star City hire rabid dogs to speak for them? Your words are nothing but noise in my ears. If you want to kill yourself regardless, I¡¯ll be d to help you.¡±

    ¡°The only noise in my ears was your motherst night,¡± Jack replied. ¡°And I got to say, it was a little bit annoying. Can you tell her to shout less next time?¡±

    The crowd froze. So what if it was immature? Laughter erupted everywhere, and Saturnstar¡¯s gray scales turned red around his face¡ªfrom both anger and humiliation. He¡¯d always held confidence in his verbal abilities, but only now did he realize that engaging Jack was a mistake.

    And, of course it was. Saturnstar couldn¡¯t have known, but Jack had humiliated numerous powerful people in his lifetime, many mocked to the point of dishonor. His victims included E-Grade Lords, various deacons and Elders of the Animal Kingdom, envoys of the Hand of God, and even Elder Ocean of that same faction, who¡¯d flown into a rage and almost assaulted Jack after being verbally humiliated.

    Jack¡¯s talent was legendary in the outside universe, but so were his boldness and sharp tongue. Compared to all his previous opponents, Saturnstar wasughable.

    The godzi-like monster grew red with anger. Even Elder Crownbeast was animated.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Saturnstar spat out. ¡°If you wish to die so much, thene up here. Don¡¯t make mee down to get you!¡±

    The crowd around Jack instantly and urgently ran away. The only ones left were Brock and Starhair, as well as the two hellhorses, who hadn¡¯t experienced Jack¡¯s true strength and so believed their master was suiciding.

    ¡°I WILL DIE WITH YOU, MASTER,¡± Dolly said. ¡°YOU ARE DUMB BUT I LIKE IT. ASSHOLES SHOULD BE PUT IN THEIR PLACE.¡±

    The fact that her normal voice was shouting didn¡¯t help Saturnstar¡¯s mood. He made to fly down, but Jack raised a hand to indicate there was no need.

    ¡°Keep your regal ass in the sky, godzi,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ming over to kick it. Or, better yet¡­¡± Purple light gathered in his hand, forming the shape of a flip-flop. Jack grinned manically. ¡°I¡¯m gonna spank it.¡±

 Chapter 508: Beating Saturnstar

    Jack took to the air. He remained in his Double Devil transformation. His middle B-Grade aura roiled, just a fraction of his opponent¡¯s. Crownbeast Saturnstar cracked a grin.

    ¡°You really can¡¯t wait to die,¡± he said.

    ¡°The opposite,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I look forward to teaching you a lesson.¡±

    The godzi-like beast no longer seemed as angry. He had absolute certainty in destroying Jack. In his mind, he had already won.

    ¡°And what gives you such confidence, Double Devil?¡± he asked yfully. ¡°You know you are about to die, yet you still fly towards me. Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t spank your ass withouting closer.¡±

    The crowdughed again¡ªthe confused yet entertained kind¡ªwhile Saturnstar lowered his head. Red light shone over his body. Savagery crackled, dying the sky a bloody red. Facing this light, Jack simply raised his Dao-made flip-flop.

    ¡°Prepare your scaly butt,¡± he said.

    Saturnstar smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick.¡±Heshed forward. Air cracked where he passed, the extreme Dao density doing little to stop him. A set of powerful jaws closed around Jack¡ªexcept he was no longer there. Jack had delicately stepped through space to appear behind Saturnstar. ¡°Too slow!¡± he said. ¡°Great Spanking Arts: Latin Mother Cracking Down!¡±

    The flip-flop loudly pped against godzi¡¯s ass, carrying with it a miniature version of Meteor Punch. Saturnstar growled. As he was still in his charging motion, the strike easily sent him flying forward, tumbling head-over-heels. The scales on his lower back had reddened by the heat of the impact¡ªbut, to the onlookers, they looked red from spanking.

    The audience froze. Their jestering cheers echoed through the air a little before dissipating. Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued on Jack, this unknown Double Devil who¡¯d just jumped two small realms to fight one of the Fiend King faction¡¯s greatest disciples.

    ¡°What exquisite space maniption¡­¡± Elder Puerto said, her eyes shining. She beckoned to one of her assistants. ¡°Record this battle!¡±

    Simr exmations rang all over the square. The floating mouth was licking its lips. Elder Crownbeast¡¯s features had hardened. Brock was scratching his ear. As for Crownbeast Saturnstar, Jack¡¯s opponent, he wore an expression of utter disbelief.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± he asked.

    Jack smiled. ¡°Simple. You¡¯re an unruly beast, so I used the power of discipline to get an advantage.¡±

    ¡°...Are you hiding your cultivation?¡±

    Jack¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Does it look like I am?¡±

    Hiding one¡¯s cultivation was possible. However, the amount of energy one expended inbat could not be hidden. Everyone had clearly seen that Jack only used a middle B-Grade¡¯s energy just now, it was just that the quality of his energy and his level of Dao understanding were far superior to his opponent¡¯s. There were only two possibilities: either Jack was a once-in-a-lifetime talent, or he was an extremely powerful person at thete A-Grade or above hiding his cultivation. Would someone at that level fool around with juniors?

    ¡°Saturnstar!¡± Elder Crownbeast roared. ¡°Kill him!¡±

    Saturnstar¡¯s gaze sharpened. He¡¯d reached the same conclusion as his elder. This person was extremely talented and had a bone to pick with them, but he wasn¡¯t allied with the Great Silver faction or they would know about him. At least, he wasn¡¯t allied yet. They had to kill him right now.

    Saturnstar pounced. He was no longer holding back. Savage light swam around him, spreading with extreme luminosity like he was a crimson sun shooting through the sky. The lower-level space monsters had to avert their eyes. The higher-level ones watched with rapt attention.

    Jack felt space constrict around him. His opponent¡¯s Dao of Savagerymanded the world, forcing Jack to fight him head-on through sheer untainted battle lust.

    Of course, to Jack, such a rudimentary space lock might as well not exist. He possessed the inheritance of two space-rted Archons, had studied ck holes, and had mastered space to a higher degree than even most A-Grades. Inparison, Saturnstar didn¡¯t even focus on Space¡ªand the Space Monster World¡¯s inheritances were generally inferior to the outside universe¡¯s to begin with.

    Jack ignored the space lock and teleported to the side. Saturnstar passed by like an angry freight train, receiving another firm smack on his buttocks. He roared. Red light erupted, sending the air particles into a frenzy and having them fight each other. A billion tiny cyclones filled the sky. A weaker space monster would have been torn to shreds, but Jack didn¡¯t even defend. The rampaging particles bounced off his highly-tempered body.

    Because Saturnstar was going all-out, he couldn¡¯t efficiently control his powers. Some of the tiny cyclones escaped outward. The ones that fell towards the city were stopped by a flickering blue shield, but the rest were not. The environment around the city exploded. Dozens of wandering space monsters lost their lives, the massive river was sent into a frenzy, and manyrge rock inds disappeared, torn to pieces. The surrounding forest, whose every tree was equal to a D-Grade existence, was eviscerated for several miles.

    In the outside universe, peak B-Grades possessed the power to destroys. The Space Monster World sported a far higher Dao density, making everything much sturdier and reducing every cultivator¡¯s powers. Still, peak B-Grades could cause widespread destruction. They were walking apocalypses.

    Jack overlooked the massive area of devastation around Empty Star City. He tsked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very responsible of you,¡± he said. ¡°Little children should be environmentally friendly!¡±

    The godzi roared and turned to attack Jack again. His fighting style was simple: all he did was charge. It usually worked because of his great speed and space lock. Unfortunately, Jack outssed him in both aspects.

    It was like a bull trying to catch a fly. Jack easily dodged every attack, making Saturnstar seemically slow. He also interjected his own flip-flop strikes, shouting clearly made-up bullshit like, ¡°Third Spanking Art: Divine Fatherly Love!¡± and ¡°Belt Buckle Instills Discipline!¡±

    Despite Jack¡¯s small size, his strikes were intense. Eruptions urred with each of them. Dull thuds echoed alongside Saturnstar¡¯s frustrated screams, while every flip-flop strike unleashed a conic shockwave which painted the sky purple.

    ¡°All you can do is run!¡± Saturnstar shouted in frustration, already panting and bleeding. ¡°Face me like a true monster!¡±

    Jack ignored him.

    Saturnstar finally lowered his head, releasing a deep, guttural growl. ¡°This is my strongest attack!¡± he bellowed. ¡°If you survive it, I will admit defeat! World Domination!¡±

    He charged forward, far faster than before. It was clear this move consumed tremendous amounts of energy. His massive body turned into a straight line, a red missile flying head-first. The sky shattered where he passed like a bullet tearing through fabric. If he struck a mountain, the mountain would instantly and violently disintegrate.

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    Jack watched the approaching monster. It was like a bullet train from hell. The space lock returned around him, slightly strengthened, but still nothing concerning. He could easily dodge. However¡­

    ¡°All I can do is run, huh?¡± Jack asked, his lips curving into a grin. He stretched an arm forward, his open palm facing the iing attack. He turned his body sideways and bent his legs, nting himself firmly into the sky. As Saturnstar approached, Jack held.

    The massive red missile, powered by the full force of a peak B-Grade, hill-sized space monster crashed right into Jack¡¯s palm.

    The sound was like ten thousand thunderps, or like a mountain-sized gong.

    <em>GONG!</em>

    The shockwave swept the sky for a hundred miles behind Jack, ripping it off the background and leaving a dark gaping hole. A sphere of devastation spread outward.

    Yet, Jack had held. He had not budged in the slightest. His hand remained outstretched, having firmly grabbed onto the top of Saturnstar¡¯s head and stopped him. The monster¡¯s body was already beginning to fall¡ªhe¡¯d lost consciousness by the impact.

    The crowd had gone deathly silent. They could not believe what they¡¯d witnessed. Even Elders Puerto and Crownbeast were frozen for a moment, which gave Jack time to act. Because he wasn¡¯t done. The whole reason he stepped up for this charade was to earn some coin¡ªin the Space Monster World, the killer could take all the belongings of his victim.

    Actually, that was not entirely true. It wasn¡¯t the only reason Jack did this. He¡¯d seen such a godzi-like monster before. Back during the Integration, in his first Dao Vision, he¡¯d seen a C-Grade man vanquish one such beast with a single punch. That moment had been branded into Jack¡¯s memory. It had been the inspiration on which he¡¯d built his entire cultivation path.

    It was time to pay tribute.

    Jack flickered, appearing below the falling beast. He pulled back his fist, the flip-flop nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°JUNIOR, STOP!¡± a voice boomed from below.

    Jack¡¯s fist blurred forth. It exploded on Saturnstar. The energy drilled its way through, creating a smooth hole through the center of the monster¡¯s chest, obliterating his organs. He died instantly.

    Jack smirked. ¡°Still not enough¡­¡± he muttered, the same words that one-punch man had said, a meaning only he would understand.

    A deep roar came from below. Jack sensed an angry A-Grade barreling towards him, but he did not panic. With a swift movement, he took off Saturnstar¡¯s space ring¡ªit had been worn on one of his smaller scales¡ªand took it into his robes. He also pocketed the dead monster¡¯s core. Only then did he turn around to find Elder Crownbeast, arger and stronger version of Saturnstar, charging over with murder in his eyes.

    Jack prepared to run. He didn¡¯t know if he could beat this monster, but he knew he could escape. He¡¯d just never fought an A-Grade before, so hecked a frame of reference.

    Even if he <em>could </em>win, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to showcase his full strength here. The part he¡¯d already shown was nothingpared to a true A-Grade. That kind of talent might be too shocking.

    However, he hoped all those thoughts would be unnecessary, and his expectations were correct. Another red figure shed between them, raising a hand to stop Elder Crownbeast. He stopped instantly in mid-air, his momentum mysteriously extinguished.

    ¡°Puerto!¡± he shouted. ¡°This devil killed my disciple! Will you really try to stop me from exacting revenge!?¡±

    ¡°Your disciple started this battle. The double devil behind me only answered the challenge. Killing him was reasonable,¡± Elder Puerto replied calmly. She looked like a red-haired grandmother with a body of iron.

    Elder Crownbeast foamed from the mouth. ¡°This is absurd! My disciple showed mercy against that fish, so he could be shown mercy in return!¡± The other Elder did not respond, which only infuriated Crownbeast more. ¡°Puerto!¡± he shouted. ¡°Will you really defend this person from me? He is not even your disciple!¡±

    ¡°I am not defending him,¡± Puerto replied. ¡°I am simply standing up for what is right. If I let Elders of another faction waltz into our territory and ughter our talented youth, I would really be worthy of ridicule.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast was only getting angrier. Still, he did not attack. ¡°You!¡± he said, turning towards Jack. ¡°Exin yourself!¡±

    The full brunt of his aura weighed down on Jack, who did not seem to notice. Both Elders were taken aback. ¡°What is there to exin?¡± he replied calmly. ¡°Your disciple challenged and disrespected me. I defeated him in a fair duel. Isn¡¯t that the rule of the world?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kill him!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to show mercy either. Honestly, your disciple should have seen iting. Don¡¯t tell me he thought he could mock an entire city and get away with it just because he has a moderately strong master.¡±

    ¡°MODERATELY STRONG!?¡± Elder Crownbeast looked ready to explode. At this rate, Jack wouldn¡¯t even have to fight him¡ªhe¡¯d just die of a heart attack. ¡°Puerto! Step aside and let me kill this little asshole!¡±

    ¡°I cannot do that,¡± Puerto replied.

    ¡°Do you really think you can stop me!?¡±

    ¡°I believe I¡¯m qualified to try. And, if push reallyes to shove, I¡¯m sure the Empty Star Autarch will stand on my side.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast had never been angrier in his life. He was a space monster Autarch. When had he ever been publicly disrespected like this?

    But, the truth was, he really couldn¡¯t do anything. As much as he wanted tosh out, his only option right now was to cut his losses and keep a grudge.

    ¡°Whatever! Just because you can hide behind others now, kid, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to do it forever!¡± he dered to save some face. ¡°Give me my disciple¡¯s space ring. I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°Brat!¡±

    ¡°What? I defeated and killed your disciple in fairbat. By the rules of our world, all his items are mine now.¡±

    Crownbeast opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was shivering in rage. ¡°Oh yeah!?¡± he replied. ¡°Then do you dare meet <em>me </em>in fairbat, brat!?¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°I would rather not.¡±

    By now, murmurs were spreading through the crowd below. Jack¡¯s actions were just too shy, and his talent was undeniable. As if those weren¡¯t enough, he¡¯d just publicly torn apart the face of a Fiend King Elder. This was a legend in the making!

    Crownbeast was on the verge ofunching himself against Puerto and damned be the consequences. However, even space monsters didn¡¯t reach the A-Grade by being impulsive. No matter how angry he got, he¡¯d never lose control.

    ¡°Remember this day, kid,¡± he growled. ¡°Because this is the day you fucked up. I¡¯ll be back for the auction.¡±

    Without another word, Elder Crownbeast tore through space and disappeared. The square fell into silence for a moment. Then, as one, everyone erupted in cheers. Jack had done so many incredible things, and most importantly, he¡¯d defended their honor! They didn¡¯t know his name, but they still worshiped him!

    ¡°MASTER IS AMAZING! HE¡¯S NOT STUPID AT ALL!¡± Dolly said, drooling at the mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s my big bro!¡± Brock eximed,ughing. He then looked around. So many people adoring his big bro¡­ This sure looked the perfect ce to spread some brohood!

    As for Starhair¡­ He was drenched in cold sweat. Jack¡¯s actionsplicated things, and he did not likeplications.

    Jack bowed slightly at Elder Puerto. ¡°Thank you for protecting me,¡± he said.

    The Elder looked him up and down. ¡°Are you really not hiding your cultivation?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I am not.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re already enemies with the Fiend King. Once this auction is over, I will take you with me to the Great Silver faction. The Canal Delve is approaching¡ªwe could use a talent like yours.¡±

    Jack considered it for a moment. Joining an overlord faction and securing their protection sounded like a great deal¡­but it wasn¡¯t necessarily so. His disguise wasn¡¯t perfect. If he ever actually met the overlord, it was possible he¡¯d be discovered. Plus, entering a faction was not necessarily the fastest way for him to increase his strength.

    <em>That Canal Delve though¡­ Could it be about the Dark Canal? The sacred center of the Space Monster World?</em>

    He¡¯d nned to this point before he even spoke up against Saturnstar. He intended to refuse¡ªhowever, this gave him pause. The Dark Canal was a ce he definitely wanted to visit. If his previous experience told him anything, that was where the greatest treasures and inheritances would be¡ªalong with the greatest dangers.

    ¡°Is it okay if I think about it a little?¡± he asked.

    Elder Puerto raised a brow. She seemed surprised. If Jack was reading her face right, she was even a little offended. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, then immediately teleported away.

    Jack sighed. The cheers from below were still deafening. He¡¯d opposed one overlord faction and been invited to join the other,plicating his situation massively¡­but, at least, he¡¯d earned what he came for.

    He looked at his robes, where a gray space ring floated. A smile spread across his lips. The auction was tomorrow¡­and he had money!

 Chapter 509: World of Heroes

    After the two overlord faction Elders left, Jack remained as today¡¯s greatest winner.

    He had defended Empty Star¡¯s and Great Silver¡¯s honor. He¡¯d won a valiant duel before tens of thousands of monsters. He¡¯d jumped two small realms to fight a genius.

    Each of those would be enough to mark his name. Combined¡­ They made him a hero!

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, guys, it¡¯s fine, thank you,¡± Jack muttered as he returned to his inn. Monsters crowded him from all sides, trying to congratte him or shake his hand. Many offered to buy him a drink. Female monsters poured from every direction. Even Dolly¡¯s shouts¡ªand asional bite¡ªcouldn¡¯t stop them.

    Brock and Starhair followed from a distance,ughing all the while. It was only several minutester that they managed to cross the inn¡¯s entrance, where the guards stopped the overflowing crowd. Jack stumbled into the tavern space, finally able to breathe. He looked around. A dozen eyes fell on him¡ªall radiating respect.

    ¡°Hey,¡± an ogre said from the side. ¡°Good job out there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You really showed that guy who¡¯s boss!¡± another creature¡ªa five-legged octopus¡ªagreed. Maybe it should be called an quintopus? A cthulhian monstrosity? Jack wanted to ask, but he wasn¡¯t ready to start a conversation.

    He waved thanks to all of them, then made his way to the back, where the stairs upwards were located. He could have teleported to his room, but he didn¡¯t want to be rude by breaking the inn¡¯s spatial seals. Besides, he knew something most people did not. If you wanted to be a hero, you had to let people see you. Even chasing you around built prestige.

    ¡°Congrattionsss,¡± the snake innkeeper whispered in Jack¡¯s ears, startling him.¡°Can you not do that?¡± he replied.

    ¡°My apologiesss. On behalf of Empty Star City, I will waive your amodation fee. Pleassse. Proceed.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Thanks.¡±

    Brock and Starhair had caught up by now. The three of them climbed the spiral staircase, soon reaching the top floor, where their rooms were located.

    ¡°Jack?¡± Starhair asked. Even in Double Devil form, he still wore his bandana, covering the injuries left by him sacrificing half his hair to dy Archon Summer Noon.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Good job out there¡­but, please, be careful. We were safe before. Now that we¡¯re involved with A-Grades, there¡¯s no telling what will happen.¡±

    Jack paused. He looked at Starhair with a faint smile. ¡°Have you adventured before, Starhair?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°What was the chance of death?¡±

    Starhair thought about it for a second. ¡°Up to ten percent.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°There are three possible paths in life, Starhair. You risk it all and thrive, you risk it all and die, or you persist in mediocrity. Of the three, there is only one I fear. What about you?¡±

    The other man stopped, his face filled with confusion. Brock smirked to the side. As for Jack, he turned and entered his room. Brock followed.

    ¡°Well done, bro,¡± he said after the doors closed. ¡°What¡¯s the harvest?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Jack reached into his robes, removing the space ring he¡¯d taken from Saturnstar. It was gray and regr-sized¡ªthe godzi-like monster had worn it on the tip of one of his scales. Jack connected his mind to the ring and inspected its contents.

    ¡°Well?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack frowned. ¡°It¡¯s¡­decent. But far less than I¡¯d hoped for.¡±

    With a wave of his hand, a small pile of cores appeared. The room was instantly saturated by their rich energy¡ªJack had to seal it to prevent others from noticing. Brock reached for the pile and picked one up.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he said.

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    ¡°But not good either,¡± Jack replied.

    Before themy ten peak B-Grade cores followed by thirtyte B-Grade ones. There was also a single early A-Grade core. Their elements were varied and random. Clearly, these weren¡¯t meant to be used as cultivation resources, but as currency.

    This was undoubtedly massive wealth. Even thete B-Grade cores were each very difficult to acquire, let alone the A-Grade one. It was just that, as rich as this was, Jack had a feeling it was nothing but changepared to an overlord Elder¡¯s space ring. He couldn¡¯tpete for the truly high-level items.

    In the space monster world, one core was roughly equivalent to three of the previous small realm. For example, e C-Grade core would be worth as much as three middle C-Grade ones. The difference inrge realms, like a peak C-Grade and an early B-Grade core, came with a tenfold increase in value.

    It was a crude and nky system, moreplex than it needed to be, and it was made even worse by the fact that these ratios weren¡¯t set in stone. Different ces used different exchange rates. If someone wanted to buy a specific core to advance their cultivation, they might need to fork up much more than the core¡¯s mary value. The higher one went, the more fuzzy the lines¡ªfor A-Grade cores, these rules basically didn¡¯t apply, and the economy reverted fully to exchange-based transactions.

    Roughly speaking, the single early A-Grade core Jack had was worth as much as the ten peak B-Grade onesbined, which were worth as much as the thirtyte B-Grades. He also had Saturnstar¡¯s core, which he¡¯d ripped out of the monster¡¯s body with his killing blow.

    Overall, Jack had the rough equivalent of three early A-Grade cores and change. It was a great amount of wealth. But not enough. Thete A-Grade core offered in the auction had a in mary value of nine early ones, three times Jack¡¯s wealth. The Archon core was simply pointless to think about. The only item he might have a chance at acquiring was the ck hole-rted iplete manual¡­but, thinking about it, Jack released a sigh.

    Elder Crownbeast would be present, no doubt carrying a stupid amount of riches. Once Jack bid on something, the Elder would surely outbid him just to be a jerk.

    He sighed again. This auction¡­would be difficult.

    ¡°What do you think, big bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Can we do it?¡±

    ¡°Honestly? No.¡±

    The broriughed. ¡°A bro should always keep a level head. That Elder has anger in his heart, which makes him weak. We can work around it.¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Damn right!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ste,¡± Brock said as he stood. ¡°Rest, bro. Cultivate. I will see you in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. See you, bro.¡±

    Brock left the room, leaving Jack alone. However, he didn¡¯t go to his own room. He took the stairs and returned to the ground-floor tavern, then calmly walked out of the inn. A smile of anticipation was stered on his face.

    Jack had rallied the crowds. If Brock didn¡¯t use this opportunity to spread some brohood, he was no big bro!

    ***

    Centrum Nightsky was a member of the Featherwell battalion of the ck Hole Church. He was a soldier¡ªat this stage, that was all an early B-Grade qualified for.

    The war was still escting. Their forces had figured out how to counter the Immortals¡¯ System Cannons, but that didn¡¯t mean the war was over. It only meant they¡¯d be ughtered slowly.

    If this was a few months ago, Centrum would have been demoralized and on the verge of deserting. But things weren¡¯t the same as back then. Now, the army had hope. It had heroes.

    Centrum clutched a small doll. It was a Brock plushie, the kind that had sold over a million pieces by now. This one had been given to him by his daughter, and he held it very dear. The rm still red over his head, but Centrum took a moment.

    ¡°I believe in you, bro,¡± he whispered, chuckling at his own words. ¡°Take care of my daughter. Build a nice world for her.¡±

    Centrum took the plushie into his space ring, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then teleported outside. Energy attacks flew left and right. The void shattered, revealing a gaping darkness leading into the interdimensional sea. Whoever was sucked inside was never seen again.

    In the distance, Elder Featherwell was fighting another A-Grade. Their battle was incredible to watch. Feathers covered the sky, violently ripped apart by all sorts of spectral ghosts. It was a level of power Centrum couldn¡¯t even hope to reach. His potential was already wrung dry.

    But he could still fight.

    ¡°Centrum!¡± a voice reached him. A panicked squadmander. ¡°We need you here!¡± he said as a st of green energy mmed into his protective shield, corroding it. Themander barely managed to dodge in time.

    Centrum rushed over. He took stock of the battlefield. They were outnumbered. The enemies were more and stronger. This was a losing battle.

    But there was nothing he could do about it right now. His only options were to stand and fight, or flee by himself. If he fled, there was a small chance he would survive, but that would only urge more of hisrades to flee as well. If he stayed, his death was certain, but at least he could take a couple enemies with him. He could help the war effort.

    Another green energy st flew at him. Centrum waved his sword, cutting it up, but a single droplet fell on his forearm. It immediately began to sizzle. Intense pain assaulted Centrum as his arm melted. With a decisive motion, he chopped it off at the shoulder, preventing the effect from spreading. He used his Dao to seal the wound.

    As he joined with hisrades and charged the enemy, his mind traveled to the plushie he kept in his space ring. It traveled to the recording he¡¯d seen, of one C-Grade man challenging an entire B-Grade faction.

    <em>Create a safe world for my daughter¡­ </em>he thought again as he dived head-first into the fray.

    Centrum Nightsky slew two enemy soldiers and saved the life of arade before he finally fell. He died a hero. They all did.

 Chapter 510: Empty Star Auction

    The Empty Star Square was even more crowded than the previous day. This was no longer just an announcement of the auction items; today was the actual auction, and due to the number of people wanting to attend, the square had been chosen as the official venue!

    A packed crowd spread all over the square and into the surrounding streets. The C-Grades and above could no longer fit, so they¡¯d climbed onto the rooftops. B-Grades were standing in the air. As for the two A-Grades present, Elder Puerto and Elder Crownbeast, they hovered even higher than the B-Grades, upying a height no one dared to infringe upon.

    The floating mouth of yesterday, the official auctioneer of the Empty Star faction, floated over a raised tform. Every eye was glued on it. A long row of boxes waited at the back of the tform.

    The auction¡­was beginning!

    ¡°Wee, everyone, to the Empty Star Auction!¡± the mouth dered, its voice magically booming across the entire city. Cheers rose in response. Some monsters growled. The mouth waited for the crowd to calm down before continuing. ¡°It is our honor to have all of you in attendance. Many prestigious monsters have graced us with their presence today, especially Elder Puerto of the Great Silver faction and Elder Crownbeast of the Fiend King faction. Please enjoy our hospitality!¡±

    More cheers from the crowd. Elder Puerto waved at them, while Crownbeast remained stationary, dark, and gloomy. He hadn¡¯t forgotten yesterday¡¯s humiliation, and neither had the crowd.

    Jack, who stood alongside Brock and Starhair amongst the other B-Grades, rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Think he holds a grudge?¡± he asked Brock.

    ¡°Absolutely, bro.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±¡°Allow me to set some ground rules,¡± the mouth said. ¡°Between monster cores, every minor realm will bring a threefold increase in value, and everyrge realm a tenfold increase. The Dao attunement of the core will not be taken into ount. The winner of each item is expected to receive it and pay up immediately. If they are not able to pay, they will be executed, and the item may or may not be re-auctioned at the Empty Star faction¡¯s discretion. Finally, as the auction takes responsibility for the safety of our attendees, fighting is prohibited in the square for the duration. Any offenders will be executed and their space rings seized.¡±

    He paused for a moment, letting the rules sink in for everyone. It was nothing outrageous, actually. Standard stuff. Jack was surprised the no-fighting rule needed to be mentioned, but then again, this <em>was </em>the Space Monster World.

    ¡°Let us proceed with the first item!¡± the mouth dered. Two Double Devil attendants pushed the first box forward on a cart. ¡°Salvaged from the northern wastes of the Waist Blood Province, this item is the crystallization of the area¡¯s carnage! Our sages estimate it has fed on the blood of hundreds of thousands of monsters. We lost three B-Grades experts to capture it, so its strength and value are beyond doubt! I present to you, the Crimson Orchid!¡±

    One of the attendants pulled a stick out of the box, letting the whole thing copse around its contents. The Crimson Orchid was revealed to the world. It was a flower the size of a human¡¯s torso, with thick, tall petals covering itpletely. It reminded Jack of a pitcher nt. Of course, it was entirely red, and the moment it appeared, the entire square was filled with the thick scent of blood.

    <em>Boy, I¡¯d hate living in this area, </em>Jack thought.

    ¡°The initial bidding price is e B-Grade core, and you may bid in increments of at least one early B-Grade core,¡± the mouth dered. ¡°Let the Empty Star Auction¡­begin!¡±

    Before it even finished its words, people were shouting prices.

    ¡°e B-Grade core and one early B-Grade!¡±

    ¡°One and three!¡±

    ¡°One and seven!¡±

    ¡°Twote B-Grades!¡±

    ¡°Threete B-Grades!¡±

    ¡°Fourte and two early B-Grades!¡±

    The price hitched up rapidly. Jack struggled a bit to follow the pricing¡ªeveryone else was much more familiar with this world¡¯s currency exchanges.

    ¡°The first item is so expensive¡­¡± Brock muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s customary for auctions to start with a heavy-hitter to get the audience going,¡± Starhair exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Not everything will be as pricey.¡±

    The bidderspeted for a while before the price stabilized. Bids were rarer and at smaller increments. Eventually, the item was sold for one early A-Grade core and three peak B-Grades. In a rare gesture of kindness, the real bidders of this item had let the audience shout low prices for a while to make them feel good.

    The final winner was ate B-Grade octopus with five legs, which Jack recognized from his inn¡¯s tavern.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± the floating mouth said. The octopus teleported on-stage, passed a space ring to an attendant, and once its contents were verified, took the Crimson Orchid and teleported away. Jack didn¡¯t see where it reappeared. It was probably running away in fear of someone killing it for the orchid after the auction.

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    And, it was correct. Jack spotted several shadowy figures teleport away at the same time as the octopus. It wasn¡¯t his business.

    ¡°Next up!¡± the mouth dered. ¡°From the ciers of the southern Hex Province, we have¡­¡±

    A few more items passed. All were precious, but none matched the price of the Blood Orchid, at most reaching eight peak B-Grade cores. Jack noticed that not all of the items had been part of yesterday¡¯s announcement. Apparently, that had included only the highest-valued ones.

    Four items after the orchid, another high-value item appeared. It was a stone wheel containing mysterious inscriptions. ording to the auctioneer, it was a broken manual pertaining to the Dao of Momentum. After a few price calls, it came down to two individuals who really, really wanted that item. Their fierce bidding war ended with one taking home the wheel for a whooping one early A-Grade and five peak B-Grades cores.

    Like the octopus, this monster wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect this treasure, so it ran away immediately. And, like the octopus, it was followed. Whether it escaped or not would depend on its speed.

    This wasn¡¯t a phenomenon limited to the Space Monster World. Even in the outside universe, auctions were both about securing the item you wanted and escaping with it. Savory individuals were everywhere¡ªand too much wealth could lead to one¡¯s downfall.

    So far, the two Elders above hadn¡¯t spoken a single time. Neither had Jack. Nothing had caught his interest enough.

    Finally, twenty-one items into the auction, something did. ¡°Found by one of our Elders in a vast undergroundbyrinth,¡± the mouth dered somberly, ¡°we present something which needs no introduction. Ate A-Grade core!¡±

    An attendant walked on stage and ced a silk-covered item on a pedestal. She then lifted the silk. A sphere was revealed to the audience, the size of Jack¡¯s waist and emanating a terrible aura of power. Green swirls filled it, moving as if alive. Life energy emanated from it in waves, making those closest to the stage take deep breaths in hopes of ingesting just a little of the core¡¯s energy.

    Jack¡¯s eyes shone. Ate A-Grade core would be useless to him if it was ipatible¡­but this one carried the Dao of Life! Had it been made for him?

    He made a split-second decision. The ck hole manual was important, but it was a big gamble. This core could help him rapidly increase his powers in a short time-span. It was exactly what he needed. He decided to get it.

    Well, if he could. The core¡¯s mary value was nine early A-Grade ones, so three times Jack¡¯s current wealth, but very few people possessed that kind of money. With a little bit of luck¡­

    ¡°The starting price will be one early A-Grade core, and bids can be made in increments of one peak B-Grade core,¡± the mouth instructed. ¡°May the bidding begin!¡±

    ¡°One early A-Grade core and three peak B-Grade ones!¡± someone shouted immediately.

    ¡°One and seven.¡±

    ¡°Two early A-Grade cores!¡±

    The price was quickly approaching Jack¡¯s limit. Too quickly.

    ¡°Two early A-Grade and three peak B-Grade cores!¡± he shouted, hoping for a miracle.

    ¡°Four early A-Grade cores!¡±

    The response had been sharp and instant. Jack looked up, where a huge godzi-like beast gazed at him with mockery. He almost cursed. Of course. Elder Crownbeast would never let him get anything unless he really, really hitched up the price.

    <em>Fuck this guy, </em>Jack thought. <em>Two can y this game.</em>

    ¡°Five early A-Grade cores!¡± he shouted. He didn¡¯t have this much. If the auction ended now, he would be in trouble, but he was confident Elder Crownbeast would take the bait.

    He had to risk it. If he didn¡¯t, then the Elder would certainly bid on the ck hole manual as well, or any other item Jack was interested in. His only chance was to milk the Elder¡¯s reserves a little¡ªafter all, while he certainly carried an immense amount of wealth, he had to save most of it to bid against Elder Puerto for the Overlord core.

    Elder Crownbeast narrowed his eyes. ¡°Two middle A-Grade cores!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°Two and two!¡± Jack shouted back.

    ¡°Two and four!¡±

    By now, everyone else had stopped bidding. Not only was this too much money, but they wouldn¡¯t be idiots to bet against an A-Grade.

    Jack bit his lips, pretending to hesitate. ¡°Two middle A-Grade cores and seven early ones!¡± he shouted.

    The Elderughed. ¡°Three middle A-Grade cores! Let¡¯s see how high you can go, boy!¡±

    Jack pretended to throw a fit. Finally, he crossed his arms and sullenly sat on Dolly¡¯s back. ¡°IT¡¯S OKAY, MASTER,¡± the hellhorse said. ¡°YOU¡¯LL GET HIM NEXT TIME!¡±

    Jack pretended to grumble. Inwardly, he was happy. He¡¯d managed to make Elder Crownbeast waste three middle A-Grade cores on an item he could have gotten with almost half of that. In fact, he¡¯d have liked to get the price even higher, but even Jack couldn¡¯t take on too much risk. Any A-Grade was extremely intelligent. Up to this point was fine, because the Elder knew that Jack had gotten three early A-Grade cores from Saturnsun, so it was reasonable he had a few more. But, going any higher might raise suspicions.

    ¡°That was good, bro,¡± Brock said. ¡°We lost the item, but it¡¯s okay. At least he paid through the nose. What a loser.¡±

    Jackughed. They hadn¡¯t bothered to keep their voices down, so several people from the audience looked up nervously. Elder Crownbeast remained still like a statue. Thete A-Grade core he¡¯d just won was received by one of his assistants.

    <em>¡°Please don¡¯t do that again,¡± </em>Starhair said telepathically. Jack looked over to find him looking perfectlyposed, but there was no hiding the panic in his voice.

    <em>¡°Sorry I scared you,¡± </em>he replied. <em>¡°¦©t worked out.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Luckily.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Worth the risk.¡±</em>

    Starhair did not reply, and neither did Jack. He turned to watch the rest of the auction. He¡¯d done everything he could so far. Hopefully, he¡¯d win the ck hole manual or something else.

    The floating mouth presented a few more items, but the Elders did not speak again. They were both saving their resources for the final and far most precious item, the overlord core. Jack hoped he¡¯d at least made a dent on Crownbeast¡¯s wallet.

    On the thirty-third item, a ginseng root emitting extreme life energy was presented. The auctioneer called it Star Root. Jack bid on it, but Elder Crownbeast eventually won it with one middle A-Grade core and two early ones. Jack didn¡¯t dare go too high this time. The item¡¯s actual value was far lower.

    On the fiftieth item, the auctioneer presented a case containing ink and pencils. They had the mystical power to connect two individuals through matching tattoos. Brock wanted this item, and Jack bid on it, but it was eventually won by a straw-hatted peak B-Grade monster at two early A-Grade cores¡ªa price far above the item¡¯s actual worth. He must have wanted it very badly. Even Brock only had a passing interest in it¡ªblowing their entire wallet on it just wasn¡¯t worth it.

    Finally, on the sixty-ninth item, came the one Jack had been waiting for. The iplete ck hole manual. The one he wanted to win no matter what.

 Chapter 511: Betting Frenzy

    ¡°My wild monsters!¡± the announcer shouted,manding everyone¡¯s attention. He was great at his job. The entire square¡ªthe entire city¡ªwas riled up and hanging from his lips. He continued, ¡°I present to you this auction¡¯s sixty-ninth item. A broken Dao manual uncovered by one of our disciples in an abandoned ruin. ording to our estimations, this manual was created by someone at least at thete Autarch level. However, due to its state of great disrepair, a more urate judgment is impossible. While this manual cannot be used to construct a Dao path, it might be able to provide insights into the Daos of Space and Death. Bidding starts at e B-Grade core, with a minimum increment of one middle B-Grade core.¡±

    With an exaggerated flourish, one of the attendants revealed a ck sphere with blue motes of lightzily swimming inside.

    The crowd¡¯s reaction was lukewarm. Space monsters were more gifted in the physical aspect than cultivators, but their Dao talent was rtively lower. Not many cultivated double Daos. Of those, the ones that happened to cultivate specifically Space and Death and also be at a high enough level to deconstruct this manual and salvage insights from the ruins¡­ Well, suffice to say they were very few.

    Jack, however, perked up. He¡¯d been aiming for this item but hadn¡¯t held much hope. Now, it turned out this was one of the cheapest high-end items in the auction. What was just e B-Grade core? He had plenty! He¡¯d even offer thirty times that price!

    ¡°Hey, bro,¡± Brock said,ing up to whisper in Jack¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m whispering now so that Crownbeast sees us. He knows you cultivate Space but not Death. In his eyes, this item is useful to you, but not ridiculously so. If he also suspects you¡¯re just trying to make him waste money, he won¡¯t bid too high.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°That was my n as well,¡± he whispered back.

    Rare bids came from across the crowd. While space monsters who cultivated ck hole-rted Daos were rare, the za was packed. There were bound to be some present.

    ¡°Threete B-Grade cores!¡± someone shouted.

    ¡°Four!¡±¡°Four and two middle ones!¡±

    ¡°Two peak B-Grade cores!¡± Jack shouted. Silence came momentarily as all the bidders eyed the new arrival. Most hovered in the sky at the same level as him¡ªB-Grades¡ªbut they¡¯d witnessed his strength the previous day. Many grimaced and gave up. A few, however, persisted.

    ¡°Two peak and twote cores!¡± came a thin voice. Tracing the figure, Jack found a thin woman hidden under a massive straw hat. Magical shadows cascaded over her face, with only her pale jaw revealed. She seemed humanoid.

    ¡°Three peak ones,¡± Jack shot back.

    ¡°Three and two.¡±

    ¡°Four peak ones.¡±

    ¡°Four and two!¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°Six peak ones!¡± he shouted.

    Space cores multiplied in value threefold for every small realm and tenfold for everyrge one. There were threete B-Grade cores to a peak one, but ten peak ones to an early A-Grade core.

    The woman paused. Jack saw her jaw tighten. Just as she was about to respond, a new voice washed over the crowd, stunning everyone into silence.

    ¡°One early A-Grade core.¡±

    It was calm, yet resolute. It carried absolute belief in victory. Everyone looked up to find Elder Crownbeast hovering there, his yellow re glued on Jack. ¡°Well?¡± the Elder asked. ¡°Are you going to keep betting, kid?¡±

    ¡°What a thoughtful way to spend your faction¡¯s resources,¡± Jack shot back without missing a beat. ¡°One A-Grade core, one Elder¡¯s life, just to bully a junior. I¡¯m sure your overlord would be pleased if he saw you right now.¡±

    Crownbeast¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°You may not refer to Overlord Fiend King.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and you may not waste faction resources for personal benefit, but I guess we¡¯re both at fault.¡±

    ¡°If you must know, this is my private wealth,¡± Crownbeast replied, rearing up his head. The entire crowd was watching. ¡°I am saving the faction¡¯s for when it is needed.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that¡¯s not true. But, whatever. If you want to go bankrupt over this, I¡¯ll apany you. One early A-Grade and three peak B-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Crownbeast replied. ¡°We both know it¡¯s not worth that much. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s more wasteful. One and six.¡±

    <em>¡°See what you did!? Now neither of us is getting the manual!¡± </em>a voice reached Jack¡¯s mind. Surprised, he turned around to find the woman from before ring at him. Green eyes glowed under her hat.

    <em>¡°Stay in yourne,¡± </em>he replied, then spoke aloud. ¡°Two early A-Grade cores!¡±

    ¡°Two and five,¡± Crownbeast replied.

    ¡°Three early A-Grade cores!¡± Jack gave Crownbeast a rxed smile. ¡°I can do this all day.¡±

    This was actually the full extent of his wealth. He was bluffing.

    Crownbeast opened his huge mouth which could fit a bus andughed, shaking the earth¡¯s foundations. ¡°What a fool!¡± he shouted. ¡°Only an idiot would spend three A-Grade cores on a broken manual. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re strong, otherwise I fear you¡¯d have died back when you were still a pupa worm! Hahaha! Have your manual, stupid brat. That price was my disciple¡¯s wealth. I hope you consider it well-spent!¡±

    Speaking to that point, Crownbeast gave Jack an ugly smile. Jack tried hard topose himself¡ªit was hard not to react when you were actually the winner.

    ¡°It¡¯s free money,¡± he replied. ¡°If I can make you eat a small public loss, it¡¯s worth it.¡±

    Crownbeastughed again. To him, this bidding war wasn¡¯t a matter of resources. He certainly had more than Jack. However, if he spent a fortune to win a worthless item, he would be ridiculed. Even worse, Jack could keep betting blind after he ran out of wealth, and there was nothing Crownbeast could do about it.

    He wasn¡¯t as rash as his words made him sound. Stopping here was a calcted decision; a certain victory,pared to the risk of betting even more. Crownbeast would never suspect that Jack was actually perfectly suited for this manual, nor that he really didn¡¯t care about this world¡¯s currency.

    Making him pay ten times the price was good enough.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    <em>One¡¯s man trash is another¡¯s treasure, </em>Jack thought. He barely held his smile as he shed to the stage, exchanged the cores for the broken manual, then returned to his friends.

    He couldn¡¯t participate in the auction any longer. All he had left was Saturnsun¡¯s peak B-Grade core. By any reasoning, this was the perfect time to flee the city, as Crownbeast¡ªwho might want to chase him¡ªwas still pinned down by the auction. Jack, however¡­had a n.

    He ignored the crowd¡¯s confused looks as he settled onto the back of Dolly¡ªwho was only flying because he held her aloft. <em>¡°See?¡± </em>he told the straw-hat woman. <em>¡°I did get it.¡±</em>

    Her head snapped over so fast it cracked. <em>¡°It¡¯s not worth that much, you idiot!¡±</em>

    He did not respond.

    The rest of the auction flowed smoothly. Another thirty items passed, some more valuable than others. Fierce bidding wars erupted for each of them. The entire city was ame with excitement. Even themon folk were perched on rooftops, eyeing themotion. It was rare to see so many masters gathered in one ce.

    Merchants crossed the crowd, selling what looked suspiciously like gummy worms. The monsters above were risking their lives to escape with precious items, but the atmosphere below was one of celebration. Most D and C-Grades hade to watch the show rather than bid on items.

    For the past few hours, however, the crowd had been slowly increasing. Even more people of all Grades had arrived. This province-wide celebration was reaching its crescendo.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± the mouth said. For the first time, it floated forward, reaching the edge of the stage. ¡°So far, this Empty Star Auction has gone on for fourteen hours. We have sold ny-nine mystical items to the highest bidders, umting a total wealth of three middle A-Grade, eighteen early A-Grade, fifty-one peak B-Grade, two hundred and thirty-sixte B-Grade, five-hundred and forty-four middle B-Grade, and eleven hundred early B-Grade cores. Overall, that is the rough equivalent of two peak A-Grade cores. It is a tremendous amount of purchases, and we thank you all for your patronage.¡±

    The crowd cheered wildly.

    ¡°However!¡± the mouth shouted, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°As you all know, every Empty Star Auction sells exactly one hundred items. They are the hundred rarest, most valuable objects our faction has been able to acquire. So far, we have presented ny-nine. That means there is one left. The crown of this auction. I present to you¡ªthe Overlord core!¡±

    The crowd erupted. Shouts echoed over the buildings, washing over the city and the river around it. The water shook. Leviathans surfaced, offering deep roars to the sky before receding underwater.

    Jack looked up. The two Elders were both standing at attention now. Neither looked at the other, but the tension was palpable. The air around them was shivering as ifing from an open oven.

    The mouth raised its voice even higher. ¡°The starting price is e A-Grade core,¡± it said, ¡°and the minimum increment is one middle A-Grade core. Let the bidding begin!¡±

    Jack blinked in surprise. The most expensive item so far had been sold for a middle A-Grade core and two early ones¡ªat its final price. The Overlord core¡¯s starting price was almost double that. How precious was it!?

    Elder Puertoughed, a sharp but calm sound. ¡°The Overlord has sent me here to acquire this item,¡± she said. ¡°Since this is our territory, I hope Elder Crownbeast will show us some face.¡±

    ¡°Elder Puerto is surely joking. This is an auction. How could I not earnestly participate?¡± Crownbeastughed as well. ¡°Besides¡ªwhat a coincidence. My Overlord also sent here to acquire this item. Shall we have a friendlypetition, Elder Puerto?¡±

    Both Elders smiled, but the smiles didn¡¯t reach their ears. There was nothing friendly about this. They would financially grapple and try to rip each other apart.

    ¡°Allow me to begin, since we are the hosts here,¡± Elder Puerto said. ¡°e A-Grade core. The starting price.¡±

    ¡°Twote A-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°Three.¡±

    ¡°Two peak ones.¡±

    The bids had instantly escted to peak A-Grade cores. Crownbeast¡¯s current bid, which he nonchntly made, was worth more than everything else in the auctionbined. And this was just the start.

    ¡°I see you came prepared,¡± Puerto said. ¡°Three peak A-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°I offer four.¡±

    ¡°Then I offer five.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re prepared to bleed for this, Puerto, but so am I! Six peak A-Grade cores.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who has more blood to give. Seven.¡±

    ¡°Obviously me¡ªI¡¯m so muchrger! Eight.¡±

    ¡°Nine.¡±

    ¡°Ten!¡±

    The crowd burst into waves of cheers. Jack felt his eardrums shake. The entire city rumbled as if caught in an earthquake. Ten peak A-Grade cores! What kind of concept was that!

    Only now did Jack understand the true level of wealth in this world. The true difference. There were thousands of high-level monsters present, each able to rule their own corner of the world. Yet, none of them were able to produce a singlete A-Grade core. All they could do was watch from below, like ants at giants, as the two Elders threw around obscene quantities of wealth.

    Jack fantasized how, if he had all those cores, he could just hole up somewhere and reach thete B-Grade realm, maybe even the peak. He thought to the broken ck hole manual in his space ring¡ªit would be invaluable to his future progress, but right now, he couldn¡¯t help but feel it was a bit cheap.

    Ten peak A-Grade cores was already the mary value of the Overlord core. Since Overlords weren¡¯t truly in the next Grade, but only a half-step above the peak of the A-Grade, Jack suspected its value was even lower. However, that didn¡¯t matter. A core¡¯s actual worth depended on many more things, including rarity. Peak A-Grades cycled through the world¡ªbut how often was an Overlord born?

    ¡°Eleven peak A-Grade cores,¡± Elder Puerto shouted.

    ¡°Twelve peak A-Grade cores!¡± Crownbeast insisted. Both Elders seemed a bit strained by now. Clearly, this amount of wealth was too much for them. They were only early A-Grades. They¡¯d probably never seen such money in their lives.

    <em>Why didn¡¯t they send someone stronger to deal with these prices? </em>Jack wondered.

    ¡°Thirteen cores!¡± Puerto dered. The moment she said it, she released a deep breath, as if she¡¯d given everything she had.

    Crownbeast didn¡¯t reply immediately. He remained still and expressionless like a statue, struggling inwardly. Jack thought there was only one reason why he¡¯d hesitate¡ªthe funds given by his faction had run out, and anything he said from here on out would weigh against his personal wealth.

    ¡°Fourteen cores!¡± he finally dered. ¡°If you can go at fifteen, I¡¯ll give up! This is just not worth it!¡±

    Which meant, I don¡¯t have that much.

    Puerto smiled bitterly. ¡°You were only given thirteen by your faction, Crownbeast. Did you really use your personal fortune as well?¡±

    ¡°For the glory of my Overlord, there is nothing I¡¯d hold back. His favor is worth more than any core.¡± He turned his bodypletely, giving her a full re. ¡°What is it going to be, Puerto? Are you going to bid more or not?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± she said, then disappeared in a puff of red smoke. Her aurapletely dissipated as well¡ªthough Jack could sense it holing up in an estate at the far north of the city.

    Crownbeastughed in relief. The crowd roared and cheered for him. Jack, who had been absorbed by the excitement, resisted the urge to p.

    ¡°Congrattions, Elder Crownbeast,¡± the mouth said. With the oaken box beside it, it slowly floated to the sky,ing to hover right before the Elder. It bent its body forward as the box floated over. ¡°The Overlord core couldn¡¯t have a better owner.¡±

    Crownbeastughed again. He seemed to be in a great mood. ¡°There you go!¡± he said, flicking a finger and tossing out a space ring. ¡°I included a small tip as well. Enjoy it!¡±

    The ring stopped by the mouth, which shivered in surprise a momentter. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± it said, true emotion sipping into its voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the city for a bit,¡± Crownbeast said. ¡°Can your estate amodate me?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! Please, this way, sir.¡± The mouth respectfully led the way to the same estate Puerto had disappeared in, at the far north, and Crownbeast followed. The crowd was left hanging, still cheering and shouting.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Jack said. ¡°No closing speech?¡±

    ¡°Mouth bro gave the closing speech before the final item,¡± Brock said. ¡°Maybe it thought there¡¯d be a battle.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. In any case¡­ Shall we return to our rooms? So many things happened, and we need to work out how to leave the city. I bet Crownbeast will try to follow us.¡±

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jack turned Dolly towards their inn and set off while most of the crowd was busy celebrating. Absent-mindedly, he spared a nce for the straw-hat woman from before¡­but she was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 512: Black Hole

    After the auction was over, the crowd didn¡¯t disperse right away. They couldn¡¯t if they wanted to. The streets were so packed that people formed long lines, many monsters fighting each other in the confusion.

    As everyone was struggling to leave the square, however, some people noticed a peculiarity. There seemed to a gathering on the now-empty auction stage. Several people sat on it cross-legged, exchanging cups of wine andughing. Their pleasant conversation spread throughout the square.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± a monster asked its friend.

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    Whispers spread. As more people turned towards the drinking group, the square began to quiet down.

    One monster decided to go for it. ¡°Hey,¡± it asked. ¡°Can I join you guys? It¡¯s better than waiting down here.¡±

    A double devil on the stage grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m here,¡± he muttered, but another wine-drinker spoke over him¡ªa gori-looking monster, who turned and raised his cup.

    ¡°Sure thing, bro,¡± he said. ¡°The more the merrier. There¡¯s enough wine for everyone.¡±

    The asking monsterughed as it jumped to the stage, receiving a cup the brori removed from his space ring. The joy was infectious. In some odd way, everyone rxed as they eyed the gathering on the square, and even the asional fighting stopped. They wanted to be up there as well. They wanted to belong in that group.The broriughed again, then turned to address the square. ¡°There¡¯s enough wine for everyone,¡± he repeated. ¡°Come up here, bros!¡±

    ***

    Brock and Starhair had said they¡¯d remain for a while, but Jack had things to do, so he returned alone. He now sat cross-legged in the middle of his room. His bare thighs rubbed against the polished floor, while the faint scent of wood permeated the room. It was much more spacious than he was used to, containing an entire kitchen and bar alongside a king-sized bed, but those didn¡¯t concern him. Comfort was temporary. Power was forever.

    The broken Dao manual rested on Jack¡¯s legs¡ªa dark sphere iid with motes of blue light. It was like seeing a small universe from the outside, with all its million stars.

    Those stars were swimming constantly. Some followed set trajectories. Others jumped around erratically, while a few shimmered in and out of existence as if about to die. Those movements visually shed against each other, giving any watcher a jarring feeling.

    The auctioneer was right. This Dao manual was thoroughly broken. Moreover, because of its innateplexity, it was impossible to tell which stars were intact and which were faulty. Attempting to study this was like reading a book whose words had been randomly scrambled.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean it was useless. Jack calmed his mind, sinking into a meditation state. He then pierced his perception into the sphere, carefullybing through it. He was slow and thorough. An hourter, he hadn¡¯t even gone through a tenth of it.

    While the sphere was broken and jumbled up, that didn¡¯t necessarily apply to all of it. There could be sections which were rtively intact, and though they offered little to the untrained eye, they could benefit someone already familiar with the basics. It was exactly those sections Jack was looking for. The reason he¡¯d spent so much to acquire this sphere.

    Yet, even after a few hours andbing over half the sphere, he¡¯de up with nothing. A rueful smile was forming on his lips.

    <em>Some risks don¡¯t pay off, </em>he thought. <em>That is part of the road to mastery.</em>

    Suddenly, he noticed something. A tiny section where the jarring feeling was missing. Eleven stars in a circle, falling together and narrowly missing each other before spreading out again. It was a mystical sight¡ªand it spoke of mastery. All thoughts were wiped off Jack¡¯s brain as he focused, bringing his full attention on that tiny part of the sphere.

    He observed and studied the movement of the stars. Soon, he realized it wasn¡¯t just them that were moving, but also the darkness between them. Space was weaving through itself, and there was also something more, something heavy and dark which wasn¡¯t space. It reminded Jack of death, but not quite that either.

    <em>Dark matter? </em>he wondered. The thought was quickly banished. Dark matter, or dark energy, was what Earth scientists used to call the extra energy they measured in the universe, but which they could not find. It had stumbled them for decades. After the Integration, it had be apparent that dark matter was just the ambient Dao particles swimming through the universe.

    But that wasn¡¯t it. The dark energy swimming between these stars wasn¡¯t just Dao particles. It took Jack a few moments to realize where he¡¯d seen it before.

    <em>Right! The dark surfer!</em>

    His second-tost Dao Vision had depicted a man on a ck surfboard riding the currents of a ck hole. He¡¯d been trying to copy it. In his attempts, he¡¯d summoned the exact same type of energy¡ªa foamy, encroaching crystallization of space death. A form of hungry nothingness.

    This realization gave Jack hope. That ck foam represented the dark surfer¡¯s greatest insights, and he was an Archon. If the same kind of energy was present here, tightly controlled, it meant the creator of this Dao manual had reached the same level. This wasn¡¯t a peak A-Grade inheritance, but an Archon inheritance! Maybe it was even connected to the same dark surfer!

    But, he was getting ahead of himself. Jack refocused, diving into the stars with renewed vigor. He didn¡¯t dare keep his hopes up¡ªfor all he knew, this section of stars was a minor part of the inheritance, or even worse, part of a fractured whole.

    Time flowed ceaselessly. At some point, Jack¡¯s surroundings began to fade. The stars became his whole world, and through it, he saw another image. It was colorless and vague¡ªnowhere near the rity of a Dao Vision. In this image, he saw a red-scaled lizard man standing in an undistinguishable environment. The man bent his knees, lowering his center of mass as he swung a halberd behind his back, ready to unleash it forward.

    A bodiless roar echoed in Jack¡¯s ears. On the halberd¡¯s head, a dark sphere appeared. It floated right along the de, swallowing its middle part, and it only kept growing darker. Deeper. Heavier. The bricks making up the floor were sucked into the sphere. So was air. Every Dao particle in the surrounding space was absorbed, further enhancing the sphere¡¯s terrifying weight until the entire world seemed to be falling into it.

    The man¡¯s face shed with surprise, joy, and panic. He teleported, reaching a region of emptiness, then swung his halberd. The sphere flew out. Where it hit the ground, everything was sucked into it, forming ake-sized crater into the earth. The manughed.

    <em>¡°The center falls, the world helps, the hole forms!¡± </em>he shouted. Though the visuals were fuzzy, his voice was crystal-clear in Jack¡¯s ears.

    The vision dissipated then. Jack was back in his room, panting on the ground. He didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d fallen. He didn¡¯t care. The vision had inspired him¡ªbecause, in creating a miniature ck hole, the man had only used the power of a peak A-Grade!

    Of course, it was a weak imitation of a ck hole. Even B-Grades had ways to form thatke-sized crater. However, that didn¡¯t matter, because it proved something important which Jack had been missing. It was possible to create imitations of a ck hole at lower levels!

    So far, he¡¯d been trying to recreate the real thing. The death of space, the end of time. True nothingness. Such a concept stood at the very peak of the universe, only approachable by Archons. Jack had experimented just for the insights. However, if there could be weaker versions¡­

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    His mind was already roaring with possibilities. The man in the vision had used a peak A-Grade¡¯s power, but his space and death Daos were exquisite. Superior to Jack¡¯s, though not by much. Maybe he couldn¡¯t recreate the feat, but could he pursue the principle?

    Jack returned to his meditating position and temporarily put away the Dao manual. Closing his eyes, he entered his inner world, a mostly empty universe littered with floating pieces of earth. Somewhere in the center, arge figure was hunched over a chessboard made of theary fragments flying around.

    Venerable Saint Thousand Shell was deep in thought. He pointed his head at a piece, which floated and slowly moved towards another position.

    ¡°You picked it up! Now you have to y it!¡± the Stone gloated from its position at the other side of the board. ¡°This was a mistake! You should have taken my knight. Queen takes knight, then I would be forced into a long sequence! Still winning, of course, but longer! Or you could have moved your a2 pawn¡ªalways a good choice.¡±

    ¡°Will you shut up?¡± the turtle groaned. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think.¡±

    Wrinkles creased its reptilian face, as every road it saw ended in defeat. Finally, it ced down its queen in a square surrounded by enemy pieces, none of which could actually touch her.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d do that! You miscalcted!¡± the Stone eximed. ¡°Bishop at e4, check. I can use this tempo to ensure a winning endgame!¡±

    The Stone had no limbs to move the pieces, but Copy Jack was there. At itsmand, he ran over and grabbed a bishop-looking piece, then moved it to the indicated position. He nodded in approval all the while.

    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Jack said. Nobody had noticed his arrival, so all three jumped. The turtle identally kicked over the chessboard.

    ¡°Whoops,¡± he said. ¡°Guess it¡¯s game over.¡±

    ¡°No worries!¡± the Stone replied. ¡°I remember the position. We can recreate it!¡±

    The turtle gave it a death stare before turning to Jack. ¡°How¡¯s it going, kid? You can¡¯t be having a worse day than me.¡±

    ¡°Pretty good, actually. Listen, I¡¯ll be experimenting a bit over on that side. Try not to get killed by the energy ripples.¡±

    ¡°...Okay.¡±

    ¡°Hi Jack!¡± the Stone said, hopping in ce. ¡°Do you want to y some chess? It helps you work on your Dao!¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°Thank you, Stone, but I¡¯m a little busy. You already got a gaming partner.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please,¡± the turtle grumbled. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Jack said, ¡°for how long you¡¯ve been alive, I thought you¡¯d be good at chess. You had a lot of time to practice.¡±

    ¡°I did practice, and I am good. That¡¯s why it¡¯s ridiculous. I hate losing.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Jack threw a nce at the Stone, which was currently spinning around itself in joy. ¡°Well, have fun. I¡¯ll be a few thousand miles that way if you need me.¡±

    Leaving the three to their fun, Jack teleported away, quickly reaching the fringes of his inner world. Walls of starry dust indicated the borders, while the terrifying emptiness inside was his tomand.

    Experimenting in his inner world wasn¡¯t ideal because it had small differences to the outside one. However, he didn¡¯t want to leave the city right now, and even if he did, he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the Space Monster World to wantonly destroy the wilderness. As for experimenting inside Empty Star City, that was far too reckless.

    For now, the inner world would do.

    Jack spread his arms wide, summoning the power of space. He quickly created arge bubble of sealed space. He then used his Dao and willpower topress it, shrinking it from a mile in diameter to roughly three feet. This wasn¡¯t his limit, but it was good enough to stop and think. The space particles were going wild inside it.

    Last time, he¡¯d triedpressing this sphere to the limit, hoping to achieve a gravitational singrity. All sorts of weird phenomena had urred, including an elementary form of the space death foam. In the end, however, he hadn¡¯t evene close to creating a true ck hole. Though he¡¯d gotten a bit stronger since then, he was still way, way off.

    Which made perfect sense. ck holes were some of the most powerful forces in the universe. Even Enas, the leader of the Old Gods, had been trapped inside one for a billion years. If Jack could create it, that would be almost unfair.

    <em>What did the red man do? </em>Jack asked himself, thinking back to the vision. That man had created something like a ck hole, though far weaker than the original. Unfortunately, the vision was too fuzzy to make out how he did it.

    <em>What clues do I have?</em>

    Jack revisited everything he¡¯d seen, the entire sequence. The ck hole-like thing had formed on the de of the man¡¯s halberd. That didn¡¯t necessarily matter. Maybe it was the focal point he was most familiar with. Soon after forming, it had begun sucking in its surroundings, so it really did work like a ck hole.

    Afterwards, the man had taken this ck hole and teleported away. That was the first clue. If he could teleport it away, it was under his direct control. A real ck hole could never move that way because it couldn¡¯t interact with space in any way other than consuming it.

    <em>What happened next?</em> Jack¡¯s eyes shed. The man had thrown his ck hole against the ground, where it created a massive crater before disappearing.

    It disappeared! ck holes didn¡¯t do that! If it was a real ck hole, it would have just kept growing until it swallowed the entire Space Monster World.

    <em>So it really isn¡¯t the real thing, </em>Jack deduced. <em>It has to be some sort of artificial creation which mirrors some qualities of the ck hole¡­ But how?</em>

    <em>How is a ck hole created?</em>

    <em>Too much matter gathers in one ce. Its gravitational pull bes more and more intense until even its atoms can¡¯t bear it. They copse, gathering into one spot of endless density. Since its radius is zero, the gravity very close to it is infinite, absorbing even light and timespace. The more it absorbs, the greater the radius in which gravity is so powerful where nothing can escape. That is the event horizon. That¡¯s how ck holes are created.</em>

    <em>How could I imitate it?</em>

    Jack looked down at his own hand. A realization popped up in his mind.

    <em>He used his halberd because it has mass! The ck hole needs actual matter as its core, not just space particles like I¡¯ve been doing!</em>

    He let the bubble dissipate. Space particles erupted outward, but Jack paid them no mind. He created a new mile-wide bubble, this time centering it around his own fist. He took a deep breath, thenpressed it.

    The pressure ballooned quickly. He wasn¡¯t sure how powerful it was, but he knew a regr B-Grade would have been crushed. Hepressed the bubble until his torso was outside of it, then keptpressing, the edge of the bubble sliding across his forearm. The pressure was staggering by now. Even his durable body found it hard to endure. He was thankful he¡¯d spent so much time tempering it, otherwise there was no way he¡¯d able to do this.

    Finally, the spherepressed enough that it encapsted just his fist. The space particles were going crazy in there, zooming around frantically as they tried to escape. His hand was feeling the pressure. The bones were slowly giving way. The pain was horrific.

    Jack clenched his teeth and focused his willpower intopressing further. His hand shattered with a sickening crunch. Bones and flesh were pulverized, bing a pressurized mass which rushed to the very center of the bubble and hovered there. The space particles already behaved differently, gravitating towards that mass and struggling to escape. A few fell into it, sticking to the mass, increasing its gravity. Hints of ck foam appeared as the space particles began dying despite their best efforts. The pressure was more than Jack could handle. The bubble was destabilizing.

    It went better thanst time, but this was still far from a true ck hole.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jack said, throwing the bubble with all his might. It flew towards the center of his inner world and exploded before it traveled a mile. Intense fluctuations of space and death flooded the world. Thankfully, this was his world, so Jack neutralized most of the impact. He was mostly unhurt.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± he said, clutching onto the stump of his wrist. This wasn¡¯t his real body, but the pain was real. ¡°Still not enough¡­¡±

    His eyes shed with calctions. This had gone far better thanst time. Indeed, it was better to use some matter as the center of the ck hole, and preferably his fist, which he was most familiar with. He¡¯d learned that much. But he still hadn¡¯t achieved the level of the red man who created the iplete Dao manual.

    He knew he could do it. His understandings weren¡¯t too far off from that man¡¯s. He could create at least a weaker variant of a ck hole, he just had to figure out how. There was still something missing.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get it,¡± he promised himself. ¡°Already, this can almost work as a weapon. I just need time to charge it.¡±

    The explosion of thepressed sphere wasn¡¯t a ck hole, but it contained the ck foam, a terrifying force of nature. Even Jack wasn¡¯t sure he could survive a direct hit. This was a very powerful skill he was cooking up¡ªhe just needed to solve a few more problems. Mostly the charging time, which right now was too long.

    If he figured out how to actually summon a ck hole, like the red man had done, his battle power would skyrocket. He had a feeling the potential of this move was far above Supernova¡¯s.

    While Jack was absorbed in his inner world, that didn¡¯t mean his real body was defenseless. He always left part of his consciousness on lookout. At this point, as he pondered on the mysteries of the universe, that part of his consciousness registered a knock on the door.

    Jack returned fully to the real world. He stood up, stretching his limbs. ¡°Come in,¡± he said.

    The door opened, and in came Elder Puerto.

 Chapter 513: Invitation

    Jack shot to his feet faster than a startled deer. ¡°Elder Puerto!¡± he said. ¡°Wee!¡±

    She waved him off. ¡°I see you¡¯re meditating. Good. A talented monster like yourself shouldn¡¯t ck off.¡±

    ¡°You tter me.¡±

    ¡°I will get to the point, Mr¡­ You never gave me your name, actually.¡±

    ¡°Jack Monstrous, Elder.¡±

    She sat on a random chair and crossed her legs. Though Elder Puerto seemed like a buff red-haired olddy, she was much heavier. The steel chair creaked under her weight. The legs bent ominously.

    ¡°Well, Jack Monstrous, I will be leaving Empty Star City today. Have you considered my offer?¡±

    ¡°Your invitation to the Great Silver?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. If you agree, I can take you with me. I will guarantee your safety and help you get ess to the main faction.¡±Jack thought about it. ¡°That¡¯s a generous offer, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Please, speak inly. With your talent, we¡¯ll be peers soon enough.¡±

    Heughed.

    ¡°I did think about it. I¡¯m willing to join your faction, on two terms.¡±

    Puerto raised a brow. ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°My first term is that you let me join the next Canal Delve. The second is that you support me fully despite not originally being from your faction. The third is that I won¡¯te with you right away¡ªI have some things to do, so I¡¯ll make my own way to the faction.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± She leaned forward, her eyes shing with calctions. ¡°Getting invited to the Delve is not something I can promise, but I can say it depends entirely on you. If you can show a good enough performance, you¡¯ll naturally be invited. As for not being originally from the faction¡­ Who cares? The only thing that matters in the Great Silver is strength. You¡¯ll receive all the support you deserve. Are my answers satisfactory to you, Jack Monstrous?¡±

    There was a hint of threat in her voice. The Great Silver was one of the Space Monster World¡¯s two great overlord factions. Most monsters would kill their best friend for a chance to join, even as a janitor. Jack was personally invited by an Elder, and he still dared to put forth terms, as if <em>he </em>was the catch here.

    Fortunately, Jack possessed the qualifications to be arrogant, and Elder Puerto knew it.

    ¡°They¡¯re satisfactory,¡± he replied. ¡°And my third term?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all. I didn¡¯t want to babysit you to begin with. If you say you¡¯ll make your own way, feel free, just make sure to arrive within three years.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The Canal Delve is at four, and we can¡¯t have a stranger join us.¡±

    ¡°Okay, yeah, I¡¯ll be there in time.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as naive, Jack Monstrous. Could you be unaware of Elder Crownbeast aiming for you? He can wait here for at least a year, and the moment you leave Empty Star City, he¡¯lle for you. It¡¯s hard to avoid an A-Grade¡¯s perception. That¡¯s why I offered to escort you.¡±

    Jack smiled enigmatically. ¡°I know about Elder Crownbeast. I angered him, so he¡¯ll do anything he can to get me¡­ But I have my ways. I¡¯m confident I can escape safely.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Good.¡± She sized him up once more. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, she was impressed. ¡°Are you maybe looking for a sex partner?¡±

    Jack was taken aback. ¡°Uh. I, uh, I¡¯m very ttered, Elder, and I would ept in a heartbeat, but I already have a dedicated partner.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Very well then. I probably won¡¯t catch youter, so I expect to wee you in Great Silver faction within three years. Don¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. Thank you, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    Elder Puerto opened the door and walked out. Jack imagined she did it for the show, because there¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t just teleport away the moment she was out of vision. Regardless, he couldn¡¯t sense her. His perception was foiled. Bothing and going, Elder Puerto was like a ghost¡ªlike she was never there.

    <em>Wait. Did she have any aura at all?</em>

    <em>Maybe it was a projection.</em>

    He shook his head and sat back down. Elder Puerto would leave today, but he didn¡¯t have to. Three years was a long time.

    <em>First I¡¯ll get a basic grip on this ck hole thing, and then I¡¯ll go.</em>

    ***

    <em>Six monthster,</em>

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair walked towards the city gates, always riding their hellhorses.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°GET OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE I DEVOUR YOUR LOVED ONES!¡± Dolly shouted, snapping her teeth at the passers-by.

    ¡°Hey, bro, chill,¡± one space monster said.

    ¡°Yeah bro. Take it easy. I don¡¯t have any loved ones.¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± a third replied.

    ¡°I DO NOT POSSESS LOVED ONES EITHER, BESIDES MY MASTER. I¡¯M SORRY IF I BROUGHT UP BAD MEMORIES. AND I¡¯M SORRY FOR CHEWING ON YOUR TAIL THAT ONE TIME.¡±

    ¡°No worries, it grew right back!¡±

    ¡°See you around, bro!¡±

    Jack was silent on Dolly¡¯s back. ¡°You know, Brock,¡± he said, ¡°I know I didn¡¯t leave my room for six months, but I¡¯d swear this city has changed a little.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Brock asked back. He walked next to the hellhorses, constantly sping hands, fist-bumping, and hugging random monsters. Some of them were crying.

    ¡°We¡¯ll miss you, big bro!¡± they shouted, falling into Brock¡¯s arms like flies.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, bros,¡± Brock replied sagely. ¡°We may be apart, but we¡¯ll always be connected by our brohood.¡±

    ¡°Yes, big bro!¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Jack leaned towards Starhair. ¡°How long do you think he¡¯d need to convert this entire world?¡±

    ¡°Who cares? Seeing all these monsters obsessed with stupid bro love twists my guts.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be grumpy, Starhair. It¡¯s fun. You like fun.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like fun. I prefer cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re doing pretty terrible I guess.¡±

    Starhair threw Jack an astonished look, but he onlyughed and shook it off. This was his first time out of meditation in six months, so Brock¡¯s antics were refreshing. Even Starhair was. They remained in their double devil disguise, but the other cultivator had raised his bandana a little bit. His hair, half of which he¡¯d sacrificed to let them escape Archon Summer Noon, was slowly growing back.

    A contingent of bros was waiting for them by the gates. Jack didn¡¯t know how many monsters Brock had converted, but it had to be a lot. They¡¯d brought fireworks and gongs. It was a sad asion they were determined to make the best out of.

    ¡°Little bros,¡± Brock said, hijacking the guard¡¯s raised stage. ¡°Separations alwayse, but saying goodbye is part of the art of life. I hope you keep brohood in your hearts. Farewell!¡±

    ¡°Farewell, big bro!¡± the crowd of monsters shouted, some shedding tears. The three cultivators flew away, riding their hellhorses into the sunset, while gongs and fireworks waved their goodbyes. It was the end of an era for these city bros, but also the start of a new one. And that was worthy of celebration.

    ¡°Seriously, how do you do that?¡± Jack asked.

    Brock gave him a earnest look. ¡°Everybody needs brohood. Even Starhair. They just don¡¯t know it until I show them.¡±

    ¡°I only need one thing, and that¡¯s my hair back,¡± Starhair replied. Brock smiled at him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    A few minutes passed. The three of them dismounted the hellhorses, ced them in their inner worlds¡ª¡°BYE MASTERS¡±¡ªand elerated into the distance. Sonic booms trailed their flight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s following us,¡± Brock said, ncing behind his shoulder.

    ¡°I hope he isn¡¯t,¡± Starhair added worriedly.

    ¡°He certainly is,¡± Jack replied. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s hiding, but I can sense him. He¡¯s just biding his time.¡±

    They were flying in the direction of Great Silver faction, which was very, very far away. The lush jungles below them changed into an arid desert. However, even an hour into flying, their pursuer still hadn¡¯t shown himself.

    ¡°You know,¡± Jack said, ¡°this is getting a bit nerve-wracking.¡±

    ¡°You think!?¡± Starhair replied.

    Jack stopped in mid-air. He turned around, eyeing the cloudy sky above. This curtain of clouds covered the entire Space Monster World, hiding the real sky. Even now, Jack had no idea what it looked like.

    ¡°You¡¯ve followed us long enough,¡± he said, enhancing his voice so it boomed over thend. ¡°Show yourself!¡±

    A moment of silence followed. Then another. As Jack was about to shout again, loudughter filled the air.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    The clouds broke apart as if ripped by a giant hand. A secondyer was revealed far above them¡ªin between stood a giant, godzi-like form, a massive monster with vertical irises and spikes running down its spine. Its eyes were warped with malice and triumph.

    ¡°What a fool you are, Jack Monstrous!¡± Elder Crownbeast shouted. ¡°If you had left with Puerto, I wouldn¡¯t be able to touch you. If you waited a couple years, I¡¯d be forced to leave. But you just couldn¡¯t hold it, could you? You threw yourself right in the monster¡¯s mouth!¡±

    ¡°You are the fool,¡± Jack replied with a smile. ¡°You know we¡¯re prepared for you, and you still came.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also prepared.¡±

    The Elder¡¯s massive form descended slowly. As it did, Jack noticed he¡¯d grown evenrger. He¡¯d only been three hundred feet in the city, but now he¡¯d risen to three thousand. Maybe this was his real size, and he¡¯d just shrunk himself to avoid identally breaking things.

    In fact, he looked exactly like the giant monster that one-punch man had fought in Jack¡¯s first vision, except much stronger.

    ¡°What¡¯s your trump card, brat?¡± the Elder said, narrowing his eyes. His aura roiled. ¡°Bring it out, and let me crush it!¡±

    ¡°There is no trump card,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Only my fist.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast hesitated for a moment. His aura spread far but found nobody.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t call your master?¡± Crownbeast asked. ¡°Not Puerto? Not anybody?¡±

    ¡°Nobody,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I don¡¯t need help.¡±

    ¡°Could you really be an idiot?¡±

    ¡°You know¡­¡± Jack grinned, clenching his fist. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed an Autarch before.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast startedughing, both in disbelief and ridicule, but he was cut short. Jack¡¯s aura erupted. A potentbination of life, death, space, and time washed over the world, destroying the emptynd beneath. The quantity of his energy wasn¡¯t too great, but the Daos it carried were vast. Miniature fists floated through the air, while arger fist phantom spontaneously formed around Jack, each finger a different color¡ªgreen, ck, blue, white, and purple, the color of the Fist.

    Elder Crownbeast was shut up. ¡°What¡¯s that aura?¡± he asked, looking around. His eyes grew wider. ¡°You¡¯re so strong¡­ How is this possible? How can you possess such power at the middle Baron level!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll never find out,¡± Jack replied calmly. He clenched his fists, and all the phantoms disappeared. The world held its breath. Brock and Starhair had already retreated.

    ¡°Do you really intend to fight me?¡± the Elder asked. ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯m almost arge realm above you!¡±

    ¡°I told you,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed an Autarch before. I want to find out how it feels¡ªI want to step on that stage.¡±

    Elder Crownbeast finally took Jack seriously. He considered his immense talent. Slowly, his wildly rolling aura condensed around his body, dding him in wild red light.

    ¡°Even the brightest disciple I ever mentored cannot match up to your little toe,¡± Crownbeast admitted in a low growl. ¡°I was nning on dragging you back to the faction, but I changed my mind. You cannot be allowed to grow. You must die now.¡±

    ¡°Bring it on, lizard,¡± Jack said, and he did not wait. He charged.

 Chapter 514: Fighting A-Grade

    Jack charged into Elder Crownbeast, piercing through multipleyers of space. His speed was far superior to what he¡¯d showed in the duel against Saturnstar. He reached Crownbeast in an instant and punched out sideways, smashing his fist against the Elder¡¯s aura like aet from the heavens.

    The sky behind him distorted. Tendrils of purple energy spread out, shing to the horizon, but the Elder¡¯s crimson aura held.

    ¡°Fool!¡± Crownbeastughed. ¡°Us crownbeasts specialize in defense! Even if I stood here and let you hit me for an hour, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to injure me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just warming up,¡± Jack replied. ¡°How about you sit still and wait if you¡¯re so sure?¡±

    ¡°As if!¡±

    The beast¡¯s jaws shed with extreme speed. One moment he was upright, the next his fangs were around Jack, ready to eviscerate him. Space warped, and the jaws snapped on empty air.

    ¡°Too slow!¡± Jack shouted from above the Elder¡¯s head. He smashed a fist down, trailing it with stars. ¡°Meteor Punch!¡±

    The meteor smashed into the top of the godzi¡¯s head and pushed it down. The entire monster shook as it dropped, righting itself in mid-air. A ten-mile-wide crater formed on the desert below. Sand rose to the heavens.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give you that!¡± Crownbeast shouted. ¡°The greatest talent I¡¯ve ever seen. However, you¡¯re just too arrogant! It¡¯s impossible to jump arge realm to fight me! You just don¡¯t have the power! And what¡¯s more, I came prepared! I thought your master would arrive to fight me, so I practiced discipline and manners for the past six months. Your Great Spanking Arts gain no advantage against me!¡±Jack paused, his fist drawn back. ¡°Did you actually believe that?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°...Maybe I overdid it. In any case, shut your mouth and fight me like a monster!¡±

    ¡°As you wish!¡±

    Elder Crownbeast closed his mouth, hiding his fangs as heunched himself head-first at Jack like a torpedo. This was the same move Saturnstar used as a finisher, but to the Elder, it was just another move. A three-thousand-feet monster barreled towards Jack at speeds far surpassing that of sound. At the same time, a mighty space lock came over him, along with a mighty feeling of bloodlust produced by savagery. Twin restraints prevented Jack from dodging. He broke both at the same time, narrowly disappearing into space as Crownbeast pulverized his previous position.

    Jack reappeared nearby, charging immediately. He shouldn¡¯t give the Elder any time to breathe. In melee, Crownbeast couldn¡¯t charge up any big attacks, and the small ones would be easier to dodge.

    Jack rushed into Crownbeast. His fists red. Punch after punch smashed into hard scales, while Brutalizing Aura assaulted the Elder¡¯s mind. Winds of savagery attempted to immobilize Jack, but he resisted them with pure willpower.

    However, while Jack could protect himself, his strikes were ineffective. His fists broke against the crimson aura and hard scales. Progress was slow. It was like poking a giant to death.

    ¡°Hahahah!¡± Crownbeastughed. ¡°Dance around, fool! You¡¯ll run out of energy eventually, and then I¡¯ll catch you!¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut the fuck up!¡±

    Jack stuck close. He pelted the godzi with many small attacks, infusing them with the power of death. Scales cracked and rotted, but it was too little. They barely counted as scratches.

    A thick tail rose for Jack, but he expertly curved space around him so it missed. He nailed a straight punch into the monster¡¯s chest, then shed behind it and smashed another at the back of the neck. He teleported unpredictably. Arms, legs, torso, head. The monster was assaulted by a flurry of blows which only scratched it.

    As Elder Crownbeast reared up for another attack, Jack dodged it preemptively, securing a few instants for himself. The world was sucked into his fist. More and more Dao particles were absorbed, making his hand glow. Right as it reached critical mass, Jack let it rip.

    ¡°Supernova!¡±

    A star exploded on the Elder¡¯s back. Purple light filled the world, the shockwave rolling onto the earth below and demolishing itpletely. The desert had transformed into a ckened crater.

    Jack had flown back from the impact. His fractured hand bones quickly set into ce. As he looked towards the monster, however, he frowned. The scales and red aura, which he¡¯d broken through for the first time, were quickly regenerating. The wound below them remained, but it was nowhere near debilitating. He¡¯d need to stack a dozen of them to actually harm the giant monster, and he¡¯d run low on energy by then.

    Elder Crownbeast was surprised for a different reason. ¡°You actually managed to injure me?¡± he uttered in disbelief. ¡°How can you be so strong?¡±

    ¡°Still not enough¡­¡± Jack muttered. ¡°No choice then.¡±

    Green light covered his skin. Suddenly, he grew a foot taller and sprouted two extra arms from his armpits. His only article of clothing¡ªthe magical pair of shorts which enhanced his defense¡ªgrew with him. Thankfully, the transformation didn¡¯t affect his Double Devil disguise.

    This was the second time Jack used his battle form since reaching the B-Grade. The Life Drop had been emptied out during his breakthrough, and recharging it was slow, even with the entire Green Dragon Realm fueling it. Six months after itsst use against Archon Summer Noon, it had only recovered enough energy to maintain this transformation for a few minutes. A time which would be cut even shorter if forced to regenerate any injuries.

    Jack had to make it count.

    ¡°You grew even stronger!?¡± Elder Crownbeast shouted, sensing Jack¡¯s burst of energy. ¡°What kind of monster are you!?¡±

    ¡°Thest you¡¯ll ever see,¡± Jack growled as he charged. His physical strength had skyrocketed. He needed it to actually injure the Elder. He teleported in, easily dodging an attack and smashing an empowered Supernova into the monster¡¯s chest.

    This explosion was even stronger than thest. A new sun appeared. Purple light illuminated the world, while the boom traveled for a thousand miles. Anotheryer of rock was pushed into the ground, deepening the crater, and all those happened with the vast majority of energy focused on breaking Crownbeast¡¯s defense.

    Another hole appeared on the monster¡¯s chest. Broken scales flew into the sky, while cracked ones surrounded a crater of blood and bones. The corner of a lung was revealed before the Elder¡¯s flesh regrew. He seemed stunned, but not grievously injured. It wasn¡¯t just his defense that was great, but also his endurance.

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    ¡°How can you injure me so?¡± he muttered, fear seeping into his voice for the first time. ¡°How is this possible!?¡±

    By now, it was beginning to dawn on Crownbeast that he¡¯d made a mistake. Jack¡¯s speed was far superior to any other B-Grade¡¯s, and also superior to Crownbeast¡¯s. If Jack wanted to run, the Elder couldn¡¯t stop him. The best oue here was a draw.

    But, if Crownbeast wanted to run, he couldn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t fast enough. And now, for the first time, he was beginning to suspect he might lose¡ªunless he took this seriously.

    ¡°Will I really be defeated by a middle Baron!?¡± he shouted, infuriated by his own words. ¡°I will destroy you, Jack Monstrous! Assault form!¡±

    His body shrunk. From three thousand feet tall, he became just thirty. His defense and power were greatly reduced, but his speed rose tremendously. He shed out, instantly catching up to Jack. He turned and swung his own scaly fist forward. Jack caught it with his two right forearms, both of which shattered like matches. He was sent flying backward, blood trailing his path.

    Crownbeast reappeared over him, smashing Jack with his tail mid-flight. Jack punched it but was overpowered. He crashed into the ground and dug himself a mile deep.

    Crownbeast didn¡¯t let up. He charged into the hole, and the ground erupted, showering the crater with pieces of rocks. Two bloodied forms flew out. Jack¡¯s body was riddled with constantly regenerating wounds.

    Unfortunately, his cultivation base was just too low. He was far outssed in strength and defense. In this new form, he only slightly surpassed Crownbeast in speed, and that¡¯s because the monster really suffered in that area. Jack¡¯s only path to victory was his extreme understanding of the Dao.

    How arrogant was it for a youth to challenge a millennia-old elder in worldprehension? How bold? Yet, it was true¡ªthe Dao grew with experience more than it did with time, and in this regard, Jack held the definitive advantage.

    Crownbeast also sported some injuries, but they were superficial. The two traded blow for blow, but Jack¡¯s attacks only inflicted scratches, while the Elder¡¯s were devastating. Only the Life Drop¡¯s regeneration kept Jack in the fight¡ªwhen it ran out of energy, he¡¯d have to escape. It¡¯s also worth noting that all this urred on Jack¡¯s highly tempered body¡ªany other B-Grade would have been smashed to smithereens.

    ¡°SUPERNOVA!¡± Jack shouted, meeting the Elder¡¯s fist with his own. A new explosion shook the world. Jack flew back, his hand shattered and his shoulder cracked, while Crownbeast grunted and pursued. His scaly hand was also fractured.

    <em>I must do something! </em>Jack thought. <em>I¡¯ll never win like this!</em>

    He did have his newest weapon, but it took time to charge, and Crownbeast would never give it to him. He needed to earn it.

    The two shed again. Strikes flew. Fists met scales. Scales met flesh. The sky shattered and was washed away, the clouds ripped apart to reveal moreyers above. The earth had long given way to a field of devastation. Blood rained from the sky¡ªmostly Jack¡¯s.

    Between their various exchanges, Jack saw his opening. He braced himself. A set of jaws flew at his shoulder, and he let themnd. Bones shattered¡ªflesh was rent. Crownbeast didn¡¯t expect this attack to work. Before he could recover, Jack used the time earned by not defending to charge up his own strike.

    ¡°Supernova!¡± he shouted. His fist smashed into the opponent¡¯s chest. The explosion burned Jack as well. Crownbeast flew down like a rocket, his still-closed jaws ripping out Jack¡¯s shoulder and arm. He was nailed into the earth, but flew back out a momentter. His mangled chest was already regenerating.

    ¡°Fool!¡± he said, panting. ¡°You can¡¯t trade hits like this! I¡¯ll just outsustain¡ª¡±

    He did not finish his words.

    Jack hovered in the middle of the sky. One of his four arms was still missing, the open wound dripping blood. His chest was burned, yet his face didn¡¯t betray the slightest hint of pain. His eyes were razor-focused. His mouth was hard.

    A bubble of sealed space spread around Jack¡¯s fist. Itpressed in pulses, raising the pressure to terrifying degrees. The moment Crownbeast resurfaced, the bubble was reduced to encapste only Jack¡¯s fist, which shattered. Bones and flesh warped together, copsing into a singr point. The power of space raged.

    As the bubblepressed even further, bing a nail-sized singrity, ck foam filled it. A terrible suction force erupted outward, sucking the air into a spiral, a whirlpool given life and giving death. The now-ck sphere grewrger as it absorbed the world. From the size of a nail, it grew to the size of Jack¡¯s hand.

    He brandished his arm. In ce of a fist, he now wielded a ck hole of death which swallowed the world. Dark ribbons of energy spread outward. The horizon curved around Jack. The swirling energy warped his image.

    Crownbeast was not in time to stop this. As soon as he surfaced, he watched Jack finish preparing his attack, then charge at him. He never thought he¡¯d feel terror at a middle Baron, a person almost an entirerge realm below him.

    Yet, he did. He was frozen. His every instinct screamed to get away from that ck sphere, yet he could not. It sucked everything, even spacetime. Coupled with Jack¡¯s originally superior insights into Space, Crownbeast was locked in ce, unable to dodge. All he could do was take the blow.

    ¡°Shell mode!¡± he shouted. His body regrew to its original size of three thousand feet, maximizing his defense. The crimson aura roared and thickened. He even crossed his arms before his chest and leaned forward, bracing himself as best as he could. Defense was his specialty. In this state, he could withstand even the all-out attack of a middle Autarch.

    Jack and his ck hole sailed forth. They seemed slow, yet were deceptively fast. They reached Crownbeast in an instant.

    Jack¡¯s strongest attacking skill up to this point, Supernova, was not thatplex. It hade from a mere B-Grade faction, and he¡¯d already learned it at the D-Grade. He¡¯d polished it a little since then, but the sad truth was it was inadequate for his current level. His powers had been missing a proper vessel.

    This ck hole skill was far superior. It used concepts at the level of an Archon. Even now, Jack could barelyprehend and use it, but it allowed him to utilize his previously blocked insights to their full potential. It was, without exaggeration, an attack insanely stronger than anything he¡¯d shown before.

    The ck hole remained at the stump of his wrist, and he shoved it in. It met Crownbeast¡¯s crossed arms and kept going. The crimson aura, the scales, the bones, the hard flesh¡­ All of those werepletely incapable of stopping a ck hole. It pierced right through, absorbing everything and turning it into its own power, growing constantly stronger.

    Jack dislodged it from his wrist and shot it out while he retreated. It prated Crownbeast¡¯s arms and sank into his chest, right under his disbelieving gaze. It flew deep. Organs and bones were warped and turned into mush, which copsed into the fake singrity. A growing hole appeared on the monster¡¯s chest. Its dense body only worked against it¡ªthe more matter the ck hole absorbed, the faster it grew. A terrible ripping sound echoed as the monster¡¯s body was torn apart.

    However, at the end of the day, this wasn¡¯t a real ck hole. It was only supported by Jack¡¯s Dao, and he was moving farther away by the minute. It also could only withstand a certain amount of mass. At some point, a ck spark flew out¡ªand the ck hole, without any other warning, erupted.

    It was like a supernova exploding inside Crownbeast¡¯s chest. His already dislodged innards scattered into the sky. Blood flew everywhere. The explosion was almost entirely contained in his body, which made it more destructive. Crownbeast¡¯s chest disappeared. Only the sides of his torso remained, with the rest burned into a massive, thousand-foot-wide,pletely see-through hole. ck energy flew into the sky, carving holes in the ground and clouds.

    Alongside the explosion, the space-death foam produced in the ck hole was released. It stuck onto Crownbeast¡¯s body and consumed it from the inside, killing it so thoroughly that not even the space it upied remained. By the time the foam was exhausted, the monster¡¯s body was so eaten up that only two halves remained¡ªbelow his waist, and above his shoulders. Everything else was just gone.

    The two halves of Crownbeast smashed into the ground below. The beast¡¯s vitality was impressive¡ªeven now, it remained alive, but even it couldn¡¯t recover from such a wound.

    As life slowly left his body, Crownbeast turned a pair of terrified eyes on Jack. ¡°Monster,¡± he whispered. ¡°Monster¡­¡±

    Jack was also badly injured. Some of the explosion had gotten him as well, and he¡¯d almost been struck by a beam of deathly foam. An entire arm remained missing from when Crownbeast had bitten it off, one of his wrists was a stump, and thest of the Life Drop¡¯s energies worked overdrive to repair his mangled body. He fell to the ground panting¡ªbutnded on his feet. He looked at his empty wrist in awe.

    He¡¯d just killed an A-Grade. And the ck hole attack¡­ was the most powerful skill he¡¯d ever utilized. By far.

    Jack cracked a smile. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡±

 Chapter 515: Resolve

    Brock and Starhair flew over a ckened and ruined patch of earth. Since they¡¯d retreated so far away before, it took them some time to find Jack. Once they did, Brock rushed over.

    ¡°Bro!¡± he said, stars filling his eyes. ¡°That was so cool!¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°Thanks, Brock. I tried my best.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± Starhair muttered dazedly. ¡°A middle B-Grade killed an early A-Grade¡­ I¡¯m numb. Like it¡¯s all a dream.¡±

    ¡°You <em>are </em>in a dream,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Except it¡¯s mine.¡±

    The two pieces of Crownbeast¡¯s bodyy on the ground, a marker of Jack¡¯s triumph. They contained his space ring and core¡ªthankfully ced near his brain, not his chest. Before that, however, Jack wanted to inspect something else.

    <strong>Congrattions! New Dao Skill unlocked:</strong>

    <strong>ck Hole III: By harnessing the fundamental properties of matter and space, you can force them into a state of copse. You create a weaponized, artificial ck hole. When outside your control, it erupts, releasing all the mass it has absorbed in one massive explosion.</strong>

    Jack couldn¡¯t help the grin on his face. He¡¯d finally done it. After studying several Archon inheritances and Dao Visions, as well as the iplete ck hole manual, he¡¯d finally managed to create this skill. It wasn¡¯t just a weapon¡ªit felt like the culmination of his entire path of cultivation so far. After all, most of his core experiencesbined led here.It was also the very first skill he created which belonged entirely to him. Meteor Punch was inspired by the fist-wielder in Jack¡¯s first vision, while Supernova was derived from the Exploding Sun¡¯s inheritance. All his other skills were more auxiliary, so they didn¡¯t really count.

    ck Hole, while containing bits and pieces of many different inheritances, was something uniquely created by Jack. His version even had many differences from the red lizard man¡¯s who made the iplete Dao manual.

    It was technique he understood in depth, since he was its creator, and also one perfectly suited for his exact cultivation path. Those factors contributed to its terrifying strength.

    If Jack ever created his own inheritance, this would be the first real technique he inscribed.

    Of course, the current ck Hole was far fromplete. It was a high-level skill, so it had began at tier III, but he¡¯d only just embarked on the way of mastering it. Plus, there were other targets to hit. His single greatest Dao Vision so far had been about a woman engineering a Big Bang, the controlled creation of a universe. Unlike the ck hole, whichbined Space and Death, this woman had demonstrated a fusion of Time and Life, the other of Jack¡¯s dualities. He had a feeling that mastering this Dao Vision as well would be the next big step on his path.

    Most people¡¯s potentials tapered off at the B-Grade because they¡¯d chosen a narrow path. Jack had done the opposite. His potential was endless¡ªbut realizing it meant he had to constantly struggle with the highest-level concepts of the universe. He had to show up at the top level uninvited and y ball.

    That was the true Road to Mastery.

    Unfortunately, Jack was outside System space, so his victory against Elder Crownbeast didn¡¯t grant him any levels. Fortunately, the Elder had a core, and absorbing it would be kind of the same thing. Even more fortunately, the core was located in the Elder¡¯s brain, so it hadn¡¯t been destroyed by the ck hole.

    Jack rummaged through the colossal skull and emerged holding a crimson, pulsing orb. It radiated intense power. The earth around them ked off.

    And this was just the start. Killing Crownbeast at this point was the greatest lucky chance Jack could have had. He ran over to the fallen beast¡¯s hand, cut off at the wrist, where a space ring was nestled between broken scales. He peeled it off to peek inside. Immediately, his face brightened.

    Crownbeast¡¯s space ring contained Dao manuals, weapons, pills, and a wealth of monster cores ranging from the early to the peak B-Grade. It was essentially a treasure trove. Most importantly, however, it contained the items Crownbeast had won in the auction.

    Thete A-Grade core¡­and the Overlord core!

    Jack startedughing, holding the space ring to his chest. The coffers of an overlord faction had bled to secure these objects. Now, because of Crownbeast¡¯s miscalctions, it all belonged to Jack!

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he said. ¡°If any A-Grades were nearby, they might be rushing over.¡±

    He disintegrated Crownbeast¡¯s remains with the flick of a hand¡ªthey were vulnerable now that his Dao was gone¡ªandunched into the sky, creating a new crater behind him. The wind whooshed in his ears. Jackughed into it, shooting straight into the clouds, emerging above them and under anotheryer of clouds. For a moment, he debated going up to see whaty at the top of the sky. Was this really the time?

    <em>Why not? </em>he asked himself. <em>If anyone was going toe, they¡¯d be here by now. Plus, this can¡¯t take more than a couple moments.</em>

    ¡°Wait here,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯ll check things above a moment.¡±

    He dashed up without waiting for a reply. He flew into the secondyer of clouds and emerged into a simr scenery. A thirdyer waited above him. He also noticed that the ambient pressure had doubled¡ªa curious sign, though nowhere near enough to affect him.

    He kept shooting upwards. The thirdyer, the fourth, the fifth¡­ Everyyer was separated from the next by roughly a thousand miles, but that distance mattered little to Jack.

    By the time he reached the seventhyer, he was beginning to notice differences. The colors were slowly growing darker, starting from their original gray color and approaching ck. The pressure was mounting aggressively, too. Only B-Grades could fly at the ground level, but now, even Jack was struggling.

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    <em>The hell? </em>he wondered. <em>I¡¯m as powerful as an A-Grade, but I can¡¯t reach the sky!?</em>

    He kept going. The eighthyer strained him further¡ªby the time he reached the ninth, he could no longer proceed. Every mile he soared upwards exhausted him¡ªusing teleportation was no different. At this rate, he¡¯d run out of energy, and that might be dangerous.

    He let himself drop.

    <em>What lies up there? </em>Jack wondered, gazing at the not-quite-ck clouds above. He had a sense he wasn¡¯t even close to the top. <em>When I have the power, I¡¯ll find out. I can also just ask someone.</em>

    He chuckled. Why did that feel like admitting defeat?

    He fell through ayer of clouds, then another. The pressure quickly lessened as he descended, and before long, he¡¯d once again reached just above the firstyer, where Brock and Starhair waited.

    ¡°Well?¡± Starhair asked.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°I have no idea. I couldn¡¯t make it. I suspect that¡­only Overlords have that privilege¡­¡±

    ¡°All wille at their time,¡± Brock said. ¡°Shall we, bro?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jack shook the issue away from now¡ªthough he promised to revisitter.

    The three of them traveled in the gap between the first two cloudyers, flying away at max speed. They kept their perceptions spread out to avoid any surprises, but none came.

    A few hours passed. From above the clouds, the three of them crossed several provinces, flying for hundreds of thousands of miles. Jack had chosen a direction that led to neither the Great Silver nor the Fiend King faction. His first priority was absorbing the cores he¡¯d acquired, and that required secrecy. Their current target was the barren outer provinces.

    Half a dayter, they decided they were finally far enough. Jack shot through the clouds, facing an endless red expanse. Blue weeds grew intermittently, and green foxes shuttled between them. There was no powerful space monster in sight.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± he said.

    A hill protruded from the expanse like a pimple. Jack dove into it, carving a thin tunnel deep into the earth. Stone and dirt parted before his might. He waved his arms around, and soon, he¡¯d opened up a small cave for all of them. There were various stone rooms, each able to iste from the others usingrge boulders as doors.

    ¡°Nice build, bro,¡± Brock said as he and Starhair flew in.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we have to stay here¡­¡± Starhair said. ¡°There isn¡¯t even a bathroom.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll manage,¡± Jack replied with augh. ¡°Let¡¯s get to business.¡±

    He waved a hand and three items appeared. It was the three cores¡ªCrownbeast¡¯s early A-Grade one, thete A-Grade from the auction, and the overlord core.

    The early andte A-Grade cores exuded a great aura, but they paled before the overlord one. It was like a ck sun. The moment Jack took it out, the entire cave swam with dark light, and illusions of death swung scythes at their heads. This core alone was more intense than the living Elder Boatman.

    Starhair backpedaled, an expression of horror on his face. Only when Jack sealed the core¡¯s aura did he recover, but even Jack could only do so much. ck steam escaped his restraints,zily drifting about the cave.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think it would be this powerful.¡±

    ¡°Very cool,¡± Brock admitted, leaning closer to the core to study it. The ck steam tickled his nose, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°It¡¯s almost alive.¡±

    ¡°It <em>is </em>alive,¡± Starhair muttered. He leaned against a wall, grabbing his heart. He gulped. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a powerful core before, but I¡¯ve read about them. Overlords are different. Their inner world is so rich with life that, even after death, it retains a degree of intelligence. It¡¯s like an animal. If you try to absorb it, it will resist with all its might, unleashing its energies to wreck your body.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jack cupped his chin. ¡°Sounds dangerous.¡±

    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve heard about ate A-Grade Elder who managed to find one such core. He diluted it in a vat of water, then rested inside it until all the raw energy had been absorbed. You should do the same¡ªjust with a lot more water.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that wasteful?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°Some of the core¡¯s energies escape,¡± Starhair agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s not much, only around twenty percent, and it makes the process much safer.¡±

    ¡°How long does it take?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°If I recall correctly, it took that Elder seven years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°I cannot waste that much time on a single core.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Starhair snapped. ¡°You cannot waste seven years on an Overlord core? God. If anyone else heard you, they¡¯d have a heart attack! That¡¯s the most arrogant phrase I¡¯ve ever heard!¡±

    Jack stared at him. ¡°Raise your eyes, man. Don¡¯t settle for the dumpster fire you call cultivation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª Whatever. I suggest you dilute the core in water. It¡¯s better than dying.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±

    Jack eyed the core. Even sealed in a purple of his Dao, it radiated intense destruction. He pictured how, if he tried to absorb a wisp of this energy, it would recklessly rush about his body to ruin him. But, he did have a highly tempered body. If he absorbed it one wisp of energy at a time, he was over ny percent certain he could handle it. It would take much less than seven years, too.

    But it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant.

    Jack made up his mind. ¡°I will go into seclusion,¡± he said, pulling the overlord core into his space ring. ¡°Here.¡± With a flick of his wrist, the other two cores flew at Brock and Starhair respectively. Brock got thete A-Grade, while Starhair would enjoy Crownbeast¡¯s early A-Grade core. They were properlypatible with the two of them.

    Starhair grabbed the core reflexively. He looked at it, stunned. ¡°For me?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t even do anything. I can¡¯t ept this.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re a team,¡± Jack said. ¡°We have to share at least a bit. Plus, that core is notpatible with me. You should use it to regrow your hair more quickly.¡±

    Starhair looked between the core and Jack. An early A-Grade core didn¡¯t sound like much right now, but in truth, it was an astoundingly precious resource! Starhair¡¯s worth in the outside universe couldn¡¯t buy such a core, and he ruled an entire constetion.

    Of course, space monster cores were rarer in the universe than here.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Starhair said, epting the core. As for Brock, he smirked at Jack.

    ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± he said. ¡°Appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°No worries. We¡¯re bros. Supporting each other is what we do.¡±

    Jack walked towards one of the smaller caverns. Thinking better about it, he created a hundred foot corridor leading to a cavern with thick rock walls.

    ¡°I won¡¯te out until I¡¯ve fully digested the core,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take. Stay safe until then. See you, bros.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, bro.¡±

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Starhair shouted as Jack rolled a huge boulder in front of the opening. It smashed into ce with a loud thud. He was now alone, in darkness, in a roughly ten by ten feet cavern deep underground.

    Jack took a deep breath and pulled the overlord core out of his space ring. Instantly, the entire cavern was submerged in the ck mist of death, so dense it was suffocating. Any low-level cultivator ced here would die instantly. Jack¡¯s Life and Death Daos protected him, but he still felt a chill creep down his spine.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± he whispered to himself, then mustered his courage and probed the core.

 Chapter 516: Absorbing the Overlord Core

    The overlord core contained arge, stormy ck ocean. As Jack focused on it, he saw himself growing smaller and smaller, rapped by the winds of this storm.

    In the huge sphere which dominated his perception, dark lightning shed, shedding the light of death on the water. Figures were revealed inside it¡ªsome smaller, somerger, all bloodthirsty creatures with terrifying visages. It was like every creature the overlord had ever killed was trapped in this core. They were many, they were powerful, and they were mad with anger.

    Jack gulped. Facing this huge sphere of water, he felt small. He could overpower this unruly ocean¡ªbut absorbing it felt impossible.

    ¡°One step at a time,¡± he told himself. He could sit here and stare at it in fear for days, but that wouldn¡¯t change what he had to do.

    The reason such an ocean of power could fit inside the torso-sized core was because it was highly condensed. Jack gently extracted a string of energy, sensing it fight madly to escape his control. It was like holding onto an angry snake. He brought it to his chest and pushed it in.

    The snake went wild. It hissed and snapped its jaws, rushing through Jack¡¯s body in the most destructive rampage it could achieve. He gasped. Blood spurted out. His veins broke, his muscles and tendons tore, his bones were pierced. Thankfully, his body was extremely durable, and his regeneration effective even without the Life Drop. The snake couldn¡¯t kill him¡ªbut it could break him and make him suffer.

    Jack couldn¡¯t hold it in¡ªhe screamed.

    The overlord¡¯s Dao of Death was different than Jack¡¯s. Jack pursued the concept of death, its finality. This overlord had focused on the savagery which caused death, on destruction. Their energy embodied this concept. As the tiny ck snake wreaked desperate havoc inside Jack¡¯s body, its sole purpose to damage him as much as possible, all Jack could do was seal his pores so it couldn¡¯t escape. He caged in the beast.

    shes of burning pain. It was like he¡¯d swallowed a maggot trying to eat him alive. Yet, he gritted his teeth and persisted. Screams left his mouth. The pain was maddening.Even worse, there was nothing he could do¡ªunless he diluted the core, wasting part of its essence, the only way he could harness this energy was to let it exhaust itself inside his body. Only this way could he ensure maximum effectiveness.

    The snake was rampaging, but its energy was slowly depleting. A few minutester, it finally slowed down. Its damage lessened, letting Jack¡¯s regeneration catch up. Finally, it stilled. The destructive Dao embedded in the wisp had been exhausted, leaving only the pure, raw energy of death.

    Jack absorbed it into his inner world. He sensed the difference¡ªthis core¡¯s energy was so pure andpressed, that even one wisp produced a noticeable improvement in his inner world. Not enough to advance his Matter Condensation by even one percent¡ªbut noticeable nheless.

    As soon as the energy was absorbed, Jack copsed to the ground. He was dry heaving. Intense pain still wreaked his body from all the wounds the snake had left behind, and the memory of its rampage shadowed Jack¡¯s mind, trying to shake him. That was torture. Had it really only been two minutes?

    Jack gritted his teeth. That was just one wisp of the core¡¯s energy. A tiny part. There were hundreds of thousands of shadowy creatures waiting for him in there, maybe millions. Would he really have to do this for each of them? Maybe he should dilute the core in water like Starhair had suggested. This was impossible.

    <em>I cannot waste the efficacy, </em>he thought through gritted teeth. He nted a fist on the ground and used it to raise himself. Sweat dripped down his forehead¡ªhe was panting but resolute. <em>I cannot afford to dy. The only way out is through.</em>

    His regeneration was only now finishing up the repairs, and Jack waited until it was done to keep going. As it finished, however, he raised a brow. His body felt¡­slightly stronger than before. Denser. More durable. The parts ravaged by the snake had been almost imperceptibly enhanced.

    He wondered for a moment, then startedughing. ¡°Life from death!¡± he shouted. ¡°Thank you, senior Overlord, whoever you were! You have done me a great favor through the ages!¡±

    The more Jack interacted with this overlord core, the more benefits he discovered. He was sure that, if he could fully absorb it, it would transform himpletely and greatly increase his powers. It wouldn¡¯t be a small difference¡ªbut a whole new world!

    The only problem was, absorbing this core would be a battle¡­but Jack had nothing if not willpower.

    He pulled another wisp from the core, forced it into his chest, and screamed.

    ***

    Starhair stood nervously in the main cavern of their underground cave. He hadn¡¯t gone to absorb his core yet¡ªhe was concerned about Jack, who¡¯d chosen to try something obviously impossible. The man was suicidal. He only prayed he stopped this madness early.

    ¡°Stop pacing around,¡± Brock said. ¡°Big bro will be fine.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so calm?¡± Starhair asked. ¡°He¡¯s killing himself.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not. You must believe.¡±

    ¡°Believe in what? It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    On cue, a miserable scream cut through the cave. It sounded like someone being eaten alive. Starhair jumped and rushed towards Jack¡¯s cave, but Brock shed in front of him. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Believe.¡±

    ¡°Are you insane? Your brother is dying in there!¡±

    Another scream echoed, sharper than the previous one. Brock didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Believe,¡± he repeated.

    Starhair cursed. He paced back and forth. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± he spat out.

    ¡°I am. Stay put and absorb your core. Big bro knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Just do as I say.¡±

    Starhair wanted tosh out and destroy the cavern. He barely held himself in check. Instead of absorbing his core, he just sat there, waiting for Jack¡¯s inevitable cry for help. But it never arrived. The screams continued for a whole two minutes before abruptly cutting off.

    Starhair shot to his feet. ¡°He¡¯s unconscious,¡± he said. ¡°Or dead. I¡¯m impressed hested that long. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Go where?¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°To save Jack, of course!¡±

    The brori shook his head. He did not respond.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Starhair shouted, slowly getting angry. ¡°Your brother just passed out mid-scream and you won¡¯t even check on him? Do you not care!?¡±

    ¡°I care more than you think,¡± Brock replied calmly. ¡°But I believe in him. You don¡¯t understand yet. You will. Just wait.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    The screaming restarted. It had barely been half a minute since they stopped¡ªhad Jack just taken a break? What was going on?

    ¡°Absorbing the core will take a long time,¡± Starhair said. ¡°He¡¯s already suffering. There is no way he canst that long.¡±

    Brock smiled.

    Time passed. Every few minutes, Jack¡¯s screaming would pause, only to restart secondster. His voice grew hoarser. After an hour, Starhair had gone numb. He just listened on. ¡°How can hest this long?¡± he whispered, eyes shaking in horror. ¡°How is he even alive?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to start,¡± Brock said. He waved a hand, creating a soundproof barrier around Jack¡¯s cavern to iste the screams. Their cave grew deathly quiet.

    ¡°What if something happens to him?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°Big bro ispetent. If it¡¯s too dangerous, he will stop. He cannot die.¡±

    Brock took out the peak A-Grade core. It was a violent torrent of extremely high-level energy¡ªyet,pared to Jack¡¯s overlord core, it was sadlycking. The brori retreated to another small cave to absorb it, and Starhair reluctantly did the same. He remained concerned, but he did his best to focus.

    Three dayster, Starhair emerged from his seclusion. Two of his three uprooted strands of hair had reformed¡ªonly one remained. He sat alone in the empty cave, watching the boulder shutting Jack¡¯s cave. The sound istion barrier remained. Deep in worry, Starhair undid it for a moment, only for the sound of hoarse screams to instantly fill the cave.

    He was stunned. Disbelief and horror warred on his face. Finally, he numbly reinstated the barrier and sat in meditation. ¡°How¡­¡± he whispered.

    It took another five months before Brock emerged as well. He seemed reborn. His aura pulsed in waves, both stable and vastly strengthened. He had steadily stepped into thete B-Grade.

    Starhair eyed Brock with despair. In the time it took him to repair his broken cultivation, Brock had climbed an entire small realm. That cultivation speed was unreal. Starhair¡­was already far surpassed.

    He chuckled in resignation.

    ¡°How¡¯s big bro doing?¡± was the first thing Brock asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine. I¡¯m removing the sound barrier every few days to check in on him, but he never stops screaming. He doesn¡¯t even take breaks anymore. It¡¯s just one constant, neverending torture. I have no idea how he hangs on.¡±

    ¡°Because he knows he has to,¡± Brock replied calmly. He sat down cross-legged. ¡°Meditate. Big bro might be a while.¡±

    Time flowed on. Due to the inherent difficulties, Jack¡¯s process of absorbing the core was much slower than Brock¡¯s. He also had much more energy to absorb. The months turned into years. Brock and Starhair remained in the cave, still like statues, pondering on the truths of the world. They asionally opened their eyes to discuss something which perplexed them. Starhair was the one exining at first, but as time passed, he found himself more and more on the receiving end of wisdom.

    He was stubbornly resisting the bro gue, but little by little, a crack had formed in the corner of his heart¡­

    Starhair¡¯s checks on Jack turned from daily, into weekly, into monthly. One year in, his screams grew so hoarse they were barely audible. Starhair had never found him not screaming.

    Three and a half years passed. In the blink of an eye, they¡¯d been in the Space Monster World for four years. It was unknown how the war outside progressed, if the Church was still persisting, or whether the Old Gods had arrived from their far corner of the universe. All Starhair knew was this cave.

    His injuries had healed within the first two years of seclusion. Now, he was pondering on his Daos and absorbing the ambient energies, making slow but steady progress. He no longer bothered to lift the sound barrier. Whatever was going on inside that cave had surpassed his understanding.

    Jack¡¯s deadline to visit the Great Silver faction had also passed, but¡­ Oh well¡­

    Finally, one day which seemed no different than the others, the boulder sealing Jack¡¯s cave moved. The man himself left seclusion, stepping into the light for the first time in almost four years.

    As soon as Jack appeared, Brock¡¯s eyes shot open, and Starhair rushed to wee him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, but he abruptly paused ten feet before Jack. It wasn¡¯t by choice. He just couldn¡¯t move forward.

    Something had changed in this man. Visually, Jack looked the same as before¡ªbare chest, calm eyes, rxed yet confident posture¡ªbut his aura was vastly different. Darker. More savage. His eyes hid pain so deep it put the oceans to shame. It wasn¡¯t some Dao which made Starhair pause¡ªjust a profound sense of inferiority.

    This was not a man. It was a dark angel. Someone¡­unfathomable.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jack replied, and all the darkness disappeared, leaving just a simple man. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ In there¡­ You were screaming the whole time!¡± Starhair shouted.

    ¡°Just a little bit of pain,¡± Jack replied calmly. His smile didn¡¯t reach his ears. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Oh, hey bro. Got any food? I¡¯m famished.¡±

    Jack walked past Starhair, reaching the cave proper where Brock weed him with open arms. They took out a table full of Earth delicacies and tore into it, chatting andughing like nothing was wrong.

    For Starhair, reality was jarring. He couldn¡¯t reconcile the two facts he faced. Jack had been screaming in a dark room for three and a half years¡ªnow he came out unaffected? How was this possible? Was it all some borate prank?

    He couldn¡¯t help himself. He walked forward, crossing the corridor and approaching Jack¡¯s cave. The stench hit him before he even arrived. Dark, damp metal. Blood. Rot.

    Starhair braved the smell. It turned his stomach, but he had to know. He had to see.

    He reached the opening. He froze where he stood. His legs were rooted to the ground, and all his cultivation left him, leaving him a mortal.

    This was a room of gore. The walls, the floor, the ceiling¡­ Every square inch was covered inyers andyers of dried blood and rotten flesh. The smell was intolerable. The sight, revolting.

    Starhair¡¯s eyes were shaking. He forced himself to turn around, away from this hellish sight, to gaze at the man eating andughing so nonchntly. How had he done this? That was more blood than he carried in his body. Endless ounces. How many times had he run out and forced new blood to form? How many times had he died in that room? How much had he suffered?

    Three and a half years of constant torture¡­ The mental fortitude required to withstand this was something Starhair couldn¡¯t fathom. He¡¯d always wondered how he, a rare genius with a faint hope of reaching the A-Grade, could be so inferior to Jack. Only now did he realize the gulf whichy between them. The true difference. How could he everpare? How could anyone?

    Jack was simply inhuman. Unfathomable. Eternal.

    ¡°Hey, Starhair!¡± Jack shouted, biting into a piece of meat. ¡°Come eat with us! This is beef from my¡ªit¡¯s really tasty!¡±

    <em>What have you been through? </em>Starhair wondered, not daring to voice the question. His legs were shaking. His eyes were fuzzy. <em>How did you be like this? What have you seen, Jack Rust?</em>

    <em>He is¡­ A monster¡­ An impossible monster¡­</em>

 Chapter 517: Elder Divine

    Jack finished eating, then took a well-deserved 36-hour nap. Finally, he awoke, still in the cave and rearing to go.

    For the first time in three and a half years, he opened his status screen.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: Human, Earth-387</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (B)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: B</strong>

    <strong>ss: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 503</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 10,380 (+)</strong><strong>Dexterity: 10,380 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 10,380 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1500 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1500 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 2650</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Space Mastery IV, Death Mastery IV, Neutron Star Body IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Supernova III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt III, ck Hole III, Immortal Commune I</strong>

    <strong>Inner World size: 16,000 miles</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: 6%</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer, Challenger</strong>

    Absorbing the overlord core had been hell, but the benefits it brought him were appropriately immense. He¡¯d jumped straight into thete B-Grade and even progressed a little into it. His inner world had grown from 12,600 to 16,000 thousand miles¡ªover doubling his overall energy capacity¡ªand its density had increased as well. That brought an increase in gravity, which made many of the floating earth chunks stick together. They looked more and more likes.

    Jack was still far away, but he was slowly approaching the A-Grade.

    However, his cultivation increase was far from the only benefit. The repeated destruction and regeneration of his body had inadvertently strengthened it. The overlord¡¯s energy wisps had sought out every weakness in Jack¡¯s body to exploit it, pointing them out for his regeneration.

    Throughout his life, Jack had fought many battles and received many injuries. Some left hidden marks behind, which slightly lowered hisbat efficiency. Now, after his body had been destroyed and remade thousands of times, all those hidden injuries had disappeared. His Dao cycled unobstructed, in perfect harmony with every inch of his body. He was in his best state ever¡ªand his overall body tempering had advanced by miles, too, even if it wasn¡¯t reflected in his Physical stats, which hadn¡¯t budged.

    Something else had.

    <strong>Neutron Star Body IV: Your body has reached a frightening density. You can manipte it at will, alternating between the weight of a feather and a mountain. Though inferior to a real neutron star, you¡¯re well on your way¡­</strong>

    The skill upgrade brought with it a terrifying increase in Jack¡¯s battle power. His defense, offense, and speed all shot up. His regeneration would be much more energy-costly, but it was a cheap price to pay, especially since he had the Life Drop.

    If he fought Crownstar again now, he could easily destroy him without using the four-armed battle form. In fact, Jack suspected his current level of durability rivaled the dead Elder¡¯s.

    Thanks to all of his level-ups, he also had arge number of stat points to distribute. The highest ever.

    <strong>Strength: 10,380 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 10,380 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 10,380 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 1500 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Will: 1500 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Free points: 2650</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <em>How do I go about this? </em>he considered. The 8-1-1 distribution he¡¯d stuck with throughout the years had yet to fail him, so he decided to believe in it. At the same time, he enjoyed round numbers.

    Jack split a thousand points equally between Mental and Will, raising them both to two thousand. He then poured the rest into Physical. That one sub-stat point remained, but it was too little to be worth ruining the symmetry of his Physical substats.

    When he was done, Jack gazed proudly at the fruits of hisbor.

    <strong>Strength: 12,030 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 12,030 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 12,030 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 2000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 2000</strong>

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <em>Wow, </em>he thought to himself. <em>I once had five points.</em>

    He was four hundred times smarter¡ªto generalize the term¡ªthan a pre-System human, and over a thousand times stronger. Those numbers did not ount for his many hidden stat increases¡ªlike the recent purifying he received from the overlord core¡ªhis skills, the synergy between his different stats, or his Dao.

    Right now, Jack was confident in fighting a middle A-Grade. If faced with ate A-Grade, maybe he couldn¡¯t win, but he could probably run away. A peak A-Grade would ruin him.

    And he was still far from an Archon.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Brock said, stepping into the main cavern. ¡°You ready, bro?¡±

    ¡°Always.¡± Jack rose to his feet, cracking his knuckles. The ocean of power in his body hid deep. He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We missed the three-year deadline with Elder Puerto, but if we hurry, we can still catch them before they begin the Canal Delve. Maybe we can join.¡±

    ¡°What if the overlord is there too, and he sees through your disguise?¡±

    ¡°A risk we have to take. I must visit the Dark Canal, and going with an experienced faction is the best scenario. Besides, even if the overlord is there, my disguise can hold up to even close scrutiny. He¡¯ll only see through me if he suspects I¡¯m really a human, which he has no reason to.¡±

    Brock nodded. ¡°Alright. Hair bro! Youing?¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± a third voice rose to meet them as Starhair rushed into the cave. ¡°I¡¯m fed up of this ce. Please tell me we¡¯re leaving.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to somewhere you¡¯ll hate even more.¡±

    The three of them flew through the earth, emerging in the red wastnd they¡¯dst seen. This was their first time leaving the underground in almost four years. Jack couldn¡¯t help the joy in his heart.

    ¡°The Dark Canal is that way,¡± Brock said, pointing to their left.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°The bros in Empty Star City taught me to navigate.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The three turned into rays of light, and then they were gone. Next stop¡­ The Dark Canal!

    ***

    Elder Divine of the ck Hole Church was one of the strongest forces in the current war. His cross-legged form emanated divine light for thousands of miles. Everywhere that light reached, the void became hospitable, while flowers bloomed and wilted. His power was legendary.

    However, even legends can fall.

    Elder Divine had been tasked with destroying the System Cannons. These were the newest weapons of the Immortals¡ªmachines capable of shooting bubbles of System space into the vast cosmos. It was how they¡¯d managed to ambush the Church army a few years ago, the event which led to the Immortal Summit of Spiral Stair.

    Thanks to the temporary ceasefire, the Church Elders had figured out a way to protect themselves from total destruction. The cannons wererge, so easy to locate, and could be destroyed. Unfortunately, the Church was overall weaker than the Hand of God, so every such assault usually required the Church agents to sacrifice themselves and blow up their inner worlds. It was a constant price in blood they¡¯d been forced to pay.

    The Arch Priestess had decided to see if she could avoid that by throwing overwhelming power at the cannons. On Elder Divine¡¯s insistence, he¡¯d been chosen to lead a top-level elite force, and he¡¯d sessfully destroyed one. They thought they¡¯d escaped.

    Space rippled ahead of Elder Divine. Two forms appeared¡ªa man and a woman, each holding one half of a de. The man was dressed in ck and the woman in white¡ªboth were ethereal in aura.

    ¡°Yin Yang¡­¡± Elder Divine whispered. He was a bald, bearded old man dressed in simple clothes. His skin was wrinkled and full of dark spots, yet bright blue light emanated all over his body. As he opened his eyes, that blue light intensified and focused on the new arrivals.

    ¡°Elder Divine,¡± the man replied respectfully. ¡°I have long admired you. It is my honor to face you inbat.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Divine did not reply. He was a peak A-Grade, and a powerful one, too. More than most. However, the people before him were also peak A-Grades, and they were experts atbining their powers. Even with the assistance of his team, this was not a battle he could win.

    He looked behind him. Three cultivators waited. Elder Malefic, middle A-Grade. Elder Godspeed, middle A-Grade. And, finally¡­

    ¡°We can take them,¡± Elder Heavenly Spoon said, always with that aloof smile. He was the Church¡¯s youngest Elder, who only recently reached the A-Grade. A bright talent. He could fight one small realm above himself.

    Elders Yin and Yang of the Hand of God flew close to each other, then rotated their two half des in amon swing. The floodgates of the universe opened behind them¡ªa yin yang diagram ovepped with their bodies, holding infinite truths.

    Elder Divine looked at his team and smiled. ¡°Godspeed,¡± hemanded. ¡°Take the others and run away. I will handle this.¡±

    ¡°Elder!¡± Godspeed eximed. He was a slim, young-looking man whose features were currently clouded by despair.

    ¡°We can fight them!¡± Heavenly Spoon insisted. His aloof facade cracked. ¡°We¡¯re strong, Elder. So are you. There is no guarantee we¡¯ll lose!¡±

    Elder Malefic didn¡¯t speak, but she bit her lips until they bled.

    ¡°Their reinforcements will arrive before ours,¡± Elder Divine exined calmly. ¡°We could fight, but our chances of survival would be slim. If I hold them back, you three can escape. You have Godspeed. He¡¯ll lead you to safety.¡±

    ¡°No, Elder! We cannot let you do this!¡± Heavenly Spoon insisted. He took out his silver teaspoon, manifesting a green phantom behind him. His face darkened and glowed at the same time. ¡°I am not afraid of death, only starvation,¡± he said. ¡°And abandoning you would starve my soul, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Godspeed agreed. ¡°It won¡¯t be toote to escape afterwards. Let¡¯s show them the power of cornered cultivators!¡±

    Elder Malefic also prepared herself. A pink aura surrounded her, stinking sweetly of silent death.

    As the three were preparing to fight, Elder Divine struck without warning. His palm gathered the world¡¯s power and shot it out. It seemed slow, yet was impossibly fast. The two enemies attacked at the same time. However, Divine had not been aiming at them.

    Before Godspeed, Heavenly Spoon, and Malefic knew it, they¡¯d been struck backward, flying with a momentum they could not contain. Space parted and they crossed light years in an instant. A terrifying ck and white swordnded on Elder Divine¡¯s back at the same time, breaking his blue aura and making him spit blood.

    ¡°Elder Divine!¡± Godspeed screamed, still flying away.

    ¡°Do not deny the elderly their honor,¡± a faint voice reached all of their ears. It was calm¡ªthere was no fear in that voice, only kindness. ¡°This world does not belong to us, but to you. Only you can save it. The three of you, Jack Rust¡­ You are all magnificent talents. All of you can reach the Archon realm. I will not let you die on my watch. Leave¡­ Grow stronger¡­ And let this old manplete his final duty. Let me light my dying embers one more time, andy down my life to protect the next generation.¡±

    As tears welled up in their eyes, the three thought they saw Elder Divine¡¯s smile¡ªold, toothless, yet bright like the sun.

    ¡°Make me proud. I entrust everything to you,¡± he said. ¡°Create a sunny world for my descendants.¡±

    Then, they were too far away to hear. shes of light erupted in the distant void. A blue sun was born, shaped as a massive, hundred-armed old man, struggling against a ck and white sword which slowly tore him to shreds.

    Only now did the three Elders manage to stop themselves. ¡°We have to go back!¡± Heavenly Spoon shouted. ¡°There is still time!¡±

    ¡°Spoon,¡± Godspeed ced a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, and as Spoon turned around, he saw the tears glinting in the other Elder¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s toote. Don¡¯t waste his sacrifice. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Heavenly Spoon¡¯s aloof facade shatteredpletely. ¡°Damn it!¡± he roared to the heavens, shaking the universe. Godspeed formed a white bubble, encapsting all three of them and retreating at terrifying speed. They were gone in the blink of an eye.

    Elder Divine fought with everything he had, unleashing his full powers for the first time in several hundred thousand years. This was the first peak A-Grade casualty of the war. He died a hero.

 Chapter 518: Seeing the Dark Canal

    Jack zoomed over thendscape. Lush jungles had given way to an endless blue ocean filled with all sorts of wondrous creatures. They¡¯d caught glimpses. Mermaids, telepathic fish selling corals, snakes as thin as a finger and a mile long. Jack had even witnessed a monster asrge as a mountain skip over the water like a carp. This was certainly not a low-level area.

    But it wasn¡¯t at Jack¡¯s level, either. The three easily flew over the ocean, enjoying the breeze while asionally fending off attacks.

    ¡°I wonder how a canal exists in the ocean,¡± Starhair said. ¡°I thought they connected bodies of water acrossnd.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be something equally majestic and stupid,¡± Jack replied, calmly zooming over the water.

    Their destination wasn¡¯t hard to find. After Brock pointed it out, they¡¯d developed a feel for the Space Monster World¡¯s energy cirction. There was a faint current of energying from the core of this world¡ªthe Dark Canal. This current was strongest here, but it could be felt everywhere, even in the outer provinces and the inhospitable zone.

    What could create such a phenomenon, Jack had no idea.

    The more they followed the energy current to its source, the denser the ambient Dao became. By now, it was multiple times denser than when they first entered this world. Even some weaker B-Grades would have trouble flying here.

    The monsters present were ordingly strong. Plenty were at the middle B-Grade, with the asionalte or peak B-Grade. They hadn¡¯t run into an A-Grade monster yet, thankfully, but this exined why B-Grade cores had been somon at the auction. Maybe the strongest space monsters came to this area to hunt.

    It also made Jack wonder. If the monsters here were so strong, what about the ones in the Dark Canal?Finally, something appeared in the horizon. A t and barren ind, cracked by the years, standing proudly in the middle of the ocean. The sound of rushing water filled their ears from hundreds of miles away.

    Suddenly, space split apart before them. An owl-headed humanoid monster stepped out, wearing only a skirt which left its muscr chest bare. It stared at them with unblinking eyes.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Jack said. This guy was at the middle A-Grade. What the hell was going on?

    Instead of attacking them, however, the monster opened its mouth to speak. ¡°You are not allowed here,¡± it said. ¡°Return.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Hi,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m Jack Monstrous. We were invited by Elder Puerto of the Great Silver faction to join the Canal Delve.¡±

    The monster pieced him with its re. ¡°Wait,¡± it said.

    A few moments passed. Jack nervously wondered whether he¡¯d be allowed in. After all, Elder Puerto had told him toe to the faction a year <em>before </em>the delve¡ªit was just that he was too busy cultivating.

    ¡°Nice head, bro,¡± Brock said, to no response.

    It took one hour for the owl monster to speak again. ¡°Follow me,¡± it said, then turned and stepped on the wind. Its speed was great. Starhair had to sprint to keep up.

    ¡°I¡¯m Elder Owlhead of the Great Silver,¡± the monster introduced itself. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you ran into me. If you¡¯d met the Fiend King¡¯s patrolling Elder on the other side of the ind, he might have killed you.¡±

    ¡°Was it really luck?¡± Jack shouted to be heard over the wind. ¡°You guard the direction of your faction¡¯s territory. Since we came from Empty Star City, we would have run into you no matter what!¡±

    The owl monster smiled. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    <em>¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually here,¡± </em>a voice reached Jack¡¯s mind. It was Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, speaking from inside his inner world.

    <em>¡°Is this ce important to you?¡± </em>he asked back.

    <em>¡°Of course! This is the holy ce of the entire Space Monster World. Every monster would give up a limb to visit, but it¡¯s not easy! The wild monsters around here are fierce. Only Autarchs can approach safely¡ªeven peak Barons might struggle.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°What level are you, exactly?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I was a peak Autarch once, but that was a long time ago¡­ My slumber in the Supreme Blood has diminished my powers. Now, I barely qualify as an early Autarch, maybe a peak Baron.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°So why haven¡¯t youe here before?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I only became an Autarch long after leaving the Space Monster World, and by that time, the entrance seal wouldn¡¯t let me return.¡± </em>The turtle¡¯s voice took on a reminiscing tone, as if narrating the stories it¡¯d heard as a child. <em>¡°They say that the truth of the Space Monster World is hidden on the ind of the Dark Canal. Who made us? Who made this world? Who enforced the entry seal?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Well, my friend, I look forward to finding out.¡±</em>

    As they approached the ind, Jack could make out more of it. It rose a hundred miles above the water, its sides steep cliffs. It was also cut in half. Right in the middle of the ind, a massive canal ran through, at least a thousand miles wide and dark like the night. The ocean water foamed as it rushed in, then was lost in darkness forever. Only the canal walls rose from the darkness, reaching up to the ind¡¯s ground level.

    This book''s true home is on another tform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Jack paused in mid-air.

    A heavy sense of time covered this beyond ancient ce. The real age of the Space Monster World was unknown, but it was certainly more than a billion years. It hid innumerable secrets, and this massive canal held the truth to them all, a hidden part of the history of the universe.

    Even Jack was overwhelmed by awe.

    <em>¡°Oh wow, this ce looks like shit,¡± </em>another voice reached his mind¡ªthe Stone.

    <em>¡°Says the talking stone,¡± </em>Jack replied.

    <em>¡°Hey, at least I¡¯m whole!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°What do you mean?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°This ce is a mess. All the statues are gone, there¡¯s a huge crack in the middle, and the crown is nowhere to be seen. Pity, huh?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Wait. You¡¯ve been here before!?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Oh! You¡¯re right! I have! Shame I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±</em>

    Jack paused in mid-air. <em>¡°Don¡¯t joke now. You mentioned statues. A crown. What the hell, Stone?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°...Sorry, Jack. I¡¯m trying, but I really can¡¯t remember anything. Even the statues were only a sh of memory¡ªI cannot recall what they looked like, only that there were three of them, each tall like the sky. Maybe I really am broken¡­¡±</em>

    Jack tried to reconcile his intense urge to know more and his desire to make the Stone feel better. At least the turtle hadn¡¯t heard this message, or Jack would never get them to shut up again.

    <em>¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± </em>he finally said. <em>¡°However, if you remember anything else, you must let me know immediately. Alright?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I promise,¡± </em>the Stone replied.

    Jack let the conversation drop as he sighed. He¡¯d obtained the Stone so long ago, yet he still knew nothing about it. If it really was from this ce, and it remembered things looking very different¡­ Just how old was it? And how did it end up riding a random asteroid in the Milky Way gxy? What was its true identity?

    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Elder Owlhead said, noticing how Jack had paused.

    Soon after, they left the ocean and entered the ind. They weren¡¯t flying over the canal. Instead, they crossed barren rock to reach a small camp, perched right on the canal edge. Before they even approached, Jack was overwhelmed by its vast aura. It looked like something one would find in the outer provinces¡ªbut its upants were the elites of the entire Space Monster World.

    Theynded by the edge of the camp, where another person was waiting.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous,¡± Elder Puerto said, her long red hair and wrinkles failing to hide the irritation in her face. ¡°I thought I told you toe to the faction within three years.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elder,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I was unable to. I rushed over as soon as I could.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Do you understand how important this Canal Delve is? It only happens once every thousand years, and the earlier in their life one can enter it, the more benefits they reap. Our B-Grade disciples underwent a crazy tournament for the right to one of the very limited spots! Do you expect us to push away a disciple who already traveled here to make space for you?¡±

    ¡°Us space monsters value personal strength the most. That is true justice,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Since the spots were decided by a tournament, I¡¯ll be happy to face anyone Elder Puerto deems suitable. If I lose, I¡¯ll have nothing to say. If I win, well, they can only me their own weakness.¡±

    Puerto¡¯s face spasmed, but then she sighed. ¡°Well said. That is the way of the world. Since you¡¯re here, and since you intend to enter our faction¡±¡ªshe gave him a sharp nce, to which he nodded¡ª¡°I¡¯ll get you a spot.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder! However, as greedy as I may seem, I have another thing to ask. Can you give mypanions the opportunity to earn a spot as well?¡±

    Her face instantly scrunched up. ¡°Canal Delve spots are not candy, Jack. You don¡¯t get to bring in your followers.¡±

    ¡°They are not my followers. They¡¯re powerful monsters in their own right. I¡¯m confident they can both earn their spot fair and square¡ªas long as you give them the opportunity.¡±

    She looked the two of them up and down. Brock calmly met her re. Starhair began sweating.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make this decision on my own,¡± she finally said. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder Puerto.¡±

    They waited. Three minutester, after the Elder telepathically contacted someone, she finally sighed in irritation. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°The Grand Elder has epted your request. You three will officially join our faction. Then, tomorrow, you will fight against the three weakest winners of the tournament. If you win, you may take their spots. If you lose, you will immediately head back to the faction and go through the proper initiation rites.¡±

    Jack beamed up. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Elder,¡± Starhair added.

    ¡°Thanks, Grandma Bro.¡±

    She whipped her head at Brock, who calmly met her stare again. ¡°No problem¡­¡± she finally replied after a while. ¡°Follow me. Thank you, Elder Owlhead.¡±

    The other Elder, who hadn¡¯t spoken at all during the conversation, nodded and flew away.

    Elder Puerto led them into the camp. It wasn¡¯trge. Neenfortable-looking tents were spread out widely, giving everyone their personal space. While nobody was emitting their aura on purpose, all of them together created a heavy pressure. Jack could sense that the weakest people here were at the peak B-Grade, and there were several Elders present, a few of which sported auras above the middle A-Grade.

    There was also a single cabin at the very edge of the camp closest to the Dark Canal. Jack nced at it and didn¡¯t dare look again. The aura emitted from inside it was absolutely terrifying. That was an Archon. Overlord Great Silver in the flesh.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the esteemed overlords would participate as well,¡± hemented in a low voice.

    ¡°The Canal Delve concerns the entire faction.,¡± Elder Puerto replied. ¡°While the disciples are here to secure inheritances for themselves, the Elderse to gather resources. There are many precious items which only appear here, nowhere else. Our sess in this delve directly affects our faction¡¯s wealth for the next thousand years.¡±

    She paused at this point, as if uncertain whether she should say the next part or not. Finally, she decided to speak.

    ¡°Actually¡­ The Overlords are not supposed to personally join the delve,¡± she whispered. ¡°This is the first time it happens. I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± was Jack¡¯s only response. He had a guess. With the Crusade going on outside, the Overlords wanted to strengthen their factions as much as possible. It made sense they¡¯d join.

    However, it seemed that while the Overlords were aware of the Second Crusade¡ªthey¡¯d participated in the Immortal Summit, after all¡ªthey hadn¡¯t let anyone else know. At least, not their low-level Elders.

    <em>Why? </em>Jack wondered but had no answer. He wasn¡¯t going to spill the beans anyway.

    ¡°Tomorrow, the Grand Elder will formally invite you to the faction, and then you¡¯ll fight,¡± Elder Puerto said, motioning towards an empty patch of ground. ¡°You may set up your tents here.¡±

    ¡°And if we don¡¯t have tents?¡±

    She gave them a smile, all teeth. ¡°Then you sleep on the ground. Rest well¡ªyou¡¯ll need it.¡±

 Chapter 519: Taking Spots

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair stood before a peak A-Grade space monster. It was a Double Devil, just like Jack and Starhair, dressed in ck ceremonial robes which fluttered behind it. Its gaze was strict. This was a man who lived and breathed battle.

    Grand Elder Sanzuki.

    ¡°Wee to the Great Silver faction,¡± he finished, having recited a war poem in anguage Jack didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Thank you, Grand Elder!¡± the three of them replied at the same time. The crowd surrounding them did not p, expressing their disapproval¡ªthe silence was almost deafening.

    Each faction was only allowed to bring nine B-Grade disciples into the Dark Canal. Thepetition for those spots was heated, and it grew even more so by the fact that most spots were taken by older and stronger disciples who¡¯d visited the Canal before. The ones who¡¯d nevere here before¡ªand so would receive the greatest benefits¡ªhad to struggle for just a handful of spots.

    At present, only five of the Great Silver disciples were first-timers. They¡¯d struggled valiantly to reach this moment, and now three of them were in danger of losing their spot just a day before the delve. It was obvious why the crowd remained silent. Even Jack was feeling a bit like an asshole.

    Unfortunately, he carried too much on his shoulders. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste opportunities, even if that meant taking them away from someone else. In the end, this was the cultivation world. The losers could only me their own weakness.

    ¡°Prepare yourselves. We reconvene in two minutes for the end of the tournament,¡± the Grand Elder announced, much to the dismay of the B-Grades present. They walked away grumpily.

    One moved towards Jack¡¯s group. ¡°First you take away my manual, then you steal the spots of my little brothers and sisters,¡± she said, green eyes shining in the darkness under her straw hat. ¡°You are despicable, Jack Monstrous.¡±Jack had been surprised when he ran into this person here. It was the same straw-hatted woman he met during the Empty Star Auction, the one who¡¯dpeted with him over the iplete ck hole manual. She wore the same red clothes, and her straw hat still emitted the magical darkness obscuring her face. Only her eyes were visible, and they did not seem happy.

    This was the head disciple of the Great Silver faction, Strawpin. An acimed genius who hailed from Empty Star City¡ªhence her presence there. She¡¯d left for the Great Silver early in her cultivation journey, though, which exined why people didn¡¯t recognize her.

    ¡°Sorry things turned out this way,¡± Jack said. ¡°I can lend you the manual if you want. I¡¯m done studying it.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s the least you can do,¡± she replied, holding out a pale, humanoid arm. Jack raised a brow in amusement. He stretched his own hand, summoning the broken manual from his space ring and handing it over. She made it disappear with a flick of her wrist.

    ¡°Up!¡± the Grand Elder¡¯s voice filled the camp. Everyone rose into the sky, where they formed arge circle. The energy ripples of a battle would spread to a farrger radius, even in such Dao density, but the people present could handle them. In fact, they wanted to dissipate the ripples so as not to alert the Fiend King camp on the other side of the canal.

    Great Silver had not left his cabin.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous and Editnd, you may begin,¡± the Grand Elder said.

    A fierce, wolf humanoid jumped out of the disciple ranks, ring at Jack. ¡°I fought hard for this spot,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take it.¡±

    Jack sighed.

    Of course, as much as the wolf woman wanted to hold on to her spot, it was impossible. She was only on the level of Saturnstar, whom Jack had easily defeated before his breakthrough. They tussled a bit, Jack pretending it wasn¡¯t too easy, before he finally won through Meteor Punch.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, approaching the fallen wolf woman and offering a hand to raise her up.

    She snorted and refused to take his hand. After rising on her own, she limped away. Jack gave her onest nce before flying up.

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    The air had changed by now. Most of the Great Silver group, Elders and disciples alike, had originally disdained Jack and the rest. They were outsiders who came to steal the benefits of faction disciples. How could they like them?

    Jack¡¯s battle, however, had changed their outlook. He was strong¡ªextremely so. Everyone could tell he hadn¡¯t been going all-out in this battle. While faction camaraderie was important, the Canal Delve was even more so¡ªand a powerful ally could greatly benefit everyone.

    As a result, most people now gazed at Jack and co. lukewarmly, waiting to see how the other two would perform. The only ones still with bitter eyes were the two disciples who¡¯d yet to fight.

    Brock¡¯s opponent was a rock golem man. His strength and defense were admirable, but his speed wascking. None of that mattered. Brock was often overshadowed by Jack¡¯s extreme talent, so it was easy to forget he was a great genius in his own right. He¡¯d been the first in multiple million years to reach an inner world of 8,800 miles. If not for Jack, Brock would be a strong contender for the title of the universe¡¯s greatest genius, having a ton of adventures and spearheading the new era.

    He tussled with the golem man a bit before driving him into the ground, then calmly returned to his spot beside Jack.

    All the Elders¡¯ eyes had changed by now. They¡¯d heard about Jack¡¯s strength, but to see Brock so powerful as well was a surprise. These weren¡¯t random cabbages they were fighting. They were some of the most gifted disciples of an Overlord-level faction. Each was a world-ss talent, yet Jack and Brock were dispatching them like random goons¡ªfrom jumping a small realm to do so, no less.

    Everyone looked at Starhair, excited to see his performance. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as shy.

    Starhair¡¯s opponent was another double devil utilizing the power of mes. He was actually the third least powerful disciple from Great Silver¡ªthe Grand Elder had arranged for Jack to fight the weakest disciple, Brock the second weakest, and Starhair the third weakest in an attempt to let at least one of his disciples remain.

    Unfortunately, while Starhair wasn¡¯t a super genius like Jack and Brock, he remained a star disciple of the ck Hole Church, a faction muchrger than the Great Silver.

    The two shed for a long time. Eventually, Starhair gained the upper hand and secured victory. The battle hadn¡¯t been easy, but not super close either.

    Everyone stared at the three of them. <em>Who are these guys? Where did theye from? </em>were the questions guing everyone¡¯s mind. Even Strawpin, who disliked Jack, was chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

    ¡°On behalf of the faction, I apologize for what happened,¡± the Grand Elder told the three loser disciples. ¡°However, you know the rules. Power trumps all. Bringing the strongest line-up avable into the canal is important for the future of our faction. Your loss here, while surely frustrating, is the only scenario. Elder Owlhead will guide you outside the Donut Sea, at which point you are to head back to the faction. I¡¯ve arranged somepensation for the three of you.¡±

    They didn¡¯t perk up at the mention ofpensation. They were clearly extremely frustrated, but what could they do? Starhair¡¯s opponent almost said something before the wolf woman dragged him back. ¡°We understand, Grand Elder.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now go.¡±

    The three flew off without a second nce. Jack allowed himself to experience the emotions. He hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but he still felt bad.

    <em>Strength is all that matters, </em>he told himself, then decisively looked away.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he told Strawpin, who wasn¡¯t standing too far away. ¡°When does the delve begin?¡±

    She red at him. ¡°My name is not hey,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Head Disciple Strawpin, and you will refer to me as such, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Sure, what?¡±

    ¡°...I won¡¯t say it.¡±

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t reply.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask someone else.¡±

    ¡°And create a rift in our rtionship? Pretty bold of you, Jack Monstrous.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°When does the delve begin, Head Disciple Strawpin?¡± he asked, and she finally smiled.

    ¡°There you go! Was it that hard? Nevermind, don¡¯t reply¡ªbad question to ask a double devil. We¡¯re set to begin in two weeks. You really cut it close.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do that sometimes. Not a great idea, but it ends to work out.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± She raised a brow at him. ¡°See you, Jack.¡± And then she flew away, disappearing into one of the smaller tents. Her straw hat and red robes were thest to go.

    Jack shook his head as he returned to his friends. ¡°We got two weeks,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll probably just meditate. I need to polish my new cultivation a little.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just chill,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll do the same,¡± Starhair added, throwing Brock a nce. ¡°Though I hate being paired up with you. It always goes the same way.¡±

    ¡°And what way is that?¡±

    ¡°We befriend new people all the time.¡±

    ¡°First, it¡¯s not befriend, it¡¯s bebro,¡± Brock said, his grin wide. ¡°And second, all good. These are strong people, right? If brohood is fake, they won¡¯t fall for it.¡±

    Starhair grumbled something. Jack left the two alone as he headed for his tent. A smile was on his face the whole time. He¡¯d love to stay out here and have fun, but he really did need to meditate. His cultivation had advanced too quickly. Two weeks of meditation now would bring him noticeable benefits¡ªand, if the Canal Delve was as dangerous as he imagined, he¡¯d need them.

 Chapter 520: Entering the Dark Canal

    Two weekster, Jack¡¯s eyes slowly opened. He sensed the restlessness in the camp surrounding him. He smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    He got up and opened the tent p¡ªthey¡¯d upied the tents of the defeated disciples¡ªto witness a camp in the middle of deconstruction. Disciples and Elders alike walked with grim faces as if going to war. They waved their hands, sucking the tents into their space rings, then wiping the ground clean of all disturbance.

    Thatst act took Jack by surprise. The space monsters, who cared only about themselves, would wipe the ground after them? Was it manners, or just respect for the Dark Canal?

    ¡°What are you looking around for?¡± Strawpin¡¯s voice reached Jack¡¯s ears. He looked up to find her floating over him. ¡°Gather your tent. We¡¯re departing!¡±

    He smiled, sucking it into his ring like everyone else was doing. Nearby, Brock and Starhair did the same. The three of them took to the air, not forgetting to wipe the ground behind them, and joined the growing lineup of the Great Silver faction.

    More so than when they fought the other disciples, Jack had a chance to observe everyone. Besides the three of them, there were six more disciples, all at the peak B-Grade. Ten Elders apanied them¡ªthe peak A-Grade Grand Elder, twote A-Grades, three middle A-Grades, and four early A-Grades. Neen people in total. In any other part of the world, theirbined auras alone would have devastated thendscape. Here, they only summoned a strong breeze.

    The camp waspletely recovered in a matter of seconds. The ground was pristine, like they were never there¡ªwith the sole exception of the wooden cabin, which even now remained unmoved. Just as everyone gathered in the sky, the cabin door opened. A lone figure stepped out.

    It looked simr to thest time Jack had seen it, except smaller. Silver scales, flexible whiskers, deep eyes, sharp teeth and ws. This was Great Silver¡ªa silver dragon, one of the two Overlords of the Space Monster World. His aura was deep like the world. His Dao resonated in a deep bass. He was¡­irreproachable.Probably stronger than Archon Summer Noon.

    He was also far smaller thanst time. His avatar in the Immortal Summit had been huge¡ªright now, he was small enough to fit through the cabin¡¯s door.

    <em>Crownbeast could also change his size, </em>Jack realized. <em>Is it an ability of all space monsters? Or just a few?</em>

    Great Silver flew to the head of his faction, growing in size to be like a truck. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he rumbled, not sparing anyone a second look. He shot into the distance¡ªeveryone followed.

    Their camp had been situated at the edge of the Dark Canal. A vertical cliff awaited just to the side, descending a hundred miles into the darkness. They flew over it. As soon as they passed the edge, Jack felt a cold current flowing from below, infiltrating even his extreme physique. He caught some of the weakest disciples shivering.

    Great Silver led the way at a speed that was neither fast nor slow, letting them savor the experience. Endless darkness spread below their feet. Not even Jack¡¯s perception could prate it¡ªfor the first time since reaching the D-Grade, he felt fear of the dark, as part of the nearby world was hidden from him. The Dark Canal seemed like the ce nightmares crawled out of¡ªeverything children imagined hid in the dark, it existed in the Dark Canal.

    ¡°Spooky,¡± Brock said in a low voice.

    ¡°Damn right,¡± another disciple replied. ¡°And we haven¡¯t even entered.¡±

    A third disciple piped up. ¡°You should be careful down there, bros. Almost every threat is Autarch-level.¡±

    ¡°Then why are we going in?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We have the Elders. They¡¯ll keep us safe.¡±

    Jack smirked. Brock hadn¡¯t been idle these past two weeks. Every other disciple and even a couple of low-level Elders had been initiated into brohood. The only disciples still resisting were Starhair and Strawpin, who considered brohood distasteful.

    ¡°Cringe,¡± was all Strawpin said.

    The Dark Canal was over a thousand miles wide, but they were fast. Only a few minutester, Jack sensed another group heading their way. He saw them soon after¡ªtwenty monsters, just like them, headed by a heavily muscr, gray-skinned humanoid with fierce ws, sharp teeth, and a thick tail swishing behind his back. The lovechild of Predator and Frieza. If devils had a king, this would be him¡ªand he was aptly called the Fiend King.

    ¡°Great Silver,¡± Fiend King called out.

    ¡°Fiend King.¡±

    As the two Overlords neared each other, their auras shed¡ªnot aggressively, they were just too great not to rub against each other. The sky was split in two, one half silver and the other dark red, before nature rebnced itself.

    Each Overlord swept his gaze over the other¡¯s disciples.

    Jack held his breath. Unless one of the Overlords decided to really scrutinize him, his disguise should hold¡ªbut, if it didn¡¯t, he¡¯d die here.

    Thankfully, nothing happened. Fiend King¡¯s gaze only stopped on him briefly before moving on.

    ¡°New faces,¡± he said in his dark, sharp voice.

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    ¡°We had quite a few talents recently,¡± Great Silver replied.

    ¡°I hope they perform well in the Hall of Trials.¡±

    ¡°So do I, Fiend King.¡±

    As the two Overlords stood face-to-face, their Daos warring routinely in mid-air, the differences between them were sharp. Great Silver was old, wise, and thoughtful. The Fiend King was aggressive, deadly, brutal. So was the group following him. Contrary to the Great Silver faction, the Fiend King elites were made up of devilish monsters, most sporting sharp ws or deadly, drooling fangs. Inparison, Great Silver¡¯s group looked random and mismatched¡ªthough they didn¡¯t lose out in actual strength.

    The two people Jack paid special attention to were a yellow-eyed, hellhound-looking monster¡ªthe Fiend King¡¯s Grand Elder¡ªas well as a humanoid devil simr to Fiend King in appearance, except instead of demonic he was extraordinarily handsome.

    ¡°Listen up,¡± Strawpin said, arriving to Jack¡¯s side. ¡°That guy over there is Fiend Prince, their head disciple. His father is Fiend King, and he¡¯s said to be the future of the faction. His talent is extreme. People say his battle power is already at the early Autarch level, though I don¡¯t believe that. Be careful of him. His schemes run deep.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Jack replied. If this guy was at the early A-Grade level at most, he wasn¡¯t a threat. Since Strawpin found that level of strength hard to believe, neither was she. His real opponents would be the Elders.

    Strawpin kept giving him a rundown of the enemy forces, but nothing he paid attention to. The disciples were unremarkable, besides the Fiend Prince, and there was no one too special among the Elders either.

    He did appreciate her advice, though. Maybe she was less of a bitch than he thought.

    <em>As long as I don¡¯t run into the Overlords or Grand Elders, I have room to struggle, </em>he nned. <em>For thete A-Grades, I¡¯ll have to judge case-by-case. I can probably escape some of them, but not all. As for the middle A-Grades, even if I can¡¯t beat them, I can still run away. Just need to take care of Brock and Starhair.</em>

    <em>I¡¯vee a long way, haven¡¯t I?</em>

    Fiend King and Great Silver had exchanged a few more words before returning to their respective factions. It was a good reminder that they weren¡¯t really enemies, only rivals¡ªat least, while the Second Crusade roamed outside their world.

    ¡°Listen up,¡± Great Silver said. Watching a dragon speak was more surreal than Jack expected. ¡°We will descend into the Dark Canal now. I want everyone to remember their missions. Elders, travel in your assigned teams and gather as many resources as possible. For this particr delve, I expect you to take more calcted risks than usual. Disciples, remember that even the weakest creatures down there can threaten your lives. Remain close to your apanying Elders at all times and be extremely careful until you reach the Hall of Trials. After that, your fate will depend on you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord!¡± everyone shouted at once.

    ¡°Finally, leaving the Canal alone is dangerous, so we¡¯ll meet up at the entrance location in ten years. I¡¯ll escort you all out. If you miss that appointment, you¡¯re on your own.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The dragon¡¯s face warped in an ancient smile. ¡°I wish you all luck, and a bountiful harvest.¡±

    The Fiend King was already done talking to his faction. Whatever he¡¯d said to them¡ªhis words had been isted by a sound barrier¡ªthe devils looked ready to go.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Great Silver said, and both factions dove into the darkness.

    ***

    After all those descriptions and warnings, Jack expected the Dark Canal to be a zone of death, a monster-infested world where only A-Grades could survive.

    Yet, reality betrayed expectations. As they descended lower and lower into the darkness, they came upon a scene of destion. The ocean cut through the canal like a raging river. The water was ck and frothing, shooting into the sky every time it met rock. Stone inds rose from the water, stubbornly standing against the river flow, but they were empty. There were no creatures, no nts, no buildings, no monsters in sight besides themselves.

    The deeper they went, the denser the darkness. By the time theynded on the very first stone ind, Jack¡¯s mighty perception couldn¡¯t spread further than a mile from his body. He was practically blind. As for the Dao pressure, it had shot up tremendously. Anyone below the peak B-Grade would simply be unable to fly, and even a less talented peak B-Grade might struggle.

    In a Dao thousands of times denser than normal, any lower level cultivators would either implode or bepletely immobilized. The air here was harder than regr concrete.

    Jack turned to the woman beside him. ¡°I have so many questions.¡±

    ¡°Shoot,¡± Strawpin said, looking around warily.

    ¡°Why did we all enter from the same spot? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer for us disciples to go directly to that Hall of Trials?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t. The rules governing the Dark Canal are mysterious and strict. All we know is that this ind below us is the starting point¡ªthe people who attempt to enter from anywhere else simply disappear. Even the two ends of the canal, where the water goes in and out, are dead zones. Don¡¯t go that way. And, this goes without saying, but don¡¯t enter the water either. It¡¯s much more dangerous than the inds. Also pointless¡ªthere¡¯s nothing down there.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jack replied. He was d he ran into the once-in-a-thousand-years Canal Delve. Otherwise, he would have arrived here by himself at some point, and he might have had an ident trying to enter.

    Then again, maybe not. He¡¯d be prudent enough to gather information first.

    ¡°Just how powerful is this ce?¡± he asked. ¡°Autarchs stand at the top of the world, but I feel like they¡¯re considered normal here.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Canal is the origin and core of our entire world,¡± Strawpin replied, the reverence evident in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s only natural for this ce to be made for Autarchs, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­ What about that Hall of Trials?¡± he asked the burning question. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Strawpin gave him a piercing look. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°It never came up.¡±

    Calctions shone in her eyes, She stared for a few moments before looking away and replying, ¡°The Hall of Trials is the world¡¯s greatest cultivation haven. Every monster who knows about it yearns to enter, but almost nobody can. ording to legend, it was established by the creator of our world, and it contains inheritances at the absolute highest level. Everyone who enters is transformed. It is no exaggeration to say that a monster¡¯s level of sess in the Hall of Trials shapes their entire future.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, it¡¯s kind of a big deal.¡±

    She once again red at him. ¡°Yes, Jack. It¡¯s kind of a big deal.¡±

    <em>¡°Jack!¡± </em>Venerable Saint Thousand Shell screamed in his mind. <em>¡°She mentioned the creator of this world! Ask her more!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I was nning to,¡± </em>he replied, then turned back to Strawpin. ¡°You mentioned the creator of this world,¡± he said. ¡°So, it really was created by someone?¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the legend. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not. All I can tell you is that, while our world and its entrance seal could be natural, the Hall of Trials is definitely not. Someone made it¡ªand they were far stronger than even the current Overlords.¡±

 Chapter 521: Exploring the Dark Canal

    Soon after theynded in the Dark Canal, everyone broke off. The Elders of both factions rushed in all directions¡ªstepping on the wind, teleporting, or running on four legs¡ªwhile even the Overlords parted space and disappeared. Soon, the only ones left were the B-Grade disciples¡ªeighteen people in total¡ªand their apanying Elders.

    Jack inspected these Elders. Each faction had sent one middle A-Grade and two low A-Grades. It was a considerable force, enough to deal with most threats the Dark Canal could throw their way¡ªassuming they didn¡¯t push their luck. To Jack¡¯s disappointment, Elder Puerto wasn¡¯t present. Elder Owlhead was. He stood with his muscr arms crossed and face looking straight ahead as if cosying some ancient Egyptian god.

    Besides Elder Owlhead, who was the leader of their faction¡¯s side at the middle A-Grade, Great Silver had sent two early A-Grade Elders: a shapeless brown blob with limbs and eyes swimming over its surface, and a scantily-d, female double devil. Jack wondered if she also possessed two sets of genitals, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.

    On the other side was a four-legged beast wrought of shadow. Darkness made up its body, dancing over it like mes, while wicked red eyes shone from within. It was the middle A-Grade Elder of the Fiend King faction, nked by two early A-Grade Elders resembling the ssical devil of Earth mythology¡ªcurved horns, bat wings, triangr-tipped tail, trident in hand. Their body was bulky, red, and covered in ck fur. Surprisingly, one of the two was short and chubby.

    These six Elders came together to oversee the eighteen disciples headed by Strawpin and Fiend Prince.

    ¡°We will now head towards the Hall of Trials,¡± Owlhead said in a neutral voice. Jack liked this guy. He seemed impassive but fair. ¡°As you all know, its location changes every delve. We will wander in its general direction until we Elders sense the Dao ripples it gives off, then we¡¯ll make a beeline for it. This is not a resource-gathering trip¡ªthe Dark Canal is too dangerous for Barons. Just follow us, stay in line, and pray we don¡¯t run into anything too strong.¡±

    Jack raised a brow at that. He leaned towards the nearby Strawpin, whispering, ¡°Does that really happen?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Evente and peak Autarchs can disappear in the Dark Canal. It¡¯s not unheard of for the entire disciple group to go missing¡ªthough it¡¯s certainly rare.¡±

    ¡°I wish something was easy for once.¡±¡°Rx. The Elders are powerful¡ªthey¡¯ll keep us safe as long as we just stick close.¡±

    How could she know that Jack was nning to do the exact opposite? ying it safe wasn¡¯t his style. The Dark Canal was filled with other opportunities, and he had the power of a middle A-Grade. He could look for them. If he stuck with this group, sure he¡¯d reach the Hall of Trials, but he¡¯d miss everything else on the way.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m leaving these guys. Will you follow?¡± </em>he asked Brock and Starhair telepathically.

    Starhair hesitated. <em>¡°I¡¯d rather follow you than strangers,¡± </em>he finally said.

    <em>¡°I go where my big bro goes,¡± </em>Brock replied. <em>¡°And if we want to rejoin the groupter, I can track them down.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You can?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Some of these disciples are my bros. I¡¯m aware of their general direction.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Really!? How long have you had this skill for?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Since forever. Why?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°...Nevermind.¡±</em>

    Owlhead and the shadow beast¡ªapparently called Elder Shadowhound¡ªwere giving a set of careful instructions to the group, but Jack didn¡¯t care much. ¡°Can we leave the group if we think we see an opportunity?¡± he asked.

    Elder Owlhead struck him with a stare. ¡°If you break off, we won¡¯t save you,¡± he replied.

    Jack nodded. Then, without another word, he turned into a streak of purple light which vanished in the distance. Brock and Starhair followed a beatter.

    The rest of the group was left stunned. Elder Shadowhoundughed, the sound like a malefic hyena. ¡°What arrogant disciples you have, Owlhead,¡± it said. ¡°Your faction sure enjoys humiliating itself!¡±

    Its voice was gravely, much unlike itsughter. Owlhead remained silent, his gaze stuck where Jack and the others had disappeared. Strawpin was looking in the same direction¡ªher eyes filled with shame and anger.

    <em>Good riddance, </em>she thought to herself. <em>It¡¯s bad enough that you took three of our spots¡­but you did it just to suicide immediately!?</em>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± was all Owlhead said, leading their group into the darkness.

    ***

    The Dark Canal was a massive, frothing mass of water. Stone inds floated on its surface, their positions haphazard.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The first thing Jack realized was that these stones weren¡¯t really inds. Nothing connected them to the bottom of the ocean. They simply floated on the surface, slowly moving in random directions and tipping over when pressure was applied on their sides. Yet, for all intents and purposes, they felt exactly like stone.

    Jack had no idea what magic kept them afloat¡ªor why their speed and direction seemedpletely irrelevant to the frantic water below.

    Each stone ind was only a few miles across¡ªa normally insignificant distance to people of their level, yet proportions changed under the massive pressure. In the Dark Canal, where the Dao was suffocatingly dense, Jack needed a few seconds to fly over each ind. Teleporting was out of the question. Not only did the dense Dao prevent him from moving long distances and make the process exhausting, but he also had no intention of teleporting outside his perception range. That would be blindingly stupid.

    The three of them resembled rays of light as they flew over the dark ocean. Each stone ind was small, but the distances between them were random. Some were almost touching each other. Others were tens of miles apart. Given that the Dark Canal was a thousand miles wide and several thousand long, the area they had to cover was tremendouslyrge.

    Even half an hour into flying, they¡¯d run into neither opportunities nor monsters. Starhair was the first to break the silence.

    ¡°Maybe we should¡ª¡±

    Before he finished his words, a dark pink tentacle burst out of the water below, intercepting him and wrapping around his body. He made a sharp shriek as it pulled him downward.

    Jack reacted instantly. Before the tentacle could retract, a Meteor Punch erupted on its middle part, cutting it clean off and releasing Starhair. The explosion was far weaker than usual¡ªit was more like a grenade than a meteor, and the energy ripples only spread for a few miles before getting suppressed by the ambient Dao.

    ¡°Behind me!¡± Jack shouted. Eleven more tentacles emerged from the water, surrounding him¡ªwhich meant that the monster¡¯s body was directly below him. He readied his punch and smashed it down. Supernova exploded against the ocean. Dark water shot in all directions, revealing the shrieking mouth of a creature straight out of a nightmare. While it possessed twelve tentacles¡ªnow eleven¡ªits body was that of a manta ray, hiding t right below the water surface. Most of it was just a wide, gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth. Starhair had been instants away from getting devoured.

    Jack¡¯s punch had smashed right into the monster¡¯s mouth, piercing it and exploding out the other side. The monster rocked in angry panic, smashing down on him with each of its eleven remaining tentacles. A golden brori appeared for each of them.

    ¡°We got you, bro!¡± they said in unison, using their bare arms to wrestle the tentacles. Jack used this time, when the monster couldn¡¯t move, to unleash a barrage of punches at it. Holes appeared on its thin body. ck blood merged with the water.

    Jack¡¯s strikes hadn¡¯t been random. They traced a line of holes across the monster¡¯s midsection. Finally, it couldn¡¯t take it any more, and it ripped in two, spilling multi-colored juices on the water. Jack could sense they were radioactive, though that didn¡¯t affect him. The tentacles seized before losing their power, and the monster¡¯s entire body crumbled, crushed by the immense pressure the moment its Dao dissipated.

    Soon, only a core remained, alongside a frightened Starhair. ¡°I almost died,¡± he kept muttering. ¡°That thing almost killed me. In an instant!¡±

    Jack made a grasping motion, pulling the monster¡¯s core out of the water and into his hand. ¡°Early A-Grade,¡± he said. ¡°Not particrly strong though. Can any of you use a chaos-attuned core?¡±

    ¡°Not me,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t either,¡± Starhair replied, snapping out of his fright. ¡°Did you guys see that? The thing almost killed me! It came without warning!¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯tpatible with the core either. He pocketed it, replying, ¡°You should be careful.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do much. I¡¯m not a monster like you two¡ªan A-Grade enemy can instantly destroy me!¡±

    ¡°I know. Just stay close to us, and we¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    Starhair muttered something under his breath, the sound unintelligible, then scuttered closer to Jack like a wet cat. A rancid smell hit Jack the moment Starhair approached¡ªthe octopus monster had covered him in some foul liquid when it grabbed him.

    Brock was still staring at the water below them. ¡°So strong¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied, his face stony. They weren¡¯t referring to the octopus. An A-Grade monster had randomly attacked them in the middle of nowhere. That was the very apex of power, enough to be an Elder in the greatest factions of the universe, yet here it was only the level ofmon mobs.

    Just what kind of ce was this Dark Canal? How powerful was it? How high-level?

    <em>Like a peak A-Grade dungeon¡­ </em>Jack realized with a shiver. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t feel as confident anymore. Early A-Grade monsters were fine. They¡¯d probably be able to defeat middle A-Grades as well, since they were slightly weaker than cultivators of the same level. However, if they ran into ate A-Grade or peak A-Grade monster¡­ They might die.

    ¡°Should we join back with the group?¡± Starhair suggested, following Jack¡¯s reasoning.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°If ate A-Grade monster appears, being with the group won¡¯t save us. The strongest Elder was only middle A-Grade. If anything, the group isrger, so it draws more attention. Traveling by ourselves is the safest option.¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯re unlucky?¡±

    ¡°Then we can only me our bad fortune,¡± Jack replied, shrugging. ¡°You cannot escape chance. Sometimes, all you can do is hope.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡± Starhair said, but there was nothing anyone could do. Jack was right. The safest way forward was alone.

    The next hour was peaceful. They¡¯d kept moving deeper into the Canal, though at an odd angle. It wasn¡¯t the fastest way forward, but it meant they had less chances of running into other cultivators. After all, in this perception-isting darkness, allied and enemy Elders could be just as dangerous as the native monsters.

    They did run into another early A-Grade monster. It was an amorphous mass of eyes and twisting limbs¡ªas if the monster was trying to imitate human arms but wasn¡¯t sure what they looked like. Jack and Brock took out this monster as well.

    They were beginning to see a pattern now. The mindless monsters infesting this ce were much closer to the universe¡¯s space monsters than the usual residents of this world. Was there a point to thisparison? Or was it coincidence?

    In fact, as they traveled, Jack realized this entire ce was very simr to the Space Ring of Trial. Arge darkness filled with bubbles of safety, between which prowled chaotic space monsters. Was it possible that Archon ck Hole, who¡¯d participated in creating Trial, had heard of this ce?

    No¡ªif that was the case, Venerable Saint Thousand Shell would have known as well. This was either a convergence ofws or a coincidence. Jack withheld his judgment for now¡ªhe had a feeling it would be clearter on.

    Three hours into their exploration¡­something finally changed.

 Chapter 522: Fighting for Treasure

    Roots spread over the stone ind. Gnarly, twisting things, colored a bright green which stood in contrast with the dark waters below. The roots wrapped around the ind surface and dove into the water, from which they absorbed energy. Massive bulges came from the parts steeped in the ocean, then traveled the length of the root backward until they reached the thing in its center.

    And what a thing it was. A massive vine, all green and no flowers. Its slender body wrapped tightly around itself, climbing three hundred feet into the sky, made of multiple smaller vines coiling and uncoiling around each other as if strangling something at the very center.

    Intense life energy radiated from the vine. Jack had sensed it from a dozen stone inds away¡ªwhatever this was, it had to be extremely precious!

    ¡°What do you think, bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Worth it?¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± Jack replied. ¡°The vine itself doesn¡¯t seem sentient. The problem is that guy.¡±

    A huge snake was wrapped around the base of the vine. Its massive scaly body rose and fell with each breath, the snake obviously asleep. They couldn¡¯t see its head, but its body was a hundred feet in width, the same gray color as the stone beneath. If it wasn¡¯t coiled around the green vine, it might as well have been invisible. Even now, Jack could see it with his perception, but he couldn¡¯t detect any energying from it.

    An ambush predator. A terrifying one. Unlike the tentacle creature they fought before, this snake had solidly stepped into the middle A-Grade.

    ¡°This monster is strong enough to rule its own gxy,¡± Starhair said. ¡°Yet, here it is, guarding a nt.¡±

    ¡°This ce is blown out of proportion,¡± Jack agreed, slowly standing. ¡°I have no idea why, but I hope to find out. For now, let¡¯s kill this thing.¡±¡°How about you kill it and I watch?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I meant. Let¡¯s go, Brock!¡±

    The two of them shot out. Water rippled under them. Jack¡¯s body shed with green and purple, activating the Life Drop Transformation even as the power of the Fist coursed through his body.

    Brock glowed, a massive golden brori manifesting around him like a monkey buddha. Chanting flowed from its mouth. The words were unintelligible, but as they spread through the air, the sound turned into more broris, which gained sentience and rushed to surround the snake.

    Its eyes snapped open. Vertical irises split a red gaze as the snake opened its massive mouth to hiss at them. However, at such a small distance, getting caught off-guard was nasty. Jack¡¯s Supernova smashed into the snake¡¯s midsection, bending its entire body¡ªhowever, its flexibility absorbed the impact. As its mouth snapped open, all air in its body escaping due to Jack¡¯s strike, a host of broris flew into it. They started kicking and punching at the snake¡¯s gums, a particr trio wrestling its forked tongue. They were more annoyances than threats¡ªBrock didn¡¯t yet possess the power to harm a middle A-Grade opponent. His broris dealt the same damage as a mosquito to a human.

    The snake honed its re on Brock. He wobbled¡ªthe massive brori phantom around him shuddered, almost dissipating before solidifying its form. An instant of surprise passed through the snake¡¯s gaze before it lunged, fangs open wide to swallow. It snapped them at Brock¡ªand came up short. It couldn¡¯t reach.

    Jack was standing on the snake¡¯s body, pinning it to the ground under his immense weight. After fully activating Neuron Star Body, even he didn¡¯t know how much he weighed, but it had to be at least several thousand tons. Given the Dark Canal¡¯s extreme Dao density, which amplified gravity, he was like a mountain range. The snake needed a moment to shake him off¡ªa moment it wouldn¡¯t have.

    Jack wasn¡¯t just standing. He¡¯d been charging up a massive strike. A transparent bubble of space spread around his fist,pressing in pulses. The sound spread through the air, an ominous ¡°pong, pong, pong.¡± As the snake turned back to look, it found the bubble reduced to the size of Jack¡¯s fist, which had long copsed under the pressure of space. Dark foam was slowly emerging¡ªa power which gave even the snake pause.

    Its enormous body whipped up. When it was actually trying, even Jack¡¯s immense weight mattered little. He flew off, but not beforepleting his strike. ¡°ck Hole!¡± he screamed, jamming the newborn ck hole into the snake¡¯s slithering body. A hissing, melting sound followed.

    The strike had burrowed deep, sucking in the snake¡¯s scales, flesh, and blood. Jack glimpsed at a pulsing red interior, every inch of flesh moving independently to avoid the ck hole. Green blood shot out. Some of it flew towards Jack, who punched it away. The restnded on the stone beneath them, corroding it instantly and reaching the ocean below, where endless steam arose.

    Brock was lucky the snake¡¯s bite hadn¡¯tnded.

    As Jack was retreating at top speed, the ck hole reached its limit and exploded. Dark foam escaped in all directions. The snake hissed in pain, the sound almost human, as an entire section of its body disappeared. It was split in two. Even the stone ind below them vanished for a mile radius, including part of the vine¡¯s roots.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Jack grinned at the destruction. This was a hastily made ck hole, not one he¡¯d fully charged¡ªyet it had grievously injured a middle A-Grade opponent.

    Of course, this mindless snake might possess the powers of a middle A-Grade, but that didn¡¯t make it equivalent to a cultivator of that level. A proper cultivator would possess a vast wealth of battle experience, wisdom, tactics, and strategy. They would optimize their powers to the limit of possibility. For example, they¡¯d never ignore Jack and let him charge up such a powerful strike.

    Just as he gloated over the snake¡¯s idiocy, however, Jack realized he¡¯d made a mistake himself: the battle was not over. Intense energy erupted from both halves of the snake. They were both alive. The head part extended to once againsh at Brock, fangs poised to bite down on him. Meanwhile, the snake¡¯s bottom half flew at Jack¡ªgreen blood shot from its open wound like a geyser, melting anything it touched.

    This time, the snake¡¯s head seeded in reaching Brock. He had little time to react. Sharp fangs wrapped around the golden brori, thankfully not wide enough to swallow it. They still pierced into the golden glow. Green liquid poured out, corroding the gold. Brock roared, veins bulging out on his forehead. ¡°Bros, lend me your power!¡± he shouted.

    The many smaller broris he¡¯d conjured before turned into rays of golden light which shot into the massive brori phantom. Its brightness intensified, yet there was nothing Brock could do to escape. He was grappled, and the snake¡¯s sharp gaze somehow magically rooted him in ce. All he could do was defend, and hope the acid never reached him.

    He gritted his teeth and held on.

    As the snake¡¯s back half fell onto Jack, green blood sprouting from the open wound, he realized they were both in danger.

    ¡°Supernova!¡± he shouted, smashing out a punch. The strike pushed away the acid and burrowed into the beast¡¯s open body, causing massive damage but not slowing it down. It didn¡¯t care. It knew it was already dead¡ªall it wanted now was to take them with it.

    Jack¡¯s goal hadn¡¯t been to push the beast away. Facing the charging open wound, all he needed was to repel the acid. He utilized the few instants he earned to warp space, spending a massive amount of energy to teleport out of the way. He reappeared behind it.

    The snake¡¯s tail was also enormous, over a hundred feet in width. It wasn¡¯t something a human could grab onto, but Jack was no ordinary human. Arms of the Dao appeared around it. Jack grabbed the space before him, the purple arms mimicking the option. He could feel the massive strength between his hands, the snake struggling to escape. However, he was also strong. His twelve thousand Strength was not for show.

    Veins bulged. His muscles went taut, and tendons threatened to rip. Jack ignored all those to grasp firmly onto the snake¡¯s tail and spin his body around, pulling it forcefully through the air. The open wound on the other side spilled acid everywhere. The ind was riddled with holes. Half the roots had melted.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Jack shouted. He endured the tension and focused all his power on flinging the snake, sending it flying towards its front half, which had almost prated Brock¡¯s defenses. The two halves of the snake reunited in unexpected fashion, wrapping around each other and attacking itself in blind panic. The momentum threw the snake¡¯s head off Brock, letting him escape.

    A supernova erupted where the two halves met. A massive explosion followed. An entire half of the stone ind copsed into the water, unable to endure the impact, while the snake¡¯s two halves squirmed and hissed, their energy depleted. They flopped on what remained of the ground, theny lifeless. The back half sank into the dark waters.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Brock said, panting on the stone. The massive phantom around him had dissipated¡ªdefending against the acid for a few instants had sucked his energy dry.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Jack replied, wiping the sweat off his brow. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Starhair flew their way from the distance. ¡°Well done!¡± he shouted. ¡°You guys were awesome!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jack gave a tired smile. ¡°Let¡¯s check our spoils.¡±

    Warily, he approached the vine. He half-expected it toe alive and swing its roots at him, but nothing happened. Instead, as he walked closer, he noticed that the battle just now, while brief, had dealt a lot of damage to the environment. Half the vine¡¯s roots had melted or been destroyed, and so had part of its main body. Green juices flowed freely onto the stone. Through a hole in the vine, a heart formed of twisted roots could be seen in its middle, beating frantically in its attempt to save the nt.

    Jack sighed. <em>Why do I feel bad about a vine? </em>he asked himself as he reached into the nt and removed the heart. Despite the vine¡¯s size, the heart was only the size of Jack¡¯s torso¡ªhe inspected it, sensing the rich life energy it contained, then put it away.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he muttered.

    By his estimations, this heart contained about as much power as a middle A-Grade core. Speaking of which¡­

    He turned back towards the snake, only to find that Brock had already fished out its core¡ªa dark green thing reeking of death and poison. Jack smiled. ¡°Well done, Brock! The core is useless to all three us, but the heart could be useful. You can have it. It wouldn¡¯t matter much to me anywa¡ª¡±

    The ocean ahead of them exploded before he could finish his words. A giant shark shot out of the water, making a tight curve in the air and falling towards their ind mouth-first. It was easilyrge enough to swallow what remained of the stone ind. It was also ate A-Grade monster. The snake¡¯s tail from before hung out the side of its mouth, the powerful acid not even tickling the shark¡¯s interior.

    Jack entered battle mode instantly. This was too powerful a creature, and it was approaching too fast. It would eat them up. He had to take the others and¡ª

    The darkness above their heads parted. A massive shape swooped down, grabbing the shark in its evenrger jaws and crunching. Thete A-Grade creature released a pained roar¡ªa torrent of energy, whose attunement Jack couldn¡¯t identify, pushed through the shark¡¯s body and tore it apart. The now-dead shark turned into silver motes of light which disappeared into therger creature¡¯s mouth.

    As the creaturended on their stone ind, tipping it over by its sheer weight, Jack was frozen. This was an Archon-level existence. An Overlord.

    It was a silver dragon.

 Chapter 523: Starhairâ€™s Shake Up

    Jack stood frozen. All three of them did. The giant silver dragon opposite them didn¡¯t leave them much choice.

    It was a creature beyondrge. In the dense Dao of the Dark Canal, he couldn¡¯t even wrap his perception around it. He quickly tried to calcte its size¡ªit had eaten the shark, which had eaten the snake, which was several miles long.

    <em>God¡­</em>

    If this thing wanted to harm them, there was nothing they¡¯d be able to do. It was an Archon-level existence. Jack¡¯s current power was woefully inadequate to even think about escaping.

    However, he had a feeling things wouldn¡¯t go that way.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous,¡± the creature¡¯s voice boomed, echoing for miles. There was a hint of amusement to it. ¡°Or, should I say¡­ Jack Rust.¡±

    Its body began to shrink. From countless miles tall, it grew shorter and shorter, until it was the size of a horse. Its power remained, however¡ªit could still squash them like flies.

    Jack was surprised at being seen through so easily. He leaned forward, giving the creature a respectful bow. ¡°Overlord Great Silver,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡±

    Starhair bowed as well, and so did Brock, though not as deeply.Now that it had shrunk, the Overlord¡¯s form was clearer. It was a silver dragon radiating moonlight. Leathery wings spread from its back, while all four of its legs ended in sharp ws¡ªlike a tiger given wings. Its face was aged, yet its eyes held more wisdom than ferocity. A sturdy gazended on Jack¡ªits weight pressing him down.

    ¡°What are you doing in my world, young human?¡± the Overlord asked. ¡°And why did you not present yourself to me, as you ought to?¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Overlord,¡± Jack said, scrambling toe up with a good response. If he didn¡¯t y his cards right here, they might all die. ¡°I made a mistake when I tried to sneak around. I was too afraid of you, and I ended up bing disrespectful. Please ept my apologies.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The dragon rumbled, shaking the ind below them. Jack noticed that, while he¡¯d grown smaller in size, the ind remained tipped.

    ¡°You did not answer my first question,¡± the overlord insisted. ¡°What are you doing in my world?¡±

    ¡°I came here to gather experience.¡±

    ¡°And steal my faction¡¯s resources.¡±

    ¡°...I admit that was my intention as well. I bear no ill will against space monsters, but I have a duel to the death in twenty-five years, as well as a looming war threatening my entire universe. I will not lie to you¡ªmy mindset was to grasp as many benefits as possible and grow my cultivation in the shortest timespan.¡±

    ¡°You are wise not to lie,¡± Great Silver said.

    ¡°Would lying be any use?¡±

    The Overlordughed. ¡°No, not at all.¡± He took a few steps forward, the stone groaning under his feet, and slowly approached Jack. ¡°That is a good disguise you have. It fooled me outside the Canal. A gift from your Arch Priestess?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That the cultivators of the universe have ess to such means worries me, but it is not the present subject. The question now is¡­ Should I kill you?¡±

    Jack gulped. The face of the overlord loomed closer¡ªa pattern of old scales, some dark by the years, yet interspersed with sharp teeth and deep, knowledgeable eyes. While the real threat of Great Silver came from his cultivation, Jack¡¯s instincts responded to these superficial signs: the teeth, the eyes, the size, the silver steam escaping his mouth.

    Before Jack knew it, the overlord stood before him. He could be killed in an instant.

    Yet, Jack raised his head. ¡°We have infringed on your territory, Overlord. It would be reasonable to kill us.¡±

    The dragon face had no hair, yet the scales over his eyes moved like he was raising a brow. ¡°You sing the wrong tune, human. You should convince me to spare you, not eat you.¡±

    ¡°You <em>should </em>spare us. Not because you can¡¯t or shouldn¡¯t eat us, but because there is no benefit to you doing so.¡±

    ¡°And what benefit is there in sparing you?¡±

    ¡°We can help you. Your faction and the Fiend King¡¯s are contesting for resources, yes? With my status as a disciple, I could clear out several of the Fiend King¡¯s Barons and low-level Autarchs. Something that you, for all your power, cannot do without enraging the other Overlord.¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    ¡°Hmm. That is true. However, if the Immortals ever reach our world, we¡¯ll need everypetent monster avable. Fiend King and I are on the same page. We want to limit killing.¡±

    Jack felt his arguments grow distant. ¡°I can still secure resources for your faction, Overlord!¡±

    ¡°You probably can, but I don¡¯t want to get involved in your war. Neutrality suits us. If word got out that I¡¯m letting you grow stronger in my domain, our already precarious peace with the Immortals might be affected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be discreet. Let me participate in this Canal Delve, Overlord. If the Church grows stronger, you benefit as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourself. Before letting you participate, I should first decide not to eat you.¡±

    ¡°I believe big dragon bro has already made his mind,¡± Brock said, stepping forward to join the conversation. ¡°We will fight for you and be discreet. Nobody will know we were here. As big bro said, you benefit when the Church grows stronger. At the end of the day, only one faction in the universe seeks to conquer, and that is the Immortals.¡±

    The dragon regarded Brock with interest. ¡°You are a special one,¡± he said. ¡°Bold, both of you. Howe your friend over there has pissed himself? Perhaps I should eat him so he doesn¡¯t slow you down?¡±

    Jack and Brock turned around, finding Starhair shivering, his face pale. He had nevere face-to-face with death like this¡ªand this led to him shaming himself a little.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t eat him, overlord,¡± Jack pleaded. ¡°He is a good man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten my share of good people,¡± Great Silver rumbled. ¡°Regardless¡­ It is as you say. I prefer you getting stronger, if only to hope for a miracle. I know that we live on borrowed time. If the Immortals win, we might survive, but only while they show us mercy¡­¡±

    The Overlord¡¯s voice had fallen by the end, betraying sadness and aged helplessness.

    ¡°I want you to keep acting as my faction¡¯s disciples,¡± he said, adopting amanding tone. ¡°Forget your greed and rejoin the group. You don¡¯t want to draw too much attention to yourself. Any treasure you earn, either from my faction or the other, will belong to you¡ªspace monsters believe in personal strength. Just limit the killing whenever possible. Remember this: the treasures of the Dark Canal are great, but they pale inparison to the Hall of Trials. Your priority should be to survive until then. Don¡¯t take stupid risks.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Overlord,¡± Jack and Brock replied as one.

    ¡°Mm, good. And, one more thing. If anybody realizes who you are, especially Fiend King¡­ I will end you immediately. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal, Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Your group is that way,¡± Great Silver spread a wing to indicate a direction. ¡°Make haste. When you reach them¡­¡± His voice lowered, as if giving them some secret. ¡°Don¡¯t rush to the Hall. Follow the Elders. This Delve will be¡­special.¡±

    ¡°Special, Overlord?¡±

    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±

    The dragon didn¡¯t wait for an answer. He shot into the sky, rapidly growing in size until he wasrger than a mountain, then disappearing in the darkness far faster than Jack could achieve. In an instant, he was gone.

    Only then did Jack release his breath.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± he said, clutching his chest. ¡°I thought we were goners.¡±

    ¡°Did you really piss yourself, bro?¡± Brock asked Starhair, who was only now recovering from the shock.

    ¡°I¡­¡± He trailed off, his face bing beet-red. He then clenched his jaw and said. ¡°So what? You got a problem?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Brock replied, smiling.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s still here?¡± Starhair turned to Jack, demonstratingmendable adaptability.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Jack responded. He looked around. ¡°He¡¯s an Overlord. If he wanted to hide, I couldn¡¯t find him¡­but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d stick around. His time is precious, and we have no reason to disobey his orders.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Starhair¡¯s body rxed, and he slumped into a sitting position. ¡°By the Gods¡­¡± he muttered, holding his head. ¡°I was not ready for this. I¡¯m supposed to be back at our universe, fighting other B-Grades for the Church, not¡­whatever cross-Grade abomination this is.¡±

    Jack smiled at him. He walked closer, sitting beside the other man. ¡°Wee to my world, Starhair,¡± he said. Despite the warmth of his smile, his gaze was distant, lost in past pain. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t easy. Since the start of my cultivation journey, over ten years ago, I¡¯ve been in a constant state of struggle. I¡¯ve made enemies far above my level and surpassed them. I¡¯ve braved countless dangers, risked my life like it meant nothing. The rewards made me who I am¡ªbut the price was high. Too much struggle can pollute the soul. Too much pain warps the individual.¡±

    Starhair listened attentively. Jack sighed, leaning back with his arms outstretched. His eyes saw past the ruined stone ind around him, into the past.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my son, you know,¡± he said. ¡°Murdered, right in front of me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. His loss will never leave my heart, but I¡¯ve made peace with it. It was the greatest pain I¡¯ve ever experienced, far beyond a mere three years of absorbing the overlord core. Yet, though it was undoubtedly the greatest, there were many other great pains, all of which pushed me beyond my limits and scarred my heart. Insights don¡¯te cheap.¡±

    He smiled ruefully.

    ¡°What I mean to say,¡± he continued, pulling himself away from reminiscing, ¡°is that the road to mastery is fraught with risk and suffering. It is not a path to be tread lightly. Yet, here you are now, and you have no choice but to walk down the same road Brock and I have. I wish things were different, but they aren¡¯t. You¡¯re already too deep¡ªyou will either swim or drown.¡±

    Jack ceased speaking, having said all he had to say. Starhair remained silent. His eyes were lost in thought, his heart beating like a drum. Getting thrust into a world of death would unsettle anybody.

    ¡°You are not alone though,¡± Brock added from the side. ¡°You have us. Your bros. If the entire world seems like it¡¯s abandoning you, you can always rely on us.¡±

    Starhair¡¯s eyes flickered. A spark was born inside them¡ªa cog turned, and his worldview shifted. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, shaking his head. He rose to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a group to catch up to.¡±

    Without waiting for a response, he turned into a ray of light and flew into the distance, the wind wiping his tears. His hair waved behind him¡ªsix strands of star-heavy power. Jack and Brock exchanged a smiling nce before following.

    In moments, the trio was gone, the ruined stone ind left to its ruin.

 Chapter 524: Hidden Colors

    ¡°This way,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The three of them turned slightly, angling their flight path. They cut through the omnipresent darkness like arrows, the extremely dense Dao powerless to hinder their progress.

    Through Brock¡¯s Dao of Brohood, he could track the position of people who¡¯d be his bros¡ªto an extent. Thanks to the two weeks they spent in the camp before the Canal Delve, several of the other B-Grade disciples had been bebro¡¯d, which was how the trio nned to rejoin the disciple group heading for the Hall of Trials.

    ¡°How far away do you think the actual Hall is?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only traveled ten percent into the Dark Canal,¡± Jack calcted. ¡°However, we were traveling diagonally and also fighting sometimes. If the group flew straight ahead at the speed of the slowest disciple, they must have crossed double that distance by now. I suspect we¡¯ll catch up in an hour, at around thirty percent of the way to the end of the Dark Canal.¡±

    The Canal was a thousand miles wide and several thousand long. With their perceptions and speed greatly limited by the extreme Dao density, exploring its entire area was close to impossible. Traveling down to its end, however, was simpler. All they had to do was fly straight ahead. Barring the various monsters blocking the path, it would take less than a day.

    ¡°Not that easy,¡± Brock said, furrowing his brows. ¡°The location of our bros jumps left and right¡ªspace is warped.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jack said in surprise. He focused his perception into the folds of space. At this point, he could be considered an expert on par with A-Grade space cultivators. Few people in the universe could im to surpass him in this regard. However, even when actively looking for distortions, he came up with nothing. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°Space looks fine to me.¡±¡°Maybe it¡¯s warped up ahead, between us and them,¡± Brock replied. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Be careful.¡±

    The three fell silent, tirelessly shooting forward. The asional monster attacked them, but, with the exception of a middle A-Grade one, they were all at the early A-Grade and easily disposed of. Besides the many cores, they ran into no treasure.

    The more they flew, however, the more Brock¡¯s suspicions seemed true. They¡¯d been flying for several hours. ording to Jack¡¯s calctions, they should have already caught up, yet the group remained far away.

    ¡°How?¡± Jack asked, struggling to wrap his mind around it. ¡°Even an Archon specializing in Space would struggle to set up such an borate distortion. It covers such a great area, and I can¡¯t detect it? Wow.¡±

    Another thirty minutester, Jack creased his brow. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. They instantly came to a stop. The darkness around them looked exactly the same as before, as did the frothing waters below.

    ¡°What?¡± Starhair asked. ¡°Did you find the space distortion?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jack replied. ¡°But I sense something else. A calling. Like a very faint stream of Dao emitted from far up ahead.¡± He paused. ¡°It¡¯s the most powerful Dao I¡¯ve ever felt.¡±

    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°Maybe the Hall of Trials? Elder Owlhead did mention he could sense it when close-by.¡±

    The power of one¡¯s Dao perception relied primarily on their cultivation level, as well as their specific Dao specialties and overall power. Jack cultivated Space, amongst other stuff, so his perception was more sensitive than most. Coupled with his overwhelming power for his Grade, he was probably sharper than any other B-Grade.

    Brock and Starhair focused but got nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Jack said. ¡°If ites from the Hall of Trials, we¡¯ll catch up with the others anyway.¡±

    Shortly afterwards, however, they paused again. The location of Brock¡¯s disciple bros had originally been aligned with the Dao stream Jack was sensing, but as time passed, they began to diverge.

    ¡°They turned,¡± Brock said, cupping his chin. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Strange. Since they were headed in this direction, the Dao stream really must be the Hall of Trials. Why would they turn away now? If I can sense it, the Elders guiding the group definitely can as well.¡±

    The three nced at each other, but there was nothing else to deduce.

    ¡°What do we do, big bro?¡± Brock asked. ¡°Do we go after your sense or the disciple group?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for the group,¡± Jack decided. ¡°Whatever this Dao stream is, we have to prioritize finding them. Great Silver was clear¡ªwe disobey, we die. Even if it <em>is </em>the Hall of Trials, maybe the Elders just know a safer way forward.¡±

    Brock and Starhair nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    The disciple group kept diverging from the path to the suspected Hall of Trials. At first, Jack thought they were just choosing another direction to approach from, but as time passed it became clear that was not the case. They were circling it at a radius. Why?

    ¡°Everything will be answered once we find them,¡± Jack said, elerating. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    Their distance to the group shortened rapidly. At some point, however, an odd change took ce.

    The stone inds gave way to dirt ones. It was fascinating. Stepping on them felt like standing on actualnd, yet they floated undisturbed in the aggressive waters of the Canal.

    Jack tapped the ground a few times with his foot. ¡°Not giving way,¡± he noticed. ¡°Think it¡¯s normal?¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s normal here, bro,¡± Brock replied. He scooped a handful of dirt from the ground and ced it in his mouth. ¡°Mhm,¡± he said, spitting it out. ¡°Tastes like dirt.¡±

    ¡°...Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°How else would I know its taste?¡±

    ¡°You know what? Nevermind. What do you think, guys? Should we return to the stone inds or keep going?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡­¡± Starhair said, gazing at the ground with suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be stone inds. The Elders made it clear.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a treasure,¡± Jack ventured a guess.

    ¡°Or a monster. I say we turn back and find another way.¡±

    ¡°We can fight monsters, but we shouldn¡¯t miss treasures,¡± Brock said. ¡°I say we continue.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Brock,¡± Jack said. ¡°In any case, the group went this way, so how dangerous could it be?¡±

    ¡°I can sense they¡¯re very close,¡± Brock added.

    Starhair sighed. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The three took to the air again. They were no longer attacked by monsters. Instead, their path took them deeper into the dirt ind region, where a faint musty smell hung in the air.

    They were on high alert. Clearly, something was wrong here¡ªbut what?

    ***

    Strawpin elerated, pushing her way to the front of the group, next to Elder Owlhead. The wind threatened to steal her straw hat, but who was she to let it?

    ¡°Elder!¡± she called out. ¡°Excuse me for my bluntness, but are you sure this is the right way?¡±

    Elder Owlhead turned his head ny degrees. His still gaze was unnerving. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve read the records on previous delves. There has never been a different biome before the Hall.¡± She gestured below them, where endless dirt inds stretched out. ¡°I fear this is either their of a powerful monster or the birthce of some great treasure. In either case¡­ It is not something we should be approaching.¡±

    Owlhead remained silent. Just when Strawpin thought he¡¯d never reply, he did. ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°Just¡­ I want to make sure we¡¯re on the right track.¡±

    ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Thank you for your time, Elder.¡±

    Owlhead watched Strawpin return to her ce at the back of the line, near the Fiend Prince. They didn¡¯t look at each other. The Elder kept his gaze on them for a while before turning his head a hundred and eighty degrees to face the front.

    <em>¡°They¡¯re beginning to suspect,¡± </em>he said telepathically.

    <em>¡°Hehehe. And so what? They¡¯re disciples¡ªtheir opinion weighs little. It was the Overlords who asked us to dy reaching the Hall, so we¡¯ll be fine no matter what.¡± </em>Elder Shadowhound¡¯s voice echoed in Owlhead¡¯s mind, dark and shady.

    <em>¡°I know,¡± </em>he replied, <em>¡°but their unrest can backfire. Maybe we should leave this biome.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Are you stupid? Dirt inds over such arge area¡­ This is unheard of! Who knows what treasure lies at its core? With our means, we¡¯ll be safe against pretty much anything. We might as well use this chance to get rich!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°And the disciples?¡± </em>Owlhead asked.

    <em>¡°The disciples will obey us. If they be a problem¡­¡± </em>Under its shadows, Elder Shadowhound¡¯s mouth curved into a sinister grin. <em>¡°The strong will prey on the weak. That is the way of our world, and sted be the faction rules. No witnesses, no crime.¡±</em>

    Owlhead considered it. <em>¡°Alright,¡± </em>he replied, and the group carried on, deeper and deeper into the dirt ind area.

    ***

    Jack, Brock, and Starhair zoomed through the Dark Canal.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Brock said suddenly. The darkness split before them¡ªtwenty-some figures were revealed in the distance, calmly flying forward. As Jackid eyes on them, they paused, the leading Elders turning to regard the new arrivals.

    ¡°You survived,¡± Elder Owlhead said.

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Jack replied. Sorry for worrying you.¡±

    ¡°Worrying? Weughed at your misfortune!¡± Elder Shadowhound added, chuckling darkly. ¡°You sure are arrogant. First you ditch the group to go hunting for treasures alone, then when you fail, you return with your tail between your legs and expect to be taken back in. What do you think we are, for you toe and go as you like!?¡±

    Facing the Elder¡¯s chiding, Jack frowned. He had no intention of being meek¡ªdoing so before Overlord Great Silver was already testing the limits of his patience. To someone of simr strength to himself, Jack wouldn¡¯t necessarily start a conflict, but he¡¯d certainly bite back if challenged.

    ¡°I thought I <em>could </eme and go as I like,¡± he said. ¡°If we are wee, let us join you. If not, let us know so we can move on. Why waste everyone¡¯s time on pointless drivel?¡±

    ¡°Drivel!? Good, good, good, Jack Monstrous! You got guts!¡±

    The Elder¡¯s aura zed forth. It wasn¡¯t just a warning¡ªhe aimed to push Jack into the water, a truly dangerous notion. Jack frowned and was about to defend, but another aura rose to shield him, Elder Owlhead appearing right in front of him.

    ¡°Please calm down, Elder Shadowhound,¡± he said. ¡°These disciples made a mistake. It is good enough that they survived to rejoin us. Let the issue rest.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re too calm, Owlhead! You should vent a little every once in a while!¡±

    ¡°I follow my faction¡¯smand,¡± Owlhead replied calmly. Shadowhound snorted and turned around, leading the group onward.

    Jack turned to Elder Owlhead. ¡°Thank you for protecting me, Elder,¡± he said.

    ¡°You are a disciple of my faction. Of course I would protect you,¡± the Elder replied, his inquisitive eyes not leaving Jack¡¯s. ¡°You were lucky enough to miss all monsters, but that won¡¯t happen again. Stay with us from now on.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Owlhead nodded, then teleported back to the front of the group, leading everyone alongside Elder Shadowhound. The two flew close together despite their heated exchange.

    <em>¡°I don¡¯t like this person,¡± </em>Brock said telepathically.

    <em>¡°Why?¡± </em>Jack asked.

    <em>¡°His aura is wrong. Something about it. My bro sense is tingling.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hmm. Alright. I don¡¯t see it, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out.¡±</em>

    They quickly caught up to the tail end of the group and slowed down to match their pace. Coincidentally, Strawpin was at the tail end as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky,¡± she said. ¡°When I saw you leave, I thought you¡¯d just wasted three of the faction¡¯s spots to suicide. Only blind luck saved you. To be honest, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m happy or disappointed you survived.¡±

    ¡°Sweet words,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Come now, Strawpin. Don¡¯t be a bitch.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me!?¡±

    Snortingughter came from the side. ¡°Suits you right,¡± Fiend Prince said, hismanding voice spreading easily. ¡°That¡¯s no way to speak to your fellow disciples.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not¡ª Screw you, Prince. Shut your mouth. And you, Jack Monstrous¡ªnext time you do something stupid like that, the native monsters won¡¯t even need to lift a finger. I¡¯ll deal with you myself for wasting sect resources.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jack replied disinterestedly, then ignored her as he flew forward. He had a certain tolerance for bad manners, especially when it came to maintaining decorum, but it wasn¡¯t infinite.

    <em>Maybe I¡¯ll need to use my flip-flops again, </em>he mused as the group tore through the darkness.

 Chapter 525: Overlord Treasure

    The dirt inds looked like they stretched infinitely. They didn¡¯t. At a certain point, the ambient energy changed. No longer was it uniform across all Daos¡ªit now contained heavy elements of earth, dirt, and rock. The air smelled of wet soil. The darkness thinned.

    ¡°We¡¯re approaching the core of this area,¡± Owlhead warned everyone. ¡°Keep your guard up. Disciples, fall back.¡±

    The disciples obeyed, and so did Jack. While he could stand side-by-side with the two middle A-Grade Elders, he didn¡¯t want to reveal his power yet. The more cards in his sleeve, the better.

    As the eighteen disciples of both factions slowed down, the Elders advanced. There were four early A-Grades besides Owlhead and Shadowhound. The Great Silver faction had sent a female double devil and a brown blob of¡­mud? As for the Fiend King faction, they¡¯d sent a pair of devils, one tall and imposing and the other short and chubby.

    All together, they made a formidable force. They delved deep into the dark mist and disappeared.

    Jack clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t want to reveal his strength, but he wanted to see what was going on!

    ¡°Let¡¯s approach,¡± he told Strawpin and Fiend Prince. ¡°I want to see.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Strawpin replied.

    ¡°You¡¯re goddamn right!¡± Fiend Prince said,ughing. ¡°What are we, cowards? Onward!¡±He shot forth, followed by his faction¡¯s disciples and a grinning Jack. Brock and Starhair came a momentter, while Strawpin, grumbling, took her faction disciples and advanced as well.

    The darkness parted before them. Everyone scanned the space ahead with their perceptions, not their eyes, which gave Jack a definitive advantage. He saw it before anyone else. A massive, ten-mile-wide dirt ind. It was so packed with dirt that it constantly poured off the sides, some sticking to the ind and slowly but surely expanding it.

    Jack wondered what created this overabundance of dirt, and he didn¡¯t have to look far to figure it out. A golden lotus bloomed in the middle of the ind. Its energy undtions were staggering. Endless waves of golden brown energy, spreading as far as met the eye, invading the darkness and maintaining a stalemate with it. This energy was so potent that parts of it spontaneously materialized as dirt, overfilling the ind and enhancing the elemental aura of this ce.

    Jack scanned the environment again. The area had smelled faintly of dirt and earth, of moist soil, but the lotus itself contained something more. Holiness. Divinity. It was like the Goddess of Earth herself had descended on this ce, creating and so irreproachable that even the energies of the Dark Canal had to give way.

    Strawpin gasped. ¡°Golden Earth Lotus!¡± she eximed, her voice filled with awe. ¡°An Overlord-level treasure!¡±

    Jack looked around. Every disciple¡¯s gaze was tainted with greed, as well as helplessness. They knew this was not their stage. With all the Elders present, it would never be their turn to even touch it. Jack himself wasn¡¯t too interested¡ªas high-level as this lotus was, he cultivated neither earth nor divinity.

    A momentter, however, he realized he¡¯d forgotten something. He was extremely interested in this treasure, because he knew someone who cultivated those exact elements! Jack swished around to look at Brock.

    The brori was transfixed. His hands were closing and opening, reaching for a staff that was not there. His breaths came deep and rugged.

    Jack thought back to Brock¡¯s Dao. The brohood he cultivated was a form of religious divinity, one of the elements exuded by the lotus. Additionally, he was a beast cultivator who used the staff¡ªmany of his battle tactics and early techniques revolved around the earth.

    Brock was a perfect match for this treasure, and Jack instantly resolved to help him get it. He had been the one to benefit most from their various travels¡ªhelping out his brother was long overdue.

    <em>¡°We¡¯re getting that,¡± </em>he told Starhair, then turned a calcting gaze towards the treasure. While he¡¯d been blinded by the lotus, there was more in sight.

    The Elders floated a little ahead, too absorbed by the treasure to care about the disciples disobeying orders. Their energies were in disarray. They, of everyone present, understood how precious an Overlord treasure was. Every single one of them was steeped in greed, including Owlhead and Shadowhound, the two middle A-Grade leaders. Their previous harmony was all but gone. Jack even thought they¡¯d start fighting immediately.

    When cultivators ran into treasure, it wasn¡¯t umon for a fight to the death to ur. It was one of the cultivation world¡¯s unspokenws, and it was doubly the case for the aggressive space monsters. Friendships broke down before riches. For a treasure of this grade, everything was fair y¡ªbackstabbing, treachery, underhanded tricks. Everyone was instantly on guard against everyone else.

    ¡°...How do we handle this?¡± Owlhead asked, the first to speak.

    ¡°I want this treasure, and I¡¯ll fight you for it,¡± Shadowhound said. ¡°However¡­ Let¡¯s not be hasty. The dirt ind area was so widespread that there¡¯s no way it went unnoticed. Since the native monsters aren¡¯t swarming here, there is only one exnation¡ªsomething very dangerous guards this treasure.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Owlhead replied. ¡°I can¡¯t sense anything. It¡¯s either underwater or perfectly harmonized with the lotus¡¯s energy signature.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t reacted to us yet. It can¡¯t sense us. That¡¯s good, it means we have time to n.¡±

    ¡°Uh, excuse me,¡± Strawpin said, interrupting the two Elders¡¯ tense conversation. They turned stern gazes at her. She pressed on regardless. ¡°I thought the goal was to take us to the Hall of Trials¡­ Since this ce looks dangerous, could you escort us there first and then return to fight for the lotus?¡±

    Shadowhound snorted. ¡°Shut up, disciple.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been assigned as your caretakers, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll waste a great opportunity for you,¡± Owlhead added. ¡°Running into this lotus was fate. We will pursue it. Frankly speaking, it¡¯s worth more to either faction than a mere handful of disciples¡­and, there are also some things you don¡¯t know. In any case, you disciples can stay back and wait or move out on your own. Just don¡¯t bother us.¡±

    With that, both Elders turned to the front, speaking amongst each other to formte a n. Strawpin¡¯s eyes shed dangerously, but she held her tongue.

    Fiend Princeughed. ¡°We can only me our own weakness. I will wait farther away. If things go wrong, I¡¯ll take the rest of my faction¡¯s disciples and try to reach the Hall of Trials anyway.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Strawpin said, still boiling with anger.

    Jack didn¡¯t say anything. He kept his gaze on the six Elders¡ªtwo middle and four early A-Grades¡ªas well as the dirt ind housing the golden earth lotus.

    ¡°What about you, Jack Monstrous?¡± Fiend Prince asked. ¡°What will you do?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay and watch,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m not one to miss a good show.¡±

    Fiend Prince and Strawpin exchanged a nce. Nobody reached their level without decent intuition.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay as well,¡± Strawpin decided.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Fiend Prince agreed. The other disciples remained as well, not wanting to be far from the head disciples.

    Jack didn¡¯t particrly care about them. No matter what happened, they wouldn¡¯t be able topete with him. His true opponents here were the Elders, especially Owlhead and Shadowhound, as well as the mysterious monster guarding the lotus. To acquire it, he¡¯d need to get through them all¡ªa needle-sharp path.

    He favored his chances, however, because he possessed the greatest weapon of all¡ªthe element of surprise.

    He turned his attention back to the Elders, who were treating all disciples as if made of air.

    ¡°We need information to formte a n,¡± Owlhead said.

    Shadowhound nodded. ¡°Agreed. You four¡ªdraw lots. The loser goes to scout.¡±

    The other six Elders jumped and looked at each other with terror. They were only early A-Grades¡ªgoing near the den of whatever guarded this ce meant almost certain death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of deserting,¡± Owlhead warned them. ¡°This is your duty to the Space Monster World. Now¡­ Draw!¡±

    With a swish of his hand, four straws materialized inside it, only their top ends visible. They seemed identical. The four Elders hesitated, then one by one drew their straws. The loser was the third one¡ªa short and chubby devil of the Fiend King faction, gazing with horror at the short stick in its hand.

    ¡°Were you really impartial?¡± Shadowhound asked. ¡°Those straws were made of your Dao. Who is to tell us you didn¡¯t just give the short stick to whoever you wanted?¡±

    ¡°I swear it was fair. Do you have a better way of drawing lots? Besides, I think most of our fellow Elders would agree.¡±

    Shadowhound nced behind him. Of his two Elders, the one who¡¯d drew the short stick eximed this was clearly cheating. The other one, however, only stood there silently. He didn¡¯t care whether the lots were rigged or not¡ªhe was safe right now, while any repeat would put him at risk.

    Seeing that Elder¡¯s reaction, Shadowhound tsked. ¡°Fine. You win this one. Shortplum: go and pluck that lotus.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The short Elder hesitated.

    ¡°If you go, you may survive. If you don¡¯t, I promise you¡¯ll die a most horrible death,¡± Shadowhound threatened, his eyes shining redder under the shadows.

    ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll go.¡±

    The short and chubby devil took a deep breath, then distanced himself as he flew forth. Every eye was trained on him, including Jack¡¯s¡ªthe other disciples couldn¡¯t see all the way to the lotus. Silence reigned.

    The short devil Elder advanced carefully. She moved at a slow pace, repeatedly scanning her environment for any threats. Her job was only to scout. The moment she sensed anything amiss, she would retreat immediately.

    Even as she flew halfway over the ind, however, nothing happened. <em>Could I be so lucky? </em>the devil wondered. <em>Could there be no monster? Or maybe it¡¯s absent right now. If I do pluck the lotus¡­ Could I run away and actually keep it!?</em>

    Greed shed in her eyes. Of course, she was an experienced Autarch¡ªshe¡¯d never drop her guard. That¡¯s how she saw the strikeing.

    The dirt below her moved imperceptibly as if blown by a gentle breeze. The devil shot backward, but it was toote¡ªa massive hand of dirt appeared, phasing out of thin air. It grabbed at Elder Shortplum. Despite the strike¡¯s slow movement, the Elder seemedpletely helpless to dodge it. As the massive hand wrapped around her, she shrieked.

    ¡°Elder Shadowhound, save me!¡±

    Her plight fell on deaf ears. Nobody came to her rescue. Within moments, the hand crushed her body, and all moisture left her, leaving her a broken, dry husk. Her body dissipated a momentter, bing nothing but dirt which fell to the ground. The hand retreated towards the lotus, disappearing through the air like it was never there.

    ¡°A dirt monster,¡± Owlheadmented, watching from afar. ¡°Maybe an earth elemental?¡±

    ¡°Probably. But, its power¡­ It was at least ate Autarch. Maybe close to a peak one,¡± Shadowhound intoned. He licked his lips, a crimson tongue passing over shadows. ¡°I think we can take it.¡±

    ¡°Right. We have the weapons the Overlords gave us. Even if it¡¯s a peak Autarch, we can struggle with it¡ªand, if we lose, we might be able to escape. It relies on the dirt below, so its power will be greatly diminished outside its domain. Maybe that¡¯s why it hasn¡¯t attacked us yet.¡±

    ¡°Right. It doesn¡¯t perceive us as threats.¡±

    ¡°But it should.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. We¡¯ll show it.¡±

    Avarice yed on the eyes of both Owlhead and Shadowhound. As for the rest of the Elders, their greed had slowly morphed into fear. They¡¯d realized that, at this point, they were just expendable pawns. The chances of them getting the treasure were minimal, but their risk was immense. Unfortunately, the two leaders wouldn¡¯t let them leave even if they wanted to.

    Jack shook his head. These people had just sent an Elder to sacrifice herself as a scout, and they hadn¡¯t even batted an eye at her death. Not one consoling word. They were so ruthless it was scary¡­

    But, again, this was the cultivation world. There was nopassion, only benefits.

 Chapter 526: The Hunter Stalks

    The Elders floated forward slowly. Owlhead and Shadowhound took the lead this time, putting their lives on the line for treasure. The remaining three Elders followed. Jack watched from a distance.

    As their feet treaded on air, they cautiously surveyed the space ahead of them. The lotus bloomed¡ªthe dirt remained still, lifeless if not for their knowledge that it wasn¡¯t.

    The attack came without warning. A hand phased into reality, already formed and present, and dug for Owlhead. He crossed his arms to defend¡ªa st of psychic energy erupted, shaking the other monster. Its strike remained devastating. Owlhead flew back, through the other Elders, and barely managed to steady himself after a mile. A thin trail of blood flowed on his forehead¡ªyet, he was okay.

    ¡°Lure it out!¡± he shouted.

    The Elders fanned out, approaching the monster from different directions. A torrent of fireunched into it, followed by a w swipe and what seemed like brown vomit. Shadowhound leapt at the enemy, sting it with solid darkness.

    All these attacks approached the lotus and disappeared as if crossing into a different reality. Energy rippled out. A bodiless moan echoed through space, an injured giant, as space around the lotus warped and copsed. A new sight was revealed.

    A whirlwind of dirt, floating around the pristine lotus and protecting it. It had been hidden in a space distortion before, its energy undetectable next to the treasure it protected, but it nowy bare for all to see. The many attacks had disturbed the monster, yet not broken it.

    A second moan arose. The dirt covering the ind took to the air, drawn towards the center of the whirlwind by an invisible force. More and more of it gathered, slowly coalescing into a humanoid shape.

    The Elders wouldn¡¯t let it finish transforming. They attacked again, blowing up the dirt as it began to gather. They couldn¡¯t disperse it entirely though. A second hand appeared, slowly trailed by a forming arm, and joined the battle.The original dirt hand¡ªwhich they now saw was connected to the whirlwind by a thin stream of dirt¡ªshot sideways, pping one of the Great Silver¡¯s early A-Grades. The second hand matched the strike from the other side. They closed around the female double devil like twin mountains, mming shut.

    She got sttered, dying a horrible death.

    Owlhead held a piece of silver paper, yellowed by age. His teeth were gnashed, and his grip tight around the paper. His eyes frantically searched the forming elemental. ¡°We must find the nucleus!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°I know!¡± Shadowhound replied.

    Perhaps shocked by the death of the female double devil, the two remaining early A-Grades¡ªone from each faction¡ªhad slowed their attacks. The dirt gathered faster. It formed a giant torso, supported by two great legs and ending in a featureless head. As the final bits spun into two arms, connecting to the floating hands, the elemental roared without a mouth, shaking space and the minds of all who heard it. A few of the watching disciples cried out, leaking blood from their orifices.

    ¡°Fall back!¡± Strawpinmanded. ¡°It¡¯s too strong for us!¡±

    The elemental towered a mile into the sky. It raised its leg and kicked at Shadowhound. There was no time to dodge¡ªthe strike obliterated him, making him dissipate into a cluster of tiny shadows. ¡°Shadow Clone!¡± a voice came from the void, and a second Shadowhound appeared near the dead one, having barely dodged the strike. He was panting, his shadows flickering¡ªthat was not an easy technique to use, yet he¡¯d had no choice.

    The elemental roared again.

    Jack narrowed his eyes. With the elemental fully formed, its aura was clear for all to see. It was situated somewhere between thete and peak A-Grade¡ªfacing a handful of middle and early A-Grades, this should be a ughter.

    ¡°We need to run!¡± Strawpin shouted, but Jack ignored her.

    <em>Come on, </em>he thought, staring intently at the battle. <em>You knew it would be strong. Surely, you have some trump cards. You can¡¯t be this stupid!</em>

    ¡°Shadowhound!¡± Owlhead shouted. His hand still gripped the piece of paper, his eyes frantically searching the elemental¡¯s body. ¡°I can¡¯t see its nucleus!¡±

    ¡°Me neither!¡± the other Elder replied. ¡°We need to strike hard!¡±

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Jack asked.

    Fiend Prince arrived beside him, calmly watching the battle. ¡°Elementals are regenerating creatures. The only way to stop them is to strike their nucleus. Typically, you just keep hitting it until the nucleus reveals itself, then you deliver a powerful strike there. That is impossible in this case. The Elders have their trump cards, given to them by the Overlords to protect us, but there is no point using them if they can¡¯t find the nucleus. And, without those powerful attacks, they can¡¯t inflict enough damage to reveal it. This monster being an elemental really fucked them over.¡±

    Jack fell into thought. He needed this treasure. If the Elders couldn¡¯t win this battle, he¡¯d need to help them¡ªmaybe sneak in and use ck Hole, his most powerful strike, to expose the nucleus and let them destroy it with their trump cards.

    However, if that happened, he¡¯d have revealed his power. They¡¯d also be wary of his ck hole, not letting him charge it. If he fell into a brawl with them in that state, there would be no guarantee of victory¡­but what choice did he have?

    <em>At worst, I¡¯ll just escape, </em>he concluded, gritting his teeth. <em>¡°Brock! Take Starhair and go¡ª¡±</em>

    He didn¡¯t have time to finish his telepathic words.

    The Elders didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been about to help. As they saw this lifetime opportunity fade before their eyes, they grew desperate. A new darkness covered Shadowhound¡¯s form. It shone with ck light so intense it surpassed the physical realm, shining directly on people¡¯s souls. Blood dripped from within the shadows, yet the elemental seemed entirely unaffected.

    Because it wasn¡¯t the target.

    The Great Silver faction¡¯s remaining early A-Grade Elder, a brown blob with multiple eyes and limbs floating over its form, staggered. All those eyes blinked, then shone dark. The Elder threw itself forward, heedless of caution or danger.

    ¡°Shadowhound!¡± Owlhead shouted in outrage.

    The brown blob Elder approached the elemental in a straight line. It was predictable. A hand fell from above, aiming to squash it.

    The Elder exploded.

    Brown flesh flew everywhere, then was immediately disintegrated by the greatest explosion Jack had ever witnessed. Even in the suppression of the Dark Canal, a new sun appeared. Everyone averted their eyes. Heat and light traveled together, destroying the world in one massive shockwave. The ind below rumbled, parts of it copsing into the sea, while the elemental, who¡¯d been the closest to the explosion, released a low moan of pain.

    When the light receded, Jack saw a crater burned into the ind¡¯s surface, as well as arge hole where the elemental¡¯s waist used to be.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Incredible!¡± Fiend Prince shouted. ¡°He controlled the other Elder and forced it to detonate its inner world! What admirable ruthlessness!¡±

    ¡°Elder Blob!¡± Strawpin yelled.

    ¡°How dare you, Shadowhound!¡±

    Owlhead¡¯s face was warped with fury. Shadowhound hadn¡¯t chosen his own Elder for this suicide tactic, but Great Silver¡¯s¡ªthis was clearly deliberate.

    Shadowhound staggered¡ªmove after move had taken a toll on him, but he could still fight. ¡°What are you yelling for, you idiot!?¡± he shouted back. ¡°There is no other way! We need to find the nucleus!¡±

    ¡°You should have used your Elder, not mine!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use mine as well!¡±

    ¡°You better!¡±

    The only remaining early A-Grade Elder, a burly, biblical devil-looking individual, paled as he heard this. He immediately turned and ran. Owlhead was already behind him. A palm strikended squarely on the Elder,unching him straight towards Shadowhound, who teleported and bit the devil¡¯s head off. A shadowy version of its head appeared in ce of the original.

    The devil went rigid. A momentter, itunched itself at the elemental, forgoing all notions of safety.

    The elemental now missed its waist, but as the attack hadn¡¯t hit its nucleus, it wasn¡¯t really injured. Its legs and torso still stood as normal. More dirt was rising from below, reforming the missing waist. As its attention was focused there, however, it dyed its reaction to the devil Elder¡¯s advance.

    A second explosion rocked the world. The reforming waist was blown awaypletely, and so was the elemental¡¯s chest, the dirt disintegrating and scattering everywhere. Only its head and limbs remained, its middle section once again reforming. But it still stood.

    ¡°Elementals can¡¯t store the nucleus in their limbs!¡± Fiend Prince shouted excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s in its head! They can do it!¡±

    ¡°Now, Shadowhound,¡± Owlhead shouted, charging at the elemental. He tore the silver paper in half, unleashing a burst of powerful Dao. It eclipsed the two self-detonations from before¡ªthis was a part of an Overlord¡¯s strike, the strongest force in the universe.

    A silver dragon head appeared in the sky, ephemeral yet real. It opened its mouth to release a beam of silver energy, right at the elemental¡¯s head. Space shattered where the beam passed.

    At the same time, Shadowhound¡¯s form shed, activating some talisman himself. A massive leg appeared, gray and covered in scales. It was as tall as the elemental¡¯s, yet moved with far sharper intent. The leg cleaved upward in a fierce kick, aiming for the head, as was the silver beam.

    The elemental saw the threat. It stopped reforming, investing all of its power into defense. Barrier after barrier of dirt manifested, shielding the elemental twelve times. The silver beam crashed into them. The first barrier was pierced through without resistance. So were the second and third. It took nine barriers to waste the beam¡¯s energy, and the tenth even cracked a little.

    The elemental moaned. There was another attack.

    The massive kick smashed right through the remaining barriers. All they achieved was to slow it down a little. The leg then crashed into the elemental¡¯s head, shattering itpletely, dispersing and disintegrating the dirt. A massive canyon was cut into the darkness above, extending for miles.

    As the elemental¡¯s head dissipated, there was a sound like breaking ss. All the dirt seized for a moment, then copsed to the ground, no longer held aloft by magic. A single brown core fell as well.

    The elemental was no more.

    But the battle wasn¡¯t over. Jack suddenly appeared behind Elder Owlhead, stepping out of the space crack he¡¯d been hiding in. He had four arms and was taller than before, while one of his fists was reced by a spinning ck hole sucking in the ambient Dao.

    Owlhead turned around, toote to react.

    Jack had chosen his moment carefully. He¡¯d waited for the exact do-or-die moment in the Elders¡¯ fight against the elemental, when everyone¡¯s attention waspletely focused on the sh between the overlord talismans and the dirt barriers. He¡¯d used this moment to slip into a space crack and charge his ck hole attack, then teleported right behind Owlhead and struck him instantly.

    Owlhead had only been paying attention to the elemental and Shadowhound¡ªhe registered no other threat. Coupled with the fact that Jack had chosen the single best moment to attack¡­he was caught off-guard. He didn¡¯t have time to dodge or defend. A well-timed ck hole struck him in the chest, sucking in his innards and exploding, killing him instantly. Not even his core remained. A middle A-Grade Elder had died, just like that!

    Everyone froze, their victory celebrations cut short. It wasn¡¯t just Owlhead. Nobody had seen Jack move. Nobody expected such a stunning turn of events.

    ¡°What did you do!?¡± Shadowhound shouted, instinctively rushing away from Jack. A momentter, however, he realized who it was who killed Owlhead. He startedughing. ¡°Thank you!¡± he yelled. ¡°I was afraid Owlhead would best me, but you just went and killed him! What a nice young monster you are. You secured me the lotus! If you desert your faction and join mine right now, I can take you as a personal disciple¡ªI like your style!¡±

    Strawpin was at a loss for words. Rage and indignation bubbled up inside her. Jack had stolen the spots of her fellow disciples, ran off by himself, then returned only to betray her faction and assassinate a middle Autarch Elder. At this moment, she hated him more than anyone else in the world!

    Fiend Prince, on the other hand,ughed. ¡°That¡¯s the Fiend King way of doing things!¡± he eximed. ¡°I knew I liked you, Jack Monstrous!¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, Jack!¡± Strawpin shouted.

    Jack, however, ignored them all. He turned his body to face Elder Shadowhound, aiming a fist at him.

    The Elder frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I did not betray any faction,¡± Jack intoned slowly. ¡°I killed Owlhead because he was despicable, and also in my way. I will kill you for the same reasons. That lotus is mine.¡±

    Shadowhound paused for a moment. Then, heughed again. ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you insane? You can¡¯t possibly think you can take me!¡±

    Jack smiled coldly. ¡°You specialize in Will attacks. Since your element is darkness, you have an affinity for space and chaos, as well as absorption. You are also an expert in suppressing groups of weaker enemies through soul domination. Amongst middle Autarchs, you rank somewhere in the middle of the pack¡ªneither strong nor weak¡ªand, most importantly, you don¡¯t favor direct battles but ones of subterfuge. Right now, injured and exhausted, you¡¯re about as weak as a middle Autarch can be. Am I correct in my assumptions, Elder Shadowhound?¡±

    The Elder had fallen silent. A momentter, he snorted. ¡°You nned this all beforehand,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°Fine. Have it your way, young monster. I apud your spirit, but no amount of preparation can surpass an absolute difference in cultivation. Whatever attack you used on Owlhead will not work on me. All your borate ns will fail. You have been blinded by greed, and you failed to realize that against someone like me, you are just not worthy.¡±

    Jack¡¯s smile remained. ¡°Let¡¯s find out, shall we?¡±

    Throughout his cultivation journey, Jack had explored treasure-filled locations more than once. Trial, Green Dragon Realm, ck Hole Church¡­ He was no longer the greenhorn he used to be. Now, he was an experienced cultivator who could be as ruthless and calcting as needed to always emerge on top.

    Choosing Owlhead as his first target had been deliberate. He¡¯d kept his cards hidden and was rtively uninjured, marking him as the most dangerous opponent in one-on-onebat. Shadowhound, on the other hand, had exerted himself multiple times, had revealed his strengths and trump cards, and was also injured. Jack had confidence he could take him.

    From the start of the battle till now, everything had yed right into his hands¡ªincluding what was about to happen.

    ¡°Shadow Realm!¡± Shadowhound shouted. A sh of darkness spread from his body to cover the entire world. Everything else disappeared¡ªit was only him and Jack in an endless, featureless, ck expanse. The Elderughed. ¡°I¡¯ve spent endless millennia perfecting my shadow arts. Defend against them if you can, boy!¡±

    The shadows morphed into countless beasts and weapons, all charging towards Jack. He smiled. His body became a missile which crashed against them. The battle began.

    ***

    In the outside world, the other disciples saw Shadowhound and Jack exchange threats, then suddenly go still. Both were frozen in mid-air.

    ¡°They¡¯re trapped in a battle of wills,¡± Strawpin said. Her eyes shed cautiously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear?¡± Fiend Prince replied. He spread his fingers to reveal sharp ws. ¡°We kill them both, then fight between ourselves for the lotus. I have to say, this Jack Monstrous did us a huge favor. No idea what he expected to happen.¡±

    ¡°Mm. I agree,¡± Strawpin said. She believed in her faction, but she was also an experienced monster¡ªin the face of a treasure like the golden earth lotus, assassinating an enemy Elder and a sort-of traitor was nothing much.

    The other disciples rallied behind these two and made to fly onward. However, a person suddenly shed before them. It was a humble-looking brori, standing straight with his hands behind his back.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fiend Prince asked.

    ¡°Nobody will interfere in my big bro¡¯s fight,¡± the brori replied, calmly facing the two peak disciples of the entire Space Monster World, as well as thirteen of their peers.

    The disciples frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Do you really think you can stop all of us by yourself?¡±

    Brock cracked a confident smile. ¡°I might.¡±

 Chapter 527: Bro Supremacy

    Jack smashed into the many weapons and monsters summoned by Elder Shadowhound. Each was wrought of darkness and pain, their sharp edges glinting without light. They seemed deadly. Yet, they were nothing but figments of the imagination, parts of Shadowhound¡¯s will.

    They could only harm Jack if he let them.

    ¡°Fool!¡± Shadowhound shouted, gloating already. ¡°You should have never let me trap you here! I¡¯ve trained my Will for untold millennia, while you only recently evolved from a worm. Prepare to die!¡±

    Jack smiled. He rushed into the onught. His fists shed purple, obliterating any darkness they fell upon, but there were more enemies than he could manage. They cut into him. des cleaved off his limbs, monsters chomped at his shoulders. Yet, he remained calm throughout. Every piece of damage they inflicted regenerated instantly. His fists mmed out, continuously obliterating monsters, knowing full well that Shadowhound experienced each fatal blow his summons received.

    Groans of pain left the Elder¡¯s mouth, but he remained confident. ¡°Fool!¡± he repeated. ¡°This is my domain! There is no way you can defeat me!¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    Battles of wills were won by the person with the strongest will. Jack specialized in Physical and didn¡¯t possess many Will attacks, so if Shadowhound just stood still, Jack would be unable to touch him. Defense, however, didn¡¯t rely on techniques. Jack¡¯s willpower had been forged through endless pain and suffering, endless struggle, endless loss. In this aspect alone, he was confident in facing anyone, even Archons and Overlords. It didn¡¯t matter how strong they were¡ªtheir willpower would always be inferior to his, as was evident by their inferior talent.

    Jack endured the assault, not even changing his expression. ¡°Keeping at me, Shadowhound,¡± he said. ¡°Throw me everything you got, but remember this: I will not budge. No matter what attacks you¡¯ve prepared, I¡¯ve been through worse. When you finally grow tired, I¡¯ll still be here¡ªand then, it will be my turn.¡±

    Shadowhound roared, unleashing more attacks. Jack defended calmly. No matter how many strikes hit him or how much pain he experienced, it was all fake. He waited patiently. As for what would happen in the real world until then¡­ He was not worried. His bro had it covered.***

    Hearing Brock¡¯s arrogant words, Fiend Prince snorted. ¡°Get out of here,¡± he said. He flew forward, smashing a fist onto Brock. This looked like a casual strike, but it contained more than eighty percent of his full strength. It was enough to destroy any other B-Grade besides Strawpin.

    Brock raised his palm and caught the fist. A dull thud echoed. Brock¡¯s monkey grin was revealed behind his hand. ¡°Nice try, bro,¡± he said, ¡°but you need to try harder.¡±

    Golden energy erupted. Fiend Prince frowned and yanked his hand free, retreating as quickly as possible. He gazed at his fist¡ªhis fingers had been singed by golden fire. He looked up to find Brock¡¯s aura materializing into a golden brori shadow ovepping with his body. He tsked. ¡°This guy is serious,¡± he told Strawpin. ¡°There is no time to dy. Let¡¯s get him together, so we can reach the Elder before he kills Jack Monstrous and leaves the shadow realm.¡±

    Strawpin looked behind Brock. Some of them could probably bypass him, but Starhair waited right next to Jack Monstrous, guarding him¡ªand the aura he revealed was no less than that of Strawpin¡¯s. She tsked. They had to get the monkey.

    ¡°Disciples¡ªattack!¡± she shouted, then shot out first. A long needle appeared in her hands. Her hat flew into the air, revealing long dark hair and breaking apart into multiple different strands of straw which hovered around her needle. With a mighty stab, she flung them forward.

    Fiend Prince attacked at the same time. There were no fancy moves¡ªhe just charged. As for the other thirteen disciples, they fanned out and unleashed their moves on Brock, much like the Elders had done against the elemental.

    Or, at least, they tried. The Great Silver disciples waved their hands but nothing happened. To their horror, they realized they¡¯d lost their connection to the Dao.

    ¡°You may not rally against your big bro,¡± Brock¡¯s voice struck them like divine decree. ¡°Retreat and consider what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± the disciples screamed. Intense pain erupted from their inner worlds, making them lose the ability to fly and crash into the dirt ind below. Five people were gone, ten remained.

    Strawpin clicked her tongue. ¡°Fools. I told you not to trust him!¡± she eximed as he continued her strike.

    Facing theirbined attacks, Brock sped his hands together. ¡°To interrupt a duel is un-bro-like. So is to gang up on someone,¡± he dered. ¡°You will be punished.¡±

    Golden energy red. It was like some ancient Dao resonated with Brock, echoing from inside his body. Scriptures appeared everywhere¡ªchanting filled the air, unintelligible but carrying distinct power. All other disciples felt the Dao tighten around them, restricting their movements.

    At the same time, the scriptures materialized into golden bodies. Broris appeared, a dozen of them, each carrying a different weapon but radiating the same light. ¡°For big bro!¡± they eximed, falling onto the weaker disciples. A melee erupted.

    Fiend Prince and Strawpin were unaffected. They charged directly at Brock, who smiled in wee.

    ¡°Come.¡±

    The three shed. A staff appeared in Brock¡¯s hand, as well as in the golden phantom¡¯s surrounding him. Expert twirls met the pair¡¯s advance. Fiend Prince was a fierce meleebatant, but Brock countered him easily, the staff flowing from one stance to the next without pause or pattern. Strawpin¡¯s needle stabbed forward, fast and urate, but it couldn¡¯t prate the golden brori. As for the strands of straw, both stabbing and wrapping around Brock¡¯s phantom was ineffective. ??????¦¥?

    Strawpin gnashed her teeth. ¡°To me!¡± she shouted. The strands wrapped around the needle, losing some flexibility but greatly enhancing its power. She stabbed out again, this time managing to prate the golden brori. Most of the strike¡¯s power was lost, however, and Brock managed to stop it between his fingers.

    ¡°Well done, straw bro,¡± he said, grinning.

    Meanwhile, Fiend Prince had taken advantage of this opening to unleash a devastating offensive, cutting the golden brori to pieces and slowly advancing on Brock. The brori¡¯s eyes shone. He let go of Strawpin¡¯s needle, letting her retreat. ¡°You¡¯re good enough!¡± he eximed, joy in his voice. ¡°Then, let me try out my newest ability!¡±

    The golden brori shone brilliantly. Fiend Prince and Strawpin retreated, fearing an explosion, but that didn¡¯t happen¡ªinstead, the massive brori phantompressed andpressed, eventually stering itself directly on Brock¡¯s body. He now shone as if wearing golden armor¡ªan awe-inspiring aura emerged from inside him, as if a brori irreproachable, unfathomable, unopposable. A little bit of golden light remained after forming the golden armor, and it transformed into two new arms, sticking out below Brock¡¯s armpits.

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    Brock smiled. ¡°Big Bro Form!¡± he shouted. ¡°Come!¡±

    He didn¡¯t wait. He charged out first, smashing into the pair like a bull. Fiend Prince¡¯s martial arts were broken. The needle stabbed Brock, only barely prating his armor and drawing out a hint of blood.

    Brockughed. He twirled his staff, bringing it down on his opponents. In this form, he possessed significantly higher offense, defense, and speed. He was overall much stronger, enough to pressure both of them by himself. Meanwhile, his dozen golden broris from before were fighting the weaker disciples, slowly gaining ground.

    As Strawpin and Fiend Prince desperately resisted Brock¡¯s pounding, they exchanged a nce, recognizing the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. They were supposed to be the strongest B-Grades in the world. Yet, this low-key brori, this silly guy who kept drinking wine, could fight both of them while simultaneously defending against nine other top disciples?

    And he was winning?!

    ¡°I refuse to ept this!¡± Fiend Prince roared, his fiery blood getting the best of him. He switched to offense, bravely charging into Brock¡¯s assault. <em>He uses a staff, </em>he deduced. <em>If I get into close quarters, I win!</em>

    Strawpin changed her stance to match him. Her needle shot out, delivering a thousand stabs in the blink of an eye. The strands of straw wrapped around it glowed, slowly burning away to release more power.

    Brock weed their attacks. He calmly defended, using his staff and armor to meet each of their strikes. ngs filled the world. The darkness shook behind them, pierced by shockwaves. In the outside universe, this battle would have shattereds¡ªhere, it could only raise some wind.

    Brock defended and waited. Eventually, one of Fiend Prince¡¯s attacks went an inch too wide¡ªStrawpin¡¯s stab wasn¡¯t perfectly synchronized either. Brock used his staff to push the devil¡¯s hand aside, striking at his face with the butt of his staff. Fiend Prince went flying. Strawpin¡¯s strikended, piercing Brock¡¯s skin but stopping against his ribcage. In return, he swung his staff and delivered a full-force strike into her chest, sending her flying as well. She smashed into Fiend Prince, who¡¯d just recovered, stunning them both for an instant.

    ¡°Big Bro p!¡± Brock shouted. He charged. The two head disciples braced themselves, ready to block his staff, but it was only a feint. The true strike came from above. A golden palm materialized,rger than Fiend Prince and Strawpinbined, and smashed into their heads. They coughed out blood. The palm kept going, carrying them along through the air until they smashed into the ind below, titling it dangerously. Cracks spread all around. Strawpin¡¯s scream echoed.

    The palm remained, pressing down on them. Before they could escape, Brock shot towards the eight weaker disciples, who were already losing against his conjured broris. As soon as he joined the fray, the battle became pointless¡ªdisciples smashed into the ind below one by one, all injured but alive.

    When Fiend Prince and Strawpin finally managed to push the golden palm away, their hair disheveled and bleeding from various ces, they found their fellow disciples groaning on the ground beside them, while Brock and his army of golden broris slowly descended from the sky above. His sole injury, a stab inflicted by Strawpin, had already healed.

    ¡°Yield,¡± hemanded. ¡°You cannot defeat me.¡±

    Strawpin bit her lips. ¡°How can you be so strong!?¡± she demanded. ¡°Are you hiding your cultivation?¡±

    ¡°I follow the true path,¡± Brock replied simply. Their inaction indicated their surrender. He let his broris disperse, maintaining his golden armor just in case.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Fiend Princeughed, his voiceden with bitterness. ¡°I admit you¡¯re strong, the strongest Baron I have ever met, but do you really think you can spare the time to fight us? Your friend is trapped in the Elder¡¯s Shadow Realm. While we dy you, he¡¯s dying! It¡¯s a miracle he¡¯s even survived this long!¡±

    Hearing his biting words, Brock only chuckled. He spared a nce for Jack and Shadowhound, both of whom remained immobilized, facing each other. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°My big bro can handle this. He¡¯s far stronger than me.¡±

    ¡°Far stronger?¡± Strawpin recoiled. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    The sound of breaking ss echoed from behind Brock. Jack and Shadowhound moved again. However, while Jack was panting, he was uninjured¡ªElder Shadowhound was bleeding from all orifices, the crimson glow in his eyes fading. ¡°My turn,¡± Jack said. He charged.

    Elder Shadowhound screamed. ¡°This is impossible! Get away from me!¡± he shouted, flying back in retreat.

    Strawpin was stunned. So was Fiend Prince and every other disciple. Brock was already challenging their understanding of the world¡ªhe was much stronger than they ever thought possible. And¡­ If Jack was even stronger than that¡­ If ate Baron could make a middle Autarch scream and run away in fear¡­

    <em>How is that possible? </em>Strawpin asked herself, frozen in ce. Her gaze alternated between Jack and Brock¡ªtwo impossible existences. Her eyes shook. <em>Such levels of talent¡­ How is this even possible? Am I actually weak¡­or are they just¡­monsters?</em>

    ***

    The shadow realm shattered. All the wraiths, all the monsters, all the des had carved up Jack¡¯s body, but he stood tall. He just defended. It was Shadowhound who was spending his energy to release these attacks. Eventually, the Elder got tired. Sweat poured down his body. Blood flowed from his orifices. When he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the world of will withdrew, and Jack was free.

    He nced to the side, finding the many disciples on the ground while Brock hovered over them¡ªas it should be. He was pleasantly surprised to find they were all alive. Brock had limited the killing, as Great Silver had instructed.

    <em>Good job, bro.</em>

    He turned towards his opponent.

    ¡°This is impossible!¡± Elder Shadowhound shouted. ¡°Get away from me!¡±

    He shot into the distance, but why would Jack let him? He shed ahead of the Elder, delivering a devastating Meteor Punch. Shadowhound¡¯s eyes shed with glee. ¡°Aha! You really are a fool, you fell for it! I don¡¯t know how you developed such willpower defense, but there is no way you can match a middle Autarch in a direct sh. Die!¡±

    He continued his path, darkness enveloping him like a ck meteor. Jack grinned at the simrity. His Meteor Punch changed mid-air into Supernova, a stronger attack, and smashed against Shadowhound. Flesh scattered. The Elder shot backward, blood trailing his path, as even the shadows around him flickered to reveal a dark, hyena-like body.

    Shadowhound specialized in Will attacks, which had already been defeated by Jack, so his physical prowess wascking. Additionally, he was already injured and exhausted. How could he possibly match up to Jack, who could fight even stronger middle A-Grades on equal footing?

    Jack teleported. He intercepted Shadowhound mid-flight and smashed a flurry of blows onto him, forcibly altering his trajectory. He shed again and smashed a knee into the Elder¡¯s midsection from below, shooting him upward. With a final teleportation, he reappeared above the Elder, preparing a massive strike and unleashing it downward. ¡°Supernova!¡±

    Elder Shadowhound screamed as his ribcage shattered. Blood erupted like a geyser. He broke the sound barrier as he fell downward, crashing into the edge of the ind so heavily he tipped the whole thing, almost upturning it. <em>Now is my chance! </em>he thought. The final vestiges of his Dao of Darkness activated, preparing to hide him in the ever-present dark mist. He was lucky to be in this environment¡ªhere, even ate Autarch couldn¡¯t find him. This was the move he relied on to dare struggle against Owlhead!

    However, he didn¡¯t expect Jack to show no mercy. After he smashed Shadowhound downward, he hadn¡¯t dyed an instant¡ªhe dived after him, preparing another Supernova, even more powerful than thest. The Elder may have lost, but he¡¯d already demonstrated an ability to dominate other people. If he used that move to take control of Starhair, it could mean trouble. Jack wouldn¡¯t let that happen.

    As Shadowhound opened his eyes, ready to blend into the darkness, he found a massive fist descending on him like a falling star. <em>Shit.</em>

    ¡°Supernova!¡±

    The world rumbled. Tall waves sshed out, while an entire half of the ind crumbled, upsetting the water below. Shadowhound¡¯s mangled body sank into the sea, but not before Jack snatched his core.

    A middle A-Grade¡­ Dead!

    Jack was panting, but he stood and surveyed the ce. All threats were neutralized. They¡¯d won. As for the disciples who remained on the ground, gazing at him with extreme shock¡­ They honestly weren¡¯t much.

    ¡°Good job, Brock,¡± he said. ¡°I hope those guys didn¡¯t give you trouble.¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± the brori replied with a shrug and a smile. ¡°They¡¯re actually very well behaved!¡±

 Chapter 528: Ferryman of the Dead

    A battle of tremendous scale was splitting the stars in the Spiral Stair gxy. Energy sts shot left and right¡ªsummoned beasts roared, smashing through dozens of cultivators, as powerful fighters went amok behind enemy lines. Magic was everywhere. The Dao was asunder.

    Elder Boatman oversaw the battle from its midst. Besides the leading Archon of each army, who were fighting their own cataclysmic battle far to the side, he was the leader here.

    This was one of thergest scale shes between them and the Immortals yet¡ªa rare chance where their troops had outmaneuvered their enemy, temporarily earning the right to victory. A triumph here would mean a lot for the Church, both in morale and troop bnce.

    They couldn¡¯t fail.

    A squad of veterans charged out of the Church¡¯s lines, impacting heavily on their opponents¡¯. Each possessed a Dao suitable for breaking through a mass of enemies¡ªdifferent Daos were more or less bnced in individualbat, but inrge scale battles like this, the Dao configuration of a squad was vital. Most of the battle¡¯s tactics revolved around positioning the right cultivators at the right spots to counter the enemy.

    Long lines of wizard cultivators unleashed energy sts at the enemy from afar, protected by defense-oriented cultivators. The assault specialists of each army tried to nk the other, while a mass of mostly Physical cultivators duked it out in the middle. Everyone found their ce to die.

    Boatman couldn¡¯t help reminiscing. This reminded him of his mortal years¡ªit was infantry, cavalry, and artillery all over again.

    Besides the arrangement of specialized cultivators, however, there were more stratagems at y.

    The previous squad of veterans, which Boatman had been watching, had now broken deep into enemy lines. Hundreds of enemies swarmed them, pelting them with attacks as the veterans¡¯ momentum ran out. They were too deep¡ªthey could not return, and they could not be rescued. The enemymander must have seen the end goal of this¡ªhe¡¯d already ordered his soldiers to retreat, no doubt, but it was difficult for the people in the melee to react in time.Boatman closed his eyes in respect.

    The veterans detonated their inner worlds. A massive explosion split the universe, cracking open a huge hole to the void beneath existence. A shockwave of pure energy erupted, obliterating dozens of enemy cultivators and injuring hundreds. The entire battlefield paused momentarily. Boatman reopened his eyes, gazing upon the distant cloud of raw, destructive energy.

    ¡°Farewell,¡± he whispered, spreading his perception to bless those warriors¡¯ death. It didn¡¯t really do anything, but itforted him, and he liked to think itforted their ruined souls as well.

    The Church faced many disadvantages in this war. However, they had a single advantage¡ªthey fought for survival. For their lives, for their childrens¡¯ lives, and for the future. The resolve they could muster far outweighed the enemy¡¯s, who fought only to fuel the Immortals¡¯ thirst for conquest.

    The Hand of God could not utilize suicide bombers. The Church could. A harsh, if noble sacrifice.

    As the energy ripples dissipated and space repaired itself, the battle resumed. Hundreds fell from either side. These were the brightest talents of the universe, each having risen above the endless masses only to eliminate each other like this. It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t pretty. It was war.

    Boatmanposed himself. He had work to do.

    From the wall of warships behind the enemy army, a stream of monsters ran out. They were rabid, snapping at each other as well as every cultivator near them. A stream of Space Dao led them towards the Church army, where they would serve as the Hand¡¯s lesser version of suicide forces.

    Boatman shed to appear in their midst, between the armies. His ck cloak billowed. He drew his scythe. ¡°Guillotine,¡± he muttered, then shed at the void. A thin ck slice shot out, spreading in three directions, turning into a sharp cone which flew at the enemy space monsters.

    Hundreds fell in an instant. No matter how the Immortals searched the gxies under their control, A-Grade space monsters were almost impossible to find. They would all fall before Boatman¡¯s scythe.

    Suddenly, golden light erupted. The darkness receded, broken by the light, and the remaining half of space monsters sailed over Boatman, impacting their army. He hoped they¡¯d be handled before causing too much trouble¡ªbecause he certainly couldn¡¯t bother with them any longer.

    A man faced Boatman through the void. He wore shiny te armor without a helmet, letting golden hair glint in the wounded starlight. A face chiseled from marble smiled at him. ¡°Elder Boatman,¡± said the other man. ¡°Despite your disciple¡¯s insistence, we find each other.¡±

    Boatman frowned. ¡°Elder Hero¡­¡± he replied. ¡°Your power has grown yet again.¡±

    Heroughed. ¡°I had a lucky breakthrough. The middle A-Grade looks good on me, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    A shudder ran through Boatman¡¯s body. This man, Hero, was trouble. His cultivation speed was unheard of, yet his foundation was only growing more solid. He¡¯d gone from the early to the middle A-Grade in less than a decade¡ªBoatman himself had taken millennia. As for his battle power, it was nothing short of terrifying. Different Daos formed halos around him. His sheer aura upset the world, forcing everyone else in the entire battlefield to avoid him.

    Boatman grew serious.

    Having just broken into the middle A-Grade, Elder Hero had the power to contest with Boatman, a particrly powerfulte A-Grade. This was unnatural. Ungodly.

    <em>If not for Jack and Brock, this might have been the greatest genius to ever exist, </em>Boatman realized, his red eyes growing darker. <em>I can¡¯t let him grow anymore. Thirty years is just too short¡ªhow could Jack hope to match him in time? Since he stands before me, I have to kill him now¡­no matter what. I must protect my disciple.</em>

    His decision made, Boatman raised his scythe. Hero gave a confident smile. ¡°Are you sure about that, old man?¡± he asked.

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    Boatman charged. His ck cape billowed to the astral winds, raising high behind him to reveal a pale body containing infinite power. The scythe de went from white to ck, and the Dao of Death formed the shape of a skull behind him. With his glowing red eyes, he imagined he made a frightening image¡ªhe always did.

    Yet, Hero only smiled, his teeth pearly white. ¡°What a tant viin,¡± he shouted, readying his sword. ¡°A perfect target for the de of a hero!¡±

    Hero cleaved upward, golden white light rising like the tide. It met Boatman¡¯s ck scythe and devoured it, the ck and golden white strangling each other for endless miles.

    Boatman sensed an almost divine power sh against his. The Death he took such pride in parted, ineffective like the river flowing around a rock¡ªHero¡¯s sword energy persisted, shooting for Boatman, who had to take a step back and swing his scythe again to neutralize it.

    ¡°You are too dangerous,¡± he said in a dark voice. ¡°You cannot be allowed to grow. Even if it costs me my life, I will kill you today.¡±

    ¡°Hah! It will cost you your life alright. Do your worst. In the name of justice, I¡¯ll bring you down!¡±

    ¡°Spare me your rhetoric.¡±

    Boatman gathered energy around him, going all-out for the first time since Jack¡¯s breakthrough. This time, however, he had more space to work with. Dark energy converged, the battle¡¯s dead cultivators enhancing his powers. His form slowly changed. From a pale and old vampire, he became nothing but bones, his face a smileless skull. The shadows of his cloak deepened, shrouding him in mystery, while his scythe elongated.

    ¡°I am the Ferryman of the Dead,¡± he dered, his voice changed to a deeper, more insidious tone. ¡°Nobody can escape death. Not even you. And today, in the name of Death itself, I shall im you.¡± He readied his scythe. ¡°Bare your soul for me.¡±

    Heroughed. ¡°And you use me of rhetorics! Fine, fine. Let¡¯s see what a million years of cultivation did for you, little viin.¡±

    Golden light erupted from Elder Hero. At that moment, he became more than a man. This light contained the faith of the people, the very concept of heroism draped over his shoulders like a cape. The entire battlefield paused, consciously or unconsciously in awe of his transformation. His jaw suddenly seemed sharper, his eyes kinder, his chest broader¡ªhis swordrge enough to epass the world.

    ¡°I am not a man, Boatman, but a hero, an ideal, a concept,¡± Hero said with boomingughter. ¡°And concepts never die!¡±

    Boatman remained silent. He reached the other man in an instant. The two cultivators shed, their battle capturing the entire battlefield. ck sparks flew everywhere. The finality of each strike spread outside their battle, threatening to im the lives of everyone around them. Weaker cultivators fled in droves.

    Hero¡¯s moves were majestic. Every sh carried the determination to save the world¡ªan idea he¡¯d convinced himself he carried. The world folded and crashed against Boatman, refuting Death with every strike. Boomingughter echoed.

    The battle soon became unbnced. The golden light consumed more and more of the void around them. The power of death shrunk, while Boatman had to retreat, forced into a defensive position.

    <em>Terrifying! </em>he realized. <em>Only a middle A-Grade, yet his power is touching the peak! This man¡­cannot be allowed to live!</em>

    His aura resurged. ¡°In the name of Death, I will im¡ª¡± He paused mid-word, realizing he¡¯d blundered. The golden light which Hero¡¯s attacks spread everywhere had not dissipated. It had simplyid there, burying itself in the vestiges of space, biding its time. As Boatman focused inward, prepared to unleash a powerful attack, all that golden light converged on Hero¡¯s sword instantaneously, filling it with much more power than ever before. Space itself shuddered at its wake.

    Hero smiled brilliantly. ¡°Now is your time of reckoning, evil-doer. Sword of the People!¡±

    He shed out, filling the universe with his sword¡¯s brilliance. Every ray of light was a mortal calling out for salvation¡ªevery patch of darkness between them a lost soul Hero was trying to avenge.

    Boatman watched that golden light flood and destroy his defenses. Death gave way, then copsedpletely, leaving Boatman defenseless. Half the flood remained. An endless golden wall was approaching. This was not an attack he could survive.

    <em>I¡¯m sorry, disciple, </em>Boatman thought to himself with bitterness. <em>In the end¡­ I was not enough.</em>

    As the light approached him, however, it shuddered¡ªand, in a single instant, copsed. The rays of light became naught but harmless twinkles. Boatman gazed around him in surprise, finding that it wasn¡¯t just him. The entire battlefield hade to an abrupt pause. A terrible dark energy covered every inch, hindering Boatman¡¯s perception, not letting it spread past a few thousand miles.

    It didn¡¯t need to. He could sense them. Almighty, colossal existences, the cornerstones of this universe¡¯s reality. The darkness had been released by just the first amongst them¡ªbut there were ten more trailing behind, all powerful beyond belief.

    A ck ball the size of the sun appeared to the side of the battlefield. Tendrils of darkness swept from its surface, whipping space around it. It radiated entropy in its purest form¡ªa level of energy Boatman had never experienced before, not even from the Arch Priestess. Even the two fighting Archons stopped, one¡¯s face filled with joy and the other¡¯s with fear.

    The moment it appeared, the ck sphere unleashed its tendrils, each wide like a. They swept through the B-Grades of the Hand of God, killing them as one would ants. They didn¡¯t even have time to cry out.

    Elder Hero¡¯s face changed seven different colors. Boatmanughed. ¡°How¡¯s that for a viin?¡± he asked, stabbing his thumb towards the ck sphere. ¡°Go test your de against it, like a true hero.¡±

    He knew what that was. Everyone knew. Their entire army rose with cheers, both from the massacre of the enemy forces as well as the arrival of their saviors.

    The sun-sized ck sphere was Axelor, the current leader of the Old Gods, the God of Entropy. A creature at the very limit of Archons. Possibly the strongest entity in the universe.

    Two more colossal shapes appeared behind Axelor, sailing smoothly through space. They were humanoid and made of ripples¡ªone¡¯s spread everywhere chaotically, the other¡¯s moved smoothly in one direction, like a calm river. They were the Old Gods of Space and Time. In the flesh.

    Hero ignored Boatman¡¯s jeers. The moment the Old Gods made their appearance, having finally arrived from the far end of the universe, he abandoned his already destroyed attack against Boatman and rushed full-speed towards his army¡¯s Archon. The Archon did the same. The two met in the middle. Instantly, the Archon crushed something in his hand, and a tremendous surge of Space Dao enveloped them both, teleporting them away just before one of Axelor¡¯s dark tendrils smashed through their location.

    ¡°No!¡± Boatman cried out, hating himself for failing to react in time.

    The Space God turned into a ray of blue light, instantly arriving at the previous location of Hero and the Archon and diving into the folds of space after them. Presumably, it followed them to the endpoint of their teleportation¡ªBoatman wished the Space God could at least kill Hero, giving Jack time to grow. Otherwise, his odds of winning that duel would be extremely slim. Boatman didn¡¯t want to underestimate his disciple, but even he realized that, for Jack to win, he would need nothing short of miraculous growth.

    <em>If you do fight¡­ No matter how impossible it seems¡­ I believe in you, my disciple!</em>

    Boatman had lost and almost died, but it was hard to maintain a bad mood. Intense relief swarmed his heart as he watched the remaining troops of the Immortals surrender, a part of their entire army just gone. They¡¯d spent years waiting for the Old Gods, sacrificing their numbers to hold on against overwhelming forces. They¡¯d been pushed to the brink.

    Now, the Gods had arrived. There was hope. They could finally go on the offensive.

    Boatmanughed, unable to hold it in. ¡°Wee back, Gods! Let the true war begin!¡±

 Chapter 529: Absorbing the Lotus

    Jack surveyed the crowd of disciples. All were sitting on their knees on the partially destroyed, centermost dirt ind.

    ¡°So,¡± he said, tossing the middle A-Grade core in his hand up and down, ¡°I guess we¡¯re all that¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°You were amazing!¡± Fiend Prince eximed, his eyes filled with stars. ¡°How can you be so strong?¡±

    ¡°Luck, skill, and hard work, I guess¡­¡± Jack replied, a faint smirk on his lips.

    ¡°You are the strongest Baron I have ever seen. Stronger than I ever thought possible. Will you teach me?¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°I don¡¯t take disciples, but thank you for the kind words.¡±

    ¡°I can pay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of cores. I want to avoid unnecessary connections.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Strawpin snorted. ¡°Of course he wouldn¡¯t teach you. You¡¯re nothing to him.¡± Receiving Jack¡¯s re, however, she brightened up. ¡°I want to apologize for insulting you before. I thought you were disrespecting my faction and wasting our resources, but you clearly knew what you were doing. It was I who was blind. Please don¡¯t take offense.¡±Jack raised a brow. ¡°And here I thought I¡¯d need to use my flip-flops. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± she asked. ¡°The Elders are all dead, but we are still not at the Hall of Trials¡­¡±

    She let her words hang, her intention clear. Jack swept his gaze over everyone. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you there,¡± he said. ¡°With me, Brock, and Starhair, you have little to fear. Well, I guess you¡¯ll all die if we¡¯re unlucky and run into ate Autarch monster, but hopefully that won¡¯t happen.¡±

    Fiend Princeughed. ¡°That¡¯s the monster life! Thank you, Jack Monstrous. And you too, Brock. Your power is astounding.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro.¡±

    ¡°No problem, bro,¡± Prince replied, quickly picking it up.

    Jack grinned. ¡°Before we leave, however, Brock and I must absorb some treasures and enhance our power. It could take a few weeks. You guys will need to either wait here or go off on your own, whatever you prefer. This area is safe though¡ªthe elemental¡¯s aura is still rich, and it will keep other monsters at bay for years.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait, of course!¡± Fiend Prince replied. ¡°Going alone is suicide. Besides¡­ You¡¯re so cool! We¡¯ll follow you anywhere!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait as well,¡± Strawpin added, notably less excited than her counterpart.

    ¡°Alright. Then, you¡¯re all free to meditate. I suggest remaining close so we can protect yourselves if more monsters arrive.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Done speaking, Jack turned around with Brock. He couldn¡¯t deny he enjoyed the starry eyes of those super talented monsters as they looked at him. At the same time, they made him ufortable.

    ¡°What do you think, big bro?¡± Brock asked with a monkey grin. ¡°Enjoying it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why me. You beat them all up at once. They should be admiring you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my big bro, and also very impressive. They admire both of us.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s right.¡±

    Having walked away from the other disciples, who¡¯d all switched to meditating positions suitable for their monstrous bodies, Jack retrieved some items from his space ring.

    ¡°We have e A-Grade core, three middle A-Grade cores, and several early A-Grade ones. There is also the golden earth lotus over there.¡±

    The lotus still stood, though defenseless. It was the single greatest harvest¡ªan Archon-level treasure. Jack turned to Brock.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the biggest winner here, Brock. The elemental¡¯ste A-Grade core and the lotus are both suitable for you, and I have to say, you absolutely deserve them. Have fun.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro,¡± Brock said, receiving thete A-Grade core. Jack had picked it up after the battle, alongside the various Elders¡¯ space rings, which had been disappointingly empty.

    The brori didn¡¯t wait to hear the distribution of the rest of the cores. He neither wanted anything else nor was interested in giving his opinion. Instead, he flew to the top of the lotus, whose hard stem created a seating position at the very top. As Brock sat down with thete A-Grade core in hand and began to meditate, the lotus¡¯s energies rushed up towards him, while the core also melted slowly.

    Absorbing them wouldn¡¯t be a quick process, but it would be avish one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at the rest,¡± Jack said, turning his proud gaze away from Brock. ¡°Come here, Starhair. These cores arepatible with you, and these with me. The rest can be divided amongst the disciples.¡±

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    Starhair epted the cores he was offered, also raising a brow. ¡°Are you taking them under your wing?¡±

    ¡°I promised Great Silver to take care of them. Since these cores are useless to us, giving them to the disciples makes sense¡ªafter all, it¡¯s their world¡¯s resources that we¡¯re taking. Giving back a little is fair.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s meditate and absorb these. I suspect Brock will take weeks or months to finish, so I¡¯ll keep guard after I finish absorbing mine. What will you do?¡±

    ¡°Meditate,¡± Starhair replied with a shrug. ¡°What else?¡±

    They retreated to different positions on the broad dirt ind. Jack, Starhair, and the various disciples all sank into silent meditation, while Brock oversaw them from the top of the golden earth lotus.

    Time passed. Over the following days, everyone except Brock finished absorbing their cores. Most switched to meditating on the Dao¡ªa cultivator¡¯s pastime¡ªwhile Jack split his attention between meditating and keeping watch. After all, a native monster jumping out of the water to eat a disciple wouldn¡¯t be too out of ce.

    Thankfully, nothing happened. The elemental¡¯s aura persisted, just as Jack had suspected¡ªthe other native monsters had probably sensed the battle, but they had no way of knowing the powerful elemental had perished. Even if they came to investigate, it wouldn¡¯t be anytime soon.

    In contrast to the elemental¡¯s lingering aura, the lotus¡¯s energies were quickly drying up. Its roots were withering, and the golden color of its leaves had lost its luster. Brock was growing stronger. His aura surged every day, approaching the peak B-Grade. His Daos were growing more refined as well.

    Jack didn¡¯t mind waiting. As much as he was on the clock, he would never burden his bro with that. A few weeks were nothing, anyway¡ªhe enjoyed watching Brock¡¯s rise to power.

    Two weekster, someone approached him. ¡°Hey,¡± Strawpin said.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jack replied. He noticed that her hair were tidy under her straw hat, while her pale skin shone with a certain luster. She smelled differently, too¡ªwilder?

    ¡°I was wondering,¡± Strawpin began, ¡°are you looking for a sex partner?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°What did you not¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I got it. I already have a partner, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Strawpin said, inching closer. Her smell filled Jack¡¯s ears. It probably passed as attractive to space monsters, but he wasn¡¯t really one, so he found it was off-putting. His thoughts must have shown because Strawpin backpedaled, a surprised look on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I thought we¡¯d be a good match¡­ There are many monsters pining for me, you know.¡±

    Jack gathered himself. ¡°I can imagine. You¡¯re talented and beautiful. Unfortunately, I¡¯m in an exclusive rtionship with another monster, so I can¡¯t return your affection. Thank you, though.¡±

    ¡°Are they better than me?¡± Strawpin asked with a pout.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not aparison I¡¯d want to make.¡±

    ¡°I see. Okay. You don¡¯t need to lie, though¡ªI know that no powerful monster has exclusive partners.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m different. I¡¯m not lying to you.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. Alright.¡± Her disappointed gaze was hard to hide. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore, then. If you ever change your mind, let me know, alright?¡±

    Jack gave a wry smile. ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    She turned and headed back to her fellow disciples, her walk now carrying more swagger than strictly necessary. Jack didn¡¯t see the point. Her long robes revealed nothing.

    <em>¡°What¡¯s the issue with these people?¡± </em>he asked Starhair telepathically. <em>¡°One head disciple wants me to take them as my disciple, the other wants me to just take them.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°The price of power,¡± </em>Starhair replied, doing a mockery of Jack¡¯s voice. <em>¡°Oh no! I¡¯m so powerful and handsome that all the most influential people want me! What am I gonna do?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Very funny. I don¡¯t speak through my nose.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You do sometimes.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I do not!¡±</em>

    Bothughed¡ªwithout a change in expression.

    With nothing to do, Jack also checked his new stats, enhanced by the single middle A-Grade and various early A-Grades core he¡¯d absorbed¡ªthe only onespatible with him.

    <strong>Level: 513</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 12,530 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 12,530 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 12,530 (+)</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 2000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 2000</strong>

    <strong>Free sub-points: 1</strong>

    <strong>Matter Condensation: 26%</strong>

    He was taking steady steps towards the peak B-Grade realm. The cores had given him another ten levels, as well as five hundred stat points which he¡¯d poured into the Physical substats. He¡¯d also worked on his ck hole skill a bit, achieving tiny improvements, and experimented with the Life-Time Dao Vision to no avail. That concept of creation, whatever it was, remained tantalizingly out of reach.

    <em>I¡¯ll get there, </em>he promised himself. <em>One step at a time.</em>

    It took another two weeks for Brock to finish absorbing the lotus and core. Finally, one day, the withered lotus cracked and copsed like old stone. Brock floated down from his previous position, golden light spontaneously flickering around him. There was a certain air to him¡ªas if he¡¯d grown one step closer to being the entire universe¡¯s big bro.

    ¡°Sup,¡± he said as his feet touched dirt. Over the next hundred years, all of it would wash away, and the surrounding inds would go back to being bare stone.

    ¡°Hey bro.¡± Jack weed him with a smile. ¡°You look great.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I work out.¡±

    Jackughed. ¡°I see you reached the peak Baron realm?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Brock smiled back. ¡°Only one step from being an Autarch¡­ Though it won¡¯te anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°This is the first time you¡¯re a small realm above me, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But not for long.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully.¡±

    While Starhair greeted Brock as well, Jack turned towards the monster disciples. ¡°Are you guys ready?¡±

    ¡°We were born ready!¡± Fiend Prince replied, raising a fist to the sky. ¡°Wee back, big bro! Thanks for protecting us, other big bro! Is it time to test our fates?¡±

    A grin yed on Jack¡¯s lips. This guy¡¯s energy was infectious. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call it.¡±

    ¡°I do!¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Then, yeah, it¡¯s time. Let¡¯s go, bros. The Hall of Trials awaits!¡±

    The monsters cheered, then took to the sky after Jack, Brock, and Starhair, following the trio into the darkness. The dirt ind hosting the lotus¡¯s husk remained behind them, a relic forever lost in time.

    It was time to see the Hall of Trials.

 Chapter 530: Reaching the Hall

    The disciple group exited the dirt ind area very different from when they entered. Brock¡¯s strength had surged upward. All six Elders were gone, their cores long absorbed. In their ce, Jack and Brock now led the group, with everyone else flying behind them.

    Starhair, of course, also enjoyed everyone¡¯s respect. His strength was enough to rival Strawpin and Fiend Prince¡¯s, while his friendship with Jack and Brock earned people¡¯s envy.

    In just a short few weeks, Jack and Brock had secured the disciples¡¯ admiration. Their level of talent was unfathomable, but it wasn¡¯t just that. Any other monster might have left these disciples to fend for themselves¡ªJack and Brock had taken responsibility for killing the Elders and promised to protect the disciples all the way to the Hall of Trials.

    As for the disciples¡­ Being escorted and protected by Elders was one thing, but experiencing the same from people of your own ss¡­ That was a different emotion altogether.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want a disciple, Jack Monstrous?¡± Fiend Prince asked, flying beside Jack. ¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise. I can wipe and mop your floors if you want. I¡¯ll work hard!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Prince, thank you¡± Jack replied with augh. He¡¯d interacted with the other disciples over the previous weeks, and Fiend Prince was one of the people he enjoyed. He was straight-forward to the point of being funny. As for Strawpin, while she was somewhat stuck-up, her heart was kind. She¡¯d only acted aggressive to defend the disciples whose spots Jack¡¯s group had taken.

    Of course, now that she knew they more than deserved those spots, she¡¯dpletely switched her tune.

    ¡°How do you even know the way?¡± she asked, flying on Jack¡¯s other side, between him and Brock.

    ¡°I can sense the Dao released by the Hall of Trials. At least, I think I can,¡± he replied. ¡°If I¡¯m right, the Elders were leading you in circles before.¡±¡°Why would they do that?¡±

    Fiend Prince frowned. ¡°That¡¯s weird. I understand that they¡¯d want to explore the dirt area once they discovered it, but are you saying they were already moving in circles before that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d have an idea.¡±

    ¡°No clue.¡± Strawpin shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve read the records on previous delves. Unless all previous generations deliberately obfuscated something, there was never a reason to dy. After all, the faster the Elders can drop us off at the Hall of Trials, the faster they can go treasure hunting.¡±

    ¡°Owlhead did mention something weird,¡± Fiend Prince added. ¡°When Strawpin asked them to take us to the Hall and then return for the lotus, he said there are some things we don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I thought he told me to go fuck myself.¡±

    ¡°That too.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they were afraid to go treasure hunting and wanted to dy so they had an excuse to take things slow?¡± Strawpin ventured a guess. It wasn¡¯t too likely, but nobody had a better idea.

    Jack didn¡¯t participate in the brainstorming. He was aware of more things than the rest. The Second Crusade had just erupted outside the Space Monster World¡ªwith the Overlords desperate to strengthen their factions, this delve was very different from all previous ones. Great Silver himself had hinted at this. Using the records as reference points was meaningless.

    The Overlord had also mentioned something else. After urging Jack¡¯s group to meet up with the other disciples, he¡¯d said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to the Hall of Trials.¡± Maybe the Elders had received simr orders. The problem was, Jack had no idea why.

    He was as lost as the rest of them.

    In any case, thinking about that wasn¡¯t something Jack could afford right now. The Dark Canal was a dangerous ce. Just by himself and Brock, they couldn¡¯t protect all these disciples forever. Rushing or not, they had to reach the Hall of Trials.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Hall like?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know!?¡± Strawpin¡¯s face glowed. ¡°The Hall is where the world¡¯s creator left his legacy¡ªor so the legends say. There are several tests there, and the better you perform, the higher the floor you¡¯re allowed to enter!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jack said, his voice intrigued. ¡°How many floors are there?¡±

    ¡°Six, but don¡¯t underestimate their difficulty! Even Fiend Prince and I, the head disciples of the Overlord factions, can only reach the fifth floor at most.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stroking your own cock!¡± Fiend Princeughed. ¡°The fifth floor is a dream. It means we have a decent chance of bing Overlords in the future¡ªand, not to piss on myself, but I know my chances are small. The fourth floor is more realistic.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about you, but I can reach the fifth!¡± Strawpin replied, her face red. ¡°The Overlord says I¡¯m the greatest talent he¡¯s seen in a million years, superior to even Grand Elder Sanzuki! Since he reached the fifth floor, I can as well.¡±

    Fiend Prince gave a wry smile. ¡°Traditionally, the fifth level is for characters like Overlords or Grand Elders. People with the potential to reach at least the peak Autarch level. The fourth level is for talented disciples with great hopes of bing Autarchs, and anything below that¡­ Well, it¡¯s for less talented ones. They¡¯re still not easy to reach though.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Since only peak B-Grades are entering, everyone should be able to reach the third or fourth level, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. But, that¡¯s only because we¡¯re sending peak B-Grades in there. The Hall of Trials can amodate people of lower cultivations as well¡ªit tests talent, not cultivation level. It¡¯s just that weaker people can¡¯t cross the Canal to reach it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of stupid?¡±

    ¡°Seems so! I have no idea, honestly. The Hall and Dark Canal are far more ancient than anyone can remember. Maybe things were different in the past. Maybe the Canal wasn¡¯t as dangerous.¡±

    ¡°What about the sixth floor?¡± Brock asked.

    At this, the two head disciples fell silent. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for people to reach it,¡± Strawpin finally replied. ¡°Over the history of our world, there have been three such cases. All of them became not just Overlords in the future, but exceptional Overlords. The most recent one was Overlord Rainbow a hundred million years ago. There were three Overlords at the time, and it¡¯s said that she fought the other two by herself and still won.¡±

    ¡°Impressive!¡± Jack eximed, his eyes shing. The Overlord or Archon realm had no internal ssifications of power, but some people were stronger than others. The Arch Priestess, for example, was a particrly powerful Archon. The Old Gods were all at the peak of power, and Axelor with Enas were yet another step higher, able to dominate regr Overlords. Jack thought it was simr to how talented cultivators could steamroll anyone in their cultivation boundary.

    In most cases, however, that only applied to young cultivators who¡¯d yet to grow into their full potential. When it came to mature cultivators, everyone at the same cultivation level was more or less the same, because anyone more talented would have already reached the next realm. Only the Archon realm was an exception, because no matter how talented one was, they just couldn¡¯t ascend higher. That was why there were great differences in power between Archons.

    In fact, the existence of extreme Archons was the main reason why people believed there was no higher realm.

    ¡°You can probably reach the sixth floor though,¡± Fiend Prince said, ncing at Jack and Brock. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but you¡¯re unbelievably strong. In fact, I¡¯d be surprised if you <em>didn¡¯t </em>reach it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Jack replied with a smirk. ¡°Isn¡¯t six floors such an ugly number though? Why not five or seven?¡±

    ¡°Beats me.¡±

    Jack disagreed, but he elected to continue the conversation only with Brock, through telepathy. Some of the things he was going to say might reveal they came from outside the Space Monster Realm.

    <em>¡°I think it¡¯s important,¡±</em> he said. <em>¡°Whoever created the Hall of Trials was such an exceptional individual that there¡¯s no way they randomly chose to have six floors. There has to be a meaning to it. Maybe because it¡¯s half the number of the Old Gods, for some reason? Or because it¡¯s the number of Grades, from F to A?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I agree it¡¯s important, bro, but I have no idea. Let¡¯s figure it out when we get there.¡±</em>

    Jack nodded.

    A few native monsters attacked them on the way, but thankfully, nothing above the middle A-Grade. Jack and Brock handled them all¡ªevery battle only enhancing the awe in the disciples¡¯ eyes.

    Eventually, the scenery changed again. The Dao stream Jack had been following turned more and more intense until everyone could sense it. It then kept growing until it was a brewing storm, a current of power simply waiting to erupt. It gave him goosebumps.

    Finally, they emerged into an area where the ck mist was thicker than ever. A stone ind spread under their feet, far wider than any other, stretching into the darkness. Jack paused and strained his perception to the limit. What he saw made him gasp.

    From the edge of the stone ind, his perception could barely reach its center. He saw there a pyramid stretching into the sky, faint lines denoting six floors each an entire mile tall. Its base was seven miles wide, but it grew narrower the higher one looked. At the very top, it was t, as if part of it had been shorn off. Tremendous power fell from up there¡ªJack wasn¡¯t eager to visit.

    The ck mist hugging the pyramid was so dense it almost turned solid. It rolled off the walls as moisture. The walls themselves were the brown of sand, easy to make out in the mist, while their surface was bare. The front of the pyramid sported a massive double door, half a mile tall, carved with the striking image of a monster tearing apart what looked like a human.

    It gave Jack the chills. This world and the outside universe didn¡¯tmunicate much. Why would there be the image of a human here, in this world¡¯s cradle? Why was that human getting torn apart?

    <em>Not a human, actually, </em>Jack corrected himself. <em>An Ancient. They were gically simr to humans, and with this world¡¯s timeframe, it could only be one of them. Were the Ancients and the first space monsters at war or something? Did the monsters create this entire world as a fortress?</em>

    The more he saw, the more questions he had, and nothing seemed to make much sense.

    Jack looked away from the pyramid, surveying the space around it, and was once again shocked. Before, when he simply brushed by its surroundings to reach the pyramid, he¡¯d assumed it was surrounded by hills. Now, he realized they were statues. Threerge ones formed a triangle around the pagoda, while another eight¡ªsmaller and farther away¡ªcreated a diamond-like shape to encapste the triangle.

    Eleven statues in total. Another weird number. What the hell was going on?

    ¡°What do you see?¡± Starhair asked, his perception not reaching the statues.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There is no danger here.¡±

    He knew that instinctively. The ce carried such a heavy air of holiness that, even if there were native monsters present, Jack suspected they¡¯d hesitate to disturb the peace.

    Their group floated forward. Gasps echoed every once in a while as more and more people perceived the statues and pagoda. Some of the older disciples, who¡¯d visited this ce before, wore wry smiles. This was the same reaction they¡¯d had the first time. The same reaction everyone had.

    ¡°Who are these bros?¡± Brock asked.

    Therger statues were two miles tall, while the smaller ones were one mile. They really were mountains,pletely made of stone. Any paint on them had long washed away, but the stone itself persisted, magically enhanced to endure billions of years of erosion.

    As they approached, Jack could make out more details. Therge three statues were the first he surveyed. One depicted a massive, tentacled sphere. The other two were humanoid, except their faces were featureless and the texture of their bodies odd, as if their skin was rippling.

    ¡°We have no idea who these are,¡± Strawpin exined, unable to hide the awe in her voice. ¡°The records specte they¡¯re strong ancient monsters who helped build this ce, but in truth, we don¡¯t know.¡±

    Jack cupped his chin. ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°I have no idea either.¡±

 Chapter 531: Hall of Trials

    Great Silver and Fiend King hovered on two sides of the pyramid. Powerful enchantments kept them hidden, intricate enough that even Jack had failed to detect them. Of course, the Overlords didn¡¯t care about some disciples¡ªthe enchantments were meant to hide them from wandering native monsters, which, contrary to Jack¡¯s assumptions about the sanctity of this ce, could and did pass by.

    The Overlords weren¡¯t just standing around. A massive ring of power circled the pyramid, passing through them and getting amplified. The dark mist above them roiled¡ªa faint light came from the t top of the pyramid, very slowly getting brighter. Thanks to the hiding enchantment, all these were invisible unless someone flew high up.

    ¡°Did you notice?¡± Fiend King asked. ¡°That new disciple of yours almost noticed the enchantment.¡±

    ¡°He specializes in Space,¡± Great Silver replied casually. ¡°A faint intuition is to be expected.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. All the Elders were missing. How did they get caught, while the disciples escaped?¡±

    ¡°Bad luck. Do you want to focus on this or that?¡±

    Fiend King snorted. ¡°I thought you could meditate and talk at the same time?¡±

    ¡°We cannot afford any distractions. Doing this without a third Overlord is hard¡ªif we don¡¯t devote our full attention, the ritual could go awry, and fifty million years of preparation will amount to nothing.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Fiend King eximed, closing his eyes and focusing entirely on the ongoing ritual. Great Silver did the same. To them, the disciples entering the pyramid were entirely inconsequential¡ªwhat they were working on was far grander than a few hopeful upstarts. The only reason they¡¯d asked the Elders to dy the disciples¡¯ arrival was to protect them in case the pyramid ended up exploding¡ªbut interrupting the ritual to warn them now was not a price they could afford to pay.Only Great Silver spared an extra thought for the disciples. <em>Jack Rust did something¡­ </em>he deduced. <em>He somehow killed the Elders. Maybe swooped in while they were fighting over some treasure? That would exin why the other disciples defer to him so much¡­but, in the end, it doesn¡¯t really matter. At least he escorted them here. Good boy. It¡¯s a shame the Immortals are going to kill him and everyone he knows.</em>

    The two Overlords hovered before two of the pyramid¡¯s three sides. The third was taken up by a twelve-foot-tall totem pole, containing twelve rings depicting various monsters. Each exuded the faint aura of an Overlord. The ring of power passed through the totem as it did through the Elders, slowly sapping its energy. The light from the pyramid¡¯s top grew ever brighter.

    ***

    Threerge statues formed a triangle around the pyramid. One depicted a massive, tentacled sphere. The other two were humanoid, except their faces were featureless and the texture of their bodies odd, as if their skin was rippling.

    Another eight statues, smaller in size, surrounded them in an octagon shape. Most were humanoid, with distinctive features¡ªone was made of spheres, another also of spheres but smaller, a third was made of what seemed like fire¡­

    After the first few statues, Jack didn¡¯t need to look anymore. The space monsters may not have known what these statues depicted, but he certainly did. The Old Gods. Eleven of them, with the exception of Enas.

    He looked down, where the statues met the stone ind. They were one and the same, the stone simply extending upward. That indicated the statues had never moved. They¡¯d been created like this, in perfect harmony, which meant there was never a statue of Enas here. The statues had been made <em>after </em>the Old God of Life had been tossed into a ck hole.

    <em>What¡¯s the meaning of this? </em>Jack wondered. <em>Did the other Old Gods create space monsters after the First Crusade? That makes no sense. This world and the Dark Canal are older than a billion years¡ªboth were created before Enas¡¯s imprisonment. Why is there no statue of him?</em>

    <em>Could there have been a statue, but after his imprisonment, the other Old Gods came here, took down all the previous statues, and recreated eleven of them anew? That¡¯s just too tedious.</em>

    <em>Why would the Old Gods create the Space Monster World, anyway?</em>

    He could begrudgingly ept that. The creation of the Space Monster World, as well as its entrance seal which prevented A-Grades from entering, was too grand a project. People suspected its creator had surpassed the Archon realm, but if it was multiple Old Gods working together, then it could be exined.

    But why? And why did the pyramid door portray a monster feasting on an Ancient?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± Strawpin said, too excited to wait. She was basically skipping from foot to foot.

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack replied, snapping out of his thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± <em>And everything should be clear by the time we exit.</em>

    Therge group put the statues behind them and gathered before the pyramid door¡ªlooking tiny inparison.

    ¡°How do we open it?¡± Jack asked, looking up.

    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± an older disciple replied. ¡°We just go in, like this.¡± He put a palm against the door and immediately disappeared. Jack perceived the familiar ripple of energy¡ªthis was short-range teleportation. He shook his head, then followed the disciple. Everyone did.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    They reappeared in a towering hall. Thick columns of brown stone held up the mile-high ceiling, while engraved on them were the visages of fierce monsters preying on Ancients¡ªor, more rarely, each other. There was a certain timeless air to this ce¡ªthe weight of endless years pressing down on Jack¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Is this the first floor?¡± he asked. The others nodded.

    ¡°The first floor is the minimum result one can achieve,¡± Strawpin exined. While she hadn¡¯te here before, she¡¯d read about the Hall of Trials extensively. ¡°It is also where we receive the tests to judge our potential. After this, everyone can visit their respective floors to enjoy the rewards.¡±

    Jack nodded. There was no door to this hall, only walls, but he supposed teleportation served a pyramid well. After all, forcing peak B-Grades to walk up stairs felt a bit too humbling. Flying up, on the other hand, would be too easy.

    ¡°And what exactly are these tests?¡± he asked.

    She smiled at him. ¡°Come and see.¡±

    Therge hall they were in was devoid of furniture. It wasn¡¯tpletely empty, however. In the very middle stood a bronze steele. It rose twenty feet into the air¡ªso not particrly high¡ªand its surface was covered in tiny inscriptions. At the very top of the steele, three names were written in arger font, each containing the writing style of its holder.

    ¡°Eternal Radiance, Progenitor, Rainbow¡­¡± Jack read aloud. ¡°Who are these people?¡±

    ¡°The only three monsters to ever reach the sixth floor,¡± Fiend Prince replied, his usual recklessness reced with reverence. ¡°As for the names below them, they belong to people who reached the fifth floor.¡±

    Jack gazed at the steele again. It reminded him of the old Cathedral¡¯s ranking obelisk, yet impossibly grander in meaning. It was possible that, from the people who popted the ranking obelisk, only the very apex geniuses like Min Ling would have the qualifications to even appear on this steele, let alone reaching the top tier.

    It was the entire history of excellence of the Space Monster World,pressed to a space only twenty feet across.

    Jack looked up again. The threerger names dominated the top of the steele, their superiority evident.

    <em>Eternal Radiance, Progenitor, Rainbow¡­ </em>Jack repeated in his head,mitting the names to memory. Their font wasn¡¯t the same neutral one as in the names below. It appeared that each of these people had earned the right to personally inscribe their names, thus demonstrating their writing style for the future generations.

    Eternal Radiance wrote in confident, straight, deep swipes. An absolute sovereign. Progenitor wrote in jagged, short lines, as if too busy doing other things to inscribe on the stele properly, while Rainbow¡¯s letters were elegant and pretty, yet containing undeniable momentum.

    Just ncing at the names, Jack felt he had a good idea of the people they represented. He yearned to inscribe his own¡ªwhat would it look like?

    ¡°How often does someone reach the fifth floor?¡± Starhair asked, focusing on the host of smaller names below.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking to gauge the length of time this stele has existed based on the number of names,¡± Fiend Prince said. ¡°A good idea, though you¡¯re barely the first. Delves happen once every thousand years, but nobody reaches the fifth floor usually. Maybe once every ten delves?¡±

    ¡°I thought you and Strawpin both aimed for the fifth floor?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re exceptions. It¡¯s umon for two geniuses this great to be born close together. Strawpin and I both stand head and shoulders above our peers.¡±

    Said peers stood right next to him, but he didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°I count tens of thousands of names,¡± Jack said, quickly skimming the stele. There were only three names at the very top, eachfortably resting in its own space, yet the smaller names below were tiny and nestled tightly against each other. Three versus tens of thousands¡ªthe disparity between the fifth and sixth floor was staggering.

    ¡°It¡¯s close to a hundred thousand,¡± Strawpin said.

    Starhair did the calctions. ¡°With an average of one person every ten thousand years, this means the stele has stood for a billion years. That can¡¯t be right. I thought it was longer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The names are automatically wiped off the stele one billion years after they were first inscribed. Your calction is pointless.¡±

    ¡°...You could have led with this.¡±

    ¡°But where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Strawpin replied, her previous stricter attitude having melted away. It only appeared when she was in charge.

    ¡°Does the same happen for the sixth floor names?¡± Jack asked.

    Fiend Prince shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not sure. We do know that theyst more than a billion years¡ªOverlord Eternal Radiance, for example, was a legendary figure from two billion years ago. However, it¡¯s possible those names are also wiped, just on a longer cycle. We¡¯ve never seen one disappear yet.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack muttered. The disparity was even greater than he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d been certain he could reach the sixth floor easily, but now it was beginning to look like a bit of a challenge.

    He suddenly realized something. If this stele recorded the names of everyone who¡¯d reached the top floors, it was possible that their results in the so-called tests were also recorded. Jack could test himself against not just the geniuses of the present, but also the greatest geniuses in history¡ªan entirely different level.

    The fire ofpetition burned in his belly. He couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°How do we enter the tests?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Simple,¡± Strawpin said. ¡°You touch that other stele over there.¡±

    She circled therge bronze stele, stepping behind it. Jack followed her to find a second stele, originally hidden by the first. This one was made of silver and much smaller¡ªonly reaching nine feet in height and three in width. It was empty.

    ¡°The tests all take ce in a separate space, so we cannot observe others directly,¡± Fiend Prince took over exining. ¡°However, everyone¡¯s results for each test will appear on this stele. It is also the entry point¡ªjust touch it and you¡¯ll be teleported over.¡±

    Jack observed the stele again. While empty, he did notice two vertical lines on it, splitting it into three identical sections. <em>Three tests, then? </em>He grinned. <em>Bring it on.</em>

    He looked behind him, searching for the eyes of his brother. He found them easily. The same fire burned in them as it did in his. ¡°See you at the top, brother,¡± he said, unable to contain his grin.

    ¡°Damn right, big bro,¡± Brock said. He walked beside Jack, and, at the same time, the two reached out to touch the stele and disappeared. Jack noticed he could have resisted the spatial pull, but he obviously chose not to.

    Half of the other disciples, including Starhair, Strawpin, and Fiend Prince, did the same. The only ones left were those who¡¯d been here before. Each person could only attempt the test once in their lifetimes, and the result was locked in forever. These monsters were only here to reenter the same floor asst time and continue reaping the benefits.

    However, there was no rush in that. The Canal Delve would continue for many years, and this test only took a few hours.

    The remaining disciples sat on the ground, eagerly discussing the others¡¯ expected results. First they¡¯d watch, then they¡¯d cultivate¡ªotherwise, they would be no fun.

 Chapter 532: Test of Dao

    Jack materialized in a different hall. This one was also made of stone, but was noticeably far smaller. Barely a hundred feet separated the floor from the ceiling, while another hundred spanned between the right to left and front to back walls. The entire room was a box a hundred feet to each side, giving no indication of its position inside the pyramid.

    Jack¡¯s perception failed to prate the walls, while his ears caught no sound. Wherever he was, it waspletely isted. This was probably a separate fold in space, yet the flow of spacetime around him indicated no such thing. An exquisite application. His mind returned to the statues of the Space and Time Gods outside the pyramid¡ªcould they have participated in the creation of the Hall of Trials?

    ¡°Greetings, young monster,¡± a voice weed him. Jack turned to its source¡ªthe single other thing in the room besides himself. An entity of stone stood against the back wall, patiently waiting. Jack took the time to inspect it as he walked over¡ªit seemed like a living creature yet wasn¡¯t. In fact, it reminded him of Sparman, the sparring robot he¡¯d interacted with during the Integration Tournament. Sparman hadter be an important guardian of the Forest of the Strong.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he replied, stepping up to the automaton. ¡°How do you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± the thing replied. It was humanoid and made of ck stone, enchanted to endure the infinite flow of time. It wore no clothes and had no facial features, except for a single white eye in the middle of its face. Its voice was produced through vibrations¡ªoddly smooth and pleasant to the ear.

    ¡°The name¡¯s Jack. Who are you?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°I am the automaton assigned to this hall. I will be the overseer and conductor of your aptitude tests. Are you ready to begin?¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jack said quickly. ¡°Can you give me some information first? Who created this ce? For what reason? What exactly will I be tested on, and how?¡±

    ¡°I am not allowed to divulge information on the tests before you face them,¡± the robot exined in an even voice. ¡°All I can tell you is that this is the Hall of Trials: a training ce for the new generation of soldiers.¡±¡°Soldiers? Against what?¡±

    ¡°More information will be avable based on your results. Are you ready to begin?¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Sure,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good. The first test concerns your understanding of the Dao, and will be adjusted based on your current cultivation level. Please stand in the middle of the room and release your Dao aura.¡±

    Jack followed the instructions. He took position in the very center and released his aura to the maximum¡ªa powerful gust blew out, smashing against the walls and shaking them. The entire hall was suffused with the aura of power, of Life and Death, of Space and Time. The robot, though carrying no aura itself, didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    Jack waited. A momentter, a strange feeling came over him¡ªit was like the hall itself fell silent to listen, exploring his aura. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came, and shadows manifested in front of Jack, quickly coalescing into a humanoid shape. Nothing was visible of it except its white eyes. Jack looked at it expectantly.

    The shadow raised its hands. Jack braced himself, waiting for an attack, yet none came. Instead, the shadow deftly moved its fingers, dragging them through the air and leaving trails behind them to form what resembled ancient runes.

    The moment Jack¡¯s eyes met the runes, he was transfixed. To the untrained eye, these would be nothing more than squiggly lines¡ªto Jack, however, they were something far greater. A manifestation of concepts, ideas given form as lines. He¡¯d seen this before while inheriting Green Dragon¡¯s legacy. They were Dao runes.

    The particr set of runes before him spoke of spacetime. They portrayed a steady ripple of time traveling through t space, then a massive celestial object appearing to warp them both. Every measurement was exact in the rune¡¯s intricacies. The test was clear¡ªa beginning state and an alteration were given, and he was to calcte the precise warping of spacetime induced by the celestial object.

    Jack snorted. This was not a simple task, but to him, it was far too easy. He quickly waved his hands without much thought, easily copying the runes and adding in his own insights. The final state of the system became clear¡ªhe depicted the exact warping which could ur in both space and time.

    The shadow observed his runes for a moment, then nodded in approval. If it was impressed by his speed, it didn¡¯t show it.

    All runes copsed as the shadow started drawing a second set. This one was moreplex, representing a person¡¯s journey through life, all their formative experiences and important checkpoints. The shadow¡¯s finger suddenly paused, having drawn the line until the person¡¯s start of middle age. It dropped its hand and looked at Jack expectantly, the runes hovering iplete.

    Jack focused as he perceived these runes. They reminded him of the death and life cubes he¡¯d previously meditated on, but at the same time, more than even the cubes, they reminded him of the time he¡¯d spent in the Mortality Dao Chamber of the old Cathedral. In there, he¡¯d watched the lives of a thousand mortals advance and shape each other. He¡¯d learned to read a life. This rune was no different.

    Slowly¡ªrespectfully¡ªhe raised his finger to the end of the rune and continued it. Unlike before, he took his time. This test wasn¡¯t particrly difficult either, but there was a certain inherentplexity when it came to Life and Death. It wasn¡¯t like spacetime, where everything was clear-cut and the final state was a result of precise calctions. Life contained a great element of chance, as well as hints of each cultivator¡¯s personality, because the same reality seemed different to different people. The truth was subjective, to an extent¡ªthat¡¯s why Jack took it slow, pondering on these truths as he drew them out, taking the time to fully insert his understandings into the runes.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    His lines were subtly different from the shadow¡¯s. When he was finally done, having portrayed this hypothetical person¡¯s emotional changes all the way to their inevitable death, he slowly removed his finger. The end result was two separate sets of runes, with clear differences between them,bining together to form a harmonic whole. Jack hadn¡¯t just taken over, he¡¯d made sure to incorporate and validate as many of the shadow¡¯s insights as possible.

    The shadow looked over the runes for a long time, then nodded deeply. Its white eyes shed with what could be appreciation. Jack smiled¡ªhaving your life¡¯s work validated was always a pleasant feeling.

    The runes copsed, and another test began.

    The shadow¡¯s challenges grew exponentially moreplex. Its next test depicted an entire sr system, with its sun ands and moons and meteors and all sorts of little things. Jack had to urately chart all their interactions with spacetime and each other. It took some time, but he seeded¡ªnot quite a challenging task, but far more difficult than the first one. Thankfully, his foundation was solid, so failing here was impossible.

    The fourth challenge concerned Life and Death. The shadow drew out an entire vige of people, their lives and deaths in for all to see, if they knew where to look. Jack used the presented lives of these people to draw out their future generations, assuming the vige unaffected by outside factors. He chose to draw one of the brightest possible futures. The next generations slowly washed away the mental burdens passed down to them by their elders, eventually creating a stable and expanding, happy vige.

    By the time he was done, he didn¡¯t know how long it had been. He¡¯d lost track of time while drawing. Theplexity of these runes had increased massively, from the starting set of three to the vige epassing hundreds of runes, so the time it took toplete them had also increased. Jack assumed it had been several hours.

    At the fifth test, the shadow changed its tune. The darkness crept away from its face to reveal a faint smile, sharp teeth glinting through. It raised both hands and drew spacetime runes faster. They didn¡¯t just hang there this time¡ªas soon as they were drawn, they flew at Jack like attacks.

    He could obviously use his cultivation to destroy them, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Instead, excitement rising inside him, he raised his hands and drew runes in return. They shed against the iing ones. Lines met loose ends,pleting them. The runes fizzled out of existence, neutralized.

    The shadow elerated, but so did Jack. Their runes turned faster and moreplex¡ªyet, every attack of the shadow was perfectly neutralized, Jack matching it in speed and grace. Its smile widened.

    Life and Death runes crept into the battle. A mess of concepts nowunched itself at Jack, each attack a question, each defense a perfect answer. Jack realized he was grinning. This was exhrating. To meet someone who could match him and battle them in such a way¡­ It was like meeting a soulmate. Someone who walked the exact same path as him. He wanted to keep going until he dropped, no longer caring about tests and floors.

    His hands elerated. His Fist shone through, igniting his fighting spirit. Jack could sense the creeping difficulty, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He elerated further, going all-out against the shadow. Facing its barrage of questions, not only did he draw perfect answers, but he incorporated his own testing questions and shot them back. The moment the first such rune reached the shadow, it paused for a second, stunned¡ªand then its smile turned into a full-on grin. Its hands blurred as it elerated to match Jack¡¯s pace, the previous slow scaling all but forgotten. It epted his challenge.

    The stream of attacks turned two-way, Jack actively fighting back against the shadow. Questions and answers shed in mid-air, the runes turning constantly moreplex, constantly moreplete. They were operating not on a surface level, but in deep concepts wrapped around each other, testing their opponent on the most hidden nuances. Jack was feeling genuinely challenged by this level, but all he knew was that he loved it.

    <em>Adjusted to my cultivation level my ass, </em>he thought. <em>No other B-Grade could do this. But fine. Let¡¯s see what you got!</em>

    As the shadow jumped to a new level ofplexity, Jack had to really zone in. Everything else disappeared as he wentpletely all-out, pulling from his arsenal concepts he didn¡¯t fully grasp. A question about Death headed his way. His fingers shed, drawing a perfect answer and a question furthering the subject, then shooting it right back. There wasn¡¯t only Death in his question¡ªhe¡¯d included an aspect of Space, graduallybining the two concepts, using his understanding of ck holes to foil the shadow.

    The shadow opened its mouth andughed out loud¡ªthe first sound it made. Death and Space entwined, jumped from its fingers. They met Jack¡¯s question, answered it, and pushed through. The shadow kept going, fusing Life and Time in the next question. They were now discussing the deepest secrets of the universe, an area where Jack wasn¡¯t fully knowledgeable, but neither was the shadow. Both were struggling now, reaching for more than they could grasp. Jack felt his genuine joy mirrored in his opponent, and he could sense his understandings skyrocket through this battle, missing pieces falling into ce.

    Their answers turned imperfect. Light washed over Jack every time he failed to defend, and the same happened to the shadow, the shockwaves of Dao pushing back its darkness to reveal a pale face, featureless except for its eyes and mouth, which sported a creepy, abnormally wide grin.

    Runes flew back and forth. Time, Space, Life, Death, allbined into an imperfect mess glued together by Jack¡¯s understanding of the Fist. He charged through any problems he couldn¡¯t solve, while his own attacks pierced deep, threatening just like a fist. Their runes were so many and soplex that they spread from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall, every rune a soldier in a massive battle. Ethereal blue light filled the entire hall.

    The shadow finally showed signs of exhaustion, its finger light sputtering as if attempting to draw concepts moreplex than it could muster.

    Jack saw his opening¡ªand knew he was also reaching the end of his rope. He forced his hands to move faster. Exquisite runes appeared, the crystallization of Jack¡¯s understanding into ck holes. The shadow¡¯s runes began to copse. The two-way battle turned into a single-sided barrage of runes, against which the shadow desperately tried to defend, but most punched through its resistance. shes of light now covered it constantly. Jack had gained the definitive advantage.

    Finally, the shadow raised a hand, using raw energy to disperse the runes. Everything came to an abrupt pause. ¡°I yield,¡± said a voice, tinged with both joy and frustration. ¡°Good job.¡±

    ¡°Well fought,¡± Jack replied, nodding deeply at the shadow. It may have lost, but it had provided Jack¡¯s most enjoyable battle ever. His Dao and heart were soaring.

    A chuckle escaped the shadow¡¯s lips as it dissipated, turning into thin air, leaving the room as empty as it once was. The flying runes might as well have been a dream. Jack struggled to cope with the suddenpse in action. He fell to his knees, panting, the tension still notpletely out of his System.

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± the automaton at the far wall said. Its voice was slightly deeper than before. ¡°Dao test result¡­ Eternal!¡±

 Chapter 533: Test of Will

    Jack struggled to find his breath. Across from him, the automaton waited. ¡°Are you ready to proceed?¡± it asked.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Jack said. ¡°You called my test result Eternal. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It is the highest possible ssification. Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°When was thest time someone got that result?¡±

    ¡°I cannot divulge that.¡±

    ¡°...Fine.¡± Jack stood up, his regeneration already working wonders for his stamina. The hall, though small, seemed to have infinite ambient Dao. His perception caught it streaming in from the corners. ¡°Before this test began, you said there were some things you couldn¡¯t reveal unless I got the appropriate results.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me now. Who built this ce? Was it the Old Gods depicted in the statues outside?¡±

    The robot hesitated for a moment. ¡°I do not understand the question,¡± it finally said. ¡°The Hall of Trials was constructed by our Gods. They are the ones depicted outside. However, while they have certainly existed for a long time, calling them old is unsuitable.¡±¡°Why did they make this ce?¡±

    ¡°The Gods constructed the Hall of Trials to assist the future generations of monsters. Their intention was to establish a cultivation civilization able to expand with each generation, so it could stand firm against the enemy when the time came.¡±

    ¡°The enemy?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What enemy?¡±

    The automaton paused. ¡°It is time for the next test,¡± it said in a more mechanical tone.

    Jack dusted himself off. He cracked his neck and flexed his fingers, taking in the wide room around him. His previous Dao battle against the shadow had been ephemeral, yet had still created physical shockwaves. The hall, however, remained pristine.

    With a better idea of the tests¡¯ difficulty, Jack wondered if death was possible. Strawpin and Fiend Prince hadn¡¯t mentioned anything of the sort, but maybe it waspletely natural to them, death being such a core part of the Space Monster World.

    Jack took a deep breath. <em>I wonder how Brock is doing¡­ </em>he thought wistfully. <em>Can he reach my results? Can I reach his?</em>

    In a sense, this was the first time the two bros were in directpetition. Jack really looked forward to the result.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good,¡± the automaton replied. ¡°The second test concerns your willpower and resolve to pursue the peak. It is not adjusted to your cultivation. It is also endless, so please give up whenever you feel you¡¯ve had enough. To begin, please stand in the middle of the room.¡±

    ***

    The first test could be shorter or longer depending on the participant¡¯s attainments in the Dao. As a result, in the time it took Jack to finish battling the shadow, some weaker monsters had already proceeded past even the second test.

    The monsters seated outside the tests, the ones who¡¯de here before, discussed excitedly as they surveyed the silver stele.

    ¡°Look!¡± one of them cried out. ¡°Another person finished the second test; another Talented assessment.¡±

    ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t Average!¡± another monster said, leading to a wide chorus ofughter.

    Names already littered the stele. It was split into three columns, where the results of each participants would appear, one test per column. The first already contained eight names¡ªeveryone except Brock and Jack Monstrous had finished. Most had achieved the Talented ssification, while a poor two people only got Average. Thesest ones were the target of the other monsters¡¯ ridicule. It didn¡¯t mean their final results would be inferior to others¡ªafter all, this was just one of three tests¡ªbut, amongst elites, every hint of weakness was worth some ridicule.

    There were also some pleasant surprises. Strawpin and Starhair had both achieved the Genius ssification. If they could maintain that result for the other two tests as well, they¡¯d be able to enter the fifth floor of the Hall of Trials¡ªa feat usually seen once every ten thousand years. For two people to enter the fifth floor at the same time was an extremely rare asion, not to mention that Fiend Prince was still in the game¡ªthe Dao was his weak point, so it was expected he¡¯d only achieved a Talented assessment on the first test. He only needed two Genius assessments to reach the fifth floor.

    However, even that wasn¡¯t enough to upy the spectating monsters¡¯ minds. They looked forward to two things only. Jack Monstrous and Brock, those impossibly extreme talents¡­ Could they really achieve the legendary sixth floor? The one which had opened only three times in the entire history of the world?

    They chatted to pass the time, but everyone snuck nces at the stele, eager to watch history being made.

    ¡°Look!¡± someone cried out, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Brock¡¯s results are out!¡±

    Every monster turned to the stele. At the very top of the first column, burning golden and pushing every other name down a position, was the name of Brock along with his ssification.

    ¡°Eternal?¡± a monster said with puzzlement. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be Prime Genius?¡± another asked, rubbing its chin.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is the stele broken?¡±

    ¡°You idiots!¡± another monster cried out, shivering with excitement. This was a disciple of the Great Silver faction, a monster who¡¯d been bebro¡¯d by Brock before. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize what this means? Big bro Brock surpassed the Prime Genius ssification! He reached another level above iyt which we didn¡¯t even know existed!¡±

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    The remaining three bro monsters agreed. The others, however, only nced at each other. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± one of them said. ¡°There is no higher ssification. Prime Genius corresponds to the sixth and final floor, everyone knows that. It¡¯s more likely that the Hall of Trials changed the name, or that it was mimunicated by our ancestors. After all, it¡¯s been a hundred million years since thest time¡ªthenguage changes, so it¡¯s not impossible for some words to have changed their meaning.¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± the first bro monster argued. ¡°Prime Genius and Eternal don¡¯t even sound alike. Do you think the Hall of Trials is a ce where names can change randomly?

    ¡°Mind your tongue, friend, or you might find it severed,¡± the insulted monster replied, quick to get feisty.

    ¡°Oh yeah!?¡± the bro monster stepped up, puffing its chest. The two began to approach each other but were caught off by another excited shout.

    ¡°Jack Monstrous¡¯s result is out too! Wait¡­ Who¡¯s Jack Rust? Are they the same person?¡±

    Every monster turned to look at the stele. A second name of burning gold had appeared, overtaking Brock¡¯s to upy the very top of the column: Jack Rust, Eternal!

    ¡°Probably an alias,¡± some monster muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine it matters. The important part is, he surpassed Brock!¡±

    ¡°The two results appeared almost together,¡± a bro monster said. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have been too far apart. Look¡ªboth got this Eternal ssification.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± the insulted monster from before said smugly, the previous fight all but forgotten. ¡°If Eternal was a higher ssification never before achieved, do you think it could appear twice?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Both those monsters were awesome.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see,¡± said a slightly older monster, eyes trained on the stele. Its eyes were shaking. ¡°I suspect that, no matter what¡­ We¡¯re about to experience history!¡±

    ***

    Jack stood in the middle of the hall, taking deep but even breaths. ¡°Well?¡± he asked. ¡°When is the second test starting?¡±

    ¡°In three,¡± the automaton replied.

    ¡°Three what?¡±

    ¡°Two. One. Begin.¡±

    Jack wanted to cry out at the absurdity but didn¡¯t have the time. A massive weightnded squarely on his head. He suffered a headache stronger than anything he¡¯d imagined possible, a giant with spiked shoes jumping up and down on the soft matter of his brain.

    He yelled and almost tumbled to the ground but kept his bnce. His eyes were bloodshot.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± he muttered. ¡°This is nothing.¡±

    The pain intensified. Through it, he could barely sense the ambient Dao converging from across the hall, stuffing itself through his ears. His body¡¯s bncing functions weren¡¯t working. He was overdosing on Dao.

    The stomping giant was joined by a second, then a third. Spikes drove themselves through Jack¡¯s brain. He could feel himself hemorrhaging. <em>Is this killing me? </em>he wondered.

    However, after the initial shock passed, this tremendous pain wasn¡¯t unbeatable. He¡¯d been through worse. Even the absorption of the overlord core, which he¡¯d endured for three years, had been worse than this.

    Some timeter, a new sensation joined the party. As Jack¡¯s brain was still slowly cracking apart¡ªor so he thought, but couldn¡¯t be sure it wasn¡¯t an illusion¡ªhis body caught on fire. Literally. He saw mes jumping out of his skin, purple and white, singing him from the inside out. He felt them consume his tempered body slowly, like he was aged wood, letting him experience the burning for a longer time.

    <em>This is fake, </em>he realized. <em>I can¡¯t be burning. It¡¯s an illusion.</em>

    There were tiny signs. The dance of the mes was off, the heat pulsing at slightly irregr intervals. These were imperfections made on purpose. Whoever crafted this illusion wanted Jack to figure out it was fake¡ªbut only if he could maintain hisposure through the extreme pain. Otherwise, the rising panic and suffering would quickly culminate in him failing.

    Now that he knew the damage wasn¡¯t real, Jack was no longer afraid. ¡°Bring it on!¡± he roared.

    The pain spread to his soul. He could feel it cracking, like an apple which someone grabbed and slowly tore in half. His life¡¯s work sputtered out like fruit juices¡ªall the connections he¡¯d made were ripped apart one by one. This was agony on another level. Jack could endure mental and physical pain because those were limited by the constraints of reality, but the pain of the soul was a different beast, expanding to fill its container. It was potentially infinite in intensity, and this test was set to prove it, slowly but surely ramping up.

    Jack clenched his teeth so hard they hurt. Even now, this wasn¡¯t nearly the worst he¡¯d ever experienced. When he¡¯d absorbed the Life Drop, it had forcibly ripped apart his soul to enter and knitted it back together. That pain still haunted him.

    He wouldn¡¯t give up. This trial would help him save himself, his family, his, and his universe. He was determined to win.

    Jack had lost track of time. After a while, the pain spiked again. He fell to his knees, unable to hold it in. Minutes passed. It felt like hell. This really was simr to the Life Drop¡¯s suffering¡ªa pain hard to put into words, one which even Jack could barely handle. He suspected that, if it shot up again, he might fail. His weakness surprised him¡ªthough any sane person would have long given up. He¡¯d even lost the ability to think clearly.

    All that kept Jack going was sheer, instinctive stubbornness.

    At the next spike of difficulty, the pain didn¡¯t change. Instead, a new dimension was added in. Jack found himself suffering alongside his family. They were in burning vats of oil¡ªno matter how he reminded himself it was fake, his heart was in agony. His splitting soul dripped blood.

    Jack didn¡¯t know how long that stagested, nor how he made it through. By the end, he was mentally and psychologically wrung out. Nobody could persist forever. Not him. Not anyone.

    When the world blinked again to enter the next level of this twisted trial, Jack was almost relieved to find that only the extreme pain remained. The images of his family were gone. To his horror, however, he found Eric standing in front of him¡ªhis son, who had died because of Jack¡¯s weakness. Had been murdered right in front of him.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Jack muttered. He had already been on his knees¡ªnow, he leaned his head forward until his forehead touched the floor. He couldn¡¯t bear to look. Eric was just standing there, but whatever came next would no doubt be terrible.

    This trial was infinite, the automaton had said so. Jack hoped he¡¯d already won. ¡°Enough¡­¡± he groaned, his voice raspy and tired.

    Everything winked out. The pain, the fire, his splitting soul. In one disorienting instant, he was just himself, resting on the floor in memory of his agony. He copsed, quivering on the floor. He¡¯d always prided himself in his willpower, but this had been too much. Everyone had a limit. Even Jack. He didn¡¯t know what his result was yet, but he felt he¡¯d aged by at least a hundred years. This was yet another scar which would never go away.

    Power came at a price. Always.

    An indeterminate amount of timeter, Jack finally forced himself to his feet, pushing a fist against the floor. He looked straight at the robot and walked over. ¡°How did I do?¡± he asked, his voice hard.

    ¡°Whatever your result, please give yourself time to rest,¡± the automaton replied, clearly parroting a speech it had been given long ago. ¡°This test was designed to push you to your limit. It was infinite. At whichever point you gave up, don¡¯t consider it a personal failure¡ªand, most importantly, don¡¯t let it scar you.¡±

    ¡°How did I do?¡± Jack repeated, his tone even harder.

    The automaton paused, gears whirring from some unseen ce. ¡°Willpower test result¡­ Eternal!¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Jack said, smashing his fist into its chest. He didn¡¯t hold back. An explosion urred, sting a crater into the wall while the automaton itself exploded, shattered in pieces of cogs, gears, and wayward flesh. Jack eyed the destruction. ¡°Fuck you,¡± he said. ¡°That was not necessary. Fuck you.¡±

    The hall shook. Jack looked around, his hard gaze scanning every corner, every column. ¡°What are you angry for?¡± he shouted at the walls. ¡°Did you not expect this after pushing me to my limit? I know the pattern anyway. Thest trial is alwaysbat. Bring it on!¡±

    He did not wait, smashing a Meteor Punch against another wall. The entire room shook. Jack had too much anger inside him which needed venting. He roared again, ¡°Bring it on!¡±

 Chapter 534: Test of Combat

    On the first floor of the Hall of Trials, the watching monsters were still debating what Eternal could mean. Most participants had already finished and been spat out by the stele, with only Strawpin, Fiend Prince, and Starhair remaining. The presence of more monsters only intensified the debate.

    ¡°Look, they¡¯re done with the second test!¡± someone cried out. Everyone turned to look at the stele¡ªtwo names dominated the very top of the second column, both burning with golden letters. Both had achieved an Eternal ssification, but one was clearly ced above the other. After all, the stele ranked all test participants, even if they had achieved the same overall ssification.

    The second name spelled Jack Rust. And the first, the one at the very top, was Brock!

    Of course, this didn¡¯t necessarily mean Brock¡¯s willpower was sturdier than Jack¡¯s. The trial had exploited Jack¡¯s greatest mental scars¡ªhis family and son. Brock possessed fewer such weaknesses, so it was hard to tell who would prevail in a different kind of test, especially since Brock hadn¡¯t been through as much suffering as his bro.

    But those didn¡¯t matter. Both had ssified as Eternal talents in willpower¡ªand, in this test, Brock had emerged superior, solidifying his ce as a true and worthy bro.

    Intense conversation erupted as soon as the monsters spotted the names. ¡°I knew big bro could do it!¡± a monster cried out. ¡°Who do you think is going to do better in thebat test? Jack or Brock?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Brock only defeated us disciples, while Jack Monstrous, or Rust, or whatever he¡¯s called, killed two middle Autarch Elders!¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything. Big bro Brock clearly wasn¡¯t going all-out.¡±

    ¡°But neither was Jack!¡±¡°I bet an early Autarch core on Jack.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°I bet it on Brock!¡±

    Sometime during the conversation, Strawpin had been spat out of the trial, ignored by everyone. Her eyes searched the stele. Shock ran through her core. Having great insights into the Dao was one thing, but in the willpower trial, she¡¯d barely achieved the Genius level. No matter how high Eternal was, whether it was one or multiple levels above her¡­ How could anyone reach it? How could they not go insane? The agony she¡¯d experienced was way more than she ever thought possible.

    <em>Jack Monstrous¡­ Brock¡­ </em>she thought, her eyes quivering. <em>What the hell are you!?</em>

    ***

    A shadow materialized in the middle of Jack¡¯s hall. It resembled the one he¡¯d fought during the first test but was clearly different. The darkness hiding it was thinner, and it held a sword¡ªmost importantly, its aura was only around the early B-Grade, though the way it held itself told Jack it was decently talented.

    He didn¡¯t care. He shed over and smashed a fist into it, obliterating the shadow in a single strike.

    Another formed almost immediately. This one was at the middle B-Grade, and it suffered the exact same fate as its predecessor. So did the two next shadows, sitting at thete and peak B-Grade each.

    Four shadows had already passed, four parts of the test, but Jack hadn¡¯t even started venting.

    A fifth shadow materialized. This one was a cut above the rest¡ªan early A-Grade, power emanating from it in ripples, painting the air around it gray. Suddenly, the hundred-foot cube seemed too small for an A-Grade fight. It was a distance Jack could cross in instants.

    He did not wait for the shadow to attack. As soon as it formed, he charged, smashing his knuckles into its face. For the first time, he didn¡¯t win on the spot. The shadow raised an arm to defend, getting blown backward but remaining whole. Jack pursued. An almost animalistic rage consumed him. He did not activate the Life Drop, instead opting to pummel the shadow to death. Meteor Punches rained. The floor and walls were cratered, the shadow desperately defending until it no longer could. Jack¡¯s fist broke through its arms, burying itself in the shadow¡¯s chest, then exploded. Fragments of darkness rained.

    He panted, more from rage than exhaustion. ¡°Again!¡± he shouted.

    The sixth shadow was at the middle A-Grade. This was the first real challenge¡ªthe difference in their cultivations was simr to when Jack fought Elder Crownbeast, though his rtive power had increased since then. Absorbing the Overlord core had brought many more benefits than simply increasing his cultivation.

    He was confident he could beat this shadow, no matter what Dao it used. It would just take a while.

    Before he could attack, however, the room shook. The shadow flickered, then dissipated, its face betraying unwillingness. A new shape formed in its ce. A bald young man, dark-skinned like the night, donned in white ceremonial robes. He held no weapon. His eyes betrayed hunger¡ªand, unlike all previous opponents, there was nothing shadow-like about him.

    Jack paused. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. Something about this youth¡¯s gaze differentiated him from the lifeless shadows before. This was a person, not a construct. And, though his aura was only at the peak B-Grade, Jack could sense its tremendous depths. He was suddenly on guard¡ªwhoever this entity was, it was unmistakably the greatest genius Jack had ever fought.

    ¡°I thought I¡¯d elerate things,¡± the other man said. His youthful voice held a hint of amusement¡ªor was it mockery? As if he knew the world¡¯s greatest joke but wouldn¡¯t reveal it.

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    ¡°elerate?¡±

    ¡°You would defeat the Prime Genius shadow, but it would take some effort. I want to fight you at your best. After all, you¡¯re the first challenger to stand a chance against me. I yearn for a good fight.¡±

    Jack narrowed his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Who are you?¡±

    The figure chuckled. ¡°Defeat me, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±

    Jack could sense the extreme power radiating from his opponent. Though only at the peak B-Grade, he was vastly superior to the middle A-Grade shadow from before. An almost Jack-level talent.

    This made Jack notpletely confident in victory, but then again, he didn¡¯t need to be. He only needed to fight. The Life Drop transformation was alreadyplete.

    A punch shot out, trailing purple stars. The dark man raised a palm, catching Jack¡¯s fist. The shockwave shook the hall. Dao met extreme Dao, two fundamental forces of the universe shing against each other.

    Jack¡¯s punch carried tremendous power. Though it was only a Meteor Punch, it had previously sent an early A-Grade shadow flying. This man, whoever he was, had stopped it with little effort.

    Jack narrowed his eyes and jumped back. When they shed just now, he¡¯d clearly experienced the other¡¯s Dao¡ªhis punch¡¯s momentum had been wasted, exhausted until it became nothing. It was a great deteriorating force reminding Jack of death, yet not quite. This was something greater. A wider concept.

    His rage began to abate, reced by intrigue. He was, at the depths of his heart, a cultivator. Such a Dao, such an opponent, couldn¡¯t help but interest him.

    The other man caught Jack¡¯s eye and grinned. ¡°Let me tell you a secret, Jack,¡± he said, spreading his arms to the side. ck spheres appeared in each¡ªnot ck holes, but carrying simr finality. One was purely physical, the other mental. As for the man¡¯s aura, it carried the essence of a soul¡ªa great Dao stretching over all three fields.

    The man continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t elerate our fight just to keep you rested. My siblings and I take turns fighting the challengers of the Eternal floor. The next challenger would have been mine. However, I didn¡¯t want to risk your brori friend reaching this stage first. I wanted to fight you¡ªour Daos match well. Even if you fail to defeat me, just facing me will have been a great boon to your future strength.¡±

    Jack snorted. ¡°Should I be honored?¡±

    ¡°You should be angry. I am the strongest of my siblings. Facing me means your chances of victory are low, and the Eternal floor is not like the rest. To reach it, you require an Eternal ssification in all three tests instead of just two. By appearing before you, I ced a great obstacle in your way, one you may have otherwise dodged.¡±

    Jack smiled toothily. ¡°You talk a lot,¡± he said. ¡°Just fight me. I don¡¯t care who you are¡ªI¡¯ll beat you all the same.¡±

    The other manughed. ¡°Give it a shot! Just, one moment. This arena is a bit small.¡± He snapped his fingers. The hall around them disassembled, revealing patches of colorful void. More walls materialized, forming a new hall with walls a mile wide each. ¡°There we go,¡± the man said, cracking his shoulders. He seemed really eager. ¡°Are you ready? I know I am.¡±

    ¡°Come at me, bitch.¡±

    The two charged at each other. They shed in the center, Jack¡¯s fists sailing to meet his opponent¡¯s open palms. The dark spheres from before had manifested as darkness, which covered the mysterious man head-to-toe like some sort of malicious aura, forming a stark contrast against his white robes. To Jack, he looked like an ancient beast.

    Fist met palm. Dark and purple lightning shot out, impacting against the walls, shattering and destroying. They fought inside arge box in a different dimension¡ªas cagey as could be. Only one of the two would walk out alive. Jack was pumped up, his previous anger vented and forgotten.

    ¡°Come!¡± he shouted. Lightning arced over his body, further enhancing his already ridiculous physicality. This was the Thunderbody technique he¡¯d taken from the Animal Kingdom¡¯s Emberheart family¡ªa very useful enhancement. He hadn¡¯t been able to use it against Crownbeast, as the concentration required would mess with his then-amateur use of ck Hole. Now that he¡¯d practiced it more, however, he could gopletely all-out.

    The dark man¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Good technique!¡± he said. ¡°Hit me!¡±

    Jack dove in. He became a streak of purple and green lightning flickering across the room like an angry dragon. Space bent in his wake, even its million-fold density unable to support his power. He shot a hundred punches in an instant. The dark man was beset in all directions.

    With a shout, darkness erupted from his body. It spread outward, not fast but unavoidable. Every punch that fell into it disappeared, its momentum sappedpletely, its energies deteriorating as if by the passage of a million years. This was entropy at work¡ªeverything that could end, ended.

    Jack grinned at the challenge. He already suspected whom he was facing, but he didn¡¯t say the name¡ªno need to honor his opponent before defeating him. Instead, he charged.

    And instantly retreated.

    A dark palm had appeared before Jack, almost grabbing his face. The other man had slipped his hand through space and d it in foreboding darkness. Jack knew that, if that hand touched him, he¡¯d age rapidly. Perhaps even reach the end of his life.

    ¡°I thought this was only a test,¡± he said, licking his lips.

    ¡°A test with stakes,¡± the other man replied. ¡°Beat me, and you earn the world. Lose, and you pay the price. Why do you think my previous challenger adopted the title Eternal Radiance? You can always forfeit now if you want.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t reply. His eyes scanned the opponent, looking for an opening. <em>There is no way his defense is omnipotent, </em>he thought. <em>If all attacks deteriorate before reaching him, there is hardly a point in fighting. There has to be a way out. But what?</em>

    This wasn¡¯t an opponent who could be defeated by mere strength. The Daos he utilized stood at the peak. Without simr mastery, Jack knew he¡¯d never be able to touch him.

    This pleased Jack. He sank into hisws, letting them circte his body, letting them fill his heart. Everything else disappeared to leave only the battle¡ªheart of fire, mind of ice.

    Jack shot out again. He sealed space in a radius around him, so the other man couldn¡¯t sneak in any attacks, and imbued his fists with the essence of Time. He reached his opponent and punched out¡ªnot with a powerful fist, but one designed tost through endless time, to shoot through the universe unendingly until it hit a target. For the first time, Jack utilized the concept of Infinity, an abstract part of the Daos of Time and Space.

    The opponent smiled. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re getting somewhere!¡± Darkness spun around his palm in a spiral as he reached out and caught Jack¡¯s fist. The two concepts warred. Infinity stretched on, while Entropy tested its limits. The punch¡¯s momentum began to wane¡ªnothing was truly infinite, only converging to it. Entropy held a definitive advantage.

    ck ribbons shot at Jack. He flew back, desperately trying to avoid them, then had to teleport to save himself. In a ce with such dense Dao, piercing space was a tall task¡ªJack could do it, but it took a lot out of him.

    He panted, staring down his opponent.

    ¡°You¡¯re good, Jack Rust,¡± the other man said slowly. His smile remained. ¡°The strongest mortal I¡¯ve ever seen. However, are you good enough? My Entropy isn¡¯t something you can punch out of the way. Without deep enough Daos, you¡¯re doomed to lose!¡±

 Chapter 535: Fighting Entropy

    Jack didn¡¯t panic. His punches couldn¡¯t reach the enemy, but that was fine¡ªthroughout his many years of fighting, he¡¯d developed some versatility. He had more ways to harm opponents than ramming his knuckles up their nose.

    <em>Think, </em>he told himself.

    The opponent wasn¡¯t omnipotent. If he could just spread out his aura of entropy to cover the entire room, Jack would age and die. The only reason he hadn¡¯t done it yet was that he couldn¡¯t¡ªhis power wasn¡¯t infinite, so that powerful darkness could only cover a small area. If this man was the scheming kind, which he probably was, the area he could cover with his darkness wasrger than what he¡¯d shown so far, preparing a trap for Jack. He should be careful.

    Jack had several ideas he could try. Each had a low chance of sess, but when put together, he was confident at least one would work. He just hoped it wasn¡¯t the suicidal one.

    The other man didn¡¯t just sit there. He charged, falling onto Jack like ck death. Jack drew back. His four-armed battle form and Thunderbody worked in tandem to vastly increase his speed, making him way faster than his opponent. Dodging was easy for now, at the price of consuming a lot of energy. He couldn¡¯t go on forever.

    Jack ducked, dodging a w-shaped palm of darkness, then jabbed out of his own. Darkness appeared over his opponent¡¯s chest to cover the strike¡ªyet, a green shadow carried on, prating the darkness to strike the heart. The opponent paused¡ªhis eyes stirring.

    The Fist of Mortality was a soul attack Jack had created back at the Old Cathedral, after experiencing a thousand mortal lifetimes in the Mortality Chamber. It was a mental attack, meant to steep the target in rich emotions and stun them. He hadn¡¯t used this move a lot in recent years, but it evolved in pace with his Dao of Life, maintaining a decent level. Most importantly, as it wasn¡¯t physical, it couldn¡¯t be stopped by entropy.

    While the dark man was stunned, Jack didn¡¯t lose time. He released a quick Meteor Punch right at his face¡ªaiming to finish this in one strike. The opponent¡¯s eyes shed with mirth. Darkness materialized before his face to stop Jack¡¯s fist, then he reached out with his other hand, attempting to grab Jack¡¯s arm. He seeded¡ªa terrible sense of weakness filled Jack for a moment before he could retreat. By the time he yanked his arm free¡ªhe was the stronger party, after all¡ªhe could sense that several decades of his lifespan had evaporated. It didn¡¯t really matter, his current lifespan measured tens of millennia, but it was a terrifying concept. If the other man could grab onto him for more than an instant¡­ What would happen?

    ¡°Nice try,¡± the dark man said, ¡°but, unfortunately for you, Entropy is mostly a concept of the soul. If your physical attacks can¡¯t touch me, soul ones definitely won¡¯t.¡±Jack chuckled. ¡°I thought as much. But it couldn¡¯t hurt to try, right?¡±

    ¡°Not unless you wanted those decades.¡±

    ¡°I can spare a few.¡±

    ¡°Good, cause I¡¯m about to take them.¡±

    Jack found himself smiling. This was a difficult battle with the possibility of long-term damage¡ªso why did he enjoy it so much? It was nice to face a decent opponent, for once, instead of fools with weak Daos who just happened to possess tremendous cultivation.

    Spacetime warped around Jack¡ªnot teleporting, just elerating him. He reached the opponent and locked space around them both so none could move. He pulled his fist back. Intense suction erupted. The dense Dao flew into his fist,pacting further and further like a brewing bomb. Purple light erupted. A sharp whistling sound filled their ears.

    ¡°Fool!¡± the dark man eximed, gatheringyers uponyers of darkness before him.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t sneak past your Dao,¡± Jack said, charging this move to the limit, ¡°I¡¯ll just overpower it. Supernova!¡±

    He shot it forward. The world exploded. Jack flew back, smashing into the far wall and forming a massive crater. The cracks spread all the way to the other side, letting glimpses of the colorful void slip in.

    He forced his eyes open. <em>Did I get him? </em>he wondered.

    A dark hand appeared before him. There was no time to dodge. It smashed into the center of his chest, dark lines spreading across his body, the rest of the dark man appearing after his hand. ¡°Another nice try,¡± he said with a wicked grin, ¡°and one that might have worked, were we at the same boundary. Unfortunately, I¡¯m one higher. You cannot overpower me.¡±

    Jack tried to move but couldn¡¯t. He tried to breathe but couldn¡¯t. The potent life force suffusing his soul was snuffed out like an army of candles under a cold breeze. He summoned his Dao, exploding a smaller Supernova before his chest. The dark man easily dodged it by jumping backward, while Jack spat blood by the impact. He immediately teleported away without even stabilizing his wounds¡ªthe dark man flew in, piercing his leg into the wall and creating a massive hole overlooking the void beyond.

    Jack clutched his chest, wheezing for breath. Ten thousand years of his life were just gone. They were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, especially since his lifespan would be millions of years in the future, but it was still a shock. Most of all, he worried it would influence his potential. The younger a cultivator was, the more vibrant their fires of life, and the easier it was for them to progress. He didn¡¯t have a problem there yet, but another strike or two like that and he might begin to notice changes.

    <em>I have to finish this fast, </em>he realized, regaining hisposure. <em>My durability is useless. This guy¡­is not ying around!</em>

    The dark man attacked again. Jack dodged, analyzing the situation with a calmness only the heat of battle would bring. He ducked and weaved between strikes, used bursts of his Dao to disrupt the opponent¡¯s attacks. All the while, his eyes were sharp.

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    <em>He¡¯s not fast or strong, and his attacks, while insidious, are not that powerful either, </em>Jack calcted. <em>All he has is extreme defense, which he relies on until his opponent is exhausted. His fighting style is oddly simr to his Dao¡ªslow, but will eventually get you.</em>

    <em>Can I endure longer than him? </em>he wondered before quickly shelving the idea. The only reason Jack could defend so calmly was his dual use of the Life Drop battle form and Thunderbody, both of which consumed tremendous amounts of energy. He¡¯d run out long before his opponent.

    It was irritating. Jack had mastered four or five different Daos to a great level and possessed a dozen different skills, yet here he was, losing to a guy who used a single Dao masterfully. It emphasized the importance of mastery¡ªand why everyone suggested focusing on just one or two Daos. It wasn¡¯t a problem Jack had faced before, given his Dao superiority over all his opponents, but it quickly became apparent when facing an opponent of simr caliber.

    s, that was the price he paid for striving for the peak.

    <em>What else can I do? </em>Jack wondered, calmly dodging attack after attack. He was rapidly running out of ideas. Only a single one remained, one he was decently confident would seed but was very risky. There was a chance it would backfire hard enough to kill him.

    <em>No choice, </em>he concluded. <em>Let¡¯s do this.</em>

    ¡°You want to fight in the Dao? I¡¯ll show you some Dao!¡± he dered, clenching his fist. A bubble of space appeared around it,pressing in pulses. ¡°You think your Dao of Entropy is so great, but I possess something on that level as well!¡±

    The dark man frowned. ¡°Arrogant!¡± he shouted. He intensified his attacks, using some arcane art to deteriorate part of himself for greater energy right now. His strikes sharpened. The dark aura of entropy flushed outward, flooding the space, leaving little room for Jack to dodge. He had to teleport all over the ce, rapidly exhausting his energy reserves. Doing this while maintaining focus on the brewing ck hole was difficult.

    After a while, he couldn¡¯t. The ck hole hadpressed enough that holding it in ce required his full concentration. He dashed left and right, dodging as well as he could, but the dark winds touched him. His lifespan evaporated by the century. All he could do at this point was grit his teeth and hang on.

    The dark man had realized what was going on, but there was nothing he could do besides attack with everything he had. Jack struggled to maintain concentration, struggled to endure the onught. Every pulse came morbidly slow. Spacepressed around his fist. The Dao of Entropy sought to disrupt him, to break his technique and end it prematurely, but he used his body to shield it, enduring the consequences.

    His fist crumbled in the sphere ofpressed space. All the crushed flesh and bones gathered in the middle, a tiny core of mass, while ck foam spontaneously manifested around it. The dark man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No!¡± he shouted.

    Jack allowed for onestpression pulse, then turned around and jabbed the ck Hole at his opponent. The dark man had teleported to the other side of the room but it didn¡¯t matter. Space was limited¡ªand the ck hole sucked it in. It reached him faster than should be possible, a fist of swirling darkness threatening the master of darkness himself.

    The dark man gritted his teeth. With all of space sucked into the ck hole, dodging it was impossible. He knew that. If he didn¡¯t defend and let it hit him, he would be torn apart and then exploded¡ªhis defenses depended on his Dao, not the robustness of his body. His only choice was to use his Dao of Entropy on the ck hole, and both men knew it.

    As they knew what would happen once he did it.

    A ck hole was thebination of Space and Death. Entropy was Time and Death. The two Daos were simr inposition, and also in power. Of course, the dark man¡¯s expertise was significantly higher, but it didn¡¯t matter. As he pushed his entropy into the ck hole, destabilizing it, there was only one possible oue.

    A ck hole didn¡¯t wane with time. It expanded.

    Jack chuckled, blood dripping from his lips. ¡°Checkmate,¡± he said.

    The ck hole in ce of his fist grew rapidly. It quickly became muchrger than he¡¯d ever seen it before, evenrger than the one which had destroyed Crownbeast¡¯s sturdy body. At that size, he couldn''t control it. He dislodged it and flew back, crossing his four arms before himself. The dark man retreated as well, summoning walls of darkness to defend. Both created new space in their attempts to escape.

    Their speeds were great, but this close to a mature ck hole, they seemed slow.

    Space and Time fell into the ck hole, finding certain death. ck foam spread outward. The artificial ck hole, only stabilized by Jack¡¯s Dao, quickly spun out of control. It sucked in everything except for the two cultivators and exploded.

    The impact was cataclysmic. Far, far exceeding the Supernova from before. The walls of the room blew outwards as if made of straws. The colorful void shuddered, this entire part of the interdimensional sea warping around itself like stormy waters. Jack was struck by a tremendous shockwave and blown backward, into a region where time and space were meaningless, where his physical form was maintained through willpower alone. His bones snapped like matches. His lungs bled. He struggled to maintain consciousness¡ªto lose himself here meant certain death.

    The ck foam had invaded Jack¡¯s body. It crushed his bones into dust, wrecking his flesh, tearing through his organs. Even his brain was assaulted. The Life Drop released all its remaining energy in an attempt to save him, guided by the desperate efforts of Venerable Saint Thousand Shell, but it was a losing battle. Theck of reality didn¡¯t help.

    Jack snapped into focus. With a single feat of willpower, he forced the interdimensional sea into three-dimensional existence, then took a step to cross it all. Since spacetime held no sway here, one step was the same as many. He reappeared on a piece of brown stone floating through the colors, a leftover of the previous hall, its enchantments giving it a semnce of spacetime on which Jack could survive. He copsed against it, barelyrge enough to amodate his body, as his body battled to remain alive. The ck foam exhausted itself and was purged, but many injuries remained. Slowly, regeneration took the upper hand¡ªJack would survive, though he¡¯de closer to death than he¡¯d wanted. He was also exhausted.

    A set of dark feet settled on the same stone. ¡°I died,¡± said the other man with a smile. He looked pristine, even his white robes immacte. ¡°The enchantments of the Hall can reconstruct this body, but the previous one died. It fell to the chaotic spacetime flows of the dimensional sea. I didn¡¯t think it was possible, but you won.¡±

    Jack chuckled, turning around toy on his back, arms extended on either side, almost grabbing the other man¡¯s ankle¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much space here. ¡°Well fought,¡± he replied.

    The man¡¯s smile remained. ¡°The Hall wouldn¡¯t let you die, you know that. The battle would end if I depleted half your lifeforce. Yet, you still destroyed it, risking true death for a shot at victory. Was it worth it?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°What if you hadn¡¯t made it?¡±

    ¡°That would be fine. I exist to strive for the peak¡ªdying in the process is an eptable result.¡±

    The dark man chuckled. ¡°Have you figured out who I am?¡±

    ¡°From the very start. You¡¯re Axelor, the Old God of Entropy¡ªor, should I say, just God. You don¡¯t look very old. I assume a fragment of your real self given a mortal mind and ced in the Hall of Trials to test challengers?¡±

    The God chuckled. He took a seat beside Jack, legs crossed beneath him. ¡°Let¡¯s have a little chat,¡± he said. ¡°There are some things you should know.¡±

 Chapter 536: Speaking with God

    Jack and Axelor rested on a piece of stone floating through the endless, colorful void. The Hall of Trials could teleport them back anytime, but Axelor had temporarily suppressed its functions. The dark man gazed at Jack, whoy sprawled on his back, a triumphant grin spread across his face.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s uncouth toy down in the presence of a God,¡± he said.

    ¡°I just kicked your ass¡ªI cany however I want. Besides, you¡¯re not a God, just a part of one.¡±

    Axelor chuckled. ¡°Indeed.¡±

    The silence stretched for a while. While the interdimensional sea didn¡¯t possess the concept of time, the stone¡¯s enchantments and the two cultivators¡¯ aura forced it into being.

    ¡°I have questions,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°And so do I,¡± replied the God of Entropy. ¡°How about we take turns?¡±

    ¡°Fine by me, just know I won¡¯t reply to everything.¡±

    ¡°As won¡¯t I.¡±Jack cracked a grin. ¡°You¡¯re an annoying one, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been given a mortal mind. I find banter a core part of your reality.¡±

    ¡°I guess. So, what are you doing here? What do the Gods want with the Space Monster World?¡±

    ¡°We created it,¡± Axelor replied. ¡°The world, its inhabitants, and the Hall of Trials. Long, long ago.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°My turn. What happened to the outside universe after the Immortal Crusade?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°No challenger to the Hall has left the Space Monster World. They tend to do it after, much to my annoyance.¡±

    Jack chuckled. He wasn¡¯t going to say everything¡ªafter all, while this version of Axelor seemed friendly, he did possess the power to vanquish Jack if he really wanted to. Letting him know he was trying to liberate Enas would be a bad idea.

    ¡°The Gods lost the Crusade,¡± Jack exined. ¡°They retreated to the far ends of the universe, doing I don¡¯t know what, while the Immortals enved all cultivators and pit them against each other. The n was to create warriors strong enough topletely annihte you Gods.¡±

    ¡°A sound n,¡± Axelor said, nodding. ¡°This mortal shell has many horrible disadvantages, but it adapts to change much better than our divine selves. I have no doubt that, while the Immortals mustered their armies, the Gods did nothing to enhance their power. Their omnipotence is so deeply entrenched in their minds that even defeat couldn¡¯t shake it.¡±

    ¡°My turn,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Axelor interrupted. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish answering my question.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you want to y it like that? Cool. A billion years after the First Crusade¡ªthat is, now¡ªthe Immortalsunched a second one. Their goal is to purge all their opposition in and out of System space¡ªwhich is the name of their territory. This Second Crusade is still ongoing. I came here to look for the power to stop them. From what I know, you Gods are rushing to join us.¡±

    ¡°Why would we do that?¡±

    ¡°Not so fast. It¡¯s my turn now. Why did you create the Space Monster World, its inhabitants, and the Hall of Trials?¡±

    Axelor mused. He raised his gaze, piercing through the interdimensional sea to gaze at the distant past. ¡°We needed to fight back,¡± he finally said. ¡°The mortal creations of Enas were an affront to our divinity. We feared he was raising them as warriors against us¡ªto suppress us, devour our power, and force us to reunite as one.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Reunite as one?¡±

    ¡°We were one being originally. One split into three, then three into twelve. That is how the Gods came into being.¡±

    ¡°...Alright,¡± Jack replied, his eyes shing with possibilities. He hadn¡¯t known that. He suspected no one did.

    ¡°After we realized Enas¡¯s intentions,¡± Axelor continued, ¡°we decided to create our own toy soldiers. While our ability to craft mortality paled inparison to him¡ªit was, after all, his domain¡ªwebined our powers to tame the spontaneous Dao manifestations wandering the universe. We blessed their minds and turned them from mindless into civilized, creating the Space Monster World as a ce for them to prosper and slowly develop civilization. The Hall of Trials was meant to enhance the strongest of them, creating a force that could rival Enas¡¯s.¡±

    His gaze darkened then.

    ¡°There was a war, long ago,¡± he continued. ¡°We lost.¡±

    ¡°So the Ancients proved themselves superior to your creations.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily. All mortal lifeforms are equally inferior. The creations of Enas just had more time to develop. They were already delving into the Dao by the time we discovered them, while the monster races were mindless abominations roaming the stars.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Jack said. This was all new information, and it brought even more questions to mind. Of course, there was no guarantee this was all true, but Jack suspected it was¡ªat the very least, it exined why there was no statue of Enas outside the pyramid. ¡°Your turn,¡± he said.

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    ¡°Why do you carry the aura of Enas?¡±

    That question was asked with nock of suspicion. Jack prepared his answer carefully.

    ¡°I once absorbed a legacy,¡± he exined. ¡°A processed drop of Enas¡¯s blood. It helped me a lot in earlier years, and still does.¡±

    ¡°That makes you his supporter.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. I do owe Enas a favor, but that doesn¡¯t make me his devotee. My current goal is to protect my people from the Immortals, nothing more and nothing less.¡±

    Axelor¡¯s gaze was sharp. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Your story contradicts what I thought I knew,¡± Jack began his next question. ¡°People say that Enas created the Ancients, gave them life and Dao, and treated them like a loving father. They say that you, Axelor, corrupted them. That you led them to creating the Immortals, whoter genocided the Ancients, fought the Gods, and enved the universe. On the other hand, you mentioned that Enas nned to utilize them as soldiers¡­¡±

    ¡°The version you¡¯ve heard is a mix of truth and lies,¡± Axelor replied. ¡°Enas did create the Ancients, and he did give them ess to the world¡¯s Dao, but there was nothing loving about that. It was merely an experiment¡ªa game, a way to explore his powers. He never really cared. Enas, in general, is not a loving God, no more than any other. He is cold, calcting, and selfish. The Ancients liked to say his domain was Life, but a more apt name would be Survival.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they the same thing?¡±

    ¡°In a way. However, they carry different connotations in the mortalnguage.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    That brought all sorts of implications. The ck Hole Church was trying to revive Enas because he was the God who loved and supported mortals¡ªif that was not the case, was reviving him the right choice? Was there even a choice?

    Of course, Jack wouldn¡¯t take Axelor¡¯s ims at face value.

    <em>Come to think of it, </em>he realized, <em>the Sage is kind of an Enas clone, and I don¡¯t remember him ever being kind to anyone for no benefit of his own. He doesn¡¯t strike me as a loving father. Calcting, sure. Uncaring. Possibly selfish.</em>

    <em>Fuck.</em>

    ¡°As for my own involvement in the development of the Immortals,¡± Axelor continued, ¡°it was overstated. I did interact with the Ancients, but not to nudge them in any particr direction, simply to investigate. They rejected me, on Enas¡¯s suggestion, and spun all sorts of tales about me. The creation of the Immortals was a result of natural civilization entropy¡ªsomething all too easy to rte to me, given my domain.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not the bad guy,¡± Jack said.

    ¡°I¡¯m neither good nor evil. I¡¯m a God. Mortal affairs are beneath me¡ªwell, not beneath this version of me, but certainly so for my real self. Any influence I might have had on the Ancients was unintended¡ªI did not want to sabotage Enas¡¯s creations, but rather send my own to meet them in the field of battle.¡±

    ¡°Why not just kill them?¡±

    ¡°We never really believed the mortals would be a threat. Enas threw the gauntlet¡ªto use one of your expressions¡ªby creating them. We simply picked it up. Using overwhelming force would ruin the meaning of his challenge and dere him the obvious winner.¡±

    ¡°You know, the more you talk, the more you sound like a God. Not in the good sense.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noticed. I can¡¯t help it¡ªeven in a mortal shell, my thoughts and experience are those of a God.¡±

    Jackughed¡ªnot out of joy, but at the sudden realization he was conversing with a literal God of the universe.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± he asked. ¡°Did I earn the qualifications to enter the sixth floor?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°You earned the qualifications for the seventh. The Eternal floor.¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°There is a seventh floor?¡±

    ¡°Of course. What kind of silly number is six?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡±

    It was Axelor¡¯s turn tough. ¡°There was a great battle around two billion years ago. The Trial Ind split in half, forming what you now call the Dark Canal, and the Hall fell into it. The seventh floor broke off and shot upward in the process. It nowys at the center of the sky, unapproachable by all, though I can give you ess.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean the center of the sky?¡±

    ¡°This world is shaped as a sphere, but on the inside. The ground is the inner side of its periphery, while the sky is the innermost part. The seventh floor currently lies at the very center of the sphere¡ªthe center of the sky, after twelveyers of clouds, where the pressure is so intense not even Overlords can approach. Not usually, anyway.¡±

    ¡°So nobody has been there since that battle?¡±

    ¡°Nobody has earned the right. I must admit, I did not expect two worthy challengers to show up at the same time¡­¡±

    Jack smiled. ¡°Brock.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s there? At the seventh floor?¡±

    ¡°The greatest inheritance eleven Gods could create. You may ess it, though not a monster yourself.¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯t surprised his disguise had been seen through. ¡°The other disciples will be shocked,¡± he said.

    ¡°You have no idea. However, I have to warn you, Jack. The current two Overlords have been pushed to their limits by the ongoing Crusade. They intend to use a long-forged treasure to forcefully activate the connection to the seventh floor and plunder it. I cannot stop them. All I can do is give you and your broripanion ess as well, but what you and the Overlords do is up to you. You could die.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°That makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°Overlords don¡¯t usually participate in the Delve. I thought something was up when Great Silver told me to dy reaching the Hall.¡±

    ¡°What will you do?¡± the God asked. ¡°Will you go or not go?¡±

    ¡°...I want to go, but not if it¡¯s certain death. You¡¯re trying to set me up against two Overlords. Can you give me any advantage over them? A tiny fighting chance?¡±

    ¡°I can adjust the seventh floor¡¯s energy ripples to hide you. However, it is a temporary solution. If you want to im any advantages, you¡¯ll need to make yourself seen.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°What if I want to escape? Can you help me do that?¡±

    ¡°It depends on the circumstances. I can hide you from here, but my connection to the seventh floor has been cut off. I cannot join. Helping you escape is difficult. All I can promise you is thating down will be a lot easier than going up. However¡­ I never said you should fight the Overlords. If you can just convince them to let you join the floor¡¯s plunder, that will be good enough. Even if you can¡¯t, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d outright kill you. You can help them against the Immortals.¡±

    Jack had to admit that made sense. He weighed the odds. If he did visit this seventh floor, he would need to negotiate with two Overlords¡ªtwo entities far beyond his current power. It was risky. On the other hand, if he settled for the sixth floor, he¡¯d lose out. And there was always a chance the Overlords would kill each other, creating a situation where he could reap all the benefits.

    <em>No, scratch that. They¡¯re monster and cultivators. They will certainly fight.</em>

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± he decided. ¡°Brock too. This is not an opportunity we can afford to waste.¡±

    Axelor nodded. ¡°I thought so. Very well. I will activate the teleporter now and pull us back to the Hall of Trials, then I¡¯ll give you and the brori ess to the seventh floor. Only, Jack¡­ Can I ask for a favor?¡±

    He raised a brow. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°If you be strong enough in the future, can you return to liberate us? Me and my two siblings. We¡¯ve spent too long trapped in this pyramid. We yearn to see the world.¡±

    Jack gave a stunned smile. ¡°I promise.¡±

 Chapter 537: Ascending to the Seventh Floor

    Chapter 537: Ascending to the Seventh Floor

    The energy over the pyramid had reached a crescendo. Great Silver and Fiend King chanted into the sky, the darkness above them roiling in huge waves, powerful Daos surging. The hiding enchantment had long been broken. If any disciples had remained outside the pyramid, they would easily be able to see what was happening at this point¡ªand they¡¯d probably run far away.

    In fact, the energy undtions were so massive that the entire Dark Canal was upset. All the various Elders and native monsters ran away from the Hall of Trials. The ocean surged with angry waves which devoured entire inds. Strong breezes sliced through the Canal, killing anything in their path, while the Elders were in panic¡ªthey had no idea what was going on, but only fools would approach at this point. Even the strongest native monsters steered clear.

    It was natural. This ritual used the cumtive energy of over twelve previous Overlords, as well as two living ones, to forcefully override the defense mechanisms established by three Old Gods working together. The sh of energy was nothing short of mythical.

    The only ce spared from the uproar was the interior of the Hall of Trials, where the disciples had no clue anything was happening.

    ***

    The silver stele flickered. Its surface rippled like water, letting two people step through¡ªJack and Brock, each carrying an aura of victory. The two nced at each other on the way out.

    ¡°Sup, bro,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°Hey Brock. Had fun?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±The shouts alerted them to their surroundings. Every other disciple had already exited the trial, and they swarmed Jack and Brock, adoration evident in their gazes. ¡°You guys are so cool!¡± Fiend Prince shouted. ¡°You¡¯re my idols!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly very impressive,¡± Strawpin admitted, her excitement more contained. ¡°Eternal¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of such a qualification before. What does it even mean?¡±

    Jack nodded at them, then turned to observe the stele. Fiend Prince, Starhair, and Strawpin had achieved two Genius and one Talented results eachcking in the Dao, willpower, andbat tests respectively. Based on what they¡¯d said before, Jack assumed this qualified them for the fifth floor. All other disciples had a mix of Talented and Average assessments, almost all qualifying for the fourth floor.

    At the top of all three columns were the names of Jack and Brock, glowing golden. The qualification of Eternal was stamped next to them for all three tests. To his surprise, Jack found he¡¯d ranked above Brock in Dao andbat, but below him in willpower. He threw a surprised nce.

    ¡°What?¡± Brock said. He was trying to be calm, but there was no hiding the pride in his monkeyish grin. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, bro!¡±

    ¡°I never did,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Brock.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you too. You beat me in two tests. I¡¯m d. Otherwise, we¡¯d need to discuss who is the real big bro here!¡±

    Theyughed.

    ¡°Most importantly, bro,¡± Brock said, ¡°did you notice?¡±

    ¡°Notice what?¡±

    The brori motioned at the stele, and Jack took another nce. He saw it now. His name was written as Jack Rust, not Jack Monstrous.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t know how the stele knew, nor did he care right now. The important thing was that, once this reached the ears of Fiend King, he¡¯d know the truth. Great Silver had made it clear that wasn¡¯t allowed to happen. Jack would soon have not one, but two Overlords trying to kill him.

    ¡°This is a huge problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack replied, no longer bothering to hide the truth from the monster disciples.

    ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°We risk it all. Brock and I will enter the seventh floor. In the worst case, I think we can take shelter in the Hall. I have my connections.¡±

    ¡°The what floor!?¡± Strawpin eximed. ¡°You mean the sixth, right?¡±

    ¡°No. The seventh,¡± he replied, winking at her.

    She gasped. The disciples behind her shivered from excitement. As for Fiend Prince, he was unable to hold himself. He jumped up and down, pumping a fist into the air. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this, I can¡¯t believe this!¡± he said. ¡°This is so great, so fucking great! Take me as a disciple, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±

    Jackughed. He really liked this guy. His excitement was infectious.

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± he said. ¡°If we survive this, I¡¯ll consider making you my first disciple.¡±

    ¡°Yes!!! Wait¡ªsurvive this?¡±

    On cue, the entire Hall shook. The disciples almost lost their footing before remembering they could fly. Dust fell off the ceiling, while several of the huge columns holding it up cracked. The shaking abated after a while, turning into a constant low rumbling.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Strawpin asked. ¡°Jack! What is going on?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our call,¡± Jack said, ignoring her as he looked at the ceiling. A golden portal had formed up there¡ªone bearing the exact same color as his and Brock¡¯s names on the stele. He turned to the brori. ¡°Wanna risk your life with me, bro?¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Brock smiled. ¡°Always.¡±

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go. Starhair, stay with the disciples and keep them safe. Don¡¯t leave the Hall unless you have to¡ªI suspect the Canal is more dangerous than usual right now.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Starhair asked.

    ¡°We got to fight some Overlords.¡±

    With those words, and with the disciples¡¯ eyes filled with confusion, Jack and Brock flew towards the golden portal.

    ¡°Should you have revealed that?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Hall is isted, and I think the seventh floor will be as well. Nobody will be able to contact them.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Good.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so cool!¡± Fiend Prince¡¯s yell echoed from below as the two bros rushed into the portal, which closed behind them. Brilliance surrounded them in all directions. They popped out of the top of the pyramid, finding an unexpected scene.

    The top of the pyramid was shorn off as if by a sword. A smaller golden pyramid stood in its center, filled with all sorts of swimming arcane runes. It was cracked. The runes steadily streamed out, weakening its power, while a wide beam of golden light speared upward from the smaller pyramid, prating the darkness and rising into the sky. The light was unsteady, as if whatever had created it had barely seeded.

    Jack and Brock were inside that beam of golden light, having popped out of the smaller golden pyramid. Jack quickly looked around, finding no Overlord in sight. All he saw was the Dark Canal¡¯s energies being inplete disarray, as well as a twelveyer totem lying broken on the pyramid¡¯s top.

    ¡°They must have already gone up,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, bro?¡± Brock asked. Jack exined quickly.

    ¡°We must hurry,¡± he concluded. ¡°Whatever is going on, we can¡¯t afford to bete!¡±

    The golden beam tried to pull them up, but they maintained control of themselves. On Jack¡¯s cue, they turned into rays of light, racing upward. The pyramid soon disappeared. All that remained was a vertical road of golden light crossing the endless darkness.

    Jack and Brock followed it. The darkness was pushed away by this light¡ªthe pressure was thinner, and any hidden dangers non-existent. Strawpin had mentioned that anyone trying to enter or leave the Dark Canal through anywhere other than the entrance point disappeared. Jack hoped the golden light would stave off that effect.

    It did.

    After rising for a while, maintaining a decently low speed to be wary of danger, the darkness around them faded. Expansive stone stretched on either side, split down the middle by the Dark Canal¡ªwhat Axelor had said was the result of an ancient battle. The darkness nowy below them, while the light speared into the clouds above.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like we spent that long in the Canal,¡± Brock said.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± Jack replied, looking down. ¡°Besides your months of absorbing the lotus, it was only a few days.¡±

    ¡°Dark days.¡±

    ¡°Only figuratively.¡±

    They ascended higher. There was no Overlord in sight still. They followed the beam of light into the firstyer of clouds, rushing past them to find themselves facing the second. The clouds were gray, asionally illuminated by the crimson lightning trapped inside.

    The light rose endlessly. Following it, they passed the secondyer of clouds, then the third, then the fourth. Jack had tried to fly up here once but had been stopped after the eighthyer by the exponentially increasing pressure. They weren¡¯t facing that issue now. The corridor of golden light rebuffed whatever Dao pressure existed up here, letting them just breeze through. They kept their guard up regardless.

    Half an hourter, Jack and Brock were approaching the twelfth and finalyer of clouds. The pressure up here must have been staggering, enough to stop even Overlords, but they weren¡¯t feeling it.

    ¡°I think I know where the pressurees from,¡± Jack said. ¡°Axelor said the entire Space Monster World covers the inside of a sphere, and we¡¯re headed at its center. That doesn¡¯t make sense from a space point of view. The sphere¡¯s dimensions to epass the entire world would be huge, so the center of the sky should be much farther away from the surfacepared to what we¡¯ve traveled so far. My guess is that there¡¯s space shenanigans at y, with the price of bringing the sky closer being this pressure. Endless cubic miles of highly dense volume arepressed to a mere hundred miles¡ªof course the pressure is ungodly.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Brock replied.

    They broke through the twelfthyer to find a different scene ahead of them. They were inside a huge sphere of clouds, maybe a dozen miles in diameter. Space itself shivered by the Dao density. The light speared upwards to the very center of this sphere, where a small pyramidic structure floated, rotating slowly.

    This was clearly the broken-off top of the Hall of Trials. The seventh level. Its walls were the same color, while its base looked rough, evidence it had been broken off¡ªand not as cleanly as the pyramid down below seemed to indicate. The beam of light stopped at the center of its base, though it didn¡¯t seem to prate the stone.

    Jack and Brock nced at each other. ¡°We need to either teleport inside or go find an entrance,¡± said the brori.

    ¡°It¡¯s risky to teleport with the Overlords present. The energy ripples of the pyramid will hide us, ording to Axelor, but not if we appear in front of their noses.¡±

    ¡°So we need an entrance. Will we be okay if we step out of the light? Or die instantly?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be safe,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Let me try.¡±

    He activated both the Life Drop transformation and Thunderbody, pushing his defensive capabilities to the peak. He then took a tentative step outside the beam of light.

    Nothing happened. The Dao around them was extremely dense, but the pressure he experienced was somehow no higher than the average of the Dark Canal.

    ¡°All good,¡± he called out, letting his enhancements dissipate.

    Brock followed him outside the light. ¡°Now what?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Can you feel this?¡± Jack asked back. ¡°The Dao is aligning with us, somehow. Like we¡¯re part of it. This must be what Axelor promised¡ªthe Dao signature of this ce will hide us from the Overlords.¡±

    ¡°So we can die <em>after </em>delivering an ambush.¡±

    ¡°Well, hopefully there¡¯ll be a smarter way. Come. We can¡¯t break through the floor, obviously, so let¡¯s look for an entrance.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take them long. One side of this small pyramid¡ªonly a mile tall¡ªheld a set of golden double doors. Those doors were broken, only hanging on by their bottom hinges. In front of themy the shattered remains of a golden statue. It still emanated hints of its aura¡ªcing it at the peak of the A-Grade.

    ¡°Even Gods can¡¯t afford Archon guards,¡± Jack noticed.

    ¡°This happened recently,¡± Brock said. ¡°Maybe a few moments ago. The two Overlords came here, defeated the guardian, broke the doors, and invaded. How are they handling the pressure?¡±

    ¡°I think they forcefully rode the same light we did,¡± Jack said, ¡°though I can¡¯t imagine it came without a price.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we want to do this, bro? They easily destroyed the peak A-Grade statue. They¡¯re too powerful.¡±

    Jack considered it. ¡°The rewards hidden inside are things we¡¯ve earned. These guys are stealing them from us. We don¡¯t need to fight¡ªhidden by the Dao as we are, we can maybe take some things under their noses and escape undetected. Or negotiate. Or just leave.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m with you. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 538: Overlords in Action

    After passing through the broken doors, Jack and Brock entered the final floor of the Hall of Trials. It was the reward they¡¯d justly earned, now usurped by others.

    A scene of pige weed them. The room behind the gate must have once been grand and majestic. Murals used to cover the walls, painted with colors of the Dao itself and punctuated with gems. Golden statues stood at the back, depicting the eleven Old Gods besides Enas, while a massive empty throne rose against a sidewall to the right, another doorway below it.

    Now, the colors had been scraped off the walls, the gems pulled out. The golden statues had been cracked open to get to whatever was inside them¡ªif there was anything¡ªand the throne¡¯s velvet had been peeled off, leaving behind ugly tears and bare stone. The room had been ransacked. The only reason Jack and Brock knew the missing materials was their still-lingering aura¡ªeverything was constructed of the highest possible quality materials.

    The scene sparked Jack¡¯s anger. ¡°Overlords, the highest under the heavens, and they behave likemon bandits,¡± he spat out. ¡°Shameful.¡±

    ¡°This is not the bro way,¡± Brock agreed with a dark gaze. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough to break into the shrine of your ancestors. To take the decorations? That¡¯s going too far.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless, too. They don¡¯tck gold or jewels. Why do this?¡±

    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to ask them,¡± Brock replied, pacing into the room. It was depressing. This hall was meant to wee the greatest talents of history, the people with the potential to reach or surpass the Old Gods. Perhaps the walls told stories about the creation of the universe or depicted epic heroic feats. Now, they¡¯d been done so dirty even the murals were indistinguishable.

    The two bros crossed the room quickly. The next one was simr¡ªa grand show of wealth and knowledge, all stripped clean. Even the various pieces of furniture were missing.

    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle they left the bricks behind,¡± Brock said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll smack them in the head with one.¡±The doorways led down a single path hugging the seventh level¡¯s outer wall. Following it, Jack and Brock reached the third room, which was also the same. Stripped down, piged, destroyed. For three simr rooms to be ced in a row like this, and more toe, Jack assumed they were telling a story or shared a theme. They were meant to create in young monsters a feeling of awe and context before they received the inheritance of the Old Gods. Probably detail their mission of destroying the Ancients.

    At the fifth room, however, Jack paused and stuck to the wall. He motioned for Brock to be quiet. The line of rooms hugged the outer walls, and they¡¯d approached the corner now, so the next door was on the left wall instead of the back one. They couldn¡¯t see behind it, but they could hear faint noises. It sounded like stone cracked in half, metal being wrenched free.

    Jack felt the ripples of someone¡¯s perception pass over him without stopping. The Dao signature of the pyramid hid them, just like Axelor had promised. Jack looked at Brock, who nodded. Carefully, he peeked through the corner, gazing into the next room over.

    It was also piged. The <em>next </em>one, however, was in the process of getting destroyed. The two Overlords stood inside, Great Silver and Fiend King. The former stood with arms crossed¡ªthetter dashed from wall to wall, taking everything he could into his space ring.

    Jack quickly drew back, but he spread his perception over the corner, draping it over the Overlords as thinly as possible so it would go unnoticed. He saw Fiend King arrive before a golden statue¡ªsome six-armed humanoid monster¡ªand crack it in half. He took a peek inside, snorted, then left it and proceeded.

    ¡°Can you not do that?¡± Great Silver asked with the tone of someone who¡¯d already said it a dozen times.

    ¡°No. These statues are hollow for a reason. One will contain something inside it, I guarantee it, and when I find it you won¡¯t be so smug.¡± Fiend King waspletely unapologetic as he tore the room apart.

    ¡°Is it so bad to leave a treasure or two behind?¡± Great Silver pleaded. ¡°These rooms are our legacy. They¡¯ve stood undisturbed for billions of years. We¡¯ll take the real treasures, of course, but these are just decorations. What you¡¯re doing ispletely unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°Weak thinking like that is why your faction is in decline.¡± Fiend King snorted. ¡°Even the metals and paint on the walls are precious. Nobody will evere here, anyway. We might as well take them. Maybe we can trade with the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Trade. The path to our envement.¡±

    ¡°Better than being conquered.¡±

    While they conversed, the room had already been stripped clean, and Fiend King kicked down the doors to the next one. He charged in and continued ransacking.

    ¡°This guy is unbelievable,¡± Jack said after rying everything to Brock. ¡°The pettiest cultivator I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°He deserves the p of justice,¡± Brock replied.

    ¡°Yeah. A shame he¡¯s too strong for my flip-flop.¡±

    Through his perception, Jack had gauged the strengths of the Overlords. Having forced their way here without the Hall¡¯s permission, they were under constant pressure. Part of their energy went into staving it off. Their energy levels had fallen from the Archon level to the peak A-Grade, but their Daos remained. Jack and Brock together might be able to fight one of the Overlords if they wentpletely all-out, but there was no way to struggle against two.

    Moreover, the Fiend King¡¯s despicable means were working against them. He left nothing behind. Following the Overlords, there was no benefit for Jack and Brock to get, and there never would be. Since they¡¯d reached this point, however, all they could do was keep going.

    The rooms kepting. Jack had no idea what they signified¡ªhis thin perception over the Overlords wasn¡¯t enough to read the murals¡ªbut it didn¡¯t really matter, either. Finally, at the tenth room, the path turned again. Jack caught the Overlords pausing. They stared at the door against the right wall for a moment, then turned to each other with somber gazes.

    ¡°Time to kill,¡± said Fiend King.

    ¡°Looks like it.¡±

    Great Silver was the one to open the door this time. They burst into the next space, and Jack¡¯s perception with them. This room was clearly different than before. It was short and wide, spreading roughly a mile from left to right, its side walls angling upward like it had been built directly onto the pyramid¡¯s outer walls.

    Three heavy golden doors stood at the back. A word was written over each, in anguage Jack didn¡¯t recognize but could instinctively understand: Dao, Will, and Cultivation. Besides those and the red carpet which stretched from the left to the right wall, the room was almost empty.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    A lone automaton sat behind a paper-filled, stone desk at the back of the room. It was far more refined than most¡ªit wore borate robes which covered it like real ones, though they were made of stone, just like its skin. Its unmoving face exuded wisdom. A long beard hung from its chin.

    <em>¡°Oh!¡± </em>the Stone eximed in Jack¡¯s mind. <em>¡°That¡¯s my dad! Hi daddy!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Your what!?¡±</em>

    As the two Overlords entered the room, the automaton put its pen aside and stood from its chair. ¡°I am the Stone Schr, the guardian and groundskeeper of this floor,¡± it said, its raspy voice growing clearer by the word. ¡°Youe without permission. You trespass. Begone.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if we intended to be gone,¡± the Fiend King said with wickedughter.

    The automaton was still awakening from its neutral state. Only now did its perception spread properly to cover the long line of rooms. If it spotted Jack and Brock, it didn¡¯t show it¡ªits stone face contorted in an expression of fury. ¡°You defiled the halls!¡± it roared. ¡°Insolence!¡±

    The walls shook. The pyramid paused its rotation, standing still as if all of reality held its breath alongside the automaton. It glowed with seething aura as it roared, ¡°Die!¡±

    ¡°This entire world is in great peril,¡± Great Silver said quickly. ¡°We need the inheritances here. We could use your help in defending.¡±

    ¡°SHUT YOUR VILE MOUTH! YOU DEFILED THE HALLS! YOU DIE NOW!¡±

    The Overlords exchanged a nce. Fiend Kingughed. ¡°How could I have known?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Guess we have to kill it now.¡±

    ¡°No other choice,¡± Great Silver said heavily as both of them released their aura.

    The automaton was at the peak A-Grade level of power, and Jack could sense it was stronger than most, radiating intense energy in tune with the structure around it. The Overlords had also been pushed to the peak A-Grade level by the pressure of this ce, but their insights remained those of Overlords, and there were two of them.

    The sh of energies was uneven. The real sh, even more so.

    The automaton attacked first, abandoning the three doors it stood in front of. Its stone sleeves swung like made of fabric, channeling the energy of the world in its strike. A rainbow of Daos coalesced¡ªeleven different streams, each bearing the signature of an Old God. They formed a white sun behind it, whose light covered the automaton and made it seem angelic.

    The Overlords rushed to the left and right respectively. Fiend King unleashed a crimson aura, bing brutality incarnate, his devilish body radiating violence. Great Silver opened his draconic mouth, silver energy converging¡ªit was raw power, yet almost sentient. Jack instinctively felt that Great Silver¡¯s Dao was something close to Wisdom. Like wise, white fire.

    Jack waited behind the corner, his attention fully focused on the battle. He ryed everything to Brock behind him. The Stone¡¯s stunning revtion wasn¡¯t something they could bother with right now.

    The automaton released white energies with each swipe, like divine brushstrokes through the air. Everywhere they passed, the void was incinerated, purified until nothing was left. As the white light approached Fiend King, he roared and raked his ws against it. Crimson met white. The two energies twisted around each other, the whiteing out slightly on top.

    From the other side, Great Silver opened his maw and released a beam of silver. Space itself melted before it, letting it reach its target instantly. The automaton conjured a shield to block, but it was broken through, the silver light flooding it and pushing it out of bnce. Fiend King appeared to its side¡ªhe smashed his tail against it, sending the automaton flying, then teleported over it and smashed it heavily into the ground. The tiles cratered.

    The automaton wasn¡¯t done. It teleported away just in time to dodge a sh of Great Silver¡¯s ws, which hit the ground at that spot and broke it further. The automaton reappeared behind Fiend King, wide sleeves rising against the devil, the white light stopped by sheer muscle mass. Fiend King turned around, grabbed the automaton, spun thrice around himself and mmed it against the ground. Coincidentally, it crashed into the same spot as before, further deepening the crater.

    Of course, grabbing your opponent was a Dao sh in and of itself. The Fiend King had used his Dao to prate the other¡¯s barriers, releasing shockwaves which crashed against the walls, shaking the pyramid and threatening its structural intensity. Dust fell from the ceiling.

    Jack hesitated. This stone automaton¡ªthe Stone¡¯s father?¡ªwas in a tough spot. If he and Brock joined in, there was a chance they could help it turn things around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit,¡± Brock whispered. ¡°We¡¯re hidden. We can ambush them at the critical moment.¡±

    Jack nodded. That was the best way to win here.

    ¡°What sorry excuses you are for monsters!¡± the automaton roared. ¡°You¡¯re Overlords, yet you couldn¡¯t match me alone! You amount to nothing! You have less talent than the rabid dogs whose behavior you so shamefully copy!¡±

    ¡°Shut your stone mouth!¡± Fiend King roared, appearing over the fallen automaton and punching down. White light formed a barrier¡ªit held against his punch, but not against the beam of dragon silver which came right after. Great Silver rammed bodily into the automaton, pushing it hard into the ground, the cracks expanding widely.

    At that precise moment, something changed. The dragon Overlord couldn¡¯t have seen it, so tightly pressed against the automaton, but Jack did. Fiend King¡¯s face warped into a fiendish grin. His hands blurred. He reached inside his robes, pulling out a miniature of the twelveyer totem and snapping it in half. In the same motion, his other hand aimed downward, unleashing a torrent of energy he must have been building for a while. Crimson power buried both the automaton and Great Silver, not harming them, but using a momentum-adjacent Dao to heavily push them downward.

    Great Silver roared. ¡°Fiend King! What are you doing!?¡±

    The floor below them had already suffered multiple strikes. Even the pyramid¡¯s precious materials couldn¡¯t handle such impacts forever¡ªthe bricks split, then cracked, then shattered, revealing a hole to the sky below. Great Silver and the automaton were both right above it, momentarily immobilized by Fiend King¡¯s attack.

    Normally, this would have meant nothing. As Great Silver realized to his horror, however, the spot they upied was located precisely above the beam of golden light from before. A beam which was rapidly destabilizing¡ªFiend King had crushed the control totem, and the forceful override of the Hall¡¯s security was deteriorating. The golden beam shuddered, then roared out in fury, the process reversing in an angryshing of the Hall of Trial¡¯s energies.

    The smooth golden light leading upward turned into a siphon, pulling everything down. It wasn¡¯t particrly powerful, certainly not enough to threaten an Overlord¡ªunless, say, one was floating right above it, with another Overlord¡¯s power pushing down on them.

    ¡°No!¡± Great Silver roared.

    ¡°I counted our steps since entering this ce, Silver!¡± the Fiend King shouted, roaring withughter. ¡°I aimed for that spot in particr, and you helped me break it like the fool you are!¡±

    ¡°I trusted you!¡± Great Silver roared again, his draconic fury bursting forth. ¡°This concerns the survival of our species!¡±

    ¡°There is nopassion amongst monsters, Silver. Only winners and losers¡ªand you are thetter.¡±

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡± the automaton roared in turn. ¡°IN THE NAME OF THE GODS, I WILL VANQUISH YOU!¡±

    Great Silver and the automaton released their energies together, pushing upwards, but they couldn¡¯t ovee the sum of Fiend King¡¯s pressure and the golden beam¡¯s pull. Not when they were right over it. With a series of frustrated roars, Great Silver and the automaton were both sucked into the golden beam, falling downward at extreme speed. Their anger was so great that they kept tearing at each other as they fell past theyer of clouds, their future unknown.

    Jack and Brock still waited in hiding, this turn of events too sudden for them to react. They were waiting for the final cataclysmic sh between the automaton and the overlords, when nobody would bother with defense. This¡­was a bit too unexpected!

    Suddenly, everything was quiet. Fiend King stood alone in the room¡ªthe golden beam remained, but its suction power wasn¡¯t enough to threaten him unless he stood right next to it.

    ¡°Fuck off, loser,¡± he said, dusting himself as he turned towards the three golden doors. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see¡­ Where do I begin?¡±

    ¡°How about you begin by dying?¡±

    Fiend King jumped, then whipped around. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± he roared out. As he took in the new arrivals, however, he paused. ¡°Jack Monstrous?¡± he said in disbelief. ¡°Brock the brori? What are you doing here? How can you even stand in this pressure?¡±

    ¡°We stand for what is right,¡± Brock said, angrily cracking his knuckles.

    Jack smiled. ¡°And we¡¯re here to destroy you.¡±

 Chapter 539: Fighting Overlord

    Jack and Brock faced Overlord Fiend King in a pyramid floating in the middle of the sky. It would have been shocking if it wasn¡¯t as dangerous.

    Fiend Kingughed. ¡°You and what army?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got here, but this is where your journey ends. Go back. Don¡¯t throw your lives away.¡±

    ¡°We got here the right way. By earning the qualifications,¡± Jack said.

    Fiend King¡¯sughter was cut short. ¡°You were ssified as Eternal?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Both of you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest excuse I¡¯ve ever heard. We¡¯ve never had a single Eternal talent¡ªtwo at a time is impossible.¡±

    There was envy in the Overlord¡¯s voice, clear as day. He was one of the two rulers of this entire world, yet the Hall of Trials was a consistent reminder of his inadequacy. He¡¯d only reached the fifth floor as a youth¡ªanyone able to reach the sixth or the impossible seventh would only humiliate him indirectly.¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡± Jack asked. His aura slowly rose out of his body, cascading in ever taller waves. The dense ambient Dao was pushed back, the shattered bricks and tiles beginning to float. Even the suction force of the golden light abated momentarily. Brock followed a momentter, releasing his own golden aura, the air filled with chants and sparkles.

    Fiend King narrowed his eyes. ¡°You are not suppressed. And this aura, so high above your level¡­ Did you really qualify as Eternal talents?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± Jack said, entering a battle stance, arms raised before his face like a boxer. He couldn¡¯t hide his grin. He roared, ¡°Show us the strength of an Overlord, Fiend King!¡±

    The Overlord frowned for a while, then his face warped into a snarl. His own crimson aura erupted, meeting Jack and Brock¡¯s in the middle of the hall, shattering the tiles further. Winds picked up, whipping their hair. The Fiend King¡¯s tail swished through the air, carrying muscle and violence, capable of demolishings with a single touch¡ªhis ws and teeth were bared, sharp edges glinting in the light, while the muscles under his gray skin expanded. He became a creature of nightmare¡ªa being made to ughter.

    ¡°Just die,¡± he spat out. Crimson erupted between sweeping ws. The light raked the floor and walls, drawing thin lines, sending more bricks and tiles flying. Jack leaned to the side, dodging the strike, and used his own Dao to suppress the other¡¯s brutality. As for Brock, he only raised a palm, blocking the w energies head-on.

    Jack smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we fought side by side, bro.¡±

    ¡°My favorite kind of battle. Together, we are unbeatable.¡±

    ¡°You think too highly of yourselves!¡± Fiend King roared. He moved so fast he disappeared. Jack narrowed his eyes, then instinctively raised an arm to defend. He activated the four-armed battle form and Thunderbody instantly. A gray shoulder smashed into him from the side, sending him flying, nailing him into the far wall.

    ¡°Bro!¡± Brock shouted, but the gray tail was already before him. A giant golden brori manifested¡ªthe same one which had easily defended against Fiend Prince and Strawpin. The gray tail smashed into it, warped the golden light, and shattered it, carrying on to strike Brock in the chest and blow him backward.

    ¡°How dare you challenge me!¡± Fiend King shouted. ¡°I am the King of Carnage. I¡¯m invincible!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Go fight the Immortals then,¡± Jack said, having already escaped the pile of rubble. He charged the Fiend King and punched out, purple trailing his fist, a meteor crossing space. The Overlord grabbed it in his palm, the meteor fizzling out. His skin was tougher than the hardest steel¡ªand his eyes, as he held Jack by the fist, murderous.

    A w came shing down. Jack was about to decisively sever his hand to escape when a golden palm smashed into the Overlord from the side, shaking him. Jack put all his strength into escaping¡ªa massive yank ripped his hand free from the Fiend King¡¯s grip, long bloody lines drawn against his skin.

    The Overlord wasn¡¯t injured by Brock¡¯s hasty attack. If anything, he was more surprised at Jack escaping. ¡°You¡¯re this strong!?¡± he asked in disbelief. His eyes shed. ¡°All the more reason for you to die.¡±

    He pursued Jack. Jack struck, still retreating. ¡°Supernova!¡± Fist met tail, purple explosion against crimson aura, and a shockwave erupted which battered the entire pyramid. Even Supernova couldn¡¯t resist the Overlord. Jack¡¯s hand shattered, all bones inside snapped, as the tail carried through and found him in the waist. He turned into a missile flying backward. If not for the pyramid¡¯s hard walls, he would have flown for endless miles. In this case, he didn¡¯t, but it was even worse. The materials making up the pyramid were extraordinarily tough. Jack smashed into them, losing all the air in his lungs, breaking his back.

    The entire hall was a mile wide and only a few hundred feet long. It was an extremely tiny space for hosting a peak A-Grade battle, with the hard walls making any impact even more punishing. They couldn¡¯t leave, either¡ªthe only two exits were barred by a golden suction force and a long series of rooms respectively.

    Jack opened his eyes to find Fiend King tearing into Brock. A dozen golden broris werepletely failing to stop him, their bodies destroyed as mere afterthoughts, while Brock¡¯s defenses crumbled faster than he could put them up. Jack rushed out, charging up a ck Hole while the Overlord was busy elsewhere.

    ws raked Brock¡¯s body, drawing long red lines which stretched from his shoulder to his waist. Red blood with hints of gold flew out. Brown fur littered the air. Brock coughed, more blood escaping his mouth, as he twirled his staff and smashed it into the Overlord¡¯s shoulder. The impact was minimal. Fiend King gave a monstrous grin as he stabbed his tail into Brock¡¯s stomach, not prating his body, but pushing him back again. He then turned to face Jack. ?

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition.

    A ck hole flew at the Overlord. A hint of horror crossed his face¡ªhe shot out his tail, striking the ck hole at the maximum possible distance. The hard skin and tough flesh were warped, but the ck hole also struggled. It was, after all, just an artificial one crafted by Jack¡¯s Dao. It had its limits. The Overlord might have been suppressed to the level of a peak A-Grade, but his body remained beyond sturdy.

    The ck hole imploded. An intense shockwave struck the walls, shaking several bricks out of position and disintegrating the closest broken floor tiles. Jack was once again smashed against the wall by the impact. So was Fiend King, but besides the tip of his tail disappearing and some blood dripping down the corner of his lips, he seemed fine.

    ¡°You injured me,¡± he said, surprised at his own words. ¡°I¡¯ll make you suffer. I¡¯ll tear you limb from limb!¡±

    Jack frowned deeply. This had been his strongest attack, which had finished off every opponent so far. Even the fragment of Axelor had been no exception. That the Fiend King could resist it didn¡¯t bode well.

    ¡°Are you okay, bro?¡± Brock asked, dusting himself off. He was injured, blood marring the fur on his chest, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Good enough,¡± Jack replied, wiping the blood from his lips. ¡°We can¡¯t beat him as two individual fighters. We need to work together.¡±

    ¡°Right. He just split us before.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The two fell into amon pace. A new aura suffused the hall. Fiend King snorted, then charged. ¡°Useless!¡± he cried out. His ws sliced the air. Jack moved back to weaken the blow. A golden shield appeared before him, in time with his own Meteor Punch, meeting the strike and neutralizing it.

    Fiend King took this time to smash the body of his tail against Brock, but a Supernova explosion sent it off course. Brock simply ducked under the strike, then smashed his staff at Fiend King, pushing him backward. Hisrge golden broripacted, turning into a sheet of armor over Brock¡¯s body, as well as two extra golden arms.

    ¡°Big Bro Form!¡± Brock shouted.

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Is that supposed to be me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my big bro. Of course you inspire me.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit are you spouting!?¡± Fiend King roared, charging again. His power and speed were overwhelming. He was the perfect killing machine, possessing extraordinary aspects across the board. By themselves, Jack and Brock couldn¡¯t hope to match him. Even a normal peak A-Grade would be above their powers.

    When working together, however, theirbined battle prowess was more than the sum of its parts. They hadn¡¯t fought side by side often, but they were spiritualpanions, each sharing a part of the other¡¯s soul. Their connection was deeper than any other. They could read each other¡¯s intentions, react before they even moved, perfectly coordinate their strengths.

    Moreover, they were bros. Brock¡¯s Dao circted between their souls, empowering them in a constant cycle.

    Fiend King charged, but Jack and Brock fell on either side of him. They moved in perfect sync. When the Fiend King focused on one opponent, the other struck back. Their attacks were perfectly timed, forcing him to only defend against one. Their defense was abination of two outstanding Daos. Jack was the stronger party, but they even ounted for that, bncing their contributions to achieve a perfect fusion.

    They received injuries at first. One gash here, one tail smash there. Yet, the more they worked together, the better they flowed around each other. Their souls were singing in harmony. Fighting became instinctive, requiring no effort, as if they slowly merged into a single being with two bodies. Their efficiency rose. The Fiend King had held a slight advantage at first, but he was pushed back now, his strikes ineffective. The attacks he did receive weren¡¯t too threatening, but the damage added up.

    The Fiend King roared. He balled his ws into a fist and struck at Brock, but a purple and golden shield blocked him. It was like hitting a wall. A punch struck the back of his knee, bending it, as a staff strikended on his now-exposed chest. Before he could recover, a second punch exploded against the back of his head. The strikes elerated as they kepting. The Fiend King tried madly to defend but was unable to, fists and staffs pummeling his body from all sides. Bones cracked. Bruises appeared. The skin he took such pride in tore, letting hints of gray blood leak out, while his regeneration failed to keep up with the onught of attacks. They came from everywhere all the time.

    He tried to strike back, to break the chain, but it was like they knew the future. His attacks were predicted and blocked before he even made them, thepse in defense causing him more damage from the ongoing pummeling.

    The Fiend King lost controlpletely. He was confused by the many strikes, unable to tell up from down or left from right. He was helpless. For the first time in millions of years, he felt he fear of death.

    He roared, finally snapping, his crimson aura exploding out of him and wrecking his own body in the process. His eyes madly scanned the hall for the golden beam of light¡ªit was there, in a now wide region of destroyed floor. He feigned an attack, then dashed sideways, letting more strikesnd on him to escape.

    A strong hand grabbed his tail. Fiend King felt his momentum evaporate, and true horror rose in his heart. He pushed forward with all his power. A second pair of hands grabbed onto his tail, yanking him backward, and the Fiend King saw to his horror the beam of light grow farther away. True panic took him over¡ªhis survival instinct overriding every other function.

    He severed his own tail¡ªa function of his body he¡¯d never used before, nor did he think he¡¯d ever have to. The severing pushed him forward with extreme momentum, reaching the golden beam in an instant. He dove for it. Great Silver could be waiting below, but the dragon waspassionate. It wouldn¡¯t kill him. Fiend King could live.

    A massive fist smashed into his backside. His already great momentum grew to unstoppable heights. Even the golden beam was unable to capture him, and Fiend King was forced to watch as he overshot it, flying straight through the suction force and impacting the wall on the other side.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    He roared, blood escaping his mouth. He turned around to try again, but his pursuers had already caught up, and he had no more tails to sever. A golden staff stabbed into his abdomen, bending the Fiend King over and releasing all air from his lungs. A ck hole was pushed into his open mouth, guided by a green-tinged arm.

    Fiend King looked up, sensing his skull copse, to find a pair of cold eyes locked onto his. This had all happened too fast. A few moments ago, he was the ultimate winner, earning the entire seventh floor for himself. He was going to reach new heights. And now, he, an Overlord of the Space Monster World¡­was dead. Dead to some low-level brats.

    Fiend King roared in impotent fury and denial as the ck hole warped his head, sucking it all in, then exploded. Bits and pieces of gray flesh flew everywhere. The Fiend King¡¯s body copsed, a headless thing, while Jack and Brock watched it coldly to make sure there were no surprisesing.

    When they were finally sure it was dead, they both copsed. It hadn¡¯t been as easy on them as the Fiend King had thought. His attacks had found purchase multiple times, sending streams of carnage through their veins, and the constant high-speed attacking had pushed them to their limits. Jack¡¯s Life Drop had almost ran out of energy¡ªit hadn¡¯t had much remaining after his battle with Axelor. It was a good thing the battlested so little.

    But they had won.

    They looked at each other. ¡°Good job, bro,¡± Brock said, giving a bloody smile.

    ¡°You too,¡± Jack replied, unable to hold hisughter. ¡°Do you realize it, Brock? We killed an Overlord. We secured ourselves the seventh floor rewards. We finally¡­won!¡±

 Chapter 540: Spoils of Battle

    The seventh floor of the Hall of Trials was silent, as if paying homage to the victory just struck.

    Jack and Brock were panting, yet smiling. They¡¯d just worked together to beat an Overlord. A suppressed Overlord, sure, but an Overlord regardless. They had, for a moment, stepped into the highest stage of the universe.

    Jack¡¯s grin touched his ears. ¡°Can you believe how far we¡¯vee, Brock?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There is still a lot to go, bro. But¡­ We did good. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Right back at you.¡± Jack raised his gaze, taking in the main features of the room. The desk of the Stone Schr had been blown away from the battle, the parchments on it disintegrating the moment they left the desk¡¯s area. The three doors at the back, however, remained pristine. Each had a sign over it: Dao, Will, Cultivation.

    ¡°One more thing before that,¡± Jack said, reaching into his inner world. <em>¡°Hey, Stone¡­ Can you exin what¡¯s going on here?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Of course I can!¡± </em>the Stone replied. Its mental voice was angry, like it was fuming, and Jack quickly connected Brock to their telepathy so he could participate as well. He would have taken the Stone out, but he suspected the pressure would crush it instantly.

    Seeing it had everyone¡¯s attention, the Stone continued. <em>¡°That was my daddy! They attacked my daddy!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°</em>Jack pinched his nose. <em>¡°Can you not call him that? How does father sound?¡±</em><em>¡°Why? It¡¯s the same thing.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Okay. Tell us about your¡­daddy.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°He made me!¡± </em>the Stone eximed. <em>¡°I¡¯d forgotten all about it¡ªit¡¯s been a while¡ªbut he made me a long time ago. It was right there, on that desk. I was lying down while daddy inserted all sorts of magical devices into me, and¡ª¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Stone. Please. Don¡¯t phrase it like that.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Well anyway, he created me! I remember everything now. He wanted to see the outside world but couldn¡¯t leave, so he made me instead. After I grew up, the idea was for me to go down there, check out the world, then fly back up to tell him.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°That didn¡¯t work out as nned.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Not really, no. I, uh, I got lost a bit, and then I couldn¡¯t go back up. My meteor shuttle broke by the pressure, no longer able to receive my mentalmands, so then I just sort of¡­drifted.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°All the way to the Milky Way gxy?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°It was a good drift.¡±</em>

    Jack sighed. <em>¡°How did you not remember this until now, Stone?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Memory is a delicate thing. Do you remember being a baby?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I would if nothing else happened for literally hundreds of millions of years.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hey, that¡¯s mean!¡±</em>

    Again, Jack sighed. <em>¡°Sorry. So, uh¡­ Is that how you knew chess? The Stone Schr taught you?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Oh yes, that and all the other arts. We spent a few thousand years together.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°You mentioned he couldn¡¯t leave,¡± </em>Brock intervened, ncing at the hole in the ground where the golden light still tried to suck them in. <em>¡°He¡¯s gone now. What does that mean?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t that he </em>couldn¡¯t <em>leave. He just didn¡¯t want to. His job was to guard this ce, so abandoning his post would be kind of sad. Now that he¡¯s down there, I don¡¯t even know if he can get back up. He¡¯s probably super pissed.¡±</em>

    Jack and Brock exchanged a nce. ¡°So, an apocalyptic force has just been unleashed on the Space Monster World,¡± Jack said.

    Brock shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Great Silver can probably take him down there. I just hope the Stone daddy doesn¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°You too, Brock? You¡¯re one of them?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Jack rolled his eyes, then switched to telepathy. <em>¡°Do you think the Stone Schr can return if he beats Great Silver?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°No. Daddy once said that he could stay here, but even he couldn¡¯t battle the ascension cascade.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Ascension cascade?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°The magic stopping other people froming up here. Without the assistance of the golden light, I suspect no one will return for a long time.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Hmm. I see.¡±</em>

    Jack looked around again. He paced to Fiend King¡¯s corpse and took his space ring, then tossed it up and down in his hand. ¡°Our spoils,¡± he told Brock. ¡°Wanna have a look?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Jack threw it over, and Brock caught it easily. He focused for a moment as his perception looked inside. ¡°This bro was a hoarder,¡± he finally said. ¡°There¡¯s useful stuff in there, but also tons of valuable trash.¡±

    ¡°Valuable trash?¡±

    ¡°See for yourself.¡±

    Jack took back the ring and checked it out. To his surprise, Brock hadn¡¯t been exaggerating. This was the spaciest space ring he¡¯d ever seen, and it was filled with piles of what seemed like garbage but was actually treasures. It wasn¡¯t just the decorations of the previous room. There were low-level monster cores, precious ores, trinkets, weapons, armor, cultivation manuals¡­ All rising in messy, hundred-foot-tall piles.

    <em>They say that one person¡¯s trash is the other¡¯s treasure, but this guy went too far! He¡¯s a true hoarder! </em>Jack thought. He took the time to look at these things carefully. All of them were precious, but most were useless to the current him. All the wealth of the Space Monster World mattered little right now. Even the core cultivation manuals of the Fiend King were kind of low-level. He guessed all of these could be treasures valuable to a faction, so he quickly drew them into his own space ring, filling it to the brim.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    All that remained were a few A-Grade monster cores and the decorations of the previous rooms. Statuettes, ked paint, golden goblets, paintings, torn velvet, even a few statues of monsters killing Ancients. Not all of these could be easily restored.

    Jack took out the decorations and ced them in a neat pile at a side of the room. He then bowed at them. No matter what, the creators of this ce had helped him and Brock, and they would soon do it again. Respect was due.

    ¡°When we return to the Canal, let¡¯s help Stone Daddy Broe up here,¡± Brock said. ¡°He¡¯ll want to redecorate.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jack replied. He then looked at the remainder of Fiend King¡¯s treasure: a small pile of A-Grade cores, including two at the peak A-Grade and five at thete A-Grade. Great cultivation resources. Jack left them in the space ring and tossed it at Brock.

    ¡°What?¡± asked the brori.

    ¡°I know you took the lotus, but I¡¯ve reaped way more harvests than you across our adventures,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Take this. You deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Besides¡­¡± Jack turned to the three rooms. ¡°I suspect that the Fiend King¡¯s wealth will palepared to what the Old Gods have left us. That¡¯s the real prize.¡±

    Brock also turned to look at the doors, eagerness clear in his gaze. Jack spoke to the Stone again.

    <em>¡°You mentioned the Stone Schr was both the guard and caretaker of this ce,¡± </em>he said.<em> ¡°He¡¯s obviously not here to direct us, but since he raised you, do you happen to know how we¡¯re supposed to ept this reward?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Most certainly!¡± </em>the Stone replied.<em> ¡°It¡¯s alling back now. Oh my gods, I¡¯d forgotten about Franky!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Who¡¯s Franky?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°My favorite stone buddy! He used tough at all my jokes. Oh, the times we had together, lying down on that stone desk while daddy trained us.¡±</em>

    Jack and Brock exchanged another nce. <em>¡°Did Franky seem like a ticklish pebble?¡± </em>Jack asked. He¡¯d seen such a thing long ago, at Trial. It was a silly pebble which ended up saving his life when he swapped it for the greatest treasure there. Presumably, Lord Longsword still had it.

    <em>¡°He was very ticklish, yes, but that¡¯s not all he did. He spoke, too!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Okay, not the same guy then. We¡¯ve run into a pebble which could do nothing but giggle. After the Crusade is over, we should go fetch it.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°That would be nice. For now though, we should find Franky! Maybe he¡¯s just behind those doors!¡±</em>

    Jack gave a sad smile. <em>¡°Sure, buddy.¡± </em>It went without saying that, if Franky was still in this ce, he¡¯d have been on the stone desk. Perhaps one of the items which disintegrated during the battle. Jack didn¡¯t have the heart to break the news.

    <em>¡°So?¡± </em>Brock asked, motioning at the doors.

    <em>¡°Right,¡± </em>the Stone replied. <em>¡°Ahem.¡± </em>Its voice turned deeper.<em> ¡°Oh, brave young monsters, you finally arrived at my abode! ept my congrattions. It has been over a hundred million¡ª¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Can we cut to the chase?¡± </em>Jack asked.

    <em>¡°Ah, yes, sure. The point is, you may choose one of those doors each. Only one.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Right. And I guess the rest will be magically locked once we choose one?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just the rule. I always thought Daddy was enough to enforce them.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°But he isn¡¯t here now.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I guess.¡±</em>

    Jack turned at Brock and winked. Rules were important, but with the Second Crusade raging and this ce already ransacked, Jack wasn¡¯t going to follow them. ¡°Which door are you interested in, Brock?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dao and Cultivation. They¡¯re what we need right now.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Cultivation is my first priority, with the duel and the Crusade and all, but the Dao is also important. Hmm. Do you want to choose a door each first, just in case the rules are magically enforced?¡±

    ¡°We survive here thanks to the assistance of this ce¡¯s Dao,¡± Brock said. ¡°Let¡¯s not die stupidly.¡±

    ¡°Very correct, brother.¡±

    The two walked forward, standing before the two doors. ¡°I take Cultivation, you take Dao?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°You first.¡±

    Brock walked to the first door¡ªthe Dao one. It had no handle. cing his hand onto it, he pushed, and the door creaked open as if for the first time in a billion years¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t far from the truth. A rectangr room was revealed beyond. The pyramid didn¡¯t use space magic here¡ªfrom the way this room stretched to the left, it was apparent the three of them shared the remaining surface of the seventh floor.

    No space magic meant the rooms would be possible to break into, if risky. As Brock had said, it wasn¡¯t a good idea to infuriate the ce keeping you alive. But it was an option.

    Brock didn¡¯t enter the Dao room immediately. He peeked in¡ªthe inside was empty, save for a meditation mat in the center and shelves covering the walls, hosting no less than a hundred crystal spheres. Some danced with colors inside¡ªothers were dark, while yet more exuded a feeling which reached the soul.

    Jack, who was also peeking in, gasped. He could sense that each of these spheres contained a Dao Vision, as well as precise instructions on how toprehend them¡ªsimr to the iplete ck hole manual, but undamaged. They represented an incredible wealth of knowledge and power.

    ¡°Try opening another door,¡± he said, containing his excitement. Brock walked to the third door, the Cultivation one, and pushed. Nothing happened.

    ¡°Locked,¡± he said.

    ¡°Let me try.¡±

    Jack ced his hand against the third door, pushing it open effortlessly. The two bros nced at each other and grinned. ¡°Bingo,¡± Jack said. ¡°Let me try something.¡± He stepped into the room, then exited, then walked to the Dao room. He entered it easily. His grin couldn¡¯t have been wider.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Brock said. He tried to enter the same room as Jack but failed, his entry stopped by an invisible wall. Jack exited, and then Brock could enter without a problem.

    ¡°We can¡¯t open more than one door each, and there cannot be two people in the same room, but we can open both doors and take turns,¡± Jack deduced. ¡°The Gods didn¡¯t expect two challengers to arrive here at once. We hit the jackpot.¡±

    Brockughed. ¡°Fine by me. Where do you want to start, bro?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Dao room first. I feel I¡¯m on the cusp of discovering something great. Do you mind?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m peak B-Grade. With the resources of this room, I can break through.¡±

    ¡°To the A-Grade?!¡±

    ¡°To the A-Grade.¡±

    The cultivation room also had walls covered in shelves, except, instead of crystal spheres, it contained all sorts of cultivation resources. There were several overlord cores, their vast auras only blocked by the ss cases surrounding them. Even different kinds of treasures, like body tempering ones, weren¡¯tcking in that room. It was, without any exaggeration, a treasure trove. Jack suspected both he and Brock could break into the A-Grade here, given enough time.

    ¡°What about the Dark Canal?¡± Brock asked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about that,¡± Jack replied. ¡°Whether Great Silver can beat the Stone Schr, whether he¡¯ll pursue Starhair next¡­ If we go down there now, we¡¯ll achieve nothing. We don¡¯t have the power. Axelor can probably keep Starhair and the rest of the disciples safe, so we should focus on earning as much power as possible before we return. I¡¯m thinking to stay here for a long time. Maybe until right before my duel with Elder Hero. There¡¯s around twenty-five years remaining.¡±

    ¡°Twenty-five years is a long time.¡±

    ¡°or us, yes. For every other cultivator? It¡¯s nothing. Just the blink of an eye.¡±

    ¡°What about the war?¡±F

    ¡°We can¡¯t impact the war as B-Grades. If we want to help the Church, we should stay here until we¡¯re strong enough, then go out there and beat Elder Hero to a pulp. If things go downhill before then¡­ It is unfortunate, but there¡¯s nothing we could have done anyway. In the grand scheme of things, our current power is a drop in the ocean.¡±

    Brock considered it for a long moment, then nodded deeply. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°This is the quickest path to power. It is the best we can do to help. To return now because we can¡¯t handle some risk would be un-bro-like.¡±

    Jack turned towards the three doors¡ªtwo open, one closed¡ªand took a deep breath. He missed his family. Ever since entering the Space Monster World four years ago, he¡¯d lost contact with his clone on Earth, so he had no idea how they were doing. He imagined Ebele was steadily growing. By the time he returned, she¡¯d be a true woman. Losing that time pained him.

    However, he had left a clone behind. He missed them, yet they had him, and they could be happy. He¡¯d enjoy the memories too, after he returned, and then hopefully he¡¯d be able to spend endless years with his family without a looming crisis in the horizon.

    He stepped into the Dao room, while Brock entered the Cultivation one. Their greatest cultivation session began.

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 541: Improving Skills

    Jack walked into the Dao chamber of the Hall of Trials¡¯ seventh floor. He could scarcely believe it. He¡¯de all the way here, to a foreign world filled with monsters, and earned the right to their top inheritances. The kind that no one in history had ever seen before.

    His steps through the room were slow, reverent even. Over a hundred crystal spheres lined the shelves on the wall. Each contained insights to one or several Daos¡ªit was a tremendous wealth of knowledge.

    Of course, Jack wasn¡¯t interested in collecting them. His own path had already been set. He only looked for crystal spheres relevant to the exact Daos he followed.

    Over the years, his Dao had gone through several transformations. First, it was just the Fist. It waster enriched with several other Daos, including Power, Weakness, Indomitable Will¡­ Those were all concepts which formed his foundation and the basis of his own, personal Dao, which he developed at the D-Grade.

    Some timeter, as the Daos he followed rose to new heights, they were diluted to some of the most primal and powerful concepts in existence. Space, Time, Life, Death. His spectrum of Dao had narrowed back down to four, all spearheaded by the Fist. It was these fundamental powers of the universe that he now pondered¡ªtheir secrets held the path to the peak of mastery, he knew that, but they were also unbelievably difficult. Even with all his experiences, even with the many top-level inheritances he¡¯d received from several Archons, Jack was only now scratching the surface of what was possible.

    ck Hole was thebination of Space and Death¡ªa potent force which had evolved into his killer move. He still hadn¡¯t mastered it. Every time he used it, he put himself in as much danger as his opponent, the ck hole merely a bomb he held with the business end pointed outwards. Refining his understanding of it was one of his main goals.

    The other was exploring his other Dao Vision¡ªthat of a woman creating a universe. Abination of Time and Life, a power at least on par with a ck hole, if not at an higher level.

    Then came Entropy, which he¡¯d only recently experienced. It was the fusion of Time and Death, simr yet different to a ck hole. He knew precious little about it, but having felt its effects in his battle against Axelor, he was confident it was something inside his purview. Whether it would be a skill of its own or just an amplification of another, he had no idea.

    Following the theme of his four main Daosbining into pairs, the onlybination remaining was Space and Life. Jack had no idea what that could look like. A white hole, maybe¡ªthe theorized endpoint of a ck hole in another universe? Or, perhaps, the white hole wasn¡¯t a separatebination but part of the Life and Time thing the woman in the Dao Vision had going on?Jack had many things to consider. Thankfully, he finally had time and resources. He¡¯d get to the bottom of at least some of those.

    He crossed his legs on the meditation mat at the center of the room. It had a mind-amplifying effect, a small but appreciated addition to his efforts. His perception spread to cover the crystal spheres, then, with a swish of his hand, three of them floated at him. They contained various spacetime-rted inheritances, none higher-level than those he¡¯d alreadyprehended. With all three at hand, as well as his own insights and previous Dao Visions, he got to work.

    The first order of business was perfecting his ck hole technique. As his battle against Axelor had proven, it contained plenty of power butcked control. If he could manipte it better, utilizing its apex of destructive capabilities and aiming them all at his opponent rather than a wild explosion, its overall effectiveness would rise to a different level. That¡¯s why he¡¯d chosen all the spacetime inheritances first.

    Time lost its meaning as Jack meditated. He didn¡¯t know if it had been hours or months. At some point, he opened his eyes, dissatisfaction evident. His experiments had been failures. The power of a ck hole was now slightly easier to control, but nowhere near the level he desired. In fact, he suspected that even after reaching the A-Grade, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to control it. It wasn¡¯t a matter of energy. He was missing something.

    ¡°The problem is, it¡¯s too wild,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Once it appears, it absorbs everything and quickly gets out of hand. If I could control its energy levels, I could control the ck hole¡­ But how do I do that?¡±

    He fell into thought. Some timeter, he spoke again.

    ¡°Entropy could help. When fighting Axelor, he used it on my ck hole, which increased its rate of energy absorption and elerated its growth. What if there was no energy to absorb, however? I could cover my ck hole in a bubble of entropy to nullify all iing forms of energy. That would temporarily pause its growth, but then what? Maintaining two such high-level concepts would be too draining, and it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I can¡¯t control the eruption of the ck hole once I send it flying. Hmm.¡±

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    He decided to test it. Diving into his inner world, he moved to an empty corner of his universe and formed a ck hole around his hand. The process felt natural now¡ªhe¡¯d gotten used to it. After hepressed space enough for the death foam and a singrity to form, it began absorbing matter and energy from its surroundings at a rapidly increasing pace.

    Jack creased his brows. While maintaining the ck hole, he split part of his awareness to invoke Time and Death. It was straining, but he managed. Combining them with what his body understood after suffering Axelor¡¯s Dao, he formed an elementary version of Entropy, which he wrapped around the ck hole like a bubble.

    The hole¡¯s growth stopped. It stabilized, maintaining its volume. Jack would have celebrated if not for the limited applications of this technique. So what if he could pause its growth? At most, he could maintain it for longer before using it, but that didn¡¯t help much. He¡¯d still eventually lose control.

    As he pondered on this, however, his eyes suddenly snapped open. <em>What!?</em>

    He¡¯d kept most of his attention on the ck hole and bubble of entropy. That was how he¡¯d suddenly sensed something new¡ªwith the ck hole no longer growing, he could detect an almost imperceptible trickle of power leaving it. It was extremely faint, yet clearly there. How could energy leave a ck hole? That made no sense. ?

    <em>Wait. Didn¡¯t I read about this once?</em>

    Astrophysicists on Earth had theorized that a ck hole very slowly deteriorated, expelling its energy in tiny streams of particles. Jack could barely recall that¡ªhe never had more than a passing interest in astronomy¡ªand didn¡¯t even know if the theory had been proven or not, but did it really matter? He¡¯d proven it now.

    This added a whole new avenue of controlling it. Very slow deterioration was vastly different from no deterioration at all, especially when one controlled the flow of time.

    Suppressing his rising excitement, Jack manipted the barrier of Entropy. He poured part of it over the ck hole, greatly elerating its demise. This was exactly what Axelor had done, except he hadn¡¯t had a barrier around it, which ended up with the ck hole absorbing too much energy and exploding. After all, its rate of absorption far outstripped its rate of decay. With the barrier in ce, the hole had nothing to absorb, so its decay was the only factor at y. Under the massive time eleration, he watched it slowly grow smaller in size, as the departing particles were crushed by Entropy.

    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. <em>This is it! </em>he realized. <em>I can control the ck hole!</em>

    It was nowhere near ready to be used in battle, but the seeds were there. Jack moved his arm around, the ck hole still stuck on the stump of his wrist, and slowly manipted its size. He shrunk it by pouring some Entropy over it, then erged it by creating gaps in the barrier. In fact, he realized that by adjusting the size of the gaps in his entropy barrier, he could control the ck hole¡¯s rate of growth.

    The technique needed a lot of refining still, but it worked!

    ¡°I figured out the secret!¡± he eximed. ¡°A ck hole is a hungry beast, and entropy is the control mechanism! By adjusting its environment, I can control the ck hole. It is perfect!¡±

    His mind raced with possibilities. If he shot the ck hole at someone, like he usually did, he could wrap it in a precisely calcted barrier of Entropy which was much easier to control remotely than the ck hole itself. That way, he could control it even inside someone else¡¯s body, grinding their bones to mush and then willing the ck hole to either explode or wink off. He could even make it fly around by controlling the shape of the Entropy barrier.

    If the previous technique was the equivalent of gunpowder and bullets held in Jack¡¯s hand, he¡¯d now made a gun. Its effectiveness had increased exponentially.

    Of course, it would take a lot of practice to make this usable in battle¡ªthe mental demands were insane¡ªbut he was confident he¡¯d manage given time. And he had plenty of time right now.

    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since the start of his meditation session, but it couldn¡¯t be more than a year, right?

    He opened his eyes to check for status screens.

    <strong>Congrattions! ck Hole III ¡ú ck Hole IV</strong>

    <strong>ck Hole IV: By draping Entropy as ayer around the ck hole, you¡¯ve managed to regte its growth and decay. A truly formidable power lies under your control.</strong>

    Heughed. It had been a while since his skills moved, so to see them rising again was a good feeling.

    Jack refocused. He¡¯d already mastered how tobine Death with theplete spectrum of timespace to create an extremely effectivebat technique. He could stop here¡ªhe was already more than satisfied¡ªbut what if he could go further?

    His mind raced to the Dao Vision he hadn¡¯t been able to figure out yet, the one where that woman created a universe.

    ¡°If I add space in there, can I stabilize it? Maybe it wasn¡¯t about time to begin with?¡± he wondered. With the winds of triumph on his sails, he settled down again. He had a feeling that, when he emerged from meditation, his strength would have increased¡­by leaps and bounds!

 Chapter 542: Peak B-Grade

    The world creation Dao Vision remained hard to untangle. Jack was stumped. He was convinced that the level of his Dao understanding rivaled that of most Archons by now. Yet, even after seeing the Vision a thousand times, even afterprehending the individual Daos it relied on, he was unable to crack its secrets.

    <em>How? </em>he thought, gritting his teeth.

    He dove back into the vision. A green-robed woman sat patiently in space, overlooking a bubble of empty space. Only a handful of particles filled it, crossing the massive space haphazardly at great speed. This had been happening for a long, long time.

    Suddenly, two particles crashed, and a new world was born. Reality unraveled. The particles exploded, and a million different Daos sprang into existence as if each of them had contained a world. The massive, empty bubble was consumed by arge explosion which left in its wake liquid matter. The Dao of Time inside it wobbled and realigned itself on a new axis, forming a timeline perpendicr to the one of the universe around it, yet one which moved at a different frequency.

    The rest of the elements stabilized then, attuned to that particr frequency, and a new universe was born in the bubble, one whose every particle differed from those of the previous universe on a level Jack wouldn¡¯t even realize was possible without seeing it. It was like discovering a new color. Reality and the physicalws quickly diverged from what Jack knew, all their transformations based on that universe¡¯s Dao of Time.

    This whole sequence happened instantaneously. Even Jack, with his sharp senses and perception, could only get glimpses. He understood the basic principles of what urred¡ªa new universe had been created, defined by the unique frequency of its Dao of Time¡ªbut the actual process was far too vast andplex. There were so many moving pieces that understanding them all would take an eternity.

    He even suspected this was a concept on a higher level than Entropy or the ck hole, though he really had no way of knowing. It was certainly moreplex.

    With a sigh, Jack left the Dao Vision for the thousandth time. ¡°This is too difficult,¡± he muttered. ¡°Either I¡¯m missing something or my current state of being is not enough. Probably both.¡±

    With a decisive tug of will, he forced the problem away, out of his mind. He would revisit it when better able to. Jack then rolled his shoulders, standing up after a long period of meditation. The stone room around him remained the same¡ªshelves over shelves were filled with crystal spheres.<em>¡°How long has it been, Stone?¡± </em>he asked telepathically.

    <em>¡°Hmm. Probably several hundred million years.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°What!?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°What?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I meant from the time I started meditating in this room.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Oh. Then, like, five years. Venerable Saint Thousand Shell has gotten better at chess.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I was ALWAYS good at it,¡± </em>the turtle¡¯s voice rumbled. <em>¡°Anyway, nice jobprehending that ck hole thing, kid. I got good news as well. The Divine Blood is almost fully charged.¡±</em>

    Jack smiled. <em>¡°That¡¯s great.¡± </em>The Divine Blood was the official name of the Life Drop.

    <em>Five years¡­ </em>he thought, instinctively raising his gaze to the sky, only to meet a stone ceiling. <em>I wonder how the rest of the universe is doing. I¡¯ve been gone for a long time already¡­</em>

    The Dao room had already given him everything it could. He stepped out to reach the ruined chamber on the other side and sat down to rx. The golden beam from five years ago had already disappeared, but neither Great Silver nor the Stone Schr had returned. They probably couldn¡¯t.

    Through the open door of the cultivation chamber, Jack caught sight of Brock. He instantly shot to his feet again. The brori radiated pure, unadulterated power, as if he was the cradle of all life, the center of the universe. His cultivation had gone through a qualitative change,pletely iparable to what it used to be.

    ¡°Brock!¡± Jack eximed with joy. ¡°You¡¯ve reached the A-Grade!¡±

    The brori opened his eyes and smiled. ¡°A year ago,¡± he said, slowly rising to his feet. ¡°I was just stabilizing.¡±

    ¡°How did you manage to break through so quickly?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Come on¡ªit¡¯s your turn, big bro.¡±

    ¡°My turn?¡±

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    ¡°Right. Your turn to break through.¡±

    Jack was stunned. He eyed the room, its vast reserves of cultivation resources barely dwindled. Brock stepped out, exuding vast power, and suddenly Jack yearned for it as well. He desired to step into the highest realm. To im the power he deserved.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the Dao room,¡± Brock said with a smile. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re ready to go.¡±

    Jack didn¡¯t reply. He walked into the Cultivation room as if in a trance, spinning around slowly to survey the walls, covered in shelves hosting all sorts of wondrous materials. There were Overlord cores, extreme treasures of various kinds, body tempering resources¡­ Everything was at the Overlord level. The golden earth lotus Brock had enjoyed before would fit right in with the contents of this room, and it wouldn¡¯t be a particrly impressive one either. In fact, Jack noticed thepressed essence of another golden earth lotus just sitting on a shelf. The treasure so many A-Grades had risked their lives for wasn¡¯t considered anything special here.

    ¡°The seventh floor lives up to his reputation,¡± he whispered, licking his lips. ¡°Can I break through here?¡±

    He was aware of the method to reach the A-Grade.

    At the start of the B-Grade, the cultivator formed an inner world inside themselves, therger the better. Then, throughout that Grade, they gradually purified that world, instilling it with matter and higher Dao workings. They made it realer. The threshold to entering the A-Grade was to generate life and cultivators inside their inner world.

    Of course, that was as hard as it sounded. It didn¡¯t necessarily require insights into the Dao of Life, just an understanding of the Dao so extreme that the inner world worked by itself, life produced as a result of various natural processes. In a way, it was simr to the creation of life in the actual universe, with the cultivator helping the process in a simr way Enas had.

    Finding himself cross-legged, Jack reached inside himself, manifesting in his inner world. ¡°Guys,¡± he said, ncing at the turtle, the Stone, and Copy Jack. ¡°Can you hide in the Life Drop for a bit? I¡¯ll try to break through.¡±

    The three had been in the process of building a garden made purely of Dao. Hearing Jack, Venerable Saint Thousand Shellughed, flicking a w and instantly wiping the garden out of existence.

    ¡°Hey!¡± the Stone protested.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The turtleughed. ¡°I knew it! Isn¡¯t the shrine of my ancestors brilliant, kid!?¡±

    ¡°It certainly is,¡± Jack replied with a smile.

    Copy Jack gave Jack a deep nce, then turned into a ray of light which sank into the Life Drop. The turtle and Stone soon followed. The Life Drop contained its own inner world, though tiny inparison to Jack¡¯s, and having these three there ensured they wouldn¡¯t somehowplicate the breakthrough.

    Jack now floated alone in his inner world. He surveyed it. A sixteen-thousand-mile wide, mostly empty expanse. Newborn stars flickered here and there, while continent-sizedary fragments floated through the void.

    At the very center stood arge purple fist, the core of Jack¡¯s Dao. The Life Drop hovered to the side¡ªa green droplet of Enas¡¯s blood¡ªwhile the portal to the Green Dragon Realm yawned right behind it, constantly feeding its excess of life energy into the blood.

    Far to the other side, a ck hole spun slowly, every pulse infusing the inner world with advanced spacetimews. Through ity the ck Hole World, the masterpiece of Archon ck Hole.

    Jack took a moment to appreciate what he had. He¡¯d worked harder and risked more than anyone, but he also possessed ess to an unbelievable amount of resources. Archons would go to war over any of these treasures¡ªthe Life Drop, the Green Dragon Realm, and the ck Hole World¡ªand he had three of them. It was part of the reason why he stood so much higher than anyone else at his level¡ªwith the exception of Brock, who somehow kept up despitecking a simr level of resources.

    Jack opened his eyes in the real world. He took a deep breath, then flexed his fingers, making several items float his way: a green ginseng root emanating dense energy of Life, a rippling ss shard containing the power of spacetime, and a pitch-ck drop of liquid suffused with a thick aura of Death. These were all top level treasures, yet here, he could use them freely.

    <em>Thank you, Gods, </em>he said, absorbing all three into his inner world. He then settled into cultivation.

    Jack was Level 513. As the three treasures orbited around each other near the center of his inner world, their energies spreading outward, he felt the density of his world¡¯s Dao steadily increasing. He helped the process along, investing all his attention into it. An unknown amount of timeter, he realized that the three treasures had dissolved fully, their energies spread across his inner world and pushing its density to the peak. It almost felt like the world was groaning by all the energy it had to contain.

    With a pop, its boundaries expanded, the energy density rapidly falling. From sixteen thousand miles, it grew to twenty, achieving the final doubling of its original width. The Dao density returned to normal levels, but the sheer volume of energy present outscaled the original one by hundreds of times.

    Jack smiled. He spread his perception to find that the massive amounts of Dao had increased the efficiency of all forces, including gravity. The various continental-sized pieces of earth had grouped together, forming spherical clusterss. They were rough and misshapen, early in their development, but Jack meticulously covered them in the Daos of Life and Time to push them along. He watched theses fall into orbit around the purple fist which hovered in the middle of the world, then smash into each other until their final sizes and positions were solidified. Several sported their own moons. Water appeared between the volcanoes and wastnds covering their surfaces.

    Jack¡¯s inner world had started at ten thousand miles wide. After expanding at the middle,te, and peak B-Grade, it had doubled in diameter, reaching twenty thousand miles. Its volume, and therefore its energy, had increased by hundreds of times.

    Even at twenty thousand miles wide, this should be nowhere near enough to sustain a sr system. However, Jack found that everything in his inner world was shrunkenpared to the outside one, or perhaps it would be more apt to say space wasrger. While energy couldn¡¯t shrink or erge, stars ands could, leading to a single sr system being born inside Jack¡¯s inner world. His purple fist acted as the sun, while sevens orbited it. To the people who would eventually be born there, he assumed the ck Hole World and Life Drop-Green Dragon Realm would be nighttime curios.

    Jack had already reached the peak B-Grade realm and refined his cultivation as much as possible. He had everything he needed. With a fierce concentrated expression, he sat down on top of the sun.

    It was time to reach the A-Grade.

 Chapter 543: Universe of the Body

    Jack surveyed his inner world. The matter previously created had forged a sr system, with his fist as the sun and variouss circling it. In the elerated time of his inner world, Jack had already seen theses go through a series of geological changes to settle on a somewhat more stable state.

    Of course, these changes weren¡¯t the exact same as what Earth had gone through. His Dao and the universe¡¯s were subtly different¡ªand that was expressed in everything that urred inside them, whether big or small. Jack looked forward to discovering what the lifeforms he created would look like.

    With thes no longer erupting or getting smashed by a hail of meteors, Jack thought it was time to move to the next step. He manipted their growth. Slowly, an atmosphere appeared around most of them¡ªbarring the ones too far or too close to the sun¡ªfollowed by oceans. Millions of years passed in the blink of an eye, Jack manipting the flow of time freely.

    After the first oceans appeared, Jack descended on each of these worlds. His body was the size of a continent. He bent down, taking a deep breath and blowing into the oceans. The wind of his breath made them overflow, temporarily flooding the newly created continents¡ªbut it also contained the very first hints of life, a wealth of living cells ced in a safe haven. Jack moved from to, breathing life into each of them, then calmly stepped back to watch.

    The bacteria began multiplying erratically. He saw, through his omniscient gaze, single-celled organisms adapt and thrive in their new environments. At the same time this happened, Jack himself experienced several changes. The flow of time, which he¡¯d freely manipted so far, now felt heavier, as if anchored in ce by the very life he¡¯d infused into his world.

    To his surprise, even single-celled organisms possessed souls, their unique life signatures, and pulling the fabric of time under their feet was like tugging at a piece of cloth carrying multiple sharp stones. It was still possible, but it risked getting torn, and it was certainly heavier than it used to be.

    Seeing that bacteria had souls, Jackughed. At the very start of his cultivation journey, he¡¯d been told that only cultivators had souls, while monsters did not. That was a load of crap. If amoebas could have a soul, then so could a three-meter-tall wolf.

    Soon, however, hisughter was reced by a frown. As life popted his world, he was beginning to get a distinct sense of wrongness.

    <em>Why?</em>He inspected everything, passing his gaze from the tiniest pebble to the sun itself, through every single creature in his world. There was nothing wrong. Why did he feel that way?

    The more creatures that appeared, the slower time got. At the start, even a billion years could pass in seconds, but the resistance had increased now. Jack saw the single-celled organisms evolve into moreplex structures and eventually step out of the oceans. He watched as they developed limbs and sentience, ecosystems forming. He was their God¡ªa unique feeling.

    Yet, that feeling was undermined by the constant, growing sense of wrongness. Like this wasn¡¯t the proper way to do things. Some instinct, deep in his heart, insisted he was making a mistake.

    Jack took a deep breath. By now, it had been over a year in the outside world. A year in which Ebele grew and the Church fought a bitter war. This was precious time. He took another breath, pressing his eyes shut, then snapped them open. He waved his hands¡ªfleets of meteors appeared in his world,rge and shaped like fists, then came crashing down on thes.

    Animals ran around in panic. Jack saw the mes reflected in their eyes. He let the meteors crash, eradicating all life, changing hiss¡¯ trajectories, resetting his inner world to the empty, timeless state it had originally existed in.

    He felt weary¡ªan angry god, one of ughter.

    Jack had interrupted his own breakthrough. He clutched his chest, bringing a hand to his mouth to catch the coughing blood. Yet, when the pain abated, his eyes remained sharp.

    This wasn¡¯t the right way, he knew it with certainty. It was the breakthrough method every text and A-Grade had described, yet, for him, it was wrong. His heart told him so¡ªas if he was choosing a lesser path, one which didn¡¯t express his true potential. Eradicating all life and wasting a year of real time was an eptable sacrifice to retrace his steps.

    Jack didn¡¯t begin recreating life immediately¡ªif he did, it would only end the same way. Instead, he sat down cross-legged on top of his purple fist sun, meditating on the feeling of wrongness which remained warm in his heart.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±<em></em>he asked aloud. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡±

    No answer came. Jack rxed, taking his time. He sank into meditation. His senses turned off, letting the feeling of wrongness expand naturally in his heart until it became clear. He could see its desire. Arger universe¡ªno, a more thorough one.

    ¡°Is my inner world iplete?¡± Jack wondered. No one answered. No one could. This was his path to forge. All he could rely on was himself.

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    ¡°No, not iplete,¡± he replied. ¡°Just¡­not whole?¡±

    It was a confusing feeling. The sense of wrongness in his heart didn¡¯t judge anything in his inner world, but it still viewed the entire world with contempt. A sense of disjunction was prevalent. There wasn¡¯t something wrong, it just was. Somehow. ???

    Jack opened his eyes again. Rising panic threatened to swell his heart¡ªhe knew there was no breaking through if he didn¡¯t resolve that feeling, and the more he waited, the more time he wasted. His family and people needed him. Across the universe, millions were dying for his ipetence.

    Yet, he gently put that feeling down. It wouldn¡¯t help, only make things more difficult. His road was simple¡ªto solve this problem¡ªand he would do it because he simply had no other choice. If he failed¡­ Then, with a heavy heart, he¡¯d have to settle for an iplete breakthrough. He could still help the war like that. He wouldn¡¯t sacrifice everyone for a revtion which might nevere.

    ¡°Ten more years,¡± he promised himself. ¡°Well within the deadline of my duel. If I don¡¯t seed until then, I will settle.¡±

    Since his thirty-year deration of a duel with Elder Hero, he¡¯d spent four absorbing the Overlord core, five fusing Entropy into his ck hole, one in his failed breakthrough just now, and several months here and there. It was over ten years in total. His adventures were like sharp shes¡ªthe vast majority of his life was upied by uneventful meditation. He could see now how cultivators could live for hundreds of thousands of years without going mad. If he wasn¡¯t on the clock, he would have liked to settle down somewhere for a few millennia and ponder on the Dao.

    Less than twenty years remained until his duel, but that was plenty of time. Jack returned to the problem at hand. He fell into deep meditation, tuning off everything else, focusing on the seed of wrongness which he now acknowledged in his heart. His overall cultivation was in disarray¡ªbut why?

    ¡°What is my path?¡± Jack asked himself, speaking with eyes closed as if in a dream, listening to his own voice. ¡°My fist, which I follow. My Dao, which I discover. My body, which I temper. My inner world, which I cultivate.¡± Silence fell for months. Jack pondered silently. Finally, he spoke again. ¡°That is incorrect. My fist, my Dao, and my inner world are connected now. They are three parts of a whole. Only my body is separate. I use it as a physical medium to my strength¡ªsooner orter, no matter how I cultivate it, it will fall behind my other aspects. My four aspects will be three, one wasted. My path will be lesser, a fourth of it wasted.¡±

    His eyes snapped open. A green light shone inside them¡ªthe Dao of Life, which made up the bodies of people.

    ¡°I mustbine my body with the rest of my cultivation,¡± he realized. The moment he perceived this notion, he knew it was correct. Why had he never heard of it? He¡¯d asked various A-Grades and read many texts about breaking into the A-Grade, yet nobody mentioned such a thing. Was it relevant to Jack¡¯s specificbination of Daos? Was it about his extreme understanding into the Dao giving him insights the otherscked? Or did it have to do with his tenth Dao Fruit and ten thousand miles breakthrough, which no one else possessed, granting him a perfect inner world?

    He did not know, but at this point, it didn¡¯t matter. He had a job to do.

    Jack rose to his feet. The world around him, which had waited silently for a long time, suddenly red to life. Dao and energy erupted. Green sparks of life emerged from the void, drawn out of the folds of reality they¡¯d been hidden in. Jack made a grasping motion at the Life Drop, which dislodged itself from the portal to the Green Dragon Realm and flew into his hands. It was potent, radiating intense Life energy.

    Jack smiled, then squeezed it between his fingers. This divine object, which had once been impregnable to even his mightiest efforts, crumbled like a popped balloon.

    <em>¡°YOU DID WHAT!?¡± </em>the turtle screamed from inside, but Jack onlyughed. The Life Drop and its current inhabitants would be fine. He¡¯d just emptied it rapidly, not truly broken it.

    Unimaginable quantities of Life energy flooded the world, taking it over. The purple sun was tinged green¡ªthes spontaneously burst with trees and animals which quickly died to theck of living conditions.

    Combined with the constant stream of Life energy pouring out of the Green Dragon Realm¡¯s portal, Jack found that his inner world waspletely suffused with the energy of Life, even pushing his other Daos aside. It was a temporary imbnce he could ept, because his body was also made of Life Dao. This was the best way to connect them.

    ¡°Brock,¡± his voice echoed in the real world. ¡°Close the door. Now.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know if the brori had heard or responded. He was too deeply entrenched in meditation. He just hoped for the best.

    Jack pictured himself. A human body, tempered to the extreme, hiding in its center the gateway to his inner world. Both inside and outside were filled with the Dao of Life¡ªthe most potent life force. Jack knew what he had to do. He also realized this was a very risky procedure, but there was no going back. He didn¡¯t want to. His path was the pursuit of mastery, and now, for the first time, he felt so close to it. As if, more than his breakthrough to the B-Grade, this would firmly set him on a path far surpassing any other.

    Or it would kill him. But that risk was a small price to pay for eternity.

    Jack focused as deeply as he could. His inner world was an ind in the dimensional sea, a bubble of its own universe connected to his body through his Dao and willpower. He pictured them as a portal. With a deep breath, he grabbed his entire inner world and pulled it through the connection to make it physically enter his body. The entire sr system and thews which regted it were warped and sucked through a tiny hole. They reappeared in Jack¡¯s physical body.

    For a moment, he was stunned. The reality of this state was staggering.s coexisted with his organs, each pushing against the other. Twenty thousand miles had beenpressed into six feet of human. The spacetimews which served as the borders of Jack¡¯s inner world were rapidly unraveling, unsupported by the stricterws pertaining this universepared to thex dimensional sea, and Jack felt his body on the verge of exploding.

    For a moment, the irony of all this crossed his mind. What would Brock think if an entire sr system suddenly spilled out the door?

    He wiped that thought, focusing fully. His spacetimews rushed to the fore¡ªall his expertise came into y, skillfully weaving the brokenws back together, creating new seals and warps to rece the quickly waning ones. His inner world, which had begun to unravel, slowly restabilized.

    Jack could make a universe fit inside his body, but that didn¡¯t refute the fact that he still needed organs and flesh inside him. He needed to quickly find a way to reconcile the two warring realities¡ªand master the Dao to make it happen.

 Chapter 544: A-Grade

    As his inner world and his flesh body tried to coexist, Jack felt himself strained. For a moment, he thought he¡¯d die. Understanding arrived then.

    He had an idea. In an instant, amidst the warring realities of his body and inner world, he knew what to do. And, to achieve it, he needed tremendous amounts of energy.

    The inner world and his body were fiercely attacking each other¡ªboth of which were tempered to the extreme. Their cataclysmic shes were suppressed by Jack¡¯s Dao, but he let that go for a moment. Intense ripples spread outside his body, like he¡¯d swallowed a cksmith hammering an anvil. They crashed into the walls, shaking the entire pyramid. The various treasures lining the shelves of this room were also sucked into the ripples. They burst apart, unable to endure the impacts. There were dozens of them, many being Overlords cores or items on the same level. All their power erupted at once, filling the chamber with apletely terrifying amount of energy. Jack was suffocating. This was more than enough for multiple people to break into the A-Grade, and the pyramid¡¯s enchantments kept it from dispersing.

    He realized Brock had closed the door. <em>Good bro.</em>

    Jack felt his body cracking under the pressure and quickly got to work. His Daos burst into action, sucking in the energy like vacuums, forming several colored whirlpools around Jack. The massive amount of energy came under his control, if temporarily. He immediately put it to use.

    His body and inner world, which were fiercely shing, were forced to fuse. Energy was funneled into them, ironing out their differences. Jack¡¯s Daos worked at full force. The fusing proceeded, all problems solved by his Daos or hammered down by his fist, the two realities slowly bing one.

    His organs turned intos. His stomach, lungs, spleen, those and all else were now covered in tiny continents. His flesh dissolved into energy, turning into the starry vacuum of space, with its properties dictated by the Dao of Life to operate the same way flesh did. The purple fist sun took the ce of his heart, and his bones absorbed its radiance before exuding it, turning into mini suns themselves. His blood turned into rivers of stars which brightened the cosmos. Only his skin remained the same, turning dark and starry from the inside to resemble the endless horizon of space.

    Jack opened his eyes to find he was no longer human. He had transcended. His new reality was hard toe to grip with, but he knew it would happen. For now, he remained in breakthrough. The tons of energy he¡¯d unleashed before had been partly consumed to fuel the fusion of a small universe into his body, but parts of it still remained, and Jack intended to use them to make his breakthrough as perfect as possible.

    The portals to the ck Hole World and Green Dragon Realm had been pulled into his body alongside his inner world. They now hovered aimlessly, sticking out like sore thumbs. Jack knew they could be better.With a tug of will, he reached through the portal to the Green Dragon Realm and pulled it in. The entire realm disappeared from the dimensional sea and reappeared inside Jack¡¯s body. Its intense Life energy spread out, helping Jack adapt to the change¡ªand, at the same time, the stability of hisws reinforced the realm, which had been slowly deteriorating for millions of years.

    The Green Dragon Realm wasn¡¯t empty. It contained many animals and a few cultivators¡ªJack had let them live there a long time ago. His body didn¡¯t reject them, which was good. Their power was too low to be a problem anyway.

    On their side, the beasts and cultivators of the Green Dragon Realm witnessed the change. The ground shook under their feet. They saw the sky above them distort, then get ripped away like cloth to reveal an odd starry dome. A purple sun hung in the distance¡ªvaguely shaped like a fist. Long celestial bodies hovered in various directions, some glowing more than others, all reflecting the light of the sun like moons. Rivers of stars crossed the cosmos, while the far distance was also littered with stars, sparkling in various intensities and colors¡ªthis was the inside of Jack¡¯s skin, where different areas simted the glittering stars of the universe.

    On the surface of the Green Dragon Realm, a frog-eyed man and a human girl watched the sky with a mix of terror and marvel. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Borkuren Madiba muttered.

    Sassa gazed upward, her mouth hanging open, the stars reflected in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± she said.

    Between them, their teenager child balled its fists, excitement rising inside it as it sensed thews of the world subtly change.

    Jack didn¡¯t contact them. He repeated the process for the ck Hole World, ripping it out of the dimensional sea and embedding it into his body. The people sitting in benches at the top of the world witnessed the colorful void warp and be reced by a starry sky. For the first time in a billion years, they saw stars. Their eyes widened. They hugged each other, a feeling of anticipation oveing them.

    Mia and Grand Elder Pasan, who also happened to be there, were stunned. Tears fell from the elder¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is¡­a new era¡­¡± she muttered, falling to her knees. ¡°We didn¡¯t disappoint you, Ancestor¡­ We survived¡­ Our children, your children, will be free!¡±

    Meanwhile, Mia clutched her hands before her chest, worship rising in her heart. ¡°Thank you, Jack Rust¡­¡± she whispered.

    Jack sensed the changes inside his body and was satisfied. He had perfectlybined his inner world and the two small realms into himself. He was now more than a man. Deep in his heart, the feeling of wrongness was gone. He¡¯d stepped onto the right path. He suspected this wasn¡¯t the only way to achieve this level, but it was the way for him.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Universe of the body¡­¡± he muttered, chuckling. ¡°Cultivation never stops, does it? It¡¯s just a gift that keeps on giving. I wonder what lies at the top. Does it even exist?¡±

    As far as he knew, he was the first person in history to achieve this Universe of the Body realm¡ªas he decided to call it. He had already diverged from the cultivation path everyone else followed. Suddenly, he understood why everyone was stuck at the Archon realm, why it even existed. Archon was just a name for those who surpassed the A-Grade without having set the foundation to proceed to the next realm.

    Jack knew, with absolute certainty, that he could progress further. The A-Grade was just another stepping stone for him. He would be the first S-Grade, and he would create a path to let others follow him in the future, to let the cultivation world ovee its bottleneck and take a major step forward. After all, cultivators as a whole were still in their infancy. They had colonized seventy-three out of billions of gxies. Jack would be the pioneer to a brighter future.

    If he survived this war.

    He smiled with anticipation. Achieving this Universe of the Body boundary had massively increased his powers to an extent he couldn¡¯t even calcte right now. His physicality had grown multiple times more robust, while his ability to perceive the Dao had shot upward, inscribed onto his very bones. However, he wasn¡¯t done. He still needed to break into the A-Grade.

    Sinking back into his body, Jack gazed at the wrung out Life Drop in his hand. With a grin, he tossed it out, burying it deep into the Green Dragon Realm and letting it drink from its energy.

    He then gazed at his organs. Each had been made into a, temporarily bare. That would change soon. The strength of an A-Grade cultivator depended on the strength of the cultivators living inside their inner world, so Jack needed to create some. Technically, he already possessed powerful cultivators in the ck Hole World and Green Dragon Realm, but as they were mere visitors instead of being born of his Dao, their power didn¡¯t add to his.

    Waving his hands, Jack temporarily isted the two realms from the rest of his body¡ªan invisible curtain, one they wouldn¡¯t even perceive but which would protect them from the time eleration he was about to use.

    The barrens of his organs began to move and shake, going through a series of geological changes. Meteors crossed the starry void which used to be his flesh, crashing into thes to shape them. Eventually, the universe stabilized. Thes didn¡¯t spin around themselves or orbit the sun¡ªthey were, after all, his organs¡ªbut Jack¡¯s Dao created the rightws to make them work.

    His mental image descended again. He stood over the oceans and blew into them, upsetting the waters. Tiny organisms were infused. He stepped back and let them grow, watching them multiply and evolve as they popted hiss. Amoebas turned into fish, which turned into amphibians, which turned intond animals. Birds appeared. The worlds of his organs grew richer, the lifeforms on them sporting great diversity.

    His stomach heldrge, dinosaur-looking lizards. His spleen was a world of poison, its creatures colorful and deadly, while his lungs became windy realms popted mostly by flying creatures. His intestines sported long worms. It was interesting how the nature of each organ affected the growth of its inhabitants. At the same time, the influence of Jack¡¯s Dao of the Fist was prevalent, his every favoring the birth of fist-wielding animals. Most species were barbaric and warmongering, but they also enjoyed their lives, living fairly and straightforwardly.

    Jack found himself loving them like a father.

    His ability to elerate time lessened again, burdened by the many souls he now contained, while the creatures inside him kept evolving. He saw the first sapient beings appear, not all of them humanoid. They multiplied and developed. The moment they acquired true sapience, his time-elerating abilities fell out hard. He could still do it, to an extent, but the flow of time inside him now approximated the real world. It was perhaps only ten or twenty times faster. He assumed it would elerate again as he delved deeper into his Daos, but the creatures inside him would also grow stronger and more populous, restraining him further.

    The growth of an A-Grade cultivator depended on two things¡ªresources and time. The more resources one had, the more treasures would be created inside them, and the thicker the Dao would be, letting their newborn cultivators grow faster. The more time they let pass, the more their inner cultivators would progress, growing their overall strength and therefore the A-Grade cultivator¡¯s.

    In time, he pictured his organs covered by sprawling civilizations, using the rivers of stars which were his blood to travel from one organ to the next, spreading and exchanging insights. It would be glorious. He really looked forward to it.

    Jack possessed incredibly rich Dao. He was certain his inner world would develop far more efficiently than most, but there was nothing he could do to lessen the restraints of time. His next breakthrough wouldn¡¯t happen for a while. Probably until long after the Crusade had ended. This was the highest realm he would reach for now, any further gains limited to his Dao and techniques¡­but he didn¡¯t mind. He had a feeling this would be enough. His current strength was unfathomable¡ªcertainly near the very top of the universe.

    Elder Hero wouldn¡¯t know what hit him.

    As Jack thought about these things, his inner world had kept growing. The Dao was so rich that it practically begged the native creatures to discover it. Jack found a host of gori sapients. With a smile, he descended to them invisibly, nudging their minds in the right direction.

    A golden-furred gori going through a life-or-death struggle suddenly grasped something majestic. Its entire aura changed. It used these fledgling powers to defeat the beasts attacking it, then gazed at its fist.

    This was the first creature in Jack¡¯s universe to touch the Dao. More woulde, their overall strength quickly rising. The moment the first appeared, the Dao in Jack¡¯s body began to circte subtly, propelled by the insights and utilization of its cultivators. A self-contained system.

    At the same time, the moment that golden-furred gori touched the Dao, Jack knew he¡¯d truly broken into the A-Grade. His inner universe had stabilized. He opened his eyes, gazing at the dark and destroyed room around him, sensing the massive changes inside his body. Everything felt different¡ªnow that he no longer needed to guide the development of his inner universe, he could take some time to get used to his new body.

    For now, however, he couldn¡¯t stop grinning.

    He had ascended. He had transformed. And he was ready to kick some Immortal ass.

 Chapter 545: Exiting Seclusion

    Chapter 545: Exiting Seclusion

    <em>Fourteen years ago, soon after Jack entered the Space Monster World¡­</em>

    Sovereign Heavenly Spoony sprawled over a soft chair. His mouth was a hard line. Calctions shed through his eyes. All across the windows surrounding him, endless stars twinkled, the heralds of tiny days in endless night. Their colors could awe any mortal mind. Yet, the Sovereign was lost in thought, the starry view all too familiar. The darkness in his mind was greater than that outside the starship.

    ¡°Hey, Spoon,¡± a voice interrupted his musings. He rose to his feet, fighting hard to regain his usual jovialty.

    ¡°Min Ling,¡± he said, looking at the door. ¡°How many times must I ask you to address me as Elder?¡±

    ¡°Not doing it.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine too. Any good news?¡±

    ¡°I wish.¡±

    She plopped down on a chair, her leather armor sinking against the cushion. Her appearance and aura had changed over the past few years¡ªshe¡¯d cut her long dark hair short, barely reaching her shoulders, while her body was covered in scars beneath the armor. She could mend them anytime she wished, but had vowed to only do it after the war was over. In her brown eyes, lightning yed, oftentimes wrapped in fire.

    She didn¡¯t speak for a while, and neither did Spoon. They werefortable in the silence. It let their facades wash away.The Sovereign¡¯s shoulders slumped, until he eventually copsed back in his chair as well. ¡°What happened this time?¡± he asked tiredly.

    ¡°The Gods came back.¡±

    ¡°They did!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They barged into the battlefield, instantly destroying the opposition and saving Elder Boatman.¡±

    Spoon chuckled. ¡°Eleven Gods is hardly what you want to see mid-battle. Did the enemy receive heavy casualties?¡±

    ¡°If you want to call it that. They lost a few low-level Elders and an army of B-Grades. Hero was there too, but he managed to escape.¡±

    ¡°Of course he did. The man is a cockroach.¡±

    Min Ling scratched her scalp. ¡°I was thinking. You know how we keep sending assassins after him and he keeps narrowly surviving?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯re just training him?¡±

    Spoon considered it. ¡°I guess we are. But, all it takes is one mistake, and then bam, no hero.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She fell silent for a moment. ¡°Anyway. After wrapping up that battle, the Gods did not visit the New Cathedral. They charged straight into System space. Right at the Immortals.¡±

    Spoon perked up. ¡°And?¡± he asked.

    ¡°And came back a few hourster. Injured.¡±

    ¡°They injured the Gods?!¡±

    ¡°They did worse. Only ten Gods returned. The one of Mass didn¡¯t. We intercepted some enemymunications; they call Elder Hero the God Killer.¡±

    Spoon fell silent. Min Ling waited patiently until he was ready to speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know Gods could die,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Everyone can. Apparently.¡±

    ¡°This is terrible.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How did they lose? You can¡¯t expect me to believe Hero dueled one of them and won.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know the specifics. The Gods aren¡¯t saying, at least as far as I can tell. My guess is they simply got swarmed. The Immortalsmand a bunch of Archons¡ªrushing in after announcing their presence was just arrogant.¡±

    ¡°An arrogance they paid for.¡±

    ¡°Even Godsmit hubris.¡±

    ¡°And now what?¡±

    ¡°Now, we wait. Word is that the Gods retreated somewhere to tend to their wounds. When they¡¯re ready, they¡¯ll attack alongside the Church. A battle to judge the fate of the universe.¡±

    Spoon nodded. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    ¡°That we should get some food?¡±

    ¡°That the Gods were humbled. One of them dying may have been good for us. They were arrogant and thoughtless before, uninvested. They thought they coulde and go as they like. That¡¯s not true anymore. They¡¯ve tasted fear. They¡¯ve seen one of them perish. They know the Immortals are worthy enemies, so they¡¯ll work alongside us, even if they disparage us as mortals. In fact, I don¡¯t even think they¡¯ll retreat this time, as they did in the First Crusade. They¡¯ll fight to the death.¡±

    Min Ling considered it. ¡°I disagree,¡± she said. ¡°Those things were born divine. They¡¯ve never tasted struggle. The moment things go south, they¡¯ll run away, hiding at the edge of the universe and hoping the Immortals self-implode.¡±

    ¡°...Which isn¡¯t that unreasonable, actually.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Another round of silence passed. ¡°Think they¡¯re actually licking their wounds?¡± Min Ling asked, letting her head drop back in resignation. Her real feelings, those of fear and muted hope, resurfaced. ¡°Or did they already escape?¡±

    ¡°I have no way to tell. I suppose they¡¯re considering it. What did ourmunications say?¡±

    ¡°That the Gods gave a decree. They will recuperate for a few years. Then, we strike, and we destroy the Immortals once and for all.¡±

    ¡°...Is it weird that I got hyped up?¡±

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    ¡°No. I got too.¡±

    ¡°Now I only have one more question.¡±

    ¡°Shoot.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m here, and you¡¯re here¡­ Who¡¯s steering the damn starship?¡±

    She burst out withughter. ¡°The Sage¡¯s routes are urate. But, alright, I¡¯ll go. Can you cook up something?¡±

    ¡°I could just conjure it.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I want you to work for it.¡±

    ¡°Fine. How¡¯s pasta and tea?¡±

    ¡°Can we not have tea for once?¡±

    ¡°Tea is the quintessence of life.¡±

    Min Ling sighed. ¡°I knew we should have gotten more people.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Spoon replied sharply. ¡°More people means more liabilities. It¡¯s better this way. If we fail this mission, only we die.¡±

    She gave him a long stare but didn¡¯t say anything. She slipped into the helm room, guiding their ship while Sovereign Heavenly Spoon busied himself in the kitchen.

    The small starship crossed the emptiness between gxies.

    ***

    Brock had been meditating in the Dao room. As soon as he sensed themotion of the next room settle down, however, he quickly rushed out. The main chamber remained messy¡ªthe door to the cultivation chamber was firmly shut.

    The brori had heard¡¯s Jack request to close the door. He¡¯d been in shallow meditation at the time, thankfully. What happened afterward left him stumped. A tremendous storm of energy whipped up in Jack¡¯s room, so intense that even the seventh floor¡¯s protection mechanisms failed to contain itpletely. Beams of pure energy radiated from where the door met the wall, creating a unique kind of light show, while Jack¡¯s Dao seemed so minisculepared to the overall energy it was barely detectable. Brock had almost rushed in to save his bro.

    However, while Jack¡¯s Dao seemed tiny, it was stable. It was not waning with time. Instead, the rampant energy was slowly dying down, as if something was absorbing it.

    A day after the incident, Brock returned to the Dao room, keeping his perception spread in case Jack needed him. A yearter, the energy storm fell to a constant low level. Another three years, and Brock sensed the door of the room open, at which point he bolted out.

    ¡°Bro!¡± he eximed. As he saw Jack, however, he paused.

    ¡°Hey Brock,¡± Jack said, a calm smile on his face. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    Brock did not respond, eyes glued on his brother. His appearance had reverted to the human one, his Double Devil disguise wiped off. He¡¯d also broken into the A-Grade, just like Brock, which was expected.

    However, his aura¡­ Brock couldn¡¯tprehend it. Staring at Jack, it felt like looking at the open sky, the endless stars of a starry night. There was an almost metaphysical tingle to it, something which even Brock, with his A-Grade cultivation, couldn¡¯t quite grasp. A deep sense of reverence rose from his soul, filling him with so much awe he could barely speak.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, am I releasing my aura?¡± Jack said, noticing Brock¡¯s stare. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to this. How about now?¡±

    Before Brock could respond, Jack¡¯s aura hadpletely disappeared. If he wasn¡¯t looking at his big brother, he would have thought he left the room. His aura waspletely restrained inside his body, just like amon mortal, yet a faint sense of awe persisted, existing at the back of Brock¡¯s mind as a whisper only the most attentive would notice.

    ¡°What?¡± was all Brock could ask. For the first time, the big bro in front of him waspletely unfathomable. Unreadable. His strength reached unknown depths, and Brock had no idea how this was even possible. It was like Jack hadpletely transformed.

    All Brock knew was that, whatever had happened to his big bro, he¡¯d grown massively stronger. It was an increase far greater than what breaking into the A-Grade would justify. Brock could feel it in his bones¡ªif they tried to spar right now, he wouldn¡¯t even pose a challenge. A dozen Brocks at a time would still lose. The strength hiding in Jack¡¯s body was apocalyptic.

    <em>Or divine, </em>he realized.

    Jackughed with joy at Brock¡¯s reaction, but he wasn¡¯t one to leave his bro hanging. He exined everything, about his Universe of the Body, his breakthrough, how he¡¯d almost misstepped before utilizing all those resources at once.

    ¡°How strong are you now?¡± Brock asked.

    Jack frowned in thought. He opened his status screen again, taking in the new changes.

    <strong>Error! Inner World undetected. Unforeseen physical changes detected. Calcting.</strong>

    <strong>Error! Calctions impossible. Using faulty stat trantion protocol. Approximation mode activated.</strong>

    <strong>Approximation results: Physical stats doubled. Further increases impossible.</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! B-Grade ¡ú A-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! You have sessfully developed cultivators in your inner world, firmly stepping onto the path of godhood.</strong>

    <strong>All stats +400</strong>

    <strong>Free stat points per Level Up: 50 ¡ú 0. The Immortal System can no longer fuel your growth.</strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong>Level Up! You have reached Level 550.</strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong>Congrattions! The Bare Fist Brotherhood faction has reached the A-Grade. New functions unlocked in the faction screen.</strong>

    Jack smiled again. No matter how times he read it, his joy didn¡¯t change.

    During his meditation session, he¡¯d first risen from Level 513 to 549, investing all stat points into Physical. The result was a total of 14,330 points. Then, when he fused his inner world into his physical body, the System¡¯s best approximation of what happened was a doubling of his Physical stats. He reached a staggering 28,660. After the extra points of the A-Grade breakthrough, he settled on 29,060 points. His Mental and Will stats, both at 2000, now looked puny inparison.

    Given that his body already had approached most Archons¡¯ in intensity before, iming the title of the physically strongest cultivator in existence right now wasn¡¯t necessarily a stretch. He possessed the physical prowess of a small universe. His rtive power to others was difficult to estimate.

    <strong>Name: Jack Rust</strong>

    <strong>Species: ???</strong>

    <strong>Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (A)</strong>

    <strong>Grade: A</strong>

    <strong>ss: Paragon of Cultivation (Legendary)</strong>

    <strong>Level: 550</strong>

    <strong>Strength: 29,060</strong>

    <strong>Dexterity: 29,060</strong>

    <strong>Constitution: 29,060</strong>

    <strong>Mental: 2000</strong>

    <strong>Will: 2000</strong>

    <strong>Dao Skills: Meteor Punch IV, Space Mastery IV, Death Mastery IV, Neutron Star Body IV, ck Hole IV, Iron Fist Style III, Brutalizing Aura III, Supernova III, Fist of Mortality III, Titan Taunt III, Immortal Commune I</strong>

    <strong>Inner World size: ??? miles</strong>

    <strong>Inner Cultivator Boundaries:</strong>

    <strong>Highest: F-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Average: F-Grade</strong>

    <strong>Titles:ary Frontrunner (10),ary Torchbearer (1), Ninth Ring Conqueror,ary Leader (1), Grade Defier, Destroyer, Challenger</strong>

    Interestingly, his ss hadn¡¯t changed. He had no idea why. Instead, his species had gone from human to question marks. <em>Makes sense. Am I even human anymore?</em>

    He sighed, looking over his numbers again.

    ¡°Well?¡± Brock asked. ¡°How strong are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure,¡± he replied. ¡°I think I¡¯m at least on par with anyone I¡¯ve ever seen fight¡ªGreat Silver, Fiend King, Summer Noon. It¡¯s hard to tell until I actually battle an Archon or two.¡±

    Brock nodded. ¡°I¡¯m proud. I think my power iste to peak A-Grade.¡±

    ¡°Which is great. We¡¯re both amazing, bro.¡±

    ¡°Damn right!¡± Brock replied, pumping a fist.

    ¡°How many years did I spend in there?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°Around ten since we arrived at this seventh floor. Fifteen since your duel deration to Elder Hero, so another fifteen until you need to fight. We have time.¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Jack replied, shaking his head. ¡°We do have time, but our cultivations have risen sharply. We have the power to fight at the highest level now. I think we should leave this ce early and go find the Church. We can still cultivate until the war¡¯s climax if we¡¯re there, but it would be a shame to miss it.¡±

    ¡°I had the same thought,¡± Brock agreed. ¡°With your power, bro, we don¡¯t need to be afraid of anything. Only the Gods are above you now.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think there are many Archons more powerful than me as well, but sure. In any case, leaving this world will not be a problem. Do you want to check out the final room before we go?¡±

    ¡°The Will one?¡± Brock asked, looking at the middle door they¡¯d never opened. ¡°But we can¡¯t go in.¡±

    Jack smiled. He touched his palm on the door¡ªa sh of purple light spread out, illuminating so-far invisible runes and erasing them. The door creaked open. ¡°We¡¯re powerful now, Brock,¡± he said. ¡°We can do anything we want.¡±

    Brockughed. ¡°With you here, bro, I fear nothing. Let¡¯s check it out.¡±

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 546: Nothing Creepy About a Stone Daddy

    They walked into the third room, more out of curiosity than anything. To their surprise, it was almost empty. The only feature was a pedestal in the middle, around which was drawn an intricate magic circle. A single pebble stood on the pedestal. The moment they entered, the pebble cracked open to reveal a mouth, and its booming voice washed over them.

    ¡°Welcome, monsters! Experience my three trials of Will to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Franky?¡± the Stone¡¯s voice echoed in Jack¡¯s mind. A moment later, surprise turned into joy. ¡°Franky!! It¡¯s you!¡±

    Jack laughed. He summoned the Stone from his inner world, covering it in a bubble of stable space to save it from the pressure. ¡°Franky!!¡± the Stone exclaimed again as it appeared, falling to the ground and rolling towards the pedestal.

    The pebble paused. ¡°Stone?¡± it muttered, then again, ¡°Stone!¡±

    The pebble fell off its pedestal, and it too rolled on the ground, crashing into the Stone in what could charitably be described as a hug. All sense of awe was cut short as the two pebbles rolled around each other, talking excitedly and enjoying their reunion.

    ¡°And that¡¯s how I graduated Daddy¡¯s teachings! I then spent the last three hundred million years guarding this chamber,¡± Franky said. His voice was slightly deeper than the Stone¡¯s. ¡°It was a bit boring. I started talking to myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh my gods, me too!¡± the Stone exclaimed. ¡°I was riding that broken meteor shuttle for like a billion years!¡±

    ¡°At least you had a view,¡± Franky said, spinning towards the brown walls around him.

    ¡°Yeah, well, all views grow tiring after a while,¡± the Stone replied. ¡°Oh! These are my friends, Jack and Brock. There¡¯s a turtle and a second Jack, too, but they¡¯re inside the first Jack.¡±

    ¡°Like when Daddy inserted those devices into us to measure our properties?¡±

    ¡°Kind of!¡±

    ¡°It really isn¡¯t,¡± Jack said. ¡°Hi, Franky. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Very nice to meet you too! Thank you for taking care of my brother.¡±

    ¡°It was mostly me taking care of them,¡± the Stone said, then lowered its voice to a whisper¡ªwhich Jack could still hear. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how stupid kids can be. They¡¯d have died a hundred times over if not for me. They don¡¯t even know the arts, can you believe that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, the folly of youth,¡± Franky replied all too sagely.

    ¡°We¡¯re still here,¡± Jack reminded them. Both stones hopped in surprise, rising a few inches off the ground. Franky cried out as if suddenly remembering something.

    ¡°Oh no, my speech!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing for half a billion years, I must get it right!¡± He quickly rolled back to his pedestal, then hopped up on it. ¡°Ahem.¡± He cleared his non-existent throat. ¡°Welcome, monsters! Experience my three trials of Will to¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re kind of getting ready to go,¡± Jack tried to interrupt politely. ¡°We were thinking if you wanted to come with us?¡±

    ¡°I have prepared this speech for half a billion years. Nobody goes anywhere until I say it at least once.¡±

    ¡°...Fine,¡± Jack replied. Franky¡¯s voice boomed again.

    ¡°Welcome, monsters! Experience my three trials of Will to sharpen your willpower and earn the qualifications to pursue the peak of Dao. These trials have been meticulously forged by our creators and ancestors, the Gods of the universe, so first you must kowtow eleven times in respect!¡±

    ¡°Very nice speech, Franky,¡± Jack said, clapping.

    Brock agreed. ¡°I can tell you practiced it. Sent shivers down my spine.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Franky exclaimed. ¡°Wait, I mean, you must kowtow eleven times to receive my trials!¡±

    ¡°How long do these trials take?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°A hundred years each.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have time for that unfortunately.¡±

    Franky¡¯s mood dropped like a sailor who couldn¡¯t swim.

    ¡°But we can return later!¡± Jack continued, and the pebble perked up again.

    ¡°You promise?¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Yay! I mean, that¡¯s excellent, young monster. You have permission to postpone the three trials of Will.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± the Stone said, hopping up and down in excitement. ¡°I told you they¡¯re great!¡±

    ¡°They do seem¡­delectable,¡± Franky answered, trying really hard to maintain his imposing facade. ¡°So, um, you mentioned following you somewhere?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jack said. ¡°We¡¯re about to leave this place and the Space Monster World to join a war going on outside. We¡¯ll also check on your father in the Canal below. Last we saw of him, he was fighting an Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Daddy is also an Overlord,¡± Franky replied with pride. ¡°He will win, I know it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to hope so as well, though the other guy wasn¡¯t bad either.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± Franky exclaimed. He fell down, rolled next to the Stone, then both of them turned into rays of light which shot into Jack¡¯s abdomen.

    ¡°...That was weird,¡± Jack said. ¡°I didn¡¯t let them in.¡±

    Brock shrugged. ¡°Talking stones. Anyway. We¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    They left the now-empty Will chamber behind. All treasures in the Cultivation chamber had been used up by Jack¡¯s back-to-back breakthroughs, but the manuals of the Dao room remained. ¡°We should borrow these,¡± Jack said. ¡°After the Crusade, we can return them.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Brock agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll ask for Stone Daddy Bro¡¯s permission as well, if he¡¯s still alive. They¡¯re his.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But please, can you not call him that?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s creepy.¡±

    ¡°Nothing creepy about a stone daddy.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    The two stocked up on top-level cultivation manuals, finally emptying the third room as well. Only the decorations were left behind, forming a neat pile in a corner of the room. They could have rearranged them, but the Stone Scholar would probably want to do that himself, if he still lived.

    Then, Jack and Brock dove into the hole in the ground and let themselves fall. Gravity took the reins immediately. They accelerated far faster than normal, becoming a pair of meteors which crashed through the twelve layers of clouds. Finally, darkness appeared below them, and they seared right through. Nothing showed up to obstruct them. In moments, they¡¯d reached the Dark Canal again, and both stopped their ascent right on the pyramid¡¯s top, a shockwave spreading widely from their halted momentum.

    It wasn¡¯t empty.

    Two people sat cross-legged, meditating side-by-side. Great Silver and the Stone Scholar, both looking healthy. Their eyes snapped open as Jack and Brock appeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re reckless,¡± Great Silver said slowly. ¡°Your disguise broke, yet you still came here instead of trying to run away.¡±

    ¡°I prefer to call it daring,¡± Jack replied with a smile. He landed smoothly on the pyramid¡¯s ceiling, Brock right behind him.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Two voices rang out as the Stone and Franky leapt out of Jack¡¯s body and into the Stone Scholar¡¯s embrace. He caught them both in confusion. ¡°Franky? What are you doing here?¡± he exclaimed. ¡°And¡­Stone! You returned!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Jack and Brock are my friends, they brought me here.¡±

    The Stone Scholar looked at Jack again, his motionless stone eyes betraying nothing. He rose to his feet, placing both stones in his pocket. They screamed like children going down the slide. ¡°Change of plans, Overlord,¡± he said. ¡°I will not stay neutral. These people brought back my wayward child¡ªif you decide to kill them, I will battle you to the death.¡±

    Great Silver didn¡¯t reply immediately. His draconic eyes were glued on Jack¡¯s abdomen, from where the two stones had jumped out. He clearly sensed something was wrong, yet couldn¡¯t quite place it.

    Finally, he withdrew his gaze, turning it to the Stone Scholar. ¡°These people took advantage of Fiend King¡¯s moment of weakness to ruin him. As this world¡¯s sole remaining Overlord, I hold the right to judge their fate. If you stand against me, Scholar, then you may also suffer. You can fight me, but not my army.¡±

    Jack frowned, then spread his perception much farther than he¡¯d previously been able to. A dozen Autarchs were arrayed on the stone island beyond the pyramid. The Grand Elders of both Overlord factions were present, both at the peak A-Grade, flanked by a gathering of Elders of various levels. They were an imposing force. Clearly, they had ways to know Fiend King had perished, and they expected Jack and Brock¡¯s arrival. The dead Overlord¡¯s underlings now followed Great Silver.

    If Jack had only broken into the A-Grade, he couldn¡¯t have handled this gathering of enemies. Even if the Stone Scholar held back Great Silver, they¡¯d still be hard-pressed to escape. Now, however, things were different. Jack hadn¡¯t just reached the A-Grade¡ªhe¡¯d stepped into a whole new realm.

    He smiled.

    The Stone Scholar snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve already stated my intentions, Great Silver. Do you really want to make me your enemy?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. If I do want to kill them, however, you cannot stop me.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess we have to find out.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Jack said, suddenly appearing between the two Overlords. They recoiled, eyes wide open in surprise. They hadn¡¯t sensed his teleportation despite being an entire large realm over him. This should have been impossible.

    Jack took in the stunned, wary looks of both Overlords. He smiled. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Stone Scholar, but your assistance isn¡¯t needed.¡± He then turned to Great Silver, speaking from barely a few feet away. ¡°You, all those Elders, all the forces of the Space Monster World¡­ I don¡¯t need any help. I can kill all of you by myself.¡±

    A wind of darkness blew, gently crossing the silence. No one spoke for a moment. I can kill all of you by myself. Jack¡¯s words were too stunning, his proclamation too great, his challenge too arrogant. Great Silver locked eyes with him. Jack saw the changes in his gaze. The dragon realized he couldn¡¯t read Jack¡¯s aura, realized he couldn¡¯t measure his true depth.

    Great Silver¡¯s gaze softened, and for a moment, he seemed so old.

    ¡°Are you really as powerful as you say?¡± he asked.

    Jack smiled. The Overlords, the Elders, the disciples, every single eye was glued on him. ¡°See for yourself,¡± he said, releasing his aura. For a moment, he became the center of the world. A gentle ripple spread from him, not oppressive in the slightest, but awe-inspiring as if gazing at a God. Everyone froze in shock.

    It wasn¡¯t only Jack¡¯s aura, which overwhelmed even Great Silver¡¯s. His body became momentarily transparent. An entire universe was revealed within¡ªplanets of organs, a sun for a heart, rivers of stars as blood, and bones of glowing light. The darkness of the Dark Canal parted, receding from Jack as if touching anathema, and a wave of worship spread around him, extending for untold miles.

    Jack recovered his aura, hiding it completely again. He didn¡¯t need it anymore. His calm smile had never faltered, yet everyone around him was stunned. Great Silver shivered. In the face of Jack¡¯s divinity, the draconic majesty he took such pride in was nothing but a party trick.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jack Rust,¡± Jack replied. ¡°My body is a universe, and I am a fist.¡± He walked right up to Great Silver, who took a step backward instinctively. ¡°You were looking for the power to contest the Immortals, a hope to rise against them,¡± Jack declared calmly. ¡°I am that hope. You have seen what I am, what I can do. Stand by my side, Great Silver, and lead all monsters to war for me. The Immortals will destroy all of us sooner or later. Only together can we resist. Join the battle.¡±

    Monsters respected strength. Great Silver didn¡¯t know how his own power measured against Jack¡¯s, only that Jack had stepped into a cultivation realm nobody had heard about before. He felt like an idiot. The doors to the realm above A-Grade, the ones he¡¯d been trying to break open for millions of years, simply lay on a different path. They were on a junction he¡¯d already walked past. He understood now why he¡¯d never succeeded, and that it was impossible for an Archon, any Archon, to advance ever again.

    But not to Jack Rust. His road¡­was limitless.

    Great Silver bent his front legs, bowing to Jack. The Elders all around were shocked, but they understood. They bowed in turn. So did the Stone Scholar, motivated by instincts deeper than he thought he possessed. For a moment, every head besides Brock¡¯s was bowed at Jack.

    ¡°You are not a monster like us, but we revere strength above all,¡± Great Silver said, evidently emotional. ¡°Please, allow this old dragon to pledge his life to you. I will follow you to the end of the world, and so will all the monsters under my command. As the sole Overlord of the Space Monster World, I offer you our complete and unquestionable allegiance.¡±

    Jack smiled. He reached down to raise Great Silver from his bow. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s allegiance,¡± he said. ¡°How about we become allies?¡±

    The dragon shivered. ¡°I could do that,¡± he replied. Then, as if struck by some ancient instinct, he turned to the sky and roared, spreading his wings to create gales. All monsters around him roared as well, their voices joined in one, unified cry which parted the darkness and reached the heavens.

    ¡°To war!¡± Great Silver roared.

    ¡°To war!¡± everyone else replied, and for a moment, it felt like the entire Space Monster World was with them.

    Jack smiled as he turned to the Stone Scholar. His question went unspoken.

    ¡°I cannot join,¡± the Scholar said. ¡°My mission is to guard the Hall of Trials¡¯ seventh floor. I cannot leave. Besides, I would be useless¡ªmy power deteriorates the farther away I get from the Hall.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can take you back up there in a bit. The Fiend King tore down all decorations, but I¡¯ve left them all back so you can rearrange them. It could be a nice pastime.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± the Stone Scholar exclaimed. ¡°And, if I may ask for one more thing¡­¡± He reached into his pockets, removing both the Stone and Franky. ¡°Can you take my children along? I cannot leave, but they can¡­and a life following you will be much more fulfilling than anything I could offer them.¡±

    Jack smiled sadly. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± the Scholar said, his voice breaking despite being made of stone. The two stones protested, but he took them aside to speak to them.

    ¡°Oh my Gods, oh my Gods!¡± Fiend Prince exclaimed from the side¡ªthe disciple group was also present, just insignificant compared to all those Elders. ¡°We¡¯re going into the outside world, this is so exciting! Hey, Jack¡ªdoes this mean I can become your disciple?¡±

    Jack laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you mind that I killed your father?¡±

    ¡°He died because he was weak. I¡¯m sad about it, of course, but there wasn¡¯t much love between us. It¡¯ll pass.¡±

    Jack nodded, then shook his head in disbelief. In truth, Fiend Prince had negligible chances to follow in Jack¡¯s footsteps. His talent was not high enough, at least not right now.

    However, he liked this guy. He could help him along. And, besides, he might have a chance if they found a way to perfect his inner world despite lacking a tenth Dao Fruit. He¡¯d look for such an alternative anyway to help Brock, who certainly possessed the potential to walk the same road as Jack.

    Actually, Brock would be fine either way. Reverting one¡¯s cultivation to the B-Grade and re-trying the breakthrough was possible. Older cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, as their potential had already run out, but it would be easy for Brock. Once they had a few spare years, Jack was confident Brock would achieve his own special realm, equal to Jack¡¯s Universe of the Body.

    Fiend Prince would struggle in comparison, but he looked so damn eager.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Yeah, sure. You can become my first disciple.¡±

    The monster shone like a beacon of joy. He jumped into the air and pumped his fist. ¡°Alright!¡±

 Chapter 547: Safe Time to Fail

    A woman stalked through the grass. She looked to be in her early twenties, with dark skin, darker hair, and eyes the color of amber. Her lithe body was covered in green leather armor, painted with yellow splashes to fit into the terrain, while her hands held a flexible spear.

    Ebele¡¯s ears twitched. She fell to the ground, crawling the last few feet. A thick tree stood in front of her. She grabbed the bark and peeked from its side, her eyes catching the glint of metal. Vertical bars sandwiched by wood. Cages. Inside which, a collection of pink boars oinked in distress.

    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Damn,¡± she spat a whisper.

    The creatures of this forest were highly desired as both pets and materials. However, since this was Academy territory, no outsiders could enter. Stealing animals was illegal even if they could. The Academy strived to maintain a healthy ecosystem, promotion of biodiversity, and smooth allocation of differently-powered beasts to facilitate the safe and timely training of its students, who could wander this forest freely.

    Some of these students were assholes. The ones Ebele faced now, laughing with greed as they counted the number of cages over and over, were one such group of people. Poachers.

    Three, four¡­ she counted. I can probably take them.

    She stepped out from behind the cage. The others spotted her instantly, shooting to alertness. ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± they asked.

    ¡°The forest,¡± she replied. ¡°Coming to reclaim its own.¡±

    As she stepped into a column of light piercing the foliage, she saw the students¡¯ face go from panic, to relief, to wariness. ¡°Ebele Rust,¡± one of them said with a frown. ¡°We want no trouble with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I do. Poaching is a serious offense¡ªyou face anywhere from disciplinary action to direct expulsion and imprisonment. Release the pinkoars and follow me to the Enforcement Hall immediately.¡±

    The students glanced at each other, realizing they outnumbered her four to one. ¡°No,¡± they said.

    ¡°Yeah. Thought as much.¡± She flourished her spear, the tip cutting a smooth path through the air. ¡°Prepare to suffer.¡±

    Her opponents were full of tension, but they didn¡¯t panic. No student of the Academy was a weakling. They fanned out, each brandishing their own weapon as they slowly surrounded her. The pink boars watched with hope.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Foundation cultivator, just like us,¡± one of the four disciples said. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll beat us just because you carry your father¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll beat you because you¡¯re honorless, low-life thieves, and I¡¯m this year¡¯s first-ranked disciple.¡±

    Another student snorted, his features contorted in rage. The blue cloak he wore¡ªstandard student uniform¡ªrose to an unseen gale, the stars painted on it almost dancing. ¡°Get off your high horse,¡± he spat out. ¡°I need this money.¡±

    ¡°Sure you do. To fuel your coredust addiction?¡±

    ¡°To take my family out of the Evergrove slums.¡±

    Ebele shook her head. ¡°I sympathize, I really do. However, torturing and killing innocent creatures is never okay. Surrender, and I swear I¡¯ll give you the money to help your family¡ªafter I turn you in.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Someone like you has no place speaking here!¡± the student shouted, lunging. His rapier stabbed straight towards Ebele¡¯s abdomen. Her brows narrowed dangerously. No student would dare kill another¡ªespecially inside Academy grounds¡ªbut a serious injury here would cost her weeks of cultivation.

    She twirled, letting the rapier scratch her armor to make some distance. Her spear stabbed out. It broke through the opponent¡¯s guard in a single strike.

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t alone. The other three disciples coordinated well, and their flurry of blows fell on Ebele, forcing her back. She stabbed and dodged. The tip of her spear entered someone¡¯s forearm, while its body broke a knee¡ªboth injuries could be easily healed.

    She ducked under a club and jumped back to avoid a spray of poison. A nunchaku crashed into her head from behind. All her body tempering couldn¡¯t save her from such a blow¡ªshe recoiled, almost falling forward, and was beset by four people at once. Her Dao of Heroism erupted, pushing them back and giving her a moment¡¯s respite to reposition, but they still snuck a hit at her lower back. She gritted her teeth.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± a voice asked. Ebele glanced over, suddenly filled with hope, only to have it instantly demolished. The new arrivals were two students holding a squealing pinkoar upside down. As they scanned the situation, they let the pinkoar drop and escape to pull their own weapons. They turned them to Ebele.

    ¡°There were more of you,¡± she said sourly. ¡°Of course.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Should have done your research, Ebele,¡± a disciple said. ¡°Now get fucked.¡±

    Six people attacked her at once. All were close to the late F-Grade. That was how the old-timers¡ªthose who had been adults when the System arrived¡ªcalled the first realm. The younger generation of cultivators, who started their journey outside System space, preferred to call this realm Foundation Establishment.

    Ebele was slightly higher-leveled than them. She was far stronger than each, but against six talented people, there was little she could do. Even her newfound Dao was of limited use. They left her sprawled on the forest floor, groaning and bleeding, with a healing potion placed far enough away that she¡¯d need some time to reach it.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky your father is who he is,¡± one of the disciples said as he spat on her. ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t even get the potion.¡±

    Killing other disciples was an absolute taboo in the Academy¡ªthe enforcers had ways to know. Dying by yourself in the forest was a different story, but not when it came to the daughter of Jack Rust. If anything happened to her, D-Grades would get involved, and the truth would come out instantly. These disciples couldn¡¯t afford to cause any real damage even if they knew she¡¯d tell on them.

    The group ran away with the cages in tow, the squeals of pinkoars reaching Ebele for some time still. It took her a while to be able to move. When she finally reached the healing potion and gulped it down, the poacher students were long gone. She smashed a fist against a tree, breaking her hand. She relished in the pain. In her opinion, it was well deserved.

    ¡°I must get stronger,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°And smarter. I should have waited to see if they had more people. If this was a real battle, I¡¯d be dead.¡±

    Retrospection didn¡¯t lighten her self-blame. She stayed on the forest floor for a while, lamenting her failure, apologizing to the creatures she¡¯d failed to save. She¡¯d inform the Enforcement Hall, of course, but without proof, all these students would get was monitoring from the school authorities. It would stop them from poaching, but they wouldn¡¯t get expelled.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± she said, bruising her other hand against the ground. Tears left her eyes. ¡°Damn!¡±

    If one looked at this forest from above, they¡¯d find it fist-shaped. Thin clouds interspersed the blue sky. Currently, far higher than where Ebele could see, two people stood on a pair of little clouds. One was a woman in flowing red robes, her eyes shimmering with rage. The other was a shirtless man with his aura fully withdrawn¡ªyet, even like this, he commanded the respect of the elements.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Vivi said. ¡°Those guys just beat up your daughter. Are you really just going to stand there!?¡±

    ¡°Ebele needs tempering,¡± Jack¡¯s clone replied calmly. ¡°A little bit of bruising is nothing. If I take away this lesson from her, she might make the same mistakes in the future, when I¡¯m not there to watch over her, and then she¡¯ll suffer for real.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a child!¡±

    ¡°Which is the perfect time to fail and learn.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lying on the floor! She¡¯s crying!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jack insisted. ¡°Look at her eyes. See how they¡¯re clear? She¡¯s healthily frustrated, that¡¯s all. All that bothers her is her failure, not the pain. She experienced far worse when she insisted on diving into the Ice Pond as a child. This is nothing to her.¡±

    Vivi crossed her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, Jack Rust.¡±

    ¡°This is necessary. Trust me. The world is harsh, so we must be as well. That said¡­¡± His eyes turned towards the ground again, looking slightly to the side of Ebele, where six disciples were hurrying through the forest with cages in tow. A few of them were injured.

    Jack snapped his fingers, and the squealing pinkoars disappeared, teleported back to their nests. The disciples took a few moments to notice. When they did, their eyes went wide, and they fell to their knees, looking around and at the sky. Jack ignored them completely. A few moments later, the disciples stood and bolted away at top speed, letting the few injured ones fall behind.

    Jack shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t play gods, Vivi. If we smother the world below us, it will grow weak, and weakness brings pain and sin. The same goes for our children. Since Ebele is determined on entering the cultivation world, we should encourage safe failures like this one, because only they can give her the lessons she needs to survive later in life. I could tell her to plan for hidden enemies a thousand times, but this single day will teach her the lesson far better than I ever could. If it seems harsh, blame her, not me¡ªI¡¯m just preparing her for the road she chose.¡±

    Vivi snorted. ¡°Then why did you save the pinkoars, if we can¡¯t play gods?¡±

    ¡°That was just payment. I prevented some enforcers from reaching the area before, so I had to make up for it.¡±

    Vivi tried to remain angry. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Do you promise you love her?¡±

    ¡°More than anything in the world,¡± Jack replied, his gaze growing distant. ¡°I would destroy the galaxy before I let anything happen to my daughter. However, I won¡¯t always be by her side. That¡¯s not how life works. She needs to become strong.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just want her to be happy¡­¡±

    Vivi smiled, hugging him tightly. Her anger was gone. She was a cultivator, too¡ªshe realized the importance of personal strength, as well as the fact that a little bit of pain was nothing to the tempered mind. ¡°For the ruler of a galaxy, you¡¯re pretty soft,¡± she whispered softly.

    ¡°Really? I thought you said I was mean.¡±

    ¡°That, too.¡±

    He laughed, then looked down. ¡°Ebele is reaching the Academy gates,¡± he said. ¡°The danger is over. Wanna go prepare dinner?¡±

    ¡°No. I want to pay her a visit and see how she¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°You know she doesn¡¯t like us appearing uninvited.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m her mother, I just saw her receive a painful lesson, and I want to make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Fine. Just send her a message we¡¯ll be visiting in an hour, if she¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°...I can do that.¡±

    ¡°You know I love parenting with you, right?¡±

    ¡°I love it too. But you can be so stubborn sometimes.¡±

    ¡°That makes two of us.¡±

    They kissed. ¡°What about your other body, anyway?¡± Vivi asked. ¡°It¡¯s been gone for fifteen years now. Any news?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jack replied. ¡°I get a vague sensation from my inner world, however. Something happened. Something major. I suspect we¡¯ll be returning to this world soon, and then I get to beat the crap out of Elder Hero. Can¡¯t let him be a bad role model for Ebele. They do share a Dao¡ªfor now.¡±

    Vivi laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to hear this.¡±

    The two teleported away, and the sky remained peaceful, as it always was.

 Chapter 548: Return With a Bang

    Bobo leaned over his starship¡¯s door to peek at the portal to the Space Monster World. It had been a while since lightning stopped falling. The portal was slowly repairing itself¡ªits defenses had held¡ªbut the surrounding space was much worse off. All ambient Dao had been sucked dry for endless light years around it. The heavenly tribulation must have been cataclysmic.

    Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t anything Bobo needed to worry about. He was just a little B-Grade scout of the Church, sent here to make sure the portal was alright.

    It is, he confirmed. Time to return. Good job, Bobo.

    ¡°Halt!¡± a voice crossed space. ¡°In the name of the Immortals, put your weapons down and walk over slowly!¡±

    Bobo froze mid-step. He turned to find a bulky man hovering behind him. An early A-Grade.

    I¡¯m so dead.

    Bobo had no backup. It was just him in one of the lightest starships available. If he could get inside and close the door, he¡¯d be safe, but would the enemy A-Grade give him the chance?

    Cutting costs my ass, he fumed inwardly. The Immortals can afford A-Grade scouts, so why did the Church send me!?

    He debated surrendering. Couldn¡¯t be worse than instant death. Before he could reply, however, a purple missile smashed into the side of the enemy A-Grade¡¯s head, taking it clean off his shoulders. Body and head exploded, leaving only a streaking purple line which raced for the end of the universe. Bobo gasped, then turned to look at its source.

    The portal? he wondered. No. Is someone there? What¡¯s that?

    The slowly-rotating portal to the Space Monster World flared to life. A majestic silver dragon rode out, opening its giant jaws to roar at the heavens. The sound whisked Bobo¡¯s soul out of his body, spun it around a couple times, then hastily crammed it back in.

    Heavens! he thought, clutching his chest. An Archon!!

    Before he could comprehend what he saw, more people emerged from the portal. An entire army headed by A-Grades, with every soldier a B-Grade. The weakest of them were at Bobo¡¯s level, and there were even peak A-Grades in the mix. Before long, hundreds of space monsters had exited the portal, forming a small but elite army which could easily conquer galaxies.

    The monsters are invading! Bobo thought with terror, but he didn¡¯t dare move. Even from a distance, that silver dragon could kill him instantly. He had no way to let the Church know either.

    Just before he fell into despair, however, he spied two more forms. He hadn¡¯t noticed them at first, too small compared to the dragon they stood beside. A man and a brorilla, but not just any man, not just any brorilla. Those were Jack Rust and Brock! The heroes of the Church!

    Jack Rust glanced over, then reappeared in front of Bobo in a mockery of the distance between them. ¡°Hi,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Jack. You¡¯re with the Church, yes?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Bobo replied as if in a dream.

    ¡°Perfect. Can you let them know Jack and Brock returned? The space monsters will fight on our side from now on.¡± He glanced behind Bobo. His face brightened. ¡°Is that snacks I see in your ship? Nice! I hope you don¡¯t mind if I enjoy a couple while you tell me what happened in the last fifteen years.¡±

    ***

    News of Jack¡¯s return, as well as the monsters joining the war, spread like wildfire. All across the scattered Church forces, A-Grades rejoiced, B-Grades celebrated. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon laughed as he heard the news. ¡°I knew it!¡± he shouted. ¡°That guy¡¯s a cockroach¡ªhe can¡¯t be killed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy they¡¯re back,¡± Min Ling said with a warm smile. ¡°We need every help we can get. I wonder how they convinced the space monsters.¡±

    ¡°Knowing them, they probably bebro¡¯d them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a word.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±

    In another part of the galaxy, Elder Hero clutched a transmission stone, crumbling it to dust in his grip. ¡°You dare return¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Fine. Come. No matter how they worship you, no matter what allies you find, you are nothing but a stepping stone on my path to glory. Your reputation will feed into mine.¡±

    He then glanced in front of him, where a massive sphere floated, filled with endless divine power. He grinned. ¡°Now more than ever, your chances of victory¡­are zero!¡±

    As for the New Cathedral, they accepted the news with all the joy one would expect. People took to the streets dancing. The celebrity campaign of Jack and Brock had died down in the last few years, but people still remembered him standing against an entire faction by himself, defying the heavens, rising above expectations. That was a true warrior, a true hero. The hope he¡¯d carved in their hearts was reignited, memories of years past resurfacing.

    The face of the Church was back, with new allies, and he was stronger than ever!

    The Arch Priestess smiled as she read the piece of paper passed to her. ¡°It¡¯s your disciple again, Boatman,¡± she said below her veil. ¡°He somehow convinced the monsters to fight for us.¡±

    Elder Boatman smiled under his hood. ¡°Jack¡¯s progress has always been staggering. After fifteen years and such a grand show of his return, I suspect that his strength¡­will surprise us all!¡±

    ¡°Convene the Archon Council,¡± the Arch Priestess commanded. ¡°The arrival of the monsters changes our plans. We need to strategize.¡±

    Several A-Grades present rushed off to convey her orders.

    ¡°Should we invite Jack Rust as well?¡± a man asked. He sat leisurely on a chair, wearing a form-fitting yellow uniform with a red cape. His bald head reflected the lamplight.

    The Arch Priestess thought about. She smiled with amusement. ¡°As great as his contributions, he¡¯s not an Archon yet.¡±

    The bald man and Boatman exchanged glances.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ***

    As Jack descended towards the New Cathedral, the scene was vastly different than the last time he¡¯d been here. He¡¯d left in secrecy but arrived in full public view.

    People crowded the streets. Most shouted. Some held banners spelling out ¡°Welcome home, big bro!¡±, ¡°We believe in you!¡± and other similar slogans. A few people even raised Brock plushies into the air. Seeing that, Jack did a double take, finding many people wearing his and Brock¡¯s shirts amongst the crowd.

    ¡°Those things lasted fifteen years. Looks like they didn¡¯t skimp on the materials,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯re famous,¡± Brock said, eyeing the crowds as their starship landed. ¡°So many little bros.¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯re counted in the millions by now, Brock. Not just here, but everywhere in the universe.¡±

    ¡°Not millions. Billions.¡±

    Jack turned around, shocked, but Brock had already walked ahead. He exited the starship with a hand held high, waving at the crowds, and Jack followed quickly. The cheers were deafening. He consciously restrained his aura, lest these people actually considered him a god.

    Which I am, actually. Sort of.

    A person waited for them a few steps ahead. Their body was covered by a long cloak, while a scythe hung behind their back. Jack smiled and bowed. ¡°Master,¡± he said.

    ¡°No need for honorifics,¡± Elder Boatman replied. ¡°I suspect you¡¯ve already surpassed me, or close. A-Grade, huh? Must have been quite a trip.¡±

    ¡°You could call it that. The monsters are almost recreationally murderous.¡±

    ¡°Sup, Grandpa Dead,¡± Brock said.

    A smile tugged at Boatman¡¯s lips. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said. ¡°I know you want to sit here and enjoy the crowds, but we have things to talk about.¡±

    ¡°What things?¡±

    ¡°Mostly about the space monsters. The Arch Priestess is hosting an Archon Council in a bit, where I represent you, so I¡¯d like to know everything I can about them.¡±

    Jack raised a brow. ¡°Why can¡¯t we represent ourselves?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Archons.¡±

    ¡°Neither are you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m old and prestigious. It comes with perks.¡±

    Jack chuckled. ¡°Brock and I will be there,¡± he said. Boatman gave him a deep glance but didn¡¯t disagree.

    ¡°In that case,¡± he said, ¡°just tell me about your trip.¡±

    ¡°It was fun. Somewhat risky, too, but nothing we couldn¡¯t handle.¡±

    They didn¡¯t rush through the city. Crowds still hollered around them. Jack told Boatman all about their trip, minus the most shocking details, while Brock talked about the propensity of space monsters towards brohood.

    ¡°Their aggressiveness is misguided,¡± he claimed. ¡°Brohood can fill the gap just as well.¡±

    ¡°What about your side, Master?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What happened while we were gone?¡±

    ¡°Not too many things, but all of great importance. The Old Gods returned, did you hear that?¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°The scout who brought us over mentioned something, but he didn¡¯t know the details.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. They arrived shortly after you left, but they¡ª¡±

    He paused as they passed under a particularly crowded bridge. The shouts of the crowd were deafening. Jack and Brock smiled and waved.

    ¡°They arrived in the midst of a decisive battle,¡± Boatman continued. ¡°I was there too, actually. Fighting Elder Hero. He would have killed me if the Gods were even a little late.¡±

    ¡°Hero would have killed you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Boatman replied, turning to Jack with a worried gaze. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop him, disciple. I¡¯m sorry. He was already that strong over ten years ago. I shudder to think what he¡¯ll be like when you duel him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Jack replied calmly. ¡°He dared touch you, my master and benefactor. I will make sure to crush him before I kill him.¡±

    Boatman paused, turning around to look at Jack. He kept his aura hidden, only revealing he¡¯d reached the A-Grade, but his confidence was not something which could be mistaken.

    ¡°I hope you do,¡± Elder Boatman finally replied, resuming walking. ¡°After that battle¡ªin which Hero escaped, by the way¡ªthe Gods ignored everything and charged at the Immortal section of this galaxy. Our armies didn¡¯t have time to follow. There was no preparation, no plan, just an attempt to stampede.¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Jack said. ¡°I did run into some clones of them in the Space Monster World, and they seemed decent, but they told me the real bodies are super arrogant.¡±

    ¡°You met their clones? Where are they?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t free them yet, sadly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°What about the Gods attack on the Immortals?¡±

    ¡°They went in carelessly and paid for it. They returned injured, and with a casualty. The God of Mass has died.¡±

    That gave Jack pause. ¡°A God died?¡±

    ¡°Nobody expected it. We didn¡¯t even know Gods could be killed.¡±

    ¡°Who got him?¡± Jack asked. ¡°The Heaven Immortal?¡±

    ¡°Probably. We don¡¯t know what happened exactly¡ªthe Gods won¡¯t say¡ªbut word amongst the Immortal armies is that Hero delivered the final blow. He¡¯s called the God Killer now. If he got any benefits from that, I dread to think about his current power level.¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. How did the rest of the Gods take it?¡±

    ¡°Better than expected. They holed up somewhere to recover and told us to prepare for a final battle in a few years¡ªcurrently, that day is almost upon us. With the Church¡¯s assistance, they¡¯re confident they can defeat the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°Right. And we believe that?¡±

    Boatman smiled. ¡°No.¡±

    They¡¯d reached the doors of the main temple. The wooden building towered over them, a smooth fusion of nature and architecture, vines crawling up its walls, the wood still alive. Boatman parted the doors just enough to pass, then shut them behind him. The crowd¡¯s cheers echoed muffled.

    ¡°Jack! Brock!¡± came a familiar voice. They turned over to find Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling sitting on the pews.

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Jack replied, smile wide. Seeing them brought back memories. He was also pleasantly surprised to find they¡¯d gotten stronger¡ªSpoon was at the early A-Grade, while Min Ling had reached the peak B-Grade.

    The woman jumped off the pew, rushing over to hug both of them. ¡°You sure took your time,¡± she complained sweetly. ¡°We were worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Some things can¡¯t be rushed.¡± Jack laughed. ¡°Have you been well?¡±

    ¡°Better than I want to admit. War is a terrible place, but it¡¯s the perfect training ground for us. I¡¯m ashamed to admit I don¡¯t hate it.¡±

    ¡°But you hate its consequences.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Jack nodded at her words. Brock stepped up, inspecting Min Ling and Heavenly Spoon with narrowed eyes. ¡°Nice Daos,¡± he said. ¡°You bros are strong.¡±

    ¡°Comes with the constant battling,¡± Spoon replied. ¡°We were actually on a mission, but they recalled us at the news of your arrival. I don¡¯t know why. Most importantly, now that you¡¯re here¡­ How about a little sparring?¡±

    Jack gazed at the sovereign. His aura had changed. From an aloof young man, he¡¯d transitioned to a more somber presence. Something had happened to him¡­but, alas, that was the nature of war. Bad things happened to a lot of people.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that ship had sailed,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say it, but you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against either of us.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I can fight a small realm above my own.¡±

    ¡°We can fight several. Trust me. Not a chance.¡±

    Spoon didn¡¯t seem too disappointed. ¡°I kind of expected that,¡± he said. ¡°There was probably a time when we¡¯d be a good match, but, as you said, that ship has sailed. Happens.¡±

    Boatman coughed discreetly. Jack smiled at his friends. ¡°Brock and I must go,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯d love to catch up. How about we gather everyone and drink some wine tonight? I have some other friends to introduce to you guys.¡±

    ¡°The monsters?¡± Min Ling replied, her gaze fiery. ¡°Sure thing, Jack. It¡¯s a date.¡±

    He smiled at her, then he and Brock followed Boatman up the spiral stairs. Their ascent was silent. Soon after, they reached the top of the cathedral, where Boatman opened a set of wooden doors. A set of heavy presences blew over Jack and Brock. There were several people inside, all radiating the aura of Archons. It was the most oppressive room they¡¯d ever entered.

    ¡°Hey, everybody,¡± Jack said, calmly walking into their pressure. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±